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The Nationals’ 2011 Rotation

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The Nationals currently rank 13th in the NL with a 4.41 rotation ERA.  They've given starts to a dozen different pitchers, but let's try to figure out next year's top rotation candidates.

We know 22-year-old phenom Stephen Strasburg will head up the rotation next year, and baseball fans everywhere have to hope his shoulder inflammation is a non-issue.  Though he's only made four starts this year due to minor elbow surgery, veteran Jason Marquis also probably has a spot locked up given his $7.5MM salary.

24-year-old righty Jordan Zimmermann is being handled carefully as he returns from Tommy John surgery; he has dominant numbers across eight minor league rehab starts this year and should be back next month.  He's in.

Yunesky Maya is an intriguing wild card.  The 28-year-old Cuban recently signed a four-year, $8MM deal, and last month GM Mike Rizzo suggested to MLB.com's Bill Ladson Maya is not far from a big league rotation.

Opening Day starter John Lannan has dealt with an elbow issue and was optioned to Double A in June.  He stayed there for about a month.  Lannan should be arbitration-eligible after the season and could earn a couple million bucks if tendered a contract.

Livan Hernandez, Scott Olsen, and Chien-Ming Wang are possibilities for 2011.  Hernandez made it known he wants to re-sign.  Olsen could be non-tendered again as the Nationals try to maintain their flexibility in December.  He's done solid work but has dealt with a shoulder injury for much of the season.  Wang is another non-tender candidate – he still has no timetable in his recovery from shoulder surgery.  The Nationals have gotten nothing from this $2MM investment; will they pull the plug?

At least four more pitchers will be in the mix for 2011: Craig Stammen, Luis Atilano, J.D. Martin, and Ross Detwiler.  Atilano, Martin, and Detwiler have dealt with serious injuries this year.  Stammen was recently sent to the bullpen, though he's pitched much better than his 5.05 ERA.

Despite all these options, we know Rizzo wants more.  Back in June, he told the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, "our biggest need is starting pitching."  Rizzo seemingly flirted with the idea of acquiring Edwin Jackson from the Diamondbacks or White Sox at the trade deadline.  It's reasonable to expect the Nationals to be active in the free agent and trade markets.  One more front-rotation pitcher complementing Strasburg and Zimmermann would go a long way.  On paper, the Nats could have one of the better rotations in the league entering next season.

Francoeur Open To Trade

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TUESDAY: Francoeur's agent Molly Fletcher explained to Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger:

"We want to play every day.  We prefer to play in New York. But if we’re not going to play every day in New York, we absolutely welcome the opportunity to play every day somewhere else."

It's difficult to picture a team playing Francoeur every day this year, even if the Mets pick up the tab.

SATURDAY: Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur is expected to meet with GM Omar Minaya to discuss trade options, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  Francoeur is ostensibly less-than-thrilled about the club's plan to platoon him alongside Fernando Martinez.

Rubin notes that there may be minimal trade options for the 26-year-old.  Last week, Tim wrote that the Mets won't find much of a market for Francoeur as he won't provide much for a contender and other clubs may not be interested in acquiring a guy who is certain to be a non-tender.

In 104 games this season, Frenchy has hit just .241/.295/.378 with 10 home runs.

Regular MLBTR Features

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If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:

  • MLBTR Chats – Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CST to chat with Tim about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the major leagues.
  • Baseball Blogs Weigh In – Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
  • Week In Review – It's amazing how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories and link to some of our original content in our Week In Review posts.

Eyre Would Return To Phillies

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Scott Eyre would consider coming out of retirement if the Phillies have interest in signing him. The left-hander, who retired last winter, told John R. Finger of CSNPhilly.com that the Phillies have not yet contacted him about a potential deal (as of last weekend). They offered him a minor league contract over the winter, but Eyre decided to spend time with his family instead.

The 38-year-old, who had offseason elbow surgery, told Finger that he feels great and would need about three weeks to prepare for big league action. Eyre posted a 1.50 ERA in 30 innings for the Phils last year, with 6.6 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told Finger that the team “could use another lefty if he can get people out.” Lefties Antonio Bastardo (just called up) and J.C. Romero (currently slumping) are on the Philies roster. Last winter, Eyre said he would only sign in Philadelphia.

Odds & Ends: Rockies, Haren, Cowart, Cubs

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Links for Tuesday, after a night of drama in Cincinnati…

Elias Rankings Update

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After the season the Elias Sports Bureau will take all players over the 2009-10 period, divide them into five groups for each league, and rank them based on various statistics.  Then each player will be labeled a Type A, B, or none.  Those designations and the possible accompanying arbitration offers determine draft pick compensation (click here for a refresher).

