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Archives for April 2007

Wagner on Lidge

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Jon Heyman has been talking to Mets’ closer Billy Wagner, who is apparently close friends with the down-and-out former Astros’ closer Brad Lidge.  Who knew that Wagner was an expert insider in major league baseball– he refutes the Astros’ claim that they are not planning on moving the shell-shocked reliver.

According to Wagner, Philadelphia wouldn’t be a good fit, because, well, it wasn’t a good fit for him.  From Heyman’s article:  "He needs to be in a place where he can [exhale],” Wagner said. "Houston’s so laid back. Maybe I’m biased against [Philadelphia] … [But] all it takes is one bad game, and fans would kill him."  Obviously the Phillies are part of the discussion because they need to improve their bullpen in order to compete in the NL East, but Heyman also mentions the Mets and Devil Rays.  Of the Mets, Wagner says: "He’d be a good fit here. In this clubhouse, it isn’t ’Who hit the home run?’ or "Who had the hit?’ It’s "Did we win?”’  Yea, when I think of a place to exhale, I think Shea Stadium, with its kind, gentle, forgiving Mets fans. Right.

Lidge is on a one-year, $5.35M contract, so despite all the Astros "connections" to the D-Rays, I don’t see it happening.  Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times named some candidates yesterday nonetheless.  In my opinion, any of those guys are too much to give up, especially for a team with no prayer of making the playoffs.  Why are they in the market for a closer? 

With so many teams in need of relief pitching, it is likely that Houston will be able to dump all of Lidge’s salary and still get some good value in return.  But who, what, and when?  It’s only speculation for now.

John Peterson is a Mets fan and writes for the blog Blastings Thrilledge.

Should Nationals Sign Andruw Jones This Winter?

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Do you believe in the theory that a rebuilding team like the Royals or Nationals needs to make a "splash" as a good faith gesture toward the fanbase?  Thom Loverro of the Washington Times does.  And not just an ill-advised $55 deal like Gil Meche’s – he wants to the Nats to sign Andruw Jones this offseason.

Loverro believes that a new ballpark wouldn’t be enough, and that a superstar needs to be paired with Ryan Zimmerman to keep fans coming through the tough years.  Do I agree with Loverro and Bobby Cox that Jones is in the middle of his prime right now?  No.  But he should age well, and the Nats have nothing going on in center field.  I do agree with Loverro that this expenditure makes more sense than Alfonso Soriano, especially if the price tag is similar. 

Nats President Stan Kasten was also President of the Braves, and wants to build the Nationals in their image.  That means focusing on the farm system and making that splash when the team is ready to contend.  I highly doubt the Nats would seriously consider signing a guy like Jones this winter.  But for a struggling team looking for some goodwill and a contract that might not destroy them in 2013, Jones is the best candidate.

I think in the long-term, the Nationals will still be better off suffering through subpar attendance years and building the team without any dangerously massive contracts. 

In case you’re curious, there are only a handful of quality future free agents who will be under 30 in 2008: Corey Patterson, Carlos Zambrano, Jason Jennings, and Mark Buehrle.

MLBTR Chats?

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One aspect of both ESPN and Baseball Prospectus that I love is the chats.  I feel that it really gives you a sense of a writer’s personality, and that it’s a challenge for the person to answer questions in a rapid-fire way.

I’d love to do chats here and there for both MLBTR and RotoAuthority, but don’t have the tech savvy.  Does anyone know how to create some simple chat software, or somewhere that I can license some?  It would have to drop all the questions in a queue as they arrive and let me choose which to publish on the fly.  Drop me a line at mlbtraderumors@gmail.com if you can help.  Thanks.

Today At The MLBTR Reader Blog

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The MLBTR Reader Blog is my initial attempt to give our readers a voice, a chance to easily create a blog post on any baseball-related topic and vote up the best ones.  I encourage you to check it out, and show off your writing chops if you dare. If you’re good, your posts will make the front page.

A few topics discussed today:

One MLBTR reader describes his experience at Miller Park last night, where the Tribe played their "home opener."

