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Royals Sign Third-Round Pick Colin Rodgers

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The Royals have signed third-round draft pick Colin Rodgers, MLBTR has learned.  The Louisiana high school southpaw signed for $700K, exceeding MLB's slot of $476,500 for the 100th overall pick.  Rodgers is represented by Tripper Johnson of Sosnick Cobbe Sports.

Rodgers, who had committed to Auburn, told Justin Hokanson of AuburnSports.com he had a tentative agreement with the Royals but had yet to make a final decision.  Baseball America ranked Rodgers 207th on their top 500, grading the lefty's curveball as plus when he's at his best.

Draft Notes: Diamondbacks, Zimmer, Red Sox, Astros

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The latest on the MLB draft, which has reached its conclusion after three busy days… 

  • The Diamondbacks are "close" to agreeing to terms with first-round pick Stryker Trahan, tweets Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.  The high school catcher was tabbed with the No. 26 pick.
  • The Royals appear to be close to a deal with fifth-overall pick Kyle Zimmer, tweets Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star.  The right-hander will likely start with the club's Arizona League affiliate but may go to Idaho Falls instead.
  • The Red Sox are nearing deals with supplemental first round selection Pat Light and second rounder Jamie Callahan, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law reviews the draft class of each National League team, noting that he loves what the Astros did. The Padres impressed Law early on, and he liked the Nationals' selection of Lucas Giolito.
  • A legal dispute in Ohio could impact the future use of advisors, as Darren Heitner explains in a piece at Forbes.com. The MLBPA has warned agents that a case involving the former representatives of Andy Oliver “could represent a significant threat” to agents by placing restrictions on who can represent athletes who live or attend school in Ohio.
  • There have been lots of pre-draft agreements between teams and players, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick hears (Twitter link). "It's a bigger joke this year than it's ever been,'' one agent told Crasnick.

Quick Hits: Bard, Royals, Bauer

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There's been lots of draft chatter these past few days, but that's not all that's going on around the Major Leagues. Here are some more notes from around MLB…

  • The Red Sox optioned Daniel Bard to Triple-A, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). Bard has struggled with his command in the rotation and, as Dave Cameron of FanGraphs notes, his velocity is down as well. Bard still figures to go to arbitration for the second time this coming offseason.
  • The Royals don’t intend to rush Wil Myers to the Major Leagues despite the top prospect’s minor league successes, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Royals could reduce the chances that Myers qualifies for super two status following the 2014 season by waiting another few weeks to call him up.
  • Diamondbacks pitching prospect Trevor Bauer has pitched well enough in the minors to deserve a promotion, but "nothing has been decided" regarding the right-hander's timeline, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports (Twitter links). Bauer and Myers are in similar situations; they probably won't qualify as super twos if their teams keep them in the minors for a few weeks.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Morneau, Broxton, Lee

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The Red Sox could be in the enviable position of being both buyers and sellers at the deadline, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Once their outfield is healthy, Cody Ross, Daniel Nava, Ryan Sweeney, Scott Podsednik, and Marlon Byrd could be trade bait.  Kevin Youkilis is obviously a major chip and guys like Aaron Cook, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Mark Melancon, and Kelly Shoppach may also find themselves on the block.  The Nationals are in a similar position as they could sell off pitchers John Lannan and Chien-Ming Wang while still contending.  Meanwhile, the two teams most willing to move players will be the Astros and Cubs.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • The Twins will likely entertain offers at the trading deadline for Justin Morneau but won’t necessarily deal him.  The Blue Jays are a team to watch as they are trying to do something significant to help their offense.  Morneau earns $14MM this year and next and the Jays have money saved.  Toronto also has the kind of prospects Minnesota desires.
  • A decision the Royals made last week will likely enhance Jonathan Broxton’s trade value.  They have been cautious with him because of past elbow issues but are no longer barring him from pitching consecutive days.  Broxton has a 1.74 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 20.2 innings this year.
  • Despite the Astros’ surprising start, they will still listen to offers for their top trade candidates.  That includes closer Brett Myers, lefty starter Wandy Rodriguez, first baseman Carlos Lee, right-hander Brandon Lyon, and shortstop Jed Lowrie.
  • Lee could be a fit for the Dodgers as they look to replace Matt Kemp's power bat, but Lee has always had West Coast teams on his no-trade list.
  • Eventually, Twins GM Terry Ryan try to make the best possible deals for assets such as outfielder Josh Willingham, starters Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano, closer Matt Capps, and infielder Jamey Carroll.
  • A's starters Bartolo Colon and Brandon McCarthy, relievers Grant Balfour and Brian Fuentes, outfielder Coco Crisp, catcher Kurt Suzuki, and others are in play.   They also wouldn’t be against moving Josh Reddick.

