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Archives for April 2007

A-Rod Options

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A couple of high-profile options for Alex Rodriguez were discussed in the papers today.  A-Rod’s hitting like a madman, which brings his opt-out clause to the forefront even though it’s April 20th.

Gerry Callahan of the Boston Herald has "no doubt" that the Red Sox will make a run at Rodriguez after this season.  It does make plenty of sense – the Sox proved they’d pay a ridiculous amount for star power with the Daisuke Matsuzaka bidding.  They’ve got the open slot at third base with Mike Lowell leaving.  And they almost acquired Rodriguez in 2003.  Basically, all the talking points you’re going to hear between now and when he signs somewhere. 

Some salary should come off the books for Boston after this season: Curt Schilling at $13MM, Matt Clement at $9.5MM, Mike Lowell at $9MM, Eric Hinske at $2.8MM, Joel Pineiro at $4MM, Julian Tavarez at $3.1MM.  Of course, the Sox need to replace some of these guys, but they could be subtracting $40MM.  There is room for a marquee addition, and it could be on offense.  I could see a big push to sign A-Rod and John Smoltz, if he’ll leave Atlanta.

Another possibility is the Phillies.  Would Phils fans really show the love to A-Rod, as Nick Fierro suggests?  I feel like they could turn on him pretty quickly.  Then again, there’s no reason Rodriguez wouldn’t tear up the National League and give them nothing to boo about.  The Phils could lose Freddy Garcia at $10MM, Jon Lieber at $7.5MM, and Aaron Rowand at $4.35MM.  They are also paying $7MM towards Jim Thome’s salary this year.  I just don’t see the Phillies winning the bidding for a free agent superstar, however.  They wouldn’t pony up for Alfonso Soriano or Carlos Lee this winter.   

The Red Sox and Phillies are just two of many teams thought to be interested in Rodriguez.  Despite the money, the list is huge and may also include the Angels, Dodgers, White Sox, Cubs, Giants, Diamondbacks, and Indians.

White Sox Need An Outfielder

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Despite Kenny Williams’s protests to the contrary, I think the White Sox need to look externally for some outfield help.  The need was there even before Scott Podsednik re-injured himself.  I do believe the offense will come around, but there’s still no reason to give away outs in two outfield spots.  Plus, Ozzie Guillen doesn’t seem thrilled with the idea of using Brian Anderson regularly.

If I was in charge of the club, I’d give Anderson another shot in center.  Then I’d go after a guy with at least a league average bat for a left fielder (.280/.350/.450ish).  I would engage in trade talks for Jacque Jones, Kevin Mench, Geoff Jenkins, Gabe Gross, Scott Hairston, Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell, Rocco Baldelli, and Emil Brown.  Hell, I’d ask about Jon Knott.  Some of these would be mostly salary dumps, so the Sox could keep their top prospects.  Of course you’d only acquire one of the bigger names if the price was reasonable.

 

Buehrle’s Stock Rising

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Mark Buehrle’s brilliant no-hitter last night still might not be enough to secure him a contract extension from the White Sox.  Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune certainly expects him to hit the open market after this season.

For one night at least, he looked like the Buehrle of old.  And the Buehrle of old is worth a truckload of money in the current market.  Buster Olney believes he’s comparable to Barry Zito, and that the Mets and Red Sox could get involved.

Most folks think Buehrle will end up joining his hometown Cardinals, which could involve a small discount.  But it’s still a complete unknown here in April.  We don’t want to jump the gun – Buehrle had a fantastic April in 2006 (2.57 ERA, 0.89 WHIP).  A typical Buehrle season – 230 innings, sub-4 ERA – would put him in line for the best long-term free agent contract for a starter.  That assumes Carlos Zambrano signs.

There are a couple of guys who would make awesome mercenaries for 2008 – John Smoltz and Curt Schilling.  Smoltz probably remains a Brave if the team comes in with a somewhat fair offer, but Schilling could spark a bidding war. 

Capellan Placed On Restricted List

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Exiled Brewers reliever Jose Capellan was placed on the minor league restricted list today for failing to report to the Nashville Sounds today or yesterday.  I believe this means he doesn’t get paid.  The restricted list is a favorite tool of the Pirates (Jody Gerut, Raul Mondesi, Chris Duffy).

I’m sure the Brewers are less than thrilled with his attitude, and they’ve been trying to trade him for a while now.  Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal wrote that there was "little demand" for Capellan around baseball despite his six scoreless innings in Triple A.  Still, many teams have at least inquired.

Doug Melvin is determined not to "sell low" on Capellan – a trade seems inevitable, but the Brewers are in no hurry.

Mariners Extend Jose Lopez

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According to Baseball Digest Daily, the Mariners have agreed to a four-year contract with second baseman Jose Lopez.  Additionally the team has an option for 2011.

