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Kelly Johnson Clears Waivers

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Kelly Johnson cleared waivers and can now be traded to any team, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, an Arizona executive told Morosi that it's "unlikely" that the D'Backs make a trade. Johnson joins teammate Adam LaRoche on MLBTR's list of players to clear waivers.

Johnson, 28, has already established a career high with 19 homers. He has a .277/.367/.486 line in 2010, which has easily been his best season since his breakout 2007 campaign in Atlanta. Johnson makes $2.35MM this year and is under team control for 2011, his final season of arbitration eligibility.

Jason Kubel’s 2011 Option

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The Twins have Delmon Young, Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer under team control for 2011, so they could get by without Jason Kubel. But because the team can bring Kubel back for a reasonable $5.25MM option, it seems likely that he'll return to Minneapolis for another season.

Assistant GM Rob Antony expressed interest in bringing Jim Thome back next year, but as the Twins showed this summer, extra outfield depth can make a big difference. Kubel can hit, though his production has dropped off this year after a tremendous 2009 season. Target Field has been tough on many hitters including Kubel, whose .787 OPS sits 120 points lower than his 2009 mark. Still, with 18 homers, the ability to play left or right field and a solid .261/.339/.448 line, Kubel has value.

The Twins will pay the 28-year-old $350K regardless (the cost of his buyout), and $5.25MM is reasonable, especially at a time when the team's most promising outfield prospects, Ben Revere and Aaron Hicks, still need minor league seasoning. Kubel projects to be a Type A free agent, so the Twins could theoretically turn down his option, offer arbitration and obtain picks if Kubel signs elsewhere. That seems unlikely, since Kubel will be affordable and should be productive.

Peralta Wants To Return To Detroit

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Jhonny Peralta told John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that he wants to return to Detroit next year. The Tigers could pick up Peralta’s $7MM option or buy him out for $250K and attempt to negotiate a cheaper deal.

"I want to be here," Peralta said. "I hope they pick up the option. But I want to be here. I like everybody here."

As Lowe points out, the Tigers “haven't gotten much production this year from their shortstops.” Adam Everett, Danny Worth, Ramon Santiago and Peralta have all spent time at short this season as the team has scrambled to find steady production. Peralta, who spent most of 2009-10 at third, posted negative UZR numbers at short every season from 2005-08.

Peralta’s .244/.310/.405 season line is unremarkable, but he’s producing at the plate in Detroit. Six of his 13 homers have come since joining the Tigers last month. He currently projects as a Type B free agent, so the Tigers could obtain a compensation pick in next year’s draft if they offer arbitration and Peralta turns it down to sign elsewhere.

Peralta’s teammate, Johnny Damon, has also expressed interest in returning to the Motor City next year. The Tigers have lots of money coming off the books and could be looking for solutions at short, third, catcher, in the outfield and in the rotation.

Discussion: Manny Parra’s Future

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After three seasons of up-and-down performance as a starting pitcher, Manny Parra will reach arbitration for the first time this winter.  Parra will get a significant raise from his current $440K contract in spite of his 5.29 ERA in 101 major league appearances (74 of them starts), and is probably looking at a 2011 contract in the neighborhood of $1MM.

There's a slight chance that the Brewers could non-tender Parra, a possibility raised by MLB.com's Adam McCalvy in the wake of Parra's recent demotion back to the bullpen.  Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin said that any discussion of non-tendering the southpaw "are questions for the offseason" and first the team would have to "see how he does out there [in the bullpen]."

Milwaukee has already shown a lot of patience with Parra's development, McCalvy notes, and it would be odd for the team to cut him loose so early in his major league career.  Parra will only be 28 on Opening Day 2011, has a ridiculously unlucky career BABIP of .351 and has impressive minor league numbers — a 3.06 ERA and an 8.6 K/9 ratio in 109 career appearances on the farm.  Given all the question marks in the Milwaukee rotation heading into next season, it's probable that Parra will get another shot at winning a starting job.

What might be worth investigating, though, is whether Parra's future lies in the bullpen, not the rotation.  It may not seem like a proper use of Parra's value to convert him to relief pitching forever, but in the short-term, it could be an idea to help the left-hander find some consistency in the majors. 

Parra has a 4.10 ERA and 3.2 K/BB ratio in 27 career relief appearances, as compared to a 5.44 ERA and 1.71 K/BB ratio in 74 career starts.  As a reliever, he would seemingly improve on both of his major trouble spots as a starter — his control issues (a 4.5 career BB/9 rate) and his problems facing batters more than once through the order (a .708 OPS the first time he faces them as a starter, an .820 OPS the second time around and a .942 OPS the third time through).

John Axford has been a great story for the Brewers, but the Canadian right-hander came from far enough off the radar screen this season that he isn't a lock to duplicate this success as their closer in 2011.  If Parra did well enough in a relief role, he could even be groomed for the closer's job in the future.

