Central Links: Twins, Cubs, Segura
The Twins have plenty to be excited about following the hot starts of top prospects Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports in his first Prospect Heat Check column. Passan spoke to 20 GMs and executives, with one AL evaluator telling him that "Sano is exploding," and adding that the 20-year-old looks to have improved at third base. Here's more on the Twins and more from baseball's Central divisions…
- Former Tigers reliever and current Twins setup man Casey Fien sympathizes with the trials that his former roommate Casper Wells has gone through early this season, writes John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. Fien recalls Spring Training of 2010, when he went from the Tigers, to the Red Sox, to the Blue Jays and back to the Tigers in the span of a month. Wells was with four organiations in April.
- Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts presented his plans for a $300MM renovation for Wrigley Field today, and Fran Spielman and Stefano Esposito of the Chicago Sun-Times have the highlights. Ricketts caused controvery by stating that if the Cubs are unable to receive the outfield sign space they need (among other requests), they would have to consider moving from Wrigley Field. Ricketts went on record as saying the Cubs need "to run a business like a business and not a museum."
- David Kaplan of CSN Chicago tweets the following Ricketts quote from his presentation: "We anticipate increasing spending on the baseball side as soon as we know what we can do with this plan."
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale praises Brewers GM Doug Melvin for insisting that the Angels include shortstop Jean Segura in any return for Zack Greinke last July (Twitter link). Segura entered play Wednesday hitting .367/.418/.567 three doubles, three triples, three homers and seven steals.
Quick Hits: Blue Jays, Rangers, Yankees, Brewers, Upton
Here are a few notes from around baseball:
- The Blue Jays are already looking at an uphill battle to achieve a postseason berth, so much so that Dave Cameron of Fangraphs says it is not too early to wonder whether they will be trade deadline sellers. In particular, Cameron notes that the team may be forced to consider dealing soon-to-be free agent starter Josh Johnson. He adds in an audio chat, however, that there is little likelihood that a hypothetical Johnson trade would happen before mid-June. Cameron expanded upon the article in the chat, including discussion of the way that baseball's current rule system will continue to impact teams' trade incentives (beginning at around the 8:57 mark).
- The Rangers have used thirteen pitchers this season, ten of whom have never appeared in another MLB uniform, notes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Team CEO Nolan Ryan explains: "What you're seeing is a philosophy of pitching in our system and we've stayed the course and we are committed to developing pitching within our system." The current and future flow of pitching talent has enabled the team to pursue top line free agents like Zack Greinke without feeling compelled to overpay.
- With their solid start coming in spite of bad health, the Yankees could continue to tinker with their roster, writes Mike Axisa of River Avenue Blues. In particular, Axisa says players like Casper Wells, Chris Nelson, and Humberto Quintero could all be easy ways to make small, but still-important upgrades.
- The Brewers are hoping to acquire a corner infielder/outfielder in the mold of Mark Kotsay, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. In 2011, Kotsay played in 104 games for the Brewers at all three outfield spots as well as first base.
- Neither the Braves nor Diamondbacks will end up as the loser of the deal that sent Justin Upton to Atlanta, Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com opined last week. Ringolsby says that Upton needed a change of scenery to an environment where he did not have to be "The Guy." With the Braves able to fully realize Upton's value, says Ringolsby, the Diamondbacks in turn were able to open playing time for other outfielders (specifically, Adam Eaton and Gerardo Parra) while impacting the team's clubhouse and building farm depth.
NL Central Notes: Cubs, Garza, Cardinals, Weeks
Tomorrow is the 30th anniversary of the infamous Lee Elia tirade against the Wrigley Field faithful where he unleased 37 "bleeps" in 187 seconds. Elia would remain as manager of the Cubs for just four more months. John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle chronicles how times have changed for Major League managers. Four reporters were present for Elia's rant and only one had a microphone which captured the event for all posterity. Shea reminds us today there are interview rooms, social media, and live post-game press conferences shown on regional and national sports networks. As a result, Shea says managers have to be more articulate, polite, and thoughtful. Giants manager Bruce Bochy echoes that sentiment, "It's different when you just see pen and paper. When there's a camera there, you have to remind yourself." Elsewhere from the NL Central Division:
- Cubs manager Dale Sveum refuses to name a closer telling reporters, including the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan, "I'm not going to really mess with anything right now in our bullpen. It's about as good as it can be right now." The Cubs are 7-for-13 in save opportunites with three different relievers notching a save including Kevin Gregg, who leads the team with three despite being recalled only two weeks ago.
- Matt Garza, number seven on MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Rankings, was scheduled to throw a bullpen session today and is on track to make three or four minor league rehab starts, reports David Furones of MLB.com.
