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A-Rod, 12 Others To Be Suspended Monday

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Alex Rodriguez and 12 other players will be suspended for their involvement with Biogenesis, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Earlier today, we learned Rodriguez is to be suspended through the 2014 season and Heyman names Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta, Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, Mariners catcher Jesus Montero, Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera, and Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli among the Major League players also expected to be suspended, as well as minor leaguers Fernando Martinez, Jordan Norberto, Fautino de los Santos, and Cesar Puello. Heyman adds there are also three players on the suspension list whose names have yet to become public.

Heyman writes Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera, A's right-hander Bartolo Colon, and Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal will not be suspended in connection with Biogenesis, as they have served 50-game penalties already. 

All or almost all of the other 12 players are expected to accept 50-game suspensions, though there could be an additional holdout or two for appeal beyond Rodriguez, reports Heyman. All the players have the option to appeal, but it is believed close to all of them have made agreements for 50-game bans with MLB, Heyman adds. Players who appeal are eligible to keep playing until their case is heard.

Cruz told reporters, including MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, "I haven't decided what I'm going to do about anything. It's not just about myself, it's also about the team." Today is the 112th game played by the Rangers, so Cruz would be eligible to return for the playoffs (assuming Texas reaches the post-season), if he serves a 50-game suspension beginning Monday. Sullivan surmises the Rangers will recall an outfielder from the minors adding Manny Ramirez is not an option and manager Ron Washington is reluctant to use Jurickson Profar in the outfield. Regardless of what the Rangers end up doing, assistant GM Thad Levine acknowledges, "At this stage of the season, that's a difficult bat to replace."

D’backs Designate Then Option Tony Sipp To Triple-A

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3:35pm: The Diamondbacks have tweeted Sipp has been optioned to Triple-A Reno.

10:22 am: The Diamondbacks have designated Tony Sipp for assignment, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter).  The move will create roster space for right-hander Brandon McCarthy.

Sipp, 30, had a 3.86 ERA on the year with 10.2 K/9, 5.0 BB/9, 1.10 HR/9, and 28.1% groundball rate in 32 2/3 innings this season.  He was drafted in the 45th round by the Indians in '04, joining Arizona in the December 2012 three-team deal involving Shin-Soo Choo, Drew Stubbs, Didi Gregorius, Trevor Bauer, and others.

Dodgers Request Release Waivers On Ted Lilly

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AUGUST 4: The Dodgers have requested unconditional release waivers on Lilly, a source told Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. Lilly will become a free agent, if he goes unclaimed during the 48-hour waiver period. 

JULY 25: The Dodgers have designated veteran left-hander Ted Lilly for assignment to clear a roster spot for utility player Elian Herrera, the team announced on Twitter. Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles adds (via Twitter) that the move comes as a result of a disagreement on whether or not Lilly would head to the minor leagues to adjust to a relief role.

Lilly, 37, is in the final season of a three-year, $33MM pact that he signed with the Dodgers prior to the 2011 campaign. He's battled injuries for much of the past two seasons, as evidenced by four separate DL stints since the onset of the 2012 season. He had shoulder surgery last September and has thrown just 23 innings for the Dodgers thus far in 2013. He hasn't pitched at the Major League level since June 4.

Lilly's role with the team has been in question all season, following last season's August acquisition of Josh Beckett and the offseason signings of Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Much was made of the Dodgers' surplus of starting pitchers prior to the season, as Lilly, Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano all appeared to have lost their rotation spots due to the aforementioned acquisitions. Now, only Capuano is left with the big league club, while Beckett and Chad Billingsley have been lost to season-ending injuries.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

A-Rod Will Be Suspended Through 2014 Season

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Alex Rodriguez will be suspended through at least the 2014 season in an announcement Monday by Major League Baseball, but the Yankees third baseman plans to file an appeal, which will enable him to play tomorrow night against the White Sox in Chicago, two people with direct knowledge of the plan told Bob Nightengale of the USA Today. The appeal would be heard by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz in the next three weeks, according to Nightengale. Ken Davidoff of the New York Post tweets the announcement of the Biogenesis suspensions will take place around 11am CT.

Davidoff also reports MLB is leaning towards only suspending Rodriguez for violating the Joint Drug Agreement, and not the Basic Agreement, allowing for an appeal. A person close to the situation told Davidoff that Commissioner Bud Selig does not want give Rodriguez the sympathy points which would come with suspending him via the "best interests of baseball" clause of the Basic Agreement. Joel Sherman, Davidoff's colleague at the Post, added Selig does not want a court fight with the union, wants to avoid the perception of not allowing Rodriguez due process, and wants to avoid outside noise so people can concentrate on what MLB says is the heart of its case: A-Rod used PEDs for years, lied to MLB serially, and tried in myriad ways to thwart the investigation (all Twitter links). ESPN's Buster Olney tweets this strategy gives Selig the high ground to go to the union and ask for tougher rules. 

