Odds And Ends: Red Sox, Oswalt, Angels
Links to start the week off…
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe suggests a few ways of improving the Red Sox. He says acquiring a catcher like Victor Martinez or Jarrod Saltalamacchia would set the team up for this year and beyond.
- Think the Tigers are happy they parted with Matt Joyce to acquire Edwin Jackson? Aubrey Huff told the Detroit Free Press that Jackson and Justin Verlander are the best back-to-back starters he's seen in his nine-year career.
- ESPN.com's Amy Nelson says (via Twitter) that Roy Oswalt's open to being traded but would like to remain in the NL.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times says the Angels are "believed to be exploring" trades to improve their 'pen.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle argues that Astros GM Ed Wade "cut corners" when assembling his pitching staff.
- Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu likes his current lineup, according to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law says the two college pitchers who threw 129 and 169 pitches in a 25 inning game were exposed to injury unfairly.
- Brian Joura counts down the worst #1 overall draft choices in baseball history on FantasyPros911.
- And I'm thrilled to be stepping in for a bit here on MLBTR as Tim takes care of far more important things.
Yankees Likely To Part With Matsui After Season
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post Yankees executives say "there is almost zero chance that Hideki Matsui will be re-signed after the season." Even a strong finish this season wouldn't figure to be enough for the Yankees to bring Matsui back, because they want more roster flexibility. Players like Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez could all benefit from DHing at times, but that's difficult if Matsui can't play in the field regularly. Matsui has said he would like to remain a Yankee and he gives the team a presence in the Japanese market.
Knobler On Brewers, Vazquez
After chatting with GM Doug Melvin, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports points out that the Brewers could make a deal even though they're not in trade talks at the moment. As Melvin says, the team has "done it every year." Melvin says the challenge for the Brewers, who could pursue pitching or an infielder, "is identifying what [they] need." Knobler identifies three barriers the Brewers would have to overcome should they decide to pursue Jake Peavy:
- The Brewers would have to agree to part with top prospects.
- Owner Mark Attanasio would have to agree to take on Peavy's contract.
- Peavy would have to agree to come to Milwaukee.
On another note, Knobler spoke to a "scout familiar with the Braves" who suggests that Atlanta could consider dealing Javier Vazquez, who makes $11.5MM this year and next, for a big bat to help out the struggling Braves offense.
Joe Mauer’s Next Contract
If the Twins don't sign him to an extension, Joe Mauer will hit the free agent market after 2010 as a 27-year-old catcher with at least two batting titles and two All-Star Game selections to his name. Already, some writers are starting to speculate on the sort of contract Mauer could command. In the last week heavyweights Peter Gammons and Nick Cafardo both suggested Mauer could sign a deal worth over $180MM and Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press made a similar suggestion today. Here are some of the reasons Mauer could command the biggest contract in baseball history not signed by Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter.
- At 27, Mauer will have plenty of good years left when he becomes a free agent. Remember Jorge Posada signed a four-year deal after his age 35 season.
- Most teams- we'll exclude those with talented young catchers like the Orioles, Braves and Dodgers- could upgrade at catcher. This should leave Mauer with many suitors, including high bidders like the Red Sox and possibly the Yankees.
- Most importantly, he's one of the game's best players. Even if you set aside his Bonds-esque 2009 OPS of 1.344, he's always had good strikeout to walk ratios and entered this year with a career OPS of .856.
- Throw in his defense and teams will be lining up for Mauer.
But a lot has to go right for him to be in a position to command close to $200MM.
- He has to stay healthy.
- Since he's most appealing as a catcher, teams will have to be confident that Mauer can catch long-term if they're going to offer him Mark Teixeira-type money.
Rays To Stay In-House At Second Base
Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reports that the Rays will replace Akinori Iwamura's production from within the organization. Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said the club will rely on Ben Zobrist, Willy Aybar and Reid Brignac to fill the void created by Iwamura's injury. Even with Jason Bartlett injured, the Rays aren't expected to add anyone, in part because they cannot add payroll. It would have been a surprise to see the Rays give something up for a middle infielder when they're getting production from the players they already have.
