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Six Teams Interested In Chien-Ming Wang

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Six teams have shown in right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). However, at this point the right-hander is unlikely to opt out of his minor league deal with the Yankees because none of the six suitors are willing to offer him a Major League contract.

The Taiwanese right-hander has a clause in his contract that allows him to opt out today if he wishes, but it was reported earlier in the week that the only way he would do that would be for a Major League roster spot on another team. In 51 innings for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, Wang has posted a 2.65 ERA with 4.1 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. The consensus from scouts, however, has been that his stuff doesn't look nearly as good as it did during his peak years with the Yankees.

Wang's contract has three more opt-out dates: June 30, Aug. 10 and Aug. 31. The Orioles are one team who has reportedly shown interest in the 33-year-old, but that was said to be more due diligence than genuine intrigue.

AL Notes: Royals, Hideki Matsui, Trout

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The big news out of the American League today comes from the Royals, who announced Hall of Famer George Brett will take over as interim hitting coach in place of Jack Maloof, while Pedro Grifol will take the major league special assignment coach role from Andre David.  Brett has worked with the club since retiring in '93, but this marks his first in-season coaching job.  He'll have his work cut out for him, as the Royals rank 12th in the AL with 3.98 runs scored per game, tenth with a .314 on-base percentage, and 14th with a .375 slugging percentage.  The team's entire infield has failed to hit, right fielder Jeff Francoeur has been terrible as well, and even Billy Butler is slugging just .404.  Losers of their last eight, the Royals still have a 6.3% shot at the playoffs, according to Clay Davenport's calculations.  

Elsewhere around the American League…

  • Hideki Matsui will sign a one-day minor league contract with the Yankees on July 28th to announce his official retirement that day as a Yankee, according to a team press release.  After playing ten seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, Matsui compiled a .292/.370/.482 line with 140 home runs in seven seasons with the Yankees.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post revisits the Yankees' failed attempt to acquire Cliff Lee from the Mariners in 2010, noting that the players GM Brian Cashman refused to include aren't looking so great these days for the most part.
  • As the Angels' best player, Mike Trout merits the respect of someone with four or five years of big league service, argues Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who feels Trout should stay in his preferred center field even when Peter Bourjos returns from the disabled list.  Rosenthal notes that Trout "never once complained about playing left."  I should point out that Trout's agent Craig Landis did bring up that "disappointment" in his March statement expressing displeasure with Trout's contract renewal.

Quick Hits: Yankees, Chamberlain, Royals, Twins, Draft

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Based on roster surplus and thin relief market, it wouldn't be a surprise to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link) if the Yankees moved Joba Chamberlain sometime before July 31st.  The Rangers were keeping an eye on Chamberlain, who is finally back in action after resting a strained oblique, before the season started and its possible that the once-promising prospect could attract some attention between now and the deadline.  The Bombers could afford to part with the 27-year-old thanks to the recent emergence of Shawn Kelley and rookie Preston Claiborne in the bullpen.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • The Royals' struggles could cost manager Ned Yost his job, but not just yet, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  Knobler spoke with GM Dayton Moore earlier today and gets the impression that he is prepared to stand behind Yost.
  • Twins vice president Mike Radcliff told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter) that he wouldn't rule out taking high school pitcher Kohl Stewart with the No. 4 pick due to his diabetes.  Radcliff and scouting director Deron Johnson (link) have been closely watching Stewart and have seen him throw a number of times.  
  • Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com was surprised to see the Angels designate Mark Lowe for assignment in order to make room on the roster for Jered Weaver.  Gonzalez notes that Michael Kohn, Garrett Richards, Dane De La Rosa, and Robert Coello could all be optioned, but the move to DFA Lowe instead is an indication of how well they are throwing.  Coello is looking particularly strong so far this season thanks in part to his modified forkball.

New York Notes: Tejada, Overbay, Davis, Wang

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The Yankees and Mets currently stand on opposite ends of the spectrum, with the Yankees nine games above .500 and the Mets at nine games below. The Bombers have dropped three in a row, however, and the Mets have won three straight. Game two of their Subway Series will get underway later tonight, but here's some news on both teams to tide New York fans over until then…

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he will continue to pursue stopgap options at shortstop rather than look to trade for an established player at the position.
  • Within that same piece, Martino notes that there's been talk of sending Ruben Tejada down for Omar Quintanilla, but Quintanilla isn't on the 40-man roster. Plus, if the Mets call Quintanilla up, he would need to clear waivers in order to be sent back to the minors. If he were claimed by another team, the organization would be thin on shortstop depth.
  • With Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis on rehab assignments, the Yankees face a decision on Lyle Overbay, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. Overbay seems headed for a reduced role or a new team, but he voiced his preference to remain with the Yankees rather than play elsewhere, even if it means less at-bats: “Do I want to play every day and be miserable?” Overbay said. “That opportunity might not be as good as it is here. I think it will work itself out.”
  • Ike Davis will not be optioned to the Minor Leagues today, reports the Post's Mark Hale. There's been plenty of speculation that some time at Triple-A is coming for Davis, who went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and batted eighth last night for the Mets. He's currently in a 4-for-53 slump and batting just .152/.237/.247.
  • Chien-Ming Wang can opt out of his contract on Friday, but he won't do so unless he has a Major League offer from another club, writes the Post's Joel Sherman. A Mets official told Sherman that they wouldn't be interested in Wang as a replacement for Jeremy Hefner or Dillon Gee. Sherman writes that the sense is that Wang's stuff is nowhere near as good as it was from 2006-07 with the Yankees.
  • Also from Sherman's piece, a panel of eight Post writers and seven New York executives were asked to rank the Top 10 rookies from last year's class, and Matt Harvey ranked fifth behind Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Yu Darvish (in that order). 