- Speaking of Garza, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald revisited the trade which brought the right-hander to Chicago and notes just one of the eight players invovled in the deal is currently playing in the Majors. Miles sees the trade as a wash, a viewpoint shared by MLBTR's Steve Adams who examined the Garza trade in a Transaction Retrospection last month.
- The Cardinals' imploding bullpen saw its ERA rise to 5.93 after surrendering six runs to the Pirates today. MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch tweets the status quo cannot continue, but the team does not have many in-house options. Langosch also tweeted injured closer Jason Motte played catch for the second consecutive day indicating his arm responded well to yesterday's session.
- For the second straight season, Rickie Weeks is off to a slow start offensively with only seven hits in his last 69 at-bats. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com speculates Weeks will have a long leash because no one in the front office wants to start the service clock of Scooter Gennett, the Brewers' sixth-best prospect according to MLB.com, just yet.
Minor Moves: Hoey, Curtis, Colon
On Tuesday, Corky Miller played in his first Major League game since 2010 and he didn't have to wait long for another, starting at catcher for the Reds tonight against the Nationals. The veteran backstop was added to the Reds' 40-man roster earlier this week, as noted by Baseball America's Matt Eddy in his roundup of the week's minor league transactions.
Here are the minor moves that took place today, with the latest at the top of the page…
- The Brewers released right-hander Jim Hoey earlier this week, Eddy reports. Milwaukee signed Hoey to a minor league deal in December. Hoey last pitched in the Majors with the Twins in 2011 and he owns a 7.02 ERA in 59 career innings with the Twins and Orioles.
- The Cardinals have purchased the contract of infielder Jermaine Curtis from Triple-A, the team announced. Curtis, a fifth round pick in the 2008 draft, has a .279/.384/.360 slash line over 1861 career PA in the Cardinals' system and he has spent most of his career playing second and third base. Curtis takes the roster spot of Matt Adams, who was placed on the 15-day DL in a corresponding move.
- On Wednesday, the Braves acquired Roman Colon from the Pirates in exchange for cash considerations. SB Nation's Talking Chop blog appears to have been the first to report the move. Colon, 33, has a 5.19 ERA in 187 1/3 career big league innings. In 1080 1/3 minor league innings, he's posted a 3.92 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Colon, who was originally signed by the Braves in 1995, was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett and struggled in his first outing with the club.
Rosenthal On Wells, Lee, Konerko, Rodriguez
In his latest edition of Full Count, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link) gives the Yankees credit for realizing that Vernon Wells still had a lot left. The big stumbling block in trade talks between the Yankees and Angels was how much of the $42MM deal the Bombers would pay for. Discussions stalled until the spring when the Yankees lost Mark Teixeira to injury and their interest was renewed. Here's more from Rosenthal..
- If the Phillies fall out of contention, Cliff Lee could become a trade target once again. They declined to trade him last August after the Dodgers claimed him on waivers, but it would make sense to make a deal if they're not winning. However, Lee is earning $25MM per season through 2015 and has a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016. On top of that, he can only be traded to nine teams without his permission. The Phillies may have trouble making a deal for Lee because of those issues, but a shortage of quality starting pitching could lead to a swap with a contending team. Rosenthal lists the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Cardinals as teams that could be interested, depending on their needs.
- Don't expect a Mariano Rivera-style victory lap for Paul Konerko as he won't make up his mind about his future until after the season. The decision will likely hinge on multiple factors, including how he plays, whether the White Sox want him back, and whether another club would be a potential fit. The D'Backs made a run at Konerko the last time he was on the open market, but that first base job now belongs to Paul Goldschmidt.
- Francisco Rodriguez could look elsewhere if he doesn't make the Brewers' roster in 30 days, but Milwaukee is probably his best option. He'll earn the prorated portion of a $2.25MM salary if he makes the squad, plus incentives.
NL Central Notes: Brewers, Price, Cubs, Cardinals
Earlier tonight, the Brewers picked up Francisco Rodriguez up on a minor league deal. Here's more on K-Rod and other notes out of the National League Central..
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that Rodriguez represents another option that they can go to if necessary and is a low-risk signing, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Melvin also said that he spoke to a prosecutor before re-signing Rodriguez to ensure that Rodriguez’s legal troubles were closed. The reliever was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery in September, but those charges were dropped.
- In an interview with Mut & Merloni of WEEI, ESPN.com's Buster Olney said that he sees the Cubs as the most likely team to trade for the Rays' David Price with the Cardinals also in the mix. In Olney's estimation, the Cards can blow everyone else out of the water if they decide to dip into their farm system to pull off a trade.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) credited Melvin for picking up Yuniesky Betancourt late in the spring after he didn't hook on with the Phillies. The signing looks particularly good at the moment after Betancourt's grand slam last night and third inning home run earlier this evening.
