Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Angels Rumors

Quick Hits: Romero, Melky, Michael, Mondesi, Bailey

By | at

Saturday evening linkage..

  • The Mets have signed infielder Niuman Romero to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (on Twitter). Romero appeared in two games for the Red Sox last season and hit .222/.294/.244 in 159 plate appearances in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems this year.
  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Giants, Angels, and Phillies are among the teams with some level of interest in Melky Cabrera. The Melkman has delivered a .293/.332/.452 line for the Royals this season.
  • The Twins are making progress in talks with first round pick Levi Michael, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune. Michael was the 30th overall pick, which carries a slot recommendation of $1.1MM or so.
  • Adalberto Mondesi, the 16-year-old son of Raul Mondesi, is expected to sign for $1MM when eligible in two weeks according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (link in Spanish). Rojas says the Royals have the inside track, but the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Athletics are also interested. Make sure you tell your friends about our Spanish-language sister site Rumores de Beisbol.
  • Yesterday we learned that the Athletics have received calls on closer Andrew Bailey.  Two sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers are among those teams and the A's have at started looking more in-depth at Texas' farm system.
  • The Braves are in search of a bat, but Athletics outfielder Josh Willingham isn’t high on their list, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  Earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that Willingham "is going to be traded at some point".
  • With their payroll already at an all-time high, the White Sox might be better off making in-house moves rather than deals, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  If GM Ken Williams & Co. do make a deal they may look to land a right-handed reliever, despite the emergence of Brian Bruney.
  • Rival evaluators say that the degree of separation in the standings could impact the the aggressiveness of the Phillies, Braves, and Giants before the deadline, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  
  • The Cardinals have been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball as far as looking at starters, a source tells Morosi (via Twitter).

Morosi On League, Astros, Red Sox, Blue Jays

By | at

It's unlikely that incoming Astros owner Jim Crane would want to start his tenure as Houston's new owner by opposing MLB's other teams, as Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out. That means it will be hard for Crane to turn Bud Selig down if the commissioner asks the Astros to move to the American League West at some point. Here are more of Morosi's notes from around MLB:

  • The Mariners are taking calls on Brandon League and have no plans to make Felix Hernandez available (Twitter link).
  • Despite the many injuries to their starting pitchers, the Red Sox haven't begun an all-out search for rotation help, according to Morosi. The Red Sox, who have checked in on Carlos Beltran, are prioritizing a right-handed hitting outfielder.
  • The Blue Jays are hearing from teams interested in their relievers (Twitter link).
  • The Angels prefer left-handed hitters over right-handed hitters, according to Morosi (on Twitter). They had serious discussions about the left-handed hitting Garrett Jones earlier in the year.

Quick Hits: Cardinals, Tigers, Rays, Peacock

By | at

That terrified gasp you heard earlier this evening was from Blue Jays fans and Jose Bautista fantasy owners.  The star slugger was forced to leave Toronto's 16-7 win over the Yankees due to a twisted right ankle suffered in the fourth inning.  X-rays were negative and Bautista will likely undergo an MRI tomorrow, reports Shi Davidi of Rogers Sportsnet.

Some news from around the majors…

  • The Cardinals are shopping for both starting and relief pitching, but their trade efforts are complicated by the Albert Pujols negotiations looming this winter, writes MLB.com's Matthew Leach.  There's also pressure on the club to win now since this could be the last season for both Pujols and Chris Carpenter in St. Louis.
  • Speaking of pressure, it "might be higher than ever" in Detroit since GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland are both in the last year of their contracts, notes MLB.com's Jason Beck.  The Tigers are also looking to add starting pitching and possibly a right-handed reliever, though Beck says the club will look internally (possibly the returning Carlos Guillen) to solve its second base problem.
  • With their next seven games against the Red Sox and Yankees, the Rays may know by next week if they will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, writes MLB.com's Bill Chastain.  If the Rays are in contention, however, Andrew Friedman says it doesn't mean the Rays will deal prospects for big upgrades since "because of our situation, our prospects mean more to us than any other team in baseball."
  • Brad Peacock is now represented by the ACES agency, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (Twitter link).  The Nationals right-hander was a 41st-round pick in the 2006 draft but was recently ranked as the 42st-best minor leaguer in the game on Baseball America's midseason prospect list. 
  • The White Sox have signed third-round draft pick Jeff Soptic, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.  Soptic's contract bonus was worth $320K, $40.1K over MLB's recommended slot price for the 110th overall pick.
  • Baseball America's Matt Eddy runs down the week's minor league transactions.
  • A source tells Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles that the Angels are "pinching pennies" and won't be looking to add payroll at the trade deadline.

