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Quick Hits: Cubs, Red Sox, Hanley, Trades

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A year ago today, the Indians signed Johnny Damon to a one-year contract with the hope that clean-shaven caveman could bolster their lineup. Damon hit just .222/.281/.329 in 224 plate appearances for the Tribe. This offseason, there was no penny-pinching by the Indians, as they signed Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Brett Myers and Mark Reynolds to bolster the club. Here are some links from around the league…

  • Carlos Zambrano is at Wrigley Field today, which sparked a great deal of speculation, but Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune tweets that Zambrano is merely visiting. The Cubs aren't interested in a reunion.
  • Red Sox minor league left-hander Miguel Pena and right-hander Gerson Bautista have both been suspended 50 games for violation of Major League Baseball's drug policy, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Pena ranked 30th among Red Sox prospects, according to BA, who noted that his clean delivery and plus changeup gave him the ceiling of a No. 4 starter in the big leagues.
  • Hanley Ramirez is anticipating a return to the Dodgers "way sooner" than his initially projected return of mid-May, writes Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. The Dodgers have gotten next to no production from Luis Cruz and Justin Sellers in his absence.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post gives the "small sample size" caveat in noting that traded players such as John Buck, Michael Morse and Justin Upton are excelling. Vernon Wells and Michael Young have looked better than salary dumps thus far as well, Sherman continues.
  • ESPN's Jim Bowden lists five impulsive moves that the GMs of contenders such as the Rays, Tigers, Angels, Cardinals and Giants should make to immediately improve their clubs' biggest weaknesses (ESPN Insider required).

Blue Jays Nearly Acquired Peavy In October

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The Blue Jays were involved in some of the biggest trades of the offseason, but things could have played out differently had it not been for a last-minute extension between the White Sox and Jake Peavy. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes that the Blue Jays were close to acquiring Peavy from the White Sox prior to the signing of that two-year, $29MM extension.

The White Sox would've sent $4MM to Toronto along with Peavy in exchange for a player or players whose value exceeded a compensatory draft pick in the eyes of Chicago GM Rick Hahn. Effectively, the Jays were looking at getting Peavy on a one-year, $18MM. Presumably, this is the near-deal that Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was referring to back in January.

Peavy himself acknowledged to Davidi that he had heard "some rumblings" about discussions between White Sox and another team, but went on to say that he wanted to remain in Chicago as he felt he had "unfinished business" with the South Siders.

Davidi notes that while the trade didn't end up going through, it helped to lay the groundwork for the Blue Jays' eventual blockbusters with the Marlins and Mets. Anthopoulos and president Paul Beeston had to obtain permission from ownership to exceed payroll to acquire Peavy, and that permission carried over into the eventual trades to acquire Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey.

White Sox To Release Charlie Leesman

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WEDNESDAY: The White Sox have requested release waivers for Leesman to grant him his unconditional release, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).

SUNDAY: The White Sox announced that they have designated Charlie Leesman for assignment.  The move will allow the club to make room for Tyler Greene on the 40-man roster.

The left-hander turned in a 2.47 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 26 Triple-A games last season, his first time at that level.  The 26-year-old has been with the White Sox organization since being drafted by the club in 11th round of the 2008 draft.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Julio Borbon Hits Waivers

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1:01pm: Borbon will be placed on outright waivers after the Rangers were unable to work out a trade, Heyman tweets. That means the Astros will have the first crack at him should they wish to make a claim.

12:53pm: A trade now looks unlikely, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, who notes that teams like Borbon but don't have fits on their roster. Borbon looks to be headed for waivers.

12:50pm: The Orioles won't pull the trigger on a Borbon trade, tweets Heyman.

11:16am: The Rangers are still expecting to trade Julio Borbon, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, who adds the Mets and Astros into the mix in addition to the previously reported Orioles.

After designating Borbon for assignment eight days ago, general manager Jon Daniels has until 2pm ET to pull off a trade for Borbon. Otherwise Borbon will be subjected to waivers, and teams (presumably the Astros) will have a shot at acquiring him for nothing.

The 27-year-old Borbon is a career .283/.324/.358 hitter whose value comes primarily from a strong glove and plus speed. He's stolen 40 bases in 53 career attempts (75 percent), and both The Fielding Bible and UZR suggest that he's saved seven to eight runs in 1,365 career innings in center field.

It's also been reported that the Twins have kicked the tires on Borbon but were more interested in a waiver claim than a trade. It's possible that the prolonged struggles of Aaron Hicks and an injury to Darin Mastroianni have altered that thinking, though that's just me speculating.

