Odds & Ends: Dye, Arguelles, Royals, Astros
Upset over seeing your Syracuse-topped bracket get ruined tonight? Cheer up by reading these news items!
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson thinks the Nationals will make a move to bolster their current right-field platoon. He thinks Jermaine Dye would help the team, though Washington denied any interest in the veteran last week.
- Noel Arguelles hasn't shown much in camp with Kansas City, but ESPN's Keith Law says it's part of the Royals' strategy to take it easy on the 20-year-old.
- Rany Jazayerli of the Rany On The Royals blog looks at how K.C. has only recently gotten back into the habit of drafting local prospects. He also lists some of the local talent that the Royals didn't draft between 1988 and 2003, such as (sorry to mention it again, Royals fans) Albert Pujols.
- The Astros are putting a greater emphasis on foreign scouting, writes The Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice.
- Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com lists 10 notable scouts who could be future general managers.
- The Cubs could wait until the trade deadline before getting their desired set-up man, says FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi.
Odds & Ends: Stanton, Daigle, Bell, Mariners
A round-up of some of Wednesday's newsbits….
- The Marlins assigned top prospect Mike Stanton to Double-A, but MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes that by keeping Stanton in the minors until "around Memorial Day, or June 1," the club can delay Stanton's Super Two status.
- RHP Casey Daigle, a non-roster invitee signed by the Astros in December, has a shot at winning a spot on the Houston roster, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Daigle last pitched in the majors in 2006.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock (via Twitter) hears from GM Jed Hoyer that the Padres haven't heard from other teams interested in Heath Bell, nor are they "actively shopping" the closer themselves.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports calls the Mariners "a disappointment waiting to happen" and feels they won't live up to the hype generated by their busy offseason.
- Carroll Rogers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on new TBS analyst John Smoltz popping by the Braves camp. Smoltz said he is "not officially [retired], but close" and noted that the Nationals offered a deal over the winter for him to pitch and eventually coach for the club.
- MLB.com's Steve Gilbert writes that Arizona GM Josh Byrnes' interest in Kelly Johnson dated back to the infielder's high school days, and that Byrnes tried to deal for Johnson back in 2006.
- LHP Danny Duffy, one of Kansas City's top pitching prospects, is quitting baseball, reports Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star.
- WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports that reliever Joe Nelson has an opt-out clause in his contract with the Red Sox that allows him to become a free agent if he isn't on Boston's major league roster by June 1.
- Prospective Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg won't have the deal finalized to buy the team by Opening Day, reports Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com. Mid-April is the new target date.
- Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs looks at the battle for the last spot on the Oakland roster, while also dropping several hints that the A's would be helping themselves by releasing Eric Chavez.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America looks at seven out-of-options players who he figures will either make their team's roster or be traded in the coming days. Eddy also gave us a shout-out by linking to MLBTR's full list of players who are out of options.
Heyman On Willis, Dunn, Dukes, Berkman
Jon Heyman covered a number of topics in his latest piece for SI.com, and here are a few of the hot-stove highlights…
- While Dontrelle Willis' "$12MM salary is one impetus to take him north," Heyman writes that the left-hander has pitched very well this spring and could earn a spot in Detroit's rotation on his own merit. Heyman didn't discuss Willis' future with the club, but it would take a huge season for Willis to earn anything close to $12MM in a free-agent contract this winter. Even if he does have a big rebound year, his first two seasons in Detroit were probably enough to close the door on him remaining a Tiger past 2010.
- Heyman writes that the Nationals have told Adam Dunn that he won't get a contract extension from them (no matter his offensive numbers) unless he proves that he can play a decent first base.
- Elijah Dukes' release from Washington is "a shame." Heyman says "while there was no one incident that triggered his release, the Nationals felt it would improve clubhouse chemistry for him to be gone."
- Heyman praises the Astros for not giving in to the "public pressure" that Lance Berkman put on the club to pick up his 2011 option. Houston's decision looks wiser, Heyman says, in the wake of Berkman's recent minor knee surgery that may keep him on the DL for the first few weeks of the season.
The Latest On Mike Lowell
Although a Mike Lowell trade isn't the sure thing it once seemed, there's still a chance that a deal could be completed, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
Silverman mentions four teams that are possible landing spots for Lowell: the Astros, Marlins, Rangers, and Twins. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if the White Sox could be added to that list as well. Each of these teams has potential question marks at first base or designated hitter, or just could use another right-handed bat.
