Mark DeRosa Rumors

Marlins Considering Run At Mark DeRosa

THURSDAY, 2:25pm: The Marlins have had internal discussions about third base options, but never discussed possible deals with the Giants, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.com.

WEDNESDAY, 3:59pm: DeRosa is headed to the DL, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (on Twitter). Though the repaired tendon in his wrist is fine, the area around it is inflamed. If the Marlins are going to make a run at DeRosa, it probably won't happen for a few weeks at least.

12:44pm: The Marlins "have begun weighing the merits of making a run at" Giants infielder Mark DeRosa, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  DeRosa could be a solution for the Fish at third base for the remainder of the season, after which his contract is up.

DeRosa, 36, is hitting well in a small 20 plate appearance sample this season.  With a crowded outfield and no openings at second base or the infield corners, the Giants may consider DeRosa expendable.  Not only could they get a useful player back, but they could also clear a portion of DeRosa's $6MM salary.  An extra $2-3MM would be helpful to the Giants, who may have limited payroll flexibility in the 2011-12 offseason unless they move some salary.

The Marlins considered giving the third base job to top prospect Matt Dominguez out of Spring Training, but instead sent him to Triple-A on March 24th.  Eight days later Dominguez fractured his elbow.  As a whole, Greg Dobbs, Donnie Murphy, Emilio Bonifacio, and Wes Helms are hitting .286/.353/.416 on the season while manning third base for the Marlins.

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Rosenthal On Fielder, Marlins, Yankees, Giants

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports brings us another edition of Full Count.  Here are some highlights..

• Prince Fielder is off to a great start and one GM predicts that he'll be one of the most interesting free agents of all-time.  The GM says that Fielder runs hard and is more athletic than most people think.  He's about to turn 27 years old which means that he's about four-and-a-half years younger than Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols.  A team like the Cubs could use Fielder against Pujols, saying that if he doesn't meet their price, they could sign Fielder instead.
• The Marlins are second in the National League in ERA and first in bullpen ERA by a wide margin.  Theyr'e going to have to keep winning with pitching as Hanley Ramirez is off to a slow start, Logan Morrison is out with an injured foot and Mike Stanton still hasn't found his form since coming back from a hamstring strain.  Last week, Rosenthal pointed out the potential availability of Mark DeRosa and this week he says that the veteran would be a perfect fit in Florida.
• The Yankees will soon face some decisions regarding their rotation.  Kevin Millwood has an out in his contract if he's not in the majors by May 1st.  The club might have better options such as Adam Warren and possibly Hector Noesi or David Phelps.  In addition to those prospects, Carlos Silva is working his way back into shape and Phil Hughes is about to start a rehab assignment this week.
• Miguel Tejada is off to a rough start in 2011 as he looks less-than-sharp in the field and is hitting just .209/.239/.328.  The Giants don't have any great internal options at shortstop, so Rosenthal says to keep an eye on Jose Reyes, Marco Scutaro, J.J. Hardy as possible trade targets.

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Rosenthal On DeRosa, Rangers, Gonzalez, Garcia

Let's dive into the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

• It's early in the season, but it already seems like the Giants' Mark DeRosa could be the odd man out in San Francisco.  DeRosa is obviously versatile, but the club seems to be set at shortstop, second base, third, and in the outfield.  The veteran is earning $6MM and he seems like a prime candidate to be traded. 
• The Rangers are off to a hot start but the club is concerned about their lack of a dominant right-handed set-up man.  Alexi Ogando was supposed to fill that role but instead, he's flourishing as a starter.   Darren O'Day is coming off two strong seasons but he's viewed as more of a "seventh inning guy".  Because of that, look for Texas to target a strong right-handed reliever before the deadline.
• The next young starters in line for contract extensions might be the A's Gio Gonzalez and the Cardinals' Jaime Garcia following the deals given to Trevor Cahill and Clay Buchholz.  However, Gonzalez is a Super Two player, meaning that the A's might have to guarantee him another year to cover his first year of free agency. 

