Rosenthal On Phillies’ Infield Options
7:30pm: According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, the Phillies haven't talked to the Nationals about Kennedy.
1:31pm: The Phillies learned today that Chase Utley will be out for several weeks due to thumb surgery, and Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com chimes in with some possible replacement options. He notes that the replacement doesn't necessary have to be a second baseman (Twitter link), because the team can use Placido Polanco at that position once he's healthy. That opens up the possibility of a trade for a third baseman.
Rosenthal says that former Phillie Pedro Feliz is an unlikely target, citing a scout who says his bat speed is "gone." Feliz has hit just .229/.255/.317 in 255 plate appearances this year, and his trademark defense has declined back to a -4.3 UZR this season. The Fox Sports scribe throws the names of Miguel Tejada, Ty Wigginton, Jhonny Peralta, Adam Kennedy, and Jose Lopez into the mix (Twitter links). The Mariners are actively trying to move Lopez, according to Rosenthal.
For the now, Philadelphia will try to tread water with the combination of Wilson Valdez and Greg Dobbs at second and third, respectively. They've combined to hit just .222/.252/.338 in 222 plate appearances this season, and Jack Moore at FanGraphs chronicled just how big of a downgrade this is for the Phillies.
Kevin Cash Traded From Astros To Red Sox
Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports (via Twitter) that the Astros have sent catcher Kevin Cash to Boston in exchange for minor league infielder Angel Sanchez.
This is Cash's second stint with the Red Sox, as he served as the team's backup catcher in 2007 and 2008. Cash was designated for assignment by Houston last week and ended up in the minors, though it was rumored that Boston could be interested in bringing him back to add depth in the wake of Victor Martinez's thumb injury. Cash has a .541 OPS in 646 major league plate appearances, but any big hits he provides while backing up Jason Varitek would be considered a bonus for the Sox.
In nine pro seasons, Sanchez has amassed just 31 major league plate appearances, three of which came this year in Boston. The 26-year-old has a .279/.334/.351 career line in 3575 minor league PAs in the Boston, Toronto and Kansas City systems. Sanchez gives Houston a bit of infield depth since he has experience playing shortstop, second base and third base.
Footer tweets that Sanchez will take the place of Yordany Ramirez on the Astros' 40-man roster, as Houston has designated Ramirez for assignment. The 25-year-old outfielder has a career .642 OPS in 2615 minor league plate appearances.
Josh Banks Clears Waivers
WEDNESDAY: Banks cleared waivers and accepted an assignment at Triple A Round Rock, according to Footer (via Twitter).
SUNDAY: The Astros have designated righthander Josh Banks for assignment, according to Alyson Footer of the Astros (via Twitter). The move will allow the club to reinstate fellow righty Bud Norris from the disabled list.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old's stint on the Astros' big league roster was brief. Banks was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday to start against the Rangers on Saturday. Texas went to town on Banks, scoring six runs and drawing four walks in four innings.
Banks, a former second-round selection of the Blue Jays, found success this year pitching for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate. In 15 starts, he posted a 2.97 ERA with 2.2 BB/9, though his 3.2 K/9 left much to be desired.
Astros Sign Ramon Vazquez
The Astros signed infielder Ramon Vazquez to a minor league deal on Friday, the team confirmed to MLBTR. Vazquez has already appeared in four games for the Triple A Round Rock Express, playing shortstop and second base. The Astros' middle infield currently features Jeff Keppinger, Oswaldo Navarro, and Geoff Blum as they wait for Tommy Manzella's broken finger to heal.
The Pirates released Vazquez on April 8th, assuming his $2MM salary in the process. He was signed to a minor league deal by the Mariners eleven days later. Vazquez's '09 offensive struggles carried over to his Tacoma stint, and Matt Eddy of Baseball America reported his recent release.
Minor League Transactions: Worrell, Vazquez
Russell Branyan, Garrett Atkins and Gary Matthews Jr. have been making headlines at the major league level, but some under-the-radar moves have been completed, too. Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the latest minor league transactions for June 14th-21st:
- The Padres released right-hander Mark Worrell, who had been pitching in Triple A. His 5.45 ERA isn't pretty, but his 9.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 suggest that the 27-year-old could contribute on a team whose bullpen is a little thinner than San Diego's.
- The Mariners released Ramon Vazquez, who appears to have signed with the Astros. The M's picked Vazquez up soon after the Pirates released him this spring, but the infielder wasn't the bargain pickup Jack Zduriencik was hoping for; Vazquez posted a .599 OPS at Triple A.
- The Mariners signed David Winfree not long after the Yankees released him. The 24-year-old has posted a .700 OPS while playing first base, left and right at Triple A in 2010.
Astros Not Looking For Shortstop Help
The Astros are not looking outside the organization for a shortstop, GM Ed Wade told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Despite Tommy Manzella’s broken finger, the Astros are content to play Geoff Blum and Oswaldo Navarro at short for the next five weeks or so.
"Right now we're not actively looking for a shortstop,” Wade said. “That said, if something came along we thought would make sense, we'd pursue it."
