White Sox Notes: Williams, Quentin, Pierre, Morel
Dylan Axelrod, the son of agent Barry Axelrod, provided the White Sox with six solid innings in his first MLB start this afternoon. Here's the latest on the White Sox, who have 14 games remaining after today…
- White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has told GM Kenny Williams that he’ll be back in 2012, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Manager Ozzie Guillen told Cowley that he could work for anyone, including Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.
- In a chat with fans, Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com says there's a very high chance that the White Sox trade Carlos Quentin this offseason.
- Juan Pierre is expected to sign elsewhere when he hits free agency after the season, according to Padilla. Pierre "has the most respect of anybody in the White Sox clubhouse," so there's a chance he'll be back.
- Brent Morel will definitely be playing third next season and the White Sox will expect a little more on offense from Morel in 2012. I mentioned the White Sox as a possible destination for Aramis Ramirez earlier today, noting that the club probably can't afford him.
- The White Sox will definitely reduce payroll from $127MM next season, Padilla writes.
Quick Hits: Konerko, Cameron, Rockies
Congratulations to Tim Wakefield, who won his 200th career game tonight. Here are this evening's links, starting with updates on two players who were traded for one another 13 years ago…
- White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he might retire after 2013, when his current contract expires. The 35-year-old has a terrific .308/.395/.528 line with 29 homers in the first season of the three-year, $37.5MM deal he signed last offseason.
- The Marlins released Mike Cameron because of conduct detrimental to the team, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro.
- The Braves have increased the responsibilities of three front office members following the departure of director of player personnel Kurt Kemp, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Assistant GM Bruce Manno will oversee player development, Ronnie Richardson was promoted to director of minor league operations and John Coppolella was promoted to director of professional scouting.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post can see the Rockies pursuing Michael Cuddyer and Josh Willingham this offseason (Twitter links).
- Renck also suggests Jason Hammel is available. Hammel's strikeout rate (5.0 K/9) and ground ball rate (43.5%) dropped this season, while his ERA (4.91) and walk rate (3.7 BB/9) rose, so his trade value is considerably lower than it would have been last winter. The 29-year-old is under contract for $4.75MM in 2012.
- Fernando Rodney told Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he would have liked more chances to close with the Angels this year. The right-hander will look to sign with a team that can provide him with more regular work when his two-year contract expires after the season.
Stark On Tigers, Shapiro, Buehrle, Oswalt, Rays
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark that the current version of the Tigers is significantly different than the team that started the season with a 12-17 mark. Rival executives agree that the Tigers, winners of ten straight, wouldn’t be fun to face in a playoff series at this point. Here’s Stark’s latest:
- People close to Indians president Mark Shapiro tell Stark that the longtime GM would be “intrigued” by the Cubs’ GM job. Shapiro’s associates say he’s happy in Cleveland, but suggest he’d listen if Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts came calling. Shapiro declined comment and there’s no indication that the Cubs have spoken to him.
- A friend of Mark Buehrle's doesn’t believe the left-hander would retire after the season, when he is set to hit free agency. Buehrle would have been open to pitching for the Cardinals, but they have a full rotation set up for 2012, assuming they exercise Adam Wainwright’s options.
- White Sox officials have been saying they need to cut payroll, according to Stark. Like the Cardinals, they have five starters under team control for 2012 even without Buehrle.
- The Phillies aren’t likely to exercise Roy Oswalt’s $16MM option, but other than that the right-hander’s future remains unclear. He is another pitcher who has expressed interest in St. Louis, but it’s not a likely fit given the Cardinals’ depth. Oswalt doesn’t want to pitch in the American League or for a non-contender, according to Stark.
- The Marlins won’t be able to obtain manager Ozzie Guillen from the White Sox unless they’re willing to part with a “big-time player.”
- It appears that the Rays are open to the idea of bringing Johnny Damon back for another season.
