Gimenez & Reyes Become Free Agents
Catcher Chris Gimenez and right-hander Anthony Reyes are free agents, the Indians announced. The Tribe outrighted Gimenez and Reyes today, along with right-hander Hector Ambriz. Gimenez, 27, batted .190/.288/.328 in 67 plate appearances this year. He has struggled to hit at the big league level in two short stints with the Indians.
Reyes, a former top prospect with the Cardinals, rose quickly through the St. Louis system after being selected in the 15th round of the 2003 draft. He struck out more than a batter per inning with excellent command in the minors from 2004-06, but soon lost his top prospect status.
This year, the 29-year-old struggled through 10.0 minor league innings and did not pitch in the majors. Last year, he made eight starts for the Indians and posted a 6.57 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 38.1 innings. Reyes does have one major postseason accomplishment; he pitched eight innings of four-hit, two-run ball against the Tigers in the opening game of the 2006 World Series.
Odds & Ends: Boras, Antonetti, Girardi, Cubs
Links for Friday, as Josh Hamilton and the Rangers rest before trying to make up ground against the Giants. Incidentally, it was nine years ago today that the Rangers signed Edinson Volquez, the player they later flipped to Cincinnati for Hamilton…
- The Phillies contacted Scott Boras about Jayson Werth this week, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. At this point, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says "There's really not much to say" about possible negotiations with the free agent right fielder.
- Bill Lubinger of the Cleveland Plain Dealer offers up a must-read profile of Indians GM Chris Antonetti. Pirates GM Neal Huntington says Antonetti is similar to former GM Mark Shapiro – to an extent. “I would say Chris is going to seek out maybe more opinions and he's going to be more inclusive," Huntington said. "Mark will seek out the opinions that he thinks are more crucial to the decision. Chris may get outside that narrow circle a little bit more than Mark."
- We heard lots of buzz about Joe Girardi and the Cubs, but the manager says he "didn't really think about leaving the Yankees," according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). The skipper agreed to a three-year extension yesterday.
- The Cubs selected catcher Robinson Chirinos from Double-A and outrighted Jim Adduci to Triple-A and off of the 40-man roster.
- Former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi wants to get back into baseball operations and has been in contact with the Red Sox about working for them, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff. We heard yesterday that Sandy Alderson contacted Ricciardi about joining the Mets.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Indians
Next up in our series looking at each team's top amateur signing bonuses, the Indians…
- Danys Baez, $4.5MM (1999)
- Jeremy Guthrie, $3MM (2002)
- Drew Pomeranz, $2.65MM (2010)
- Jeremy Sowers, $2.475MM (2004)
- Alex White, $2.25MM (2009)
Baez's bonus was part of the four-year, $14.5MM contract Cleveland gave him after he defected from Cuba as a 22-year-old. After a year in Triple-A, the Indians gave him a rotation spot in 2002 and watched Baez post a respectable 4.41 ERA, 7.1 K/9, and 4.5 BB/9. Overall, Baez had a 3.92 ERA in 291.1 innings with Cleveland in a variety of roles (starter, setup man, closer) before they cut ties with him after the 2003 season.
Guthrie, the 22nd overall pick in 2002, never hit his stride in Cleveland, appearing in just 16 games (37 IP, 6.08 ERA) for the Tribe before being designated for assignment and subsequently claimed off waivers by the Orioles in January 2007. Sowers' tenure with the Indians was just as forgettable, though he got a much longer look. The sixth overall pick in the 2004 draft started 71 games for Cleveland from 2006-2009, though he pitched to just a 5.18 ERA with a measly 3.9 K/9 in exactly 400 IP. He spent 2010 in their minor league system.
White and Pomeranz are the team's two most recent first round picks. White (15th overall in 2009) split the 2010 season between the Single-A and Double-A levels, posting a 2.45 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 150.2 IP. Pomeranz (5th overall in 2010) signed right at the August 16th deadline and will start his professional career next season.
Yankees Send Two To Indians, Complete Wood Deal
The Yankees sent righty Andrew Shive and infielder Matt Cusick to Cleveland to complete the Kerry Wood trade, according to Marc Carig of the Star Ledger (on Twitter). Wood, who pitched two scoreless innings last night, has provided manager Joe Girardi with a stable bridge to Mariano Rivera since the Yankees acquired him July 31st.
Not only did Wood post a 0.69 ERA with 10.7 K/9 in 24 regular season appearances, he has been outstanding in the playoffs. Wood has allowed one run in six playoff games and has struck out seven. If there's one blemish on the righty's Yankee record, it's that he allowed 18 walks in 26 regular season innings.
Shive, who turns 25 next month, has not yet pitched above A-ball. He posted a 4.56 ERA with more walks than strikeouts between two levels this year after missing the entire 2009 campaign. Cusick, 24, hit .243/.318/.342 in the upper minors this year. He has split his time between second and third base since the Astros selected him in the tenth round of the 2007 draft. The Indians don't acquire much in the way of prospects, but they did save money in the deal.
