Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Tigers Rumors

AL Central Notes: Yost, Iglesias, Sulbaran

By | at

Royals manager Ned Yost would like Major League Baseball to change its rules regarding September callups, Dick Kaegel and Kathleen Gier of MLB.com report. Teams who call up more players will have more tactical options than teams who call up fewer, so Yost would prefer to have teams limited to a specific number of players they can use each day, perhaps 28 to 30. Here are more notes from the AL Central.

  • Jose Iglesias is back in Boston after being sent from the Red Sox to the Tigers in the Jake Peavy deal, MLB.com's Jason Beck notes. New manager Jim Leyland is trying to help his new shortstop refine his play and become more consistent. "You don't want to take any of that aggressiveness and energy away," says Leyland. "You just have to make sure you channel it in the proper direction. I think it takes time to let that happen."
  • The Twins had a choice of players they could take as the PTBNL in the Drew Butera deal with the Dodgers, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. They eventually settled on 19-year-old lefty Miguel Sulbaran, who has pitched well as a starter in Class A this year. Sulbaran is undersized and may struggle as he ascends through the minors, but he still appears to be a very strong return for the Twins, given that Butera recently turned 30 and has only played in Triple-A in the Dodgers organization so far.

AL Central Notes: Iglesias, Peralta, Flowers, Jimenez, Santana

By | at

Join me for a quick trip around the American League's Central Division, where the Tigers seem to have finally opened an insurmountable lead over the pesky Indians.

  • With the Tigers visiting Fenway for the first time since acquiring Jose Iglesias from the Red Sox, GM Dave Dombrowski left no doubt that the club views the 23-year-old Cuban as its shortstop of the future, reports Jerry Spar of WEEI.com. “He’s an outstanding defensive shortstop," said Dombrowski. "He really changes the middle of the diamond. We have a lot of good pitchers, and some of them live with the ground ball, and so his range helps us appreciably — so quick out there." While defense was never the question with Iglesias, Dombrowski says that he does enough well in the rest of the game to stick as a starter. “He’s also hit well enough. … He does a lot of little things for us as far as bunting, he can move the ball around, he can steal a base. … He’s going to be our shortstop for years to come.”
  • Of course, as MLBTR's Charlie Wilmoth recently explained, the fate of suspended Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta is tied inextricably to that of Iglesias, who was acquired to replace him. Dombrowski's comments certainly seem to indicate that he views Iglesias as a better fit for the short and long term, leaving no apparent role for the free agent-to-be Peralta.
  • White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers will undergo exploratory shoulder surgery and be out of commission for about three to six months, reports Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter). The South Siders' catching situation will be interesting to watch over the off-season. Flowers struggled this year with persistent shoulder issues, and 25-year-old Josh Phegley has failed to impress in his first big league showcase (.211/.221/.331 in 147 plate appearances). The club did just call up 22-year-old Miguel Gonzalez, a defense-first backstop who .254/.326/.349 in 190 plate appearances at Double-A and Triple-A this year. Once a top-10 prospect, Gonzalez's star has faded with his bat over the last several seasons. Fortunately for Chicago, all of these players will be making league mnimum next year.
  • The Indians will soon face a decision on Ubaldo Jimenez's $8MM mutual 2014 option, notes Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jimenez entered the season with a 5.32 ERA for the Indians since being acquired from the Rockies at the 2011 trade deadline, but appears to have righted the ship somewhat in 2013, posting a 3.95 ERA and career-best 9.1 K/9 in 141 1/3 innings. Pluto speculates that the Indians will pick up their end of the option, but that Jimenez will decline and become a free agent. Back in March, MLBTR's Steve Adams took a look back at the deal that brought Jimenez to Cleveland, when it seemed the 2014 option would be a complete no-brainer for the Indians to exercise.
  • The Royals, too, are looking ahead at starting pitching questions over the coming off-season. As Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports, the club figures to stay the course with its young field position players, with GM Dayton Moore explaining that the team's core of "talented young players on the field" place the club "in the beginning stages of a window where this team can win consistently for a period of time." The rotation, on the other hand, will see the surprisingly excellent Ervin Santana and veteran Bruce Chen enter free agency. Dutton says that the club's decisionmaking process on those two starting slots will depend on a variety of factors, such as the organization's view of Danny Duffy and Wade Davis and the timetable for top prospects Yordano Ventura and Kyle Zimmer. It is unlikely, according to Dutton, that the team will outbid the market on Santana. "We want him here, but it’s difficult to predict," said Moore.

