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Minor Moves: Raul Valdes, Nik Turley, Ryan Searle

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • Astros lefty Raul Valdes has accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A rather than electing free agency, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. Valdes was designated and then outrighted after an ugly eight-appearance stint in Houston this year (five earned in 3 2/3 with four strikeouts and three walks).
  • The Yankees have agreed to re-sign lefty Nik Turley to a minor league deal, reports Cotillo (Twitter link). The 24-year-old was recently released to clear a 40-man roster spot. Turley has dealt with arm issues and is yet to throw a competitive pitch this year, but has posted intriguing strikeout totals across his time in the minors since being taken in the 50th round of the 2008 draft. Last year, working mostly as a starter at the Double-A level, Turley threw to a 3.79 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 over 145 innings.
  • Australian righty Ryan Searle has been given his release by the Cubs, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald reports on Twitter. The 24-year-old had been working at the Double-A level this year, pitching to a 6.63 ERA in 19 innings with 8.1 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9.
  • As reflected in MLBTR’s DFA Tracker, the following players remain in DFA limbo: Elliot Johnson (Indians), Heath Bell (Rays), Xavier Nady (Padres), George Kottaras (Indians), and Omar Quintanilla (Mets). Joining that group today is Buddy Boshers of the Angels.

The Homer Bailey Extension And The Pitching Market

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Homer Bailey’s six-year, $105MM extension with the Reds has “shift[ed] perceptions in the market” and “ratcheted up … expectations” for players and their representatives, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Bailey, of course, lacked a consistent track record of top-level production when he inked his new deal.

Indeed, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote in the immediate aftermath of the signing, the Bailey deal does not fit the traditional parameters of high-end pitching contracts. Though Bailey had put up two quite productive seasons in a row — he had a cumulative 3.58 ERA in 417 innings over 2012-13 — his prior work was underwhelming and he had never carried ace-like numbers. Instead, Steve explained, the deal was a prime example of a club “betting on trends, skill-set, and age.”

For the rest of the market, however, the notion of comparable contracts — driven, in large part, by past performance — is still a powerful factor (at least in shaping demands and expectations). The reported $70MM offer made by the Red Sox to Jon Lester looked somewhat paltry by comparison to the Bailey contract. And Olney writes that the deal could play a key role in prompting the Cubs to trade away staff ace Jeff Samardzija, who will presumably look to match or top that kind of money. (Though the Cubs insist an extension is still in play, that seems increasingly unlikely; in either event, they probably know the price, which is only going up with the Bailey guarantee and Samardzija’s early season work.)

For his part, Bailey made clear in comments this week that he was quite cognizant of the broader market implications when putting pen to paper. As Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports, Bailey said that he was continuing a tradition of players maximizing their contracts to raise the bar for their contemporaries and successors. “Obviously the general public and media can say, ’These guys are making a lot of money,’ but so are the owners,” Bailey said. “How do we divide the pie?” Interestingly, Bailey said that he waited until another player (pretty clearly, Justin Masterson) had finalized his arbitration situation before his own deal was announced, out of fear that the 2014 salary included in his extension would have a negative impact.

Ultimately, Bailey chose to stay in Cincinnati because that was the place he wanted to earn his big payday. But he made clear that, even for guys who truly want to stay with a franchise, cash is still the primary factor. “The grass may not always be greener on the other side, despite what the checkbook looks like,” he explained. “Money is obviously the biggest issue. There’s no doubt about that. But happiness — it doesn’t matter how much you’re making if, for six months out of the year, you’re on a last place team, you’re miserable.”

NL Notes: Mets, Samardzija, Detwiler, Nationals

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As efforts to recover money in relation to the Bernie Madoff scandal continue, the amount owed by the Mets owners — the Wilpon family — continues to go down, reports ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin. At present, the Wilpons’ obligations sit at just above $80MM. Of course, any continued decrease would presumably improve the overall financial health of the franchise. The Mets checked in with the fifth-highest free agent outlay over the past offseason, and could increasingly be a big player on the open market as GM Sandy Alderson works to supplement the team’s young pitching.

