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Dodgers Interested In Cuban Right-Hander Gonzalez

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10:24pm: The Rangers, Red Sox, and Cubs are also interested in Gonzalez, a source tells Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (via Twitter).  As it stands, there are seven teams in total that are in on the right-hander.

1:48pm: The Dodgers are one of the teams interested in Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports.  Gonzalez, who formerly pitched for Cuba's national team, defected earlier this year and is now living in Mexico.  At age 26, he is old enough to be signed without his salary counting towards a team's international spending cap.

Gonzalez "is said to be 6-foot-3 with a fastball in the 90s, a changeup, forkball and curveball" and at least one Major League scout thinks the righty could reach the Majors this season.  Gonzalez hasn't pitched much in Cuba over the last two seasons as he was suspended by the country's top league for a previous attempt to escape.

Gonzalez is expected to be declared eligible by MLB this week and will become a free agent upon clearance by the U.S. Treasury Department.  A showcase for scouts is tentatively scheduled for around June 20, a source tells Hernandez.

Mets Notes: Ethier, Davis, Murphy, Feliciano

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Acquiring Andre Ethier "would be a solid gamble" for the Mets, Metsblog.com's Matthew Cerrone opines.  Ethier could be forced out of the Dodgers outfield by Yasiel Puig and Scott Van Slyke, making him expendable at a discount price since it is believed the Dodgers would have to absorb at least half of the roughly $80MM remaining on Ethier's contract.  The Mets would be paying around $10MM per season to a player Cerrone sees as "a nice compliment to Lucas Duda in left field," but it would be the first step in the Mets upgrading their outfield now and this winter in the free agent market.

Here's some more on the Amazins from ESPN New York's Adam Rubin, who covered a number of topics during a live chat with readers today…

  • Ike Davis could be a trade candidate if the Mets thought he wouldn't be worth his growing salary over his arbitration years.  A Rubin source on another team projects Davis to earn $6.1MM in his second year of arbitration eligibility this winter, "assuming his production normalizes somewhat the rest of the way."  This could be a big if, as Davis has managed only a .509 OPS through 201 PA this season.  Davis signed a one-year, $3.125MM deal last winter in his first taste of arb-eligibility.
  • Rubin isn't sure if the Mets see Daniel Murphy as an extension candidate since "a New York team doesn't normally have to be consumed with locking up a player's arbitration years."  Murphy signed a one-year, $2.925MM deal last winter and is arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter.  The second baseman has been a bright spot for the Mets this season, hitting .290/.323/.439 and tying for the NL lead with 19 doubles. 
  • Pedro Feliciano has been on the minor league disabled list since May 9 with a "very serious" type of food poisoning that "can affect the person off and on for years."  The southpaw hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2010 after suffering a variety of arm injuries as a member of the Yankees in 2011-12.  Feliciano signed a minor league deal with the Mets in January.

Dodgers Notes: Beckett, Elbert, Draft, McCourt

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The Dodgers managed to avoid being no-hit last night by Jason Marquis but that was about the only bright spot of a 6-2 loss to the Padres.  Skip Schumaker broke up Marquis' no-hit bid with a two-out double in the sixth inning.  It was almost exactly a year ago that the Dodgers were last held hitless, when six Mariners pitchers combined for the unique no-hitter on June 8, 2012.

Here's the latest from Chavez Ravine…

  • Josh Beckett is confident that he will pitch again, though the right-hander isn't sure if he will have to undergo season-ending surgery, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports.  Beckett is battling numbness in his pitching hand and has already been shut down for the next four weeks.  Beckett had been thinking about retirement in the wake of the injury, though he felt more optimistic since other pitchers had returned from similar issues.
  • Left-hander Scott Elbert will undergo Tommy John surgery, the team announced.  Elbert underwent elbow operations in September and January and appeared in eight minor league games this season as he attempted to rehabiliate his arm.  A first round pick (17th overall) in the 2004 draft, Elbert posted a 2.32 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 2.33 K/BB rate over 66 relief innings in 2011-12.
  • The Dodgers are likely to draft a pitcher with their first round selection (18th overall) in order to help restock their farm system after dealing several young arms over the past year, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.  "I feel better about our current depth than one might suspect, but I always try to get pitching and that's not going to change. We'll still try to get the highest-ceiling guy," said Logan White, Dodgers VP of amateur scouting.
  • A Los Angeles judge has ordered the Dodgers ownership group to disclose details of its financial relationship with former owner Frank McCourt, The Associated Press reports.  The Dodgers were looking to keep their connections to McCourt private as public disclosure could allegedly harm plans to build another stadium (possibly for an NFL team) on the land around Dodger Stadium, which McCourt and the Guggenheim group co-owns.

