Odds & Ends: Chapman, Indians, Dye, Cubs
Let's take a look at the wire…
- Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times talked to Angels scouting director Eddie Bane about his level of interest in Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman. Bane once again stated that he is intrigued by the 21-year-old lefty, but must see him face live batting before considering making an offer.
- A clause in Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell's contract prevents him from accepting an outside managerial position until after the 2010 season, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Farrell, who served as Cleveland's farm director before joining the BoSox, was expected to be a candidate to manage the Indians if Eric Wedge is not brought back.
- More from Ken Rosenthal as he reports that the Brewers are "seemingly on the verge" of retaining Ken Macha and are considering hiring pitching coach Rick Peterson. Macha and Peterson were on the Oakland staff together from 1999-2003. Peterson served under Macha in 2003, his first year as the A's skipper.
- MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports that Ozzie Guillen hopes "it's not the end" for him and Jermaine Dye, as 2010 marks a mutual option year. Dye wants to return but the White Sox are unlikely to pick up the 35-year-old's $12MM option.
- Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports that Lou Piniella doesn't expect the Cubs roster to change too much. "Last year we had about 10 changes here," Piniella said. "If we have half that, that's a nice number. Some changes [last year] were out of necessity. I see us being selective in what we do."
- Toronto's Jose Bautista is improving his stock heading into arbitration, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
- Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes in his blog that Brian Sabean denied telling season-ticket holders that he would "undoubtedly" look to pick up Freddy Sanchez's option, but said that the Giants want to hang on to him.
Peavy For Zambrano?
Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune says that there is some buzz regarding a Second City swap of Jake Peavy and Carlos Zambrano:
"Some baseball people believe the White Sox could have interest in the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano, possibly even for the newly acquired Jake Peavy. It would be a way for two teams without much money to spend to shake things up, but wouldn't Peavy have more value than Zambrano at this point?"
Peavy, as you may remember, listed the Cubs as a team he was willing to be traded to when the Padres first looked to move him. Zambrano has solid numbers for the year, posting an ERA of 3.69 and 8 strikeouts per 9 innings.
With just two starts in black and white, people are already wondering if Peavy will be a part of the team's 2010 plans. Big Z has had a very strong September (2.81 ERA, 38 K's in 32 IP) but frustrations on the north side of Chicago have put every Cubbie under the gun.
Starting in 2010, the continuation of Peavy's contract will pay him $52MM over three years plus a club option. Zambrano will earn $53.75MM in the next three years with a vesting player option for 2013 worth $19.25MM.
Could an intra-city trade of this magnitude ever happen? Should either team pursue such a trade or is this simply a case of the grass being greener on the other end of the Windy City?
Odds & Ends: Lowe, Tracy, Brewers
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday thinks the Braves will shop Derek Lowe in the offseason. Lowe is owed $15MM per year through 2012.
- Despite seeing limited action this year, Chad Tracy will get the start at first base in Arizona's home finale tonight against the Padres, according to Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic. This is seen as a symbolic gesture as Arizona could pick up Tracy's $7MM option for 2010 but in all likelihood will buy out his remaining year for $1MM.
- The Associated Press reports that Ken Macha has discussed his status heading into next year with GM Doug Melvin. Macha is under contract through 2010 but a losing season has put his job in jeopardy.
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince writes that Jose Veras, who will be arbitration eligible, might be on his way to earning a new contract with Cleveland. Veras has shined since being called up on September 1st, posting 12 Ks and allowing just one earned run in 9.2 IP.
Royals Not Interested In Bradley
Royals officials told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that the organization has no interest in acquiring troubled outfielder Milton Bradley from the Cubs. The Royals have been mentioned recently as a possible destination for Bradley as Jim Hendry tries to find a taker.
Dutton speculates that Bradley has been linked to the Boys in Blue in part because they agreed to trade reliever Leo Nunez to Oakland for his services in 2006. However, the deal collapsed when Bradley was bitten by the injury bug.
Despite being owed $21MM on a contract that takes him through 2011, the Cubs already have a handful of suitors. Bradley earned that deal last season with his play in Texas where he hit .321/.436/.563.
What other teams might be willing to take a risk on Bradley this winter?
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Pujols, Upton, Astros, Bradley
FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up, so let's see what he has for us…
- Albert Pujols is in no rush to sign a contract extension. A source "with knowledge of his thinking" tells Rosenthal that the chances of Pujols agreeing to an extension this winter are "slim and none."
- The reason is that Pujols wants to assess the Cardinals' long-term outlook before deciding on his future. Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Tony LaRussa are all unsigned beyond this season.
- Tampa Bay figures to explore the market for B.J. Upton this offseason. The Rays would be selling low, but they have needs behind the plate and in the bullpen, and it's possible a team could offer a package that would satisfy those needs. If they don't get an offer to their liking, Tampa will simply hold onto him.
- The Astros managing job might be Jim Fregosi's to lose, but don't be surprised if Red Sox first base coach Tim Bogar "gains momentum." Even though he's relatively inexperienced, Bogar is a former 'Stro who also managed in their minor league system, as well as in Cleveland's. Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell all think highly of him.
- Teams have already called the Cubs about Milton Bradley. The Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rays, and Mets are among the clubs with possible interest. The Cubs are confident they can deal Bradley without paying the overwhelming majority of the $21MM still owed to him over the next two years. They could either trade Bradley's bad contract for another bad contract, or use the old sliding scale of "the more money we pay, the better the players we get in return."
