Archives for May 2011

Potentially Available Relievers

By Tim Dierkes | May 11, 2011 at 10:41am CDT

Decent relievers are always a hot commodity at the trade deadline. The Rangers, Cardinals, Dodgers, Rays, Indians, and Phillies are just a few contenders who might be in the market for bullpen help a few months from now. What will the trade market look like?

The Padres are in good position to sell relievers, with impending free agents Heath Bell and Chad Qualls prime candidates. You also have to wonder if GM Jed Hoyer will consider trading Mike Adams, who is under control through '12 but will see his salary jump next year.
If he's healthy, Arizona's Aaron Heilman probably could be acquired easily. Closer J.J. Putz would be tougher to get, but GM Kevin Towers will probably listen.
Should the Cubs fall out of contention, they'd probably move lefty John Grabow just for a little salary relief. Kerry Wood would make sense too, though he has strong ties to Chicago and took less to sign with the Cubs. Similarly, the Brewers could part with veterans LaTroy Hawkins and Takashi Saito if they're not contending in July.
If the Pirates receive good offers for Joel Hanrahan, Chris Resop, Jose Veras, or Joe Beimel, will they hold off in the name of finishing above .500? My guess is that Neal Huntington will keep a very open mind.
The Mets have much to offer. Taylor Buchholz, who is under team control through next year, has been excellent. Veterans Francisco Rodriguez, Jason Isringhausen, and Tim Byrdak should be available as well. The problem with K-Rod: his $17.5MM option for next year vests with 43 more games finished.
If the Twins' struggles continue, they could save money by trading Matt Capps and/or Joe Nathan. Teams seeking more than a rental could ask about lefties Glen Perkins and Jose Mijares. The White Sox have gotten disappointing results from Will Ohman, Tony Pena, and Matt Thornton, but probably prefer to keep Thornton around for the future.
I don't see why the Orioles wouldn't offer up most of their veteran relievers, as Koji Uehara, Mike Gonzalez, and Kevin Gregg could hold appeal. Gonzalez and Gregg would involve taking on big salaries, however.
Toronto's pen ranks third in the AL with a 3.04 ERA, and they've got enticing veterans galore. Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch, Jason Frasor, Shawn Camp, Carlos Villanueva, and Casey Janssen are pitching well; Octavio Dotel not so much. Most Jays relievers can be controlled for 2012 or beyond, which could be viewed as both a reason to keep them and a reason they'll have extra appeal as trade targets.
Todd Coffey, Brandon League, Jose Valverde, Jonathan Broxton, Mike MacDougal, and Vicente Padilla could also become available depending on their teams' circumstances.

NL Central Links: All Six Teams

By Tim Dierkes | May 11, 2011 at 9:14am CDT

The Cardinals lead the NL Central by one game over the Reds. A link for each of the six teams:

The $680MM deal to sell the Astros to Jim Crane's group "could be completed as early as next week," report Zachary Levine and Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. Ownership of the club could be tranferred to Crane "as early as July," they write. Crane is believed to prefer having an agreement in place before the June 6th draft, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Pirates reliever Jose Ascanio's rehab period ends today, reports Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the team must decide whether to add the out of options righty to the 25-man roster or risk losing him to another team. The 26-year-old has been battling shoulder and elbow injuries, but MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch wrote Monday that adding him to the big league bullpen is the most likely move.
You read yesterday about the hug heard 'round the Midwest, as Cubs GM Jim Hendry embraced Albert Pujols before the game at Wrigley. The hug means next to nothing; as CSN's Patrick Mooney points out, Hendry has tons of connections throughout the industry. Still, it can't hurt to note that Cubs owner Tom Ricketts shook hands with the free agent to be as well.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has begun an "open-ended convalescence" in the words of Joe Strauss' source, as he recovers from shingles. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter says La Russa "will miss the rest of the team's current road trip and perhaps significantly more time."
Despite allowing five runs and nine hits in six innings, Brewers offseason acquisition Shaun Marcum picked up his fourth win yesterday. Marcum is showing no ill effects from his springtime shoulder stiffness; his 4.17 K/BB ratio ranks sixth in the NL. With a strong season I can see him getting close to $10MM for 2012, his final arbitration year.
Aroldis Chapman won't be sent to the minors to work out his issues, Reds manager Dusty Baker told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The hard-throwing lefty has allowed at least one run and two walks in each of his last three appearances.

