Many Clubs Showing Interest In Kuroda
Multiple clubs are showing interest in Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Rockies and Reds had scouts at his most recent start.
The 36-year-old right-hander has a 3.10 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 101 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. His average fastball velocity (91.7 mph) and ground ball rate (44.6%) have dipped slightly so far in 2011. Kuroda earns an $8MM base salary this year and his full no-trade clause enables him to veto any deal. MLBTR's Dan Mennella examined Kuroda's free agent stock earlier this month.
Morosi hears from one executive who doubts the Dodgers will trade Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp, who are both under team control through 2012.
Quick Hits: Deadline, Reds, Asdrubal, Pirates, Rox
Another assortment of links for your Sunday viewing pleasure…
- Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union Tribune opines that Major League Baseball should push the trading deadline back. Sullivan's piece includes quotes from Padres GM Jed Hoyer and Yankees GM Brian Cashman, and is an excellent read. Sullivan reminds us that in 2004, there was a 50-50 split in a GM poll that asked whether they'd prefer to move the deadline to August 15 or keep the status quo.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty is sticking with the combination of Edgar Renteria and Paul Janish in lieu of promoting top prospect Zack Cozart (and presumably making a trade as well), writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Jocketty praises the glove work of Janish and Renteria.
- Orlando Cabrera may not be setting the world on fire with the Indians, but Ken Rosenthal's latest column suggests that the move may have a benefit that goes beyond the stat sheet; during Spring Training, O-Cab encouraged Asdrubal Cabrera, saying he shouldn't be afraid to "let it fly" after marveling at the shortstop's power in batting practice. Asdrubal has already belted a career-high 12 homers.
- Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette writes that Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is working with the front office to re-evaluate the offense. The Bucs have looked outside the organization to make improvements, but other teams weren't ready to deal.
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post looks at the Rockies' need for starting pitching in the wake of Jorge de la Rosa's injury, but says the Rox need something more than a fourth or fifth starter in any trade. He also opines that Clayton Mortensen and Greg Reynolds should get a look before any big moves are made.
NL West Notes: Dodgers, Cook, Hawpe
Let's check out a few items from the National League West..
- Steve Soboroff, who publicly clashed with the commissioner’s office in his brief tenure as the Dodgers’ vice chairman, has resigned, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
- Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune wonders where Brad Hawpe will fit in when he returns from the disabled list. Even though it'll be hard to find a place for the veteran, it's hard to imagine the Padres cutting him loose and paying him the $2MM that he is still owed.
- Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook needs to turn things around quickly before the Rockies start exploring other options, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Earlier today, Renck reported that the club has started calling other teams to gauge the market for rotation help.
Rockies Calling Other Clubs About Pitching
A few days ago we heard that the Rockies could end up looking for pitching help later this summer, and today Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post reports that the team has started calling other clubs to "gauge the market" for rotation help. GM Dan O'Dowd believes the team needs some reinforcements for their starting staff, echoing something Todd Helton said recently.
Colorado lost Jorge de la Rosa to Tommy John surgery earlier this year, and Jhoulys Chacin (2.71 ERA) is their only current starter with an ERA under 4.00. Jason Hammel (4.13 ERA) and Ubaldo Jimenez (4.50 ERA) have both been up and down, while Aaron Cook (4.67 ERA) is struggling with his trademark sinker. Recent call-up Juan Nicasio (4.71 ERA) is searching for his secondary pitches after skipping over Triple-A. Swingman Clayton Mortensen has a 4.71 ERA in five starts and a 1.65 ERA in six relief appearances.
MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently previewed the trade market for starting pitchers.
Quick Hits: Nationals, Padres, Drew, Quade
Some notes from around the majors….
