Rangers, Dodgers, Rockies In “Heavy Pursuit” Of Nolasco
9:42pm: The Rangers, Dodgers and Rockies "are in heavy pursuit" of Nolasco, two executives tell ESPN's Jayson Stark. The Marlins are narrowing their focus to getting a deal done quickly, because the team would like to have the returning Henderson Alvarez make tomorrow's start instead of Nolasco. The Marlins are seeking a pair of prospects in return for Nolasco.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds that the Marlins are looking for prospects as opposed to a return like the Cubs received from the Orioles earlier today when they acquired Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop for Scott Feldman. Rosenthal opines that there is no sense in the Marlins' insistance that the acquiring team absorb the remaining $5.7MM on Nolasco's deal. The Marlins entered the season with a $36.3MM payroll — the second lowest in baseball — and will easily receive more than that figure in revenue sharing and national TV money.
7:10pm: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports spoke with a Marlins source who emphasized that Nolasco is "not a giveaway." According to Heyman, the Rockies have offered a pair of "pretty decent prospects" but don't want to absorb the remaining salary on Nolasco's deal. Heyman's source suggests that the Marlins also have an offer that is mostly salary relief without offering much in the way of prospects.
5:12pm: The Marlins are beginning to adjust their asking price on Ricky Nolasco, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The change reflects their desire to move him as soon as possible, according to Olney, who notes that the Dodgers are still the frontrunners.
As recently as last Thursday, the Marlins were said to be looking for a "good" prospect for Nolasco, as well as a willingness to absorb the entirety of the roughly $6MM remaining on his contract for the 2013 season.
Nolasco has been connected to the Dodgers, Rockies, Padres, Giants, Orioles and Rangers, though the Orioles swung a deal for Scott Feldman earlier today, and it's unclear if their interest remains. The 30-year-old has a 3.93 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 105 1/3 innings this season, though he's struggled in his past two outings.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported last week that Wednesday could be a "soft deadline" to move Nolaco, as the Marlins are hoping to deal him before he makes his scheduled start that day.
Rangers Sign Yrizarri, Almonte
9:11am: The Rangers acquired pool money from the Marlins, tweets Soldevila. The Marlins have the sixth-largest pool at $3,395,200, and were expected to be willing to part with some of it. The Rangers can acquire up to half of their pool amount, which comes to $971,350, but they have to do it by acquiring slot values. If the Rangers went less than 5% over their pool they'll be subject to a 75% tax on the overage; the penalties increase from there.
8:32am: The Rangers signed shortstop Yeyson Yrizarri for $1.35MM, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year-old was born in Venezuela and raised in the Dominican Republic. BA ranks him seventh, while MLB.com has him 23rd. The Rangers also signed Dominican outfielder Jose Almonte for $1.8MM, tweets Dionisio Soldevila of ESPN Deportes. Badler kept Almonte outside of his top 30, noting that he "has been the subject of rumors regarding his potential bonus that seem to wildly outstrip his value as a solid but not premium prospect." MLB.com ranked him 13th.
BA notes Yrizarri is a nephew of former big leaguer Deivi Cruz. His stock rose quickly in recent weeks; Yrizarri has "gap power for now" and may wind up an above-average defender at second or third base. MLB.com has much praise for Almonte's bat, while Badler is more skeptical.
The Rangers have $1,942,700 in bonus pool money, so they're $235,950 over their amount with these two signings even if they acquire the maximum of $971,350. We'll await further details on the financial situation and keep you updated.
Heyman On Nolasco, Dodgers, Utley, Young
Here's a look at the latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com..
- A person familiar with the Ricky Nolasco talks says the Dodgers, Orioles, Giants, Rangers, and Rockies are among the teams in the mix, Heyman writes. The Dodgers have been considered a favorite since they might be willing to absorb the $5.75MM remaining on Nolasco's $11.5-million 2013 salary, but the source suggested late Monday afternoon that there's isn't a deal out there yet that is good enough to jump on. Colorado is said to have offered two decent prospects for the hurler but they are skittish about paying the salary. While some have suggested that the Marlins are anxious to trade Nolasco before his scheduled start on Wednesday, they are still holding out for a quality offer.
- Heyman hears that the word around baseball is that the Dodgers could have interest in Chase Utley. It isn't known if the Dodgers have gone so far as to contact Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, but he doesn't seem anxious to trade the second baseman despite the fact he is headed towards free agency. If the Phillies do decide to sell, they are said to be more willing to part with Michael Young, who's interested the Dodgers before.
