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Quick Hits: Magglio, Betemit, Manny, Indians

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Wandy Rodriguez looked sharp in his return from the disabled list tonight.  The Astros left-hander allowed four walks and two hits over six shutout innings as Houston notched a 8-3 win over Atlanta.  You'll be reading a lot about Rodriguez at MLBTR this summer since, with so few difference-making pitchers on the market, Rodriguez could arguably be the top arm available at the trade deadline.

Some links….

  • Magglio Ordonez could be on the market very soon, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Ordonez is a defensive liability in the outfield the Tigers can't put him at DH since that could cost Victor Martinez or Alex Avila at-bats.  Ordonez is still owed $5.8MM this season and he has a no-trade clause, so Morosi figures Detroit "would probably need to swap one burdensome contract for another" to move the veteran slugger.  The Yankees, Mariners and Angels are listed as contenders who could use DH help.
  • Wilson Betemit is drawing attention from several scouts, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  Betemit is hitting .289/.348/.411 for the Royals this season but lost his starting third base job to Mike Moustakas.  MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith profiled Betemit's trade candidacy last month and noted that at a 2011 salary of just $1MM, Betemit is bargain for any club needing third base help.   
  • The Royals have signed five more of their draft picks, with seventh-rounder Kellen Moen the highest pick yet to sign with the club this year.
  • As if the Dodgers didn't have enough financial problems, the club owes Manny Ramirez a deferred payment of $8.33MM by June 30, reports Molly Knight of ESPN The Magazine.  Ramirez is owed a total of $25MM in deferred money from the Dodgers, which will be split up into three equal payments this year, next year and in 2013.
  • The Indians announced the signings of three picks from the 2011 draft.  Outfielder Bryson Myles (sixth round) was the highest-picked of these signings.

Badler Examines July 2nd Class

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Less than thrilled by your team's draft haul?  Don't forget about the July 2nd class of international players.  This year's group is an improvement on the 2011 class, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America.  He names the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox, and Reds as teams that could be active in the international market.  Badler's info on a few of the top prospects:

  • Outfielders Ronald Guzman, Elier Hernandez, and Nomar Mazara could challenge Miguel Sano's $3.15MM record for a Dominican hitter, writes Badler.  The Rangers, Red Sox, and Blue Jays have been connected to Guzman and the Royals are the frontrunner for Hernandez.
  • Speedy Venezuelan shortstop Wilmer Becerra has been linked to the Cardinals, Twins, and Athletics, says Badler.  Becerra is projected by many to move to the outfield.
  • Mexican righty Roberto Osuna, nephew of Antonio, is a top prospect who is currently pitching in the Mexican League.  The 15-year-old is battling all kinds of former big leaguers.  Venezuelan righty Victor Sanchez is another one to watch, according to Badler.
  • Key MLBTR posts are translated into Spanish at our Rumores De Béisbol site, which has a unique Latin American focus with features such as Hits Latinos.  Tell your Spanish-speaking friends!

Quick Hits: Pirates, Cabrera, Realignment, Oeltjen

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Links for Saturday, as a pair of offseason headliners (Cliff Lee and Matt Garza) prepare to face off in Philadelphia this afternoon…

  • The Pirates have been asking around for a catcher but have found that the asking prices are high as clubs want to take advantage of their situation, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.  Pittsburgh is in a bind with Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder on the disabled list.
  • As the Giants look for infield help, ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter) says that Orlando Cabrera is a name to keep an eye on.  The veteran just lost his everyday job in Cleveland and the Giants were close to inking him over the winter.
  • After the Orioles tabbed Dylan Bundy with the fourth overall pick in the draft, Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun takes a look at Adam Loewen, the No. 4 pick that got away.
  • Major League Baseball and the players' association have discussed doing away with divisions altogether and balancing out the leagues to 15 teams each, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.  The new structure would have teams vying for five playoff spots in each league.  The odds of this happening, however, are still less than 50-50, according to one source.
  • Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times says that Trent Oeltjen could have become a free agent if the Dodgers didn't add him to the Major League roster by June 15th (Twitter link). Oeltjen was called up two days ago.
  • In a piece for ESPN, Jim Bowden wrote about how GM's prepare to make trades, a process that usually begins with low-ball offers being exchanged.
  • The writers at FanGraphs conducted a franchise player draft, selecting a player they would build a team around. Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki were the first two off the board.
  • The Royals have signed 16 draft picks according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. The highest signed pick was ninth rounder Aaron Brooks.