Top Prospect Promotions: Choice, Castellanos

By | at

As we learn of top prospect promotions over September, we'll try to keep tabs on them in a daily basis. Here are Sunday's promotions:

  • The Athletics are set to bring up outfielder Michael Choice, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser first reported last night. Choice entered the season as the A's second overall prospect as rated by Baseball America, which praised his strength and bat speed. He currently sits as the 92nd overall prospect in the game on Mayo's list. The 23-year-old has delivered a .302/.390/.445 line and fourteen homers in 600 plate appearances over his first season at Triple-A. 
  • The Tigers have officially called up the team's top prospect, with the team announcing on Twitter that it has purchased the contract of outfielder Nick Castellanos. The former third baseman entered the year as a consensus top-50 prospect in all of baseball, and moved up to 11th overall in the mid-season ranking of MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. As Mayo explained, the 21-year-old hits the ball to all fields and has solid pop.

 

Rosenthal On Nationals, Cruz, Peralta

By | at

Here's the latest from FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal:

  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says he did not make a mistake in claiming David DeJesus, as some speculated at the time. "I wasn’t concerned about being stuck with David, as I like him a lot," says Rizzo. "The player from Tampa Bay is not nearly a sexy prospect, but we had solid reports on him and he will be, at worst, added depth. I would have liked (DeJesus) to go unclaimed — I think I could have made a better deal with several interested teams." After claiming DeJesus, the Nationals quickly sent him to the Rays for a player to be named.
  • One reason the Nationals might not be in any hurry to trade Dan Haren, Rosenthal suggests, is that they're still nominally in the playoff hunt. The Nats are currently eight games back of the last playoff spot, but they have a weak schedule down the stretch. Besides, Rosenthal notes, there hasn't been much interest in Haren in the first place.
  • Nelson Cruz has been working out at the Rangers' facility in the Dominican Republic. Cruz isn't forbidden to do that, even though he's currently serving a suspension for his involvement with the Biogenesis scandal. The Rangers want to have the option of turning to Cruz in the postseason.
  • The Tigers, meanwhile, have "not even discussed" using Jhonny Peralta in the playoffs, according to Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski.

Quick Hits: Scully, Martinez, Twins, Phillies

By | at

The Dodgers' latest move is one we can all celebrate: the team announced yesterday that incomparable broadcaster Vin Scully will return to the Dodger booth next year for the 65th straight season. As usual, Scully dropped some wisdom on the occasion: "Just the thought of walking away from it to retirement — and looking out the window or something? It's just too good." Indeed, it is. Elsewhere around the game …

  • With starting backstop Alex Avila still working back from a concussion after scuffling for most of the year, the division-leading Tigers might have found themselves scrambling to add catching depth. Instead, the club made a risky move that could pay long-term dividends, putting primary DH Victor Martinez back behind the dish for the first time since August of 2011. The initial returns were positive, and the club could suit Martinez up for interleague matchups down the stretch or in a hypothetical World Series.
  • Always productive on Saturday mornings, Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com offered a spirited defense of the Twins' decision not to bring in any high-priced starters last year. (All links to Twitter.) Rejecting the suggestion that Minnesota should have signed Anibal Sanchez and pointing to the Royals' acquisition of James Shields as an ill-advised, premature plunge, Mackey summed things up with a broader philosophy for a small-market team like the Twins: "Draft. Develop. Sell high. Supplement your core with smart spending. Lock players in before arbitration. Avoid stupid contracts." 
  • For next season, Mackey further tweets, Phil Hughes could be a nice target for Minnesota. The suggestion could make sense, given Hughes' youth, the potential to buy low, and Target Field's home run suppression.
  • The Phillies, needless to say, face a number of questions as they finish out a second-straight disappointing season with an aging core. Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer took an interesting look at one major forthcoming task for GM Ruben Amaro Jr.: "completely rebuilding one of baseball's worst bullpens." In his tenure as GM, Brookover notes, Amaro has signed seven free-agent set-up men or middle relievers for a combined $22.85MM (not including year two of the Mike Adams deal). They have combined for a 4.76 ERA. Neither has the organization been successful at developing its own bullpen arms, says Brookover, who does note that some current youngsters — in particular, Jake Diekman — offer hope. 
  • Looking ahead to 2014, Amaro seemed to imply that the Phils will likely be shopping for turnaround candidates in the free agent market. "Sometimes you have to be lucky to get those guys," Amaro said. "There are times when even a change of scenery can help someone. Those are the kinds of things we will look for."

AL Central Notes: Hoynes, Morneau, Twins, Tigers

By | at

Congratulations to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who has been selected to join the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame. "Hoynsie" took the time to answer some questions from Bill Lucey of the blog Newspaper Alum about the 33 years he has spent covering the Indians. Hoynes discusses the transition from print to web, recounts several stories about players and offers his take on instant replay. Lucey's piece is an excellent look at the life of a beat writer and is a fantastic read start to finish. Here's more out of the AL Central…

Quick Hits: Moreno, Pujols, Tejada, Benoit

By | at

Angels owner Arte Moreno is already in the process of evaluating the 2013 season and how to get the team back on track in 2014, as he explained in an interview with Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com.  Moreno said that the jobs of manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Jerry Dipoto would be evaluated as part of an organization-wide review that includes himself — "I have to look in the mirror and say, 'Am I making the right call?'" Moreno said.  The owner also discussed roster moves that backfired, stadium talks with the city of Anaheim, how the Dodgers' success impacts the Angels and several other topics.

