NL East Notes: Proctor, Kimbrel, Mets, Harper
As Carlos Beltran enjoys a three-homer day against Colorado, here's the latest from the NL East…
- "At least two teams" contacted the Braves about right-hander Scott Proctor, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. When the Braves re-signed Proctor last month, the team agreed to trade Proctor before May 15 if he so desired, since Atlanta couldn't call the righty up before that date due to releasing him during Spring Training. Proctor wanted to stay with the Braves, and will be called up to the Major League roster on Sunday.
- In another item, O'Brien thinks the Braves should consider making Jonny Venters at least a part-time closer alongside incumbent stopper Craig Kimbrel. You can keep track of all the end-game news and rumors by following @CloserNews, MLBTR's sister Twitter feed.
- Talks between Steve Cohen and the Mets "are at a little bit of a stalemate right now," reports CNBC's Kate Kelly (passed along by Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com). Cohen is willing to pay around $200MM for 49% of the franchise, but "he wants some significant say over how they do what they do," including getting some seats on the team's board of directors. Despite this setback, Kelly says negotiations "are still happening and the goal is to get this thing done ASAP.”
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson recently noted that most serious trade negotiations don't begin to develop until June, but ESPNNewYork.com's Rob Parker argues that the Mets should be looking to deal Jose Reyes quickly, since the shortstop's trade value is at its highest.
- Is Bryce Harper the "best prospect ever"? Fangraphs' Dave Cameron thinks it could be the case, given how Harper is just 18 years old.
- The Nationals, who aren't selecting first overall for the first time since 2008, intend to take the best players available to them this June. Yet amateur scouting director Kris Kline told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he intends to "really focus on pitching." The Nationals select 6th, 23rd and 34th, so they're expecting to obtain three "really good players."
- With the Marlins off to such a good start, ESPN's Jim Bowden thinks team management has to be looking into extending Edwin Rodriguez's contract. The manager is just signed through this season and would seem like a no-brainer extension candidate, were it not for Jeffrey Loria's history of interest in bigger-name managers (such as Ozzie Guillen or Bobby Valentine).
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Colletti, Hendry, Royals
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…
- Ned Colletti is under contract as Dodgers GM through 2012, but he has an out-clause after that. MLB is unlikely to stand in the way if another team asks to interview him before then though.
- The consensus is that the Cubs need to show some progress if GM Jim Hendry is going to keep his job beyond this season. The team's 14-17 start already has some in the game speculating about possible successors, which might include Colletti, former Diamondbacks GM and current Padres executive Josh Byrnes, and White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn. If the ChiSox are worried about losing Hahn, Rosenthal says they could promote him to GM and promote Kenny Williams to club president.
- Most expect the White Sox to "snap out of it," but if not, they could be a team to watch as the trade deadline approaches. One GM said Williams is not the type to "sit there in no man's land," so expect some rumblings about free agents to be Mark Buehrle and Edwin Jackson. Some believe Buehrle would only accept a trade to the Cardinals though.
- Their most intriguing chips are John Danks and Carlos Quentin, who are under team control as arbitration-eligible players in 2012. Danks could bring a significant return.
- The Royals could be quite busy if they remain in contention. The Zack Greinke trade and Gil Meche's retirement freed up significant cash, and the team could be both buyers and sellers. Wilson Betemit is expendable because of top prospect Mike Moustakas, possibly to the Marlins, and they could look to deal either Jeff Francoeur or Melky Cabrera. One thing they will need in return: bullpen reinforcements. The Kansas City bullpen is throwing a ton of innings.
Stark On Rangers, DeRosa, Phillies, Papelbon
Joey Votto is the player of the month for ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, who hears from a scout that the Reds’ first baseman is more feared than anybody in the National League, including Albert Pujols. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors:
- One NL executive thinks the Mariners are so far from winning that they should be listening to offers for Felix Hernandez, who is under team control through 2014. Yesterday, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports heard from a number of executives who expect King Felix to stay put for now.
- An AL official says the Rangers are the most likely candidate to trade for a high-profile reliever this summer. Their bullpen has taken a number of hits, with Neftali Feliz and Darren O’Day on the DL and Alexi Ogando moving to the rotation.
- Stark hears that the only players available now are those with “awful contracts.”
- Despite the buzz about Mark DeRosa and the Marlins, Stark hears that the Giants and Marlins have not had serious discussions about the currently-injured utility player.
- The Phillies will find it hard to add payroll this summer, but they’re eyeing potentially available bats.
- Though Jonathan Papelbon will likely test the free agent market after the season, Stark gets the impression that the reliever could re-sign in Boston after all.
Marlins Considering Run At Mark DeRosa
THURSDAY, 2:25pm: The Marlins have had internal discussions about third base options, but never discussed possible deals with the Giants, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.com.