- Aaron Rowand wants to play in 2012, though he isn’t likely to return this season. He’ll be looking for the opportunity to pick up regular at bats next year, according to Stark.
Marlins Release Mike Cameron
The Marlins released center fielder Mike Cameron after last night's win in Atlanta, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. The move drops the team's 40-man roster to 39, though it'd fill back up if Scott Cousins is activated from the 60-day DL.
Cameron, 38, hit .239/.333/.423 in 163 plate appearances after being acquired from the Red Sox on July 5th. The Red Sox paid the majority of Cameron's salary, having designated him for assignment a week prior.
Talking to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post this month, Cameron hinted at retirement, saying, "I may be too young to quit, but my body’s telling me different. My body’s 45." Perhaps he'll change his mind once his body heals up, but if Cameron does call it quits he'll finish with a .249/.338/.444 batting line, 278 home runs, and over 15,000 innings of strong center field defense for the White Sox, Reds, Mariners, Mets, Padres, Brewers, Red Sox, and Marlins.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Javier Vazquez
Javier Vazquez’s season ERA is an unremarkable 4.13. But consider that it was over 7.00 midway through June and the ERA seems outstanding.
It took a dominant second half for Vazquez to recover from his early-season struggles. Since the beginning of July he has a 2.45 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 84 1/3 innings. In other words, he has resembled the pitcher who finished fourth in the Cy Young voting two years ago, not the one who posted a 5.32 ERA in a disappointing return to the Bronx in 2010.
Vazquez’s season numbers are better than they were a year ago. He has pitched 167 2/3 innings with encouraging peripherals: 7.5 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 4.00 xFIP and an average fastball velocity of 90.3 mph, up from 88.7 mph a year ago.
Durability hasn’t been an issue for Vazquez, who has started at least 25 games and logged at least 150 innings every season since 1997. He’s the active leader in strikeouts with 2,514 and remains a viable option for teams looking to add depth to their rotations.
Not every team is a fit for Vazquez, though. He has preferred East Coast teams for their relative proximity to his native Puerto Rico, so clubs like the Padres and Dodgers are at a significant disadvantage. Vazquez appears to be considering retirement seriously, so it’s hard to imagine him returning for a 15th season unless it’s the right fit.
At this point in his career, Vazquez is an extreme fly ball pitcher – only four pitchers with 100 innings pitched or more have a lower ground ball rate than Vazquez’s 33.1%. He has always been homer-prone, so the jump in fly balls suggests teams with cozy stadiums should steer clear of Vazquez despite his recent dominance.
The Mets and Marlins, two East Coast clubs, play in parks that suppress home runs (according to ESPN’s park factors), but the Marlins move into a new stadium next year and it’s unclear how pitcher-friendly their new home will be. The Florida front office could offer Vazquez arbitration after the season, but draft pick compensation won’t be a factor, since the 35-year-old doesn’t project as a ranked free agent.
Given Vazquez’s age and interest in retirement, another one-year deal seems likely for the ACES client. His summer surge has seemingly eliminated the possibility that he’ll have to settle for a minor league deal and it may have set him up for another contract in the $7MM range.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Rosenthal On Guillen, Marlins, Reds
The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- One prominent agent told Rosenthal he can envision a free agent frenzy if a labor agreement is reached by the start of the offseason. The last labor agreement, in 2006 was followed by ridiculous overspending on mediocre veterans. The current labor agreement is set to expire on December 11th, three days after the conclusion of this year's Winter Meetings in Dallas.
- Rosenthal has a source familiar with the thinking of Ozzie Guillen who has recently dropped his predicted chances of the manager returning to 50-50.
- Rosenthal sees "mixed signals" on whether the Nationals will spend big this offseason, but he considers Jimmy Rollins a good fit.
- The Marlins intend to discuss every available starting pitcher this winter. The free agent market is looking thin, so teams with starters to trade will be in a good position.
- The Reds' top goal is to add a middle-of-the-order hitter.
