Angels, Orioles Eyeing Barmes
TUESDAY: Add the Orioles as another team with Barmes on the radar. Troy Renck says he’s not available despite the interest. The O’s really need to get in a few more capable shortstop candidates, regardless.
MONDAY: Remember 2005, when Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes hit .329/.371/.516 through 51 games to start the season? Then he was sidelined for two months with a broken clavicle from the infamous deer meat incident. Maybe the hot-hitting was a simple fluke, but Barmes posted just a .584 OPS in 640 career ABs since coming back from the injury. He lost his job to Troy Tulowitzki in the meantime.
The 29 year-old doesn’t have much of a role in Colorado, and he’s out of options. According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Angels have Barmes on the radar. It’d be a nice situation for him, as the Angels’ current shortstops haven’t proven themselves as regulars yet. I imagine a nondescript minor leaguer would be all the Rockies would want.
Odds and Ends: Garland, Linden, A-Rod
Time to round up various tidbits and rumors.
- Jon Garland says that unless his agent kept him in the dark, a long-term deal was never discussed with the White Sox. But in the unlikely event the Sox pursue Garland this winter, he’ll listen. Here’s a look others who will be free agents after this season and under 30 years old for ’09.
- We’ve heard the Brandon Inge/Joe Crede rumors regarding the Dodgers. Tony Jackson speculates that Wes Helms or Jeff Cirillo could also be options.
- Paul Sullivan says Aaron Rowand was the Cubs’ Plan B to Kosuke Fukudome.
- ShysterBall can’t figure out why the Cubs would go after Coco Crisp.
- Todd Linden is mashing so far this spring, but he gets the feeling he won’t make the A’s. The 27 year-old switch-hitter has a Major League line of .231/.303/.335 in 502 ABs.
- Jon Heyman has an inside look at Alex Rodriguez‘s offseason adventure.
- In addition to the aforementioned Brandon Medders and Dustin Nippert, Arizona’s Edgar Gonzalez is out of options and has drawn interest.
Odds and Ends: Roberts, Gibbons, Matthews
- The Cubs and Orioles continue to be linked in trade speculation involving Brian Roberts. The latest from the Chicago Tribune says that an Orioles scout was in attendance for Sean Gallagher’s two hitless innings on Saturday. The amount of time it’s taking for these two clubs to get their acts together on this deal continues to be mind-boggling.
- The Trib is also reporting that Jon Lieber took a big step towards earning the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation on Saturday, coming through with four shutout innings against the Diamondbacks. Ryan Dempster and Jason Marquis are also in the mix. It figures that the loser(s) of this battle could be trade candidates.
- Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun is reporting that Jay Gibbons looks like a natural pick to be the odd man out in Baltimore’s outfield, but the two years and $11.9MM left on his contract– plus the small matter of an appearance in the Mitchell Report and his upcoming 15-day suspension for violating MLB’s drug policy– means he’s not exactly going to be the easiest fourth outfielder in the world to move.
- Speaking of expensive fourth outfielders named in the Mitchell Report, Gary Matthews Jr. insists to the Orange County Register that he’s perfectly happy with the Angels decision to bring in Torii Hunter. No, seriously.
Posted by Andrew Stoeten of Drunk Jays Fans.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Crede, Willits, Rivera, Belliard
Ken Rosenthal checks in with all kinds of hot stove info.
- Continuing on yesterday’s post regarding Joe Crede and the Dodgers , Rosenthal reports that a source close to Dodgers management explained that the team trading for a third baseman like Crede or Brandon Inge is "all about the budget and whether [owner Frank] McCourt will allow them to add money." Rosenthal continues to point out that Crede is a better deal than Inge in terms of their contracts, and that Crede could also be more attractive to Dodgers management because the White Sox might be willing to trade for prospects, while the Tigers are looking for immediate bullpen help.
- The Mariners had been in the market for a veteran right-handed hitting outfielder, but have opted instead for in-house options. It seems Coco Crisp could have filled a need. Sure, he’s a switch-hitter, but his splits suggest it could have made some sense. If they didn’t have to part with too much, it might have worked.
- The Angels have a surplus in the outfield — Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits — and Rosenthal reports that Willits is now untouchable according to the Angels (two teams have inquired after him recently). The two are blocked by Vladimir Guerrero, Garrett Anderson, Torii Hunter, and Gary Matthews Jr. While it sounds as if they’d prefer to move Rivera (a free agent at season’s end), it’s hard to imagine that they’d send Willits to the minors (he has options remaining) if they don’t find a good match for Rivera (Umpbump Coley suggested the Padres or Mets yesterday). As Coley pointed out, the Angels have numerous banged up pitchers, and there are a number of teams out there who are going to be starting center fielders with inferior skill sets compared to Willits (as Tim pointed out a few days ago).
- The Nationals are dealing with a surplus at second base, and Rosenthal believes that Ron Belliard is the most logical piece to move, what with his $1.6MM salary this season, and his $1.9MM for next. Rosenthal pinpoints the Rockies (perhaps too little range on the right side with Jeff Baker and Todd Helton), Cardinals, Twins, and White Sox as potential trade partners.
On The Block: Coco Crisp And Juan Rivera
Coco Crisp isn’t too happy about his competition for Boston’s center field job. Today, the Boston Herald reports that Coco is calling the situation "bogus." Why would you want to sit on the bench?" Coco asks. "Why would you want to do that?"