Mets Unlikely To Trade Reyes And Re-Sign Him

By Tim Dierkes | May 11, 2011 at 7:45am CDT

Dreaming up scenarios where the Mets cash in shortstop Jose Reyes for top prospects this summer and then re-sign him after the season? "I think that's unlikely," GM Sandy Alderson told Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. Alderson noted that such examples are rare, if not unprecedented.

Additionally, Alderson hammered home another important point: in general, trade talks don't get serious until June, and major trades are most likely to happen in July. Realistically, a Reyes trade would probably occur over two months from now, and a lot can happen during that time.

If the Mets decide to try to re-sign Reyes – a big if – Costa says waiting until after the season "is a risk they appear willing to take." Reyes, 27, is hitting .318/.365/.490 in 171 plate appearances this year. If that holds up, he figures to top $100MM on the open market.

2012 Contract Issues: Colorado Rockies

By Tim Dierkes | May 11, 2011 at 7:31am CDT

The Rockies are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series. Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:

Eligible For Free Agency (3)

The Rockies don't have any crucial players eligible for free agency after the season. Jose Lopez is the closest to a regular, but he's been terrible this year.
Role players Jason Giambi and Alfredo Amezaga are also eligible for free agency.

Contract Options (1)

Aaron Cook: $11MM mutual option with a $500K buyout. Cook is rehabbing from a shoulder injury and a broken finger. The Rockies won't be exercising their side of this option.

Arbitration Eligible (6)

First time: Seth Smith, Dexter Fowler, Franklin Morales
Second time: Ian Stewart, Felipe Paulino
Third time: Ryan Spilborghs

The Rockies' arbitration class lacks intrigue as well. Smith and Fowler may have emerged as quality regulars, but they don't have robust career numbers and won't be paid a ton. Stewart, Spilborghs, and Paulino have struggled mightily in the early going, so they'll be eyeing the non-tender deadline with trepidation.

2012 Payroll Obligation

The Rockies' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $65.284MM. This club is all about cost certainty. We can throw in $6MM for first-timers Smith, Fowler, and Morales to get to the $71MM range, about $11MM short of this year's payroll. One thing I haven't mentioned in these posts is that minimum-salary players require millions of dollars too, and they're not factored into these rough calculations. At any rate, even if they let Stewart, Spilborghs, and Paulino go, the Rockies don't project to have much money to work with if they hold payroll steady. That might be fine, because they have players they can pencil in at every spot.

Latest On McCourt’s Clash With MLB

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 10, 2011 at 10:40pm CDT

The 16-20 Dodgers are in fourth place in the NL West, but that's the least of Frank McCourt's worries. The Dodgers owner is in the midst of a clash with MLB over control of his team; here's the latest:

A Dodgers attorney argued today that McCourt faces “discriminatory and unfair treatment through a process designed to reach a predetermined outcome,” according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown. Former Padres president Dick Freeman was initially appointed as an assistant for monitor Tom Schieffer, even though Freeman had worked for Jamie McCourt, Frank's ex-wife. Commissioner Bud Selig has since ordered that Freeman be removed from the assignment.
MLB is preparing for the possibility that McCourt could take the Dodgers into bankruptcy court, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Bankruptcy could provide McCourt with what he needs to allow him to retain control of the Dodgers for the time being, according to experts who spoke with the Times.

A’s Young Starters Basically Untouchable

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 10, 2011 at 9:58pm CDT

The A's will explore ways of upgrading their roster this season, but the youngest members of their rotation are 'basically untouchable,' according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Tyson Ross are likely staying put this summer, Olney reports.

Dallas Braden, now on the 15-day DL and Brandon McCarthy round out Oakland's rotation, which could be a constant for years to come. The A's have Anderson and Cahill under team control through 2015 and 2017, respectively. Ross isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season, Gonzalez isn't eligible until after 2015 and Braden is under team control for 2012-13.

A's starters are first in the majors in ERA (2.59), second in innings pitched (236) and third in BB/9 (2.48) and xFIP (3.29). The early results are good and it wouldn't be hard to argue that Gonzalez (25), Ross (24), Cahill (23) and Anderson (23) have yet to reach their prime.

