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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rule 5 Draftees

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Last year the Reds selected Josh Hamilton in the Rule 5 draft despite only 23 games above Single-A and only 15 games anywhere since 2002 (actually the Cubs picked Hamilton and traded him to the Reds the same day). Hamilton went on to hit .292-19-47 in 90 games. This year, 18 players were chosen in the Rule 5 draft (14 pitchers). These players must remain on the 25-man roster all season or be offered back to their original club for $25K. By my count, three players (Sergio Valenzuela, Lincoln Holdzkom, Jose Capellan) have already been offered back to their original clubs (Capellan was picked up on waivers by a third team during the process). Hamilton is the rare case of a position player sticking with his new club as it is far easier to hide a developing pitcher and still get him playing time in the bullpen than it is on the bench.While it is rare for position players to stick, we have already learned that the Cardinals may keep Brian Barton as a fifth outfielder. As opening day rosters begin to take shape, let’s take a look at what is being said in the Blogosphere about the chances for the Rule draftees.

  • Tim Lahey (RHP, CHC/MIN): Bleed Cubbie Blue sees the Cubs working out a trade with the Twins that would allow them to send Lahey to AAA. In fact, they speculate that Lahey will be the PTBNL in the Craig Monroe deal.
  • Evan Meek (RHP, PIT/TB): Bucs Dugout predicts that Meek will at least start the season with the Pirates before being offered back to the Rays.
  • Randor Bierd (RHP, BAL/DET): Bird Brain projects Bierd to make the roster and hopes the O’s give him every chance to stick.
  • Jose Capellan (LHP, CIN/BOS): Capellan was originally selected by the Giants but was just placed on waivers. The Reds picked him up (Rule 5 rules still apply) and Obsessive Giants Compulsive is surprised the Giants let him go.
  • Sergio Valenzuela (RHP, CIN/ATL): Valenzuela was sold back to the Braves after not making a single appearance in a spring game. The Braves then traded Valenzuela to a team in the Mexican League. Which begs the question…Are "future considerations" from the Mexican League worth the $25K the Braves dropped to bring him back? Talking Chop finds the entire situation funny and is not surprised that Valenzuela did not stick with the Reds.
  • Brian Barton (OF, STL/CLE): Cardinals GM is predicting Barton to be on the opening day roster with Juan Gonzalez starting the season in AAA.
  • R.A. Dickey (RHP, SEA/MIN): Detect-O-Vision is infatuated with the knuckleballer but notes that Dickey "has a looooooooooong way to go".
  • Steven Register (RHP, NYM/COL): Mets Fever thinks Register might actually stick by earning the final spot in the bullpen.

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

Cardinals Leaning Towards Keeping Barton

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Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that Brian Barton is one player that may not switch teams prior to the regular season. Barton was selected by the Cardinals with the 10th pick of the Rule 5 draft from the Indians. The Cardinals are said to be deciding between keeping Barton or 2-time MVP Juan Gonzalez who is battling an abdominal injury.

"When you have a (Rule 5) guy, if there’s a way that guy can fit on your ballclub, you try to figure a way if you see a legitimate major-league future," La Russa said.

While Gonzalez’ spring numbers are solid (.308-1-5), Barton has also played well (.350) and offers the team more position flexibility as Gonzalez has been used primarily as a DH in the spring.

Barton must be offered back to the Indians for $25K or be kept on the 25-man roster all season. The Cardinals could try to work out a trade with the Indians that would allow them to option Barton to the minors, but Strauss says this path is unlikely considering how well Barton is playing.

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

Odds And Ends: White Sox, Angels, Crisp, Gillick

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Here are a few links to whet your appetite, including a Brian Roberts sighting. You didn’t think we could go two days without a Robert update, did you?

  • Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune notes that the White Sox are looking for a middle infielder and wonders if they might get involved in the Roberts sweepstakes. However, Rogers wonders if there is anything left in the system to intrigue the Orioles.
  • Scott Miller of CBS Sportsline looks at the recent rash of injuries plaguing the Angels pitching staff and wonders if it was a blessing that they did not trade for Miguel Cabrera. Considering the staff should be healthy by May, this sounds a little like when some try to put a positive spin on the Scott Kazmir trade for the Mets. They really do.
  • Coco Crisp spoke to the media about recent trade rumors and noted that he is not worried about being able to audition for other teams do his injury status saying that he hopes other teams already believe in him and what he is capable of.
  • The Deleware News-Journal interviews Phillies GM Pat Gillick, who is retiring at the end of the year, about his career.

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

Pierre’s Days With Dodgers May Be Numbered

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The Orange County Register speculates this morning that Juan Pierre may be on the verge of losing his job after only one season with the Dodgers, which may force a trade. If true, the Dodgers will have received only one year of service for their $44MM investment.

Tony Jackson notes that with center field belonging to Andruw Jones, that leaves two spots for Pierre, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. Ethier and Kemp have shown this spring that they may be ready for everyday jobs. Jackson also suggests that Pierre is not an ideal candidate for the bench even if the remaining 4 years and $36.5MM on his contract are discounted.

It was previously mentioned that Pierre may be willing to waive his no-trade clause, which limits the Dodgers to five teams. However the A’s, one rumored destination, are not interested. If Pierre is traded, the Dodgers will most likely have to swallow a good portion of the remaining contract. Would the Mets get involved if talks with the Tigers and Jay fall through? Pierre might only cost them $24MM for the next four years and middling prospect.

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

Rays Likely To Fill Outfield Void Through Trade

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According to Marc Lancaster, the Rays would prefer to fill their need for a fourth outfielder via trade as opposed to signing a free agent such as Kenny Lofton.

Lancaster notes the Rays are likely to offer one of their surplus of starting pitchers. The Rays have five pitchers competing for the final two spots in the rotation and two of those pitchers (Edwin Jackson and Jason Hammel) are out of options. In addition Lancaster mentions that the Rays have a number of pitching prospects at AA and AAA that could be included in a deal.

The Rays would prefer a player that in addition to regular playing time in right field, can serve as a backup to center fielder BJ Upton. Lancaster lists several players that match this description including Juan Rivera, Reggie Willits, Coco Crisp, Reed Johnson and Ryan Freel. Ken Rosenthal previously said that Willits is untouchable, and Crisp and Johnson seem unlikely as trades rarely occur within a division. The Reds seem like the best fit of this group as they have been rumored to be active in the trade market this off-season for a starting pitcher.

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

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Barry Bonds

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The biggest name remaining in the free agent market is one Barry Lamar Bonds. The most recent rumored destinations for the all-time home run champ have been the Rays, Mets and even Japan. The Rays say there was never any serious consideration and the Mets say they are not interested.

The biggest question mark concerning Bonds is whether his production at age 43 is worth the circus that follows, both in the clubhouse and in the media. Yesterday at my home base, Rays Index, I contacted Chone Smith of Anaheim Angels All The Way, and creator of the CHONE projection system.  Smith had used his projection system to predict that the final regular season standings. The Rays are projected to win 89 games and finish third in the AL East, based on a considerable improvement in pitching and defense. The Mets are projected to win 92 games.

In an effort to estimate Bonds’ on-field impact, we asked Smith to substitute Bonds into the Rays and Mets lineups and rerun his projections. With Bonds in the lineup, both the Mets and the Rays improved by 3 games in the standings and approximately 30 net runs (As an Angels fan, Smith kindly refused to run the same projection for the Mariners or the A’s, lest those teams start thinking Bonds is a good idea).

If the Rays are indeed an 87-89 win team (PECOTA projects 88 wins), then Bonds might be a difference-maker. While signing Bonds may indeed be a headache, the difference between 89 wins and 92 wins for the Rays could be the difference between the 2007 Brewers (just missed) and the 2007 Rockies (World Series). And the difference between 92 wins and 95 wins for the Mets could be the difference between the 2007 Mets (one game short) and the 2007 Phillies (one game not short).

