Odds & Ends: Crawford, Yankees, Angels, Loux
Wednesday night links, as Daniel Hudson attempts to keep his NL ERA under 2.00….
- David Ortiz tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he thinks Carl Crawford will sign with the Yankees or Angels this winter.
- Joe Girardi doesn't expect Alfredo Aceves or Damaso Marte to be back with the Yankees in 2010, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
- The chances of lifetime Angel Scot Shields returning to the club's bullpen next season are "less than remote," says Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Whether Scott Kazmir will be a part of the Angels' rotation also remains to be seen, DiGiovanna writes in a separate piece. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith examined the team's 2011 rotation yesterday.
- The Astros are looking into the possibility of signing Barret Loux, but haven't made an offer yet, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Carlos Guillen would like to play second base for the Tigers next season, write Jason Beck and Alex DiFilippo of MLB.com.
- Jack Moore of Fangraphs looks into the outstanding numbers Geovany Soto is putting up this year. Earlier today, we looked at Soto as a possible candidate for an extension.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Francoeur, Lilly, Loney
On this date two years ago, instant replay was used for the first time in baseball history, resolving a fair or foul call on an Alex Rodriguez home run against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Third base umpire Brian Runge originally called the ball a homer, and that call stood upon further review. Numerous umpire gaffes have some clamoring for expanded use of instant replay, but so far Major League Baseball hasn't budged.
Here's a look at what's been written around the baseball blogosphere…
- Amazin' Avenue looks at the illogicality of the Jeff Francoeur trade.
- Meanwhile, Baseball Time In Arlington recaps the last trade of the season.
- North And South Of Royal Brougham suggests Ted Lilly for the 2011 Mariners.
- The Process Report explains how the Rays used Jose Lobaton to manipulate their potential playoff roster.
- Cubs Pack provides Jim Hendry with an offseason to-do list.
- True Blue LA wonders what the Dodgers should do with James Loney.
- Capitol Avenue Club hands out some Braves minor league awards.
- Disciples of Uecker compares Yovani Gallardo's contract to those of some other great young pitchers.
- Saber By The Bay has some good news for Tigers fans looking ahead to next season.
- Midwest Sports Fans builds a roster of players who played for the Indians and White Sox, a la Manny Ramirez.
- The Nats Blog thinks it's time for Nyjer Morgan to go.
- MLB Depth Charts created the Tommy John Surgery Tracker in the wake of Stephen Strasburg's injury.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Bobby Seay To Miss 2011
Teams eyeing Bobby Seay as a potential buy-low option for their 2011 bullpens have to cross the lefty off their lists. Seay told John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that he will have labrum surgery on his throwing shoulder later this month. It will take 10-12 months to recover from the procedure so it appears that Seay, who missed this season with shoulder trouble, will miss the entire 2011 season as well.
The 32-year-old was effective for the Tigers from 2007-09 when he averaged 62 appearances per season and posted a 3.75 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. If he had pitched similarly in 2010, Seay would have hit free agency as one of the more appealing available left-handed relievers. Even a few effective outings could have convinced a team to take a chance on him. Instead, Seay won't be an impact addition until 2012, at the earliest and teams will have to look elsewhere for left-handed relievers.
When he does return, Seay says he wants to “wear a Tigers uniform again and get big outs for [manager] Jim Leyland."
Arbitration Eligibles: Detroit Tigers
A look at the Tigers players who will be eligible for arbitration after the season…
- First time: Armando Galarraga, Ryan Raburn
- Second time: Zach Miner
- Third time: Joel Zumaya
The Tigers have a low-key arbitration class this winter, with no monster raises expected. Miner and Zumaya could be non-tendered, as both are recovering from elbow surgery. The Tigers still may prefer to keep them off the free agent market though. Tendering contracts is not terribly risky, as both pitchers earned less than $1MM in 2010.
It appears that Galarraga will get in as a Super Two player, and it'll be Raburn's first time as well.
Odds & Ends: Angels, Edmonds, Chapman
More links for Monday, as Ryan Zimmerman does some damage to the Sun Life Stadiu(m) scoreboard…
- Angels GM Tony Reagins told MLB.com's Lyle Spencer that "just about every" Angel has been placed on waivers this month. Naturally, that doesn't mean the team has interest in making more trades.
- Jeremy Bonderman told MLB.com’s Jason Beck that he would like to return to the Tigers in 2011. The Tigers have room for him, as this piece explains.
- Jim Edmonds told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that he's likely to retire after the season. The center fielder, who is now on the DL with a strained oblique, may return to the Reds late in the season.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the Reds will call up top pitching prospect Aroldis Chapman tomorrow so that the lefty will be eligible for the team's postseason roster.
