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NL East Notes: Utley, Stanton, Marlins

By Zachary Links | April 5, 2015 at 11:21am CDT

Washington hasn’t had a baseball all-star game since the Senators hosted the game at RFK Stadium in 1969, but that’s about to change.  An announcement naming Nationals Park the host of the 2018 All-Star Game is expected to come on Monday, a source tells James Wagner of the Washington Post.  The Montreal Expos, the franchise that was moved to the District by MLB, hosted the game in 1982, but this will be the first game hosted by the Nationals.  Here’s more out of the NL East..

  • The feeling among some baseball executives is that Phillies star second baseman Chase Utley will eventually give in to a deal as the losing escalates in Philly, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes.  Cafardo adds that Utley, who has a no-trade clause, could be attracted to West Coast teams such as the Dodgers, Giants, Angels, or A’s.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recently wrote that the Padres, Angels, and possibly the Giants could be among the teams with interest in the California native.
  • The Marlins’ first order of business was signing Giancarlo Stanton to a long-term deal, but president of baseball operations Michael Hill knew that there was much more to be done beyond that, as Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald writes.  Hill and GM Dan Jennings spoke to Spencer about the inner workings of some of the club’s biggest offseason moves, including the signing of Michael Morse and the Martin Prado deal.
  • Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald spoke former GMs Jim Bowden and Dan O’Dowd plus Hall Of Fame journalist Peter Gammons to get their thoughts on the Marlins.  While going through each unit on the roster, they also touched on the new contracts given to outfielders Stanton and Christian Yelich.
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Miami Marlins Philadelphia Phillies Chase Utley

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Roster Moves: Hernandez, Enright, Robinson, Uggla, Ciriaco, Stults, Petit

By Mark Polishuk and Brad Johnson | April 4, 2015 at 9:54pm CDT

Here’s a roundup of some 40-man roster news as teams decide who will break camp for Opening Day….

  • The Diamondbacks have announced (via Twitter) that Archie Bradley, Gerald Laird, and Jordan Pacheco have made the roster. Bradley, a top prospect, will join the rotation. Laird will serve as the backup catcher while Pacheco will probably take on a super utility role that includes some catching.
  • The Astros have selected the contract of Roberto Hernandez, per the MLB transactions page. The right-handed sinker specialist has a 4.60 ERA in 1,264 innings. He split the 2014 season between the Phillies and Dodgers.
  • The Dodgers have released right-handed pitcher Barry Enright, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Enright is a veteran of four major league seasons, although he struggled at the top level. He owns a 5.57 ERA, 4.60 K/9, and 3.15 BB/9 in 148 innings.
  • The Nationals will select the contract of outfielder Clint Robinson, reports Chelsea Janes of the Washington Times. Robinson, 30, is a career minor leaguer with just 14 major league plate appearances. In 1,771 Triple-A plate appearances, he’s hit .303/.392/.494. Janes also notes that the club is almost certain to retain second baseman Dan Uggla. He’s one of just five healthy infielders with the club.
  • The Blue Jays have opted to roster eight relievers for the start of the season with Liam Hendriks making the cut, writes Sean Farrell of MLB.com. The righty appeared for the Jays and Royals last season. He has a career 5.92 ERA in 188 innings. Second baseman Ryan Goins was optioned in a corresponding move.
  • Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that utility man Pedro Ciriaco and pitcher Cody Martin will probably make the team. Ciriaco is a career .270/.299/.372 hitter over 498 plate appearances split over five seasons. The pair were added at the expense of outfielder Todd Cunningham and pitcher Michael Foltynewicz.
  • Also making the Atlanta roster is pitcher Eric Stults, writes Bowman. The soft-tossing lefty has a solid big league career with a 4.12 ERA, 5.69 K/9, and 2.53 BB/9. His best season came with the Padres in 2013 when he pitched 203 innings with a 3.93 ERA.
  • The Yankees have selected the contract of infielder Gregorio Petit, reports Chad Jennings of LoHud. Petit, 30, is a career .278/.301/.391 hitter in 156 plate appearances.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels says Anthony Bass will travel with the club to Oakland, reports Stefan Stevenson (via Twitter). He’ll make the team barring a last minute acquisition. The 27-year-old reliever struggled with the Astros last season. In 27 innings, he allowed a 6.33 ERA with 2.33 K/9 and 2.33 BB/9.
  • The Phillies have selected the contracts of right-handed reliever Jeanmar Gomez and left-handed reliever Cesar Jimenez, the team announced on Twitter. Gomez owns a career 4.41 ERA with 5.23 K/9 and 3.14 BB/9. He pitched well this spring in 12 and two-thirds innings, allowing a 0.71 ERA with nine strikeouts and one walk. Jimenez is familiar with the Phillies as he’s bounced between Philadelphia and Triple-A over the past two seasons. In 81 innings, he has a career 4.32 ERA with 6.09 K/9 and 3.09 BB/9.

