Non-Tender Candidate: Alexi Casilla
The average MLB second baseman has a .254/.317/.380 batting line this year, so it's safe to say teams don't demand as much offense from the position as they once did. In 2000, for example, the average second baseman hit .278/.349/.404 and 18 teams got a .750 OPS or better from their second basemen. Now just six teams have a .750 OPS from second base, but you can’t expect to play regularly unless you provide at least some offense.
Alexi Casilla, the Twins’ starting second baseman, isn’t hitting at all this year and his poor offensive production could cost him his job this coming offseason. The switch-hitter has a .223/.259/.293 batting line in 234 plate appearances so far in 2012. Though 13 of his 14 stolen base attempts have been successful, he’s not providing value on offense.
Casilla is a decent defensive middle infielder best-suited for second base, according to a pre-season scouting report in The Fielding Bible: Volume III. The 28-year-old Proformance client has spent most of this season at second base, making a few appearances at third base and none at shortstop.
Unless the Twins believe Casilla’s defense makes up for his below-average bat, they’ll have to consider non-tendering him this offseason. He’s earning 1.38MM this year as a second-time arbitration eligible player and would be in line for a salary approaching $2MM if Minnesota tenders him a contract this offseason — MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a salary of $1.8MM.
That may be more than the Twins are willing to commit to a player who isn’t hitting, especially since they have internal alternatives up the middle. Brian Dozier and Jamey Carroll will be back in 2013. And pre-arbitration eligible utility player Eduardo Escobar, who joined the Twins in the Francisco Liriano trade, provides Minnesota with another affordable infield option. Many more utility infield options will be available on minor league deals in a matter of months.
Casilla has added some value according to the versions of the wins above replacement metric at Baseball-Reference (0.9 WAR) and FanGraphs (0.4 WAR). But it’s hard to see Twins general manager Terry Ryan committing a roster spot and a couple million dollars to a player who contributes so little on offense. Instead, it looks as though Casilla will hit free agency a year early barring a late-season surge.
Poll: Will Cliff Lee Be Claimed On Waivers?
Cliff Lee is on waivers, so MLB teams must now decide whether to place a claim on the left-hander. For the majority of teams, the decision will be simple. Lee earns far too much for most general managers to make a claim and risk taking on his contract ($21.5MM in 2012, $25MM per season through 2015, and a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016 with a $12.5MM buyout). It’s complex enough for GMs to boost payroll by a few million with a summer acquisition, so a player with $95MM on his contract will be out of the question in most cases.
But Lee could tempt a team or two. He continues to pitch effectively — seven innings per start, five times as many strikeouts as walks and a 3.73 ERA in a so-called down year — and there’s no better staring pitcher available. Maybe $95MM for three-plus seasons would be acceptable for a team with aggressive ownership, such as the Dodgers.
If Lee does get claimed, the Phillies could pull him back off of waivers, work out a trade, or assign his contract to the team that wins the claim (the left-hander can block trades to 21 teams). If he goes unclaimed, the Phillies will be able to trade Lee with the same restrictions they’d encounter in July or in the offseason. How will it all unfold?
Will Cliff Lee be claimed on waivers?
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No 40% (6,192)
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Yes, by multiple teams 34% (5,352)
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Yes, by one team 26% (4,117)
Total votes: 15,661
Quick Hits: Lee, Dodgers, Rockies
Cliff Lee is on waivers, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be traded or even claimed. Teams routinely place players on waivers in August, when waivers are revocable, as a way of gathering information. Here are today’s links…
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports explains why teams should be willing to pursue Lee despite what is perceived to be a down year for the veteran left-hander.
- The Dodgers should claim Lee and dare the Phillies to let him go for nothing, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs writes.
- Carlos Lee is on waivers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Marlins considered moving Lee to the Yankees earlier this week, but he declined to approve the potential trade.
- The Rockies re-arranged their front office yesterday, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports is skeptical that the changes will really address the team's biggest concern: pitching.
Minor Moves: Sanches, Reds, McPherson
The latest minor moves…
- Sanches wasn't unemployed very long. Christopher Dabe of The Beaumont Enterprise reports that the right-hander has signed with his hometown Astros.
- The Phillies released right-hander Brian Sanches, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Philadelphia outrighted Sanches to the minor leagues late last month.
- The Reds released veteran right-hander Brett Tomko, according to the team's assistant director of media relations, Jamie Ramsey (on Twitter). Tomko had been pitching at Triple-A.
- The White Sox signed Tommy Manzella to a minor league contract, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. Manzella, who was the Astros' Opening Day shortstop in 2010, has spent the last two years in the minors. The 29-year-old played for affiliates of the Brewers and Diamondbacks this year, posting a .229/.308/.271 batting line in 295 plate appearances.