Dodgers Notes: Puig, Beckett, McCourt

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Yasiel Puig's legend grew last night after he smashed a pair of homers and knocked in five runs as part of a three-hit effort in his second big league game. That came on the heels of a game-ending outfield assist which capped a two-hit performance in his MLB debut. Here's more on the Cuban sensation and his Dodgers teammates…

  • One international scouting director recently quipped to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez that he's signed players that can do everything Puig does for a lot less than $40MM (Twitter link).
  • A nerve specialist diagnosed Josh Beckett with nerve irritation that is affecting his arm and hand, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports. Beckett has been shut down and will not throw for four weeks. Last week, Beckett admitted that retirement has crossed his mind in the wake of the numbness in his pitching hand.
  • Guggenheim Baseball Management, the entity which owns the Dodgers, is lobbying to keep the details of its financial relationship with former owner Frank McCourt private, writes Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. The belief is that details of the relationship could harm the chances of getting other sports teams to play on the land surrounding Dodger Stadium. That area has long been a preferred location for an NFL stadium, writes Shaikin. He adds that the new management's preference is to concentrate on improving the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium before turning their attention to the development of the surrounding land.

Dodgers Notes: Ethier, Puig, Beckett

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It was on this day in 1964 that Sandy Koufax threw the third no-hitter of his legendary career, blanking the Phillies in a 3-0 result.  A fourth-inning walk to Dick Allen was the only blemish on Koufax's record in the game, though that was quickly remedied when Allen was caught stealing.  Koufax finished his career with four no-hit games, second only to Nolan Ryan's seven no-nos in baseball history.

Here's the latest on the modern-day Dodgers… 

  • Three rival general managers tell CBS Sports' Jon Heyman that the Dodgers would have to eat at least half of Andre Ethier's contract in order to trade the outfielder, or take on a bad contract in return.  Ethier is a little over two months into a five-year, $85MM contract extension with the team but he has struggled this season and fallen out of favor with manager Don Mattingly.
  • As reported in January, the Mariners contacted the Dodgers about Ethier though "that never got past a couple-minutes chat," according to Heyman.
  • Yasiel Puig made an impressive Major League debut on Monday but he could've debuted on Opening Day had the Dodgers' outfield not already been full, GM Ned Colletti tells Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  Colletti didn't mind sending Puig to the minors since he felt the 22-year-old still needed seasoning after receiving just 95 minor league PAs in 2012 and spending more than a year away from organized ball.  “It really came down to him having to play the game,” Colletti said. “He needed repetition, game repetition, situational repetition.”
  • Josh Beckett is battling "some kind of nerve thing" but won't require surgery, Mattingly tells reporters.  Beckett's possible return didn't "feel like it's around the corner," according to the Dodgers manager (links are to Dylan Hernandez's Twitter account).  Beckett has battled numbness in his pitching hand and was considering retirement due to the problem.

Dodgers To Promote Yasiel Puig

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The Dodgers tweet that they will promote outfielder Yasiel Puig, also noting that they have optioned pitcher Matt Magill to Triple-A Albuquerque make room. Puig, 22, was hitting .313/.383/.599 for Double-A Chattanooga. With Matt Kemp (hamstring) on the disabled list, Puig could appear in center field, although the Dodgers can use help throughout the outfield — left fielder Carl Crawford left Saturday's game, also with a hamstring injury. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal notes (via Twitter) that the Dodgers think Puig profiles best as a right fielder, but suggests that they could use him at all three outfield spots.

