Braves Designate Joe Mather For Assignment
The Braves have designated Joe Mather for assignment, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). The move was made in order to create space for the returning Nate McLouth.
Mather, 28, has a .228/.283/.384 slash line in parts of three big league seasons. The former third-round draft pick has seen time at both infield corners and all three outfield positions in the majors.
Atlanta actually placed Mather on waivers at the end of May but the utility player made it through just two days later. So far in 2011, Mather is hitting .213/.272/.307 with a home run in 83 plate appearances.
NL East Notes: Edwin Rodriguez, Uggla, Riggleman
Here are a couple items of note out of the NL East, where the Phillies sit atop the division with a five-game lead over the Braves entering Saturday's games:
- Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez is probably not in danger of losing his job, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com (via Twitter). Marlins brass relieved hitting coach John Mallee of his duties earlier this month in an effort to shake things up, leading to speculation that Rodriguez could be next if the Fish don't pick things up. Rodriguez was hired on a full-time basis in November; he finished 2010 as their interim skipper in the wake of Fredi Gonzalez's dismissal.
- Braves second baseman Dan Uggla is unlikely to be demoted despite his offensive struggles, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Uggla, who signed a five-year, $62MM extension after being acquired by Atlanta in a trade this offseason, can refuse a minor league assignment since he has five years' service time, according to O'Brien.
- Nationals manager Jim Riggleman deserves to have his 2012 option picked up and an extension on top of that, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). The Nats sit at one game under .500 after Saturday's win over the O's, particularly impressive considering they've been without Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman for much of the season, as Heyman notes.
Stark On Dempster, Adams, Reyes, Braves
Jayson Stark leads his latest column for ESPN with a debate with colleague Buster Olney about realignment possibilities. He notes that his sources say there's no chance divisions are dissolved and baseball becomes two 15-team leagues. On to Stark's other rumblings…
- An NL executive who spoke with Cubs GM Jim Hendry says there's no likely scenario where Ryan Dempster is traded. Earlier today, there were indications the Yankees at least have an eye on Dempster, who has full no-trade rights and a $14MM player option for 2012.
- Padres reliever Mike Adams also is likely to stay put, as the Padres are only interested in trading impending free agents Heath Bell and Chad Qualls.
- Jose Reyes might not be Brian Sabean's type of player, says one baseball man who speaks with the Giants' GM regularly. Still, Stark's source wondered if the liberation of winning last year's World Series might compel Sabean to take more chances. Of course, the Mets are looking like potential buyers right now.
- The Braves are "aggressively positioning themselves to deal for an outfield bat as soon as they can find a team ready to open its sell-off shop for business," writes Stark, and they've already checked in on Josh Willingham and Hunter Pence. We outlined potentially available power bats earlier this month.
Contenders In Need Of First Base Help
As many as six contenders might aim to improve at first base as we approach the trade deadline: the Rays, Angels, Braves, Pirates, Giants, and Diamondbacks. Let's take a closer look.
- The Rays have used Casey Kotchman at first lately, and with a .335/.392/.445 line he has not disappointed. Kotchman has scuffled in 39 June plate appearances, however, and if that is a sign that he's back to the level of his previous few seasons, the Rays will need to upgrade.
- Rookie Mark Trumbo is the Angels' first baseman. He's shown some power, but a .248/.294/.454 line is subpar at the position. Russell Branyan is also in the mix.
- The Braves are using rookie Freddie Freeman, who has played fairly close to expectations at .268/.335/.416. You'd like to see more power, but the Braves might be content here.
- Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay is hitting just .236/.305/.369. Typically the Bucs are not mentioned in posts about contenders, but at five games back they could be more buyers than sellers.
- Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff has struggled to a .234/.288/.393 line, though he's been better in June. Given his contract, the Giants will probably stick with him. Top prospect Brandon Belt could be Plan B if Huff is struggling when the rookie recovers from a broken wrist.
- The Diamondbacks have been using Juan Miranda and Xavier Nady at first base. Miranda has been solid overall, though not in June. Nady hasn't done much. Brandon Allen is an option at Triple-A.
