Mets Designate Frank Catalanotto For Assignment
The Mets designated Frank Catalanotto for assignment, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The Mets have called Chris Carter up to replace the 36-year-old utility man. Catalanotto hit .167/.200/.208 for the Mets in 25 plate appearances this year, almost exclusively off the bench. Catalanotto will have his career .296/.360/.456 line against righties to point to if the Mets release him.
Carter has just 26 big league plate appearances to his name, but he is hitting well at Triple A Buffalo. His .339/.395/.615 line was enough to impress the Mets front office. The 27-year-old's 132 minor league homers suggest he could provide the Mets with some power.
Torre Undecided On Future
Dodgers manager Joe Torre told MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick that he remains uncertain about his future and doesn’t expect to seek out a new managerial job after the season when his contract expires.
"I refuse to say absolutely,” Torre said. “But I have to say it's very, very remote that ever happens. I certainly don't anticipate, at age 70, searching around for another managing job."
Ken Rosenthal recently reported that Torre’s friends aren’t sure he would continue managing the Dodgers if their ownership situation doesn’t become settled, but Torre bristled at that suggestion. Torre said in February that he was discussing an extension that would keep him in Dodger Blue through 2011. The sides considered a front office role for Torre, who turns 70 this summer.
Torre has a 2260-1932 record in 29 seasons as a big league manager to go along with four World Series titles. His Dodgers are now 14-17, in fourth place in the NL West.
Players Who Were Once Designated For Assignment
We see it all the time. Most weeks a handful of players are designated for assignment and more often than not casual fans barely notice. A DFA indicates that a team is willing to part with a player – sometimes for nothing. But sometimes those players come back from DFAs to become stars in the major leagues. Here's a list of some current players who have been designated for assignment:
- David Aardsma – The Red Sox acquired Aardsma after the White Sox designated him for assignment in 2008. A year later, the Mariners traded for Aardsma, who became the team's closer and posted impressive rates of 10.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
- Mike Adams – Adams was designated for assignment in 2006, before he posted absurdly low ERAs and regularly struck out more than a batter per inning.
- Milton Bradley – The Padres acquired Bradley from the A's after Bradley was designated for assignment in 2007. Bradley hit .313/.414/.590 for the Padres and led them to a one game playoff with the Rockies for the Wild Card spot. Of course Bradley didn't play in game 163, since he tore his ACL while manager Bud Black restrained him during an on-field argument earlier in the month.
- Russell Branyan – No one claimed Branyan after his 2006 DFA, but the Cardinals traded for him when the Phillies designated him for assignment the next year. He didn't do much for the Cards in his 39 plate appearances in 2007, but Branyan rebounded to hit 31 homers for the Mariners in 2009.
- Marlon Byrd – The Nationals designated Byrd for assignment in 2006 without losing him and the Rangers did the same in 2007. Byrd recovered from his '07 demotion to post three consecutive productive seasons in Texas.
- Nelson Cruz – The Rangers designated Cruz for assignment at the beginning of the 2008 season – usually a good time to sneak players through waivers. The Rangers must be thrilled no one claimed Cruz, who hit 37 homers in the minors that year and added 33 in the majors the following season.
- Rajai Davis – The A's claimed the outfielder off of waivers from their Bay Area rivals in 2008. Davis was hitting .056/.105/.056 at the time, though he had batted just 19 times. He has gone on to become a useful player, hitting .305/.360/.423 last year with 41 steals and above average defense, according to UZR.
- Jorge de la Rosa – The Royals designated de la Rosa for assignment in March of 2008, but it wasn't until a month later that the Rockies traded for him. The 29-year-old free agent-to-be has been a productive starter in Colorado since.
- Ryan Franklin – The Reds acquired Franklin from the Phillies in 2006 after a poor start to the season. Franklin didn't do much better with the Reds, but he has been productive for three-plus seasons in St. Louis since.
- Jeremy Guthrie – The Orioles claimed the former first round pick from the Indians early in 2007, when Guthrie had just 37 big league innings and a 6.08 ERA to his name. Since, the righty has posted a 4.19 ERA in 610.1 innings.
- LaTroy Hawkins – The Yankees designated the reliever for assignment in 2008 and traded him to Houston, where Hawkins dominated for 24 appearances. He posted a 0.43 ERA along with 10.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.
- Bobby Jenks – He has fallen out of favor with the White Sox now, but they deserve credit for picking him up after the 2004 season. Jenks has struck out three times as many batters as he has walked in 301 innings with the White Sox.
