NL East Notes: Werth, Morse, Braves
On this date in 2004, the newly acquired Richard Hidalgo homered in his fifth consecutive game for the Mets, giving him eight homers in his first 16 contests with New York. Hidalgo would go on to hit 21 homers for the Mets in '04, but he played his last MLB game a year later. Here are the latest links from his former division…
- Jayson Werth told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he doesn't regret signing in Washington last winter. The outfielder says he's happy with his decision, but unhappy with his offensive production. He has a .221/.326/.377 line since signing a $126MM deal with the Nationals.
- Michael Morse of the Nationals tells Crasnick that he feels like a late bloomer. The 29-year-old outfielder, who had just 392 MLB plate appearances before last season, now has 15 homers and a .536 slugging percentage.
- The White Sox seem interested in Atlanta's pitching, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The Braves could be in the market for an outfielder and may attempt to find a proven leadoff hitter like Juan Pierre.
- Bowman notes (on Twitter) that he won't be surprised if the Braves don't make a significant move this month.
White Sox Agree To Deal With Keenyn Walker
6:21PM: Walker's deal is worth $795K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).
5:00PM: The White Sox have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with their first pick in the 2011 draft, outfielder Keenyn Walker, according to a team press release. Walker was selected 47th overall out of Central Arizona Junior College.
Terms of Walker's deal were not disclosed but slot would put his deal at roughly $740K. Walker hinted that he was close to an agreement with the White Sox on Wednesday with an enthusiastic tweet.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder was drafted previously by the Cubs in the 16th round of the '09 draft and by the Phillies in the 38th round in 2010. Walker was recommended by White Sox scouts John Kazanas and Derek Valenzuela according to the team.
Cafardo On Dodgers, Hardy, Wandy, Twins
The latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…
- The Dodgers are not ready to become sellers quite yet, but Cafardo reports that the team's scouts are already compiling lists of other teams' better prospects. Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jamey Carroll are among the players who would be made available — Kuroda is already attracting the attention of several teams and MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at Carroll's trade candidacy two weeks ago.
- Cafardo reports that the Indians looked into Casey Blake as a depth option at third base before Lonnie Chisenhall was called up. Blake, Jonathan Broxton and Jon Garland are all currently on the DL but would be shopped by L.A. if they can prove they're healthy.
- The Dodgers don't appear to be interested in moving higher-profile players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier or James Loney since "the feeling is Dodgers fans would rebel if some of their star players were sold off." I don't think Loney falls into this category at all — he has just a .678 OPS this season and could be a non-tender candidate after the season, so the Dodgers would love to get something back for him.
- J.J. Hardy will be "a major trade chip" for the Orioles if the two sides can't work out a contract extension before the deadline. Hardy would become the top option for shortstop-needy teams, particularly if the Mets don't shop Jose Reyes.
- "It’s no secret that [Wandy Rodriguez] is being watched closely by the Yankees, who have sent a few people to watch some of his starts," Cafardo writes. As FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal noted a few weeks ago, the Yankees would want Rodriguez at the back of their rotation while the Astros would want a trade package befitting an ace, so there may not be a fit between the two teams. Cafardo notes that Brett Myers "also remains on the Yankees' radar."
- The Twins are more likely to deal Carl Pavano or Francisco Liriano than they would Scott Baker, though "there are teams that would love to get their hands on Baker."
- The White Sox recently sent assistant general manager Dave Yokum to scout some Braves games for pitching. Cafardo specifically cites Brandon Beachy as a starter the Sox were watching and says that Beachy or Derek Lowe could be shopped by Atlanta in exchange for a hitter. I think it's obvious the Braves would prefer to move the expensive Lowe rather than a young, controllable pitcher like Beachy, but if the Braves wanted to pick up a big bat like Carlos Quentin (as Cafardo speculates), Atlanta certainly has the pitching depth to spare.
