Twins Acquire Eddie Guardado
3:30pm: The Rangers will receive minor league reliever Mark Hamburger. La Velle E. Neal III expects the Twins to pick up the rest of Guardado’s salary.
2:13pm: According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the Twins have acquired Eddie Guardado from the Rangers. Joe Christensen wrote on Friday that the Twins would make a claim but didn’t expect a deal.
Guardado has been useful for the Rangers, posting a 3.65 ERA in 49.1 innings. The ERA is a bit deceiving, but it’s still a helpful addition for the Twins. Guardado is a familiar face, having spent a decade in the organization. He’s still owed roughly $620K this year.
Molony’s Latest: Red Sox, Kelly Johnson
Here’s a look at the latest blog post from MLB.com’s Jim Molony.
- Molony agrees with previous reports – the Red Sox are eyeing outfield help. An inquiry on Darin Erstad fizzled, while Mark Kotsay remains on the radar. Drew might be headed to the DL.
- The Red Sox might also be eyeing another starter, given Josh Beckett‘s injury. Molony speculates that Kevin Millwood or Vicente Padilla could make sense (both have cleared waivers).
- Molony expects Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson to be traded this winter. Johnson, 26, slipped to .264/.333/.405 in 482 plate appearances this year. He’ll be arbitration-eligible for the first time.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Rangers, Yankees, Phillies
Let’s take a look at Ken Rosenthal’s most recent Full Count video.
- Rangers president Nolan Ryan may be considering sweeping changes. He might replace the team’s manager, GM, or both. If he chooses to install his own people, Gerry Hunsicker and Tim Purpura would be the top GM candidates.
- The Yankees are willing to trade off a few veteran impending free agents, but pretty much all of them have no-trade clauses. Those are not always an obstacle though. Danny Knobler recently heard the Yankees have yet to ask for waivers on their significant players.
- The Phillies have been frustrated trying to add a bench bat. A few who have cleared waivers: Frank Catalanotto, Kevin Millar, and Jay Payton.
- Having picked up Luis Ayala and Al Reyes, the Mets are done adding relievers. Though he surprisingly cleared waivers, David Weathers is not on the radar.
Millwood, Padilla, Catalanotto Clear Waivers
MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan has three more names for the cleared waivers list from the Rangers: Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, and Frank Catalanotto. These players can now be traded to any team. Sullivan says the Rangers aren’t looking to sell but are willing to listen.
Millwood, 33, has a 5.24 ERA in 122 innings this year. He’s been better than that; Millwood has been a victim of an abnormal amount of hits dropping in. He’s dealt with a groin injury for much of the season, as well as a hamstring issue in spring. Millwood will earn another $1.6MM this year and $11MM in ’09. His 2010 salary of $12MM becomes a club option unless he pitches 180 innings in ’09.
Padilla, 31 in September, has a 4.98 ERA in 148.1 innings. Home runs have been his main problem. He spent time on the DL with a strained neck. He’ll earn another $2.1MM this year and $12MM in ’09. He has a $12MM club option for ’10 with a $1.75MM buyout.
Catalanotto, 34, is hitting .272/.337/.389 in 267 plate appearances. He’s played first base and left field this year. He’s not helpful against lefthanded pitching. His contract is a problem – $765K this year, $4MM in ’09, and a $2MM buyout in ’10.
Sullivan’s article also says the Yankees inquired on Milton Bradley at some point but weren’t offering much.
Week in Review: 8/17 – 8/23
Another week in the books, and we keep seeing big names moved after the July 31 non-waiver deadline. Let’s look back on the past week:
- The Dodgers acquired Greg Maddux from the Padres for two minor league players to be named later. Nice acquisition to bolster their rotation, and does anyone want to place bets on how excited 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw is to get tips from Maddux every day for the rest of the season?
- The Pirates are exploring the idea of trading Jack Wilson this offseason more and more. Given the slim free agent market for shortstops, he would likely gather a lot of interest.
- Nate Robertson’s struggles this season have lost him his spot in the rotation, but have they also lost him a spot with the Tigers after 2008?
- Orlando Hernandez needs surgery on his foot, and that could likely mean that El Duque’s career would be over.
- Lots of speculation lately about where Ben Sheets is going to land after 2008. And while there’s no way to tell right now, Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman have stepped up and said they would like the Astros front office to go out and sign him in the offseason.
- A lot of minor-league deals signed this week: Kip Wells signed with Kansas City, the Mets added Al Reyes, the Astros signed Jose Castillo, the Red Sox signed Dave Ross, and the Braves took a flyer on Rodrigo Lopez following his Tommy John surgery last year. The Jays made a trade to acquire Jose Bautista for a PTBNL as well.
- The Rangers would like Milton Bradley back in 2009, and the feeling is mutual, though negotiations will wait until after the season. Similarly, Frank Thomas would prefer to stay with the A’s in 2009.