Odds & Ends: Lee, Alderson, Choo, Lowrie
As the ALCS gets underway, let's look at some news from around the majors…
- Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com (Insider subscription needed) proposes that if the Phillies can unload some big contracts, they could make a run at signing Cliff Lee this winter. Adding Lee to the current Roy Halladay/Roy Oswalt/Cole Hamels mix would create one of the all-time great rotations in baseball history, but this seems like a major longshot. If the Phils can really move Joe Blanton or Raul Ibanez like they can in Churchill's scenario, one would think they'd spend that freed-up money on more pressing needs than pitching.
- Writing for MLB.com, former Dodgers general manager Fred Claire strongly endorses Sandy Alderson for the vacant Mets GM job. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith profiled Alderson earlier today.
- Yoon Chul, the reporter who wrote that Shin-Soo Choo wanted a "transfer" to a winning team, has apologized to the Indians for "editing problems" that altered the meaning of the Cleveland outfielder's words according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Another Korean journalist, Jeeho Yoo, told the Tribe that Choo said "he wants to stay with one club for a long time and Cleveland would be his first choice."
- Jed Lowrie's strong second half has made him a candidate to either take over the starting shortstop's job from Marco Scutaro or to become trade bait for a club looking for a young infielder, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
- Some conflicted early reaction to Seattle's pending hire of Eric Wedge: CBSSports.com's Scott Miller thinks "the Mariners could not have made a more uninspiring hire," while 710ESPN Seattle's Shannon Drayer gets great reviews of Wedge from former players and Indians broadcaster Tom Hamilton.
- Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com looks back at the Rangers' 2007 trade of Mark Teixeira and how it was the starting point for the club's current success. Texas acquired Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Beau Jones from Atlanta for the slugging first baseman — safe to say the Rangers won that deal.
- Speaking of Teixeira, he cited teammate C.C. Sabathia as "arguably…the best free agent signing in Yankees history." The story from Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger cites Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Teixeira himself and others as candidates for that title, plus Yankees GM Brian Cashman posits that Orlando Hernandez might've been the best signing from a pure dollars-to-performance standpoint.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Astros can take some lessons from how the Rangers rebuild their franchise, and that the Astros have finally belatedly gotten started on their own youth movement.
- Austin Kearns tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he "would love to stay" in New York next season.
Odds & Ends: Choo, Nationals, Lee, Pujols
Links for Tuesday night, as Cliff Lee and the Rangers look to advance to the ALCS….
- A story by Yoon Chul of the Korea Times quotes Shin-Soo Choo as saying he'd like to play for a team that wins more than Indians. However, GM Chris Antonetti tells Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he has spoken to Choo and the outfielder "expressed his passion for winning in Cleveland."
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson fields readers' questions about whether the Nationals will pursue Lee, Ted Lilly, Javier Vazquez, and others this offseason.
- Speaking of Lee, when the Yankees really want a player, they usually get him, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
- Fangraphs' Jack Moore says that if Albert Pujols hits free agency after the 2011 season, it would be the MLB equivalent of LeBron James' summer of 2010 in terms of impact.
Odds & Ends: Rothschild, Listach, Wallach, Alderson
Some links to check out as the Reds try to extend their season…
- Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune reminds us that Cubs' pitching coach Larry Rothschild has until tomorrow to pick up his option for 2011. Rothschild has worked closely with Carlos Zambrano over the last several years, watching over him like a "substitute teacher," to use Sullivan's words.
- Meanwhile, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that Nationals third base coach Pat Listach is no longer a candidate to manage the Cubs.
- Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Tim Wallach will serve as either the Dodgers bench or third base coach next season unless another team hires him to be their manager.
- Sandy Alderson asked and received permission from Bud Selig to interview with the Mets for the GM vacancy next Thursday or Friday, and The New York Post's Joel Sherman says that's an indication that Alderson wants the job badly.
- Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer ranks everyone on the Indians 40-man roster based on what they did in 2010 and what they're expected to contribute in 2011.
- In a mailbag piece, Hoynes says that insurance would cover some of the $28.75MM left on Travis Hafner's contract if he lands on the disabled list with a right shoulder issue. Pronk has been battling injuries to the shoulder since 2008.
- John Tomase of The Boston Herald looks at all of the non-closer relievers who signed a multi-year deal worth at least $5MM over the last four seasons. In summary, it's not pretty. Not at all.
Odds & Ends: Loux, Burrell, Dodgers, Trout
On this date six years ago, the Rangers lost Colby Lewis when the Tigers claimed him on waivers. Texas signed Lewis last offseason and the right-hander will take the hill tomorrow as he and the Rangers try to put away the Rays. Here are today's links…
- The Astros are no longer pursuing free agent pitching prospect Barret Loux, GM Ed Wade told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The Marlins, Rangers, Cubs, Twins, Giants, Brewers, Phillies and Mariners have also scouted the 2010 first rounder.
