Rockies Could Look To Trade For Pitching
GM Dan O'Dowd told Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the Rockies may be looking for pitching help later this summer. The Rockies will use the next four weeks to determine whether to look outside of the organization to replenish a pitching staff that saw Jorge de la Rosa and Esmil Rogers hit the disabled list in May.
"I said all along, even when we were struggling offensively for so long, I still feel the issues with our club are going to come down to our pitching,” O'Dowd said. "If we were out looking for anything, it would be to continue to improve our pitching."
The 37-36 Rockies are 2.5 games out of the NL West lead despite a rotation that has faltered without De La Rosa and Rogers. Rockies starters rank 22nd in MLB in ERA (3.99), 21st in innings (440 1.3) and 28th in BB/9 (3.6). MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently previewed the market for starting pitchers, left-handed relievers and right-handed relievers.
Braves Claim Dustin Richardson
The Braves have claimed Dustin Richardson off waivers from the Marlins, reports MLB.com's Christina De Nicola (on Twitter). The lefty reliever had been designated for assignment last week, and he will report to Triple-A. Atlanta had an open 40-man roster spot before making the claim.
Richardson, 27, posted a 3.66 ERA with 9.8 K/9 but 5.6 BB/9 in 32 innings for Florida's Triple-A affiliate this year. Left-handed batters hit .341 with ten walks and ten strikeouts off him in 10 2/3 innings. Florida originally acquired him from the Red Sox for Andrew Miller during the offseason.
Minor Deals: Lamb, Tiffee, Periard
A few minor moves…
- The Yankees have signed Mike Lamb and Terry Tiffee to minor league deals, reports Donnie Collins of The Scranton Times-Tribune. Both infielders were playing in the independent Atlantic League, Lamb with the Camden River Sharks and Tiffee with the Lancaster Barnstormers. They will head to Triple-A.
- The Mariners have signed Alex Periard to a minor league pact according to Baseball America's Matt Eddy (on Twitter). Eddy notes that Periard was originally drafted by Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik back when he was the Brewers' scouting director in 2004. The right-hander had a 4.71 ERA in 11 starts last season before Milwaukee released him.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Accardo
Here's our list of outrighted players heading for Triple-A…
- Jeremy Accardo accepted a minor league assignment from the Orioles, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles designated the right-hander for assignment last week and Accardo chose the Triple-A assignment (and his salary) over free agency.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Accardo, Blue Jays
Wade Boggs hit his first MLB home run on this date 29 years ago. Power wasn't an essential part of Boggs' game, but he won five batting titles and collected 3,010 hits in his 18-year career with the Yankees, Red Sox and Devil Rays. Here's the latest on Boggs' former division:
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports knows there's no perfect team in baseball, but he says the Red Sox are as close as it gets. Only Philadelphia has a better record than Boston, which entered today's action with an AL-best 44-29 record.
- Jeremy Accardo could be a free agent by tomorrow. The Orioles reliever has to choose between an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk with a big league salary or free agency and uncertain job prospects, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- Blue Jays manager John Farrell told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca that the Blue Jays will consider possible changes before opening their series against the Cardinals (Twitter link). “We need a spark, that’s clear,” Farrell said. “How we look to do that we’ll examine in this room first.” The Braves just swept the 36-39 Jays out of Atlanta.
Checking In On The Newest $100MM Players
Every year a few select players join baseball’s exclusive $100MM club with free agent deals and mega-extensions. Last offseason was no different – we saw six players sign nine figure deals. The contracts were all for five years or more, so it’s far too early to call them successes or failures. But as the season approaches its halfway point, let’s check in on baseball’s newest $100MM players:
- Troy Tulowitzki, ten-year, $157.75MM extension – Tulo has slowed down after a scorching start, but he's still having an excellent season. His .274/.339/.491 line and 13 homers look especially good when you consider that he's a good defensive shortstop.
- Adrian Gonzalez, seven-year, $154MM extension – Red Sox fans dreamed of a season like this when Theo Epstein acquired Gonzalez from the Padres in December. The first baseman is a leading MVP candidate with a .350/.403/.603 line and 15 home runs.
- Carl Crawford, seven-year, $142MM contract – Crawford was heating up before he hit the disabled list, but his numbers are poor overall. He has a .243/.275/.384 batting line, just 8 stolen bases and his lowest walk rate (3.2%) since 2002, his rookie season.
- Jayson Werth, seven-year, $126MM contract – Werth is hitting just .233/.334/.409, though he has 10 home runs. Nationals fans may be consoled by the fact that Werth erupted in the second half last year and has traditionally produced better after the All-Star break.
- Cliff Lee, five-year, $120MM contract – The prize of the offseason free agent market, Lee has a 3.12 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 104 innings. The lefty is in the midst of another fantastic season and this time he doesn't have to worry about being traded.
- Ryan Braun, five-year, $105MM extension – Braun is having a monster year. He has a .310/.397/.555 line with 15 homers and a career-best 12.1% walk rate for the first-place Brewers.
It's fair to expect Werth and Crawford to turn their seasons around and produce as they did before signing nine figure free agent contracts. The other four additions to the $100MM club are justifying the deals, at least to the extent that it's possible in less than three months.
