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Stark On Pirates, Royals, Bedard, K-Rod

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Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that he wants “to fight that mentality of, 'We're .500, so we're really on our way.'" Huntington points out that it takes years to develop an elite team and an elite farm system and says one season of .500 ball isn't going to satisfy the Pittsburgh front office. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors from around the league:

  • People in the game suggest the Royals' decision to call Eric Hosmer up early may mean they intend to compete in the AL Central this year. Stark hears that the Royals will have money to spend in July if necessary (remember that Gil Meche retired instead of collecting the $12MM he was scheduled to earn).
  • The Royals believe Triple-A pitchers Danny Duffy and Mike Montgomery are nearly MLB-ready, so GM Dayton Moore may talk about moving Kyle Davies and Jeff Francis within a few weeks. The Royals probably wouldn't get much for Davies, but Francis could draw interest.
  • Erik Bedard could be an attractive trade chip this summer, but one NL executive says the left-hander needs to “prove he can log innings.” Tim Dierkes suggested a month ago that Bedard could have lots of appeal at the deadline.
  • Left-hander Randy Flores can opt out of his minor league deal on Sunday if the Padres don't call him up from Triple-A. Cory Luebke is the lone left-hander in the Padres' 'pen at the moment, so they could consider calling on Flores instead of cutting him loose.
  • Teams are still skeptical of Francisco Rodriguez, despite his 10 saves and 1.10 ERA. K-Rod has walked 10 of the 73 batters he has faced (16 1/3 innings).
  • Stark points out that it's been a while since Giants GM Brian Sabean made win-now midseason trades that cost him top prospects.

Padres Sign Randy Flores

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The Padres signed Randy Flores, according to CAA, the reliever's agency, on Twitter. Flores is set to sign a minor league deal with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link).

The 35-year-old left-hander started last season in Colorado and the Twins picked him up off of waivers in August. In 31 total innings last year, Flores posted a 3.19 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. Not surprisingly, he has fared better against left-handed hitters in his career, posting 7.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 against them. Flores induces more ground balls against right-handed batters, though.

Examining Minnesota’s Bullpen

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It’s not easy to imagine a bullpen with more question marks than Minnesota’s. That's not to say the Twins don’t have quality relievers, it’s just hard to predict which ones will return in 2011. Kelly Thesier of MLB.com breaks down the team’s bullpen, which includes six free agents and a non-tender candidate.

Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, Jon Rauch, Brian Fuentes, Ron Mahay and Randy Flores all hit free agency but they won’t all return. Thesier says the Twins are not likely to keep Mahay or Flores and seem most likely to target Crain and Guerrier.

Crain, who ranks as a Type B free agent, says he loves Minnesota but would like the chance to close. That won’t happen if he stays put, since Joe Nathan should return from Tommy John surgery next year. Matt Capps, who saved 42 games in 2010, figures to be next in line for saves.

The Nathan-Capps duo promises to be effective, but it will definitely be expensive. Nathan earns $11.25MM next year and Capps will get a raise from his $3.5MM salary through arbitration.

If the Twins lose certain pitchers after offering arbitration, they could gain picks in next year’s draft. Crain, Rauch and Fuentes rank as Type B free agents and could each bring the Twins a supplementary first round pick. Guerrier is a Type A free agent, so the Twins would get two top picks if he leaves after declining arbitration.

Clay Condrey, who didn’t pitch in 2010 due to elbow problems, is a non-tender candidate. Despite all the uncertainty in the 'pen, Bill Smith & Co. head into the offseason with a more stable rotation.

Twins Claim Randy Flores

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The Twins claimed lefty reliever Randy Flores off waivers from the Rockies, according to a press release. The 35-year-old posted a 2.96 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 27.1 innings for the Rockies this year, but the Rockies designated him for assignment last week. He earns a total of $650K this year and hits free agency after the season, so the Twins make only a minor financial commitment.

The Twins transferred another lefty reliever, Ron Mahay to the 60-day DL in a corresponding move. With Mahay and Jose Mijares injured, the Twins had a clear need for left-handed relief and it didn't take long for GM Bill Smith to address it cheaply.

