Nationals Rumors

Odds & Ends: Cordero, Murphy, Red Sox, Griffey

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 3, 2010 at 5:55pm CDT

Links for Thursday, as Armando Galarraga receives a new Corvette (but no perfect game)…

Reliever Chad Cordero has been called up to the Mariners roster, according to a team news release. Cordero hasn't pitched in the majors since undergoing labrum surgery in July 2008. He signed a minor league deal with Seattle last winter and has a 4.12 ERA and 5.50 K-BB ratio in 17 appearances for Triple-A Tacoma this season. In six seasons with the Expos/Nationals organization, Cordero posted a 2.78 ERA and racked up 128 saves, including a league-best 47 in 2005.
2009 first rounder Jared Mitchell told reporters that he is recovering well from his ankle injury. The White Sox prospect, who will represent the team at this year's draft, does underwater drills and is progressing towards baseball activities.
Daniel Murphy will miss four to six months with an MCL tear, so the Mets have reduced infield depth, according to Newsday's David Lennon (via Twitter). Murphy, who has not played in the majors this year, has missed significant time because of his right knee.
MLB.com's Ian Browne wonders if the Red Sox will have to trade Boof Bonser.
The A's claimed Triple A infielder Adam Heether off of waivers from the Brewers, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). Heether, 28, was hitting .245/.343/.440 in Nashville.
J.D. Drew and Jason Varitek told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that agent Scott Boras does not pressure them to return from injuries any earlier or later than they want to. Boras says he does not draw medical conclusions for any of his clients, including Jacoby Ellsbury.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if Ken Griffey Jr. felt pressure from Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu to retire. Wakamatsu says it was "Ken's decision."
Stephen Strasburg, who debuts against the Pirates next week, pitched five shutout innings at Triple A and even got a hit, writes MASN.com's Ben Goessling.
Strasburg's a star now, but college coach Tony Gwynn says the phenom was "sweating like a hostage" before his San Diego State debut, according to Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse. The entire piece is worth reading.

Odds & Ends: Griffey, Padres, Suzuki, Pedroia, Haren

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 2, 2010 at 9:03pm CDT

Hard to believe that Ken Griffey Jr.'s retirement will only be the second biggest story of the day. Here are some more links to check out…

Speaking of Griffey, Bob Nightengale of USA Today says (via Twitter) that he will remain with the Mariners in a front office role.
Big League Stew lists ten players who could be traded before the deadline, headlined by Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee.
Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse grades the Padres' offseason pickups.
The Red Sox almost drafted Kurt Suzuki instead of Dustin Pedroia in the second round of the 2004 draft, according to WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes did not deny that Dan Haren may be dealt this summer, according to Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link).
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick presents the nine most-hyped draft picks of all time.
Ben Goessling of MASN.com imagines what a Roy Oswalt-Nationals swap might look like, just as MLBTR's Howard Megdal did. Last night we heard that Oswalt would consider a deal to Washington.
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports that Randy Wells switched agents "a while ago," leaving the Beverly Hills Sports Council for ACES (Twitter link).
Lynn Henning of the Detroit News believes Oswalt and Cliff Lee would cost more than the Tigers can afford to give up.
Scott Boras told Scott Miller of CBS Sports that Tony Gwynn was an "extraordinary" coach for Stephen Strasburg at San Diego State University.
Boras doesn't want Bryce Harper to catch, but ESPN.com's Keith Law points out that Harper's bat is worth much more behind the plate than anywhere else.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle predicts that Pat Burrell may make his Giants debut as soon as this weekend.
Yahoo's Jeff Passan describes the journey Colby Lewis took from the majors to Japan and back.
The Rangers need a reliable catcher more than anything else, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
The Indians had no interest in Dontrelle Willis, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
But other teams are eyeing an Indians starter. One executive told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Jake Westbrook is "everything you look for if you want to add an arm down the stretch."

Draft Notes: Pirates, Blue Jays, Reds, Harper

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 2, 2010 at 7:52pm CDT

Some links from around the majors with less than a week to go before the MLB draft:

Pirates' president Frank Coonelly chatted with fans at the team's official site, with most of the questions involving prospects and the team's plans for Monday's draft.
MLB.com's Jordan Bastian spoke to Blue Jays' director of amateur scouting Andrew Tinnish about the upcoming draft. Among other things, they discussed what the team's strategy will be with all of their extra picks. The Jays own ten of the first 126 picks.
Reds scouting director Chris Buckley told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the Reds are considering Christian Colon, Alex Wimmers, Deck McGuire, Gary Brown and Kolbin Vitek.
In 2009, the Reds drafted Mike Leake in the first round. One year later, Bob Nightengale of USA Today shows that the 22-year-old is fitting in with older, more experienced teammates and impressing the opposition.
Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that Bryce Harper and Scott Boras will seek a record bonus this year. However, Heyman says most people expect the Nationals to sign Harper for more than Mark Teixeira's $9.5MM bonus and less than Stephen Strasburg's $15.1MM bonus (if they draft him, as expected).
The Mets won't pick Yasmani Grandal seventh overall, according to Heyman (via Twitter).
Heyman has the Mets taking right-hander Matt Harvey in his mock draft.

