Trade Candidate: Jeff Keppinger
The Astros have had magical late-season surges before, but their chances of making the playoffs in 2011 are essentially non-existent. At 29-57, they have the worst record in baseball and are now open to trading players who don’t figure into their long-term plans.
Jeff Keppinger figures to draw interest this summer and GM Ed Wade will presumably consider offers for the second baseman. Keppinger is under team control through 2012, but he doesn’t appear to be a cornerstone player like Hunter Pence, Bud Norris or Jordan Lyles.
That doesn’t mean he can’t help a contender, though. Since recovering from left foot surgery and returning to Houston’s lineup at the end of May, the 31-year-old has hit .328/.346/.424 with two home runs. He has played second base this year and has big league experience around the infield and outfield.
However, Keppinger’s batting average on balls in play is a robust .331 this year, significantly higher than his career mark of .291. This suggests that his current level of production is not sustainable, though his career line of .285/.339/.393 is still respectable.
Keppinger’s $2.3MM salary makes him a more expensive option than Jeff Baker or Jamey Carroll, two other trade candidates at the position. He's still relatively cheap, though. By the time the trade deadline arrives, Keppinger will have less than $1MM remaining on his contract. Plus, he’s under team control in 2012, so an acquiring team would have flexibility for next year.
The Tigers, Giants and Cardinals are among the contenders that could consider upgrading at second base. Given the Astros’ record and Keppinger’s better-than-expected performance so far in 2011, it won’t be surprising if Wade trades his second baseman within the month.
Checking In On Baseball’s New Managers
There was an incredible amount of managerial turnover last year. Bobby Cox, Lou Piniella, Joe Torre and Cito Gaston walked away from the role on their own terms and other skippers were simply fired. Here’s a midseason look at all 12 MLB managers in their first full seasons with their current clubs:
American League
Buck Showalter’s Orioles are 36-46 and John Farrell’s Blue Jays are 42-44. The AL East is arguably baseball’s toughest division, but the O’s entered the season with high hopes after finishing strong in 2010 and signing a number of free agents.
Ned Yost has led the Royals to a 34-50 record and overseen the big league debuts for top prospects like Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. Former Indians manager Eric Wedge has the Mariners on the fringes of contention, 2.5 games out of the AL West with a 42-43 record.
National League
The Braves have the second-best record in the NL (50-36) under new manager Fredi Gonzalez and Terry Collins has the 43-42 Mets above .500 in his first season in New York. Another NL East skipper, Edwin Rodriguez, was fired after the Marlins' record slipped to 32-39.
Ron Roenicke has the Brewers in contention with a 45-41 record, but Mike Quade of the Cubs checks in at 35-51 in his first full season in Chicago. Clint Hurdle of the Pirates (pictured) is probably the favorite to win NL Manager of the Year, since Pittsburgh is finally above .500 at 44-41.
Kirk Gibson of the Diamondbacks has Arizona in contention with a 46-40 record and has emerged as an NL Manager of the Year candidate himself. Another former big league star, Don Mattingly, has led the Dodgers to a 37-49 record.
Listing these managers’ records is an admittedly simplistic way of checking in on them. Their records are a reflection of the players on their rosters, the injuries they've dealt with and the opponents they've faced, not just their work as skippers. Photo Courtesy Icon SMI.
Astros Notes: Wandy, Bourn, Lee, Pence, Myers
The Astros will likely be sellers at this year’s trade deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Houston has an MLB-worst 29-57 record, so the front office figures to entertain offers for Wandy Rodriguez, Michael Bourn and others. Here are the details from Rosenthal and Morosi’s report, which is a must-read item for Astros fans:
- Though owner Drayton McLane would like to complete the sale of his club to Jim Crane by the July 31st trade deadline, the deal may not become official until August. MLB isn’t close to approving the sale, partly because of its ongoing conflict with Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.
- Crane will likely stay quiet until baseball’s owners approve him, but he’ll influence the team’s direction this summer.
- MLB has not told Crane that he has to agree to move the Astros to the AL West for the sale to go through.
- Carlos Lee, who earns $18.5MM this year and next year, wouldn’t be easy to trade even if Houston picked up significant salary.