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  • The Nationals have assigned Mike Carp to Triple-A, MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko reports (Twitter link).  Carp can choose to either accept the assignment or exercise the out in his minor league deal with the Nats and become a free agent.
  • Outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. and right-hander Keone Kela told reporters (including Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) that they’ve been told they’re making the Rangers’ Opening Day roster.  DeShields was a Rule 5 Draft pick off of the Astros roster while Kela, a 12-round pick in 2012, is doing from Double-A to the majors after an impressive spring performance.  Texas will need to make another move to make room for Kela on the 40-man roster.
  • After some roster cuts yesterday, the Angels will keep Rule 5 Draft pick Taylor Featherston on their 25-man roster, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez writes.  Featherston entered December’s Rule 5 Draft as a Rockies minor leaguer, only to be selected by the Cubs and then later dealt to the Halos for cash.
  • The Orioles are trying to find a spot for Rule 5 Draft righty Jason Garcia but Garcia himself “has no idea if he’s on the team” or on waivers, he tells MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link)
  • Buddy Carlyle can opt out of his minor league deal with the Mets prior to Opening Day if he isn’t on the 25-man roster, ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin reports, though it seems as if he’ll make the team since the Mets are leaning towards using an eight-man bullpen in the early going.
  • Catcher Geovany Soto, infielder Micah Johnson and righty Matt Albers have all made the White Sox and will be added to the 40-man roster, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin writes.  Kyle Drabek and Eric Surkamp are fighting for the last bullpen job on the Opening Day roster.
  • The Rays announced that former first overall draft pick Tim Beckham, veteran catcher Bobby Wilson and right-handers Kirby Yates and Steve Geltz have all made the Opening Day roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.  Wilson will need to be added to the 40-man, and a spot will be created once Matt Moore is shifted to the 60-day DL, MLB.com’s Bill Chastain notes.  Of the non-roster invites who didn’t make the cut, infielder Jake Elmore has accepted his assignment to Triple-A rather than elect free agency, while Juan Francisco has until tomorrow to let the Rays know if he’ll be accepting his own minor league assignment.

 

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Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Chicago White Sox Los Angeles Angels New York Mets New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies Rule 5 Draft Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Washington Nationals Anthony Bass Bobby Wilson Buddy Carlyle Cesar Jimenez Clint Robinson Delino DeShields Jr. Eric Stults Geovany Soto Gregorio Petit Jeanmar Gomez Juan Francisco Liam Hendriks Matt Albers Micah Johnson Mike Carp Pedro Ciriaco

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Minor Moves: Tomas, Oliver, Brignac, Zito

By Mark Polishuk and Brad Johnson | April 4, 2015 at 9:33pm CDT

Here are today’s minor transactions from around baseball, with the newest moves at the top of the post…

