East Links: Jeter, Drew, CarGo, Gonzalez, Lester
Yankees GM Brian Cashman may be forced to play the bad guy role again as the club considers how they'll address Derek Jeter given the captain's age and durability issues, John Harper of the New York Daily News writes. Three scouts and three executives polled by Harper each said they believe Cashman will acquire an everyday shortstop this offseason, as they don't believe Jeter will be able to handle the position and the Yankees don't have acceptable alternatives. "He’ll be a 40-year old shortstop who already had limited range," one executive said, noting Jeter's injured ankle. "If you’re the GM, it’s your responsibility to make the tough decision for the good of the ballclub.” Here's more notes from around the majors' eastern divisions…
- The majority of the six baseball people who Harper spoke with suggested shortstop Stephen Drew as a potential free agent acquisition for the Yankees. While Drew has posted a solid .249/.331/.436 line this season and would be a good fit for Yankee Stadium, signing with the Yanks would place him in a delicate situation. "Would Drew — or anyone else — want to sign on as the guy pushing an unwilling Jeter into a role where he would DH mostly and play short only occasionally?" Harper asks.
- The Mets covet the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez, and one executive familiar with the Rockies' thinking tells Harper they're likely to listen to offers for the star outfielder. However, a trade appears unlikely, as the Rockies want young position players and aren't interested in what the Mets can offer in that regard. Colorado may also consider offers for Troy Tulowitzki, Harper says.
- CC Sabathia's 4.90 ERA would be the second-worst mark in Yankees history by a pitcher to surpass the 200 inning threshold, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. “I have always been bend-but-don’t-break, and I have broken a lot this year,” Sabathia commented. Sherman says Sabathia has adjusted his delivery in order to better stay on top of the ball so that his fastball does not cut toward the middle of the plate.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson is on track to become the first GM in club history to post increasing loss totals in each of his first three seasons from the team he inherited, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. The team clinched its fifth consecutive losing season in dropping today's game with the Marlins.
- The Phillies have no plans for recent Cuban acquisition Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez to pitch competitively this season, Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer says. The team sees Gonzalez sliding into the third slot of their 2014 rotation behind Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee. "We just want to see where he's at," assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said. "We want to get him assimilated into our organization and be ready to go for spring training."
- The Red Sox have yet to broach the subject of Jon Lester's next contract, GM Ben Cherington revealed in an interview with WEEI.com. "We just feel like those issues are better left for after we’re done playing, which hopefully is several weeks from now," Cherington said. We recently heard that the Sox are "all but certain" to pick up their $13MM option on Lester for next year.
Rosenthal On Gardenhire, McCann, Saltalamacchia
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports brings us yet another edition of Full Count, let's dive in and take a look at the highlights..
- Of all of the pending managerial situations to watch in the majors, the Twins might be the most interesting club to keep an eye on. Ron Gardenhire is trying to avoid his third-straight 90-loss season and he's extremely unlikely to accept a one-year deal and serve as a lame duck in 2014. By the same token, the Twins might not be willing to give him another multi-year pact. For what it's worth, GM Terry Ryan has taken full responsibility for the team's poor roster.
- Catchers generally don't do well in free agency, but two prominent ones are about to hit the open market with prominent teams bidding for their services: the Braves' Brian McCann and the Red Sox's Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Phillies and Rangers figures to be in the mix as they could lose free agent backstops of their own. The White Sox badly need to upgrade behind the plate, though it's not clear how much they'll spend. The Yankees could be involved too. They want to stay under the $189MM luxury tax threshold, but they could use one of the two to finally give themselves an adequate replacement for Russell Martin.
- It's not a huge surprise to see the Marlins contemplating a front office shakeup in September, but regardless of what they do with Baseball Operations President Larry Beinfest, Miami has bigger fish to fry. The Marlins have to decide if they will part with Giancarlo Stanton as he's still unlikely to sign an extension. Rosenthal also wonders why they have been bystanders when it comes to going after Cuban free agents that have come and gone like Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes, and Alexander Guerrero. One has to imagine that a notable Cuban import would be a sizable draw in Miami.
