Quick Hits: Red Sox, Garza, Bartlett
The Mets play the 8,000th game in the history of their franchise tonight, and they're still looking for their first ever no-hitter. Here are some links to read before Johan Santana takes on Mark Buehrle and the Marlins in Miami…
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says the team's medical staff doesn't believe Josh Beckett was putting himself at risk by golfing with stiffness in his lat muscle, Alex Speier of WEEI.com writes. Cherington does acknowledge that perception matters when it comes to the team's level of commitment.
- Lines of communication are open between Matt Garza and the Cubs, Jon Heyman of CSBSports.com reports. The Cubs will try to extend Garza, who's under team control through 2013. Heyman suggests a five-year, $80MM deal could work for both sides.
- Some people expect the Padres to release Jason Bartlett, Heyman tweets. The 32-year-old has a .433 OPS in 88 plate appearances and he doesn't appear to figure into the Padres' long-term plans.
Castro Won’t Talk Long-Term Deal During Season
Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro is off to a fine start this season and is likely in position to start talking about a long-term deal with the club. However, agent Paul Kinzer told Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune that he won’t seek a new contract for his client during the season.
“Maybe after the season, but I’m not really interested during the season to talk about it,” Kinzer said. “I don’t want any distractions.”
Kinzer went on to say that Castro enjoys playing in Chicago and expects to talk with the club eventually about a long-term pact. As it stands now, the All-Star will become eligible for arbitration after this season and is in line for free agency after the 2016 campaign. The 22-year-old has Super Two status, giving him an additional year of arbitration eligibility.
Make Or Break Year: Geovany Soto
In the aftermath of Geovany Soto's big 2010 season, the catcher was being looked at as extension candidate, in line for a healthy multiyear contract. The Cubs held off extending Soto and instead chose to go year-to-year in arbitration, which may have proven to be a wise decision. Soto followed up his .280/.393/.497 performance in 2010 with a disappointing .228/.310/.411 slash line in 2011, and has thus far gotten off to a slow start this season, with just a .526 OPS entering tonight's play. (Though, in fairness, Soto's .157 BABIP indicates he's been very unlucky.)
Soto earned $3MM in 2011 and $4.3MM this season during his first two arb-eligible years and is due for one more trip through the arb process before hitting free agency after the 2013 campaign. We can tentatively predict Soto to earn around $5.5MM next year since even if he continues to hit poorly, I think the Cubs will still tender him a contract. Soto's big 2010 season and his Rookie Of The Year campaign in 2008 are still too fresh in everyone's memory, and since solid-hitting catchers are such a commodity in the game, the Cubs will likely give Soto another chance to regain his past form.
"Likely," however, is not a certainty. Soto is a middling-to-below average defender, so unless his bat heats up, he has little value. Chicago has another catching prospect in 25-year-old Welington Castillo, who has posted an .852 OPS in 590 Triple-A plate appearances and is currently serving as the Cubs' backup with Steve Clevenger on the DL. Jed Hoyer could go in a different direction next year, using Castillo and Clevenger (who also has some good minor league numbers) in a righty-lefty platoon, possibly with a veteran brought into the mix during Spring Training to add depth.
If the Cubs do give up on Soto, it's more likely that they would try to deal him at the trade deadline rather than non-tendering him for nothing in return. The Rays are the most notable contender with a clear need at catcher, though a number of other teams could develop a hole behind the plate by the end of July. If Soto can't get his bat going, expect him to be dealt for a low-level prospect to a team in need of a backup catcher. If Soto does hit, however, he'll keep his job in Chicago for at least one more season, though the Cubs will still be right to hold off on an extension until they see what Soto does in 2013.
Photo courtesy of Howard Smith/US Presswire
NL Central Links: Brewers, Counsell, DeWitt
Some links pertaining to the game's largest division…
- Despite a slew of injuries, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told reporters (including MLB.com's Adam McCalvy) he won't give up on the 2012 season. The Brew Crew will be without Chris Narveson and Mat Gamel for the remainder of the season, while Alex Gonzalez's season is in doubt after a knee injury, and Carlos Gomez was placed on the DL. Ryan Braun is also not 100 percent, as he's dealing with an ailing Achilles Tendon in his right foot.
