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Archives for April 2012

Cafardo On Greinke, Marcum, Damon, Indians

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders how the Red Sox will approach Jacoby Ellsbury, now that he is injured for the second time in three years?  The Sox could be thinking longer-term with players like Daniel Bard, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Andrew Bailey but Ellsbury's health is a concern.  However, it might not make a big difference one way or another as Ellsbury is a Scott Boras client.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • The Brewers took a hit when they couldn’t retain Prince Fielder, and owner Mark Attanasio is very competitive.  That could spark the club to get a deal worked out with right-hander Zack Greinke, even though the two sides recently put discussions on hold.  Greinke, however, needs to have a strong season and show consistency from one year to the next to get the big-money deal he’s after.  Greinke could be after a Matt Cain-type deal (six years, $127.5MM) but the numbers may not support that.
  • There hasn't been much talk between the Brewers and Shaun Marcum either, but Milwaukee should have extra incentive to get a deal done after giving up Brett Lawrie to land him.
  • Could the Indians slow offensive start have sparked them to sign Johnny Damon?  Cafardo writes that GM Chris Antonetti came to the conclusion that the Tribe could use Damon, especially after the club hit .176 on its opening five-game homestand.
  • Scouts seem to have split opinons on Alex Rodriguez as some say that his bat has slowed down significantly and others believe that he looks as physically sound as he has in three years.  Cafardo agrees with the latter.  Including this season, Rodriguez has six years remaining on his ten-year, $275MM deal.

Trade Candidate: Huston Street

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Uspw_6172886At first glance, the Padres' acquisition of closer Huston Street from the Rockies last offseason didn't make a whole lot of sense. After all, San Diego wasn't expected to contend in 2012, and Street didn't come cheaply — at a 2012 salary of $7.5MM — for a team that operates on a modest budget.

But new GM Josh Byrnes probably valued Street more as an asset in future trade talks than as someone who could contribute to a rebuilding team on the field, and considering the Friars merely gave up an underwhelming prospect to acquire the right-hander, it's a sound strategy.

Now, several projected contenders are already dealing with injuries at the back end of their respective bullpens, and it seems even more likely that trade suitors will be checking in with the Padres on Street.

The right-hander, 29 in August, has earned his keep as a high-strikeout control specialist with a knack for producing fly balls, a formula that has produced an excellent 2.91 career SIERA. Those skills should play especially well for Street in his new home ballpark in San Diego's Petco Park, where fly balls go to die. And if he's cruising along with stats that are inflated by his home digs in a couple months, it'll only serve to intensify interest among bullpen-needy contenders.

The catch here is Street's contract. He holds a $9MM player option for 2013, but that can be declined for a digestible $500K buyout — for which the Rockies are on the hook. In other words, Street can be had as a half-season rental, or he can contribute down the stretch and then come back the following year at a pricey, but not off-the-charts, salary.

Will some team bite? It's hard to say that now, with a couple months' games to play out before trade talks really heat up, but if Byrnes can flip Street for even a decent prospect, he'll have turned a profit considering how little he paid for the closer.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire

Red Sox Mulling Options After Jacoby Ellsbury Injury

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The Red Sox are mulling over options after losing Jacoby Ellsbury for an unknown amount of time with a sublexed right shoulder, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). He notes that it is tough to make an impact trade in April, so a lesser move is more likely. Earlier today Rosenthal speculated that guys like Scott Podsednik, Clete Thomas, and Brett Carroll could be fits.

As well, the Red Sox could enter into talks with the Cubs to acquire center fielder Marlon Byrd, according to Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. The North Siders have been trying to trade Byrd "for months," Wittenmeyer reports, and the front offices remain relatively close due to the presence of former Boston executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer in Chicago.

With Ellsbury and Carl Crawford (wrist, elbow) on the shelf, the Red Sox will use Cody Ross, Ryan Sweeney, and Darnell McDonald as their primary outfield for the time being. Defensive specialist Che-Hsuan Lin has been called up to fill Ellsbury's spot, but he owns a .230/.322/.296 batting line in 402 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. Red Sox ownership indicated a willingness to add payroll under the right circumstances earlier this month, and an injury to the MVP runner-up likely qualifies.

