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AL East Notes: Ripken, O’s Draft, Wells

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A few items of note out of the AL East, as we get word that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will soon begin a minor league rehab assignment in his return from hip surgery …

  • The time is right for Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. to return to the Orioles in some kind of executive role, writes Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun. Ripken has expressed an interest in assuming such a position with Baltimore in the past, and the O's could be looking for new leadership this offseason, as president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail's contract expires at season's end. Owner Peter Angelos said this spring that he expects MacPhail to return, but MacPhail has not yet discussed his plans.
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com that Baltimore scouting director Joe Jordan thinks the team will sign first rouder Dylan Bundy, second rounder Jason Esposito and sixth rounder Nicky Delmonico. Melewski guesses the O's will ink Bundy and Delmonico but not Esposito, though he framed that as speculation.
  • Angels outfielder Vernon Wells will make his first appearance in Toronto on Friday since the offseason trade that sent him from the Jays to the Halos, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. Chisholm wonders what the reception will be like for Wells, who signed a questionable seven-year, $126MM extension with the Jays that turned out to be one of the defining moves of former GM J.P. Ricciardi's tenure in Toronto. Just for kicks, here's a comprehensive list of all of Ricciardi's moves as Jays GM, courtesy of MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.

Draft Notes: Mariners, D’Backs, Jays, Marlins, Tigers

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We're less than a week away from the draft signing deadline, so here's the latest news on that front…

  • The Mariners have signed third rounder Carter Capps according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Capps, a right-hander from Mount Olive, was taken with the compensation pick the Mariners received for failing to sign 2010 third rounder Ryne Stanek, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 121st overall pick is $243K.
  • The Mariners have also signed 19th rounder Luke Guarnaccia, reports Baker (Twitter links). Baker notes that Seattle has not yet signed their first, second, third, or fifth round picks.
  • MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (on Twitter) that the Diamondbacks and seventh rounder Ben Roberts are currently "miles apart" in negotiations. Roberts is a high school outfielder from the baseball hotbed known as Missoula, Montana.
  • The Blue Jays have signed fourth rounder Tom Robson for $325K accoridng to ESPN's Keith Law (on Twitter). Baseball America's Jim Callis says he received a $325K bonus (on Twitter). Robson is a high school right-hander from British Columbia, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 139th pick is $189K.
  • Aaron Fitt and Jim Callis of Baseball America report that the Marlins have agreed to terms with seventh rounder Ryan Rieger on a $200K bonus (Twitter links). Rieger, a first baseman, was committed to Long Beach State after attending the Junior College of the Sequoias. 
  • The Tigers announced on their Twitter feed that they have agreed to terms with second round pick James McCann. The catcher from the University of Arkansas was Detroit's top selection after they surrendered their first rounder to sign Victor Martinez. MLB's slot recommendation for the 76th overall pick is about $478K, but Baseball America's Jim Callis says he signed for approximately $558K (Twitter link).
  • The Yankees have agreed to terms on a $157K bonus with 25th rounder Adam Smith reports Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). Smith played third base and pitched at Texas A&M, and Rogers describes him as "hard-throwing, but raw." He will sign tomorrow.
  • The Indians have signed 41st rounder Brian Ruiz, they announced in a press release. Ruiz is a hometown kid, a high school outfielder from Cleveland.
  • The Nationals are not expected to sign 15th round pick Zach Houchins according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Houchins, a junior college shortstop from North Carolina, says the team has not contacted him since June, after he posted what were considered racist and homophobic remarks on Twitter.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Durango, Ledezma

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Here are the latest players to get outrighted to Triple-A…

  • The Astros outrighted Luis Durango to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (on Twitter). Houston designated him for assignment on Friday.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they outrighted Wil Ledezma to Triple-A to create roster space for right-hander Henderson Alvarez, who will make his MLB debut tomorrow night. Ledezma appeared in two games for the Blue Jays, allowing three earned runs in as many innings pitched. Alvarez, 21, has a 3.18 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 96 1/3 innings this year, mostly at Double-A.

Extension Candidate: Brandon Morrow

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Brandon Morrow hasn't quite taken the big step towards ace-hood that the Blue Jays were hoping he would take this season, but the right-hander has still has a very solid 2011 campaign.  Morrow has a league-leading 10.5 K/9 ratio, a 3.16 K/BB rate and a somewhat misleading 4.51 ERA (his xFIP is just 3.24) in 20 starts for the Jays.

With Jose Bautista, Ricky Romero, Adam Lind and Yunel Escobar all locked up in multiyear deals, it stands to reason that Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos may turn to Morrow as the next key part of the Jays' future to receive a contract extension.  Morrow, who turned 27 last month, earned $2.3MM this year and has two more arbitration years before being eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.

