Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Royals, Rays, Burrell
On this date 41 years ago, Major League owners unanimously elected Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term as commissioner. It was under Kuhn that the reserve clause was eliminated, paving the way for free agency as we know it.
We've got a lot of links to get to, so let's dive right in…
- Joe Posnanski tries to determine who the worst everyday player in baseball is.
- Royals Review breaks down all the changes the Royals have gone through since the start of last season.
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness congratulates Garret Anderson on the worst offensive season in Dodgers history.
- Bright House Sports Network looks at the Rays' history of waiver trades, plus some names they might target this month.
- The Process Report wonders if this season will be Dan Wheeler's last stand in Tampa.
- DRays Bay tries to figure out if Gabe Kapler should be designated for assignment.
- Disciples of Uecker thinks the Jim Edmonds–Chris Dickerson trade was the best for everyone.
- Around The Majors posted a two part series looking at the events that have brought Andres Torres' career back from the dead (parts one & two).
- Meanwhile, Joe Pawlikowski at FanGraphs examines Pat Burrell's resurgence since joining the Giants.
- The Nats Blog breaks down Stephen Strasburg's first bump in the road.
- Red Sox Beacon re-introduces us to Carlos Delgado.
- U.S.S. Mariner looks at the job security of Major League managers, or the lack thereof.
- Camden Crazies explains the Buck Showalter magic going on in Baltimore.
- Randall On Baseball revisits the trade that sent Brandon Morrow to the Blue Jays for Brandon League.
- Baseball 101 looks at a different way of valuing relievers based on the work of Bill James.
- Baseball Analysts analyzed the Rule 5 Draft.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Dodgers Do Not Intend To Trade Matt Kemp
Dave Stewart, the agent for Matt Kemp, suggested to Bill Plaschke of the LA Times that the Dodgers should consider trading his client, but GM Ned Colletti says the organization does not intend to make such a move. Stewart says Kemp faces “a bunch of back-seat crap," particularly from Dodgers coaches Bob Schaefer and Larry Bowa.
"I'm almost to the point — and maybe so are the Dodgers — where I'm thinking that this just isn't going to work," Stewart told Plaschke. "The Dodgers have gaps on this team, and maybe they could fill them by trading Matt. It could be good for the team, and good for the player."
Stewart has not formally demanded a trade, but says it’s “very, very difficult to play under the circumstances that Kemp is playing under." Frustrated with inconsistent play from their center fielder, the Dodgers have benched Kemp, most recently this week. That doesn’t mean they intend to make a deal, though.
"No, I have no plans to trade [Kemp]," Colletti said. "He's got a chance to be one of the best players in the history of the franchise."
Kemp, 25, makes $6.95MM next year and is eligible for free agency after 2012. He has a .263/.319/.458 line in 489 plate appearances this year and UZR data suggests his defense has deteriorated.
Dodgers Release Garret Anderson
The Dodgers released Garret Anderson, according to the MLB.com transactions page. They designated the veteran outfielder for assignment over the weekend. Anderson, 38, hit .181/.204/.271 in 163 plate appearances this year. He has played 34 games in the outfield and Joe Torre used him regularly as a pinch hitter.
The Dodgers, who committed $550K to Anderson before the season, appear to have some interest in another outfielder: Jose Guillen. Anderson now hits the free agent market, but finding another big league job this year will be a major challenge.
Dodgers Interested In Jose Guillen
3:23pm: The Dodgers' interest in Guillen is "thin," according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter).
1:32pm: The Dodgers have "strong interest" in Jose Guillen for a part-time role, tweets ESPN's Enrique Rojas. He adds that the Dodgers might wait for Guillen to be released, as the DH/outfielder was designated for assignment by the Royals five days ago. The Giants are the only other team known to have some measure of interest in Guillen.
The Dodgers are 5.5 games out of the wild card, but it is surprising to see them showing interest in another outfield type. The current group includes Scott Podsednik, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Reed Johnson, and Jay Gibbons. Manny Ramirez is on the DL with a calf injury.
Guillen, 34, is hitting .255/.314/.429 with 16 home runs in 437 plate appearances this season. The Royals are expected to assume most of his remaining pay one way or another.
Dodgers Sign Geoff Geary
The Dodgers signed Geoff Geary and assigned him to Triple A, according to the transactions page for the Pacific Coast League. The 33-year-old right-hander posted a 5.37 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 58.2 innings for Triple A Oklahoma City this year. He allowed 83 hits, including seven homers, and the Rangers released him last month.
Geary, a seven-year MLB veteran, has a 3.92 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 351.1 career innings. He has made 287 big league appearances, all of them in relief. The former Phillie and Astro has not pitched in the majors in 2010.
2011 Vesting Options Update
We began the season with nine potential vesting options for 2011, but they're dropping like flies. With Alex Cora and Magglio Ordonez now off the board, we look at the remaining three:
- Trever Miller, Cardinals. The lefty needs 45 appearances for his $2MM option to vest, and he's made 41 on the season. He could lock in next year's salary within a week, though a DL-worthy left arm or shoulder injury changes this to a club option.
