Nationals Notes: Harper, Rodriguez, Werth
The latest on the Nationals, who rest today before hosting the last-place Padres this weekend…
- Top prospect Bryce Harper is hitting his way through the South Atlantic League with the help of his coaches and teammates and as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes, last year's number one pick is just beginning his baseball odyssey.
- As Adam Kilgore points out at the Washington Post, Ivan Rodriguez could appeal to the Giants, who lost Buster Posey to the disabled list, possibly for the rest of the season. The Nationals are one of few teams with catching depth to spare.
- Jayson Werth, who signed a $126MM contract with Washington over the winter, has raised his OPS above .800 for the first time since April 14th and he tells Kilgore that he's feeling good. “I’m working in the right direction," he said. "I’m hitting balls hard, and I’ve got some confidence. I like where I’m at.”
NL East Notes: Proctor, Kimbrel, Mets, Harper
As Carlos Beltran enjoys a three-homer day against Colorado, here's the latest from the NL East…
- "At least two teams" contacted the Braves about right-hander Scott Proctor, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. When the Braves re-signed Proctor last month, the team agreed to trade Proctor before May 15 if he so desired, since Atlanta couldn't call the righty up before that date due to releasing him during Spring Training. Proctor wanted to stay with the Braves, and will be called up to the Major League roster on Sunday.
- In another item, O'Brien thinks the Braves should consider making Jonny Venters at least a part-time closer alongside incumbent stopper Craig Kimbrel. You can keep track of all the end-game news and rumors by following @CloserNews, MLBTR's sister Twitter feed.
- Talks between Steve Cohen and the Mets "are at a little bit of a stalemate right now," reports CNBC's Kate Kelly (passed along by Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com). Cohen is willing to pay around $200MM for 49% of the franchise, but "he wants some significant say over how they do what they do," including getting some seats on the team's board of directors. Despite this setback, Kelly says negotiations "are still happening and the goal is to get this thing done ASAP.”
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson recently noted that most serious trade negotiations don't begin to develop until June, but ESPNNewYork.com's Rob Parker argues that the Mets should be looking to deal Jose Reyes quickly, since the shortstop's trade value is at its highest.
- Is Bryce Harper the "best prospect ever"? Fangraphs' Dave Cameron thinks it could be the case, given how Harper is just 18 years old.
- The Nationals, who aren't selecting first overall for the first time since 2008, intend to take the best players available to them this June. Yet amateur scouting director Kris Kline told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he intends to "really focus on pitching." The Nationals select 6th, 23rd and 34th, so they're expecting to obtain three "really good players."
- With the Marlins off to such a good start, ESPN's Jim Bowden thinks team management has to be looking into extending Edwin Rodriguez's contract. The manager is just signed through this season and would seem like a no-brainer extension candidate, were it not for Jeffrey Loria's history of interest in bigger-name managers (such as Ozzie Guillen or Bobby Valentine).
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post
Quick Hits: Rangers, Bumgarner, Crawford, Stanton
Links for Friday, as teams continue trimming their rosters down…
- Chuck Greenberg will no longer be part of the Rangers organization, but he leaves with $20-25MM in profit, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter)
- The Giants renewed Madison Bumgarner's contract for 2011, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). That means the sides did not agree to terms on a deal, but it doesn't change the timetable for Bumgarner's arbitration or free agency.
- As Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains, the only two outfielders ever to sign free agent contracts with an average annual value of $20MM have opposite styles of play. The Red Sox signed Manny Ramirez for his power, and they signed Carl Crawford for his overall offensive output, baserunning and defense.
- Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton has a creative approach to addressing weaknesses in his swing, as Yahoo's Steve Henson explains.
- Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post offers up a must-read profile of Nationals phenom Bryce Harper.
NL East Notes: Werth, K-Rod, Phillies, Nationals
Some notes from the NL East as MLBPA leader Michael Weiner meets with the Mets in Florida…
- Jayson Werth told Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he accepted the Nationals' seven-year, $126MM offer partly because he wanted to help his fellow players. "I think once you get to free agency, you're in a big pool of players and we all really play in one organization and that's MLB," Werth said. "I guess that's how you look at it, so in that respect I was trying to maximize things and also trying to get into a situation I wanted to be in and I think Philly was going in a different direction."
