Relief Market Rumors: K-Rod, Wilson, Duensing, Coke
With just over a week to the trade deadline, there's still been only one significant move for a reliever — Boston's acquisition of Matt Thornton. Plenty of teams are on the lookout for bullpen help, however, including the Tigers, Red Sox, Braves, Diamondbacks and more. With a potential Jason Grilli injury last night, more bullpen rumors could begin to circulate. Here are the latest relief rumblings from around the baseball world…
- The Red Sox, Dodgers and Tigers are all keeping close tabs on Francisco Rodriguez, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The Sox and Dodgers, in particular, were said by Crasnick to have scouts "all over" Rodriguez this week. Detroit, meanwhile, isn't as interested as it once was due to the strong recent performance of Joaquin Benoit and Drew Smyly (Twitter links).
- Former closer Brian Wilson threw for Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti and bullpen catcher Billy Hayes yesterday, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. The session was a personal favor to Wilson and not an indicator that a deal is coming, Baggarly writes. However, Wilson looked nearly Major League ready, and Baggarly feels that the willingness to afford Wilson this favor suggests that any ill will between the two sides following Wilson's offseason non-tender has subsided.
- The Braves continue to search for left-handed relief help, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio, who lists Oliver Perez, Mike Dunn, Glen Perkins, Scott Downs and James Russell as potential targets. Bowden notes that Perkins is unlikely, likely because of the numerous reports that the Twins won't move their closer.
- While the Twins aren't interested in moving Perkins, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Braves may have interest in another Minnesota lefty who may be available — Brian Duensing (Twitter link). Duensing has two years of team control remaining and will be arbitration-eligible for the second time this offseason.
- One more note from Crasnick, who tweets that the Braves also checked in on Phil Coke in their quest for lefty relief help, but nothing came of the talks with the Tigers. Coke has had a brutal season because of overexposure against right-handed hitters, but he's held lefties to a .231/.271/.346 batting line.
- For more on the relief trade market, check out my examinations of the market for left-handed relievers and the market for right-handed relievers. Also, for all fantasy players out there, be sure to follow @closernews on Twitter to keep up to speed with closer injuries, performance, usage and more.
Marlins Designate Chris Valaika For Assignment
The Marlins announced that they have activated infielder Chris Valaika from the 60-day disabled list, recalled him from his rehab stint and designated him for assignment.
Valaika, who turns 28 next month, has been on the disabled list for most of the season after undergoing wrist surgery in May. When he was healthy, he produced just a .219/.261/.344 batting line in 70 plate appearances for the Marlins.
The Fish are the second big league team with which Valaika has appeared, as he also saw 67 plate appearances with the Reds from 2010-11. The former third-round pick has a .260/.295/.366 batting line over parts of five seasons at the Triple-A level.
Minor Moves: Hernandez, Gonzalez, Moskos
Here is Tuesday's rundown of minor moves from around the league…
- The Royals acquired outfielder Gorkys Hernandez from the Marlins yesterday in exchange for shortstop Alex McClure, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Hernandez, 25, is a former top prospect and has hit .275/.330/.375 for Triple-A New Orleans this season — numbers that are almost identical to his career marks at the Triple-A level. The 24-year-old McClure has hit just .219/.257/.267 in 274 minor league plate appearances this season.
- Infielder Alberto Gonzalez has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A by the Yankees, according to the International League's transactions page. Gonzalez was designated for assignment over the weekend after hitting just .176/.176/.206 for the Yankees in 34 plate appearances.
- Left-hander Daniel Moskos has signed to play with the EDA Rhinos in Taiwan, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (Twitter link). The former No. 4 overall selection in the draft was released by the White Sox a month ago and will now join the same team which Manny Ramirez played for earlier this season. Moskos, 27, has a career 4.43 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 439 minor league innings.
- Six players are currently in DFA limbo: Carlos Pena and Ronny Cedeno of the Astros, Brendan Harris of the Angels, Chris Dickerson of the Orioles, J.C. Gutierrez of the Royals and Chris Heston of the Giants.
Marlins To Promote Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick
The Marlins have announced that they will select the contracts of top outfield prospects Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick tomorrow and demote Derek Dietrich and Marcell Ozuna to Double-A Jacksonville. 
The 21-year-old Yelich (pictured) ranked as the No. 6 prospect in baseball according to ESPN's Keith Law prior to the season, though he dropped to 12th on the midseason edition of his Top 50. Baseball America ranked him 12th on their own midseason Top 50, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranks him 10th. Yelich was drafted 23rd overall in the 2010 draft out of Westlake High School in California. In 60 games across three levels this season, Yelich has hit .274/.358/.504 with nine home runs, splitting his time between center field and left field. In his pre-season report, Law wrote that Yelich possesses one of the prettiest swings in the minors and has the range to play center, but his throwing motion makes him better-suited for left field.
