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Rule 5 Report: McGuiness, Kobernus, Rosenbaum, Inciarte, Fields

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To get the weekend started with some fascinating insight into the use of analytics by agents, look for the audio link at the 2013 SABR Analytics Conference Player Agent Panel page.  Let's take a look at a few updates on some Rule 5 draftees who are hoping to stick with their new clubs:

  • Chris McGuiness has impressed the Indians at first and in the outfield, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer, and the team is loath to return him to the Rangers.  According to manager Terry Francona, "in a perfect world, I wish he wasn't a Rule 5 pick and he was in our minor league system."  If the Indians are unable to keep McGuiness on the big league roster, Francona "hope[s]" that a trade can be worked out to keep him in the system, adds Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
  • Jeff Kobernus, primarily an infielder in the Nationals system, continues to battle with Quintin Berry for a spot in the Tigers outfield, writes Jim Hawkins of MLB.com.  While it is "possible" that both players could make the roster, according to manager Jim Leyland, that scenario is a "longshot."
  • Another player plucked from the Nationals, left-handed pitcher Danny Rosenbaum, "has put up a nice argument for himself in the competition for a middle-relief spot" with the Rockies, writes Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  Rosenbaum, who never saw a big league camp while in the Washington organization, spoke with Nats' reliever Craig Stammen to learn how to transition from the rotation to the bullpen.
  • Outfielder Ender Inciarte is in the midst of a solid spring and is making a play for the Phillies' fifth outfielder role, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.  Just 22 years old, Inciarte never played above High-A ball in the Diamondbacks organization.
  • Josh Fields came to the Astros from the Red Sox with the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, and acknowledges being "really, really excited when Houston picked me up."  As Adam Berry of MLB.com writes, the rebuilding Houston franchise hopes that the 27-year-old, righthanded reliever is ready for the big leagues after he posted a solid 2012 season in Triple-A Pawtucket.

Texas Notes: Ryan, Red Sox, Luhnow, Crane

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Nolan Ryan doesn't seem pleased with the Rangers' re-structured front office, and there are rumblings that he could leave the organization. There's no denying Ryan's stature in the game, but he's acting "like a big baby" in the view of Yahoo's Jeff Passan. The Hall of Famer has made the mistake of picking a fight at a time that he has few alternatives and limited leverage, Passan writes. Here are more links from the state of Texas…

  • Rangers senior scout Don Welke is in Florida looking at Red Sox relievers, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.  Welke is also scouting Yankees right-hander Joba Chamberlain, as we heard yesterday.  Both Boston and New York had their own scouts watching the Rangers play today.
  • The circumstances behind the Barret Loux/Jake Brigham trade between the Rangers and Cubs are outlined by MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
  • Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported two days ago that there's sentiment within the Rangers organization that Ryan will stay with the club.
  • GM Jeff Luhnow told Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal that the Astros are looking forward to determining which young players will become part of the team’s core. That’s part of Luhnow's motivation for passing on experienced free agents and relying on younger players. “If you take away their job and give it to a veteran, you delay finding it out. It doesn't push the organization forward," Luhnow explained.
  • Though some fans would like to see the Astros spend more, owner Jim Crane pointed out that it’s not the fans’ money. “This is a private company, even though it's got a public flair to it,” Crane told Costa. “If they want to write a check for 10 million bucks, they can give me a call."

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

Brennan Boesch Rumors: Wednesday

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Seven teams have called agent Scott Boras about recently-released outfielder Brennan Boesch, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports (on Twitter). Here are the latest Boesch-related rumors…

  • The Mets' interest in Boesch is "marginal," Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier that the Mets appear to have some interest in Boesch (on Twitter). Anthony DiComo of MLB.com doesn't get the sense that GM Sandy Alderson will pursue Boesch (Twitterlinks). However, DiComo points out that it's too early to dismiss the possibility.
  • The Red Sox are talking internally about Boesch, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post has been told the Yankees will at least look into the possibility of signing Boesch (Twitter link). The depth of the New York outfield has been tested in the aftermath of Curtis Granderson's injury.
  • The Astros will take a look at Boesch, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports (on Twitter). Like the Mets, the Astros have a relatively young outfield.

Texas Notes: Porter, Boesch, Profar

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General manager Jeff Luhnow told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he can envision manager Bo Porter leading the Astros for a long time. “He could be one of those guys who is an Astros manager for decades, not just years,” Luhnow said of Porter. “The players knowing that this is the group that’s going to be here — it begins to lay the foundation for stability, which is really what we’re looking for.” The Astros hired the 40-year-old Porter after the 2012 season. 

