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Brewers Sign Clint Coulter

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The Brewers announced that they have signed first round selection Clint Coulter. The team is holding a news conference to announce the deal for the catcher, who completed his physical in Milwaukee earlier today. 

Coulter will obtain a $1.675MM bonus, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports. That's precisely the amount MLB recommends for the 27th overall selection. The Brewers also announced the signing of outfielder Victor Roache, the 28th overall selection on Monday.

Quick Hits: Manny, Wolff, Marin, Rangers

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It was on this day in 1966 that the Mets made one of the most infamous draft blunders in history, taking Steve Chilcott with the first overall pick of the June amateur draft.  Chilcott became the first #1 pick to never play a game in the Major Leagues, while the A's fared a bit better with the #2 selection — Reggie Jackson.

Let's check out some news from around baseball as we prepare for some interleague action…

  • Athletics GM Billy Beane said no decision has been made about releasing Manny Ramirez, reported Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News, though Beane also wasn't sure when or if Ramirez would be called up to Oakland.  Ramirez has completed his 50-game suspension but has been hampered by a leg injury and isn't hitting well in Triple-A.
  • In a radio appearance on 95.7 FM The Game, Athletics managing general partner Lew Wolff said that he wants to keep the team in the Bay Area and his ownership group has no plans to sell the A's.  Wolff predicted that in five years, the A's would be playing in a new stadium in San Jose. (All links at to Twitter.)
  • The Orioles have signed third-round pick Adrian Marin, as announced by Marin himself on his Twitter page.  Marin is a high school shortstop who was originally committed to the University of Miami.
  • The Rangers announced the signings of 18 draft picks, including all of their selections between the fourth and tenth rounds.
  • The Tigers shouldn't trade top prospect Nick Castellanos in an effort to win this season at the sake of the minor league system, writes Jamie Samuelsen for the Detroit Free Press.
  • ESPN's Keith Law examines how teams' first-round draft picks fit in among their organizations' other top prospects.
  • The Twins have hurt themselves by not dealing veterans at the trade deadline in recent years and shouldn't make that same mistake again this season, opines Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  Souhan does name a few players, however, he thinks the Twins shouldn't deal: Jared Burton, Glen Perkins, Jamey Carroll and Josh Willingham.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes an early look at the trade deadline in his latest Hot Corner video, naming the Twins, A's, Padres and Cubs as the few clubs who are clear sellers, with the Cubs "probably the biggest seller out there."  Rosenthal also thinks the Astros will likely join this group as they want to get rid of their high-priced veterans, though Houston is playing well right now.
  • In terms of potential sellers, Rosenthal names the Brewers, as they could look to move Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and/or Francisco Rodriguez if they fall out of contention.  The Phillies "are kind of hanging on a precipice" in the tough NL East and unless they get more concrete news about the health of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay, Philadelphia could become sellers as well and look ahead to 2013.
  • Fredric Horowitz has been hired as the arbitrator between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players' Association, reports the Associated Press.  Horowitz replaces Shyam Das, who was fired in the wake of his decision to lift Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.

NL Central Links: Hanrahan, Soler, Pierzynski, K-Rod

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Someone finally got to Aroldis Chapman and, of all teams, it was the light-hitting Pirates.  Chapman allowed back-to-back doubles to lead off the 10th inning, allowing his first earned run of the 2012 season and first since September 10, 2011 — a stretch of 35 straight scoreless innings.  Pittsburgh won the game by a 5-4 score.

Here's the latest from the NL Central…

  • Joel Hanrahan doesn't think the Pirates will trade him this summer, the closer tells Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Cook opines that Pirates ownership's commitment to re-signing top players will be questioned if Hanrahan doesn't receive a long-term extension.  Hanrahan told Cook he didn't think much about trade rumors, though we know he at least reads them on this very website.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow confirmed that his team still has an interest in Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.  Luhnow wouldn't say if the Astros had submitted a contract offer by today, the reported deadline set by Soler's agents.
  • A.J. Pierzynski tells CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien about how he was almost dealt to the Cubs in 2003, as the Cubs offered the Twins a package of Juan Cruz and Todd Wellemeyer for the catcher.  Pierzynski said that he'd like to remain with the White Sox when he hits free agency this winter but if the Southsiders' local rivals from Wrigleyville were to contact him, “if they were the only team that came after me and I wanted to continue to play, how could I say no?"
  • Francisco Rodriguez wants to remain with the Brewers through the rest of this season, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, though the reliever said he'd like to close again, in all likelihood for a new team since John Axford is ensconced as Milwaukee's stopper.

Draft Notes: Phillies, White Sox, Brewers, Nationals

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The first round of the MLB draft takes place tomorrow night.  Here are the latest notes on the draft:

  • The Phillies intend to spend their entire draft pool of $4.9MM on their first ten picks and will draft a position player early, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
  • White Sox scouting director Doug Laumann told the Chicago Tribune's Dave Van Dyck he doesn't expect to find an immediate impact player in the draft.  “It’s probably as thin as I've seen in a decade,” Laumann said. “We see that it's pretty thin right now in the college ranks."
  • Brewers amateur scouting director Bruce Seid doesn't think there much of a talent dropoff after the first ten picks, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.  The Brewers have the 27th, 28th, and 38th selections.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo isn't letting the new CBA impact his draft strategy, says MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • The Padres will keep an eye out for shortstops in the draft, says Corey Brock of MLB.com.
  • The Astros have the first overall pick in the draft for the first time in 20 years. MLB.com's Brian McTaggart recalls how that missed pick (Phil Nevin) affected the franchise.

