Trade Candidate: Russell Branyan
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said recently that the club has committed most of its starts at first base to Juan Miranda, who is out of options. This leaves a pretty good offensive player in Russell Branyan on the bench and an interesting prospect in Brandon Allen down at Triple-A.
It seems like the Snakes are committed to finding out what they have in Miranda, and by that logic, it stands to reason that Allen could be next in line if Miranda falters. That would leave Branyan and his prodigious power without consistent at-bats.
Signed to a one-year, minor league deal, Branyan could be a source of cheap pop for a contending team in search of power as the season wears on. Here's a look at some potential suitors for Branyan's services.
- The Angels are in limbo while Kendry Morales continues to mend from last year's broken leg, and the slugger's return still appears to be a ways off. Current first baseman Mark Trumbo is considered a modest prospect, although he has gotten off to a solid start this season.
- The Rangers have similar options at first base in Mitch Moreland and Chris Davis (who's currently in the minors), though Moreland has shown better on-base skills. The Rangers won't need Moreland to be a stud in what is a loaded lineup, but they can't tolerate severe struggles, either.
- The Tigers could probably use another power bat, but they'd have to get creative and take a defensive risk to accomodate Branyan, moving the defensively shaky Victor Martinez behind the dish full time to free up the DH spot.
- The Rays seem committed to Dan Johnson – who profiles similarly to Branyan – at first base, but he has gotten off to a slow start and has always toed the line between the Majors and minors, even spending a year in Japan recently. As well, Johnson's power is probably not quite on par with Branyan's.
- The Braves have a 21-year-old rookie in Freddie Freeman at first, and though he is regarded as a high-end prospect, it's hardly a given that he'll produce adequately considering his age. Eric Hinske is the backup there but has settled in nicely as a pinch-hitter and occasional starter in recent years.
Of course, a lot could happen between now and June, when the trade market begins taking shape, as Ben Nicholson-Smith noted earlier today. But Branyan looks like a strong candidate to change teams this season – just as he did a year ago, going from the Indians to the Mariners.
Quick Hits: Kroon, Sanchez, Cubs, Pirates, Rays
The Red Sox announced the passing of longtime executive Lou Gorman, who built Boston's 1986 American League Championship team. Our condolences to Gorman's family and friends. Here are this evening's links…
- Giants GM Brian Sabean confirmed to Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News that right-hander Marc Kroon has an out-clause in his contract that can be triggered on June 1st (Twitter link). The Japanese league vet will head to Triple-A after signing a minor league deal earlier this year.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report indicating that Romulo Sanchez has signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles for $475K plus bonuses (Twitter links). The Yankees released Sanchez so he could purse a job in Japan last week.
- Maury Brown at The Biz of Baseball reports that 234 players (27.7%) on MLB rosters on Opening Day were born outside of the United States. The all-time record is 29.2% in 2005.
- Cubs chairmam Tom Ricketts told Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune that he's okay with eating the $11.5MM left on Carlos Silva's deal in order to release the right-hander. "We knew it was a possibility that there might not be a spot for him, and that’s just the way it is," said Ricketts. "You’ve got to have the best team on the field, and that’s what counts."
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy rounded up all of last week's minor league transactions. See what familiar names were signed and released as teams finalize their minor league rosters.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette challenges Pirates leaders to change the perception that the team is focused on profit, destined never to compete.
- Cork Gaines of Rays Index shows that the Rays' payroll dropped 41.7% from last year, all the way down to $41.9MM. The Rays committed $12.6MM to Wade Davis yesterday, an especially substantial investment for a team on such a limited budget.
- White Sox director of international scouting Jerry Krause is stepping down to join the Diamondbacks, according Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. The former Chicago Bulls GM will assist Arizana executive Jerry DiPoto.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Dodgers can overcome surrounding distractions to become a playoff team in 2011. In fact, he predicts an NL West title for the Dodgers.
D’Backs Sign Josh Wilson
The Diamondbacks signed infielder Josh Wilson to a minor league deal, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter links). Wilson, who was released by the Mariners earlier in the week, will report to Triple-A Reno.
Wilson appeared in 11 games for Arizona during the 2009 season before playing for the Padres and Mariners. In 388 plate appearances for Seattle last year, Wilson posted a .227/.278/.294 line as a utility infielder. Though he's primarily a shortstop, Wilson has pitched three times and played every infield position.
Carlos Rosa Heading To Japan
The D'Backs announced that they released Carlos Rosa to sell him to a Japanese team. Rosa, 26, is out of options, so he would have had to clear waivers before going to the minor leagues.
Rosa appeared in 22 games for the D'Backs last year, allowing 20 hits and 12 walks in 20 innings while striking out nine. He had cameos with the Royals in 2008 and '09, but most of his pro experience comes in the minors, where he has a 3.54 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 623 2/3 innings.
