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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Peralta, Abreu, O’s, A’s

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On this date in 1998, Sammy Sosa hit his first career grand slam, establishing the mark for most career homers before hitting a grand slam.  Sosa belted 246 career home runs before notching his first grand slam.  Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..

Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.

Red Sox Shopping Andrew Miller; Pirates, Braves Interested

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The Red Sox are willing to move southpaw reliever Andrew Miller in a trade, according to multiple reports. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) says that Boston is shopping the lefty, adding that the Pirates have been scouting the club for weeks and have interest in Miller. Likewise, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears (Twitter link) that Miller is available and reiterates that the Braves are still on him, with Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reporting that Miller is Atlanta’s “prime bullpen target.”

Miller, 29, could well be the most impactful late-inning lefty available, as I noted yesterday in a breakdown of the left-handed relief market. He owns stellar peripherals (14.5 K/9 vs. 2.8 BB/9, 51.9% groundball rate) to go along with excellent results (2.31 ERA). Unsurprisingly, ERA estimators are also a fan: Miller sports a 1.77 FIP, 1.82 xFIP, and 1.47 SIERA.

This is undoubtedly Miller’s finest season, as he has only once sported an ERA of below three earned per nine (last year) and struggled earlier in his career, when he was use a starter. But his results have steadily improved since he shifted to the pen, and Miller has plenty of value to a contending team that does not want to take on long-term commitments. He is earning just $1.9MM this year and will hit the open market following the end of the season.

Rusney Castillo Impresses In Showcase

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Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo put on a showcase yesterday that was ultimately said to be watched by scouts from 28 of the league’s 30 clubs, according to Walter Villa of Baseball America, who provides a robust account of the day.

While scouts offered slightly differing takes, as might be expected, the workout did little to dampen the growing hype surrounding Castillo. At the dish, Castillo showed surprising power and swung well against live pitching from Nate Carter (a D-II closer). His speed rated as anywhere from very good to outstanding and he showed an average big league arm from the outfield (“his weakest tool,” according to one scout). Though Castillo looked promising enough at short, Villa says that his future still seems to lie in the outfield, where he may be capable of manning center.

All in all, Castillo seems to have left the impression that he is a major league talent. It remains to be seen how his market will develop, but Ken Davidoff of the New York Post notes that the Yankees had four sets of eyes in the stands, with the Red Sox sending five. Agent Brodie Van Wagenen said that he believes “a lot of teams may view [Castillo] as a trade-deadline-type acquisition, and that he could be playing in a pennant race in September.”

Given the 27-year-old’s wide potential market, and the fact that he might be a contributor for a contender, the bidding will be fascinating to watch. One scout tells Davidoff that he thinks Castillo will land between $25MM and $35MM, while another said that he could reach Yasiel Puig territory ($42MM), even if he is not viewed as that level of talent.

Yankees Looking At Josh Willingham, Other Bats

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The Yankees are “looking at” Twins outfielder Josh Willingham, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The club is also eyeing several other possible additions that would bolster the lineup.

GM Brian Cashman said recently that the team sees adding offense as the first priority. Heyman explains that, while the rotation is an obvious need, the club never intended for Ichiro Suzuki to play everyday and may be looking for depth given Carlos Beltran’s struggles with injury.

Willingham may hold more appeal to New York than other corner outfield bats like Marlon Byrd of the Phillies and Alex Rios of the Rangers, says Heyman, because he is cheaper now and does not come with future commitments. The latter two players, however, have not been ruled out by New York as targets.

Of course, the 35-year-old Twin also figures to be available for a lesser prospect return. Coming off a tough 2013, he was out early with a fractured wrist. He has, however, been productive upon his return. While is batting average is just .215, he has slugged .420 (with ten home runs) and reached base at a .357 clip through 227 plate appearances.

Blue Jays Designate Esmil Rogers For Assignment

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The Blue Jays have designated reliever Esmil Rogers for assignment, reports John Lott of the National Post (via Twitter). In a corresponding move, the team has activated Nolan Reimold from the DL.

This is now the second time this year that Rogers has found himself in DFA limbo; the last time he was outrighted to Triple-A. Since being added back to the roster on Tuesday, Rogers did not make an appearance, leaving his major league ERA at its previous 6.97 mark. He had been more successful in the upper minors, throwing to a 3.14 ERA in 48 2/3 Triple-A innings (including seven starts).

