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NL Central Notes: Brewers, Cubs, Hendry, Pujols

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Notes from the NL Central as we wish the best of luck to all those affected by the earthquake in Japan…

  • Brewers reliever Takashi Saito won't have to return to Japan, since his family has been safely accounted for, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (on Twitter).
  • Outfielder Brett Jackson headlines MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo's list of the top 10 prospects in the Cubs organization.
  • Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times shows that the Cubs–White Sox rivalry doesn't seem fierce now, since White Sox GM Kenny Williams supports the Cubs and Cubs GM Jim Hendry has nice things to say about the White Sox. 
  • Baseball writers at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch weigh in on the following question: will Albert Pujols play even better than usual in 2011? The Cardinals slugger is months away from hitting free agency for the first time in his career.

Quick Hits: White, Matsui, Morales

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Links for Wednesday as the Phillies adjust to the possibility of losing Chase Utley for a while. Click here for Tim Dierkes' list of alternatives for the Phillies and keep reading for today's links…

Melvin: Greinke Did Not Violate Contract

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Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Zack Greinke did not violate his contract by cracking a rib while playing basketball. Greinke’s contract prevents him from playing competitive basketball, but doesn’t prohibit pickup games, so the Brewers won’t discipline him and he’ll earn his entire $13.5MM salary.

The front office hopes Greinke will miss just two or three starts and is considering rookies such as Wily Peralta, Amaury Rivas and Mark Rogers as possible placeholders for the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner. As I explained earlier tonight, the Brewers can likely get by with pitchers already in the organization.

The Brewers are eyeing rival pitchers in case a possible fit becomes available. But Melvin says a trade or claim probably doesn’t make sense. "The problem with getting somebody else is what do you do with him when Zack comes back?" Melvin asked.

Greinke Hurt; Brewers Appear To Have Enough Depth

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Like their division rivals, the Brewers lost a top starter to injury before the season even started. But unlike the Cardinals, the Brewers have reason to expect their ace back before long. As a result, it appears that Milwaukee has the depth to get by without making external additions.

Zack Greinke cracked a rib playing basketball and will start the season on the disabled list, so the Brewers will begin the eagerly anticipated 2011 campaign without their most accomplished starter. Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson should provide rookie manager Ron Roenicke with a strong front four and the team doesn't expect to need an extra starter very often; GM Doug Melvin told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that the Brewers will only need a fifth starter three times in April.

Parra

Though the Brewers have a thin farm system – Baseball America ranked it 30th among the 30 MLB organizations – top prospect Mark Rogers started two games for the club last year and could be an option this spring. Rogers, a raw 25-year-old, has an upper-90s fastball and a potentially devastating curve, according to Baseball America. Those tools helped him post a 3.65 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in the minors last year after missing 2007 and 2008 with shoulder operations. The right-hander has encountered some shoulder issues again this spring, however, so he's no sure thing.

But the Brewers don't have to push Rogers to the major leagues, since Manny Parra (pictured) is available, as long as his back stiffness passes, as he expects it to. The left-hander has averaged 24 starts over the course of the past three seasons, including 16 starts in 2010. He posted a 5.02 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 as a swingman last year, logging 122 innings.

Roenicke recently told McCalvy that he considers Tim Dillard, Wily Peralta and Amaury Rivas potential starters as well. The team's current options don't compare with Greinke, but Parra, Rogers or someone else should be able to provide the Brewers with a handful of solid starts as their ace recovers.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Jays, Brewers Head List Of Dominican Signings

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The Dominican Prospect League has announced several more signings:

  • The Blue Jays signed 17-year-old outfielder Francisco Tejada for $150K.  With the move, all 30 teams have signed a player out of the DPL.  The press release refers to Tejada's "high athletic ceiling," citing his speed and arm.
  • The Brewers inked 17-year-old third baseman Estervin Matos for $100K after a strong offensive performance in the DPL.
  • Additionally, the Mets signed righty Miguel Angel Bautista for $10K, the Nationals signed righty Deury Vazquez for $30K, and the Diamondbacks signed American-born middle infielder Jesse Liriano for $10K.

No Extension This Time For Brewers, McGehee

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The Brewers announced that they signed Casey McGehee to a one-year contract instead of completing the extension they had preliminary discussions about. There's no rush for a deal, as the third baseman isn't arbitration eligible until after the coming season and isn't scheduled to hit free agency until after the 2014 campaign.

McGehee hit 23 homers last year, posting a .285/.337/.464 line in 670 plate appearances in his first full season. The longtime Cubs farmhand caught on with the Brewers in 2009 and hit 16 homers with an .859 OPS in 394 plate appearances as a rookie.

