Odds & Ends: Byrnes, Hu, Giants, Red Sox
Sunday night linkage..
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues (via Twitter) wonders if the recently released Eric Byrnes could be the Yankees' short-term replacement for the injured Curtis Granderson.
- Triple-A shortstop Chin-lung Hu may be promoted if Rafael Furcal lands on the DL, writes Evan Drellich of MLB.com. The Dodgers were reportedly shopping Hu in late March and one has to imagine that they're happy to still have him aboard.
- The Giants' patchwork job on offense may be enough for the club to make a serious run at the NL West title, says Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
- Two players in Boston's farm system who played together for quite a while will be reunited at the Triple-A level, writes Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal.
Mariners Release Eric Byrnes
The Mariners have released Eric Byrnes, according to Larry LaRue of The News Tribune. The veteran outfielder has posted a .443 OPS this season in 34 plate appearances.
The 34-year-old agreed to a one-year deal with Seattle in late January. While Byrnes is earning $11MM in the final year of the three-year pact he signed with the D'Backs, the Mariners are responsible for just $400K of that sum.
Seattle has also made a trio of in-house adjustments, sending Matt Tuiasosopo to Triple-A while promoting Ryan Langerhans and Josh Wilson. All four roster moves have been confirmed by a team press release.
Shannon Drayer of ESPN Radio Seattle (via Twitter) points out that Langerhans and Wilson were not on the 40-man roster, meaning that another move is on the horizon. She later tweeted that the move will not be shifting a player to the 60-day DL and it will likely not involve a player on the 25-man roster (also via Twitter).
Earlier this evening, both Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner and Larry Stone of The Seattle Times predicted that Byrnes' days in Seattle were numbered.
Traded Players’ Slow Starts
Sample size be damned, let's take a look at the players who are off to slow starts after being dealt in the offseason:
- Javier Vazquez: Vazquez has struggled mightily so far in his return to New York. In five starts, the 33-year-old has an ERA of 9.78 with 7.8 K/9 and a ghastly 5.9 BB/9. Something is definitely off with Vazquez, as the velocity on his fastball has dipped from 91.1 mph last season to 88.9 mph this year.
- Melky Cabrera: How about the Braves' end of the trade? The Melk Man is hitting .195/.287/.221 so far in 88 plate appearances. Cabrera has been a great value in years past, but at this rate he won't be worth his reasonable $2.6MM salary for 2010.
- Juan Pierre: It seemed as though the White Sox acquired Pierre from the Dodgers on the cheap this winter, both monetarily and talent-wise. Los Angeles is on the hook for $10.5MM of the $18MM owed to the speedy outfielder in the next two seasons. However, after having one of the best offensive seasons of his career in 2009, Pierre has an OPS of .447.
- Curtis Granderson: Somehow, the Yankees have the third highest winning percentage in the majors and two players on this list. Granderson has a slash line of .225/.311/.375 thus far and will look to boost those numbers when he returns from the DL. Meanwhile, Austin Jackson is doing quite well in Detroit.
- Julio Lugo: I told y'all we'd see Julio again. The right-handed batter is OPSing .274 for the O's this season. However, it should be noted that Lugo has made just 30 plate appearances thus far this season. That's a rather diminutive sample size, even for a month-old season.
- Kevin Kouzmanoff: The A's picked up Kouzmanoff in a deal with the Padres in January. The third baseman has started in 24 of Oakland's 26 games this season and is hitting .245/.284/.319.
What other traded players have struggled thus far in 2010?
Cardinals To Receive Cash For Lugo
The Cardinals will likely choose to receive cash to complete the Julio Lugo trade with Baltimore, GM John Mozeliak told Brian Feldman of ESPN Radio in St. Louis. The Cardinals have a choice between receiving a player to be named later or cash considerations for the veteran infielder.
Feldman opines that this demonstrates the lack of value Lugo really had as spring went along. It's hard to argue with that reasoning. Lugo became expendable when Felipe Lopez fell into their laps at a bargain rate.
The 34-year-old hasn't exactly been mashing for the O's so far this season, as evidenced by his .107/.167/.107 slash line. Something tells me we might see Julio again when we run the "Traded Players' Slow Starts" post later this evening.
Odds & Ends: Royals, Byrnes, Colon, Twins
A few links to browse, as we prepare for the Mets' third consecutive appearance on Sunday Night Baseball….
- R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs weighed in on the Royals' demotion of Alex Gordon.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner (via Twitter) has a gut feeling that the M's will release Eric Byrnes tomorrow. Heading into today's game, Byrnes had a slash line of .107/.265/.179 in 34 plate appearances.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that reports of the Royals selling Ramon Colon to Korea's Kia Tigers appear to be premature. However, the deal for the righty should happen sometime mid-week.
