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AL East Notes: Orioles, Rays, Soriano, Red Sox

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Here's a look at the AL East as the Rays and Red Sox jostle for control of the division..

  • Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette told reporters, including CSNBaltimore's Rich Dubroff, "We’ve pursued some hitters, but we haven’t been able to find the right fit." Duquette added he's looking at options to improve the bullpen, but those may come from Triple-A.
  • The Rays were able to acquire outfielder David DeJesus and his approximately $2.4MM salary committment because they are "under budget," a Major League source told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
  • Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman made moves this summer with depth in mind, writes Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.  “We talked about it in July, our biggest focus was on augmenting our depth,” Friedman said before Friday’s win. “Essentially right now we have a 37-game season and we’re doing everything we can to put together the most talented team we can going down the stretch. The fact that we play 37 games in 38 days also factored in, something where us having as much depth as we could was important. In our minds this is arguably the deepest roster we’ve had.”  The Rays added reliever Jesse Crain in late July, signed designated hitter Delmon Young to a minor league deal on Thursday, and traded for outfielder David DeJesus on Friday. 
  • The Yankees' acquisition of Alfonso Soriano represents the sixth time in 19 years the club landed an established slugger during the season who had at least the following season left on his contract.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post runs down the previous five occurences and ranks them by success.  He concludes that those acquisitions - Ruben Sierra, Cecil Fielder, David Justice, Raul Mondesi, and Bobby Abreu - helped the Yanks in the season they were acquired but most of them were problematic beyond that.
  • A year after shocking the baseball world, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has no regrets about his megatrade with L.A., writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Rosenthal On Gonzalez, Peavy, DeJesus, Lohse

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports released his latest Full Count video today. Let's take a look:

  • Discussing the Phillies' ongoing negotiations with Cuban righty Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Rosenthal notes that that delays of this kind typically develop after a team finds a problem with a player's physical. If there is cause for concern, the Phillies could incorporate protective language into the contract or sign Gonzalez to a smaller deal than the six-year, $48MM pact that was reported last month.
  • Recent Red Sox acquisition Jake Peavy told Rosenthal that he was prepared to move money around in his contract to facilitate a trade from the White Sox to the Cardinals, or any other team that asked him to do so. However, the Cardinals never made an offer for Peavy.
  • Rival executives suggest to Rosenthal that the Nationals' waiver claim of David DeJesus may have been a mistake. The quality of prospect that the Nats obtain from the Rays for DeJesus could hint at the impetus behind the deal, Rosenthal says.
  • The Braves were the team that claimed Kyle Lohse after the Brewers placed him on waivers earlier this month, and hoped to use him as a replacement for the injured Tim Hudson. However, the Brewers opted not to try to work out a deal. They may attempt to move him in the offseason, however, as the two years and $22MM remaining on his deal could be attractive in the weak free agent market.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Nationals, DeJesus, Ripken

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Last August's blockbuster Adrian Gonzalez / Carl Crawford / Josh Beckett deal between the Dodgers and Red Sox is a winner for both teams, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal writes. Despite Gonzalez, Crawford and Nick Punto all playing fairly well and the Dodgers having a very successful season so far, however, there is still a case to be made that the Dodgers would have been better off to hold onto James Loney and their prospects and spend their money elsewhere — Rosenthal notes that the deal may have helped the Red Sox, themselves in the midst of a strong season, to pursue veterans like Shane Victorino and Jake Peavy. In any case, Rosenthal's article is a fascinating look behind a major deal. He chronicles how conversations involving the two teams' presidents and even Red Sox owner John Henry helped shape the trade. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.

  • The Nationals recently traded outfielder David DeJesus to the Rays, but the Nats could try to acquire DeJesus again in the offseason if the Rays don't pick up his 2014 option, MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes (via Twitter). DeJesus is owed $6.5MM in 2014, with a $1.5MM buyout.
  • The Nats are open to trading Dan Haren, but GM Mike Rizzo says they would want "a good package of players" in return, Ladson reports. It seems unlikely that any team would meet that price, since Haren has already cleared waivers. In 132 innings this season, Haren has a 4.64 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. He has about $3MM remaining on his contract before he becomes a free agent at the end of the year.
  • Rays manager Joe Maddon says the depth DeJesus has added to the team makes his job "more difficult — in a good way," Sam Strong and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com report. "We have to be creative in resting people," says Maddon. "I don't want anyone too tired. We've taken advantage of these off-days to keep everyone spiffy to this point, but we have to be careful moving forward. New players help that. It takes more than nine people to win a World Series." DeJesus started in left field for the Rays as they took on the Yankees on Friday, while rookie Wil Myers did not play.
  • Former Orioles great Cal Ripken is more interested in a big-league managerial job than he has been in the past, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. His interest could extend to the Nationals job, which will be open once Davey Johnson retires at the end of the season. "I’ve been asked to interview for many managing jobs, and I never said yes because I was never serious about it, and I thought it would be wrong to go through that process," says Ripken. "I haven’t been asked by [the Nationals]. … I think I would be more curious at this stage in my life than I have been."

