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Quick Hits: O’Day, Pedroia, Royals, Upton

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On this date seven years ago, the Angels signed an undrafted amateur free agent named Darren O'Day. Such transactions typically don't amount to much, but like his delivery, O'Day's story is anything but typical. He began his career as a 23-year-old at the Rookie-level Pioneer League but quickly ascended to Triple-A. By age 25, O'Day was in the Angels' bullpen but didn't replicate his minor league success. One Rule 5 selection and two waiver claims later, O'Day finds himself as a mainstay in the Orioles' bullpen. The 30-year-old signed a two-year, $5.8MM extension with a club option for 2015 in the offseason, which is probably exactly how he envisioned his life after he graduated from Florida with a degree in agricultural and life sciences and took the MCAT with hopes of becoming a plastic surgeon.

Here's more from around the league…

East Notes: Mets, Yankees, Papelbon

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Even though the Mets aren't contending, GM Sandy Alderson says they could be buyers at the trade deadline, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. "It’s a possibility. It depends on what is available," says Alderson. "I have been involved in deals in the past whose first consideration was not the current season but the following season…The possibility of making an acquisition that has implications not just for the second half of this season? Yes." It sounds like we shouldn't expect the Mets to pursue rentals, but they might be open to a splashy acquisition of a veteran who is under team control through at least 2014. Martino notes that the Mets could look for outfielders in particular. Here are more notes from the East divisions.

  • Lots of former Yankees and Mets are doing well with other teams, Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes. Sherman singles out former Yankees Russell Martin (Pirates), Nick Swisher (Indians) and Eric Chavez (Diamondbacks) in particular.
  • The Red Sox are one of eight teams to which Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon can refuse a trade, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. That Papelbon would have his old team on his no-trade list initially seems strange, but Bradford notes that it's not uncommon for a player to put a large-payroll team on his no-trade list, reasoning that he might be able to use his ability to nix a trade as leverage to negotiate an extension if a large-payroll team wants him. When asked, Papelbon said he could see himself playing for the Red Sox again.

AL East Notes: Ellsbury, Red Sox, Yankees, Breslow

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As we celebrate Memorial Day, we have a full slate of interleague baseball to take in.  It's Subway Series time in New York as the Yankees are in Queens to take on the Mets.  The Bombers are tied atop the AL East with the Red Sox thanks to Boston's three consecutive wins against the Indians, but the Yankees could gain some separation with a strong showing against their crosstown rivals.  Here's more out of the AL East…

  • Jacoby Ellsbury's free agency will be extra complicated thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, something that Michael Bourn knows all about, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal writes.  “It was tough,” Bourn said of his value being affected by draft pick compensation. “You really can’t change anything about it. It affected people in different ways if you had that attached to you. It's part of the process and you just have to deal with it now. You aren't going to change anything by pouting about it.”
  • Before claiming left-handed reliever David Huff off waivers from the Indians, the Yankees asked the Pirates about Mike Zagurski, writes George A. King III of the New York Post.  The Bucs said no, however, and selected Zagurski's contract this morning after transferring Jeff Karstens to the 60-day disabled list.
  • After he was released from the Brewers' High-A affiliate in 2004, Craig Breslow almost gave up on baseball to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery or sports medicine, writes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.  Nine years later, Breslow is a bona fide major league reliever for the Red Sox.  The left-hander is in the first multi-year deal of his career, a two-year, $6.25MM pact with a $4MM team option for 2015.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Jarrod Saltalamacchia

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One of the game's most powerful regular catchers is in his contract year.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia is on track to become a free agent the old-fashioned way – by accumulating the necessary six years of Major League service time.  Because the Red Sox catcher never signed a multiyear extension, he'll be just 28 when he signs his next contract.

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Salty was drafted 36th overall by the Braves in 2003, a supplemental pick for the loss of free agent Mike Remlinger.  When backup catcher Brayan Pena hit the DL in May of '07, Saltalamacchia got the call.  The Braves had Scott Thorman at first base at the time, so Saltalamacchia was able to stick even after Pena returned.  Catcher Brian McCann had signed an extension with the Braves months earlier, however, so the switch-hitting Saltalamacchia was prime trade bait in what turned out to be one of the decade's most memorable deals.  At the 2007 trade deadline, he was a major part of the Rangers' haul for Mark Teixeira, a deal that also sent Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Beau Jones to Texas.

