Poll: Baseball’s Most Disappointing Team
The Orioles, Royals, Marlins, Diamondbacks and, most recently, the Mariners have all fired their managers this season, but they are certainly not baseball's only disappointing teams. Some clubs, like the Tigers and Red Sox, have seen injuries compromise their playoff chances. Others, like the Cubs and Brewers, have seen key players underperform. Let's determine which team has been most disappointing of all this year, taking into account pre-season hopes expectations.
Which team has had the most disappointing season so far?
Click here to take the survey and here to view the results
Free Agent Stock Watch: Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe will draw interest after the season, when he brings his versatile glove and powerful bat to the free agent market. Uribe signed a one-year, $3.25MM deal with the Giants in January and he has certainly been worth the investment so far.
At the plate, Uribe is walking more than ever, though his walk rate remains a modest 8.1%. He does have power (15 homers and 20 doubles), but his .256/.318/.449 line makes him a league-average hitter. Much of the ten-year veteran's value comes from his versatility; he plays regularly at second, third and short. UZR suggests that Uribe is an above-average defender this year and has played above-average defense at second, third and short over the course of his career.
Placido Polanco ($18MM/ three years) and Chone Figgins ($36MM/ four years) signed deals that are presumably out of reach for Uribe. Other veteran infielders, including Pedro Feliz ($4.5MM/ one year), Orlando Hudson ($5MM/ one year) and Miguel Tejada ($6MM/ one year) signed deals that provide context for Uribe's next contract.
Uribe currently projects to be a Type B free agent, but he is close to Type A status and could become a Type A by the end of the season. If he's a Type B free agent, teams won't have to surrender draft picks to sign him. However, Type A status would hurt Uribe's free agent value, since teams would have to surrender a top pick to sign him if the Giants offer arbitration. San Francisco wouldn't necessarily offer arbitration, but it's in Uribe's best interest to stay in the Type B range.
If Uribe is a Type B free agent, as expected, a two-year deal seems possible, but not likely. Regardless, the 31-year-old can expect a significant raise from his current $3.25MM salary because of his versatility, power and improved walk rate.
Don Wakamatsu Firing Reactions
The Mariners fired manager Don Wakamatsu today, and Triple A Manager Daren Brown will take over for the final 50 games of the season. Here are some reactions to the firing and some thoughts on potential long-term replacements:
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik "strayed from his scouting background and based too many decisions on sabermetric data" in crafting this year's team, suggests Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- The firing wasn't a surprise to anyone who follows the team closely, if you ask Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times considers possible replacements for Wakamatsu, including Joey Cora, Bobby Valentine and Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney speculates that Valentine could be a good fit in the Emerald City (Twitter link).
- Olney hears that there's unrest in the Mariners' scouting and player development departments (Twitter link).
- MLB.com's Corey Brock wouldn't be surprised if the Mariners considered Padres hitting coach Randy Ready for the managerial opening (Twitter link).
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner says the Mariners fired Wakamatsu because the team was playing poorly and because Ken Griffey Jr. became unhappy.
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says Wakamatsu is a good baseball man who could help another organization (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Bautista, Red Sox, Dunn, Greinke
Links for Friday, exactly two years after the Rockies claimed Livan Hernandez from the Twins…
- The Blue Jays and Yankees discussed Jose Bautista before the deadline, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Some say talks never got serious, but Heyman suggests the Blue Jays would have wanted Brett Gardner and Joba Chamberlain in exchange for Bautista.
- Red Sox owner John Henry told Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse that his club will need “a miracle” to topple the Rays and Yankees.
- One rival GM told MLB.com’s Peter Gammons that "the Royals and Pirates have done what small-market teams should do with their revenue-sharing money." Check out Gammons’ article for more on how the Royals, Pirates and Indians are stockpiling young talent to return to prominence.
- The Giants were not the team that won the waiver claim on Adam Dunn, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. An unknown team claimed Dunn yesterday.
