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Pirates Acquire Josh Rodriguez

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The Pirates have acquired Josh Rodriguez from the Indians for cash, reports MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (on Twitter). The infielder had been returned to Cleveland from Pittsburgh as a Rule 5 Draft pick back in April.

Baseball America ranked Rodriguez 24th among Pirates prospects before the season and suggested that he could become a big league utility player. In 364 plate appearances at Triple-A last year, he hit .293/.372/.486 and played shortstop. In 14 plate appearances for the Pirates this year, Rodriguez collected a single and a walk while playing second and short. His brief return to the Tribe resulted in a .193/.270/.316 batting line in 65 Triple-A plate appearances.

NL Central Notes: Pujols, Bell, Brewers

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Albert Pujols will miss four to six weeks with a fracture in his left arm, further confirmation that no NL Central club appears ready to run away with the division. The 40-33 Brewers would deal a catcher, the defending champion Reds are eyeing arms and the Pirates are lurking around the .500 mark. Here's the rest of tonight's NL Central-related news…

  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Matthew Leach of MLB.com that he isn't ready to determine how aggressive the Cardinals will be in trade talks leading up to the July 31st deadline. The GM acknowledged that Pujols' injury opens "some potential opportunities out there that maybe [the team] wouldn't have explored 48 hours ago."
  • Here's more reaction to Pujols' injury from earlier tonight.
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America hears that Pirates draft pick Josh Bell is set on going to the University of Texas, where he has committed to playing. Despite that, Callis likes the pick for Pittsburgh, which should have plenty of money to dangle in the prospect's direction.
  • Adam McCalvy and Audrey Snyder of MLB.com explain how one lucky Brewers fan signed a one-day contract with his favorite team.

Contenders In Need Of A Shortstop Upgrade

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As many as six contenders are lacking at shortstop.  Let's take a look.

  • Rays:  The Rays have been employing Reid Brignac at shortstop lately, though Elliot Johnson and Sean Rodriguez are also capable.  None of them are hitting, though Brignac's defense is a plus and Rodriguez has some pop.
  • Brewers:  The Brewers have used Yuniesky Betancourt at short, with Craig Counsell pitching in.  The numbers say Betancourt has been terrible both offensively and defensively. 
  • Cardinals:  Ryan Theriot has been manning shortstop for the Cards, and his bat has been more than acceptable.  However, he's probably better-suited defensively for second base.
  • Reds:  They've used the Paul Janish/Edgar Renteria tandem, with the 28-year-old Janish getting more playing time.  Janish is strong defensively, and since the Reds have the best offense in the league they might be able to tolerate his struggles with the bat.  Prospect Zack Cozart is hitting .317/.361/.498 at Triple-A, but the Reds are not at the point of making a move yet.
  • Pirates:  The Bucs have been searching for a long-term answer at short for a while now, but right now they have Ronny Cedeno.  Brandon Wood is showing some signs of life this month, and he could be an option at shortstop.  The Pirates also have Chase d'Arnaud playing well at Triple-A.
  • Giants:  Miguel Tejada was signed as the team's shortstop, but it's rookie Brandon Crawford at present.  He's strong with the glove but doesn't provide much offense and skipped Triple-A upon his call-up.

All four NL Central contenders are weak at shortstop, so if one of the clubs acquires a prize like J.J. Hardy it also takes an option away from direct rivals.  The Orioles aim to talk extension with Hardy before the All-Star break.  If that possibility falls through with time to spare before the July 31st deadline, Hardy will be a hot commodity.

A couple of top options in Jose Reyes and Stephen Drew appear to be off the board, since the Mets and Diamondbacks are in contention.  Jamey Carroll, Clint Barmes, and Rafael Furcal (if healthy) may be available.

Central Notes: Zambrano, Francoeur, Astros, Pirates

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A few items of note coming out of the Central divisions as Carlos Carrasco loses his no-hit bid in the sixth in Cleveland:

  • Cubs righty Carlos Zambrano is trending in trade rumors recently, as he has already said that he would waive his no-trade clause. We've also learned that the Yankees have no interest in acquiring the hurler. However, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reminds us that no team has actually checked in with the North Siders on the hurler's availability (via Twitter).
  • Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur could draw interest at the trade deadline as a fourth outfielder for a contending team, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. However, Francoeur has a strong relationship with GM Dayton Moore and isn't blocking the imminent arrival of any corner-outfield prospects, so the Royals probably aren't feeling any urgency to deal him, according to Dodd.
  • The Astros have signed Arizona State lefty Mitchell Lambson, their 19th-round pick, according to Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner (via Twitter). Houston has now signed 28 of its 50 selections, per Goff.
  • The Pirates have signed Louisiana Tech lefty Mike Jefferson, their 22nd-round pick, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).

Pirates Release Blaine Boyer

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The Pirates have released Blaine Boyer according to the Triple-A International League transactions page. He signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh back in April after electing free agency when the Mets designated him for assignment.

Boyer, 29, threw eight innings across 11 relief appearances with the Pirates' Triple-A team, though he allowed 14 hits and 14 runs (12 earned) in that time. He also walked more batters (nine) than he struck out (eight) and surrendered three homers. Boyer gave up eight runs in 6 2/3 innings for the Mets earlier this season, though he did post a respectable 4.26 ERA in 57 innings with the Diamondbacks last year.

Central Notes: Ricketts, McClellan, Draft Signings

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Here are some links from the Central divisions….

  • Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts gave votes of confidence to GM Jim Hendry and manager Mike Quade during a state-of-the-franchise address on Wednesday, reports Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.   "I have 100 percent confidence in Jim," Ricketts said. "He's working very hard to do everything he can to get this season back to where we want it to be. And I think Mike's done a great job. You know Mike has got those guys playing hard. You know they're not giving up. You know there's good spirit in the clubhouse. Yeah, those guys are fine."  Hendry's future in Chicago has been a hot topic given the Cubs' struggles, with ESPNChicago.com's Jon Greenberg just one of several pundits who think Hendry will be fired.
  • Ricketts also said the Cubs' debt problems wouldn't factor into any baseball-related spending.  "The fact is this year we've spent more on Baseball Operations than any year in the past, and we continue to invest in the team," Ricketts said.  "[The debt is] no way a limitation on our ability to sign free agents or our flexibility to build a better organization. It's just irrelevant for that."
  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks back at the Cardinals' decision to pass on Joba Chamberlain in the 2006 draft and wonders if the Cards have "developed their own" version of Chamberlain in Kyle McClellan.
  • Jim Leyland feels the Tigers have "too many" left-handers in their bullpen, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.  With a number of teams short on southpaw relievers, the Tigers could look to a fellow contender in a trade for a right-hander.
  • The Twins have signed 15 picks from the 2011 amateur draft, according to La Velle Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  Fifth-round shortstop Tyler Grimes is the highest-drafted player to sign.
  • The Pirates announced the signings of six draft picks.  Auburn third baseman Daniel Gamache, a sixth-rounder, is the highest-selected of the signed players.
  • The Astros' pending sale, Hunter Pence's big season and strong play from younger players has the club's future looking bright, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

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.

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