Athletics Place Harden, Crisp, Breslow On Waivers
A trio of Athletics were placed on waivers recently, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports: starter Rich Harden, center fielder Coco Crisp, and lefty reliever Craig Breslow. Placing the three on waivers does not necessarily mean the A's want to trade them. But if they were placed this afternoon then the clock is now ticking to make a claim, with the window closing after 48 hours.
The Red Sox pulled out of a trade deadline deal for Harden over physical concerns, but the 29-year-old righty continues to take his turn in the rotation for the A's. His big-time strikeout rate is back in an eight start sample, though Harden remains prone to free passes and home runs. Owed just $360K plus performance bonuses, claiming Harden would not be terribly risky despite his extensive injury history.
Crisp, 31, is hitting .274/.329/.392 in 441 plate appearances this season, already his highest total since '07. He leads the American League with 37 steals and his defense is typically well-regarded. He has a shot at Type B status, so the A's probably won't let him go for nothing. Crisp has about $1.39MM remaining on his contract.
Breslow is under team control through 2013, assuming he's tendered contracts for the next two seasons. The brainy 31-year-old has been hittable this year, especially against left-handed hitters.
Quick Hits: Marquis, Aaron Hill, Ellis, Matsui
Dan Uggla's incredible 33-game hitting streak came to an end today. The Braves' slugger batted an insane .377/.438/.762 over that stretch with 15 homers, good for an even 1.200 OPS. Remarkably though, he still falls 23 games short of Joe DiMaggio's immortal record. Here are your Sunday links:
- After fracturing a fibula today, new Diamondbacks acquisition Jason Marquis will miss four to six weeks. SI's Jon Heyman tweets that it sounds like the team's inclination is to replace Marquis internally. The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro doesn't think the team will go with top draft pick Trevor Bauer for the rotation spot, but notes that it's not crazy to suggest it. The 20-year-old Bauer tossed five scoreless innings today in his Double-A debut.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm, "We’re always open minded for Aaron [Hill] still being a long-term part of this team." Anthopoulos notes that Hill has flashed his talent at times this year. It's tough to picture the Jays picking up Hill's $8MM club option, but maybe they can work something out.
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post tweets that he would be surprised if the Rockies don't re-sign second baseman Mark Ellis. The 34-year-old had a .267/.304/.382 line in 139 plate appearances heading into tonight's action.
- If Bob Melvin is managing the Athletics again in 2012, he wants them to bring Hideki Matsui back, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Matsui had just a .617 OPS in the season's first half, but has risen from the ashes to post a .410/.470/.630 slash line in 26 games since the All-Star Break.
- Similarly, the Cubs and Carlos Pena both seem to be open to working out a new deal, writes Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com. On a related note, ESPN's Buster Olney hears that "in some important corners of the Cubs' front office, there is concern about investing huge money in one player this winter." In other words, the Cubs' brass might be wary of signing Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder to play first base.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if the Pirates can follow the path to prominence that their division rivals, the Brewers, followed to escape a similar tradition of losing.
- Olney tweets that in three days, Drew Pomeranz can officially become the player to be named later from last month's Ubaldo Jimenez trade with the Indians. Pomeranz is expected to report to the Rockies' Double-A affiliate in Tulsa.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
NL West Notes: Bloomquist, Romero, Blake
The tightest division race in the National League is happening out west, where the Diamondbacks have taken a two-game lead over the Giants on the strength of five straight wins. ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) likens Arizona to a No. 14 seed in an NCAA tournament, holding a lead late in the game and gaining confidence that they can pull off an upset. Here are this morning's notes from around the NL West:
- The D'Backs didn't go out and acquire a replacement for Stephen Drew when he fractured his ankle, and Willie Bloomquist is making the decision look good, writes Olney. Since Drew's injury, Bloomquist is hitting .295/.349/.423 as the team's regular shortstop.
- J.C. Romero tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that his friend LaTroy Hawkins had good things to say about the Rockies' organization, which pushed the lefty toward Colorado. Romero will throw a bullpen and take a physical today, and could be added to the Rockies' roster if both go well.
- Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times wonders what's next for the Dodgers' Casey Blake, who is "not the least interested in calling it a career" and "has no desire in going out on some injury-riddled, less-than-fulfilling season," according to Dilbeck.
- The Athletics have called up two former members of NL West clubs, both of whom were involved in trades earlier this season, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Brandon Allen, formerly of the Diamondbacks, and Bruce Billings, acquired from the Rockies in the Mark Ellis deal, will join the A's for today's game.
Draft Signings: D’Backs, Indians, Blue Jays, A’s
The latest draft signings from around MLB…
- The Diamondbacks have signed tenth rounder Kyle Winkler for $240K, tweets Callis. Winkler, a right-hander out of TCU, was expected to be drafted in the supplemental first round before suffering a stress fracture in his elbow the weekend before the draft.
