Archives for April 2012

Quick Hits: Hunter, Angels, Royals, Draft

By Zachary Links | April 15, 2012 at 10:57pm CDT

The Dodgers improved to 9-1 tonight with a win over the Padres and did so in impressive fashion. With the score tied 4-4, the Dodgers turned a triple play in the top of the ninth – their first since 1998. Dee Gordon later scored the game winning run with a single to left to give Los Angeles the 5-4 victory. It's hard to imagine a better outcome for the Dodgers on a day dedicated to the legacy of Jackie Robinson. A look at links from around baseball tonight..

ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter) talked to Angels outfielder Torii Hunter about how long he wants to play and in the back of his mind, the outfielder wonders if he might have a chance to play with his son, Torii Jr. The 36-year-old's son is a high school senior and considering a handful of Division-I baseball programs. Hunter is in the final season of a five-year, $90MM contract with the Angels.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow tries to make sure the team has a scout at every game involving players who might be taken with the first overall pick, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The GM doesn't expect the club to decide who they're going to take until close to the Draft as there is no clear cut No. 1 choice.
As the draft draws closer, industry speculation is that the Royals are targeting LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman with the fifth-overall pick, writes Keith Law of ESPN.com. Law assumes that he would be Kansas City's pick if Byron Buxton, Mark Appel, Kyle Zimmer, and Mike Zunino are the first four off of the board.

Angels To Shop Rich Thompson

By Zachary Links | April 15, 2012 at 9:25pm CDT

The Angels will look to trade right-hander Rich Thompson over the next few days before placing him on waivers, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter). However, Gonzalez adds that it's hard to envision a taker for him given the drop in his velocity.

Thompson, 27, was designated for assignment by the Halos early Saturday morning. The right-hander posted a 3.00 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 54 innings for the Angels in 2011 and may be claimed if he is ultimately waived.

MLBTR Originals

By Zachary Links | April 15, 2012 at 7:46pm CDT

Here's a look at the original reporting and analysis delivered by the MLBTR writing staff this week..

Several contenders are already dealing with injuries in the bullpen and it seems likely that trade suitors will be checking in with the Padres on Huston Street, writes Dan Mennella.
Dan checked in on the free agent stock of Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier.
This week's edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In includes pieces on Derek Jeter, Jason Bay, and the Rays.
It's a Make Or Break Year for Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind, writes Mark Polishuk.
Nearly 62% of MLBTR readers don't think that Josh Hamilton will play for the Rangers in 2013.
Delmon Young's representatives at Wasserman Media Group will seek a multi-year deal if he replicates his 2010 performance but he'll be limited to one-year offers if he doesn't perform. It's an important season for Young, Ben Nicholson-Smith writes.
More than 9,000 of you weighed in on Mike's poll asking if the Phillies will sign Cole Hamels to an extension and the votes were just about split.
Ben conducted MLBTR's weekly chat and you can check out the transcript right here.
Mike writes that fair or not, the Yankees are going to have to give Robinson Cano a larger contract than what Ian Kinsler and Brandon Phillips received if they intend to keep him beyond next season.
Ben wrapped up the Offseason In Review series with a look at the Indians.
Want a rundown of all of MLBTR's regular features? We got you covered.
Ben looked at recent extensions for pre-arbitration eligible players.
Mike Pelfrey could be in for a big payday if he delivers in 2012, Mike writes.
I asked MLBTR readers when they expect the Dodgers to start contending and most see next season being the turning point for Los Angeles.

Angels Notes: Wilson, Thompson, Pujols, Morales

By Zachary Links | April 15, 2012 at 6:11pm CDT

After dropping three straight, the Angels were especially glad to top the Yankees 7-1 yesterday in the Bronx. Here's a look at some items on the Halos as they face the Bombers again this evening..

Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson nearly wound up signing with the Marlins, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Wilson's agent Bob Garber was moments away from accepting an offer from Miami unless the Angels went from a four-year deal to five. Halos GM Jerry Dipoto was preoccupied with the Albert Pujols negotiations but agreed to go to five years and hammer out the dollar figure later.
Reliever Rich Thompson could be a good fit for the Yankees, writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues. The Angels designated the 27-year-old for assignment yesterday to create roster space for Brad Mills.
Even with the addition of Pujols and the return of Kendrys Morales, the Angels have shown early tendencies that are likely to hamper the offense in the long term if not corrected, writes Wendy Thurm of Fangraphs for ESPN.com (Insider req'd).

