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NL Notes: Wheeler, Mets, Lincecum, Puig

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The Mets are trying to find the right spot for top prospect Zack Wheeler (#7 by MLB.com, #11 by Baseball America, and #13 by ESPN's Keith Law - Insider subscription required and recommended), to make his MLB debut and are carefully monitoring the Super Two arbitration cutoff, which they believe will come after June 8, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post. Puma writes the Mets are sensitive to putting Wheeler in an optimum position to succeed in his debut with a strong preference for that to come in the series with the Cubs on June 14-16, instead of against the NL Central leading Cardinals in the previous series. The Mets front office is also wary of Wheeler, a native of Dallas, GA, making his debut against the Braves in Atlanta because of the belief the right-hander will have enough jitters pitching in the majors for the first time and won't need the added pressure of pitching in front of a large contingent from his hometown. Manager Terry Collins, meanwhile, isn't concerning himself with rumors of Wheeler's call up. "I've got enough on my plate right now," Collins told reporters including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. "I can't keep track of everybody in the organization all the time. Certainly, I know how he pitched. We all keep saying, 'He's on the way, he's on the way, he's on the way,' but he'll pitch his way here. When that time is, I have no idea." In other news coming from the National League:

  • The Mets, in the wake of being swept by the Marlins (owners of the worst record in baseball), need to contemplate whether they want to be 100-loss team with prospects gaining experience or vets annoying fans, opines ESPNNewYork's Adam Rubin on Twitter. 
  • Tim Lincecum, ranked seventh on MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, told Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com he is committed to being a starting pitcher but is open to the idea of becoming a closer. "I’m always open. It’s just, right now I don’t want to be open to it," Lincecum said. "I’m sure if my career takes that turn, I’m definitely open to changes, especially if it’s beneficial to the team I’m playing for." Baggarly noted Lincecum chose his words carefully when he said "the team I’m playing for." A club source told Baggarly the Giants would turn Lincecum into a late-inning reliever "in a heartbeat," if they had another starting pitcher in the system ready to take his place in the rotation. 
  • The Dodgers are awaiting an update on Carl Crawford's left hamstring injury before deciding whether to bring up top prospect Yasiel Puig (#47 by Baseball America and #70 by MLB.com); but, it would be an upset if the outfielder isn't playing for them tomorrow, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). Shaikin also noted on Twitter that Puig, owner of a .313/.383/.599 slash line this season, was not in the lineup for Double-A Chattanooga for the second consecutive game.

Cafardo On Lee, Papelbon, Sizemore, Rios

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if George Brett is being groomed to be the Royals' next manager now that he has committed to being with the team every day as hitting coach.  Dennis Gilbert, who represented Brett as an agent and who has fallen short in bids to purchase the Dodgers, Padres, and Rangers, would have installed Brett as manager had he landed one of those clubs.  Brett could very well be Ned Yost’s eventual replacement if he boosts Kansas City's offense, but there’s also a lot of sentiment for Jim Fregosi, who has ties to GM Dayton Moore.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Cafardo spoke to a couple dozen executives, scouts, and players over the past few days about who the top player on the trade block will be and the consensus was Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee.  The Red Sox, Orioles, Indians, Angels, and Rangers would really like to have Lee and there are many more clubs who could be in the mix, including the Dodgers and the Yankees, who say they can’t swing it but have the means to do it.  One American League exec indicated there would be 20 teams lined up for Lee.  Lee might be the last guy Ruben Amaro Jr. wants to trade, but he'd yield the greatest return.
  • The Phillies have another interesting piece in Jonathan Papelbon and if they decide they are retooling, they probably don’t need a top closer.  Several baseball people say the Tigers would be a tremendous fit for Papelbon since pairing him with that starting rotation would be rather formidable.  He would also be an option for the Angels and Red Sox, but the Sox want to give Andrew Bailey every chance to do the job.  The Indians would also be a possibility.
  • It shouldn’t be long before a long list of teams start to inquire about free agent Grady Sizemore.  Sizemore has begun baseball activities after being sidelined by knee surgeries and so far he’s had no setbacks.  Cafardo suggests the Mets could be a fit as they are in need of outfield help.  
  • The White Sox, Blue Jays, and Twins might hold some of this year's top trade chips.  “Alex Rios, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and you can add Justin Morneau, are definitely the major guys scouts are focusing on,” said one AL GM. 
  • After Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury stole five bases Thursday night against the Phillies, it started to dawn on people — including some in the Philadelphia organization — that Ellsbury would be a nice piece in the Phillies’ lineup next season.  However, he also hurt his groin during the game, and the injury question popped up.