- Weiner told ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin that he expects the Mets to honor Francisco Rodriguez's contract, which vests at $17.5MM for 2012 if he finishes 55 games in 2011.
- Bobby Bonilla, who is still on the Mets' payroll is meeting with the team today as an MLBPA representative, according to Newsday's David Lennon (on Twitter).
- Mike Puma of the New York Post explains that new manager Terry Collins is fiery and ready to get mad. "I give a [expletive] about how this team plays," Collins said.
- Cliff Lee tells David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News that his side feels fine, though he felt some minor pain earlier.
- Brookover points out that "guaranteed money does not mean guaranteed success or perfect health," though the Phillies' investment in Lee was understandable.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com that he hopes first overall draft pick Bryce Harper finds out how Spring Training works and learns "what it takes to be a big leaguer" in Nationals camp this year.
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Wood, D’Backs, A’s
Links for Wednesday, as the Yankees try to prolong their season…
- Baseball sources tell Ken Gurnick of MLB.com that the Dodgers are likely to bring Trey Hillman aboard as their bench coach.
- Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald wonders if Kerry Wood could have made a difference for the BoSox.
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are expected to name Ray Montgomery their new scouting director. Montgomery has spent the last eight years in the Brewers organization.
- Bryce Harper will bat seventh in his Arizona Fall League debut tonight, according to the Nationals Baseball Media Relations department (via Twitter).
- The A's have announced several staff changes via press release. Gerald Perry has been welcomed back as hitting coach in place of Jim Skaalen. Joel Skinner, a longtime member of the Indians coaching staff, will take over as bench coach. Former bench coach Tye Waller will be reassigned as the first base coach. Waller replaces Todd Steverson who has been offered a position in the A's farm system.
- Mark McGwire is on the fence about returning as the Cards hitting coach, Tony La Russa told Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch.
- Former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane will join the Tigers scouting department, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Jason Beck introduces us to Tigers assistant GM Al Avila, the longtime Detroit exec who remains a GM candidate. The Tigers recently declined to let the Mets interview Avila.
- If you play fantasy baseball, head over to RotoAuthority, where Tim Dierkes examines the impact of Ted Lilly's new deal on the lefty's fantasy value.
- It doesn't look like Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima will become available to MLB teams this year, according to reports passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (Twitter link).
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that he will "absolutely" welcome Ryne Sandberg back to Chicago's minor league system if the Hall of Famer wants to continue working his way to the major leagues. Sandberg, a finalist for the Cubs major league job, was disappointed when the team hired Mike Quade.
- Brewers managerial candidate Pat Listach was pleased with his interview, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Theriot, Padres, Reds, Harper
Some links on the eve of playoff baseball..
- The Dodgers have asked Rick Honeycutt to return next season but the pitching coach is weighing his options, tweets Ken Davidoff of Newsday.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner takes a look at potential second base candidates for the M's in 2011. Ryan Theriot, who was less-than-stellar for the Cubs and Dodgers this season, is among the players listed.
- Jerry Hairston Jr. told Jim Bowden of XM Radio (via Twitter) that he wants to return to the Padres in 2011.
- The Reds could be in position to contend for years to come if they keep their key pieces, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
- While the O's projected rotation for 2011 is young, GM Andy MacPhail hasn't ruled out the possibility of bringing a veteran aboard to fill the place of pending free agent Kevin Millwood.
- The Nats probably won't have Bryce Harper play in the Arizona Fall League this year, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- You can expect a busy winter in San Diego, writes Bill Center of the Union-Tribune.
- Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln and GM Jack Zduriencik sent a letter to fans promising better times ahead. Larry Stone of The Seattle Times notes that Josh Lueke was omitted from a list of the system's "hard-throwing pitchers".
- Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter) believes that the Mets should hire Logan White as their next GM.
- The Pirates have interviewed Eric Wedge for their vacant managerial opening, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gives his thoughts on John Russell's tenure as Pirates skipper.