  • Speaking of those young Mets arms, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News writes that several pitching prospects are expected to filter up to the big league roster sooner rather than later. Assistant GM John Ricco says that the team is “getting to the point where it’s probably weeks as opposed to months.” Ricco emphasized that the team was taking the long view, even as the bullpen struggles. “We want to make sure when they come up here they are going to actually help,” he said. “The bigger factor is their development. They will be ready to come up here when they have done everything they needed to do down there.” Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom appear to be closest to making the leap from the Mets minor league ranks, according to the report.
  • While the early season dominance of Cubs staff ace Jeff Samardzija has only heightened attention on his situation, GM Jed Hoyer says that it is still not certain that he will be dealt, as Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com reports. While sources told Rogers that no progress has been made in extension talks, Hoyer said that the line of communication remains open. “We’ve tried to keep things quiet,” said Hoyer. “We’ve had a lot of conversations with him. … There’s been pretty consistent dialogue [that] hasn’t reached the point of fruition yet, but there’s always been a dialogue.”
  • Another pitcher who could conceivably change hands at some point is Ross Detwiler of the Nationals, though that is purely my conjecture at present. The team decided to put him in a bullpen role despite a reasonably solid track record as a starter, emphasizing at the time that he could be an impact, power lefty in relief. But as Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post writes, the 28-year-old has been used in extremely low-leverage situations this year. Most recently, the club decided not to give him a spot start tonight against the Dodgers — preferring instead to promote Blake Treinen for a one-game stint — and then threw him in relief after the team was already down four runs. Detwiler seems expensive and somewhat over-qualified for his current role as a mop-up reliever. (He is earning $3MM in his second season of arbitration eligibility and has a 3.46 ERA in 301 2/3 innings — mostly as a starter — over 2011-13.)
  • Nationals manager Matt Williams said in an interview with MLB.com’s Bill Ladson that the team’s early injury woes have been frustrating, but not altogether unexpected. “You set out the year and get out of Spring Training with this grand plan,” he said, “realizing that it never goes as planned. It simply doesn’t.” While making room for Wilson Ramos, Bryce Harper, and Doug Fister should be fairly straightforward (and most welcome), the team will face some tough decisions when Ryan Zimmerman makes his return. With Danny Espinosa’s rebirth, and questions still ongoing with regard to Zimmerman’s ability to defend the hot corner, deft management could be required from the rookie skipper in allocating infield playing time the rest of the way. Also in the interview, Williams addressed the much-discussed handling of his young superstar, Harper. Williams spoke highly of the 21-year-old and said that Harper’s pre-injury benching was team-related, rather than an indictment of Harper himself.

Minor Moves: Rogers, Geltz, Sappelt, Ni, Rodriguez, Hottovy

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Here are today’s minor league transactions, with the latest moves atop the post…

