Berkman Willing To Waive No-Trade Clause
7:59pm: Berkman shared his side of the conversation he had with GM Ed Wade, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com:
"I'm not demanding to be traded," the five-time All-Star said. "I'm perfectly content to be a Houston Astro. We were just talking hypothetical."
McTaggart also points out that Berkman has said several times in recent years that he would be willing to waive his full no-trade clause if the situation was right.
5:48pm: Some within the Astros believe that Berkman may be trying to employ reverse psychology in an effort to pressure the club into picking up his option, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Houston owner Drayton McLane is not a fan of giving up on seasons or trading away veteran players.
Meanwhile, GM Ed Wade doesn't seem terribly concerned about Berkman's comments. He recounted the conversation he had with the outfielder last night:
"Don’t worry about it, players have every right to make whatever comments they want to the media. Focus on showing up and winning tomorrow."
The 34-year-old is hitting .213/.327/.404 with 2 HRs in 55 plate appearances this season.
10:28am: Lance Berkman would be willing to waive his no-trade clause if the Astros approach him with a deal to a contender later this season, reports Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle. Berkman explained his feelings:
"If it was me and I was running the show here, if we didn't make a great comeback like we did in '05 and be sort of around .500 by the All-Star break, I'd try to trade every veteran I could to reload. That's the quickest way you're going to be able to reload and get it going in the right direction. As a player, if they came to me and said, 'Hey, we've got a deal to go to a contender,' I'd take it. Heck, it's only a three- or four-month deal. It's not like I'm signing on for 10 years with another team."
Berkman opined that the Astros should try to avoid what he calls "baseball purgatory — where you're not really getting young and you're not really (competing). Where you're in this deal where every year you're signing a marginal veteran and you just never get in the mix."
Berkman's "take one for the team" approach to his no-trade clause is an interesting position, as a few months ago he talked about taking his ball and going home if the Astros didn't exercise his $15MM club option for 2011 after the season. He does still prefer to retire an Astro.
As I mentioned yesterday, quitting on a season is not the Astros' style. But Berkman, even at age 34 and coming off knee surgery, could give a contender an offensive boost while saving the Astros over $5MM. The Red Sox, A's, White Sox, and Mariners could be fits if Berkman is open to DHing, while it's more difficult to find an NL contender with a first base opening. Perhaps the Braves, depending on how Troy Glaus is doing a month or two from now.
Stark On Gordon, Dunn, Lowell
The five most untradeable contracts in baseball? ESPN's Jayson Stark's poll of baseball executives say it's Alfonso Soriano, Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, Carlos Lee, and Barry Zito. Hard to argue; check out our Bad Contract Swap Meet from last year for a look at other ugly deals. It was interesting to see Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kosuke Fukudome nab honorable mentions in Stark's poll. On to his other rumblings…
- Stark's conversations led to repeated mentions of the new collective bargaining agreement, which will go into effect in December of 2011. The uncertainty will have an impact – will 2011 draftees lack leverage, knowing that a slotting system could be installed the following year? Does it make sense to worry about Super Two status for Mike Stanton now, when that provision might not exist in 2012?
- Teams have kicked the tires on Alex Gordon, but the Royals have no interest in trading him. MLBTR's Luke Adams led a discussion post on Gordon yesterday.
- The Dodgers are scouring the trade market for starting pitching, while the Royals and Phillies seek bullpen help. The Mariners and Braves are trying to add offense. The Diamondbacks are actually more interested in starting pitching than relief, and are expected to have Chris Snyder available once Miguel Montero returns.
- A "baseball man familiar with the Nationals' thinking" expects Adam Dunn to return in 2011, though not necessarily via an in-season extension.
- A friend of Mike Lowell tells Stark the third baseman would love to play for the Twins or Angels if the Red Sox plan to trade him.
- The Phillies have recently adopted a stance against full no-trade clauses, which is reflected in the Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard extensions.
