Odds & Ends: Inge, Damon, Draft, Lilly, Manny
One year ago today, the Mets released Livan Hernandez. So far in 2010, Hernandez has a 3.06 ERA and ranks in the top ten in the NL in innings pitched and complete games. He doesn't strike anybody out, but his walk rate is low and he's headed for the 200 IP plateau once again. Here are some links for Friday as we contemplate Hernandez's surprising season…
- Brandon Inge and Johnny Damon are now on waivers, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). We should soon know if the two Tigers clear.
- Baseball America presents the compensation picks in the 2011 draft and total bonuses from 2008-10. The Nationals, Pirates and Blue Jays have have spent the most on bonuses.
- This doesn't count towards their draft spending, but the Pirates signed Colombian shortstop Dilson Herrera for $220K, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney doubts that Ted Lilly would clear waivers this month. The left-hander, who tossed a two-hitter last night, would likely be claimed by a contending team.
- Jamey Newberg lists the hurdles the Rangers will face if they want to acquire Manny Ramirez from the Dodgers this month. As Newberg explains on MLB.com, a lot would have to fall into place for the Rangers to acquire the slugger.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that the Mets' decision to let Darren O'Day go at the beginning of last year has not worked out for New York.
- Mark Kiszla of the the Denver Post says Todd Helton “needs to hang up his No. 17 Colorado uniform and retire.”
- Joe Beimel, a free agent after the season, would like to keep playing in Colorado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
The Rockies’ 2011 Rotation
Ubaldo Jimenez, Jhoulys Chacin and Jason Hammel will probably be in the Rockies' 2011 rotation, but the remaining two spots are considerably harder to predict. Jimenez is a Cy Young candidate, Chacin is striking out a batter per inning as a 22-year-old and Hammel is putting together a second consecutive solid season. The Rockies could theoretically fill the rest of the rotation from within, but that's not necessarily what they'll do. Here are their options:
Esmil Rogers and Aaron Cook are under team control for 2011, so Jim Tracy could just slot the pair into the rotation. It's not that simple, though. Rogers recently joined the rotation after pitching out of the bullpen for much of the season and Cook, who is under contract for 2011 at $9.25MM, could become trade bait. The Rockies entertained the idea of trading him this summer, so there's no guarantee that he starts next year in Colorado.
This could be the final season in Denver for two of the team's most recognizable left-handers. The Rockies have a $7MM option for Jeff Francis but they may decide that's too much to commit to a pitcher who missed all of last year and much of this year with injuries. Francis is on the DL with left shoulder soreness now, but he has struck out three times as many batter as he has walked, so the 29-year-old can pitch when healthy.
Another left-hander, Jorge de la Rosa, is sure to hit free agency after the season. He missed time early in the year with a finger injury, but has posted solid numbers since. The 29-year-old has a 4.74 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 68.1 innings, which should be enough to attract serious interest in the offseason.
The Rockies probably can't count on Greg Reynolds and Christian Friedrich, a pair of prospects who don't appear to be big-league ready. Many expected Reynolds, the second overall selection in the 2006 draft, to be an option by now, but he is still pitching at AA and his numbers are just OK, so the Rockies certainly aren't about to hand him a rotation spot.
Friedrich, 23, entered the season as the 33rd-best prospect in the game, according to Baseball America. He has been hittable at AA and his 8.0 K/9 strikeout rate is impressive, but not as eye-catching as the career 12.0 K/9 rate he had going into the season. Meanwhile, 2009 first rounder Tyler Matzek is striking opponents out, but he has posted 6.2 BB/9 batter so far and certainly needs seasoning.
Letting Francis and De La Rosa walk would leave the Rockies with a thin rotation, especially if they trade Cook. Their best pitching prospects are either adjusting to the upper minors or still in the lower minors, so it's hard to imagine immediate help coming from the system.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post suggested on Twitter that the Rockies will add a veteran pitcher to next year's rotation. It does seem likely that the Rockies will pursue one or more starting pitchers this offseason, whether that means bringing back Francis, bidding on De La Rosa, or pursuing a different free agent starter.
Pirates To Spend, But Not On Top Free Agents
Team president Frank Coonelly told 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh that the Pirates will "significantly increase" their payroll in 2011, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They won't double the $44MM payroll they have in 2010, but expect the Pirates to spend a significant amount.