Quick Hits: Iwakuma, Draft, Mariners

By | at

On this date in 2009, the Nationals fired manager Manny Acta and replaced him with Jim Riggleman. A lot has changed in two years – Riggleman resigned as the Nationals' skipper over a contract dispute last month and Acta, now the Indians' manager, is a leading candidate for AL Manager of the Year. Here's the latest from around MLB…

  • The Rays, Indians, Astros and Angels scouted Hisashi Iwakuma's recent rehab start, according to a Sponichi report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The 30-year-old right-hander posted a 2.72 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 from 2007-10 in Japan.
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America explains the give and take between the commissioner's office and the players' union when it comes to the double standard between draft-eligible amateurs and international free agents.
  • One NL executive told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that we should expect an intense week leading up to the trade deadline, since teams will wait until the last possible moment before becoming ‘sellers.’
  • GM Jack Zduriencik told Greg Johns of MLB.com that he has discussed possible moves, but doesn’t want to get caught up in whether the Mariners will be buyers or a sellers this summer.

Pirates, Angels Discussed Jones For Mathis Swap

By | at

The Pirates and Angels had serious discussions about a trade that would have sent Garrett Jones to Anaheim for Jeff Mathis, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, the Pirates decided to keep Jones instead of pursuing talks further.

Since the Pirates’ two primary catchers, Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder, are on the disabled list, they’d like to upgrade their catching depth (they’re currently using Michael McKenry and Eric Fryer). However, finding alternatives is proving difficult for the 47-43 Pirates.

The Angels would like to acquire a left-handed power hitter who can play first base, outfield and DH. Though Russell Branyan had potential as a powerful lefty bat, he has hit just .178/.255/.267 since signing with Los Angeles.

Heath Bell Talks Trade Possibilities

By | at

Padres closer Heath Bell appears to be keeping tabs on his own market, telling Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times he views the Angels, Yankees, Cardinals, Rangers, and Phillies as potential suitors (Twitter link). 

Bell discussed the trade possibility at length with MLB.com's Matthew Leach and other reporters today at the All-Star game media session, saying he's willing to set up for the rest of the year if a team acquires him for that role.  Of course, he doesn't really have any say in the matter; if a team wants him to play shortstop he'll have to do that to collect his paycheck.  Bell does not seem to have a league preference.  As you might expect, Bell will want a closing job when he signs a contract as a free agent.

An NL executive spoke to Tom Krasovic about Bell's trade value, wondering if Padres setup man Mike Adams is valued more.  As far as fantasy baseball trade value, Dan Mennella at CloserNews wonders if it's time to try flipping Bell.

Cafardo’s Latest: Bell, Kazmir, Kendall, Aramis

By | at

Heath Bell's name has been near the top of this season's list of trade candidates for months, and in this week's Sunday Baseball Notes, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe adds a new potential suitor to the mix. According to Cafardo's source, the Rays are interested in the Padres' closer, but will have to determine over the next couple weeks whether they have "enough firepower" to go all out to catch the Red Sox and Yankees. Here are a few other highlights from Cafardo:

  • The Yankees, Rangers, Diamondbacks, and Phillies are a few other teams monitoring Bell.
  • While there hasn't been a whole lot of interest in Scott Kazmir, the Padres and Rangers have "taken a look."
  • Jason Kendall, who hasn't played this year as he recovers from shoulder surgery, has re-torn two rotator cuff tendons. Kendall will undergo additional surgery, possibly ending his career. Royals manager Ned Yost on the procedure: "That takes him out of the picture for this year and out of the picture for next year…. I think it’s more a quality-of-life surgery so he can have function in his shoulder."
  • The Angels appear to be the team most interested in Aramis Ramirez, though Cafardo names the Mariners, Giants, Braves, and D'Backs as other clubs who could look into the Cubs' third baseman. Of course, Ramirez's agent said earlier this week that his client likely won't waive his no-trade clause, so inquires may be futile.

