Archives for June 2010

Pirates Expected To Draft Jameson Taillon

By Tim Dierkes | June 7, 2010 at 10:35am CDT

The Pirates have the second pick in today's draft, and ESPN's Buster Olney reports that they are expected to take high school pitcher Jameson Taillon. This matches predictions made this morning by Baseball America's Jim Callis and ESPN's Keith Law, though an earlier note by Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggested they were leaning toward Manny Machado. Talking to Finder, Bucs GM Neal Huntington explained that "we passed on some high school pitchers last year because, quite candidly, we didn't think they had the stuff that allowed [some] to be the exceptions."

For more on Taillon, check out Mike Axisa's post from May 29th.

2010 Draft Pick Gains And Losses

By Tim Dierkes | June 7, 2010 at 10:07am CDT

Using Mike Axisa's 2010 draft order, let's take a look at which teams gained and lost picks through free agent compensation during the offseason.

Seven clubs added at least one pick without giving any up: the Angels, Blue Jays, Astros, Rangers, Cardinals, Rays, and Rockies.
The Angels lost Chone Figgins and John Lackey, but they added the most and best picks: #18, #29, #37, and #40. This is a huge year for director of scouting Eddie Bane. The Blue Jays added three picks: #34, #41, and #80.
The Astros, Rangers, and Cardinals each added two picks, with the Astros doing the best by snagging #19 and #33 for Jose Valverde.
The Orioles and Mets were the only two teams to lose a pick without adding any; those are #53 and #57 respectively.
The Mariners added #43 but gave up #18, while the Tigers added #44 and #48 while giving up #19.
The Red Sox came out in pretty good shape despite signing a pair of Type As in John Lackey and Marco Scutaro. The Sox added #20, #36, #39, and #57 while losing #29 and #80. Losing a Type A who was offered arbitration brings in two picks, but signing such a player only costs one.
The Braves added picks #35 and #53, but surrendered #20.

Originally published 3-29-10.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Shortstops

By Tim Dierkes | June 7, 2010 at 9:52am CDT

Operating under the safe assumption Derek Jeter re-signs with the Yankees, who's the best available free agent shortstop after the season? As usual, it's an unimpressive group. 2011 age is in parentheses.

Orlando Cabrera (36) - He's got a $4MM mutual option with a buyout of $500K or $1MM depending on who declines. Whether you're looking for offense or defense, Cabrera's numbers don't impress.
Adam Everett (34) – Everett still has defensive skills, but his bat deteriorated to the point that the Tigers recently designated him for assignment.
Alex Gonzalez (33) – He hit for good power in the season's first month, and might be doing enough to get his $2.5MM option picked up by the Blue Jays after the season.
Cesar Izturis (31) – He's a defense-first type, at least in reputation, and a big negative with the bat.
Edgar Renteria (35) – He's currently on the DL with a hamstring injury, but at least holds a .372 OBP for now. The Giants are unlikely to exercise his $10.5MM option, making him a tolerable choice in a poor class.
Jose Reyes (28) – He's been lousy this season, but at least appears healthy. The Mets would be hard-pressed to decline his $11MM option.
Juan Uribe (31) – Not the ideal defensive shortstop anymore, but he's hit well since returning to the NL last year. Uribe might be the best stopgap shortstop available on the free agent market.
Felipe Lopez (31) – Like Uribe, he's a solid, versatile bat who can pass as a shortstop if needed.
Cristian Guzman, Nick Punto, and Miguel Tejada aren't playing shortstop this year, but could potentially be moved back for 2011 if a team is so inclined.

Draft Links: Machado, Blue Jays, Dodgers

By Tim Dierkes | June 7, 2010 at 8:38am CDT

The first round of the MLB draft kicks off at 6pm CST today. Links to start you off, with new ones being added to the bottom of the post:

MLB.com's Mark Newman prepares you for the festivities by outlining MLB's many facets of draft coverage. Here's a reminder of the draft order.
The Pirates pick second, and Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes they're leaning toward shortstop Manny Machado over pitcher Jameson Taillon. GM Neal Huntington explained that they will have no problem selecting a Scott Boras client. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says the Orioles would then take Taillon, who they favor anyway. Jim Callis of Baseball America has a different point of view, saying the Pirates lean toward Taillon.
The Blue Jays have the #11 pick. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun suggests they have a big draft budget and an eye on Delino DeShields, Jr., Josh Sale, and Deck McGuire as potential first-round picks. Scouting director Andrew Tinnish is emphasizing athleticism and upside, as well as up-the-middle positions.
Dodgers assistant GM Logan White hinted that they could again take a high school pitcher, writes Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. The Dodgers have the #28 pick in the first round.
The Tigers start at #44, having given #19 to the Astros for Jose Valverde. John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press quotes scouting director David Chadd: "We have a history of being aggressive. I don't see that changing."
Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever told Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the team will take the best available player early and will lean toward catching, lefthanded pitching, and middle infielders later. The Phils' first pick is #27.
The Rockies are at #26, and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says they've scouted Aaron Sanchez, Nick Castellanos, and Kevin Gausman heavily. Links on player names in this post go to MLB.com scouting reports.
John Maffei of the North County Times deduced that the Padres might take a center fielder like Michael Choice or Kolbrin Vitek, but MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets his opinion that they will take a pitcher such as Karsten Whitson. The Padres have the #9 pick.

Wigginton Not Looking For A Trade

By Zachary Links | June 6, 2010 at 9:55pm CDT

Orioles infielder Ty Wigginton wants to remain with the Orioles if the alternative is receiving little playing time elsewhere, according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. Wigginton told Connolly that he's not campaigning for a deal and enjoys playing in Baltimore:

"If I were to go somewhere, I'd want it to be somewhere I could contribute," the 32-year-old said. "But I love the city of Baltimore, and I love playing here for these fans."

The nine-year big league veteran will earn $3.5MM in 2010, the final year of his contract. Earlier this week, it was reported that Wigginton would be open to playing for the Mets if the O's become sellers. However, Wigginton "chuckled" at that story as both he and Millwood were responding to a question asking if they would have a problem playing for the Amazins.

Wigginton has started 52 of 57 games for the Orioles this season while playing at first, second, and third.

Odds & Ends: Perez, Howry, Brewers

By Zachary Links | June 6, 2010 at 9:51pm CDT

Sunday night linkage..

Mets manager Jerry Manuel insists that Oliver Perez's knee tendinitis is legitimate, writes Andy Martino of the Daily News. The timing of Perez's trip to the DL is being investigated by MLB in light of its curious timing.
In her latest mailbag, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com writes that the Cubs brought back Bob Howry with the hope that he can help in specific situations with the help of Larry Rothschild. The Cubbies signed the reliever to a major league deal in mid-May.
Former Brewers farmhand Brent Brewer will choose football over baseball after all, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The 2008 second-round selection quit baseball last month and will now play on scholarship at the University of Tennessee.

Draft Links: Pirates, Brewers, Red Sox

By Zachary Links | June 6, 2010 at 9:38pm CDT

More draft news from around the web..

The Pirates will take either shortstop Manny Machado or righthander Jameson Taillon with the second overall pick, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Earlier today, it was reported that the Bucs were looking at Machado, or Taillon but were also considering a "college pitcher".
The Brewers' have had countless "what if" moments in the draft in recent years, including almost nabbing Wade Davis in 2004, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Several Red Sox shared their memories of draft day with Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal.
A pair of Illinois prospects should go in the early rounds of the draft, writes Mike Helfgot for the Chicago Tribune. Mike Foltynewicz, a Texas commit ranked amongst the top 50 prospects in this class by Baseball America, will likely be the first.

Week In Review: 5/30/10 – 6/5/10

By Zachary Links | June 6, 2010 at 9:19pm CDT

Let's take a look back at the week that was on the eve of the MLB Draft..

The Orioles fired manager Dave Trembley after the club got off to a 15-39 start under his direction and dropped eight consecutive games. Baltimore appointed Juan Samuel to be the team's interim skipper.
After 22 seasons and 630 home runs, Ken Griffey Jr. has decided to call it a career.
The Angels won't deal for Mike Lowell, but the M's, Rangers, or White Sox might.
Kevin Millwood and Ty Wigginton are open to playing for the Mets if the O's become sellers.
The Cards reached agreement on a deal with 18-year-old Dominican righthander Carlos Matias. Matias was one of the best hurlers on the international market this year.
Brian Bruney signed a minor league deal with the Brewers though he has the right to opt out in a month.
Kansas City claimed pitcher Kanekoa Texeira off of waivers from the M's. The Royals have to expose the Hawaiian to waivers if they decide to take him off of their roster. If no one claims him, they have to offer him back to the Yankees – his team prior to being taken in the Rule 5 draft.
It was reported on Friday night that the Royals have struck a deal with catcher Yasmani Grandal for the fourth overall pick. Mike recently took a look at Grandal, calling him the best catcher in the 2010 draft.
After being DFA'd by the Yankees last week, Randy Winn found a new home with the Cardinals.
The Blue Jays signed DeWayne Wise to a minor league deal days after he opted out of his deal with the Phillies. Philly filled the void by inking Willy Taveras to a minor league deal.
Nelson Figueroa was DFA'd by the Phillies but accepted a Triple A assignment with the club after clearing waivers.
The Mets designated Gary Matthews Jr. for assignment. Matthews will earn $11MM for this season and $12MM for 2011 which will be paid mostly by the Angels.
Reliever Claudio Vargas was released by Milwaukee.
The Rays may have found themselves a bargain with their signing of Jose Julio Ruiz.
Howard took a look back at the 1995 trade deadline.
Mike continued his look at the top players in the 2010 MLB Draft with posts on prospects such as Michael Choice, Chris Sale, and Matt Harvey.

Odds & Ends: Fielder, Lincoln, Gorzelanny, Lee, Haren

By Luke Adams 2 | June 6, 2010 at 9:16pm CDT

Links for Sunday..

The Phillies demoted Phillippe Aumont from Double-A back to High-A after a disastrous start to the season, tweets Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner. Aumont was part of the Roy Halladay–Cliff Lee blockbuster.
Peter Barzilai of USA Today explains why the Brewers should hold on to Prince Fielder.
This week's Pirates/Nationals matchup may end up being the most interesting series between sub-.500 teams this season. Not only will Stephen Strasburg make his major league debut on Tuesday, but Pirates GM Neal Huntington says former first-round pick Brad Lincoln could make his first big league start on Wednesday, tweets Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs received some calls about Tom Gorzelanny's availability a few weeks ago, but that they have no immediate plans to move him.
The newest Cardinal, Randy Winn, was a player Tony La Russa wanted the team to pursue this past winter, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post would like to see the Mets aggressively attempt to trade for Cliff Lee.
The Denver Post's Troy Renck hopes the Rockies will inquire on Lee, as well as Dan Haren, if only to see what would it cost to acquire another ace.
If you play fantasy baseball, be sure to stay on top of the saves category by following our @closernews account on Twitter and tracking the latest news on late-inning relievers around the league.

Angels Targeting Cubs Bats?

By Mike Axisa | June 6, 2010 at 8:19pm CDT

SUNDAY, 8:19pm: The Angels haven't aggressively pursued a trade for help yet and may not have Lee on their radar at this point, a source told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. With their 9-4 victory in Seattle today, the Angels improved to 7-1 without first baseman Kendry Morales in the lineup.

FRIDAY, 7:15pm: The Cubs have not asked Derrek Lee to approve a trade, sources tell Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Lee's contract includes a no-trade clause, so the club could not deal him without his approval.

When asked about the trade rumors, Lee responded:

"Who are the 'excellent sources?'" the 34-year-old asked. "I've heard nothing on it. I've got nothing for you."

The first baseman also told reporters that he is not bothered by the trade speculation and wants to remain with the Cubs.

THURSDAY, 9:10am: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat hears that the Cubs have not talked to the Angels about Nady or Lee (Twitter link). That doesn't mean the Angels aren't interested, but it shows that talks are not far along.

8:08am: The Angels appear to be targeting Xavier Nady, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Nady, 31, has appeared in three games at first for the Cubs this year.

WEDNESDAY, 10:40pm: The Cubs "may be involved in trade talks" that would send first baseman Derrek Lee to the Angels, according to Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of The Chicago Tribune. The Halos, of course, will be without regular first baseman Kendry Morales for the foreseeable future following the fractured leg he suffered celebrating a walk-off grand slam last weekend.

The 34-year-old Lee missed tonight's game with a minor hamstring issue, but overall he's hitting just .232/.339/.366 on the season, down from last year's splendid .306/.393/.579 performance. The Cubs still owe him a touch under $9MM in salary for the remainder of the season, after which he'll become a free agent for the first time in his career.

We've already discussed the Angels' options for replacing Morales at length, though Lee's name was not mentioned.

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