Poll: Which Of These Teams Will Become A Seller?
Now that the July 31st trade deadline is less than a month away, we have a pretty good sense of which teams will be buyers and which ones will be sellers. But a team or two may surprise us within a few weeks. One streak can transform buyers into sellers and sellers into buyers, so tell us what you think:
Which of these teams is most likely to become a seller this summer?
Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.
Remembering the 1994 Trade Deadline
When picturing the 1994 Trade Deadline, it is appropriate to see increasing cloudiness, feel the air become thick with storm, and hear thunder in the distance.
Deadline deals were fewer in 1994, with a strike looming that many felt- correctly, it turned out- would make acquiring players with the postseason in mind an utterly futile exercise. That uncertainty is reflected in the choices teams made.
But with a season on, and no precedent whatsoever for the cancellation of the World Series, there were some low-risk moves that were obviously made with a playoff run in mind. Let's take a look at what might have been:
- The Dodgers released Darryl Strawberry, who failed to live up to the free agent contract he signed after the 1990 season. The Giants signed the 32-year-old on June 19, hoping he had something left. Strawberry hit .239/.363/.424 for the Giants, and in fact, his stats from the moment he signed with San Francisco to the end of his career included four more seasons of part-time work with an OPS above .800.
- Two days later, the Cincinnati Reds signed Ron Gant, who had celebrated the signing of a multi-year deal by breaking his leg in an ATV accident. Gant didn't play in 1994, but in 1995, hit .276/.386/.554 for the Reds with 29 home runs.
- And in the third of the trio of once-great signings, the Phillies picked up Fernando Valenzuela on June 24. He pitched 45 innings of 3.00 ERA baseball, walking just seven and striking out 19 despite the handicap of not looking at the catcher when he pitched.
- The first significant 1994-based trade occurred on July 1, when Boston sent struggling reliever Jeff Russell to Cleveland for pitchers Chris Nabholz and Steve Farr. None of the three pitchers contributed much in 1994. Russell failed to rediscover the form that allowed him to pitch to a 2.70 ERA in 1993- his mark was 5.14 in Boston in 1994, 4.97 in Cleveland. Meanwhile, Nabholz was finished as a useful pitcher and Farr had just 13 innings of 6.23 ERA pitching left.
- Why, you might ask, did the 1994 Seattle Mariners, who finished 49-63, make a July 21 trade to shore up their bullpen? Easy: they acquired Shawn Boskie from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor leaguer Fred McNair because 49-63 meant they were just two games off the lead in the American League West.
- If Matt Williams and Tony Gwynn think the 1994 strike came at an inopportune time, their gripe pales next to Brian R. Hunter, who was traded from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati on July 27 for minor league slugger Micah Franklin. Hunter promptly became one of the best deadline acquisitions ever, hitting .304/.346/.870 with four home runs in 26 at-bats… only to see the strike interrupt his season. Williams and Gwynn had more moments of glory, but Hunter never again approached a 1.216 OPS.
- Finally, on July 31, just one trade occurred. The Phillies traded outfielder Milt Thompson to the Astros for reliever Tom Edens. Both were briefly helpful for their new teams in 1994, but never again. Truly, the strike also deprived both Edens and Thompson of their last hurrahs.
Baseball fans still remember 1994 as the year America was deprived of pennant races, and the Expos were kept from their destiny: finally winning a World Series. (There's a reason Youppi still cries when the strike is brought up.) And for secondary characters throughout baseball, 1994 was a year of 'what could have been.'
Odds & Ends: Texeira, Orioles, Willis, Fielder, Giants
Links for Sunday, as the baseball world attempts to come to terms with Omar Infante's All-Star nod….
- Kyle Drabek, who was a part of the Roy Halladay deal, threw a no-hitter for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. This was the first nine inning no-hitter in the history of Toronto's Double-A affiliate, writes Alex Raskin for MLB.com.
- Rob Neyer of ESPN (via Twitter) says that he's usually hyper-critical of the Royals organization, but applauds their pickup of Kanekoa Texeira. The Royals claimed the pitcher off of waivers from the M's early last month.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) suggests that Mike Lowell could be an option for the Phillies if he gets healthy. He points out that the Phils went hard after him last time he was a free agent.
- The Orioles have made 46 personnel moves since Opening Day, writes Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun.
- The Marlins had interest in Dontrelle Willis before he was dealt to Arizona, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Frisaro hears that the lefty will take his time before deciding his next move.