- Eric Gagne, David Riske, and David Weathers all cleared waivers this week. The first two make sense to me, but given Weathers’ success this year, his affordable contract for the rest of the season, and all of the teams desperately seeking bullpen help, it seems strange that no one would place a claim on him. Here’s an updated list of all the players who have been confirmed to have cleared waivers this year.
Twins Interested In Guardado
Everyday Eddie Guardado, a Twins mainstay for a decade, has apparently been placed on waivers by the Rangers. Joe Christensen says the Twins are interested and will probably make a claim, but don’t expect to make a deal. He says the Twins were eyeing Guardado in July but wouldn’t meet the Rangers’ price.
Guardado is currently closing for the Rangers, getting it done with a 3.21 ERA. A deeper look at his numbers indicates rougher waters ahead, but he’s certainly a useful reliever. As far as I can tell, Guardado only has about $680K left on his contract this year. I’d imagine several teams will put in a claim, but I would’ve said the same for David Weathers.
Odds and Ends: Kazmir, Thomas, Sweeney
We’ll kick it off with a few links today and add more bullets periodically.
- Cole Hamels feels that he handled his contract renewal last year immaturely.
- Over at The Hardball Times, Geoff Young looks at the best compensation picks of the 20th century.
- Geoff Blum‘s ’09 option vests with one more plate appearance.
- Bronson Arroyo has a plan to make the Reds competitive.
- Matthew Cerrone explains Carlos Delgado‘s ’09 option.
- Jeff Passan on the Cardinals’ brilliant signing of Ryan Ludwick.
- Baseball Prospectus profiles #26-50 on their list of players to build a team around.
- Twins reliever Brian Bass accepted a Triple A assignment, so he won’t become a free agent.
- MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo takes a preliminary look at the ’09 draft order.
- Jamey Newberg wonders if the Rangers could pry Scott Kazmir loose this winter. It’s hard to see the Rays trading him.
- Susan Slusser expects the A’s to add an impact bat this winter, but free agent DHs Frank Thomas and Mike Sweeney will probably be let go. In a related note, ESPN’s Buster Olney says the A’s had a chance earlier this year to acquire Jason Bay for a package including pitching prospect Vin Mazzaro.
Breaking Down The Rangers Offseason
The Rangers figure to be very active this offseason. With the only pitching staff in baseball with a negative VORP (-46.7), that would likely be the area that sees the most change.
We have already seen that Tom Hicks is not willing to throw free agency dollars at starting pitchers over 30. The Rangers have several good prospects that could be used as trade bait, including Engel Beltre and Elvis Andrus. And many feel that Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be moved this winter as the Rangers are deep at catcher.
Jamey Newberg breaks down what the Rangers need to do this off-season and reasons that Roy Halladay is a pitcher the Rangers could target…
- The Rangers would like to add one or two front-of-the-rotation pitchers.
- Newberg says it sounds like "free agency is not the first answer when the question is how to improve the rotation," but Tom Hicks will be open-minded if a unique case presents itself (CC Sabathia?)
- Newberg discuses the package that might be required for the Jays to part with Halladay.
So let’s hear it in the comments…Who should the Rangers target this offseason?
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
Milton Bradley Hopes To Return To Rangers
According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Rangers DH Milton Bradley would like to return in ’09. Both sides are interested, but negotiations will wait until after the season.
Bradley feels comfortable in Texas, and that’s led to a massive .314/.441/.579 line in 407 plate appearances. He hasn’t been this healthy since ’04. His OBP ranks first in the AL by a wide margin, and he’s third in SLG.
The 30 year-old Bradley is earning roughly $6MM this year if you include incentives. I imagine he’d want to double that salary in free agency, though he’s pretty hard to value.
Post-Draft Roundup: Hosmer, Smoak, Strasburg
Below I’ve collected more interesting remaining links regarding the amateur draft.
- The Royals bumped their offer from $5MM to $6MM and signed top pick Eric Hosmer. Rany Jazayerli was surprised to see Hosmer effectively get more than #1 pick Tim Beckham. The Royals joined the Red Sox and Pirates as teams spending around $10MM on draft picks this year.
- The Rangers resisted a Major League deal for Justin Smoak, and ultimately signed him to a $3.5MM minor league deal. Owner Tom Hicks pined for a hard slot system.
- The story of pitcher Chris Gruler, picked third overall by the Reds in ’02, reminds us to temper our enthusiasm for these kids. Many will bust.
- Tim Lincecum says Buster Posey can expect other minor leaguers to treat him differently because of the bonus he received.
- The race is on for Stephen Strasburg, who is separating himself from the pack as the top talent in the ’09 draft. The Mariners, Padres, and Nationals all have a shot at him, with the Nats in the "lead." Would the Nats avoid Strasburg due to signability concerns?