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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).

NL Central Notes: Hart, Marcum, Garza, Clemens

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A few notes from the NL Central to pass along …

  • Brewers outfielder/first baseman Corey Hart told Milwaukee he'd like to remain with the team beyond his current contract, which expires after next season, and is willing to play whichever position he is needed at most, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Hart, slated to make $10MM in 2013, also said that if the interest in keeping him in Milwaukee is mutual, potential extension talks would be best reserved for the offseason.
  • Brewers right-hander Shaun Marcum, an impending free agent, is nearing a return from the disabled list and understands that he is auditioning for the 29 other Major League teams, McCalvy writes. He also notes that Marcum and the Brewers have not engaged in extension talks.
  • The Cubs announced that they have transferred right-hander Matt Garza to the 60-day disabled list, and though his DL stint will expire before the end of the regular season, manager Dale Sveum added that Garza's been "shut down," according to Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. Ending the season on the DL won't be good for Garza's trade value, but GM Jed Hoyer has said that the right-hander will be part of the team's 2013 rotation.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said he recently sent scouts to look at Roger Clemens and Scott Kazmir of the independent-league Sugar Land Skeeters, according to the Associated Press. Clemens is rumored to be mulling a return to the Majors.

Quick Hits: Clemens, Giants, White Sox

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MLBTR extends its best wishes to Michael Weiner, who is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. The executive director of the Players Association expects the treatment to last about one month, according to an MLBPA press release. Here are today's links…

  • Roger Clemens told reporters he’s “nowhere near” the shape he’d have to be in to pitch at the MLB level, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports (Twitter link). The seven-time Cy Young Award winner signed a contract with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters and will pitch on Saturday. One rival executive speculated that the Astros could be a fit for Clemens, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The exec pointed out that Clemens has a good relationship with Astros owner Jim Crane.
  • It’s unlikely but not impossible that the Giants will trade for Heath Bell this season, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Bell would have to be placed on waivers for the Giants and Marlins to complete a trade. Approximately $19MM remains on Bell's contract, so it seems likely that he'd clear waivers.
  • GM Kenny Williams built the AL Central-leading White Sox, but he doesn't expect to be named MLB's executive of the year, Toni Ginnetti the Chicago Sun-Times reports. "If you don't win it when you win a World Series, you ain't going to win it,'' Williams said.

Astros Watched Clemens’ Workout

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Earlier today, Roger Clemens signed a contract to pitch for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters. Clemens had a full workout today, during which he hit 87 mph on the radar gun despite now being 50 years of age. The Skeeters weren't the only team in attendance, however. The Houston Chronicle's Zachary Levine reports that Astros scouting director Mike Elias was on-hand for The Rocket's workout as well (Twitter link). Levine and his colleagues David Barron and Jose de Jesus Ortiz offer the following quote from Astros owner Jim Crane:

“We don’t have any plans, we haven’t had any requests. We’d like to check and see where (Major League Baseball) is on the subject matter before we would do anything.”

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds, also via Twitter, that former Astros president and current Skeeters executive Tal Smith wouldn't put an attempted Major League comeback past Clemens. In this video piece for FOX Sports, Rosenthal notes that a 2012 return to the Major Leagues would reset Clemens' Hall of Fame clock. As it is, Clemens is eligible for the ballot following this season; pitching in 2012 would delay that eligibility for another five years.