WEDNESDAY, 3:59pm: DeRosa is headed to the DL, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (on Twitter). Though the repaired tendon in his wrist is fine, the area around it is inflamed. If the Marlins are going to make a run at DeRosa, it probably won't happen for a few weeks at least.
12:44pm: The Marlins "have begun weighing the merits of making a run at" Giants infielder Mark DeRosa, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. DeRosa could be a solution for the Fish at third base for the remainder of the season, after which his contract is up.
DeRosa, 36, is hitting well in a small 20 plate appearance sample this season. With a crowded outfield and no openings at second base or the infield corners, the Giants may consider DeRosa expendable. Not only could they get a useful player back, but they could also clear a portion of DeRosa's $6MM salary. An extra $2-3MM would be helpful to the Giants, who may have limited payroll flexibility in the 2011-12 offseason unless they move some salary.
The Marlins considered giving the third base job to top prospect Matt Dominguez out of Spring Training, but instead sent him to Triple-A on March 24th. Eight days later Dominguez fractured his elbow. As a whole, Greg Dobbs, Donnie Murphy, Emilio Bonifacio, and Wes Helms are hitting .286/.353/.416 on the season while manning third base for the Marlins.
Guillen Discusses Future In Chicago
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he knows his bosses will consider firing him if the team doesn’t perform. And though he says he wants to stay in the White Sox organization for the rest of his life, Guillen says GM Kenny Williams and owner Jerry Reinsdorf don’t owe him anything.
“If Kenny or Jerry doesn’t think I’m doing my job . . . they’re going to fire me because my players don’t produce,” Guillen told Rosenthal. “I respect that. I don’t mind getting fired. If I get fired, it’s for a reason. What reason? Me.”
Though several rival executives believe the White Sox would be better off without Guillen, at least one team covets the former shortstop as a future skipper. The 15-8 Marlins expressed interest in obtaining the rights to Guillen in the offseason are not currently discussing an extension for manager Edwin Rodriguez, who is on a one-year contract, according to Rosenthal.
Rosenthal notes that the White Sox asked for Logan Morrison in exchange for the right to hire Guillen last offseason, not Mike Stanton. Last fall, many reports indicated that Stanton was at the center of the discussions between the White Sox and Marlins.
Gabe Gross Retires
Gabe Gross has decided to retire, reports Jon Johnson of The Enterprise Ledger. Said Gross:
"I just felt like my heart wasn’t into it. This and quitting football are the two hardest decisions I’ve ever made."
Gross signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in February, and after a March release he was ready to hang up his cleats. But then he took the Marlins up on an offer last week. When his Sunday physical was delayed, he thought about it for an extra day and decided to retire to spend time with his wife and two kids.
The 31-year-old finishes his career having earned approximately $5MM, including his signing bonus as the 15th overall pick out of Auburn by the Blue Jays in 2001. He posted a .239/.330/.385 line in seven seasons for the Jays, Brewers, Rays, and Athletics. Gross was involved in the 2005 deal in which the Jays also sent Dave Bush to the Brewers for Lyle Overbay.
Marlins To Sign Gabe Gross
The Marlins have signed Gabe Gross to a minor league contract, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). Like the Chris Sampson deal, this one is pending a physical.
Gross, 31, asked the Mariners for his release in March after having a poor Spring Training. He hit just .239/.290/.311 for the A's last year, and is a .239/.330/.385 hitter in 1,680 career plate appearances. Gross' defense in right field has been particularly strong, though.
Marlins To Sign Chris Sampson
The Marlins have signed Chris Sampson according to the right-hander's Twitter feed. He was in camp with the Rockies last month, but they released him at the end of Spring Training.
Sampson, 32 next month, had spent his entire career with the Astros before joining Colorado. He owns a 4.42 ERA in 358 2/3 career innings, striking out 4.4 men per nine while walking just 2.2 per nine. A 51.8% ground ball rate helps make up for the lack of whiffs.
Rosenthal On Fielder, Marlins, Yankees, Giants
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports brings us another edition of Full Count. Here are some highlights..
- Prince Fielder is off to a great start and one GM predicts that he'll be one of the most interesting free agents of all-time. The GM says that Fielder runs hard and is more athletic than most people think. He's about to turn 27 years old which means that he's about four-and-a-half years younger than Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols. A team like the Cubs could use Fielder against Pujols, saying that if he doesn't meet their price, they could sign Fielder instead.
- The Marlins are second in the National League in ERA and first in bullpen ERA by a wide margin. Theyr'e going to have to keep winning with pitching as Hanley Ramirez is off to a slow start, Logan Morrison is out with an injured foot and Mike Stanton still hasn't found his form since coming back from a hamstring strain. Last week, Rosenthal pointed out the potential availability of Mark DeRosa and this week he says that the veteran would be a perfect fit in Florida.
