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Archives for July 2011

Rangers Release Manny Delcarmen, Seth McClung

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The Rangers released righties Manny Delcarmen and Seth McClung from their Triple-A club, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

Delcarmen, 29, posted a 5.59 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9 with 52 hits allowed in 38 2/3 innings for the Rangers' and Mariners' Triple-A affiliates this year.  The Rockies non-tendered Delcarmen in December, and he signed a minor league deal with the Mariners despite a Major League offer from an NL team.  He opted out of his contract with Seattle on June 1st and signed with Texas.

McClung, 30, posted a 5.19 ERA, 5.7 K/9, 3.9 BB/9, and 0.7 HR/9 with 93 hits allowed in 78 Triple-A innigs this year, including 11 starts.  He'd signed a minor league deal in December.

Heyman On K-Rod, Sabathia, Fielder, Beltran

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The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Francisco Rodriguez's agent Scott Boras spoke with Brewers GM Doug Melvin shortly after last night's trade, at which point Heyman says "Boras made the case that K-Rod should close, suggesting he wouldn't do nearly as well setting up."  Melvin was apparently noncommital in that conversation, as he has been publicly.  K-Rod would become the highest-paid reliever in baseball history if his option vests, though Boras wouldn't get commission on a contract brokered by Wasserman Media Group in 2008.  Heyman suggests an unhappy Rodriguez is a scary concept, but based on the player's tweets (in Spanish), he's content.
  • Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia "has done some selling on the Yankees" to his friend Prince Fielder.  Heyman doesn't take this as a sign the Yankees are interested in Fielder as a very expensive designated hitter, but rather an indication that Sabathia expects to stick around with the club after this season.
  • Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman told Yahoo's Jeff Passan he expects Fielder to top Albert Pujols in total dollars due to the age difference, but Albert should get the higher average annual value.
  • Heyman sees the Tigers as a potential suitor for Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran.  He believes the Tigers could add a bat at second base, third base, or outfield.

Giants Among Beltran’s Most Serious Suitors

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The Giants are among Carlos Beltran's most serious suitors, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Closer Brian Wilson acknowledged his team's interest in the Mets right fielder last night, saying, "I guess we're in talks with them about Beltran."  It's not clear whether Wilson has inside information or is just putting his spin on public rumors. 

Beltran indicated a few days ago that he wouldn't be shocked if the Giants acquire him, and you have to assume he'd approve a trade there.  The Mets' recent trade of closer Francisco Rodriguez was about avoiding the reliever's $17.5MM vesting option for 2012, something that had to be done even if the team remained on the fringes of contention.  But trading Beltran for prospects or salary relief would be a clearer white flag on the 2011 season. 

Beltran will have about $6MM remaining on his contract at the July 31st deadline.  Many contenders can't take on that size of a burden, but the Mets could kick in cash to receive better players in return, especially now that they're relieved of K-Rod on their 2012 books.  The Giants, Red Sox, Rays, Tigers, Indians, White Sox, Pirates, and Reds are contenders that could use a corner outfield boost.  The Phillies and Braves could as well, if the Mets are willing to deal with division rivals.  Six or seven teams have real interest in Beltran, but the Yankees are not one of them, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter).

Quick Hits: Reds, Berkman, Vogelsong, Blue Jays

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Links for Tuesday night, after a second consecutive win for the National League All-Stars… 

  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty told Tom Groeschen of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he’s talking to clubs about possible trades, though discussions are still in their early stages. "We have not had specific or significant trade talks with anyone at this point," Jocketty said. "All discussion with other teams has been more general info gathering.” The Reds are monitoring Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies. 
  • Lance Berkman told Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he would have signed in Colorado if the Rockies had made him a "decent" offer last offseason (Twitter link). "They had other fish to fry," Berkman said. "And they fried them."
  • ESPN.com’s Keith Law hears that top Blue Jays pick Tyler Beede didn’t report to the summer classes he had signed up for at Vanderbilt (Twitter link). It could be an indication that he's going to sign instead of going to college.
  • As Patrick Newman points out at FanGraphs, Colby Lewis, Ryan Vogelsong, Chris Resop and Scott Atchison are among the MLB pitchers who pitched overseas before succeeding for their current MLB teams.
  • Mike Lopresti of USA Today explains how Vogelsong went from Triple-A discard to National League All-Star.
  • Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner points out that Brett Myers' trade value could diminish if other right-handed starters become available this month.

