Odds & Ends: Twins, K-Rod, Marlins, Soriano
Sunday links, as Charlie Morton hopes to avoid becoming the Pirates' fifth pitcher this season with double-digit losses….
- Jon Paul Morosi tweets that he spoke with a source who believes that the Twins are done trading, following their acquisition of Brian Fuentes from the Angels, but notes that it's hard to be 100% certain. Morosi suggested they could be a fit for Troy Glaus earlier today.
- While trading Francisco Rodriguez would be good for the Mets, it won't be easy, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman stops short of labeling K-Rod an "untradeable player," but says he's pretty close.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider-only link) praises the Twins' acquisition of Brian Fuentes and suggests the government ought to formally investigate whether the Marlins lied to taxpayers about their finances.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com details Rafael Soriano's unlikely path to Tampa last winter, noting how crucial the closer has been to the Rays' success.
- In his weekly Baseball Notes piece, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe discusses Manny Ramirez, Dusty Baker, and the Indians, among other topics.
Multiple Teams Interested In Troy Glaus
Multiple American League teams have some interest in Troy Glaus, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Glaus has been on the disabled list since August 18th, but has been hitting well on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett.
When Glaus returns from the DL, the Braves plan to give him some playing time at third base and as a pinch-hitter. However, given his defensive limitations, he would make more sense for an AL contender in need of some power at first base or designated hitter. The Red Sox, Rays, Twins, White Sox, and Rangers could all be fits, particularly at Glaus' affordable price – he has about $340K remaining on his $1.75MM deal.
We've yet to hear whether or not Glaus has passed through waivers already in August. Buster Olney of ESPN.com reported earlier in the month that players could not clear waivers while on the disabled list, but Morosi later indicated that, as long as the player exhibited good health, he could be placed on waivers prior to being activated. Given Glaus' .391 average and two homers on his rehab assignment, he appears to be healthy, so that shouldn't be a roadblock.
Twins Designate Loek Van Mil For Assignment
The Twins have designated pitcher Loek Van Mil for assignment, according to a team press release. The move was made in order to make room for Brian Fuentes on the 40-man roster.
The Netherlands native has spent most of this season with the club's Double-A affiliate, posting a 6.37 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 6.7 BB/9 in 29.2 innings. Van Mil is best known for being the tallest player in the minor leagues at 7'1".
Odds & Ends: Ramirez, Twins, Inge, Pirates, Dodgers
Saturday afternoon linkage..
- Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets that the Dodgers have left Manny Ramirez out of the lineup for a third consecutive game. One has to wonder if this means that the Dodgers are ready to send Ramirez to the White Sox.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) asked Twins GM Bill Smith if the club's payroll has reached $100MM. He responded, "I've quit checking."
- There's no evidence yet of serious trade talks between the Dodgers and the White Sox regarding Manny Ramirez, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.
- A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that he would be very surprised to see the Tigers trade Brandon Inge before Tuesday's deadline.
- Commissioner Bud Selig has no issue with the Pirates' financial statements which were made public earlier this week, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
- Dodgers players don't seem to be too concerned about the divorce of the McCourts in this article by Beth Harris of the Associated Press.
Twins Acquire Brian Fuentes
The Twins have acquired Brian Fuentes from the Angels according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com (via Twitter). LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune tweets that the Angels will receive a player to be named later in the deal.
Fuentes, 35, has a 3.52 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 38.1 innings this season. There's approximately $1.89MM left on his contract this season, and he's unlikely to reach the 55 games finished that will trigger his $9MM vesting option for next season (he's at 33 GF right now). He's saved 23 games in 27 opportunities.
Manager Ron Gardenhire said that Matt Capps will retain closer duties, pushing Fuentes to set-up work according to another Neal tweet. The former Rockie has held lefthanded batters to a .132/.209/.158 batting line against with 15 strikeouts in 44 at-bats, so he'll also be a valuable weapon against lefties.
Jason Kubel’s 2011 Option
The Twins have Delmon Young, Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer under team control for 2011, so they could get by without Jason Kubel. But because the team can bring Kubel back for a reasonable $5.25MM option, it seems likely that he'll return to Minneapolis for another season.
Assistant GM Rob Antony expressed interest in bringing Jim Thome back next year, but as the Twins showed this summer, extra outfield depth can make a big difference. Kubel can hit, though his production has dropped off this year after a tremendous 2009 season. Target Field has been tough on many hitters including Kubel, whose .787 OPS sits 120 points lower than his 2009 mark. Still, with 18 homers, the ability to play left or right field and a solid .261/.339/.448 line, Kubel has value.