  • The Diamondbacks have optioned Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas, the team reports via Twitter. The club signed Tomas for $68.5MM over the offseason. He struggled both defensively and offensively this spring. A stint in Triple-A should give him time to adjust to the outfield and improve his plate approach.
  • Phillies Rule 5 pick Andy Oliver has elected free agency after he was outrighted, the club announced via Twitter. The hard throwing lefty has struggled with walks throughout his career. That continued this spring with 11 walks and 22 strikeouts in 12 and two-thirds innings. The club also announced on Twitter that they reassigned catcher Rene Garcia, first baseman Russ Canzler, and infielder Cord Phelps to Triple-A.
  • Marlins utility infielder Reid Brignac has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. In 905 major league plate appearances, Brignac has a .222/.266/.314 line.
  • Athletics pitcher Barry Zito has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, tweets Jane Lee of MLB.com. The former star is working his way back from a one-year hiatus. He posted a 4.79 ERA in 20 and two-thirds spring innings. The 37-year-old struck out 14 and walked five. A former ninth overall pick of the A’s, the southpaw struggled after moving across the Bay to San Francisco on a seven-year, $126MM contract. That deal concluded after the 2013 season.
  • The Red Sox have released Casey Crosby, Bryan LaHair, and Matt Hoffman per the MLB transactions page. Crosby was once a top prospect with the Tigers, but the 26-year-old lefty has yet to develop command. Lahair, 32, had a nice run with the Cubs in 2012 when he hit .259/.334/.450 with 16 home runs in 380 plate appearances. He spent the 2013 season in Japan and split 2014 between Cleveland’s Double and Triple-A clubs.
  • The Phillies have released shortstop Tyler Greene according to the MLB transactions page. Greene, an 11th round pick, was once rated among the Phillies’ best prospects. He missed the entire 2014 season and has never posted a strikeout rate below 33 percent at any level.
  • The Giants have released pitcher Edgmer Escalona per the MLB transactions page. Escalona pitched in parts of four seasons for the Rockies, accruing 100 innings. He has a career 4.50 ERA with 6.39 K/9 and 2.88 BB/9.
  • The Cubs have released lefty pitcher Francisley Bueno according to the transactions page. The 34-year-old has pitched in parts of four season for the Braves and Royals. The soft tossing lefty has a career 2.98 ERA with 4.92 K/9 and 1.79 BB/9 in 60 innings. He’s a pure platoon pitcher.
  • The Braves released former closer Matt Capps per MLB.com. The righty last appeared in the majors in 2012. He has a career 3.52 ERA with 6.53 K/9 and 1.72 BB/9. He’s thrown just 12 minor league innings over the last two seasons – both with the Indians.

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  • The Phillies have released right-hander P.J. Walters, according to the club’s official transactions page.  Walters was signed to a minor league deal in November.  The righty posted a 6.28 ERA over 152 career innings with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Twins from 2009-13 and he spent last season in minors with the Jays and Royals.
  • The Rays acquired right-hander Bradin Hagens from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (via Twitter).  Hagens made his Major League debut last season, posting a 3.38 ERA over a 2 2/3-inning cup of coffee with Arizona.  A sixth-round pick of the D’Backs in 2009, Hagens has a 4.08 ERA, 1.52 K/BB rate and 6.0 K/9 over 598 1/3 career minor league innings.  He’ll report to Double-A with the Rays, Topkin notes.
  • The Dodgers have acquired lefty Rudy Owens from the Athletics, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) hears from A’s assistant GM David Forst.  Owens unofficially announced the trade himself via his Twitter feed.  Owens has a 3.61 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.47 K/BB rate over 781 1/3 minor league innings in the Pirates’ and Astros’ farm systems, and he received his first taste of MLB action last season, making one start for Houston.
  • The Mariners have released outfielder Phillips Castillo, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports (Twitter link).  Castillo received a $2.2MM bonus from the M’s when he signed with them as a 16-year-old in 2010, a price tag befitting his status as one of the international market’s top hitters of that year.  Over four seasons and 870 minor league plate appearances, however, Castillo only managed a .226/.303/.383 slash line and 20 homers, never advanced beyond the low A-ball level.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Minnesota Twins Oakland Athletics Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Andy Oliver Barry Zito Bryan LaHair Casey Crosby Cord Phelps Edgmer Escalona Francisley Bueno Marc Topkin Matt Capps P.J. Walters Reid Brignac Russ Canzler Susan Slusser Tyler Greene

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Phillies Sign Dustin McGowan

By | April 4, 2015 at 8:05pm CDT

8:51pm: Philadelphia has confirmed it’s a one-year, major league deal via Twitter. He’ll pitch out of the bullpen.