- Tim Dierkes lists his All-Dropped Lineup at RotoAuthority. Fantasy players will want to see why Tim believes it’s rare to find breakout position players on waivers midseason in a competitive 12-team mixed league.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggests the Royals will probably start seriously listening to offers for Zack Greinke this winter. The reigning Cy Young Award winner expressed his frustration with the organization yesterday.
- Mets GM Omar Minaya told Dan Martin of the New York Post that he thinks his club can go on a hot streak and make some noise in the NL East. New York is currently 7.5 games out of a playoff spot.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes that last year's championship means the Yankees wouldn't undo Alex Rodriguez's massive contract even if they could go back in time and let him sign elsewhere.
- The Yankees will track Jose Guillen, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. The Royals designated the outfielder for assignment yesterday.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports lists the top post-trade deadline developments around the majors.
Indians Claim Drew Sutton
The Indians claimed Drew Sutton off of waivers from the Reds and optioned him to Triple A Columbus, according to both clubs on Twitter. Sutton, 27, appeared in two major league games this year and 42 games last year, but most of his pro career has come in the minors.
He has a career OPS of .810 in the minor leagues, including a .262/.366/.365 line so far in 2010. Even though he has just 291 big league plate appearances, Sutton has already played second, third, short and both corner outfield positions for the Reds.
The Indians have been watching the waiver wire all week; they lost Wes Hodges to the Rockies Tuesday, only to re-claim him yesterday.
Reds Rumors: Grandal, Baker, Guillen
The Reds, who lead the NL Central by the slimmest of margins, are considering ways of improving the team now and in the future. Here's the latest:
- The team has not made progress with top pick Yasmani Grandal, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. GM Walt Jocketty predicts that "it'll probably go down to the wire." Click here to vote on which top draft picks will sign.
- The Reds have approached manager Dusty Baker about a possible extension according to Sheldon. Jocketty says he expects talks with Baker to pick up within a couple weeks.
- The club's front office has not yet discussed former Red Jose Guillen, who was just designated for assignment by the Royals, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Potential Suitors For Carl Crawford
There's a whole lot to like about Carl Crawford's game. He can hit, as his .302/.356/.485 line shows. He has stolen 38 bases (47 attempts) and his defense is tremendous. He has a higher UZR/150 than any qualified major leaguer, not that most fans or scouts need statistical confirmation that Crawford's play in left field is excellent. And Crawford, who turned 29 yesterday, will likely play in 140 or more games for the seventh time in eight seasons this year.
Critics might suggest that his speed is likely to fade, point to his relatively low walk rate and claim that he's having a career year, but nearly half the teams in baseball could have interest in the four-time All-Star when he hits free agency this winter despite any perceived question marks. So let's speculate on some potential suitors, with teams' 2011 payroll commitments in parentheses:
- Yankees ($141.6MM) – Hey, Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson are nice players, but are they enough to prevent the Yanks from pursuing Crawford? GM Brian Cashman, who pursued Cliff Lee, Dan Haren and Adam Dunn before the trade deadline, likes elite players and the Yankees can afford them.
- Red Sox ($94.1MM) – Here's another team that can afford big-time players. The Red Sox have Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron and J.D. Drew under team control next year plus an option for David Ortiz. They can also call on Daniel Nava and Darnell McDonald or prospects like Josh Reddick and Ryan Kalish. Those players may stand between the Red Sox and Crawford, but let's not rule Boston out.
- Angels ($92.5MM) – Peter Gammons suggested last month that signing Crawford will be the Angels' top priority this winter. They figure to be strong bidders.
- Rays ($16.3MM) – The Rays are lowering payroll in 2011 and it will be difficult for them to pay Crawford market value unless they compromise the rest of their roster. Tampa Bay does not appear to be a serious contender to sign Crawford, but they could get creative and keep him.
- Blue Jays ($35.5MM) – The Blue Jays have outfielders Vernon Wells, Travis Snider and Jose Bautista, but they could move the latter to third base to make room for Crawford. Adam Lind could be playing first base in 2011, which would open up the DH spot. Crawford knows as well as anyone that the AL East is a tough place to win, so he's not likely to give the Jays any discounts.
