AL Central Links: Indians, Moore, Schneider
Terry Francona returned to Boston in the opposing dugout tonight for the first time since being fired as the Red Sox manager following the 2011 season. Francona received a very warm welcome from the Fenway faithful when he was shown on the stadium's video screen, and the skipper received the best gift of all when his Indians beat up on the Sox in a 12-3 rout.
Here are some items from around the AL Central…
- The Indians are off to a great start under Francona but ESPN's Jim Bowden (Insider subscription required) thinks the team should still look to move some veterans in order to build for the future, rather than focusing on this season.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore isn't panicking about his team's recent slump, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports. Moore said the Royals weren't likely to send any of their struggling young hitters to Triple-A, and the GM didn't give any indication if Jeff Francoeur was nearing the end of his time with the team. “You’re always looking to improve your roster but it's still very early,” Moore said. “It’s the same team that we left spring training with….We’ve got (118) games left, we’ve got a lot of baseball left, and we’re going to remain patient with the guys we have. I like the potential of this group."
- White Sox trainer Herm Schneider might be the greatest asset in baseball that virtually nobody recognizes, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Teams pay over $500MM to players on the disabled list every year, but Schneider has managed to keep his players exceptionally healthy over his 34 seasons in Chicago.
- In division news from earlier today, the White Sox placed Angel Sanchez on waivers, the Indians designated David Huff for assignment and MLBTR's Marc Hulet examined the Twins' top minor leaguers in the latest edition of the Prospect Rumor Roundup.
MLBTR's Zach Links also contributed to this post
Indians Designate David Huff For Assignment
The Indians designated lefty David Huff for assignment to open a spot for another southpaw, Scott Barnes, tweeted the team.
Huff, 28, was designated for assignment when the team could not find a spot for him as the season began, but he remained in the organization after clearing waivers. The team had re-added him to the 40-man roster ten days ago. After being scored upon in two of his three relief appearances, he's off the 40-man again. Should he clear waivers, Huff can elect free agency this time, but he would give up his contract in that case.
Huff, drafted 39th overall in 2006 by the Indians, has thrown 288 1/3 innings (52 starts, six relief appearances) in parts of five seasons, with a 5.40 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and 1.28 HR/9. After Huff was drafted, Baseball America wrote positively about Huff's command and control but also his fringe-average fastball velocity and lack of a weapon against left-handed hitters.
Quick Hits: Francona, Indians, Mattingly, Dodgers
Here's tonight's look around baseball as Wednesday turns to Thursday..
- With Terry Francona returning to Fenway Park later this week as the Indians' manager, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes that solid relationships have contributed to his success at the helm of his new club. Morosi notes that part of the reason Nick Swisher signed with the Indians was because of Francona. “We’ve got the best manager on the planet leading us," Swisher said.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com argues that the pointed remarks from Don Mattingly are not a sign of an imminent dismissal, but rather honest assessments that the Dodgers should heed. Heyman contends that while Mattingly does deserves some responsibility for the poor start, it was the right move to criticize the roster construction.
- Meanwhile, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs thinks that Mattingly is almost certainly on his way out. The Dodgers may also consider moving Andre Ethier, though his sizable contract could deter teams.
Max Fogle contributed to this post.
Antonetti on Bourn, Bauer, Pitching
Earlier today, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com spoke with Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti. Here's a look at some highlights…
- Antonetti explained that the Indians' future revenue from upcoming television deals allowed the club to go after free agent Michael Bourn last winter. While the club was in on the outfielder as early as January, it only became a reality after market forces brought down his asking price.
- "You can never have enough pitching but we feel good about a lot of the guys we have," said Antonetti when asked about the prospect of bolstering the starting five. While some on the outside have suggested the Indians may look to improve the rotation, they seem comfortable with what they have.
- Antonetti feels he'll have the support of ownership if the Tribe is in the thick of things in July and the club needs to make a trade. The GM is confident in the depth of his farm system and is ready to make a deal if the right opportunity presents itself.
- The club's pursuit of Terry Francona was more-or-less standard procedure as Antonetti described it. Francona had "not only an interest, but an enthusiastic interest" in the position, and both sides were quickly able to hammer out a deal.
- The organization thinks Trevor Bauer is very close to being a regular contributor in the Indians' rotation. By the second half of the season, the GM hopes that he will be ready to be called up and stay on the big league roster for good. The 22-year-old, of course, came to Cleveland in the three-team Shin-Soo Choo deal in December.
Central Notes: Twins, Reynolds, Gomes, Choo
The Twins are piecing together a "promising future," and Miguel Sano, who is hitting .362/.457/.681 for Class A+ Fort Myers, is a key part of that, argues ESPN's Buster Olney writes (Insider-only). Byron Buxton, the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft, has also played brilliantly in the minors, hitting .331/.436/.574 for Class A Cedar Rapids. Minor-league pitchers Kyle Gibson and D.J. Baxendale have performed well, too. Olney cites Peter Gammons' comparison of the Twins to the 2007-2008 Texas Rangers, who were about to emerge as an AL powerhouse. Here are more notes from the Central divisions.
