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Archives for May 2007

Rosenthal’s Latest

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Ken Rosenthal posted a new article this afternoon.  A good read as usual, though not chock full of new rumors.

  • Rocco Baldelli remains the Devil Rays’ best trading chip; they hope to see the 25 year-old return and re-establish the trade value he had in 2006.  Many are already saying the Rays waited too long on Baldelli, but let’s see what they get for him before making that judgment.
  • Reggie Willits has hit his way into a starting job for the Angels.  Nice to see an Angel drawing walks 12% of the time.  That will enable Willits to remain effective after his batting average regresses.  Rosenthal says third base is the clear position for upgrade for the Angels.  Garrett Atkins is desired, and Rosenthal would consider Brandon Wood a reasonable bounty.  If I’m Dan O’Dowd, I’m making that deal.  Meanwhile, Bill Shaikin believes the Blue Jays would ask for Wood for Troy Glaus, but would settle for Ervin Santana and 1B/3B/DH Matt Brown.  Shaikin’s source says J.P. Ricciardi is not yet prepared to trade Glaus, however.
  • Rosenthal speculates that the Braves would like to add a big-time starter to get away from the current plan of "Hudson and Smoltz and pray for lightning bolts."  Sorry, that was the best weather rhyme I could come up with.  He mentions Rich Harden and Dontrelle Willis, accompanied by the obligatory Jarrod Saltalamacchia rumor.  Poor Salty.

Cubs Trade Speculation

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What are those crazy Cubs up to now?  They’ve got some surprising plans regarding their pitching staff.  Here’s the rundown:

  • Ryan Dempster may switch back to starting, after he mentors the future closer.  Dempster made six starts for the Cubs to begin 2005, four of which were quality efforts.  Apparently the Cubs think his repertoire is better suited as a starter.  He’s due $10.5MM for 2007-08, and if he can emerge as a quality #4 type starter the contract won’t look so bad.  Dempster’s best season came in 2000 with the Marlins, when he made the All-Star team and won 14 games.  His success will depend on his control.  It doesn’t appear that the Cubs are shopping him, though Paul Sullivan speculated that the Yankees could be interested.
  • Angel Guzman will be groomed as the next Cubs closer.  This is an interesting and unexpected idea.  He’s looked sharp in relief this year, but it’s only been seven innings.  He does have good stuff and decent control.  Phil Rogers offers a little Chad Cordero speculation.  It seems the Cubs will try internal options first, with the knowledge that most great closers were once starters.
  • Rogers seems to think the Cubs should let the inconsistent Carlos Zambrano walk after this season, and focus that money towards a big name hitter.  He names Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, and Kosuke Fukudome as options.  I like the Fukudome idea.  According to Mike Plugh, Fukudome is best served as a right fielder.  A Cubs outfield of Soriano, Pie, and Fukudome could be a nice core.  Not sure where that would leave Matt Murton, however.
  • Rogers also reminds us that the Cubs nearly signed Japanese ace starter Hiroki Kuroda last winter, and could try again after the season.  Kuroda has great command, and won’t require a posting fee.  Kuroda chose to re-sign with the Hiroshima Carps last winter.  He’ll turn 33 before the 2008 season.

Could Yanks Void Giambi’s Contract?

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When I first heard this, I figured it was just idle talk.  It seemed highly unlikely to me that Jason Giambi’s recent comments – mainly "I was wrong for doing that stuff" – could get his contract voided.  But with MLB now investigating, it’s starting to become a possibility. 

Brian Cashman is still interested in getting out from under the contract.  The Yanks tried to void the deal before, when Giambi was coming off an uncharacteristic .721 OPS.  Even with an excellent performance over the last two seasons, no one wants to pay Giambi $47MM for 2007-08 (’09 buyout included).

The Yankees did manage to void Aaron Boone’s contract because he got hurt playing basketball, so you never know.  The pickle will be that Giambi’s contract doesn’t have language specifically referring to steroid use.

Truly odd would be to see the Yankees void Giambi’s contract, only to turn around and trade for Todd Helton.  I suppose if reduced to $60MM over five years, Helton’s contract looks slightly better than Giambi’s.

Renck’s Latest

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Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has a host of trade rumors in his recent column.  Let’s break it down:

  • Time to restart those Todd Helton rumors, as the first baseman is hitting a robust .360/.473/.533.  Renck thinks a trade to Detroit is unlikely, but that the Yankees, Red Sox, or Braves could make a play for him this summer.  The Yanks came up recently via Mark Healey.  Maybe with Helton’s strong start, the Rockies can get their part of Helton’s $90MM contract down to $30MM.
  • Renck likes the Rockies, Braves, and Red Sox as suitors for Rocco Baldelli.  Rocco hopes to return in early June from a strained left hamstring.  I wouldn’t expect a deal until at least late June.
  • The Astros apparently are not making Chris Burke available despite his demotion.  That’s a shame, because the Rockies like him.  The Rox are hoping to see Kaz Matsui return from a back strain this week, so we’ll see how that goes first.
  • The Angels still have interest in Garrett Atkins but talks haven’t been serious.  Seems odd that Dan O’Dowd would sell low on Atkins at this point, but I guess it depends on the return and the Rockies’ projections for him.

Tampa Bay Connection For Percival

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Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times highlights a connection that could bring Troy Percival to Tampa Bay, should the Angels pass.  Topkin notes that Rays manager Joe Maddon, a former Angels bench coach, thinks very highly of Percy.   