Odds & Ends: White Sox, Hoffman, Britton, Cubs

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As Albert Pujols joins the 400-homer club, here are some items of note…

  • White Sox GM Kenny Williams hinted that his club may be pursuing a lower-profile waiver wire target than Manny Ramirez, reports MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  This target, however, is apparently not Trevor Hoffman. Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com writes that Williams denied a report saying that the Sox put in a claim on Hoffman, but were unable to work out a trade with the Brewers.
  • The Orioles are "increasingly less likely" to call up left-hander Zach Britton in September, reports MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.  Britton, ranked as the 63rd-best prospect in the game by Baseball America's preseason rankings, would only be in line to start every six or seven days given Baltimore's full staff and a number of September off-days.  Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun adds that Britton is already nearing his 2010 innings limit.
  • The Cubs interviewed Eric Wedge today for their open manager's job, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.  Levine mentions that Fredi Gonzalez, Pat Listach and Ryne Sandberg are all slated for interviews, and Chicago GM Jim Hendry wants a new manager hired before the team's November organizational meetings.
  • It's "unlikely at this point" that the Diamondbacks will be making any more trades, a team executive tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.
  • The Pirates were wise to get Jameson Taillon signed at an over-slot price rather than take their chances with two top-3 picks in the 2011 amateur draft, writes Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • Jeff Bagwell isn't sure if he wants to return as Houston's hitting coach next season, says MLB.com's Alyson Footer.

Mets Rumors: Castillo, Perez, Reyes, Backman

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The 63-63 Mets don't seem to be in contention, but GM Omar Minaya told John Harper of the New York Daily News that his team is "still in the hunt." Regardless of what Minaya says, some of his players are already looking ahead to 2011. Here are the details on two of the team's potential trade candidates, a star who wants to stay, and an insight into the Mets' managerial hunt:

Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post.

Heyman On Managerial Openings

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Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman examined three of the winter's open managerial posts (the Cubs, Mariners, and the potentially open Dodgers job) and passed along some info on who might be in the dugouts for those clubs come Opening Day 2011…

  • Chicago. Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg "has been seen by everyone as the most logical choice."  Heyman cites Joe Girardi as the second-most likely option to manage the Cubs in 2011, though he expects Girardi to remain in New York.  Interim manager Mike Quade is "something of a longshot" and Heyman mentions Bobby Valentine's name due to Valentine's track record of working with young talent.  Heyman's fourth-most likely Cubs manager is Tony La Russa, and while that hiring might equally horrify both Cubs and Cardinals fans, Heyman only opines that La Russa would "be an interesting choice," not one that's a distinct possibility.  
  • Los Angeles.  "According to some in the know," Tim Wallach will be the next L.A. manager.  Wallach is a former Dodgers hitting coach and has managed their Triple-A squad for the past two seasons.  Los Angeles would save some money by hiring Wallach, though Heyman writes that the franchise has (and will) cut enough payroll to make signing a big-name manager feasible if the team wants to go that route.  The intended Joe Torre/Don Mattingly succession may be no more given how that plan was the one favored by Jamie McCourt, not current sole owner Frank McCourt.  Heyman ranks Mattingly third on his list of likely Dodger managers behind both Wallach and Dusty Baker, as "there are unsubstantiated whispers" that L.A. will make a play for Baker if he doesn't re-sign with Cincinnati.  Of course, this could all be moot if Torre decides to return for another season, though Heyman feels Torre is probably done in Los Angeles. 
  • Seattle. Valentine appears again on the list of Mariners candidates, sandwiched between Heyman top choice Ted Simmons and No. 3 choice Willie Randolph.  Simmons, the San Diego bench coach, has never been a manager, though he has a lengthy front office resume.  Both Simmons and Randolph have worked with Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik before, and Randolph is also helped by the fact that Zduriencik told Heyman that "big league managerial experience will weigh heavily" in his decision.  That said, Zduriencik also noted that he's just starting to explore a list of around 20 candidates.

Rangers Thinking About Ramirez, Not Keen On Hawpe

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If Manny Ramirez doesn't end up with the White Sox, at least one other AL contender may have their eye on the veteran slugger.  T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports that Texas is "mulling the possibility" of approaching the Dodgers about Ramirez, though Sullivan quotes a Rangers official who said "it's unlikely" that Ramirez would end up in Arlington.

The Rangers' interest in Ramirez stems from their need for a big right-handed bat to complement the left-handed pop in their lineup.  Whereas Ramirez has been projected as a DH in the American League to keep him healthy for September, he would see a lot of field time in Texas given Vladimir Guerrero's lock on the DH role.  As Sullivan points out, Ramirez would hamper what has been a solid defensive outfield in Texas.

Tampa Bay is another AL team that has been rumored to have interest in Ramirez, but if Texas did want to make a move for the outfielder, the Rangers would have priority over the Rays since Tampa Bay is ahead in the standings.

Sullivan also reports that, since Texas' primary interest is in right-handed hitters, the club isn't looking at Brad Hawpe.  We had heard that Texas, Tampa Bay and Boston all had some degree of interest in the former Rockie, and Hawpe should be free to be signed by any team today.

 

 

Odds & Ends: Owings, Zaun, Rangers, Hawpe

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Links for Thursday, exactly seven years after the Padres traded Jason Bay and Oliver Perez to the Pirates for Brian Giles. Bay and Perez are teammates once again, though Perez barely pitches and Bay is on the disabled list with a concussion…

 

Red Sox, Rays, Rangers In On Brad Hawpe

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The Red Sox, Rays and Rangers are in on Brad Hawpe, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Hawpe should clear release waivers today at which point he'll be free to sign with any MLB team.

It's not surprising that the Red Sox are interested in Hawpe, since Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury are out indefinitely. The Red Sox are open to adding outfielders from outside the organization, as we saw when they tried to re-acquire Johnny Damon.

The Rays have shown interest in bats since last month and the Rangers' interest in Hawpe is no secret. The Padres had interest, but no longer appear to be considering Hawpe seriously.

The Rockies designated the 31-year-old for assignment after he posted a .255/.343/.432 line in 300 plate appearances.

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