Rangers, D’Backs Discussed Michael Young Again
The Diamondbacks made another attempt to acquire Michael Young from the Rangers last week, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Though Young has asked to be traded, there’s no guarantee that he would approve a move to the D’Backs, one of the teams to which he can veto trades. However, one source told Rosenthal that Young would be willing to join the D’Backs and play third base.
Young has a list of ten teams to which he would approve a trade, according to Rosenthal: the eight teams that can acquire him without approval plus the Phillies and the Cubs. Young can’t block trades to the Rockies, Angels, Dodgers, Padres, Cardinals, Twins, Yankees and Astros, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Young is expensive – he’ll earn $16MM for each of the next three seasons – but the Rangers don’t want to compromise their chances of winning in 2011 by dealing him. Young’s contract makes him unattractive to both the Phillies and the Cubs. The Phillies don’t have much room in their budget, so acquiring a $16MM player is unrealistic. The Cubs wouldn’t find it much easier to make the financial side of the deal work.
Who Could Be Released This Month?
With certain contracts, there comes a time when a team would prefer to pay the player to go away and free up a roster spot. For example, two years ago the Tigers ate $14MM in releasing Gary Sheffield and the Phillies assumed $8MM to let Geoff Jenkins go. Here's a look at some big money players who I think stand a chance of being cut this month.
- Oliver Perez, Mets: one year, $12MM. A team insider told ESPN's Adam Rubin three days ago that Perez is highly likely to be released. Today Perez allowed three runs in the first inning of a split-squad game and followed that with a couple of scoreless frames.
- Luis Castillo, Mets: one year, $6MM. Rubin wrote that Castillo "appears destined for the same fate" as Perez, despite the team's unsettled second base situation.
- Carlos Silva, Cubs: one year, $13.5MM. The Cubs are only on the hook for $8MM to Silva this year, as they're receiving $5.5MM from Seattle. The Cubs' last two rotation spots are too early to call, but if Silva continues to pitch poorly in his next few outings and isn't amenable to long relief, the Cubs might have to let him go.
- Armando Galarraga, Diamondbacks: one year, $2.3MM. The D'Backs would only be on the hook for roughly $380K if they release Galarraga by the 15th, whereas Zach Duke's salary is guaranteed. If Aaron Heilman or Barry Enright makes the rotation, Galarraga or Duke would have to slide to the bullpen or be released.
- Barry Zito, Giants: three years, $64.5MM. Most teams would be thrilled with a low 4.00s ERA from their fifth starter, so the idea of releasing Zito was strange from the start.
- Aaron Rowand, Giants: two years, $24MM. The Giants have a crowded outfield, and cutting Rowand makes sense. They've also got Nate Schierholtz, who is out of options.
- Milton Bradley, Mariners: one year, $12MM. Bradley's legal issues aside, Spring Training seems to be going well enough for him. He's even playing center field today. This one is hard to call right now.
- Danys Baez, Phillies: one year, $2.75MM. Baez had a rough first year for the Phillies, but he can probably squeeze his way onto the Opening Day roster.
- Ryan Doumit, Pirates: one year, $5.6MM. Doumit isn't generating much trade interest, but releasing him would be a last resort and probably won't be necessary prior to Opening Day.
Quick Hits: Rockies, Pagan, Phillies
Links for Tuesday, as fans receive good news on Justin Morneau and concerning news on Carlos Beltran…
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post looks at the five-man battle to serve as Chris Iannetta's backup catcher for the Rockies. My speculation: if the job goes to Matt Pagnozzi, perhaps Jose Morales and Chad Moeller would become available.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post tries to determine whether Angel Pagan is a long-term solution for the Mets in center field. Pagan, 29, is under team control through 2012 as an arbitration eligible player.
- The Phillies lost the payroll flexibility to acquire injury replacements earning more than the minimum by signing Cliff Lee, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports in a notes column.
- Rosenthal offers more thoughts on the Orioles' direction in a Q&A with Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun. Click here to read my review of the team's offseason.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick looks at the culture change new GM Kevin Towers has engineered for the Diamondbacks.