The '07 Rangers had Gerald Laird behind the dish, but first base was vacated with the Teixeira deal.  Saltalamacchia split his time evenly between the two positions that year.  The two battled for playing time in '08, though both dealt with injuries.  Laird was dealt after the season, leaving the Rangers with a tandem of Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden.  Though Salty won the gig, he was sidelined by thoracic outlet syndrome in '09, and the Rangers acquired Ivan Rodriguez in August.  Saltalamacchia spent the early part of 2010 recovering from surgery for that condition and battling other injuries, also developing a mental block regarding throwing the ball back to the pitcher.

Though the Rangers' depth at catcher wasn't what they thought it'd become, they still felt comfortable trading Saltalamacchia to the Red Sox that summer for three minor leaguers: first baseman Chris McGuiness, starter Roman Mendez, and catcher Michael Thomas.  Only Mendez charted as one of Boston's top 30 prospects according to Baseball America (#23), and it seemed the Rangers were selling low on a player they once regarded very highly.  Salty didn't see much time with the Red Sox in 2010, as he battled a lower leg infection and they had Victor Martinez behind the plate.

The Sox still had Jason Varitek in the mix in 2011, but Saltalamacchia did catch in 100 games for the first time.  Salty has been the team's primary catcher since then, even with David Ross added this past offseason.  Saltalamacchia has compiled a .231/.295/.453 line in 977 plate appearances for the Red Sox from 2011 to present, hitting 46 home runs.  Among those who have caught at least 200 games since then, Salty's home run total ranks fifth, and his slugging percentage ranks second.  He's lacking in the OBP department, with a .288 mark from 2011-12 reminiscent of Rod Barajas.

Something has changed in that regard, as Saltalamacchia has a respectable .336 OBP so far in 143 plate appearances this year.  One driver is his 11.2% walk rate, easily the best of his career if it holds up.  He's also hitting for a little higher batting average than usual, which is surprising given the worst strikeout rate of his career (33.6%).  That's Adam Dunn/Mark Reynolds territory, and often results in a batting average barely above the Mendoza line.  A switch-hitter, Salty has struggled against left-handed pitching, with a .198/.257/.326 line in his career.

Saltalamacchia is firmly regarded as an offense-first catcher, though he's not satisfied with that.  He's fairly easy to run on, but statistically might be quietly decent at blocking and framing pitches.

Speaking to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe last week, Saltalamacchia noted that the future is on his mind "In the sense that I don’t want to go anywhere else."  Blake Swihart might be Boston's catcher of the future, but he's in High A currently.  Ryan Lavarnway, 25, has already caught 38 games for the Sox since '11, more than quieting defensive concerns along the way.  He's the biggest threat to Saltalamacchia's future with the team, especially with a solid backup already under contract for '14 in Ross.  An everyday catcher, even with some flaws, often commands $6-8MM per year on the free agent market.  And as the only regular who will be under 30 years old, Salty and agent Jim Munsey should easily find a multiyear offer.  The Red Sox could find big savings in replacing him with Lavarnway.

If he does reach the open market, Saltalamacchia will be competing with John Buck, McCann, A.J. Pierzynski, and Carlos Ruiz for a regular spot somewhere.  Salty is significantly younger than the other catchers, aside from former teammate McCann.  McCann will have a different market, however, as he could receive a qualifying offer and pursue a contract at or above the four-year, $50MM deal Victor Martinez signed with the Tigers after the 2010 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL East Notes: Rays, Red Sox, Uehara, Yankees

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Earlier today, we learned that while Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli has yet to hear from the club on an extension, he is open to talks with the club.  The veteran told his agent that the environment in Boston is better than the one in Texas, which is saying a lot considering how much he enjoyed his time with the Rangers.  Here's more out of the American League East..

