AL Central Notes: Tigers, Twins, Hernandez, Dunn
On this date in 1997, the Tigers drafted Matt Anderson first overall (under management that has since been replaced). The flame-throwing right-hander briefly became the Tigers' closer, but didn't match the success of others in his draft class like J.D. Drew, Troy Glaus, Vernon Wells and Lance Berkman. Anderson attempted a comeback with the Phillies this year, but has since been released. Here's the latest from around the AL Central…
- David Mayo of The Grand Rapids Press defends Tigers manager Jim Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski, saying the Tigers are annual contenders and “give the Michigan summer a sporting purpose.”
- Yes, the Twins are just 18-37, but GM Bill Smith tells John Shipley of the Pioneer Press that it's not too late for a comeback. Smith says better health and more home games and intra-divisional series could get the Twins back into contention. Smith also noted that his re-worked bullpen "hasn't worked" and expressed confidence in Alexi Casilla's skills.
- The Royals have been linked to international prospect Elier Hernandez, according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The outfielder is likely to command a $2-3MM bonus once he's eligible to sign after July 2nd.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests that Adam Dunn's struggles and $56MM contract with the White Sox could affect the way American League teams build their rosters going forward. Red Sox DH David Ortiz tells Morosi that DHing is harder than it seems (for more on Ortiz's market value, click here).
Outrighted To The Minors: Amezaga, Sosa, Tejeda
We'll keep track of all the day's outrighted players right here:
- Alfredo Amezaga, designated for assignment by the Rockies on May 29th to create a spot for Chris Nelson, cleared waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A, tweets the team.
- Henry Sosa, who was designated for assignment by the Giants last week, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Double-A, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
- Robinson Tejeda cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). The Royals designated Tejeda for assignment last week to create roster space for hard-throwing right-hander Felipe Paulino.
- Dallas McPherson cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). The White Sox designated the infielder for assignment Monday after he collected a pair of singles in 15 plate appearances over the course of 11 games. The 30-year-old former top prospect had a characteristically strong .305/.366/.458 line in Triple-A Charlotte before getting the call to the Majors.
Quick Hits: Hanrahan, Jackson, Blue Jays
Links for Wednesday, as Seattle's Michael Pineda prepares to continue his Rookie of the Year bid against the Orioles…
- Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan noted his daily readership of MLBTR in an interview at the MLB Fan Cave yesterday. Said Hanrahan, "[MLBTR] provides updates for all the transactions in one quick place. I go on there on my phone all the time, because you find out about any deals and transactions. I’m definitely an active reader of that site, but other than that, I don’t really read too many other baseball websites." We're honored to have Joel among the many players who read MLBTR; give him a follow on Twitter here.
- Tip of the cap to White Sox righty Edwin Jackson, who explained to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times that he'll accept bullpen duty if the team decides to remove him from the rotation. The Scott Boras client has a team-first attitude despite his impending free agency.
- Blue Jays righty Dustin McGowan has endured two shoulder surgeries since he last appeared in the Majors in July of '08, but Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports his rehab went well in May and the Jays are now considering using him as a starter again. In other good news for the Jays, top prospect Brett Lawrie tweeted late last night that his hand is only bruised after being hit by a pitch. Prior to that pitch, Lawrie had been slated to make his big league debut Friday.
- Jack Zduriencik's smaller acquisitions are looking good for the Mariners, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. For a look back at our Mariners offseason in review, click here.
White Sox Designate McPherson For Assignment
The White Sox announced that they designated infielder Dallas McPherson for assignment. In related moves, Chicago optioned Lucas Harrell to Triple-A and called up right-handers Brian Bruney and Jeff Marquez.
McPherson appeared in 11 games with the White Sox and collected a pair of singles in his 15 plate appearances. The 30-year-old had a .305/.366/.458 line in Triple-A Charlotte before getting the call to the Majors. Putting up gaudy minor league numbers is nothing new for the former top prospect. McPherson, Baseball America's #12 prospect entering the 2005 season, has 175 homers and a .953 OPS in the minors, though he hasn't matched that production in parts of five Major League seasons.
Draft Notes: Rendon, Cole, Bundy, Gray
The buzz about the MLB draft is intensifying and understandably so – the big day is less than two weeks away. Here’s the latest:
- Baseball America presents its top 200 draft prospects. Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon is first on the list and high school right-hander Dylan Bundy leapfrogged UCLA righty Gerrit Cole to take the second spot on BA’s list.
- Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Keith Law ranks his top 100 draft-eligible players. Cole (#1), Rendon (#2) and high school outfielder Bubba Starling (#3) top his list and Bundy comes in fourth.
- Two UConn Huskies, Matt Barnes and George Springer, are gaining momentum, according to Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com. Cole, however, is losing momentum.
- In his latest chat, Jim Callis of Baseball America says he thinks Vanderbilt right-hander Sonny Gray can start or become a dynamic closer.
- Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com previews this year's draft-eligible middle infielders, starting with high schooler Francisco Lindor, an outstanding defender who can hit for average and some power.
- University of Hawaii second baseman Kolten Wong told Mayo that he doesn't mind at all when people doubt him because of his size (he's 5'9"). Wong says he has spoken to fellow Hawaiian Shane Victorino about dealing with the draft.
- White Sox scouting director Doug Laumann told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that the White Sox should get some "pretty good players" even though their first pick is the 47th overall selection. Chicago could end up taking a position player this year, according to Laumann.
