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Yankees Claim Raul Valdes

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The Yankees claimed left-hander Raul Valdes off of waivers from the Cardinals, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (on Twitter). To create space on the 40-man roster, the Yankees moved Jeff Marquez to the 60-day DL. They're assigning Valdes to Triple-A and won't need an active roster spot for him, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).

Valdes, who was designated for assignment Friday, gives the Yankees extra left-handed relief depth in case an opening emerges in the Majors. Valdes appeared in seven big league games for St. Louis this year, mostly in July. The 33-year-old also has a 4.73 ERA with impressive rates of 9.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 59 innings at Triple-A Memphis.

National League Over Slot Signings

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Though MLB would prefer to keep a lid on it, many signings exceeding their slot recommendations will be revealed by reporters today.  The latest from the National League:

  • The Mets signed 11th rounder Christian Montgomery for $250K, according to Callis. They also signed third rounder Logan Verrett for $425K, according to Callis (Twitter links). Earlier today, the Mets signed high school shortstop Brad Marquez for $325K, reports Callis.  Since Marquez also plays football, his bonus will be spread over three years.  The Mets also signed 15th round pick and high school middle infielder Philip Evans for $650K, reports Callis.
  • Reds 22nd rounder Amir Garrett obtained a $1MM two sport deal that will be spread over five years, Callis tweets.
  • The Giants signed second rounder Andrew Susac for $1.1MM according to Zoodig, an athlete digital media platform, on Twitter. They also signed sixth rounder Josh Osich for $450K, according to Callis on Twitter.
  • The Phillies signed fifth rounder Mitch Walding for $800K, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). The Phillies have also signed second rounder Roman Quinn for $775K, reports Baseball America's Conor Glassey (Twitter links). Callis says the high school outfielder was the fastest legitimate prospect in the draft.
  • The Cubs signed 11th rounder Shawon Dunston Jr. to a $1.275MM deal, according to Rogers (on Twitter). The Cubs also agreed to sign second rounder Dan Vogelbach for around $1.6MM, according to Rogers (Twitter links). The Florida high schooler has lots of power from the left side, according to Callis.
  • The Nationals signed fourth round left-hander Kylin Turnbull for $325K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Reds signed 23rd rounder Sal Romano for $450K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). The Reds also signed 43rd rounder Ty Washington, according to Rogers (on Twitter). Callis reports that the second baseman obtains a $300K bonus (Twitter link).
  • The Pirates signed ninth rounder Clay Holmes, who was asking for a $1.2MM bonus, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Cardinals signed second rounder Charlie Tilson for $1.275MM, according to Callis (Twitter link). The high schooler is a speedy leadoff type who plays center field.
  • The Dodgers signed fourth rounder Ryan O'Sullivan for $100K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Brewers signed 18th rounder Chris McFarland for $315K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The high school infielder has solid tools across the board.
  • The Cubs signed hard-throwing college reliever Tony Zych, a fourth rounder, for $400K, tweets Callis.  The Cubs also signed 25th round pick Rock Shoulders for $294K, tweets Callis.  The first baseman came out of a Florida junior college.
  • The Diamondbacks signed fifth round pick Michael Perez for $235K, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis.  Perez is a high school catcher out of Puerto Rico.

Cardinals Release Blaine Boyer

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The Cardinals have released Blaine Boyer from their Triple-A affiliate according the the club's Twitter feed. St. Louis had signed him a minor league contract last month.

Boyer, 30, has bounced around quite a bit this year. The started the season with the Mets, then got designated for assignment in April. He hooked on with the Pirates soon thereafter, but they released him in June. Overall, Boyer has 10.80 ERA in 6 2/3 big league innings and 10.90 ERA in 34 2/3 minor league innings this season.

Quick Hits: Rhodes, Yankees, Villalona, Athletics

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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.

Cardinals Designate Raul Valdes For Assignment

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The Cardinals designated Raul Valdes for assignment to create 40-man roster space for Arthur Rhodes, according to B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com (on Twitter). They optioned Tony Cruz to Triple-A Memphis to create room for Rhodes on the active roster.

Valdes appeared in seven big league games for St. Louis this year, mostly in July. The 33-year-old also has a 4.73 ERA with impressive rates of 9.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 59 innings at Triple-A Memphis.

