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Nationals Have Interest In Matt Kemp

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If Matt Kemp becomes available this winter, the Nationals would be interested in targeting him in a trade, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said a week ago that he wasn't shopping or looking to move Kemp, but that he'd listen to any trade offers that came his way.

Kemp, 26, is coming off a disappointing 2010 campaign in which he hit just .249/.310/.450 and was publicly questioned by a few members of the Dodgers organization. While he didn't formally ask for a trade, agent Dave Stewart told Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times in August, "I'm almost to the point — and maybe so are the Dodgers — where I'm thinking that this just isn't going to work."

In addition to seeing his offensive production decline, Kemp also took a step backward defensively, registering a -24.3 UZR, worst among outfielders. Still, he's just a year removed from a 2009 season that earned him a Gold Glove and MVP votes. As Kilgore notes, Washington's .720 outfield OPS was 25th in the league in 2010, so Kemp would be an especially attractive option for the Nats.

Berkman Will Seek Everyday Role

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Asked whether he could picture himself returning to the Yankees in a platoon role next year, Lance Berkman couldn't see it happening, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork. Berkman tells Kristie Ackert, Sean Brennan, and Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News that he still views himself as an everyday player.

"I don't like to platoon," said Berkman. "If I was the manager I would platoon me because I've been so bad righthanded this year. But I don't think that's a permanent problem…. I like to play every day. The DH role is great but I also like to play the field. I feel like I've got something to offer still defensively."

Berkman is in the final year of a six-year, $85MM contract, which includes a $15MM option for 2011 that will not be exercised. After posting the worst full-season OPS of his career (.781), the long-time Astro knows that his disappointing walk year hasn't set him up well for free agency. 

"It's going to be an interesting offseason for me because I don't know what the interest level is going to be like," Berkman said. "I don't know what the market is going to be for a 35-year old coming off the worst year of his career."

While this winter's first base free agent market appears flush with potential starters, there are also plenty of clubs that will have holes to fill at first. Coming off a season that was plagued by injuries, Berkman is a decent bet to bounce back in 2011. If he wants an everyday job and a chance to play the field, there's a good chance there will be at least one team willing to accommodate him.

Poll: Which Player Will Improve His Stock The Most?

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When Cliff Lee shut down the Rays in Game One of the ALDS, SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted that the Rangers' ace may have earned himself an extra $10-20MM in free agency. While one game shouldn't sway a player's value quite that much, the difference between a successful postseason run and an unsuccessful one can certainly be significant for free-agents-to-be.

With many of this winter's most intriguing potential free agents still in action, it will be interesting to see which of them come up big for their respective teams over the next few weeks. Lee got off to an excellent start, while players like Carl Crawford and Rafael Soriano are already just one game from elimination. There's still a lot of baseball left to play, however, and if the Rays can stage a comeback against Texas, Crawford and Soriano should play a major role.

These guys are going to be paid handsomely no matter where they sign or how they perform in October, but this is tonight's poll question:

Which potential free agent will improve his stock the most in the 2010 postseason?

Click here to vote, and click here to view the results.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Varitek, Crawford, McClendon

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Thursday night links, as the Rangers and Yankees move one win closer to meeting in the ALCS….

  • The Mets will interview three GM candidates in the coming week, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News: Rick Hahn, Allard Baird, and Josh Byrnes.
  • Terry Francona hinted in a WEEI interview that Jason Varitek's time as a Red Sox may be nearing an end, says Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
  • When asked about the possibility of returning to Tampa Bay next year, Carl Crawford replied, "You always keep that little ounce of hope," according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (Twitter link) thinks former Pirates manager and current Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon should be getting consideration for managerial openings around the league.

