Archive for Transactions
Yanks add five as rosters expand
Posted by: | CommentsWith the Major League rosters expanding today, the Yankees have opted to add five players in their initial round of call-ups. While four are familiar faces, one — Michael Dunn — will be making his Bronx debut this month.
Chad Jennings first brought us word of these call-ups this afternoon. As expected, Ramiro Pena, Francisco Cervelli, Mark Melancon and Edwar Ramirez will rejoin this team as well. Jonathan Albaladejo remains the odd man out.
Dunn is an interesting case simply because he has been largely off the Yanks’ radar this year. The other four call-ups have all spent significant time in the Bronx this year, but Dunn has not. Dunn, a lefty, is a 24-year-old pitcher who spent time at AA and AAA this year. On the season, he has thrown 73.1 innings in relief and has 99 strike outs. While he has walked 46, opponents are hitting just .216 against him. He’ll see some low-leverage innings out of the pen and should provide Phil Coke with a few days off. I’ll be curious to see how his K/BB ratio plays among selective hitters in the American League.
For now, these five players will be the only ones summoned to the big leagues for the Yankees. The team is, after all, still involved in a pennant chase and won’t be resting its regulars until much later in the month. Meanwhile, Scranton too is involved in its own pennant chase. The AAA farm club has a 3.5-game lead in its division, and the Yanks won’t strip it of too many regulars before the season is out.
With these five men up, the only remaining members of the 40-man roster eligible for call-ups are as follows:
Jonathan Albaladejo
Andrew Brackman
Anthony Claggett
Wilkin De La Rosa
Christian Garcia
Ian Kennedy
Kevin Cash
Juan Miranda
Shelley Duncan
Brett Gardner
We’ll see Gardner back as soon as his thumb is healed, and we’ll probably see Shelley, Miranda, Claggett and De La Rosa at some point this month too. The rest are injured or not quite ready for the Show.
Update: Feinsand notes that both Shelley Duncan and Austin Jackson could join the team once Scranton is done with its playoff run.
Game 131 Spillover Thread
Posted by: | CommentsSmall trade: the Yanks have acquired lightning quick outfielder Freddy Guzman from the Orioles for a PTBNL. He’s going to Triple-A Scranton, where I assume he’ll serve as an extra body once Sept. callups ransack the roster. He can’t hit, but he’s got 436 steals in 778 minor league games.
Meanwhile, how about this Andy Pettitte fella?
Report: Angels on the verge of landing Kazmir
Posted by: | CommentsMLB.com’s Lyle Spencer is reporting that the Angels are on the verge of acquiring Scott Kazmir for two minor leaguers. Pitcher Alexander Torres and third baseman Matthew Sweeney would head to Tampa. Kazmir is under contract through the 2011 season. He’ll make $8 million next and $12 million in 2011, and the Angels will hold a $13.5 million option or a $2 million buyout for the 2012 season. Reportedly, Kazmir will work out of the pen for the Angels.
This trade confuses me. The Rays are just three games out in the Wild Card and are under no impression to throw in the towel or make this trade now. Perhaps, they are wary of Kazmir’s elbow. Jon Heyman claims it’s about the money. No matter what, though, the October picture could be radically altered by this acquisition. The Angels have long had the Yanks’ number, and this move gives them another left-handed weapon for their pitching staff.
Wagner OK’s trade to Red Sox
Posted by: | CommentsDespite a public tiff with current Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, Billy Wagner is heading to Boston. Despite rumors last night that he would decline the trade, the left-handed reliever, 11 months removed from Tommy John Surgery, has approved a trade to the Red Sox, Jon Heyman reported a few minutes ago. Wagner has looked dominant in his rehab appearances and has thrown two scoreless innings with four strike outs for the Mets this month. The Red Sox will ship two players to be named later to New York and will pay Wagner a little over $3 million — a little over $2 million for this year plus a $1 million buyout for 2010 — for five weeks of regular season pitching.
