Elias Rankings Update
Eddie Bajek has reverse-engineered the Elias Rankings, and he's providing his work exclusively here at MLB Trade Rumors. The player stats used start with the beginning of the 2009 season and run through May 15th, 2010. We still have 4.5 months for these to change.
A few thoughts:
- Javier Vazquez is still a Type A at the moment, but his 75.000 score isn't far from Type B. Carl Pavano and Jon Garland have a chance at climbing up to A status. Jorge de la Rosa, Ted Lilly, Bronson Arroyo, Hiroki Kuroda, Kevin Correia, Cliff Lee, and Andy Pettitte are currently Type As.
- Relievers such as Rafael Soriano, Matt Guerrier, Darren Oliver, Dan Wheeler, Kevin Gregg, Scott Downs, Pedro Feliciano, Trever Miller, Billy Wagner, Arthur Rhodes, and Trevor Hoffman are currently As. Not all would get arbitration offers, of course.
- At 65.555, Carlos Pena is a B and isn't far from falling out of that group. Adam Dunn could join the Type As soon, which might compel the Nationals to offer arbitration after the season. Derrek Lee could slip to B status, while Jorge Cantu, Lance Berkman, and Aramis Ramirez are already there. Adam LaRoche isn't even a B.
GM Initiation: Ned Colletti
Ned Colletti was hired as general manager of the Dodgers on November 16th, 2005. His first deal, struck about a month later with the Athletics' Billy Beane, was a huge success. Colletti shipped Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez to Oakland for young outfielder Andre Ethier, who had just been named MVP of the Double A Texas League.
Colletti kindly answered a few questions for MLBTR about his first trade.
MLB Trade Rumors: It was rumored that the Cubs, Yankees, and Blue Jays were also in on Bradley, with the Cubs even sending Dusty Baker to the player's home. Were any of the other possible trades close, or was Oakland always the frontrunner?
Ned Colletti: There were a couple of teams who showed a passing interest. But the calls lacked substance. Oakland had a sincere interest. The calls were of a far more serious nature.
MLBTR: At the time of the deal you called the situation with Bradley and the Dodgers "irreconcilable." Why did you feel that way?
Colletti: I had watched from a distance what had occurred so I had some read on the situation. When I went to the Dodgers I asked a few people who were in the midst of the situation. I asked them for facts and not opinions. I also talked to players, some who were friends with Milton. Finally, at the winter meetings in Dallas I met with one of his agents. He confirmed that giving Milton a fresh start would be best for everyone.
MLBTR: Before the '06 season Baseball America suggested Ethier might not have enough power to be a corner outfield regular. What did you see that made you feel differently?
Colletti: From the outset his swing path was excellent. A young player can develop power later. Once he started to pull the ball more and learned his body and his swing, we felt the home runs would follow. I watched much the same occur earlier in my career, most notably with Ryne Sandberg and the Cubs when then-manager Jim Frey encouraged Sandberg to use his power to pull. Ryno went from hitting 9-12 home runs to hitting 25-40 home runs shortly thereafter.
MLBTR: When your front office puts together a trade, about how many people are involved?
Colletti: It depends on the trade. Anyone who has knowledge of the players involved – both coming and going – are asked to voice their option. It can be amateur scouts, the scouting director, major league staff and an occasional major league player, player development staff and leaders and of course our professional scouts. No one makes these decisions solo or in a vacuum. The more information you can gather from the truest evaluators the better chance you have of making the right decision.
Thanks to Ned Colletti for contributing. Neal Huntington, Jon Daniels, and Josh Byrnes have also participated in the GM Initiation series.
Delgado Aiming For July Return
Nearly three months after undergoing his second right hip labrum surgery in the last year, Carlos Delgado is finally off crutches and is eyeing a return to action in July, the free agent told Ruben A. Rodriguez at the Puerto Rican paper El Nuevo Dia (link and interview in Spanish). Delgado will travel to Colorado soon to get his doctor's approval before beginning a strengthening program, but insists he isn't "married" to his timeline and won't rush his recovery just to play this summer.
Delgado's name has been bandied as a possible mid-season hired gun for a contender, but the 37-year-old first baseman sounds more humble in the interview, conceding he may find it difficult to convince any teams to sign him following reconstructive surgery and more than a year away from Major League pitching. He declined to mention any specific suitors and seems resigned to taking whatever work he can find, rather than waiting, Jermaine Dye-esque, for the right price or team. "I understand the technical side and I'm willing to deal with that," Delgado told Rodriguez. "It's not like I'll sign and be the cleanup hitter. To get a job you have to go through another process. People have to see me play."
To that end, Delgado said he is open to the possibility of playing during the offseason in Puerto Rico, as he did last winter. Barring all other options, though, he acknowledged that he may have to simply "face reality," a theme which popped up in previous interviews with the Puerto Rican press even prior to his latest operation.
