Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

Rockies Acquire Brad Emaus

By Mike Axisa | April 22, 2011 at 4:45pm CDT

The Rockies have acquired Brad Emaus from the Blue Jays in exchange for right-hander Chris Malone according to the team (on Twitter). Toronto will also receive a player to be named or cash considerations, tweets Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.

Emaus is suddenly well-traveled, joining his third team of the week; the Mets returned him to Toronto as a Rule 5 Draft player just yesterday. The 25-year-old infielder hit .162/.262/.162 in 42 plate appearances with the Mets before they cut ties with him. Colorado can send him to the minors without having to pass him through waivers since the Rule 5 Draft rules no longer apply.

Malone, 27, was not considered one of the Rockies top 30 prospects in the 2011 edition of Baseball America's Prospect Handbook. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 36th round of the 2003 draft, but he joined the Rockies after a 2008 stint in an independent league. He owns a 6.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 63 2/3 relief innings (4.10 ERA) with Colorado's Double-A affiliate over the last year and change.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Purke, Wood, Oswalt, Werth

By Mike Axisa | April 22, 2011 at 3:42pm CDT

Five years ago today, Bill Hall, Damian Miller, Brady Clark, J.J. Hardy, and Prince Fielder all hit homeruns in the fourth inning of the Brewers' game against the Reds. The first four went deep off starter Brandon Claussen while Prince victimized Chris Hammond after a pitching change. It was the fifth time in baseball history and the first time since 1966 that a team hit five homeruns in one inning.

This week's collection of links knock it out of the park; here's the best the blogosphere had to offer over the last seven days…

Midwest Sports Fans launched a bi-weekly MLB trivia challenge podcast with some help from a special guest: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Wahoo Blues conducted a study that shows the correlation between team payroll and wins is shrinking.
Replacement Level Baseball offers up a scouting report from one of Matt Purke's recent starts. The TCU lefty was expected to be a high pick in this year's draft before visiting Dr. James Andrews with a shoulder issue.
Through The Fence Baseball says Brandon Wood makes sense for the Pirates.
Randall on Baseball explains why the Mariners aren't trading Felix Hernandez.
Climbing Tal's Hill revisits the Roy Oswalt trade.
Monkey With A Halo says the "new" Angels' offense looks a lot like the old one.
The Process Report explains how the Rays being in contention would impact Johnny Damon's wallet.
Cubs Billy Goat Blog thinks Carlos Zambrano may have reinvented himself on the mound.
The Nats Blog tries to figure out why Jayson Werth is struggling.
Infield Chatter muses about the concept of long-term extensions.
McCovey Chronicles went back and examined J.T. Snow's defense.
Camden Crazies digs deep to find the secret of Jeremy Guthrie's success.
Beyond The Box Score wonders if Sam Fuld could generate some midseason trade buzz.
Motor City Bengals riffs on the free agent compensation system.
The Shea Faithful looks at the contributions the Mets are getting from their 2005 draft haul.
We Should Be GMs wonders if Jose Contreras could be a cheap closer for the Phillies in 2012.
Fenway Faithful Report lists the five worst pitching contracts in baseball.
Rising Apple wrote about confidence, both in terms of players and fans.
Blogging Mets offers up an argument about why sacrifice bunts are a poor strategy.
Big League Stew had some fun with a Kevin Youkilis photoshop contest.
Last but not least, Lasorda's Lair wrote about Jackie Robinson, a baseball and American icon.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Poll: The Dodgers Under MLB

By Mike Axisa | April 20, 2011 at 10:22pm CDT

Earlier today we learned that Major League Baseball has taken over financial operations of the Dodgers’ and will oversee all day-to-day operations. Owner Frank McCourt intends to fight for control of the team, but that may be an unwinnable war. While this is certainly a drastic step on MLB’s part, it’s hardly unprecedented.

MLB oversaw the Rangers’ finances last season, at least before the Chuck Greenburg-Nolan Ryan ownership group took over. Although the team wasn’t exactly given a blank check, they did have the financial flexibility to go out and add players like Jorge Cantu, Cristian Guzman, and Cliff Lee at the trade deadline. The Expos were under MLB’s control a few years before that, but they were under tighter payroll restrictions.

Whether or not the Dodgers have the relative freedom of the 2010 Rangers or the limitations of the 2002-2005 Expos remains to be seen. McCourt’s team has scored the second fewest runs in baseball, so they could clearly stand to add a bat or two at midseason. The question is, will they be able to?