Red Sox Notes: Lester, Gomes, Pirates, Henry, Carp

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Here’s the latest out of Fenway:

  • Boston has fielded interest in Jon Lester from the Dodgers, reports Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. The sides have not made much headway, however. Los Angeles has long been said to be chasing another starter, and appear to have the kind of top-end prospects that would greatly entice the Sox (if they are willing to part with them).
  • The Royals have watched outfielder Jonny Gomes all week as they look for a right-handed hitting corner outfield bat, says Edes. Meanwhile, as Edes reports in another piece, the Pirates are among the clubs taking a close look at the Boston pen. As he notes, and as our trade market pieces (righties; lefties) reflect, Boston has many potentially available arms.
  • The Red Sox are taking a pragmatic approach at the deadline, principal owner John Henry tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. “Deals are always driven by value,” said Henry. “The value of this season is quickly declining in comparison to next year and beyond.” Henry said that the club’s poor offense has been “painfully evident,” noting that, “even running the bases, as measured by external stat geeks, we’ve been the worst in the league.” Though GM Ben Cherington advised Henry before the All-Star break that the club was still likely the best in the division, in spite of its poor record, the front office began preparing then for the possibility of hitting the trade deadline without a realistic shot at contention.
  • Mike Carp explained (and confirmed) his reported request for a trade, as WEEI.com’s Alex Speier reports. Though his batting line has been poor, his playing time has also been rather sporadic. “It hasn’t been a shocker. I’ve been very blatant where I stand from the get-go about it,” Carp explained. “I need the opportunity to play. I need the opportunity to get some at-bats. There really hasn’t been an attempt made here and I just feel like there would be a better situation at this point.”
  • In assessing whether to deal Lester, the Red Sox should take heed of the Yankees’ decision not to trade Robinson Cano last year, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The situations bear many similarities, Sherman, explains, and it would be a mistake for Boston to let one of its homegrown core players leave with only a compensatory draft pick to show for it. Lester’s could bring back quite a nice haul, leading Sherman to suggest the club ought to deal him unless it is determined to re-sign or extend him. In a similar vein, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opined yesterday that dealing Lester makes eminent sense if the team is not committed to bringing him back.
  • Trading Lester, I would suggest, could make it somewhat more palatable to later sign him to a market-rate contract. If he could bring back a legitimate prospect haul that has some promise of near-term big league impact, it would not only increase the value of paying for a top-end arm but would offset to some extent the expected negative value of the later years of a hypothetical Lester contract. In some ways, that could be the best scenario for all involved, and Lester has said he is amenable to re-signing if he is dealt. It is certainly true that such an option sometimes appears more achievable than it may truly be, and anything can happen once a team moves a player off its roster. But perhaps that is something to keep an eye on in Lester’s case.

Quick Hits: Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Astros

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Brewers GM Doug Melvin says he’s “been pretty aggressive as far as contacting teams,” but the trade front remains quiet, per Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel. Melvin reportedly checked in on right-handed setup men, but found the market lacking. According to Melvin, two players who surprisingly may not be dealt are LaTroy Hawkins and Chad Qualls.

  • The Angels were active early and often in this season’s trade market, and GM Jerry Dipoto thinks the club is ready to stand pat, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Per Dipoto, “We really like our team. The likelihood is that we’ll do nothing, but we will stay in touch.”
  • With rumors swirling, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti thinks a trade for an elite pitcher is “unlikely,” writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Colletti is loath to part with any of his top prospects, including Joc Pederson, Corey Seager, and Julio Urias. In discussing Pederson, Colletti notes that he isn’t ready to contribute to a pennant race. Hitting southpaws and trimming his strikeout rate top Pederson’s to-do list.
  • The Astros have a handful of relievers to market this July, including Qualls, Josh Fields, and Tony Sipp. The Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich reports that the trio of relievers continue to draw plenty of offers. It’s interesting to see this juxtaposed with Melvin’s expectations that the Astros intend to keep Qualls.

Red Sox Notes: Webster, Cherington, Lester, Relievers

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The Red Sox have enviable pitching depth in the minors, writes Alex Speier of WEEI. In addition to Rubby de la Rosa, who is already with the club, Brandon Workman, Steven Wright, and Anthony Ranaudo could all be viewed as viable candidates to fill Jake Peavy’s spot in the rotation. But the Sox will turn to yet another option tomorrow against the Rays – Allen Webster.

