Quick Hits: Astros, Giants, Blue Jays
For an interesting bit of history on baseball and money, have a peak at this piece from Baseball Nation's Larry Granillo on the value of baseball's broadcasting rights back in 1961. Let's take a look at some business-related notes from around today's game …
- The Astros are not, in fact, the most profitable team in baseball history, writes Maury Brown of Forbes. An earlier Forbes article had made the surprising assertion that baseball's worst team had shorn payroll to earn an unprecedented amount of money, leading to a sharp rebuke from the club. As Brown explains, the original piece contained significant factual inaccuracies, primarily regarding Houston's TV income.
- Meanwhile, the 'Stros are looking to continue increasing their international presence in Venezuela, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The organization is investigating the possibility of registering a full or partial Astros squad in the Venezuelan Parallel League. As McTaggart notes, Houston was the first MLB team to open a baseball academy in Venezuela, and over the years has signed such productive big leaguers as Johan Santana, Bobby Abreu, and Freddy Garcia from the South American nation. (Interestingly, only Abreu ever played for the Astros, registering 234 uneventful plate appearances before he broke out with the Phillies.)
- The Giants have been forced to pay over $500k in back wages and damages to various clubhouse and administrated employees after violating various employment laws, the Associated Press reports (via ESPN.com). Over three years, the U.S. Department of Labor said, San Francisco failed to comply with federal minimum wage, overtime, and record-keeping standards.
- Triple-A baseball will stay in Buffalo through at least 2016 after the Blue Jays extended their affiliation today, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (links to Twitter). GM Alex Anthopoulos said that the partnership had "gone exceptionally well" and that Buffalo was "the perfect fit."
AL West Notes: Mariners, Astros, Walker
The Mariners designated Aaron Harang for assignment earlier this evening but that might not be the only roster move made by GM Jack Zduriencik & Co. this week. This morning, Kendrys Morales was claimed off revocable trade waivers, giving the M's and the mystery club a total of two days to hammer out a trade. It was believe that the Mariners rebuffed interest from the Rangers and other clubs in late July with the hopes of re-signing Morales this winter, but the right deal might cause them to think otherwise. Here's more out of the AL West..
- The Astros own the worst record in the big leagues but they are also MLB's most profitable team as they have a remarkably low $13MM payroll, according to Dan Alexander of Forbes Magazine. Owner Jim Crane has previously said that he eventually plans on making Houston's payroll one of the largest in the majors, but Alexander argues that Crane is likely to use some of the team's profit to help pay down the $275MM debt he took on when he bought the club.
- The Astros responded to the article this evening in a statement to the press, arguing that the "information reported in the Forbes article relating to the Astros’ revenues, the Astros media rights fee from CSN Houston, and CSN Houston’s per subscriber rate are all significantly inaccurate" and as a result, "the conclusion about the Astros operational profit is significantly inaccurate."
- Mariners assistant GM Tony Blengino wasn't let go by the club, but actually requested to look into other MLB opportunities since his role in the organization has decreased, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. The stats guru said that when he called the Mariners last week, he was advised that his contract for 2014 would not be renewed.
- More from Baker, who wonders if today's move with Harang was done to open up a rotation spot for Triple-A starter Taijuan Walker. Walker was ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the country by Baseball America prior to this season.
AL Notes: Angels, Orioles, Mariners, Yost
In a long article outlining the Angels' troubles under Arte Moreno, CBS Sports' Scott Miller reports that the Halos owner was the driving force behind the club's ill-fated trade for Vernon Wells before the 2011 season. Moreno threatened to fire former GM Tony Reagins if he failed to complete the deal within 24 hours, Miller says. Here's more out of the American League..
- The Orioles continue to scour the waiver wire in hopes of acquiring another bat, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. The club believes a deal is possible ahead of Aug. 31, but nothing's cooking at the present, Kubatko says.
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik's job seems to be more secure as the club begins a "management shakeup," Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan tweets. Special assistant Tony Blengino has been fired, according to Passan.
- Meanwhile, the club continues to remain silent on Zduriencik's future, FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi says. Neither President Chuck Armstrong or chairman Howard Lincoln have publicly stated that Zduriencik will return next season.
- Bill Madden of the New York Daily News runs through lame duck managers around the majors, calling the Yankees' Joe Girardi a manager of the year candidate and urging the Mets to bring back Terry Collins. However, Ned Yost of the Royals and Eric Wedge of the Mariners are in line to be let go, while the Tigers' Jim Leyland should be on the hot seat, Madden says.