Randy Flores Clears Waivers

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Rockies left-hander Randy Flores cleared waivers, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). The Rockies designated the reliever for assignment Friday, so they still have the rest of this week to work out a trade. If teams aren't interested in trading for Flores, the Rockies will likely release him.

Flores makes $650K this year before hitting free agency this offseason. Just $150K remains on his salary, so you won’t find cheaper options out there. The 35-year-old has a 2.96 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 27.1 innings for the Rockies. 

Rockies Designate Randy Flores For Assignment

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The Rockies designated left-hander Randy Flores for assignment to make room for Jonathan Herrera, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies’ bullpen is now thin, so the club could call on left-handed reliever Franklin Morales. 

Now that Herrera is up again, the club could put Clint Barmes on waivers to determine interest. Renck reports that the Cardinals and Braves are among the teams waiting for the Rockies to put Barmes on waivers.

Flores, meanwhile, should draw interest. The 35-year-old has a 2.96 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 27.1 innings for the Rockies. He earns a total of $650K this year and hits free agency after the season.

Odds & Ends: Lowell, Perez, Zambrano, Ross

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Links for Friday, with less than 24 hours before the deadline…

  • The Pirates acquired minor league outfielder Mitch Jones from the Braves, according to MLB.com's transactions page. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Braves obtained cash in return (Twitter link).
  • The Rangers are the only team that has slight interest in Mike Lowell, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
  • The Mets shopped Oliver Perez today, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
  • The Cubs are resigned to the fact that if they want to trade Carlos Zambrano, it will have to happen in the winter, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports will believe that Cody Ross is unavailable once the deadline passes tomorrow. Until then he's a skeptic (Twitter link).
  • Teams like Joe Beimel, but are only offering the Rockies non-prospects, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). The Rockies are shopping Randy Flores.
  • GM Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash explained to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that the Brewers look for "plus" fastball velocity, quality breaking pitches, solid arm action and delivery and height in the pitchers they pursue.
  • The Rangers are talking to rival teams to determine if there's interest in Rich Harden or Scott Feldman, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
  • The Astros wanted Chad Billingsley in exchange for Roy Oswalt, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (Twitter link). The Dodgers countered with a four-prospect offer, but the Astros preferred the Phils' offer.
  • The Royals aren't making much progress on deals, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (Twitter link).
  • I answered questions from Neil Keefe and broke down the trade deadline in detail at WFAN.com.

Colorado Re-Signs Matt Belisle, Randy Flores

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8:42 PM: The Denver Post's Troy Renck has an update on the contract details. 

6:25 PM: The Rockies re-signed relievers Matt Belisle and Randy Flores to one-year contracts on Thursday.  Terms of the deals weren't announced, though both pitchers were eligible for salary arbitration.  Belisle, a right-hander, posted a 5.52 ERA but a strong 4.4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 24 appearances last year with Colorado after spending his first five big-league seasons in Cincinnati.  Southpaw Flores appeared in 27 games for the Rockies last season, recording a strong 10.5 K/9.

Tracy Ringolsby believes that with Belisle and Flores back in the fold, Joe Beimel is the odd man out in the Rockies' bullpen.  Beimel had a 4.02 ERA in 26 games with Colorado after being acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, but Ringolsby thinks that Colorado will stick with Flores and Franklin Morales as their main left-handed relief options.

In other Rockies news from Thursday, the club outrighted reliever Joel Peralta and infielder Omar Quintanilla,  Peralta (who is now a free agent) is still being pursued for a minor-league contract while Quintanilla is on the Triple-A Colorado Springs roster.

Odds & Ends: Bowden, Owens, Flores

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Links for Thursday…

Rockies Sign Randy Flores

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Troy Renck reported it on Tuesday, but now it’s official.  The Rockies have signed left-handed reliever Randy Flores to a minor league contract.

Flores will earn $600K this season if he makes the team.  He appeared in 43 games for the Cardinals in ’08, posting a 5.26 ERA before undergoing shoulder surgery near the end of the season.  He probably won’t be ready for Opening Day.

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