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Quick Hits: Zambrano, Stewart, Reds, Hall

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Some news items from around the league….

  • Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com and David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune both feel that Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs should part ways in the wake of Zambrano's recent tirade against the club, and that the right-hander would certainly waive his no-trade clause in order to leave town. 
  • Levine and Haugh each cite the Yankees as a potential trade partner, though it's hard to imagine the Yankees taking on a high-priced pitcher with such baggage.  It's even harder to imagine New York parting with a significant player like Joba Chamberlain or Brett Gardner in exchange for Zambrano, as Levine suggests.
  • Ian Stewart is "the best player to buy low on," a non-Rockies scout tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  For that reason, Renck feels the Rockies will hold onto the struggling third baseman until he gets back in form or at least improves his trade value.
  • The Reds have won just five of their last 18 games, which has B.J. Bethel of the Dayton Daily News and John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer both calling for a "shake-up."  Bethel suggests the club should look for relief pitching, a veteran starter, or a solid bat for left field and/or at third base or shortstop.  Fay suggests that a prospect like Yonder Alonso, Todd Frazier or Zack Cozart could help fill those holes in the lineup, and also thinks Cincinnati could deal one of its catchers (Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan).   
  • Bill Hall drew some attention from the Yankees last winter and the Bombers could sign Hall for the minimum salary now that the veteran utilityman has been released by the Astros, writes Mike Axisa of the River Avenue Blues blog.  As Axisa notes, Hall doesn't offer much more than what the Yankees currently have in bench options, but for a minimum salary, Hall is a no-risk signing.   

Quick Hits: Orioles, Danks, Athletics, Yankees, Mets

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Tampa Bay selected Jose Bautista off of waivers from the Orioles on this date in 2004.  That was, of course, before the Rays dropped the "Devil" portion of their nickname and before Jose Bautista was Jose Bautista..

Yankees To Explore Deals For Starting Pitching

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Though it may seem like the Yankees’ rotation is a strength, it has been solid rather than spectacular to this point in the season. The Yankees aren’t assuming Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia can continue pitching this well, so, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, they will be looking for ways to bolster their starting pitching depth this summer.

“Overall, the pitching is going to be the defining thing for us,” GM Brian Cashman told Sherman. “The pitching has excelled, but it is not wise or prudent to sit back and try not to reinforce and improve on it.”

The Yankees have not been in contact with left-hander Andy Pettitte, according to Sherman and Cashman says they aren’t discussing the possibility of calling up prospects Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances. Cashman “badly wants” a left-handed reliever, since the Yankees don’t have left-handed depth in the minors and it could be a while before Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte return. 

Don’t expect the Yankees to pursue a “significant” hitter, though. They lead the American League in runs scored and are content with every spot in the lineup except designated hitter. They don’t mind relying on internal options to fill the DH role, Sherman reports.

New York Notes: Cashman, Reyes, Wright

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On this date in 1925, Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp sat out after being hit in the head during batting practice. His replacement, a 21-year-old named Lou Gehrig, picked up three hits that day on his way to playing 2,130 consecutive games. Here's the latest out of New York…

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman has more cash at his disposal than any other general manager, but he recognizes the importance of the draft. "Our business is baseball, and that's the most important access to talent,” he told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “If you want to be championship-caliber, there's a lot of different avenues, but one you can not skip is the amateur pipeline. That's the foundation of eventual champions."
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Mets should keep Jose Reyes and David Wright long-term, not just one or the other. Team officials tell Rosenthal that, under certain circumstances, they could afford both infielders.
  • Reyes has returned from the Dominican Republic and is off of the bereavement list, Anthony DiComo writes at MLB.com (the shortstop returned home after the death of his grandmother).

