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Archives for July 2010

Angels Focused On Alberto Callaspo

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The Angels don’t have the resources to trade for a big-name slugger, so they have turned their attention to Alberto Callaspo. GM Tony Reagins is targeting the former Angels minor leaguer, according to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Saxon reports that the Angels “are believed to have offered” Sean O'Sullivan and a fringe prospect for Callaspo, only to have Royals GM Dayton Moore turn the offer down. Callaspo, 27, has a .276/.310/.413 line this season and could play second or (more likely) third for the Angels.

Reagins considered pursuing Adam Dunn, but backed off when he realized that other teams only have “marginal interest” in the pitchers the Angels have in the upper minors. Top prospect Mike Trout is not going anywhere, though teams do have interest in him.

Gustavo Molina Clears Waivers

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TUESDAY: Molina cleared waivers, according to the Boston Globe.

SUNDAY: The Red Sox have designated catcher Gustavo Molina for assignment, according to a team press release.  The move was made in order to promote reliever Michael Bowden who will try to help turn around Boston's bullpen.

Molina, 28, was called up to the big league squad on June 29th.  The catcher made two starts for the club and appeared in four games total.  His promotion to Boston marked his first major league cameo since 2008, when he played in two games for the Mets.

The Nate Robertson Market

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Nate Robertson’s numbers don’t scream ‘deadline difference maker,’ but he could be just that in the right situation. His ERA is 5.10, his WHIP is 1.49 and he is only striking out 5.3 batters per nine, but Robertson could still appeal to contenders. Here’s why:

Contract

Robertson makes $10MM this year, but the Tigers are paying all but $400K of it. The Marlins only owe the lefty $163K before the end of the season, at which point Robertson's contract expires. Salary-wise, he is as cheap as it gets.

Robertson is not close to Type B status, so free agent compensation is not currently a factor. His team will not offer arbitration even if he shoots into Type B territory.

Performance

Robertson's ERA has been better than the league average in only one season, but against lefties, he has actually been quite effective. For his career, the 32-year-old has 7.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Robertson allows fewer hits against lefties and induces more ground balls (55% ground ball rate vs. LHB, 44% vs. RHB). Like most pitchers, Robertson fares better against batters the first time they hit against him in a game. 

These splits suggest that Robertson could be an effective left-handed specialist in a contender’s ‘pen. There aren't many quality left-handers available and given the high asking price for Scott Downs, Robertson could become a cheap, outside-the-box alternative for teams seeking a lefty reliever.

Asking Price/Availability

The Marlins made Robertson available earlier in the month, according to this tweet from ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.

Interested Teams

Odds & Ends: Piniella, Uggla, Oswalt

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Links for Tuesday, as we wonder if Dave Bush and Nate Robertson are making their last starts for their respective teams…

  • Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced today that he'll retire after the season.  Is Ryne Sandberg next in line? 
  • The Marlins are talking internally about extending second baseman Dan Uggla after the season, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains why a Roy Oswalt trade seems unlikely: his salary, his no-trade clause, and Ed Wade's demands.
  • Before Brandon Inge's injury last night, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports was told the Tigers "have been more aggressive in looking for relievers than starters" (Twitter link).  Here's a reminder on the trade markets for relievers and starters.
  • Two of Morosi's big league sources forecast a 50% chance of the Braves acquiring an outfielder.  As Morosi notes, the Braves have a strong inventory of pitching prospects.
  • One more from Morosi: he says the Rays are "checking around for possible upgrades" at center field, right field, first base, or catcher (Twitter link).  They've been loosely connected to Corey Hart and Jayson Werth this summer.

Nationals Reluctant To Trade Dunn, Willingham, Capps

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Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is keeping other front office members in the dark about what's happening, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, but one thing is clear: Rizzo would need to be overwhelmed to trade Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, or Matt Capps.

Extension talks with Dunn are at an impasse.  Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington says Dunn is seeking at least four years and more than $15MM per year.  There seems to be an assumption that as a Type A free agent, Dunn's club will offer arbitration and the slugger will reject it.  Granted Dunn was coming off a worse season, but it should be noted that the Diamondbacks did not offer him arbitration after '08.  The White Sox appear to be Dunn's most aggressive suitor, as they're reportedly willing to include Daniel Hudson or Dayan Viciedo in a deal.