- Even though all of the focus is on the playoff chase, there's still a matter of who will get the final protected pick in next year's draft. The Phillies, if they win too much, can wind up losers. The difference is critical for Ruben Amaro & Co. as they have an older club and they'll want to sign free agents, but, of course, they don't want to lose a first rounder. You can keep track of the other September race with MLBTR's Reverse Standings.
East Notes: Yankees, Saltalamacchia, Duda, Pitchers
The game of baseball seems to have entrenched competitive parity, writes MLB.com's Mike Bauman. He cites the Pirates, A's, Rays, Indians, and Royals as examples of small-market clubs having successful seasons, and notes that the Dodgers are currently the only team that lead a division in both the standings and media market size. Of course, that doesn't mean that salary capacity is without importance: The Tigers and Red Sox rank in the top five of MLB payrolls along with the Dodgers, and other likely playoff teams like the Cardinals, Reds, and Rangers are in the top half. And several other teams with top-15 payrolls — the Orioles, Yankees, and Nationals — are also still in the hunt. Let's take a look at some of the big-budget squads from the league's eastern divisions:
- The Yankees' injury woes are well-documented, and now seem a good bet to pervade the season. Alex Rodriguez is set for DH duties with a balky hamstring, the team just learned that an oblique injury will sideline Brett Gardner for a decent stretch, and now the Yanks have scratched Alfonso Soriano from today's game with a thumb sprain. New York's bullpen situation is arguably still more pressing than the outfield, however, and time is short to add temporary fill-ins. The club recently made one September-only acquisition to fill a gap with shortstop Brendan Ryan, and is just two games out of the Wild Card. It is possible, if unlikely, that GM Brian Cashman could look to add yet another replacement from the group of players that have cleared waivers.
- Still basking in his game-winning grand slam last night, Red Sox backstop Jarrod Saltalamacchia could be a candidate to receive a qualifying offer, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald. With a top-10 OPS among catchers and an improving skill set behind the dish, says Tomase, Salty should be considered for a QO among the Sox' other candidates — Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, and Stephen Drew. Of course, even if Boston decides it wants Saltalamacchia back, it is an entirely separate question whether to run the risk of a qualifying offer. The Munsey Sports Management client would seem likely to accept the offer if it is extended, as he would risk a tough market if signing teams had to sacrifice a draft pick to get him. Though the 28-year-old figures to be among the most desirable catchers available after Brian McCann, moreover, demand will be diluted somewhat by other established, power-hitting options like A.J. Pierzynski and Carlos Ruiz.
- Lucas Duda of the Mets is getting an unexpected opportunity to showcase himself for his club, writes Matt Ehalt of ESPNNewYork.com. As MLBTR's Mark Polishuk recently explained, Duda has a chance to snare a first base gig with the Mets or make himself a reasonably attractive trade commodity. The New York brass seems glad to give him the chance after watching Ike Davis struggle and ultimately go down with a season-ending injury. "Here's his shot to say, 'Hey, look, I'm going to be a legitimate candidate, you're going to have to think about me at that spot,'" explained manager Terry Collins. "That's why we're hoping as we finish the season out that Lucas does what we know he can do."
- Two young, NL East aces — Matt Harvey and Stephen Strasburg — have become emblematic of baseball's long struggle with the stress put on its best arms. But relief could be on the way, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince, who explains that promising new conditioning methods could be employed to limit the occurrence of catastrophic arm injuries.
Managerial Notes: Girardi, Collins, Nationals
We've already seen one managerial change recently, with the firing of Charlie Manuel in favor of Ryne Sandberg. Elsewhere in the league, Davey Johnson is set to retire, and people have speculated frequently on the situations of Mike Scioscia and Ron Gardenhire. Here's a look at some more of the managerial situations around the league that will be heavily discussed this offseason…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that Joe Girardi will be a hot free agent this offseason and will likely be able to choose his destination if he wishes. Girardi could return to the Yankees, or seeing the opportunity to jump to his hometown, could pursue an opportunity with the Cubs even though Dale Sveum is still under contract. He could also look to fill Johnson's role in Washington — a position for which he applied in 2006. Within his piece, Rosenthal reports that Girardi's expiring three-year contract was worth a total of $9MM.