Do you consider it an honor to be beaten with a pillow by Frank Thomas?  This reader does.

Did the ESPN announcers jinx Felix Hernandez’s no-hitter because of an East Coast bias?  Have your say.

A Little Help: A’s

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More rumors, news, and analysis is always a good thing.  Today I’m looking for someone to represent the Oakland Athletics.

What am I looking for in this person?

  • Solid writing skills and a style that fits with MLBTradeRumors.  Basically, I’ll know it when I see it.  I’m looking for the same type of analysis you see here every day.
  • Someone who can post up-to-the-minute A’s rumors as they surface.  I want a person who follows the team religiously and will have every source (traditional newspapers, high quality blogs, radio) covered.  It would make sense to have all the pertinent websites on an RSS reader.  You should be near a computer most times and able to hop on and write a post if something happens.  You’ll also have the freedom to track down and link to interesting articles and posts from around the Internet.
  • While this person is an A’s fan, objective analysis is preferred.  Additionally it would be nice to provide the local vibe/sentiment that people might otherwise not know about.  That might sound contradictory but I don’t think it is.  I should add that we do a little more than just report the news here at MLBTR – you’ll need to provide a little insight along with the rumors.
  • The benefit to you: a decent-sized audience and a chance to do a little sportswriting.  It could be a nice resume-builder and I would be happy to serve as a reference for you.  And I will give you some insight on how I do what I do, for what that’s worth.
  • Build your audience: within reason, you can link to your own blog or website and gain some new readers.
  • Email me at mlbtraderumors@gmail.com if this interests you and explain why you’re the best candidate.  I’ll choose one person and unfortunately won’t be able to reply to all.  A sample post of a rumor/signing (whether fake or true) might help make your case.  Note: long-winded posts are not my style! Brevity is a plus – I like 3-4 paragraph posts.

NOTE: Please don’t contact me about doing this for other teams.  I just want an A’s person at the moment.

Felix 1, Daisuke 0

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Daisuke Matsuzaka received all the hype from ESPN entering tonight’s game.  After all, it was his Fenway debut.  He tossed a solid seven innings, allowing three runs to the Mariners.  He retired Ichiro every time, even striking him out once.  Matsuzaka also threw one high and tight to Ichiro, and it wasn’t an accident.  Nor was his HBP of Jose Guillen, in my opinion.  Kenji Johjima, who’s had plenty of ABs against Matsuzaka, smacked a couple of doubles for the Mariners.

But the big story was 21 year-old Felix Hernandez, who carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning.  I was hoping he’d quiet Boston down, and it was incredible to watch him carve up their lineup in "radiant HD."  Before the game, I couldn’t resist the +162 Bodog was giving for a bet on Felix.  Something tells me they won’t set the line there again for him, no matter who he’s facing.  (Some of you may remember my now-defunct website DailyBaseballPicks.com.  Turns out I had $39 sitting around in my Bodog account from that little experiment).

ESPN’s announcers at least avoided the term "no-hitter" for most of the game, although they just said "screw it" around the 7th inning and said it a few times.  Not cool, guys.  Still, I must say I enjoy the pitching insight added by Orel Hershiser.  ESPN’s gun was blatantly at least 3 mph fast – Joel Pineiro wasn’t throwing 94 – but Felix was obviously dealing.  The guy’s sliders and changeups are on par with most pitchers’ fastballs.  Barely anything left the infield or the ground against him, though Jose Lopez lended some excellent glovework at second base.

After his one-hitter on the big stage tonight, we can safely say Felix Hernandez has arrived.  You have to wonder – if Felix pitches to his 90th percentile PECOTA – a 2.74 ERA – and does it for 215 innings, can the Mariners ride that to the playoffs?  In the King, they have one of the most valuable commodities in the game.

Twins Make Weak Offer To Santana

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According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Twins recently offered Johan Santana a two-year extension for $36MM plus a club option for 2011.  I know you have to start somewhere with negotiations, but the Twins could essentially double their offer and it would still be well below market value. 

Heyman mentions that Santana has informed the Twins that he won’t negotiate again until he hits the open market after the 2008 season.  Maybe Santana made that assertion because he felt insulted by the team’s lowball offer.

