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Archives for October 2010

Odds & Ends: Blake, Kemp, Hendrickson, Matias, Hill

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If there were any doubts about how much trade deadline acquisitions can affect the postseason, last night's Giants/Braves contest silenced them. A pair of former Royals, Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth, helped lead Atlanta to victory, while ex-Red Sox Ramon Ramirez gave up Ankiel's game-winning blast. As we prepare for another round of playoff baseball tonight, let's check out a few links….

Non-Tender Candidate: Brian Bannister

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One of Dayton Moore's very first moves as general manager of the Royals was to swap hard-throwing but enigmatic reliever Ambiorix Burgos to the Mets for then 25-year-old righthander Brian Bannister. Bannister had just 38 big league innings to his credit at the time (4.26 ERA) but he was consistently excellent in minors (3.31 career minor league ERA at the time of the trade) and considered ready to step into a big league rotation. After a brief tune-up in Triple-A to start the 2007 season, the now 29-year-old Bannister joined Kansas City's starting staff and has remained there ever since.

Nearly four full years after the fact, it's easy to declare Moore the winner of the trade. Not only has Bannister out-WAR'ed Burgos 7.1 to 0.0 since the deal, but the latter hasn't even pitched since 2008 due to a litany of legal issues. Perhaps best known for his love of advanced statistics, Bannister has given the Royals 629.1 innings across 108 starts (and one relief appearance) in his four seasons with the team, posting 5.13 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. Shoulder tendinitis this August prevented him from eclipsing the 150 inning mark for a fourth straight season.

After making $2.3MM in 2010, Bannister will go through the arbitration process one final time this winter before becoming a free agent after next season. He posted an ugly 6.34 ERA in 127.2 innings this year, and the .302/.365/.503 line opponents managed against him approximates Ryan Braun's 2010 production (.304/.365/.501). Never a big stuff guy, Bannister's fastball actually crept up in the last few seasons and now sits right around 90 mph.

Bannister was a fine piece when he was making six figures, but now that he's entered into multi-million dollar territory, Moore will assuredly think twice before tendering the righty a contract this offseason. In fact, Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star recently predicted that the team will shop Bannister around this offseason and could non-tender him if they don't find a taker. Bannister's name has been featured at each of the last two trade deadlines, but obviously no deal was made and now the team is facing the possibility of losing him for nothing.

If you haven't seen it already, or if you just want to read it again, make sure you check out the Q&A Tim conducted with Bannister back in 2008 (parts one, two, and three). Once you're done with that, click here to vote about what you think the Royals will do with Bannister after he season, and here to see the results.

Mets Front Office Rumors: Saturday

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As one New York team attempts to complete an ALDS sweep today, the other continues to hunt for its next general manager. We know the Mets will interview Rick Hahn, Allard Baird, and Josh Byrnes this week, and that the club is also considering Sandy Alderson. Pat Gillick meanwhile, has removed himself from consideration for the position. Here are the latest updates from the team's GM search, with any new items added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • Jon Heyman tweets that Alderson seems to be excited about the opportunity with the Mets. In a separate tweet he stresses that even if Alderson ends up as the Mets' GM, Tony La Russa will not be joining his former general manager in New York.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Rays' Gerry Hunsicker isn't interested in the Mets' GM job.
  • Alderson will be interviewed Thursday or Friday, writes David Lennon of Newsday (subscription required). Lennon's colleague, Ken Davidoff, calls Alderson a "dream candidate" for the Mets.
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty told David Waldstein of the New York Times that if the Mets hired Alderson, Omar Minaya could work very well with him. According to Jocketty, Minaya is "deciding whether to stay or not and of course it would depend on who they bring in."
  • In his Insider-only blog, ESPN.com's Buster Olney says that Major League Baseball would probably be glad to see the Mets hire Alderson, "to help restore a franchise that should be one of the sport's best."

Free Agent Stock Watch: A.J. Pierzynski

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After toiling through most of the season, free-agent-to-be A.J. Pierzynski seemed to suddenly remember he was in a contract year and set the world on fire over the season's final two months. An .821 OPS in August followed by an .815 in September helped Pierzynski at least moderately salvage the worst offensive season of his ten-year career as a Major League regular. Let's look at Pierzynski's situation as he heads into free agency:

The Good

  • Pierzynski owns a .284/.324/.424 slash line for his career, making him one of the game's better hitting catchers over the course of the past decade. He's not elite, but he's been consistent.
  • Pierzynski has played in at least 128 games every year since 2002. He's been able to stay healthy and productive for the most part, despite all of those innings behind the plate.
  • He's unlikely to be offered arbitration, due to his Type A status and $6.25MM base salary in 2010. This means a team interested in signing Pierzynski likely won't have to surrender a pick to do so.
  • He makes consistent contact. Pierzynski struck out in just 8.2% of his plate appearances this season, and his career mark is a solid 12.1%.