Diamondbacks Notes: Johnson, Parker, Webb

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Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall told fans in an MLB.com chat today that cutting down on strikeouts next year is essential for the D'Backs, whether it be "by new approach or by player personnel moves." Here are a few other Arizona-related items of interest:

  • Pitching will be the main priority this winter, with Hall suggesting the team will "fix the bullpen and add a starter." Hall notes that new GM Kevin Towers is a believer in first improving the back end of the bullpen and eventually working toward the rotation.
  • Arizona plans to have Kelly Johnson in its Opening Day lineup next spring. Johnson, a potential trade candidate, enjoys playing in Arizona, according to Hall.
  • Top prospect Jarrod Parker appears to be recovering nicely from Tommy John surgery, throwing his fastball in the mid-90s in an Instructional League game today. Still, Hall doesn't think Parker will be competing for a rotation spot in the spring; he expects the right-hander to start the season in the minors.
  • Brandon Webb also pitched in Instructional League action today, allowing three hits and a pair of runs in two innings of work, according to the team's official Twitter feed. John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes that 21 teams were in attendance to scout Webb, who will now be shut down until January, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Ramon Hernandez

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Ramon Hernandez was on the wrong side of history last night, as part of a Reds lineup that couldn't scratch out a single hit against Roy Halladay. But on the whole, 2010 has been a successful year for the Cincinnati backstop. Hernandez signed a one-year, $3MM contract with the Reds last winter, which included a vesting option for 2011. The 34-year-old fell short of playing the 120 games needed to guarantee his return to the Reds, so he could be heading to free agency this winter. Let's break down his stock, as the Reds prepare for Friday's game….

The Pros

  • Hernandez posted the best OBP and third-best OPS of his career in 2010. His final totals in 352 plate appearances were .297/.364/.428, which represents his best slash line since 2006.
  • His play behind the plate still appears solid. He threw out more than a third of potential basestealers and allowed just two passed balls over the last two seasons.
  • The Reds have a pre-arbitration catcher in Ryan Hanigan, and, as Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News points out, their minor league system seems to be "catcher-rich." As such, there's a chance the Reds will decide not to offer Hernandez arbitration, in which case he wouldn't cost a draft pick to sign.

The Cons

  • Hernandez split time this year with Hanigan, who earned 58 starts. Given that he'll turn 35 in May, Hernandez's days of playing 120+ games behind the plate might be behind him.
  • In addition to his age, Hernandez's health may be a concern. After undergoing knee surgery in 2009, the veteran spent some time on the disabled list in 2010 with knee soreness.
  • Unlike free agent catchers Victor Martinez and John Buck, Hernandez doesn't hit for much power anymore. He hit just 12 longballs during his two years in Cincinnati.
  • Hernandez projects as a Type A free agent, so if he turns down an arbitration offer from the Reds, clubs may be reluctant to give up a high draft pick to sign him.

The Verdict

Whether or not the Reds offer Hernandez arbitration will play a significant role in what sort of contract he earns this offfseason. If the team makes an arbitration offer, the catcher could very well accept it, knowing that his Type A status might hurt his open market value. Even without an arbitration offer, Hernandez may not do better than a one-year deal, given his age and injury history. While his productive 2010 campaign should earn him a raise on last year's $3MM salary, it appears to be a buyer's market for catchers.

Multiple Teams Preparing Push For Rasmus

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Despite John Mozeliak's insistence that Colby Rasmus will not be traded, multiple teams could make a push for the outfielder this winter, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In a chat with fans, Strauss indicated that the Braves, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks are among the teams interested in prying Rasmus away from the Cardinals.

A report earlier this season suggested that a rift between Rasmus and manager Tony La Russa led to the 24-year-old requesting a trade. With La Russa mulling a return to St. Louis for 2011, rival teams are presumably hoping the Cardinals will reconsider their stance on keeping Rasmus. Even if they don't intend to move their former first-round pick, the Cards "will have ample opportunity to turn down trade offers on Rasmus in upcoming weeks and months," according to Strauss.

A month ago, when MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at possible trade partners for the Cardinals and Rasmus, his list included the Braves and Jays, among other clubs.

Discussion: Ryan Ludwick

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Earlier today, Padres GM Jed Hoyer all but guaranteed that Ryan Ludwick would return to the Padres next season, as MLB.com's Corey Brock tweeted. Given the Padres' lack of middle-of-the-order pop around Adrian Gonzalez, bringing back Ludwick appears to be the right call. However, it's not the team's only option.

