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Archives for June 2011

NL East Notes: Edwin Rodriguez, Uggla, Riggleman

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Here are a couple items of note out of the NL East, where the Phillies sit atop the division with a five-game lead over the Braves entering Saturday's games:

  • Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez is probably not in danger of losing his job, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com (via Twitter). Marlins brass relieved hitting coach John Mallee of his duties earlier this month in an effort to shake things up, leading to speculation that Rodriguez could be next if the Fish don't pick things up. Rodriguez was hired on a full-time basis in November; he finished 2010 as their interim skipper in the wake of Fredi Gonzalez's dismissal.
  • Braves second baseman Dan Uggla is unlikely to be demoted despite his offensive struggles, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Uggla, who signed a five-year, $62MM extension after being acquired by Atlanta in a trade this offseason, can refuse a minor league assignment since he has five years' service time, according to O'Brien.
  • Nationals manager Jim Riggleman deserves to have his 2012 option picked up and an extension on top of that, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). The Nats sit at one game under .500 after Saturday's win over the O's, particularly impressive considering they've been without Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman for much of the season, as Heyman notes.

Extension Talks For Phillips Not Progressing

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Earlier this week, we heard Brandon Phillips say that it would "be hard" to keep him in Cincinnati, despite his desire to stay there. Phillips said in March that he doesn't want to break the bank with a C.C. Sabathia or Jayson Werth -style contract, but is looking for fair money.

Now, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that Phillips says nothing is going on with his extension talks: "It was bothering me earlier," said Phillips. "but now I'm just playing." In a separate tweet, Fay points out that the Reds could simply exercise Phillips' $12MM option, and it sounds like Phillips would be fine with that outcome: "That's a lot of money. I want that guarantee."

GM Walt Jocketty has indicated that the Reds will likely exercise the option, Fay writes in his blog: “He’s got an option. That’s what options are for. We might try to get something done later.”

Phillips turns 30 in ten days, and isn't experiencing his usual level of production, hitting .280/.338/.387 with just four stolen bases entering play today. These factors make it difficult to gauge his value.

Speculating here, but in Phillips' eyes, "fair" could be something along the lines of Dan Uggla's five-year $63MM contract with the Braves. After all, he's one year younger than Uggla was when he signed his deal, and unlike Uggla, Phillips is a well-reputed defender. While his typical power doesn't match Uggla's, it's still above-average for a second baseman and Phillips has significantly more speed to burn than Uggla.

Another comparable could be Brian Roberts, who signed a four-year $40MM contract with the Orioles at age 31 in 2009. Phillips has been equally as durable as Roberts was prior to his deal, averaging 151 games over his past five seasons compared to Roberts' 150. And, over the previous five years, he's hit .275/.326/.447 to Roberts' .291/.366/.435 in five years prior to his deal. According to UZR, Phillips is a historically better defender than Roberts as well.

If an extension can't be worked out, then the remainder of Phillips' 2011 season will dictate his paycheck in 2012 and beyond. If he continues to slug below .400, the Reds may buy out his option for $1MM and let him explore free agency. If he has a hot summer and regains his power stroke, I can see the Reds exercising his his option and worrying about his next contract over the winter or during the 2012 season.

As Tim Dierkes pointed out in the previously-linked post, Jocketty exercised Bronson Arroyo's $13MM option for 2011 before negating it in lieu of a three-year, $35MM extension this offseason.

Yankees Have “Zero Interest” In Zambrano

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Despite recent reports that the Yankees have been scouting long-time Cub Carlos Zambrano, ESPN's Wallace Matthews spoke to a source who called the rumors "B.S." and said that the Yankees have "zero interest" in acquiring the fiery right-hander.

Matthews' source cites Zambrano's declining fastball velocity (he's checking in at 89.8mph this year) as well as his large contract over the next few seasons:

"He's just not worth the money," the official said. "The Cubs would have to pick up most if not all of the contract. I just don't see it happening."

Zambrano is being paid $17.875MM in 2011, $18MM in 2012, and has a $19.5MM vesting option for 2013, though he would need serious Cy Young consideration over the next two years (Top 2 in 2011 or Top 4 in 2012) plus a clean bill of health at the end of the 2012 season for it to vest. Earlier today we learned that the Yankees prefer rental players and left-handed pitchers, neither of which applies to Zambrano.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi both declined to comment on any potential interest in Zambrano, while pitching coach Larry Rothschild, who spent nine years as a pitching coach for the Cubs, praised Big Z as a person:

"He's a good person," Rothschild said. "Off the field, he's a great family man, he was a good guy to coach, he'll listen (to) all the things you would expect from a professional player. The stuff you see on the field is a result of just the passion he takes to the mound."

