Rumors for Atlanta Braves
Update – Atlanta Braves holding onto Troy Glaus – will recall INF on Wednesday
Posted by: | Comments
8/31 23:16: FOXSports’ Ken Rosenthal says the Braves are not trading Glaus. Rather the team is recalling him Wednesday.
8/29 10:05: Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports says a trade of Atlanta Braves’ infielder Troy Glaus is possible. One Major League source close to Morosi says multiple teams have shown interest in Glaus and he could fit in for teams with needs at first base and/or designated hitter. Candidates for such as need include the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.
There are approximately two days left before the August 31st deadline to set post season rosters and many of the contenders are trying to round out their rosters in preparation for a World Series run.
Glaus was placed on the disabled list earlier this month, and is currently on a Minor League rehabilitation assignment where he’s hitting .391 with two home runs and 8 RBIs in six games. He’s hitting .239 with 16 home runs and 70 RBIs with the big league club in 115 games this season. He carries a balance of about $300,000 should a team pick him up for September.
Marlon Byrd wants Chicago Cubs to go after Adam Dunn in off-season
Posted by: | Comments
Chicago Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd is making it public that he wants GM Jim Hendry and the team to go after Adam Dunn this winter, according to ESPN’s Bruce Levine.
“Definitely. You know the guys we’ve lost this year,” Byrd said. “Quality guys like [Ted] Lilly [traded to the Dodgers] and [Derrek Lee [traded to the Braves]. You’re thinking you have to replace those guys. Our clubhouse is good, but we need some athletes out there. I have an idea who they should bring in, the type of players. I think I have an idea of who to bring in to help us win.”
Dunn, currently wrapping up a two-year, $20 million contract with the Washington Nationals has been in talks with his current employer about a potential contract extension, but nothing is imminent. GM Mike Rizzo said he and Dunns’ agents are in communication and continue to discuss a possible deal. If the Nationals offer Dunn arbitration and he declines and they don’t sign him, they will receive two compensatory draft choices.
Last week Dunn mentioned that he likes Chicago and Wrigley Field, and the Cubs are looking for a first baseman, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the two sides talk this winter.
Levine adds the Cubs need more athleticism and left-handed run production. A lead-off man should be a top priority for the team as well.
Join PRO Rumors on ESPN 1420am with The Sports Animals
Posted by: | Comments
Join PRO Rumors on ESPN 1420 AM Honolulu, Hawaii tonight at 8:35pm PST (5:35pm Hawaii Time) with The Sports Animals Chris Hart and Gary Dickman. You can listen live at http://www.espn1420am.com
Happy Sunday! Here are a few bits of news from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe to think about while you have your Sunday morning breakfast:
Cafardo wonders if the injured Jacoby Ellsbury is untradeable as a result of his rib fractures. “He’s obviously a terrific talent and one who is far more valuable to the Red Sox than anyone else, given the circumstances,’’ said an American League executive. “The Ellsbury of a couple of years ago would have been in demand. Now, you can’t justify dealing for a guy who didn’t play 20 games and ended the season injured.’’ Another AL official said teams would deal for him despite the lack of playing time.
Cafardo says the New York Mets may have to do something about manager Jerry Manuel. The team has committed about $140 million for next year already, and with the decline in attendance and murky finances, it will be unclear what GM Omar Minaya will do.
If Roger Clemens is convicted of the perjury charges and has to do prison time, Cafardo says that the Hall of Fame may have to wait or may not be there at all for the pitcher. Local attorney Harry Manion adds, “… 30 years of experience in this field tells me that Roger will be doing time — probably around a year — behind the wall.”
Cafardo wonder if the Atlanta Braves could be a possible suitor for Jonathan Papelbon in the off season.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre will decide around Labor Day whether he wants to manage again, but Cafardo says he’s not likely to stay with the Dodgers. Cafardo says the Cubs make sense.
Three executives Cafardo spoke to this week said Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets is worth trading for. One executive said, “His skills have declined a bit, given the wear and tear the injuries have taken, but he can still play at a pretty high level.’’
The Toronto Blue Jays have not put Scott Downs on trade waivers yet. They feel the longer they go with Downs not on waivers, the better the deal they can consummate before August 31.
If the Dodgers decide to move outfielder Matt Kemp, he should receive a great deal of interest this off season.
