Archives for May 2010

Odds & Ends: Duncan, Dodgers, Marlins, Posey

By Zachary Links | May 23, 2010 at 9:39pm CDT

Links for Sunday night..

Shelley Duncan is playing well for the Indians since being promoted from Triple-A, writes Dennis Manoloff of The Plain Dealer. The 30-year-old outfielder signed a minor league deal with the Tribe in January.
The Dodgers have signed righthander Jon Huber to a minor league deal, according to the MLB Transactions page. Huber, who has been assigned to Double-A Chattanooga, last appeared in the majors in 2007 for the Mariners.
In his latest mailbag, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes that the Marlins are more likely to deal for a relief pitcher than a starter.
ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter) wonders aloud if the Giants might decide to promote Buster Posey after being swept over the weekend by the A's.

Elias Rankings Update

By Tim Dierkes | May 23, 2010 at 7:40pm CDT

Eddie Bajek has reverse-engineered the Elias Rankings, and his work is available exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors. This snapshot runs from the beginning of the 2009 season through May 22nd, 2010. There are tabs for each position group.

Blue Jays Designate Dana Eveland For Assignment

By Zachary Links | May 23, 2010 at 6:57pm CDT

The Blue Jays designated Dana Eveland for assignment, reports MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. If he clears waivers, Eveland says that he will report to Triple-A Las Vegas.

The lefty was pitching successfully until he faced the Red Sox on May 11th. Prior to that, the 26-year-old had a 3.82 ERA in six outings. However, he has a 16.39 ERA in his last three starts.

This marks the second time that Eveland has been designated for assignment in 2010 as the A's DFA'd the hurler back in February. Prior to being acquired by Toronto, the Diamondbacks and Mariners were reportedly interested in his services.

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Sunday

By Luke Adams 2 | May 23, 2010 at 6:24pm CDT

6:24pm: Nats GM Mike Rizzo will neither confirm or deny the club's interest in Oswalt, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

Kilgore writes that even if the Nationals are interested, it is unlikely a deal could be struck between the two sides. First, Washington would have to be willing to part with farmhands that they have worked diligently to stock. Secondly, they would have to take on Oswalt's hefty contract.

Finally, Oswalt would have to approve a deal to the nation's capital. Despite the fact that the Nats appear to be contenders at present, Kilgore wonders how the 32-year-old feels about a club that has lost more than 100 games in back-to-back seasons.

12:58pm: A baseball source tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that the Nationals are interested in trading for Oswalt.

12:27pm: Roy Oswalt's trade request has inspired plenty of speculation about potential suitors for the right-hander. Here's a roundup of the latest discussion about possible trade partners for the Astros:

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti to Fanhouse's Tom Krasovic: "I sense we'll be in the market for pitching after the All-Star Break." Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times wonders if that means the Dodgers might be in on the Oswalt sweepstakes.
Lacking a true ace, the Twins could kick the tires on Oswalt, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Over at The Newberg Report, Jamey Newberg breaks down all the obstacles in the way of Oswalt wearing a Rangers uniform.
Jim Bowden tweets that Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Texas are among the most realistic destinations for Oswalt.

Phillies Scouting Jenks, Putz

By Zachary Links | May 23, 2010 at 5:11pm CDT

The Phillies are scouting Bobby Jenks and J.J. Putz of the White Sox, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Philadelphia is "among a couple of teams" looking at the White Sox and trying to project which players will be available if they are unable to get back into the AL Central race in the next few weeks.

Jenks and Putz would help solidify the back end of the Phillies' bullpen, which is their main area of concern. Jenks, 29, has 12.0 K/9, 4.2 BB/9 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 appearances this season. However, he has looked strong in his last three outings where he surrendered two hits and no runs. Putz, 33, has a 3.95 ERA with 11.9 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 13.2 innings.

Jenks will make $7.5MM after avoiding arbitration with the White Sox this offseason. Tim recently wrote that Jenks is a non-tender candidate. Meanwhile, Putz is set to earn $3MM in 2010 with the opportunity to earn more through incentives.

Following a team meeting on Wednesday, White Sox GM Kenny Williams told reporters that he has been politely turning down overtures from other teams to make a deal. However, if they continue to struggle, it's hard to imagine Williams keeping that stance.

Week In Review: 5/16/10 – 5/22/10

By Steve Adams | May 23, 2010 at 5:08pm CDT

It seems like every week we get closer to seeing what this year's trade deadline will hold. Let's look back at the past seven days here on MLBTR:

The biggest name on the market this summer may very well be Roy Oswalt. The Houston ace reportedly requested a trade this week, though he phrased it slightly different in his own explanation. Mark looked at why his preferred destinations may not be fits, but it stands to reason that if he's asking for a trade, he'll be open to more destinations. And call it a hunch, but I'm betting he'll have plenty of suitors to choose from.
We heard a lot about potential catchers on the move this week. The Rangers are interested in Rod Barajas, and also inquired on A.J. Pierzynski. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are keeping an eye on Chris Iannetta in his Triple-A stint with Colorado, during which he's absolutely raked.
If the Rangers truly are in on Pierzynski, they'll have to act quickly before he receives 10-and-5 rights in June. Earlier this week, Ben provided a list of all the upcoming 10-and-5 players.
The Oswalt news isn't the only reason the Astros were in the news this week. They also released Kazuo Matsui and signed two top Dominican pitching prospects — Michael Feliz (16 years old) and Jose Montero (17).
The Rockies have some interest on Matsui, as they look to strengthen their bench, but as Ben pointed out, Matsui hardly presents a surefire improvement.
Matsui wasn't the only player to be released this week either. The Nationals sent Willy Taveras packing, the A's cut ties with Chad Gaudin, the Blue Jays released Randy Ruiz, and the Dodgers said farewell to Josh Towers. Bob Howry was also given his release by the Diamondbacks, who then acquired Saul Rivera. Howry signed with the Cubs shortly after.
Mike continued his preview of the 2010 draft by profiling Zack Cox, the sophomore third baseman for Arkansas. Cox's ridiculous .432/.524/.606 line has him projected as a Top 10 pick.
The Padres signed Dominican third base prospect Duanel Jones for $900K. The Giants nearly signed Jones in December, but he failed a drug test.
Cuban standout Yunesky Maya is now eligible for free agency, and the Yankees are already interested in the 28-year-old.
Unsurprisingly, Pat Burrell cleared waivers and is now a free agent. Any team with struggles against left-handed pitching and/or in need of power can take a flyer on the former powerhouse with minimal risk.
The Red Sox DFA'ed two players this week, with Jonathan Van Every and Scott Schoeneweis being the victims.
It's no surprise, but it's still sad to see Eric Chavez injured once again. This time, it's his neck, and the injury may force him to retire, though he'd like to return. Gone are the days when Chavez was a slick-fielding power threat in the middle of the A's order. If he has to hang it up, he had a pretty good run the early 2000s.