East Notes: Mets, Yankees, Papelbon

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Even though the Mets aren't contending, GM Sandy Alderson says they could be buyers at the trade deadline, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. "It’s a possibility. It depends on what is available," says Alderson. "I have been involved in deals in the past whose first consideration was not the current season but the following season…The possibility of making an acquisition that has implications not just for the second half of this season? Yes." It sounds like we shouldn't expect the Mets to pursue rentals, but they might be open to a splashy acquisition of a veteran who is under team control through at least 2014. Martino notes that the Mets could look for outfielders in particular. Here are more notes from the East divisions.

  • Lots of former Yankees and Mets are doing well with other teams, Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes. Sherman singles out former Yankees Russell Martin (Pirates), Nick Swisher (Indians) and Eric Chavez (Diamondbacks) in particular.
  • The Red Sox are one of eight teams to which Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon can refuse a trade, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. That Papelbon would have his old team on his no-trade list initially seems strange, but Bradford notes that it's not uncommon for a player to put a large-payroll team on his no-trade list, reasoning that he might be able to use his ability to nix a trade as leverage to negotiate an extension if a large-payroll team wants him. When asked, Papelbon said he could see himself playing for the Red Sox again.

Yankees Designate David Huff For Assignment

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The Yankees have designated David Huff for assignment, Jack Curry of the YES Network tweets. The Yankees needed to clear roster space for Joba Chamberlain, who has been activated from the disabled list.

New York claimed Huff three days ago after he had been designated for assignment by the Indians. The Indians had also designated Huff for assignment in late March, so Huff has now been designated three times in the past two months.

Huff has pitched one innings for the Yankees and three for the Indians this season. In 289 1/3 career innings, Huff has a 5.41 ERA, with 5.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Buckner, Rondon

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Today's minor moves…

AL East Notes: Ellsbury, Red Sox, Yankees, Breslow

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As we celebrate Memorial Day, we have a full slate of interleague baseball to take in.  It's Subway Series time in New York as the Yankees are in Queens to take on the Mets.  The Bombers are tied atop the AL East with the Red Sox thanks to Boston's three consecutive wins against the Indians, but the Yankees could gain some separation with a strong showing against their crosstown rivals.  Here's more out of the AL East…

  • Jacoby Ellsbury's free agency will be extra complicated thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, something that Michael Bourn knows all about, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal writes.  “It was tough,” Bourn said of his value being affected by draft pick compensation. “You really can’t change anything about it. It affected people in different ways if you had that attached to you. It's part of the process and you just have to deal with it now. You aren't going to change anything by pouting about it.”
  • Before claiming left-handed reliever David Huff off waivers from the Indians, the Yankees asked the Pirates about Mike Zagurski, writes George A. King III of the New York Post.  The Bucs said no, however, and selected Zagurski's contract this morning after transferring Jeff Karstens to the 60-day disabled list.
  • After he was released from the Brewers' High-A affiliate in 2004, Craig Breslow almost gave up on baseball to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery or sports medicine, writes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.  Nine years later, Breslow is a bona fide major league reliever for the Red Sox.  The left-hander is in the first multi-year deal of his career, a two-year, $6.25MM pact with a $4MM team option for 2015.

AL East Notes: Rays, Red Sox, Uehara, Yankees

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Earlier today, we learned that while Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli has yet to hear from the club on an extension, he is open to talks with the club.  The veteran told his agent that the environment in Boston is better than the one in Texas, which is saying a lot considering how much he enjoyed his time with the Rangers.  Here's more out of the American League East..

  • The Rays' unusual pitching depth has proven to be quite valuable, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  "Compared to other organizations, there is a tremendous amount of depth," said pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was brought over from the Royals. "The whole Triple-A pitching staff has the ability to be here. You usually don't see that with an entire staff at the upper levels."  There's always trade talk surrounding Tampa Bay and their surplus starters, but injuries have shown the value in hanging on to pitching depth.
  • The Red Sox's offseason pickups are looking strong so far in 2013, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.  Right-hander Koji Uehara gets an A on Tomase's report card as he has been the team's most consistent reliever.  Napoli gets an A-minus in spite of his high strikeout rate thanks to his overall offensive production.
  • While the Yankees and Mets are heading in different directions, Joe Girardi finds himself on equal footing with Terry Collins, writes Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record.
  • This morning, the Yankees designated Ben Francisco for assignment.

Yankees Designate Ben Francisco For Assignment

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The Yankees have designated Ben Francisco for assignment, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The move will create room for the newly-acquired David Huff on the roster.

Francisco, 31, has hit just .114/.220/.182 in 50 plate appearances this season. The Bombers signed the outfielder to a minor league deal in March after he was cut loose by the Indians. Francisco played for the Blue Jays, Astros, and Rays in 2012 and posted a combined .240/.285/.385 batting line with four home runs in 207 total plate appearances.

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