Week In Review: 4/8/12 – 4/14/12

By Steve Adams | April 15, 2012 at 4:55pm CDT

Let's take a look back at a week that was filled with contract extensions…

The Indians extended franchise cornerstone Carlos Santana with a five-year deal that will guarantee the switch-hitting backstop $21MM. The contract has a club option for Santana's first free agent season.
Ian Kinsler won't be reaching free agency anytime soon; the Rangers officially locked up their second baseman with a five-year, $75MM contract. The contract contains an option for a sixth year.
Kinsler wasn't the only second baseman signing a big deal. Despite reports that the Reds may not be able to afford Brandon Phillips following Joey Votto's extension, Cincinnati inked a new six-year pact with Phillips, guaranteeing him $72.5MM.
Extension talks with a pair of aces aren't going so smoothly, however. Cole Hamels' talks with the Phillies are going nowhere currently, and the Brewers have put negotiations with Zack Greinke and new agent Casey Close on hold.
The Mets are considering a contract extension of their own, as they hope that David Wright performs well enough to earn himself a new long-term deal.
The Indians signed Johnny Damon to play left field, guaranteeing him $1.25MM and with another $1.4MM worth of incentives. As we learned later in the week, Damon doesn't have an opt out date, but rather an agreement that he and GM Chris Antonetti will discuss the issue if Damon isn't receiving playing time.
The Phillies signed Mike Fontenot to a minor league deal.
The Padres announced this week that chairman John Moores intends to sell the team — the same week that the sale of their NL West rival Dodgers was approved in court.
Scott Baker's days with the Twins may be over. The right-hander will undergo season-ending elbow surgery before making an appearance. The Twinkies hold a $9.25MM option on Baker, which it seems unlikely they'll exercise.
Transferring Baker to the 60-day DL allowed the Twins to claim Clete Thomas off waivers from the Tigers. Detroit had DFA'ed the outfielder earlier in the week. Thomas started in right field in Minneapolis today and homered in his second Twins' at-bat.
The Padres acquired Brian Tallet from the Pirates in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.
The Red Sox lost Jacoby Ellsbury for a substantial amount of time this week due to a shoulder injury, and are now mulling over their options.They could scour the waiver wire, or, it's possible that we see the BoSox pull off an early season trade.

Make Or Break Year: Francisco Liriano

By Steve Adams | April 15, 2012 at 3:40pm CDT

In 2006, Baseball America's sixth-ranked prospect took the American League by storm after the Twins moved him from the bullpen into the rotation. Francisco Liriano was every bit as dominant as fellow ace Johan Santana, and Minnesota looked to have a pair of dynamic left-handers that would be as formidable as any one-two punch in baseball.

Tommy John surgery that summer derailed that tandem, and set Liriano on the shelf for the entirety of the 2007 season. After 118 innings of work at Triple-A in 2008, Liriano rejoined the Twins' rotation to mixed success, and his dreadful 2009 was forgettable, to put it lightly (5.80 ERA in 136 2/3 innings).

Liriano exploded in 2010 to show that he wasn't done yet, though, winning the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award with 191 2/3 innings of 3.62 ERA ball. As is often the case, the ERA didn't tell the whole tale. Fangraphs pegged Liriano's worth at a whopping six wins above replacement. He struck out 9.4 hitters per nine innings pitched, while walking just 2.7 per nine. His SIERA was 3.02, while FIP liked him for a full run lower than his ERA — 2.66.

Those days seem like a distant memory however, following yet another disappointing season in 2011. Liriano avoided arbitration this winter by settling on a one-year deal worth $5.5MM. After a fantastic Spring Training in which he posted a 33:5 K:BB ratio in 27 innings while featuring a fastball above 93mph, Liriano is looking like his 2011 self. His first two starts have left him with an ERA of 10.00, and he's walked five hitters in nine innings while striking out just six. There's certainly time to turn it around, but it's in his best financial interest to do so sooner rather than later.

