Carlos Silva Could Sign Soon
Free agent Carlos Silva has several offers and will likely accept one of them soon, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cubs, who released Silva late last month, will owe him most of his $11.5MM salary and $2MM buyout for 2012 while the new club will cover the pro-rated MLB minimum for '11.
Ironically, the Cubs have had to place starters Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells on the disabled list since releasing Silva, who posted a 4.22 ERA in 21 starts last year. The Orioles are eyeing rotation depth and are one of the potential destinations for the 31-year-old right-hander.
Quick Hits: Collins, Red Sox, K-Rod, Dodgers
Links for Thursday, as the minor league season opens and Bryce Harper and others make their pro debuts…
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains how 5'7" left-hander Tim Collins went from being an aspiring carpenter to a promising rookie in the Royals' 'pen.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports know the winless Red Sox aren't as bad as they've seemed for the first five games of the season, but he argues they aren't as good as they seemed in January.
- The Mets and Francisco Rodriguez continue to say they aren't worried about the reliever's vesting option for 2012, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post. Rodriguez finished his first game of the season last night and with 54 more games finished, he'll have his $17.5MM option vest.
- MLB’s main concern with the deal Dodgers owner Frank McCourt recently proposed is that it would relieve McCourt’s debt without necessarily improving the product on the field at Dodger Stadium, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick anticipates some milestones that players may reach in 2011.
Acosta, Merklinger Clear Waivers
We'll keep track of players who clear waivers right here:
- The Mets announced that Manny Acosta cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo (Twitter link). They designated the reliever for assignment last Tuesday.
- Dan Merklinger has cleared waivers and the Brewers have assigned him to Double-A Huntsville, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Milwaukee designated the left-hander for assignment yesterday.
When Sellers Start Selling
Now that the usual flurry of late-spring trades is over, the next phase of trading will occur this summer, when contenders are looking to supplement their rosters with players from teams that have realized they aren't going to win this year.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently previewed trade candidates for the National and American leagues, so we have a sense of which players will become available. But when will the trading start in earnest? Let's look back at recent seasons to determine when sellers start selling.
In 2008, the selling began in earnest in early July when the Indians sent C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers on July 7th. Not to be outdone, the Cubs acquired Rich Harden from the A's the next day, adding a second elite starter to the NL Central and considerable drama to the playoff race.
The Pirates started selling early in 2009, when they sent Nate McLouth to Atlanta on June 3rd. It wasn't until later in the month that the Indians sent Mark DeRosa to St. Louis and the selling continued.
Last year, the Indians were involved in an early trade again, though it wasn't with a contender in this case. They sent Russell Branyan to Seattle on June 26th, nine days after the selling began. Arizona made the first of their many trades on June 15th when they dealt Conor Jackson to Oakland. The major trades began in early July when the Mariners sent Cliff Lee to the Rangers on th 9th.
It only takes one team to get things started early, but recent history shows that we should expect the sellers to start selling after the June draft and before the All-Star break.
Rangers Close To Signing Leon’ys Martin
12:57pm: However, Peter Gammons hears that the Red Sox offered less than $2MM for Martin (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 12:44pm: The Red Sox offered Martin over $12MM and the Rangers topped that offer, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Knobler hears good things about Martin from a scout whose team dropped out of the bidding.
WEDNESDAY: The Rangers are close to signing Cuban center fielder Leon'ys Martin to a Major League deal, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The 23-year-old defected from Cuba last year and hit free agency last month. If the Rangers complete the signing, Martin will start his career in the minor leagues.
Baseball America's John Manuel described Martin as a speedy outfielder who plays strong defense. He was a bench player for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and is "considered an elite prospect," according to ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr.
The Brandon Phillips Trade Five Years Later
Today, Brandon Phillips may be the Reds’ most recognizable player. Five years ago? He was anything but. When then-GM Wayne Krivsky acquired Phillips from the Indians on this date in 2006, he was a 24-year-old unknown who had yet to convert his intriguing potential into Major League production.
He’d had his chances. In a season’s worth of plate appearances over the the course of four years in Cleveland, Phillips had just a .556 OPS. The minor league numbers which had once helped solidify his place among the game’s best prospects had fallen off; in his third season at Triple-A, Phillips’ average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all dropped.
But Krivsky decided to give Phillips a chance and the Indians, unable to find room on their roster for the out-of-options infielder, had had enough. Three and a half seasons after acquiring him in the Bartolo Colon trade, then-GM Mark Shapiro sent Phillips to Ohio’s other team for a player to be named later.
