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Draft Signings: Melotakis, Jones, Alford, Astros, A’s

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MLBTR will track which first and supplemental first round picks have signed leading up to the July 13th signing deadline. As for players selected in round two and beyond, here are some additional draft signings…

  • The Twins have signed second rounder Mason Melotakis and fourth rounder Zach Jones, reports MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger (on Twitter). Both players are college pitchers; Melotakis a lefty and Jones a righty. Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter) that Jones signed for $357K, exactly slot money.
  • The Brewers have signed 25th rounder Lance Roenicke according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (on Twitter). Lance, a college outfielder, is the son of Brewers manager Ron Roenicke.
  • The Blue Jays will sign third round selection Anthony Alford, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports. Alford, a high school outfielder, might have been a first round selection, but he informed teams of his intent to play football and baseball at Southern Mississippi instead of signing out of the draft. The Blue Jays will allow Alford to play football, Callis reports. The outfielder’s bonus remains unconfirmed, but it could be close to double the recommended value of $424K.
  • The Astros announced the signing of eight selections, including fifth rounder Andrew Aplin.
  • The A's announced that they agreed to terms with 13 players, including their fourth round selection, high school center fielder B.J. Boyd.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

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.

Athletics Designate Kila Ka’aihue For Assignment

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The Athletics announced that they designated first baseman Kila Ka'aihue for assignment. They selected the contracts of Brandon Moss and Evan Scribner and placed Andrew Carignan on the 15-day disabled list in related moves.

Ka'aihue appeared in 39 games for the A's this year, posting a .234/.295/.398 batting line in 139 plate appearances. The 28-year-old has a .687 OPS with 15 home runs in 465 career plate appearances for the Royals and A's. Oakland acquired him from Kansas City for Ethan Hollingsworth last September.

Jason Pridie Elects Free Agency

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Outfielder Jason Pridie has asked the Athletics for his release and the team has granted his request, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. Pridie signed with the A's last offseason but didn't play a game in the Oakland organization following a 50-game suspension for a drug violation.

Pridie, 28, appeared in 101 games for the Mets last year, posting a .231/.309/.370 batting line in 236 plate appearances and playing all three outfield positions. He also has MLB experience with the Twins.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Morneau, Broxton, Lee

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The Red Sox could be in the enviable position of being both buyers and sellers at the deadline, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Once their outfield is healthy, Cody Ross, Daniel Nava, Ryan Sweeney, Scott Podsednik, and Marlon Byrd could be trade bait.  Kevin Youkilis is obviously a major chip and guys like Aaron Cook, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Mark Melancon, and Kelly Shoppach may also find themselves on the block.  The Nationals are in a similar position as they could sell off pitchers John Lannan and Chien-Ming Wang while still contending.  Meanwhile, the two teams most willing to move players will be the Astros and Cubs.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • The Twins will likely entertain offers at the trading deadline for Justin Morneau but won’t necessarily deal him.  The Blue Jays are a team to watch as they are trying to do something significant to help their offense.  Morneau earns $14MM this year and next and the Jays have money saved.  Toronto also has the kind of prospects Minnesota desires.
  • A decision the Royals made last week will likely enhance Jonathan Broxton’s trade value.  They have been cautious with him because of past elbow issues but are no longer barring him from pitching consecutive days.  Broxton has a 1.74 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 20.2 innings this year.
  • Despite the Astros’ surprising start, they will still listen to offers for their top trade candidates.  That includes closer Brett Myers, lefty starter Wandy Rodriguez, first baseman Carlos Lee, right-hander Brandon Lyon, and shortstop Jed Lowrie.
  • Lee could be a fit for the Dodgers as they look to replace Matt Kemp's power bat, but Lee has always had West Coast teams on his no-trade list.
  • Eventually, Twins GM Terry Ryan try to make the best possible deals for assets such as outfielder Josh Willingham, starters Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano, closer Matt Capps, and infielder Jamey Carroll.
  • A's starters Bartolo Colon and Brandon McCarthy, relievers Grant Balfour and Brian Fuentes, outfielder Coco Crisp, catcher Kurt Suzuki, and others are in play.   They also wouldn’t be against moving Josh Reddick.

Minor Moves: Fiorentino, Padilla

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Today's minor moves..

Padres Claim Neil Wagner

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The Padres announced that they have claimed right-hander Neil Wagner off of waivers from the Athletics. The Padres optioned Wagner to Triple-A and moved James Darnell to the 60-day disabled list in related moves.

Wagner, 28, made his MLB debut last year, pitching out of the Athletics' bullpen six times. He has been pitching at Triple-A Sacramento this year and has a 5.49 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 19 2/3 innings. He has a 3.58 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in seven minor league seasons.

Two Walk-Year Closers With Declining Trade Value

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Uspw_6259562The new playoff system may or may not impact the number of buyers and sellers this summer, but there's one thing about the trade deadline that won't change: pitching will be in demand. It is every year and in all forms — starters and relievers, right-handers and left-handers, aces and innings-eaters — there's a market for all of them.

