AL Central Notes: White Sox, Willingham, Indians
Former White Sox exec Dave Wilder received a two-year federal prison sentence today for his role in taking kickbacks from international signings, as first reported by Larry Yellen of FOX 32 (via Twitter). From December 2004 through February 2008, investigators said that Wilder orchestrated a kickback scheme in which he and other White Sox scouts artificially inflated the value of international players, signing them to bonuses beyond their value and taking a cut for themselves, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. In total, there were kickbacks involved with 23 signings, according to the federal investigation. The White Sox released a statement calling the scandal a "painful betrayal". The good news for the White Sox is that Wilder was ordered to pay the club roughly $441K in restitution, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Here's more out of the AL Central..
- An unknown team claimed Twins outfielder Josh Willingham off waivers, but Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reports that it wasn't the Indians. The Indians negotiated with Willingham when he was a free agent before the 2012 season. Willingham wound up signing a three-year deal with the Twins after the Tribe would only go to two.
- Hoynes adds that while Willingham won't be coming to the Indians, the recently DFA'd Jason Kubel could be of interest to them. The Tribe liked Kubel when he played for Minnesota and there were reports that they claimed him on waivers in August of 2011, right around the time they acquired Jim Thome from the Twins.
- Twins GM Terry Ryan confirmed that Minnesota will receive cash from the Royals in the Jamey Carroll trade, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. The Twins had the choice of cash considerations or a PTBNL in the swap.
Royals To Sign Carlos Pena
The Royals have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with first baseman Carlos Pena, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Pena will be assigned to Triple-A Omaha.
The 35-year-old Pena hit .209/.324/.350 in 325 plate appearances for the Astros this season after signing a one-year, $2.9MM contract with Houston in the offseason. He was designated for assignment and released in late July. In parts of 13 Major League seasons, Pena is a .233/.348/.465 hitter with 285 home runs. Pena doesn't appear to have an starting spot on the team's roster, given the presence of Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler, but he could serve as a veteran bench bat down the stretch.
Placed On Waivers: Santana, Rodriguez, DeJesus, Willingham
Here's Tuesday's list of players who have been placed on revocable trade waivers…
- Ervin Santana — Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that Ervin Santana has been placed on waivers. He instantly becomes one of the most desirable pieces on waivers, but the Royals are likely not inclined to move him. Santana, 30, has a 3.21 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in what has been a tremendous rebound campaign with the Royals. He's owed about $2.23MM this season and is a free agent at season's end. However, Kansas City is still within striking distance of a Wild Card spot and will be making Santana a qualifying offer following the season, so a return would likely have to overwhelm them.
- Francisco Rodriguez — Rosenthal's tweet also reported that K-Rod has been placed on waivers by the Orioles. This is likely nothing more than a procedural move, as he's been solid for the O's, and they're just 2.5 games back from a Wild Card spot.
- Wesley Wright, David DeJesus — Rosenthal also noted that the Rays have put both of their most recent waiver pickups back on waivers. However, in a second tweet he cautions that DeJesus needn't be worried this time, as the Rays are merely putting all of their players through waivers as a procedural move right now, which explains Wright's placement as well.
- Josh Willingham — Peter Gammons of the MLB Network tweets that the Twins have placed Willingham on waivers. Minnesota was expecting big things out of Willingham following a 35-homer season in 2012, but knee injuries diminished his production at the plate and he ultimately underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in early July. Since being activated on Aug. 9, he's batting just .177/.316/.371 with a pair of homers and six doubles. Willingham's walk rate (13.4 percent) and power (.179 ISO) remain strong, but his strikeout rate is up (26.7 percent) and his average is down due to a decrease in line drives and an increase in pop-ups. He's owed roughly $1.3MM for the remainder of the season and is owed $7MM in 2014 — the final season of a three-year, $21MM contract.
- Earlier today, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reported that Marlon Byrd, Pedro Feliciano and John Buck of the Mets were all on waivers, and at least one trade is likely. Byrd was claimed by an unknown NL team shortly thereafter.
For a reminder on how revocable trade waivers and August trades work, check out MLBTR's August trades primer. You can see who is available to be traded to any team by checking MLBTR's list of players who have cleared waivers.
Royals, Red Sox Swap Berry For Mortensen
The Royals and Red Sox have swapped outfielder Quintin Berry for right-hander Clayton Mortensen, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (Twitter link).
Berry, 28, was claimed by the Royals from the Tigers on June 4 but quickly outrighted to Triple-A Omaha. In 371 Triple-A plate appearances between the Tigers and Royals, he's batting .193/.309/.260 with 28 stolen bases in 32 attempts. Berry was significantly better when he saw regular time with Detroit last season, hitting .258/.330/.354 with a perfect 21 steals in 21 attempts in 94 games.
Mortensen, also 28, posted a 5.34 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 and a 45.5 percent ground-ball rate in 30 1/3 innings for the Red Sox this season. Boston optioned him to Triple-A Pawtucket in late June and he's fared much better, pitching to a 2.45 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 44 innings. He's moved to the rotation recently, stretching out to seven innings in his most recent outing. Since moving to a starting role on Aug. 2, he's allowed just three runs in 27 1/3 innings.
Braves Claim Elliot Johnson
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
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
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
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
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
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.