Week In Review

Do you know what time it is?  If you said "game time", I'll award you partial credit.  It's Sunday night, which means it's time to take a look back at the week that was..

• In a surprising move, the Mariners brought Russell Branyan back to the club in a trade with the Indians.  The M's gave up minor leaguers Ezequiel Carrera and Juan Diaz to pull off the reunion.  Seattle will pay the remaining money owed to Branyan for this year, roughly $1.1MM, while the Tribe will pick up the tab on the buyout for his mutual $5MM option.
• The Nationals are reportedly exploring a trade for Arizona's Edwin Jackson.
• Cliff Lee is a top candidate to be traded near the deadline, but Seattle may be willing to deal him well before we reach July 31st.  Meanwhile, the Rangers have room to take on a rental player as their ownership situation will not be a factor.  The Mets, another top suitor, are willing to take on Lee without a negotiating window.
• Florida decided to let manager Fredi Gonzalez go.  We've heard lots of talk about Bobby Valentine becoming their next manager.  At the time of this post, it's all still up in the air.
• Christian Colon, the Royals' first round pick selected fourth overall, signed with the club.  He'll receive a $2.75MM bonus in the minor league deal.  To keep up with all of the major signings in the 2010 draft, you can refer to this handy post.
• The Orioles acquired Jake Fox from the A's for minor league pitcher Ross Wolf.  The move led to the club designating Garrett Atkins for assignment.
• The Red Sox pulled the trigger on a minor deal when they acquired Eric Patterson from the A's in exchange for minor league lefty Fabian Williamson.  Patterson was designated for assignment earlier in the week.
• There were no takers for Akinori Iwamura whom the Pirates designated for assignment.
• Meanwhile, the BoSox are looking for a more significant upgrade in the outfield.
• The Giants emerged as possible suitors for David DeJesus but most of you think that he'll end up with the Braves.
• The Mets acquired outfielder Jorge Padilla from the Blue Jays in exchange for pitcher Clint Everts.
• The Cards picked up Renyel Pinto after he was cut loose by the Marlins on Wednesday.
• Dana Eveland was DFA'd for the third time this year, this time by the Pirates.
• The Angels will not be limited as the trade deadline approaches.
• Brewers owner Mark Attanasio says that he's not interested in dismantling his ballclub.
• Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger was DFA'd by the Dodgers.  Meanwhile, they brought Jesus Colome on board with a minor league deal.
• Armando Benitez will try to work his way back to the big leagues once again after signing a minor league deal with the Marlins.
• Kevin Cash, Casey Daigle, and Cory Sullivan were all designated for assignment by the Astros this week.  Cash and Daigle will accept their minor league assignments while Sullivan has elected free agency.
• Veteran pitcher Ramon Ortiz was scooped up by the Mets.
• The Padres acquired Kyle Phillips from Toronto for a PTBNL.
• Milwaukee cut reliever Brian Bruney loose.
• Edwin Encarnacion was DFA'd by Toronto and subsequently outrighted to Triple-A.
• The Marlins designated reliever Jorge Sosa for assignment and later outrighted him to Triple-A.
• Chad Tracy struggled in 49 plate appearances for the Cubs this season and was DFA'd on Friday.
• Oakland acquired minor league catcher Jared Price from the White Sox. 
• The Yankees DFA'd Chad Moeller, but the catcher cleared waivers.
• Howard Megdal took a look back at the 1993 trade deadline.

It's time to take a look back at the week that was..

