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Braves Claim Elliot Johnson

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The Braves have claimed infielder Elliot Johnson off release waivers from the Royals, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). The Royals had requested release waivers on Monday after designating Johnson for assignment last week.

Johnson, 29, batted .179/.218/.241 in 173 plate appearances for the Royals this season after coming over as the player to be named later in the James Shields–Wil Myers blockbuster. He's a career .212/.267/.313 hitter in 704 plate appearances who is a defensive standout at second base but below average at shortstop, according to Ultimate Zone Rating. The Braves have been said to be looking for extra offense at second base with Dan Uggla and Tyler Pastornicky on the shelf, but the addition of Johnson suggests they're content to make a significant defensive upgrade for the time being.

Quick Hits: Moreno, Pujols, Tejada, Benoit

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Angels owner Arte Moreno is already in the process of evaluating the 2013 season and how to get the team back on track in 2014, as he explained in an interview with Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com.  Moreno said that the jobs of manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Jerry Dipoto would be evaluated as part of an organization-wide review that includes himself — "I have to look in the mirror and say, 'Am I making the right call?'" Moreno said.  The owner also discussed roster moves that backfired, stadium talks with the city of Anaheim, how the Dodgers' success impacts the Angels and several other topics.

Here are more items as we wrap up a busy Monday in baseball…

  • Albert Pujols will be shut down for the rest of the season, the Angels confirmed today.  The slugger suffered a partial tear of the plantar facia of his left foot and hasn't played since July 26.  Pujols was bothered by foot injuries for much of the year and hit .258/.330/.437 with 17 homers in 443 PA, the worst season of his 13-year career.
  • Miguel Tejada was also facing a suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal before accepting his 105-game suspension for amphetamine use, ESPN's Pedro Gomez reports.  Major League Baseball gave Tejada the choice of accepting his 105-game ban or facing further punishment for his Biogenesis ties.  Gomez notes that Tejada "insists he does not plan to retire" though given Tejada's suspension, age (39) and decline in production, it's tough to see a team signing him this winter.  After not playing in the majors in 2012, Tejada hit .288/.317/.378 over 167 PA in a reserve role with the Royals this year.
  • Joaquin Benoit in a much better contractual position as he approaches free agency this winter than he was in the 2009-10 offseason.  MLB.com's Zack Meisel talks to Benoit about how he considered retirement due to shoulder injuries that caused him to miss the entire 2009 season, but rebounded to become one of the game's better relievers and now the Tigers closer.
  • Scott Boras and Jay Z have a fundamental disagreement about the role of an agent, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal explains.  "It is at once a clash of egos and ideas. At issue: To what extent are established agents like Boras missing out on marketing and endorsement opportunities for their clients? And to what extent should a baseball player even care?" Costa writes.  Robinson Cano, the top free agent of the coming offseason, made waves when he left Boras in April and hired CAA and Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports to handle his representation.

Royals Release Elliot Johnson

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MONDAY: Johnson has been placed on unconditional release waivers, the Royals announced on Twitter.

THURSDAY: The Royals have created roster space for the recently acquired Emilio Bonifacio by designating infielder Elliot Johnson for assignment, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Johnson came over from the Rays this offseason as part of the James Shields–Wil Myers blockbuster.

The 29-year-old Johnson batted .179/.218/.241 in 173 plate appearances for the Royals this season — a steep decline from last season's .242/.304/.350 in 331 plate appearances. While Johnson offered little with the bat this season, he did provide some value on defense and on the basepaths. Both UZR/150 (+15.9) and The Fielding Bible (nine runs above average) loved his work at second base at second base this season, and he went 14-for-14 in stolen base attempts

Johnson also has experience at shortstop and third base, and he's even appeared briefly in all three outfield spots throughout his career. He's a career .212/.267/.313 in 704 plate appearances — all coming with the Rays and Royals.

Rosenthal On Freese, Cardinals, Reynolds, Dodgers

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has lots of good stuff in this weekend's edition of Full Count.  Here's a look at some of the highlights..

