Jose Valverde Age Discrepancy
7:42pm: Valverde told the Houston Chronicle's Jose De Jesus Ortiz Wednesday evening that the age discrepancy was out of his hands. "My (birth year) is 1978," he confirmed. "Go to the Dominican and check it out. It doesn't matter if it's '78 or '79, I'll still be a free agent after this season."
2:42pm: Lisa Gray and I stumbled across an age discrepancy with Astros closer Jose Valverde yesterday. Some sources had his birth date as July 24th, 1979, while others had it as March 24th, 1978. The Astros confirmed to me that the latter date is correct; Valverde will be 32 when the 2010 season begins.
Astros GM Ed Wade told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that the extra year (actually 15 months) "is of no great consequence." Wade told McTaggart there was a paperwork mistake at some point in Valverde's past. Wade also brushed it off when Miguel Tejada's two-year age discrepancy came to light in April of '08. Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes told me that his team was not aware of Valverde's 1978 birth date when he traded the reliever to the Astros in December of '07.
It's true that the age discrepancy doesn't affect the Astros; they're unlikely to pony up the cash to re-sign their closer. They'll still probably offer arbitration and get their draft picks. But since Valverde presumably seeks a three-year deal for more than $30MM, the age difference may affect him.
Valverde Will Test Free Agent Market
Astros closer Jose Valverde told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart today that he plans to test the free agent market after the season. He'd prefer to return to the Astros, but McTaggart finds Houston unlikely to pony up the cash. Valverde will come with the added cost of a draft pick, assuming the Astros offer arbitration to the Type A free agent. The closer noted that aside from the Astros, the Cubs may be in need of a closer. They seem likely to continue with Carlos Marmol, though.
Valverde, 32 in March, will be the top free agent closer on the market (though there are other quality names). He sports a 2.00 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and 17 walks in 45 innings this year, missing a good chunk of the season with a calf injury. Back in January, Valverde and the Astros avoided arbitration and agreed to an $8MM salary for '09.
Valverde surely expects another raise, perhaps a new deal to the tune of Francisco Rodriguez's three-year, $37MM pact. The high-water mark for closers is $46-47MM over four years, but Francisco Cordero and Joe Nathan signed their deals in a different economic climate (late 2007/early 2008). Mariano Rivera, who is on his own plane, also signed that offseason for three years and $45MM.
The Tigers, Braves, Brewers, Nationals, Phillies and Marlins might be hunting for late-inning help this winter. But which of these clubs would open the checkbook for Valverde?
Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox Shortstop Options, Griffey, Suppan, Mulder, Glavine
The Red Sox have been trying to find a long term solution at shortstop ever since the Nomar Garciaparra trade back in 2004, and while the recent pickup of Alex Gonzalez has provided some stability, the team still needs to find a solution for next year and beyond. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says that first, the Sox have to decide if "they can afford to carry a light-hitting, great-fielding shortstop or sacrifice a bit of defense to aim for a more balanced lineup."
He presents some possible solutions to their seemingly perpetual shortstop issues, so let's round 'em up…
- Marco Scutaro: The 33-yr old has enjoyed a tremendous season for Toronto (.282/.380/.411), and projects to be a Type-A free agent. He made just $1.1MM this season, and it seems likely that the Blue Jays would offer him arbitration.
- Hanley Ramirez: Cafardo mentions that it still remains to be seen if Hanley can stick at short long term, but there is no question that he's one of the five best players in the game today. Given his team friendly contract that will pay him $64.5MM between now and 2014, the Sox would have to offer a bounty of young talent just to get their foot in the door.
- Miguel Tejada: A projected Type-B free agent this offseason, it seems unlikely that the Astros would offer him arbitration. He could be a one year stopgap at shortstop, and perhaps enjoy an offensive resurgence similar to Mike Lowell thanks to Fenway Park and the Green Monster.
- J.J. Hardy: As Cafardo notes, it "would take a leap of faith to think that his horrid season is an aberration." However, he did hit .280/.333/.470 from 2007-2008, and they'd definitely be buying low.
- Jose Reyes: We've seen plenty of talk that the Mets should trade Reyes, but it remains to be seen if they actually will. Can you imagine Reyes and Jacoby Ellsbury on the bases?
