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Odds & Ends: Henry, Kikuchi, Accardo

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Links for Friday…

  • MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tells us via Twitter that the Astros released pitchers Chad Paronto and Billy Sadler.
  • The Nationals interviewed longtime Braves scouting director Roy Clark, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Blue Jays fired J.P. Ricciardi advisor Dick Scott, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
  • Interesting note from WEEI's Alex Speier.  Back in 2002, upon purchasing the Red Sox and selling the Marlins, John Henry attempted to have Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett transferred to the Sox.
  • NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman says NPB is lobbying Japan's High School Baseball Federation to have Yusei Kikuchi appear in person for meetings with NPB teams but not MLB clubs.  Newman still likes the Rangers as Kikuchi's top suitor, based on reports.
  • Newman also tells us that pitcher Koji Mitsui, who was posted twice last winter but received no bids, has been released and will attempt to sign with an MLB team.
  • Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a plan for the Cubs that includes signing Chone Figgins and avoiding long-term free agent deals.
  • Padres exec Paul DePodesta explains the team's recent roster moves.
  • Via Twitter, ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. passes along info from Miguel Angel Sano's agent Rob Plummer. 
  • In an MLB.com chat, Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo says that his first choice is to stay with Toronto for his entire career, but his second choice is to pitch on the West Coast.

Odds & Ends: Henry, Kikuchi, Accardo

By | at

Links for Friday…

  • MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tells us via Twitter that the Astros released pitchers Chad Paronto and Billy Sadler.
  • The Nationals interviewed longtime Braves scouting director Roy Clark, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Blue Jays fired J.P. Ricciardi advisor Dick Scott, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
  • Interesting note from WEEI's Alex Speier.  Back in 2002, upon purchasing the Red Sox and selling the Marlins, John Henry attempted to have Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett transferred to the Sox.
  • NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman says NPB is lobbying Japan's High School Baseball Federation to have Yusei Kikuchi appear in person for meetings with NPB teams but not MLB clubs.  Newman still likes the Rangers as Kikuchi's top suitor, based on reports.
  • Newman also tells us that pitcher Koji Mitsui, who was posted twice last winter but received no bids, has been released and will attempt to sign with an MLB team.
  • Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a plan for the Cubs that includes signing Chone Figgins and avoiding long-term free agent deals.
  • Padres exec Paul DePodesta explains the team's recent roster moves.
  • Via Twitter, ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. passes along info from Miguel Angel Sano's agent Rob Plummer. 
  • In an MLB.com chat, Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo says that his first choice is to stay with Toronto for his entire career, but his second choice is to pitch on the West Coast.

Odds & Ends: Mauer, Towers, Joba

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Some links to peruse in between innings of the Cards/Dodgers game….

  • Barry M. Bloom at MLB.com writes that Twins catcher Joe Mauer is concerned with "winning, not fame." Mauer's willingness to fly under the radar might be good news for Minnesota fans worried that the batting champ will eventually leave town for a larger market. Of course, I'm sure knocking off the Yankees would help too.
  • No one thinks former Padres' GM Kevin Towers will be out of work for long. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that Towers should be the first choice for any team seeking a general manager. The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch adds that he expects Towers to join the Mets' front office, since Omar Minaya's tenuous grasp on his job could result in an eventual promotion for Towers.
  • Joel Pineiro tells MLB.com's Tom Singer that developing a sinker was the key to his 2009 success. Singer points out that Pineiro leads all free agent starters in a handful of categories this year, including baserunners allowed. The 31-year-old righty will get a chance to prove his effectiveness on a bigger stage this weekend against the Dodgers.
  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe speculates on Joba Chamberlain's 2010 role, wondering if "the pitcher Red Sox fans love to hate may be no better than a set-up man after all."
  • Baseball America's Aaron Fitt views the settlement between the NCAA and Andy Oliver as a "return to status quo" for the draft's "no agent" rule, but doesn't anticipate it lasting long.
  • We've heard some rumblings that Oakland's David Forst might be in the mix for the Padres' vacant GM spot. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer wonders, if it's true, why the Padres wouldn't just hire the ex-A's assistant GM they already have: Paul DePodesta.