Zambrano said earlier this week that he would waive his no-trade clause if the Cubs approached him about a potential deal, but for the time being, it doesn't sound like he'll end up in Yankee pinstripes should that occur.

Rosenthal’s Full Count: Marlins, Wandy, Phillies, Rockies

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Ken Rosenthal has his lastest Full Count video up over at FOXSports.com. Let's go over the highlights:

  • If the Marlins make a managerial change, the most likely candidate would be Nationals' third base coach Bo Porter. Porter spent five years with the Marlins, and three as a Major League coach. Rosenthal wonders if the Nats would let him go to a division rival midseason, and if Porter would accept the job on an interim basis, knowing the Marlins ultimately want Ozzie Guillen. Porter turned down a similar offer last season.
  • Rosenthal asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman if he would consider trading for an ace, and Cashman replied, "I'm not Ruben Amaro," referring to the Phillies GM and his affinity for blockbuster trades. Rosenthal names Wandy Rodriguez as a potential target for New York, but says there could be a hangup since the Astros value Rodriguez as an ace, while the Yanks would view him as a back-of-the-rotation addition.
  • The Phillies are doing their due dilligence in looking for right-handed hitters and left-handed relievers, but are limited by payroll issues. They also don't currently have regular at-bats for any hitter they'd acquire. Rosenthal says someone like Ryan Spilborghs, making $2MM with the Rockies, is the type of hitter that would be appealing to Philadelphia.
  • The Rockies could be buyers or sellers, depending on their play over the next month. If they're buyers, they'll seek innings-eating pitchers (Rosenthal names Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers and the Twins' Kevin Slowey as possible targets), while if they sell they could look to move Huston Street, Ty Wigginton, and Aaron Cook.

Reyes Says There’s “No Chance” He Switches Agents

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2:57pm: Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal quotes Reyes (via Twitter) as saying that he spoke to Boras twice on the phone, but there's "no chance" he switches agents.

SATURDAY, 2:33pm: ESPN's Adam Rubin hears from a source that Reyes is expected to address the situation today prior to the Mets game at Citi Field tonight, and announce that he is staying with Greenberg. According to Rubin, Reyes may express displeasure that contact with Scott Boras was disclosed, and that it  was not initiated by Reyes. Rubin also points out that Chris Leible, one of Reyes' agents, is the godfather of two of Reyes' children.

Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger tweets that he would be shocked if Reyes left his current representation. Newsday's David Lennon echoes that sentiment with a tweet of his own.

FRIDAY: Scott Boras already represents many of the game's biggest stars, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that he's looking to add Jose Reyes to his client list as well. Boras is speaking to Reyes about becoming his representative according to Rosenthal's sources, and a move would almost guarantee he'll test the free agent waters after the season.

Reyes is currently represented by Peter Greenberg. Agents are free to speak to players they do not represent, however they must disclose all contact with 40-man roster players to the union. Rosenthal says that other agents have tried to lure Reyes away from Greenberg in the past, and he apparently considered a change while meeting agents over the winter. Boras almost always takes his big clients out onto the open market, and Reyes will be one of the best available players this coming offseason.

Check out our Agency Database to see a list of known Boras clients and Greenberg clients.

MLBTR's Steve Adams also contributed to this post.

Mets Will Consider Scott Kazmir

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Once the centerpiece of a trade that caused years of grief for Mets fans, Scott Kazmir was handed his release papers by the Angels last Wednesday. Kazmir was the big prize for the Rays in a 2004 trade that sent Victor Zambrano to the Mets, and now, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, there's at least a chance he'll come full circle and end up back with the club that drafted him 15th overall in 2002.

Martino notes that general manager Sandy Alderson is usually quick to dismiss speculation about players whom the team is genuinely not interested in, but when asked about the possibility of adding Kazmir, Alderson had this to say: "We look at everybody who hits the wire, and the same would apply to him."

