Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Broxton, Zambrano, Pujols
On this date 15 years ago, the Yankees and Rockies became the first Wild Card teams in baseball history. Both were eliminated in the League Championship Series however, with the Mariners and Braves doing the honors. Nine Wild Card teams have reached the World Series since, with the Marlins (1997 & 2003), Angels (2002), and Red Sox (2004) taking home championships.
A few days before the 2010 postseason begins, let's look around the baseball blogosphere…
- 1 Blue Jays Way interviewed Mel Queen, Toronto's senior adviser of Player Development.
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness tries to find a taker for Jonathan Broxton.
- Pine Tar And Pocket Protectors attempts to determine if a Carlos Zambrano trade would be worth it for the Cubs.
- Royals Review wonders if Gregor Blanco is part of Kansas City's future.
- Red Sox Beacon looks at what Boston must do to fix its bullpen.
- Beyond The Box Score breaks down the performance of the Yankees' four $20MM a year players.
- The Sports Banter places odds on whether or not four clubs could acquire Albert Pujols.
- Cubs Pack tries to figure out who will hit leadoff on Chicago's north side next season.
- The Southpaw examines Jose Bautista's MVP case.
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Beltre’s Player Option Doubles
Adrian Beltre has now batted 640 times this season, so the value of his 2011 player option doubled from $5MM to $10MM. But the third baseman will probably have the chance to earn considerably more than $10MM as a free agent this offseason, so the value of his player option doesn't matter a whole lot.
“It doesn’t mean anything to me,” Beltre told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. “It’s a testament that I was able to stay healthy, and be in the lineup almost every day. But that’s it.”
Beltre, 31, already has 28 homers and a American League-best 49 doubles. He has combined his strong defensive play with a .321/.365/.553 batting line and seems primed for another big free agent payday. The Mariners signed Beltre to a five-year $64MM deal after the 2004 season.
Epstein On Injuries, Bullpen, Wood
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein appeared on WEEI's Dale & Holley radio show on Thursday morning to recap and discuss Boston's 2010 season. WEEI.com's Jerry Spar and ESPNBoston.com both have partial transcripts of the interview, and here are some of the hot stove highlights…
- In part due to the multitude of injuries that befell the club, Epstein admitted that the team's pitching and defense (the offseason focus on which led to the signings of John Lackey and Mike Cameron) were actually Boston's biggest weaknesses in 2010.
- The Red Sox will "have to completely fix the bullpen" in the winter. Epstein said that he pursued several midseason trades for relievers: "We were aggressive with our prospect proposals, and those guys weren’t moved. So, yeah, I would have loved to have made a trade for a reliever. I feel bad, I feel like we didn’t get it done."
- In regards to three specific bullpen targets (Matt Capps, Brian Fuentes and Kerry Wood), Epstein said that Washington wanted Daniel Bard for Capps, the Twins were able to make a move for Fuentes first due to a higher waiver position, and the Yankees "were willing to take on just a little bit more of [Wood's] salary."
- Epstein admitted that the team can improve the flow of communication between the medical staff and the players. He didn't comment on whether or not the Red Sox were looking to make some changes to their training staff in the wake of their injury-filled season.
Olney On Crawford, Rangers, D’Backs
Home field advantage in the Division Series and League Championship Series hasn't given teams the advantage you might expect, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney shows. But the Rays, Yankees and Twins presumably want home field advantage anyways and there's no question that the teams' respective owners would like the extra revenue. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:
- Some MLB executives expect the Red Sox and Angels to get into a bidding war over Carl Crawford this offseason. He’d be a good fit on either team, though Mike Cameron would likely become a bench player if the Red Sox signed Crawford or Jayson Werth.
- High-ranking executives wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rangers’ payroll rise to $90-100MM. The team opened the 2010 season with a $65MM payroll, so that would be a substantial increase.
- There seems to be a very good chance that Adam LaRoche and Mark Reynolds, who have combined to strike out 375 times this season, will not be on the D’Backs in 2011. LaRoche will probably hit free agency this winter, but Reynolds has $13MM remaining on his contract and would have to be traded.
Odds & Ends: K-Rod, Angels, Tamura, Matsui
Links for Wednesday, before the Giants ask Tim Lincecum to help extend their NL West lead…
- Lawyers from the MLB Players Association and MLB will meet in New York tomorrow to discuss the union's grievance with the Mets. As the AP reports, the sides will discuss the team's decision to place Francisco Rodriguez on the disqualified list.
- Top prospect Mike Moustakas told reporters that he and other Royals minor leaguers welcome the attention they're attracting this year.
- The Angels let scouting director Eddie Bane go, according to John Manuel of Baseball America. Bane was a candidate for the D'Backs GM job earlier in the month.
- Japanese outfielder Hitoshi Tamura has interest in playing major league baseball, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. The 33-year-old has 27 homers this year and represented the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks at the All-Star game.
- Jason Varitek told reporters, including MLB.com's Ian Browne, that he's well aware of the fact that he may only have a handful of games remaining in a Red Sox uniform.
- Through an interpreter, Hideki Matsui told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he'd consider signing with the A's if they expressed interest in him this offseason.
- Todd Helton made it clear to Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he isn't retiring after the season.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic heard that Brandon Webb was throwing just 81 mph in his instructional league outing (Twitter link). Webb told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that he had fun and felt good.
