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Archives for May 2011

Minor Deals: Padres, Rays, Oxspring

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The big off-field news in baseball continues to revolve around Mets owner Fred Wilpon and his comments about his club. But there’s some minor news to pass along as well. Here it is: 

  • Instead of a player to be named later, the Padres will obtain cash considerations from the Rays to complete the winter trade that sent Jason Bartlett to San Diego, according to MLB.com’s Corey Brock (on Twitter).
  • The Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, released Chris Oxspring, according to MLB.com’s Jason Beck (on Twitter). Oxspring, a 34-year-old native of Australia, appeared in five games for the 2005 Padres, but has not pitched in the big leagues since. He posted a 6.53 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 20 2/3 innings with Toledo this year.

Mets Notes: Rodriguez, Beltran, Wheeler

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Mets owner Fred Wilpon offered some revealing comments about his players and his finances in recent interviews with the New Yorker and Sports Illustrated. Here’s the latest on the Mets, including more fallout from Wilpon’s words:

  • Carlos Beltran told Newsday’s David Lennon that he’s not an incomplete player, as Wilpon suggested (Twitter link). "I'm not 65 or 70 percent,” Beltran said. “I'm 100 percent."
  • Mets ownership has chosen a preferred bidder to buy a minority stake in the team, according to Josh Kosman and Lenn Robbins of the New York Post. The Mets are in advanced talks with a group led by former commodities trader Ray Bartoszek and investor Anthony Lanza, according to the Post.
  • The Mets' front office has not yet provided manager Terry Collins with guidelines for using Francisco Rodriguez, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. If the closer finishes 55 games, a $17.5MM option vests for 2012, something the Mets would surely like to avoid.
  • Sherman can only see a team trading for Rodriguez as a setup man or part-time closer.
  • Giants prospect Zack Wheeler told Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group that he’s happy in the Giants organization, but finds it flattering to hear himself mentioned as possible trade bait for players like Jose Reyes. "It is a compliment, but also you're with a really good franchise right now that treats pitchers really good and they're good at developing pitchers," Wheeler said. 

Justin Germano Clears Waivers

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TUESDAY: Germano cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (on Twitter).

THURSDAY: The Indians announced that they have designated right-hander Justin Germano for assignment to create roster space for infielder Luis Valbuena.

Germano, 28, had pitched 12 2/3 innings of relief this year with as many walks as strikeouts (5) and a 5.68 ERA. Since debuting with the 2004 Padres, Germano has logged 253 MLB innings and posted a 5.02 ERA with 5.4 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 48% ground ball rate.

Valbuena has been a regular presence in the Indians' lineup since they acquired him before the 2009 season. The 25-year-old has a lifetime .227/.289/.348 line in 762 MLB plate appearances and has a .270/.323/.461 line at Triple-A Columbus this year.

Stark On Pence, Phillies, Braves

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Of all the teams in baseball, the 18-30 Astros are likeliest to become sellers this summer, in the eyes of ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Yet Stark suggests there may be a shortage of sellers, since so many teams are within striking distance of a playoff berth. Here are the details, as the summer trade market starts to take shape:

  • Houston GM Ed Wade says it makes sense to explore “anything that builds the type of depth that will get us where we need to be."
  • Rival teams believe Wade would listen to offers for players like Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Clint Barmes and Bill Hall, but the GM says he’s “going to be very protective of [Houston’s] younger players."
  • Stark hears that the Braves, Orioles and Phillies have some interest in Hunter Pence. A rival executive says Wade would need an immense haul to justify trading Pence, who is under team control through 2013.
  • The Phillies’ interest in Pence may be overstated. Pence’s $6.9MM salary appears to be about double what Philadelphia can add and at this point, the Phils are just creating a shopping list of possible targets.
  • The Braves are “actively stepping up” their search for hitting. They’ve been looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder and would also like a utility infielder who can handle shortstop. They signed longtime shortstop Julio Lugo yesterday.

Marlins Designate Jay Buente For Assignment

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The Marlins designated righty Jay Buente for assignment to open a spot on the 25-man roster for Steve Cishek, tweets Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.  The move leaves the Marlins with 39 players on the 40-man roster.

