In last week’s win over the Orioles, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez officially passed Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time home run list. Of course, his home run record is clouded by his history and the Yankees refusing to pay him his milestone bonuses has arguably become the bigger story.
Many former players have spoken out against current players that have used steroids, like Rodriguez. Former major league first baseman David Segui alleges that a few of those scolding players are PED users themselves.
“What bothers me is the hypocrites,” Segui told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “I see them on TV sometimes criticizing people who took steroids. I say, ‘What a minute . . . maybe the public doesn’t know what you did, but I know what you did.’ Those are the ones that bother me. Just keep your mouth shut.”
Years ago, Segui fessed up to his own PED use, but he refused to turn on fellow players who also used steroids. Here’s more from Cafardo’s Sunday morning column..
- Scott Boras tells Cafardo that he’s getting closer with “a few teams” regarding Rafael Soriano. Late last month it was reported that Twins and Mariners are among the teams interested in Soriano. At the time, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, who reported that there were conversations between the M’s and Boras regarding Soriano, also suggested that the Pirates, Indians, and Dodgers could be “logical suitors.” If there is interest for Cleveland and Pittsburgh, one has to wonder if payroll constraints could play a factor.
- A major league source tells Cafardo that teams are already calling on Phillies veteran Aaron Harang and scouting him. One NL scout has been impressed with Harang before and feels that he would be worth a second-level prospect for a contending club. Back in March, MLBTradeRumors spoke with Harang about his experience in free agency and what led him to sign with the Phillies this winter. Harang also told MLBTR that he wasn’t overly concerned about the prospect of being traded midseason by GM Ruben Amaro as the team rebuilds.
- One AL GM feels that it’s just a matter of time before the A’s move left-hander Scott Kazmir. “Tick, tick, tick,” the GM said when asked if he thinks Kazmir might be moved before the deadline. “Sure. If Oakland can’t hang in, Billy [Beane] will flip him for prospects. He’s actually an interesting name. All you hear about is [David] Price, [Jordan] Zimmermann, [Johnny] Cueto, but that’s a pretty good name right there.” Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the A’s aren’t yet thinking about trading Kazmir as they still haven’t given up on their hopes of contending. In last place at 12-20 heading into today’s game against the Mariners, I’d imagine that the A’s will have to give some serious thought to moving the 31-year-old if things don’t turn around quickly.
Harang and Papelbon and 5 million for Margot and one of E-Rod/Johnson/Owens. Do it.
Boston laughs at this.
What’s so funny about it? Boston gets a cheap veteran starter who’s contract is up after this year who has been pitching very well the last year and a half and a proven closer at a discount.
Erod, Johnson and Owens are all top 100 prospects, as is Margot. Neither Harang or Papelbon could fetch 1 top 100 prospect.
That would be a ridiculous overpay by Boston for marginally useful players.
Margot and one of those three is a ridiculous overpay? Bogaerts, JBJ and Betts aren’t performing like the “experts” predicted. Most of these duds never pan out. Stop putting them on a pedestal and make some moves to help the big league club.
Yes, it would be a ridiculous overpay, there are other options that will be/are available that will take that kind of cost, and would return considerably better players to the team. Harang is a nice rebound story, but realistically he’s an aging, back of the rotation arm that’s also a rental. Pap has the issue with his expensive option next year that makes him tough to deal for. Top prospects for players like that? Keep dreaming RAJ.
Bogaerts has actually been pretty good, Betts has shown flashes, and most Boston fans don’t see Bradley as a future cornerstone. Harang would take a couple pieces in Boston’s 8-15 range, same for Pap without salary relief. packaging them together might get you Cecchini, Coyle, and a low minors guy, but not much more
Who knows about Bradley? Could be one of those late bloomers like Nelson Cruz.
Betts is a dud? Huh; playing very good defense in center, getting on base, running well, hitting line drives, terrible BABIP which suggests he’ll have a better BA eventually.. Bogaerts has been pretty good.
