Scott Kazmir & A Comparable Pitcher
It might be impossible to find two pitchers who have caused Mets fans more grief over the course of the past five years than Scott Kazmir and Oliver Perez. The similarities don't end there; the strikeout-inducing left-handers both turned in tremendous seasons by the age of 22 only to falter soon afterwards and saddle their teams with albatross contracts.
They are so statistically similar that Baseball-Reference lists Perez as one of the most comparable pitchers to Kazmir and vice versa. Both induce strikeouts and allow walks at an unusually high rate and each has led the league in walks and either Ks or K/9 at one point.
Despite the walks, both pitchers were tremendous just four years ago. Perez posted a 3.56 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 2007, his age-25 season. Kazmir, who was just 23 that year, posted a 3.48 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.
It's not easy to find young left-handers with numbers like that, so the Rays, who acquired Kazmir from the Mets for Victor Zambrano in a one-sided 2004 trade, signed the lefty to a three-year, $28.5MM extension early in the 2008 campaign. After the season ended, the Mets signed Perez to a three-year free agent deal worth $36MM.
The contracts have soured and the Rays and Mets have since severed ties with the pitchers, who will collect their respective $12MM paychecks elsewhere this year. Perez will start the season in the Nationals' minor league system, far from Anaheim, where Kazmir remains a member of the Angels rotation despite an unimpressive spring.
Kazmir has said he's confident in his stuff and it would be compelling to see the left-hander capitalize on the opportunity to start and return to form. It wasn't that long ago that he posted a 1.73 ERA in his six-start debut with the Angels and he appears healthy, so some hope may remain for Angels fans.
But the Mets opened the season with Perez in their rotation last year and just 12 months later he's pitching for his career in the minor leagues. For Kazmir to avoid an unceremonious release of his own, he'll have to pitch better when the season begins and end the parallels between him and Perez.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Mike Sweeney Retires
Mike Sweeney signed a one-day contract with the Royals before officially announcing his retirement from baseball, the team announced.
Sweeney, 37, spent 13 years in Kansas City and represented the Royals in the All-Star Game from 2000-03 and in 2005. He'll retire with a career line of .297/.366/.486 in 16 seasons with the Royals, Mariners and Phillies. He appeared in the postseason for the first time last year and singled in the only playoff plate appearance of his career.
Sweeney ranks in the top six in Royals history in 17 offensive categories. He's second all-time in average (.299) and home runs (197). The Royals created the Mike Sweeney Award in his honor in 2008.
Kansas City drafted Sweeney in the 10th round of the 1991 draft, 262nd overall, as a catcher. He transitioned to first base and then DH, though the position shift didn't prevent him from making frequent DL trips. Sweeney earned nearly $73MM in his career, according to Baseball-Reference.
McLane Close To Selling Astros
Astros owner Drayton McLane is nearing a deal to sell the team to Jim Crane, according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. Though McLane denies that he has a deal, Justice hears from insiders who insist the sides are close.
It’s not clear how much McLane will obtain for the Astros, but he will certainly turn a profit on the club he purchased for $117MM in 1992. Justice hears that the team's price tag definitely exceeds $523MM, which is how much the Rangers sold for last summer. That’s well above $474MM, the price at which Forbes recently valued the franchise.
McLane was close to selling the Astros to Crane in 2008, but the deal fell through. Crane has also attempted to buy the Cubs (2008) and Rangers (2010).
Padres Release Kevin Frandsen
The Padres released Kevin Frandsen, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). Frandsen signed a minor league deal in January that would have paid him $575K for making the big league team after the Angels non-tendered him.
The Padres are looking for a utility player who can handle shortstop and are specifically interested in Alberto Gonzalez and Robert Andino, who are both out of options.
Frandsen, 28, has 32 games of big league experience at shortstop, but most of his experience has come at second and third. He has a .243/.302/.335 line in 626 MLB plate appearances with the Giants and Angels. A right-handed hitter, Frandsen has also played both corner outfield positions in the majors.
Teams Eyeing Nyjer Morgan
2:29pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he has no interest in Morgan (Twitter link). The Brewers will rely on their in-house outfielders.
1:15pm: Rosenthal hears that the Brewers passed on Morgan (Twitter link). They'll go with Brandon Boggs and Jeremy Reed as extra outfielders.
11:17am: The Brewers are one of the teams looking at Nyjer Morgan, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Milwaukee just traded Chris Dickerson away and could have interest in restoring outfield depth.
Scouts covering the Nationals told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that Morgan is very much available. However, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reported two weeks ago that the Nationals weren't considering releasing the outfielder.
Beyond The Boxscore suggested the Marlins would be a fit for Morgan, whose on and off-field antics include memorable run-ins with Chris Volstad and the Marlins' fans.