  • GM Ben Cherington told reporters, including Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, that the club “would listen to what teams are looking to do.” Said Cherington, “anything we do between now and Thursday afternoon will be with a mind toward building as quickly as possible for April of 2015.”
  • Boston should take advantage of a seller’s market and deal Lester, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. If the club is hesitant about extending Lester – and they appear to be – then the Sox will get a lot more back via trade than they would with a qualifying offer. As Rosenthal notes, the club may qualify for a protected pick, and Lester has left the door open for re-signing even if he’s dealt. Cherington did say they want Lester in the 2015 rotation, according to Speier (twitter link).
  • The Pirates are among the clubs scouting Red Sox relievers, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. All seven Sox relievers have been mentioned as trade candidates, so it’s difficult to guess which player(s) most interest the Pirates.

NL West Notes: Towers, Giants, Evans, Kemp, Tulowitzki

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The Padres have not yet asked the Diamondbacks if they can speak with GM Kevin Towers, according to two tweets from Scott Miller of Bleacher Report (tweet one, tweet two). The Padres aren’t considering Towers as a GM candidate for their own opening. Rather, they think he can be an asset as a veteran talent evaluator. Towers is on the hot seat in Phoenix, and the Diamondbacks would allow the Padres to speak with him if they asked.

  • The Padres acquisition of Jose Rondon and Taylor Lindsey in the Huston Street trade was a critical step to strengthen the club’s middle infield depth, writes Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The pair join Jace Peterson, Cory Spangenberg, and first round pick Trea Turner to address a former weakness of the system.
  • Since the Giants are only paying Jake Peavy about $2MM over the remainder of the season, they have the financial flexibility to add another player via trade, tweets Alex Pavlovic of the Mercury News. However, GM Brian Sabean says there aren’t enough players on the market right now.
  • Updating an earlier post, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports Nick Evans remains with the Diamondbacks. MLBTR reported earlier that Evans had signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Talks have occurred according to Evans, but nothing is official.
  • The Dodgers are shopping Matt Kemp, says Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. He adds that five teams “have shown interest, or at least talked to the Dodgers.” While Kemp has received frequent playing time, other issues have boiled to the surface between club and player. Included among those is a less than “smooth” relationship with the field staff. Rival executives have heard of the same problem, which could affect his trade value. Kemp’s contract, with $117MM remaining, could also impede a deal.
  • In addition to Kemp, the Dodgers are focused on finding relievers to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN. The Dodgers have a plethora of former closers setting up Kenley Jansen, but they’ve been less than stellar.
  • Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (note the “t”) does not currently have a no trade clause, learned Thomas Harding of MLB.com. If he’s traded, he’ll be owed an additional $2MM bonus from his new club and a no trade clause would then go into effect. Tulo is owed another $104MM over the next five season excluding escalators and incentives.

NL East Notes: Mets Plan, Nats Targets, Byrd

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Jayson Stark discussed some of the best run organizations in an audio interview with Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog. Stark makes special note of the A’s, Rays, Tigers, and Cubs as tightly run organizations with a coherent, “nimble” plan. Stark and Cerrone then touched on the Mets plan, noting the excellent pitching depth in the organization. Rival scouts like the Mets future outlook according to Stark, but they may need to trade some of their pitching depth for position players.

  • In an interview with Bill Ladson of MLB.com, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo was circumspect when describing the club’s needs heading into the trade deadline. Based on Rizzo’s comments, the club is happy with its current depth, even with Ryan Zimmerman suffering from a hamstring injury. The bullpen was also discussed, which Rizzo described as “pretty good…solid.”
  • In a separate piece, Ladson reveals that the Nationals inquired after Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre but were rebuffed. Combining the two reports, it seems as though the Nationals would like to acquire an elite talent but aren’t overly anxious to add patches.
  • There’s definitely a market for Marlon Byrd, but his contract could get in the way, notes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. While the Phillies are obvious sellers, their assets all have some sort of contractual complication. Byrd would like his 2016 option picked up for a trade to the Mariners or Royals – two teams on his no trade list. Heyman also mentions Ryan Howard, Cliff Lee, and Jimmy Rollins as other Phillies with contractual barriers, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

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