West Links: Myers, Wilson, Luebke

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A few items of note to share out of MLB's West divisions …

  • Things don't look good for Giants closer Brian Wilson, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters, including Steve Kroner of the SFGate.com. The Beard has "structural issues" in his right elbow and could be facing surgery.
  • The news on Wilson prompted Bob Nightengale of USA Today to wonder whether the Giants would check in with the Astros on closer Brett Myers, whom Houston has been shopping for the past few months, if Wilson is in fact out for the season's balance or a substantial period of time (Twitter link).
  • Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson doesn't hold a grudge against the Yankees for not attempting to sign him this offseason, according to Richard Justice of MLB.com, though the lefty intimates that it bothered him at the time: "Everybody has different constraints. There's not one way to build a team. They obviously went after a couple of pitchers. Obviously, both those guys did really good last year. You can't hold a grudge forever. You move on. I'm here. I'm an Angel. That's it."
  • Padres lefty Cory Luebke discussed how last month's multiyear extension came to pass with Jeff Rickard and Jeff Nelson of MLB Network Radio's "Home Plate" on SiriusXM (audio link): "It wasn't something I expected, by any means. I was pretty surprised when they asked me if it was something I'd be willing to do. … There's a little peace of a mind, but I think we get more peace of mind when we're winning ballgames than dealing with the financial side of it, but it does offer a little security."

Free Agent Stock Watch: Andre Ethier

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Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier can hit. That much cannot be disputed; the sweet-swinging left-handed hitter owns a career line of .291/.365/.481. However, his troubles with the injury bug raise some interesting questions as the 30-year-old commences his walk year before a potential foray into free agency.

After debuting in Los Angeles in 2006, Ethier improved steadily over each of the next two seasons before breaking out as a premier slugger in 2009, when he ripped 31 homers to go with a .272/.361/.508 line. If Ethier had followed up that campaign with a couple more like it in 2010 and 2011, he'd be in line for a monster contract right about now. Instead, though, he spent time on the DL both years, and though his production was competent when he was on the field, it wasn't on par with his breakout '09.

Rumors about a potential extension for Ethier have kicked around for awhile, but it doesn't appear talks have gotten too serious, and with the Dodgers' ownership situation still being sorted out, it could take some time before the team has its finances in order to the extent that it could consider a long-term extension for one of its cornerstone players.

In the meanwhile, Ethier's off to a fast start this season, and he's made it a point to say he's focused on remaining healthy and productive. The latter isn't an issue, but the former might be, and it could very well determine just how big of a payday he's in store for this offseason (or before then, if he signs an extension).

Another year derailed by injuries, and Ethier could have to settle for a short-term deal in order to reestablish his stock, but if he can recapture his health and performance of three years ago, he could be looking at a windfall. I wouldn't go so far as to say he'll secure anything near the seven years and $126MM the Nationals lavished on Jayson Werth two offseasons ago, but one never knows; it only takes one team.

Among the high-end talents in the upcoming crop of free-agent right fielders, Ethier will be joined by Nick Swisher of the Yankees, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners, and Torii Hunter of the Angels, all useful players in their own ways but none without question marks — not unlike Ethier himself. Ethier, though, is probably the best bet of that lot to land a big contract based on his age and productivity. Advanced defensive metrics don't especially like Ethier's defense, and his durability woes are well documented, but a big walk year has a funny way of obscuring past sins — think of Jose Reyes after last season.

Quick Hits: Twins, Thomas, Damon, Nationals, Rays

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Saturday afternoon linkage..

