Chris Carter Designated For Assignment
The Boston Red Sox have designated Chris Carter for assignment, according to a press release. The 27-year-old outfielder played in 13 games for the Red Sox in 2008 and 2009, and was hitless in five plate appearances this season. The New York Yankees claimed him off waivers a month ago in an attempt to complicate Boston's roster moves, as Carter was thought to be the player to be named later in the deal that sent Billy Wagner to the Sox.
The Red Sox designated Carter for assignment to make room on their active roster for left-handed pitcher Dustin Richardson, who Boston selected in the fifth round of the 2006 draft.
Rangers Notes: Byrd, Holland, Feliz
It's hard to gauge what the Texas Rangers will look to do this offseason. There are reports that they are interested in acquiring outfielder Milton Bradley from the Cubs, who would likely eat a large chunk of the $21MM owed to him over the next two years of his contract. At the same time, they may not have the cash necessary to retain Marlon Byrd, who has posted .283/.328/.483 with a career-high 20 HRs. Buster Olney and the Baseball Prospectus staff break down the season that was for the Rangers and what they can expect going forward. An ESPN Insider subscription is required to read the article, but here are the nuts and bolts of it:
- Signing John Lackey, widely regarded as this offseason's top free agent starter, would certainly bolster their rotation. However, Buster Olney says that GM Jon Daniels could be handcuffed financially by the impending change in ownership.
- Olney also theorizes that Daniels may not be able to roll the dice on the problematic Bradley, for fear of a public relations backlash under a new regime.
- The ownership situation is murkier than most, as anywhere between four and six groups are in contention to purchase the club. One group is led by team president Nolan Ryan, whose involvement is largely considered productive.
- The aforementioned Byrd earned $3MM in 2009, the final year of his contract. Re-signing him might require a two or three-year commitment at triple the price.
- Christina Kahrl of Baseball Prospectus says that the Rangers have a good amount of pitching talent, but feels that they must live up to their potential. Rookies Derek Holland (ERAs of 5.77 in August and 10.20 in September) and Neftali Feliz have run out of gas down the stretch, but have shown tons of upside. If the Rangers feel confident in Matt Harrison and oft-injured Brandon McCarthy, they might not have to spend on a high-priced arm this winter to complement Kevin Millwood.
Odds & Ends: Jays, Zambrano, Harden
A few more evening links….
- The Blue Jays have some uncertainty at catcher heading into 2010, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. With Rod Barajas poised to test the free agent market, Raul Chavez, Kyle Phillips, J.P. Arencibia, and Brian Jeroloman could all be in the mix for time behind the plate. GM J.P. Ricciardi also tells Bastian that Scott Downs and Jason Frasor could split closing duties in Toronto next year.
- BP's Christina Kahrl at ESPN.com says so many factors stand in the way of trading Carlos Zambrano that the Cubs would probably have to accept "pennies on the dollar" to move him. She figures if they're looking to deal, the Cubs need to hope they receive interest from a starter-hungry team convinced that Big Z could be their missing piece, like perhaps the Mets.
- Rich Harden has been shut down for 2009, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Has Harden thrown his last pitch for Chicago? He says he'd like to return, but Sullivan suggests that the Cubs likely won't offer more than a one-year deal. Check out Tim's rundown of this year's starting pitching free agent class for an idea of how Harden fits into the market.
- R.J. Anderson at DRays Bay gets involved in the Felix Hernandez chatter by wondering if the Rays might try acquiring the Mariners ace this winter. It seems unlikely, but they apparently made at least one attempt prior to the trade deadline.
- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune chimes in on Ken Williams' assessment of the 2009 White Sox. Rogers points out that the Chicago GM should be blaming the team's $25MM payroll cut, or even himself for failing to acquire any talent that helped the 2009 team in the Javier Vazquez and Nick Swisher deals.
Cardinals To Discuss Extension With Pujols
The St. Louis Cardinals will attempt to lock up slugger Albert Pujols long-term during the offseason, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com, via Twitter. Heyman tweets that Cards owner Bill DeWitt informed him that St. Louis will try to sign Pujols to an extension past 2011.
The 29-year-old first baseman has been the best hitter on the planet this decade, batting .334/.427/.629 since being called up to the majors in 2001. In 2009, he has posted a .330/.447/.676 line with 47 homers, and is the favorite to repeat as the NL's Most Valuable Player.
Pujols is making $16MM this season, the sixth year of a seven-year, $100MM deal, which includes a $16MM club option for 2011. Given his incredible production over the course of the deal, he'll undoubtedly be in line for another raise. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak already announced that the team doesn't intend to negotiate with its potential free agents such as Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Joel Pineiro until season's end. Attempting to retain those players, in addition to inking Pujols to a triple-digit extension, could mean a busy and expensive winter in St. Louis.
Odds & Ends: White Sox, Phillies, A’s
Only a handful of games on the schedule tonight, but here are some links to make up for it….
- White Sox GM Ken Williams is let down by his team's performance this season, according to Chris De Luca of The Chicago Sun-Times. Players like Jake Peavy and Alex Rios were acquired with more than just 2009 in mind, but the Sox still hoped to earn a playoff spot in a weak division this year. Dave Cameron at FanGraphs and Rob Neyer at ESPN.com point out that the White Sox didn't underachieve, but rather performed almost exactly as expected. Whether Williams' disappointment will inspire any major offseason moves remains to be seen.
- Scott Merkin at MLB.com suggests one possible change for the 2010 White Sox: Matt Thornton replacing Bobby Jenks as the team's ninth-inning option.
