Rangers Shifting Focus To Starters?
With starter Matt Harrison hitting the DL, T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com says that Rangers GM Jon Daniels could comb the starting pitching market for help. We've known that the Rangers have been looking for arms, but the priorities could be shifting from RPs to SPs:
"We probably have more internal options in the bullpen than in the rotation. [Starting pitching] is something we're looking at but there are not that many starting pitchers available and I don't expect that to change," Daniels said.
The Rangers field some of the best pitching prospects in baseball, but most aren't close to major-league ready. The team ERA sits at 4.41, which is 19th in the majors and might slip with the depleted depth. Kevin Millwood has been the only reliable piece of the rotation this year.
Texas is now 40-33, one game behind the surging Angels. We checked in on a similar debacle a few weeks ago when Brandon McCarthy hit the DL, and at that time the Rangers were comfortably ahead of the Angels by 4.5 games. The Rangers have plenty of pieces to offer potential suitors, but Daniels believes the market to be "thin." They've been reported as being reluctant to add any salary as well.
If you're Daniels, is it your only choice to stand pat and hope it all pans out? Or is this team for real, and does the market have more valuable pieces to offer than they're letting on? Do we re-visit the ever-fascinating Ben Sheets and Pedro Martinez talks? Discuss your thoughts.
Brewers, D’Backs Talk Trades
Steve Gilbert at MLB.com talked to Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash, who said there had been "conversations" with the Diamondbacks:
"I think it speaks to what I talked about earlier, that because they are one of the few clubs that have available pieces, the asking price is way too high," Ash said. "So they don't have to make a deal yet."
Gilbert notes that the Brewers are in the market for help in starting pitching and at second base. Though the D'Backs have potential fits there with both Felipe Lopez and Doug Davis in the final years of their contracts, it's unclear if the talks were centered around those players.
The Brewers sit at 40-35, a percentage point above the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central, but were knocked around by the Giants today 7-0 and saw the rival Cards pick up Mark DeRosa last night.
Manuel Wants Bat For Mets?
According to Brian Costello at the New York Post, Mets manager Jerry Manuel had this to say about the Mets' potential need for a big bat:
"If we get below [.500] and we continue to struggle offensively as we are, I think that [a trade] is a no-brainer," Manuel said today. "I think we have to visit that. I think that has to be visited or talked about at some point. It would be dishonest if I said no."
Costello notes that this is Manuel's "strongest statement" for endorsing outside help. The Mets were said to be players for the services of Mark DeRosa, and it seems that the DeRosa trade has upped the pressure level on the front offices of the many teams in playoff limbo.
Is this going to push GM Omar Minaya to make a deal? Is there anyone attainable out there who makes sense for the Mets? Do they have the moveable pieces to get the big bat they desire? Discuss your thoughts here.
Week In Review: 6/21/09 – 6/27/09
It's the last week of June, which means things are really going to start picking up around here in the coming weeks. I'm looking forward to it, how about everyone else? Let's run down the past week:
- One question we've been hearing a lot lately: Where will Mark DeRosa end up? How about parked right behind Albert Pujols in the Cardinals' lineup? St. Louis acquired DeRosa and made a big commitment to 2009 by sending Chris Perez and a player to be named later to Cleveland for the 34-year-old Swiss army knife. Given the Indians bullpen struggles, this move makes sense for both sides. The Cardinals may have given up a piece of their future, but DeRosa's strong production from 2008 has carried into 2009 and he'll vastly improve the club's playoff chances. Anyone see his catch in left for his St. Louis debut? Heck of a way to make an impression on his new fans.
- The Brewers are looking to add some more pieces to the club, and we've heard that they'd like an arm to fill a spot in a struggling rotation. Doug Davis has been mentioned, but even though the Diamondbacks are ready to sell, they're going to have high demands given the lack of sellers on the market. Who else makes sense for the Crew, keeping in mind that they don't want to move any top prospects?
- The Yankees may be in search of a bat, with Xavier Nady needing season-ending Tommy John surgery. We'd heard that Brian Cashman wasn't planning on adding a bat, but he was likely envisioning a healthy Nady in his lineup when he made that comment.
- Jarrod Washburn is having a nice rebound season, and apparently Ned Colletti and the Dodgers have taken notice. The Dodgers have been rumored to have interest in the 35-year-old lefty, but the Mariners may not be ready to sell yet. They're just three games back themselves.
- One pitcher that's almost certainly not available made some headlines this week. Josh Johnson's agent said that the Marlins ace will seek a contract along the lines of what A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia received from the Yankees this season. Can Johnson command a $100MM+ contract when he's a free agent in 2012?
- The Twins designated Luis Ayala for assignment this week, after seeking out manager Ron Gardenhire and requesting a trade three weeks ago. Ayala apparently wanted to be the Twins' 8th inning setup option… but likely had an ERA around the mid-4.00s to upper 5.00s given the reported time of the trade request. Not a good time to complain about your role in the 'pen, Luis. But hey, maybe you can pitch the 8th in Pittsburgh; the Pirates are interested in you.
