Astros Rumors

Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Brewers, Mariners, Oswalt

By Mike Axisa | June 13, 2010 at 11:14am CDT

In today's notes column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox would move closer Jonathan Papelbon after the season to open up the closer's role for Daniel Bard. He speculates that the Brewers, Twins, Rays, Braves, and Phillies could be in the market for a closer this winter. Papelbon is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season.

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

Scott Boras said he undervalued Stephen Strasburg last year, even though he eventually signed the largest contract in draft history. Boras added that being around San Diego State coach Tony Gwynn helped Strasburg become prepared for what lied ahead.
Cafardo says that New England isn't a high priority area for scouts before the draft because by time they can get out to see the players in the region, it's too late in the game for a cross-checker to confirm anything.
Cafardo predicts that Jacoby Ellsbury will be traded this offseason. He'll arbitration eligible for the first time after 2010, though he's been battling rib issues basically all season.
He also remarks that the Red Sox would have to play Mike Lowell if they want to showcase him for a trade. Lowell has received just 50 plate appearances since the end of April.
Kevin Millwood should become major trade bait as the deadline approaches because he's pitched well and is in the final year of his contract.
The Brewers would love to make Randy Wolf available, but no one would take him on with more than two years and $24MM left on his deal. Meanwhile, Milwaukee still isn't sure if they'll try to improve their catching situation or become sellers and look towards next season.
The feeling is that once Seattle trades Cliff Lee, pretty much everyone on their roster not named Ichiro and Felix Hernandez will be available as well.
Diamondbacks' CEO Derrick Hall isn't happy with his team's performance and has talked about re-evaluating his management staff. They could be major players at the deadline, with Justin Upton representing the only untouchable.
Cafardo says that the feeling among big league executives is that the Dodgers will not give up the prospects necessary to acquire Roy Oswalt, but they would be okay taking on the money.
Adam Dunn would be a perfect fit for the Red Sox if they let David Ortiz go after the season, assuming the Nationals don't re-sign him.

Astros Sign Brad Thompson

By Mike Axisa | June 13, 2010 at 8:58am CDT

The Astros have signed righthander Brad Thompson to a minor league deal according to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League transactions. Thompson elected to become a free agent last week after the Royals designated him for assignment.

The 28-year-old posted a 6.41 ERA in 19.2 innings for Kansas City this year, though his strikeout rate was an unimpressive 4.6 K/9. Thompson spent the first five years of his career with the Cardinals, throwing 385.2 innings with a respectable 4.36 ERA.

Odds & Ends: Lee, Rockies, Orioles, Matthews

By Zachary Links | June 12, 2010 at 10:57pm CDT

Some links for Saturday night as we take in some night games..

Yankees special assistant and former Padres GM Kevin Towers was at Petco Park tonight with Cliff Lee pitching, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com. However, Brock points out that Towers still lives in San Diego.
The Rockies have agreed to terms with 11 draft picks, according to Steve Foster of Inside The Rockies. Three of their top ten selections are now in the fold as well as 22nd round pick Mark Tracy, son of manager Jim Tracy.
Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter) wonders aloud if Bobby Valentine will want to manage the O's if he's watching them play.
A major league source told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that the Angels and Red Sox agreed to swap Mike Lowell for Gary Matthews Jr. last December. However, the Angels changed their minds over concerns about Lowell's thumb.
After a breakout season in 2009, Wandy Rodriguez is struggling mightily in 2010, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. McTaggart writes that if Rodriguez is unable to rebound, the Astros may have to consider his future with the club after this season.
O's GM Andy MacPhail says that the club may not finish its managerial search before the end of this season, writes Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore has interviewed Bobby Valentine and ex-Indians skipper Eric Wedge thus far.
Brandon Webb could be valuable trade bait for the D'Backs if he returns healthy, writes USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Odds & Ends: Nava, Yankees, Astros, Lowell, Giants

By Luke Adams 2 | June 12, 2010 at 5:36pm CDT

Links for Saturday….

