Quick Hits: Angels, Yost, Cardinals, Cubs
The city of Anaheim and the Angels have begun discussions about renovating Angel Stadium and keeping the Angels in Anaheim, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times reports. There were, of course, tensions between the two sides when, years ago, Angels owner Arte Moreno changed the name of the team to include Los Angeles, but Anaheim mayor Tom Tait sounds ready to let bygones be bygones. "It makes sense to move along, to put the past in the past and work for the future," he says. The Angels can leave Anaheim after 2016, Shaikin notes, but it sounds like both sides are committed to keeping the Angels where they are. Here are more notes from around the majors.
- The Angels have done well recently, but the former teams of big-name Angels free agent signings Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols have been even better, CBS.com's Scott Miller notes. The Angels signed Hamilton and C.J. Wilson from the Rangers, but Texas now has the second-best record in the Majors, in part because it used the money it saved on Wilson to get Yu Darvish. The Cardinals, from whom the Angels signed Pujols, currently have the best record in the big leagues.
- Royals manager Ned Yost is trying to "stay positive and stay supportive," Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star reports. The Royals' recent struggles — they're now 21-26 and have lost five in a row — have led to questions about Yost's job security. Still, Mellinger writes that Yost will keep his job as long as the clubhouse remains upbeat.
- Yost spoke with Royals owner David Glass on Sunday, Dick Kaegel of MLB.com writes, noting that it's not particularly unusual for Yost and Glass to meet. "Mr. Glass has frustrations like all of us. He wants to win as much or more than any of us," says Yost. "I'm glad he came down."
- When the newly-promoted Michael Blazek makes his big-league debut, he'll become the 9th 25-or-younger pitcher for the Cardinals this year, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com notes. That 25-or-younger crowd includes top prospects Shelby Miller and Carlos Martinez, along with flamethrowing reliever Trevor Rosenthal.
- A number of Cubs players could be headed to other team in July, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Wittenmyer's list of potential departures includes Scott Feldman, Kevin Gregg, David DeJesus, Matt Garza and Carlos Marmol. Feldman, DeJesus, Garza and Marmol all figured in Tim Dierkes' recent poll about which high-profile players will be traded this summer, and so did another Cub, Alfonso Soriano. Wittenmyer notes that Garza could also receive an extension or a qualifying offer if the Cubs don't like what they're offered on the trade market.
MLBTR Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR this past week:
- Tim Dierkes asked MLBTR readers which high-profile player will be dealt this summer. You expect Jed Hoyer to be very busy come the Trade Deadline as all five Cubs mentioned in the survey received at least 20% of the vote paced by top vote-getter Matt Garza (39.7%) and runner-up Alfonso Soriano (35%).
- Tim examined the trade market for left-handed relievers.
- Steve Adams continued the Transaction Retrospection series by revisiting the Edwin Jackson–Daniel Hudson trade.
- Tim named the Top 100 prospects who could become trade bait.
- Steve listed the best Spring Training acquisitions of 2013.
- Tim issued an injury report on the 2014 free agent starters.
- In the wake of Kevin Gausman's promotion, Steve asked MLBTR readers who will be the next 2012 first round draft choice to make his MLB debut. You expect either Michael Wacha of the Cardinals (40%) or Mike Zunino of the Mariners (30%) to reach the Majors next.
- Tim asked MLBTR readers to pick a winner in the Jesus Montero–Michael Pineda trade from two offseasons ago. More than 67% of you sided with the Yankees.
- MLBTR was the first to report Mark Teahen became a free agent when he asked for and was granted his release from the Diamondbacks.
- Tim hosted the MLBTR live chat this week.
- MLBTR contributor Marc Hulet presented another Prospect Rumor Roundup.
- Zach Links put together the best of the baseball blogosphere in Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
Draft Notes: Gray, Astros, Pirates, Crawford
"Buzz is growing" that the Astros will take Oklahoma's Jonathan Gray (rather than, among others, Stanford pitcher Mark Appel) with the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes. Gray was recently named the Most Outstanding Player in the Big 12 tournament, says Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Here are more notes on the draft.
- Potential choices for the Pirates with the 9th and 14th picks in the draft include high school pitchers Kohl Stewart and Trey Ball, and college hitter D.J. Peterson, write Jason A. Churchill and Chris Crawford of ESPN.com (Insider-only). Many mock drafts have Stewart coming off the board before the Pirates pick at No. 9, but a high-upside arm like Stewart's would surely be tempting if it fell that far. Churchill and Crawford list their potential fits for other NL Central teams as well, so be sure to check that out.
- The top of this year's draft is thinner at the middle infield positions than in years past, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo writes. "It's about as weak as it's been in recent memory," says a scouting director. "It seems like we might not have one go off in the top 15 picks, which would be unusual. I think that speaks to the weakness of the class." California high school shortstop J.P. Crawford, Carl Crawford's nephew, is likely to be the middle infielder drafted first.
