Odds & Ends: Patterson, Marlins, League, Zambrano
Some Saturday links as the Red Sox suffer their latest injury, this one involving Clay Buchholz and running the bases…
- FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Red Sox's acquisition of Eric Patterson came together quickly; they had yet to inquire about him as recently as noon Eastern time today.
- Marlins' first base coach Dave Collins abruptly resigned today, reports Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. He wonders if the move may be related to an imminent Bobby Valentine hiring, but president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said that was not the case (all Twitter links).
- Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com says (via Twitter) that Brandon League is the Mariners' second best trade chip behind Cliff Lee. The hard-throwing righty reliever is owed approximately $590K the rest of the season, and is under team control for two more years.
- With the Yankees facing off against the Dodgers, Tyler Kepner from the New York Times reminds us that Alex Rodriguez was almost a Dodger back in 1993. Fortunately for the Mariners, the first pick still alternated yearly between the AL and NL back then.
- In the comments of his blog, the Atlanta Journal Constitution's David O'Brien says that conversations with people across the Braves organization yesterday have him convinced more than ever that Fredi Gonzalez will be the Braves' next manager.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs may have reached the "breaking point" with Carlos Zambrano, and says they're probably better off eating the $45MM left on his contract and trading him away.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier says that Dustin Pedroia's foot injury is going to test Boston's less than stellar infield depth.
- Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer says that the Indians will probably be able to make smaller deals like they did last year with Rafael Betancourt (to the Rockies) and Ryan Garko (to the Giants).
Red Sox Acquire Eric Patterson
The Athletics have traded outfielder Eric Patterson to the Red Sox for minor league lefty Fabian Williamson, according to the team's official Twitter feed. Patterson had been designated for assignment earlier this week.
The Red Sox just lost Dustin Pedroia for as much as six weeks with a fracture in his foot, and the 27-year-old Patterson has considerable experience playing second base. He's a career .224/.301/.340 hitter in 378 big league plate appearances, and is capable of playing all three outfield positions in addition to the keystone spot.
Boston originally acquired Williamson from the Mariners for David Aardsma last January. The 21-year-old has a 3.72 ERA with a 5.5 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 this season, playing for the team's High-A affiliate.
Red Sox Have Inquired About Available Outfielders
6:46pm: Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com tweets that even though DeJesus would be a good fit for the Sox, word is that Kansas City is asking for "way too much."
10:48am: With injuries decimating their outfield corps, the Red Sox have contacted multiple teams around the league to gauge the availability of outfielders in advance of the trade deadline, writes Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. He adds that one such conversation centered around David DeJesus.
Outfield depth was one area that MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith highlighted when he reviewed the team's needs, which is obvious given the injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeremy Hermida, J.D. Drew, and Mike Cameron. The Royals are said to "love" currently injured shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias, though there has been no indication that Boston would part with him in a deal for DeJesus.
The 30-year-old DeJesus is enjoying a career year at .320/.389/.475, and he's owed approximately $2.6MM the rest of the season. There is also a $6MM club option for 2011 in his contract with a $500K buyout. Some other outfielders that could end up on the trading block include Austin Kearns, Coco Crisp, Scott Podsednik, Gabe Gross, Brad Hawpe, and Xavier Nady, all of whom can become free agents after the season.
Will Pedroia’s Injury Force The Sox To Make A Move?
The Red Sox were dealt a huge blow today when they learned that 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia will require a stint on the disabled list after fouling a ball off his right instep last night. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe tweets that Pedroia could be out as many as six weeks with a fracture, and manager Terry Francona indicated that Bill Hall will take over second base duties for the time being, according to The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham.
Prospects Jose Iglesias and Jed Lowrie are both on the disabled list, so there's no immediate help coming from within. The three injuries have made the Red Sox thin in the middle infield as Alex Speier of WEEI.com explained, so Pedroia's injury could be the one that presses GM Theo Epstein into action.
The team reportedly had interest in Adam Everett, who could certainly provide temporary relief, though he's hardly going to strike fear into opposing pitchers. Other names that could be in play are the same ones we discussed when the Rockies lost Troy Tulowitzki, and include Cesar Izturis, Ryan Theriot, Kelly Johnson, and Dan Uggla. Some would obviously cost more than others, and each would fit differently into the big picture.
Boston is currently three games back in the AL East, and losing their .292/.370/.502 middle infielder isn't going to make the uphill climb any easier. The Red Sox have already inquired about available outfielders, and their shopping list may have gotten just a little bit longer.
Odds & Ends: Bumgarner, Tracy, Oswalt, Atkins
Links for Friday night, as Edwin Jackson tosses a 149-pitch no-hitter against his former team….
- Madison Bumgarner was scratched from tonight's Triple-A start, fueling speculation that the Giants would call him up to start tomorrow's game. However, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the team still plans to start Joe Martinez tomorrow, with Bumgarner as the backup option.
- In his weekly appearance on WEEI's Big Show, Peter Gammons discusses the Red Sox' bullpen issues and the best one-year signing of this past offseason.
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com wonders if the Nationals will be interested in the recently DFA'd Chad Tracy, given Tracy's connection to Nats GM Mike Rizzo.
- Although it looks as if the Rangers won't be able to afford Roy Oswalt, you can add Texas to the list of teams the pitcher would be willing to play for, according to the Dallas Morning News. Oswalt has previously said he'd accept a trade to anywhere he could contend.
- Garrett Atkins tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link) that being released by the Orioles would be a "welcome opportunity." It appears as though Atkins will soon be designated for assignment.
- Following a blow-up during today's game, Carlos Zambrano has been suspended indefinitely by the Cubs, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. When Zambrano returned to the Cubs' rotation, we discussed Tom Gorzelanny as a trade chip, but as long as Zambrano remains suspended, that possibility looks less likely.
- The Astros signed their second-round pick, right-hander Vincent Velasquez, per a team release.
- Dusty Baker says Gary Matthews Jr. "has got to get his act together" before the outfielder earns a shot at the Reds' big league lineup, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
Odds & Ends: Fukudome, Kemp, Lowell, Harang
Links for Friday, as the Rangers keep streaking…
- A few Cubs people told Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald that they're not trying to move Kosuke Fukudome as aggressively as it seems. The Cubs would still like to trade him, though.
- In a piece for the New York Times, Baseball-Reference creator Sean Forman says the Padres may be one above-average bat away from sustaining their surprisingly good start.
- Should the Dodgers trade Matt Kemp? Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports answers that question with a definite 'yes.'
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that Mike Lowell's hip issues, which have landed him on the disabled list, prevented the completion of the deal that would have sent Lowell to Texas over the winter. Lowell tells Speier he knows his DL stint will hurt his trade value.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer wonders if the Reds could trade Aaron Harang.
- The Padres need to add a bat, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Check out my appearance on Bloomberg Sports' Ballpark Figures series right here.
- Joe Torre told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that he would have room for Robinson Cano on his all-time Yankees team (Twitter link). Torre also managed All-Star second basemen Chuck Knoblauch and Alfonso Soriano in the Bronx.
- Kevin Kernan of the New York Post says it's the Mets' turn to make a big mid-summer acquisition. Kernan would like to see the Mets bring Cliff Lee back to the NL East.
- A person close to Lee told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that the lefty would not mind playing in New York.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post strongly endorses Bobby Valentine and Buck Showalter as managers. Sherman writes that the two skippers "are both fantastic at running a game" and would fit well in Florida and Baltimore, respectively.
Mariners Sign Joe Nelson
The Mariners signed Joe Nelson and assigned him to Triple A, according to Dan Hoard, the radio announcer for Pawtucket Red Sox games (Twitter link). The Red Sox designated Nelson for assignment earlier in the month, at which point he hinted at retirement. The Mariners signed the righty after he cleared waivers.
Nelson, 35, had a 9.72 ERA in 8.1 big league innings this year, walking six and striking out nine. Those high strikeout and walk rates are characteristic of the ones Nelson has posted over the course of his six-year MLB career. Nelson posted a 2.49 ERA in 21.2 innings at Triple A this year, with similarly high strikeout and walk numbers.
Odds & Ends: Hall, Lowell, Myers, Valentine, Lee
Some links for Thursday as Rangers GM Jon Daniels decides exactly how he wants to dye his hair…
- The Rangers released Toby Hall, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). The catcher, who last played in the majors in 2008, was in extended spring training.
- Peter Gammons wouldn't be surprised to see Bobby Valentine managing the Marlins by this weekend (Twitter link).
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains that big league players such as Rod Barajas, Daniel Nava and Frank Herrmann were not drafted at all.
- The Red Sox are expected to put Mike Lowell on the DL to make room for Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Red Sox have not used Lowell much, leading to trade speculation, but the DL stint won't do much for his value.
- One GM tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he finds D'Backs hitters hard to evaluate because Chase Field is so hitter-friendly.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if Brett Myers might be a better trade chip than Roy Oswalt.
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News hears from a source who believes that there's a 95% chance Valentine becomes the Marlins' next manager.
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says Cliff Lee is becoming the "rock-solid, no-questions-asked, No. 1 trade target in baseball."
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Mets and Twins are frontrunners for Lee right now.
- Michael Cuddyer expressed confidence in Minnesota's front office and said Lee would look good in a Twins uniform, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Royals “Love” Jose Iglesias
People in the Royals organization “love” Red Sox shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The 20-year-old Cuban is hitting .306/.340/.408 in AA, so chances are most teams like the looks of him. Not only can Iglesias hit, “scouts can’t say enough about [his] defensive ability,” according to Baseball America.
All of Boston's 29 rivals would probably have some interest in Iglesias, who signed an $8.25MM deal with the Red Sox last summer. The Royals’ interest in the shortstop doesn’t mean the Red Sox would consider moving him, but it’s noteworthy as the trade deadline approaches.
Because of their depleted outfield, the Red Sox would like to acquire a left-handed hitting outfielder. David DeJesus, who is playing well and under contract for just $4.7MM this year, fits that description. Cafardo hears that the Royals want a lot in return for DeJesus in potential trades, though there’s no sign that the Red Sox would so much as consider moving their shortstop prospect. The Royals will have a top shortstop prospect of their own, once they officially agree to terms with Christian Colon.
Odds & Ends: Pomeranz, Marlins, Everett, Valentine
Links for Wednesday…
- Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that fifth overall pick Drew Pomeranz is scheduled to go to Cleveland on Monday to take a physical and "hear the Indians' sales pitch." Hoynes says there have been no negotiations to date.
- Marlins' president David Samson told Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald that they're "not ready to say for certain that trade didn't work," referring to the Miguel Cabrera blockbuster (Twitter link). Both Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin, the two centerpieces of the deal for Florida, have struggled in the big leagues and are currently in the minors.
- Upon hearing about Boston's interest in his services, Adam Everett said "I haven't heard that, but great team, great city, and it sounds interesting," according to FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi (via Twitter).
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets the leaders in wins above replacement, or WAR, from last year's free agent class. Andy Pettitte tops the list, followed closely by Livan Hernandez and Aubrey Huff.
- Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post notes (via Twitter) that the Marlins spoke with Bobby Valentine this morning. The Marlins' opening interests Valentine.
- Prince Fielder and Corey Hart tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that they realize they could be traded. Morosi says the Brewers should trade Hart for pitching, but Hart would prefer to stay in Milwaukee.
- Kenny Williams told Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune that the White Sox could become buyers.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Blue Jays could trade pitching away this trade deadline (Twitter link).
- Chris Iannetta told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he did his best to ignore rumors that the Red Sox were interested in him.
- At this point, Pedro Martinez doesn't want to think about whether he'll play this year. He told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he doesn't know anything right now.
- Steve Gould of the Baltimore Sun reminds us that 2009 first rounder Matt Hobgood is still a teenager and says Orioles fans should be more patient with the tall righty.
- MLB.com's Fred Claire shows that the Orioles are looking for the kind of stability that was once found in Baltimore and that the Angels now have.