- Kyle Parker, the Rockies' first-round draft pick, visited Coors Field, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding and Joey Nowak. Colorado hopes to sign the Clemson quarterback, who has three years of football eligibility remaining.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Astros have been telling teams they're willing to absorb some salary in a potential Roy Oswalt trade. We heard a couple weeks ago that Houston was entertaining this possibility if it meant landing better prospects.
- Heyman and ESPN.com's Buster Olney (both Twitter links) place their bets on the Orioles' managerial search.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says not to be surprised if the White Sox make a play for Prince Fielder.
- The Giants aren't expected to make a splash on the international free agent market, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
- Domonic Brown deserves to be labeled "untouchable" by the Phillies, according to this piece at Philly.com.
Rockies Sign Jose Tovar
The Rockies have signed Venezuelan left-hander Jose Tovar, an international source told Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year-old will receive a $350K bonus in the deal.
Tovar, who is 6'2" and 180-pounds, pitched in the Dominican Prospect League despite being a native Venezuelan. In 8.2 innings for Los Patriotas, Tovar had no earned runs, 13 Ks, and six walks.
Earlier this week, Badler projected that Tovar would be the fifth highest-paid pitcher in this year's class of international free agents.
Cliff Lee Rumors: Sunday
9:17pm: The Cardinals had a scout at today's Tigers-Mariners game as well, tweets Morosi.
2:45pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says that both the Dodgers and Yankees had scouts in attendance for Lee's brilliant start against the Tigers today (8 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K). For the Yankees, this is the second consecutive start of Lee's which they've scouted.
According to Morosi, some clubs feel the Yankees are scouting Lee for a potential acquisition prior to the July 31 deadline, while others feel they're scouting with an eye toward this year's free agent market.
2:39pm: Jamey Newberg takes a lengthy, but interesting look at some reports guessing what it might take for the Rangers to acquire Lee from Seattle. Ultimately, due to the elite prospects required and the difficulty of working out the payroll (Newberg suggests adding Rich Harden and including an extra prospect to offset the salary), he feels he'd say no to Zduriencik were he in Ranger GM Jon Daniels' shoes.
Newberg also makes the point that while Lee projects as a Type A free agent, it shouldn't be assumed that he'll net his new team two first-round draft picks. Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford both project as fellow Type A free agents. With all three on the Yankees' radar, it's possible that Werth and/or Crawford end up outranking Lee, though Lee currently leads the three. If that happens, and the Yankees sign Lee and one of the two outfielders, Lee's new team would receive a supplemental round pick and a second-round pick instead of a first.
12:28pm: Citing rival executives, ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) says that Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik is searching for a "difference-making hitter" in any Cliff Lee negotiations. Expanding upon a tweet he made yesterday, Olney takes a look at the type of young hitter the Mariners may ask for in return for Cliff Lee.
One scenario that Olney suggests involves bringing the Brewers into a potential three-way trade. During Zduriencik's time in Milwaukee, he drafted Brett Lawrie, who Baseball America ranked as the 59th-best prospect in baseball coming into this season. The 20-year-old has only improved his stock this year, hitting .297/.362/.476 with 22 steals for Milwaukee's Double-A affiliate. While trading for Lee makes little sense for the Brewers, they could hypothetically add talent and depth to their farm system by sending Lawrie to Seattle and receiving prospects from the team acquiring Lee. This is speculation on Olney's part, but it's something Zduriencik could very well consider in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Cliff Lee checks in on his former teammates in Philadelphia every now and then. Within the piece, Lee says he'd be happy to stay in Seattle for the rest of the year, and touches on how the season may have played out if he'd remained a Phillie.
Braves Sign Willy Taveras
The Braves have signed outfielder Willy Taveras to a minor league deal, according to the International League transactions page. Taveras has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Taveras was released by the Phillies on Tuesday, roughly a month after being brought aboard. That marked the third time the speedy outfielder has been released this year as the Nationals and A's have also cut him loose. Oakland is on the hook for most of his $4MM salary.
The 28-year-old has a track record of being a solid defender and base stealer, though he has struggled offensively in recent years. His most recent stint in Triple-A Lehigh Valley yielded a .208/.255/.271 slash line in 104 plate appearances.
Week In Review: 6/27/10 – 7/3/10
It's time for a special Fourth of July edition of the Week In Review..
