Mets Rumors: Perez, Collins, DePodesta
Hot dogs, green grass all out at Shea. Here are some Mets links for you today..
- Plenty of people in the Mets organization are ready to give up on Oliver Perez, but pitching coach Dan Warthen is still a believer, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Sources say that several prominent voices in the organization have been wanting to cut the left-hander for weeks, but Perez is still in camp thanks in large part to Warthen's support. Even with the backing of the pitching coach, Perez will probably be released before Opening Day as many in the front office are skeptical that Perez can recapture some of his old magic as a reliever.
- Terry Collins and Paul DePodesta are reunited with the Mets, writes Steve Henson of Yahoo Sports. When he was the GM of the Dodgers, DePodesta pushed for Collins to become the club's next skipper after Jim Tracy. Owner Frank McCourt ultimately rejected the idea and fired DePodesta. When the 61-year-old was being considered for the Mets' managerial position, DePodesta gave a strong reccomendation to his boss, Sandy Alderson.
- The trustee in charge of recovering the money lost by the victims of the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme plans to go after more funds associated with owners of the Mets, a source within baseball told ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin. The trustee already is seeking $1 billion from Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon and his family.
Blue Jays Claim Cesar Cabral
SUNDAY, 9:08am: Manager John Farrell says the Jays claimed Cabral in hopes of working out a trade with the Red Sox, tweets Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. If the two sides don't agree on a deal, Cabral will likely go back on waivers.
SATURDAY, 4:14pm: The Blue Jays have claimed left-hander Cesar Cabral on waivers from the Rays, according to a team press release. To make room on the 40-man roster the club placed right-hander Dustin McGowan on the 60-day disabled list.
Cabral, 22, was selected by the Rays in the 2010 Rule 5 draft from the Red Sox, meaning that Toronto must offer the hurler back if they choose not to keep him. In 45 appearances for Boston's Single A and Single A advanced affiliates, Cabral posted a 3.63 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
Quick Hits: Cabral, Bourn, Greenberg, Aardsma
On this day in 2004, the Yankees reacquired Orlando Hernandez after trading him away just a year prior. El Duque missed 2003 with rotator cuff surgery but returned to action in July to give the Bombers a 3.30 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 across 15 starts..
- The Rays didn't have much use for Cesar Cabral after upgrading their bullpen this winter, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- Major League Baseball has now had nine years of labor peace thanks to Commissioner Bud Selig, writes Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.
- Michael Bourn's career took a major leap when he was dealt to the Astros and moved from right field to center, writes Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle.
- Now that Chuck Greenberg has resigned as CEO of the Rangers, Nolan Ryan is in complete charge of the club, possibly for the first time since he was hired in 2008, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- Mariners skipper Eric Wedge told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio (via Twitter) that pitcher David Aardsma should be back by mid-April. The veteran was the subject of trade rumors before undergoing hip surgery in December.
- Ultimately, the Athletics addressed most of their holes without making a splashy move this offseason, writes Matthew Carruth of Fangraphs.
Mike Cameron Unsure Of Future Beyond This Season
Since signing a two-year, $17.5MM deal with the Red Sox, outfielder Mike Cameron has hinted that it could be the final contract of his career. As he enters year two of that deal, Cameron says that he will wait to make any decisions about his career beyond 2011, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
The veteran was limited in 2010 by a painful sports hernia and suggested at the end of last year that he would let his condition this season dictate his decision on his future. Following surgery and rehab, Cameron says that he is feeling a whole lot better than he was last season. This season he will be asked to take a reserve role behind starters J.D. Drew, Carl Crawford, and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Even though he played in just 48 games last season, the 38-year-old still hit .259/.328/.401 – respectable numbers, even though they're not quite up to par with his usual production. In 16 seasons with seven different ballclubs, Cameron owns a career .250/.340/.447 slash line.
Eric Young Jr. Could Attract Trade Interest
There are at least a few scouts on hand to watch Eric Young Jr. and with the Rockies' depth at second base, the 25-year-old could attract trade interest, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post. There's presently no indication that the club is looking to move Young, Renck tweets, but things can change.
Young, who has also seen time in the outfield, would be an inexpensive addition to any club as he won't be arbitration-eligible until after the 2012 season. The light-hitting second baseman hit just .244 /.312/.285 in 51 games this season though he has shown better hitting ability at the Triple-A level (.787 OPS).
Red Sox Notes: Bergmann, Wakefield
A couple of items from Beantown..
