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Odds And Ends: Nats, Royals, Rios, Rays

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More links to take a look at…

How Much Should The Nats Offer Strasburg?

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The Nationals have one week to sign top pick Stephen Strasburg. Widely considered one of the best college pitching prospects ever, Strasburg is in line for a record-setting bonus. Nats acting GM Mike Rizzo will negotiate with crafty agent Scott Boras, Strasburg's representative. The Nats don't have any long-term commitments other than Ryan Zimmerman's deal and they've only committed about $28MM to their 2010 payroll so far (though that figure will rise considerably because of the team's arbitration-eligible players).

So how much should the Nats be willing to offer? $10MM? $50MM? They would receive the second overall pick in next year's draft if they fail to sign Strasburg, but a first overall pick now is worth more than a second overall pick later, at least in theory. If you're making the call for the Nats, how much would you offer Strasburg?

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the financial details.

Olney On Guzman, Hardy, Rays, Rios

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney says we should know today whether anyone has successfully claimed Cristian Guzman off waivers. However, some executives say Guzman isn't worth the $8MM he makes annually. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

  • J.J. Hardy hasn't yet cleared waivers and Olney wonders if the Red Sox could target him. They had interest in Hardy earlier in the year, but the two teams couldn't agree on the shortstop's value.
  • The Rays are one of the teams claiming many players. They don't expect to acquire all the cheap youngsters they claim, but they could face a roster issue if they're handed multiple players. 
  • Every talent evaluator Olney speaks with believes the Jays need to take advantage of the club that claimed Alex Rios and dump the right fielder's salary while they can. 

Odds & Ends: Smoltz, Nationals GM, Chapman, Orioles

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A couple of links on a lazy Sunday…

  • ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Texas Rangers and several NL teams have expressed interest in acquiring John Smoltz. The 42-yr old is mulling his options at the moment, but Olney says it's "highly unlikely that any NL team would be willing to take Smoltz in a trade without some financial adjustment."
  • Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says that there is lots of "chatter among major league sources in Washington that Diamondbacks director of scouting and player development Jerry Dipoto is the leading candidate to be Nationals general manager." He mentions that Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer has also been mentioned as a candidate, and that the club is also considering giving interm GM Mike Rizzo the job on a permanent basis.
  • This one's a bit old, but Peter Bjarkman balances out some of the hype we've heard about Cuban defectee Aroldis Chapman, citing his lack of control in the strike zone and his pedestrian track record in the Cuban National League. (h/t Patrick at NPB Tracker)
  • Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports that Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora, and Danys Baez have cleared waivers. Mora expressed his displeasure with Baltimore earlier in the week. Remember, you can find our list of players who've cleared waivers featured on the sidebar.

Olney On Gonzalez, Draft, Strasburg

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Two prominent baseball figures inched closer to retirement yesterday and ESPN.com's Buster Olney recognizes both of them. John Smoltz's fading repertoire brings him closer to retirement than ever and the faltering newspaper industry will push longtime Reds writer Hal McCoy to call it a career after the season. Here are Olney's rumors:

  • Olney hears that the Mariners came closer to obtaining Adrian Gonzalez than the Red Sox ever did.
  • Many teams are believed to have struck deals with their top picks. So why haven't we heard about them? Teams will announce over-slot deals at the last minute so it seems like they're respecting the commissioner's recommended bonuses.
  • Real doubts are beginning to emerge that the Nats will be able to sign Stephen Strasburg. 

Draft Updates: Pirates, Royals, Nats

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Updates on one pick who signed and a couple who may sign soon…

  • ESPN.com's Keith Law reports that the Royals agreed to sign 14th rounder Crawford Simmons for a $450k bonus.
  • Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Pirates should sign eighth rounder Colton Cain this morning. He could receive a bonus worth over $350k; like Simmons' deal, that would be above-slot.
  • Nats selection Drew Storen was the first pick to sign. He told Chico Harlan of the Washington Post that he's looking forward to playing in the big leagues, possibly as soon as this season.

Nats Acquire Ward & Hopper From White Sox

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The Nationals acquired former major leaguers Daryle Ward and Norris Hopper from the White Sox today, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The players go from Chicago's Triple A team to Washington's.

Ward, 34, played 11 big league seasons, most recently with last year's Cubs. Hopper, 30, spent parts of three seasons with the Reds, but hasn't appeared in the majors this year.

Mets Acquire Anderson Hernandez

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The Mets acquired second baseman Anderson Hernandez from the Nationals, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says the Nats obtain minor league second baseman Greg Veloz in return.

Hernandez, 26, already played for the Mets from 2005-07. This year he's hitting .251/.310/.320. Veloz, 21, is hitting .232 without much power or plate discipline in high-A ball.

Which Teams Shed Salary At The Deadline?

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Yesterday we found that the Cardinals led the group of 12 teams that took on at least $1MM leading up to the trade deadline. They took on $6.6MM and were the only team to add as much as $5MM in payroll. So what about the sellers? Here's a look at the teams that traded away at least $1MM in 2009 salary this summer. Again, all totals are approximate:

Seven teams saved $1MM or more this deadline. The Indians, Pirates and A's saved considerably more than that this year and the Padres saved considerably more than that in the future. Surprisingly, the Nationals don't appear on this list. Their decision to trade Joe Beimel saved them $700k and they're paying Nick Johnson to play for the Marlins, so ironically, the team everyone thought would sell wasn't much of a seller.

Nats Will Look For Pitching & A Second Baseman

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The Nats will look for a veteran starter, relievers and a second baseman this offseason, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Here are the details on the team's plans:

  • Acting GM Mike Rizzo says he's looking for a "teacher and mentor type" pitcher to solidify the staff and help develop the club's young arms.
  • The Nats want to revamp their bullpen and Ladson expects them to pursue closers this offseason.  
  • Second base has been an issue, so Ladson suggests the team could pursue Orlando Hudson again when he becomes a free agent after the season.  
  • The Nats would also like to add speed to their lineup. 
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