Extension Candidate: Carlos Quentin
After two inconsistent seasons and hearing his name whispered in trade talks, Carlos Quentin is again looking like the slugger who finished fifth in AL MVP voting in 2008. Quentin has a .256/.358/.535 line and 17 homers through Thursday and (along with Paul Konerko and Alexei Ramirez) is carrying a White Sox lineup that is still waiting for Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham to come to life.
Quentin is under team control through 2012 and avoided arbitration last winter by agreeing to a $5.05MM contract for this season. The outfielder can expect a healthy raise (at least in the $8MM range) if he keeps hitting and looks for another one-year pact. However, Chicago will have some money coming off the books this winter and Kenny Williams could look for some cost-certainty by locking up one of his team's young stars.
Perhaps even moreso than his bat, what may help Quentin's long-term prospects with the White Sox is his vastly improved play in the field this season. Quentin has posted an above-average 3.2 UZR/150 in right field this year — a massive step up from his -35 UZR/150 last year or the -25.2 UZR/150 he put up in left field in 2009. Nobody is suddenly confusing Quentin with Roberto Clemente in right, but if he can show that he can handle a corner outfield position, it gives him a place in a lineup that has first base and DH locked up by Konerko and Dunn. It's possible Quentin may be shifted back to left when the White Sox eventually call up right fielder Dayan Viciedo and relegate Juan Pierre to the bench.
How big would a Quentin extension be? Given that it would probably cover at least three free agent years, it would have to carry an average annual value of at least $10MM. Williams and the White Sox could point to Quentin's history of weak defense, his shaky 2009-10 seasons and his age (Quentin turns 29 in August) as signs to not make too huge a commitment. Quentin and agent Brodie Van Wagenen could counter with Quentin's good performance in 2011 as a sign that the proverbial light bulb has come on for the outfielder, and an argument could be made that with Konerko's advanced age (35), Viciedo an unproven quantity and so many other Sox hitters struggling, the club needs a proven power bat like Quentin going forward.
I can see Van Wagenen asking for a deal in the realm of five years and $60MM, but it's more likely that a Quentin extension would look more like a four-year pact worth $40-$41MM. Quentin reportedly turned down a four-year offer from the White Sox after the 2009 season and while the value of that offer wasn't made public, it's possible Quentin has an eye towards seeing what he can get on the free agent market.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI
Quick Hits: Nationals, Padres, Drew, Quade
Some notes from around the majors….
- ESPN's Buster Olney is "85-95%" confident that Davey Johnson will be the next Nationals manager. Johnson is currently an advisor with the Nats and hasn't managed since 2000. SI.com's Jon Heyman says Johnson is "in the mix" and might take the job if offered but "he loves [Jim] Riggleman and is sensitive to [the] situation" concerning Riggleman's abrupt departure. (All Twitter links)
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also chimes in on the Nationals' managerial situation, noting that while Riggleman was wrong to leave the team, it was also unfair of Nationals management to leave Riggleman as a lame duck without a guaranteed 2012 contract. Rosenthal also reports that GM Mike Rizzo rarely communicated with Riggleman and has a similar lack of regular contact with his scouting department.
- “Given the division, if we were to get real hot over the next two weeks, a final decision might be delayed a week or two,” a Padres executive tells Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune about when the Friars will start looking to trade players. “But the day is coming.” Center figures Heath Bell, Ryan Ludwick and Chad Qualls are all sure bets to be dealt. Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson may stay put, however, since San Diego has no Major League-ready middle infield replacements in the farm system. Such a young player could possibly come back in any deal for one of those two veterans, but if you're a team with a good young middle infielder, you'd probably want to keep that player rather than move him for a Hudson or a Bartlett.
