Rangers Designate Luis Hernandez For Assignment
The Rangers have designated infielder Luis Hernandez for assignment, according to Rangers executive VP of communications John Blake (on Twitter). The Rangers are reinstating Michael Young from the paternity list in a related move.
Hernandez appeared in two games for the Rangers, who selected his contract three days ago. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A Round Rock, where he posted a .262/.302/.372 batting line in 548 plate appearances. Hernandez also has MLB experience with the Orioles, Royals and Mets.
Quick Hits: Giants, Ross, Rangers, Morneau, Royals
One of the largest trades in baseball history was made official on Saturday, but here's a look at what else is going on in baseball…
- The Giants' search for an outfielder is going "nowhere fast," reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have waiver priority and can block deals, though San Francisco likes having Gregor Blanco's defense in left for their fly ball pitching staff.
- Following their recent major move, the Red Sox want to keep Cody Ross according to Rosenthal (on Twitter). Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston says that Ross knows this and an extension could happen before the end of the season (Twitter links). Talks have not yet begun, however.
- The Rangers have claimed a number of players this month, including Justin Upton according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The club is looking for a number of ways to improve prior to August 31st.
- Before moving on to Adrian Gonzalez, the Dodgers made another attempt to acquire Justin Morneau last week according to Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. They tried to land the Twins' slugger prior to the trade deadline as well.
- There is mutual interest between the Marlins and Carlos Lee about a return next season, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Earlier this month we heard that Lee wanted to return to Miami, but the club's intentions were unclear.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore told Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star that the team's focus this offseason will be the pitching staff, including an attempt to re-sign Jeremy Guthrie.
- Jonny Gomes told Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle that he would like to return to the Athletics next season. The 31-year-old is hitting .248/.360/.478 with 15 homers in 267 plate appearances this year.
Justin Upton Claimed On Waivers
7:46pm: The Rangers are one of several clubs that placed a claim on Upton, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Since they have the best record in the AL, Texas is dead last on the waiver priority list for an NL player.
SATURDAY, 6:48pm: The Red Sox were not the claiming team, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). He reiterates that Upton will not be traded.
FRIDAY: Justin Upton has been claimed on waivers by an unidentified team, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). However, a Diamondbacks official said there's "no chance" of a trade this month.
Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick told reporters last month that it's a "reasonable assumption" that Upton will stay put for the remainder of the season. It's not at all uncommon for teams to determine trade interest by placing players — even stars — on the waiver wire.
Upton will earn $9.75MM in 2013, $14.25MM in 2014 and $14.5MM in 2015. His six-year, $51.25MM contract allows him to block moves to the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Indians.
The Diamondbacks now have until Sunday to select one of three options. They can let Upton (and his contract) go to the claiming team, they can complete a trade with the claiming team, or they can pull him back off of waivers. Expect Arizona to pull Upton back off of waivers.
National League teams had claiming priority on Upton, whose teammate, Joe Saunders, cleared waivers today. Upton, 25, has a .273/.356/.397 batting line with nine home runs in 472 plate appearances this year.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Rosenthal On Upton, Rangers, Beckett, Drew
Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link)..
- It's likely that the Rangers will pursue a trade for the Diamondbacks' Justin Upton this offseason. Upton would join Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar as a part of the team's future offensive core. Of course, Texas will be facing the potential losses of Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli as free agents and Nelson Cruz will be entering his final year under contract. In a deal for Upton, the D'Backs would likely have interest in shortstop Elvis Andrus.
- Stephen Drew is basically on a six-week audition with the A's and the club won't rule out bringing him back for 2013, perhaps even by exercising their end of his $10MM option. Drew's agent Scott Boras has shown a willingness to do one-year deals to help players re-establish value and the shortstop has a strong relationship with Bob Melvin.
- The Red Sox won't regret trading Josh Beckett when they had the chance. Even though this winter's available pitchers aren't necessarily elite, there are plenty of more attractive options than Beckett. Three of the big free agents: Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, and Anibal Sanchez, haven't upped their value since being traded and their prices could sink. Dan Haren and Ervin Santana could be available if the Angels decline their options and pitchers like Gavin Floyd and Justin Masterson could be on the trade block.
