Brian Barden Opts Out Of Contract
Rangers minor leaguer Brian Barden, a third baseman, has opted out of his contract and become a free agent, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram (via Twitter).
Barden, whose most extensive time in the Majors came with the Cardinals in 2009, was hitting .357/.403/.556 with Triple-A Round Rock before opting out, although those robust numbers were posted in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Texas signed Barden in December.
Poll: Jim Riggleman’s Option
Jim Riggleman's resignation last week has been an interesting study in discourse. Typically, it's advanced metrics that fuel our debates about players, but the recurring talking points with respect to Riggleman's acrimonious departure from Washington have been professionalism and ethics more so than wins and losses.
Riggleman tendered his resignation moments after a galvanizing win for the Nats, when they moved one game over .500 (38-37) with a walk-off victory over the Mariners. Apparently, Riggleman had been angling for Washington to pick up his 2012 club option for a while, but the team was not especially interested in considering that at that juncture.
Jon Heyman of SI.com tweeted that it made no sense for the Nats not to pick up Riggleman's option. The team had played well under him, after all. The Nats, however, merely viewed Riggleman as a place-holder manager until the team was ready to win, wrote Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. After all, Riggleman has just a .445 winning percentage in parts of 12 seasons as a big league manager.
If you were the Nats, would you have exercised Riggleman's option, or would you have allowed him to resign?
Would You Have Exercised Riggleman's Option?
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Yes - the team was playing well, and he earned it. 69% (7,276)
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No - he didn't have a track record of winning, and there was no reason to exercise it before the offseason. 31% (3,323)
Total votes: 10,599
Manager Notes: Riggleman, McLaren
Jim Riggleman's sudden resignation from his post as Nationals manager continues to elicit some interesting responses across the baseball landscape. Here's a couple items of note:
- Former Royals and Cardinals skipper Whitey Herzog, who was shocked by Riggleman's decision, shared some interesting opinions with Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Herzog points out that Riggleman carried himself well when he was fired by the Padres and Cubs — the difference now is that Riggleman feels Nationals president Stan Kasten tried to low ball him by paying him less than what most managers are paid.
- As for Riggleman's future, Herzog told Hummel: If there's a team looking for a manager, they would be crazy not to hire him.That sentiment seems to be the exception among industry insiders and pundits, but it's worth noting that Herzog gave Riggleman his first coaching job in the bigs, so it seems like there's a personal relationship there.
- Interim manager John McLaren, who yielded to new manager Davey Johnson after Sunday's game, will become a West Coast scout for the balance of 2011, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
- McLaren considered leaving the Nats when Riggleman resigned, according to Ladson, but he decided to stay at Riggleman's behest and after having productive talks with GM Mike Rizzo.
- McLaren admitted he was hurt that he was not allowed to finish out the season as Nats skipper but harbors no ill will after patching things up with the organization.
MLBTR Originals: 6/19/11 – 6/25/11
Here's a look back at the original work that was published here at MLBTR last week:
- For contenders with deep pockets, there are some intriguing, if highly compensated, players that could probably be had easily, writes Tim Dierkes.
- Yunel Escobar's extension with the Jays has its advantages for both the player and team, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith.
- Looking for a lefty reliever? Tim has the rundown on which guys might be available.
- Finding a backup backstop who can hit is no easy task, as Ben writes.
- Pending-free-agent Jamey Carroll spoke with Tim. Carroll is also a trade candidate.
- A handful of contenders could use an upgrade at third base. Others need help at shortstop.
- In a season of great parity, it's tough to figure how many sellers are out there. Tim considers this question.
- Tim conducted his weekly chat with MLBTR's loyal readers.
- Ben had a look at how baseball's newest $100MM-plus players are faring so far this season.
- Are the Twins playoff contenders? Ben asked that question and set up a poll for your input. The results are interesting.
- Carlos Quentin's bounce-back season has him poised to earn a contract extension with the White Sox, writes Mark Polishuk.
- Jim Riggleman's departure from the Nats prompted Howard Megdal to examine whether winning managers find new jobs.
- The steal-happy Blue Jays are reaping the benefits of their aggressiveness on the basepaths, according to Ben.