The Brewers, who have already extended infielder Rickie Weeks this offseason, have now signed all 40 players on their 40-man roster.

Brewers Discussing Extension With Casey McGehee

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The Brewers are in discussions with Casey McGehee about a multiyear extension for the third baseman, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  GM Doug Melvin says he should know within "the next few days" whether an extension is feasible, though he notes that the two sides have only talked "briefly" about a long-term contract.

McGehee, 28, hit .285/.337/.464 in 670 plate appearances for Milwaukee last season, his first as an everyday player.  He is under team control through 2014 and will be arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter.  If Melvin does get McGehee locked up, it would be the second multiyear deal given to a Brewer infielder this offseason, on the heels of Rickie Weeks' four-year, $38.5MM extension.

Cafardo’s Latest: Peavy, Gonzalez, Molina, Beltre

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In today's notes column for The Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo writes about the Orioles' rebuilding process, which included renovations to the team's Spring Training and minor league facilities. "There was no magic formula," said president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. "We're not doing anything that hasn't been done before. The Orioles I grew up with did it with scouting and player development, and we're doing it the same way now."

Here are the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

  • Both Yankees and Red Sox executives spoke out against revenue sharing last week, but no one wants a salary cap and the player's union won't allow one anyway.
  • The early signs are good for Jake Peavy, who is coming back from a detached lat muscle. One scout called Peavy "trade bait for sure" if he's healthy and the White Sox slip out of contention. "Though teams may come after Mark [Buehrle] first."
  • John Boggs, agent for Adrian Gonzalez, has not talked to the Red Sox about an extension since December, though something may be set up soon. Boggs will not be in Florida until the third week of March.
  • The Brewers don't want to bring in someone like Bengie Molina in the wake of Jonathan Lucroy's broken finger because they know their young backstop will be back in a few weeks.
  • When the Red Sox drew the line at four years and $52MM for Adrian Beltre, one of their fears was his potential to get hurt given his all-out approach. Beltre suffered a calf strain recently and may be out for up to a month.

Morosi On The Brewers, Prince

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The Brew Crew emerged from the offseason as one of its winners, bolstered their starting rotation significantly and preserving a potent lineup. Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com checks in with some items of interest from Brewers camp, most notably how Prince Fielder's uncertain future shaped their offseason and the season to come.

  • This spring will probably be Fielder's last with the Brewers, writes Morosi, but after a fine offseason, the slugger and team are in good spirits as they embark on what could be a run at the postseason. Fielder and the Brewers are not currently in extension negotiations, and Morosi thinks that is a sound strategy, because it won't give the fan base false hope.
  • Because Fielder was prominent in trade rumors even as early as last season, many figured the Brewers wouldn't be able to acquire an ace pitcher this offseason without flipping him. They did, of course, landing not only an ace in Zack Greinke, but another solid mid-rotation arm in Shaun Marcum.
  • Fielder's situation with the Brewers is reminiscent of Carl Crawford's final season with the Rays in 2010, when the star player and small-market club knew they'd probably part ways after the season.
  • These Brewers and those Rays differ, however, in that although Milwaukee is gearing up for a postseason push with one of its best players on the brink of free agency, all of its other core players are either locked up to long-term deals or under team control, whereas Tampa Bay severed ties with a handful of other key contributors like Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano and Joaquin Benoit.
  • The difference in hype between Fielder's and Albert Pujols' pending free agencies is "disproportionately large," writes Morosi, because although Pujols is the superior player, he's also four years older.

Quick Hits: Rockies, Dodgers, McDonald, Clippard

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Links for Thursday night..

  • While I wondered if the Braves could be a match for the Cardinals as they look for pitching, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests that the Rockies could be a match.  A major league source told Rosenthal that the Cards will first explore internal options before looking out-of-house.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig has rejected a proposal under which FOX would have loaned about $200MM to Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, three people familiar with the talks told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
  • Ex-Giant Juan Uribe is happy to be aboard with the Dodgers, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Former Dodgers pitcher James McDonald is excited to turn over a new leaf with the Pirates, writes Evan Drellich of MLB.com.  McDonald was shipped to Pittsburgh along with Andrew Lambo for Octavio Dotel last season. 
  • Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard says that he will continue to be represented by agent Casey Close, who is leaving CAA Sports, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • Brewers right-handers Justin James and Shaun Marcum were drafted by Toronto in the same year but took very different paths to wind up in Milwaukee, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  James claimed off waivers by the Brewers from the A's this offseason.
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