It's hardly a strong commitment in favor of Kazmir, but it does at least point to a possibility that Kazmir could return to Queens seven years after he was traded. The Mets' rotation has been solid with a 3.84 ERA this season entering play today, but their depth took a significant hit when they lost both Chris Young (anterior capsule tear in his throwing shoulder) and top prospect Jenrry Mejia (Tommy John surgery) earlier this year. It's also still unknown when ace Johan Santana will pitch again. Kazmir is the type of low-risk, high-reward addition that could improve that depth if he can rediscover himself.

Athletics Sign Doug Mathis

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The Athletics have signed Doug Mathis to a minor league deal according to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League transactions page. He signed a minor league deal with the Giants back in April, but apparently became a free agent at some point since then.

Mathis, 28, made 13 starts for San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate and posted a 3.60 ERA in 65 innings. He struck out 7.5 batters per nine innings while walking 4.3 per nine. Mathis appeared in 45 games (six starts) for the Rangers from 2008-2010, pitching to a 4.84 ERA in 87 1/3 innings. The Athletics have a full five-man rotation on the disabled list right now (Brett Anderson, Dallas Braden, Rich Harden, Brandon McCarthy, and Tyson Ross), so Mathis will give them some much needed depth.

Olney’s Latest: McCourts, Reyes, Bell

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In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about Vanderbilt catcher Curt Casali, who one evaluator called an "absolute steal" by the Tigers as a tenth round pick in this year's draft. "He's a smart guy, and he's been calling his own pitches," said the evaluator. "You don't see that a lot in college baseball these days, because the pitches are called from the bench."

Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…

  • No matter what happens with the McCourts' divorce settlement, the Dodgers will be weakened. If Frank McCourt keeps the team, he'll be forced to use millions of dollars from the proposed FOX television deal to pay off the settlement. If he sells, the new owner will be stuck with a deal that is designed to infuse cash for McCourt now rather than help the franchise long-term.
  • Two executives told Olney that they can't imagine being able to give up what the Mets would require in return to trade Jose Reyes. The Mets will be criticized no matter what, whether they trade Reyes, re-sign him, or let him walk as a free agent. 
  • Teams are beginning to "accelerate talks" with the Padres about Heath Bell, and multiple sides are preparing to exchange trade proposals.

Rizzo On Trades, Leadoff Hitter, Draft, Harper

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Nationals GM Mike Rizzo sat down for a Q&A with MLB.com's Bill Ladson, so let's round things up…

  • Rizzo didn't rush out to make a trade following Ryan Zimmerman's injury because "panic shows a lack of confidence in the rest of the players." He believes they have a strong bench with Laynce Nix, Jerry Hairston Jr., and Alex Cora, but unfortunately those players were pressed into everyday duty.
  • The Nationals are "always looking" for ways to improve their starting pitching and want front-line starters. They're also looking for "two-way players," guys that can contribute on offense and defense.
  • They want someone within the organization to step up and be the leadoff hitter, a role that Jayson Werth has filled recently. "If we can’t find that guy within the organization, we will look elsewhere."
  • "We are both buyers and sellers," said Rizzo. "We always have been, always will be. If we have a chance to acquire a player that is going to help us in 2011 and beyond, we are not going to shy away from that. If there is a trade to be made that will help us down the road, we will trade a player away to get a piece for the future. But we are not in sell mode. There are a lot of games to play, a lot of games to win. We are here to win games."
  • Rizzo says the Nationals are doing well when it comes to signing their draft picks. They have about 15 players with pending contracts, and they are in communication with their top picks.
  • As you'd expect, the Nationals are very happy with Bryce Harper's development, and Rizzo emphasized that he "will be developed at a rate that allows him to be an impactful guy."
  • Manager Jim Riggleman's option for 2012 will be addressed "when it needs to be addressed."

Yankees Sign Dante Bichette Jr.

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The Yankees have signed top draft pick Dante Bichette Jr., reports Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger (on Twitter). He received a $750K signing bonus, above MLB's slot recommendation of approximately $695K.

Bichette, a third baseman/outfielder from a Florida high school, was selected with the compensation pick the Yankees received for the loss of Javier Vazquez (51st overall). Baseball America (subs. req'd) says Bichette's "profile will wind up being that of a power-hitting left fielder." His father, Dante Sr., hit .299/.336/.499 with 274 homers in a big league career that spanned five teams and parts of 14 seasons.

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