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Tigers Release Adam Everett

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The Tigers released Adam Everett, according to John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. They didn't find any takers for the shortstop after designating him for assignment about ten days ago. The Tigers signed Everett to a one-year $1.55MM deal that had the potential to become a bargain. 

Everett has always been a terrific defender, and though the sample size is limited, UZR suggests his glove has been good once again in 2010. Everett made just one error this season, but his batting line fell to .185/.221/.247 in 89 plate appearances, so the Tigers were willing to let him go.

Despite his poor performance at the plate, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Everett sign on with someone. There aren't many reliable free agent middle infielders, especially not with Everett's defensive ability.

Odds & Ends: Pierzynski, Yankees, Orioles, Fox

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Ted Lilly doesn't get the no-hitter, but he does get his first win in a while.  Some links for tonight..

2005 Draft Throwdown

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While dreams are coming true for hundreds of high school and college players this week, let's compare the paths of some 2005 first round draft picks. Nothing is more interesting than seeing how teams did choosing players at the same position. In a draft, it is the closest teams come to the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. Meanwhile, those lists haunt fans' memories for years to come.

  • Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals) vs. Ryan Braun (Brewers): This battle between Zimmerman, picked fourth, and Braun, picked fifth, was to be a test of hot corner prowess. But while Zimmerman has excelled at the position, winning a Gold Glove in 2009 and grading well under more advanced defensive metrics, Braun settled in left field after proving to be a disastrous fielder at third base. So far, Braun has a .931 to .836 edge in OPS, but with Zimmerman putting up an .888 in 2009 and at .986 so far in 2010, that gap may well have disappeared. Moving forward, the edge goes to Zimmerman, a terrific hitter, though a notch below Braun, but a far more valuable defensive player. Both teams won here, though.
  • Cameron Maybin (Tigers) vs. Andrew McCutchen (Pirates): These high school center fielders went back-to-back, with Maybin going tenth and McCutchen going 11th. The early returns suggest that the Tigers made a poor choice here, though they ultimately packaged Maybin in a deal for Miguel Cabrera, so they're not exactly complaining. McCutchen has hit since he arrived in Pittsburgh last season, and a 23-year-old with an .847 OPS in his first 733 major league plate appearances stands an awfully good chance of being an elite player for years to come. Maybin is still immensely talented, and could turn into a star- but McCutchen already is one. Pirates win- how often do you get to read that?
  • Craig Hansen (Red Sox) vs. Joey Devine (Braves): This throwdown is a lesson in the perils of college pitchers. They seem like sure things, compared to high schoolers, and from the start, the Red Sox and Braves thought they had their ninth-innings mapped out for years to come. Hansen, drafted 26th out of St. John's, has yet to find command at the major league level, with 63 walks against 70 strikeouts in 93.2 innings. The right-hander was one of the moving parts in the three-team deal that sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles. Hansen's troubles were baffling, until the discovery of a degenerative nerve condition that has his career in doubt. Devine, chosen 27th, got traded to Oakland for Mark Kotsay, so Atlanta didn't benefit much from choosing him, either. The Athletics got a fantastic 2008 out of Devine- a 0.59 ERA in 45.2 innings with 49 strikeouts. Tommy John surgery kept him out for 2009, but he is currently on track to return to Oakland by the end of June. Winner here? Clearly, the Athletics.

Draft Notes: Phillies, Brentz, Rays, Harper, Whitson

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The reactions and updates keep trickling in, as last year's first overall pick prepares to make his much-anticipated major league debut…

  • The Cubs selected Bryan Harper, Bryce's older brother, in the 26th round, writes MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
  • Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the team is "very close" to signing first rounder Jesse Biddle (Twitter link).
  • Red Sox supplementary rounder Byrce Brentz will sign for slot money, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. That should be an $891K bonus for Brentz, who was close to a deal just hours after the draft.
  • Rays second round pick Jacob Thompson tells Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he's ready to sign. The right-hander says he doesn't want to play "hardball" with the Rays (figuratively speaking, that is).
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he hopes to sign Bryce Harper and get his pro career started before the mid-August deadline for signing picks (Twitter link).
  • The Nationals plan to have Harper play outfield, not catcher, according to Ben Goessling of MASN.com.
  • Harper told the media that he intends on working out, having fun and fishing this summer, according to Goessling. In other words, don't expect the phenom to sign right away.
  • The Giants took Brett Bochy (manager Bruce's son) with their 20th round pick, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).
  • Not to be outdone, the Rockies drafted manager Jim Tracy's son, Mark, in the 22nd round, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
  • The White Sox selected Ozney Guillen in the 22nd round, but Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times says Guillen won't likely sign (Twitter link).
  • And before those three teams made their selections, the Tigers picked Patrick Leyland in the eighth round, according to Steve Kornacki of MLive.com.
  • Houston's top three picks all told Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle that they expect to sign. Delino DeShields Jr., Mike Foltynewicz and Michael Kvasnicka could all be in the Astros' system before long.
  • Padres executive Paul DePodesta explains that the club selected high school righty Karsten Whitson with its first round pick because of his upside, even though the pitcher's development could take years.
  • Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer explained to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that the Yankees trust their scouts, even if it means surprising people with picks like Cito Culver.
  • The Tigers announced that director of player development Glenn Ezell stepped down. The timing is odd, to say the least.

2010 Draft Pick Gains And Losses

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Using Mike Axisa's 2010 draft order, let's take a look at which teams gained and lost picks through free agent compensation during the offseason.