Morrow's unusual career path could be a factor in helping the Jays get a relative bargain in an extension.  He was primarily used as a reliever in Seattle for the first three years of his career, which depresses his career numbers in the eyes of an arbiter.  Also hurting Morrow is the fact that as of today, his career record (26-25) is barely over the .500 mark and his career high in innings pitched is the 146 1/3 frames he posted last year. 

Combine this with his injury history (a few minor arm-related stints on the DL) and the Blue Jays hold all the cards in extension negotiations.  In fact, all of these factors might even convince the Jays to wait another year to see what they really have in the right-hander.  The club could be content to sign Morrow to a one-year deal for 2012 worth between $4-4.5MM and then look into an extension if he blossoms in 2013.

If an extension did happen this winter, however, a fair number would be a three-year deal worth $19MM, broken down as $4MM in 2012, $6MM in 2013 and $9MM to cover Morrow's first free agent year in 2014.  Knowing Anthopoulos' history, such an extension would certainly include at least one option year, perhaps an $11MM team option for 2015.  Provided that option year was picked up, Morrow would be a free agent at age 31 — still young enough to score a big contract on the open market.

It was one year ago today that Morrow delivered his 17-strikeout, near no-hitter against the Rays.  Given the hype and promise that surrounded Morrow after that masterpiece, a three-year/$19MM extension seems a bit low for a pitcher with his potential.  Morrow himself might prefer to take the risk and only look for a long-term deal once he's established himself as a reliable, upper-tier pitcher.  Then again, given Anthopoulos' already-impressive history of making team-friendly deals, it wouldn't be a surprise if Toronto struck while it had the advantage and ended up with a future ace at a discount price.

East Notes: Ortiz, McGowan, Rhodes, Uggla

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As if Joe DiMaggio didn't have enough honors already, the U.S. Postal Service plans to sell a DiMaggio stamp in 2012, along with stamps bearing the likenesses of three other yet-to-be-announced baseball superstars.  A fitting tribute to a legend of the game….or a subtle way of trying to jinx Dan Uggla?  If it was the latter, the jinx didn't work, as Uggla extended his hitting streak to 29 games tonight.

Here's some more on Uggla, DiMaggio's old team and the other eastern franchises….

  • David Ortiz has been upset about the lack of contract talks between he and the Red Sox, but Fangraphs' Steve Slowinski argues that if negotiations had begun, Ortiz might not liked what he would've heard.  "Which would you prefer: a star player that’s mildly hurt you won’t talk about a new contract with him, or one that feels unappreciated and lowballed?" Slowinski asks.
  • Dustin McGowan hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008, but the injury-plagued Blue Jays right-hander hopes to finally return this September, reports MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm.
  • Speaking of Blue Jays pitchers, Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi reports that Toronto has called up right-hander Henderson Alvarez.  The 21-year-old will make his first Major League start for the Jays sometime this week.
  • Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer suggests the Phillies should consider acquiring Arthur Rhodes to provide some left-handed bullpen depth.
  • Uggla's hot streak has finally made him look like the player the Braves expected when they acquired him from Florida last winter, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
  • The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo touches on a number of Red Sox-related topics in a fan mailbag, such as the likelihood of Jacoby Ellsbury signing a contract extension, how Josh Reddick has improved his trade value and if the Red Sox would get involved in the bidding for Jose Reyes this winter.
  • The Yankees won't call up Jesus Montero for Tuesday's game with the Angels, reports Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.  There had been speculation that Montero would soon be in pinstripes given the team's announcement that Jorge Posada would be relegated to a bench role.  
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Bill Madden of the New York Daily News that while fans focus on the payroll gap between big-market and small-market clubs, "the real disparity, the disparity that's hurting baseball, is the disparity that no one sees — the amount of money being spent on scouting and player development."  In a follow-up piece for the Baltimore Sun, Robbie Levin looks at how the O's have fallen behind their AL East rivals in developing Latin American talent.
  • The Marlins have agreed to terms with seventh-round draft pick Ryan Rieger, reports Baseball America's Aaron Fitt.  (Twitter link)  Rieger, a first baseman, had committed to play for Long Beach State University next year.

Colby Rasmus Hires Beverly Hills Sports Council

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Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus has hired Beverly Hills Sports Council to represent him, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Rasmus, who turns 25 Thursday, had been a TWC Sports client. Current Blue Jays Aaron Hill and Jesse Litsch are also BHSC clients, as our Agency Tracker shows.

Rasmus heads to arbitration for the first time this winter and is under team control through 2014. Based on arbitration rewards for comparable players such as Adam Jones ($3.25MM this year) and B.J. Upton ($3MM in 2010), Rasmus will likely earn $3MM or so in 2012.

