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.
Remembering the 1993 Trade Deadline
Baseball's 1993 season, with a potential strike looming, was an interesting year. And the trade deadline produced deals involving some of baseball's biggest names.
- On June 24, the Marlins traded Andres Berumen, Jose Martinez and a young reliever named Trevor Hoffman to the Padres for Rich Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield. Sheffield was just 24, and the Marlins quickly realized that he was more at home in the outfield than at third base. Sheffield managed an OPS+ of 162 over his next four seasons, before being purged by the Marlins, who traded him in the 1998 Mike Piazza deal, then turned around and traded Piazza to the Mets for prospects. And Hoffman? 16 seasons in San Diego, 552 saves and an ERA+ of 146.
- Less than a month later, the Atlanta Braves added a signature piece to their roster, trading Vince Moore, Donnie Elliott and Melvin Nieves to the Padres for Fred McGriff. The Braves got immediate payoff from the deal. McGriff, who had posted a .275/.361/.497 line in San Diego, went on a .310/.392/.612 tear with Atlanta. He hit 130 home runs over five seasons with the Braves. This is a classic trade deadline pickup.
- Still more activity came from the Padres, who, it must be noted, finished just 61-101 in 1993. On July 26, San Diego traded Greg Harris and Bruce Hurst to the Colorado Rockies for Brad Ausmus, Doug Bochtler and a player to be named later. Harris reached his sell-by date the day he was traded, going from a 3.67 ERA with San Diego to a 1-8, 6.50 ERA finish in Colorado. Hurst pitched 8.2 innings of 5.19 ERA ball before going down due to injury. And worst of all? The player to be named later sent to San Diego turned out to be… Andy Ashby, who pitched eight seasons of 113 ERA+ baseball for the Padres. Not a good day one mile above sea level.
- Under the radar a bit was a three-team deal that must be mentioned. The Royals got John Habyan. The Yankees got Paul Assenmacher, saving the clubhouse manager a ton of time by not having uniform names on their players' backs. And the Cubs got outfielder Tuffy Rhodes. While Habyan and Assenmacher continued to do what they tended to do for everyone else- put up decent ERAs out of the bullpen- Rhodes was a revelation, hitting .288/.413/.538 in 63 plate appearances. Then, on Opening Day 1994, he hit three home runs against the Mets! Surely, stardom would follow. Instead, he hit .234/.318/.387, and was playing in Japan by 1996. He starred there, of course, with seven seasons of 40 or more home runs, including a high of 55.
- The final bit of trade deadline drama came with the best leadoff hitter of all time. The Oakland Athletics sent Rickey Henderson to the Toronto Blue Jays for elite pitching prospect Steve Karsay and outfield prospect Jose Herrera. Amazingly, Henderson was a total bust for Toronto. He hit .215/.356/.319 after the trade, .327/.469/.553 before the trade. But Karsay could never stay healthy for long, and Herrera didn't do much in two big league seasons.
Odds & Ends: Fukudome, Kemp, Lowell, Harang
Links for Friday, as the Rangers keep streaking…
- A few Cubs people told Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald that they're not trying to move Kosuke Fukudome as aggressively as it seems. The Cubs would still like to trade him, though.
- In a piece for the New York Times, Baseball-Reference creator Sean Forman says the Padres may be one above-average bat away from sustaining their surprisingly good start.
- Should the Dodgers trade Matt Kemp? Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports answers that question with a definite 'yes.'
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that Mike Lowell's hip issues, which have landed him on the disabled list, prevented the completion of the deal that would have sent Lowell to Texas over the winter. Lowell tells Speier he knows his DL stint will hurt his trade value.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer wonders if the Reds could trade Aaron Harang.
- The Padres need to add a bat, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Check out my appearance on Bloomberg Sports' Ballpark Figures series right here.
- Joe Torre told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that he would have room for Robinson Cano on his all-time Yankees team (Twitter link). Torre also managed All-Star second basemen Chuck Knoblauch and Alfonso Soriano in the Bronx.
- Kevin Kernan of the New York Post says it's the Mets' turn to make a big mid-summer acquisition. Kernan would like to see the Mets bring Cliff Lee back to the NL East.
- A person close to Lee told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that the lefty would not mind playing in New York.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post strongly endorses Bobby Valentine and Buck Showalter as managers. Sherman writes that the two skippers "are both fantastic at running a game" and would fit well in Florida and Baltimore, respectively.
Mets Focus On Pitching, Not Second Base
The Mets are focused on adding pitching and will not pursue a trade for a second baseman, a source tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Luis Castillo has missed almost the entire month with an injured left foot, so 20-year-old Ruben Tejada has filled in at second. The youngster has hit .260/.327/.320 and played well enough defensively for the Mets to feel comfortable focusing on other needs.
Mets executives are engaging in preliminary talks with other teams about pitching help. Cliff Lee would fit in New York, but Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Mariners aren’t ready to “throw in the towel” yet (Twitter link). That said, Zduriencik is “not a fool” and will sell if the Mariners don’t go on a Texas-sized winning streak (Twitter link).
