Quick Hits: Soria, Bourn, Transactions, Wilson
Sunday linkage..
- A look at Royals closer Joakim Soria's contract situation shows that his $6MM option vested on July 30, when he pitched his 110th game between the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Soria's option vesting merely locks in his salary for 2012; he'd have been arbitration-eligible at any rate.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wonders if the Braves should extend Michael Bourn, and what the cost of it would be. As O'Brien points out, it's hard to come by comparables for Bourn, and the best may be Juan Pierre, whose contract is widely regarded as a tremendous mistake.
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy runs down the week's minor league transactions.
- Recently, impending free agent C.J. Wilson said that now is not the time to look ahead to the offseason and his next contract. In an interview on 103.3 FM ESPN (audio link), Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine seemed to agree and said that the club isn't looking to negotiate mid-season, writes Bryan Dolgin of ESPNDallas.com.
- Infielder Felipe Lopez will report to the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate on Monday after being outrighted on Wednesday. The veteran didn't impress on Milwaukee's big league roster this year, batting .182/.245/.182 in 51 trips to the plate.
- It's time for Athletics GM Billy Beane to move on to a different challenge, writes Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle. While he's been linked extensively to the Cubs job, Jenkins wonders if Beane could be a fit for the Dodgers if GM Ned Colletti winds up being hired by Chicago.
- The Marlins have begun the process of looking at managerial candidates and there is still interest in some corners of the Florida organization in Ozzie Guillen, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The White Sox skipper has another year on his current deal but it remains to be seen whether Guillen will be invited back.
MLBTR's Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the contract information used in this post.
NL West Notes: Loney, Ethier, Rockies
Let's take a look at a few items out of the NL West..
- Andre Ethier backed off the comments he made suggesting that the team was pushing him to play injured, writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Ethier expressed his desire to stay in Los Angeles, and GM Ned Colletti said that Ethier has not requested a trade. Colletti hopes he can extend Ethier.
- Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times wonders if a strong finish could save James Loney's career with the Dodgers. Loney is making $4.785MM this year as he enters his final year of arbitration. The 27-year-old wants to return to the club but is likely due for a raise that would put him in the neighborhood of $6MM.
- The Dodgers will also see Andre Ethier enter his final year of arbitration this winter. Ethier is battling an injury to his right knee that will require surgery in the offseason, but the team is oddly pushing him to play, writes T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times. General Manager Ned Colletti admitted that the outfielder's poor second-half performance could be slightly advantageous for the club in arbitration.
- The Rockies have other holes to fill as well, but look for them to prioritize starting pitching this winter, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
Rockies Notes: Giambi, Cuddyer, Young, Rotation
Troy Renck of the Denver Post took some time to answer questions from his followers on Twitter just now. Renck touches on a lot of offseason topics for the Rox, so let's take a look (all links to Renck's Twitter):
- If traded, Jason Giambi would prefer to go to the Phillies, but he isn't looking to get traded and would likely be claimed before Philadelphia got a chance at him. Giambi would like to return to the Rockies next season, and Renck sees it happening.
- It's been well-documented that the Rockies would like to add a bat at third base or in the outfield, and Renck says that Michael Cuddyer will be the team's top target in free agency.
- Eric Young Jr. has shown value, but doesn't fit the club unless he's playing second base, according to Renck. Young could be traded, while Ian Stewart will likely be non-tendered.
- Renck predicts that the Opening Day rotation will consist of Jhoulys Chacin, Alex White, Esmil Rogers, and two veterans. Jorge de la Rosa, Juan Nicasio and/or Drew Pomeranz could join the mix in May. Renck notes that De La Rosa is ahead of schedule in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.
- Kevin Millwood, who currently has a 4.26 ERA in four starts (25 1/3 innings) for the Rockies, could be one of those veterans, but on a minor league deal.
Blue Jays Designate Ledezma For Assignment
The Blue Jays designated Wil Ledezma for assignment following a six-run meltdown in today's 12-0 loss, according to this tweet from MLB.com's Gregor Chisolm.
Ledezma, 30, allowed 10 earned runs in just six innings with the Jays this year, six of which came today. He also allowed 11 hits and walked seven while striking out just six. All told, he's got a 15.00 ERA on the season.
The Blue Jays are the seventh team for which Ledezma has played over parts of nine MLB seasons. The southpaw has posted a 5.40 ERA, 6.4 K/9, and 4.5 BB/9 in 396 1/3 Major League innings. A corresponding roster move will be announced later tonight.
MLBTR Originals: 8/21/11 – 8/27/11
Let's take a look back at some of the original content produced by MLBTR this past week:
- Tim Dierkes talked to Jerry Dipoto, Mike Chernoff, and Bill Geivett as part of our GM Candidates series. Meanwhile, Ben Nicholson-Smith profiled Tony LaCava and Mike Radcliff. You can see the entire list of MLBTR's GM candidates here.