2012 Vesting Options Update

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Now that the calendar has flipped to June, let's check in on the status of the various vesting options around the league…

  • Bobby Abreu, Angels: $9MM option vests with 433 plate appearances. Abreu has already come to the plate 276 times this year, so this one seems life a safe bet to vest, barring injury.
  • Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Furcal is back on the disabled list with an oblique strain, and he's still a month away from returning. He has only 69 plate appearances this year, so this one won't vest.
  • Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. Garland has been on the disabled list twice this year (the first two times of his career), and he's currently out with a sore shoulder. He only has 54 innings to his credit and won't be back anytime soon, so this one won't vest.
  • Francisco Rodriguez, Mets: $17.5MM option vests with 55 games finished and if doctors declare him healthy at the end of the year. K-Rod has already finished 25 games, putting him on pace for 65 at season's end. A trade to a team that would use him as a set-up man would change everything, but right now the option figures to vest.
  • Koji Uehara, Orioles: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara has appeared in 26 games and finished 11, putting him on pace for 69 and 29, respectively.
  • Arthur Rhodes, Rangers: $4MM option vests with 62 appearances and if he's not on the disabled list at the end of the season. He's appeared in 20 games so far, putting him on pace for 50. Rhodes' workload could increase down the stretch.
  • Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances. He's already appeared in 28 games and is on pace for 71. It's worth noting that even if the option doesn't vest, the Royals would still control Soria as an arbitration-eligible player in 2012.
  • Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games. Wheeler has appeared in 17 games so far, so a stint on the disabled list did not help his cause.

Adam Wainwright's 2012 ($9MM) and 2013 ($12MM) options will not vest because he will finish the season on the disabled list after having Tommy John surgery. Aramis Ramirez's option depends on MVP Award finishes and whether or not he's traded, not plate appearances or another counting milestone.

Mark Buehrle is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season and although he doesn't have a traditional option in his contract, he gets an extra year at $15MM tacked onto his current deal if he's traded at some point this season.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.

Royals Designate Kevin Pucetas For Assignment

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The Royals announced that they designated Kevin Pucetas for assignment to create 40-man roster space for top prospect Mike Moustakas (Twitter link).

The 6'4" right-hander has a 5.07 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 60 1/3 innings at Triple-A. Pucetas, a 17th round pick of the Giants in 2006, has a 3.85 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in six seasons as a minor league starter. However, the 26-year-old has yet to post an ERA below 5.00 in three seasons at Triple-A.

Olney On Yankees, A’s, Moustakas

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The Yankees have lost reliever after reliever to the disabled list this year, but that doesn’t mean they’re about to rush top pitching prospects like Manny Banuelos to the Bronx. GM Brian Cashman told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that he’ll try to strengthen the team’s bullpen in other ways. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

  • Triple-A reliever Kevin Whelan could be an option for the Yankees, who have a depleted bullpen instead of the dominant one they expected after the offseason.
  • Olney says turnover was inevitable for the A’s “because the franchise continues to rot day by day.” Oakland’s ballpark situation remains unclear and Olney says the franchise will continue to “rot” until there’s resolution on that front.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore told Olney that the time is right for top prospect Mike Moustakas to play in the big leagues. “Ned [Yost, the manager] wanted to get another bat in here, and our people feel like he's ready," Moore said. Moustakas has a .287/.347/.498 line with ten homers at Triple-A and he still has enough time to pick up a few hundred MLB plate appearances this year.

Draft Notes: Appel, Brooks, Bichette

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On this date two years ago, the Nationals selected the most heavily-hyped amateur pitcher in history with the first pick of the amateur draft: San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg. Since the '09 draft, Strasburg has signed a $15.1MM contract, posted a 2.91 ERA in an electrifying rookie season and had Tommy John surgery. Here are some draft-related links for Thursday…

  • The draft is officially over, so MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo is already looking ahead to 2012, when Stanford right-hander Mark Appel could be the first overall selection. 
  • The Royals agreed to terms with ninth round pick Aaron Brooks last night, MLBTR has learned. The right-handed pitcher led the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes in a number of categories and finished third in the NCAA in BB/9.
  • Conor Glassey and John Manuel analyze each team's picks and approach at Baseball America. 
  • Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said supplemental first rounder Dante Bichette Jr. isn't overly pampered, though he has family ties to the game, according to Chad Jennings of the Journal News. "He is a worker," Oppenheimer said. "His regimen, his schedule, his routine, from the way he eats to the yoga to spending time at the gym to hitting. It’s second to none.” Bichette’s father made four All-Star teams with the Rockies.