The Bad

  • While he doesn't strike out, he walks even less. A.J. walked in just 3% of his plate appearances this season and his career mark of 4% is hardly an improvement.
  • He doesn't come with the reputation of being a great defender behind the plate (though he's improved at throwing out runners each of the past two seasons, including a 26.5% mark this season).
  • Controversy seems to follow Pierzynski and he's been known to have attitude problems with other teams as well as his own.
  • He's 34 years old and has 10,756.2 innings behind the plate since becoming a regular catcher in 2001. He's DH'ed just twice in his career; when he plays, he catches. Given those numbers, it's possible that his 2010 decline is a sign of his body wearing down rather than a statistical aberration.

The Verdict

Pierzynski has been a solid offensive catcher throughout the duration of his career, and there's always teams in need at the position. He's said he'd like to return to Chicago, but has to look at what's best for he and his family. This probably means he's going wherever they pay him the most, and given Tyler Flowers' presence in Chicago (despite a down year in Triple-A), it may not be there. We saw two teams overpay for worse catchers last season when the Royals and Nationals gave two-year deals to Jason Kendall and Ivan Rodriguez, respectively, so it wouldn't shock me to see Pierzynski and his agent look for two years. However, this year's class is much deeper. Pierzynski will have to compete with Victor Martinez, John Buck, Ramon Hernandez, and Rod Barajas, among others. As such, Pierzynski may be limited to a one-year deal in the $3M-$4M range.

Reds Will Exercise Arroyo’s Option

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The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay tweets that Reds' GM Walt Jocketty has said he will "definitely" pick up Bronson Arroyo's $11MM option for 2011. Jocketty says they'll try to add years to the contract as well. If that fails, Arroyo is essentially on a one-year, $9MM deal, as the Reds would've had to pay a $2MM buy out on the option anyway.

Arroyo, 34 in February, was traded to the Reds from Boston along with $1.5MM in exchange for Wily Mo Pena back in 2006. The trade came as a surprise move, as Arroyo had just signed an extension with the Red Sox two months prior. In February of 2007, he signed a two-year $25MM extension with the Reds that includes this $11MM option.

Arroyo has been a workhorse for the Reds over the course of his Cincinnati tenure, throwing 200 innings or more in every season, and compiling a 3.97 ERA over that time with 6.2 K/9 and a solid 2.6 BB/9. While his strikeouts are down over the past two seasons, his control has improved and he's become more difficult to hit. Arroyo allowed a career-best 7.8 hits per nine innings in 2010 (though that was likely aided by a .246 BABIP — well below his career .290 mark), helping the Reds to the NL Central Division Championship.

The Reds will have their hands full in trying to extend Arroyo, as he's made it clear this season that he won't accept a discount to stay with the Reds. Back in July, Arroyo told Fay that he wouldn't consider restructuring his contract at a discount like teammate Scott Rolen did. Arroyo said that got burned when he took a discount to stay in Boston and was traded months later, and that he had to look out for his own best interest this time around.

One thing the Reds will have in their favor is that Arroyo has said that he would prefer to remain with the Reds for at least three more years. He cited liking the city and the team's young talent as reasons.

Davidoff’s Latest: Joba, Berkman, Mets

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Newsday's Ken Davidoff has some notes up about both New York teams in his latest blog post. Let's take a look at some of the highlights:

  • Joba Chamberlain has "slipped down the Yankees' food chain," writes Davidoff. Joba will be arbitration-eligible and due for a nice raise, and it wouldn't surprise Davidoff to see the Yankees at least listen to offers on the 25-year-old. Over his last two seasons (229 IP), Joba's managed just a 4.64 ERA to go with an 8.3 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 (his 2010 peripherals are much stronger than 2009). Still, I'd imagine a substantial amount of interest if he were made available.
  • Lance Berkman doesn't think he'll be a Yankee in 2011 and Davidoff agrees. He praises Berkman for getting his big moments in Game 2 of the ALDS and calls him an "eminently likeable man." That personality may be a factor that teams consider this offseason as Berkman looks for an everyday role, and not just a platoon spot.
  • Sandy Alderson will most likely interview with the Mets next week about their GM opening. According to Davidoff, Alderson is a "dream candidate" for the Mets and he can't see how the Mets wouldn't give him the position if he's interested.

Nationals Have Interest In Matt Kemp

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If Matt Kemp becomes available this winter, the Nationals would be interested in targeting him in a trade, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said a week ago that he wasn't shopping or looking to move Kemp, but that he'd listen to any trade offers that came his way.

Kemp, 26, is coming off a disappointing 2010 campaign in which he hit just .249/.310/.450 and was publicly questioned by a few members of the Dodgers organization. While he didn't formally ask for a trade, agent Dave Stewart told Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times in August, "I'm almost to the point — and maybe so are the Dodgers — where I'm thinking that this just isn't going to work."

