Padres Acquire Jason Lane
Ed Wade’s first move as Astros GM was something of a favor to his former boss, Kevin Towers. He dealt 30 year-old outfielder Jason Lane to the Padres for a player to be named later or cash considerations. MLB.com’s Alyson Footer expects the Astros to take the cash.
Lane was featured in our non-tender candidate list written back in August. He has a bit more than three years of service time and makes $1.05MM this year. I believe he’ll reach arbitration for the first time this winter.
The Padres apparently want Lane for more than just this week (he won’t be eligible for the postseason should they make it). Towers says Lane will be in the mix with Scott Hairston and Brian Giles for next year’s outfield. They might use Lane in center field.
So far Lane has a .241/.315/.458 line in about 1200 big league at-bats. The average NL center fielder is hitting .273/.336/.427 this year. If Lane can play to his career averages and not embarrass himself defensively the Padres might have something here. He has some interesting comparables in his list, including Jermaine Dye and Eric Byrnes on the optimistic end. This is a typical Towers stathead-type move. There’s really no downside to it.
Ed Wade: Houston’s New Rocket Man
"Houston, you have a problem" was probably the initial reaction anyone who follows the Phillies, or baseball for that matter, had when they heard that the Houston Astros had hired Ed Wade to be their new general manager.
Wade was fired from that same post in Philadelphia two years ago after failing to compose a team to reach the playoffs — and brutally suffering for it publicly — during his eight year tenure in town (1997-2005).
Even a few years out from Wade, the Phillies’ last October appearance dates back to the mullets and beards of 1993.
But that’s another story. The issue at hand is whether or not Wade is a good hire for the Astros. That’s hard to say unless you were one of the lucky fans chosen at random to sit in on the interview process, but it is possible to judge Wade’s history with Philadelphia and then consider if his strengths and weaknesses are suitable to the Astros’ needs.
If you scan the field at the start of a Phillies home game, you’ll see that six of the starting "everyday eight" were acquired under Wade’s watch, and they make up the most potent lineup in the National League
- Pat Burrell was drafted, developed, and, for better or worse, signed to a long-term contract.
- Shane Victorino was acquired in the Rule 5 draft.
- Jimmy Rollins, a strong contender for this year’s MVP award was developed and signed to a bargain of a long term contract.
- Another MVP candidate and the best second baseman in baseball, Chase Utley, was drafted and developed under Wade and signed to a long term contract under Wade’s successor, Pat Gillick.
- First baseman Ryan Howard was drafted and developed well enough under Wade to win a Rookie of the Year award and then an MVP award in the two years since Wade left.
- Rookie starting catcher Carlos Ruiz was signed by Wade as a 19-year old out of Panama.
Wade also drafted the Phillies’ three best pitchers: Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, and Brett Myers, and at one time, traded away their worst, Adam Eaton, only for him to be re-acquired under Gillick’s regime. Let’s not forget, before he was general manager, Wade campaigned hard within the Phillies to trade for Bobby Abreu before anyone knew who he was (Kevin Stocker was the "bait" that eventually landed him). That’s quite a nucleus, no doubt about it. [An aside: Critics will point out that one of Wade’s assistant GM’s, Mike Arbuckle, who’s still an assistant in Philadelphia, was responsible for acquiring that nucleus, not Wade. That might be true, but consider these two points: even if Arbuckle did acquire all of that talent, Wade was smart enough to let him do it, and second, when general manager vacancies arise, Arbuckle is almost never a name that comes up, at least not publicly.]
After that nucleus however, the bullet points in Wade’s resume are a little harder to come by. In ballyhooed off-season moves, Wade acquired Jim Thome, Billy Wagner, David Bell, Eric Milton, Kevin Millwood and Andy Ashby, none of whom were able to get the nucleus over the hump and into the playoffs. Prior to that he got very little in return for Curt Schilling and Scott Rolen, both players having made it clear they wanted out of Philadelphia. The best piece from both of those deals, Placido Polanco [apologies to all of you who still think that some day Vicente Padilla is going to finally "get it"], was eventually dealt to the Detroit Tigers, where he’s flourished, for Ugueth Urbina (currently playing as number 283948 in the Venezuelan Penal League) as a rental in 2005.
Other water that flowed under Wade’s bridge were several trades where the Phillies gave up several forgettable minor leaguers (to name a few: Taylor Bucholz, Eaton, Elizardo Ramirez) for several forgettable relievers (to name a few: Todd Jones, Terry Adams, Mike Timlin) and his penchant for handing out no-trade clauses in contracts, an obstacle Gillick has had to deal with on numerous occasions.
