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Quick Hits: Giants, Tejada, Mets, Hall

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The draft is right around the corner but there's still plenty more going on in the world of baseball..

  • The rise of Emmanuel Burriss combined with the return of Pablo Sandoval could push Miguel Tejada out the door, writes Carl Steward of the Mercury News.  Even though eating Tejada's contract is less than ideal, Giants GM Brian Sabean has often said that he wants the best 25 players active and contributing, regardless of contract.
  • The Mets have released Double-A outfielder Carlos Guzman, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).  Guzman, 25, was let go in order to make room Bubba Bell and Erik Turgeon, who are moving down from Triple-A Buffalo.
  • Mets manager Terry Collins plans to continue using closer Francisco Rodriguez in high-leverage, non-save situations late in games, write Anthony DiComo and Aaron Taube of MLB.com. The Mets have used K-Rod liberally despite his looming 2012 option for $17.5MM, which vests if he finishes 55 games this year.
  • Astros GM Ed Wade checked with both Drayton McLane and new owner Jim Crane before releasing Bill Hall, tweets Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle.  Wade called the move "a big economic hit before [Crane] even takes control of the club."

Astros Release Bill Hall

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The Astros announced that they intend to give Bill Hall his unconditional release. They asked for release waivers on Hall and activated infielder Jason Bourgeois from the 15-day disabled list in a related move.

The transaction will take effect Monday and if no team claims Hall by Wednesday, he’ll become a free agent and will be able to sign with any team. Last offseason, Hall signed a one-year, $3MM deal that included a $4MM mutual option ($250K buyout) for 2012. The 31-year-old posted a .224/.272/.240 line in 158 plate appearances as Houston's second baseman this year.

Minor Deals: Brazoban, Reds, Rangers, Astros, Phillies

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Once in a while, a minor move becomes more than just a footnote.  For example, about six years ago the Rangers released outfielder Andres Torres, who found his way back to the Majors in '09 after several more stops and put up some big numbers for the Giants.  Today's minor deals:

  • Yhency Brazoban signed with the Diamondbacks after exercising his out clause with the Rangers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The 30-year-old former Dodger posted a 3.42 ERA, 10.6 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, and 1.7 HR/9 in 26 1/3 innings for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate. 
  • The Reds acquired righty Chris Mobley from the Rangers for future considerations, writes Baseball America's Matt Eddy.  The 27-year-old reliever has a 4.61 ERA in 27 1/3 innings across Double and Triple-A this year.
  • The Astros signed righty Brad Hennessey, reports Eddy.  The 31-year-old, who was drafted by the Giants in '01 17 spots before David Wright, has a 4.69 ERA in 360 2/3 career innings.  He last pitched in the Majors in '08.
  • The Giants released outfielder Terry Evans, notes Eddy.  Evans quickly signed with the Phillies, tweeted Reading Royals beat writer Jason Guarente yesterday.  Back in July of '06, the Cardinals sent Evans to the Angels for eventual World Series hero Jeff Weaver, plus cash.
  • Eddy reports that the Mariners signed lefty Tony Butler, one of the players they sent to the Orioles for Erik Bedard back in February of '08.
  • The Blue Jays released righty Chris Malone, writes Eddy.  Malone was the player the Jays acquired from Colorado for Brad Emaus in April, and they only needed eight innings to decide they didn't need him.  Emaus, meanwhile, is hitting .355/.419/.645 in 87 plate appearances for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate, playing mostly second base.
  • Andrew Miller has a June 15th out clause in his contract with the Red Sox, so Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox will consider calling him up to replace Rich Hill, especially given Miller’s recent success (Twitter link).  Brian McPherson of The Providence Journal talked to Miller, who isn't thinking about his opt-out.

Draft Notes: Stilson, Rays, Astros, Nationals, Bundy

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This year’s draft is deep, particularly in terms of power pitchers. Here are the details on some draft-eligible players and the teams that are eyeing them…