Eddie Bajek has reverse-engineered the Elias rankings, and he's providing that information exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors.  Here's a look at how the players rank for the period beginning with the 2009 season running through August 9th, 2010.  The Google spreadsheet below has separate tabs for each position group.  You can also go directly to the Google spreadsheet here.  Our last set of Elias projections is here, in case you want to see what changed.

Dodgers Release Garret Anderson

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The Dodgers released Garret Anderson, according to the MLB.com transactions page. They designated the veteran outfielder for assignment over the weekend. Anderson, 38, hit .181/.204/.271 in 163 plate appearances this year. He has played 34 games in the outfield and Joe Torre used him regularly as a pinch hitter.

The Dodgers, who committed $550K to Anderson before the season, appear to have some interest in another outfielder: Jose Guillen. Anderson now hits the free agent market, but finding another big league job this year will be a major challenge.

Carlos Beltran Clears Waivers

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The Mets can trade Carlos Beltran now that the center fielder has cleared waivers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Beltran has a no-trade clause and $24MM remaining on his contract, so a trade remains highly unlikely.

Beltran has hit just .195/.300/.312 since recovering from January knee surgery, so his trade value would not be high even if he didn’t have a no-trade clause and so much remaining on his contract. Earlier today, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes wondered if the Mets could trade the center fielder this winter.

If you're wondering why the Mets couldn't trade Beltran until he cleared waivers, click here.

Potential Suitors For Adrian Beltre

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Adrian Beltre will be one of the most sought-after free agent position players if and when he declines his player option for 2011. Always a strong defender, Beltre has the Gold Gloves and exceptional UZR numbers to back up his reputation. This year, Beltre's hitting again; he has 20 homers to go along with a .333/.369/.565 line. Last winter, after a disappointing offensive season, Beltre fielded multi-year offers. There's no doubt that he and agent Scott Boras will see more of those trickle in this offseason. Here's an early look at some teams that could have interest in the 31-year-old:

  • Red Sox – Kevin Youkilis gives the Red Sox the flexibility to pursue a first baseman or a third baseman. Beltre obviously fits on the Red Sox and it's never safe to underestimate Boston's spending power.
  • Blue Jays – Edwin Encarnacion has power, but little defensive value. He's a non-tender candidate and the Jays presumably have Beltre on their radar as a possible replacement.
  • Tigers – The Tigers have money to spend and needs to address this offseason, as MLBTR's Tim Dierkes pointed out earlier today. Beltre could fit in Detroit, a destination of choice for many Boras clients.
  • Angels – Brandon Wood was supposed to be the solution, but has struggled mightily at the plate. He, Maicer Izturis and Kevin Frandsen could be enough for the Angels, but the Halos may be tempted by Beltre's two-way play.
  • Mariners – The last time Beltre hit free agency after a massive year, the Mariners spent big. Jack Zduriencik wasn't the team's GM back then, and he probably won't be the GM who signs Beltre this winter. Though Jose Lopez and Matt Tuiasosopo don't compare to Beltre, minor league third basemen Alex Liddi and Matt Mangini are both hitting well in the upper minors.
  • A's – The A's, who tend to be tentative with long-term deals, offered Beltre a multi-year deal last offseason. That says Billy Beane & Co. like the veteran third baseman a lot.

The Yankees (Alex Rodriguez), Rays (Evan Longoria), Orioles (Josh Bell), White Sox (Dayan Viciedo), Twins (Danny Valencia), Royals (Mike Moustakas), Rangers (Michael Young), Braves (Chipper Jones), Phillies (Placido Polanco), Mets (David Wright), Nationals (Ryan Zimmerman), Cardinals (David Freese), Reds (Scott Rolen), Brewers (Casey McGehee), Pirates (Pedro Alvarez), Cubs (Aramis Ramirez), Dodgers (Casey Blake), Giants (Pablo Sandoval), Rockies (Ian Stewart), Padres (Chase Headley) and Diamondbacks (Mark Reynolds) all have viable big league third basemen under team control in 2011. That's not to say that those teams won't create room for Beltre and enter the bidding. It would only take one or two trades or injuries to change the list of suitors.

At this point, the Marlins, Astros (who have the red-hot Chris Johnson) and Indians (who have Wes Hodges and Jared Goedert) don't seem likely to spend big on free agents this winter.

Poll: Baseball’s Most Impressive Team

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Yesterday, MLBTR readers determined that the Mariners are baseball's most disappointing team. But for every disappointing team, there's an impressive team. The Yankees, Rays, Cardinals, Phillies and Giants have been strong, as expected. The Braves, Reds, Padres and Rangers broke out with big seasons. And the White Sox, who nearly gave up on their season, have been unstoppable since the first week of June. Taking into account pre-season expectations, let's vote:

Which team has had the most impressive season so far?

Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.

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