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Mets Unlikely To Offer Reyes Seven Years

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The Mets remain highly unlikely to offer Jose Reyes a Carl Crawford-like contract in the seven-year, $142MM range, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Both the guaranteed money and the length of Crawford’s contract would be unappealing to the Mets, Martino reports.

Reyes, who has a case for a substantial free agent contract, could return to New York by agreeing to a five or six year deal or if the Mets change their current position. The Mets’ decision to hold onto Reyes at last week’s trade deadline does not reflect a change in thinking. “Nothing has changed,” Martino’s source said, adding that the Mets remain “nervous” about Reyes’ free agency.

The Mets will likely be able to obtain a pair of top draft picks if they offer the shortstop arbitration and he declines to sign elsewhere, since he projects as a Type A free agent.

Giants Designate Alex Hinshaw For Assignment

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The Giants have designated left-hander Alex Hinshaw for assignment, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter). The move was made to make room on the 40-man roster for Mark DeRosa, who was activated from the 60-day disabled list.

Hinshaw, a 15th-round pick of the Giants out of San Diego State in 2005, made his big league debut in 2008 and last appeared in the Majors in 2009. In 57 career appearances, he has a 4.53 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 7.1 BB/9. That's a terrific strikeout rate. Now, if only he could get his control in check …

Hinshaw has spent 2011 with Triple-A Fresno and Double-A Richmond.

Draft Notes: Swihart, Camarena, Starling

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A few draft items of note, as Ross Detwiler, the first player of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft to reach the big leagues, exits his start in Colorado …

  • The Red Sox hosted first-round draft pick Blake Swihart at Fenway Park prior to tonight's game against the Indians, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Swihart, the No. 26 overall pick, took batting practice, although he remains unsigned. The switch-hitting catcher has committed to the University of Texas. This sort of workout is common, so it may not indicate that an agreement is imminent, although it can't hurt, either.
  • Likewise, the Yankees worked out 20th-round pick Dan Camarena, a right-handed prep pitcher from San Diego, writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues. Though he was taken later in the draft, Camarena was actually ranked No. 138 among all prospects prior to the draft by Baseball America, according to Axisa, so it looks like the Yanks will have to go well over slot to get him signed up.
  • Royals first-rounder Bubba Starling, the No. 5 pick overall, told Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star that "it's getting really stressful now," in reference to the approaching Aug. 15 deadline for draft picks to sign. Starling is currently partaking in football practice with Nebraska, where he's committed to play. Most draft experts think he'll sign with the Royals, however.

Quick Hits: Jimenez, Burrell, Ellsbury, Rasmus

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A couple items of note as former Red Sock Justin Masterson battles his old team in Boston …

  • Indians right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, acquired from the Rockies in a pre-deadline blockbuster, never asked to be traded out of Colorado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, although he wanted a resolution on the situation, and he didn't mind having the opportunity to waive his 2014 option with the commencement of the trade (via Twitter).
  • The Giants activated Mark DeRosa from the 60-day disabled list today, but they haven't announced a corresponding 40-man roster move yet and "are being evasive about it," according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter). Baggarly speculates that the Lads could activate Pat Burrell from the 15-day DL and release him.
  • The Red Sox were willing to discuss a trade with the Cardinals involving center fielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Colby Rasmus in 2010, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), but the talks never gained traction. That would have been a heck of a trade. Rasmus, of course, was traded by St. Louis to the Blue Jays prior to last month's trade deadline.
  • The Indians were very close to drafting Ellsbury at No. 14 overall in the 2005 draft but instead opted for Trevor Crowe, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). So close, in fact, that team officials asked Ellsbury, a Native American, his feelings about the team's logo, the so-called Chief Wahoo. … Edes' sources didn't provide him with Ellsbury's response, though.

