Cristian Guzman Clears Waivers
3:01pm: MLB.com's Bill Ladson hears that the Nationals have no intention of trading Guzman to the Red Sox or any other team. In fact, Nick Cafardo's Boston Globe report upset the Nats and confused Guzman because it said the Red Sox claimed the shortstop on waivers.
1:08pm: Cristian Guzman cleared waivers and can now be traded to any club, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The 31-year-old shortstop is hitting .317/.337/.437 , but the $8MM salary he makes this year and next seems to have prevented teams from claiming Guzman.
What To Expect Before The Signing Deadline
ESPN.com's Keith Law reminds us that the Reds seemed unlikely to sign Yonder Alonso until hours before the deadline to sign draft picks last summer. It shouldn't be any different this year; here are the details:
- We'll hear that teams aren't close to signing their picks, but that doesn't mean the two sides won't agree to last-minute deals.
- Don't expect Stephen Strasburg, Dustin Ackley or Donavan Tate (all Scott Boras clients) to sign much before next Monday at midnight.
- Law expects Strasburg to sign for about $18-20MM.
- The commissioner's office will try to limit the number of over-slot signings, but teams can offer whatever they like, so MLB's efforts to hold teams to recommended bonuses may be quixotic in the end.
Odds And Ends: Nats, Royals, Rios, Rays
More links to take a look at…
- The Nationals agreed to terms with five Dominican players, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Bradford Doolittle of the Kansas City Star says Royals fans should hope the Nats don't sign Stephen Strasburg. If Washington can't strike a deal with Strasburg, he could become an option for the Royals in next year's draft.
- One executive believes the Jays should trade Alex Rios for a bag of balls, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.
- Not a rumor, but I can't resist. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that it's Shaq week in St. Louis as Albert Pujols prepares to take on Shaquille O'Neal for the big man's reality show.
- At SI.com, Jonah Keri says the Rays will be contenders going forward, even if they decide to trade multi-talented outfielder Carl Crawford this offseason.
How Much Should The Nats Offer Strasburg?
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).
Olney On Guzman, Hardy, Rays, Rios
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
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
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
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
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.
Mets Acquire Anderson Hernandez
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.