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic first reported the move (on Twitter).
Procedural Notes: Abreu, Blanco, Evans, Hernandez
The latest procedural notes…
- D'Backs manager Kirk Gibson told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that Tony Abreu cleared waivers and is going to Triple-A (Twitter link).
- The Royals told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that Gregor Blanco cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A (Twitter link).
- Outfielder Nick Evans cleared waivers yesterday, GM Sandy Alderson told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). The Mets outrighted Evans when he didn't make the Opening Day roster.
- Another Mets player, Luis Hernandez cleared waivers, reports MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. He's unsure whether he'll accept a minor league assignment.
- Cubs catcher Max Ramirez cleared waivers and was outrighted to minor league camp, tweets MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
- The Tigers outrighted infielder Audy Ciriaco to create a 40-man spot for reliever Enrique Gonzalez, tweets MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- Retired reliever Billy Wagner was removed from the Braves' 40-man roster today, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Wagner has no plans to come out of retirement, but if he did he'd have to play for the Braves in 2011. The AP has details.
- Orioles righty Rick Vandenhurk cleared waivers, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- Mets reliever Jason Isringhausen, who didn't make the club out of Spring Training, agreed to spend two weeks in Port St. Lucie. According to ESPN's Adam Rubin, one condition of the extended Spring Training agreement is that "if another team approaches Isringhausen in the interim about a major league opportunity, the Mets must either call up Izzy or let him depart." The Mets chose Blaine Boyer over Isringhausen for the Opening Day roster, which so far has allowed them to retain both relievers.
- Outfielder Brandon Boggs, outrighted by the Brewers yesterday, accepted his Triple-A assignment according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Offseason In Review: Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- J.J. Putz, RP: two years, $10MM. $6.5MM club option for 2013 with a $1.5MM buyout.
- Geoff Blum, 3B: two years, $2.7MM.
- Aaron Heilman, RP: one year, $2MM.
- Melvin Mora, 3B: one year, $2MM.
- Xavier Nady, 1B/LF: one year, $1.75MM.
- Willie Bloomquist, OF: one year, $1.05MM. $1.1MM mutual option for 2012 with a $150K buyout.
- Henry Blanco, C: one year, $1MM. $1.15MM mutual option for 2012 with a $250K buyout.
- Total spend: $20.5MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
- Stephen Drew, SS: two years, $13.75MM. Includes $10MM mutual option for 2013 with a $1.35MM buyout.
Trades and Claims
- Claimed RP Brian Sweeney off waivers from Mariners
- Claimed RP Joe Paterson in Rule 5 draft from Giants
- Acquired 1B Juan Miranda from Yankees for SP Scott Allen
- Acquired SP Zach Duke from Pirates for SP Cesar Valdez
- Acquired RP David Hernandez and RP Kam Mickolio from Orioles for 3B Mark Reynolds and a player to be named later or cash considerations
- Acquired SP Armando Galarraga from Tigers for SP Kevin Eichhorn and RP Ryan Robowski
Notable Losses
- Mark Reynolds, Adam LaRoche, Rodrigo Lopez, Blaine Boyer, D.J. Carrasco, Scott Allen, Cesar Valdez, Kevin Eichhorn, Ryan Robowski, Carlos Rosa
Summary
In hiring Kevin Towers as GM, the Diamondbacks brought in a veteran dealmaker to right the ship after a 97 loss season. However, don't forget that interim GM Jerry Dipoto was behind the summer trades that brought in Dan Hudson, Joe Saunders, Tyler Skaggs, Pat Corbin, David Holmberg, and Rafael Rodriguez. Towers furthered the makeover during the offseason, revamping the Majors' worst bullpen, adding a couple of starting pitchers, and signing a half-dozen veteran role players to big league deals.
For each of the 2008-10 seasons, Diamondbacks hitters finished first or second in baseball in strikeouts. Reynolds was public enemy number one in that regard, though he was also the team's biggest power threat. LaRoche was allowed to leave, though I don't think the D'Backs had the payroll space for him regardless of his strikeout total. With .320 OBPs and SLGs under .500, Reynolds and LaRoche weren't all that productive in 2010. Nonetheless, Mora and Blum represent a downgrade at the hot corner. Over at first, Branyan is a less healthy, poor man's Reynolds. The team has a more interesting candidate in Brandon Allen, so hopefully Branyan doesn't steal too many plate appearances.
