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Draft Signings: Orioles, Angels, Tigers

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Some significant signings from the second round and on…

  • Elliott Waterman, Washington’s 13th round selection, agreed to sign with the Nationals for $100K, MLBTR has learned.
  • The Orioles signed third round pick Adrian Marin for $481K, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links). That’s precisely the bonus MLB recommends for the 99th overall selection. Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich said "significant number" of picks have signed and are undergoing physicals, Connolly reports.
  • The Angels announced they have agreed to sign 11 draft picks, including four of their first five selections. Right-hander R.J. Alvarez, the club’s third round selection, is one of the players to agree to terms. All of the 11 players are "at or very close to" their slotted amounts, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (on Twitter).
  • Right-hander Jake Thompson told James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press that he expects to sign with the Tigers tomorrow. The Tigers selected the high schooler with the 91st overall selection last week.

Minor Moves: Omir Santos, Russ Mitchell

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The latest minor moves…

  • The Tigers announced that they outrighted Omir Santos to Triple-A (Twitter link). However, the catcher declined the assignment and is now a free agent, according to the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). The Tigers designated the 31-year-old for assignment two days ago after he appeared in three games with the big league club. He posted a .310/.315/.417 batting line in 89 plate appearances at Triple-A before the Tigers added him to their roster.
  • The Giants signed third baseman Russ Mitchell, according to the team's website. Mitchell, 27, appeared in 25 games for last year's Dodgers team, posting a .157/.259/.294 batting line in 58 plate appearances. He has a .265/.325/.444 batting line in ten minor league seasons and can play first and second base, as well as third.

Quick Hits: Manny, Wolff, Marin, Rangers

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It was on this day in 1966 that the Mets made one of the most infamous draft blunders in history, taking Steve Chilcott with the first overall pick of the June amateur draft.  Chilcott became the first #1 pick to never play a game in the Major Leagues, while the A's fared a bit better with the #2 selection — Reggie Jackson.

Let's check out some news from around baseball as we prepare for some interleague action…

  • Athletics GM Billy Beane said no decision has been made about releasing Manny Ramirez, reported Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News, though Beane also wasn't sure when or if Ramirez would be called up to Oakland.  Ramirez has completed his 50-game suspension but has been hampered by a leg injury and isn't hitting well in Triple-A.
  • In a radio appearance on 95.7 FM The Game, Athletics managing general partner Lew Wolff said that he wants to keep the team in the Bay Area and his ownership group has no plans to sell the A's.  Wolff predicted that in five years, the A's would be playing in a new stadium in San Jose. (All links at to Twitter.)
  • The Orioles have signed third-round pick Adrian Marin, as announced by Marin himself on his Twitter page.  Marin is a high school shortstop who was originally committed to the University of Miami.
  • The Rangers announced the signings of 18 draft picks, including all of their selections between the fourth and tenth rounds.
  • The Tigers shouldn't trade top prospect Nick Castellanos in an effort to win this season at the sake of the minor league system, writes Jamie Samuelsen for the Detroit Free Press.
  • ESPN's Keith Law examines how teams' first-round draft picks fit in among their organizations' other top prospects.
  • The Twins have hurt themselves by not dealing veterans at the trade deadline in recent years and shouldn't make that same mistake again this season, opines Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  Souhan does name a few players, however, he thinks the Twins shouldn't deal: Jared Burton, Glen Perkins, Jamey Carroll and Josh Willingham.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes an early look at the trade deadline in his latest Hot Corner video, naming the Twins, A's, Padres and Cubs as the few clubs who are clear sellers, with the Cubs "probably the biggest seller out there."  Rosenthal also thinks the Astros will likely join this group as they want to get rid of their high-priced veterans, though Houston is playing well right now.
  • In terms of potential sellers, Rosenthal names the Brewers, as they could look to move Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and/or Francisco Rodriguez if they fall out of contention.  The Phillies "are kind of hanging on a precipice" in the tough NL East and unless they get more concrete news about the health of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay, Philadelphia could become sellers as well and look ahead to 2013.
  • Fredric Horowitz has been hired as the arbitrator between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players' Association, reports the Associated Press.  Horowitz replaces Shyam Das, who was fired in the wake of his decision to lift Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.

