Pirates Remain Favorites To Sign Heredia
The Pirates are the “strong favorite” to sign Mexican pitching prospect Luis Heredia, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Pirates have been scouting the 16-year-old right-hander more aggressively than any other MLB club and have close ties to Veracruz, Heredia’s team. Not only do the Pirates have connections to Veracruz, which controls Heredia’s rights, Pittsburgh’s Mexican scouting suprevisor, Jesus Valdez, has known Heredia since the pitcher was five.
Veracruz cannot entertain formal offers until Thursday, but many teams other than the Pirates appear to have interest. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, A’s, Giants and Braves all scouted Heredia in Mexico last week, according to Kovacevic.
Draft Pick Signings
Today's draft pick signing deadline passed at 11pm central time. This post contains notable signings outside of the first round, with the latest up top.
- The Padres signed sixth-rounder John Barbato for $1.4MM, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter).
- The Blue Jays signed fourth-rounder Sam Dyson for $600K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
- The Tigers signed second-rounder Drew Smyly for $1.1MM, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo (on Twitter).
- The D'Backs signed 14th-rounder Ty Linton for $1.25MM, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.
- The A's signed second-rounder Yordy Cabrera for $1.25MM, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (via Twitter). The team has since confirmed the deal, but not its value.
- The Pirates have signed second-rounder Stetson Allie, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The 19-year-old, who plays third and pitches, had committed to the University of North Carolina. He gets a $2.25MM bonus, according to Hoynes (on Twitter).
- The D'Backs signed eighth-rounder Tyler Green for $750K, according to Aaron Fitt of Baseball America. The prep righty can hit 95 mph with his fastball.
- The Reds signed sixth-rounder Drew Cisco for $975K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
- The Cardinals signed second-round right-hander Jordan Swagerty for $600-650K, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- The Giants signed second-rounder Jarrett Parker for $700K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The 21-year-old outfielder set multiple single-season records at Virginia last year.
- The Mariners signed second-rounder Marcus Littlewood for $900K, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). Here's Law's scouting report on the prep shortstop.
- The D'Backs agreed to sign sixth-round right-hander Blake Perry for $500K, according to Aaron Fitt of Baseball America.
- The Nationals agreed to sign 12th-round left-hander Robbie Ray for $799K, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Red Sox will sign Garin Cecchini, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The fourth-round pick was looking for about $1.35MM and Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter) that he'll get $1.31MM.
- Eighth-rounder Alex Lavisky agreed to terms with the Indians on a $1MM bonus, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The prep catcher is "a good athlete with arm strength," according to Baseball America.
- The Red Sox signed second-rounder Brandon Workman for $800K, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- The Red Sox agreed to sign third-rounder Sean Coyle, a 5'8" shortstop, for $1.3MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. That's more than $1MM more than MLB recommends for the 110 slot.
- The Dodgers signed 11th-rounder Joc Pederson, a prep outfielder, for $600K according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. That quadruples MLB's recommended maximum. BA ranked Pederson #154 in their draft preview.
- The Rangers signed fifth-rounder Justin Grimm, a righty out of Georgia, for $825K plus incentives ($677K over slot), reports Baseball America's Aaron Fitt. BA ranked Grimm at #109 in their draft preiew.
- The Indians signed fourth-round pick Kyle Blair for $580K ($334K over slot), reports Baseball America's Jim Callis. Blair is a righty drafted out of the University of San Diego; BA ranked him 84th overall in their draft preview.
- The Royals signed second-round pick Brett Eibner and fifth-rounder Jason Adam, according to a press release. Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that Eibner gets $1.25MM (almost $600K over slot), while Adam gets $800K ($629K over slot). Eibner is a center fielder and pitcher out of the University of Arkansas, and Adam is a righty drafted out of high school. Baseball America rated Eibner the 23rd-best player in the draft, calling him the "best two-way prospect" in the class. The Royals instead plan to use him as a center fielder.
Minor League Transactions: Marti, Anderson
Yadel Marti generated some buzz a couple winters ago when he defected from Cuba. It took a while, but the righty signed with a major league organization. Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the details and other transactions from August 2nd-11th:
- The Braves became the third team to release Josh Anderson this season. The Reds and Brewers also released Anderson, who has combined for a .448 OPS for those three organizations.
- The Red Sox released infielder Tug Hulett.
- The Dodgers released former big league pitcher Bobby Livingston. The lefty logged 56.1 innings for the 2007 Reds.
- The A’s signed Yadel Marti from Veracruz of the Mexican League. The 31-year-old pitched for the same team as Luis Heredia, a top pitching prospect who’s drawing interest from the Pirates and Blue Jays, among other clubs.