To quote one commenter from Rays Index, "Media scrutiny is only hard if you suck.  If you’re good, it’s fun."

Let’s take a look at what else is being said about Bonds in the Blogosphere…

If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.

  • Squawking Baseball thinks the Angels could be a solid fit for Bonds.
  • Baseball Musings will miss Bonds if he doesn’t play this year, and lists several teams that should consider signing him.
  • Amazin’ Avenue explores "The Bonds Market" and express their desire for the Mets to sign the aging slugger, calling the apparent blackballing "disgraceful".
  • Mike’s Mets doesn’t see Bonds as a clubhouse cancer and thinks he would be good for the Mets, but does not think he will fit from a financial perspective.
  • Bugs & Cranks feels that the Dodgers would have a much better shot at winning the NL West if they signed Bonds.

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

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Crisp, Capuano, Lohse

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Does anybody else think that Brian Roberts’ agent fuels 90% of these rumors just so his client’s name is kept in the news? Me neither…Now that we have gotten the obligatory Roberts reference out of the way, let’s move on to some trades/signings that might actually happen in the near future. The biggest of course is the recent news that talks may be heating up with the Red Sox to move Coco Crisp. So far we know that the Sox are not interested in Jason Marquis or Sam Fuld and the Padres may only be having internal discussions at this point (although one writer does not see the Padres as serious suitors). Let’s take a look at what is being written about Crisp and a few others in the Blogosphere…

If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.

  • Red Sox News doesn’t like the rumored offer of Jason Marquis and Sam Fuld for Crisp. More likely they believe a package of Josh Donaldson and either Bobby Howry or Carmen Pignatiello could be accepted by the Sox.
  • Boston Sports Buzz sees Crisp as a nice solution for the Padres, since they currently employ one utility player and two injuries-waiting-to-happen in the outfield while lacking a legitimate leadoff hitter.
  • El Guapo’s Ghost also sees the Padres as the logical destination for Crisp, noting that prospect Kyle Blanks may be expendable for the Pads and fill the vacancy of power-hitting prospects in the Red Sox organization.
  • Hire Jim Essian is not too keen on Crisp, so they are rooting hard for Felix Pie to play well and keep "punching the baseball in its stupid face."
  • Goat Riders is not crazy about Crisp playing center for the Cubbies, but prefer him to the alternatives.
  • Right Field Bleachers notes that the Brewers may trade Chris Capuano before Opening Day as he needs a change of scenery and he still has some value on the market. They do not see the Red Sox as a good match since the Brew Crew does not need a center fielder (i.e. Crisp).
  • Rockin’ the Red laments the loss of another starting pitcher and acknowledges that it is time to look outside the organization for help. They would rather the Cardinals sign Kyle Lohse as opposed to Jeff Weaver.
  • Viva El Birdos would also prefer Lohse to any other outside options, and would opt for in-house options if Lohse is not signed.

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

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Brandon Inge

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Oh Brandon Inge…Has it really only been two years since Inge belted 27 home runs and endeared himself to Tigers fans everywhere by transforming himself from a utility player into an everyday Major League third baseman? In doing so, Inge became the poster-child for the resurgent Detroit franchise that took only three years to go from 119 losses to the World Series. And now? We are certain that there are still Tigers fans out there that love Inge, but we are having a hard time finding them. Inge, who has three years and $19MM left on a contract he signed prior to the ’07 season, was obviously upset when he lost his job after the Tigers traded for Miguel Cabrera. And despite an opportunity to receive 300+ at bats as a utility player on a contender (and receive $6.2MM while doing so) he is apparently unhappy about having to play catcher (though he feels that he was misquoted).

Now it seems like trading Inge may be the best solution for both sides with Inge landing a starting job on another team and the Tigers able to skim $6.2MM off the books for a player that was not going to start. The only question now is: Who is willing to give up a player (or two) for 30-year old Inge with a $6.2MM price tag, no seasons with an OPS+ greater than 100 since 2004 and bad facial hair? Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogospere…

If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.