  • The Mariners have released hurler Mark Rogers, tweets Tacoma Rainiers announcer Mike Curto (hat tip to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). Rogers, 28, is now far removed from his days as one of the game’s better pitching prospects. He was given a Spring Training invite in the offseason, but Seattle pulled the plug on his comeback attempt after Rogers walked 7 in his first 7 innings on the year.
  • Rays minor league reliever Steve Geltz has been hit with a 50-game suspension after a second positive test for a drug of abuse, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The 26-year-old righty, who came to Tampa last year in exchange for Dane De La Rosa, threw to a 2.82 ERA in 67 frames last year (10.7 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9) and was off to a 3.86 ERA start in his first 16 1/3 innings in 2014.
  • Outfielder Dave Sappelt has signed with los Acereros de Monclova in Mexico, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish. Sappelt has split the past three seasons between the Cubs and Reds, posting a .251/.301/.343 batting line in 274 big league plate appearances.
  • Former Tigers lefty Fu-Te Ni has signed with the independent Atlantic League’s Lancaster Barnstormers in hopes of eventually landing a Major League or Triple-A opportunity, tweets Cotillo. Ni had a solid rookie campaign with Detroit in 2009 but struggled to a 6.65 ERA in 23 innings in 2010. Now 31 years of age, Ni has a strong Triple-A track record but didn’t pitch in affiliated ball last season.
  • The Rays have released catcher Eddy Rodriguez, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy tweets.  Rodriguez, 28, signed a minor league deal with Tampa in the offseason but had only a .443 OPS in 49 PA for Triple-A Durham.  The veteran catcher has a career .235/.286/.386 slash line over 2271 minor league PAs and he received a two-game cup of coffee in the majors with the Padres in 2012.
  • The Cubs have released southpaw Tommy Hottovy, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports (as part of his full recap of the week’s minor league moves).  Hottovy signed a minor league contract with Chicago in December but had yet to pitch this season due to injury.  The left-hander threw 13 1/3 innings for the Red Sox and Royals in 2011-12 and spent last season in the Blue Jays’ farm system.
  • The Angels have signed left-hander Dustin Richardson to a minor league contract, according to the team’s MLB.com transactions page.  Richardson will report to Triple-A Salt Lake City.  The 30-year-old southpaw appeared in 20 games in Salt Lake last season, as well as six games with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters.  Richardson has 16 1/3 Major League innings to his name (with the Red Sox in 2009-10) and he has also spent time with the Braves’ and Marlins’ Triple-A affiliates and served a 50-game PED suspension.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Chapman, Wong, Weeks, ChiSox, Cubs

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On this date 70 years ago, Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis (home to the National League’s Cardinals and the American League’s Browns) became the final MLB stadium to integrate seating for fans. Although there was no official team or municipal policy, African-Americans were restricted to the bleachers before finally being allowed to purchase grandstand tickets.

Here’s today’s news and notes from MLB’s Central divisions:

  • Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is expected to rejoin the club this Friday, if his final two rehab appearances go well, reports MLB.com’s Andy Call. Chapman, who was struck by a line drive during a Spring Training game and needed a three-inch plate and 12 screws to stabilize the bones around his left eye, is scheduled to pitch in back-to-back Triple-A games beginning Tuesday.
  • Last year, the Cardinals sent a highly-touted prospect (Michael Wacha) to the minors after a disappointing start only to become a key player for them late in the season, and they are hoping history repeats itself with Kolten Wong, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • The Brewers should consider all alternatives when it comes to Rickie Weeks because his offensive struggles and being limited to only playing second base puts pressure on the organization, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak in a recent reader’s chat.
  • Both Chicago franchises, with the right returns in trades, could accelerate their rebuilding, opines Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Gonzales notes shedding Alexei Ramirez’s salary would allow the White Sox to address other needs while the Cubs may deal Jason Hammel hoping for results similar to last summer’s flip of Scott Feldman.

Quick Hits: Hoyer, Morrow, Hawkins, Angels

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A strong young pitching arm has long been the most valuable commodity in baseball, but as ESPN’s Buster Olney writes in his latest Insider-only column, some executives are beginning to put a greater premium on young hitters.  Position players may rate higher due to defensive value, not to mention that big bats are becoming a rarer commodity as scoring declines around the game.

