Archives for August 2009

Odds And Ends: Wagner, Santana, Strasburg

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 1:54pm CDT

Rangers GM On Byrd, Pudge, Scheppers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 1:08pm CDT

Rangers GM Jon Daniels said in a chat hosted by the Dallas Morning News that he's focusing on this year because the Rangers haven't set their budget for 2010 yet. Here are the details and the rest of the rumors:

Not surprisingly, the Rangers aren't looking to trade away any of their veterans before the end of the month.
Ideally, Daniels would like to have Marlon Byrd back next year.
The Rangers acquired Ivan Rodriguez to win now, but they're open to bringing him back for another year.
Daniels estimates that 75% of all players appear on trade waivers at some point in August.
Daniels gets the sense that there have been more waiver claims than usual this year, despite suggestions that more players would clear because of a general reluctance to spend.
The GM would prefer not to see a worldwide draft, in part because he believes the Rangers have established a competitive advantage in Latin America.
The Rangers are still talking with Tanner Scheppers and his agent. The Rangers have until next year's draft to sign Scheppers.

Byrd Hopes To Stay In Texas

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 11:29am CDT

Marlon Byrd will hit free agency for the first time after the season and, while he may not be in line for a Gary Matthews-esque contract, he's due for a raise from his $3MM salary. Byrd tells Anthony Andro of the Dallas Morning News that he wants Texas to be his "last stop," though he understands that GM Jon Daniels has to do what's best for the organization. Daniels raves about Byrd's play, but he works on a limited budget and already has Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Julio Borbon and David Murphy under team control for next year.

Regardless of the Rangers' interest in Byrd, he should be able to draw attention around the league. Byrd, who turns 32 on Sunday, plays above-average defense at every outfield position, according to UZR. He has never had particularly good control of the strike zone, but his 55 extra base hits this year include 38 doubles and 15 homers, so he's showing lots of power.

Olney On Rockies, Brewers, Harden, Santana

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 10:43am CDT

Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that team ownership has never prevented him from acquiring the players he needs. The team had to take on salary to acquire Joe Beimel and Rafael Betancourt, but the relievers have solidified the Rockies bullpen. Olney also suggests the Rockies might not have finished upgrading their pitching staff. Here are a few more rumors:

The Brewers haven't put their players on waivers and, even though they've fallen out of contention, they may decide to hold onto everybody and win as many games as possible before the end of the season.
Olney guesses that Rich Harden won't make more than $20MM as a free agent. Even after pitching well for nearly a full season last year, Ben Sheets wasn't seeing offers in the Oliver Perez range, so I wonder how many teams would offer Harden a multi-year deal given his injury history.
The Yankees and Red Sox wondered about Johan Santana's elbow when they considered dealing for him after the 2007 season. In a separate report, Olney says Santana won't likely need serious surgery, but Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post says the Mets haven't ruled surgery out.

Odds And Ends: Halladay, O’Day, Scott, Giambi

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 9:56am CDT

Some links for the morning…

Be here at 2pm CST for this week's chat.
Jamey Newberg compares Roy Halladay and Derek Holland since July 31st and shows that the Rangers are looking good even though they didn't deal for Doc.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post says designating Darren O'Day for assignment was an "under-the-radar mistake" by the Mets.
MLB.com's Spencer Fordin says the Orioles are trying to evaluate Luke Scott at first base to see if he can play there long-term. No one's hitting him anything, so the O's are having trouble reading his ability.
Jason Giambi tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he has no problem playing in the minors or coming off the bench for the Rockies.
Curt Schilling said on WEEI in Boston that he's not surprised to hear Billy Wagner is passing up the chance to enter a playoff race.

Wagner Blocked Deal Because Of Health Concern

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 9:28am CDT

Billy Wagner invoked his no-trade clause because he wanted to protect his arm for the final month of the season, according Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe. The Globe's sources say Wagner doesn't want to compromise his chances of landing a contract in the offseason and prefers to play in lower-leverage games for the Mets. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports passed along similar information in his FOX Sports report last night.

The Red Sox were interested in Wagner for this season and would likely have turned down the $8MM option for next year and chosen to offer him arbitration instead. Apparently, Wagner was more concerned about possible injuries than the possibility that the Red Sox might lower his value by offering arbitration.

Wagner could change his mind by 12:30pm CST, but one source said the talks are "probably dead."