Olney On Deadline Plans For AL Teams
ESPN's Buster Olney outlined plans for National League teams heading into the trade deadline yesterday, and today he follows up with the American League in an Insider-only column that comes highly recommended. Here's a brief recap…
- The Mark Ellis trade could just be the first domino that falls for the Athletics. Other veterans like Josh Willingham, Coco Crisp, and Grant Balfour could follow him out the door.
- The Twins aren't as willing to trade now as they were a few weeks ago, and the big question they have to ask themselves is if eating a chunk of the $5.5MM left on Michael Cuddyer's contract is worth it to trade him.
- We've heard this before, but B.J. Upton and Kyle Farnsworth of the Rays figure to draw interest.
- The Red Sox and Angels don't have a lot of financial flexiblity and are more likely to target smaller pieces.
- Jeff Francoeur, Melky Cabrera, and Wilson Betemit are all affordable and reasonably productive, but Olney notes that the Royals might want to keep some veterans around so the youngsters don't get pounded.
- The Indians and Mariners will not blow up their rebuild processes despite their surprising runs at contention. Erik Bedard's injury took away Seattle's best chip.
- Poor seasons from Alex Rios and Adam Dunn make it difficult for the White Sox to do anything. They need those two to get back on track more than anything.
- The Yankees are convinced their internal pitching options are better than what's available on the market right now. A Rafael Soriano setback would put them in the reliever market.
- It's all about right-handed relief pitching for the Rangers, who will have plenty of options to choose from. The Blue Jays have lots of bullpen help to deal.
- The Tigers are asking around about pitching, specifically left-handers.
- The Orioles are having an internal debate about whether or not to trade Jeremy Guthrie, but they are expected to at least listen to offers.
Chicago Links: Williams, Viciedo, Hendry
Chicago's teams have combined for 70 wins and 90 losses, yet the White Sox say they could still turn their season around and the Cubs tell us not to expect a fire sale. Here are the details…
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times that his team can turn it around and start winning, but is licking its wounds too much at the moment. “We're going to have to start to turn this around quickly,” Williams said.
- Jim Margalus of South Side Sox explains that Dayan Viciedo may be in Triple-A because of service time considerations. The prospect is hitting minor league pitching as well as the White Sox could hope (.330/.369/.528 line), but if the White Sox wait another week, Viciedo won't have a full year of service time at the end of the year even if he doesn’t return to Triple-A. Margalus’ analysis is spot-on here.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald that the Cubs won't have a fire sale this summer. They intend told keep the players who will help down the road, Hendry said. "If we make moves, it will be designed to make us better for the future."
White Sox Close To Signing Keenyn Walker
The White Sox are close to signing supplemental round draft pick Keenyn Walker. The outfielder tweeted earlier today, "Ya buddy! Finally becoming a part of the Chicago White Sox family!!" The amount of Walker's apparent agreement is unknown, but slot would be about $740K.
Walker was drafted 47th overall out of Central Arizona Junior College as compensation for the loss of reliever J.J. Putz. The switch-hitter was Chicago's first pick in the draft, as they had to give the #23 pick to Washington to sign Adam Dunn.
Baseball America describes Walker as "mostly a gap hitter with above-average speed," who "profiles as a good defensive center fielder."
Kenny Williams Talks Dunn, Viciedo, Deadline
The Chicago Tribune's Dave van Dyck talked to White Sox GM Kenny Williams on Sunday; here are a few highlights.
- "I would make the same move tomorrow again," says Williams in reference to Adam Dunn's four-year, $56MM contract that also cost the Sox the #23 overall draft pick this year. Dunn is hitting .173/.308/.316 with seven home runs in 279 plate appearances as he attempts to adjust to the American League and full-time DH work. Williams considers Dunn's 2011 struggles "a little blip."
- Williams says he respects manager Ozzie Guillen too much to force him to promote prospect Dayan Viciedo. The 22-year-old outfielder is hitting .330/.369/.528 this year, but Williams says Viciedo is "not a finished product."
- Williams does not believe he can acquire a player who has the ability of those already on the team. He's hoping for certain members of his current squad to start playing to their normal abilities.