Odds & Ends: Mets, Reds, Helton, Darvish, Harper
Friday Night Links..
- Despite a published report to the contrary, Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever is not headed to the Mets, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon spoke to a few members of the Reds who would like to see Dusty Baker sign an extension with the club.
- Brandon Inge and Johnny Damon are both okay with having been put on waivers, writes Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.
- Reds manager Dusty Baker dismissed questions about him possibly becoming the Dodgers manager if Joe Torre retires, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Mark Kizla of The Denver Post urges Todd Helton to call it quits.
- The Padres don't have much interest in outfielder Cody Ross, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.
- The Pirates will send Luis Heredia to their affiliate in Bradenton not to pitch, but to familiarize himself with the program, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter) passes along a report from Japanese outlet Sponichi that the Yankees sent Damon Oppenheimer and scout Billy Eppler to watch Yu Darvish.
- Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (via Twitter) wonders aloud if the Brewers might make a deal in order to free a roster spot for the returning Carlos Gomez.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo says that Bryce Harper won't be playing in any games for their Gulf Coast League affiliate this season, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.
Olney On Draft, Harper, Brewers
There's some concern among MLB executives that baseball is losing top athletes to other sports, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. It's possible that the next collective bargaining agreement will include a slotting system, but executives point out that slotted bonuses would have to be substantial to compare to the value of a college football or basketball scholarship. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:
- One GM told Olney that baseball's August trading system is "completely antiquated." Another GM admitted that he couldn't give Olney a good reason why players must pass through waivers to be traded in August.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo estimates that the team agreed to terms with first-overall pick Bryce Harper with about 26 seconds to spare before Monday night's deadline.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin says he isn't going to give his veteran players away, but he's open to trading them to teams in contention. Melvin was speaking in general terms, but that approach presumably applies to Craig Counsell. The infielder has cleared waivers and is open to a trade.
Draft Notes: Whitson, Indians, Harper
The smoke has cleared and all but three of the first 50 picks signed deals. Barret Loux (Diamondbacks) and Dylan Covey (Brewers) did not sign, but both pitchers had medical issues that influenced the dialogue they had with the clubs that selected them. Here are the details on the third player who did not sign, plus Baseball America's winners and losers:
- John Manuel of BA lists the Nationals, Pirates, Anthony Ranaudo and Bud Selig as winners. The losers? The Brewers, Padres and the process itself.
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer told XX Sports Radio in San Diego that the Padres had a verbal agreement with Karsten Whitson for $1.953MM on draft day. The club boosted its offer as high as $2.1MM, but Whitson and his representatives were holding out for more, so the sides didn't reach a deal. You can listen in on Hoyer's comments here.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law finds it "hard to see [Whitson] beating the Padres' offer … in the 2013 draft."
- In the same piece, Law explains that he believes Bryce Harper and the Nationals both did well with last night's deal.
- The Indians spent $9.3MM on the draft, Indians scouting director Brad Grant told MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince (Twitter link).
- The Rockies are allowing first-rounder Kyle Parker to play college football, but their $1.4MM bonus is protected if he gets injured, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Nationals To Sign Bryce Harper
For the second consecutive summer, the Nationals signed the first-overall pick to a record-setting deal. Last August, it was Stephen Strasburg, and tonight Bryce Harper made history. The 17-year-old gets a major league deal that guarantees him $9.9MM over five years - more guaranteed money than any position player in draft history. Of the $9.9MM, $6.25MM is a bonus.
The buzz surrounding Harper started last year, when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old. Harper, still just 17, got his GED early, enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada and won the 2010 Golden Spikes Award as the country’s top amateur player.
Mark Teixeira previously held the record for the biggest deal given to a position player ($9.5MM) and last year's top pick, Strasburg, holds the record for the biggest deal in draft history ($15.1MM). Scott Boras advises Teixeira, Strasburg and Harper.
The Nationals have confirmed the deal, after it broke on Twitter. Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio, Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports, Jon Heyman of SI.com, Yahoo's Tim Brown and Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post were among the reporters who contributed to the story.
Click here for the complete list of 2010 first rounders to sign.