Odds & Ends: D’Backs, Manny, Mets, Silva, Rangers
Links for Tuesday before the Angels and Dodgers face off in Anaheim…
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports breaks down the trade candidates on the D'Backs. How many of these players will be moved? One person in the D'Backs organization put the over-under at two.
- In an appearance on WEEI, Peter Gammons suggested Manny Ramirez will be earning $5-6MM in the American League next year. Click here for more on Ramirez's free agent stock.
- Mets starters Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana told Peter Botte of the New York Daily News that they would be pleased if the Mets added an ace like Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt, even though R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese and Hisanori Takahashi have pitched well.
- As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times points out, the disappointing Cubs would be doing much worse if not for their acquisition of Carlos Silva.
- Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News says the Rangers wouldn't have to fear the Yankees, Red Sox or Twins if they add an ace pitcher.
- Woody Paige of the Denver Post suggests a number of paths the Rockies could choose if their next nine games don't go well. Among the many options Paige suggests: trade for Dan Uggla.
Odds & Ends: Giants, D’Backs, Rivera, Ramos
Some links for Monday, before Mike Leake tries to restore order for the Reds…
- Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com explains why he believes the Giants should acquire bullpen help.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner wonders (via Twitter) if the Mariners and Blue Jays could swap two recently-designated players: Ian Snell and Edwin Encarnacion.
- D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes told Jack Curry of the YES Network that he will need "very significant players" in return for some of his stars (Twitter link). Sounds like Dan Haren will be hard to obtain this summer.
- Mariano Rivera told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he doesn't want to think about his contract (it expires after the season) but would consider signing a one-year deal like Andy Pettitte.
- Wilson Ramos is thought of as the kind of prospect that could help the Twins pry Cliff Lee from the Mariners. But as Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes, the catcher will miss about a week with a strained oblique.
- Pat Andriola of FanGraphs names winners and losers from some 2008 deadline deals.
- Most expect the D'Backs to continue selling, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports notes (via Twitter) that no scouts made a special trip to see Edwin Jackson's most recent start.
- The Red Sox signed Jay Broughton from the independent league Calgary Vipers, according to Sean Myers of the Calgary Herald. The 23-year-old had enrolled in grad school, but he quit and Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird took notice and signed him.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains that the Dodgers, who lost to Clay Buchholz last night, nearly drafted the right-hander in the 2005 draft.
- R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs says the Braves could improve by adding an outfielder before the trade deadline. Few Braves fans would argue that GM Frank Wren shouldn't consider players like Luke Scott and David DeJesus if the price is right.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Marlins need to solidify their bullpen if they're going to contend.
Using Postseason Odds To Identify Sellers
Buyers and sellers can be hard to identify this time of year, since so many teams are often within a few games of a playoff spot. It's not even July yet, but a number of clubs have extremely slim odds of becoming contenders and appear likely to sell. Here are the teams that have less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs in 2010, according to the postseason odds report at Baseball Prospectus.
- Orioles
- Royals
- Indians
- Mariners
- Nationals
- Astros
- Pirates
- Diamondbacks
Other than those eight clubs, the A's (7% chance of making the playoffs), White Sox (6%), Cubs (5%) and Brewers (2%) are potential sellers to watch. The White Sox, winners of ten of their last 12, have dramatically improved their chances of playing meaningful games down the stretch. They have shown that anything is possible, but the eight teams listed above seem like good bets to become sellers within the next six weeks.
In case you're wondering, BP suggests the Rangers (81%) are the safest bet to make the playoffs.
Odds & Ends: Mejia, O’s, McGuire, Rangers, Valverde
Links for Sunday….
- ESPN's Adam Rubin tweets that the Mets have optioned Jenrry Mejia to Double-A Binghamton, where he will start their game on Wednesday.
