Week In Review: 8/24 – 8/30
Sunday afternoon is here again… let’s have a look back at some of the moves and rumors since last time:
- The injury-plagued Red Sox acquired Mark Kotsay to help compensate for their injuries. In exchange, the Braves received minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza. Nice acquisition by the Red Sox; Kotsay has been swinging a solid bat this season.
- The Twins acquired Eddie Guardado from Texas in exchange for minor league pitcher Mark Hamburger. Guardado has spent the majority of his career with Minnesota and provides a solid arm to the bullpen. To make room for him, they DFA’d Mike Lamb. Nice move by the Twins, with the added benefit of being able to see "Rangers trade Guardado for Hamburger" in the news. Now that’s a headline!
- The Phillies added a veteran player as well, when they acquired Matt Stairs from Toronto in exchange for minor league lefty Fabio Castro. Stairs should be a decent option off the bench, and he’s still perfectly capable of hitting the ball out of the park.
- Scott Boras continues to find ways to create controversy. He’s now claiming that Pittsburgh’s top pick Pedro Alvarez verbally agreed to his $6MM signing bonus after the midnight deadline, and is trying to demand that the contract be renegotiated for a higher number. The Players Association has filed a grievance on his behalf. Alvarez could wind up back in the 2009 draft pool. Here’s a look at some baseball blogs’ opinions on the matter.
- Minor moves: The Diamondbacks claimed Wil Ledezma off waivers from San Diego, the Braves signed Elmer Dessens to a minor-league contract, and the Astros gave one-year extensions to both Brian Moehler and Darin Erstad.
Molony’s Latest: Fuentes, Red Sox, White Sox
Here’s the latest from MLB.com’s Jim Molony.
- The Red Sox are eyeing Rockies closer Brian Fuentes, though Ken Rosenthal has said Fuentes cannot be traded this month. Plus, the Rockies still intend to make a playoff run in the weak NL West.
- The Red Sox and White Sox had scouts at Wednesday night’s Astros-Reds game. Roy Oswalt pitched that one, but he won’t be traded. The Reds still have some good trade candidates in the bullpen (David Weathers has cleared waivers, Jeremy Affeldt is a free agent after the season).
Odds and Ends: Hart, Ellis, Mientkiewicz, Varitek
Today’s random links…
- Ken Rosenthal discusses possible changes at various GM positions. Jon Heyman says Pat Gillick could take a high-ranking role with the Blue Jays if not the Mariners.
- Former Indians and Rangers GM John Hart is interested in the Mariners job. The Mariners hope to have their permanent GM hired by the end of October.
- A Japanese pitcher invented a new pitch called the shake.
- Eddie Bajek wonders if Mark Ellis could handle shortstop. It’s good to think out of the box given the free agent market at the position.
- Doug Mientkiewicz would like to spend another season as a Pirates clubhouse leader, but he’d also like more playing time.
- The trio of Blue Jays middle infielders react to the Angels rumor.
- DraftInfo chatted with MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.
- Amalie Benjamin believes there’s a good chance the Red Sox re-sign Jason Varitek.
Red Sox Acquire Kotsay
12:01pm: According to ESPN’s Keith Law, the Braves will receive minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza.
10:23am: Rosenthal says it’s done, though the prospect remains unknown. He is now saying Kotsay did waive no-trade rights, and received $325K to do so.
9:14am: Rosenthal says it’s close, but the teams have not yet agreed on the mid-level prospect. He says Kotsay does not have no-trade protection this year.
WEDNESDAY, 8:41am: The latest – The Boston Globe’s Amalie Benjamin wrote late last night that a deal had not been agreed upon. Meanwhile, John Tomase of the Boston Herald notes Kotsay’s strong relationship with Red Sox owner John Henry. Yahoo’s Gordon Edes says the deal is done pending a physical, and the Braves will receive a minor league pitcher.
TUESDAY, 10:38pm: ESPN’s Peter Gammons and Buster Olney are reporting that the Red Sox are on the verge of acquiring Kotsay. The two sides are discussing Kotsay’s no-trade clause. He was held out of tonight’s lineup due to the impending trade.
11:00am: On Sunday, Ken Rosenthal reported the Red Sox were interested in Braves outfielder Mark Kotsay, with the Brewers on the fringes. Rosenthal now says the Brewers’ interest has diminished, since Ryan Braun seems fine. Instead, the Phillies are now in the mix for Kotsay given the Geoff Jenkins injury.
Kotsay cleared waivers because of the $1.5MM still owed to him this year. The Braves weren’t planning on offering him arbitration this winter, as they don’t want to be stuck paying him $8MM in ’09. He doesn’t project as a Type B anyway. Rosenthal says a mid-level prospect would get a deal done with the Braves, though the teams covered in Kotsay’s limited no-trade clause are unknown.
Kenny Rogers, Others Placed On Waivers
TUESDAY: Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press says Rogers and other Tigers were placed on waivers Friday. So we’ll know today who cleared and who was claimed. Rogers could make sense for a contender like the Mets. Buster Olney doesn’t seem him getting that far – he guesses the Yankees or Red Sox.
MONDAY: According to Tom Gage of The Detroit News, it may be the end of the line for Tigers lefty Kenny Rogers. The 43 year-old has a 5.09 ERA in 161 innings, and his walk rate continues to climb after last year’s jump. He’s owed another $1.58MM this year, plus up to $2MM more in deferred bonus money. Paul Byrd and Greg Maddux cleared waivers; Rogers probably would as well. Even if the Tigers don’t move him this month, they don’t seem likely to re-sign him next year.
