Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Indians, Dodgers, Halladay
Three years ago this week, Hanshin Tigers outfielder Matt Murton broke Ichiro's Japanese record for the most hits in a single season with his 211th hit of the year, a two-run single to center in a game against the Yakult Swallows. The 32-year old former major leaguer, a 2003 first-round draft pick of the Red Sox who was traded to the Cubs in a four-team deal that included Nomar Garciaparra, also played with the A's and Rockies. Here's this week's look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Wahoo's On First gets you up to speed on the Indians' closer committee.
- Lasorda's Lair has five reasons why the Dodgers will beat the Braves.
- Old City Baseball has some thoughts on how the Phillies should handle Roy Halladay.
- Camden Depot asks if Jim Johnson is an elite closer.
- Pinstripe Pundits says the Yankees were actually lucky this year.
- Through The Fence Baseball surveys the open market to find outfield answers for Texas.
- i70 Baseball brings us five takeaways from the Royals' 2013 season.
- Swingin A's sees a new wrinkle to the A's thinking.
- Inside The Zona breaks down the D'Backs 2014 rotation options.
- The Giants Cove explains why Giants fans should be pulling for, gulp, the Dodgers.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Twins Acquire Duke Welker
The Twins have acquired right-hander Duke Welker from the Pirates as the player to be named later in the Justin Morneau deal, the teams announced. Morneau was traded to Pittsburgh on August 31st for outfielder Alex Presley and a PTBNL or cash.
Welker, 27, made two major league appearances in 2013 but spent the bulk of the year at Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 3.57 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. The 27-year-old was rated as the No. 26 prospect in the PIrates' system by Baseball America at the start of the year after a five-year absence from the list. The 6'7" hurler had a lot of hype after being taken in the second round of the 2007 draft but injuries held him back in subsequent years.
Offseason Outlook: Houston Astros
After turning in three consecutive 100-loss seasons, the Astros will look to take a few steps forward this winter.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Jose Altuve, 2B: $1.25MM
Arbitration Eligible Players
- Jason Castro (3.104): $2.2MM
- Trevor Crowe (3.065, non-tender candidate): $700K
Free Agents
The Astros haven't been to the postseason in eight years and, barring something unforeseen, that streak won't be snapped in 2014. However, one has to imagine the Astros will feel compelled to field a team that is markedly more competitive than this year's lineup. To call the 2013 roster bare bones would be an understatement. The Astros opened the season with a payroll of $26.1MM, and after Bud Norris was traded in July, Erik Bedard stood as their highest paid player with a salary of $1.15MM. Insert your own fun numbers crunch here, but here's the one we'll go with: Alex Rodriguez individually outearned the entire Astros roster in 2013 and Bedard's salary would make him the 23rd highest-paid player on the Yankees.
That should change a bit in 2014 as owner Jim Crane, who watched his club drop their final 15 games of the season, says he's impressed by the progress made by some of the club's top prospects and ready to spend to address some of the team's needs. One area that needs attention is power, as Houston finished near the bottom of the league in slugging percentage at .375. They could look to plug someone with pop in right field alongside Robbie Grossman in left field and George Springer in center field. Springer, the 11th overall pick in the 2011 Draft, had an outstanding year in the minors with a .303/.411/.600 slash line and 37 homers in 135 combined Double-A and Triple-A games. Scouts have always spoken highly of his defensive play, so he shouldn't have too much trouble in the field. They'll have a number of young outfielders jostling for big league roster spots in camp, including L.J. Hoes, but a proven commodity is badly needed.
Houston may also go for an upgrade at designated hitter or first base. Chris Carter and Brett Wallace project to fill those roles again but it wouldn't hurt to add someone else to the mix who can help with the Astros' power outage. On the opposite side of the diamond, they're comfortable with Matt Dominguez and his defense, but they'll keep their fingers crossed for an uptick in offensive production. That's not to say that he didn't deliver at the plate, however – his 21 homers were a welcome surprise in Houston.
Even though the purse strings should be loosened somewhat, the Astros still aren't expected to make a serious play for any of the winter's top free agents. A big bat like Shin-Soo Choo (.285/.423/.462 slash line in 2013) would be a major boost, but with a price tag that could exceed $100MM, there is virtually no chance of Houston biting. While the Astros have promising young players in the mix, they're nowhere near ready to contend, which means big checks won't be written this year.
The Astros have several areas to address, but last month General Manager Jeff Luhnow said the bullpen will be a top priority. Houston's young relievers posted a combined 4.92 ERA in 2013, beating out the Mariners for the worst in the majors by a good margin. The Astros will comb the open market for stronger eighth and ninth inning options while looking for improved performances from rookies Chia-Jen Lo, Josh Zeid, Kevin Chapman, and Rule 5 pickup Josh Fields. University of Houston product Jesse Crain would be one interesting option who could be a valuable trade chip over the summer. Ryan Madson and Joel Hanrahan will also be available and, if healthy, they could be convinced to take a relatiely low-base, incentive-laden deal with Houston if given the opportunity to show their stuff in the final inning.
