Central Notes: Barmes, Indians, Royals, Diamond
Let's check out some items concerning the Central divisions..
- Astros GM Ed Wade told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that the club will explore outside options with Clint Barmes sidelined for four-to-six weeks. Morosi notes that Houston has Angel Sanchez and Tommy Manzella in-house as well.
- The Indians' projected payroll for 2011 is roughly $48.5MM, writes Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer. This marks the third straight year that the payroll has declined and the lowest it has been since 2005. In that year, the Indians opened with a $41.5MM payroll.
- More from the Tribe as skipper Manny Acta said he'll likely meet with GM Chris Antonetti today to discuss remaining decisions that need to be made, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets.
- The Royals cut four minor league players today, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Right-handers Aaron Hartsock and Scott Kelley and infielders Justin Figueroa and Tom Zebroski were given their walking papers. Kansas City has already made a handful of minor league transactions this week.
- Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com (via Twitter) spoke to Twins manager Rod Gardenhire about Rule 5 pick Scott Diamond. The skipper said that he hasn't haven’t seen enough of him to really evaluate him, though he noted that he's not speaking for the organization. The 24-year-old left-hander was plucked from the Braves.
- Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter) applauds the Cubs for telling Carlos Silva that they will look to trade him. Heyman suggests that the Mariners should do the same with Milton Bradley.
AL Central Notes: Indians, Gonzalez, Tigers
Some Saturday links from a few midwestern AL clubs…
- Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer says the Indians' Opening Day payroll projects to be just north of $42.4MM, the third straight season it's shrunk. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and Fausto Carmona account for close to 63% of that total. The payroll sat at $81.6MM just two seasons ago.
- The Tigers sent Danny Worth, Adam Wilk, and Andy Dirks to minor league camp today, indicating that Enrique Gonzalez has made the team. MLB.com's Jason Beck tweets that the club doesn't have to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate Gonzalez until next week.
- Noah Trister of the AP (via The Detroit Free Press) explains how the Tigers rebuilt on the fly thanks to the three-way trade that sent Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson to the Yankees and Diamondbacks, respectively.
Central Notes: Royals, Indians, Cubs, Brewers
It's been a busy Friday for baseball's Central divisions, which have already featured prominently in a pair of trades and a pair of retirements. But the day's not over yet….
- In addition to acquiring John Whittleman, the Royals finalized two more minor league trades today. The team sent Gaby Hernandez to the White Sox and Alex Caldera to the Nationals, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links). The Royals figure to receive cash in return for both right-handers, according to Dutton.
- The Indians made a few roster decisions, naming Jack Hannahan the Opening Day third baseman and reassigning Doug Mathis and Anthony Reyes to the minors, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the battle for the last spot in the Cubs' bullpen is down to Carlos Silva, Casey Coleman, and Marcos Mateo. Rosenthal figures that, considering his salary, Silva will get the first crack, but notes the Cubs have said they want to open with the best possible team. MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has more on Coleman's quest for the final bullpen opening.
- Zack Greinke is confident that early-season injuries, including his own, won't set the Brewers back significantly, as he tells Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Mariners Return Rule 5 Pick Jose Flores To Indians
The Mariners announced that they returned right-hander Jose Flores to the Indians (Twitter link). Seattle had to offer the Rule 5 pick back or keep him on the 25-man roster all season long and Cleveland accepted Flores back and assigned him to minor league camp.
The 21-year-old, who signed with Cleveland as a non-drafted free agent in 2005, posted a 12.27 ERA in four relief appearances this spring. He has a 3.92 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 79 minor league games, but has yet to pitch above Class A.
Cleveland could re-obtain another Rule 5 pick before long, as the Pirates may not have roster space for infielder Josh Rodriguez. Oddly, the Mariners still have two pitchers named Jose Flores in their system even after today's transaction.
Indians Sign Jesse English
The Indians have signed left-hander Jesse English to a minor league deal, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (Twitter link). English became a free agent in November when Washington outrighted him off its roster.
The 26-year-old southpaw made his Major League debut last season, posting a 3.86 ERA in seven relief appearances with the Nationals. English was a sixth-round selection of the Giants in the 2002 amateur draft, and he has a 3.95 ERA and a 9.7 K/9 rate in 139 career minor league games, 69 of them starts.
