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Archives for July 2011

Update On This Year’s Rule 5 Picks

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Many Rule 5 picks ultimately return to their original organizations, because it's not easy to keep inexperienced players in the Major Leagues all season long. Only five of the 19 players selected in the Major League phase of last offseason's Rule 5 draft remain on active MLB rosters midway through the season. Here’s another update on the draftees:

On Active Rosters (5)

  • Pedro Beato of the Mets may be the most impressive Rule 5 pick of 2011. The former first rounder has a 3.52 ERA with 5.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 53.6% ground ball rate in 38 1/3 innings of relief for the Mets. 
  • Aneury Rodriguez of the Astros has a 5.43 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 58 innings for the Astros. The 23-year-old right-hander recently returned to the bullpen after a stint in Houston's rotation.
  • Nathan Adcock of the Royals hasn't had a scoreless outing since May 21st, but that's largely because manager Ned Yost barely used the right-hander in June. Adcock appeared in just three games last month and has a 4.91 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 36 2/3 innings into his big league career.
  • Joe Paterson of the D'Backs has succeeded as a lefty specialist (53 plate appearances vs. left-handed hitters, 28 plate appearances vs. right-handed hitters). He has a 2.89 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 18 2/3 innings this year.
  • Michael Martinez of the Phillies hasn't hit, but he has played left field, center field, second base and shortstop. He has a .188/.221/.234 line in 70 plate appearances off of the bench.

Traded (4)

The Mets returned Brad Emaus to the Blue Jays, who traded the infielder to Colorado; the Twins retained Scott Diamond in a trade with the Braves; the Red Sox sent Daniel Turpen to the Rockies; the Indians recently sent Josh Rodriguez to the Pirates.  Rule 5 restrictions no longer apply to these four players.

Injured (2)

Elvin Ramirez (Nationals) and Mason Tobin (Rangers) have been on the 60-day DL for over two months. They have to spend 90 non-September days on the active roster to become official property of their new teams. Otherwise, their Rule 5 status carries forward until the players spend 90 non-September days on the active roster.

Back Where They Started (8)

Brian Broderick, Jose Flores, Adrian Rosario, Pat Egan, Lance Pendleton, George Kontos, Robert Fish and Cesar Cabral are back with their original organizations.

Brewers Among Clubs With Interest In Padres’ Arms

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The Brewers are among the teams that have contacted the Padres about their relievers, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Yankees, Rangers, Phillies and Cardinals have also contacted San Diego about possible trades for relievers.

Though the Padres haven’t begun exchanging offers for players like Heath Bell and Mike Adams, discussions will likely intensify at the All-Star Break. The Yankees will likely pursue relievers aggressively, but Adams will only be available for an “extraordinary” offer, according to Rosenthal and Morosi. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported last week that the Yankees prefer Adams, who is a free agent after 2012, to Bell, who hits the open market this offseason.

Tale Of The Tape: Jose Reyes & Carl Crawford

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Fred Wilpon has made it clear that he doesn’t think Jose Reyes is worth $142MM. But there are 29 other owners in baseball and some of them might be happy to offer Reyes the Carl Crawford-esque contract that Wilpon believes his shortstop wants.

Jose Reyes

“He’s had everything wrong with him,” Wilpon told the New Yorker in April. “He won’t get it."

Wilpon has a point. Reyes, who is now sidelined with an apparently minor hamstring issue, has had a variety of injuries over the years. He missed time with a thyroid problem last year, tore his hamstring in 2009 and hit the disabled list with ankle, fibula and hamstring problems earlier in his career, in ’03-’04. 

Yet Reyes remains on a pace to surpass 150 games played for the fifth time in seven years and his numbers are impressive despite the time he has missed. As the table below shows, Reyes’ career numbers are strikingly similar to the ones Crawford had when he hit free agency last offseason and Reyes could have a more impressive walk year in 2011 than the one Crawford had a year ago.