  • The Cardinals' promotion of Kolten Wong could be the first step towards the club trading David Freese.  Obviously, Freese isn't having a good year, but the free agent market at third base this offseason will be very thin this season and will be headlined by veterans such as Juan Uribe and Michael Young.  Freese is under club control through 2015 and while he's not an All-Star, it's easy to see teams making a play for him.
  • Mark Reynolds had interest from a number of clubs but he signed with the Yankees because they offered him the best opportunity of any interested club.  The Orioles thought about a reunion, but he only would have DH'd against left-handed pitching.  The Royals also thought about Reynolds, but they expect Mike Moustakas to come back soon from his calf injury and the Rangers checked in but didn't have an immediate major league opening.  
  • The Dodgers will be the x-factor in Robinson Cano's free agency and they could be spurred by their recent success to make a play for him.  The Dodgers have been indicating that they won't spend like crazy forever and could dedicate their resources to new deals for Clayton Kershaw and Hanley Ramirez.  However, they could also move one of their surplus outfielders and find the spare cash for the second baseman.

AL Central Notes: Tejada, Abreu, Indians, Gardenhire

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Earlier this afternoon, Royals infielder Miguel Tejada was suspended for 105 games after a pair of positive tests for Adderall. Tejada will serve his suspension for the rest of this season and is expected to retire rather than sign with a team and serve the remainder of the punishment in 2014. He issued the following statement:

“I apologize to my teammates, the Royals organization and to the Kansas City fans. I have a medical condition that requires medication to treat. I took that medication while re-applying for a Therapeutic Use Exemption. Under the requirements of the Joint Drug Program, I made a mistake in doing so.”

Here's more out of the AL Central…

  • The White Sox will attend Cuban first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu's showcase next month, writes Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. Executive vice president Kenny Williams told Hayes that the Sox need to see more of Abreu before making a decision, but spending money is something the team isn't afraid to do. Paul Konerko is a free agent at season's end, and Adam Dunn will be off the books following 2014.
  • In his latest Q&A with readers, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that while Alex Rios would've been a good fit with the Indians, the financial commitment to him was too much for the Tribe. Hoynes also tackles questions on acquiring a middle-of-the-order bat and Asdrubal Cabrera's struggles and trade value.
  • Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he's not worrying about his own future following the dismissal of Phillies manager Charlie Manuel yesterday: "In all honesty, this is my 12th year (managing the Twins). It doesn't get much better than that. Managers just don't stay in places like that. I feel like I've been blessed. I'm lucky. I'm not going to sit here, if this is my last year, and mope, believe me. If it is my last year in Minnesota, I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it." Prior to Manuel's firing, he, Gardenhire and Mike Scioscia of the Angels were baseball's longest-tenured managers.

Miguel Tejada To Be Suspended For 105 Games

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1:25pm: Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that Tejada did file an appeal, but he ultimately lost and will serve the entirety of the 105-game ban.

12:56pm: Royals infielder Miguel Tejada will be suspended for 105 games by MLB for the use of the banned amphetamine Adderall, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports. Passan explains that, as Tejada had already tested positive in the past, two more recent positive tests provided the basis for the suspension, which is the third-longest in MLB history. (The second positive test resulted in a 25-game ban, with the third adding an additional 80 games.)

Tejada has elected not to appeal the suspension. Already on the 60-day DL, his suspension will nevertheless be applied over this season's 41 remaining games. Passan says that the 39-year-old former MVP is expected to retire rather than sit out the 64 additional games at the beginning of next year.

After failing to make a big-league appearance in 2012, Tejada signed a minor league deal with the Royals this past off-season. Appearing primarily at second and third, Tejada had posted a reasonably productive .288/.317/.378 line over 167 plate appearances for the Royals this season.

Minor Moves: Nakajima, Robinson, Hayes

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Today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Athletics have outrighted Hiroyuki Nakajima off their 40-man roster, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.  Nakajima will remain with Triple-A Sacramento, where he has spent the entire season.  The Japanese infielder signed a two-year, $6.5MM deal with Oakland in December and posted a .282/.336/.368 line in 324 minor league plate appearances.
  • The Padres purchased the contract of catcher Chris Robinson from Triple-A Tucson, the team announced.  In corresponding moves, Nick Hundley was put on the paternity list and Jason Marquis was transferred to the 60-day DL.  Robinson, 29, was dealt from Baltimore to San Diego in June.  The London, Ontario native was a third-round pick of the Tigers in the 2005 draft and has a .275/.320/.355 line in 2326 PA over nine minor league seasons.
  • The Royals have outrighted catcher Brett Hayes to Triple-A Omaha, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Hayes, 29, was designated for assignment after appearing in just three big league games for Kansas City this season. He's batted .231/.280/.441 in 68 Triple-A contests and is a career .219/.366/.364 hitter in 146 games at the Major League level — all of which came with the Marlins prior to his brief stint with the Royals.
  • With Hayes having been outrighted, just two players are currently in DFA limbo: Ryan Roberts of the Rays and Elliot Johnson of the Royals. Both were designated for assignment yesterday.

