May 2008

Odds and Ends: Bruce, Ensberg, Boone, Weaver

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 3:39pm CDT]

Plenty of links for today.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Adam Miller | Bret Boone | Chicago White Sox | Cincinnati Reds | Cleveland Indians | Hank Blalock | Jay Bruce | Jeff Weaver | Jorge Julio | LaTroy Hawkins | Milwaukee Brewers | Morgan Ensberg | New York Yankees

Crasnick On Remaining Free Agents

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 2:33pm CDT]

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick examines the status of nine free agents: Sammy Sosa, Kenny Lofton, Reggie Sanders, Jeff Cirillo, Royce Clayton, Steve Finley, Freddy Garcia, David Wells, and Damian Miller.

  • Lofton is likely to find a job; he’s healthy and played reasonably well last year.  The Cubs still might be a fit.
  • Seems that Garcia probably won’t reach a big league mound until September; auditioning for teams may take place in July.
  • Miller received calls from the Yankees and Padres, but he’s still taking a Brewers or nothing stance.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Damian Miller | David Wells | Freddy Garcia | Jeff Cirillo | Kenny Lofton | Reggie Sanders | Royce Clayton | Sammy Sosa | Steve Finley

Draft Roundup

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 2:01pm CDT]

All kinds of good draft info surfacing today.  Let’s take a look.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: 2008 Amateur Draft | Andrew Cashner | Eric Hosmer | Gerrit Cole | Miami Marlins | New York Mets | New York Yankees | Shooter Hunt | Texas Rangers

Rosenthal’s Latest: Sabathia, Bay, Wolf

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 1:45pm CDT]

Hot stove guru Ken Rosenthal has a new column up.

  • Rosenthal tosses around some fun ideas in case the Indians want to trade C.C. Sabathia for another free-agent-to-be.  Presumably they’d target a slugger in return.
  • Rosenthal applauds the Pirates’ decision not to sell low on Jason Bay this winter.  Signed cheaply through ’09, Bay may have more trade value than Adam Dunn (in my opinion).
  • Randy Wolf is expected to be "among the most available Padres."  The 31 year-old southpaw sports an 8.2 K/9.  A strong, healthy June would give Wolf’s trade value a boost.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: C.C. Sabathia | Cleveland Indians | Jason Bay | Pittsburgh Pirates | Randy Wolf | San Diego Padres

Sammy Sosa To Retire After WBC?

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 12:11pm CDT]

ESPN’s Enrique Rojas, quoting the Dominican paper Hoy, writes that Sammy Sosa intends to retire after playing in the next World Baseball Classic (to be held in March ’09).

Sosa’s quotes are confusing:

"There’s something that I wish to state very clearly: I’m not looking for a job. In fact, I have told my agent that he should stop offering my services to MLB teams.  I’m not retired. I remain highly focused and not begging for a contract."

I think Sosa’s point is that he is still willing to play for an MLB team, but only if they come to him.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Sammy Sosa

Could Livan Hernandez Become Available?

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 12:07pm CDT]

Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press doesn’t exactly say that the Twins are willing to trade Livan Hernandez.  Here’s what he wrote:

It’s too early, with the Twins still in contention. But starter Livan Hernandez‘s trade value probably won’t be higher than it is now, and it will be interesting to see whether the right-hander, 33, is dealt for some power by the All-Star Game in July.

Hernandez has interesting numbers.  He has the second-lowest strikeout rate in baseball, coupled with the fifth-worst hit rate.  To counter that, Hernandez has the 10th-best walk rate.  Walter’s suggestion that Hernandez is at peak value seems accurate.

Could Hernandez bring back a decent power bat?  Buster Olney names the Braves and Astros as two teams that might be looking for a pitcher like Livan.  The Twins are only two games out, however.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Livan Hernandez | Minnesota Twins

Gammons On Available Pitchers

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 10:01am CDT]

ESPN’s Peter Gammons names ten starting pitchers who could be available in the coming months.  We’ll try to devise a comprehensive list when we get to the position in our Trade Market series.

Gammons’ trade possibilities: Paul Byrd, Jeremy Sowers, Derek Lowe, Rich Harden, Odalis Perez, Brett Tomko, Jarrod Washburn, Zach Duke, Vicente Padilla, and Kevin Millwood.  Byrd, Lowe, Perez, and Tomko will be free agents after the season.  Sowers and Duke are the kids.  Harden is the oft-injured ace.  Washburn, Padilla, and Millwood bring burdensome contracts.

Gammons also five "unlikely, but not impossible" scenarios.  He suggests A.J. Burnett, Bartolo Colon, Joe Blanton, Greg Maddux, and Ben Sheets could be moved under the right circumstances.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: A.J. Burnett | Bartolo Colon | Ben Sheets | Boston Red Sox | Brett Tomko | Cleveland Indians | Derek Lowe | Greg Maddux | Jarrod Washburn | Jeremy Sowers | Joe Blanton | Kansas City Royals | Kevin Millwood | Los Angeles Dodgers | Milwaukee Brewers | Oakland Athletics | Odalis Perez | Paul Byrd | Pittsburgh Pirates | Rich Harden | San Diego Padres | Seattle Mariners | Texas Rangers | Toronto Blue Jays | Vicente Padilla | Washington Nationals | Zach Duke

Yankees Sign Ben Broussard

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 9:41am CDT]

According to the AP, the Yankees have signed first baseman Ben Broussard to a minor league deal.  He’ll head to Triple A.

Broussard, 31, was acquired along with his $3.85MM salary by the Rangers in December.  89 plate appearances convinced the Rangers to pay Broussard to go away.  Broussard, when he’s going good, can be decent against right-handed pitching.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Ben Broussard | New York Yankees

Padres Acquire Baek

By Tim Dierkes [May 28, 2008 at 9:20am CDT]

The Padres and Mariners worked out a minor trade, as they have many times in the past.  The Padres acquired Cha Seung Baek for Jared Wells.  Baek was in the 10-day limbo period after being designated for assignment.  Paul DePodesta explains that the Padres have been eyeing Baek for some time.

Baek, 28, has a 4.96 ERA in 168.2 career innings for the Mariners.  His best asset has been respectable control.  The Ms signed Baek out of Korea for $1.3MM in ’98.  Baseball America said back in ’05 that Baek succeeds by locating a full five-pitch repertoire.  He had Tommy John surgery back in ’01.

Wells, 26, was shifted to relief at Triple A last year and picked up nine saves.  His numbers have been ugly – tons of hits, poor control, mediocre strikeout rate.  Baseball America notes his average slider and decent two-seam fastball.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Cha Seung Baek | Jared Wells | San Diego Padres | Seattle Mariners

MLBTR Live Chat

By Tim Dierkes [May 27, 2008 at 1:55pm CDT]

Click here to read today’s chat transcript.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: MLBTR Chats