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Rays Notes: B.J. Upton, Trade Market

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Here's a look at the Rays as the celebrate their ninth-straight home win over the Yankees..

  • In an interview on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio with Jim Bowden, General Manager Andrew Friedman praised the all-around ability of B.J. Upton and said that it is premature to speculate on whether the outfielder could be dealt (audio link).  Speaking broadly, Friedman did concede that he is open to anything and will consider the team's present needs as well as future interests when looking at trades.
  • Friedman told Bowden (via Twitter) that teams are focusing more on players with at least two years of team control rather than free agents because of the new CBA.
  • The GM also opined (Twitter link) that there will be more strength/weakness deals at the deadline rather than buyer/seller pairings.

Int’l Signings: Barrera, Cruz, Esteves, Gomez, Dodgers

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The 2012 international free agent signing period opened today and plenty of signings will be coming in as teams look to spend within their $2.9MM allotment.  We'll be keeping track of all of the day's major agreements under $1MM right here..

  • The Athletics are finalizing an agreement with Luis Barrera that would pay the Dominican outfielder $450K, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Sanchez's colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Barrera as the No. 13 prospect in this year's class.
  • Badler also adds that the Indians have signed Dominican shortstop Grofy Cruz for a bonus of $400K. Cruz is expected to shift to third base soon, and is praised by Badler for his strong arm and raw power.
  • Dominican third baseman Kelvin Esteves signed with the Braves for a $300K bonus, Badler writes. Badler praises Esteves' bat speed and raw power from the right side.
  • The Dodgers also signed Dominican shortstop Cristian Gomez to an undisclosed bonus, writes Badler. Gomez was widely expected to receive a low six-figure bonus.
  • The Dodgers issued a press release to announce four international signings: right-handers Lenix Osuna and William Soto, left-hander Victor Gonzalez, as well as catcher Julian Leon. Osuna is the son of former Dodgers righty Antonio Osuna. Soto hails from Venezuela while the other three were all signed out of Mexico. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets that the club spent about $1MM total on the four players.
  • The Mets, who earlier today signed shortstop Amed Rosario to a $1.75MM bonus, also signed Venezuelan shortstop Miguel Patino and Dominican second baseman Franklin Correa, tweets ESPN's Adam Rubin. Rubin also notes that Rosario's bonus is the highest the Mets have ever given to an international free agent. That honor had previously gone to Fernando Martinez ($1.3MM).

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Minor Moves: Jhonny Nunez

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We'll keep track of Monday's minor moves from around the league right here…

  • The Rays released right-hander Jhonny Nunez from Triple-A Durham, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). The 26-year-old Nunez, who was part of the package the Yankees sent to the White Sox to acquire Nick Swisher, had pitched to a 6.57 ERA in 37 innings for the Bulls. He struck out 29 but also walked 26 batters, hit one, and threw three wild pitches.

Rays Sign Jose Mujica

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The Rays agreed to sign right-handed pitcher Jose Mujica for $1MM, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.  Mujica is trained by Carlos Guillen at his academy in Venezuela.

The right-hander just celebrated his 16th birthday on June 29th and is rated by Baseball America as the best pitching prospect this year in Latin America.  Mujica had a strong showing in the MLB prospect showcase alongside top talent from Venezuela and Dominican Republic last February.  Guillen has said that Mujica's aggressiveness reminds him of Felix Hernandez and a young Freddy Garcia, writes Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.

Quick Hits: Jon Daniels, Cole Hamels, Matt Kemp

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Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has delivered three game-winning RBIs in his five games since being called up from Triple-A last week. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the big leagues…

  • The Rangers will take a business-as-usual approach to the upcoming trade deadline meaning Jon Daniels and his associates plan to consider the best players available, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Daniels hopes his team will benefit from getting four pitchers back from the disabled list before the end of the month. "… I’m hoping we’re not big players at the deadline. Hopefully, we get our guys back, get healthy and stay healthy. That’s the biggest thing."
  • The Phillies will make at least one more attempt to sign Cole Hamels to a long-term contract before the team fully commits to dealing the left-hander, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). As mentioned earlier today, opposing clubs believe Philadelphia has an asking price of four to five prospects for Hamels, which makes a deal unlikely at this point. The 28-year-old was selected for his third All-Star team on Sunday after posting a 3.08 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 through 16 starts this season.
  • Dodgers star Matt Kemp remains confident in his team's ability to be successful on the field after Los Angeles' deal with the Astros for Carlos Lee fell through on Sunday, says Alex Angert of MLB.com. "It's always good to get people to make your team better," Kemp said. "I don't know exactly what people think we need. We did a great job with what we have here. If we get somebody, that's good. But if we don't, it keeps going on and we have to keep playing the way we have in the first half."
  • The Rays, depleted by a series of injuries, will determine how they approach the trade deadline based upon the health of Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. If Longoria and Joyce return from the disabled list shortly after the All-Star break, it would free up the Rays to bolster their weak spots at catcher and shortstop. More likely, Tampa Bay will pursue an offensive weapon that adds power to the lineup, such as Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who has 15 home runs since May 15.