AL East Notes: Millwood, Posada, Lawrie

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The Red Sox walked off against the Yankees last night after a rare blown save from future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera. Here's the latest on the first place Red Sox, the Yankees and the rest of their division…

  • Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun expects the Orioles' front office to at least internally discuss the possibility of adding Kevin Millwood, who was released yesterday. A reunion would surprise Zrebiec, however.
  • Jorge Posada is no longer the Yankees' regular DH and the final chapter of his career may be characterized by inactivity, writes Mike Bauman of MLB.com.
  • As Bill Madden of the New York Daily News writes, manager Joe Girardi has delivered potentially embarrassing news to Posada before a nationally televised game twice this season. Girardi batted Posada ninth back in May and the switch-hitter pulled himself from the lineup. 
  • Brett Lawrie tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca that it's the same game at the Major League level, but with more breaking balls in the strike zone and bigger stadiums. The Blue Jays prospect is five for his first 11 with a homer as a big leaguer.

Minor Moves: Chad Gaudin, Brett Carroll

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Let's keep track of the day's minor transactions here…

  • The Blue Jays have signed Chad Gaudin according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Gaudin, 28, was released by the Nationals two weeks ago after pitching to a 3.52 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 15 1/3 innings during a minor league rehab stint. He allowed ten runs in 8 1/3 innings for Washington earlier this season.
  • The Red Sox have signed Brett Carroll, two days after he elected free agency after the Brewers designated him for assignment. The 28-year-old outfielder is listed on the roster of Boston's Triple-A affiliate. Carroll hit .281/.356/.469 in 381 plate appearances for Milwaukee's Triple-A club.

Blue Jays Notes: Lawrie, Snider, Encarnacion

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Alex Anthopoulos says Brett Lawrie has done everything the Blue Jays have asked of him, but the GM doesn't assume the top prospect will succeed instantly given that some of baseball's best young players take months or even years to thrive in the Major Leagues. Anthopoulos discussed Lawrie and other Blue Jays this morning with Jeff Blair of Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 in Toronto. Here are the details:

  • Though Lawrie is "not a finished product by any stretch," the Blue Jays want to get a look at him for seven weeks so they have a sense of how he matches up against MLB pitching.
  • The Blue Jays haven't talked about moving Lawrie to second base and they view him as their long-term third baseman.
  • Travis Snider, who was optioned to the minor leagues to create roster space for Lawrie, is "100%" a part of the Blue Jays' future. "He doesn't need a change of scenery," Anthopoulos told Blair.
  • Edwin Encarnacion, who has a .293/.359/.530 line since the beginning of June, still "has the chance to be an impact bat," Anthopoulos says. The Blue Jays have a $3.5MM option for Encarnacion in 2012 and aren't ready to give up on him.

Minors Notes: Buck, Lawrie, Robinson, Ruettiger

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A few items of note regarding MiLB comings and goings …

  • Indians outfielder Travis Buck has accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus, according to the Indians (via Twitter). Buck was outrighted yesterday. It's been a relatively disappointing big league career thus far for Buck, who was once a fairly well-regarded prospect with the A's but has battled a slew of injuries. He signed a minor league deal with the Tribe in December and was DFA'd upon the acquisition of Kosuke Fukudome.
  • The Blue Jays have called up infielder Brett Lawrie, one of their top prospects, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Lawrie, a native of British Columbia, was acquired in the deal that sent Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee last offseason. If his stay in the big leagues is permanent, Lawrie will be eligible for arbitration for the first time after the 2014 season, and he projects to hit free agency after 2017, per Ben Nicholson-Smith (via Twitter).
  • Similarly, the Mariners will promote recently acquired outfield prospect Trayvon Robinson from Triple-A Tacoma, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Robinson, too, is a touted prospect, and his arbitration clock projects similarly to Lawrie's, barring further time spent in the minors. The M's landed Robinson from the Dodgers in the three-way deal that sent Erik Bedard to the Red Sox prior to the deadline.
  • The Orioles have signed outfielder Johnny Ruettiger, an eighth-round draft pick out of Arizona State, for $160K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter). Ruettiger is the nephew of Rudy Ruettiger, the former Notre Dame football player whose career was chronicled in the popular movie Rudy. Callis notes that Johnny has good speed and a line-drive bat, and, naturally, "grittiness."
  • The Phillies have signed former first-round pick Chris Lubanski and assigned him to Double-A Reading, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). The Royals made Lubanski the No. 5 overall pick in 2003, but the left-handed-hitting left fielder has yet to reach the Majors. He's posted a line of .280/.346/.474 in parts of eight minor league seasons.
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