Pirates Outright Jose Tabata
The Pirates have outrighted Jose Tabata to Triple-A Indianapolis, the team announced via press release. The move clears space for second baseman Neil Walker to be activated from the disabled list.
Clearly, this is a disappointing outcome for both team and player, as Tabata was once viewed as a building block for the Pirates as they were re-tooling in 2011. Tabata inked a six-year, $15MM extension with the Bucs at the time that contains a trio of club options which can boost the deal to a total of $37.5MM. At the time of the extension, he had backed up a .299/.346/.400 rookie campaign with a .264/.351/.362 batting line and was just a nine days removed from his 23rd birthday.
Tabata, also a threat on the basepaths and a solid defensive left fielder, seemed to have quite a bit of upside, but his bat never progressed much after signing the deal. He hit .243/.315/.348 the following season and has batted .267/.328/.377 in 869 plate appearances since the contract was signed. With Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and now Gregory Polanco occupying the regular outfield spots, Tabata doesn’t have a route to everyday at-bats, though it’s somewhat surprising, given his solid glove in left and decent numbers against lefties, that he wasn’t kept on the roster in a reserve capacity.
Tabata is owed roughly $1.59MM over the remainder of the current season, $4MM in 2015 and $4.5MM in 2016. The buyout on his first option is $250K, meaning he’s guaranteed roughly $10.34MM through the end of 2016. As a player with more than three years of Major League service time that was outrighted, Tabata has the option to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, though in doing so he would forfeit the remaining guarantee on his contract, making the option more or less a moot point.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington reportedly shopped Tabata throughout Spring Training this season but was unable to find a taker.
Rays Prepared To Move David Price
While no deal is imminent at the moment, rival officials tell ESPN’s Buster Olney that the Rays are prepared to move David Price “right now” if the right offer presents itself (ESPN Insider subscription required and recommended).
Olney notes that the Rays’ litany of injuries and surprisingly poor performances from Evan Longoria and Wil Myers have buried Tampa in the AL East cellar. Waiting for another month or more to move Price presents the Rays with a great risk, he points out, using Matt Garza as an example. The Cubs intended to trade Garza two summers go but waited too long and saw their No. 1 starter go down with a season-ending injury. Olney goes on to write:
“The expectation of rival officials is that sometime in the days ahead, some team is going to call Rays GM Andrew Friedman with the right offer, with enough pitching included to fill Tampa Bay’s organizational need.”
Olney also highlights Price’s improved performance and velocity of late, noting that the league-wide need and his resurgence have made the conditions almost perfect to move the former Cy Young winner. Indeed, while Price’s velocity has been anything but consistent, Fangraphs’ velocity chart on him shows a gradual increase from the beginning of the season, and he’s averaged 93.4 mph or better in five of his past eight starts.
Tampa is said to prefer to trade Price to the National League — or at the very least out of the AL East — but the suitors for Price will be plentiful. Olney speculates on the Giants, Dodgers and Cardinals as possible fits. Other clubs that have been connected to Price in recent weeks have been the Blue Jays and the surprising Marlins. Miami’s NL East rivals, the Braves, are reportedly unlikely to join a pursuit of Price. That’s not surprising, given how much the team had to stretch payroll simply to accommodate Ervin Santana in Spring Training.
Utley Not Planning On Waiving No-Trade Rights
Given the Phillies’ sub-par performance this season and their aging core, second baseman Chase Utley has seen his name pop up in trade talks fairly frequently. However, the lifetime Phillie tells Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that he has little interest in waiving his 10-and-5 rights (10 years of Major League service and five with his current team) that allow him to veto any trade to another team.
Asked about the possibility of waiving those rights in the event of a lengthy Phillies rebuild, Utley replied: “Well, you’re creating situations that aren’t necessarily going to happen. I guess we’d have to see at that point, but I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
A lengthy rebuild appears unlikely for the Phillies so long as Ruben Amaro Jr. is at the helm, as the GM himself told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports less than one month ago: “I don’t know if we’ll completely ‘sell’ ever. We can revamp, but we can’t completely sell out. We have to have a contending team in 2015 or ’16 — or at least a competitive team.”
Utley recognizes that the Phillies need to make improvements to win, though he also noted that every team in MLB could stand to make improvements in some capacity. He feels the Phillies can win in the future, and tells Zolecki that belief is one of the reasons he elected to sign a two-year, $27MM extension with a trio of vesting options that could make the deal worth $75MM.
The 35-year-old Utley is in the midst of yet another a fine season at the plate, slashing .295/.357/.456 with five homers in 314 plate appearances. He’s remained healthy this season, which is good news for his financial future; Utley has a clause in his contract that boosts his 2015 salary from $10MM to $15MM if he spends 15 days or less on the DL with a knee injury in 2014.
