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Archives for September 2012

Quick Hits: LaRoche, Gregg, Astros

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A few stray links to pass along as the Phillies reach the .500 mark for the first time since June 4 with a win over the Marlins …

  • Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche "would love to stay" in Washington, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Last week, we heard that the Nats are likewise interested in retaining LaRoche. However, the left-handed hitter is enjoying a career year and is likely to seek a multiyear contract since his 2013 mutual option calls for a salary of $10MM. Kilgore adds that the Nats will wait until the season is over to commence extension talks with their players, as the organization is focused on its impending postseason berth.
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter said reliever Kevin Gregg's DFA earlier today was the best situation for both the club and the pitcher, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. The Orioles needed the roster space, while Gregg may have the opportunity to start anew with a different team and pitch more regularly — as he had several long stretches without seeing game action this season — and perhaps set himself up to latch on with a team in 2013, Showalter explained.
  • Gregg was nonetheless "really disappointed" to be leaving the O's, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. 
  • Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco is a candidate to assume the role on a full-time basis when Houston conducts its interviews during the offseason, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. DeFrancesco has spent most of his professional coaching career in the Athletics' organization, which he said prepared him well for a managerial job with a team like the Astros that relies heavily on advanced analytics.

Managerial Notes: Astros, Indians, Red Sox

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A few links of interest regarding one managerial vacancy — and two that may be open once the offseason rolls around.

  • The Astros were thought to be interested in former Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, who previously worked for Houston GM Jeff Luhnow with the Cardinals, though the sides have not spoken, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com (Twitter links). Houston's manager, Tony DeFrancesco, is helming the club on an interim basis following the dismissal of Brad Mills last month, while Riggleman is currently the manager of the Reds' Double-A affiliate.
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti has joined the team in Texas, but he said the visit was scheduled and has nothing to do with a potential shakeup, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. When asked about the job security of manager Manny Acta, Antonetti said: "I don't feel any differently than when we talked earlier. I think I'll save any sort of assessments until the end of the season. I think that's probably the best thing to do.
  • Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine says he's "the best man for the job" in Boston, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports. The manager said he has suffered along with Red Sox fans this year and expects to return in 2013.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Steve Edlefsen

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We'll keep track of today's outrights in this post …

  • Giants pitcher Steve Edlefsen has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Fresno, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter). Edlefsen, a 27-year-old right-hander, was designated for assignment last week and has made 27 career appearances with San Francisco.

Quick Hits: Orioles, Indians, Free Agents

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The Orioles decided to rely on internal options in the outfield after surveying the market for trade targets, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). The Orioles had some interest in Juan Pierre, but it appears they’ll rely on players such as Nate McLouth, Chris Davis, Xavier Avery, Endy Chavez and Lew Ford in the outfield with Nick Markakis injured. Here are today’s links…

  • Jim Bowden lists some potential destinations for the offseason’s top free agents at ESPN.com. For example, could the Yankees could be a fit for Josh Hamilton? Could the Dodgers land Zack Greinke? Here’s MLBTR’s list of 2013 free agents.
  • Indians ownership was "unhappy" with the team's second half performance, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. GM Chris Antonetti said "nothing is new" regarding the job security of manager Manny Acta. "I don't think anyone's happy with where we are or how we've played," Antonetti said.
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo offers a report on the latest transactions involving top prospects.

Hanshin Tigers Eyeing Jeff Clement, Mauro Gomez

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The Hanshin Tigers are looking at Jeff Clement and Mauro Gomez for next year, according to a Japanese report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (on Twitter). Both players were recently called up to the MLB level after successful minor league seasons. The Tigers are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Japan.

Clement has appeared in 12 games for the Pirates since the end of August after posting a .276/.340/.486 batting line with 16 home runs in 459 plate appearances at Triple-A. The CAA Sports client has a .219/.279/.374 batting line in parts of four MLB seasons.

Gomez, who signed with the Red Sox in February, has appeared in 22 games with Boston this year. The 28-year-old corner infielder has a .299/.342/.448 batting line in 73 MLB plate appearances. He spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A Pawtucket, where he posted a .310/.371/.589 in 426 plate appearances.

Orioles Designate Gregg, Adams For Assignment

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The Orioles announced that they have designated right-hander Kevin Gregg and infielder Ryan Adams for assignment. The moves create 40-man roster space for Endy Chavez and L.J. Hoes, whose contracts were selected from Triple-A Norfolk.

Gregg signed a two-year, $10MM contract with Baltimore after the 2010 season, but he struggled with the Orioles, posting a 4.53 ERA from 2011-12. He appeared in 40 games this year, posting a 4.74 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 4.9 BB/9 and a 47.8 % ground ball rate in 43 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old's contract includes a $6MM team option for 2013 that evidently won't be exercised.

Adams spent the entire 2012 season in the minor leagues. The 25-year-old posted a .225/.317/.348 batting line in 279 plate appearances across three levels this year, playing second and third base. Adams, the Orioles' second round selection in 2006, appeared in 29 games at the MLB level last year.