Cardinals Release Ron Mahay

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The Cardinals have released left-handed reliever Ron Mahay, according to their Triple-A affiliate, the Memphis Redbirds (on Twitter). The Cardinals signed Mahay and Blaine Boyer to minor league deals in July, but didn't call Mahay up to the Major Leagues. After signing southpaw Arthur Rhodes, St. Louis' need for left-handed relief diminished and they could afford to let Mahay go.

The Dodgers signed Mahay in February and released him the next month. By the middle of May he had already signed with Arizona and been released a second time. Mahay has a 3.83 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in parts of 14 Major League seasons. Through 23 1/3 minor league innings this year, he has a 5.01 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.

Cardinals Agree To Terms With Arthur Rhodes

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The Cardinals have agreed to terms with left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).

Rhodes spent the season with the Rangers but was designated for assignment Aug. 2 and put on unconditional release waivers Monday. We first heard of St. Louis' interest in the 41-year-old Rhodes yesterday.

The Rangers will pay the remainder of Rhodes' 2011 salary, less a prorated portion of the Major League minimum, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. As well, the Cards will have to send someone through waivers or add an injured player to the 60-day DL to make room for Rhodes on the 40-man roster, according to Goold. The deal won't be made official till Friday, according to B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com (via Twitter).

Rhodes has posted a 4.08 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.7 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in his 20-year Major League career. He's been especially tough on lefties, holding them to .216/.282/.321 in 1,600 plate appearances. So, I assume he'll be used as a lefty specialist behind fellow left-hander Marc Rzepczynski, a former starter who can pitch for longer stints.

The addition of Rhodes continues what has been a significant overhaul for St. Louis' relief corps in the past few weeks, as the Cardinals acquired Octavio Dotel and Rzepczynski prior to the trade deadline and moved starter (and former reliever) Kyle McClellan back to the 'pen.

Cardinals Are “Kicking Tires” On Arthur Rhodes

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Tony LaRussa's affinity for left-handed relievers is no secret, and Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter) that the Cardinals are "kicking tires" on Arthur Rhodes. He is scheduled to become a free agent today.

Rhodes, 41, was cut by the Rangers following their acquisitions of Mike Adams and Koji Uehara at the trade deadline. He held left-handed batters to a .217 batting average, but they also posted a .310 OBP and .405 SLG, less than stellar marks. The Rangers are on the hook for the rest of Rhodes' $3.9MM salary this year; any team that signs him will only be responsible for the pro-rated portion of the league minimum.

The Yankees are said to have some interest in Rhodes as well. His agent says the veteran lefty is expected to make a decision about his next team tomorrow, according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). 

2012 Vesting Options Update

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Bobby Abreu's $9MM option for next season vested last weekend, so let's look around the league to see where some other players with vesting options stand…

  • Rafael Furcal, Cardinals: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Injuries have limited Furcal to just 179 plate appearances this year, so this one won't be vesting.
  • Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. Garland is unlikely to pitch the rest of the season due to a shoulder issue, and he's only thrown 54 innings. The Dodgers won't have to worry about this one.
  • Koji Uehara, Rangers: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara has appeared in 46 games and finished 20, putting him on pace for 67 and 29, respectively.
  • Arthur Rhodes, Rangers: $4MM option vests with 62 appearances and if he's not on the disabled list at the end of the season. Rhodes made 32 appearances with the Rangers before being designated for assignment earlier this week. Even if another team picks him up in short order, he's still unlikely to appear in enough games for the option to kick in. 
  • Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances. With 47 appearances already to his credit, Soria is on pace to pitch in 68 games this year.
  • Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games. Wheeler has appeared in 34 games this year with a disabled list stint mixed in. He'd have to appear in 31 of the team's final 51 games for the option to vest, which seems unlikely.

Francisco Rodriguez agreed to waive his vesting option in exchange for additional compensation following the trade that sent him to the Brewers. He would have been guaranteed a $17.5MM salary for next season had he finished 55 games this year and been declared healthy by doctors. 

Adam Wainwright's 2012 ($9MM) and 2013 ($12MM) options will not vest because he will finish the season on the disabled list after having Tommy John surgery. Aramis Ramirez's option depends on MVP Award finishes and whether or not he's traded, not plate appearances or another counting milestone.

Quick Hits: Jimenez, Burrell, Ellsbury, Rasmus

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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.
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