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Justin Miller May Be Dodgers’ Odd Man Out

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With Vicente Padilla about to return from the DL, Jon Weisman of ESPNLosAngeles.com believes the most likely victim of the roster shuffle will be right-hander Justin Miller.  Weisman raises the possibility that the Dodgers could put another pitcher on the DL with a semi-trumped up injury, but it seems as though the out-of-options Miller could be designated for assignment once Padilla is healthy.

Miller signed a minor league contract with L.A. in December, and has pitched well since joining the Dodgers on May 27.  The righty has a 3.48 ERA and a K-BB ratio of 5.00 in seven appearances, and has been a solid bullpen arm for the Dodgers, Giants and Marlins over the last four seasons; from 2007-2010, Miller's has 163 strikeouts in 175.1 innings and a 3.64 ERA.  There's a good chance that a reliever-starved team like Arizona might put a claim on Miller should the Dodgers indeed designate him.

Remembering the 1991 Trade Deadline

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Ah, who can forget 1991? A little start-up network named Comedy Central was born, while the Warsaw Pact was officially dissolved. Youngsters Jeff Bagwell and Chuck Knoblauch, NL and AL Rookie of the Year, respectively, served notice that they'd be forces for years to come. And Cubs' shortstop Starlin Castro celebrated his first birthday.

Meanwhile, the hot stove produced some interesting moments as well. Let's think back to the time we furiously refreshed MLBTradeRumors.com using our 300 baud modems…

  • The Toronto Blue Jays got a jump on the trading season on June 27th by dealing Glenallen Hill, Mark Whiten and Denis Boucher to the Cleveland Indians for Tom Candiotti and Turner Ward. Candiotti had been a hard-luck pitcher with Cleveland- his 2.24 ERA had produced a 7-6 record- but his trade to a contender didn't help, as his 2.98 ERA in Toronto produced a 6-7 record. Just another lesson in the perils of won-loss record. Meanwhile, Hill and Whiten went on to similar careers-both bounced around the major leagues, hitting home runs. And Boucher, a Montreal native, eventually made a triumphant homecoming, pitching to a 1.91 ERA for the 1993 Expos.
  • On July 15th, the New York Mets, still in the race at 49-36, 4.5 games out of first, traded Ron Darling and Mike Thomas to the Expos for Tim Burke in an attempt to shore up their bullpen. Burke certainly did that, pitching 55.2 innings of 2.75 ERA baseball, but it didn't stop the Mets from a freefall that left them at 77-84 for the season. Darling, meanwhile, was a disaster in Montreal, posting a 7.41 ERA in three starts before being shipped just 16 days later to Oakland for Russell Cormier and Matt Grott. Back on American soil, Darling found his rhythm again, pitching to a 4.08 ERA over 75 innings for the Athletics.
  • Oil Can Boyd fared only a bit better than Darling, post-trade, after being dealt from the Expos to the Rangers on July 21 for Joey Eischen, Jonathan Hurst and Travis Buckley. Boyd had a 3.52 ERA in 120.1 innings with Montreal, but collapsed to a 6.68 ERA in what turned out to be the final 62 innings of his major league career for Bobby Valentine's Rangers. Not that Boyd was finished pitching, of course- he had several more seasons in independent league baseball, including a 3.83 ERA stint in 110.1 innings for the 2005 Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League, at age 45.
  • And in an indication of just how much the past 19 years has inflated the cost of deadline-deal closers, the Phillies traded Roger McDowell to the Dodgers for Mike Hartley and Braulio Castillo. Hartley was a veteran middle reliever, while Castillo was a fringe prospect at best. McDowell was just what the Dodgers needed, saving seven games and pitching to a 2.55 ERA in 42.1 innings. The Dodgers, however, finished one game behind Atlanta, meaning that a 93-69 season earned Los Angeles… nothing.

Heyman’s Latest: Lee, Oswalt, White Sox, Nady

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Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…

  • Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt are the two big name pitchers available on the trade market, but their value is very different because of the money owed to them. "At the end of the day," says one AL exec, "I don't think Houston will be able to move the entire (Oswalt) contract and get premium players back."
  • Another AL executive noted that Lee has proven that he can be successful in the American League and will fetch two draft picks at the end of the season.
  • The Red Sox turned down a straight up Lee for Clay Buchholz offer last year.
  • The Yankees are happy with their rotation at the moment, but they plan on putting in a call in the coming days just in case they are "pleasantly surprised" by Seattle's asking price. Oswalt, meanwhile, isn't even on their radar.
  • Some wonder if the Dodgers are saving money for a big score, but GM Ned Colletti will be hard pressed to acquire either Lee or Oswalt without ownership approval.
  • The Cardinals might not be willing to take on Oswalt's deal with Albert Pujols' free agency rapidly approaching.
  • The Mets might not want to give up the prospects to acquire another frontline pitcher, though the Rangers would be able to work Lee's salary into the budget.
  • Heyman also goes through and offers some opinion on other teams that could use one of the two aces, including the Reds, Phillies, and Angels.
  • Kenny Williams would like to fire Ozzie Guillen according to one person close to the team, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf is too loyal to let it happen.
  • A trade of Xavier Nady to open up the Cubs' outfield logjam seems likely.

Odds & Ends: Pierzynski, Yankees, Orioles, Fox

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Ted Lilly doesn't get the no-hitter, but he does get his first win in a while.  Some links for tonight..

Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Brewers, Mariners, Oswalt

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In today's notes column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox would move closer Jonathan Papelbon after the season to open up the closer's role for Daniel Bard. He speculates that the Brewers, Twins, Rays, Braves, and Phillies could be in the market for a closer this winter. Papelbon is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season. 

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

  • Scott Boras said he undervalued Stephen Strasburg last year, even though he eventually signed the largest contract in draft history. Boras added that being around San Diego State coach Tony Gwynn helped Strasburg become prepared for what lied ahead.
  • Cafardo says that New England isn't a high priority area for scouts before the draft because by time they can get out to see the players in the region, it's too late in the game for a cross-checker to confirm anything.
  • Cafardo predicts that Jacoby Ellsbury will be traded this offseason. He'll arbitration eligible for the first time after 2010, though he's been battling rib issues basically all season.
  • He also remarks that the Red Sox would have to play Mike Lowell if they want to showcase him for a trade. Lowell has received just 50 plate appearances since the end of April.
  • Kevin Millwood should become major trade bait as the deadline approaches because he's pitched well and is in the final year of his contract.
  • The Brewers would love to make Randy Wolf available, but no one would take him on with more than two years and $24MM left on his deal. Meanwhile, Milwaukee still isn't sure if they'll try to improve their catching situation or become sellers and look towards next season.
  • The feeling is that once Seattle trades Cliff Lee, pretty much everyone on their roster not named Ichiro and Felix Hernandez will be available as well. 
  • Diamondbacks' CEO Derrick Hall isn't happy with his team's performance and has talked about re-evaluating his management staff. They could be major players at the deadline, with Justin Upton representing the only untouchable.
  • Cafardo says that the feeling among big league executives is that the Dodgers will not give up the prospects necessary to acquire Roy Oswalt, but they would be okay taking on the money.
  • Adam Dunn would be a perfect fit for the Red Sox if they let David Ortiz go after the season, assuming the Nationals don't re-sign him.  

Odds & Ends: Nava, Yankees, Astros, Lowell, Giants

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Links for Saturday….

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Saturday

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Even though there are reportedly no current trade talks involving Roy Oswalt, rumors continue to swirl around the Astros' ace. According to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, the Astros could be struggling to find a market for the right-hander because they're saying any club that deals for Oswalt would have to assume the entire remainder of his contract.

Oswalt is still owed approximately $9.3MM this year, along with $16MM in 2011 and a $2MM buyout for his 2012 option. Hernandez also points out that because of Oswalt's no-trade clause, the 32-year-old could demand that the $16MM option be picked up before allowing a trade. In that case, any team acquiring Oswalt would be on the hook for over $40MM. Needless to say, as Hernandez reports, this rules the cash-strapped Dodgers out for now.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports writes that Oswalt says he's willing to pitch anywhere where he could contend, including an American League club.

"Location doesn't matter. It's only for a year and a half," said Oswalt. "Actually, I'd be excited to pitch over here [in the American League]. Everybody keeps bragging that it's better."

As Zachary Levine and Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle point out, the Yankees fit Oswalt's criteria perfectly. We've heard lately that the Yankees haven't started looking at potential trade targets, though that could change in the next month and a half.

Dodgers Sign Kiko Calero

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The Dodgers signed Kiko Calero, according to the transactions page of the team's Triple A affiliate. Calero didn't draw much attention as a free agent last winter, but the Mets eventually signed him. The 35-year-old right-hander didn't make the Mets and struggled at Triple A Buffalo before getting his release last month.  

In 17 minor league innings this year, Calero posted a 10.59 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9. He was easier to hit than he was last year, when he allowed just 36 hits in 60 innings. Calero pitched to a 1.95 ERA in 67 games in 2009, but teams worried about his health after the season. That didn't stop eight clubs from offering minor league deals this winter, however.

Minor League Transactions

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Here are a few of the noteworthy names involved in this week's minor league transactions, as compiled by Baseball America's Matt Eddy…

  • Fernando Cortez was signed to his second go-around with the White Sox organization.  The utilityman last played in the majors in 2007 as a member of the Royals, and has a .665 OPS in 3948 career plate appearances in the minor leagues.
  • The White Sox also released Justin Fuller, best known as the minor-leaguer acquired last summer from Los Angeles in the Jim Thome trade.
  • John Koronka was released by the Dodgers.  The veteran southpaw made two starts for Florida in 2009 before signing with L.A. in January.
  • Jason Lane was released by the Marlins.  Best known for his time with Houston from 2002 to 2007, Lane's finest year came in 2005 when he hit 26 homers and posted an .815 OPS in 561 plate appearances for the Astros.  He last appeared in the majors in 2007 with San Diego.
  • Texas dealt right-hander Jailen Peguero to the Astros for future considerations.  Peguero posted a 7.50 ERA in 25 relief appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2007-08.
  • Cleveland released Josh Phelps just a few weeks after signing him to a minor-league deal.
  • The Mariners signed pitcher Billy Traber.  The left-hander has a 5.65 ERA in 96 career major league appearances, 28 of them starts.  He appeared in one game last season, allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings of mop-up duty for Boston.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Orioles, Cliff Lee

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Links for Wednesday, as the Pirates' Brad Lincoln hopes to capture just a small slice of Stephen Strasburg's success in his MLB debut…

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