A Look At Wilmer Flores
Mets shortstop prospect Wilmer Flores may figure prominently into the Cliff Lee trade rumors of the next few weeks. Let's learn more about him.
Flores was ranked second among Mets prospects by Baseball America heading into the season, behind only Jenrry Mejia. He placed 41st on Keith Law's top 100 list for ESPN - one spot above Twins catching prospect Wilson Ramos. BA, with more of an industry consensus approach, ranked him 88th. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus ranked him 84th. All of these rankings were compiled before the season, and Flores' stock has only risen.
Flores started the season at Low A Savannah, and despite being in the midst of a cold streak was promoted to High A St. Lucie recently. Though he's only 18 years old, and will be until August, Flores is raking in a tiny 28 plate appearance sample since the promotion.
Reading the opinions of the experts mentioned above, Flores is a special bat who will develop power. He is almost certainly going to move off shortstop, and Law doesn't see him at third base either. He does have a good arm, leading Goldstein to view him as a future right fielder. The prospect gurus seem most impressed that he's holding his own against much older competition.
According to Goldstein, Flores is "at least three years and a position switch away" from the Majors. Is he too far off to headline a deal for Cliff Lee? John Hickey of AOL FanHouse sees the Mariners seeking players who can make an impact around 2012, particularly outfielders and left-handed starters.
Odds & Ends: White Sox, Lee, Pomeranz, Ripken
Another round of links, as Nick Swisher prevents Cliff Lee's trade value from getting too high…
- GM Kenny Williams told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the White Sox aren't desperate for anything right now.
- Reporters asked Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik about Lee, but Zduriencik just repeated that the Mariners are focusing on winning as many games as possible, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that the Phillies have a scout at tonight's Yankees-Mariners game, though it could be part of the scout's normal coverage.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that Mets infielder Ruben Tejada would not be enough to anchor a deal for Lee, but prospect Wilmer Flores could be (Twitter links). Earlier today, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at the Mets' ability to acquire Lee without giving up Jenrry Mejia.
- Now that the Indians have given first rounder Drew Pomeranz his physical, they're one step closer to starting negotiations with the left-hander, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
- Cal Ripken Jr. told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he may take a job in the Orioles organization. So could Ripken become the team's next manager? No.
- Many players read MLBTR, but something tells me Adam Dunn isn't one of them. He told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he hates trade rumblings when he's involved in them. The Nationals are open to making deals and teams are interested in Dunn.
Mets Sign Michael Barrett
The Mets signed Michael Barrett to a minor league deal, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The catcher will report to class A Port St. Lucie and will likely be promoted to Triple A Buffalo within a few weeks, according to Rubin.
Barrett, 33, hit 16 homers three consecutive times for the Cubs from 2004-06, never posting an OPS below .824 in that time. He hasn't been nearly as productive since the Cubs traded him to the Padres midway through the 2007 season, but he still has a .263/.320/.422 career line. Barrett appeared in the majors briefly last year, backing up Rod Barajas for the Blue Jays. If he plays well in the minors and the Mets call on Barrett, he will once again be backing up Barajas.
Rosenthal On Cliff Lee, MacDougal, Dunn, Valentine
Cliff Lee starts tonight at Yankee stadium, and it figures to be one of his last outings in a Mariners uniform. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports leads his column with an examination of the market for Lee, noting that "the acquisition cost should be lower than the last two times he was traded." Rosenthal sees no obvious favorite for the lefty at this time, though Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times believes "the buzz about a possible deal with the crosstown Mets is growing louder and louder." Rosenthal's other rumorage:
- The Nationals have until Thursday to decide whether to promote Mike MacDougal. Otherwise, he can elect free agency. The hard-throwing righty has a 4.71 ERA, 5.6 K/9, and 4.7 BB/9 in 21 minor league innings.
- Rosenthal confirms other reports that the White Sox and Angels like Nationals slugger Adam Dunn. He notes that Dunn "does not want to become a DH."