Navarro, 25, was hitting .298/.400/.466 at Triple A when the Astros recalled him. Wade wants to give the Venezuelan infielder the chance to prove that he belongs in the majors instead of relying exclusively on Blum or an outside replacement. Longtime Astro Adam Everett is one free agent shortstop for interested teams to consider, but it seems more likely that he’ll sign with the Red Sox, Angels or Rockies. The 29-47 Astros will presumably be sellers rather than buyers between now and July 31st.
Mets’ Targets Include Cliff Lee, Ted Lilly
The Mets will be in on Seattle ace Cliff Lee – that appears certain. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Omar Minaya has notified Jack Zduriencik of his interest, and the Mets are scouting Lee's starts.
Contrary to a Kevin Burkhardt report last night, Sherman says the Mets "would not need a negotiating window to sign Lee long-term even if it includes top prospect Jenrry Mejia in a package." However, between the injuries to potential trade chips Mejia and Angel Pagan and the ownership approval needed to pull the trigger, Minaya faces hurdles in acquiring Lee.
Sherman writes "the Mets have little interest" in Roy Oswalt and Fausto Carmona. Instead, Cubs southpaw Ted Lilly might head up their list of Lee alternatives. Lilly has been excellent since signing a four-year, $40MM deal with the Cubs in December of '06. The contract has about $6.4MM remaining. Though Lilly profiles as a Type A free agent after the season, an arbitration offer is in question. I doubt Lilly's limited no-trade provision will be an obstacle, as he's probably eager to return to the playoffs. The Cubs have about a month to decide whether to cash in their chips, and Lilly is their best one.
Gardenhire On Twins’ Trade Philosophy
4:26pm: MLB.com's Kelly Thesier has more from Gardenhire, who says that he and GM Bill Smith are aware of who's out there and talk casually about trades up until the All-Star Break, when they typically sit down to discuss potential moves in a more serious manner.
1:57pm: Mired in a four-game losing streak, and having lost six of their last ten games, the Twins find themselves with just a half-game lead on the AL Central as they square off against their former ace Johan Santana in New York today.
Since Santana's trade following the 2007 season, the Twins have lacked a definitive ace atop their rotation. Francisco Liriano has shown flashes of brilliance and looks to have returned to form somewhat in 2010. However, it seems a long shot that he'll ever recapture the dominance he exhibited in his 2006 breakout, which was cut short by Tommy John surgery.
Currently relying on Liriano, Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, and Nick Blackburn, the Twins' rotation has begun to falter over recent weeks. Slowey and Blackburn in particular have struggled of late, posting ERAs of 5.18 and 9.47 over the last month, respectively.
The combination of need and the presence of blocked catching prospect Wilson Ramos have led many to believe the Twins to be the front-runners to acquire Seattle's Cliff Lee.
Knowing that the Twins are a front-runner for Lee and that they've explored a trade for Houston's Roy Oswalt, Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune spoke with Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire today regarding the club's trade philosophy. If the Twins are pursuing Lee, who is rumored to be available immediately, Gardenhire isn't tipping their hand:
"This organization’s pretty set in its ways about not ever giving up your system for a rental, as they say. We haven’t done that in the past, and I wouldn’t think they would be leaning that way now."
Gardenhire's comments aren't necessarily entirely accurate. While the Twins haven't dealt elite prospects for talent in the past, they did trade for two rentals last season when they acquired Orlando Cabrera from the Athletics and traded the Indians for Pavano's services in August. Pavano remains a Twin after accepting arbitration this past offseason.
Gardenhire does concede that "things happen" and mentions increased revenue from the sellout crowds every game at the Twins' new home, Target Field. He's quick to cover that admission, however:
"But it still goes with the philosophy of the organization and that’s develop and bring these guys to the big leagues — and that’s never going to change here, I don’t believe."
The one hole in Gardenhire's statement? Ramos, ranked as the game's 58th-best prospect by Baseball America in late February, won't supplant AL MVP Joe Mauer, making it impossible to see him being brought to the big leagues as a regular — at least in a Twins uniform.
While those comments may leave the door more open for Oswalt, the Astros recently called up their own elite catching prospect, Jason Castro. There's also the issue of Oswalt's contract. At $16MM in 2011, it will be a considerable burden to any club looking to acquire the Houston ace, making Lee a far more logical target for Minnesota, despite its past philosophy.
Odds & Ends: Bumgarner, Tracy, Oswalt, Atkins
Links for Friday night, as Edwin Jackson tosses a 149-pitch no-hitter against his former team….
- Madison Bumgarner was scratched from tonight's Triple-A start, fueling speculation that the Giants would call him up to start tomorrow's game. However, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the team still plans to start Joe Martinez tomorrow, with Bumgarner as the backup option.
- In his weekly appearance on WEEI's Big Show, Peter Gammons discusses the Red Sox' bullpen issues and the best one-year signing of this past offseason.
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com wonders if the Nationals will be interested in the recently DFA'd Chad Tracy, given Tracy's connection to Nats GM Mike Rizzo.
