Rockies May Consider Trading Holliday, Atkins
Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News thinks the Rockies are primed for a major shakeup this winter. Specifically, GM Dan O’Dowd could move two star players in Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins.
Ringolsby figures the Phillies, Angels, Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox will be the main suitors for Holliday. The 28 year-old is hitting .311/.403/.492 on the road this year, suggesting he could be a .900 OPS masher in any park. I’m not seeing the fit for the Red Sox, while the Yanks could work Holliday in if they let Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu leave. The other three teams also make sense in certain scenarios. But do the Phillies have the top-level pitching needed to acquire Holliday? It’s been suggested in the past that dark horses such as the Royals or Nationals could enter the mix for the slugger.
Atkins, 28, is hitting .235/.281/.386 away from Coors. His road OPS was under .800 last year as well, so suitors will be wary. Ringolsby suggests the Angels, Twins, Red Sox, and Yankees here. Again I don’t see the fit for Boston. The Twins would need faith in Atkins’ ability to play third base. Unlike Holliday, Atkins is under team control through 2010.
K-Rod May Not Require Five Years
This was discussed on Saturday, but I wanted to take another look at Francisco Rodriguez‘s comments to the L.A. Times. First, he notes that the Angels are definitely still in the mix:
"I want to clarify something. Just because I want to explore the market, it doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here."
What’s more, K-Rod may not require the five year, $75MM contract we’ve seen bandied about. Rodriguez told Mike DiGiovanna he’d consider a four-year deal with a fifth-year option. DiGiovanna says that’s more in line with the Angels’ thinking.
Odds and Ends: Sabathia, Pavano, Penny, Burnett
Random links to start the morning…
- Ben Shpigel says Billy Wagner‘s $10.5MM for ’09 is not covered by insurance, making the Mets unlikely suitors for K-Rod (hat tip to MetsBlog).
- The Padres claimed knuckleballer Charlie Haeger. You have to like the move; he’s only 24.
- Ken Davidoff writes about Nationals pitcher Tim Redding, who dreams about returning to the Yankees one day.
- Davidoff also says that contrary to popular belief, C.C. Sabathia did not buy a home in Southern California.
- In another post, Davidoff lists the worst trades of ’08.
- Nats GM Jim Bowden will probably bring in a veteran first baseman next year due to health concerns with Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young.
- Not much cooking on the Pedro Alvarez front…Bud Selig testified yesterday, and the next part of the hearing isn’t until September 23rd.
- Andrew Baggarly explains Bengie Molina‘s contentious relationship with the Giants.
- From Saturday: Carl Pavano‘s side of the story. Can Pavano be a useful pitcher next year?
- Larry Borowsky would like to see the Cardinals enterain an extension for Todd Wellemeyer. He’s eligible for free agency after the ’09 season.
- Joel Sherman isn’t sure the Yankees will invite Andy Pettitte back next year.
- Brad Penny says he pitched through a shoulder injury because of uncertainty around his ’09 option.
- Interesting fact…A.J. Burnett is second in MLB with 3286 pitches thrown (Sabathia jumped into the lead last night). Many of the ’07 leaders in pitches thrown came down with injuries this year.
- Michael O’Keefe sits down with agent Scott Boras.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney notes that the Blue Jays will pursue a shortstop this winter.
- All you ever wanted to know about Dr. James Andrews.
- Jed Hoyer explains where Curt Schilling learned his negotiating tactics.
Molony’s Latest: K-Rod, Helms, Valverde
Let’s dig into the latest blog post from MLB.com’s Jim Molony.
- Molony believes the Mets, Cardinals, Rays, Tigers, Indians, and Cubs are considering signing Francisco Rodriguez this winter. I think K-Rod’s demands could cause a nice ripple effect for Brian Fuentes, the second-best closer on the market. Regarding Molony’s six teams, a strong case can be made against several of them signing Rodriguez. The Rays and Indians will probably take a careful approach to free agency, while the Tigers may not have room in the budget. The Cubs seem likely to bring Kerry Wood back.
- Also on the topic of K-Rod, ESPN’s Andrew Marchand (via MetsBlog) quotes the pitcher’s agent naming the Cardinals, Tigers, Dodgers, Angels, and Mets as the five likely serious suitors. They’re looking for 5/75.
- Wes Helms would like to return to the Marlins next year. Molony believes the Marlins may want to retain Helms or Luis Gonzalez but perhaps not both.
- The Astros would prefer an extension for closer Jose Valverde rather than a likely eight figure arbitration reward. Valverde, 29, could reasonably demand more than $50MM in a multiyear extension.
Odds and Ends: Pujols, Isringhausen, K-Rod
I am going to toss up some links as I come across them, so check back on this post.
- ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick has an excellent piece on the Pedro Alvarez situation, including quotes from Scott Boras and Max Scherzer. The grievance will be heard tomorrow, but the entire process could take months.
- The big news of the day is not hot stove related. Albert Pujols is considering offseason Tommy John surgery, which would require seven to nine months of recovery time. It could cause him to miss April of ’09. UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal’s sources say Pujols does not intend to have the surgery this offseason.
