White Sox Gauging Pierzynski’s Value
White Sox GM Ken Williams has called around attempting to gauge A.J. Pierzynski's trade value, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley's source says that Williams "didn't like what he heard."
Pierzynski's possible future with the White Sox has been well-documented, with the backstop himself discussing the issue earlier this week. At the time, Williams said that he has yet to explore any possible trades involving Pierzynski, adding that the team wouldn't rush into any decisions involving the 33-year-old.
Pierzynski will achieve 10-and-5 rights in June, meaning he'd have the power to veto any trade that the club worked out involving him after that point. Cowley suggests that if the Sox continue to play sub-.500 ball over the next couple months, Pierzynski may not last that long in a Chicago uniform: "Why would Reinsdorf want to pay for a Pierzynski on a fifth-place team when he can have a cheaper Tyler Flowers?"
Red Sox Interested In Chris Snyder?
The Red Sox have Chris Snyder on their "down-the-road hit list," a source tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. With Miguel Montero on the disabled list for about another month, Snyder is not currently available, but the Red Sox may be interested in the backstop when Montero returns.
The FOX duo notes that before the Sox acquired Victor Martinez last season, they offered flamethrower Daniel Bard to the Diamondbacks for Montero. Now that Martinez's and Jason Varitek's troubles containing baserunners are compromising Boston's defense, the Sox could once again look into acquiring a Diamondback catcher. For his career, Snyder has thrown out 25.9% of opposing basestealers.
The Diamondbacks had worked out a trade over the winter that would have sent Snyder to the Blue Jays, but it fell through due to injury concerns. Given his back problems and his $11.25MM price tag over the next two years, Snyder will be difficult to deal. However, if the Sox keep allowing stolen bases at a 97% rate (34-of-35), they could be forced to make a move.
Pirates Not Looking To Trade For Pitching
Following a historic loss against the Brewers yesterday, the Pirates are still not looking to trade for starting rotation help, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Although the team acknowledged that the rotation needs to be upgraded, they have no plans to look outside the organization to do so.
The Pirates' 7.23 ERA ranks last in all of baseball, and the starting rotation has played a significant part in the club's struggles. Daniel McCutchen and Charlie Morton have been extremely ineffective in three starts each, combining to allow 37 earned runs in just 21.1 innings.
Nonetheless, GM Neal Huntington says a trade is unlikely, despite the team being a prime candidate to make a move. For now, the Pirates will recall Kevin Hart, wait for Ross Ohlendorf to get healthy, and hope Morton can straighten things out. The club also has top prospect Brad Lincoln waiting in the wings in Triple-A Indianapolis, but is unconvinced that he's quite ready to be promoted to the majors.
Earlier in the week, we outlined some potentially available starting pitchers, which the Pirates could look into if they changed their stance on a trade. Of course, given the team's usual place in the NL Central standings, they're probably more likely to be sellers than buyers.
Odds & Ends: Smoak, Grandal, Harper, Zambrano
Links for Thursday, as the Pirates try to recover from their worst loss in franchise history…
- Highly regarded Rangers first base prospect Justin Smoak has gotten the call to replace Chris Davis at first base, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The timing of his promotion ensures the Rangers will control Smoak through 2016. Super two status is likely if Smoak is up for good, meaning he'll go to arbitration four times beginning after the 2012 season. As for Davis, you have to wonder if a trade is in his future.
- In a mailbag, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian speculates on when Blue Jays fans can expect to see Adeiny Hechavarria and Brett Wallace arrive in Toronto.
- In an excellent piece for Yahoo! Sports, Jeff Passan looks at the state of baseball in the Dominican Republic, a topic MLBTR's Nick Collias addressed earlier in the week.
- Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports that Royals minor-league lefty Adam Bostick has been suspended 50 games for a second positive drug test.
- ESPN's draft coverage team tweets that the Royals are looking at University of Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal for the fourth overall pick in June. Five days ago ESPN's Keith Law had this to say about Grandal: "He's the top college catcher in the country, can absolutely stay behind the plate, and hits well enough to be an above-average player in the majors." Click here for a reminder of the full 2010 draft order.
- Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein looks at four question marks about potential #1 pick Bryce Harper. Harper is not getting good reviews for his makeup.
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune points out that Carlos Zambrano and Lou Piniella don't seem in complete agreement on whether the righty's bullpen move is temporary.
When Will Indians Call Up Santana?
When ESPN's Keith Law ranked baseball's top prospects earlier this year, only two players placed ahead of Indians catcher Carlos Santana: Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg. So far in 2010, Santana, who is currently day-to-day with a knee bruise, has done nothing to dissuade the notion that he's a future star. The 24-year-old has posted a ridiculous .364/.451/.727 slash line, homering four times in 51 Triple-A plate appearances. So when will we see him in an Indians' uniform?