- Padres CEO Jeff Moorad and GM Jed Hoyer told Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune that they wish the team had pursued Pat Burrell more aggressively early in the season.
- Dodgers president Dennis Mannion will leave the organization and owner Frank McCourt will take on a more active role with the team, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
- A scout told Jim Callis of Baseball America that comparisons between Mike Trout and Mickey Mantle are "actually pretty good." Trout, one of the game's top prospects, probably hasn't heard that one before (Twitter link).
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti promoted several members of his front office, as Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Halladay, Fielder, Mets
On this date two years ago, the Cubs exercised Rich Harden's $9MM option for 2009 after tests showed that his throwing shoulder was healthy. Harden made 26 starts with a 4.09 ERA, 10.9 K/9, and 4.2 BB/9 in 141 innings that year before joining the Rangers in the offseason. The 28-year-old battled through another injury plagued year in 2010, throwing just 92 innings with a 5.58 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 6.3 BB/9 for Texas.
Harden might not be able to find a guaranteed Major League deal on the free agent market this winter, but I can guarantee that these links represent the best from around the blogosphere…
- Crashburn Alley re-lives Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter, moment by moment.
- Meanwhile, Phoul Ballz spoke to some Blue Jays minor leaguers about how Doc's effort inspired them.
- The Nats Blog debates Halladay's Cy Young candidacy. Not that anyone asked me, but I consider him the frontrunner, and it's not particularly close either.
- Blogging From The Bleachers takes an in depth look at how Japanese pitchers have transitioned to MLB.
- The OC Baseball Council examines some potential destinations for Prince Fielder.
- U.S.S. Mariner looks at some free agent second base options for the Mariners.
- Amazin' Avenue reveals their John Hart-Rick Hahn-Chip Hale management plan.
- Blogging Mets hands out a final report card for the 2010 Mets.
- Waiting For Next Year compares how the Indians' roster was built to those of some postseason clubs.
- SD Sports Net wonders if Ryan Ludwick should be patrolling the Padres' outfield next season.
- Cubs Pack wonders what life will be like after Aramis Ramirez.
- The Outfield Ivy looks at some first base options for the Cubs next season.
- SPANdemonium lists the game's 50 more underrated prospects.
- Batter's Box names their top ten Blue Jays prospects.
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Third Base Options For The Indians
Indians GM Chris Antonetti told Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that finding a third baseman will be one of his main jobs this winter. Here’s a look at needs, options and possible solutions for the Tribe:
The Goal
It would make sense to sign someone who can play third for a year while Jared Goedert and Lonnie Chisenhall develop into major league regulars. Goedert, 25, batted .283/.358/.532 with 27 homers in the upper minors this year. Chisenhall, who turned 22 this week, had a strong season at Double-A, but likely needs seasoning.
Antonetti told Hoynes that he’d like to see improved infield defense next year, so free agents who can hold their own at the hot corner will appeal to Cleveland's front office.
The Options
Jayson Nix, Cord Phelps, Luis Valbuena and Andy Marte are internal options for the Indians, but none of the four have guarantees and it seems more likely that the Indians will add someone from outside the organization.
Adrian Beltre is a fantastic defender, but he has set himself up for a long-term deal and the Indians are probably not looking to make a long-term commitment to a third baseman given their minor league depth at the position.
Lots of other third basemen hit free agency this winter; the Indians could approach Jorge Cantu, Melvin Mora, Miguel Tejada, Brandon Inge or Juan Uribe about a deal. All of those players should draw interest from multiple teams – Inge has discussed a deal with the Tigers – but there should be plenty of alternatives.
Joe Crede has a reputation as a good defender and could look to return next year after sitting out the 2010 season. Felipe Lopez and Pedro Feliz could also be considerations for the Tribe, but, like Crede, both come with question marks.
Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jose Lopez and Edwin Encarnacion are all non-tender candidates and could be available via trade or, by December, free agency.
A Possible Solution
The Indians have lots of choice, but here’s one solution I’d like to see: longtime Indian Omar Vizquel paired with Edwin Encarnacion (if he’s non-tendered). Vizquel, a switch-hitter who handles right-handers better than left-handers, could face tough righties and be a late-game defensive replacement at third and short. Encarnacion, who mashes lefties, could start against all southpaws and lots of right-handers.
The Indians may not have the chance to sign either player and even if they’re both available, there are surer ways for Antonetti to improve his infield defense than combining a 44-year-old with someone who has played below average defense in every season of his career (Encarnacion’s career UZR/150 is -11.7).
But Vizquel can still get on base (.341 OBP in 2010) and play all around the infield and Encarnacion definitely has power. It’s one fun option to think about, even if the Jays decide Encarnacion is worth $5-6MM in arbitration and Vizquel re-signs with the White Sox.