Betts/ Bogaerts are reversed in my opinion. Betts is the better player now, a pretty good leadoff man now soon to be an exceptional leadoff guy.
Xander in 5 years may be another Stanton or Hanley when he fills out.
Yeah, I wonder if Bogaerts will outgrow the position. His defense already is just average at short.
Boston won’t be laughing much longer with the worst Pitching staff in majors. Philly has nothing to Lose, they are rebuilding. Boston however desperately needs to salvage their season soon before they too will be giving away players. Hamles and Harang and Papelbon would be Boston ‘s Messiah if they weren’t so stubborn.
Papelbon and Harang and their full contracts would not get one of those guys.
Add in Cole Hamels and they would do it for Masterson Owens and Margot
I think the Red Sox should flip flop their minor league and major league rosters. They would have the best team in recent memory. All of those overvalued prospects will destroy the other teams major league talent.
Haha
Harang started off strong last season too, faded badly down the stretch, and I don’t think any team values closers the way the Phillies did when they signed Papelbon.
Tell that to the White Sox who just paid a lot for Robertson. Closers have been overpaid since the advent of the save. It’s not changing anytime soon. Just wait and see how much Aroldis Chapman makes on the open market.
But that’s just money; teams have lots of money. I don’t know that the prospect haul for Papelbon is going to be anything special. Chapman, perhaps a good prospect or two decent prospects, because he’s still fairly young and under team control for cheap in 2016. But free agency values are different than trade values.
I wasn’t talking about Chapman’s trade value now. I was talking about the lucrative contract he is going to sign when he is a free agent. He (and Kimbrel) will both become vastly overpaid closers.
As a general rule closers tend to be overpaid, but I’m not sure if that will fit for Chapman. Especially if he gets a contract similar to Kimbrel’s. Both Chapman and Kimbrel are 2.5-3 WAR pitchers. That is worth about $15mm/season on the open market, if not more. Rick Porcello is a 2.5-3 WAR pitcher and he signed a 4/$82.5mm extension this offseason. A 4/$52mm for 29 year old Chapman isn’t anymore of an overpay than any other free agent contract.
Kimbrel’s already signed for like 3 more years at something like 15MM a year. It sounds like an overpay, simply because closers are relatively easy to make, but if the value of a win is worth about 7 million dollars he’s not really “overpaid” in the sense of the word.
Ruben has done very well of late when flipping guys for B level prospects (Byrd & Rollins). I’ll be interested to see who Amaro can get for a guy like Harang.
If Tanaka goes opts for Tommy john the Yankees would be calling for one of these two. Harang makes sense for the Yanks because he is a one year rental and wont cost the Yanks money since they are saving up for Price, Zimmerman.
I doubt that is happening, Price or Zimmermann will go else where, I think the cubs make a run at one of those two, and I’m sure the dodgers will be in on them as well.
Never discount the Yankees as potential buyers
I was just going to say this. While I don’t think it’s a lock that they will, and in fact it’s probably not likely, if they’re going to look at a solid pitcher to invest in, this will be the off season to do it, best FA crop of arms you could ask for. If they like one of the guys enough, you can’t rule them out entirely.
If they go after a pitcher it won’t be a top free agent pitcher, maybe somebody like fister or mike leake or latos.
I would say those guys are definitely more likely to be their type of target this time around, for sure.That being said, you just can’t say never with them, if they really like a guy enough, and their situation dictates the need for a front line arm, you just never know.
plus next year Severino could be ready to make the club, imo I think Tanaka will have tommy john it’s a ticking time bomb
Severino has a shot at being a late season call up if things are looking up for the team this year,particularly given his performance both in ST and this season thus far. But I don’t think he changes their market much whether he get’s the call or not this season. I’m actually not even hoping for a top tier option, im just saying you can’t rule it out when you talk about the Yankees
Yea but I think Tanaka is going to have TJ this year, because he’s not throwing the same, he’s leaning towards his off speed stuff and not his fastball, he’s holding back for reason should just get the tj surgery and rehab it.
