Rockies Designate Esmil Rogers For Assignment
The Rockies have designated Esmil Rogers for assignment, the club announced (on Twitter). The move clears a roster spot for Jeff Francis, who officially re-joined the team that originally drafted him. He'll start today.
Rogers, 26, pitched to an 8.06 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 in 25 2/3 relief innings for Colorado this season. He is out of options and could not be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers. Rogers is still young and cheap, plus PitchFX has his fastball regularly in the mid-90s this season, so the Rockies should be able to find a trade partner within the next ten days.
Rockies To Sign Jeff Francis
FRIDAY: The sides agreed to a Major League deal, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
WEDNESDAY: It appears that left-hander Jeff Francis has an agreement in principle with the Rockies, sources tell Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter). Renck adds that he expects the veteran to start this weekend.
If Francis does indeed sign with the Rockies, he'll return to where he pitched from 2004-10. Francis owned a 4.22 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 215 1/3 innings for the Rockies in 2007.
The Reds released Francis earlier this week after he opted out of his contract. The 31-year-old posted a 3.72 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 77 1/3 innings for Triple-A Louisville.
Minor Moves: Alfonzo, Roemer, Kopp
The Phillies confirmed that they released right-hander Dave Bush to allow him to pursue an opportunity with the SK Wyverns in South Korea. Here are some more minor moves from around MLB…
- The Rockies released catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Alfonso was hit with a 100-game performance-enhancing drug suspension last fall and was outrighted to Triple-A in May. The 33-year-old hit .319/.347/.777 with 12 homers in 101 plate appearances at Triple-A Colorado Springs last year.
- The Dodgers signed free agent right-hander Wes Roemer, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. Roemer, the Diamondbacks' supplemental first round selection in 2007, had been pitching with the St. Paul Saints of the American Association this year. The 25-year-old pitched in the upper minors last year, posting a 4.39 ERA in 164 innings.
- The Tigers signed free agent right-hander David Kopp, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. The 26-year-old pitched in the upper minors of the Cardinals' system last year, posting a 6.08 ERA in 74 innings.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Nats Talked With Dodgers And Rockies About Lannan
The Nationals have had recent discussions with the Dodgers and Rockies about pitcher John Lannan, but no trade is close, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Sources say that the Nats want a club to pay the rest of his remaining salary and give up at least one legitimate player.
Talks between the Dodgers and Nationals have been only preliminary, according to sources, while the Rockies kicked the tires on the pitcher before being turned off by the price. For the Dodgers, Lannan would be an alternative to left-hander Ted Lilly while he is sidelined with a shoulder issue.
Lannan, 27, is now owed less than $3.5MM of his $5MM total salary. The left-hander will be arbitration eligible this offseason and is in line for free agency the year after. Lannan has been less-than-stellar through ten starts with Triple-A Syracuse, posting an ERA of 5.62 with 4.5 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.
Rockies Interested In Jeff Francis
Ten years ago this month the Rockies made Jeff Francis the ninth overall selection in the 2002 draft. Now general manager Dan O'Dowd has interest in signing the left-hander as a free agent, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
"We are interested; I have no idea of the outcome of that interest," O’Dowd said.
The Reds released Francis this morning after he opted out of his contract. He posted a 3.72 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 77 1/3 innings at Triple-A before being granted his release. He could re-sign in Cincinnati if he doesn’t obtain a Major League deal elsewhere, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes (on Twitter).
Francis, 31, pitched for the Rockies from 2004-10. He posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 215 1/3 innings for the 2007 team that won the National League pennant.
Rockies Release Jamie Moyer
The Rockies released left-hander Jamie Moyer, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. They had designated the 49-year-old for assignment last week. He has said he intends to continue pitching and MLBTR readers believe he'll find another opportunity.
Moyer, who turns 50 this fall, started ten games for the Rockies after signing a minor league deal with the team in January. He posted a 5.70 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings in his return from Tommy John surgery.
Quick Hits: Bard, Halladay, De La Rosa
Carlos Zambrano hit and pitched the Marlins into a first place tie with the Nationals in the NL East. Zambrano hit a 431-foot home run, the longest by a pitcher in four years according to the ESPN Home Run Tracker, and struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings. Here are today's other pitcher-related links.
- The Red Sox may need to take a breather from the Daniel Bard experiment as a starter after his performance today, explains John Tomase of the Boston Herald. According to Baseball Reference, Bard became the first starting pitcher since 1918 to walk six and hit two batters in two or less innings of work.