Bengie Molina Does Not Intend To Play In 2011

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Bengie Molina told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he doesn't intend to play in 2011 (Twitter link). Though the backstop has not officially retired at this point, a return to the field currently seems unlikely.

Molina's stance has changed since late May, when he said he'd be open to returning to the Giants. His former team could still use catching depth; San Francisco has been looking for help behind the plate since losing Buster Posey to a season-ending injury. The Padres and Red Sox were in contact with Molina earlier in the season and the Pirates have since begun searching for catching as well.

In 118 games for the Giants and Rangers last year, Molina hit .249/.297/.326. He hit at least 15 homers each season from 2005-09, before hitting just five long balls in 2010. The 36-year-old has played for the Angels, Giants, Rangers and Blue Jays in 13 Major League seasons.

MLBPA Hoping For New CBA By World Series

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The collective bargaining agreement between players and owners expires on December 11th, but the sides may announce a new agreement well before then. Michael Weiner, the executive director of the MLB Players Association, told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he’s aiming for resolution by the end of the World Series.

"In 2006, it was very productive for us to be done before the signing season," Weiner said. "There's a lot of benefit to everybody to get it done on that kind of schedule."

Representatives from the MLBPA have met with representatives for baseball’s owners on a weekly basis since Spring Training to discuss a new CBA. Commissioner Bud Selig says talks have been “constructive” so far.

On the one hand it’s completely unsurprising to hear that the sides would like to complete a deal earlier, rather than later (what else would they say?). But there are real advantages to completing the agreement before the offseason begins in earnest. Everything from the luxury tax to salary arbitration to draft pick compensation could be affected under the new agreement, so it would be much simpler for executives and agencies to operate if a new set of rules is clearly in place by the end of October.

Selig On Draft, Playoffs, Realignment, Replay

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Commissioner Bud Selig held a chat with fans yesterday and he touched on a number of issues that we focus on here at MLBTR, plus some other items of interest. Here are some highlights from Selig’s chat at MLB.com:

  • Collective bargaining between the players and the owners has been “constructive” so far, but it’s still early.
  • Not surprisingly, there’s no chance of a salary cap in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.
  • Selig repeated his support for slotting and a worldwide draft and said the sides are discussing both possibilities at the bargaining table.
  • Stories about realignment are somewhat premature, according to Selig. He has had realignment on his mind for a while, but nothing is imminent.
  • The Diamondbacks have been told that they will be able to stay in the NL West and that the Astros will ultimately be asked to move to the AL West in realignment, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter).
  • The commissioner would like to see two additional playoff teams in the near future.
  • There are no plans to remove the designated hitter or expand the role of the DH.
  • There’s not much of an appetite for expanding instant replay within the game, according to Selig. However, MLB is considering “significant adjustments” to baseball’s current instant replay rules.
  • Selig told reporters today that he remains firm on his decision to retire after 2012, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.

Make Or Break Year: How Are They Doing?

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Before the season, MLBTR writers identified 13 players who were set for 'make or break' years. These players had experienced ups and downs in their respective careers and were positioned to re-establish themselves as difference makers at the Major League level and set themselves up for success in free agency.

We checked in on the players at the quarter pole of the campaign and let's do it again now that we're midway through the season (all links go to the MLBTR posts):

