Larry Beinfest, In His Own Words
Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald spoke with Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest on Wednesday afternoon, and a range of topics were discussed. Among the talking points, Beinfest addressed the possibility of a waiver deal:
"It's tight out there," said Beinfest. "The waivers are winding down. If you're going to get somebody, you're going to need to do it this weekend, basically. We're always looking. If there's something out there interesting in terms of adding depth, or adding experience, or an upgrade, then of course we'll look at it. But it's pretty tight out there this time of year, just in terms of maneuverability — players that are eligible, willingness of other teams to give up their players, and also whether the player fits financially. It's not as easy as it was a month ago when you didn't need waivers."
We've done our best this month to track the players who have cleared waivers. Remember the deadline to make such a transaction is September 1.
Beinfest also made quick mention of the possibility of long-term contract negotiations with pitchers Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco. The Marlins have, in the past, dealt most of their young, talented hurlers.
"I don't think anything has really changed as far as long term (contracts to pitchers)," said Beinfest. "We've always been open. It's not something we've ever ruled out, and we'll go case by case. I think there is some recognition by the organization that pitchers can be risky because they do get hurt, maybe at a higher rate than a position player. But that doesn't mean necessarily we would rule out."
Crosby Unlikely To Return To Oakland
Bobby Crosby told Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News that he can't imagine signing with the A's after the season, when he becomes a free agent for the first time.
"If the opportunity was given to me to play shortstop here, I'd have no problem coming back," Crosby said. "But I know that's not going to be the case."
Crosby, who turns 30 this winter, makes $5.25MM this year. He's hitting .223/.294/.365 this season, with just 16 extra base hits. Since being named the 2004 Rookie of the Year, Crosby has struggled to stay healthy and has managed only a .669 OPS. Coming into this season, Crosby had been a defensive asset for five straight years, according to UZR.
He'll face tough competition on the free agent market after the season. Former A's Miguel Tejada, Marco Scutaro and Orlando Cabrera will lead a strong class of free agent shortstops this winter.
Odds And Ends: Perez, Greinke, Matsui, Magglio
More links as another Met hits the shelf…
- Oliver Perez will have season-ending surgery and, as Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post points out, the Mets now have about $100MM sitting on the DL.
- Zack Greinke makes $100k if he wins the Cy Young Award. Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star thinks Greinke deserves it, but doesn't expect him to win it, so he suggests the rest of the Royals chip in to make sure their ace gets rewarded for his big year.
- Magglio Ordonez keeps picking up the plate appearances and he's now just 59 away from assuring himself an $18MM payday in 2010. His option should vest sometime next month.
- Hideki Matsui tells Newsday's Ken Davidoff that he'd consider playing with Ichiro. Davidoff suggests the White Sox and A's are possible fits for Matsui when he becomes a free agent after the season.
- Be sure to become a fan of MLBTR on Facebook, where we're discussing Billy Wagner's future. If you don't already follow us on Twitter, you can start by clicking here.
Crasnick On Sheffield, Smoltz, Giambi, Pedro
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick presents some of the players, managers and executives who can start earning next year's job by finishing the season strong:
- Gary Sheffield is hitting well, but in the words of one NL official, "he has some explaining to do" if he wants a job next year after last week's drama.
- Barring a September collapse, Jerry Manuel seems likely to return next year.
- John Smoltz is "definitely interested" in pitching next year, according to his agent.
- Jason Giambi can prolong his career if he plays well for the Rockies this month.
- One NL exec believes Pedro Martinez can still contribute.
- Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says he knows some people want him out of Toronto. However, Crasnick believes the GM has a strong relationship with team president Paul Beeston. Once Beeston hands authority over to a new president, Ricciardi could lose his job.
- Crasnick says managers Eric Wedge (Indians), Jim Riggleman (Nationals), Dave Trembley (Orioles) and Cecil Cooper (Astros) don't have much job security.
Odds And Ends: Santana, Sano, Zambrano
More links, with less than a week remaining for contenders to add pieces…
- Pete Abraham of the Journal News says the Brian Cashman and the Yankees were smart not to trade for Johan Santana, even though it seems likely that the Mets will get their ace back.
- Matthew Carruth of FanGraphs argues that Santana won't likely be worth the $90MM-plus remaining on his extension.
- Ryan Zimmerman's extension has worked out well for the Nationals, and Tyler Hissey of Around the Majors believes the team deserves some credit.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that talks between the Pirates and Miguel Angel Sano have stalled. The Pirates made a formal offer at the beginning of July, but pulled it back more than a month ago.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says Carlos Zambrano's next meaningful start will come on Opening Day 2010.
