Odds And Ends: Reyes, Colon, Indians, Nationals

A few notes from the MLBiverse... Anthony Reyes, who has been the object of much trade speculation, made his first start at AAA on Friday night. Reyes pitched 3+ scoreless innings with a strict pitch-count. The Cardinals appear to be reconverting Reyes into a starter in the hopes of increasing his value for potential trade partners. Jim Bowden hinted that he may implement a full-fledged youth movement in the near future, noting that a number of top prospects are close to being ready. Specifically, he mentioned two outfielders which would likely mean that Bowden will seek to move Austin Kearns...

On The Hot Seat: Giambi, Hafner, Sexson, Timlin

I love lists, and here's one from Peter Abraham at The Journal News that details who he thinks is in the hot seat. In other words, who might be traded or released if current trends continue. There are a number of managers and GMs on the list, but we like to focus on players here. I'm going to go through the list and take stabs-in-the-dark whether a player is likely to be dealt or if they're just fluff for Mr. Abraham's article - and then we can discuss in the comments. Jason Giambi - An announcer this year said that...

Odds and Ends: Bay, Roberts, Cliff Lee

And here we have some random links I've collected over the past day or so. The Bucs will try to fill their open 40-man spots through low profile moves, not unlike the Jason Michaels one. They won't move Jason Bay or Xavier Nady until they're truly out of it. 4.5 games out of the wild card, they still have a prayer here on May 9th. Keith Law's top 60 prospects list for the June draft has been published. Shortstop Tim Beckham heads the list. Gordon Wittenmyer looks back on the Cubs players rumored to be traded for Brian Roberts. Juan...

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Wells, Griffey, Olney, Tavarez, Edmonds

A lot of links today, so let's get to what is being said about some trade and signing possibilities in the Blogosphere... The Darth Boss George Brigade wants Hank Steinbrenner to sign David Wells to prove that Hank is indeed his father's son. River Ave. Blues says the Yankees are too smart to sign Wells and then goes on to list about 87 pitchers that should be given a shot in the Highlanders' rotation before Wells. Redlegs Rant feels that Ken Griffey Jr. is behind the recent stories that speculate on him being traded. Mariners Central speculates on some of...

Odds and Ends: Botts, Red Sox, McLouth

Roundup of links! According to Jamey Newberg, Jason Botts has cleared waivers. He probably won't get another chance with the Rangers though. Gordon Edes notes that the Red Sox have five picks in the first three rounds of the June draft. Even though they don't start until the 30th pick, the Sox have had much success in recent years. No extension talks have begun with Nate McLouth, but Dejan Kovacevic does expect it to happen. I updated the fantasy baseball closers depth chart over at RotoAuthority. SI.com's Jon Heyman says Freddy Garcia is "progressing nicely" in rehab and will throw...

Olney Speculation: Atkins A Fit For Indians?

ESPN's Buster Olney makes a point to say that this trade idea is pure speculation rather than anything he's heard. Still worth discussing. Here it is: If Colorado eventually turns the page on 2008, the Indians and the Rockies could match up well in a deal built around Garrett Atkins. The Rockies have a third baseman waiting in the wings, in Ian Stewart -- although he is not faring well so far -- and the Indians, as they look for ways to improve their offense, are flexible at first and third base. Back in March, Ken Rosenthal suggested that Atkins...

Indians Designate Jason Michaels

2:31pm: According to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com, Michaels will be designated. 10:30am: Outfielder Ben Francisco will join the Indians for Tuesday's game against the Yankees. The Tribe will have to make room for him by then, and Mike Harrington believes the jobs of Andy Marte and Jason Michaels are at risk. Marte could be designated for assignment, while Michaels might just be released. Michaels, 32, has been awful in 21 games this year. He earns $2.15MM this year. Michaels typically hits lefties well, but he's been an easy out this year. Marte, 24, is out of options and would have...

Tribe Could Re-Sign Sabathia?

Sheldon Ocker notes that the Tribe's ownership under Larry Dolan and sons has been a financial boon to the franchise. Writes Ocker, "Some fans still describe the Dolans as cheapskates, unwilling to keep up with the Joneses. In truth, they have been responsible owners, who not only realize the limits the size of the market imposes, but also have managed to increase revenue in ways not done by their predecessors." Despite payroll commitments already made for $132MM between '09 and '14, plus $61.5MM in club options to exercise or decline, Ocker says the Dolan's creation of TV network SportsTime Ohio...