Towers' return for Reynolds was nothing special, and I wonder if the new regime should have waited for him to rebuild some value in a healthier 2011 season. Still, Hernandez is a sleeper who may end up filling in for Putz in the ninth inning this year. Putz (pictured) represented Towers' big free agent splash; the team had vowed to import a closer. Putz is coming off a strong season and $5MM a year is the going rate, but he's a 34-year-old who must be handled carefully. Why not just let Hernandez run with the job? The Putz signing seems like an overreaction to last year's awful bullpen, a risky luxury the team didn't need at this stage. I'd been expecting Towers to show off his shrewd bargain basement bullpen-building skills.
Towers used free agency to assemble a veteran bench. No one was particularly expensive, but the main benefit seems to be leadership and other intangible qualities. The Bloomquists of the world become a concern only if they start taking plate appearances from younger, better players.
The D'Backs acquired Duke and Galarraga to round out their rotation, though Duke is out until late April with a broken hand. They amount to $6.55MM worth of rotation filler. More interesting is a potential 2013 rotation fronted by Jarrod Parker, Tyler Skaggs, Dan Hudson, and Ian Kennedy.
The 2011 Diamondbacks are in an uncomfortable spot – right fielder Justin Upton is in his prime and shortstop Stephen Drew is only under contract for two more seasons. They also spent over $25MM on short-term additions this offseason. However, the team does not appear to have the talent to reach the playoffs this year or next. Perhaps Towers should focus on restocking the cupboard to begin a sustained period of contending around 2013, starting with the #3 and #7 picks in the '11 draft. Though Towers flirted with the prospect of trading Upton, the 23-year-old is under contract through '15 and should be a big part of the next good Arizona team.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Quick Hits: Padres, Pirates, Rangers
Links from around the majors as Armando Galarraga makes Arizona's rotation…
- One scout tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that every team is kicking the tires on bullpen help, back-of-the-rotation starters, utility players and backup catchers (Twitter link).
- Scouts break down former Padres, current Padres, and other West Coast teams for Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres. One scout says there's "no doubt" that Cameron Maybin can play center field in spacious Petco park.
- Top Pirates prospects Stetson Allie, Jameson Taillon and Tony Sanchez have little in common off of the field, but are looking forward to making an impact in Pittsburgh, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers are looking for a shortstop for Triple-A and suggests Luis Cruz, Tony Abreu and Juan Castro are options.
Abreu, Ramirez, Blanco, Mets On Waivers
D'Backs infielder Tony Abreu, Cubs catcher Max Ramirez, Royals outfielder Gregor Blanco and Mets infielder Luis Hernandez are on waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork adds that Nick Evans and Pat Misch of the Mets are also on waivers.
It's not surprising to see Abreu on waivers, since Arizona made him available earlier in the month. Ramirez is no stranger to waivers, having been claimed twice this past winter. Hernandez doesn't have an obvious role on the Mets and has drawn trade interest.
Diamondbacks Will Not Sign Kevin Frandsen
MONDAY: The D'Backs won't be signing Frandsen after all, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
FRIDAY: Less than 24 hours after being released by the Padres, Kevin Frandsen has found another home in the NL West. Frandsen has agreed to sign with the Diamondbacks, according to Jeff Fletcher of BayBridgeBaseball (via Twitter). Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic adds (via Twitter) that the deal is pending a physical and the 28-year-old will head to Triple-A Reno.
Following his release, Frandsen told MLB.com's Corey Brock that he hoped to catch on with another team soon, and he didn't waste any time in fulfilling that goal. The Diamondbacks will be the third NL West club to sign Frandsen, who saw big league playing time in parts of four seasons with the Giants. The Lapa/Leventhal client earned 173 plate appearances for the Angels in 2010, hitting .250/.294/.319.
Opt-Out Notes: Batista, Isringhausen, Bush, Chavez
A few notes on veterans with opt-out clauses from around the league…
- Non-roster invitee Miguel Batista has earned a spot on the Cardinals roster, writes B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com. The 40-year-old Batista could have opted out of his contract on Monday had the Cards not informed him that he would make the club.
- The Mets have not asked Jason Isringhausen if he would accept a minor league assignment, because he has already said in the past that he won't, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
- Dave Bush will use his opt-out tomorrow if he doesn't make the Rangers, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN.com. Bush says that he's not sure which way the club is leaning but wants to stay in Texas.
- Russell Branyan could have opted out of his contract with the Diamondbacks yesterday, but he was instead informed that he has made the club according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Brandon Allen is likely to go to Triple-A while the out-of-options Juan Miranda stays with the team.
- George A. King III of The New York Post reports that Eric Chavez can ask the Yankees for his release today if he doesn't make the team. "They haven't let me know anything," said Chavez, but his strong showing in camp (.421/.450/.605 in 40 PA) likely won him a bench job.
- Isringhausen told Mike Puma of The New York Post that he will not accept a minor league assignment if he does not make the Mets out of Spring Training. There's a possibility Izzy would go to Extended Spring Training if his swollen elbow isn't fully healed though.