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 amazing 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.
Rangers Sign Manny Corpas
The Rangers signed Manny Corpas to a minor league deal, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). The Rockies released Corpas this November, two months after he underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. Corpas probably won't pitch in 2011, while he recovers.
Corpas posted a 4.62 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 42.5% ground ball rate in 2010. Defense independent pitching stats suggest his ERA should have been lower last year, and he was one of the youngest free agents available.
D’Backs To Sign Ron Mahay
The Diamondbacks agreed to sign left-handed reliever Ron Mahay to a minor league deal, the team announced. Mahay will head to extended Spring Training for a few days and will likely be assigned to Triple-A afterward, at which point left-handed reliever Joe Paterson may see his job security diminish.
Mahay, 39, appeared in 41 games for the Twins last year and posted a 3.44 ERA with a 42.5% ground ball rate, 6.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. In 14 big league seasons, Mahay has posted 7.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 against left-handed hitters.
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic first reported the agreement (Twitter links)
Rangers Claim Ramon Aguero
The Rangers claimed Ramon Aguero off of waivers from the Pirates, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Texas optioned the right-hander to Triple-A and moved Omar Beltre to its 60-day DL.
Pittsburgh designated Aguero for assignment last week after optioning him to Double-A earlier in March. Aguero posted a 6.14 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 29 1/3 innings at Class A and Double-A last year. The 26-year-old Dominican has a 4.14 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in parts of five pro seasons.
Manny Ramirez Retires
Manny Ramirez has retired, Major League Baseball announced. MLB says it notified Ramirez of "an issue" under its drug program and that the longtime slugger decided to retire instead of continuing with the process.
Ramirez would have faced a 100-game suspension if he hadn't retired, because he tested positive for a banned substance, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter). The positive test occurred in Spring Training, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). It would have been Ramirez's second major drug-related suspension; he was suspended for 50 games after a positive drug test in 2009.
Five games into his one-year, $2MM contract with the Rays, Ramirez's brief tenure in Tampa is over. He went 1/17 with a single and an RBI, getting booed by his own fans in the process. The Rays did not anticipate this development.
"We are obviously surprised and disappointed by this news," the club said in a statement. "We will have no further comment on this matter."
Ramirez ends his 19-year big league career with 2574 hits, 1831 RBI, a .312 batting average, a .411 on-base percentage and a .585 slugging percentage. The 12-time All-Star ranks 14th all-time with 555 homers and 9th all-time with a .996 OPS. Ramirez played for the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, Rays and White Sox, winning nine Silver Sluggers, two Hank Aaron Awards and the 2004 World Series MVP. He earned over $200MM in his career, according to Baseball-Reference, but won't earn the bulk of his agreed upon 2011 salary.
Heyman On Marlins, White Sox, Jenks, Glaus
There is likely an unusually short list of managers on the hot seat this year, writes Jon Heyman of SI.com. Marlins skipper Edwin Rodriguez is the lone manager who truly has uncertain job security, according to Heyman. Rodriguez received a one-year deal from the Marlins, which is rare for managers and suggests he doesn’t necessarily figure into the club’s long-term plans. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors.
- Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told Heyman that "no one's on the hot seat.”
- Jim Leyland of the Tigers, Jim Riggleman of the Nationals and Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox are not necessarily on the hot seat, but they’re worth keeping an eye on, according to Heyman.
- Leyland will likely be given the chance to return to Detroit after the season when his contract expires, but that’s not a sure thing, according to Heyman.
- One White Sox person told Heyman that Guillen “isn't going anywhere.”
- Before the Yankees signed Rafael Soriano, GM Brian Cashman told Bobby Jenks that he wasn’t offering any setup man $8MM. The Yankees signed Soriano for $35MM over three years, though Cashman advised against it.
- Free agent Troy Glaus is still at home after drawing some interest this winter.
