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Archives for May 2013

AL East Notes: Orioles, Red Sox, Ellsbury

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Earlier today, we learned that the Red Sox and Jacoby Ellsbury have yet to discuss a new deal this season.  The outfielder can land a monster deal this winter if he recaptures his 2011 form, but so far he's hitting just .242/.307/.335 in 2013.  Here's more on Ellsbury and the latest out of the American League East..

  • Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com tweets that Orioles General Manager Dan Duquette weighed considerations beyond service time when promoting top prospect Kevin Gausman.  "It shows a commitment to the club," said Duquette. "I think it tells the team we want to win." While the team will still control Gausman through 2019, the right-hander can now potentially gain Super Two status and enter arbitration a year earlier than if the club had waited until mid-June.
  • In an interview with WEEI's Mut & Merloni, ESPN's Buster Olney described the circumstances of a possible Jacoby Ellsbury trade this summer, writes Kevin Dillon of WEEI.com.  Olney points out that even if Ellsbury falls out of favor with the Red Sox, they would still have to find a contender in need of a center fielder to swing a deal.
  • Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona stopped by WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show and discussed the fallout from his book released earlier this year, Dillon writes.  The current Indians skipper says that he hasn't gotten the chance to talk with Red Sox owners since releasing the book in which he claimed that they cared more about making money than baseball.

Max Fogle contributed to this post.

Antonetti on Bourn, Bauer, Pitching

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Earlier today, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com spoke with Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti.  Here's a look at some highlights…

  • Antonetti explained that the Indians' future revenue from upcoming television deals allowed the club to go after free agent Michael Bourn last winter.  While the club was in on the outfielder as early as January, it only became a reality after market forces brought down his asking price. 
  • "You can never have enough pitching but we feel good about a lot of the guys we have," said Antonetti when asked about the prospect of bolstering the starting five.  While some on the outside have suggested the Indians may look to improve the rotation, they seem comfortable with what they have.  
  • Antonetti feels he'll have the support of ownership if the Tribe is in the thick of things in July and the club needs to make a trade.  The GM is confident in the depth of his farm system and is ready to make a deal if the right opportunity presents itself.
  • The club's pursuit of Terry Francona was more-or-less standard procedure as Antonetti described it.  Francona had "not only an interest, but an enthusiastic interest" in the position, and both sides were quickly able to hammer out a deal.  
  • The organization thinks Trevor Bauer is very close to being a regular contributor in the Indians' rotation.  By the second half of the season, the GM hopes that he will be ready to be called up and stay on the big league roster for good.  The 22-year-old, of course, came to Cleveland in the three-team Shin-Soo Choo deal in December.

Draft Notes: Astros, Appel, Gray, Cubs, Harvey

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MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo was asked on Twitter where high school outfielder Clint Frazier, whom many expect to go in the Top 10 of the MLB Draft, ranks in comparison to high school talents from previous drafts. Mayo notes that it's hard to ignore hindsight and view players in the same light as he did when they were amateurs, but he ranked Frazier as the eighth-best talent among 36 high school hitters selected in the first round dating back to 2009. Here's more on the draft…

  • The Astros have six players on their draft board but Frazier looks to be edging out Austin Meadows, leaving them with Frazier, Mark Appel, Jonathan Gray, Kris Bryant and Colin Moran, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Bryant and Frazier are seen as dark horses if the team decides Appel and Gray aren't worth the money they're asking. Should Scott Boras and Appel highball the Astros, money will become an issue. Smith notes that it's very close between Appel and Gray, adding that Gray has ties to the Astros and is open to negotiating (All links to Smith's Twitter account).
  • Cubs president Theo Epstein, GM Jed Hoyer, top scouting/player development executive Jason McLeod and amateur scouting director Jaron Madison are currently in Oklahoma City to meet with Gray, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Cubs are still expected to take either Gray or Appel at No. 2 overall.
  • Bill Kiser of MLB.com profiles prep right-hander Hunter Harvey, whose stock has risen enough that he's considered a likely first-rounder. Harvey is the son of former MLB closer Bryan Harvey, who saved an AL-best 46 saves in 1991 and made two All-Star teams. The younger Harvey has a 0.38 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 54 2/3 high school innings this season. Harvey, whose fastball sits in the mid-90s and has touched 97, also features a solid curveball. Mayo had him going 25th to the Giants in his mock draft, while John Sickels of Minorleagueball.com has him going 30th to the Rangers and ESPN's Keith Law (Insider req'd) has him at No. 24 to the Athletics.