- ESPN's Buster Olney is "85-95%" confident that Davey Johnson will be the next Nationals manager. Johnson is currently an advisor with the Nats and hasn't managed since 2000. SI.com's Jon Heyman says Johnson is "in the mix" and might take the job if offered but "he loves [Jim] Riggleman and is sensitive to [the] situation" concerning Riggleman's abrupt departure. (All Twitter links)
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also chimes in on the Nationals' managerial situation, noting that while Riggleman was wrong to leave the team, it was also unfair of Nationals management to leave Riggleman as a lame duck without a guaranteed 2012 contract. Rosenthal also reports that GM Mike Rizzo rarely communicated with Riggleman and has a similar lack of regular contact with his scouting department.
- “Given the division, if we were to get real hot over the next two weeks, a final decision might be delayed a week or two,” a Padres executive tells Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune about when the Friars will start looking to trade players. “But the day is coming.” Center figures Heath Bell, Ryan Ludwick and Chad Qualls are all sure bets to be dealt. Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson may stay put, however, since San Diego has no Major League-ready middle infield replacements in the farm system. Such a young player could possibly come back in any deal for one of those two veterans, but if you're a team with a good young middle infielder, you'd probably want to keep that player rather than move him for a Hudson or a Bartlett.
- Jed Hoyer says "nothing is imminent" and "the only thing that’s true [about various Padres rumors] is that people call us," reports Marty Caswell of XX1090 Radio in San Diego. (Twitter link)
- With David Wright cleared to resume baseball activities, ESPN New York's Rob Parker hopes the Mets won't abandon a much-needed rebuilding plan in pursuit of a longshot chance at the postseason.
- ESPN Boston's Jeremy Lundblad looks at J.D. Drew's struggles this season. With Drew and Mike Cameron providing a negative WAR, Lundblad argues the Red Sox will need to look for right field help, whether it's via trade or an internal option like Josh Reddick or Ryan Kalish.
- The Cubs will have to go on a tear in the second half of the season in order to save Mike Quade's job, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Even this might not be enough, since if GM Jim Hendry goes, so will Quade.
- In an appearance on Jim Rome's radio show on Wednesday (via Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post), Todd Helton said he thinks the Rockies need another quality starter to be World Series contenders. Colorado GM Dan O'Dowd recently stated his team might be in the market for pitching.
John Maine Leaves Triple-A Team, May Retire
John Maine has left the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate and is considering retirement, reports Jack Etkin of InsideTheRockies.com. Maine was hit hard on Monday, his latest poor start in a tough season that has seen the right-hander post a 7.43 ERA and a 2.06 WHIP in 11 starts for Colorado Springs. Maine "felt he needed to get away from the game" for a while given his struggles but he still wants to pitch.
Maine, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in February after being non-tendered by the Mets last fall. He has a career 4.35 ERA and 1.86 K/BB ratio in 108 games (105 of them starts) with the Mets and Orioles over seven Major League seasons. Maine has battled shoulder and rotator cuff problems for the last three years and these arm issues may have persisted in part due to Maine's penchant for trying to tough out his injuries, as detailed in this piece by Fangraphs' Alex Remington.
Red Sox Notes: Cameron, Navarro, Miller
Despite today’s loss, the 44-30 Red Sox have proven that they’re one of baseball’s top teams. Here’s the latest on the Red Sox from Peter Gammons of MLB Network, who joined WEEI’s Mut & Merloni show today (Audio here, Ryan Hannable has the highlights):
- The Red Sox may consider pursuing a right-handed hitting outfielder, since there’s some concern about Mike Cameron. Gammons mentions Jeff Baker of the Cubs and Ryan Spilborghs of the Rockies as possible targets for Boston.
- Minor league infielder Yamaico Navarro is recovering from an oblique injury, but the Red Sox could call on the versatile prospect if they need depth later in the summer. "I know they think that he’s going to be a really important guy to this team, because he’s got so much versatility,” Gammons said. “He’s so young. And he’s grown up a lot in the last year.” Navarro has a .283/.387/.538 line at Triple-A this year.