Puig was the object of plenty of Spring Training hype when he batted .517/.500/.828 before being sent to the minors. He was listed at No. 47 in Baseball America's preseason list of the top 100 prospects in the game, and No. 70 on MLB.com's list. Baseball America's Prospect Handbook ranked Puig the Dodgers' No. 2 prospect (behind Hyun-Jin Ryu) and praised Puig's bat speed and raw power.

In 2012, the Dodgers signed the Cuban outfielder to a seven-year, $42MM deal that included a $12MM signing bonus. He is set to make $2MM this year and next, and $4.5MM in 2015, although he can opt into the arbitration process once he becomes eligible. If Puig were to stick in the big leagues, it's unclear at this point whether he might be eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player after the 2015 season. (Here's more about Super Two eligibility.)

NL Notes: Wheeler, Mets, Lincecum, Puig

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The Mets are trying to find the right spot for top prospect Zack Wheeler (#7 by MLB.com, #11 by Baseball America, and #13 by ESPN's Keith Law - Insider subscription required and recommended), to make his MLB debut and are carefully monitoring the Super Two arbitration cutoff, which they believe will come after June 8, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post. Puma writes the Mets are sensitive to putting Wheeler in an optimum position to succeed in his debut with a strong preference for that to come in the series with the Cubs on June 14-16, instead of against the NL Central leading Cardinals in the previous series. The Mets front office is also wary of Wheeler, a native of Dallas, GA, making his debut against the Braves in Atlanta because of the belief the right-hander will have enough jitters pitching in the majors for the first time and won't need the added pressure of pitching in front of a large contingent from his hometown. Manager Terry Collins, meanwhile, isn't concerning himself with rumors of Wheeler's call up. "I've got enough on my plate right now," Collins told reporters including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. "I can't keep track of everybody in the organization all the time. Certainly, I know how he pitched. We all keep saying, 'He's on the way, he's on the way, he's on the way,' but he'll pitch his way here. When that time is, I have no idea." In other news coming from the National League:

  • The Mets, in the wake of being swept by the Marlins (owners of the worst record in baseball), need to contemplate whether they want to be 100-loss team with prospects gaining experience or vets annoying fans, opines ESPNNewYork's Adam Rubin on Twitter. 
  • Tim Lincecum, ranked seventh on MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, told Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com he is committed to being a starting pitcher but is open to the idea of becoming a closer. "I’m always open. It’s just, right now I don’t want to be open to it," Lincecum said. "I’m sure if my career takes that turn, I’m definitely open to changes, especially if it’s beneficial to the team I’m playing for." Baggarly noted Lincecum chose his words carefully when he said "the team I’m playing for." A club source told Baggarly the Giants would turn Lincecum into a late-inning reliever "in a heartbeat," if they had another starting pitcher in the system ready to take his place in the rotation. 
  • The Dodgers are awaiting an update on Carl Crawford's left hamstring injury before deciding whether to bring up top prospect Yasiel Puig (#47 by Baseball America and #70 by MLB.com); but, it would be an upset if the outfielder isn't playing for them tomorrow, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). Shaikin also noted on Twitter that Puig, owner of a .313/.383/.599 slash line this season, was not in the lineup for Double-A Chattanooga for the second consecutive game.

