Blue Jays Sign Franklin Barreto

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The Blue Jays have signed Venezuelan shortstop/centerfielder Franklin Barreto, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.  The 5'9", 175-pound prospect is Baseball America's top-ranked international prospect in the July 2nd class.  Terms of the deal are not yet known but Barreto had been expected to sign with the Blue Jays for nearly $2MM.

Badler writes that few amateurs have ever matched the 16-year-old's history of dominance representing Venezuela in international competitions.  Several teams had Barreto as the No. 1 player on their board and some scouts project him as a future plus hitter.  Most teams, however, don't expect him to stick and shortstop and expect to see him wind up in centerfield.

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Quick Hits: Jon Daniels, Cole Hamels, Matt Kemp

« Week In Review: 6/24/12 - 6/30/12 | Main | Blue Jays Sign Franklin Barreto »

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has delivered three game-winning RBIs in his five games since being called up from Triple-A last week. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the big leagues...

• The Rangers will take a business-as-usual approach to the upcoming trade deadline meaning Jon Daniels and his associates plan to consider the best players available, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Daniels hopes his team will benefit from getting four pitchers back from the disabled list before the end of the month. "... I'm hoping we're not big players at the deadline. Hopefully, we get our guys back, get healthy and stay healthy. That's the biggest thing."
• The Phillies will make at least one more attempt to sign Cole Hamels to a long-term contract before the team fully commits to dealing the left-hander, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). As mentioned earlier today, opposing clubs believe Philadelphia has an asking price of four to five prospects for Hamels, which makes a deal unlikely at this point. The 28-year-old was selected for his third All-Star team on Sunday after posting a 3.08 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 through 16 starts this season.
• Dodgers star Matt Kemp remains confident in his team's ability to be successful on the field after Los Angeles' deal with the Astros for Carlos Lee fell through on Sunday, says Alex Angert of MLB.com. "It's always good to get people to make your team better," Kemp said. "I don't know exactly what people think we need. We did a great job with what we have here. If we get somebody, that's good. But if we don't, it keeps going on and we have to keep playing the way we have in the first half."
• The Rays, depleted by a series of injuries, will determine how they approach the trade deadline based upon the health of Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. If Longoria and Joyce return from the disabled list shortly after the All-Star break, it would free up the Rays to bolster their weak spots at catcher and shortstop. More likely, Tampa Bay will pursue an offensive weapon that adds power to the lineup, such as Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who leads the big leagues with 15 home runs since May 15.

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Int'l Signings: Castro, Almonte, Pujols

« Blue Jays Sign Franklin Barreto | Main

The 2012 international free agent signing period opened today and plenty of signings will be coming in as teams look to spend within their $2.9MM allotment.  We'll be keeping track of all of the day's major agreements under $1MM right here. 

• The Blue Jays signed Venezuelan shortstop Luis Castro, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.  The 16-year-old right-handed hitter, ranked No. 9 by Baseball America, marks the second major signing by the Blue Jays this morning, who also inked Venezuelan prospect Franklin Barreto.  Terms of the Castro deal are not yet known but it could not be for more than ~$900K if Barreto's is worth roughly $2MM, as reported.
• The Red Sox signed Dominican right-hander Jose Almonte for $610K, according to Badler.  Almonte was BA's No. 17 international prospect for July 2 and is said to have a loose delivery and good projection.
• The Phillies signed Dominican corner outfielder Jose Pujols for $540K, Badler writes.  The 16-year-old is lanky at 6'4", 175 pounds but already has plenty of power and obviously has time to fill out.  The Phillies were believed to have the most interest in Pujols heading into today.

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Rosenthal On Victorino, Red Sox, Braves, Brewers

« Carlos Lee Rumors: Saturday | Main | Phillies Notes: Fire Sale, Amaro, Hamels »

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count video up, so let's round up the rumors...

• The chances of the Phillies trading Shane Victorino may be greater than the chances of them trading Cole Hamels. The Dodgers, Reds, and possibly the Yankees could be fits for the outfielder, who originally asked Philadelphia for a five-year extension. They're unwilling to give him a contract that long.
• The Red Sox are likely to be one of the most active teams at the trade deadline. If they keep Franklin Morales in the rotation, they're likely to seek another left-hander for the bullpen. They could also acquire a starter and shift Morales back into a relief role.
• The Braves are not as adamant about not trading their top young pitchers as they were at this time last year mostly because there are more appealing choices on the market. They're looking for consistency and could part with one of Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, or Randall Delgado if they view someone like Matt Garza as a difference-maker.
• The Brewers remain more likely to sell than not, but they would still like to return to contention quickly. They could ask for big league pitching instead of prospects for Zack Greinke, plus Francisco Rodriguez figures to have value on the trade market. GM Doug Melvin is getting calls about John Axford and Jose Veras, and the trio of Randy Wolf, George Kottaras, and Shaun Marcum (if healthy) remain trade bait.

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Phillies Notes: Fire Sale, Amaro, Hamels

« Rosenthal On Victorino, Red Sox, Braves, Brewers | Main | Minor Moves: Shane Lindsay, Daryl Jones »

Earlier tonight the Phillies traded Jim Thome to the Orioles for a pair of Single-A prospects. Here's the latest from the City of Brotherly Love...

• The Phillies are not yet ready to start a full-scale fire sale according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The Thome deal figures to be the first in a series of moves, however.
• GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters (including MLB.com's Todd Zolecki) that they'll get both Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard back in the coming weeks, and the duo will be "pretty big factors" in the club's trade deadline plans.
• When asked if the team's losing would impact his upcoming free agent decision, Cole Hamels told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he's not thinking about it (Twitter link). The Phillies went 9-19 in June.
• Earlier tonight we heard that the Rangers are scouting Hamels, but that the Phillies trading Shane Victorino may be more likely.

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Minor Moves: Shane Lindsay, Daryl Jones

« Phillies Notes: Fire Sale, Amaro, Hamels | Main

Here are Saturday's minor moves...

• The White Sox have signed Shane Lindsay according to the MLB.com transactions page. The 27-year-old right-hander signed with the Cubs last month but only made three appearances in their farm system before being released. Lindsay has allowed eight runs in six career big league innings, all coming with the ChiSox last year.
• The Reds have released Daryl Jones according to the International League transactions page. The 25-year-old outfielder hit .187/.282/.363 in 104 Triple-A plate appearances this season. Baseball America ranked Jones as the fourth best prospect in the Cardinals system prior to the 2010 season.

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Quick Hits: Thome, Blue Jays, Oliver, Orioles

« Dodgers, Astros Discussing Trade | Main | Dodgers To Sign Corey Seager »

Links as Friday turns into Saturday..

• As the Phillies look for a place to move Jim Thome, the Rays and Yankees not interested, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  Olney speculates (Twitter link) that the Orioles and Rangers could be solid fits for the veteran.
• Darren Oliver may be a name to watch for the 'Angels' if the 'Blue Jays' decide to be sellers at the deadline, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
• The Orioles' have agreed in principle with three of their top seven picks, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  Second-round selection Branden Kline, Christian Walker (fourth), and Matthew Price (seven) all signed for their slot recommendation.

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