- The D'Backs, who will see Webb and Rodrigo Lopez hit free agency this winter, will look to add starting pitching, but GM Kevin Towers told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that he believes starters may be easier to obtain through trades than major league free agency.
Cubs Rumors: Ramirez, Dunn, Payroll
The Cubs are finishing up their first losing season since 2006; of course the focus is on next year. The latest:
- The Cubs "remain intent on taking a run at Joe Girardi," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- The Red Sox "have a lot of interest" in Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez, reported ESPN's Bruce Levine in a chat yesterday. It is assumed Ramirez will exercise his $14.6MM player option for 2011, and the clubs would have to work around issues of a no-trade clause and an assignment bonus. Plus, I imagine the Cubs would have to swing another trade to find someone to replace Ramirez at the hot corner.
- Levine writes that "Adam Dunn is a top priority for the Cubs if they can afford him." We learned last month that Dunn likes Wrigley Field and Jim Hendry, but the slugger made it clear yesterday he's tired of discussing his future.
- Levine notes that Cubs ownership has indicated there will be a slight decrease in payroll for next year. Hendry might have to move a current contract or two to create flexibility.
- Cubs starter Ryan Dempster endorsed Mike Quade as manager, saying to CSNChicago's Patrick Mooney and others, "He’s done a great job and I hope that he’s here longer than just this year (and) managing for us next year because he deserves it." Mooney also spoke to hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who's intent on honoring his three-year contract regardless of the team's manager changes.
Odds & Ends: Beltre, Athletics, Gibson
Links for Tuesday, as David Price tries to clinch a playoff berth for the Rays a day after tweeting that last night's attendance was embarrassing…
- Adrian Beltre tells WEEI's Rob Bradford his decision on where to sign as a free agent will be "more of a family thing" this offseason.
- Athletics owner Lew Wolff expressed his displeasure with one-year signings, in comments made to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Kirk Gibson has a high probability of remaining the Diamondbacks' manager, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.
Odds & Ends: Papelbon, Yankees, Pujols, Webb
Links for Monday, as Roy Halladay attempts to lead the Phillies to another division title…
- Good news for Jack Zduriencik: Mariners president Chuck Armstrong told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that team executives are "not thinking about changing the general manager at all."
- Jim Donaldson of the Providence Herald asks a question the Red Sox are likely wondering about, too: does Jonathan Papelbon deserve a raise in 2011?
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that the trio of Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson provides the team with a well-rounded outfield going forward. The Yankees could always bid on Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford, but those outfielders appear to be luxuries, not necessities.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes (on Twitter) that Albert Pujols would approve trades to the Astros, Marlins, Dodgers and Angels. The first baseman isn't going anywhere, but Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel has a little fun and wonders what it would take for the Marlins to acquire him.
- Brandon Webb, who hasn't pitched in the majors since making his 2009 season debut, won't pitch for the Diamondbacks this year, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Webb is about to hit free agency and will be looking for a significant base salary. He'll have to prove he's healthy first, so he'll pitch in the instructional league this week. Webb reiterated his desire to return to the D'Backs, and new GM Kevin Towers is open to the idea as well.
Rosenthal On Red Sox, Yankees, Garza
The Red Sox will "explore their options" with Adrian Beltre, Victor Martinez, and David Ortiz, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. They're also "already checking into" Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, possibly with the idea of moving Jacoby Ellsbury back to center field and making Mike Cameron a pricey fourth outfielder. Rosenthal's other musings…
- Rosenthal's quick math suggests the Yankees would have to stay out of the Crawford/Werth derby – barring a payroll increase – if they sign Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, and Cliff Lee.
- Rosenthal finds the offseason trade market for starting pitching unimpressive. Though Matt Garza is "drawing long looks" from other teams, the Rays are more likely to trade a starter after the 2011 season. As for Royals ace Zack Greinke, the team might be inclined to let him rebuild value in the first half. Earlier this month, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith named five other starters who might be available this winter.
- John Hart, Stan Kasten, or Sandy Alderson could be a fit for the Mets if they look to add an experienced executive above Omar Minaya, speculates Rosenthal. Rosenthal's source does not see Kasten replacing Bob Dupuy as baseball's second in command.
- Felipe Lopez wouldn't net the Red Sox a draft pick if his next deal is of the minor league variety, notes Rosenthal.
Heyman On Cubs, Pettitte, V-Mart
SI's Jon Heyman leads his latest column with a look at the Cubs' managerial opening. He feels that interim manager Mike Quade is now a real possibility, with Ryne Sandberg the other top contender. Heyman's other info:
- "Word around the team" is that Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte is 50-50 on whether he'll play next year.
- Heyman passes along an unconfirmed report from a competing executive that Boston's offer to Victor Martinez was about $22MM over two years. Martinez's former teammate C.C. Sabathia expects the catcher to sign elsewhere, as he's seeking a four-year contract. Whatever the amount, Martinez rejected the two-year offer in August. Martinez profiles as a highly-ranked Type A free agent, so the Red Sox might at least end up with a pair of draft picks. Any first-rounder received will be the 19th overall pick at best.
- Jose Reyes "expects the Mets to either pick up his $11 million option or offer him an extension," writes Heyman. Reyes sports a .284/.322/.429 line this year and could be primed for a big 2011.