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Angels Sign Two First-Round Picks

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The Angels have signed first-round picks Cameron Bedrosian and Chevez Clarke, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Bedrosian and Clarke were two of the Angels' three first-rounders in this year's draft, selected 29th and 30th overall respectively. Jim Callis of Baseball America reports that Bedrosian will receive a bonus of $1.116MM, while Clarke signed for $1.089MM.

The son of former Cy Young winner Steve Bedrosian, Cam was selected with the first-round pick the Angels earned when John Lackey signed with the Red Sox. Baseball America ranked Bedrosian 56th overall in their list of draft prospects, noting that his fastball hits the mid-90s and that he has a chance to become a major league starter.

Clarke is a switch-hitting high school outfielder who projects as a leadoff type, with MLB.com's scouting report likening the 18-year-old to Denard Span.

Kaleb Cowart, who the Angels selected with the 18th overall pick they received for losing Chone Figgins, is now the lone first-rounder who has yet to reach an agreement with the team. For the full list of which 2010 first-round picks have signed, click here.

Odds & Ends: Lee, Miller, Branyan, Phillies

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There may be a lot of NBA and NHL rumors and signings floating around today, but the MLB hot stove will only get hotter as we approach the trade deadline.  Here are some items from around the majors…

Orioles Call Up Josh Bell

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3:54pm: MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli spoke to Orioles' president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, who denied that Bell's promotion had anything to do with a pending trade of either Tejada or Ty Wigginton (Twitter link). 

3:08pm: With Luke Scott headed to the disabled list, the Orioles have called up top prospect Josh Bell from Triple-A according to a team press release. Bell was acquired from the Dodgers in the George Sherrill trade last year, and he's batting seventh in tonight's lineup.

This is Bell's first time in the big leagues, so the team has already delayed his free agency and arbitration eligibility by one season. The 23-year-old was hitting .266/.311/.455 with 24 doubles and ten homers in 309 Triple-A plate appearances before being called up.

Since Bell is a third baseman, it's reasonable to think that this move is the first step towards a Miguel Tejada trade, with the team getting a look at his replacement before they go ahead and take the plunge. The Phillies, Twins, and Angels could all be suitors for the 2002 AL MVP, who is in tonight's lineup as the designated hitter.

Angels Interested In Hank Blalock

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The Angels have some interest in Hank Blalock, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times. Blalock, available since the Rays designated him for assignment yesterday, is not one of the Angels’ preferred options this summer. Lance Berkman, Adam LaRoche and Ty Wigginton are having more productive seasons, but GM Tony Reagins is open-minded as he looks for production.

"We're not limiting our options," Reagins said, without referring to Blalock in particular. "There are opportunities to get better, and we're exploring all of them."

The Angels appear to be operating without financial limitations, but Blalock will cost just a pro-rated portion of the major league minimum if he clears waivers. He posted just a .254/.319/.349 line in the majors this year, though he did hit well in the minor leagues before his stint in Tampa. When the Rays cut Blalock yesterday, I speculated that the Twins could have interest as well as the Angels.

Kendry Morales is out with a season-ending leg operation and Brandon Wood has a .438 OPS, so the Angels could use a corner infielder. Blalock was mostly a DH for the Rays, though he did appear at third and first.

White Sox, Angels Targeting Adam Dunn?

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WEDNESDAY, 1:48pm: Nationals GM Mike Rizzo never talked to White Sox GM Kenny Williams about Dunn, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  Meanwhile Ladson's colleague Scott Merkin passes along via Twitter a Rizzo comment made on ESPN's Waddle & Silvy show today: "For us to move [Dunn] will be very painful and it will probably be very painful for the team that wants to acquire him." Here's the audio from ESPN Radio.

TUESDAY, 8:00am: The White Sox are targeting slugger Adam Dunn, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Cowley says the Nationals are willing to part with Dunn and names have been discussed, but the Angels are providing competition.  Cowley does not feel the $6.3MM remaining on Dunn's contract would be a problem for the White Sox, based on a recent comment by owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

Back on June 22nd, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he's been talking about an extension since spring training with Dunn's agent.  That same day, Dunn told MLB.com's Bill Ladson he does not want to be traded and hates this side of baseball.  Dunn does not have no-trade protection, however.

The 30-year-old Dunn is hitting .276/.366/.559 with 17 home runs in 314 plate appearances this season.  The batting average would be the highest of his career, his 11.5% walk rate the lowest.  The White Sox have gotten just a .218/.293/.371 line out of the DH spot, with Mark Kotsay getting the most starts there.

One other factor to consider is that as of June 21st, Dunn projected as a Type A free agent.  An arbitration offer seems possible, so the Nationals would probably want to exceed the value of two draft picks.