New York Notes: Colon, Reyes, Beltran, Wright

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Six Yankees lead All-Star balloting at their respective positions in the early going: Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson (who's second among outfielders to Jose Bautista). Here's the latest on the Yankees and their cross-town rivals:

  • Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record points out that the Yankees have no incentive to dig for answers from Bartolo Colon, who had stem cells injected into his shouder and elbow before signing with them last offseason. The commissioner's office seems to know that Colon is beyond their reach, but MLB officials believe Colon should have disclosed what had happened when he signed with the Yankees. 
  • One GM suggested to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Mets fans shouldn't expect too much in possible trades for Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran. The return for players on the brink of free agency hasn't historically been overwhelming, the GM said, pointing to the 2008 deal that sent Teixeira from Atlanta to the Angels for Casey Kotchman. On the other hand, Matt Holliday was traded for Brett Wallace the next summer.
  • Maybe Fred Wilpon was on point when he said David Wright is not a superstar. Rival executives tell Sherman that the third baseman would work best as the third or fourth-best player in a lineup.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Reyes, Mariners, Galarraga

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Links for Sunday, after John Danks was unable to get his first win of 2011 this afternoon….

  • It seems likely that the Pirates will place Ryan Doumit on the disabled list after he injured his ankle today, and Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh-Tribune Review says (on Twitter) that Dusty Brown would get called up to replace him since Jason Jaramillo is also hurt. Pittsburgh's 40-man roster is full, so a move will have to be made to accommodate Brown.
  • Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger reports (on Twitter) that Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was again asked about his contract following today's game. "I've told you like a million times already," said Reyes, an impending free agent. "If [an extension] comes, it comes. If not, I'm going to continue to play."
  • Larry Stone of The Seattle Times spoke to Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik about the upcoming draft, who indicated that he will not draft based on team need and that they have a group of about five players they're specifically targeting for the second overall pick.
  • Bob Cohn of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote about the importance that decision-making plays into the success of small market teams.
  • Armando Galarraga wasn't pleased about his demotion to Triple-A, writes Chris Gabel of the Reno Gazette-Journal. The right-hander was blunt about why he stayed in the Diamondbacks' organization and accepted his minor league assignment: "The money. They have to pay me $2.3MM to come here."
  • The trade pulled off by the Yankees, Tigers, and Diamondbacks in 2009 was the rare three-way deal that worked out for each team, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • Asked whether the Indians could pursue Jim Thome this summer, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer points out that if the Twins make him available, it likely won't be until after he hits his 600th home run. Hoynes doubts that the veteran slugger is a fit for the Tribe anyway.
  • While the Red Sox committed over $300MM to Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez this year, their smaller investments are also paying dividends, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • P.J. Walters was removed from the Cardinals' 40-man roster and cleared waivers earlier this weekend, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

New York Notes: Reyes, Felix, Hughes, Jeter

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Even before reports of David Einhorn's $200MM investment in the Mets surfaced, things could've been worse in Queens, writes Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. Vaccaro points out that New York's baseball history includes plenty of stretches more dismal than the one endured by the present-day Mets, and breaks down his top five. Here are some other Sunday morning notes on the Mets and Yankees:

Yankees Notes: Trade Calls, Myers, Scouts

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The Yankees cut ties with Randy Winn on this date last year. The outfielder hit just .213/.300/.295 in 71 plate appearances, seemingly getting exposed when an injury to Curtis Granderson forced him into regular duty. Here are some notes from the Big Apple…

  • GM Brian Cashman told George A. King III of The New York Post that he isn't getting any calls about trades just yet. "I am not getting calls," said Cashman. "We have the farm system and money, but no calls … The headache stuff is available. The quality stuff is not available."
  • Within the article, King notes that the team could look for upgrades at DH, in right field, and for the pitching staff. He says the Astros "will listen" to offers for Brett Myers, but the Yankees "don't have a match." King speculates that Carlos Beltran, Michael Cuddyer, and Vladimir Guerrero could be potential trade targets.
  • Dan Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal wrote about the club's pro scouting department, which helped unearth Bartolo Colon and others this offseason. "It's easy to recommend a guy when the numbers are there," said scout Tim Naehring. "The most difficult thing is feeling confident and putting in a report when the production isn't there. The biggest challenge is sticking your neck out and saying,'I know there's more in there. I know there's better performance coming.'"