Here are some news and notes from around the baseball world…

  • The Cubs are widely expected to be sellers at the trade deadline but GM Jed Hoyer told reporters (including CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney) that trade talks are currently “non-existent” and things won’t get serious for at least a few more weeks.  “I certainly talk to a lot of GMs on a daily or weekly basis,” Hoyer said. “But having a GM call about a specific player? I’m not even sure I fielded one of those yet. Really, that trade talk always dies right at the end of spring training.”
  • The Blue Jays have shifted Brandon Morrow to the 60-day disabled list, the team announced to reporters, including MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm (Twitter links).  The right index finger injury that put Morrow on the 15-day DL earlier today was revealed to be a torn tendon sheath, and if the injury isn’t healed by July, Morrow will have to undergo season-ending surgery.  This looks to be the third time in as many years that Morrow has suffered an injury that cost him at least two months of the season.
  • LaTroy Hawkins’ presence could’ve greatly helped solve the Mets’ bullpen issues, which is why Andy Martino of the New York Daily News opines that the team isn’t serious about contending.  Hawkins signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Rockies, a modest contact that Martino feels the Mets should’ve and could’ve easily topped in order to shore up their bullpen’s questionable depth.
  • The Angels’ struggling bullpen could get a boost from the farm system very soon, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times writes.  GM Jerry Dipoto said that Double-A right-handers R.J. Alvarez and Cam Bedrosian could both be “a phone call away. They’re doing it against high-level professional hitters. I feel like both can help sooner rather than later.”
  • Indians catcher George Kottaras is likely to be designated for assignment once Yan Gomes returns from the paternity list, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.  Kottaras was just called up today by the Tribe to take Gomes’ place, but he is out of options.  The 30-year-old catcher signed a minor league deal with the Tribe in late March.
  • In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Mike Petriello identifies three early weaknesses plaguing the Cardinals, Dodgers and Tigers in 2014.
  • Ten well-known names ranging from Major League veterans to retired NBA star Tracy McGrady are active in the independent leagues, Zachary Levine writes for FOXSports.com in a brief review of these ten players’ career situations.
  • Giving minor league starting prospects Major League experience as relievers and eventually working them into the rotation is a strategy popularized by Earl Weaver’s Orioles in the 1970’s, and this idea has been one of the cornerstones of the Cardinals’ success over the last decade, Peter Gammons writes in his latest column for GammonsDaily.com.

Minor Moves: Cubs, Gonzalez, Russell

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We’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions here, with the newest moves at the top of the page…

  • The Cubs moved right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa to the 60-day disabled list today, creating a 40-man roster spot for Chris Coghlan, the club announced.  (Southpaw Zac Rosscup was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Coghlan on the 25-man roster.)  Fujikawa underwent Tommy John surgery last June and isn’t expected back on the mound until at least midseason.  In making the Cubs’ Major League roster, Coghlan will now earn $800K as per the minor league contract he signed with Chicago in January, and he has another $250K available to him in incentives.
  • The Padres have acquired shortstop Benji Gonzalez from the Pirates for cash or a player to be named later, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Gonzalez, a seventh-round pick in 2008, hit .232/.314/.294 for Class A+ Bradenton in 2013. The Padres have assigned him to Lake Elsinore, which is at the same level.
  • The Reds have signed pitcher Adam Russell to a minor-league deal, MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo tweets. The Diamondbacks released Russell in March. In 2013, the 31-year-old posted a 2.37 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 60 2/3 innings for the Orioles’ Triple-A Norfolk affiliate. He has pitched for the White Sox, Padres and Rays, last appearing in the big leagues in 2011.

Cubs Notes: Trades, Veras, Draft

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Here’s the latest out of Wrigleyville …

  • At this early stage of the year, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer says that there is very little action in terms of trade discussion, tweets Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. As Miles writes in another piece, Hoyer also said that the club “should be better than [its] record,” but has suffered through some tough losses. Of course, barring a big surprise, the expectation all along has been that Chicago would shop several of the veterans on its roster, and the team’s current nine-game division deficit only increases that likelihood. Pitcher Jason Hammel, the versatile Emilio Bonifacio, and of course staff ace Jeff Samardzija are all off to starts that make them look like attractive trade targets.
  • One other player that seemed destined to be a July mover was reliever Jose Veras, who the Cubs inked to take over the closer role. But his struggles on the mound and with an oblique injury have clouded both his outlook as a trade chip and the team’s closer situation, as MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat writes. The team will look to “develop a closer from one of the guys we have on the roster,” says Hoyer. The GM added that Veras’s struggles “show[] you the perils of free agency,” though he added that he hopes the 33-year-old veteran will sort himself out.
  • The draft is no doubt the focus of the Chicago front office at the moment, as the team holds the fourth overall choice. While we heard recently that the club would take the best player available, it will surely be enticed by the possibility of adding a top-flight pitching prospect in a draft that has several at the top of the board. As Muskat writes, aiding Hoyer and president of baseball ops Theo Epstein in breaking down the young arms will be former Cub standouts Kerry Wood and Ted Lilly. “The plan is to have those guys in the draft room when we convene,” said Hoyer. “It’s good for us to hear their opinions, and it’s good for their development to go out and see these guys.”

