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National League Notes: Huntington, Dickey, Scully

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On this day in baseball history in 1939, NBC televised the first Major League baseball game using an experimental station W2XBS. Viewers were privy to a doubleheader between the Reds and Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the National League…

  • The exercise of calling up players for the month of September has changed for Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, writes Karen Price of the Tribune-Review. Instead of giving raw prospects a taste of the big leagues, Huntington will be looking to add minor leaguers who can help his team win games with an eye on the playoffs and provide manager Clint Hurdle an extra weapon off the bench. “The makeup of our club at midnight on Aug. 31 is the makeup of our club on Oct. 5, provided we take care of business and we get there,” Huntington said. “So that’s a little different, to try to put together an Oct. 5 roster on Aug. 31.”
  • Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told season-ticket holders on Sunday that the Mets would love to retain R.A. Dickey on a long-term deal, writes Spencer Fordin of MLB.com. Word got back to the knuckleballer, who expressed a similar desire to call Citi Field home for years to come. "I love it here and I've always voiced that," said Dickey. "A part of me enjoys being loyal to an organization that's given me a shot. I connect well with the fan base, [the media] has always been good and I'm comfortable here. That says a lot for me and where I am in my career."
  • Legendary play-by-play broadcaster Vin Scully announced on Sunday that he will return to the Dodgers for the 2013 season marking his 64th year with the franchise. The Hall of Famer will turn 85 in November but remains enthused as ever about the Dodgers given the team's new ownership group, says Stephen Borelli of USA Today. "The new ownership of the Dodgers has revitalized the city, the team, the fans and myself," Scully. "I am so convinced of their great purpose and leadership that I eagerly look forward to joining them in pursuit of the next Dodgers championship."

Week In Review: 8/12/12 – 8/18/12

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As we tip our proverbial caps to King Felix for delivering perfection to the baseball world on Wednesday, let's catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

  • Starlin Castro and the Cubs reached an agreement on a seven-year contract extension worth $60MM. The deal includes a $16MM option for 2020 which would boost the overall value of the deal to $76MM. 
  • The Astros appointed Tony DeFrancesco as their interim manager after dismissing manager Brad Mills, hitting coach Mike Barnett, and first base coach Bobby Meacham. The 49-year-old was the skipper for the club's Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Blue Jays signed Jeff Mathis to a two-year contract extension worth $3MM with a club option for 2015 worth $1.5MM. Mathis, 29, is hitting .215/.252/.415 with six homers in 147 plate appearances this season.   
  • Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera received a 50 game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Cabrera hit .346/.390/.516 with 11 homers in 501 plate appearances during his first season in San Francisco, earning him his first All-Star Game nomination.
  • The Marlins designated Gil Velazquez for assignment. Velazquez, 32, had one single in eight plate appearances with the Marlins since being called up earlier this week.
  • The Nationals designated infielder Cesar Izturis for assignment. Izturis' stay in Washington lasted just eleven days as he was claimed off of waivers from Milwaukee on August 6th.
  • Right-hander Mark Prior is in search of a new home after being released by the Red Sox in order to create space for the newly-acquired Pedro Beato, who arrived from the Mets in the Kelly Shoppach deal. During his time in Triple-A Pawtucket, Prior posted a 3.96 ERA with 13.7 K/9 and 8.3 BB/9 in a small sample size of 25 innings of work.
  • The Red Sox placed Aaron Cook, Felix Doubront and Andrew Miller on trade waivers.
  • The Phillies acquired right-hander Ryan O'Sullivan from the Dodgers to complete the Joe Blanton trade. O'Sullivan, 21, has pitched to a 3.05 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 88 1/3 innings at the Single-A level this season.
  • Veteran catcher Yorvit Torrealba signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays after recently being released by the Rangers. Torrealba, 34, posted a .236/.302/.342 batting line in 182 plate appearances for Texas.
  • The Blue Jays sent right-handed pitching prospect Kevin Comer to the Astros to complete last month's ten player trade.
  • The Pirates signed Dallas McPherson to a minor league deal. The 32-year-old infielder hit .253/.335/.463 with 12 homers in 264 plate appearances in the White Sox's farm system earlier this year.
  • Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Marmol cleared trade waivers. Soriano is now eligible to be traded anywhere, pending his approval due to his ten-and-five rights.
  • The Athletics signed pitcher Jeremy Accardo, who will report to Triple-A Sacramento. The 30-year-old posted a 4.58 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 26 appearances for Cleveland this season.
  • The Rockies designated Mike Ekstrom for assignment. Ekstrom, 28, allowed 11 runs in 15 2/3 relief innings for Colorado this season, striking out nine and walking two.
  • Outfielder/first baseman Mark Kotsay agreed to terms on a $1.3MM extension with the Padres through the 2013 season. Kotsay, 36, has a .275/.333/.363 slash line with one home run in 111 plate appearances.
  • The White Sox signed Jose Lopez to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate. Lopez, 28, hit .249/.272/.366 in 224 plate appearances for Cleveland this year while playing first, second, third and right field before being released.
  • The Orioles designated right-hander Miguel Socolovich for assignment. The native of Venezuela pitched ten and one-third innings for the O's this season, allowing eight earned runs with six strikeouts and six walks.
  • Infielder Yuniesky Betancourt can now sign with the team of his choosing after being released by the Royals. Betancourt, 30, has posted a career line of .266/.290/.392 with 67 homers in 3,869 plate appearances.
  • The Padres designated left-handed pitcher Alex Hinshaw for assignment. Hinshaw, 30 in October, posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 28 innings of relief work for San Diego this season.
  • The Orioles acquired J.C. Romero from the Indians for minor league infielder Carlos Rojas. Romero, 36, allowed nine runs in eight innings for the Cardinals earlier this season, and has pitched to a 2.74 ERA in 23 Triple-A innings.