Stark On Montero, Athletics, Phillies

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Teams may be able to trade draft picks as soon as next year, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. It also appears that owners and players are leaning toward adding a second Wild Card team in each league and having a one-game playoff between each league's two Wild Card teams to open the playoffs, according to Stark. Here are the rest of his rumors:

  • Though the Yankees never officially offered Jesus Montero to the Royals for Joakim Soria last year, executives around baseball are convinced GM Brian Cashman would have parted with the top catching prospect to acquire the Royals’ reliever.
  • Athletics manager Bob Geren is at “the top of the ‘First Manager to Get Fired’ charts,” according to Stark. The 27-34 A’s have lost their last seven games.
  • One rival scout tells Stark that Josh Willingham is the only Oakland player he’d recommend to his team. Scouts are bearing down on the A’s as possible sellers.
  • It’s highly unlikely that the Phillies consider trading Roy Oswalt or prospect Jonathan Singleton for a bat.

Draft Notes: Bradley, Bundy, Hager, Starling, Cubs

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The first and supplemental rounds are over and teams are reaching out to their top picks and setting up media conference calls with them. Here’s the latest on the draft from the players and teams themselves…

  • Archie Bradley (selected seventh overall by the D’Backs) says fellow Oklahoma high schooler Dylan Bundy (selected fourth overall by the Orioles) pushes him to be a better player. “With his workout and the way he goes about the game, it puts some weight on my shoulders to try to equal that or better that” Bradley said.
  • High school infielder Jake Hager (selected 32nd overall by the Rays) wants to start his pro career soon. Though he sees himself as a shortstop, he remains flexible to playing elsewhere on infield if that’s where the Rays want him to play. Hager describes himself as a hard worker who’s coachable. The Nevada native “had a feeling” the Rays would take him, since they were scouting him hard most weeks.
  • High school outfielder Bubba Starling (selected fifth overall by the Royals) describes himself as an equally good football and baseball player. The Kansas native admits to being a Royals fan, though he says he didn’t have time to see tons of games, since he plays so many sports. Starling says he felt stronger later in the season, after returning from a tweaked quad muscle.
  • Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken explained the selection of Javier Baez (ninth overall). “Javier has a tremendously live bat, is versatile in the field and we are happy to welcome him to the Cubs organization,” Wilken said in a team statement.  “He has a great arm and is a smart baserunner in tune with the game.

Draft Links: Royals, Pirates, Phillies

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Here's the latest as we close in on Monday's First-Year Player Draft …

  • The Royals will be tempted to take prep outfielder Bubba Starling from Kansas with the No. 5 overall pick, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. The Royals are thought to covet a polished pitcher so that he can help the big league team sooner than later, according to Dodd, but they've smarted over missing out on local products Albert Pujols and Logan Morrison in the recent past, and GM Dayton Moore has discussed the importance of snatching up local talent.
  • The Pirates' indecision about which pricey college player to take select at No. 1 overall — Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon are represented by Scott Boras, while Danny Hultzen is reportedly seeking $13MM — has some baseball people wondering whether they'll take a prep player like Starling or Dylan Bundy in order to preserve their draft budget and overpay for tough-to-sign players at later picks, writes Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. Also within that piece, Rogers examines some of the crucial selections of the past 10 drafts.
  • The Phillies are charged with restocking their farm despite making their first pick at No. 39, writes Bob Brookover of Philly.com. The fact that many of the Phils' core players are homegrown and others were acquired with prospects is a testament to the scouting and development departments, according to Brookover.
  • The Royals could also select UConn right-hander Matt Barnes with the fifth overall pick, writes Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner. Within that piece, Goff explains Barners' unforeseen ascent to likely top-10 selection.
  • The Astros were once interested in Texas A&M righty John Stilson at No. 11, according to Goff, but the hurler has generally slipped out of first-round consideration due to a shoulder injury. As a result, Stilson is now a deep sleeper, writes Goff.
  • Jonathan May of MLB.com published his latest mock draft today, with Cole, Rendon and Hultzen going at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 to the Pirates, Mariners and D'Backs, respectively.
  • Four of six industry experts polled said they prefer Cole to Trevor Bauer of the two UCLA Bruins, but it's closer than you think, writes Tom Krasovic.
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