According to a report from Dave Cameron, Major League Baseball and the Players Association closed a loophole in the rules and beginning this year teams will be able to trade players selected in the most recent draft the day after the conclusion of the World Series.
In what will be known and labeled as the Trea Turner Rule, teams received an email Friday that a change to the rule where teams could not trade a player selected in the draft until 12 months after he signed. As of this year “players selected in the Draft may be traded beginning on the day following the conclusion of the World Series” and drafted players cannot be used as players to be named later (PTBNL) in order to complete a trade.
From Dave Cameron: “Please be advised that the Commissioner’s Office and the Players Association have agreed to amend the Major League Rules in advance of this year’s Rule 4 Draft with respect to players-to-be-named-later (“PTBNLs”) under Rule 12(e)(2), and the trading of draft picks under Rule 3(b)(6). …commencing with players eligible for the 2015 Rule 4 Draft, (a) players selected in the Draft may be traded beginning on the day following the conclusion of the World Series, and (b) drafted players cannot be PTBNLs unless they otherwise could be traded pursuant to Rule 3(b)(6), as amended, at the time of the trade.”
The change is a positive step forward for Major League Baseball. Draft picks should be allowed to be traded, but at least now players like Trea Turner will not have their development and careers put on hold.
Grant Balfour
Veteran right hander Grant Balfour re-signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. Balfour inked a minor league deal with Tampa and will report to Triple-A Durham to “try to get straightened out.”
Grant Balfour told Marc Topkin he would like get back to the majors with the Rays. But if it doesn’t look like he will get a shot, he will opt out of his contract and “go elsewhere.”
Jon Lester
Jon Lester called Friday a big day for him after he picked up his first win with the Cubs. Lester would have liked to have gotten his first victory out of the way before May 1. Lester added Friday’s victory would be celebrated, but as of Saturday “it’s right back to work to look forward to the next one.”
Friday was the 30th start of Lester’s career in which he completed at least seven innings and did not allow a run.
The Cubs celebrated the win in the clubhouse with the new disco that is run by Anthony Rizzo, and was purchased by the front office with full support of Joe Maddon and the coaching staff.
Tsuyoshi Wada
LHP Tsuyoshi Wada is scheduled to make his fourth rehab start Saturday night for Iowa. Wada spent time Wednesday at Wrigley and threw a bullpen under the watchful eye of Cubs’ pitching coach Chris Bosio. The Cubs wanted to check his mechanics before he continued his rehab assignment with the I-Cubs.
In three rehab starts, Wada is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP. Wada has allowed 10 runs, nine earned, on 22 hits with seven walks and 12 strikeouts in 15 innings.
Dallas Beeler
RHP Dallas Beeler made his second rehab start on Friday night for Iowa. Beeler struggled in his second start of the season. Beeler was on a strict pitch count. Marty Pevey was hoping for five innings out of Beeler on Friday night.
In 3 1/3 innings Friday night, Beeler gave up three runs, one earned, on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Beeler threw 70 pitches, 39 strikes.
Rob Manfred
Commissioner Rob Manfred spent time Friday at Wrigley Field and talked to both the Cubs and Brewers prior to the game. Manfred also made the media rounds. Manfred spoke with the reporters and was on the Comcast SportsNet telecast with Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies for a half inning. And Commissioner Manfred also talked to Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer on WBBM-780.
Commissioner Manfred discussed pace-of-play, Wrigley Field, the Kris Bryant situation and MLB’s youth initiative.
The Commissioner was asked about the investigation the league conducted into the tampering allegations the Rays filed for the Cubs hiring Joe Maddon. Manfred said MLB conducted “a very thorough investigation” one that was “probably the most thorough investigation that had ever been done of tampering in Major League Baseball and at the end of the day, there was no finding of a violation.”