- One scout who spoke with Andy Martino of the New York Daily News offered high praise for the job Mets manager Terry Collins has done without much talent on his roster. "I think Terry has done a tremendous job," said the scout. "That roster is not good, but they’re obviously still playing hard for him. That’s not an easy thing to do as a manager." It is widely expected that Collins will be back with the team in 2014.
- The success the Nationals have shown in the past month makes inheriting Johnson's position "a dream job for some lucky baseball man who gets to succeed [him]," writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Diamondbacks third base coach Matt Williams is the name most frequently heard, but the Nationals own bench coach, Randy Knorr, is receiving increasing support internally, according to Knobler.
East Notes: Haren, Jeter, Abreu
The Yankees and Nationals discussed a possible Dan Haren deal last weekend, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. The two sides never came close to making a trade, and Rosenthal suggests that money might have been part of the reason why — Haren would have only started three times for the Yankees (and wouldn't have been eligible for the playoffs, if the Yankees were to win a spot), but he was still due about $1.5MM in salary. The Yankees' interest stemmed from the recent troubles of Phil Hughes and David Huff.
- Yankees icon Derek Jeter should consider retiring, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman writes. Heyman argues that, after a season ruined by injury, Jeter faces a future in which he might just be a utility player, and that would be an undignified end to a great career. Playing well at shortstop at age 40 is very difficult, and Jeter will face an uphill battle if he tries to return next season.
- The Red Sox have joined the Giants as teams who are scouting Cuban first baseman Jose Abreu in the Dominican Republic, Dionisio Soldevila of ESPNDeportes.com tweets. We've already heard reports of the Red Sox's interest in Abreu, and Boston seems like a good fit for Abreu — the Red Sox have the financial resources to sign him, and Mike Napoli becomes a free agent after the season.
International Notes: Tanaka, Rangers
Masahiro Tanaka's name continues to generate buzz with each game he pitches in Nippon Professional Baseball. The 24-year-old currently boasts a 20-0 record with a 1.24 ERA, 7.7 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 181 innings for the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Here's more on Tanaka and the international prospect front…
- Ben Badler of Baseball America cites a story from Japanese media outlet Sponichi in reporting that the Diamondbacks, Braves, Mariners, Red Sox and Yankees were among the teams with scouts in attendance for Tanaka's most recent start. Tanaka whiffed 11 hitters in a complete-game effort, yielding two runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, Badler adds in his subscription-only game report.
- The Rangers signed 16-year-old Dominican infielder Yimmelvyn Alonzo for $350K, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez (Twitter link). Over at BA, Badler points out that because Texas is already 15 percent over their spending pool, the Rangers will have to pay a 100 percent overage fee, meaning Alonzo essentially cost them $700K. Sanchez writes that Alonzo has some of the best raw power in this year's class of international prospects, though scouts are split on whether or not he can stay at shortstop. Some feel he will ultimately end up in the outfield or even at first base as he continues to grow.
Quick Hits: Red Sox, Stanton, Collins, A-Rod
For the Red Sox, 2013 has increasingly taken on the feel of a triumphant return to glory. Now enjoying a seemingly insurmountable division lead, the Sox have engineered one of the greatest season-to-season turnarounds ever. Jonah Keri of Grantland looks back on each of the key free agent signings made by GM Ben Cherington, arguing that the team's "passel of midlevel free agents" were hardly the overpays that they were labeled. Here's more from around baseball..
- The Phillies are still interested in Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that he's tried to trade for him "at least ten times," writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Unfortunately for the Phils, Marlins president Larry Beinfest has rebuffed them each time and made it clear that they're not moving him.
- A Mets source told Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter) that manager Terry Collins isn't being evaluated by wins and losses in September. "There's different criteria at different times of the year," the offical said.
- Alex Rodriguez's attorneys fear that the MLBPA won't fight hard for their client as he fights a 211-game ban, writes Michael O'Keeffe of the New York Daily News. Sources say that the relationship between team A-Rod and the union is rather uneasy at this point.
- Twins pitcher Mike Pelfrey needs 10.2 innings to reach a $100K bonus and manager Ron Gardenhire won't get in his way as he says that he never lets bonuses affect his decisions, tweets Phil Miller of the Star Tribune.
