Padres To Sign Max Fried
The Padres will announce they've signed first round selection Max Fried, MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (Twitter link). Fried, a high school left-hander, will obtain $3MM, MLB's recommended bonus for the the seventh overall selection, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (on Twitter).
Fried has a fastball that's been clocked in the 88-95 mph range to go along with a plus curveball and a promising changeup, Baseball America reports. Lucas Giolito, the Nationals' first rounder, was a teammate of Fried's at Harvard-Westlake high school.
Olney On Red Sox, Quentin, Willingham, Pirates
ESPN's Buster Olney shared a number of items (via his Twitter feed) about a variety of hot stove topics and rumors…
- The Red Sox might be forced to deal Kevin Youkilis due to a "roster crunch" at the corner infield positions and players returning from the DL. Rival executives, however, think Youkilis currently has "no trade value" so it doesn't make sense for Boston to move him right now.
- The Angels and Yankees are "still waiting for needs to be defined" before exploring trades, while the Red Sox are only focused on acquiring starting pitching.
- Many baseball executives believe the Padres will trade Carlos Quentin, though Olney reports the Padres "would like to" offer Quentin a long-term extension sometime this summer. Olney's phrasing may relate to the uncertain status of the Padres' ownership situation.
- Teams have checked in on Josh Willingham but have been told that he isn't available. Some believe this could change but others believe Twins GM Terry Ryan "is, generally speaking, conservative with in-season deals" so the Twins could hold onto their slugger.
- The Pirates are looking for hitting but thus far found few sellers willing to deal.
- The Dodgers are asking about first basemen as they look to upgrade from James Loney but have "no reason to go crazy" finding a second base replacement for Mark Ellis, who will return from the DL at some point.
- The Rockies aren't seen as a team with much to trade, as their roster is split between "untouchables" (i.e. Troy Tulowitzki) and "role players" (such as Rafael Betancourt).
- Jim Thome could be a trade target for AL teams but Olney believes Phillies GM Ruben Amaro would first ask Thome if changing teams was something the respected veteran would want.
Yankees Notes: Quentin, Swisher, Nunez
The Yankees own baseball's all-time best record (164-109) in interleague play, including a 7-2 mark against the National League this year. The Bronx Bombers are riding a six-game winning streak thanks to consecutive sweeps of the Mets and Braves and they'll visit the equally red-hot Nationals in a three-game series this weekend. Here's the latest from Yankee Stadium…
- The Yankees don't consider Carlos Quentin as a fit for their needs, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Yankees would want to fill left field with someone "speedier" than Quentin, which probably also means someone more defensively capable (Quentin has a career UZR/150 of – 9.1). MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith explored Quentin as a trade candidate in May and the Tigers were linked to Quentin earlier today.
- Chad Jennings of the Lohud Yankees blog looks at how Andre Ethier's recent extension with the Dodgers may impact Nick Swisher's free agent value this winter and Swisher's chances of re-signing with the Yankees.
- MLB.com's Bryan Hoch looks at a few Yankee hot stove topics in a fan mailbag, including the possibility of an Alfonso Soriano trade and how the Yankees could be trying to build Eduardo Nunez's trade value by playing him at several different positions.
Details On Bidders For Padres
3:54pm: The sale is still fluid, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The O'Malley group and Jabara are definitely among the finalists, yet Kaplan isn't as certain and others could be involved.
2:39pm: Gary Jabara, Steve Kaplan, and the family of former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley appear to be the three finalists in the running to purchase the Padres, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports. Jabara, the founder of a wireless communications company, and Kaplan, an investment advisor, are based in Los Angeles/Orange County, rather than San Diego.
Bidders had to be prepared to spend $800MM to become one of the three finalists, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. However, some people say owner John Moores’ asking price isn’t justifiable given the Padres’ revenues, according to Heyman.
Moores could select a buyer by next week, according to FOX Sports. The sale price reflects the team’s rising value, but will also include equity in FOX Sports San Diego.
Tigers Interested In Carlos Quentin
The Tigers are interested in trading for Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Quentin's $7MM salary could be an impediment for the Tigers, Morosi adds.
Quentin figures to be one of the best available hitters this summer. Since returning from arthroscopic knee surgery, the 29-year-old has a .421/.542/.921 batting line with five home runs in 48 plate appearances. However, the Padres could wait to make major trades until they settle their ownership situation.
There's room for improvement on Detroit's offense. Tigers right fielders rank second-last in MLB in OPS (.637) and the team's designated hitters rank last in the American League in OPS (.604). The Tigers could use Quentin as a designated hitter at the expense of Delmon Young or mix him in at the corner outfield positions along with Brennan Boesch and, once he's healthy, Andy Dirks.