If the Twins are that far apart from an extension with Santana, they might want to consider trading him sometime between now and July 31st, 2008.  Don’t forget, however, that Santana has a full no-trade clause this year and a good shot at one for ’08.

Some have suggested that Santana will become baseball’s first $200MM pitcher; clearly a deal won’t get done with less than $100MM being committed.  People keep reporting that Santana will become a free agent at age 29, which is technically true, but he will be 30 on Opening Day 2009.

UPDATE: Not so fast, said Santana today.  He says he hasn’t received an offer from the Twins, but the sooner the better if the Twins want to break their "no negotiations in-season policy."  A report four days ago indicated the Twins will ignore that policy for Santana.

The Relief Market

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The complaining in Philadelphia is going to reach a fever pitch if GM Pat Gillick doesn’t shore up the bullpen soon.  Charlie Manuel put it bluntly: "We’ve got to fix our ’pen."

So which relievers might be available, aside from the aforementioned Brad Lidge?

  • There’s Byung-Hyun Kim, but he’d probably be a nightmare in Philadelphia. The Rockies can’t seem to pawn him off on anyone.
  • The Phils would love to get Scott Linebrink, but the Padres don’t have any reason to give him up and in fact might yet work out a contract extension.
  • Salomon Torres should be available, but the Pirates appear to fancy themselves contenders and already weakened their pen with the Mike Gonzalez trade.  Still, if they want to sell high, they should deal him before he blows a few more saves.
  • The White Sox, with a deep bullpen, seemingly have a surplus.  And Kenny Williams gets along with Pat Gillick.  But with Bobby Jenks’s status still in question, I don’t see them moving anyone.
  • Chad Cordero, while not a dominant closer, is certainly better than anyone the Phillies have.  Top prospect Carlos Carrasco would get Jim Bowden’s ear, and Michael Bourn would fit nicely at the top of Washington’s lineup.  Those are the two I think Bowden would want for Cordero.  Jon Rauch or Luis Ayala would be nice additions as well.
  • Akinori Otsuka could become available, and I’m sure he’ll be a tad disgruntled from losing his job based on Eric Gagne’s long-ago success.  But I don’t think Jon Daniels will use Gagne without a safety net.
  • If I’m Dan O’Dowd, I’m shopping Brian Fuentes while he’s at his peak and still affordable.  The lefty saved 61 games over the last two seasons but turns 32 this year.
  • Derrick Turnbow is off to a great start with four scoreless innings, six strikeouts, and most importantly, no walks.  He’ll make $5.5MM for 2007-08.  It would be an ideal time for Doug Melvin to trade him, but I’m not sure what the Phillies could offer that the Brewers need.  A smaller deal for Jose Capellan could make sense, if the Phils really think he’s a back of the bullpen guy even though he couldn’t crack Milwaukee’s pen at all.
  • The Cubs don’t seem to think too highly of Mike Wuertz, but the 28 year-old quietly had a very solid season last year.
  • Dustin Hermanson is out there, but he’s not going to solidify this bullpen.  And forget about Ugueth Urbina…he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempted murder.  I’m all out of ideas as far as guys who would make the ’pen better in Philly.  Did I miss anyone?

Devil Rays And Brad Lidge?

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Combining a couple of reports this morning, it appears that the Devil Rays may have some interest in acquiring ousted Houston closer Brad Lidge.

Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle has a friend covering an AL East team reporting that his team is talking to Tim Purpura about Lidge.  Naturally one might think the Red Sox would be interested in Lidge for a setup role, as they’ve talked to the Astros about him in the past.

However, Jose’s friend may be Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times, who covers the Devil Rays.  Topkin reports that the Rays would make a good match with possible trading chips like Rocco Baldelli, Jason Hammel, Andy Sonnanstine, J.P. Howell, and Shawn Riggans.  Topkin thinks the presence of former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker and the previous Aubrey Huff deal could inhibit a Lidge deal now.  I imagine the Astros would pounce on a Baldelli for Lidge trade, but I don’t see that happening.  The Astros are fairly well set in the outfield.