Buente, 27, posted a 1.94 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 0.2 HR/9 in 41 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, including five starts.  He spent most of 2010 in relief, posting a 10.0 K/9 across three levels.  Buente was a fifth-round pick of the Marlins in 2007.

Hideki Okajima Clears Waivers

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Red Sox lefty Hideki Okajima cleared waivers and accepted a Triple-A assignment, tweets Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.  Okajima had been designated for assignment on Thursday to clear a spot for Franklin Morales.

As WEEI's Alex Speier noted four days ago, Okajima has had a rough year but does not regret re-signing with the Red Sox in January.

Alex Cintron Retires

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Infielder Alex Cintron has retired, tweets Padres Triple-A broadcaster Tim Hagerty.  Cintron had signed a minor league deal with the Padres earlier this month after a brief stint in the Nationals organization.

Cintron, 32, finishes with a .275/.313/.394 line in 2,217 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Orioles, and Nationals.  He played shortstop, second base, and third base.  Cintron's best season was with the 2003 D'Backs, when he hit .317/.359/.489 with 13 home runs.  The Puerto Rico native earned over $4MM in his big league career, according to Baseball Reference.     

Dan Johnson Clears Waivers

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TUESDAY: Johnson cleared waivers and accepted a Triple-A assignment, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.

FRIDAY: The Rays have designated Dan Johnson for assignment according to a team press release. Rob Delaney was also optioned to Triple-A, and the moves free up roster spots for Justin Ruggiano and J.P. Howell.

Johnson, 31, hit just .115/.179/.167 in 84 plate appearances this year. Though his left-handed bat seemed serviceable, Johnson lost his starting job and has only appeared in six games this month. The Rays signed Johnson before the 2010 season and saw him post a .343 OBP with seven homers in 140 plate appearances despite a .198 batting average.

Fred Wilpon On Payroll, Reyes, Beltran, Minaya

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Fred Wilpon's media blitz was actually a two-part plan.  Jeffrey Toobin's article in The New Yorker was the big story Monday morning, mainly because the Mets owner was so candid about his players and team.  As informative as that article was, SI's Tom Verducci has more from an interview conducted with Wilpon last week.

  • The Mets are "bleeding cash," possibly $70MM this year according to Wilpon.
  • Wilpon talked about investing $100MM properly, an indication that the 2012 payroll may drop about 30% to that level.  This isn't a surprise; I wrote on May 2nd that a $100MM payroll next year would still give GM Sandy Alderson around $20MM to play with before accounting for minimum salary players.  So while Wilpon confirmed that the Mets are not likely to reinvest the money coming off the payroll after the season, it would have been nice if someone asked him how they'd handle a potential $10MM+ saved if veterans are traded during the season.
  • Verducci says the Mets "have studied the success of the Boston Red Sox in letting top veterans play out their contracts and taking the compensatory draft picks," and would only trade Jose Reyes if they receive a first-round type talent who is close to the Majors, similar to when the Athletics acquired Brett Wallace for Matt Holliday.  Does this mean the Mets won't consider trades built around top prospects who are not big league ready, such as the Giants' Zack Wheeler?
  • On the Reyes topic, Wilpon said, "I know there's a great question about whether we can keep the shortstop, so we're preparing for that if that should happen."  He admitted that Carlos Beltran "will be elsewhere" and the Mets hope Fernando Martinez could fill his shoes.  Of Martinez, Wilpon said, "He's fragile, but he can hit."
  • The Mets' new investor will be treated as a partner and will have some say, even though Fred Wilpon will remain the team's designated "control person" and Jeff Wilpon will remain the COO.
  • On former GM Omar Minaya, Wilpon said, "It was painful to see what Omar did to himself. Why did he do that?"  I'm not sure what Wilpon is referring to specifically here.

The Offseason Closer Market

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I've seen some talk about the 2011-12 offseason featuring a strong free agent market for closers.  However, it's possible the strength of this class has been overstated.  Let's take a look.

