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Pirates Claim Sutton Off Waivers From Rays

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The Pirates announced that they have claimed infielder Drew Sutton off of waivers from the Rays.  This marks a return of sorts for Sutton, who spent less than 24 hours as a member of the Pirates last month.

On May 20th, Atlanta sent Sutton to the Bucs for cash considerations and the infielder was flipped to Tampa Bay the next afternoon for a player to be named later.  The 28-year-old was designated for assignment by the Rays on Friday.   Sutton posted a .271/.314/.354 batting line in 51 plate appearances for the Rays in 2012.

Draft Notes: Astros, Ruiz, Virant, Rays, Tigers

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Earlier today we learned that the Astros signed fourth-round pick Rio Ruiz for $1.85MM, well over the slot recommendation for his pick.  Here's more on Ruiz and today's other draft signings..

  • Ruiz's signing effectively ends any chance Houston had of inking eleventh-rounder Hunter Virant, writes Jim Callis of Baseball America.  The California high school left-hander dropped in the draft because of his demand for a seven-figure bonus.
  • Rays second-round selection Spencer Edwards announced via Twitter that he has signed with the club.  The Texas high school shortstop was tabbed with the No. 88 pick.
  • The Tigers have agreed to terms with the club's 23rd round draft selection, right-hander Drew Harrison, according to Director of Media Relations Brian Britten (via Twitter).  The University of Oklahoma product stands at 6'4" and was once a coveted prospect for his ability at the plate.

Draft Signings: Flexen, Dodgers, Yankees, Rays, Nats

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The deadline for signing draft picks is just three weeks away, now that it’s been moved up under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. Here are the latest noteworthy signings from the second round of the draft and on…

  • The Mets gave 14th round pick Chris Flexen an above slot $374,400 bonus, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (on Twitter). The high school right-hander is represented by Adam Karon of Sosnick Cobbe Sports.
  • The Dodgers signed third rounder Onelki Garcia for an under-slot $382K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Cuban southpaw owns a 90-93 mph fastball and a good curveball according to Callis.
  • The Dodgers also signed eighth rounder Scott Griggs for $135K, reports Callis (on Twitter). The UCLA right-hander received the full slot value.
  • The Yankees signed third round selection Nathan Mikolas for $400K, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The high school first baseman has a very good bat and some power potential, according to Callis.
  • The Rays signed third round selection Andrew Toles for $397K, Callis tweets. The speedy outfielder is a strong defender in center field, Callis writes.
  • The Nationals announced that they signed third rounder Brett Mooneyham, a left-hander out of Stanford University. Amanda Comak of The Washington Times says (on Twitter) that he received $429K.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Rays Designate Drew Sutton For Assignment

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The Rays designated infielder Drew Sutton for assignment, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets. The Rays claimed Brooks Conrad off of waivers, reinstated Jeff Keppinger from the disabled list, recalled Brandon Gomes, placed Matt Joyce on the disabled list and optioned Rich Thompson to Triple-A in related moves.

The Rays acquired Sutton from the Pirates for a player to be named about a month ago, shortly after the Pirates acquired him from the Braves. Sutton, 28, posted a .271/.314/.354 batting line in 51 plate appearances for the Rays this year. The four-year MLB veteran played first, second and third base.

AL East Notes: Ortiz, Red Sox, Conrad, Blue Jays

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A look around the American League East as the Red Sox take on the Marlins at Fenway..

  • David Ortiz defended the atmosphere around the Red Sox locker room and lashed out at a report saying that there was a "toxic" atmosphere in Boston, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.  When asked if he wants to return next season, the slugger said "I don’t know. I’ll think about it."  Ortiz is earning $14.575MM this season and is set to hit the open market after this season.
  • Rays‬ skipper Joe Maddon said that the club was interested in Brooks Conrad during the offseason, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Tribune (via Twitter).  Tampa Bay claimed Conrad off of waivers from the Brewers earlier today.
  • The Blue Jays promoted Brian Parker to director of amateur scouting, writes Zack Meisel of MLB.com.  Parker will take over for Andrew Tinnish who was promoted to assistant GM yesterday.

Draft Notes: Phillies, Red Sox, Chargois, Rays

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This morning we learned that the Red Sox are close to reaching agreement with first-round pick Brian Johnson for $1.575MM, the recommended bonus for the 31st overall selection.  Here's the latest draft news, with the latest updates up top..