Mariners Return Rule 5 Pick Jose Flores To Indians
The Mariners announced that they returned right-hander Jose Flores to the Indians (Twitter link). Seattle had to offer the Rule 5 pick back or keep him on the 25-man roster all season long and Cleveland accepted Flores back and assigned him to minor league camp.
The 21-year-old, who signed with Cleveland as a non-drafted free agent in 2005, posted a 12.27 ERA in four relief appearances this spring. He has a 3.92 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 79 minor league games, but has yet to pitch above Class A.
Cleveland could re-obtain another Rule 5 pick before long, as the Pirates may not have roster space for infielder Josh Rodriguez. Oddly, the Mariners still have two pitchers named Jose Flores in their system even after today's transaction.
Cubs Notes: Cashner, Silva, Szczur
The latest on the Cubs, who confirmed that Randy Wells will be their fourth starter…
- An executive from another team told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Andrew Cashner will be in the Cubs' rotation, which means Carlos Silva won't be a starter for Chicago. The Cubs will eat a considerable amount of Silva's $11.5MM salary to make him go away, according to Sherman (on Twitter).
- However, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that trade interest in Silva did not pick up after his last outing (Twitter link). Rosenthal says the Cubs could release Silva if they don't want him in their bullpen.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America explains that prospect Matt Szczur will be eligible for this winter's Rule 5 if he's not on the Cubs' 40-man roster because of a technicality.
Yankees Sign Kevin Millwood
The Yankees signed Kevin Millwood to a minor league contract, the team announced. The deal is contingent on the right-hander passing a physical. Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork reports that the contract is for a pro-rated $1.5MM with incentives and that Millwood has to be on the 25-man roster by May 1st or the deal is void.
Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon will still start the season as the Yankees' No. 5 starter behind C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett and, it seems certain, Ivan Nova. Agent Scott Boras represents Millwood.
Millwood turned down a minor league offer from the Yankees in February and they made him another minor league offer last week. He was looking for a guaranteed contract in the $4MM range, but the Yankees offered a contract in the low seven-figure range.
Millwood allowed 30 homers last year and posted a 5.10 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. Despite the ERA, homers allowed and career-high fly ball rate, the 36-year-old started 31 games and logged 190 2/3 innings. He has averaged 31 starts per season since 1998, though reaching those marks will be particularly challenging this year given his late deal.
Jon Heyman of SI.com first reported the deal (on Twitter).
Pirates Notes: Doumit, Bowker, Rodriguez, McCutchen
The Pirates optioned Daniel McCutchen to Triple-A and reassigned Sean Gallagher, Tyler Yates, Wyatt Toregas and Josh Fields to minor league camp today. Here are more updates on the Pirates from Florida…
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review hears that the Pirates will not release Ryan Doumit if they can't work out a trade (Twitter link). Though Doumit will earn $5.1MM this year, the Pirates like his bat.
- GM Neal Huntington told Pat Lackey of Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke that the Pirates haven't focused on pitching in recent drafts, even though it might appear that way. The Pirates have just been selecting the players at the top of their draft board, according to Huntington. Pittsburgh picks first overall in 2011.
- In a separate post, Lackey points out that John Bowker's strong spring has likely assured that Rule 5 selection Josh Rodriguez will be returned to the Indians.
- Huntington told reporters this morning that the goal for McCutchen at the Major League level would be for him to pitch multiple innings as a reliever. The right-hander may return to the Triple-A rotation.
Brewers Acquire Sergio Mitre
The Brewers have acquired Sergio Mitre from the Yankees for Chris Dickerson. The move provides the Brewers with the pitching depth they coveted and opens up a spot in the Yankees bullpen, possibly for Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon.
The Brewers have been considering adding pitching since they learned that Zack Greinke will miss some time to recover from a cracked rib. Their need for depth became more pronounced when Mark Rogers (shoulder) and Manny Parra (back) also encountered health issues.
It's not clear whether the Brewers will use Mitre as a long man, as the Yankees did, or insert him into the rotation over internal starting candidates such as Marco Estrada. Mitre has started games in every one of his seven major league seasons, but has only been a full-time starter once, for the 2007 Marlins. Last year, the 30-year-old right-hander posted a 3.33 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 54 innings as a swingman. Mitre, a veteran of Tommy John surgery, missed 49 days with an oblique strain in 2010.
The Yankees appear set to open the season with a rotation of C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett, Ivan Nova and Colon or Garcia. If the Yankees, who just signed Kevin Millwood, insert Colon into the rotation, they could take Garcia up on his offer to become a long reliever and use him to replace Mitre.
The Brewers acquired Dickerson last summer in the trade that sent Jim Edmonds to Cincinnati. Dickerson hit .206/.250/.268 for the Brewers and Reds last year, but he showed more pop in 2009 when he posted a .743 OPS. The 28-year-old has played all three outfield positions in the majors and will provide the Yankees with some welcome depth.
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick first reported the move (on Twitter) and both teams have since confirmed it.