- Jed Hoyer says "nothing is imminent" and "the only thing that’s true [about various Padres rumors] is that people call us," reports Marty Caswell of XX1090 Radio in San Diego. (Twitter link)
- With David Wright cleared to resume baseball activities, ESPN New York's Rob Parker hopes the Mets won't abandon a much-needed rebuilding plan in pursuit of a longshot chance at the postseason.
- ESPN Boston's Jeremy Lundblad looks at J.D. Drew's struggles this season. With Drew and Mike Cameron providing a negative WAR, Lundblad argues the Red Sox will need to look for right field help, whether it's via trade or an internal option like Josh Reddick or Ryan Kalish.
- The Cubs will have to go on a tear in the second half of the season in order to save Mike Quade's job, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Even this might not be enough, since if GM Jim Hendry goes, so will Quade.
- In an appearance on Jim Rome's radio show on Wednesday (via Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post), Todd Helton said he thinks the Rockies need another quality starter to be World Series contenders. Colorado GM Dan O'Dowd recently stated his team might be in the market for pitching.
Huntington Guarded About Maholm Extension Talks
Paul Maholm has expressed his willingness to discuss an extension to remain in Pittsburgh and he noted that he would prefer to get a new contract done sooner rather than later. Pirates GM Neal Huntington, talking to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch, didn't rule out the possibility of negotiations taking place before the trade deadline but also said that his club would rather wait until the offseason to talk contracts.
"We would very much prefer not to negotiate in-season, but it's not an absolute policy," Huntington said. "It's something that we'll look at on a case-by-case basis, but the strong preference is to do these things outside of the season."
Langosch noted that Huntington didn't hint one way or the other about whether the Pirates wished to keep Maholm and thus she ruminated on the cases for Pittsburgh both keeping or moving the southpaw. Maholm is putting up solid numbers and would give the otherwise young Bucs staff a reliable, innings-eating veteran presence for a few years to come. Or, absent an extension, Huntington could just exercise Maholm's $9.75MM team option for 2012 to keep the left-hander but still not make too much of a commitment.
On the other hand, Maholm's numbers aren't so special that a low-payroll team like the Pirates would feel totally comfortable giving him even a modest contract like $24MM over three years. Maholm could be dealt while his trade value is at his highest and Pittsburgh would fill that hole in the rotation with one of their several young pitching prospects (such as Brad Lincoln or Jeff Locke). And, while Maholm and Andrew McCutchen are obviously on far different levels of importance within the Pirates organization, the team was certainly willing to enter in-season negotiations with McCutchen about a multiyear deal. Huntington might have given more than scant details about an extension for Maholm if it was a move the club was seriously considering, Langosch notes.
John Maine Leaves Triple-A Team, May Retire
John Maine has left the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate and is considering retirement, reports Jack Etkin of InsideTheRockies.com. Maine was hit hard on Monday, his latest poor start in a tough season that has seen the right-hander post a 7.43 ERA and a 2.06 WHIP in 11 starts for Colorado Springs. Maine "felt he needed to get away from the game" for a while given his struggles but he still wants to pitch.
Maine, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in February after being non-tendered by the Mets last fall. He has a career 4.35 ERA and 1.86 K/BB ratio in 108 games (105 of them starts) with the Mets and Orioles over seven Major League seasons. Maine has battled shoulder and rotator cuff problems for the last three years and these arm issues may have persisted in part due to Maine's penchant for trying to tough out his injuries, as detailed in this piece by Fangraphs' Alex Remington.
Nationals Name John McLaren As Interim Manager
The Nationals have named bench coach John McLaren as their interim manager, reports Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). McLaren is just a temporary hire, however, as CSNWashington's Mark Zuckerman reports the Nats are still looking for an interim manager to run the club for the remainder of the season as Washington tries to adjust after Jim Riggleman's sudden resignation.
McLaren holds a 68-88 record as a Major League manager, running the Mariners from July 2007 to June 2008 in the wake of another abrupt managerial resignation (Mike Hargrove). Ironically, McLaren's replacement in Seattle was none other than Riggleman, who was then serving as McLaren's bench coach.