- In a guest piece at Minorleagueball.com, Twins' prospect guru Seth Stohs tells readers about five Twins prospects that you might not know, but probably should.
- ESPN New York's Ian O'Connor spoke with Omar Minaya about several Mets-related issues, including his early impression of Ike Davis and Jerry Manuel's contract status. Minaya offers praise for Manuel, but says he won't be approached about an extension until season's end.
- The New York Post's Joel Sherman writes that the Rays' front office will continue to keep their club competitive, regardless of how many fans are in the stands. He also opines that the presence of Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson in Triple-A Durham gives the team the flexibility to make a trade that would help them both immediately and in the long-term.
- Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times examines how the Dodgers' cost cutting has affected their scouting and player development.
- J.D. Durbin has signed a one-year deal with NPB's Softbank Hawks, according to Kyodo News. The 28-year-old right-hander last pitched in the majors in 2007 for the Phillies.
Traded Players’ Hot Starts
We're one month into the season, and while it's obviously too early to tell which offseason trades will benefit their teams the most, let's take a look at some of the hot starts for players who were traded this offseason:
- Roy Halladay: What more could you expect? Doc's been masterful for the Phils. He's already hurled three complete games and whiffed 39 hitters through 49 innings of 1.47 ERA ball, while walking just four. His 52.2% groundball rate's not too shabby either.
- Austin Jackson: For the time being, A-Jax has Tiger fans saying "Curtis who?" Jackson's 3-for-5 performance today raised his line for the season to .367/.420/.495. He's got 10 extra base hits and has swiped five bags in six tries. His 31.7% K-rate and absurd .514 BABIP entering today's game make him a lock to regress, but he's been everything Detroit has wanted and more so far.
- Kevin Millwood: Acquired by Baltimore for Chris Ray in order to stabilize their rotation, Millwood has been terrific through six starts despite not registering a win. He's fanned 32 batters in 40 innings against just 11 walks, and held batters to a .253 average en route to a tidy 3.15 ERA so far. It's been a tough season for Baltimore, but Millwood's been a bright spot. If he can keep this up, he could reach Type-A status or bring in some prospects at the deadline this summer.
- Carlos Silva: Tough to even fathom mentioning "The Chief" here, but despite a rough start in his last outing, he's gotten the job done. Silva's utilized good control (6 BB through 31 IP) to compile a 2.90 ERA as a key member of the Cubs' rotation thus far. He's even managed a 6.1 K/9, which is significantly higher than his career mark of 3.84.
- Rafael Soriano: After years of questionable ninth-inning solutions, the Rays grabbed a seemingly more solid option when they acquired Soriano. He's registered six saves in six tries this season while posting a 2.45 ERA. Soriano has K'ed nine batters through 11 innings and has helped the Rays to the best record in baseball.
- Adam Rosales: More under-the-radar than the other names on this list, Rosales has hit well in Oakland, posting a line of .323/.375/.462 while appearing at four positions. His versatility and offense have been a welcome addition for A's fans through the season's first month.
We saw our fair share of trades this offseason; who else comes to mind when discussing players who have thrived since being traded?
Week In Review: 4/25/10 – 5/1/10
One month into the season, what's the biggest surprise so far? My vote goes to Alex Gonzalez's eighth home run of the season today. Let's take a look back at the past week:
- Not much debating on this week's top story, as Ryan Howard inked a mammoth five-year, $125MM extension with the Phillies. The deal kicks in after the 2011 season, and will pay Howard $25MM annually until his age 37 season. I've got to side with the majority on this one and say that the contract has me completely baffled. Howard's deal will undoubtedly have some side effects; what will this do to the price tags of Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, and Albert Pujols? Here's some additional reactions.
- Speaking of huge contracts, we heard from Cliff Lee's agent this week that the lefty will likely pursue free agency this offseason. Assuming a healthy season from here on out, Lee would be the top starter on the market, and could sign a deal north of $80MM.
- The Red Sox signed Cuban catcher Adalberto Ibarra to a five-year contract worth $3M guaranteed this week. Already 22 years old, he'll be assigned to the minor leagues, though it's uncertain which level to this point.
- Ike Davis is off to a hot start in New York, and that's got the rumor mill swirling in regards to Daniel Murphy's future with the team. Murphy underwhelmed offensively as a first baseman last season, but he's still just 24 years old.
- Could a market develop for Chris Iannetta? He's fallen out of favor somewhat in Colorado, having been demoted to Triple-A, but it's hard to imagine the Rox would have any difficulty at all finding a taker for the catcher's services. MLBTR's Howard Megdal looked at the situation this week.