The Padres could theoretically obtain compensatory draft picks for Quentin by retaining him and making him a qualifying offer after the season, when his contract expires (it still seems unlikely that they would make such an offer). If Quentin is traded, his new team wouldn't be able to obtain compensation picks under baseball's new collective bargaining agreement.
Three Bidders Remain For Padres
Three bidders remain for the Padres and owner John Moores could select a buyer by late next week, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. One of the three groups is led by former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley while the other two hail from Southern California as well. One is described as a businessman, the other a private equity investor.
A fourth bidder was recently eliminated after failing to meet the asking price. That group — led by Thomas Tull, the CEO of Legendary Pictures — included long-time Padre and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. The sale price is expected to be at least $800MM, broken down into $600MM for the team and $200MM for part of the team’s equity stake in FOX Sports San Diego.
If a buyer is picked next week, an agreement could be in place by the All-Star break and the sale could close by August. That would afford the new owner the opportunity to work with the team's front office prior to the trade deadline.
Minor Moves: Eyre, Palmer
The latest minor transactions from around MLB…
- The Orioles have released right-hander Willie Eyre from Triple-A Norfolk, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports. The 33-year-old was drafted by Minnesota in the 23rd round in 1999 and has a 4.95 ERA across parts of four seasons with the Twins, Rangers, and Orioles. This season, he'd pitched to a 7.92 ERA in 25 innings for Norfolk.
- The Padres outrighted right-hander Matt Palmer to Triple-A, Tucson, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. San Diego had designated Palmer for assignment last week in order to clear roster space for Huston Street. Palmer appeared in three games for the Padres after being called up from Tucson, where he had a 4.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 34 innings.
More Draft Signings: Reds, Angels, Twins, O’s
We'll keep track of tonight's notable draft bonuses from the second round and later right here…
- Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets that the Reds have signed third round pick Dan Langfield for the recommended slot value of $436,800. Callis writes that Langfield can get his fastball up to 97mph, but his slider may be an even better pitch.
- The Reds have also signed second round pick Tanner Rahier for the No. 78 overall pick's full slot bonus of $649,700, according to Callis (Twitter link). Callis notes that the high school shortstop out of California has a "promising bat," and praises his instincts and energy.
- R.J. Alvarez, the Angels third round selection who signed earlier today, received a bonus of $416,300, which was the recommendation for his slot, according to this tweet from Callis.
- The Twins have signed third round pick Adam Brett Walker, tweets Callis. Walker, the 97th overall pick in the draft, was reported to be one of the most powerful college bats in the draft. The Jacksonville first baseman signed for full slot value — a total of $490,400.
- Steve Melewski of MASNsports writes that the Orioles signed non-drafted University of Maryland right-hander Sander Beck. The O's drafted the local product in the 33rd round of the 2011 draft, but he returned to Maryland for his senior season. Melewski adds that Baltimore also signed 19th-rounder Josh Hader, a high school lefty and another product of Maryland.
Draft Signings: Wood, Perez, Diamondbacks, Reds
Here are Sunday's notable non-first round draft pick signings…
- The Braves have agreed to terms with second rounder Alex Wood for $700K, tweets Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA. The left-hander from the University of Georgia was the 85th overall pick, which carries a slot value of $583K.
- The Padres have signed third rounder Fernando Perez for a below slot $400K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Selected 102nd overall, the third baseman from Central Arizona Junior College was slotted for $467K.
- The Diamondbacks have signed 11th round selection Ben Eckels for $125K, tweets Callis. Arizona's draft budget will be reduced by $25K after giving the high school right-hander from California a bonus over $100K.
- The Reds have signed 18th round pick Jackson Stephens for $100K, reports Callis (on Twitter). The high school right-hander and third baseman hails from Alabama.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Saunders, Quentin, Cards, Pirates
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count video up. Let's recap…
- Teams looking for rotation help should call the Diamondbacks about Joe Saunders. Arizona wants to get top prospect Trevor Bauer into their rotation, but right now there's just no room.
- The identity of the Padres' new owner will not be known before August, leaving the front office to make its own call on Carlos Quentin prior to the trade deadline. They could keep him and make him a qualifying offer after the season (entitling them to draft pick compensation), though they'd be gambling on future payroll before knowing the new owner's plans. The safest move could be trading the outfielder.
- The Cardinals will wait to hear more about Chris Carpenter's status before making a move for a veteran starting pitcher in the wake of Jaime Garcia's shoulder injury. St. Louis wanted Jeff Francis badly, but the timing wasn't right; Garcia appeared to be healthy when Francis hit the market.
- The Pirates have inquired about a number of corner infield bats, including Kevin Youkilis, Chase Headley, and Bryan LaHair. Some of those targets are more realistic than others, plus the trade market has yet to really materialize. There are far more buyers than sellers, though Pittsburgh has the pitching depth to swing a deal.