- The Diamondbacks cleaned house, firing GM Josh Byrnes and manager A.J. Hinch. Jerry DiPoto is the new interim GM and Kirk Gibson has been appointed the interim skipper. DiPoto wasted little time getting started in his new role, calling the Red Sox about Chris Snyder.
- Bengie Molina was sent from the Giants to the Rangers in a deal that was made official on Thursday. In order to move the catcher, San Francisco had to kick in cash considerations. The Giants received Michael Main and Chris Ray in the trade.
- Several teams are in the mix for Cliff Lee, including the Phillies. However, the club considers themselves to be long-shots in the Lee sweepstakes. They won't be the only NL East team looking at Lee. Meanwhile, the M's are looking ahead to 2011-2012.
- More Phillies news as the club has Dan Haren "on their radar". The Diamondbacks have reportedly been scouting the club's farm system to identify prospects for a deal. The Nats have also expressed interest in the hurler and the Cards are said to covet him.
- After lots and lots of talk on Sunday, Bobby Valentine ultimately did not agree to manage the Marlins. Florida has yet to find their new skipper.
- Josh Willingham would like to work out a new deal with the Nationals, but he continues to be mentioned in trade rumors as we approach the deadline. The Braves are said to be interested in him, as well as Corey Hart and Jose Bautista.
- Willy Taveras was released by the Phillies after being signed by them earlier in the month.
- The international signing period got underway this week and on Saturday MLBTR learned that the Braves agreed to terms with Mauricio Cabrera, a Dominican right-hander. Other signings include the Tigers inking Venezuelan outfielder Danry Vasquez and the A's picking up third baseman Renato Nunez. We're going to see a ton of international signings in the coming weeks.
- No surprise here: Yanks president Randy Levine expects impending free agents Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera to be back with the club.
- Both the White Sox and Angels are being linked to Adam Dunn.
- The Astros made a minor deal, shipping Kevin Cash to the Red Sox. This is the catcher's second stint with Boston.
- The Yankees are looking for bench help, and they may be zeroing in on Ty Wigginton.
- Jermaine Dye is still a free agent, but perhaps not for long. Three teams are looking at the veteran outfielder: Texas, Colorado, and San Diego.
- Pitcher Sean Gallagher was designated for assignment by the Padres.
- Hank Blalock is reportedly a player of interest in the Angels' front office. The 29-year-old was DFA'd by Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
- The Halos signed two of their three first-round picks, Cameron Bedrosian and Chevez Clarke.
- The Nats signed Orlando Hernandez to a minor league pact on Friday. El Duque will report to the club's training complex in Florida and may pitch for Triple-A Syracuse at some point this year.
- Oakland got Boof Bonser on a minor league deal shortly after the hurler was DFA'd by Boston.
- Brian Bruney will look to pitch in New York again, this time for the Mets. The club signed the well-traveled reliever to a minor league deal.
- Tim learned that the next Super Two cutoff will require fewer days of service time than usual.
- Mike MacDougal opted out of his deal with the Nats.
- The Astros signed infielder Ramon Vazquez to a minor league deal on Friday.
- The Mets signed catcher Michael Barrett to a minor league contract.
- Toronto's Jeremy Reed elected free agency after being outrighted by the club.
- Chad Tracy was DFA'd by the Cubs but elected free agency instead of reporting to the minors.
- Even with a payroll of $97MM, the Twins are willing to spend more.
- The Phillies DFA'd Brian Bocock in order to free up a spot for Cody Ransom.
- Florida designated Brian Barden for assignment as he failed to do much offensively in 2010.
- Ben gave us a look at the upcoming free agents and how they're performing thus far.
- Our own Howard Megdal penned a great read on Bobby Bo.
Royals Trade Edwin Bellorin To Astros
The Royals have traded minor league catcher Edwin Bellorin to the Astros for cash considerations, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The club promoted backstop Manuel Pina from Double-A to the club's Triple-A affiliate in his place.
After spending the first six years of his professional career in the Dodgers' farm system, Bellorin was with the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate from 2007 through 2009. During that span he made eight big league appearances with the club. With Triple-A Omaha in 2010, the 28-year-old hit just .162/.231/.185.
Hunter: Angels Could Use Fielder Or Dunn
Torii Hunter has never been one to be shy in the media. According to a tweet from FOX Sports' Jim Bowden, Hunter recently opined that his Angels could use an addition like sluggers Prince Fielder or Adam Dunn. When asked if he's talked to GM Tony Reagins or manager Mike Scioscia, Hunter wouldn't say, though Bowden believes he has.
