Robinson Cano & Darren O’Day
Robinson Cano and Darren O'Day don't have much in common. Cano, the son of a major leaguer, signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager and has developed into an All-Star and MVP candidate. You won't find O'Day on any MVP ballots and the side-arming right-hander has never been a top prospect. The Florida native wasn't even drafted and is far from a franchise player; two teams have already exposed him to waivers.
But the players do have something in common. Both were born 28 years ago today; Cano in San Pedro de Macoris and O'Day in Jacksonville. Their current clubs acquired them in different ways, but neither player joined his current organization with much fanfare. Cano signed a modest six-figure bonus in 2001, without the hype that surrounded international prospects like Michael Ynoa, Miguel Sano or Felix Heredia.
The Angels, who signed O'Day as a non-drafted free agent, lost him to the Mets in the 2008 Rule 5 draft. The Mets then exposed him to waivers and saw the Rangers claim him last April. It was easily one of the shrewdest claims of Jon Daniels' tenure as GM (the Alexi Ogando claim is another). O'Day has posted a 1.99 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 117.2 innings since joining the Rangers.
Neither move made headlines at the time, but both players are contributors as their respective teams try to advance to the World Series. Interestingly enough, Cano and O'Day have never faced each other. It seems unlikely that Ron Washington would bring the sidearmer in to face Cano, who bats left-handed, but as observers of the 2010 postseason will tell you, stranger things have happened. It'd be fitting if the two met for the first time tonight as they celebrate their 28th birthdays with the season at stake.
Heyman On Girardi, Nunez, Alderson, Beltre
Cliff Lee and Cody Ross lead Jon Heyman’s list of players who have stepped up this postseason. Lee’s performance will only help his free agent stock and Heyman guesses the bidding for the left-hander will start at $120MM and go up from there. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors, which you can find in full at SI.com:
- The Yankees plan to bring Joe Girardi back and give him a raise. Team executives like Girardi, whose contract expires after the season.
- The Braves have expressed interest in Eduardo Nunez, a shortstop prospect in the Yankees system.
- Sandy Alderson, a candidate for the Mets GM job, is team owner Fred Wilpon's first choice. Heyman and Joel Sherman reported earlier in the week that Alderson is the favorite for the position.
- The Rangers like Adrian Beltre, but don’t have room for him since they have Michael Young at third base.
Yankees Send Two To Indians, Complete Wood Deal
The Yankees sent righty Andrew Shive and infielder Matt Cusick to Cleveland to complete the Kerry Wood trade, according to Marc Carig of the Star Ledger (on Twitter). Wood, who pitched two scoreless innings last night, has provided manager Joe Girardi with a stable bridge to Mariano Rivera since the Yankees acquired him July 31st.
Not only did Wood post a 0.69 ERA with 10.7 K/9 in 24 regular season appearances, he has been outstanding in the playoffs. Wood has allowed one run in six playoff games and has struck out seven. If there's one blemish on the righty's Yankee record, it's that he allowed 18 walks in 26 regular season innings.
Shive, who turns 25 next month, has not yet pitched above A-ball. He posted a 4.56 ERA with more walks than strikeouts between two levels this year after missing the entire 2009 campaign. Cusick, 24, hit .243/.318/.342 in the upper minors this year. He has split his time between second and third base since the Astros selected him in the tenth round of the 2007 draft. The Indians don't acquire much in the way of prospects, but they did save money in the deal.
Poll: Would The Yankees Do Burnett Deal Again?
In December of 2008, the Yankees signed righthander A.J. Burnett to a five-year, $82.5MM deal mere days after signing C.C. Sabathia to an even heftier deal. Their respective performances in the last two games of the ALCS have been microcosms of their performances this season. Today, Sabathia allowed two runs and fanned seven batters across six innings of work. Meanwhile, Burnett surrendered five runs in six innings last night, putting the Yankees on the brink of elimination.
