This time: Aug. 7-13

Here we present official minor league transactions, conveyed to us by Major League Baseball, for the period Aug. 7-13.

Any player listed with an asterisk (*) signed a minor league contract with the organization after being removed from the 40-man roster and clearing waivers.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Signed: RHP Brett Tomko (released by Reds), 3B Matt Mangini (released by Rays)
Released: RHP Gaby Hernandez
Acquired: 2B Tyler Kuhn from White Sox for cash considerations
Recalled: RHP Brad Bergesen, RHP Bryan Shaw
Added to 40-man roster: 2B Jake Elmore
Removed from 40-man: LHP Mike Zagurski (outrighted to Triple-A)

Atlanta Braves
Signed: RHP Jordany Santana
Released: OF Chase Larsson
Placed on 7-day DL: C Christian Bethancourt, C Braeden Schlehuber, OF Tim Smith
Reinstated from DL: RHP Caleb Brewer, OF Chase Larsson

Baltimore Orioles
Signed: LHP Ronald Schreurs (NDFA—Broward (Fla.) CC)
Released: RHP Ken Wise
Traded: SS Carlos Rojas to Indians for LHP J.C. Romero
Recalled: RHP Steve Johnson, RHP Miguel Socolovich
Added to 40-man roster: SS Manny Machado
Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Steve Johnson, RHP Miguel Socolovich, LHP Zach Britton
Removed from 40-man: OF Endy Chavez (outrighted to Triple-A)
Placed on 7-day DL: 1B Christian Walker, OF Travis Adair, OF Trent Mummey
Placed on 60-day DL: 1B Nik Balog
Reinstated from DL: RHP David Baker, RHP Jaime Esquivel, LHP Jorge Rivera, C Chris Robinson

With the Orioles in the thick of the wild-card chase, they probably would have called up Manny Machado when rosters expand in September—so why not bring him up a few weeks early when he's clearly seeing the ball well with Double-A Bowie? (The 20-year-old batted .275/.365/.505 with 11 extra-base hits and 11 walks in 25 games since the Eastern League all-star game, and he led off last week's Prospect Hot Sheet.) That line of thinking has paid off for Machado and the Orioles, as the young infielder kicked off his career by batting 6-for-16 with three homers, a double and a triple in a four-game set against the Royals. [...] Continue Reading »

The prospect buzz surrounding Trevor Bauer has quieted since his demotion to Triple-A Reno in mid-July, and that's understandable given his four-start stumble with the Diamondbacks produced a 6.06 ERA. The 21-year-old Bauer has gone 4-1, 2.85 in 11 starts for Reno, a performance that seems nice, if unspectacular—until you factor in Pacific Coast League context.

You see, Reno does not play in a typical home park. Aces Ballpark is one of the most offensive locales in all of the minors, and Reno has averaged 6.9 runs per game in four seasons since moving to Reno.

When Reno hits the road, playing mostly in the still-quite-offensive Western portion of the PCL, they have averaged 4.9 runs per game, or two fewer than their home output. Over the past four years, Aces hitters have received a big boost across the board—40 points in average, 48 points in on-base percentage and 83 points in slugging—when playing at home compared with the league's other 15 parks. [...] Continue Reading »

The Diamondbacks have signed Jose Ordaz, a lefthanded outfielder from Venezuela.

Ordaz, who turned 16 on Saturday, has an athletic 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame and a broad skill set, including a solid hitting approach for his age and a good swing plane that helps him hit to all fields with gap power. He doesn't have one major carrying tool, but he has a chance to stay in center field with a possible solid-average or better arm once he gains strength.

Ordaz trained at the academy of former big leaguer Carlos Guillen, whose other players this year have included righthander Jose Mujica and catcher David Rodriguez (both signed with the Rays) and outfielder Alexander Palma, who signed with the Yankees.

The Diamondbacks have been busier than usual since the 2012-13 international signing period opened on July 2. Arizona also signed Dominican shortstop Sergio Alcantara (the No. 18 international prospect for July 2), Dominican outfielder Ismael Pena, Colombian catcher Osvaldo Garcia and Dominican shortstop Fernery Ozuna.

The Mariners have signed Brazilian lefthander Luiz Gohara, the No. 7 international prospect for July 2.

Gohara, who turned 16 on July 31, is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and some teams felt he was the top pitching prospect available in this year's international signing class. Gohara throws a fastball that has touched 94 mph along with a quality slider. He has represented Brazil at multiple international tournaments, including one this month in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Baseball America subscribers can access a complete scouting report on Gohara.

The White Sox have agreed to terms with Victor Done, a 16-year-old righthander from the Dominican Republic.

