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Quick Hits: Mariners, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Bailey

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Friday night linkage..

  • The Mariners are receiving calls on Jamey Wright and Adam Kennedy, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Both the Red Sox and the Yankees have scouts at tonight's Mets–Phillies game, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers has made the rounds of his minor league teams and is willing to part with pieces at the deadline, writes Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.  Club ownership has told Towers that he will have some financial flexibility if he wants to add some payroll at the Deadline.
  • The Athletics have received calls on Andrew Bailey, though their current position is that they would need to be overwhelmed by an offer, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Ken Davidoff of Newsday looks at some of the best mid-season rentals in recent years.  No surprise here, No. 1 is the Brewers' acquisition of C.C. Sabathia in 2008.
  • Over at Fangraphs, Dave Cameron continues his 2011 Trade Value series with a look at players ranked No. 25-21.

Francisco Rodriguez Waives Vesting Option

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5:05PM: Rodriguez's buyout will now increase from $3.5MM to $4MM with the Mets paying the original buyout and the Brewers paying the remainder, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  K-Rod's vesting option now kicks in with the same 55 games finished, though the clause is now meaningless (via Twitter).

4:10PM: Francisco Rodriguez has agreed to waive his $17.5MM vesting option for 2012 in exchange for additional compensation, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The reliever will hit the open market at the end of the 2011 season.

The Brewers can now use Rodriguez without worrying that they'll have to pay him $17.5MM in 2012. The reliever's option would have become guaranteed for that amount if he had finished 55 total games this season, and he finished 34 with the Mets before heading to Milwaukee.

Rodriguez had the Brewers on his no-trade list, but his former agent did not properly submit the list, so it was not in effect when the Mets sent the 29-year-old to the Brewers. Rodriguez recently hired Scott Boras, who will represent him this fall. The last time the closer hit free agency, he signed a three-year $37MM deal with New York on the heels of his 62-save season.

Brewers Were On Francisco Rodriguez’s No-Trade List

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The Brewers were one of ten teams on Francisco Rodriguez's no-trade list, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). However, as David Waldstein of the New York Times reported yesterday, the Mets never received the list from agent Paul Kinzer, so it didn't serve its intended purpose. Though Rodriguez has nothing against the Brewers, he lost out on potential leverage, according to Heyman.

The Mets traded Rodriguez to Milwaukee Tuesday night, not long after the reliever switched agents from Kinzer to Scott Boras. The 29-year-old has finished 34 games and a clause in his contract dictates that his $17.5MM option for 2012 becomes guaranteed if he finishes 55 games this season. Otherwise, the Mets will pay for a $3.5MM buyout and Rodriguez will hit the open market.

Francisco Rodriguez Trade Links

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Shortly after the All-Star game last night, the Brewers came out of nowhere to acquire Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez and $5MM from the Mets for two minor league players to be named later.  The deal came together quickly, tweets ESPN's Adam Rubin.  The Mets couldn't afford to wait much longer, because K-Rod has a $17.5MM option for 2012 that vests with 55 games finished, and the reliever racked up 34 closing for the Mets.  Details and links on the deal…

  • Agent Paul Kinzer never submitted the list of ten teams to which Rodriguez could block trades, according to David Waldstein of the New York Times. The Mets didn't want to lose the freedom to deal Rodriguez anywhere, so they made the deal once Rodriguez switched agents to Scott Boras. The Mets thought Boras would submit a list of ten teams or file a grievance in an attempt to do so.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Jim Memolo and Mel Antonen of MLB Network Radio that the list of five minor league players the Mets will choose from in September does not include the Brewers' "top top guys," but they are "players that could play in the big leagues."
  • The Brewers were not among the ten teams to which Rodriguez could block a trade, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  That comes as no surprise, because new agent Scott Boras had indicated recently that his client would not approve a trade to set up if the team was among those ten.  The smart money is on K-Rod setting up for Brewers closer John Axford, though there's room for the new acquisition to safely finish ten or more games.
  • Though the agent had no influence on the trade, Rosenthal and Morosi note that it benefits Boras to get Rodriguez to free agency after the season, commission-wise.  I imagine Boras found all of this to be the likely scenario when he began representing K-Rod.
  • The Mets called around and offered similar deals to other teams, including the Yankees, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  He says the Brewers were willing to take on more money than any other team.  Alderson told the Brewers they had other deals for Rodriguez, so they'd have to pull the trigger now to get him, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  The Yankees declined because they were wary of having two emotional relievers – K-Rod and Rafael Soriano – working before their preferred ninth inning, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • Joe Pawlikowski of FanGraphs says the trade is a big bet on Axford for the Brewers.
  • ESPN's Keith Law says the Brewers should have gone after a reliever who misses more bats, given the team's porous defense.  With all due respect to Law, I can't find an available reliever with a higher strikeout rate than Rodriguez's 9.7 per nine, outside of Koji Uehara.
  • K-Rod will diminish his free agent value if he makes any waves about his role with Milwaukee, writes Rosenthal.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson had to be the adult in the room and make this deal, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • Dan Mennella discusses the fantasy baseball ramifications of the trade over at CloserNews.