Draft Notes: Indians, Cubs, Royals, Yankees, Orioles

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Some items from around the league as baseball prepares for Monday's amateur draft…

  • The Indians could target a pitcher with the 15th overall pick since the organization is thin on top-level hurlers, though Indians' director of amateur scouting Brad Grant tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that type of short-term focus can backfire.  "As soon as you start to draft towards needs, I think that's when you can make mistakes," Grand said.  "I think it's important to take the best player available. You take the player that you feel has the most ability rather than concentrating on needs."
  • The Cubs, meanwhile, are targeting power arms, says Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago, though that doesn't necessarily mean Chicago will look to draft a pitcher with their first pick (sixth overall).
  • The Royals have a need for a college pitcher who is close to the Majors, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, which would indicate that K.C. could take one of three right-handers (Mark Appel, Kevin Gausman or Kyle Zimmer) with the fifth overall pick.
  • Damon Oppenheimer, Yankees vice president of amateur scouting, says his team focuses on prospects who can handle the pressure of playing in New York, reports MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.  "We're always looking to get players who can play for the New York Yankees and not just be Major Leaguers," Oppenheimer said. "That is our shopping list, to see who can impact us. It's not easy to be a Yankee, so sometimes we will take a little more risk to find somebody who can fit for us."
  • Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com talks to Gary Rajsich, who is preparing for his first draft as the Orioles' scouting director.
  • The draft is entering a new era due to the changes made by the latest collective bargaining agreement, writes Jerry Crasnick for Baseball America.  Crasnick outlines the new rules in place for this year's draft and how they affect players, teams, scouts and agents.
  • The new draft rules particularly impact the Blue Jays.  MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm talks to GM Alex Anthopoulos about how the Jays' strategy of gaining compensatory picks and paying over-slot prices for prospects will change.

Heyman On Brewers, Liriano, Castro

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Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com lists 45 potential trade candidates in anticipation of this summer’s deals. Here are some highlights, starting with a team that could be a buyer, rather than a seller:

  • One GM questions Zack Greinke’s ability to thrive in major markets. Keep in mind that Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has a buyer’s mindset as the deadline approaches. Greinke and others on Milwaukee’s roster may not be available.
  • Fellow Brewers starter Shaun Marcum is no better than a fourth starter in the American League, according to a GM. It's worth noting that Marcum posted a 3.85 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in five seasons in the American League East when he pitched for the Blue Jays.
  • An American League executive said Padres starter Edinson Volquez “has good value,” Heyman reports.
  • One person said Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano is worth a short-term look.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore may like Jeff Francoeur more than any other team does.
  • Jeremy Guthrie will have to string together some quality outings to restore his trade value, one executive said. 
  • Heyman hears from a Cubs official who says the team hasn't mentioned Starlin Castro's name in trade talks (Twitter link). The Cubs appear to be willing to listen on most of their players, including Castro.