Minor Moves: Alfonzo, Roemer, Kopp

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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.

Tigers Designate Omir Santos For Assignment

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The Tigers announced that they designated catcher Omir Santos for assignment (Twitter link). The team placed Alex Avila on the 15-day disabled list, purchased the contract of catcher Bryan Holaday and recalled right-hander Jose Ortega in related moves.

Santos, 31, has been removed from and added to the Tigers' roster a number of times in recent years. He appeared in three games with Detroit this month after the Tigers promoted him from Triple-A Toledo, where he had a .310/.315/.417 batting line in 89 plate appearances. Santos also appeared in 11 games with last year's Tigers team and has MLB experience in four seasons.

Quick Hits: White Sox, Diamondbacks, Mets

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It’s draft day, which means lots of coverage on MLBTR. I’ll be hosting a live chat throughout the evening, so come by and discuss the latest picks as they’re announced. MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be updating posts with each selection, so you’ll be able to see everything at a glance. Here are some non-draft links as we await the big event…

  • The White Sox are expected to target veteran bullpen help if they're in a position to add to their roster in July, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • Knobler hears the Diamondbacks will call top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer up “soon” (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox called the Diamondbacks about Joe Saunders after Arizona acquired the left-hander in 2010, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. One MLB executive can imagine a trade involving Saunders and Kevin Youkilis, though the person doubts the Diamondbacks would be interested in taking on considerable salary or parting with a significant prospect.
  • The Mets will likely make three roster moves Tuesday, when Miguel Batista, Jason Bay and Chris Young are expected to return, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The club will have to create 40-man roster space for Young.
  • The Tigers should have a better idea of what, if anything, Victor Martinez can offer in 2012 by late July, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.

Stark On Hamels, Ruiz, Scutaro, Willingham, Pirates

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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.

Tigers Not Seeking Second Base Help

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The Tigers aren't actively pursuing second base help, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Members of the team's front office don't believe available infielders represent an upgrade over Danny Worth and Ramon Santiago. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com notes that the game's best second basemen aren't available in trades and reports that the Tigers would like to upgrade at the position if possible (Twitter link).

Tigers second basemen — Santiago, Worth, Ryan Raburn and Brandon Inge — have combined for a .178/.253/.252 batting line so far this year. The group's .504 OPS ranks last in the American League at second base and next-to-last in MLB (the Giants rank 30th). The Tigers released Inge earlier in the season and optioned Raburn to Triple-A this week.

Tigers Not Expecting To Pursue A Starting Pitcher

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Despite inconsistent performances from Rick Porcello (5.21 ERA) and Max Scherzer (5.67), the Tigers do not expect to pursue a starting pitcher via trade this season according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Detroit likes its current rotation and has prospects Jacob Turner and Casey Crosby in the minors.

The Tigers' rotation currently owns a 3.98 ERA, which ranks as the fifth best in the American League. Rookie left-hander Drew Smyly (3.14 ERA) has settled in nicely in nine starts, and Doug Fister (3.15 ERA) recently returned from a stint on the disabled list. It's worth noting that only two other AL teams have gotten fewer innings out of their starters than Detroit (275 1/3 innings) despite Justin Verlander's streak of 53 consecutive starts of at least six innings.

Magglio Ordonez To Retire

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Magglio Ordonez - Tigers (PW)

Magglio Ordonez will announce his retirement this Sunday at Comerica Park, the site of the defining moment of his 15-year career. Ordonez, who hit a walk-off home run to end the 2006 ALCS and send the Tigers to the World Series, spent the last seven seasons of his career playing in Detroit.

Ordonez suffered a fractured ankle during last year's ALCS, his second such injury in as many seasons. The 38-year-old expressed interest in playing in 2012 and the Athletics appeared to have some interest, but he never signed a deal.

Ordonez retires with 294 home runs and a .309/.369/.502 batting line in 1848 games over the course of 15 seasons with the White Sox and Tigers. The six-time All-Star won the 2007 American League batting title and three Silver Slugger awards. Ordonez, a longtime Scott Boras client, earned more than $133MM in his career, according to Baseball-Reference.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

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