Guardians Rumors

Indians Release Chris Ray

By Zachary Links | July 7, 2012 at 1:38pm CDT

We'll keep track of today's minor moves right here..

The Indians announced that right-hander Chris Ray was granted his release from Triple-A Columbus today. The 30-year-old posted a 4.68 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 46% ground ball rate in 32 2/3 innings for the Mariners in 2011.

Tigers Interested In Matt Garza

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 6, 2012 at 11:28am CDT

The Tigers have interest in Matt Garza, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). The Cubs recently scouted Detroit's Erie affiliate, but talks are not serious. The Blue Jays, Indians, Reds, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Cardinals all scouted Garza's start last night, Morosi adds.

The Cubs and Tigers discussed a deal involving Matt Garza this past January without reaching an agreement. Though the Tigers continue to get Cy Young-type production from Justin Verlander, starters Rick Porcello, Max Scherzer have been inconsistent so far this year.

Garza, 28, earns $9.5MM and will remain under team control through 2013. He has a 4.32 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 through 93 2.3 innings.

Chase Headley Drawing Trade Interest

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 5, 2012 at 3:41pm CDT

The Dodgers, Pirates, Indians, Orioles and Diamondbacks are among the teams believed to have some interest in Padres third baseman Chase Headley, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Padres are open to trading Headley within the division, Heyman adds.

Headley, 28, earns $3.48MM this year and will remain under team control through 2014. The switch-hitter has a .271/.372/.421 batting line in 352 plate appearances so far in 2012. The Padres have scored fewer runs than any other MLB team this year, but top prospect Jedd Gyorko is hitting .315/.379/.532 in the upper minors and could be called upon if the Padres complete a deal involving Headley.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this week that Headley was drawing serious interest. The 33-50 Padres figure to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline when Headley, Carlos Quentin and others could be available.

Olney On Red Sox, Mariners, Smith, Rangers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 5, 2012 at 10:01am CDT

Most of the top available starting pitchers currently play in the National League, but there’s still lots of trade talk in the AL this summer. Buster Olney provides updates on the junior circuit trade market in today’s column at ESPN.com. Here are some highlights:

The Mariners won’t trade Felix Hernandez, but Kevin Millwood, Chone Figgins, Jason Vargas and Brandon League could be dealt.
The Red Sox have focused on adding starting pitching. Some executives believe the Rangers will make a big play for the best starting pitchers available.
Meanwhile, the White Sox have been asking around about relievers.
Teams have called about Seth Smith, but the Athletics will keep him. However, Kurt Suzuki could be available and the A’s will listen to offers for Brandon McCarthy, Bartolo Colon and Grant Balfour.
The Indians figure to pursue right-handed bats and Carlos Quentin could be an option in Cleveland, Olney writes.
The Blue Jays plan to assess their chances at the All-Star break, and some rival officials expect Toronto to sell.
The Orioles need pitching, but Olney doesn’t expect the team to make a major addition. Similarly, the Twins figure to seek pitching in any midseason trades they consider.
Here’s MLBTR’s recap of Olney’s look at the NL trade market.

Indians Sign Hector Caro

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 3, 2012 at 12:22pm CDT

The Indians signed 16-year-old Dominican Hector Caro to a deal worth $1.1MM, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The corner outfielder bats from the right side and stands 6’2”.

Several teams didn’t consider Caro a top prospect in Latin America and Baseball America had him ranked outside of its top 20. Caro has flashed raw power, but has had trouble in games, Badler writes. The prospect projects as a left fielder.

Int’l Signings: Barrera, Cruz, Esteves, Gomez, Dodgers

By Zachary Links | July 2, 2012 at 10:13pm CDT

The 2012 international free agent signing period opened today and plenty of signings will be coming in as teams look to spend within their $2.9MM allotment. We'll be keeping track of all of the day's major agreements under $1MM right here..

