2014 Competitive Balance Lottery Results
The Competitive Balance Lottery for the 2014 MLB Draft took place today. Twelve competitive balance picks are awarded, with the first six taking place after the first round's conclusion and the next six taking place following conclusion of the second round. Here are the results, per MLB.com (Twitter links)…
Competitive Balance Round A
- Rockies
- Orioles
- Indians
- Marlins
- Royals
- Brewers
Competitive Balance Round B
- Padres
- Diamondbacks
- Cardinals
- Rays
- Pirates
- Mariners
As explained by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, the teams in the 10 smallest markets and teams with the 10 lowest revenues were eligible to be entered into the Round A lottery. This doesn't mean there were 20 teams in the lottery, as there's overlap in that criteria. All teams who don't win a pick in the first round are re-entered into the second round, along with any team that received revenue sharing this year, which accounted only for the Mariners.
These picks are eligible to be traded, as we saw in 2012. Last year, the Tigers and Marlins swapped Competitive Balance picks as part of the Anibal Sanchez trade. The Marlins received a second Competitive Balance pick when they traded Gaby Sanchez to the Pirates in the offseason.
The A's and Reds are the two eligible teams from this year's selection that were not awarded a Competitive Balance pick.
Royals Designate J.C. Gutierrez For Assignment
The Royals have designated right-hander J.C. Gutierrez for assignment, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The move allows the club to clear space for fellow righty Wade Davis, who is rejoining the club after paternity leave.
Gutierrez, who celebrates his 30th birthday today, posted a 3.38 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 25 relief appearances this season. For his big league career, Gutierrez has a 4.58 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in parts of five campaigns for the Astros, Diamondbacks, and Royals. The right-hander boasts a mid-90s fastball and so far in 2013 he's been clocking in with a career high 95 mph average.
AL Central Links: Morneau, Indians, Santana
The Twins have dropped nine of their past 10 games and now sit 15 games below .500 and 12 games out of first place in the AL Central division. General manager Terry Ryan said on Saturday that the team's current 10-game road trip would determine if they're buyers or sellers, and they've now lost five in a row. Here's more on the Twins and the rest of the AL Central…
- A source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com that they expect the Twins to approach Justin Morneau about the potential price tag of an extension before the trade deadline (Twitter link). However, the Twins have yet to do so, Wolfson says.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Indians are on the lookout for rotation upgrades, but they prefer pitchers who are controllable beyond 2013. As such, Matt Garza is a tough fit for the Tribe.
- The Royals are likely to retain Ervin Santana, though he'd "instantly become one of the hottest names on the market" if he were shopped, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports. One scout tells Knobler that Santana "might be better than Garza." Kansas City has the best record in baseball over the last 36 days, but is eight games into 20 consecutive matchups with teams that have winning records. If the Royals fall far out of contention, GM Dayton Moore would probably field offers for the righty, Knobler says.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
Prospect Rumor Roundup: First Half Disappointments
We're just past the halfway mark of the 2013 Major League Baseball season and well past the midway point of the Minor League Baseball season. While taking stock of the top prospects from around baseball, a number of names appear in the "disappointment column," which is not surprising given the general volatility of young players. Below, we take a look at some of the prospects having disappointing seasons, as well as some educated guesses as to what might be ailing them.
Matt Barnes, RHP, Red Sox: Barnes' season hasn't been as bad as some of the other players on this list but it's still been a disappointing 2013 for the right-handed hurler. The former first-round pick was expected to zoom through the minor leagues and possibly even help the big league club this season, but he currently has a 5.32 ERA with 78 hits allowed in 67 2/3 innings at the Double-A level. As the Boston Globe's Julian Benbow explained, Barnes has been working on fleshing out his secondary pitches this season so he doesn't have to rely so heavily on his low-to-mid-90s fastball.
Trevor Bauer, RHP, Indians: Bauer is the perfect example of the volatility of prospects. Selected third overall in the 2011 amateur draft, the right-hander out of UCLA dominated competition during his first taste of pro ball but the wheels fell off the wagon towards the end of 2012. Bauer's issues — both on and off the field — lead to an offseason trade and continued into 2013. His results at Triple-A have been less than ideal. After his most recent disastrous big league start, the young pitcher was returned to the minors and — according to a piece by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal — he may focus on pitching exclusively from the stretch as a starter.
Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Angels: Los Angeles doesn't have a very deep minor league system whatsoever so when their top prospects stumble, it hurts them more than most organizations. The young third baseman is hitting just .215/.280/.309 at Double-A this season and some adjustments he made during the springtime could be to blame for his slow start. As Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com explained, the switch-hitting Cowart quieted his stance and eliminated the leg kick from the left side of the plate. He's still hitting just .198/.261/.275 versus right-handed pitching so clearly there are more wrinkles to iron out.
