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Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Howard, Francisco, Mendoza
Links to check out as we await Cliff Lee's Mariners debut…
- BoSox manager Terry Francona says that the upcoming player move to make room on the roster for Daisuke Matsuzaka will almost certainly involve a pitcher, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
- If you play fantasy baseball, be sure to follow our @closernews feed on Twitter. We've got instant news on all closer situations, enabling you to conquer the save category.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Ryan Howard extension negotiations, speaking to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and Howard's agent, Casey Close.
- In an MLB.com mailbag, T.R. Sullivan suggests that Frank Francisco could be a prime trade candidate in July, particularly if the Rangers are slipping from playoff contention.
- Luis Mendoza cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Mendoza was designated for assignment by the Royals last week.
- GM Jim Hendry says prospect Starlin Castro will join the Cubs at some point this season, but he won't say how soon, according to ESPNChicago. A source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago earlier in the week that Castro's promotion could be right around the corner.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer doesn't think the White Sox have any need for Jermaine Dye. We heard earlier today that Dye believes he'd be a fit for the South Siders.
- Talking to Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse, Brewers outfielder Jody Gerut explained why the Padres should retain Adrian Gonzalez.
- Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez answered questions from Denver Post readers, explaining that "it's a really bad feeling when you get traded" and he'd like to sign a contract "for a few years." Gonzalez is not arbitration-eligible until after the 2011 season, and he's represented by Scott Boras.
- The Yankees are not typically inclined to sign young players to long-term deals. It makes sense to maintain flexibility, as they did going year-to-year with Chien-Ming Wang. On the other hand, Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that Robinson Cano's extension has worked out quite well. Will the Yankees exercise his $14MM club option for 2012, or choose the $2MM buyout?
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald believes that the future of the Red Sox catching position points more toward Adalberto Ibarra than Victor Martinez.
Free Agent Slow Starts
Yesterday we looked at free agents off to hot starts; now it's time to do the opposite. Last year this list included Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia, but also Oliver Perez and Pat Burrell.
- Rod Barajas, Mets. Not much was expected from Barajas in the OBP department, but a .194/.224/.355 line isn't going to cut it. Also, despite a three home run game and a .468 SLG, John Buck sits among the OBP trailers at .239. I liked the Gregg Zaun signing, but he's hitting just .220/.299/.288.
- Jerry Hairston Jr., Padres. Versatility doesn't mean much when you're hitting .231/.242/.246.
- Jonny Gomes, Reds. I liked this bargain signing, but Gomes isn't doing much at .214/.254/.375.
- Garrett Atkins, Orioles. He's losing playing time given a .238/.262/.302 start.
- Pedro Feliz, Astros. The left side of the Astros' infield is really struggling offensively. Infielders Orlando Cabrera, Jack Wilson, and Adam Kennedy are also excelling at making outs, while Mark DeRosa has shown no power.
- Nick Johnson, Yankees. Bizarre line for Johnson: .143/.385/.232. Even when nothing else is working, Johnson is second in MLB in walks. Chone Figgins has had a similar start.
- Ken Griffey Jr., Mariners. He's better than .226/.293/.245, but many opposed this signing from the start.
- Troy Glaus, Braves. He's at .200/.300/.300, and the Braves have to be pondering alternatives.
- Doug Davis, Brewers. He's basically allowed an earned run per inning so far.
- Todd Wellemeyer, Giants. The team's fifth starter has a 6.33 ERA through four starts.
- Trevor Hoffman, Brewers. Hoffman leads baseball with four blown saves; at some point the Brewers have to try someone else in the ninth inning.
- Jason Marquis, Nationals. He made three ugly starts and headed to the DL with an elbow injury.
- Rich Harden, Rangers. He leads baseball with 23 walks allowed.
- Vicente Padilla, Dodgers. He sports a 7.06 ERA and a forearm injury.
- John Grabow, Cubs. With a 7.04 ERA, Grabow hasn't been the setup man the Cubs envisioned. Brendan Donnelly, Octavio Dotel, and Bob Howry are also getting knocked around.
- Mike Gonzalez, Orioles. His terrible start led to a shoulder-related DL stint.
Dye Thinks He Could Help White Sox
The White Sox rank 11th in the American League with four runs scored per game. Their .309 OBP ranks 12th; their .390 SLG places 9th. Like most teams, the Sox have several players hitting above their ability (Paul Konerko, Andruw Jones), and several players below (Juan Pierre, Gordon Beckham, Alexei Ramirez, Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski). The Sox projected to have a below-average offense from the start, but if they just wait it out they'll improve on the current output.
