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Quick Hits: Marlins, Beinfest, Rasmus, Pirates

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Sunday afternoon linkage..

  • Sources say that there is a growing expectation within the Marlins organization that Larry Beinfest will lose power and that Dan Jennings will gain influence and become the dominant advisory voice for owner Jeffery Loria, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  It also remains to be seen whether Beinfest would be fired outright or simply see a loss in decision-making power.  Sources also expect to see at least three other major changes made as well.
  • The Blue Jays' next big focus will be to sign Colby Rasmus to a multi-year contract, writes Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star.  The centerfielder is currently set to hit the open market after the 2014 season.  Recently, Ben Nicholson-Smith looked back on the trade that brought Rasmus to Toronto.
  • Bob Cohn of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review asks if the Pirates are truly smart spenders or just a frugal franchise.  A recent piece by Bloomberg Businessweek had the Bucs as one of the most efficient spenders in MLB over the last five years, but Cohn is quick to point out the club's overall performance during that span versus their current play.  Pittsburgh has gone 326-489 over the past five seasons, finishing last in the National League Central four times and fourth in 2011.

Outrighted To The Minors: Eric Hacker, Oscar Tejeda

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Here are the day's outright assignments…

Quick Hits: ACES, Yankees, Steranka

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Stephen Strasburg made his final home start of the season tonight, allowing five runs in three innings to the Marlins. The Nationals will infamously shut down their star right-hander following his next start on the road against the Mets. Here's the latest from around the league as Friday turns into Saturday…

Pirates Designate Oscar Tejeda For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated utility man Oscar Tejeda for assignment, according to Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In a related move, the Bucs have selected first baseman Jeff Clement from Single-A Bradenton.

Tejeda was claimed off of waivers by the Pirates in late June after he was DFA'd in the wake of the Kevin Youkilis trade.  The 22-year-old has hit .253/.293/.380 with eight homers in Double-A this season with most of his time coming at left field.  In previous seasons, Tejeda has seen significant time at shortstop and second base.

Pirates Not Focused On Adding A Pitcher

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The Pirates released Erik Bedard earlier today, and manager Clint Hurdle told Michael Sanserino of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the club is not looking to add a veteran pitcher through waivers (Twitter link). The team's primary focus right now is internal options.

After posting a solid 3.94 ERA before the All-Star break, the Pirates' rotation has pitched to a 4.72 ERA in the second half as A.J. Burnett (5.18 ERA) and James McDonald (5.91 ERA) have struggled in August. Deadline pickup Wandy Rodriguez owns a 4.86 ERA with Pittsburgh. The Pirates remain three games back of the two NL Wild Card spots but must only win 14 of their last 34 games to finish with the franchise's first winning season since 1992.

Pirates Release Erik Bedard

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The Pirates released lefty Erik Bedard, reported Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Sulia.  Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette later confirmed the story.  The Pirates confirmed that they have released Bedard and announced that they'll make a related move this afternoon.

Bedard, 33, posted a 5.01 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 1.00 HR/9, and 43.3% groundball rate in 125 2/3 innings this year.  The Bucs signed Bedard in December to a one-year, $4.5MM free agent deal, so they still owe him about $910K.  Assuming Bedard hooks on somewhere, he's on track to reach 130 innings for the first time since 2007.  He's had some nice runs this year, but an 8.79 ERA over his past three outings may have been the nail in the coffin for the Pirates as they battle for a wild card spot. 

Veteran Kevin Correia could be a candidate to replace Bedard in the team's rotation.  A.J. Burnett, James McDonald, Wandy Rodriguez and Jeff Karstens round out the Pirates' starting five.

National League Notes: Huntington, Dickey, Scully

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On this day in baseball history in 1939, NBC televised the first Major League baseball game using an experimental station W2XBS. Viewers were privy to a doubleheader between the Reds and Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the National League…

  • The exercise of calling up players for the month of September has changed for Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, writes Karen Price of the Tribune-Review. Instead of giving raw prospects a taste of the big leagues, Huntington will be looking to add minor leaguers who can help his team win games with an eye on the playoffs and provide manager Clint Hurdle an extra weapon off the bench. “The makeup of our club at midnight on Aug. 31 is the makeup of our club on Oct. 5, provided we take care of business and we get there,” Huntington said. “So that’s a little different, to try to put together an Oct. 5 roster on Aug. 31.”
  • Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told season-ticket holders on Sunday that the Mets would love to retain R.A. Dickey on a long-term deal, writes Spencer Fordin of MLB.com. Word got back to the knuckleballer, who expressed a similar desire to call Citi Field home for years to come. "I love it here and I've always voiced that," said Dickey. "A part of me enjoys being loyal to an organization that's given me a shot. I connect well with the fan base, [the media] has always been good and I'm comfortable here. That says a lot for me and where I am in my career."
  • Legendary play-by-play broadcaster Vin Scully announced on Sunday that he will return to the Dodgers for the 2013 season marking his 64th year with the franchise. The Hall of Famer will turn 85 in November but remains enthused as ever about the Dodgers given the team's new ownership group, says Stephen Borelli of USA Today. "The new ownership of the Dodgers has revitalized the city, the team, the fans and myself," Scully. "I am so convinced of their great purpose and leadership that I eagerly look forward to joining them in pursuit of the next Dodgers championship."

Pirates Release Juan Cruz

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The Pirates released Juan Cruz after he cleared waivers and refused an assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis, according to the Sports Network (via the Miami Herald). The Pirates had designated the veteran right-hander for assignment earlier in the week.

Though Cruz pitched effectively for Pittsburgh, the Pirates needed fresh arms following Sunday's 19-inning game against the Cardinals. The 33-year-old appeared in 43 games for the Pirates, posting a 2.78 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 35 2/3 innings. He signed a one-year, $1.25MM contract with the team this past offseason.

Rosenthal On Swisher, Brewers, Dodgers

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The Pirates know what it’s like to fall out of contention after playing well for four months and they hope to avoid a repeat of last year’s late-season struggles. “Our young players have been through it once,” Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. “They don’t ever want to go through it again.” Here are the rest of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…

  • The Yankees aren’t ruling out keeping Nick Swisher when he hits free agency after the season, but it seems more likely that he’ll sign elsewhere. It appears that Swisher will be tied to draft pick compensation this winter.
  • The Blue Jays will likely discuss an extension with manager John Farrell this offseason so he doesn’t enter the 2013 season without long-term security. If Farrell isn’t ready to commit to an extension, the Blue Jays could look to work out a deal with the Red Sox, who previously employed Farrell as their pitching coach.
  • Rosenthal points out that Marco Scutaro has provided the Giants with offense and versatility since San Francisco acquired him from Colorado last month.
  • Though the Brewers’ season has generally been disappointing, the team has developed Mike Fiers into a promising starting pitcher, found a second catcher in Martin Maldonado and traded for shortstop Jean Segura. The Brewers are impressed by Aramis Ramirez’s leadership, according to Rosenthal.
  • Rosenthal suggests we shouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers make another waiver trade before the month of August ends. They already acquired Joe Blanton from the Phillies in one waiver deal.
  • Could the Rays trade David Price to the Rangers for a package of players built around Elvis Andrus and Martin Perez this winter? Rosenthal speculates about the possibility, but there’s no indication the sides are discussing a deal.
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