White Sox Looking For Starting Pitching
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times spoke with scouts who say White Sox GM Ken Williams is aggressively looking for "front line pitching." Chicago's bid for Jake Peavy failed, but Cowley hears that Williams is "not done searching."
Brewers Aren’t Talking Peavy Trade
According to Colin Fly of the AP (via the Chicago Tribune) Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he's not involved in any trade talks now. Many writers have wondered about Milwaukee's interest in Jake Peavy, but the Brewers aren't currently negotiating with the Padres.
Odds And Ends: Rangers, Brewers, O’Dowd
A few links for Saturday morning…
- Nolan Ryan could buy into the Texas Rangers according to this MLB.com article by T.R. Sullivan.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney points out that the Rangers have the resources to "out-bid others for the likes of Erik Bedard" if they decide to trade for pitching help.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin said once again that he's not looking outside the organization for second base help, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Melvin said he's happy with Craig Counsell at second in the absence of Rickie Weeks.
- Now that the Phillies hope to acquire an impact pitcher, Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com wonders whether the Mets might decide to get in the Phillies' way and go after an arm, too.
- As Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe reports, the Red Sox aren't about to implement a six-man rotation. The Sox will still have arms to spare so we'll continue to hear Brad Penny's name in trade rumors.
- Dave Krieger of the Denver Post says the next four months will be a "referendum" on Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd and his front office.
- As MLB.com's John Schlegel reports Stephen Strasburg struck out 15 in his most recent start, walking no one and allowing two earned runs on eight hits.
- Check out a discussion I had about the Jays and other MLB teams on TorontoSportsMedia.com.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff likes the Lance Broadway–Ramon Castro swap for the Mets.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle takes a look at Ed Wade's Kaz Matsui signing and doesn't like what he sees.
Taking Stock Of The Pirates
John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus catalogues a decade and a half of poor decisions by the Pirates in his latest column, up at ESPN.com. Some of the team's more memorable gaffes:
- Releasing Tim Wakefield.
- Signing Pat Meares to a four year $15MM deal that surprised even Meares.
- Commiting nearly $10MM to Derek Bell, then claiming the deal sent "shock waves through baseball" during the same offseason that Alex Rodriguez signed for $252MM.
- Giving Bronson Arroyo up on waivers only to have him return to Pittsburgh as an All-Star for the Reds and call the Pirates the "most inept organization in baseball."
But the Pirates have shed some contracts in recent years and appear poised to get younger and better under current GM Neal Huntington. After next year they have commitments to Paul Maholm, Nate McLouth, Ian Snell, Ryan Doumit and Pedro Alvarez, but no one else. They reportedly have a good chance of signing 16-year-old shortstop prospect Miguel Angel Sano and are considering top talent with the fourth overall pick that they hold in this year's draft.
Jays Not Looking To Add Arms Or Deal Overbay
Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail reported yesterday that the Blue Jays are not looking outside the organization for pitching help or trying to deal Lyle Overbay. The Jays are hanging on to first place in the AL East by a half game after losing four straight. Here are the details from Blair's blog entry:
- The Jays plan to rely on pitchers within the organization such as Casey Janssen and Ricky Romero (both returning to the team).
- The Jays aren't even scouting Mark Mulder.
- The Jays would listen to offers for Lyle Overbay, who has an OPS of .867 and as many walks as strikeouts (17). However, they don't have the depth to deal Overbay because, as Blair points out, Kevin Millar "is not an option" as an everyday player.
- Overbay makes $7MM this year and the same amount in 2010, but he plays good defense. Last year he was the seventh-best defensive first baseman in the majors according to the plus/minus system.
- Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says he hasn't been proactive on the trade front.
- He says he's under no pressure to lower payroll.