Quick Hits: Colon, Litsch, Rangers
Cory Luebke will undergo reconstructive elbow surgery on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets. The Padres left-hander hasn’t pitched in the Major Leagues since April 27th and had been undecided as to his next step. Here are the rest of today’s links…
- Jim Callis of Baseball America says Royals infield prospect Christian Colon will eventually move from shortstop to second base, where he can be a solid regular.
- Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Litsch says he has a "career threatening" infection in his shoulder, Barry Davis of Sportsnet.ca tweets. Litsch, 27, has spent the entire season on Toronto's disabled list. He posted a 4.44 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 75 innings last year.
- Former MLB outfielder Bobby Kielty told MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes that he signed with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. The 35-year-old has a career .296/.379/.503 batting line against left-handed pitching, but hasn't played in the Major Leagues since 2007.
- There's still no resolution in the Jairo Beras–Rangers case, Ben Badler of Baseball America writes. Texas agreed to sign the prospect for $4.5MM, but MLB's questions about his age remain unanswered. International sources tell Badler MLB can't sign off on the deal if it wants to seem serious about rule enforcement in Latin America.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wonders if the Rangers could be a fit for Roy Oswalt now that starter Neftali Feliz is on the disabled list (Twitter link). Click here for the latest Oswalt rumors.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Manny, Luebke, Luhnow
Some links from around the league on a day when Max Scherzer became the first pitcher since 1988 to induce 15 swinging strikeouts in one game…
- We're just two weeks shy of the three-year anniversary of the trade that sent Nate McLouth from the Pirates to the Braves in exchange for Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke, and Gorkys Hernandez. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out that with Locke being recalled from Triple-A, all four players involved in that trade — even McLouth himself — are on the Pirates' 25-man roster.
- Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News chronicles Manny Ramirez's journey to the Athletics, and ponders which Manny will show up in Oakland. Manny, who began a 10-game minor league assignment this weekend, has a chance to rewrite what was a disappointing ending to his career, writes Brown.
- Nothing is certain, but Padres lefty Cory Luebke is strongly leaning toward undergoing Tommy John surgery, writes Dan Hayes of the North County Times. Luebke was transferred to the 60-day DL today, which opens a spot on the Pads' 40-man roster.
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow is personally scouting candidates for his team to select with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's MLB draft, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Luhnow isn't revealing which players he's scouting. He told reporters the Astros "aren't close" to knowing which player they'll draft, but are feeling more comfortable with the information they've gathered.
Franchise Notes: Padres, Athletics
Here’s the latest on the upcoming sale of one California team and the possible relocation of another…
- MLB has vetted five possible ownership groups for the Padres and the sale of the team could be complete in weeks if not months, Dan Hayes of the North County Times reports. Some of the groups that had interest in buying the Dodgers also appear to have interest in the Padres, which has sped the process up. Some estimate that the Padres will sell for $600-700MM.
- Athletics owner Lew Wolff told the San Francisco Chronicle that he doesn't intend to leave the Bay Area. Wolff believes that "there is only one location that'll provide [the A’s with] a badly needed new venue, and that location is … in downtown San Jose." Bud Selig established a committee to examine the Athletics' situation in 2009, but the commissioner said yesterday that there's no timetable for resolution.
- The time has come for Wolff to start firing off lawsuits in an attempt to move the Athletics to San Jose or sell the team, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
Minor Moves: Brian Tallet
The latest minor moves from around MLB…
- The Padres released left-hander Brian Tallet, MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets. Tallet, 34 allowed 22 hits, 10 walks and 15 earned runs in 16 innings for the Padres' Triple-A affiliate this year. He signed with the Pirates last offseason and they traded him to San Diego last month.
Padres To Release Orlando Hudson
The Padres have requested release waivers for second baseman Orlando Hudson, the team announced. The Padres placed shortstop Jason Bartlett on the 15-day disabled list and called up infielders Everth Cabrera and Alexi Amarista from Triple-A in related moves.
“We felt it was time to make a change,” GM Josh Byrnes said. “O-Dog has been a two-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and a contributor to playoff teams, but at this point, we want to give our younger players an opportunity.”
Hudson has struggled at the plate, posting a .211/.260/.317 line in 131 plate appearances so far this season. Once an elite fielder, Hudson has lost range and fielding ability in recent years, according to The Fielding Bible Volume III. This year the four-time Gold Glove winner has started 33 games at second base, the only position he's played at the MLB level.
Hudson will earn $5.5MM this year, the final season of a two-year deal he signed following the 2010 campaign. The contract includes an $8MM option for 2013 and the Padres are responsible for the related $2MM buyout. ESPN.com's Keith Law first reported that the Padres were removing Hudson from the roster (Twitter link).
