Remembering the 2000 Trade Deadline
Ah, times were different back in 2000. Bush and Gore were locked in a closely-contested race. Reality television was the exception, not the rule. And What Women Want taught us that Mel Gibson would be best remembered for capturing Helen Hunt's heart.
Meanwhile, let's climb into the Wayback Machine (though I believe Sherman has already called shotgun) and look at some of the biggest trade deadline hits from the year 2000…
- The first deal of significance near the non-waiver trade deadline came on July 12, when the Yankees acquired Denny Neagle (and Mike Frank) for Jackson Melian, Drew Henson, Brian Reith and Ed Yarnall. The Yankees didn't lose much, since Henson's production never approached his hype. Neagle, however, was actually nearing the end of a good career, and posted just a 5.81 ERA after coming to New York.
- Little-discussed, however, is one of the most impressive trade-deadline pickups of all time. On July 21, the Yankees dealt the forgettable Ben Ford and Oswaldo Mairena to the Cubs for Glenallen Hill. For Hill, the deal provided the last, best jolt of power in a home run-packed career. He hit .333/.378/.735 (!) with 16 home runs in 143 at-bats for the Yankees. It is hard to imagine a better example of acquiring an impact bat. Hill, who last played in 2001, publicly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs late in his career.
- The most important trade of that time took place on July 26, 2000, when the Phillies traded Curt Schilling to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Omar Daal, Nelson Figueroa, Travis Lee and Vicente Padilla. Padilla was the most productive of the bunch, with a pair of 14-win seasons, while Travis Lee, the centerpiece, hit just .258/.343/.402 in Philadelphia. Schilling, meanwhile, still had 111 of his 216 career victories ahead of him. He posted a 22-6 record in 2001, a 23-7 record in 2002, and had a successful Red Sox career after the trade.
- Probably the biggest surprise of the players acquired at this time was Melvin Mora, traded with three other players by the Mets to the Orioles for Mike Bordick. The Mets wanted a shortstop and Bordick had a reputation as a strong defender. He posted a .260/.321/.385 mark with the Mets in 2000 and Mora went on to hit 158 home runs for the Orioles through 2009.
- The Indians dealt a 25-year-old Richie Sexson, along with Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon and a player to be named later to the Brewers for three pitchers to shore up their pitching staff: Jason Bere, Bob Wickman and Steve Woodard. Of the three, only Wickman posted a reasonable ERA, and the Charlie Manuel-led Indians finished five games behind the Jerry Manuel-led White Sox. Sexson, meanwhile, hit 45 home runs in two of the next three seasons. And adding insult to injury, the player to be named later turned out to be Marco Scutaro.
- In my favorite trade of the 2000 deadline, the Cardinals sent minor league slugger Jose Leon to the Orioles for first baseman Will Clark. All Clark did was hit .345/.426/.655 with the Cardinals, leading them into the NLCS. He then retired- the textbook case of going out on top.
Odds & Ends: Orioles, Scheppers, Pirates, Blue Jays
As we prepare for a weekend of watching AL pitchers take ineffective swings, here are a few news items…
- Dave Cameron of Fangraphs thinks the Orioles should take advantage of their terrible start by being the first team to put its assets on the trade market.
- Texas relief prospect Tanner Scheppers could be in the majors by the All-Star Break or even sooner, predicts John Sickels of MinorLeagueBall.com.
- ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill looks at what the Pirates might do with the second overall pick in next month's amateur draft.
- The Blue Jays want "a top prospect" for either Scott Downs or Jason Frasor, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, and other teams consider that to be too high a price for either reliever.
- Olney also notes (via Twitter) that Seattle is still looking for batting help.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America discusses several prospects in a chat with fans. In regards to Indians prospect Lonnie Chisenhall, Eddy predicts that Cleveland will buy out Jhonny Peralta (for $250K) rather than pick up his $7MM club option in 2011, and then have Chisenhall take over as the everyday third baseman. Chisenhall has just a .641 OPS at Double-A Akron this season, so it might be too much to expect him to move up to the majors that quickly.
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times compares the situations of fading future Hall-of-Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Trevor Hoffman.
- ESPN's Rob Neyer thinks Colorado can do better than Luis Castillo or Kazuo Matsui if the club is serious about improving itself at second base.
- Trevor Plouffe, Minnesota's first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2004 amateur draft, will make his major league debut tonight for the Twins, reports Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Capuano, Brewers Push Back Opt-Out Date
Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Brewers and left-hander Chris Capuano have mutually agreed to postpone the opt-out date in the pitcher's contract to May 29. Capuano could've opted out of the minor league deal he signed last November since he wasn't on Milwaukee's major league roster by May 20, but the date was extended because Capuano "wasn't physically ready for that kind of decision."