Luhnow On Mills Firing, Possible Replacements

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Late last night, the Astros fired manager Brad Mills and coaches Bobby Meacham (first base) and Mike Barnett (hitting). This morning, the club announced their replacements, all on an interim basis: manager Tony DeFrancesco, first base coach Dan Radison, and hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo. The "getting to know you" phase shouldn't be difficult for DeFrancesco as seven of the nine players in the Astros' starting linuep today played for him in the minors, tweeted Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Here's the latest out of Houston:

  • The coaching staff had no sense the firings were immenient, instead thinking changes would be made after the season, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter). 
  • General Manager Jeff Luhnow, however, told reporters, including McTaggart, the decision was made a week ago. "Once that decision was made, it made sense to make changes sooner rather than later, not having a lame-duck administration. The mix wasn't working, the chemistry wasn't working."
  • Speculation has already started on Mills' successor. Joe Pettini, Chris Maloney, and Jim Riggleman are viewed as three potential replacements, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Pettini was the Cardinals' bench coach before joining Luhnow in Houston in the same capacity. Maloney is the Cardinals' first base coach. Riggleman, previously the manager of the Cubs, Padres, Mariners and Nationals, is managing the Reds' Double-A team.
  • MLB Network's Peter Gammons tweets seven names that should be on any managerial search list: Brad Ausmus, Dave Righetti, Tim Wallach, Davey Martinez, Joey Cora, Joe McEwing, and Gabe Kapler.

Astros Name Tony DeFrancesco As Interim Manager

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The Astros announced that they have appointed Tony DeFrancesco as their interim manager.  The 49-year-old was the skipper for the club's Triple-A affiliate.  

Dan Radison has been brought aboard as the club's interim first base coach while Ty Van Burkleo will serve as interim hitting coach.  At this morning's presser, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow stated that the search for a permanent staff will begin immediately.

The Astros cleaned house late last night, dismissing manager Brad Mills, hitting coach Mike Barnett, and first base coach Bobby Meacham.  In total, the club went 171-274 with Mills at the helm.

Astros Fire Brad Mills

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The Astros have fired manager Brad Mills, the team announced. Hitting coach Mike Barnett and first base coach Bobby Meacham have also been relieved of their duties. The club will announce interim replacements on Sunday.

Mills, 55, was hired by Houston prior to the 2010 season. They finished fourth in the NL Central that season (76-86) but finished with the worst record in baseball last year (56-106) and are on pace to do it again in 2012 (39-82). Mills was hired by owner Drayton McClane and GM Ed Wade, but Jim Crane has since purchased the team and Jeff Luhnow has replaced Wade. Overall, the team went 171-274 under Mills.

The Astros are in the middle of a drastic overhaul and the beginning of the rebuilding period under Luhnow, who will now bring in his own on-field management people. Last month we heard that Mills will likely to be replaced this coming offseason. He was under contract through the end of the season with a club option for next year.

Giants Notes: Pence, Cabrera, Astros

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The Giants are seeking outfield help following Melky Cabrera's 50-game suspension but in the short-term, they'll look to work with what they have in-house.  More on the situation in San Francisco..

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) notes that the Phillies sent money to the Giants in the Hunter Pence deal.  The Giants still won't have an easy time finding an outfielder, but money shouldn't hinder their pursuit. 
  • As General Manager Brian Sabean insisted yesterday, the Giants' pursuit of Hunter Pence started long before whispers of Cabrera's suspension began circulating, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Schulman notes that the Giants tried to get Pence last July, when Cabrera was still a member of the Royals.
  • However, the price tag for Pence was different this time around, Schulman tweets.  The Astros were seeking Zack Wheeler plus another prospect for Pence and were seeking the same for Michael Bourn.  The Giants acquired Pence from the Phillies for right fielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league reliever Seth Rosin, and minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph.

Astros Acquire Comer To Complete Ten-Player Deal

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The Blue Jays have sent right-handed pitching prospect Kevin Comer to the Astros to the complete last month's ten player trade, the team announced. The original deal included Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Brandon Lyon, and J.A. Happ, among others.

Comer, 20, was the 57th overall pick in the 2011 draft. He's pitched to a 3.95 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 43 1/3 innings in the low levels of Toronto's farm system this year. ESPN's Keith Law says (on Twitter) that Comer's fastball velocity has been down into the upper-80s this season. Baseball America ranked him as the 17th best prospect in the Blue Jays' system in their Prospect Handbook before the season.

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