Drays Bay throws out Joel Guzman as a possibility, and notes that current Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey previously worked for the Astros.  Would the Rays really want to take on Lidge’s $5.35MM and give up a solid player for him?  This club is not expected to win this year, though Lidge will not become a free agent until after the 2008 season.

The Phillies certainly need some bullpen help, though I’m not sure that Lidge would change things.  Scott Lauber of the Wilmington News Journal suggests the possibility, but only as speculation.

It should be noted that de Jesus Ortiz spoke to Purpura, and the GM’s comments do not seem to indicate a trade anytime soon.

MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Notes

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Hey, as you all know I am the new Yankees correspondent.   I just got back from the game a few minutes ago, and thanks to some eavesdropping, I was able to extract some information from a "high up" of the Richmond Braves. The most important thing he spoke about was that the organization is very nervous about overworking Wickman, Gonzalez and Soriano, and may be looking to either call up a reliever or investigate a signing/trade situation.   Peter Moylan seems to be the logical choice, but that’s enough about the Braves.

Raul Chavez caught the game tonight.  I remember many baseball forums bashing the signing, but there may be more behind it than his .212 career batting average.  Chavez was the primary backup catcher for the Houston Astros from 2004-2005, and caught a combined 97 games during that time. He also worked with both Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens.  Perhaps Brian Cashman signed Chavez with this in mind.  Perhaps it may make Clemens even more enticed to sign with the Yankees.  I think that if Clemens has the chance to play along side friends like Jeter, Rivera and Pettitte, along with two catchers he is comfortable with could work to our advantage in the upcoming sweepstakes.  Just an idea, I’m sure we’ll see in a month or so where Roger decides to pitch.  Chavez had some nice AB’s tonight, and was really working the count.  That could work in his favor if Nieves falters. 

Chris Basak looked really good tonight at 3B.   He made several difficult plays at the hot corner and displayed a somewhat strong arm.  After seeing his hustle, and defensive ability, I really think the Yankees should have chosen him instead of Cairo for the utility spot.  I’m sure if Cairo gets hurt he will be the first called up.  Alberto Gonzalez looked decent as well, but his bat needs to catch up with his glove before he becomes a major leaguer.   

Shelley Duncan, brother of Cardinal’s outfielder Chris Duncan, hit a tremendous home run to the opposite field tonight.  The guy did not look that great in the outfield, but he has some major power.   If the Mientkiewicz/Phelps platoon falls apart, Duncan could be a player in that.   He’s not much of a fielder, but he does have some upside offensively.  Eric Duncan looked very good as well.  He put together some nice at bats and played the field well.  The organization seems to really like him, as do the other journalists in the press box.

I spoke to Ron Villone, Andy Phillips, and manager Dave Miley after the game.  Villone is apparently really happy where he is right now, and chose to return to the Yankees because he loves the organization (he is a NJ native) and feels that he can work his way up again and be on a contending club.  He is much bigger in person, and very intimidating.  Either way, it’s a good way to show that he can still pitch.  Miley felt the same way about Villone, and also mentioned that he liked having his veteran presence on the team.

Andy Phillips is a really nice guy in person.  We talked about his time with the fellowship of Christian Athletes, and his current hobbies of golf and singing.  I was not aware that he sings in a Christian music group during the off-season.  His mother is doing very well, and I asked him about any other teams he would like to play for, and he replied that he grew up a Braves fan and would love to play for them.

On the Major League Yankees side of things:

After five lousy starts for the Yankees rotation and one critical Joel Sherman  article, Carl Pavano and Andy Pettitte strung together two quality starts in a row.  The big story is Alex Rodriguez’s home run, the 6th.  As Chad Jennings, Scranton Times-Tribune sportswriter said to me, A-Rod now has as many home runs in one week than Jason Tyner has over his entire career.

Let’s hope Rodriguez does not get greedy after his monster 2007 season and opt out of his contract with the intention of making even more money.  I don’t think he will, especially since the fans are going to adore him if he keeps up his torrid pace. 

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