Rays Acquire David DeJesus

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2:51pm: The Nats will choose a PTBNL from a list with fewer than five names, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).

12:11pm: David DeJesus' stay in Washington was brief, to say the least. After acquiring him from the Cubs on Monday, the Nationals  and Rays have both announced that DeJesus has been traded to Tampa Bay in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. 

DeJesusDeJesus went 0-for-3 with a walk in his brief tenure with the Nationals.

DeJesus was placed on waivers immediately following his acquisition by the Nationals, who many speculated may never have been keen on acquiring him in the first place. Yesterday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reported that he'd been claimed off waivers by the Rays.

In 322 plate appearances this season, the 33-year-old DeJesus is batting .247/.327/.397. Nearly all of his damage has come against right-handed pitching, as evidenced by his .264/.346/.438 batting line against opposite-handed pitching. Ultimate Zone Rating has graded his center field defense as a positive this season (The Fielding Bible has not), which is a rarity, considering his -0.6 career UZR/150 in center. Both metrics suggest that he's a plus corner defender.

DeJesus is in the final season of a two-year, $10MM contract that he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2012 campaign, though the Rays will hold a $6.5MM club option on him with a $1.5MM buyout. Essentially, they'll make a $5MM decision on DeJesus this offseason. In terms of 2013 salary, he is owed roughly $883K, bringing Tampa Bay's total commitment to him to $2.383MM. From the Nationals' point of view, it's an odd sequence of events, though it'd be worth it if the player they acquire from the Rays is superior (in their opinion) to the player they will ultimately send to the Cubs.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first reported that the two sides had agreed to a trade to send DeJesus to the Rays (on Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rays Designate Jason Bourgeois For Assignment

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The Rays have designated Jason Bourgeois for assignment, accoridng to Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune (on Twitter).  The move will create roster space for the newly-acquired David DeJesus.

The outfielder was signed to a minor league deal in January by Tampa Bay.  Bourgeois, 31, saw just nine games of big league actions in 2013 and spent most of the season with the club's Triple-A affiliate.  At Triple-A Durham, Bourgeois hit .291/.336/.371 with two homers in 363 plate appearances.

You can keep track of all DFA'd players and their current status with MLBTR's brand new DFA Tracker.

Rays Claim David DeJesus Off Revocable Waivers

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FRIDAY: The two sides are nearing resolution on the claim with just minutes remaining until the deadline, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).

THURSDAY, 11:37am: Rogers tweets that the Rays are the team that has claimed DeJesus.

11:22am: The Braves are not the team that claimed DeJesus, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago (Twitter link).

10:58am: An unknown team has claimed David DeJesus on revocable waivers from the Nationals, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal notes that the deadline to work out a deal is tomorrow at 1pm ET, which would indicate that DeJesus was claimed yesterday afternoon (Twitter links). He also points out that the Nationals could, of course, simply let the claiming team have DeJesus and assume the remaining $2.5MM he's owed (between his 2013 salary and his $1.5MM option buyout).

The Nationals acquired DeJesus on Monday and immediately placed him on revocable waivers. It seemed an odd move, though Rosenthal reported at the time that the Nationals may not have been that interested in acquiring DeJesus when they made their claim. This is my own speculation, but the Nats could have acquired DeJesus for a player to be named later simply to move him to a team with worse waiver priority in hopes of receiving a superior player to the PTBNL they sent to Chicago.

In 320 plate appearances this season, DeJesus is batting .248/.328/.399. Nearly all of his damage has come against right-handed pitching, as evidenced by his .266/.347/.440 batting line against opposite-handed pitching. Ultimate Zone Rating has graded his center field defense as a positive this season (The Fielding Bible has not), which is a rarity, considering his -0.6 career UZR/150 in center. Both metrics suggest that he's a plus corner defender.

Rays Sign Delmon Young To Minor League Deal

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The Rays have signed Delmon Young to a minor league, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Young will head to Double-A Montgomery as opposed to Triple-A Durham for the time being, based on his own personal preference (All Twitter links). The 27-year-old was released by the Phillies last week and will now return to the organization that selected him first overall in the 2003 draft. Young is represented by Joel Wolfe of the Wasserman Media Group.