The Rangers are said to be seeking a pitcher with options remaining in any deal for Borbon.

Minor Moves: Scott Cousins

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We'll keep track of today's minor moves from around the league in this post…

  • Outfielder Scott Cousins has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake City according to Angels manager of communications Eric Kay (on Twitter). The 28-year-old has batted just .183/.231/.291 in 188 Major League plate appearances — all coming with the Marlins. Cousins had been designated for assignment by the Halos on Saturday.

Which GMs Are Most Active On The Waiver Wire?

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It's Waiver Wednesday at MLBTR! Ok, I might've just made that up. But the previous post I wrote about players who have been claimed off waivers multiple times in the past calendar year got me wondering which GMs have been the most active on the waiver wire in that same span. So, without further ado, here's the list, courtesy of MLBTR's Transaction Tracker (and I doubt you'll be surprised with who's at the top):

  • Alex Anthopoulos, Blue Jays: 22 claims
  • Brian Cashman, Yankees: 14 claims
  • Jed Hoyer, Cubs: 10 claims
  • Dan Duquette, Orioles: 8 claims
  • Billy Beane, Athletics: 8 claims
  • Chris Antonetti, Indians: 8 claims
  • Jeff Luhnow, Astros: 7 claims
  • Kevin Towers, Diamondbacks: 5 claims
  • Dayton Moore, Royals: 5 claims
  • Neal Huntington, Pirates: 5 claims
  • Josh Byrnes, Padres: 5 claims
  • Jon Daniels, Rangers: 5 claims
  • Doug Melvin, Brewers: 4 claims
  • Terry Ryan, Twins: 3 claims
  • Brian Sabean, Giants: 3 claims
  • Larry Beinfest, Marlins: 3 claims
  • Frank Wren, Braves: 2 claims
  • Ben Cherington, Red Sox: 2 claims
  • Rick Hahn/Kenny Williams, White Sox: 2 claims
  • Jerry Dipoto, Angels: 2 claims
  • Sandy Alderson, Mets: 2 claims
  • Ruben Amaro Jr., Phillies: 2 claims
  • Andrew Friedman, Rays: 2 claims
  • Dave Dombrowski, Tigers: 1 claim
  • Jack Zduriencik, Mariners: 1 claim
  • John Mozeliak, Cardinals: 1 claim
  • Mike Rizzo, Nationals: 1 claim

Obviously, because multiple teams bid on many of these players, we have no way of knowing if Rizzo, Dombrowski, Freidman and other GMs at the bottom of the list unsuccessfuly attempted to claim more players. I would imagine that's the case, especially for a team like the Nationals who finished with baseball's best record.

The Rockies, Dodgers and Reds have all failed to make a waiver claim. It's not a total shock in the Reds' case, as they finished 2012 with one of the better records in the game and are low on the totem pole for any potential waiver claims due to their record. The Dodgers were an 86-win club last year, so they were a ways down the pecking order as well. Plus, their deep-pocketed ownership chose to address the team's needs via blockbuster acquisitions of names like Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez and Zack Greinke rather than on the waiver wire.

I'm a bit surprised that with all of the pitching depth on waivers, however, that the last-place Rockies weren't more active. Clearly, the waiver wire isn't stacked with marquee names, but the Rockies finished last season with a combined 5.22 ERA and had a high waiver priority all year due to their record. 

Onto teams that did make claims, it's not surprising to see Anthopoulos and the Blue Jays top the list. It seems that any time there's been a waiver claim over the past year, it's been someone being claimed from the Blue Jays, or the Blue Jays claiming someone from another team. Anthopoulos isn't afraid to shuffle the deck and is probably the game's most active GM.

It makes sense to see the Yankees this high as well, given their attempt to slash payroll and the number of injuries they've sustained. The waiver wire is a good outlet to fill holes and achieve short-term, cost-effective help (though none of the players they claimed wound up sticking on the 25-man roster).

In total, our Transation Tracker shows 133 waiver claims over the past calendar year — or roughly one every 2.75 days. Of those 133 claims, the Blue Jays have made a whopping 17 percent. Toronto has also lost 13 players they attempted to sneak through waivers, meaning they've been involved in an incredible 26.3 percent of the waiver claims we've reported here on MLBTR over the past calendar year.