- Ryan Ludwick – The slugger started the 2005 season hitting just .154/.267/.385 so the Indians designated him for assignment. No one claimed Ludwick then, but the Cardinals made a shrewd pickup when they later signed him.
- Brandon Phillips – The Reds claimed Phillips after the Indians designated him for assignment in 2006. He had just a .206/.246/.310 big league line at the time, but he has averaged 22 homers and 26 steals in his four full seasons with the Reds. UZR rates the 28-year-old as an above average defender at second base, too.
- Joel Pineiro – The Red Sox designated Pineiro for assignment in 2007 when he had a 5.03 ERA and just 20 strikeouts to go along with 14 walks. Later that summer, the Cardinals acquired Pineiro and he went on to post 426.1 solid innings for the Cards. Under the tutelage of pitching coach Dave Duncan, Pineiro posted a walk rate of 1.6 BB/9 in a Cardinals uniform.
- Grant Balfour, Ryan Church, Jack Cust, Matt Diaz, Jerry Hairston Jr., Joel Hanrahan, Livan Hernandez, Mike Jacobs, Colby Lewis, Julio Lugo, Mike MacDougal, Evan Meek, Vicente Padilla, Scott Podsednik, J.C. Romero, David Ross, Brian Tallet, Todd Wellemeyer and Randy Wells are among the many big leaguers who have been designated for assignment.
It's worth noting that this group does not include a superstar (Cruz might be the closest thing to one). Teams designate many talented players for assignment because of roster constraints, but few enjoy as much success as the group above.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the information.
No Upcoming Moves For Royals
The Royals already trail the Twins by ten games, but GM Dayton Moore told MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that he is not about to make any player moves. The Royals are 11-21, but Moore says he does not anticipate any action in the near future.
"No, nothing planned," Moore said. "There shouldn't be anything in the works tomorrow unless there's something unforeseen."
Some expect the Royals to listen to offers for Jose Guillen and David DeJesus. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported yesterday that Dejesus is "more than available" already. The Mariners have some interest in Jose Guillen, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, though the Seattle has yet to inquire formally about Guillen's availability.
Royals manager Trey Hillman has frustrated some fans, including Rany Jazayerli, who says Hillman has "crossed the point of no return in Kansas City." However, Moore told Kaegel that he thinks his manager has done a "terrific job."
Rangers Seek Catching Help
The Rangers are looking for catching help, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal notes that the Astros, Brewers, Rays and Red Sox could also use reinforcements behind the plate. The Rays appear unlikey to deal for a catcher, partly because there aren't many backstops available.
The Rangers dealt for one of the few available catchers at the end of Spring Training, acquiring Matt Treanor from the Brewers. Treanor has impressed some with his game calling and defense, but Rosenthal says the team is looking at other options. Treanor, who has a .197/.300/.262 line in 71 plate appearances, missed most of last season with a bone spur in his right hip.
It may not be easy for GM Jon Daniels to work out a trade. The Rangers' sale is unresolved and has limited the club's ability to acquire players before. MLB prevented the Rangers from offering first round pick Matt Purke as much as they had planned to last summer, so the Rangers would presumably benefit from an immediate sale of the club.
MLBTR's Howard Megdal looked at the market for Chris Iannetta a couple weeks ago and concluded that the catcher could help teams at the major league level. The 27-year-old struggled in the majors this season and has since been demoted to the minors where he has posted a .303/.378/.667 line in 37 plate appearances. Iannetta is one of the many catchers the Rangers could inquire on.
Nationals Notes: Harper, Right Field, Daniel
The draft is less than a month away and once again, the Nationals appear likely to select the nation's best-known amateur with the first overall pick. Here are the details on the team's draft strategy and a couple other Nats-related notes:
- Former Nationals GM and current FOX Sports analyst Jim Bowden says Washington will take Bryce Harper with the first overall pick (Twitter link). Bowden believes the teenager's makeup is fine, even if he is a little immature. Last month the Nats said nothing was "etched in stone," but the club is monitoring Harper closely, at the very least.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he feels good about the team's options in right field. 'We're going to find out what these players can do," Rizzo said in reference to Willie Harris, Roger Bernadina and Justin Maxwell. That means we shouldn't expect the Nats to sign Jermaine Dye or another free agent right fielder any time soon.
- The Nationals released Mike Daniel, an outfielder chosen in the seventh round of the 2005 draft, according to MASN.com's Ben Goessling (via Twitter).
- The Nationals need starting pitching, president Stan Kasten told MLB.com's Bill Ladson. As Kasten says, every team needs pitching and the Nats are no exception. Kasten chose not to predict when 2009 first rounders Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen will make their MLB debuts.
