Archives for April 2011

Regular MLBTR Features

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | April 10, 2011 at 10:44pm CDT

If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:

MLBTR Chats – Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the major leagues.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In – Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
Week In Review – It's amazing how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
MLBTR Originals – We gather all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.

Quick Hits: Buchholz, Ishikawa, Tabata, Rivera

By Luke Adams 2 | April 10, 2011 at 9:57pm CDT

Rounding up Sunday's links, as Andre Ethier celebrates his 29th birthday….

Jon Lester told WEEI.com's Rob Bradford that he didn't talk to Clay Buchholz about the pros and cons of signing a long-term extension before the right-hander inked a four-year pact today.
Travis Ishikawa admitted he hoped another team would claim him when he was placed on waivers earlier this season, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft. However, now he says he's glad he's still with the Giants organization and is excited to stay on the West Coast, playing for Triple-A Fresno.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks back at the trade that sent Xavier Nady to the Yankees. Kovacevic argues that even if three of the four players the Pirates received for Nady don't work out, Jose Tabata alone makes it a steal for Pittsburgh.
Juan Rivera isn't off to a good start with his new team, as Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun writes. The Blue Jays are reportedly interested in trading Rivera, but his performance so far likely isn't helping draw any interest.
The Indians will have some roster shuffling to do when injured players return, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who also addresses trade possibilites in a Tribe mailbag.
Nationals infielder Alex Cora should make a good manager someday, says MLB.com's Marty Noble.

MLBTR Originals: 4/3/11 – 4/10/11

By Mike Axisa | April 10, 2011 at 8:24pm CDT

The offseason hot stove has cooled down as teams evaluate their needs early in the season, but we're still providing plenty of content here at MLBTR. Here's recap of our original posts from the last seven days…

Tim Dierkes spoke to several executives and agents about what Vernon Wells would have gotten as a free agent this past offseason while Ben Nicholson-Smith spoke to Rockies' senior director of international scouting Rolando Fernandez about how the team has constructed its rotation.
Tim also listed next offseason's best available starters, and Ben listed some players that may qualify as Super Twos after the season as well as some that could just miss the cutoff.
Several players could be in line for major arbitration raises after the season, and the free agent second base market has changed dramatically over the last few months.
Ben looked at when sellers start selling and revisited both the Brandon Phillips trade and the Jason Hammel trade. Josh Beckett's extension also came up, as did some sophomore pitchers that are candidates for long-term deals.
I listed the $100MM+ contracts that have already been completed, and also listed how each team acquired their current closer.
We looked at a number of young players that are candidates for long-term contract extensions, including Gio Gonzalez of the Athletics, Starlin Castro of the Cubs, Tim Lincecum of the Giants, and David Price of the Rays.
Russell Branyan of the Diamondbacks, Erik Bedard of the Mariners, and Jeremy Guthrie of the Orioles were looked at as trade candidates.
The offseason in review series continued with the Rangers, Nationals, Royals, Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Cardinals.
This week's poll question asked if you think Manny Ramirez deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
I rounded up the best the blogosphere had to offer in this week's Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
Howard Megdal reviewed some early-season managerial changes.
This week's chat transcript can be found here.
Don't forget about our team Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds.

Week In Review: 4/3/11 – 4/10/11

By Mike Axisa | April 10, 2011 at 6:58pm CDT

Time to take a look back at what happened off-the-field during the first full week of the 2011 season…

The biggest story of the week was the sudden retirement of Manny Ramirez. The Rays' DH called it quits after being informed that he tested positive for a banned substance for the second time in his career, choosing to walk away from the game rather than face a potential 100-game suspension. The overwhelming belief is that the second positive test will keep Manny out of the Hall of Fame.
Two young right-handers agreed to long-term contracts this weekend. The Red Sox signed Clay Buchholz to a four-year deal worth $30MM with two club options while the Athletics agreed to terms on an extension with Trevor Cahill. It's unknown how many years and how much money Cahill will receive at this time. David Price said he'd be open to a long-term deal with the Rays.
Pedro Martinez didn't pitch at all last year, but he recently said he's looking to return to help a team get to the World Series. The Red Sox have a leg up on other teams if they choose to pursue their former ace. Ian Snell may return as well.
The Orioles are among the teams looking to add rotation depth. They're without Brian Matusz and Justin Duchscherer due to injury, and currently have prospect Zach Britton pitching well every fifth day.
Dennys Reyes' tenure with the Red Sox lasted barely a week; he was designated for assignment on Friday. The White Sox designated Lastings Milledge for assignment after just two games played, and the Brewers DFA'd Dan Merklinger.
The Yankees added some pitching depth by signing Carlos Silva to a minor league contract. The Cubs brought Ramon Ortiz aboard, and the Rangers did the same with Manny Corpas, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
The other minor league contracts signed this week: Ron Mahay to the Diamondbacks, Doug Mathis to the Giants, Dan Meyer to the Pirates, and Jeff Suppan to the Royals. The Dodgers may guarantee Tim Redding's contract.
The Rangers are close to adding 23-year-old Cuban outfielder Loen'ys Martin on a contract that could exceed $12MM. The Angels added 20-year-old pitching prospect Nataneal Rodriguez for $180K.
The Pirates released Craig Hansen, a former first round pick that was part of the Manny trade in 2008. The Rockies cut ties with Greg Smith, who was part of the first Matt Holliday trade.
Among the players that cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A last week: Manny Acosta (Mets), Mike Ekstrom (Rays), Mark Wagner (Red Sox), Jon Link (Dodgers), John Lindsey (Dodgers), Travis Ishikawa (Giants), Lucas May (Royals), Ryan Rowland-Smith (Astros), and Merklinger. Texas claimed Ramon Aguero off waivers from the Pirates.

