West Links: Melky, Soriano, Felix, Murphy
Wednesday was a busy day for baseball's two West divisions, as the Giants lost Melky Cabrera for 50 games while Felix Hernandez threw the first perfect game in Mariners history. Here is Thursday's news and notes from the left coast…
- Hank Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle says the Giants have a decision to make in the wake of Cabrera's suspension. The 28-year-old is due to become a free agent after the season and team seemed likely to explore a multiyear extension before yesterday's news broke.
- Giants GM Brian Sabean has not been much of an Alfonso Soriano fan through the years, so he seems unlikely to pursue him following Cabrera's suspension according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Yesterday we heard that Soriano is unlikely to approve a trade to San Francisco anyway.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post wonders if the Mariners' willingness to commit to Hernandez and Hernandez's willingness to remain in Seattle will fall in line when the right-hander hits free agency after 2014.
- In a chat with David Laurila of FanGraphs, David Murphy says getting traded to the Rangers was the best possible opportunity for him and his career. Murphy was part of the trade that sent Eric Gagne to the Red Sox in 2007.
Cabrera Fallout: Soriano, Cubs, Giants, Dodgers
Alfonso Soriano told Theo Epstein & Co. that he would not accept a trade to the Giants when San Francisco showed interest in him prior to the July 31st deadline. The club may have renewed interest in the veteran after Melky Cabrera was hit with a 50-game suspension, but the Cubs outfielder says that he still doesn't think that the Giants would be a good fit for him, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. "San Francisco is not good weather to play in. It's on the West Coast and I've never played on the West Coast. We'll see what happens if they call. I'll talk to my family then and see. It's not my call. I know it's 50 percent of my call, but it's my family's [call] too. I'd talk to my family and see what happens," Soriano said. More on Cabrera and the Giants..
- The suspension changes the complexion of the National League West race, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Cabrera theoretically could return to action for the sixth game of the postseason, but it's unlikely that the Giants would leave a roster spot open for him without knowing what he'll be able to contribute.
- Cabrera's sudden turnaround in San Francisco seemed too good to be true, and it turns out that it was, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. It's possible that teams will entirely discount his strong play in 2012 when he's on the open market this winter, but others may seize the opportunity to buy low.
- Cabrera's agents didn't pursue an in-season extension once they were notified of his positive test, Heyman tweets.
- There's no doubt that the Giants heard of Cabrera's positive test at the time they acquired Hunter Pence, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. While the official word didn't come out until this afternoon, there were strong whispers of the news in late July.
- Dave Cameron of Fangraphs opines that Cabrera might have cost himself $60-70MM this winter. Cameron also doesn't see the 28-year-old having many suitors in free agency.
- The Giants appear to be in serious trouble without their star slugger, but that doesn't mean that the Dodgers can rest on their laurels and celebrate, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Marmol Clear Waivers
Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Marmol have cleared trade waivers, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Soriano is now eligible to be traded anywhere, pending his approval due to his ten-and-five rights.
Soriano, 36, is hitting .264/.319/.490 with 21 homers on the season, and he's still owed approximately $45MM through the end of the 2014 season. Heyman hears that Chicago was willing to pay all but $3MM annually of his contract. He told the Cubs he would not accept a trade to the Giants before the deadline, though Heyman speculates they could get involved again following the news of Melky Cabrera's 50-game suspension.
Earlier this month, nearly 9,000 MLBTR readers said they believe the Cubs will be able to trade Soriano this month. The 29-year-old Marmol has pitched to a 4.46 ERA in 36 1/3 innings this season. He is owed approximately $12MM through the end of the next season.
Front Office Notes: Cubs, Red Sox
Here's the latest on two big market front offices…
- The Cubs announced that they have dismissed vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita in a press release. Fleita had been with the club since 1995 and oversaw their minor league player development program.
- The Cubs also dismissed baseball information manager Chuck Wasserstrom according to Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
- Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told Sullivan that he plans to make more front office changes, ultimately leading to growth of the department (Twitter links). Assistant GM Randy Bush is in "good standing" with the team.
- In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney argues that Red Sox owner John Henry should give full control of the team's baseball operations to GM Ben Cherington in the wake of the latest Bobby Valentine revolt rumors.
- "There is a disconnect in communication between the players and upper management," said Mets catcher Kelly Shoppach to Andy Martino of The New York Daily News about his former team, the Red Sox (Twitter link).
Non-Tender Candidate: Ian Stewart
It's been a little more than nine years since Ian Stewart was selected by the Rockies with the 10th overall pick in the 2003 draft. Selected out of high school, Stewart would spend the next five years ranking between No. 4 and No. 57 on Baseball America's list of Top 100 prospects.
