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Stark On Soriano, Quentin, Phillies, Astros

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As ESPN.com's Jayson Stark points out in this week's Rumblings & Grumblings, there's not much starting pitching available after Cliff Lee and Carl Pavano. Stark examines alternatives for pitching-starved teams and provides some rumors along the way. Here they are:

  • Though it appeared to some baseball people as though the Angels were trying to sign Rafael Soriano before the Winter Meetings, it now appears that their search for relief pitching is secondary to their pursuit of Carl Crawford.
  • Stark sees indications that the Angels are showing "very little" interest in Jayson Werth so far this offseason.
  • The White Sox still say they're not shopping Carlos Quentin, but rival teams say Chicago will listen to offers.
  • The Phillies don't plan on pursuing a trade for Quentin, according to Stark.
  • Arthur Rhodes appears to be one of Philadelphia's top left-handed relief targets, followed by Pedro Feliciano. Neither reliever would cost the Phillies a draft pick, which is their preference.
  • The Astros have quietly been shopping for an affordable outfielder who bats from the left side.

Odds & Ends: Berkman, Edmonds, De La Rosa

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On this date in 1998, the Orioles signed Albert Belle to a five-year, $65MM deal. He batted .289/.374/.509 with Baltimore, but didn't play at all after the 2000 season. Here are today's links…

  • Stop by at 2pm CDT for this week's chat.
  • Oakland’s immediate goal is to sign Lance Berkman, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The A's met with Berkman and Adam Dunn yesterday.
  • Rosenthal suggests the A’s likely want to hear back from Scott Boras and Adrian Beltre about the five-year, $64MM offer they reportedly made in November.
  • Yahoo's Jeff Passan asks Bud Selig to leave the playoffs alone and suggests the commissioner could improve the game by introducing more instant replay and asking major TV networks to show a more diverse selection of teams.
  • Jim Edmonds is contemplating playing one more season, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Phillies are more likely to pursue free agent left-handers who don't cost a draft pick, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). In other words, they'd rather not give up a pick to sign Scott Downs.
  • Speaking of relievers, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun explains that the Orioles have interest in any competent veteran reliever and will kick the tires on most.
  • The Mets re-signed former big leaguer Mike O'Connor according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter). The 30-year-old left-hander last pitched in the majors for the 2008 Nationals, but he appeared in 51 games at Triple-A Buffalo in 2010, posting 8.9 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 for the top Mets affiliate.
  • The Pirates made a competitive offer for Jorge de la Rosa before he agreed to a deal with the Rockies, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). 
  • De La Rosa's agents approached the Padres about a potential deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. San Diego couldn't afford the lefty, though they were interested.

This Date In Transactions History: November 27th

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Let's hope into the wayback machine and look at a few notable moves that took place on past 11/27s…

  • The Phillies agreed to terms with Adam Eaton to a three-year, $24.5MM contract on this date in 2006.  Since the Phils went on to win the World Series in 2008, this signing was totally worth it, right?  Believers in the butterfly effect might agree, but to most, Eaton was a huge bust for Philadelphia.  The right-hander posted a 6.10 ERA in 51 appearances (49 of them starts) and the Phillies outright released Eaton before the 2009 season and ate the remaining $8.75MM on his contract.
  • The Yankees made a much more valuable signing on November 27, 2006, inking Mike Mussina to a two-year, $22MM deal.  The Moose struggled in 2007 but bounced back in a major way in 2008 — a 3.37 ERA, 4.84 K/BB ratio and tied for the league lead with 34 starts.  Mussina turned 40 in December 2008 and decided to retire, thus missing out on New York's World Series title the next season.
  • The Dodgers took a chance on the oft-injured Eric Davis when they acquired the Reds star (and pitcher Kip Gross) from Cincinnati on this date in 1991 in exchange for Tim Belcher and John Wetteland.  Davis posted just a .677 OPS in 730 plate appearances with L.A. before being traded to Detroit on August 31, 1993.  Davis didn't regain his old form until 1996-98, when he delivered three solid seasons with the Reds and Orioles.  The key figure in this trade ended up being Wetteland, but the Reds flipped him to Montreal just two weeks after acquiring him from Los Angeles.  Wetteland developed into a star closer for the Expos, Yankees and Rangers, and was named MVP of the 1996 World Series.
  • Speaking of Yankee postseason stars, the Bronx Bombers picked up third baseman Graig Nettles on this day in 1972.  Nettles and catcher Jerry Moses were acquired from the Indians for an unremarkable four-player package.  The defensively-stellar Nettles made five All-Star appearances in his 11 seasons as a Yankee, racking up 1396 hits and almost as many witty quotes to sportswriters.
  • Finally, one more New York team made an important addition on this date in 1967.  The Mets acquired manager Gil Hodges from the Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers) in exchange for pitcher Bill Denehy and $100K.  Denehy only pitched in 34 more games in the majors, while Hodges went on to lead the Mets to their Amazin' upset win in the 1969 World Series.  The former Dodger great managed the Mets for two more seasons before his untimely death of a heart attack at age 47. 