Rosenthal On Hughes, Gallardo, Kershaw, Pirates

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Here’s a look at some highlights from the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • At the age of 27, Phil Hughes will be the youngest pitcher on the open market by far.  The Yankees hurler figures to be more in demand that one might think thanks to his high strikeout rate, low walk rate, postseason experience, and his ability to survive – and sometimes thrive – in New York.  Hughes’ biggest flaw is giving up a lot of home runs, but a more forgiving ballpark could help correct that.  Rosenthal suggests that he would do well in the pitcher-friendly parks of the Mets, Padres, Mariners, and Tigers.
  • The trade market for starting pitchers doesn’t look very attractive at this point, but Yovani Gallardo is one player to keep an eye on.  Gallardo hasn’t done especially well this season for the Brewers and his fastball velocity is trending downward, but he might be better than any other starter on the block.  He’s also relatively affordable as he makes $7.75MM this season and $11.25MM next season with a $13MM option for 2015. 
  • The Dodgers might not be in as strong of a position for Robinson Cano as they initially appeared.  Clayton Kershaw is going to go for ~$200MM and the team might not be able to take another contract in that range.  As Josh Kosman and Mark DeCambre of the New York Post reported earlier this week, the club will have to commit a greater percentage of their deal to revenue sharing than the originally thought.  That could cost them more than $1B over 25 years and that could affect their ability to maintain skyhigh payrolls.
  • Much has been made of the workloads of the Pirates’ top relievers, triggering speculation that they’ll have to trade for relief help at the deadline.  That could happen, but team officials note that Jason Grilli and Mark Melancon both have been quite efficient while Justin Wilson has gone back-to-back just twice in his multi-inning role this season.  The club also has a number of intriguing options waiting in the wings in Triple-A, most notably Ryan Reid and Jared Hughes.

2014 Vesting Options Update

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With two months of baseball in the books, here's a look at the players who have vesting options for the 2014 season..

  • Kurt Suzuki, Nationals: $9.25MM option vests with 113 starts in 2013.  Suzuki was slated to split time behind the plate with Wilson Ramos this season, but Ramos' hamstring has forced the club to give the veteran catcher 39 starts thus far (counting tonight's game).  The most recent update on Ramos, courtesy of the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, says that he'll be sidelined until around July 1st.  If Ramos heals up and takes starts away from Suzuki, it will be a club option worth $8.5MM with a modest $650K buyout.
  • Jamey Carroll, Twins: $2MM option vests with 401 plate appearances. Carroll has 105 PAs in 27 games this season.  The veteran has had more than his needed total in each of the last three seasons with 500+ plate appearances in each of the last two years.
  • Wilson Betemit, Orioles: $3.2MM option vests with 324 plate appearances (combined 700 between 2012 and 2013). Betemit underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on March 26th and a late May update (from Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) indicates that he still hasn't been cleared for baseball activities.  
  • Lance Berkman, Rangers: $13MM option vests with 550 plate appearances. So far, Berkman has 199 plate appearances to his credit and is on pace to lock in his 2014 option with ease.  In 2011, his last full season, the slugger racked up 587 PAs.
  • Roy Halladay, Phillies: $20MM option vests with 259 innings pitched (combined 415 innings pitched between '12 and '13).  This was a longshot to begin with, but shoulder surgery earlier this month makes this one impossible.
  • Brett Myers, Indians: $8MM option vests with 200 innings pitched in 2013 and a passed physical after the season.  After logging 21 and 1/3 innings in 2013, Myers was sidelined with tendinitis and a mild ligament sprain in his right elbow and has yet to return.  When he does come back, it's possible that the Tribe will move him to the bullpen.
  • Barry Zito, Giants: $18MM option vests with 200 innings pitched. Zito has racked up 62 and 2/3 innings through eleven starts this season.  It's far from a lock, but as it stands the veteran still has a chance at securing his 2014 salary.  His numbers are strong as he has a 3.88 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.
  • Johan Santana, Mets: His $25MM option could have vested with 215 innings pitched or winning the 2013 Cy Young Award, but he won't have a chance at that thanks to a season-ending tear in his pitching shoulder.

