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NL West Notes: Padres, Owings, Rockies

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Earlier today, it was reported that the Dodgers are nearing a deal with Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero, who has officially been cleared by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control to sign with a Major League team. Here's more out of the NL West…

  • Padres GM Josh Byrnes isn't sure what this offseason will hold, but he told MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom that he's certain that the team's payroll will go up again.  Byrnes also spoke about his feelings on the Mat Latos trade in hindsight.  Since the swap, Yasmani Grandal was hit with a 50-game suspension and has missed time with injury, Yonder Alonso has been hurt, and Edinson Volquez was released after a disappointing 2013 season.
  • The Diamondbacks will take a long look at Chris Owings over the final weeks of the season as they try to evaluate their shortstop position in the long-term, manager Kirk Gibson tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Owings won Pacific Coast League MVP honors this season by hitting .330/.359/.482 with 12 homers and 20 steals. Gibson praised his positive attitude in the face of last offseasons acquisitions of Didi Gregorius, Nick Ahmed and Cliff Pennington. Gregorius, who started out the season on a hot streak, has hit just .208/.288/.277 over his past 55 games, opening the door for Owings to make an impression.
  • Wilton Lopez's disappointing season and Matt Belisle's regression will likely force the Rockies to rebuild their bullpen this offseason, even if it means overpaying for arms, opines Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Sulia link). The Rockies will also be without Rafael Betancourt, who elected to undergo Tommy John surgery and could retire due to the injury.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Rockies Outright Tyler Colvin

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One season removed from a .290/.327/.531 campaign that saw him belt 18 homers, Tyler Colvin has lost his spot on the Rockies' 40-man roster, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The 28-year-old Colvin has cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment.

Colvin dealt with a disc injury in his back for the majority of the season, Renck adds, which is likely at least part of the reason for the .160/.192/.280 batting line he posted in 27 big league games this season. He opened the season by hitting .293/.396/.518 in 229 Triple-A plate appearances but struggled upon his promotion to the Majors. After being sent back to Colorado Springs, the former first-round pick hit just .200/.300/.314 in 10 games before missing the end of July and the entire month of August.

Originally drafted 13th overall by the Cubs in 2006, Colvin was acquired by Colorado prior to the 2012 season along with DJ LeMahieu in a trade that sent Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers to Chicago. His power is very real (career .203 ISO), but overall his .241/.289/.454 line and 26.3 percent strikeout rate illustrate persistent struggles to get on base at the Major League level. Colvin has struggled against left-handed pitching in particular, hitting southpaws at a .217/.255/.385 clip. He's capable of playing all three outfield positions and has experience at first base as well. Colvin could be a buy-low candidate for power-starved teams this offseason if the Rockies decide he no longer has a place in their organization.

Quick Hits: Black, Pirates, Rasmussen, McDonald

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Reliever Vic Black did not suspect he would be headed to the Mets as the player to be named in the Marlon Byrd deal with the Pirates, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com writes. "It never crossed my mind," Black says. Black notes that his goal is to close in the big leagues, saying that he has the aggressive mentality necessary to be a closer. He also has closer-type stuff, with a plus fastball and a slider. Black had a 2.51 ERA with 12.2 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 Triple-A Indianapolis this season. Here are more notes from around the Majors.

