Cardinals Reach Agreement With Renyel Pinto
Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post tweets that Renyel Pinto, who was released by the Marlins on Wednesday this week, will sign with the Cardinals. The deal is pending a physical. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirms the deal and says Pinto will report to Triple-A Memphis, assuming he passes his physical.
Pinto was designated for assignment back on June 16 prior to his release, in spite of pitching relatively well this season. While he's had his typical control issues (nine walks in 15.2 IP), he's also notched 16 Ks on the year. Pinto has two years of arbitration remaining, so St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan could have plenty of time to work with the southpaw and his career 5.9 BB/9.
Left-handed opponents have been a problem for Pinto throughout his career, despite being a lefty himself. He's allowed a .253 opponent batting average to lefties versus just a .209 average to right-handers, though he does strike out more left-handed hitters (11.7 career K/9) than right-handed (7.0 career K/9).
Marlins To Hire Bobby Valentine?
SATURDAY, 4:02pm: Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post tweets that the Marlins gave Rodriguez a last-minute formal interview. In a separate tweet, Capozzi says Rodriguez will travel to Puerto Rico, but it may not be as the manager.
FRIDAY, 7:24pm: In a text message, Valentine said no job offer has been made yet, and that the "process will take some time," according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
1:00pm: A person involved in the negotiations confirmed to the Associated Press that Valentine was speaking with the Marlins today. The sides are moving closer to a deal (link via the Boston Herald).
9:15am: Valentine told Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post that any report suggesting he starts Monday is "absolutely not true." The Marlins plan to interview D'Backs third base coach Bo Porter. Capozzi, who believes Heyman's report is true, points out (via Twitter) that Valentine has to deny it.
8:19am: The Marlins will hire Bobby Valentine to manage the team, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Valentine and the Marlins have at least a tentative deal in place (Twitter link).
Constant chatter has linked Valentine to the Marlins since they dismissed manager Fredi Gonzalez and Valentine withdrew his name from consideration for the Orioles' managerial job. According to ESPN, the network that currently employs Valentine, the Marlins are set to offer him a four-year deal.
Heyman says Valentine will start by Monday, when the Marlins play the team he once managed – the Mets – in Puerto Rico. That will add intrigue to the series, but will prevent interim manager Edwin Rodriguez from managing in his country of birth. Rodriguez, who is 1-1 since taking over the Marlins, became the first Puerto Rican-born manager in baseball history this week.
Remembering the 1993 Trade Deadline
Baseball's 1993 season, with a potential strike looming, was an interesting year. And the trade deadline produced deals involving some of baseball's biggest names.
- On June 24, the Marlins traded Andres Berumen, Jose Martinez and a young reliever named Trevor Hoffman to the Padres for Rich Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield. Sheffield was just 24, and the Marlins quickly realized that he was more at home in the outfield than at third base. Sheffield managed an OPS+ of 162 over his next four seasons, before being purged by the Marlins, who traded him in the 1998 Mike Piazza deal, then turned around and traded Piazza to the Mets for prospects. And Hoffman? 16 seasons in San Diego, 552 saves and an ERA+ of 146.
- Less than a month later, the Atlanta Braves added a signature piece to their roster, trading Vince Moore, Donnie Elliott and Melvin Nieves to the Padres for Fred McGriff. The Braves got immediate payoff from the deal. McGriff, who had posted a .275/.361/.497 line in San Diego, went on a .310/.392/.612 tear with Atlanta. He hit 130 home runs over five seasons with the Braves. This is a classic trade deadline pickup.
- Still more activity came from the Padres, who, it must be noted, finished just 61-101 in 1993. On July 26, San Diego traded Greg Harris and Bruce Hurst to the Colorado Rockies for Brad Ausmus, Doug Bochtler and a player to be named later. Harris reached his sell-by date the day he was traded, going from a 3.67 ERA with San Diego to a 1-8, 6.50 ERA finish in Colorado. Hurst pitched 8.2 innings of 5.19 ERA ball before going down due to injury. And worst of all? The player to be named later sent to San Diego turned out to be… Andy Ashby, who pitched eight seasons of 113 ERA+ baseball for the Padres. Not a good day one mile above sea level.
