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Archives for October 2008

Royals And Indians Not Talking Teahen

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MONDAY: Royals GM Dayton Moore emphatically denied the rumor, calling it a "flat-out lie."  OK then.

SUNDAY: Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes some surprising news, as it seems the Indians and Royals are discussing a swap of Mark Teahen for an outfielder. It’s not often you see two teams in the same division make a trade, but both sides seem to have interest.

Dutton lists the three potential targets as Franklin Gutierrez, Ben Francisco, and minor leaguer Trevor Crowe. All three are capable of playing center field, which would allow the Royals to move David DeJesus to left field on a full-time basis.

Teahen would likely return to his natural position, third base, after spending the past two seasons in the outfield where he has struggled offensively. Teahen’s best season at the Major League level came as a third baseman in 2006, when he hit .290/.357/.517 in 439 plate appearances. The Indians are looking for a replacement at third base, with Andy Marte having failed to live up to expectations and Casey Blake’s departure.

Crowe could potentially be the best fit. He’s a swtich-hitter who posted a .381 OBP between Class-AA and Class-AAA this season, and will turn 24 in November. The Royals could certainly use a strong OBP player in their lineup. Teahen would be a very affordable solution for Cleveland, as he’s arbitration-eligible this season but will likely be in the $3MM range for 2009.

Odds and Ends: Hughes, Tigers, Affeldt

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Links for Monday…

  • I’m working on this year’s Top 50 Free Agents list, with predicted destinations.  It’s always a tough puzzle to assemble.  Anyone have educated guesses on where Ben Sheets, Oliver Perez, Braden Looper, and Jon Garland might sign?
  • MLB.com’s Mychael Urban believes Mark Mulder would like to return to the A’s, but the team may not be interested.  Plus, Mulder isn’t even considering destinations until he is healthy.
  • Japanese free agent pitcher Kenshin Kawakami hired American agent Tony Attanasio.  The Red Sox may be interested.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post takes the Yankees to task for their unwillingness to include Phil Hughes in a Johan Santana package.
  • Tigers officials are meeting in Detroit for four days to discuss trade possibilities.
  • MLB.com’s Dick Kaegel explains why a Luis Castillo for Jose Guillen swap is unlikely.
  • Dave Cameron considers Jeremy Affeldt a possible free agent bargain.  He could be underrated, but not a bargain if he renews last year’s desire for a four or five-year deal.

Amaro To Replace Gillick As Phillies GM?

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On Friday, SI.com’s Jon Heyman suggested Ruben Amaro Jr. was the most likely replacement for Pat Gillick as Phillies GM.  Today, Todd Zolecki of the Philadelphia Inquirer hears from team insiders that Amaro (currently the assistant GM) is expected to get the job.  The decision would likely be finalized before the November 3rd GM meetings.

Burnett Would Consider Yankees

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George King of the New York Post talked to A.J. Burnett’s agent Darek Braunecker, who said Burnett will "see if the Yankees are interested" if he chooses to opt out of his deal.  It always makes sense to keep the Yankees involved.

When we last checked in on the Burnett situation Friday, we were confused by J.P. Ricciardi’s characterization of the talks.  Jeff Blair believes the Blue Jays are willing to do a three-year, $48MM contract.  Talking to Murray Chass recently, Braunecker downplayed his client’s injury history.

C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Monday

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David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a C.C. Sabathia rumor:

The figure I’m hearing that Milwaukee might offer C.C. $100 million for four years. They’re hoping that by going with fewer years and more per year, they can keep him. He’s indicated to friends a serious interest in staying there, he liked it so much.  The Brewers might help their chances of signing him if they pick up the option on Mike Cameron, who’s a good friend of CC’s.

With Cameron, the Brewers figure to have over $70MM committed (not including Chris Capuano).  It’s hard to see the Brewers backloading an already huge $25MM salary to Sabathia, so they’d probably have to take payroll to the mid $90MM range to fit him in.  Keeping Cameron and Sabathia would seem to limit roster construction – it could necessitate a Prince Fielder or J.J. Hardy trade, or leave little money for third base or the bullpen.

Iwase To Stay In Japan?

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Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker has several reports stating that Chunichi Dragons closer Hitoki Iwase will decline free agency and stay with the team.  Iwase may not have been able to top his $4.3MM salary with an MLB club.

Iwase, a 34 year-old southpaw, would’ve been the best reliever coming over from Japan.  He posted a 2.94 ERA and 7.5 K/9 in 49 innings this year.

Smoltz To Take Clemens Approach?

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SUNDAY: Dave O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reminds Braves fans of the plan for Smoltz.  He will continue to rehab (sans progress reports for the media).  If Smoltz is willing and able to pitch, the Braves want him back.

SATURDAY: Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News talked to John Smoltz’s agent, Keith Grunewald.  Smoltz, of course, would love to finish his career in Atlanta.  The Braves figure to make an effort to re-sign him, but it’s not a lock.  Smoltz could be ready in May or June following shoulder surgery, and could sign late with a contender as Roger Clemens did a few years ago.  It’s not known whether he’ll start or relieve.

The Many Faces Of Manny

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Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe has an interesting article about Manny Ramirez up. The article likens Manny’s exit to that of former Boston fan-favorite Nomar Garciaparra. Nomar said that he cautioned his teammates not to believe everything they heard about Manny before his arrival:

"I told the guys here, ’Don’t believe everything you read about Manny, because it was wrong,’ " Garciaparra said. "I said from day one that he was going to come in smiling, he was going to be great in the clubhouse, and he was going to be fun to watch, and I was right about every single thing."