The Athletics are finalizing an agreement with Luis Barrera that would pay the Dominican outfielder $450K, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Sanchez's colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Barrera as the No. 13 prospect in this year's class.
Badler also adds that the Indians have signed Dominican shortstop Grofy Cruz for a bonus of $400K. Cruz is expected to shift to third base soon, and is praised by Badler for his strong arm and raw power.
Dominican third baseman Kelvin Esteves signed with the Braves for a $300K bonus, Badler writes. Badler praises Esteves' bat speed and raw power from the right side.
The Dodgers also signed Dominican shortstop Cristian Gomez to an undisclosed bonus, writes Badler. Gomez was widely expected to receive a low six-figure bonus.
The Dodgers issued a press release to announce four international signings: right-handers Lenix Osuna and William Soto, left-hander Victor Gonzalez, as well as catcher Julian Leon. Osuna is the son of former Dodgers righty Antonio Osuna. Soto hails from Venezuela while the other three were all signed out of Mexico. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets that the club spent about $1MM total on the four players.
The Mets, who earlier today signed shortstop Amed Rosario to a $1.75MM bonus, also signed Venezuelan shortstop Miguel Patino and Dominican second baseman Franklin Correa, tweets ESPN's Adam Rubin. Rubin also notes that Rosario's bonus is the highest the Mets have ever given to an international free agent. That honor had previously gone to Fernando Martinez ($1.3MM).

The Tigers signed Dominican shortstops Domingo Leyba and Willy Adames, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.

The Indians have signed Dominican catcher Francisco Mejia for $350K, according to Badler. Mejia is the second catcher Cleveland signed today after inking Yoiber Marquina out of Venezuela.

Venezuelan catcher David Rodriguez has agreed to sign with the Rays, writes Badler.

Dominican third baseman Caros Belen has signed with the Padres, according to Badler. The 16-year-old, ranked No. 8 by Baseball America, is said to have outstanding offensive potential.

The Indians have ventured outside of Latin America today, signing Naoki Hashimoto for a $250K bonus, according to Nikkan Sports (Japanese link, passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker on Twitter). Hashimoto will travel to the U.S. in a few weeks and start in Single-A.

The Cardinals announced the signing of three international players: outfielder Luis Bandes, catcher Joshua Lopez, and shortstop Edmundo Sosa. Sosa's deal is worth $425K, writes Badler.

The Cubs signed Dominican shortstop Frandy de la Rosa for $700K, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports.

The Phillies inked Dominican catcher Deivi Grullon, the No. 15 ranked international prospect, for $575K, Badler writes. The 16-year-old is a strong defensive catcher with at least a plus arm, according to Badler.

The Indians signed Venezuelan catcher Yoiber Marquina, according to Ben Badler. The 16-year-old's deal is worth $475K, according to Rafael Vásquez Martínez of Líder en Deportes (Spanish link, passed along by MLBTR's Nick Collias).

The Yankees have signed Venezuelan right fielder Alexander Palma for $800K, writes Badler. Palma was the fourth-ranked international prospect by BA and has a physical frame that projects for power.

The Dominican Prospect League announced that the Yankees have signed Dominican shortstop Yancarlos Baez for $650K, writes Badler. The 16-year-old is an athletic switch-hitter with good bat speed but was not ranked in BA's top 20.

The Giants have agreed to sign 16-year-old third baseman Natanael Javier for $475K, Badler writes. The Dominican prospect was named the MVP of the Dominican Prospect League's PG International Series all-tournament game last month.

The Pirates‬ will sign Dominican third baseman Julio De La Cruz today and have four more signings lined up, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter). The 16-year-old has mostly been connected to Pittsburgh, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription req'd) but the White Sox also seemed interested.

The Blue Jays signed Venezuelan shortstop Luis Castro, according to Ben Badler. The 16-year-old right-handed hitter, ranked No. 9 by Baseball America, marks the second major signing by the Blue Jays this morning, who also inked Venezuelan prospect Franklin Barreto. Terms of the Castro deal are not yet known but it could not be for more than ~$900K if Barreto's is worth roughly $2MM, as reported.

The Red Sox signed Dominican right-hander Jose Almonte for $610K, according to Badler. Almonte was BA's No. 17 international prospect for July 2 and is said to have a loose delivery and good projection.

The Phillies signed Dominican corner outfielder Jose Pujols for $540K, Badler writes. The 16-year-old is lanky at 6'4", 175 pounds but already has plenty of power and obviously has time to fill out. The Phillies were believed to have the most interest in Pujols heading into today.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

The Phillies have signed Dominican catcher Deivi Grullon, the No. 15 international prospect for July 2, for $575,000.

Grullon, 16, is a defensive-oriented catcher with at least a plus arm.

Cafardo On Yankees, Ichiro, Greinke, Orioles

By Zachary Links | July 1, 2012 at 9:16am CDT

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders why other clubs weren't more aggressive in their pursuit of third baseman Kevin Youkilis. The veteran, he argues, would have been a perfect fit in Cleveland where Travis Hafner was sidelined for a time. The Pirates and Dodgers also could have used a boost at first base, but ultimately backed away when the talks got serious. At the end of the day, White Sox GM Ken Williams got his man at the deadline and Cafardo praises him for it. Here's more from today's column..