MLBTR's Luke Adams recently looked at Gonzalez as an extension candidate and I explained why the A's may choose to go year-to-year with Gonzalez and Braden instead of extending the left-handers.

Quick Hits: Indians, Mariners, Orioles

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 10, 2011 at 9:28pm CDT

Another round of links after a memorable duel between Cy Young candidates Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson in Miami…

Indians manager Manny Acta told Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com that he doesn’t hold anything against the people who predicted that the Indians would finish at the bottom of the AL Central standings (Twitter link). "The people who picked against us are the same people who picked us to win in 2008,” he said. “It's understandable."
In honor of Milton Bradley, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times looks at some noteworthy contracts the Mariners have had to swallow in the past.
The Orioles signed outfielder/first baseman Darryl Crosier to a minor league deal, according to Steve Gould of the Baltimore Sun. Director of player development Tripp Norton and scout Dean Albany watched Crosier play earlier in the month.

@Closernews Looking For Help

By Tim Dierkes | May 10, 2011 at 8:48pm CDT

Last year we started a Twitter account called @closernews, which provides instant updates on MLB closer situations for fantasy baseball players. The account is up over 5,000 followers and has helped many win their saves category. Given the initial success, we're going to be expanding the coverage hours @closernews provides. Also, later in the year we'll be launching a website to provide analysis and closer rankings.

We're seeking writers to cover the late-night closer situations, starting at 11pm central time and going until the last game ends. This is an unpaid position. Those who contribute to the Twitter account will have first crack at writing for the website. The preference is for fantasy baseball junkies who already follow @closernews. If this project sounds like an enjoyable resume-builder for you, please email closernewshelp@gmail.com and let us know why you should join the @closernews team. Please note: if you applied earlier today, please resend your email to closernewshelp@gmail.com, as we had to change the email address.

NL Central Notes: Pujols, Hendry, Arredondo

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 10, 2011 at 7:49pm CDT

Links for Tuesday night, as Carlos Zambrano and Chris Carpenter face off at Wrigley Field and Ryan Theriot explains his thoughts on the Cubs–Cardinals rivalry…

Cubs GM Jim Hendry spoke with Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols behind the batting cage before today's game and Hendry denied that anything unusual occurred between him and the free agent-to-be, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. “I like Albert. We’ve always gotten along," Hendry said. "Great, great player. I admire the heck out of him.”
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune breaks down a few of Hendry's recent moves before noting that it's a "do-or-die season" for the Cubs GM.
Jose Arredondo's rehab runs out after tonight, though the Reds don't have to activate him, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. We can expect the Reds to make a decision about Arredondo's future Friday, according to Fay.

Brandon Inge On Tenure With Tigers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 10, 2011 at 6:37pm CDT

The longest-tenured Tiger doesn’t have any plans to suit up for anyone else. Brandon Inge says he admires Tigers greats Al Kaline and Alan Trammell and wants to follow their example and remain with one team for his entire career. That’s why he signed an extension with the Tigers last October, when he was weeks away from hitting the open market, where 29 other teams could bid for his services.

“I never really thought about going anywhere else,” Inge told MLBTR. “I know it was out there and I probably could have gone somewhere else, but there’s as good a chance as any of winning here with the amount of talent we have on this team. For me it was kind of a no-brainer. If they offered me a contract and it was fair, I was probably going to take it and they did.”

Inge, Detroit's second round pick in 1998, signed a two-year, $11.5MM contract in October. His offensive output – a .207/.262/.297 line with one homer and seven doubles – has been disappointing so far. Every month matters, but the Tigers knew what they were getting when they signed the 33-year-old after a decade in Detroit that included a 119-loss season (2003) and an American League Championship (2006).

“I guess loyalty is something big that I believe in and Detroit’s been very loyal to me for many years now, through thick and thin,” Inge said. “It’s one of those things where they’ve treated me with respect and I’ve treated them with respect as well.”

It’s an affiliation Inge would like to continue beyond 2013, the last year he’s under team control.

“Absolutely,” Inge said. “I’ll stay as long as they’ll let me.”

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