It's also worth noting that Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano has a $8MM club option for 2014, but it can vest at any of three levels – $5MM, $6MM, or $8MM – based on the number of days he is not on the DL this year with a recurrence of his right arm injury.  It's not known how many days the hurler must steer clear of right arm trouble in order to trigger each level of his option, however.  The left-hander made his season debut on May 11th.

Mets Notes: Tejada, Collins, Davis

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Earlier today, we looked at the latest on the Mets and Yankees as the two clubs continue to battle it out in their first Subway Series matchup of the year.  For the 20-29 Mets, there's been a great deal of talk surrounding a major organizational shakeup – not from the outside, but from within.  Here's more on that and other notes out of Queens..

  • Demotion or not, Ruben Tejada is going to be arbitration eligible for the first time next year, meaning that he's due for a salary jump, notes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The 23-year-old entered 2013 at 2 years and 53 days of service time.  So far this season, Tejada is hitting just .209/.269/.264 through 49 games.
  • Mets skipper Terry Collins is playing very coy on Tejada and Ike Davis, but Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) hears that both could be sent down before the end of the Subway Series tomorrow.  Tonight will be a big game for both as they look to stay on the big league roster.
  • Martino (link) also hears that the Mets want to resolve the Davis situation before potentially demoting Tejada.  However, GM Sandy Alderson could also just send both of them down at once.  For more on the Davis/Tejada demotion situation, check out this blog post from Martino.
  • Had the Mets not come back against Mariano Rivera last night, it is an absolute certainty that both Davis and Tejada would have been optioned, Martino tweets.  While neither player recorded a hit last night, the club likely wouldn't want to make such a move in the wake of a big win (link). 

New York Notes: Tejada, Overbay, Davis, Wang

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The Yankees and Mets currently stand on opposite ends of the spectrum, with the Yankees nine games above .500 and the Mets at nine games below. The Bombers have dropped three in a row, however, and the Mets have won three straight. Game two of their Subway Series will get underway later tonight, but here's some news on both teams to tide New York fans over until then…

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he will continue to pursue stopgap options at shortstop rather than look to trade for an established player at the position.
  • Within that same piece, Martino notes that there's been talk of sending Ruben Tejada down for Omar Quintanilla, but Quintanilla isn't on the 40-man roster. Plus, if the Mets call Quintanilla up, he would need to clear waivers in order to be sent back to the minors. If he were claimed by another team, the organization would be thin on shortstop depth.
  • With Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis on rehab assignments, the Yankees face a decision on Lyle Overbay, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. Overbay seems headed for a reduced role or a new team, but he voiced his preference to remain with the Yankees rather than play elsewhere, even if it means less at-bats: “Do I want to play every day and be miserable?” Overbay said. “That opportunity might not be as good as it is here. I think it will work itself out.”
  • Ike Davis will not be optioned to the Minor Leagues today, reports the Post's Mark Hale. There's been plenty of speculation that some time at Triple-A is coming for Davis, who went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and batted eighth last night for the Mets. He's currently in a 4-for-53 slump and batting just .152/.237/.247.
  • Chien-Ming Wang can opt out of his contract on Friday, but he won't do so unless he has a Major League offer from another club, writes the Post's Joel Sherman. A Mets official told Sherman that they wouldn't be interested in Wang as a replacement for Jeremy Hefner or Dillon Gee. Sherman writes that the sense is that Wang's stuff is nowhere near as good as it was from 2006-07 with the Yankees.
  • Also from Sherman's piece, a panel of eight Post writers and seven New York executives were asked to rank the Top 10 rookies from last year's class, and Matt Harvey ranked fifth behind Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Yu Darvish (in that order). 

