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Odds & Ends: Gaudin, Jones, Stauffer, Oliver, Lowell

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Links for Saturday…

  • The Phillies considered Chad Gaudin according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, but they decided he wasn't enough of an upgrade over what they already have in-house.
  • The Twins have informed Jacque Jones that he will not make the team, reports MLB.com's Kelly Thesier. Minnesota brought the long time Twin back on a minor league deal in February.
  • On the heels of another strong outing from Tim Stauffer, MLB.com's Corey Brock speculates (via Twitter) that the Padres could receive a mid-level prospect from a team in need of pitching if they opted to trade him. Stauffer's four shutout innings today lowered his spring ERA to a tidy 2.57 with an 11:3 K:BB ratio through 14 innings.
  • Jon Paul Morosi tells the great story of Darren Oliver's resurgence after nearly retiring in 2005 and wonders who the next veteran will be to make a similar run.
  • Doug Mientkiewicz was told he will not make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, according to a report from the Associated Press. Mientkiewicz was excused from camp today so he can weigh his options in regards to his future in baseball.
  • Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says Mike Lowell's injury "almost kills his trade value, which was already low to begin with." Lowell suffered a knee contusion when he fouled a ball off his left knee Friday. 
  • Blue Jays' team president and CEO Paul Beeston chatted with fans on the team's official site yesterday. He discussed the latest on Adeiny Hechevarria and the club's policy on long-term contracts, among other topics.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney says that some general managers believe the reason there's so little movement on the trade front is because there are still viable alternatives on the free agent market.
  • As Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune notes, Joe Mauer's new deal may have turned one of the team's top prospects in a prime piece of trade bait.
  • New Padres' GM Jed Hoyer isn't as brash as Kevin Towers used to be, writes Nick Canepa of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Rosenthal’s Latest: D’Backs, Robertson, Pirates

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Some notes from Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com…

  • The Diamondbacks continue to pursue a number three or four starter in the wake of Brandon Webb's setback. A club official acknowledged that such a pickup was possible, but “I don’t think any team will be willing to give up that kind of pitcher at the start of the season.”
  • Rosenthal says the team has infield depth to use in a trade, and reiterated that they'd love to move Chris Snyder and the $11.25MM left on his contract. The Rangers and Red Sox are said to be looking for infielders, and the Mariners could join them following Jack Hannahan's injury.
  • The Tigers are shopping Nate Robertson, but Arizona doesn't consider him enough of an upgrade. Zach Duke and Paul Maholm are not available.
  • The best available starter may be Chad Gaudin, who was released by the Yankees on Thursday.  
  • The Brewers considered a Jeff Suppan for Snyder trade, but didn't want to take on Snyder's 2011 salary. Suppan will earn $12.5MM this season, the final one on his contract.
  • The Cubs do not expect to make a trade for a reliever before Opening Day, but they've scouted Jason Frasor and Scott Downs, plus Luke Gregerson of the Padres.
  • Nick Green has an out clause in his minor league contract, but the Dodgers may add him to the roster to serve as the backup shortstop.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mauer, McCutchen, Guzman

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On this date back in 1974, the Red Sox released Orlando Cepeda and Luis Aparicio, both future Hall of Famers. Cepeda, then 36, signed with Kansas City and retired after the season as a .297/.350/.499 career hitter with 379 home runs. Aparicio, 39 at the time, never played again following his release, and finished his career as a .262/.311/.343 hitter and with a reputation as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history.

Here are some links from around the baseball blogosphere…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Belliard Makes Weight; Contract Guaranteed

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Ronnie Belliard weighed in at 208 pounds, so his contract with the Dodgers is now guaranteed, writes Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. Belliard reported to camp weighing 211 pounds, but his $825K contract only became guaranteed once he weighed less than 210 pounds.

The 34-year-old is fighting for playing time in the Dodgers infield. Last year, he played league average defense around the infield for the Nationals and Dodgers, hitting .277/.325/.451 in 287 plate appearances. Belliard is competing for the starting second baseman's job and spending time at the corner infield positions.

NL West Notes: Bowker, Giants, D’Backs

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Here's some news items from what might be baseball's most competitive division next season….

Fangraphs On Indians, Dodgers, Darvish

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The gang over at Fangraphs continued their rankings of each team's organizational structure, and also provided an update on arguably the most intriguing prospect in Japan…

  • The Indians are 13th in Fangraphs' rankings.  Dave Cameron says "despite the backlash against the Indians front office for the lack of results, this is still one of the best run organizations in the game."  Cameron's prediction of big things in the future for the Tribe is backed up by Bryan Smith's rundown of Cleveland's minor league system, focusing on GM Mark Shapiro's recent shrewd deals for prospects.
  • While the Dodgers are just a rung below in the #14 spot, Cameron is not impressed with the franchise thanks to the ongoing divorce and ownership dispute between Frank and Jamie McCourt.  Cameron describes the McCourts "as people you don’t want owning your team."  Marc Hulet's look at L.A.'s future prospects is similarly downbeat, though Hulet notes that many of the Dodgers' most recent blue-chip prospects are currently delivering at the major league level.
  • Patrick Newman breaks down the incredible numbers of Yu Darvish and calls him the "real deal,"  noting that Darvish has had three seasons better than Daisuke Matsuzaka's best efforts in NPB.  While Darvish may be capable of pitching in the majors, however, Newman says that "Darvish has been outspoken about not wanting to make the leap to MLB."  Newman mentions rumors that the half-Iranian Darvish may not want to play in the United States due to a possible backlash over his ethnicity, though Newman has never seen Darvish ever specifically comment on this issue.  