Phillies To Designate Wilson Valdez For Assignment?
Phillies infielder Wilson Valdez, who is out of options, will likely be bumped to make space for the returning Jimmy Rollins, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. This means that Valdez must clear waivers in order to remain with the club. Valdez was summoned from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Rollins' spot on the roster.
The highlight of Valdez's stint with the Phillies came on April 28th against the Giants when he scored the game-winning run. On the season, he has an OPS of .596 in 48 plate appearances which is slightly better than his major league career average. However, he has a career 9.9 UZR/150 at the shortstop position.
Valdez, who turns 32-years-old on Thursday, has also made major league cameos with the White Sox, Mariners, Padres, Dodgers, and Mets.
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Yankees, Storen, Mets
Links for Sunday night..
- The Pirates have promoted Bryan Morris to Double-A after a sensational start to the season, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. The 23-year-old starter, who has a 0.60 ERA, could earn another promotion by August according to GM Neal Huntington. Morris was one of the main pieces the Pirates received in the Jason Bay trade in July of '08.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) points out that three former Yankees set-up men have been released in the last 24 hours: Chad Gaudin, Edwar Ramirez, and Brian Bruney.
- Nats pitching coach Steve McCatty says that the club has not yet determined Drew Storen's role and that they will "ease him in", tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com writes that Mets GM Omar Minaya will accompany the team on their trip to Atlanta, though a team official insists that he will be there just to lend support.
Mets Have Payroll For Pitching, Not For Pedro
The Mets have the payroll flexibility to add another starter if they remain in contention, sources tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. However, a person with direct knowledge of the Mets' thinking says that the team has no interest in bringing Pedro Martinez back to Queens.
Mets officials recognize that the rotation is the area most in need of out-of-house reinforcement. Though the club's offense has been less than stellar, the front office believes that things will pick up upon Carlos Beltran's return.
Martino writes that the Mets have been in contact with several teams about pitching, though he classified those conversations as "preliminary". He notes that trade talks do not usually heat up until June and therefore it is too early to gauge the Amazins' chances of landing a big-name pitcher such as Roy Oswalt. Earlier this week, it was reported that the $33MM that remains on Oswalt's contract might prevent the Mets from dealing for him.
When GMs do begin calling each other more frequently, the Mets may find that they do not have the trade chips to land the type of hurler they desire. Top prospects Ike Davis and Jenrry Mejia are now major leaguers and Fernando Martinez is on the Triple-A disabled list.
Rangers Inquire On Pierzynski
The Rangers have inquired about the availability of White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, a source tells Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Over the weekend, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports identified the veteran backstop as a trade candidate.
The 2010 season has not been kind to Pierzynski, who has a slash line of .198/.254/.292 with 2 HRs in 115 plate appearances. The two-time All-Star is one of six starting position players on the White Sox with a batting average south of .250.
Pierzynski, 33, will have the right to veto any trade in four weeks. Gonzales writes that a lengthy delay in the sale of the Rangers has raised the question of whether the club could take on the remainder of the catcher's 2010 salary. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, Pierzynski is set to earn a base salary of $6.25MM for this season with incentives that could tack on another $580K.
Acquiring Pierzynski would give Texas an experienced starter behind the plate. To date, they have not found a reliable everyday option in Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Max Ramirez, Taylor Teagarden, or Matt Treanor.
Week In Review: 5/9/10 – 5/15/10
Let's take our weekly look back at the last seven days here on MLBTR:
- Pat Burrell's time in Tampa Bay seems to have finally run out. After a disappointing 2009 and a slow start in 2010, he was designated for assignment by the Rays, who called up Hank Blalock in his place. Burrell's two-year, $16MM contract may have seemed reasonable at the time, given the club's 2008 struggles with left-handed pitching, but hindsight is always 20/20. Here's a look at what could be in store for the former #1 overall pick.
- Several other players were designated for assignment this week as well. The Nationals DFA'ed Willy Taveras, and the A's designated Edwar Ramirez for assignment to make room for Jack Cust. Josh Rupe was DFA'ed by the Royals and cleared waivers.
- Frank Catalanotto was designated for assignment by the Mets, and now seems likely to retire. If he does retire, Catalnotto will finish up his career with a .291/.357/.445 line over 14 seasons having earned a little more than $21.4MM according to Baseball Reference. Not bad Frank… not bad at all.
- The Indians released their 2004 third-round pick Scott Lewis, despite some strong numbers in Triple-A from the left-hander this season. The Rockies released Tim Redding, who was soon signed by the Yankees. I'm thinking if Redding can still find work, Lewis will see another opportunity as well.
- Other minor moves this week included the White Sox signing veteran lefty Alan Embree, and Doug Mientkiewicz opting out of his minor league contract with the Marlins.
- It was a rough week for Ken Griffey Jr., following the stories that he may have been sleeping in the clubhouse during a potential pinch hitting appearance. Much has been made of Griffey's struggles this season, including speculation that he could be released soon. If you ask Griffey though, he's not headed for retirement just yet.