Extension Candidate: Carlos Quentin
After two inconsistent seasons and hearing his name whispered in trade talks, Carlos Quentin is again looking like the slugger who finished fifth in AL MVP voting in 2008. Quentin has a .256/.358/.535 line and 17 homers through Thursday and (along with Paul Konerko and Alexei Ramirez) is carrying a White Sox lineup that is still waiting for Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham to come to life.
Quentin is under team control through 2012 and avoided arbitration last winter by agreeing to a $5.05MM contract for this season. The outfielder can expect a healthy raise (at least in the $8MM range) if he keeps hitting and looks for another one-year pact. However, Chicago will have some money coming off the books this winter and Kenny Williams could look for some cost-certainty by locking up one of his team's young stars.
Perhaps even moreso than his bat, what may help Quentin's long-term prospects with the White Sox is his vastly improved play in the field this season. Quentin has posted an above-average 3.2 UZR/150 in right field this year — a massive step up from his -35 UZR/150 last year or the -25.2 UZR/150 he put up in left field in 2009. Nobody is suddenly confusing Quentin with Roberto Clemente in right, but if he can show that he can handle a corner outfield position, it gives him a place in a lineup that has first base and DH locked up by Konerko and Dunn. It's possible Quentin may be shifted back to left when the White Sox eventually call up right fielder Dayan Viciedo and relegate Juan Pierre to the bench.
How big would a Quentin extension be? Given that it would probably cover at least three free agent years, it would have to carry an average annual value of at least $10MM. Williams and the White Sox could point to Quentin's history of weak defense, his shaky 2009-10 seasons and his age (Quentin turns 29 in August) as signs to not make too huge a commitment. Quentin and agent Brodie Van Wagenen could counter with Quentin's good performance in 2011 as a sign that the proverbial light bulb has come on for the outfielder, and an argument could be made that with Konerko's advanced age (35), Viciedo an unproven quantity and so many other Sox hitters struggling, the club needs a proven power bat like Quentin going forward.
I can see Van Wagenen asking for a deal in the realm of five years and $60MM, but it's more likely that a Quentin extension would look more like a four-year pact worth $40-$41MM. Quentin reportedly turned down a four-year offer from the White Sox after the 2009 season and while the value of that offer wasn't made public, it's possible Quentin has an eye towards seeing what he can get on the free agent market.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI
White Sox Rumors: Ozzie, Trade Deadline
Ten years ago today, the White Sox purchased Jose Canseco's contract from the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. Canseco went on to hit .258/.366/.477 with 16 homers in 306 plate appearances the rest of the season, his last in the majors. Let's round up the latest news from Chicago's south side…
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Ozzie Guillen approached White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf about his long-term status with the club and didn't like what he was told. "I'm maybe going to ask about my situation [after the season], but I'm not going to ask for money or tell them I need a contract, anything like that," said Guillen, whose name has again popped up with regards to the Marlins' long-term managerial position.
- The White Sox increased payroll by $20MM this year, so it's possible that the team's only big additions this summer will be improved play from Adam Dunn and Alexis Rios according to Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune. "You're certainly not going to go out at the deadline and get somebody that could do the things that some of these guys can do when they're on their game," said GM Kenny Williams.
White Sox Notes: McMillen, Guillen, Marlins
The White Sox are hosting their crosstown rivals this evening and both teams are looking to move past disappointing starts. The Cubs have a 29-42 record, while the White Sox have improved to 35-38 after a dismal April. Here's the latest on the South Siders:
- The White Sox announced that they have agreed to terms with 23 of their 50 draft picks, including fourth rounder Kyle McMillen, a 21-year-old right-hander from Kent State University. McMillen is represented by Jonathan Maurer.
- Manager Ozzie Guillen told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he wants to remain in Chicago after this year (Twitter links). Guillen, who is under contract for 2012, acknowledged that chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Kenny Williams have the final say on his future.
- The Marlins, who named 80-year-old Jack McKeon their new manager today, don’t have a long-term skipper in place and have had interest in Guillen for years. Guillen acknowledged the rumors of Florida’s interest in him by pointing out that powerful right fielder Mike Stanton would help the Marlins more than he could.