Here are more items as we wrap up a busy Monday in baseball…

  • Albert Pujols will be shut down for the rest of the season, the Angels confirmed today.  The slugger suffered a partial tear of the plantar facia of his left foot and hasn't played since July 26.  Pujols was bothered by foot injuries for much of the year and hit .258/.330/.437 with 17 homers in 443 PA, the worst season of his 13-year career.
  • Miguel Tejada was also facing a suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal before accepting his 105-game suspension for amphetamine use, ESPN's Pedro Gomez reports.  Major League Baseball gave Tejada the choice of accepting his 105-game ban or facing further punishment for his Biogenesis ties.  Gomez notes that Tejada "insists he does not plan to retire" though given Tejada's suspension, age (39) and decline in production, it's tough to see a team signing him this winter.  After not playing in the majors in 2012, Tejada hit .288/.317/.378 over 167 PA in a reserve role with the Royals this year.
  • Joaquin Benoit in a much better contractual position as he approaches free agency this winter than he was in the 2009-10 offseason.  MLB.com's Zack Meisel talks to Benoit about how he considered retirement due to shoulder injuries that caused him to miss the entire 2009 season, but rebounded to become one of the game's better relievers and now the Tigers closer.
  • Scott Boras and Jay Z have a fundamental disagreement about the role of an agent, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal explains.  "It is at once a clash of egos and ideas. At issue: To what extent are established agents like Boras missing out on marketing and endorsement opportunities for their clients? And to what extent should a baseball player even care?" Costa writes.  Robinson Cano, the top free agent of the coming offseason, made waves when he left Boras in April and hired CAA and Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports to handle his representation.

Minor Moves: Quiroz, Paulino, Manzella

By | at

Tuesday's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Giants have outrighted Guillermo Quiroz to Triple-A Fresno, according to Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).  The 31-year-old, who appeared in 43 games for the Giants this season and slashed .186/.237/.302, was DFA'd last week.
  • The Orioles have activated Ronny Paulino from the minor league disabled list and assigned his contract to the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate in Toledo, the team announced on Twitter. In other words, the Orioles announced, Baltimore has sold Paulino's contract to the Tigers for cash considerations after he was claimed off waivers. Paulino, 32, hit .234/.368/.319 between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this season and last appeared in the Majors with the O's in 2012.
  • The White Sox have signed Tommy Manzella to a minor league contract and assigned him to Double-A Birmingham after he was released by the Blue Jays, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. Manzella, 30, was a third-round pick of the Astros in 2005 and ranked among their Top 15 prospects from 2007-09, per Baseball America, largely due to his glove at shortstop. BA repeatedly ranked Manzella as the best defensive infielder in Houston's system, but his bat never caught up. He hit .225/.267/.264 in 282 plate appearances when the Astros gave him the starting job at shortstop in 2010. Manzella, who began 2013 with the Rockies' Triple-A club, is a career .256/.315/.357 hitter in the minors.
  • Two players are currently in DFA limbo: Delmon Young of the Phillies and Brett Hayes of the Royals.

Scott Boras To Represent Jose Iglesias

By | at

Newly acquired Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias has changed agencies and will now be represented by Scott Boras, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old Iglesias is hitting .318/.361/.403 overall on the season, though he was slumping badly prior to his inclusion in the July 30 blockbuster that sent Jake Peavy to the Red Sox, Avisail Garcia to the White Sox and Iglesias to the Tigers. His slump has continued with Detroit, as he's hitting just .190/.190/.333 in an admittedly small six-game sample size for his new team.

Boras clients rarely sign long-term extensions before reaching free agency, though notable recent exceptions include Carlos Gomez and Carlos Gonzalez. That's unlikely to be an issue for the Tigers anytime in the near future anyhow, as Iglesias isn't even arbitration-eligible until the 2015-16 offseason and can't become a free agent until after the 2018 season.

Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is quite familiar with Boras, who is also the agent for Prince Fielder, Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson and Jose Valverde. For more agent-related information on nearly 1,900 Major League and Minor League players, check out MLBTR's Agency Database. If you see any notable errors or omissions, please drop us an email at mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Tigers Release Jose Valverde

By | at

The Tigers have unconditionally released former closer Jose Valverde, the team announced on Twitter. The 35-year-old Valverde had previously accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo as he looked to regain his form after being designated for assignment at the end of June.

In 11 innings at Toledo, Valverde picked up seven saves with a 4.09 ERA, 10 strikeouts and six walks. While not stellar numbers, it's an improvement from the 5.59 ERA he posted in 19 1/3 innings as the Tigers' closer earlier this season. Valverde's return to the ninth inning for the Tigers started well, but over his final 7 1/3 innings he surrendered six homers, resulting in 11 runs and his subsequent DFA.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top