Rumors for March, 2011
Russell Branyan makes Diamondbacks roster
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First baseman Russell Branyan has made the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 25-man roster, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Branyan signed a Minor League deal with the Diamondbacks in mid-February and since then he has hit .457 with four home runs in the Cactus League. He will make $1 million this season by being on the big league roster.
As for his role on the team, manager Kirk Gibson would not say. “Haven’t determined that yet,” he said. “(Branyan) may, he may not (get his share of starts). I don’t know what to tell you about how the mix will go.”
The 35-year-old Branyan will be officially joining his 10th big league team when he takes the field with the Diamondbacks. He split last season with the Cleveland Indians and the Seattle Mariners where he hit .237/.323/.487 with 25 home runs and 57 RBIs. The Mariners held a team team option for 2011 with Branyan, but that was quickly declined after the season.
Rangers likely to look internally for starting pitcher
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In the wake of the strained right groin injury that starting pitcher Tommy Hunter sustained this week, the Texas Rangers are discussing their options to fill the gap in their rotation.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says that the Rangers will probably not add an external starting pitcher since there isn’t much out there, so they will likely shuffle their roster and move Alexi Ogando from the bullpen to the rotation.
If Ogando cracks the rotation then you can expect either Brett Tomko, Pedro Strop or Mason Tobin to get a bullpen spot.
Other candidates to assume the spot in the rotation include right-hander Dave Bush and left-hander Michael Kirkman, but T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com says that Ogando appears to be the leading candidate.
“I think he did a good job until we decided to put him back in the rotation,” manager Ron Washington said about Ogando. “I see no reason why we can re-visit it.”
The Rangers have to make a decision on Bush by Sunday, if he’s not on the team’s 25-man roster, then he can opt-out of his Minor League contract and become a free agent.
Chicago Cubs will try to trade Carlos Silva
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The Chicago Cubs have named Andrew Cashner as the last member of the team’s rotation with Marcos Mateo as the last member of the bullpen reports Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
That leaves right handed pitcher Carlos Silva without a job. Apparently the team told Silva they will try to trade him, but if they fail to do so, they would like him to consider a Minor League assignment so he can be insurance for the team reports Muskat.
Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated thinks that the Cubs “can’t possibly think Silva is tradeable”. He cites his fighting with teammates, his poor shape, ripping his pitching coach are not good selling points for other teams.
Silva said there’s “no chance” he’ll report to Minor League camp and apparently took a shot at Cubs’ pitching coach Mark Riggins adds Muskat.
For the Cubs to move Silva they would have to eat most of the $23.5 million owed to him. The Venezuela native began the 2010 season going 8-0 in his first 11 starts, but after the All-Star break he was 1-3 with a 11.12 ERA. He finished the 2010 season with a 11-6 record and a 4.22 ERA in 113 innings throughout 21 starts.
He hasn’t done much this spring besides fight with teammate Aramis Ramirez in the dugout and put up a 10.90 era while allowing 21 runs in 17.1 innings this Spring.
Red Sox add Dennys Reyes to the Major League Roster
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According to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports, the Boston Red Sox have added left handed pitcher Dennys Reyes to their Major League roster. To make room for Reyes on the roster, Boston moved Junichi Tazawa from the 15 day DL to the 60 day DL.
Earlier today, a source close to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald said the Boston Red Sox were working out the details to add to the Major League roster. When Reyes was asked about the Red Sox purchasing his contract, Reyes said “They’re working on it.”
Reyes recently granted the Red Sox permission to extend his opt out date by one day to allow them to see him pitch one last time. That inning wasn’t the best as he allowed 2 earned runs while allowing 2 hits and a walk.
In 9 innings this Spring, Reyes has allowed 3 runs and has 8 strike outs. The lefty signed a Minor League deal with the Red Sox back in February. He is set to make $900,000 if he makes the team and can go up to $1.4 million with performance bonuses. Reyes, 33, was 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 59 relief appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010.
Royals release four Minor Leaguers
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The Kansas City Royals have released four Minor League players according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Stars.
The players released are right handed pitchers Aaron Hartsock and Scott Kelley and infielders Justin Figueroa and Tom Zebroski.