That makes six contenders that might consider a first base upgrade, though all of them could easily stand pat. Who's available? Carlos Pena, Michael Cuddyer, Wilson Betemit, Yonder Alonso, Brad Hawpe, Juan Rivera, James Loney, Derrek Lee, Chris Davis, and Kila Ka'aihue can probably be had, but they're not clear upgrades for anyone. The best bet to be dealt might be Pena, who is hitting .250/.388/.492 since May 1st. Loney has also been better lately.
East Notes: Phillies, Lawrie, Fox, Uggla
Some items from the eastern divisions….
- "You will not see a major move this year," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com about his team's trade deadline plans. Amaro feels the Phils are already good enough to compete and it's just a matter of the club finding its peak form. He also notes that the team has very little payroll flexibility, but "for $170 MM-plus, we should be good enough to be a World Series contender.”
- Blue Jays prospect Brett Lawrie will be out for two-to-four weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his left hand, tweets Rogers Sportsnet's Arash Madani. Lawrie was tentatively scheduled to make his Major League debut last week before being hit by a pitch in a Triple-A game.
- Jake Fox was put on waivers by the Orioles earlier today and he might get some attention from the Pirates. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that the Pirates had some interest in Fox during Spring Training, and the Bucs might have need for a catcher since Chris Snyder left today's game with a back injury. (Twitter link)
- The Dan Uggla trade hasn't panned out well for either the Braves or the Marlins thus far, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
Draft Notes: Brewers, Astros, Bell, Beede, Braves
Let's take a look at some draft-related items as Day 2 wraps up:
- The Brewers took just one Scott Boras client across the first two days: his son, Trent Boras. The younger Boras is a USC commit, but the club will try to convince him otherwise, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
- The Mets could have gone the safe route and taken players that would help them in the immediate future, but instead they went for high-risk, high-reward types, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.
- Astros first-round pick George Springer sounds as though he's very signable, tweets Stephen Goff of Examiner.com.
- The Pirates are hoping that they will be able to sign high school outfielder Josh Bell, just as they were able to come to terms with pitcher Stetson Allie last year, writes MLB.com's Laura Myers. Allie was a UNC commit, but the Pirates got him to sign with a $2.25MM bonus.
- Blue Jays top pick Tyler Beede says that the decision on whether to sign will be based on money, tweets Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Toronto selected Beede with the 21st overall pick in the draft.
- The Braves didn't take a high schooler until the 11th round (Seth Morando, an infielder from Buchanan High School in California), but that doesn't mark a shift in philosophy for the club, writes Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- With pick No. 685, the Reds selected left-hander Amir Garrett, a left-handed pitcher out of Findlay College Prep in Nevada, who has committed to play basketball for St. John's. The chances of him signing, however, are "infinitesimal", according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter). A source close to the family told Luke Winn of Sports Illustrated that Garrett would sign if he were selected in the first seven rounds and offered a bonus of around $1.5MM.
Olney On Nationals, Mariners, Brewers, A’s
Rival executives have wondered whether the Nationals will eventually shift top pick Anthony Rendon to second base, so ESPN.com’s Buster Olney constructs an impressive-looking 2013 Nationals lineup with Rendon at second and prospective free agent Prince Fielder at first base. Here are the rest of Olney’s rumors:
- The Mariners wondered whether Safeco Field would limit Rendon’s offense, but they’re confident that their second overall selection, left-hander Danny Hultzen, will be a good fit in their home ballpark.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin confirmed to Olney that it’s possible (though not likely) that top pick Taylor Jungmann could help them this year.
- Some executives tell Olney that top Orioles pick Dylan Bundy is the greatest pure talent in the draft. He's certainly looking to get paid like an elite talent.
- Olney wonders if Grant Balfour could be dealt to the Rangers, who could use relief help.
- Teams like the Braves and Phillies are looking for offense, so Josh Willingham could become a target if the 27-34 Athletics do become sellers.
Cubs Acquire Rodrigo Lopez From Braves
The Cubs have acquired right-hander Rodrigo Lopez from the Braves for left-hander Ryan Buchter, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Sullivan (via Twitter) that he sees the veteran as a swingman who can start or relieve.
Lopez has spent this season at Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 2.59 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in nine starts. The 35-year-old pitched 200 innings as a starter for Arizona last season and finished with a 5.00 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
Buchter, 24, will be assigned to Class A-Advanced Lynchburg. The reliever has made 57 appearances at the Double-A level and owns a 4.94 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 7.4 BB/9.
