The Rays have granted right-hander Chris Bootcheck his release from Triple-A Durham, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Topkin reported yesterday that Bootcheck was expected to exercise his July 1st opt-out.
Bootcheck, 32, signed a minor league deal with Tampa Bay in February. The right-hander hasn't appeared in the majors since 2009 when he was with the Pirates. In six major league seasons, the veteran owns a 6.54 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.
A couple of minor league transactions to pass along:
Friday afternoon linkage..
The Red Sox cut ties with veteran outfielder Mike Cameron yesterday, designating him for assignment after he hit just .149/.212/.266 in 105 plate appearances this year. "Rest assured I'll play again," said Cameron to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). "I'm not going out that way."
Despite his poor season and last year's injury riddled campaign (just 48 games), Cameron figures to draw interest based on his track record. He hit .250/.342/.452 with 24 homers as a full-time player just two seasons ago, and he went deep at least 20 times every year from 2006 through 2009. That power might be gone at 38 years old, but his three homers this year suggest that he might still be able to provide double digit long balls given enough playing time.
With approximately $3.625MM left on his contract this year, it's very likely that Cameron will clear waivers and hit the open market. Any team would then be able to sign him for the pro-rated league minimum, which is attractive to clubs on a budget. Let's look at some teams that could be potential suitors for Cameron…
Jack Curry of the YES Network heard that the Yankees "probably" won't have interest in Cameron (Twitter link), but several other teams figure to come calling once he clears waivers and is available on the cheap. It's easy to see Cameron fitting on the 25-man roster of nearly even team, though the amount of playing time he'll receive is sure to factor into his decision.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
ESPN's Buster Olney outlined plans for National League teams heading into the trade deadline yesterday, and today he follows up with the American League in an Insider-only column that comes highly recommended. Here's a brief recap…
The trade market is still developing at this point in the season, but it’s starting to take shape. Buster Olney outlines the plans for National League teams in a highly recommended insider-only piece at ESPN.com. Here are the details:
The Rays cut their Opening Day payroll by $30MM this year and while the on-field product remains strong – the team is 44-35 in the competitive American League East – it is not generating as much ticket revenue as expected. Owner Stuart Sternberg told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that attendance has been "well-below expectations" to this point in the season. Despite that, the Rays will be open to adding payroll in trades this summer, because “winning is paramount.”
The Rays are last in the American League in attendance this year with an average home crowd of 18,522. That’s a drop of roughly 4,200 fans per game from 2010, when an average of 22,758 showed up at Tropicana Field to cheer their team on in its successful bid for a division title.
Tampa Bay's offense ranks 13th in MLB with 334 runs scored. Elliot Johnson and Reid Brignac haven't provided much thump at shortstop, so that's a possible area of need, as is first base. Though the Rays' remade bullpen has a solid 3.62 ERA, a 4.34 xFIP suggests there's room for improvement.
Just when it seemed like the AL East standings were becoming a little less bunched up, the Red Sox dropped four straight and the Rays won seven of eight. New York, Boston, and Tampa Bay are now separated by just two games, as the Rays look for a sweep in Houston while the Sox hope to avoid one in Pittsburgh. Here are today's links from around the division:
The Rays have signed supplemental first round pick Brandon Martin and second round pick Lenny Linsky, reports Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times (Twitter links). It's unclear how much Martin received, but Baseball America's Jim Callis says Linsky signed for slot money (approximately $392K).
Martin, a high school shortstop from California, was the 38th overall selection in the draft, a compensation pick for the loss of Carl Crawford. Baseball America (subs. req'd) says he's been "showing off five legitimate tools" and draws praise for his "line-drive swing and bat speed." They note that Martin can make the highlight reel plays at short but still needs to refine his game overall. MLB's slot recommendation for the 38th overall pick is approximately $859K.
Linsky, a righty reliever out of Hawaii, was the 89th overall pick and Tampa's natural second rounder. Baseball America described him "nearly unhittable" thanks to heavy sink on his 92-94 mph fastball and a power slider that can run as high as 89.
The Rays have now signed 30 of their 60 draft picks according to Topkin. Check the status of all first and supplemental first round players right here.
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney spoke to executives that believe this will be Brian Cashman's last season as Yankees GM. His contract expires after the season, and it could just be a simple case of burnout. "I think maybe he's finally had it," said one GM. "That's a job that will take a lot out of you." Olney cites Cashman's recent stretch of brutal and uncharacteristic honestly as evidence, but also notes that there have been three other instances in which he's looked ready to leave, only to end up staying on three-year deals.
Here are the rest of Buster's rumors…
MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com
Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information
scroll to top
