Rosenthal’s Latest Video: Pudge, Bedard, Burrell
Ken Rosenthal has a new video up; check it out. Some highlights:
- Back in April, I made predictions of whether various club options will be exercised for 2008. My opinion on many of the option decisions has changed since then. One example is Ivan Rodriguez. At the time I said his defense and power would justify the $10MM difference between his $13MM option and $3MM buyout. Currently, Pudge is hitting for his usual decent average but has drawn just five walks in 379 plate appearances. Rosenthal believes the Tigers might opt for the buyout, especially if Rodriguez tails off as the season wears on. Maybe so, but at effectively one year, $10MM, they might still go for it. The other options are limited.
- The Orioles’ #1 priority for the offseason is to sign ace Erik Bedard to a long-term contract extension. But if the two parties aren’t in the same ballpark, they could exact a king’s ransom in a trade. As I said before, Bedard could be a $20MM+ pitcher if he stays on course through the 2009 season.
- Pat Burrell cleared waivers, but the Phillies have no intention of trading him given the way he’s been hitting. Burrell has an absurd .392/.519/.725 line since July 1. No one has been better in OBP over that time period, and only Hanley Ramirez has a better SLG. Anyway, I’ve updated the list of players who have cleared waivers.
Random Rumors: Erstad, Gagne, Podsednik
Here’s a smattering of random rumors.
- The Twins have tried and failed to acquire Mike Piazza, Jermaine Dye, and Kevin Mench. Instead of Dye, the White Sox offered up 33 year-old outfielder Darin Erstad, he of the .671 OPS. The Twins passed.
- Eric Gagne will apparently earn Type A status as a free agent, despite pitching only two innings in 2006. Rob Bradford has the details. This was apparently a big factor for the Red Sox in making the deal.
- The Chicago Sun-Times debunks a rumor that the Cubs are trying to trade for Scott Podsednik. How come I wasn’t told about this rumor previously? Who started it? I feel left out.
- The Pirates and Tigers are still talking about Jack Wilson. Apparently the deadline version of the deal died when the Bucs asked for Craig Monroe. Really? The deal died over that guy?
- Gordon Edes has a Major League source indicating that the Orioles are "the kind of team that might have interest" in Wily Mo Pena. That’s not the same as saying that they do have interest, however.
Cubs Considering Outfielders
Multiple readers have emailed me about a radio report on WSCR 670 The Score out of Chicago today. According to the report, the Cubs are considering multiple trade possibilities to fill the monthlog gap left by Alfonso Soriano’s quad injury. On the radar: Craig Monroe, Matt Stairs, Jeff Conine, and Adam Dunn. Additionally, Cubs GM Jim Hendry came out and said today that he’s working the phones to find some help.
Contract situations of each player:
Monroe – $1.5MM left in ’07, should earn $5MM+ in ’08 before reaching free agency
Stairs – $267K left in ’07, free agent after season
Conine – $630K left in ’07, free agent after season
Dunn – $3.3MM left in ’07, free agent after season if traded
Monroe is the right-handed Jacque Jones, contract situation and all. He’d be a poor and mildly expensive addition. He’d probably clear waivers.
Stairs is doing what he does best, mashing righties. He’s having his best season since 2003. He’s not earning much and has no ’08 commitment. He played for the Cubs in ’01 and did a decent job. The problem? He might be claimed off waivers before he gets to the Cubs. Jim Hendry really should’ve made this deal in July. Every AL team will have a crack at him first on waivers. Plus the Jays might fancy themselves contenders at six games out of the wild card.
Conine is on the last leg of his career and doesn’t really offer anything Matt Murton doesn’t. I don’t really see the point but this pickup seems most likely.
Dunn is the most intriguing and also by far the least likely option here. The Cubs would have to give up some good players and pay out a decent chunk of salary for less than two months of Dunn. They’d also have to do something ugly like put him in right field when Soriano comes back. I don’t see this happening.
Jack Wilson Will Waive No-Trade Clause
Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson has a six-team limited no-trade clause, but he recently let the team know that he’ll waive it for any deal. Apparently he just wants out of Pittsburgh. Dejan Kovacevic isn’t sure if the team has placed him on waivers yet. But I’m sure they will and he should get through unclaimed. As far as I’ve read, almost every player in baseball is put on waivers in August just to mask those that the team is actually trying to trade. There’s no risk to this because you can pull a player back if he’s claimed.
Kovacevic says talks with the Tigers about Wilson are still ongoing. Bucco Blog had heard that Jair Jurrjens and Brent Clevlen were involved also.
Jack Wilson May Still Be Dealt
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported yesterday that the Tigers and Pirates continue to discuss shortstop Jack Wilson. Passing Wilson through waivers shouldn’t be a problem; no team would want his entire contract dumped on them. Kovacevic describes the current state of the deal:
"One source intimately familiar with the matter said that a deal was virtually done Tuesday and that the Pirates would receive two of Detroit’s top six prospects, including an unnamed pitcher ready to join the major-league staff. But the sides haggled on how much of Wilson’s contract the Pirates would pick up, the source added, and the delay was on."
