Lyle Overbay Clears Waivers
Lyle Overbay cleared waivers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The first baseman has about $2MM remaining on his contract and can veto any trade according to a July report from Morosi.
The Blue Jays didn't approach Overbay about deals in July, but that could change this month. Injuries to Carlos Pena and Kevin Youkilis could mean the Rays and/or Red Sox have interest. The Rays could get Pena back soon and the Red Sox have another former Blue Jays first baseman – Carlos Delgado – in the minors, but Overbay could be a consideration for both clubs.
The 33-year-old has hit .250/.329/.422 for the season with 13 homers. He isn't projected to qualify as a Type A or B free agent after the season, so draft pick compensation wouldn't be a factor for the Blue Jays in any trade.
Cubs May Continue Trading
The Cubs have already traded Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot, but they may not be done yet. Yesterday’s deal could actually be a precursor to more moves in August.
''It's hard to say if it'll be the last one,'' assistant GM Randy Bush told the Chicago Sun-Times. ''Anything that we can do that we feel is to the betterment of the organization we're going to continue to look at.''
Jeff Baker, Kosuke Fukudome and Xavier Nady could be traded this month. Fukudome makes $13.5MM next year, so his contract would clear waivers. Nady, who has just under $1MM remaining on his contract this year, could also be traded. He drew some interest from the Rangers back in July.
Potential Suitors For Victor Martinez
Joe Mauer nearly became the prize of the 2010-11 offseason, but $184MM later, he’s a Twin for the foreseeable future and Victor Martinez is likely to be the most coveted free agent backstop of the winter. He’s hitting .281/.337/.461 with ten homers. Those are good numbers for a catcher, yet Martinez has averaged higher on base percentages and slugging averages in his nine-year career.
Some say Martinez is a first baseman masquerading as a catcher, but for the purposes of this piece, let’s assume that V-Mart’s representatives market him as a catcher. Admittedly, Martinez has thrown out just 19% of would-be base stealers this year (23% in his career), but he has been behind the plate for years, so teams can comfortably rely on him to catch, at least for a few seasons.
Here’s an early look at potential suitors for the four-time All-Star. Let’s keep in mind that one trade or injury could change this picture considerably:
- Red Sox – The Red Sox have Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but they’ve seen what V-Mart can do and may offer him a long-term deal. Martinez told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that the Red Sox have yet to offer him an extension (Twitter link).
- Tigers – The Tigers have money coming off the books and Gerald Laird is a free agent. Alex Avila could take on a larger role if the Tigers decide to spend their money on others.
- White Sox – Tyler Flowers is the heir apparent to A.J. Pierzynski, right? The 24-year-old has a respectable .223/.332/.450 in Triple A, so he may be ready for the majors. The White Sox are not a likely destination for V-Mart, but I don’t want to be the one to rule them out.
- Rangers – The luster has worn off Taylor Teagarden and Max Ramirez to an extent and Bengie Molina and Matt Treanor hit free agency after the season. The Rangers could turn things over to Teagarden and Ramirez for 2011, or perhaps the new ownership group will make V-Mart a competitive offer.
- Mariners – The M’s figure to give Adam Moore the chance to translate his minor league success into major league production, but Moore hasn’t fully adjusted to big league pitching yet.
- Mets – The Mets, who have a habit of spending big on free agents, could pursue Martinez if they don’t completely believe in the combination of Omir Santos and Josh Thole.
- Reds – Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan are hitting well, but the former hits free agency after the season and the latter has never been an MLB starter for a full season. The Reds may look to bring back Hernandez and spend on an impact outfielder or veteran starter instead.
- Brewers – The Brewers figure to spend on pitching, not catching, especially since George Kottaras is hitting pretty well and Jonathan Lucroy should be a contributor.
- Padres – The Padres could ask Nick Hundley to play every day (Yorvit Torrealba has a $3.5MM mutual option), but San Diego does have financial flexibility for 2011. Will GM Jed Hoyer use it to acquire V-Mart? Probably not.
- Dodgers – Russell Martin is an offseason trade candidate, so the Dodgers could be in the market for a catcher this winter.
One factor for all of those teams to consider: V-Mart currently projects as a Type A free agent, so he’ll cost a top draft pick if the Red Sox offer arbitration (as expected) and he turns it down.