MLB.com's Mark Bowman (via Twitter) first reported that the Braves would receive Buchter in the deal.
On-Base Problems And Possible Solutions
As a group, MLB players tend to reach base approximately one third of the time, but this year has been different. It has been more than a decade since hitters posted an on-base percentage as low as .319, the current MLB mark.
That means the Rockies’ .319 mark isn’t as bad as it seems and makes the Cardinals’ .360 mark doubly impressive (especially when you consider how mediocre their best player has been).
There’s more to offense than on-base percentage, but there’s something to be said for not making outs, so teams with poor OBPs may look to fortify their respective offenses this summer. Here’s a look at which potential contenders may look to acquire on-base help and which players they could target to boost scoring (all stats are entering the day's action):
Oakland Athletics (27th in MLB with a .303 OBP)
The A’s, a team many of associate with high-OBP hitters, aren’t doing much better than the tepid offenses in Minnesota and San Diego when it comes to getting on base. Mark Ellis (.243 OBP), Kevin Kouzmanoff (.238) and Andy LaRoche (.295) have been Oakland’s primary culprits. Ellis’ career mark of .332 gives the A’s some hope at second, but LaRoche hasn’t done much better than Kouzmanoff since taking over at third, so GM Billy Beane may have to consider some other possible solutions. Wilson Betemit (.383 OBP), Chase Headley (.381) and the surprising and versatile Ryan Roberts (.395) are potential third base targets for the A’s, whose offensive woes aren’t limited to OBP.
San Francisco Giants (25th in MLB with a .308 OBP)
No team in baseball has scored fewer runs than the Giants (164) and their low OBP doesn’t help. The primary culprits so far? Aubrey Huff (.280 OBP) and Miguel Tejada (.241). Brandon Belt (.484 OBP at Triple-A) awaits another shot at big league pitching, but improving the offensive output at shortstop won’t be so easy or cheap. Possible solutions include Stephen Drew (.352 OBP) and, of course, Jose Reyes (.365).
Atlanta Braves (T-24th in MLB with a .309 OBP)
Dan Uggla (.256 OBP) and Alex Gonzalez (.295) are the primary culprits, but they appear to be entrenched as everyday players. Perhaps the Braves would have interest in a middle infielder out of the Eric Hinske mold – someone who can play multiple positions and get on base at a decent clip. Possible solutions include Roberts, Jamey Carroll (.371 OBP), Robert Andino (.368) and Marco Scutaro (.316).
Tampa Bay Rays (T-24th in MLB with a .309 OBP)
Rays shortstops have combined for a .244 OBP and the team’s catchers have combined for a .256 mark. Reid Brignac (.210 OBP), Elliot Johnson (.306), John Jaso (.279) and Kelly Shoppach (.247) are the primary culprits. If the Rays decide Jaso and Shoppach aren’t going to return to their respectable career levels, they could explore a deal for Miguel Montero (.358 OBP), Wilson Ramos (.339) or Ryan Doumit (.354). The shortstops listed above also represent possible solutions, though OBP is just one of many considerations for such a demanding defensive position.
Philadelphia Phillies (19th in MLB with a .314 OBP)
It seems weird to say so, but the Phillies have had a below-average offense so far this year (20th in MLB with 189 runs scored). Phillies second basemen (.264 OBP) and center fielders (.305) have been the primary culprits so far. But Chase Utley (.380 career OBP) has returned from the disabled list and Shane Victorino (.343 OBP in 2011) could be back as soon as next Friday, so the Phillies may not have to explore the trade market for possible solutions.
Quick Hits: Hill, Uggla, Rockies
The Royals announced that former pitcher and broadcaster Paul Splittorff died from complications from melanoma this morning at the age of 64. Splittorff is the all-time winningest pitcher in franchise history and we pass along our condolences to his friends and family. Here are links for Wednesday night…
- Red Sox lefty Rich Hill tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com that it’s especially thrilling to be succeeding in Boston, since he grew up in nearby Milton and cheered for the Red Sox growing up. Hill has yet to allow an earned run in 7 innings this year and he has a 10K/2BB ratio.
- Dan Uggla told Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he feels some pressure associated with his new multiyear extension. The 31-year-old has a .185/.256/.344 line with seven homers since signing a $62MM deal with the Braves this offseason.
- The Rockies are not looking to make trades right now, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).