Crasnick On The Bullpen Market
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick does a nice job profiling the underwhelming market for relievers. The Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, Dodgers, Yankees, Rays, Phillies, and Twins could be looking to make an acquisition. A few tidbits…
- The Astros "will gladly talk about Brandon Lyon, but aren't so interested in discussing Matt Lindstrom." Lyon is still owed $12.48MM through 2012.
- Crasnick points out that Octavio Dotel is not a pitcher you want facing lefties. How about D.J. Carrasco? He's quietly having another decent year, he's cheap, and he's under team control through 2012. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweeted yesterday that at least five teams have inquired.
- Crasnick finds "the consensus" to be that Mariners closer David Aardsma will be dealt before the deadline. The Tigers have been linked to the hard-throwing righty, whose ERA is up several runs this year despite his strikeout and walk rates remaining stable. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times feels the Mariners would need their socks knocked off to move Aardsma.
- Chad Qualls, Clay Hensley, and most of the Brewers' and Royals' pens also merit consideration as trade bait.
Odds & Ends: Piniella, Uggla, Oswalt
Links for Tuesday, as we wonder if Dave Bush and Nate Robertson are making their last starts for their respective teams…
- Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced today that he'll retire after the season. Is Ryne Sandberg next in line?
- The Marlins are talking internally about extending second baseman Dan Uggla after the season, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains why a Roy Oswalt trade seems unlikely: his salary, his no-trade clause, and Ed Wade's demands.
- Before Brandon Inge's injury last night, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports was told the Tigers "have been more aggressive in looking for relievers than starters" (Twitter link). Here's a reminder on the trade markets for relievers and starters.
- Two of Morosi's big league sources forecast a 50% chance of the Braves acquiring an outfielder. As Morosi notes, the Braves have a strong inventory of pitching prospects.
- One more from Morosi: he says the Rays are "checking around for possible upgrades" at center field, right field, first base, or catcher (Twitter link). They've been loosely connected to Corey Hart and Jayson Werth this summer.
Teams Scouting John Buck?
A slew of scouts attended last night's Blue Jays-Royals game in Kansas City, reports Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. The Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, Twins, and Phillies were represented. The Reds and Mets scouted the Jays over the weekend. Clearly some of this scouting extends beyond normal coverage. Toronto's roster is littered with trade candidates: Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, Jason Frasor, Jose Bautista, and Lyle Overbay. But several of the aforementioned teams need catching and may have been on hand to observe All-Star catcher John Buck.
Buck had a pair of doubles in the contest, bringing his line to .278/.309/.504 through 265 plate appearances. He's flashed power before, but in this season he's slugged at least .462 in every month. Buck recently turned 30 and will be a free agent after the season. He just sneaks in as a Type B right now. It's not difficult to imagine Buck receiving and turning down an arbitration offer, so his status boosts his trade value. Asher Wojciechowski (Blue Jays) and Drew Vettleson (Rays) were compensation picks at #41 and #42 overall this year, so GM Alex Anthopoulos will presumably aim for a player or package he likes more than that level of draft pick.
Elliott feels that the Tigers, Red Sox, and Reds are teams that might have interest in Buck.
Tigers Inquired On Ted Lilly
The Tigers inquired about Ted Lilly, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Buster Olney reports that the sides haven’t discussed a deal in over a week, though the left-hander would be a good fit for the Tigers.
The ESPN reporters say the Cubs are communicating with a number of teams about Lilly, who is “very available.” ESPN.com’s Bruce Levine reported yesterday that teams such as the Tigers were pursuing Lilly.
The 34-year-old has a 4.07 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 this season and projects as a Type A free agent. The Tigers could use that kind of arm, since they have had inconsistent production from starters other than Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman. At 48-42 the Tigers are tied for second in the AL Central, but like the White Sox and Twins, they could use depth in their rotation.
The Tigers, who would consider adding a shortstop, have had interest in Ryan Theriot before and could inquire about him as well. Last year, the Tigers added left-hander Jarrod Washburn for the stretch run, though he didn't pitch as well as they would have hoped (7.33 ERA in Detroit).
The Dan Haren Market
Diamondbacks interim GM Jerry Dipoto recently told CBS' Scott Miller, "We're not to the point right now where we're aggressively seeking [a Dan Haren trade]." Still, it's time for us to summarize the Haren situation.
Contract
Haren signed a four-year, $44.75MM extension in August of 2008 under previous GM Josh Byrnes. He has $3.45MM left this year, $12.75MM in 2011, $12.75MM in '12, and a $15.5MM club option for '13 with a $3.5MM buyout. In other words, Haren is guaranteed $32.45MM through 2012. If Haren had never signed the extension and hit free agency after this year at age 30, would he top two years, $29MM plus a club option? His next dozen starts are a factor, and maybe in this cautious time he wouldn't reach John Lackey money. But I still view the contract as a bargain relative to the free agent market.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this weekend that Haren's no-trade clause allows him to block trades to a dozen teams, including the Reds. Rosenthal's source did not feel that Haren's no-trade list would be a factor, however.
