Rosenthal's Latest

The always-interesting Ken Rosenthal has another column up, chock full of rumory goodness.  The man knows how to work the phones like no other.  Some highlights:

• Rosenthal considers the possibility that Curt Schilling could be the easy choice for the best available free agent starter after this season, with John Smoltz off the board.  Even if Carlos Zambrano is out there, Schill would be a better option for teams looking to go short-term.  Rosenthal says the Red Sox could revisit extension talks, even though it seemed just a month ago that Schilling was certain to hit the open market.  One year and $13MM still looks pretty solid for the Sox.
• The Orioles may make an offer to Alex Rodriguez, should he opt out of his contract at year's end.  It's admittedly a longshot, though the O's did win the bidding for Miguel Tejada back in December of '03.  If not A-Rod, then the Orioles will chase a "premium center fielder."  Translation: Ichiro, Andruw, or Torii.  Seems unlikely that Corey Patterson, a Scott Boras client, returns to Baltimore in 2008.
• Rosenthal feels that the Tigers are "almost certain" to exercise Ivan Rodriguez's $13MM option for 2008.  I agree with that one, especially given the $3MM buyout price.  If the best available catchers are indeed Michael Barrett and Paul Lo Duca, Barrett has the clear advantage.  The Cubs don't have any catchers in the pipeline (most teams don't) so I can't see why they wouldn't just give him what he wants.  Most likely the Cubs would get a discount.

Comments

[DentalPlan]

Michael Barrett is a godawful defender and who wants this guy at age 35, that's why you don't give him whatever he wants. The guy is always totally flummoxed behind the plate, people talk about Jason Varitek as the "general" of the Boston Red Sox, there is no catcher on any team anywhere in baseball that makes a less believable "general" than Michael Barrett. Trying to retain him is one thing, anybody gives him something like 4/36 I will laugh at them.

Andruw seems a lot more elite than Hunter or Ichiro. I don't think Ichiro is a particularly good buy at this point in his career. Plus he does a lot of bitching about not winning, that won't work on the Orioles.

[RotoAuthority]

And I would laugh at anyone who would rather have Varitek on their team than Barrett, defense included.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

*waves*

[quintjs]

Is this honestly about catching, or cubs vs sox

[DentalPlan]

I know when it comes to a high pressure situation rundown, Varitek isn't going to sit there with his thumb up his ass like Barrett did last year. Or lose his cool with Roy Oswalt for no good reason. Or other actions that would've gotten him a 40 game suspension had this been the NBA. Varitek's decline is probably as good a reason as any as to why you don't want Barrett for more than two more years, not giving him what he wants. I've noticed lately Blanco's been catching Zambrano - that's their answer to the Zambrano problems, "get 'em away from Barrett." His best game before his last one was against the Brewers, when Blanco was catching. Barrett can't handle a staff, can't call a game, can't throw out runners, can't be trusted not to keep his cool, or how to handle a rundown, etc.

The Cubs need to pull for Matt Wieters to pick things up just enough to fall to them at #3, and draft him. With his body he's not going to be a catcher for life, but until free agency is reasonable. Even if he's not as mobile as you might like he'll be better than Barrett in two years, and with a gun for an arm runners will at least think twice before stealing, plus he'll be cheaper than Barrett. Baserunners stole 89 bases on him last year and he didn't even start the whole year. 89! And those ten passed balls in the amount of time he played, ugh. He's already got 3 passed balls this year and 2 errors. Even Doug Mirabelli only has 2 passed balls. Barrett would be the catcher on the "All Paper Champs Team." The offensive numbers look good and unless you pay attention you don't realize he kills the team in every other way. The Cubs would've been better off drafting a guy like Conger last year instead of bumbling away their #13th pick on a slap-hitting left fielder who can't take a walk and no reputable baseball source had going that high. But all will be forgiven if Wieters is a good fit for them this year. Otherwise catcher and shortstop will be gaping black holes for years. Oh to have Hector Villaneuva back!

I'll go to bat for Barrett for two more years because the Cubs, as usual, have no replacements elsewhere, especially in the ugly minor leagues, but if this is the guy's prime, I don't want to see him past age 32. At some point the Cubs have to say, no more going into bad risks long term just to keep the nucleus of the magic 4th place team together.

[plh903]

What about Jake Fox? I thought that guy was supposed to be able to mash. He probably sucks behind the plate, but so does Barrett.

Is he in double-A this year? I remember him hitting an absolute bomb in spring training.

Anyway, I don't know about "in the pipeline" but you're the Cubs fan, Roto, what's your take on this kid?

[gregnoll]

DentalPlan, I know Barrett leaves a lot to be desired defensivly, but did he steal your girlfriend or something?

[gregnoll]

DentalPlan, I know Barrett leaves a lot to be desired defensively, but did he steal your girlfriend or something?

[DentalPlan]

Every time I'm looking through minor league box scores I see Fox playing left field or some other position. Plus he's about two years too old for his level.

