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Will Fontenot Become Trade Bait For Cubs?

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Second baseman Mike Fontenot may not fit in with the Cubs' long-term plans if Starlin Castro lives up to expectations, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Castro has knocked Fontenot out of the starting lineup as he has taken over at shortstop with Ryan Theriot taking over at second.

Even though Fontenot has been sent to the bench, he has been decent offensively with an OPS+ of 96.  In 80 plate appearances, the soon-to-be 30-year-old is hitting .315/.363/.397, a slash line that is a significant step-up from his posting in 2009.   For his career, he has a 10.7 UZR/150 at his preferred position.

Fontenot is set to earn $1MM this season after avoiding arbitration with the Cubs this winter.  He became arbitration-eligible for the first time in his career when he was awarded Super Two status in November of 2009.

Week In Review: 5/2/10 – 5/8/10

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It's a bit too early to see concrete trade rumors surfacing, but by now teams have figured out what areas may be in need of upgrade. Over the past week, we've gotten a bit of a picture of what a few things that could be in store for the summer. Let's take a look:

Cafardo On Fielder, Wood, DeJesus

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe would like to see the Red Sox acquire a marquee player in his prime.  Let's dive in and check out the tidbits that he has for us today..

  • The Red Sox will shed a great deal of payroll this offseason thanks in large part to David Ortiz and Mike Lowell coming off of the books.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes examined the team's 2011 contract issues recently, suggesting $40MM could be freed up.  With that newfound breathing room, Cafardo writes that the BoSox would like to zero in on one of three elite first basemen this winter.  While he anticipates Albert Pujols remaining in St. Louis, he says that Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez could be acquired via in-season trades.
  • If Kerry Wood can show that he's healthy, he should be able to attract a contending team as we approach the trade deadline.  Wood was recalled from his rehab assignment in Akron on Friday.  The 32-year-old is set to make $10.5MM this season but if a team were to trade for him they would only have to assume the prorated portion of that.
  • David DeJesus is "more than available" for teams seeking a lefty outfield bat.  In return, the Royals would seek bullpen help and a positional prospect.  Kansas City was said to be expecting serious interest in DeJesus this winter.  The 31-year-old earns $4.5MM this season with a $6MM option for next season.
  • While there's still some skepticism in Houston that Lance Berkman would really leave the organization, one Astros organizational person opined that the 34-year-old would "fit Boston like a fiddle".  However, considering his advanced age and his offensive struggles this season, he's an unlikely fit for the club at present.  Meanwhile, Cafardo mentions the Mariners and White Sox as teams that could really use a bat like Berkman's.
  • Meanwhile, Jeremy Hermida is an outfielder that would seem to fit Seattle, though it doesn't appear that the Red Sox would entertain offers for him right now.

Nationals Designate Matt Chico For Assignment

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11:22am: In an update to his blog post, Goessling has quotes from GM Mike Rizzo on the move.  Rizzo explains that it was necessary to DFA Chico in order to put him in the minors because he was on the major league squad for just one day.  He added that there is zero risk of the club losing the 26-year-old.

10:30am: The Nationals have designated pitcher Matt Chico for assignment, though he will soon return to the club's 40-man roster, writes Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.  The move is concurrent with Washington's purchase of Doug Slaten's contract from Triple-A Syracuse.  

Chico, 26, made his first big league appearance in nearly two years when he got the start against the Marlins yesterday.  In five innings, Chico allowed two runs, registered three strikeouts, and didn't walk any batters.  

Slaten has been golden in 17 Triple-A innings this season.  The 30-year-old has not allowed a single run while racking up 17 strikeouts with just one walk.  In 126 career big league outings, the lefty has a 3.68 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.

Goessling adds that he is unsure as to why Chico is being DFA'd only to be retained.  Nats GM Mike Rizzo is scheduled to give a more detailed explanation of the move later this morning.

Odds & Ends: Jenkins, Orioles, Molina, Lee, Konerko

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Links for Saturday…

Teams That Could Look For An Upgrade At DH

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Designated hitter usually isn't a position that you'll see teams go out and spend big bucks to fill. Most of the 14 AL clubs have an older and fading player still under contract that can't play the field anymore, so a lot of times he'll get the spot by default. Think David Ortiz and Eric Chavez. Even when a team does go into the free agent market for a DH, they usually won't commit more than one year to a player. 

Here are a few a clubs getting below average production from a roster spot designed to do nothing but hit…

  • Angels: After a hot start, Hideki Matsui has tailed off, and overall the team's DH's are hitting .207/.305/.342.
  • Athletics: Chavez isn't getting the job done, posting a .235/.284/.318 batting line.
  • Mariners: Mike Sweeney and Ken Griffey Jr. have gotten most of the DH at-bats, and overall the team has gotten just .189/.250/.207 worth of production. They've been rumored to have interest in Jose Guillen.
  • Rays: In the second year of his two year deal, Pat Burrell is hitting .222/.321/.375, which is actually an improvement from 2009.
  • Red Sox: Ortiz has gotten most of the action at DH, but is hitting just .178/.265/.411.
  • White Sox: Chicago's DH spot has been a revolving door, but overall they've hit just .204/.297/.310.
  • Yankees: Nick Johnson was signed in the offseason to fill this spot, but he hit .167/.388/.306 before landing on the disabled list with a wrist issue.