A’s Extend Brett Anderson
The A's signed lefty Brett Anderson to a four-year contract extension, the team announced (via Twitter). The deal runs from 2010-2013 and includes club options for 2014 and 2015. The extension buys out Anderson's last two pre-arbitration seasons and his first two arbitration years. The options cover Anderson's final arb year and his first year of free agency.
As the Associated Press reported (via ESPN.com), Anderson will earn $500K in 2010, $1MM in 2011, $3MM in 2012, and $5.5MM in 2013. The options are for $8MM in 2014 and $12MM in 2015, with a $1.5MM buyout for each year. Anderson will also receive a $1MM signing bonus, paid in four equal installments between now and November 2011. Overall, the deal will guarantee the left-hander $12.5MM and could be worth as much as $31MM over six years.
In comparison, Brandon Webb signed a $7.5MM extension covering the same four-year chunk of his career in 2004. The Anderson contract overwrites the 2010 deal worth $410K that the A's re-signed him to last month.
The 22-year-old lefty pitched to a 4.06 ERA in 175.1 innings last year with 7.7 K/9 and 2.3BB/9. He has pitched similarly well in his two starts this season. Baseball America ranked Anderson the seventh-best prospect in the game going into the 2009 season.
Possible Interest In Braden Looper
Braden Looper's numbers aren't eye-catching, but the free agent righty remains useful. The 35-year-old made at least 30 starts for the third consecutive season last year, logging 194.2 innings. He pitched to a 5.22 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. Those numbers suggest that Looper isn't going to dominate, but could help teams win.
The Diamondbacks, for example, could use rotation depth. For now, they're monitoring the trade market and don't appear interested in free agent starters like Looper or Jarrod Washburn, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
The D'Backs have relied on just four starters so far this year, but Kris Benson will join the rotation and start for them tomorrow. Recent history suggests Looper could outperform Benson, but the D'Backs have Kevin Mulvey and Billy Buckner to call on, too.
The Dodgers were interested in Looper on a minor league deal back in March, but they haven't been connected to him since. Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger struck out 12 Marlins in his only start this year, so the Dodgers have an intriguing fifth starter for now.
A glance around the majors shows that a number of other clubs could use starting pitching depth. Mitch Talbot and Jake Westbrook are having early control problems for the Indians; Doug Fister, Jason Vargas and Ian Snell are far from sure things in Seattle; the Nationals have a team ERA above 7.00 and are getting less than five innings per start from their rotation; with Chris Young out, the Padres could look to Looper instead of Tim Stauffer or Wade LeBlanc; the Mets could look to add pitching, too.
There are openings around the league now and more will surely emerge as the season develops, so it would be a surprise if Looper were unable to find work given his history of durability.
Hendry: Cubs Haven’t Considered Releasing Soriano
Cubs GM Jim Hendry said today on MLB Network Radio on SIRIUS XM that speculation about releasing Alfonso Soriano is unfounded.
"Never been a thought to it," Hendry told host Jim Memolo. "No. Those things are speculated by probably people in your profession, not ours."
ESPN.com's Rob Neyer wrote yesterday that he thinks there's a 50-50 chance the Cubs release Soriano before his contract expires at the end of the 2014 season. It's not at all surprising to see Hendry deny that the Cubs have given any thought to releasing the left fielder, who will make $90MM over the course of the next five years. But even if no one in the Cubs front office has considered releasing Soriano, they may have to at some point.
Soriano, 34, hit .275/.329/.519 with 110 homers in the three years preceding his contract with the Cubs. In the three-plus years since, he as a .274/.327/.506 line with 83 homers. Soriano's batting line is similar, but his power has dropped off since joining the Cubs, he's no longer the stolen base threat he once was, and his outfield defense was poor last year, according to UZR.
Heyman On Manuel, Fredi Gonzalez, Hunter
Managers Ken Macha, Dusty Baker, Trey Hillman, Ron Washington and John Russell are under varying degrees of pressure, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Here are the details on two other managers on the hot seat:
- Mets people say it's "too early" to react and replace Jerry Manuel, so they aren't about to fire him. Some people around the Mets say former MLB manager and newly-hired Mets scout Bob Melvin is in line to manage the club if Manuel falters. Mets management seems reluctant to bring Bobby Valentine back for a second stint managing the club.
- If the Marlins fire Fredi Gonzalez before his contract expires after 2011, he could be a fit in Atlanta. The longtime Braves coach could return to replace Bobby Cox, who is in the midst of his final season managing the Braves.
- Torii Hunter won't try to extend his career by DHing. Hunter says defense got him to the majors, so he intends to play a couple more years and then spend more time with his family.