Padres Claim Eric Stults
The Padres have claimed left-hander Eric Stults off of waivers from the White Sox, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The White Sox had designated the 32-year-old for assignment earlier this week.
Stults had appeared in two games for the White Sox this year, allowing two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. He signed a minor league deal with Chicago this past offseason after spending most of the 2011 season as a reliever for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate. Stults also appeared in six games for last year's Rockies team. He joins a Padres bullpen that includes left-handers Alex Hinshaw and Joe Thatcher.
NL West Notes: Padres, Bartlett, Hudson, Giants
Items out of the National League West..
- Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes isn't afraid to buy out a contract when he feels that it's in the team's best interests, writes Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Releasing Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson would cost roughly $10.5MM in guaranteed salary but it's significantly less than what he paid to part ways with Russ Ortiz as GM of the Diamondbacks.
- Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wonders if Tony Gwynn could be a part of the Padres' next ownership group. Acee writes that any group involving Mr. Padre would have an easy time winning over the team's fanbase.
- Melky Cabrera told reporters, including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, that he loves playing in San Francisco and could be open to mid-season contract extension talks. Yesterday, Mark Polishuk looked at what it might take for the Giants to lock up Cabrera.
Quick Hits: Quentin, Nationals, Hamilton, Phillies
This morning, the Nationals learned that catcher Wilson Ramos will miss most, if not all, of the 2012 season. It was an unfortunate piece of news for the club, but it did create an opportunity for 23-year-old catcher Sandy Leon, who was promoted to support Jesus Flores behind the plate. When Leon found out, he called his parents to let them know that he was Washington-bound, tweets Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The catcher, who was previously with the club's Double-A affiliate, said it was the best Mother's Day gift that he could possibly give to his mom. Here are some links from around baseball..
- The San Diego Union-Tribune's Sharon Annie Heilbrunn conducted a Q&A with Carlos Quentin. The new Padres outfielder discussed what it was like to be traded to his hometown team and how he's grown through the trades he's been a part of.
- As of right now, there is no talk of the Nationals bringing Ivan Rodriguez in as the backup catcher, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter). The 40-year-old announced his retirement from baseball last month.
- Some believe that the Rangers' knowledge about Hamilton's history would make them less likely to sign him than other clubs, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes that it makes them more likely to sign him. The Rangers know the ins-and-outs of the outfielder's past and have an idea of how to best support him.
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer wants to see Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro channel Pat Gillick in order to turn things around.
- Steven Cohen, hedge-fund billionaire and runner-up in the bidding for the Dodgers, is thought to be one of at least five potential buyers scoping out the Padres' financial data, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The O'Malley family is also interested in buying the club.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Hamels, Jones, Bourjos, Padres
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…
- Rosenthal says it's interesting that Phillies GM Ruben Amaro declined comment after Nationals GM Mike Rizzo criticized Cole Hamels for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper. It may be an indication that the relationship between the club and the free agent-to-be left-hander is touchier than it has been in the past.
- Hot starts by the Orioles and Adam Jones should reduce the chances that the center fielder is traded this summer and could create momentum for a long-term deal. Jones has emerged as a leader in the clubhouse and is a piece they could build around going forward, along with prospects Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado.
- The Nationals have been trying to acquire Peter Bourjos since last offseason, but the Angels view the center fielder as a long-term asset and possible replacement for Torii Hunter. Hunter will become a free agent after the season, but that does not mean Bourjos is untouchable.
- The Padres have Huston Street, Carlos Quentin, and four starting pitchers on the disabled list, and Rosenthal says they could infuse some young talent into the roster by trading some of their back-end starters. They need Tim Stauffer (elbow) to get healthy and for Clayton Richard (5.32) to pitch better first.
Quick Hits: Red Sox, Garza, Bartlett
The Mets play the 8,000th game in the history of their franchise tonight, and they're still looking for their first ever no-hitter. Here are some links to read before Johan Santana takes on Mark Buehrle and the Marlins in Miami…
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says the team's medical staff doesn't believe Josh Beckett was putting himself at risk by golfing with stiffness in his lat muscle, Alex Speier of WEEI.com writes. Cherington does acknowledge that perception matters when it comes to the team's level of commitment.
- Lines of communication are open between Matt Garza and the Cubs, Jon Heyman of CSBSports.com reports. The Cubs will try to extend Garza, who's under team control through 2013. Heyman suggests a five-year, $80MM deal could work for both sides.
- Some people expect the Padres to release Jason Bartlett, Heyman tweets. The 32-year-old has a .433 OPS in 88 plate appearances and he doesn't appear to figure into the Padres' long-term plans.