- White Sox ($73.4MM) – Let's not rule the White Sox out, even though their entire outfield (Juan Pierre, Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin) is under team control in 2011.
- Tigers ($54.2MM) – The Tigers have lots of money coming off the books and Crawford could be a fit in spacious Comerica Park.
- Braves ($58.2MM) – The Braves have Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera, Matt Diaz and Jason Heyward under team control, but they showed interest in outfielders at the trade deadline, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them pursue Crawford.
- Nationals ($22.4MM) – Josh Willingham has become a fixture in left field, but the Nats have pursued free agents aggressively, bidding on Mark Teixeira and signing Jason Marquis, Ivan Rodriguez and Matt Capps.
- Padres ($1.1MM) – Imagine Crawford and Tony Gwynn Jr. (second among all qualified major leaguers in UZR/150) patrolling Petco Park – I'm sure Padres GM Jed Hoyer has. Unlike some of the teams above, the Padres have committed a ridiculously low amount to their 2011 payroll, so they could surprise people and pursue Crawford.
- Giants ($74MM) – The Giants also showed interest in outfielders leading up to the trade deadline, so they might see Crawford as a potential long-term solution in left.
- Dodgers ($49.2MM) – Manny Ramirez's contract will be coming off the books, so the Dodgers could look to replace him with Crawford. That would give the Dodgers a star-powered outfield, but until their ownership situation becomes more stable, the team won't necessarily be able to make a nine-figure commitment to any free agent.
- Reds ($36.1MM) – The Reds are by no means the favorite to sign Crawford, but GM Walt Jocketty should have some payroll flexibility this winter.
Thanks for Cot's Baseball Contracts, Baseball-Reference and Dave Rutt of BattersBox.ca.
Poll: Which First Round Picks Will Sign?
As usual, many top draftees remain unsigned with ten days remaining before the deadline to sign picks. Last year, first overall pick Stephen Strasburg agreed to a deal with the Nationals just seconds before the deadline. This year, top picks Bryce Harper, Jameson Taillon and Manny Machado remain unsigned, but that's to be expected.
Which first round picks will sign by the August 16th deadline? (Feel free to vote for multiple players)
Click here to take the survey, here to view the results and here to see MLBTR's list of top picks to sign.
Rangers Rumors: Lee, Daniels, Washington
The last month has been kind to Rangers fans. They acquired Cliff Lee and a pair of veteran infielders and appear headed for financial stability now that the group headed by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan won the auction for the team. More importantly, the 63-45 Rangers seem destined for the playoffs. But what does the auction mean for the club? GM Jon Daniels explained some specifics to ESPNDallas.com’s Richard Durrett:
- The Rangers aren’t worrying about re-signing Cliff Lee now, but their chances have improved since the auction. "In bankruptcy, we had no chance," Daniels said. "This improves that and I can’t really tell you how much until the season is behind us and we sit down and talk about it.”
- Daniels repeated that he enjoys working for the Rangers and said he’s sure he’ll discuss his own contract status with the team when the time is right.
- The Rangers aren’t going to finalize anything with manager Ron Washington until after the season, but Daniels told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan that “it's very clear that Ron is our guy and Ron will be our manager in 2011." Washington's contract expires after the season and Daniels' contract expires after 2011.
Cardinals Interested In Andy LaRoche
The Cardinals have interest in Andy LaRoche and are eyeing the infielder as a possible trade target, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Cardinals recently found out that David Freese will miss the rest of the season, but they've been getting by at the hot corner with Felipe Lopez and (for one game) Allen Craig. For the Cardinals to acquire LaRoche from their division rivals, every NL team with a worse record than St. Louis would have to let LaRoche slip through waivers.
The former top prospect has just a .223/.290/.299 line this year after a solid 2009 season. LaRoche has spent most of his major league career at third base, though he has played a handful of games at second. He earns $450K this year and will go to arbitration for the first time this winter. The Pirates have LaRoche under team control through 2013.