Cubs Acquire John Mabry
The word over at Bernie’s Pressbox via Viva El Birdos is that the Cubs have signed 35 year-old OF/1B/3B John Mabry to a one-year contract for $1MM. Mabry is coming off a poor season during which he hit .240/.295/.407 in 246 at-bats.
This rumor is not yet confirmed. A million bucks sounds a bit high coming off an off year, although Mabry earned $725,000 in 2005. He was a spectacular role player in 2004, hitting .296/.363/.504 in 87 games. It may be that Mabry was given more playing time than is good for him in ’05.
Mabry’s versatility would indicate that Jose Macias might be cut from the 40 man roster. Macias made $800,000 in 2005 while playing many positions, none of them well.
Update: Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio 1000 is reporting that the Cubs have indeed signed John Mabry to a one-year deal.
Thanks to Alex
Cubs Interested In Bradley: Update
Will Carroll over at Baseball Prospectus has confirmed the Cubs’ interest in center fielder Milton Bradley, and adds a few interesting tidbits.
According to Carroll, Bradley "figures to be a Dodger non-tender and is someone who doesn’t scare Dusty Baker."
I’ve heard whispers of L.A. non-tendering Bradley before, and I find it downright baffling. To throw away a world of potential just to do things "The Dodger Way" seems like a terrible business decision. Whether or not Bradley is a guy you want to have a beer with, his talent is undeniable.
Consider: Bradley posted a 3.8 WARP (Wins Above Replacement Player) in just 283 at-bats in 2005. Prorated for 600 at-bats, Bradley’s WARP would rank him second among all center fielders, behind only Jim Edmonds. Bradley excels in all aspects of the game except for two: staying healthy and pleasing the media. The continual injuries are why it’s not fair for me to prorate his WARP over 600 ABs and say he’s better than Andruw Jones. But if the potential is there, why not pay $3-4MM to find out what he can really do? Bradley is only 27.
The idea that Bradley could be a Cub for absolutely nothing should make Cubs fans salivate. However, it’s been pointed out that Dusty Baker never seemed in full control of Sammy Sosa or Kent Mercker, so it remains to be seen if he can get a handle on Bradley.
Another good point that’s come up in the comments on this site is that the Cubs will have to cut or trade someone from the 40 man roster once the Bobby Howry signing is made official. Some suggest Adam Greenberg, Jose Macias, or Brian Dopirak could be cut, but it’s more likely that a trade is imminent.
Oakland Signs Esteban Loaiza
Ken Rosenthal has the scoop on the latest free agent signing over at Fox Sports. Apparently Billy Beane is close to inking Esteban Loaiza to a three-year, $21MM pact.
A month ago, I commented on RotoAuthority that I thought this contract could be a disaster if it reaches more than two years or $6MM annually. I have to assume that Billy Beane knows something we don’t about Loaiza.
Loaiza was hit hard away from RFK Stadium in 2005, and he had a rough time his last turn through the American League. I commend Jim Bowden for letting him leave.
Loaiza was ranked 42nd on Steve Phillips’s Top 50 Free Agents List and 32nd on the RotoAuthority List.
Thanks to David R.
Best of 2005: Left Fielders
Today over at RotoAuthority we have a statistical ranking of the best left fielders of 2005. Jason Bay heads the list. Available top ten LFs include Cliff Floyd, Adam Dunn, and Manny Ramirez. Reggie Sanders is the top free agent LF, ranking 19th overall.
Brian Anderson Projection
Curious how the White Sox’s rookie center fielder will fare now that he’s likely to get 450 ABs? The departure of Aaron Rowand in the Jim Thome trade means top prospect Brian Anderson will have the opportunity to play every day.
Over at RotoAuthority, we’ve supplied a projection for Anderson for 2006. Whether you’re a fantasy baseball nut or just a casual fan, it’s worth checking out.
B.J. Ryan Signs With Blue Jays
B.J. Ryan has signed a five-year, $47MM deal to close for the Toronto Blue Jays. GM J.P. Ricciardi simply made Ryan an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Ryan entered the 2004 season as a lefty with a powerful fastball but little control. He was possible trade bait for the Orioles entering that season. But then Ryan reduced his walk rate signficantly, and the end result is more lucrative then he possibly could’ve imagined.
Ryan’s deal will certainly have a ripple effect in coming years for free agent closers on the right side of 30. Eric Gagne, who is a few weeks younger than Ryan, could stand to cash in following the ’06 season. Gagne has a $12MM option that he may void after 2006. While he likely wouldn’t average more than $12MM annually, he may void the option for the chance to lock into a similar five-year pact on the open market.