I think Lo Duca, Pierzynski, and all of the Molinas are pretty overrated. Yadier Molina included, for the amount of press I hear about the guy you'd think he has a stick to go with that glove. Toss Brian Schneider in there too, listening to people talk about him you'd think he's throwing out 70% of baserunners and not the 30% he did last year.

[Aduncaroo]

Fox has caught something like 3 games this year. He is pretty much no longer a catching prospect, seems they are just putting him in left. He was absolutely raking in ST....

The story goes that Lou had a talk with him about hitting and he proceeded to hit 2 home runs in the next two at bats followed by a double...or something like that. Anyway, he isn't the answer.

Barrett is better than Dental is giving him credit for. He is the polar oppisite of Yadi Molina. He gives you below average D with way above average hitting. His D is bad, but not atrocious like you are saying. He could be much better, but he could be worse too.

Oh, and Barrett seems to be doing a DAMN fine job catching the likes of Rich Hill, Ted Lilly, and Jason Marquis....so ease up a bit because no one expected what they are getting from those guys and you can't say that Barrett isn't calling very good games for them.

[jillybohnson]

Dental Plan, you don't really know what you're talking with regards to Barrett with Barrett. 1st of all, pitch selection doesn't come from the catchers for the Cubs, they come from the bench. So you can't really use that as an argument as to why Barrett sucks. Also, Barrett's arm isn't that good, but the only reason he allowed THAT many basestealers is because he was catching Greg Maddux and Sean Marshall a lot last year, two incredibly slow pitchers that really neglect baserunners.

Now I'm not going to say he's good on defense, he's not. He's not even average. But you greatly overstate how bad he is.

[plh903]

Meh. I think that hosing baserunners are one of the rare ways that Catchers are actually valuable defensively. I don't care much for the handling of the pitching staff argument, because if it can't really be quantified then I don't think it really has all that much effect.

Anyway, I don't think Barrett is Mike Piazza behind the plate, he's just somewhere below average defensively.

That's interesting that Fox isn't catching anymore. Can his bat play in left? He must've been really bad behind the plate.

[Aduncaroo]

I actually think that Fox made them actually notice him this year. Then the Cubs realized that he was never going to be a catcher, so they should probably at least stick him somewhere else to give him at least some kind of shot to make an impact. His bat can play left in the Minors....and in Spring Training...but who knows. Plus, it appears the Cubs have a guy named Soriano that will be in Left for 8 years. Maybe they could make him a shortstop....yeah right.

[plh903]

Thanks for reminding me that Soriano was signed for 8 years, I needed a good chuckle.

Anyway, they should've tried to trade him before they moved him.

Whatever, I doubt he'll be a corner guy in the bigs but he seems like he could've been special if he could just catch at all. But, I guess that goes for a lot of guys.

Barrett's only 30, I bet they sign him to a four-year deal which will look comparatively sane.

[Aduncaroo]

I agree...I'll still take Barrett when he is 34. The guy can flat out rake. He was hitting in the .330's for most of last year before finishing up on a bad note...actually, he finished on a worse note getting a foul ball in the balls....which is a whole other story. As long as they have a credible defensive replacement\backup, I think the situation works out well. Its Blanco for at least the next two years, and he is very good. Like 2nd among active catchers in throwing runners out if I recall. Anyway, I think they have a pretty good thing going. Barrett loves the city, loves the team. I know that he would give them a discount because he credits them all the time with being the reason that he got a chance to show what he could do. He was like a .220 hitter when they got him, so I actually agree.

[Aduncaroo]

I agree, he had more trade value at the end of Spring Training this year than he has probably ever had, or will have again. I hope Fox proves us all wrong...but he is going nowhere in left field or being a catcher, unless its another farm system.

[DentalPlan]

No, Barrett pretty much is that bad. The pitch selection comes from the bench because nobody trusts Barrett to call a game himself at this point.

Now, you can tell these are Cubs fans, because you guys have gone way too far. The only year Fox really "raked" was last year - as a 24 year at Advanced A. That's way old for Advanced A, no two ways about it. Find me legitimate prospects who are 24 at Advanced A, you'll have a list maybe three names long. Now he's hitting fine as a 25 year old in Double A, after failing up there for 139 ABs in 2006, in short, not impressive, and in left field, the value is nil. From now on let's just call him Jake Dubois.

[Aduncaroo]

You mean Jason Dubois???

Barrett isn't that bad...and there are probably at least 10 teams that would LOVE to have him as their starting catcher, I guarantee it.

So are we saying that every pitch and location of each one comes from the bench??? I somehow doubt that...

[Aduncaroo]

OH, and who said he "raked" in his career? All I said was Spring Training...if thats what you were referring to.

No one on here said he was that great...I said Fox was "not the answer", and that "his bat can play left in the minors and ST". Don't give me that "you can tell these are cubs fans" bull*hi*.

PLH is a Cardinals fan and yes, I am a Cubs fan. I was trying to AGREE with you on Fox, and we disagree on Barrett. Fine. Just don't disregard a worthy argument which MANY believe to be true just because you think "you can tell these are Cubs fans" so their opinion must not be a good one. There are a lot of knowledgeable Cubs fans that you are ignoring because of a stereotype.