D’Backs Rumors: Snyder, Garland, Abreu
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has the latest on the D'Backs catchers and their return for Jon Garland:
- Chris Snyder's back problems may not be serious, but they could become a problem for both the club and the catcher. The D'Backs hope to trade Snyder in the offseason to address other weaknesses and Snyder would presumably like to play every day. If Snyder returns in time to re-establish some of his value, he would help himself and the D'Backs.
- Piecoro hears that the Dodgers won't necessarily send Tony Abreu to the D'Backs to complete the Jon Garland trade. It remains likely that Abreu will join the D'Backs, however.
Olney On White Sox, Rangers, Yankees
ESPN.com's Buster Olney says Giants catching prospect Buster Posey is probably more likely to be on the team's Opening Day roster, now that they club started his service time clock. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:
- Olney says Kenny Williams has a responsibility to publicly discuss the moves that sent Jim Thome and Jose Contreras elsewhere.
- Olney hears that the Rangers will likely consider various infielders now that Michael Young is hurt. A player like Jamey Carroll could help the Rangers, but Olney doubts they'll make a move.
- Here's a suggestion for the Yankees from Olney: offer both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui one-year deals after the season, but say "we'll keep whoever takes our offer first."
Odds And Ends: Royals, Kazmir, Hudson
Some links for the morning…
- Jeff Sackmann of the Hardball Times can imagine an excellent Royals team in 2012, but says there's no guarantee we'll see such a thing.
- As MLB.com's Doug Miller shows, cheap, no-name closers can be just as effective as proven commodities.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the addition of Scott Kazmir should help the Angels reach the playoffs once again.
- Tim Hudson and Dan Meyer were traded for each other in 2004. This week, Hudson pitched against Meyer's team for the first time, as MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports.
- Jamey Newberg ranks Justin Smoak and Martin Perez ahead of the other Rangers minor leaguers in this week's prospects report for MLB.com.
Giants Rumors: Penny, Molina, Posey
The latest on the Giants, who trail the Wild Card-leading Rockies by just a game:
- Brad Penny gave the Giants more than they could have expected in his return to the NL, as Dan Gelston of the AP notes (via the Miami Herald).
- ESPN.com's Keith Law would like to see the Giants play Buster Posey enough down the stretch to prepare him for a starting role in 2010. They could then let Bengie Molina walk and spend on another bat.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if the Giants are trying to "light a fire" under Bengie Molina.
Twins Acquire Jon Rauch For Kevin Mulvey
TUESDAY: Arizona will receive pitcher Kevin Mulvey as the player to be named later in the Rauch trade, according to John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR. Mulvey, of course, joined the Twins in February of last year as part of the Johan Santana trade. The 24 year-old righty has a 3.93 ERA with 113 strikeouts and 54 walks in 149 Triple A innings this year.
FRIDAY: The Twins acquired Jon Rauch from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a player to be named later, according to an MLB.com press release. Rauch, who should become a free agent after next season, makes $2MM this year and his contract includes a $2.9MM club option for 2010.
The 6'11'' righty has allowed 57 hits and 17 walks in 54.1 innings, striking out 35. Rauch, who turns 31 next month, has seen his strikeout rate dip and his walk rate rise this year, though his ERA is identical to last year's 4.14 mark.
Twins Have Enough Money To Re-Sign Mauer
There will be a bidding frenzy for Joe Mauer if he hits the free agent market after next season, as anticipated. But the Twins are in a position to make him a strong offer, according to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press. Team president Dave St. Peter said the team has enough money to keep Mauer around after next year.
The Twins are in the middle of a pennant race thanks in large part to Mauer's season-long hot streak at the plate and strong defense. Mauer says he isn't thinking about his contract status, but he's no doubt boosting his value with his MVP-level play.
Crede: Retirement Rumors Are False
Joe Crede tells MLB.com's Tyler Mason that in spite of some recent rumors suggesting he's considering retirement, he has no such intention.
"I know I have more years in me. I still love the game," Crede said. "I have no plans of retiring."
The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday that Crede might opt to retire after the season, but Crede says he has no idea how those rumors emerged. Crede has had back trouble throughout his career, but he's only 31 and he's managed 15 homers this year.
Royals Extend Dayton Moore Through 2014
3:35pm: The Royals officially announced the extension, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. Moore is under contract through 2014.
1:48pm: The Royals are set to sign GM Dayton Moore to a four-year extension, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The deal, which could be officially announced tonight, will keep Moore in charge through 2014. He became GM in 2006, when he agreed to a five-year deal that locked him up through 2010.
When we heard last week that the Royals were considering an extension for their GM, ESPN.com's Keith Law wrote that there was no good reason to do so.
Rangers Release Ryan Freel
The Rangers released Ryan Freel after just two games at Triple A Oklahoma City, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The Rangers just signed Freel on Friday. As Mike pointed out at the time of the signing, Freel has now played for five organizations in the last year.
Freel picked up limited at bats for the Orioles, Cubs and Royals this year without posting an OPS over .600 for any of the three teams. He remains as versatile as ever, though; Freel has played every outfield position, second and third this year.
Odds And Ends: Hardy, Johnson, Mets
More links as we await the next waiver trade…
- The Brewers put off J.J. Hardy's free agency until after 2011 by keeping him in the minors for 20 days, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out. This should boost Hardy's trade value after the season, when the Brewers will presumably listen to trade offers, now that Alcides Escobar is contributing in the majors.
- Randy Johnson expects to return to the Giants as a reliever, according to the AP (via FOX Sports).
- MLB.com's Marty Noble suggests Jayson Werth and Derrek Lee would be good fits for the Mets this offseason.