Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dawson, Ahrens, Rays, Lee
On this date in 1995, Dodgers right-hander Hideo Nomo became the first Japanese-born player in Major League history to be selected for the All Star Game. Nomo, then a 26-year-old rookie, took the big leagues by storm with his tornado windup and by posting a 1.99 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in 13 first half starts. The All-Star Game was just the tip of the iceberg for Nomo, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year award and finish fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.
Nomo's big league career spanned a dozen seasons with seven teams, and he retired with a 4.24 ERA and two no-hitters to his credit. He's credited with paving the way for Japanese players to permanently relocate to MLB.
Here are a few links from around the baseball blogosphere…
- Phoul Ballz interviewed Hall of Famer Andre Dawson.
- 1 Blue Jays Way interviewed Toronto prospect Kevin Ahrens.
- Bullpen Banter offers up a mid-season review of players who showed up to camp in the best shape of their lives.
- DRaysBay puts together a wish list of players they really want the Rays to acquire.
- Prospect Insider runs down the top prospects of the contenders in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes.
- Feeling Dodger Blue says the time has come for Los Angeles to trade Matt Kemp and Russell Martin.
- Mets Paradise wonders if the Mets would be interested in acquiring Carlos Zambrano.
- Double Bobby Jones doesn't think Jerry Manuel should feel too comfortable despite the Mets' winning ways.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Rosenthal On Phillies’ Infield Options
7:30pm: According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, the Phillies haven't talked to the Nationals about Kennedy.
1:31pm: The Phillies learned today that Chase Utley will be out for several weeks due to thumb surgery, and Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com chimes in with some possible replacement options. He notes that the replacement doesn't necessary have to be a second baseman (Twitter link), because the team can use Placido Polanco at that position once he's healthy. That opens up the possibility of a trade for a third baseman.
Rosenthal says that former Phillie Pedro Feliz is an unlikely target, citing a scout who says his bat speed is "gone." Feliz has hit just .229/.255/.317 in 255 plate appearances this year, and his trademark defense has declined back to a -4.3 UZR this season. The Fox Sports scribe throws the names of Miguel Tejada, Ty Wigginton, Jhonny Peralta, Adam Kennedy, and Jose Lopez into the mix (Twitter links). The Mariners are actively trying to move Lopez, according to Rosenthal.
For the now, Philadelphia will try to tread water with the combination of Wilson Valdez and Greg Dobbs at second and third, respectively. They've combined to hit just .222/.252/.338 in 222 plate appearances this season, and Jack Moore at FanGraphs chronicled just how big of a downgrade this is for the Phillies.
Odds & Ends: Prior, Votto, Gaudin, Hendry, Rangers
Links for Thursday, as we wait to see how much more damage Vladimir Guerrero will inflict upon the Angels tonight…
- Mark Prior's agent says that one club wants to sign the right-hander after his workout this week, tweets Tom Krasovic of AOL Fanhouse. Prior reportedly hit the magic number of 90 mph during his workout.
- John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer indicates (via Twitter) that extension talks for Joey Votto will wait until after the season.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post tweets that the Yankees will not designate Chad Gaudin for assignment when they call up Dustin Moseley. The team has an empty spot on its 40-man roster, and is likely to place someone on the DL or option another reliever to Triple-A instead.
- Jim Hendry of the Cubs is the easiest general manager to make a deal with, according to a poll of GMs from around the league conducted by ESPN's Buster Olney.
- The sale of the Rangers is heading to a one-day auction that will be held on July 16th, reports Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.
Three Teams Interested In Jermaine Dye
After an offseason that featured little attention from clubs and a few rejected offers, three teams are now expressing interest in free agent slugger Jermaine Dye according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. Those clubs: the Rangers, Rockies, and Padres.
We know the Padres are looking to add offense and the Rangers have been searching for a righty bat after Ryan Garko didn't work out, but the Rockies has been linked to infielders more than anything in the wake of Troy Tulowitzki's injury. If signed, Dye would require some time to get into game shape, but could be contributing as an outfielder, first baseman, and/or DH in the second half. He'd also have a few months to prove himself before heading back out on the free agent market.
The 36-year-old Dye hit .250/.340/.453 with 27 homers for the White Sox last year, but his outfield defense was among the worst in the game and he hit just .176/.287/.278 in his final 237 plate appearances.
Orioles Call Up Josh Bell
3:54pm: MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli spoke to Orioles' president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, who denied that Bell's promotion had anything to do with a pending trade of either Tejada or Ty Wigginton (Twitter link).
3:08pm: With Luke Scott headed to the disabled list, the Orioles have called up top prospect Josh Bell from Triple-A according to a team press release. Bell was acquired from the Dodgers in the George Sherrill trade last year, and he's batting seventh in tonight's lineup.
This is Bell's first time in the big leagues, so the team has already delayed his free agency and arbitration eligibility by one season. The 23-year-old was hitting .266/.311/.455 with 24 doubles and ten homers in 309 Triple-A plate appearances before being called up.
Since Bell is a third baseman, it's reasonable to think that this move is the first step towards a Miguel Tejada trade, with the team getting a look at his replacement before they go ahead and take the plunge. The Phillies, Twins, and Angels could all be suitors for the 2002 AL MVP, who is in tonight's lineup as the designated hitter.
Padres Looking To Add Offense
We already know that rookie GM Jed Hoyer is looking to add some starting pitching to his Padres' team, and now MLB.com's Corey Brock passes along a quote indicating that he's ready to add offense as well.
