Make Or Break Year: How Are They Doing?
Before the season, we identified 11 players who were entering "make or break" years. These guys had experienced ups and downs in their respective careers and were positioned to re-establish themselves as difference makers at the Major League level and set themselves up for nice paydays in the future. Now that we're into August, let's take a second to check in each player (all links go to MLBTR posts)…
- Scott Baker, Twins — Baker, 30, had elbow surgery in April and will miss the entire season. Minnesota will likely decline his $9.25MM option for 2013 (no buyout).
- Phil Hughes, Yankees — The 26-year-old right-hander owns a 4.10 ERA in 131 2/3 innings this year, including a 3.40 ERA since mid-May. He's a safe bet to be tendered a contract for 2014, his final year as a arbitration-eligible player.
- Jair Jurrjens, Braves — Jurrjens, 26, pitched so poorly earlier in the season that he had to be sent to the minors. He's since resurfaced and owns 6.89 ERA in 48 1/3 innings, cementing his status as a non-tender candidate.
- Adam Lind, Blue Jays — Lind has battled back problems and also been demoted to Triple-A this season, and he's hit .227/.298/.394 while with the big league team. The 29-year-old continues to disappoint since signing his four-year, $18MM extension prior to 2010.
- Francisco Liriano, White Sox — It's been another up and down season for the 28-year-old southpaw, who owns a 5.03 ERA in 111 innings. The Twins traded Liriano to the ChiSox at the deadline.
- James Loney, Dodgers — Loney, now 28, hasn't helped himself at all this season, hitting just .251/.301/.330 in 327 plate appearances. He might have to settle for a minor league contract this coming offseason.
- Kendrys Morales, Angels — The 29-year-old is hitting .282/.327/.455 with 14 homers on the year, well below the level he established prior to his leg injury in 2010. Morales figures to be both a trade and non-tender candidate after the season.
- Mike Pelfrey, Mets — Pelfrey pitched to a 2.29 ERA in three starts before needing Tommy John surgery. The Mets are expected to non-tender the 28-year-old after the season.
- Geovany Soto, Rangers — The 29-year-old backstop has continued to deal with injuries in 2012 and is hitting just .201/.289/.356. Soto is an obvious non-tender candidate.
- Kevin Youkilis, White Sox — Youkilis lost his starting job with the Red Sox and was traded to the White Sox, who are likely to decline his $13MM option after the season. The 33-year-old has dealt with nagging injuries and is hitting .238/.339/.427 overall.
- Delmon Young, Tigers — Young, 26, has had a below-average season at the plate (.266/.298/.402) and has dealt with some off-field problems. He hasn't helped his free agent stock any.
Mets Designate Garrett Olson For Assignment
The Mets announced that they have designated left-hander Garrett Olson for assignment. The move will allow the Mets to re-activate Johan Santana from the disabled list.
Olson, 28, saw just one-third of an inning with the Mets this year when he pitched against the Marlins in a blowout loss on Wednesday. In 104 career big league appearances, Olson has a 6.26 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.
Mets Sign Drew Carpenter
The Mets announced that they signed right-hander Andrew Carpenter to a minor league contract and assigned him to Double-A Binghamton (Twitter link). Carpenter elected free agency this week after the Blue Jays designated him for assignment.
Carpenter appeared in six games for the Blue Jays last month, allowing seven hits and six walks in nine innings, while striking out nine. The 27-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he posted a 3.38 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 74 2/3 innings as a starter and reliever.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Prospects, Mets
The Nationals and Braves are very much in the race for postseason berths, but it’s time for three NL East teams to think about 2013 and beyond. Here are the latest NL East links, starting in Philadelphia…
- Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said third base is becoming a difficult position to fill, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Phillies figure to pursue third basemen when Placido Polanco hits free agency after the season, but Amaro has discussed the possibility of converting a second baseman or shortstop to third base, since the market at the hot corner is so barren. The GM said it may make sense for the Phillies to trade for a third baseman, instead of signing a free agent.
- The Phillies are willing to trade from minor league depth to bolster their MLB team, though they aren't anxious to trade young players, Amaro said.
- The Phillies will also be looking for outfield help this coming offseason — Amaro said it's a top priority. He added that acquiring above-average offensive outfielders could allow the team to pursue a defensively oriented third baseman.
- Manager Terry Collins listed Ruben Tejada as a player who could help the Mets contend for the duration of a six-month season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. But aside from Tejada, the Mets don't have many sure things in place, Sherman writes. For example, Lucas Duda and Kirk Nieuwenhuis are back in Triple-A and the Mets have ongoing bullpen issues. The 2012 season was supposed to reveal some long-term pieces for the team, but as the season has progressed, more questions than answers have emerged.
Mets Won’t Eat Jason Bay’s Contract
After announcing that Jason Bay will be a platoon player for the Mets, General Manager Sandy Alderson says that he won't absorb the final season of the veteran's contract. The Mets allegedly discussed a change of scenery deal with the Marlins for Bay but the Mets aren't looking to part ways with the outfielder.