Minors Notes: Buck, Lawrie, Robinson, Ruettiger

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A few items of note regarding MiLB comings and goings …

  • Indians outfielder Travis Buck has accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus, according to the Indians (via Twitter). Buck was outrighted yesterday. It's been a relatively disappointing big league career thus far for Buck, who was once a fairly well-regarded prospect with the A's but has battled a slew of injuries. He signed a minor league deal with the Tribe in December and was DFA'd upon the acquisition of Kosuke Fukudome.
  • The Blue Jays have called up infielder Brett Lawrie, one of their top prospects, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Lawrie, a native of British Columbia, was acquired in the deal that sent Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee last offseason. If his stay in the big leagues is permanent, Lawrie will be eligible for arbitration for the first time after the 2014 season, and he projects to hit free agency after 2017, per Ben Nicholson-Smith (via Twitter).
  • Similarly, the Mariners will promote recently acquired outfield prospect Trayvon Robinson from Triple-A Tacoma, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Robinson, too, is a touted prospect, and his arbitration clock projects similarly to Lawrie's, barring further time spent in the minors. The M's landed Robinson from the Dodgers in the three-way deal that sent Erik Bedard to the Red Sox prior to the deadline.
  • The Orioles have signed outfielder Johnny Ruettiger, an eighth-round draft pick out of Arizona State, for $160K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter). Ruettiger is the nephew of Rudy Ruettiger, the former Notre Dame football player whose career was chronicled in the popular movie Rudy. Callis notes that Johnny has good speed and a line-drive bat, and, naturally, "grittiness."
  • The Phillies have signed former first-round pick Chris Lubanski and assigned him to Double-A Reading, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). The Royals made Lubanski the No. 5 overall pick in 2003, but the left-handed-hitting left fielder has yet to reach the Majors. He's posted a line of .280/.346/.474 in parts of eight minor league seasons.

Poll: The Padres And Heath Bell

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It came as something of a surprise when the Padres retained closer Heath Bell at Sunday's non-waiver trade deadline. A pending free agent on a small-market club, Bell was considered the favorite among relievers on this July's trade market to find a new home.

However, no suitor could meet the Padres' asking price, apparently, which is reported to have been some player (or players) the Friars deemed to be of equal value to the two compensatory draft picks they'd receive in the offseason if Bell were to sign elsewhere after turning down arbitration.

The situation has grown complicated for the Padres, however, as Buster Olney of ESPN.com and Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com explained in separate pieces today. After the deadline, Bell said he'd accept arbitration if the Padres offered it to him, which would not be cost effective for a team on a tight budget. After all, Bell, 34 in September, could earn as much as $12-13MM in 2012 after another trip through arbitration.

The Padres also don't seem especially inclined to offer him a long-term deal — even at a discount — because he's said since Spring Training that he'd take one, and yet none has come to fruition. The others options are to trade him this month after putting him on waivers, which is not easy and compromises bargaining leverage, or to perhaps release Bell after going through arbitration if the price is exorbitant, a scenario put forth by Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres.

If you're wondering about the fantasy ramifications of this situation, check out the post I wrote up today over at CloserNews.com.

Anyway, what would you do if you were the Padres?

Quick Hits: Indians, Bedard, Braves, Phillies

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Links for Thursday, before the Pirates try to reach the .500 mark and the Indians try to climb above it…

  • One GM told Tim Kurkjian of ESPN The Magazine that the Indians gave up an awful lot to get Ubaldo Jimenez, "a guy you're just not sure about." However, reliever Frank Herrmann told Kurkjian that he believes in Cleveland's GM. "We're not going to meddle in the way the front office works," Hermann said. "I would be upset if Chris Antonetti came down to the clubhouse and told me how to hold my curveball."
  • Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox never stopped pursuing Erik Bedard throughout their negotiations for Jimenez, Hiroki Kuroda and Rich Harden.
  • Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton told Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com that the Rangers want to prove that last year's World Series run was just the beginning. "We want to show we belong there, that it wasn't a fluke," Hamilton said. 
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Padres should have traded Heath Bell by now or signed him to an extension. Their best remaining option is to trade him this August, even though they have significantly less leverage than they did a month ago, Rosenthal says.
  • Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle can envision the Astros winning as many as 90 games in 2013 – but he can also envision three consecutive 100-loss seasons.
  • The Braves and Phillies will likely reinforce their bullpens internally, as Rosenthal explains. The Braves would like to add a right-hander and Peter Moylan, who is returning from back surgery, and minor leaguers Arodys Vizcaino and Julio Teheran are options. The Phillies, meanwhile, are looking forward to the return of Jose Contreras.