- Mark Reynolds, who is batting .263/.353/.564 this season, could be hitting his way out of the Indians' price range for 2014, Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. If Reynolds keeps hitting, the only way he'll still be in Cleveland in 2014 is if the Indians sign him to a contract extension before he hits free agency. Ocker also suggests that the Indians should sign Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis to multi-year deals.
- Yan Gomes' play makes the offseason trade that brought Gomes and Mike Aviles to the Indians for Esmil Rogers look like "a steal," MLB.com's Jordan Bastian writes (on Twitter). Gomes has hit .273/.283/.545 for the Indians this season, and Aviles has also been productive. Rogers' meanwhile, has struggled out of the Blue Jays' bullpen.
- The Reds would like to keep Shin-Soo Choo beyond this season, Ken Rosenthal says in a video at FOXSports.com. Choo has hit .314/.462/.569 this year, however, and Rosenthal notes that the thought of shopping a hot-hitting outfielder on the free agent market this winter must be tempting to Scott Boras, who represents Choo.
AL Central Links: Reynolds, Asdrubal, ChiSox, Twins
Justin Verlander and Yu Darvish face off in a marquee pitching matchup tonight in Arlington when the Tigers play the Rangers in a battle of AL division leaders. Detroit could lose the AL Central lead with a loss, as the idle Indians are only a half-game out of first place.
Here's the latest from around the AL Central…
- There hasn't yet been any talk of the Indians pursuing an extension with Mark Reynolds, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian writes in a reader mailbag. Reynolds signed a one-year, $6MM contract with the Tribe in December and is enjoying a big season, hitting .271/.362/.581 and sitting tied for American League home run lead with 11 long balls. Bastian suggests that Reynolds is likely to test the free agent market in order to capitalize on his comeback year. Reynolds recently cracked Tim Dierkes' 2014 free agent power rankings, clocking in at the #9 position.
- Also from Bastian, Francisco Lindor has been on fire in Class A ball but the Indians shortstop prospect isn't expected to be in the Major Leagues until next season at the absolute earliest. In order words, Asdrubal Cabrera is unlikely to be on the trade block anytime soon. Though Cabrera is off to a slow start, it makes little sense for Cleveland to move one of their key regulars if they're in a pennant race.
- If the White Sox become sellers before the trade deadline, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago thinks Chris Sale might be the only untouchable player on the roster. Even Jake Peavy, who signed a two-year extension (albeit without a no-trade clause) with Chicago last October, could potentially be dealt for a big haul of prospects.
- Twins minor league outfielder Joe Benson is in danger of losing his 40-man roster spot, 1500 ESPN Twin Cities Phil Mackey speculates. Benson was ranked by Baseball America as the 99th-best prospect in the sport prior to the 2012 season, but the 25-year-old has struggled badly since.
- From earlier today on MLBTR, we heard that the Tigers were looking for relief pitching.
Top Prospect Links: Lindor, Wheeler, Arcia
We're still roughly one month away from the deadline to delay Super Two status for minor leaguers, at which point a flood of young talent is likely to hit the Major Leagues. Here's a look at some news on some of the game's top prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, Keith Law and Jonathan Mayo prior to the season…
- Two separate scouts told Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports that the Indians' Francisco Lindor could be the best prospect in baseball by the end of the season. Lindor, a 19-year-old shortstop, reminds both scouts of Jurickson Profar thanks to excellent plate discipline, defense and ability to hit for average (Twitter links). The main question surrounding Lindor is whether or not his power will develop.
- A Mets source tells ESPN's Adam Rubin that preventing Zack Wheeler from reaching Super Two status is a priority. Rubin pegs the June 17-20 series against the division rival Braves as a likely target for Wheeler's debut. In an appearance on WFAN Radio today, GM Sandy Alderson stressed the developmental side of things, stating that they need to make sure Wheeler is ready (via Newsday's Marc Carig on Twitter).
- Oswaldo Arcia may never play another game in the minor leagues again, writes Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Arcia was initially called up to fill a void when Darin Mastroianni hit the disabled list, but he's hitting .299/.333/.506 with three homers thus far with the Twins. In his article, Mackey recounts a titanic opposite-field blast in a B-game by Arcia last Spring Training that grabbed the front office's attention and served as a launching pad for his career.
