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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Millar, Sheffield, Dunn, Rangers, Salty

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A few random notes from around the baseball Blogosphere…

  • Beerleaguer feels that Kevin Millar would make a nice addition to the Phillies’ bench.
  • MetsBlog says Gary Sheffield is the right-handed outfield bat the Mets need and this is the best time to add a player with something to prove.
  • True Blue LA is angered that the Dodgers did not block the D’Backs’ claim of Adam Dunn.
  • Newberg Report discusses which players the Rangers must be willing to part with if they are to land an "All-Star level, legitimate number one" pitcher or even a pitcher from the next level of starters.
  • Over The Monster wonders if the Red Sox will replace Jason Varitek with Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

What To Do With Brad Penny?

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Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times raises the question today: what should the Dodgers do with Brad Penny?  The 30 year-old righty has been lousy this year, and he’s back on the DL with shoulder woes.  In recent years he’s shown a trend of fading in the second half, though he was respectable in ’07.

The Dodgers face a $9.25MM club option with a $2MM buyout.  Is Penny worthy of a one-year, $7.25MM deal?  I probably wouldn’t guarantee that money to him, but I’m not a doctor.  Penny has had back, blister, rib cage, forearm, elbow, biceps nerve, and shoulder problems over the years.  He was never worked particularly hard by his managers.

Stark’s Latest: Manny, Fuentes, Livan, Dunn

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up.

  • Some teams won’t go anywhere near Manny Ramirez given the way he exited Boston.  Opinions range on whether he’ll get two, three, or four years this winter.  Will he turn it off again after signing a long-term deal?  And will other players use the same strategy to escape their contracts?
  • The Rays are likely to stand pat, despite recent injuries.
  • Rockies players haven’t hit the waiver wire yet; Dan O’Dowd plans to wait until month’s end.  Stark wonders whether the Cards could win a claim on Brian Fuentes.  Not likely, given the contenders in front of them in waiver order.
  • All kinds of near-deals in the final minutes on deadline day – John Grabow to the Phillies, Ian Snell to the Rockies, and Jason Bay to the Rays.
  • Livan Hernandez’s incentives get expensive in a hurry once he hits 160 innings, and the Twins are on the hook for those.
  • Stark talked to officials from two teams who didn’t think the Reds would’ve offered Adam Dunn arbitration.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Giles, Dodgers, Indians, Fielder

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Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up over at FOX Sports. Here’s the highlights:

  • The Red Sox wanted to use Brian Giles in right field against certain right-handers, and shift J.D. Drew over to center field for those games. Giles blocked the trade for family reasons, according to Rosenthal, despite the chance at an increased pay day and an opportunity to play in the postseason.
  • Rosenthal says that while the Dodgers are under pressure to re-sign Manny Ramirez, there may be more pressure to sign Casey Blake after this season. Rosenthal points out that Blake is batting .333 in his first 16 games in Dodger blue, and the Dodgers traded away their best young third baseman in Andy LaRoche in order to get Manny. The Dodgers aren’t sold on Blake DeWitt as a long-term option.
  • Rosenthal feels that the Brewers are now less likely to shop Prince Fielder in the offseason, though he points out they could fetch quite a nice haul of Major-League-ready talent if they shopped Fielder as an alternative to Mark Teixeira. Rosenthal feels that J.J. Hardy is a much better bet to be shopped though, as Alcides Escobar could be used to replace him in 2009.
  • Rosenthal wonders if, given Kelly Shoppach’s emergence, the Indians could try to trade him for a top-end starter. Rosenthal offers two scenarios for Cleveland: Trade Shoppach and sign Jason Giambi, or keep Shoppach, sign Orlando Hudson, move Victor Martinez to first base. Both scenarios have the same goal of adding offense and allowing Matt LaPorta to remain in the outfield.

Odds and Ends: Garcia, Gordon, and Falkenborg

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Astros GM Ed Wade is taking a close look at  pitcher Freddy Garcia, currently rehabbing in Miami. Houston is currently 13.5 games out of first place. About 15 teams in all watched Garcia work out, leading to much speculation. His agent told ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that the 33-year old  "would prefer to sign a contract for the rest of 2008, show that he’s fully recovered from shoulder surgery, then go on the open market as a free agent in November." Here’s the full list of teams who watched him work out: The Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Tigers, Rangers, Mets, Phillies, Astros, Brewers, Cubs, Rockies, and Dodgers, and possibly the White Sox and Marlins. The Phillies aren’t interested. Garcia is expected to make a decision soon.

