Cafardo’s Latest: Oswalt, Bruney, Pedro
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe examines the state of the designated hitter in his latest column, wondering if the game is better off with or without it. He also shares a few hot stove notes:
- Roy Oswalt would want to play for the Cardinals, but the Astros are unlikely to trade their ace to a division rival.
- Members of the Astros organization feel like Oswalt would prefer not to be dealt to an American League club, though he may be open to playing with his friend Jake Peavy in Chicago.
- There are a few clubs interested in Brian Bruney, who was released by the Nationals last week.
- Pedro Martinez is still mulling whether or not to make a comeback, and is staying in shape in the meantime. Cafardo says that the right-hander enjoyed pitching for the Phillies last year, but that it appears Pedro "has one foot under the mango tree."
Remembering the 1990 Trade Deadline
Ah, 1990. Times were very different then. Ken Griffey Jr. played for the Seattle Mariners. The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live were on the air. And Congress passed a bill in response to an unprecedented oil spill.
But even if that all seems familiar, the trade deadline of 1990 certainly won't. The action came later in the season, with most of the biggest trades actually taking place in August. Let's meet at the corner of Transaction Avenue and Memory Lane…
- The Boston Red Sox, keen on acquiring a first baseman, grabbed Mike Marshall from the Mets on July 27 for three minor leaguers, headlined by Greg Hansell. Marshall was actually pretty effective for Boston, with a .464 slugging percentage in 117 plate appearances, though he was near the end of his career.
- An August 3 deal between the Braves and Phillies had hidden implications. The immediate deal? Dale Murphy for Jeff Parrett. Both teams also included players to be named later. Atlanta got Jim Vatcher and Victor Rosario. Philadelphia got Tommy Greene, who posted a 3.66 ERA from 1991-93 and and pitched a no-hitter in 1991.
- In a Doyle Alexander-for-John Smoltz-like trade, the Pirates acquired Zane Smith from the Expos for Willie Greene, Scott Ruskin and a player to be named later. At first, the deal seemed one-sided, as Smith went 6-2 with a 1.30 ERA for Pittsburgh as the Pirates won the NL East. However, the PTBNL turned out to be… Moises Alou.
- The Athletics, en route to a World Series appearance, made a pair of interesting moves just before postseason rosters could be set. On August 29, they acquired Harold Baines from the Texas Rangers for Joe Bitker and Scott Chiamparino. The same day, they traded top prospect Felix Jose, Stan Royer and Daryl Green to the Cardinals for Willie McGee. The move froze McGee's National League batting average at .335- he'd go on to win the batting title in absentia. Good thing, too- his .274 mark with Oakland brought his season line down to .324, meaning under today's rules, which combine NL and AL totals, he'd have finished behind Eddie Murray (.330), Dave Magadan (.328) and Lenny Dykstra (.325).
- And the Houston Astros, on August 31, made a blockbuster move, trading longtime second baseman Bill Doran to the eventual World Champion Cincinnati Reds for Terry McGriff, Keith Kaiser and Butch Henry. Oh, and also, they made a throwaway trade, dealing reliever Larry Andersen to the Boston Red Sox for so-so prospect Jeff Bagwell.
Teams That Could Take On Payroll This Summer
The ability to absorb a few million dollars at the trade deadline is a pretty powerful bargaining chip. Teams never mind shedding salary, but you won't find many clubs willing to take it on. Some teams always have the financial might to absorb a contract or two; others can take on payroll under the right circumstances and some are sitting tight no matter what.
To predict which teams will be able to take on payroll this trade deadline, MLBTR looked to recent history and the latest rumors. Here are the results:
- Yankees – It's hard to imagine a team with an Opening Day payroll of $213MM letting a few more million stand between them and a deal this summer.
- Cubs – Same goes for the Cubs, who opened the season with a $144MM payroll. It's the team's first summer under new ownership.
- Red Sox – Not only are they big spenders ($168MM Opening Day payroll), they are aggressive at the deadline. Last year, the club added Victor Martinez, Alex Gonzalez and Casey Kotchman.
- Nationals – The Nats could have the financial might to take on Roy Oswalt's entire contract, if you believe one of the officials ESPN.com's Jayson Stark spoke to. They also have to budget for the bonus their number one pick will demand. We're talking many millions no matter what, but possible selection Bryce Harper could demand an eight-figure deal.
- Dodgers – An official told Stark that he can imagine the Dodgers taking on $5MM or so. GM Ned Colletti said earlier this week that he could add payroll in the right deal, in spite of the McCourt divorce.
- Angels – The Angels have some money, according to Stark's sources.
