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Quick Hits: Astros, Blue Jays, Yankees, Wolf, Appel

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Blue Jays first round draft choice Marcus Stroman has been suspended for 50 games for violating the minor league drug prevention and treatment program, the team announced. Stroman, who obtained a $1.8MM bonus earlier in the summer, maintains that he “unknowingly ingested a banned stimulant that was in an over-the-counter supplement.” He wasn’t the only former first rounder suspended today. Josh Sale, who was selected 17th overall by the Rays in 2010, also obtained a 50-game suspension, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter).

Here are Tuesday’s links…

  • “We’re continuing to assess our list of candidates,” said Astros GM Jeff Luhnow to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart about the club's managerial search. “We need someone that’s going to be good at teaching, someone good at inspiring and basically working with the front office and help us achieve our goal of becoming as competitive as possible."
  • The Yankees hadn’t placed Alex Rodriguez on waivers as of yesterday morning, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. Though the Yankees would like to dump Rodriguez and the $114MM remaining on his contract for luxury tax purposes, Davidoff says A-Rod and the Yankees have a pretty good relationship these days.
  • ESPN officially announced an eight-year extension for the rights to broadcast MLB games. John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal reports that the deal is worth $700MM per year for a total of $5.6 billion. The deal also covers digital, international and radio rights.
  • Four teams showed interest in Randy Wolf when he hit the free agent market, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Athletics were one of the teams with serious interest in Wolf before he agreed to sign with the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law previews the 2013 amateur draft class, suggesting it projects as one of the weakest in years. Mark Appel, the Pirates' first round selection in 2012, projects as a top talent for 2013 along with college right-hander Ryne Stanek.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Clemens, Plouffe, Drew, Ortiz

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On this date 20 years ago the Mets sent right-hander David Cone to the Blue Jays for 24-year-old second baseman Jeff Kent. Cone helped Toronto win the first of two consecutive World Series titles and Kent went on to become a borderline Hall of Famer (though he spent his most productive seasons in San Francisco). Here are today’s links as we await the next major trade of the 2012 season…

  • Alan Blondin of the Houston Chronicle writes that Roger Clemens called his recent performance for the Sugar Land Skeeters a favor to Skeeters manager Gary Gaetti. Clemens told Blondin he doesn't have plans for further pitching performances, but cautioned, "That could change in a couple days." 
  • Twins general manager Terry Ryan feels that now is the time for Trevor Plouffe to step up and establish himself as the team's long-term answer at third base, writes Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Mackey quotes Ryan as saying Plouffe "[has] the rest of the year" to show the Twins that third base isn't a position they need to address.
  • Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that they don’t regret trading Stephen Drew to Oakland, even though Willie Bloomquist experienced a setback in his return from a back injury. “No. We wanted to see what [Jake] Elmore was capable of doing,” Towers said. “He’s held his own, I think, defensively out there.”
  • David Ortiz, a free agent this offseason, wants to re-sign with the Red Sox, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. “This is what I know and this is something I want to be part of,” Ortiz said.
  • The Athletics and Astros have improved their farm systems considerably in the last year, Jim Callis of Baseball America writes in this week’s edition of Ask BA.
  • The Blue Jays should have publicly told the Red Sox that manager John Farrell is off-limits long ago, Shi Davidi writes at Sportsnet.ca. The Blue Jays have failed to limit speculation about the possibility of Farrell returning to Boston, Davidi writes. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has said the Blue Jays won’t announce an extension with Farrell, even if the sides agree to one.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Yankees Acquire Steve Pearce

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The Yankees have acquired Steve Pearce from the Astros for cash considerations, the teams announced. Pearce, who played for the Yankees' Triple-A team earlier this year, will provide New York with a right-handed bat for the final month of the season.

Pearce, 29, has a career line of .277/.347/.484 against left-handed pitching. The Giants were also eyeing him as a possible platoon bat, but they appear to have let him pass through waivers (they would have had waiver priority over all American League teams, including New York).

It's been a busy year for Pearce, who signed with the Yankees in Spring Training after being released by the Twins. The Orioles purchased Pearce from New York in June, and the Astros claimed him off of waivers the following month. 