Brewers Seek Boost On Left Side Of Infield

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The Brewers aren't done trading yet. They're working to improve the left side of their infield, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Brewers want a definite upgrade over shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt or third baseman Casey McGehee, but they aren’t close to making a deal, since few quality infielders are available in trades.

Jamey Carroll isn’t available now and J.J. Hardy will likely sign an extension with the Orioles, according to Rosenthal. The Brewers would like to obtain a player with a good glove and they can consider adding payroll on a case-by-case basis.

Brewers shortstops (Betancourt, Craig Counsell and Josh Wilson) have combined to rank 28th in MLB with a .267 OBP. Brewers third basemen (mostly McGehee and Counsell) rank 28th in MLB with a .206 average, a .264 OBP and a .277 slugging percentage. Betancourt has a .237/.255/.342 line while McGehee checks in at .223/.279/.315.

Brewers Acquire Francisco Rodriguez

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The Brewers surprised some people by trading for Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke last offseason and it turns out GM Doug Melvin wasn't done dealing for impact pitchers. The Brewers and Mets announced that Milwaukee has acquired Francisco Rodriguez and cash for two players to be named later.  The Mets will choose the players from a list of five Brewers minor leaguers by a date in September, tweets MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

K-Rod

“Francisco has been one of the best relievers in the game for many years,” Melvin said in a statement. “He is a high-quality arm who will be a tremendous asset to our bullpen as we prepare for the final months of the regular season and playoffs.”

The Brewers obtained almost $6MM in the deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Mets pay slightly less than half of the $4.9MM Rodriguez earns in 2011 and will be responsible for the $3.5MM buyout for his 2012 option.

The 29-year-old has a 3.16 ERA with 9.7 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 52% ground ball rate in 42 2/3 innings of relief this year. Those aren't the only numbers that matter for Rodriguez and the Brewers, however. He has finished 34 games and a clause in his contract dictates that his $17.5MM option for 2012 becomes guaranteed if he finishes 55 games this season. Otherwise, the Mets will pay for a $3.5MM buyout and Rodriguez will hit the open market.

Rodriguez, who signed a three-year $37MM free agent contract after saving 62 games in 2008, recently hired Scott Boras. The agent suggested earlier in the week that his new client would be unlikely to accept a trade to one of the ten teams on his no-trade list if it meant becoming a setup man. Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that manager Ron Roenicke will decide how to use Rodriguez and current closer John Axford depending on the situation.

It's not the first time that Melvin has made the first major trade of the summer. Back in 2008, he acquired C.C. Sabathia from the Indians in a deal that helped send the Brewers to the postseason for the first time since 1982. The 49-43 Brewers are now tied with the Cardinals atop the National League Central standings, one game ahead of the Pirates and four games ahead of the Reds.

Jon Heyman of SI.com first reported the move (Twitter links). For our instant take on the fantasy baseball ramifications of this deal for the Brewers and Mets, check out Dan Mennella's post at CloserNews.com, and be sure to follow @closernews on Twitter.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI. First published Tuesday, July 12th at 10:58pm.