- Although it looks as if the Rangers won't be able to afford Roy Oswalt, you can add Texas to the list of teams the pitcher would be willing to play for, according to the Dallas Morning News. Oswalt has previously said he'd accept a trade to anywhere he could contend.
- Garrett Atkins tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link) that being released by the Orioles would be a "welcome opportunity." It appears as though Atkins will soon be designated for assignment.
- Following a blow-up during today's game, Carlos Zambrano has been suspended indefinitely by the Cubs, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. When Zambrano returned to the Cubs' rotation, we discussed Tom Gorzelanny as a trade chip, but as long as Zambrano remains suspended, that possibility looks less likely.
- The Astros signed their second-round pick, right-hander Vincent Velasquez, per a team release.
- Dusty Baker says Gary Matthews Jr. "has got to get his act together" before the outfielder earns a shot at the Reds' big league lineup, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
The 12-Player Trade
Look, here at MLBTradeRumors, we treasure every transaction, from that second lefty who gets picked up on waivers to the free agent signing of that minor league slugger. But it is undeniable that some trades get us more excited than others, and it is a shame that MLBTR wasn't around back on December 28, 1994, when the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres exchanged 12, yes 12 players.
The Astros received the following players: Derek Bell, Doug Brocail, Ricky Gutierrez, Pedro Martinez (but not THE Pedro Martinez), Phil Plantier and Craig Shipley.
The Padres received, in return: Andujar Cedeno, Ken Caminiti, Steve Finley, Roberto Petagine, Brian Williams and Sean Fesh.
But while a simple 12-player swap is about the most exciting thing possible to people like us, there's so much more that may have made this the most complicated player swap in baseball history.
Consider that not only were 12 players involved, but 11 of them- all but Fesh- played in the big leagues.
Consider that of the six players San Diego traded, they re-acquired five of them, three of them within a calendar year.
Consider that of the six players Houston traded, they eventually re-acquired four of them.
And consider that Brad Ausmus, who was not in this deal, was eventually traded with two of the players above, one of them twice, in three separate deals.
Confused yet? Good. Now let's look at value. We'll start with what Houston got from their acquired players.
Derek Bell was an immediate star for the Astros, hitting .334/.385/.442 in his first season with Houston at age 26. Over six seasons, his OPS+ was 104 with Houston, and he drove in more than 100 runs twice.
Doug Brocail provided a couple of mediocre relief seasons before getting traded with Brad Ausmus to Detroit, then, four years later, getting traded with Brad Ausmus from Detroit. Brocail went on to pitch until 2009, making additional stops in both San Diego and Houston.
Ricky Gutierrez provided value, most of it defensively, in five seasons at second base, shortstop and third base before leaving via free agency. His final stop in the majors lasted 17 days for the 2006 Padres.
Phil Plaintier was only in Houston for a short time, but it was productive. He posted an OPS of .805 in 22 games before San Diego decided to re-acquire him in July 1995 for Rich Loiselle and Jeff Tabaka.
Pedro Martinez posted a 7.40 ERA in 20.2 innings with Houston, before the Padres re-acquired him, too, following the 1995 season. The price? Ray Holbert.
Craig Shipley played all four infield positions for the Astros in one season. After that year, he was signed, via free agency… by the Padres.
So there you have it: three players of value, especially Bell.
And yet, it appears that San Diego won. The simple reason is Ken Caminiti.
Caminiti was a dominant player in San Diego. In four seasons, he hit 121 home runs, won the MVP in 1996, three Gold Gloves and played on three All Star teams. His OPS+ for those four years? 146. After those four years, Caminiti signed as a free agent with… the Houston Astros.
Other players the Padres got included:
Andujar Cedeno, a shortstop whose offense fell dramatically after the trade. His OPS+ in his last Houston season: 100. In his first year with San Diego, it dropped to 55. Cedeno eventually got traded by the Padres to the Tigers with Brad Ausmus in a deal that did not involve Doug Brocail. Cedeno finished his career with a handful of plate appearances for… the Houston Astros.
Steve Finley, a Gold Glove center fielder on two occasions for San Diego, who hit 30 home runs in one season, 28 in another. After a .249/.301/.401 age-33 season, the Padres elected not to re-sign him- much to Arizona's delight, in retrospect.
Roberto Petagine, a minor league slugger who managed a .937 OPS in his minors, but just a .722 mark in the major leagues. However, this came on 438 plate apparances spread over seven seasons, so it is quite possible Petagine simply never got his chance.
Brian Williams, a middling middle reliever and occasional starter, who wasn't any better in San Diego (6.00 ERA) than he'd been in Houston (5.74 ERA). After stops in San Diego, Detroit and Baltimore, he signed again with… the Houston Astros.
And attention must be paid to Sean Fesh, the minor leaguer in the deal, who went on to pitch 17 seasons in the minor leagues, compiling an ERA of 3.33 in 849.2 innings. Naturally, he went on to spend another season later in his career back with the Astros.
All in all, December 28, 1994 was a glorious day in transaction history. We may never see the likes of it again.