- Erik Bedard confesses he was surprised after being informed he will shift into a relief role for the Astros, a move manager Bo Porter says will allow the club to get a look at a young pitcher. "They said they looked at my last two years and my innings total was around where I'm at right now, and they said if I keep pitching I'll be about 40 over, and I said, 'Yeah, that's the point,' Bedard is quoted as saying in an article by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Bedard, who signed a one-year, $1.15MM minor league deal with the Astros in the offseason, cleared waivers earlier ths month and is eligible to be traded.
- Orioles pitching prospect Kevin Gausman could join the major league club prior to roster expansion in September, and would likely slot into the bullpen, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com says. Gausman was ranked the No. 26 prospect in baseball after the 2012 season by Baseball America, but posted an unsightly 6.21 ERA in 33 1/3 innings after being called up earlier this season.
Minor Moves: Mets, LeBlanc
We'll keep tabs on all of today's notable minor moves right here …
- The Mets have signed Ricardo Cespedes, a 16-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 6-foot-2, 170 pound Cespedes received a bonus of $725K. A left-handed hitter, Cespedes is said to have a loose swing and a "gap-to-gap" approach, and is likely to begin his career in center field.
- The Astros have outrighted lefty Wade LeBlanc to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. LeBlanc was designated for assignment on Tuesday after a rough beginning to his Astros tenure.
- With LeBlanc's outright assignment and Jeff Francoeur's release, the remaining players in DFA limbo are Edgmer Escalona of the Rockies, Billy Buckner of the Angels, Jason Bourgeois of the Rays and Edinson Volquez of the Padres. Check out MLBTR's DFA Tracker for the details of designated players.
AL West Links: Angels, Trout, Int’l Signings, Gomes
The Rangers' lead in the AL West has been built on taking care of business within the division, as Texas has a 41-16 record against division opponents and a 33-37 record against the rest of baseball. Other AL teams may complain that the Rangers and A's gained an extra advantage when the rebuilding Astros were moved into the division, but Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram points out that it's really the Angels' surprising decline that has made the AL West so lopsided. The Halos expected to contend this season but instead have the seventh-worst record in baseball and only a 19-35 record against inside their division.
Here are a few items from around the AL West…
- Also from Galloway's piece, he notes that the Rangers rate four Astros starting pitchers as "double-plus prospects" but a Rangers source wonders if the young starters' development is being harmed by Houston's league-worst bullpen. “The owner down there [Jim Crane] needs to get off his wallet and spend some money for some veteran bullpen guys next season,” the Rangers source said. “Those kid starters have a future, but they are being beaten up mentally by pitching well and never getting a win out of it.” Houston manager Bo Porter recently said that the Astros will look to add relief pitching help this winter.
- The Angels will try to reload after their disappointing 2012 but they'll have little payroll space to maneuver, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez notes. The Halos already have $126.5MM committed to the 2014 payroll and $111.725MM committed for 2015, and that's not counting raises for notable players who will become eligible for arbitration.
- How much would (or should) a team pay for Mike Trout's 2014 season? Fangraphs' Dave Cameron tries to calculate what Trout's single-season value would be worth if the Angels outfielder was suddenly a free agent and could only pursue a one-year deal for next season.
- The Rangers and Cubs both far exceeded their international bonus pool limits this summer and will face only limited penalties for it, a move that Baseball America's Jim Callis suspects could be copied by others. "More teams may try to exploit that loophole until an international draft closes it," Callis writes.
- If MLB.com's Jane Lee could undo any move from the Athletics' offseason, it would be the decision to let Jonny Gomes leave in free agency, Lee writes as part of a reader mailbag. Keeping Gomes would've allowed the A's to keep Cliff Pennington (rather than deal him in the trade that brought Chris Young to Oakland) and thus improve the club's infield depth and save some payroll space at the same time.
AL West Notes: Rangers, Ogando, Astros, A’s
The Rangers have a narrow half-game lead over the Athletics as they seek a third division championship in four seasons. Meanwhile, the news is positive on Mariners manager Eric Wedge, who tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he will come back strong from the stroke he suffered about a month ago. Here's more out of the AL West …
- Alexi Ogando has hit the disabled list for a third time this season thanks to inflammation in his right shoulder, but Rangers GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that he's not considering signing a pitcher from outside the organization to replace him (Twitter link). In a follow-up tweet, Wilson adds that Daniels and the Rangers will continue to view Ogando as a starter in 2013, but his future role is a topic of conversation for next year.
- Following today's DFA of lefty Wade LeBlanc, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart notes that 14 of the 25 players on the Astros' active roster are rookies (on Twitter).
- The Athletics have extended their player development contract with their Class-A affiliate in Stockton through the 2016 season, according to Janie McCauly of the Associated Press (Twitter link).