Quick Hits: Boras, Draft, Cubs, Dietrich

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Scott Boras isn't generally in favor of pre-free agency extensions, but he ultimately lets his players decide for themselves, he tells Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. "I don’t think there’s any question that the reason a club offers a player guarantees when they don’t have to is they deem it to be beneficial to them — just by the nature that they offer them," says Boras. "So if the club is doing something beneficial for the club, obviously most likely it’s not beneficial to the player." Regardless, Boras' general stance doesn't mean he's not open to pre-free agency deals in certain situations — he himself cites the Carlos Gonzalez and Elvis Andrus deals, both of which he negotiated. The discussion comes in the context of questions about a potential extension for the Mets' Matt Harvey, but that doesn't sound particularly likely, given that Boras represents him and he turned down a substantial bonus offer after being drafted out of high school by the Angels. Here are more notes from around the majors.

  • The Cubs, who have the second overall pick in the upcoming draft, will choose between four players: Oklahoma pitcher Jonathan Gray, Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant, and UNC third baseman Colin Moran. MLB.com's Carrie Muskat notes that they'll get another chance to watch all except Appel, since Oklahoma, USD and UNC are all in the field of 64 for the NCAA Division I baseball championship. Just over 50% of you predict that Astros will select Gray with the first overall pick, which would leave the Cubs to choose from Appel, Bryant and Moran.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos characterizes this year's draft as "a down year" in a podcast interview with ESPN's Buster Olney. "It's just not nearly as deep. That being said, there's going to be a bunch of really good big-league players that come out of this draft," just as is the case every year, Anthopoulos says. Anthopoulos also notes the Blue Jays have had a difficult time figuring out who might fall to them with the No. 10 overall pick and who to select when the time comes. "There's really no clear-cut player with the players who are going to be remaining," he says.
  • Cubs reliever Kevin Gregg isn't interested in talking about the trade deadline, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reports. "I almost look at it as a little disrespectful to the guys on the team that are here because this is a good product," says Gregg. "This isn’t like we’re getting our butts kicked on a daily basis and they’re looking to clean house. … To be looking at what the future holds in June or July is worthless to me." Gregg says he still hopes the Cubs will wind up in contention, although that possibility seems remote, given that the team is 13 games back in the NL Central and that the three teams ahead of them all have one of the best records in baseball so far this year.
  • Second baseman Derek Dietrich, who was traded from the Rays to the Marlins last December for Yunel Escobar, is finding it strange to be at Tropicana Field as a visiting player, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports. "It is a little weird being in this side of the clubhouse," says Dietrich. "The Rays do a great job in raising their players. They really prepare you to be a successful big leaguer. I definitely got better in their organization. I appreciate everything they did for me, giving me that first opportunity. But I'm happy to be here, and be with the Marlins." The Rays picked Dietrich in the second round of the 2010 Draft. He's hitting .237/.308/.424 in 59 at bats in his rookie season with Miami.

East Notes: Mets, Yankees, Papelbon

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Even though the Mets aren't contending, GM Sandy Alderson says they could be buyers at the trade deadline, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. "It’s a possibility. It depends on what is available," says Alderson. "I have been involved in deals in the past whose first consideration was not the current season but the following season…The possibility of making an acquisition that has implications not just for the second half of this season? Yes." It sounds like we shouldn't expect the Mets to pursue rentals, but they might be open to a splashy acquisition of a veteran who is under team control through at least 2014. Martino notes that the Mets could look for outfielders in particular. Here are more notes from the East divisions.

