Odds & Ends: Miner, Gorzelanny, Heyward, Twins
Links for Wednesday, as the lights go out at Wrigley Field…
- Tigers pitcher Zach Miner will undergo Tommy John surgery, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- The Tigers are better-known for developing power arms, but as Beck shows, the Tigers have successfully developed some position players, too.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Cubs don't appear to be involved in serious talks to trade Tom Gorzelanny, but wonders if clubs like the Tigers and Rangers could inquire if the lefty becomes available.
- You knew Jason Heyward was good, but Dave Cameron of FanGraphs puts the outfielder's amazing start in perspective, saying he's on his way to "one of the great rookie seasons of all time."
- Meanwhile, Cameron wonders if the Rays should deal B.J. Upton to a team looking to capitalize on talent. It would save the Rays money and improve their chances of keeping Carl Crawford around.
- One AL assistant GM told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he doesn't expect the Twins to trade for a reliever this summer.
- 2010 draft prospect and Arlington native Michael Choice tells Chris Cox of MLB.com that it would be "a dream come true" to play for the Rangers, who pick 15th this year. Jonathan Mayo, Frankie Piliere and Keith Law all predicted Choice would be selected before that in their most recent mock drafts.
Brewers Set At Catcher For Now, Open To Options
Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Brewers are content with catchers George Kottaras and Jonathan Lucroy, though the club may consider pursuing another backstop. Gregg Zaun has a torn labrum and may miss the entire season, so the Brewers are left with a relatively inexperienced catching tandem – the duo has a combined 69 games of big league experience. Melvin says he's "open" to improving the club, but sounds content with Kottaras and Lucroy.
"We're going to go with what we have for now," Melvin said. "We talked about whether we need more depth at Triple A, but there are no catchers really available. A few guys have gone through waivers but they're all backup types."
Those backup types – players like Paul Hoover and Paul Phillips – could be available, but they're not as appealing as an experienced big leaguer like A.J. Pierzynski. The White Sox have said they are not shopping their players yet and Melvin says he wouldn't want to meet the asking price for Pierzynski.
"I'm not sure I want to give up the players they'd be looking for to do that," Melvin said.
It will be easier to deal for Pierzynski before June 14th, when he picks up ten and five rights. Haudricourt notes that Brewers catching prospect Angel Salome has left Triple A Nashville for mental health reasons.
Free Agent Stock Watch: David Eckstein
He's not the free agent middle-infielder that everybody's going to be talking about this offseason, but David Eckstein is in the midst of a strong year. The 5'7" second baseman is living up to his reputation as a player who does the little things right.
Eckstein, now 35, is playing great defense, hitting .302/.362/.395, stealing bases efficiently and, as Dave Cameron of FanGraphs points out, Eckstein's contact skills are exceptional.
If Eckstein reminds you of another former Blue Jays shortstop with tremendous control of the strike zone and solid defense, you're probably thinking of Marco Scutaro, who turned a breakout season into a $12.5MM payday last winter. Despite the similarities between the two, Scutaro is younger and has more power. By the time Eckstein becomes a free agent, he will be 20 months older than Scutaro was when the Red Sox signed him.
Eckstein's age may prevent teams from offering multi-year deals, but if he continues playing like this, he should sign a contract worth more than the $1MM he'll make in 2010. Eckstein's 2007 batting line of .309/.356/.382 earned him a $4.5MM guarantee from the Blue Jays the following winter. He's hitting at a nearly identical clip this year and playing better defense, which could be enough for a $3-6MM deal this offseason.
Cliff Lee’s Availability And Roy Oswalt’s Value
If Cliff Lee becomes available, the Astros will have a harder time obtaining value for Roy Oswalt, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Lee is younger, pitched better in 2008-09, makes less money, has succeeded in both leagues and could help a team obtain picks in next year’s draft.
Rosenthal’s sources say the Yankees are among the teams that would rather pursue Lee when he becomes a free agent after 2010 than part with prospects for Oswalt. The Yankees spent on Lee's former teammate, free agent C.C. Sabathia after passing on the chance to deal for Johan Santana and that decision has worked out well.
In theory, the Astros could take on salary to shrink the gap between the two aces’ salaries, but Rosenthal hears that Astros owner Drayton McLane would probably not cover a substantial amount of the $29MM or so Oswalt will earn before his contract expires.
High-revenue clubs could afford Lee’s $8MM contract and some mid-revenue teams could become involved, too. If the 18-28 Mariners, who rallied to beat the Tigers today, do not become sellers, the point is moot. If the Mariners start playing better, Oswalt remains the most attractive arm around, though it doesn't appear that the Astros are looking to deal him at this point.
Zaun Has Torn Labrum, Could Retire
Gregg Zaun has a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, and may retire if the injury persists, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Zaun says there's a 50-50 chance he plays this season. We'll know more in two to four weeks, when doctors re-evaluate Zaun's shoulder.