Quick Hits: Marlins, Indians, Boras, Quade, Pirates
Links for Thursday as the Braves name Brandon Beachy their No. 5 starter…
- The Marlins released outfielder Chris Lubanski according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). Lubanski, the fifth overall pick in 2003, hit .293/.361/.538 for the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate last year.
- Indians president Mark Shapiro (@MarkShapiro) and GM Chris Antonetti (@IndiansGM) are now on Twitter. If you aren't following @mlbtraderumors, you're missing out and you could become follower number 70,000.
- After an anonymous player ripped Scott Boras in ESPN the Magazine, the agent defended himself, telling Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he does tend to players even when their careers slow down. "Call Rick Ankiel. Call Andruw Jones. Call Alex Cora. Call Barry Zito," Boras said. "Our commitment to the player is extreme."
- Cubs manager Mike Quade tells Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald how he learned to become a teacher.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America examines a number of out of options position players who are hoping to establish themselves in 2011. Check out MLBTR's list of out of options players here.
- As ESPN.com's Jayson Stark explains, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is bringing a 'why not us' attitude to the Pirates in sometimes unconventional ways.
Indians Notes: Durbin, Rodriguez, Tomlin
A round of Indians-themed links as Cleveland plays Kansas City in Arizona…
- As Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer explains, Indians reliever Chad Durbin was surprised to take a paycut this year given the robust market for relievers. "I didn't think my year dictated it should have been that way. I'm not saying I needed three years for 12 [million] – that's ridiculous – but we were fishing for whatever we could get," Durbin said.
- The Indians expect the Pirates to return Josh Rodriguez, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Rule 5 pick would be a welcome addition to one of the Indians' top affiliates.
- In a mailbag for MLB.com, Jordan Bastian explains that Josh Tomlin appears to have a good chance of cracking the Indians' rotation.
- On the infield, Jack Hannahan has a chance to be the Indians' Opening Day third baseman, Bastian reports.
Jensen Lewis Clears Waivers
TUESDAY, 12:14pm: Lewis cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
MONDAY, 9:13am: The Indians placed reliever Jensen Lewis on waivers, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Non-roster invitee Jack Hannahan is expected to make the team, so the Indians will need to open up at least one 40-man roster spot.
Lewis, 27 in May, posted a 2.97 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, 0.2 HR/9, and 30.4% groundball rate in 36 1/3 big league innings last year. He has stronger peripherals in Triple-A, where he posted a 2.67 ERA in 30 1/3 frames. Arbitration eligible as a Super Two player after the 2010 season, Lewis signed for $650K. Typically such contracts are not guaranteed, but Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote yesterday that Lewis' is.
American League Links: Orioles, Francisco, Indians
Links from the Junior Circuit, as Bartolo Colon comes closer to earning a spot in the Yankees' rotation…
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun previews the Orioles' Opening Day roster and checks in on some 2010 Orioles who have since joined other organizations.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas asks whether the Rangers made a mistake when they traded Frank Francisco for Mike Napoli. Rangers GM Jon Daniels says Francisco was "very good" out of the bullpen when healthy, but notes that Francisco isn't completely healthy at the moment. The right-hander is set to visit Dr. James Andrews.
- The Indians are almost ready to announce their starting rotation, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Meanwhile, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer says the Indians didn't draft well enough from 2004-07.
Jason Davis Ends Comeback Attempt
It's been eight years since Jason Davis was the Indians' number two starter behind CC Sabathia, but his comeback attempt with those same Indians came to an end yesterday. Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports (on Twitter) that Davis, who was in camp on a minor league deal, ended his comeback attempt after just a week.
Davis, now 30, didn't pitch at all in 2010, taking what was termed a "mental break." He last appeared in the big leagues in 2008 with the Pirates, and has battled control problems in recent years. In his last 96 1/3 innings (that includes his time in Pittsburgh plus a Triple-A stint in 2009), he walked 53 batters and struck out only 38. Davis finishes his career with a 4.82 ERA in 461 innings, having played for the Tribe, Mariners, and Bucs.