Players Claimed Off Waivers Multiple Times

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Waiver claims often strike us as nondescript transactions. The names we see in them sometimes are often unknown, but a lot of the players in these deals have enough fringe talent to make them coveted by multiple teams. This is evidenced by the number of times some players have been claimed in the past year alone. Using MLBTR's Transaction Tracker, here's a look at players who are desirable enough to be claimed multiple times but have had a hard time sticking on their new 40-man rosters…

  • Russ Canzler (4): The 27-year-old Canzler is one of three in the exclusive four-claim club over the past calendar year. He's been a beast in 274 Triple-A games, batting .291/.367/.513 with 43 homers. This offseason, he found himself claimed by the Blue Jays from the Indians, reclaimed by the Tribe, claimed by the Yankees and claimed by the Orioles all within a span of about six weeks. He's now with the O's Triple-A affiliate.
  • Sandy Rosario (4): Rosario was claimed by the Red Sox, traded to the A's, claimed back by the Red Sox, claimed by the Cubs and finally claimed by the Giants in a two-month span this offseason. The 27-year-old has fanned 11 in 9 2/3 innings for Triple-A Fresno thus far.
  • Chris Schwinden (4): Schwinden went full-circle in the summer of 2012. He was claimed by the Blue Jays from the Mets, then claimed by the Indians, claimed by the Yankees, and at last reclaimed by the Mets — all in a span of 34 days! He wasn't even with Toronto long enough to make a start, but he did post a 3.21 ERA in 126 Triple-A innings last season.
  • Scott Maine (3): Claimed off waivers from the Cubs by the Blue Jays, Maine would go on to be claimed by the Indians and eventually the Marlins, where he's begun the season in Triple-A.
  • Guillermo Moscoso (3): The Royals plucked Moscoso off waivers from the Rockies, and he made it all the way to Spring Training with the club before being claimed by the Blue Jays and the Cubs within a matter of 12 days. 
  • Cody Ransom (3): Few players are more synonymous with waiver claims than Ransom, who has played for 10 different organizations over the course of his 16-year professional career. He was claimed by the Brewers from the D-backs last season only to be reclaimed by Arizona months later. After signing a minor league deal with the Padres in the winter, Ransom made it about two weeks into the 2013 season before being claimed by the Cubs.
  • Mickey Storey (3): Storey was claimed by the Yankees from the Astros, reclaimed by Houston and then claimed by the Blue Jays in a month's time this offseason. He's with Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, currently.
  • Eli Whiteside (3): Catching depth is always at a premium, which is part of the reason that Whiteside found himself going from the Giants to the Yankees to the Blue Jays to the Rangers in a five-week span this offseason. The veteran has settled in with Texas' Triple-A affiliate to open the season.

Meanwhile, Lars Anderson, Alex Burnett, Scott Cousins, Danny Farquhar, Thomas Field, John Gaub, Mark Hamburger, Willie Harris, David Herndon, Dan Otero, Steve Pearce, Todd Redmond and Josh Stinson were all claimed off waivers on two different occasions within the past year.

Some of these players, such as Burnett and Anderson, are young enough that they may well stick with their newest organizations. However, when it comes to some of the more veteran players, it's likely that these names will surface again. For guys like Ransom and Whiteside, waiver claims are just another part of the job.

Light-Hitting Rays Willing To Wait For Wil Myers

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Several Rays players told MLBTR that the departure of mainstay James Shields in an offseason trade was easier to take than it might have been if the deal had happened in the middle of the year. That’s not the only way timing could play a significant role in determining how successful the transaction will become for Tampa Bay.

There’s always been judgment involved when a team calls up a prospect, like the four whom the Rays acquired as part of the Shields trade. Now, as teams try to balance their needs of the moment with worries about heading to arbitration a year too soon with a player they project as a star, there’s often a layer of decision-making that transcends on-field performance.

Rays manager Joe Maddon expressed confidence during spring training that the team’s front office would let baseball acumen alone determine when 22-year-old Wil Myers, the most coveted prospect in the Shields deal, makes his major league debut. Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman didn’t directly say whether that will be the case, but when MLBTR asked whether Maddon’s belief is correct, Friedman repeated comments he made recently to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com indicating that competitiveness and baseball readiness are his chief concerns.

“With any potential move there are a lot of factors to consider — the fit on our roster, what it means for our depth, and so on,” Friedman said. “We also have to be really mindful that our goal is to compete year in and year out in the toughest division in baseball with almost no margin for error. The AL East will expose very quickly any weaknesses that you have. So when we bring someone here, we need to feel that he’s ready to step in and help us win right away. As Joe has touched on already this spring, if we add someone who’s not ready, not only will it hurt the team but it can really set the player back as well.”

