Red Sox Add Tazawa & Woodward; DFA Traber
The Red Sox called up Junichi Tazawa, acquired Chris Woodward from the Mariners and designated Billy Traber for assignment this afternoon, according to DJ Bean of WEEI.com. Tazawa pitched well in the minors, striking out 88 in 98 AA innings before pitching twice in Triple A.
They acquired Woodward off of waivers, according to a team press release.
Olney On Gonzalez, Draft, Strasburg
Two prominent baseball figures inched closer to retirement yesterday and ESPN.com's Buster Olney recognizes both of them. John Smoltz's fading repertoire brings him closer to retirement than ever and the faltering newspaper industry will push longtime Reds writer Hal McCoy to call it a career after the season. Here are Olney's rumors:
- Olney hears that the Mariners came closer to obtaining Adrian Gonzalez than the Red Sox ever did.
- Many teams are believed to have struck deals with their top picks. So why haven't we heard about them? Teams will announce over-slot deals at the last minute so it seems like they're respecting the commissioner's recommended bonuses.
- Real doubts are beginning to emerge that the Nats will be able to sign Stephen Strasburg.
Odds & Ends: Sandberg, Indians, Red Sox, Yankees, McCoy
A few links for Thursday evening.
- Ryne Sandberg, the only Hall of Famer currently managing in the minors, wants to make it back to The Show, according to the Associated Press.
- Chris Shelton cleared waivers and reported to AAA Tacoma Rainiers, according to Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune. The first baseman was designated for assignment by the Mariners to make room for pitcher Luke French.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the Indians have used 28 different pitchers this year, the most of any team in the majors.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Red Sox have a thin lead over the Yankees in July trades in the AL from 2000 to 2009. The score stands at 26 to 25.
- And on a sad note, Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy announced today that he will retire from the Dayton Daily News, which has decided to stop covering the Reds.
Odds & Ends: Reds, Rangers, Bedard
Some fairly interesting nuggets to scope out this Wednesday evening:
- Despite the Reds' abysmal play as of late, team CEO Bob Castellini has given manager Dusty Baker a vote of confidence for this year and next, says John Fay at the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Doug Miller at MLB.com reports that Spring Training has been a huge boon for Florida, generating over $750MM for the state. "Major League Baseball has a following that transcends economic downturns," researcher Dr. Mark Bonn said. Haven't heard that from team owners too often.
- The Rangers designated minor-league RHP John Bannister for assignment to make room for Esteban German on the big-league roster, says Evan Grant at D Magazine.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty says that the team is getting closer to a deal with their first-round pick, RHP Mike Leake.
- Erik Bedard's rehab has been shut down indefinitely as he experienced more pain in his shoulder, says Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times, which effectively ends any trade value he might've had for the Mariners.
More August Trade Candidates
Nobody's been traded so far in August, but deals are sure to go through. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick considers some trade candidates:
- Doug Davis and Jon Garland
- Heath Bell – An unlikely trade candidate, since he's sure to be claimed, but he could be dealt even if he's claimed (to the NL team with the worst record among all claiming teams).
- Lyle Overbay – He makes $7MM next year, a deterrent for possible suitors.
- Justin Duchscherer – Some health concerns remain, as he hasn't pitched in the majors this year.
- Kevin Millar, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Giambi – Veteran bats for the playoffs.
- Jamey Carroll – Mark Teahen's another utility type, but he's less likely to be dealt than Carroll.
- Carl Pavano – Just don't expect the Yankees to come calling.
- Arthur Rhodes and David Weathers
- Miguel Batista
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times looks into Mariners trade candidates:
- Russell Branyan won't clear waivers, but the Mariners could consider dealing six weeks of Branyan to the claiming team for a decent prospect.
- Like Duchscherer, Erik Bedard has to prove he's healthy before anyone will commit to him.
- Baker expects the Mariners to try to move Adrian Beltre. They won't want to offer him arbitration after the season and risk paying him $14MM or so next year, so now's their chance to get a return for Beltre. They would almost certainly have to pick up salary in the process.
Astros To Sign Roy Corcoran
Odds & Ends: Glaus, Prospects, Mariners
Some evening appetizers as (most) games commence this evening:
- Marc Hulet at Fangraphs gives part two of his rankings of the prospects moved this past deadline.
- A "back issue" has sidelined Troy Glaus yet again, reports Joe Strauss at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This would seem to lessen the chances he gets traded this month even further.
- Matt Eddy at Baseball America has a comprehensive list of the most recent minor league transactions.
- Ben Badler at Baseball America gets official confirmation on all the Mariners' international signings, including the highly-touted Guillermo Pimentel, who received a $2MM bonus. In all, they signed ten amateurs, eight from Latin America and two from Korea.
- Impending free agent Adrian Beltre is back in the Mariners' lineup, says Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times, and says he's not concerned about his contract going forward.
- The Cubs signed their sixth-round pick, LHP Brooks Raley, for $750k, reports Jim Callis at Baseball America. That's a notable figure, as it's $600k more than the recommended slot and the highest figure above-slot we've seen before the deadline, Callis says.
Pirates And Mariners Exchange Minor Leaguers
The Pirates aren't finished dealing after all. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that they traded Mike Koplove to the Mariners for shortstop Deybis Benitez. Benitez, 22, is hitting .304/.407/.304 in A ball. Koplove, a 33-year-old righty, has allowed 42 hits and 21 walks in 54.1 innings for two Triple A teams this year, striking out 50. He spent six years with the D'Backs and last appeared in the majors a couple years ago on the Indians.
Mariners DFA Chris Woodward
The Mariners designated Chris Woodward for assignment today to make room for Adrian Beltre, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Some expected the Mariners to option Jack Hannahan to the minors, but they're keeping him around at Woodward's expense. Woodward, 33, hit .239/.288/.254 in 20 games for the Mariners at short, second and third.
Which Teams Shed Salary At The Deadline?
Yesterday we found that the Cardinals led the group of 12 teams that took on at least $1MM leading up to the trade deadline. They took on $6.6MM and were the only team to add as much as $5MM in payroll. So what about the sellers? Here's a look at the teams that traded away at least $1MM in 2009 salary this summer. Again, all totals are approximate:
- The Indians trimmed $8.1MM from their payroll, trading Mark DeRosa ($2.9MM), Victor Martinez ($2MM), Cliff Lee ($2MM) and Rafael Betancourt ($1.2MM).
- The Pirates shed $7.3MM in trades, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- The A's saved $5MM by dealing Matt Holliday ($3.7MM) and Orlando Cabrera ($1.25MM).
- The Mariners' decision to trade Jarrod Washburn saved them $3.6MM.
- The Padres saved $2.8MM in the Jake Peavy deal.
- The D'Backs shed $1.4MM by trading away Felipe Lopez.
- The Orioles saved $1MM by trading George Sherrill.
Seven teams saved $1MM or more this deadline. The Indians, Pirates and A's saved considerably more than that this year and the Padres saved considerably more than that in the future. Surprisingly, the Nationals don't appear on this list. Their decision to trade Joe Beimel saved them $700k and they're paying Nick Johnson to play for the Marlins, so ironically, the team everyone thought would sell wasn't much of a seller.