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Archives for June 2011

Angels Agree To Sign First Rounder C.J. Cron

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11:26am: Cron's deal is for $1.467MM and he'll sign it Monday, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).

7:13am: Top Angels draft pick C.J. Cron announced on Twitter that he will sign early next week. The University of Utah first baseman says he has agreed to terms on his first professional deal.

"Off to Anaheim on Monday to sign the contract!" he wrote. "I'm going to be an Angel."

As Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times points out, Cron's pro debut will likely have to wait until 2012 despite the early deal. The powerful prospect has a tear in his throwing shoulder and surgery would sideline him for six months or more. Baseball America ranked Cron 26th among draft eligible prospects before the draft and the Angels selected him with the 17th overall pick.

Cron, the son of former big leaguer Chris Cron, doesn't move well or run quickly, but Baseball America says that's fine given his power and hitting ability. "He's the best all-around hitter in the country and should have no problem producing the numbers teams expect from a first baseman," BA explained. Here's MLBTR's complete list of top picks that have signed.

Amaro Would Like To Solidify Bullpen

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Phillies manager Charlie Manuel would like a right-handed bat and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. agrees that making a move for one would “help balance the lineup.” But the GM told Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he is “always concerned” about his bullpen. 

"I don't think it's absolutely necessary that we get a right-handed bat in order to win the World Series," Amaro said. "To me, I'm more concerned about our pitching than our offense."

The Phillies just placed Jose Contreras on the disabled list, where he joins Brad Lidge and starters Joe Blanton and (it appears likely) Roy Oswalt. Though Michael Stutes and Antonio Bastardo are pitching tremendously, Amaro would prefer not to have to rely on such inexperienced pitchers so consistently.

MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes presented some potentially available left-handed and right-handed relievers this month. David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News recently explained the impact of Contreras' injury on Philadelphia's 'pen.

When Winning Managers Go, Are They Hired Again?

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Washington's 1-0 victory yesterday did more than just accentuate the shock resulting from Jim Riggleman's decision to resign. It meant that the Nationals were making a managerial change despite a winning record, 38-37. Though not a change of their own volition, it still represents a relative rarity in-season.

Riggleman is the 41st manager to be replaced in-season since the start of the 2001 campaign, and of the previous 40, just four had winning records at the time of the change. For fun, we'll include Jimy Williams as well, whose 2004 Astros were 44-44 when Houston replaced him with Phil Garner.

Considering that Riggleman left over the issue of his 2012 option, it is fair to think he wanted to keep on managing. Does leaving with a winning record augur good future employment prospects for Riggleman? Not necessarily.

The two most recent managers to leave while winning were Mike Hargrove, who resigned as Seattle manager with his 2007 Mariners at 45-33, and Ned Yost, fired with his 2008 Brewers at 83-67. Hargrove's not an ideal comparison, since he decided he didn't want to manage anymore. But Yost landed on his feet, taking over as manager of the Kansas City Royals in May 2010. And unlike Yost, who got his walking papers after getting swept in a four-game set, Riggleman certainly had his team playing well.

The other three managers to lose managerial positions with a .500 record or better are Larry Bowa, Jimy Williams and Jimy Williams. Let's start with the latter two, since it's the same guy. Williams actually knows what it is like to lose a managerial job in-season three times. The first came in 1989 with the Blue Jays, when his team's record then was just 12-24. But in 2001, with his Boston Red Sox at 65-53, Williams got the ax. It certainly didn't help Boston any; the Red Sox stumbled to a 17-26 finish.

Williams then landed a job managing Houston in 2002, leading the Astros to a pair of second-place finishes. But in 2004, with Houstonn at 44-44, Williams got fired again. This time, Houston flourished, making the playoffs under Garner. But this was the last managerial go-around for Williams. He served as Charlie Manuel's bench coach from 2006-2008 in Philadelphia, resigning after the Phillies won the World Series. The multiple stops make Williams a pretty decent comparison for Riggleman.

As for Larry Bowa, he was technically an in-season firing, but at 85-75, his season was essentially over. Bowa's Phillies won at least 80 games in each of the four seasons he was in charge, well over a decade after his failed tenure running the Padres. Bowa never managed again, topping out as a third base coach for Joe Torre with the Dodgers.

What could make for an interesting test regarding Riggleman is how his now-former team fares without him. Charlie Manuel, Bowa's successor, led the Phillies to a ton of postseason success, which reflects poorly on Bowa, player personnel differences aside. In the case of Williams, when his successor in Boston, Joe Kerrigan, faltered, Williams got another managing job. When his successor in Houston, Garner, led the Astros to the playoffs, he didn't.

In other words, it would probably be best for Jim Riggleman to see Washington fade, Marlins-in-June-style, over the remainder of the season. But given the acrimony surrounding his departure, I have a feeling Riggleman wasn't going to root for the Nats anyway.