- The Indians have signed seventh rounder Eric Haase for $580K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The high school catcher obtained the highest bonus of any player selected after the fifth round so far this year. He's more athletic than most catchers and was the best high school position prospect in Michigan this spring, according to Callis. Tripper Johnson of Sosnick Cobbe Sports represents Haase.
- The Blue Jays announced that they have signed 17th round right-hander Brady Dragmire and 27th round outfielder Derrick Loveless. They also confirmed the signings of 35th overall pick Jacob Anderson and fourth rounder Tom Robson.
- The A's formally announced that they have agreed to terms with third round selection B.A. Vollmuth (Baseball America heard about the $304K agreement last night). The third baseman earned First Team All-Conference USA honors for the second consecutive season at Southern Mississippi this year.
Quick Hits: Rhodes, Yankees, Villalona, Athletics
The A's announced that they have hired former MLB player and manager Phil Garner as a special advisor. The 62-year-old played for 16 seasons and managed for another 15. Here are the latest links from around MLB…
- Arthur Rhodes told B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com that the Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies all had interest in signing with him before he joined the Cardinals (Twitter link). The Phillies wanted the veteran lefty to pitch in the minors before adding him to the big league roster.
- "What you see is what you’re gonna get," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman to Dan Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal (Twitter link). Cashman doesn't expect to make any waiver trades this month.
- The Associated Press (via ESPN Deportes) reports that former Giants prospect Angel Villalona is suing the team for $5MM, citing unlawful termination of his contract. Villalona, once ranked as the 33rd best prospect in the game by Baseball America, has not played since 2009 after being charged with murder in the Dominican Republic.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that MLB needs a salary floor (a minimum payroll) because certain teams aren't going to spend any more than they have to. However, the players' union has traditionally opposed salary caps and floors.
- Ian Kennedy told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he would listen if the D’Backs approached him about a long-term deal.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he didn't know Ron Roenicke before interviewing him for Milwaukee's managerial opening last fall. The new skipper has the Brewers in first place, four games ahead of the Cardinals.
- Joey Votto told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer that superstars can be overrated in MLB, since they don't impact the game the way great players do in other sports. I highly recommend Daugherty's piece, in which Votto shows a strong understanding of the business of baseball.
- Tampa Bay, Arizona, Oakland, Miami and Washington are the five worst markets in MLB for Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
Draft Notes: Meo, Braves, Blue Jays
The latest draft signings, with the deadline for deals just four days away…
- Lou Nero of Octagon Sports reports that second rounder Anthony Meo has signed with the D'Backs (Twitter link). Meo obtained an above-slot bonus of $625K, according to Callis, who notes that MLB's recommended bonus was 580K (Twitter link).
- The Marlins have signed second rounder Adam Conley, a left-handed pitcher out of Washington State, for $625K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (via Twitter).
- The Athletics have signed third rounder B.A. Vollmuth, a third baseman out of Southern Miss, for $304.2K, according to Callis (via Twitter).
- The Royals have signed fifth rounder Patrick Leonard, a high school outfielder from Texas, for $600K, writes Callis. It's the highest bonus awarded to a player outside the first four rounds this year, according to Callis. The MLB commissioner's office slot recommendation for that selection, No. 156 overall, is $161K.
- The Cubs have signed seventh-rounder Trevor Gretzky, a high school first baseman out of California, for $375K, according to Callis (on Twitter). Trevor is the son of hockey great Wayne Gretzky and was a San Diego State recruit.
- The Yankees have officially signed 25th round pick Adam Smith for $157.5K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The third baseman will be converted into a right-handed pitcher.
- The Braves signed 14th round pick Navery Moore for $400K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Vanderbilt right-hander can throw 92-96 mph and has now obtained the second-highest known bonus after the second round so far this year.
- The Blue Jays signed 17th rounder Brady Dragmire, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter).
Quick Hits: Leyland, Phillies, Trumbo, Taylor
Some notes from around the majors as Casey Kotchman is a walkoff hero for Tampa Bay….
- Jim Leyland is fine with his contract being extended for just one year by the Tigers since he isn't sure how long he'll keep managing, reports Chris Iott of MLive.com. "I want to make sure that I'm giving the Tigers everything they're paying for, and when that day comes that I'm not, I'm going home," Leyland said. The manager also said that a year from today, he hopes he'll be signing another one-year extension.
- Meanwhile, Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press thinks the Tigers were wise to extend Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski.
- The Phillies don't plan to look for outside help at third base if Placido Polanco misses a lot of time with his sports hernia, reports MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Ruben Amaro said that the Phils will use Wilson Valdez and Michael Martinez at third in Polanco's place.