- The Yankees will soon face some decisions regarding their rotation. Kevin Millwood has an out in his contract if he's not in the majors by May 1st. The club might have better options such as Adam Warren and possibly Hector Noesi or David Phelps. In addition to those prospects, Carlos Silva is working his way back into shape and Phil Hughes is about to start a rehab assignment this week.
- Miguel Tejada is off to a rough start in 2011 as he looks less-than-sharp in the field and is hitting just .209/.239/.328. The Giants don't have any great internal options at shortstop, so Rosenthal says to keep an eye on Jose Reyes, Marco Scutaro, J.J. Hardy as possible trade targets.
Carlos Delgado Talks Career, Retirement
When Carlos Delgado cracked the Blue Jays’ Opening Day roster 17 years ago, the two-time defending World Champions knew the 21-year-old catching prospect was powerful. He had punished Southern League pitchers the year before, hitting 25 home runs, posting a .954 OPS and establishing himself as one of the best prospects in baseball. But when he had eight home runs after 13 games in April of 1994, everyone was surprised, including Delgado.
“I was a kid in a candy store,” he told MLBTR over the phone from Puerto Rico. “I’m at the big league level, I’m hitting, I’m hitting home runs and it’s great. I was on cloud nine."
Pat Gillick, a 2011 Hall of Fame inductee who was Toronto's GM at the time, credits Blue Jays scout Epy Guerrero for his role in discovering and signing Delgado in 1988. Seeing the teenager develop from a prospect to a big leaguer was nearly as exciting for Gillick as it was for Delgado.
"We all knew that he had tremendous power potential," Gillick recalled. "But potential is one [thing and] results and performance is what counts."
The Blue Jays weren’t sure of Delgado’s defense behind the plate, so they put him in a new position, left field. Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash was Toronto’s assistant GM at the time and he says Delgado’s hitting ability forced him onto the big league roster.
"Obviously his bat earned him the opportunity but we struggled as to where to play him defensively," Ash said in an email. "I think in retrospect that brief opportunity helped him better transition when he came back to stay."
Nearly two decades later, Delgado has announced that his playing days are over and the reasons for his retirement are firmly grounded in reality. His hips allow him to do normal daily activities, but they prevent him from swinging the way he once did.
Delgado had hoped to play in the majors again, so after a brief comeback attempt with the Red Sox last year, he underwent hip surgery in the fall and started preparing for the rigors of another MLB season. About two weeks ago, Delgado was watching video of his swing and he realized his playing career was over.
“I watched myself hit a few times and it didn’t resemble anything like the swing that I had, so at that time and with the discomfort I had, I knew that it wasn’t there anymore,” Delgado said.
Before his hips started limiting his mobility, Delgado was one of the most durable and powerful players in the game. He averaged 35 home runs and 148 games per season from 1996-2008, posting a .937 OPS over the course of that 13-year stretch. Now 38, Delgado finishes his career with 473 home runs, four of which came on a single night. Delgado won’t say his historic power outburst is the highlight of his career, but he acknowledges that it’s up there.
“That four home run night in September of 2003 was great, but I can also say that Opening Day 1994 was phenomenal because it was my first Opening Day at the big league level,” Delgado said. “I can look back to my first All-Star Game in 2000, which was a great experience. It was pretty surreal. Even when I was in Puerto Rico in 1995, I played for the so-called ‘dream team’ and we swept the Caribbean Series.”
Delgado spent four seasons with the Mets and another one with the Marlins, who signed him to a $52MM contract in 2005. Yet he spent most of his career – 12 seasons of it – in Toronto and he remains grateful that the Blue Jays didn’t give up on him when he didn’t work out as a catcher or a left fielder.
“They were patient with me,” he said. “The city embraced me like family. It was phenomenal having that opportunity and I met some great friends there like Shawn Green, Pat Hentgen, Jose Cruz Jr., Darrin Fletcher [and] Roger Clemens.”
The Blue Jays didn’t make the playoffs once during Delgado’s tenure (excluding 1993, when he had two plate appearances as a callup). So he looks back at the Mets’ 2006 playoff run as one of the best experiences of his career, even though the Cardinals beat the Mets in the seventh game of the NLCS.
“It was phenomenal,” Delgado said. “It was a great experience. It was an energy that you’d never experienced before. I wish I could have done it more often. I wish it had happened every year, but it didn’t happen. After 12-13 years when I finally made it, it was great.”
Now that it’s all over, Delgado says he’ll spend some time with his wife and children before deciding whether to pursue other opportunities in baseball. When eligible, he’ll become a candidate to join former teammate Roberto Alomar in the Hall of Fame, but he says he doesn’t intend to worry about Cooperstown.
“It would be a great honor,” Delgado said. “I would be lying if I told you that it wouldn’t be. But by the same token, I try to keep it real, because that’s a situation where I really have no control. I played the game with passion, I played the game as hard as I could for as long as I could and I did what I wanted to do, which was have fun and play … I think I had a pretty good career. I put some numbers on the board, but like I said it’s beyond my control."
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.