Angels Had Interest In Wagner; Still Looking
The Angels had interest in Billy Wagner before the Red Sox worked out a waiver trade to acquire the lefty from the Mets, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. The Angels may or may not have claimed Wagner- GM Tony Reagins wouldn't say- but the Red Sox, who have a worse record than LA, had priority regardless.
The Angels have an inexperienced group of relievers after Brian Fuentes and Darren Oliver, so Reagins said the club continues to monitor the waiver wire and explore possible trades.
Angels Rumors: Abreu, Reagins, Free Agency
Some Angels rumors, from around the league:
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, who says the Angels are the Yankees' biggest threat, spoke with Bobby Abreu and heard that he wants to return to LA next year.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan shows that the Angels, unlike most of their rivals, have managed to hold onto most of the players from their 2006 team.
- It's not a coincidence. GM Tony Reagins says the Angels hold onto the talent they acquire and try to avoid making drastic moves.
- The Angels will see Abreu, Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey, Chone Figgins and others hit free agency after the season, so they have a franchise-defining winter coming up.
Draft Updates: Brewers, Rays, Yankees
Some more news on signings is trickling in — let's dig in:
- Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is hearing that the Brewers have essentially agreed to terms with 39th overall pick Kentrail Davis but aren't announcing it so as to not drive up the price of other picks before the deadline. There was a worry that the two sides weren't completely close earlier today. I understand the reasoning behind the secrecy, but doesn't this feel like something that needs to change? It's not like all of these contract figures have been on lockdown in the first place, and chances are they're not going to be in the future either.
- Jim Callis at Baseball America reports that the Rays awarded fifth-round pick Jeff Malm a bonus of $680k, about five times the slot recommendation for that selection.
- George A. King III at the New York Post says that the only obstacle in the way of Slade Heathcott and John Murphy becoming Yankees are their upcoming physicals. Heathcott and Murphy are the Yanks' first- and second-rounders, respectively.
- We know that the Angels have come to terms with Jake Locker, their 10th-round pick, on a $150k bonus. Locker is a top football prospect too, though, and he will reportedly be given free reign to pursue that career, says Jim Callis. Sounds like a pretty nice deal.
Odds & Ends: Orioles, Angels, Ackley
Some Sunday morning odds and ends from around the league:
- The Orioles received first baseman Rhyne Hughes from the Rays to complete the August 7 deal for Gregg Zaun, says Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The O's also sent more than $300K to the Rays. According to Connolly, the 25-year old Hughes "hit .313 with seven homers and 26 RBIs in 56 games at Triple-A Durham and .252 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs in 58 games at Double-A Montgomery this season. He struck out 149 combined times in 440 at-bats this year."
- Ed Eagle of MLB.com reports the Angels signed University of Washington quarterback Jake Locker, their tenth round pick. Locker wants to pursue a career in pro-football but views the opportunity with the Angels as a backup plan. According to Eagle, "Locker is considered a potential high-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft."
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times chimes in on the latest with Dustin Ackley and the Seattle Mariners who need to reach an agreement by midnight tomorrow.
- Miguel Tejada is willing to move to third if it keeps him in Houston, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Lackey A Good Fit For Baltimore?
Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun speculates that pending free agent John Lackey could be a natural fit for the Orioles who are in need of a veteran starter to "help mold a real rotation out of all those promising young arms." This speculation comes on the heels of Lackey's comments from last night's game:
Schmuck does say that he can't imagine the Angels letting Lackey slip away. As it stands, the Angels are waiting until the off season to begin negotiations. In his last 10 starts, Lackey has allowed more than 2 runs only twice with a 66:21 K:BB.
Gammons’ Latest: Greene, Angels, Strasburg
Peter Gammons has a new blog post up at ESPN, in which he writes about the wildcard races and what they mean for baseball. Bud Selig takes a lot of heat, but I don't think there's any arguing that the wildcard is one of his greatest achievements.
Anyway, Gammons drops a few rumor nuggets at the end of the piece, so let's round 'em up…
- The Red Sox did not pursue Cardinals shortstop Khalil Greene when he cleared waivers. Remember to check out out handy dandy list of players who have already cleared waivers.
- The Angels are reportedly interested in Heath Bell, who was put on waivers yesterday. Several GMs "expressed doubt that the Padres would be able trade him." I, for one, think the Pads would have no problem moving him if they really wanted to.
- One GM says the Angels "should take Francisco Cordero. The Reds will move him."
- Gammons says that most baseball people think the Nationals will sign Stephen Strasburg "if negotiations with Scott Boras do not get contentious." He guesstimates that Strasburg could get $22MM for three years, which would allow him to go to arbitration for three years and land another big payday. Or three.
Odds & Ends: Draft, Moyer, Cubs
Links for Thursday…
- RotoAuthority looks at the worst closers in baseball.
- Indians first-round draft pick Alex White is "seeking top five money," according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hoynes says the Indians are optimistic about signing him before Monday's deadline.
- As you might expect, Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says the Stephen Strasburg talks between the Nationals and Scott Boras will go down to the wire. MLBTR will be covering the signing deadline intensely, as we did last year.
- Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer has a source saying the Phillies' bullpen demotion of Jamie Moyer was "not in any way influenced by money." The team's timing of the move was impeccable, regardless.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times talked to Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who isn't anticipating any waiver moves for his team.
- ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider link) speculates on a handful of teams that could use recently-designated third baseman Bill Hall.
- Reliever Justin Speier was gracious about his release from the Angels, according to Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times.
Odds & Ends: D’Backs, Hall, Moyer
I can't even begin to describe the hyper-ness of these links:
- Nick Piecoro at the Arizona Republic got word that the Diamondbacks don't plan to decrease payroll from the $73 million they have on the books this year. He gives a nice rundown of what'll be due next season.
- Despite Jamie Moyer being sent to the bullpen before multiple incentives kicked in, Andy Martino at the Philadelphia Inquirer isn't convinced the move was financially motivated.
- Mark Sheldon at MLB.com thinks the Reds should pursue Bill Hall as it's a "no-risk move."
- Doug Davis is aware of the rumors swirling around him being dealt this deadline, but seems to be warm to the idea of pitching for a contender as some postseason experience can help his pending contract, says Steve Gilbert at MLB.com.
- It's appearing more and more that Luis Gonzalez will officially retire and potentially take a spot in the Diamondbacks front office, says Steve Gilbert.
- According to Dejan Kovacevic at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates have made their claim of John Meloan official and also have signed Australian free agent Jarryd Sullivan to a deal.
- Mike Scioscia isn't expecting Kelvim Escobar to return from injury this year, says Rhett Bollinger at MLB.com. Perhaps this accelerates the Angels' search for a starter.
Rosenthal On Angels, Rangers, Rockies
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Angels are looking for rotation upgrades and have no budget limitations. GM Tony Reagins says he's constantly evaluating the benefits of adding an expensive piece to the team. Here are the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:
- The Rangers have claimed several cheap bats off waivers, but have yet to acquire any of them.
- At least one GM expects the Rockies to win the NL West and the Cards to win the World Series.
- The Rockies are still looking for a reliever and a bench bat.
- Rosenthal says the Tigers have no choice but to keep playing Magglio Ordonez, even though his expensive 2010 option will vest after 90 more trips to the plate.
Angels Release Justin Speier
According to the AP via ESPN, the Angels have released RHP Justin Speier. The 35-year-old has put up a 5.18 ERA and 39/15 K/BB ratio in 40.0 innings this season.
Speier is in the third year of a four-year deal worth $18MM and he's set to earn $5.25MM in 2010. With his past success, you can bet he'll find work somewhere else.