- The Reds are leaning against promoting Billy Hamilton, who has 148 stolen bases in the minors this season. The idea of using him as a pinch runner in September would be extremely exciting, but the club doesn't believe that he will be ready to play in the majors next season and he would basically be a waste of a 40-man spot.
Minor Moves: Cubs, Koyie Hill
Matt Eddy of Baseball America has a complete breakdown of the latest minor league transactions. Here are some highlights…
- The Cubs released right-hander Frankie de la Cruz, Eddy reports. The 28-year-old posted a 3.80 ERA with more walks (58) than strikeouts (57) in 94 2/3 innings as a starter and reliever at Triple-A this year. Chicago had claimed him off of waivers from the Brewers in March.
- The Rangers signed veteran catcher Koyie Hill, Eddy reports. The Nationals recently released Hill, who appeared in 11 games with the Cubs this year.
Quick Hits: Ortiz, Marlins, Scioscia, McCann
As if the Rays didn't have enough top starting pitching, Alex Cobb is providing Tampa Bay with some high-quality innings. The right-hander threw a complete game, four-hit shutout of the Athletics today, leading the Rays to a 5-0 victory over their fellow AL Wild Card contenders. Minus his August 18 outing (eight runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Angels), Cobb has a 1.46 ERA in five starts since July 27.
Here are some items from around the majors…
- David Ortiz doesn't think his Achilles injury will result in a lesser contract this winter, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. The Red Sox slugger feels his still-potent bat will outweigh concerns about his age or fitness. “That’s what everybody is looking for right now,” Ortiz said. “They don’t care if you’re a catcher, first base, DH, whatever. If you can produce, trust me, you’re going to play.”
- For the Marlins to rebound from their disappointing 2012 campaign, manager Ozzie Guillen feels the team needs to decide if it will take a step back next season or reload for another run at a playoff spot, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- Rumors about Mike Scioscia's job security with the Angels has been "a distraction," GM Jerry Dipoto tells Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. "Mike has been the manager of this team for a long time. He has a very long track record that suggests he's qualified. I say, let him do his job." Angels owner Arte Moreno said on Tuesday that he isn't considering changing managers.
- Brian McCann's willingness to play through oblique and shoulder injuries has limited his production for the last year and could affect his next contract, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman. McCann is in the last guaranteed season of his six-year contract with the Braves, and despite the catcher's struggles, the Braves are very likely to pick up their $12MM option on McCann for next season. Past 2013, however, McCann's injury history could keep him from scoring a big deal on the free agent market or in an extension from Atlanta.
- The Rangers are one of baseball's top teams right now but face a number of questions this offseason, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas.
Diamondbacks Will Seek Shortstop This Offseason
The Diamondbacks traded Stephen Drew this week, officially acknowledging that he won’t return in 2013. The team will rely on Willie Bloomquist, Jake Elmore and John McDonald for the remainder of the 2012 season, but they’ll pursue shortstop help over the winter, GM Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
"There's not a lot on the free-agent market, so more than likely it's going to take a trade,” Towers said. “We'll probably have to trade a good player — or a couple of good players — to find one."
Towers expects to encounter an “overpay situation” in his search for shortstops because there is only so much talent to go around. “Teams tend to really horde those type of players,” he said. The Rangers have enviable depth at the position in Elvis Andrus and top prospect Jurickson Profar. GM Jon Daniels says it’s a good problem to have.
“We don't know exactly how it's going to play out long term, but I'm not really all that concerned about it,” Daniels said. “I know that all the possibilities are good ones for us."
Piecoro suggests the Diamondbacks will talk to the Rangers this offseason. The Reds have middle infield depth behind Zack Cozart (Didi Gregorius and Billy Hamilton) and the Blue Jays have Adeiny Hechavarria and Yunel Escobar.
