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Alex Rios’ No-Trade List

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The seven-year, $69.835MM extension that Alex Rios signed with the Blue Jays back in 2008 didn't initially contain no-trade protection, but a limited no-trade clause allowing Rios to block trades to six teams kicked in starting in 2009. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports that the six teams to which Rios can block a trade are the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Royals, Astros and Athletics.

The Rockies, Diamondbacks and A's are likely set on outfielders, and the Astros certainly aren't looking to buy at this time. However, the no-trade protection against the Yankees and (to a lesser extent) the Royals is significant, as both teams would make sense as suitors for Rios.

The struggling Yankees scored fewer runs than any team in baseball last month (88) and have a dearth of right-handed power. Offense is said to be New York's primary need in trades. The Royals opened the season with Jeff Francoeur in right field but have since designated him for assignment. Recent reports did state that the chances of Kansas City making a big move were "slim," and David Lough has played well in place of Francoeur.

Royals Sign Marten Gasparini, Cristhian Vasquez

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4:30pm: The Royals have also signed Venezuelan outfielder Cristhian Vasquez for a $775K bonus, according to Sanchez (on Twitter). Vasquez ranked as Baseball America's No. 22 prospect, noting that he's one of the oldest players in this year's class and has an advanced offensive approach.

10:12am: The Royals signed Italian shortstop Marten Gasparini for $1.3MM today, breaking the record for a European international prospect, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  Baseball America ranked Gasparini 12th; MLB.com had him fourth.

Badler had a full profile of Gasparini in May, noting the Royals as the frontrunner and his likelihood of breaking the European record.  Gasparini, who turned 16 on May 24th, is a speedy switch-hitter with an Italian father and Jamaican mother who grew up in London.    

The Royals have a bonus pool of $2,988,100 this year.

Royals Notes: Santana, Moore, Francoeur, Deadline

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Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star recently took the time to answer a vast array of Twitter questions from his followers and write them up in a Q&A. Here are some highlights from the piece…

  • No matter how well Danny Duffy pitches in Triple-A as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, the team won't part with Ervin Santana if they're in contention. Should they fall out of the race, the Royals would likely make Santana available if they received an offer they deemed more valuable than a compensatory draft pick, suggesting that the Royals are planning on making Santana a qualifying offer this offseason.
  • Dutton doesn't get any sense from the Royals organization that general manager Dayton Moore is on a short lease, though he concedes that if the team is struggling at this time next year, that could change.
  • Dutton expects the recently DFA'ed Jeff Francoeur to clear waivers and sign with another team as opposed to a trade or Frenchy accepting a minor league assignment.
  • It's still not clear if the Royals will be buyers at the deadline, though Dutton expects them to look hard at additions. However, he calls the odds of them making a big move "slim."
  • Lefty Noel Arguelles could lose his 40-man roster spot this offseason if the Royals are in need of a roster spot. Kansas City gave the Cuban lefty a five-year, $7MM deal in 2009, but he has produced just a 5.24 ERA in 283 2/3 minor league innings to date. The 23-year-old has more walks than strikeouts in 179 2/3 career innings for Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

Morosi On Nolasco, Santana, Pirates, White Sox

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In his latest column for FOX Sports, Jon Paul Morosi reminds us that you never know which trade deadline move will pay the biggest dividends.  For example, the deal that sent Marco Scutaro from the Rockies to the Giants last July ended up being the most influential move of the 2012 season, as Scutaro helped lead the Giants to a World Series title.  Here's Morosi's latest…

  • Wednesday could be a "soft deadline" for the Marlins to trade Ricky Nolasco.  That's the date of Nolasco's next scheduled start and also the day that Henderson Alvarez (Nolasco's probable replacement in the Miami rotation) comes off the disabled list.  Nolasco's recent struggles over his last few starts, however, haven't done much to help his trade stock.
  • "It may be wise" for the Pirates to investigate acquiring Nolasco, Matt Garza or Bud Norris, Morosi opines.  The Bucs could use veteran starting help if Wandy Rodriguez and A.J. Burnett are still a ways away from returning from the disabled list.
  • Ervin Santana "would instantly become one of the top arms" available if the Royals chose to trade the right-hander.  Santana will be a free agent this winter and is on pace (2.74 ERA, 4.67 K/BB, 7.2 K/9) for the best season of his nine-year career, though he has been aided by a low .253 BABIP and a high 82.8% strand rate.  The Royals play nothing but contenders until the All-Star break and if they haven't reached .500 by the Midsummer Classic, Morosi speculates they could become sellers.
  • The White Sox and Tigers haven't made a deal together since 1989, a fact that Chicago executive VP Kenny Williams notes "hasn’t been for lack of trying or fear on either part. It’s just one of those things.”  The two teams could be ideal trade partners this summer since Detroit is looking for relief pitching and the Sox have bullpen arms to spare.  Williams joked that he'd happily take one of Detroit's top prospects “for two players of our choosing.  We will consider that making good on the Tigers’ steal in ’89," in reference to Williams himself being part of that 24-year-old deal. 