In addition to seeing his offensive production decline, Kemp also took a step backward defensively, registering a -24.3 UZR, worst among outfielders. Still, he's just a year removed from a 2009 season that earned him a Gold Glove and MVP votes. As Kilgore notes, Washington's .720 outfield OPS was 25th in the league in 2010, so Kemp would be an especially attractive option for the Nats.

Berkman Will Seek Everyday Role

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Asked whether he could picture himself returning to the Yankees in a platoon role next year, Lance Berkman couldn't see it happening, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork. Berkman tells Kristie Ackert, Sean Brennan, and Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News that he still views himself as an everyday player.

"I don't like to platoon," said Berkman. "If I was the manager I would platoon me because I've been so bad righthanded this year. But I don't think that's a permanent problem…. I like to play every day. The DH role is great but I also like to play the field. I feel like I've got something to offer still defensively."

Berkman is in the final year of a six-year, $85MM contract, which includes a $15MM option for 2011 that will not be exercised. After posting the worst full-season OPS of his career (.781), the long-time Astro knows that his disappointing walk year hasn't set him up well for free agency. 

"It's going to be an interesting offseason for me because I don't know what the interest level is going to be like," Berkman said. "I don't know what the market is going to be for a 35-year old coming off the worst year of his career."

While this winter's first base free agent market appears flush with potential starters, there are also plenty of clubs that will have holes to fill at first. Coming off a season that was plagued by injuries, Berkman is a decent bet to bounce back in 2011. If he wants an everyday job and a chance to play the field, there's a good chance there will be at least one team willing to accommodate him.

Odds & Ends: Orioles, V-Mart, Buck, Nationals

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We at MLBTR send our best wishes to Ernie Tyler, the Orioles' 86-year-old umpires attendant who has worked every Opening Day in Baltimore for the last 51 years.  Tyler underwent brain surgery earlier this week to remove a benign tumor, and The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly reports that Tyler is progressing well in the early stages of his recovery.  We look forward to seeing Tyler at Camden Yards in April to extend his streak to 52 years.

Let's check out some news items from around the majors…

  • Speaking of Dan Connolly, he thinks Baltimore "will go hard after Victor Martinez and/or Derrek Lee," with Lee being the likelier candidate to sign with the Orioles.
  • ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes thinks the possibility of Martinez re-signing with the Red Sox "looks iffy at best," though three other ESPNBoston contributors predict the free agent will return to the Sox. 
  • Edes also notes that another free agent catcher, John Buck, has a big supporter in Boston assistant GM Allard Baird.
  • If the Nationals don't re-sign Adam Dunn, MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes that Carlos Pena "is at the top of their list" of potential replacements.  Ladson also notes that Washington will "go after [James Loney] hard" if the Dodgers put him on the trade market, and that the Nats could also pursue an outfielder like Jayson Werth and fill their first-base opening from within with Josh Willingham.
  • Arizona assistant general manager Peter Woodfork and the D'Backs have reached a "mutual decision" to part ways, tweets FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi.  It's not an unexpected move since, as Morosi noted in a follow-up tweet, Woodfork has long-term ties to former Arizona GM Josh Byrnes and new D'Backs GM Kevin Towers probably wants to hire his own assistant.
  • Baseball America's Matt Eddy has a recall-filled edition of the week's minor league transactions.
  • With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia all anchoring the staffs of World Series contenders this postseason, Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times bemoans how the Dodgers missed out on acquiring any of the three "true aces" over the last two seasons.
  • Anthony Witrado of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered a number of Brewers topics in a chat with readers.

Managerial Notes: Blue Jays, Farrell, Pirates, Wedge

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With so many managerial jobs open this winter, there's plenty of news to pass along in the world of field managers. Here's the latest:

  • Add Red Sox bench coach Demario Hale to the list of interview candidates for the manager's job in Toronto, reports Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.  Meanwhile, Dodgers Triple-A manager Tim Wallach will not interview with the Jays since he has signed a new contract with L.A.
  • ESPN.com’s Buster Olney hears that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell will probably get a chance to manage in 2011.
  • Former Pirate Andy Van Slyke told Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he’d be interested in managing in Pittsburgh. Longtime MLB manager Phil Garner told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he would like to manage again, potentially with the Pirates.
  • Former Indians manager Eric Wedge tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he's "burning" to manage in the major leagues again. Wedge has interviewed with the Blue Jays, Pirates and Cubs and is a candidate to manage the Brewers, Mariners and, possibly, the Mets.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com adds Cardinals coach Jose Oquendo and Juan Samuel to his list of managerial candidates.
  • The Brewers are expected to interview White Sox coach Joey Cora, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, who says Bob Melvin is the favorite to manage in Milwaukee (Twitter link).  Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke is also expected to interview for the Milwaukee job, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post.

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