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Archives for March 2008

Medders Or Nippert Could Be Traded

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The D’Backs have two fellas on our Out of Options list – pitchers Brandon Medders and Dustin Nippert.  In the eyes of Nick Piecoro, there’s a decent chance the D’Backs trade one of ’em.

Nippert turns 27 in May.  A TJ survivor, Baseball America wrote in their ’07 handbook that the tall righty has "top-of-the-rotation stuff."  He could be a prize for a rebuilding team that could afford to keep him in the Majors all year.  He’s yet to have much big league success.

Medders has a nice 3.36 career ERA in 131 innings of relief, but his K/BB has deteriorated over the years.  The 28 year-old missed most of ’04 with labrum surgery, according to BA.  They say he’s deceptive and possesses a decent sinking fastball and cutter.

Both these guys are interesting, with Nippert the upside choice.  If the D’Backs do deal one of them I’m guessing it could be for a prospect or two.

San Diego: Pitchers’ Haven

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Tom Krasovic pens an interesting article today on the pitchers’ haven that is San Diego.  Free agent pitchers love signing with the Padres.  Why?

  • Petco is tough on offense.  According to the Bill James Handbook, the park has reduced runs by 19% over the last couple of seasons.
  • The weather is fantastic – no 35 degree Chicago Opening Days.
  • Manager Bud Black was a pitcher, as was GM Kevin Towers.
  • Krasovic cites Mark Prior and Randy Wolf as two pitchers who spurned bigger offers to pitch in San Diego.

Cubs Never Called Torii

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I don’t have enough for an odds and ends, so this little tidbit gets its own post today.  Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times learned that the Cubs never put in a call to Torii Hunter’s agent this winter before he signed with the Angels.  Torii’s friend Derrek Lee found this shocking; he could have facilitated some talks. Hunter grew up a Cubs fan because of WGN, like many people outside of Illinois.

The Cubs don’t quite seem sold on Felix Pie as their center fielder, given their interest in Marlon Byrd earlier this year.  He’s had about 200 plate appearances worth of growing pains, and the Cubs apparently want more immediate production.  PECOTA projects a robust .291/.344/.480 line from the 23 year-old this year.

Decision Time On Baldelli

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Back on December 23rd, I asked Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times what kind of trade value Rocco Baldelli had.  Of course, Topkin told me his trade value was miniscule.  Topkin also said:

An interesting sidenote is that the Rays have to decide by April 1 on his 2009 option, picking between a $4MM buyout or a $6MM salary AND then being on the hook for his combined 2010-11 option or a $2MM buyout.

Quite a pickle, and I think the fact that this decision must be made in three weeks was lost in the shuffle.  MLBTR contributor Cork Gaines took a look at the Baldelli situation on his blog today.  As Cork suggests, perhaps some kind of renegotiation is in order.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Brandon Inge

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Oh Brandon Inge…Has it really only been two years since Inge belted 27 home runs and endeared himself to Tigers fans everywhere by transforming himself from a utility player into an everyday Major League third baseman? In doing so, Inge became the poster-child for the resurgent Detroit franchise that took only three years to go from 119 losses to the World Series. And now? We are certain that there are still Tigers fans out there that love Inge, but we are having a hard time finding them. Inge, who has three years and $19MM left on a contract he signed prior to the ’07 season, was obviously upset when he lost his job after the Tigers traded for Miguel Cabrera. And despite an opportunity to receive 300+ at bats as a utility player on a contender (and receive $6.2MM while doing so) he is apparently unhappy about having to play catcher (though he feels that he was misquoted).

Now it seems like trading Inge may be the best solution for both sides with Inge landing a starting job on another team and the Tigers able to skim $6.2MM off the books for a player that was not going to start. The only question now is: Who is willing to give up a player (or two) for 30-year old Inge with a $6.2MM price tag, no seasons with an OPS+ greater than 100 since 2004 and bad facial hair? Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogospere…

If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.

