Homer Bailey is due to become a free agent after the season, but the Reds are telling other teams that they don't want to trade him, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports (via Twitter). The Reds are worried about their depth in starting pitching, and Heyman notes that the return of Bronson Arroyo might be able to help them. Heyman also tweets that the Reds are one of the finalists for Arroyo, along with the Twins and two other teams. Here are more notes from around the National League.
- The Braves are not interested in Arroyo, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. They would prefer a starting pitcher with better stuff, O'Brien says.
- One player the Braves do like is sidearmer Luis Vasquez, who they recently signed to a minor-league contract, O'Brien writes. "He’s [Peter] Moylan plus five miles an hour," says GM Frank Wren. "Moylan at his best was probably 92, and this is 94, 97 routinely. It’s definitely a different look." Vasquez, who will be 28 in April, posted a 2.52 ERA with 11.6 K/9 and 7.1 BB/9 in 35 2/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2013. Clearly, he'll have to improve his control to make an impact in the Majors.
- The Giants had interest in Omar Infante, FOX Sports' Jon Morosi tweets. Somewhat surprisingly, they were interested in using him as a left fielder in 2014, before eventually moving him to third base. Infante today agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Royals to be their second baseman.
- The Phillies are neither rebuilding nor contending, and their plan is unclear, argues Matt Gelb of the Inquirer. Since late July, for example, the Phillies have spent $69MM signing or re-signing aging veterans Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Marlon Byrd, and yet they are trying to trade veteran closer Jonathan Papelbon. Meanwhile, Gelb argues, they agreed to sign Roberto Hernandez because they hadn't developed enough pitching on their own.
Before the Braves-bashing starts I would like to make sure that everyone knows that Dave O’Brien has quite a history of writing questionable things taken totally out of context and I have even seen videos of players telling him how they feel. It wouldn’t surprise me if he get confronted about that comment.
Interesting that the Giants were looking at Infante as a LF sorely for LF in 2014 only to eventually move him to 3rd base. Even more interesting, it sounds like Sandoval could don a different uniform in 2015 had Infante signed and had another good year.
could have also shifted to 2b eventually to replace Scutaro (assuming he had a decline in production in 2014)
I’m terrified to see what sort of payday Pablo is gonna go for.
Gotta love the fact that no one knows what the phillies (Amaro’s) plan(s) is/was.
So frustrating
That’s media hyperbole. Writers aren’t the most reliable or trustworthy source.
No one on these boards knows either. I’m just elaborating on Gelb’s article. Fans, media, and probably the players don’t even know what’s going on with this team.
Not to sound too high and mighty, but do the fans/media really need to know what’s going on with the team?! If the product they (the ownership) put out on the field is something that people are going to go and watch, then (in their minds – and as long as they are getting money from it) it appeases the fans. I think they could care less about what the media thinks.
Amaro doesn’t know what he’s doing.
He’s openly said he doesn’t do a 5 year plan.
The general manager of a professional organization, doesn’t have a 5 year plan.
Unbelievable.
Arroyo is coming back to the Reds, same with Choo.
Arroyo maybe, Choo no way.
Yeah Choo is gone. He wants to much money and the Reds can’t afford him.
maybe Phillips to the Yanks is a possibility now that Infante is gone
I hope you’re right. Just like I hope to hit the Mega Millions this week
Phillies plan is perfectly clear. Trying to stock the system by trading away excess pieces not needed on a average team (re: a “top-flight” closer in Pap – I put “top-flight” in quotes because it’s what he was signed as and may even still be on a contender – and most importantly, what he thinks he is), while signing guys who can hold the fort until the talent they think they have in the minors is ready. You re-sign guys like Utley and Ruiz because it’s the name of the players that will keep the fans coming to the park. If they would have let those two walk/trade them away, and trotted out Cesar Hernandez/Freddy Galvis and Cameron Rupp/Erik Kratz as their starting 2B and C next year, their attendance would have fallen more than it did this year.
In a baseball sense, it makes no sense. From a business/drawing fans to the gate sense, it makes pretty decent sense.
I think they’ve gotta move Lee this off-season. His value decreases with each start he makes in a Phils uniform.
I’m more of the supply and demand theory for top flight starting pitchers (who aren’t in a contract year). While his demand is high right now, it will almost definitely be higher mid-season (assuming he is healthy and doesn’t drop off a cliff – pun intended). I do think he’ll get traded, but I’d rather he’d net us 3-4 quality prospects than 1 great prospect (and 2 pieces of organizational filler). If the organization is going to rebuild, they need to do it so guys are certainly ready to be in the big leagues by end of 2015, start of 2016. If you get guys who are “ready-if-we-hurry-them-through-the-system” ready by that time, they’ll have to go through another year of this.