It’s looking like Tom Gordon’s season is done. He was on the DL for inflammation in his elbow, but it’s now starting to look like he’ll need surgery. Philadelphia was hoping the righty set-up man would be back in time for their stretch run.

The Dodgers have DFA’d Brian Falkenborg to make room for Brad Penny. The thirty-year-old righty has a 6.17 ERA in 11 and two-thirds innings with LA this year. He has never pitched more than 20 innings per season in the big leagues.

Furcal Prefers To Re-Sign With Dodgers

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Rafael Furcal’s agent, Paul Kinzer, says the Dodgers are his client’s first choice and he hopes to re-sign before the free agent signing period begins. 

Furcal was off to an incredible start this year until a back injury sidelined him in May.  Before the injury, I was predicting $75MM over five years.  Now we’re probably looking at $12MM per year for two or three years, maybe with incentives involved.  It only takes one maverick team to defy expectations, though.  Magglio Ordonez got five guaranteed years following experimental knee surgery, though the Tigers received an opt-out clause in case that injury re-occurred.

If Furcal re-signs, the free agent shortstop market will be bleak.  Orlando Cabrera will be the top guy.

At Least 15 Teams Watched Freddy Garcia

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9:13pm: Additional teams confirmed in attendance: the Red Sox, Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, Marlins, and White Sox.  Garcia’s agent says he’d like to sign by this weekend, and plans to sign only for ’08.  Troy Renck says the Rockies are a long shot now that they’ve added Livan Hernandez. 

WEDNESDAY, 9:28am: Surprisingly, the Phillies were in attendance at Garcia’s audition yesterday.  David Murphy finds the idea intriguing, but says the Phils don’t have major interest.  The Phillies traded Gavin Floyd to the White Sox for Garcia in December of ’06, but he only gave them 11 starts while earning $10MM.

Also confirmed at the audition: the Tigers, Yankees, Mets, Rays, Rockies, Astros, and Rangers.  MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez thinks the Rangers might be the most interested party.

TUESDAY: Today’s the big day…free agent Freddy Garcia will audition for teams in Miami.  He’s recovering from labrum surgery.

We’ve compiled reports over the past few months.  Teams interested in Garcia at one point: the Mets, Red Sox, Braves, Yankees, White Sox, Rangers, Tigers, Rays, Astros, Cubs, Cardinals, Dodgers, Twins, Indians, Mariners, and Royals. That’s 16 of 30 teams, though the non-contenders may have dropped out.

Garcia’s friend and former manager Ozzie Guillen doubted the pitcher’s ability to contribute at the big league level this year.  Garcia was upset by the comments.

Odds and Ends: Bay, Clement, Fuentes, Cabrera

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We’ve got plenty of links today.

  • There is speculation that Andruw Jones could be sent back to the minors.
  • Joel Sherman wonders if MLB should’ve gotten involved when Manny Ramirez decided to orchestrate his own exit.  Kind of reminds me of Gary Sheffield intentionally botching plays to force a trade out of Milwaukee in ’92.
  • Gordon Edes stands by his report that Manny pledged to give full effort if the Red Sox dropped his options.  That phone call between Scott Boras and Theo Epstein occurred within an hour of his trade to the Dodgers.
  • Jon Heyman takes us inside the Manny trade.  He says Ramirez signed an agreement in advance that he’d accept a trade to any team if his options were dropped.  Heyman believes Omar Minaya fibbed in saying he had failed trade discussions with Boston.
  • The Red Sox are still waiting to hear whether Joe Borowski will accept their offer of a minor league deal.
  • Dejan Kovacevic gives as inside look at the Jason Bay trade talks here and here.  Did the Rays offer Reid Brignac and Jeff Niemann?  Reports are conflicting.
  • The Cardinals released Matt Clement on Saturday.  Let this serve as another reminder of how hard it is to come back from shoulder surgery.
  • The Cardinals weren’t willing to trade catching prospect Bryan Anderson plus a pitching prospect for Brian Fuentes.  Also, GM John Mozeliak confirmed failed talks for Bay.
  • RotoAuthority takes a look at young pitchers who may face innings caps this year.
  • Another failed deal: Orlando Cabrera to the Orioles in a Brian Roberts deal.
  • Geoff Baker believes that when inside information related to the Blue Jays leaks out, GM J.P. Ricciardi is likely responsible.
  • Please continue to email me if you see a pop-up or full-page ad on MLB Trade Rumors.