Yankees GM Brian Cashman wants to find starters in place of CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte from within, but if that’s not possible, he’ll look outside. One National League GM said that while the Astros' Wandy Rodriguez would be a good fit, he doesn’t believe he is of particular interest to them. Cashman is more likely to gravitate toward Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, and even Zack Greinke.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Ichiro Suzuki get another contract from the Mariners if he wants it. The outfielder's abilities have declined but ownership may stick with him for the sake of reputation.
If the Brewers entertain a deal for Greinke, the Orioles are a team to watch. The notion that Greinke needs a smaller market because of his past anxiety issues is still very much in play.
A team like the Dodgers, Indians, or Pirates would likely take on Vernon Wells if the Angels picked up the majority of the $53MM remaining on his deal.
The Nationals and Marlins will have interest in Scott Podsednik once he is healthy.

Yankees Claim Schwinden, Designate Farquhar

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 29, 2012 at 1:45pm CDT

The Yankees claimed right-hander Chris Schwinden off of waivers from Cleveland, the Indians announced. The Yankees designated Danny Farquhar for assignment in a related move, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports (on Twitter).

It's been a busy month for the 25-year-old Schwinden. The Blue Jays claimed him off of waivers from the Mets on June 2nd and, in an uncannily similar corresponding move, also designated Farquhar for assignment. The Indians claimed Schwinden off of waivers from Toronto four days later and he started three games for Cleveland's top affiliate before today's claim. Schwinden has a 4.16 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 13 starts for three Triple-A teams this year. He also appeared in three games for the Mets.

Farquhar, also 25, has had an equally busy month. He appeared in three games for the Blue Jays this year before the Athletics claimed him on June 9th. The Yankees claimed him earlier this week, but he didn't appear in a game with the Bronx Bombers.

Phillies Shopping Thome To DH-Needy AL Teams

By Mark Polishuk | June 28, 2012 at 5:50pm CDT

The Phillies are making Jim Thome available to American League teams in need of help at designated hitter, two AL executives tell ESPN's Jayson Stark. Ruben Amaro didn't confirm that he was shopping the veteran slugger, but said "if there's a situation out there that benefits both Jim and the Phillies, we'll try to put something together."

"The ideal situation right now, because he can't really play defense in the National League, would be for Jim to play in the American League," Amaro said. "He still has the ability to win a game for us and be productive off the bench. The problem is, the further away he gets from regular at-bats, the more difficult it becomes for him to do that."

Thome spent a month on the DL with a back injury and is just 1-for-16 as a pinch-hitter for Philadelphia this season, but showed he can still produce with regular playing time, hitting .333/.415/.722 with four homers in 41 plate appearances while serving as the Phillies' designated hitter in interleague play. This stretch convinced Thome that he is best suited as a DH and he has told the Phils that he would accept a trade to an AL team if a fit can be found.

Thome's friends say he would prefer to return to one of his former teams, but the Indians and White Sox have their DH spots filled and the Twins will be sellers instead of buyers at the trade deadline. Among AL contenders, the Orioles stand out as having the clearest need for a DH, with the Rays (Luke Scott has struggled and Hideki Matsui hasn't produced much) and Rangers as darkhorse candidates, though Thome would be expendable in Texas once Mitch Moreland returns from the DL in August.

Morosi On Greinke, Brewers, Kotsay

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 28, 2012 at 12:12pm CDT

It'll be a surprise if Zack Greinke is pitching for the Brewers after the July 31st trade deadline, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Here are some more details from Morosi, starting with the Brewers right-hander:

Greinke didn't offer much detail on his contract talks with the Brewers — “I don’t know anything about that. I’m not really talking about it" — but the Brewers are preparing to trade him if an extension isn't possible.
Morosi is almost certain the Brewers will be sellers and notes that the Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles, White Sox and Indians would like to upgrade their rotations. Morosi adds that the Rangers, Angels and Yankees had scouts at Greinke’s most recent start. Greinke, a free agent after the season, figures to obtain a qualifying from the Brewers this fall if he stays in Milwaukee. No other team can obtain draft pick compensation for Greinke if he leaves as a free agent this offseason.
Mark Kotsay will be one of the most sought-after bench bats in summer trade talks, Morosi writes (Twitter links). The Padres have outfield depth in Carlos Quentin, Chris Denorfia, Cameron Maybin, Jesus Guzman and Will Venable.

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