Near Misses For Super Two Status
Last offseason, two years and 122 days of service time was enough for super two status. It looks like players will need about three weeks more service time to qualify as super twos after the coming season, which means many players who won't qualify this year would have qualified last year. Keeping in mind that this list is subject to change until the season ends, here's a look at the players who may just miss super two status this offseason (Opening Day service time noted):
- Gerardo Parra, Diamondbacks, 1.145
- Jake Fox, Orioles, 1.145
- Nolan Reimold, Orioles, 1.144 (not currently on MLB roster)
- Eric Patterson, Padres, 1.144 (not currently on MLB roster)
- Darnell McDonald, Red Sox, 1.143
- Jason Jaramillo, Pirates, 1.138
- Tony Sipp, Indians, 1.138
- Kris Medlen, Braves, 1.137
- Ramiro Pena, Yankees, 1.137 (not currently on MLB roster)
- John Bowker, Pirates, 1.133
- Sean Rodriguez, Rays, 1.133
- Bobby Parnell, Mets, 1.132
- Jason Berken, Orioles, 1.132
- Shelley Duncan, Indians, 1.129
- Matt Wieters, Orioles, 1.129
- Brett Cecil, Blue Jays, 1.128
- Travis Snider, Blue Jays, 1.126
- Mitchell Boggs, Cardinals, 1.125
- Ian Kennedy, Diamondbacks, 1.124
- Gordon Beckham, White Sox, 1.123
- Matt Joyce, Rays, 1.123
- Andrew McCutchen, Pirates, 1.123
Three players, Chris Davis and Derek Holland of the Rangers and, Tommy Hanson of the Braves entered the season with one year and 120 days of service.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the service time info.
Possible Super Two Players For 2012
The cutoff for super two players will be two years and 146 days of service time after the 2011 season, according to preliminary internal studies by the agency CAA (Twitter link). This would represent a decidedly late cutoff, especially compared to last year, when two years and 122 days of service was enough for players to head to arbitration an extra time. The possible 2.146 cutoff is subject to change, depending on callups and demotions, but here's a preliminary list of players who could qualify for super two status if they accumulate a full year of service time in 2011 (Opening Day service time noted).
- Rick Porcello, Tigers, 1.170
- Kevin Jepsen, Angels, 1.169
- Matt Daley, Rockies, 1.166 (not currently on MLB roster)
- Steve Pearce, Pirates, 1.165
- Gregor Blanco, Royals, 1.164 (not currently on MLB roster)
- David Price, Rays, 1.164
- Jerry Blevins, Athletics, 1.162
- Gio Gonzalez, Athletics, 1.162
- Luis Valbuena, Indians, 1.162 (not currently on MLB roster)
- Esmerling Vasquez, Diamondbacks, 1.162 (not currently on MLB roster)
- Brad Bergesen, Orioles, 1.160
- Garrett Jones, Pirates, 1.158
- Justin Germano, Indians, 1.155
- Will Venable, Padres, 1.155
- Ryan Perry, Tigers, 1.154
- Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals, 1.154
- Landon Powell, Athletics, 1.153
- Ronald Belisario, Dodgers, 1.151 (though Belisario was on track to become a super two, he is on the restricted list, where he will not accrue service time).
- Royce Ring, Mariners, 1.151(not currently on MLB roster)
- Chris Coghlan, Marlins, 1.150
- Ryan Roberts, Diamondbacks, 1.150
- Don Kelly, Tigers, 1.149
- Daniel Bard, Red Sox, 1.148
- Tyler Clippard, Nationals, 1.148
- Matt Palmer, Angels, 1.147 (not currently on MLB roster)
- Mitch Stetter, Brewers, 1.146
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the service time info.
Constructing The Rockies’ Rotation
Esmil Rogers retired 18 consecutive batters at one point yesterday and allowed just one run in 7 1/3 innings of work. Not a bad season debut for someone who was supposed to be a shortstop.
When Rolando Fernandez, the Rockies’ senior director of international scouting, signed Rogers out of the Dominican Republic eight years ago, he was intrigued by the teenage infielder’s smooth swing and, especially, his live arm.