The Indians ultimately acquired reliever Jeff Stevens in the deal and would eventually send the right-hander to the Cubs in a trade for Mark DeRosa. The Indians later acquired current closer Chris Perez in exchange for DeRosa, so, in a roundabout way, they have something to show for Phillips.
It doesn’t compare to what the Reds got. In the five seasons since the trade, Phillips has hit .275/.326/.447, averaging 21 homers, 24 steals and 151 games per season, enough for 16.8 wins above replacement (42nd among MLB position players for that period). He has won two Gold Gloves (deservingly, according to UZR) and has a 30-30 season and two other 20-20 seasons to his name.
Phillips, the longest-tenured position player on the Reds, outlasted Krivsky, who was fired in 2008. But the former GM deserves recognition for a deal that helped the Reds return to the top of the NL Central standings.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Orioles Notes: Martinez, Wieters, Jones
The Orioles will attempt to recover from their first loss of the season tonight when they face Brad Penny and the Tigers. In the meantime, here are some links…
- Victor Martinez tells Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he appreciated the Orioles' interest in him this offseason, when they offered $48MM over four years to become their first baseman. "It was a pretty tough decision," Martinez said. Instead, he signed with the Tigers for $50MM.
- Orioles pitching coach Mark Connor told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that catcher Matt Wieters is "by far the most amazing 'feel' guy at that age" he has ever seen. Wieters' tempo and game-calling are impressing the Orioles. Those skills were a big reason the Orioles weren't interested in Martinez as a catcher.
- Peter Schmuck of the Sun isn't looking to nitpick, but he says Adam Jones' approach at the plate is one potential area of concern for the Orioles early on.
- After a surprising 4-1 start thanks to their impressive pitching, the Orioles are 15th on WEEI.com's power rankings.
Heyman On Orioles, Young, Thome, Red Sox
Orioles president Andy MacPhail told Jon Heyman of SI.com that Baltimore can contend if their young rotation continues pitching well. "If our starting pitchers pitch the way they did the last two months [of 2010] and the first four games [of 2011], of course we'll be a contender.'' The O’s are eyeing back-of-the-rotation help, just in case. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:
- The Rangers may have enough hitting to be able to afford trading Michael Young for a starting pitcher. With three starters on the DL, the Rangers may already have some of the pitching they need. Rangers GM Jon Daniels said this week that the club is not discussing possible deals involving Young or anyone else.
- The Marlins will likely need a third baseman, as Donnie Murphy has not proven he’s more than a part-time player.
- Jim Thome does not assume that he’ll retire after 2011. "Why not keep going as long as you can do it?'' Thome asked.
- The Red Sox say they aren’t concerned about Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Heyman hears that the catcher has until June to prove he belongs in Boston.
Brewers Designate Dan Merklinger For Assignment
The Brewers have designated left-hander Dan Merklinger for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for tonight's starting pitcher, Marco Estrada, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Merklinger, 25, posted a 3.65 ERA in 143 minor league innings last year, mostly at Class A. Overall, the 2007 sixth rounder struck out more than a batter per inning (9.3 K/9) and limited his walks (2.8 BB/9).
Estrada, 27, will start for the Brewers against the Braves tonight. He has an 8.04 ERA in his 31 1/3 big league innings with an impressive 32 strikeouts. He pitched well enough this spring for manager Ron Roenicke to add him to the rotation, at least for now with Zack Greinke sidelined.
Pirates Release Craig Hansen
The Pirates announced that they released right-hander Craig Hansen, a former first rounder who was part of the 2008 Jason Bay trade. Pirates Prospects first reported the move.
The 6'6" 27-year-old arrived in Pittsburgh nearly thee years ago, when the Pirates sent Bay to Boston. Hansen appeared in 21 games for the Pirates over the course of two seasons, posting a 6.95 ERA with twice as many walks (24) as strikeouts (12). A rare nerve injury limited Hansen to 12 minor league appearances in 2010 and sidelined him for much of 2009.
Bryan Morris is the lone player from the Bay trade remaining in the Pirates' organization, now that Brandon Moss, Andy LaRoche and Hansen have been released. In 133 2/3 minor league innings last year, Morris posted a 3.03 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. For the Pirates to salvage something of value from the Bay trade, Morris will have to provide value in the Major Leagues.