National League Notes: Braves, Jackson, Cabrera

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A pivotal battle between two division rivals in the midst of a playoff race took 19 innings to complete as the Pirates beat the Cardinals by the score of 6-3. Pedro Alvarez gave Pittsburgh the lead in the top of 19th when he hit a solo shot against Barret Browning. The Pirates took the three-game series with the win and would be headed to the playoffs if the season ended today as the second Wild Card.

Here's the latest news and headlines from around the National League…

  • With the Braves set to play one more series against the Nationals after this week's showdown, Atlanta realizes the importance of making up ground in D.C. starting on Monday, writes Andrew Simon of MLB.com. The Braves have a comfortable hold on the top Wild Card spot but have played well enough to make a run at the division only to be matched win-for-win by Washington. "We have the opportunity to take advantage because it seems like every time we win, they win and they don't lose very often," said Freddie Freeman. "So this is our time to try to take control of things and get a little closer."
  • Nationals right-hander Edwin Jackson, a free agent after the season, would like to remain in D.C. on a deal longer than the one-year contract he signed in February, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. "Anything more than one year," Jackson said. "It would be nice to settle down for more than one year, for sure. I would like to [stay]. I could see myself being a part of [the Nationals], but at the end of the day, it's up to ownership."
  • The battle against performance-enhancing drugs remains an uphill struggle for Major League Baseball, opines Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Rosenthal suggests Melky Cabrera's actions reflect a desperate person willing to resort to desperate actions as he may have viewed PEDs as the lone way to salvage his career. While there may be less users in baseball as compared to a decade ago, players are still abusing the system and reaping the benefits that Cabrera enjoyed for almost a full season, if not longer.

Quick Hits: Melky Cabrera, Johan Santana, Bobby V

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On this day in baseball history in 1957, Giants president Horace Stoneham violated baseball's protocol for announcements about teams relocating to new cities by failing to wait until after the World Series. Stoneham cited declining attendance to the press as to why the Giants were headed to San Francisco to play their home games for the following season. The team's board of directors approved the move by the vote of 8-1 with M. Donald Grant casting the lone dissenting vote. Grant would later go on to become the chairman of the expansion Mets. 

Here's the latest news and headlines from around the league…

  • Melky Cabrera's suspension ensures that the beleaguered outfielder won't see the field again until the playoffs, but that doesn't mean he can't win the NL batting title, writes Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com. Doyel suggests MLB commissioner Bud Selig should intervene and prevent Cabrera from receiving the award if he finishes the season with the highest batting average in the league. Andrew McCutchen currently leads the NL with a .356 average entering Sunday's action as compared to Cabrera's .346 mark with 43 games to go.
  • The Mets may have a trade partner for Johan Santana this offseason if the left-hander can regain the strong form he's occasionally displayed this season, opines Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Martino looks at the Dodgers as a possible fit for the former two-time Cy Young winner given their newly-minted deep wallets. With Santana guaranteed over $25MM next season, the Mets may elect to keep their struggling ace rather than pay $20MM to watch him pitch for another team.
  • Bobby Valentine never had a chance as the manager of the Red Sox given the state of the franchise from top to bottom, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. When Boston brought Valentine aboard to replace Terry Francona this offseason, it was getting a brilliant baseball mind who could identify talent at an expert level but was prone to a soap opera from time to time. As Heyman puts it, the Red Sox never should have hired Valentine if they were just going to cut his vocal chords mere months later in the wake of the Kevin Youkilis incident.