- Under the radar a bit was a three-team deal that must be mentioned. The Royals got John Habyan. The Yankees got Paul Assenmacher, saving the clubhouse manager a ton of time by not having uniform names on their players' backs. And the Cubs got outfielder Tuffy Rhodes. While Habyan and Assenmacher continued to do what they tended to do for everyone else- put up decent ERAs out of the bullpen- Rhodes was a revelation, hitting .288/.413/.538 in 63 plate appearances. Then, on Opening Day 1994, he hit three home runs against the Mets! Surely, stardom would follow. Instead, he hit .234/.318/.387, and was playing in Japan by 1996. He starred there, of course, with seven seasons of 40 or more home runs, including a high of 55.
- The final bit of trade deadline drama came with the best leadoff hitter of all time. The Oakland Athletics sent Rickey Henderson to the Toronto Blue Jays for elite pitching prospect Steve Karsay and outfield prospect Jose Herrera. Amazingly, Henderson was a total bust for Toronto. He hit .215/.356/.319 after the trade, .327/.469/.553 before the trade. But Karsay could never stay healthy for long, and Herrera didn't do much in two big league seasons.
Odds & Ends: Fukudome, Kemp, Lowell, Harang
Links for Friday, as the Rangers keep streaking…
- A few Cubs people told Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald that they're not trying to move Kosuke Fukudome as aggressively as it seems. The Cubs would still like to trade him, though.
- In a piece for the New York Times, Baseball-Reference creator Sean Forman says the Padres may be one above-average bat away from sustaining their surprisingly good start.
- Should the Dodgers trade Matt Kemp? Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports answers that question with a definite 'yes.'
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that Mike Lowell's hip issues, which have landed him on the disabled list, prevented the completion of the deal that would have sent Lowell to Texas over the winter. Lowell tells Speier he knows his DL stint will hurt his trade value.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer wonders if the Reds could trade Aaron Harang.
- The Padres need to add a bat, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Check out my appearance on Bloomberg Sports' Ballpark Figures series right here.
- Joe Torre told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that he would have room for Robinson Cano on his all-time Yankees team (Twitter link). Torre also managed All-Star second basemen Chuck Knoblauch and Alfonso Soriano in the Bronx.
- Kevin Kernan of the New York Post says it's the Mets' turn to make a big mid-summer acquisition. Kernan would like to see the Mets bring Cliff Lee back to the NL East.
- A person close to Lee told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that the lefty would not mind playing in New York.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post strongly endorses Bobby Valentine and Buck Showalter as managers. Sherman writes that the two skippers "are both fantastic at running a game" and would fit well in Florida and Baltimore, respectively.
Odds & Ends: Reds, Marlins, Athletics, Haren
Thursday night linkage..
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty came to the defense of his manager, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Bobby Valentine is said to love the Marlins' scouting system and new ballpark, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.
- A's GM Billy Beane told Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com that skipper Bob Geren's job is safe.
- Dealing Dan Haren could help replenish Arizona's thin farm system, writes MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
Marlins To Offer Valentine Four-Year Deal
The Marlins are expected to offer Bobby Valentine a four-year contract to become their next manager, a source close to the negotiations told Tim Kurkjian of ESPN. Valentine will fly to Florida on Friday night to meet with Marlins executives, including owner Jeffrey Loria.
All signs point to the former Rangers and Mets skipper taking the Marlins job by the end of the weekend, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, the club will interview two other candidates tomorrow. Major league sources tell Rosenthal that the Marlins will interview their interim manager, Edwin Rodriguez, as well as Diamondbacks' third base coach Bo Porter.
Rosenthal reports that Valentine could be sporting teal and silver as soon as Sunday, though no such timetable is assured. Sentiment exists in the organization to leave Rodriguez, the league's first Puerto Rican manager, in command through the team's series against the Mets in Puerto Rico. The series runs from Monday to Wednesday.
Marlins To Sign Armando Benitez
The Marlins' search for relievers has led them back to Armando Benitez. They plan to sign the long-time closer and assign him to Triple A, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Spencer notes that Benitez will likely be in uniform for the New Orleans Zephyrs tonight, assuming he passes his physical (Twitter link). It was apparent that the Marlins were looking for relief help, but this agreement is a definite surprise.