Here are three reports from Commissioner Manfred’s day at Wrigley Field:
- The Sun-Times – Manfred Surprised by Controversy Around Kris Bryant
- ESPN Chicago – Wrigley Field Inconveniences Worth It
- The Tribune – Commissioner Rob Manfred on Kris Bryant Debate, Empty Ballpark and Wrigley Restroom Fiasco
News, Notes and Rumors
• RHP Blake Parker is in Arizona at the Cubs’ facility in Mesa receiving treatment for his elbow issue according to a report from the Des Moines Register.
• INF Javier Baez is getting back in the swing of things in Triple-A according to a report from Comcast SportsNet.
• Danny Murphy is the youngest player to hit a home run for the Cubs’ franchise. Murphy was 18 years old when he hit his first home run on Sept. 13, 1960.
• Phil Cavarretta was responsible for two 1-0 Cubs wins before he turned 20 years old. According to Christopher Kamka, Cavarretta went deep on Sept. 25, 1934 at the age of 18 and one year later, Sept. 25, 1935, Cavarretta hit a solo homer for the only run of the game as a 19-year old.
• While so much was made about Addison Russell being the youngest player in the National League after he went deep for the first time in his career on Friday afternoon, it seems like an appropriate time to post a reminder that Starlin Castro was 20 years old when he hit his first Major League homer on May 7, 2010.
• And speaking of Starlin Castro, he leads all Major League shortstops with 29 hits this season and he has not gone hitless in back-to-back games.
• David Ross is the only player in the majors this season with at least three extra basehits and no singles. Ross has hit his third double Friday afternoon.
• According to Bob Nightengale, the Brewers are letting teams know “they will make their veterans available on the trade market.” Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza and Aramis Ramirez could be dealt. Jim Bowden thinks Kyle Lohse would make sense for the Cardinals. Jon Heyman reported, according to Hardball Talk, that Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura, Khris Davis, Gerardo Parra and Francisco Rodriguez could also help other teams.
• The Cubs were one of MLB’s surprises in April … and the Cubs are for real according to David Schoenfield.
And last, but not least, as was shown during Friday’s telecast, Wrigley Field is really taking shape. The bleachers are being installed in left field and there was a small section painted green. The Budweiser sign in right field was placed in its permanent location atop the right field video board.
This Day In Cubstory
2008 – Cubs granted free agency to Juan Mateo
2005 – Cubs signed free agent Trent Hubbard
2005 – Cubs released Angel Echevarria
2001 – Cubs released Brian Banks
1986 – Cubs signed free agent Terry Francona
1985 – Jose Ascanio, born
1976 – Jose Cardenal recorded six hits (four singles, a double and a home run) and drove in four runs, including the game winner, as the Cubs topped the Giants 6-5 in 14 innings at San Francisco.
1975 – Cubs traded Burt Hooton to the Dodgers for Eddie Solomon and Geoff Zahn
1958 – Down 7-0 after six innings, the Cubs rallied and beat the Braves 8-7 on two Moose Moryn homers. The winning home run came off Dick Littlefield in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field.
1956 – Third baseman Don Hoak struck out six times in a 6-5 loss to the Giants in 17 innings. The two teams used 48 players, 25 by the Giants and 23 by the Cubs.
1954 – Keith Moreland, born
1950 – Cubs purchased Lou Klein from the Reds
1948 – Cubs purchased Jeff Cross from the Cardinals
1948 – Rookie outfielder Hal Jeffcoat hit two doubles in the eighth inning and the Cubs scored seven runs in route to a 13-4 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis. Peanuts Lowrey went 4-for-5 and Bob Chipman picked up the win in relief.
1917 – Hippo Vaughn and Fred Toney of the Reds pitched a double no-hitter for nine innings at Wrigley Field. The Reds won the game 1-0 on two hits in the 10th inning. Jim Thorpe drove in the only run of the game.
1901 – The Orphans purchased Rube Waddell from the Pirates
1899 – Gale Staley, born
1896 – Bill Piercy, born
1886 – Larry Cheney, born
1876 – Ross Barnes hit the first home run in National League history, an inside the park homer off Bill Cherokee in Cincinnati in a 15-9 victory over the Reds.