- Mike Axisa rounded up some of the best pieces from around the baseball blogosphere. Among the topics: Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, Jeff Francis and Geovany Soto.
Week In Review: 6/12/11 – 6/18/11
A look back at the week that was at MLBTR:
- Nats righty Jason Marquis said he wants to stay in Washington.
- The Phillies are seeking a right-handed hitter.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry says the North Siders will be able to spend.
- Pirates lefty Paul Maholm said he'd be open to signing an extension with the Bucs.
- Felipe Lopez cleared waivers after being DFA'd by the Rays and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Durham.
- Brian Gordon opted out of his contract with the Phillies and signed with the Yankees. The Yanks also signed Greg Smith and Corey Wade to minor league deals.
- Ronnie Belliard called it a career. Claudio Vargas hung 'em up, too.
- The Marlins signed outfielder Dewayne Wise.
- Red Sox DH David Ortiz said the team has not approached him about an extension.
- The Mariners called up top prospect Dustin Ackley.
- The Angels released lefty Scott Kazmir. Owner Arte Moreno also said he won't spend any more money in 2011.
- The Rays inked a pair of supplemental-round draft picks.
- The Phillies designated lefty reliever J.C. Romero for assignment. The Cardinals are rumored to be interested.
- The McCourts announced a divorce settlement, though the deal is contingent upon MLB's approval of a deal with FOX.
- The Rangers agreed to terms with their top two draft picks, Kevin Matthews and Zach Cone.
- Michael Cuddyer of the Twins said he'd waive his limited no-trade clause.
- Red Sox lefty Andrew Miller chose not to opt out of his deal with Boston. And we heard that some teams may have tampered with him.
- The Astros are looking to trade Brett Myers and Jeff Keppinger.
- Several players were designated for assignment: The Orioles DFA'd Jeremy Accardo. The Brewers DFA'd Danny Rey Herrera. The Marlins DFA'd Dustin Richardson and catcher Brad Davis. The Padres DFA'd Jorge Cantu and pitcher Aaron Poreda. The Pirates DFA'd Wyatt Toregas.
- The Pirates released Blaine Boyer.
- The Athletics signed Doug Mathis to a minor league deal.
- Mets shortstop Jose Reyes said he will not be changing agents.
- Cubs righty Carlos Zambrano said he'd waive his no-trade clause. The Yankees said they're not interested in him.
- The Reds and Brandon Phillips are not progressing in extension talks.
- It looks like the Yankees will be active on the trade market. They also signed draft pick Dante Bichette Jr.
Olney’s Latest: Bell, Phillies, B.J. Upton
Buster Olney of ESPN.com has passed along some interesting tidbits tonight via Twitter. He also touched on some of these notes in his daily column this morning. Here's Olney's latest:
- The Padres' sweep at the hands of the Twins this weekend could hasten their decision on if and when they should trade closer Heath Bell, Olney thinks. The sooner the Friars deal Bell, the more they can ask in return (Twitter links).
- The Phillies are looking for a right-handed hitter and have checked in on the Twins' Michael Cuddyer and the Athletics' Josh Willingham (Twitter link). Olney first reported the Phils' interest in a righty stick last week. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday that the Phils are seeking someone cheap, such as the Rockies' Ryan Spilborghs, because of payroll constraints.
- The Rays will listen to offers for B.J. Upton but probably won't deal him unless they can obtain a good bat, although that wouldn't necessarily have to happen within the same trade (Twitter link).
Blue Jays Notes: Hechavarria, Anthopoulos
The Blue Jays made an interesting move this morning, announcing that they've signed shortstop Yunel Escobar to an extension that could keep him in Toronto through 2015. Here's a note on that and more, courtesy of Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
- Escobar's extension won't have an impact on shortstop prospect Adeiny Hechavarria, according to GM Alex Anthopoulos. "There's no effect, because Hechavarria is a highly-touted prospect and we believe in him. But there's no downside to having too many good players. I always say things will find a way to work themselves out, and especially when you have a middle of the diamond player." Toronto signed Hechavarria, a 22-year-old Cuban, to a four-year, $10MM deal in April 2010. He was rated as baseball's No. 96 prospect by Keith Law of ESPN.com in January and is regarded as a glove-first shortstop.