• No surprise here, the Nationals drafted Bryce Harper first overall.  After that, the Pirates took Jameson Taillon leaving Manny Machado to the Orioles.   You can stay up to date on the status of all of the first rounders right here.  So far, Jake Skole, who went to Texas at No. 15, is the highest drafted player to agree to a deal.
• Mike Lowell is once again the subject of trade rumors as the BoSox are talking to the Twins and Rangers about the 36-year-old.  The third baseman is still owed approximately $7.4MM through the end of the season.  Meanwhile, Angels manager Mike Scioscia isn't interested in a rental player.
• Unless the M's go on a major hot streak, it looks like Cliff Lee will be dealt for the third time since last summer.  Both the Yankees and Mets would be interested in Lee's services at some point.
• Houston is still shopping Roy Oswalt, though they likely won't find a taker until they agree to eat a portion of his hefty contract.
• Jake Peavy says that he would prefer a trade to being part of a rebuilding effort in Chicago.
• The Nats and Adam Dunn have begun talks on a contract extension.  Dunn is in the final year of a two-year, $20MM pact.
• A.J. Pierzynski says that he would be open to a trade, though he wants to see the White Sox start winning. 
• The Cardinals brought pitcher Jeff Suppan back into the fold following his release from the Brewers.  The club must now make a move on the 25-man roster to activate the veteran. 
• Pirates president Frank Coonelly predicts that this will be a very quiet trading deadline for his club.
• The Diamondbacks will consider shaking things up in order to turn things around.
• Cleveland released Jamey Wright and Mark Grudzielanek after designating them for assignment.
• The Mets waived Gary Matthews Jr. after designating him for assignment late last week.
• Detroit DFA'd Adam Everett.  The 33-year-old struggled mightily at the plate this season, hitting .185/.221/.247.
• Boston DFA'd Joe Nelson as part of a flurry of moves.  The journeyman pitcher hinted at retirement following the move.
• Mike Lamb will remain with the Marlins organization after clearing waivers.
• Kiko Calero hooked on with the Dodgers' Triple A affiliate.
• The Angels signed Daniel Cabrera, who was cut loose by the White Sox in March.
• Arizona DFA'd Saul Rivera.
• This week we got the latest Elias Rankings update from Eddie Bajek.
• Check out this post to learn about all the ways you can get up-to-the-minute news and analysis from MLBTR.

Let's take a look back at the week that was on the eve of the MLB Draft..

• The Orioles fired manager Dave Trembley after the club got off to a 15-39 start under his direction and dropped eight consecutive games.  Baltimore appointed Juan Samuel to be the team's interim skipper.
• After 22 seasons and 630 home runs, Ken Griffey Jr. has decided to call it a career.
• The Angels won't deal for Mike Lowell, but the M's, Rangers, or White Sox might.
• Kevin Millwood and Ty Wigginton are open to playing for the Mets if the O's become sellers.
• The Cards reached agreement on a deal with 18-year-old Dominican righthander Carlos Matias.  Matias was one of the best hurlers on the international market this year.
• Brian Bruney signed a minor league deal with the Brewers though he has the right to opt out in a month. 
• Kansas City claimed pitcher Kanekoa Texeira off of waivers from the M's.  The Royals have to expose the Hawaiian to waivers if they decide to take him off of their roster.  If no one claims him, they have to offer him back to the Yankees – his team prior to being taken in the Rule 5 draft.
• It was reported on Friday night that the Royals have struck a deal with catcher Yasmani Grandal for the fourth overall pick.  Mike recently took a look at Grandal, calling him the best catcher in the 2010 draft.
• After being DFA'd by the Yankees last week, Randy Winn found a new home with the Cardinals.
• The Blue Jays signed DeWayne Wise to a minor league deal days after he opted out of his deal with the Phillies.  Philly filled the void by inking Willy Taveras to a minor league deal.
• Nelson Figueroa was DFA'd by the Phillies but accepted a Triple A assignment with the club after clearing waivers.
• The Mets designated Gary Matthews Jr. for assignment.  Matthews will earn $11MM for this season and $12MM for 2011 which will be paid mostly by the Angels.
• Reliever Claudio Vargas was released by Milwaukee.
• The Rays may have found themselves a bargain with their signing of Jose Julio Ruiz.
• Howard took a look back at the 1995 trade deadline.
• Mike continued his look at the top players in the 2010 MLB Draft with posts on prospects such as Michael Choice, Chris Sale, and Matt Harvey.

