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Cafardo’s Latest: Fielder, Nathan, Hart, Mauer

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One major league source told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that a lot of lefty relievers were blocked by teams and never got through waivers in August.  The price tag on most of them was steep so most teams bit the bullet and decided to go with what they had.  The Giants were one of those clubs as GM Brian Sabean opted to stick with Javy Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt.  Here are some other highlights from Cafardo's column..

  • The Mariners re-upped GM Jack Zduriencik this week and Cafardo wonders if Seattle will be in the mix with Prince Fielder this offseason, even though they already have Justin Smoak at first.  It's hard to predict how much the M's will be willing to spend and it's possible that the four-year, $36MM deal given to Chone Figgins in December 2009 could make ownership gun-shy.
  • The Twins didn’t seem to have anything major working for Joe Nathan at the deadline, but they asked him to waive his trade-veto rights just in case and Nathan declined.  Nathan's future with the club is uncertain as he heads into free agency but he has a shot at staying if he accepts a hometown discount.  It's unlikely that the Twins will pick up his $12MM option this winter.  The club can buy him out for just $2MM.
  • Cafardo writes that Brewers rightfielder Corey Hart would fit nicely with the Red Sox.  However, it seems likely that they'll lose Fielder this summer so they probably won't entertain a deal involving Hart. 
  • Twins GM Bill Smith says that Joe Mauer will be a catcher for the foreseeable future, but he continues to leave the door open for a possible shift of positions down the road.  There are also no plans for the Giants to move Buster Posey elsewhere, according to Sabean.

Quick Hits: Rizzo, Braves, Rowand, Pujols, Carrasco

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On this date 11 years ago, the Angels signed amateur free agent Ervin Santana. The right-hander recently reached the 200-inning plateau for the fourth time in his career and he has a 3.27 ERA to go along with his July no-hitter. Here are the latest links from around MLB…

  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is "definitely" on the Cubs' wish list for their vacant GM position, reports Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post. Rizzo shot down any speculation about him leaving though, saying "there's nowhere I'd rather be than the Washington Nationals right now," and "this is the place I need to be."
  • MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports (on Twitter) that Kurt Kemp has stepped down as Braves' director of player development to pursue other opportunities.
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com suggests that the Phillies could have interest in the recently designated for assignment Aaron Rowand after he clears waivers. He would not be eligible for postseason play, but Salisbury notes the team has had a "longstanding interest" in bringing Rowand back after losing him to the Giants in free agency.
  • In a piece for Grantland.com, Jonah Keri wonders if losing Albert Pujols to the free agency would really be that bad for the Cardinals.
  • Indians minor leaguer Hector Rondon told Carlos Alberto Zambrano of the Venezuelan paper Lider en Deportes that it appears that Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco will undergo Tommy John surgery. Rendon says the currently-disabled Carrasco told him of the upcoming operation. 
  • Meanwhile, Indians skipper Manny Acta told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that the team is stil exploring options for Carrasco's injured elbow (Twitter link). He acknowledged that Tommy John surgery was a possibility, but it is not a certainty at this point.
  • Nate Mink of MLB.com explains that Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg showed he's ready for the Major Leagues in his final minor league rehab start. 
  • Doug Miller of MLB.com shows how so many former members of Mike Scioscia's coaching staff – Joe Maddon, Bud Black and Ron Roenicke – have gone on to become MLB managers. 
  • It appears that first base prospect Angel Villalona will return to the Giants organization now that murder charges against him have been dismissed, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The Giants expect to resolve a $5MM breach-of-contract lawsuit that Villalona filed against the team.
  • Former GM Jim Bowden introduces us to the agents behind this offseason's big-name free agents in a must-read piece for ESPN. If you're interested in agents, be sure to check out our Agency Database.

Heyman On Rangers, Mesoraco, Marlins

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Jon Heyman breaks down the likely playoff teams at SI.com, where he also passes along some notes and rumors. The latest:

  • The Rangers tried ‘extremely hard’ to obtain Carlos Beltran from the Mets before the Giants traded for him in July.
  • Devin Mesoraco may be more ‘universally beloved’ by scouts than any other September call-up.
  • Davey Johnson can manage the Nationals again in 2012 if he wants to, but Jack McKeon of the Marlins may not be so lucky.
  • Heyman hears that the Marlins and McKeon have decided someone else will manage in 2012, though McKeon can remain with the organization in some capacity forever (Twitter links). However, McKeon told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio that that's not the case (Twitter link).
  • White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf wants to keep manager Ozzie Guillen and GM Kenny Williams together at this point.

