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Outrighted: Toregas, Hughes, Pucetas, Nieves

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Players who cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A:

Draft Notes: Lamb, Bichette, Josh Bell, Beede

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Two months away from the signing deadline, we won't be seeing over-slot signings anytime soon.  Still, here's the latest.

  • Clemson lefty Will Lamb, chosen 83rd overall in the second round by the Rangers, signed at slot for $430,200, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Dante Bichette Jr., drafted 51st overall by the Yankees in the supplemental round, tweeted that he'll "officially a Yankee very very soon."  The Yanks received that pick as compensation for the loss of Javier Vazquez.  Slot for that pick is around $695K.  You can learn more about Bichette over at River Ave. Blues, where Mike Axisa profiled the slugger.
  • ESPN's Keith Law tweets that he's told there is no dollar figure that would change Josh Bell's mind about going to college.  Bell, drafted 61st overall by the Pirates, was one of the top draft talents but has made it clear he will honor his commitment to the University of Texas.  Of course, he also hired Scott Boras as his advisor, so clearly the Pirates think there's a chance he can be signed.
  • The Blue Jays' first pick (21st overall) was high school righty Tyler Beede; Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein tweets of rumors that the Jays had a pre-draft deal done with him.  Law tweeted a few days ago that Beede is going to sign for about $3MM, which would be about $1.7MM over slot.
  • The Rays exceeded slot on second round pick Granden Goetzman, signing the prep outfielder for $490K according to Baseball America's Jim Callis.  The Rays went over slot by less than five grand, though, and Callis says teams can exceed slot by up to five percent without going through the commissioner's office.  Goetzman went 75th overall but was actually the Rays' 11th pick.
  • If you have ESPN Insider, Law has a post up with names to watch for the 2012 draft.

Maholm Open To Extension With Pirates

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Pirates lefty Paul Maholm is 11th in the National League with a 3.12 ERA, and Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks an extension is in order.  The southpaw's thoughts:

"I'd definitely talk to them.  I said that in the spring. They control everything. They have the option. They have the ability to trade me. They have the ability to wait and see what happens.  I'm not going to beg for [a new deal], but I'd be open to what they have to say. I enjoy the guys here. I enjoy the staff. The fans are great. I like the city. Why wouldn't I talk to them? I haven't heard anything from them yet and I don't know that I will. I just hope they come to me soon if they are going to do it. I don't want them to come to me the week of the trade deadline and hit me with everything right then."

Maholm is referring to his club option for 2012, which is for $9.75MM with a $750K buyout.  Is Maholm worth a $9MM net price for next year?  A few months ago, the option seemed like an easy choice to decline.

The question is whether Maholm's 89 1/3 innings this year represent a new level of performance.  His strikeout rate is up a bit, but still below 6.0 per nine.  His walk rate is near his usual level at 3.2 per nine.  Groundballs are down a bit.  Maholm might be getting by on the strength of less controllable factors – only 5.9% of his flyballs have left the yard, and his batting average on balls in play is just .243.  Maholm's SIERA is 4.35, after a 4.58 mark last year and a 4.28 performance in '09.  The lefty is good for 30 starts a year, so Cook has a point about his durability, but there's no real indication he's taken his game up a notch.

As our agency database indicates, Maholm is represented by Bo McKinnis.  McKinnis already brokered one extension between Maholm and the Pirates, the January 2009 deal that bought out the pitcher's three arbitration years for $12.25MM.  A new extension would cover only free agent years, and since Maholm is only 29 this month he'd have a case for a three-year deal in the $24MM range.

Maholm would like to get an extension done within the next month or so, if the Pirates are interested.  But should they instead be thinking about trading him at his peak value?  That depends on the front office's philosophy about the importance of getting the .500 monkey off their backs this year.  Finishing above .500 would be a nice talking point in newspapers and for casual fans, but aiming for a goal like that, even after all the losing, could be detrimental to Neal Huntington's long-term plan.  If the Pirates retained Octavio Dotel last year in the name of a .500 run, they wouldn't have James McDonald in their rotation now.  Maybe McDonald won't pan out, but if you collect enough guys like that you'll hit on a few. 

Contenders In Need Of First Base Help

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As many as six contenders might aim to improve at first base as we approach the trade deadline: the Rays, Angels, Braves, Pirates, Giants, and Diamondbacks.  Let's take a closer look.

  • The Rays have used Casey Kotchman at first lately, and with a .335/.392/.445 line he has not disappointed.  Kotchman has scuffled in 39 June plate appearances, however, and if that is a sign that he's back to the level of his previous few seasons, the Rays will need to upgrade.
  • Rookie Mark Trumbo is the Angels' first baseman.  He's shown some power, but a .248/.294/.454 line is subpar at the position.  Russell Branyan is also in the mix.
  • The Braves are using rookie Freddie Freeman, who has played fairly close to expectations at .268/.335/.416.  You'd like to see more power, but the Braves might be content here.
  • Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay is hitting just .236/.305/.369.  Typically the Bucs are not mentioned in posts about contenders, but at five games back they could be more buyers than sellers.
  • Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff has struggled to a .234/.288/.393 line, though he's been better in June.  Given his contract, the Giants will probably stick with him.  Top prospect Brandon Belt could be Plan B if Huff is struggling when the rookie recovers from a broken wrist.
  • The Diamondbacks have been using Juan Miranda and Xavier Nady at first base.  Miranda has been solid overall, though not in June.  Nady hasn't done much.  Brandon Allen is an option at Triple-A.