Cleveland's catching duo of Lou Marson and Mike Redmond has been unproductive thus far, to say the least. With only two singles and two walks in 28 plate appearances, Marson's numbers coming into today sit at .080/.148/.080, and Redmond's (.190/.227/.238) aren't much better. Even if Santana takes some time to adjust to playing at the Major League level, he should still be an immediate upgrade.
The Indians have already postponed Santana's free agency for a year by keeping him in the minors until now, and will have to decide how much longer they'll delay his big-league debut. In an article for ESPN.com, Baseball Prospectus' Christina Kahrl suggests that in the AL Central, the Indians are "contenders by default" and that they're "minimizing their already slim playoff chances" as long as Santana remains at Triple-A Columbus. As one of the more cost-conscious teams in baseball though, Cleveland could save millions by putting off a Santana promotion until June, preventing the catcher from eventually qualifying as a Super Two player.
For a team with deeper pockets and more serious postseason aspirations, calling Santana up now would be a no-brainer. At 24, he appears ready to contribute in the bigs, and he'd replace a black hole of production behind the plate in Cleveland. However, even in the AL Central, it's unlikely that the Indians have the talent to make a playoff run this season, meaning we shouldn't expect to see Santana called up for at least a few more weeks. It may test the patience of Indians fans, but for an organization frequently forced to trade away their pricier stars, looking to the future and delaying Santana's service time clock is the right move.
Mike Jacobs Accepts Minor League Assignment
THURSDAY, 6:03pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that Jacobs has accepted a minor league assignment and will report to the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo.
WEDNESDAY, 12:51pm: Jacobs cleared waivers, reports ESPN's Adam Rubin.
SUNDAY, 3:45pm: The Mets have designated first baseman Mike Jacobs for assignment to make room for Tobi Stoner, writes ESPN New York's Adam Rubin.
Jacobs, 29, signed a minor league contract this offseason after being non-tendered by the Royals following a disappointing 2009 campaign. The lefty slugger clubbed 32 home runs for the Marlins in 2008, which prompted the Royals to acquire him in exchange for Leo Nunez. Jacobs' problem throughout his career has always been his lack of discipline. He's failed to post an OBP above .300 since 2007, which has led to a career OPS of just .787 in spite of a career average of 29 HR per 162 games and a .475 slugging percentage.
Stoner, 25, was a 16th round pick of the Mets in the 2006 draft. Over five minor league seasons, he's compiled a 3.58 ERA through 507.2 innings. He doesn't profile as a big-time strikeout pitcher, fanning just 6.6 per nine innings over that time, but his plus control (2.6 BB/9) helps make up for it.
Jacobs being out of the picture has greater implications for Mets fans, as Daniel Murphy is still on the disabled list and top prospect Ike Davis looms at Triple-A Buffalo. Davis, 23, is off to a hot start in the minors, hitting .357/.514/.679 through his first nine games. Baseball America named Davis the 62nd-best prospect in all of baseball coming into the 2010 season.
Newsday's David Lennon reminds us, via Twitter, that Jacobs has an option left, and can be sent to Triple-A. Jacobs says he doesn't want to go down to sit on the bench, however. As Lennon says, if the Mets want Jacobs to stay, they should call up Davis.
Russ Ortiz Elects Free Agency
THURSDAY, 4:43pm: Ortiz elected free agency, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.
SUNDAY, 2:00pm: The Dodgers have designated veteran Russ Ortiz for assignment, according to a tweet from Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
MLB.com's Ken Gurnick adds that rookie Jon Link, acquired from the White Sox in the Juan Pierre trade, will be recalled for the time being. His stay could be short, as Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Belisario will likely be activated from the disabled list this week. Asked if he would accept a minor league assignment, Ortiz said that he would if it was with the purpose of being recalled later in the season.
Ortiz, 35, appeared in six games for the Dodgers, and posted unimpressive numbers to say the least. The right-hander totaled seven innings, while walking six batters and allowing ten hits and eight earned runs.
The former Giants ace has struggled with elbow injuries since putting together a solid four-year stretch in the early part of the decade. From 2001 to 2004, Ortiz compiled a 3.71 ERA over 850 innings for San Francisco and Atlanta, including a fourth place finish in the 2003 Cy Young voting for the Braves.
Stark On Padres, Jose Guillen, Derrek Lee
ESPN's Jayson Stark kicks off today's column with a look at which teams' starts he considers reality and illusion. Beyond that, a look at his hot stove rumblings…
- One club official who "felt out" the Padres over the winter believes they'll hold on to their top players if they're in contention in July. As Stark says, the market would look a lot worse without Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell.
- Stark names six sluggers who "might be in play" this summer: Josh Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Adam LaRoche, Rick Ankiel, Paul Konerko, and Manny Ramirez. Hamilton and Manny are longer shots, but they'd certainly get the hot stove burning.