  • A League of Her Own thinks the Cubbies should ship Ryan Dempster and Jason Marquis for Inge. Boy, Cubs fans really don’t like Marquis right now.
  • The Cub Reporter doubts that the Cubs will land Inge, as the team seems to be all talk this off-season…Anybody want a Brian Roberts update?
  • Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness lists about 437 reasons the Dodgers should not be interested in Inge, noting that the Dodgers would end up downgrading at third base, paying more salary to do so and weakening their bullpen in the process. And yeah, they don’t like his facial hair either.
  • Bugs & Cranks thinks Inge should just shut up and accept hit utility role on a good team.
  • Mack Ave. Tigers has finally had enough of Inge and doesn’t want a guy on the Tigers that doesn’t care about winning.
  • The Detroit Tigers Weblog wonders if Inge’s decision to start talking to reporters is a way to try and expedite a trade, but notes that his words are not endearing himself to any potential trade partners.
  • Mets Fever sees the Mets and Tigers as a good match up. If the Mets can’t land Marcus Thames, then maybe Inge would fill their needs.
  • Fanhouse thinks the Giants might make a good trade partner for the Tigers as Inge could be a better fit than Joe Crede whom the Giants have recently inquired about.

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

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Papelbon, Fielder, Hamels

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Last year, in his final year prior to arbitration eligibility, Ryan Howard was renewed for $900K. This was about twice what the Phillies were required to pay Howard, but significantly less than the reigning MVP thought he deserved. Of course, this year that number has been used as a measuring stick by several young stars that have yet to reach arbitration and are subject to automatic renewals from their clubs. It seems that this year, more than years past, players are voicing their displeasure about the automatic renewals. Prince Fielder is displeased at being renewed for $670K, or about 50% more than what the Brewers were required to pay.  Jonathan Papelbon has stated that he wants the same $900K that the Phillies gave Howard, and said he would not agree to anything less.  Cole Hamels called the $500K that the Phillies gave him a "low blow" compared to the $750K he was asking for. At the other end of the spectrum is B.J. Upton, who was automatically renewed at $10K less than what he made in 2007, despite hitting .300-24-82 with 22 steals last year. Upton made it clear that it was a "non-issue" and it will not impact future negotiations. The stances made by these players has many fans up in arms on both sides of the issue. Lets take a look at what is being written in the blogospere.

If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.

  • Red Sox News understands why Papelbon is frustrated but notes there is no real incentive for the Red Sox to give him a long-term deal at this point noting that Papelbon is only one year removed from a season-ending shoulder ailment.
  • Sox and Pinstripes urges the Red Sox to follow the lead of the Rockies and sign Papelbon to a long-term contract.
  • Matt Watson of AOL Fanhouse notes that Papelbon may actually be costing himself money down the road if the Red Sox, one of the richest teams in baseball, decide not to give him a long-term deal and let him bolt when he becomes a free agent.
  • Beer Leaguer is irked by the recent comments of Hamels, but is not surprised as this seems to be par for the course with the young pitcher. They wonder if being a member of the Phillies is important to Hamels.
  • The 700 Level notes in the case of Hamels that it is easy for the fans to side with the players in these situations when it is not their money and they are worried about losing talent down the road, but feels this is the status quo in baseball.
  • Bugs & Cranks feels the extra $250K for Hamels would have been a small price to pay just to keep this story out of the papers.
  • Brewers Bar is worried that Fielder is just the latest puppet for Scott Boras but also thinks the Brewers could have avoided future headaches by giving Fielder the same deal ($900K) that Howard received last year.
  • The Brewer Nation wonders if Fielder should really be upset over being renewed automoatically.
  • Baseball Musings warns the Brewers that upsetting Fielder could end up the same way Barry Bonds did in Pittsburgh.
  • Swing And A Miss feels that this increase in recent bitterness towards automatic renewals is less about money and more about players feeling they deserve "respect."

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

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