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Odds & Ends: Hill, Lowe, Renteria

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Some musings from the central divisions:

  • In this piece by Gordon Wittenmyer covering Carlos Zambrano’s shoulder strain, the Cubs may be forced to shut down Rich Hill.  Hill failed to get through the first inning for Triple-A Iowa start on Friday, recording 2 outs while giving up 6 ER and 4 BB, and the Cubs simply want to give him an extended mental break.  This may turn up the flames even further on the Cubs pursuit of a front line starter.
  • For what it’s worth, Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press says Derek Lowe is unlikely to become a Tiger this season.
  • Will another AL club give up on Edgar Renteria after a year?  In another piece, Morosi thinks Renteria could wind up staying with Detroit despite his $11MM club option and his batting average dropping over .060 points. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski and Manager Jim Leyland both speak favorably of Renteria as a player and as a guy in the clubhouse. Still, possible free agent replacements do exist so this is worth monitoring.

By Nat Boyle

Pirates To Keep Marte?

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As MLBTR posted this week, the Pirates could elect to keep Jason Bay in Pittsburgh, a once-sure-fire bet to be dealt before the deadline.  Finding themselves with an above average offense to date (6th in the bigs with 365 runs scored), the Pirates may see the future with rosier colored glasses and Bay integral to those hopes.

Another change of tack, Dejan Kovacevic says the Pirates may now keep reliever Damaso Marte as well, opting to offer him arbitration – which he’d surely forego – to acquire two draft picks.  Marte is making $2.5MM this season and has a club option of $6MM for 2009 that will not be exercised by the Pirates and could be considered too much for other ballclubs.  So what teams are willing to give up for Marte (and his contract) may appear less appealing to the Bucs than a couple first rounders.  Explains Kovacevic, for those unfamiliar with this process:

"Free agents of the highest pedigree fall into what is called the Type A classification… If he is signed by one of what are labeled "first-division" teams… the Pirates would get that team’s first-round draft pick in 2009, plus a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds. If it is not a first-division team, the picks would be slightly lower."

By Nat Boyle

Rosenthal’s Latest: Athletics, Phillies

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From his Full Count video update, Ken Rosenthal brings us a couple bullet points:

  • In contention, the A’s suddenly could become a buyer. Rosenthal cites the big names: Matt Holliday, Jason Bay or even C.C. Sabathia, and that the A’s certainly have the prospects to pull it off.
  • The Phillies could enter the mix for Sabathia as well; however, they’d have to give up top pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco. Carrasco is the top rated Phillies prospect for the second straight year by Baseball America.

By Nat Boyle

Ellis Still Wants To Stay

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More from John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle:  Mark Ellis still wants to re-sign with the Athletics in the offseason rather than test free agency, which could be lucrative for him.  This remains even after the A’s drafted second baseman Jemile Weeks with their first pick in the draft.  Says Ellis,

"You never know what’ll happen in the draft. You need players. Baseball drafts aren’t like football or basketball drafts where you see these guys right away."

True.  If Jemile Weeks comes up in 2-3 years, Ellis could be a trade piece for Beane but that’s very conditional and Ellis is happy in Oakland.  Solidifying reports that he’ll stay in Oakland, Ellis says,

"I would think if something got done, it would be before the season’s over. I’m not saying (free agency) wouldn’t be fun to do, but I’m happy here. The organization has been good to me, and it’s an organization (in which) you always have a chance to win. You never know what’s out there (on the open market). You don’t know if everyone will like you or if nobody will like you."

Nothing new there, but it’s always refreshing to see a player take a hometown discount, as Ellis seemingly will, instead of the big payday in free agency.  I’m sure Orlando Hudson agrees.

By Nat Boyle

Rincon On His Way Out?

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Long time Twin reliever Juan Rincon may be the odd man out when the Twins reduce their pitching staff from 13 to 12 – this from Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.  Rincon is sporting a 5.19 ERA through 23 games, comparable to last years 5.13 ERA and a far cry from his career 3.63. 

Rincon could still finish strong and hit his PECOTA projected ERA of 3.92.  After being busted for steroids in 2006, Rincon went on to post a 2.91 ERA; however, he became hittable in 2007 and that trend continues.  His H/9, BB/9, and K/9 have all been declining.  Still, Rincon is only 29 so he may just need a change of scenery, not uncommon for relievers and setup men.

Says Manager Ron Gardenhire,  "All we can do is keep running them out there until some other decision is made where we can’t."  If they can’t, Rincon will most likely be designated for assignment.  The righty is making $2.475MM on a 1-year contract this season and his stock is at an all time low. There should be interest abound.