- The Red Sox envision Andrew Miller as someone who has “the potential of being a big-time power starter” rather than a reliever, Gammons said. The left-hander made his Red Sox debut this week, tossing 5 2/3 innings and allowing seven hits, three walks and three runs while stiking out six.
Rockies Could Look To Trade For Pitching
GM Dan O'Dowd told Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the Rockies may be looking for pitching help later this summer. The Rockies will use the next four weeks to determine whether to look outside of the organization to replenish a pitching staff that saw Jorge de la Rosa and Esmil Rogers hit the disabled list in May.
"I said all along, even when we were struggling offensively for so long, I still feel the issues with our club are going to come down to our pitching,” O'Dowd said. "If we were out looking for anything, it would be to continue to improve our pitching."
The 37-36 Rockies are 2.5 games out of the NL West lead despite a rotation that has faltered without De La Rosa and Rogers. Rockies starters rank 22nd in MLB in ERA (3.99), 21st in innings (440 1.3) and 28th in BB/9 (3.6). MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently previewed the market for starting pitchers, left-handed relievers and right-handed relievers.
Checking In On The Newest $100MM Players
Every year a few select players join baseball’s exclusive $100MM club with free agent deals and mega-extensions. Last offseason was no different – we saw six players sign nine figure deals. The contracts were all for five years or more, so it’s far too early to call them successes or failures. But as the season approaches its halfway point, let’s check in on baseball’s newest $100MM players:
- Troy Tulowitzki, ten-year, $157.75MM extension – Tulo has slowed down after a scorching start, but he's still having an excellent season. His .274/.339/.491 line and 13 homers look especially good when you consider that he's a good defensive shortstop.
- Adrian Gonzalez, seven-year, $154MM extension – Red Sox fans dreamed of a season like this when Theo Epstein acquired Gonzalez from the Padres in December. The first baseman is a leading MVP candidate with a .350/.403/.603 line and 15 home runs.
- Carl Crawford, seven-year, $142MM contract – Crawford was heating up before he hit the disabled list, but his numbers are poor overall. He has a .243/.275/.384 batting line, just 8 stolen bases and his lowest walk rate (3.2%) since 2002, his rookie season.
- Jayson Werth, seven-year, $126MM contract – Werth is hitting just .233/.334/.409, though he has 10 home runs. Nationals fans may be consoled by the fact that Werth erupted in the second half last year and has traditionally produced better after the All-Star break.
- Cliff Lee, five-year, $120MM contract – The prize of the offseason free agent market, Lee has a 3.12 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 104 innings. The lefty is in the midst of another fantastic season and this time he doesn't have to worry about being traded.
- Ryan Braun, five-year, $105MM extension – Braun is having a monster year. He has a .310/.397/.555 line with 15 homers and a career-best 12.1% walk rate for the first-place Brewers.
It's fair to expect Werth and Crawford to turn their seasons around and produce as they did before signing nine figure free agent contracts. The other four additions to the $100MM club are justifying the deals, at least to the extent that it's possible in less than three months.
Olney’s Latest: Bell, Phillies, B.J. Upton
Buster Olney of ESPN.com has passed along some interesting tidbits tonight via Twitter. He also touched on some of these notes in his daily column this morning. Here's Olney's latest:
- The Padres' sweep at the hands of the Twins this weekend could hasten their decision on if and when they should trade closer Heath Bell, Olney thinks. The sooner the Friars deal Bell, the more they can ask in return (Twitter links).
- The Phillies are looking for a right-handed hitter and have checked in on the Twins' Michael Cuddyer and the Athletics' Josh Willingham (Twitter link). Olney first reported the Phils' interest in a righty stick last week. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday that the Phils are seeking someone cheap, such as the Rockies' Ryan Spilborghs, because of payroll constraints.
- The Rays will listen to offers for B.J. Upton but probably won't deal him unless they can obtain a good bat, although that wouldn't necessarily have to happen within the same trade (Twitter link).