Service Time Breakdown For Mike Trout

By | at

It’s common for teams to time the debut of a top prospect carefully in order to delay his free agency or prevent him from going to arbitration an extra time. But such precise timing isn’t always possible, especially for short-handed teams in the middle of a pennant race.

Mike Trout

The Angels, who trail the Rangers by one game in the American League West, lost no time in calling up top prospect Mike Trout to replace injured center fielder Peter Bourjos and the move doesn’t appear to have anything to do with service time.

Trout, 19, entered the season as baseball’s second-best prospect (behind only Bryce Harper), according to Baseball America. So far this year, the 2009 first round pick has solidified his place as one of the game's elite prospects. He has a .324/.415/.534 line with nine homers and 28 stolen bases in his first season at Double-A.

There’s definitely a chance that Trout returns to the minors this season (he could be demoted when Bourjos’ hamstring heals), or later on in his pro career, like so many other prospects. But let’s take a look at what lies ahead for the 19-year-old if he never returns to the minors. It’s admittedly a lot to ask of a player who was in high school a couple years ago, but Trout is no ordinary prospect.

He can pick up as many as 83 days of service time this year, which would put him on track for arbitration eligibility after the 2014 season and free agency after the 2017 season (it’s the same timetable that he would have been on if the Angels had called him up this September or added him to their Opening Day roster in 2012). In other words, there’s a chance Trout will hit free agency just a few months after his 26th birthday.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

2012 Vesting Options Update

By | at

The season is offically more than halfway complete now, so let's update the status of the various vesting options from around the league…

  • Bobby Abreu, Angels: $9MM option vests with 433 plate appearances. Abreu is just 82 plate appearances short of that total, so this one will vest later this month, barring injury.
  • Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Injuries have limited Furcal to just 82 plate appearances this year, so this one won't be vesting.
  • Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. A few days ago we heard that Garland is unlikely to pitch the rest of the season due to a shoulder issue. He's at 54 innings, so the Dodgers won't have to worry about this one vesting either.
  • 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 finished 32 games already, putting him on pace for 60. A trade to a team that would use him as a setup man would change things, though we recently heard that some GMs beleieve Rodriguez's trade value is reaching a "tipping point" as he racks up the games finished.
  • Koji Uehara, Orioles: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara has appeared in 35 games and finished 16, putting him on pace for 68 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. Rhodes has appeared in 28 games so far, and he's on pace for 52. Texas will need to use him a little more liberally down the stretch for this one to kick in.
  • Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances. With 35 appearances already to his credit, Soria is on pace to pitch in 69 games this year.
  • Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games. Wheeler has appeared in 26 games this year with a disabled list stint mixed in. He'd have to appear in 39 of the team's final 77 games for the option to vest, which seems unlikely.

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.

Quick Hits: Blue Jays, International Signings, Astros

By | at

A few items of note as the White Sox pick up a rare "balk-off" win over Aaron Crow and the Royals….

  • The Blue Jays have signed Nicaraguan right-hander Osman Gutierrez, reports Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.  Terms of the deal were not announced.  Gutierrez is only 16 years old but stands 6'4", weighs 200 pounds and has a "power arm."
  • In a mailbag piece, Jim Callis of Baseball America questions the double standard between international signings and draft picks, wondering "why it's OK for the Rangers to give $5 million to Nomar Romaza and $3.5 million to Ronald Guzman, both Dominican outfielders, yet it's a capital offense for any club to exceed MLB's ridiculously low bonus recommendations for the draft."  Callis also discusses the history of draft picks making quick debuts in the Majors and the progress of Angels prospect Randal Grichuk, who was taken 24th overall in the 2009 draft — one pick ahead of Mike Trout.
  • The Astros' signings of Luis Reynoso and Arturo Michelena are the latest examples of the team's renewed focus on Latin American scouting, writes Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top