Yankees Release Chad Gaudin

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3:01pm: The Dodgers are in too, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The D'Backs are not interested, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

11:38am: The Mets are discussing Gaudin, tweets Newsday's David Lennon.

7:57am: The Yankees released pitcher Chad Gaudin, tweets Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.  Gaudin had been placed on waivers on Tuesday, but no team claimed his $2.95MM salary.  Since he was on a non-guaranteed contract, the Yankees will only pay a quarter ($737,500).

A year ago when Gaudin was released by the Cubs, he chose the Padres in part because of the opportunity to start.  In that role in '09 he posted a 4.76 ERA, 8.37 K/9, and 4.69 BB/9 in 134.3 innings.  The Mets, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Mariners are among the clubs looking a little short on arms.  Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tells us that the A's are not interested in a reunion with Gaudin.

Dodgers Shopping Stults, Repko, Hu

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WEDNESDAY, 10:01pm: MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers aren't trying to deal Hu, since they need him in case something happens to Rafael Furcal.  Gurnick also notes that L.A. is shopping Jason Repko, who has nowhere to play in the crowded Dodger outfield.

TUESDAY, 5:25pm: The Dodgers are looking to move pitcher Eric Stults and shortstop Chin-lung Hu, baseball officials from the NL and AL tell Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).

Los Angeles may feel that Stults is now expendable as they have multiple candidates for the final spot in their rotation.  Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse tweets that Ramon Ortiz is the top candidate, even though some within the organization feel that Josh Lindblom should be the fifth starter.  Yesterday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com wrote that the aforementioned Ramon Ortiz, Rule 5 selection Carlos Monasterios, Charlie Haeger, Russ Ortiz, and Josh Towers were all in the mix for the job.  Mike Axisa recently summed up this proverbial game of musical chairs in one handy post.

Meanwhile, if the Dodgers are unable to find a taker in the majors for Stults, they could find a suitor overseas.  The 30-year-old hurler has previously been linked to the Chiba Lotta Marines and earlier this week, he was named as a possible target of the Hanshin Tigers.

Hu, who recently turned 26, made a few appearances for Los Angeles in 2009 as a September call-up.  For the team's Triple-A affiliate, he turned in .294/.332/.393 with 6 HRs in 544 plate appearances.

McCourt: “A Mercenary Team Doesn’t Work”

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Dodgers fans aren't pleased that their team's major offseason story has been the ongoing divorce and ownership battle between Frank and Jamie McCourt.  With the stewardship of the team in doubt, the Dodgers made relatively few moves over the winter, none of which seemed to be the type of key addition that would push the two-time NLCS runners-up into the World Series.

Frank McCourt discussed his team's offseason moves and his overall philosophy for the team at a meeting of California businessmen on Tuesday, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  He reiterated his claim of sole ownership in the franchise and said that "things will get back to normal" once the divorce suit is settled, noting that the team is not for sale.

Shaikin cites the midseason deals of C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Cliff Lee over the last two seasons, plus the Roy Halladay rumors that dominated last summer's trade deadline, as cases where the Dodgers simply weren't willing to deal their young core players for what might have been a short-term rental.  In McCourt's defense, L.A. has certainly made some big in-season moves (the Manny Ramirez, Jon Garland and Jim Thome deals, for example), and the owner himself pointed to the team's four playoff appearances since he took over the team.

McCourt rhetorically asked, "How would we feel right now without Clayton Kershaw or Matt Kemp?" since those two and Chad Billingsley were at the top of any potential trade partner's wish list.  Shaikin notes that these young players are key to McCourt's belief that fans would rather see a team of homegrown stars win a title than a group of free agent imports.  "A mercenary team doesn't work," McCourt said in reference to the big dollars spend by L.A.'s previous owners (News Corp) that never resulted in any playoff appearances.

Every contender struggles with the temptation to go for broke and shoot for a World Series by selling off a young prospect or two at the deadline.  Red Sox fans would've no doubt loved to see Hanley Ramirez play shortstop at Fenway Park for 15-plus years, but since his trade to Florida brought Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett and the 2007 World Series to Boston, Sox fans are probably satisfied that losing Ramirez was worth it.  In McCourt's case, however, the fact that the Dodgers have come so close the last two seasons leaves the team's decisions open to second-guessing.  And, as Shaikin points out, big-market L.A.'s payroll could be less than $90MM this season, leaving fans wondering why the team couldn't shell out a few extra dollars for the final piece of the championship puzzle.

Could The Yankees Get Hoffmann Back?

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Earlier today the Yankees returned Rule 5 selection Jamie Hoffmann to the Dodgers, however the doesn't mean they lost him forever. Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News notes that there have been "plenty of whispers in recent weeks" about the two teams working out a trade to keep Hoffmann in pinstripes, possibly involving Chad Gaudin or Sergio Mitre.

Los Angeles already has plenty of options in camp for the back of their rotation, though many of those pitchers have unfavorable contract situations. Both Gaudin and Mitre are out of options, but there's a chance the Dodgers' brass feels more comfortable with one of them in the rotation instead of their current fifth starter hodgepodge. Last week we heard that the Yanks were "almost certain" to deal one of Gaudin or Mitre.

If a trade is made, it would allow the Yankees to stash Hoffmann in Triple-A, something they couldn't do with the Rule 5 strings attached. After dealing both Melky Cabrera and Austin Jackson earlier this offseason, the team is looking to rebuild some outfield depth.

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