- Jeff Zrebiec tells us that Buck Showalter will interview for the Baltimore managerial job this week, and Eric Wedge will likely receive a second interview. The club has yet to ask the Mets for permission to interview Bob Melvin.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian quotes Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos saying that despite first-round pick Deck McGuire's lack of participation in a media conference call, he's excited to have been drafted by Toronto. Anthopoulos says that negotiations, however, could go down to the wire as they did in 2009 with Chad Jenkins.
- Rangers manager Ron Washington feels that his team could use another front-line starting pitcher, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Texas has recently seen both Derek Holland and Rich Harden land on the disabled list.
- Nick Piecoro tweets that the D'Backs offered Jose Valverde a two-year deal worth about $10MM before he signed for two years and $14MM with Detroit. The story spawns from some heated comments that were exchanged between Valverde and former teammate Miguel Montero.
- Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times thinks Dan Haren would be a "perfect fit" for the Angels.
- The Cubs will soon face a decision on whether to become buyers or sellers, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
- Within a mailbag for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Paul Hoynes says that a little salary relief is the best the Indians could hope for in a Kerry Wood trade.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details how the Cardinals will handle their starting rotation for the time being. Even after signing Jeff Suppan, the club will be short-handed while they wait for Brad Penny to get healthy.
- The Tigers should exercise patience when it comes to acquiring a shortstop, according to Lynn Hennig of the Detroit News.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Tigers will have to think about trading for a starting pitcher, with Rick Porcello heading to Triple-A.
No Fire Sale Coming For D’Backs
Even with his club 15 games below .500, Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes doesn't expect to hold a fire sale in the coming weeks, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Although recent reports have indicated that the D'Backs will continue trading, and are considering major moves, Byrnes tells Piecoro that he isn't predicting any "monster" deals.
"We'll explore a lot of possibilities and see where we end up," said Byrnes. "I do think a lot of our players are guys we value and want to keep and I think if we're going to make trades, we'll have to get the type of things – particularly young pitching depth – that would make sense to us."
Piecoro notes that the Diamondbacks will still probably field offers on "just about anybody," but the players most likely to be dealt are Adam LaRoche, Aaron Heilman, and Chris Snyder. If the team does decide to move players like Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew, they'll likely demand a top pitching prospect in return. Presumably, the D'Backs would have to be blown away by a package of multiple young arms to consider trading Dan Haren.
Olney’s Latest: Rockies, Lee, Diamondbacks, Royals
In today's blog post at ESPN, Buster Olney speculates about some possible trade targets for the Rockies now that Troy Tulowitzki is going to miss the next six to eight weeks with a fractured wrist. Among those mentioned: Dan Uggla, Craig Counsell, Julio Lugo, and Cesar Izturis. Uggla would obviously be the most expensive, but Colorado would boast a dynamic offensive middle infield once Tulo returns.
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- Sources tell Olney there is no clear signal from the Mariners indicating that they're ready to trade Cliff Lee, but presumably that will come soon. He compares a potential Lee trade to the CC Sabathia trade, meaning that the sooner he's dealt, the more Seattle will receive in return.
- The Diamondbacks continue to gather intel about possible trades, but they are not close to making another deal at the moment.
- The Royals have a pair of outfielders in Rick Ankiel and David DeJesus who could be fits for the Red Sox. J.D. Drew suffered a hamstring injury yesterday, and Boston was already without Jacoby Ellsbury and Jeremy Hermida, who are both on the disabled list. Mike Cameron is playing through an abdominal tear as well.
Amateur Draft Signings: Friday
Here are the updates on which picks have signed with the clubs that selected them in last week's draft. Keep tabs on which first rounders and sandwich picks have signed by checking out our detailed breakdown.
- Top selections that were locked up today: Cito Culver signed with the Yankees, Taijuan Walker agreed to terms with the Mariners, and the Rangers signed Mike Olt.
- In addition to reaching an agreement with Walker, the Mariners signed ninth-rounder Luke Taylor and nine other players. The M's have now locked up 28 of their 50 selections, per a team release.