The Red Sox initially bought the rights to Daniel Nava for what Randolph and Mortimer Duke would refer to as the "usual amount", writes Alex Speier of WEEI. Earlier at Fenway, Nava hit a grand slam on his very first major league pitch.
Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star provides us with a breakdown of the Royals' performance thus far under Ned Yost.
Bryan Smith of Fangraphs examined the top hurlers in the 2011 MLB Draft.
Look for the Yankees to have smooth negotiations with first round pick Cito Culver, tweets Jack Curry of the YES Network. The Yanks can't officially sign the 32nd overall selection until he graduates on June 20th.
The Astros signed three more draft picks today, per a team release. They've now signed 19 of their selections, including 11 of the 22 players they drafted in the first 20 rounds.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider-only link) says there's "no bubbling, hot market right now for Mike Lowell." The teams who are interested in Lowell are hoping the Red Sox will give him away and eat his salary.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe argues that Lowell still has value. Raul Ibanez, a friend of Lowell's, agrees that the 36-year-old's bat has some pop left, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks the Giants are just one slugger away from World Series contention.
Addressing his team's bullpen struggles, Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said he hoped the organization's current players could turn things around, but didn't rule out a trade. Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald has the details.
Fanhouse's John Hickey says that Mike Hargrove would be interested in managing the Orioles, though it's not known if that interest is mutual.
The Dodgers signed four of their draft picks, including fifth-rounder Jacob Lemmerman, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick and Evan Drellich.
In a video for FOX Sports, Jim Bowden gives his opinion on the winners and losers of the draft. He names the Nationals, Red Sox, Rays, and Blue Jays as clubs that made out well.
Jeff Zimmerman at Beyond the Box Score takes a look at which teams are paying the most money to players no longer on their rosters.

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Saturday

By Luke Adams 2 | June 12, 2010 at 10:25am CDT

Even though there are reportedly no current trade talks involving Roy Oswalt, rumors continue to swirl around the Astros' ace. According to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, the Astros could be struggling to find a market for the right-hander because they're saying any club that deals for Oswalt would have to assume the entire remainder of his contract.

Oswalt is still owed approximately $9.3MM this year, along with $16MM in 2011 and a $2MM buyout for his 2012 option. Hernandez also points out that because of Oswalt's no-trade clause, the 32-year-old could demand that the $16MM option be picked up before allowing a trade. In that case, any team acquiring Oswalt would be on the hook for over $40MM. Needless to say, as Hernandez reports, this rules the cash-strapped Dodgers out for now.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports writes that Oswalt says he's willing to pitch anywhere where he could contend, including an American League club.

"Location doesn't matter. It's only for a year and a half," said Oswalt. "Actually, I'd be excited to pitch over here [in the American League]. Everybody keeps bragging that it's better."

As Zachary Levine and Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle point out, the Yankees fit Oswalt's criteria perfectly. We've heard lately that the Yankees haven't started looking at potential trade targets, though that could change in the next month and a half.

Astros Agree To Deal With Mike Foltynewicz

By Mike Axisa | June 11, 2010 at 8:12pm CDT

The Astros have reached an agreement with first round pick Mike Foltynewicz on a deal that includes a $1.3MM signing bonus, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

The 19-year-old Foltynewicz was the 19th overall pick in Monday's draft after posting a 0.38 ERA with 128 strikeouts in 72.2 innings for Minooka Community High School near Chicago this spring. MLB.com's scouting report says the 6-foot-4, 190 lb. righty can run his fastball up to 96 mph with a sinking changeup and a slurvy breaking ball.

Houston can now focus on signing Delino DeShields Jr. and Michael Kvasnicka, their other two first round picks. Both have indicated that they expect to sign.

Odds & Ends: Strasburg, LaPorta, Lee, Padres

By Mark Polishuk | June 10, 2010 at 9:04pm CDT

Some items from around the majors on Thursday…

Minnesota has signed two draft picks, the highest of which is ninth-rounder Kyle Knudson, reports MLB.com's Kelly Thesier.
Washington GM Mike Rizzo says that there are no written or handshake agreements with Scott Boras about how many innings Stephen Strasburg will pitch this season, reports MASN's Ben Goessling.
Matt LaPorta, who hit three homers for Triple-A Columbus last night, won't be called back to the majors until the Indians can guarantee him regular playing time, reports Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. This may not happen until Russell Branyan or Austin Kearns is traded.
If Derrek Lee is on the market, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News suggests that the Giants should try to acquire the slugging first baseman. Baggarly mentions the rumors connecting Lee to the Angels, but thinks Lee might prefer to stay in the NL and play in his native Northern California.
MLB.com's Corey Brock says (via Twitter) that in regards to any Padres trades for batting help, "there's nothing imminent in the works" at the moment.
Texas has a "serious interest" in A.J. Pierzynski, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com, but are hamstrung by their financial issues.
The Royals have signed seven of their draft picks, according to a team press release. The highest of these picks is right-hander Eric Cantrell, taken in the seventh round.
Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune reports that the White Sox have signed third-round compensation pick Thomas Royse, a right-handed starter from of the University of Louisville.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com tweets a scout's take on Seattle's possible trading stance: "Jack Z [Zduriencik] likes draft picks, so if the (trade) offers aren't great, they may not move."
Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com looks at how Houston's unwillingness to pay their draft picks has been a factor in the organization's barren minor league system.
Tommy Rancel of DRaysBay.com thinks it's too early for Rays fans to panic about Wade Davis.

