Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Braves, Rangers, Rays, Haren
The Phillies won their second World Series in franchise history two years ago today, beating the Rays in the first suspended game in series history. Game Five started on October 27th, 2008, and the two clubs played to a 2-2 tie through the first five and a half innings before rain forced the suspension. The game didn't resume until October 29th due to the weather, but when it finallly did the Phillies outscored Tampa 2-1 the rest of the way for a 4-3 final score.
There's no weather-related delay for these links; here's the best from around the web this week…
- Capitol Avenue Club provides a primer for the Braves' offseason.
- Pine Tar And Pocket Protectors explains how Mark Teixeira built the AL Champion Rangers.
- The Baseball Opinion re-lives Sandy Alderson's biggest trade.
- DRays Bay compiles Andrew Friedman's offseason to-do list.
- Meanwhile, The Process Report thinks about Nick Johnson as a cheap option for the Rays.
- Drunk Jays Fans reacts to the John Farrell hiring and more.
- Baseball Analytics breaks down Pat Burrell's resurgence.
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wonders if Ivan DeJesus should get a crack at the Dodgers second base job next year.
- Disciples of Uecker says it's time for Josh Butler to put up or shut up. The Brewers acquired Butler for Gabe Gross in 2008.
- Yankeeist wonders what would have happened if the Yankees managed to acquire Dan Haren this summer.
- SPANdemonium compares the Rangers, Rays and Royals.
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Minor League Transactions: Henn, Dodgers, Mendoza
All of the minor league moves that took place between October 15-25 have been helpfully catalogued by Baseball America's Matt Eddy. Here are a few of the notable names involved…
- Left-hander Sean Henn re-signed with Toronto, a week after the Blue Jays granted him free agency. Henn spent his 2010 season pitching for the Jays' Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, posting a 4.73 ERA in 38 games (nine of them starts).
- The Dodgers re-signed a number of players with major league experience, such as J.D. Closser, Tim Corcoran and Travis Denker. Los Angeles also re-signed 11-year veteran Corey Smith, who has yet to get a cup of coffee in the bigs after being drafted 26th overall by Cleveland in the 2000 amateur draft.
- Luis Mendoza re-signed with Kansas City. The right-hander has an 8.43 ERA in 36 career major league appearances, 14 of which were starts, with the Rangers and Royals.
- Houston re-signed Brian Esposito and Wladimir Sutil, both of whom were recently removed from the club's 40-man roster. In addition, the Astros re-signed Oswaldo Navarro, who picked up 25 plate appearances for Houston last season.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Royals
Time to take our amateur signing bonus series to Kansas City…
- Eric Hosmer, 6MM (2008)
- Alex Gordon, $4MM (2005)
- Mike Moustakas, $4MM (2007)
- Luke Hochevar, $3.5MM (2006)
- Christian Colon, $2.75MM (2010)
You're looking at five of the Royals' last six first round picks, with the lone exception being 2009 pick Aaron Crow. He received a $1.5MM signing bonus as part of his $3MM major league deal.
Hosmer, the third overall pick two years ago, was touted as one of the best high school bats in recent memory. He has lived up to that hype in the minors, crushing Single-A and Double-A pitchers to the tune of .338/.406/.571 with 20 homers as a 20-year-old in 586 plate appearances this season.
Gordon was the best college player in the country when the Royals selected him second overall in 2005, but so far he hasn't delivered on the unrealistic and unfair George Brett comparisons. In parts of four seasons with the big league team, Gordon is a .244/.328/.405 hitter in 1,641 plate appearances, moving from the hot corner to the outfield in 2010. He's still just 26 though, plenty of time left for him to figure it out.
Drafted with the second overall pick in 2007, Moustakas holds the California high school record with 52 career homers. He's continued to mash in the minors, hitting .322/.369/.630 with 36 homers split between Double-A and Triple-A as a 21-year-old this season. Moustakas is Kansas City's third baseman of the future, and he and Hosmer represent prospects 1 and 1A in the game's best farm system.