- What fan wouldn't love to have a bat like Prince Fielder sitting in the middle of his or her team's lineup? You may be hoping that your team will ink Milwaukee's masher, and obviously he'll play somewhere, but Tim Dierkes has at least one reason why each of MLB's 30 teams could pass on Prince.
- Speaking of sluggers, in light of this week's Jim Thome trade, Howard Megdal takes a historical look back at when other great sluggers were traded.
- Ben Nicholson-Smith examines Chris Carpenter's 2012 option and concludes that while it's a luxury, it's a luxury on which Cardinals GM John Mozeliak may indeed choose to spend.
- Tim Dierkes conducted this week's MLBTR chat and also shared the lastest Elias rankings with readers, which are of course exclusively provided to MLBTR by Eddie Bajek.
- Tim also noted that this offseason provides a pretty weak market for free agent offense.
- Mike Axisa rounded up the latest and greatest from around the baseball blogosphere in this week's edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
- In a conference call with Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers, Ben Nicholson-Smith learned that Arizona had defense and infield depth in mind when they flipped Kelly Johnson for Aaron Hill and John McDonald.
- Sticking in the NL West, Ben also took a look at the Padres' options with Heath Bell and checked in on the Rockies' lengthy list of offseason extensions.
- Dan Mennella turned the clock back to August 2010 and checked out some of the notable August deals from a year ago.
- Tim Dierkes kicked off his Arbitration Eligibles series with a look at the Orioles and then the Red Sox.
Week In Review: 8/21/11 – 8/27/11
As we approach the waiver trade deadline, let's take a look back at the week that was..
- The Angels signed ace Jered Weaver to a five-year, $85MM contract extension. The deal includes a full no-trade clause and various "significant" bonuses for winning the Cy Young and MVP awards and for earning All-Star berths. Weaver was slated to hit free agency after 2012 and the extension buys out his final year of arbitration eligibility and four years of free agency,
- The Diamondbacks acquired second baseman Aaron Hill and shortstop John McDonald from the Blue Jays for Kelly Johnson. Johnson should still be a Type B free agent in the AL which is likely Toronto's motivation in acquiring the impending free agent. Meanwhile, Hill has an $8MM club option which is expected to be declined after the season.
- After a nine-year absence from Cleveland, Jim Thome is back with the Tribe. The Indians are hoping that their all-time home run leader can help them leapfrog the Tigers in the standings and reach the playoffs once again. The Indians will send a player to be named later to the Twins on or before October 15th.
- B.J. Upton was claimed off trade waivers by an unknown team and the Rays have until Monday to work out a trade with the claiming team or pull him back. The center fielder is scheduled to become a free agent after 2012 and will be arbitration-eligible again this winter. Meanwhile, Upton told reporters that he doesn't expect to return to the club next season.
- The Blue Jays claimed Dewayne Wise after he was DFA'd by the Marlins, meaning that the outfielder is now in his third stint with the club. In 72 plate appearances, he posted a .239/.278/.269 line for Florida, appearing in left and center field.
- The Giants were awarded the waiver claim on Padres closer Heath Bell, but the two sides were unable to work out a deal. Bell's future with the club is anything but certain but the closer said that he would accept arbitration if he is offered.
- Health permitting, the Cardinals will exercise their two-year, $21MM option on Adam Wainwright for 2012-13. It's all still unofficial at this point since the Cardinals don’t have to make a decision until after the season ends.
- The Rockies acquired third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and cash considerations from the A's for a player to be named or cash considerations. The 30-year-old posted a .221/.262/.353 line with four homers in 149 plate appearances for Oakland this year.
- Joe Nathan would consider moving on from the Twins under the right circumstances and says that he would look at possible deals on a case by case basis.
- Don't expect the Cardinals to make any more moves, says GM John Mozeliak.
- Some baseball people who know A's GM Billy Beane well say that he might consider an offer to join the Cubs if they approach him about their vacant GM job. There’s concern within the organization that Beane might leave if the A’s don’t get permission to build a stadium in San Jose and the team is sold. The Cubs are also interested in Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, Rick Hahn, Josh Byrnes, and Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
- Lance Berkman intends to play in 2012 and that the Cardinals would be his first choice.
- The Rockies claimed Wandy Rodriguez off of waivers but balked when the Astros insisted on getting prospects and salary relief in return for the 32-year-old. Rodriguez earns $10MM next year and $13MM in 2013. If he's traded, the Astros $13MM option for 2014 becomes a player option.
- The Nationals don't intend to go after Prince Fielder once he reaches free agency. Instead, the Nats may be more focused on finding a center fielder and a leadoff hitter.
- The Dodgers designated catcher Dioner Navarro for assignment and recalled A.J. Ellis in a corresponding move.
- After being released by the Phillies on Saturday, Aaron Heilman inked a minor league deal with the Pirates on Sunday.
- The Pirates designated lefty reliever Joe Beimel for assignment to open a spot on the active roster for Ross Ohlendorf. Beimel, 34, has a 5.33 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 2.1 HR/9, and 41.2% groundball rate with 34 hits allowed in 25 1/3 innings this year.
