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Quick Hits: Inge, Brewers, Dodgers, Red Sox, Angels

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Sunday afternoon linkage..

  • Brandon Inge clears waivers at 1pm CST and the A's are the frontrunner to sign him, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • The Brewers are tenth in payroll this season, but that won't be the case for the club every year, owner Mark Attanasio told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Rosenthal also spoke to GM Doug Melvin, who sounded skittish about doling out five- and six-year deals as a small-market club.
  • Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times wonders if the Red Sox's Carl Crawford could be a fit with the Dodgers.  If Boston were willing to pay off part of his $142MM contract and accepted some decent pitching in return, he believes there could be a match between the two teams.
  • More from Shaikin, who writes that the Angels could opt-out of their stadium deal in 2016 and potentially move right down the street from the Dodgers.  The Dodgers could not challenge such a move on the grounds of traditional territorial rights like the Giants are blocking the A's from moving to San Jose.
  • For Japanese imports such as Hiroki Kuroda and Yu Darvish, the major leagues represent a significant change, writes Jeff Bradley of the Star-Ledger.

Quick Hits: Young, Cook, Dodgers, Cashman, Beltran

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It was on this day in 1956 that Frank Robinson hit his first Major League home run, en route to 586 career homers and a legacy as one of baseball's all-time greats.  Today, the Orioles are honoring Robinson with a statue at Camden Yards that will be unveiled before tonight's game with the A's.

Some notes from around the Majors…

  • The Reds have made it a priority to establish a strong bond with their fans — and hopefully increase attendance — by retaining popular players like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips, explains Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
  • Former Expos/Nationals closer Chad Cordero told reporters, including Bill Ladson of MLB.com, that he'd like to make a comeback next season (Twitter link).
  • Delmon Young could be activated from the Tigers' restricted list by Tuesday or possibly even Monday night depending on the outcome of his evaluation by a counselor on Monday, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told reporters, including Chris Iott of MLive.com.  If Young is judged to require treatment for anger management and/or alcohol abuse, however, he would be sidelined for an indeterminate amount of time.
  • Bobby Valentine told reporters (including WEEI.com's Rob Bradford) that the Red Sox are considering using Aaron Cook as a reliever.  Cook can opt out of his contract if he is not called up to Boston's Major League roster by May 1 and the Sox have no clear spot for Cook in the rotation.  Cook has made just one relief appearance in the last eight seasons but recently said he's open to the idea.
  • There's no language in Cook's contract that would preclude a trade, notes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal, although he adds there's no reason to think the Red Sox would want to do that (via Twitter).
  • The sale of the Dodgers to the Magic Johnson/Stan Kasten/Mark Walter ownership group is expected to be closed by Monday, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
  • "This is a massive decision gone wrong right now," Yankees GM Brian Cashman told ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews in regards to the Michael Pineda/Jesus Montero deal and Pineda's subsequent season-ending shoulder injury.  "So all scrutiny is fair….Our fans are right to be upset about this. I'm devastated by it," Cashman said.
  • Besides the Cardinals, Carlos Beltran said the Indians pursued him the hardest in the offseason, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter).  Beltran said he ultimately chose to sign with St. Louis because he wanted to play for the World Series champions and remain in the National League.
  • The Brewers have transferred Chris Narveson to the 60-day DL and called up reliever Vinnie Chulk to take Narveson's spot on the 40-man roster, the team announced via Twitter.  Mike McClendon was optioned to Triple-A in another corresponding move.  Narveson will undergo shoulder surgery on Tuesday that will sideline him for the rest of the 2012 season.

MLBTR's Dan Mennella contributed to this post.

Rosenthal On Dodgers, O’Malley, Cook, Angels

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Here's the latest pair of video news updates from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…

  • Even once their new ownership group takes over, the Dodgers "might not be as active at the trade deadline as a lot of people think."  While the team will now have the financial resources to absorb a big contract, the Dodgers' minor league system isn't very deep and they want to keep their few quality prospects. 
  • Peter O'Malley is "making a strong push" to buy the Padres and wants to have a deal arranged by the All-Star break.
  • The Nationals would've preferred to give Bryce Harper more minor league seasoning but their hand was forced due to their lack of production in left field, plus Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse going on the DL.
  • The Red Sox "aren't optimistic" they can convince Aaron Cook to stay put, as Cook is eager to pitch in the majors again.  The veteran right-hander can opt out of his contract on May 1 if he isn't called up to the Red Sox Major League roster before that date.  With Daniel Bard and Felix Doubront pitching well, Boston doesn't have a spot in the rotation for Cook unless, as Rosenthal notes, the club "does something" with Clay Buchholz.
  • Bobby Abreu is only the latest high-priced member of the Angels to have his contract eaten by the team under Arte Moreno's ownership.  The Halos have also let go of Kevin Appier, Scott Kazmir, Gary Matthews Jr. and Justin Speier in recent years, and those four plus Abreu amounted to around $60MM in dead money.  This doesn't mean that the Angels will release Vernon Wells, however, as Wells' contract alone would cost the team more than those five players combined; counting this year, Wells is set to earn $63MM through the 2014 season.