- With the deadline just weeks away, Heyman laid out the market as it stands today. The piece starts by highlighting the six biggest sellers in the Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Twins, Marlins, and Astros.
NL East Notes: Utley, Phillies, Beinfest, Braves
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro said yesterday that he hoped Chase Utley would retire as a Phillie, but though Utley will be a free agent this winter, there have been no extension talks between the club and the veteran second baseman, WPVI-TV's Jeff Skversky reports (Twitter link). It's probably no surprise that the Phils were hesitant about a new contract given Utley's injury problems over the last few seasons, and Utley has already spent a month on the DL with an oblique injury this season.
Here's the latest from around the NL East…
- As much as the Phillies hate to part with the veterans that helped them to so much success over the last several seasons, Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown thinks the team is on the verge of at least a partial rebuild. "Where this leaves the Phillies is at the start of a month that could redirect the franchise. That probably should redirect the franchise," Brown writes.
- The Phillies will stick to their usual strategy of not spending big on international signings as the July 2 signing period approaches, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Brookover also talks to Joe Jordan, the Phils' director of player development, about some of the international prospects currently in the farm system.
- Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest discusses the Ricky Nolasco trade rumors, Jose Fernandez's innings limit and Giancarlo Stanton's future in Miami with Jim Bowden and Jeff Joyce on The Front Office program on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link).
- The Braves are likely to seek depth for the bullpen and bench before the trade deadline, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
Morosi On Nolasco, Santana, Pirates, White Sox
In his latest column for FOX Sports, Jon Paul Morosi reminds us that you never know which trade deadline move will pay the biggest dividends. For example, the deal that sent Marco Scutaro from the Rockies to the Giants last July ended up being the most influential move of the 2012 season, as Scutaro helped lead the Giants to a World Series title. Here's Morosi's latest…
- Wednesday could be a "soft deadline" for the Marlins to trade Ricky Nolasco. That's the date of Nolasco's next scheduled start and also the day that Henderson Alvarez (Nolasco's probable replacement in the Miami rotation) comes off the disabled list. Nolasco's recent struggles over his last few starts, however, haven't done much to help his trade stock.
- "It may be wise" for the Pirates to investigate acquiring Nolasco, Matt Garza or Bud Norris, Morosi opines. The Bucs could use veteran starting help if Wandy Rodriguez and A.J. Burnett are still a ways away from returning from the disabled list.
- Ervin Santana "would instantly become one of the top arms" available if the Royals chose to trade the right-hander. Santana will be a free agent this winter and is on pace (2.74 ERA, 4.67 K/BB, 7.2 K/9) for the best season of his nine-year career, though he has been aided by a low .253 BABIP and a high 82.8% strand rate. The Royals play nothing but contenders until the All-Star break and if they haven't reached .500 by the Midsummer Classic, Morosi speculates they could become sellers.
- The White Sox and Tigers haven't made a deal together since 1989, a fact that Chicago executive VP Kenny Williams notes "hasn’t been for lack of trying or fear on either part. It’s just one of those things.” The two teams could be ideal trade partners this summer since Detroit is looking for relief pitching and the Sox have bullpen arms to spare. Williams joked that he'd happily take one of Detroit's top prospects “for two players of our choosing. We will consider that making good on the Tigers’ steal in ’89," in reference to Williams himself being part of that 24-year-old deal.
NL Notes: Byrd, Pirates, Dodgers, Gregg, Marlins
With nearly half the season in the books, the Washington Post's Barry Svrluga took a look at the offseason's biggest bargains. He starts his list with Marlon Byrd of the Mets, who signed a minor league deal but has contributed 12 home runs and a .258/.309/.493 line in 237 plate appearances.
- The next player to get a nod in the article is the Pirates' Francisco Liriano, who inked an incentive-driven deal with Pittsburgh. He has been nothing short of stellar thus far, carrying a 2.30 ERA over 54 2/3 innings and 10.0 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9. Liriano's excellence has combined with a stunning earlygoing for Jeff Locke, continued renaissance for A.J. Burnett, and now the emergence of top prospect Gerrit Cole to give the Buccos a surprisingly excellent rotation.