Minor Deals: Zumaya, Red Sox, Reds, Blue Jays
Troy Patton, who was designated for assignment by the Orioles last week, cleared waivers and has been optioned to Triple-A, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Here are the rest of today’s minor moves:
- The Tigers released Richard Zumaya, the younger brother of Major Leaguer Joel Zumaya, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). The 21-year-old right-hander struggled in the lower minors in 2010 and 2011.
- The Red Sox signed right-hander Chris Huseby, who once signed a seven-figure deal with the Cubs, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (on Twitter). The 23-year-old hasn't pitched this year but he has a 3.58 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 158 1/3 innings of pro ball.
- The Reds acquired righty Brandon Hynick from the White Sox and the Phillies acquired Niuman Romero from the Blue Jays, according to Eddy (on Twitter). The White Sox and Blue Jays obtained cash considerations in return for their respective prospects.
- The Reds also signed righty reliever Steven Jackson after the Dodgers released him, according to Eddy (on Twitter).
- The Braves signed right-hander Steven Shell to provide depth at Triple-A, according to Eddy (on Twitter).
Heyman On Reyes, Rodriguez, A’s, Minaya
We know that Mets owner Fred Wilpon doesn’t think Jose Reyes is a $142MM player, but how do other insiders see it? Jon Heyman of SI.com hears from five MLB executives who estimate Reyes will sign for somewhere between $45-108MM after the season when he hits free agency. Here’s the latest from around the majors, with a focus on Reyes’ Mets:
- Francisco Rodriguez, who can veto trades to ten teams, told Heyman that he understands baseball is “a business” and deals happen.
- There’s no chance the Mariners trade Felix Hernandez now that they’re playing better, according to Heyman.
- If the White Sox make a starter available, Edwin Jackson could be the one to hit the trade market, as he’s eligible for free agency after the season.
- Over the weekend, MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk weighed in on what a “bad” season would mean for Albert Pujols. Heyman says Pujols will surely do well even if his off-year continues, since the Cardinals “aren't going to lower their offer of nine years and more than $200MM.”
- Ivan Rodriguez repeated that he wants to play three more years.
- Despite the recent controversy involving A’s manager Bob Geren and relievers Brian Fuentes and Huston Street, Heyman says the skipper “isn't going anywhere.”
- The Indians are one of a few teams that has shown interest in former Mets and Expos GM Omar Minaya.
Alex Cintron Retires
Infielder Alex Cintron has retired, tweets Padres Triple-A broadcaster Tim Hagerty. Cintron had signed a minor league deal with the Padres earlier this month after a brief stint in the Nationals organization.
Cintron, 32, finishes with a .275/.313/.394 line in 2,217 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Orioles, and Nationals. He played shortstop, second base, and third base. Cintron's best season was with the 2003 D'Backs, when he hit .317/.359/.489 with 13 home runs. The Puerto Rico native earned over $4MM in his big league career, according to Baseball Reference.
Chicago Notes: Montanez, Sox Rotation
Both Chicago teams are struggling this year. The White Sox sit at 22-27, 10 games out in the division and 4.5 back in the wild card. The 20-25 Cubs are seven games out in their division and six out in the wild card. Combined payrolls: about $262MM. On to the links:
- Outfielder Lou Montanez will have his contract purchased by the Cubs, Iowa manager Bill Dancy told Rick Brown of the Des Moines Register. Montanez, 29, was the third overall pick for the Cubs in 2000 as a shortstop. He became an outfielder in 2004, and after a stint with the Orioles signed a minor league deal to return to the Cubs in January. As Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald notes, the Cubs will have to create a 40-man roster spot for Montanez, perhaps by moving Andrew Cashner or Brian Schlitter to the 60-day DL. The team would also have to open a spot on the 25-man roster, and ESPN's Bruce Levine speculates that that could be accomplished by putting Matt Garza on the DL.
- The White Sox will likely bump someone from their six-man rotation after the current road trip, writes Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Bumping Phil Humber might create the fewest waves, since he's the only starter earning less than $5MM. However, he has the best ERA of the group and the Sox are talking about doing what's best for the team because some starters can't pitch with eight days rest. It'd be very interesting to see John Danks or Edwin Jackson moved to the bullpen, as Danks has a big arbitration raise coming and Jackson will be a free agent.
- You can follow MLBTR's Cubs rumors via Facebook, Twitter, and RSS. Check out MLBTR's Sox rumors via Facebook, Twitter, and RSS as well.
Quick Hits: Lee, Branyan, Simon, Francona
Happy birthday to Matt Wieters! The Orioles catcher turned 25 today, and he celebrated with a 2-for-4 performance in Baltimore's 8-3 win over Washington.
Here's some news from around the majors….
- The Rangers' offseason courtship of Cliff Lee is recapped by Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com. Lee was brilliant against his former team today, holding the Rangers to just five hits and two walks over eight shutout innings in a 2-0 Philadelphia victory.
- The Mariners don't have any room, or particular need, for Russell Branyan, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Branyan was released by the Diamondbacks earlier today.
- The Orioles activated Alfredo Simon from the restricted list a day earlier than expected and he was available to pitch today against the Nationals, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- Terry Francona was Jim Hendry's choice to manage the Cubs had Dusty Baker not taken the job before the 2003 season, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Francona was also a finalist to manage the White Sox (along with Cito Gaston) before Ozzie Guillen was hired.
- Jamey Newberg of The Newberg Report looks at the Rays' cheap, effective bullpen revamp from this past offseason as an example of how the Rangers should approach improving their relief corps.