The summer months are almost upon us! Let's take a look back at what the last week of May had to offer:

• More talk about Roy Oswalt and the long list of teams who'd like to acquire his services. There have been reports that the Rangers have inquired on the Houston ace, and the Yankees are unlikely to make a play. Oswalt would love to pitch for the Cardinals, and with Kyle Lohse injured there's an opening in the rotation, but the Cards aren't in need of another big-name pitcher, but more of a back-end starter. The Nationals are another team that continues to come up; MLBTR's Howard Megdal looked at how the two teams could align for a potential trade. The Dodgers have also inquired on both Oswalt and Cliff Lee.
• Lee could be more appealing than Oswalt, given his contract. This week we heard about Lee's availability and how it affects Oswalt's value.
• Another potential name on the list could be Ben Sheets. Our own Ben (Nicholson-Smith) examined Sheets' trade value this week.
• One name to look for on the buyers' market this summer is the Blue Jays. If Toronto continues its hot start, they could look to upgrade at first base or add pitching.
• The Phillies could be in the market for relief help, as they were said to be scouting Bobby Jenks and J.J. Putz this week.
• We haven't seen much on the trade front yet, but at least one GM expects trade talks to pick up after the draft. Here's a look at some of the biggest June deals over recent years.
• It was a big week for some of the game's top prospects. Buster Posey was finally recalled from Triple-A and didn't disappoint in a stellar debut for the Giants. We also learned that Stephen Strasburg's first start will likely come in the Nationals' early June series against the Pirates.
• Fourteen different players were either released or designated for assignment this week, so check out our Transactions section to make sure you can keep up. A few quick mentions: Alan Embree was released by the White Sox, ditto for Brian Bruney in Washington. As for the DFAs, Randy Winn was designated by the Yankees, and the Tigers DFA'ed Dontrelle Willis.
• On the other side of the coin, the Giants signed Pat Burrell, the Yankees picked up Chad Gaudin, and the Braves signed Cuban outfielder Yasser Gomez, who defected in late 2008.
• Mike continued to profile the potential top picks in this year's amateur draft. Updates this week included Anthony Ranaudo, Jameson Taillon, and Manny Machado. We also got a look at the Top 10 prospects out of the Dominican Republic, as July 2 approaches.
• And lastly, here's a sneak peak at the current Elias Rankings courtesy of Eddie Bajek.

It seems like every week we get closer to seeing what this year's trade deadline will hold. Let's look back at the past seven days here on MLBTR:

• The biggest name on the market this summer may very well be Roy Oswalt. The Houston ace reportedly requested a trade this week, though he phrased it slightly different in his own explanation. Mark looked at why his preferred destinations may not be fits, but it stands to reason that if he's asking for a trade, he'll be open to more destinations. And call it a hunch, but I'm betting he'll have plenty of suitors to choose from.
• We heard a lot about potential catchers on the move this week. The Rangers are interested in Rod Barajas, and also inquired on A.J. Pierzynski. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are keeping an eye on Chris Iannetta in his Triple-A stint with Colorado, during which he's absolutely raked.
• If the Rangers truly are in on Pierzynski, they'll have to act quickly before he receives 10-and-5 rights in June. Earlier this week, Ben provided a list of all the upcoming 10-and-5 players.
• The Oswalt news isn't the only reason the Astros were in the news this week. They also released Kazuo Matsui and signed two top Dominican pitching prospects — Michael Feliz (16 years old) and Jose Montero (17).
• The Rockies have some interest on Matsui, as they look to strengthen their bench, but as Ben pointed out, Matsui hardly presents a surefire improvement.
• Matsui wasn't the only player to be released this week either. The Nationals sent Willy Taveras packing, the A's cut ties with Chad Gaudin, the Blue Jays released Randy Ruiz, and the Dodgers said farewell to Josh Towers. Bob Howry was also given his release by the Diamondbacks, who then acquired Saul Rivera. Howry signed with the Cubs shortly after.
• Mike continued his preview of the 2010 draft by profiling Zack Cox, the sophomore third baseman for Arkansas. Cox's ridiculous .432/.524/.606 line has him projected as a Top 10 pick.
• The Padres signed Dominican third base prospect Duanel Jones for $900K. The Giants nearly signed Jones in December, but he failed a drug test.
• Cuban standout Yunesky Maya is now eligible for free agency, and the Yankees are already interested in the 28-year-old.
• Unsurprisingly, Pat Burrell cleared waivers and is now a free agent. Any team with struggles against left-handed pitching and/or in need of power can take a flyer on the former powerhouse with minimal risk.
• The Red Sox DFA'ed two players this week, with Jonathan Van Every and Scott Schoeneweis being the victims.
• It's no surprise, but it's still sad to see Eric Chavez injured once again. This time, it's his neck, and the injury may force him to retire, though he'd like to return. Gone are the days when Chavez was a slick-fielding power threat in the middle of the A's order. If he has to hang it up, he had a pretty good run the early 2000s.