- Roy Halladay's time on the disabled list could affect his $20MM vesting option for 2014 and make him a free agent one year earlier than expected, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
- Jorge De La Rosa was pulled from his latest rehab assignment because of a small fluid build-up in his surgically repaired left elbow, says Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. The Rockies also placed right-hander Juan Nicasio on the DL with a strained left knee.
- The Orioles have added Steve Johnson to their 40-man roster after the right-hander sought to opt out of his contract, writes Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com.
Stark On Hamels, Ruiz, Scutaro, Willingham, Pirates
Jayson Stark of ESPN.com has plenty of news in his latest edition of Rumblings & Grumblings. Let's dive in and take a look..
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro says that his value assessment on Cole Hamels hasn't changed but he will have to take his other free agents into account this winter. "But the biggest thing is all the other decisions we have to make…at third base [Placido Polanco], in center field [Shane Victorino], and at right field [Hunter Pence] and catcher [Carlos Ruiz] in two years. And we haven't solved our left-field situation, either," Amaro said.
- Amaro says that he is high on Ruiz but will consider the club's payroll as a whole before considering a long-term deal. The GM also pointed out his age (33) and demanding position. The Phillies hold a $5MM club option for next year on Ruiz, which would put him on the open market on the verge of his age-35 season.
- The Phillies GM also seems confident that the club won't be in a position to cave before the deadline and become sellers. For the Phillies to pull the plug and sell, he says the club would have to "fall out of contention pretty significantly."
- The Tigers might want to consider waiting around for the Rockies' Marco Scutaro as a solution at second base. Clubs that have checked in with the Rockies say they're still at least a month from selling but Scutaro, Rafael Betancourt, and Jeremy Guthrie are all likely to be available when they do.
- There's been a surprising amount of trade talk surrounding Twins outfielder Josh Willingham but teams that have kicked the tires on him have been rebuffed.
- The Pirates are telling other teams that they're likely to approach this deadline like they did last year's, looking to add. They've indicated that they're likely to trade arms for bats, especially hitters they can control beyond this year.
- Meanwhile, potential shoppers wonder if the Pirates are willing to move enough quality to make a splash. Pittsburgh is hinting that they'll keep James McDonald, A.J. Burnett, and probably Erik Bedard if they have a shot to win. If that's the case, they'll instead be shopping the likes of Charlie Morton, Kevin Correia, Jeff Karstens, and prospect Rudy Owens, which won't net them the same kind of return.
- Despite reports to the contrary, Roy Oswalt never received offers from the Phillies or Cardinals according to Amaro and a source who spoke with the Cards' brass, respectively. While there was other interest, it seems that this was a one-team negotiation with Oswalt and the Rangers.
Heyman On Brewers, Liriano, Castro
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com lists 45 potential trade candidates in anticipation of this summer’s deals. Here are some highlights, starting with a team that could be a buyer, rather than a seller:
- One GM questions Zack Greinke’s ability to thrive in major markets. Keep in mind that Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has a buyer’s mindset as the deadline approaches. Greinke and others on Milwaukee’s roster may not be available.
- Fellow Brewers starter Shaun Marcum is no better than a fourth starter in the American League, according to a GM. It's worth noting that Marcum posted a 3.85 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in five seasons in the American League East when he pitched for the Blue Jays.
- An American League executive said Padres starter Edinson Volquez “has good value,” Heyman reports.
- One person said Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano is worth a short-term look.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore may like Jeff Francoeur more than any other team does.
- Jeremy Guthrie will have to string together some quality outings to restore his trade value, one executive said.
- Heyman hears from a Cubs official who says the team hasn't mentioned Starlin Castro's name in trade talks (Twitter link). The Cubs appear to be willing to listen on most of their players, including Castro.
Poll: What’s Next For Jamie Moyer?
Jamie Moyer opened the season as a feel-good story following his return from Tommy John surgery at age 49, but he lasted just ten starts with the Rockies before being designated for assignment this afternoon. The veteran southpaw posted a 5.70 ERA in 53 2/3 innings for Colorado.
At his age, it’s easy to assume Moyer will finally hang up the spikes. He’s shown tremendous perseverance by continuing his career after elbow reconstruction though, so it would be an unsafe assumption at best. That said, it takes two to tango. Moyer has to find a club willing to sign him so he can keep playing.
Will Jamie Moyer continue playing?
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Yes 54% (4,818)
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No 46% (4,088)
Total votes: 8,906