Reyes is just 28, a year younger than Crawford was when he hit free agency. Quality shortstops are harder to find than quality left fielders, which provides Reyes with additional leverage. However, Crawford has more home run power, fewer injury issues and, as a result of his health, higher career totals in most counting stats.

Reyes vs. Crawford

Is $142MM too much of a commitment for a player who has struggled to stay on the field? Possibly, but since Crawford signed for that much, Reyes' representatives at Peter Greenberg Sports will presumably argue that their client deserves a similar or superior deal. After all, Reyes is younger, plays a more challenging position and has similarly impressive statistics. There seems to be a good chance that some team will prove Wilpon wrong this offseason and, ironically, it might even be the Mets.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Mets Sign Miguel Batista

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The Mets signed Miguel Batista to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cardinals released the right-hander late last month.

Batista pitched 29 1/3 innings for the Cardinals this year, posting a 4.60 ERA with more walks (19) than strikeouts (16). The 40-year-old's ground ball rate dropped from his usual 50% figure to 36.8% this year, but his average fastball velocity remains respectable. Even after 17 seasons in the majors, the righty averages 92.6 mph.

Yankees Sign Miguel Andujar

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The Yankees signed Dominican third baseman Miguel Andujar, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year-old obtains a $700K bonus.

Andujar plays in the Dominican Prospect League and has lots of international experience, according to Badler's subscriber-only scouting report. The right-handed hitter has a good swing, good bat speed and a good approach. He has the potential to hit for average and power and can handle third base.

Red Sox Sign Manuel Marcos

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The Red Sox signed Dominican outfielder Manuel Marcos, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year old obtained an $800K bonus.

Marcos is one of the best athletes in Latin America, according to Badler's subscriber-only scouting report. The wiry, athletic prospect has a fantastic arm, good instincts and exceptional speed. He gets good reads, makes flashy catches and shows occasional power at the plate. The Yankees were also interested.

Astros Sign Luis Reynoso

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The Astros have signed Dominican shortstop Luis Reynoso, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year-old received a $700K signing bonus.

Badler's subscriber-only scouting report says Reynoso "has an athletic, projectable body and combines solid tools with instincts and feel on both sides of the ball." He's a contact-oriented hitter with speed from the right side, and it's expected that he'll be able to man the middle infield long-term.

Blue Jays Sign Dawel Lugo

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The Blue Jays have signed Dominican shortstop Dawel Lugo, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year-old recieved a $1.3M signing bonus, the largest bonus given to a Latin American infielder this year.

Badler's subscriber-only scouting report describes Lugo as having "a solid swing, good bat speed and makes consistent contact with natural loft, showing the potential for plus power down the road." Some expect him to move off short down the line, likely to third base.

Tigers Interested In Hiroki Kuroda

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The Tigers have some interest in Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). However, it's not clear whether the Dodgers would part with Kuroda or whether the right-hander would accept a trade to Detroit. The Dodgers aren't ready to sell and Kuroda, who is drawing lots of interest, will likely require compensation to accept a trade.

The 36-year-old has a 2.90 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 43.9% ground ball rate in 108 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. He earns an $8MM salary, so he'll still be owed $2.7MM at the July 31st trade deadline. Kuroda, whose contract expires after the season, projects as a Type B free agent this offseason.

Improving the rotation is a priority for the Tigers. They just demoted Phil Coke from the rotation and Charlie Furbush will take his place tonight when he makes his first MLB start.

Rangers Interested In Rotation Upgrades

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Though the Rangers' pitching problems appear to stem from their weak bullpen, that's not the only area they're looking to improve. The Rangers would like to upgrade their rotation this summer, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). 

Rangers starters rank 12th in MLB with a 3.71 ERA (3.86 xFIP) and only seven clubs have counted on their starters for more innings than Texas (524 1/3). C.J. Wilson, Alexi Ogando, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis have started all but three of the Rangers' games this year. 

GM Jon Daniels has been open about his interest in relief pitching, but this is the first indication that he'll be searching for starters as well. Here's a list of potentially available starters for Texas.

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