They may boost payroll, but if the Pirates were on Cliff Lee's list of possible 2011 teams, he can probably cross them off. The Pirates still don't plan to build through major free agent acquisitions, according to Kovacevic.
"We're not going to add a No. 1 starter in free agency," GM Neal Huntington said. "We're not going to add a true, major-league power bat in free agency."
Huntington has other ideas and if this week is any indication, the Pirates are putting them in place. The Pirates signed Mexican pitching prospect Luis Heredia and locked up top draft picks Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie to multi-million dollar bonuses. As Taillon explained to Chuck Finder of the Post-Gazette, "that'd be a pretty mean trio right there."
Now, the Pirates are one loss away from clinching their 18th consecutive losing season and those three right-handers aren't ready to turn the team around yet. We should expect the Pirates to be active in free agency this offseason. Earlier this summer, Coonelly told Kovacevic that he plans to be "aggressive," so the team could look to buy low on free agents, add non-tenders or make other moderate forays into the free agent market.
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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Lee, Feliz, Braves, Kershaw
On this date two years ago, umpires agreed to the use of instant replay to help determine boundary calls, such as fair or foul, on home runs. Expanded use of instant replay remains a hot topic in baseball, and even though Commissioner Bud Selig continues to dance around the subject, more replay feels inevitable at this point.
Here are a bunch of links from around the baseball blogosphere…
- Mike Ashmore's Thunder Thoughts interviews players and team personnel about minor league life, touching on everything from salary to housing to food, the whole nine. It's a long, but truly great read.
- Capitol Avenue Club analyzes the Derrek Lee trade.
- Pine Tar and Pocket Protectors says that Pedro Feliz is not the answer for the Cardinals.
- Beyond The Box Score looks at which teams are building the best bullpens on the cheap.
- Amazin' Avenue tries to figure out who should close for the Mets with Francisco Rodriguez out for the season.
- Royals Review questions whether or not Kansas City has something in Bryan Bullington.
- The Few, The Proud, The Brave looks ahead to Atlanta's offseason as well as the 2011 season.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. tries to figure out if the Pirates should start spending this offseason.
- The Process Report lists the Rays' farmhands eligible for this year's Rule 5 Draft.
- SD Sports Net wonders if the Padres whiffed by failing to sign first rounder Karsten Whitson.
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness uses Ricky Romero's new contract as a basis for a Clayton Kershaw contract extension.
- Baseball Time In Arlington examines the hidden value of Cliff Lee.
- Camden Crazies wonders if Brad Bergesen is back to being an effective pitcher.
- 1 Blue Jays Way introduces us to Toronto's prospects.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Rockies Designate Randy Flores For Assignment
The Rockies designated left-hander Randy Flores for assignment to make room for Jonathan Herrera, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies’ bullpen is now thin, so the club could call on left-handed reliever Franklin Morales.
Now that Herrera is up again, the club could put Clint Barmes on waivers to determine interest. Renck reports that the Cardinals and Braves are among the teams waiting for the Rockies to put Barmes on waivers.
Flores, meanwhile, should draw interest. The 35-year-old has a 2.96 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 27.1 innings for the Rockies. He earns a total of $650K this year and hits free agency after the season.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Simmons, Crisp, Royals
On a night when Brian Matusz stifled the AL West leaders, here are some news items…
- ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine looks at how the Cubs might replace Derrek Lee, whether it be going after a big free agent or by moving Aramis Ramirez or Tyler Colvin to first base.
- The Mariners are "starting to eye" Ted Simmons as a managerial candidate, according to Fanhouse.com's Tom Krasovic. Simmons, 61, is in his second year as San Diego's bench coach and has only three years of coaching experience overall, though he has spent 19 years in various front office positions. Simmons was an eight-time All-Star during a 21-season playing career with St. Louis, Milwaukee and Atlanta from 1968 to 1988.
- Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com predicts that Oakland is "likely" to pick up Coco Crisp's $5.75MM club option for next season.
- Royals owner David Glass adamantly denied rumors that he is thinking of selling the team, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
- Gil Meche is "ninety-five percent" sure that he'll pitch out of the bullpen next season, writes MLB.com's Dick Kaegel.
- The Cardinals' contract with first-round pick Zack Cox is analyzed by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Fangraphs' Dave Cameron looks at the top five "free agent signings that worked" from the past winter. The Rangers' deal with Colby Lewis tops the list.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian talks to Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos about the GM's busy first year and his future plans for the Jays.
