Odds And Ends: Sano, Gonzalez, Royals
Here's some more reading material for the afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney runs through his first half surprises, including Ben Zobrist and the Tigers. He also says Roy Halladay and the Phillies are a perfect fit.
- As Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, Miguel Angel Sano's future is still up in the air. The Orioles and Pirates and the favorites to sign the Dominican shortstop, but the Twins, Rangers and a couple other teams could still be interested.
- Adrian Gonzalez told WEEI.com's Alex Speier that winning matters most of all to him. Gonzalez is one of the players Speier looks at as potential fits in Boston, along with Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez.
- Here, Speier says Tim Wakefield has been one of the best bargains in baseball since 2002.
- Cameron Smith of the Washington Post says B.J. Ryan could be a nice addition for the Cubs.
- Dave Sheinin of the Post reports that Bud Selig said the Nats are "on the right track."
- Bradford Doolittle of the Kansas City Star says Royals GM Dayton Moore needs a better grasp of the game's statistical side.
Odds And Ends: Chapman, Nats, Buehrle
More links for the afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney believes the Phillies should let the Blue Jays take three A prospects, one B prospect and one C prospect for Roy Halladay.
- The Nationals point to the positives in this letter to their fans.
- Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman chose an agent, according to the AP (via ESPN).
- As Mike Viera of the Washington Post notes, Mike Rizzo's goals for the 2009 Nationals aren't based on win totals.
- Mark Buehrle told Derrick Goold that he'd like to wear a Cardinals jersey for one day.
- And there are some radio appearances to let you know about. I'll be on 1570 The Score at 4:05 CST, 830 KLAA in LA at 6:05 CST and FirstInning.com at 7:05 CST.
- And check out my thoughts on Roy Halladay over at NESN.com.
Odds And Ends: Nats, Bruce, Padres, Halladay
Congrats to All-Star Game starters Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum. What a matchup. Here are some more links to look through…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Nationals "will remain an embarrassment" unless they give Mike Rizzo and Stan Kasten more power.
- Jay Bruce will miss 6-8 weeks, according to Brian Kollars of the Dayton Daily News, but the young outfielder didn't suffer any ligament or tendon damage in his right wrist.
- One talent evaluator told Tom Krasovic that it will be five years before the Padres are good again, so Krasovic creates a blueprint for the team.
- Some of his suggestions: Make the most of every dollar, go after high upside pitching, find out how much Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell would bring in a trade.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports that Roy Halladay does not have a list of teams he would accept trades to. Last week Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal reported that Halladay had such a list, but it is not the case.
Odds And Ends: Acta, Cubs, Halladay
Some links to start the week off…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't believe the Mets would fire Jerry Manuel and call on Manny Acta.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law says Acta's firing reflects worse on the Nats than it does on Acta.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com says Acta will get another managerial job somewhere.
- Brandon Inge told Chris Iott of MLive.com that the Tigers haven't played their best, even though they're in first place.
- John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News says the Phillies have a much better chance at repeating as World Series champions if they acquire Roy Halladay.
- Sherman points out that the Mets would have to play .640 ball the rest of the way to win 90 games. Doesn't seem likely.
- Bloomberg.com reports that the Cubs could file for bankruptcy to complete the sale of the team.
- Check out the first part of an ongoing series at NESN.com in which I discuss hot rumors around the majors. Click the link for thoughts on Roy Halladay, the Red Sox and the Yankee rotation and check back tomorrow for more.
Jim Riggleman Will Manage The Nationals
Jim Riggleman will replace recently-fired Manny Acta as manager of the Nationals, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The news comes as no surprise, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first said Riggleman was the Nats' choice to replace Acta a month ago.
Nationals Fire Manny Acta
Nationals manager Manny Acta got the boot tonight, based on comments Acta made to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes:
"I thank the Nationals for giving me this opportunity and I'm sorry that things didn't work out as expected. It's normal for the manager to pay the price when the team is not doing well," Acta said.
The writing was on the wall in mid-June, when Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports learned of the team's plan to replace Acta with bench coach Jim Riggleman. That this information leaked a month early reflects poorly on the organization, as Acta was left twisting in the wind. Maybe Rosenthal's report caused the Nationals to delay the move as an attempt to save face. Talk about mixed messages – on June 26th team president Stan Kasten talked about hoping Acta could serve as the club's long-term manager (Chico Harlan and Mark Viera of the Washington Post reporting).
Let's hear it from the Nationals fans – was this the right move? The expectations are different for the manager of a rebuilding club. How did Acta perform in young player development?
Olney On Nats, Rockies, Halladay
ESPN.com's Buster Olney likes the looks of the Mariners, especially with a top three of Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn. Here are Olney's latest rumors:
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo says he doesn't have to dump payroll, which gives the team flexibility when considering deals for Nick Johnson, Austin Kearns and others. If they find a worthwhile deal, the Nationals could likely contribute money to make it work.
- As much as the Rockies would like to add a reliever, there are few desirable options out there now, so they may have to wait until closer to the deadline.
- No team has come forth with an aggressive offer for Roy Halladay so far.
- Olney hears that the Phillies would like to add two starters. Halladay and Pedro Martinez are the names they've been connected to recently.
Rizzo: “Not Trading Dunn”
Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post has a transcript of Nationals GM Mike Rizzo's chat with ESPN Radio's Kevin Sheehan today. At first, Rizzo says Dunn is "not on the trading block," but then implies the Nationals would think about it if they were overwhelmed. So Sheehan lays it on the line:
Sheehan: Do you understand that without a definitive statement on that it's a little bit surprising to some of the fans?
Rizzo: We are not trading Adam Dunn. That's as definitive as I can be.
Steinberg admits to being a fan of Dunn, saying "Dunn has the potential to capture casual D.C. sports fans in a way hardly anyone else on that roster does."
Rizzo may call his words "definitive," but anything can happen. Keep up with the latest rumblings on Dunn here.
Jesus Colome Becomes A Free Agent
Jesus Colome, who was just designated for assignment by the Nationals, has chosen to become a free agent, according to Pete McElroy of MASN.com. The 31-year-old allowed nearly two baserunners per inning with the Nats for an ERA of 8.40 with 12 strikeouts.
Yesteday Colome's former teammate Kip Wells also chose free agency after being designated for assignment by the Nats.
Kip Wells: Free Agent
According to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, right-hander Kip Wells has cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent.
Wells was designated for assignment on June 24 after posting a 6.49 ERA and an 18/18 K/BB ratio in 26 1/3 innings out of the Nationals' bullpen. The 32-year-old will hope for a minor league contract with another club. He has a 4.71 career ERA, a 1.52 career WHIP, and one of the meanest-looking player profile pictures we've ever come across.