Trade Candidate: Jeremy Guthrie

By Mike Axisa | April 10, 2011 at 5:56pm CDT

Buck Showalter's Orioles are off to a roaring start this year, winning six of their first nine games and sitting atop the AL East for the first week-and-a-half of the season. The start has been fueled by pitching, as the O's boast a 3.33 ERA and have held their opponents to one run or less in five of nine games.

The leader of the pitching staff is veteran Jeremy Guthrie, who started on Opening Day for the third time in four years. He shut out the Rays over eight innings in that game, then returned from a brief bout with pneumonia to hold the high-octane Rangers' offense to one run over six innings this afternoon. Since Showalter came aboard last year, Guthrie owns a 2.76 ERA in 13 starts (91 1/3 innings).

At 32 years old however, Guthrie might not be in Baltimore's long-term plans. Back in February we heard that they may have already "ruled out an extension" for the right-hander, who is under team control in 2012 as an arbitration-eligible player before being hitting the open market after the season. He'll earn $5.75MM this season, a bargain even if he pitches to his 4.11 career ERA the rest of the season.

If made available, there would certainly be plenty of teams looking to acquire an AL East battle-tested right-hander they could control for another season. Guthrie has also proven to be durable, throwing 200 innings in each of the last two years and at least 170 in each of the last four. The Yankees would surely be in the mix, and we know the Rangers have scouted Guthrie in the past. The Tigers, Red Sox, Rockies, Cardinals … it wouldn't be a surprise to see any or all of those clubs having interest as well.

The Orioles have already received a tremendous return on their investment, acquiring Guthrie off waivers from the Indians back in January 2007 and paying him less than $5MM since. We know they're looking to add rotation depth right now, not subtract it, but if they slide back in the race as the season progresses, it could be time to cash in further and turn the righty into several young players via trade.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Red Sox Extend Clay Buchholz

By Mike Axisa | April 10, 2011 at 5:08pm CDT

5:08pm: Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com has the breakdown (on Twitter). Buchholz will earn $3.5MM in 2012, $5.5MM in 2013, $7.7MM in 2014, and $12MM in 2015. The two club options are worth $13MM and $13.5MM respectively.

3:45pm: The Red Sox announced that they have signed Clay Buchholz to a four-year contract extension in a press release. The deal is worth $29.945MM with a pair of club options, making it comparable to the contract signed by teammate Jon Lester a few years ago. Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at Buchholz as an extension candidate back in September.

Boston bought out all three of Buchholz's arbitration-eligible years plus one year of free agency with the contract. The club options cover two more free agent years, and the Red Sox saved approximately $1.6MM against the luxury tax by announcing the deal after the season started. Yovani Gallardo and Ricky Romero are two other young pitchers that have signed similar contracts in recent years.

Buchholz, 26, broke out in a big way last season, pitching to a 2.33 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 173 2/3 innings (28 starts). He earned his first All-Star Game nod and finished sixth in the Cy Young Award voting thanks to the second lowest ERA in the AL. Fielding independent pitching metrics say he wasn't quite that good as that ERA indicates, but a 3.61 FIP is certainly impressive on its own.

Lester's deal has proven to be a tremendous bargain for Boston so far, which is the level of success the Sox hope to achieve with Buchholz's deal. Boston now has five starting pitchers under contract through 2012 and four under contract through 2013.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports originally reported the agreement (Twitter links) while Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston (on Twitter) and WEEI.com's Rob Bradford and Alex Speier added details.