Cafardo On Oswalt, Willingham, Figgins, Soriano

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The number of players on the disabled list is actually down overall this season, but you'd have a hard time getting the Red Sox, Phillies, and Yankees to take solace in that, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  One theory on the prolonged absences is that players are waiting to make sure they’re 100 percent before they get back on the field at the advice of agents like Scott Boras.  "I’ve heard people say that about Boras clients, but I’ve also seen Boras clients who play through all sorts of pain and come back sooner than they’re supposed to," said Boston GM Ben Cherington. “Jason Varitek and Johnny Damon played through anything."  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • While Roy Oswalt was eager to work out for the Red Sox after turning them down before the season, he would still rather play for the Rangers or Cardinals, a major league source tells Cafardo.  As of last week, the Red Sox have not discussed money with him, even though they liked what they saw.
  • It's not yet known if Twins outfielder Josh Willingham will be available but he'll be in demand at the trading deadline or when the Twins feel they’re in a sell-off mode.  One GM said of Willingham, "Of all the guys out there, he’s one who can significantly impact your offense immediately."
  • The Mariners didn’t release Chone Figgins after Miguel Olivo came off the disabled list, but it doesn’t appear that he will be with the club much longer.  At some point, a team with a lot of injuries might be willing to take him on if the M's pick up some of the $15MM remaining on his contract.
  • The Cubs are willing to eat most of Alfonso Soriano’s $48MM if they can trade him. Unfortunately, Soriano isn't producing.  Epstein approached the Red Sox about Soriano before the season and while they were discussing Marlon Byrd, but not since.  Even with their outfield injuries, Boston hasn't come calling for the 36-year-old.
  • There’s a feeling that Royals outfielder Alex Gordon could be had in a deal, but it would take an overwhelming package involving a front-line starter.

2013 Contract Issues: Kansas City Royals

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The Royals are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

  • Jonathan Sanchez - The Royals were hoping for more from Sanchez, who struggled on the mound before hitting the disabled list earlier this month. However, they are short on MLB-ready starting pitching depth.
  • Yuniesky Betancourt - The Royals appear to value Betancourt's ability to play multiple infield positions. He'll likely be in line for another one-year deal next offseason.
  • Jonathan Broxton - Broxton has pitched effectively for the Royals, even though he doesn't have the swing-and-miss stuff he once did. It's not hard to imagine a reunion, but Broxton will have other offseason suitors. 
  • Humberto Quintero - Assuming Salvador Perez recovers from his knee injury, and Brayan Pena returns, the Royals would be set behind the plate. None of Kansas City's free agents should expect offseason qualifying offers from the team.

Contract Options (1)

  • Joakim Soria: $8MM club option with a $750K buyout. This won't be an easy decision for the Royals, since their longtime closer will miss the 2012 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. For what it's worth, Soria has said he would like to stay in Kansas City.

Arbitration Eligible (8)

The Royals have worked aggressively to extend some of their young position players and others aren't yet arbitration eligible, so next offseason's class should be relatively manageable. Hochevar and Paulino are getting expensive, but Mijares could be traded. Bourgeois could miss the cutoff for eligibility, depending on how long he remains in the minor leagues. Wood will be eligible even though he's missing the entire season to undergo Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Royals have committed just shy of $35MM to next year's team, not counting Soria's option or arb-eligible players going year to year. If ownership is willing to maintain a payroll in the $65MM range, GM Dayton Moore should be well-positioned to pursue some second-tier free agents this coming offseason.

Quick Hits: Colon, Litsch, Rangers

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Cory Luebke will undergo reconstructive elbow surgery on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets. The Padres left-hander hasn’t pitched in the Major Leagues since April 27th and had been undecided as to his next step. Here are the rest of today’s links…

  • Jim Callis of Baseball America says Royals infield prospect Christian Colon will eventually move from shortstop to second base, where he can be a solid regular.
  • Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Litsch says he has a "career threatening" infection in his shoulder, Barry Davis of Sportsnet.ca tweets. Litsch, 27, has spent the entire season on Toronto's disabled list. He posted a 4.44 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 75 innings last year.
  • Former MLB outfielder Bobby Kielty told MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes that he signed with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. The 35-year-old has a career .296/.379/.503 batting line against left-handed pitching, but hasn't played in the Major Leagues since 2007.
  • There's still no resolution in the Jairo Beras–Rangers case, Ben Badler of Baseball America writes. Texas agreed to sign the prospect for $4.5MM, but MLB's questions about his age remain unanswered. International sources tell Badler MLB can't sign off on the deal if it wants to seem serious about rule enforcement in Latin America.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wonders if the Rangers could be a fit for Roy Oswalt now that starter Neftali Feliz is on the disabled list (Twitter link). Click here for the latest Oswalt rumors.

Cardinals Acquire Jamie Romak

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The Cardinals acquired infielder Jamie Romak from the Royals for cash considerations, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports (Twitter link). The 26-year-old had been playing for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers.

Romak, a former fourth round pick by the Braves, has a .246/.345/.443 line in ten minor league seasons. The London, Ontario native has minor league experience at all four corner positions.

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