David Dahl, OF, Rockies: Like Bauer, Dahl's value is down as a result of well-documented off-the-field actions and maturity concerns. But those aren't the only things that have gone wrong for the outfielder in 2013. In early May, Dahl suffered what was expected to be a pulled hamstring while running the bases. About a week later, though, the prospect revealed on Twitter that his hamstring had been torn and was much more serious than first reported. That halted his season after 10 games (He got off to a late start because of the maturity issues mentioned above) and he hasn't appeared in a game since that time. His timetable for a return to the game is still up in the air.
Billy Hamilton, OF, Reds: Hamilton, 22, hasn't had a terrible year but he has yet to build off of the momentum he created last season when he hit .323/.413/.439 in High-A ball and stole 155 bases between two minor league clubs. Promoted to Triple-A to begin 2013 after spending just 50 games at the Double-A level, the speedy Hamilton has struggled to find his footing at the plate. On the plus side, the shortstop-turned-outfielder has nabbed 50 bases in just 80 games. His stolen base total could become much higher once he improves upon his .300 on-base percentage.
Courtney Hawkins, OF, White Sox: Hawkins has experienced a lot of struggles in his first full professional season. After hitting a combined .284 between three levels during last season's debut, he's batting just .191/.273/.485 with 95 strikeouts in 55 games during 2013. Scott Merkin of MLB.com talked to Hawkins regarding the learning curve he's experienced in High-A ball and how he plans to come out ahead.
Bubba Starling, OF, Royals: Starling opened 2013 with huge expectations surrounding him, but he hit just .195/.263/.379 with a massive strikeout rate in April. As Danny Wild of MiLB.com explained, things got so bad that Starling was sent to have his eyes examined for possible LASIK surgery in May — similar to what the Rangers did with third base prospect Mike Olt. Dick Kaegel of MLB.com later updated the story to report that the outfield prospect underwent the procedure on May 16. In June, after the eye surgery, Starling improved to hit .250/.327/.369 for the month, but he continued to strike out at a similar rate. He also hit jut one home run in 24 games. Clearly, there is more work to be done.
Kyle Zimmer, RHP, Royals: During the first three months of the year, Zimmer posted an ERA of more than 5.00 despite showing the same strong repertoire that caused him to be chosen fifth overall during the 2012 amateur draft. Thankfully, the right-hander may have finally turned a corner in July. He's posted a 2.77 ERA with no walks and 20 strikeouts in 13 innings. On the season, he's now whiffed 103 batters in 84 2/3 innings of work. Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com spoke to Zimmer, who stated that he's finally becoming comfortable with his pitching mechanics, which is in turn allowing him to provide more consistent command.
A number of prospects have also suffered significant loss in value due to serious injuries. The list of walking wounded include: Dylan Bundy, RHP, Orioles; Travis d'Arnaud, C, Mets; Danny Hultzen, LHP, Mariners; Casey Kelly, RHP, Padres; Hak-Ju Lee, SS, Rays; and Arodys Vizcaino, RHP, Cubs.
AL Central Notes: Dombrowski, Gasparini, Despaigne
In what might be the most eclectic collection of names to ever headline a division notes post, here's the latest from the AL Central…
- Despite the Tigers' late-game problems this season, Dave Dombrowski has no regrets over not acquiring a proven closer last winter, the general manager tells MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. "We didn't feel there was a lock-down, shut-down option in the wintertime that fit in with what we were trying to do, role-wise and financially," Dombrowski said. "Other people may think differently, but there weren't a lot of guys out there, and we felt we had options internally. Now, it may have taken some time, but we still have a chance to do that."
- Joaquin Benoit has recently taken over the closer's role in Detroit and pitched well, which could erase any plans the Tigers had to acquire a stopper at the deadline. "Where are you going to go out and get a guy with better stuff than Benoit?" Dombrowski said.
- Marten Gasparini, the 16-year-old Italian prospect who signed a $1.3MM contract with the Royals, spoke to Fangraphs' David Laurila about his transition to North America.
- The Twins haven't asked agent Jaime Torres about the location of Cuban right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne's showcase in Barcelona tomorrow, 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson reports (Twitter link). Wolfson notes in a follow-up tweet that this just means the Twins haven't informed Torres, not that they won't attend altogether, and Wolfson says the Twins "have a book" on Despaigne.
- Byron Buxton holds the top spot on Baseball America's midseason ranking of the top 50 prospects in the sport. The Twins outfielder "is even better than expected with power, speed, defense and an extremely advanced hitting approach," states BA's staff report. Buxton was ranked as the No. 10 prospect in Baseball America's preseason rankings but has risen to No. 1 after hitting .344/.424/.548 with nine homers and 33 steals in 366 PA at the low and high-A levels this season.
