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Archives for May 2010

Giants Negotiating With Pat Burrell

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According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Pat Burrell and the Giants are "in the 'talking stages' " about a minor-league contract for the veteran slugger.  Schulman notes that nothing is imminent between the two sides because Burrell "does have other options he is mulling."

San Francisco was rumored to be a possible destination for the veteran right-handed slugger.  Though Schulman reported last week that the Giants had "no serious interest" in Burrell, Schulman writes that the club's perspective has changed since Burrell is apparently now open to a minor-league deal.  Burrell is said to prefer a return to the National League, which isn't surprising given his struggles with the Rays but it will mean that his below-average glove can't be hidden in a DH role.

Provided that Burrell greatly improves on the .672 OPS he posted in Tampa Bay over the last two seasons, his right-handed bat could provide some nice balance for the Giants.  Of the Giants' current corner outfield options, Aubrey Huff, Nate Schierholtz and John Bowker are all left-handed hitters, and switch-hitting Andres Torres is experiencing a reversal in his career splits this season by hitting right-handers much better than he's hitting lefties.  Right-handed hitting Mark DeRosa is currently on the DL with a wrist injury and visited a specialist about his wrist today, though Schulman tweets that San Fran's interest in Burrell isn't related to any concerns about DeRosa's health.

Miles Staying With Cardinals

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Kary Booher of the Springfield News-Leader reports that veteran infielder Aaron Miles has agreed to remain with the Cardinals organization.  Miles signed a minor-league contract with St. Louis last month, and according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach, the deal contained an out clause that would've allowed Miles to become a free agent if he wasn't on the major league roster within 30 days of his signing.

That 30-day deadline passed yesterday, but Booher says the contract was extended after Miles spoke with St. Louis GM John Mozeliak.  Miles will continue to play for Double-A Springfield so he can receive regular playing time, and Mozeliak said that he and manager Tony La Russa will meet and discuss if a spot can be found for Miles on the Cardinals' roster. 

Miles has a slash line of .318/.400/.386 in 52 plate appearances for Springfield.  Though his bat is less a consideration than his defensive versatility, the scuffling St. Louis offense could use as many hot bats as they can get right now.  (Regular second baseman Skip Schumaker has just a .634 OPS this season.)

Minor League Transactions

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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.

Odds & Ends: Padres, Chipper, Pagan, Phillies

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Links for Thursday, as the Phillies attempt to get their offense going…

Stark On Oswalt, Braves, Carmona, Yankees

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Astros scouts haven't been told to watch specific teams or players, so Roy Oswalt doesn't need to start preparing for life after Houston just yet. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark has the details on Oswalt and more rumblings from around the major leagues:

  • Oswalt has told friends he'd love to play in St. Louis and it's believed that he would be interested in joining the Dodgers and Braves.
  • We've heard lots about the $29MM remaining on Oswalt's deal, but the Angels have some money, according to an official Stark spoke to. The Nationals may be "the one team that would pay the whole freight on the contract."
  • GM Andrew Friedman says he wasn't sure how Rafael Soriano's National League experience would translate to the American League East when the Rays dealt for him last offseason. Needless to say, the Rays have been pleased with Soriano's dominant start to the season.
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. tells Stark that other teams offered Jose Contreras "much more money" last winter.
  • Braves GM Frank Wren says he's pleased with Eric Hinske's play and notes that teams probably don't pay enough attention to their benches.
  • Wren says the Braves would not have interest in adding a starting pitcher. Besides their current rotation, they have the injured Jair Jurrjens and Triple A pitcher Chris Resop.
  • GM Jon Daniels says the Rangers saw "a guy with major league ability and pedigree" when they scouted Colby Lewis in Japan last year.
  • One scout says the Blue Jays are definitely tracking Fausto Carmona and have watched his last 12 starts.
  • The Red Sox have tried trading Mike Lowell unsuccessfully, but they aren't eager to eat the $8MM-plus remaining on his salary. 
  • Rival clubs say the Yankees haven't decided what their trade deadline needs are, though they're showing some interest in versatile outfield bats.