Rosenthal On Mets, Cubs, Yankees, Hawkins

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 9:08am CDT

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders how Mets GM Omar Minaya and Cubs GM Jim Hendry will untangle themselves from their respective messes. Both execs have overpaid for players in the recent past, but both can point to recent successes. Here are the details:

The Mets are expected to lower their payroll from the $150MM range next season.
The Rockies obtained Carlos Gonzalez from the A's in last winter's Matt Holliday trade and, for all of Holliday's heroics in St. Louis, Gonzalez is out-slugging Holliday by 142 points since the A's flipped him to the Cards.
A Yankees official says it's "very likely" the team will bring Johnny Damon back after the season if he's willing to take a paycut.
Like their cross-town rivals, the Yanks are expected to be operating on a lower payroll next year.
The Yankees figure to be in the mix for Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, or both.
Alex Gonzalez could have vetoed the trade that sent him to Boston.
The Astros placed LaTroy Hawkins on waivers and Rosenthal expects the Rockies, Cardinals and Dodgers to at least consider him.

Team Claimed Penny; Red Sox Pulled Him Back

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 8:17am CDT

An unknown team claimed Brad Penny earlier in the month, only to see the Red Sox pull him back, sources tell WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. The window for the Red Sox to deal Penny to the claiming team has passed, so they won't be able to trade him at all.

Penny, who lost his rotation spot, makes just $5MM plus incentives, so he's a more affordable option than Doug Davis or Jon Garland, but the Red Sox wanted more than salary relief or they would have handed Penny over. He isn't likely to net the Red Sox any compensation picks, since he doesn't project to be a Type B free agent.

Billy Wagner To Invoke No-Trade Clause

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 24, 2009 at 10:49pm CDT

10:49pm: Wagner will invoke his no-trade clause to stay with the Mets, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal says the Red Sox were willing to concede to Wagner's demand not to exercise his $8MM 2010 option, but wouldn't agree not to offer him arbitration. As Rosenthal says, Wagner could be stuck with an arb offer from the Mets anyway.

Our latest Elias rankings projection has Wagner as a Type A among NL relievers with 78.8 points. Therefore, if Wagner's club is willing to risk him agreeing to a one-year deal for 2010, they'd have a shot at two draft picks by offering arbitration. (If you need a refresher on free agent compensation, click here). Wagner tossed a scoreless inning against the Phillies tonight, by the way.

9:24pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets the following: "The general belief is, Mets and Red Sox both want to do a deal. Thus, a possible Wagner trade will be up to, yes, Wagner."

5:54pm: In a piece on ESPN.com this evening, Wagner would not commit to pitching after next season, saying "it's not going to be much longer," though no specific plans have been made.

Wagner cited concerns about how his career has affected his family, saying, "they've sacrificed enough."

According to ESPN, Wagner says he would like to reach 400 career saves and then pass John Franco, who holds the record for lefty closers with 424. Wagner currently has 385 career saves, which puts him sixth on the all-time list.

5:25pm: Ian M. Browne of MLB.com has some quotes from Wagner, who told the media, "My gut tells me I'm going to Florida [for the Mets-Marlins series] now. Unless something changes, I'll probably be a Met tomorrow."

In regard to his role in the bullpen should he land with the Red Sox, Wagner said, "I'm too old to set up. I don't want to go there and feel like I need to impress someone. That may not be good for them or for me."

1:07pm: The Red Sox have to guarantee they'll turn down Wagner's 2010 option for him to accept a trade to Boston, according to Mike Fitzpatrick of the AP (via the Miami Herald). Wagner wants to close next year and Jonathan Papelbon has a secure grasp of Boston's closing job.

1:02pm: Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox can't ask for a physical on Wagner. By placing him on waivers, the Mets are effectively guaranteeing Wagner's health. If it turns out that a player isn't healthy after he's moved, MLB can reassign him to his original team.

11:12am: This afternoon's Mets-Phillies game could determine whether the Red Sox acquire Billy Wagner. The Red Sox, who have until tomorrow to acquire the veteran lefty, seek clarification of Wagner's physical status, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Sources tell Olney that they're unsure Wagner is completely healthy.

If he has lingering health issues, the Mets will have to withdraw Wagner from waivers, which would prevent a move to Boston. Olney and Jon Heyman of SI.com both hear that Wagner's healthy, but a strong outing today could prove it. If he is healthy, the Mets could trade Wagner to the Red Sox (as long as he OKs the deal) or just hand the pitcher and his contract over.

Odds and Ends: Garland, Ordonez, Pettite, Peavy

By Brian Shephard | August 24, 2009 at 10:27pm CDT

Links from around the league on a slow Monday night…

Keith Law of ESPN says that the Rockies should consider picking up Jon Garland.
In the Detroit Free Press, Jamie Samuelsen argues that the Tigers should keep Magglio Ordonez in the lineup to maintain credibility with future free agents.
When asked whether Andy Pettitte will be brought back by the Yankees next year, ESPN's Buster Olney writes that "given how he's throwing, I'm sure it will happen."
And the White Sox's new acquisition, Jake Peavy, could start on Saturday against CC Sabathia and the Yankees, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

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