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• Coming soon? Veterans with June 1 opt-outs who may force issue

  May 23, 2012 by KenRosenthal

  Trading season is still weeks away, but a flurry of transactions is likely around June 1. A number of veterans on minor-league contracts can ask for their releases if they are not promoted to the majors by that date. They then would become free agents, available to any team.

  The players with June 1 opt-outs include:

  Alfredo Amezaga, IF/OF, Cubs. Super-utility type who has played six positions at Triple A Iowa, including pitcher. Batting .301 with a .786 OPS.

  David Bush, RHP, Phillies. His contract is a little different: The Phillies must promote Bush on June 1 or trade him within 72 hours if another club wants to add him to its 25-man roster. Would Bush qualify for one of the 150 starting jobs in the majors? Well, he’s 4-3 with a 2.73 ERA at Triple A, and has a streak of 16 consecutive scoreless innings.

  Jeff Francis, LHP, Reds. Still does not appear to be pitching well enough to hold a spot in a major-league rotation. Francis had a 3.18 ERA in his first three starts at Triple A Louisville, but a 5.02 ERA in his next six.

  Chuck James, LHP, Mets. Could surface somewhere; left-handed relievers always are in short supply. In 11 appearances for Triple A Buffalo, James has a 1.93 ERA.

  Ross Ohlendorf, RHP, Red Sox. Not exactly pressing the issue: Ohlendorf is 3-3 with a 4.64 ERA in eight starts.

  Oliver Perez, LHP, Mariners. Impressive strikeout rate of 13.1 per nine innings as a reliever, but as usual the rest of his game is suspect. Perez also is averaging 6.1 walks per nine, and his WHIP is a whopping 1.887.

  Doug Slaten, LHP, Pirates. The Pirates, leading the NL in bullpen ERA, might not need Slaten, but some other team almost certainly would want him. Slaten, the closer at Triple A Indianapolis, has a 0.40 ERA and 0.806 WHIP and has yet to allow an extra-base hit in 22 1/3 innings.

  — Ken Rosenthal

   

   

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• Rockies planning to shake up bench

  May 26, 2011 by KenRosenthal

   

  The Rockies, dissatisfied with the lack of athleticism, plan to shake up their bench, major-league sources say.

   

  The players most in jeopardy: Infielders Alfredo Amezaga and Jose Lopez.

   

  The Triple A players who could inject the most energy and speed: Infielders Eric Young Jr. and Chris Nelson.

   

  It is not known whether the Rockies intend to make one move or two. But the team became less athletic after it demoted third baseman Ian Stewart to Triple A.

   

  Lopez, signed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract, has a minor-league option remaining, but his five-plus years of major-league service gives him the right to reject any demotion and become a free agent. If he chose that route, he likely would clear waivers and sign a Triple A contract with another club.

   

  Lopez, who has a .525 OPS in 128 plate appearances, is generating minimal trade interest, sources say. The Rockies would be responsible for the balance of his salary regardless of whether he stayed in the organization.

   

  Amezaga, who did not play in the majors last season after undergoing microfracture knee surgery, signed with the Rockies as a minor-league free agent. He, too, would be exposed to waivers if the team tried to send him to the minors.

   

  Young currently is batting .363 for Colorado Springs with a 1.006 OPS and 17 stolen bases in 18 attempts. Nelson is batting .312 with an .853 OPS.

   

  -Ken Rosenthal

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