Stewart's production at Triple-A makes it easy to see why he was so highly regarded. In 226 games he's amassed a .291/.373/.540 batting line and homered roughly once every twenty times he's stepped to the plate. The Major Leagues, however, have been another story entirely.
The Rockies gave Stewart more than 1,400 plate appearances to cement himself as a regular, and played him at both third base and second base along the way. The minor league success never fully carried over, as Stewart batted .236/.323/.428 for the Rockies before being traded to the Cubs along with Casey Weathers in exchange for Tyler Colvin and DJ LeMahieu last winter.
Things got worse for Stewart in Chicago, where he batted just .201/.292/.335 in 202 plate appearances before a left wrist injury cut his season short. Stewart earned $2.2375MM in his first year of arbitration eligibility this past offseason. Despite the injury and poor performance, he accumulated more than 200 plate appearances on the season, leading MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to project a slight raise to $2.3MM.
Stewart will turn 28 during the first week of the 2013 season, and his past 338 plate appearances have resulted in a paltry OPS+ of 50. The Cubs have also recalled Josh Vitters, signaling that they're likely ready to explore alternatives to the failed Stewart experiment. It appears very possible that he will reach free agency sooner than he ever anticpated.
In the event that he's non-tendered, Stewart's status as a once elite prospect and his career ISO of .185 at the Major League level could lead an offensively starved team to look at him as a buy-low candidate. It may be a long shot, but it wouldn't be the first time a general manager caught lightning in a bottle, and the signing would come with minimal risk attached.
Quick Hits: Padres, Cubs, Bourn, Sheets, Braves
Earlier today, the Indians released right-hander Derek Lowe after designating him for assignment earlier this month. The veteran is willing to start or relieve and there's reportedly a sense that he'll return to the National League. While we keep an eye on where the veteran might land, here's tonight's look around baseball..
- As first reported by Jim Callis of Baseball America, Padres scouting director Jaron Madison is leaving the organization to join the Cubs. The 36-year-old will take over as Chicago's scouting director while Tim Wilken has been reassigned to the role of Special Assistant to president Theo Epstein, the team announced.
- One Braves official believes that if Michael Bourn had an agent other than Scott Boras he might already have a new contract with the club, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. People who know Nationals GM Mike Rizzo believe that Bourn has always been at the top of his wish list and the Phillies, Reds, and Marlins are also potential suitors this winter.
- Ben Sheets wasn't entirely confident about his return to the big leagues, but the veteran has looked tremendous so far, Knobler writes. The 34-year-old isn't sure how long he'll continue pitching but he says that he wants to leave on his own terms as opposed to being forced out by injury.
Players Who Cleared Waivers
This is a running list of players who have cleared waivers, based on published reports. Once a player clears waivers, he can be traded to any team (barring a no-trade clause). This list can always be found in the sidebar under MLBTR Features. Player names are linked to the source articles.
Updated 8-31-12
Infielders
Nick Punto, Red Sox - Punto earns $1.5MM this year and will earn the same amount in 2013.
Outfielders
Carl Crawford, Red Sox - Crawford has $102.5MM remaining on his contract after 2012, so he was expected to clear waivers. Crawford can block trades to two clubs, but no team can flip him to the Yankees after acquiring him from Boston.
Alfonso Soriano, Cubs – Soriano can block any trade. He earns $18MM per season through 2014.
Juan Pierre, Phillies – Pierre earns $800K in 2012 and he'll hit free agency after the season.
Catchers
Joe Mauer, Twins – Mauer earns $23MM per season through 2018.
Starting Pitchers
Joe Saunders, Diamondbacks – Saunders earns $6MM in 2012 and will hit free agency after the season.
Roy Oswalt, Rangers – Oswalt earns $5MM in 2012 and will hit free agency after the season.
Kevin Millwood, Mariners – Millwood earns $1MM in 2012 and will hit free agency after the season.
Relief Pitchers
Carlos Marmol, Cubs - Marmol will earn $9.8MM in 2013 before hitting free agency.
Pitching Notes: Blue Jays, Lee, Garza, Oswalt
The Blue Jays announced that right-handers Drew Hutchison (Tommy John surgery) and Dustin McGowan (arthroscopic shoulder surgery) will undergo operations on Thursday. Hutchison is expected to return within a year or so, but no timetable is listed for McGowan, who had previous shoulder surgeries in 2008 and 2010. Here are some more notes pertaining to MLB pitchers…
- The Phillies didn’t intend to trade Cliff Lee when the Dodgers claimed him on waivers, but the left-hander could have blocked a move to Los Angeles, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Dodgers are one of the 21 teams on Lee’s no-trade list.