Astros Designate Wade LeBlanc For Assignment
The Astros announced that they have designated pitcher Wade LeBlanc for assignment. The move, coupled with catcher Carlos Corporan's placement on the seven-day concussion disabled list, will allow Triple-A right-hander David Martinez and Double-A catcher Max Stassi to join the big league squad.
LeBlanc, 29, had a rough time in four relief appearances for the Astros this season. For his career, LeBlanc owns a career 4.51 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in parts of six seasons with the Padres, Marlins, and Astros.
You can keep track of all DFA'd players using our brand new DFA Tracker. Tim Dierkes wrote up a guide on MLBTR's newest feature earlier today.
Jarred Cosart Joins Excel Sports Management
Astros right-hander Jarred Cosart is now represented by Excel Sports Management, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (via Twitter). Cosart made his Major League debut in July, making him eligible for salary arbitration following the 2016 season and free agency after the 2019 season.
Cosart, 23, was the Phillies' 38th-round draft choice in 2008 and was sent to the Astros as part of the Hunter Pence trade in July 2011. MLB.com ranked Cosart as the 89th-best prospect in the sport heading into this season and the righty has not disappointed in his first taste of the majors. Cosart has a 1.15 ERA through his first six starts with Houston, though his peripheral stats (3.50 FIP, 4.42 xFIP, 4.95 SIERA, 18 strikeouts and 18 walks) indicate that he's enjoyed a lot of good fortune through his first 39 innings.
Cosart joins an impressive Excel client list that includes the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Jason Heyward, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Chase Headley. If you're looking for information on who represents who in the baseball world, MLBTR's Agency Database has agent listings for nearly 1900 players in the major and minor leagues.
Minor Moves: Astros, Ryan Roberts, Doug Mathis
Here are Sunday's minor moves from around MLB:
- The Astros will sign first baseman Japhet Amador and outfielder Leonardo Heras from Diablos Rojos in the Mexican League, according to a team press release. The 26-year-old Amador, who is listed at 6'4" and 315 pounds, was hitting .368/.419/.693 with 36 home runs in 449 plate appearances. Heras, 23, was hitting .310/.398/.519. The amounts of their bonuses are unclear.
- Ryan Roberts has cleared waivers and has accepted the Rays' outright assignment to Triple-A Durham, tweets the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith. Roberts was designated for assignment Thursday after hitting .247/.295/.377 with five home runs in 173 plate appearances for Tampa Bay.
- The Pirates have acquired right-hander Doug Mathis from the Marlins for a player to be named later or cash, tweets Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mathis, who has spent the entire season at Triple-A New Orleans, will be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Mathis, who last appeared in a MLB game in 2010 with the Rangers, has posted a 3.85 ERA, 6.7 K/9, and 4.2 BB/9 over 114 2/3 innings with the Zephyrs covering 24 games (21 starts).
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Texas Notes: Astros, Rangers, Springer, Berkman
There's a chance that the two Texas clubs could find themselves on the opposite ends of the standings come season's end. As the MLBTR reverse standings tell us, the Rangers entered today four games behind the Braves for the best record in baseball, while the 39-81 Astros have a firm grasp on the league's worst record. The Astros are on pace to become the first team in baseball history to select the No. 1 overall pick in three consecutive amateur drafts.
Here are some news items out of the Lone Star State…
- Astros prospect George Springer will remain in minors through the end of the Triple-A season and their playoffs, general manager Jeff Luhnow tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The center field star could be brought up by mid-September if the club feels it would make sense. Springer, 23, has a combined .303/.411/.605 line and 33 homers in 520 PA between Double-A and Triple-A this season. Baseball America tabbed Springer as the 20th-best prospect in the sport in their midseason prospect rankings after ranking him 37th before the season; he was also highly-touted by both ESPN's Keith Law (43rd) and MLB.com (58th) in preseason ratings.
- The Astros will make relief pitching a priority this winter, manager Bo Porter told reporters (including McTaggart). Houston will likely try to obtain at least one veteran reliever to aid their young relief corps, McTaggart speculates.
- The Rangers and Lance Berkman are trying to decide if they will wait until the rosters expand on September 1 to activate the veteran slugger from the DL. Berkman played four games on a rehab assignment but told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) that he has "concerns about competing at the level I think I am capable of. If I can’t do that, I’m not sure, I can be a positive piece for the team. There is no doubt I can compete. I just don’t know about the level.” Berkman has a .732 OPS in 282 PA with Texas this year but he has been on the DL for over two months with hip and knee injuries and even considered retirement earlier this summer.
- Adam Rosales could be a factor in the Berkman situation, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan explains. The infielder would likely be the one designated for assignment to make roster space for Berkman and the Rangers don't want to lose him again. Rosales has already been designated four times since July 8 and has bounced back and forth between the Rangers' and Athletics' rosters over the last few weeks.