- Darren Oliver, Rangers. Oliver needs 59 appearances for his $3.25MM option to vest, and he's got 46 so far. Barring injury, he'll get there.
- Ramon Hernandez, Reds. Hernandez needs 120 games for his $3.25MM option to vest. He's played in 65 so far. The Reds have only 50 games remaining, so we can cross this one off the list.
- An honorable mention goes to Billy Wagner, whose $6.5MM option vests with 50 games finished. Wagner has finished 46 so far. However just last month he repeated his desire to retire after the season. Having a guaranteed salary for 2011 might not sway Wagner, since he would've made at least that much on the free agent market anyway. But what if he finishes the season just shy of the fourth spot on the all-time saves leaderboard? He's currently 12 away from John Franco, who finished with 424.
- Also of note is Scott Podsednik, who needs 525 plate appearances to be able to void his $2MM club option. Pods is 41 PAs shy of that mark.
Odds & Ends: Gibbons, Anderson, Pirates, Francoeur
Sunday night linkage..
- Jay Gibbons, who retired from baseball a season ago, is grateful for his latest opportunity with the Dodgers, writes Evan Drellich of MLB.com.
- Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times wonders why the Dodgers waited until now to designate Garret Anderson for assignment.
- The Pirates fired pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and bench coach Gary Varsho, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Mets manager Jerry Manuel told reporters that Fernando Martinez and Jeff Francoeur won't platoon all of the time, according to Michael Baron of MetsBlog. Yesterday we learned that Francoeur was unsatisfied with the arrangement and was ready to meet with GM Omar Minaya to discuss trade possibilities.
Dodgers Designate Garret Anderson For Assignment
The Dodgers have designated Garret Anderson for assignment according to the team's official Twitter feed. The move frees up a roster spot for Jay Gibbons, who had his contract purchased from the team's Triple-A affiliate.
The 38-year-old Anderson hit just .181/.204/.271 in 163 total plate appearances this year, though he was slightly better in 52 pinch-hitting appearances (.240/.269/.360). The Dodgers signed him to a minor league deal worth $550K back in March, and are still on the hook for his salary for the remainder of the season.
Gibbons, 33, was mashing to the tune of a .347/.375/.594 batting line with 28 doubles and 19 homers in 376 Triple-A plate appearances this year. He spent last season with the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League, and hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2007. The lefty swinger spent time at first and in both corner outfield spots this year, so he should step right into Anderson's role and provide an immediate upgrade.
Odds & Ends: Reds, Giants, Harper, Dodgers, Prior
Links for Saturday, as J.P. Arencibia homers on the first pitch he sees in the majors….
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that he has not seen a year in which the Reds have faced so many difficult roster decisions in the last decade.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter) expects the Giants to eventually sign their first-round pick, center fielder Gary Brown.
- Barry Shlachter of the Dallas Morning News examines whether the group headed by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan overpaid for the Rangers.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America passes on news of a pair of draft picks signing for over-slot deals: The Blue Jays signed their second-round pick, while the Pirates locked up their fourth-rounder.
- Tigers owner Mike Ilitch acknowledged to Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News that he'd signed off on some bad contracts in the past, but said that won't stop him from spending money in the future.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson hears that negotiations between the Nationals and Bryce Harper could "heat up" by Tuesday. The first overall pick in this year's draft enrolled for classes at the College of Southern Nevada, but that doesn't mean he won't end up signing with the Nats.
- The Dodgers still seem to be buyers, leading Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times to wonder if they put a waiver claim on Adam Dunn.
- Although he's pitching for the Orange County Flyers now, Mark Prior hopes to make his way back to the bigs, according to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger.
Odds & Ends: Martin, Sweeney, Red Sox, D’Backs
On this day in 1999, Mark McGwire hit his 500th career homer, reaching that plateau faster than any other player in history. It was McGwire's second consecutive season with a home run milestone, as he hit homer #400 during his (then) record-breaking 1998 campaign. But since we're not here to talk about the past, let's get to some news items…
- Jon Weisman of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at Russell Martin's hip injury and how it might spell the end of his tenure with the Dodgers. Weisman also notes that L.A.'s chances of acquiring another catcher to replace Martin this season are "slim to none."
- Mike Sweeney is excited to get his first taste of a pennant race, writes Charles Nobles of MLB.com.
- The Red Sox dealt former Mets infielder Argenis Reyes and minor league catcher Juan Apodaca to Cleveland for future considerations, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
- J.P. Ricciardi discussed the waiver wire, the Jarrod Saltalamacchia deal, the Kevin Youkilis injury and other Boston-related news on WEEI's The Big Show today. Maryalice Gill of WEEI.com has the full transcript here.
- Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall took questions from Arizona fans in an MLB.com web chat.
- Speaking of the Snakes, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic looks at how the D'Backs might reallocate the $2MM they had earmarked for first-round draft pick Barret Loux before he failed his physical.
- Pittsburgh has yet to sign 10 of its top 13 picks from the June amateur draft, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.