Quick Hits: Abreu, Dodgers, Padres, Harper

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Friday Night Links..

  • There doesn't seem to be any natural fit for Bobby Abreu now that the Indians have Johnny Damon, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  Scouts don't think that the veteran can play in the outfield anymore and might have to start out in Triple-A.
  • Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) says that Abreu would not fit with the Dodgers or any other National League team except as a pinch hitter and he can't play defense regularly.
  • The O’Malley group has signed documents to gain access to the Padres' financial information and apparently has raised sufficient equity to buy the club, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  It appears that the group values the club at less than half of the Dodgers’ $2.15 billion sale price, and perhaps significantly less.
  • The Nationals' promotion of Bryce Harper looks like a panic move to Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) rather than a well thought-out developmental plan.

NL West Notes: Ethier, Lincecum

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Dodgers left-hander Sandy Koufax struck out 18 Cubs on this date in 1962, tying Bob Feller for a share of what was then the single game strikeout record. Here are today's links from the NL West…

  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said he’s "always been inclined to keep" Andre Ethier, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports. Agent Nez Balelo has said his client is open to discussing a long-term contract during the season, assuming the incoming ownership group takes over the team at the end of the month. Colletti said yesterday that he has already talked to the team's new owners about an extension for Ethier.
  • Scouts wonder if Tim Lincecum’s right hip is bothering him, but the Giants right-hander told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that, “none of that is true.” Though Lincecum is off to a slow start, he prefers to focus on the positives. “We get caught up in negatives so much and so easily, especially with so many games,” he said. Lincecum is under contract through 2013, and remains a candidate for a longer-term deal.

NL West Notes: Ethier, Colletti, Wandy, Padres

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Tim Lincecum earned his first win of 2012 today in the Giants' 6-1 win over the Mets, but it was far from a vintage Lincecum outing.  The right-hander threw 108 pitches and allowed four hits, five walks and one run through five innings, a line that could've been a lot worse were it not for a superb bases-loaded double play turned by the Giants in the fifth.  Lincecum's ERA sits at 8.20 through his first four starts of the season.

Here's the latest from the NL West…

  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden and Casey Stern of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that he has already talked to the team's new owners about a contract extension for Andre Ethier. The topic will be further explored once the Dodgers' sale is finalized. Ethier's contract is up after this season and MLBTR's Dan Mennella recently examined the outfielder's free agent stock. 
  • From that same appearance, Colletti said that he'd like to add another bat before the July 31st trade deadline, reports Bowden (via Twitter).
  • Troy Renck of the Denver Post doubts the Rockies still have interest in Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez (Twitter link). The Rockies claimed the left-hander off of waivers last August, but were unable to complete a deal with former Houston GM Ed Wade.
  • Padres GM Josh Byrnes has worked hard to sign his team's young stars to contract extensions, a practice he learned from working in the Indians' front office in the early 1990's, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post

Rosenthal On Oswalt, Cardinals, White Sox, Rays

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Highlights from the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • Teams are again reaching out to Roy Oswalt, including the Red Sox and Cardinals.  The Red Sox's needs are obvious and the Cardinals' needs can grow depending on whether Chris Carpenter returns and if they decide to move Lance Lynn back to the bullpen.  Oswalt, according to a source, is throwing bullpen sessions every other day.
  • The White Sox might look at the trade deadline differently than they have in the past.  The extra wild card could dissuade them from moving veterans but the new CBA could make them more inclined to trade potential free agents such as A.J. Pierzynski.  It's extremely doubtful that they would extend the qualifying offer to the catcher in order to receive draft pick compensation as it could cost them $12MM.  The Rays and Dodgers could both be potential landing spots for the veteran.
  • The Rays spent the entire winter trying to upgrade their catching situation and it remains a work in progress.  However, Tampa Bay was able to win 91 games without major production from the position last year and the club believes that they are better all-around than in 2011.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Guzman, Giants, Hamels