Performance
Home runs and hits allowed are up this year for Haren, who has a 4.60 ERA through 20 starts. Though Haren's groundball rate is down a touch, his continually strong strikeout and walk rates suggest a pitcher capable of a sub-4.00 ERA from here on out. Since 2006, Haren has posted significantly higher ERAs in the second half. Is this a reliable trend? Haren's home run per flyball rate seems to jump every August. This could be a fluke – the Sabermetrics Library says home run per flyball rates "have little predictive value" year to year. It doesn't help that Chase Field inflates home runs by about 7%, according to The Bill James Handbook.
Asking Price/Availability
We have no trade history for Dipoto, as he's been a GM for less than a month. He told Miller he's not sure if trading Haren is smart business, but "what we do know is what value Dan brings to this team and what value he should hold in the market." All things considered, Haren is probably the best available starting pitcher. SI's Jon Heyman talked to one GM who described Dipoto's asking price as "two starters plus bullpen help." Earlier this month, Rosenthal and Bob Nightengale of USA Today both said the D'Backs would need to be "overwhelmed" or "blown away" to trade Haren. Dipoto was upfront to Miller about his reservations, saying "you might bite off your nose to spite your face" by trading the ace.
Interested Teams
- Tigers: Miller says they "appeared to be the only club with a scout dispatched solely to bird-dog Haren" Friday night. Back in May I noted that the Tigers should have over $50MM to play with for 2011 if they hold payroll steady, so they could afford Haren. The Tigers have plenty of young starters that would appeal to the D'Backs.
- Cardinals: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cards have interest in bringing Haren back and do have payroll capacity. Still, they'd be committing half their payroll to the rotation in 2011.
- Rockies: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post doesn't feel that they'd overpay for Haren.
- Yankees: A case could be made for the Yanks adding Haren. However, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that their top two priorities are improving the bench and adding a reliever.
- Phillies: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick said they have Haren on the radar, though David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News wondered if they'd even have the prospects to pull it off.
- Nationals: MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported on June 30th that they had expressed interest. GM Mike Rizzo craves "premier, front-line starting pitching." With Haren, the Nats would have a fearsome rotation in short order.
- Angels: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times finds Haren to be "a natural trade target" for the Halos.
- I imagine other clubs would be interested. In my opinion, the White Sox, Brewers, Twins, Mets, and Padres could be fits, though the field becomes limited when you consider Arizona's asking price.
Odds & Ends: Nationals, Lilly, Haren, Marlins, Kotsay
Sunday night linkage..
- Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com wonders if the reason Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo has made players like Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham available is because the team's offense is struggling with them as it is, so he'll try to improve other areas of the team.
- ESPNChicago's Bruce Levine says the Yankees could join the mix for Ted Lilly following Andy Pettitte's injury today. Meanwhile, Yanks' GM Brian Cashman told Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that he is "not inclined" to make a move to replace Pettitte yet, saying that he prefers to give internal options a try first. Levine has the Tigers, Twins, Mets, and Dodgers also in the hunt for Lilly.
- Scott Miller of CSBSports.com wonders if this weekend's poor play (three losses to the Padres) makes a Dan Haren trade more likely.
- David Villavicencio of Fox Sports Florida tells us that players like Cody Ross and Ricky Nolasco want to stay with the Marlins, and know they need a strong run to make that a reality.
- Mark Kotsay knows what it's like to be the player who's desired in a trade, but also to be the player who would lose playing time as a result of one, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Jose Bautista was honored that Alex Anthopoulos called him to help get Yunel Escobar settled into his new environment, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Bautista says that he loves Toronto and would like to stay there long-term.
- The Yankees, who have been interested bystanders through most of the process, are now getting more interested in Mexican amateur pitcher Luis Heredia, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. However, the Pirates and the Blue Jays remain the frontrunners for the 15-year-old, who is sure to get a bonus of more than $2MM.
- Jerry Crasnick of ESPN tweets that Tampa Bay expressed interest in Yunel Escobar before he was dealt to Toronto. He also tweets that Reid Brignac was part of the talks.
- Hayden Penn, a pitcher for the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate who was reportedly nearing a deal with the Chiba Lotte Marines, is on his way to Japan, according to Indianapolis Indians Triple-A announcer Scott McCauley (via Twitter). McCauley also says that another Indianapolis hurler is "close to a deal".
- The White Sox, who have been linked to Nationals slugger Adam Dunn, have had a scout present for Washington's series against the Marlins, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
- Reliever David Aardsma is a possible fit for the Tigers, tweets Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse.
- R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs attempted to peg Fausto Carmona's trade value.
- Roy Oswalt wants to claim the Astros win record before leaving, writes Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.
- Jean-Jacques Taylor of The Dallas Morning News praised the moves made by Rangers GM Jon Daniels.
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun senses deja vu all over again as the deadline approaches.
Contenders Scouting The Athletics
The Athletics' record stands at exactly .500 after 92 games, but they sit seven games back of the molten hot Rangers in the AL West. GM Billy Beane said he didn't anticipate being that active before the non-waiver trade deadline, but that hasn't stopped contending teams from checking out his roster for potential fits.
Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle brings us the latest and greatest from the East Bay…
- Ben Sheets is a potential target for both the Phillies and Twins, though the A's have no desire to move the righthander. He is still owed $4.3MM for the remainder of this season, and he is currently on pace to earn the full $2MM worth of incentives in his contract, which are based on innings pitched. $6.3MM total is pricey for a guy with a 6.66 ERA away from his home park.
- Slusser says that Vin Mazzaro's emergence (3.50 ERA in 64.1 innings) could make Sheets expendable, ditto healthy returns by Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden.
- Detroit scouted reliever Michael Wuertz this weekend, which is not the first time they've done so this season. They also have their eye on Craig Breslow. Slusser says Oakland might not want to sell low on Wuertz, who's gone from a 2.63 ERA and 11.67 K/9 last year to 5.30 and 6.75 this year, respectively.
Odds & Ends: Sheets, Padres, Scutaro, Nationals
A few links to check out while the Yankees play their first game without George Steinbrenner at the helm since 1972…
- Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Phillies have had a "top scout" on hand for the A's last four series, though Oakland isn't going to move Mark Ellis and Ben Sheets isn't scheduled to pitch this weekend.
- James Schmehl of MLive.com says that Sheets could be a "rather inexpensive" trade option for the Tigers if they're looking to add a starting pitcher.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that Padres' GM Jed Hoyer told reporters he would like to make a move to improve the team, not just a cosmetic one (all Twitter links). He says the prices must first come down, and that he has the resources to add multiple pieces.
- WEEI.com's Rob Bradford says (via Twitter) that the Braves did not talk to the Red Sox about a potential Yunel Escobar–Marco Scutaro deal. He says that the Blue Jays were the only team Atlanta spoke to about an Escobar trade.
- Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo ranked the team's international free agent signings for MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling.
- Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times tweets that the Tokyo Giants have a scout attending tonight's Dodgers-Cardinals game. If nothing else, it shows that Japanese teams scour the U.S. for talent just like MLB teams do in Japan.
Odds & Ends: Marlins, Wigginton, Rockies, Wood
It was on this day in 1905 that Shirley Povich, one of the great sportswriters of all time, was born in Bar Harbor, Maine. Povich, who passed away in 1998, would've been 105 today and no doubt still would've been keeping an eye on Stephen Strasburg for the Washington Post.
Some news items….
- The Palm Beach Post's Joe Capozzi wonders if Edwin Rodriguez's planned lineup changes in Florida are a hint towards a possible trade of Cody Ross or Jorge Cantu.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun adds the Padres and Rangers to the list of "potential fits" for Ty Wigginton.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweeted a few follow-up points to his story about Colorado's interest in Dan Uggla. Renck mentions right-hander Esmil Rogers and outfielder Matt Miller as possibilities for a trade package with Florida, but "there's no way" that Jhoulys Chacin would be dealt. Renck also thinks the Rockies "will listen" to offers for Franklin Morales, though those offers might not be related to any Uggla deal.
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince shares some Cleveland hot stove talk in a reader mailbag. Castrovince says that Kerry Wood has drawn "minimal, at best" trade interest, but he notes that Wood could be dealt in late August to a team that didn't want to pay an extra month of Wood's contract.
- In another MLB.com mailbag, Bill Ladson "would be shocked" by a Matt Capps trade. The Nationals still have Capps under control for 2011, and with Drew Storen still a rookie and Tyler Clippard not pitching well lately, Ladson doesn't think Washington will want to risk dealing their closer.
- It's "all quiet on [the] Ben Sheets trade front," tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, though Sheets' recent success "should change" that.
- Aroldis Chapman's inconsistent control means that Chapman probably won't be promoted to the majors until September, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- We already know that the Giants have shown some interest in acquiring David DeJesus, and now Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that a "top Royals talent evaluator" was on hand for the Mets/Giants game at AT & T Park tonight.
- Steve Kornacki of Mlive.com looks at what the Tigers need to do in the second half and weighs in on some trade options. Kornacki says that trading for Jack Wilson wouldn't cost much for Detroit, whereas acquiring Dan Haren isn't worth the cost since he doesn't think "the Tigers are good enough to get past the first round of the playoffs. And that’s the only reason to gamble that much for somebody like Haren."
- Rice's Anthony Rendon, thought to be a potential first overall pick in the 2011 Amateur Draft, is undergoing ankle surgery on Friday, reports MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.
- Fangraphs' Dave Cameron has the latest installment of his ranking of the players with the most trade value. As he goes from #20 to #16, Cameron cites a defending Cy Young Award winner and two potential Cy winners for this season.
Minor League Transactions: Meyer, Colome
The latest minor league transactions from Baseball America's Matt Eddy…
- The Astros released second baseman Drew Meyer, who was then signed by the Angels. Meyer has already racked up 39 plate appearances for the Salt Lake Bees.
- The Dodgers released reliever Jesus Colome. They'd signed him on June 24th, but he made only three appearances for the Isotopes before being let go.
- Other familiar names were cut, including Brian Buscher (Indians), Ruddy Lugo (Tigers), and Mike Koplove (Mariners). The Red Sox signed Argenis Reyes, who had been playing independent league ball.