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Archives for July 2010

Mets Notes: Myers, Bay, Tatis, Francoeur

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Some notes from the Big Apple's NL representative…

  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com tweets that Brett Myers is one of the pitchers that the Mets "are considering" in trade options.  As MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith noted in his look at the trade market for starters, Myers' solid numbers and reasonable contract will draw the eyes of several teams, but he must particularly intrigue New York due to his experience pitching in the NL East.  Myers has an $8MM mutual option for next season that can be bought out for $2MM.
  • Jason Bay talks about his underwhelming season with Steve Popper of The Bergen Record.
  • Popper also tweeted that Fernando Tatis' shoulder surgery on Wednesday might hasten the end of Tatis' career. The veteran utilityman has a career .265/.344/.442 line and his versatility has helped the Mets given their multitude of injuries over the last few seasons.
  • ESPN The Magazine's Matt Meyers thinks New York should give up on Jeff Francoeur.

Odds & Ends: Marlins, Wigginton, Rockies, Wood

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It was on this day in 1905 that Shirley Povich, one of the great sportswriters of all time, was born in Bar Harbor, Maine.  Povich, who passed away in 1998, would've been 105 today and no doubt still would've been keeping an eye on Stephen Strasburg for the Washington Post.

Some news items….

Mike Trout Unlikely To Be Traded

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Angels prospect Mike Trout reached base in all four of his at-bats at this year's All-Star Futures Game, twice on hits, and twice after "forcing errors on sharply struck grounders," to quote MLB.com's Lyle Spencer.  It was yet another impressive performance for the 18-year-old Trout, and one that reiterates his value to the Los Angeles organization.  This is why Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that any potential deal of Trout for a proven major leaguer seems highly unlikely.

It shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise that the Halos are hesitant to deal their first-round pick (25th overall) from the 2009 amateur draft.  After all, Trout has a .358/.440/.509 line in 579 plate appearances for the Angels' rookie ball and single-A affiliates, plus 58 steals in 69 attempts and a good center field glove.  Baseball America's John Manuel ranks Trout second amongst all minor leaguers on BA's list of the top 25 midseason prospects. 

So while holding onto Trout bodes well for LAA's future, it might also curb their ability to acquire a big hitter at this season's trade deadline.  Players like Prince Fielder or Adam Dunn who have been rumored to be on the Angels' radar could almost certainly be had for a trade package that included Trout.  But since Trout seems to be untouchable, Los Angeles probably doesn't have the necessary minor league talent to attract a superstar big bat.  Hank Conger and Peter Bourjos were both ranked on BA's preseason top 100 prospects list, and Luis Jimenez also played well in the Futures Game, but overall, the Angels' system lacks depth.  The 2010 Baseball America Handbook ranked the Angels' minor-league system as 25th among all major league teams, the same spot that they finished in the 2009 ranking.

Dealing prospects at this point would only serve to weaken an already-thin system, so as we approach the deadline, it's most likely that we see the Angels make a "plan B" style move for some bench help.  For example, Hank Blalock's name has already been mentioned in connection with the Halos, and Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles speculates that Russell Branyan could be made available now that Seattle has Justin Smoak at first base.

Marlins Release Armando Benitez

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Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald tweets that veteran reliever Armando Benitez was released by Florida's Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans.  Benitez was signed by the Marlins last month for his third go-around with the club and managed a 2.70 ERA in 6 2/3 relief innings for New Orleans, but his peripheral numbers (a 6.8 BB/9 ratio and a 1.65 WHIP) weren't impressive. 

Benitez, 37, hasn't pitched in the majors since appearing in eight games for Toronto in 2008.  His last outstanding season came, coincidentally, with Florida in 2004, when he racked up a league-best 47 saves and a miniscule 1.29 ERA.  Since that great campaign, however, Benitez has a 4.61 ERA in 125 major league innings.

Giants Sign Dontrelle Willis

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The San Francisco Giants' official Twitter feed reports that the club signed left-hander Dontrelle Willis to a minor-league contract with Triple-A Fresno on Wednesday.  The Giants are Willis' third team this season, after he was designated for assignment by both the Tigers and Diamondbacks within the last two months.  No matter where he has played in 2010, Willis' struggles have continued — he has a 5.62 ERA in 15 appearances (13 of them starts) and only an 0.84 K-BB ratio. 

We had heard that the Brewers, Mets and Marlins all had some degree of interest in Willis when he was first DFA'ed by Detroit, though Willis' stated preference to play near the west coast may have been a factor in his signing with the Giants.  Should Willis get promoted to the majors, he will be playing just outside his hometown of Oakland. 

Phillies Designate Nelson Figueroa For Assignment

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The Phillies designated reliever Nelson Figueroa for assignment, according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter). The club also activated Chad Durbin and Antonio Bastardo and subsequently optioned Bastardo to Triple A.

The Phils claimed Figueroa off of waivers from the Mets back in April and the right-hander has since posted a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings of work, allowing 20 hits and nine walks, while striking out 15. Those numbers are solid, but MLB teams let Figueroa to clear waivers six weeks ago, so chances are it'll happen again.