Will MLB give the Dodgers the financial flexibility to make moves in-season?

No 52.64% (2,734 votes)

Yes 47.36% (2,460 votes)

Total Votes: 5,194

Quick Hits: Purke, Wood, Bonderman, Promotions

By Mike Axisa | April 20, 2011 at 7:41pm CDT

On this date three years ago, the Blue Jays released Frank Thomas. He retired after a brief return engagment with the Athletics, hitting .301/.419/.555 in a career that should garner Hall of Fame consideration. Here's some links for the evening…

TCU left-hander Matt Purke is out indefinitely with a sore shoulder according to Stefan Stevenson of The Star-Telegram. He will be evaluated by Dr. James Andrews later this week. Purke, who was expected to be one of the top picks in this June's draft, spoke to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith last month.
Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic says (on Twitter) that the Diamondbacks don't have interest in, or room on the roster for Brandon Wood.
Jeremy Bonderman recently visited his former Tigers' teammates during their trip to Seattle, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck. The right-hander told reporters that he feels "great," and that he plans to visit the Tigers in Detroit in a few weeks. That would seem to indicate he isn't close to signing with a team.
In a piece for ESPN Insider, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus breaks down some factors that are considered when a prospect is promoted to the big leagues or a higher minor league level.
ESPN The Magazine published a list of the highest paid athletes from 182 countries. A dozen MLB players make the list, but that comes nowhere close to the number of soccer players making big bucks.

East Notes: Rays, Molina, Mets, Wright

By Mike Axisa | April 20, 2011 at 5:53pm CDT

The legend of Jed Lowrie grew a little more today thanks to another homerun, so let's check in on his team plus a few others in the two Eastern divisions…

SI.com's Jon Heyman says that while the Rays will look for a bat to replace Manny Ramirez, they won't have his full $2MM salary at their disposal. Felipe Lopez ($1MM) and Casey Kotchman ($750K) are two recent call-ups cutting into the team's budget.
Within the same article, Heyman says that Bengie Molina could be an option for the Red Sox, who will reportedly address their catching situation within two weeks. Bengie recently said he's retired "for now."
Joel Sherman of The New York Post says that it's probably for the best that the Mets have the worst record in the NL at 5-12 because "cleaning house is what will help speed the process toward the Mets' next good team and away from this unacceptable lot."
In a second article, Sherman muses about a possible David Wright trade, but not as a pure salary dump. "[The] Mets have to be open to the possibility that a team in contention … would be willing to pay $1.25 for $1 worth of talent."

Pat Misch Clears Waivers

By Mike Axisa | April 20, 2011 at 12:48pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 12:48pm: Misch cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.

SUNDAY, 8:43am: The Mets have made the move official, according to the team's Twitter.

SATURDAY, 9:46pm: The Mets will designate left-hander Pat Misch for assignment to make room for Dillon Gee before tomorrow's game, reports Andy Martino of The New York Daily News (on Twitter).

Misch, 29, was called up earlier today to serve as bullpen depth during the Mets-Braves doubleheader. He appeared in the first game, allowing one run across two innings of work. The Mets outrighted Misch to Triple-A at the end of Spring Training, and he opted to remain with the team instead of becoming a free agent after clearing waivers. They did the same thing to him last season as well.

This Date In Transactions History: Randy Wells

By Mike Axisa | April 16, 2011 at 10:51pm CDT

The Cubs' rotation has run into some bad injury luck early this season, with both Andrew Cashner (shoulder) and Randy Wells (forearm) now on the disabled list. The former was a first round pick that spent just one full season in the minors, the latter an unheralded 38th round pick that spent parts of six seasons in the minors before getting to the big leagues. If it wasn't for a transaction that took place three years ago today, one of them wouldn't even be in the organization.

Wells, now 28, was originally drafted as a catcher out of Southwestern Illinois Community College in 2002, but the team moved him to the mound in late 2003 even though he'd never pitched in high school or college. He posted a 4.43 ERA in 107 2/3 innings the next season (Single-A), then was even better in 2005 (2.87 ERA in 106 2/3 IP at Single and Double-A). Baseball America didn't consider him much of a prospect though, and it wasn't until 2007 that Wells got some attention.