- Giants – Adding Pat Burrell at the major league minimum wouldn't exactly constitute "buying," but the Giants operate under a relatively big budget.
- Rays – They are expected to lower payroll in 2011, so they don't seem like a logical candidate to add salary, but they have been creative and aggressive at the deadline in recent years, discussing deals for the likes of Jason Bay and Victor Martinez.
- Reds – The Reds have financial flexibility and a willingness to get creative, according to one of Ken Rosenthal's sources.
- Phillies – They're staying in touch with Pedro Martinez, which presumably means they have at least a million or two to work with. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has said he'll be reluctant to give up prospects, but it's not hard to imagine the Phillies taking on payroll.
- Cardinals – The Cardinals were big spenders at last year's deadline, acquiring Mark DeRosa and then Matt Holliday. They may look for starters this year, which could cost them a few million, even though ESPN.com's Buster Olney expects a buyer's market.
- Blue Jays – Team president Paul Beeston is "all about winning" in the words of GM Alex Anthopoulos (via the Toronto Star). It will be a balancing act between short-term needs and long-term goals, but the Jays could spend if they're in contention.
- Some teams that don't appear on this list will likely become spenders this summer, but these are at least some of the clubs that could take on salary in the right deal.
With Lohse Out, Do The Cards Need More Arms?
With Brad Penny on the disabled list and Kyle Lohse undergoing right forearm surgery on Friday that may end his season, the mighty St. Louis rotation suddenly has a pair of holes. While Penny's strained lat muscle isn't seen as serious, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on the unusual nature of Lohse's injury and how the Cardinals aren't sure how long the right-hander may be out of action.
Strauss notes in his latter story that with Lohse's condition in limbo, "the Cardinals appear increasingly likely to examine trade and free agent options" for their starting rotation. Before anyone immediately brings up the Roy Oswalt rumors, it's worth noting that Lohse was the Cardinals' fifth starter. With Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright entrenched as the staff's co-aces and rookie Jaime Garcia pitching like an ace himself, it's far more likely that St. Louis will look to acquire a minor pitching upgrade rather than spend the money and prospects needed to get a pitcher of Oswalt's caliber.
Should the Cards explore the free agent market, it's worth mentioning that two of the four starters MLBTR's Luke Adams mentioned in his look at notable free agent pitchers still available have St. Louis ties; Braden Looper was originally drafted by the Cardinals and spent four seasons with the club, while the semi-retired John Smoltz just pitched for the Redbirds last season. Pedro Martinez could be another intriguing option if his price is right. St. Louis isn't the East Coast team that Martinez would reportedly prefer to join, but the Cards are certainly contenders.
Miles Staying With Cardinals
Kary Booher of the Springfield News-Leader reports that veteran infielder Aaron Miles has agreed to remain with the Cardinals organization. Miles signed a minor-league contract with St. Louis last month, and according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach, the deal contained an out clause that would've allowed Miles to become a free agent if he wasn't on the major league roster within 30 days of his signing.
That 30-day deadline passed yesterday, but Booher says the contract was extended after Miles spoke with St. Louis GM John Mozeliak. Miles will continue to play for Double-A Springfield so he can receive regular playing time, and Mozeliak said that he and manager Tony La Russa will meet and discuss if a spot can be found for Miles on the Cardinals' roster.
Miles has a slash line of .318/.400/.386 in 52 plate appearances for Springfield. Though his bat is less a consideration than his defensive versatility, the scuffling St. Louis offense could use as many hot bats as they can get right now. (Regular second baseman Skip Schumaker has just a .634 OPS this season.)
Minor League Transactions
Matt Eddy of Baseball America has this week's listings of comings and goings in the minors, and here are a few of the notable names on the move…
- Reliever Andrew Brown was dealt from St. Louis to Washington for future considerations. Brown last pitched in the majors in 2008 with Oakland, and he has a 3.84 ERA in 73 appearances between 2006-08. This is the fifth time Brown has been traded in his 10 seasons of pro ball, but it's by far the most low-profile deal; he's been involved in past trades for Gary Sheffield, Kevin Kouzmanoff and has twice been included in deals for Milton Bradley.
- The Tigers released Phil Dumatrait, and Eddy passes on the news that the left-hander has already caught on with the Korean Baseball Organization's LG Twins. Dumatrait was Boston's first-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2000 amateur draft, and he posted a 7.06 ERA in 42 major league appearances with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
- The Yankees have brought former prospect Rudy Guillen back into their system. Guillen briefly converted from the outfield to the mound in 2007, but then seemed to drop off of the radar for two seasons. Eddy reports that he is coming back as an outfielder once again.