- Orlando Hernandez decided not to finish his AA season when he heard that the Nationals didn’t intend to call him up, according to Mark Zuckerman of NatsInsider.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told reporters that he didn't claim Brian Fuentes because his team doesn't need another left-handed reliever at this point.
Leyland Optimistic About Offseason
The Tigers can't be happy with how this season has gone. Plagued by injuries and inconsistency, the club has fallen to 11 games out of first place as we get set to enter the season's final month. John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press tells us though, that manager Jim Leyland feels his club can "get real good, real quick:"
“I think this will probably be the most interesting winter for our ball club since I’ve been here, I would think, because our club has a chance to get real good real quick,” Leyland said. “It appears that we have some money to spend. I’m not talking about foolish money.”
Lowe mentions the contracts of Jeremy Bonderman, Dontrelle Willis, and Nate Robertson coming off the books; those contracts total $34MM, but that's only the beginning. Magglio Ordonez's $15MM option is sure to be declined, Johnny Damon and his $8MM are off the books (though he'd like to return to Detroit), as are the contracts of Brandon Inge, Bobby Seay, Gerald Laird, and Jhonny Peralta (what little amount they're paying him anyway). In total, the Tigers will have an astounding figure of around $70MM in contracts coming off their books.
Detroit figures to be set in some areas, with Miguel Cabrera, Austin Jackson, and Brennan Boesch having earned spots in the 2011 lineup. The rotation will likely feature Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and Armando Galarraga. Jose Valverde will still be closing games out in the ninth. You can put Carlos Guillen just about anywhere on the field. Scott Sizemore struggled in the Majors but has found his stride in Triple-A Toledo, with an overall line of .299/.379/.463. He'll likely get another look at the very least.
Still, they'll have a number of holes to fill through free agency and trades, but as you can tell, they've got the funds to do it and do it well. Notable free agents include Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, Adam Dunn, Victor Martinez, Adrian Beltre, Orlando Hudson, and Manny Ramirez to name a few. With their rotation nearly filled out, and some promising bats penciled into the order, Leyland's prediction is certainly one that can come true with some wise spending from general manager Dave Dombrowski.
The Tigers’ 2011 Rotation
Justin Verlander knows exactly which past rotation he’d like the Tigers to model themselves after.
"Braves," Verlander said, without hesitation. "Obviously that’s three Hall of Fame pitchers – you can’t really ask for that – but that’s the rotation I grew up watching. I grew up watching the Braves, I grew up watching Smoltzie [John Smoltz] and [Greg] Maddux and [Tom] Glavine just go after it and [perform] in the postseason. Those three guys – nobody wanted to face them."
As Verlander says, no rotation can be expected to match the Braves of the 1990s and early 2000s. But after some poor early season performances, Tigers starters have rebounded and appear poised to enter 2011 with a relatively stable rotation. Rick Porcello and Armando Galarraga have had ups and downs in 2010, but no pitcher has turned his season around as completely as Max Scherzer.
"Max has been probably one of the best pitchers in baseball in the second half," Verlander said.
In 17 starts since returning from a stint in minor leagues, Scherzer has posted a 2.20 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. Scherzer says his recent success – and the rotation’s – should continue into next season.
"Right now we’re pitching well," Scherzer said. "Verlander, myself, Galarraga, Porcello and Bondo [Jeremy Bonderman]. We’re putting a lot of quality starts up there and it’s good because we’re kind of feeding off of each other."
Scherzer, Verlander, Porcello and Galarraga can expect to keep feeding off each other next season, since all four are under team control for 2011. Bonderman is a free agent this offseason and though he has hinted at retirement, he could fit into the team’s plans for next season.
Instead, the Tigers may determine that Alfredo Figaro or Andy Oliver is ready to join the rotation. Figaro has pitched well at Triple A, though the 26-year-old has struggled in the major leagues. Big leaguers have also hit Oliver, but the 22-year-old has impressive numbers in the minor leagues over the course of his first pro season (3.50 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9).
Figaro and Oliver are closest to the majors, but the Tigers system continues to produce intriguing arms. Drew Smyly and Jacob Turner are not on the brink of contributing at the major league level, but the two top picks have the potential to start in the major leagues eventually.
Smyly, Turner and Oliver seem like youngsters, but Rick Porcello (who is actually a year younger than Oliver) is still just 21. Porcello also spent time in Toledo this summer, but he has pitched better since returning from Triple A. He doesn’t have the eye-popping strikeout numbers Scherzer does, but Porcello has posted a 4.44 ERA with twice as many strikeouts as walks since returning to the majors in mid-July.
Verlander says Porcello makes the baseball dance whenever they’re playing catch. Porcello's stuff has not translated into big league success this year, but it seems unlikely that he has reached his ceiling.