The Athletics’ 2011 Offense
The Athletics' pitching staff is second in the AL with a 3.65 ERA, but their offense ranks 11th with 4.08 runs scored per game. It's time to find some bats!
A's assistant GM David Forst told ESPN's Jayson Stark on July 29th the team is considering "bringing back the same 25 guys next year." That approach doesn't make sense regarding the offense. Let's go around the diamond.
Kurt Suzuki is locked up through at least 2013. He hits pretty well for a catcher. If lineup changes are made, they'll happen elsewhere.
Daric Barton has been the regular first baseman, and he leads the American League with 68 walks. His job appears safe, though he does not provide traditional first base power. Forst told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle last week that Barton "really established himself at first base," one reason top prospect Chris Carter has been playing left field recently.
The A's retained second baseman Mark Ellis and center fielder Coco Crisp at the trade deadline. Both players have club options for 2011 – $5.5MM net for Ellis, $5.25MM for Crisp. Both are defensively-talented players with extensive injury histories. They generally lack power, though Crisp is flashing some pop in a limited sample this year.
Ellis figures to be paired up with shortstop Cliff Pennington again next year. Pennington is not playing badly, and it's not as if shortstops are in abundance. Still, bring him back and you've locked up yet another lineup spot with a slugging percentage of .400 or less.
Non-tendering third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff must be considered. Can the A's really give him a raise on this year's $3.1MM salary despite a .266/.299/.400 batting line? It'd be tough to pursue free agent Adrian Beltre again now that he'll be coming off a great season, but there has to be a way to get offensive production at third base. Perhaps the Cubs and Diamondbacks will entertain offers on Aramis Ramirez and Mark Reynolds this winter.
Jack Cust has been a bright spot at designated hitter. It'd be wise to bring him back for around $3MM again, though the A's have jerked him around a bit the last few years. It shouldn't be that difficult to find a free agent DH type who can slug .450 or better.
The A's have tons of outfield corner options, most of them lacking pop aside from Carter. Will the A's go with Ryan Sweeney and Rajai Davis again, given the lack of power from other lineup spots? The A's were surprise suitors for Matt Holliday a couple of years ago. If they don't want to pursue big names this winter maybe they can get creative and put together a Cody Ross–Jim Edmonds platoon or something of that nature. The A's haven't put together a lineup with multiple 20 home run bats since 2007. Even a middling offense might put them in the playoffs in 2011.
Odds & Ends: Hermida, Ransom, Chris Carter
12 years ago on this date, the Rangers sent Darren Oliver, Fernando Tatis, and Mark Little to the Cardinals for Royce Clayton and Todd Stottlemyre. Tatis was amazing in '99, while Oliver was solid as a starting pitcher. Clayton was pretty good for the Rangers, and Stottlemyre left as a free agent after the '98 season. For their loss, the Rangers got a supplemental draft pick in '99 and took a kid named Colby Lewis. Here in 2010, Lewis and Oliver are both Rangers again and make an excellent combo. Links for Monday…
- RotoAuthority explains why J.P. Arencibia is a player to target for 2011 in fantasy leagues.
- Jeremy Hermida, designated on deadline day, has been outrighted to Triple A according to this tweet from Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe.
- Similarly, Cody Ransom cleared waivers and accepted the Phillies' Triple A assignment according to this tweet from MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Ransom was designated four days ago when the Phils acquired Mike Sweeney.
- Athletics top prospect Chris Carter will be promoted today, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 23-year-old has a .262/.368/.531 line with 27 home runs in Triple A. It's amazing to look at the talent the Diamondbacks gave up in 2007 to get Dan Haren and Connor Robertson: Carter, Brett Anderson, Carlos Gonzalez, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland, and Greg Smith.
Eric Chavez Again Considering Retirement
Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez is pondering retirement, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Chavez, who is trying to recover from two bulging disks in his neck, told the newspaper in an e-mail that he is considering calling it quits.
"I've pondered retirement," the 32-year-old said. "I'd lie if I said I didn't. The truth of the matter is that I don't know what I'm going to do."
Chavez has undergone two back surgeries and three shoulder surgeries in an effort to rejoin the A's. His most recent setback occurred in May when he suffered a neck injury, one that he was determined to bounce back from.
The six-time Gold Glove third baseman was relegated to designated hitter this season where he hit .234/.276/.333 with one homer in 33 games. According to Baseball-Reference, Chavez has earned more than $75MM in his career, thanks in large part to the six-year, $66MM extension he signed with Oakland in March of 2004.
