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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pedro’s Injury

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Earlier this week Pedro Martinez pulled a hamstring in his first start of ’08 and is expected to be out until mid-May. The loss of Martinez will likely only cost the Mets seven to eight starts, which might only be a difference in two to three wins over that span. Of course, two or three more wins in ’07 and the Mets would have spent October in the playoffs. With the importance of every single start magnified this year for the Mets, it would not be surprising for Omar Minaya to seek outside help as a contingency plan for Martinez (who at this point in his career cannot be counted on to stay healthy for any length of time). One long shot is Rich Harden, whom the A’s may be auditioning for possible suitors. Let’s take a look at what is being said in the Blogophere…

  • The ’Ropolitans don’t see the Mets trading any more players in the near future, especially for an injury-riddled player such as Harden.
  • Mets Fever doesn’t think the Mets have the pieces to land Harden and would rather see the money go to Oliver Perez after the season.
  • Mets Merized thinks that Claudio Vargas would provide the Mets with some stability but if he isn’t willing to accept a minor league deal they feel the Mets have plenty of in-house options…Mets Merized also feels that the loss of Martinez will not have an effect on the Mets’ championship hopes.
  • MetsBlog comments on the Vargas rumors and says that a backup plan for Martinez should be Minaya’s number one priority…MetsBlog also notes that the Mets should stay away from Harden as he will certainly cost Fernando Martinez.
  • Faith and Fear in Flushing is reminded of Mets injuries from years past and won’t be expecting any contribution from Martinez in the near future.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Odds And Ends: Quintero, Rios, Pierre

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A few random notes from around the MLBiverse…

  • Henry Schulman says the Giants are in need of a backup catcher and a logical choice may be Astros backup Humberto Quintero, whom Bruce Bochy is familiar with from his days with the Padres. He also notes that the Rays have two experienced catchers that were just reassigned to the minor leagues in Josh Paul and Mike DiFelice.
  • The Jays and Alex Rios are closer today to an agreement on a long-term extension than they were yesterday. That according to Rios’ agent, Paul Kinzer. Yesterday it was reported that the Jays had offered a six-year, $65MM deal. No word yet on what any new offers might look like. Kinzer reasserted that a deal needs to be done by tonight or negotiations will be put off until after the season.
  • Bobby Kielty initially accepted his demotion to Pawtucket, but he is now having second-thoughts and will wait a few days to see if any other teams are interested in a switch-hitting outfielder. With all the rumors swirling recently about teams in need of outfield help, I have to believe that Kielty will land a major league gig. PECOTA projects a line of .253/.331/.418 based on 159 plate appearances and Kielty can play all three outfield spots.
  • The Dodgers made it official today, giving Andre Ethier the left field job.   This puts one more nail in the coffin of one of the worst free agent signings in recent memory. The move means that Juan Pierre will be a reserve, one year after signing a five-year, $44MM deal. The Dodgers will certainly look to trade Pierre, but will have to swallow a good portion of the $36.5MM remaining on the deal.
  • A couple of big names have made major league rosters after only earning non-roster spring training invites prior to spring training. The Rockies have given a job to Scott Podsednik, while the Rays did the same with former Rookie-of-the-Year Eric Hinske. In fact, Hinske will start on Opening Day and will be the Rays’ right fielder against right handers to begin the season.
  • Phil Sheriden notes that Adam Eaton was named the Phillies’ fifth starter, but that may not last long as Pat Gillick will certainly be looking for a better option. Sheriden feels that Gillick is much better at making moves in-season than during the offseason.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Orioles Release Jay Gibbons

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The Orioles today released their second longest tenured player, Jay Gibbons. In doing so, the O’s must eat the remaining $11.9MM in salary.

Gibbons batted .230-6-28 in only 84 games last season. His 62 OPS+ was only the second time in his career that he posted a number below 100. Injuries have hampered Gibbons who has only played 100 games once in the past four years. His best season came in 2005 when he hit .277-26-79 with an OPS+ of 118.