Minor Moves: Dustin Martin, Josh Horton

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Here's your rundown of today's minor moves…

  • Sugar Land Skeeters outfielder Dustin Martin has signed a minor league contract with the Diamondbacks according to a press release from the Skeeters (via MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez on Twitter). Martin, 29, has spent time in the Mets and Twins organizations. He was part of the return the Twins received when they traded Luis Castillo to the Mets in 2007. The lefty swinger is a career .259/.328/.397 hitter in 420 games at the Triple-A level. 
  • The Orioles have acquired minor league infielder Josh Horton from the Athletics in exchange for cash or a player to be named later, assistant GM David Forst told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). The 27-year-old Horton is hitting .224/.246/.373 this season at Triple-A. He has experience at second base, shortstop and third base. Horton was a second-round pick by the A's in 2007 and ranked as their No. 26 prospect prior to the 2008 season, according to Baseball America. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports tweets that Horton will be assigned to Double-A Bowie.

West Links: Dodgers, Ethier, Norberto, Mariners

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Dodgers manager Don Mattingly offered up some brutally honest and scathing remarks for his players and the team's upper management prior to Wednesday's game, and Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times has a recap. Mattingly benched $85MM right fielder Andre Ethier in favor of rookie Scott Van Slyke, commenting that to use his “most competitive lineup” and one that would “fight the hardest.” Mattingly wouldn't confirm whether or not he still viewed Ethier as an everyday player. He also noted that the front office tried to buy an All-Star team, stating: “All grit and no talent isn’t going to make you successful. But all talent and no grit is not going to get you there, either.” Here's more out of baseball's Western divisions…

  • One rival general manager told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that it seems like Mattingly is trying to get himself fired.
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs writes that Ethier is now "eminently available" and suggests some speculative trades. Cameron proposes a swap of Ethier and Jeff Francoeur, with the Dodgers picking up the tab (Twitter link) on Ethier's final two seasons. Doing so would save the Dodgers up to $40MM, allow them to call up Yasiel Puig and give Kansas City an upgrade over Francoeur. He also suggests a swap with Franklin Gutierrez of the Mariners or dumping Ethier on the Rangers.
  • Jordan Norberto's preference is still to re-sign with the Athletics after being released earlier in the month, according to John Shea and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Norberto was cut loose due to an elbow strain, and he's throwing again as he rehabs from the injury. The Cubs, Royals and Rays are all interested in Norberto, but he told Shea and Slusser: "I've never felt anything for a team before like I do about the A's – the teammates, the pitching coach, the manager, the fans."
  • The Mariners need better than what Aaron Harang is giving them every five days, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, who suggests that it's time to designate Harang for assignment and give Jeremy Bonderman a try. Bonderman has a 3.79 ERA in nine Triple-A starts.
  • The Mariners are better than their record indicates, writes Rosenthal, but a number of their key offensive pieces are free agents. Rosenthal feels that the Mariners and GM Jack Zduriencik are at a crossroads, but an improved record could make Seattle a desirable destination for Northwest natives Jacoby Ellsbury and Tim Lincecum.

Derek Lowe Clears Waivers

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WEDNESDAY: Lowe has cleared waivers and now must decide whether to accept an assignment to Triple-A or become a free agent, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

MONDAY: The Rangers designated righty Derek Lowe to open a spot on the active roster for Josh Lindblom, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  The Rangers now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.

Lowe, 39, posted a 9.00 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 2.08 HR/9, and 55.8% groundball rate in 13 relief innings this year.  He had signed a minor league deal in March and made the team out of Spring Training, receiving a $1.25MM salary.  That salary should prevent a waiver claim, and result in Lowe becoming a free agent via release.  At that point, a team could sign him for the league minimum $490K with the Rangers picking up the rest of the tab.

Lowe has pitched over 2,600 innings in his big league career with the Mariners, Red Sox, Dodgers, Braves, Indians, Yankees, and Rangers, and has had success as both a reliever and a starter.  His 176 wins rank him 11th all-time among those born in Michigan, and his 86 saves rank tenth.

NL Central Links: Garcia, Carpenter, Garza

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Jaime Garcia will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Friday, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman goes on to write that Dr. James Andrews was amazed that Garcia was able to pitch anywhere near as well as he did, as the left-hander has a "30-40 percent tear" of the labrum in his left shoulder. Garcia is in the second year of a four-year, $27.5MM contract that he signed in June 2011. His deal contains a pair of club options as well. Here's more on the Cardinals and the NL Central…

  • While Garcia is done for the year, the Cardinals are hopeful that Chris Carpenter can return in July, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports. Carpenter, who looked all but certain to retire just two months ago, is up to 80 pitches in his intense bullpen sessions. He's yet to face hitters, writes Miller, but there's an outside chance that he could be in the rotation prior to the All-Star break.
  • "Let the debate begin," writes ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers, referring to the split opinion among fans on whether or not the Cubs should sign or trade Matt Garza. It's not immediately clear whether or not the Cubs will try to retain Garza, Rogers adds.
  • One NL scout who was watching Garza's start against the Pirates last night texted Danny Knobler of CBS Sports and said, "I'd take him NOW." Knobler notes that the scout was half-kidding, as Garza hasn't proven his durability yet, but the right-hander carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning against the Buccos last night.

