Terrell Young Returned To Reds
According to Mark Zuckerman of the Washington Times, the Nationals have returned Rule 5 pick Terrell Young to the Reds' organization.
Heyman On Rockies, Wedge, Strasburg
The latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman…
- Heyman says Rockies manager Clint Hurdle "appears to be on the firing line" after the team's 12-18 start. GM Dan O'Dowd called the speculation "unfair at this time," talking to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. O'Dowd's job seems safe and he could direct a "July tradeoff." Heyman speculates on Garrett Atkins and Huston Street as candidates. Heyman doesn't mention them, but Brad Hawpe and Jason Marquis seem like other possibilities.
- Indians manager Eric Wedge, on the other hand, does not appear likely to be fired.
- Heyman says Stephen Strasburg is still expected to aim for $50MM after the Nationals select him first overall in June.
Nationals Release Gary Glover
Bill Ladson of MLB.com tells us that the Nationals have given right-hander Gary Glover his unconditional release following 10 appearances in which Glover totaled a 6.32 ERA with the Nationals Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse. Glover became replaceable once the Nationals inked Mike MacDougal to a minor league deal last week. MacDougal will join the major league club after a few weeks.
Ladson also cites acting general manager Mike Rizzo in saying that Jorge Sosa will soon be ready to join the Syracuse club on May 22, as his 50-game suspension wraps up. Sosa was suspended last year after testing positive for an amphetamine.
Nats GM Confirms Plans To Draft Strasburg
3:03pm: According to AOL Fanhouse's Ed Price, Rizzo was actually in attendance for Strasburg's no-no. The love fest has begun.
11:56am: Stephen Strasburg threw a no hitter last night, as MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports. The San Diego State righty struck out 17 along the way, walking two. This just cements what we already knew: Strasburg is the country's amateur player.
Chico Harlan of the Washington Post heard this from acting Nationals GM Mike Rizzo about Strasburg:
"If the draft was today, he'd be our guy. But the draft is a month from now, so a lot of things can happen. Guys can turn up their intensity and their performance, a lot of things can happen in a month. But if it was today, he'd be our guy."
The Nationals’ Bullpen
According to Chico Harlan of the Washington Post, "changes are coming" to the Nationals' bullpen if it doesn't improve. The Nats have since DFA'd Mike Hinckley and called up Ron Villone, but they could make more moves:
- The Nats could exchange bad contracts with another team. Trading Austin Kearns ($8MM) for Miguel Batista ($9MM) has been discussed.
- Harlan adds that the trade market for relievers isn't good because many teams have struggling bullpens.
- The Nats' will likely address the bullpen from within the organization. Jason Bergmann and Tyler Clippard are available in the minor leagues.
Draft Update: Strasburg, Scheppers, Paxton
ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill has an update on some top amateur players as June 9th draws closer:
- He confirms what we heard last week: Barring the unforseen, the Nats will select Stephen Strasburg with the first overall pick.
- Scouts expect Tanner Scheppers, who was drafted but never signed by the Pirates last year, to be selected within the first 15 picks. They're divided on whether the righty, who is pitching in an independent league, can crack the top ten.
- Scott Boras added a new client, Kentucky lefty James Paxton, according to one of Churcill's sources.
Nationals DFA Mike Hinckley
The Nationals have designated left-handed pitcher Mike Hinckley for assignment to make room for Ron Villone, according to the AP (via ESPN). Hinckley, 26, walked 11 batters in 9.2 innings this year, most recently against the Dodgers with the bases loaded last night.
Odds & Ends: Draft, Ibanez, Indians
Links for Thursday…
- Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post did a little research on pitchers drafted within the first ten picks. Meanwhile, Boswell's colleague Chico Harlan spotted Nationals' acting GM Mike Rizzo chatting with Scott Boras.
- The latest from Baseball America: Tanner Scheppers' stock is rising, Grant Green's is falling.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan writes about Raul Ibanez. In the article, it's revealed that Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. doesn't buy into defensive stats outside of fielding percentage.
- ESPN's Tim Kurkjian looks at the early returns on free agent signings.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer learned that Mark Shapiro is initiating the calls to other GMs.
- Will Sommer of Mets Fans Forever chatted with ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
Odds And Ends: Draft, Stark, Selig
Links for Wednesday night…
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer argues that the Nats shouldn't take Stephen Strasburg unless they're sure he'll help their team more than any other player, regardless of the hype surrounding the college righty.
- Neyer also weighs in on the possibility of Bill James appearing as a cartoon in the upcoming Moneyball movie.
- Speaking on ESPN radio, Jayson Stark says the Dodgers should win the NL West by 15 or 20 games.
- He says they're a starter and a bullpen arm away from becoming much stronger and adds that they have the pieces to deal for the pitching they need.
- Jenny Vrentas of the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that Bud Selig says teams are making the necessary adjustments to cope with the struggling economy. Selig was speaking with the commissioners for the NBA, the NFL and the NHL.
- MLB.com's Ken Gurnick writes that the Dodgers are thrilled to have added Orlando Hudson.
- MLB.com's Bill Chastain spoke with Carl Crawford about the 100-steal plateau and heard that the speedy left fielder doesn't expect his stolen base tally to reach triple digits. Crawford, who has 20 steals, will likely become a free agent after 2010. How much could he command as baseball's first 100-steal man since Vince Coleman in 1987?
Odds & Ends: O’s, A’s, Milledge, Manny
Your links for Tuesday…
- MASN's Buck Martinez believes the Orioles are headed in the right direction as an organization. "Sit back, relax and watch the organization grow," he writes.
- Vlae Kershner of the San Francisco Chronicle summarizes the current standing of the Athletics' bid for a new ballpark. Would a fancy facility in San Jose, the nation's 10th largest city, help boost the team's payroll?
- Lastings Milledge, who was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse on April 14, told the Washington Post's Chico Harlan that he hasn't kept in touch with the Nationals' front office, and hasn't been paying attention to the club's day-to-day progress. Sounds like a bad situation that might only get worse.
- According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, super agent Scott Boras told Playboy magazine in a recent interview that his client, Manny Ramirez, simply didn't like living in the city of Boston. That, Boras claims, is the reason Manny wanted out. "It wasn't like Cleveland," said Boras. And it's not like L.A., apparently.