Garciaparra went one step further even, stating that this is not the first time Boston has tried to make a departing star look badly:

The former Sox All-Star asserted in an interview that the Boston brass unfairly tried to demonize Ramírez, just as team executives tried to do to Garciaparra, Pedro Martínez, and Mo Vaughn, among others, when they left town.

Hohler also talks to Bill Mueller, who states that when he won his batting title in 2003, it was because Manny voluntarily sat the last game of the season out, telling Mueller that he wanted Mueller to win the title. Mueller entered the game hitting .327, while Manny was at .325.

Hohler also delves into the usual topics of conversation and controversy that surround Manny, breaking down his last few months in Boston, and alluding to similar difficulties towards the end of his time in Cleveland. Hohler quotes Scott Boras numerous times, as he tries to make his client out to be simply misunderstood, likening him to Randy Johnson at the end of his tenure with Seattle.

Nice article that does a good job of showing both sides of one of baseball’s biggest Jekyll and Hyde characters. Sounds like Manny can be a good teammate when he wants to, but does anyone really think he can actually stay happy and focused for six years? I still have a hard time seeing him getting a contract of that length… what about everyone else? Thoughts on Manny?

Cafardo’s Latest: Hot Stove, Twins, Gordon, Pedro

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Nick Cafardo from the Boston Globe has a nice article up catching up on some Hot Stove news, with a few other odds and ends tied in. Let’s hit the highlights here:

  • Cafardo seems to think the Yankees could entice C.C. Sabathia to pitch on the East Coast, and that the Angels would be crazy not to re-sign Mark Teixeira at whatever the cost. He also points out Joe Maddon’s connection to Francisco Rodriguez from his days as a coach with the Angels, and covers other top names such as Jake Peavy, A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, Manny Ramirez, Pat Burrell, Matt Holliday, and Garrett Atkins.
  • The Minnesota Twins were ranked as the #1 team in young talent by the 2009 Bill James Handbook. Minnesota had ten players in the top 150: Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, Justin Morneau, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Carlos Gomez, Nick Blackburn, Jason Kubel, Denard Span, and Glen Perkins.
  • The article includes a Q&A with Tom Gordon, who has high praise for the Phillies, particularly Brad Lidge. Gordon says that having avoided Tommy John Surgery, he feels he can continue his career, and would love to pitch in Philadelphia next year. Gordon will understand if his option is declined, but is emphatic in saying he’s "going to pitch somewhere." Plenty of teams need bullpen help, and even with his injury, I can’t imagine him having a hard time finding work.
  • Cafardo likes the idea of either Rocco Baldelli or Gabe Kapler as a fourth outfielder for the Red Sox.
  • Would Pedro Martinez consider an incentive-laden contract to be Boston’s fifth starter next season?
  • Red Sox catching prospect Mark Wagner has shown improvement the Arizona Fall League. This only adds to the Jason Varitek dilemma that Boston is faced with.

Week in Review: 10/19 – 10/25

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We’re nearing the end of the 2008 season, as the Phils lead the Rays 2-1 in the World Series, but that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of material here on MLBTR. Let’s look back at the past week!

  • Talks for Padres ace Jake Peavy slowed down a bit this week, but there are still plenty of rumors circulating. We learned that Peavy will want full no-trade protection, and heard that he is not a good fit for the Cardinals (sorry St. Louis fans). Executives feel it will take top prospects such as Tommy Hanson or Jason Heyward, but we’ve heard Frank Wren say they are not available… multiple times. As has been said countless times, there’s no rush to trade Peavy, though it’s hard to imagine a deal getting done without at least some of Atlanta’s top young players.
  • I’ll resist making a bad pun about the "Holliday Season" approaching (ok, no I won’t) as I link to this piece here, informing us that yet another huge name – Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday – has been officially made available on the trading block. The Rox will be looking for solid young starters in return. The Phillies were interested in July, we know the Mets have been searching for a power-hitting corner OF, and what would any trade sweepstakes be without at least mentioning the Red Sox or Yankees these days?
  • If you don’t feel like giving up the pitching for Holliday, you could always go ahead and go after Manny Ramirez. We’ve been hearing a lot about him these days as well. I’d be surprised to see him get the six years he’s after, though I also don’t see him taking the enormous two-year deal the Dodgers are reportedly preparing to offer. Speaking of Manny, in case you forgot… Curt Schilling really doesn’t like him.
  • The Mariners put an end to their GM search, hiring Jack Zduriencik of the Brewers to fill the position. Zduriencik carries a great reputation as a result of several successful draft picks for the Brewers.
  • Couple of notes on rehabbing pitchers: The Cardinals will buy out Mark Mulder’s 2009 option, and Mark Prior could be ready for the beginning of the 2009 season. Both are among a list of pitchers who would like to attempt comebacks in San Diego.
  • The Marlins will discuss what to do with Mike Jacobs, Kevin Gregg, and Scott Olsen, three arbitration-eligible players they are willing to move. Dan Uggla will likely be staying put unless they’re blown away by an offer.
  • The Blue Jays claimed Bryan Bullington off waivers from Cleveland and also signed Adam Loewen following his release from Baltimore this week. Loewen will attempt a Rick Ankiel-esque comeback as an outfielder following even more injury problems in his pitching arm.
  • The Orioles may have lost Loewen, but some good news for their fans: They began discussions about an extension for Nick Markakis this week.
  • Tim continued the Offseason Outlook series with entries for the Red Sox and Dodgers.
  • For more on the Red Sox offseason, here’s a look courtesy of several New England media outlets, and one more from Tom Massarotti. It also seems like they may not want to pay top dollar for Derek Lowe.
  • Here’s a look at the projected Elias Rankings for NL 1B/OF, AL infielders, and NL Infielders as well.
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