Gibbons is still facing a 15-game suspension for use of Performance Enhancing Drugs. The suspension was recently postponed as the league negotiates stiffer penalties with the players’ union. It is widely believed that Gibbons will have his suspension lifted as part of the agreement.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Rosenthal’s Latest: DeWitt, Murton, Vargas, Hatteberg, Pena, Baek, Piazza

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Ken Rosenthal has his latest column up at FoxSports.com. As usual he is not shy about stirring up rumors. Let’s take a look at what the rumor-guru has to say:

  • Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers will go with Blake DeWitt at third base who has never played a game above AA. This comes after the Dodgers failed to acquire either the Astros’ Mark Loretta, who was unavailable and the Royals’ Esteban German, who was too expensive. The Royals were asking for the Dodgers’ third best prospect, shortstop Chin-Lung Hu.
  • He indicates that the Padres and the Rays are pursuing Matt Murton but the Cubs are holding out for a top pitching prospect in return, knowing Murton will be a starter on another club. Rosenthal quotes one GM as saying that the price "is way too high as of now". As many as five teams have shown interest in Murton.
  • The Mets are among a dozen teams that have inquired about Brewers pitcher Claudio Vargas, who will not be in the rotation to begin the season. [Update: Sorry about this one. I had forgotten that the Brewers released Vargas earlier this week]
  • The Reds have put Ryan Freel on the market, but more teams appear to be interested in Scott Hatteberg. However, Rosenthal indicates that it is unlikely for the Red to trade Hatteberg even if Joey Votto is named the starter.
  • The Tigers, Reds and Orioles all tried to acquire backup catcher Brayan Pena from the Braves, but the Braves do not appear interested in letting him go
  • Rosenthal says that Pat Gillick’s history in Seattle may have played a part in the Phillies inability to land M’s reliever Cha Seung Baek, who is out of options but made the roster as a reliever.
  • Finally, Rosenthal notes that Mike Piazza is still working out with hopes of landing a gig at some point in ’08. Rosenthal thinks that Piazza may have to come to the realization soon that his career may be over.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Tigers Roster Set, No Trades Likely

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The Tigers have been at the center of a number of recent trade rumors. There was the Huston Street rumor, and the Mike Wuertz rumor. But the one player that seemed the most likely to go, Brandon Inge, is still a member of the Tigers and now it appears that he will not be going anywhere in the near future.

Jim Leyland was asked yesterday if there would be any last-minute deals.

"My boss (general manager Dave Dombrowski) said it was OK to tell you that’s the team."

In fact it now looks like Inge will be the everyday center fielder, at least for the time being, as Curtis Granderson will start the season on the DL. Inge’s $6.2MM salary for 2008 suddenly doesn’t seem like that much of a burden.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Odds And Ends: Lahey, Gibbons, Freel

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A couple minor notes this morning…

  • The Phillies claimed reliever Tim Lahey off of waivers from the Cubs. Lahey was the top pick in the Rule 5 draft from the Twins’ system. The Cubs had to expose Lahey to waivers prior to offering him back to the Twinkies. Rule 5 rules still apply with the Phillies, so Lahey must remain on their 25-man roster all season or be offered back to Minnesota.
  • John Fay notes that after the Reds latest round of cuts the roster sits at 26 which could open the door for a trade. He doesn’t offer any potential names, but Ryan Freel still seems like the most logical choice.  By the way, LEN3 notes that the Reds called the Twins about Freel and the Twins weren’t interested.
  • Peter Schmuck thinks that the Orioles might be reluctant to cut Jay Gibbons while Major League Baseball continues to renegotiate the league’s drug policy. Gibbons is facing a 15-day suspension for use of PEDs but many believe the suspension will be lifted under the new agreement which ironically is supposed to stiffen penalties. Schmuck feels that if Angelos decides to keep Gibbons, it could undermine Andy MacPhail’s efforts to rebuild the Orioles.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Open Thread: Best/Worst Trades For Every Current GM

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Slow news day here at MLBTR, so let’s try something a little different to get us warmed up. I have been working on a little side project and could use your help.

What would you consider the best and/or worst trade that your team’s current GM has ever made? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Matt Murton

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Yesterday, Tim asked the question, "Who Wants Matt Murton?" As we await the answer to that question, only one thing is clear, the Cubs don’t. Surprising for a player that is only 26 and PECOTA projects to have an .821 OPS, 19.8 VORP and 2.4 WARP in 2008 assuming he can find a team that will give him big league at bats. With only two years of service time, Murton is still a year from arbitration and four years from free agency, so he should be able to command a solid relief pitcher in return. Let’s take a look at what is being said about Murton in the Blogophere.

