Trade Rumor Timeline
Some names – Adrian Gonzalez and Roy Oswalt for example – have already surfaced in trade rumors. But some of the players we'll hear about in trade talks this summer have yet to appear. To find out when we should have a good sense of who is available, let's look back to last summer and see when some of the biggest names first appeared in rumors:
- Jake Peavy – Peavy was essentially involved in non-stop trade rumors from the 2008-09 offseason until his near-deal to Chicago in May. Things quieted down for a couple months until the two clubs successfully pulled the deal off in July.
- Victor Martinez – V-Mart first came up in trade rumors around this time last year, when Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said the Red Sox had inquired on the catcher and exchanged names with the Indians.
- Cliff Lee – The buzz around Lee started early on. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reported that executives around baseball were chattering about a possible trade on April 24th. That was three weeks after MLBTR's Tim Dierkes wondered aloud if the Indians would deal him.
- Roy Halladay, the player everyone was talking about last summer, wasn't on anyone's radar as an early trade candidate. It wasn't until July that then-GM J.P. Ricciardi told reporters he'd listen to offers for the Blue Jays' ace.
Some of the players we're reading about now will remain in the rumor mill non-stop for a few months, but we haven't necessarily heard all the big names – there could easily be some surprise trade candidates to come.
Dye Would Play For Padres
Jermaine Dye would play for the Padres, according to Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Dye's agent Bob Bry said earlier this week that the 36-year-old outfielder continues to work out and hit in anticipation of a big league job. The 22-12 Padres, who lead the NL West, appeal to Dye.
"San Diego was one of the places Jermaine was excited about playing," Bry said.
Sullivan reports that the Padres "had dialogue" with Dye and his representatives last offseason, but chose to rely on youth instead. So far, the Padres' offense ranks 13th out of the 16 National League teams with 143 runs scored. Corner outfielders Kyle Blanks and Will Venable have started slowly.
It's not clear that the Padres are interested in Dye or that he could help them win. After hitting 20 homers in the first half last year, Dye slowed down and hit seven in the second half with a .179/.293/.297 line. The advanced fielding metric UZR suggests Dye's outfield defense was considerably worse than average last year. Still, Dye is the most readily-available hitter for teams seeking 25-homer power.
Royals Fire Trey Hillman
The Royals fired manager Trey Hillman, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (via Twitter). Former Brewers manager Ned Yost will take over the club. The 12-23 Royals already trail the first place Twins by 10.5 games in the AL Central. Hillman was in the last year of a three-year contract that he signed after the 2007 season. Hillman led the Royals to a 152-207 record in two-plus seasons.
Royals GM Dayton Moore said earlier in the week that the Royals were not close to making any moves and praised Hillman for doing a "terrific job." Hillman says he believes in the Royals; he told Passan that "it will work" in Kansas City (Twitter link).
Yost, 55, led the Brewers to a 457-502 record when he managed them from 2003-08.
Odds & Ends: Abreu, Torrealba, DeRosa, Strasburg
Links for Thursday, as we await an Opening Day rematch between Josh Johnson and Johan Santana…
- Tony Abreu could be an attractive trade chip if the D'Backs shop him for relief help, writes Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic.
- Ken Griffey Jr. should retire gracefully, writes MLB.com's Hal Bodley.
- We shouldn't be surprised to see Drew Storen arrive in the majors before Strasburg. As Ben Goessling of MASN.com explains, the Nationals may choose to reward Storen for signing so soon after they drafted him.
- Yorvit Torrealba has been one of baseball's best free agent bargains, if you ask MLB.com's Corey Brock.
- In a pre-draft notebook, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo explains why pitcher Peter Tago is gaining on some fellow amateurs and the answer is pretty simple.
- Wondering which pitchers have seen their strikeout rate climb or tumble this year? RotoAuthority has the results for the season so far.
- If Mark DeRosa hits the disabled list, the Giants will rely on their own players, mostly John Bowker, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney believes the Nationals would like to debut Stephen Strasburg at home, while his colleague Rob Neyer can see the Nats breaking him in on the road. Last night I suggested we could see Strasburg's first MLB start against the Astros in early June.
- Marc Hulet of FanGraphs says it's too early to worry, but pitching prospect Aaron Crow reminds him a little of another former first rounder in the Royals' system: Luke Hochevar.
Rays Notes: Bush, Bennett
Notes on one pitcher who may appear on the Rays this year and one who won't:
- Matt Bush, the player the Padres selected first overall in the 2004 draft, may make it to the majors with the Rays, according to Tom Krasovic of Fanhouse. Bush has only pitched three innings at A ball this year, but the Rays people Krasovic spoke to wouldn't be surprised to see Bush in the majors this year.
- The Rays released Jeff Bennett, according to Cork Gaines of RaysIndex. The team's media relations department confirmed the release to MLBTR. Bennett, now 29, made 11 appearances for the Rays last year. In 10.2 innings at Triple A Durham, Bennet posted 8.4 BB/9 and 5.9 K/9 this year.
