Some Thursday notes from around the majors…
- Aroldis Chapman recorded seven strikeouts while allowing three hits and a walk over five shutout innings for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville tonight, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Chapman is in the midst of a 10 2/3 inning scoreless streak.
- Fangraphs' Jack Moore looks at Alex Gordon's ongoing demolition of Triple-A pitching and says "there’s no excuse if he’s not back in Kansas City by June."
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweets that "many people believe" the Yankees will designate Randy Winn for assignment when Curtis Granderson returns from the DL. Feinsand believes the Yanks should keep Winn and instead send Kevin Russo back to the minors.
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports (via Twitter) that the Brewers have signed right-hander Eduardo Morlan to a minor-league deal. The Brewers selected Morlan from Tampa Bay in the 2008 Rule 5 draft but he was designated for assignment and returned to the Rays during spring training of that year. The Rays just released Morlan two days ago.
- ESPN's Insider Rumors section (subscription required) speculates that Rickie Weeks could be a trade candidate if Milwaukee doesn't want to pay his likely arbitration raise in the winter. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explored the Brewers' trade options last week, and noted that Weekes' arbitration salary bump might also cause teams to shy away from acquiring him.
- John Schuerholz chatted on the air with Sirius XM Radio's Jim Bowden today. Bowden tweeted that Schuerholz feels the Braves have enough pop in their lineup and don't "need to make a Fred McGriff type trade." The Crime Dog was acquired by Atlanta in July 1993 for Donnie Elliott, Vince Moore and Melvin Nieves — don't you always need to make a deal like that?
- Bowden also had Baltimore president Andy MacPhail on his show, and speculates (via Twitter) that the O's will look to draft Jameson Taillon based on MacPhail's description of his club's wants. Bowden also tweeted that MacPhail didn't offer an endorsement of manager Dave Trembley, and instead just noted that it's still early in the season.
- Omar Minaya said the Mets might look to trade for a starter later in the summer, reports Kieran Darcy of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Fanhouse's Ed Price explains how Philadelphia's unheralded signings of Jose Contreras and Danys Baez have bailed out their bullpen over the first two months of the season.
- Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com answers Cleveland-related fan questions in a mailbag about such topics as when Michael Brantley will return to the majors, the recent release of Scott Lewis, and how the Tribe passed on Jason Heyward in the 2007 amateur draft.
Any possible interest from the Cardinals in Maine, Perez, or Nieve. Perez definitely not. But Maine or Nieve I could see happening. Preferably Maine. Thoughts?
I could see St. Louis trading for Duke or Maholm, though they might back out because it’s trading within the division. What’s the Cardinals’ farm system look like: do they have any middle infielders close to the majors?
do all 13 teams that passed on heyward have to make it known that they passed on him?
Can’t be any worse than every team passing on Albert Pujols 12 times before the Cardinals took him in the 13th round…
Well at least the Rays, O’s, and Giants are probably happy with their choices… But that’s the fun thing about the draft. The players who teams passed on during the draft who turn out to be great 3-5 years after the fact were the ones that many writers were saying wouldn’t be as good as so-and-so. As I recall at the time Beau Mills was a highly regarded power hitter who had been dismantling college pitching.
Gordon … what a mess. How about this –
Gordon – Age 26 – career minor league numbers – 329/446/591
Wood – Age 25 – career minor league numbers – 286/354/541
Wood has lost the confidence of the Angels organization. He has been awful in the majors despite showing huge power in the minors. Ranked as a top 25 prospect for three consecutive years. Just turned 25. Playing for league minimum.
Gordon is a year older. Had moderate success in 2008. 2009 and 2010 have been awful. Flashed big time offense in the minors. Ranked as a top 25 prospect for 2 consecutive years. Is in the middle of his 2nd year of arbitration.
Gordon has to be considered the better player at this stage. However, he is more expensive, under team control for fewer years, and is currently being tried out at a different position in AAA.
Although it will never happen it could be good for both players, and their franchises, to orchestrate some sort of swap. Maybe Wood + “B” level prospect for Gordon. Give everyone a fresh start and see if either team can unlock the talent in these two gifted 3rd baseman.
Free Alex Gordon already.
The guy destroyed the Texas League at 22 in his first crack at pro ball. The next year in his rookie year, he hits 15 HR and slashed just below league average. Next year he brings the same power (in 17 less games..) plus increased walk total while maintaining pretty much the same strikeout rate. .260/.351/.432 from a 24 year old 3B in the bigs? David De Jesus throws up that same general stat line in every season he plays and is a “gamer”.
Kansas City is a mickey mouse club that makes me wish we had relegation in baseball. Gordon needs to go to a team that is going to give him at-bats in the majors and leave him the hell alone.
Dave Trembley mismanaged another bullpen tonight. Good lord Mcphail how long are you gonna let him do this. I’m starting to feel your pain cubbies.
I want to see a duel between Chapman and Strasburg.
Yes, and there are few hyped prospects that I’ve seen that I’ve been less impressed by. While his inability to hit on a major league level is probably because he wasn’t developed properly it doesn’t mean moving him back up to the majors will change anything. If the Royals want to give him a shot again, well they have nothing to lose, but I’m expecting the same level of output that he had before.
Why are you saying silly things like “his inability to hit at the major league level”.
He did hit at the major league level. For his first two seasons in the majors, he put up a .753 OPS and 99 OPS+ and then he blew his hip apart at age 25.
The clown-ass Royals gave him 38 plate appearances (where he posted a BB rate just above 18%…) this year before demoting him.
The reason why Royals fans don’t like him is because George Brett and the rest of the front office hyped him up as the absolute savior of the team so they could push short-term ticket sales.
If Gordon doesn’t want to listen to the Royals, I don’t blame him. They have proven over the last 20 years that there isn’t one single aspect of their organization that operates at a major league level of competence.
For a major league third baseman you’re happy with a .753 OPS? If he could at least provide gold glove defense then it’d be acceptable.
The Royals front office wasn’t the only hype machine. This kid was compared to Alex Rodriguez in terms of hitting ability… in fact this site also hyped Gordon: link to mlbtraderumors.com
A .753 OPS from a 23 and 24 year old?? That’s league average, man. Yeah, I’m okay with that, especially with the .30+ increase in his OBP from his first to second seasons.
Sorry he didn’t come right in and take you to the playoffs like Tulowitzki did, but Alex Gordon didn’t have Brad Hawpe, Hatt Holliday, Todd Helton, Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis, a shut down bullpen and Jimenez and Morales coming up at the end of the season.
Justin Upton (and he’s great.. do not get me wrong, he’s fantastic) has really turned around those Diamondbacks hasn’t he?
And now you’re going to what? Drag up every article where somebody said something awesome about Alex Gordon like Gordon was running the hype machine from his Nebraska dorm room? He doesn’t control what others write or what scouts think.
Bottom line, he is going to be a good player in this league. He was already an average player with only one year in the minors and in his first two years in the bigs before he had the hip injury. Then the Royals gave him 12 games, in which he walked in more than 18% of his plate appearances, before demoting him.
The Royals are a joke that isn’t funny anymore.