  • The loss of Black and, potentially, Duke Welker (who may or may not be headed to the Twins as the PTBNL in the Justin Morneau trade) will add more uncertainty to a Pirates' Triple-A Indianapolis roster that has already had more than its share of flux. Brian Peloza of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review writes that the Pirates have promoted 18 different players from Indianapolis this season, more than other NL playoff contenders. Those players include Black, Welker, Alex Presley (the other player included in the Morneau deal), and top prospect Gerrit Cole.
  • The Phillies believe that Rob Rasmussen, the pitcher they received when they traded Michael Young to the Dodgers, could end up as a reliever, Bob Brookover of the Inquirer reports. "He's starting now, but he could be a guy later on who could pitch in the bullpen," GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says. "Lefthanders are always valuable. He's viewed as a really strong makeup kid with a big arm." Rasmussen, 24, had a 2.55 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 for Double-A Chattanooga in 2013, although he struggled in 54 1/3 innings for Triple-A Albuquerque.
  • Connecticut native and Massachusetts resident John McDonald is happy that a trade to the Red Sox brought him home, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. "[G]rowing up in New England, and getting to play in Fenway, and to put this uniform on today, it’s pretty awesome," McDonald says. The Red Sox will be the fourth team the infielder has played for this season, having also suited up for the Pirates, Indians and Phillies.
  • Angels owner Arte Moreno needs to share his plan to rebuild the team with superstar outfielder Mike Trout, argues the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin. Trout will be close to free agency by the time it will become possible for the Angels to return to contention, at least on a regular basis, Shaikin says.
  • The Rockies need to acquire a veteran starter in the offseason, and they also need bullpen help and a right-handed power bat, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post writes. Nonetheless, Renck suggests that the improvements in the Rockies' rotation this year (their 2013 starters have a 4.37 ERA, compared to a 5.81 ERA in 2012) suggest that the team is heading in the right direction.

Rafael Betancourt’s Career Could Be Over

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FRIDAY, 9:20pm: Betancourt told a Venezuelan radio outlet that he will undergo surgery in an attempt to pitch again, according to a report in Mi Diairo passed along by MLB.com's Ian McCue.

TUESDAY, 11:03am: Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that a Monday MRI revealed the worst-case scenario for Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt: a complete tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament that will likely put an end to his 11-year Major League career.

For the time being, Betancourt will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow with the faint hope that it will help to form scar tissue that will allow him to pitch again. Should that method fail, Betancourt is likely to retire rather than undergo Tommy John surgery at this stage of his career.

Betancourt, who will turn 39 next April, has been a force in Colorado's bullpen since coming over from the Indians in a trade back in 2009. With the Rockies, he's tallied a 3.08 ERA with 9.0 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a pristine 1.007 WHIP. He's totaled 646 1/3 innings of 3.19 ERA ball with well over a strikeout per inning in a strong Major League career.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss described Betancourt as a "warrior" after talking with him following the MRI, and Renck writes that he's seen few players prepare harder for each day than Betancourt:

“That’s because I could take nothing for granted. Every day I had to prove myself,” said Betancourt, a converted minor-league infielder. “I wasn’t going to leave anything to chance.”

Betancourt's contract contains a $4.25MM mutual option that will obviously be declined, earning him a $250K buyout. Including that buyout, Betancourt will have earned roughly $23.3MM throughout his career when all is said and done.

Minor Moves: Edgmer Escalona, Dan Johnson

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We'll keep tabs on today's minor moves right here …

  • The Rockies have outrighted 26-year-old righty Edgmer Escalona to Triple-A Colorado Springs, the club announced on Twitter. Escalona, who was designated for assignment last Friday, struggled to a 5.67 ERA with Colorado this year. 
  • The Yankees have released first baseman Dan Johnson, according to the International League transactions page. Sweeny Murti of WFAN was first to report the move (on Twitter). After signing a minor league deal over the off-season, Johnson has posted a strong .253/.379/.447 line in 559 plate appearances at Triple-A this year. The 34-year-old last saw big league action in a short stint with the White Sox last year, and has a career .237/.338/.412 triple-slash over 1,551 MLB plate appearances. 
  • Three players remain in DFA limbo: Jason Kubel of the Diamondbacks, Russ Canzler of the Pirates, and Aaron Harang of the Mariners. You can keep tabs on designated players via MLBTR's DFA Tracker.

Rockies Designate Edgmer Escalona For Assignment

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The Rockies tweet that they have designated pitcher Edgmer Escalona for assignment. In related moves, the team also activated Jhoulys Chacin from the bereavement list and promoted pitcher Rob Scahill.