I don’t think we should sign the guy up for it before it’s a sure thing,TJ is a bigger decision than it seems. It doesn’t look good so far, but it’s also not clear he NEEDS it right now. I actually prefer the way he’s thrown so far this season, also, he’s been more of a pitcher and looked really good doing so, using his whole arsenal of stuff rather than just Fastball,Split, repeat. More beneficial to long term success, and he’s done so rather effectively up until this bump in the road.
imo he should of gotten the surgery last year , but I just think he’s pitching through pain each start and it could get worse for him and he’s only 26 right?
He’s not pitching through pain, any pitcher will tell you that throwing breaking stuff as much as he had been, which is tougher on the arm than just fastballs due to the torquing motions used to make the ball move, is a sign he wasn’t dealing with pain. Top experts on the matter said surgery wasn’t needed at the time, and I’m inclined to believe them.
I just think sooner or later it’s going to come
Cool. Thanks for your opinion. You understand why the team trusts the world’s best doctors on this subject before you, right?
Subsequently, you understand why fans trust the team’s trusting of the doctors rather than, say, a poster in a comments section also, right?
Just making sure.
I don’t see them going after another big name free agent pitcher. Price imo goes to the cubs or dodgers same for Zimmermann. and Cueto who knows
Kazmir for vogelbach and Castillo from cubs
I think they’ll be able to land a top 100 prospect for him plus a couple lower pieces, so I doubt they’d take Vogelbach unless they really like him, which could be the case with Beane (though I doubt it).
Vogelbach in any other farm system is AAA. And flirting with a callup. With riz and Szczur he’s AA. Beane would want him no matter where he’s at
He is a first basemen, and his numbers last year were unspectacular given his position. He OPSed .787 last year at A+. For a first basemen, that gotta be .850 or more at least, unless scouts feel as though the tools will translate well. He is a 50 FV player. Not exactly enticing when they can do better.
What are kazmir a numbers b4 last yr. flash in the pan possibly., that’s why I want him. Bosio can manage him. Vogelbach and maybe Castillo should be enough. Cast makes 2.1 mil only and is a starting catcher with / more yrs control, he could flip him in the future. He could DH for them too along with vogs.
If Harang keeps pitching at this level, a desperate team with hopes of contending will give up a prospect in the 75-100 range.
He’s not going to keep throwing 2.38 ERA baseball, he’s never even come into breathing room of that number in his career for a season. He’s going to pick up a nice looking second tier guy as long as his production doesn’t completely tank, but not a top prospect list-type of nice.
Just saying if the angels want a veteran pitcher to replace shoemaker if he continues to struggle or do they call up tropeano again. I think harang goes to the cards or boston, then kazmir to the cards if harang is somewhere else.
Harang or Kazmir could go to the Cards to replace Wainwright for the year, Or the red sox make a move for Harang.
The Red Sox aren’t going after Harang. He is a flyball pitcher, old, and back-of-the-rotation starter. Plus, he always regresses as the season goes by. They need top of the rotation arms, not a guy like him.
Cueto might be the obvious choice for them if they are willing to trade the prospects for a 3 month rental.
What’s funny about Cueto is how many teams fans think they’re getting him. There is only one Johnny Cueto, right?
“Rumors” is right in the title of the site. If you don’t like trade proposals, you’re probably in the wrong place.
What’s also funny is how a team that’s 13-17 would think that a team that’s 15-15 and 1 game out of the second wild card is going to give them their ace pitcher. The way things are going, Cincinnati is going to be acquiring veterans from Boston. If they had anybody someone wanted.
2 game difference in early May has llittle to do with whether a pitcher is traded. It more about whether the Reds will be all in this year or do they get players for the future.
Red Sox fans think the Reds should give up now and trade them Cueto (for a couple of b level prospects who are blocked). That doesn’t make much sense when the Reds are doing better than the Red Sox. And if the Red Sox keep going the way they are, they’ll do what they did last year again.
