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Odds & Ends: Loux, Burrell, Dodgers, Trout

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On this date six years ago, the Rangers lost Colby Lewis when the Tigers claimed him on waivers. Texas signed Lewis last offseason and the right-hander will take the hill tomorrow as he and the Rangers try to put away the Rays. Here are today's links…

Cliff Lee May Seek Sabathia Money

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He just finished a third consecutive dominant season and is on his way to a second consecutive standout postseason. Cliff Lee is going to be a well-paid pitcher next season and for many years to come. In fact, Jon Heyman of SI.com hears word around the game that the lefty will look to match the $161MM deal C.C. Sabathia signed two offseasons ago.

Lee’s agent, Darek Braunecker, didn’t discuss his client’s demands in detail, but he did acknowledge that continued postseason dominance could play in his client’s favor.

"There's certainly been a history of guys enhancing their value based on how they performed in the postseason,'' Braunecker said. "Every team is trying to add players who are battle-tested and have the ability to perform on the big stage.''

Could a big October help Lee match his former teammate, Sabathia? "Why not?'' one executive told Heyman. "He's as good as Sabathia.'' He’s also four years older than Sabathia was when he signed his deal, though his agent will surely point to Lee’s improved performance and physical condition.

As Heyman points out, the Yankees are the early favorites to sign Lee and the Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, Mets and Brewers are other possibilities. If a team other than the Rangers signs Lee, he will cost a top draft pick, since the Rangers are sure to offer arbitration. After posting a 3.18 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 0.8 BB/9, Lee is a Type A free agent.

Click here to vote on which free agent can improve his stock the most this October.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Halladay, Fielder, Mets

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On this date two years ago, the Cubs exercised Rich Harden's $9MM option for 2009 after tests showed that his throwing shoulder was healthy. Harden made 26 starts with a 4.09 ERA, 10.9 K/9, and 4.2 BB/9 in 141 innings that year before joining the Rangers in the offseason. The 28-year-old battled through another injury plagued year in 2010, throwing just 92 innings with a 5.58 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 6.3 BB/9 for Texas.

Harden might not be able to find a guaranteed Major League deal on the free agent market this winter, but I can guarantee that these links represent the best from around the blogosphere…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here

Orioles Seek Power Bat

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The Orioles are looking for a power hitter and may pursue Victor Martinez, Paul Konerko and other free agents this offseason. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he'll consider signing a bat this winter.

"We haven't made any secret of the fact that we think we need to address the middle of the order, and that's a hard thing to do," MacPhail said, without naming specific players that may interest the team. 

Nolan Reimold's struggles, Felix Pie's injury concerns and Josh Bell’s 2010 performance mean the O’s would consider signing outfielders or third basemen. However, it now seems more likely that the club will sign a first baseman.

Connolly says it's likely that the Orioles will target some of the following players: Adam Dunn, Victor Martinez, Paul Konerko, Carlos Pena and Derrek Lee. Konerko would probably be a main target for the team and Martinez could be Baltimore’s top target, according to Connolly.

Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth and Cliff Lee intrigue the Orioles, but probably won’t be signing in Baltimore. MacPhail repeated that he’d like to add a veteran starter through free agency or a trade.

What They Were Saying: AL West GMs

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Billy Beane may be the best-known general manager in baseball, but that wasn’t the case when he replaced Sandy Alderson in 1997. Here’s how Beane was presented to fans back when he was promoted to his current position, plus notes on his three AL West counterparts (click here to see what they were saying about AL East GMs and here to see what they were saying about AL Central GMs):

Jack Zduriencik

“Jack Zduriencik, who has made his baseball reputation as a scouting guru, was asked Friday to give a scouting report on his own administrative style.

‘I'm a 24/7 guy,’ he replied. ‘I'm a little no-nonsense. I like to get right down to it; there's a job to be done here, let's not waste each other's time. I like decisions.’" – Larry Stone, The Seattle Times, October 25th, 2008

Tony Reagins

“While the promotion of Reagins keeps the Angels' hierarchy largely intact, it does elevate an inexperienced hand to the critical position of general manager. Though he has spent 16 years in the Angels' organization, Reagins' only experience in negotiating contracts has been in dealing with minor-league free agents.” – Bill Plunkett, The Orange County Register, October 17th, 2007

Jon Daniels

“Daniels' Queens upbringing comes off as rather normal, with no hints of his blazing career path. Following his mother's example, he grew up a Mets fan, first in Fresh Meadows, then in Bayside; it was the mid-'80s, and everyone around him cheered on Davey Johnson and his wild players as the pitching-poor Yankees couldn't make the playoffs. He attended P.S. 26, and before seventh grade, he was accepted into an academically gifted program run by Hunter College on Manhattan's Upper East Side. 