- Regardless of his light-hitting, Brendan Ryan left his mark on Mariners baseball, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. The shortstop was traded to the Yankees earlier this week for a player to be named later.
- Three years after signing Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126MM deal, Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner says that he's still pleased about the deal, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Yankees Notes: Jeter, Ryan, Luxury Tax
The Yankees placed Derek Jeter on the disabled list today, officially ending his 2013 season. Jeter played in just 17 games this season, slashing .190/.288/.254 as he battled ankle, calf and quadriceps issues. Here's more on Jeter and the team with which he has become synonymous …
- Calling it a "stretch" to see Jeter as a starting shortstop next year, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes that the Yankee legend should hang up his spikes rather than holding on in a utility role. While Jeter has often proved the exception to the rule, reasons Heyman, historical performances by 40-year-old shortstops do not offer much hope, especially given his still-healing ankle.
- For his part, Jeter still believes he can play regularly at short, reports Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. He declined, however, to offer any meaningful insight into his pending decision on a $9.5MM player option for next year. As MLBTR's Zach Links noted yesterday, Jeter would seem to have little hope of getting a better deal if he declines the option.
- In the meantime, the Yanks acquired shortstop Brendan Ryan from the Mariners last night to handle some of the load at shortstop. He was inserted directly into the lineup today, as the club squares off in a crucial test against the Orioles. If the Yankees win, they would control their own destiny, notes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (on Twitter). Ryan acknowledges that it will be hard to man Jeter's spot, but says he is excited at the opportunity to split time with Eduardo Nunez.
- With a chance to earn regular playing time, Ryan has a solid shot at becoming the most impactful September acquisition in recent memory. Last year, the only 2012 September deal for a major leaguer was the Brewers' acquisition of catcher Yorvit Torrealba, who only saw six plate appearances in Milwaukee. Among the prior year transactions found on this list, compiled by Mike Axisa for MLBTR, only Willie Bloomquist (picked up by the Reds in 2010) and Octavio Dotel (added by the Rockies in the same year) saw any real action. Neither of those players made a positive contribution, however, making (perhaps unsurprisingly) for quite an unimpressive recent record of September acquisitions.
- The Yankees stand to pay an MLB-record $29.1MM luxury tax penalty, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. That figure represents a 50% tax on the amount the team spent over the $178mm level. The Dodgers will also pay a tax for the first time in franchise history, but will be taxed at a less-onerous 17.5% rate since the club has not incurred an overage in consecutive seasons (yet, anyway).
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Yankees Designate Jim Miller For Assignment
The Yankees announced that they have designated right-hander Jim Miller for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for the recently acquired Brendan Ryan.
The 31-year-old Miller pitched in one game for the Yankees this season, yielding three runs in just 1 1/3 innings of work. He was much better for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, pitching to a 3.55 ERA with 13.1 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 63 1/3 innings of work.
Originally an eighth-round pick by the Rockies in 2004, Miller has spent time in the Orioles and Athletics organizations as well. The bulk of his Major League experience came last year with the A's, when he posted a 2.59 ERA in 48 2/3 innings for the AL West champions.
As always, you can track the status of Miller and other players who have been designated for assignment using MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
Rockies Acquire Yoely Bello To Complete Nelson Trade
The Rockies have acquired left-hander Yoely Bello from the Yankees to complete the trade that sent Chris Nelson to the Bronx earlier this season, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
Bello, 22, pitched 24 1/3 innings for the Yankees' Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate this season and posted a 6.29 ERA with 29 strikeouts (10.7 K/9) and 16 walks (5.9 BB/9). Bello will turn 23 this winter and has yet to pitch at a higher level than the GCL. In parts of four seasons between the GCL and the Dominican Summer League, the Dominican native has posted a 3.98 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.
That the Rockies didn't receive much of a prospect isn't a surprise, considering the trade occured after Nelson had already been designated for assignment. Nelson spent just two weeks with the Yankees, batting .222/.243/.278 with 11 strikeouts and one walk in 37 plate appearances. They would soon DFA him as well, and Nelson would go on to be claimed by the Angels.