Olney's Latest: Nady, Delgado, Clement, Lofton

Buster Olney has some thoughts. Let's have a looksee. He thinks that Xavier Nady could fit with the Mets or the Indians, but notes that the Pirates are sitting tight for now, hoping to compete this year. They'll be singing a different tune in July. Olney goes on to speculate that the Mets could release Carlos Delgado if he continues his weak hitting. Nady would seem a decent replacement, though he hasn't played first since 2006. Scott Hatteberg could be another option. In what he calls "pure speculation," Olney suggests that the Mariners trade Jeff Clement to the Red Sox...

Heyman's Latest: Lofton, Owings, Sabathia

SI.com's Jon Heyman has a new column up. Heyman and Buster Olney both believe the Cubs should sign free agent Kenny Lofton to help fill in for Alfonso Soriano. However, Olney noted that the Cubs don't seem interested. Apparently the Yanks pushed hard to get Micah Owings in the Randy Johnson deal a few years ago. Ross Ohlendorf still looks interesting, at least. Heyman has heard whispers about C.C. Sabathia having arm problems but admits there's no real evidence. Sabathia threw 256.3 innings last year (postseason included), an increase of almost 60 IP over 2007.

Sabathia's Future Value Remains Strong

Jon Heyman weighs in on C.C. Sabathia, his early season struggles and his impending free agency. Heyman notes that Sabathia and his 13.50 ERA are "costing himself millions by the pitch", even going so far as to say that CC could stand for "Complete Choke." Heyman lists four players that had huge walk-years (Adrian Beltre, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, B.J. Ryan) and four players that struggled in their walk year (Andruw Jones, Jason Jennings, Jermaine Dye, Jeff Weaver). The problem with this list, is that there is not a single player similar to Sabathia. That is, there is not one...

Odds and Ends: Pavano, Lima, Sabathia

Today's link collection contains a trio of awesome pitchers. Enjoy. Carl Pavano is talking about five or six more seasons; his new agent calls him a "1-2 starter." You can chuckle, but some team will probably toss him a million bucks this winter. The Kia Tigers have already had enough of Jose Lima. Coincidentally here's a funny quote from Lima regarding his Atlantic League paycheck from '03. Ken Rosenthal discusses C.C. Sabathia's situation, noting that the Indians could probably sign him if they'd give five years. Rany Jazayerli writes in praise of Dayton Moore. Rule V pick Fernando Hernandez is...

Rosenthal's Latest: Roberts, Jones

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has his latest video "Rosenthal's Full Count" up and running. First, Rosenthal calls Andruw Jones the "early candidate for worst free agent signing" noting that Jones is now batting 7th. Rosenthal goes so far as to say that the Dodgers' best outfield right now includes Juan Pierre and does not include Jones...The Dodgers are truly lucky to have Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp on the cheap right now ($840K combined), because Jones ($14.1M) and Pierre ($8M) are a lot of dead contract weight for one outfield. And we can thank Rosenthal for keeping Brian Roberts in...

Indians Sign Carmona To Extension

11:46am: Rosenthal says it's $15MM over the four guaranteed years; that's about the going rate. That implies the free agent options average about $11MM per year. My own opinion - the Indians still aren't likely to re-sign Sabathia, but this deal has little bearing on that. Perhaps the cost certainty and discount increase the chances ever-so-slightly. 10:12am: Castrovince has some details. Carmona actually gets four guaranteed years. The total package could be worth $43-48MM over seven years. 9:34am: According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Indians have signed starter Fausto Carmona to a three-year contract extension with club options for 2012-14....

Phils Designate Lahey For Assignment

Earlier today, the Phillies activated closer Brad Lidge from the 15-day DL and, to make room for him on the roster, designated young right-handed reliever Tim Lahey for assignment as foreseen. He'll now be looking for his fifth job in as many months. The wandering Lahey has already been part of the Cubs, the Rays, and the Twins. He's still relatively new to pitching, having been converted by the Twins from catching. He posted a 3.45 ERA in 78 and a third innings at AA New Britain last year, and gave up three runs in three innings at AAA Rochester....

Sheets & Sabathia Head Next Year's Free Agent Class

A couple nice nuggets to confirm what we already suspect regarding a couple big fish on the 2009 Starting Pitcher Free Agents list. As MLBTR covered here, this should be Ben Sheets' last year with the Brewers. Further affirming the inevitable, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says, If the 29-year-old right-hander finally has a healthy season and puts up impressive numbers, the Brewers would be hard-pressed to meet his asking price on what has been a runaway pitching market in recent years. And, should Sheets break down again and turns his four-year, $38.5 million contract into a complete...

