Phillies To Pursue One Impact Pitcher
Brett Myers is out for the season with hip surgery. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports spoke to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who said the Phillies don't have the money to add multiple starters. Instead they'll aim high, with names like Erik Bedard and Roy Oswalt speculated by Rosenthal. So, not a Brad Penny type. SI's Jon Heyman wrote about Bedard's appeal earlier today.
Rosenthal also wonders if Myers' surgery could restore some lost velocity, making him an intriguing free agent after the season.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Peavy, Braves, Penny, Francoeur
On this date 20 years ago, Mike Schmidt announced his retirement 42 games into the season. He was still voted to the National League All-Star team, but did not play. Schmidt retired with a career line of .267/.380/.527, 548 home runs and 10 gold gloves. As we approach the 50-game mark of the '09 season, teams are starting to recognize needs and make changes. Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- The Fightins make a case for the Phillies going after Jake Peavy.
- When Sid Slid highlights players the Braves might be able to target in a trade, including Luke Scott, Josh Willingham and Brad Hawpe.
- Center Field Gate takes a look at a Manny Delcarmen-Nick Johnson swap from a Nats perspective and finds things not to like. Nats GM Mike Rizzo said the rumor was a fabrication, anyway.
- The Bottom Line puts together a list of catchers the Red Sox might target in a trade involving Brad Penny or Clay Buchholz.
- Capitol Avenue Club says it is time for the Braves to shake things up and moving Jeff Francoeur is the key.
- The Ghost of Moonlight Graham sees a Matt LaPorta for Michael Bowden trade as good for both the Red Sox and Indians.
- DC Sports Plus takes a look back at the Nationals' recent draft history.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.
Baby News
I've got great news…my wife and I are having a baby! She is due in late June/early July, and we couldn't be more excited. Ben Nicholson-Smith will be stepping in here at MLBTR for a while, as I'll be focusing on baby-related things.
Odds & Ends: Igarashi, Cubs, Cardinals
Links for Friday…
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker talks about hard-throwing Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi, perhaps the top free agent from the country for the 2009-10 offseason.
- I did a Q&A over at Coast to Coast Baseball.
- Some doubt with the sale of the Cubs to the Ricketts family: Tribune owner Sam Zell said, "We've made it very public that the Cubs don't fit into the long-term picture of the Tribune. So if the Ricketts deal doesn't get done, I'm sure there will be other ones."
- In separate articles, Dan Uggla and Octavio Dotel comment on the possibility of being traded.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says Edgar Renteria was a good signing for the Giants, if you ignore the actual contract. Eh?
- Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses various third base trades the Cardinals could make.
- SI's Tom Verducci likes Freddy Sanchez for the Rays. What's wrong with Willy Aybar and Ben Zobrist?
- Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked to Braves GM Frank Wren about the team's need for a bat.
- FanGraphs' Matthew Carruth asks: Where's Odalis Perez?
Wagner Mateo Draws Interest From Cardinals
Wagner Mateo is a 16 year-old center fielder in the Dominican Republic. It's been suggested by Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Cardinals are set to offer him a bonus north of $4MM, but Cards vice president/farm director Jeff Luhnow stressed that the team is not ready to make offers (talking to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). The Cardinals did work Mateo out in Florida already. Goold has video and scouting on the kid, as does Kiley McDaniel at Baseball Prospectus. McDaniel suggests the Dodgers and Giants may also be involved.
Rockies Replace Clint Hurdle
According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies will replace manager Clint Hurdle today. The Rockies are 18-28 this year, 14.5 games behind the Dodgers and in last place in the NL West. Jim Tracy will be the interim manager, according to Jack Etkin of Inside the Rockies.
Renck says Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd would like to retain Hurdle in a front office role.
Mets Acquire Emil Brown
According to SI's Jon Heyman, the Mets acquired outfielder Emil Brown from the Padres today for a player to be named later. He's hitting .260/.345/.432 in 41 Triple A games. The Mets are probably just adding minor league depth here.
Chad Moeller Designated For Assignment
According to a press release, the Orioles designated backup catcher Chad Moeller for assignment to make room for super-prospect Matt Wieters. Moeller, 34, hit .200/.259/.360 in 54 plate appearances. But more importantly, it's Wieters Time!
On a related note, Tom Tango asked today:
Please, just one time I’d like to hear an honest reason for why star players are being held back. Just once.
Adrian Gonzalez Not Available
One name we can keep out of the rumor mill this summer: Adrian Gonzalez. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports quotes Padres CEO Jeff Moorad:
I've said publicly that no player is untouchable, but I would be hard-pressed to imagine a deal that could ever make sense for Adrian Gonzalez.
In a recent chat at MLB.com, when asked whether the Padres might sign Gonzalez to an extension next year, Moorad replied, "Why wait until 2010?" SI.com's Jon Heyman asked GM Kevin Towers about trading Gonzalez, and Towers said, "Not at this point in time."
Heyman On Peavy, Astros, Greene
A new column from SI's Jon Heyman…
- If you are sick of hearing about Jake Peavy now, just wait until later this summer. The pitcher's no-trade clause has "wreaked havoc" on the Padres, but they'll keep trying to trade him. There are competing opinions as to which teams Peavy would accept a trade, but the Cubs and Dodgers seem to be named most often. Neither club is a perfect match. Over at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Michael Hunt discusses the Brewers possibility; he worries that Peavy's contract could become a burden for the Brew Crew.
- Heyman discusses the situation with Astros manager Cecil Cooper. Could he be fired so soon after having his option picked up? Heyman believes Ed Wade might be a bigger problem, and even suggests that "privately [Shawn Chacon's] inappropriate actions were cheered by some other players." Astros owner Drayton McLane told Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle that a dismissal of Cooper is "not in the cards," yet Wade doesn't believe in giving votes of confidence.
- Heyman talked to one person close to shortstop Khalil Greene who "could see the 29-year-old walking away from the game after this season." Update: Greene's on the DL.
- A competing exec told Heyman he wouldn't be stunned to see the Giants dangle Matt Cain, even though they haven't yet. Heyman suggests gauging the value of Jonathan Sanchez first makes sense.