Meanwhile, Willingham and Capps are under team control for 2011.  Both figure to receive handsome raises as arbitration-eligible players.

The Jake Westbrook Market

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After undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of 2008, Indians righty Jake Westbrook is finally healthy again.  It'd be reasonable for the last-place Tribe to move the veteran, so let's take a closer look.

Contract

Westbrook signed a three-year, $33MM extension in April of 2007, and he has $4.54MM in base salary remaining.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Westbrook also gets a $2MM lump sum and a pro-rated $1MM salary increase if traded.  If dealt today, Westbrook would be owed about $6.95MM.  This is clearly a major impediment to a deal.  As far as draft pick compensation, forget about it – Westbrook is nowhere close to Type B status.

Performance

Westbrook, 33 in September, has a 4.67 ERA, 5.3 K/9, and 2.9 BB/9 in 113.6 innings this year.  His 52.2% groundball rate ranks sixth in the American League among those with 80 innings, according to FanGraphs.  Interestingly, Westbrook's teammates Justin Masterson and Fausto Carmona are among the five hurlers ranked ahead of him.  The Indians rank 25th in baseball in defensive efficiency according to Baseball Prospectus, so any potential trade partner will probably be good for Westbrook. 

Asking Price/Availability

The Indians "would trade Westbrook in a minute for a mid-level prospect if the Mets would pick up most of what's left on his contract this season," wrote John Harper of the New York Daily News.  Indians writers have presented a different view.  On July 4th, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote that the Indians "are sending out messages that they don't simply intend to dump Westbrook's salary," and will have to be compelled to move him.  In June, Pluto's colleague Paul Hoynes wrote that Westbrook is "one of the least likely to be moved" on the team.  Hoynes said the Indians have a good relationship with Westbrook and may try to re-sign him after the season.  The fact that Westbrook had significant trade incentives built into his contract shows his inclination to stay put. 

Interested Teams

  • Mets: Harper says Mets officials are divided on whether to acquire Westbrook.  Indeed, reports over the last month have conflicted over the team's level of interest.
  • Dodgers: They've inquired, reports Yahoo's Tim Brown.  You may recall the Casey Blake trade of two years ago, where the Indians paid the freight and were able to acquire Carlos Santana as a result.
  • Padres: They've discussed him, reports Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse.  The Padres are known to be prioritizing starting pitching.
  • Yankees: The idea of a reunion has been broached by beat writers in a more speculative sense.  However, GM Brian Cashman told Peter Botte of the New York Daily News yesterday that "Cliff Lee was a special case" and Sergio Mitre would be in most teams' rotations.
  • We haven't seen the Tigers, Twins, Angels, Phillies, Cardinals, or Rockies linked to Westbrook, but those contenders may be looking for pitching.

Dodgers Interested In Paul Maholm

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The Dodgers are interested in Pirates lefty Paul Maholm, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Yahoo's Tim Brown wrote yesterday that the Dodgers "have been very aggressive in their pursuit of pitching."

Maholm, 28, has a 4.03 ERA, 4.5 K/9, and 3.2 BB/9 in 114 innings, with nine home runs allowed.  With so few strikeouts, it's likely that Maholm's ERA will be higher from here on out.  On the plus side, his 50.3% groundball rate ranks 12th in the National League according to FanGraphs.  That rate has been higher in previous seasons.

Maholm signed a three-year, $14.5MM extension in January of 2009.  He's got only $1.86MM remaining this year, $5.75MM in 2011, and a $9.75MM club option for '12 with a $750K buyout.  That's $8.36MM guaranteed through '11, which has to be enticing for the Dodgers given their financial constraints.

White Sox Focused On Dunn, Not Fielder

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TUESDAY, 12:07pm: The Sox are focused on Dunn, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, and they're not in on Prince Fielder or Lance Berkman.

MONDAY, 11:15pm: White Sox GM Kenny Williams has been trying “desperately” to acquire Adam Dunn from the Nationals, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley’s source says the White Sox don’t want to move Carlos Quentin or Gordon Beckham to acquire Dunn, but would move any minor leaguer, and would trade Dayan Viciedo or Daniel Hudson. But Williams still finds that Nats GM Mike Rizzo is asking a lot, according to Cowley’s source.



"The problem Kenny is finding out is that Rizzo is acting like Dunn is Ryan Howard,'' the source said.