- One executive feels that Jose Guillen will continue to hit well with the contract year carrot dangling. Yesterday we learned from ESPN's Buster Olney that the Royals are pushing hard to move Guillen and will eat much of the $6.3MM remaining on his contract. As for David DeJesus, an exec told Rosenthal the Royals "want to hit a home run" in any trade.
- The Giants seek stability in their left-handed relief crew (currently Jeremy Affeldt and Dan Runzler), but the need could be addressed internally.
- The Cardinals "likely will wait until at least the All-Star break to fully assess their needs." The starting pitching situation will depend on the recoveries of Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse.
- At another link, Rosenthal updates the Bobby Valentine-Marlins situation.
Odds & Ends: A-Rod, Beltre, Athletics, Rockies
Links for Tuesday, as Tigers reliever Casey Fien returns to the Majors after spending the offseason in waiver wire hell…
- The home run milestone incentives in Alex Rodriguez's contract were the brainchild of Warren Buffett, writes Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. The milestones start with home run #660; A-Rod currently has 594.
- WEEI's Alex Speier has the interesting story of the Dodgers signing Adrian Beltre in 1994 at age 15 by way of falsified documents, including the player's recollection of the situation. I swapped emails with Fred Claire, who was Dodgers GM at the time. Claire takes responsibility for the incident, but "had no awareness that Beltre's birth date had been altered in any way, shape or form" and "would never have approved such an act."
- Joe Stiglich of the Contra Costa Times talked with scouts about the Athletics' trade chips. At least one scout prefers Ben Sheets to Kevin Millwood.
- Dave Cameron's presciption for the Rockies in this FanGraphs article: move Brad Hawpe to first base and acquire Dan Uggla. Another good read from Cameron is his takedown of the theory that Russell Branyan will bring protection for other Mariners hitters. Speaking of Branyan, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Seattle's acquisition "stunned" rival executives.
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues looks at Octavio Dotel as a potential Yankees trade target, and prefers they do not pursue a reunion.
- Howard Megdal of SNY is "reluctant to deal any significant part of the Mets' future for a rental of Cliff Lee." Megdal feels that the team's window to win extends beyond 2010.
Could Mets Acquire Cliff Lee Without Mejia?
Will Jenrry Mejia's posterior cuff strain prevent the Mets from trading for Mariners ace Cliff Lee? GM Omar Minaya obviously could not talk specifically about Lee when asked by Kevin Kernan of the New York Post "if the Mejia setback is a setback to trade possibilities." But Minaya kept a brave face and replied, "I don’t think so because I think we have other very good possibilities." At least one of Minaya's current players does think the team lost its chance to acquire Lee with Mejia's injury, according to Kernan.
Maybe there is a chance, given Ken Rosenthal's June 19th report for FOX Sports suggesting the Mariners want young hitters in return for Lee. At that time Rosenthal didn't think the Mets would be willing to give up Ike Davis to rent Lee. John Hickey of AOL FanHouse wrote yesterday about a consensus among Mariners insiders that the team should add talent around the Double A level in a Lee deal. More specifically, outfielders and lefthanded starters would be a good fit.
In my opinion, the Mets probably couldn't swing a Lee trade with Fernando Martinez as the centerpiece. He's hitting .248/.299/.397 at Triple A currently. Starter Brad Holt is struggling at Double A, though second baseman Reese Havens was raking before hitting the DL with an oblique injury. We heard from Rosenthal on June 7th that the Mets are high on infielder Ruben Tejada, enough that they would be reluctant to include him in a Roy Oswalt trade. In a June 23rd article, Mark Hale of the New York Post found the Mets unlikely to include Mejia, Davis, or Jonathon Niese in a Lee offer. He opined that the Mets would have to build the deal around names like Tejada, Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Jeurys Familia, and Josh Thole. From where I'm sitting, the Mets don't seem like the team that will ultimately make the best offer for Lee.
Mets’ Targets Include Cliff Lee, Ted Lilly
The Mets will be in on Seattle ace Cliff Lee – that appears certain. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Omar Minaya has notified Jack Zduriencik of his interest, and the Mets are scouting Lee's starts.
