New York Notes: Bootcheck, Cano, Marcum, Harvey
Earlier today it was reported that the MLBPA has officially certified Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports to represent players. Roc Nation Sports, of course, will handle Robinson Cano's contract discussions with the Yankees (and other clubs if he reaches free agency). Here's the latest out of the Big Apple…
- Right-hander Chris Bootcheck has been placed on waivers after being designated for assignment by the Yankees on Tuesday, MLBTR's Chris Cotillo has learned. The waivers expire at 1 PM EST on Friday, at which point Bootcheck will learn if he has been claimed by a team or has cleared. If he clears waivers, he will likely be outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he has posted a 5-2 record and 3.32 ERA in 11 starts on the season.
- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that Jay-Z's certification allows him to be in the room during negotiations, but little else will change. CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen will still run point on all of the negotiations.
- Removing Shaun Marcum from the rotation would actually save the Mets money instead of costing them money, writes ESPN's Adam Rubin. While some feel that his $4MM base salary is a reason to keep him in the rotation, Rubin provides a breakdown of Marcum's incentives in showing that the more Marcum pitches, the more costly he becomes.
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports spoke with a pair of scouts who watched Matt Harvey on Tuesday, and both said they would take Harvey over Stephen Strasburg, with one scout saying it's "not even close." Knobler's scouts weren't as optimistic about Zack Wheeler, with one saying that he should still be in Triple-A and another calling him a middle-of-the-rotation arm, likening him to Edwin Jackson.
AL Notes: Yankees, A’s, Royals, White Sox, Mariners
With the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly at Yankee Stadium today, Yankees GM Brian Cashman discussed the process that resulted in Yanks' manager Joe Girardi getting the gig over Donnie Baseball back in 2007. Cashman considered those two gentlemen along with fellow late-80's/early-90's favorite Tony Pena. Managing the Yankees, explains Cashman, requires a wide range of skills that go well beyond the playing field. Ultimately, he said that Mattingly lacked the managerial experience that he was looking for: "The area that was a very difficult hurdle for him at the time, and obviously he doesn't have that anymore to deal with, is obviously at the time, he hadn't managed a game in the big leagues. So was I going to be in a position to be comfortable enough to turn over $200 million worth of assets to someone who hadn't done that before in-game."
Here are a few notes from some other American League clubs:
- The City of San Jose has brought suit against Major League Baseball relating to the Athletics' potential move to the city, alleging various federal and state antitrust claims along with a claim for interference with prospective economic advantage. In a piece for Fangraphs yesterday, Wendy Thurm gave an excellent overview of the background legal principles governing the dispute, along with the procedural and strategic considerations that will frame it. The situation could, of course, have a major impact on the A's budget moving forward. I highly recommend a read.
- Moving to the AL Central, Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan took a look at the Royals' impressive recent run of pitching-fueled success. Even as the team's offense continues to sputter, its starters (and excellent defense) have allowed KC to regain traction in the postseason race. Of course, the squad's rotation is led by arms that were acquired in a series of heavily-scrutinized transactions. GM Dayton Moore traded for James Shields and Wade Davis, dealt for Ervin Santana, and gave a three-year deal to free agent Jeremy Guthrie. While Davis has struggled and Guthrie's peripherals are concerning, the collective rotation ERA stands at 7th in baseball.
- As the Royals gear up to try and make a run at the playoffs, the AL Central-rival White Sox appear to be readying to sell at the trade deadline. As MLB.com's Kelly Erickson reports, GM Rick Hahn says the team has "had some phone calls — more of the vulture-type phone calls, the type that traditionally we're more accustomed to making." Given the "hole that we've dug for ourselves," says Hahn, "teams are going to look at us as potential sellers when the deadline comes, and they're starting to lay a little bit of that ground work now."
- The Mariners are coming up on some roster decisions with Dustin Ackley hitting the ball well in Triple-A and Franklin Gutierrez close to returning from the 60-day DL, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. While Ackley's return to the bigs has been delayed while he learns to man the outfield, the seemingly inevitable result will be some roster casualties. Baker tabs outfielder Endy Chavez and pitcher Aaron Harang as potential candidates for the waiver wire.
Draft Signings: Gonsalves, Williams, Monda, Hannemann
Here are today's notable draft notes and non-first-round signings (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America)…
- High school lefty Stephen Gonsalves has agreed to a $700k bonus with the Twins, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The fourth-round pick Gonsalves, once considered a possible first-rounder, signed for about $232k over slot rather than attending the University of San Diego.
- The Diamondbacks have signed second-round choice Justin Williams with a roughly at-slot bonus, tweets Callis. The high school shortstop, who is advised by the Boras Corporation, will likely take his raw power to the outfield as a pro.
- The Phillies will not sign sixth-round choice Jason Monda, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports on Twitter. The Washington State junior had initially seemed willing to sign, but elected instead to return for his final year as a collegiate ballplayer.
- Third-rounder Jacob Hannemann has agreed to a $1MM bonus with the Cubs, Callis reports via Twitter. The contract pays the speedy BYU outfielder over $250k more than his recommended slot.
- The Indians have given a well-above-slot bonus to fifth-round choice Sean Brady, tweets Callis. The high-school lefty, who is advised by Tom O'Connell, will receive $800k from Cleveland, over double the $347,100 slot recommendation.
- Yankees second-rounder Gosuke Katoh has signed for the full slot value of $845,700, according to Callis (on Twitter).
- Callis also reports that the Padres signed supplemental second-rounder Jordan Paroubeck for a $750K bonus (Twitter links). The prep outfielder from California has solid tools across the board, according to Callis. He signed for $58K under slot.
- The Padres have also agreed to terms with eighth-rounder Adrian De Horta on a well over-slot deal, MLBTR has learned. De Horta, who is advised by Terry Jones of Reynolds Sports Management, agreed to a $425K signing bonus, which is about $269K over slot value for the No. 238 overall selection. The deal is pending a physical. MLB.com doesn't have a full scouting report on De Horta, though they do offer a scouting video for Padres fans to check out.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Yankees Acquire Fernando Martinez
The Yankees acquired Fernando Martinez from the Astros in exchange for minor league right-hander Charles Basford, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
Martinez, 24, has been less-than-stellar in 35 plate appearances for the Astros this season. In his five years for the Astros and Mets, the left-handed hitting outfielder has a .206/.269/.362 slash line. Martinez was once considered to be a promising farmhand in the Mets' system and was ranked as high as No. 22 across the minors by Baseball America prior to the 2007 season.
Basford, 22, has spend the last two seasons with the Yankees' New York-Penn League affiliate. In 19 relief appearances, the right-hander has a 5.13 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9.
Yankees Designate Chris Bootcheck For Assignment
The Yankees announced that they have designated right-hander Chris Bootcheck for assignment. That move, coupled with Mark Teixeria being placed on the DL, allowed the Bombers to recall right-hander Adam Warren and outfielder Zoilo Almonte.
Bootcheck saw just one inning in pinstripes this year, allowing two hits and one run against the Angels on Friday. In 91 big league games, the 34-year-old owns a 6.55 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.
The Yankees promoted Bootcheck in advance of his late-June opt out and while his stay on the varsity squad was short lived, he pitched well for the club's Triple-A affiliate. Bootcheck made 11 starts for Scranton Wilkes-Barre and had a 3.32 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9.
Youkilis Out 10-12 Weeks Due To Back Surgery
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger, that Kevin Youkilis will undergo back surgery for a herniated disc and miss 10-12 weeks (Twitter link). The best-case scenario for Youkilis, based on that timeline, would be a late August return, though the recovery could easily push into September.
Youkilis, 34, signed a one-year, $12MM deal with the Yankees this offseason. He hit a respectable .267/.347/.422 through April 27 before landing on the disabled list with a sprained back. Since returning on May 31, he's hitting just .146/.239/.220.
A strong rebound campaign with the Bombers could've positioned Youkilis to sign a multi-year free agent deal this coming winter. Now, however, a one-year deal seems likely given the lack of production and significant time on the disabled list. The injury-prone corner infielder hasn't appeared in more than 122 games since 2009.
Youkilis never cracked Tim Dierkes' free agent power rankings (and certainly won't now). He'll part of a first base class that is flooded with veterans this offseason in free agency, as Kendrys Morales, Michael Morse, Corey Hart, Mike Napoli, Paul Konerko, Justin Morneau and Mark Reynolds will all be on the market. If he can position himself as a third baseman, Youk's competition will be more scarce, but that could be a tough sell with the back injuries.
Quick Hits: Manny, Hanrahan, Top Prospects, Teixeira
Manny Ramirez is batting .352 for the Taiwanese EDR Rhinos and ranks second in the league with eight home runs. While that might not be enough for MLB teams to show interest in the controversial slugger, he's drawing interest from Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines, according to a Sponichi report (Japanese link). Marines Manager Tsutomu Ito said he'd like to "make an acquisition when the team is strong, as MLB teams do," and that he's looking to give the DH spot to a power hitter. While it seems that Manny will continue to "be Manny" overseas for the time being, here's more from around Major League Baseball…
- Joel Hanrahan regrets how his brief Red Sox tenure played out and wishes he could've shown more to the fans, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Bradford notes that it's impossible to predict where Hanrahan will end up in free agency this winter, but the two-time All-Star isn't ruling out a return to Boston. Hanrahan told Bradford he "has a lot of things left to prove in Boston."
- ESPN's Keith Law examines the recent rash of top prospect promotions, offering his expectations for recent call-ups Wil Myers, Gerrit Cole, Mike Zunino and Zack Wheeler (ESPN Insider required).
- In light of Mark Teixeira re-injuring his wrist, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post questions the Yankees' decision to activate him from the disabled list in the first place. Davidoff points out that the World Baseball Classic paid for the $7.38MM that Teixeira earned while on the DL because he was injured preparing for the tournament. Now that he's been with the Yankees, the team will be on the hook for his remaining $15.12MM of salary even if he misses the remainder of the season.