Mets Designate Blaine Boyer For Assignment

By Mike Axisa | April 10, 2011 at 4:55pm CDT

The Mets have designated Blaine Boyer for assignment according to Peter Botte of The New York Daily News (on Twitter). The team also sent down outfielder Lucas Duda and recalled right-handers Ryota Igarashi and Jason Isringhausen.

Boyer, 29, beat out Izzy for the final spot in the Mets' bullpen in camp but failed to impress. He pitched to a 7.71 ERA and a 2.14 WHIP in 4 2/3 innings, and that was before his four run, two inning outing this afternoon. Isringhausen agreed to remain with the team in Extended Spring Training before the season started.

Cubs Sign Ramon Ortiz

By Mike Axisa | April 10, 2011 at 1:48pm CDT

The Cubs have signed Ramon Ortiz to a minor league contract according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. The right-hander will report to the team's Triple-A affiliate and make his first start Monday night.

Ortiz, 38, threw 30 innings for the Dodgers last year (6.30 ERA), his first big league action since 2007. He was designated for assignment in late-May, then moved on to the minor league systems of the Mets and Rays. Ortiz owns a 4.93 ERA in a big league career that has spanned parts of ten seasons, though it's been almost seven years since he was last a viable MLB starter.

The Cubs are a little thin on pitching at the moment with Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells on the disabled list.

Extension Candidate: Gio Gonzalez

By Luke Adams 2 | April 10, 2011 at 11:38am CDT

Now that the Athletics and Trevor Cahill have reportedly agreed to a multiyear deal, young players like Daric Barton, Gio Gonzalez, and Andrew Bailey could be next in line for extensions, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes previewed a Barton extension last month, so let's have a look at what it might take to lock up Gonzalez, another key member of the A's rotation.

As I wrote last fall when I examined the possibility of a new contract for Cahill, Billy Beane and the A's have an extensive history of signing young pitchers to multiyear deals rather than going to arbitration. MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows that Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, Rich Harden, Dan Haren, and Brett Anderson all inked contracts for at least four years early in their careers. When dealing with their top arms, the A's appear to believe the opportunity to save a few million dollars by avoiding arb is worth the risk of injury or regression. With Anderson already locked up, and Cahill on the verge, Gonzalez might be next.

One could argue, based on his excellent 2010 campaign, that the Oakland southpaw belongs in the same discussion as Jon Lester, Yovani Gallardo, and Ricky Romero, who each signed five-year deals worth approximately $30MM. However, due to some struggles in his first two years with the A's (6.24 ERA in 132 2/3 IP), Gonzalez's career ratios, such as a 4.29 ERA and 4.7 BB/9, don't compare well to the numbers those pitchers had posted when they signed.

Of course, while Gonzalez's career stats give the A's some leverage in negotiations, time is not on the club's side. Off to a fast start in 2011, the 25-year-old seems only to be getting better, which means his value could continue to rise throughout the season if the A's wait on a deal. Additionally, Gonzalez is set to become a Super Two player, meaning 2012 will be the first of four, rather than three, arbitration years.

Gonzalez's career totals may slightly hurt his bottom line on a potential extension, but his recent performance will ensure he won't come cheap. Once the figures for Cahill's deal surface, we should get a better idea of what sort of dollar amount it would take to secure Gonzalez's arb seasons. If the ACES client stays healthy and continue to improve, he could eventually earn more than $25MM through arbitration, so I'd expect the A's to explore something in the neighborhood of $20MM for those four years.

Olney On Yankees, Rays, Manny

By Luke Adams 2 | April 10, 2011 at 10:15am CDT

Zach Britton certainly hasn't been surrounded by as much hype as Stephen Strasburg was last year, but, like the Nationals' youngster, Britton is "must-see TV," according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link). In today's Insider-only blog, Olney says the Orioles lefty looks like the best of 2011's rookie class so far this year. Here are some other items of interest from the piece:

The Yankees are trying to get 20 to 35 starts from their fourth and fifth spots in the rotation, before the trade market really takes shape. At that point, the team could try to pursue an arm like Brett Myers or James Shields, if they're available.
Olney is hearing from clubs that they will now "warily approach" making any trades with the Rays, who are considered a "savvy organization." While it's too early for the Cubs to worry about offseason acquisition Matt Garza, particularly given his impressive strikeout rate, the right-hander isn't happy with his first two starts.
Olney agrees with Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times, who says that the Rays and their fans are the ones who Manny Ramirez's retirement hits the hardest. Not only will the Tampa fans miss out on watching Manny, but continued struggles by the team could result in key players being placed on the trade block.

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