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) notes that the Twins finally got Clete Thomas, years after they drafted him but were unable to sign him.  Minnesota claimed Thomas off of waivers from the Tigers earlier today. 
  • Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs examines whether Johnny Damon is worth it for the Indians.
  • Nationals manager Davey Johnson pushed for major changes to the bench this year and is happy with the outcome, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  This year's bench is clicking so far with the likes of Chad Tracy, Xavier Nady, and Mark DeRosa.
  • The Rays signed Dominican shortstop Christian Toribio for $65K, according to a press release from the Dominican Prospect League.  The DPL categorizes Toribio as an above average runner and a solid defender with enough arm strength and range to stick at the position.

Rosenthal On Lannan, Greinke, Cardinals, McCann

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Highlights from the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • The Nationals continue to look for a taker for John Lannan but his $5MM salary is only part of the problem.  A rival exec points out that any team that gets Lannan might prefer to let him go this offseason rather than go to arbitration with him, further diminishing his value.
  • A rival executive says that Joey Votto's ten-year, $225MM contract with the Reds could affect Zack Greinke's talks with the Brewers.  In the past, a team like Milwaukee could claim that a small market team could never afford such a deal, but that no longer seems like a fair argument.
  • The Cardinals talked about trading Kyle Lohse or Jake Westbrook to free up space for Albert Pujols but it now looks like they made the right decision to hang on to both.  While the two pitchers will earn a combined $20MM+ this season, both reported in excellent condition this season and are off to strong early starts.
  • The Braves are locked into their local TV deal for the next 20 years – a deal that could soon become the worst in the sport.  Meanwhile, their payroll is stagnant and while the farm system is deep in pitchers and shortstops, it's not terribly deep in other areas.  Rosenthal can't imagine that the future looks promising for catcher Brian McCann as he is two years away from free agency.

Twins Claim Clete Thomas

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The Twins have claimed Clete Thomas off waivers from the Tigers, reports MLB.com's Jason Beck (on Twitter). The team confirmed the move and announced that they've placed Scott Baker on the 60-day DL to open a 40-man roster spot. Detroit designated Thomas for assignment earlier this week. 

Thomas, 28, has appeared in three games this season. He has a .253/.336/.391 line in 443 MLB plate appearances, most of which came during the 2008-09 campaigns. Thomas played for Triple-A Toledo last year, posting a .251/.314/.401 line in 406 plate appearances while playing all three outfield positions.

East Links: Podsednik, Carroll, Thomas, Izzy, A-Rod

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AL MVP runner-up Jacoby Ellsbury sublexed his shoulder in yesterday's game and there is no timetable for his return (Twitter link). The Red Sox will call up Che-Hsuan Lin to take his roster spot. Here's the latest from baseball's two East divisions…

  • Scott Podsednik could be an option for the Red Sox following Ellsbury's injury, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Phillies would let Podsednik out of his minor league deal for a big league job, and Rosenthal says they could also trade for a Marlon Byrd or Coco Crisp type later in the season.
  • With some help from a reader, Rosenthal speculates that the recently DFA'd Brett Carroll and Clete Thomas could also be fits for the Red Sox following Ellsbury's injury (Twitter links).
  • "I’m still thankful they gave me the chance," said Angels reliever Jason Isringhausen to Dan Martin of The New York Post, referring to his time with the Mets last season. Izzy said he spoke to the Mets about a return this offseason.
  • Alex Rodriguez hit his 630th career home run yesterday, tying him with Ken Griffey Jr. for fifth on the all-time list. Joel Sherman of The New York Post says his homer bonuses will become an issue for the Yankees if they intend to get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold by 2014. A-Rod will get $6MM each for his 660th, 714th, 755th, 762nd, and 763rd career homers.

Angels Designate Rich Thompson For Assignment

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The Angels have designated Rich Thompson for assignment, reports MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (on Twitter). The move creates roster space for Brad Mills.

Thompson, 27, has allowed four runs in 2 1/3 innings this year. The Australian-born right-hander pitched to a 3.00 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 54 innings for the Halos last summer. He is out of options and could not be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers, and there's a chance Thompson will be claimed given his strong 2011 performance.

The Angels acquired Mills from the Blue Jays in exchange for Jeff Mathis back in December.

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