  • The Phillies‬ sign third-rounder Zach Green for $420K, a slight bump from the pick value of $374K, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.  The California high school shortstop is said to have a powerful bat and a solid arm.  The Phillies have now signed nine of their top ten picks with second-round pitcher Alec Rash as the only one unsigned.
  • The Red Sox are close to reaching agreement with third-round right-hander Austin Maddox, multiple industry sources tell Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  The University of Florida product is expected to sign for less than the $400K slot recommendation.
  • The Twins‬ gave second-rounder J.T. Chargois a bonus of roughly $712K, the full pick value for his selection,  Callis tweets.  The former Rice closer reached agreement with the team on Monday.
  • The Rays signed third-round pick Andrew Toles, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).  The outfielder played at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida after being dismissed from the University of Tennessee baseball team.

Rays Claim Brooks Conrad

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The Rays claimed Brooks Conrad off of waivers from Milwaukee, the Brewers announced. The Brewers, who removed Conrad from their 40-man roster two days, ago, announced that they're recalling right-hander Mike McClendon.

Conrad, 32, has appeared in 25 games for the Brewers this year, playing all four infield positions. He has just three hits and three walks in 44 plate appearances, however. His career numbers — a .212/.287/.406 line in five seasons with the A's, Braves and Brewers — are much better. Conrad joins a Rays infield mix that includes Elliot Johnson, Carlos Pena, Will Rhymes, Sean Rodriguez, Drew Sutton and the injured Jeff Keppinger and Evan Longoria.

Minor Moves: Juan Miranda

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Here are some of the day's minor transactions, with the newest moves at the top of the page…

Draft Signings: Beck, Thompson, Copeland, Renda

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In a Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Keith Law listed some interesting names for the 2013 draft. College players like Austin Wilson and Ryne Stanek headline the crop along with high schoolers Austin Meadows and Clinton Hollon. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here are the latest miscellaneous signings from this year's class…

  • The White Sox have signed second rounder Chris Beck for $600K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Full slot value for the right-hander from Georgia Southern was $670K.
  • In addition to Beck, the White Sox have agreed to terms with 23 other draft picks according to a release. Fourth rounder Brandon Brennan highlights the list.
  • The Tigers have signed second rounder Jake Thompson for a straight slot $532K bonus, reports Callis (on Twitter). The high school right-hander from Texas was Detroit's top pick after forfeiting their first rounder to sign Prince Fielder.
  • The Nationals announced the signing of 23 draft picks in a press release, including second rounder Tony Renda and fourth rounder Brandon Miller.
  • The Rays have signed third rounder Bralin Jackson for $325K, reports Callis (on Twitter). The high school outfielder from Missouri was slotted for a $216K bonus.
  • The Marlins have signed supplemental third rounder Kolby Copeland for a straight slot $367K, reports Callis (on Twitter). The pick was compensation for failing to sign the previous year's third rounder. Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA first reported the news (on Twitter).
  • The Twins have signed fifth rounder Tyler Duffey, reports MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger (on Twitter). Slot money for the pick is $267K.
  • The Astros have signed five more draft picks according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (on Twitter), including sixth rounder Brett Phillips.

Cafardo On Upton, Phillies, Red Sox, Mariners

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe ranks the top ten managers in baseball.  Don Mattingly of the Dodgers tops the list as he has the club off to a surprising 38-22 record, putting them four games above the Giants in the NL West.  Robin Ventura (White Sox), Terry Collins (Mets), Bobby Valentine (Red Sox), and Buck Showalter (Orioles) round out the top five.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Only Kevin Towers knows for sure if the inconsistent Justin Upton could ever be available in a deal.  However, a few baseball evaluators wouldn’t mind tempting the Diamondbacks with a package.  Arizona doesn't need pitching, so the Red Sox can't use someone like Clay Buchholz to get him.
  • The Phillies may be more interested in Will Middlebrooks than Kevin Youkilis, a major league source told Cafardo.  However, it doesn't look like the Red Sox would have interest in dealing Middlebrooks.
  • The Orioles' new six-year, $85MM deal with Adam Jones has led to speculation on how the Red Sox will approach Jacoby Ellsbury, who can be a free agent after the 2013 season.  However, there's reason for both sides to wait.  As an Oregon native who shuns the spotlight, Ellsbury may want a quieter market.  The Sox, meanwhile, would want to see Ellsbury stay healthy for a while before committing 6-8 years to him.
  • While the Mariners haven’t given indications that they will sell off veteran pieces, teams are targeting them as a seller.  The M's have already received some inquiries for Brandon League.
  • The Rays have to be looking for a middle infielder, which are extremely hard to come by.  Tampa Bay is anxious to upgrade from the defensive play of Sean Rodriguez.
  • The Red Sox really like Jorge Soler, but they don’t appear to be the front-runners for him.
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