Steve Cishek’s name has begun appearing in trade talks, suggesting that the Marlins could be sellers, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports writes. Another Marlins reliever, Mike Dunn, might also be a trade possibility, although the Marlins still do not want to trade Giancarlo Stanton. The Marlins had hoped to add talent at the deadline, but they’re now at 45-52 and would have a tough swim against the current to make it to the playoffs. Cishek, a proven closer who’s making just $3.8MM this year, would be a very desirable trade target. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.
- The Competitive Balance Lottery will take place in New York on Wednesday, MLB.com’s Jim Callis notes. Thanks to their market size and/or revenue pools, the Athletics, Brewers, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Indians, Marlins, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rays, Reds, Rockies and Royals will each be in the running for one of six 2015 supplemental first-round picks. The Mariners, Twins and teams from the above list that miss on a first-rounder will each vie for one of six supplemental second-round picks. Callis notes that these picks are especially valuable under the current draft system, since each supplemental pick adds money to the pool from which a team is allowed to spend on picks from the first ten rounds of the draft. Teams are also allowed to trade competitive balance picks.
- After missing two months with an elbow injury, Cliff Lee will rejoin the Phillies’ rotation on Monday , giving interested teams a couple chances to watch him before the trade deadline, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. Given his contract, Castrovince notes, Lee will need to pitch very well in order to be much of a trade asset. There’s also the chance Lee could be traded in August.
- The Blue Jays could consider the Phillies’ Kyle Kendrick if they aren’t able to make a higher-profile trade, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury writes. A Jays scout watched Kendrick as he struggled in his start against the Braves on Sunday. It’s unclear what sort of return Kendrick might fetch — he has struggled this season, posting a 4.87 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 125 2/3 innings. Kendrick is eligible for free agency after the season.
Give me a break. NOBODY wants Kendrick, nor should they.
Except for Ruben who plans on giving him a 3 year extension with a vesting option after the season ends.
Kyle Kendrick has a 5.38 ERA over the last calendar year(heading into today’s game which saw it get worse BTW) that’s 30 starts over that stretch. No other pitcher in baseball with at least 30 starts over the last calendar year has a worse ERA.
That’s only because Pelfrey has been injured!
sadly this made me cry in fear knowing this actually is a possibility
The competitive balance picks need to go. Half these teams are playoff teams. The A’s are the best team in baseball. The Orioles are in first place. The Cardinals are perennial contenders. This may have made sense when the free agent market was flooded with talent but it’s not anymore. Getting the roids out and the smaller market teams locking up their talent until they approach 30 has changed everything. I hope they get rid of this in next collective bargaining agreement.
They also need to be like the nba and have the bottom 10 teams go through a lottery for the draft order. That would keep teams like the Astro’s and Cubs from losing on purpose in order to get a higher pick. Also need to lower the dollar amount allowed for the draft pool for the first few picks to also discourage teams from losing on purpose. Losing on purpose threatens the integrity of the game.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who feels this way. I think the revenue sharing and the luxury tax has gone a long way in leveling the playing field in terms of smaller market teams being able to lock up their home grown talent and go out and be able to afford help financially at the trade deadline. The extra draft picks just seem to be a tool to serve a personal vendetta of Selig’s (who should be out of a job–hello? How many PED scandals under his administration?) against the big market teams, namely, the Yankees.
It’s going to be interesting to see the Yankees and Blue Jays bidding against each other for Cliff Lee, both teams are really in a desperate position. This being the Blue Jays first real shot at the post season in awhile and the Yankees missing 4/5ths (?) of their rotation.
I’m going to be curious to see who ends up scouting tomorrow’s game as those are the only two teams that have been linked to him so far. The Cardinals would be a good fit but they seem to be more interested in Price.
From a return standpoint, I want the Blue Jays to trade for Cliff. I’d ask for Dalton Pompey and Daniel Norris (probably no way we get both – even if we pay almost all his salary). Settle for one of those guys (Pompey is my choice, Norris seems more likely), plus another top 10 (organizational) prospect. Maybe add some cash and JMJ to the deal to get an “outside the top 20” prospect.
From what was reported the other day the Blue Jays don’t have much financial flexibility. To get Lee and have the Phillies take on substantial money it will probably take Norris, Pompey and a mid-level guy like Matt Dean.
Yea, I saw that. I’m not sure how much I believe the only MLB team in Canada is cash-strapped (especially when you hear some of the Jays fans talk about their ownership). I feel like that’s AA hedging some bets, in case he can’t land anybody he wants at the deadline – or has to “settle” for someone of lesser quality. If we could offer them salary relief in terms of taking players back who eat too much salary – I’d say do it. But they really don’t have players not contributing making exorbitant salaries. Brandon Morrow (who I think is hurt) and J.A. Happ are their two highest “non-contributors” on payroll, combining for $13 M this season (both have team options for next year – Morrow has a $1 M buyout).
