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Archives for August 2013

Quick Hits: Declining Prospects, Waivers, Phillies, Valdespin

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In his latest Insider-only piece for ESPN, Keith Law examines some of the prospects whose stock has fallen this season due to poor performance and diminished tools. Cleveland's Trevor Bauer and Kansas City's Bubba Starling are the first mentioned on Law's list of eight. Here's more from around the league…

  • Rangers general manager Jon Daniels appeared on the Inside Pitch show with MLB Network Radio's Jim Bowden today and told him that teams are waiting longer to place players on waivers in August in recent years. Teams are waiting for there to be fewer buyers before attempting to sneak players through waivers, he elaborated (Twitter links).
  • The bullpen will once again be an area of focus for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. this offseason, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Gelb examines the struggles the Phillies have had in developing relievers, noting that Ryan Madson and Antonio Bastardo have been the only two reliable bullpen arms developed in-house by the Phils over the past decade.
  • The Mets have given no consideration to releasing troubled utility man Jordany Valdespin in light of his 50-game suspension and recent temper issues, GM Sandy Alderson told MLB.com's Anthony DiComo (Twitter link).
  • Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic spoke with new Diamondbacks reliever Matt Stites about his inclusion in last week's Ian Kennedy trade. Stites is likely done for the season after an emergency appendectomy, but the Snakes have high hopes that he will be a big factor in their bullpen for years to come, writes Piecoro.

International Notes: Devers, Encarnacion, Ruiz

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While most of the top international prospects from this year's July 2 crop have signed, a few notables remain unsigned. Here's the latest on some of Latin America's top prospects, courtesy of Baseball America's Ben Badler…

  • The Red Sox are expected to officially sign No. 3 international prospect Rafael Devers on Friday, Badler tweets. Boston reportedly reached a $1.5MM agreement with the Dominican third baseman back on July 2.
  • Badler also tweets that No. 4 international prospect Luis Encarnacion turns 16 on Friday, at which point he will be eligible to sign. Badler adds that he will be "shocked" if the Phillies don't sign the power-hitting third baseman.
  • One more from Badler, who writes that 19-year-old Cuban right-hander Norge Ruiz has cemented himself as a rising star in the eyes of scouts (subscription required). He's just 5'10" and 170 pounds, but Ruiz worked at 89-94 mph and flashed terrific command of two plus breaking pitches against the U.S. College national team last month.

Tommy Hanson Joins The Legacy Agency

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Angels right-hander Tommy Hanson has changed agents and is now represented by Greg Genske of The Legacy Agency, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Hanson had previously been represented by Scott Boras.

The 26-year-old Hanson was acquried by the Halos this offseason in a one-for-one swap that sent Jordan Walden to the Braves. A one-time top prospect who posted a 3.28 ERA through his first three Major League seasons, Hanson has seen his velocity and strikeout rates decline sharply, and his command has worsened as well. He's battled a forearm injury this season and has also spent time on the DL with back and shoulder injuries dating back to 2011.

Hanson has a 5.29 ERA with 7.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 34 percent ground-ball rate in just 63 innings in his first season with the Angels. He's earning $3.73MM in 2013 and is controlled through the 2015 season via arbitration.

By switching to The Legacy Agency, Hanson joins an agency that represents many notable Major Leaguers, including Carl Crawford, Adam Dunn, Edwin Jackson, Aaron Hill, Jose Reyes and many more. For additional agency info on nearly 1,900 Major League and Minor League players, check out MLBTR's Agency Database. If you see any omissions or errors within the database, please email us at mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Giants Back Off On Lilly

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5:44pm: Upon reviewing Lilly's medical history, the Giants decided to hold off on pursuing a minor league contract at this time, MLBTR has learned.  As we had mentioned earlier, his agreement had been pending a physical.