Brewers Sign Francisco Rodriguez
6:08pm: Rodriguez will get $2MM or more if he makes the big league squad, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
5:23pm: The Brewers officially announced that they have signed Francisco Rodriguez to a minor league deal. Milwaukee has 30 days to assign the reliever, who will train at the club's spring training facility in the interim.
The 31-year-old Rodriguez appeared in 78 games for the Brewers last season and posted a 4.38 ERA, 9.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 72 innings. He initially came to Milwaukee from the Mets in a trade during the final year of the three-year, $37MM contract he signed to be New York's closer. The Brewers offered Rodriguez arbitration following the 2011 season, and he made the surprising decision to accept, leaving GM Doug Melvin on the hook for an $8MM salary.
In his 11-year career, K-Rod has a 2.70 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 720 2/3 innings. His 294 saves rank 25th all-time, and he set the all-time single-season saves mark with 62 back in 2008 with the Angels.
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal. Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Brewers Closing In On Deal With Francisco Rodriguez
The Brewers are nearing a minor league contract with right-hander Francisco Rodriguez, writes MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. Nothing has been finalized as of yet with the Scott Boras client, according to McCalvy.
The 31-year-old Rodriguez appeared in 78 games for the Brewers last season and posted a 4.38 ERA, 9.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 72 innings. He initially came to Milwaukee from the Mets in a trade during the final year of the three-year, $37MM contract he signed to be New York’s closer. The Brewers offered Rodriguez arbitration following the 2011 season, and he made the surprising decision to accept, leaving GM Doug Melvin on the hook for an $8MM salary.
In his 11-year career, K-Rod has a 2.70 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 720 2/3 innings. His 294 saves rank 25th all-time, and he set the all-time single-season saves mark with 62 back in 2008 with the Angels.
NL Notes: Lohse, Lilly, Mets
The Brewers' Kyle Lohse visited with his old team in the Cardinals' clubhouse on Saturday, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reports. Lohse signed with the Brewers after a long offseason that began with Lohse and his agent, Scott Boras, declining the Cardinals' qualifying offer. There wasn't much of a market for Lohse after that, mostly because the team that signed him would have to sacrifice a draft pick. He finally signed a three-year, $33MM deal with the Brewers. Lohse reflects on the twisting path that led him to Milwaukee: "[Declining the Cardinals' qualifying offer] makes me look bad, [because] that's a lot of money. But is it fair value for what I had done? No," says Lohse. "Even going back on it, I'd still do the same thing. You have to go out and take your chances. Now, going forward, I don't know what other people in my situation are going to do." Here are more notes from the National League:
- Ted Lilly's status with the Dodgers is in question, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com writes. The Dodgers asked Lilly to make two more rehab starts, but Lilly declined, feeling he is ready for the majors. The Dodgers don't currently have a job available for him on their crowded pitching staff, however. The Dodgers would reportedly like to trade Lilly, who they owe $12MM in 2013.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson denies recent rumors connecting his team to the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton, Matt Balasis of MetsMerized Online reports. Alderson says his team has not had talks with the Marlins since early spring. Alderson also says the Mets will not trade catcher John Buck.
Brewers, Marlins, Others Interested In K-Rod
8:58pm: The Angels aren't interested in signing Rodriguez, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports (via Twitter).
7:50pm: Right-hander Francisco Rodriguez is drawing interest from such teams as the Angels, Brewers, Marlins and a few others, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports. The free agent reliever drew little attention on the open market during the offseason, with only the Mets briefly being linked to Rodriguez, though Scott Boras (Rodriguez's agent) said two weeks ago that he expected his client to soon find a new team.
Rodriguez recorded an even 72 strikeouts in 72 innings with Milwaukee last season, posting a 4.38 ERA and 2.32 K/BB. It seemed as if a return to the Brewers was unlikely but given how the club's bullpen has struggled early this season, it isn't surprising that the Crew are checking in on a known quantity. Rodriguez could even find himself in line to become a closer again if he re-signs with the Brewers given that incumbent closer John Axford recently lost his job, though Jim Henderson is slated to receive the lion's share of the save opportunities.
The Angels and Marlins are also in need of bullpen help, owning respective bullpen ERAs of 4.94 (19th in MLB) and 6.31 (28th in MLB) heading into Friday's action. Angels righty Ryan Madson isn't expected back from elbow surgery for a few weeks while Miami closer Steve Cishek has a 15.43 ERA after three outings this season.