Dodgers Seek Run-Producing Pinch Hitter
The Dodgers are looking to acquire a pinch hitter with power for the final month of the season, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. The Dodgers have Mark Loretta and Juan Pierre off the bench, but neither player has much power, so they're looking outside the organization.
So far, Gurnick says the market for such bats appears thin. Jonny Gomes and Tony Clark could interest the Dodgers, but that's mere speculation on my part.
Odds And Ends: Oswalt, Cubs, Chapman, Padres
More links as we get ready for the final weekend of August baseball…
- Jermore Solomon of the Houston Chronicle wouldn't be surprised if Roy Oswalt wants out of Houston.
- Tony Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Rich Harden and Aaron Heilman aren't the only Cubs to have been claimed on waivers.
- Aroldis Chapman continues to practice in Spain and is close to establishing residency in another country, according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com. The Cuban pitcher is considered one of the best amateur talents in the world.
- Arangure Jr. reports that the Padres are close to signing Fabel Filpo for a six-figure deal.
Rosenthal On Competing In The AL East
When you're in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox, you only have so many chances to win. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports presents the long-term strategies the Rays and Jays are likely to adopt as they try to compete with their richer division rivals:
- Rosenthal says the Rays would likely trade Carl Crawford if they were in another division.
- They'll listen to offers for him this offseason, but they may decide they need to capitalize on their chance to win now and hold onto Crawford, even if it means they only obtain compensation picks in return.
- Like Crawford, Carlos Pena will be a tough sign when he hits free agency after the 2010 season.
- The Rays were serious about their pursuit of Roy Halladay, Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee because they sense that they can win now.
The Blue Jays, will likely build for the future around their young pitching, plus Adam Lind, Aaron Hill and Travis Snider.
- Rosenthal expects the Jays to trade Roy Halladay after the season.
- He doesn't expect them to re-sign Marco Scutaro (a likely Type A free agent) or Rod Barajas (a likely Type B free agent). Instead they can take compensation picks in next year's draft.
Twins Acquire Ron Mahay
1:32pm: The Twins acquired Mahay from the Royals, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The Royals will cover most of his salary, and the Twins will pay the pro-rated MLB minimum, which should amount to less than $100k.
1:14pm: The Twins are "on the verge" of acquiring reliever Ron Mahay from the Royals, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Royals designated the lefty for assignment last week. He allowed 55 hits and 19 walks in 41.1 innings, striking out 34. We first heard of the Twins' interest in the 13-year veteran yesterday.
Mahay makes $4MM this year, so there's about $740k remaining on his contract.
Odds And Ends: Royals, Mets, Marquis
More links for the early afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Keith Law argues there's no reason for the Royals to consider extending GM Dayton Moore now. It could impede them in the future, and they're in no apparent danger of losing him to a rival club.
- Author Erin Arvedlund told Ben Klayman of Reuters that the Wilpon family will be forced to sell the Mets.
- The Mets, however, say the author's claim is "false and irrespopnsible," according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.
- EPSN.com's Rob Neyer says MLB should change its draft if it makes sense to do so, but not just to make people feel better.
- Jason Marquis' team has made the playoffs every year of his decade-long career, as Tim Kurkjian of ESPN.com notes. Marquis is in the midst of a career year and about to hit the free agent market this offseason.
Giants Claimed Hoffman; Trade Unlikely
The Giants claimed Trevor Hoffman, but it appears that the Brewers will pull the reliever off waivers instead of negotiating a trade, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The Giants made the claim partly because Hoffman would help their bullpen and partly because they didn't want to give the Rockies or Dodgers a chance to acquire him.
The Brewers seem more likely to hold onto Hoffman than trade him. Speaking in general terms, GM Doug Melvin told Olney that he would "probably not" compromise the club's bullpen in the coming days.
Odds And Ends: Burnett, Baker, Ichiro
Some links for the morning…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if A.J. Burnett will be able to cope towards the end of his contract, when his stuff will presumably begin to fade.
- Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch believes Dusty Baker's job is safe, partly because the Reds don't want to eat his contract next year.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan wonders if Ichiro can reach 4,000 hits, or more than double the amount he has so far. A friend of Ichiro's says the Japanese star wants to play well into his forties.
- Tom Verducci of SI.com believes the Yankees and Red Sox were smart to add C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner, respectively. Verducci notes that salaries negotiated through arbitration are not guaranteed so the Red Sox could cut Wagner if they agree to a contract through arbitration and he underperforms in Spring Training.
Victor Martinez Open To Extension With Red Sox
Matt Holliday isn't the only hot-hitting deadline acquisition open to signing long-term with his new club. Victor Martinez tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he'd consider signing an extension with the Red Sox.
"Definitely," Martinez said. "Who wouldn't want to play here in Boston? It's up to them, but from my side, I would want to stay here."
He's hitting well enough to impress several of his teammates, and presumably the Boston front office. V-Mart's .313/.385/.521 line since joining the Red Sox has not gone unnoticed by David Ortiz, who told Bradford that letting Martinez go is "not even an option."
Before exploring an extension, the Red Sox figure to pick up Martinez's $7MM option for 2010. Jason Varitek may also return next year, after which Boston's catching situation becomes unclear.
Conor Jackson’s Future
This should have been one of Conor Jackson's best years. He had plate discipline, moderate power and was entering his age 27 season. Now, after an extended bout with valley fever, Jackson's value has tumbled and he doesn't have a guaranteed job next season. He told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that his disappointing season has created uncertainty about the team's offseason plans.
If the D'Backs offer Jackson a contract, they can't offer him less than $2.4MM under baseball's arbitration rules because he makes $3.1MM this year. Last offseason, when Jackson was coming off three straight years with an OPS over .800, the club had an easy call. But Jackson has hit poorly since then, so the team could decide to non-tender him.
Four Brewers Clear Waivers
Jason Kendall, Craig Counsell, Mike Cameron and Braden Looper all cleared waivers yesterday, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Now, the Brewers can trade those players to any team. Interested clubs will want to complete deals by Monday because players acquired after August 31st aren't eligible to play in the postseason.
Kendall, Cameron and Counsell all hit free agency after the season, while Looper has a $6MM mutual option for next year. According to the latest rankings, Kendall, Cameron and Looper project as Type B free agents and Counsell will likely be unranked. The Brewers could receive draft picks in compensation for departing free agents, but they'd have to be willing to offer arbitration to receive the picks.
The Brewers placed Trevor Hoffman on waivers and he was claimed, but they don't appear likely to trade him.