Discussion: Lyle Overbay
Much has been written over the last few years about Vernon Wells' immovable contract, but besides that significant commitment to their center fielder, the Blue Jays have a very manageable payroll situation. The only other player on their roster who will earn more than $4.75MM this season is Lyle Overbay ($7MM).
Unlike Wells, who has rediscovered the power stroke that earned him that monster contract in the first place, Overbay is struggling. Hitless in his last 14 at-bats, the 33-year-old has seen his 2010 slash line slip to .200/.281/.337 and has been the target of Rogers Centre boo-birds for most of the season. Manager Cito Gaston finally dropped Overbay in the batting order tonight, slotting him seventh rather than his usual fifth.
Although it's still unclear whether Toronto will be a buyer or a seller this summer, parting ways with Overbay could benefit both the present and future of the club. Top prospect Brett Wallace is hitting .289/.346/.537 with 11 homers in Triple A Las Vegas and not only represents a significant piece of the team's rebuilding plan, but could provide an instant offensive upgrade over Overbay. The Jays are likely postponing a roster decision at least until they can be sure Wallace will avoid becoming a super two player, but that time is fast approaching.
The last time we looked at Overbay's future, we still thought he may have some trade value. Now it seems unlikely that the first baseman, who has approximately $4.9MM remaining on his contract, would attract any interest. Is it best for Toronto to emulate what the Rays did with Pat Burrell and just cut their losses, or can Overbay turn things around? Is the 23-year-old Wallace ready to be an everyday player for a team technically still in contention? How should the Jays handle this situation?
Dodgers Designate Nick Green For Assignment
Nick Green has been designated for assignment by the Dodgers, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
The Dodgers signed Green to a minor league deal in January, hoping he could back up Rafael Furcal at shortstop. However, even when Furcal was on the disabled list, Green received limited playing time. The success of Jamey Carroll (.380 OBP) and Furcal's return to the lineup made the ex-Red Sox expendable.
In nine plate appearances for Los Angeles, Green singled once and was hit by a pitch. The 31-year-old hasn't fared much better in the minors, hitting .219/.242/.438 in 67 Triple A plate appearances.
Roy Oswalt Rumors: Sunday
6:24pm: Nats GM Mike Rizzo will neither confirm or deny the club's interest in Oswalt, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
Kilgore writes that even if the Nationals are interested, it is unlikely a deal could be struck between the two sides. First, Washington would have to be willing to part with farmhands that they have worked diligently to stock. Secondly, they would have to take on Oswalt's hefty contract.
Finally, Oswalt would have to approve a deal to the nation's capital. Despite the fact that the Nats appear to be contenders at present, Kilgore wonders how the 32-year-old feels about a club that has lost more than 100 games in back-to-back seasons.
12:58pm: A baseball source tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that the Nationals are interested in trading for Oswalt.
12:27pm: Roy Oswalt's trade request has inspired plenty of speculation about potential suitors for the right-hander. Here's a roundup of the latest discussion about possible trade partners for the Astros:
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti to Fanhouse's Tom Krasovic: "I sense we'll be in the market for pitching after the All-Star Break." Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times wonders if that means the Dodgers might be in on the Oswalt sweepstakes.
- Lacking a true ace, the Twins could kick the tires on Oswalt, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
- Over at The Newberg Report, Jamey Newberg breaks down all the obstacles in the way of Oswalt wearing a Rangers uniform.
- Jim Bowden tweets that Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Texas are among the most realistic destinations for Oswalt.
Odds & Ends: Reds, Rookies, Pelfrey, Lima, Alvarez
Links for Sunday, as we await tonight's Subway series rubber match….
- The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay looks at what a trip to the disabled list for Homer Bailey would mean for the Reds' rotation. Bailey left today's game after just 2.1 IP with shoulder soreness. Fay writes that it won't be Aroldis Chapman, who is having his next start pushed back due to a blister.
