Odds And Ends: Astros, Halladay, Phillies
More links for Wednesday morning…
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says it's insincere for Astros owner Drayton McLane to act like his team's still in contention.
- As Alex Speier notes, Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said on WEEI in Boston that it's too soon to tell whether Roy Halladay will hit the trade market again this winter. Once the team has a permanent president and a firm payroll, it will be easier to tell.
- Phil Wood of MASN.com says Mike Rizzo has earned a shot at the permanent Nats GM job.
- Scott Miller of CBS Sports wouldn't be surprised if Lou Piniella decided not to manage the Cubs next year. His contract, which runs through 2010, will surely be his last, Miller says.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. tells MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that he doesn't expect to make a waiver trade, though the Phils have claimed players.
Astros Don’t Expect To Trade More Players
The Astros traded Ivan Rodriguez to the Rangers yesterday, but don't expect more deals soon. GM Ed Wade told Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle that he expects to hold onto the rest of his players this month.
Sheffield Doesn’t Expect To End Year With Mets
Gary Sheffield has already been claimed on waivers and pulled back by the Mets. If they put him on waivers again, they wouldn't be able to prevent teams from claiming him for nothing and clubs would presumably pick up the 40-year-old outfielder and his .856 OPS. Still, Sheffield told Larry Brooks of the New York Post that he doesn't expect to finish the season in New York.
Odds And Ends: Gordon, Crow, Ordonez, Tate
Links for Wednesday…
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star says the Royals' decision to demote Alex Gordon has more to do with performance than service time.
- Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press says the Tigers had better win, especially since they'll be stuck paying Magglio Ordonez $18MM next year, "barring an influx of common sense."
- Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune says Donavan Tate was eager and respectful throughout his first visit to Petco Park.
- Doug Tucker of the Associated Press reports that the Royals hope to start talking contract with top pick Aaron Crow now that they've seen what other first rounders signed for. Monday's deadline did not apply to Crow because he played independent ball this year.
Mariners Open To Extending Felix
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he's open to extending Felix Hernandez and the pitcher's agent made similar comments. The Mariners apparently listened to offers for Felix last month and though Zduriencik says he'd have to listen again if a team called, he sounds understandably reluctant to trade his ace before the beginning of next year.
Smoltz To Sign With Cardinals
10:59pm: From Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Smoltz will accept the Cardinals' offer to join the club as its fifth starter after clearing waivers at noon CST [Wednesday], barring an unforeseen waiver claim." The Cards will be on the hook for only about $100K. Smoltz will work as the team's fifth starter, at least initially.
8:18pm: Jayson Stark of ESPN is reporting that Smoltz is "strongly leaning" toward signing with the Cardinals. He has told friends that he is planning to make a decision on Wednesday.
Stark writes that the Dodgers, Marlins, and Rangers were also in pursuit of Smoltz. He adds that the Cards will use Smoltz as a set-up man for Ryan Franklin.
5:10pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki confirmed the Cardinals' interest in Smoltz on Twitter and added that the Phillies "aren't interested."
9:04am: Cardinals GM John Mozeliak confirmed to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he has "legitimate interest" in John Smoltz. Another official described the team's interest as "very serious." The Red Sox released the righty yesterday, and he's set to become a free agent tomorrow, at which point any team can sign him for the pro-rated major league minimum.
Rangers Acquire Pudge From Astros
9:55pm: According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the Astros will receive a third player in the deal if the Rangers make the playoffs. Sullivan confirms that Vallejo is believed to be the second player and must clear trade waivers.
8:15pm: Jason Grodsky of MLB.com is reporting that the Astros are receiving two players to be named along with Nevarez.
4:07pm: MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that the Astros will acquire infielder Jose Vallejo along with Matt Nevarez. Both players are 22.
2:10pm: Pat Lackey of AOL FanHouse hears that minor league reliever Matt Nevarez will head to the Astros along with another player.
1:22pm: Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers are responsible for a pro-rated portion of Pudge's $1.5MM contract, which includes $1.5MM in incentives.
1:16pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Rangers are giving up two mid-level prospects to acquire Rodriguez.
12:47pm: MLB.com's Noah Coslov reports that the Rangers acquired Pudge for a player to be named later.
12:18pm: The Rangers are close to re-acquiring Ivan Rodriguez, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Sullivan says the Astros would obtain two mid-tier prospects for Rodriguez, who starred with the Rangers from 1991-2002. The Rangers have told Rodriguez that he will back Taylor Teagarden up and Pudge understands the arrangement,
Odds and Ends: Pudge, Reds, Boras, Gordon
Links from around the league on Tuesday evening…
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Astros got good value in return for Pudge Rodriguez.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer talks to Reds GM Walt Jocketty about the plan for his team's future.
- Kevin Kaduk at Yahoo.com argues that Scott Boras neither won nor lost the Strasburg contract negotiations.
- Matthew Pouliot at NBCSports.com writes that the Royals "hit a new low" by demoting Alex Gordon.
- And Baseball America breaks down each team's total spending on the first ten rounds of the draft.
Discussion: Is The Draft Broken?
Jayson Stark at ESPN argues that the draft "will never be the same" in the wake of the Stephen Strasburg signing. He quotes club officials who tell him that the draft is "broken" and that the system "needs to be blown up."
Among potential changes that should be discussed, Stark lists a formal slotting system, the ability to trade draft picks, a worldwide draft, and a hockey-style system wherein draft picks would be controlled through their college years.
What do you think? Are bonuses for top picks out of control? Should teams be able to trade picks? Should the way international players are signed change? Is everything just fine the way it is? Let's figure it all out in the comments section.
Dodgers Interested In Padilla?
4:53pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears from an unnamed source that the Dodgers have some interest in Padilla. However, a Dodgers official downplayed the club's interest.
9:38am: A person within the Dodgers front office tells Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that the team isn't likely to pursue Vicente Padilla, who was just released by the Rangers. Padilla's agent, Paul Kinzer, contacted the Dodgers to let them know his client would "absolutely" like to pitch in Dodger Blue.