Billy Wagner to retire after this season despite $6.5 million guarantee
Posted by: | Comments
Despite triggering his vesting option last night with his 30th save and 50th game finished, Atlanta Braves’ closer Billy Wagner will retire after this season.
“I’m retiring,” the 38-year-old lefty said today, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I don’t know how to say it in a politically correct way, that anybody’s going to believe me.
His $6.5 million option automatically vests by finishing his 50th game, so he’s walking away from a lot of guaranteed money.
Despite putting up very impressive numbers – 1.68 ERA, 30 saves, a .170 opponents’ average, 77 strikeouts and 15 walks in 52 2/3 innings, he’s ready to hang it up to spend more time with his wife and four kids.
“Me and my family have made plans for retirement,” he said. “I don’t need it anymore. I’m tired of the expectations, tired of the criticism, tired of people who never played trying to tell me how to play.
“And I enjoy my family, unlike [some others]. So I want to be there for them. I want to get to see them play ball, and be a dad.”
However, there may be a stipulation for Wagner to change his mind. “[manager Bobby Cox] asked me a couple of times, ‘Are you sure?’ Wagner said, smiling. “I said, well if you don’t retire, I won’t retire.”
Cox will also retire after this season.
16 y.o. Luis Heredia expected to agree with Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday
Posted by: | Comments
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates are “really strong” favorites to land 16-year-old right-handed pitcher Luis Heredia of the Mexican Baseball League.
Kovacevic adds, “barring some drastic change, it is expected that there will be an agreement executed rather quickly between the Pirates, Veracruz and the player. And that agreement most likely will be completed today (Thursday).”
Other teams believed to be interested in Heredia included the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves.
On Tuesday, Kovacevic added that Heredia’s bonus could be in the $2 million – $2.8 million range.
Scouting Report on RHP Robinson Lopez, RHP Ty’Relle Harris and LHP Jeffrey Lorick
Posted by: | Comments
Here’s a quick scouting report on the three pitchers the Chicago Cubs acquired in today’s Derrek Lee. I’ll add more as more information becomes available:
Robinson Lopez: He’s a 6-foot-2, 190 pound 19-year-old right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic. Lopez is 3-8 with a 4.37 ERA for the Low Single-A Rome Braves with a 6.80 SO/9 and 1.37 WHIP.
According to ScoutingTheSally.com, he has showed elite velocity (mid-90’s fastball) and the ability to handle older competition. He works quickly at attacking hitters with a fastball and he can work on either side of the plate. He mixes in the curveball when ahead in the count and rarely throws the changeup in game action.
He has a problem working out from the stretch and his tempo slow significantly with men on base.
Curveball is at 76-78MPH and has a good feel for his changeup.
Ty’Relle Harris: 23-year-old right-handed pitcher who pitched for the University of Tennesee. He’s a big guy at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds. He is a combined 1-2 with a 2.90 ERA in 30 appearances (1 start) in the Minors this season. He has a 10.87 SO/9 and 1.21 WHIP.
Jeff Sullivan of the SBNation says that Harris has a career upside in middle relief.
Harris was accused of assault and vandalism charges while a sophomore pitcher at the University of Pacific in January 2007 and was kicked off the team, according to CBS13 news. The report says that he slapped an 18-year-old female UOP student then broke her house window. Given the information at hand, it’s unknown if he was found guilty of the crime. One reader at Bleed Cubbie Blue found an article by Jason Anderson of the Record.
Harris, speaking publicly for the first time in an exclusive interview with The Record late Monday night, said he received stitches in his hand and wrist after several of the woman’s friends “jumped” him during a party at a north Stockton home.
“The girl got in my face, we started arguing back and forth, and then she slapped me,” Harris said. “All her guy friends jumped on me, and it became a brawl right away. She’s still right there in my face, and I’m just fighting. I’m flailing and swinging and trying to get guys off me, and she got hit with an open hand. I just hit her out of the way.”
Harris combined for a no-hitter in early August when he three 3 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one in his Double-A debut.
Jeffrey Lorick: 22-year-old left-handed pitcher who pitched for the University of Viginia. Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 20th round (598th overall) of the 2009 draft. In 2010, he is a combined 3-6 with a 2.24 ERA in 27 appearances for both the Myrtle Beach and Rome Minor League teams. He has a 7.39 SO/9 and a 1.22 WHIP.