Cafardo On Utley, Gonzalez, Crain, Yankees

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As impressive as young players like Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Yasiel Puig have been, no one was more spectacular than young Alex Rodriguez, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  However, A-Rod has since tarnished his legacy by being linked to performance enhancing drugs.  It all comes back to Rodriguez's love of baseball, because for him, being the best was never good enough.  Now he finds himself rehabbing from injury in Tampa, Florida and no one knows how it will play out.  Rodriguez could retire because of a physical disability and collect the remaining $114MM on his contract or he return to the Yankees after the All-Star break and provide the righthanded bat they sorely need.  Here's more from today's column..

  • One team that has at least discussed acquiring the Phillies' Chase Utley is the Royals.  Kansas City would love to stabilize their lineup and/or second base situation with someone of Utley’s caliber.  Meanwhile, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that he wants the second baseman to retire in a Phillies uniform, if possible.
  • The Red Sox are one of the teams extremely interested in Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, but they won’t break the bank for him, according to a team source.  The Sox were certainly burned by the Daisuke Matsuzaka signing and don’t want to get burned again on a deal for the 26-year-old righthander. Even though Gonzalez seems to be the real deal, past injuries seem to be giving some teams pause. 
  • White Sox reliever Jesse Crain will draw interest and Cafardo warns not to rule out the Red Sox. Pitching coach Juan NIeves coached him in Chicago and he’s a stable force at the end of games.  Meanwhile, there will be others vying for Crain, including the Orioles and Yankees.  Our own Charlie Wilmoth recently examined Crain as a trade candidate.
  • FIrst baseman Chris Carter is an interesting righthanded bat the Astros would move for the right package of young players. The Yankees are a possibility since they need a righthanded hitter who can play first base and the outfield.  Even though he strikes out a lot, the 26-year-old Carter could be an intriguing option for clubs. 
  • The Cubs have a lot of desirable trade pieces, starting of course with Matt Garza, who could be dealt sooner rather than later – maybe even sooner than the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco.  Besides Garza, there’s been a lot of interest in outfielder Nate Schierholtz and veteran righthander Scott Feldman, who Cafardo sees as a match for the Orioles.  Outfielders Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus along with relievers Kevin Gregg and James Russell could be moved as well.
  • While the Twins say that Glen Perkins is not available, they should expect some club – possibly the Tigers - to offer a substantial package.

Royals Release Xavier Nady

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The Royals have released outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady, according to the Pacific Coast League's transactions page. Nady had been playing on a minor league deal that he agreed to after being cut in advance of the Article XX(B) free agent retention bonus deadline, back in late March. It is not presently known whether Nady exercised an opt out clause to trigger his release, or indeed whether he had any such clause in his contract.

Nady was hitting a robust .310/.382/.486 in 289 plate appearances for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. After a well-documented power outage over his last several seasons, moreover, Nady had swatted a promising 11 home runs thus far for Omaha. In a combined 166 big league plate appearances last season for the Nationals and Giants, Nady hit just .184/.253/.316.