Contrary to a Kevin Burkhardt report last night, Sherman says the Mets "would not need a negotiating window to sign Lee long-term even if it includes top prospect Jenrry Mejia in a package." However, between the injuries to potential trade chips Mejia and Angel Pagan and the ownership approval needed to pull the trigger, Minaya faces hurdles in acquiring Lee.
Sherman writes "the Mets have little interest" in Roy Oswalt and Fausto Carmona. Instead, Cubs southpaw Ted Lilly might head up their list of Lee alternatives. Lilly has been excellent since signing a four-year, $40MM deal with the Cubs in December of '06. The contract has about $6.4MM remaining. Though Lilly profiles as a Type A free agent after the season, an arbitration offer is in question. I doubt Lilly's limited no-trade provision will be an obstacle, as he's probably eager to return to the playoffs. The Cubs have about a month to decide whether to cash in their chips, and Lilly is their best one.
Mets Won’t Deal Mejia Without Negotiating Window
The Mets aren't ready to deal Jenrry Mejia in a package for Cliff Lee unless Lee gives them a negotiating window, according to Kevin Burkhardt of SNY (via Twitter). Recently, it was reported that the Mets would be unlikely to deal Mejia, Jonathon Niese, or Ike Davis for the 2008 Cy Young winner.
Burkhardt adds (also via Twitter) that the Mets could change their minds on the matter. However, if Seattle is willing to deal Lee sooner rather than later, there may not be much time to have a change of heart. The Twins and Dodgers are also said to be in the mix for Lee and could beat GM Omar Minaya to the punch. Many feel that Minnesota is the front-runner in the Lee sweepstakes.
Mets Acquire Jorge Padilla for Clint Everts
JUNE 26: Rubin tweets that the Blue Jays will receive minor league reliever (and, like Padilla, former National) Clint Everts to complete the trade.
Everts, the fifth overall pick in the draft back in 2002, has appeared in 26 games for Double-A Binghamton this season and notched an unsightly 6.94 ERA through 35 innings. As usual, strikeouts aren't a problem for the right-hander (9.5 K/9 this season, 9.0 for his career), but he's walking 5.4 hitters and allowing 11.8 hits per nine innings.
Everts, the former pride of the then-Expos farm system, has struggled since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2004.
JUNE 19: The Mets have acquired outfielder Jorge Padilla from the Blue Jays, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). There's no word on what Toronto will receive on the deal at this time.
Padilla, 30, has a slash line of .330/.405/.459 with four homers for Toronto's Triple A affiliate this season. He came to the plate 26 times with the Nationals last year, picking up just three singles and walk. The Mets have assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, so he'll presumably serve as extra depth.
Mariners Willing To Trade Cliff Lee Immediately?
Mariners' GM Jack Zduriencik has maintained that he is not yet willing to throw in the towel and trade ace lefty Cliff Lee, but Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com heard from two executives that Seattle is willing to deal him "immediately for the right offer." One of those executives predicted that he could be moved in the next seven to ten days, similar to the timetable the Indians used when dealing CC Sabathia two years ago.
By moving Lee now as opposed to waiting until the deadline, the Mariners could maximize their return since the acquiring team will be getting an extra month of the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner. They'll also save a larger percentage of the approximately $4.94MM owed to Lee the remainder of the season, and of course reduce the risk of a trade value crippling injury.
Rosenthal's sources say that the Mets, Dodgers, and Rangers have all inquired about Lee, but many project the Twins as the front runner. The Mariners have scouted the Yankees' farm system, but the Yanks' scouting of Lee is just the team's routine coverage of a pitcher on their free agent wish list. They are happy with their five-man rotation at the moment.
Seattle is currently 14 games back in the AL West while Cleveland was 13.5 back when they dealt Sabathia. They received a four prospect package highlighted by Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley, and the Mariners can reasonably expect a similar return for Lee. The 31-year-old lefty has made 11 starts this year after missing time with an oblique injury, and has pitched to a 2.39 ERA in 86.2 innings. He's struck out 76 and walked just four.