Marisnick, 22, came to the Marlins as part of this offseason's blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays. He ranked as BA's No. 64 prospect prior to the season, with Mayo ranking him 70th and Law ranking him 82nd. His strong season thus far propelled him to No. 39 on Law's midseason Top 50. In 296 plate appearances for Jacksonville, Marisnick is batting .295/.357/.504 — an oddly similar batting line to that of his teammate Yelich. BA wrote that while there are questions about Marisnick's ability to make contact due to a large frame and sometimes long swing, he has the speed, plus power and above-average defense to project as a five-tool center fielder.
Because we are now well into July, both players should be clear of the Super Two cutoff, meaning they will only be eligible for arbitration three times if they are with the big league club to stay. Should that be the case, both will be controlled through the 2019 season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL Central Links: Morneau, Royals, Gonzalez, Linares
Earlier tonight, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports took a look at the Twins' trade chips, noting that the market for Justin Morneau is soft at this time, with a few interested parties deterred by the $6MM remaining on the former MVP's contract. Here's more on Morneau and the rest of the AL Central…
- Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that the M&M Boys (Joe Mauer and Morneau) in Minnesota is coming to an end. Berardino took some time over the All-Star break to talk to Mauer and former teammates Michael Cuddyer, Joe Nathan and Carlos Gomez about Morneau's leadership abilities. All spoke with the utmost respect for the Canadian slugger.
- Royals general manager Dayton Moore is not in sell mode despite the team's recent slide in the standings, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Moore says he won't shift gears and focus on the future, though that doesn't mean he won't acquire players who can help the team beyond 2013. He also won't entertain offers for free-agent-to-be Ervin Santana.
- A source close to Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that there's no steam between the Twins and Gonzalez (Twitter link). Earlier tonight, the Twins were connected to Gonzalez but listed as a long shot due to his price tag.
- The White Sox and Indians are two of the three teams that MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports as suitors for 19-year-old Cuban right-hander Leandro Linares (Twitter links). The Marlins also have interest in Linares, who does fall under the newest CBA's international signing guidelines.
Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez Could Sign Next Week
THURSDAY: Jaime Torres, Gonzalez's agent, told Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com that he doesn't expect a deal to go down this weekend but that he hopes to announce an agreement next week. Torres is working on Gonzalez's visa process while the most interested teams make "their last internal consultations," the agent said.
Rojas added the Yankees, the Twins and the Marlins to the list of teams interested in the righty, citing a source close to Gonzalez, though the source adds that Minnesota and Miami are not expected to win the bidding because of Gonzalez's high salary demands.
WEDNESDAY: The market is taking shape for Cuban pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and the right-hander could sign with a club as early as next week, an industry source tells MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. There's also a trio of new teams in the mix for Gonzalez in the Phillies, Blue Jays, and Braves. They'll vie with the Cubs, Dodgers, Rangers, and Red Sox, who have all been showing serious interest in his services.
While teams are working the phones vigorously to land an impact pitcher before the July 31st deadline, Gonzalez could provide a boost to a contender without giving up anything other than money. Scouts believe Gonzalez needs only a few starts in the minors before making his MLB debut and his addition could move the needle as much as finding an arm via trade.
Gonzalez, who was cleared to sign with an MLB team earlier this week, could get as much as $60MM over five years.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
NL East Notes: Mets, Phillies, Marlins
The NL East boasts seven of the game's top 50 prospects, in the eyes of ESPN's Keith Law: Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick, and Andrew Heaney of the Marlins, Noah Syndergaard of the Mets, Jesse Biddle of the Phillies, Lucas Giolito of the Nationals, and Lucas Sims of the Braves. Be sure to check out Keith's entire list. On to today's division links:
- "I know it will be substantially higher," Mets GM Sandy Alderson told David Lennon of Newsday regarding the team's 2014 payroll versus its current $55MM range. Speaking to Joel Sherman of the New York Post in June, Alderson estimated a $90-100MM payroll. "I think it has to be sort of a portfolio of players and contracts with varying maturities and obligations that make sense," Alderson told Lennon of his offseason plan, perhaps with a Red Sox-like strategy in mind for the club's numerous positional needs. 2014 was "always a target year," noted Alderson.
