Week In Review: 8/7/11 – 8/13/11
Time to catch up on the last week at MLBTR…
- The Tigers extended GM Dave Dombrowski through 2015 and manager Jim Leyland through next season. Dombrowski will celebrate his tenth season as the Tigers' GM next April.
- The Cubs hired Jim Hendry three months after the Tigers hired Dombrowski, back in 2002. It appears that Hendry will have one more shot to take the Cubs to the promise land, as Bob Nightengale tweeted that the team's ownership is currently planning to keep Hendry for next year, barring a change of thinking.
- Carlos Zambrano provided the drama for the Cubs on Friday, allowing five home runs to the Braves, earning an ejection, and then clearing out his locker and telling the team trainer he was retiring. The next day the Cubs announced they placed Zambrano on the disqualified list, meaning 30 days without pay, which would save the team over $1.6MM. The players union will file a grievance, of course. You have to think the Cubs will unload Zambrano at any cost this winter.
- The list of players who have cleared waivers is up to ten, with ESPN's Buster Olney reporting nine of them.
- The Dodgers signed first round draft pick Chris Reed for $1.589MM. The Stanford lefty was drafted 16th overall. With just over 25 hours remaining until the draft pick signing deadline, 23 of the 33 first round picks are unsigned.
- A couple of prominent players switched agencies: Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus jumped from Bobby Barad to Beverly Hills Sports Council in advance of his first arbitration year, while Tigers closer Jose Valverde switched from Praver/Shapiro to Proformance a few months prior to the team's decision on his $9MM club option.
- Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was placed on the 15-day DL for a hamstring strain Monday, after missing about two weeks for a similar injury in July. The latest DL stint prompted many analysts to wonder how much Reyes' injuries will cost him as a free agent.
- White Sox lefty John Danks told the Chicago Sun-Times he loves Chicago and hopes to remain with the White Sox. Danks is due a sizeable arbitration raise next year, after which he'll be eligible for free agency.
- Many players landed on the scrap heap last week. J.C. Romero was released by the Yankees, Arthur Rhodes was released by the Rangers, the Red Sox cut Kevin Millwood loose, the Braves released Scott Proctor, the Marlins cut Wes Helms, the Cardinals released Blaine Boyer and Ron Mahay, the Royals released Kyle Davies, and the Pirates released Lyle Overbay. Also, Dave Bush elected free agency from the Cubs.
- Six players were removed from 40-man rosters by being designated for assignment: Luke French (Mariners), Juan Jaime (Diamondbacks), Tim Wood (Pirates), Raul Valdes (Cardinals), Austin Kearns (Indians), and Tommy Manzella (Astros).
- On the positive side, many players were rescued from the scrap heap: Millwood signed with the Rockies, the Yankees brought Proctor back, the Diamondbacks reunited with Overbay, the Phillies inked Jack Cust, the Cardinals signed Rhodes, the Padres signed Pedro Feliz, and the D'Backs claimed Manzella.
Mets Links: Nimmo, Capuano, Igarashi
Having dropped five in a row, the Mets are in line for the 14th overall draft pick next year, but they could certainly make a "run" for a top ten pick. The latest on the team:
- The Mets drafted high school outfielder Brandon Nimmo 13th overall this year. Slot for that pick is $1.656MM, according to Baseball America, though Nimmo may need more. With tomorrow night's deadline looming, will Nimmo sign or will he honor his commitment to Arkansas? Talking to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Brandon's father Ron said the two sides haven't made any progress since draft day (Twitter link). However, Ron feels that both parties have wiggle room.
- Mets starter Chris Capuano cleared waivers, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted earlier today. That surprised me, as I explained here. Capuano seemed like a decent fit for a contender like the Diamondbacks, even before they lost new acquisition Jason Marquis for about a month to a broken fibula today.
- Mets manager Terry Collins intends to let his current relievers finish out the year, he told ESPN's Adam Rubin. Rubin had previously wondered if today's unimpressive performance from Ryota Igarashi would be the nail in the coffin (Twitter link).
Alex Gordon, Royals Plan To Discuss Extension
It took a few years longer than expected, but Alex Gordon has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Royals' lineup. Interest is mutual on a possible extension, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Asked about staying in Kansas City, Gordon replied with a Napoleon Dynamite-esque, "Heck, yeah." Gordon's agent Casey Close has spoken to Royals GM Dayton Moore, and the two agreed to discuss an extension in the offseason.
Gordon, 27, is hitting .301/.374/.484 in 527 plate appearances this year, his first full season as a left fielder. Dutton writes in praise of Gordon's outfield defense, and UZR concurs. Back when the Royals drafted Gordon second overall in 2005, he played third base.
Gordon, who is represented by Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, is earning $1.4MM this year. His disappointing 2010 season resulted in just a $250K raise, but Gordon's salary will rise by several million for 2012. Barring an extension, he'll be arbitration eligible one more time in 2013 before hitting free agency.