  • Scott Kazmir - Kazmir spent time on the DL, made one appearance for the Angels and posted a 17.02 ERA with more walks than strikeouts at Triple-A before getting released. The former first rounder is now a free agent.
  • Nate McLouth - McLouth's .225/.345/.330 line is better than it was last year and features a respectable on-base percentage, but his offensive production has fallen off considerably since 2007-09. He spent time on the DL this June.
  • Grady Sizemore - Sizemore missed time with a knee injury, but he still has nine homers and a .231/.295/.448 line. However, he has a career-high 29.5% strikeout rate and a career-low 6.1% walk rate.
  • Ryan Doumit - The switch-hitter has spent most of the season on the disabled list, though he has a .269/.333/.441 line when healthy. 
  • Jonathan Broxton - Broxton is on the disabled list with a bruised right elbow and he has had another setback, so there's no timetable for his return. If he doesn't pitch well later this season, he will be overshadowed by this offseason's strong crop of free agent relief pitchers.
  • Joel Zumaya - Zumaya had elbow surgery in March and it's not clear if he'll ever return to the Tigers.
  • Casey Blake - Blake has returned from surgery for an elbow infection and has a .243/.346/.386 line as a third baseman, first baseman and left fielder. The 37-year-old isn't in the Dodgers' everyday lineup anymore.
  • Aramis Ramirez - Ramirez has a .298/.346/.497 line with 15 homers and could be en route to his best season since 2008.
  • Edwin Jackson - Jackson, a free agent this winter, has a 4.30 ERA (3.31 xFIP) with 7.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 106 2/3 innings for the White Sox.
  • Bobby Abreu - Abreu, 37, has a .277/.394/.363 line this year. A year after hitting his usual 20 homers, Abreu's power is diminishing, but his on-base skills still exist.
  • Carlos Beltran - Beltran has a .285/.377/.503 line with 13 homers. There seems to be a good chance that he'll finish the season with another team, as he would agree to waive his no-trade clause under the right circumstances.
  • Matt Capps - Capps has 15 saves, but his strikeout rate has fallen from 7.3 K/9 to 4.9 K/9 and his average fastball velocity has fallen from 94 mph to 92.8 mph.
  • Jeff Francis - The 30-year-old left-hander appears to be headed for the second 200 inning season of his career. Francis, who battled shoulder injuries in 2009-10, has a 4.60 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.

Red Sox Notes: Jerez, Holliday, Bradley, Weiland

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The Red Sox and Yankees are rivals all year long, even during the Home Run Derby. But Robinson Cano and the rest of the Yankees will be suiting up alongside Adrian Gonzalez and the rest of the Red Sox for one night only during tonight's All-Star Game…

  • The Red Sox signed second round pick Williams Jerez, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The Dominican-born center fielder will obtain the bonus recommended by MLB, which will likely be $444K.
  • Matt Holliday told the Boston Herald that he “thought there was a chance” of signing with the Red Sox after the 2009 season, when he hit free agency. The outfielder ended up staying in St. Louis on a seven-year, $120MM deal.
  • Agent Scott Boras told Speier that Jackie Bradley Jr., a supplemental first round pick of the Red Sox,  is doing well in his recovery from wrist surgery. Boras says Bradley is preparing to return to college (though he’s not going to concede leverage by saying that Bradley is preparing to sign).
  • At Baseball America, Speier explains that Kyle Weiland has been the best player in Boston's minor league system this year. The 24-year-old has a 3.00 ERA in the minors and debuted in the Major Leagues before the break. Speier goes on to explain why Miles Head has been a pleasant surprise and why Drake Britton has been a disappointment in the subscriber-only piece.

The Least Likely All-Stars

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Of this year's 84 All-Stars, six were drafted first overall in their class.  These guys were destined to make All-Star teams, mostly out of high school.  Another 24 All-Stars were drafted within the first 30 picks, so their success is no surprise.  Among drafted players, who belongs on the opposite end of the spectrum as the most surprising All-Stars?

  • Padres closer Heath Bell has to take the cake, as the Mets signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1998.  Bell had been drafted by the Devil Rays the year before in the 69th round.
  • Braves reliever Jonny Venters was drafted by the Braves in the 30th round in '03, 907th overall.  Giants closer Brian Wilson went in that same draft class, in the 24th round.
  • Blue Jays third baseman Jose Bautista, possibly the best hitter in baseball these days, was a 20th round pick of the Pirates in 2000, though he signed for $500K.
  • Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco went to the Cardinals in the 19th round in '94, a year after he'd been chosen in the 49th round by the White Sox.
  • Yankees reliever David Robertson was drafted in the 17th round in '06, though he signed for $200K.
  • Yankees catcher Russell Martin went in the 17th round to the Dodgers in '02, an improvement over his 35th round by the Expos two years prior.
  • Others drafted outside of the top 200 picks: James Shields, Jordan Walden, Matt Joyce, Howie Kendrick, Tyler Clippard, Kevin Youkilis, and Matt Holliday.  And we have to mention starter Ryan Vogelsong, who was a fifth round pick by the Giants in '98 but hadn't pitched in the Majors since '06 until this year.

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