- As for Jose Guillen – executives Stark talked to just aren't interested, despite his .377/.406/.738 start.
- In search of new stadiums, where could the Rays and A's legitimately threaten to move? Stark and his sources run through ideas and can't find a viable city.
- A friend of Cal Ripken's tells Stark "there's a lot of mutual respect" between Ripken and Orioles owner Peter Angelos. Ripken seeks a difference-making job, rather than just a title. It doesn't necessarily have to be with the Orioles.
- The Cubs told Derrek Lee's agent Casey Close they'd prefer to let the season play out before talking extension. Lee discussed the situation during Spring Training.
- Stark's sources consider Brett Anderson's four-year, $12.5MM deal a very team-friendly contract. To the A's credit, most young pitchers are not willing to give two club options. Playing devil's advocate – did the potential cost savings justify committing four years to Anderson after just one year of service? You can find multiple clubs that do not share Oakland's enthusiasm for locking up good young pitchers.
Jai Miller Designated For Assignment
The Athletics designated outfielder Jai Miller for assignment, tweets John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. That's two DFAs this month for Miller, who was claimed off waivers by the A's from the Marlins on April 8th.
Miller, 25, hit .289/.360/.510 in his second Triple A stint for the Marlins last year, playing right and center field. In his brief time with the Sacramento River Cats this year, Miller had four hits, three walks, and 19 strikeouts in 37 plate appearances. Back in their '08 Handbook, Baseball America said his doubters wonder if "Miller isn't merely the next Reggie Abercrombie, a tools-laden player whose skills never fully transferred to the diamond." Two years later, they wrote that "some in the organization still see him as a late bloomer with Mike Cameron characteristics."
Free Agent Compensation All-Star Team
It can pay to lose a free agent, if the result is a well-employed draft pick or two. Using players drafted and signed as compensation picks, here's my All-Star team for drafts dating back to 2000.
- Catcher: Kelly Shoppach. Drafted by Red Sox in '01, pick from Phillies for loss of Rheal Cormier. He'll be backed up by Nick Hundley, who was drafted by the Padres in '05 on a pick from the Red Sox for the loss of David Wells. Jeff Mathis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia were also under consideration.
- First Base: Ike Davis. Drafted by Mets in '08, pick from Braves for loss of Tom Glavine. There were surprisingly few choices for my first baseman. Conor Jackson would work, though he's currently being used in left field.
- Second Base: Kelly Johnson. Drafted by Braves in '00 as a supplemental pick for loss of Jose Hernandez to Brewers.
- Shortstop: Tommy Manzella. Drafted by Astros in '05, pick from Mets for loss of Carlos Beltran. Not too many names to choose from here.
- Third Base: David Wright. Drafted by Mets in '01 as a supplemental pick for loss of Mike Hampton to the Rockies. Wright's in the running for the best compensation pick of the decade; he was drafted 38th overall.
- Left Field: Jacoby Ellsbury. Drafted by Red Sox in '05, pick from Angels for loss of Orlando Cabrera. Chris Coghlan and Conor Jackson were also under consideration.
- Center Field: Colby Rasmus. Drafted by Cardinals in '05, pick from Red Sox for loss of Edgar Renteria. Interestingly, Rasmus went five picks after Ellsbury. The Rangers' Julio Borbon is another interesting center field compensation pick.
- Right Field: Nick Swisher. Drafted by Athletics in '02, pick from Red Sox for loss of Johnny Damon. One of two Moneyball draft compensation picks to make the cut.
- Designated Hitter: Adam Lind. Drafted by Blue Jays in '04, pick from Angels for loss of Kelvim Escobar.
- Starting Pitcher: Adam Wainwright. Drafted by Braves in '00, pick from D'Backs for loss of Russ Springer.
- Starting Pitcher: Phil Hughes. Drafted by Yankees in '04, pick from Astros for loss of Andy Pettitte.
- Starting Pitcher: Joe Blanton. Drafted by A's in '02, pick from Yankees for loss of Jason Giambi.
- Starting Pitcher: Clay Buchholz. Drafted by Red Sox in '05 as a supplemental pick for the loss of Pedro Martinez to the Mets.
- Starting Pitcher: Jordan Zimmermann. Drafted by Nationals in '07, pick from Cubs for loss of Alfonso Soriano. If you think Zimmermann should be excluded since he's recovering from Tommy John surgery, consider Jeremy Bonderman, Glen Perkins, Gio Gonzalez, Ian Kennedy, and Tommy Hunter.
- Closer: Huston Street. Drafted by A's in '04 as supplemental pick for the loss of Miguel Tejada to the Orioles.
- Setup Man: J.P. Howell. Drafted by Royals in '04 as supplemental pick for the loss of Raul Ibanez to the Mariners. That was actually Howell's second time as a compensation pick. Three more who belong in our bullpen: David Aardsma, Daniel Bard, and Joba Chamberlain.