- Troy Tulowitzki: Cafardo admits it's a long shot, but everybody has a price. Considering that Tulo is guaranteed just $29.25MM between now and 2014 and is hitting .283/.363/.526 this year, doesn't it seem like it might be easier to acquire Hanley?
- Cafardo also throws out the names of several other possible options, including Adam Everett, John McDonald, Omar Vizquel, Stephen Drew, and Brandon Wood.
The Red Sox still have Jed Lowrie in-house, but he's missed considerable time this year with wrist problems. It would be a stretch to think that 19-yr old Cuban signee Jose Iglesias could fill in next year, but stranger things have happened. I'll throw the name of one more impending free agent out there: Felipe Lopez. He last played shortstop regularly in 2007, but it's at least worth considering.
Here's the rest of Cafardo's non-Red Sox rumors…
- Ken Griffey Jr. would like to return to Seattle for another year, and "probably can if his price is right." Junior is hitting .218/.325/.393 in 382 plate appearances this year, almost exclusively as a DH.
- The Brewers placed Jeff Suppan on trade waivers last week, and Cafardo says it'll be interesting to see "if any contending team still looking for an experienced starter puts in a claim or tries to make a deal for him." Considering there's still $14.5MM in guaranteed money left on his contract, I'd guess no one puts a claim in.
- Hardy was also placed on trade waivers.
- Free agent pitcher Mark Mulder has decided not to make a comeback this year even though he made progress with his throwing program. He's likely to play winterball though.
- Agent Gregg Clifton says client Tom Glavine is unlikely to attempt a comeback next year, and has started to field calls about broadcasting opportunities.
Odds & Ends: Orioles, Ayala, Kata, Nationals
Another round of links on me…
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun says it's time for Andy MacPhail to use some of his minor league inventory to land the Orioles a middle of the order hitter, while possibly gambling on a high quality free agent pitcher with an injury history. Personally, I don't think making moves like that will do much to improve the O's chances of competing in the AL East. They're on the right track now, with an impressive core of young talent highlighted by Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, Brian Matusz, and Chris Tillman. Patience.
- According to Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel, veteran reliever Luis Ayala has elected to become a free agent. The Marlins designated him for assignment last week.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tweets that the Astros outrighted infielder Matt Kata off the 40-man roster. I sure hope he wasn't waiting on that September callup.
- The Nationals have fired director of player development Bobby Williams, reports Chico Harlan of The Washinton Post. Williams had a long standing relationship with previous GM Jim Bowden, and his firing represents the first significant front office move made by new permanent GM Mike Rizzo.
- Are you a draft nut like me, but struggling to find ways to pass the time until next June? Then check out this NPB Draft projection by Patrick at NPB Tracker. High school pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, who has drawn interest from several MLB clubs, is the consensus top talent this year.
Berkman Unsure If He’ll Play After Contract Expires
Astros first baseman Lance Berkman has been one of the best, if not most unheralded sluggers of the last decade. Since his first full season in 2000, a typical season for Fat Elvis has consisted of a .301/.414/.558 batting line with over 30 homers and 100 RBI. After slumping big time this April (.162/.326/.392), he's managed to rebound and is hitting .300/.419/.522 since May 1st.
But now, as MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports, the 33-yr old first baseman is unsure if he'll play after his contract expires next year. Berkman has one more season left on the six year, $85MM contract he signed prior to the 2005 season, but the team holds a $15MM option for his services in 2011. If the option is declined, they'll pay him a $2MM buyout.
Here's Berkman's quotes from McTaggart's article:
"I'm going to play next year because I'm under contract, and if they pick up the option, we'll see where I'm at after that year," he said. "That's kind of how I'm viewing it."
"I don't think that's fair to the team or to me," he said. "If I'm not going to perform a level I'm comfortable with, I'm not going to play. I'm going to play next year because I'm obligated to play. I'm going to give as a good of an effort as I can, and see what happens. If I have a good year and they pick the option up, I'll be committed for another year.
"I don't want to hang around. I don't want to hamstring the organization, and I don't want to take away from my family and things like that. If I'm not as productive as I want to be, I'll take it to the house."
Thanks to the April slump, Berkman is hitting a career low .272 and is slugging under .510 for the first time in his career. Most players would consider .272/.400/.496 with 18 homers and a 79/81 K/BB ratio a career year. For Berkman, it's enough to consider hanging up the spikes.