Done is 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with a solid delivery for his age and a fastball that has reached 91 mph. He has flashed a sharp 74-78 mph curveball that's ahead of his changeup right now. Done is from Villa Mella and trained with Tomas Giron.

The White Sox have significantly increased their international presence over the last year. Since July 2, they have also landed Dominican corner outfielder Hanlet Otano, Dominican shortstop Johan Cruz and Dominican third baseman Luis Castillo.

Two more minor league players have run afoul of baseball's drug prevention and treatment program, each earning 50-game suspensions after testing positive for banned substances.

Twins minor league catcher Michael Quesada batted .234/.329/.313 in 64 at-bats for Rookie-level Elizabethton this season prior to testing positive for Methylhexaneamine. Minnesota selected him from Sierra (Calif.) JC in the 24th round of the 2010 draft.

Released by the Giants on July 18, free agent third baseman John Eshleman tested positive for metabolites of Nandrolone (commonly sold as Deca-Durabolin) and will sit out 50 games without pay if and when he signs with another organization. He batted .211/.274/.246 in 57 at-bats for low Class A Augusta this season. Eshleman he joined the Giants as an 11th-round pick from Mount San Jacinto (Calif.) JC in 2009.

The Yankees have signed two Nicaraguan lefthanders, including Corby McCoy, one of the top pitchers from the country for this year's July 2 class.

McCoy, a 16-year-old who signed for $150,000, is 6-foot-3, 170 pounds with an athletic, projectable body. His velocity has been inconsistent, ranging from 85-88 mph for some teams, but more recently he has touched as high as 91. McCoy also throws a breaking ball that's in its nascent stages.

The Yankees also signed 16-year-old Luis Garcia, whose bonus is under $50,000 and will likely be used as one of the exemptions every team gets under its $2.9 million international bonus pool for six players of $50,000 or less. Garcia is a raw, projectable lefty with a 6-foot-4, 185-pounds frame and an 85-88 mph fastball.

McCoy and Garcia both trained with Hubert Silva.

The Yankees have already signed Venezuelan catcher Luis Torrens ($1.3 million), Venezuelan outfielder Alexander Palma ($800,000) and Dominican shortstop Yancarlos Baez ($650,000), so the McCoy signing puts them at exactly $2.9 million between those four players. Unless the Yankees decide to dramatically exceed their bonus pool and pay a heavy penalty, the McCoy signing may be the last significant international amateur deal for the Yankees until July 2, 2013.

• Presented here are the top pitcher game scores from weekend series. Any prospect with a game score of 65 or higher is displayed.

• Giants righty Chris Heston turned in his finest start of the season for Double-A Richmond on Sunday, and that's saying something considering the fact that he's the Eastern League's ERA leader at 2.20. The 24-year-old took a no-hitter through 7 2/3 innings, losing the bid on a single by Bowie third baseman Zelous Wheeler, and tied his season high with 11 strikeouts. Heston missed two starts in late July with a blister on his middle finger, but his August results suggest he's feeling fine.

• The Mets received just six starts out of righty Jake deGrom during his first two pro seasons, but the former two-way standout at Stetson has made up significant ground this season to get back on track. The 2010 ninth-rounder missed all of ’11 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he jumped to high Class A for his start on Saturday after going 6-3, 2.51 in 15 starts for low Class A Savannah. DeGrom allowed only one hit in seven innings while striking out eight in his Florida State League debut. [...] Continue Reading »

Major League Baseball announced 50-game suspensions for Braves righthander Darrel Leiva and Phillies righthander Gabriel Bermudez after both of them tested positive for steroids.

Leiva, 18, tested positive for metabolites of both Stanozolol (commonly sold as Winstrol) and Nandrolone (commonly sold as Deca-Durabolin), both anabolic steroids. Leiva signed with the Braves out of Nicaragua last year in July for $120,000–Atlanta's sixth-highest international signing bonus in 2011–and was pitching in the Dominican Summer League. Leiva threw 87-89 mph when he signed but has increased his fastball to the low-90s, complementing it with a curveball. He throws strikes but had a 5.27 ERA in 13 2/3 innings over eight relief appearances with four walks and nine strikeouts this year.

Bermudez, 19, tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol. He had been pitching in the Venezuelan Summer League, where he had a 5.40 ERA in six relief appearances over 10 innings with nine walks and two strikeouts.

Major League Baseball handed down 50-game suspensions without pay to three minor league players that resulted from failed drug tests. 

• Most notably, Pirates low Class A West Virginia lefty Zack Dodson incurred his penalty after a second violation for what the game's Joint Drug Agreement classifies as a drug of abuse. Pittsburgh signed Dodson, a fourth-round selection in 2009, away from a Baylor commitment with a $600,000 bonus, though he hasn't developed as quickly as the organization had hoped.