Burnett has turned in a 5.26 ERA this season, the worst of his career along with a 7.0 K/9 ratio, his lowest since 2001. While the Yankees won a World Series with Burnett, they are now saddled with paying him roughly $50MM over the final three years of his contract.
Given the opportunity, would the Yankees make the same deal with Burnett again?
Rangers Prepare To Bid Aggressively On Lee
The Rangers realize that it won't be easy or cheap to keep Cliff Lee in Texas, but they're prepared to spend big on the lefty once he hits free agency. Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg insists his club is not "going into it with a peashooter" and says he's prepared to bid against any other teams that covet Lee.
"We can't control what the Yankees or any other club chooses to offer," Greenberg told reporters, including Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. "We know that we're going to have to be aggressive financially. We're prepared to do that. But we've also got things to offer from a lifestyle standpoint."
Lee's Arkansas home isn't far from Arlington, and he recently told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he has enjoyed pitching for the Rangers. The feeling is mutual, especially now that Lee has dominated for three consecutive postseason starts. After Lee defeated the Yankees, Greenberg told Heyman he knows the left-hander is on the brink of a massive deal.
"He's going to make a tremendous amount of money," Greenberg said. "I hope he makes it with us."
The longer the Rangers stay in the playoffs, the better their chances are of signing Lee, according to Greenberg. Interestingly enough, Heyman reports that the Rangers offered another lefty – Derek Holland – to the Mariners for Lee before they accepted a package based around Justin Smoak.
Details Emerge On Greinke’s No-Trade Clause
The Royals will listen to offers for the 2009 Cy Young Award winner, but not every club has a realistic shot at acquiring him. Zack Greinke will be able to block trades to half of the teams in baseball between now and the 2011 trade deadline, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Kansas City Star recently reported that Greinke would be able to block deals to eight to ten teams, but FOX Sports is reporting that he’ll have even more leverage.
Greinke’s contract runs through 2012, but he loses the right to block trades after next year’s July 31st trade deadline, according to Morosi. The right-hander could block trades to 20 teams including the Yankees and Red Sox during the 2009-10 seasons. Small market teams including the Rays were on Greinke’s list of acceptable destinations from 2009-10 (it’s possible that the list has since changed). Potential suitors will face a $13.5MM salary in both 2011 and 2012 plus the Royals’ asking price in prospects.
Odds & Ends: Wilson, Twins, Greinke, Dodgers
As the Giants take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS, let's look at some news from around the baseball world…
- Though C.J. Wilson will get a big arbitration raise, ESPN's Jason A. Churchill thinks the Rangers are more likely to keep the southpaw rather than put him on the trade market.
- The Twins need another top-flight starter, and Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune thinks the team should try to acquire Zack Greinke. His proposed offer of Delmon Young, Kevin Slowey and a prospect won't be enough to get it done, especially since Kansas City would be sending Greinke to a division rival.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says the club's payroll will increase in 2011, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. (Twitter link)
- Detroit "will make [a] strong push" to sign Victor Martinez this winter, tweets The Denver Post's Troy Renck. The Rockies, meanwhile, are a "longshot" to sign the free agent catcher.
- Also from Renck (via Twitter), Troy Tulowitzki isn't likely to give the Rockies a discount on his next contract since the six-year, $31MM deal he signed before the 2008 season has already proven to be very team-friendly. Tulowitzki is locked up through 2013 and the Rockies have a team option (for $15MM) on him for 2014, so it'll be at least a couple of years before Colorado thinks about extending the star shortstop.
- PGP of the DRaysBay.com blog looks at why Tampa Bay might think about trading Matt Garza and what he could fetch in a deal.
- If Cliff Lee signs a six-year contract with the Yankees this winter, he could earn close to $200MM in salary and endorsement deals, estimates Forbes Magazine's Patrick Rishe.
- Magic Johnson owning the Dodgers? ESPN.com's J.A. Adande wants to see it happen.
- Padres assistant GM Fred Uhlman Jr. will remain with the club, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. There were rumors that Uhlman could head to Arizona to work with former Padres general manager Kevin Towers.