"I really don’t think Ricky has yet," Verlander said. "I still think even at his age, he can still pitch better than he is right now, and I know he’s been throwing well lately, but I think he’s better than what he’s shown."
That’s why Verlander likes this group for 2011 and beyond.
"We’re all under contract for a while, so I think the team envisions building around that and seeing what happens," Verlander said. "But if we can all pitch the way that we’re capable of, the sky’s the limit."
Galarraga, who pushed the limits of pitching perfection in June, likes the idea of pitching with Verlander, Porcello and Scherzer for a while.
"Porcello and Max, they’re really young, younger than me and have a lot of talent, so hopefully we’re going to have for a couple of years the same rotation."
The Tigers have money coming off the books this winter, so they could spend on a starter if they don’t want to rely on Figaro or Oliver to round out the rotation. They could choose to look into free agents, since Porcello is no sure thing and teams almost always call on more than five starters over the course of a season.
Verlander, Scherzer, Galarraga and Porcello have promise, but don’t provide the same certainty as, say, the Phillies’ or Giants’ starters. All the same, Verlander is cautiously optimistic about what this group can do in 2011.
"You can never really forecast," Verlander said. "But if you say we’re all going to be pitching really well, I think our chances to win the division are outstanding."
It won't be Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz, but it should be enough.
Odds & Ends: Ramirez, Twins, Inge, Pirates, Dodgers
Saturday afternoon linkage..
- Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets that the Dodgers have left Manny Ramirez out of the lineup for a third consecutive game. One has to wonder if this means that the Dodgers are ready to send Ramirez to the White Sox.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) asked Twins GM Bill Smith if the club's payroll has reached $100MM. He responded, "I've quit checking."
- There's no evidence yet of serious trade talks between the Dodgers and the White Sox regarding Manny Ramirez, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.
- A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that he would be very surprised to see the Tigers trade Brandon Inge before Tuesday's deadline.
- Commissioner Bud Selig has no issue with the Pirates' financial statements which were made public earlier this week, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
- Dodgers players don't seem to be too concerned about the divorce of the McCourts in this article by Beth Harris of the Associated Press.
Peralta Wants To Return To Detroit
Jhonny Peralta told John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that he wants to return to Detroit next year. The Tigers could pick up Peralta’s $7MM option or buy him out for $250K and attempt to negotiate a cheaper deal.
"I want to be here," Peralta said. "I hope they pick up the option. But I want to be here. I like everybody here."
As Lowe points out, the Tigers “haven't gotten much production this year from their shortstops.” Adam Everett, Danny Worth, Ramon Santiago and Peralta have all spent time at short this season as the team has scrambled to find steady production. Peralta, who spent most of 2009-10 at third, posted negative UZR numbers at short every season from 2005-08.
Peralta’s .244/.310/.405 season line is unremarkable, but he’s producing at the plate in Detroit. Six of his 13 homers have come since joining the Tigers last month. He currently projects as a Type B free agent, so the Tigers could obtain a compensation pick in next year’s draft if they offer arbitration and Peralta turns it down to sign elsewhere.
Peralta’s teammate, Johnny Damon, has also expressed interest in returning to the Motor City next year. The Tigers have lots of money coming off the books and could be looking for solutions at short, third, catcher, in the outfield and in the rotation.
Odds & Ends: Hawpe, Kuroda, Angels, Antonetti
Some more links for Tuesday night, including the latest waiver wire news…
- Brad Hawpe is one step closer to signing with another team now that he has cleared waivers, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
- The Dodgers put Hiroki Kuroda on waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Kuroda hits free agency after the season, but the Dodgers don't necessarily want to move him. A rival executive guaranteed Rosenthal that the Yankees will be "all over" Kuroda if he reaches them on waivers.
- Rosenthal reports that the Angels placed Brian Fuentes, Juan Rivera, Mike Napoli and Bobby Abreu on waivers (Twitter link). The Angels are presumably curious about the interest their players draw, even if they don't intend on making a trade.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told reporters including Paul M. Banks of TheSportsBank that he has to "speak in generalities” about waiver claims. Rosenthal reported earlier today that the White Sox will claim Manny Ramirez if he reaches them on waivers.
- Indians assistant GM Chris Antonetti is taking on more responsibility as he prepares to replace current GM Mark Shapiro after the season, as MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told MLB.com's Jason Beck that the Tigers and Red Sox never agreed on a deal involving Johnny Damon (Twitter link). Damon, who has the final say, said today that he intends to stay in Detroit, even though the Red Sox claimed him on waivers.
- Reds president and CEO Bob Castellini told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he expects the club to agree to an extension with manager Dusty Baker (Twitter link). The Reds offered Baker a deal last week.