- In the same article, reliever Jason Isringhausen says he hopes to be ready for spring training after elbow surgery. He spoke of getting "an incentive-based deal with someone."
- Joel Sherman doesn’t buy into the speculation that the Mets will be aggressive in pursuing Francisco Rodriguez due to Billy Wagner‘s injury. K-Rod has had 61 save opportunities this year, 14 more than anyone else. No other pitcher has reached 60 opps this decade. Rodriguez may pursue a five-year, $75MM deal.
- SI.com’s Tom Verducci looks at the dumbing down of bullpen roles.
- Andrew Baggarly offers a possible explanation for Conor Gillaspie‘s call-up: a "predraft understanding." Gillaspie signed for slot as the 37th overall pick. Adding him to the 40-man roster now is less than ideal.
- RotoWorld’s Matthew Pouliot predicts destinations and contracts for free agent pitchers. His article also includes non-tender candidates.
- Cork Gaines gives a rundown of the Rays’ 2009 commitments.
- This week’s chat has been moved to Wednesday at 2pm CST.
Odds And Ends: Bradley, Rodriguez
Some links this Saturday morning; I’ll add more to the list as the day’s news progresses.
- Doug Baxter of DraftInfo chats with ESPN.com’s Keith Law to get his thoughts on the 2009 draft.
- Tim MacMahon at the Dallas Morning News’ Rangers blog ponders whether the Rangers should offer Milton Bradley a multi-year deal or not.
- Speaking of players looking for new deals, Francisco Rodriguez tells the LA Times that his desire to explore free-agency does not necessarily indicate he wants to leave the Angels.
Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Comments? Rumors? alexo05 (at) umpbump (dot) com
Odds and Ends: Olivo, Eckstein, Angels, Astros
Labor Day linkage…
- I did a Q&A with an Angels blog called The Halo Is Lit.
- Royals catcher Miguel Olivo patched things up with manager Trey Hillman. Olivo has a mutual option for ’09.
- David Eckstein is a borderline Type B player, but the D’Backs won’t get a pick unless they offer him arbitration and he declines and signs elsewhere. As of August 29th, Eckstein did not have Type B status anyway. By the way, the D’Backs designated Emiliano Fruto for assignment to make room for Eckstein.
- Needless to say, the Angels weren’t able to acquire a shortstop.
- Richard Justice thinks many Astros fans owe GM Ed Wade an apology.
- Patrick Newman has more info on Satoru Komiyama‘s mysterious breaking pitch, the shake.
D-Backs Now Favorite To Land Eckstein
Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the D-Backs are the favorite to land David Eckstein from the Blue Jays, prior to tonight’s deadline for players to be eligible for the post-season. Previously we heard that both the D-Backs and the Angels were in pursuit of Eckstein.
Eckstein, 33, is almost certain to be traded before the deadline for setting postseason rosters at midnight Sunday. While talks are fluid, the Jays currently are more inclined to trade with the D-backs, sources say.
Rosenthal says the Angels are now considering other options, including Omar Vizquel of the Giants and Juan Castro of the Orioles.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
D-Backs, Angels Interested In Eckstein
The Angels have been in pursuit of infield depth this week, and were rumored to be finalizing a deal with the Blue Jays for veteran shortstop and 2006 World Series MVP, David Eckstein until a "mystery" team entered the running.
Ken Rosenthal is now reporting that the mystery team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams are looking to finalize the deal before Sunday’s deadline for setting post-season rosters.
The Angels would mainly use Eckstein as a backup, but the D-backs need a boost in the infield since Orlando Hudson is out for the rest of the season.
It seems the Diamondbacks are the team with the most urgent need for Eckstein’s services, but a return to Anaheim would be a homecoming of sorts. Where would he be a better fit?
Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Comments? Rumors? E-mail me alexo05 (at) umpbump (dot) com.
Angels Eyeing Backup Shortstops
FRIDAY: Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi confirmed he’s in discussions with the Angels about his shortstops.
THURSDAY: With Maicer Izturis out for the season and Erick Aybar day-to-day, the Angels are looking to acquire a veteran backup shortstop. Backup at second base wouldn’t be a bad idea either, in case Howie Kendrick‘s injury is serious. Mike DiGiovanna names John McDonald, David Eckstein, Marco Scutaro, Juan Castro, and Jamey Carroll as targets. The numbers on these guys:
- McDonald: .222/.269/.292 in 162 PAs. Owed $350K in ’08, $1.9MM in ’09.
- Eckstein: .274/.353/.357 in 293 PAs. Owed $830K in ’08.
- Scutaro: .265/.347/.348 in 475 PAs. Owed $290K in ’08, $1.1MM in ’09.
- Castro: .194/.233/.250 in 118 PAs. Owed minimum, Reds paying contract.
- Carroll: .271/.355/.346 in 314 PAs. Owed $400K in ’08, $2.5MM club option for ’09 with $0.15MM buyout.
Scutaro seems like the best fit; Carroll has not played shortstop this year. It is not known whether any of these players have cleared waivers. Who do you think the Angels should target?