Red Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury Haven’t Talked Extension

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The Red Sox and Scott Boras haven't discussed an extension for Jacoby Ellsbury so far this season, sources tell Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  The outfielder will be eligible to hit the open market after the 2013 campaign.

Ellsbury is earning $9MM in his walk year after going through his final arbitration-eligible offseason.  The outfielder is off to a slow start through 45 games this season, and some have openly wondered if the distraction of his impending free agency is partly responsible for his .242/.307/.335 slash line.

The 29-year-old, who ranks third on Tim Dierkes' free agent power rankings, will have to pick things up if he hopes to cash in this winter.  Ellsbury is hoping for a repeat of his amazing 2011 season where he hit .321/.376/.552 with 32 homers and 39 steals with a career high 732 plate appearances. ESPN's Buster Olney recently wrote that it would "be a crusher" to Ellsbury if he continues at his current trajectory, noting that he could have pushed for a $100MM contract with a return to those 2011 numbers.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Yankees Notes: Kuroda, Bullpen, Adams

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The Yankees have turned reclamation projects such as Travis Hafner, Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells into a 1.5 game lead over the Red Sox for first place in the American League East. They'll face the rival Orioles today as Hiroki Kuroda heads to the mound. Here's more on Kuroda and the Bronx Bombers for your Wednesday morning reading…

  • Kuroda has quietly become one of the best free agent signings in Yankees history, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. Kuroda wasn't even the top Yankees headline on the day he signed, Costa notes, as that contract came on the same day as the Michael Pineda/Jesus Montero trade. However, Kuroda's dominance on one-year deals with no long-term risk makes him an incredible value.
  • The success of the non-Mariano Rivera members of the Yankees' bullpen will help Hal Steinbrenner come close to achieving his goal of getting under the $189MM luxury tax threshhold in 2014, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. David Robertson should have the first crack as Rivera's successor, but beyond his salary, the Yankees will have little in the way of payroll commitment in the bullpen. Rivera, Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan all figure to be off the books, and the Yankees have solid in-house alternatives.
  • David Adams is a rarity among the current crop of Yankees, writes Scott Cacciola of the New York Times, as he was drafted and developed by the organization rather than acquired via free agency or trade. Cacciola spoke with Adams and manager Joe Girardi about the 26-year-old's recent promotion.

Poll: The Next 2012 First-Rounder To Be Called Up

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The Orioles made headlines last night by announcing the promotion of Kevin Gausman to the Majors. Gausman, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2012 draft, reached Double-A as a 22-year-old and posted a 3.11 ERA with a 49-to-5 K/BB ratio in 46 1/3 innings there. With that promotion, Gausman becomes the first member of last year's first round to make it to the Majors. Among 2012 first-rounders, only four other players have even reached the Double-A level to this point.

Mike Zunino, selected by the Mariners at No. 3 overall, has reached Triple-A, but the catcher is hitting just .220/.290/.496 through 33 games in Tacoma. Given the Mariners' need for offense, however, he could be a hot streak away. Promoting him would allow the Mariners to use Jesus Montero at DH, but that only adds to a roster crunch of corner OF/1B/DH types in Seattle.

Right-hander Michael Wacha, the No. 19 overall selection by the Cardinals, has also reached Triple-A. He's posted a 2.05 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 through 52 2/3 innings for the Memphis Redbirds to open the season, and the Cardinals have some injury problems in their rotation with Jaime Garcia and Jake Westbrook on the shelf. For now, they've gone with John Gast and Tyler Lyons over Wacha.

Marcus Stroman's 50-game suspension for a positive stimulant has finished, and the Blue Jays right-hander made a strong debut at Double-A with five scoreless innings in a start. Many pegged the Duke product to be the quickest first rounder to reach the Majors last year, and Baseball America's Ben Badler wrote Sunday that it "shouldn't take him long" before he's big league ready.

James Ramsey, the Cardinals' other selection (No. 23), is the only other player from the first round to reach Double-A or higher thus far. As an outfielder, he has an uphill battle to reach the Major Leagues given the presence of Matt Holliday, Jon Jay, Carlos Beltran and top prospect Oscar Taveras within the Cardinals organization. He's a huge long shot, but he's advanced further than most college players from the first round already.

Let's open this up to a poll…

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