- Of course, the Bucs just became the first MLB team to fifty wins after decades of poor performances. While the team may not necessarily have any obvious areas that require immediate attention, then, one must wonder whether it will contemplate any bold moves to seize the opportunity this year. As MLB.com's Tom Singer writes, Pittsburgh will be very interesting to watch as the trade deadline approaches. Manager Clint Hurdle explained: "You always need to look and see if you can add to the team strength. … You pay attention to chemistry, and try to do the right thing."
- In spite of the rotation's excellence thus far, then, one wonders whether it could be an area that the club looks to improve. While the staff currently sports the league's second-lowest ERA, it ranks 11th in FIP, 18th in xFIP, and 20th in WAR. (All links to Fangraphs leaderboards.) Locke, in particular, looks destined for some pretty heavy regression, with his 2.06 ERA belied by a 3.85 FIP and 4.11 xFIP. In addition to possible regression, Pittsburgh's starting depth has been tested already. As Singer reports, the Pirates could be looking at long absences for starters Wandy Rodriguez and James McDonald. Rodriguez, in particular, would be a major loss if he misses substantial time. He reportedly has been shut down after experiencing forearm tightness following a toss on flat ground.
- Another team that has experienced pitching injuries, the Dodgers, has made an internal move to try and shore up its late-inning woes. The team announced on Twitter that it has brought up right-handed reliever Jose Dominguez. As Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times explains, the 22-year-old has a legitimate 100+ MPH heater. After two drug suspensions earlier in his career, the Dominican native will look to make a bullpen acquisition unnecessary for the Dodgers.
- Sticking with the relief side of the rubber, the Cubs' Kevin Gregg has emerged as an unlikely trade candidate. As MLB.com's Carrie Muskat writes, Chicago already seems to be sizing up replacements for their newly minted closer. Of course, Gregg blew his first save this evening, which could take some of the luster off of his outstanding start. (Gregg's potential replacement, Blake Parker, went on to pick up his first big league save.) But as MLBTR's Steve Adams recently explained, Gregg's results have largely been supported by his peripherals.
- Another obvious trade candidate, the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco, also struggled in his latest showcase. Nevertheless, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes, Miami has already lined up Nolasco's rotation spot to be occupied by Henderson Alvarez as soon as Wednesday. Manager Mike Redmond says that Alvarez is "going to be on his way" to Miami and that the team will "figure out what we're going to do as far as where we're going to fit him in."
- The Marlins may be forced to return top Rule 5 pick Alfredo Silverio to the Dodgers after the 26-year-old outfielder had to undergo a second Tommy John surgery, writes Spencer. The former prospect had his career derailed by a car accident, but was hoping to re-establish himself in Miami.
Marlins Will Not Sign No. 35 Pick Matt Krook
THURSDAY: Krook is choosing to go to college as a result of an issue with his physical, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. The Marlins found an issue — believed to be in Krook's shoulder — which caused them to drop their offer from slot value to $650K. They will, of course, receive a compensatory pick in the 2014 draft as long as they leave their offer on the table for Krook through the July 12 signing deadline.
WEDNESDAY: Pitcher Matt Krook has decided not to sign with the Marlins and will instead attend the University of Oregon, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Miami selected Krook with the No. 35 pick which fell into the Competitive Balance Round A portion of the draft.
According to Baseball America, the suggested value of the No. 35 pick was roughly $1.588MM. Baseball America had the high school left-hander ranked as the 42nd best prospect in the draft, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com had him at No. 55, and Keith Law of ESPN.com was higher on him and had him pegged at No. 30.
BA notes that the 6-foot-4, 195-pound southpaw has had consistency issues as of late. At his best, Krook sits at 90-92 mph, touches 95, and shows flashes of a hard curveball. However, he doesn't have a changeup and there is some effort to his delivery.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Ricky Nolasco Rumors: Thursday
Significant trades remain rare in June, but the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco has four days left to join a club that has added Kevin Youkilis, Mark Ellis, Joel Hanrahan, Sean Burnett, Mark DeRosa, Chris Perez, Nate McLouth, Jeff Locke, and Charlie Morton in recent years. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN today that there have been far more serious trade discussions five weeks from the deadline than he can ever recall, and you have to wonder if Colletti is thinking of his own discussions for Nolasco while making that comment. The entire NL West plus the Orioles have been linked to the 30-year-old righty, who is scheduled to face the Padres tomorrow night. Nolasco has about $6MM left on his contract, which will certainly be part of the trade negotiations. The latest:
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Marlins are seeking a "good" prospect as well as the full $6MM of salary relief in exchange for Nolasco. The financial implications of those demands have pushed the Rockies out of the running. The Dodgers are the front-runners, according to one executive, though the Giants and Padres are still involved in talks. The Orioles are "less confident" in their chances, and the Rangers "loom as a possibility," according to the FOX duo.
