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Odds & Ends: Pujols, Holliday, Mauer, Reyes

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Links for Tuesday…

Discussion: Vicente Padilla

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Vicente Padilla's stock has risen dramatically since he signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in August.  He posted a 3.20 ERA in 39.3 innings, and was brilliant finishing off the Cardinals in Game 3 of the NLDS.  He received hugs from Joe Torre and Ned Colletti and kind words from his new teammates.

Padilla will be a free agent this winter.  His checkered history will likely limit him to one-year offers.  Through the years Padilla missed significant time with triceps, shoulder, and elbow injuries.  He was suspended twice for throwing at hitters, and led all of baseball in HBPs (98) from 2002 to 2009.  His Rangers teammates complained about him and applauded his exit.  He battled a drinking problem that resulted in a July 2006 DWI (the Rangers signed him to a $33MM deal that winter anyway).  By this summer the Rangers were fed up, designating Padilla for assignment and eating over $5MM of his contract.

Where do you see Padilla landing, and what type of contract will he receive?  Given all the good vibes, I expect the Dodgers to look into re-signing him to a one-year deal, worth perhaps $4MM plus incentives.  Back when Padilla was a free agent in December of '06, Mets GM Omar Minaya was among those interested.  Will Minaya renew his interest three years later?  The Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Brewers figure to be in the market for free agent starting pitching as well. 

Odds & Ends: Thome, Anthopoulos, 2010 Draft

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Here's a few links to check out while the Cardinals try to stave off elimination…

  • Prior to this evening's game, Jim Thome said he would "still love to come back" to the White Sox, according to Chris DeLuca of The Chicago Sun Times. ''I want to come back to the American League,'' said the 39-year-old Thome, who is making $13MM in the final season of the monster six-year, $85MM contract he signed with the Phillies prior to 2003.
  • Ken Fidlin of The Calgary Sun writes that new Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous "would do well to foster" what he calls the "Twins Way" in Toronto. He's referring to a "culture of professionalism and attention to detail."
  • Forgive the self-promotion, but if you're looking for a way to keep track of where each team's draft picks go once free agency starts, make sure you check out our 2010 Draft Order Tracker at River Ave. Blues. I'll keep that baby updated all winter as signings are make official, so make sure you check back in often.

Odds & Ends: Bradley, Lackey, Padilla

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Bonus afternoon links:

  • Yahoo's Tim Brown reports via Twitter that Tampa Bay "will only consider acquiring [Milton] Bradley if Cubs eat so much [of his] salary [that the] Rays could release him at any time without financial hit."
  • John Harper of the New York Daily News wants the Mets to pursue John Lackey as "people around the Angels" view his return as unlikely.
  • Vicente Padilla is grateful for the opportunity he has been given with the Dodgers, writes MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  The Dodgers picked up the righty for the prorated portion of the minimum salary after he was released by the Rangers in August.
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff brings us a strong quote from Yankees GM Brian Cashman on Carl Pavano: "He took a lot of crap, and so did I…Do I blame him for it?  No, I don't.  I don't think he laid down on us."

D’Backs Receive Tony Abreu To Complete Garland Trade

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The Diamondbacks received infielder Tony Abreu from the Dodgers to complete the Jon Garland trade, according to the team's Twitter feed.  Abreu had been rumored as the likely return since the August 31st trade, but presumably the teams waited until now because he did not clear waivers.  Another factor: a dispute over Abreu's service time.  MLB.com's Ken Gurnick says this grievance was settled, with Abreu receiving an additional 30 days service time.

Abreu, 25 in November, hit .353/.385/.615 in 236 Triple A plate appearances this year.  He spent most of his time at second base, and is expected to compete for the starting job in Arizona next year.  The D'Backs clearly think highly of Abreu, since they were willing to take on Garland's remaining salary as well as his buyout.

Discussion: Dan Uggla

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His name is Dan Uggla, and he can be had for the right price this offseason.  The 29-year-old Florida second baseman has 121 homers and an .826 OPS in his four major league seasons, but between his war of words with Marlins franchise player Hanley Ramirez and the $7-8MM he is likely to earn in arbitration, rumors have been swirling that the Fish are looking to move Uggla out of south Florida before he becomes too pricey for their taste.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal listed the Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles, Twins, Giants and Diamondbacks as possible suitors for Uggla in an article last month.  The Snakes may be out of the running now since, as reported by the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro, Arizona will likely look at internal candidates to play second base.  Baltimore already has Brian Roberts entrenched at second, but if Uggla was interested in moving to third base he would surely become attractive to even more clubs.