- Anthopoulos regrets his response to reports that the Jays had a pre-Draft agreement in place to sign first-round pick Tyler Beede for $3MM, but insists that the charge is one that shouldn't be thrown out there lightly. Such agreements are not allowed, though most Draft experts say they are commonplace. The reported $3MM would be about $1.7MM over the slot recommendation for the No. 21 overall selection.
Diamondbacks Waive Sean Burroughs
The Diamondbacks have waived infielder Sean Burroughs, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (via Twitter).
Burroughs, once a touted prospect with the Padres, had left baseball before joining Arizona, last appearing in the big leagues with the Rays in 2006. He signed with the D'Backs in November, rejoining GM Kevin Towers, who drafted Burroughs into San Diego's organization in 1998. Burroughs, 30, was recalled from Triple-A Reno on May 18 but was hitting just .261/.261/.304 in 23 plate appearances entering Sunday's action.
Arizona is expected to promote Wily Mo Pena, another former top prospect, to serve as its DH for its upcoming interleague series in Kansas City and Detroit, per Magruder. Pena, 29, was hitting .362/.440/.733 in 62 games with Reno entering play on Sunday.
MLBTR Originals: 6/12/11 – 6/18/11
Here's a look back at the original material we published at MLBTR last week:
- Here's our up-to-date list of first- and supplemental-round draftees — who's signed and for how much.
- A handful of prospects were dealt in July 2009. Here's how they've done since then.
- The Super Two system is hotly debated these days. What can be done about it?
- MLBTR is a pretty comprehensive resource. Here's how to use it and its many tools.
- We could use your help filling in some info for our agency database.
- Which contenders are in need of an upgrade at second base? Which ones could use help at first base? Tim Dierkes has a look.
- There's an intriguing list of potentially available righty relievers.
- How might the Marlins, Nationals, Royals and Athletics proceed if they become sellers during the trading season?
- Tim looked at how this offseason's free-agent relievers are faring so far.
- Mike Axisa rounded up some of the best pieces from around the baseball blogosphere. The Phillies, Mark Cuban and Scott Kazmir were among the hot topics.
- Howard Megdal gave us an historical look at what happens when batting champions are traded.
- I looked at some potential fits for trade candidate Ryan Ludwick.
Trade Candidate: Ryan Ludwick
While the Padres' bullpen is well-stocked and will likely draw the interest of trade suitors, left fielder Ryan Ludwick is emerging as an intriguing trade candidate. In last month's piece If The Padres Become Sellers, Tim Dierkes noted that if Ludwick, a free agent at season's end, were to continue his then modest hot streak, he would be one of the better bats available and might yield a decent prospect in a swap.
In fact, Ludwick has pieced together decent offensive numbers (.259/.327/.406) in left field, which has been a weak offensive position in 2011, while batting in a bad lineup and residing in pitcher-friendly PETCO Park. Since April 20, Ludwick has posted a line of .287/.340/.456, which is closer to his career line of .266/.336/.469. He'd be a nice, if unspectacular, addition to a number of different lineups.
Here's a look at some teams that could use Ludwick:
- Braves: Martin Prado is on the DL with a staph infection, which is a serious ailment and renders his return no sure thing. In the meanwhile, Atlanta is working with Eric Hinske, Jordan Schafer and the recently reactivated Nate McLouth in left and center, with Jason Heyward obviously manning right.
- Reds: This was rumored earlier this season, though both Cincinnati and San Diego shot down the whispers. Still, the Reds have not been able to tab a starter between Chris Heisey, Jonny Gomes and Fred Lewis. As well, Reds GM Walt Jocketty is familiar with Ludwick from their time together in St. Louis.
- Mariners: Safeco Field is known to kill right-handed power, but Carlos Peguero is struggling and Greg Halman is unproven.
- Tigers: Brennan Boesch has played left and right, with Andy Dirks seeing playing time while Magglio Ordonez was on the DL. Ordonez is back but is well into a decline. Detroit could acquire Ludwick and transition Maggs into a reserve role.
- Indians: Grady Sizemore is an injury risk, and fourth outfielder Austin Kearns has struggled in limited action. The Tribe could find the at-bats for Ludwick by DH'ing him occasionally and spelling any of Sizemore, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo, all of whom are left-handed hitters.