Odds & Ends: Zambrano, McLouth, Indians
On this day in MLBTR history: In '08 the Dodgers picked up former ROY Angel Berroa from the Royals, while the Rangers, in a valuable lesson of history repeating itself, DFA'd Sidney Ponson.
A hearty helping of links, cooked up and served (semi-) fresh:
- Paul Sullivan at the Chicago Tribune got Lou Piniella's take on Carlos Zambrano's prophecy of retirement at the end of his current contract: "I like it. We'll see how he feels next week."
- In an open letter to fans, Pirates GM Neal Huntington outlines his reasons for dealing Nate McLouth. This comes on the heels of some hefty criticism from fans, as reported by Laura Keeley at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Paul Hoynes at the Cleveland Plain-Dealer notes that Indians GM Mark Shapiro has been working the phones lately as the team's injuries mount.
Odds & Ends: Pavano, Draft, Dodgertown
A couple of links on a sluggish Saturday afternoon in the baseball world…
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince has an update on Carl Pavano's contract: "Pavano, at his current rate, is projected to go 17-11 with a 4.63 ERA in 205 innings over 34 starts this season. If that were to happen, Pavano would make an additional $3.5 million in performance incentives, on top of the $1.5 million he is guaranteed this season."
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel breaks down some possibilities for the Brewers' first pick. Baseball America has Milwaukee selecting Notre Dame center fielder A.J. Pollock 26th overall. The Brewers boast five of the first 74 picks.
- Can't get enough draft coverage? John Sickels over at SB Nation's Minor League Ball hosted a first round mock draft this afternoon.
- Dodger Stadium and the surrounding area received it's own ZIP code today, 90090, in a ceremony behind home plate. The territory is already officially listed as "Dodgertown, California."
- Missouri right-hander Kyle Gibson, Baseball America's 4th ranked draft prospect, suffered a stress fracture in his throwing arm on May 30. He'll be out six weeks.
Are Indians About To Become Sellers?
According to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince, the Indians may be coming to the conclusion that 2009 just isn't their year. Writes Castrovince, "As much as the Indians have been through this season, they entered tonight a reasonable seven games back in the AL Central. But when you factor in the injuries, the inconsistencies and the general snake-bitten nature of this club, it's hard to imagine a comeback."
But it isn't Castrovince that will make this call, it's GM Mark Shapiro. And he seems to be coming to the same conclusion. As Castrovince puts it, "I got the sense that he's coming around to that concept, too. He didn't repeat the mantra that the Indians are 'one good week away' from being back in contention. Rather, with regard to the still-developing trade market, he said the Tribe is 'one the sideline' right now, 'keeping a pulse' of what's going on. Stay tuned."
With obvious targets like Mark DeRosa, not to mention potentially highly-sought Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee, many teams are hoping Cleveland loses ground over the next week or two, forcing Shapiro's hand.
Heyman On Contenders’ Needs
Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Dodgers would have to overpay for Jake Peavy, the Red Sox are going after bats and the Giants are "dangling" Jonathan Sanchez. Here are the details:
- It's unlikely the White Sox could pry Cliff Lee away from the Indians.
- The Brewers aren't sure whether they'll go after a hitter or a pitcher.
- Heyman cites a source who says the Dodgers believe they'd have to pay "insanely" more than anyone else if they want to acquire Peavy. That's not much of a problem for the Dodgers, who are looking strong as-is.
- The Red Sox are "aggressively seeking help," according to their competitors.
- The best player they have a realistic shot at is Victor Martinez. If the Red Sox are going to deal for V-Mart, they'll likely have to part with young pitching.
- Along with Nick Johnson and Aubrey Huff, Heyman says Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham are "possibilities" for the Red Sox.
- Not surprisingly, the Mets would not deal Fernando Martinez for Matt Holliday.
- The Giants are "dangling" Jonathan Sanchez.
- The Cubs remain the favorites for Peavy, though they haven't called the Padres about him recently.
- The Yankees, Angels and Rangers are looking for relief help.
- One AL exec believes Erik Bedard would not adjust well to the attention if he's dealt to the Phillies.