Jeff Sullivan of SBNation says that Lorick “doesn’t have a ton of raw stuff and, as a collegiate arm, has been putting up just average numbers against younger competition.”
When he was drafted by the Braves in 2009, he had a low-90’s fastball.
Rotoworld.com says that Lorick is “far from a “top-of-the-line” pitching prospect at this point.
| Team | Acquires |
| Atlanta Braves | 1B Derrek Lee Cash |
| Chicago Cubs | RHP Robinson Lopez RHP Tyrelle Harris LHP Jeffrey Lorick |
Chicago Cubs trade Derrek Lee to Atlanta Braves for 3 prospects
Posted by: | Comments
8/18 14:25: Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports reports that the deal is done. The Chicago Cubs have traded Derrek Lee and cash to Atlanta Braves for right-handed pitchers Robinson Lopez, Ty’Relle Harris and left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Lorick. All three pitchers were prospects in the Atlanta Braves farm system with no Major League experience.
| Team | Acquires |
| Atlanta Braves | 1B Derrek Lee Cash |
| Chicago Cubs | RHP Robinson Lopez RHP Ty’Relle Harris LHP Jeffrey Lorick |
8/18 14:22: Mark Bowman of MLB.com says the Braves and the Cubs are in the final stages of the deal. Multiple sources are confident the trade will be completed within the next hour or two.
8/18 14:19: Derrek Lee will hold a press conference after the Cubs game, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lee did not play in today’s Cub’s game versus San Diego.
8/18 14:15: David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says a deal for Lee is “imminent.” He adds, it’s “Just a matter of being announced.”
8/18 13:14: Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweets, “derrek lee cleared waivers and can be traded.” Keep in mind that he can still veto petential trades.
8/18 10:10: According to David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com, the Chicago Cubs are close to trading first baseman Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves. Bob Nightengale of USA Today says the deal will finalize this afternoon and Troy Glaus will move to the bench.
The trade was first discussed on Sunday evening between the two teams.
“There’s no reason to speculate,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday morning. “We just have to see what happens. But I wouldn’t put that much credence in rumors until something happens – or (doesn’t). I have no idea.
Lee has 10-5 rights (10 years in the Major Leagues and the last 5 years with the same team) so he has the right to reject a trade. However, sources close to Kaplan says that Lee would be willing to approve a trade because the Braves are leading their division, and it would give him the best shot at winning another World Series ring. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports adds via Twitter that “Lee has signaled willingness to waive no-trade rights.”
Pittsburgh Pirates are strong favorites to land 16 y.o. Luis Heredia
Posted by: | CommentsDejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates are a strong favorite to land Mexican 16-year-old right-hander Luis Heredia.
No formal offers can be entertained by Heredia’s Veracruz team until Thursday per the declaration by the Mexican Baseball League. The Pirates likely won’t be alone in the pursuit of the right-hander. Kovacevic says the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves all scouted Heredia pitching in a tournament for players age 15-16 last week in Mazatlan, Mexico. It won’t be cheap for any of the teams. Some reports have Heredia’s bonus value in the $2 million – $2.8 million range.
Kovacevic points out that the Pirates are heavily invested in the youngster:
- The team has been scouting him since he was 13 years old.
- The team’s Mexican scouting supervisor, Jesus Valdez has known Heredia since he was give and has become a father figure in Heredia’s life.
- The Pirates have close ties to Heredia’s club, Veracruz. Kovacevic says, “In Mexico, a professional team selling a player’s rights keeps 75 percent of the bonus, with the other 25 percent going to the player.”
San Francisco Giants blocking third basemen in waiver process?
Posted by: | Comments
Buster Olney of ESPN says that there is a perception among some general managers that the San Francisco Giants are trying to prevent third basemen from reaching the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves in the waiver process.
Right now players need to clear waivers in order for teams to freely negotiate trade deals. Players such as Geoff Blum of the Houston Astros and Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers are two such players that can traded freely since they both cleared waivers. Olney reported that both players cleared waivers yesterday. (Confused? Check out our guide on making trades this month here.)
Both the Cardinals and Braves are short in third base depth due to injuries to starters David Freese and Chipper Jones, respectively. The Cardinals are said to have Detroit Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge on their radar.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports said the Cardinals asked about Counsell, but backed off.