Before long it became apparent that Rogers (pictured) wasn’t a fit at short, so the Rockies decided it was time for a change. Fernandez didn’t want to embarrass Rogers, so one night he waited until all the other players had left the field and told Rogers he wanted to see him throw a bullpen.
“He was very natural,” Fernandez said. “Very easy. He was 90-91 [mph] at that point without ever pitching. He looked like he had done it before, like he had been pitching for a few years.”
Now that Rogers actually has been pitching for a few years, he's a member of the Rockies' rotation, a group that features two other international free agent signings, and Jason Hammel, who was obtained for a fourth internationally signed pitcher, Aneury Rodriguez.
No other rotation in baseball features as many internationally signed, homegrown pitchers. There’s no prize for having lots of Latin American starters or a homegrown rotation, of course. The goal is to win games and, thanks to a decade of production from Fernandez and the Rockies’ other scouts, Rogers, Jhoulys Chacin, and Ubaldo Jimenez should help Colorado do just that.
Ten years ago this month, Fernandez was scouting tryouts in the Dominican Republic when he came across a skinny right-hander who stood about 6’1”. Intrigued, Fernandez brought the prospect to the Rockies’ complex to watch him pitch. Even as a teenager, Ubaldo Jimenez showed major league potential.
“The arm action, arm speed, delivery and projection was there,” Fernandez said. “At that time he was just a kid and he was a competitor. He kept all the pitches in the strike zone and you could see the live arm.”
Jimenez, now on the disabled list, has since developed into one of baseball's best pitchers. He threw a no-hitter last year and posted a 2.88 ERA in 221 2/3 innings, striking out 214 and finishing second in last year’s NL Cy Young voting
Like most prospects, Jimenez grew into his body; he now stands three inches taller and about 40 pounds heavier than he did in 2001. But his physical development doesn’t compare to what the Rockies have seen from Chacin since he signed out of Venezuela in 2004.
“Sometimes you see 16-year-olds who look like they’re 18 or 19,” Fernandez said. “Chacin was 16 and he looked like he was 14 years old.”
Despite his youthful appearance and 155 pound frame, Chacin was more polished than Rogers or Jimenez at the time of his signing and he showed good instincts on the mound. He had less pure stuff than the others back then, but he didn't have trouble retiring big league hitters last year. In his first extended stint in the Major Leagues, Chacin posted a 3.28 ERA in 137 1/3 innings, striking out a batter per frame.
Now in his 19th season with the Rockies, Fernandez is currently in Venezuela preparing for this year’s crop of July 2 prospects. He credits the Rockies’ scouting and player development staff for the heavy international presence in the rotation, but he doesn’t deny that it’s personally rewarding to see the teenagers he signed long ago contribute in the Major Leagues.
“It’s exciting because when we sign these kids at 16 or 17 years old, they are like my kids,” he said over the phone. “I treat them like they are my kids and see them mature and develop.”
Photo courtesy Icon SMI. I recently wrote about Jimenez and Hammel in more detail.
Olney On Castro, Escobar, Wells, Pineda
The Red Sox should complete a seven-year extension worth $154MM or so with Adrian Gonzalez at some point in the next ten days, as ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reminds us. On a lighter note, Olney points out that Boston appears to be functioning despite a winless week for the Red Sox. Here are the rest of Olney’s rumors.
- Starlin Castro has “made the adjustment” to the big leagues and is no longer phased to be playing at the highest level, Cubs GM Jim Hendry says.
- Another young shortstop, Alcides Escobar of the Royals, may be the best defensive shortstop in the American League, according to at least one scout.
- Angels fans may not like hearing it, but one evaluator says that in sending Mike Napoli elsewhere they “traded a player who would've given them similar production to what they'll get out of Vernon Wells , except it'll cost them about $75 million more."
- Instead of delaying Michael Pineda’s service time and/or arbitration, the Mariners called him up to start the season in Seattle. "He earned the right to be on the club," GM Jack Zduriencik said. "We actually talked about calling him up last September."