Last week, I had urged the Yankees to claim Wagner, and in the end, one of the two teams that could block the Yankees from acquiring the lefty did so. While Wagner, poor October track record notwithstanding, is a weapon in any bullpen, I believe the Red Sox made this move as much to block the Yanks as they did to improve their own team. Such are the ways of late-season trade machinations.
The Cody Ransom Era isn’t over quite yet
Posted by: | CommentsA few days ago, while I was away, Mike succinctly summed up my feelings on Cody Ransom. He might be able to jump high, but he’s not really a viable Major Leaguer. Shortly after that post, the Yanks designated Cody Ransom for assignment. According to Chad Jennings, Ransom has cleared waivers and will rejoin AAA Scranton with a minor league contract. Despite the Twitter love for him, no other team in baseball wanted a 33-year-old infielder with a 57 OPS+ and 25 strike outs in 86 plate appearances this year. While some fear we might see him again in the Bronx when rosters expand in three weeks, I don’t see the team clearing a space on the 40-man roster just to call up Ransom on Sept. 1.
Yankees acquire Chad Gaudin
Posted by: | CommentsVia the YES broadcast (Carig confirms), the Yanks acquired Chad Gaudin from the Padres for a player to be named later. Gaudin figures to compete with Sergio Mitre for the fifth starter spot, if not assume it outright. He had a 5.13 ERA in 20 games (19 starts) with San Diego, but his FIP is a much prettier 3.68. Amazingly, Gaudin is only 26 and still has another year of team control left. The PTBNL might be fairly significant (as in not lower level filler).
I’ve been a Gaudin fan since he was with Oakland, so I approve.
Update (10:17pm): Joel Sherman says the Yanks owe Gaudin $650,000 the rest of the year, but tack on another $260,000 to the league for luxury tax.
Update (10:38pm): T-Kep says the plan is for Gaudin to work out of the bullpen, but you have to assume the clock is ticking on Mitre.
Yanks acquire Jerry Hairston Jr.
Posted by: | CommentsYep, that’s the word from Joel Sherman. He’s a righty and plays many positions. Could they turn Shelley around?
Just as some background on Hairston, he’s a 33-year-old utility man, mostly corner OFs, SS, and 3B. Had an excellent season in Cincinnati last year, but ended up overexposed this season and his numbers tumbled. He’d go along well with Ransom as a guy who can play multiple positions.
Yanks acquire Jason Hirsh
Posted by: | CommentsT-Kep has the news. Hirsh, a 27-yr old RHP, was acquired from Colorado for a PTBNL and will report to Triple-A Scranton. Once the Astros top prospect, Hirsh was dealt to Colorado in the Jason Jennings trade a few years back. His numbers playing at altitude the last few years aren’t pretty, the move was made to add a little depth in the upper levels.
Update (6:10pm): Oh, and Brett Tomko was released.
Yanks to face Holliday-less A’s this weekend
Posted by: | CommentsThe rumors had been circulating for a few hours, and now it finally seems official: Matt Holliday is going to the Cardinals for third baseman Brett Wallace, outfielder Shane Peterson and right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen. The Cardinals will also receive $1.5 million from the A’s. So how does this relate to the Yankees? Simple: The Bombers won’t have to face a recently hot Matt Holliday — .330/.402/.536 over his last 26 games — in the remaining contests they have against the A’s this weekend, and that sounds good to me.
Brett Tomko, we hardly knew ye
Posted by: | CommentsAs the Yankees prepare to hand the ball over to Sergio Mitre tonight, the team needs to clear a space on both the 25-man and 40-man rosters. Mercifully, they have opted to designate Brett Tomko for assignment rather than sticking Mark Melancon or David Robertson back on the Scranton shuttle. The Yankees now have ten days to trade the right-hander or else they will release him. Tomko, 36, was 1-2 with a 5.23 ERA in 15 games out of the pen. His tenure on the Yanks won’t be remembered at all.
