Red Sox Monitoring Chris Iannetta
4:12pm: "Talks quickly faded" between the Sox and Rockies about Iannetta, says Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, because Colorado reportedly "wanted 'premium' talent" for the catcher.
6:58am: The Red Sox are monitoring Chris Iannetta’s progress in case the Rockies make him available, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The catcher, who has been linked to the Red Sox for a while, is now in the minors.
Iannetta struggled through 34 plate appearances with the Rockies this year, hitting .133/.235/.333. The 27-year-old’s .362/.449/.741 Triple A line should be robust enough to convince any doubters that the last two years were not flukes: Iannetta can hit. The Red Sox have no doubt noticed that Iannetta has thrown out seven of 13 would-be base stealers.
Victor Martinez has struggled at the plate, but he has multi-hit games in three of his last four starts. Backup catcher Jason Varitek has been hitting surprisingly well in limited time. The tandem has limited opponents’ running games more effectively of late, nabbing nine of the last 21 baserunners to attempt to steal.
Iannetta, who is under contract through 2012, could be a long-term solution for the Red Sox. Their catchers are producing now, but both Martinez and Varitek hit free agency this winter.
A’s Release Chad Gaudin
The A's released Chad Gaudin and outrighted Edwar Ramirez to Triple A, according to a team press release. Both pitchers were designated for assignment over the weekend.
As MLBTR's Luke Adams pointed when the A's designated Gaudin for assignment, the righty had good strikeout and walk rates this year (10.4 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9), but was hit hard and posted an ERA of 8.83. The A's designated Ramirez for assignment after a seven game stint in which he walked as many batters as he struck out (ten).
The 27-year-old Gaudin was effective as recently as last season. His hit and homer rates are considerably higher than usual this year, but some pitching-starved team may sign him. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says (via Twitter) that he thinks Gaudin will attract interest.
Wilson Valdez Clears Waivers
FRIDAY: Valdez cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple A, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki (via Twitter).
MONDAY: The Phillies designated infielder Wilson Valdez for assignment to make room for Jimmy Rollins, according to MLB.com's transactions page. The Phillies were expected to clear room for Rollins, who was on the 15-day DL with a calf injury, by designating Valdez. Because he is out of options, Valdez will have to clear waivers to remain with the Phillies.
Valdez, who turns 32 on Thursday, has been about average defensively in recent years, according to UZR. He has played outfield, second, third and short, so he makes up for his pedestrian bat with exceptional versatility. Valdez's .231/.231/.365 line means the Phillies are willing to risk losing him to another club – especially when it means making room for Rollins.
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Bruney, Conrad, McLouth
Links for Friday, as interleague play begins…
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he expects to have the flexibility to make deals this summer. That doesn't mean the Dodgers be able to take on much payroll, though.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com thinks the Nationals will call Stephen Strasburg up in mid-June. The team will limit him to about 100 major league innings (Twitter link).
- The Nationals don't expect Brian Bruney to be claimed on waivers and the pitcher isn't sure what he'll do if he isn't claimed, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter links).
- As WEEI.com's Alex Speier explains, the Red Sox considered trading for Curtis Granderson and Javier Vazquez last winter, but acquiring either player would likely have meant giving up Jacoby Ellsbury. The Red Sox wanted to keep him, so they signed free agents instead.
- Trying to predict which teams might become sellers? The Orioles, Astros and Pirates each have less than a one percent chance of making the playoffs, according to Baseball Prospectus' postseason odds.
- Top July 2 prospect Eskarlin Vasquez has questions swirling around his age, according to Frankie Piliere of FanHouse (via Twitter).
- GM Frank Wren told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the Braves liked walk-off hero Brooks Conrad's versatility and power when they signed him to a minor league deal before last season.
- Former Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth tells Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he's very excited to return to Pittsburgh. This time, it's as an opponent.
- The Mets will probably fire at least one coach if they fire manager Jerry Manuel, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Mets can't build their team around Jose Reyes and David Wright at this point.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post confirms (via Twitter) that the Rockies will have interest in Kazuo Matsui once he clears waivers.
Heyman On Lowell, Jeter, Castillo
Jason Heyward and Mike Leake top Jon Heyman of SI.com's list of top rookies so far in 2010. It's hard to argue with those choices, though Stephen Strasburg may steal the show in a few weeks. Here are Heyman's rumors:
- Mike Lowell upset the Red Sox brass when he told the media that he had no role on the team. Heyman says the Red Sox are not eager to release Lowell and eat his $12MM salary.
- The Yankees say they will "definitely" re-sign Derek Jeter, who hits free agency after the season. It is almost impossible to imagine Jeter playing for another club.
- Mets hitting coach Howard Johnson "appears to be in some jeopardy" of losing his job.
- One person connected to the Rockies says they are "not even close" to having enough money to afford Luis Castillo, who makes $6MM this year and the same amount next year. The Rockies are interested in adding infield depth, but it appears that the Mets would have to take on a considerable portion of Castillo's salary for a deal to go down.
Orioles Designate Justin Turner For Assignment
The Orioles designated Justin Turner for assignment to make room for Scott Moore, according to a team press release. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun anticipated the move earlier this afternoon. Turner, a 25-year-old infielder who was acquired in the Ramon Hernandez deal, was hitless in nine trips to the plate this year. Turner hit .300/.362/.388 at Triple A Norfolk last year, but is not considered a top Orioles prospect.