  • Hire Jim Essian wonders how Murton ended up in this position and finds it hard to believe that Jim Hendry hasn’t been able to swing a deal yet if they knew that Murton was not part of the equation.
  • Cobra Brigade sees the way the Cubs have handled Murton as just another example of how the Cubs don’t know how to handle pretty much anything. They believe that Murton could be a solid contributor with an AL club as an everyday left fielder.
  • Snobs vs Slobs is not really sure why the Cubs essentially dropped Murton for Reed Johnson, noting that Johnson is an average defensive outfielder and not nearly the bat of Murton.
  • Mets Fever feels that Aaron Heilman is too big a price for Murton.
  • Talking Chop believes that Murton could be a nice addition to the Braves, filling the need for an experienced bat with pop off the bench.
  • DRays Bay acknowledges that the Rays would prefer a switch-hitting center fielder, but doesn’t think they could find one that hits as well as Murton.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Reed Johnson

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On Sunday the Jays released Reed Johnson, but he will not remain unemployed long as several teams need help in the outfield or on the bench. Ken Rosenthal notes that the Cubs, Red Sox, Rays and Rangers have shown interest in Johnson, while Jim Baubach added the Mets to the equation. That is a lot of interest in a player that has 42 home runs, 28 steals and a career OPS+ of 95 in 4.5 seasons. Then again, with one week prior to the regular season, there are not a lot of options available. It’s not like a player that posted a 170 OPS+ in 2007 is available…Oh wait…Never mind…Let’s take a look at what is being written about Johnson in the Blogosphere.

  • Mets Geek believes that Johnson is exactly what the Mets need, noting that he would be the right-handed bat that the bottom of the Mets order desperately needs. They also like his defense and the fact that he comes without having to surrender players.
  • MetsBlog is not convinced that Johnson is much of an upgrade over Angel Pagan or Brady Clark and feels the Mets prefer Xavier Nady but are content with Pagan if Nady cannot be acquired.
  • MetsMerized was against trading for Johnson but doesn’t see how Omar Minaya can pass on signing him now.
  • Baseball Crank sees Johnson as a good fit for the Mets, noting that he has a solid career line against lefties, but concedes that what little power he has shown came at the hitter-friendly Skydome, or whatever they are calling it these days.
  • Cobra Brigade sees the Cubs signing either Johnson or Jeff DaVanon, whichever comes at the cheaper price.
  • Crawley’s Cub Kingdom feels the Cubs are going to make a deal and that a player like Johnson may fit better than a Coco Crisp or Marlon Byrd, both of whom may complain about playing time and impede the progress of Felix Pie.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Bruce, Longoria

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Yesterday Rob Neyer of ESPN.com wrote about the fates of Baseball America’s top two prospects, Jay Bruce and Evan Longoria. While Bruce start the season in the minors, Neyer notes that the Reds could be a playoff contender if Bruce and Joey Votto receive 1,000 plate appearances. On the other hand, a decision has yet be made on where Longoria will start the season. Neyer feels that the Rays may wish that Longoria was not playing so well in Spring Training. He thinks the Rays should forgo the potential savings of keeping him in the minors and buy some goodwill with the fans by showing them that the team is serious about winning.

Keeping top prospects in the minors to begin the season is likely to become a growing trend. Decisions in both of the above cases may at least in part be based on future arbitration and free agency eligibility. A team can delay free agency by just postponing a player’s debut a few weeks. And as arbitration figures continue to rise, team’s can delay the start of the arbitration clock by waiting until June to promote a prospect. Last season the Brewers accomplished this with their top prospect Ryan Braun by waiting until May 24th to promote him to the majors. In doing so, Braun will not be eligible for arbitration until after the 2010 season.

Let’s take a look at what is being written about Bruce and Longoria in the Blogosphere…

  • Redleg Nation understands starting Bruce in AAA, but laments the idea of having Corey Patterson batting leadoff. They worry that this confirms the belief that Dusty Baker prefers veterans even if they are less talented.
  • Red Reporter is split on the issue of Bruce noting that the issue is not as clear as we would like it to be. They also wonder if the Reds are staggering the debuts of their prospects so their arbitration and free agency clocks are also staggered.
  • Bugs & Cranks wonders if the Reds had already decided Bruce’s fate even before bringing Patterson on board, for the sole purpose of delaying Bruce’s arbitration clock.
  • At Fanhouse, Pat Lackey tries to justify the demotion of Bruce, noting that he may be better off developing under the tutelage of somebody other than Baker, getting more experience and delaying his arbitration clock.
  • On the other hand, Eamonn Brennan of Fanhouse thinks any team not managed by Baker would have kept Bruce on the roster.
  • Rays of Light notes that Longoria’s future teammates may not be happy if he is demoted. Rays of Light wouldn’t be happy with a demotion but they understand the reasoning.
  • Outs Per Swing notes that if Longoria is demoted, Willy Aybar will start at third. They do not believe that Aybar’s recent hamstring issues will have an effect on the team’s decision regarding Longoria.
  • Sports Indeed notes that Longoria is receiving a lot of playing time in the spring and wonders if this is an indication that he will be on the opening day roster.
  • Rays Index predicts a May 26 debut for Longoria based on his arbitration clock.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

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