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Archives for July 2008

Wolf’s Audition Goes Poorly

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According to MLB.com’s Corey Brock, it’s likely that scouts were on hand for Randy Wolf’s start last night against the Rockies.  Granted it was Coors Field, but seven earned runs in four innings did not help his stock.  His previous start against the Mariners was also lousy.  Wolf has pitched 102 innings over 18 starts.  Last year, he was finished at the exact same point.

The Phillies and Cubs still might pursue Wolf, perhaps as a fallback.  Steven Goldman recently made a good point in the New York Sun – Wolf and Greg Maddux have drastic home-road splits, and would probably only serve as back-end rotation upgrades for most contenders.

Draft Roundup: Kelly, Scheppers, Inoa

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Some draft notes for the morning…

Strong Interest In Ron Mahay

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Royals lefty Ron Mahay is having a great year, with a 2.13 ERA in 42.3 innings.  His strikeout rate is down from ’07, but so is his walk rate.  He’s signed affordably through ’09.  The Royals beat out several teams to sign Mahay last winter, including the Yankees and Rays.  Both teams are known to be hunting for relief help currently.

The KC Star’s Bob Dutton says nobody has called Dayton Moore with a firm offer for Mahay.  Dutton believes interest is strong, but Moore’s comments imply the Royals intend to keep him.  A lesser alternative might be Jimmy Gobble, but only if the Royals want to sell low on him.

Dodgers Need A Shortstop

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Rafael Furcal’s contract year is not going as planned.  It started out well, but now back surgery will sideline him at least two more months.  Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News expects Dodgers GM Ned Colletti to survey the market for shortstops, even though he has no leverage.

Back on May 26th, we rattled off some possibly available shortstops.  We can cross Alex Gonzalez off the list, and it sounds like the Nationals intend to keep Cristian Guzman.  One available player omitted from the list is Juan Uribe. 

The best attainable shortstop is probably Jack Wilson.  Wilson, 30, is hitting .316/.357/.368 in 148 plate appearances since coming back from a strained calf.  He has no-trade protection for six teams, and is signed through ’09 with a ’10 option.  Chin-lung Hu would be a strong offer.  The Wilson idea is pure speculation on my part; any Dodgers or Pirates fans want to weigh in? 

Astros Designate Villarreal

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The Astros designated reliever Oscar Villarreal for assignment today.  The 26 year-old posted a 5.02 ERA in 37.2 innings this year.  He’s been leaning more heavily on his breaking stuff this year, and the result has been fewer strikeouts, more walks, and a ridiculous number of home runs allowed (12).  Villarreal is signed through 2009.  He’ll either accept the assignment to Triple A or take a release/trade from the Astros. 

Check out Richard Justice’s blog for commentary on Ed Wade’s acquisition and signing of Villarreal.

Selling Off The Mariners

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So it’s been a bit Mariners heavy today at MLBTR. It makes sense, though. They currently own the worst record in baseball, yet have some chips that could be valuable to contending teams. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times takes a look at a few teams that might be interested in buying what the M’s are selling.

  • Jason Varitek is hitting poorly. Kevin Cash is doing worse. Could the Sox pick up one of the M’s catchers? Baker notes that Jamie Burke could catch Tim Wakefield and probably hit better than Cash. Or, what about Kenji Johjima? Baker mentions that he could take over for Varitek, who will be a free agent, next year. Problem is, Johjima is hitting even worse this year.
  • With Hideki Matsui’s knee barking, could the Yanks be interested in Raul Ibanez? I think they’d opt to bring in Barry Bonds if Matsui’s knee doesn’t heal up soon. Not mentioned by Baker, but speculated by yours truly, the Yanks might show some interest in Richie Sexson as a defensive backup first baseman.
  • Plenty of teams need relievers, and the Mariners have a few. Baker names Mark Lowe, Sean Green, and Arthur Rhodes as available parties. Just about any team in contention might be interested, though Baker names the Braves and the Rays.