By Nat Boyle

Odds & Ends: Beckham, Bedard, Bonds, Mulder

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Lots of high profile players in today’s Odds & Ends:

  • The Rays have opened contract discussions with first overall pick Tim Beckham, says Marc Topkin.
  • Phil Rogers of the Chicago Sports Tribune suggests we add Erik Bedard to the list of starting pitchers who may be available at the trade deadline.  More appropriately, Rogers also notes the M’s will most likely hold on to Bedard through 2009, a far more likely outcome.
  • Also in the longshot rumor department, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle speculates on Barry Bonds playing for the Red Sox.  Personally, I would predict there’s a 0.0% chance Bonds plays in Boston.
  • In that same piece by John Shea, Mark Mulder could be done.  He’s rejecting the idea of a third surgery and attempting to alter his delivery to remain effective and pain free.
  • Will Carroll reports Jeremy Bonderman has undergone surgery to overcome Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – as I understand it, a pinched vein causing a blood clot – and will need a minimum of 6 months to a year of recovery time.  This should keep Armando Gallaraga and Dontrelle Willis in the rotation.

By Nat Boyle

Dayan Viciedo Defects From Cuba

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12:45pm  Baseball America’s John Manuel has a solid write up on Viciedo and his free agent status.  Agent Jamie Torres says, "He was processed at the end of May. To me, he was not drafted and should be an undrafted free agent. We’ll see if the union agrees with me." The catch here is whether or not Viciedo is subject to the rules of the draft now that he’s in the U.S.  Had he gone to the Dominican Republic, for example, he could be a free agent. Since teams weren’t informed of his eligibility to be signed or drafted, his status remains to be determined.  Manuel also presents mixed reviews of Viciedo’s potential, but his hitting ability is not in question.

According to Jorge Ebro and Wilfredo Cancio Isla of the Miami Herald, Dayan Viciedo, a 19 year old Cuban ballplayer, has defected from his home country and arrived in Miami with renewed motivation.  This is a new name for me, but Ebro and Cancio shed some light on the arrival of a promising new talent: 

"Born March 10, 1989… Viciedo is regarded as the best Cuban baseball player in the past eight years after Kendry Morales, who defected in 2004 and now plays in the Los Angeles Angels’ system.

’Dayán is going to spark a lot of talk in the majors,” said his agent, Puerto Rican lawyer Jaime Torres, ’He has arrived with youth, he is very versatile and his conditioning is exceptional. We will soon see him wearing the uniform of a major league team.’"

Viciedo is 6’2", 202 lbs capable of playing SS, 3B, and OF.  According to the Havana Journal, at 16 he was the youngest Cuban All Star in history.  At 18, he was chosen to play in the World Baseball Classic in the U.S. and is often compared to Omar Linares, one of the greatest Cuban players of all time.  Baseball in Cuba has been on continued decline without motivated players.

No word on interested teams yet.  Anyone have any more insight on Viciedo?

By Nat Boyle

Olney’s Latest: Bonderman, Perez, Wolf, Bonds

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Buster Olney makes some noise on a quiet Saturday:

  • There is concern Jeremy Bonderman has a circulation problem in his shoulder or arm which would quiet Jayson Stark’s inquiry as to whether or not the Tigers would deal him for (more) offense.
  • Willie Randolph keeps the faith with starter Oliver Perez but, as Olney points out, "if [Perez] were to be dropped from the rotation, it would be an enormous hit for a pitcher expected to be among the better free agents in the fall." I’ll say.
  • Randy Wolf ups his trade value (and likelihood) with every good start.  He’s 3-1 at Petco with a 2.38 ERA compared to 1-3 with a 5.38 ERA on the road.  Maybe the Padres should try to get him a few extra starts at home to up his value.
  • Barry Bonds’ trial was set for next March; however, this doesn’t change his odds of playing, says Olney, because everyone already expected the date to be set after the season.

By Nat Boyle

Rosenthal’s Latest: Blanton, Furcal, Penny, Burnett, Greinke

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The latest from Ken Rosenthal’s Full Count video:

  • The Braves called the A’s about Joe Blanton but did not even come close to meeting Billy Beane’s price.
  • The Dodgers may not want to lock up Rafael Furcal, the oft-injured shortstop, to a long term contract.  Also, with Brad Penny’s struggles, they may pass on his 2009 club option and trade him this season. They’d get something in return rather than pay his $2MM buyout in the offseason.
  • The only way the Jays will trade A.J. Burnett is if they fall completely out of contention.  Otherwise, he is a cornerstone to their only chance: "pitching teams into the ground."
  • The Royals could field offers for Zack Greinke.  Their farm system has thinned and they could replace Greinke in the rotation with Joakim Soria.

By Nat Boyle

Odds and Ends: Alvarez, Zimmerman, Vizcaino, Hawkins

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Some random musings around the league:

  • As MLBTR noted before, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also believes the Pirates will take Pedro Alvarez if the Rays pass on him.
  • Ryan Zimmerman may be looking for David Wright money (six years, $55MM), but the Nationals may be willing to pay him Ian Kinsler money (5 years, $22MM), according to Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post.
  • In this piece by Tony Jackson on the LA Daily News, 39 year-old Jose Vizcaino may try to make a comeback in 2009.  He’s currently a special assistant with the Dodgers.
  • Troy Renck suggests the Rockies could be interested in LaTroy Hawkins if he continues to struggle for the Yankees.

By Nat Boyle

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