Bedard had a decent year for the Astros (4.59 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9) and even picked up trade interest over the summer, but he may wind up signing elsewhere this winter. With an extremely young group of starting pitchers, Houston will probably look to find a veteran pitcher who can offer the same kind of savvy, leadership, and stability as Bedard did in 2013 if they don't re-sign him. Chad Gaudin and Tim Stauffer will be out there if Houston feels compelled to bring in a new elder statesman for the starting five. Beyond that, they'll bank on a much better season from Lucas Harrell and an added boost from right-hander Asher Wojciechowski, who turned in a 3.32 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.
Internally, the Astros could look to care of in-house talent Jason Castro. The catcher enjoyed a breakout season in 2013, slashlng .276/.350/.485 and cementing himself as one of the more promising young backstops in the game. This week, Tim Dierkes suggested that the Astros could look into a team-friendly extension for the 26-year-old and noted that three catchers in his service class signed three-year deals in the $8-9MM range. Two of those deals, however, were signed in 2010.
Ultimately, success for the 2014 Astros won't be measured entirely by wins and losses, but another 100-loss season won't be acceptable by any measure. If the Astros can pull themselves out of the cellar and see even more progress from guys like Castro, they'll be in a stronger position next fall and one year closer to making some noise.
AL East Notes: Orioles, Matusz, Casilla, Red Sox
The Orioles surrendered Pedro Strop and right-handed Jake Arrieta to land Scott Feldman for the second half of 2013 and there is mutual interest in continuing that partnership in 2014 and beyond. It won't be cheap for the O's to keep him, however. Our own Steve Adams recently sized up Feldman's free agent stock and estimated that he could be in line for a two-year, $17MM deal with a three-year, $25MM pact as his ceiling. Here's more out of Baltimore and the AL East..
- Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz could be on the block as he made $1.6MM last season and is due for a pay bump in 2014, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. The left-hander posted a 3.53 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 65 relief appearances last season.
- Alexi Casilla's time with the Orioles has almost certainly come to an end, but manager Buck Showalter wishes things went differently for him in Baltimore, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. “He’s the one guy who I wished I’d been able to play him more. Whether it’s with us or somebody else, they’re going to get a good teammate and good player next year. He’s allowed us to do a lot of things that we couldn’t have done because of his versatility,” Showalter said. The O's have a $3MM option on the infielder but they'll almost certainly buy him out for $200K instead.
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington didn't just add pitching, power, and defense last winter, he built the team with an emphasis on character, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. "You don't hear that that often," said Jonny Gomes. "You hear a lot about different ways to win. The Giants did it with pitching. The Cardinals do with by bringing up a lot of young players. But maybe this (the attention to makeup) is the new way."
Brewers Waive Mat Gamel, Taylor Green
The Brewers have placed Mat Gamel and Taylor Green on waivers, a source tells Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Both players suffered injuries in 2013 that cost them the entire season.
Gamel was set to fill in the gap at first base after Corey Hart was lost to knee surgery before he suffered a torn ACL. Gamel, who last played a regular season game in 2012, would have been eligible for arbitration if he remained on the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old was once considered to be a top prospect in the Brewers' system but he has never managed to put it together at the big league level. In parts of five big league seasons, Gamel owns a .229/.305/.367 slash line.
Green was supposed to supplant Gamel at first, but he wound up suffering a left hip injury later in the spring and had to undergo surgery. McCalvy notes that the 27-year-old could still be attractive to the Brewers on a minor league deal because he can play first and third base. Even though Corey Hart wants to return to Milwaukee, the first base position is wide open. Meanwhile, third baseman Aramis Ramirez is heading into the final year of his contract.
Mets Rumors: Turner, Choo, Harvey
Here's a look at the latest on the Mets..
- The Mets are likely to tender Justin Turner an offer, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The infielder is projected to make $800K by MLBTR's Matt Swartz and the club doesn't view that as an overpay for what Turner provides. The 28-year-old played all over in 2013, seeing time at first base, second base, shortstop, and third base.
- A team insider told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that the Mets officials plan to follow the Red Sox's template for rebuilding. While they won't spend as much as Boston did last winter, they'll look to bring in several players on one- to three-year deals rather than dishing out any massive, long-term deals. If they stick to that, they won't be among the clubs in the running for Shin-Soo Choo.
- The Mets need to identify which holes to address as they look ahead to 2014, writes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Much of their spending will hinge on whether Matt Harvey can avoid going under the knife for his partially torn UCL.
NL Central Notes: Cubs, Reds, Castillo, Baker,
Yesterday, we learned that the Cubs will contact Padres executive A.J. Hinch about a possible return to managing. The Cubs obviously have a big focus on player development and Hinch's work with Justin Upton, Max Scherzer, Stephen Drew, and Miguel Montero is likely a plus for the club. Here's a look at the NL Central as the Pirates get set to do battle with the Cardinals..