Nationals Release Eric Bruntlett

By Mike Axisa | June 2, 2010 at 6:11pm CDT

The Nationals have released infielder Eric Bruntlett according to Baseball America's Matt Eddy. They originally signed him to a minor league deal back in December.

The 32-year-old Bruntlett had been playing with Triple-A Syracuse, though he hit just .210/.308/.302 in 187 plate appearances. At the very least he provided some versatility, playing every position on the field except for pitcher, catcher, and center field. The former Astro and Phillie has hit just .215/.295/.279 in his last 521 big league plate appearances dating back to 2007.

Oswalt Would Consider A Trade To Washington

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 1, 2010 at 6:59pm CDT

Roy Oswalt would consider waiving his no-trade clause to play for the Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Oswalt explained that the team's offense and the upcoming promotion of Stephen Strasburg make the Nats appealing. The 26-26 Nationals began the day in a three-way tie for third in the NL East.

Since Oswalt has $29MM remaining on his contract and the Astros are not obliged to deal him, there's no guarantee he is actually traded. Oswalt says he would play "anywhere" he can contend, but has as many questions about his future as everybody else.

"I don't know who's interested," he said. "They haven't really approached me about anybody yet."

Last week, one official told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that the Nationals may be the one team that could afford to take on Oswalt's salary.

Bryce Harper Links

By Tim Dierkes | June 1, 2010 at 4:22pm CDT

Assorted links about baseball's most popular 17-year-old, Bryce Harper…

Harper tops Keith Law's updated list of the top 100 prospects in this year's draft (ESPN insider link). Manny Machado, Jameson Taillon and Drew Pomeranz aren't far behind.
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo explains that few hitters after Harper are considered safe bets this year.
Harper's advisor Scott Boras told SI's Tom Verducci, "No baseball person in his right mind will have the guy catch." Baseball America's Jim Callis sees the Nationals moving Harper to a corner outfield position, allowing him to reach the Majors in September of 2012 at the earliest. Also in that piece, Callis compares Pomeranz to other recent college lefties.
Yahoo's Tim Brown wonders what it's like to be Harper.
Joe Posnanski cautions that unlike Stephen Strasburg, Harper is a long way from being big-league ready. A lot can go wrong in that time.

Odds & Ends: Angels, Willis, Oswalt, Jones

By Tim Dierkes | May 31, 2010 at 9:18pm CDT

Memorial Day linkage, as Ubaldo Jimenez continues to amaze…

T.J. Simers of the LA Times offers a profile of refreshingly down-to-earth Angels owner Arte Moreno.
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune explains the dilemma the White Sox will face when they have the chance to select Ozney Guillen on draft day.
Ryan Zimmerman would like to see the Nationals acquire Roy Oswalt, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
A scout told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he would be interested in Adam Jones if the Orioles considered trading him, despite the young outfielder's 2010 struggles.
MLBTR is looking for an intern with strong Excel skills and a willingness to contribute for 30 minutes a day. If you are interested in this unpaid data entry position, send a short e-mail to mlbtrintern@gmail.com by the end of the day.
We will be giving away a DVD of the movie Sugar to our 30,000th Twitter follower (currently 584 followers away). Sugar chronicles a Dominican pitcher trying to make it to the Majors.
The Cubs announced the promotion of 2008 first-round pick Andrew Cashner. The big righty will work out of the bullpen. Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle notes that several years ago, Cashner offered the Astros a hometown discount and they declined.
The Pirates benched second baseman Akinori Iwamura in favor of Neil Walker, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Iwamura, the team's highest-paid player, was an out-of-character acquisition for GM Neal Huntington. At the time of the trade there had been talk about an extension, but we have to assume that idea has been tabled.
Dontrelle Willis' agent Matt Sosnick spoke to MLB.com's Jason Beck, saying his client could benefit from a fresh start despite a fair chance with the Tigers.
Rany Jazayerli says Dayton Moore is not the worst GM in baseball, and it is too early to judge his organizational rebuilding effort.
With one week left, AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere has his third first-round mock draft. ESPN's Keith Law also posted a mock draft, for those who have Insider.
Heath Bell explained to Bill Center and Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune why he still has hostility toward the Mets.

Strasburg To Debut June 8th

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 31, 2010 at 5:34pm CDT

Mark your calendars, Stephen Strasburg will make his major league debut June 8th, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The right-hander will test his stuff against a major league offense for the first time in Washington next Tuesday against the Pirates.