- The club doesn’t want to trade Hunter Pence, who is under control through 2013. Bud Norris and Jordan Lyles also figure into Houston’s long-term plans, but the Astros will likely listen to offers on most other players, including Brett Myers and Jeff Keppinger.
- Most baseball people expect Crane to fire GM Ed Wade, but the new owner will likely take his time evaluating Wade’s leadership before conducting a search for a new GM.
- Houston native and current Rays executive Andrew Friedman is “an almost certain target,” according to Rosenthal and Morosi. Another Tampa Bay exec, former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker, is also a possibility for Crane. He led Houston to four division titles before joining the Rays.
Giants To Sign Eric Valdez
The Giants have agreed to sign outfielder Eric Valdez, the Dominican Prospect League announced. The prospect obtains a $325K bonus.
Valdez has an extremely athletic body and profiles as a leadoff hitter with power, according to the league. He can steal bases and plays strong defense.
AL East Notes: Orioles, Jeter, Lackey
The defending AL East Champion Rays are 47-38, which gives them the third best record in the American League. Unfortunately for the Rays, they're third in the AL East, behind the only two AL clubs with better records, the Yankees and Red Sox. Here's the latest on the division:
- The Orioles' reliance on Mitch Atkins and Chris Jakubauskas as starters shows that Baltimore's rotation has been a disappointment, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen have not pitched as well as expected, so the rotation has become a consistent weakness.
- The Orioles will purchase Atkins' contract today to add him to the active roster and they could consider designating Jakubauskas for assignment to create space, according to Connolly.
- Derek Jeter, who returned to the Yankees' lineup from the disabled list last night, told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that he's unhappy with his first half performance and intends to improve "everything" in the second half.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com looks back at Boston's free agent additions under GM Theo Epstein and concludes that "the pricier investments have offered suspect returns." That's certainly true of two free agents the Red Sox signed before the 2010 season: Mike Cameron and John Lackey.
Minor Moves: Simons, Miller, Corcoran, Hernandez
A few transactions from the minor leagues…
- The Marlins have signed right-hander Zach Simons, MLBTR has learned. Simons, 26, was released by the Tigers last week. Simons was drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2005 draft and has a 4.06 ERA and a 7.1 K/9 rate in seven minor league seasons in the Colorado and Detroit systems.
- The Dodgers have signed Justin Miller to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned. This is Miller's second stint with L.A. after posting a 4.44 ERA in 19 appearances with the club in 2010 before being designated for assignment. Miller has pitched for the Mariners' and Rangers' Triple-A teams this season, with a combined 5.31 ERA in 17 appearances.
- The Dodgers signed right-hander Roy Corcoran to a minor league deal and assigned him to Double-A Chattanooga, according to the Southern League's transactions page. Corcoran last piched in the Majors in 2009 and has a career 4.17 ERA in 82 appearances with the Expos, Nationals and Mariners between 2003 and 2009. Corcoran pitched for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock last season.
- The Yankees released Fernando Hernandez, according to the International League's transactions page. Hernandez had posted a 5.91 ERA in 33 appearances for Double-A Trenton this season and made just one appearance for Triple-A Scranton before being released. The right-hander, who turns 27 later this month, has three Major League innings to his name, all with Oakland in 2008.
Quick Hits: Blue Jays, International Signings, Astros
A few items of note as the White Sox pick up a rare "balk-off" win over Aaron Crow and the Royals….
- The Blue Jays have signed Nicaraguan right-hander Osman Gutierrez, reports Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. Terms of the deal were not announced. Gutierrez is only 16 years old but stands 6'4", weighs 200 pounds and has a "power arm."
- In a mailbag piece, Jim Callis of Baseball America questions the double standard between international signings and draft picks, wondering "why it's OK for the Rangers to give $5 million to Nomar Romaza and $3.5 million to Ronald Guzman, both Dominican outfielders, yet it's a capital offense for any club to exceed MLB's ridiculously low bonus recommendations for the draft." Callis also discusses the history of draft picks making quick debuts in the Majors and the progress of Angels prospect Randal Grichuk, who was taken 24th overall in the 2009 draft — one pick ahead of Mike Trout.
- The Astros' signings of Luis Reynoso and Arturo Michelena are the latest examples of the team's renewed focus on Latin American scouting, writes Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner.