New York Yankees rumors: Rotation, backup catcher, Feliciano
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The New York Yankees have had a busy Spring Training setting up the back-end of their rotation and deciding the catching situation. Just a few days away from Opening Day, the team has finally set their rotation and they have a clearer picture about their catching situation. Here are the latest Yankees rumors for Saturday:
– Bryan Hoch of MLB.com says that Ivan Nova has been named the Yankees fourth starter, Freddy Garcia the fifth starter and Bartolo Colon will be heading to the bullpen.
– Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, has been hinting about the possibility of Gustavo Molina being Russell Martin’s backup by Opening Day according to Erik Boland of Newsday.
– Left handed pitcher Pedro Feliciano may start the season on the Disabled List according to Marc Craig of the Star Ledger. Feliciano is having tricep soreness in his throwing arm.
Ron Mahay fails to make the Dodgers roster
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Ron Mahay who seems to always put up a serviceable ERA has been told by the Dodgers that he will not make the team coming out of Spring Training (via Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times). Mahay had an out clause in his contract that made the Dodgers add Mahay to the roster by the 25th (Yesterday) or release him.
Mahay signed a minor league deal back in February to compete for a second lefty spot in the Dodger bullpen. His main competition was lefty Scott Elbert who is a former first round pick with huge potential who back in 2006 was rated as the 31st best prospect in all of baseball. Elbert though has not had much success in the majors and even left baseball last year (personal reasons) after a quick promotion to the bigs and an even quicker demotion.
Mahay was in a difficult position as he was coming in without a roster spot. In 7.1 innings this Spring, Mahay gave up 11 hits, 4 walks, 3 home runs and 8 runs (9.82 era). Not very good when you are trying to take somebodies spot. Elbert on the other hand started off walking everyone he possibly could but was able to turn things around. In 5.2 innings, Elbert has allowed 2 hits, 2 runs (3.18 era) and 9 walks with 6 of those coming against the first 10 batters he faced.
Yes Elbert’s numbers are not amazing, but he does have one thing that Mahay didn’t have coming into Spring and that was a roster spot.
Mahay in 14 seasons has put up a 3.83 ERA. Mahay will receive another opportunity to continue his career but will more than likely have to take a minor league deal and pitch down in the minors before he would get the chance to pitch in the bigs again.
Mariners release OF Gabe Gross
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Outfielder Gabe Gross has been released by the Seattle Mariners according to Greg Johns of MLB.com. Gross was hitting .077 in 26 AB’s this spring and he requested his release from the team.
The 31-year old Gross signed a Minor League deal with the Mariners early in February. He hit .239/.290/.311 with 1 HR and 25 RBI’s in 222 AB’s with the Oakland Athletics last season.
White Sox re-sign RHP Dexter Carter
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The Chicago White Sox have re-signed right handed pitcher Dexter Carter according to Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune. He was recently released by the San Diego Padres. Carter was part of the deal that took Jake Peavy to Chicago.
The right hander has a career record of 15-13 with a 4.34 ERA and 338 SO in 306.2 innings throughout 69 games, 55 starts in three Minor League seasons with the White Sox and Padres.
LHP Mike Hampton Retires
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Left-handed pitcher Mike Hampton has decided to retire after a 16 year career, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Hampton was with the Arizona Diamondbacks this Spring and he informed general manager Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson on Thursday that he was leaning towards retirement. He returned on Saturday to inform them of his final decision.
“It just wasn’t there,” Hampton said. “In fairness to them and fairness to myself I’m just done. It’s not a decision that’s easy to make. It’s not one you make overnight. It had been two weeks that different thoughts have been creeping in my head. Then all of the sudden I felt, I think this is going to be it.”
The Diamondbacks re-signed him early in the winter to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. In 10 appearances in 2010, he was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 4 1/3 innings pitched.
During his career with the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves and Diamondbacks, the left-hander compiled a 148-115 record with a 4.06 ERA. He may be best remembered for signing an eight-year, $121 million contract from the Rockies in 2000. He spent much of the latter half of the contract on the disabled list.