Phillies Notes: Werth, Quentin, Willingham

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Let's check out some Phillies news courtesy of MLB.com's Todd Zolecki..

  • For some time we have heard that the Phillies are not serious about keeping Jayson Werth as he is said to be seeking something similar to the seven-year, $120MM that Matt Holliday secured last winter.  However, the Phillies could be in position to bring Werth back if his market falls and he instead looks for a deal in the range of four years. 
  • If Werth does not return to Philadelphia in 2011, the club likely won't sign someone to replace him if it's not a clear upgrade.  There are several right fielders who will be available via free agency and trade, and one player that reportedly interests the Phillies is Carlos Quentin of the White Sox.  However, Zolecki feels that he's not the strong right-handed bat the club wants and we learned last week that Chicago is not shopping him.
  • Of the names that have been mentioned, Zolecki feels that Josh Willingham, Jeff Francoeur, and Matt Diaz make the most sense for the club as they are affordable and "ideal platoon players."

Phillies Interested In Dennys Reyes

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The Phillies search for a left-handed reliever has led them to Dennys Reyes. Philadelphia has interest in the 33-year-old journeyman, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Reyes appeared in 59 games last year and posted a 3.55 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9.

As I pointed out when identifying some potential bargain lefites, Reyes' 2010 numbers look OK, but they're not as impressive as they seem. He posted a better than average ERA, but he pitched to a 5.91 ERA after posting a 0.54 ERA through May. He can induce grounders, but he walks more than one batter per two innings pitched.

This is the first interest in Reyes we've seen reported this offseason, but he's certainly not the only lefty the Phils are considering. Philadelphia has interest in adding former Mets reliever Hisanori Takahashi to their pen.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Konerko, Jeter, Lee, Beltre

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On this date back in 1974, Catfish Hunter met with Oakland A's owner Charles Finley and Peter Seitz of the American Arbitration Association in New York after the team failed to make a $50,000 payment into a long-term annuity fund. The right-hander claimed that his contract had been violated, and Seitz eventually ruled in his favor. Hunter became the first big name free agent in baseball history, later signing a five-year, $3.5MM contract with the Yankees that made him the highest-paid player in baseball history.

Here's a helping of links that go well with Thanksgiving leftovers…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Rosenthal On Lee, Konerko, Huff, Burrell, Hudson

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The Yankees’ “lack of tact” in their negotiations with Derek Jeter isn’t helping them, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Here are Rosenthal's latest updates on the Yankees and other teams around the league:

 

Phillies To Offer Werth Arbitration, Not Durbin

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The Phillies will offer arbitration to Jayson Werth, but not to Chad Durbin, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. There's no reason not to offer Werth arbitraiton. The Type A free agent will turn down the Phillies' offer in search of a multi-year deal, so Philadelphia stands to pick up two top picks for losing him.

The Phillies are interested in bringing Durbin, a Type B free agent, back, but they're reluctant to give him a significant raise. The right-hander earned $2.125MM in 2010 and would likely have earned more in 2011 through the arbitration process. If Durbin had turned down an offer of arbitration to sign elsewhere, the Phillies could have obtained a supplementary round pick in next year's draft.

Click here to vote on which Type A free agents will be offered arbitration and here to vote on which Type B free agents will be offered arbitration.

 

Odds & Ends: Mets, Collins, Minaya, Pirates, Rays

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Some links on a Sunday evening:

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Royals, Sizemore, Matsui

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Links for Saturday…

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