Rosenthal: Angels Looking Into Holliday

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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, residing in Orange County, California, are currently the second-worst run producers in the American League. That they have the second-best win percentage in the junior circuit is a testament to their superb pitching staff, led by John Lackey and his 1.44 ERA, though with about 40 fewer innings than most of the team’s other starters.

They’d like to add a bat before the trading deadline, though there are a few problems with that. Take, for instance, Ken Rosenthal’s report that they are interested in Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday. In order to fit him into the scheme, the Angels would have to somehow unload Gary Matthews Jr, who is owed $33 million from 2009 through 2011. That’s not an easy proposition, considering the 2006 fluke is hitting just .239/.318/.361.

According to Rosenthal, this Matthews situation means that the Angels would have to go even further with their prospects and cash in order to make a deal. This might indicate that the team will stand pat and rely on its pitching going forward. Former GM Bill Stoneman was never one for a mid-season move, and his replacement Tony Reagins has expressed similar sentiments.

The Rays could also look into acquiring Holliday, which would round out a stellar outfield. They have more than enough on the farm to get something done. Both teams could also look into Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Ken Griffey Jr., or Adam Dunn.

Odds And Ends: International Signings, Lo Duca, Ichiro, ChiSox

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Here’s a list of loose links (sink ships) from today:

  • The A’s officially inked Michel Inoa for $4.25MM.
  • Corey Brock of MLB.com has a piece on the Padres’ international signings. More here from the man himself, Paul DePodesta.
  • The Marlins are still looking for a catcher, and one of their former guys might be available. That would be Paul Lo Duca. With the Nats out of it, could they swap Lo Duca within the division? And would they assume part of Lo Duca’s remaining salary?   Keep in mind that MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro said yesterday that the Marlins were "not serious" about Lo Duca.
  • Ozzie Guillen is completely content with the current White Sox team. Other than an underperforming and injured Paul Konerko, they’re looking solid.
  • Sam Mellinger goes over the Royals trade options. It’s full of the usual suspects: Mark Grundielanek and Ron Mahay. He also mentions Esteban German, who in the past might have intrigued teams as a solid utility player, but who has dropped off considerably in 2008.
  • The best way to rebuild the Mariners? Trade Ichiro, says Scott Miller.

New Mariners GM Could Be Selected By Gillick

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Scott Miller of CBS Sportsline has an interesting tidbit today. While the Mariners are still searching for a permanent replacement for dismissed general manager Bill Bavasi, the current ownership group might not be the ones to make the call. Instead, Miller relays a rumor that Hiroshi Yamauchi, current controlling owner of the M’s and retired head of Nintendo, wants to sell off his share. Chris Larson, current minority M’s owner and Microsoft exec, is a highly interested party. The idea is for him to form an investment group to purchase Yamauchi’s shares. One of the partners, though, is a familiar face.

That is former Mariners GM Pat Gillick, he who presided over the Mariners powerhouse teams during the turn of the century. According to the rumor, he would be placed as head of baseball operations, and would select the new GM himself. Currently the general manager in Philadelphia, Gillick has announced his plans to reire at the end of the season. So it’s unlikely he names himself general manager.

Another little bit at the end of the article: The current ownership extended catcher Kenji Johjima this April because they wanted to "take care of him before getting out." It further suggests that Bill Bavasi and company were against the extension, likely because of Jeff Clement’s presence.

So, M’s fans, would you welcome Gillick back into the fray?

Rays In On Fuentes

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On Monday, Tim talked about the Brian Fuentes situation, naming a few known suitors: the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Phillies, and A’s. Today, Tracy Ringolsby adds another to the list, the Tampa Bay Rays. The team’s current closer, Troy Percival, has missed some time with injury this year, and the Rays would like to add some insurance for late inning situations.

This would give them a viable eighth inning option to pair with Percival when healthy, especially with Al Reyes missing time with elbow tendinitis. If Percival continues to suffer from his hamstring injury, Fuentes could easily slide into the closer role. Though Grant Balfour didn’t do a shabby job with that last night and Dan Wheeler is solid.

If they’re so inclined, though, they certainly have the prospects to do it.

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