The Diamondbacks would like to see more of Elmore, but don’t seem convinced he’s more than a part-time player, according to Piecoro. And while they like prospect Chris Owings, they don’t expect him to be ready for the MLB level in 2013. Bloomquist and McDonald are both under contract for 2013.
Rosenthal On Swisher, Brewers, Dodgers
The Pirates know what it’s like to fall out of contention after playing well for four months and they hope to avoid a repeat of last year’s late-season struggles. “Our young players have been through it once,” Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. “They don’t ever want to go through it again.” Here are the rest of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…
- The Yankees aren’t ruling out keeping Nick Swisher when he hits free agency after the season, but it seems more likely that he’ll sign elsewhere. It appears that Swisher will be tied to draft pick compensation this winter.
- The Blue Jays will likely discuss an extension with manager John Farrell this offseason so he doesn’t enter the 2013 season without long-term security. If Farrell isn’t ready to commit to an extension, the Blue Jays could look to work out a deal with the Red Sox, who previously employed Farrell as their pitching coach.
- Rosenthal points out that Marco Scutaro has provided the Giants with offense and versatility since San Francisco acquired him from Colorado last month.
- Though the Brewers’ season has generally been disappointing, the team has developed Mike Fiers into a promising starting pitcher, found a second catcher in Martin Maldonado and traded for shortstop Jean Segura. The Brewers are impressed by Aramis Ramirez’s leadership, according to Rosenthal.
- Rosenthal suggests we shouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers make another waiver trade before the month of August ends. They already acquired Joe Blanton from the Phillies in one waiver deal.
- Could the Rays trade David Price to the Rangers for a package of players built around Elvis Andrus and Martin Perez this winter? Rosenthal speculates about the possibility, but there’s no indication the sides are discussing a deal.
Quick Hits: Melky, Cruz, Red Sox, Cardinals
Four teams have at least a 98% chance of reaching the postseason this year, according to Baseball Prospectus' Playoff Odds Report. The Yankees, Rangers, Nationals and Reds look like playoff teams now, but they all saw what happened to the Braves and Red Sox last year, so I doubt any contending teams intend on coasting from this point on. Here are today’s links…
- The chances that Melky Cabrera will appear in a potential postseason game or re-sign with the Giants this offseason are "close to nil," according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told reporters, including Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, that the team wouldn't attempt to retain Juan Cruz if he clears waivers (Twitter link). The Bucs have younger players who have passed Cruz, according to Hurdle. Cruz was designated for assignment earlier today.
- The Red Sox "weren't trying very hard" to trade Josh Beckett before the non-waiver trade deadline, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Rangers and Braves are believed to be among the teams that spoke to Boston's executives about Beckett, Heyman writes. One unnamed GM said "Boston's first priority has to be to trade Josh Beckett'' this August. Another executive suggested the Rangers could make sense for Beckett, who would have to be placed on waivers to be traded this month.
- The Cardinals signed 16-year-old right-hander Ronald Medrano, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Medrano has touched 90-91 mph with his fastball and has shown good feel for his secondary pitches. He had been considered one of the top Nicaraguan prospects available, according to Badler.
- Nationals first rounder Lucas Giolito re-injured his pitching elbow and will be examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum, ESPN.com's Keith Law reports. Giolito, who was at one point a candidate to be selected first overall, signed for $2.925MM after the Nationals drafted him 16th overall in June.
Napoli, Mathis Talk Contracts, Hitting, Defense
Few observers would argue that Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis have similar strengths relative to their fellow MLB catchers. Anything but. One is a power hitting All-Star; the other is a defensive specialist with a history of below-average offensive performances. While categorizing the players themselves as opposites would be overly simplistic, they have taken divergent paths in one significant respect: their contracts.
Both Napoli and Mathis entered the 2012 season with one-year deals, five-plus years of service time, and free agency approaching quickly. Napoli has tabled extension talks for now and is still on track to hit free agency this offseason. Meanwhile, Mathis bypassed the open market last week for the security of a two-year, $3MM extension. Deciding to give up free agency with six weeks to go in the season was difficult for the Blue Jays catcher.