The Angels are without first baseman and heart-of-the-order bat Kendry Morales following a bizarre injury suffered when celebrating a walk-off grand slam. Since then, catcher Mike Napoli has seen the lion's share of playing time at first base. As a first baseman, Napoli is hitting .253/.329/.453. Some may say he's held his own, but he's not living up to Morales' .290/.346/.487 line from 2010, and especially not his .306/.355/.569 breakout from 2009.
Fielder, 26, is eligible for free agency following the 2011 season. As we learned in late June, he's not currently discussing an extension with the Brewers, and you have to imagine that as a Scott Boras client, he's going to test the market. Off to a slower start than 2009, Fielder's still hitting .266/.390/.488 with 18 HR. Due to his age and contract status, he's likely tougher to acquire than Dunn. There's also the issue of what to do with Fielder following 2010 when Morales is healthy.
Dunn, 30, is a free agent following 2010 and off to a better start. He's hitting .276/.363/.549 with 17 homers. Finishing up a two-year, $20MM contract, Dunn has just $6MM of the $12MM he's earning remaining on his contract as of today. We learned yesterday that he'd hoped to have an extension worked out by the All-Star Break, but that seems unlikely.
The Angels sit a manageable 4.5 games behind Texas in the AL West, and we've seen them acquire rentals before, as they did with Mark Teixeira in 2008. A deal for either Fielder or Dunn would likely require far more than they dealt in that trade (Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek), but we've heard there's no limitation on their spending this July.
Recently Acquired All-Stars
Every year we see teams gamble. Whether it's signing a big-name free agent for multiple years, exchanging prospects for elite players, or rolling the dice on someone who might have another good year or two left in the tank, every team takes risks. Let's look at some of the most successful risks (from a strictly 2010 standpoint) we've seen in the past year by seeing which freshly-signed or traded players will be headed to Los Angeles as members of the 2010 All-Star rosters.
American League:
Vladimir Guerrero — Signed a one-year, $6.5MM deal with a mutual option for 2011. Guerrero is hitting a ridiculous .331/.376/.570 with 18 HR and 70 RBI. Both of those numbers eclipse his totals from an injury-shortened 2009.
Adrian Beltre — Signed a one-year deal worth $9MM with a $5MM player option. Clearly hoping to build up his value, Beltre's followed through to the tune of a .341/.377/.545 line with 12 long balls and 53 driven in. I'm going out on a limb and guessing that player option's not getting exercised.
Victor Martinez — Acquired at last year's trading deadline, V-Mart has recovered from a slow start to produce a strong overall line of .289/.344/.480, though he's currently on the disabled list. He'll be one of the more sought-after free agents on this year's market.
Cliff Lee — Acquired by Seattle in a multi-team deal. Including today's start, Lee's compiled a 2.34 ERA through 103.2 innings. He's struck out 89 hitters and, remarkably, has the same number of complete games (five) as walks issued. He may not be long for the Emerald City, but he's been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season.
Jose Valverde — Signed a two-year, $14MM deal with Detroit. Arguably the American League's best closer so far, Papa Grande has just two earned runs through 35 innings while recording 33 K's. He's got 18 saves in 19 chances, and opponents are somehow hitting just .099 against him.
John Buck — Signed with Toronto after being non-tendered by Kansas City. Doubtful that many pegged Buck as an All-Star, but he's got a line of .271/.306/.509 and his 13 HRs are second among Major League catchers.
National League:
Scott Rolen — Acquired at last year's deadline, Rolen signed a two-year extension worth $13MM. Rolen's reminded us that his bat was once as highly regarded as his glove with a .302/.368/.577 line to go along with 17 HR. His .577 slugging percentage leads the NL.
Matt Holliday — Signed a seven-year, $120MM deal with the Cardinals. He may not be decimating the National League like he did in his return in 2009, but Holliday's got a solid line of .301/.375/.498 and went on a tear in the month of June (.971 OPS)
Marlon Byrd — Signed a three-year, $15MM deal with the Cubs. Byrd's impressed in his first year in the Windy City. His .310/.357/.485 line makes for an .842 OPS, fifth-best among Major League center fielders. His 26 doubles lead the National League.
Matt Capps — Signed with Washington after being non-tendered by Pittsburgh. Capps has a breath of fresh air for Jim Riggleman's bullpen, registering 22 saves and 32 K's in 36.2 innings. He's struggled a bit following a dominant start to the season, but his ERA remains at 3.19.