A popular target for clubs looking to add bullpen help is the proverbial "closer on a bad team." The Rangers were 14.5 games out when they traded Eric Gagne to the Red Sox in 2007 and the Nationals were 13.5 games out when they traded Matt Capps to the Twins in 2010, just for example. The upcoming free agent class is littered with closers, but two of them have seen their trade value drop because of poor performance in recent weeks.

Brandon League, Mariners
League saved 37 games and was an All-Star a year ago, but this season he's pitched to a 4.43 ERA with a 44.4% ground ball rate that is well below his career norm (60.3%). Manager Eric Wedge removed the 29-year-old right-hander from the closer's role following last night's blown save, already his fourth of the season. He told reporters (including Larry Larue of The News Tribune) they'll instead "match up with what we think works" in the ninth inning.

Grant Balfour, Athletics
Three poor performances (two blown saves) in late-April and early-May cost Balfour his job as closer, and now he's working the seventh inning in Oakland thanks to Ryan Cook's emergence. The 34-year-old veteran has a 4.09 ERA in 22 innings, though his strikeout (7.0 K/9) and walk (3.3 BB/9) rates are both trending in the wrong direction for the second straight season.

Both League and Balfour are scheduled to become free agents after this season, though Balfour's contract includes a $4.5MM club option ($350K buyout) for 2013. With pitchers like Jonathan Broxton, Huston Street, and Francisco Rodriguez providing quality rental bullpen help alternatives on the trade market, the Mariners and A's could be left with nothing to show for their free agent-to-be relievers.

Photo via US Presswire.

Quick Hits: Marquis, Bourn, Nats, Athletics

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Links from around baseball as the Cubs look to snap their ten-game losing streak tonight in Pittsburgh..

  • Twins‬ GM Terry Ryan said Jason Marquis was placed on release waivers, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.  Other clubs have 48 hours to claim Marquis, who was DFA'd on Tuesday.
  • Braves centerfielder Michael Bourn could be a possible target for the Nationals and while he wouldn't directly talk about playing for Washington, he told reporters that he likes what the club has to offer, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  "They are good. They have some real good pitching," Bourn said. "They made some key acquisitions, and they have Gio Gonzalez over there now. They bring a good starter every night."
  • The Athletics met with Clorox CEO Don Knauss but the team is definitely not for sale and no offer was made, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Clorox and a handful of other East Bay Companies recently announced that they are working to keep the A's in Oakland with a new stadium.
  • Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes that the Athletics knew that they were getting a promising righty when they acquire Ryan Cook along with Jarrod Parker and Collin Cowgill in the Trevor Cahill trade, but they weren't expecting this kind of dominance.

2013 Contract Issues: Oakland Athletics

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The Athletics are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

  • Brandon McCarthy - McCarthy, now on the disabled list, figures to be in high demand this offseason. If the right-hander returns from the DL on schedule and the A's are out of contention by the end of July, he could be traded.
  • Brandon Inge - Scott Sizemore should return in 2013, eliminating the Athletics' need for a second everyday third baseman. Note that Inge signed a new one-year contract with the Athletics and that the 2013 option on his previous deal with the Tigers is no longer in play.
  • Bartolo Colon - In theory, Colon could also be available this summer. He has pitched well for the A's and they might have interest in re-signing him to a similar low-risk deal in 2013.
  • Jonny Gomes - Bob Melvin has maximized Gomes' exposure to left-handed pitching and the early results are excellent. Perhaps the Bay Area native will re-sign and complement the likes of Seth Smith for another year.
  • Manny Ramirez – Let's see what Ramirez does in 2012 before speculating about his role on the 2013 team.

Contract Options (2)

  • Grant Balfour: $4.5MM club option with a $350K buyout. It's been a rough ten-game stretch for Balfour, who could be a summer trade candidate if he recovers from his current slump.
  • Brian Fuentes: $6.5MM club option with a $500K option. Fuentes would be among the top left-handed relievers available this summer if the A's are willing to listen to trade offers for him. It would seem un-Athletics-like for the team to exercise this option and commit 10% of its payroll to a 37-year-old pitcher who won't pitch more than 5% of the team's innings. But if he puts together a strong season, the club could pick up the option and trade him.

Arbitration Eligible (7)

Injuries and poor performance have created considerable uncertainty for some of Oakland's arbitration eligible players. Devine could be non-tendered, depending on his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Barton, off to another slow start at the plate, could be cut loose as well. As long as Braden's recovery from shoulder surgery progresses well, he figures to be retained this December. If not, he'll be non-tendered, too.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The A's have committed nearly $29MM to next year's team, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. The franchise typically spends $50-65MM on its players, so GM Billy Beane should have some money at his disposal this offseason. However, the team's uncertain long-term future will presumably have some effect on Beane's ability to pursue free agents.

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