Tigers Sign Fultz

The Tigers have signed left-hander Aaron Fultz to a contract with AAA Toledo. Fultz, an eight-year big-league veteran, was released this week by Cleveland. Bobby Seay is currently the only left-hander in Detroit's bullpen. So if Fultz can get his act together, there's probably a spot for him on the big league club. PECOTA projects Fultz will have a 3.92 ERA in roughly 45 innings pitched in 2008. But, as we all know, predicting what a reliever will do from one season to the next is far more difficult that predicting a position player, or even a starting pitcher. Coley...

Indians Inquire On Freddy Garcia

SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that the Indians inquired on free agent starter Freddy Garcia. Garcia, 31, hopes to return around June from rotator cuff and labrum surgery. Garcia was linked to the Rangers and Red Sox this offseason; the Mets denied interest. I said in today's video mailbag that I think Garcia will be a non-factor this year. Ozzie Guillen suggested the same in January.

MLB Investigating Salcedo's Birthdate

Baseball America's Ben Badler has the latest on 16 year-old Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo. He says MLB is currently investigating Salcedo's birthdate (not an uncommon practice). Scott Boras and Co. represent the kid, but they're not talking. There were rumors he'd signed with the Tribe, but the Indians said two weeks ago that it wasn't true. Badler adds that Salcedo rejected a $2.5MM offer from the Giants and the D'Backs may be interested. Badler also writes: Adding to the intrigue is Major League Baseball's recent firing of three investigators in the Dominican, including one who was working on Salcedo's case....

Indians To Designate Fultz

Despite exercising the lefty's option for $1.5MM in November, the Indians have decided to get rid of Aaron Fultz. They've replaced him with Craig Breslow. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince said the Indians are likely to designate Fultz and attempt to find a trade partner. The Tribe is likely to be on the hook for his salary. In '07, Fultz posted a 1.71 ERA and 1.70 K/BB ratio in 21 innings prior to a strained ribcage. Even then he was a bit over his head in allowing just 11 hits in that time. After Fultz returned in August, he posted a 4.50...

Odds and Ends: Braves, Cruz, Breslow

Some nuggets from today... The Braves look to be the market for a bat off the bench and according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution it's not likely to be a minor name. O'Brien asked Wren if the Braves "had money to add a player of significant salary to their payroll," throwing out an accompanying figure of $3-4MM, to which Wren said yes "without hesitation." Let's use this to set the stage for what should be an interesting late spring Reed Johnson sweepstakes. Evan Grant of the The Dallas Morning News believes that Jason Botts 2 for 5 performance...

Shapiro, Minaya Met Yesterday

Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that phone buddies Mark Shapiro and Omar Minaya met in person yesterday evening. Any chance the Indians and Mets could match up for a trade? We know the Mets may be looking to move Jorge Sosa and/or Scott Schoeneweis. The Indians are currently trying to decide whether to give their last bullpen spot to Tom Mastny, Jorge Julio, or Scott Elarton; not sure if either Met pitcher would help. The Mets are known to be looking for outfield assistance. The Indians have two out of options outfielders: Shin-Soo Choo and Franklin Gutierrez....

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rule 5 Draftees

Last year the Reds selected Josh Hamilton in the Rule 5 draft despite only 23 games above Single-A and only 15 games anywhere since 2002 (actually the Cubs picked Hamilton and traded him to the Reds the same day). Hamilton went on to hit .292-19-47 in 90 games. This year, 18 players were chosen in the Rule 5 draft (14 pitchers). These players must remain on the 25-man roster all season or be offered back to their original club for $25K. By my count, three players (Sergio Valenzuela, Lincoln Holdzkom, Jose Capellan) have already been offered back to their original...

Cafardo's Latest: Fuentes, Sowers, Laffey

Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo's Sunday column has new hot stove material, as usual. Cafardo notes that Kyle Snyder, Julian Tavarez, and Bryan Corey have all been heavily scouted by other clubs. Snyder is out of options, so he's a good trade candidate. Cafardo mentioned on Thursday that the Orioles were taking a look at Corey, who might return to Japan if he doesn't join a big league 'pen. I imagine the Sox are going to want the insurance Tavarez provides. The Phils are hunting for a southpaw reliever and another starter. Brian Fuentes remains on their radar, but...

