Reds Sign Kip Wells
Mark Sheldon of MLB.com is reporting that the Reds have signed Kip Wells to a minor league deal and assigned him to AAA.
Wells was designated for assignment on June 24th by the Nationals and elected free agency after clearing waivers. He posted a 6.49 ERA and an 18/18 K/BB ratio in 26 1/3 innings out of the Nationals' bullpen.
Odds & Ends: Reds, Dodgers, Rangers
Links for Wednesday evening, with more to come…
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports the Reds are nearing deals with their top two picks, pitchers Mike Leake and Brad Boxberger. "It's going very well with both of those guys," Reds scouting director Chris Buckley said Wednesday.
- According to Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Daily News, outfielder Mitch Jones has cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque. He was DFA'd by the Dodgers about a week ago.
- T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports the Rangers have released 29-year-old minor leaguer Nate Gold, who was batting .256 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 25 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Kouzmanoff, Marlins
A tasty handful of Monday evening links…
- Chris DeLuca of the Chicago Sun-Times gathered a quote from Cubs GM Jim Hendry on the possibility of his club making a move: "We have a pretty good team,and if our guys all play like their capable … you don’t have to do a whole lot."
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports the Padres aren't "getting many hits" from other teams on Kevin Kouzmanoff, but believes that might change soon.
- According to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, the Reds have signed four Venezuelan amateurs.
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy has a rundown of team-by-team minor league transactions from late June. It's interesting reading for prospect buffs.
- Will the Marlins be leaving their payroll issues behind when they move into their spanking new facility in 2012? Carl Hiaasen of the Miami Herald doesn't seem to think so. He questions whether the club will be able to fill their $634MM, 37,000-seat stadium once the luster wears off.
- Tommy Rancel of DRaysBay.com has more on Venezuelan third baseman Cesar Perez, who was signed this afternoon by Tampa Bay for $1MM.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reviews the Ryan Freel trade, noting that the Royals must be labeled as "buyers" as of July 6. Of course, that could change by the time the July 31 trade deadline rolls around.
- Remember to tune in for the weekly MLBTR live chat tomorrow at 2pm CST.
Edes’ Latest: Giants, Teahen, Relievers
Currently standing atop the National League wildcard standings, the Giants are looking for a lefthanded bat to add to their lineup according to Gordon Edes of Yahoo Sports. He cites a major league executive who says that San Francisco has focused their efforts on three first baseman: Nick Johnson, Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche. Edes also says that the Giants have spoken to the Padres about a potential Jonathan Sanchez–Scott Hairston swap.
Let's round up the rest of Edes' rumors…
- Royals GM Dayton Moore has heard from multiple teams about Mark Teahen, including the Red Sox, Cubs, Angels and Giants.
- The Braves "might be inclined to take a look at" Jose Guillen. The Royals would love to discuss Yunel Escobar.
- We've heard this before, but if Boston moves a reliever, it will most likely be Takashi Saito.
- Padres' closer Heath Bell may command the most attention amongst relievers.
- The Astros are likely to hold on to LaTroy Hawkins and Jose Valverde, barring a collapse before the trade deadline.
- The Blue Jays would love to move BJ Ryan, but are more likely to see interest in Jason Frasor and Scott Downs.
- Bronson Arroyo is back on the trade block.
Reds Sign Humberto Valor
Kiley McDaniel tweets that the Reds have signed Venezuelan shortstop Humberto Valor. The bonus is said to be in the "high six figures." Valor is said be a solid all-around player with good instincts and very good defense at short.
Arangure Jr. On International Prospects
ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. has been all over the market for potential signings from Latin America ahead of July 2nd, the first day teams are officially eligible to sign international free agents. Let's check out his latest action on the beat:
- The Braves and Reds supposedly watched the workouts for shortstop prospect Humberto Valor. One scout called him "the best position player in Venezuela," and he's expected to get a bonus in the range of $1.5MM-$2.2MM.
- The Red Sox are apparently set to sign Dominican right-hander Raul Alcantara for $500k. Here's a scouting report, and one scout said he's "better than [Michael] Ynoa."
- The Brewers and Yankees are said to be "all over" SS prospect Damian Arredondo, touted for his "raw speed."
Ben had a round-up of more international signing tidbits yesterday. Keep an eye out for a flurry of news as the deadline approaches.
Olney On Felix, Reds, Dye, Indians
ESPN.com's Buster Olney imagines there will be a long lineup of suitors for Felix Hernandez when he hits free agency after the 2011 season. Players as good as King Felix will sign massive deals regardless of the economy, Olney says. Here are the rest of his rumors:
- The Reds, who are looking for a right-handed bat, will probably choose between marginal improvements and busting the budget for a pricier hitter like Matt Holliday or Jermaine Dye. They'd have to give up better prospects to obtain the salary relief they'd like, but they're reluctant to part with top talent.
- For those wondering if Jermaine Dye could fit in San Francisco, Olney says the White Sox and Giants don't match up particularly well.
- Olney suggests the Red Sox should trade for a first baseman and move Kevin Youkilis over to third if Mike Lowell has to miss much time,
- It makes sense for the Rockies to play Garrett Atkins more. Not only is he hitting better, teams will have more interest in Atkins if they see him perform well.
- Any deal that makes the Indians stronger for 2010 is worth making if they aren't going to contend this year. Cleveland's now 12.0 games out of a playoff spot.
Talkin’ Reds Baseball
Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer believes the Reds need to make a "bold" move to stay in contention, but doesn't think it will necessarily happen.
Odds And Ends: DeRosa, Royals, Jays
The runner-up for Mark DeRosa, thoughts on the Blue Jays and a pair of discussions to listen in on…
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says the Reds came in second in the DeRosa sweepstakes.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that DeRosa's already fitting in well with the Cards.
- The Phillies, who are scouring the league for starters, could have interest in Gil Meche and Brian Bannister so, as David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News reports, the Royals scouted Lou Marson and others in Triple A.
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman notes suspicion that the Braves are unhappy with Yunel Escobar's behavior.
- Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail gets the sense that the Jays are ready to move Vernon Wells and/or Alex Rios for just about anything to free up enough money to keep Roy Halladay after next year.
- Watch my discussion with Sid Rosenberg right here. We talked about the Mets, Matt Holliday and the best pitching available.
- I will also be talking trades on SportsTalkSoup tonight at 10pm CST, so listen in.
Reds Seek Bats
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Reds are actively seeking right-handed hitting, especially after losing out on Mark DeRosa to the rival Cardinals. Here are a few options for the Reds, who could improve at third base, shortstop and left field:
- They have considered dealing for Josh Willingham.
- Ty Wigginton could fit their needs as well.
- Adding Matt Holliday would be huge for the Reds, but he'd command the biggest return of all.
- Gary Matthews Jr. could fit in Cincy if the Angels are willing to pay a considerable portion of his contract. The Angels would likely want relief help in return.
- Since the Red Sox may be prepared to eat a considerable portion of Julio Lugo's salary, the Reds could consider dealing for him and asking for Boston to pay most of his $9MM salary.