Latest On Blue Jays’ Interest In Jeff Samardzija
The Blue Jays continue to scout Jeff Samardzija, as pro scouting director Perry Minasian was in attendance for yesterday’s outing against the Reds, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Much of the chatter regarding Samardzija to this point has included speculation when it comes to Chicago’s asking price, but Morosi hears “strong indications” that the Cubs would deal Samardzija for a package highlighted by right-hander Aaron Sanchez, left-hander Daniel Norris and center fielder Dalton Pompey.
Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has maintained that he won’t include all three of those prospects in a deal for Samardzija or any other available pitcher — even David Price — according to Morosi’s report. He also notes that as much as the Blue Jays like Samardzija, they may prefer Price and Philadelphia southpaw Cole Hamels (though the latter isn’t guaranteed to be available).
The Blue Jays reluctance to deal three of their top prospects lines up with previous indicators that they may be more interested in rental players than controllable players due to a strong desire to preserve some of their farm system. Toronto has dealt away some notable prospect value — including Noah Syndergaard, Travis d’Arnaud, Jake Marisnick, Justin Nicolino, Henderson Alvarez and Anthony DeSclafani — to acquire the likes of R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes. One thing we do know is that Anthopoulos feels he will have ownership’s blessing to expand the team’s payroll if necessary.
As for the three prospects listed by Morosi, Sanchez entered the season with the highest stock of the bunch but has seen his star lose some of its luster after struggling to a 4.08 ERA and issuing 48 walks in 75 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Norris, on the other hand, has been electric, turning in a combined 1.62 ERA and 4.47 K/BB ratio in 72 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A. Pompey ranked just 17th among Toronto prospects (per Baseball America) prior to the season but has boosted his value with a strong .312/.392/.460 batting line, six homers and 27 steals (in 29 attempts).
Latest On Mets, Chris Young
1:44pm: GM Sandy Alderson went on record with Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) and called reports of Young’s potential release “simply inaccurate.”
10:20am: When asked if releasing Young is a possibility, a Mets official responded with a blunt “no,” tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post.
9:29am: A Mets insider tells Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that Chris Young‘s days with the organization “are numbered.” The Mets, who would have to eat the remainder of Young’s $7.25MM salary, are debating internally whether to pull the trigger this week.
The Mets could cut ties with Young on Thursday when Juan Lagares is expected to be brought up from his rehab assignment. The Mets could free up a roster spot by demoting Kirk Nieuwenhuis to Triple-A, but they might prefer to cut Young loose instead.
The Mets are slated to face A’s left-handers Scott Kazmir and Brad Mills, so Young could have an opportunity to change minds in the club’s front office. Because of the matchups, the lefty-hitting Nieuwenhuis probably won’t get a chance to state his case for staying on the varsity squad.
General Manager Sandy Alderson signed Young to a one-year, $7.25MM deal after a rough season in Oakland where he slashed .200/.280/.379. So far, Young has followed that up with even worse offensive production. The 30-year-old is hitting .201/.284/.313 through 58 games.
Brady Aiken In Houston To Sign Contract
JUNE 23: Aiken arrived in Houston today to sign his contract, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports. Aiken acknowledged to Berman that the deal is done, and he’s set to begin his pro career.
JUNE 7, 7:17pm: The sides are “on the same page” regarding the bonus, though the deal still has pieces left to be negotiated, tweets Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.
5:24pm: The Astros are in agreement with top overall choice Brady Aiken on a $6.5MM bonus, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter. As Callis notes, Aiken — who is advised by Excel Sports Management — ties Jameson Taillon (Pirates, 2010) for the largest-ever bonus agreed to by a high school pitcher.
More importantly for Houston, that number falls well shy of the pick’s allotment of just over $7.9MM, leaving the club with ample additional funds to apply to other draft choices. The rest of the team’s day one haul consisted of seven college juniors, one college senior, a JuCo choice (Brock Dykxhoorn, sixth round), and one high-schooler (Jacob Nix, fifth round). One player who could see some money dangled is Mac Marshall, who appears set to attend LSU but was taken by Houston in the 21st round.
Aiken established a clear consensus as the best overall player heading into the draft, though many have noted the shaky recent history of prep arms chosen at the very top of the draft. Of course, focusing only on the players that happened to go at the top of the draft would mean ignoring success stories like that of Clayton Kershaw, who Aiken seems reasonably comparable to at this (early) stage of his development.
Certainly, draft observers agreed that Aiken was worth the top choice. He landed at the head of the final draft boards of Baseball America, ESPN’s Keith Law, and Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. Those experts credit him with a heater that ranges into the mid-90s, plus secondary offerings (curve and change), fluid mechanics, and outstanding command.
Red Sox Aren’t Targeting Matt Kemp
The Red Sox have been linked to Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp in the past and a recent report indicated that Boston was spending “significant time” watching him. However, a source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI that there’s nothing brewing between the two sides regarding the two-time All-Star.
General Manager Ben Cherington & Co. continue to explore options to improve their outfield’s offensive production but the source insists that there’s no momentum towards a deal for Kemp. For his part, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the 29-year-old isn’t going anywhere.