  • A League of Her Own thinks the Cubbies should ship Ryan Dempster and Jason Marquis for Inge. Boy, Cubs fans really don’t like Marquis right now.
  • The Cub Reporter doubts that the Cubs will land Inge, as the team seems to be all talk this off-season…Anybody want a Brian Roberts update?
  • Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness lists about 437 reasons the Dodgers should not be interested in Inge, noting that the Dodgers would end up downgrading at third base, paying more salary to do so and weakening their bullpen in the process. And yeah, they don’t like his facial hair either.
  • Bugs & Cranks thinks Inge should just shut up and accept hit utility role on a good team.
  • Mack Ave. Tigers has finally had enough of Inge and doesn’t want a guy on the Tigers that doesn’t care about winning.
  • The Detroit Tigers Weblog wonders if Inge’s decision to start talking to reporters is a way to try and expedite a trade, but notes that his words are not endearing himself to any potential trade partners.
  • Mets Fever sees the Mets and Tigers as a good match up. If the Mets can’t land Marcus Thames, then maybe Inge would fill their needs.
  • Fanhouse thinks the Giants might make a good trade partner for the Tigers as Inge could be a better fit than Joe Crede whom the Giants have recently inquired about.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Rumor Royalty: Geoff Baker (Mariners)

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Geoff Baker kindly answered our Rumor Royalty questions despite vacationing in Hawaii.  Geoff covers the Mariners beat for the Seattle Times.  He also keeps a blog here.

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MLBTR: How do you see the first base situation turning out? Richie Sexson is entering a contract year and his production has been below average. Do you think anyone else in the system could see time at the cold corner?

Baker: If Sexson struggles out of the chute again, then fails to rebound by mid-May, I could see a chain reaction of moves that could lead to someone like Raul Ibanez or Jose Vidro being moved over to first base. A lot will depend on the progress of Jeff Clement. If Clement shows he’s ready for a big-league job, it gives the Mariners plenty of flexibility where Sexson is concerned. Clement himself could be moved over to play first base. The reason I said Ibanez or Vidro first is because they’ve both played first base in the majors already. I could see Clement taking over as DH if Vidro were to be moved to first base. Or, if Vidro struggled as well, him and Clement seeing time as DH. The point is, the M’s have no excuse to spend an entire season waiting for Sexson this year. Once Clement and outfielder Wladimir Balentien show they’re ready for the bigs (and a couple of months at Class AAA could be all it takes) there are plenty of moves that could be made to bring in a new first baseman.

All that said, I do expect Sexson to rebound to something more reflective of his career norms. He’s in a contract year, and last season sort of snowballed away from him quickly. The combination of nagging hurts, getting booed by his own fans and the pressure he put on himself after a terrible start all conspired to drag him down. Not saying he’ll hit 30 home runs again, but an .800 OPS is the minimum I expect.

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MLBTR: Do you think the Mariners are giving any consideration to signing Barry Bonds, despite Jose Vidro’s presence as the DH?

Baker: I’d be very surprised. The Mariners have made a point of not hanging on to players with black marks against them in the community. We saw that last year when Julio Mateo was traded to Philadelphia at a time when an assault charge (for beating his wife) was pending against him. Bonds is also charged with a crime — perjury. He may not have been found guilty yet (and the M’s have given chances to folks caught using steroids, like Mike Morse) but the team won’t want that cloud and the distraction that is Bonds himself hanging over their clubhouse and season. He’s a perfect match for this team. If they wanted Bonds, he’d already be signed.

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MLBTR: Can you tell us which Mariners with less than five years of service time are out of options?

Baker: Mike Morse, who can play the infield or outfield, is the biggest name and will likely not get through waivers if he fails to make the team out of spring training. I’d say Morse has a great shot at joining the club. He’s already hitting well this spring, offers them plenty of versatility and I’m not sure the M’s feel Wladimir Balentien is ready to leave Class AAA just yet. If Morse doesn’t stick in Seattle, some other club will likely use him in the big leagues.

Cha Seung Baek is also out of options. A right handed pitcher, he’s had his share of appearances with the club the past two years, but, for some reason, hasn’t made a lasting impression. Seemed like a surefire option as a fifth starter heading into last spring, but the M’s opted to sign Jeff Weaver instead. That tells you plenty. There sould be a question about Baek’s durability and willingness to take the ball. The rotation is set for this year, so he’s either a long reliever or likely gone. My guess is he’s gone.

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MLBTR: Do you expect both Kenji Johjima and Jeff Clement to be Mariners in 2009?