AL Notes: Angels, Reynolds, Lewis
Here are a few notes from the American League …
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that his squad is simply "not good right now." He notes that, with so much going wrong, "it's awfully hard to look at one area or one person and say, that's the cure." After investing huge money in Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, the club was only able to afford a pitching corps that sits near the bottom of the league in all of the major, comprehensive pitching statistics. And, of course, neither Pujols nor Hamilton has performed as expected. The team admittedly entered the year "thin after the 25-man team and the 12-man staff," according to Dipoto, and that lack of depth was tested so much that the team was forced "to start drilling for oil." Now, in a comment that Heyman describes as being "perhaps ominous[]," Dipoto says that the team is left waiting to see what happens as players come back from the DL: "As we get healthy, we'll have a better chance to assess where we are."
- So far, the best free agent signing of 2013 has been the unexpected Mark Reynolds, tweets Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Indeed, Reynolds is tearing the cover off of the ball for the Indians. After tonight's game, he sports a .291/.367/.645 slash with eleven home runs, which he has accomplished in part by lowering his strikeout rate to a level (25.0%) that is well below his career average (32.3%). Whether or not he keeps up this pace, he appears very likely to substantially outperform his one-year, $6MM deal. Certainly, the Orioles are likely regretting the decision to non-tender Reynolds, who would be an unquestioned upgrade at the club's disastrous DH spot.
- Pitcher Colby Lewis of the Rangers, a prospective 2014 free agent, began his rehab assignment this evening with a two-inning appearance in Triple-A. According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter), Lewis stretched his 45-pitch limit over just two innings as he labored through a 32-pitch second and ultimately let in three runs. As MLBTR's Steve Adams recently explained, Lewis could earn himself a multi-year contract if he shows teams that his past durability can be counted on once more going forward. In an injury-shortened 2012, the 32-year-old Lewis put up a 3.43 ERA over 105 innings and registered 8.0 K/9 against just 1.2 BB/9.
White Sox Claim Mike McDade
The White Sox claimed first baseman Mike McDade off waivers from the Indians, according to the Tribe's official Twitter feed. They also announced outfielder Ezequiel Carrera cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. The White Sox made room for McDade on the 40-man roster by putting Gavin Floyd on the 60-day DL, adds Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
McDade, 24, had been designated for assignment by the Indians last Thursday to open a 40-man roster spot for Carrera, who was designated himself three days later. McDade has struggled in 83 Triple-A plate appearances this year. The Las Vegas native came up through the Blue Jays' system, hitting .285/.360/.445 with 19 home runs in 508 plate appearances across Double and Triple-A last year. Drafted by the Jays in the sixth round in '07, McDade never ranked among the Baseball America's top 30 prospects for the team in any season.
Quick Hits: Scioscia, Brantley, Cosart, Marmol, Garza
Today is Cinco de Mayo, a celebration of Mexican heritage, pride, and culture. The holiday traces its roots to the Battle of Puebla in 1862 where the undermanned Mexican army defeated the French, regarded as having the world's premier army at the time. More than 100 Mexican nationals have played Major League baseball, including Cardinals' lefty Jaime Garcia and Brewers' righty Marco Estrada. The pair squared off against each other at Miller Park this afternoon in the first-ever matchup between two Mexican-born starting pitchers on Cinco de Mayo and the 37th such meeting overall (per the Brewers via the Elias Sports Bureau). Garcia was masterful scattering eight hits across eight innings in the Cardinals' 10-1 victory. Estrada, meanwhile, channelled the French army allowing eight runs and six hits while issuing a career-high five walks (two with the bases loaded). Adding insult to injury, Chorizo lost the Sausage Race (h/t Adam McCalvy of MLB.com via Twitter). Por otras partes en béisbol:
- Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com believes Angels manager Mike Scioscia needs a fresh start and proposes the Dodgers as the most obvious possibility. Rosenthal notes owner Artie Moreno would recoil at the idea of Scioscia managing the crosstown rivals, but the Angels would be better for it if they could obtain a significant player or two in a John Farrell-style trade.
- Indians outfielder Michael Brantley hasn't heard anything about contract negotiations and that's by design, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes. "Once the season starts, it's time for me to concentrate on baseball," Brantley said. "I don't need distractions like that. If my agents have anything going on, they'll get in touch with me."
- The Astros have dropped Erik Bedard from the starting rotation and need a starter for Friday's game against the Rangers. MLB.com's Brian McTaggart doesn't sense the Astros are in a rush to start the service clock of top prospect Jarred Cosart, who is 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA and 9.5 K/9 in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Cosart's next scheduled start is tomorrow night.
- Cubs manager Dale Sveum told reporters, including Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald, Carlos Marmol's status remains unchanged a day after he failed to retire any of the three batters he faced (two walks and one HBP). "Obviously he had a bad outing and couldn’t throw strikes," said Sveum. "Like I said he’s one of the seven guys, and he’s got to pitch, and we’ll get him back out there in some fashion. You can’t hide people. They have to pitch." Marmol pitched a perfect sixth inning today.
- Matt Garza will pitch his second minor league rehab start tomorrow for Triple-A Iowa, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. Garza, number seven on MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, is scheduled to throw three innings.