- Eddy notes that catcher Carlos Maldonado, called up by the Nationals on Tuesday, could be in line for playing time as Stephen Strasburg's personal catcher given Washington's injury problems behind the plate and Maldonado's experience catching the superstar prospect at Triple-A. Maldonado last played in the majors in 2007 as a member of the Pirates. He has a .586 OPS in 50 major league plate appearances and a .689 OPS in 4097 minor league plate appearances.
Stark On Oswalt, Braves, Carmona, Yankees
Astros scouts haven't been told to watch specific teams or players, so Roy Oswalt doesn't need to start preparing for life after Houston just yet. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark has the details on Oswalt and more rumblings from around the major leagues:
- Oswalt has told friends he'd love to play in St. Louis and it's believed that he would be interested in joining the Dodgers and Braves.
- We've heard lots about the $29MM remaining on Oswalt's deal, but the Angels have some money, according to an official Stark spoke to. The Nationals may be "the one team that would pay the whole freight on the contract."
- GM Andrew Friedman says he wasn't sure how Rafael Soriano's National League experience would translate to the American League East when the Rays dealt for him last offseason. Needless to say, the Rays have been pleased with Soriano's dominant start to the season.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. tells Stark that other teams offered Jose Contreras "much more money" last winter.
- Braves GM Frank Wren says he's pleased with Eric Hinske's play and notes that teams probably don't pay enough attention to their benches.
- Wren says the Braves would not have interest in adding a starting pitcher. Besides their current rotation, they have the injured Jair Jurrjens and Triple A pitcher Chris Resop.
- GM Jon Daniels says the Rangers saw "a guy with major league ability and pedigree" when they scouted Colby Lewis in Japan last year.
- One scout says the Blue Jays are definitely tracking Fausto Carmona and have watched his last 12 starts.
- The Red Sox have tried trading Mike Lowell unsuccessfully, but they aren't eager to eat the $8MM-plus remaining on his salary.
- Rival clubs say the Yankees haven't decided what their trade deadline needs are, though they're showing some interest in versatile outfield bats.
Odds & Ends: Loe, Baldelli, Vizquel, Hill
Links for Tuesday, as catcher Chris Iannetta rejoins the Rockies after a torrid Triple A stint…
- Kameron Loe has a clause in his contract that allows him to ask for his release if he isn't in the major leagues by June 5th, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Loe is pitching well for the Brewers' Triple A affiliate.
- Morosi also notes that Rich Hill, who is pitching at Triple A for the Cardinals, has a June 1st opt-out clause in his contract (Twitter link).
- Rocco Baldelli tells Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal that he hasn't thought about returning to the majors for a team other than the Rays. Baldelli says he would prefer the Rays to another organization.
- Omar Vizquel says he will likely retire if he doesn't finish the year well, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- The Rays released Eduardo Morlan and Cody Strait, according to Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser. The Rays acquired Morlan in the Matt Garza–Delmon Young trade.
- Click here to listen to my appearance today with Jeff & Jeff of KFNS St. Louis.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan tells the story of Sergio Santos, a converted shortstop who has a 0.52 ERA and 10.9 K/9 as a White Sox reliever.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis compares Manny Machado to other high school shortstops in recent draft history. Yesterday in his mock draft ESPN's Keith Law wrote that the Pirates have Machado and lefty Drew Pomeranz high on their list for the second overall pick.
- AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere is hearing buzz about the Reds considering Alex Wimmers with the #12 pick (Twitter link). Law had the Ohio State righty going 16th to the Cubs, picking catcher Yasmani Grandal for the Reds.
- Law ranked James Paxton 12th overall, but doesn't project the lefty as a first-round pick. Paxton, a Boras client, is now pitching independent ball after losing his NCAA eligibility. According to Matthew Sekeres of The Globe and Mail, Paxton has no ill will toward Paul Beeston and the Blue Jays.
Remembering the 2000 Trade Deadline
Ah, times were different back in 2000. Bush and Gore were locked in a closely-contested race. Reality television was the exception, not the rule. And What Women Want taught us that Mel Gibson would be best remembered for capturing Helen Hunt's heart.
Meanwhile, let's climb into the Wayback Machine (though I believe Sherman has already called shotgun) and look at some of the biggest trade deadline hits from the year 2000…
- The first deal of significance near the non-waiver trade deadline came on July 12, when the Yankees acquired Denny Neagle (and Mike Frank) for Jackson Melian, Drew Henson, Brian Reith and Ed Yarnall. The Yankees didn't lose much, since Henson's production never approached his hype. Neagle, however, was actually nearing the end of a good career, and posted just a 5.81 ERA after coming to New York.