Jays, Brewers Head List Of Dominican Signings
The Dominican Prospect League has announced several more signings:
- The Blue Jays signed 17-year-old outfielder Francisco Tejada for $150K. With the move, all 30 teams have signed a player out of the DPL. The press release refers to Tejada's "high athletic ceiling," citing his speed and arm.
- The Brewers inked 17-year-old third baseman Estervin Matos for $100K after a strong offensive performance in the DPL.
- Additionally, the Mets signed righty Miguel Angel Bautista for $10K, the Nationals signed righty Deury Vazquez for $30K, and the Diamondbacks signed American-born middle infielder Jesse Liriano for $10K.
D’Backs Eyeing Lefty Relievers; Abreu, Rosa Available
The Diamondbacks are looking for some left-handed relief help, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The club added the likes of right-hander J.J. Putz over the winter to improve their league-worst bullpen, but the Snakes' current southpaw relief options include Mike Hampton, Zach Kroenke, Jordan Norberto and Joe Paterson, plus Clay Zavada returning from Tommy John surgery.
Needless to say, Arizona will be paying close attention to lefties are cut from other Spring Training camps, but if the team wants to swing a deal, Piecoro says infielder Tony Abreu and right-hander Carlos Rosa could be available.
Abreu is battling Geoff Blum, Ryan Roberts and Willie Bloomquist for the utility infield job, while Rosa is one of several right-handers on the Diamondbacks' roster. Rosa was acquired from Kansas City last season and has a 3.97 career ERA in 34 Major League innings, but he also allowed 15 walks (against just 16 strikeouts) in his brief career.
NL West Notes: Zito, Byrnes, Kershaw, Roberts
There's a lot going on in Giants camp and their division rivals are making headlines, too. Here's the latest…
- Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote today that Barry Zito is "walking a thin line" within the organization and that there's "exasperation" with Zito. Jenkins reported that Zito doesn't have a guaranteed rotation spot and wrote that Zito would not be wearing a Giants uniform by 2013, the last guaranteed year on his contract.
- As Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports, Zito was stunned by the report. Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the left-hander that the Chronicle report was the first he'd heard of the team's frustration. Zito walked five of the 13 hitters he faced in his spring debut.
- Ever gone on vacation only to keep checking out what's going on around MLB? I certainly have and, as MLB.com's Corey Brock explains in this must-read piece, so has Padres executive Josh Byrnes.
- The Dodgers agreed to terms with Clayton Kershaw on a one-year, $500K deal, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. That's more than usual for a pre-arbitration eligible player, but the 22-year-old has a 3.17 ERA and 9.3 K/9 in 483 innings of work, so he's not your average pre-arb player.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that he has been most impressed with utility player Ryan Roberts this spring (Twitter link).
NL West Notes: Maybin, Duke, Bichette Jr.
It's never too soon to begin looking ahead to the First-Year Player Draft. Here's more on a potential first-round pick and a couple other items of note out of the NL West …
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer inquired several times last season with the Marlins on the availability of center fielder Cameron Maybin, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com. Of course, the Padres eventually got their man in Maybin, whose memorable early-career homer off Rogers Clemens feels like a lifetime ago despite the fact that he's only 23. In acquiring Maybin, Hoyer and the Padres felt like they were getting a guy who is still younger than many minor league prospects and could have room to grow after he was perhaps rushed to the big leagues at just 20 years old. Plus, "His skill-set sets up very well for our style of play, our ballpark and our division," manager Bud Black told Brock.
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers acquired Zach Duke from the Pirates in November because he thought the left-hander could benefit from a change of scenery, blogs Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Towers added that he covets lefties and good athletes, and said that despite Duke's dip in production in 2010, "his stuff didn't really deteriorate over the last couple years." Duke, non-tendered by the Bucs prior to being dealt to Arizona, posted a 5.72 ERA in 29 starts for the Pirates in '10 but has a career ERA of 4.54.
- The Rockies may have deja vu all over again: Dante Bichette Jr., the son of former Blake Street Bomber Dante Bichette, is a projected first-round draft pick, according to the Denver Post. Bichette Jr., projected as a third baseman in pro ball, has signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Georgia, according to the Post, but if a team is willing to select him in the first round of a draft that is shaping up to be historically deep, there's always the chance he could be lured away by big money. You may remember Bichette Jr. from the 2005 Little League World Series, in which he starred for his team from Maitland, Fla. The Rockies, by the way, have the 20th pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.