Let's take our weekly look back at the last seven days here on MLBTR:

• Pat Burrell's time in Tampa Bay seems to have finally run out. After a disappointing 2009 and a slow start in 2010, he was designated for assignment by the Rays, who called up Hank Blalock in his place. Burrell's two-year, $16MM contract may have seemed reasonable at the time, given the club's 2008 struggles with left-handed pitching, but hindsight is always 20/20. Here's a look at what could be in store for the former #1 overall pick.
• Several other players were designated for assignment this week as well. The Nationals DFA'ed Willy Taveras, and the A's designated Edwar Ramirez for assignment to make room for Jack Cust. Josh Rupe was DFA'ed by the Royals and cleared waivers.
• Frank Catalanotto was designated for assignment by the Mets, and now seems likely to retire. If he does retire, Catalnotto will finish up his career with a .291/.357/.445 line over 14 seasons having earned a little more than $21.4MM according to Baseball Reference. Not bad Frank… not bad at all.
• The Indians released their 2004 third-round pick Scott Lewis, despite some strong numbers in Triple-A from the left-hander this season. The Rockies released Tim Redding, who was soon signed by the Yankees. I'm thinking if Redding can still find work, Lewis will see another opportunity as well.
• Other minor moves this week included the White Sox signing veteran lefty Alan Embree, and Doug Mientkiewicz opting out of his minor league contract with the Marlins.
• It was a rough week for Ken Griffey Jr., following the stories that he may have been sleeping in the clubhouse during a potential pinch hitting appearance. Much has been made of Griffey's struggles this season, including speculation that he could be released soon. If you ask Griffey though, he's not headed for retirement just yet.
• The Royals fired manager Trey Hillman this week, after the skipper had failed to achieve success over his two-plus seasons in Kansas City. The Royals were 55 games under .500 during Hillman's tenure in Kansas City, though it's not as if he had much to work with. Ned Yost will take over as the club's manager.
• One name to watch for on this season's trade market will be Roy Oswalt. The 32-year-old Astro ace has said that he's open to being traded this summer if Houston needs to rebuild.
• MLBTR's Mike Axisa began looking at a few of the big names we'll see in this year's draft, starting with Drew Pomeranz and Yasmani Grandal.
• Updates to the 2011 Contract Issues series included the Yankees, Twins, and White Sox.

It's a bit too early to see concrete trade rumors surfacing, but by now teams have figured out what areas may be in need of upgrade. Over the past week, we've gotten a bit of a picture of what a few things that could be in store for the summer. Let's take a look:

• Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said this week that his club is on the lookout for offense. That news shouldn't come as much of a surprise; the Mariners are averaging just 3.13 runs per game and hitting .225/.302/.315 on the season. They've already shown preliminary signs of interest in Royals' DH Jose Guillen.
• Despite just a .237 OBP out of the leadoff spot as of Friday this week, the Reds are unlikely look to trade for a leadoff man on the trade market. You have to wonder, however, if that attitude will change if Drew Stubbs continues to struggle.
• Tim looked at whether or not the Nationals and the Padres could become buyers at this year's trade deadline. Both teams are off to surprising starts, though neither is without weak spots. The Nats could use some pitching help (though Stephen Strasburg looms in the minors) and the Padres are in need of an offensive upgrade.
• What players might become available this summer? If the Nationals slip up, Adam Dunn is a pending free agent, and to his knowledge, there have been no talks for a contract extension to this point. Dunn would likely be appealing to any team in need of offense, especially an AL club like the Mariners or White Sox (my own personal speculation).
• If not Dunn, maybe Lance Berkman will be on the move. Berkman has said that he's willing to waive his no-trade clause. Berkman was adamant that he's not asking for a trade, but it's logical that as he gets older he'd like the chance to make it back to the World Series.
• The Mariners released Eric Byrnes this week after a slow start to the season. Byrnes seems to be leaning toward retirement.
• It can be tough to keep track of all the vesting options out there, but luckily for our readers, you won't have to. Tim compiled a list of all the 2011 vesting options and their triggers this week.
• A minor trade this week saw the White Sox acquire Buck Coats from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations. The White Sox also signed Luis Rodriguez to a minor league deal.
• Speaking of former Twins infielders signing minor league deals, the Marlins inked Doug Mientkiewicz this week. He'd been released by the Dodgers earlier this year.
• Curious to see how the offseason trades are panning out so far? Last week, Zach and I looked at some of the hottest starts and slowest starts from players who were traded this offseason.
• Updates to the 2011 Contract Issues series for the week included the Tigers, Royals, Rockies, Red Sox, Reds, and Rays.
• Lastly, if you didn't take the survey Tim posted earlier this week, please spare 15 seconds and fill it out! Hey, even I did it.