- It looks like top Japanese amateur Yusei Kikuchi will play in Japan, as Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker shows.
- Jerry Ford of PerfectGame.org says Bryce Harper has been overhyped. But has his ability been overrated? Not at all – Ford says he has tons of potential. Check out the entire piece for a wide-ranging discussion of the top prospect.
Heyman On Rockies, Wagner, Gonzalez
Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Rockies are in contention because GM Dan O'Dowd has made more worthwhile moves than anyone in the last year. He acquired Huston Street and Carlos Gonzalez for Matt Holliday, turned Luis Vizcaino into Jason Marquis and acquired Rafael Betancourt. Here are Heyman's latest rumors:
- O'Dowd's contract expires after the season, when Giants GM Brian Sabean and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti can also become free agents. One rival GM would be shocked if the Rockies didn't offer O'Dowd an extension.
- Heyman imagines the exact same scenario that Buster Olney brought up earlier today. The Red Sox could keep Billy Wagner to close next year while Daniel Bard sets up. This would enable the Red Sox to trade Jonathan Papelbon, who would bring in a nice return. Heyman says it's "mostly speculation" and reminds us that it's "far-fetched."
- The D'Backs put Chad Qualls on waivers. He's expected to be claimed, but the D'Backs aren't expected to move him.
- Some expect the Padres to listen to offers for Adrian Gonzalez after the season,
Olney On The Market For Billy Wagner
If he finishes the season well, Billy Wagner could see multi-year offers as a free agent after the season, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. If, as expected, Wagner becomes a Type A free agent, teams would have to surrender a draft pick to sign him, but a mid-nineties fastball and high-leverage success could be enough to attract teams regardless. Of course, there's a chance Wagner pitches to mixed results with the Red Sox. If that's the case, he could become this year's Juan Cruz and see limited interest because of his Type A status.
Olney breaks down possible suitors in depth and finds that the Tigers, White Sox, Cubs, Brewers, Orioles and Braves could have some interest in closers this offseason. However, Wagner is one of many in a deep class of closers that includes Trevor Hoffman and Jose Valverde.
One talent evaluator suggested the Red Sox could keep Wagner as their closer while Daniel Bard continues to develop. This would enable them to trade Jonathan Papelbon. Two other evaluators believe teams will be willing to forfeit a draft pick to sign Wagner.
Rosenthal On Wagner, Rays, Hawkins
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from one GM who believes Billy Wagner's best financial move may be to accept arbitration after the season. The Red Sox have the right to offer Wagner arbitration, but they'd have to offer over $8MM, so they could choose not to. Here are the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:
- Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel have performed well for their respective clubs, so the Rays' decision to trade Hammel worked out for everyone.
- A number of teams are sure to claim LaTroy Hawkins by noon CST today, when his waivers expire, but it's likely the Astros will pull him back. Rosenthal hears that Hawkins is open to returning to the Astros after the season.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels estimates that three quarters of MLB players hit waivers in August, so don't fret about this news if you're a Brewers fan, but Trevor Hoffman, Mike Cameron, Craig Counsell, Jason Kendall, Braden Looper and Felipe Lopez have all been placed on waivers, according to Rosenthal's source. The Brewers say they don't intend on becoming sellers.
Angels Had Interest In Wagner; Still Looking
The Angels had interest in Billy Wagner before the Red Sox worked out a waiver trade to acquire the lefty from the Mets, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. The Angels may or may not have claimed Wagner- GM Tony Reagins wouldn't say- but the Red Sox, who have a worse record than LA, had priority regardless.
The Angels have an inexperienced group of relievers after Brian Fuentes and Darren Oliver, so Reagins said the club continues to monitor the waiver wire and explore possible trades.
Brewers Aren’t About To Start Selling
Rival GMs have been calling Doug Melvin to see if he has interest in trading his veteran players, only to hear that the Brewers aren't inclined to start selling, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. At this point in the season, teams aren't willing to offer enough to interest the Brewers.
"They'll give you cash, but they don't want to give me a player," Melvin said. "I can't imagine that a team would give up a good player for one month, unless there is a key injury. I don't anticipate anything."
Trevor Hoffman, Felipe Lopez and Mike Cameron would presumably draw interest from other clubs, but no deal seems likely. Instead, the Brewers may simply try to finish strong, as Buster Olney suggested yesterday. Plus, it's hard to imagine any team offering more than the equivalent of the two draft picks the Brewers will receive if they offer Hoffman arbitration and he signs elsewhere.