Quick Hits: Balfour, A’s, Twins, Plouffe, Cardinals
Links as the weekend comes to a close..
- A's reliever Grant Balfour is less than thrilled about losing his job as closer, writes Jeff Fletcher for MLB.com. Balfour has drawn considerable interest from teams around baseball this season and Ben Nicholson-Smith recently looked at what Balfour could net Oakland in a trade.
- Twins utility man Trevor Plouffe has been struggling as of late and could wind up as a roster casualty if things do not pick up, writes Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com. Chris Parmelee is also struggling at the plate but has minor league options remaining, unlike Plouffe.
- Alyson Footer of the Astros (via Twitter) felt that the Cardinals dodged a financial bullet when Albert Pujols signed with the Angels.
Mets Likely to Offer Wright A Long-Term Deal
The Mets are quietly preparing to offer David Wright a long-term contract extension at some point this year, perhaps as soon as this summer, a baseball official briefed on the Mets' thinking told Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. Three weeks ago, the third baseman told reporters that he has yet to discuss a contract extension with the club.
Wright, 29, is making $15MM this season and has a club option for 2013 worth $16MM. General Manager Sandy Alderson declined to comment on any potential negotiations but did say that Wright would not be on the trading block this year.
"I certainly do not foresee, under any circumstances, David being a topic of discussion at the trade deadline," the GM said.
Even though Wright is off to a blazing start, the club doesn't feel as though there is an rush for them to begin discussing an extension with his representatives. However, the official told Costa that they are likely to do so before next winter because if they cannot reach an agreement, the club would have to consider trading him in the offseason.
While the Mets always believed that Jose Reyes would sign with whichever club offered him the most money, the club believes that they can sign Wright at a discount because of his affinity for playing in New York.
This Date In Transactions History: Rickey Henderson
In 1999, Rickey Henderson hooked on with the Mets and turned in yet another strong campaign. The 40-year-old hit .315/.423/.466 in 121 games and racked up 37 steals to go with it. However, production isn't always everything and, shockingly, Henderson proved to be difficult to work with. The veteran found himself as fodder for the tabloids when he allegedly left the Mets' dugout to play cards with Bobby Bonilla during the team's season-ending loss in the NLCS to the Braves. The friction between Henderson and the front office would carry over in to the 2000 season when the leftfielder openly complained about his $1.9MM salary and demanded a raise during Spring Training which he never received. On May 13th, 2000, Henderson's time in Queens would come to an end.
In an afternoon game against the Marlins at Shea, Henderson belted a shot that he felt was certain to clear the fence. Henderson opted to watch the ball in flight only to see it fall short. The outfielder wound up with what amounted to a 355-foot single and didn't feel the need to apologize for it. "I didn't cause them to lose. Look someplace else," said Henderson following the 7-6 loss, according to the Associated Press. It turns out that the future Hall of Famer would be the one who was someplace else as he went unclaimed on waivers before finally being released. Agent Jeff Borris wasn't fazed by the news.
"I don't anticipate having a problem finding him a place to play," said Borris. "A lot of people think Rickey has a lot of baseball left in him. Rickey has had a spectacular career, and it would be a blemish if it ended this way. There are a couple of major milestones that he still wants to achieve."
Borris was right as the legendary illeist wasn't without employment for long. Henderson quickly hooked on with the Mariners and finished out the year hitting .238/.362/.327. While that was the end of Henderson's time playing for the Mets, he would once again don orange-and-blue as a special instructor and later on as the team's first base coach in 2007.
MLBTR Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis from the MLBTR team this week..
- MLBTR was the first to learn that the Royals signed 36-year-old left-hander Doug Davis to a minor league deal.
- Ben Nicholson-Smith profiled some potential heirs to Bud Selig’s throne.
- It’s a Make Or Break Year for Kevin Youkilis, Mike Axisa writes.
- I looked back at the trade that sent Dave Winfield from the Yankees to the Angels. The veteran outfielder had ten-and-five rights and used his leverage to extract a new contract out of the Halos.
- The Rockies, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, and Padres were profiled in our 2013 Contract Issues series.
- This season will be telling for Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, writes Mark Polishuk.
- Goodness gracious, it’s been five years since Roger Clemens returned to the Yankees.
- Mike compiled the best of the web in this week’s installment of Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
- Ben had the wheel this week for our chat.
Quick Hits: Quentin, Nationals, Hamilton, Phillies
This morning, the Nationals learned that catcher Wilson Ramos will miss most, if not all, of the 2012 season. It was an unfortunate piece of news for the club, but it did create an opportunity for 23-year-old catcher Sandy Leon, who was promoted to support Jesus Flores behind the plate. When Leon found out, he called his parents to let them know that he was Washington-bound, tweets Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The catcher, who was previously with the club's Double-A affiliate, said it was the best Mother's Day gift that he could possibly give to his mom. Here are some links from around baseball..