  • Lots of former Yankees and Mets are doing well with other teams, Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes. Sherman singles out former Yankees Russell Martin (Pirates), Nick Swisher (Indians) and Eric Chavez (Diamondbacks) in particular.
  • The Red Sox are one of eight teams to which Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon can refuse a trade, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. That Papelbon would have his old team on his no-trade list initially seems strange, but Bradford notes that it's not uncommon for a player to put a large-payroll team on his no-trade list, reasoning that he might be able to use his ability to nix a trade as leverage to negotiate an extension if a large-payroll team wants him. When asked, Papelbon said he could see himself playing for the Red Sox again.

Mets Notes: Hughes, Wheeler

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The Yankees' Phil Hughes could be a possible free-agent fit for the Mets this winter, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo tweets. Hughes' fly-ball tendencies would make homer-suppressing Citi Field a good ballpark for him, and the Mets will have plenty of money available, DiComo argues. Hughes has a 5.51 ERA so far this year, with 8.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. Here are more notes from the Mets.

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson says he "wouldn't say there's a timetable" for the promotion of Zack Wheeler, Fred Kerber of the New York Post reports. But it sounds like it won't be long. "I would say that if he continues to pitch well, he’d be here sometime in the near future," says Alderson. Wheeler struggled Monday for Triple-A Las Vegas against Salt Lake, allowing five runs, three earned, and two home runs in four innings while striking out four and walking three. For the season, Wheeler has a 4.13 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 while playing in the tough pitching environment of Las Vegas.
  • Wheeler feels like he's "just waiting on time," the Wall Street Journal's Brian Costa writes. "I think I'm ready, but it is really not my decision." Costa notes that Wheeler's service time clock could play a role in the Mets' decision, citing potential concerns that he could become a Super Two player and become eligible for arbitration after the 2015 season. Costa also discusses comparisons between Wheeler and Matt Harvey, and notes that it will be very difficult for Wheeler's start in the majors to equal Harvey's even if Wheeler pitches brilliantly. Harvey's phenomenal start to his career has lifted him above Wheeler in status, even though Wheeler has pitched perfectly well in his own right.

NL Notes: Ethier, Mattingly, Wacha, Pagan

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Memorial Day weekend is the time when fans begin to zero in on what's happening in baseball, so Joel Sherman of the New York Post provides his analysis of the 2013 season. Sherman sees Cliff Lee, Matt Garza, Jose Bautista, Alex Rios, and Justin Morneau as the top five trade possibilities. Shin-Soo Choo was Sherman's choice as the best acquisition of 2013 with the combination of Justin Upton and Chris Johnson, Vernon Wells, Nick Swisher, and Mark Melancon rounding out the top five. Sherman also identifies the season's top storylines, prospects, and injuries to date. Let's focus on the news and notes coming from the National League:

  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes the Mets make the most sense of the possible trade suitors for Andre Ethier (subscription required). According to Olney, the Dodgers will only deal Ethier if they decide he can no longer be an effective player for them and are willing to absorb a large portion of the approximately $80MM due the outfielder over the next five years. 
  • Don Mattingly has all the hallmarks of a manager in quicksand and is conjuring up images of Clint Hurdle during his final days as manager of the Rockies, opines Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Hurdle vowed to exercise more authority by creating new rules and benched Troy Tulowitzki for violating one of those rules. Hurdle was fired one week later. Mattingly benched Matt Kemp for today's game calling it a "baseball decision" and not a disciplinary reaction to Kemp expressing his displeasure at being removed in a double-switch the night before, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  
  • The Cardinals are looking to replace yet another starter and top pitching prospect Michael Wacha could get the call, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Wacha is scheduled to start for Triple-A Memphis tomorrow afternoon, the same day GM John Mozeliak will meet with manager Mike Matheny and the coaching staff to determine who will fill the vacancy in the rotation. Nearly 40% of MLBTR's readers, when asked by Steve Adams this past Wednesday, predicted Wacha will be the next 2012 first-rounder to reach the Majors.
  • Angel Pagan gave the Giants a dramatic victory last night with a walk-off inside-the-park home run. Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets the Mets made two mistakes in their December 2011 trade of Pagan to the Giants for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez: an inclination to non-tender a valuable player and, rather than non-tender, using that money on Torres and Ramirez.
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