Alex Speier of WEEI speculates that the Marlins' willingness to return Jorge Jimenez to the Red Sox could signal that Florida's need for a corner infielder isn't that strong. If the team feels confident enough in either Gaby Sanchez or Logan Morrison at first base that they'd cut Jimenez, that could mean a diminished interest in Lowell as well.
Lowell will, of course, have display good health before any club thinks about acquiring him. Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston tweets that the Rangers, among other teams, are scouting Lowell today. The 36-year-old is scheduled to play third base for the first time this spring.
Astros Not Interested In Beimel
7:28pm: FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter) passes on this quote from Beimel's agent, Joe Sroba: "Talks with [the] Mets have fallen apart. Beimel is re-open to consider all clubs and willing to be flexible."
10:31am: Astros GM Ed Wade told MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that his club is "more than adequately covered" with the relievers they have, so don't expect the Astros to pursue Joe Beimel (Twitter link). New additions Brandon Lyon and Matt Lindstrom lead a bullpen that could include Tim Byrdak, Jeff Fulchino, Chris Sampson and Alberto Arias on Opening Day.
Offseason In Review: Houston Astros
Next in our Offseason In Review series, the Astros.
Major League Signings
- Brandon Lyon, RP: three years, $15MM.
- Brett Myers, SP: one year, $5.1MM. Includes $8MM mutual option for 2011 with a $2MM buyout.
- Pedro Feliz, 3B: one year, $4.5MM.
- Brian Moehler, P: one year, $3MM. Mutual option exercised.
- Geoff Blum, IF: one year, $1.5MM. Includes $1.65MM mutual option for 2011.
- Jason Michaels, OF: one year, $800K.
- Total spend: $29.9MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Josh Banks, Gustavo Chacin, Roy Corcoran, Casey Daigle, Shane Loux, Gary Majewski, Kevin Cash, Drew Meyer, Chris Shelton, Jason Bourgeois, Cory Sullivan
Trades and Claims
- Acquired RP Matt Lindstrom from Marlins for Rule 5 pick 3B Jorge Jimenez, SS Luis Bryan, and P Robert Bono
Notable Losses
- Miguel Tejada, Darin Erstad, Chris Coste, Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz, LaTroy Hawkins, Jose Valverde, Geoff Geary, Doug Brocail, Brandon Backe, Jorge Jimenez, Luis Bryan, Robert Bono
Summary
Early in the offseason, it was suggested by some reporters that the Astros had the payroll flexibility to make only minor moves. As Jeff Euston wrote for Baseball Prospectus in February, the team did ultimately trim roughly $15MM from their year-end payroll. GM Ed Wade still is able to pay his offseason acquisitions about $20MM in 2010, since the '09 payroll featured larger commitments to veterans such as Tejada, Valverde, Hawkins, Brocail, Hampton, Erstad, and Backe.
I wrote in October that the Astros could contend in 2010 with the right additions. Starting with the bullpen, Wade replaced Valverde and Hawkins with Lyon and Lindstrom. The Astros might not lose much in performance here, and they will pay the new pair $4.125MM less in 2010 than the old tandem will earn. Plus, the Astros snagged the #19 pick in the draft from the Tigers. The downside to this bullpen swap: Lyon's contract is quite excessive, the pair comes with increased health risks, and Jimenez might've been useful.
Myers is a wild card as the new #3 starter; the Astros are looking for him to return to his 2006 level of performance (3.91 ERA in 198 innings). My beef is with the Astros bringing back Moehler at $3MM. There was no reason to overcommit to him in October.
There was early talk that the Astros would go with rookies Tommy Manzella and Chris Johnson on the left side of their infield in 2010. Instead Feliz will handle the hot corner as the Astros take a defense-first approach toward the two positions.
For the Astros to contend in 2010, they'll need a huge performance from their rotation. Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Myers, Bud Norris, and Felipe Paulino are all capable of big things. They won't get much run support – the lineup is littered with easy outs and is the worst of the eight NL clubs I've projected so far (using CHONE and Baseball Musings' lineup analysis tool).
Astros Release Alex Romero
Outfielder Alex Romero was released by the Astros, tweets Alyson Footer. Romero had been signed to a minor league deal on December 8th, and went 4 for 11 this spring. The 26-year-old hit .348/.416/.462 for the D'Backs' Triple a club last year, but struggled in the Majors. Two years ago, Baseball America called Romero "the ideal fourth outfielder."
Odds & Ends: Lowell, Ohka, Towers, Washburn
Leftover links for Tuesday evening….