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Happy birthday to Dodgers manager Don Mattingly (51) and Giants prospect Brandon Belt (24).  Here's the latest from the NL West…

  • Bud Selig says the league is still trying to learn some specifics about the sale of the Dodgers to Magic Johnson's ownership group, reports Mike James and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Dodgers minor leaguer Angel Guzman has been issued a 50-game suspension following a positive test for a drug of abuse, according to an MLB press release.  This is Guzman's second violation of the league's drug policy.  Guzman last pitched in the majors in 2009 as a member of the Cubs, and he signed a minor league deal with L.A. in December.
  • Despite Guzman's suspension, Don Mattingly still sounded positive about the right-hander's future with the club, reports MLB.com's Gene Duffy.
  • The Giants have no plans to make AT&T Park more hitter-friendly, reports Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle.  "It's an asymmetrical park with interesting dimensions, adding to the strategy and enjoyment of the game, and the overall opinion from fans has been positive," said Giants team president Larry Baer.  "It's kind of our signature. It's who we are."
  • Padres right-hander Dustin Moseley is getting a second opinion on his shoulder injury but told reporters (including Dan Hayes of the North County Times) that he expects to undergo season-ending surgery.
  • Cole Hamels criticized the Padres, his favorite team growing up, to local media (including Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune) for not doing more to field a consistent winner.  "It’s not the fans. They alienate their own fans by not keeping guys around, especially the guys they develop," Hamels said. "They won’t keep an Adrian Gonzalez or go get that big-name guy. That’s just hard on a fan.”
  • Hamels further expounded on the subject with Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres, praising Petco Park.  "To see the Padres with such an unbelievable stadium, and to have it downtown, and to see what it's done to the city, and for them to not really want to put out a team that has to compete against the Dodgers, and the Giants, and Arizona — that's tough," Hamels told Krasovic. "I think if the organization wanted to compete, people would be here in a heartbeat — fans and players."

Quick Hits: Callaspo, Cubs, Canseco

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As the Red Sox celebrate 100 years at Fenway Park today, here are some links and rumors from around the league…

  • The Athletics had interest in Angels third baseman Alberto Callaspo this spring, so Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if Oakland might revisit the possibility of a trade in light of Josh Donaldson’s slow start (Twitter link).
  • The Cubs are struggling, but ESPN.com’s Buster Olney suggests the team’s slow start could enable Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer to make midseason moves that will pay off in the long term. 
  • Former Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser says he’s “not interested” in buying an MLB team at this time, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Hershiser, now an analyst for ESPN, had expressed interest in buying the Dodgers when they were for sale.
  • The independent league Worcester Tornadoes announced that they signed 47-year-old Jose Canseco to a one-year contract, ESPNBoston.com reports.

Make Or Break Year: James Loney

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Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw are arguably the best player and the best pitcher in baseball, respectively, and both came up through the Dodgers' farm system. Los Angeles has also produced an All-Star closer (Jonathan Broxton), an All-Star catcher (Russell Martin), another All-Star starting pitcher (Chad Billingsley), and numerous other pieces in recent years. One player who has not developed as expected is first baseman James Loney.

Uspw_5478022One year ago, the 27-year-old Loney was a non-tender candidate after hitting .267/.329/.395 with ten homers in 648 plate appearances in 2010. He started slowly last season, hitting just .254/.305/.327 through his first 434 plate appearances before turning it on in the second half and hitting .388/.438/.679 in his final 148 trips to the plate. That late-season hot streak likely saved Loney's job, as the Dodgers tendered him a contract and will pay him $6.375MM in 2012.

The Dodgers have been using the left-handed hitting Loney as part of a first base platoon with the right-handed Juan Rivera so far this year, and he's hitting just .194/.306/.258 in the early going. He's a career .299/.359/.453 hitter against righties and .250/.307/.365 against lefties. Other than seven innings of right field experience much earlier in his career, he's limited to first base and doesn't offer any versatility.

Loney will be a free agent after the season and first basemen with minimal power usually aren't hot commodities on the open market. His career high is 15 homers back in 2007, which he did in just 96 games. Since then he's hit no more than 13 homers while playing no less than 158 games in a season. A player Loney's age is just entering his prime, but his performance has declined in recent years and now he might hit the open market with his value at its nadir.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

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