- Little-discussed, however, is one of the most impressive trade-deadline pickups of all time. On July 21, the Yankees dealt the forgettable Ben Ford and Oswaldo Mairena to the Cubs for Glenallen Hill. For Hill, the deal provided the last, best jolt of power in a home run-packed career. He hit .333/.378/.735 (!) with 16 home runs in 143 at-bats for the Yankees. It is hard to imagine a better example of acquiring an impact bat. Hill, who last played in 2001, publicly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs late in his career.
- The most important trade of that time took place on July 26, 2000, when the Phillies traded Curt Schilling to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Omar Daal, Nelson Figueroa, Travis Lee and Vicente Padilla. Padilla was the most productive of the bunch, with a pair of 14-win seasons, while Travis Lee, the centerpiece, hit just .258/.343/.402 in Philadelphia. Schilling, meanwhile, still had 111 of his 216 career victories ahead of him. He posted a 22-6 record in 2001, a 23-7 record in 2002, and had a successful Red Sox career after the trade.
- Probably the biggest surprise of the players acquired at this time was Melvin Mora, traded with three other players by the Mets to the Orioles for Mike Bordick. The Mets wanted a shortstop and Bordick had a reputation as a strong defender. He posted a .260/.321/.385 mark with the Mets in 2000 and Mora went on to hit 158 home runs for the Orioles through 2009.
- The Indians dealt a 25-year-old Richie Sexson, along with Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon and a player to be named later to the Brewers for three pitchers to shore up their pitching staff: Jason Bere, Bob Wickman and Steve Woodard. Of the three, only Wickman posted a reasonable ERA, and the Charlie Manuel-led Indians finished five games behind the Jerry Manuel-led White Sox. Sexson, meanwhile, hit 45 home runs in two of the next three seasons. And adding insult to injury, the player to be named later turned out to be Marco Scutaro.
- In my favorite trade of the 2000 deadline, the Cardinals sent minor league slugger Jose Leon to the Orioles for first baseman Will Clark. All Clark did was hit .345/.426/.655 with the Cardinals, leading them into the NLCS. He then retired- the textbook case of going out on top.
Oswalt’s Preferred Destinations Aren’t Good Fits
Roy Oswalt's request to be dealt from the Astros means that the sweepstakes for the veteran pitcher are officially on. We've heard that Oswalt is willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to a contending team, and three teams that he would reportedly be interested in joining are the Braves, Cardinals and Rangers.
If these really are the top choices on Oswalt's wish list, the right-hander might need to expand his horizons. Several obstacles stand between Oswalt pitching for any of these clubs:
- Texas. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News is pessimistic about the Rangers' chances at Oswalt, noting that the team's unsettled ownership situation would make it difficult to take on Oswalt's big salary. The right-hander is owed $16MM in 2011 and has a club option for $16MM in 2012. That final year can be bought out for $2MM, but that still adds up to an $18MM investment in Oswalt, not to mention the remainder of his $15MM salary this season. Rich Harden is the only experienced arm currently in the Texas rotation, but given the number of promising young arms in the Rangers' system, committing a lot of money to a veteran like Oswalt doesn't make much long-term sense.
- St. Louis. Even if Oswalt's no-trade clause and salary limits Houston's options, it's hard to imagine the Astros dealing one of their franchise icons within the division. MLB.com's Matthew Leach (via Twitter) doesn't think the Cardinals will seriously pursue Oswalt since the St. Louis rotation is already so strong. Leach thinks the Cards will "put in a call" to keep their bases covered, but it's a longshot.
- Atlanta. Much like St. Louis, the Braves have no pressing need for another starter, even one of Oswalt's caliber. If the Braves make any moves before the trade deadline, it will be to acquire a hitter to improve their struggling lineup. There's also the fact that while the Cardinals and Rangers currently lead their divisions, Atlanta is 21-20 heading into Friday's play and will face a tough uphill climb to catch the Phillies in the NL East. The Braves might not fit Oswalt's definition of a "contender."
There's also the possibility that Oswalt might not go anywhere. As Houston GM Ed Wade told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, "Roy's contract includes a no-trade clause, not a trade-me clause…I just want to acknowledge the request has been made, but it really doesn't change anything on our end." It has been well-documented that Astros owner Drayton McLane Jr. is loath to commit to a full rebuilding process for his team and give up on the Oswalt/Lance Berkman/Carlos Lee era, but now that Oswalt has outright asked to be traded, perhaps that's the sign that McLane needs to see that changes are necessary in Houston.