Ty Wigginton said he would not mind playing for the Mets, but the O’s are reportedly asking for a young shortstop in return. Infielders such as Kelly Johnson, Akinori Iwamura, Craig Counsell, Willie Bloomquist and Adam Kennedy could become options if the Mets change course and pursue a replacement for Castillo.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Jenkins, Twins, Eveland
On this date 11 years ago, Orioles lefty Jesse Orosco set the Major League record for career relief appearances when he came into the 8th inning of a game against the Yankees to face Tino Martinez and Paul O'Neill. It was his 1,051st career appearance, surpassing Kent Tekulve's record. The then-42-year-old Orosco went on to pitch another four years after setting the mark, and retired with 1,252 career appearances, 74 more than anyone else.
Here are a few links from around the baseball blogosphere…
- 1 Blue Jays Way interviewed Jays' prospect Chad Jenkins.
- Nick's Twins Blog doesn't think Minnesota needs to add relievers from outside the organization.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. wonders what the Pirates were thinking when they acquired Dana Eveland.
- The Friarhood says it's time for the Padres to reinforce their lineup with a big bat.
- 6 Pound 8 Ounce Baby Joba tries to predict some upcoming transactions.
- Prospect Insider looks at some blocked prospects the Mariners could target in a trade this summer.
- Mets Paradise says Elmer Dessens has added a lot of depth to the Amazins' bullpen.
- Capital Avenue Club wonders who the odd man out of the Braves' rotation will be once Jair Jurrjens is healthy.
- Future Redbirds rounded up a bevy of prospect and draft reference links.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Mets Willing To Rent Lee From Mariners
The Mets are willing to deal for Cliff Lee without requiring a negotiating window to sign him to an extension, a source with knowledge of the team's thinking told Mark Hale of the New York Post. Two years ago, when the Mets agreed to trade for Johan Santana, they secured a 72-hour negotiating window with the ace.
The source also told Hale that the club would be unlikely to trade Jenrry Mejia, Jonathon Niese, or Ike Davis for Lee. Without those three in a deal, the Mets could offer the M's a package built around prospects such as Ruben Tejada, Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Jeurys Familia, and Josh Thole.
Meanwhile, several Mets officials said that the Mariners have not yet made Lee available, according to Andy Martino of the Daily News. The same officials say that there are no untouchables in the minor league system, though Angel Pagan is now "virtually untouchable" with Carlos Beltran's health so uncertain.
Odds & Ends: Hall, Lowell, Myers, Valentine, Lee
Some links for Thursday as Rangers GM Jon Daniels decides exactly how he wants to dye his hair…
- The Rangers released Toby Hall, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). The catcher, who last played in the majors in 2008, was in extended spring training.
- Peter Gammons wouldn't be surprised to see Bobby Valentine managing the Marlins by this weekend (Twitter link).
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains that big league players such as Rod Barajas, Daniel Nava and Frank Herrmann were not drafted at all.
- The Red Sox are expected to put Mike Lowell on the DL to make room for Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Red Sox have not used Lowell much, leading to trade speculation, but the DL stint won't do much for his value.
- One GM tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he finds D'Backs hitters hard to evaluate because Chase Field is so hitter-friendly.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if Brett Myers might be a better trade chip than Roy Oswalt.
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News hears from a source who believes that there's a 95% chance Valentine becomes the Marlins' next manager.
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says Cliff Lee is becoming the "rock-solid, no-questions-asked, No. 1 trade target in baseball."
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Mets and Twins are frontrunners for Lee right now.
- Michael Cuddyer expressed confidence in Minnesota's front office and said Lee would look good in a Twins uniform, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Mets Sign Ramon Ortiz
The Mets signed Ramon Ortiz to a minor league deal, according to Gerard Guilfoyle of SNY (via Twitter). The Dodgers signed Ortiz in February and designated him for assignment in May after he posted a 6.30 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9. Despite those numbers, they still had interest as recently as last week, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).
The 37-year-old right-hander relies on a 91 mph fastball, a slider and a change, according to data on FanGraphs. Ortiz will start in Triple A Buffalo tonight. The Mets' rotation has been strong, thanks to surprising performances from R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi and Mike Pelfrey's breakout year. Ortiz provides minor league depth, in case they lose a pitcher to injury.
Mets Notes: Santana, Millwood, Westbrook, Beltran
While we ponder if the Jerry Seinfeld/Lady Gaga feud will reach the heights of Seinfeld's rivalry with Newman, here are a few news items concerning the Big Apple's NL side…
- Bob Klapisch of FOXSports.com wonders if the Mets should be worried about Johan Santana given a few shaky starts and some declining peripheral numbers. Klapisch notes that the Mets might look at Cliff Lee if they're worried about not having a top-tier ace to match against other clubs' best arms. It's way too soon to panic about Santana given his still-solid 3.31 ERA and 2.00 K-BB ratio, though when a team has at least $88MM invested in a pitcher through 2013, it's probably not wrong to be concerned about any dip in form.
- Klapisch also quotes senior team officials who say that Jon Niese wouldn't be moved in a hypothetical Lee deal, and an unnamed Mets player who doesn't think adding Kevin Millwood or Jake Westbrook would help the team.
- ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand writes that with Angel Pagan playing so well in place of the injured Carlos Beltran, the dispute between the Mets and Beltran's agent Scott Boras over "the timing and authorization of Beltran's offseason knee surgery" could be "a converging storm." Beltran is owed approximately $28MM over the rest of this season and 2011, and it was announced today that he is expected back playing by July 15.
- Jenrry Mejia's demotion to Double-A and conversion back into starting pitching means the Mets will probably get an extra year of control over his rights, says Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.