Mariners Not Adding Third Baseman Yet
Larry Stone sat down with Jack Zduriencik following the Ryan Langerhans acquisition today, to ask if anything else was on the horizon in the wake of Adrian Beltre's injury. Zduriencik said that for the time being, nothing is in the works:
Zduriencik has not received any calls offering a third baseman yet, and says the Langerhans acquisition is more related to the loss of Endy Chavez than to Beltre's surgery.
Stone also reports that Zduriencik sat with Scott Boras in the first row behind home plate at Dodger Stadium. The two discussed Beltre, Jarrod Washburn, and Dustin Ackley, but nothing too formal on any of the three.
Brewers Asked About DeRosa
In Tom Haudricourt's latest piece, he discusses the Brewers' failed attempt to acquire Mark DeRosa from the Indians.
Haudricourt talked to the Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash, who stated that the Brewers didn't have have what the Indians were looking for – young, major league-ready pitching.
Ash also mentions the Diamondbacks as a possible trade partner, but states that because the market has more buyers than sellers right now, the D'Backs can ask a higher price for players such as Doug Davis and Felipe Lopez. Haudricout quotes Ash saying that Arizona's asking price is "way too high."
Nats Swap Langerhans For Mike Morse
Pete McElroy informs us that the Nationals have sent Ryan Langerhans to the Mariners in exchange for Mike Morse.
Morse, 27, was a third-round pick by the White Sox in the 2000 draft. He was off to a fine .312/.370/.481 start in the Pacific Coast League this season, and has managed a .300 batting average in 107 career major league games.
Langerhans, 29, has been posting a nice season at the Triple-A level as well, hitting .278/.371/.488 with 9 home runs on the year.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times confirms the deal and says that Langerhans will likely be a part of the big league club starting this Tuesday.
Interestingly, during a chat that Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik held with fans a few days ago, one reader suggested making a move to acquire Langerhans. Zduriencik's reply: "Good suggestion."
Odds & Ends: Morgan, Brewers, Phillies
Some odds and ends around the league:
- Nyjer Morgan was caught off-guard by recent trade rumors, says Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Morgan said he was "flattered."
- Adam McCalvy of MLB.com says the Brewers are still pursuing potential deals after not matching up to acquire Mark DeRosa. Doug Davis is mentioned in the piece.
- Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer rounds up who will be buyers and who will be sellers over the next month. Nothing too surprising. He lists the Phillies as buyers, in need of pitching, and suggests they're looking at Chien-Ming Wang and "have been all over" Brad Penny.
Olney’s Latest: DeRosa, Nationals, Bay
Buster Olney's latest blog post is up:
- Mark DeRosa is "a perfect fit for the Cardinals" and the Indians "got exactly what they wanted" in Chris Perez says Olney.
- Olney says the expectation is that a flurry of signings will occur in final 3 days leading up to the August 17 deadline due to "enormous pressure on teams to stay within the slotting recommendations set by the commissioners office." Here's a quick explanation of slot recommendations.
- In response to the Nyjer Morgan/Lastings Milledge rumors, Olney says Washington is determined to purge their system of dysfunctional players.
- Olney suggests Jason Bay is on pace to land a 4 year, $60MM or 5 year, $70MM contract.
Cardinals Acquire Mark DeRosa
SUNDAY, 11:15am: Jon Paul Morosi has written about a couple possible PTBNLs for the Indians:
"One official with knowledge of the transaction said minor league right-handers Jess Todd and Francisco Samuel are on the list of possibilities. It's not known if other players are on the list agreed upon by the clubs. But Todd and Samuel are hard throwers who could fit into Cleveland's bullpen next year. And anyone who has watched the Indians play recently is aware that they have an immediate need for power arms at the end of the game."
Morosi notes Todd has a 2.73 ERA in 28 Triple-A appearances with one big league game this season. The PTBNL will be received on or before September 1.
SATURDAY, 9:58pm: According to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince, the Cardinals have acquired Mark DeRosa from the Indians for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later.
DeRosa, 34, wasn't in tonight's lineup though this was supposedly a "standard day off," according to Castrovince. DeRosa posted a .270/.342/.457 line in 314 plate appearances for the Indians and is making $5.5MM in the final year of his contract (about $2.9MM remains). He's been the subject of rumors for weeks, and it looks like the Indians are officially sellers.
Perez turns 24 soon. He posted a 4.18 ERA and 30/15 K/BB ratio for the Cardinals in 23.2 innings this year. He was one of the Cardinals' top relief prospects and profiles as a future closer.
It's a little early to make a final judgment on this deal until we find out who the PTNBL is–Castrovince notes that "the PTBN component is an important one," according to Indians GM Mark Shapiro–but for now it looks like a solid deal for both teams, as they each fill in their respective needs.