- "Everybody acts like it is tomorrow but it is two weeks away," said Phillies general partner, president, and CEO David Montgomery in reference to the July 31st trade deadline to Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Montgomery seems reluctant to adopt a selling stance for the Phillies, currently 5.5 games out in the wild card.
- "They've kind of come as advertised," Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, in reference to the seven players received from the Blue Jays in the controversial November blockbuster. The Marlins flipped Yunel Escobar for Derek Dietrich, also acquiring Adeiny Hechavarria, Jeff Mathis, Henderson Alvarez, Marisnick, Justin Nicolino and Anthony DeSclafani. "A big key to it was Hechavarria," GM Michael Hill noted.
- Elsewhere in the NL East today, we learned the Braves have left-handed relievers James Russell, Mike Gonzalez, and Wesley Wright on their trade deadline wish list.
2014 Competitive Balance Lottery Results
The Competitive Balance Lottery for the 2014 MLB Draft took place today. Twelve competitive balance picks are awarded, with the first six taking place after the first round's conclusion and the next six taking place following conclusion of the second round. Here are the results, per MLB.com (Twitter links)…
Competitive Balance Round A
- Rockies
- Orioles
- Indians
- Marlins
- Royals
- Brewers
Competitive Balance Round B
- Padres
- Diamondbacks
- Cardinals
- Rays
- Pirates
- Mariners
As explained by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, the teams in the 10 smallest markets and teams with the 10 lowest revenues were eligible to be entered into the Round A lottery. This doesn't mean there were 20 teams in the lottery, as there's overlap in that criteria. All teams who don't win a pick in the first round are re-entered into the second round, along with any team that received revenue sharing this year, which accounted only for the Mariners.
These picks are eligible to be traded, as we saw in 2012. Last year, the Tigers and Marlins swapped Competitive Balance picks as part of the Anibal Sanchez trade. The Marlins received a second Competitive Balance pick when they traded Gaby Sanchez to the Pirates in the offseason.
The A's and Reds are the two eligible teams from this year's selection that were not awarded a Competitive Balance pick.
Marlins Unlikely To Make Major Trades
The Marlins have improved greatly over the course of the season, as evidenced by their 22-17 record since May 31. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes that the team attributes the success to a young core coming together and isn't likely to sell significant pieces to jeopardize that core.
According to Frisaro, Giancarlo Stanton, Logan Morrison, Steve Cishek and Mike Dunn are all considered building blocks and are likely to stay put with the Fish. All of that could change if the Marlins are overwhelmed by a team willing to overpay, but even a package for Cishek would have to start with a team's No. 1 prospect, according to Frisaro. As it stands, the 27-year-old closer is not available.
Ryan Webb and Chad Qualls may still be dealt, as could position players Placido Polanco, Greg Dobbs and Justin Ruggiano. That quintet of veterans has less team control than the untouchables listed by Frisaro, and those players likely aren't seen as core members of the team going forward. It's likely that the Marlins' biggest July trade has already occurred in the form of the Ricky Nolasco trade. The Marlins, according to Frisaro, may be more active on the August waiver trade front than before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
While a deal sounds unlikely, the team has still received plenty of hits on Stanton as well as its many bullpen arms. Ruggiano has also drawn some interest from teams like the Rangers and Yankees, although he's another player the team isn't in a rush to trade.
Knobler On Padres, Urrutia, Cardinals, Stanton
Here's the latest from CBS Sports' Danny Knobler:
- The Padres, who are now 42-54, have decided they're sellers, Knobler writes. They will listen to offers for Chase Headley (who is eligible for free agency after next season), but Knobler suggests they're in no rush to deal him. Instead, they could deal Edinson Volquez and/or bullpen arms like Huston Street.
- The Orioles have already traded for Scott Feldman, and they might continue to be active on the trade market, but Knobler suggests their biggest addition might come from the promotion of Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia, who is hitting .367/.406/.467 in his first 15 games at Triple-A Norfolk.
- Knobler confirms that the Cardinals have talked to the Cubs about Matt Garza, and suggests that the two teams' front offices might not find the possibility of trading with one another quite as strange as some fans might. Knobler notes that the last significant deal between the rival squads occurred in 2002, when the Cubs sent Jeff Fassero to St. Louis.
- Elsewhere, Knobler writes that the Marlins may be becoming less inclined to trade Giancarlo Stanton. The Marlins feel that they could improve quickly, and may want to wait to see how Stanton (who is only 23 and is not eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season) and their other top young players perform together. The Marlins will continue to shop relievers and older position players, but youngsters like Jose Fernandez, Jacob Turner and Marcell Ozuna evidently have the Marlins wondering whether they could join Stanton as part of the core of the next good Marlins team.