AL East Links: A-Rod, Jeter, Ellsbury, Myers, Jones

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According to a "60 Minutes" report, members of Alex Rodriguez's inner circle obtained unredacted Biogenesis documents in February and leaked the names of Ryan Braun, Francisco Cervelli and Danny Valencia (who was later cleared) to Yahoo Sports.  Michael Radutzky of CBS News writes.  Rodriguez talked to the media (including Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York) today and denied leaking the names of any fellow player, particularly his Yankee teammate Cervelli.  The third baseman also warned that more details in the case would be made public in the coming days: 

"You know, I've been a member of this union for 20 years, and it is important for all the guys to understand that my loyalty is to this union and it would never happen, it would never occur and it didn't happen. Let's make one thing clear: For the next seven weeks, it is going to be a very bumpy road. Every day expect a story like this, if not bigger."

Here are some more items from around the AL East…

  • Given the uncertainty of Rodriguez's situation and Derek Jeter's health, the Yankees will need to explore alternatives at third base and shortstop this winter, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.  Under Sherman's scenario, Jeter would play half his games at shortstop and the rest at first base or as the Yankees' primary DH against right-handers.
  • As least 12 teams project to be suitors for Jacoby Ellsbury this winter, Fangraphs' Paul Swydan writes.  The Red Sox are one of those teams, as "GM Ben Cherington isn’t letting Ellsbury go without a fight," though Swydan notes that the Sox could be in a position crunch in left field (with Jackie Bradley, Daniel Nava and Jonny Gomes) if they re-sign both Ellsbury and Mike Napoli.
  • The Rays still look like the winners of the Wil Myers/James Shields trade, despite the Royals' recent hot streak, Grantland's Rany Jazayerli opines.
  • The hiring of Buck Showalter was the key move that turned the Orioles from also-rans into contenders, outfielder Adam Jones writes in a guest piece for Buster Olney's column (ESPN Insider subscription required).

Royals Acquire Emilio Bonifacio

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2:24pm: Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, that the Royals claimed Bonifacio off waivers and a trade came together quickly this morning. The trade will be completed by mid-September, and it sounds like the Jays will receive cash (Twitter links).

12:07pm: The Royals announced that they have acquired Emilio Bonifacio from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.  Bonifacio's name popped up in trade talk in late July but he wasn't moved prior to the non-waiver deadline.

Bonifacio, 28, came to Toronto in the offseason blockbuster with the Marlins.  The versatile veteran hasn't performed well north of the border, however, hitting just .218/.258/.321 on the year with three homers.  While Bonifacio has never been known for his bat, his .271/.332/.345 slash line in four years with the Marlins was considerably better than what he's done in 2013.

Bonifacio is earning $2.6MM as a second-year arbitration eligible player and KC will be on the hook for the prorated portion of his salary which comes out to about $654K.  The Wasserman Media Group client has one more year of arbitration eligibility ahead of him and can hit the open market following the 2014 campaign.

The switch-hitter has spent significant time at the three outfield posiions, second base, third base, and shortstop.  The deal brings Bonifacio to the same organization as his younger brother, Jorge, who is an outfielder at Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Jake Fox, Francisley Bueno

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Here are Sunday’s minor moves from around MLB:

  • The Diamondbacks have signed 1B/OF/C Jake Fox, Fox writes on Facebook. Fox has been assigned to Triple-A Reno. He had been playing for the independent Somerset Patriots, for whom hit .310/.387/.572 in 2013, with 25 home runs in 374 at bats. Fox played in the Pirates and Phillies systems in 2012, and last appeared in the Majors with the Orioles in 2011.
  • The Royals have announced, via Twitter, they have optioned left-hander Francisley Bueno to Triple-A Omaha. The 32-year-old was designated for assignment yesterday less than 24 hours after making his season debut with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief against the Red Sox. Bueno has excelled at Triple-A this year posting a 2.93 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 31 games (one start) covering 58 1/3 innings.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

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