Washburn May Not Pitch In 2010
Jarrod Washburn does not expect to sign soon and may not pitch in 2010, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 35-year-old lefty has not ruled out pitching, but it doesn't sound like he'll return to the mound soon.
"Never say never, but I am very happy at home with my family," Washburn told Morosi.
Washburn's agent, Scott Boras, said last month that as many as five teams were interested, but it's been quiet since. The Royals and Mariners were reportedly interested in April, but Washburn turned the Mariners' offer down. The Dodgers, Brewers and Nationals could all become suitors for Washburn if he decides to pitch again this season.
Stark On Mariners, Lee, Werth, Berkman, Zambrano
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that Ken Griffey Jr. will always get "the respect and dignity he deserves" in Seattle, so don't expect the Mariners to push Junior out of the way now that it seems convenient to do so. As one executive tells Stark, that's not an easy thing to tell a player like Griffey. Here are the rest of Stark's hot stove-related notes from Seattle and around the major leagues:
- Zduriencik says talk that the Mariners are trying to deal for a bat is "overblown" though he concedes that he's always "making phone calls" to other clubs.
- The Mariners will "wait and see what happens" with Cliff Lee, Zduriencik says. Lee becomes a free agent after the season and expects to get paid like an ace.
- The man who traded for Lee last summer, Ruben Amaro Jr., says the Phillies aren't as well-equipped to make a blockbuster move in 2010. "To be frank, I don't know if we have the resources to trade people to get that kind of guy," the GM said.
- Another GM believes one of Amaro's current players, Jayson Werth, may benefit from a relative shortage of right-handed power outfielders this offseason.
- A friend of Lance Berkman's thinks the first baseman would be prepared to accept a trade and leave Houston for a couple months. But the friend is less certain that Berkman would accept a deal if his new club was sure to exercise his 2011 option. At $15MM, there's no guarantee that will happen, in spite of Berkman's recent hot streak.
- Executives on other teams see Carlos Zambrano as a guy who "hasn't pitched like a top-of-the-rotation starter for two years."
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jason Varitek
Jason Varitek won't sign another $40MM deal, but his chances in free agency are looking much better than they were a couple months ago. Let's face it: few of us imagined that Varitek's slugging percentage would exceed Victor Martinez's on base plus slugging this far into the season. Varitek's six homers give him a .342/.419/.868 line, but be warned: Varitek has only batted 43 times.
Martinez and Varitek share more than Boston's catching duties. Both are headed for free agency and both stand to gain or lose a considerable amount depending on their play in the next four and a half months. Varitek's fly ball percentage (66%) and home run to fly ball ratio (33%) are not at all sustainable, so that .868 slugging percentage will probably be halved by the end of the season. Still – no one can take Varitek's hot start away from him, even if no one expects him to sustain it.
Given the two-year deals Jason Kendall, Ivan Rodriguez and Brian Schneider signed last offseason, it appears that teams are willing to pay a premium for veteran catchers. With Scott Boras by his side and Joe Mauer off of the market, Varitek could ask for a multi-year deal if he keeps his walk rate around his career average, maintains some power and throws out more than the occasional baserunner. That's a challenge for any catcher, let alone a 38-year-old, but let's not count Varitek out.
Rangers Appear Content With Current Catchers
The Rangers are content with the production they're getting from Max Ramirez and Matt Treanor, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com. Manager Ron Washington told Durrett that he's pleased with the game calling and defense his current catchers provide.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier in the week that the Rangers are looking at other catching options. Today's report doesn't necessarily mean Rosenthal's report is off-base, since club executives can eye opposing players even when they're content with their current club.
One catcher the Rangers definitely have their eye on plays at Triple A Oklahoma. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is working on his throwing, but his .343/.400/.552 line stands out, especially on a team that's getting a .193/.302/.266 line from its backstops.
"No one has forgotten about Salty," Washington said. "We know what he brings to the table."
Other clubs do, too, so it wouldn't be a shock if the Rangers were the ones trading from catching depth this summer. Rosenthal suggested the Astros – who could use some offense – and the Red Sox – who could use some defense – could look to acquire catchers. The Rangers could consider dealing with either one of those teams or any other club looking for a catcher.
Eric Byrnes Retires
When Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik offered to call other teams up and measure interest in Eric Byrnes, the left fielder told him not to. Byrnes told Zduriencik and Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu that he is ‘done,’ writes Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle.
"To be honest, I don't really have any interest,” Byrnes said. “I've never been scared for it to be done, for life after baseball, and it's not because I didn't love the game."
Byrnes, who first told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports of his retirement from the game, now plays softball every Wednesday for a slow pitch team (check the Chronicle article out for some memorable photos). Byrnes told Morosi it's time for him to surf, golf and read his daughter bedtime stories.
"Am I retired from baseball? Yes. Am I retired from life? Not even close."
Reports hinted that Byrnes could retire earlier in the month, after the Mariners released him. He wraps his career up with a .258/.320/.439 line compiled with five teams. He will have pocketed a total of $39MM by the end of the season, according to Baseball-Reference. The D'Backs are paying Byrnes most of his $11MM salary this year, with the Mariners contributing $400K.