In his second crack at the South Atlantic League, Dodson went 6-6, 4.86 through 21 starts with an uninspiring 67-to-40 strikeout-to-walk ratio (with a scouting report to match) in 100 innings. The 22-year-old's changeup has been his best pitch as a pro, but he'll need to add power to a mid- to high-80s fastball and soft curveball to find success at higher levels. [...] Continue Reading »

The Red Sox have signed Dedgar Jimenez, a 16-year-old Venezuelan lefthander, for $175,000.

Jimenez has an extra-large, David Wells-type frame listed at 6-foot-3, 254 pounds. He has represented Venezuela at international youth tournaments since he was 10, joining players like Blue Jays shortstop Franklin Barreto and Yankees catcher Luis Torrens on several travel teams.

There aren't many pitchers who are built like Jimenez at 16, but his tournament experience is evident on the mound. Jimenez shows good pitchability for his age with a fastball up to 88-89 mph and flashes feel to spin a curveball. 

Jimenez, who is from Portuguesa, trained with Felix Olivo and had also been working out in the Dominican Republic at La Academia.

Update, Aug. 13: While Jimenez was listed at 254 pounds at a Major League Baseball showcase in February, I have heard that he's since trimmed down to about 230 pounds upon signing.

Xander Bogaerts may only be 19, but the Red Sox shortstop on his way to Double-A Portland, according to high Class A Salem Red Sox announcer Evan Lepler.

The only player in the Eastern League who will be younger than Bogaerts is newly-promoted Orioles righthander Dylan Bundy, who was born a month after Bogaerts. The only other player in all of Double-A younger than Bogaerts or Bundy is Rangers 19-year-old shortstop Jurickson Profar.

Yet despite his youth, Bogaerts has proven himself ready to make the jump. Bogaerts hit .301/.376/.505 in 103 games for Salem with 15 homers, 42 walks and 85 strikeouts. Like Profar, Bogaerts was an international signing in 2009 who has moved quickly through the minors. While it's likely that Bogaerts may have to slide over to third base, he has plenty of offensive upside for the position, with an advanced bat for his age, terrific bat speed and impressive raw power to all fields. As well as Will Middlebrooks has played this year, there are still plenty of scouts who see Bogaerts having even more potential at the plate.

Billy Hamilton is getting closer and closer to becoming the first minor leaguer to break a significant minor league single-season record in 29 years. Here's a look at the players he's chasing and the ones he's already passed.

Four teenagers from the Dominican Summer League have been suspended 50 games each after testing positive for steroids.

MLB announced the suspensions of the following players:

• Mets RHP Nicolas Debora, an 18-year-old who tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid commonly sold as Winstrol.

• Cubs LHP Andin Diaz, a 19-year-old who tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.

• Yankees LHP Carlos Diaz, a 17-year-old who tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.

• Royals RHP Jose Geraldo, a 17-year-old who tested positive for a stack of Stanzolol and Nanrdolone, an anabolic steroid often sold as Deca-Durabolin.

Here we present official minor league transactions, conveyed to us by Major League Baseball, for the period Aug. 2-6.

Any player listed with an asterisk (*) signed a minor league contract with the organization after being removed from the 40-man roster and clearing waivers.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Signed: C B.J. Lopez (NDFA—Grand Street Campus HS, Brooklyn)
Recalled: LHP Pat Corbin
Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Brad Bergesen

Pat Corbin excelled during his optional assignment to Triple-A Reno in July, notching a 2.40 ERA and 22-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 15 innings in starts in Tucson, Las Vegas and Reno. He's made two starts since rejoining the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs in 12 innings whiles striking out 12.

Atlanta Braves
Signed: RHP Wes Parsons (NDFA—Jackson State (Tenn.) CC)
Released: LHP Chris Masters
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Cody Martin
Reinstated from DL: RHP Peter Moylan, OF David Rohm [...] Continue Reading »

The Orioles are promoting Dylan Bundy to Double-A Bowie, but that news is fairly small compared to the announcement the Orioles made tonight that they plan to promote shortstop Manny Machado to the major leagues tomorrow.

Machado, who turned 20 last month, was the third overall pick in the draft out of high school two years ago and has hit .266/.352/.438 in 109 games this season for Double-A Bowie. Machado has hit especially well lately. Since the all-star break, he's posted a .275/.365/.505 line with four homers, 11 walks and 15 strikeouts in 104 plate appearances.