Meanwhile, on the left coast, the Angels’ Juan Rivera finds himself the odd man out in L.A.’s crowded outfield, but isn’t getting worked up about it. The L.A. Times says Rivera wouldn’t mind sitting the bench, if it comes to that. "There’s no pressure from the owner, no pressure from the fans, no pressure from the media," Rivera says.
Both Crisp and Rivera are candidates to be dealt by the start of the season. The Times points out that the Angels could trade Rivera for pitching depth, given that Kelvim Escobar and Chris Bootcheck will start the season on the disabled list and John Lackey and Scot Shields are fighting nagging injuries. As Big Mike noted earlier, San Diego might be looking for an outfielder now that Jim Edmonds is out with an injury. And the Mets are dangling pitchers in an attempt to find a replacement for injured Moises Alou.
Blocked Prospects: Reggie Willits
As a 26 year-old with roughly one full season worth of Major League experience, Reggie Willits may not technically be a prospect. But with Torii Hunter signed through 2012, Vladimir Guerrero through 2009 and likely to stay longer, and Gary Matthews Jr. through 2011, Willits certainly qualifies as blocked. Terry Evans and Nathan Haynes are similarly impeded, and the latter is out of options. But let’s center on Willits.
I want to focus on Willits because he is capable of playing center field. In their 2007 handbook, Baseball America called him an "above-average center fielder with an average arm and plus speed." So he clearly won’t embarrass himself with the glove.
Offensively, Willits profiles as the ideal leadoff hitter. In 576 big league plate appearances, he’s drawn 80 walks. A walk rate near 14% and a .393 career OBP makes for a valuable center fielder, even with no power. Baseball Prospectus sees him dipping to .269/.353/.354 this year, a performance worth $5MM even if he plays only two-thirds of a season. He’s also a switch-hitter with no discernible split. And for the next two seasons, Willits will earn less than a million bucks total.
I’ll assume another team would look to maximize Willits’ value by using him in center. He could help the Twins, A’s, Braves, Marlins, Cubs, and Padres to various degrees. The first four teams do have more interesting long-term options in center though. The idea of Willits to San Diego has come up before; that’s the best fit. The Angels are going with internal options at third base and shortstop as well as in the rotation. If any of those fail, Willits, Evans, and Haynes could become primary trading chips.
Odds and Ends: Crede, Rodriguez, Marlins
Just a couple items worth mentioning:
- Matt Hurst notes Elasticman Scot Shields says "(Heck) yeah" to whether or not the Angels should dish out the big bucks for Francisco Rodriguez, this despite incentives in Shields contract that would kick in should he be transitioned into the closer role.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times touches in on Joe Crede‘s fate after notching his first homerun of the spring, easing concerns for his surgically repaired back. Says Cowley, "Crede’s agent, Scott Boras, already has told general manager Ken Williams that they want to explore the market. With Josh Fields waiting in the wings, the Sox are dealing from a position of strength. The Giants are a top suitor." Scouts were present for Crede’s homerun.
- Marlins Owner Jeff Loria says payroll is "all going to be a function of the revenues we generate. If we have a bigger base than we anticipate, that will go back to the payroll." This from Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post who add, "When asked if the team could lock up young stars like shortstop Hanley Ramirez for the long term, Loria said: ‘We’re going to look at that going forward. But we are challenged until we get into that new stadium." The Marlins payroll this year is just under $20MM.
Garret Anderson Enters Contract Year
One 2009 MLB free agent who’s not getting a ton of attention yet is lifetime Angel Garret Anderson. The Angels are faced with a tough decision – $14MM for ’09 or a $3MM buyout. So Tony Reagins will need to ask himself if he’d sign Anderson to a one-year, $11MM deal. PECOTA says he’ll be worth less than $2MM in ’09.
Finally free of injuries, Anderson had a big second half in ’07. This year, the Angels will wisely give him a break by rotating him through the DH spot on occasion. As Mike DiGiovanna writes in the above-linked article, the Angels’ decision on Anderson will be especially tough if he has a good but not great season (something similar to his last three).
K-Rod Loses Case
According to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez lost his arbitration case. He’ll make $10MM rather than the $12.5MM he wanted.
K-Rod might be looking for something like $50MM over four years when he reaches free agency after the season, which would be a record amount for a reliever. Angels owner Arte Moreno won’t close the door on him, and notes that the Angels have tried a couple of times to sign their closer.
Odds and Ends: Roberts, Garcia, Crede
Today’s assortment of links.
- Gary Sheffield is not fond of Scott Boras.
- Arte Moreno and the Angels aren’t closing the door on K-Rod yet.
- Turns out Brian Roberts left camp because of a possible kidney stone.
- From Small Ball To The Long Ball has all kinds of cool data that I haven’t seen elsewhere. For example, average initial pitch speed for pitchers. Dustin McGowan‘s fastball: 96.11mph. Tim Wakefield‘s: 75.62mph.
- Seems that Freddy Garcia might wait a few months before signing.
- Andrew Baggarly says the Giants consider Joe Crede a possible long-term piece even with his impending free agency. So maybe if they get him and he stays healthy they’ll look to extend him. Baggarly speculates that a guy like Fred Lewis (who is out of options) could work for a Crede swap.