Benitez, who saved 47 games for the 2004 Marlins, last pitched in the majors with the Blue Jays in 2008. The Astros signed him last year, but he never appeared in a major league game for Houston. Benitez, now 37, ranks 23rd all-time with 289 career saves. He has closed for the Orioles, Mets, Giants and, of course, the Marlins.
Odds & Ends: Hall, Lowell, Myers, Valentine, Lee
Some links for Thursday as Rangers GM Jon Daniels decides exactly how he wants to dye his hair…
- The Rangers released Toby Hall, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). The catcher, who last played in the majors in 2008, was in extended spring training.
- Peter Gammons wouldn't be surprised to see Bobby Valentine managing the Marlins by this weekend (Twitter link).
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains that big league players such as Rod Barajas, Daniel Nava and Frank Herrmann were not drafted at all.
- The Red Sox are expected to put Mike Lowell on the DL to make room for Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Red Sox have not used Lowell much, leading to trade speculation, but the DL stint won't do much for his value.
- One GM tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he finds D'Backs hitters hard to evaluate because Chase Field is so hitter-friendly.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if Brett Myers might be a better trade chip than Roy Oswalt.
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News hears from a source who believes that there's a 95% chance Valentine becomes the Marlins' next manager.
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says Cliff Lee is becoming the "rock-solid, no-questions-asked, No. 1 trade target in baseball."
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Mets and Twins are frontrunners for Lee right now.
- Michael Cuddyer expressed confidence in Minnesota's front office and said Lee would look good in a Twins uniform, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Marlins Pursuing Relief Help; Won’t Deal Morrison
The Marlins are pursuing relief help, but won't deal prospect Logan Morrison to get it, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Marlins executives know that the team needs to improve its 'pen to contend, so they are trying to add relievers, but whenever the Marlins inquire about one, rival teams ask about 22-year-old first baseman Logan Morrison. If that's the price of adding relievers, the Marlins aren't interested.
Now 35-36, the Marlins are thin on relief help after demoting Jorge Sosa and releasing Renyel Pinto and Hunter Jones. It would be a shock to see the Marlins trade Morrison, the team's top prospect now that Mike Stanton is in the majors, for a reliever. The first baseman is hitting .331/.417/.547 so far in 2010.
Last year the cost of acquiring middle relievers varied. The Dodgers gave up Josh Bell for George Sherrill; the White Sox gave up Brandon Allen for Tony Pena; the Rockies gave up Connor Graham for Rafael Betancourt and Robinson Fabian and Ryan Mattheus for Joe Beimel. Bell and Allen are highly-touted prospects, but the Rockies showed that relievers can be acquired more cheaply.
Odds & Ends: Pomeranz, Marlins, Everett, Valentine
Links for Wednesday…
- Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that fifth overall pick Drew Pomeranz is scheduled to go to Cleveland on Monday to take a physical and "hear the Indians' sales pitch." Hoynes says there have been no negotiations to date.
- Marlins' president David Samson told Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald that they're "not ready to say for certain that trade didn't work," referring to the Miguel Cabrera blockbuster (Twitter link). Both Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin, the two centerpieces of the deal for Florida, have struggled in the big leagues and are currently in the minors.
- Upon hearing about Boston's interest in his services, Adam Everett said "I haven't heard that, but great team, great city, and it sounds interesting," according to FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi (via Twitter).
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets the leaders in wins above replacement, or WAR, from last year's free agent class. Andy Pettitte tops the list, followed closely by Livan Hernandez and Aubrey Huff.
- Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post notes (via Twitter) that the Marlins spoke with Bobby Valentine this morning. The Marlins' opening interests Valentine.
- Prince Fielder and Corey Hart tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that they realize they could be traded. Morosi says the Brewers should trade Hart for pitching, but Hart would prefer to stay in Milwaukee.
- Kenny Williams told Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune that the White Sox could become buyers.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Blue Jays could trade pitching away this trade deadline (Twitter link).
- Chris Iannetta told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he did his best to ignore rumors that the Red Sox were interested in him.
- At this point, Pedro Martinez doesn't want to think about whether he'll play this year. He told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he doesn't know anything right now.
- Steve Gould of the Baltimore Sun reminds us that 2009 first rounder Matt Hobgood is still a teenager and says Orioles fans should be more patient with the tall righty.
- MLB.com's Fred Claire shows that the Orioles are looking for the kind of stability that was once found in Baltimore and that the Angels now have.