1:45pm: The Giants have signed lefty Ted Lilly, reports Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish.  MLBTR has confirmed the minor league deal, which is pending a physical.  Lilly, 37, was designated for assignment by the Dodgers last month and released a few days ago.  The Dodgers are on the hook for the remaining $3.7MM or so on his contract, less the prorated portion of the league minimum of Lilly returns to the Majors with San Francisco.  Lilly is represented by Larry O'Brien of Full Circle Sports Management.

Lilly joined the Dodgers from the Cubs at the 2010 trade deadline.  In October that year, he signed a below-market three-year, $33MM deal in lieu of exploring free agency again.  He was solid in 2011, but missed most of 2012 due to shoulder pain, culminating in September surgery.  This April, the Dodgers faced a rotation surplus after signing Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu, and got into a standoff with Lilly when he refused a minor league assignment.  Lilly eventually made a couple of starts that month when Chris Capuano went down, but went on to have separate DL stints for rib cage and neck injuries prior to his release.

The Giants make sense for Lilly in that he's a California native, though with Ryan Vogelsong slated to come off the DL Friday, the Giants don't appear to have a rotation spot for the southpaw unless they trade Tim Lincecum or move Chad Gaudin or Barry Zito to the bullpen.  A relief role is also possible for Lilly, however.

AL West Notes: Wilhelmsen, Smoak, Green, Rangers

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Earlier today, the Mariners released Jason Bay after the outfielder hit .204/.298/.393 in 68 games for the club. Meanwhile, the Rangers announced that Colby Lewis will undergo hip surgery that will end his 2013 season. Here's more out of the AL West…

  • The Mariners recently demoted struggling closer Tom Wilhelmsen to Triple-A Tacoma, and MLB.com's Greg Johns tweets that the team is going to experiment with him as a starter. Seattle isn't officially announcing that Wilhelmsen will convert to a starting role at this time, but he did start for Tacoma today with unsuccessful results. Wilhelmsen allowed three runs on three hits (two homers) with four strikeouts in two innings.
  • Justin Smoak's turnaround has transformed him from one of the Mariners' problems to part of the solution, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. The Mariners still have plenty of decisions on their hands this offseason to produce a winning season, however, he adds.
  • The Angels have called up infielder Grant Green in place of Daniel Stange and inserted him into the lineup, tweets Angels director of communications Eric Kay. Green, a former first-round pick, was acquired from the Athletics for Alberto Callaspo last week in a rare intra-division trade.
  • In an appearance with Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio, Rangers GM Jon Daniels shot down previous reports that the team was willing to trade Matt Garza for a bat. He also said reports that the team wouldn't welcome Nelson Cruz back in 2014 after accepting his 50-game suspension were inaccurate (Twitter links).

Colby Lewis Out For Season; Rangers Want Him Back In 2014

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Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis will undergo surgery to remove bone spurs from his hip that have hampered him for multiple seasons, general manager Jon Daniels told reporters (including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) via conference call today.

Daniels said that he would "absolutely" like to have Lewis back with the Rangers in 2014. Lewis told the group that he wants to pitch next season, and the torn flexor tendon in his right arm that's kept him off the field since last July has healed completely.

The 34-year-old Lewis revived what looked to be a lost career with a pair of stellar seasons in Japan from 2008-09. He signed a two-year, $5MM contract with a $3.25MM option that proved to be a tremendous bargain for the Rangers. Following last year's season-ending injury, Texas signed him a to a one-year, $2MM extension that clearly didn't pay off, as Lewis hasn't thrown a pitch at the Major League level in 2013.

In 506 1/3 innings for the Rangers from 2010-12, Lewis pitched to a 3.93 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. He had issues with the long ball in that time, as his 35 homers allowed in 2011 were the most in the American League. I'd imagine that the ceiling for Lewis on the upcoming free agent market would be a similarly small guarantee to the one he received for 2013 and plenty of incentives, but he could have to settle for a minor league deal as well.