- Perhaps we shouldn't count on the Mike Lowell rumor mill immediately roaring back to life. ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes says (via Twitter) that scouts don't feel Lowell is moving very well in spring action. Of course, as Edes points out in a second tweet, the 36-year-old doesn't move overly well even when he's healthy.
- Greg Cote of the Miami Herald thinks Lowell's limited mobility isn't as big a concern as long as he's playing first base, and would like to see the Marlins go after him.
- The Quintana Roo Tigers of the Mexican League released Tomo Ohka, tweets NPB Tracker. The Tigers had just signed the Japanese right-hander last week.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer assesses the progress of the players the Indians acquired in last season's Cliff Lee trade, focusing on Jason Donald.
- The Yankees have finally made their hiring of Kevin Towers official, naming him a Special Assignment Scout, per a team press release. It was first reported back in January that Towers would be joining New York's staff.
- Yesterday, we heard that the Mariners still have interest in Jarrod Washburn, but John Hickey of AOL Fanhouse tweets that the left-hander isn't close to signing yet with Seattle or anyone else.
- The Astros, not the Red Sox, signed minor-leaguer and former Mariners' first round pick, Michael Garciaparra, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
- If he were a GM tasked with signing either himself and Vladimir Guerrero, Marlon Byrd would make the same choice the Rangers did, according to ESPNDallas' Richard Durrett. Byrd says that before he signed with the Cubs, he had some preliminary discussions with Texas, adding that the Rangers' decision to sign Vladdy was a "no brainer."
Odds & Ends: Mateo, Kelvim Escobar, Mariners
Links to kick off the work week…
- Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo is scheduled to work out for the Diamondbacks today, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Mateo's reps don't share the Cardinals' concerns about Mateo's vision.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Rays came second in the Kelvim Escobar bidding, offering $600K. Unlike the Mets, the Rays saw Escobar as a second half contributor.
- Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post thinks stat lovers themselves "may be the new inefficiency in the market," making Adam Dunn a bargain at three years and $40MM even if his defense doesn't improve.
- FanGraphs' Dave Cameron explains why the Astros and Royals sit at the bottom of his organizational rankings.
- SI's Jon Heyman names his "bests" for 2010, with the Angels getting the nod for the best rotation top to bottom. Heyman also talks about Jarrod Washburn, considered a person of interest for Seattle.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Ms are "still pondering backup catching options from outside." There aren't too many available backstops who can be considered clear improvements.
- In his latest GM's Corner video for FOX Sports, Jim Bowden gathers all the GMs involved in the Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee deals. Alex Anthopoulos mentioned that Ruben Amaro Jr. would not include Kyle Drabek or Domonic Brown when Halladay was discussed at the GM Meetings, but relented on Drabek a few weeks later.
- Dustin Parkes of Drunk Jays Fans says "the team has put its money where its mouth is" by signing Adeiny Hechevarria.
Execs Name Best, Worst Moves Of The Offseason
Recently MLBTR spoke to several MLB executives to gather their nominations for the best and worst moves of the offseason.
Free agent signings that received mention for the best moves: Felipe Lopez, Adrian Beltre, Adam LaRoche, Chone Figgins, Hideki Matsui, and Aroldis Chapman. Said one exec on Chapman: "He might truly live up to the hype." It's hard not to praise the Cards for getting Lopez on a one-year, $1MM deal.
Three trades came up as choices for the best moves of the offseason: the Mariners' acquisition of Cliff Lee, the Royals' trade of Mark Teahen, and the Rangers' trade of Kevin Millwood. One exec noted that the Mariners "didn't trade anyone that can hurt them in the next couple of years" for Lee, while another believed that "trading Lee and Kyle Drabek in the Roy Halladay deal will hurt [the Phillies] in the long run." The Royals received props for "getting some value for Teahen," while the Rangers' increased payroll flexibility from the Millwood deal was noted.
Nominated for the worst moves: free agent deals for Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, Brandon Lyon, Jason Kendall, Aubrey Huff, Jason Marquis, Randy Wolf, and Garrett Atkins. All the execs polled mentioned Holliday's seven year, $120MM deal when choosing their worst deals of the winter. Said one: "The fear that he would sign a one-year deal elsewhere and take his chances a year from now — that just doesn't make sense to me."
Aside from Kendall and Huff, there was a vibe of "like the player, hate the contract" with the panned free agent signings. One exec felt the Royals downgraded behind the plate with Kendall. Huff was nominated as a small-scale misstep, in that the exec felt that "Hank Blalock is better and he couldn't get half that salary on a non-roster deal."