- Longtime Brewers infielder Craig Counsell has contemplated returning in the last 24 hours, tweets McCalvy, but for the time being he isn't anticipating a comeback.
- The Cubs hope the recently-DFAed Blake DeWitt will clear waivers, as they'd like to keep him in their organization, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com (Twitter link).
- Earlier today, the Cubs released Triple-A right-hander Dan Berlind.
Minor Moves: Thomas, Berlind
We'll keep track of Sunday's minor transactions here…
- Clete Thomas has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Rochester by the Twins, the team announced (on Twitter). Thomas homered in his second plate appearance for Minnesota, but hit just .143/.172/.286 overall while striking out in 14 of his final 19 plate appearances.
- The Cubs released right-hander Dan Berlind, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Berlind, a seventh round selection of the Twins in 2007, had walked 10 through 8 1/3 innings, leading to 16 earned runs.
Cubs Designate Blake DeWitt For Assignment
The Cubs have designated Blake DeWitt for assignment, according to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald (via Twitter). The move will allow the club to make room for right-hander Travis Wood.
The 26-year-old started five games at second base for the Cubs this season and hit just .138/.133/.172 in 30 plate appearances. In parts of five big league seasons, DeWitt owns a .257/.324/.380 slash line for the Cubs and Dodgers.
DeWitt could be of interest to teams looking for depth at second or third base. The former first-round pick also started 17 games for the Cubs in left field in 2011.
Cafardo On Broxton, Phillies, Span, Orioles, White Sox
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that Mariano Rivera is arguably the most important player in the American League East. The Yankees will look to in-house solutions in the back of their bullpen for now, but other teams in need of relievers will start combing the market for answers. The Cubs would obviously part with Carlos Marmol. The Pirates could move Joel Hanrahan, but the price would be steep. The White Sox might trade left-hander Matt Thornton and the Astros could be willing to deal Brett Myers.
Teams are looking to see whether the Mets would deal Bobby Parnell and whether the Royals move Jonathan Broxton. Kansas City, however, would need to receive his permission since he was signed as a free agent and otherwise couldn’t be moved until after June 15th. Here's more from Cafardo..
- Phillies people insist that they are not on the lookout for a third baseman/left fielder with Placido Polanco struggling. "We’re just trying to hold our heads above water until we get our guys back," a Phillies official told Cafardo.
- Twins center fielder Denard Span remains on the Nationals' radar, but with closer Drew Storen sidelined, a deal is on hold for a while.
- According to an Orioles source, they have received calls on Kevin Gregg and Matt Lindstrom. The O's would love to move part of Gregg's $5.8MM deal for 2012. Lindstrom, meanwhile, will earn $3.6MM with a $4MM option for 2013.
- The Astros will hang on to Wandy Rodriguez until late July when they can get the best possible deal for him.
- Even though White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is reaching the end of his contract and is 35, don’t be surprised if the club talks about keeping him for another year or two. Many in Chicago feel the mantle will be passed to Tyler Flowers, but Jerry Reinsdorf is very loyal to his veteran players.
- First baseman Derrek Lee is definitely on the Brewers’ radar with Mat Gamel out for the season. They’re thinking about moving Corey Hart from right field to first, but there may be outside options. The Red Sox’s Lars Anderson and the Orioles’ Mark Reynolds could be two names to consider.
- The Red Sox expect to have Andrew Bailey, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youkilis, and Daisuke Matsuzaka back at some point this summer. General Manager Ben Cherington believes, "that would be better than anything we could do in a trade deadline deal."
Trade Candidate: Bryan LaHair
When I described Bryan LaHair as having "quality sleeper potential" in a column for Roto Authority back in January, I certainly didn't expect this. Heading into Thursday's play, LaHair was hitting an absurd .381/.459/.794 in 74 plate appearances as the Cubs' regular first baseman and establishing himself as one of the best stories of this young 2012 campaign. A 29-year-old with just 219 Major League PAs to his name entering the season, LaHair was expected to do little more than keep first base warm for Anthony Rizzo, but LaHair's success has in all likelihood required a shift in the Cubs' short-term plans.
