Nationals Notes: Strasburg, Harper, Zimmermann
The Nationals expect Stephen Strasburg to return to the Major Leagues one week from today. Here are some links from D.C. in the meantime…
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he intends to handle Strasburg with "kid gloves" as the right-hander completes his return from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last September.
- Livan Hernandez said today that he wants to return to Washington in 2012, even if it means working in middle relief next year, Kilgore reports (on Twitter).
- Top 2010 draft pick Bryce Harper will suit up for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League this year, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo writes. Harper, who made it to Double-A in his first professional season, is now recovering from a hamstring injury.
- Kilgore suggests Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann could be an extension candidate this offseason. Zimmermann, a likely super two player, came back from Tommy John surgery to put together a fantastic season in 2011, but he has now reached his innings limit for the year.
- For a look at a key member of the Nationals' front office, check out MLBTR's piece on GM candidate Bryan Minniti.
Red Sox Sign Trever Miller
The Red Sox signed Trever Miller and assigned him to Triple-A, according to Dan Hoard, the radio voice of the Pawtucket Red Sox (on Twitter). The Blue Jays designated the 38-year-old lefty for assignment on August 16th and released him five days later.
Miller appeared in six games for the Blue Jays after they acquired him in the July trade that sent Colby Rasmus to Toronto. In 19 1/3 innings for the Cardinals and Blue Jays this year, the 13-year veteran has a 4.19 ERA with 5.1 K/9, 5.6 BB/9 and a 38.8 % ground ball rate.
Ozzie Guillen Wants Extension, Could Leave
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he is prepared to walk away from the final year of his contract if he doesn’t get an extension by Opening Day 2012, Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago reports. Guillen's contract expires after 2012 and he's looking for more.
"One thing I make clear, I don't think I'm going to be back here for a one-year contract and I don't know what to do with the next year," Guillen said.
Guillen said he has not discussed an extension with White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and isn’t going to ask for a new deal any time soon. The skipper says he’d be “embarrassed” to ask for a contract after a “bad year.” The White Sox, who have been under Guillen’s guidance since 2004, began the day with a 67-65 record, trailing the Tigers by 5.0 games.
Guillen says he and GM Kenny Williams have a better relationship than anyone in the game, despite a report to the contrary. Earlier today, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the relationship between Guillen and GM Kenny Williams has become increasingly strained. The White Sox are getting a feel for potential alternatives to Guillen and are renewing talks with the Marlins about a possible deal involving the manager, according to Cowley.
MacPhail Decides On Future With Orioles
Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has reached a decision about his future with the team, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Two high-ranking Orioles officials told Nightengale that they expect MacPhail to walk away without pursuing an extension. Said MacPhail to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun: "You can get two sources to say the moon is made of green cheese." He told Nightengale, "Let's just get to the end of the year. And see what unfolds. We'll see. We'll see."
The Orioles have brought several GM candidates up internally, according to Nightengale. GM Brian Cashman, whose contract with the Yankees expires after the season, tops Baltimore’s list, according to Nightengale. Orioles manager Buck Showalter says he’s not interested in moving to the GM’s office, but he’s expected to have a role in the team's decision.
Giants Release Clayton Tanner
7:18pm: The Giants are in the process of re-signing Tanner, GM Brian Sabean told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (on Twitter).
3:26pm: The Giants released Clayton Tanner, according to the team's transactions page. They had designated the left-hander for assignment to create 40-man roster space for Eric Surkamp over the weekend.
Tanner, 23, has yet to appear in the Major Leagues. The 2006 third rounder has a 3.66 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 686 1/4 minor league innings. Most recently, he logged 119 2/3 innings of 4.29 ERA ball pitching out of the rotation for the Giants' Double-A Richmond affiliate.
Lance Berkman: “I’m Not Going To Get Moved”
Lance Berkman told reporters that he doesn't expect the Cardinals to trade him by tomorrow's deadline, MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports. Despite rumors that the Rangers could have interest, Berkman expects to finish the year in St. Louis.
“I’m not going to get moved,” he said. "I think the ship has sailed. I really do."
Berkman explained that he wants to stay put and believes that the Cardinals want to keep him. Since Berkman projects as a low Type-A free agent, the Cardinals could end up with two compensation picks in next year's draft if he declines an arbitration offer to sign elsewhere. As a result, GM John Mozeliak would likely require significant prospects in any deal.
The Rangers placed Nelson Cruz on the disabled list and expect to be without him for three weeks. However, GM Jon Daniels said he expects to rely on internal solutions and the Rangers have called up Leonys Martin to take Cruz's place on the roster. Texas remains interested in Berkman, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
The Cardinals have until tomorrow to weigh all offers for Berkman, who has cleared waivers. The 35-year-old has a .289/.405/.570 line with 30 homers.
