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Draft Links: Ruffin, Pomeranz, Grandal, Wolters

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The draft is underway, and we've got another round of links.

  • Mayo hears that the Indians will take Drew Pomeranz and the D'Backs will take Barret Loux (Twitter link).
  • Heyman hears that the Nationals will take Harper, the Pirates will take Jameson Taillon and the O's will take Manny Machado (Twitter link).
  • The White Sox could take Grandal if he's available when they select 13th overall, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo (via Twitter).
  • In what would be a surprising move, the Reds appear ready to take Chance Ruffin 12th overall, according to Law.
  • Law hears that Pomeranz is sliding and that teams are having "uh-oh" moments because they didn't discuss him enough (Twitter links).
  • Padres executive Paul DePodesta explains that the draft has slowed down over the years. That gives teams the chance to breathe a little more easily between selections.
  • An Orioles official told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that the team will likely pick Manny Machado third overall.
  • It looks like the D'Backs will take a college pitcher with their first round pick, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic hears they aren't likely to take lefty Drew Pomeranz.
  • The Indians have topped the Royals' predraft offer of $2.9MM to Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal, reports Frankie Piliere of AOL Fanhouse.  Piliere still believes the Royals will take Grandal at #4, but the original agreement is off.  ESPN's Keith Law, meanwhile, heard that the Royals and Grandal had not even discussed money as of Saturday evening.  Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals prefer Grandal but are "taking a hard look" at Florida Gulf Coast lefty Chris Sale.  Law has the Royals taking Sale, in a recent chat comment. 
  • Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein tweets that high school infielder Tony Wolters is in play for the Angels, Blue Jays, and Braves in the late first round or the first compensation round.  Piliere sees the Braves at #35.
  • Goldstein tweets that high school outfielder Drew Vettleson looks like a potential first-round pick, maybe to the Dodgers at #28 (matching the prediction of Baseball America's Jim Callis).  Law has heard Vettleson as a possibility for the Dodgers, Rays, and Yankees.
  • FanGraphs' David Cameron explains that Bryce Harper doesn't necessarily have more value as a catcher than an outfielder.
  • Cameron's colleague Bryan Smith looks at recent draft picks that were questioned at the time they were made.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI outlines Boston's shift toward drafting for impact players starting in '06.
  • SI's Jon Heyman names the biggest booms and busts in draft history. 

2010 Draft Pick Gains And Losses

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Using Mike Axisa's 2010 draft order, let's take a look at which teams gained and lost picks through free agent compensation during the offseason.

  • Seven clubs added at least one pick without giving any up: the Angels, Blue Jays, Astros, Rangers, Cardinals, Rays, and Rockies.
  • The Angels lost Chone Figgins and John Lackey, but they added the most and best picks: #18, #29, #37, and #40.  This is a huge year for director of scouting Eddie Bane.  The Blue Jays added three picks: #34, #41, and #80.
  • The Astros, Rangers, and Cardinals each added two picks, with the Astros doing the best by snagging #19 and #33 for Jose Valverde.
  • The Orioles and Mets were the only two teams to lose a pick without adding any; those are #53 and #57 respectively.
  • The Mariners added #43 but gave up #18, while the Tigers added #44 and #48 while giving up #19.
  • The Red Sox came out in pretty good shape despite signing a pair of Type As in John Lackey and Marco Scutaro.  The Sox added #20, #36, #39, and #57 while losing #29 and #80.  Losing a Type A who was offered arbitration brings in two picks, but signing such a player only costs one.
  • The Braves added picks #35 and #53, but surrendered #20.

Originally published 3-29-10.

Angels Targeting Cubs Bats?

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SUNDAY, 8:19pm: The Angels haven't aggressively pursued a trade for help yet and may not have Lee on their radar at this point, a source told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  With their 9-4 victory in Seattle today, the Angels improved to 7-1 without first baseman Kendry Morales in the lineup.

FRIDAY, 7:15pm: The Cubs have not asked Derrek Lee to approve a trade, sources tell Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  Lee's contract includes a no-trade clause, so the club could not deal him without his approval.

When asked about the trade rumors, Lee responded:

"Who are the 'excellent sources?'" the 34-year-old asked. "I've heard nothing on it. I've got nothing for you."

The first baseman also told reporters that he is not bothered by the trade speculation and wants to remain with the Cubs.