Cueto would probably be the hardest pitcher to land seeing how the Reds have it stuck in their heads that they are a competitor. I’d hate to know what Walt is asking for if I’m a GM. Hopefully he can get the Reds some decent pieces though for the futures sake. Odds are he won’t get much considering he waited too long to trade Cueto and get top dollar.
Boston will wait too long, because they convinced themselves of their prospects are gods gift to baseball. They will be holding the bag come July. They need to do something ,the selling teams have other teams that they can make trades too! Dodgers, Cubs, Cards, and any other team that’s in the hunt.
Kazmir, I would have a little interest in. Harang I would not.
Segui’s comments are the most interesting part of Cafardo’s story. I would imagine there are many many users out there, past and maybe even present, who haven’t been caught. It should be taken for granted that the last 25 years are tainted with their use, that the teams who performed at a high level and progressed in the playoffs had them on their rosters, and that disparate impacts on a team by team basis impacted results. So, if I were those players who used and have escaped detection, I’d take those Segui comments to heart.
The players who used PEDs or are still using should just shut up. They’ll look that much more foolish if their names ever surface or if they test dirty.
Interesting how Kazmir has turned his career around and now, with the A’s doing poorly, he will be one of the top guys contending teams will be wanting cause he won”t come at the price of Hamels either in terms of prospects or salary.
Kazmir will be with the Cards I think, if their options don’t work they will make a deal for a three month rental.
that would be a good fit
I wonder what the odds are that sonny gray is traded lol
I really would love for the Red Sox to go out there and get Kazmir and then give one of their young pitchers s chance. Move Kelly and Masterson to the Bullpen. Anyone have any ideas on what it would take to get Kazmir?
I think the cards have a better chance in getting Kazmir
I imagine Mozeliak telling Beane “these are the prospects you’re looking for” ala Star Wars. And I could see it working.
Kazmir has been really good outside his last start. It seems reasonable to me that a trade of a top 100 prospect, not an Addison Russell type prospect but still a good one and a lesser but solid secondary piece or two. That would be similar to the Sabathia trade many years ago. Though Beane and co. prefer their own evaluations so it could be a package of a few guys not yet on the radar.
Probably Margot. A good but not great prospect.
But that would make it almost impossible for Kelly to win the Cy Young Award this year. Eh, maybe he becomes the first middle reliever to capture the award.
Ahh, the A Rod bonus story again. Well as I said before that money should go to charity. It would be nice if A Rod and Yankee Management could come to a meeting of the minds on that.
As for Harang, what exactly is a second level prospect going to do for the Phillies?
I would hold onto him for now either that or package him with Hamels.
That is what I would do.
“What bothers me is the hypocrites,” Segui told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “I
see them on TV sometimes criticizing people who took steroids. I say,
‘What a minute . . . maybe the public doesn’t know what you did, but I
know what you did.’ Those are the ones that bother me. Just keep your
mouth shut.”
The owners rode the steroid wave to profit, including Selig, and now they put on a big self righteous show when the opportunity to profit by condemning the players is there.
The worst are the Hall of Fame voters condemning a whole generation without evidence and ignoring everything current inductees did, including amphetamines.
While I agree that Selig and the owners ignored a situation that the average American understood, how many current owners were owners then?
Yup, and every generation judges the previous ones according to their own, or the currently prevailing sense of morality.
As Don Ameche once said; “Things Change.”
Cafardo says the list has been floating around but not verified. Anybody here seen it or have a link?
What a joy the Phillies rotation will be without Hamels and Harang. I cannot wait.
They Losing with them, doesn’t matter !
I am really confused over why everyone thinks Boston should be buying. They are only 3 games better than Philly. Yes it’s early, but it’s early for Philly too and everyone assumes they are selling. Perhaps Boston should start selling off their many excess parts and they might have a chance to do something next year. Especially once they call up the ’27 Yankees that are currently playing in Pawtucket.
I go with, for a one year rental, and a little cash toward Miley and Craig along with Margot and Trey Ball for Kazmir and Lefty Fernando Abad, who I think was Sox property.