2011 Contract Issues: Detroit Tigers
The Tigers have one contractual option, but it may be decided before the end of the season. Magglio Ordonez's $15MM option vests with 135 starts or 540 plate appearances. Barring injury, he'll get there. On the plus side, it represents a $3MM decrease from his 2010 salary.
In 2011 the Tigers will finally be free of many ill-advised contracts. Their eight free agents are earning a total of $56.675MM this year, led by Jeremy Bonderman, Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson, Johnny Damon, and Brandon Inge. Robertson is now with the Marlins, but the Tigers are paying most of his salary. Factor in the money the Tigers are shedding for Ordonez and they've got just under $60MM coming off the books.
The increase side is light – Justin Verlander gets a $6MM bump. They've got Ryan Raburn as a first-time arbitration player, Zach Miner going for a second time, and Joel Zumaya a third. If payroll is held steady, the Tigers will have a whopping $50MM+ to work with. Even if it's reduced, the Tigers are in good position to work the free agent market to find a left fielder, third baseman, shortstop, and a starting pitcher or two.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
Could The Nationals Be Trade Deadline Buyers?
The Nationals are off to a 14-13 start, which puts them two games behind the Phillies in the NL East. However, based on their runs scored and allowed totals, the Nationals project to finish with 72 wins. If they can hang around in contention for another month, should the Nats add reinforcements for an unexpected playoff run?
The Nationals' rotation has a 5.19 ERA, third-worst in the NL. Their starters are averaging only 5.32 innings per outing. If Livan Hernandez comes back to Earth (0.99 ERA in 36.3 innings), they could be in really bad shape. Multiple starters are already on the way:
- Jason Marquis, dealing with bone chips in his elbow, is on a throwing program according to MASN's Ben Goessling.
- Goessling says Jordan Zimmermann, Chien-Ming Wang, and Ross Detwiler will all begin rehab assignments several weeks from now, with Detwiler being the closest. While the reports are promising and we should see these three in the second half, it'd be unwise to rely on them.
- Stephen Strasburg could join the big club in June (and avoid Super Two status), giving the team a potential ace.
- The Nationals' rotation could really use a shot in the arm right now as opposed to June or July. They could try to sign Pedro Martinez or Jarrod Washburn, but the free agents would need weeks to be big league ready. In May only a couple of teams will be realistic about their playoff chances. Potentially, the Orioles or Indians could be willing to deal. Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie, and Jake Westbrook might be available.
- The Nationals' bullpen has been respectable, and Drew Storen was promoted to Triple A a week ago.
How about the offense? At 4.30 runs scored per game, the Nats rank 13th in the NL. They're lacking at second base, where Cristian Guzman and Adam Kennedy have combined for a .261/.284/.351 line. Dan Uggla would be a huge addition, but it's hard to picture the Marlins making that deal right now. Ty Wigginton might be easier to acquire. Right field has been a bigger problem, with a .157/.294/.326 aggregate performance. The Nationals acknowledged this a month ago upon releasing Elijah Dukes, as they inquired on Corey Hart, Kosuke Fukudome, and B.J. Upton in trade talks and had discussions with free agents Gary Sheffield and Jermaine Dye. Sheffield or Dye would require sacrificing defense for offense. Another name to consider could be the Royals' David DeJesus.
Eric Byrnes May Retire
Eric Byrnes may retire, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Said Byrnes three days after being released by the Mariners:
"I think this is the end. You never say never, but I think this is it. Parts of 11 seasons, man — I gave everything I had to the game. I can look myself in the mirror and know that I gave it my all. I'm proud of that."
Known for his all-out approach, Byrnes would finish with a .258/.320/.439 line across eleven seasons for the Athletics, Rockies, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and Mariners. His best years were 2004 and '07, the latter season prompting the Diamondbacks to give him a three-year, $30MM extension that runs through this year.
The Rockies’ Approach To Trade Clauses
The Rockies, known for producing their own talent, have taken an interesting approach to the no-trade clause in several recent contracts. Four examples:
- Aaron Cook's annual salaries increase by $1MM if traded. Many players have one-time assignment bonuses if traded, usually less than a million bucks. Mark Buehrle is one pitcher with a better trade inhibitor than Cook – he gets an extra $1MM per year and an additional year at $15MM is added to his contract.