Mariners Release Jack Cust

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The Mariners announced that they have released Jack Cust, who was designated for assignment last week. Seattle's 40-man roster now has 39 players and the Mariners have an empty 25-man roster spot after optioning Greg Halman to Triple-A.

Cust, 32, posted a .213/.344/.329 line with three homers in 270 plate appearances this year. After averaging 28 homers and 103 walks with the A's from 2007-09, Cust's power numbers have fallen off. The left-handed hitter signed a $2.5MM deal with Seattle in December after the A's non-tendered him.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Jimmy Rollins

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In theory, the Yankees’ negotiations with Derek Jeter could have provided a model for the Phillies, whose star shortstop hits free agency this offseason. Jimmy Rollins is a longtime fixture in Philadelphia, so there are definite parallels between him and Jeter, who signed a three-year $51MM deal with the Yankees in December. But given how publicly contentious those negotiations became, it’s not easy to imagine the Phillies following the Yankees’ example.

Jimmy Rollins

Instead, the Phillies could look to lock Rollins up during the five day period after the World Series, when they’ll have exclusive rights to him, wait and bid for his services against other teams, or let him walk (likely with an offer of arbitration and the expectation that he would decline). Rollins may not be an MVP candidate anymore, but he’s a valuable enough player that he should draw lots of interest this offseason if the Phillies let him reach the open market.

That said, he won’t be the premier available shortstop. That honor goes to Jose Reyes, who could ask for Carl Crawford money. The rest of the market includes Rafael Furcal, Jamey Carroll, Clint Barmes and others, though Rollins will likely be the most appealing option once Reyes signs.

There’s a lot to like about Rollins, who turns 33 after the season. He has a .264/.337/.399 line with 13 home runs and 24 stolen bases this year.  Only six shortstops (Reyes, Troy Tulowitzki, Yunel Escobar, Jhonny Peralta, Asdrubal Cabrera and Alexei Ramirez) have more wins above replacement than Rollins this year and Jeter is the only shortstop with more WAR since 2000, when Rollins broke into the league, according to FanGraphs.

Rollins also has three Gold Gloves on his mantle and the stats suggest he has earned his hardware. UZR says he is an above-average defender in 2011 and has been for nine consecutive seasons.

However, Rollins’ on-base average was just .296 in 2009 and only .320 in 2010, so there has to be some concern about his ability to reach base, despite his solid .337 mark so far in 2011. Since the Phillies will presumably offer arbitration and Rollins projects as a Type A free agent, he’ll cost any team other than Philadelphia a top draft pick.

He figures to surpass the three-year, $22.25MM deal J.J. Hardy signed last month, but it’s hard to imagine a deal worth more than Jeter’s $51MM. Rollins is worth more to the Phillies than any other team because of his history in Philadelphia, just as Jeter means more to the Yankees than he would to any other club. That doesn’t mean the Phillies are going to hand their shortstop a blank check, however. If Rollins does stay in Philadelphia, it's not hard to imagine the sides agreeing to a three-year deal in the $30MM range.

Braves Interested In Bench Help

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The Braves would like to add a right-handed pinch hitter, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Atlanta is looking for a player to complement the left-handed hitting Eric Hinske as a weapon off of the bench late in games.

Braves pinch hitters have eight homers and a .201/.250/.390 line this year. Among the names GM Frank Wren could consider as he looks for right-handed bench help: Casey Blake, Jamey Carroll, Ty Wigginton, Reed Johnson, Miguel Cairo, Jonny Gomes, Aaron Hill and Josh Willingham.

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