Mariners Release Jason Bay

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AUGUST 6th: The Mariners announced they have released Bay.  Bay joins the list of current free agents, which can be found here.

JULY 29th: The Mariners announced that they have designated Jason Bay for assignment.  In a related move, outfielder Mike Morse was activated from his rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Tacoma and activated from the 15-day disabled list.

Bay, 34, appeared in 68 games with Seattle this season, slashing .204/.298/.393 with eleven home runs.  The veteran was signed by Seattle to a non-guaranteed deal back in December.  Seattle now has ten days to trade, release, or outright the contract of Bay to the minors.

The Mariners took a low-risk gamble on Bay this offseason in the hopes he could be a useful bench bat following three injury-plagued seasons with the Mets.  For his career, Bay owns a .266/.360/.481 slash line across eleven seasons with the Pirates, Red Sox, Mets, and Mariners.

Cardinals Will Discuss Return With Chris Carpenter

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Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter was hoping to pitch again in 2013, but he is no longer optimistic about his chances of that happening.  If he decides to make a go of it in 2014, Cards GM John Mozeliak says he'll discuss a fresh contract with Carpenter, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“I think right now he’s trying to get his head around does he want to try to do something next year?” Mozeliak said. “Clearly his tenure with St. Louis would require a discussion on how that might look. I think right now we have to determine where he is physically and what that might look like two, three, four months from now and if he’s going to try and make a comeback. He’s meant a lot to us. I think he deserves that type of respect and conversation.”

The 38-year-old hasn't been able to throw since struggling during a Triple-A rehab assignment and he doesn't have any plans to throw again in the near future because of nerve trouble in his right shoulder.  The right-hander, who is making $10.5MM this season, has a career 3.76 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.

August Trade Candidates: Relievers

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It's still possible to trade for relief help in August, as we've seen Matt Lindstrom, Jose Mijares, Pat Neshek, and Mike Gonzalez moved in the last few years.  Some trade candidates to consider this month, listed by team:

Keep in mind that availability varies by player – the Padres may not be open to moving Street, even though he could clear waivers.  Relievers who are under control cheaply beyond this year stand a good chance of being pulled back if claimed.  Papelbon, the biggest name here, would clear waivers but would prove difficult to trade.  I haven't listed relievers from the Yankees or Nationals in this post, but if those teams slip further, they could be willing to make a few deals later this month.

2014 Free Agent Power Rankings

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The MLB season is about 69% over, and it's time for another round of 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings.  Our previous installment was published July 11th.  You can check out our full list of free agents here.

1.  Robinson Cano.  Cano's spot atop this list remains secure.  Surely his agents will attempt to dismiss Dustin Pedroia's recent eight-year, $110MM extension as a team-friendly pact that was not signed on the open market.

2.  Jacoby Ellsbury.  "Jacoby Ellsbury is a very durable player," spun agent Scott Boras at last month's All-Star Game, adding, "He just has to make sure that people don’t run into him."  The 29-year-old missed significant portions of the 2010 and 2012 seasons, which won't easily be shrugged off by potential suitors even if they believe Boras has a point.  Boras went on to praise Ellsbury, saying, "The reality of it is you’re going to pay him for the melding of his power, but what you’re really paying him for is the ability to score runs and the ability to get on base and the ability to provide up-the-middle defense."

3.  Brian McCann.  McCann jumps up a spot on this list, as his .528 slugging percentage (seventh in the NL) establishes him as the top power bat on the free agent market who won't require $100MM+.  Plus, he won't turn 30 until February and can handle catching duties.

4.  Matt Garza.  Garza, 29, moves up a spot on the list.  He's posted a 3.09 ERA in 14 starts this year, and has averaged over seven innings per start since the Cubs let him loose in late May following a long layoff for injuries.  But the main reason he gains a spot is the July 22nd trade to the Rangers, establishing him as the best available free agent who is not eligible for a qualifying offer.  There's real value in that.