The Yankees (Jorge Posada), Orioles (Matt Wieters), Blue Jays (J.P. Arencibia), Indians (Carlos Santana), Twins (Joe Mauer), Angels (Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis), A’s (Kurt Suzuki), Braves (Brian McCann), Phillies (Carlos Ruiz), Nationals (Ivan Rodriguez, Wilson Ramos), Cardinals (Yadier Molina), Astros (Jason Castro), Cubs (Geovany Soto), Pirates (Ryan Doumit, Chris Snyder), Giants (Buster Posey), Rockies (Chris Iannetta, Miguel Olivo) and Diamondbacks (Miguel Montero) all have legitimate big league catchers under team control for 2011.
The Rays, Royals, Marlins don’t figure to spend big on a catcher this winter, but V-Mart should still draw plenty of interest. The Red Sox, Tigers and Mets appear to be the most realistic potential suitors at this point.
Odds & Ends: White Sox, Olsen, Adam, V-Mart
Another round of links for Wednesday, as Cliff Lee falls short of eight innings for the first time in two months…
- The White Sox are cautiously optimistic about signing the team's top remaining unsigned picks, amateur scouting director Doug Laumann told MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Scott Olsen made $250K in incentives for starting his 11th game of the season tonight, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
- 2010 draftee Jason Adam is close to signing with the Royals, according to Daniel Paulling of the Kansas City Star. Adam, ranked by Baseball America as the 54th-best prospect in this year’s draft awaits approval from the commissioner’s office.
- Victor Martinez told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that the Red Sox have not offered him an extension (Twitter link). The catcher hits free agency after the season.
- The Yankees agreed to sign third-rounder Rob Segedin for a $377K bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. Segedin, a third baseman, receives about $100K more than MLB’s recommended bonus for his slot.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains why he believes the Rangers shouldn't try to sign Cliff Lee long-term just yet. It's probably a moot point, since Lee seems destined to reach the open market.
- MLB owners and executives approved the sale of the Rangers to the group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The final vote occurs tomorrow.
Giants Acquire Mike Fontenot
San Francisco is 2,100 miles away from Chicago, but Mike Fontenot didn't have to go far at all when the Giants acquired him today. The Cubs are in San Francisco, so all Fontenot had to do was walk from the visitors clubhouse to the home clubhouse. The Cubs obtain minor league center fielder Evan Crawford in the deal.
Fontenot has a .284/.332/.402 line in 185 plate appearances this year. Edgar Renteria is going on the disabled list, so Fontenot restores San Francisco's infield depth. The 30-year-old has played second, third and short.
The Giants control Fontenot's rights through 2013. He makes $1MM this year as a super two player and will go to arbitration for the second time this winter. The deal shows that every NL team with a worse record than the Giants let Fontenot through waivers. For more on trading in August, click here.
Crawford, who turned 22 last week, is hitting .255/.319/.366 in A ball. The 2009 draftee has 24 steals in 33 attempts.
Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea reported (on Twitter) that a trade was in the works, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reported more specifics on the deal (on Twitter) and Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reported the specific players (Twitter links). The Cubs and Giants have since confirmed the deal.
The Brewers’ 2011 Rotation
The Brewers made the 2008 playoffs thanks, in large part, to a rotation led by C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets. Yovani Gallardo has since established himself as a frontline starter, but the Brewers have struggled to surround him with equally capable arms. Barring injuries, the Cardinals and Reds will have strong rotations next year. Here’s how Milwaukee’s starting five will compare.
Gallardo leads all NL starters with 10.1 K/9 and his 2.86 ERA ranks eighth in the league. He’ll be the team’s opening day starter in 2011. Doug Melvin’s challenge: fill out the rotation with other capable arms.
Randy Wolf was supposed to be a solid complementary starter this year, but Melvin’s big offseason addition hasn’t worked out nearly as well as most Brewers fans hoped. Wolf has been durable enough to make his starts, but his walk, hit and homer rates are up and his strikeout rate is down. The Brewers will have to hope Wolf, now 33, bounces back in 2011.
Left-handers Manny Parra, Chris Capuano and Chris Narveson have all started games for the Brewers this year. Parra can strike major leaguers out and could win a rotation spot despite his high walk totals. Capuano has started just two games since returning from his second Tommy John surgery, but has pitched effectively. And Narveson (5.62 ERA and 131 hits in 115.1 innings) has been hittable. Like Parra and Capuano, Narveson strikes out twice as many batters as he walks, but the Brewers will presumably want alternatives to this trio of southpaws heading into the season.