Orlando Cabrera Wants To Return To Minnesota

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Orlando Cabrera tells the Pioneer Press that he wants to remain in Minnesota. He'll be a Type A free agent after the season, but the Twins can't offer him arbitration, so he won't cost any team a draft pick.

We took a close look at Cabrera's market value this morning. His .284/.316/.389 line and questionable defense will limit his value. However, MLB.com's Scott Merkin points to Cabrera's positive clubhouse presence and no one can deny his durability (Cabrera has played in at least 140 games every year since 2000). Still, it would be a surprise to see the Twins dole out a base salary worth more than the $4MM he signed for this spring.

Heyman On Pavano, Gomez, Nick Johnson

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Reggie Jackson tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that Alex Rodriguez will have a big postseason. Jackson says as much every year, but A-Rod did hit well last night – maybe 2009 is his year. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • Like most Yankees people, Jackson is no fan of Carl Pavano.
  • Carlos Gomez is hesitant to call the trade that sent him (and others) to Minnesota for Johan Santana fair. But, as Heyman points out, the Twins beat the Mets to the playoffs.
  • The Mets will look at free agent first basemen this offseason, but don't expect them to sign Nick Johnson. GM Omar Minaya and the Mets are shying away from injury-prone players. I wonder if that applies to pitchers like Ben Sheets, Rich Harden and Erik Bedard.

The Market For Orlando Cabrera

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Orlando Cabrera didn't sign with the A's until Spring Training had begun, partly because teams were reluctant to give up a top pick for him. It doesn't look like this winter will be much easier for the shortstop, in spite of some clever negotating by his agent.

Cabrera projects to be a Type A free agent, but agent Dan Lozano added a clause in his client's contract that prevents the Twins from offering arbitration. This gives Cabrera leverage because teams won't have to forfeit a draft pick to sign him.

However, Cabrera had a pedestrian year at the plate, appears to be declining defensively and is far from the only shortstop out there. The soon-to-be 35-year-old hit .284/.316/.389 with twice as many strikeouts as walks for the A's and Twins. Those numbers wouldn't be bad for a strong defensive shortstop, but the former Gold Golver made 25 errors and posted a UZR/150 of -9.9.

The market for shortstops includes Miguel Tejada, who probably won't cost a draft pick, and Marco Scutaro, who probably will. Jack Wilson, Adam Everett, Alex Gonzalez and others could be on the market, too. So will any team be prepared to match the $4MM base salary Cabrera signed for last winter?

The Red Sox, Blue Jays, Tigers, Twins, Mariners, Nationals and Astros could all be looking for help at short this offseason (the Red Sox had some interest this summer). But with many free agents on the market and the possibility that the Rays and Brewers will make shortstops available via trade, Cabrera and his agent have another challenging winter ahead.

Olney On Strasburg, Nats, Twins

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney wonders if Miguel Cabrera was physically prepared to play in Saturday's game. Olney also delivers some rumors; here they are:

  • Nats GM Mike Rizzo says Stephen Strasburg is "just a regular 21-year-old young man." The difference? He's not going to be treated like everyone else.
  • The Nats are looking to hire some front office personnel, including an assistant GM.
  • Olney says Twins GM Bill Smith should feel good about his first two years on the job. Smith faced the daunting task of trading Johan Santana as soon as he got the GM position and he has turned the Twins into a playoff team without Johan.
  • Sound familiar? It's not a foregone conclusion that Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos will have to trade Roy Halladay this winter, but it's certainly possible.

Discussion: Dan Uggla

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His name is Dan Uggla, and he can be had for the right price this offseason.  The 29-year-old Florida second baseman has 121 homers and an .826 OPS in his four major league seasons, but between his war of words with Marlins franchise player Hanley Ramirez and the $7-8MM he is likely to earn in arbitration, rumors have been swirling that the Fish are looking to move Uggla out of south Florida before he becomes too pricey for their taste.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal listed the Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles, Twins, Giants and Diamondbacks as possible suitors for Uggla in an article last month.  The Snakes may be out of the running now since, as reported by the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro, Arizona will likely look at internal candidates to play second base.  Baltimore already has Brian Roberts entrenched at second, but if Uggla was interested in moving to third base he would surely become attractive to even more clubs.