- The Royals fired manager Trey Hillman this week, after the skipper had failed to achieve success over his two-plus seasons in Kansas City. The Royals were 55 games under .500 during Hillman's tenure in Kansas City, though it's not as if he had much to work with. Ned Yost will take over as the club's manager.
- One name to watch for on this season's trade market will be Roy Oswalt. The 32-year-old Astro ace has said that he's open to being traded this summer if Houston needs to rebuild.
- MLBTR's Mike Axisa began looking at a few of the big names we'll see in this year's draft, starting with Drew Pomeranz and Yasmani Grandal.
- Updates to the 2011 Contract Issues series included the Yankees, Twins, and White Sox.
Possible Destinations: Kelly Johnson
Earlier today, Nick Cafardo speculated that Arizona could have to consider trading someone like Kelly Johnson in order to boost its dreadful bullpen. The D'Backs entered today dead last in baseball with a 7.42 bullpen ERA, and the six earned runs it surrendered aren't helping.
Johnson was signed to a one-year, $2.35MM deal this offseason after being non-tendered by the Braves. Apparently, the desert air has rejuvenated the once-productive second baseman. If chicks really do dig the long ball, it's safe to say Johnson is Arizona's newest heartthrob. He entered today hitting .279/.361/.628, having already crushed 11 round-trippers on the season. Even more enticing than his affordable salary and big-time production may be that Johnson has one year of arbitration left, meaning any new team could control him for the 2011 campaign as well.
The Diamondbacks entered today 7.5 games out of first, and after Dan Haren's pummeling at the hands of the Braves, they find themselves down 13-1 as I write this post. Simply put, things aren't pretty in Arizona this season. If they do look to move Johnson, let's speculate as to where he could end up:
- Detroit: The Tigers have the lowest bullpen ERA of any team in baseball, thanks to their signing of Jose Valverde and the resurgence of Joel Zumaya. They also just demoted second base prospect Scott Sizemore back to Triple-A after Sizemore posted a line of .206/.297/.289 through his first 115 plate appearances. An upgrade at second base would be a huge boost to the TIgers, who sit just one game back of the Twins in the AL Central.
- San Diego: If the two don't mind dealing within their own division, there's a match between the needs. The Padres are in first place in the NL West, but have mustered just a .663 OPS from their second basemen so far this offseason. David Eckstein has seen most of the time there, but could be shifted to shortstop as an upgrade over Everth Cabrera's .211/.273/.282 line this season or simply to a utility role. With just 4.16 runs per game and a mere 27 home runs on the season, an offensive upgrade would help San Diego, who also happens to own a sparkling 2.70 bullpen ERA.
- St. Louis: The Cardinals can be none too pleased with Skip Schumaker's .589 OPS on the season. His .261 BABIP and increased line drive rate likely point to bad luck as the source more than anything else, but if his numbers can't correct themselves, the Cardinals could consider dipping into a relief corps that's produced a 2.85 ERA to help them keep up with the Reds in the NL Central.
What other destinations would make sense for the Arizona masher, and what's a reasonable price to pay for 1.5 years of the resurgent second-bagger? Should clubs be wary of his new hitting-friendly environment, or is Johnson's warpath so far legitimate? Keep in mind that the Diamondbacks could simply elect to hang onto Johnson, but it's hard to argue that now is a good time to sell high.
Odds & Ends: Storen, Duchscherer, Johnson
Links for Sunday, as we wait to see if the Dodgers can extend their six-game winning streak….
- Ken Rosenthal writes that the Nationals promoted the 10th overall pick from the 2009 draft, Drew Storen, today. Storen had annihilated minor league hitters across two levels this season.
- Ozzie Guillen understands the reasoning behind GM Kenny Williams' recent public confirmation that he's losing patience with his ballclub, writes Ken Falkoff on MLB.com.
- Two players signed to one-year deals, Justin Duchscherer and Nick Johnson, could require surgeries that would sideline them for most or all of this season. MLB.com's Jane Lee and Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork have the details.
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com tweets that Willy Taveras may not accept a minor league assignment if he clears waivers. Taveras was DFA'd by the Nationals last night.
- Luis Ayala has exercised the opt-out clause in his contract, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). The Dodgers will have to add Ayala to their 25-man roster by Monday afternoon or release him.
- Earlier in the week, MLB.com's Chris Haft floated the idea of the Giants moving Aubrey Huff to left field to make room at first base for Buster Posey. According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Huff is open to the idea and thinks Posey would do well at first base.
- Speaking of Posey, John Sickels asks who you'd rather have: the Giants' prospect or Carlos Santana of the Indians.
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes details the Indians' changing draft strategy, and fields readers' Tribe-related questions in a mailbag.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette lists the top ten best investments made by the Pirates' current regime.