Phillies Notes: Manuel, Sandberg, Pierre

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Though Charlie Manuel will return to manage the Phillies in 2013, Triple-A manager Ryne Sandberg appears to be a “nearly sure bet” to succeed Manuel at some point, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. Here are the details on the Phillies from Heyman…

  • The Phillies are impressed by Sandberg’s work in the minor leagues, but the 68-year-old Manuel is under contract for 2013. Some insiders say some people in the Phillies organization have been advocating for Sandberg since before the 2011 season. Amaro dismissed that notion, but praised Sandberg. "He's been great. He's done a nice job for us," Amaro said. However, there’s probably “nothing to be done” if another organization looks to hire Sandberg this coming offseason.
  • Amaro told Heyman the Phillies aren’t trading Juan Pierre. The Orioles are interested in Pierre, but Philadelphia is just 5.0 games out of the Wild Card race so they are not inclined to make a trade.

Jhonny Peralta’s 2013 Option

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This coming offseason’s class of free agent shortstops doesn’t have the same star power as the one that featured Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins a year ago. Marco Scutaro and Stephen Drew lead a group that includes a number of backups and Alex Gonzalez, who missed the final five months of the 2012 season with a knee injury. In theory, Jhonny Peralta could also hit free agency. But it seems more likely that the Tigers will exercise their $6MM club option and keep Peralta in Detroit for another year. 

Jhonny Peralta - Tigers (PW)

The Tigers don’t have a Jurickson Profar or Manny Machado-type shortstop prospect in the organization, so they’ll need to acquire someone to play the position in 2013. President and GM Dave Dombrowski could explore trades for players such as Elvis Andrus, J.J. Hardy and Yunel Escobar, but the asking prices figure to be high for each player. A weak free agent class and a potentially competitive trade market could improve Peralta’s chances of returning to Detroit.

Peralta hasn't produced on offense the way he did in 2011, the first season of his two-year, $11.25MM contract with Detroit. He has a .251/.311/.404 batting line that's slightly better than average for his position (MLB shortstops are hitting .255/.307/.377). Though Peralta's home run total has dropped from 21 in 2011 to 11 in 2012, he has added 31 doubles and three triples in 502 plate appearances.

While Peralta’s not thought of as an above-average defender, his defense is considered acceptable. He's a decent defensive shortstop even if he's not much fun to watch, according to a pre-season scouting report in The Fielding Bible Volume III. UZR suggests the 30-year-old has played above-average defense since signing his two-year deal with the Tigers. 

Advanced metrics say Peralta's adding value for the Tigers. FanGraphs' version of wins above replacement values Peralta at 2.7 WAR in 2012. Baseball-Reference, on the other hand, suggests Peralta has been worth 1.4 WAR. The metrics agree on this much: he’s a contributor at a premium position. 

Sometime this month Peralta will appear in his 140th game of the season, reaching the threshold for the eighth time in as many seasons since 2005. Injuries can strike at any time, but Peralta’s history of staying healthy compares favorably to that of Drew or Gonzalez. 

If the Tigers were to decline Peralta’s option, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the ACES client sign a two-year contract like the one he signed following the 2010 season. Comparable middle infielders such as Aaron Hill, Mark Ellis and Clint Barmes signed similar contracts a year ago. At this point, however, it doesn't seem likely that Peralta will reach free agency. In a market light on alternatives at shortstop, his $6MM option figures to appeal to the Tigers.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles

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The Red Sox haven't finished last in the American League East since 1992, when their division rivals included the Tigers, Indians and Brewers. With 21 games remaining the 2012 Red Sox are in last place with a 63-78 record. Here’s the latest from their division…

  • The Red Sox intend to address their pitching issues this offseason, GM Ben Cherington told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. “We’ve got to look back and figure out why we were off on that,” Cherington said. The Red Sox are expected to bolster their rotation this winter, though one-year deals seem more likely than mega-contracts. Cherington relied on minor league signings last offseason, but knows more significant additions are necessary this year.
  • Joba Chamberlain, Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte are vital to the Yankees for the final three weeks of the regular season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The job security of some executives, coaches and players could diminish if the Yankees miss the postseason, Sherman adds.
  • Rays manager Joe Maddon told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he's pleased to see the Orioles contending for a playoff spot again. "I'm really happy for Baltimore and that organization, having been such a wonderful organization in the past," Maddon said.

Loria On Front Office, Guillen, Third Base

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The Marlins occupy last place in the NL East with a 63-79 record after entering the season with as much hype as any team in recent memory. It’s been a disappointing year, but owner Jeffrey Loria says he expects his team to contend again in 2013, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Here are more notes from Loria (via Spencer):

  • Loria declined to discuss any potential changes to his front office staff. He also refused to offer a public assessment of manager Ozzie Guillen. “I just don’t want to get drawn into that until the end of the season,” Loria said. “There’s good and bad with every situation.”
  • Loria acknowledged that the team has holes. “We need to fill them to complement some of the other really good parts that are here,” he added. The Marlins will likely consider upgrades at third base this offseason, Spencer writes.
  • Loria said he’s been thrilled with Jose Reyes’ performance and impressed by Mark Buehrle’s approach. He also mentioned infielder Donovan Solano and outfielder Justin Ruggiano as “pleasant surprises” in an otherwise trying season.

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