The Brewers currently have catchers Jonathan Lucroy and George Kottaras on their active roster. Lucroy has appeared in two big league games and Kottaras has appeared in 67, so it would not be a surprise to see the Brewers pursue a veteran catcher. Lucroy, who is a highly-regarded prospect, made his big league debut last Friday. Baseball America said Lucroy "projects as a good offensive threat for a catcher" when they ranked him fifth among Brewers prospects before the season. Kottaras has a respectable .238/.357/.442 line in 182 big league plate appearances.
If the Brewers decide to look outside the organization for catching depth, they could call free agent Shawn Riggans, ask the Rockies about Paul Phillips or ask the Phillies about Paul Hoover.
Stephen Strasburg’s Big League Debut
3:37pm: The Nationals tentatively plan to call Strasburg up at home against the Pirates next month, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson. No date is set, but we'll get five or six days of notice before the start. The Nationals host the Pirates June 8th-10th.
10:18am: A source close to the Nationals supports Heyman's note below – June 4th is unlikely for Strasburg's debut. Instead, expect him in the middle of June or even toward month's end. Of course, the Nationals don't mind the extra ticket sales resulting from the June 4th rumor. – Tim Dierkes
WEDNESDAY, 8:41am: SI's Jon Heyman tweets that mid-June is a better guess than June 4th for Strasburg's debut, given the pitcher's target of 100 big league innings. A June 4th debut would project to 22 Major League starts for Strasburg, which would probably put him over that target. Of course, the Nats could shut him down in September if need be.
TUESDAY, 6:07pm: It's looking more and more like Stephen Strasburg will debut against the Reds on June 4th. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post writes that Strasburg will start this Saturday at Triple A. If all goes well – and that 0.99 pro ERA suggests it will – the Nationals could call on the prospect to open their homestand next Friday. GM Mike Rizzo told Kilgore that the club has not yet decided when to call up Strasburg.
Calling Strasburg up next Friday would give him five days of rest and ensure that his first two starts are at home. Just as importantly, Strasburg would have next to no chance of becoming a super two player after 2012. A June 4th callup would prevent Strasburg from picking up more than 122 days of service time this year and would reduce the chances that he goes to arbitration four times. Since arbitration-eligible players cost much more than the MLB minimum, it's in the Nationals' best interest to prevent their top prospect from becoming a super two.
Strasburg could make his debut against the Reds, maybe even against Mike Leake, who was also a top-ten pick in last year's draft. The Reds would have to skip someone in the rotation for the two youngsters to match up, but with Homer Bailey injured, Dusty Baker could decide to do just that. Strasburg's debut should be memorable no matter what, but imagine seeing him begin his major league career against another pitcher who had no pro experience a year ago.
July 2 Update: Abad, Peguero, Sanchez
We're still more than a month away from July 2nd, when teams can officially sign a new crop of international talent. That means most of us are thinking about Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and the other American, Canadian and Puerto Rican prospects eligible for the upcoming amateur draft. But Melissa Segura of SI.com has the latest on some international players who are attracting heavy interest (all Twitter links):
- Righty Luis Alvaro Abad is attracting interest from the Yankees, Astros, A's and Blue Jays.
- Six to eight teams are pursuing dominican shortstop Estalin Peguero and interest is heating up.
- Elvis Sanchez is also picking up momentum; the Mets, Pirates and Astros appear to be interested.
Nationals Have Decided Who To Draft First Overall
The Nationals have decided who they will draft with the first overall pick in next month's draft, GM Mike Rizzo told Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington (Twitter link). It would be a shock if the team drafted somebody other than Bryce Harper, though Rizzo didn't say who the club plans to select.
Harper, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old last year, has lived up to the hype. He hit four homers, a triple and a double in one game last weekend and ESPN.com's Keith Law says there's no argument for taking anyone else. The Nationals, who say they have no concerns about Harper's character, were still considering a handful of players earlier in the month.
Red Sox Designate Atchison For Assignment
The Red Sox designated Scott Atchison for assignment to make room for Mike Cameron, according to a team press release. Last night, it appeared that the Red Sox had designated Darnell McDonald for assignment to make room for Cameron, but the team changed its plans.
Jacoby Ellsbury has experienced soreness in his left side, so the team wanted to keep McDonald around, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). Atchison has options, so the DFA is 'procedural', writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). For now, the Red Sox are not cutting ties with Atchison or McDonald.
The Red Sox signed Atchison to a one-year deal with two club options last winter. The 34-year-old righty has a 6.10 ERA in 10.1 innings this year, with 7.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.
Rockies To Designate Phillips For Assignment
The Rockies will designate Paul Phillips for assignment to make room for Chris Iannetta, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). Phillips will report to Triple A if he isn't claimed. That's where Iannetta posted the .349/.447/.698 line that forced the Rockies to call him up.
Miguel Olivo has been hitting well, so the Rockies have barely used Phillips this season. The 33-year-old has picked up just 19 plate appearances this year, hitting .294/.368/.294. That's a decent approximation of how Phillips has hit in his seven-year major league career.