The Nationals put off the top draft pick's debut long enough to eliminate the chance that he goes to arbitration four times. Strasburg will not pick up more than 118 days of service time this year, so he will not be a super two after 2012.

Strasburg appears to be ready for big league hitters less than a year after being drafted. He has a 1.43 ERA in ten starts and has allowed just 28 hits and 12 walks in 50.1 innings. His upper-90s fastball has helped him strike out 60 batters this year.

Teams That Could Take On Payroll This Summer

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 28, 2010 at 12:32pm CDT

The ability to absorb a few million dollars at the trade deadline is a pretty powerful bargaining chip. Teams never mind shedding salary, but you won't find many clubs willing to take it on. Some teams always have the financial might to absorb a contract or two; others can take on payroll under the right circumstances and some are sitting tight no matter what.

To predict which teams will be able to take on payroll this trade deadline, MLBTR looked to recent history and the latest rumors. Here are the results:

Yankees – It's hard to imagine a team with an Opening Day payroll of $213MM letting a few more million stand between them and a deal this summer.
Cubs – Same goes for the Cubs, who opened the season with a $144MM payroll. It's the team's first summer under new ownership.
Red Sox – Not only are they big spenders ($168MM Opening Day payroll), they are aggressive at the deadline. Last year, the club added Victor Martinez, Alex Gonzalez and Casey Kotchman.
Nationals – The Nats could have the financial might to take on Roy Oswalt's entire contract, if you believe one of the officials ESPN.com's Jayson Stark spoke to. They also have to budget for the bonus their number one pick will demand. We're talking many millions no matter what, but possible selection Bryce Harper could demand an eight-figure deal.
Dodgers – An official told Stark that he can imagine the Dodgers taking on $5MM or so. GM Ned Colletti said earlier this week that he could add payroll in the right deal, in spite of the McCourt divorce.
Angels – The Angels have some money, according to Stark's sources.
Giants – Adding Pat Burrell at the major league minimum wouldn't exactly constitute "buying," but the Giants operate under a relatively big budget.
Rays – They are expected to lower payroll in 2011, so they don't seem like a logical candidate to add salary, but they have been creative and aggressive at the deadline in recent years, discussing deals for the likes of Jason Bay and Victor Martinez.
Reds – The Reds have financial flexibility and a willingness to get creative, according to one of Ken Rosenthal's sources.
Phillies – They're staying in touch with Pedro Martinez, which presumably means they have at least a million or two to work with. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has said he'll be reluctant to give up prospects, but it's not hard to imagine the Phillies taking on payroll.
Cardinals – The Cardinals were big spenders at last year's deadline, acquiring Mark DeRosa and then Matt Holliday. They may look for starters this year, which could cost them a few million, even though ESPN.com's Buster Olney expects a buyer's market.
Blue Jays – Team president Paul Beeston is "all about winning" in the words of GM Alex Anthopoulos (via the Toronto Star). It will be a balancing act between short-term needs and long-term goals, but the Jays could spend if they're in contention.
Some teams that don't appear on this list will likely become spenders this summer, but these are at least some of the clubs that could take on salary in the right deal.

Minor League Transactions

By Mark Polishuk | May 27, 2010 at 5:46pm CDT

Matt Eddy of Baseball America has this week's listings of comings and goings in the minors, and here are a few of the notable names on the move…

Reliever Andrew Brown was dealt from St. Louis to Washington for future considerations. Brown last pitched in the majors in 2008 with Oakland, and he has a 3.84 ERA in 73 appearances between 2006-08. This is the fifth time Brown has been traded in his 10 seasons of pro ball, but it's by far the most low-profile deal; he's been involved in past trades for Gary Sheffield, Kevin Kouzmanoff and has twice been included in deals for Milton Bradley.
The Tigers released Phil Dumatrait, and Eddy passes on the news that the left-hander has already caught on with the Korean Baseball Organization's LG Twins. Dumatrait was Boston's first-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2000 amateur draft, and he posted a 7.06 ERA in 42 major league appearances with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
The Yankees have brought former prospect Rudy Guillen back into their system. Guillen briefly converted from the outfield to the mound in 2007, but then seemed to drop off of the radar for two seasons. Eddy reports that he is coming back as an outfielder once again.
Eddy notes that catcher Carlos Maldonado, called up by the Nationals on Tuesday, could be in line for playing time as Stephen Strasburg's personal catcher given Washington's injury problems behind the plate and Maldonado's experience catching the superstar prospect at Triple-A. Maldonado last played in the majors in 2007 as a member of the Pirates. He has a .586 OPS in 50 major league plate appearances and a .689 OPS in 4097 minor league plate appearances.

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