- In AL Central news from earlier today, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reported that Twins right-hander P.J. Walters had cleared outright assignment waivers.
Minor Moves: Bueno, McClellan, Olivo, Wang
Here are today's minor moves…
- Royals lefty Francisley Bueno has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Bueno was designated last Tuesday.
- The Indians announced on Twitter that right-hander Chris Jakubauskas has been released from Triple-A Columbus. The 34-year-old appeared in 11 games for the Clippers, totaling 14 innings of 3.86 ERA ball with 8.4 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9. He has also appeared in the Brewers organization this year.
- Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest tweets that Kyle McClellan, who was designated for assignment on Tuesday, will remain with in the Rangers organization after clearing waivers. McClellan will accept an outright assignment to Double-A Frisco. The 29-year-old allowed eight runs in 9 1/3 innings of work with the Rangers this season.
- Miguel Olivo has cleared waivers and elected free agency, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). Olivo was designated for assignment earlier this week after hitting .203/.250/.392 and informing the Marlins that he was quitting due to a lack of playing time.
- The Blue Jays announced that Chien-Ming Wang has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Buffalo, the team announced (hat tip: Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet on Twitter). Wang's agent told Nicholson-Smith on Wednesday that he would accept an assignment to Triple-A rather than electing free agency if he cleared waivers. Wang was roughed up in his final two outings with the Jays to send his ERA soaring to 7.13.
- Seven players are currently in DFA limbo: Brandon Lyon (Mets), Hector Gimenez (White Sox), P.J. Walters (Twins), Shawn Camp (Cubs), Travis Ishikawa (Orioles), Alex Liddi (Mariners), and Eric Hinske (D-Backs).
Royals Request Release Waivers On Francoeur
FRIDAY: The Royals have announced, via press release, that they have requested unconditional release waivers on Francoeur.
SUNDAY: The Royals have designated outfielder Jeff Francoeur for assignment, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The club has recalled second baseman Johnny Giavotella to take Francoeur's roster spot and take over as the regular at the keystone (according to another Dutton tweet).
The oft-criticized Francoeur, 29, has largely been a disappointment since a promising start to his career with the Braves. Francoeur originally signed with Kansas City before the 2011 season, signing a one-year, $2.5MM deal. He delivered a solid campaign that year, slashing .285/.329/.476 and contributing 20 home runs and 22 stolen bases.
Francoeur's work in 2011 led to the Royals giving him a two-year, $13.5MM extension in August of that year. Needless to say, that deal has not panned out for K.C. While Francoeur hit 16 long balls last year, he slashed just .235/.287/.378 as the team's regular right fielder. After the team traded away highly regarded outfield prospect Wil Myers in the offseason, Francoeur remained entrenched in right and continued to struggle this season. His legendary arm was not enough to make up for a .209/.250/.324 line over 192 plate appearances this season. Over the last two seasons, Fangraphs credits Francoeur with costing the Royals 2.2 wins against a replacement level player. The Royals will remain on the hook for the remainder of the $6.75MM they owe Francoeur for this season, assuming they cannot find a taker for his contract.
Minor Moves: Garcia, Gearrin, Broussard
Happy Fourth of July to all of our readers! Here's your rundown of today's minor moves from around the league…
- The Tigers announced via Twitter that they optioned Avisail Garcia to Triple-A Toledo following tonight's game with the Blue Jays. Garcia has appeared at all three outfield positions for the Tigers this season, hitting .241/.273/.373 in 88 plate appearances.
- The Braves optioned pitcher Cory Gearrin to Triple-A Gwinnett and will announce a corresponding move tomorrow, The Atlanta Journal Constitution's David O'Brien reports via Twitter. Gearrin, a right-hander, has a 3.77 ERA in 31 innings for the Braves this year.
- The Royals have signed first baseman Ben Broussard to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The 36-year-old was hitting .302/.344/.509 with eight homers in 44 games for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. Broussard, a former second-round pick, served as the regular first baseman/DH for the Indians and Mariners from 2003-06, hitting .267/.330/.470 with 73 homers in 541 games. He last appeared in the Majors with the Rangers in 2008.
- Twelve players are currently in DFA limbo: Brandon Lyon (Mets), Hector Gimenez (White Sox), P.J. Walters (Twins), Shawn Camp (Cubs), Miguel Olivo (Marlins), Chien-Ming Wang (Blue Jays), Kyle McClellan (Rangers), Jeff Francoeur (Royals), Travis Ishikawa (Orioles), Alex Liddi (Mariners), Eric Hinske (D-Backs) and Francisley Bueno (Royals).
Alex Rios’ No-Trade List
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
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.