That makes six contenders that might consider a first base upgrade, though all of them could easily stand pat.  Who's available?  Carlos Pena, Michael Cuddyer, Wilson Betemit, Yonder Alonso, Brad Hawpe, Juan Rivera, James Loney, Derrek Lee, Chris Davis, and Kila Ka'aihue can probably be had, but they're not clear upgrades for anyone.  The best bet to be dealt might be Pena, who is hitting .250/.388/.492 since May 1st.  Loney has also been better lately.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Astros, Draft Signings

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Of the top eight vote-getters in National League All-Star voting, six are Brewers, Cardinals and Reds.  Ryan Braun leads the way with over 2.23MM votes thus far.  Here are a few items from this star-studded division….

  • The Pirates just acquired Mike McKenry yesterday but they still want to add more catching depth, manager Clint Hurdle tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
  • Astros owner Drayton McLane wants his team to remain in the National League, reports Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.  The 'Stros were rumored to be candidates to move to the AL under a realignment proposal that would even out the AL and NL with 15 teams each.  Of course, McLane is in the process of selling the team to Jim Crane, so McLane's preference wouldn't necessarily be an issue if these realignment plans ever came to fruition.
  • Speaking of Crane, Justice reports (via Twitter) that the new owner will likely officially take over the Astros on July 7 or 8.
  • The Reds announced the signings of 14 draft picks, plus undrafted free agent Phil Bauer from Xavier University.  The highest-selected of these picks is left-hander Tony Cingrani, taken in the third round.
  • The Brewers announced the signings of 14 draft picks and three undrafted free agents (via MLB.com's Adam McCalvy).  Ninth-round outfielder Malcom Dowell is the highest selection to sign.

Badler Examines July 2nd Class

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Less than thrilled by your team's draft haul?  Don't forget about the July 2nd class of international players.  This year's group is an improvement on the 2011 class, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America.  He names the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox, and Reds as teams that could be active in the international market.  Badler's info on a few of the top prospects:

  • Outfielders Ronald Guzman, Elier Hernandez, and Nomar Mazara could challenge Miguel Sano's $3.15MM record for a Dominican hitter, writes Badler.  The Rangers, Red Sox, and Blue Jays have been connected to Guzman and the Royals are the frontrunner for Hernandez.
  • Speedy Venezuelan shortstop Wilmer Becerra has been linked to the Cardinals, Twins, and Athletics, says Badler.  Becerra is projected by many to move to the outfield.
  • Mexican righty Roberto Osuna, nephew of Antonio, is a top prospect who is currently pitching in the Mexican League.  The 15-year-old is battling all kinds of former big leaguers.  Venezuelan righty Victor Sanchez is another one to watch, according to Badler.
  • Key MLBTR posts are translated into Spanish at our Rumores De Béisbol site, which has a unique Latin American focus with features such as Hits Latinos.  Tell your Spanish-speaking friends!

Pirates Designate Wyatt Toregas For Assignment

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To make room for catcher Mike McKenry, on the 40-man roster, the Pirates have designated Wyatt Toregas for assignment, writes MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.  Toregas was on the Bucs big league roster for just four days.

In 135 career Triple-A games, Toregas has a .235/.301/.355 slash line with eleven homers.  Prior to this season, the 28-year-old catcher had just 19 major league games to his credit, all of which came with the Indians in 2009.

Pirates Acquire McKenry From Red Sox

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The Pirates have acquired catcher Mike McKenry in a trade with the Red Sox, a source tells Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  Boston will receive a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com (via Twitter).

Pittsburgh has been in search of a catcher ever since losing Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder to the disabled list.  Manager Clint Hurdle recently admitted that the club was having a hard time acquiring a catcher as clubs were looking to take advantage of their situation.  The club could potentially be without Doumit until the end of July and without Snyder all season.

McKenry, 26, spent the first five years of his career with the Rockies organization before being dealt to the Red Sox in late March.  In 127 career Triple-A games, McKenry has a slash line of .268/.337/.425 with 13 homers.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Millwood, Astros, Gamel

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Here are some Sunday evening Quick Hits as the Reds take on the Giants..

Pirates Notes: McCutchen, Catching Help

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Let's check out a handful of Pirates-related links, as Kevin Correia and the Bucs look to get back to .500 today against the Mets….

  • Extension talks between Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates haven't progressed recently, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. According to Kovacevic, both sides appear open to a deal, and an offer that buys out a year or two of the outfielder's free agent years may still be on the table. Money is a separator, however.
  • We heard yesterday that teams are hoping to take advantage of the Pirates' lack of backstop depth by making Pittsburgh overpay to acquire a catcher. Manager Clint Hurdle discussed this dilemma with Karen Price of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Everybody knows the situation we're in. So, when you ask, we're getting some sticker shock…. It's the nature of the industry, like the shark that smells blood."
  • More from Hurdle on the team's need for catching help: "I know [GM Neal Huntington is] working overtime, I'm making calls, everyone's trying to check on who's available. We remain guardedly optimistic. We don't want to sacrifice the future for a fit right now, but the realism of the fit is pretty sincere…. I'm looking at how we are going to cover the next 35 to 40 games."
  • Despite the Pirates' pitching woes over the last two decades, there are reasons to be optimistic about the arms in the organization, writes Bob Cohn of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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