If we could do:
Lee, JMJ, $15 M for Norris, Pompey, Morrow, Happ and some mid-lower level guy, I’d be all over that.
I’d do that deal as well.
Sadly, I don’t think AA or Jays fans would.
I’m not sure if Lee’s NTC covers the Blue Jays. If it does, I have doubts that he’d waive it to go there. Besides the high tax rate, he hasn’t fared to well at Rogers Center with an ERA well over 5 in 8 starts (49 innings) and 11 HR allowed.
Honestly, I think he’s out to get the ring. He’ll go wherever he think the team gives him the best chance. A’s, Dodgers almost certainly won’t trade for him. Angels have basically said they’re done making moves. Tigers probably feel secure on pitching. It doesn’t seem like a “Card’s move”. Giants probably feel pretty set. So that leaves the AL East (Jays, O’s, and Yankees – who probably still think they’re in it) and maybe the Mariners. Of those, if I had to pick one that I thought had the best “short term” chance (over the life of his contract), I’d go with the Jays.
I agree he’s out for the ring. He might say yes to Toronto if they agree on a trade. Might have to guarantee his ’16 option, which could complicate things.
If he’d want his 2016 salary guaranteed, I’d say throw in another few million (somewhere in the $5-10 M range, to go with the $5 M I already had set aside for the buyout). Toronto only has 1 guy guaranteed in 2016 (with like 6 team options matching their 2015 salaries).
The Giants prospects are having bad years. The Giants don’t have much in the way of prospects to trade. It may be the wrong year to get top prospects.
Unless the Phillies are picking up 90 percent of Lee’s remaining salary, they aren’t going to be getting Norris or Pompey. For Hamels, maybe, for Lee, not a chance. Happ, Morrow and a lower prospect maybe for Lee and another player, but unless Hamels is being traded, Phillies fans are dreaming about 3 top 10 prospects.
I think if they picked up even half his salary, they would get one of them, and probably another mid-tier prospect. Your counter-proposal is not really realistic; Morrow and Happ’s values are at all-time lows and their age doesn’t make sense for the Phillies. I’d say the Phillies taking that deal is even less likely than the Jays giving up both Pompey and Norris.
As much as Pompey is coveted and rumored to be involved in Jays deals this year, I don’t know if AA has any intention of trading away a kid from Toronto. I think your deal is close though; I could see Norris, Morrow, and a mid-level prospect for Lee, JMJ, and $10m.
competitive balance lottery should be for the top 10 worse teams and hand out 5 supplemental first round picks. while only 3 teams get a second round supplemental pick.
The Blue Jays don’t need Kendrick. We have enough pitchers who can give up big innings. We don’t need another one. The Jays need a top of the rotation guy, not another 4 or 5. The Jays are better off sticking with what they have than adding Kendrick
Miami is the #8 Metro Area in the US, Phoenix #12, San Diego #17, St. Louis #19 (and one of MLB’s top draws), Baltimore #20 & Denver #21. How are they in the competitive balance lottery? Is MLB rewarding incompetence?
Revenue Pool.
Take a look at the Nielsen rankings for DMA. Those TV market areas are what determine a teams revenue, not population.
Easy for me to say because I’m a Yankee fan, but the Competitive Balance Lottery is just another way that the system distorts the distribution of players, and, I would argue, drives free agent prices even higher. When you start looking at every little way MLB tries to hold down salaries and create more parity, you can see how certain teams have far more access to high draft picks, in quantity, than others. I’d rather see a straight NFL-style draft without all these other entry points. As Doug points out below, a number of the teams in the lottery are in large metro areas. The Orioles and Cardinals are spending over $100M this year. This is irrational.
Do you want to see a salary cap like they have in the NFL? And large metro areas doesnt equal a large media market. The size of the media market is what creates most of the revenue for teams.
Lee could be a steal. His injury this year combined with high salary and on the wrong side of 30 could make Amaro sell for way less than he wants to just to dump the salary.
Even though the jays have one of the richest owners in baseball in Rogers media. They are penny pinchers. If the jays had payroll flexibility they would of snagged Brandon McCarthy of waivers but they didn’t. It’s been reported that aa has to make salary nuetral trades and this makes his job almost impossible
To be fair the Jays have a 132 MM dollar payroll, larger than the division leading Orioles. The Jays have the 10th highest payroll in the MLB despite have only the 18th highest revenue.
“Tough swim against the current.” I see what you did there…