Odds & Ends: Barajas, Piniella, Nats, Ramirez, Jackson
From the South Bay to the Valley, from the West Side to the East Side, everybody is very happy because Vin Scully will return in 2011. Let's check out some links from around the web..
- A member of the Mets watching Rod Barajas say goodbye to his teammates quipped "Can I go with him?", tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- Ken Rosenthal pays tribute to Lou Piniella, and opines that Joe Girardi would be a perfect managerial replacement, though he has doubts that the Cubs could pry him away from New York.
- The Nationals have extended their affiliation with the Syracuse Chiefs for an additional two seasons, according to the team's official Twitter page.
- Josh Thole is excited about having the opportunity to start every day now that Rod Barajas has been claimed off waivers by the Dodgers, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The Rays might be willing to take a chance on Manny Ramirez, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
- With the way Austin Jackson is playing, it looks like the Tigers got the better end of the Curtis Granderson deal, writes Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.
- Pittsburgh's signing of Mexican hurler Luis Heredia was years in the making, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer writes that the Indians weren't afraid to spend on the draft this year. Cleveland's top ten picks all signed for more than their recommended slot.
- Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) jokes that Buck Showalter has done too well with the Orioles as the club might now lose out on the first overall pick in the draft. Baltimore is now 44-80 while the Pirates are 40-83.
Dodgers Claim Barajas On Waivers
10:37am: The Dodgers have claimed Rod Barajas on waivers, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The Mets will receive cash considerations in return, according to the Dodgers (via Twitter).
Barajas, who turns 35-years-old in September, has hit .225/.263/.414 with 12 homers in 267 plate appearances this season. In late July it was reported that the Red Sox offered reliever Ramon Ramirez in exchange for the veteran. The Mets have summoned Jesus Feliciano to take his place on the roster.
Starting catcher Russell Martin has not played since August 3rd due to a hip injury and will likely be out for the remainder of the year. Brad Ausmus and A.J. Ellis have been splitting time behind the plate but have struggled offensively.
10:26am: The Mets may trade outfielder Jesus Feliciano to the Pirates, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
Feliciano, 31, has a .688 OPS for the Mets in 27 big league games this season. He began the year with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate where he posted a .342/.389/.418 slash line with one homer in 322 plate appearances. This season marked his fourth straight in Triple-A and was his strongest at that level.
Mets skipper Jerry Manuel has summoned catcher Rod Barajas and Rubin wonders (via Twitter) if he could be involved in the deal.
Odds & Ends: Mets, Reds, Helton, Darvish, Harper
Friday Night Links..
- Despite a published report to the contrary, Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever is not headed to the Mets, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon spoke to a few members of the Reds who would like to see Dusty Baker sign an extension with the club.
- Brandon Inge and Johnny Damon are both okay with having been put on waivers, writes Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.
- Reds manager Dusty Baker dismissed questions about him possibly becoming the Dodgers manager if Joe Torre retires, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Mark Kizla of The Denver Post urges Todd Helton to call it quits.
- The Padres don't have much interest in outfielder Cody Ross, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.
- The Pirates will send Luis Heredia to their affiliate in Bradenton not to pitch, but to familiarize himself with the program, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter) passes along a report from Japanese outlet Sponichi that the Yankees sent Damon Oppenheimer and scout Billy Eppler to watch Yu Darvish.
- Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (via Twitter) wonders aloud if the Brewers might make a deal in order to free a roster spot for the returning Carlos Gomez.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo says that Bryce Harper won't be playing in any games for their Gulf Coast League affiliate this season, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.
Odds & Ends: Inge, Damon, Draft, Lilly, Manny
One year ago today, the Mets released Livan Hernandez. So far in 2010, Hernandez has a 3.06 ERA and ranks in the top ten in the NL in innings pitched and complete games. He doesn't strike anybody out, but his walk rate is low and he's headed for the 200 IP plateau once again. Here are some links for Friday as we contemplate Hernandez's surprising season…
- Brandon Inge and Johnny Damon are now on waivers, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). We should soon know if the two Tigers clear.
- Baseball America presents the compensation picks in the 2011 draft and total bonuses from 2008-10. The Nationals, Pirates and Blue Jays have have spent the most on bonuses.
