D’Backs Interested In Dontrelle Willis
The Diamondbacks are interested in Dontrelle Willis, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Agent Matt Sosnick told Piecoro that Arizona is "one of the places [Willis] would rather play." Willis would prefer to play for an NL team on the West Coast, but the Tigers, who designated the lefty for assignment, still have some say in where he goes. They have discussed a trade with the Diamondbacks, who are interested in Willis as a starter.
The Tigers have about a week to determine Willis' future. They could trade him, release him, or put him on waivers. If the D'Backs trade for Willis, the Tigers will pay the vast majority of his $12MM salary. Willis, 28, has a 4.98 ERA this year with 6.9 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9. He never found his control in parts of three seasons with the Tigers, but a return to the NL could help the former Rookie of the Year.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jamie Moyer
By the time Jamie Moyer negotiates his next contract, he'll be 48 years old. He's older than Ruben Amaro Jr. and a number of other general managers around the majors, but those executives may be calling Moyer up in a few months. Sure, the lefty made his major league debut before players like Pablo Sandoval and Andrew McCutchen were born, but age hasn't been an obstacle for Moyer before. He signed a Julio Franco-esque multi-year deal back when he was 46.
Nobody would be interested in Moyer if he were no longer useful, but he can still pitch. His 81 mph fastball doesn't intimidate anyone, but he relies primarily on off-speed pitches. Plus, Moyer's fastball has been just as slow for most of the last decade. He doesn't walk anybody (1.8 BB/9) or strike anybody out (4.5 K/9) and thanks to some good luck on balls in play, he is allowing less than a hit per inning this year. All told, the lefty is averaging more than six innings per start and has a 4.26 ERA.
That kind of production led to one-year deals worth about $5MM for veteran starters like Doug Davis, Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla last winter. For Moyer to command a similar deal next year, he has to keep pitching well and he has to want to play. He said before the season that he's open to playing in 2011 and if he keeps pitching like this, major league teams will probably be more than willing to accommodate.
Strasburg To Debut June 8th
Mark your calendars, Stephen Strasburg will make his major league debut June 8th, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The right-hander will test his stuff against a major league offense for the first time in Washington next Tuesday against the Pirates.
The Nationals put off the top draft pick's debut long enough to eliminate the chance that he goes to arbitration four times. Strasburg will not pick up more than 118 days of service time this year, so he will not be a super two after 2012.
Strasburg appears to be ready for big league hitters less than a year after being drafted. He has a 1.43 ERA in ten starts and has allowed just 28 hits and 12 walks in 50.1 innings. His upper-90s fastball has helped him strike out 60 batters this year.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Manny Ramirez
It's never just about the numbers with Manny Ramirez. Whether it's dreadlocks, PED suspensions or oddly-timed high fives, the Dodgers' left fielder stands out. When Manny becomes a free agent after the season, numbers will only tell part of his story, but agent Scott Boras is probably hoping for a little more production in the season's final four months.
It's not that Manny has played poorly. His .289/.395/.443 line is considerably better than average, though his defense has been underwhelming once again. This year has fallen short of the monster seasons we're used to seeing from Manny, but that .395 on base percentage would be 18th-best in the majors if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. Despite his injury history, Nick Johnson (who doesn't have Manny's power) turned a high OBP into a 5.75MM guarantee last winter.
That's a lot less than the $20MM Manny will pocket this season, but let's face it: 38-year-olds who don't play defense aren't going to command $20MM contracts in this market. Boras can point to Manny's drawing power (he could reach 600 homers next year), his on-base skills and his power and that would presumably be enough to develop interest in Ramirez.
If it were as simple as comparing Manny to other DH-types like Johnson, Hideki Matsui and Vladimir Guerrero, Ramirez would appear to be in line for a modest one-year deal, perhaps in the $7-8MM range. But if we've learned anything about Manny, it's that he's tough to predict. Does he still want to play five more years? Does he want to return to Cleveland? Is this really his last season in a Dodgers uniform? Until those questions are answered, predicting the market for Manny isn't much easier than predicting his next quirky move.
Dempster Deferred Salary To Give Cubs Flexibility
8:50pm: Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago reports that Dempster's salary deferral actually came this past offseason, allowing the Cubs to sign Xavier Nady. Rosenthal confirms the report, via Twitter. A bit of a disappointment for Cubs fans who were hoping the team would be able to to use those savings to make a trade this summer.
4:05pm: Ryan Dempster will defer $3MM of his $12.5MM salary this year at little or no interest to give the Cubs the flexibility to make moves, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Dempster will receive $1MM of the deferred money by February 2011, $1MM by February 2012 and the final $1MM by February 2013. The rest of his contract is unchanged, so Dempster will still make $13.5MM in 2011 and retain his $14MM player option for 2012.
The 33-year-old Canadian has a 3.31 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 this season. The Cubs need Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee to start hitting like they usually do, but they will now be better-prepared to address smaller needs when they emerge. Scott Rolen restructured his deal in the winter, and he got an extension out of it. The best Dempster can hope for is an improved chance at postseason play.
Odds & Ends: Burrell, Choo, White Sox, Hanley
Links for Friday, as the streaking Mets visit the Brewers…
- Tom Verducci of SI.com asked agent Scott Boras how he'd re-structure the draft and heard some interesting answers. Boras would limit the number of high schoolers selected.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America has the Pirates taking Manny Machado second overall and the Orioles taking Jameson Taillon third in his latest mock draft.
- If Pat Burrell signs a minor league deal with the Giants, he would be able to opt out after about two weeks, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that he isn't worried about losing Shin-Soo Choo, though Choo may have to serve in the South Korean military.
- Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald wonders how a Carlos Quentin for Kosuke Fukudome swap would work out for Chicago's two teams.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro hears that no team contacted the Marlins about a Hanley Ramirez trade after the shortstop's run-in with manager Fredi Gonzalez (Twitter link).
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic says the D'Backs appear to be leaning towards pitching with their sixth overall pick in the upcoming draft.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney has heard that Ozzie Guillen and White Sox GM Kenny Williams do not have a good relationship at this point.
- GM Alex Anthopoulos explains to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star that the Blue Jays might consider adding pieces later in the summer, depending on the cost.
Yankees Designate Randy Winn For Assignment
The Yankees designated Randy Winn for assignment to make room for Curtis Granderson, according to Ben Shpigel of the New York Times (via Twitter). Manager Joe Girardi told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that the Yankees went with versatility and kept Kevin Russo and Ramiro Pena on the roster instead (Twitter link).
As Ben Kabak of River Ave. Blues explained today, Russo has turned himself into a household name and the Yankees like that Pena can back up at short. That means Winn is available to the 29 other teams (along with his .213/.300/.295 line). The Yankees expected Winn to be a strong defensive presence when they signed him last winter, but he has been average, according to UZR. Winn, who turns 36 next month, makes $1.1MM this year.
Heyman On Prince, Buchholz, Sheets, Padres
We've already heard about Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee, but Jon Heyman of SI.com introduces us to some lower-profile trade candidates in his latest column. Here's the latest on what trades to expect over the course of the next two months:
- This summer, the Yankees plan on pursuing a reliever plus a hitter to replace Nick Johnson (Twitter link).
- Executives believe there's a real chance the 19-28 Brewers deal Prince Fielder. One NL GM says "Milwaukee can't afford the Prince Fielders of the world.''
- The Indians asked for Clay Buchholz in exchange for Cliff Lee last summer and were rejected by the Red Sox. The Indians were smart to ask, but the Red Sox are surely glad they held onto Buchholz, who has a 3.07 ERA this year.
- An AL GM says Ben Sheets needs to be more consistent to become an appealing trade target. Sheets is pitching better after a slow start.
- GMs around the league would love to see the White Sox make their pitchers available.
- A White Sox insider says Ozzie Guillen isn't going anywhere.
- One GM can see the D'Backs trading Dan Haren for a prospect-rich package, but other executives think the D'Backs will keep their ace.
- Most executives see the Padres holding onto Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell – at least as long as they're playing this well.
White Sox Release Alan Embree
The White Sox released Alan Embree, who had been pitching at Triple A, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). The White Sox signed Embree earlier in the month, after the lefty elected free agency. He pitched in the majors and the minors for the Red Sox this year before his stint in the White Sox organization.
The 40-year-old struggled at Triple A Charlotte, allowing 11 hits and five walks in 7.1 innings, though he did strike ten batters out. If any teams have interest in Embree, it would presumably be on a minor league deal. The D'Backs have no left-handed pitchers on their staff and their bullpen has combined for a 7.42 ERA.
Teams That Could Take On Payroll This Summer
The ability to absorb a few million dollars at the trade deadline is a pretty powerful bargaining chip. Teams never mind shedding salary, but you won't find many clubs willing to take it on. Some teams always have the financial might to absorb a contract or two; others can take on payroll under the right circumstances and some are sitting tight no matter what.
To predict which teams will be able to take on payroll this trade deadline, MLBTR looked to recent history and the latest rumors. Here are the results:
- Yankees – It's hard to imagine a team with an Opening Day payroll of $213MM letting a few more million stand between them and a deal this summer.
- Cubs – Same goes for the Cubs, who opened the season with a $144MM payroll. It's the team's first summer under new ownership.
- Red Sox – Not only are they big spenders ($168MM Opening Day payroll), they are aggressive at the deadline. Last year, the club added Victor Martinez, Alex Gonzalez and Casey Kotchman.
- Nationals – The Nats could have the financial might to take on Roy Oswalt's entire contract, if you believe one of the officials ESPN.com's Jayson Stark spoke to. They also have to budget for the bonus their number one pick will demand. We're talking many millions no matter what, but possible selection Bryce Harper could demand an eight-figure deal.
- Dodgers – An official told Stark that he can imagine the Dodgers taking on $5MM or so. GM Ned Colletti said earlier this week that he could add payroll in the right deal, in spite of the McCourt divorce.
- Angels – The Angels have some money, according to Stark's sources.
- Giants – Adding Pat Burrell at the major league minimum wouldn't exactly constitute "buying," but the Giants operate under a relatively big budget.
- Rays – They are expected to lower payroll in 2011, so they don't seem like a logical candidate to add salary, but they have been creative and aggressive at the deadline in recent years, discussing deals for the likes of Jason Bay and Victor Martinez.
- Reds – The Reds have financial flexibility and a willingness to get creative, according to one of Ken Rosenthal's sources.
- Phillies – They're staying in touch with Pedro Martinez, which presumably means they have at least a million or two to work with. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has said he'll be reluctant to give up prospects, but it's not hard to imagine the Phillies taking on payroll.
- Cardinals – The Cardinals were big spenders at last year's deadline, acquiring Mark DeRosa and then Matt Holliday. They may look for starters this year, which could cost them a few million, even though ESPN.com's Buster Olney expects a buyer's market.
- Blue Jays – Team president Paul Beeston is "all about winning" in the words of GM Alex Anthopoulos (via the Toronto Star). It will be a balancing act between short-term needs and long-term goals, but the Jays could spend if they're in contention.
- Some teams that don't appear on this list will likely become spenders this summer, but these are at least some of the clubs that could take on salary in the right deal.