Heyman On Valentine, Strasburg, Atkins
Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Nationals have already begun searching for a long-term manager, even though Manny Acta remains in charge. Here's what Heyman's hearing about a Nationals team that's been the center of attention recently:
- The Nationals are considering Bobby Valentine, who has a history of transforming losing teams into winners. Valentine's managing the Chiba Lotte Marines now, but they're not expected to bring him back after the season ends in November.
- Acting GM Mike Rizzo, is expected to become the full-time GM eventually.
- One small-market GM said he would have been prepared to spend $15-20MM on Stephen Strasburg if the phenom has slipped to his team on draft day.
- Heyman says the record-setting bonus Strasburg will receive won't change bonuses as we know them because he's an exceptional player who can demand more than others.
- Now that Jake Peavy's hurt and the Padres won't be able to deal him soon, no-trade clauses seem less appealing to GMs. Braves GM Frank Wren doesn't hand them out, and he says it's never prevented him from signing a player.
- It still doesn't look like Roy Oswalt will be dealt.
- The market for Brad Penny hasn't been great so far, but he could be more appealing to teams, without Peavy and Oswalt as options.
- Garrett Atkins makes $7MM, so it's not likely he'll be traded, but the Rockies may decide they're buyers, rather than sellers, if they continue to win.
- Jonathan Sanchez is on the market, but some scouts aren't impressed with his stuff.
- The A's plan to build around their young pitching.
Smoltz Hopes To Keep Pitching After 2009
Pedro Martinez isn't the only future Hall of Fame pitcher who hopes to play after 2009. John Smoltz told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he wants to keep pitching after this season and expects to be able to now that he's recovered from a torn labrum. He said he can see himself pitching "well beyond" this year.
Pedro’s Working Out, Hopes To Play Until 2011
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald heard from a source close to Pedro Martinez that the pitcher is working out six days a week in hopes of playing for a contender in 2009 and beyond. Apparently Pedro would like to sign before the end of the month, go on a short minor league assignment and return to pitch after the All Star break. He doesn't want this season to be his last, either. Pedro would like to pitch through 2011.
Olney On Wilson, Johan, Harper
ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Red Sox could take advantage of the shortage of teams willing to take on payroll by offering little more than salary relief to their trading partners. Rival executives told Olney that the Red Sox could offer to take on the salary owed to players like Jack Wilson, without including any highly touted prospects in proposed deals. Here are a couple more details from Olney's column:
- It's looking more and more like Bryce Harper will be eligible for next year's draft and it's looking more and more like the Nationals will again select first. Olney wonders how the Nationals would cope with talks of record-setting deals for two straight years.
- Olney shows that Johan Santana is throwing slower fastballs, and not as many of them.
- Cause for concern? Jon Heyman of SI.com asked a Mets "bigwig" and heard that the team is "not at all" worried about their ace pitcher.
Odds And Ends: Peavy, Acta, Harper
Some links for Monday morning…
- Scott Miller of CBS Sports says the Padres made a mistake last offseason when they rejected the package the Braves offered for the now-injured Jake Peavy.
- Chico Harlan of the Wahington Post goes through the pros and cons of firing Manny Acta. More than half of his readers don't think it's time for a firing yet.
- ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill says Bryce Harper will be the "clear No. 1 talent" if he's eligible for next year's draft, as planned.
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A's haven't started contract talks with their first round draft pick, Grant Green.
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe asks his readers what the Red Sox should do with their excess pitching. We broke down several of their options last week, which Massarotti considers. He adds one of his own: Tim Wakefield could pitch out of the 'pen.
A’s Inquired On DeRosa, Didn’t Like Price
Eric Chavez will have career-jeopardizing back surgery. He could return in time for Spring Training 2010, but Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says the A's are considering other options at third base in the meantime. They inquired on Mark DeRosa, but believe the Indians are asking for too much in return. The A's could pursue DeRosa after the season and Slusser adds that Chone Figgins is a likelier free agent target.
D’Backs Could Deal, But Don’t Expect Them To
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that there's no reason to expect the D'Backs to trade the likes of Felipe Lopez and Doug Davis away, even if they decide they're willing to part with their impending free agents. The D'Backs could eventually investigate deals, but they aren't doing so now. Instead, they're focusing on getting as much production as possible from the players they have.
Colorado A Possible Destination For Snell
John Perrotto of Inside Pittsburgh Sports reports "indications" that the Pirates are willing to trade Ian Snell and says the Rockies are becoming their most likely trade parter. Multiple people in the team clubhouse appeared convinced that Snell was about to be traded yesterday.
Pirates, Red Sox Discussed Jack Wilson
Going back at least a week, there has been word that the Red Sox inquired on Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more on those talks.
The short version: there does not appear to be a match. Kovacevic says the Sox have done research on Wilson, but the Pirates seem to want more than Boston would give up. The Pirates' beat writer implies that the unpopular Nate McLouth trade may cause the Pirates to tread lightly with Wilson. Still, he says the Pirates have also had less intense trade talks with other clubs about their shortstop.
Kovacevic says nothing is cooking in terms of keeping Wilson in a Pirates uniform in 2010, whether in terms of an affordable extension or Wilson's $8.4MM club option. Wilson still has $5MM coming to him on his current extension - $4.4MM of his '09 salary, plus a $600K buyout on the option.
As for the Red Sox, they're using Nick Green and Julio Lugo at shortstop while Jed Lowrie recovers from wrist surgery. Lowrie will take live batting practice Monday as he aims for a late June/early July return.
Cashman On Trade Market
Talking to Newsday's Arthur Staple, Yankees GM Brian Cashman discussed the team's approach toward the trade market. Cashman said that if the team fixes itself by getting Brian Bruney healthy and Chien-Ming Wang right, there may not be a need to make a deal. Bruney returns from the DL Tuesday, while Wang's last-chance start comes Wednesday against John Lannan and the Nationals. Seems odd to me to place so much emphasis on a single start.
Staple also learned that Cashman intends to talk to Hal Steinbrenner if he seeks approval to add to the payroll. I'd be surprised to see money become an impediment for a deadline acquisition.
What are the team's needs? The Yankees' rotation currently ranks 12th in the AL with a 4.98 ERA. The question is whether Cashman could come up with a starter who'd be definitively better than Phil Hughes. As for the pen, Ken Rosenthal wrote Friday that the Yanks have already expressed interest in Colorado closer Huston Street and "eventually will target the best available late-inning relievers." The Angels are also known to be eyeing Street, having lost Scot Shields for the season.