- The Dodgers are likely to pay more of Nolasco's salary if it means saving a prospect, tweets Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. The Dodgers are pleased with the current direction of their minor league system.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Dodgers and Marlins have indeed made progress in talks for Nolasco. One source tells Olney that there's a 70 percent chance the deal gets done.
- The Marlins and Dodgers are indeed in talks about Nolasco, hears Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
- As a Southern California native, Nolasco would naturally prefer to pitch on the West Coast, notes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The interest from the NL West bodes well for that goal, though the Red Sox scouted Nolasco's last start, writes Frisaro. Nolasco's opinion on being a walking trade rumor? "Whatever happens, happens," he told Frisaro.
- What might it take to acquire Nolasco? Bowden offers proposals for each NL West team in this ESPN article.
Cuban Prospect Dariel Alvarez Eligible To Sign
It's been months since we've heard significant news on Cuban defectors Dariel Alvarez and Aledmys Diaz, but MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez writes that Alvarez has been cleared by the Commissioner's Office to sign with a Major League team. He has actually been cleared to sign for several months, but the process has been slowed by a change in agents. Diaz, according to a separate tweet from Sanchez, will not be eligible for free agency until next February.
The Dodgers, Rangers, Red Sox, Royals, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Padres and Yankees were among the teams in attendance for an Alvarez showcase in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. yesterday, according to Sanchez. The Marlins did not attend his workout despite its proximity to Miami, which gels with reports from the offseason that the Marlins weren't interested.
Alvarez, 24, is capable of playing all three outfield positions and has drawn praise for a strong throwing arm. The new collective bargaining agreement states that players who are at least 23 years of age and have a minimum of three years of professional experience are not subject to the international signing limitations. In other words, teams will be able to spend as freely as they wish to acquire Alvarez's services. In addition to the previously mentioned teams, the Twins and Cardinals were both connected to Alvarez this past winter as well.
Draft Signings: Jones, Eades, Overton
Today's notable draft signings…
- The Pirates signed third round pick JaCoby Jones for $612K, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America. That's exactly slot for the Boras Corporation advisee. A speedy second baseman out of Louisiana State, BA ranked Jones as the 75th best draft prospect and noted that he's said to prefer the outfield.
- The Twins signed second round draft pick Ryan Eades, tweets director of baseball communications and player relations Dustin Morse. Eades received the slotted amount of $1,294,100, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. Eades, a righty out of Louisiana State, ranked 37th on the Baseball America 500. He's advised by the Boras Corporation. The Twins have two unsigned picks from the first ten rounds: Indiana righty Aaron Slegers from the fifth round, and his teammate Dustin DeMuth from the eighth.
- The Athletics agreed to terms with second-round draft pick Dillon Overton yesterday, reported the Associated Press. The Oklahoma lefty, chosen 63rd overall, signed for $400K according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. That's well under the slot value of $885,600 for the Jonathan Gray teammate, which makes sense given the report from Yahoo's Jeff Passan that Overton will have Tommy John surgery within the next two weeks. Overton is advised by The Legacy Agency. With the signing, the A's have inked their top 13 picks according to BA. They had a bonus pool of $6,036,800 for the top ten, and spent 93% of it at $5,619,100. Savings on Overton and going cheap on their ninth and tenth-round picks enabled the A's to go over slot on fifth rounder Bobby Wahl and seventh rounder Dustin Driver.
- Seven first-round draft picks remain unsigned in advance of the July 12th deadline: Kris Bryant of the Cubs, Colin Moran of the Marlins, Austin Meadows of the Pirates, Phil Bickford of the Blue Jays, Hunter Renfroe of the Padres, Ryne Stanek of the Rays, and Aaron Judge of the Yankees. The Marlins hope to have a deal worked out with Moran "sooner rather than later," a source with knowledge of the negotiations tells Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
The initial version of this post said that JaCoby Jones signed for under slot; our apologies for the error.