- Joel Sherman breaks down the tremendous amount of talent in the rookie class of 2010, and wonders if it ranks among the best ever.
- In a separate article, Sherman profiles Mike Pelfrey's success so far in 2010, and relays that the New York right-hander wants manager Jerry Manuel to keep his job.
- Former MLB pitcher Jose Lima has died of a massive heart attack, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes (via Twitter). Our condolences go out to Lima's family and friends.
- Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports lists ten veteran players who he thinks deserve to be traded to another team.
- Pirates fans could see 2008's second overall pick, Pedro Alvarez, arrive in Pittsburgh soon, writes Bob Cohn of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Alvarez is hitting just .243 at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, but he has homered ten times and slugged .497.
- The Chicago Sun Times' Rick Morrissey says that Ryne Sandberg might not be a good fit as the eventual manager of the Cubs, even if fans would love to see it.
- With Rays Senior VP of baseball operations Gerry Hunsicker in Houston this weekend, Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle looks back on Hunsicker's tenure as the Astros' GM.
Cafardo On Ortiz, Iannetta, Atkins, Lowell
The key to the Rays' success so far has been their pitching staff, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, who praises Tampa Bay for playing so well despite a few slumping bats. Cafardo says that it may be hard for the club to add another piece or two before the trade deadline, since their budget is already maxed out. However, Cafardo acknowledges that with Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena facing free agency, the Rays may go all-out this year and stretch their budget a little in hopes of winning a championship. Here are some of Cafardo's other notes:
- After this season, David Ortiz is probably "done in Boston unless he takes a massive pay cut." Ortiz might have trouble catching on anywhere next year, since there's virtually no market for one-dimensional players, and he may not be willing to accept a role similar to Jason Giambi's in Colorado.
- If Ortiz and Victor Martinez continue to hit, the Red Sox are very unlikely to pursue Chris Iannetta.
- One of the winter's most disappointing new additions has been Garrett Atkins, who is homerless and sports a .221/.261/.283 slash line in 119 plate appearances. The Orioles will have to consider releasing him if he doesn't turn things around.
- The Rangers are looking for a starting pitcher and a productive right-handed bat. A Rangers official tells Cafardo that he'd still love to see Mike Lowell in Texas.
- Cafardo thinks that if the Red Sox fall out of playoff contention and become sellers, they could replenish their farm system, acquiring multiple players for Martinez, Lowell, Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro, and Jeremy Hermida. I'm less optimistic than Cafardo about the caliber of talent the Sox could land for most of those guys.
Jack Wilson Thinking About Retirement
Jack Wilson is experiencing doubts about his baseball future after his latest injury, according to Mike McCall of MLB.com. Originally on the disabled list due to a strained right knee, Wilson experienced a setback last week, pulling his right hamstring during a rehab assignment. With no timetable set for his return, the 32-year-old spoke candidly about his frustration:
"This is when you actually look at your career and if it's going to last too much longer," Wilson said. "In reality, there's nothing more that I can do. If it ends up pulling, there's nothing you can do about it. You're out two weeks every time you do it."
Although Wilson's hamstring issues have hampered his durability, his health problems don't appear as serious as those of Eric Chavez, another 32-year-old thinking about retirement because of injuries. Considering Wilson signed a two-year, $10MM deal with Seattle this winter, the slick-fielding shortstop is probably unlikely to call it a career quite yet.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Oswalt, Lowell, Griffey
With FOX airing Saturday evening games this weekend rather than afternoon games, Ken Rosenthal's new Full Count video showed up on their website a little later in the day too. Now that it's been posted, let's recap Rosenthal's latest hot stove tidbits….
- Roy Oswalt is making $15MM this year and $16MM next year, which will make it difficult to trade him. Making it even trickier, owner Drayton McLane won't want to include money in a deal, even if it means getting better prospects in return.
- If the Mariners become sellers, that would further diminish the chances of an Oswalt deal, since the M's could make Cliff Lee available. Lee is the much more affordable ace, earning only $9MM this season.