Kovacevic’s report doesn’t mention it, but there has to be more going to Detroit than just Wilson. Probably one of the Pirates’ relievers, a group that was oddly retained at the deadline. Such an addition might compel the Tigers to take on most or all of Wilson’s contract. But who are the two prospects? Bucco Blog believes they’re starter Jair Jurrjens and outfielder Brent Clevlen, and Jake provides a scout’s take. Jake is not a fan of such a trade.
Personally I think Jurrjens would be a fantastic return on Wilson if he becomes a #3-4 starter one day. Clevlen seems a long shot to me to realize his potential. The two prospects might not become Pirates until after the season, as they might not pass through waivers.
Tigers Could Acquire Jack Wilson
UPDATE: My source may have jumped the gun here, because talks are still ongoing.
UPDATE: An insider tells me Wilson has indeed just been traded, though he could not confirm the recipient or any details yet.
According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson may be traded to the Tigers today. Wilson and his agent were getting phone calls about possible deals all day yesterday, making a trade seem likely.
The Tigers wouldn’t assume all of the $16.3MM Wilson still has coming to him through the 2009 season. But they might eat a larger portion of it if the Pirates throw in one of their relievers – Shawn Chacon, Damaso Marte, or Salomon Torres.
The plan: use Wilson as a middle infield defensive replacement this year and make him the starting shortstop next year, moving Carlos Guillen to first base.
Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press adds that Wilson has a limited no-trade clause, but would probably wave it to finally player for a winner. Wilson can only block trades to six teams anyway; not sure if the Tigers are one of them.
Cordero/Rauch Not Going To Tigers, Mets
A Nationals source tells me that if traded at all, Chad Cordero and/or Jon Rauch will not be going to the Mets or Tigers.
Dodgers Tracking Cordero and Rauch
Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch are on the Dodgers’ radar, and they would gladly offer shortstop Chin-Lung Hu according to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.
The Washington Post’s Barry Srvluga confirms the Dodgers’ presence and adds the Mets and Tigers as teams following the relievers. As he mentioned yesterday, Srvluga’s source thinks a trade of one of Cordero or Rauch is likely and the return would be prospects. I’m sure we’ll be hearing much more about this today.
Jon Morosi of the Detroit Free Press ran down the Tigers’ stance on various relievers this morning, but Cordero and Rauch were not mentioned. Morosi doesn’t see the Tigers getting Eric Gagne, C.J. Wilson, or Joaquin Benoit from the Rangers. He also doesn’t think they’re close on Chad Qualls, Kyle Farnsworth, Al Reyes, or Dan Wheeler. Plucking a Pirate reliever in a Jack Wilson trade makes sense.
Farnsworth’s Trade Value Slips Further?
The Yankees brought Kyle Farnsworth in for a junk appearance yesterday against Baltimore. They were up 10-6 and probably wanted to get him out there for scouts one last time (A Tigers scout was indeed watching). He was working around 93-94 but touched 96. He threw only a handful of sliders. Farnsworth allowed a two-run home run to Brian Roberts in the inning.
But an incident took place that may further decrease his trade value, according to George King. King describes it:
Brought into yesterday’s game against the Orioles at Camden Yards with a six-run bulge in the eighth inning, Farnsworth not only walked the first batter and gave up a two-run homer, he crossed up Jorge Posada and then had the audacity to walk off the mound when the catcher went to talk to him about why he threw a fastball that hit Posada in the arm when Posada called for a slider. Things became so heated Alex Rodriguez played peacemaker on the mound.
I just watched the incident in question twice. The New York cameramen either did a lousy job capturing the incident or purposely decided not to show it. Posada definitely glared at Farnsworth after the cross-up; he took a 95 mph heater off the wrist because the pitcher missed the sign. Then the catcher was shown calling time-out but the broadcast cut to replay until Posada returned to his position. So the entire confrontation on the mound was missed. Farnsworth was shown swearing to himself and muttering before he threw the next pitch.
When asked afterward if he and Posada were OK, Farnsworth simply said, "We’ll see." He also complained about not pitching enough.
As I’ve said before, the Yankees would seemingly have to eat half of Farnsworth’s $5.5MM for 2008 in order to move him. His velocity is down, his attitude is up – his value is pretty low right now even with relievers a hot commodity. Jim Leyland may elect to keep this type of player out of his clubhouse. Plus, those glasses Farnsworth wears are kind of weird.
Tigers Trade Rumors: Barmes, Dotel, Qualls
The Detroit Free Press has a Tigers update for us today.
- The Tigers are intent on acquiring a backup shortstop. They recently sent a scout to watch the Rockies’ Clint Barmes at Triple A. Barmes is at .310/.374/.464 in the minors this year. Perhaps the Tigers envision him as a possible successor to Carlos Guillen at short.
- Relievers on the radar: Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls, Octavio Dotel, and Kyle Farnsworth. Eric Gagne does not seem likely right now, and we know Lidge is a long shot. Farnsworth might make the most sense, as the cost would mainly be money.
- The article names Craig Monroe plus pitching prospects Dallas Trahern and Jair Jurrjens as players the Tigers would trade. Despite all that we’ve read, I’d be surprised if the Royals could get something better than Jurrjens for Dotel.