Young batted .261/.302/.397 in 291 plate appearances for the Phillies this season before being released. Originally drafted by Tampa Bay, Young played just one full season there before being traded to the Twins in a trade that brought Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett to the Rays. Young enjoyed one strong season in Minnesota, but has failed to translate the tools that made him the No. 1 overall pick into consistent Major League production. In parts of eight big league seasons, he's a .283/.316/.423 hitter but also grades out as one of baseball's worst defenders in the outfield.

Minor Moves: Marlins, Red Sox, Mortensen, Mock

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Marlins announced (via Twitter) the transfer of Marcell Ozuna to the 60-day disabled list.  This frees up a roster spot for Gil Velazquez, called up from Triple-A to take the place of Placido Polanco, who is going on the seven-day DL for concussion issues.
  • The Red Sox announced that they have moved Clay Buchholz and Andrew Bailey to the 60-day DL and sent Rubby De La Rosa, Ryan Lavarnway and Brock Holt to Triple-A in order to create roster spots for David Ross (activated from the 60-day DL) and call-ups Xander Bogaerts and Brayan Villarreal.  Bailey is out for the season but Buchholz may soon return from a neck/shoulder issue that has kept him sidelined since June.  Steve Adams examined the Bogaerts promotion earlier today on MLBTR.
  • The Rays signed right-hander Jared Mortensen to a minor league contract and assigned him to High-A Charlotte last week, according to a release from the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Mortensen, 25, went undrafted out of LSU-Shreveport and had been pitching for the American Association's Grand Prairie AirHogs. In 100 1/3 innings for the AirHogs (15 starts), he posted a 3.77 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Mortensen has made one relief appearance since reporting to the Florida State League, firing a pair of scoreless innings.
  • The Diamondbacks released right-hander Garrett Mock from Triple-A Reno, according to the Pacific Coast League Transactions page. The 30-year-old Mock posted a 6.72 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 75 innings for the Aces this season. Mock spent parts of three seasons with the Nationals from 2008-10, posting a 5.17 ERA in 135 2/3 innings, but he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since. The D-Backs are his third organization since the Nationals, as he's also spent time with the Astros and Red Sox.
  • Following the releases of Luis Cruz and Elliot Johnson earlier today, Sean O'Sullivan is the only player in DFA limbo at this time.  O'Sullivan was designated for assignment by the Padres earlier today.

Minor Moves: Astros, Ryan Roberts, Doug Mathis

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Here are Sunday's minor moves from around MLB:

  • The Astros will sign first baseman Japhet Amador and outfielder Leonardo Heras from Diablos Rojos in the Mexican League, according to a team press release. The 26-year-old Amador, who is listed at 6'4" and 315 pounds, was hitting .368/.419/.693 with 36 home runs in 449 plate appearances. Heras, 23, was hitting .310/.398/.519. The amounts of their bonuses are unclear.
  • Ryan Roberts has cleared waivers and has accepted the Rays' outright assignment to Triple-A Durham, tweets the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith. Roberts was designated for assignment Thursday after hitting .247/.295/.377 with five home runs in 173 plate appearances for Tampa Bay. 
  • The Pirates have acquired right-hander Doug Mathis from the Marlins for a player to be named later or cash, tweets Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mathis, who has spent the entire season at Triple-A New Orleans, will be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Mathis, who last appeared in a MLB game in 2010 with the Rangers, has posted a 3.85 ERA, 6.7 K/9, and 4.2 BB/9 over 114 2/3 innings with the Zephyrs covering 24 games (21 starts). 

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Cafardo On Morneau, Red Sox, Young, Johnson

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that rival scouts have their eye on the Red Sox who, despite leading the majors in runs, have been shut out nine times this season.  “If you pitch the Red Sox the right way, you can shut them down,” said one National League scout. “They do a tremendous job of working the count. It’s an organizational philosophy that works for them. But they prey on pitchers who can’t throw strikes. They grind out at-bats, work the count, make pitchers throw way more pitches than they need.  If you see a game where they get shut out or they get dominated, it’s because whoever is pitching isn’t allowing them to get into their game."  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Justin Morneau wants to stay in Minnesota, but the Twins have rejected any offer to talk about a new deal, indicating they are ready to move on.  The Red Sox might have some interest in him with Mike Napoli struggling, but their Mike Carp/Daniel Nava option at first base might a better alternative.
  • A team like the Rays could take a chance on Delmon Young, who struggled considerably in Philly both at the plate and in the field. “He’s 27 years old going on 37,” said one AL scout. “He’s got bad feet, very slow. There are a lot of teams who need right-handed bats, but I wouldn’t touch him.”
  • Josh Johnson will hit the open market in the winter after being shut down with a forearm strain and rival execs are understandably wary about the Blue Jays pitcher.  “He’s either going to be a gold mine for someone who gets him cheap and then reaps the benefits or someone is going to get taken like the Blue Jays did,” said one AL executive.
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