- The Red Sox have voided the minor league contract of Jason Bergmann, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. The hurler came to camp with a shoulder injury and has been unable to pitch. Boston signed the right-hander in December after he posted a 2.84 ERA with 9.9 K/9 in 43 relief appearances for Washington's Triple-A affiliate in 2010. The 29-year-old has a 5.04 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 across parts of six seasons with the Nats.
- Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield’s age and recent results make one wonder about his role on the 2011 Red Sox, writes Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe. The club already has five starters and the 44-year-old isn't really geared to come out of the bullpen. Wakefield is guaranteed $1.5MM this season.
Discussion: Could The Angels And Astros Be A Match?
Recently, after learning of Jason Castro's season-ending injury, Astros owner Drayton McLane reportedly decided that the club could allocate extra money to find a backstop for 2011. It remains to be seen exactly how much funding the team is willing to put towards the catcher position, especially since Houston doesn't seem poised to contend this season and whoever they acquire will be simply keeping the spot warm for Castro.
There are plenty of catchers on the block, such as Pittsburgh's Ryan Doumit. Doumit could fit the bill as a one-year solution, though he will take in $5.6MM on the year when including the $500K buyout of his remaining years. The Astros' first choice to step in for Castro was Twins catcher Drew Butera, but they were quickly rebuffed. Nationals backstop Jesus Flores reportedly drew interest from GM Ed Wade but the club is said to have cooled on him in recent days. The 26-year-old has appeared healthy in Spring Training but Houston is still wary of his surgically repaired right shoulder.
While it seems that Wade won't take advantage of the Nats' glut at the catcher position, he could look elsewhere to find a club with a backstop to spare. We've yet to hear of the Astros reaching out to the Angels about one of their catchers, but it would make an awful lot of sense for them to make an inquiry.
While Jeff Mathis is in position to be the club's Opening Day catcher, Bobby Wilson is looking good in Spring Training – both literally and figuratively. The soon-to-be 28-year-old dropped 33 pounds at the behest of manager Mike Scioscia and seems likely to take the No. 2 position on the depth chart, in part because he's out-of-options. With youngster Hank Conger waiting in the wings, it would make sense for the Halos to clear a path for the up-and-coming prospect by dealing from a position of strength. Wilson could obviously be had for less than Mathis, but both catchers have affordable contracts and it's unlikely that either one would be termed "untouchable".
NL East Notes: Rodriguez, Amaro, Manuel, Utley
Let's take a look at some items on the Mets and Phillies..
- The Mets are within their rights to limit the number of games closer Francisco Rodriguez finishes this year, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post. If K-Rod finishes 55 games this year, his $17.5MM option for 2012 will vest. The player's union will reportedly keep a watchful eye on the situation.
- Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter) finds the timing of Ruben Amaro's four-year extension interesting, as it comes shortly after manager Charlie Manuel agreed to a two-year extension. Heyman wonders if the Phillies wanted to avoid giving Manuel "any ideas", presumably meaning that they didn't want to give him a deal of similar length.
- There has been a lot of talk about how the Phillies might look to replace the injured Chase Utley, but the club can survive without him, writes Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Meanwhile, the club is still without a clear timetable for when their star second baseman will return, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
- Mets skipper Terry Collins tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that his club has plenty of starting pitching depth.
Union Chief: Contraction Not A Likely Threat To Rays
Contraction is not likely to be a threat to the Rays existence, according to players union chief Michael Weiner, writes Marc Topkin St. Petersburg Times. Furthermore, if the owners do raise the idea of eliminating teams in the upcoming labor negotiations, the union is poised to fight it.
"Having been in bargaining in baseball since the late '80s, anything is fathomable, so we don't either take anything for granted or rule anything out,'' Weiner said after meeting with Rays players . "…All I would say is if that changes, if contraction becomes a goal of the owners in this negotiation, the tenor of the talks would change quickly and dramatically.''
Comissioner Bud Selig was also asked about the issue of contraction today and said that it is not an option – even for teams struggling financially such as the Rays and Athletics, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Weiner added that the union is less-than-thrilled with Tampa Bay's slashing of payroll and will monitor the club's spending in order to ensure its long-term health. The team's payroll is expected to be less than $60MM, a drop-off from $72MM in 2010.
Quick Hits: LaPorta, Pirates, Nishioka, Tigers
Saturday afternoon linkage..
- Once the key component in the deat that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers, Indians slugger Matt LaPorta is eager to regain his old form in 2011, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
- The Pirates need to increase their revenue if they hope to bring their payroll to around $70-$80MM, despite the perception of some, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Twins manager Rod Gardenhire says that Japanese import Tsuyoski Nishioka will play at second base this season, tweets Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune.
- The Tigers' current approach to building their rotation stands out from the rest, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith in a piece for Fangraphs.