- Matt Garza has a stress reaction in the back of his pitching elbow and has been shut down indefinitely, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Garza, who hasn’t pitched since July 21st, could miss the remainder of the season. If he doesn’t return this year, it’ll affect his offseason trade value. However, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer has said he expects the right-hander to be in Chicago’s 2013 rotation.
- The Rangers need all the pitching they can get, but they don’t need distractions from Roy Oswalt, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. It’s not yet time to release Oswalt, who isn’t pleased with his current role, Morosi adds.
Hoyer: Garza “Likely” To Pitch For Cubs In 2013
Trade rumors involving Matt Garza swirled persistently around this summer's non-waiver deadline, but a triceps injury helped keep the right-hander in Chicago. Garza, now sidelined indefinitely with the injury, seems to be part of GM Jed Hoyer's plans for 2013 according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Sullivan writes:
"He's likely to be a member of the Cubs in 2013," [Hoyer] said. "And we're excited to have him. (Trading him) is the last thing we're thinking of. We're just trying to get this guy healthy."
The 28-year-old Garza has pitched to a 3.91 ERA with an 8.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and 47.3% groundball rate in 103 2/3 innings for the Cubs in 2012. His fastball enjoyed its usual solid velocity (93.6 mph on average) and he's held opponents to a .236/.301/.393 batting line. He's earning $9.5MM in 2012 and, as a Super Two player, he will be eligible for arbitration for a fourth and final time this offseason.
Hanging onto Garza into the 2013 season carries extra implications for his trade value, given changes to baseball's collective bargaining agreement. Should the Cubs move him in the offseason, the acquiring team would qualify for draft pick compensation following a qualifying offer. If Garza is moved midseason next year, however, his new team would be ineligible to receive a draft pick.
Non-Tender Candidate: Chris Volstad
Chris Volstad’s most recent start provided a reminder of two things: that Volstad can pitch effectively against MLB offenses, and that it’s been a long time since he did so with much regularity. The 6’8” right-hander faced a Dodgers lineup including Shane Victorino, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Hanley Ramirez over the weekend and limited Los Angeles to two runs on six hits in seven innings. Yet Saturday's start was Volstad's first seven-inning outing of the season, and the first game in which he allowed fewer than three earned runs.
It’s been a disappointing season for Volstad to this point, and he will be a non-tender candidate this coming offseason. When the Cubs acquired Volstad from Miami for Carlos Zambrano, he seemed capable of providing value at the back of Chicago's rotation by making his starts, limiting walks and inducing ground balls. He had averaged 29 starts per season in the three years preceding the trade while posting a 4.88 ERA, accumulating twice as many strikeouts as walks, and generating more than his share of ground balls.
However, the results have been disappointing so far in 2012. Volstad opened the season in Dale Sveum's rotation, then got demoted after posting a 7.46 ERA through eight starts. He joined the rotation at Triple-A Iowa, posting an unremarkable 5.17 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 12 starts in the Pacific Coast League. The Cubs recalled him from Iowa last week, so he has the chance to prove he belongs at the MLB level — now and in 2013.
Volstad earns $2.66MM this year and he’ll get a raise through the arbitration process if the Cubs tender him a contract next winter. He has pitched enough innings at the MLB level this year that he projects to obtain a $3.1MM salary in 2013, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Yes, he’s on track for a $450K raise despite a career-high 7.22 ERA, a diminished strikeout rate and an unsightly 0-8 record. The Cubs must decide between now and the middle of December whether another season of Volstad is worth $3MM-plus.
Though his stat line isn’t pretty, bad luck may be a contributing factor to Volstad’s season — to an extent. Opponents are hitting .319 on balls in play against Volstad, a career high. It's an indication that he isn't getting much help from luck or Chicago’s defenders. No MLB pitcher has a lower strand rate than Volstad, who allows nearly half of baserunners to score (min. 50 IP). Though he's probably due for some regression, it's not uncommon for pitchers who have trouble generating swings and misses to allow a relatively high percentage of baserunners to score. And if any MLB pitcher has trouble inducing swings and misses, it’s Volstad. He generates the lowest percentage of swinging strikes among the 192 MLB pitchers with at least 50 innings in 2012 (4.6%, tied with Bartolo Colon and Henderson Alvarez). In other words, it’d be overly optimistic to say Volstad's numbers are simply a product of bad luck.
Volstad’s in the rotation for now, which means he has the chance to string together some more strong starts before the season ends. But if he fails to impress, the Cubs may choose to non-tender Volstad this winter and look elsewhere to strengthen the back of their rotation.