Giants Rumors

NL West Notes: Romero, Dodgers, Giants, Padres

By Mike Axisa | August 13, 2011 at 4:22pm CDT

Here's the latest from the NL West…

Lefty reliever J.C. Romero is with the Rockies today according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter), but he has not signed. Troy Renck of The Denver Post says (on Twitter) that Romero will see a doctor and throw a bullpen tomorrow, and if all goes well, he could be added to the roster as soon as Monday. The Yankees released Romero earlier this week.
Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers are currently on pace to lose more than $42MM in annual revenue since 2009, their last playoff appearance. Shaikin also has a breakdown of some payments the team made in recent years, including more than $5K for Red Sox tickets.
A source told Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle that the Astros asked the Giants for one of their untouchable prospects "plus plus" in exchange for Hunter Pence before the trade deadline (Twitter link).
Tyler Kepner of The New York Times wrote about the Padres and their knack for finding relievers in uncommon places, including Josh Spence. The left-hander from Australia has a 1.61 ERA in 22 1/3 innings since being called up, and lefties have hit just .140/.159/.279 off him.
Despite a 38-56 record in their lasts 94 games, SI.com's Jon Heyman says (on Twitter) that the job of Rockies manager Jim Tracy is not in jeopardy.

Quick Hits: Rhodes, Yankees, Villalona, Athletics

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 12, 2011 at 7:50pm CDT

The A's announced that they have hired former MLB player and manager Phil Garner as a special advisor. The 62-year-old played for 16 seasons and managed for another 15. Here are the latest links from around MLB…

Arthur Rhodes told B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com that the Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies all had interest in signing with him before he joined the Cardinals (Twitter link). The Phillies wanted the veteran lefty to pitch in the minors before adding him to the big league roster.
"What you see is what you’re gonna get," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman to Dan Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal (Twitter link). Cashman doesn't expect to make any waiver trades this month.
The Associated Press (via ESPN Deportes) reports that former Giants prospect Angel Villalona is suing the team for $5MM, citing unlawful termination of his contract. Villalona, once ranked as the 33rd best prospect in the game by Baseball America, has not played since 2009 after being charged with murder in the Dominican Republic.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that MLB needs a salary floor (a minimum payroll) because certain teams aren't going to spend any more than they have to. However, the players' union has traditionally opposed salary caps and floors.
Ian Kennedy told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he would listen if the D’Backs approached him about a long-term deal.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he didn't know Ron Roenicke before interviewing him for Milwaukee's managerial opening last fall. The new skipper has the Brewers in first place, four games ahead of the Cardinals.
Joey Votto told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer that superstars can be overrated in MLB, since they don't impact the game the way great players do in other sports. I highly recommend Daugherty's piece, in which Votto shows a strong understanding of the business of baseball.
Tampa Bay, Arizona, Oakland, Miami and Washington are the five worst markets in MLB for Newsday's Ken Davidoff.

Draft Notes: Cubs, Giants, Indians, Capps, Winkler, O’s

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 10, 2011 at 10:07pm CDT

For the latest on which top picks have signed, check out this post on MLBTR's sidebar. Here's the latest on this year's draftees…

The Cubs have signed fifth rounder Tayler Scott for just under $280K, tweets Callis. The high school right-hander from Arizona was committed to attend the University of Arizona, and is said to throw in the low-90's with a good breaking ball. MLB's slot recommendation was approximately $158K.
Callis reports (on Twitter) that the Giants have signed fifth rounder Chris Marlowe for $145K, just above MLB's slot recommendation of $134K. He's a righty reliever from Oklahoma State with a big fastball.
The Indians signed 43rd round pick Geoff Davenport for $100K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The left-hander is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Mariners draft pick Carter Capps, who signed yesterday, obtained a $500K bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The recommended bonus for the third rounder was $243K.
The D'Backs have agreed to terms with tenth rounder Kyle Winkler, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter).
The Orioles agreed to terms with 42nd round right-hander Jason McCracken, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The O's continue talking with their top picks, but nothing has changed regarding their status, according to scouting director Joe Jordan.

Quick Hits: Tigers, Angels, Rhodes, Pirates

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 10, 2011 at 4:41pm CDT

Ubaldo Jimenez makes his Cleveland debut tonight as the Indians look to gain more ground on the division leading Tigers. Here are today's links…

Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello tell John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that they were pleased to see the Tigers extend the contracts of GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland.
Former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that GM Tony Reagins fired him last winter because of a personality clash and because Reagins wasn't happy with the Angels' recent drafts. Bane, now a scout with the Tigers, drafted Garrett Richards, Mike Trout and Tyler Skaggs in 2009 and Tyler Chatwood in 2008.
Aaron Rowand told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he has enjoyed his time in San Francisco, downplaying speculation that he would prefer to be in Chicago again.
The Yankees have some interest in signing recently-released left-hander Arthur Rhodes to a minor league deal, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Pirates have improved this year, despite their recent skid. They aren't better than the Brewers or Cardinals, but they're better than they used to be.

NL West Notes: Rockies, Giants, Beltran, Padres

By Zachary Links | August 7, 2011 at 2:00pm CDT

Let's check out a few items from the National League West..