Ludwick, 32, earned $5.45MM in 2010 and will enter his final year of arbitration eligibility. While his overall numbers (.251/.325/.418, 17 HR) were slightly disappointing, he should still be a line for a small bump in salary, making him one of the highest-paid Padres heading into next season. While $6MM+ will be well-spent on stars like Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell, Ludwick's stock isn't quite as high. After coming over from St. Louis, the outfielder hit just .211/.301/.330 in 239 plate appearances as a Padre. The sample size is small and the change in home park has to be taken into account, but San Diego will clearly be expecting improvement from Ludwick if he's on next year's roster.

Hoyer has said he's open at least to listening on trade offers for Gonzalez and Bell, but there are a few factors working against dealing Ludwick. Not only could Ludwick's second-half struggles scare away interested teams, but the 32-year-old means more to the Padres than he would to most other clubs. Given San Diego's pitcher's park and limited payroll, they'll have trouble bringing any big free agent bats to town; plus, the club's outfield and lineup would become even thinner if non-tender candidate Scott Hairston isn't retained.

As Brock notes in a separate tweet, the Padres acquired Ludwick from St. Louis this summer in part because the outfielder had an additional year of team control. So it seems San Diego's best plan of action is bringing back Ludwick and hoping that he helps the team contend for the postseason in 2011. If things aren't going well by next year's trade deadline, the club could consider cutting their losses by moving the former Cardinal at that point. What do you think? Is retaining Ludwick the right move for the Padres?

Odds & Ends: Ludwick, Lee, D’Backs, Mets, Red Sox

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Links for Wednesday night, as we congratulate Roy Halladay for throwing baseball's first postseason no-hitter in over 50 years….

  • In a radio appearance, Jed Hoyer "essentially guarantees" that Ryan Ludwick will be a Padre next season, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. Ludwick will be owed an arbitration raise on this year's $5.45MM salary.
  • The Rangers are aware that Cliff Lee's outing earlier today may have driven up his offseason price tag, writes Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. "That's a good problem to have," according to GM Jon Daniels.
  • Kevin Towers has made his first major front office shake-up, firing D'Backs scouting director Tom Allison, as Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports reports. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic confirms the move and adds a few details.
  • SI.com's Jon Heyman suggests (via Twitter) that Terry Ryan may not be interested in the Mets' GM position. For his part, Ryan had no comment when Newsday's Ken Davidoff (Twitter link) asked him about the possibility.
  • New England Sports Ventures' purchase of the Liverpool Football Club will not adversely affect the group's investment in the Red Sox, according to WEEI's Alex Speier.
  • The Blue Jays will interview Rick Renteria for their managerial opening, tweets Corey Brock. Assuming Renteria isn't hired by another club as its manager, he'll be the Padres' bench coach next season (Twitter link).

Pirates Notes: Payroll, Manager, Alvarez

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Pirates president Frank Coonelly stopped by MLB.com today for his monthly chat with fans. With the Pirates' season over, the questions focused on the team's upcoming winter. Here are the highlights from the chat:

  • The Pirates' have the capacity to "meaningfully increase" their payroll for next season, after spending $44MM on their 2010 roster.
  • Coonelly shot down rumors suggesting that Andy Van Slyke has interviewed for the Pirates' managerial opening. The club has only interviewed Eric Wedge so far, and is still in the process of compiling a full list of candidates.
  • Coonelly didn't rule out some of Pittsburgh's coaches being retained by the new manager, but noted that the on-field staff has been given the freedom to explore other opportunities.
  • Despite Pedro Alvarez's occasional struggles at third base (he posted a -8.0 UZR/150 this season), the team has no plans to move him across the diamond to first base.
  • While Coonelly praised the organization's minor league starting pitching, he conceded that many of their young arms may not be ready to contribute at the major league level next year. As such, starting pitching will be targeted through free agency or trades.
  • The Pirates will use free agency to supplement their core talent; Coonelly says the team intends to "aggressively pursue" players who can fill needs.

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