Odds & Ends: Brenly, DeJesus, Lackey, Reds
Some links to peruse before Yovani Gallardo locks up with Tim Lincecum later tonight…
- The Cubs will consider Bob Brenly for their vacant managerial post, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- David DeJesus is waiting to hear from the Royals about their decision on his $6MM option for next season according to Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star. The club has until October 15th to exercise the option, and GM Dayton Moore said he's "not prepared to say what [they're] doing at this point."
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier says that John Lackey hasn't been worth the risk for the Red Sox yet, and he'll have to buck historical trends to be worth the remainder of his five-year, $82.5MM contract.
- Meanwhile, Jim Donaldson of The Providence Journal jokes that the Sox should be able to ask Lackey and Josh Beckett for refunds given how they've pitched after signing their new deals.
- There will be plenty of competition for a spot in the Cubs rotation next season, writes Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune.
- David Barron of The Houston Chronicle looks at how the Reds are thriving thanks to a mix of young players and veterans.
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Pirates, Cotts, Marlins
Links for Friday, before Dan Haren celebrates his 30th birthday by taking on one of baseball's most potent offenses…
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan lists ten decisions that have been critical to the Rangers' success this season.
- The Pirates have released lefty Neal Cotts according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America and this week's edition of minor league transaction.
- Padres' first base coach Rick Renteria is on the Marlins radar with regards to their managerial opening, says MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. He adds that Yankees bench coach Tony Pena is a candidate as well.
- Chipper Jones told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that it would be hard to stop playing before his body prevents him from doing so, partly because “you can make absurd amounts of money” as a baseball player.
- Former Orioles manager Dave Trembley told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that he’d like to coach in the major leagues next year (Twitter link).
- The Pirates' minor league success has been a major positive this year, but Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette questions how the Pirates also allowed for "near-total destruction of the major-league product." The team is 50 games below .500 with the worst record in baseball.
- Carl Crawford told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that his impending free agency hasn't been hard to handle, since the Rays are winning. Click here for Bradford's analysis of how Crawford would fit in Fenway.
- Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald breaks down Boston's options behind the plate for 2011, from free agents Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek to new acquisition Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
- John Dewan of the Fielding Bible explained to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that Adam Dunn's poor defense wouldn't necessarily prevent the Nationals from building a better defensive team.
Jack Of All Trades: Mike Lowell
Normally, JOAT likes to look at players who were dealt three or more times. But Mike Lowell, in honor of his participation in two blockbuster trades, rumors for the better part of a year, and impending retirement, gets the wanderer treatment today.
The New York Yankees drafted Lowell in the 20th round of the 1995 draft, and he quickly climbed the prospect lists, crushing a combined 56 home runs in 1997-1998. But with Scott Brosius manning third base, the Yankees viewed Lowell as surplus and dealt him to Florida on February 1, 1999 for three pitching prospects: Todd Noel, Mark Johnson and Ed Yarnall.
The deal turned out to be a massive win for the Marlins. The three pitching prospects amounted to very little. Brosius, meanwhile, posted a 121 OPS+ in 1998 and managed a combined mark of 86 in 1999-2001 before retiring.
Lowell beat cancer in the spring of 1999 and came back to post an OPS+ of 90 that season before achieving stardom in 2000. From 2000-2004, his age 26-30 seasons, Lowell had an OPS+ of 117 with tremendous defense at third base. In 2003, Lowell had an OPS+ of 128 for the World Series-winning Marlins, hitting 32 home runs and finishing 11th in MVP voting.
But in 2005, Lowell, now 31, appeared to lose his ability to hit. His season line of .236/.298/.360 was good for an OPS+ of just 77, though he did win a Gold Glove. Eager to shed his salary, the Marlins worked out a deal with the Red Sox. On November 24, 2005, Florida traded Lowell, Josh Beckett and Guillermo Mota to the Boston Red Sox for Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.
Once again, the team that acquired Lowell turned out to be a big winner, though this trade wasn't one-sided. Florida, after all, received a no-hitter from Anibal Sanchez, and Ramirez has blossomed into one of the game's best shortstops.
Beckett, the centerpiece of the deal, performed as expected, but Lowell's resurgence surprised the baseball world. His 2006-2009 in Boston included three seasons of above-average offense and strong, though regressing defense. His 2007, naturally, stands out from the pack.
That year, Lowell's OPS+ was 124. His age-33 season included 120 RBI, a fifth-place showing the the regular-season MVP voting, and a World Series MVP trophy. And Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in the American League. (That may be a paraphrase.)
Lowell gradually broke down, however, with his troublesome hip merely one of many injuries. This past winter, the Red Sox made a deal to send him to Texas for catching prospect Max Ramirez, because Theo Epstein loves grabbing decent prospects when their value is artificially low. The deal was called off, however, when Lowell needed surgery on his right thumb.
Barring a late comeback by Boston, Lowell's career will end when the regular season does. With nine seasons of 103 OPS+ or better, a strong glove for most of his career, and the postseason heroics, it is hard to believe that two teams sold low on Lowell. Stranger still, perhaps, is that Lowell played for three organizations – the Red Sox, the Marlins, and the Yankees – and made postseason appearances with everyone but New York.
Heyman On Yankees, Dodgers, Beltre
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jon Heyman of SI.com that you could make the case for Cole Hamels as the team’s 2010 MVP. Roy Halladay might have something to say about that, but more importantly, the Phillies are red-hot. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:
- The Yankees don’t let executives under multi-year deals interview for jobs in other organizations, which is why scouting director Damon Oppenheimer won't interview for the D’Backs GM job. The policy means Oppenheimer won’t be a candidate for other GM openings this winter.
- Triple A manager Tim Wallach remains the favorite to become the Dodgers’ next skipper if Joe Torre doesn’t return, as many of Heyman’s sources expect.
- Some “Red Sox people” say they won’t be surprised if Adrian Beltre looks to match the $64MM deal he signed after the 2004 season. They say the team won’t offer close to $64MM.
Odds & Ends: Marlins, Duke, Red Sox, Lee
Links for Wednesday, four years after the Padres completed the trade that sent 2010 All-Star Evan Meek to Tampa Bay. A year later, the Pirates shrewdly plucked Meek from the Rays in the Rule 5 draft…
- Stop by at 2pm CDT for this week's chat.
- Yankees bench coach and former AL manager of the year Tony Pena is a serious candidate for the Marlins managerial job, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- The Pirates will consider removing Zach Duke from their rotation, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Duke, who was a non-tender candidate to begin with, didn't do himself any favors by allowing eight runs last night.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com doesn't expect the trio of David Ortiz, Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre to return to Boston next year, but he doesn't think it'd be a bad idea to bring all three players back.
- The early returns on the deal that sent Cliff Lee to the Mariners are not good, as MLB.com's Todd Zolecki explains.
- Rick Porcello, Starlin Castro and Buck Showalter's Orioles are among the late-season positives for non-contenders, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
Odds & Ends: Hudson, Mets, Arroyo, Atkins
As major league teams unveil their 2011 schedules, here are some news items….
- As Daniel Hudson improves to 6-1 with a 1.67 ERA as a Diamondback tonight, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that Hudson "probably" could have been a Brewer had Milwaukee accepted a one-for-one offer from Chicago for Prince Fielder. The problem at the time was that the Brewers projected Hudson as only a third or fourth starter and wanted more for their slugger. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 on any missed trade, but if Hudson continues to pitch well in Arizona, it will put even more pressure on the Brewers to get a big return back if they do end up dealing Fielder.
- An anonymous NL official tells Newsday's Ken Davidoff that Jose Reyes could command "one really good prospect, one solid prospect, and one or two medium-range prospects" in a trade should the Mets put their shortstop on the market this winter. This source seems in favor of a total rebuild for the Mets; he also thinks they should try to deal David Wright and Francisco Rodriguez.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News cites Bronson Arroyo's durability, consistent win totals and veteran presence as reasons why Cincinnati should pick up the right-hander's $11MM option for next season.
- We've heard that the Rockies will look for a right-handed first baseman to platoon with Todd Helton next season, and ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill cites former Rockie Garrett Atkins as a possibility for the role. Atkins was non-tendered by Colorado last winter and after signing a one-year contract with Baltimore, was released by the Orioles last July.
- Interim Arizona GM Jerry Dipoto will interview for the full-time position tomorrow, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert (Twitter link).
- Any Boston fans tickled by A.J. Burnett's struggles this season might not want to crow too much, since Fangraphs' Joe Pawlikowski cites Burnett as comparable to the also-struggling John Lackey.
- Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wonders if the Red Sox might pursue Jim Thome as a cheaper free agent DH option rather than pick up David Ortiz's 2011 option.
- Travis Buck's "organizational status is clearly at an all-time low" in Oakland, writes Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com. Buck is eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter and could be non-tendered given the number of other promising outfielders in the Athletics' system.
- If Jesus Montero can develop a solid catching glove to go along with his powerful bat, the Mariners may regret passing on New York's Montero-centered offer for Cliff Lee, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
- Blogger El Lefty Malo praises the Giants' acquisition of Cody Ross and some other recent Brian Sabean moves.
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia thinks the Halos just need a "tweaking" rather than an overhaul in the winter, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says upgrading the infield should be a top priority for the Cardinals in the offseason.
Dodgers Notes: Ethier, Kemp, Barajas, Gibbons
With the Padres, Giants and Rockies all battling for the playoffs and the Diamondbacks knee-deep in a GM search, don't forget about that fifth team in the NL West. Here are some news items from Dodger Stadium…
- GM Ned Colletti tells Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com that the Dodgers will be more active this winter than they were during their relatively quiet 2009-10 offseason.
- According to CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam (Twitter link), Andre Ethier "has told some [he] would love to come to Boston." McAdam doesn't elaborate on whether or not Ethier really wants out of L.A. or that the Dodgers would consider moving him, but in another tweet McAdam writes that he has "a feeling, that given the mess the franchise is in, nothing [is] off table."
- Since the Dodgers are in the market for a third outfielder next season, Jon Weisman of ESPNLosAngeles.com suggests they could acquire a center fielder and move Matt Kemp to right. Kemp has delivered a -17.7 UZR/150 in center this season after being an above-average fielder in 2009.
- Weisman also writes that Rod Barajas and Jay Gibbons have performed well enough to be brought back by the club in 2011. Gibbons, for his part, is on board with that idea. He tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) that playing for the Dodgers is a "dream job."
- Hernandez also tweets that Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson will interview for the vacant Arizona general manager's job tomorrow, while Logan White interviewed for the job today.
- Jim Peltz of the L.A. Times has the story of the Dodgers' John Lindsey, who is finally a major leaguer after spending 16 years in the minors.
- As we wait to find out if Joe Torre will leave the Dodgers after this season, the L.A. Times' Steve Dilbeck simply asks, "why would Joe Torre stay?"
Odds & Ends: D’Backs, Youkilis, Mets, Cubs
Links for Tuesday, 16 years after the Giants signed Yorvit Torrealba as an amateur free agent. Torrealba, a longtime Rockie, is a key part of the Padres team that's barely holding off San Francisco and Colorado.
- Chase Gharrity of Baseball Prospectus explains that relievers such as Randy Choate and Carlos Villanueva could help the D'Backs in 2011.
- Kevin Youkilis told Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com that he's willing to play first or third in 2011.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse confirms that Omar Minaya is likely out as Mets GM after the season. The Mets are likely to bring in an experienced GM, instead of promoting assistant GM John Ricco.
- The front office isn't the only unpredictable part of the 2011 Mets. Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog doesn't think anyone but David Wright, Jason Bay, Johan Santana, Jon Niese and Mike Pelfrey have guaranteed spots on next year's team.
- The Cubs will likely interview former Diamondbacks skipper Bob Melvin for their managerial job, according to ESPN.com’s Tim Kurkjian.
Poll: Will Boston Re-Sign Beltre?
Earlier this evening, Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal wondered if Adrian Beltre will figure into Boston's plans this offseason. The third baseman, who will earn just $10MM for his outstanding play in 2010, is seeking a multi-year commitment in his next deal. Beltre has exceeded all expectations this year by turning in a .326/.369/.563 slash line with 27 homers and a strong defensive play (15.1 UZR/150) at third.
The Red Sox would obviously love to have Beltre back but he may very well command more money and years on the open market than they would be willing to yield. Tim Dierkes believes that the Scott Boras client may seek $50MM over four-years at the outset of this offseason. And, as Ben Nicholson-Smith pointed out, there are plenty of potential suitors who could up the bidding for his services. If Theo Epstein & Co. feel that Beltre is too rich for their blood, they could turn over the third baseman gig to either Jed Lowrie or Kevin Youkilis (if a new first baseman is found). Of course, there would still be a void to fill in the absence of the 31-year-old Beltre.
Will Boston re-sign Adrian Beltre?
Odds & Ends: Drew, Blue Jays, Mariners, Reyes
Links for Monday, 14 years after the Mariners sent David Ortiz to the Twins to complete the Dave Hollins trade. Precisely 346 home runs later, Big Papi is one of the most recognizable players in the game…
- The Red Sox will probably not have the chance to void J.D. Drew’s deal, as Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains. The Red Sox could be able to sidestep the 2011 portion of the contract depending on injuries, but Drew seems healthy.
- The D'Backs will interview Angels scouting director Eddie Bane for their GM opening, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- The Blue Jays named Jay Sartori assistant GM. The 31-year-old was previously the director of baseball operations for the Nationals and worked in MLB’s labor relations department, advising teams on salary arbitration, among other things.
- The Mariners fired pro scouting director Carmen Fusco, according to KING 5 Sports. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse confirms the report (on Twitter) and suggests it's a warning shot to GM Jack Zduriencik. The Mariners front office is under scrutiny after trading for Josh Lueke.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that his team “can't throw $55MM at somebody just because it makes [everyone] feel better.” Instead, the team has to be sure the players they pursue fit the team’s needs.
- Jose Reyes told Newsday's Ken Davidoff that he wants to stay in New York. The Mets can retain their shortstop for $11MM next year or buy him out for $500K.