- More potential musical chairs in the bullpen ranks from ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. He talks to one scout who suggests that the best closing candidate for the Phillies in October might not be Brad Lidge or Ryan Madson, but Chan Ho Park, if he's healthy. As a soon-to-be free agent, Park could certainly see his stock rise with a strong postseason.
- Buster Olney and ESPN.com take a look at what moves the Oakland Athletics could make this offseason. The theme is a familiar one in Oakland: veteran bargain hunting. Olney mentions Jermaine Dye and Miguel Tejada as two players in their mid-30s the Athletics might look into signing, and also thinks the A's will try to bring back Justin Duchscherer if they can.
- T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com writes that Nolan Ryan is interested in ownership of the Texas Rangers. Current owner Tom Hicks has expressed willingness to surrender controlling interest of the club.
Odds & Ends: Felix, Marte, Closers
Another handful of links before the night is out….
- Keith Law of ESPN.com is skeptical about Boston's chances of acquiring Felix Hernandez from the Mariners. Law concedes that the Red Sox could offer Clay Buchholz as the centerpiece, but doesn't think they have the necessary major-league ready hitting prospects to complete a deal.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that Andy Marte will meet with Indians GM Mark Shapiro to figure out if Marte has a future in Cleveland. Long considered a top prospect, Marte has yet to enjoy much success at the major league level, and is starting to run out of options.
- Erik Manning at FanGraphs takes a look at the major bullpen signings of last offseason and how they've played out. Underwhelming performances from Kerry Wood and Brian Fuentes, along with the emergence of low-priced or homegrown arms like David Aardsma and Andrew Bailey may make some teams think twice before investing heavily in a free agent closer this year.
- Daniel Hudson made the first start of his career tonight for the White Sox, allowing just one earned run in five innings against the Twins. Nonetheless, Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald expects that given Chicago's rotation depth and the 22-year-old's power arm, Hudson will assume a bullpen role for the Sox in 2010.
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Villalona, Johnson
A few Monday evening links….
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs argues Joe Torre is making the Dodgers worse by giving Ronnie Belliard playing time at the expense of Orlando Hudson. Belliard is outperforming Hudson lately, and keeping Hudson on the bench is saving the Dodgers some money, but Cameron thinks that playing Belliard at second base in October would hurt the team's World Series chances.
- Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that Giants prospect Angel Villalona has pleaded innocent to the charge of murder. Still, Baggarly says it's anyone's guess whether Villalona will ever play baseball again.
- After some recent speculation that the Marlins might attempt to move Josh Johnson, imaginations are already running wild. Roch Kubatko at the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network wonders what kind of prospects it could take to get Johnson to Baltimore.
Discussion: J.P. Ricciardi
Over the weekend, Ken Rosenthal speculated that Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi might be the only general manager in immediate jeopardy of losing his job. Ricciardi has been under scrutiny for much of the season, particularly at the trade deadline, when he made the biggest non-trade of the year, keeping Roy Halladay in Toronto.
The argument for letting Ricciardi finish his contract, which runs through 2010: The Jays have been one of the teams hit hardest by economic woes, cutting payroll from $97MM in 2008 to $80MM this season. They're playing in the toughest division in baseball, and still finished with at least 83 wins in each of the last three seasons, prior to a disappointing 2009. Plus, a handful of Ricciardi draft picks like Aaron Hill and Adam Lind have turned into rising stars.
The flip side? Toronto has yet to make a playoff visit during Ricciardi's tenure. They've seen the cash-strapped Rays leapfrog them, and now the young and talented Orioles are threatening to do the same. Ricciardi has made a habit of P.R. blunders, most memorably suggesting without prompting that Adam Dunn lacked a passion for baseball. And some of the contracts he has handed out, such as $126MM to Vernon Wells and $47MM to B.J. Ryan, are among the worst in the game.
Following the Jays' collapse this season and Ricciardi's inability to deal Halladay after very public sweepstakes, J.P.'s days in Toronto may be numbered. Tonight's discussion question has two sides: If it were your decision, do you let Ricciardi stick around for another year, or does he need to go as soon as possible? Conversely, if you're J.P. and you're given a reprieve, what moves do you make this offseason to save your job?
Thomas Diamond Designated For Assignment
According to an MLB.com press release, the Chicago Cubs have designated right-hander Thomas Diamond for assignment.
The Cubs claimed Diamond, a 2004 first round pick, off waivers from Texas earlier this month, after he compiled a 4.20 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A. He did not make an appearance for Chicago, who designated him for assignment to make room on the active roster for outfielder Tyler Colvin.
White Sox Rumors: Jenks, Podsednik, Linebrink
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune has a new mailbag up, in which he answers some questions about potential offseason moves for the White Sox. A few highlights….
- Gonzales expects the Sox to hang on to John Danks, whose quality innings still come at an affordable price. He can, however, envision them shopping closer Bobby Jenks, perhaps in search of a leadoff hitter.
- Given Scott Podsednik's consistent production this season and the struggling economy, Gonzales thinks there's at least a decent chance the 33-year-old outfielder will be back in Chicago in 2010.
- He sees the Sox keeping Gordon Beckham at third base, where they expect his power to eventually develop enough for a corner infielder.
- If the White Sox want to make a play for Bobby Abreu this offseason, they'll have to be willing to pay more than the $5MM he earned this year.
- Gonzales doesn't anticipate there being any market for Scott Linebrink, meaning the Sox will have to hold on to him and hope that he bounces back next spring.