Olney On Economy, Penny, Strasburg
Buster Olney said on ESPN Radio that the struggling economy could limit the number of trades we see this summer as fewer clubs are willing to take on contracts. Here are the details:
- Since a limited number of teams can add salary, Olney suspects "very cheap players" could be the ones to move.
- Teams are willing to give up less impressive prospects for expensive players, so the A's could be limited if they decide to deal Matt Holliday. However, they don't have to deal, so they can stand pat and collect picks after the season.
- Olney says there's a good chance Brad Penny's moved within the next couple weeks. It won't be this week unless Penny gives his permission, since he can't be dealt before June 15th.
- The Indians are starting to ask themselves who they'll be dealing with if they decide to shop Mark DeRosa and others.
- Olney wonders if the Nats will offer Stephen Strasburg a record deal- say $18-20MM- immediately and stick with that offer until the August 15th signing deadline.
Olney fleshes his ideas out in today's column, saying that teams like the Mariners and Padres may see less impressive bids for Erik Bedard and Jake Peavy as the perceived value of cheap, young players continues rising. Teams like the Yankees and Red Sox want to keep their young talent, so they don't drive up the prices for players who could be moved. The Padres could simply keep Peavy instead of accepting a second-rate return for him.
Draft Updates: Strasburg, Nats, Crow
With tomorrow's draft approaching fast let's take a look at some recent rumors and analysis…
- MLB.com's Lisa Winston reports that former super prospect Ben McDonald is impressed by Stephen Strasburg's stuff and poise.
- David Price told Danny Knobler of CBS Sports that Strasburg's stuff is better than his. Like Joe Maddon, Price believes the minors can be helpful and doesn't advocate rushing Strasburg into a big league rotation.
- Chico Harlan of the Washington Post interviewed acting GM Mike Rizzo about the draft and heard that signability won't be a factor for the Nats with their 10th pick, even though they get nothing if they fail to sign the player they choose. After saying for weeks that Strasburg is his choice with the first pick in the draft, Rizzo doesn't confirm it this time.
- Pete McElroy of MASN.com hears that the Nats will take Chad Jenkins, a big college righty, with their 10th pick if he's available.
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Pirates could use the $1.3MM they saved by trading Nate McLouth to sign the player they draft fourth overall. Aaron Crow, who's looking for $4MM, could be an option for Pittsburgh.
- Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Crow's looking forward to tomorrow's draft after waiting a year.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan says prospects can be over-hyped to the point that we encounter "an uncomfortable reality" when they struggle.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports that Kyle Gibson and Tanner Scheppers could fall lower than originally expected because of injury concerns. Other players, like Jacob Turner, could fall because they're expected to demand large bonuses.
- Follow the draft on Twitter as it unfolds: @mlbtraderumors and @MLBDraft.
A’s Don’t Have To Make Trades
The A's are in last place, 7.5 games behind the Rangers and they've already been involved in their share of trade rumors, but as Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle reports, they don't have to shed payroll. Now riding a six-game win streak, the A's can hold onto players like Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera if they continue to win.
Odds And Ends: Mariners, Rangers, Smoltz
Here are a few links to kick the week off…
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Mariners would risk losing fan interest if they deal players like Erik Bedard before the Mariners fall far out of the playoff race.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that Rangers GM Jon Daniels is looking to the trade market for a bullpen upgrade.
- WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports that John Smoltz is open to pitching out of the bullpen and may be asked to skip occasional starts. This could be one way of managing the starting pitching surplus in Boston.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders whether Kevin Frandsen, now in Triple A, would be open to starting fresh with a different club.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star believes the Royals are better off than they were a few years ago, but says they'll have trouble realizing their goal of contending in 2010.
- Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Tom Glavine isn't good enough to help the Brewers and Jake Peavy isn't cheap enough.
Red Sox Inquired On Cabrera, Aren’t Interested
Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox aren't interested in bringing Orlando Cabrera back to Boston, though they did inquire about the shortstop. McAdam's sources say the Red Sox would have to give up too much "in terms of his remaining salary and prospects." Instead, they're content to play Nick Green and Julio Lugo until Jed Lowrie returns. One team apparently determined that Cabrera, a two-time Gold Glover, is the worst defensive shortstop in the American League.
Draft Updates: Red Sox, Rays, Angels, Phillies
Here's what five of last year's playoff teams plan to do with their draft choices…
- MLB.com's Ian Browne says the Red Sox are happy to be selecting 28th because it means they were successful in the majors last year.
- Like the Red Sox, the Rays pick late, but they're not used to it, having had the first overall pick the last two years. As MLB.com's Bill Chastain reports the Rays are considering 15 or 20 players with their 30th pick and there's some speculation they could go for a catcher.
- The Cubs are focusing on doing well deep into the draft according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Their first pick will be the 31st overall.