AL East Notes: Bautista, Blue Jays, Rays, Yankees

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Over the weekend we learned that the Blue Jays are looking to upgrade their rotation as the deal with a rash of injuries.  Toronto recently sent multiple scouts to at least two of Wandy Rodriguez’s starts and has also maintained contact with the Cubs about Matt Garza.  Here's more on the Blue Jays and the rest of the AL East..

  • Jose Bautista told Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com that he wants to see the club make a big push at the deadline.  "Let’s go for it,” Bautista said. “Hopefully, the change is made now. We’re in a position, in the middle of the season, to compete for a playoff spot. A lot of people maybe have forgotten about the extra wild card, but I certainly haven’t. There was a lot of talk about it in spring training, and I haven’t heard much since."
  • The Rays signed Dominican catcher Erick Maria for $300K, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.  Maria was known as Eric Otanez when he signed with Tampa Bay last year before the deal was declared ineligible thanks to an inaccurate birthdate.  Maria has developed into a better prospect than he was a year ago but he appears to have remained loyal to the Rays to honor his original deal.
  • No one realized exactly how important the Hiroki Kuroda signing would be for the Yankees this season, writes David Lennon of Newsday.  Kuroda, who signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Bombers, has stepped up for the club in the wake of the ill-fated Michael Pineda trade.

Quick Hits: Thome, Blue Jays, Oliver, Orioles

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Links as Friday turns into Saturday..

  • As the Phillies look for a place to move Jim Thome, the Rays and Yankees are not interested, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  Olney speculates (Twitter link) that the Orioles and Rangers could be solid fits for the veteran.
  • Darren Oliver may be a name to watch for the ‪Angels‬ if the ‪Blue Jays‬ decide to be sellers at the deadline, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
  • The Orioles‬ have agreed in principle with three of their top seven picks, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  Second-round selection Branden Kline, Christian Walker (fourth), and Matthew Price (seven) all signed for their slot recommendation.

International Notes: Mets, Padres, Yankees

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The international signing period begins next week, which means it won’t be long before teams can officially start locking up a new class of talented young players. Keep in mind that each team now operates with a $2.9MM budget and that deals won’t become official before next week. Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com has the latest on some bright young players and potential deals:

  • It’s rumored that the Mets will sign Dominican shortstop Germán Ahmed Rosario, Rojas tweets. Rosario would obtain a bonus of roughly $1.7MM.
  • The Blue Jays look to have the inside track with Venezuelan shortstop Franklin Barreto, Rojas writes.
  • It's rumored that the Padres are a likely destination for Dominican third baseman Carlos Belén, Rojas tweets. Belén could sign for around $1MM.
  • Venezuelan catcher Luis Torrens could sign a lucrative deal with the Yankees, Rojas tweets.
  • Dominican shortstop Wendell Rijo could sign with the Rays for $800K or so, Rojas tweets.

Heyman On Blue Jays, Soriano, Rays, Span, Headley

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The latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com…

  • Several teams would target Edwin Encarnacion if the Blue Jays make him available in trades, Heyman writes. However, the Blue Jays’ main priority is putting together an effective and healthy rotation. 
  • Teams see Alfonso Soriano of the Cubs as a designated hitter, not an outfielder, Heyman writes. One general manager says the Cubs could trade Soriano if they absorb all but $2MM of his contract. The Cubs are indeed willing to pay a “very substantial portion” of the $45MM or so remaining on the contract, Heyman writes. One scout suggested the Rays could be a fit for Soriano, who seems willing to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a deal to a contender.
  • The Twins are believed to be more willing to trade Denard Span than Josh Willingham, writes Heyman. They do not appear to be actively engaged in talks yet, but they would seek a young starting pitcher in return for Span.
  • The Dodgers are one of several teams inquiring about Chase Headley, writes Heyman. The Padres are willing to listen on their third baseman and Heyman says they will consider intra-division trades.

Minor Moves: Yankees, Angels, Guzman, Bogaerts

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Today's minor moves..

  • The Yankees released Double-A right-hander Adam Miller, tweets Josh Norris of The Trentonian.  Miller was ranked as Baseball America's #16 prospect after the 2004 season.
  • Right-hander Ysmael Carmona was released by the Angels, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter).  Carmona made the club's 40-man roster after the 2010 season but has struggled with shoulder issues ever since. 
  • The Reds released Double-A first baseman Joel Guzman, Eddy tweets.  The 27-year-old last appeared in the majors with the Rays in 2007.
  • The Cubs cut first baseman Jair Bogaerts, the twin brother of Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts, according to Eddy (via Twitter).  Bogaerts came to Chicago as a throw-in in the Theo Epstein compensation trade.
  • The Indians released outfielder Ben Copeland, tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.  The fourth-round pick in 2005 was a former member of the Giants farm system.
  • The Pirates have traded minor league right-hander Shairon Martis to the Twins, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  Biertempfel also tweets that the two sides have yet to work out what the Pittsburgh will receive in return.  Martis, 25, has a 4.96 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 15 appearances in Double-A and Triple-A.  The hurler also appeared in 20 games for the Nationals in 2008 and 2009. 
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