D’Backs, LaRoche Exploring Contract Extension
The Diamondbacks and first baseman Adam LaRoche are in "very preliminary" discussions about an extension that would keep LaRoche in the desert past his current deal's expiry date after the 2011 season, reports Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com.
LaRoche signed a one-year, $4.5MM contract with the Snakes in January that carries a mutual option worth $7.5MM for 2011. The buyout of that mutual option is worth $1.5MM, thus costing Arizona $6MM overall for a first baseman who has posted a solid .840 OPS in 464 plate appearances while battling some lingering quad and knee injuries.
The extension talk is a bit surprising given that LaRoche's name has popped up in trade rumors virtually all season long thanks to Arizona's quick plunge to the bottom of the NL West. LaRoche, who will turn 31 on November 6, cleared trade waivers yesterday and could be moved to any team, though a trade would increase the value of his mutual option to $9.5MM. Magruder notes, however, that since the D'Backs have already moved Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson and Chris Snyder, those deals freed up enough payroll for the club to try and keep LaRoche in the fold.
Omar Vizquel Wants To Play In 2011
Back in May, Omar Vizquel told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he'd probably retire unless he finished the season well. Three months later, with the White Sox in a pennant race and Vizquel getting regular playing time, the veteran shortstop sounded as if he's ready to stick around in another chat with Cowley.
"I think it would be sad that if at the end of the season I look back, look at my year, and say, 'Man, I don't think I can do this anymore,' " Vizquel said. "Taking a look at the numbers and the things that I have done this year, it will give me a good possibility to come back next year and try and see if a team is interested in wanting me again.''
Entering tonight's action, Vizquel has a .283/.349/.341 slash line in 259 plate appearances for Chicago. While the .690 OPS is modest, it would represent Vizquel's best season since the .749 OPS he posted in 2006 as San Francisco's everyday shortstop. Vizquel has played mostly third base for the Sox this season filling in for the injured Mark Teahen, and has made five of six starts at third since Teahen returned from the DL last week.
Vizquel signed a one-year, $1.375MM contract with Chicago last winter and would certainly sign a similar pact with the White Sox or another club if he chooses to return for his 23rd major league campaign. If he does come back, Vizquel will continue his surprising ascent up baseball's all-time hits leaderboard. Though Vizquel is known for his defense (he's an 11-time Gold Glover), he is also 49th all-time with 2768 hits heading into Thursday. He'll already pass Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson (2774 hits) and future HOF-er Ken Griffey Jr. (2781) before this season is out.
Rockies Designate Brad Hawpe For Assignment
THURSDAY, 7:54pm: Hawpe has been designated for assignment by the Rockies, rather than released outright, tweets Renck. Colorado now has 10 days to trade him which makes Renck think there's "a chance" of a deal in the works, though Renck doesn't think the club would hurt Hawpe's chances of signing with another club by making him wait the full 10 days while they explore trades. The DFA move is "a formality" and come Tuesday, Hawpe is free to sign with anyone (all Twitter links).
Renck (also via Twitter) hears from a source that the Giants, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, White Sox all have "potential interest" in Hawpe.
WEDNESDAY, 8:51pm: The Rockies will release Hawpe after tonight's game, making him a free agent, tweets Renck.
WEDNESDAY, 7:15pm: Hawpe appears likely to be either traded or released within the next 24 hours, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. If and when the Rockies make a roster move, the Rangers are one team that would have interest in acquiring Hawpe.
WEDNESDAY, 3:03pm: Brad Hawpe cleared waivers today, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter links). The Rockies can now trade the 31-year-old to any team. Hawpe has spent most of his career in right field, where his UZR numbers have been below-average, and he has appeared in six games at first base this season. His home run total (7) has dipped for a third consecutive year, but his batting line is about average: .252/.341/.430.
Hawpe projects to be a Type A free agent, but draft pick compensation isn't necessarily a factor, since the Rockies would have to offer arbitration to get any picks. Just under $2MM of Hawpe's $7.5MM salary remains this year and there's a $500K buyout for the team's $10.15MM option for next season.
The Rockies could take on salary in a potential deal and, as MLBTR's Tim Dierkes pointed out, Hawpe could draw interest from a number of teams because he has hit well in recent years. The Red Sox, White Sox and Rays are potential fits, but that's speculation at this point.
Here is MLBTR's complete list of players to clear waivers.