Sabathia Blasé About New York

For the most part, the Indians' C.C. Sabathia continued to deflect questions about his future after his start today against the Yankees, says Andrew Castrovince of MLB.com. Hounded by the Yankees-centric media, however, the soon-to-be free agent surely launched a jolt of pain through Yankees Nation when he was asked if he likes New York. His response? "It's all right," he said. Sabathia continued to maintain with reporters that "in a perfect world," he would want to stay with Cleveland. After all, "I've been here since I was 17." Posted by Matt Birt

Odds and Ends: Inge, Salcedo, Corey, Nathan

I write this odds and ends post with two less wisdom teeth than I had yesterday. Looks like applesauce for dinner. Jon Heyman says the Dodgers and Tigers haven't talked lately, and doesn't see L.A. taking on Brandon Inge's $19.1MM. Aside from the standard Giants suggestion, Heyman puts on his speculation cap and wonders whether Inge could catch for Houston. What is J.R. Towles, chopped liver? This is questionable, but hey, it's a Friday. Hi5 is a popular social networking site in Central America. A reader sent me a link to this page, which may belong to future superstar kid...

Odds and Ends: Baldelli, Salcedo, Piazza, Rivera

Time for today's linkage. RotoAuthority looks for some fantasy baseball sleepers at second base. Rocco Baldelli has a rare muscle condition that does not allow his body to recover after a short workout. He'll hit the DL but won't retire. The Rays will likely decline his option but maybe they'll re-sign him at a lower price. The Indians are in the running for 16 year-old shortstop Edward Salcedo, but the Boras client remains unsigned. IGN has their own What Might've Been type series, and recently they took a look at the Mike Piazza trades of 1998. Haven't heard much on...

Ocker On Blake, Marte, Dellucci, Borowski And Lee

Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal does some speculating on the Indians' third base, left field, and closer situations. Casey Blake's contract expires at the end of the season, and at age 35, Ocker doesn't believe that Indians' GM Mark Shapiro will re-up for him. Ocker points to two reasons why Andy Marte probably won't work out as the in-house solution to Blake's potential absence: he could be lost on waivers if he doesn't make the team as a utility man coming out of Spring Training, and he shows no sign of figuring things out and becoming an impact...

Odds and Ends: Choo, Inge, Lohse, Francona

Let's round up some rumors and links. Not only is Shin-Soo Choo out of options, but he's recovering from Tommy John surgery and may have to join the South Korean military. Brandon Inge sat out a demanding drill on Friday, causing Tom Gage to wonder if trade talks are ongoing. Dave Dombrowski spoke on the topic recently, saying all the right things about Inge. Kyle Lohse is not interested in a minor league deal or playing in another country. He's still waiting by the phone though. Funny anecdote involving J.P. Ricciardi's son. Terry Francona was extended through 2011, with club...

Odds and Ends: Kelly Johnson, Nathan, Crede

Time for some early Monday odds and ends. Remember how White Sox GM Ron Schueler embarrassed Cubs GM Ed Lynch in 1998 by acquiring Jon Garland for Matt Karchner? Rany Jazayerli sees a parallel to that heist with the Royals' acquisition of Daniel Cortes as part of the July '06 Mike MacDougal trade. Mike Berardino's blog continues to entertain; this time with a Dan Miceli story. Ah, knife fights with siblings. Who among us can say they haven't had one or two? Buster Olney learned from Braves GM Frank Wren that Kelly Johnson has been the team's most asked-for player...

Teams Still Competing For Yabuta?

On Friday, the word from Ken Rosenthal was that the Royals were close to signing Japanese reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta to a two-year deal with an option. However, the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales names five teams currently in the running for his services. We already knew about the Royals and White Sox. Gonzales adds the Indians, Rays, and Pirates to the mix as well. Looks like Japanese relievers are no longer free agency's best kept secret. Odd that teams didn't start figuring this out until Hideki Okajima came along. There were plenty of successes before him. It almost seems like you...

Orioles Interested In Fernando Cabrera

The Indians have ten days to waive, trade, or release 25 year-old reliever Fernando Cabrera. By my count they'll need to do something by Friday. The best option would be to work out a trade, and the Orioles called to inquire. The O's would have to put Cabrera on the 25-man roster, or else try to pass Cabrera through waivers themselves. It would make more sense to carry Cabrera than Paul Shuey, so this shouldn't be a problem.

Minor Moves: Cirillo, Elarton, Clayton

Some minor moves occurred recently. Let's catch up. The Diamondbacks claimed 37 year-old infielder Jeff Cirillo off waivers from the Twins. I still remember when Cirillo was a perennial .320 hitter and regular third baseman for the Brewers and Rockies. This looks like a salary dump, with the Twins not wanting to pay the $550,000 or so due to Cirillo for the remainder of the season. The Indians signed Scott Elarton to a minor league contract. Elarton was last semi-useful in Cleveland back in '05, when he posted a 4.61 ERA in 181 innings. Currently, southpaw groundballer Aaron Laffey is...