Tampa Bay would definitely provide an opportunity for Percival to get some late-inning work.  Al Reyes won’t be giving up the closer role anytime soon; he’s been a godsend with a 1.37 ERA and 4.6 K/BB.  Juan Salas seemed a candidate to lock down the setup role, but he recently earned a 50 game steroid suspension.

It would seem wise for the Devil Rays to shop Reyes this July.  Some team might pony up an unreasonable bounty for the bullpen help.  Then again, Reyes does help Devil Rays fans maintain their sanity in the ninth inning.

Cards Won’t Reacquire Weaver

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While previous reports indicated the Cardinals had interest in Mariners starter Jeff Weaver, Cards GM Walt Jocketty firmly debunked the rumor when asked by Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  Jocketty seems mildly bitter about Weaver’s decision, and won’t give him a second chance.

Weaver currently sports a 14.32 ERA in six starts for the Mariners, and he’s on the DL for shoulder tendinitis.  That’s historically bad.  Worst ever performance (six start minimum) belongs to Jaret Wright in 2002 (15.71 ERA).  Hayden Penn comes next with a 15.10 ERA in six starts last year, and then Weaver’s ’07.  Worst performance with a ten start minimum: Roy Halladay in 2000 with a 10.64 ERA in 13 starts. 

Blue Jays To Offer Up Towers, Ohka

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Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi has told teams that starters Josh Towers and Tomo Ohka are available, according to the Toronto Sun.  The Jays will pick up some salary, too. The Sun’s Bob Elliott dogs Ricciardi for not giving Jeff Suppan the four year, $42MM he got from Milwaukee.  I think Ricciardi made the right decision there – instead of owing Suppan $12.5MM in 2010, he can already get off the hook for Ohka and John Thomson.  Suppan wouldn’t have a 2.54 ERA right now had he been pitching in the AL East.   

Aside from the 1-2 punch of Halladay and Burnett, the Jays will go young in the rotation.  They’ve got nothing to lose with such a strategy, and maybe the kids will be primed to succeed in ’08.

Towers, 30, earns $2.9MM this season.  However, he won’t be a free agent until after the 2009 season, by my count.  He has pinpoint control and pitches to contact.  The approach has worked when he’s managed to keep the hits per nine innings under 11.  It’s failed miserably otherwise.  Oddly, PECOTA sees Ohka as Towers’ #2 comparable.  Check out some other names in his top fifteen comps: John Burkett, Lew Burdette, Early Winn, and Brad Radke.  There are certainly scenarios under which Towers has a successful big league career.  They probably involve the National League.

Ohka, 31, earns $1.5MM this year with additional incentives for games started.  I wrote an extensive profile on him here.  Two things to know about Ohka: he’s pitching with a strained rotator cuff, and he’s got a fiery personality (to put it lightly).  Since he signed late, many teams are on record having interest in Ohka last winter: the Cardinals, Mariners, Nationals, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Mets.  He was actually trying for a three-year deal. 

Yankees Considering Helton?

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For all the talk of how the Yankees have changed, the team went back to its old brute force spending approach to add the one available free agent difference-maker in Roger Clemens.  Ten games behind the Red Sox and in third place, it seems they may be considering another expensive acquisition.  According to Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball, the Yanks are considering acquiring Todd Helton to play first base.  The Rockies might have to accept a contract in return, perhaps Kyle Farnsworth’s.  I would except a Helton deal to resemble the Bobby Abreu trade, where the Yankees mostly provide salary relief rather than players. 

The Yankees’ offense has been kind of average in May.  However, the .262/.347/.460 line they’ve gotten from Josh Phelps and Doug Mientkiewicz is about league average for the position.  It’s far from a major need.

Aside from the Angels, there aren’t many teams that could take on Helton’s contract or even compete for his services.  In contrast, one Rockie likely to be coveted by is closer Brian Fuentes.  Healey says he’s on the Yanks’ radar as well.  Fuentes is a 31 year-old lefty with 75 career saves.  He’ll be a free agent after the 2008 season.

Troy Percival To Attempt Comeback

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UPDATE: I spoke too soon – the comeback is on.  It sounds like Percival wants a late inning role on a contender.

Another comeback almost as interesting as Rickey’s is Troy Percival’s.  Though a decision on the comeback was supposed to come down today, we haven’t heard anything yet.  Mike Scioscia urges caution, saying that he has a lot to overcome before he’s ready for the big league grind again.

Top Angels’ relievers Francisco Rodriguez and Scot Shields had amusing reactions, but their presence really locks up the late innings for the Halos.  A healthy Percival could possibly supplant Darren Oliver or Hector Carrasco as a long man, as both have been horrible this year.  It’s conflicting – this is Troy Percival, so we want to see him as an Angel.  But we also want to see him pitching the ninth. 

More Rickey

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A few weeks ago, the return of Roger Clemens inspired Rickey Henderson to start making noise about playing in the Majors again.  Now the A’s may be opening the door just a crack for Henderson to have one last hurrah.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Billy Beane said he’d consider bringing Henderson back for one game in September, as long as it wouldn’t be detrimental to the team in any way.  Beane, however, has not yet communicated this to Rickey.

Logging a little PT in September would push Rickey’s HOF induction back five years.  But he wants to go out on a high note, with the team he’s most associated with.  As RotoWorld said, why not keep Rickey around all September and let him run for Jack Cust and Mike Piazza? 

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