That’s why I think they should move Lee now, in case he does drop off a cliff. He’s 35 and that’s usually around the time SP start to decline. Assuming he doesn’t decline, it could be hard to move Lee mid-season because you’re often limited to a small number of teams in contention. Teams a year or two away from contending don’t often make deadline moves to benefit them a year or 2 down the line. Also gotta worry about his no trade clause.
If Price isn’t trade, Tanaka doesn’t get posted, and Garza signs with one of the teams who doesn’t “need” that top line starter (although, why he’s being talked about like in ace alludes me), then yea, I’d probably trade Lee now. Because he is then unquestionably the best pitcher on the market, and the Phillies will be able to demand practically what they want. But with Price and Tanaka as still unknown variables, I think it actually hurts what the Phillies can get as a return (the other team could say “fine, I’ll just go with one of those two” which might force the Phillies hand to trade for not his maximum).
All of which is in caveat that the team would have to also afford the contract, as Amaro has stated. That really limits the market.
His market is already limited (he’s got a 21 team no trade list). Lee isn’t out there for everyone. He’s out there for a few specific teams (so if two of the top pitchers aren’t attainable in Price or Tanaka, then his value increases even more).
Go take a look at the net fWAR and career major league gams played of every prospect ever traded in a bulk deal for lee and then let me know if you still prefer a 3-1 type deal.
Oh, I know Lee’s trade history. The team trading him away has never been on the right side of the deal. It’s one of the things that scares me about trading him. It’s like he’s cursed (ever since he was included in that amazing package to get Bartolo Colon for half a year).
I think his value increases right up until the July deadline right before his option kicks in as long as he continues to be the third best starter in baseball, stays healthy, and price and Kershaw and scherzer all end up costing more than him.
What option? He’s signed for 2 more years w/ an option for 2016.
bringing in Marlon Byrd is not bringing fans to the park, it actually is steering them away…
Which is why I didn’t include Byrd or Roberto Hernandez in my list. Those are signing brought about because of a lack of depth ready to play at the MLB level this year.
They would prefer a pitcher with better stuff??? LOL
What’s wrong with that comment? I like Arroyo, but what he’s going to command at his age…..just doesn’t make much sense for the Braves. Especially after they let Hudson walk….
Unless of course you believe that the Braves want a veteran arm for their rotation. If that is the case then Arroyo is the best left available unless you are thinking you want to bring back Maholm. But I think Arroyo is better then him too.
They’d be better off with Garza.
Garza is a better pitcher, when healthy but he has an injury history.
Except that when the SP market breaks fee, the Yanks and several other big market teams are going to be active. Braves really do need someone. They have little depth. Not going after Arroyo is I think a mistake.
His stuff is pretty mediocre.
Arroyo is a command pitcher, with not much stuff.
And it’s been that way since the beginning of his career. Pitching for him is about changing speeds and commanding the strike zone.
He’s valuable because he never misses a start, keeps you in most games, occasionally throws a gem, and does everything else an organization needs a player to do. Works hard, is great with the rest of the pitching staff, great with the fans.
The only concern would be his age. How long he can continue to do this is the unknown.
mrsjohnmiltonrocks
Agree 100%, you don’t need to throw 95 mph to be a good pitcher. IMO Arroyo might pitch into his low 40’s with little issue.
I wouldn’t mind another year of Arroyo as a Red.
choo in left in sf??
morse is apparently their solution for left this year, so i doubt it.
This.
Also, Choo’s asking price is part of what kept him out of priority with SF
i know. i was mainly wishful thinking… but looking around at average top-end OF contracts, he certainly seems far more reliable a risk/reward than most at his price range.
looking at cincy’s payroll, which currently sits around 85 mil, i don’t get why they thought ludwick at 8.5 mil was so much more preferrable to choo at 19 or 20, considering age, consistency, how he fit in so nicely in the lineup, type of hitter, obp, defense, multi-position ability, etc… unless they just deliberately do not intend on contending in the NL central for the foreseeable future.
Yes my comment has some 20/20 point of view, but 7 years Choo $130 vs 1 year 8.5 left of Luddy make perfect sense. While Choo is still under a fat contract and in decline, still struggling to hit lefties, the Reds will be flexible and productive rash with cash and young talent. Love how this team is being run even after an “off” season . .
Good plan Phillies …sounds an awful lot like last year….stick with a winner.
atlanta is the same as always, is in the free agent market and they always the same. this no, this better not, and so we are not going to nowhere
wren must have a winning mentality championship. bj upton if it was a failure to accept ME WRONG
and try to improve. so you want to have 10 prospects in the minors 10 if only 1 or 2 will be good, change friend
PRICE go by, they send a Medlen and 3 of the top prospects in tampa by PRICE. uggla try to switch to the Reds by Phillips. But something that really moves you want to improve display.
Thank you for your poem.
Infante would have been a good fit for the Giants, but not at 4/30m.