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Quick Hits: Damon, Choate, Braves

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August 18th featured significant trades in 2009 (Ivan Rodriguez to the Rangers) and 2010 (Derrek Lee to the Braves). So far, today we've seen the Rangers acquire Tim Wood from the Pirates. Here are today’s links…

Phillies Interested In Acquiring Left-Handed Hitter

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The Phillies have had internal discussions about acquiring a left-handed bench bat to serve as a pinch-hitter, according to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Phils discussed trades involving Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi and Twins first baseman/DH Jim Thome prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, and they would still like to acquire either of those sluggers, according to Brookover. However, both would be long shots at this point because it's unlikely Giambi or Thome would fall to the Phillies through waivers.

Ross Gload and Brian Schneider are the only lefty hitters on the bench presently, although the Phils recently signed former Athletics and Mariners slugger Jack Cust to a minor league contract in hopes that he could serve in a Matt Stairs-like role. Cust has declined in recent years, though, and has not had much success in his career as a pinch-hitter, so it doesn't sound like the Phils are expecting much there.

Otherwise, one remaining option would be to recall Domonic Brown, although that is less than ideal because he is slumping with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and needs to play every day to develop. Another option the Phils have discussed, a source tells Brookover, is recalling Brandon Moss from Lehigh Valley. Moss, of course, was involved in the three-team swap that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and Jason Bay to the Red Sox a couple years back.

The Phils look to be fine-tuning things before the postseason. We also heard yesterday that they are seeking a left-handed reliever.

Yankees, Phillies Seek Veteran Lefty Relievers

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The Phillies and Yankees are searching for veteran left-handed relievers, reported ESPN's Jayson Stark yesterday.  Let's take a look at who might be available.

Five southpaws have been reported to have cleared waivers so far: Chris Capuano, Jason Vargas, Bruce Chen, Tom Gorzelanny, and Ted Lilly.  Lilly is certainly not being acquired for a bullpen role, while Vargas is also unlikely.  Of the remaining three, Gorzelanny has been sharp against lefties and is currently in the Nationals' bullpen.  If the Nationals do not intend to tender him a contract after the season, they could move Gorzelanny now as a way of saving $485K and possibly getting a mildly useful prospect back.

Players do not have to clear waivers to be traded in August, but the Yankees and Phillies are at the bottom of the claiming order in their respective leagues.  Their best bet would be to go after an overpaid southpaw who is effective against lefties, as the Twins did with Brian Fuentes a year ago.  Examples could be Fuentes again, or Baltimore's Mike Gonzalez.

Otherwise, eight more lefty relievers I could see being available are John Grabow, Craig Breslow, Sean Burnett, Jose Mijares, Tim Byrdak, Randy Choate, Joe Beimel, and J.P. Howell.  Byrdak and Choate have been the toughest on lefties, but Choate might be hardest to acquire since he is controlled beyond this year.  Howell could be a fit for the Phillies – he's been battered by right-handed hitters but good against left-handed ones in a small sample, and the Rays may be planning to non-tender him after the season anyway.

Stark On Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies

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ESPN's Jayson Stark posted a new column yesterday; let's take a look.

  • Stark speculates on four players the Cubs could attempt to trade Carlos Zambrano for: Carlos Lee, A.J. Burnett, Barry Zito, and Derek Lowe.  I posted 11 Zambrano trade scenarios yesterday; check it out.  A few baseball insiders Stark spoke to did think that with the right veteran team or manager Zambrano could be useful.
  • Cubs players Kerry Wood and Reed Johnson were claimed on waivers and pulled back, reports Stark.  Carlos Pena has yet to be placed on waivers, but the Cubs may not be motivated to move him.
  • One baseball man who is close to Bud Selig told Stark the commissioner has "basically promised a lot of people he'll get them slotting by next year."  
  • The Red Sox are poking around for a right-handed bench bat, while the Yankees and Phillies seek veteran left-handed relievers.  