- The San Diego Union-Tribune's Sharon Annie Heilbrunn conducted a Q&A with Carlos Quentin. The new Padres outfielder discussed what it was like to be traded to his hometown team and how he's grown through the trades he's been a part of.
- As of right now, there is no talk of the Nationals bringing Ivan Rodriguez in as the backup catcher, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter). The 40-year-old announced his retirement from baseball last month.
- Some believe that the Rangers' knowledge about Hamilton's history would make them less likely to sign him than other clubs, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes that it makes them more likely to sign him. The Rangers know the ins-and-outs of the outfielder's past and have an idea of how to best support him.
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer wants to see Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro channel Pat Gillick in order to turn things around.
- Steven Cohen, hedge-fund billionaire and runner-up in the bidding for the Dodgers, is thought to be one of at least five potential buyers scoping out the Padres' financial data, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The O'Malley family is also interested in buying the club.
Orioles Designate Matt Antonelli For Assignment
The Orioles have designated infielder Matt Antonelli for assignment, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The move made room on the 40-man roster for the O's to promote Xavier Avery from Triple-A Norfolk.
Antonelli, 27, hooked on with the O's in November and was hitting .204/.351/.280 in Norfolk. Antonelli was taken with the 17th overall in the 2006 draft by the Padres and was thought to be in line for significant playing time at third base for Baltimore this year.
AL West Notes: Rangers, Hamilton, Angels, Trout
Here’s a look at the American League West and the division-leading Rangers..
- While teams are salivating over Josh Hamilton‘s impending free agency, Joel Sherman of the New York Post cautions that a long-term, monster deal could backfire on the club that signs him. Sherman also touches on Albert Pujols‘ early slump and wonders if the Angels would make the deal again knowing what they know now.
- Signing Hamilton to a big contract is a high-risk, high-reward proposition for the Rangers, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Rangers are working to protect themselves financially in the event of more off-the-field trouble or major injuries.
- How did Angels outfielder Mike Trout fall to the No. 25 pick in the 2009 draft? There were a number of factors involved, including some anti-New Jersey bias, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Cafardo On Red Sox, Youkilis, Beckett, Nationals
In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders what is at the root of the Red Sox‘s pitching woes. Some around baseball feel that the club’s hurlers are missing catcher Jason Varitek. “He did a lot for that team in terms of getting the staff ready for each team,’’ said an American League GM. “They depended on him like no team depended on a catcher anywhere in baseball, with the possible exception of St. Louis, where Yadier Molina seems to have that effect.’’ Here’s more from Cafardo..
- An AL GM told Cafardo that there could be a market for embattled Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, but the club would have to be willing to eat more than half of his contract. Beckett will earn $15.75MM each year through 2014.
- If Red Sox Kevin Youkilis can show he’s healthy, there’s a strong third base market out there for Boston. A National League special assignment scout told Cafardo that the Giants and Phillies are looking while the Rays could factor in, even though they say they aren’t in search of an answer at third base.
- The Nationals would like to deal left-hander John Lannan but teams appear more interested in Chien Ming-Wang. The Nationals also have a good thing going and have created competition on their staff, as Wang and Lannan could push the other five.
- One American League GM doesn’t see the Phillies parting with Cole Hamels via trade. “The [Blue] Jays are looking to do something big,” said an American League GM. “I just don’t see the Phillies bailing out on Hamels. They can still win it.“
- The Rangers probably won’t let Josh Hamilton leave in free agency, but if he does look elsewhere, the Dodgers could be a fit for him with their new-found dollars. Signing Hamilton would also allow the club to let Andre Ethier head into the market.
East Notes: Red Sox, Dempster, Mets, Murena
Items on the Red Sox and Mets..
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has a list of suggestions for fixing the Red Sox and writes that the club should seek out a starting pitcher who can make a difference. Ryan Dempster of the Cubs, Heyman writes, would be a solid fit.
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter) wasn't confident that David Wright would be a lifelong member of the Mets a year ago but now thinks that there's a good chance the club will pony up more than $100MM to keep him.
- Mets reliever Tim Byrdak could use support from a second lefty in the bullpen, but pitching coach Dan Warthen told Rubin that the club is unlikely to deal for one. Byrdak has made a league-leading 19 relief appearances.
- The Red Sox signed Pablo Murena, a 17-year-old catcher out of Panama, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Murena became a catcher just a couple months ago and the team was impressed with his arm strength at the position.
Yankees Claim Justin Thomas Off Waivers
The Yankees have claimed left-handed reliever Justin Thomas off of waivers from the Red Sox, Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger confirms (via Twitter). The move was first reported by Maureen Mullen of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
Thomas, 28, was removed from Boston's 40-man roster earlier this week and has one minor league option remaining. The reliever has a 4.14 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in eight seasons as a minor leaguer.