Thanks to MLBTR contributor Aaron Steen for his assistance with the Japanese report.
AL East Notes: Cashman, Red Sox, Myers, Orioles
With the Dodgers beginning a history-rich interleague series with the Yankees tomorrow in the Bronx, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal looks back at how Vin Scully was offered a chance to be the voice of the Yankees in 1964. Here are some more items revolving around the AL East…
- Brian Cashman expects to continue to be busy leading up to the trade deadline, the Yankees GM told reporters (including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch) today. "I’m always open for business, if it feels like they’re incremental upgrades or significant ones," Cashman said. "Listen, because of the injuries that have hit us from the winter and March, we’ve been active and open to try to do something that would make sense for us. I think we’ve done a lot and we’re going to continue to try to do a lot."
- MLB.com's Ian Browne addresses a number of Red Sox trade deadline possibilities in a reader mailbag. Browne "highly doubts" that Jon Lester would be moved despite his current struggles, Stephen Drew could be brought back for next season depending on Will Middlebrooks' development and the Sox wouldn't have to give up much in a potential trade for Jonathan Papelbon though they would have to take on most of the remaining $33.6MM on Papelbon's contract.
- In another MLB.com fan mailbag piece, Bill Chastain looks at Wil Myers' callup to the Rays and how the heavily-touted prospect could fare in the Major Leagues.
- Orioles first round pick Hunter Harvey could come to terms with the club before their remaining two unsigned draftees from the first 10 rounds, a team source tells Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. It could take the O's right up until near the July 12 deadline to sign supplemental first-rounder Josh Hart.
Minor Moves: Stange, Ruiz, Carter, Torra
Here's your daily rundown of minor transactions from around the league…
- Right-hander Daniel Stange has opted out of his deal with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate, MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (via Twitter). Stange last pitched in the majors in 2010, appearing in four games with the Diamondbacks, and has been in the minors with the D'Backs and Padres ever since. Stange posted a 4.15 ERA, 9.9 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9 in 39 relief innings at Triple-A this season.
- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that the Yankees have signed first baseman/DH Randy Ruiz and assigned the slugger to Triple-A. Ruiz, 35, has a monstrous .301/.373/.524 batting line and 232 homers in parts of 15 minor league seasons. He batted .313/.385/.635 with 10 homers in 130 plate appearances for the Blue Jays in 2009 but went just 6-for-40 with the Jays in 2010. He hasn't appeared in the Majors since, though he did total 68 plate appearances for the Twins in 2008.
- The Seibu Lions have reacquired outfielder/designated hitter Chris Carter (not to be confused with the other Chris Carter, who currently plays for the Astros) after releasing him this past offseason, according to a report from Nikkan Sports. Carter, who last saw MLB action in 2010 with the Mets, had been playing in the independent BC League in Japan this season. The 30-year-old appeared in 59 games for the Lions in 2012, compiling a .294/.348/.452 line in 138 plate appearances.
- The Nationals have released Triple-A right-hander Matt Torra, according to the International League transactions page. Torra, 28, had a 5.53 ERA in 27 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse this season. He was selected 31st overall in the 2008 draft by the Diamondbacks but has never cracked the Majors. In 578 1/3 innings at Triple-A, Torra has a 4.64 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9.
- Seven players are currently in DFA limbo: Eric Young Jr. of the Rockies, Ramon Ramirez of the Giants, James Darnell of the Padres, Ramon Hernandez of the Dodgers, Kelly Shoppach of the Mariners, Mike Zagurski of the Pirates and Collin McHugh of the Mets.
MLBTR contributor Aaron Steen provided the translation for the Carter story.
Yankees To Sign Ian Clarkin
The Yankees have reached an agreement to sign first-rounder Ian Clarkin for the No. 33 slot's full assigned value of $1,650,100, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Yankees were awarded the No. 33 selection in the draft as compensation when closer Rafael Soriano signed with the Nationals as a free agent this offseason. Clarkin, a prep lefty out of San Diego, is advised by John Boggs & Associates. He will fly to Tampa today to take a physical for the Yankees.
Clarkin ranked 17th on Baseball America's list of Top 500 draft prospects. He was ranked 18th on Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com's Top 100 and ranked 43rd according to ESPN's Keith Law. BA wrote that Clarkin's fastball sits 90-92 mph but can touch 94, adding that he "flashes a plus downer curveball with sharp bite" and has an inconsistent changeup that could be an average pitch.
Clarkin is the second of the Yankees' three first-round picks to sign and the 15th first-rounder overall to come to terms. New York has already inked Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo (No. 26 overall) for just over $1.8MM. Their third first-round selection, Fresno State outfielder Aaron Judge, has been offered full slot value as well but hasn't yet accepted the offer, according to Heyman.
Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer had high praise for Clarkin when speaking to Heyman: "He's a lefthanded pitcher with plus velocity and has a plus curveball. On top of that, he's a tireless worker. We think we got something special with him.''