The trend is clear: Wade was able to develop a very fine nucleus, one that is scoring runs for the Phillies in bunches, but was unable to add the necessary supporting pieces, even after he was given an adequate budget to do so in the later years of his tenure.
In other words, Houston, he’s shown he can get you to the launch pad, but don’t hope for the moon.
Tom Goyne is the author of Balls, Sticks, & Stuff ("Phillies, Eagles, golf, and other matters of great importance…") and maintains the Phloggers’ Pheeds page, a source for the latest commentary from around the "phlogosphere"..
Ed Wade Hired As Astros GM
Jayson Stark confirms it: Ed Wade is the new Astros GM. Wade came in for his second interview today.
The Phillies promoted Wade to GM in December of 1997, and fired him in October of 2005 after the team failed to reach the playoffs during that span.
An attempt to compile some of Wade’s bigger moves (I’ve yet to form an opinion on his overall performance):
- 12-23-97: Traded Mickey Morandini to Cubs for Doug Glanville
- Failed to sign J.D. Drew; drafted Pat Burrell first overall in 1998
- 11-19-98: Traded Ricky Bottalico and Garrett Stephenson to Cardinals for Ron Gant, Jeff Brantley, and Cliff Politte
- 11-13-98: Traded Jerry Spradlin for Chad Ogea
- 5-5-99: Traded Paul Spoljaric to Blue Jays for Robert Person
- Drafted Brett Myers 12th overall in 1999
- 11-10-99: Traded Steve Montgomery, Carlton Loewer, and Adam Eaton to Padres for Andy Ashby
- 12-7-99: Signed Mike Jackson to be closer (spent entire year on DL)
- 7-12-00: Traded Ashby to Braves for Jimmy Osting and Bruce Chen
- Drafted Chase Utley 15th overall in 2000
- 7-26-00: Traded Curt Schilling to Diamondbacks for Omar Daal, Nelson Figueroa, Travis Lee, and Vicente Padilla
- 7-29-00: Traded Gant to Angels for Kent Bottenfield
- Drafted Gavin Floyd 4th overall in 2001
- Fired Terry Francona, hired Larry Bowa
- 2000: Signed Ricky Bottalico, Rheal Cormier, and Jose Mesa
- 1-29-01: Signed Paul Byrd
- 6-5-01: Traded Byrd to Royals for Jose Santiago
- Drafted Ryan Howard in 5th round in 2001
- 7-27-01: Traded Chen for Dennis Cook and Turk Wendell
- Signed Terry Adams
- 7-29-02: Traded Scott Rolen for Bud Smith, Mike Timlin, and Placido Polanco
- Drafted Cole Hamels 17th overall in 2002
- 2-20:02: Signed Bobby Abreu to five-year, $64MM extension
- 11-24-02: Signed David Bell to a four-year, $17MM contract
- 12-3-02: Signed Jim Thome to a six-year, $85MM contract in December 2002
- 12-20-02: Traded Johnny Estrada to Braves for Kevin Millwood
- 2-3-03: Signed Pat Burrell to a six-year, $50MM contract in February 2003
- 11-3-03: Traded Brandon Duckworth, Taylor Buchholz, and Ezequiel Astacio to Astros for Billy Wagner
- 12-3-03: Traded Carlos Silva, Nick Punto, and a PTBNL to Twins for Eric Milton
- 12-9-03: Signed Tim Worrell in December 2003
- Drafted Greg Golson 21st overall in 2004
- 8-9-04: Traded Elizardo Ramirez, Javon Moran and Joe Wilson for Cory Lidle
- 12-3-04: Traded Felix Rodriguez to Yankees for Kenny Lofton
- 12-8-04: Signed Jon Lieber to a three-year, $21MM contract in December of 2004
- 12-13-04: Selected Shane Victorino from Dodgers in Rule V draft
- 5-14-05: Traded Marlon Byrd to Nationals for Endy Chavez
- 6-8-05: Traded Placido Polanco to Tigers for Ugueth Urbina and Ramon Martinez
- 6-13-05: Signed Jimmy Rollins to a five-year, $40MM extension in June 2005
Clemens Back In Houston Next Year?
Astros fans: would you welcome Roger Clemens back with open arms in 2008? Would this be a good way to spend $15-20MM? Do you think the new general manager would entertain the possibility?
