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NL Central Links: Taillon, Maholm, Schumaker, Crane

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The Brewers have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games to pull away in the NL Central race, currently leading by 8.5 games. There's more to this division than just the standings though, as shown in this collection of links:

  • MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch has some quotes from Pirates GM Neal Huntington on top prospect Jameson Taillon. Huntington says that while the 2010 No. 2 overall pick's numbers aren't spectacular — a 4.52 ERA through 79 2/3 innings — he's been working heavily on his fastball command. Huntington says Taillon can overpower Low-A hitters with his breaking ball but has gotten hit trying to improve his heater.
  • In the same piece, Langosch reports that Paul Maholm will see Dr. James Andrews for a second evaluation of his shoulder. Huntington cautions not to read too much into it, but Maholm's shoulder is worth keeping an eye on as it could impact a major financial decision; the Buccos hold a $9.75MM option on Maholm for 2012 that comes with a $750K buyout.
  • Skip Schumaker's 2012 contract status is questionable, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals could non-tender Schumaker this offeseason.
  • In Nick Cafardo's Sunday column for the Boston Globe, he says that Major League owners are "wading through a lot of personal stuff" on prospective Astros buyer Jim Crane before approving him. Crane has had complaints filed against him in the past by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

NL Central Notes: McCutchen, Astros, Berkman

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Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel reports that MLB has suspended Brewers right-hander Mark Rogers 25 games for a second positive test for a stimulant in violation of MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rogers' season was already over due to carpal tunnel syndrome, however. Here's the latest from baseball's only six-team division. ..

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). 

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