GM Candidate: Bryan Minniti
MLBTR's list of general manager candidates introduced 20 people who were identified by their peers as potential Major League GMs. We’re bringing you closer to the candidates with a series of pieces. Today the series continues with Nationals assistant GM Bryan Minniti.
Though Bryan Minniti of the Nationals is one of the younger candidates on our list, the 31-year-old has been working in baseball for over a decade and has already served under four GMs.
Minniti started under former Pirates GM Cam Bonifay in Pittsburgh, where he worked full-time hours for part-time pay. By the time the Pirates had replaced Bonifay with Dave Littlefield and Littlefield with current GM Neal Huntington, Minniti had graduated from intern to director of baseball operations.
Then, after nine seasons with the Pirates, the University of Pittsburgh graduate (Mathematics & Statistics) headed to D.C. in 2009. Washington GM Mike Rizzo made Minniti assistant GM, a role that includes contract negotiations, arbitration preparation, budget work and roster decisions. His role does include procedural work and number crunching, but Minniti is a people person whose problem solving skills apply in diverse situations.
Rangers To Release Ryan Tucker
The Rangers will release Ryan Tucker to create 40-man roster space for Mark Hamburger, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Tucker, 24, had not been on the Rangers' active roster before they made the move.
Tucker appeared in five games for the Rangers this year, but spent most of his season at Triple-A Round Rock. The right-hander posted a 5.40 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 68 1/3 innings at Triple-A before getting released. The Rangers claimed Tucker, a first round pick in 2005, off of waivers from the Marlins last October.
Jose Reyes’ Final Month
Jose Reyes, take note. All of the players to sign free agent contracts worth more than $100MM since the 2007-08 offseason capped their respective walk years with healthy, productive final months. If Reyes, who returned from a three-week stint on the disabled list tonight, hopes to sign a nine-figure deal (or, better yet, prove Fred Wilpon wrong and match Carl Crawford’s $142MM contract) it's in his best interest to finish the season in similarly strong fashion.
For Reyes to join Crawford in the $100MM club, he’ll probably have to show interested teams that he has recovered from the left hamstring issue that sidelined him for the past three weeks. No matter what Reyes does, he won’t silence questions about his ability to stay healthy for an entire season. But if the 28-year-old can finish 2011 with one more month of electrifying play, he’ll have a stronger case for a contract worth $100MM or more.
The most recent free agents to join the $100MM club wrapped up their walk years in style. Alex Rodriguez hit ten home runs after September 1st, 2007 before signing the biggest contract in MLB history. The next year, Mark Teixeira wrapped up his campaign with a .333/.417/.631 month that included five homers. His future teammate, C.C. Sabathia, posted a 2.11 ERA in 42 2/3 innings with a 43K/7BB ratio in Milwaukee that September, concluding a sensational three month stint with the playoff-bound Brewers.
The following year, it was Matt Holliday’s turn; the Scott Boras client finished his season with a .336/.405/.523 month that included five homers. Last year, Jayson Werth hit nine homers after September 1st for a monthly line of .300/.369/.600 while Crawford added four homers and posted a .360/.402/.588 line. And who could forget Cliff Lee, who posted a 1.93 ERA in September then contributed 35 2/3 innings of 2.78 ERA ball in the postseason as the Rangers reached the World Series (he had a 47K/2BB playoff ratio).
This is not to say that these players have a direct impact on the Reyes negotiations and it’s certainly not to say that they signed nine-figure deals because they had impressive numbers for a month. Teixeira, for example, could have hit .200 with one homer in September, 2008 and still signed for well over $100MM. However, Reyes isn't a surefire $100MM player, as Mets owner Fred Wilpon explained in a memorable New Yorker article this spring.
Teams will acknowledge Reyes’ game-changing skills even if he slumps in September and they’ll question his ability to stay healthy even if he plays every inning of every game from here on. That much is certain, but, to some extent, Reyes can change the way others perceive him between now and September 28th, when the Mets play their final game. The other recent additions to the $100MM free agent club finished the year with dominant months. Reyes can join them if he takes advantage of the season's final four weeks to convince teams he’s worth a mega-deal of his own.
Minor Moves: Hayhurst, Banks
The latest minor moves…
- The Rays released Triple-A right-hander Dirk Hayhurst, according to the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter). Hayhurst, author of the highly entertaining book The Bullpen Gospels, last appeared in the Major Leagues with the 2009 Blue Jays. He had a 4.12 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 59 innings for the Rays' top affiliate this year.
- The independent Long Island Ducks announced that they signed former Major LeaguerJosh Banks. The 2003 second rounder pitched for the Astros last year and also has MLB experience with the Blue Jays and Padres.