Rosenthal On Cliff Lee, MacDougal, Dunn, Valentine

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Cliff Lee starts tonight at Yankee stadium, and it figures to be one of his last outings in a Mariners uniform.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports leads his column with an examination of the market for Lee, noting that "the acquisition cost should be lower than the last two times he was traded."  Rosenthal sees no obvious favorite for the lefty at this time, though Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times believes "the buzz about a possible deal with the crosstown Mets is growing louder and louder."  Rosenthal's other rumorage:

  • The Nationals have until Thursday to decide whether to promote Mike MacDougal.  Otherwise, he can elect free agency.  The hard-throwing righty has a 4.71 ERA, 5.6 K/9, and 4.7 BB/9 in 21 minor league innings.
  • Rosenthal confirms other reports that the White Sox and Angels like Nationals slugger Adam Dunn.  He notes that Dunn "does not want to become a DH."
  • One executive feels that Jose Guillen will continue to hit well with the contract year carrot dangling.  Yesterday we learned from ESPN's Buster Olney that the Royals are pushing hard to move Guillen and will eat much of the $6.3MM remaining on his contract.  As for David DeJesus, an exec told Rosenthal the Royals "want to hit a home run" in any trade.
  • The Giants seek stability in their left-handed relief crew (currently Jeremy Affeldt and Dan Runzler), but the need could be addressed internally.
  • The Cardinals "likely will wait until at least the All-Star break to fully assess their needs."  The starting pitching situation will depend on the recoveries of Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse.
  • At another link, Rosenthal updates the Bobby Valentine-Marlins situation.

Angels Might Focus On First Base At Deadline

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The Angels might be focusing their shopping list on the first base position as they near the trade deadline, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. 

This morning, GM Tony Reagins had a private meeting with manager Mike Scioscia.  After the half-hour discussion, Reagins told the media that he has been actively involved in trade talks, but wouldn't elaborate.  However, he did say that he does not expect a deal to happen immediately:

"Right now, there's nothing I can say is going to happen in the next day or so," said the GM.

Meanwhile, Scioscia explained that he's content with some of the club's perceived weak points.  He believes the starting rotation and bullpen are headed in the right direction while the third base situation will improve upon the return of Maicer Izturis.  Despite his confidence in those areas, Scioscia did admit that the Halos could use some more depth at the first base position.

Saxon writes that Mike Napoli, who has been filling in at the position for the injured Kendry Morales, could be part of a deal for a first baseman.  The strong play of Bobby Wilson behind the plate has given the club two viable catchers, meaning that the club can comfortably part with Napoli.  As we've been hearing lately, Reagins may look to land Adam Dunn or Adam LaRoche as we near July 31st.

Rosenthal’s Full Count: Zambrano, Angels, Brewers

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Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…

  • The fact that Carlos Zambrano is a 29-year-old pitcher still capable of winning 12-15 games a year should be enough to allow the Cubs to trade him, but of course the team will have to a eat a large chunk of the $45MM left on his deal. Rosenthal reminds us that the Cubbies came ahead financially when they moved Milton Bradley this winter.
  • The Angels still want to add a first baseman, and Adam Dunn is on their list of potential targets. If they do make a move for Dunn or perhaps Adam LaRoche, incumbent first baseman Mike Napoli could become trade bait. 
  • The Nationals have yet to get serious in any discussions about a contract extension with Dunn. 
  • The Brewers are still searching for pitching, and the Blue Jays could be a potential match. Toronto likes Double-A infielder (and Canadian) Brett Lawrie, but the Brewers would be reluctant to trade him. They would have to consider it if he could land them someone like Brett Cecil or Shaun Marcum, though.
  • Arizona will probably not want to keep both Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson since they combine to make over $20MM next year, but Haren's value isn't what it once was. One baseball person told Rosenthal that "[Haren]'s not at the top of anyone's list, he's just another name."

Braves Not Actively Shopping Escobar

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One American League scout gets the sense that the Braves may be willing to trade Yunel Escobar, according to Mark Bowman and Chris Hempson of MLB.com. However, Bowman notes that the Braves aren't actively attempting to deal the 27-year-old and that it would take an "extremely attractive package" for Atlanta to move him.

Escobar has performed below expectations so far this year, posting career lows in batting average (.250) and OPS (.651). Not only is the shortstop struggling on the field, but Bowman suggests that "some members of the Braves organization" wouldn't mind parting ways with Escobar, due in part to his approach to the game.

There are a handful of teams, including the Tigers and Angels, who may look into acquiring a shortstop before the July 31st trade deadline. If they do, Escobar would be an intriguing option, though he won't come cheap. Considering his age and his .301/.375/.426 slash line in over 1500 plate appearances from 2007 to 2009, the Braves won't be inclined to sell low.

Angels Not Limited As Deadline Nears

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The Angels will be able to spend as they please this summer, GM Tony Reagins told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link). Reagins said the Angels have the financial and positional freedom to make the additions his club needs.

The 41-34 Angels are 4.5 games behind the streaking Rangers in the AL West and may need infield help. Injuries to Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis could force Reagins to pursue a shortstop, though that hasn't been the biggest problem for the team in 2010; Angels third basemen have combined to post a .596 OPS with four homers. Manager Mike Scioscia has found ways to fill in for injured first baseman Kendry Morales, but the team could also pursue a replacement via trade.

The Angels could use some pitching, too. Only the Indians, Orioles, Astros, Pirates, Brewers and D'Backs have allowed more runs. The team's bullpen, a major strength for much of the last decade, has posted a 4.94 ERA so far this year, so Reagins could pursue a second lefty to complement closer Brian Fuentes.

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