Cardinals Release Miguel Batista
The Cardinals announced that they have released Miguel Batista (Twitter link). In a related move, St. Louis called up Lance Lynn from Triple-A. Lynn was already on the 40-man roster, so the move opens up a 40-man spot for the Cardinals.
Batista was part of yesterday's bullpen implosion against the Phillies. The Cardinals allowed nine runs in the eighth inning and Batista didn't help, allowing two walks and a single to the three batters he faced. The 40-year-old pitched 29 1/3 innings for the Cardinals this year, posting a 4.60 ERA with more walks (19) than strikeouts (16). Batista's ground ball rate dropped from his usual 50% figure to 36.8% this year, but his average fastball velocity remains respectable. Even after 17 seasons in the majors, the righty averages 92.6 mph.
How Many Sellers Right Now?
Just when you start to count out the Twins and A's, they reel off winning streaks and re-enter the contention picture. Right now, only six teams are at least eight games out of their division or wild card: the Orioles, Royals, Marlins, Cubs, Astros, and Padres.
Some teams may prefer to make trades now, to get an extra month from their acquisition. That means the best of the trade market looks like this, assuming the six non-contenders will listen on these players, their contracts don't prevent deals, and the players are healthy:
- Hitters: J.J. Hardy, Derrek Lee, Mark Reynolds, Luke Scott, Vladimir Guerrero, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francoeur, Wilson Betemit, Omar Infante, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Jeff Baker, Carlos Pena, Reed Johnson, Hunter Pence, Jeff Keppinger, Carlos Lee, Michael Bourn, Clint Barmes, Ryan Ludwick, Brad Hawpe
- Starting pitchers: Jeremy Guthrie, Jeff Francis, Bruce Chen, Kyle Davies, Javier Vazquez, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Doug Davis, Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Aaron Harang
- Relievers: Jim Johnson, Koji Uehara, Kevin Gregg, Mike Gonzalez, Joakim Soria, Leo Nunez, Randy Choate, John Grabow, Kerry Wood, Chad Qualls, Heath Bell
Cross off the Cubs players with crazy contracts and the Astros and Orioles who may never hit the market, and there's not much out there aside from relievers right now. In theory, the state of the market should improve the return for guys like Ludwick and Francis, at least until more sellers show up.
Contenders In Need Of A Third Base Upgrade
Today let's take a look at contenders lacking at third base.
- Indians: They've used Jack Hannahan at the hot corner, and he hasn't hit outside of April. Top prospect Lonnie Chisenhall is the team's third baseman of the future, so any acquisition would probably be for the short-term.
- Tigers: The Tigers committed to Brandon Inge's defensive-minded contributions in the offseason. Inge's bat was worse than expected in April and May, but he'll be returning soon from a bout with mononucleosis.
- White Sox: Rookie Brent Morel has gotten the bulk of the playing time. His defense draws praise, but it's hard to make up for a .251/.263/.317 line.
- Twins: Danny Valencia has struggled. Winners of eight straight, the Twins are now 6.5 games out and could think about buying if the next few weeks go well.
- Mariners: Chone Figgins hasn't shown any signs of life, though Adam Kennedy (.283/.320/.435) might start stealing more playing time at third.
- Brewers: Casey McGehee fell off a cliff this year, and he hasn't been better lately.
- Cardinals: Daniel Descalso has been holding down the fort as David Freese aims to return from a broken hand this month. Plus, Matt Carpenter has a .427 OBP at Triple-A. Assuming there are no ill effects for Freese, the Cards should be fine at third base.
- Pirates: Josh Harrison and Brandon Wood haven't done much in 172 plate appearances. Pedro Alvarez was having a rough year before he went down with a quad injury in May. Still, the Pirates have options and it's tough to see them acquiring a third baseman.
The trade market is fairly bleak. Speculative trade candidates include Mark Reynolds, Wilson Betemit, Casey Blake, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Ian Stewart, Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Teahen, Figgins, Mike Aviles, Brian Barden, Cody Ransom, and Josh Fields. Aramis Ramirez said earlier this month he would not accept a trade.
Olney Talks Hanley Ramirez
Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez is enduring the worst season of his career by far, with a .206/.302/.299 line in 233 plate appearances. He's dealt with leg and foot contusions and a DL stint for back pain, and was benched Monday for Jack McKeon's first game. Now, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that "there is sentiment within the Florida organization that the Marlins would be better off trading Ramirez – but also the perception that owner Jeffrey Loria loves him." Olney goes on to tweet that Ramirez is anything other than the front man in the clubhouse, and that some rival evaluators feel he is now too big to be an effective shortstop.
Ramirez, still just 27, earns $11MM this year, $15MM next year, $15.5MM in '13, and $16MM in '14, and does not have a no-trade clause. Ramirez is probably the face of the franchise, as he won the Rookie of the Year in '06 and is a three-time All-Star. On the other hand, the Marlins have plenty of young talent to promote when they enter the new ballpark next year in Josh Johnson, Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison, and Gaby Sanchez.
Trading Ramirez now does not make sense; Olney guesses the Marlins would get about 50 or 60 cents on the dollar. But it would not be surprising to revisit this topic in the offseason. Selling a Ramirez trade to the fanbase would require an excellent haul, a suitable replacement at shortstop, and reallocation of his salary.