In my opinion, a fair price for Gordon's final two arbitration years would be $9MM total, and then free agent years could be bought out in the $9-11MM range. I could see a four-year deal for under $30MM, perhaps with a club option in the mix.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
MLBTR Originals
MLBTR's top-notch writing team was on fire last week with original content. Let's take a look:
- Ben Nicholson-Smith and I presented our inaugural list of the top GM candidates in baseball, after surveying a diverse group of baseball insiders. We're aiming to bring you interviews with many of the executives on the list over the next few months, so you'll be fully prepared if a GM job opens up.
- Speaking of GMs past and present, Ben scored interviews with John Hart and Andrew Friedman for a piece discussing the parallels between Hart's Indians extensions and Friedman's Rays contracts.
- The Tigers extended manager Jim Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski, and Ben jumped on the conference call to snag quotes from the latter.
- Tigers closer Jose Valverde is a perfect 35 for 35 in save chances this year, but his recent track record on finding the right agency is not as good. He recently switched to Proformance, MLBTR was first to report. You'll find all the latest info in our one-of-a-kind Agency Database.
- Willie Eyre's first call to the bigs since '09 was first reported on MLBTR.
- Neftali Ruiz and Mario Guerrero brought readers this story on the struggles of Haitian prospects, while our Nick Collias translated their work to English and tied it all together.
- Ben ran through the 2010 non-tenders currently contributing with their new teams. Ben also explained why Twins righty Kevin Slowey is a candidate for the indignity of a non-tender after this season.
- What would it take for the Blue Jays to lock up Brandon Morrow, whose K/9 stands tall over the rest of the American League? Mark Polishuk investigated. Meanwhile, Dan Mennella explored Jonathan Papelbon's free agent prospects.
- Indians fans can only hope the Ubaldo Jimenez trade doesn't end up mirroring Brock-for-Broglio, but Howard Megdal shows why Jimenez and Broglio are trade targets separated at birth.
- Thousands of MLBTR readers voted on polls asking whether the Rays should trade B.J. Upton this winter and which recent Brewers trade was the best.
- Ben answered reader questions on Dontrelle Willis' next contract, this offseason's extension candidates, and what it would take to lock up Michael Bourn, among many others in last week's chat.
- Lots of interesting stuff from baseball blogs around the web last week, collected by Mike Axisa here. Especially notable is Bronx Baseball Daily's interview with C.C. Sabathia.
Draft Links: Angels, Purke, Nimmo, Blue Jays, Cubs
We're closing in on Monday night's deadline to sign picks from the 2011 Draft. Remember you can see our updated list of first and supplemental round picks who have signed on MLBTR's sidebar, and here's some more of the latest news:
- Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Angels signed fourth-rounder Michael Clevinger for a $250K bonus — about $50K over slot. Clevinger is a junior college right-hander who throws 93-95mph.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo spent the weekend in Houston, negotiating with Peter Vescovo, the representatitve for third-round pick Matt Purke, writes the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. Purke was originally drafted by the Rangers 14th overall in 2009 but elected to pitch at TCU and had some shoulder troubles this year.
- A Mets official told ESPN's Adam Rubin that the organization is confident a deal with first-rounder Brandon Nimmo will be completed prior to the deadline. The Mets selected Nimmo, a high school outfielder from Wyoming, 13th overall.
- The Blue Jays announced in a press release that the club has agreed to terms with three right-handers: third-round pick John Stilson, sixth-round pick Anthony Desclafani, and eighth-round pick Matt Biggs.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Cubs agreed to terms with their 41st-round pick, Austin Urban, on a $100K bonus.
Morrison Could File Grievance Against Marlins
After a shocking demotion to Triple-A New Orleans last night, Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison will speak with the Players Union to see if there are grounds for filing a grievance, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.
Shortly after a game in which he batted third for the Fish, Morrison was given the news of his demotion, along with the notice that clubhouse leader Wes Helms had been released. The Marlins cited Morrison's .249 batting average as their reason for the demotion, but Morrison told reporters he thought the move was related to an off-the-field issue.
Capozzi's article shines some light on the situation, as he informs readers that Helms had advised Morrison that he didn't have to attend a meet-and-greet that day with Marlins season ticket holders. Morrison had recently finished an autograph session and was upset with the Marlins' handling of a charity bowling event that had to be canceled due to lack of interest. He spoke about the issues to Helms, the team's union representative. While Helms did attend the event, Morrison ultimately did not, and hours later neither were with the big league club.
Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Capozzi had some reactions from Morrison, who told reporters he was "heartbroken," and said that manager Jack McKeon, President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest, and GM Mike Hill neglected to discuss his 17 home runs or 60 RBI on the season, but focused solely on the batting average. For what it's worth, Morrison's .791 OPS also ranks third on the team behind Mike Stanton and Gaby Sanchez.
In this special piece for MLB.com, Danny Villavicencio has quotes from Beinfest on the club's decision:
"I never thought we'd see Logan hitting in the .240s, ever," Beinfest said. "Obviously, he's a much better hitter than he's shown. I'm not going to pin that on it as a specific, but he needs to work on all aspects of being a Major Leaguer, and then he'll come back here."