The Astros announced that they recalled outfielder Jimmy Paredes from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a related move. Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported that the sides were nearing a deal (Twitter link).

Outrighted To Triple-A: Lalli, Galarraga

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The latest outright assignments from around MLB…

Yankees Nearing Deal For Steve Pearce

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The Yankees are nearing a deal that would send Steve Pearce from Houston to New York, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). Pearce, who played for the Yankees' Triple-A team earlier this year, would provide New York with a right-handed bat for the final month of the season.

This post was first published on August 27th, 2012.

Giants Interested In Steve Pearce

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The Giants are interested in Astros outfielder Steve Pearce, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  San Francisco is in search of someone who handles left-handed pitching well and Pearce, who boasts a career .275/.345/.490 slash line against southpaws, fits the bill.

The Astros claimed the 29-year-old off waivers from the Orioles less than a month ago.  A trade to the Giants would mean that Pearce has been with five clubs in 2012.  He has been under contract with the Twins, Yankees, Orioles, and Astros all inside of this calendar year.

Astros Owner Open To Signing Clemens

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Astros owner Jim Crane told Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports in Houston that he is open to the idea of signing 50-year old Roger Clemens. The Astros have not been contacted about signing Clemens this year, but they’re preparing for the possibility, Berman reports. The Astros were in attendance at a recent workout to watch Clemens, who signed with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters this week.

Crane said he doesn’t aim to set up a publicity stunt for the sake of selling a few extra tickets. He’d seek approval from MLB before completing a deal with Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner. Clemens already has a personal services contract with the Astros, Berman notes.

NL Central Notes: Soriano, Marmol, Cardinals, Astros

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It was on this day in 1970 that Roberto Clemente enjoyed his second consecutive five-hit day, becoming the first Major Leaguer in the 20th century to achieve 10 hits over a two-game span.  The Pirates legend nearly outhit his opponents over the same stretch, as the Dodgers managed just 11 hits over those two games, both Pittsburgh victories.

With Clemente's Pirates back in a pennant race, here's the latest from the NL Central…

  • It's unlikely that the Cubs will deal either Alfonso Soriano or Carlos Marmol in August, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  "The Cubs say they’re still open to making a move, but they have nothing in the works," Wittenmyer writes.  Both players cleared trade waivers last week and Soriano already used his 10-and-5 rights to veto a deal to the Giants before the trade deadline.
  • The Cardinals can make their offense more consistent in 2013 by relying on a number of internal options, opines Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The only external solution Gordon suggests is that the Cards pick up a veteran shortstop to share time with Rafael Furcal.
  • Nine names have been rumored to be possible candidates for the Astros' managing job, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Of these nine, only Jim Riggleman has past experience managing in the Major Leagues; Heyman notes this aligns with GM Jeff Luhnow's desire for a more analytical approach to running the club, as detailed in a recent story by Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.

Astros Designate Armando Galarraga For Assignment

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The Astros announced that they have Armando Galarraga for assignment.  The move will create room for right-hander Hector Ambriz, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The 30-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Astros in late May to help fill a spot in Oklahoma City's rotation.  Galarraga wound up making five starts for Houston this year, posting a 6.75 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 18 walks.  For his big league career, Galarraga owns a 4.78 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9.

NL Central Notes: Wolf, Cardinals, Astros, Cubs

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The Brewers released Randy Wolf on his birthday, but the left-hander says the organization “has been outstanding” and showed him lots of respect, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. Wolf will go home to work out in Los Angeles and hope for another MLB opportunity to emerge. Here are some links from the NL Central…

  • The Cardinals’ offseason to-do list includes a potential contract extension for Adam Wainwright, left-handed relief and bench help, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes (on Twitter). Wainwright, who turns 31 in eight days, will earn $12MM in 2013, but he’s eligible for free agency after next year.
  • In case you missed it, the Cardinals agreed to a one-year extension with Jake Westbrook yesterday.
  • The Astros have not interviewed longtime MLB catcher Brad Ausmus for their managerial opening, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports (on Twitter). The Astros replaced Brad Mills with Tony DeFrancesco on an interim basis this week.
  • The Cubs parted ways with six scouts today, ESPN.com’s Keith Law reports (on Twitter).
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