"I don't feel like you're ever all set," Hoyer said. "I think we're looking on both sides [pitching and offense]."
Brock says the team is reluctant to part with prospects just like everyone else, but the Padres could realistically shop closer Heath Bell for a package that includes a big league piece and prospects. Bell will be arbitration eligible next season after earning $4MM this year, and might get a little too rich for San Diego's tastes. Mike Adams and Luke Gregerson would then move up a peg in the bullpen pecking order, and the team likely wouldn't miss a beat.
The Padres survive with stellar pitching (MLB best 3.10 ERA) and defense (MLB best 31.5 UZR), though they have obvious offensive shortcomings. Their shortstops have hit just .234/.295/.338, their left fielders .196/.294/.288, and their center fielders .234/.328/.360, so they could have interest in someone like David DeJesus or Xavier Nady. Brock mentions that owner Jeff Moorad will consider adding payroll in order to make a move happen.
Odds & Ends: Patterson, Marlins, League, Zambrano
Some Saturday links as the Red Sox suffer their latest injury, this one involving Clay Buchholz and running the bases…
- FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Red Sox's acquisition of Eric Patterson came together quickly; they had yet to inquire about him as recently as noon Eastern time today.
- Marlins' first base coach Dave Collins abruptly resigned today, reports Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. He wonders if the move may be related to an imminent Bobby Valentine hiring, but president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said that was not the case (all Twitter links).
- Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com says (via Twitter) that Brandon League is the Mariners' second best trade chip behind Cliff Lee. The hard-throwing righty reliever is owed approximately $590K the rest of the season, and is under team control for two more years.
- With the Yankees facing off against the Dodgers, Tyler Kepner from the New York Times reminds us that Alex Rodriguez was almost a Dodger back in 1993. Fortunately for the Mariners, the first pick still alternated yearly between the AL and NL back then.
- In the comments of his blog, the Atlanta Journal Constitution's David O'Brien says that conversations with people across the Braves organization yesterday have him convinced more than ever that Fredi Gonzalez will be the Braves' next manager.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs may have reached the "breaking point" with Carlos Zambrano, and says they're probably better off eating the $45MM left on his contract and trading him away.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier says that Dustin Pedroia's foot injury is going to test Boston's less than stellar infield depth.
- Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer says that the Indians will probably be able to make smaller deals like they did last year with Rafael Betancourt (to the Rockies) and Ryan Garko (to the Giants).
Rosenthal’s Full Count: Zambrano, Angels, Brewers
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…
- The fact that Carlos Zambrano is a 29-year-old pitcher still capable of winning 12-15 games a year should be enough to allow the Cubs to trade him, but of course the team will have to a eat a large chunk of the $45MM left on his deal. Rosenthal reminds us that the Cubbies came ahead financially when they moved Milton Bradley this winter.
- The Angels still want to add a first baseman, and Adam Dunn is on their list of potential targets. If they do make a move for Dunn or perhaps Adam LaRoche, incumbent first baseman Mike Napoli could become trade bait.
- The Nationals have yet to get serious in any discussions about a contract extension with Dunn.
- The Brewers are still searching for pitching, and the Blue Jays could be a potential match. Toronto likes Double-A infielder (and Canadian) Brett Lawrie, but the Brewers would be reluctant to trade him. They would have to consider it if he could land them someone like Brett Cecil or Shaun Marcum, though.
- Arizona will probably not want to keep both Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson since they combine to make over $20MM next year, but Haren's value isn't what it once was. One baseball person told Rosenthal that "[Haren]'s not at the top of anyone's list, he's just another name."
Red Sox Acquire Eric Patterson
The Athletics have traded outfielder Eric Patterson to the Red Sox for minor league lefty Fabian Williamson, according to the team's official Twitter feed. Patterson had been designated for assignment earlier this week.
The Red Sox just lost Dustin Pedroia for as much as six weeks with a fracture in his foot, and the 27-year-old Patterson has considerable experience playing second base. He's a career .224/.301/.340 hitter in 378 big league plate appearances, and is capable of playing all three outfield positions in addition to the keystone spot.
Boston originally acquired Williamson from the Mariners for David Aardsma last January. The 21-year-old has a 3.72 ERA with a 5.5 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 this season, playing for the team's High-A affiliate.
Red Sox Have Inquired About Available Outfielders
6:46pm: Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com tweets that even though DeJesus would be a good fit for the Sox, word is that Kansas City is asking for "way too much."
10:48am: With injuries decimating their outfield corps, the Red Sox have contacted multiple teams around the league to gauge the availability of outfielders in advance of the trade deadline, writes Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. He adds that one such conversation centered around David DeJesus.
Outfield depth was one area that MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith highlighted when he reviewed the team's needs, which is obvious given the injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeremy Hermida, J.D. Drew, and Mike Cameron. The Royals are said to "love" currently injured shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias, though there has been no indication that Boston would part with him in a deal for DeJesus.
The 30-year-old DeJesus is enjoying a career year at .320/.389/.475, and he's owed approximately $2.6MM the rest of the season. There is also a $6MM club option for 2011 in his contract with a $500K buyout. Some other outfielders that could end up on the trading block include Austin Kearns, Coco Crisp, Scott Podsednik, Gabe Gross, Brad Hawpe, and Xavier Nady, all of whom can become free agents after the season.