D’Backs GM On Free Agency, Trades, Pitching
Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers touched on a handful of roster issues today and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has the goods..
- The D'Backs probably won’t look outside of the organization for help this spring. Piecoro notes (via Twitter) that this is unlike how he’s operated in past years while serving as the GM of the Padres.
- Towers thinks that the club has solid depth and says that club scouts are spending more time watching other teams’ minor leaguers. So while the club could look to make a trade, it likely won't be one to build the club in the short term. "If anything, we might have some excess, some depth in certain areas. So other teams might hit us. I would imagine that our pro scouts are spending more time on the minor league fields," said Towers.
- The GM said that contract status won't play a role in deciding the makeup of the back end of the team's rotation, though contract situations such as a large guaranteed deal or a player out of options will likely factor into decisions in some way. Zach Duke, Armando Galarraga, Aaron Heilman and Barry Enright are the main contenders for the spots, writes Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Duke is guaranteed $4.5MM whether he makes the team or not while Galarraga's $2.3MM is only partially guaranteed if he's released prior to Opening Day. Heilman, meanwhile, is out-of-options and would likely be stowed away in the bullpen to be protected.
West Notes: Dodgers, Ludwick, Mariners
On this day in 1957, Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley announced that his team could play as many as 10 exhibition games in California in 1958. It ended up being a bit of a lengthier stay, as the Dodgers left Brooklyn for Los Angeles following the 1957 season. Just like O'Malley, we're looking to the west coast (or at least the western divisions) for these news items…
- If the Dodgers aren't satisifed with their Jay Gibbons/Tony Gwynn Jr./Marcus Thames platoon in left field, ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill lists some of the left fielders that could be available in a trade. Of the five players on Churchill's list, only Carlos Quentin would seem to be an everyday option, but if he's playing well enough to attract the Dodgers' attention, it's unlikely the White Sox would want to move him anyway.
- Ryan Ludwick tells Dan Hayes of the North County Times that the two months that followed his trade to the Padres last season were the "worst two months of my big league career." Ludwick hit just .211/.301/.330 in 239 plate appearances in San Diego last year and admitted he struggled with the pressure of trying to take the Padres to the postseason.
- The Mariners are likely to keep Dustin Ackley and Michael Pineda in the minors until at least June, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Both players "have areas of their games that could use further AAA development," but Baker also figures the Mariners want to avoid having either of their prospects qualify for Super Two status.
- Angels right-hander Rich Thompson seemed to turn a corner last season, but since the Australian is out of options, ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon says the Halos could lose Thompson unless he makes the team.
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers has acquired six players (Henry Blanco, Geoff Blum, Russell Branyan, Sean Burroughs, Xavier Nady and Brian Sweeney) this offseason that played for the Padres when Towers was that club's general manager, writes Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com. "These are character guys, veterans that I knew would have a strong presence in our clubhouse," Towers said. "I knew what their intangibles are, which I thought was important….When you have history with individuals, you know what they're about as well."
- The Rangers have invited Yhency Brazoban to their Major League Spring Training camp, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Brazoban signed a minor league deal with Texas in December that didn't include an invite to the team's big league camp.
NL West Notes: Giants, Gonzalez, Diamondbacks
It's still early in Arizona, where the five NL West teams train, but that won't stop us from providing updates on some of those clubs. Here's the latest…
- Giants manager Bruce Bochy repeated that he's open-minded about who ends up playing left field in 2011, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft. Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Mark DeRosa and Nate Schierholtz are all candidates to play left for San Francisco.
- Edgar Renteria told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that he called the Giants' $1MM offer "a total disrespect" because of pride, not money. The 2010 World Series MVP went on to sign a $2.1MM deal with Cincinnati.
- Carlos Gonzalez told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he doesn't expect to be overwhelmed by the attention that comes with national endorsement deals and his new $80MM contract with the Rockies.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers explained to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he intends "to build [the Arizona] organization around young pitching." Pitchers like Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy and Jarrod Parker figure to be important contributors for the D'Backs' staff going forward. Kennedy, who was often grouped with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes while playing in the Yankees' system, cautions against lumping pitchers together, though.