I ask because of this note in Will Carroll’s column today:
Clemens was reported to have avoided Torre’s calls, and while their relationship has never been close, it’s never been unprofessional. On top of this are some whispers that the Hendricks’ have started asking around regarding interest in Clemens’ services for next year, notably back in Houston.
Another winter, another round of Roger? If Clemens does want to return in 2008, there’s no better place to leave on a high note than the NL Central. But first he’ll have to prove his elbow is OK; he recently deemed it "pretty nasty" in there. Clemens has a chance to climb to third all-time for career wins if he can manage another two seasons.
Stark’s Latest: Clemens, Pettitte, Lowell
Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up at ESPN. Let’s discuss.
- Most folks think Roger Clemens will retire after the season. The "will he, won’t he" storyline is one I won’t mind avoiding this winter. Remember, back in February Roger said he told his son it was "80-20 that I wasn’t going to play." He also said, "I’m not leaving anybody hanging. I don’t want to play." Good riddance.
- Andy Pettitte has a $16MM player option for 2008. This is similar to an out clause, where it’s win-win for the player. He only exercises it if he couldn’t get it on the open market. Pettitte’s the best free agent starting pitcher if he opts out. Stark seems to think he’d decline the option but then just re-up with the Yankees for more money and/or years.
- Word is that Mike Lowell would enjoy playing for the Phillies if the Red Sox don’t re-sign him. Gordon Edes isn’t sure if the Red Sox would offer him three years, and believes another team might go four. A four-year deal would cover his age 34-37 seasons…probably a bad move. Then again, what do I know? I thought he was toast after 2005.
Needs and Luxuries: Houston Astros
Today, we’ll take a look at the Astros. They’ll install a fresh regime this winter and may do some major retooling. It’s about time.
C – J.R. Towles
1B – Lance Berkman
2B – Chris Burke
SS – Adam Everett
3B – Ty Wigginton
LF – Carlos Lee
CF – Hunter Pence
RF – Luke Scott
SP – Roy Oswalt
SP – Wandy Rodriguez
SP – Woody Williams
SP – Chris Sampson
SP – Brandon Backe/Matt Albers/Troy Patton/Juan Gutierrez
Closer – Brad Lidge
Setup – Chad Qualls
Needs
Houston’s needs aren’t as bad as I originally suspected, but they still have some holes. Can J.R. Towles take over as the full-time catcher in 2008 despite just 11 games in Triple A and a month in the bigs? He plays good defense, mashed at Double A this year, and is athletic for a catcher. He’s had some injury problems and it’d be asking a lot for him to handle the pitching staff as a rookie. I wouldn’t mind seeing Brad Ausmus return strictly as a backup or a defensive-minded backup like Jose Molina signed. The kid will need some tutelage but they can’t keep going back to Ausmus.
Biggio is retiring, and he’s been a drain on the offense this year. But Burke hasn’t been much better. I like the idea of importing a veteran, hopefully one with more pop than Loretta. Tadahito Iguchi would be a nice fit and his solid presence would help the team move on from Biggio.
Everett has been mentioned as a non-tender candidate. It takes a whole lotta defense to support a .600 OPS, and he’ll have to regain his stride after breaking his leg this season. It seems kind of cruel to cut him, but hey, this is a business. Nice guys finish last. The problem is that the free agent market for shortstops is bleak. Tim Purpura had many trade discussions about Miguel Tejada; will the new GM resume those talks? That kind of acquisition would really get people talking in Houston; a package could center around Troy Patton or Wandy Rodriguez. Edgar Renteria would be another fine option.
Luxuries
I wouldn’t go so far as to call the outfield situation a luxury, but I think the Astros are fine here. Lee is entrenched in left field. I feel Scott is underrated. Pence has obviously arrived. While he’s better suited for right field, playing him in center again isn’t the end of the world. Scott has been named as trade bait in the past but he’s a good player and his loss would create a new hole to fill. An ugly April has masked his work since: .266/.362/.529 in 263 ABs.
The closest the Astros have to a luxury might be starting pitching, something I never expected to be saying after their losses of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. Oswalt is the rock. Wandy makes a nice #3, Williams a respectable #4. In my mind there’s no real #2 (Jason Jennings was supposed to fill that role). But they have a lot of respectable options for the last two spots in Sampson, Albers, Backe, and Patton. Sampson hasn’t been talked about much this year but he was doing a nice job until a sprained elbow ligament got the best of him in July. There’s talk of bringing Jennings back on a one-year make good deal, an idea I like.