The Brewers' pitching problems this season have been well-documented, but a healthy Capuano could provide a much-needed (and cheap) boost. The former All-Star hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007 due to the second Tommy John surgery of his career, but he has been lights-out in the minors this season. In five starts for Milwaukee's A+ and Triple-A affiliates, Capuano has a 1.55 ERA and an eye-popping 14.5 K/BB ratio.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Hoffman, Bay, Markakis
On this date back in 2004, Alex Rodriguez returned to Texas to play the Rangers for the first time since being traded (along with $71MM) to the Yankees for Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias. He was booed loudly just like every other road game of his career, though he silenced the home crowd – at least temporarily – with a two-run homer in the first inning.
Here are a few links from around the baseball blogosphere…
- Disciples of Uecker thinks it's time for Trevor Hoffman to call it a career.
- Mets Merized wants to know what happened to Jason Bay's power.
- Meanwhile, Camden Crazies looks at Nick Markakis' lack of pop.
- The Kept Faith says that it's time for the Oscar Salazar era to end in San Diego.
- Nick's Twins Blog isn't sure if Jesse Crain can right the ship.
- Yankeeist wonders if Marcus Thames will be able to replace the injured Nick Johnson.
- The Friarhood examines some players the Padres could select in next month's amateur draft.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Odds & Ends: Resop, Gamel, Santana, Bumgarner
Happy birthday, Jayson Werth! Let's celebrate by reading these news items…
- FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi outlines the unique contract situation of right-hander Chris Resop, who has been a revelation as a starting pitcher this season for Atlanta's Triple-A team.
- A bit further down the FOX Sports Buzz page, Morosi notes that Mat Gamel's time playing first base during his rehab assignment isn't necessarily a hint about Prince Fielder's fate in Milwaukee.
- In response to a piece about the Dodgers' spending under Frank McCourt, Fanhouse's Tom Krasovic relates how L.A. shipped Carlos Santana to Cleveland in the Casey Blake deal rather than pick up $2MM of Blake's salary. If Santana becomes the star catcher that he's projected to be for the Tribe, Dodger fans might be regretting that $2MM worth of savings for a long time.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says the Giants may have Eric Hacker replace the struggling Todd Wellemeyer in the rotation. Star prospect Madison Bumgarner has pitched well in Triple-A this season, but Schulman thinks the Giants want the young left-hander to have more innings at that level before they bring him up to the majors.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post writes that the recently DFA'ed Willy Taveras worked out in Houston this week. The Astros offered Taveras a minor league deal over the winter, so Taveras' workout could represent a rekindling of the club's interest, or it could've just been a courtesy extended to a former Astro.
- Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks Michael Brantley and the Indians would both be better served by having the outfield prospect back in the majors. Pluto points out that if the Tribe are trying to stall Brantley's service time, then they shouldn't have had him start with the club on Opening Day.
- The Rays have had almost as many key injuries as the Yankees this season, but Tampa Bay's depth made them better prepared to deal with it, writes Steve Slowinski of the DRaysBay blog.
- Speaking of those Yankee injuries, Brian Cashman said today that the club would look within their system to fill the holes, reports Chad Jennings of The Journal News.
Minor League Transactions
Baseball America's Matt Eddy gave his weekly look at some of the comings and goings in the minors. Here are few of the notable names involved in this week's report….
- Milwaukee signed outfielder Josh Anderson, who was just released last week by the Reds. Anderson's career .665 OPS isn't much to look at, but the Kentucky native is a decent base-stealer — he had 25 swipes out of 30 attempts with Kansas City and Detroit in 2009.
- Utilityman Kory Casto was signed by Arizona. Casto last played in the majors in 2008 with Washington, and he has posted a .540 OPS in 239 career plate appearances. He split his time at first, third and in the outfield for Triple-A Syracuse in 2009. Casto signed a minor league deal with Detroit over the winter but was released in April.
- Right-hander Devern Hansack was released by the Red Sox. Hansack pitched relatively well in limited action with Boston from 2006 to 2008, posting a 3.70 ERA and a 5:00 K/BB ratio in nine career major league games, three of them starts.
- Veteran catcher J.R. House, who last played in the majors in 2008, was signed by the Mets. Originally drafted by Pittsburgh in 1999, House was ranked at the 21st best prospect in baseball by Baseball America before the 2001 season.
- Rough week in the Ka'aihue household: Kila was sent back down to Triple-A by the Royals, and younger brother Kala was released by the Athletics. Kala Ka'aihue put up some impressive power numbers of his own in his first four seasons in the minors, but struggled over his last two years in the Atlanta and Oakland systems.
Brewers See No Reason To Replace Macha
Brewers GM Doug Melvin told 620 WTMJ that the Brewers aren't about to replace manager Ken Macha, despite the team's nine game losing streak and 15-25 record.