- Mark Trumbo was never a highly-regarded prospect, and the Angels first baseman tells Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times that he uses those scouting reports as incentive to prove the critics wrong.
- Michael Taylor called the trade deadline "the toughest day of the year for me," reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Athletics' prospect was disappointed that the team didn't move any of their outfielders, thus creating room for him on Oakland's Major League roster.
- The Nationals aren't yet sure when Tom Milone and Brad Peacock will be called up from Triple-A but the team definitely wants to give both pitchers some Major League experience, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- The Dodgers are on pace to lose at least $27MM this season and Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times predicts that figure may be a conservative estimate.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis answers questions relating to minor league prospects and draft signings in the latest edition of "Ask BA."
- The Braves "were heavy in on getting either" Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence at the trade deadline but their unwillingness to part with top prospects Julio Teheran, Mike Minor or Randall Delgado halted both deals, tweets Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner. The fact that Atlanta was able to acquire Michael Bourn without giving up any of those prospects is a nice deadline win for the Braves and GM Frank Wren.
Red Sox Notes: Papelbon, Harden, Ellsbury
Heading into 2011, with Jonathan Papelbon coming off his worst season and in a contract year, it seemed to be just a matter of time until Daniel Bard took over as the Red Sox closer. As the offseason approaches though, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that it will be very difficult for the Sox to lose Papelbon. While they could replace him with Bard, they'd then have to find a reliever capable of filling Bard's eighth inning role. One National League executive said he thinks the Sox should bring Papelbon back: "If the resources were there to have both of those guys at the end of the game, and I believe they are, then there’s no way you break that up." Here are the rest of today's Red Sox updates:
- Within Cafardo's piece, an NL GM wondered what sort of deal Papelbon could land on the open market this winter: "Is the market that teams are willing to spend on a closer more in the $8MM to $10MM range now? It depends, I guess, on how desperate you are. It takes one team."
- Cafardo says the Red Sox could still consider Rich Harden as an August trade target, if he makes it to them on waivers. Boston nearly worked out a trade for the right-hander in July, but it fell through due to medical concerns. It's worth remembering, however, that the Sox didn't nix the deal entirely – they still tried to acquire Harden at a reduced cost.
- Boston put "just about everyone" through waivers this week, according to Cafardo.
- David Ortiz told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Red Sox should make it a priority to lock up Jacoby Ellsbury to a long-term deal. Rosenthal rightly pointed out that Ellsbury's agent, Scott Boras, typically likes to see his clients hit free agency, making an extension less likely.
Heyman On Nationals, A’s, Reyes, White Sox
Two of baseball’s interim managers are expected to return in 2012, Jon Heyman of SI.com reports. Here are the details and other notes from around the league…
- The Nationals have intended all along for interim manager Davey Johnson to manage the next two seasons, though he’s officially a consultant for 2012-13. Heyman reports that Johnson can have the Nationals’ managing job if he wants it, though Washington will likely conduct an official search.
- A’s interim manager Bob Melvin is also expected to return next year, though he doesn’t have a contract for 2012 yet.
- Jose Reyes, a free agent, after the season, wants to remain with the Mets, according to Heyman’s sources. The Mets seem to be prepared to offer a five-year deal and might be willing to expand their offer to six years. We heard this morning that the Mets aren’t comfortable with the idea of a Carl Crawford-like seven-year deal.
- Highly regarded White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper isn’t under contract for 2012 and Chicago’s other coaches aren’t either.
Quick Hits: Marlins, Cust, Jimenez, Angels
It was on this day in 1907 that Walter Johnson made his Major League debut with the Washington Senators. The Big Train retired after 21 seasons in Washington with 417 career wins, 3509 career strikeouts and a case as possibly the greatest pitcher of all time.
Some notes from around the majors….
- The Marlins were quiet at the trade deadline since the club wants to keep its core intact for the move into their new Miami ballpark in 2012, writes CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler.
- The recently-DFA'ed Jack Cust visited some ex-teammates in the Athletics' clubhouse today but he told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that the A's weren't one of a few teams that had shown some interest in him.
- Steve Slowsinski of Fangraphs gives kudos to the Rockies' front office for taking a risk with the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, but "really dislikes the trade from a philosophical point of view." Slowinski feels Colorado could have at least gotten one of Cleveland's top position player prospects (Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall) back in the deal.
- Bobby Abreu's $9MM option for 2012 vested on Sunday night and the veteran slugger tells MLB.com's Jordan Garretson that he's happy to remain with the Angels for the rest of his career.
- From that same piece, Mike Scioscia explained the team's decision to send Mike Trout back to Double-A Arkansas rather than Triple-A Salt Lake City as partially due to the fact that Arkansas is headed for the postseason. "We really feel strongly that in a player's development it's important to experience the playoffs. In Mike's case, he's a guy that's leading a team to the playoffs," Scioscia said.