Uncertain Future For Roy Oswalt

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Roy Oswalt told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that back problems may put his career in jeopardy. The 33-year-old right-hander left last night’s start with lower back soreness after two innings and isn’t sure whether he’ll pitch again. 

“You throw as long as you can and when you can’t throw anymore you don’t,” Oswalt said. “Hopefully it’s not to the point where I can’t throw anymore. If it’s at that point, you just have to accept it.”

Oswalt spent time on the disabled list with a back issue in April and May and he says his back has bothered him for a while. He has had cortisone shots in the past, but says he still feels pain while sitting, standing, walking, pitching and sleeping.

The three-time All-Star has posted a 3.79 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 71 1/3 innnings for the Phillies this year. His average fastball velocity has dropped from 92.6 mph to 91.2 mph, however.

Oswalt’s contract includes a mutual option for 2012 valued at $16MM. The Phillies can buy out the option for $2MM or Oswalt can walk away for a lesser buyout, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Joe Mather Elects Free Agency

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Joe Mather has elected free agency, according to MLB.com's transactions page. The Braves had designated the utility player for assignment on Sunday.

The 28-year-old had a .213/.272/.307 line in 83 plate appearances at various positions. Mather played all three outfield positions and both corner infield positions this year. The Cardinals selected him in the third round of the 2001 draft and he made it to St. Louis for parts of two seasons, 2008 and 2010. Mather has a career line of .228/.283/.384 with nine home runs in 294 plate appearances.

Extension Candidate: Carlos Quentin

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48404072011755_Rays_at_White_Sox After two inconsistent seasons and hearing his name whispered in trade talks, Carlos Quentin is again looking like the slugger who finished fifth in AL MVP voting in 2008.  Quentin has a .256/.358/.535 line and 17 homers through Thursday and (along with Paul Konerko and Alexei Ramirez) is carrying a White Sox lineup that is still waiting for Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham to come to life.

Quentin is under team control through 2012 and avoided arbitration last winter by agreeing to a $5.05MM contract for this season.  The outfielder can expect a healthy raise (at least in the $8MM range) if he keeps hitting and looks for another one-year pact.  However, Chicago will have some money coming off the books this winter and Kenny Williams could look for some cost-certainty by locking up one of his team's young stars.

Perhaps even moreso than his bat, what may help Quentin's long-term prospects with the White Sox is his vastly improved play in the field this season.  Quentin has posted an above-average 3.2 UZR/150 in right field this year — a massive step up from his -35 UZR/150 last year or the -25.2 UZR/150 he put up in left field in 2009.  Nobody is suddenly confusing Quentin with Roberto Clemente in right, but if he can show that he can handle a corner outfield position, it gives him a place in a lineup that has first base and DH locked up by Konerko and Dunn.  It's possible Quentin may be shifted back to left when the White Sox eventually call up right fielder Dayan Viciedo and relegate Juan Pierre to the bench.

How big would a Quentin extension be?  Given that it would probably cover at least three free agent years, it would have to carry an average annual value of at least $10MM.  Williams and the White Sox could point to Quentin's history of weak defense, his shaky 2009-10 seasons and his age (Quentin turns 29 in August) as signs to not make too huge a commitment.  Quentin and agent Brodie Van Wagenen could counter with Quentin's good performance in 2011 as a sign that the proverbial light bulb has come on for the outfielder, and an argument could be made that with Konerko's advanced age (35), Viciedo an unproven quantity and so many other Sox hitters struggling, the club needs a proven power bat like Quentin going forward.

I can see Van Wagenen asking for a deal in the realm of five years and $60MM, but it's more likely that a Quentin extension would look more like a four-year pact worth $40-$41MM.  Quentin reportedly turned down a four-year offer from the White Sox after the 2009 season and while the value of that offer wasn't made public, it's possible Quentin has an eye towards seeing what he can get on the free agent market.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI

Quick Hits: Nationals, Padres, Drew, Quade

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Some notes from around the majors….