Odds & Ends: Chapman, Iglesias, Dodgers
They're not quite as good as Saturday morning cartoons, but here's some Saturday morning links…
- David Lennon of Newsday writes that the Mets are among a handful of teams that are exploring a deal for Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. We learned that Chapman was officially declared a free agent by MLB yesterday.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. sat down for a chat with Jose Iglesias, who the Red Sox signed for over $8MM this summer. When asked why he chose the Sox, Iglesias said they "were a team that needed a shortstop," and "they are my father's favorite team."
- With Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin, George Sherrill, and Hong-Chih Kuo all eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times says that the Dodgers could be looking at raises totaling about $20MM.
- Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune says that Royals "upper management still considers (Milton) Bradley a talented hitter who could thrive in a low-key environment such as the one in Kansas City." He also wonders if a Bradley for Aaron Rowand deal could work.
Padres Are Open-Minded About Milton Bradley
Padres GM Kevin Towers says he's open-minded about the possibility of bringing Milton Bradley back to San Diego, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Towers hasn't yet spoken with Cubs GM Jim Hendry about the possibility of re-acquiring the 31-year-old, but the Padres have to take chances at times, so Bradley could fit.
"We could be in the market for an outfielder," Towers said. "I'm not saying it's necessarily Milton. But our experience with him was rather a positive one. It wasn't really a negative one."
The Padres' experience with Bradley wasn't without its negative episodes. Bradley injured his knee when manager Bud Black restrained him during an on-field argument. The bizarre turn of events ended Bradley's Padres career, over the course of which he posted an OPS of 1.004 in 42 games.
Earlier in the week, ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggested that the Padres could be a fit for Bradley and Jon Heyman of SI.com echoed the thought this afternoon. One obstacle the Cubs will encounter with any trading partner will be the $21MM remaining on Bradley's contract before the end of the 2011 season.
Odds & Ends: Jays, Zambrano, Harden
A few more evening links….
- The Blue Jays have some uncertainty at catcher heading into 2010, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. With Rod Barajas poised to test the free agent market, Raul Chavez, Kyle Phillips, J.P. Arencibia, and Brian Jeroloman could all be in the mix for time behind the plate. GM J.P. Ricciardi also tells Bastian that Scott Downs and Jason Frasor could split closing duties in Toronto next year.
- BP's Christina Kahrl at ESPN.com says so many factors stand in the way of trading Carlos Zambrano that the Cubs would probably have to accept "pennies on the dollar" to move him. She figures if they're looking to deal, the Cubs need to hope they receive interest from a starter-hungry team convinced that Big Z could be their missing piece, like perhaps the Mets.
- Rich Harden has been shut down for 2009, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Has Harden thrown his last pitch for Chicago? He says he'd like to return, but Sullivan suggests that the Cubs likely won't offer more than a one-year deal. Check out Tim's rundown of this year's starting pitching free agent class for an idea of how Harden fits into the market.
- R.J. Anderson at DRays Bay gets involved in the Felix Hernandez chatter by wondering if the Rays might try acquiring the Mariners ace this winter. It seems unlikely, but they apparently made at least one attempt prior to the trade deadline.
- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune chimes in on Ken Williams' assessment of the 2009 White Sox. Rogers points out that the Chicago GM should be blaming the team's $25MM payroll cut, or even himself for failing to acquire any talent that helped the 2009 team in the Javier Vazquez and Nick Swisher deals.
Stark On Bradley & Zambrano
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears that the Cubs will likely try to move Milton Bradley for another "problem" player this offseason. Eric Byrnes, Pat Burrell and Bronson Arroyo haven't been discussed, but they are the kind of expensive player the Cubs might consider trading Bradley away for. There will likely be takers for the unpredictable outfielder, despite his year-long struggle in Chicago.
Stark hears that Bradley's teammate, Carlos Zambrano, is far less likely to be traded. Baseball men say the Cubs have never shown any interest in dealing the big righty, so he's likely to be their Opening Day starter once again in 2010.
Odds & Ends: White Sox, Mets, Millwood, Marquis
Another round of links…
- According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the entire White Sox coaching staff, including hitting coach Greg Walker, pitching coach Don Cooper, bench coach Joey Cora and first base coach Harold Baines, received contract extensions Wednesday afternoon that will keep them all with the club through 2011.
- The Dallas Morning News' Tom Cowlishaw believes Kevin Millwood's $12 million option for 2010, which vested Monday, is a fine deal. "If you're general manager Jon Daniels or team president Nolan Ryan or manager Ron Washington and you're going to be judged next season by how much your team lives up to this overhyped notion that 2010 is the Rangers' year," Cowlishaw writes, "you need Kevin Millwood on that wall."
- According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (via Twitter), Cubs players didn't find out about Milton Bradley's apology until his statement was released to the media Wednesday afternoon. That certainly won't help the level of perceived sincerity.
- Chip Bailey of the Houston Chronicle takes an early look at the Astros' plans for the upcoming offseason. We're not expecting big things.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post gathered a reaction Wednesday from Jason Marquis on Jeff Francoeur's assumption that the free agent right-hander "would love to" pitch for the Mets in 2010. “I hope there are a lot of teams that want a guy that can win 15 games and work 200 innings,” Marquis said. - As Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports, manager Jerry Manuel acknowledged Wednesday that the Mets need to add a reliable veteran catcher this offseason. If not, they'll head into the 2010 season with Omir Santos and Josh Thole as their Opening Day backstops.