- The Phillies' first pick will come after 74 players have already been selected. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that they'd like to add more bats and left-handed pitching.
- The Angels, on the other hand, have five of the first 48 picks. MLB.com's Lyle Spencer says they'd like to add some power at the corner infield and outfield positions. They're one of many teams interested in high school outfielder Everett Williams.
And some buzz surrounding the nation's top amateur players…
- ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill hears that the Mariners may be intimidated by the demands Scott Boras will likely make for his client, Dustin Ackley. He's considered the best college hitter in the draft, but the Mariners are apparently not willing to offer more than $6MM to sign him. Aaron Crow could be an alternative for the Mariners.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law believes it would be a mistake for the Padres to take Mike Minor with the third pick. Check the article out for more updates on some top talent.
- In a separate piece Law tracks the improvements some players- Stephen Strasburg, for one- make between high school and college.
Free Agency And Qualifying Offers
Here's another one for the MLBTR Glossary…
Once a player has six years of service time, he can become a free agent as long as he isn't under contract for the next season. This gives him the right to negotiate a contract with any team. Players don't typically become free agents until they've served six years in the majors, but some hit free agency earlier if they're released or if their teams choose not to offer them contracts. Here's the timeline for players who hit free agency after collecting six years service time.
- Eligible players become free agents at 8am central time on the day following the day that the last game of the World Series had started.
- From that point up until 10:59pm central time on the fifth day following the World Series, known as the Quiet Period, teams and free agents or their representatives may discuss interest, potential role, the advantages and disadvantages of playing for that team, the length of the contract, guarantee provisions, and no-trade provisions. During this period, players may not negotiate terms or contract with new teams, but they may negotiate with their former team.
- The last day of the Quiet Period at 4pm central time is the deadline for teams to make Qualifying Offers to free agents. A Qualifying Offer is a one-year contract equal to the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players for the prior season. For 2014, that amount is $14.1MM. One loophole: any player traded during the season is not eligible for a Qualifying Offer. Therefore, it is greatly to a player's advantage to be traded during his contract year.
- A qualified free agent has until 4pm central time on the seventh day following the conclusion of the Quiet Period to accept a Qualifying Offer, which no response counted as a rejection. Should a player accept, he is a signed player for the upcoming season. No player has yet to accept in the two years the Qualifying Offer system has been in place. There is no limit to the number of Qualifying Offers a player may receive in his career.
- For any player who declined a Qualifying Offer and signed a Major League contract with another club prior to the next Rule 4 draft, the former clubs receive an amateur draft choice in the reverse order of their won-lost percentage in the recently completed season, with the selections beginning immediately following the last regular selection in the first round of Rule 4 Draft. If a Club is entitled to more than one Special Draft Choice, its selections will be slotted in succession. If two or more Clubs are tied, the Clubs shall select in the reverse order of their winning percentages in the season prior to the recently completed season, with any remaining ties to be resolved based on preceding season winning percentages.
- Any team that signs a Qualified free agent from another team must forfeit its highest available pick in the next Rule 4 draft, with the first ten picks protected as well as those acquired for the failure to sign a player the previous year. If a team signs more than one Qualified free agent, it must forfeit its highest remaining pick each time. Forfeiting a pick requires giving up the associated draft pool money as well. Picks obtained through assignments and in the competitive balance and forfeited draft pick lotteries are subject to forfeiture.
- Teams and players may not enter into any agreement, understanding, or contract, or make any kind of promise not to make or accept a Qualifying Offer.
- Any player who signed a free agent contract may not be traded until June 15th without his consent.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post, which draws heavily upon the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Mets Claim Pat Misch Off Waivers
According to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News, the Mets claimed Pat Misch off waivers from the Giants and assigned him to Triple A Buffalo. Misch, 27, struggled in four games for the Giants this year. He's starting in the minors, but could provide relief at the major league level for a team that just lost J.J. Putz for eight to ten weeks.
Padilla Clears Waivers
Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Vicente Padilla has cleared waivers. This comes as a surprise to no one, as Padilla still has roughly $8MM remaining on his contract for this year alone. Wilson wonders if Padilla will pitch better now that he knows none of the 29 other teams want to pick him up if they have to pay his salary. He'll be a free agent if the Rangers buy out his option after the season, so Padilla can use the next four months to rebuild his value.
Orioles Release Jamie Walker
2:44pm: Roch Kubatko of MASN.com reports that it's official; the O's announced they've released Walker.
1:55pm: Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles will release lefty reliever Jamie Walker. Baltimore still owes Walker about $3MM, but they were no longer satisfied with his production. To replace Walker, they called up Alberto Castillo, another lefty who pitched for the O's last year and has performed well at Triple A Norfolk so far in 2009.
Zrebiec writes that the move is "not all that surprising" because lefties are hitting .458 against Walker this year. The pitcher signed a three year deal worth $12MM before the 2007 season.