It’s true that you can never have too much pitching but if the Astros have to part with Wandy, Albers, or Patton to get Tejada or Renteria I support it. A new regime could make the Astros’ offense respectable again just by plugging in some league average bats. It’ll be addition by subtraction to ditch Loretta, Ausmus, Biggio, Burke, and Everett. This year those five combined for 1675 ABs. The highest OPS of the bunch was Loretta’s .688.
Garner/Purpura Fired
UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal confirms the firing of both Garner and Purpura. Cecil Cooper will take over for the rest of the season.
790 AM The Sports Animal is reporting that the Astros have fired manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura, with a press conference coming up.
Purpura and Garner pretty much received a vote of confidence from Drayton McLane back in May, but their tenures have come to a short end. Purpura was hired on November 1, 2004 and Garner on the following day. Garner had taken over from Jimy Williams as interim manager in July of that year.
Odds and Ends
Some random rumors and links for Tuesday afternoon…
- The Rockies signed Mark Redman to a minor league contract. It makes sense to add some depth, but I like the team’s plan of using high-octane arms Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales instead of the safe veteran options.
- Rick Sutcliffe‘s thoughts on showboating.
- At one time, it seemed that Jason Jennings would be primed for a big payday this winter. He still could get a Marquis contract despite his 6.45 ERA in 18 starts. But prospective buyers have to be concerned that he replied "I don’t know" when asked if he is healthy. By the way, that link details a failed ballpark marriage proposal that resulted in popcorn being dumped on the guy’s head. On the Jumbotron.
- It wouldn’t be the Kansas City Star without an enormous pixellated close-up of the player in question. This time it’s Mark Grudzielanek, who’s been extended through 2008. Grudz wouldn’t have reached the 500 PAs needed to guarantee his $4MM option for ’08.
- The Red Sox still haven’t spoken to Mike Lowell about a contract extension. He wants to stay, and Nick Cafardo suggests Jermaine Dye could be the comp at two years, $22MM. That’d be a major concession for Lowell, who’d be the best free agent third baseman unless A-Rod opts out. One scenario has Kevin Youkilis moving to third base and some sort of league average first baseman stepping in, like the newly acquired Chris Carter. Another has the Red Sox signing Alex Rodriguez. The middle ground to those extremes is just to agree on a two-year deal with Lowell. It’d make sense for the Red Sox to hold off on Lowell until they see what A-Rod does.
- The Eric Byrnes contract may serve as a model for Jose Guillen.
- Tom Koch-Weser of STATS, Inc. has a new WHIFF profile of San Diego’s Chris Young. A must-read as always.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Possible Waiver Deals
Ken Rosenthal has a new post up; below are some points of interest for rumor-hounds like us.
- Josh Towers and Steve Trachsel have both cleared waivers. You’ll find their contract info as well as a complete list of those who have cleared waivers here. Rosenthal says the Rockies are monitoring both pitchers; they were forced to start journeyman Tim Harikkala today. The Rox also called the A’s about Chad Gaudin but found the price prohibitive. Another reason a Gaudin trade wouldn’t make sense is that he wouldn’t pass through waivers.
- Towers is attracting multiple suitors. I think he’ll have moderate success in the NL as a #4 starter.
- Mark Loretta and Mike Lamb were both claimed on waivers and then pulled back, so they’re not going anywhere.
- The Yankees have no reason to throw down a chunk of change on a free agent starter this winter. They’re all set for 2008 with a formidable rotation of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, and Andy Pettitte. I think we’ve learned by now that there’s really no such thing as a surplus of starting pitching, so I imagine the Yanks will only trade Kei Igawa in the right deal. Buster Olney said this morning that there was a 50% chance of Igawa going to the Padres soon. Additionally, it will be nice to have Ian Kennedy around as the sixth starter.
Multiple Teams Looking At Kielty
UPDATE: The Red Sox signed Kielty.
Bobby Kielty is a 31 year-old switch-hitting outfielder. He can typically draw a few walks and hit lefties. He can handle the corner outfield positions but hasn’t played center with any regularity since 2002. Kielty is a free agent now after being released by the A’s.
According to the Boston Herald, Kielty is receiving interest from the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Astros. The Herald mentions Kielty’s ties to New England, while the San Francisco Chronicle considers him the favorite. Question: why would the Astros be interested?