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Quick Hits: Cashman, Mets, Blanton, Indians, DeRosa

One year ago, the Orioles officially signed Miguel Tejada, bringing him back for his second stint with the club. Unfortunately for the O's, the veteran infielder couldn't match the numbers he'd previously put up in Baltimore, posting a .670 OPS before a July trade sent him to the Padres. While we wait to see what January 23rd will bring this year, here are a few links to browse:

• Yankees GM Brian Cashman would prefer to run a small market team, opines Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, who is beginning to think Cashman may walk away from the Yankees when his contract expires following the 2011 season.
• ESPN's Adam Rubin provides a breakdown of the Mets' 2011 payroll following Jeff Wilpon's statement that the team payroll will be in the $145MM-plus range.
• Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer makes a case for Joe Blanton's value, then says the Phillies need to sell that argument to just one other team. Brookover opines that shedding some money by dealing Blanton could give the Phils a little wiggle room to address other potential areas of need.
• Within a multi-sport mailbag, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer addresses the Indians' third base picture, which could include Jason Donald, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Jared Goedert.
• Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at what the Giants can expect from Mark DeRosa this season. DeRosa is entering the second and final year of the $12MM deal he signed last winter.
• In their newest blog entries, the Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck and MASN's Roch Kubatko each discuss the most recent Orioles rumblings, with a focus on Vladimir Guerrero.

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Odds & Ends: Millwood, Mariners, A's, Dunn

As we settle in for a Tim Lincecum/Roy Oswalt pitching matchup in Houston tonight, here are some news items...

• According to Fangraphs' Dave Cameron, Kevin Millwood is what Carl Pavano was at last year's trade deadline --- a veteran starter whose high ERA hides some good peripheral numbers.
• Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times thinks the Mariners' hitting problems aren't to be blamed on Safeco Field.
• CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban has some hot-stove speculation about the Giants and A's, including hinting at "a major shakeup" coming to the Oakland roster.
• Adam Dunn tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he doesn't want to be traded.
• Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com calls the Orioles' trade for Jake Fox "pretty much the nail in the coffin" for Garrett Atkins' playing time and possibly his tenure in Baltimore altogether.  Ghiroli guesses that Atkins could be designated for assignment by as soon as Saturday when Brad Bergesen is ready to return to the majors.
• John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Giants utilityman Mark DeRosa will undergo wrist surgery and will miss the rest of the season (Twitter link).  San Francisco signed DeRosa to a two-year, $12MM contract in December that was criticized as too costly given DeRosa's age (35) and the fact that he underwent wrist surgery last November.  DeRosa has since said that the first surgery didn't solve his wrist problems, thus accounting for his .537 OPS this season.
• John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks the Reds will pick up a reliever before the trade deadline (via Twitter).
• Outfielder/first baseman David Winfree has signed a minor-league deal with Seattle, tweets Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune.  Winfree was playing for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton before being released last week.
• The Sports Bank blog looks at some of Chicago's options if the White Sox indeed try to acquire a left-handed hitter.

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Odds & Ends: Abreu, Torrealba, DeRosa, Strasburg

Links for Thursday, as we await an Opening Day rematch between Josh Johnson and Johan Santana...

• Tony Abreu could be an attractive trade chip if the D'Backs shop him for relief help, writes Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic.
• Ken Griffey Jr. should retire gracefully, writes MLB.com's Hal Bodley.
• We shouldn't be surprised to see Drew Storen arrive in the majors before Strasburg. As Ben Goessling of MASN.com explains, the Nationals may choose to reward Storen for signing so soon after they drafted him.
• Yorvit Torrealba has been one of baseball's best free agent bargains, if you ask MLB.com's Corey Brock.
• In a pre-draft notebook, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo explains why pitcher Peter Tago is gaining on some fellow amateurs and the answer is pretty simple.
• Wondering which pitchers have seen their strikeout rate climb or tumble this year? RotoAuthority has the results for the season so far.
• If Mark DeRosa hits the disabled list, the Giants will rely on their own players, mostly John Bowker, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
• ESPN.com's Buster Olney believes the Nationals would like to debut Stephen Strasburg at home, while his colleague Rob Neyer can see the Nats breaking him in on the road. Last night I suggested we could see Strasburg's first MLB start against the Astros in early June.
• Marc Hulet of FanGraphs says it's too early to worry, but pitching prospect Aaron Crow reminds him a little of another former first rounder in the Royals' system: Luke Hochevar.

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Odds & Ends: Hillman, Cubs, DeRosa, Marquis

Links for Wednesday, as Stephen Strasburg continues to dominate in the minors...