Of the clubs on Rosenthal's list, Minnesota stands out since it's unusual for the small-market Twins to be looking at picking up high-priced talent, rather than moving it themselves.  But with Target Field opening in 2010, the Twins may have some extra revenue to spend on both picking up the tab for Uggla and (the team's top priority) signing Joe Mauer to a long-term contract.  Minnesota has holes at both second and third that Uggla could fill.

Would Uggla fit best on one of the aforementioned six clubs, or is there another team out there with both the money and the need for a slugging second (or third) baseman?

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Indians Manager, Johnson, Padres GM, Crawford, Mauer

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Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up this afternoon, so let's see what he's got for us…

  • The Indians plan to conduct 8-10 phone interviews for their managerial vacancy, then bring in 3-5 finalists by the third week of October, presumably for formal interviews. Bobby Valentine will be "on the short list," and will almost certainly get an interview. Buck Showalter will not be a candidate.
  • Cleveland is proceeding with the search as if Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell will not be a candidate, however that could change quickly if Farrell expresses interest in the job. At that point, the three parties involved would need to discuss a way around the clause in the Farrell's contract that prohibits him from seeking a managerial job elsewhere.
  • Signing Josh Johnson long-term is the Marlins' top priority this offseason. In order to get a deal done, Florida will need to "exceed significantly" the four year, $38MM deal the Royals gave Zack Greinke, who was at a similar service time level last offseason.
  • If a deal doesn't get done, Johnson will almost certainly not sign an extension next offseason, when he'd be just one year away from free agency. At that point, the Fish would need to trade him.
  • Who will replace Kevin Towers as Padres GM? Paul DePodesta, a special assistant to Towers and former GM of the Dodgers, is not interested in the job. Pat Gillick doesn't figure to be a candidate either.
  • The leading candidate might be Diamondbacks' exec Jerry DiPoto, but the Padres would need approval from the commissioner's office to get him. CEO Jeff Moorad left the D-Backs just last December, and the league frowns upon executives raiding their former teams for front office talent.
  • However, DiPoto has already interviewed for openings with the Nationals and Mariners, so it would be difficult for the D-Backs to make much of a fuss.
  • Carl Crawford is "well intentioned" when he says he wants to sign a long-term extension with Tampa Bay. The problem is that the team probably won't offer him enough to keep him from becoming a free agent at the end of 2010.
  • The bigger question is Joe Mauer, who can also hit free agency next winter. Mauer told The NY Times earlier this week that he is not interested in becoming the highest paid player in the game, even though he probably deserves to be. He is represented by Ron Shapiro, the same agent that kept Cal Ripken Jr. in Baltimore and Kirby Puckett in Minnesota. Shapiro clearly understands the value of a player staying with one team his entire career.
  • Shapiro, father of Indians GM Mark Shapiro, would be "sticking it to his son" a bit by keeping Mauer in the AL Central. That's my phrase, not Rosenthal's.

Mauer “Not Really” Interested In Being Best-Paid

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Allegations of cheating and playoff-type intensity stole headlines throughout the Tigers-Twins series this week, so some telling comments got lost in the shuffle. Joe Mauer told Jack Curry of the New York Times that he's "not really" interested in becoming baseball's highest paid player when he hits free agency (likely after next season). After all, he'll be rich either way.

"I’ve put myself in a pretty good position that, wherever I end up, I think the pay’s going be pretty nice," Mauer said. "I’m more worried about trying to be on winning teams.”

Mauer says he'd probably want assurances from the Twins that the team is committed to building around him before signing a long-term deal with Minnesota. If Mauer does hit free agency after next season, he'll do so as a 27-year-old three-time batting titlist with an excellent defensive reputation and, possibly, an MVP award.

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