Moore, 26, was hitting .276/.324/.463 in Triple A. The former first round pick hasn't appeared in the majors since 2008, but he has had brief stints with the Cubs and Orioles. Moore is primarily an infielder and he has professional experience in the outfield.
Cubs Sign Bob Howry
The Cubs are bringing Bob Howry back. They signed him to a major league deal today in the hopes that he can stabilize their bullpen and his career. They designated David Patton for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster and will option Justin Berg to the minors to create space on the active roster. Earlier in the week, the D'Backs released Howry, who used to set-up for the Cubs. The right-hander posted a 10.67 ERA in 14 appearances this year before the D'Backs had had enough of their $2.25MM investment.
MLBTR reported the signing after Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reported that the Cubs were interested in signing Howry and that the sides were close to a deal. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Cubs expected Howry to join the team today. MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reported the details of the roster moves (via Twitter).
Cubs GM Jim Hendry had said that Cubs were on the lookout for right-handed relief, and he had many options to consider. The trade market has yet to fully develop, so Hendry went back to Howry, a reliever whose work he knows well. Howry posted a 3.90 ERA in 228.2 innings with the Cubs from 2006-08. Back then, Howry was much more effective than he was in Arizona this year. Still, his career numbers, especially those against right-handers (6.7 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9), suggest he's capable of better things.
Nationals Release Willy Taveras
The Nationals unconditionally released Willy Taveras, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The Nationals designated the speedy outfielder for assignment over the weekend to make room for Michael Morse. It's the second time that Taveras has been released this year. The A's, who are responsible for most of Taveras' $4MM salary, released him in February before the Nationals signed him to a minor league deal.
Taveras didn't hit much in his 37 plate appearances this year and hasn't been a serious offensive threat for a couple years. He posted a .367 on base percentage for the 2007 Rockies, but like Kaz Matsui, who also played on that Rockies team, Taveras may have trouble finding a major league roster spot because of his recent struggles.
The Rockies And Kaz Matsui
The Rockies would like to improve upon Melvin Mora, which is understandable, given Mora's age and bat. But that doesn't mean bringing Kazuo Matsui back is the answer for the Rockies, who are interested in the infielder.
Matsui was fantastic during his first stint with Colorado, hitting .300/.353/.426 on his way to a $16.5MM deal with Houston. But two and a half years later, the Astros are about to release him because he's a different player. Matsui remains an efficient base stealer and UZR suggests his recent defense has been average, but his .141/.197/.155 line would not represent an upgrade from the Rockies' current option.
At 38, Mora is not likely to rediscover 25-homer power, but his .250/.308/.350 line is tolerable for a utility player. Mora's value comes from his defense; UZR rates him as an average defender, and he is versatile enough to play around the infield.
Replacing Mora with Matsui would leave the Rockies without much defensive flexibility. Matsui hasn't played a position other than second base in the major leagues since 2006 and he has never played either corner infield position at the highest level. The Rockies, who have used Mora at first, second and third already this year, rely on his versatility, since their bench includes pinch hitter Jason Giambi.
If the Rockies could carry a 26th man, then adding Matsui in the the hopes that he can recapture his batting stroke wouldn't hurt. But in reality, adding Matsui means removing someone else from the team. They aren't about to go to a six-man bullpen, so Mora or Giambi would have to go. Giambi hasn't hit like he did last year, but the Rockies seem to like his clubhouse presence and power bat.
Matsui does not seem to fit in Colorado, but let's not overstate the Rockies' interest. Just because they have some interest in bringing him back doesn't mean that they're actually going to sign Matsui and give up on either Giambi or Mora.
Pat Burrell Rumors: Thursday
5:57pm: Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle was told that the Giants "have no serious interest" in Burrell, while the Padres apparently "have no interest at all," according to a tweet from MLB.com's Corey Brock.
5:22pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Burrell's preference is to return to the National League. Rosenthal also notes that Jermaine Dye's chances of finding a deal close to his asking price will be greatly diminished given that Burrell is now on the market and available at the minimum salary.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe pretty much eliminates the Red Sox from the Burrell sweepstakes, adding that the club "wouldn't have a space for another one-dimensional player" at DH what with Mike Lowell and David Ortiz currently filling the position.
3:48pm: The Padres and Giants are interested in Pat Burrell, according to the chatter that Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News hears (Twitter link). Burrell, who will cost a pro-rated portion of the major league minimum now that he's a free agent, may be considering offers.
The Giants (14th in the NL in runs) and the Padres (13th in the NL in runs) could both use offense. Andres Torres, Nate Schierholtz and Aubrey Huff are hitting well enough for the Giants in the corner outfield spots and at first. Kyle Blanks has not produced so far for the Padres, but it's hard to imagine the Padres letting Burrell loose in the outfield, since he has played just nine innings there since 2009.
Burrell, who hit .202/.292/.303 for the Rays this year, is not necessarily a candidate for an everyday job on either team. They may be eyeing him as a potential source of bench power. The Padres could look to replace one former Phillie with another if they don't expect Matt Stairs to emerge from his early-season slump.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said yesterday that the Phillies are not interested in bringing Burrell back to Philadelphia.