- This doesn't count towards their draft spending, but the Pirates signed Colombian shortstop Dilson Herrera for $220K, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney doubts that Ted Lilly would clear waivers this month. The left-hander, who tossed a two-hitter last night, would likely be claimed by a contending team.
- Jamey Newberg lists the hurdles the Rangers will face if they want to acquire Manny Ramirez from the Dodgers this month. As Newberg explains on MLB.com, a lot would have to fall into place for the Rangers to acquire the slugger.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that the Mets' decision to let Darren O'Day go at the beginning of last year has not worked out for New York.
- Mark Kiszla of the the Denver Post says Todd Helton “needs to hang up his No. 17 Colorado uniform and retire.”
- Joe Beimel, a free agent after the season, would like to keep playing in Colorado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Lee, Feliz, Braves, Kershaw
On this date two years ago, umpires agreed to the use of instant replay to help determine boundary calls, such as fair or foul, on home runs. Expanded use of instant replay remains a hot topic in baseball, and even though Commissioner Bud Selig continues to dance around the subject, more replay feels inevitable at this point.
Here are a bunch of links from around the baseball blogosphere…
- Mike Ashmore's Thunder Thoughts interviews players and team personnel about minor league life, touching on everything from salary to housing to food, the whole nine. It's a long, but truly great read.
- Capitol Avenue Club analyzes the Derrek Lee trade.
- Pine Tar and Pocket Protectors says that Pedro Feliz is not the answer for the Cardinals.
- Beyond The Box Score looks at which teams are building the best bullpens on the cheap.
- Amazin' Avenue tries to figure out who should close for the Mets with Francisco Rodriguez out for the season.
- Royals Review questions whether or not Kansas City has something in Bryan Bullington.
- The Few, The Proud, The Brave looks ahead to Atlanta's offseason as well as the 2011 season.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. tries to figure out if the Pirates should start spending this offseason.
- The Process Report lists the Rays' farmhands eligible for this year's Rule 5 Draft.
- SD Sports Net wonders if the Padres whiffed by failing to sign first rounder Karsten Whitson.
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness uses Ricky Romero's new contract as a basis for a Clayton Kershaw contract extension.
- Baseball Time In Arlington examines the hidden value of Cliff Lee.
- Camden Crazies wonders if Brad Bergesen is back to being an effective pitcher.
- 1 Blue Jays Way introduces us to Toronto's prospects.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Discussion: R.A. Dickey
R.A. Dickey may well be "the most compelling player" on the 2010 Mets (so says Ken Belson of the New York Times), and it's hard to argue that the knuckleballer has been the most surprising. Signed for a $600K minor league contract last winter, Dickey has emerged as an unlikely stalwart of New York's rotation. Dickey has a 2.41 ERA and 2.48 K/BB ratio in 18 starts this season, quite the far cry from the 5.43 ERA that the 35-year-old posted over his first seven major league seasons.
Though Dickey is working on a one-year contract, he will still be under the Mets' control since he hasn't accrued enough major league service time to qualify for free agency. As Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com points out, Dickey has another year of arbitration before reaching free agency after 2011. Dickey is sure to earn a hefty raise from an arbiter, but Cerrone speculates that the veteran might be willing to forego a one-year pay boost in exchange for signing a new two-year deal with New York.
Even if Dickey keeps up his solid pitching for the rest of the season, his unimpressive past numbers and age will keep other teams from offering him anything but a one-year, incentive-laden contract in the winter should the Mets non-tender him. Letting Dickey walk doesn't make much sense, so it seems much more likely that New York will bring Dickey back at a reasonable price — say, a two-year deal worth between $3-$4MM in total, plus bonuses in case Dickey keeps up his success.
Given that Dickey only converted to the knuckleball around five years ago, his recent success may not be quite as big an outlier as it seems, but rather a sign that Dickey is mastering the art of the knuckler. Bringing back Dickey seems like a logical move for the Mets, plus it couldn't hurt to bring back a popular player who is "a center of the clubhouse" according to Belson.
Stark On Zambrano, Beltran, Keppinger, Torre
Owners want a rigid slotting system like the ones in the NFL and the NBA, but ESPN.com's Jayson Stark finds it hard to believe that the MLBPA would agree to hard slotting, since it has traditionally avoided caps of any kind. One National League executive compared baseball's current slotting system to “traffic lights in the Dominican,” since he doesn’t know “what they're even there for." A hard slotting system would give teams the certainty of pre-determined bonuses, but the MLBPA wouldn't like it. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors:
- One executive believes the Cubs could find a taker for Carlos Zambrano this winter as long as they take on most of the big righty's salary, but another executive says there's no way the Cubs could trade Big Z.