While some Rockies fans are clamoring for the Mets' David Wright, Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post says that the club should zero in on Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer this offseason. While Cuddyer alone won't make Colorado a playoff team next year, he would provide them with a much needed power corner outfield bat.
The Giants are 2-8 since acquiring Carlos Beltran, but it's not fair to expect him to turn the offense around by himself, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.
The Padres' expanded scouting department made pulling off the Mike Adams deal rather easy, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock. The club has hired eight new scouts since A.J. Hinch took over as vice president of the department which allowed them to have more than nine different looks at pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.
Veteran Alfredo Amezaga, who was shipped from the Rockies to the Marlins yesterday, is delighted to get a new start with his former club, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

Giants Release Jose Casilla

By Mike Axisa | August 5, 2011 at 6:38pm CDT

The Giants have released Jose Casilla according to Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for Waldis Joaquin, who could have opted out of his minor league contract had he not been added to the roster.

Casilla, 22, is the brother of Giants reliever Santiago Casilla. He had a 9.49 ERA in 12 1/3 innings for San Francisco's Single-A affiliate, and Schulman notes that he is recovering from Tommy John surgery. The team could opt to re-sign him to a minor league contract.

Joaquin, 24, has pitched to a 3.79 ERA in 35 2/3 relief innings for the Giants' Triple-A club, though he's walked nearly as many batters as he's struck out (18 to 17). He's made appearances for the Giants in each of the last two seasons, allowing 11 runs in 15 1/3 innings.

Giants Designate Alex Hinshaw For Assignment

By Dan Mennella | August 4, 2011 at 10:08pm CDT

The Giants have designated left-hander Alex Hinshaw for assignment, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter). The move was made to make room on the 40-man roster for Mark DeRosa, who was activated from the 60-day disabled list.

Hinshaw, a 15th-round pick of the Giants out of San Diego State in 2005, made his big league debut in 2008 and last appeared in the Majors in 2009. In 57 career appearances, he has a 4.53 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 7.1 BB/9. That's a terrific strikeout rate. Now, if only he could get his control in check …

Hinshaw has spent 2011 with Triple-A Fresno and Double-A Richmond.

Quick Hits: Jimenez, Burrell, Ellsbury, Rasmus

By Dan Mennella | August 4, 2011 at 8:06pm CDT

A couple items of note as former Red Sock Justin Masterson battles his old team in Boston …

Indians right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, acquired from the Rockies in a pre-deadline blockbuster, never asked to be traded out of Colorado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, although he wanted a resolution on the situation, and he didn't mind having the opportunity to waive his 2014 option with the commencement of the trade (via Twitter).
The Giants activated Mark DeRosa from the 60-day disabled list today, but they haven't announced a corresponding 40-man roster move yet and "are being evasive about it," according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter). Baggarly speculates that the Lads could activate Pat Burrell from the 15-day DL and release him.
The Red Sox were willing to discuss a trade with the Cardinals involving center fielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Colby Rasmus in 2010, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), but the talks never gained traction. That would have been a heck of a trade. Rasmus, of course, was traded by St. Louis to the Blue Jays prior to last month's trade deadline.
The Indians were very close to drafting Ellsbury at No. 14 overall in the 2005 draft but instead opted for Trevor Crowe, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). So close, in fact, that team officials asked Ellsbury, a Native American, his feelings about the team's logo, the so-called Chief Wahoo. … Edes' sources didn't provide him with Ellsbury's response, though.

Quick Hits: Orioles, Beltran, Jimenez, Marlins

By Zachary Links | August 3, 2011 at 10:07pm CDT

Wednesday night linkage..

Former Orioles pitching coach Mark Connor, who resigned on June 14, has agreed to return to the Rangers organization, several sources tell Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. Connor will assume his former post as player development special consultant.
Carlos Beltran has already proven to be a valuable addition to the Giants both on the field and in the clubhouse, writes MLB.com's Adam Berry.
The Red Sox made a substantial offer to the Rockies for Ubaldo Jimenez on Friday, a major league source told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Howwever, Colorado was looking for near-major league-ready players, the kind that the BoSox were not willing to offer up in such a deal.
There hasn't been a lot of dialogue recently between the Marlins and first-round pick Jose Fernandez, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.
The Orioles sent Mark Hendrickson to Triple-A Norforlk, but he won't become a free agent thanks to a previous agreement between the pitcher and the club, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. Hendrickson was demoted to make room for Jo-Jo Reyes, who was claimed off waivers from Toronto on Tuesday.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Buck, Hall, Hernandez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 3, 2011 at 3:08pm CDT

The latest players to get outrighted to the minors…

The Indians announced that they outrighted outfielder Travis Buck to Triple-A. He has three days to accept or decline the assignment.
The Giants outrighted Bill Hall to the minor leagues and he accepted the assignment, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). The Giants designated Hall for assignment last week to create roster space for Carlos Beltran.
The Braves outrighted Diory Hernandez to Triple-A yesterday, according to MLB.com's transactions page. Atlanta designated the infielder for assignment five days ago to create 40-man roster space for Jose Constanza.

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