Liriano is a free agent following this season, and while he has the talent to be one of the game's most dominant southpaws, his consistency will limit his free agent earnings. A return to his 2010 ways would be enough to entice suitors to pony up on a multiyear deal, perhaps similar to the three-year, $32MM deal signed by Jorge De La Rosa following the 2010 season. With enough interested parties, larger offers wouldn't be out of the question for a 29-year-old lefty with ace-caliber stuff.

A repeat of his 2011 numbers, however, would likely relegate Liriano to a one-year deal in which he'd be seeking to prove that he can still pitch at this level. The next six months could very well mean tens of millions of dollars to the enigmatic lefty.

Photo courtesy of Kyle Terada/US Presswire.

Brian Wilson Out For Season

By Steve Adams | April 15, 2012 at 1:45pm CDT

Giants closer Brian Wilson is officially out for the season and will likely undergo his second Tommy John surgery, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area. Baggarly adds that Wilson's elbow troubles date back to a flexor strain suffered in 2010, and while that issue didn't involve his UCL, this current injury does. Wilson knew he'd injured himself significantly on a pitch to Tyler Colvin, but wanted his final pitch to be one that saved Madison Bumgarner's win (which it did).

Since taking over as the Giants' full-time closer in 2008, Wilson has pitched to a 3.04 ERA over 266 1/3 innings en route to 164 saves. He's posted a strong 10.1 K/9 to go along with a 3.8 BB/9 in that time, and led the National League in 2010 with 48 saves. He plans to spend the season with his team, and in his usual joking manner, told reporters the injury was only a minor setback because he plans on pitching forever.

With Wilson on the shelf, the Giants plan to go with a committee to close games, using a combination of Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla, and Javier Lopez to close games. Fantasy players can follow along with the latest updates on Wilson and other closers by following @Closernews on Twitter.

Red Sox Actively Exploring Outfield Market

By Zachary Links | April 15, 2012 at 12:57pm CDT

The Red Sox are “actively” exploring the market for available outfielders, a major league source told Alex Speier of WEEI.com. However, it’s unlikely that the Red Sox will find a starting center fielder on the trade block this early in the season.

Two American League talent evaluators wondered aloud to Speier whether the A’s Coco Crisp could be a fit. Crisp has been displaced from center field, where his value is greatest, to left field by the signing of Yoenis Cespedes. Oakland is also said to like several prospects in the Red Sox’s system and the two teams came close on a deal that would have brought Gio Gonzalez to Boston in a prospect-driven deal.

Central Notes: Reds, Votto, Pirates, Indians

By Zachary Links | April 15, 2012 at 11:16am CDT

A look at items out of the Central divisions..

Reds first baseman Joey Votto told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he wanted to become the highest-paid Canadian player in baseball. Votto’s ten-year, $225MM extension not only made him the top earning Canadian baseball player, but made him the country’s highest-paid athlete. There was talk about the Blue Jays targeting Votto down the line but the slugger said that it would be difficult to ever settle for a five-year deal as per their policy.
There’s been a lot of talk about the Braves’ low-paying television deal but Bob Cohn of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out that the Pirates contract is also undervalued. The Bucs are in the third year of a ten-year TV deal and will receive $18MM this year, according to industry sources.
Even though the Indians are in need of an impact bat, Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer isn’t sure that the club should trade Chris Perez to get that done.
Drew Stubbs has some level of trade value but the Reds wouldn’t get a whole lot back for him, tweets John Fay of Cincinnati Enquirer.

Red Sox Designate Bowden, Exposito For Assignment

By Zachary Links | April 15, 2012 at 9:13am CDT

The Red Sox have designated Michael Bowden and Luis Exposito for assignment, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The moves were made to allow Boston to promote Jason Repko and Nate Spears.

Bowden, 25, was one of three supplemental first-round picks by Boston in 2005 along with Clay Buchholz and Jed Lowrie. The right-hander has a 3.27 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in parts of four Triple-A seasons. Bowden has also appeared in 39 big league games for the Red Sox over the last five years.

Exposito, also 25, moved up to Triple-A Pawtucket last season and hit .242/.298/.367 with eight homers in 359 plate appearances. The catcher was briefly called up to the Red Sox last June but did not appear in a game.

Load More Posts

Headlines

Archives for April 2012

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect