Stark On Mauer, Indians, Myers
The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- Stark tackles the topic of whether Joe Mauer can and should pursue his goal of staying at catcher for the life of his eight-year contract. Manager Ron Gardenhire was realistic about it, admitting that a position change is worth thinking about if Mauer continues to have leg and knee issues.
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti explained that if the team remains a contender at the trade deadline, "we'll be looking to acquire guys," rather than trade players like Grady Sizemore.
- Rooting for the Yankees to acquire Brett Myers this summer? One NL scout told Stark, "If he's in the AL East, he's a fifth starter." For more on the Astros' trade chips, check out my post from this morning.
If The Astros Become Sellers
Today is April 19th and the Astros are four games out in the NL Central. It seems rash to count them out entirely, but Baseball Prospectus' Playoff Odds Report gives the team a 0.0% chance of making the playoffs. Let's see who they could offer in trades a few months from now. The remaining salary figure is calculated as one-third of this year's salary plus any additional salaries and buyouts, so we're assuming players would be dealt around the July 31st trade deadline.
- Carlos Lee, LF/1B: $24.7MM owed through 2012. Since September of 2009, Lee is hitting .248/.290/.415 in 839 plate appearances. He seems more likely to be released than traded. Contenders might view Lee as nothing more than a bench bat, a role with which he could be unhappy.
- Wandy Rodriguez, SP: Up to $38.3MM owed through 2014. Since Wandy is paid only $7MM this year, he'd fit into most contenders' 2011 budgets. His '13 club option becomes a player option with a trade, the salary of which is reflected in the $38.3MM figure. If the 32-year-old is in the midst of a disappointing but not terrible season, the Astros could have a way of getting out of the contract. If he's pitching well, the Astros could get solid players in return.
- Brett Myers, SP: $16.3MM owed through 2012; could become $23.3MM through 2013 if option vests. Like Rodriguez, Myers is earning only $7MM this year. At the least he's an innings eater, and the Astros could extract a decent bounty from a desperate team at the trade deadline. GM Ed Wade holds a couple of excellent trade chips in Rodriguez and Myers, though it remains to be seen if they'll become available.
- Hunter Pence, OF: $2.3MM owed through 2011; arbitration eligible for 2012 and '13. Moving Pence would be unpopular and could decimate an already-questionable offense. Still, after winning his arbitration case in February, Pence is in line for $10MM+ in '12 and even more in '13. If the Astros don't see him as part of their long-term plans, the best time to move him is this summer.
- Brandon Lyon, RP: $7.25MM through 2012. The Astros would have an inexperienced bullpen without Lyon, but Wade has to be willing to make short-term sacrifices. If Lyon is pitching decently in July the Astros have a chance to get out of a contract that makes little sense for them.
- Michael Bourn, CF: $1.5MM through 2011; arbitration eligible for '12. Credible center fielders are hard to come by, and as a Scott Boras client Bourn probably won't be signing an extension with the Astros. The Nationals could be a match.
- Clint Barmes, SS: $1.3MM through 2011. Barmes would like an extension, and considers himself an everyday player. He'd need to play well for a few months to establish trade value.
- Bill Hall, 2B: $1.25MM through 2011. Hall is only through about a tenth of his season, but he'll need to pick it up to prove he should be a regular. An acquiring team might want him back in a super-utility role.
- Jeff Keppinger, IF: $778K through 2011; arbitration eligible for 2012. Keppinger had foot surgery in January and may make his season debut in May. He's probably the Astro most likely to be traded this summer.
Barmes Hopes To Remain With Astros Beyond 2011
The Astros remade their middle infield this offseason, but they have yet to see new shortstop Clint Barmes play an official game in their uniform. He's currently recovering from a fractured hand suffered in Spring Training, but he's already thinking beyond his rehab and to the future, telling Stephen Goff of Examiner.com that he hopes to remain in Houston beyond this season.
Barmes, 32, will earn $3.925MM this season, his final one as an arbitration-eligible player. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the season, when he would be one of the few legitimate everday middle infielders available on the market. Although he hit just .235/.305/.351 with the Rockies last season, Barmes hit a respectable .264/.306/.452 with 34 homers and 25 steals from 2008-2009. Aside from a hiccup in 2007 and 2008, UZR has liked his defense at short.
Quick Hits: Feliciano, Twins, Rendon, Oswalt
Links for Wednesday, after a walk-off win for Brandon Inge and the Tigers…
- Yankees manager Joe Girardi says Pedro Feliciano has a "damaged shoulder" according to Ben Shpigel of the New York Times (on Twitter). It sounds like surgery is a possibility for the Yankees' $8MM investment.
- Tsuyoshi Nishioka’s leg injury weakened the Twins' middle infield, which means they may look for infield help, rather than relievers in potential deals, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Trade candidate Kevin Slowey hasn’t pitched in a game since April 4th because of bursitis in his right shoulder, but he could become available again this season.
- Anthony Rendon nudged out Gerrit Cole for top spot on Baseball America’s updated list of top draft eligible players.
- The Yankees were frustrated that the Astros never made them fully aware that Roy Oswalt was available last summer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Credit Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. for acquiring Oswalt quietly and later denying the Yankees their primary offseason target, Cliff Lee.
Blue Jays Expect To Trade Purcey; Astros Interested
10:10pm: The Astros are interested in Purcey, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun (on Twitter). Houston is one of the potentially interested teams I speculated on earlier tonight.
6:36pm: Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Barry Davis of Sportsnet that he expects to deal recently designated reliever David Purcey within the next ten days instead of allowing another team to claim the left-hander on waivers (Twitter link). The Blue Jays designated Purcey for assignment earlier today, which means they have ten days to trade him, release him or, if he clears waivers, assign him to the minor leagues.
It seems likely that Purcey will draw interest, since he posted a 3.71 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 34 innings last year. The former first rounder has a 92 mph fastball and is still just 28. Left-hander Garrett Olson, another first round selection, was snapped up off of waivers last month, after the Mariners made him available.
However, Purcey has an 11.57 ERA with three strikeouts and four walks in 2 1/3 innings over the course of five appearances so far this year. Worst of all, he allowed two hits and a walk to the four batters he faced in Seattle last night, allowing the Mariners to start an unlikely comeback.
Offseason In Review: Houston Astros
The Astros are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- Bill Hall, 2B: one year, $3.25MM. Includes $4MM mutual option for 2012 with a $250K buyout.
- Jason Michaels, OF: one year, $900K. Club option exercised.
- Total spend: $4.15MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Ryan Rowland-Smith (re-signed to minor league deal), Fernando Nieve, Oswaldo Navarro, Anderson Hernandez, Casey Fien, Carlos Corporan, Brian Dopirak, Sammy Gervacio, Gustavo Chacin, Robinson Cancel
Extensions
Trades and Claims
- Claimed RP Aneury Rodriguez from Rays in Rule 5 draft
- Acquired SS Clint Barmes from Rockies for P Felipe Paulino
- Acquired P Jonnathan Aristil and SP Wes Musick from Rockies for RP Matt Lindstrom
- Acquired RP Sergio Escalona from Phillies for 2B Albert Cartwright
- Acquired IF/OF Joe Inglett from Rays for player to be named later or cash considerations
Notable Losses
- Felipe Paulino, Matt Lindstrom, Albert Cartwright, Geoff Blum, Brian Moehler, Tim Byrdak, Chris Sampson
Summary
It was a quiet offseason for Astros GM Ed Wade, who added some middle infield pop, extended Wandy Rodriguez, and acquired a few arms via trades and claims.
For about $7MM, Wade revamped his middle infield with Hall and Barmes. Not many teams considered these players middle infield regulars, which might be a red flag. Wade is taking an offensive-minded approach to second base and shortstop, and both players have 20 home run ability. Of course, they both have .300 OBP ability too, so I'm not sure that the lineup will benefit much. Once again, this appears to be an Astros lineup littered with easy outs. Barmes, who broke a bone in his hand in March, is in line for a late April debut.
I can't complain too much about the Hall and Barmes pickups, as they're not blocking anyone. Still, the Rockies got the better end of the Barmes-Paulino swap. Why would the Astros rid themselves of a 27-year-old with a 96 mile per hour fastball and 8.1 career K/9? Barmes (pictured) was a non-tender candidate for Colorado.
The Astros' barren offense is a shame, because their rotation has the potential to be solid (early returns aside). Myers and Rodriguez form a strong one-two punch, J.A. Happ and Bud Norris have flashed 4.00 ERA skills, and Jordan Lyles is one of the 50 best prospects in baseball.
Extending Rodriguez was a win for Wade, as Wandy would have been one of the better free agent starters available after the season. The price was reasonable, though I'm not sure what conditions cause his $13MM option for 2014 to vest. In the cases of Rodriguez and Brett Myers, the extensions could improve their trade value for certain suitors should Wade look to improve his farm system this summer.
The Astros have a consensus bottom-five farm system, which must be improved if the team is to return to prominence. Grabbing a couple of arms to try in the Rule 5 draft made sense. Lindstrom was traded for prospects, though his salary might have been the Astros' motivation in trading him. I don't mind a non-contender having an unproven bullpen, but I hope Lindstrom's potential $3MM salary didn't force Wade to settle for less in trade.
The Astros finally committed to a rebuild last summer, trading two of their best-known players in Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman (though neither had much trade value). This summer Wade will face tougher decisions on whether to move Rodriguez, Myers, Hunter Pence, and Michael Bourn, making the team even worse in the short term for the greater good.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Quick Hits: Pedro, Martin, Archer, Davis, D’Backs
Links for Saturday, after Matt Harrison threw his second gem in as many starts…
- A team official told Joel Sherman of The New York Post that the Yankees have no interest in Pedro Martinez even though he's looking to return (Twitter links). The Yankees changed their mind about Carlos Silva after the right-hander agreed to get in shape and pitch in the minors.
- Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com spoke to Russell Martin, who said the Red Sox expressed interest in signing him this offseason but were concerned about his injured hip.
- Rays prospect Chris Archer holds no ill-will towards the Cubs for dealing him, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The right-hander was a part of the deal that brought Matt Garza to Chicago.
- The Yankees did not send a scout to watch Doug Davis' workout yesterday, reports George A. King III of The New York Post.
- In his Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney spoke to some executives that said Manny Ramirez's reported PED use may have altered the future of former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes and manager Bob Melvin. Arizona led the NL West for most of the 2008 season, but were knocked out of postseason race when the Dodgers made a late charge after acquiring Manny at the deadline.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick profiled Brett Wallace of the Astros, who was traded three times in the span of 371 days. "The way I choose to look at it, the teams that traded for me all had a plan for me and believed in me," said the first baseman. "But it definitely makes you step back and see the business side of baseball. When you get traded one year out of the draft, it's an eye opener. It doesn't matter how much a team likes you or doesn't like you. Things can change. Things are going to happen, and anyone is touchable."
Minor League Transactions
There was a slew of minor league transactions from March 30 to April 5, and Matt Eddy of Baseball America has written them up and included info on some noteworthy names. Here's more on those …
- The Cubs released righty Chris Huseby, an 11th-round draft pick in 2006 who signed for a hefty $1.3MM. Huseby wasn't panning out as a pitcher and saw action in the outfield in recent seasons.
- The Indians released third baseman Matt Cusick, one of the two players they received from the Yankees in last season's swap for Kerry Wood. The other player – Andrew Shive – had been previously released.
- The Rockies released reliever Craig Baker, who led the Minors in saves in 2009 with 33. A fourth-round pick 2006, Baker's 2010 was derailed by the injuries that haunted him earlier in his career.
- The Astros released reliever Bubbie Buzachero, who is among the active career leaders in minor league saves.
- The Royals released speedy outfielder Hilton Richardson, a seventh-round pick in 2007 who has 77 steals in the minors in 100 attempts. The Braves then signed Richardson.
- The Dodgers released lefty reliever James Adkins, a sandwich-round pick in 2007 out of Tennessee. The southpaw is the Volunteers' career leader in strikeouts but has struggled with control and against righties in the minors.
- The Brewers released hard-throwing lefty Evan Frederickson, the 35th overall pick in 2008. Frederickson has been excessively wild in his minors career, never walking fewer than 7.6 batters per nine, according to Eddy.
- Twins righty Chris Province, acquired from the Red Sox in the Boof Bonser trade in 2009, voluntarily retired. Province surrendered a lot of hits in 2010, but seeing as he posted solid groundball rates for two poor teams, Eddy wonders whether he might have fared better with a better defense behind him.
- The Padres released catcher Mitch Canham, the 57th overall pick in 2007. The Friars hoped Canham would develop into an offense-first backstop, but he was abused by basestealers, and his production with the bat didn't hold up at other positions.
- The Giants released righty Craig Whitaker, a supplemental-round pick in 2003. Whitaker, as Eddy notes, is something of a rarity as an unsuccessful power arm drafted by San Francisco. Outfielder Ben Copeland, the Giants' first pick (fourth round) in 2005, was also released.
- The Rangers released righty Danny Gutierrez, formerly one of their top-10 prospects. Gutierrez had been acquired from the Royals, but his stuff has diminished and was suspended 50 games for amphetamines prior to the 2010 season.
- The Blue Jays released speedy outfielder Eric Eiland, a second-round pick in 2007. Eiland has been an efficient basestealer but has struggled overall offensively.
Olney On Astros, Castro, Dodgers
ESPN.com's Buster Olney is not buying Boston's slow start, though no World Series winner has ever opened the season with four consecutive losses. Another 0-4 team, the Rays, entered the year with a fragile equation for success and may be more vulnerable than their struggling division rivals, Olney says. Here are more rumblings from around baseball:
- Rival scouts don’t see much MLB caliber hitting on the Astros other than Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn and Carlos Lee. The over/under for Astros wins in 2011 should be 60, according to one scout. Houston won 76 games last year and has a solid rotation, so I'll take the over on that one.
- A couple of years ago, Cubs GM Jim Hendry described Starlin Castro as someone who could remind us of Edgar Renteria. The 21-year-old shortstop already has 10 hits this season and could become one of the top shortstops in baseball.
- The Dodgers are paying some deferred money this year, but Olney points out that their payroll has dropped from $118MM to $92MM since 2008. Owner Frank McCourt is trying to come up with $200MM to maintain the rights to the franchise.
Quick Hits: Pelfrey, Wandy, Beato, Bennett
Links for Monday, before Josh Beckett makes his 2011 debut. Will he live up to his extension?
- Rival executives don’t expect Mariners ace Felix Hernandez to be available this summer, but they’re eyeing Wandy Rodriguez and Mike Pelfrey as potential trade targets, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
- If you want to look a little further ahead, check out Tim Dierkes' preview of which starters will be available next offseason.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law suggests the Orioles will regret leaving Pedro Beato off of their 40-man roster last fall. The Mets nabbed the reliever in the Rule 5 draft and he's now on the team's active roster.
- Former Braves reliever Jeff Bennett is trying to revive his career after seeing it hit rock-bottom, as Greg Sullivan of the Tennessean writes.