The lone pitcher on the list, Hochevar was the first overall pick in the 2006 draft after spending a year in an independent league. The Dodgers selected him in the supplemental first round the year before, but after much drama the two sides were unable to work out a contract and he went back into the draft the next year. Hochevar has made 65 starts (and four relief appearances) for Kansas City over the last three-plus years, posting a 5.60 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 387.2 innings.
Colon was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, and his pro debut consisted of a .278/.326/.380 batting line in 271 Single-A plate appearances. His coming out party is set for 2011.
The Royals have the best farm system in baseball, and it's easy to see why. They spend the money needed to sign elite amateur talent, and that extends beyond the first round. Over the last three years, they've spent over $24MM on draft picks, the fifth most in baseball.
Cafardo On Greinke, Arroyo, Hall, Rays, Ortiz
In today's column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo examines the possibility of a Zack Greinke trade, noting that the Red Sox should at least inquire, given Allard Baird's history with the Royals and Greinke. Here are some of Cafardo's other notes:
- One AL GM on Greinke vs. Cliff Lee: "There may not be anyone better than Lee right now, but how long is that going to last? …. If you’re looking to build around someone, you would roll the dice with Greinke and hope that what he showed this season is an off year and not a sign of things to come. You’d have to do due diligence, but the upside with Greinke is pretty good."
- The Reds are attempting to work out an extension with Bronson Arroyo that would keep him in Cincinnati for a few years and slightly reduce his 2011 salary ($13MM). That way, the team could have some flexibility to add free agents this winter, and would lock up one of its best arms to a long-term contract.
- Bill Hall will look to find a full-time job at one position this offseason, but "people around Hall" are suggesting the all-purpose utility role he played in Boston might be better suited for him.
- The Rays are expected to field trade offers for B.J. Upton, Jason Bartlett, and maybe James Shields.
- David Ortiz and the Red Sox have had some contract discussions, but there's no resolution yet on either an extension or Ortiz's 2011 option. Boston will have until three days after the World Series ends to decide on the $12.5MM option, last month, we heard the Sox were prepared to exercise it.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Ichiro, Garza, Greinke, Bell
On this date two years ago, the Mariners named former Brewers vice president Jack Zduriencik as their new general manager. His defense-heavy approach resulted in a 24 win increase in his first season at the helm, though team scoring dropped by 31 runs. The Mariners won just 61 games and scored a mere 513 runs in 2010, the fewest by any team in the DH era. Unsurprisingly, there's already talk that Jack Z. is on the hot seat.
These links don't have to worry about being on the hot seat, they've made this week's edition of BBWI…
- Speaking of the Mariners, Prospect Insider discusses the possibility of trading Ichiro.
- DRays Bay speculates about what the Rays could get in return for Matt Garza.
- Meanwhile, The Process Report looks ahead to Tampa's 2011 bullpen.
- The Tao Of Stieb wonders if the Blue Jays should get involved in trade talks for Zack Greinke.
- Redleg Nation asks the same Greinke question for the Reds.
- The Friarhood debates whether the Padres should trade or extend Heath Bell.
- Disciples of Uecker re-lives the history of Nelson Cruz.
- Monkey With A Halo reviews Angels GM Tony Reagins' 2010 moves.
- Royals Review wonders if Robinson Tejeda turned the corner in 2010.
- Yankeeist breaks down Cliff Lee as he approaches his massive payday.
- River Ave. Blues writes that Lance Berkman and Kerry Wood have gone from spare parts to important pieces for the Yankees.
- Cubs Packs wants to know if Jim Hendry can fix the team's bullpen.
- 1 Blue Jays Way offers up a quick take on Toronto's options.
- The Hardball Times looks at some players whose best position is DH.
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Details Emerge On Greinke’s No-Trade Clause
The Royals will listen to offers for the 2009 Cy Young Award winner, but not every club has a realistic shot at acquiring him. Zack Greinke will be able to block trades to half of the teams in baseball between now and the 2011 trade deadline, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Kansas City Star recently reported that Greinke would be able to block deals to eight to ten teams, but FOX Sports is reporting that he’ll have even more leverage.