Minor Moves: Kinney, Prior, Sherrill

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Here's today's collection of minor moves from around the league…

  • The Mariners announced that they have re-instated right-hander Josh Kinney from the 60-day DL and outrighted him to Triple-A Tacoma. Kinney was placed on the disabled list on March 25 with a stress reaction in his rib cage. He's thrown 8 1/3 innings at Triple-A over the course of a rehab assignment, allowing three runs with seven strikeouts and no walks.
  • Mark Prior has been released from the Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, the team announced via Twitter. The former phenom has been on the shelf since April 25 with a right shoulder strain. He posted a 4.66 ERA with nine strikeouts and four walks (one intentional) in 9 2/3 innings for the Bats this year. Prior hasn't appeared in the Majors since 2006.
  • Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals have released lefty George Sherrill from Triple-A Omaha. Scott Unger, media relations manager of the independent league Winnipeg Goldeyes (for whom Sherrill used to pitch) first tweeted the news yesterday. The 36-year-old Sherrill posted a 6.23 ERA with with 12.5 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 in 21 2/3 innings for the Storm Chasers this season. Sherrill racked up 51 saves for the Orioles from 2008-09 after they received him along with Adam Jones, Chris Tillman and Kam Mickolio from the Mariners in 2008's Erik Bedard heist. He has a 3.77 ERA in 324 1/3 Major League innings between the Mariners, Orioles, Dodgers and Braves. Sherrill pitched just 1 1/3 innings last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery in early May.
  • Three players are currently in DFA limbo: Carlos Marmol of the Cubs, Francisley Bueno of the Royals and Eric Thames of the Mariners.

Prospect Rumor Roundup: July 2 Prospects

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Hardcore fans will be eagerly anticipating July 2, 2013. That date represents the first day that Major League Baseball teams can sign this year's crop of international free agents, many of whom recently turned (or will be turning) 16 years old and are in line for seven-figure bonuses. No one covers the international market better than Baseball America's Ben Badler, who has been busy compiling information on all the key international prospects. Follow this link to read up on the cream of the crop for the 2013 signing period.

Badler has been following the international free agent market for a number of years now and has educated fans on quite a few Latin amateurs who have gone on to become top prospects in their respective organizations. Much like selecting players in the annual North American amateur draft, dabbling in the international market comes with a great deal of risk — especially given how raw many of these teenagers can be when they sign their first contracts. Not surprisingly, it can take years for these particular prospects to develop.

Like the amateur draft, the rules changed for the international market in 2012 to include a spending limit, which has significantly reduced the bonuses. Taking a look back at Baseball America's top international prospects list from 2011 — the last year that teams could spend freely without restrictions and penalties — we find a number of players that have become top prospects and intriguing sleepers. Below is a look at some of the best 2011 signees, as of this date, and numbered by Badler's original pre-July 2 talent ranking.

1. Elier Hernandez, OF, Kansas City: Despite being given the third highest bonus in the signing class at $3MM, Hernandez struggled in his 2012 debut and hit just .208 with 66 strikeouts in 60 games. He has returned to the same Rookie ball club for the 2013 season and is hitting .308 through six games, but has eight strikeouts and no walks.

2. Ronald Guzman, 1B, Texas Rangers: Texas signed two Latin players in 2011 for a total of more than $8MM, and Guzman received a $3.5 MM payday, good for the second highest bonus overall. Assigned to full-season ball in 2013, the outfielder-turned-first-baseman didn't play until the end of May thanks to an injury. Guzman, 18, came out swinging and is hitting .333 in his first 19 games, although he has yet to tap into his raw power and has walked just two times. Jason Cole of Lonestar Ball interviewed Guzman earlier this month and caught it on video.

3. Victor Sanchez, RHP, Seattle Mariners: The hard-throwing Sanchez has had little trouble with professional hitters to date. He allowed just 69 hits and a 3.18 ERA in 85 Rookie ball innings in 2012. He currently features a 2.43 ERA with just six walks in 40 2/3 innings of work in A-ball. He missed about a month of the '13 season after being placed on the temporarily inactive list. Rick Randall of Lookout Landing took an in-depth look at some of the Mariners' lesser-known prospects in April — including Sanchez.

4. Roberto Osuna, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays: Signed out of the Mexican League for a bonus of $1.5 MM, Osuna has flashed a mature approach on the mound and has been quite reliable when healthy. Unfortunately, he was shut down for a short period of time earlier this year when a small tear was discovered in his throwing elbow. Rather than undergo Tommy John surgery, the organization chose to try rest and rehab — a similar approach that was taken with former Yankees prospect Arodys Vizcaino, which merely delayed the inevitable. Gregor Chisholm and Teddy Cahill of MLB.com took a look at Osuna shortly after he returned from his rehab.