• Royals manager Trey Hillman told MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that he's as frustrated as ever about his club's slow start.
• R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs is not completely convinced that Hank Blalock is the solution for the Rays, even as Pat Burrell's struggles continue. Blalock may exercise the opt-out clause in his contract in the coming week. ESPN.com's Buster Olney names the A's as a possible suitor for Blalock (Twitter link).
• An Associated Press article on ESPN.com notes that the deadline for signing players with remaining college eligibility has been pushed back a day to August 16th this year because August 15th falls on a weekend.
• RotoAuthority identifies Scott Olsen as a candidate to post a sub-4.00 ERA and respectable strikeout totals for your fantasy team going forward.
• MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says the Cubs aren't about to make a deal any time soon.
• If you have experience designing databases, MLBTR has a project for you. We’re interested in finding someone to design a searchable database for the site, so send an email to mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com if you are the right person for the job.
• Mark DeRosa told MLB.com's Chris Haft that last year's wrist surgery was "a total failure."  With numbness in a couple fingers and ligaments "flapping all over the place again," DeRosa might need another procedure.  From Day 1, two years and $12MM was an aggressive commitment by the Giants.
• In a similar vein, Nationals free agent signing Jason Marquis will likely miss another eight to ten weeks with surgery to remove spurs and bone chips from his elbow, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
• Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports asked Ken Griffey Jr. about retirement, and Junior said, "I'll figure it out when I get to that point."  The Mariners, meanwhile, have made a villain of Larry LaRue, the reporter who quoted a couple of unnamed players about a recent Griffey in-game clubhouse nap.

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Odds & Ends: Cantu, Lowry, Nationals, Braves

Some links for Wednesday night...

• The Marlins have no interest in trading Jorge Cantu to save money, even if they don't trade Dan Uggla before the season, tweets Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald. Yesterday we heard the team may "start taking calls" about Cantu if they can't unload Uggla. 
• Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times says that the Dodgers are among the 14 teams that have asked for Noah Lowry's medical records according to his agent Damon Lara. We first heard of their interest in the lefty way back in early December.
• Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said he is still looking for starting pitching and to improve his team's defense, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. 
• MLB.com's Mark Bowman says that Braves' team president John Schuerholz indicated the team's payroll "won't be diminished at all." Bowman's rough estimate has the team's 2010 payroll at about $87MM after they spent roughly $95MM in 2009.
• MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports (via Twitter) that the Brewers have outrighted pitcher Omar Aguilar to Triple-A, however assistant GM Gord Ash said the team has no move in the works to the fill the vacated 40-man roster spot according to Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel (again, via Twitter).
• In response to a fan on Twitter, C.J. Wilson tweets that the Rangers have never offered him a long-term deal.
• Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News says there's a chance Juan Uribe could be the Giants' starting third baseman, shifting Mark DeRosa to the outfield. He adds that the team plans to make more moves, however their lack of pitching depth will make it tough to swing a trade. 
• Alex Speier of WEEI.com examines how the recent moves by the Red Sox impact their payroll with regard to the luxury tax.
• The Diamondbacks have released minor league righthander Tony Barnette so he can pursue opportunities in Japan, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert (via Twitter).

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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pirates, Twins, Beltre, Giants

On New Year's Day 49 years ago, the stadium on the corner of Michigan Ave. and Trumbull Boulevard in Detroit was officially renamed Tiger Stadium. The then 49-year-old park had previously been known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium. Tiger Stadium would serve as the home of Detroit's ball club until the 2000 season, and was demolished completely in 2009.

Here's a look at what's being written around the baseball blogosphere...

• Bucco Fans takes a look at what could have happened if the Pirates had kept their 2008 roster together.
• Twins Overlook runs down Minnesota's top seven prospects, led by outfielder Aaron Hicks.
• Meanwhile, Nick's Twins Blog examines the current state of the Twinkies' starting rotation.
• The Bottom Line looks at how signing Adrian Beltre could affect the big picture in Boston.
• DRaysBay compares Matt Joyce to Matt LaPorta, and finds that the gap between the two may not be as big as you think.
• Jorge Says No! looks at the potential risk and reward of the Mark DeRosa signing.
• El Lefty Malo guesses that the Giants will wait to see how Jonathan Sanchez's arbitration case turns out before deciding on whether or not to move a starter for a bat. 
• Pinstripes Published suggests David DeJesus as a possible left field solution for the Yankees. 

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

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Giants Notes: DeRosa, Free Agent Targets

Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has Giants notes after a conference call with Brian Sabean and newly-signed Mark DeRosa.

• DeRosa explained that he was "tired of being a lot of teams' Plan B."
• Sabean hopes to add another hitter, and has free agent offers on the table.  One offer is to Juan Uribe, while Baggarly speculates that another might be to Adam LaRoche.  There are plenty of first basemen and corner outfielders still available, if you'd also like to speculate.
• Sabean reiterated that Matt Holliday is too expensive for the Giants, while Baggarly added that the Giants are not in on Adrian Beltre.
• Sabean mentioned that he hasn't yet beefed up efforts to acquire a fifth starter or catcher.  We did hear the Giants linked to many catchers earlier this winter, however.

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