8:05pm: MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki confirmed the deal and implied McGowan will make the Opening Day bullpen. The club has announced six relievers. They have a seventh – Luis Garcia – in camp. However, Garcia still has options.

7:12pm: The Phillies have agreed to a deal with right-handed pitcher Dustin McGowan, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (via Twitter). No word yet on whether it’s a major or minor league deal. He was released by the Dodgers on Tuesday.

The oft-injured 33-year-old posted a 6.75 ERA with five strikeouts and one walk in eight spring innings. He appeared for the Blue Jays last year with a 4.17 ERA, 6.70 K/9, and 3.62 BB/9 in 82 innings split between eight starts and 45 relief appearances.

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Philadelphia Phillies Dustin McGowan

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Quick Hits: Soriano, Astros, Wandy, Hamilton

By Mark Polishuk and Steve Adams | April 4, 2015 at 5:24pm CDT

Rafael Soriano is talking with multiple teams at the moment but doesn’t appear close to signing, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).  Soriano is still looking for a team as Opening Day approaches despite a largely successful season with the Nationals in 2014.  Some scouts felt, however, that his stuff deteriorated late in the season, and Soriano did indeed lose his grip on the closer’s role in September. The last team connected to Soriano was the Twins, though team officials have since downplayed their interest.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • The Astros are looking to add another starting pitcher, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets.
  • Also from Heyman, he opines that the recently-released Wandy Rodriguez could be of interest to the Phillies.  Rodriguez almost joined the Phils earlier this winter but failed a physical, which led him to sign with the Braves instead.
  • While the relationship between Josh Hamilton and the Angels seems strained at best, the two sides “like it or not…are stuck with each other,” ESPN’s Buster Olney writes in his latest Insider-only piece.  Hamilton’s big contract, lack of production and off-the-field issues make him virtually impossible to trade, while Hamilton will likely have to accept a reduced role when he returns to the club.
  • The Nationals are facing the most pressure of any team in baseball this season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes in his rundown of the top 12 teams who have a particularly big need for strong results in 2015.
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Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Philadelphia Phillies Josh Hamilton Rafael Soriano Wandy Rodriguez

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Padres’ Maybin, Phillies’ Revere Both “Available” For Trades

By Mark Polishuk | April 4, 2015 at 9:52am CDT

The list of players “available…in final days of spring” on the trade market includes Padres center fielder Cameron Maybin and Phillies outfielder Ben Revere, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter).  It is difficult to move higher salaries at this time of the season, Rosenthal notes, which would seem to indicate a tougher market for the pricier Maybin, though Revere isn’t an inexpensive asset himself.

Maybin signed a five-year, $25MM extension with San Diego in March 2012 but has yet to deliver on the contract, hitting just .235/.297/.336 over 890 plate appearances over the last three seasons.  This stretch of Maybin’s career has also been marred by injuries and a 25-game suspension for amphetamine usage in 2014.

His struggles were already hurting his playing time in San Diego even before the Padres added Justin Upton, Matt Kemp and Wil Myers this offseason.  It’s not surprising that the Padres are having a difficult time shopping Maybin given his expendable role on the team and hefty remaining contract — Maybin (who celebrates his 28th birthday today) is owed $7MM this season, $8MM in 2016 and the Padres hold a $9MM club option on his services for 2017 that can be bought out for $1MM.  The Padres would surely have to eat a big chunk of that contract to make a deal work, or take on another big contract in return.

Revere, meanwhile, is a bit younger (he turns 27 in May) and cheaper (owed $4.1MM in 2015) than Maybin and was a much more productive player in 2014.  Revere collected a league-leading 184 hits while going 49-for-57 in stolen base attempts and slashing .306/.325/.361 over 626 PA.  This still added up to only a 92 wRC+ for Revere, however, due to his lack of walks and near-total lack of power, and he has also been a below-average defender over the last two seasons according to both the Defensive Runs Saved and UZR/150 metrics.