5. Wuilmer Becerra, OF, Toronto Blue Jays: Becerra was given a $1.3 MM signing bonus. His North American debut in 2012 was cut short when he was hit in the face by an errant pitch and required surgery. He was then traded to the New York Mets during the offseason as part of the package for Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey. In April, Mike Kerwick provided a piece for Baseball America (subscription required) that detailed the high hopes that the Mets front office has for the young prospect, who's back playing the Gulf Coast League in 2013.

6. Dawel Lugo, SS, Toronto Blue Jays: The third player signed by the Jays for more than $1MM, Lugo is repeating Rookie ball in 2013, although he's moved up to a more advanced league. He's off to a hot start with 11 hits in his first six games in the Appalachian League and is firmly in the conversation for the Jays' shortstop of the future.

10. Nomar Mazara, OF, Texas Rangers: Given the largest bonus among the projected top prospects in the 2011 class, Mazara received a whopping $5 MM bonus. He's now one of the youngest players in full-season A-ball after spending the 2012 season in Rookie ball. The outfielder has flashed some intriguing power at times but he's also experienced some growing pains with a .246 batting average and 75 strikeouts in 71 games.

12. Raul (Adalberto) Mondesi, SS, Kansas City Royals: The son of former big leaguer Raul Mondesi, the prospect formerly known as Adalberto originally signed for $2MM. He came stateside in 2012 and more than held his own as a 17 year old in Rookie ball by posting a .733 OPS and .290 batting average. It's been a little tougher for him in 2013 at the A-ball level. He's struck out 71 times in 66 games but is warming up with the weather and has a .292 batting average in June. Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com checked in with Mondesi after he hit for the cycle in late May.

14. Dorssys Paulino, SS, Cleveland Indians: Paulino wowed talent evaluators during his pro debut in 2012 and found himself on a number of top prospects lists. Signed for $1.1MM, the teenager hit .355 during his Rookie ball debut and even earned a late-season promotion to the more advanced New York Penn League. Promoted to A-ball in 2013, Paulino has struggled with a .594 OPS in 63 games. On the plus side, his numbers have improved a little bit with each passing month. Guy Cipriano of the Cleveland New-Herald penned a piece on Paulino and his efforts to adjust to life in North America and as a professional baseball player.

16. Manuel Margot, OF, Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox took a more cautious approach with Margot than a number of organizations did with other prospects on this list. He opened his pro career in the Dominican Summer League in 2012 before moving all the way up into the New York Penn League this summer. The teenager has teased talent evaluators with a four-tool approach and outstanding athletic ability. Alex Speier, writing for WEEI.com, looked at the Red Sox difficult decision on where to assign Margot for the 2013 season.

Cuban Prospect Dariel Alvarez Eligible To Sign

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It's been months since we've heard significant news on Cuban defectors Dariel Alvarez and Aledmys Diaz, but MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez writes that Alvarez has been cleared by the Commissioner's Office to sign with a Major League team. He has actually been cleared to sign for several months, but the process has been slowed by a change in agents. Diaz, according to a separate tweet from Sanchez, will not be eligible for free agency until next February.

The Dodgers, Rangers, Red Sox, Royals, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Padres and Yankees were among the teams in attendance for an Alvarez showcase in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. yesterday, according to Sanchez. The Marlins did not attend his workout despite its proximity to Miami, which gels with reports from the offseason that the Marlins weren't interested.

Alvarez, 24, is capable of playing all three outfield positions and has drawn praise for a strong throwing arm. The new collective bargaining agreement states that players who are at least 23 years of age and have a minimum of three years of professional experience are not subject to the international signing limitations. In other words, teams will be able to spend as freely as they wish to acquire Alvarez's services. In addition to the previously mentioned teams, the Twins and Cardinals were both connected to Alvarez this past winter as well.

Draft Notes: Royals, Jeff Thompson

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Here are today's notable non-first-round signings and draft-related news items (slot info courtesy of Baseball America)…

  • The Royals have finished signing all of their picks but did so by going over-slot by a total of $78,700, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The penalty for the Royals isn't that steep, as they'll have to pay just over $59K (75 percent of the overage). For what it's worth, the new CBA states that the Royals would've needed to exceed their draft pool by more than five percent to lose a first-round pick in 2014, which would've meant going over by $415K.
  • The Tigers have signed third-round pick Jeff Thompson for the full slot value of $549,400, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). A big right-hander out of Louisville, Thompson sits 90-92 mph with his fastball and has a solid slider.
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