- The Cardinals need to patch up the "rift" that has developed in the front office in recent years, writes Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Gordon also looks at the Cardinals' minor league system and the team's last several drafts.
- Fangraphs' Pat Andriola looks at which teams did and didn't benefit from "the old guy discount" last winter.
Yankees Rumors: Lee, Burnett, Pettitte, Girardi
Between Cliff Lee's dominance and A.J. Burnett's struggles, the Yankees have lots to worry about when it comes to the pitching matchups in the ALCS. But the Yanks have lots of off-field questions about the two Darek Braunecker clients as well. Here are the details on Lee and Burnett:
- Rangers owner Nolan Ryan told reporters, including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he expects the Yankees to bid on Lee this winter. When asked how much Lee will command on the open market, Ryan pointed to the Yankees. "I need to go next door and ask them," he said. "I think he's got their attention."
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post calls Burnett "the poison pill that is going to keep on giving for a while." The unpredictable right-hander has three years and nearly $50MM remaining on his contract.
- Yankees officials tell Sherman that Andy Pettitte has not told the organization he's retiring, but Sherman wonders if the left-hander intends to call it quits after the season.
- Joe Girardi won't be managing the Cubs and Jon Heyman of SI.com can't see him managing the Mets either (Twitter link). People in the Mets organization "love" Girardi, but Heyman finds it hard to imagine the skipper leaving the Yankees for the Mets.
Minor Deal, Major Impact: Unheralded Moves Pay Off
The Yankees probably wouldn't be in the ALCS if they hadn't spent big on Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia. The Giants probably wouldn't be in the NLCS if they hadn't drafted Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum. But less celebrated moves also contributed to the success of the four teams in the LCS. Here's a closer look at four acquisitions that have shaped this year's pennant race:
- As I wrote in September, the Giants' decision to sign Pat Burrell to a minor league deal changed the NL West from that point on. Not only did the Giants get 18 home runs and a .266/.364/.509 line from the slugger, they kept him away from the Padres and kept their division rivals out of the playoffs. This is about as impactful as a minor league deal gets.
- When the Yankees signed Marcus Thames to a minor league deal, they probably weren't expecting him to hit .288/.350/.491, but that's exactly what he did. Brian Cashman deserves credit for adding Thames to Joe Girardi's bench.
- Wilson Valdez, who signed a minor league deal with the Phillies last fall, didn't hit like Burrell or Thames, but he played second when Chase Utley was injured and short when Jimmy Rollins got hurt. He didn't hit badly, either, posting a .258/.306/.360 line.
- None of the Rangers minor league deals (Alex Cora, Endy Chavez, Mark Prior and others) made a difference at the major league level this year, but a look back at GM Jon Daniels' first Rule 5 draft reveals a decision that's looking smart now: the Rangers plucked Alexi Ogando from the A's in the 2005 Rule 5 draft. The right-hander has yet to allow a run in two postseason appearances, after posting a 1.30 ERA in the regular season.
Davidoff On Alderson, Valentine, Takahashi
In his latest piece for Newsday, Ken Davidoff notes that Bud Selig's job as commissioner occasionally involves making recommendations for teams searching for general managers. Selig recommended Jack Zduriencik when the Mariners were looking for a GM two years ago, and, more recently, gave Fred Wilpon a list of suggestions for the Mets. Given the "close ties" between Selig and Wilpon, the commissioner's backing of Sandy Alderson could carry significant weight. Here are the other items of interest from Davidoff's article:
- Although he has interviewed for multiple managerial positions, Bobby Valentine may end up back at ESPN next year rather than in a major league dugout. The Mets are still a possibility for Valentine, but if Alderson becomes the GM, he figures to make a cheaper, lower-profile hire.
- Potential free agent Hisanori Takahashi is open to remaining a reliever, meaning he won't necessarily seek out a situation where he has a chance to start.
- The last report we heard on Takahashi suggested that he'd prefer to remain a Met. However, Davidoff indicates the Yankees, Phillies, and Dodgers also "intrigue" the Japanese lefty.