Heyman On K-Rod, Sabathia, Fielder, Beltran

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The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Francisco Rodriguez's agent Scott Boras spoke with Brewers GM Doug Melvin shortly after last night's trade, at which point Heyman says "Boras made the case that K-Rod should close, suggesting he wouldn't do nearly as well setting up."  Melvin was apparently noncommital in that conversation, as he has been publicly.  K-Rod would become the highest-paid reliever in baseball history if his option vests, though Boras wouldn't get commission on a contract brokered by Wasserman Media Group in 2008.  Heyman suggests an unhappy Rodriguez is a scary concept, but based on the player's tweets (in Spanish), he's content.
  • Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia "has done some selling on the Yankees" to his friend Prince Fielder.  Heyman doesn't take this as a sign the Yankees are interested in Fielder as a very expensive designated hitter, but rather an indication that Sabathia expects to stick around with the club after this season.
  • Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman told Yahoo's Jeff Passan he expects Fielder to top Albert Pujols in total dollars due to the age difference, but Albert should get the higher average annual value.
  • Heyman sees the Tigers as a potential suitor for Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran.  He believes the Tigers could add a bat at second base, third base, or outfield.

Heyman On Jackson, Marlins, Brewers

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Some teams are hoping that a top-of-the-rotation starter or two will appear on the trade market at some point this month, but those pitchers aren’t available now, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Here’s the latest on the starting pitching market and more of Heyman’s notes from around the league: 

  • The White Sox are fielding calls on Edwin Jackson, who is set to hit free agency after the season. I identified 2011 as a 'make or break' year for the right-hander before the season and he has a 4.30 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 106 2/3 innings so far.
  • The Marlins want to be a contender when their new stadium opens next year, so they aren’t expected to seriously consider trading Ricky Nolasco or Anibal Sanchez.
  • Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is happy in Milwaukee, according to Heyman’s sources. Attanasio has family connections in Milwaukee, but he lives in Los Angeles so he has been mentioned as a speculative owner for the Dodgers.
  • Former agent Dennis Gilbert is a "logical candidate" to own the Dodgers at some point, Heyman writes.

Prince Fielder Open To DH Role Next Year

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July 11th: At today's All-Star Game media session, Fielder was asked about the DH possibility again and offered additional comments to WEEI's Alex Speier.  Speier says Fielder "suggested that he will listen to offers from clubs that see him as a designated hitter," though the slugger noted the difficulty of the adjustment.

June 29th: First baseman Prince Fielder wouldn't rule out signing as a DH, talking to John Harper of the New York Daily News:

"I'm not ruling anything out, but as for right now, I like playing first base."

Admittedly, that's a tiny scrap of information, but Fielder has been understandably reluctant to talk in-depth about his upcoming free agency.  It is notable that Fielder didn't openly rule out the possibility of signing as a designated hitter.  Of course, the best offer often trumps the player's preference, as we saw with Adam Dunn and the White Sox last offseason.

Harper's article discusses the possibility of the Yankees signing Fielder to DH, since first base will be occupied by Mark Teixeira through 2016.  The Red Sox could technically consider Fielder as a DH as well, but both scenarios seem highly unlikely for plenty of reasons.  Surely Scott Boras would prefer those teams in the mix for his client.  But we're talking about what Boras hopes to be the third-largest contract in baseball history, so Fielder will probably not ditch his glove in the first year.

Mets Notes: Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Wilpons

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One of three Mets' starting infielders currently on the disabled list, David Wright is making good progress in his rehab, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry and Anthony DiComo. The third baseman, who has been on the DL since May 18th, could start a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday and return to the Mets for the club's ten-game road trip later this month. Let's check out some other Mets-related notes….

  • According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, executives around the league have very different opinions about what sort of contract Jose Reyes will earn in free agency. Before Reyes was placed on the DL, estimates ranged from "no more than $90MM" to as much as $160MM.
  • Within the same piece, Sherman looks at some teams besides the Mets that could be in on Reyes this winter, including the Phillies, Brewers, Mariners, Nationals, and Tigers. One GM says the Giants are the "obvious choice," predicting a bid of $120MM or so from San Francisco.
  • The Mets' solid play heading into the second half makes the decision on whether to trade Carlos Beltran tougher, says Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. While the team probably won't seriously contend for the postseason, dealing Beltran this month would be a "white flag" move that would hurt attendance.
  • The Wilpons' chances of maintaining ownership of the Mets are looking better, write Teri Thompson and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.
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