"I don't see any reason," Melvin said. "I see reasons to work together and try to get some wins."
Melvin, who said he feels "fine" about his own job security, explained that the Brewers don't want Macha to take full responsibility for the team's disappointing start. Melvin and Brewers owner Mark Attanasio talk every day about turning the team around.
Melvin's vote of confidence doesn't mean much, though. Last week, Royals GM Dayton Moore said then-manager Trey Hillman was doing a "terrific job" just days before Hillman was fired. It would not be a surprise to see Macha fired soon if the Brewers don't start winning. As Jon Heyman of SI.com noted yesterday, bench coach Willie Randolph could take over as Brewers manager.
Heyman On Mets, Brewers, Werth
The Marlins should extend manager Fredi Gonzalez to keep him around as long as Hanley Ramirez is under contract, writes Jon Heyman of SI.com. There's no indication that the Marlins are going to extend their skipper in the near future, but Heyman has the latest on some moves that could happen sooner:
- The Mets will "almost assuredly" hire Bob Melvin if they fire Jerry Manuel, but there's no evidence that GM Omar Minaya is under the same scrutiny as Manuel.
- The Brewers would presumably ask bench coach Willie Randolph to manage if they fire manager Ken Macha.
- Executives estimate that Jayson Werth will sign a deal worth more than Jason Bay's $66MM deal, but less than Matt Holliday's $120MM deal. One executive doesn't think Werth will be able to secure a deal like Holliday's because he doesn't have the same track record. Werth hadn't played more than 102 games before 2008, but he has hit .278/.375/.521 since then.
If The Brewers Become Sellers
Having dropped seven in a row, the Brewers stand at 15-23, seven games out in the NL Central. Though more than 76% of the season remains, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs points out that Milwaukee's playoff chances already look slim. Here's a look at who might be available if Doug Melvin opens up shop a month or two from now.
The discussion begins with Prince Fielder, who is signed for $10.5MM this year and arbitration-eligible for 2011. Fielder's power went missing in April, but he seems to be back in business now. Though the Brewers could lose Fielder to free agency, there's a case to be made for keeping him until next year's trade deadline in the name of competing in 2011. If he's dealt this summer, I think the package would have to focus on players who can help next year.
The majority of the Brewers' rotation might be immovable. Randy Wolf just began a three-year, $29.75MM deal, and his numbers have slipped. Doug Davis has been lousy, though he's on a one-year, $5.25MM deal. Dave Bush's ugly peripherals don't back up his 4.27 ERA, and he's being paid $4.215MM. Jeff Suppan, now working in long relief, is the highest-paid of all.
Trevor Hoffman's $8MM salary is prohibitive, though he's shown signs of life this month outside of a mop-up appearance. Well-paid relievers LaTroy Hawkins and David Riske are on the DL.
The Brewers do have some attractive trade chips. Corey Hart is playing better, so he could be dealt assuming the Brewers don't plan to tender him a contract after the season. It might be tougher to trade Rickie Weeks, who is also arbitration-eligible one last time after 2010. Lefty Manny Parra had an excellent April, but the Brewers wouldn't have much motivation to trade him. With Davis hitting the DL, Parra rejoins the Brewers' rotation today.
Veterans such as Craig Counsell, Jody Gerut, Gregg Zaun, Claudio Vargas, and Jim Edmonds would make sense to shop, as all are free agents after the season (Zaun has a club option).
Odds & Ends: Scherzer, Lamb, LaRoche
Saturday night linkage..
- The Tigers announced tonight they've demoted Max Scherzer and Scott Sizemore to Triple A, with Armando Galarraga and Danny Worth getting the call. Both Scherzer and Edwin Jackson have disappointed since changing teams in December's big deal.
- Hank Blalock comes to Tampa Bay determined to be a more well-rounded player, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry and Bill Chastain.
- The Marlins could make a 40-man roster move soon to bring back Mike Lamb, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Lamb was designated for assignment last week and is currently in Triple A.
- Despite Adam LaRoche's successful 2009 stint in Atlanta (.325/.401/.557 in 57 games), the Braves didn't approach him about returning, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Alan Schwarz of the New York Times takes an in-depth look at the likely first overall pick in next month's draft, Bryce Harper.
- Nats manager Jim Riggleman says that the club will have to consider making a roster move with reliever Brian Bruney, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
- Mets pitcher Oliver Perez won't accept a demotion to Triple-A if asked, tweets David Lennon of Newsday. Perez has been bumped out of the starting rotation and placed in the bullpen.
- Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes that Eric Byrnes and Morgan Ensberg are making the most of life-after-baseball.
- Brewers pitching prospect Jeremy Jeffress will have to wait a little bit longer to return to the mound once he is reinstated, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Jeffress, the 18th overall pick in the 2006 draft, has tested positive for a "drug of abuse" on three separate occasions.