  • Seven clubs added at least one pick without giving any up: the Angels, Blue Jays, Astros, Rangers, Cardinals, Rays, and Rockies.
  • The Angels lost Chone Figgins and John Lackey, but they added the most and best picks: #18, #29, #37, and #40.  This is a huge year for director of scouting Eddie Bane.  The Blue Jays added three picks: #34, #41, and #80.
  • The Astros, Rangers, and Cardinals each added two picks, with the Astros doing the best by snagging #19 and #33 for Jose Valverde.
  • The Orioles and Mets were the only two teams to lose a pick without adding any; those are #53 and #57 respectively.
  • The Mariners added #43 but gave up #18, while the Tigers added #44 and #48 while giving up #19.
  • The Red Sox came out in pretty good shape despite signing a pair of Type As in John Lackey and Marco Scutaro.  The Sox added #20, #36, #39, and #57 while losing #29 and #80.  Losing a Type A who was offered arbitration brings in two picks, but signing such a player only costs one.
  • The Braves added picks #35 and #53, but surrendered #20.

Originally published 3-29-10.

Draft Links: Machado, Blue Jays, Dodgers

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The first round of the MLB draft kicks off at 6pm CST today.  Links to start you off, with new ones being added to the bottom of the post:

Draft Links: Cox, Nats, Tigers, White Sox, Mets

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As Mike Rizzo recently suggested, for baseball's general managers and scouting directors, the Super Bowl isn't eight months away — it's tomorrow. Here are a few more links in anticipation of the 2010 draft….

  • Zack Cox is looking for "[Pedro] Alvarez money" which could cause him to slip in the draft, multiple sources tell Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter).  Alvarez, taken second overall by the Pirates in 2008, signed a four-year deal worth $6.355MM.  On top of that, Cox is said to be seeking a major league deal, tweets ESPN's Keith Law.
  • The Nats will take Bryce Harper No. 1, barring any drastic changes, GM Mike Rizzo told MASN's Debbi Taylor.  If they do take Harper, Washington will move him to the outfield, according to a baseball source who spoke to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
  • Despite not having a first round pick, the Tigers are confident they can find talent in the later rounds, writes MLive.com's Steve Kornacki.
  • The Pirates have narrowed their choices to include Manny Machado, Jameson Taillon, or a college pitcher, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
  • Don't be surprised to see the White Sox draft a college pitcher with the 13th pick, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson spoke with Rizzo, who once again said that they know who they'll select first overall. Rizzo says the player doesn't know he'll be selected, though it's tough to see them passing up consensus top pick Bryce Harper. Rizzo says the second through fifteenth rounds will determine the strength of a draft, and the Nats are "fired up" about it.
  • The latest updates from Fanhouse's Frankie Piliere include the Mets' and Yankees' first-round targets, and more details on the deal the Royals are working toward with Yasmani Grandal. Industry sources tell Piliere it'll be worth "upwards of" $3MM.
  • The Rangers own four of the top 50 picks in the draft, but they'll be on a budget, says Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
  • With the sixth pick, the Diamondbacks could be the wild card of the draft, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider-only). Their top two choices appear to be Barrett Loux and Chris Sale, who MLBTR's Mike Axisa profiled last week.
  • A potential first-round pick could have already been a Phillie, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • Karen Smith of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review conducts a brief Q&A with Pirates director of scouting Greg Smith.

Tigers Designate Adam Everett For Assignment

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The Tigers have designated Adam Everett for assignment, according to the club's official Twitter feed. Danny Worth will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo in the veteran shortstop's place.

Everett re-signed his second one-year deal with the Tigers this offseason, following a .238/.288/.325 line in 2009. That limited production may have justified Everett's value when combined with his stellar glove (15.4 career UZR/150 at shortstop), but the 33-year-old has struggled mightily at the plate this season. Everett owns just a .185/.221/.247 line this year through 89 plate appearances. He's been hampered somewhat by a strained hamstring as well.

Worth, 24, was 8-24 (all singles) in 25 plate appearances with the Tigers earlier this year. Through 176 minor league PAs this season, he's hitting .287/.330/.354 while seeing time at third base, shortstop, and second base.

Odds & Ends: Griffey, Padres, Suzuki, Pedroia, Haren

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Hard to believe that Ken Griffey Jr.'s retirement will only be the second biggest story of the day. Here are some more links to check out…

D’Backs Acquire Dontrelle Willis For Billy Buckner

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It’s a new beginning for Dontrelle Willis, who returns to the league he once thrived in.  And it’s an attempt to restore order by the Diamondbacks, who have allowed more runs than any NL team and are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. Today the D’Backs announced that they have acquired Willis and cash from the Tigers for Billy Buckner.

There's about $8MM remaining on Willis' salary and the Tigers will pay all of it, except the pro-rated portion of the major league minimum. Buckner, a 26-year-old righty who started three games for Arizona this year, will begin his Tigers career in Triple A, according to the team. Buckner allowed 26 hits in 13 big league innings this year, striking out 11 and walking five. The former second rounder pitched better in Triple A, posting a 3.53 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.

Ed Price of AOL FanHouse first reported the deal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports confirmed it (via Twitter). Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported that Buckner was in the deal (via Twitter) and Jon Heyman of SI.com reported how much cash was changing hands (via Twitter).

As many as four teams had some interest in the 28-year-old Willis, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. The Tigers designated Willis for assignment Saturday.

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