The Twins will pay the 28-year-old $350K regardless (the cost of his buyout), and $5.25MM is reasonable, especially at a time when the team's most promising outfield prospects, Ben Revere and Aaron Hicks, still need minor league seasoning. Kubel projects to be a Type A free agent, so the Twins could theoretically turn down his option, offer arbitration and obtain picks if Kubel signs elsewhere. That seems unlikely, since Kubel will be affordable and should be productive.
Twins Claim Randy Flores
The Twins claimed lefty reliever Randy Flores off waivers from the Rockies, according to a press release. The 35-year-old posted a 2.96 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 27.1 innings for the Rockies this year, but the Rockies designated him for assignment last week. He earns a total of $650K this year and hits free agency after the season, so the Twins make only a minor financial commitment.
The Twins transferred another lefty reliever, Ron Mahay to the 60-day DL in a corresponding move. With Mahay and Jose Mijares injured, the Twins had a clear need for left-handed relief and it didn't take long for GM Bill Smith to address it cheaply.
Non-Tender Candidate: J.J. Hardy
My listing of Twins shortstop J.J. Hardy yesterday as a non-tender candidate inspired much debate in our comments section. Let's dig deeper into the situation.
In terms of Wins Above Replacement, Hardy's 1.8 this year ranks fifth in the American League on the FanGraphs leaderboard. Hardy's done this in only 70 games, as he's missed time due to a bruised wrist. His bat his been about league average for AL shortstops, while much of his value is derived from what UZR/150 suggests is well above-average defense. Hardy has been strong in UZR every year of his career, not just the 580 innings in 2010.
However, I am guessing the Twins will not look closely at WAR when making the decision on whether to tender Hardy a 2011 contract in December. They'll first need to determine how much Hardy will seek or earn for next year, his final season before free agency. It's promising that Twins only needed to give Hardy a $450K raise coming off a disappointing 2009 season. They might be able to sign him for less than $6MM one last time. Hardy can't be too aggressive in his salary demands, as his agent Mike Seal surely knows that UZR numbers probably won't help his client in front of an arbitration panel and weak offensive counting stats would hurt him.
The Twins probably haven't decided yet whether Hardy is worth $6MM or so to them in 2011. They'll be considering alternatives. Trevor Plouffe is an internal option, though his work in a second Triple A stint doesn't stand out. Alexi Casilla will be around next year as well. The free agent market is weak, with Juan Uribe one of the better options the Twins can consider. The trade market could offer Stephen Drew, Jamey Carroll, Jack Wilson, or even a second round with Jason Bartlett.
With those thoughts, it's time for you to weigh in. Click here to vote on whether Hardy will be non-tendered, and here to see the results of the poll.
Stark On Sherrill, Blue Jays, Harper, Thome
There has been a “flurry” of waiver claims on prominent players, according to an MLB official who spoke with ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Nearly every desirable hitter and reliever has been claimed, according to Stark’s source. However, we can add at least one name to our list of players to clear waivers. Here it is, along with Stark’s other rumors:
- George Sherrill, who has a 7.00 ERA and $1.3MM remaining on his contract, cleared waivers, according to Stark. The Dodgers can now trade him to any club, as our waiver trade primer explains.
- David Aardsma, Kevin Gregg and Brandon League were all claimed on waivers and pulled back, according to Stark’s source. If the Mariners or Blue Jays re-expose their respective relievers to waivers, they would no longer have the right to pull the players back.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Stark that he’s looking for high-impact players, because the club is geared towards reaching 95 wins.
- One MLB official believes Manny Ramirez will sign a one-year, incentive-based contract with an AL team this winter. That sounds about right.
- There have been no signs that Scott Boras, who represents first overall pick Bryce Harper, has had any meaningful conversations with the Nationals about what it will take to reach a deal. The sides have until Monday at 11pm CST to reach a deal.
- The Twins were willing to include Wilson Ramos (now in Washington’s system) in a trade for Cliff Lee, according to Stark’s sources.
- Jim Thome already has 15 homers for the Twins, and he could be back in Minneapolis next year. "We'd certainly have interest in him coming back," Twins assistant GM Rob Antony told Stark.
Twins Sign First Rounder Alex Wimmers
The Twins have signed first round pick Alex Wimmers according to Kelsie Smith of The Pioneer Press (via Twitter). Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune tweets that he will receive a $1.33MM signing bonus, matching MLB's recommended bonus.
Minnesota selected Wimmers with the 21st overall pick back in June. The Ohio State righthander boasts the best changeup in the draft according to Baseball America, who also says that he throws his fastball at 90-92 and touches 94 mph. Smith says Wimmers will report to the Twins' Class-A Advanced affiliate in Fort Myers next week (Twitter link).
There are still 17 unsigned first round picks with ten days to go before the signing deadline.