In 261 plate appearances this year, Kemp owns a slash line of .274/.333/.460. That’s not quite the performance from his All-Star seasons in 2011 and ’12 (.315/.387/.567) but its an uptick from his injury filled 2013. Kemp has also been on an absolute tear over the last ten games.
Fellow Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier was mentioned as a possibility for the BoSox in the spring but Bradford reported in late May that Boston wouldn’t be pursuing him either.
Jimmy Rollins Wants To Stay With Phillies
Things haven’t gone has planned for the Phillies so far this season, so there has been a great deal of speculation that they could turn into sellers this July. In a complete fire sale, a mainstay like Jimmy Rollins could be made available, but a trade is the furthest thing from the shortstop’s mind right now. The former National League MVP says that he plans on sticking around for the long haul in Philadelphia
“I’m not going to volunteer to go anywhere,” Rollins told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “Even if somewhere else was the perfect spot, this is what I know. You weigh that against the instant gratification of winning right now. You leave, and there’s no guarantee you’re going to win anyways. You pack up to leave for a different organization, a different city, and it feels temporary. I can tell you that I have never honestly thought about waiving my no-trade clause.”
That doesn’t mean that Rollins would use his no-trade clause to block a deal, however. If the Phillies want him to go, the shortstop says that he doesn’t have to be told twice to do so. The 35-year-old has full no-trade rights and will be under contract for 2015 once his option vests with the necessary number of plate appearances. Rollins also told Nightengale that he hopes to play beyond this current contract.
In 311 plate appearances this season, Rollins owns a .244/.330/.387 slash line with eight homers. While that line is below his career average, it’s a marked improvement from last season’s performance. Rollins is also playing above average defense at shortstop, as evidenced by his 3.7 USR/150.
Padres Fire GM Josh Byrnes
The Padres have fired Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes, tweets Scott Miller of Bleacher Report/Turner Sports. The team has confirmed Byrnes has been relieved of his duties.
“This ownership group is committed to fielding a team that consistently competes for postseason play,” said Padres President and CEO Mike Dee in a statement. “Thus far this season, the results on the field have been mixed at best and clearly have not lived up to expectations. After a lengthy evaluation of every facet of our baseball operations, we have decided to make this change today. The search for a new General Manager begins immediately. We are looking for someone who can define, direct and lead this franchise’s baseball philosophy for years to come.“
The firing comes just two days after a report surfaced that Byrnes’ relationship with ownership had deteriorated. The Padres hope to have someone in place by later this season, sources tell Miller (on Twitter). Red Sox Assistant GM Mike Hazen has already been discussed as a possible replacement for Byrnes, tweets ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets the Padres have also discussed a reunion with Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers. In a separate tweet, Nightengale notes Towers (Padres GM from 1995 to 2009) is under contract in Arizona through 2016 but his job security has come into question with the hiring of Tony LaRussa. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune (subscription required) lists five potential candidates: Towers, Larry Beinfest (ex-Marlins GM), Farhan Zaidi (A’s assistant GM/director of baseball operations), David Forst (A’s assistant GM), and Jason McLeod (a former Padre executive and currently the Cubs’ senior vice president of player development and amateur scouting).
In the interim, Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations Omar Minaya and Assistant GMs A.J. Hinch and Fred Uhlman Jr. will assume Byrnes’ responsibilities in what the Padres call the “office of the general manager.” Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets Minaya will be the point person for any trade talk. Miller reports manager Bud Black and his coaching staff are safe and is expected to remain so until a new general manager is hired (Twitter links).
The Padres have posted a 184-215 record since Byrnes was named general manager in October 2011 replacing Jed Hoyer. Per MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker, Byrnes’ two highest-profile transactions were acquiring Andrew Cashner from the Cubs for Anthony Rizzo and dealing Mat Latos to the Reds for a package of Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal, Brad Boxberger, and Edinson Volquez. Byrnes has also handed out five contract extensions of three years or more during his tenure (Cameron Maybin, Nick Hundley – since traded to Baltimore – Cory Luebke, Carlos Quentin, and Jedd Gyorko), but was unable to hammer one out with third baseman Chase Headley.
Cubs Designate Eli Whiteside For Assignment
The Cubs have designated catcher Eli Whiteside for assignment, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald reports (Twitter link). Welington Castillo has been activated from the disabled list in a corresponding move.
Whiteside was called up from Triple-A Iowa when Castillo hit the DL earlier this month. Whiteside hit only .120/.115/.160 in 26 PA over eight games with Chicago, his first taste of big league action since 2012 when he was a member of the Giants. The 34-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in the offseason and Miles believes Whiteside will return to Iowa if he isn’t claimed.
According to the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker, Whiteside joins Kevin Slowey (Marlins), J.J. Putz (Diamondbacks), Josh Outman (Indians), Roger Bernadina (Reds), Jake Dunning (Giants) and Evan Reed (Tigers) in “DFA limbo.”