Or has it? LaHair is obviously not going to keep up his Ruthian numbers for the entire season, though his solid power numbers in the minors would hint that he's not going to fall completely off the map. If LaHair regresses even to around an .850 OPS by June, that's still a very solid output, and if he tops that number, even better. If LaHair is still swinging a hot bat by midseason, it would behoove the Cubs to at least test the market to see what they could get for the first baseman.
The obvious question is, why wouldn't the Cubs just hang onto LaHair and move him to a corner outfield spot once Rizzo is called up? Rizzo and his Triple-A slash line of .372/.422/.638 certainly look on pace to be in Chicago by midseason at the latest, and if he can translate even some of that quality to the Majors, then the Cubs would have a nice pair of bats to hit behind Starlin Castro.
The problem could be that the Cubs' preferred trade candidate, David DeJesus, is playing poorly. Teams aren't going to be be willing to acquire a 32-year-old who has a .687 OPS in 2011-12, is owed approximately $9.15MM through the end of the 2013 season and whose traditionally strong corner OF glove also seems to be failing him. Chicago's other corner outfielder, Alfonso Soriano, is set to earn approximately $51MM through 2014. Between Soriano's untradeable contract and DeJesus' lack of form, LaHair is a much more valuable trade commodity than either player and could become the trade chip that the Cubs hoped DeJesus could become.
The Tigers, Dodgers, Phillies and Brewers are just a few of the contenders and would-be contenders that could use a slugging left-handed bat at first, left, right or DH. Suitors wouldn't pay a king's ransom for LaHair since they would also have an eye on his middling career history, but power is an increasingly rare commodity, so teams would definitely give the Cubs some value if LaHair continues to smash right-handed pitching. LaHair would also be under team control through 2018 though since he's already 29, controllability is not a major factor in this case.
Cubs fans will no doubt be upset over the club dealing away the feel-good story in the midst of another sub-.500 year, but Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have stated on many occasions that they're rebuilding the Cubs from the ground up and that 2012 is intended as a rebuilding year. If Chicago can turn a 29-year-old career minor leaguer into a quality prospect or two, that's a better long-term move for the organization than hoping LaHair is a late-blooming superstar like Jose Bautista and can stay an elite hitter until the Cubs are ready to contend again.
Put it this way — if you asked a Cubs fan even one month ago if they'd be willing to see LaHair dealt for two of another team's top 15 prospects, even the most staunch Wrigleyville dweller would've jumped at that deal. One red-hot outlier of a month (or even a few hot months) shouldn't be enough to alter the Cubs' rebuilding plan.
Minor Moves: Gonzalez, Hill, Barfield
Today's minor moves..
- The Cubs released Triple-A Iowa right-hander Edgar Gonzalez, tweets ESPN's Doug Padilla. Gonzalez, who had a 4.09 ERA and 12-to-2 K/BB in 11 innings will pursue opportunities in Asia.
- The Reds signed catcher Koyie Hill, according to CBSSports.com's transactions page. The 33-year-old signed with the Cardinals in January but was let go just over a month ago. For his big league career, Hill owns a .211/.275/.298 slash line across parts of eight seasons.
- The Orioles released Josh Barfield from Triple-A Norfolk to make room for right-hander Jason Berken, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The utility player has a .274/.313/.387 slash line in parts of six seasons at the Triple-A level. The O's signed the 29-year-old to a minor league deal in late March.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Lopez, Carroll
Here are the latest outright assignments from around MLB…
- Rodrigo Lopez cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Iowa, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com tweets. The Cubs designated the veteran right-hander for assignment yesterday.
- The Nationals announced that they outrighted outfielder Brett Carroll to Triple-A (Twitter link). Carroll, who was designated for assignment earlier this month, has accepted the assignment to Syracuse. The 29-year-old has a .201/.280/.319 line in 324 MLB plate appearances and experience at all three outfield positions.