“It was. There’s no doubt about that,” he told MLBTR this past weekend. “Ever since you come into professional ball that’s what you wait for really. You get to see what kind of teams want you for the first time ever. It was tough giving that up, but the Blue Jays made the decision worth my while and we got something done.”
Mathis said contract talks began a little more than a month ago and accelerated after the non-waiver trade deadline passed. For someone who has played exclusively on one-year deals, the security of a multiyear contract had considerable appeal.
“It’s big,” he said. “We’re in this game to stay, you want to stay around as long as you can and try to get that tenure in and try to be with a team that you think is going in the right direction and win some ballgames and that’s where this organization is at.”
While Mathis and his representatives at Jet Sports Management undertook the task of negotiating a contract in the midst of the season, Napoli said he hasn’t had recent talks with the Rangers. He’s now on the disabled list with a quad injury and doesn’t appear to be thinking about free agency.
“I really can’t control any of that right now,” Napoli told MLBTR. “I want to be [in Texas]. I want to stay here, but I’m just worried about getting back on the field and trying to help our team get in position to make a run at it.”
Multi-Dimensional
Napoli and Mathis have existed and co-existed on opposite ends of the offensive spectrum as Major Leaguers. A total of 37 catchers have appeared in at least 400 games since 2006, the first year Napoli and Mathis got considerable playing time at the MLB level. Napoli leads the group of 37 with a .502 slugging percentage and he ranks second in OPS, trailing only Joe Mauer. Conversely, Mathis ranks last in on-base percentage (.256), slugging percentage (.314) and OPS (.570) since 2006.
Yet the Blue Jays saw enough from Mathis on defense and at the plate to extend him through 2014. Napoli said he was pleased to see his longtime teammate obtain a multiyear contract. And he suggested Mathis’ offense — a career-best .664 OPS with seven home runs — might be sustainable.
“I played with him in the minors so I’ve seen him hit,” Napoli said, alluding to Mathis' minor league successes at the plate. “To see him come back and be able to do it again is good. He looks comfortable. He’s playing and having fun.”
If Mathis’ bat has been a pleasant surprise, Napoli’s is a known commodity. Mike Piazza and Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Roy Campanella are the only catchers in baseball history to out-homer Napoli through seven MLB seasons. Napoli may not be Cooperstown-bound, but he should still get credit for his glovework as well as his offense, according to Mathis.
“He’s always been able to hit,” Mathis said. “And I always thought he was a pretty good [defensive] catcher too. He had some injuries early and I guess kind of got a bad rap over there with the Angels. I’ve been around him for a long time through the minor leagues and in the big leagues and always knew he had it in him. I knew he was going to hit and become a good hitter, but I’m really happy to see what kind of catcher he evolved into.”
Up Next
Mathis is set for the foreseeable future, yet the uncertainty and opportunity of the open market looms for Napoli. His agent, Brian Grieper, had preliminary extension talks with the Rangers, but the sides agreed to table discussions following the All-Star break.
Grieper suggested in April that Napoli would seek a contract worth more than Victor Martinez’s four-year, $52MM deal and less than Yadier Molina’s five-year, $75MM deal. Miguel Montero’s five-year, $60MM contract could also figure in to talks when they resume after the season. Napoli's leg injury won’t help his free agent stock, and neither will the dropoff in production (at least compared to his exceptional 2011 year). Still, catchers who can hit are always in demand.
As baseball executives and agents prepare to navigate a new set of rules for the first time, this winter’s transactions promise to be as complex as ever. The Rangers could make Napoli a one-year qualifying offer worth $13MM-plus under the sport’s new collective bargaining agreement. Such an offer would link Napoli to draft pick compensation and could affect his free agent value, but it’s not a possibility on which he chooses to dwell.
“My agent explained it to me and I understand it, but I let him take care of it,” Napoli said. “He fills me in on everything I need to know.”
Until the offseason begins, that won’t be much. But once the free agent bidding gets started, Napoli can expect his share of calls.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.