Athletics Claim Jeff Larish
The Athletics claimed minor league corner infielder Jeff Larish off waivers from the Tigers, reports MLB.com's Jason Beck. He'd been designated for assignment on Friday to clear a spot for Jeff Frazier. To make room for Larish on the 40-man roster, the A's designated infielder Adam Heether for assignment.
Larish, 28 in October, hit .275/.373/.497 at Triple A this year, his third stint at the level. He was coming off September wrist surgery. He's played both infield corner positions in his minor league career, as the Tigers moved him to third base once he became blocked by Miguel Cabrera at first. Before the 2009 season, Baseball America ranked Larish fifth among Tigers prospects (just ahead of the recently-traded Wilkin Ramirez). BA called Larish a "polarizing player among scouts," praising his raw power but questioning his batting stance, ability to cover the outside part of the plate, and problems hitting breaking pitches.
Waiver Trade Candidates: AL West
The current AL West picture: the Rangers hold a wide lead, the Angels and Athletics are on the fringe of contention, and the Mariners are out of it. Waiver trade candidates:
The Rangers could consider moving Rich Harden, though the righty came off the DL on Saturday and had a fine start. Even with Derek Holland lurking in Triple A, though, I think it makes sense to maintain the depth. Scott Feldman, recently shifted to the bullpen, could clear waivers.
Angels veterans Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Hideki Matsui, Fernando Rodney, Scot Shields, and Juan Rivera could all clear waivers, in my estimation. The relievers could generate interest, though.
Athletics assistant GM David Forst recently told ESPN's Jayson Stark they're seriously considering "bringing back the same 25 guys next year." Forst may not have meant that literally, but it doesn't appear they'll dump contracts.
As for the Mariners, Milton Bradley figures to clear waivers if he returns from the DL this month. Chone Figgins might clear too, but if he's claimed the Ms have to at least consider bailing on his contract. Jack Wilson might get through, with $5MM owed next year. Same goes for Casey Kotchman, a non-tender candidate after the season. Jose Lopez isn't too expensive, so he might be claimed. I imagine Russell Branyan would be claimed as well. Various lightly-paid Mariners veterans could be moved in minor deals: Jamey Wright, Mike Sweeney, Josh Bard, and Ryan Langerhans come to mind.
For our primer on the waiver trade rules, click here.
Red Sox Have Explored Trades For Many Relievers
FRIDAY, 1:03am: Theo Epstein has discussed multiple possible trades with former Red Sox assistant GM and current Padres GM Jed Hoyer, according to Peter Abraham and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Globe duo believes Boston could have interest in a reliever like Joe Thatcher, and, given the team's excess of outfielders when Jacoby Ellsbury returns, they may match up with San Diego.
THURSDAY, 12:59pm: Though they're on his no-trade list, the Red Sox asked the Brewers about Trevor Hoffman, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal adds that the Brewers are not inclined to move Hoffman. Meanwhile they're getting calls on Carlos Villanueva and Todd Coffey.
12:05pm: The Red Sox are leaving no rock unturned in their search for relief help. They've explored Rafael Perez, Will Ohman, Mike Gonzalez, Matt Capps, Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood, David Aardsma, and Kyle Farnsworth, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Cafardo says Scott Downs looks unlikely unless the Blue Jays back down from their top prospect requests. On a related note, SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Jays asked the Mets for outfield prospect Kirk Nieuwenhuis and one other player for Downs and were denied.
Marshall is the interesting name here. The 27-year-old lefty has had a dominant year in relief, posting a 1.71 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 2.9 BB/9 in 52.6 innings with one home run allowed. He's been especially strong against lefties. Marshall is under team control through 2012 and would presumably be very difficult to pry loose from the Cubs. Gonzalez is another surprising name, since he's spent most of the season on the shelf with a shoulder injury and is still owed good money.
Cafardo adds that the Red Sox have been shopping reliever Ramon Ramirez, and offers the opinion that a National League team might want to take a look at him. Ramirez has a 4.57 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 3.3 BB/9 in 41.3 innings with six home runs allowed and is a potential non-tender candidate after the season.
Sheets Requires Flexor Tendon Surgery
Ben Sheets needs flexor tendon surgery, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggested Sheets could require the surgery earlier today (Twitter link). The right-hander, who first underwent the operation last year, will presumably miss the rest of the 2010 season.
The A's signed Sheets to a $10MM deal last winter and the 32-year-old responded with a 4.53 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 119.1 innings. Sheets was drawing interest as a trade chip as recently as last week, but he will not be traded in 2010. Even if Sheets recovers from the surgery, finding a guaranteed contract won't be easy.