Baseball Prospectus assigns the Tigers playoff chances at less than 0.2%. It’s time to focus on 2009. Peter Gammons suggested the Tigers might trim payroll from the current $137MM range to $100MM. Problem is, they’ve already got more than $101MM tied up in current players and will be looking for help at shortstop and in the rotation.
Molony’s Latest: Red Sox, Kelly Johnson
Here’s a look at the latest blog post from MLB.com’s Jim Molony.
- Molony agrees with previous reports – the Red Sox are eyeing outfield help. An inquiry on Darin Erstad fizzled, while Mark Kotsay remains on the radar. Drew might be headed to the DL.
- The Red Sox might also be eyeing another starter, given Josh Beckett‘s injury. Molony speculates that Kevin Millwood or Vicente Padilla could make sense (both have cleared waivers).
- Molony expects Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson to be traded this winter. Johnson, 26, slipped to .264/.333/.405 in 482 plate appearances this year. He’ll be arbitration-eligible for the first time.
Heyman’s Latest: Sabathia, Dunn, Huff, Mora
Hot off the press from SI.com’s Jon Heyman:
- An executive who knows C.C. Sabathia well told Heyman the pitcher’s first choice in free agency is the Giants. It’s not a great fit, as starting pitching is the Giants’ strength and Sabathia would add another $100MM+ contract to their rotation. The Yankees are considered the offseason frontrunners for Sabathia, though former teammate Casey Blake sees C.C. in Dodger blue.
- Heyman believes a claim on Paul Byrd would’ve made sense for the Yanks.
- Heyman agrees with the Dodgers’ choice not to risk a claim on Adam Dunn. That decision is tough to defend, though, since no one expected Reds GM Walt Jocketty to give up two draft picks for $3.45MM in salary relief.
- No one’s interested in Aubrey Huff or Melvin Mora, who have both cleared waivers. The Orioles might have an easier time trading them this winter.
Perrotto’s Latest: Reds, Dempster, Silva, Lugo
John Perrotto’s Every Given Sunday column is up over at Baseball Prospectus. For those without a BP subscription, here’s the highlights:
- Perrotto believes that Reds owner Bob Castellini will give Walt Jocketty the go-ahead to dive into the free agent market this season in an attempt to contend in 2009. The Reds like their young core, and feel a solid bat or two can help them contend in NL Central immediately.
- Jed Lowrie’s play since taking over for the injured Julio Lugo has convinced the Red Sox that he can be the everyday shortstop. They’ll look to move Lugo (and his contract) this offseason.
- There’s been a lot of talk about teams looking for corner outfield help, but don’t expect the Tigers to jump into that category. They’re convinced that rookie Matt Joyce can be their everyday left fielder next season. Joyce already has 12 home runs this season in just 183 ABs.
- Despite a great season, the Cubs may be hesistant to re-sign Ryan Dempster to a long-term deal because they already have Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and Jason Marquis signed for 2009.
- I apologize in advance to Mets fans for what I’m about to write: Perrotto feels that the Mets could make a push to trade for Carlos Silva in the offseason, in the hope that a reunion with his close friend and former teammate Johan Santana can revitalize him.
- The Pirates are almost certain to trade Jack Wilson before the 2009 season begins.
- Another name for teams seeking starting pitching: The Marlins are likely to trade Scott Olsen this offseason to help keep their payroll down.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Kotsay, Fuentes, Glavine, Smoltz
On August 18th, Rosenthal mentioned Mark Kotsay had cleared waivers, and that Brian Fuentes had not yet been placed. Here’s an update, from today’s Inside Pitch video:
- The Brewers and Red Sox are both showing interest in Kotsay. The Brewers would only pursue a trade if Ryan Braun‘s ribcage injury worsens, and so far he looks more than fine. The Sox made a play for lefty-hitting Brian Giles before Giles vetoed the deal, so it makes sense that they’d exert similar effort toward Kotsay. Even more so now that J.D. Drew has a herniated disc.
- Fuentes is expected to be put on waivers this week, a process that’s not usually made public, let alone announced, so the Rockies must be keen to see if they can do better in a trade than the two first round draft picks they get by keeping Fuentes. According to Rosenthal, as things stand, the Dodgers currently have waiver priority. If they pass for salary reasons, the Phillies could be a roadblock for the Mets.
- Rosenthal also mentions a delicate situation in Atlanta: Tom Glavine and John Smoltz both want to pitch next year, and Glavine only wants to pitch for the Braves. The Braves are faced with re-signing the inevitable Hall of Famers without being as reliant on their health as they were this year, or letting them go despite their long history with the team. Toss Mike Hampton‘s arm into the mix as well.
Odds and Ends: Manny, Pavano, Gonzalez
Some Saturday mid-day linkage:
- Hitoki Iwase was lit up in the Olympics, possibly dropping his stock as a prospect. Iwase was one of several Japanese players being scouted by Major League clubs in Beijing.
- Luis Gonzalez reminisces about his trade to the Diamondbacks ten years ago.
- Manny Ramirez is not interested in talking about those old Philadelphia rumors. I’m shocked, shocked.
- J.D. Drew‘s back spasms are actually a herniated disk. According to Nick Cafardo, the Red Sox would love to add another outfielder, but can’t seem to lay their hands on one. No offense to Jason Lane.
- He’s baaaa-aaaack: Free-agent-to-be Carl Pavano is starting tonight for the New York Yankees. Strike up the band and break out the rum punch.
- Recently traded infielder Jose Bautista was at odds with Pirates manager John Russell.
- Thomas Boswell talks about the possibility of Stephen Strasburg becoming a National next year.
Sarah Green writes for UmpBump and the Boston Metro and can be reached here.