Escalona threw 46 innings in relief for the Rockies this season, posting a 5.67 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. He has appeared in parts of four seasons with the Rockies. Escalona had a 1.54 ERA in mid-May, but his numbers suffered immensely thereafter, culminating when he gave up five runs in a blowout loss to the Braves on August 1.

Quick Hits: Beachy, Betancourt, Alvarez, Werth

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Is there a more feared name in the sports world than Dr. James Andrews?  This time it's the Braves and their fans' turn to be worried — the club tweeted that Brandon Beachy will miss his next start due to a sore right elbow and visit the famed sports surgeon on Monday.  Beachy underwent Tommy John surgery on that same right arm in June 2012 and has made just five starts since returning from the injury.

Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • Rafael Betancourt left Thursday's game with an elbow injury and the Rockies are concerned the veteran reliever has a torn UCL, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports.  That injury would require Tommy John surgery and could threaten the 38-year-old's career.  Betancourt will make his third trip to the DL this season, effectively ending any chance that the righty will switch teams.  The Rockies placed Betancourt on revocable waivers earlier today.
  • Dariel Alvarez has already advanced to the Orioles' high A-ball affiliate, though Baseball America's Ben Badler tells MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski that scouts have questions about Alvarez's potential.  "I don't think he was a very high-profile player for a lot of teams," Badler said. "I don't think there was a high level of interest in him. There are a lot of concerns about his hitting translating to game situations….He does have some occasional power, but there is a lot of question among scouts as to whether the hitting will translate against more advanced pitching."  Badler felt that Alvarez's $800K bonus was surprisingly high and that Henry Urrutia (another up-and-coming Cuban outfielder in the O's system) is the much better prospect of the two.
  • Signing relievers to multiyear deals continues to be a risky proposition, as Fangraphs' Dave Cameron breaks down how only four (arguably five) of the 13 relievers who signed such deals last winter have delivered good value to their teams.
  • Jayson Werth's surprising age-34 season has been one of the few bright spots for the Nationals this year, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes.  Werth hit .256/.349/.407 and battled injuries in the first two years of his seven-year, $126MM deal with the Nats, but the veteran has lived up this salary this season by posting a .938 OPS with 18 homers through 385 PA.

NL Central Links: Braun, Mozeliak, Alvarez, Baez

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Ryan Braun today issued his first public statements since he accepted a 65-game suspension for PED use in connection with the Biogenesis scandal.  The Brewers slugger issued one statement specifically to fans and another to the baseball world in general (both links to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  The latter statement outlined the circumstances of Braun's PED usage, some of the reasoning behind his public claims of playing clean and apologized to several parties, including Major League Baseball officials, the Brewers organization, his teammates, Dino Laurenzi Jr. (the urine test collector Braun disparaged in the appeal of his initial suspension in the 2011-12 offseason), baseball fans and any supporters who believed in his innocence.  The statement includes this passage:

"I understand it's a blessing and a tremendous honor to play this game at the Major League level. I also understand the intensity of the disappointment from teammates, fans, and other players. When it comes to both my actions and my words, I made some very serious mistakes and I can only ask for the forgiveness of everyone I let down. I will never make the same errors again and I intend to share the lessons I learned with others so they don't repeat my mistakes. Moving forward, I want to be part of the solution and no longer part of the problem."

Here's the latest from around the NL Central…

  • The Cardinals are in need of pitching reinforcements and GM John Mozeliak is pessimistic that such help could be found on the trade or waiver market.  Mozeliak told reporters (including Derrick Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that "trying to get help from the outside is going to be difficult for multiple reasons.  Right now this team is going to have to find a way to do it from within."
  • The Pirates have been patient with Pedro Alvarez's development and the young slugger has at least delivered in the power department, CBS Sports' Scott Miller writes.  Alvarez has a .233/.296/.482 line with a league-leading 154 strikeouts in 477 PA, but his 31 homers is tied with Paul Goldschmidt for the National League lead.
  • Javier Baez is having a huge minor league season but it seems unlikely that the Cubs will call up the star shortstop when rosters expand in September.  Manager Dale Sveum praised Baez's season but he told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times) that while the front office has the final say on Baez's future, “I don’t see it happening.”  Baez, the ninth overall pick of the 2011 draft, was rated as the 16th-best prospect in the sport by both Baseball America and MLB.com's preseason prospect rankings and has hit a combined .286/.348/.581 with 33 homers, 100 RBI and 19 steals in 531 PA at high-A ball and Double-A this year.  Since Baez is only 20 and hasn't hit Triple-A yet, it makes sense that the Cubs aren't yet willing to start his service clock.
  • With Jonathan Broxton out for the season, the Reds make a lot of sense as a suitor for Rafael Betancourt, The Denver Post's Troy Renck opines (Twitter link).  The Rockies put Betancourt on revocable waivers earlier today.  The veteran closer is owed roughly $785K for the remainder of the season and has a $4.25MM club option for 2014.  Renck notes that the Rockies plan to exercise Betancourt's option, and they'll explore bringing him back in 2014 even if he leaves on a waiver deal for the remainder of this season.
  • Rickie Weeks' future, international signings, pitching development, the Braun controversy and other Brewers-related topics are all addressed by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an online chat with readers.
  • In NL Central news from earlier today, we learned that the Cubs plan to go after Shin-Soo Choo in free agency during the offseason.

Placed On Waivers: Rafael Betancourt

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Here's a look at players who have been placed on revocable waivers today…

  • The Rockies have placed closer Rafael Betancourt on revocable waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Rosenthal notes that the Rockies fully plan on exercising their $4.25MM club option on the 38-year-old right-hander, so they'd need to receive a good offer to move him. Betancourt recently returned from a month-long stretch on the DL with a groin injury but has a solid 3.54 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 28 innings. Since joining the Rockies in 2009, Betancourt has a 3.02 ERA with 10.5 K/9, 1.7 BB/9 and an even 1.00 WHIP to go along with 57 saves. He'd be a welcome upgrade to any bullpen, but it seems unlikely that the Rockies would part with him after they held onto all of their trade chips prior to the non-waiver deadline.

For a reminder on how revocable trade waivers and August trades work, check out MLBTR's August trades primer. You can see who is available to be traded to any team by checking MLBTR's list of players who have cleared waivers.

NL West Notes: Betancourt, Fowler, Headley

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The Rockies (57-65) and Padres (54-67) are playing out the string on the 2013 season and already looking ahead to 2014.  Here's the latest from these two NL West clubs…

  • Rafael Betancourt is set to come off the disabled list and Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link) speculates that the Rockies could put Betancourt on waivers to gauge trade interest in the closer.  Colorado and Betancourt have a $4.25MM mutual option for 2014 and through the 38-year-old has two separate stints on the DL this year, he has still pitched effectively.  With a younger and cheaper closing option in Rex Brothers, however, the Rockies may want to make a change.
  • Dexter Fowler should be made available on the trade market this winter, The Denver Post's Mark Kiszla opines.  Fowler is hitting .268/.376/.428 with 12 homers, 67 runs scored and 18 steals in 430 PA, and has spent time on the DL with hand and wrist injuries.  As Kiszla notes, the Rockies shopped Fowler last offseason but didn't find any takers after asking for a big return.  Fowler signed a two-year, $11.6MM deal with Colorado in February and the 27-year-old still has one final year of arbitration eligibility following the 2014 season.
  • Chase Headley's disappointing season has left the Padres with a bit of a conundrum this winter, Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  Rumors have been rampant over the last year that the Padres would either sign Headley to a long-term extension or trade him, though the Padres would be selling low if the moved Headley now.  Center speculates that the Padres might try to lock Headley up to a bargain of an extension and then re-explore the trade market if he returns to form next season.
  • Also from Center, he notes as part of his weekly Padres chat that he expects the Padres actively pursue trades this winter.  Center sees the Friars offering packages of a young pitcher and a position player, and says the club will certainly pursue corner outfield help.  Third base could also be a possibility given Headley's situation.
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