  • Heath Bell: Bell has yet to allow a home run this year in 17 innings, and he's generally pitching well.  However, he's typically been good for at least a strikeout per inning and this year he's down to 6.3 per nine.  That's come with an increase in groundballs, but if the lack of strikeouts continues it will have to give some teams pause before committing big bucks to a 34-year-old.
  • Jonathan Broxton: Broxton has relative youth on his side, but he lost his closing job again and his numbers are lousy across the board.  He's currently on the DL with an elbow injury and may have to take a one-year deal to rebuild value.
  • Matt Capps: Capps has never been a top-shelf closer.  He's showing fantastic control this year, but otherwise his strikeout rate is dangerously low and he's allowing tons of flyballs (and as you'd expect, home runs).  He's blown four saves already; only one other closer (Craig Kimbrel) has done that without being ousted from the role.
  • Francisco Cordero: Cordero has a $12MM club option the Reds figure to decline, even though the 36-year-old has a 1.77 ERA.  He's improved his typically poor control and added groundballs, but like several other closers it's come at the cost of strikeouts.  In general, teams figure to be reluctant to commit $8MM+ salaries and multiple years to relievers in their mid-30s who don't strike people out.
  • Frank Francisco: Francisco's season began with a DL stint for tightness in his right pectoral muscle and inflammation in his biceps.  That's a concern for a pitcher with a lengthy injury history.  He's got his usual huge strikeout rate, but he's walked eight and allowed four home runs in 12 1/3 innings so far.
  • Ryan Franklin: Four blown saves got him replaced as the Cardinals' closer, and he may not return to that role for any team.
  • Brad Lidge: Lidge has a $12.5MM club option that will surely be declined.  He's rehabbing a shoulder injury and could make his 2011 debut in June.  Lidge probably won't close upon his return, unless something happens to Ryan Madson. 
  • Joe Nathan: Nathan's return from Tommy John surgery has not been smooth sailing, and he's another former great closer certain to have a big club option declined.  So far his customary control has been missing.  Like Broxton and Lidge, he'd do well to take a one-year deal and rack up 40 saves somewhere.
  • Jonathan Papelbon: Quietly, Papelbon is having one of the best statistical seasons of his career.  If he can put 2010 in the rearview, maybe he can challenge Nathan's relief record $47MM contract.
  • Francisco Rodriguez: Though he's on pace, I still can't see the Mets allowing K-Rod's 2011 option for $17.5MM to vest with 55 games finished.  The Mets could eat some salary and trade Rodriguez to a team for which he would not close.  Of course, that team would be taking on a risk in that they might have little recourse but to turn to K-Rod to close if their ninth inning guy falters or gets hurt.  K-Rod still whiffs a batter per inning with questionable control, but this year he boasts the best groundball rate of his career by far.  His average fastball velocity is down to 90.4 miles per hour.
  • Rafael Soriano: Perhaps he's unhappy as a setup man, but there's no way he opts out after a season that included an elbow injury and lousy numbers (so far).  Soriano must choose between $25MM over the 2012-13 seasons or free agency and a $1.5MM buyout.
  • Jose Valverde: His fastball is down a tick, but he is 11-for-11 in save chances.  I imagine the Tigers will exercise his $9MM club option.
  • Kyle Farnsworth:  Farnsworth's customary strikeouts are missing, but he's got a fantastic 62.5% groundball rate.  Did all the closers have a meeting about this?  Farnsworth is fixing his reputation by going nine for ten in save opportunities, and the Rays will probably exercise his $3.3MM option.
  • Ryan Madson:  Thrust into the closer role with Lidge and Jose Contreras unavailable, Madson is nine for nine in save chances and has allowed one run in 19 innings.  His peripherals are strong, including a career-best 62.8% groundball rate.  This Scott Boras client is also mending his reputation and may jockey with Papelbon for the biggest contract for any reliever this winter.
  • Vicente Padilla:  He snagged a couple of save chances with Broxton unavailable, but is back on the DL with pain in his surgically-repaired forearm.  Fun fact: Padilla's Major League debut in 1999 with the Diamondbacks was a save situation, but Greg Vaughn, Barry Larkin, Eddie Taubensee, and Aaron Boone got the best of him.  We'll see whether Padilla can come back strong and remain the Dodgers' closer this year.   

There are strong options here, though we all know the fickle nature of relievers.  This closing class is weaker than expected given the poor pitching of Broxton, Capps, Franklin, and Nathan.  Papelbon and Madson represent the best combinations of age, success, and strikeouts.

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