A’s Make Offer To Erstad
MLB.com reports that the A’s have made a one-year offer to 32 year-old first baseman/center fielder Darin Erstad. Oakland needs a solid fourth outfielder for the Jay Payton role, as Milton Bradley and Mark Kotsay are not pictures of health.
RotoWorld reports that the Cubs, Mariners, Rays, and Rockies have interest in Erstad as well. The OC Register throws the Orioles and Cards in the mix too. The Angels are probably out.
Rockies Acquire Rodrigo Lopez
I apologize for being late with this one; my blogging service was down last night. Yesterday the Rockies snagged 31 year-old righthander Rodrigo Lopez in a trade with the O’s.
The move pushes Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz out of rotation spots. The pair of former Astros will certainly get some starts, as Byung-Hyun Kim and Josh Fogg aren’t 200 inning guys.
Not sure if Colorado will work out, but Lopez has been needing a move to the NL for a while now. He can probably up his K rate and cut his walks in this league.
Mets Considering Third Tier Options
I’ll call them third tier options, because these pitchers probably don’t belong in the Weaver/Ohka class. The Mets aren’t likely to sign either of those two, so Ken Rosenthal says they’re looking at Jorge Sosa, Ramon Ortiz, and Aaron Sele. Sosa at least has a decent arm, so he might be the best of the trio. According to the New York Post, Sosa is close to signing with the Mets.
Rosenthal also mentions that the Padres have some other options aside from David Wells. They could snag Brian Lawrence, Chan Ho Park, or Jeff Weaver instead. They’ve also got some interest in trading for Geoff Jenkins to play left.
Some center field options for the Fish include David Murphy, Franklin Gutierrez, B.J. Upton, and Elijah Dukes. Fantasy leaguers hope it’s Upton.
Nationals Sign Jerome Williams, Brandon Claussen
The AP is reporting that the Nats inked Jerome Williams and Brandon Claussen today for their rotation. Along with Tim Redding and John Patterson, they’ll give the Nationals some semblance of a rotation.
Williams, 25, lost the Cubs’ fourth starter job to Sean Marshall with a lousy spring in 2005. He got a couple of starts in April but was sent to Triple A by month’s end. The A’s claimed him off waivers in September but didn’t use him. The righty has strong groundball tendencies and a 4.03 career ERA.
Claussen, a southpaw, turns 28 in May. The Yanks traded him to the Reds for Aaron Boone back in ’03. Claussen had a solid 2005, making 29 starts with a 4.21 ERA. He had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in August of ’06 and won’t be ready for the start of the ’07 season.
Mets Still Trying For Dan Haren?
UPDATE: Spoke to my Mets source, and he indicated that the below trade possibility could be expanded to include Michael Devaney and Santiago Castilla.
According to a Bay Area official speaking to Gotham Baseball, the Mets and A’s "are finally discussing a deal that could send right-hander Danny Haren to the Mets in return for Aaron Heilman, Lastings Milledge and a minor league pitcher."
Gotham’s source goes on to say that the A’s would prefer to put Joe Blanton in that deal instead but the Mets are holding out for Haren. Can Omar Minaya and Billy Beane find common ground here?
Astros Sign Richard Hidalgo
UPDATE: The deal is done.
Astros GM Tim Purpura is optimistic about signing Richard Hidalgo to a minor-league deal soon. Hidalgo, 31, is hitting well in the Venezuelan Winter League. He’ll compete for the right field job. He boasts well above average defense, so he just needs to put up a decent offensive showing.
Last offseason was interesting. Hidalgo tried holding out for a Major League deal, but could only get a minor league one with Baltimore. In spring, he left camp to be with his ill wife. Later in March, the O’s released him to pursue offers in Japan. He resurfaced in May auditioning for the Yankees, but that didn’t pan out either. Hidalgo ended up playing 32 games in the Gulf Coast League and did not fare well.
Now they say he got himself into shape and is looking good. The Astros could have a nice bargain on their hands, and risk is minimal.
Blue Jays Targeting Dukes?
UPDATE: A reliable source close to the Jays tells me this one is "nonsense." Sorry to disappoint!
According to our good friends at D-Rays Bay, the Blue Jays and Devil Rays are talking about an Elijah Dukes trade. The proposed deal is pitchers Shaun Marcum and Josh Sowers for Dukes.
Marcum, 25, had a strong showing in Triple A last year as well as an acceptable rookie effort with the Jays. Sowers, Jeremy’s brother, is still in the lower minors.
Not sure where Dukes would fit into Toronto’s 2007 plans, as Adam Lind is already looking for a full-time role on the team.
The radio report referenced was from Ronnie Lane of MLB Home Plate on XM Radio.
Bucs Still Looking For Hitter
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Pirates are mulling options other than Adam LaRoche, as talks have stalled somewhat. Trot Nixon appears to be off the radar as a free agent signing. No more Melky Cabrera talk either.
Existing possibilities include Chad Tracy for Mike Gonzalez and another player, or a deal for Ryan Church, Casey Kotchman, or Geoff Jenkins.
Meanwhile, Bucco Blog weighed in on the team’s need to keep Chris Duffy and also suggested Kotchman as a realistic possibility. Jake "heard through the grapevine" that Kotchman could one day entertain a long-term deal with the Bucs. I haven’t spoken to Jake on this topic recently, but just connect the dots a bit here.
Viva El Birdos On Mulder
Viva El Birdos has an interesting take on the Mark Mulder signing, and I can’t really argue with it. I’ll leave you with Larry’s concluding quote; read his post on rotator cuff surgery survivors. Says Larry:
"To my eye, it’s 50-50 that Ryan Franklin outperforms Mark Mulder in 2007."
Randy Hendricks Interview
A must read: the Houston Chronicle’s interview with Randy Hendricks, who represents Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.
The Clemens situation remains unchanged, but you should read Hendricks’s take on it. He thinks it’s 50/50 that Clemens plays in ’07 and that it would be a shortened season.
Hendricks also offers a lot of insight into Pettitte’s decision and the way the Astros felt about him.