Gagne has a somewhat better track record than Ryan, although his health comes with a few question marks. He expressed some displeasure with his organization this season, so a departure is feasible.
Thanks to John
Keith Foulke On The Block
33 year-old closer Keith Foulke was battered around in 45 innings in 2005. He’s undergone surgeries on both knees and was said to have lost some velocity near season’s end. Adding insult to injury, the Red Sox are now thinking about trading him.
My Boston source is telling me Foulke will get some attention as a setup man this offseason after the free agent market runs dry. Despite the surgeries, several teams feel that Foulke’s problems in 2005 were largely mechanical and can be fixed. The Sox are looking to shed Foulke, and may be willing to pay half of his $7.25MM 2006 salary. Foulke has a $7.5MM option for 2007 that could vest with a strong 2006 performance (53 games finished would do the trick). The recent of Guillermo Mota makes Foulke slightly more expendable.
Despite the signings of Scott Eyre and Bob Howry by the Cubs, there are still a handful of set-up men on the free agent market. Al Reyes, Hector Carrasco, and Julian Tavarez all had decent seasons in ’05.
On a related note, the Padres are looking at 39 year-old Japanese left-handed specialist Toyohiko Yoshida. Yoshida limited lefties to a .218 average in ’05. However, the real prize among Japanese relievers may be 28 year-old lefty closer Hirotoshi Ishii. Ishii saved 37 games for the Yakult Swallows this year with over 11 strikeouts per nine innings. If not this winter, Ishii should become available following the 2006 season.
Thanks to Gary Garland of Japan Baseball Daily.
Juan Pierre To Cubs Complete
670 The Score in Chicago and RotoWorld are reporting that the Cubs have finalized their deal for center fielder Juan Pierre. Left-handed starter Renyel Pinto and two other unknown prospects will head to the Marlins in the deal.
The trade was originally reported by Bruce Levine on ESPN Radio 1000 on November 14th. After speaking with Bruce, MLBTradeRumors.com was able to narrow the possible prospects down to a list of five pitchers.
The Cubs hope Pierre can bounce back after posting his lowest OBP since his rookie season. Pierre’s game is reliant upon his ability to get on base. He’s a subpar defender; Pierre posted the worst range factor in Major League Baseball in 2005 among regular center fielders.
The Marlins continue to stack up promising young pitchers as their fire sale continues. Pinto struggled mightily in six Triple A starts, but did an admirable job in 129 Double A innings this year. The stint in Triple A Iowa was his second failed attempt at that level. Pinto continues to be plagued by his high walk rate, but hasn’t yet gotten a fair shake in Iowa.
Baseball America ranked the 23 year-old righthander 6th among Cubs prospects entering the 2005 season. He has a good changeup, lively fastball, and deceptive delivery.
Don’t Overlook Haigwood In Thome Deal
At this point, the Jim Thome for Aaron Rowand trade is old news (at least with the speed news travels around the Internet). ESPN is reporting that Buster Olney broke the trade, although I think Bruce Levine may have had it first.
One part of the deal that’s getting zero publicity so far is the White Sox’s inclusion of 22 year-old lefty starter Daniel Haigwood. Once you add it all up, receiving Jim Thome and $22MM for Aaron Rowand, Haigwood, and a third player is nowhere near a good deal for the Sox. For this article, I want to focus on the potential of the known minor leaguer.
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at Haigwood. He missed 2003 after tearing the ACL in his left knee, and his control was shaky in his first season after the surgery in A ball. Despite the questionable performance in ’04, Haigwood was still ranked the 19th best prospect in his organization by Baseball America.
In July of this year, Haigwood was promoted to Double A Birmingham. He was absolutely phenomenal in eleven starts there, going 6-1 with a 1.74 ERA. He was unhittable, surrendering no home runs in 67 innings. His strikeout rate continued to climb past ten per nine innings.
The knock on Haigwood is his control – he still walks four men per nine innings. He’s got an excellent curve ball, a decent two-seamer, and a developing change-up. Did I mention he’s left-handed?
If Haigwood refines his control a bit, it’s reasonable to project him as a 3rd starter in the big leagues in 2007. Remember the name, because the Phillies acquired more than a run-of-the-mill throw-in in the Thome deal.
Soriano To The Mets: Update
We have an update on the Alfonso Soriano to the Mets rumor posted earlier today. MLBTradeRumors.com has learned that the Milledge and Trachsel for Soriano deal was proposed prior to the acquisition of Carlos Delgado. Now that Delgado has been acquired, the Mets will turn their focus to Billy Wagner and Ramon Hernandez.
Soriano is considered nonessential to the Mets at this point, and any trade for him would not include Lastings Milledge. The Rangers have a stronger need for pitching and that will be the focus of any Soriano deal.