Astros Claim Lance Pendleton
The Astros claimed right-hander Lance Pendleton off of waivers from the Yankees, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Pendleton, who was designated by the Yankees on Tuesday, spent Spring Training with Houston after they selected him from New York in last winter's Rule 5 draft. The Astros returned the 6'3" Houston native to the Yankees on March 27th when he didn't make the Opening Day roster.
The 27-year-old made his MLB debut for the Yankees in April and went on to post a 3.21 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 6.4 BB/9 in 14 innings. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.10 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 66 2/3 innings as a starter and reliever.
Heyman On Orioles, Cubs, Astros
The Orioles may have trouble attracting GM candidates with stature, assuming president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail leaves after the season, Jon Heyman writes at SI.com. Owner Peter Angelos is involved in all the big decisions the Orioles make, sometimes making the calls himself. Angelos loves manager Buck Showalter and there’s some buzz that Angelos could make his manager the GM as well, as unlikely as that seems. Here’s the latest from Heyman:
- Showalter was Angelos’ choice last year, though MacPhail appeared to be leaning toward current Mariners manager Eric Wedge.
- Cal Ripken Jr. doesn’t appear to have interest in becoming a general manager and people close to the longtime Orioles shortstop say they can’t see him working under Angelos as a GM.
- It’s hard to imagine Rangers executive John Hart agreeing to work under Angelos, unless he gets real autonomy.
- Angelos wouldn’t like the idea of hiring a Yankee to turn his franchise around and it appears unlikely that Brian Cashman would leave New York for Baltimore.
- Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine, who grew up rooting for the Orioles, figures to be a candidate for the job.
- Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has started calling around “in earnest” about possible GMs.
- If the Astros move to the American League, MLB will add an extra Wild Card team next year.
- Mets executives see Justin Turner as a utility player.
Regular MLBTR Features
If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:
- MLBTR Chats – Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the Major Leagues.
- Baseball Blogs Weigh In – Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
- Week In Review – It's remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
- MLBTR Originals – We gather all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.
Giants Notes: Burrell, Ross, Sanchez, Whiteside
The 2011 Giants closely resembled last year’s World Championship team, but change lies ahead for San Francisco. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle explains that health considerations and the rising cost of arbitration eligible players will shape next year’s Giants team. Here are some highlights from Schulman's piece:
- Pat Burrell could again sign a one-year deal when he hits free agency after the season (he earns $1MM this year), but he may have to retire because of a foot injury. Burrell says he’ll play as long as he’s healthy enough to take the field.
- Schulman says it’s hard to imagine the Giants offering Cody Ross a raise from $6.3MM or agreeing to a multiyear deal when the outfielder hits free agency.
- Mark DeRosa is hoping to sign closer to Atlanta, where he makes his home, and realizes he may be in line for a minor league deal.
- The Giants will probably decline Jeremy Affeldt’s $5MM option for 2012, but they’ll “almost certainly” pursue him in free agency, according to Schulman.
- Jonathan Sanchez and Andres Torres are non-tender candidates. When MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes identified Sanchez and Torres as non-tender candidates last month, he pointed out that Sanchez’s salary would rise over $6MM (he now earns $4.8MM) through arbitration.
- Eli Whiteside is another non-tender candidate, Schulman writes.
- Jeff Keppinger, who’s arbitration eligible, will likely return in 2012 and it’s hard to imagine the Giants cutting Nate Schierholtz after seeing him progress in 2011.
- The Giants may not have room on the roster for both Mike Fontenot and Emmanuel Burriss.
Ownership Notes: Dodgers, Astros, Selig
Two of the least stable ownership situations in baseball can be found in Los Angeles and Houston. Here's the latest on bids for the Dodgers and Astros…
- MLB's delay with Jim Crane's bid had nothing to do with switching leagues and "everything to do with his background," according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter links).
- There won't be enough time to realign the leagues by 2012, so we aren't likely to see expanded playoffs next year, according to Nightengale.