Week in Review: 7/27 – 8/2

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We saw the non-waiver trade deadline come and go this week, and plenty of action to go along with it. Let’s recap the big moves of the week:

  • The Dodgers, Pirates, and Red Sox completed a three-team, blockbuster trade that sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, Jason Bay to Boston, and Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Craig Hansen, and Brandon Moss to Pittsburgh. The Pirates got a pretty nice haul, and while Bay won’t necessarily replace Manny’s production, he’s much more affordable, signed through ’09, and doesn’t disrupt the clubhouse. The Dodgers add the big bat they need for a push in the NL West, though are now overloaded with overpaid outfielders. All in all, I don’t think any team made a bad deal in this one.
  • The Angels made a big move in adding Mark Teixeira to their lineup, sending Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek to Atlanta in exchange. The Angels didn’t need help at the time – they’re running away with the AL West – but this move will undoubtedly be significant in the postseason. Great boost to the Halos’ lineup.
  • The White Sox and Reds completed a trade that sent Ken Griffey Jr. to Chicago in exchange for Nick Masset and Danny Richar. I don’t understand this trade from the Sox perspective. Griffey was only hitting .245 at the time of the trade, and his range in center field isn’t close to what it once was. Still, he’s a presence in both the lineup and the clubhouse. Will playing for a contender rejuvenate him?
  • The Yankees acquired future hall-of-famer Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers in exchange for Kyle Farnsworth. With Jorge Posada out for the season, New York did a good job of solidifying their catcher’s spot, while the Tigers got some much-needed improvement in their bullpen.
  • The Twins aren’t known for making big trades at the deadline, and they held true to that in 2008. However, they made a move that could be bigger than any trade they might have made, when they designated Livan Hernandez for assignment, and recalled Francisco Liriano from Triple-A Rochester. The Twins DFA’ed Craig Monroe as well. The Rockies are looking for a fifth starter, and could have interest in Hernandez.
  • Relievers on the move: Arthur Rhodes was traded to the Marlins, giving them another effective lefty option in the bullpen. The Astros acquired LaTroy Hawkins, still buying despite being 9.5 games out of the wildcard race at the time.
  • The Nationals released Paul Lo Duca and Felipe Lopez. Both were highly unsuccessful this season, though they could generate interest from other teams.
  • Tim explained the rules behind waiver trades for those who are unfamiliar with how the process works after the July 31st non-waiver deadline. He also takes a look at some noteable names who stayed put at the deadline.
  • Minor moves: The Yankees signed Victor Zambrano to a minor league contract, while the Red Sox did the same with former Cleveland closer Joe Borowski.
  • The Diamondbacks are talking extension with their second ace, Dan Haren.
  • USA Today wrote an article on MLBTR. Check it out!

Keith Law’s Latest: Players On The Move

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Keith Law drops some science on some big name players that could still be on the move if they clear waivers. To wit:

Paul Byrd: Law argues that Byrd would be better served pitching in the National League where a "finesse" hurler like him would have an easier time. Byrd was a Type B free agent in 2007, which means he could slip to non-compensation status this year, an incentive for the Indians to try and trade him if he clears waivers.

Greg Maddux: The Bulldog will only waive his no-trade clause for a team on the West Coast, meaning it’s the Dodgers or the Dodgers. The Padres tried to make a deal with L.A. prior to the deadline, but it fell through.

Andruw Jones/Juan Pierre: Speaking of the Dodgers, Law thinks that both Pierre and Jones would sail through waivers due to their hefty salaries and bad performance at the plate.

Aubrey Huff: Ditto for Huff, who’s owed more than $10MM between now and the end of his contract in 2009.

Law makes the case that Brian Fuentes and Adam Dunn would not clear waivers. It’s no secret Fuentes was one of the most coveted relievers before the deadline, but the Rockies were holding out for the perfect offer that never came (never mind that they’re showing signs of life in a mediocre NL West).

Dunn should still draw interest from teams looking for a corner outfielder that can hit .385/.550, argues Law, and a direct rival could place a claim on Dunn to make sure other contending teams don’t.

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Post-deadline rumors? Comments? alexo05 [at] umpbump [daught] com.

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