Quick Hits: McCourt, Abreu, Sizemore, Purcey

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A night after striking out four times in four plate appearances, Adam Dunn walked in all four of his plate appearances in Friday's 4-2 loss to Toronto.  If we're sticking to a pattern of Dunn's "three true outcomes," then theoretically, Dunn should hit four home runs against the Blue Jays tomorrow.  Set your fantasy lineups accordingly!

Some news from around the majors as we go into the weekend…

  • Frank McCourt will be able to meet the Dodgers' May 31 payroll, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  One of Shaikin's sources says McCourt is still looking to secure the funds to meet the next payroll deadline on June 15.  If McCourt fails to meet payroll, Major League Baseball will seize control of the team from the embattled owner and cover the payroll itself.
  • With Bobby Abreu on pace to easily reach 433 plate appearances and cause his $9MM option for 2012 to vest, the Angels will owe $48MM in 2012 to Abreu, Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter.  Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com thinks allowing Abreu's option to vest "would be just another poor long-term decision for a GM [Tony Reagins] that seems to be specializing in them," and wonders why the Halos would tie so much money up in the outfield when their top prospect (Mike Trout) is an outfielder and Peter Bourjos is in the picture.
  • In his analysis of today's Scott Sizemore-for-David Purcey trade, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports notes that the Tigers first contacted the Athletics about Purcey on the very day that Oakland acquired the left-hander from the Blue Jays.  The deal was a natural match since "the A’s long have had interest in Sizemore," and plan to convert him to a third baseman.
  • Matthew Eddy of Baseball America wraps up the week's minor league transactions.
  • Joe Girardi said he could move Nick Swisher into a platoon with Chris Dickerson if Swisher doesn't pick up his hitting from the left side of the plate, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com.  Swisher still has four months to get on track, but right now it looks like there's no chance the Yankees will pick up his $10.25MM option for 2012.
  • Ryan Drese was granted his release by the Orioles earlier today, and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports the veteran righty is expected to sign a minor league deal with the Astros.

East Notes: Marlins, Anderson, Encarnacion, Phillies

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Here's the latest from the eastern side of the baseball map…

  • Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest tells MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that the team wants to "concentrate on the season right now" and wouldn't comment on whether the Fish would offer Edwin Rodriguez a contract extension before the year is up.  Rodriguez, who took over as Florida's manager last June, is only on a one-year deal.
  • The Yankees released Trenton Thunder reliever Brian Anderson, according to Thunder reporter Mike Ashmore (on Twitter). The former outfielder was on the DL with a biceps issue.
  • The Yankees also released southpaw Andrew Sisco, according to the International League's transactions page.  Sisco posted a 5.18 ERA in 151 relief appearances for the Royals and White Sox between 2005-07 and hasn't been back to the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2008.  Sisco, 28, had a 1.88 ERA and a 9.4 K/9 rate in 16 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, though he'd also allowed 12 walks in 14 1/3 innings pitched.
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs calls for the Blue Jays to release Edwin Encarnacion or at least permanently relegate him to the bench.  "[Encarnacion is] an absolute disaster in the field, and his bat simply doesn’t even come close to making up for it," Cameron writes.
  • J.C. Ramirez, one of the prospects the Phillies received in the Cliff Lee trade, has pitched well at Double-A this season, writes Jim Salisbury for Baseball America.
  • It looks as if Domonic Brown will remain with the Phillies when Shane Victorino returns from the DL, reports Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  This could mean the Phils send John Mayberry Jr. down to the minors, or perhaps Rule 5 draft pick Michael Martinez, who would of course have to be offered back to the Nationals. 
  • The Orioles are expected to release right-hander Ryan Drese, reports Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.  Drese, 35, last pitched in the majors in 2006 and currently has a 6.55 ERA in nine games (six of them starts) for Triple-A Norfolk.
  • Overpaying for a designated hitter is "a new market inefficiency," writes Jason Collette of the DRaysBay blog.  Collette suggests the Rays (and other teams) should look to fill the DH spot with the same low-cost approach that the Rays used to rebuild their bullpen this winter.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post

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