Jon Garland’s Season Could Be Over
Dodgers right-hander Jon Garland's shoulder injury may sideline him for the remainder of the season, a source tells Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles. Garland has been on the DL for the last month with inflammation in his throwing shoulder and was looking for a second opinion on his injury, but the source tells Jackson that Garland won't pitch again in 2011 even if he opts to avoid surgery.
If Garland's season is indeed over, it will probably mark the end of his tenure with the Dodgers. The 31-year-old signed a one-year, $5MM contract with Los Angeles last November that included a club option worth $8MM for 2012 that would have vested had Garland thrown 190 innings. This looked like a safe bet at the time given that the durable Garland had reached the 190-inning plateau in each of previous nine seasons. As it happened, the righty made his first two career trips to the DL this year. Given Garland's health and the Dodgers' financial issues, there is little to no chance the club would pick up that $8MM option for next year.
Garland has a 4.33 ERA and a 1.4 K/BB ratio in nine starts for L.A. this season. This was Garland's second stint with the Dodgers, as he pitched for the club in 2009 followng an August 31st trade from Arizona. Garland's strong September (a 2.72 ERA in six starts) helped the Dodgers win the NL West, though Garland was left off the postseason roster.
Next Move For Dontrelle Willis?
Dontrelle Willis was scratched from his start for the Louisville Bats tonight, leading to speculation that the Reds are calling him up or he's involved in a trade. Bronson Arroyo has dealt with a back issue this year, so it's possible Willis could take his place in the Reds' rotation for a while.
Willis' agent Matt Sosnick told me tonight that he is aware his client did not pitch, but he has no knowledge of the Reds' short-term plans. Sosnick added:
"Based on the way that Dontrelle has pitched this year, he probably would've been in the Majors by now if not for the Reds' rotation depth. I feel strongly that he has turned the corner. He's in the best shape of his career and is throwing with the highest velocity he's ever had. I feel very confident that he will be an impact player in the Major Leagues this year and for many years to come."
Willis, of course, was an impact player for the first four seasons of his career for the Marlins. He battled anxiety and injury problems after that, bouncing around after struggling with the Tigers. The 29-year-old has a 2.63 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9 in 13 starts for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate this year.
Cafardo On Dodgers, Hardy, Wandy, Twins
The latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…
- The Dodgers are not ready to become sellers quite yet, but Cafardo reports that the team's scouts are already compiling lists of other teams' better prospects. Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jamey Carroll are among the players who would be made available — Kuroda is already attracting the attention of several teams and MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at Carroll's trade candidacy two weeks ago.
- Cafardo reports that the Indians looked into Casey Blake as a depth option at third base before Lonnie Chisenhall was called up. Blake, Jonathan Broxton and Jon Garland are all currently on the DL but would be shopped by L.A. if they can prove they're healthy.
- The Dodgers don't appear to be interested in moving higher-profile players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier or James Loney since "the feeling is Dodgers fans would rebel if some of their star players were sold off." I don't think Loney falls into this category at all — he has just a .678 OPS this season and could be a non-tender candidate after the season, so the Dodgers would love to get something back for him.
- J.J. Hardy will be "a major trade chip" for the Orioles if the two sides can't work out a contract extension before the deadline. Hardy would become the top option for shortstop-needy teams, particularly if the Mets don't shop Jose Reyes.
- "It’s no secret that [Wandy Rodriguez] is being watched closely by the Yankees, who have sent a few people to watch some of his starts," Cafardo writes. As FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal noted a few weeks ago, the Yankees would want Rodriguez at the back of their rotation while the Astros would want a trade package befitting an ace, so there may not be a fit between the two teams. Cafardo notes that Brett Myers "also remains on the Yankees' radar."
- The Twins are more likely to deal Carl Pavano or Francisco Liriano than they would Scott Baker, though "there are teams that would love to get their hands on Baker."
- The White Sox recently sent assistant general manager Dave Yokum to scout some Braves games for pitching. Cafardo specifically cites Brandon Beachy as a starter the Sox were watching and says that Beachy or Derek Lowe could be shopped by Atlanta in exchange for a hitter. I think it's obvious the Braves would prefer to move the expensive Lowe rather than a young, controllable pitcher like Beachy, but if the Braves wanted to pick up a big bat like Carlos Quentin (as Cafardo speculates), Atlanta certainly has the pitching depth to spare.