Athletics Sign John Halama

By Steve Adams | May 23, 2010 at 4:14pm CDT

Mike Ashmore of the Hunterdon County Democrat tweets that John Halama has signed a minor league deal with the A's.

Halama, 38, signed a minor league deal with the Brewers this winter, but was released prior to Opening Day. From there, the journeyman southpaw returned to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League where he had pitched in 2009.

Halama was 2-2 in six starts for the Blue Crabs this time around, posting a 1.62 ERA over 39 innings. He held opponents to a .201 average while striking out 22 versus just five walks. His control may have been a bit more erratic than it appears at first glance, however, as he also hit six batters.

Odds & Ends: Reds, Rookies, Pelfrey, Lima, Alvarez

By Luke Adams 2 | May 23, 2010 at 2:35pm CDT

Links for Sunday, as we await tonight's Subway series rubber match….

The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay looks at what a trip to the disabled list for Homer Bailey would mean for the Reds' rotation. Bailey left today's game after just 2.1 IP with shoulder soreness. Fay writes that it won't be Aroldis Chapman, who is having his next start pushed back due to a blister.
Joel Sherman breaks down the tremendous amount of talent in the rookie class of 2010, and wonders if it ranks among the best ever.
In a separate article, Sherman profiles Mike Pelfrey's success so far in 2010, and relays that the New York right-hander wants manager Jerry Manuel to keep his job.
Former MLB pitcher Jose Lima has died of a massive heart attack, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes (via Twitter). Our condolences go out to Lima's family and friends.
Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports lists ten veteran players who he thinks deserve to be traded to another team.
Pirates fans could see 2008's second overall pick, Pedro Alvarez, arrive in Pittsburgh soon, writes Bob Cohn of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Alvarez is hitting just .243 at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, but he has homered ten times and slugged .497.
The Chicago Sun Times' Rick Morrissey says that Ryne Sandberg might not be a good fit as the eventual manager of the Cubs, even if fans would love to see it.
With Rays Senior VP of baseball operations Gerry Hunsicker in Houston this weekend, Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle looks back on Hunsicker's tenure as the Astros' GM.

Cafardo On Ortiz, Iannetta, Atkins, Lowell

By Luke Adams 2 | May 23, 2010 at 10:40am CDT

The key to the Rays' success so far has been their pitching staff, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, who praises Tampa Bay for playing so well despite a few slumping bats. Cafardo says that it may be hard for the club to add another piece or two before the trade deadline, since their budget is already maxed out. However, Cafardo acknowledges that with Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena facing free agency, the Rays may go all-out this year and stretch their budget a little in hopes of winning a championship. Here are some of Cafardo's other notes:

After this season, David Ortiz is probably "done in Boston unless he takes a massive pay cut." Ortiz might have trouble catching on anywhere next year, since there's virtually no market for one-dimensional players, and he may not be willing to accept a role similar to Jason Giambi's in Colorado.
If Ortiz and Victor Martinez continue to hit, the Red Sox are very unlikely to pursue Chris Iannetta.
One of the winter's most disappointing new additions has been Garrett Atkins, who is homerless and sports a .221/.261/.283 slash line in 119 plate appearances. The Orioles will have to consider releasing him if he doesn't turn things around.
The Rangers are looking for a starting pitcher and a productive right-handed bat. A Rangers official tells Cafardo that he'd still love to see Mike Lowell in Texas.
Cafardo thinks that if the Red Sox fall out of playoff contention and become sellers, they could replenish their farm system, acquiring multiple players for Martinez, Lowell, Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro, and Jeremy Hermida. I'm less optimistic than Cafardo about the caliber of talent the Sox could land for most of those guys.

Jack Wilson Thinking About Retirement

By Luke Adams 2 | May 23, 2010 at 9:33am CDT

Jack Wilson is experiencing doubts about his baseball future after his latest injury, according to Mike McCall of MLB.com. Originally on the disabled list due to a strained right knee, Wilson experienced a setback last week, pulling his right hamstring during a rehab assignment. With no timetable set for his return, the 32-year-old spoke candidly about his frustration:

"This is when you actually look at your career and if it's going to last too much longer," Wilson said. "In reality, there's nothing more that I can do. If it ends up pulling, there's nothing you can do about it. You're out two weeks every time you do it."

Although Wilson's hamstring issues have hampered his durability, his health problems don't appear as serious as those of Eric Chavez, another 32-year-old thinking about retirement because of injuries. Considering Wilson signed a two-year, $10MM deal with Seattle this winter, the slick-fielding shortstop is probably unlikely to call it a career quite yet.

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