- Brad Hawpe has a $10MM club option for 2011 with a $500K buyout, but he can void the option if traded. A GM may like the idea of controlling Hawpe through 2011, but only the Rockies have the privilege.
- Chris Iannetta can void his 2013 club option if he's traded before that season. Iannetta is only controlled through '13 if he remains a Rockie, something to keep in mind when tossing around trade scenarios.
- Troy Tulowitzki can void the remainder of his contract if he's traded. His team-friendly deal won't be transferred to another club without his permission. It's probably a moot point, as GM Dan O'Dowd told Tyler Kepner of the New York Times in March he hopes Tulo retires a Rockie.
Odds & Ends: Bradley, Miles, Harwell, Zito
Links for Wednesday, as Ty Wigginton continues his assault on the American League…
- Milton Bradley left the Mariners in the middle of last night's game, reports ESPN's Mike Salk. The distractions become difficult to tolerate when he's hitting .214/.313/.371. GM Jack Zduriencik says Bradley asked the organization for help following last night's incident and will sit out for a few days while he works out personal "issues," according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
- Bradley, for his part, texted Peter Gammons (Twitter link) to say: "Any reports I said I'm packing up and leaving are 100% fabricated."
- The Cardinals aren't sure yet whether Aaron Miles will work his way up to the bigs, writes Andy Jasner at MLB.com. The team is evaluating Miles' progress after signing him to a minor league deal last week.
- Baseball fans are mourning the loss of Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell, who was 92. A public viewing will take place Thursday night at Comerica Park.
- Barry Zito's 2014 option for $18MM vests if he starts racking up 200 inning seasons, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Even if it remains a club option, the Giants face a hefty $7MM buyout.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis says Texas high school righty Jameson Taillon is the consensus #2 in the June draft. Will the Pirates spring for him? Will the Orioles have a shot at #3?
Alan Embree Elects Free Agency
WEDNESDAY, 6:24pm: Embree cleared waivers and has elected to become a free agent, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
FRIDAY, 10:23pm: The Red Sox designated lefty reliever Alan Embree for assignment, tweets Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. Boston DFA'd the 40-year-old in order to make room for the returning Daisuke Matsuzaka. Embree did not appear in a major league game for Boston this season.
Embree was allowed to opt out of his minor league deal with the BoSox on April 15th, as he had not yet been promoted to the majors. He agreed to extend his deal for another two weeks and was called up ten days later. The contract was set to pay the lefty $500K for making the major league squad, a sum that could have ballooned to as much as $1.1MM with incentives.
Roughly two weeks ago, the veteran reliever stated that he would "go home" if he wasn't on the varsity squad in Boston or presented with another enticing opportunity. Embree told Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald that he will now return home to talk to his agent to see if another team might be interested in his services. Lauber points out that the Phillies were interested at one point, though it's unclear if they still have a spot for him.
White Sox Sign Luis Rodriguez
The White Sox signed infielder Luis Rodriguez to a minor league deal, reports Baseball America's Matt Eddy. Rodriguez had signed with the Indians earlier in the offseason, but was recently released.
Rodriguez, 29, hit .202/.319/.260 in 251 plate appearances for the Padres last year, with the fourth-worst OPS in baseball for a player with that many PAs. He was considered the team's starting shortstop at one point, but lost his job to Everth Cabrera.
Marlins Sign Doug Mientkiewicz
The Marlins signed first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to a minor league deal, according to Baseball America's Matt Eddy. Mientkiewicz didn't play much in '09, as he went down for shoulder surgery in April.
The Dodgers re-signed Mientkiewicz to a minor league deal in December of last year. He sought his release after being told he wouldn't make the team, and the Dodgers waited a week before granting it. Mientkiewicz declined a chance to coach for Joe Torre, and later passed on Bret Boone's recruiting efforts for his independent league club.