Beinfest pointed to Jose Lopez's big Triple-A numbers and a desire to improve the bench as a reason for the release of Helms, who was batting just .191 after last night's game.
In addition to being second on the team in home runs and third in OPS, Morrison and agent Fred Wray can also point out that this move could hamper his service time, potentially costing him money in the long run and prolonging his journey to free agency. This isn't the first time this year that Morrison has clashed with the Marlins organization, either. He was asked to tone down his Twitter account earlier this season, and has been said to be too candid with the media.
Based on Beinfest's repetition that Morrison "needs to focus on all aspects of being a Major Leaguer," it certainly seems like there could be more to the situation than just his on-field performance. That will be up to the Players Union to decide, however.
Diamondbacks Agree To Terms With Andrew Chafin?
3:11pm: In a second tweet, Piecoro cites another source saying the two sides are close, and that Chafin still needs his physical. Piecoro thinks the deal will get done.
3:03pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets that D'Backs scouting director Ray Montgomery told him the club is still working toward signing Chafin, but a deal is not yet finalized.
2:41pm: The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with supplemental first round pick Andrew Chafin, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis. The D'Backs selected Chafin, a left-hander out of Kent State, 43rd overall as compensation for losing Type B free agent Adam LaRoche. Terms of the deal are not yet available.
Chafin, who missed the 2010 season due to Tommy John surgery, was ranked 38th by Baseball America heading into the draft. The 6'2", 210-pound southpaw throws his fastball comfortably in the low 90s but can touch 95 with his heater. He has drawn praise for his wipeout slider, which some scouts rank as a 70 on the 20-80 scale.
ESPN's Keith Law (Insider required) had this to say about Chafin at the time of the draft:
"At worst Chafin's an interesting pen arm because he's left-handed with good velocity, but he has the body and delivery to start if his off-speed pitches improve."
MLBTR's list of first and supplemental round picks to sign can be viewed here, and is also available on our sidebar.
Zambrano Links: Coleman, Dempster, Wells
Following Friday's meltdown against the Braves, Carlos Zambrano cleared out his locker and threatened to retire, leading the Cubs to place him on the disqualified list. The union will file a grievance tomorrow, and Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider required) writes that the Cubs may be left with a "thin defense" for their decision. Regardless of the outcome though, Olney thinks the team's actions make it clear that they're done with Big Z's antics, and that the right-hander won't be a Cub by next spring. Here's the latest chatter on the situation:
- The Cubs will call up Casey Coleman to take Zambrano's spot in the rotation, tweets Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
- Ryan Dempster tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that there's a positive vibe in the clubhouse now, and said of Zambrano, "He's made his bed; he's got to sleep in it."
- With Zambrano likely out of the picture for 2012, Randy Wells' performance down the stretch could affect how much pitching help the Cubs pursue this winter, as Wittenmyer writes in a separate piece.
- Rick Morrissey of the Sun-Times says Zambrano only ever cared about himself, and that the Cubs should have been done with him long ago.
- Ozzie Guillen, a good friend of Zambrano's, said the pitcher "should feel embarrassed, should regret what he said or what he did," according to the Tribune's Dave van Dyck.
- Although a report yesterday suggested Zambrano had moved his belongings back into his locker, Sullivan says that isn't the case, and that Wells has moved his things into the empty locker.
Phillies To Sign Dave Bush
The Philles have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with Dave Bush, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The deal will become official when the right-hander passes a physical.
Bush, 31, elected to become a free agent earlier this week, opting out of his minor league deal with the Cubs. He was roughed up in five Triple-A starts for Iowa, posting a 6.14 ERA, and didn't fare much better earlier in the season in the bigs with the Rangers (5.79 ERA in 17 outings). If Bush passes his physical with the Phils, he'll report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
NL West Notes: Bloomquist, Romero, Blake
The tightest division race in the National League is happening out west, where the Diamondbacks have taken a two-game lead over the Giants on the strength of five straight wins. ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) likens Arizona to a No. 14 seed in an NCAA tournament, holding a lead late in the game and gaining confidence that they can pull off an upset. Here are this morning's notes from around the NL West:
- The D'Backs didn't go out and acquire a replacement for Stephen Drew when he fractured his ankle, and Willie Bloomquist is making the decision look good, writes Olney. Since Drew's injury, Bloomquist is hitting .295/.349/.423 as the team's regular shortstop.
- J.C. Romero tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that his friend LaTroy Hawkins had good things to say about the Rockies' organization, which pushed the lefty toward Colorado. Romero will throw a bullpen and take a physical today, and could be added to the Rockies' roster if both go well.
- Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times wonders what's next for the Dodgers' Casey Blake, who is "not the least interested in calling it a career" and "has no desire in going out on some injury-riddled, less-than-fulfilling season," according to Dilbeck.
- The Athletics have called up two former members of NL West clubs, both of whom were involved in trades earlier this season, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Brandon Allen, formerly of the Diamondbacks, and Bruce Billings, acquired from the Rockies in the Mark Ellis deal, will join the A's for today's game.