Baker: I do expect Clement to be there, mainly because Sexson, Ibanez and Vidro could all be gone. That’s a lot of power to lose without replacing some of it from within. That said, I’d expect to see Clement in a first base or DH role more than as a starting catcher. Unless he makes tremendous strides in catching this season at Class AAA.

And if that’s the case, I would expect Johjima to return. The Mariners are pleased with the progress he’s made in transitioning from the Japanese to the American game. He offers pretty good offensive power for a catcher. At this point, not knowing how he’ll do this season, I think the team is leaning towards keeping him. Not like there’s anyone else in the system ready to step in and play every day. That could change over the next seven months, but right now, there isn’t. If Rob Johnson, or Clement, was going to be Johjima’s backup this season, I’d feel differently. But it’s going to be Jamie Burke.

That said, if Clement has an absolute monster year as a Class AAA catcher, or half a monster season down there and then fills in as a major leaguer at any spot the rest of the way, we’ll talk. But for right now, the way I see it, Clement won’t be catching for the M’s in the big leagues. That means Johjima stays put.

Olney On Bonds And The Mets

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ESPN’s Buster Olney makes a pretty strong case for the Mets signing Barry Bonds.  Bonds is a lot like Moises Alou, only a better hitter with more baggage.  Jeff Sackmann only saw six teams as possible fits for Bonds; the Alou injury might make the Mets the seventh (although Alou missing a month of the regular season was a given).  The Mets could get a ton of value from left field if they somehow kept these two from being injured simultaneously.

Olney argues that Bonds is the one available impact bat who can be acquired for only money.  And the Mets haven’t been terribly concerned with a few steroid-linked players coming through town.  I agree with everything he’s saying, and I think New York fans wouldn’t mind so much if Bonds helped them win a World Series.  However, Omar Minaya mostly dismissed the idea of signing Bonds or Sammy Sosa.

A more likely option is Marcus Thames, though Jon Paul Morosi believes Jim Leyland’s fondness for him might preclude a trade.

Odds and Ends: Johnson, Ponson, Nady

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Ever lose a contact in the bathroom and scour for it for hours?  That was my morning.  Good times.  On to the links.

  • Friend of MLBTR Susan Slusser notes that the Giants had two scouts watching the A’s on Wednesday.  One guy they might have been eyeing is first baseman Dan Johnson.  It seems that Johnson, who is out of options, may be able to linger around on the A’s roster until at least mid-April given the expanded rosters for the Japan series.  And since Slusser’s article we’ve learned that Daric Barton’s hand injury is more serious than initially thought.  That could buy Johnson even more time if the A’s aren’t ready to trade him.
  • The Cardinals, Mariners, Royals, and Diamondbacks, Astros, and Rangers were among teams with scouts watching Sidney Ponson touch 94mph today.  He’s stopped drinking and lost some weight; who knows, maybe he can help an NL club.
  • Peter Abraham views Joba Chamberlain’s recent comments with a little skepticism.
  • MLB.com’s Marty Noble calls a Mets trade for Xavier Nady "quite unlikely," though an anonymous Mets player likes the idea.

Papelbon Gets $775K

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Outspoken Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon signed a one-year deal for $775K for ’08.  That’s significantly more than the Sox had to give him, so it seems they value his happiness.  His new salary beats Mariano Rivera’s two-year service time closer record of $750K.

Papelbon’s salary will increase drastically a year from now, as he’ll be arbitration-eligible for the first time.  He probably won’t get the $10MM Ryan Howard did, but something north of $5MM seems possible.

Alou Out 4-6 Weeks

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TODAY: Omar Minaya said that if he makes a deal, it will probably be toward the end of spring.  And it would be for more of a fourth outfielder type (my words, not his).

YESTERDAY: In general, the Mets weren’t counting on 150 games from Moises Alou this year.  But the news that a hernia will knock him out for four to six weeks could press Omar Minaya into action.  Even before the injury they had been reportedly searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder.  And ailments for various other Mets seem to be piling up.

Recently we’ve read about Marcus Thames and perhaps Brandon Inge as possible Mets targets.  Yesterday we speculated that Reed Johnson, Kevin Millar, Jason Michaels, Matt Murton, and Jay Payton seemed like possibilities.  Commenters added names like Juan Rivera, Xavier Nady, Randy Winn, Jonny Gomes, Aubrey Huff, and even Sammy Sosa.  Plenty of options out there for Minaya.

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