Washington is expected to have a new manager in place by as soon as Monday, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Third-base coach Bo Porter and Triple-A manager Randy Knorr are candidates and Ladson points out that Bobby Valentine was a finalist for the Nationals' job before the 2010 season. McLaren, as Zuckerman noted, isn't being considered as a manager beyond this weekend's series with the White Sox.
Bay Area Notes: Ellis, Breslow, Fuentes, Whiteside
Here's the latest on the A's and the Giants, including some trade rumors between the two clubs themselves…
- "The Giants are not pursuing" A's second baseman Mark Ellis, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. (Twitter links). The Giants at least checked in on Ellis but have cooled their pursuit for a variety of reasons, including Ellis' salary, his poor performance this season, Oakland's trade demands and the presence of Bill Hall, Emmanuel Burriss and Freddy Sanchez (who could still return from the DL) on the roster.
- Rival scouts have been watching Brian Fuentes and Craig Breslow, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Of the two southpaws, the Athletics would be more apt to move Fuentes since he has around $7.6MM remaining on his contract through 2012, whereas Breslow still has two more arbitration years left. Fuentes also stirred up controversy earlier this season when he criticized then-manager Bob Geren. These two pitchers and Jerry Blevins made MLBTR's Tim Dierkes' recent list of potentially-available left-handers.
- Eli Whiteside has been ignoring the rumors about the Giants' catching search, reports Chris Haft and Adam Berry for MLB.com. The incumbent starter has been hitting well lately, which Whiteside attributes to getting regular playing time.
- Another internal option for the Giants: Triple-A catcher Hector Sanchez. Schulman reports that Barry Zito was very complimentary about Sanchez's game-calling abilities during Zito's recent rehab stint at Fresno. Sanchez, 21, has a .299/.327/.495 line in 226 plate appearances this season, though just 42 of them have been at the Triple-A level.
Reaction To Jim Riggleman’s Resignation
Just minutes after Laynce Nix's walkoff sacrifice fly gave the Nationals a 1-0 win over the Mariners this afternoon, Jim Riggleman announced he was stepping down as Washington's manager. Some of the early reaction and analysis of this sudden news…
- According to a statement released by Nats GM Mike Rizzo, he "talked to Jim before the season and have emphasized since that no decision would be made on his extension until after the end of the season. I am surprised and disappointed, personally, and am even more disappointed for our players and fans. I was always taught that one of the cardinal rules of baseball was that no individual can put his interests before those of the team."
- Rizzo also said that Riggleman wanted his 2012 option picked up by the end of Washington's game this afternoon or else he'd resign, and Rizzo "was not willing to make judgments of that magnitude in the course of a nine inning game." Riggleman tells MASNsports' Ben Goessling (Twitter link) that he didn't issue an ultimatum but “I wanted a conversation about it. I didn’t say, 'Pick up my option or else.' I said I think it’s worthy of a conversation."
- Goessling also has reaction from Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and other Nats players about the surprising news.
- SI's Jon Heyman (Twitter link) thinks the blame lies with the Nationals since it "makes no sense" that the club wouldn't at least pick up Riggleman's 2012 option to keep their manager from being perceived as a lame duck.
- Riggleman's split with the Nats confirms the belief that he was a "place-holder" manager for the team, says CBSSports.com's Scott Miller. "The thinking always was that Riggleman would only bring the Nationals to a certain point, and that when they were ready to win, someone else would be handed the keys to the car," Miller writes.
- Though obviously issues between he and the team had been lingering for a while, Riggleman's stance was seen as overly-aggressive by some pundits. Newsday's Ken Davidoff (via Twitter) thinks even if Riggleman felt he wouldn't be back in Washington in 2012, he could've at least finished the season to better market himself for another team. "I think he overplayed his hand here," Davidoff tweeted. "Keep winning & the option would've taken care of itself."