Here are more notes on the Astros and Texas’ other team, the Rangers…

  • Earlier today MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reported that the Astros will take a look at Brennan Boesch (Twitter link). The Tigers released the outfielder this morning.
  • The Rangers are high on Jurickson Profar, but it's still not clear what his role will be in 2013, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. The Rangers would "not necessarily" need an everyday role for Profar to justify keeping him on the roster in the view of manager Ron Washington. That said, a Triple-A assignment hasn’t been ruled out. Here's a look at service time considerations for top prospects such as Profar.
  • George A. King III of the New York Post reported today that the Rangers are watching Joba Chamberlain.

Quick Hits: Andrus, Braves, Astros

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On this date two years ago, Chuck Greenberg resigned as the Rangers' CEO after encountering philosophical differences with others in the team's ownership group. The Rangers' leadership structure is again making headlines, as ownership looks to determine what Nolan Ryan's role will be going forward. Here are some links from around MLB, starting in Texas…

  • Dan Szymborski of ESPN Insider explains why the Cardinals are a perfect fit for Elvis Andrus of the Rangers. St. Louis needs a shortstop after losing Rafael Furcal to injury and the Rangers could part with Andrus to create space for Jurickson Profar. The Rangers could look to acquire a pitching prospect such as Trevor Rosenthal, Shelby Miller or Carlos Martinez from the Cardinals' top-ranked farm system.
  • Atlanta GM Frank Wren told James Wagner of the Washington Post that most of the Braves' offseason moves revolved around their own needs, rather than the Nationals' roster. Wren explained that he wanted to add right-handed balance to a lineup that had become too left-handed. "I can’t say that anything we did this offseason was reactionary,” he said.
  • FanGraphs' David Laurila spoke with Sig Mejdal, the Astros' director of decision sciences, about his role in Houston and the place of analytics in baseball.

Latest On Padres, Chase Headley

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The Padres haven’t settled on a long-term strategy for handling Chase Headley, but they aren’t going to trade him any time soon. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News hears from a high-ranking NL West executive that the Padres front office will see how the team plays before determining whether to trade Headley or pursue an extension with him.

Padres general manager Josh Byrnes recently told Peter Gammons of MLB Network that he doesn't intend to trade impact offensive players such as Headley. However, some evaluators aren’t convinced that the third baseman will replicate his breakout 2012 season, Martino reports.

The Yankees are considering corner infielders and, on paper, seem like a possible suitor for Headley. As they wait for the Padres to determine a course of action with Headley, the Yankees will look to the Astros for potential trade targets, Martino reports. The Astros have depth at first base and could move a player such as Carlos Pena.

Headley, 28, posted a .286/.376/.498 batting line with 31 home runs in 2012. He'll earn $8.575MM in 2013 and will remain under team control through 2014.

Texas Notes: Ryan, Daniels, Lohse, Astros, Crane

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Here's the latest news from both the Rangers and Astros, including how the future of the Lone Star State's greatest pitcher (Nolan Ryan) impacts both Texas clubs…

  • Jon Daniels said the Rangers never offered him Ryan's CEO job, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.  Before being promoted to the position of president of baseball operations, Daniels said the Rangers offered him a few other titles, and "all of those discussions involved me reporting directly to Nolan."  There has been speculation that Ryan could leave the Rangers given the increased influence of Daniels and Rick George, the newly-promoted president of business operations. 
  • Hiring Ryan and giving him a significant role would greatly benefit the Astros both on and off the field, MLB.com's Richard Justice opines.
  • Kyle Lohse is "slightly better than just a guy" in the Rangers' view, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN Dallas, which is partly why the team isn't interested in the veteran right-hander.
  • Astros owner Jim Crane tells reporters (including MLB.com's Brian McTaggart) that the team's ongoing negotiations over a new TV contract are crucial to the team's financial well-being and its rebuilding process.  "This is a long-term deal, and it will really affect the ability to finance the team and the payroll," Crane said. "We have to have a deal that's market with the Rangers and Angels and we should be able to get that….We want to have our payroll where the Rangers' is so we can compete with everybody."
  • Also from McTaggart, the Astros have done well to rebuild their farm system though it may take a few years for their current batch of top prospects to make an impact on the Major League level.

Astros Notes: Luhnow, Ely, Rebuilding

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Here's the latest news from the American League's newest team….