In his second crack at Triple-A, Wells made nine starts and 31 relief appearances for the Iowa Cubs in 2007. Although his 4.52 ERA was hardly noteworthy, he did strike out 9.5 men per nine innings. That's what caught the eye of the Blue Jays, who selected Wells with the 11th pick of the 2007 Rule 5 Draft. He made the team out of Spring Training in 2008, though he appeared in just one game with them (scoreless inning with one walk).

Apparently that was all Toronto needed to see. Nine games into the season, the Jays designated Wells for assignment, making room on both the 25-man and 40-man rosters for left-hander Jesse Carlson. After toiling in limbo (and on waivers) for a week, Wells was returned to the Cubs on April 16th as per Rule 5 Draft protocol. He made four relief appearances in Chicago later that year, and has pitched to a 3.67 ERA in 60 starts (365 2/3 innings) in the two years since.

Wells is a true player development success story, a guy that changed positions (more like vocations, really) as a professional and climbed the ladder one step at a time. He was ranked as one of his organization's top 30 prospects just once by Baseball America, when they placed him 22nd in Toronto's system prior to the 2008 season. Wells may be hurt now, but he's done some fine work for the Cubs over the last few years. The only reason they have him around though is because the Blue Jays cut ties with him three years ago today.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Dodgers Could Soon Reach Financial “Tipping Point”

By Mike Axisa | April 16, 2011 at 7:41pm CDT

7:41pm: Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reports that McCourt took a $30MM loan from FOX this week, which will cover the Dodgers' expenses and payroll obligations into next month. Shaikin clarifies (on Twitter) that MLB's approval is not needed for personal loans, which this was.

1:07pm: Although the Dodgers increased payroll from $83MM last season to over $95MM this year, the team still has serious financial concerns as the McCourts continue with their divorce. ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider req'd) hears from a high-ranking executive that the team could soon reach its financial "tipping point," since payroll obligations must be met during the second and fourth weeks of the season.

As if the divorce wasn't enough, owner Frank McCourt was recently sued by the Boston law firm Bingham McCutchen. McCourt had sent representatives to meet with the commissioner's office about a proposed plan that includes a TV deal with FOX (that would advance him $200MM) and would allow him to preserve control of the team, but they're still waiting on a decision. Fellow owners aren't pleased with the situation, reportedly.

This past week was the second full week of the 2011 baseball season.

Barmes Hopes To Remain With Astros Beyond 2011

By Mike Axisa | April 16, 2011 at 5:51pm CDT

The Astros remade their middle infield this offseason, but they have yet to see new shortstop Clint Barmes play an official game in their uniform. He's currently recovering from a fractured hand suffered in Spring Training, but he's already thinking beyond his rehab and to the future, telling Stephen Goff of Examiner.com that he hopes to remain in Houston beyond this season.

Barmes, 32, will earn $3.925MM this season, his final one as an arbitration-eligible player. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the season, when he would be one of the few legitimate everday middle infielders available on the market. Although he hit just .235/.305/.351 with the Rockies last season, Barmes hit a respectable .264/.306/.452 with 34 homers and 25 steals from 2008-2009. Aside from a hiccup in 2007 and 2008, UZR has liked his defense at short.

Mets Not Yet Ready To Cut Ties With Emaus

By Mike Axisa | April 16, 2011 at 10:23am CDT

Of the 19 players selected in December's Rule 5 Draft, only a handful made it through Spring Training and remained with their new club when the season began. One such player is Brad Emaus of the Mets (formerly of the Blue Jays), and manager Terry Collins told Newday's David Lennon that the team is going to give him the chance to develop into an everyday second baseman.

"When Brad Emaus made this club, there were some things discussed, and one of them is to give him a legitimate chance," said the skipper, who spoke with GM Sandy Alderson about Emaus on Friday. "Putting him in and out of the lineup — we're not going to get answers out of that, so I got him back in there."

Emaus has appeared in 12 of the team's first 13 games, but he's started just eight of them and only one in the last week as Daniel Murphy gets more playing time. The Mets also acknowledged that Emaus is being given greater leeway given his status as a Rule 5 Draft pick, since he must first clear waivers and be offered back to Toronto before he could be sent to the minors.

In 34 plate appearances, the 25-year-old is hitting just .200/.294/.200 with seven strikeouts and three GIDP's. Emaus did hit .290/.397/.476 with 15 homers and 13 steals between Double and Triple-A last year, so he certainly has offensive potential. Baseball America ranked him as New York's 21st best prospect in their Prospect Handbook.

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