  • Texas A&M righty Josh Stilson received a second opinion on his injured shoulder from Dr. James Andrews, who believes surgery can be avoided with a six-week rehab program according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. Stilson, a projected first round pick, suffered a SLAP tear in his throwing shoulder and will miss the rest of the season.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick wrote about Rocco Baldelli's front office job with the Rays, which involves evaluating amateur position players for the draft.
  • Astros assistant GM and scouting director Bobby Heck told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he has been impressed with the crop of power arms in this year's draft.
  • Odds are the Astros will take a pitcher with the 11th overall pick, according to Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner (Twitter links). High school pitcher Archie Bradley told Goff that "the Astros have been in pretty good contact" with him.
  • High school right-hander Dylan Bundy is a fitness freak who is mature beyond his years, as Nick Piecoro shows at the Arizona Republic. Bundy's pre-season goals? "To hit 100 mph, have a zero ERA and not walk anybody." His fastball touched 100 and he posted a 0.25 ERA with a 158K/5BB ratio.
  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson hears that the Nationals, who select sixth overall, are looking at Bundy, Danny Hultzen, Bubba Starling, Jed Bradley, Trevor Bauer and Alex Meyer.
  • The Royals entered the season with the best farm system in the game, yet GM Dayton Moore told MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that there are many areas in which the organization's prospect depth can improve.
  • The Rays have 12 of the first 89 selections this year and executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says those selections boost the team's odds of finding elite talent. "The more arrows you have, the more likely you are to hit the bulls-eye," Friedman told Bill Chastain of MLB.com.
  • The Padres, who have five of the first 58 picks in the draft, are looking forward to their selections with equal enthusiasm, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. GM Jed Hoyer says the Padres need to get their picks right.
  • The Red Sox, Hoyer's former team, also have extra picks, something that GM Theo Epstein is looking forward to. “I think it energizes the scouting staff the whole year because they know going in and seeing players, there’s a much better chance you can actually get a guy," he told Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com.
  • The Twins will look to add pitching early on, according to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger.
  • Mets executives Paul DePodesta and Sandy Alderson agree with the consensus that the draft is deep in pitching, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

NL Central Notes: Lyles, Reyes, Doumit

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Here's the latest from around the NL Central, with an emphasis Jordan Lyles. The Astros' right-hander debuted against the Cubs tonight and pitched seven-plus innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks….

  • Astros manager Brad Mills pointed out that Lyles could be with Houston for two starts or 20 years, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Lyles' debut may be the most anticipated in Astros history since Hunter Pence's 2007 debut, according to McTaggart.
  • Lyles' promotion represents a victory for assistant GM and amateur scouting director Bobby Heck, according to Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner. 
  • I examined the service time implications for Lyles earlier tonight.
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he hasn’t had talks with the Mets. That means speculation linking the Reds to Jose Reyes is unfounded at this point (though the Reds could have had internal discussions about the shortstop). 
  • Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit has fractured his left ankle and will miss at least a month, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter). Doumit, a potential trade target, would have a few weeks to re-establish his value before the trade deadline if he makes a speedy return. But his $5.1MM salary could clear waivers, which would enable the Pirates to deal him in August.

The Implications Of Jordan Lyles’ Debut

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In less than an hour, Jordan Lyles will make his much-anticipated MLB debut. Ten starts into the Triple-A season, the right-hander has a 3.20 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9, impressive stats, especially for a 20-year-old.

Those aren't the only relevant numbers for Lyles and his team. The Astros appear to have significantly reduced the chances that Lyles will become a super two after 2013 and go through the potentially lucrative salary arbitration process an extra time. 

Even if Lyles never sees the minor leagues again, he’ll have two years and 121 days of service time after 2013. That doesn’t figure to be enough for super two status – last year’s cutoff was unusually low at two years and 122 days – so Lyles is only on track for three arbitration years.

But it’s too early to know how much service time will be required for super two status three offseasons for now, because the cutoff date changes most years. And since baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires after 2011, there’s no guarantee that the super two will exist a few years from now (though coming up with alternative that satisfies baseball’s owners and the players’ association will not be easy).

There’s a good chance that the Astros will have to option Lyles to the minors at some point – few 20-year-olds make the big leagues and even fewer thrive instantly at the highest level. If Lyles does return to the minors, the projections could change dramatically, as they did for Brett Cecil, Jenrry Mejia and legions of other pitching prospects who were demoted after debuting in the big leagues.

Everything from the super two cutoff to the CBA to Lyles’ development is subject to change, but here’s what we know: if the rules stay the same, the cutoff falls where we expect it to and Lyles stays in the big leagues from here on, the Astros will have avoided super two status for the young righty and saved themselves millions in the process. That may not be Houston's intention – there's much more to player development than waiting until Memorial Day then calling up your top players – but at the very least it's a pleasant coincidence. 

Nats Looking For Center Fielder; Asked About Bourn

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The Nationals are looking to acquire a center fielder and a leadoff hitter, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The club is willing to overpay in a trade, according to Ladson, who suggests they could look for a center fielder or leadoff hitter if they trade Ivan Rodriguez or Todd Coffey. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post hears that the Nats inquired about Michael Bourn, though talks didn't develop (Twitter link).