NL West Notes: Tejada, Rowand, Harang

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The Giants designated Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada for assignment today before shutting out the Cubs 4-0. Here are some links from the NL West, starting with the latest on the Giants…

  • Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles says it’s probably too late for a shakeup to affect the Giants’ season. They trail the D'Backs by 5.5 games, so their postseason chances are slim, but they got better today and for next season by designating Rowand and Tejada for assignment, Brisbee argues.
  • There will be no dynasty for the Giants, Jon Paul Morosi writes at FOX Sports.
  • ESPN.com's Jim Bowden and Padres GM Jed Hoyer agree that MLB should reduce the number of players MLB teams are allowed to call up in September.
  • A trade involving Padres starter Aaron Harang has become more likely, according to Morosi.
  • The Padres are still discussing Chad Qualls with multiple teams, according to Morosi (on Twitter).

Giants Designate Aaron Rowand For Assignment

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Aaron Rowand's Giants tenure has come to a close.  The team designated the outfielder for assignment today, reports Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.  The Giants cleaned house, also designating Miguel Tejada this morning.  GM Brian Sabean says he'll try to trade both players.

Rowand, 34, hit .233/.274/.347 in 351 plate appearances this year, playing center and left field.  GM Brian Sabean signed Rowand to a five-year, $60MM deal in December of 2007.  Cutting him now means eating $1.8MM in salary this year and $12MM for 2012.  The 2007-08 offseason was chock full of bad contracts, including Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Silva, Francisco Cordero, Andruw Jones, Jose Guillen, Luis Castillo, Scott Linebrink, Kaz Matsui, Geoff Jenkins, and David Riske.

Rowand was signed following a strong 2007 season for the Phillies (6.0 WAR), but he ended up hitting .253/.310/.394 in 509 games over four seasons for the Giants.  His defense, at least, was generally graded as a positive by UZR.

Giants Designate Miguel Tejada For Assignment

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The Giants designated infielder Miguel Tejada for assignment, reports Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.

Tejada, 37, posted the worst offensive season of his career with a .239/.270/.326 line in 343 plate appearances.  He split his time between shortstop and third base.

The Giants signed Tejada to a one-year, $6.5MM deal in December to be their starting shortstop after losing Juan Uribe to the Dodgers and missing out on other targets.  From the beginning, that felt like a hefty price for a stopgap.  The Giants are eating $1MM in salary by cutting Tejada now, for a total of $14.8MM given Aaron Rowand's dismissal.

NL West Notes: Ethier, Giants, D’Backs

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As MLBTR's Reverse Standings page shows, the Padres, Dodgers and Rockies project to have protected first round picks in next year's draft. Here are the latest links as the Giants continue chasing the D'Backs for the division lead…

  • Agent Nez Balelo told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that Andre Ethier wants to return to the Dodgers next year and stay there for the rest of his career. Ethier, who hit a grand slam tonight, returned to the lineup yesterday after the Dodgers' medical staff determined that his injured knee wouldn't deteriorate if he keeps playing. He is under team control through 2012.
  • Giants GM Brian Sabean told Chris Haft and Adam Berry of MLB.com that he doesn't expect to make any moves this month.
  • The Giants announced that they discovered evidence of possible embezzlement by former payroll manager Robin O'Connor. They dismissed O'Connor and are working with federal authorities on the matter.
  • The 2009 trade that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees has helped all three teams involved, including the D'Backs, Matthew Leach writes at MLB.com. The D'Backs acquired Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson in the deal before flipping Jackson for Daniel Hudson.

Giants Release Clayton Tanner

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7:18pm: The Giants are in the process of re-signing Tanner, GM Brian Sabean told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (on Twitter).

3:26pm: The Giants released Clayton Tanner, according to the team's transactions page. They had designated the left-hander for assignment to create 40-man roster space for Eric Surkamp over the weekend.

Tanner, 23, has yet to appear in the Major Leagues. The 2006 third rounder has a 3.66 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 686 1/4 minor league innings. Most recently, he logged 119 2/3 innings of 4.29 ERA ball pitching out of the rotation for the Giants' Double-A Richmond affiliate.

Morosi On Giants, Braves, Berkman

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Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports has been tweeting up a storm today…

Giants Designate Clayton Tanner For Assignment

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The Giants designated Clayton Tanner for assignment, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Eric Surkamp, who started against Houston tonight.

Tanner, a 23-year-old left-hander, has yet to appear in the Major Leagues. The 2006 third rounder has a 3.66 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 686 1/4 minor league innings. He has spent the 2011 season starting for the Giants' Double-A Richmond affiliate.

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