Doug Davis ($6MM mutual option) and David Bush are both eligible for free agency after the season, but the Brewers can consider promoting a couple of prospects.
Amaury Rivas has a 3.21 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 21 AA starts this year. He was the Brewers’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2009 and impressed Baseball America with an efficient approach based on “three pitches, command, confidence and aggression.” It’s easy to imagine the 24-year-old starting for the Brewers at some point in 2011.
Former fifth-overall pick Mark Rogers has a 3.78 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 in the upper minors. He has a mid-90s fastball, but the 24-year-old needs a John Axford-esque improvement in command to succeed as a starter in the majors. Baseball America liked Rogers’ stuff enough to rank him 11th among Brewers prospects before the season, but they suggested he “fits best as a reliever” because of his command and health issues.
Rivas and Rogers are promising pitchers who could contribute in 2011, but they are not sure things. Neither are Narveson, Parra and Capuano, so Milwaukee will presumably be in the market for one or two starting pitchers this winter.
If the Brewers entertain offers for Prince Fielder, as expected, they’ll presumably ask for big league-ready starters in return. Even if they trade Prince, they could have interest in re-signing a pitcher like Bush (he has turned in a solid season). Milwaukee has many question marks behind Gallardo and Wolf, so it would be a surprise if starting pitching is not at or near the top of Melvin’s offseason wish list once again.
Poll: Which Team Will End Its Playoff Drought First?
The Reds (1995) and Rangers (1999) may end long playoff droughts this year. Neither team has any guarantees, but both seem well-equipped to re-appear in the postseason before long. Let’s set those two clubs aside for today’s poll question and consider the seven other teams with the longest running droughts: the Nationals (as Expos, 1981), Royals (1985), Pirates (1992), Blue Jays (1993), Orioles (1997), Mariners (2001) and Marlins (2003).
Which team will end its postseason drought first?
Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.
Mike Gonzalez: August Trade Candidate
Let's imagine for a minute that the Orioles didn't sign Mike Gonzalez last winter, and his season unfolded in exactly the same way for another team: April struggles, months missed with a shoulder injury and strong outings of late. If all of that happens in, say, a Mariners uniform, would the Orioles want to sign Gonzalez to a one-year $6MM contract for 2011? Maybe, but that's not the kind of deal the Orioles would necessarily want to make.
Essentially, the O's have guaranteed Gonzalez a one-year $6MM deal for 2011. That, along with $1.7MM this year, is what remains on his contract and it's not necessarily the kind of deal the O's want on the books. It stands to reason that Baltimore would consider trading the left-hander if he clears waivers, though the Orioles may want to see him succeed in Baltimore given their initial $12MM investment.
Gonzalez is on waivers, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Orioles may not want to move the left-hander, but they will soon see whether he clears waivers. It's entirely possible that he'll clear, since his salary is substantial and teams are probably not fully convinced by Gonzalez's nine-game stretch of effectiveness. The Phillies are one potential fit and the Red Sox, who acquired a left-handed reliever last August, are another.
The Orioles may prefer to keep Gonzalez in the hopes that he provides some value in Baltimore. The Orioles showed that they aren't desperate to move payroll when they held onto Ty Wigginton, Jeremy Guthrie and others at the trade deadline. However, they would have to consider letting Gonzalez go if a rival team claims him.
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 CST to chat with Tim 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 and link to some of our original content in our Week In Review posts.
Eyre Would Return To Phillies
Scott Eyre would consider coming out of retirement if the Phillies have interest in signing him. The left-hander, who retired last winter, told John R. Finger of CSNPhilly.com that the Phillies have not yet contacted him about a potential deal (as of last weekend). They offered him a minor league contract over the winter, but Eyre decided to spend time with his family instead.
The 38-year-old, who had offseason elbow surgery, told Finger that he feels great and would need about three weeks to prepare for big league action. Eyre posted a 1.50 ERA in 30 innings for the Phils last year, with 6.6 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told Finger that the team “could use another lefty if he can get people out.” Lefties Antonio Bastardo (just called up) and J.C. Romero (currently slumping) are on the Philies roster. Last winter, Eyre said he would only sign in Philadelphia.