Cafardo On Lee, Papelbon, Sizemore, Rios

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if George Brett is being groomed to be the Royals' next manager now that he has committed to being with the team every day as hitting coach.  Dennis Gilbert, who represented Brett as an agent and who has fallen short in bids to purchase the Dodgers, Padres, and Rangers, would have installed Brett as manager had he landed one of those clubs.  Brett could very well be Ned Yost’s eventual replacement if he boosts Kansas City's offense, but there’s also a lot of sentiment for Jim Fregosi, who has ties to GM Dayton Moore.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Cafardo spoke to a couple dozen executives, scouts, and players over the past few days about who the top player on the trade block will be and the consensus was Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee.  The Red Sox, Orioles, Indians, Angels, and Rangers would really like to have Lee and there are many more clubs who could be in the mix, including the Dodgers and the Yankees, who say they can’t swing it but have the means to do it.  One American League exec indicated there would be 20 teams lined up for Lee.  Lee might be the last guy Ruben Amaro Jr. wants to trade, but he'd yield the greatest return.
  • The Phillies have another interesting piece in Jonathan Papelbon and if they decide they are retooling, they probably don’t need a top closer.  Several baseball people say the Tigers would be a tremendous fit for Papelbon since pairing him with that starting rotation would be rather formidable.  He would also be an option for the Angels and Red Sox, but the Sox want to give Andrew Bailey every chance to do the job.  The Indians would also be a possibility.
  • It shouldn’t be long before a long list of teams start to inquire about free agent Grady Sizemore.  Sizemore has begun baseball activities after being sidelined by knee surgeries and so far he’s had no setbacks.  Cafardo suggests the Mets could be a fit as they are in need of outfield help.  
  • The White Sox, Blue Jays, and Twins might hold some of this year's top trade chips.  “Alex Rios, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and you can add Justin Morneau, are definitely the major guys scouts are focusing on,” said one AL GM. 
  • After Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury stole five bases Thursday night against the Phillies, it started to dawn on people — including some in the Philadelphia organization — that Ellsbury would be a nice piece in the Phillies’ lineup next season.  However, he also hurt his groin during the game, and the injury question popped up.

Rosenthal On Hughes, Gallardo, Kershaw, Pirates

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Here’s a look at some highlights from the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • At the age of 27, Phil Hughes will be the youngest pitcher on the open market by far.  The Yankees hurler figures to be more in demand that one might think thanks to his high strikeout rate, low walk rate, postseason experience, and his ability to survive – and sometimes thrive – in New York.  Hughes’ biggest flaw is giving up a lot of home runs, but a more forgiving ballpark could help correct that.  Rosenthal suggests that he would do well in the pitcher-friendly parks of the Mets, Padres, Mariners, and Tigers.
  • The trade market for starting pitchers doesn’t look very attractive at this point, but Yovani Gallardo is one player to keep an eye on.  Gallardo hasn’t done especially well this season for the Brewers and his fastball velocity is trending downward, but he might be better than any other starter on the block.  He’s also relatively affordable as he makes $7.75MM this season and $11.25MM next season with a $13MM option for 2015. 
  • The Dodgers might not be in as strong of a position for Robinson Cano as they initially appeared.  Clayton Kershaw is going to go for ~$200MM and the team might not be able to take another contract in that range.  As Josh Kosman and Mark DeCambre of the New York Post reported earlier this week, the club will have to commit a greater percentage of their deal to revenue sharing than the originally thought.  That could cost them more than $1B over 25 years and that could affect their ability to maintain skyhigh payrolls.
  • Much has been made of the workloads of the Pirates’ top relievers, triggering speculation that they’ll have to trade for relief help at the deadline.  That could happen, but team officials note that Jason Grilli and Mark Melancon both have been quite efficient while Justin Wilson has gone back-to-back just twice in his multi-inning role this season.  The club also has a number of intriguing options waiting in the wings in Triple-A, most notably Ryan Reid and Jared Hughes.

West Notes: Beckett, Dodgers, Puig, A’s

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With the Angels welcoming back a healthy Jered Weaver in their attempt to turn things around, the Dodgers continue to receive more disappointing injury news. Here’s a look around baseball’s west divisions..

  • Dodgers right-hander Josh Beckett could be considering retirement, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  Beckett’s recent bout with finger numbness apparently has the 33-year-old considering his future, “Any time something like that happens to your arm or you start losing feeling and stuff … you think about it for sure.” 
  • Promoting top prospect Yasiel Puig is just what the Dodgers need, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Puig could showcase his five-tool potential with Matt Kemp on the DL.  Since signing as a high-profile Cuban free agent last year, Puig has hit for a .333/.411/.622 line in 258 minor league plate appearances.
  • The Athletics sit in second place in the AL West, but one scout thinks the team can accomplish much more, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required).  The club is currently 31-24, and Olney notes that this is a lineup where Yoenis Cespedes is the only player approaching star status.  The scout says the A’s are his pick “to win the league”, citing their roster flexibility and depth.
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