Rodriguez is one of about ten Major League players to be suspended tomorrow, but he is the only one who will be banned beyond this season, writes Nightengale. MLB officials have informed Rodriguez's attorneys and the MLBPA of the decision to suspend the players, and told Rodriguez he is no longer able to discuss a settlement, reports Nightengale, who attributes two people unauthorized to speak publicly before the scheduled announcement. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted he was told by a person updated on the Biogenesis inquiry that Rodriguez and MLB never were close to a settlement. 

"I'll have an opportunity, when the time is right, to tell my full story," Rodriguez told reporters, including Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press (via Philly.com), last night after a four-walk performance for Double-A Trenton. "I'm excited to play Monday. I can't wait to see my teammates. I feel like I can help them win."

Manager Joe Girardi says Rodriguez, if he is in Chicago, will be in the lineup at third base tomorrow night, tweets Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.

"I think all of us are curious what's going to happen, and is Alex going to be a player for us tomorrow, and what's going to happen with the other guys that are involved in this. Because in my mind I have him penciled in here tomorrow," Girardi said (as quoted by Nightengale). "I don't suspect it'll be awkward. Most of the guys know him as a teammate and have laughed a lot with Alex and been around Alex a lot. I think it'll be business as usual. I'm sure there will be more media there obviously tomorrow but I think that's more for Alex to deal with than the rest of the guys. I don't think it'll be a big deal."

Rodriguez's suspension of at least 214 games would be the longest handed out by baseball to a player or manager since Pete Rose agreed to a lifetime ban in 1988 for gambling. Rodriguez, sidelined by various injuries, has been on a minor league rehab assignment where he has posted a pedestrain slash line of .214/.333/.452 with three home runs and ten RBIs in 51 plate appearances across four levels of the Yankees' system.

Angels Request Release Waivers On Brad Hawpe

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AUGUST 4: The Angels tweeted they have requested unconditional release waivers on Hawpe for the purpose of granting him his unconditional release.

JULY 29: The Angels designated DH/right fielder/first baseman Brad Hawpe for assignment to make room for reliever Daniel Stange, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

Hawpe signed a minor league deal with the Angels in April, and returned to the Majors in parts of June and July for the first time in two years.  In 153 Triple-A plate appearances this year, the 34-year-old hit .305/.405/.504.  Hawpe was an 11th round pick of the Rockies in 2000, and hit 99 home runs for them from 2006-09, made an All-Star team, and even received a few MVP votes.

Stange, 27, has four big league appearances to his name, coming in 2010 with Arizona.

Twins Will Not Place Joe Mauer On Waivers

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Twins Assistant GM Rob Antony says the team will not place Joe Mauer on waivers this month, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Twins placed Mauer on waivers last August and Antony said the move caused "just too much confusion."

Mauer cleared waivers a year ago and most likely would have again. The 30-year-old is owed $23MM per season through 2018 and has full no-trade protection thanks to the record-setting eight-year, $184MM contract extension he signed with the Twins in March 2010. Mauer is batting .320/.402/.463 in 443 plate appearances this year, just a tick below his career slash line of .323/.405/.467.

Noteworthy August 2012 Trades

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The non-waiver trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, but MLB teams can continue making deals until August 31st.  What kind of trades can we expect in August?  Of course, last year brought us the massive blockbuster between the Dodgers and Red Sox that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Nick Punto to L.A. and brought James Loney, Ivan De Jesus, Allen Webster, and two players to be named later who became Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands.  Let's take a look back at the rest of last August's notable deals using MLBTR's Transaction Tracker to get an idea of what might be in store..

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Haren, Crain, Angels

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On this date in 2004, the Cardinals announced that their new ballpark scheduled to open two years later will also be known as Busch Stadium, continuing a tradition over a half a century old,  In 1953, a month after Anheuser-Busch purchased the Cardinals, the brewery bought Sportsman's Park renaming it Busch Stadium and then kept the name in its new downtown stadium which opened in 1966 calling the facility Busch Memorial Stadium.  Here's this week's look around the baseball blogosphere..

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.  