Greinke’s contract runs through 2012, but he loses the right to block trades after next year’s July 31st trade deadline, according to Morosi. The right-hander could block trades to 20 teams including the Yankees and Red Sox during the 2009-10 seasons. Small market teams including the Rays were on Greinke’s list of acceptable destinations from 2009-10 (it’s possible that the list has since changed). Potential suitors will face a $13.5MM salary in both 2011 and 2012 plus the Royals’ asking price in prospects.
Odds & Ends: Wilson, Twins, Greinke, Dodgers
As the Giants take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS, let's look at some news from around the baseball world…
- Though C.J. Wilson will get a big arbitration raise, ESPN's Jason A. Churchill thinks the Rangers are more likely to keep the southpaw rather than put him on the trade market.
- The Twins need another top-flight starter, and Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune thinks the team should try to acquire Zack Greinke. His proposed offer of Delmon Young, Kevin Slowey and a prospect won't be enough to get it done, especially since Kansas City would be sending Greinke to a division rival.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says the club's payroll will increase in 2011, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. (Twitter link)
- Detroit "will make [a] strong push" to sign Victor Martinez this winter, tweets The Denver Post's Troy Renck. The Rockies, meanwhile, are a "longshot" to sign the free agent catcher.
- Also from Renck (via Twitter), Troy Tulowitzki isn't likely to give the Rockies a discount on his next contract since the six-year, $31MM deal he signed before the 2008 season has already proven to be very team-friendly. Tulowitzki is locked up through 2013 and the Rockies have a team option (for $15MM) on him for 2014, so it'll be at least a couple of years before Colorado thinks about extending the star shortstop.
- PGP of the DRaysBay.com blog looks at why Tampa Bay might think about trading Matt Garza and what he could fetch in a deal.
- If Cliff Lee signs a six-year contract with the Yankees this winter, he could earn close to $200MM in salary and endorsement deals, estimates Forbes Magazine's Patrick Rishe.
- Magic Johnson owning the Dodgers? ESPN.com's J.A. Adande wants to see it happen.
- Padres assistant GM Fred Uhlman Jr. will remain with the club, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. There were rumors that Uhlman could head to Arizona to work with former Padres general manager Kevin Towers.
- The Cardinals need to patch up the "rift" that has developed in the front office in recent years, writes Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Gordon also looks at the Cardinals' minor league system and the team's last several drafts.
- Fangraphs' Pat Andriola looks at which teams did and didn't benefit from "the old guy discount" last winter.
Odds & Ends: Greinke, Marlins, McGwire, Daniels
As Cliff Lee continues his domination of the Yankees, here's some news from around baseball…
- Zack Greinke has until after the World Series to notify the Royals about the 8-10 teams on his no-trade list, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
- Bo Porter is not "the front runner" to be the next Marlins manager, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Rodriguez also notes that Florida would've kept Cody Ross had the team not fallen out of the pennant race. Since the Marlins faded, Ross was expendable given the club's desire for Cameron Maybin to get playing time.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears from Tony La Russa that Mark McGwire is "really torn" about returning as the Cardinals' hitting coach (Twitter link).
- In the wake of Jeff Wilpon's statement that the Mets might not hire their new GM for a few weeks, Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com wonders if the Mets are waiting for the postseason to be over so they can speak to Rangers GM Jon Daniels.
- Speaking of Daniels, he tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he saw the Jarrod Saltalamacchia trade "as an opportunity to give [the catcher] a fresh start."
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson looks at a few hot stove items from Washington in his latest mailbag. He has some strong words about Jason Bergmann, who was released by the Nationals last week, and doesn't think there's any chance of Adam Dunn getting an early extension completed with Washington a la Ted Lilly's deal with the Dodgers.
- Carrie Muskat has her own MLB.com mailbag concerning the Cubs. Neither Derrek Lee nor Lance Berkman, she opines, are good fits for Chicago at first base next season.