Week In Review: 8/5/12 – 8/11/12

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As we hit the dog days of August, let's take a moment to catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

  • The Yankees signed Derek Lowe after New York placed CC Sabathia on the DL with elbow stiffness. Lowe, 39, was released by the Indians last week after pitching to a 5.52 ERA in 21 starts for Cleveland this season.
  • The Mets designated left-hander Garrett Olson for assignment. In 104 career big league appearances, Olson has a 6.26 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.
  • Right-hander Andrew Carpenter signed a minor league contract with the Mets and has been assigned to Double-A Binghamton.
  • The Diamondbacks designated pitcher Mike Zagurski for assignment. Zagurski had a 6.18 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 27.2 innings of work this season.
  • The Red Sox put Kelly Shoppach and Mike Aviles on waivers on Friday while Nick Punto and Carl Crawford have now cleared waivers.
  • Venezuelan left-hander Dedgar Jimenez signed with the Red Sox. The 16-year-old obtained a bonus of $175K.
  • The Rangers designated infielder Alberto Gonzalez for assignment. Gonzalez appeared in 24 games for the Rangers this year, playing second base, third base and shortstop.
  • The Blue Jays designated right-hander Scott Richmond for assignment. Richmond appeared in three games for Toronto this year, but has spent most of the season at Triple-A. 
  • High school right-hander Felipe Perez signed with the Diamondbacks for a reported bonus of $400K.
  • The Blue Jays claimed right-hander Juan Abreu off of waivers from Houston. The Astros designated Abreu for assignment on Tuesday.
  • The Red Sox signed Scott Podsednik to a Major League contract. Boston traded the outfielder to the Diamondbacks in the Matt Albers–Craig Breslow trade, but Arizona released him a few days later.
  • A few recognizable names find themselves headed to Triple-A after struggling at the big league level. The Rays outrighted Brooks Conrad to Triple-A Durham, the Tigers outrighted Don Kelly to Triple-A Toledo and the Dodgers outrighted Tony Gwynn Jr. to Triple-A Albuquerque.
  • The Indians released Johnny Damon and Jeremy Accardo after previously designating both veterans for assignment.
  • The Astros designated infielder Brian Bixler for assignment. He posted a .193/.253/.330 line in 96 plate appearances at the big league level.
  • Bobby Abreu cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Dodgers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A.
  • The Astros acquired utility player Tyler Greene from the Cardinals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 28-year-old has a .218 /.272 /.358 batting line in 197 plate appearances so far in 2012.
  • The Rangers placed catcher Yorvit Torrealba on release waivers. Torrealba, 34, posted a .236/.302/.342 batting line in 182 plate appearances for Texas before getting designated for assignment.
  • Kip Wells cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Tucson from the Padres.
  • The Blue Jays outrighted Andrew Carpenter to Triple-A. Carpenter, 27, spent the bulk of July with the Blue Jays and saw just nine innings of work across six appearances.
  • Drew Sutton's headed to Triple-A Indianapolis after the Pirates outrighted the outfielder, who posted a .243/.278/.419 batting line in 79 plate appearances. 
  • The Indians designated infielder Jose Lopez for assignment. The 28-year-old posted a .249/.272/.366 batting line in 224 plate appearances.
  • The Blue Jays designated right-hander Jesse Chavez for assignment. Chavez, 28, has an 8.44 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 1/3 innings with Toronto this year.
  • Catcher Wil Nieves's found a new job as the Diamondbacks claimed the veteran off waivers from the Rockies. The 34-year-old posted a .298/.333/.404 batting line in 51 plate appearances this year.
  • The Nationals outrighted catcher Carlos Maldonado to Triple-A Syracuse. He has spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he has a .223/.343/.405 batting line in 146 plate appearances.
  • The Giants claimed left-handed reliever Jose Mijares from Kansas City. Mijares has a 2.56 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 33.3% ground ball rate in 38 2/3 innings this year.
  • Infielder Cesar Izturis's headed to the Nationals after Washington claimed the veteran off of waivers from the Brewers. Izturis has a .235/.248/.333 batting line in 169 plate appearances this year.
  • The Diamondbacks released Lyle Overbay after the veteran posted a .292/.367/.448 batting line in 110 plate appearances.
  • The Royals designated Yuniesky Betancourt for assignment after the infielder posted a .232/.260/.408 batting line in 56 games with Kansas City this year. 
  • Mike Fontenot finds himself without a job after the Phillies released the infielder. Fontenot, 32, hit .289/.343/.340 in 105 plate appearances this year for the Phillies.
  • The Red Sox acquired third baseman Danny Valencia from the Twins for minor league outfielder Jeremias Pineda. Valencia has struggled this season hitting .198/.212/.310 in two tours with the Twins.
  • The Tigers acquired Jeff Baker from the Cubs in exchange for two players to be named later. Baker, 31, has a .269/.306/.448 slash line in 144 plate appearances on the year. 