Blue Jays Notes: Stroman, Pearce, Buehrle

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The bullpen was one of the Blue Jays’ few strengths in 2013 and yet the relief corps has gotten off to a terrible start this year, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes.  Last night’s blowup against the Royals was only the latest in a series of late-game meltdowns for the bullpen, which has a cumulative 5.08 ERA that ranks as the third-worst in the majors.  Here’s some more news from Toronto…

  • Cubs scout Dave Littlefield was in Buffalo last night to watch Marcus Stroman’s six no-hit innings for the Triple-A Bisons, Davidi reports.  Chicago reportedly asked for both Stroman and Aaron Sanchez as part of a trade package for Jeff Samardzija in the offseason, a deal that the Jays rejected out of hand.  Littlefield’s presence could indicate a continued interest on the Cubs’ behalf or, as Davidi notes, simple due diligence.
  • Steve Pearce turned down the Jays’ waiver claim on his services in order to return to the Orioles because he could receive everyday playing time in Baltimore, according to Davidi.  Pearce will likely receive regular work at first base for the O’s while Chris Davis is out with an oblique injury.  The Blue Jays were looking at Pearce to start against left-handers as part of a DH platoon with Adam Lind.
  • If the Jays aren’t in contention by midseason, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star notes that Mark Buehrle would likely have the most trade value of any Blue Jays starting pitcher.  The veteran southpaw has been the Jays’ best starter in 2014 and, as Griffin notes, Buehrle’s consistent track record means that a trade partner knows exactly what they’re getting.  Moving Buehrle would also free up payroll space for the Jays — he is owed approximately $15MM over the rest of 2014 and is owed $19MM in 2015.
  • Also from Griffin’s piece, he interviews Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava about several prospects at all levels of Toronto’s minor league system.

NL Central Notes: Samardzija, Polanco, DeJesus

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Homer Bailey’s extension with the Reds could have a ripple effect within the NL Central, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times believes Bailey’s six-year, $105MM deal greatly exceeded a five-year extension offer the Cubs made to Jeff Samardzija.  It has been widely speculated that Samardzija will be traded or leave in free agency rather than remain a Cub, though Bailey himself isn’t so sure.  “I think the Cubs will spend money where they feel like it’s needed,” Bailey said.  “And maybe it will be Samardzija. We don’t know that.  The Cubs might be playing a bluff card. That’s part of going into a negotiation, too. There’s so many strategies.”

Here’s the latest from around the division…

  • If the Pirates are really keeping Gregory Polanco at Triple-A to keep him from reaching Super Two status, it’s a lose-lose situation for all parties, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes.  Ownership could save money on Polanco’s future arbitration years, but Sawchik makes the point that those savings could cost the Bucs a playoff berth (and playoff revenue) this year since the Pirates need Polanco’s bat.
  • Polanco’s Triple-A dominance could be hurting him in some respects, MLB.com’s Tom Singer opines, as the Pirates might be waiting to see how Polanco deals with adversity before calling him up to the Major League level.
  • Polanco’s situation is detailed by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, and one scout had high praise for the young outfielder.  Polanco was called “as close to the perfect player as you can get” and the scout described him as “Dave Parker with more speed, and Darryl Strawberry without the off-field baggage.”
  • Unlike former teammate Matt Garza, David DeJesus didn’t necessarily feel relieved to be traded from the Cubs last summer, the outfielder tells CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney.  DeJesus still has a house in the Chicago suburbs and enjoyed his time in Wrigleyville, but the Cubs’ continual moving of veterans could harm the club’s youth movement.  “Young guys have to follow leadership. I followed Mike Sweeney,” DeJesus said.  “You learn how to be a professional at that time. When they keep losing those guys, it’s going to be tougher. They’re going to have to grow up real quickly.”
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