Latest On Kevin Youkilis

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The Dodgers, Phillies and Diamondbacks are among the teams showing early interest in Kevin Youkilis, people familiar with the situation tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  One Red Sox person termed talks as "very preliminary'' but others familiar with the club's thinking say that they feel the need to trade him, barring more injuries.

Red Sox people are telling others that they're looking for value in exchange for Youkilis, but it is said that they would ask for less if a team will pay the $9MM plus remaining on his contract ($12MM salary).  That deal also has a $13MM option with a $1MM buyout for 2013.

Aside from the aforementioned clubs, Heyman writes that the White Sox, Angels, Brewers, Giants, Rangers, Indians, and Reds are also possible destinations for the 33-year-old.  While Texas had a scout at a recent Red Sox game, Heyman notes that they are pretty set in the infield and the right-handed bat they seek is much more likely to be an outfielder.

Yankees Eyeing Matt Garza

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Matt Garza interests the Yankees more than other potentially available starters, so GM Brian Cashman could pursue the right-hander this summer, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Red Sox could also pursue Garza, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com notes (on Twitter).

The Yankees appear to have little interest in Brewers right-handers Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, Heyman writes. The team has concerns about how Greinke would pitch in New York and members of the New York front office aren’t sure about Marcum as an American Leaguer.

The Yankees also have concerns about Ryan Dempster’s ability to transition to the American League. While the Brewers have a buyer’s mindset, the Cubs appear willing to listen on most of their players. Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros could be another option for the Yankees, Heyman notes.

GMs Look Ahead To Trade Deadline

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Several general managers predict diminished trade activity this summer, when teams navigate baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement for the first time, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Additional playoff berths mean more teams than ever are in contention and modified rules mean team can no longer obtain draft pick compensation for players acquired midseason. 

The Brewers and Diamondbacks have struggled through the season’s first two months and might have become sellers in other years, but neither team is inclined to make its players available yet. Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers knows his team faces a light schedule in the coming weeks and with Matt Kemp on the disabled list in Los Angeles, the Diamondbacks could strike. Similarly Brewers president of baseball operations Doug Melvin remains optimistic about his team’s chances of re-entering the race.

One GM says Zack Greinke, Josh Hamilton and Cole Hamels are the only prospective free agents assured of receiving one-year qualifying offers from their respective clubs after the season. More than three free agents will obtain these offers, but most players aren’t worth $12-3MM on a one-year deal, so teams will be pressured to make trades if they aim to convert players on the brink of free agency into long-term assets. As Rosenthal notes, GMs predict a quiet trade deadline annually, but lots of trades happen every year.

Heyman On Brewers, Liriano, Castro

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Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com lists 45 potential trade candidates in anticipation of this summer’s deals. Here are some highlights, starting with a team that could be a buyer, rather than a seller:

  • One GM questions Zack Greinke’s ability to thrive in major markets. Keep in mind that Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has a buyer’s mindset as the deadline approaches. Greinke and others on Milwaukee’s roster may not be available.
  • Fellow Brewers starter Shaun Marcum is no better than a fourth starter in the American League, according to a GM. It's worth noting that Marcum posted a 3.85 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in five seasons in the American League East when he pitched for the Blue Jays.
  • An American League executive said Padres starter Edinson Volquez “has good value,” Heyman reports.
  • One person said Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano is worth a short-term look.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore may like Jeff Francoeur more than any other team does.
  • Jeremy Guthrie will have to string together some quality outings to restore his trade value, one executive said. 
  • Heyman hears from a Cubs official who says the team hasn't mentioned Starlin Castro's name in trade talks (Twitter link). The Cubs appear to be willing to listen on most of their players, including Castro.

Attanasio: Brewers Have ‘Buyer’s Mindset’

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The Brewers may sit in fifth place with a 22-28 record, but the principal owner of the defending National League Central champions doesn’t anticipate selling off talent at this summer’s trade deadline. Mark Attanasio told reporters that the Brewers prefer to add rather than subtract.

"We always have a buyer's mindset," Attanasio said, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. "In seven years, we've always had a buyer's mindset."

Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Francisco Rodriguez are among the Brewers headed for free agency after the season. They would surely draw interest if Attanasio and president of baseball operations Doug Melvin make them available. The Brewers have had a particularly difficult time staying healthy this year. Jonathan Lucroy, Mat Gamel, Alex Gonzalez, Chris Narveson are all on the disabled list after sustaining serious injuries.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Reds, Greinke

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On this date two years ago Roy Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history. The Phillies placed Halladay on the disabled list with a right lat strain today and he could miss up to two months. Here are today's links…

  • The Dodgers don’t appear to have interest in recently-released right-hander Jason Marquis, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. The Dodgers don’t expect Ted Lilly to miss more than a few starts, according to Crasnick.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer suggests the Reds are likely looking for a left-handed bench bat.
  • Extension talks between Zack Greinke and the Brewers are relatively quiet, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. Greinke is on track to hit free agency after the season and could draw trade interest midseason if the Brewers are out of contention.
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