Pierre has been particularly disappointing, as has the team's production from their DH rotation. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times believes free agent Jermaine Dye could help, and Dye agrees. He wants to do more than just DH, potentially helping at outfield and first base. Dye also clarified recent rumors, saying the Cubs' $3MM offer wasn't formal and he spoke last to the Brewers. He added, "I'm not going to a bad team, and I'm not playing for $1.5 million."
It doesn't make sense for the Sox to bid much more than that, so money would be one issue. Manager Ozzie Guillen isn't sure where he'd put Dye, and thinks the player might need a month to be ready (Dye says two weeks). Whether or not there's a fit with the White Sox, Guillen wants to see Dye come back and play for a big league team.
2011 Contract Issues: Texas Rangers
The Rangers face three contractual options after the season:
- Reliever Darren Oliver has a $3.25MM club option with a $500K buyout. The salary becomes guaranteed with 59 appearances; Oliver is on track with ten so far.
- Rich Harden and Vladimir Guerrero have mutual options, at $11MM and $9MM respectively. These don't have much purpose, aside from pushing $2MM worth of buyouts to the offseason. Vlad's $1MM buyout disappears if he declines the option.
The Rangers have a pair of free agents in Frank Francisco and Matt Treanor. If they both leave, it'll free up around $4MM. They'll also clear $6.75MM in buyouts and obligations paid to Kevin Millwood, Frank Catalanotto, and Vicente Padilla. The Rangers will free up $12MM paid to Harden and Guerrero, less the $2MM in buyouts. All told, they have roughly $20MM coming off the books if everyone but Oliver leaves.
Increases to players under contract total $5.225MM, with Ian Kinsler, Scott Feldman, and Colby Lewis getting small bumps. First-time arbitration eligibles include Nelson Cruz, David Murphy, Darren O'Day, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Josh Hamilton, Dustin Nippert, and Ryan Garko are in the second-time group, while C.J. Wilson, Brandon McCarthy, and Chris Ray are eligible for a third time. There will be some decent raises in that mix, especially Cruz, Hamilton, and Wilson. Still, it appears the Rangers will have millions to spend even before raising payroll.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Chapman, Capps, Choo
Links for Thursday, as Kelly Johnson and Paul Konerko jockey for the MLB home run lead…
- Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas takes a look at what the Rangers could do with their roster once Ian Kinsler returns from the disabled list tomorrow.
- Reds' GM Walt Jocketty said that the team doesn't have a timetable for Aroldis Chapman's arrival in the Majors, says John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders why the Pirates didn't retain Matt Capps in hopes that he'd rebuild value. Capps is generating attention as MLB's saves (and save opportunity) leader. The righty told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times it was a pretty close competition between the Cubs and Nationals for his services, once he was non-tendered.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown profiles Shin-Soo Choo, who his agent Scott Boras feels "has a chance to be the best Pacific Rim player ever over the course of his career."
- SI's Ann Killion writes about Barry Zito's apparent redemption. Zito is rocking a 1.32 ERA, an improved groundball rate, and an unsustainable .203 batting average on balls in play through four starts. If Zito can continue to keep the walks down, he could have his best year as a Giant. Of course, he flashed a similar walk rate in July and August of last year.
- Matt Kemp's agent Dave Stewart discussed Ned Colletti's recent comments on ESPN's Mason & Ireland show, saying the public criticism "should never have happened."
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times notes that the Mariners made the right call in not signing Jarrod Washburn.
- Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein does a mock draft of the first ten picks this year.
- Mark Zuckerman talked to a high-ranking Nationals official who finds Goldstein's criticism of Bryce Harper's makeup "way overblown." Meanwhile, Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com spoke to Harper's college coach about those same makeup concerns.
Angels Claim Kevin Frandsen
7:03pm: Dan Barbarisi of The Providence Journal reports that Frandsen has in fact been claimed by the Angels. It's believed that he's been assigned to their Triple-A affiliate.
THURSDAY, 2:49pm: It appears that the Angels claimed Frandsen off waivers, based on this tweet from outfielder Chris Pettit.
WEDNESDAY, 2:48pm: The Red Sox designated infielder Kevin Frandsen for assignment to make room for Alan Embree, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Frandsen had been acquired from the Giants on March 26th for a player to be named later or cash. He played 17 games at Pawtucket, tallying 71 plate appearances.
