May 2015 - Baseball Wiretap

Twins Promote Top Prospect Max Kepler
Max Kepler joined the Twins on Tuesday for their game against the Indians, the day after Kepler helped lead Chattanooga to the Southern League championship.

Associated Press

Alderson Defends Harvey, Says It's 'Unfair To Put' Saga On Pitcher
Sandy Alderson has come out in defense of Matt Harvey, who has taken a lot of criticism for plans to limit his innings as the Mets race towards the postseason.

Joe Trezza/MLB

Maddon: AC/DC 'Totally Messed Up Our Infield'
Joe Maddon complained about conditions in the infield at Wrigley Field after a recent concert.

Jesse Rogers/ESPN

Dallas Keuchel Improves To 14-0 At Home
Dallas Keuchel allowed just one run in 7 2/3 innings against the Angels at Minute Maid Park on Monday night, improving his home record to 14-0 with a 1.47 ERA.

David Schoenfield/ESPN

Red Sox To Interview Quinton McCracken For GM Role
Ben Cherington stepped down as Boston's GM when Dave Dombrowski was hired as president last month.

Jeff Passan/Yahoo! Sports

MLB Shortens Signing Timeline For Cuban Players
Overall, the league has granted exemptions to a dozen total players, according to a report by Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.

Jeff Todd/MLB Trade Rumors

Odubel Herrera Benched By Phillies For Not Hustling
Odubel Herrera was taken out of the game and benched Sunday for pouting and not hustling by manager Pete Mackanin.

ESPN

Indians Leaders Draw Up Accountability 'Contract' For Team
Corey Kluber, Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis and Yan Gomes created the contract and Terry Francona looked it over and passed it out to the entire roster on Saturday.

Jordan Bastian/MLB

Reds Looking To Add At Least One Starting Pitcher This Winter
Walt Jocketty doesn't think the Reds are that far away from contending and is planning to "retool" this winter.

Rick Hummel/St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Byron Buxton Wants To Add Bunt To His Arsenal
Paul Molitor has noted that with Byron Buxton's speed, he doesn't need to drop a perfect bunt to get on base.

Mike Berardino/Pioneer Press

Diamondbacks Leaving Door Open For Peter O'Brien To Catch
Many were skeptical about Peter O'Brien as a Major League catcher when Arizona acquired him in a trade with the Yankees last year.

Nick Piecoro/Arizona Republic

Giants Could Bid On Yoenis Cespedes
The Giants have a solid core with considerable money coming off the payroll this winter, which could make them a suitor for Yoenis Cespedes.

Buster Olney/ESPN

Barry Zito Thrilled To Be Pitching Again
A's pitcher Barry Zito gave up two runs, two hits, and a walk in the eighth inning on Sunday against the Astros.

ESPN.com

Yankees Scratch Masahiro Tanaka from Next Start
Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has a Grade 1 strain of the right hamstring.

ESPN.com

Brewers Hire David Stearns As New GM
David Stearns has been the assistant GM of the Astros for the past three seasons.

ESPN.com

Cardinals Clinch MLB's First Playoff Spot
Despite losing to the Cubs on Saturday, the Cardinals have clinched at least a NL wild-card slot.

ESPN.com

Troy Tulowitzki's Shoulder Improving
The Blues Jays remain unclear as to when shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will be able to play again.

ESPN.com

Cubs Beat Cardinals As Tempers Flare Again
The Cubs defeated the Cardinals 5-4 on Saturday to tighten the NL Central standings.

ESPN.com

Verlander Wishes Fans Were More Positive
Tigers pitching ace Justin Verlander is a big believer in positive energy.

ESPN.com

Yoenis Cespedes Seeks Six-Year Deal
The Mets will have an opportunity to negotiate with Yoenis Cespedes throughout the offseason.

ESPN.com

Maddon Upset With Cardinals' Hit On Rizzo
The Cubs believe Matt Belisle intentionally threw at Anthony Rizzo in retaliation for Matt Holliday being hit by a pitch.

ESPN.com

A's Confident Marcus Semien Can Play Multiple Positions
The Athletics viewed Marcus Semien as a shortstop when they acquired him last December, but that may not be the plan moving forward.

Joe Stiglich/CSN Bay Area

Harper's Monster Season May Force Nationals To Offer Lifetime Contract
Bryce Harper's monster season won't likely be enough to lift the underachieving Nationals into the playoffs, but it carries major implications nonetheless.

Thomas Boswell/Washington Post

Dodgers Designate Mat Latos For Assignment
The club acquired Mat Latos in a three-team, 13-player trade on July 30, but he has disappointed.

ESPN

Trout Has Fourth-Most HRs Through Age-23 Season
Mike Trout hit a grand slam and a solo home run on Thursday against the Twins, giving him a career-high 38 home runs this season.

ESPN

Michael Carter-Williams Hits Cameraman With First Pitch
Michael Carter-Williams, point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, threw out the first pitch at Thursday night's Brewers game.

Patrick Dorsey/ESPN

Mariners Have Interviewed Dana Brown, Billy Eppler
The Mariners are advancing in their search for a general manager, having interviewed Dana Brown and Billy Eppler.

Steve Adams/MLB Trade Rumors

Braves Have Plan To Ease Hector Olivera Into Major Leagues
The Braves have big plans for Hector Olivera next season after he plays winter ball in Puerto Rico and has had a full spring training under his belt.

David O'Brien/Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cespedes Initiated Change In Contract That Will Help Mets Re-Sign Him
Yoenis Cespedes told the New York Post that he was the one who initiated the process that led to his agents and the Mets altering the language in his contract to make it easier for the club to re-sign

Ken Davidoff/New York Post

Mets, Tigers Agreed On Cespedes Trade Minutes Before Deadline
The July 31 trade that saw the Tigers send Yoenis Cespedes to the Mets was agreed on just minutes before the deadline.

Gordon Edes/ESPN