- The Wall Street Journal's Tim Marchman, meanwhile, asks whether Major League Baseball even ought to have a draft. Marchman suggests that the draft is "inefficient," (by which he means that the top talents are more difficult to identify than they are in, say, the NBA) and also "unjust" (by which he means that players can't just sign where they want). Marchman proposes simply scrapping the draft and making amateur player acquisition an open market, suggesting that would be the best way to "spread the talent around." It's hard to see how such a system would distribute talent evenly, however — lower-payroll teams and teams in northern markets (most draft-eligible players come from the South and Southwest) would likely struggle to attract notable players.
Week In Review: 5/19/13 – 5/25/13
Here's a look back at the week that was here at MLBTR.
- The Yankees claimed pitcher David Huff off waivers from the Indians, and designated Francisco Rondon for assignment.
- The Rangers claimed outfielder Joe Benson off waivers from the Twins. They also placed pitcher Derek Lowe on release waivers.
- The Cubs claimed reliever Eduardo Sanchez from the Cardinals.
- The Yankees designated outfielder Ben Francisco for assignment.
- The Angels designated pitcher Billy Buckner for assignment.
- The Orioles designated reliever Alex Burnett for assignment.
- The Nationals designated pitcher Yunesky Maya for assignment.
- The Mariners designated infielder Robert Andino for assignment.
- The Cubs designated reliever Michael Bowden for assignment.
- The White Sox offered Rule 5 pick Angel Sanchez back to the Angels, but the Angels declined the offer, and the White Sox outrighted Sanchez to Triple-A Charlotte.
- Athletics reliever Chris Resop and first baseman Daric Barton cleared waivers, and the A's outrighted them to Triple-A Sacramento.
- The Angels outrighted outfielder Scott Cousins to Triple-A Salt Lake.
- The Yankees outrighted infielder Alberto Gonzalez to Triple-A Scranton.
- The Mets signed reliever David Aardsma to a minor-league deal.
- The Red Sox signed reliever Rafael Perez to a minor-league deal.
- The Rangers signed utilityman Mark Teahen to a minor-league deal after the Diamondbacks granted him his release.
- The Diamondbacks signed outfielder Dustin Martin to a minor-league deal.
- The Orioles signed catcher Ronny Paulino to a minor-league deal.
- The Blue Jays released pitcher Miguel Batista.
- The Orioles acquired minor-league infielder Josh Horton from the Athletics for cash or a PTBNL.
- The Rockies acquired minor-league infielder Drew Garcia from the White Sox for a PTBNL.
- Pitcher Scott Proctor retired.
- Pitcher Blaine Boyer signed with Japan's Hanshin Tigers.
- Infielder Wilson Valdez signed with the independent Camden Riversharks.
- Reliever Royce Ring signed with the Long Island Ducks.
- Orioles minor-leaguer Dan Klein retired. Also, the Orioles released minor-league pitcher Zach Braddock.
NL Notes: Ethier, Mattingly, Wacha, Pagan
Memorial Day weekend is the time when fans begin to zero in on what's happening in baseball, so Joel Sherman of the New York Post provides his analysis of the 2013 season. Sherman sees Cliff Lee, Matt Garza, Jose Bautista, Alex Rios, and Justin Morneau as the top five trade possibilities. Shin-Soo Choo was Sherman's choice as the best acquisition of 2013 with the combination of Justin Upton and Chris Johnson, Vernon Wells, Nick Swisher, and Mark Melancon rounding out the top five. Sherman also identifies the season's top storylines, prospects, and injuries to date. Let's focus on the news and notes coming from the National League:
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes the Mets make the most sense of the possible trade suitors for Andre Ethier (subscription required). According to Olney, the Dodgers will only deal Ethier if they decide he can no longer be an effective player for them and are willing to absorb a large portion of the approximately $80MM due the outfielder over the next five years.
- Don Mattingly has all the hallmarks of a manager in quicksand and is conjuring up images of Clint Hurdle during his final days as manager of the Rockies, opines Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Hurdle vowed to exercise more authority by creating new rules and benched Troy Tulowitzki for violating one of those rules. Hurdle was fired one week later. Mattingly benched Matt Kemp for today's game calling it a "baseball decision" and not a disciplinary reaction to Kemp expressing his displeasure at being removed in a double-switch the night before, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
- The Cardinals are looking to replace yet another starter and top pitching prospect Michael Wacha could get the call, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Wacha is scheduled to start for Triple-A Memphis tomorrow afternoon, the same day GM John Mozeliak will meet with manager Mike Matheny and the coaching staff to determine who will fill the vacancy in the rotation. Nearly 40% of MLBTR's readers, when asked by Steve Adams this past Wednesday, predicted Wacha will be the next 2012 first-rounder to reach the Majors.