- An attorney for Dodgers owner Frank McCourt called Bill Burke's $1.2 billion bid for the Dodgers a "publicity stunt" in documents filed in court this week, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. McCourt remains intent on keeping the Dodgers, Shaikin reports.
- Incoming Astros owner Jim Crane told Joe Holley of the Houston Chronicle that he's becoming frustrated with the slow pace of the ownership transfer and the public speculation about the reasons for the holdup. Crane also pointed out that his contract with Drayton McLane goes through November 30th, which means a deal has to be finalized by then unless the sides agree to extend the window.
- However, as Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle points out, there are a thousand reasons to question the character of an incoming owner, so commissioner Bud Selig probably won't look kindly on Crane's comments.
Olney On Mauer, Morneau, Wright, Royals
Twins GM Bill Smith told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are totally committed to arriving at Spring Training in top physical form. The Twins’ chances in 2012 revolve around Mauer, who had knee surgery in December, and Morneau, who is recovering from concussion symptoms. Here are the rest of Olney’s notes from around MLB…
- Mauer has discussed a ‘rigorous’ training program with the Twins’ staff.
- The Twins will also have to restructure their bullpen and decide how Tsuyoshi Nishioka fits into their plans this offseason.
- The Mets are expected to listen to offers for David Wright, who would presumably draw interest from the Rockies and Angels, among others.
- Rival teams are in awe of the Royals’ collection of promising position players, Olney writes. Kansas City is still waiting for its pitching prospects to develop.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Blake Davis
The latest players to get outrighted to Triple-A…
- The Orioles outrighted Blake Davis to their Triple-A roster after the infielder cleared waivers, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Davis, 27, appeared in 25 games for the Orioles this year, posting a .254/.323/.390 line in 65 plate appearances. He played short, second and third in the Major Leagues and also appeared in the outfield at Triple-A.
NL East Notes: Marlins, Rodriguez, Davis
Links from the NL East, as the Mets and Braves start the first of two games at Citi Field…
- There is a sense that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson will be taking on bigger roles in making player personnel decisions, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter). That would mean less autonomy for president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and general manager Michael Hill, who are nominally in charge of baseball moves.
- Ivan Rodriguez will be a backup catcher for the Nationals for the rest of the season, but he says he'd like to play four more years in the Major Leagues, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Mets first baseman Ike Davis told ESPNNewYork’s Adam Rubin that he won’t have surgery to help repair the left ankle sprain that has sidelined him since May (Twitter link).
- Click here to read about the Braves' starting pitching depth and how it could affect their offseason.
Marlins Release Alfredo Amezaga
The Marlins released Alfredo Amezaga, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). They had designated the 33-year-old utility player for assignment on Monday.
The Marlins acquired Amezaga from the Rockies for minor league infielder Jesus Merchan last month. In 87 plate appearances for Colorado and Florida this season, Amezaga has a .182/.247/.195 line. He has appeared at second, short, third and both corner outfield positions. In parts of nine big league seasons, Amezaga has a .247/.307/.333 career line.
Jason Isringhausen Plans To Pitch In 2012
Jason Isringhausen told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that he intends to pitch next year. The 39-year-old right-hander, who picked up his 300th career save this summer, hits free agency after the season.
Isringhausen has turned in a solid year for the Mets after signing a minor league deal last offseason. He has a 4.05 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 4.6 BB/9 and a 39.1% ground ball rate in 46 2/3 innings. Isringhausen didn't pitch in MLB last year, but his average fastball still reaches 90.6 mph. However, as Rubin notes, Isringhausen has a herniated disc that is pinching a nerve and leading to discomfort in his right foot, so he won't pitch for several days. He won't be tied to draft pick compensation after the season, as our latest projections show.
Isringhausen said last month that he isn't going to return to MLB for $500K. Check out CloserNews.com for everything you need to know about fantasy closers.