Frandsen, 28 in May, hit .295/.352/.438 at Triple A last year while playing all four infield positions. Three years ago, Baseball America viewed Frandsen as a "solid No. 2 hitter" and potential starting second baseman. However, he was derailed by a ruptured Achilles tendon in the spring of '08. Back in March, Henry Schulman if the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about Frandsen's frustrations and his new attitude adopted while playing winter ball.
Merkin Valdez Clears Waivers
THURSDAY, 2:39pm: Valdez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple A Las Vegas, tweets Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star.
TUESDAY, 8:53am: The Blue Jays designated reliever Merkin Valdez for assignment last night as part of a series of moves, reports MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Valdez, 28, appeared in only two games for the Jays.
Valdez was designated for assignment in January by the Giants to make room for Aubrey Huff. Six days later, the Blue Jays acquired the reliever for cash considerations. He's out of options, a factor in the team's decision to keep him around this long. Valdez posted a 5.66 ERA, 6.9 K/9, and 5.1 BB/9 in 49.3 innings for the Giants last year. He throws in the mid-90s and was ranked among the top 60 prospects in baseball before October '06 Tommy John surgery.
Stark On Fielder, Howard, Sizemore, Frasor
Jayson Stark's latest Rumblings and Grumblings column is hot off the press at ESPN.com. Let's take a look.
- Stark explains that the potentially legendary 2012 first base free agent class may be further depleted, as Albert Pujols is expected to stay in St. Louis and Adrian Gonzalez could be traded and extended by his new team. Even Lance Berkman might stay put, leaving Prince Fielder as the remaining big name. There are some who rank Fielder below Ryan Howard, writes Stark.
- Stark says the Phillies signed Howard now because they felt a Pujols extension would drive up Howard's price. For an explanation straight from the horse's mouth, check out Todd Zolecki's MLB.com chat with Ruben Amaro Jr. and Pat Gillick.
- If the 2012 first base free agent class is loaded, will there be enough teams willing to shell out massive contracts? Stark says yes, naming a dozen teams he figures could be in the mix. Don't forget the Nationals and Orioles, two clubs that made huge bids for Mark Teixeira.
- Jayson Werth's agent Jeff Borris named the Jason Bay and Matt Holliday deals as frames of reference for his client. Stark takes that to mean Werth will be looking in the $16-17MM range. My question: does he get five years?
- One source of Stark's says the Indians have shown zero inclination to trade Grady Sizemore. Sizemore's $10MM club option for 2012 becomes a player option upon a trade, and Stark feels Sizemore would "almost certainly" exercise it – decreasing his trade value. That assumes, of course, that Sizemore doesn't turn things around anytime soon.
- Stark doesn't think the Red Sox have reached a desperation point regarding acquiring a catcher who can throw. Bringing in a Chris Snyder or a Gerald Laird might necessitate releasing David Ortiz or Mike Lowell.
- The Orioles have interest in Blue Jays reliever Jason Frasor.
- In a table, Stark provides an interesting look at teams' guaranteed money rankings for 2011 and '12. The Dodgers, interestingly, are very light on '12 commitments ($3.3MM).
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jorge De La Rosa
29-year-old Rockies lefty Jorge de la Rosa is one of the more interesting names among the 2011 free agent starting pitcher class. He had a breakout season in '09, winning 16 of 32 starts and whiffing 193 batters. De La Rosa and the Rockies agreed on a $5.6MM base salary for 2010, as the pitcher wasn't impressed by the team's three-year, $11MM offer. According to Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, the sides were "light years apart" on an extension.
The Rockies wanted to know if De La Rosa can repeat or improve upon his 2009 season. In his first four starts of 2010, he bumped his strikeout rate up to 10.2 per nine and his groundball rate up to 61.4%. Carried out over a full season, those numbers would make GMs salivate. On the other hand, De La Rosa's walk rate rose to the danger zone of 5.1 per nine. Though he never racked up a similar groundball rate, teams might draw an Oliver Perez comparison and keep their distance.
Perez's three-year, $36MM contract did seem to be a reasonable baseline for De La Rosa. Teams aren't giving out pitching contracts so freely anymore, though, so just to approach $30MM like Randy Wolf might've sufficed.
However, De La Rosa's price will be further depressed because of an injury he suffered on Monday. It was initially described as a bruised finger, but now he's going to be out "for a while" with a torn flexor tendon band. Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll believes De La Rosa could miss at least a month with the finger injury, and even draws a scary Adam Miller comparison (while noting that Miller's "damage was much more extensive.") Suddenly the free agent hot commodity carries an injury concern, and the pressure is on De La Rosa to come back strong in June.