National League Over Slot Signings

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Though MLB would prefer to keep a lid on it, many signings exceeding their slot recommendations will be revealed by reporters today.  The latest from the National League:

  • The Mets signed 11th rounder Christian Montgomery for $250K, according to Callis. They also signed third rounder Logan Verrett for $425K, according to Callis (Twitter links). Earlier today, the Mets signed high school shortstop Brad Marquez for $325K, reports Callis.  Since Marquez also plays football, his bonus will be spread over three years.  The Mets also signed 15th round pick and high school middle infielder Philip Evans for $650K, reports Callis.
  • Reds 22nd rounder Amir Garrett obtained a $1MM two sport deal that will be spread over five years, Callis tweets.
  • The Giants signed second rounder Andrew Susac for $1.1MM according to Zoodig, an athlete digital media platform, on Twitter. They also signed sixth rounder Josh Osich for $450K, according to Callis on Twitter.
  • The Phillies signed fifth rounder Mitch Walding for $800K, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). The Phillies have also signed second rounder Roman Quinn for $775K, reports Baseball America's Conor Glassey (Twitter links). Callis says the high school outfielder was the fastest legitimate prospect in the draft.
  • The Cubs signed 11th rounder Shawon Dunston Jr. to a $1.275MM deal, according to Rogers (on Twitter). The Cubs also agreed to sign second rounder Dan Vogelbach for around $1.6MM, according to Rogers (Twitter links). The Florida high schooler has lots of power from the left side, according to Callis.
  • The Nationals signed fourth round left-hander Kylin Turnbull for $325K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Reds signed 23rd rounder Sal Romano for $450K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). The Reds also signed 43rd rounder Ty Washington, according to Rogers (on Twitter). Callis reports that the second baseman obtains a $300K bonus (Twitter link).
  • The Pirates signed ninth rounder Clay Holmes, who was asking for a $1.2MM bonus, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Cardinals signed second rounder Charlie Tilson for $1.275MM, according to Callis (Twitter link). The high schooler is a speedy leadoff type who plays center field.
  • The Dodgers signed fourth rounder Ryan O'Sullivan for $100K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Brewers signed 18th rounder Chris McFarland for $315K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The high school infielder has solid tools across the board.
  • The Cubs signed hard-throwing college reliever Tony Zych, a fourth rounder, for $400K, tweets Callis.  The Cubs also signed 25th round pick Rock Shoulders for $294K, tweets Callis.  The first baseman came out of a Florida junior college.
  • The Diamondbacks signed fifth round pick Michael Perez for $235K, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis.  Perez is a high school catcher out of Puerto Rico.

Astros Choose Santana To Complete Pence Trade

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The Astros have selected outfield prospect Domingo Santana from the Phillies as the player to be named later to complete the Hunter Pence trade, tweets Alyson Footer. The Astros had previously acquired prospects Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, and Josh Zeid from the Phillies for Pence and $2MM on July 29th.

Santana, 19, is hitting .269/.345/.434 in 391 Low-A plate appearances this year while playing right field and DH.  Baseball America ranked him ninth among Phillies prospects prior to the season, praising his athleticism and raw power.

Phillies Sign Top Draft Pick Larry Greene

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The Phillies signed top draft pick Larry Greene, reports Baseball America's John Manuel.  Greene, a high school outfielder, was drafted 39th overall in the supplemental round as part of the compensation for the loss of Jayson Werth.  He received a $1MM bonus, the largest amount so far outside of the first round.  Greene is represented by ACES.  The Phillies' first-round pick, #33 overall, went to the Rangers for Cliff Lee.

According to Baseball America, Greene is a "physical beast" known for "well above-average raw power."

Phillies To Sign Dave Bush

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The Philles have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with Dave Bush, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The deal will become official when the right-hander passes a physical.

Bush, 31, elected to become a free agent earlier this week, opting out of his minor league deal with the Cubs. He was roughed up in five Triple-A starts for Iowa, posting a 6.14 ERA, and didn't fare much better earlier in the season in the bigs with the Rangers (5.79 ERA in 17 outings). If Bush passes his physical with the Phils, he'll report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Quick Hits: Rhodes, Yankees, Villalona, Athletics

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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.

Phillies Sign Jack Cust

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The Phillies have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with Jack Cust, the team announced. He will report to Triple-A. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com first reported the move.

The Mariners, who signed Cust to a $2.5MM deal over the winter, released him earlier this month. The 32-year-old posted a .213/.344/.329 line with three homers in 270 plate appearances this year. After averaging 28 homers and 103 walks with the A's from 2007-09, Cust's power numbers have fallen off in 2010-11.

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