Of the clubs on Rosenthal's list, Minnesota stands out since it's unusual for the small-market Twins to be looking at picking up high-priced talent, rather than moving it themselves.  But with Target Field opening in 2010, the Twins may have some extra revenue to spend on both picking up the tab for Uggla and (the team's top priority) signing Joe Mauer to a long-term contract.  Minnesota has holes at both second and third that Uggla could fill.

Would Uggla fit best on one of the aforementioned six clubs, or is there another team out there with both the money and the need for a slugging second (or third) baseman?

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Halladay, Yankees

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Let's take a look around the web after the thrilling conclusion of game #163:

  • Vicente Padilla and Ronnie Belliard – acquired (separately) by the Dodgers in August – will start ahead of Chad Billingsley and Orlando Hudson in the postseason, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
  • MLB.com's David Ely writes that the Dodgers are in the position they are today in large part because of GM Ned Colletti.  The Dodgers agree as they are likely to ink Colletti a new deal soon.
  • David Waldstein of the New York Times reports that the Mets will "look into" Roy Halladay if the Blue Jays make him available this winter.  However, the article notes that it is unlikely that the Mets have the cash flow to make such a deal or the prospects necessary to entice Toronto.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman deserves credit for the moves he has made, writes Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Halladay, Yankees

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Let's take a look around the web after the thrilling conclusion of game #163:

  • Vicente Padilla and Ronnie Belliard – acquired (separately) by the Dodgers in August – will start ahead of Chad Billingsley and Orlando Hudson in the postseason, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
  • MLB.com's David Ely writes that the Dodgers are in the position they are today in large part because of GM Ned Colletti.  The Dodgers agree as they are likely to ink Colletti a new deal soon.
  • David Waldstein of the New York Times reports that the Mets will "look into" Roy Halladay if the Blue Jays make him available this winter.  However, the article notes that it is unlikely that the Mets have the cash flow to make such a deal or the prospects necessary to entice Toronto.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman deserves credit for the moves he has made, writes Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger.

Discussion: What Late Additions Could Have Big Playoff Impact?

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With the 2009 postseason picture nearly in place, it's time to identify some of the late-season pickups that can make a huge splash in this year's playoffs. 

In 2002, the Angels may not have won the championship without the help of a young pitcher by the name of Francisco Rodriguez.  Because of multiple injuries to their bullpen, the Angels called up the 22-year-old in mid-September.  Rodriguez was able to pitch in just five regular season games for the club before being thrown into the postseason fire.  The hard-throwing righty responded to the pressure beautifully, posting an ERA of 1.93 and fanning 28 batters in just 18.2 innings. 

Here are some of the key late-season additions by playoff-bound squads:

What other playoff-bound players added to the big league roster after the trade deadline could be poised to have a memorable postseason?

Olney On Type A Free Agents

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney looks back to last winter when players like Juan Cruz saw their value tumble because the Elias rankings classified them as Type A free agents. Some players are good enough to qualify, but not tantalizing enough for teams to give up the high draft pick that Type A free agents cost if their teams offer arbitration. Olney quizzed a group of executives about this year's likely Type A free agents; here are the details you need to know:

  • Vladimir Guerrero makes $15MM this year, so Olney's execs doubt the Angels will offer arbitration.
  • The executives polled said the Braves seem likely to offer Mike Gonzalez arbitration. It may make sense for Gonzalez to accept, since teams may be reluctant to give up millions of dollars and picks when there are other good relievers available. It doesn't appear that the Braves will offer Rafael Soriano arbitration.
  • Four of the six execs Olney asked say the Cubs won't offer Rich Harden arbitration. He'd be in a position to command $10MM on a one-year deal. Is that such a huge risk for a big-market club like the Cubs to take? Harden has started 51 games since 2008 and could yield a top draft pick.
  • None of Olney's respondents expect the Astros to offer Miguel Tejada arbitration.
  • The execs are split on the Dodgers' plans for Orlando Hudson. The club is cost-conscious, but Hudson is still a talented player who could net the team a draft pick if he signs elsewhere.

Got it? You can find explanations of arbitration, free agent compensation and related terms in our hot stove glossary if it's still a little hazy.

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