  • The Rays' unusual pitching depth has proven to be quite valuable, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  "Compared to other organizations, there is a tremendous amount of depth," said pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was brought over from the Royals. "The whole Triple-A pitching staff has the ability to be here. You usually don't see that with an entire staff at the upper levels."  There's always trade talk surrounding Tampa Bay and their surplus starters, but injuries have shown the value in hanging on to pitching depth.
  • The Red Sox's offseason pickups are looking strong so far in 2013, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.  Right-hander Koji Uehara gets an A on Tomase's report card as he has been the team's most consistent reliever.  Napoli gets an A-minus in spite of his high strikeout rate thanks to his overall offensive production.
  • While the Yankees and Mets are heading in different directions, Joe Girardi finds himself on equal footing with Terry Collins, writes Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record.
  • This morning, the Yankees designated Ben Francisco for assignment.

Cafardo On Napoli, Red Sox, Royals, Yankees

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe credits Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly for not avoiding difficult subjects.  Mattingly has been less than thrilled with the club, which hasn't produced much despite its hefty price tag.  “They wanted to make a big splash with the new ownership,” said an American League executive. “They wanted to show their fans they were going to spend the money and put what they thought was the best team on the field money could buy. Well, not so much. You can win with All-Star teams. The Yankees have won with one. But the mix has to be right.”  As far as Cafardo is concerned, Mattingly doesn't deserve to be fired.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli has not heard from the club on an extension.  Meanwhile, he has told his agent, Brian Grieper, that the environment around the team is even better than it was in Texas, which Napoli thought was great.  Grieper said he’s open to talks, but “we’ll let it play out and show during the course of the season that Mike is healthy.”  
  • The combination of Elliot Johnson and Chris Getz at second base isn't getting it done for the Royals and they're on the lookout for help.  It won't be easy, however, and with Miguel Tejada now 39, he wouldn’t seem to be the answer, either.  The Royals knew coming into the season that they might struggle offensively at the position, and they have. 
  • Chris Bootcheck is having a resurgence at the Yankees’ Triple A affiliate, posting a 2.80 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.  The Yankees haven’t called the right-hander up yet and he has a late-June opt-out.  If he’s still pitching well, he would be in demand.
  • If Reid Ryan's thinking is similar to his father's, then there might not be much room for a lot of statistics-driven analysis with the Astros under their new regime.
  • Some have wondered if Roy Oswalt has lost the fire to pitch.  He'll have four starts for the Rockies' Double-A affiliate to show that he's still got it and worthy of a callup to the big league roster.

Red Sox Notes: Lackey, Henry, Draft

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If it is fair to label the Yankees' hot start as a surprise in spite of the team's history and payroll, then certainly the same should be said of the Red Sox. With a win today, the team noted in a press release, the Sox would move to an even 30-20, good for its best start since 2008. Let's check in on the team that sported the fourth-highest Opening Day payroll:

  • Perhaps the biggest surprise in Boston is starter John Lackey, whose five-year, $82.5MM deal has long been viewed as a major drag on the organization. After a terrible 2011 season, Lackey missed 2012 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Now, explains John Tomase of the Boston Herald, a "vintage" Lackey is back throwing in the mid-90's and hitting his spots. He has thrown to a 2.72 ERA over 39 2/3 innings this year, and is sporting an enviable 9.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. He is producing ground balls at a strong 53.6% clip, and his performance is backed up by a 2.92 FIP and 3.03 xFIP. While it remains unlikely that the Red Sox will ultimately get full value for their investment in the 34-year-old righty, the remainder of the deal is starting to look much more palatable. In addition to the $15.25MM Lackey will be paid this season, he is under contract for 2014 at a $15.25MM rate. More importantly, as Ben Goessling recently noted at ESPNBoston.com, Lackey's TJ procedure triggered a 2015 team option at the league minimum. In addition to generating cap and luxury tax benefits for the Sox, that option year could be an incredible bargain if Lackey maintains anything remotely close to his current performance.
  • WEEI.com's Alex Speier wraps up his three-part look at Red Sox ownership and management by documenting changes in the relationship between the club's baseball operations department and its ownership/upper-management. He notes that principal owner John Henry, in particular, has been increasingly assertive. According to Henry, "Over time, I've become less of a chain-of-command guy because the issues in professional sports have become so financially oriented — there aren't that many issues that don't have a financial component that are of real substance. Having a stronger presence, in my view, was needed. I'm more hands-on than I was." I recommend a full read of this piece, along with the first two segments, as there is much more valuable material than can be passed along here.
  • One benefit of Boston's miserable 2012 season, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal, is that the club will have its first top-15 selection in the amateur draft in fifteen years. Sitting at number seven, Boston will have an opportunity to score a talented youngster to go with the high-upside prospects (and massive salary relief) that it picked up last season in last year's stunning blockbuster trade with the Dodgers. Past years have seen such impact big leaguers as Prince Fielder, Troy Tulowitzki, Clayton Kershaw, and Matt Harvey snagged with the seventh choice. While Britton discusses the possibility of the Sox going after an arm, several recent mock drafts have the Red Sox landing a bat, such as North Carolina's Colin Moran or Georgia high schooler Clint Frazier.

Red Sox Sign Rafael Perez

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The Red Sox have signed left-hander Rafael Perez to a minor league contract, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.  MLB.com's Jordan Bastian heard from a source earlier today that Perez was signing with Boston though the move was "not official" yet, while Jon Morosi of FOX Sports first noted that Perez was talking to the Sox about a deal.

Perez, 31, was released by the Twins last week after appearing in four games at Triple-A Rochester.  The southpaw signed a minor league deal with Minnesota this offseason after he was non-tendered by the Indians in November.  Perez missed most of the 2012 season with a lat injury and pitched in only eight games last year.

Over seven seasons and 329 relief innings with the Indians, Perez posted a 3.64 ERA, 3.2 BB/9 and 7.3 K/9, though he has only averaged 5.3 K/9 over the last four seasons.  He has been effective against batters on either side of the plate, holding lefty hitters to a .678 OPS and righties to a .694 OPS over his career.

Cherington On Ellsbury, Masterson, Theo

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Red Sox GM Ben Cherington took some time out of his schedule to talk with WEEI's Dennis & Callahan and Alex Speier has the goods.  Let's take a look at some of the highlights..

  • While the Red Sox reportedly haven't talked about an extension with Jacoby Ellsbury so far in 2013, they have talked about a new deal with him at various points over the years about a multi-year pact.  However, each time, both sides agreed to a one-year contract to avoid arbitration instead.  Cherington implied that he does not expect to start talks with the outfielder again until after the season.  
  • Ellsbury has struggled so far in 2013, but the GM believes that he is in line for a turnaround.  Cherington believes that he has been unlucky with balls in play and the abundance of left-handed pitching that he has faced has also affected him.
  • Even though Justin Masterson has been one of the top starters in the AL this season, Cherington said that he would have made the same trade that his predecessor, GM Theo Epstein, did.  However, he acknowledged that the team didn’t anticipate Masterson turning out to be this good. “We thought, at the time, he would be a good major league starter or a really good reliever, and he’s probably exceeded that in a starting role,” said Cherington. “We were able to get him at a spot in the draft…but fast-forward, and if I’m in Theo’s shoes at the time, I would have done the same thing. The deal made a lot of sense at the time. We were trying to get into the playoffs, and Victor Martinez certainly helped to get us into the playoffs.”

Cafardo on Tanaka, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Phillies

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Through a quarter of the season, the Indians have emerged as last offseason's biggest winners, while the Blue Jays rank as the biggest losers, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Other teams (such as the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, and Royals) received "thumbs up", but the Indians' additions of Mark Reynolds, Jason Giambi, Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, Rich Hill, Yan Gomes and Mike Aviles have been enough for the club to stay on top of both Cafardo's list and the AL Central.  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Red Sox are one of a few teams closely watching Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. The Rangers, Yankees, and A’s also appear to have some level of interest in the 24-year-old phenom, who pitches for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
  • Cafardo speculates that Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion may become available at the trade deadline if the Blue Jays fall out of contention.  The two sluggers would be very highly sought after in his opinion.
  • The Red Sox will face a difficult decision on free agent catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia this offseason. "He’ll get signed somewhere because of his power,” according to a scout. “He’s improved defensively, but by how much? At this point, is he what he is?”
  • One National League GM believes a Jonathan Papelbon–Red Sox reunion is "not far-fetched." Cafardo notes that the Phillies may be unwilling to part with Papelbon, who is off to an impressive start.
  • The Phillies meanwhile will have a tough call on second baseman Chase Utley, who may be dealt before he even reaches free agency. While the Phillies have stated their desire to compete, and not dismantle their roster, they could have some major trade chips in Utley, Cliff Lee, and Michael Young.
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