With Revere’s limitations in mind, it makes sense that the Phillies would explore a trade now since he’ll only get more expensive over his two final seasons of arbitration eligibility.  The Phillies drew some trade interest in Revere early in the offseason though no firmer details were ever revealed about the depth of that interest or which teams were involved.

Revere had been penciled in as Philadelphia’s regular left fielder this season, as Rule 5 Draft pick Odubel Herrera has won the center field job after an impressive spring camp.  The Phillies’ outfield mix includes the likes of Grady Sizemore, Darin Ruf, the injured Domonic Brown, and veterans Jeff Francoeur and Jordan Danks also in camp, leaving the club with some unremarkable replacement options should Revere be dealt.

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Newsstand Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres Ben Revere Cameron Maybin

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Minor Moves: Axelrod, Oliver, Blackley, Ledezma

By Mark Polishuk | April 2, 2015 at 7:00pm CDT

Here are today’s minor transactions from around baseball, with the latest moves at the top of the post…

  • The Reds outrighted right-hander Dylan Axelrod off their 40-man roster and down to Triple-A, according to the team’s official transactions page.  This move will help free up space for one of the several veterans Cincinnati is looking to add to its 40-man roster.  Axelrod posted a 2.95 ERA in 18 1/3 IP for the Reds last season and a 4.01 ERA in 103 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level in the Reds and White Sox organizations.
  • The Phillies have put Rule 5 Draft pick Andy Oliver on waivers, CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury reports.  If Oliver clears waivers, Salisbury notes that the Phils could try to fully obtain the lefty’s rights from the Pirates in a trade.  As a Rule 5 Draft player, Oliver must spend the entire season on a 25-man roster or else be offered back to his original club (Pittsburgh).
  • The Giants seem to have released left-hander Travis Blackley, as per the southpaw’s own Twitter page.  Blackley tweeted his thanks to the organization for giving him a chance to pitch this spring (on a minor league deal) and used the past tense in describing the Giants as “a very classy organization that I was proud to play for!”  Blackley posted a 5.23 ERA over 192 2/3 innings spread over four MLB seasons between 2004-13 with the Mariners, Giants, A’s, Astros and Rangers, and he spent the 2014 campaign pitching in Japan.
  • The Twins have released left-hander Wil Ledezma, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (via Twitter).  Ledezma, 34, signed a minor league deal with the Twins in December and was looking to reach the big leagues for the first time since 2011.
  • The White Sox released outfielder Brian Anderson, CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes reports (via Twitter).  The Sox also parted ways with two more veterans according to their team transactions page, releasing right-hander J.D. Martin and infielder Andy LaRoche.
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Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Minnesota Twins Philadelphia Phillies San Francisco Giants Transactions Andy LaRoche Andy Oliver Brian Anderson Dylan Axelrod J.D. Martin Travis Blackley Wilfredo Ledezma

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Phillies Release Kevin Slowey

By Jeff Todd | March 31, 2015 at 9:07am CDT

The Phillies have announced the release of right-hander Kevin Slowey. The 30-year-old was in camp on a minor league deal.

Last year, Slowey threw 37 1/3 frames for the Marlins, working to a 5.30 ERA with 5.8 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9. But his peripherals support some reason to believe there’s a reasonably productive arm to be had, as Slowey has averaged sub-4.00 FIP marks over 129 1/3 total innings in the last two seasons.

Slowey had good numbers this spring, allowing four earned over 9 2/3 while striking out seven and walking two. But it appears that he has lost the fifth starter’s battle to Sean O’Sullivan. Of course, as Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News notes on Twitter, the club figures to take a look at the arms that depart other organizations over the coming days.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Kevin Slowey

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NL East Notes: Duda, Wilpon, Gonzalez, Turner

By Jeff Todd | March 30, 2015 at 11:11pm CDT

The Mets and Lucas Duda intend to cut off extension negotiations when the season opens, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. It remains to be seen whether anything gets done, of course, especially since the 29-year-old still has just one complete season of strong performance on his ledger. A league executive tells Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that the comparables suggest a deal in the four-year, $30MM range could make sense, pointing to the cases of Allen Craig, Alex Gordon, and Billy Butler. In spite of his somewhat late start, Duda could have a higher earning capacity than that trio if he keeps hitting thirty-plus home runs.