- Executives are similarly divided on Carlos Beltran. One says trading him is "impossible," but another would take a flier on Beltran, partly because he's headed into a contract year.
- Jeff Keppinger was claimed on waivers, so the Astros cannot trade him this month.
- A longtime acquaintance of Joe Torre's expects the manager to sign with the Mets this winter.
K-Rod On Disqualified List; Union Files Grievance
WEDNESDAY, 5:06pm: The MLBPA has officially filed a grievance on K-Rod's behalf, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
TUESDAY, 6:58pm: MLBPA leader Michael Weiner told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Mets' actions are "without basis" (Twitter link). Weiner expects the MLBPA to challenge the team's actions "right away."
6:08pm: The Mets placed closer Francisco Rodriguez on the disqualified list and converted his contract to a non-guaranteed deal, the team announced today. K-Rod will not be paid or pick up service time while on the disqualified list.
Teams can place a player on the disqualified list if he has violated the terms of his contract and Andy Martino of the New York Daily News says it sounds like the Mets won't reinstate their closer until he can play (Twitter link). Rodriguez has about $3MM remaining on his 2010 contract, so the Mets would save a considerable amount if their decision stands and K-Rod is out for the season. The MLBPA could object on Rodriguez's behalf, though.
K-Rod underwent thumb surgery today to repair a ligament. The Mets say Rodriguez told a team trainer that he injured himself in an altercation with the grandfather of his children, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (Twitter link). GM Omar Minaya said the Mets do want to bring K-Rod back in 2011, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork (on Twitter). He has at least $15MM remaining on his contract after 2010.
Odds & Ends: Aramis, Kemp, K-Rod
August 17th was a busy transaction day one year ago, as the Tigers acquired Aubrey Huff and the Rangers and Red Sox released Vicente Padilla and John Smoltz, respectively. Both pitchers performed well for their new teams; who will follow that script this year? While you ponder the question, here are today's links…
- Baseball fans are mourning the passing of Bobby Thomson, famous for his "shot heard 'round the world" with the New York Giants.
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman and the AJC's David O'Brien have contrasting reports on whether the Braves explored acquiring Aramis Ramirez from the Cubs. Both seem to agree that it's not happening.
- RotoAuthority looks at five catchers who were undervalued in fantasy baseball drafts before the season.
- Agent Dave Stewart nearly lost Matt Kemp to Scott Boras during the offseason, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. In January, Kemp signed a two-year deal covering his first two arbitration years.
- Neither Rosenthal nor Joel Sherman of the New York Post think the Mets can get Francisco Rodriguez's entire contract voided, but Sherman thinks they might win a case aiming to get out of the salary he has coming for the rest of the season.
- Agent Gregg Clifton left Gaylord Sports, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Clifton represented players such as Kris Benson and Mark Mulder and the now-retired Tom Glavine, Luis Gonzalez, and David Wells. In another tweet Crasnick says Clifton joined Jackson Lewis LLP as a partner and will be part of their Sports Industry Practice Group.
Pedro Feliciano, Mets Waiting On Contract Talks
Lefty reliever Pedro Feliciano and the Mets have agreed to wait until after the season to hold contract talks, reports ESPN's Adam Rubin. Feliciano will be eligible for free agency for the first time.
Feliciano, 34 in a few days, has been worked hard in his Mets career. This year he's got a 3.05 ERA, 8.5 K/9, and 4.9 BB/9 with only one home run allowed in 44.3 innings. For the third straight year, he's leading MLB in appearances.
FanGraphs splits are the best way to judge Feliciano's work against lefties and righties. You can see he's been very strong (xFIP of 3.06 or better) against lefties the last few years but middling or worse against righties (xFIP of at least 4.49 each year). Despite Feliciano's protestations, it's more than just groundballs getting through against righties. He's allowing too many walks and often too many home runs against them.
Feliciano profiles as a Type B free agent in our latest Elias projections, and he's earning $2.9MM this year. The Mets would be wise to offer arbitration, but a multiyear deal would be risky.