If any of those teams want to upgrade their current DH situation, they could turn to the free agent market, where Carlos Delgado (recovering from hip surgery), Jermaine Dye, and Gary Sheffield reside. The trade market could also prove fruitful, as players like Guillen, Lance Berkman, and Luke Scott could be made available.

Geoff Jenkins Close To Announcing Retirement?

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Geoff Jenkins has yet to officially announce his retirement, but he tells MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that "the writing's on the wall." The link goes to Twitter.

Jenkins, 36 in July, hasn't played since the 2008 season, when he hit .246/.301/.392 with nine homers in 322 plate appearances for the Phillies. They released him at the end of Spring Training last year. Prior to that, Jenkins spent ten seasons with the Brewers, where he's fifth on the team's all-time list with 1,221 career hits.

If he does in fact all it quits, Jenkins will retire as a .275/.344/.490 hitter with 221 home runs. Not to shabby at all. Baseball Reference says he's earned more than $46MM during his career, so it should be a happy retirement.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Gonzalez, Torre, Millar

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Ken Rosenthal's latest Full Count video is up at FOX Sports. Let's check out the highlights of this week's clip….

  • Given the Padres' success so far and the slow starts by some clubs who may be interested in Adrian Gonzalez (Mariners, White Sox, Braves), it looks for now as if the slugger could be traded in the offseason rather than in July.
  • If the White Sox made a play for Gonzalez, they wouldn't want to extend him for $20MM+ annually past 2011.
  • Friends of Joe Torre indicate to Rosenthal that the Dodgers' skipper may not want to return next year if the organization is still handcuffed financially by Frank McCourt's divorce. Rosenthal suggests that the Mets, Cubs, or Braves might end up being options for Torre.
  • Rosenthal questions the Cubs' decision to part ways with Kevin Millar, noting that the club could have used the 38-year-old's energy and clubhouse presence. The St. Paul Saints will be the beneficiaries of that clubhouse presence now.

Discussion: Bengie Molina

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Following Starlin Castro's 6-RBI debut with the Cubs last night, Giants fans have to be wondering when they'll see their own top prospect, Buster Posey, arrive in the bigs. Bengie Molina left this afternoon's game at Citi Field with a tight left hamstring, and whether or not the injury requires a roster move, the calls for Posey's promotion will only grow louder.

With Posey likely ticketed for San Francisco sometime in the coming days or weeks, the Giants will have to decide how they'll balance playing time between their young backstop and the incumbent, Molina. While Posey can also play some first base, his real value is as an offensive catcher. However, the Giants won't be inclined to keep Molina on the bench too often if the veteran continues to perform like he has so far (.325/.396/.450).

Although Molina has enjoyed some early-season success on the field, he seems unhappy with his situation. The 35-year-old has recently expressed regrets about not landing with the Mets and talked about retiring after the 2010 campaign. You'd have to think the prospect of losing playing time to Posey would only make things worse for Molina.

So if Posey is promoted and proves capable of handling the Giants' staff and hitting in the majors, would the Giants think about moving Molina? ESPN.com's MLB Rumors page suggests the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mariners could be among the clubs in the market for a catcher, and Molina's contract situation is more favorable than some. Chris Snyder, for instance, is guaranteed $11.25MM over the next two years, while Molina is earning $4.5MM on a one-year deal.

There have been no indications yet that Giants would consider shopping Molina, but if Posey thrives upon eventually arriving in San Francisco, Molina could be an interesting trade chip. Which teams do you think might inquire about Molina's availability? Will he still be a Giant in September?

Mariners Show Signs Of Interest In Jose Guillen

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The Mariners have shown "signs of interest" in Jose Guillen according to Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star, but exactly just how much interest is tough to gauge. Royals' officials indicated that they have yet to receive a formal inquiry.

Guillen, 34 this month, is having a resurgent year with the bat. He's hitting .275/.318/.542 with eight doubles and eight homers in 129 plate appearances, though he's almost exclusively a DH nowadays. This season is the final one on his contract, which is putting $12MM in his pockets this summer.

The Mariners have made no secret about their desire to add offense, especially since their DH spot has been a non-factor – just a .189/.250/.207 batting line with just two extra base hits (both doubles). Mike Sweeney (.172/.273/.172) and Ken Griffey Jr. (216/.266/.243) have been the main culprits. For comparison's sake, NL pitchers are hitting .164/.205/.202, less than a 40 point difference in OPS.

Kansas City would assuredly have to eat some money to make a deal happen, and generally speaking, the more money a team eats, the more they get in return. They've been said to be looking for any kind of pitching, just like everyone else.

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