One month into the season, what's the biggest surprise so far? My vote goes to Alex Gonzalez's eighth home run of the season today. Let's take a look back at the past week:

• Not much debating on this week's top story, as Ryan Howard inked a mammoth five-year, $125MM extension with the Phillies. The deal kicks in after the 2011 season, and will pay Howard $25MM annually until his age 37 season. I've got to side with the majority on this one and say that the contract has me completely baffled. Howard's deal will undoubtedly have some side effects; what will this do to the price tags of Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, and Albert Pujols? Here's some additional reactions.
• Speaking of huge contracts, we heard from Cliff Lee's agent this week that the lefty will likely pursue free agency this offseason. Assuming a healthy season from here on out, Lee would be the top starter on the market, and could sign a deal north of $80MM.
• The Red Sox signed Cuban catcher Adalberto Ibarra to a five-year contract worth $3M guaranteed this week. Already 22 years old, he'll be assigned to the minor leagues, though it's uncertain which level to this point.
• Ike Davis is off to a hot start in New York, and that's got the rumor mill swirling in regards to Daniel Murphy's future with the team. Murphy underwhelmed offensively as a first baseman last season, but he's still just 24 years old.
• Could a market develop for Chris Iannetta? He's fallen out of favor somewhat in Colorado, having been demoted to Triple-A, but it's hard to imagine the Rox would have any difficulty at all finding a taker for the catcher's services. MLBTR's Howard Megdal looked at the situation this week.
• First we heard Billy Wagner say that he would retire at the end of the 2010 season, and he was soon followed by Bengie Molina. Both are mild surprises, though Molina more so, given his younger age and the scarcity of the catching market.
• It was a rough week to be a reliever; we saw the Rockies designate Juan Rincon for assignment, Alan Embree called up and DFA'ed shortly thereafter by Boston, and Merkin Valdez cleared waivers after being DFA'ed by Toronto.
• Minor league transactions this week included the Giants signing Angel Berroa, the Angels claiming Kevin Frandsen on waivers from the Red Sox, and the Cardinals signing Aaron Miles.
• 2011 Contract Issues updates this week included the Rangers, Pirates, Phillies, and Padres. 