Roger Bernadina has been playing center field regularly for Washington, but some members of the Nationals' organization believe he belongs in a corner outfield spot. The 26-year-old has played all three outfield positions this year and has a .247/.307/.333 line with one home run.

Nationals leadoff hitters have combined for a .195/.250/.296 line. They're 13 of 13 in stolen base attempts, but have just 13 walks against 51 stirkeouts and rank last among MLB leadoff hitters in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS.

Yankees Notes: Trade Calls, Myers, Scouts

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The Yankees cut ties with Randy Winn on this date last year. The outfielder hit just .213/.300/.295 in 71 plate appearances, seemingly getting exposed when an injury to Curtis Granderson forced him into regular duty. Here are some notes from the Big Apple…

  • GM Brian Cashman told George A. King III of The New York Post that he isn't getting any calls about trades just yet. "I am not getting calls," said Cashman. "We have the farm system and money, but no calls … The headache stuff is available. The quality stuff is not available."
  • Within the article, King notes that the team could look for upgrades at DH, in right field, and for the pitching staff. He says the Astros "will listen" to offers for Brett Myers, but the Yankees "don't have a match." King speculates that Carlos Beltran, Michael Cuddyer, and Vladimir Guerrero could be potential trade targets.
  • Dan Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal wrote about the club's pro scouting department, which helped unearth Bartolo Colon and others this offseason. "It's easy to recommend a guy when the numbers are there," said scout Tim Naehring. "The most difficult thing is feeling confident and putting in a report when the production isn't there. The biggest challenge is sticking your neck out and saying,'I know there's more in there. I know there's better performance coming.'"

Quick Hits: McCourt, Abreu, Sizemore, Purcey

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A night after striking out four times in four plate appearances, Adam Dunn walked in all four of his plate appearances in Friday's 4-2 loss to Toronto.  If we're sticking to a pattern of Dunn's "three true outcomes," then theoretically, Dunn should hit four home runs against the Blue Jays tomorrow.  Set your fantasy lineups accordingly!

Some news from around the majors as we go into the weekend…

  • Frank McCourt will be able to meet the Dodgers' May 31 payroll, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  One of Shaikin's sources says McCourt is still looking to secure the funds to meet the next payroll deadline on June 15.  If McCourt fails to meet payroll, Major League Baseball will seize control of the team from the embattled owner and cover the payroll itself.
  • With Bobby Abreu on pace to easily reach 433 plate appearances and cause his $9MM option for 2012 to vest, the Angels will owe $48MM in 2012 to Abreu, Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter.  Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com thinks allowing Abreu's option to vest "would be just another poor long-term decision for a GM [Tony Reagins] that seems to be specializing in them," and wonders why the Halos would tie so much money up in the outfield when their top prospect (Mike Trout) is an outfielder and Peter Bourjos is in the picture.
  • In his analysis of today's Scott Sizemore-for-David Purcey trade, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports notes that the Tigers first contacted the Athletics about Purcey on the very day that Oakland acquired the left-hander from the Blue Jays.  The deal was a natural match since "the A’s long have had interest in Sizemore," and plan to convert him to a third baseman.
  • Matthew Eddy of Baseball America wraps up the week's minor league transactions.
  • Joe Girardi said he could move Nick Swisher into a platoon with Chris Dickerson if Swisher doesn't pick up his hitting from the left side of the plate, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com.  Swisher still has four months to get on track, but right now it looks like there's no chance the Yankees will pick up his $10.25MM option for 2012.
  • Ryan Drese was granted his release by the Orioles earlier today, and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports the veteran righty is expected to sign a minor league deal with the Astros.

Astros Release Joe Inglett

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The Astros have released utility infielder Joe Inglett, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (via Twitter).  Houston acquired Inglett from Tampa Bay in March, and designated him for assignment at the end of April.  Inglett hit .222/.222/.259 in 27 plate appearances for the Astros this year and had just two hits in 37 plate appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Inglett, who turns 33 next month, has a career .734 OPS in six Major League seasons with the Indians, Blue Jays, Brewers and Astros.  He has played everywhere but catcher and first base during his career, even pitching a perfect inning of relief for Milwaukee last year.  All but 92 of Inglett's 898 career plate appearances have been against right-handed pitching, so between Inglett's decent left-handed bat and his versatility, he's a good bet to be signed by a club in need of bench depth.

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