If Myers isn’t yet ready, it doesn’t seem like he’s far off. Last year the outfielder spent a third of the season at Double-A and the rest at Triple-A, and altogether he blasted 37 home runs with a slash line of .314/.387/.600. He opened the season as the No. 4 prospect on the Baseball America and MLB.com lists, though his 2013 performance has lacked sizzle so far. His OPS of .762 in 17 major league spring training games is similar to his .768 OPS in 10 games at Triple-A. Still, that’s significantly better than Tampa Bay’s AL-worst .569 OPS.

Ben Zobrist, one of the bright spots in the Rays lineup this year, told MLBTR he accepts the club’s decision to keep Myers on the farm for now.

“He’s going to be ready when he’s ready,” Zobrist said. “The organization’s going to make that decision. He’s obviously an exciting player. He’s done a lot of really good things so far in his minor league career, and I think if all goes well, he’s going to be an exciting player at the major league level, too, but he’s still got some seasoning to do, from their standpoint, and we’ll see what happens as the year goes on. But he’s definitely an exciting player to watch.”

Alex Cobb sympathizes with Myers. The right-handed starting pitcher improved his ERA each year in the minors after making his pro debut at rookie ball in 2006. As is often the case with young arms in the Rays organization, Cobb spent time at each level of the system, finally reaching the majors in 2011. Last season, at the age of 24, he made double-digit appearances in the big leagues for the first time. Still, Cobb came to embrace the club’s deliberate approach to call-ups, as he explained to MLBTR.

“I’ve been victim to it as much as guys in the past, but you understand it,” he said. “There’s pros and cons of being in this organization. That’s one of the minor cons of being a player in this organization. There are so many pros of just everyday life in and out of the clubhouse here. And so, when that does happen to you, you understand that you just have to pay your dues. Chris Archer’s going through it right now. It’s not a bad thing, once you’ve beaten that. It’s very discouraging while you’re going through it, and you try to put on as good a front as you can, but it is tough. But, going through it, it makes you a stronger person on and off the field. So, it’s only going to make you better between the ears when you get up here and finally do stick. You really do appreciate it.”

Cobb, who’ll be 30 by the time he’s eligible for free agency, certainly doesn’t hold any grudge against the organization for the pace of his ascent up the minor league ladder, and doesn’t think Myers or other prospects will, either.

“Initially, maybe, that’s their first instinct, is to get mad,” Cobb said. “But I think when your head cools down, you prevail from whatever the emotions you’re going through, and you realize that it’s a smart business decision. And it is, because from the outside looking in now, you realize how much they need to do those type of things to stay competitive. I think it’s become an understanding that now you pay your dues, and you do it, and you eventually become a better big leaguer for it, and you have a great career afterwards.”

Quick Hits: Borbon, Cubs, Rendon, Profar

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Here are a few notes from around baseball:

  • The Orioles have had ongoing discussions with the Rangers about trading for outfielder Julio Borbon, writes MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. Borbon will need to be placed on outright waivers by 2pm ET tomorrow if he is not traded beforehand, but the Rangers appear confident that they will strike a deal. While Texas is interested in a major league capable pitcher with options, the Orioles are reluctant to give up arms and are waiting for the asking price to drop. For the O's, Borbon would bring depth, speed, and another lefty bat in the outfield mix. 
  • The Mets and Astros have also expressed interest in Borbon, Ghiroli further reports. Both clubs entered the season with among the least-entrenched outfield mixes in baseball.
  • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein spoke about what the club's Wrigley Field renovation deal could mean for the quality of the squad that takes the field at the friendly confines, as reported by Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. According to Epstein, the club "need[s] revenues to increase in order for us to execute our baseball plan. We expect them to [increase]." Epstein added: "We are not where we want to be right now from a revenue standpoint and therefore we are not where we want to be from a payroll standpoint." While Epstein said that revenue was not the sole "determining factor in our success," he needs it to allow the front office to supplement homegrown talent with "some aggression in free agency."
  • For his part, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts says that, "if [the deal] is approved, we will win the World Series." As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times explains, however, there is some cause for skepticism. The Cubs' ownership has continued to push out its promised timeline for a championship. And with the Cubs topping Forbes' list of most profitable franchises in 2012, Wittenmyer questions Ricketts' continued unwillingness to be more specific about when and to what extent the budget will expand. 
  • Most big league second baggers do not start out at the position. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that several teams are considering moving big-name young players to second base, with major potential hot stove implications. ESPN's Keith Law (on ESPN Insider) broke down the possible in-season transition of the Blue Jays' Brett Lawrie, as well as two prospects who are keystone candidates: Anthony Rendon of the Nationals and Jurickson Profar of the Rangers. A Lawrie move would be motivated by gaps elsewhere in the Jays' lineup, with the primary impact being on Toronto's affirmative trade plans. The two highly-rated prospects, on the other hand, find themselves blocked at their natural positions. For Rendon and Profar, then, a move to second could be the only viable alternative to an eventual trade. 
  • With Rendon presumably blocked by Ryan Zimmerman at his natural third base, and with a Zimmerman move to first blocked for at least two seasons by Adam LaRoche, a switch to second seems attractive at first blush. Rendon is known as a very good fielder, and may soon be knocking on the door after starting the year destroying Double-A pitching. But even putting aside the presence of young incumbent Danny Espinosa, Law says that Rendon's lack of agility and suspect ankles should preclude such a move. Unless some drastic change intervenes — Zimmerman's throwing woes worsen; the NL adopts the DH; unforeseen injury — the Nationals could be forced to consider dealing Rendon after this season. 
  • On the other hand, Law explains that the shortstop Profar, blocked by Elvis Andrus, can certainly handle second. But he would be less valuable there, and the Rangers would need to convince Ian Kinsler to become a first baseman or outfielder. Law goes so far as to suggest that Profar has the capacity to be shifted to centerfield, despite having never seen time in the outfield as a professional. Of course, Profar has already established his value at a premium defensive position. Such a move would not only be risky, but would keep Profar out of the big league lineup for longer while he adapted to a totally new position. Law says that bringing Profar up to man second would add value to the Rangers right now. Certainly, if the club is unwilling to make such a move this season, it is reasonable to wonder (as many have) whether Texas might instead dangle Profar as the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal to acquire a top-flight starter or outfielder.

AL Notes: Santana, Royals, Mariners, Fister, Valverde

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Jim Callis of Baseball America presented the assigned bonus pool values for each club's selections over the first ten rounds of the upcoming amateur draft. This breakdown provides additional detail on MLB's allocation of bonus pool money by pick. Here are some American League notes:

  • One player off to a happier start to his season is Ervin Santana, who was acquired by the Royals from the Angels after a disappointing 2012. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star addressed the possibility of an extension for Santana, who will be a free agent after this season. Dutton downplayed that likelihood, reasoning that if Santana keeps throwing well, he will be set up for a large free-agent payday that the Royals probably cannot afford to buy out. If he falters, the Royals likely have more attractive in-house options for their 2014 rotation.
  • Dutton also threw cold water on the idea of a deal sending Mike Moustakas and a prospect to the Padres for fellow third baseman Chase Headley. Headley's current and future salary levels are likely too high for the Royals, says Dutton, whereas Moustakas will likely not hit arbitration until 2015.
  • The Mariners, like the Royals, hope to join the contending ranks in the immediate future. As Dave Cameron writes for U.S.S. Mariner, the team's efforts should be aided by an increased payroll supported by increased television revenues. The team had an opt out clause in its broadcast licensing deal with ROOT Sports. Instead of simply negotiating another licensing arrangement, the Mariners bought a majority stake in ROOT. The club's ownership of its own regional sports network will allow it effectively to shield TV dollars from MLB's revenue sharing arrangement.
  • While next year's free agent market may not present as good a buying opportunity for the M's as in years past, Cameron explores how revenue imbalance will still make its mark. MLB may not permit large cash transfers in trades, but Cameron says that creative extend-and-trade scenarios could effectively allow large revenue clubs to flex their economic muscles.
  • The Doug Fister trade may have brought controllable, younger players to Seattle at the time it was completed, but Larry Stone of the Seattle Times agrees with MLBTR's Steve Adams that the deal went sour for the Mariners and GM Jack Zduriencik. Ultimately, while there is still some potential upside to be realized by the M's, it seems likely that the Tigers will remain the winners of that swap.
  • Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, who brought the now-29-year-old Fister to Detroit, commented today on the contract that brought former closer Jose Valverde back in the organization's fold. According to MLB.com's Jason Beck, Dombrowski said that the opt out clause in Valverde's deal can be exercised on May 8. The original date was May 5, as originally reported, but it was moved back due to delays in getting Valverde to extended spring training. The team appears to be in no rush to decide whether to elevate Valverde to the big league club.

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