- And could George W. Bush team up with Nolan Ryan to re-purchase the Rangers?
Indians Not In Selling Mode
Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner are on the disabled list and the Indians are last in the AL Central, but GM Mark Shapiro told Tom Verducci of SI.com that he isn't selling because he expects a revival from his team. As Verducci points out, only one team in the Wild Card era has made the playoffs after beginning June at least eight games under .500, the 2005 Houston Astros.
Could Cardinals Be Interested In DeRosa?
Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com says that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak is seeking help at third base with Troy Glaus out with ligament damage. "And in describing what he's looking for to reporters earlier today, he might as well have just said, 'Mark DeRosa.'"
Castrovince continues:
The Indians have increasing reason to believe that they cannot compete in the AL Central. Yesterday, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX wrote that the injury to Grady Sizemore pushes the Indians that much closer to a selloff.
Indians Release David Dellucci
As MLB.com's Noah Coslov reports, the Indians released David Dellucci. He was designated for assignment last week. The $11.5MM contract he signed before the 2007 season never paid off for the Indians.
Odds And Ends: Red Sox, Peavy, Indians, Torre
More links for Monday…
- Chad Finn of the Boston Globe lists a number of players for the Red Sox to consider and asks fans which one would be best for the team. Victor Martinez and Adrian Gonzalez, neither one of whom is currently available, were the most popular choices.
- Don McKee of the Philadelphia Inquirer says Jake Peavy would be perfect for the Phils.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says Grady Sizemore's injury makes the Indians more likely to sell players like Carl Pavano and Mark DeRosa.
- Joe Torre isn't sure whether he'll manage after next year according to this AP story found on ESPN.com.
- Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune writes that Jim Hendry and the Cubs "picked the wrong guy" when they signed Milton Bradley instead of Bobby Abreu or Adam Dunn last winter.
- Steve Melewski of MASN.com looks back at August 15th, 2007, the night the Orioles signed Matt Wieters. We could have a similar night in a couple months when Scott Boras, who represents Wieters, will negotiate with the Nats over Stephen Strasburg.
Draft Update: Indians, Shelby Miller
In a video by The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Indians director of amateur scouting Brad Grant says he sees the draft as "pitcher heavy" and could very well take an arm with the 15th overall pick. Here are some more highlights:
- The Indians will address organizational need, not major league need.
- Signability is a factor.
- Cleveland has a budget for the draft, but could go over-slot on a first round player.
- Grant admitted he'd love to draft Stephen Strasburg and is visibly in awe of the righty's talent.
The Indians likely won't have the chance to draft high school pitcher Shelby Miller, but as MLB.com's Daniel Paulling reports, the Texan has drawn tons of interest. Between 30 and 40 scouts regularly appear at Miller's games to see a fastball that's clocked in the upper 90s. He figures to be selected within the first ten picks of the draft.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Peavy, Braves, Penny, Francoeur
On this date 20 years ago, Mike Schmidt announced his retirement 42 games into the season. He was still voted to the National League All-Star team, but did not play. Schmidt retired with a career line of .267/.380/.527, 548 home runs and 10 gold gloves. As we approach the 50-game mark of the '09 season, teams are starting to recognize needs and make changes. Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- The Fightins make a case for the Phillies going after Jake Peavy.
- When Sid Slid highlights players the Braves might be able to target in a trade, including Luke Scott, Josh Willingham and Brad Hawpe.
- Center Field Gate takes a look at a Manny Delcarmen-Nick Johnson swap from a Nats perspective and finds things not to like. Nats GM Mike Rizzo said the rumor was a fabrication, anyway.
- The Bottom Line puts together a list of catchers the Red Sox might target in a trade involving Brad Penny or Clay Buchholz.
- Capitol Avenue Club says it is time for the Braves to shake things up and moving Jeff Francoeur is the key.
- The Ghost of Moonlight Graham sees a Matt LaPorta for Michael Bowden trade as good for both the Red Sox and Indians.
- DC Sports Plus takes a look back at the Nationals' recent draft history.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.