Minor League Transactions

By Mark Polishuk | June 10, 2010 at 6:18pm CDT

Here are a few of the noteworthy names involved in this week's minor league transactions, as compiled by Baseball America's Matt Eddy…

Fernando Cortez was signed to his second go-around with the White Sox organization. The utilityman last played in the majors in 2007 as a member of the Royals, and has a .665 OPS in 3948 career plate appearances in the minor leagues.
The White Sox also released Justin Fuller, best known as the minor-leaguer acquired last summer from Los Angeles in the Jim Thome trade.
John Koronka was released by the Dodgers. The veteran southpaw made two starts for Florida in 2009 before signing with L.A. in January.
Jason Lane was released by the Marlins. Best known for his time with Houston from 2002 to 2007, Lane's finest year came in 2005 when he hit 26 homers and posted an .815 OPS in 561 plate appearances for the Astros. He last appeared in the majors in 2007 with San Diego.
Texas dealt right-hander Jailen Peguero to the Astros for future considerations. Peguero posted a 7.50 ERA in 25 relief appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2007-08.
Cleveland released Josh Phelps just a few weeks after signing him to a minor-league deal.
The Mariners signed pitcher Billy Traber. The left-hander has a 5.65 ERA in 96 career major league appearances, 28 of them starts. He appeared in one game last season, allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings of mop-up duty for Boston.

No Oswalt Trade Talks Underway

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 10, 2010 at 5:01pm CDT

It shouldn't be long before teams start making deals, but one of the summer's most intriguing trade candidates isn't going anywhere for now. There are no trade talks in the works involving Roy Oswalt, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).

Last week, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported increasing pessimism that the Astros will be able to obtain salary relief and prospects for Oswalt. To complicate matters, Oswalt has a no-trade clause, so he would have to accept a deal, even if a team is willing to take on the $27.4MM remaining on his deal. Oswalt has said he'd go "anywhere" he can contend, but the Astros don't appear close to dealing him.

Odds & Ends: Santana, Morales, Rangers, Mariners

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 10, 2010 at 4:49pm CDT

Links for Thursday, as Omar Vizquel goes deep for the first time this year…

Cleveland manager Manny Acta said Carlos Santana could join the Tribe before the All-Star break, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The club wanted Santana to work on his game-calling and throwing before bringing him up to the majors, but Acta says the young catching prospect is progressing defensively.
Kendry Morales will indeed miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery, according to Mark DiGiovanna of the LA Times. There had been some hope that Morales could return in 2010.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin explained to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that developing pitchers takes years. The former Rangers GM pointed to C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis, two strong starters who were drafted about ten years ago under Melvin.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times takes an in-depth look at what GM Jack Zduriencik has done with the Mariners.
The Astros signed nine draft picks, including fourth rounder Robert Doran, according to a team press release. Doran is a 6'6" college right-hander.
Ben Goessling of MASN.com says Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham are players the Nationals could someday win with, not players they should look to move.
As Pat Andriola of FanGraphs shows, the Marlins have made some fantastic low-key acquisitions in recent years.
Josh Beckett told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he hasn’t thought about the way his recent back injury may have affected his free agent value had he not signed a four-year extension this spring.
Former Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey would like to manage the team, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Dempsey, a MASN broadcaster who happens to be Gregg Zaun's uncle, has been a candidate to manage the O's three times before.
Canadian catcher Kellin Deglan, who agreed to a deal with the Rangers, would have liked to play for the Blue Jays, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
Jake Peavy told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Padres' decision to fire former GM Kevin Towers was an "absolute joke."
Mike Lowell told Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe that he has though about how he would fit in Anaheim. Lowell also realizes he could be in line for a minor league deal after this season and that possibility does not appeal to him.

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