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Pedro Martinez Worked Out For Rays, Cubs

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8:03pm: Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that "a source close to Pedro Martinez indicated" that the Cubs have watched him throw as well. According to Cafardo, the source indicated that "both teams have begun to at least explore how much money it would take" to add Martinez to their rosters.

Carfardo adds that Martinez was throwing his fastball at around 94 mph.

7:32pm: Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times confirms that a Rays staffer watched Pedro throw 20 fastballs, but writes, "Word is that it is 'very unlikely' anything will come of it." Topkin adds that Pedro's workout "may have been as much about getting his name out there as anything."

5:23pm: Multiple news outlets are reporting that the Rays watched Pedro Martinez work out. MLBTR does not normally link to material on Listin Diario (Spanish) or Herald de Paris, but both suggest the Rays watched the free agent righty work out.

Michael Weber, a producer for WTSP 10 in St. Petersburg reports through Twitter that the Rays confirmed they had someone "watch Pedro" (Hat Tip: Rays Index).

Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune writes: "I've heard that one of the Rays' officials in the Dominican who has known Pedro for a while just watched him work out, but it doesn't sound like the team expects anything to come of it."

Check out Rays Index for the full chronology and analysis.  My question: could Martinez perhaps contribute out of the bullpen?

Odds And Ends: Huff, Ackley, Strasburg

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Some more links to pass along…

Bullpen Roundup: Who Should Rays Get; Is Rauch Out In Arizona?

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While Tampa Bay is still reeling from another loss due to a faulty bullpen, R.J. Anderson of DRaysBay.com has some suggested additions to the beleaguered group.

  • Winston Abreu, currently dominating at Triple-A Durham, could simply be called up.
  • Jason Grilli, recently designated for assignment by the Rockies, could be had for nothing.
  • Joel Hanrahan, recently taken out of the closer's role by Washington, would require a trade.

Considering that Grant Balfour, Joe Nelson and Dan Wheeler all have ERAs of 5.50 or higher, some fresh arms in the Tampa Bay bullpen would certainly be welcome.

Meanwhile, a less-treasured member of a major-league bullpen is Jon Rauch, who had a closed-door meeting with manager A.J. Hinch after Saturday night's game.

Rauch is still only utilized in low-leverage situations, and it seems he's worn out his welcome in Arizona. But his ERA dropped from 9.31 in April to 3.46 in May, and he's pitched two scoreless innings so far in June.

Whether the Rays, desperately seeking saves, and Rauch, America's tallest reliever, get together remains to be seen. No smoke here yet, let alone fire, but this seems like a natural connection to make.

Discussion: Which Young Pitcher Would You Take?

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Major League Baseball has quickly become a young man's game, and there is nothing more precious than young pitching. Tommy Hanson made his big league debut for the Braves today, allowing three homers and seven runs in six innings against the Brewers at home. Just yesterday the Rays' David Price gave up just two hits and three runs in a start against the Yankees in the Bronx, and on Tuesday the Nationals will make Stephen Strasburg the first overall pick in the 2009 Draft.

If you were running your favorite team, which of these three young pitchers would you take for your club? Price is the oldest at 23, but he also has the most experience. Hanson was the best pitching prospect left in the minors before his call up, and Strasburg may be the best draft prospect ever. There's no wrong answer, but I'm interested to see who everyone prefers. So, who ya got?

Talkin’ Ryan Spilborghs

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With the promotion of 23-year-old outfielder Carlos Gonzalez from Triple-A, Ryan Spilborghs now stands as the fifth outfielder in Colorado.  He's not an All-Star, and probably never will be, but Spilborghs deserves a bit more playing time than he'll get with the Rockies. Thus, he's on the proverbial trading block.

As Troy Renck of the Denver Post reported Friday evening, "The Red Sox have interest in Spilborghs, and Tampa and Atlanta are looking for outfield help.  The Cubs have always liked Spilborghs as well."

ESPN.com's Rob Neyer reported the Braves' interest on Friday, but with the Nate McLouth deal in the books, is he really a good fit?  Is Spilborghs destined for reserve duty wherever he goes?  For reference, the 29-year-old is batting .262/.326/.440 with five home runs, 25 RBI and six stolen bases in 168 at-bats this season.  He's earning close to the league minimum.

Draft Updates: Red Sox, Rays, Angels, Phillies

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Here's what five of last year's playoff teams plan to do with their draft choices…

  • MLB.com's Ian Browne says the Red Sox are happy to be selecting 28th because it means they were successful in the majors last year.
  • Like the Red Sox, the Rays pick late, but they're not used to it, having had the first overall pick the last two years. As MLB.com's Bill Chastain reports the Rays are considering 15 or 20 players with their 30th pick and there's some speculation they could go for a catcher.
  • The Cubs are focusing on doing well deep into the draft according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Their first pick will be the 31st overall.
  • The Phillies' first pick will come after 74 players have already been selected. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that they'd like to add more bats and left-handed pitching.
  • The Angels, on the other hand, have five of the first 48 picks. MLB.com's Lyle Spencer says they'd like to add some power at the corner infield and outfield positions. They're one of many teams interested in high school outfielder Everett Williams.

  And some buzz surrounding the nation's top amateur players…

  • ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill hears that the Mariners may be intimidated by the demands Scott Boras will likely make for his client, Dustin Ackley. He's considered the best college hitter in the draft, but the Mariners are apparently not willing to offer more than $6MM to sign him. Aaron Crow could be an alternative for the Mariners.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law believes it would be a mistake for the Padres to take Mike Minor with the third pick. Check the article out for more updates on some top talent.
  • In a separate piece Law tracks the improvements some players- Stephen Strasburg, for one- make between high school and college.

Percival Might Not Be Done Yet

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The St. Petersburg Times reports that the Rays' injured closer, Troy Pervical, may not be ready to call it quits on his career just yet.

Percival, 39, is working with a chiropractor, and needs to get feeling back in his right arm before he makes a decision on the season. Manager Joe Maddon commented on Percival's situation:

 "He's going to continue to work on trying to get the feeling back in his arm, right shoulder down through the bicep area to his elbow," Maddon said. "We're just on hold."

Maddon had originally said he wouldn't be surprised if Percival hung it up.

Rays To Stay In-House At Second Base

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Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reports that the Rays will replace Akinori Iwamura's production from within the organization. Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said the club will rely on Ben Zobrist, Willy Aybar and Reid Brignac to fill the void created by Iwamura's injury. Even with Jason Bartlett injured, the Rays aren't expected to add anyone, in part because they cannot add payroll. It would have been a surprise to see the Rays give something up for a middle infielder when they're getting production from the players they already have.

Plus, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney points out, the Rays need pitching help more than anything else.

Odds & Ends: Igarashi, Cubs, Cardinals

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Links for Friday…

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