Marlins Notes: Infante, Sanchez, Beinfest
While their new ballpark is "80 percent complete," the Marlins are trying to avoid the NL East basement. Here's the latest from South Beach…
- The Marlins want to bring Omar Infante back next season and will offer him a new contract, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. The second baseman has a .272/.322/.373 line this season and will be a free agent this winter.
- Also from Spencer, the Fish recently approached Anibal Sanchez about a contract extension. The team turned down offers for Sanchez at the trade deadline and the right-hander is clearly seen as a big part of Florida's future plans. Today, Sanchez threw one of the best games of his career, striking out 11 Pirates in a complete game gem.
- Larry Beinfest's recent history of contract extensions, first round draft picks and the return on the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade has been less than impressive, writes Dan Le Batard for the Miami Herald. We recently heard that Jeffrey Loria and David Samson could be taking a larger role in player personnel decisions, so perhaps team ownership has the same opinion.
Mike Cameron Hints At Retirement
Mike Cameron indicated that 2011 could be his last season in the Majors, reports Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Cameron, who would be 39 on Opening Day 2012, has missed the Marlins' last few games due to a hamstring strain and noted that this latest injury is just one of many that are weighing on his mind.
“I may be too young to quit, but my body’s telling me different. My body’s 45,” Cameron said. “[Retirement is] a small window that’s wide open…I’m not going to make a decision now because there are too many variables much more than how I feel.”
Capozzi noted that Cameron's comments could have been borne of frustration with his injury, but Cameron has struggled this season. The outfielder has a combined .203/.286/.360 line in 268 plate appearances with Florida and Boston this season. Cameron joined the Fish in July after being designated for assignment and dealt by the Red Sox.
Cameron has played for eight teams over his 17 seasons in the big leagues. At his peak, Cameron brought a strong blend of speed (297 career steals), defense (three Gold Gloves ) and power (eight seasons with 20+ homers, plus a four-homer game on May 2, 2002) to the table. He enjoyed a 24-homer season as recently as 2009 as a member of the Brewers.
NL Links: Dobbs, Wang, Cubs, Brewers
Here are some links from the Senior Circuit as we await tonight's Clayton Kershaw–Tim Lincecum matchup…
- Marlins manager Jack McKeon told Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post that he hopes the team brings Greg Dobbs back next season. Of course, it seems unlikely that McKeon himself will be back in the dugout next season.
- A report by Focus Taiwan News Channel (passed along by Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post) indicates that Chien-Ming Wang could earn more than $1MM in incentives by staying in the Nationals rotation all season. He's already made $250K for staying on the roster for 30 days, and will make another $500K for staying on the roster for 60 days. Every start after his tenth (he's started eight) will earn Wang another $100K.
- SI.com's Tom Verducci says Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts can learn a lot from the Red Sox, who were aggressive in their search for a GM after John Henry bought the team in 2002. Billy Beane and J.P. Ricciardi were among the Boston's first choices before hiring Theo Epstein.
- Within the same piece, Verducci notes that the Brewers haven't won a series against a non-Cardinals winning team since Memorial Day. He wonders if all of Milwaukee's wins against sub-.500 teams is making them seem better than they really are.
NL East Notes: Marlins, Rodriguez, Davis
Links from the NL East, as the Mets and Braves start the first of two games at Citi Field…
- There is a sense that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson will be taking on bigger roles in making player personnel decisions, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter). That would mean less autonomy for president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and general manager Michael Hill, who are nominally in charge of baseball moves.
- Ivan Rodriguez will be a backup catcher for the Nationals for the rest of the season, but he says he'd like to play four more years in the Major Leagues, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Mets first baseman Ike Davis told ESPNNewYork’s Adam Rubin that he won’t have surgery to help repair the left ankle sprain that has sidelined him since May (Twitter link).
- Click here to read about the Braves' starting pitching depth and how it could affect their offseason.