THURSDAY, 9:10am: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat hears that the Cubs have not talked to the Angels about Nady or Lee (Twitter link). That doesn't mean the Angels aren't interested, but it shows that talks are not far along.

8:08am: The Angels appear to be targeting Xavier Nady, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Nady, 31, has appeared in three games at first for the Cubs this year.

WEDNESDAY, 10:40pm: The Cubs "may be involved in trade talks" that would send first baseman Derrek Lee to the Angels, according to Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of The Chicago Tribune. The Halos, of course, will be without regular first baseman Kendry Morales for the foreseeable future following the fractured leg he suffered celebrating a walk-off grand slam last weekend.

The 34-year-old Lee missed tonight's game with a minor hamstring issue, but overall he's hitting just .232/.339/.366 on the season, down from last year's splendid .306/.393/.579 performance. The Cubs still owe him a touch under $9MM in salary for the remainder of the season, after which he'll become a free agent for the first time in his career.

We've already discussed the Angels' options for replacing Morales at length, though Lee's name was not mentioned.

Cafardo’s Latest: Lowell, Angels, Haren, Suzuki

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a few hot stove notes in his latest column, but before he gets to those, he discusses Ken Griffey Jr.'s career, noting that the Mariner "walked away very quietly, with little fanfare, just as he said he would." Here are the rest of the highlights from Cafardo's piece:

  • It doesn't appear any teams, besides maybe the Rangers, are too interested in Mike Lowell. Cafardo lists the Angels, Mariners and White Sox as potential matches, though a Sox official says Lowell "doesn’t fit for us right now."
  • The Angels, meanwhile, seem committed to giving Mike Napoli playing time at first base for now, diminishing any interest they'd have in Lowell.
  • The Diamondbacks have had internal discussions about trading Dan Haren, but one baseball executive expressed doubt that Arizona will pull the trigger. The exec pointed out that rebuilding from scratch isn't necessary in the NL West, since almost every team could be just a couple moves away from contending.
  • Kurt Suzuki will likely be the Red Sox' top trade target this winter.
  • A scout offers his opinion on the Orioles' young arms like Chris Tillman: "They’re kind of stuck and maybe have even taken a step backward. But sometimes that happens. Every kid has a hump they have to get over once they hit the big leagues." Last night, we discussed the possibility of the O's having a fire sale and turning their roster over to their youngsters for the remainder of the season.

Rosenthal On Fielder, Angels, Pierzynski, Mets

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Let's check out the newest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • Milwaukee may not be able to find a taker for Prince Fielder before the trade deadline.  Fielder's deal runs through next season and the Angels, who are the most obvious fit, only need a first baseman for the remainder of this season to fill in for Kendry Morales.  The teams with the greatest needs for a first baseman/designated hitter type, such as the Mariners, aren't in contention.  Rosenthal points out that Brewers GM Doug Melvin has always said that it's easier to move position players in the winter when more teams can be drawn into the mix.
  • Angels GM Tony Reagins says that the team will be patient in finding a replacement for Morales.  The Angels are starting to play better and Mike Napoli is an obvious internal solution as Jeff Mathis gets set to return.  While their biggest need is in the bullpen, Reagins says that the team is comfortable with the pitchers that they have, for now.
  • White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski would almost certainly consent to a trade if the club asked him to move on in order to give Tyler Flowers big league experience.  Pierzynski has the right to veto any trade beginning on June 13th.  The veteran is a free agent at the end of the season and could enhance his value by going to a contender.  If he was still available in August then his salary is high enough that he would likely clear waivers.
  • The Mets say that they have the payroll flexibility to add a starter at the deadline but it remains to be seen just how much and how willing they are to part with young talent.  One solution could be putting Jenrry Mejia in the starting five as GM Omar Minaya believes that he could be a dominant starter.  However, manager Jerry Manuel raised doubts about that happening this season.

Olney’s Latest: Orioles, Diamondbacks, Delgado

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In today's blog post at ESPN, Buster Olney says a question being asked by some is whether the Orioles' constant losing is infecting the team's great young core, most notably Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters. One evaluator said that even though players like Ty Wigginton, Kevin Millwood, and Luke Scott would have trade value at mid-season, the team might be better off holding onto them to help stabilize the young players.

I respectfully disagree, because those players are with the team now and it's obviously just not working. Some new blood might not be the worst thing in the world for Baltimore.  

Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…

  • Diamondbacks' manager A.J. Hinch pointed the finger directly at himself with regards to who to blame for the team's struggles. "This group hasn't responded that well to me," said Hinch. "I'm scratching and clawing, trying to find the right solution, but I'm not going to run from any accountability."
  • The Angels have checked into the condition of Carlos Delgado, who is making his way back from hip surgery and could return in six weeks, if all goes well. They're looking for a Kendry Morales replacement, of course.

Odds & Ends: Sizemore, Lewis, Red Sox, Haren

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Some links for Friday before Roy Halladay tries to restore order for the slumping Phillies…

Stark On Orioles, Lee, Padres, Stanton, Angels

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Major league executives told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark which starters they would most want to have for the next ten years. Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum didn't make the cut, but Felix Hernandez, Josh Johnson, Ubaldo Jimenez, David Price, Brett Anderson and Jon Lester did. Here are Stark's latest rumors, as the trade market starts taking shape:

  • Two teams say that the Orioles would listen on Kevin Millwood right now.
  • A rival executive says the Orioles are "sniffing around for a shortstop." Stark hears rumors that they have interest in Twins prospect Trevor Plouffe. 
  • The Mariners won't seriously consider trading Cliff Lee before they're sure they can't salvage their season.
  • There's increasing pessimism that the Astros will be able to obtain salary relief and prospects for Roy Oswalt.
  • Teams are giving up on acquiring Adrian Gonzalez this summer, since the Padres continue to win.
  • Two officials believe Heath Bell could be traded even if the Padres stay in contention. Check out this post from earlier in the week for more on Bell's trade value.
  • Tom Gorzelanny could be on the market in a couple weeks when John Grabow comes off the DL.
  • Stark hears that the Marlins will call Mike Stanton up next week. The Marlins are being cautious, since they want to prevent Stanton from obtaining super two status and teams believe the cut-off will be later than ever this year.
  • Stark's sources don't expect the Angels to start searching for a bat to replace Kendry Morales for a few weeks. When they begin looking for offense, they're expected to look for someone who is about to hit free agency or a versatile player who can defend around the diamond. Kendry Morales is under team control through 2013, so Prince Fielder wouldn't be a fit for the Angels.

Adam LaRoche’s Trade Value

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The Diamondbacks are 10.5 games out of a playoff spot and they aren't scheduled to play a team with a losing record for more than a month. If you suspect they might become sellers, you're not alone. As ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports, executives expect the D'Backs to move payroll early this year.  

Adam LaRoche has makings of a trade candidate. He's on an affordable one-year deal and he's hitting well. Last month MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested that the Rangers, Mariners and Marlins could inquire and we can now add the Angels to the list of possible suitors. LaRoche was traded twice last summer, so we can start to determine his current trade value by looking back at last summer's deals. To figure out what the D'Backs can get for LaRoche, let's consider the players he was traded for, what has stayed the same since last year and what has changed:

Who LaRoche was traded for:

What has stayed the same:

  • LaRoche is in the final year of his contract.
  • His team is out of contention.
  • He has a reputation as a second half hitter (career .300/.363/.546 line in the second half).
  • His defense remains about average, according to UZR.

What has changed:

  • LaRoche's contract is more team-friendly this year. He was making 7.05MM last year. Now, LaRoche's salary is just $4.5MM, but if a team trades for him, they'll have to buy LaRoche out for $1.5MM or pick up his 2011 option for $9.5MM. 
  • He's hitting better this year. When the Pirates traded him last year, LaRoche had a .247/.329/.441 line. Now, he's hitting .266/.362/.485 with seven homers.
  • LaRoche, now 30, is a year older.
  • A contender has a clear need for a first baseman this year. The Marlins, Giants and Braves all wanted upgrades at first base last year, but none of those teams had a hole like the Angels do now.

The verdict:

  • LaRoche brought the Pirates a couple secondary prospects last year and could reportedly have brought in a similar return from another team. Now, he's under a more desirable contract and hitting better in a market where one team clearly needs a first baseman and few clubs appear ready to sell. D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes seems better-positioned to acquire prospects for LaRoche than Neal Huntington was a year ago.

Odds & Ends: Angels, Willis, Oswalt, Jones

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Memorial Day linkage, as Ubaldo Jimenez continues to amaze…

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