Though the White Sox appear to have interest in Dunn, Williams said that he isn’t optimistic about completing deals this summer.


"If I'm being honest and completely transparent right now of the price that is being asked for some of the players that we've inquired about, for us, it's more detrimental to our present and our future than we'd like,” Williams said.

The White Sox could definitely use an upgrade at DH, but as Williams pointed out, the team could still add a player in August. The White Sox acquired Alex Rios from the Blue Jays in an August 2009 waiver claim.

Xavier Nady’s Contract Bonuses

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Cubs outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady has $1.36MM remaining in base salary on the contract he signed in January.  Additionally, it's important to look at the $2.05MM worth of bonuses Nady can potentially earn.  MLBTR has obtained the breakdown:

Plate Appearances

  • 300: $125K
  • 350: $250K
  • 400: $250K
  • 450: $275K
  • 500: $300K
  • 525: $175K

Games Started

  • 70: $100K
  • 85: $125K
  • 100: $200K
  • 110: $250K

Nady has tallied 158 plate appearances and 33 starts for the Cubs so far, with a .221/.291/.343 line.  If installed as a regular, it's possible he hits the 300 and 350 benchmarks, and 400 isn't out of the question.  The 70 and 85 games started marks are also within reach.  A maximum of $850K in bonuses must be considered in trade discussions, though I think Nady is likely to end up with $475K or less.

Talking to CSNChicago's Patrick Mooney, Nady said he thinks he could tolerate playing every day, though there might be setbacks depending on how many hard throws are required of his surgically-repaired elbow.  The Rangers, Angels, Yankees, and Padres might make sense, assuming the Cubs send cash to cover most of the contract.

The Prince Fielder Market

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Earlier this month we learned that the Brewers are listening to offers for first baseman Prince Fielder.  One school of thought is that Fielder's value is at its highest since, as one GM told ESPN's Buster Olney, "he can impact two pennant races."  Another is that Brewers GM Doug Melvin can get more teams involved in the offseason and drive up the price.  At any rate, let's summarize the current Fielder situation.

Contract

Fielder, a Scott Boras client, signed a two-year, $18MM extension in January of 2009.  $4.34MM remains on that contract through the end of the season, and then Fielder will be arbitration-eligible for 2011.  One exec I spoke to feels the slugger could earn around $15-16MM in '11 before reaching free agency and seeking $100MM+ on a multiyear deal.

Performance

Fielder's power is down overall this year, as he's hitting .265/.396/.509 and striking out more than ever.  However, he's slugging .618 since June 1st – more in line with his '09 performance.  And even though doubles and triples are down, Fielder leads the NL with 23 home runs.

Asking Price

In today's blog Olney writes that "the Brewers' clear preference will be for young power pitching."  The deal would have to be built around a household name – a hurler found on Baseball America's midseason top 50 prospects list or a flamethrower who was recently promoted.  I'm guessing the Brewers would want a top 100 prospect as well, and those two players would form the foundation of the deal.

Interested Teams

  • White Sox: GM Kenny Williams says "only a small group of players" can help him, and many baseball writers feel that Fielder is probably on Williams' list.  Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes that the Brewers scouted Daniel Hudson last night.  Is Hudson the type of player you can build a Fielder deal around?  It may be a moot point, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Sox are "not on Fielder." 
  • Rays: They certainly have the goods, with pitchers such as Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis.  However, a source of Yahoo's Jeff Passan says the Rays "won't go near" Fielder, perhaps because of his likely 2011 salary.
  • Giants: With Madison Bumgarner or Jonathan Sanchez, Passan feels the Giants could swing a Fielder deal.  They've also got Zach Wheeler, who is further away but rates very highly.  On the other hand, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted on July 3rd that there had been no recent trade talks between the teams.  That same day Olney opined that he didn't think the Giants could acquire Fielder without Matt Cain.
  • Angels: It's believed they prefer a rental at first base, since Kendry Morales will be ready for the '11 season.  For what it's worth, Torii Hunter would like to see the Angels acquire Fielder or Adam Dunn.
  • You could dream up various other scenarios, though we haven't seen anything about the Mets, Dodgers, or Rangers being interested in Fielder.  Things could open up in the winter, as a surprise team could splurge for a year of Fielder in the way that the Athletics acquired Matt Holliday.

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