Daniels On Rodriguez, Cruz, Hamilton, Benoit

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Rangers GM Jon Daniels told fans that the Rangers will explore ways to add difference-makers this summer and are prepared to trade some prospects in the right situation. Daniels made some more hot stove-related comments while chatting at the Dallas Morning News today – here they are:

  • The Rangers didn't want to offer Ivan Rodriguez or any other available catcher a two-year deal last winter and they're content with their decision.
  • They're reportedly interested in catchers, but don't have a timetable for bringing Jarrod Saltalamacchia back.
  • The Rangers look for upside and makeup in players they draft, regardless of the player's level.
  • Daniels is in favor of trading draft picks since it would give teams flexibility.
  • Daniels wouldn't rule out signing Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton to extensions.
  • It was just time for [Joaquin Benoit] to move on."

Dodgers Designate Ramon Ortiz For Assignment

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The Dodgers designated Ramon Ortiz for assignment to had to make room for Justin Miller, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter). The 37-year-old Ortiz appeared in 16 games since the Dodgers signed him in March. He posted a 6.30 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.

Miller, 32, has yet to appear in the majors this year, but was pitching well at Triple A Albuquerque. He has posted a 2.22 ERA in 18 games with more strikeouts than innings pitched and a respectable rate of 3.0 BB/9.

Indians Rumors: Wood, Westbrook, Branyan

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The Indians don’t have to shed payroll and aren’t looking to make deals just yet, but as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains, they’ll have options if they do decide to sell. Kerry Wood, Jake Westbrook and Russell Branyan are among the players the Indians could entertain offers for.

The Indians are most interested in moving Wood and his $10.5MM salary, according to Rosenthal’s sources. That’s a substantial amount of money to pay a reliever recovering from an injury, but the Indians are willing to include cash to obtain better prospects. That strategy worked a couple years ago when they included cash along with Casey Blake and obtained catcher Carlos Santana, who is now ready for the major leagues.

The Indians are less interested in dealing Jake Westbrook, who they may want to re-sign as a free agent. Rosenthal says the Phillies could show interest in Westbrook or Wood, depending on their needs later in the summer.

Clubs are interested in Russell Branyan, but the Indians can’t trade the first baseman without his permission before June 15th, since they just signed him last winter.

Yankees Not Likely To Pursue Oswalt

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The Yankees are not likely to pursue Roy Oswalt, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). One Yankees official told Heyman "we like our starters," which isn't a surprise considering how they've pitched this year. 

Javier Vazquez has a high ERA and is walking twice as many batters as usual, but C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes have pitched well. The rotation has combined for a 3.70 ERA and helped the Yankees prevent more runs than any AL team except the Twins and Rays.

Ken Rosenthal reported yesterday that the Yankees would rather pursue Cliff Lee as a free agent than give up prospects for Oswalt. Since we're still two months away from the trade deadline, it's too early to predict what teams like the Yankees will need down the stretch. The Astros have told at least one club that they're not shopping Oswalt yet, so they don't figure to be too surprised or disappointed by the Yankees' lack of current interest.

Olney On Pitching, Benoit, Rangers, Managers

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We could very well see a buyer's market for pitching this summer, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Veterans like Ben Sheets, Jake Westbrook, Kevin Millwood and Cliff Lee could join Roy Oswalt on the trade market and give interested teams plenty of choice. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

  • There's not much of a chance that the Dodgers will have the money to pursue Oswalt during the season, though they did call to inquire about him. Lee would be more affordable, but the Mariners would have to make him available and the Dodgers would have to out-bid other suitors.
  • The Rays had a pair of scouts tracking the now-dominant Joaquin Benoit last winter, before they signed him. That signing has worked out for the Rays and for Benoit, who has yet to allow an earned run.
  • The Rangers are apparently looking for catching help. This comes as no surprise, since we've heard that they have some interest in A.J. Pierzynski and Rod Barajas.
  • Third base coaches Chip Hale (Mets) and Mike Quade (Cubs) may have futures as big league managers.

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