Let's take a look back at the past week on what's looking like a slow Sunday…

• The week's top story is the extension signed by Rays' swiss army knife Ben Zobrist. The versatile 28-year-old inked a three-year extension that guarantees him roughly $17.5MM with two club options that could bring the deal to nearly $30MM total. The question here is if Zobrist's MVP-esque 2009 season is capable of being repeated; was it a fluke or is he merely a late bloomer? Clearly, we know what the Rays' take on that issue is.
• It's not the $3.1MM that Wagner Mateo thought he had secured last summer, but he managed to finally get a contract signed. The Dominican outfielder signed with Arizona for $512K. Concerns over his vision have reduced the 17-year-old's stock over the past several months.
• The Royals swallowed $3.25MM this week when they released Juan Cruz. Clearly, they haven't gotten the big-time strikeouts and dominant eighth inning presence they were looking for when they signed the veteran to a two-year deal.
• We're a ways from the trade deadline, but it's fun to speculate. This week we heard the possibility of Atlanta joining the Adrian Gonzalez sweepstakes. Then again, with the Padres playing as well as they are, who says there will be a sweepstakes at all?
• More trade talks surfaced in light of the Cubs' recent decision to move Carlos Zambrano (and his $18MM salary) to the bullpen; could Tom Gorzelanny be moved to acquire a setup man?
• A.J. Pierzynski discussed his future with the White Sox this week, which is in question due to his impending free agency and the presence of top prospect Tyler Flowers. We also heard that the White Sox are trying to determine Pierzynski's potential trade value, but don't like what they hear. It's worth noting that he'll receive 10-and-5 rights in June.
• Ike Davis made his MLB debut this week, thanks to the Mets designating Mike Jacobs for assignment. Ike's provided an offensive upgrade in his small sample size so far, while Jacobs has cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to AAA.
• Still looking for work, Braden Looper threw for the Cubs this week. Unfortunately for Looper though, the Cubs aren't likely to sign him.
• With their outfield hurting, the Red Sox acquired Jonathan Van Every from the Pirates this week for a PTBNL. Van Every spent the last two seasons with the Boston organization.
• Some notable minor league transactions this week: Corey Patterson and the Orioles agreed to terms, Ramon Vazquez signed on with the Mariners, and the Marlins signed Jorge Sosa. For additional transaction news, check out our transactions section.
• Updates in the 2011 Contract Issues series this week included: Cleveland, Seattle, Florida, the Mets, Nationals, and Orioles.

Let's take a look back at the week that was..

• Prince Fielder is said to be seeking a deal in the vicinity of $200MM, comparable to the contracts of Mark Teixeira and Joe Mauer.  Brewers owner Mark Attanasio remains hopeful that they'll retain the star slugger.
• The A's signed pitcher Brett Anderson to a four-year extension on Friday.  The deal runs from 2010-2013 with club options on 2014 and 2015.  The deal guarantees the lefty $12.5MM and could be worth as much as $31MM over six years. 
• Jose Veras was designated for assignment by Florida.  The Marlins have already kicked all of their scrap heap relief pickups to the curb.
• The Blue Jays announced that they have signed Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to a four-year, $10MM deal.  The deal includes a $4MM signing bonus for the 19-year-old.
• Another Cuban defector joined the majors as the Rays announced that they have inked Leslie Anderson to a four-year pact.
• Cubs GM Jim Hendry shot down speculation that the club might release Alfonso Soriano before his contract expires in 2014.
• San Francisco shipped outfielder Fred Lewis to the Blue Jays and will receive either cash or a player to be named later in return.
• The Nationals DFA'd Jason Bergmann.  Washington GM Mike Rizzo will reportedly try to trade the hurler.
• Cincinnati DFA'd two players: Aaron Miles and Wladimir Balentien.  Both players cleared waivers.  Miles was released while Balentien was outrighted to their Triple-A affiliate.
• On Wednesday we heard that the Rangers may pursue Aaron Miles, though there's been nothing new on that front just yet.
• We learned this week that the Mets are not looking to make any changes to their pitching staff.  They are also not interested in free agent Jarrod Washburn.
• Free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye made it known that he would like to play for the Mariners.  He has received an offer from the Nationals, though the amount is unknown.
• Meanwhile, Orlando Hudson surmised that racism is why Dye is without a job in the majors.
• The Mariners are reportedly interested in infielder Ramon Vazquez.  Vazquez was released by the Pirates earlier this month.
• Toronto claimed Shawn Bowman off of waivers from the Mets.  The 25-year-old will report to the Jays' High A affiliate.
• The Padres and third base prospect Duanel Jones are reportedly moving towards an agreement.
• Alan Embree decided to stick around with the BoSox organization until the end of the month.
• Seattle DFA'd Ryan Langerhans, though he would later clear waivers and report to the M's Triple-A affiliate.
• Clint Everts cleared waivers after being cut loose by the Mets.
• Rich Aurilia retired from baseball.
• The BoSox claimed righty Santo Luis off of waivers from the White Sox.
• Mike rounded out the Top Trade Chips series with a look at the AL East.  You can check out the entire series here.
• Tim kicked off the GM Initiation series, reaching out to Rangers GM Jon Daniels and Arizona GM Josh Byrnes.
• Tim also identified relief trade candidates from around the majors.