- Angel Pagan gave the Giants a dramatic victory last night with a walk-off inside-the-park home run. Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets the Mets made two mistakes in their December 2011 trade of Pagan to the Giants for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez: an inclination to non-tender a valuable player and, rather than non-tender, using that money on Torres and Ramirez.
Cubs Notes: Garza, Sveum, Draft, Guillen
Matt Garza made his second start since being activated from the disabled list, but it didn't go as well as his five shutout innings in his season debut last Tuesday versus the Pirates. Garza, number eight on MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, needed 92 pitches (52 for strikes) to cover four innings against the Reds. The right-hander struck out seven but allowed four runs on four hits with four walks (one intentional), one HBP, and a wild pitch. Garza received a no-decision as the Cubs rallied for a 5-4 victory in 10 innings snapping their six-game losing streak. In other North Side news:
- The present for the Cubs has fallen into the abyss and the future is flush with questions, opines Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Sullivan points to no hints ownership will increase payroll and a farm system which remains bereft of pitching talent at the upper levels and that would-be stars such as outfielder Brett Jackson and third baseman Josh Vitters have yet to pan out.
- Within the same piece, Sullivan writes there's no chance manager Dale Sveum will be fired, as team President Theo Epstein believes the coaching staff has done a "fine" job.
- The Cubs will have the second overall selection in the June 6 amateur draft, but Epstein warns not to pin the hopes of the franchise on that player. "There are some promising players on the way, but we have a lot of work to do," Epstein told Sullivan. "The No. 2 pick is a great opportunity, but one player by himself cannot make a system."
- The Cubs are eyeing pitchers Jonathan Gray of Oklahoma and Mark Appel of Stanford and third basemen Kris Bryant of San Diego and Colin Moran of North Carolina with that pick, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Manager Dale Sveum has been watching video of the quartet and provides Muskat with a brief scouting report on each.
- With the Crosstown Classic against the White Sox beginning tomorrow, former South Side manager Ozzie Guillen said recently he would be willing to be a coach for the Cubs. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times tweeted Sveum's response, "I don't have no openings on my staff."
Minor Moves: Drew Garcia
Here are today's minor moves:
- The Rockies have acquired minor league infielder Drew Garcia from the White Sox for a player to be named later, reports the Associated Press (via the Denver Post). Garcia, a 21st round selection by the White Sox in 2008, has a slash line of .222/.282/.333 in 78 plate appearances for Triple-A Charlotte while seeing time at both second base and shortstop.
AL East Notes: Rays, Red Sox, Uehara, Yankees
Earlier today, we learned that while Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli has yet to hear from the club on an extension, he is open to talks with the club. The veteran told his agent that the environment in Boston is better than the one in Texas, which is saying a lot considering how much he enjoyed his time with the Rangers. Here's more out of the American League East..
- The Rays' unusual pitching depth has proven to be quite valuable, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "Compared to other organizations, there is a tremendous amount of depth," said pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was brought over from the Royals. "The whole Triple-A pitching staff has the ability to be here. You usually don't see that with an entire staff at the upper levels." There's always trade talk surrounding Tampa Bay and their surplus starters, but injuries have shown the value in hanging on to pitching depth.
- The Red Sox's offseason pickups are looking strong so far in 2013, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Right-hander Koji Uehara gets an A on Tomase's report card as he has been the team's most consistent reliever. Napoli gets an A-minus in spite of his high strikeout rate thanks to his overall offensive production.
- While the Yankees and Mets are heading in different directions, Joe Girardi finds himself on equal footing with Terry Collins, writes Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record.
- This morning, the Yankees designated Ben Francisco for assignment.
Yankees Designate Ben Francisco For Assignment
The Yankees have designated Ben Francisco for assignment, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The move will create room for the newly-acquired David Huff on the roster.
Francisco, 31, has hit just .114/.220/.182 in 50 plate appearances this season. The Bombers signed the outfielder to a minor league deal in March after he was cut loose by the Indians. Francisco played for the Blue Jays, Astros, and Rays in 2012 and posted a combined .240/.285/.385 batting line with four home runs in 207 total plate appearances.
Angels Designate Billy Buckner For Assignment
The Angels announced that they have designated right-hander Billy Buckner for assignment. The move will allow the Halos to reinstate fellow right-hander Kevin Jepsen from the disabled list.
Buckner, 29, started on Saturday against the Royals and gave the club five scoreless innings on their way to a 7-0 victory. In parts of five big league seasons, Buckner owns a 6.03 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. THe right-hander made eight starts in Triple-A Salt Lake prior to his brief 2013 major league stint and posted a 4.56 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.