- The Diamondbacks signed two of their top three picks, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com (via Twitter). Right-handed pitchers James Bradley (56th overall) and Robert Rowland (88th) signed with the D'Backs. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets the financial details.
- MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reports that the Pirates also agreed to terms with a pair of right-handed arms, fifth-round pick Tyler Waldron and 12th-rounder Vincent Payne.
- The Orioles agreed to terms with their fourth-round pick, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Giants signed eight draft picks, according to the team's official transactions page.
Odds & Ends: Aybar, Haren, Hughes, Jackson
Links for Friday, before the Subway Series, Stephen Strasburg's third MLB start and Manny Ramirez's return to Fenway…
- Mike Scioscia tells Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times he's "very optimistic" that Erick Aybar's left knee injury won't lead to a DL stint. That reduces the chances that the Angels will go after a shortstop.
- It's been a great year for young players like Strasburg and Mike Leake, as ESPN.com's Tim Kurkjian shows.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the D'Backs often hear trade rumors from Dan Haren, who reads MLBTR. As Piecoro explains, players are generally aware of the latest rumblings in "the era of the trade rumor."
- Another top pitcher, Cliff Lee, chooses to ignore the rumors, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post asked 12 baseball insiders whether they would prefer to have Phil Hughes or Mike Pelfrey for the next five years and was surprised to see all 12 select Hughes.
- Edwin Jackson and Dontrelle Willis say they have good memories of Detroit and no hard feelings over the trades that sent them to Arizona, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Odds & Ends: Chipper, Cubs, Lowell, Mets, Tigers
Links for Thursday, as Ubaldo Jimenez keeps winning…
- Chipper Jones may have decided on his future; David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (via Twitter) that the Braves will hold a press conference for Chipper at 5pm CST today.
- The Cubs seem close to signing first rounder Hayden Simpson, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox are not close to dealing Mike Lowell to the Rangers or Twins.
- The Red Sox want the Twins and Rangers to pick up salary in a Lowell deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Twins and Rangers are still reluctant to pay much of the $7MM remaining on Lowell's contract.
- Pat Andriola of FanGraphs says Jake Westbrook could be a good fit for the Mets, who are looking for starting pitching.
- A Tigers official tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that things have been “quiet” on the trade front so far.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that he has "no intention of firing Lou Piniella."
- Miguel Montero tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he was flattered by the interest Boston had in trading for him after the 2008 season. Speier hears that the Red Sox and D'Backs, who were never on the brink of a deal, were discussing a swap based around Michael Bowden or Daniel Bard.
- If you've ever wondered what it would be like to watch a game beside Padres GM Jed Hoyer, check out this profile by Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Within the piece we hear that Hoyer would like to make San Diego an especially appealing destination for pitchers.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick examines the Padres' amazing pitching and points out that manager Bud Black and Hoyer were pitchers themselves.
Amateur Draft Signings: Wednesday
It's only been ten days since the draft, but teams are quickly coming to terms with their picks. Here are the latest updates on the deals you need to know about. You can track first rounders and their bonuses right here:
- The Red Sox made ten draft pick signings official, according to WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
- John Lowe of The Detroit Free Press reports that the Tigers have signed eighth round pick Pat Leyland, the son of manager Jim Leyland.
- The Padres signed 20 players, including second rounder Jedd Gyorko, according to the team.
- The White Sox signed second rounder Jacob Petricka, third rounders Addison Reed and Thomas Royse and 19 others, according to the team.
- The St. Louis Post-Dispatch lists the 33 picks the Cardinals have signed.
- The D'Backs signed 15 picks, including ninth rounder Zachary Walters, according to the Arizona Republic.
- The A's signed fifth rounder Tyler Vail and five others, according to the team.
- James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press reports that ninth rounder Tony Plagman and 15 other picks agreed to terms with the Tigers today.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (via Twitter) that the Indians signed their 40th rounder and three undrafted free agents.