- First we heard Billy Wagner say that he would retire at the end of the 2010 season, and he was soon followed by Bengie Molina. Both are mild surprises, though Molina more so, given his younger age and the scarcity of the catching market.
- It was a rough week to be a reliever; we saw the Rockies designate Juan Rincon for assignment, Alan Embree called up and DFA'ed shortly thereafter by Boston, and Merkin Valdez cleared waivers after being DFA'ed by Toronto.
- Minor league transactions this week included the Giants signing Angel Berroa, the Angels claiming Kevin Frandsen on waivers from the Red Sox, and the Cardinals signing Aaron Miles.
- 2011 Contract Issues updates this week included the Rangers, Pirates, Phillies, and Padres.
Agent: Pujols “On An Island By Himself”
Albert Pujols' representation hinted on Friday what their expectations might be for a long-term contract, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Asked about how Ryan Howard's extension would impact Pujols' negotiations, agent Dan Lozano of Beverly Hills Sports Council indicated that Howard's deal wouldn't necessarily be used as a baseline:
"We have to pay attention to any significant multi-year deal, especially one signed by a big first baseman. But the reality is that there are no comparables for Albert. He is on an island by himself."
The 30-year-old slugger said over the winter that he might be willing to give the Cardinals a discount if it helped the team improve, but the Howard deal calls into question what would qualify as a "discount." According to Strauss, rival executives believe the annual value of Pujols' next contract will top Alex Rodriguez's $27.5MM average yearly salary and could approach or exceed $30MM.
Although the Cardinals say they've budgeted a hypothetical Pujols extension into their payroll projections for the next five years, it's unclear exactly what figures they're using. If Pujols receives close to $30MM annually, St. Louis would be paying over $45MM per season to their two stars, Pujols and Matt Holliday. For an organization whose opening day payroll has never exceeded $100MM, that would represent an enormous commitment.
Cafardo’s Latest: Blue Jays, Dunn, Washburn, Dukes
In his column today for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo explores the effect of Arizona's controversial immigration law on baseball. He also shares a few notes from around the league:
- The Blue Jays' huge collection of scouts should have them well-prepared to deal at this year's trade deadline. Cafardo names a slew of players who the Jays could try to move if they're out of playoff contention, noting that the club will "likely listen to anything." The list includes Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Alex Gonzalez, Scott Downs, Jose Bautista, John Buck and Jose Molina.
- Molina has thrown out eight of 11 basestealers so far this year, a statistic that could intrigue the Red Sox. However, Cafardo says the Sox "will never deal for a catcher who is all defense, no offense."
- Cafardo suggests that Adam Dunn would be a good fit at DH for the Red Sox in the post-David Ortiz era.
- Jarrod Washburn's time off this spring has given him a few extra weeks to recover from offseason knee surgery, though now teams will have to assess how long it will take Washburn to be major league ready. According to Cafardo, the Dodgers' pitching issues make them look every day like a better fit for Washburn.
- A source tells Cafardo that Elijah Dukes' rumored deal with the Tabasco Olmecas of the Mexican League fell through after Dukes failed to show up for a reporting date. Cafardo indicates that the 25-year-old could end up spending the year away from baseball.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Adrian, Strasburg, Mets, Zito
Links for Saturday…
- The time Scott Schoeneweis spent with the Brewers in Spring Training likely gave him a leg up on Alan Embree this season, writes Ian Browne of MLB.com. Embree was DFA'd yesterday by the BoSox in order to make room for Daisuke Matsuzaka.
- Dodgers prospect Andrew Lambo was suspended 50 games for his second violation of baseball's drug policy, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Prior to the 2009 season, the outfielder ranked 49th on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list.
- Jim Bowden of XM Radio (via Twitter) spoke to Adrian Gonzalez, who says that he's not looking at Ryan Howard's new contract.
- With a good outing for Double-A Harrisburg tomorrow, the Nats will promote Stephen Strasburg to Triple-A Syracuse, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Mets' Triple-A affiliate cut lefty Travis Blackley loose, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The move will make room for the returning Elmer Dessens.
- ESPN's Buster Olney notes that Barry Zito has reinvented himself this season, and is starting to deliver a little of what the Giants were expecting when they signed him for $126MM.
- Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution doesn't believe the Braves can compete with the lineup as constructed.
- Within this piece, Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle mentions that prior to trading Brad Lidge to the Phillies, the Indians were willing to part with Cliff Lee to obtain the All-Star closer. That was the offseason prior to Lee's breakout Cy Young season.
- In an article for ESPN Boston, Mike Andrews of SoxProspects.com looks at the Red Sox depth and what the backup plans are should any of the regulars get injured.