  • One notable new feature of Mets camp has been the presence of owner Fred Wilpon, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes. Though Wilpon has not said much publicly, he has been fairly visible and active behind the scenes, says Martino, consistently conveying the message that he expects winning baseball.
  • Phillies righty Miguel Gonzalez looks like he may never pay off on the team’s investment, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes, particularly since he has not managed to earn a job in spite of the team’s desperate need for arms. “He hasn’t pitched well enough to be a major league starter for us,” said GM Ruben Amaro Jr. “His stuff and his command just weren’t good enough. It’s kind of simple. He needs to be better for us to utilize him in our rotation. He’ll go down and pitch and hopefully he improves. If he doesn’t, then he doesn’t.” Amaro continued to acknowledge: “He hasn’t performed as well as we would have liked. He may never perform as well as we would have liked, but that’s the risk you take. Sometimes, you’ve got to take a risk.”
  • Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post takes a look in at Nationals shortstop-to-be Trea Turner, who is currently still with the Padres until he can formally be sent to D.C. The club had to check with the league to see if the deal could be structured that way, and pulled the trigger when it found it would be permitted. Washington had been intrigued with Turner in last year’s draft, says Svrluga, and a strong entry into the professional ranks has only raised his stock. For his part, as he waits to get introduced to a new organization, Turner says that his former team has “treated me just like one of their players.”
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New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres Washington Nationals Lucas Duda Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez Trea Turner

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NL East Notes: Phillies, Mets, Gilmartin, Johnson, Janssen

By Steve Adams | March 30, 2015 at 10:58am CDT

The Phillies may be preparing to add their fifth starter from outside the organization, according to a tweet from Jayson Stark of ESPN. Stark spoke with an executive who asked the Phillies who their fifth starter was expected to be and received a reply of, “He’s not here yet.” A number of rotation options have been released over the past few days, including Jhoulys Chacin, Scott Baker and Felix Doubront. More releases figure to come soon, and other rotation options will be placed on waivers as we get late into camp. I’d be surprised if the Phillies made any form of significant move, but adding someone with a bit of upside, such as Chacin, could prove beneficial if they can get him back on track. The Phillies will go with Cole Hamels, Aaron Harang, David Buchanan and Jerome Williams in their first four rotation spots.

Here’s more from the NL East…

  • The Mets are confident that they can land a left-handed reliever before Opening Day, but even if they do bring in someone from the outside, Rule 5 lefty Sean Gilmartin has a good chance of making the club, per ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. Gilmartin, 25 in May, was the Braves’ first-round pick in 2011 but was traded to the Twins for Ryan Doumit last offseason. Gilmartin posted a combined 3.71 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 145 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A for the Twins last season, but they made the at least somewhat curious decision to leave him unprotected in this year’s Rule 5 Draft. With the Mets this spring, Gilmartin has allowed five runs in 8 2/3 innings with an 11-to-5 K/BB ratio. Last year in the Minors, Gilmartin held lefties to a miserable .201/.219/.235 batting line.
  • Marlins manager Mike Redmond tells Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post that he “lost a few nights of sleep” over the decision to cut Reed Johnson, who was released earlier this morning. Redmond spoke highly of Johnson’s influence on the team’s young hitters last season and voiced an opinion that while he expects Johnson to get picked up by another club, he also can see him transitioning to a coaching or even managerial role in the future. Redmond called the 38-year-old Johnson “a guy who has truly earned everything he’s been given in this game.” D’Angelo notes that Jordany Valdespin, Don Kelly, Donovan Solano and Reid Brignac are competing for the final two bench spots in Miami. The Marlins are prioritizing taking someone who can play shortstop for one of the two spots.
  • Tom Schad of the Washington Times spoke to Nationals right-hander Casey Janssen and was told that the setup man isn’t sure if he’ll be ready for Opening Day. Janssen underwent an MRI on his right shoulder yesterday and while the results haven’t been released yet, Janssen said he doesn’t believe the test indicated a significant injury.
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Miami Marlins New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Washington Nationals Casey Janssen Reed Johnson Sean Gilmartin

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