There's plenty to be excited about with Machado, the No. 9 prospect in baseball. He's a potential all-star who earns future plus grades for both his hit tool and his power from scouts. He has a knack for putting the barrel to the ball, with the hand-eye coordination to make contact even if he gets caught out front against offspeed stuff. He may end up outgrowing shortstop as he continues to fill out, but he has the tools to handle the position for now.

Still, the decision to bring Machado to Baltimore is surprising. With 51 games left in the season, it's a small enough sample size that the range of outcomes for Machado the rest of the way is extremely wide. Machado has shown a tendency to get pull-conscious at times, but if he can maintain the approach he's shown recently hitting the ball to all fields, he may be able to hold his own. If not, he probably won't swing and miss too much, but it's fair to wonder what kind of immediate impact he can have considering he hasn't dominated the Eastern League for more than a brief stretch.

Machado's debut will be exciting, especially with the Orioles still in contention. The ceiling here is still a future star, but the immediate expectations just have to be tempered.

• Presented here are the top pitcher game scores from weekend series. Any prospect with a game score of 65 or higher is displayed.

• A number of top pitching prospects experienced a weekend of personal bests. Diamondbacks lefty Tyler Skaggs shut out Omaha for seven innings on Friday, striking out nine in a road start, to establish his top game score (79) at the Triple-A level. He shut out Salt Lake for seven innings at home in Reno on July 13, a performance that certainly scores higher on the degree-of-difficulty scale.

• Marlins righty Jose Fernandez has logged exactly five innings in each of his seven starts for high Class A Jupiter, but his effort on Sunday registered the best game score (69).

• Cardinals righty Shelby Miller matched his season-best game score (69) for Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, striking out eight Fresno batters, walking none and allowing two runs in seven innings of the road start. Miller has gone 3-1, 2.79 with a 25-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last five starts, good for an average game score of 59. He had averaged 44 in the 17 starts leading up to that point. [...] Continue Reading »

Dominican third baseman Juan Carlos Arias has failed his age investigation, according to a major league source.

Major League Baseball has declared Arias, who has presented himself as a 16-year-old born Sept. 16, 1995, ineligible to sign for one year. He will be eligible to sign on June 12, 2013, which means he will still be eligible to sign during the 2012-13 international signing period window. Arias did pass the league's investigation into his identity, although Baseball America could not verify whether the league made a determination on what it believes is Arias' true age.

Arias, who is from San Pedro de Macoris and trains with Alfredo Arias, is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and stood out for his strength and raw power, though scouts have said he's had trouble getting to his power in games and will have to put in work to stay at third base.

Here we present official minor league transactions, conveyed to us by Major League Baseball, for the period July 24-Aug. 1.

For more on the July 31 trade deadline please see Trade Central, which has *free* scouting reports on *all* prospects involved in trades, a summary of trade imports/exports for all 30 clubs and Jim Callis' summation of the top prospects traded.

Arizona Diamondback
Released: RHP Cesse DeJesus, 2B Rusty Ryal
Traded: 3B Ryan Roberts to Rays for 2B Tyler Bortnick
Traded: OF Bobby Borchering and OF Marc Krauss to Astros for 3B Chris Johnson
Removed from 40-man: RHP Yonata Ortega (outrighted to Double-A)
Reinstated from DL: RHP Cesse DeJesus, OF Tyler Graham, OF Kyle Greene

Atlanta Braves
Signed: RHP Miguel Batista (released by Mets), 2B Rusty Ryal (released by Diamondbacks), OF Emmanuel Alvarez, OF Josh Kroeger (released by Red Sox), OF Juan Puello
Released: RHP Eric Junge, RHP Charlie Robertson, 2B Lance Zawadzki
Traded: OF Christian Marrero to Pirates for 2B Brian Friday
Recalled: RHP Cory Gearrin
Optioned to Triple-A: OF Jose Constanza
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Caleb Brewer, RHP Peter Moylan, OF Jordan Parraz, OF David Rohm
Reinstated from DL: RHP Juan Jaime, C Evan Gattis, 1B Chris Garcia

The Braves' acquisition of Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm from the Cubs pushed Jose Constanza to Triple-A and Kris Medlen to the bullpen. [...] Continue Reading »

Four years after he signed for the then-largest international amateur signing bonus ever, Michael Ynoa has made it out of the Arizona League.

The 20-year-old righthander gave up three runs, two of them earned, to Hudson Valley in 2 1/3 innings of work for short-season Vermont. After giving up one run in the first, Ynoa's biggest mistake was a two-run home run by Charlie Valerio in the third that ended his night. He walked two and failed to strike anyone out.

"It's been four years, and it was truly his first time under the lights and in front of a crowd," Vermont manager Rick Magnante said Thursday. "He did nothing you could hang your hat on that wasn't positive. He did it easy and there were no physical glitches." [...] Continue Reading »