- A non-Nationals team official tells ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link) that he "wouldn't hire [Riggleman] for Double-A or Triple-A job. You can't walk away… when you're under contract."
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan's tweeted response was more blunt: "I hope Jim Riggleman has a good 401(k), because no way he's ever managing another Major League team after this napalming."
- Writing for ESPN.com, Jim Bowden lists several names the Nationals could consider as their new manager, including in-house candidates John McLaren, Bob Boone and Bo Porter. Randy Knorr, manager at Triple-A Syracuse, is a potential "long term solution," though Knorr hadn't been contacted about the job as of this evening, reports The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore (Twitter link).
- Davey Johnson is a senior advisor for the Nationals but Heyman (via Twitter) doesn't know if the former World Series-winning manager would take the job even if asked.
Orioles Notes: Guthrie, Roberts, Minor Leagues
The Nationals may be generating most of the headlines today, but there's also some news coming from the Beltway's other team. Here's the latest from the Orioles…
- Jeremy Guthrie is perhaps Baltimore's most attractive trade candidate, but MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli doesn't think the right-hander will be moved. "It would take a significant haul on the Orioles' side to give up Guthrie," Ghiroli writes, and she also points out that Guthrie is the only veteran and only innings-eater on the club's pitching staff. Ghiroli cites the Indians and Rangers among the teams who have shown interest in Guthrie.
- From that same mailbag item, Ghiroli thinks the Orioles should start looking for a new long-term answer at second base. Brian Roberts will be 36 when his deal runs out after the 2013 season and the former All-Star is already a question mark due to injuries. Short-term, however, the O's have no second base prospects ready to step in and Roberts has a no-trade clause in his contract.
- The lack of minor league production from several of the Orioles' top prospects "has to be considered an organizational-wide failure," writes The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec. The development system has been further skewed since "for years, Oriole minor leaguers have been getting promotions because of a desperate need at the big league level, not because they’ve necessarily earned a shot."
Jim Riggleman Resigns
In a surprising move, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman has resigned, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter link). Riggleman stepped down after his club beat the Mariners this afternoon and improved to 38-37 thanks to an impressive stretch over the course of which they've won 11 of 12 games.
The manager, who was in the final year of his contract, told GM Mike Rizzo that he would resign if his contract situation wasn't resolved, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Riggleman's agent, Burton Rocks, told Jon Heyman of SI.com that "they should have picked up the option" and that "it wore on Jim." Riggleman will manage again, according to his agent (Twitter link).
Rizzo had discussed picking up Riggleman's 2012 option, but felt the time wasn't right, according to Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). The GM called Riggleman's decision "very disappointing to the players, fanbase, city and [himself]."
It's the second time this week that an NL East manager has resigned; Edwin Rodriguez of the Marlins stepped down over the weekend.
NL Central Notes: Pujols, Valdes, Pirates
On this date in 1984, Ryne Sandberg hit game-tying home runs off Cardinals reliever Bruce Sutter in the 9th and 10th innings as the Cubs beat the Cardinals 12-11. Willie McGee hit for the cycle in the memorable contest between the rival clubs. Here's the latest from their division…
- Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols doesn't want to discuss the impact his fractured arm will have on his free agent value, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.
- The Cardinals promoted Raul Valdes to the Majors, optioned Maikel Cleto to Double-A and replaced minor leaguer David Kopp on the 40-man roster with Bryan Augenstein, according to the Post-Dispatch (the Cards still have one open spot on their 40-man roster). The bullpen changes started yesterday when the Cardinals released Miguel Batista after Tuesday's bullpen implosion.
- The Pirates announced that they expect to add Chase d'Arnaud to the 25-man roster tomorrow. They optioned Josh Harrison to Triple-A to create room on the active roster and will make a 40-man move tomorrow. D'Arnaud, 24, has a .280/.347/.418 line at Triple-A this year.