Odds & Ends: Astros, Royals, Abreu
Let's kick off the day with links…
- Yahoo's David Brown caught up with Pedro Martinez as part of his Answer Man series.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle writes about the Astros' mistake of ignoring pitching.
- Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Chronicle notes that the Michael Bourn–Brad Lidge swap no longer looks lopsided. The Astros sent Lidge and Eric Bruntlett to Philly for Bourn, Geoff Geary, and Mike Costanzo in November of 2007.
- Rany Jazayerli has an open letter to Royals owner David Glass regarding the Dayton Moore extension.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times writes about Bobby Abreu's influence on the Angels' other hitters. In the article, Abreu says, "I definitely want to come back."
- Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses the legend of Garrett Jones. The 28 year-old Rookie of the Year contender has crushed 18 home runs in 237 plate appearances. What kind of numbers do you see him putting up next year?
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post feels that Johnny Damon makes more sense for the Yankees next year than Hideki Matsui.
Discussion: Managers On The Hot Seat
Scott Miller of CBSSports.com writes that some managers around the league might be fearing for their jobs as their teams play out the string. Managers who "are thought by some to be" on the hot seat, with relevant quotes from Miller, include:
- Baltimore's Dave Trembley – "in imminent danger"
- Houston's Cecil Cooper – "appears a goner"
- Cleveland's Eric Wedge – his "future is very questionable"
- The Mets' Jerry Manuel – "forget it. He stays."
Miller also discusses the situation in Washington, D.C., where the Nationals must decide whether to retain interim manager Jim Riggleman.
Also of interest is Miller's mention of Bobby Valentine, who is about to leave Chiba Lotte in Japan after seven years. Miller says that Valentine is "the name to watch" on the managerial front.
Who better to sort all of this out than our readers? First of all, who deserves to be out of a job when the 2010 begins? What should the Nats do with Riggleman? Where might Valentine find a job? Who will keep their managing job unjustly? Let's get at it in the comments section.
Rosenthal On Cameron, Penny, Dye
Time for a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- The Yankees and Brewers discussed a Mike Cameron trade (again) in August, but never came close to a deal. We learned earlier today from ESPN's Jayson Stark that the Marlins were also interested. Cameron, however, hopes to remain with the Brewers past this season.
- The Yankees had "serious interest" in Brad Penny as well, but the big righty preferred the NL and the Giants' ballpark. Penny recently said he'd be willing to return to the AL East, but the smart money's on him signing in the NL after the season.
- Rosenthal learned that Jermaine Dye had the right to convert his $12MM mutual option into a player option if traded. That was probably one of several reasons the Giants did not pursue him. We learned from Stark that the White Sox "wanted something good" for Dye.
- Rosenthal expects Astros manager Cecil Cooper to be fired even though he's under contract through next year. He believes former Phillies manager Jim Fregosi could be a candidate to replace him.
Odds and Ends: Nomar, Astros, Kazmir
A few links to get the evening started…
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the Phillies are still "mildly following" Nomar Garciaparra. Though Nomar would not be eligible to play in the postseason for Philadelphia, he might provide some depth down the stretch.
- Astros owner Drayton McLane "has fired more managers, general managers and coaches the last five years than any other owner in baseball," according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. Justice posits that the axe might drop on someone new during the Astros' off day tomorrow.
- The Tampa Tribune's Marc Lancaster talked to Rays owner Stuart Sternberg, who argued that the team's trade of Scott Kazmir was "not a salary dump" but "a reallocation of resources."
Odds And Ends: Yankees, Wagner, Byrd
Some links to start the week off…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post argues that the Yankees were smart to spend on elite free agents last offseason. Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia have contributed to the Yankees' dominance this year.
- Johnny Damon repeated to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he wants to return to the Yankees next season.
- The Toronto Sun notes that Mike Hampton won't pitch again this year.
- Billy Wagner didn't expect his Red Sox debut to go as smoothly as it did, according to Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe.
- As Alex Speier of WEEI.com notes, Paul Byrd earns incentives for every start he makes with the Red Sox.
- Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News says Barry Zito and Edgar Renteria, whose contracts have often been criticized, have helped keep the Giants in the race.