- The White Sox released Dallas McPherson from their Triple-A team, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports (on Twitter). The former top prospect posted a .253/.335/.463 line with Charlotte this year after re-signing with the White Sox organization this past offseason.
Yankees Designate Ramiro Pena For Assignment
The Yankees have designated Ramiro Pena for assignment according to the transactions page at MLB.com. The move cleared room on the roster for the recently-acquired Casey McGehee.
Pena, 27, had one single in four plate appearances with New York this year and is a career .233/.266/.288 hitter in 338 big league plate appearances. The infielder hit .249/.302/.316 in Triple-A this year and has seen time at second, short, third, and right field during his career.
Xavier Nady Close To Deal With Giants
7:48pm: The Giants are talking with Nady about a Triple-A deal, pending a physical, tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. Nady is taking batting practice in Fresno tonight and is likely to be activated tomorrow, Baggarly adds (via Twitter).
7:39pm: Outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady is close to agreeing to a minor league deal with the Giants, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Nationals designated Nady for assignment in late July before granting him his unconditional release on Sunday.
Nady, 33, has been out of action since mid-June due to a wrist injury. Before that, Nady had a .157/.211/.275 slash line with three homers in 109 plate appearances for Washington. The veteran had interest from San Francisco over the winter but wound up inking a minor league deal with the Nats in March.
Red Sox, Orioles Could Have Interest In Lowe
6:24pm: The Red Sox are "still gathering info" before deciding whether or not to pursue Lowe, reports Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. Meanwhile, the Nationals have no interest in the veteran right-hander according to Amanda Comak of The Washington Times (on Twitter).
3:20pm: Derek Lowe told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he just needs "a tuneup" before resuming his MLB career (Twitter links). The right-hander, who was officially designated for assignment today, would love to return to the Red Sox, where he pitched from 1997-2004. Boston GM Ben Cherington hasn't ruled out Lowe, but hasn't made a decision yet, Cafardo writes.
Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun suggests we shouldn’t be surprised if the Orioles make a big push for Lowe. “It makes a whole lot of sense,” one Orioles official told Connolly. Orioles executive Dan Duquette acquired Lowe for the Red Sox in 1997. Baltimore has been seeking starting pitching depth this summer.
Diamondbacks Release Scott Podsednik
The Diamondbacks have granted Scott Podsednik his release after he declined an assignment to Triple-A, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). Arizona acquired him as part of the Matt Albers–Craig Breslow trade earlier this week.
Podsednik, 36, hit .387/.409/.484 with six steals in 70 plate appearances with the Red Sox this year and .242/.308/.291 in Triple-A. The speedy outfielder also missed a little more than two weeks with a groin strain earlier this season.
NL Central Notes: Drew, Marte, Cardinals
The Reds have been nearly unbeatable since losing their top player to injury and now have the best record in baseball at 64-41. Here are today's NL Central links after another Reds win…
- The Pirates considered and rejected a trade that would have sent two minor leaguers to Arizona for Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (on Twitter). The prospects — not Jameson Taillon or Luis Heredia — are at the mid-to-low levels of Pittsburgh's farm system.
- The Phillies asked the Pirates for Starling Marte, Brad Lincoln and more in possible trades for Hunter Pence, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The Phillies ultimately obtained Nate Schierholtz, minor league reliever Seth Rosin and minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph from the Giants for Pence.
- MLB terminated the contract between the Cardinals and right-handed pitching prospect Andres Serrano, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The Cardinals had signed the Dominican for $750K, but he failed the age and identity sections of his investigation, according to Badler. Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com had the story last month.
Cliff Lee On Waivers
The Phillies have placed Cliff Lee on waivers, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (on Twitter). The Phillies were expected to waive Lee this month, when waivers are revocable. Teams routinely place high-profile players on waivers in August to determine other teams' interest. Executives expect the left-hander to clear waivers Friday afternoon, Passan reports.
Teams have two business days to claim players off of waivers, which suggests Lee hit the waiver wire yesterday, when the August waiver period opened. If Lee clears waivers, the Phillies might be able to trade him. Lee can block trades to 21 teams, including the Diamondbacks. The Yankees, Braves and Marlins are not on his no-trade list, however.
The 33-year-old Lee earns $21.5MM this year and $25MM per season from 2013-15. His contract includes a $27.5MM vesting option ($12.5MM buyout) for 2016. If one or more teams claim Lee despite his contract, the Phillies could attempt to work out a trade with the team that wins the claim, assuming Lee doesn’t veto the move.
Here's more detail on how teams can trade players in August.