Reds To Sign Russ Springer

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The Reds agreed to sign Russ Springer to an $850K deal, according to Bob Tompkins of the Alexandria Daily Town Talk. The 41-year-old right-hander threw for five teams and received offers from all of them, but he couldn’t turn away the team he rooted for as a boy.

“All of a sudden I went from being not really excited to looking at it as a kid again when I was pulling for [the Reds] during the Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, George Foster days,” Springer said.

He will report to Triple A Louisville and pitch for ten days to two weeks before joining the major league team. Springer, who pitched for the A’s and Rays last year, will make a pro-rated portion of $850K.

Springer has posted a 4.52 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 over the course of a 17-year career that began on the 1992 Yankees. His deal with the Reds is not a surprise, since they were known to be in the market for right-handed relievers.

The Trade Market For Starting Pitching

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The best starting pitcher available has already been traded, but quality arms are there for teams that are willing to pay for them. In some cases that will mean taking on salary, in others it will mean giving up prospects and in select cases it could mean both. Here's a look at some potentially available starters in the post-Cliff Lee market, sorted by 2010 salary:

  • Roy Oswalt, $15MM ($16MM in 2011, $2MM buyout or $16MM option in 2012) – Oswalt won't come cheap, as the Astros still appear to be asking for salary relief and prospects. So why would teams even consider him? Oswalt's 3.08 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 probably have a lot to do with it. Few starters are more proven and few are having better seasons.
  • Ted Lilly, $12MM (free agent after 2010) – The left-hander should draw interest from teams, given his 4.08 ERA and 2.7 K/BB ratio. The Mets are interested and other clubs may pursue him, too. Lilly profiles as a Type A free agent, so the Cubs could obtain picks in the 2011 draft if he turns down their offer of arbitration.
  • Jake Westbrook, $11MM (free agent after 2010) – The Indians would presumably have to take on salary to move Westbrook, but he would likely clear waivers, so the Indians don't have to deal him immediately. Westbrook has a 4.75 ERA in 108 innings so far in 2010.
  • Ben Sheets, $10MM (free agent after 2010) – Sheets has recovered from a rough start, but his overall numbers (112.2 innings, 4.63 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 3.3 BB/9) are pedestrian. Like Westbrook, Sheets may clear waivers.
  • Dan Haren, $8.25MM ($29MM or more remaining after 2010) – Like Oswalt, Haren is pitching well and earning a considerable amount. His 4.36 ERA has been inflated by some bad luck on balls in play, but his strikeout (8.7 K/9) and walk (1.9 BB/9) rates remain good.
  • Fausto Carmona, $4.9MM ($6.1MM salary in 2011, followed by three club options) – Carmona is pitching well (3.64 ERA in 116.1 innings), but the Indians have lots of reasons to keep him.
  • Paul Maholm, $4.5MM ($6.5MM or more afterwards) – The 4.37 ERA is nice, but it's likely that teams would shy away, since Maholm has a substantial amount remaining on his contract.
  • Dave Bush, $4.2MM (free agent after 2010) – Bush could have appeal as an innings eater, though he's not going to dominate (4.14 ERA).
  • Edwin Jackson, $4.2MM (free agent after he earns $8.35MM in 2011) – Jackson even has command issues when he's throwing no-hitters, so teams may look for more predictable options.
  • Ricky Nolasco, $3.8MM (free agent after 2012) – The Marlins haven't made Nolasco available yet, but his 4.2 K/BB ratio stands out. He's under team control for a while, though he'll be getting raises every year his team offers arbitration.
  • Brett Myers, $3MM (mutual option after 2010) – Many teams will likely have interest in Myers. He has a 3.41 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9, he has pitched in playoff races before and has just $1.3MM remaining on his contract.
  • Jeremy Guthrie, $3MM (free agent after 2012) – The former first-rounder has a 4.77 ERA in 111.1 innings in Baltimore. The Padres have some interest.
  • Brian Bannister, $2.3MM (free agent after 2012) – Dayton Moore would presumably listen on Bannister, who has a 5.56 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
  • Livan Hernandez, $900K (free agent after 2010) – Hernandez has struggled over the couse of the past month, but he still has a 3.37 ERA. He doesn't strike anybody out, but at that price, teams could be calling the Nationals.
  • Shaun Marcum ($850K) and Wade Davis ($400K) are a pair of cheap, controllable starters having productive seasons, but it would presumably take a lot to obtain either pitcher.
  • Free agents including Pedro Martinez, Braden Looper and Jarrod Washburn are still available.
  • We already examined the market for potentially available outfielders, catchers, first basemen, second basemen, third basemen and shortstops.

Padres Rumors: Westbrook, Guthrie, Gonzalez

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The Padres are looking at at least one short-term option for their rotation, and their first baseman may be thinking much longer-term. Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse has the details:

Mariners Sign Trio Of International Prospects

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The Mariners signed three top international prospects, including Dominican outfielder Phillips Castillo, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Castillo will get a $2.2MM bonus, Colombian right-hander Jose Torres gets an $851K bonus and Venezuelan third baseman Yordyn Calderon gets a $477K bonus.

Badler describes Castillo as “one of the elite hitters” on the international market. The 16-year-old stands 6’2” and can hit for power. Torres is considered the top Colombian pitching prospect of the year and Calderon is “a good athlete who can hit for power.” Overall, the Mariners committed just over $3.5MM to the three prospects.

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