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Cardinals Acquire Mark DeRosa

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SUNDAY, 11:15am: Jon Paul Morosi has written about a couple possible PTBNLs for the Indians:

"One official with knowledge of the transaction said minor league right-handers Jess Todd and Francisco Samuel are on the list of possibilities. It's not known if other players are on the list agreed upon by the clubs. But Todd and Samuel are hard throwers who could fit into Cleveland's bullpen next year. And anyone who has watched the Indians play recently is aware that they have an immediate need for power arms at the end of the game."

Morosi notes Todd has a 2.73 ERA in 28 Triple-A appearances with one big league game this season. The PTBNL will be received on or before September 1.

SATURDAY, 9:58pm: According to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince, the Cardinals have acquired Mark DeRosa from the Indians for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later.

DeRosa, 34, wasn't in tonight's lineup though this was supposedly a "standard day off," according to Castrovince. DeRosa posted a .270/.342/.457 line in 314 plate appearances for the Indians and is making $5.5MM in the final year of his contract (about $2.9MM remains). He's been the subject of rumors for weeks, and it looks like the Indians are officially sellers.

Perez turns 24 soon.  He posted a 4.18 ERA and 30/15 K/BB ratio for the Cardinals in 23.2 innings this year. He was one of the Cardinals' top relief prospects and profiles as a future closer.

It's a little early to make a final judgment on this deal until we find out who the PTNBL is–Castrovince notes that "the PTBN component is an important one," according to Indians GM Mark Shapiro–but for now it looks like a solid deal for both teams, as they each fill in their respective needs.

Discussion: Mark Teahen

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Earlier today, Peter Gammons tweeted this tidbit (his account is protected):

"Best name today Mark Teahen. SF, Bos, Cubs, WS, Mets…on."

Gammons squeezed as much as he could under the character count, but it's enough information to make it interesting. Teahen was the subject of discussion earlier this week, as the Royals were said to be open to dealing their "non-core players." Jon Paul Morosi at Fox Sports speculated Teahen could soon develop suitors.

Teahen, who will turn 28 in September, is making $3.575MM this year and won't become a free agent until after the 2011 season. He had a breakout year in 2006 when he posted an .874 OPS in 439 plate appearances, and while he hasn't approached those numbers since then, he has an .800 OPS in 280 plate appearances this year while manning outfield, second base, third base and first base for the Royals. That profile makes him a sort of poor man's Mark DeRosa, who has been on many teams' radars this summer.

If the Royals are indeed listening to offers for Teahen, on what team do you see him as the best fit? What could a player of his stature command? Share your thoughts.

Dodgers Sign Ramon Nivar

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According to Diamond Leung, the Dodgers have signed infielder Ramon Nivar to a minor-league deal and assigned him to Double-A Chattanooga.

The 29-year-old Nivar hasn't appeared in the majors since 2005, last with the Orioles. Like quite a few former major-leaguers, Nivar was playing for the independent-league Newark Bears this season, where he posted a .331 average and .810 OPS in 127 at-bats.

Nationals Scouting Outfield Options?

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Talks have swirled this weekend about the Nationals' pursuit of Pirates CF Nyjer Morgan, but it looks like he's not the only outfielder on the team's radar. Bill Ladson at MLB.com has updated his previous post on the discussions, and this time he throws Braves CF prospect Jordan Schafer's name into the mix as a potential target for the Nats.

Ladson says the Nationals are seeking an improvement in their outfield defense, as they have apparently concluded that Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham profile more as designated hitters and Elijah Dukes still makes too many mental errors. Schafer was sent down earlier this season to make room for Nate McLouth, but it isn't clear if the Braves would be willing to move him.

It seems like the Nats are looking for a young, cost-controlled and speedy outfielder as well as a defensively adept one. Who else comes to mind that might be attainable for the Nationals?

Odds & Ends: White Sox, Bay, Lee

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On this day in MLBTR history: Last year, the spotlight was on the potential landing spot for CC Sabathia, and the Astros were one of 12 teams interested in Freddy Garcia. My how times have changed. Some links to sate you in between games, with more to come:

Royals Ink Nicaraguan Prospect

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According to Dejan Kovacevic at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Royals have come to terms with Cheslor Cuthbert, a 3B prospect out of Nicaragua. The 16-year-old will sign for a bonus around $1.5 million.

Kovacevic reports that the Pirates had been in hot pursuit of Cuthbert for about two years and had been named as favorites to sign him. Rumors had swirled the past few days from ESPN's Jorge Arangure that the Royals had become the more likely destination.

Yankees Not Looking For Bats

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Marc Carig at the Newark Star Ledger tweeted a quote from GM Brian Cashman earlier today on the possibility the Yankees are looking for a bat:

"We don't need a bat… We have a tremendous offense that's scuffling right now," Cashman said.

Before an 8-4 victory tonight over the Braves, the Yankees had scored a total of 18 runs in 7 games, and their team OPS was .614. The spotlight was particularly on Alex Rodriguez, who went 1 for 15 in that stretch, where they lost five of seven.

Was the victory tonight enough to be convinced that the Yankees' offensive woes have come to an end? Was it ever worthy of concern in the first place, or did somebody unnecessarily hit the panic button? If you think the Yanks need a bat after all, who do you pursue? Share your thoughts.

Odds & Ends: Mariners, Phillies, Padres

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Serving up absolutely the most hyper of links from across the baseball sphere, with more to come:

  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik sat down for a lengthy Q&A with fans on MLB.com. Ever wanted to know what it's like to be a GM? "It's cool," says Zduriencik.
  • David Murphy at the Philadelphia Inquirer talked to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, who echoes a belief around the league: “I think things will heat up late, because everybody is still kind of in it,” he said.
  • According to Jorge Arangure at ESPN the Magazine, the Padres are keeping tabs on Dominican OF Jose Alberto Peña and pitcher Cristopher Cabrera.
  • Paul DePodesta says the Padres have come to terms with their third, fifth and seventh round picks.
  • Juan C. Rodriguez at the Sun-Sentinel wonders if the Marlins should go after Luis Ayala now that Matt Lindstrom has hit the DL.
  • Eric Seidman at Fangraphs takes a nifty look at batting average on ground balls. David Wright currently leads the majors with a .471 average in that department.
  • Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times discusses the ramifications of potential trade piece Adrian Beltre's recent bout with bone spurs.

Rosenthal On Lee, Holliday

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Ol' reliable Ken Rosenthal has a new column up. Let's scope out the highlights:

  • The Dodgers have had discussions about Cliff Lee, but the price might be too steep for them to acquire him before the deadline. The Indians are said to want top-shelf talent along the lines of Tommy Hanson or Clay Buchholz.
  • The Dodgers have talent like that in Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley, but obviously they're not going anywhere. A package around James McDonald and Blake DeWitt wouldn't suffice.
  • The Phillies have also inquired on Lee, but "have balked at the price."
  • Reports that the A's would accept less for Matt Holliday because they'd prefer to skip out on the arbitration process this offseason are probably untrue, as a source said the potential high cost for the slugger is a "nonissue."

Yankees Designate Angel Berroa For Assignment

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According to Peter Abraham at the Journal-News, the Yankees have designated infielder Angel Berroa for assignment to make space for utilityman Cody Ransom.

Berroa, 31, put up a rough .356 OPS in 22 at-bats for the Yanks. He's notable for his Rookie of the Year campaign for the Royals in 2003, but he's been on a pretty steep decline since then.

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