Mets Considering Trading For A First Baseman
As Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports, Carlos Delgado's hip problems have put his career in jeopardy. For now he's on the DL, but there's no immediate timeline for his return. This leaves the Mets without a first baseman. Here are some of Minaya's options:
- Fernando Tatis could play first, perhaps with help from Daniel Murphy. Gary Sheffield's probably not an option anywhere but the outfield.
- The Mets could sign Richie Sexson, Jose Vidro or another free agent
- He could make a trade. Jerry Manuel said Minaya's looking at trade possibilities. Could a player like Aubrey Huff or Jorge Cantu be a fit?
Discussion: What Should The Jays Do?
The Blue Jays are 24-14, leading the Red Sox by two games. It's early- we're not even a quarter of the way through the season- but the Jays have done better than anyone expected. Heading into the season questions about Roy Halladay's future swirled and some wondered whether the Jays might attempt to unload salary and deal the likes of Lyle Overbay, Scott Rolen, B.J. Ryan and Vernon Wells . So what should J.P. Ricciardi and the Blue Jays do?
- Decide that the team can't maintain the pace it has set through 38 games and take offers for Halladay and others?
- Wait it out until they've has played more than just three total games against the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox?
- Change the plan and go for broke this season, making whatever moves are required to put the team over the top?
- The Jays could use a better backup to Rod Barajas, but don't have other major holes thanks to good health and some breakout performances from Marco Scutaro and Adam Lind.
- They have so much starting pitching depth that, as Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun writes, the team is keeping Casey Janssen and Ricky Romero in the minors for now since there's no room for them.
So are the Jays legit? How should they proceed with their season?
Draft Update: Giants, Mariners, Braves, Nats
ESPN.com's Keith Law has an update on various teams and players as the June draft approaches. Here are some highlights; the original article has more detail.
- The Giants are strongly considering taking a high school pitcher with their sixth overall pick.
- Expect the Mariners to take Dustin Ackley, North Carolina's first baseman, with their first rounder.
- Ackley's teammate, righty Alex White, pitched in front of four GMs Thursday: Brian Sabean (Giants), Neal Huntington (Pirates), Jack Zdurencik (Mariners) and Mike Rizzo (Nationals).
- ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill reports that White did not impress. Check out Churchill's article for more analysis of some top amateur players.
- The Braves are expected to take Zack Wheeler, a local prep star.
- The Nationals don't get a compensation pick if they fail to sign the player they draft with their tenth overall pick because that pick is itself compensation for failure to sign Aaron Crow last year. Nats GM Mike Rizzo says he's going to draft the best available player there, regardless of signability.
- Some teams are losing interest in Kentucky lefty James Paxton, who chose Scott Boras as his advisor and pitched poorly afterwards.
Odds And Ends: Jones, Peralta, Liriano
Lins for Saturday morning…
- As ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports, Adam Jones is pleased that the Orioles have so much pitching approaching the majors, but he wants to win now.
- SI.com's Tom Verducci calls Jones baseball's most improved player and breaks down the outfielder's hot start.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Jhonny Peralta is playing third base for now.
- Rob Neyer of ESPN.com writes that there are no guarantees for Francisco Cervelli once Jose Molina and Jorge Posada are fully healthy.
- Neyer adds that the Twins need Francisco Liriano to take his game to the next level and regain the form that saw him dominate the American League in 2006.
- In a third piece, Neyer weighs in on the White Sox, concluding that there's no reason to panic in a division that the Sox could take with 85 wins. Still, the team has issues in center field and in the middle infield.
Verducci: “It’s A Young Man’s Game”
SI.com's Tom Verducci links two of the year's most-discussed trends: the demand for young players and the demand for good defense, writing that "the renewed emphasis on defense hasn't helped the value of older players." As a result, teams are reluctant to sign older free agents like Frank Thomas and Jim Edmonds. Many of the older players who signed contracts this offseason are struggling; Verducci mentions Edgar Renteria and Orlando Cabrera among others. Of course it's too early in the season to make sweeping generalizations, but Verducci concludes that baseball's "a young man's game."
Shapiro: Indians Looking To Improve ‘Pen
- Shapiro describes his "sense of urgency" regarding the team's shaky bullpen. He suggests he could look to their minor league teams, to the free agent pool or to other teams' minor leaguers to resotre order in the 'pen. So far they've signed Luis Vizcaino.
- He says he's not looking for a bat or a starter.
- Shapiro wants to contend this year and believes he can, given that the AL Central's relatively weak.
- The Indians can't wait until July to make moves and stabilize the 'pen.
- Shapiro says last offseason he had the chance to deal Rafael Perez for a number of players who now hold starting jobs in the major leagues.
More Changes To Come For Padres?
A’s Acquire Adam Kennedy
SATURDAY, 7:18pm: According to the Associated Press, via the Miami Herald, the A's have sent minor league infielder Joe Dillon to the Rays to complete the trade.
Dillon, 33, has been on the Triple-A Sacramento disabled list all season with a lower back injury. He hit .263/.374/.409 in 171 minor league at-bats last season and will simply provide organizational depth for the Rays.
FRIDAY, 6:48pm: Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune gathered a nice quote from Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman, on why the club felt compelled to make the deal:
"It's an extended opportunity for Adam and we weren't going to stand in the way," said Friedman. "We feel like we're going to get a guy that's going to help us some depth-wise, and that was our understanding with Adam coming in — we're not a group that's going to stand in the way of someone, especially someone that hadn't played in the minor leagues in 10 years."
4:31pm: According to Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse the Rays traded Adam Kennedy to the A's for a player to be named later. Kennedy, 33, was playing at Triple-A Durham for the Rays and the A's have assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate, Sacramento. Kennedy gives the A's the infield depth they need after losing Mark Ellis, Eric Chavez and Nomar Garciaparra to the disabled list.
Nats GM Confirms Plans To Draft Strasburg
3:03pm: According to AOL Fanhouse's Ed Price, Rizzo was actually in attendance for Strasburg's no-no. The love fest has begun.
11:56am: Stephen Strasburg threw a no hitter last night, as MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports. The San Diego State righty struck out 17 along the way, walking two. This just cements what we already knew: Strasburg is the country's amateur player.
Chico Harlan of the Washington Post heard this from acting Nationals GM Mike Rizzo about Strasburg:
"If the draft was today, he'd be our guy. But the draft is a month from now, so a lot of things can happen. Guys can turn up their intensity and their performance, a lot of things can happen in a month. But if it was today, he'd be our guy."
Manny Suspension Only Frees Up $2.7MM For L.A.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports the Manny Ramirez suspension frees up just $2.7MM in payroll this year for the Dodgers- or about $5MM less than originally expected. Because Manny's contract is deferred over the course of many years, he'll lose the money gradually, instead of all at once. Though Manny was originally expected to lose close to $8MM in total, he'll only lose $6.8MM. The Dodgers save $2.7MM this year and $1.37MM in each of the next three seasons.