Cafardo On Morneau, Lincecum, Pence, Polanco

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that he is surprised to see the Yankees still in the wild card hunt despite all of the chaos they have endured this season.  The chaos he refers to, of course, mostly has to do with Alex Rodriguez.  The silver lining there is that if they throw the book at A-Rod, then they'll be in position to add to the team via free agency.  “The one thing the Yankees don’t have, they don’t have those guys in the minors that can come up and make an impact for them,” said an American League exec. “They won’t have that for a couple of years. So, if they’re going to do a Red Sox-type rebuild, they have a disadvantage. Where Boston has a number of pitchers and positional prospects ready to make an impact, the Yankees don’t. So, they still have to make their impact through free agency and possibly trades.”  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Twins believe they had enough interest in Justin Morneau that if he continues to hit well and shows power, he could be moved to a contender in a waiver deal.  The Blue Jays might claim him but the Rays, Orioles, and Indians might also have some interest.
  • Giants righty Tim Lincecum could be a big fish that goes in a waiver deal as some teams like him as a valuable bullpen piece down the stretch. The Giants weren’t offered anything good enough at the deadline, but given his $22MM salary and the fact he’s in the final year of his deal, the Giants may want to free themselves shortly. 
  • Giants outfielder Hunter Pence will be a free agent but he really wants to stay put and he has expressed that to GM Brian Sabean.  However, Sabean told him that if something knocked their socks off they would move him — but nothing materialized.  He could be another movable part during August, but the Giants plan to make him a qualifying offer and then try to re-sign him long term.
  • Marlins third baseman Placido Polanco is 37 and isn't the strongest fielder, but he remains a possible target for teams such as the Red Sox and Yankees, who need a veteran presence and a guy who can still hit from the right side.
  • Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman tried to get Michael Young and Carlos Ruiz from the Phillies.  Though neither deal happened, they are both possibilities as waiver deals during the month of August.  However, Cafardo notes that Ruiz might not make it past the NL teams in the waiver process.
  • Royals right-hander Ervin Santana could theoretically be moved during the waiver period, but it looks like he’s in Kansas City to stay.  As one GM said, “He might be the biggest target going in August. Doubt he gets too far, though.” 
  • When asking General Managers which former GM they miss the most, J.P. Ricciardi got the most responses.  Many believe Ricciardi will be a GM again, whether it’s taking over for Sandy Alderson when he wants to step down with the Mets, or with another club.  Cafardo runs down Ricciardi's highlights in Toronto and notes that he was working with the club when their wasn't money to work with.

Biogenesis Suspensions Likely To Be Announced Monday

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SATURDAY, 10:44pm: Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets that sources say there's a chance MLB will reach a compromise with A-Rod's camp prior to a 6 p.m. Sunday deadline, though one source judged the possibility to be "next to nil."

9:11pm: Sources tell Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports that A-Rod expects MLB to impose his suspension using the collective bargaining and drug agreements, meaning that he will not play for the Yankees on Monday against the White Sox.

7:57pm: A-Rod will be suspended Monday, sources tell T.J. Quinn and Andrew Marchand of ESPN. The suspension will likely run through the end of the 2014 season. Tense discussions reportedly "broke down completely" today after MLB Commissioner Bud Selig informed officials he would no longer negotiate with Rodriguez's camp.

7:41pm: Around 20 players altogether may be punished, T.J. Quinn of ESPN reports via Twitter. That total includes around 12 players who will be punished as major leaguers. However, several minor league players are also expected to receive punishment, Quinn adds.

4:03pm: Barring a dramatic change in the eleventh hour, MLB plans to just institute their suspension of A-Rod without further negotiations, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Rodriguez's camp also called the Yankees to try and work out a deal on the remainder of his hefty contract, but they were rebuffed (link).

FRIDAY, 8:05pm: There is no 6pm deadline for players to accept suspensions, according to a report from Teri Thompson, Bill Madden, and Michael O'Keefe of the New York Daily News. The trio explains that 50-game suspensions are likely (as expected) for all involved players except for Rodriguez. As for A-Rod, with negotiations apparently stalled, the Daily News reporters say that MLB appears to be leaning away from a lifetime ban. Echoing this morning's reports, the league reportedly believes that a suspension in the 200-game vicinity would be "more palatable to an arbitrator."

5:05pm: Players facing Biogenesis-related suspensions, including Rodriguez, will have until 6pm EST to settle their cases, tweets Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Otherwise, the league will (as previously reported) move forward with suspensions, with an announcement coming Monday. 

12:57pm: Heyman tweets that players have been informed the suspensions will be announced on Monday.

12:04pm: While there has been speculation that suspensions for players involved in the Biogenesis investigation would be announced today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that it's looking more likely that they'll be delayed until Sunday. Major League Baseball is prioritizing the suspensions for players other than Alex Rodriguez, because there is still no indication that A-Rod is willing to cut a deal (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, meanwhile, tweets that the suspensions should come out Sunday or Monday.

Sunday would be a last-minute deadline, as some teams (the Rangers, for example) will have exactly 50 games remaining after that point. The Tigers, who stand to potentially lose Jhonny Peralta, will only have played 109 games at that point and therefore aren't in as much danger.

As USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote, MLB is said to be willing to suspend Rodriguez through the 2014 season — a ban of roughly 217 games that would cost the three-time MVP more than $34MM in salary. However, contrary to other reports that say Rodriguez refuses to discuss a deal, Heyman reports that there are indications that Rodriguez may be open to discussing a slightly lesser penalty. Heyman lists a 150-game suspension as a compromise possibility but adds that it isn't clear how many games MLB is willing to shave off the 217-game proposal, or if they're even willing to come down at all. Rodriguez is scheduled to play in rehab games for Double-A Trenton this weekend, beginning tonight.

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