- The Orioles designated Felix Pie for assignment to create roster space for Matt Angle. Pie wound up being outrighted to Triple-A and he's expected to accept the assignment.
Royals Open To Trading Prospects
With baseball's best farm system at his disposal, Royals GM Dayton Moore acknowledged that he's willing to trade prospects for pitching, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Dutton says Moore would like to find a deal similar to the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, where the Indians acquired a talented, controllable starter in exchange for prospects.
"We'll be aggressive in trades," Moore said, looking ahead to the offseason. “We'll try to make a trade or two that helps us. We have to look internally first, but then we have to look at trades. Then, finally, we have to look at free agency. We’ll explore all of those options…. We have a minor league system that's ranked pretty good. So we'll see what's out there. We're a pitcher or two away."
This spring, Baseball America said Kansas City's minor league system was "among the best we've seen," with nine Royals ranking among BA's top 100 prospects. So while there's no doubt that the Royals have the depth to make such a move, you could contest Moore's assertion that the club is only "a pitcher or two away." Even in a weak AL Central division, with some of their youngsters starting to make an impact in the bigs, the Royals are 25 games below .500 this season.
Still, according to Dutton, club officials believe that the rotation doesn't need to be overhauled for 2012, and that adding a top-of-the-rotation starter to their current core is the key for a "rapid rise" in the standings.
"What we need, if we're going to win a championship," one official said. "Is somebody who can match up with [Justin] Verlander and [C.C.] Sabathia and [Josh] Beckett."
ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) identifies the Mariners, Diamondbacks, and Braves as teams who might match up with the Royals, specifically naming Mike Moustakas as a player who could interest Atlanta as a successor to Chipper Jones at third base.
NL Central Links: McCutchen, Cubs, Ramirez, Crane
After Yovani Gallardo struck out ten Cubs en route to another Milwaukee victory, the club's division lead reached double digits for the first time this season, with the Cardinals now 10.5 games back. The Brewers will send Zack Greinke to the hill today as they look to sweep the Cubs and continue chipping away at their magic number (19). Let's check out the rest of the morning's updates from the NL Central….
- Although the Pirates and Andrew McCutchen were discussing a possible extension earlier this year, talks remain at a standstill for now. The outfielder's agent, Steve Hammond, told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that "it's time to focus on playing baseball and winning games" and that further extension discussions could happen later.
- A raise and increased payroll flexibility wouldn't necessarily convince Andrew Friedman to leave the Rays for the Cubs, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. "Don't think because this is a glamorous situation he's going to want to jump to it," said manager Joe Maddon. "That's not true."
- Aramis Ramirez tells Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune that, having never reached free agency before, he's unsure what to expect if it happens this winter.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle wonders if the delay in approving new Astros ownership is the league's way of saying it has "lingering doubts" about Jim Crane.
Cafardo’s Latest: Cubs GM, Vazquez, Greene, Kubel
The Cubs' GM search has the potential to impact the Red Sox front office, if Theo Epstein or Ben Cherington are near the top of Chicago's wish list. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe leads his Sunday Baseball Notes by addressing the possibility of a mutual interest between Epstein and the Cubs. As one AL team president points out, even if that interest exists, the Red Sox don't have to grant the Cubs permission to talk to Epstein: "I don't see why they would [grant permission]. They have one of the best GMs in the game. I know if I were the team president of the Red Sox or in ownership, I wouldn't let that happen."
Here are the other highlights from Cafardo's piece:
- Brian Cashman's name has also come up in Cubs GM rumors, but Cafardo's source doesn't expect Chicago to land Cashman or Epstein: "My best guess is both stay where they are and get the paycheck they're looking for…. They're not going to make more money elsewhere. The Cubs may offer a lot, but both Boston and New York can offer more, and I think they will."
- Marlins right-hander Javier Vazquez is seriously considering retirement after this season, and appears to have made up his mind one way or the other, as he told reporters earlier this week.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak would like to see former first round pick Tyler Greene get some big league playing time in September so the club has a better idea of how to plan for 2012.
- The Red Sox were among the teams who put in a waiver claim for Jason Kubel, though they were blocked by the Indians.
New York Notes: Chavez, Reyes, Burnett
Hurricane Irene washed out Saturday's contests for both New York clubs, and today's Braves/Mets game has been postponed as well. Weather permitting though, the Yankees and Orioles will play two, with Bartolo Colon and Ivan Nova looking to help the Yanks make up ground on the Red Sox in the AL East. Before they get underway, let's check out the latest from Queens and the Bronx….
- Eric Chavez explains to the Star-Ledger's Jeff Bradley why coming to New York actually helped relieve the pressure he'd felt in Oakland.
- When the Mets negotiate with Jose Reyes this offseason, part of the conversation will revolve around playing time, days off, and medical history, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post.
- Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News discusses Brian Cashman's starting rotation hits and misses over the years, while Mark Feinsand of the Daily News notes that the Yankees GM didn't exactly rush to A.J. Burnett's defense this weekend.