5.  Shin-Soo Choo.  Choo drops a few spots in the list, though he hasn't done anything wrong.  In fact, his .416 on-base percentage dwarfs that of the next free agent, with Cano checking in at .371.

6.  Hiroki Kuroda.  With a 2.38 ERA, Kuroda ranks second in the American League behind Felix Hernandez.  The 38-year-old is unlikely to maintain a .255 batting average on balls in play moving forward, but his excellence cannot be denied.  

7.  Ervin Santana.  Santana has positioned himself for the second-largest free agent contract given to a starting pitcher.  Unlike Garza, however, Santana is likely to require draft pick compensation if he reaches the open market.  The 30-year-old sports a 2.97 ERA in 151 1/3 innings, which is partially backed up by the best strikeout and walk rates since his stellar '08 campaign.  One major change since then: Santana has a career-best 47.4% groundball rate.

8.  Carlos Beltran.  The 36-year-old Beltran has a 5.1% walk rate this year, which would be his lowest for any full season.  Nonetheless, he's still a middle of the order bat in a market light on them.  The Cardinals could complicate his situation by making a qualifying offer.

9.  A.J. Burnett.  Burnett might be the NL's version of Kuroda, as he ranks eighth in the league in ERA at 2.73 and turns 37 in January.  Burnett should also have a limited market, as he said in March, "If I was to keep playing, I wouldn't want it to be anywhere else but Pittsburgh."

10.  Chase Utley.  Utley, 34, climbs back onto this list and gets an edge over other bats becaues he plays second base.  The Phillies declined to trade him last month, instead working to extend him.

Notes on a few other free agents who have occupied spots on the top ten:

  • Hunter Pence has ranked as high as fifth on this list.  While he's a useful bat, he doesn't get on base much and has slugged a modest .438 since 2012.  This year's 3.6 wins above replacement owes much to his fielding and baserunning, which I'm not sure can be counted on for value moving forward.  Throw in a qualifying offer, and you can see why I'm a bit down on Pence as a free agent.
  • Mike Napoli should be able to secure the first multiyear deal of his career given a decent, healthy campaign as a first baseman for Boston.  He has a shot at his sixth consecutive 20 home run season, but I thought he'd have more than 14 bombs at this point.  .253/.341/.449 looks average coming from a first baseman.
  • Josh Johnson looked pretty good in seven starts after coming off the DL in June, enough to get him ranked ninth on the last set of rankings.  The wheels have fallen off since then, however, as he's allowed 25 earned runs in 16 innings spanning four starts.  Johnson is pitching for his rotation spot tonight, and as his ERA climbs toward 7.00, a qualifying offer appears increasingly unlikely even though the Jays are all about draft pick compensation.
  • Nelson Cruz accepted a 50-game suspension yesterday for violation of the Joint Drug Agreement, explaining in a statement that he made "an error in judgment" before Spring Training in 2012.  The Rangers lost a player who ranked fourth in the AL with 27 home runs, but Cruz's teammates are supportive and would welcome him back if they make the playoffs.  Cruz may have pulled off a best case scenario: he'll sign his next contract with a clean slate, and his reputation isn't taking much of a hit for abandoning his teammates.  He's left ACES for Wasserman Media Group and hopes to finish his career with the Rangers, though someone with the club seems to have anonymously told Bob Nightengale it would be difficult to re-sign him.  In November, the Rangers will have to decide whether to make Cruz a qualifying offer. 
  • Tim Lincecum has had his ups and downs since our last set of rankings, tossing a 148-pitch no-hitter on July 13th, posting his worst start of the year in his next outing nine days later, and then bouncing back with a pair of strong starts.  The sum total seems to be a pitcher not all that different from 2011, and perhaps capable of a 3.50 ERA when the dust settles despite his current 4.43 mark.  Projecting his next contract remains difficult – does he go for the biggest possible score, or a short-term deal to boost his value?

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