"Certainly, there are times when it is appropriate to eat a contract," Alderson told Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York. "There are other times when it is not. Jason Bay is not going anywhere, nor is his contract."
Bay, 34 in September, is hitting just .154/.248/.285 with five homers in 149 plate appearances in 2012. The outfielder is set to earn $16MM in 2013 and has a $3MM buyout on his $17MM 2014 season.
Minor Moves: Jake Fox, Scott Patterson
Today's minor moves..
- The Phillies have signed catcher/outfielder Jake Fox to a minor league contract, according to Ryan Dunleavy of NJ Press Media (via Twitter). Fox, 30, will report to the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate after posting strong numbers for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.
- The Mets announced that they have signed right-hander Scott Patterson to a Triple-A deal. The 33-year-old was previously with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate and last appeared in the majors in 2008 with the Padres.
Quick Hits: Sheets, Braves, Phillies, Royals
Saturday afternoon linkage..
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recaps the unusual story of how Ben Sheets wound up hooking on with the Braves. The 34-year-old, who had interest from a number of clubs, told Rosenthal that the situation in Atlanta fit him perfectly even though the offer wasn't necessarily the best. The veteran prefers the National League, likes the pitcher's advantage in Turner Field, and enjoys the humidity of the Southeast. Sheets' deal is for the prorated portion of $2.25MM and includes up to $1.4MM in incentives.
- While Ruben Amaro Jr. & Co. are staying positive about the 2012 season, the Phillies should be making moves with 2013 and beyond in mind, opines Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- We could see familiar August trade subjects such as Jeff Francoeur go through the process once more this year, writes Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated. Other top candidates to be moved include Carlos Lee of the Marlins, Jose Lopez of the Indians, and Scott Hairston of the Mets.
- Dominican third baseman Juan Carlos Arias failed his age investigation, a major league source told Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 6-foot-3, 220 pound prospect stood out for his raw power and strength but will now have to wait until June 12, 2013 to sign.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Suzuki, Bell, Bay
The Braves became the latest team to beat the struggling Astros tonight, winning a 4-1 result on the back of 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball from Tim Hudson. With the Braves' win and the Nationals' split of a double-header with the Marlins today, Washington is only two games up on Atlanta in the NL East. Here's the latest from around the division…
- With the Phillies looking to keep payroll under the luxury tax threshold, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News looked at Reed Johnson, Jonny Gomes and Scott Hairston as right-handed hitting free agents who could be paired with lefty bat Nate Schierholtz for a productive outfield platoon that would come at a much cheaper cost than what the Phillies would have paid Hunter Pence in 2013.
- The Nationals don't see new catcher Kurt Suzuki as a "rental," GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including CSN Washington's Mark Zuckerman). Suzuki is under contract through 2013 and the Nats plan to keep him along with regular catcher Wilson Ramos, who will be recovered from a torn ACL suffered in May.
- Fangraphs' Eric Seidman looks at how a Jason Bay for Heath Bell/John Buck trade would benefit both the Marlins and Mets in terms of salary relief and filling lineup holes. The two clubs had some discussions before the trade deadline about such a deal, though talks went nowhere at the time.
Quick Hits: Red Sox, Pena, Bay, Grades
The trade deadline is officially behind us, but expect to see a number of waiver trades this month as teams begin to fall out of contention. Here's the latest from around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday…
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox held onto Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach at the deadline despite trade interest because they wanted to keep as many impact bats as possible while David Ortiz is on the DL. They also want to maintain catching depth.
- "Absolutely. That would be wonderful," said Hunter Pence to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com when asked about signing long-term with the Giants (Twitter link). San Francisco acquired Pence yesterday.
- Earlier today we heard that the Mets and Marlins discussed a trade involving Jason Bay, Heath Bell, and John Buck, but Mike Puma of The New York Post reports (on Twitter) that Bay was never asked to waive his no-trade clause.
- ESPN's Jim Bowden graded each team's trade deadline activity, giving the Angels and Dodgers an A and an A-, respectively. The rebuilding Astros received a B+.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Bay, Bell, Buck, Lee, O’s, K-Rod
The Mets and Marlins discussed a change-of-scenery trade that would have sent Jason Bay to Miami for Heath Bell and John Buck, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. A deal was never close, though the contracts and the money matched up well. Bell is signed through 2014, Bay and Buck through 2013. Rosenthal notes that all three players are likely to clear waivers this month, so the two sides could revisit the deal. Here are the rest of his rumors…
- The Astros are paying virtually all of the $9MM left on Carlos Lee's contract, but one club that spoke to the Marlins said Miami wanted as much as $2.5MM in return for the slugger. Talks never progressed.
- The Orioles spoke to the Mariners about Kevin Millwood, but Seattle wanted a better return than what was offered given the right-hander's bargain $1MM salary.
- The Orioles also discussed a deal with the Royals that would have sent one of their young arms to Kansas City for Luke Hochevar and Jonathan Broxton. Rosenthal speculates that it may have been Jake Arrieta.
- The Brewers were close to trading Francisco Rodriguez to the Giants about a week before the deadline, but San Francisco backed off after the right-hander blew two saves and allowed six runs in Philadelphia last week.