  • GM Jeff Luhnow's non-traditional baseball background, his history with the Cardinals and his belief in analytics are profiled by MLB.com's Richard Justice in a look at how Luhnow is exploring a wide range of methods to help rebuild the Astros.
  • Before John Ely was traded to the Astros in December, the right-hander was going to sign a contract with a South Korean team, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports.  Ely was looking for a chance to start since he knew he was far down the Dodgers' depth chart but is now excited about his opportunity with the Astros.
  • While the Astros would love to match the Rays' rise from last place to being a consistent contender, Houston assistant GM David Stearns tells ESPN's Jayson Stark that the Astros "want to find the next advancement and to be ahead of the curve yourself" rather than specifically duplicating the Rays' process.  As Stearns notes, the Astros have a major advantage over the Rays in that Houston is able to support a large payroll when the time is right.

AL West Links: Downs, Daniels, A’s, Ankiel

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Ivan Rodriguez has been hired by the Rangers as a special assistant to the general manager, the team announced today.  "Pudge" spent 13 of his 20 Major League seasons as a Ranger and will now serve the organization as a scout, organizational instructor and ambassador.  Here are some more items from around the AL West…

  • Scott Downs wants to remain with the Angels and the southpaw tells MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that he would be willing to negotiate an extension during the season.  Downs' representatives at CAA have told the Angels' front office about their client's wishes but have yet to get a response. Downs turns 37 in March and has pitched very well in Anaheim, posting a 2.17 ERA over 99 1/3 innings in his first two years of his three-year, $15MM contract.  He turns 37 in March, however, and Gonzalez speculates that the Angels may let Downs go since Sean Burnett and Nick Maronde are in the fold as left-handed bullpen options.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels spoke with Dallas Morning News readers about the team's offseason moves, international signings, the current Texas roster and more in a live chat today.
  • The Athletics have received tentative guidelines from the Commissioner's Office regarding a possible move to San Jose, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.  This isn't necessarily a sign that the A's will be allowed to move, Shaikin notes, though if the team can comply with these guidelines, it could prompt Bud Selig to put the matter of the proposed move to a vote of the other league owners.  MLB has been studying the Athletics' proposed San Jose relocation for four years, and the Giants are known to oppose the move on the grounds that it infringes on their territorial rights.
  • Rick Ankiel will make $750K if he makes the Astros' Opening Day roster, plus a few small bonuses based on plate appearances, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports.  Houston signed the veteran outfielder to a minor league contract in January.

Quick Hits: Lohse, Volquez, Bourn, Phillies, Blue Jays

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Padres starter Edinson Volquez is eligible for free agency after the 2013 season, but his preference is to sign an extension with San Diego, says Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Before considering a new contract, the Padres want to see Volquez improve his control, Center notes. Volquez allowed 105 walks in 2012. Here are more notes from around baseball…

  • The Dodgers' surplus of starters is yet another factor working against Kyle Lohse as he tries to find a suitable deal this winter, rival officials tell Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd).  Teams looking for pitching can pick up the phone and call the Dodgers to ask about Chris Capuano or one of their other available starters.  Lohse is obviously a stronger option, but he's also more expensive and teams have less flexibility than they did earlier this winter.
  • Pitcher Kyle Davies agreed to a minor league deal with the Twins that does not include an invite to big league camp, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.  The 29-year-old owns a career 5.59 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 across seven big league seasons.
  • New Indians outfielder Michael Bourn says that the offseason market for his services took a turn for the worse after the Twins traded not one, but two center fielders in Denard Span and Ben Revere, CBSSports.com's Scott Miller reports. The trades of Span and Revere took the Nationals and Phillies out of the market for a center fielder. "I was looking at that like, ‘Man, are you serious?' Those were two teams I pretty much thought would be fighting for me," Bourn says.
  • The Phillies discussed trading Domonic Brown to the Astros this offseason, Jon Heyman reports (on Twitter), but the Phils, still low on talent in the outfield, are reluctant to deal him. The former top prospect is current competing for time in left field with the Phillies.
  • Blue Jays manager John Gibbons hints that the club might turn to Josh Thole or Henry Blanco, rather than J.P. Arencibia, to catch R.A. Dickey, Richard Griffin of TheStar.com reports. The Jays will go with a personal catcher for Dickey, MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm notes. Arencibia wants to catch for Dickey, but Thole and Blanco both caught Dickey and his knuckleball when Dickey played for the Mets.
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