Lopez would’ve reached arbitration after this season had he not signed a multiyear pact.  I’m trying to think of a second baseman who signed a similar deal at this stage in his career, but I’m coming up empty.  Ian Kinsler and Josh Barfield might be in line for one after this season.

Lopez’s first half work (.280, 9 HR, 20 doubles, 48 runs, 58 RBIs) earned him an All-Star berth last year.  His power disappeared after the break, however.  The problem may be Mariner coaches pushing him to hit the ball the other way.  Lopez slugged .505 a couple of times at Triple A, so the potential is there. 

PECOTA likens Lopez to Bill Mazeroski, and also has Brooks Robinson, George Brett, and Ryne Sandberg among his top ten comparables.  Lopez could certainly blossom into a star; he’s only 23.

Click here to read U.S.S. Mariner’s take on the extension.

The next task for Bill Bavasi might be to lock up Felix Hernandez through his arbitration years.

Cubs Deals Proposed At BP

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I know MLBTR can be a little Cub-centric at times, but hey, whatcha gonna do.

Nate Silver at Baseball Prospectus has an interesting Unfiltered post up today, outlining all sorts reasonable of trade scenarios the Cubs could pursue to clear up their outfield logjam.

Possible bounties for Jacque Jones, in Silver’s opinion: Mike MacDougal, Jon Lieber, or Erick Aybar.  I think any of those trades would improve the Cubs this year.  In particular, Lieber makes a fine fit.  He once won 20 games for the Cubs, but would only need a 4.50ish ERA to be one of the game’s best fifth starters.  I like the idea of giving Angel Guzman a shot at the job, but you can never have too much starting pitching depth.

Jones is owed $9MM for 2007-08, and could play center field in a pinch.  I wonder if the Marlins would add him to their top-ranked offense?  They could send Jorge Julio to balance salaries and a good prospect to make it worth the Cubs’ while.  For some reason, Julio in a Cubs uniform seems all too fitting.

Rockies Inquire About Cantu

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A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the Rockies as a possible fit for Jorge Cantu in a Let’s Make A Deal post.  Turns out they really were interested, inquiring about him sometime before Sunday.

The question remains – would the Rox really pair rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki with Cantu?  Playing alongside one of the worst defensive second basemen in the game wouldn’t seem likely to help Tulo’s development.  Clint Hurdle is dedicated to Tulowitzki despite a slow start (.191/.296/.234 in 47 ABs).

Cantu is hitting .250/.302/.354 with zero home runs in 48 ABs in Triple A.  He’s batting cleanup and commiserating with teammate Seth McClung.  Besides hoping for Cantu’s bat to heat up, the D-Rays plan on using him at first, second, and third base to increase his value.  Of course, first and third are fully locked up on the Rockies. 

Royals Trade Rumors

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I received a request for some Royals action here at MLBTR.  I thought to myself, who better to fill us in than Craig Brown of Royals Authority and Heater Magazine?  Craig obliged, and his Royals trade rumor update follows.

It’s a new season, but the results are the same in Kansas City as once again the Royals are struggling to win games in April.  The slow start means trade talk will begin sooner rather than later.  But despite the struggles, the Royals feel they’re headed in the right direction with a solid nucleus of young ballplayers.  The trade options will be limited to the few remaining veterans on the roster.

As the season rolls on, more and more teams will be paying attention to Reggie Sanders.  Sanders, who was linked to a deal with the Orioles in spring training, is off to a good start in a part time role hitting .391/.440/.696.  Although the Baltimore deal fizzled out, there’s still some interest as the Orioles would like to add a right-handed power bat to their thin bench.  Sanders has no problem coming off the bench, but would like to do it for a contender.  Other teams that could be in the market include Toronto, St. Louis or even the Angels.

Other than Sanders, it’s been relatively dry on the rumor front.  But keep an eye on Emil Brown.  Another member of the Royals crowded outfield, Brown will come cheap (he’s due $3.4 million for 2007) and has a consistent track record over the last two seasons.  He’s gained a reputation as a defensive liability, so he could appeal to a contender looking for a right-handed bat for the bench.  If the Royals are asking too much for Sanders, Brown could be Plan B.

One name that seems to come up in trade rumors every year is Mike Sweeney.  Unfortunately, Iron Mike’s bad back and hefty salary have put the kibosh on any prospective deal.  He’s stayed healthy so far (no small feat) but has struggled at the plate, hitting just .162/.238/.162.  At this point, it looks like he’ll play out the season in Kansas City before hitting the free agent market this winter.  If Sweeney gets dealt, it will be to a team in the AL since his back keeps him off the field.

Don’t look for any deals that include the Royals giving up any pitching.  GM Dayton Moore’s first priority since taking the job last summer has been restocking the team and system with arms.  He’s made some progress, but it’s still a thin staff and with pitching at a premium, it wouldn’t make sense for the Royals to let go of any of their pitchers.

By Craig Brown of Royals Authority and Heater Magazine

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