- We heard earlier that Joey Cora will interview for the Brewers' managerial job on Tuesday, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Pat Listach will also interview on the same day. Listach, Washington's third base coach, won the AL Rookie Of The Year Award as a Brewer in 1992 and played for Milwaukee from 1992 to 1996.
- CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam predicts that Paul Konerko is "likely staying put" with the White Sox. (Twitter link)
Odds & Ends: Ross, Hale, Daniels, Mets, Coaches
Some links to check out as Cody Ross attempts to follow up yesterday's two-home run performance and the Phillies look to even the score…
- Speaking of Ross, Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News reports that Giants GM Brian Sabean left a "clear impression" before tonight's game that the outfielder will be tendered a contract this offseason.
- Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe tweets that Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale is getting a second interview for the Blue Jays managerial position.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Mets have been "asking around" about Rangers GM Jon Daniels, and things could get interesting. Daniels can opt out of his contract after the season since the team was sold.
- Steve Popper of The Bergen Record says that the Mets might not be making the popular choices right now, especially with Francisco Rodriguez, Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran, and Luis Castillo, but they're the right moves.
- Popper also reports that the Tigers denied the Mets permission to talk to assistant GM Al Avila about their GM vacancy.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that Eric Young will be named the D'Backs first base coach later this week. In a second tweet, he says Eric Wedge's former pitching coach Carl Willis will likely play a big role on his new staff in Seattle.
- Despite the expected heavy interest from the Yankees and Rangers, Michael Silverman from the Boston Herald thinks the Red Sox should make a serious run at Cliff Lee.
- In the second page of that same article, Silverman quotes an unnamed executive in saying that a package consisting of Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, and prospect Anthony Rizzo wouldn't be enough to pry Adrian Gonzalez away from the Padres. He speculates the names that would be mentioned next would include Casey Kelly and Jose Iglesias.
- Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports says it makes more sense for the Orioles to trade for a middle-of-the-lineup hitter and an ace starter than seek one in free agency, and asks readers whether or not the O's should pursue Zack Greinke. In his blog post earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney didn't see Baltimore as a fit for the Kansas City ace.
- Reduced payroll will force the Rays into some tough decisions, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. As Topkin points out, nearly the entire bullpen is entering free agency. Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, Randy Choate, Joaquin Benoit, and Chad Qualls are only signed through 2010, while Dan Wheeler's $4MM option will be declined and Lance Cormier could be non-tendered. Balfour and Choate are most likely to return, while Benoit will likely look to capitalize on his monster season.
- Richard Griffin from the Toronto Star spoke with Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin, who could be a candidate for the Jays' managerial opening, about the difficulty of getting a foot in the door as a manager. As Griffin says, part of the reason they continue to interview candidates while other teams are filling their managerial positions could be because they have a high level of interest in someone like Mackanin, whose team is still playing.
- The Phillies' worst nightmare isn't losing to the Giants in the NLCS or losing to the Yankees in the World Series, according FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. It's going to the World Series and facing the ace they traded away last offseason, who now sports a Rangers uniform — Cliff Lee.
Olney On Greinke, De La Rosa, Alderson, Blue Jays
Yesterday, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported that the Royals would listen to offers for Zack Greinke. Today, Olney's blog entry (Insider required) focuses on which teams make sense as potential suitors for the Kansas City ace. According to Olney, there are at least ten teams who have a need for Greinke and would have the prospects necessary to acquire him. Here are a few other rumors from Olney, via Twitter:
- Negotiations are moving slowly between Jorge de la Rosa and the Rockies. The team would like to re-sign the left-hander before he hits free agency, but it won't be cheap. As Troy Renck of the Denver Post points out (via Twitter), Ted Lilly's three-year deal with the Dodgers should directly influence de la Rosa's contract negotiations.
- The Mets will meet this week for a second time with Sandy Alderson, who is regarded as the frontrunner for the team's GM opening. For what it's worth, we can add Tony La Russa to the list of people who think Alderson would be a great choice for the Mets, as Dan Martin of the New York Post writes.
- The Blue Jays are interviewing a wide range of candidates for their managerial position, but may end up promoting an internal option: Brian Butterfield.