‘It was kind of a quick learning process,’ recalled Jon Daniels, ‘to go from a mama's boy from Queens to having a little more court awareness.’- Ken Davidoff, Newsday, November 25th, 2005 

Billy Beane

“One of three first-round picks by the Mets in 1980, Beane, an infielder/outfielder, had a six-year major- league career with the Mets, Tigers, Twins and A's.

‘This is something that since I was 18, I've looked forward to doing,’ said Beane. ‘I've wanted to run a ball club.’

And Beane knows he has some work ahead of him. The A's finished 65-97, the worst record in baseball.” – David Bush, The San Francisco Chronicle, October 18th, 1997

 

Astros Exercise Mills’ 2012 Option, Add 2013 Option

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Brad Mills began his rookie season 17-34 but ended it 59-52 and was rewarded today when the Astros picked up his 2012 option. The team also announced a new option for 2013 and expressed confidence in Mills' ability to lead Houston to the playoffs.

“He brings every quality that you look for in a successful Major League manager," GM Ed Wade said. "All that he cares about is helping build a championship club."

The Astros posted the fourth-best record in the National League after the All-Star break under Mills, a 53-year-old who played four seasons for the Montreal Expos and coached for the Red Sox.

Jack Of All Trades: Bobby Bonds

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One of my favorite parts of Ken Burns' The Tenth Inning was the reminder of just how talented Bobby Bonds was. The 461 stolen bases and 332 home runs are really only part of the story. Bonds was also a three-time Gold Glove winner who posted a career OPS+ of 129; his era and ballparks depressed his raw hitting stats significantly.

But Bonds' abrasive personality and personal problems led to six trades in five years. Despite this propensity for getting dealt, Bonds brought back interesting talent in return each of the six times. Let's take a closer look at just who won each of these trades.

The San Francisco Giants signed Bonds as an amateur free agent in 1964, one year before the institution of the amateur draft. He quickly climbed the organizational ladder, and in 349 plate appearances as a rookie in 1968, hit .254/.336/.407. Not impressive, right? Wrong. This was 1968; those totals meant Bonds posed an OPS+ of 122. He wouldn't drop below an OPS+ of 116 until 1980.

But despite seven seasons, 186 home runs, and an OPS+ of 131 over those seven years, the Giants decided to trade Bonds following his age-28 season. The New York Yankees acquired him on October 22, 1974 in a challenge trade for Bobby Murcer. It is hard to determine who won this trade. Bonds certainly outperformed Murcer on the field in 1975, with an OPS+ edge of 151 to 127, and a home run edge of 32 to 11. But Bonds spent just the year in New York, while Murcer played two with the Giants.

By December 11, 1975, the Yankees were ready to unload Bonds, so they sent him to the California Angels for Ed Figueroa and Mickey Rivers. This time, the return for Bonds was even greater than from the first trade. Bonds played in just 99 games in 1976, then rallied for 37 home runs in a dominant 1977. But the Yankees got terrific work out of Figueroa and Rivers, with the former providing 749 innings of 115 ERA+ pitching in 1976-1978 alone, and Rivers posting a solid 110 OPS+ in three-plus years in pinstripes.

Again, from numbers alone, it is startling that Bonds was on the move again following the 1977 season. But the Angels shipped him on December 5, 1977, along with Thad Bosley and Richard Dotson, to the Chicago White Sox for Brian Downing, Dave Frost and Chris Knapp. Though few would have predicted it, Bonds was an afterthought in this trade in retrospect. He lasted just a few months with his new team, with Dotson providing 1,603 innings at 103 ERA+ over the next decade and Bosley setttling in for a long career as a reserve outfielder. As for the return, both Frost and Knapp provided one strong season as a starting pitcher. Meanwhile, Downing became a dominant catcher/outfielder, posting a 126 OPS+ over the next 13 seasons for California.

Bonds, as previously stated, wore out his welcome with the White Sox by mid-May. One would think he'd be dealt for pennies on the dollar, but the May 16, 1978 trade with the Texas Rangers netted Chicago Rusty Torres and Claudell Washington. Torres was a valuable reserve outfielder, while Washington, just 23, had another dozen years at 108 OPS+ ahead of him. Bonds had started slowly in Chicago, but his .265/.356/.497 mark in Texas made for a solid 138 OPS+ in 1978.