  • ESPN's Buster Olney is "85-95%" confident that Davey Johnson will be the next Nationals manager.  Johnson is currently an advisor with the Nats and hasn't managed since 2000.  SI.com's Jon Heyman says Johnson is "in the mix" and might take the job if offered but "he loves [Jim] Riggleman and is sensitive to [the] situation" concerning Riggleman's abrupt departure.  (All Twitter links)
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also chimes in on the Nationals' managerial situation, noting that while Riggleman was wrong to leave the team, it was also unfair of Nationals management to leave Riggleman as a lame duck without a guaranteed 2012 contract.  Rosenthal also reports that GM Mike Rizzo rarely communicated with Riggleman and has a similar lack of regular contact with his scouting department.
  • “Given the division, if we were to get real hot over the next two weeks, a final decision might be delayed a week or two,” a Padres executive tells Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune about when the Friars will start looking to trade players. “But the day is coming.”  Center figures Heath Bell, Ryan Ludwick and Chad Qualls are all sure bets to be dealt.  Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson may stay put, however, since San Diego has no Major League-ready middle infield replacements in the farm system.  Such a young player could possibly come back in any deal for one of those two veterans, but if you're a team with a good young middle infielder, you'd probably want to keep that player rather than move him for a Hudson or a Bartlett.
  • Jed Hoyer says "nothing is imminent" and "the only thing that’s true [about various Padres rumors] is that people call us," reports Marty Caswell of XX1090 Radio in San Diego.  (Twitter link)
  • With David Wright cleared to resume baseball activities, ESPN New York's Rob Parker hopes the Mets won't abandon a much-needed rebuilding plan in pursuit of a longshot chance at the postseason.
  • ESPN Boston's Jeremy Lundblad looks at J.D. Drew's struggles this season.  With Drew and Mike Cameron providing a negative WAR, Lundblad argues the Red Sox will need to look for right field help, whether it's via trade or an internal option like Josh Reddick or Ryan Kalish.
  • The Cubs will have to go on a tear in the second half of the season in order to save Mike Quade's job, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  Even this might not be enough, since if GM Jim Hendry goes, so will Quade.
  • In an appearance on Jim Rome's radio show on Wednesday (via Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post), Todd Helton said he thinks the Rockies need another quality starter to be World Series contenders.  Colorado GM Dan O'Dowd recently stated his team might be in the market for pitching.

Huntington Guarded About Maholm Extension Talks

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Paul Maholm has expressed his willingness to discuss an extension to remain in Pittsburgh and he noted that he would prefer to get a new contract done sooner rather than later.  Pirates GM Neal Huntington, talking to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch, didn't rule out the possibility of negotiations taking place before the trade deadline but also said that his club would rather wait until the offseason to talk contracts.

"We would very much prefer not to negotiate in-season, but it's not an absolute policy," Huntington said.  "It's something that we'll look at on a case-by-case basis, but the strong preference is to do these things outside of the season."

Langosch noted that Huntington didn't hint one way or the other about whether the Pirates wished to keep Maholm and thus she ruminated on the cases for Pittsburgh both keeping or moving the southpaw.  Maholm is putting up solid numbers and would give the otherwise young Bucs staff a reliable, innings-eating veteran presence for a few years to come.  Or, absent an extension, Huntington could just exercise Maholm's $9.75MM team option for 2012 to keep the left-hander but still not make too much of a commitment. 

On the other hand, Maholm's numbers aren't so special that a low-payroll team like the Pirates would feel totally comfortable giving him even a modest contract like $24MM over three years.  Maholm could be dealt while his trade value is at his highest and Pittsburgh would fill that hole in the rotation with one of their several young pitching prospects (such as Brad Lincoln or Jeff Locke).  And, while Maholm and Andrew McCutchen are obviously on far different levels of importance within the Pirates organization, the team was certainly willing to enter in-season negotiations with McCutchen about a multiyear deal.  Huntington might have given more than scant details about an extension for Maholm if it was a move the club was seriously considering, Langosch notes.

John Maine Leaves Triple-A Team, May Retire

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John Maine has left the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate and is considering retirement, reports Jack Etkin of InsideTheRockies.com.  Maine was hit hard on Monday, his latest poor start in a tough season that has seen the right-hander post a 7.43 ERA and a 2.06 WHIP in 11 starts for Colorado Springs.  Maine "felt he needed to get away from the game" for a while given his struggles but he still wants to pitch.

Maine, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in February after being non-tendered by the Mets last fall.  He has a career 4.35 ERA and 1.86 K/BB ratio in 108 games (105 of them starts) with the Mets and Orioles over seven Major League seasons.  Maine has battled shoulder and rotator cuff problems for the last three years and these arm issues may have persisted in part due to Maine's penchant for trying to tough out his injuries, as detailed in this piece by Fangraphs' Alex Remington.

Nationals Name John McLaren As Interim Manager

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The Nationals have named bench coach John McLaren as their interim manager, reports Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (via Twitter).  McLaren is just a temporary hire, however, as CSNWashington's Mark Zuckerman reports the Nats are still looking for an interim manager to run the club for the remainder of the season as Washington tries to adjust after Jim Riggleman's sudden resignation. 

McLaren holds a 68-88 record as a Major League manager, running the Mariners from July 2007 to June 2008 in the wake of another abrupt managerial resignation (Mike Hargrove).  Ironically, McLaren's replacement in Seattle was none other than Riggleman, who was then serving as McLaren's bench coach.

Washington is expected to have a new manager in place by as soon as Monday, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  Third-base coach Bo Porter and Triple-A manager Randy Knorr are candidates and Ladson points out that Bobby Valentine was a finalist for the Nationals' job before the 2010 season.  McLaren, as Zuckerman noted, isn't being considered as a manager beyond this weekend's series with the White Sox.

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