- The Red Sox don't want to release Mike Lowell, since he provides injury protection at both corner infield spots, and can DH against left-handers. Additionally, if the Sox were to release Lowell, many of their AL rivals, such as the Angels, Rays, and Twins, could have interest in him.
- Ken Griffey's current role of pinch-hitter, occasional DH, and clubhouse mentor is exactly what the Mariners were hoping for when they re-signed the 40-year-old this winter. For now, the club has no desire for Griffey to retire.
- Carlos Zambrano appears to be headed back to the Cubs' rotation, even though he may currently be their sixth-best starter. The team could attempt to trade Tom Gorzelanny or move him to the bullpen, but Rosenthal opines that it would make their pitching staff weaker.
Oswalt Explains Trade Request
Houston ace Roy Oswalt said today that he didn't explicitly demand a trade, but rather expressed to Astros owner Drayton McLane that a deal may be in the best interest of both sides, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
"I just kind of asked as an option, and what they were thinking as far as which direction they're going, do they plan to get young, or try to get some more players, or what direction are they going?" said Oswalt. "They didn't really have an answer for what they were going to do right now."
"I'm not looking for an 'out' for me, from the standpoint as a franchise player for ten years," the right-hander added. "But I think it would be a good thing for both of us."
According to sources, Oswalt would only waive his no-trade clause if he was being dealt to a team he felt could immediately contend for a championship. Olney says that the 32-year-old has a few preferred destinations in mind, but that he wouldn't specify them.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk wrote last night that a few clubs who could be on Oswalt's wish list aren't necessarily good fits. Olney also looks at some potential destinations in his article, naming the Tigers, Rangers, Dodgers, and Angels as some teams whose interest in Oswalt might be outweighed by various roadblocks. Given Oswalt's no-trade clause, his salary, and the lack of clear-cut suitors, a deal may be difficult to work out.
Odds & Ends: Storen, Duchscherer, Johnson
Links for Sunday, as we wait to see if the Dodgers can extend their six-game winning streak….
- Ken Rosenthal writes that the Nationals promoted the 10th overall pick from the 2009 draft, Drew Storen, today. Storen had annihilated minor league hitters across two levels this season.
- Ozzie Guillen understands the reasoning behind GM Kenny Williams' recent public confirmation that he's losing patience with his ballclub, writes Ken Falkoff on MLB.com.
- Two players signed to one-year deals, Justin Duchscherer and Nick Johnson, could require surgeries that would sideline them for most or all of this season. MLB.com's Jane Lee and Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork have the details.
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com tweets that Willy Taveras may not accept a minor league assignment if he clears waivers. Taveras was DFA'd by the Nationals last night.
- Luis Ayala has exercised the opt-out clause in his contract, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). The Dodgers will have to add Ayala to their 25-man roster by Monday afternoon or release him.
- Earlier in the week, MLB.com's Chris Haft floated the idea of the Giants moving Aubrey Huff to left field to make room at first base for Buster Posey. According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Huff is open to the idea and thinks Posey would do well at first base.
- Speaking of Posey, John Sickels asks who you'd rather have: the Giants' prospect or Carlos Santana of the Indians.
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes details the Indians' changing draft strategy, and fields readers' Tribe-related questions in a mailbag.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette lists the top ten best investments made by the Pirates' current regime.
Athletics Designate Chad Gaudin For Assignment
The Athletics have designated Chad Gaudin for assignment, reports Jane Lee of MLB.com (via Twitter).
The DFA is part of a series of moves for the Athletics, who placed Justin Duchscherer on the disabled list and optioned Josh Donaldson to the minors. The team also activated Kurt Suzuki from the DL, promoted Henry Rodriguez and selected Cedrick Bowers.
Gaudin signed with the Athletics in late March, and has appeared in 12 games for Oakland this season. Although he posted solid rates of 10.4 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9, he was hit hard, allowing 17 runs in 17.1 IP (8.83 ERA).