Despite his big season, Bonds wasn't in Texas for long. You guessed it, he was promptly traded on October 3, 1978, along with starting pitcher Len Barker, for Cleveland's Larvell Blanks and Jim Kern. Cleveland got pretty decent return on this deal, with Bonds providing his final Bonds-like season at age-33: .275/.367/.463 in that cavernous Municipal Stadium, good for an OPS+ of 122. Barker  also pitched reasonably well, giving Cleveland 932.1 innings of 95 ERA+ pitching over five seasons. (He then netted them Brett Butler and Brook Jacoby in a deal with Atlanta). Blanks performed as usual, a middling middle infielder, and Kern had one of the great one-year wonder seasons in 1979: 13 wins, 29 saves and a 1.57 ERA.

Perhaps stung by precious Jim Kern memories, the Indians decided to trade Bobby Bonds as well, sending him to St. Louis on December 7, 1979 for John Denny and Jerry Mumphrey. By now, the magic around Bonds-based trades had worn off. Bonds was terrible in St. Louis, hitting .203/.305/.316. Denny won an ERA title in 1976 for the Cardinals, and the Cy Young Award in 1983 for the Phillies, but he posted three decidedly mediocre seasons for Cleveland in between. And Mumphrey never even played for the Indians (the Padres acquired him two months later).

There's almost a visceral sadness in reading the career numbers and journey of Bobby Bonds. Clearly one of the best players not in the Hall of Fame, it is easy to imagine a happier Bonds easily reaching that honor. Saddest of all, he's doomed to be largely forgotten by history as well, overshadowed by his son.

Rockies May Be Talking Contract With De La Rosa

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There are strong indications that the Rockies started discussing a contract with Jorge De La Rosa this week, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The left-hander hits free agency this offseason, but the Rockies have exclusive negotiating rights until shortly after the World Series ends. 

De La Rosa missed two months with a torn tendon in his finger and walks 4.1 batters per nine innings. That will hurt his market value, but his age (29), strikeout rate (8.4 K/9) and groundball rate (52.3%) will likely entice potential suitors.

He doesn’t have to convince the Rockies – they’re interested. Not only did Colorado offer De La Rosa a two-year deal worth $8.75MM in the offseason, GM Dan O’Dowd recently said that re-signing him is a priority. De La Rosa won't cost the Rockies a draft pick, but if he turns down arbitration to sign elsewhere, Colorado will obtain a top pick for losing a Type A free agent.

Signing Gonzalez “Doesn’t Appear To Be Practical”

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The Padres will likely explore an extension with their star first baseman this offseason, but the team’s CEO isn’t optimistic about reaching a long-term agreement with Adrian Gonzalez. Jeff Moorad told Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune that it may not make sense for the Padres to keep Gonzalez after 2011.

“While we’d still love to have Adrian here long-term, it doesn’t appear to be practical from a financial standpoint,” Moorad said. “So I’m certainly not counting on that. But we’ll engage and see if there’s a deal that can be made."

Gonzalez will earn $5.5MM next year in the final year of his contract, assuming the Padres exercise their option. That’s a safe assumption since Gonzalez hit 31 homers this year and posted a .298/.393/.511 line in 692 plate appearances.

“At this point, I expect him to be on our roster next season,” Moorad said. “I think [GM Jed Hoyer is] committed to sit down with [agent] John Boggs at some point and I’m sure we’ll get a feel about Adrian’s view of the future.”

Moorad said the team’s payroll will likely be in the $40-50MM range, so paying Gonzalez market value (likely over $15MM per season) seems unrealistic at this point.

Poll: Which Player Will Improve His Stock The Most?

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When Cliff Lee shut down the Rays in Game One of the ALDS, SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted that the Rangers' ace may have earned himself an extra $10-20MM in free agency. While one game shouldn't sway a player's value quite that much, the difference between a successful postseason run and an unsuccessful one can certainly be significant for free-agents-to-be.

With many of this winter's most intriguing potential free agents still in action, it will be interesting to see which of them come up big for their respective teams over the next few weeks. Lee got off to an excellent start, while players like Carl Crawford and Rafael Soriano are already just one game from elimination. There's still a lot of baseball left to play, however, and if the Rays can stage a comeback against Texas, Crawford and Soriano should play a major role.

These guys are going to be paid handsomely no matter where they sign or how they perform in October, but this is tonight's poll question:

Which potential free agent will improve his stock the most in the 2010 postseason?

Click here to vote, and click here to view the results.

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