Poll: How Will Nationals Fare Without Strasburg?

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With a Major League-leading 71-44 record, the Nationals have surprised the baseball world this season thanks to a balanced offensive attack and a dominant pitching staff. Led by Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann, the Nationals' young arms have the team on track to secure the NL East with only 47 games remaining.

Strasburg, 24 and less than two years removed from Tommy John surgery, will be forced to miss his last two to three starts and the entire postseason as the Nationals organization has set an unofficial innings limit for its young ace. There's no doubt the Nationals will be negatively impacted once Washington GM Mike Rizzo decides to call it a season for the former San Diego State star.

The question becomes how will the Nationals fare the remainder of the season when they shut down Strasburg, who's pitched to a 2.90 ERA with 11.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

Anthopoulos Talks Offseason Plans

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With the Blue Jays entering Sunday mired in a five-game losing streak and occupying last place in the AL East behind the dysfunctional Red Sox, GM Alex Anthopoulos met with reporters prior to his team's victory over the Yankees. Mike Cormack of Sportsnet has the details from the press conference.

  • Anthopoulos believes Toronto's strengths lie in its potent offense and rebuilt bullpen. "You know for the most part this is going to be a very good, deep offensive team, and we'll have some young kids behind some of these guys for depth. Offensively, I feel very good about it." The 35-year-old general manager went as far as to say his team's bullpen and offense, when healthy, have the makings of being "championship caliber."
  • Toronto's starting rotation has been an area of concern for Anthopoulos as his starters have struggled with myriad health issues and performance on the field. With Kyle Drabek and Drew Hutchison set to miss a portion or all of next season, the team may be looking to add as many as three new arms into the rotation to complement Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow.
  • While the Blue Jays are clearly in need of a few starters to bolster their pitching staff, Anthopoulos says he'll be able to devote his entire winter to improving the team's rotation unlike in years past. "… It's a lot easier going into an off-season when you have really one area to really attack, and every trade dialogue, every free-agent dialogue, can be geared to one area rather than having 40 balls in the air and having to fill three spots in the bullpen, two spots in the rotation, two position players," said Anthopoulos. 

Poll: Player Most Likely To Be Traded In August

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The non-waiver trade deadline saw countless teams wheel and deal with hopes that acquiring the right piece or two would be enough to make a legitimate run during the playoffs this October. There's still an opportunity for a contender to make a move as teams have until the August 31 waiver trade deadline to make up for a just-missed transaction from last week. While some of the players passed through waivers over the course of August are capable of contributing to a winning team, many come with a bloated contract and statistics unworthy of those dollars. 

Which player do you see as the most likely to change uniforms via trade this month?

Week In Review: 7/29/12 – 8/4/12

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With the trade deadline but a distant memory, let's catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

Royals Designate Betancourt For Assignment

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The Royals have designated Yuniesky Betancourt for assignment, according to Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The move allows for the Royals to call up infielder Tony Abreu from Triple-A Omaha.

Betancourt rejoined the Royals this past offseason after being included in the Zack Greinke trade to the Brewers after the 2010 season. The infielder was hitting .232/.260/.408 in 56 games with Kansas City this year. 

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