- Tim Dierkes (via Twitter) has talked with multiple agents who see the Cubs spending significant money on a free agent catcher this winter. That comes as something of a surprise following a solid year by Wellington Castillo, who is still pre-arbitration eligible. Castillo, 26, hit .274/.349/.397 in 428 plate appearances this season.
- The Cubs aren't locked on to anyone in their managerial search, but they have serious interest in Yankees skipper Joe Girardi, sources tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Cubs ownership is rather high on Girardi and they're making a strong internal argument to hire him. Meanwhile, Yanks GM Brian Cashman is scheduled to meet with Girardi's agent today.
- In the immediate aftermath of last night's loss, Reds GM indicated that Dusty Baker will be back in 2014, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. When asked if there was any question about Baker returning, Jocketty said: “I don’t think so. He’s signed for another year.” The final call on the veteran skipper will be made by owner Bob Castellini.
- The Cubs have a plan in place for the future but it will require patience as their top prospects aren't ready for the big leagues yet, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. President Theo Epstein has indicated that he won't spend a ton this winter and will instead look to fill holes with low-cost signings.
Yankees Notes: Martin, Cano, Cashman, A-Rod
Yesterday, Yankees GM Brian Cashman spent almost an hour talking to the New York media about the offseason ahead. Cashman said that the club has made or will make a significant offer to Robinson Cano, but one has to imagine that the second baseman won't view the club's opening proposal in that light. Cano and baseball's newest power agent are reportedly seeking a deal in excess of $300MM while the Yankees are just months removed from pitching a contract similar to David Wright's eight-year, $138MM pact. Here's more out of the Bronx..
- After watching Russell Martin go yard twice in last night's win over the Reds, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wonders how the Yankees ever let him get away. The Pirates wound up signing him for $17MM over two years while the Bombers batted around "concepts" of a $12-$14MM deal without officially making an offer.
- Cashman has a full plate of problems to deal with this winter, writes David Lennon of Newsday. The GM credited ownership in yesterday's presser for spending the cash to go out and get Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano to help cover up for the club's injuries, but those were nothing more than short-term fixes. Lennon also isn't optimistic about their chances of keeping Robinson Cano given the gap in negotiations.
- As the Yankees' old core moves out of the picture, the Bombers don't have a new core to take their place, Steve Politi of the Star-Ledger writes. There doesn't appear to be a lot of upper-level help as the Yankees didn't see strong seasons from catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielders Slade Heathcott, Tyler Austin, and Mason Williams. It's a problem that'll hurt them as they try to stay under the $189MM threshold.
- Alex Rodriguez's representatives presented a case to arbitrators that argues, in part, that he was tricked into taking steroids, sources tell Teri Thompson, Michael O'Keeffe, Michael Red, and Nathaniel Vinton of the New York Daily News.
Cuban Catcher Yenier Bello Cleared To Sign By MLB
Yenier Bello was caught trying to escape Cuba around this time last year and wound up being suspended from baseball in his native country. Now, Bello has successfully fled the country and is in the process of being cleared to sign with a big league team, agent Bryce Dixon of Primo Sports Group told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.
Multiple teams have already expressed interest in the backstop, but he still needs to be unblocked by the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) before negotiating an agreement and that could take several months to get done. Regardless, teams are anxious to see the power hitter and he is expected to audition for major league clubs in Mexico or Arizona at some point.
Bello, 28, hit .274 with 13 homers playing in Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2011. BN-S notes that the Phillies, Mariners, and Blue Jays are among the clubs expected to consider offseason catching upgrades.
Quick Hits: Pence, Westbrook, Abreu, Astros
While it’s not a mistake on the level of the Barry Zito contract, the Giants could come to regret the Hunter Pence deal, writes Dave Cameron of Fangraphs. The $90MM contract won’t stop them from winning if they can surround him with quality players on undervalue contracts, but that’s obviously easier said than done. Here’s more from around baseball..
- Jake Westbrook can read the writing on the wall and knows that his time with the Cardinals is likely over, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Between his struggles and the Cards’ wealth of young pitching, Westbrook isn’t expected to be placed on the postseason roster. Westbrook isn’t certain if he will pitch in 2014 and plans to discuss with his family in the offseason.
- Ben Badler of Baseball America spoke with international sources to identify five teams that could sign Jose Dariel Abreu. The White Sox, Nationals, Pirates, Red Sox, and Rangers look like the frontrunners for the Cuban standout with Texas possibly having the inside track on everyone.
- Prior to a charity event earlier today, Astros owner Jim Crane said that he plans to spend money in 2014 to help turn the club around, writes Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. “Now we have a nucleus to draw from. And so we got that established. I think in the off-season you’ll see Jeff [Luhnow], and he’s already said it, we’re going to fill some of those holes. As the kids come up through the system we can get competitive very quick. We lost a lot of one-run games. It’s pretty obvious where our needs are, and we’ll work on those in the offseason and start loosening the purse book,” Crane said.
- Cubs president Theo Epstein says he will look first and foremost at candidates with managerial experience, tweets Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) notes that the Dodgers hold an option on manager Don Mattingly for 2014. The option is worth $1.4MM, sources tell Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi.