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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.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Cabrera, Realignment, Oeltjen

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Links for Saturday, as a pair of offseason headliners (Cliff Lee and Matt Garza) prepare to face off in Philadelphia this afternoon…

  • The Pirates have been asking around for a catcher but have found that the asking prices are high as clubs want to take advantage of their situation, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.  Pittsburgh is in a bind with Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder on the disabled list.
  • As the Giants look for infield help, ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter) says that Orlando Cabrera is a name to keep an eye on.  The veteran just lost his everyday job in Cleveland and the Giants were close to inking him over the winter.
  • After the Orioles tabbed Dylan Bundy with the fourth overall pick in the draft, Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun takes a look at Adam Loewen, the No. 4 pick that got away.
  • Major League Baseball and the players' association have discussed doing away with divisions altogether and balancing out the leagues to 15 teams each, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.  The new structure would have teams vying for five playoff spots in each league.  The odds of this happening, however, are still less than 50-50, according to one source.
  • Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times says that Trent Oeltjen could have become a free agent if the Dodgers didn't add him to the Major League roster by June 15th (Twitter link). Oeltjen was called up two days ago.
  • In a piece for ESPN, Jim Bowden wrote about how GM's prepare to make trades, a process that usually begins with low-ball offers being exchanged.
  • The writers at FanGraphs conducted a franchise player draft, selecting a player they would build a team around. Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki were the first two off the board.
  • The Royals have signed 16 draft picks according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. The highest signed pick was ninth rounder Aaron Brooks.

NL Central Notes: Astros, Fielder, Pirates, Cubs

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When the Brewers take on the Cardinals tonight, St. Louis skipper Tony La Russa will be managing his 5,000th MLB game. Here are notes on the Cardinals, the Brewers and their NL Central rivals…

  • The Astros announced that they have signed second round pick Adrian Houser via press release. His signing bonus is unknown, but MLB's slot recommendation for the 69th overall pick is approximately $530K.
  • Prince Fielder says he isn't competing with Albert Pujols or thinking about his next contract. But Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Brewers' first baseman may be a safer free agent target than Pujols this coming offseason.
  • Pirates owner Bob Nutting told Bob Cohn of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he is "extremely pleased" with the progress the 30-31 Pirates have made this year. “Tremendous improvement from last year,” Nutting said. “I'm very pleased where we are. And, I really believe that we're beginning to see the impact of the changes we've made in the organization over the last three and a half years.”
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders how long A’s GM Billy Beane will want to remain in Oakland and points out that the Cubs and Astros could be looking for new leadership before long. Beane would be a “leading candidate” for any GM job if he were not in Oakland.
  • Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says new Astros owner Jim Crane should aim to draft and develop players as successfully as the Cardinals have.

Heyman On Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, D’Backs

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In the aftermath of Bob Geren’s dismissal, Jon Heyman of SI.com lists a handful of managers with suspect job security. Though 2011 probably won’t be a big year for managerial firings, Jim Riggleman of the Nationals and Edwin Rodriguez of the Marlins are on Heyman’s list. Here are the rest of his rumors:

  • Geren had "lost" the Athletics' clubhouse, according to people with Oakland ties.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn’t expect elite starting pitching to be available this summer. "I just don't see a No. 1 pitcher you can pinpoint,'' Cashman said. 
  • The Yankees will look for starting pitching and left-handed relief. 
  • The Red Sox will also be looking to add a southpaw to their ‘pen.
  • Boston people expect top prospect Jose Iglesias to prove himself as the shortstop of the future and people don’t expect the Red Sox to “make a play” for Jose Reyes.
  • Competing executives say the Twins will “do what’s right” for the organization this summer, even if that means trading Major Leaguers for prospects. Watch out for the last-place Twins, who have won seven of eight.
  • Executives say the D’Backs, Padres, Pirates, Rays and Red Sox had strong drafts.

Pirates Looking For Catching Help, Fox Claim Unlikely

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As if Ryan Doumit's fractured ankle wasn't enough, today the Pirates learned that catcher Chris Snyder will need surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. Dusty Brown and Wyatt Toregas are holding down the fort down right now, and Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the team is searching around for some help behind the plate (on Twitter).

The recently waived Jake Fox is not a fit according to Biertempfel simply because he is too much of a defensive liability. Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun reiterates that such a claim is unlikely. The Angels are carrying three catchers (Hank Conger, Jeff Mathis, Bobby Wilson) and could match up as a trade partner, ditto the Padres (Nick Hundley, Rob Johnson, Kyle Phillips). Ivan Rodriguez's name has been popping up in rumors as well, though it's unclear if Pittsburgh is looking for a long-term solution or just a short term fix until Doumit returns. 

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