The latest outright assignments from around MLB…
The non-waiver trade deadline passed, but MLB teams will continue making deals this month. What kind of trades can we expect in August? Relievers and role players are often involved in August trades, while star-caliber players are likely to stay put. High-salaried players such as Alfonso Soriano could also be dealt in the next four weeks. MLBTR's Transaction Tracker offers a look back at which trades took place last August:
Jeff Francoeur, Brian Fuentes, Zach McAllister, Pedro Feliz, Derrek Lee, Mike Fontenot, Jim Edmonds and Mike Sweeney were all traded in August of 2010. The previous year saw Thome, Jon Garland, Jose Contreras, Ron Mahay, Scott Kazmir, Jon Rauch, Billy Wagner, Bill Hall, Ivan Rodriguez, Aubrey Huff, Alex Gonzalez and Carl Pavano get traded in August.
Note: I've excluded from this list players such as Manny Ramirez, Cody Ross and Alex Rios who were acquired in straight waiver claims.
Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said he hasn’t spoken to Zack Greinke’s agent about a possible extension and doesn’t plan to initiate talks in the near future, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports. Dipoto, who traded three of his organization’s top prospects to acquire Greinke last week, said there’s no need to rush contract talks.
"It's something we'd like to explore at some point," Dipoto said, "but we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Dipoto said he wants the Angels and Greinke to become acquainted with one another before beginning talks. Casey Close of Excel Sports Management represents Greinke, who’s on track to hit free agency after the 2012 season. Greinke appears to have turned down an extension offer exceeding $100MM before the Brewers traded him to Anaheim. The Angels will do everything they can to sign the right-hander long-term, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian reported three days ago.
Building a rotation through free agency can be expensive and frustrating, so teams are understandably open to alternatives. One way for teams to avoid free agent salaries and long-term commitments is to move relief pitchers to the starting rotation. Yet few relievers have the repertoire and durability to succeed in the rotation, so it's not uncommon for converted relievers to flop as starters.
Here’s a mid-season update on four pitchers who jumped from the ‘pen to the rotation this year. None of the pitchers below had started more than three MLB games in a season before 2012 and all of them were big league relievers last year:
Note: Though Lance Lynn, Anthony Bass and Felix Doubront pitched in relief last year, they also started in the minors for much of the 2011 season, so I don’t consider them converted relievers. Advanced stats via FanGraphs.
The Cubs made many trades before this week's non-waiver deadline, but Alfonso Soriano stayed put. Soriano wasn't dealt Tuesday despite some interest from rival teams. However, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer acknowledged on ESPN 1000 yesterday that "there is a chance” Soriano will be traded in August.
Two things would have to happen for the 36-year-old to be moved. He’d have to be placed on waivers and he’d have to approve the trade. Soriano is now hitting .273/.322/.499 with 19 home runs and 22 doubles, so he’d represent an offensive upgrade for many teams. Yet he earns $18MM per season through 2014, so there’s an excellent chance he’ll clear waivers this month. He also has a no-trade clause, which limits the Cubs' options. If Soriano does clear waivers, the Cubs can trade him to any team with his permission. In the unlikely event that he gets claimed, they can let him go for nothing but salary relief or work out a trade with the claiming team — as long as Soriano consents. How do you think it'll play out?
The trade deadline is officially behind us, but expect to see a number of waiver trades this month as teams begin to fall out of contention. Here's the latest from around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday…
The Indians have designated Derek Lowe for assignment, reports MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (on Twitter). The move clears room on the roster for Corey Kluber.
Lowe, 39, pitched to a 5.52 ERA in 21 starts for Cleveland this season, including an 8.80 ERA in his last dozen starts. He walked (45) more batters than he struck out (41) in 119 innings, though he was still generating plenty of ground balls (60.0%) with that sinker.
The Indians acquired Lowe from the Braves this past offseason and only had to pay $5MM of his $15MM salary. They're still on the hook for that money less the pro-rated portion of the league minimum should he sign elsewhere. Lowe has expressed interest in returning to the Red Sox, and it's likely a pitching-starved team will give him a chance given his reputation as an innings eater.
The latest minor moves from around MLB…
AUGUST 1: ESPN's Buster Olney has the salary breakdown (Twitter link). Hamels received a $6MM signing bonus and will earn $19.5MM in 2013. His annual salary from 2014-2018 will be $22.5MM. The option for 2019 can vest at $24MM, or the club can exercise it at $20MM with a $6MM buyout. All told, the contract could be worth up to $158MM across seven years.
JULY 25: The Phillies announced that they have signed Cole Hamels to a six-year contract extension worth at least $144MM. The contract, which includes limited no-trade protection for Hamels, includes an option for a seventh year.
Hamels' extension will be the second-largest contract ever for a pitcher, trailing only C.C. Sabathia's seven-year, $161MM agreement with the Yankees. Hamels obtains the largest extension for any pitcher in history, surpassing Johan Santana's $137.5MM deal with the Mets. Hamels obtains the same average $24MM annual value as teammate Cliff Lee, who signed a five-year, $120MM contract with Philadelphia two offseason ago.
The 2019 option is either a club option at $20MM or a vesting option at $24MM, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. The option vests if three conditions are met: Hamels is not on the disabled list with a left shoulder or elbow injury at the end of the 2018 season, and he pitches 200 innings in 2018, and he pitches 400 innings in 2017-2018 combined. If the club exercises its option, Hamels will earn $158MM over seven years. If the option vests, he'll earn $162MM over seven years ($1MM more than Sabathia).
Hamels, 28, has a 3.23 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 133 2/3 innings for the Phillies this year. He averaged 31 starts and 206 innings per season from 2007-11, his five first seasons in Philadelphia's rotation. Agent John Boggs represents Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP. The contract covers his age 29-34 seasons.
If Hamels had reached free agency, the California native would have drawn interest from many teams, including, perhaps, the Dodgers. Instead, teams looking to sign starting pitchers this coming offseason will set their sights on the likes of Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez and Edwin Jackson.
The Phillies now have three starters earning $20MM per season: Hamels, Lee and Roy Halladay. As ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports, there had never been a team with two $20MM per season starters until the 2012 Phillies took the field (Twitter link).
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the sides were nearing an extension, ESPN.com's Buster Olney first reported the agreement, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the terms of the deal and Tim Dierkes of MLBTR first reported the details of the 2019 option. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
The Mets and Marlins discussed a change-of-scenery trade that would have sent Jason Bay to Miami for Heath Bell and John Buck, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. A deal was never close, though the contracts and the money matched up well. Bell is signed through 2014, Bay and Buck through 2013. Rosenthal notes that all three players are likely to clear waivers this month, so the two sides could revisit the deal. Here are the rest of his rumors…
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