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Odds & Ends: Willis, Pierzynski, Mets, Miranda

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Links for Sunday….

Odds & Ends: Jenks, Fielder, Burrell, Marlins

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A few more links for Friday evening, as the Reds homer for the 17th straight game….

Yankees Designate Randy Winn For Assignment

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The Yankees designated Randy Winn for assignment to make room for Curtis Granderson, according to Ben Shpigel of the New York Times (via Twitter). Manager Joe Girardi told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that the Yankees went with versatility and kept Kevin Russo and Ramiro Pena on the roster instead (Twitter link).

As Ben Kabak of River Ave. Blues explained today, Russo has turned himself into a household name and the Yankees like that Pena can back up at short. That means Winn is available to the 29 other teams (along with his .213/.300/.295 line). The Yankees expected Winn to be a strong defensive presence when they signed him last winter, but he has been average, according to UZR. Winn, who turns 36 next month, makes $1.1MM this year.

Heyman On Prince, Buchholz, Sheets, Padres

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We've already heard about Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee, but Jon Heyman of SI.com introduces us to some lower-profile trade candidates in his latest column. Here's the latest on what trades to expect over the course of the next two months:

  • This summer, the Yankees plan on pursuing a reliever plus a hitter to replace Nick Johnson (Twitter link).
  • Executives believe there's a real chance the 19-28 Brewers deal Prince Fielder. One NL GM says "Milwaukee can't afford the Prince Fielders of the world.''
  • The Indians asked for Clay Buchholz in exchange for Cliff Lee last summer and were rejected by the Red Sox. The Indians were smart to ask, but the Red Sox are surely glad they held onto Buchholz, who has a 3.07 ERA this year.
  • An AL GM says Ben Sheets needs to be more consistent to become an appealing trade target. Sheets is pitching better after a slow start.
  • GMs around the league would love to see the White Sox make their pitchers available.
  • A White Sox insider says Ozzie Guillen isn't going anywhere.
  • One GM can see the D'Backs trading Dan Haren for a prospect-rich package, but other executives think the D'Backs will keep their ace.
  • Most executives see the Padres holding onto Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell – at least as long as they're playing this well.

Teams That Could Take On Payroll This Summer

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The ability to absorb a few million dollars at the trade deadline is a pretty powerful bargaining chip. Teams never mind shedding salary, but you won't find many clubs willing to take it on. Some teams always have the financial might to absorb a contract or two; others can take on payroll under the right circumstances and some are sitting tight no matter what.

To predict which teams will be able to take on payroll this trade deadline, MLBTR looked to recent history and the latest rumors. Here are the results:

  • Yankees – It's hard to imagine a team with an Opening Day payroll of $213MM letting a few more million stand between them and a deal this summer.
  • Cubs – Same goes for the Cubs, who opened the season with a $144MM payroll. It's the team's first summer under new ownership.
  • Red Sox – Not only are they big spenders ($168MM Opening Day payroll), they are aggressive at the deadline. Last year, the club added Victor Martinez, Alex Gonzalez and Casey Kotchman. 
  • Nationals – The Nats could have the financial might to take on Roy Oswalt's entire contract, if you believe one of the officials ESPN.com's Jayson Stark spoke to. They also have to budget for the bonus their number one pick will demand. We're talking many millions no matter what, but possible selection Bryce Harper could demand an eight-figure deal.
  • Dodgers – An official told Stark that he can imagine the Dodgers taking on $5MM or so. GM Ned Colletti said earlier this week that he could add payroll in the right deal, in spite of the McCourt divorce.
  • Angels – The Angels have some money, according to Stark's sources.
  • Giants – Adding Pat Burrell at the major league minimum wouldn't exactly constitute "buying," but the Giants operate under a relatively big budget.
  • Rays – They are expected to lower payroll in 2011, so they don't seem like a logical candidate to add salary, but they have been creative and aggressive at the deadline in recent years, discussing deals for the likes of Jason Bay and Victor Martinez.
  • Reds – The Reds have financial flexibility and a willingness to get creative, according to one of Ken Rosenthal's sources.
  • Phillies – They're staying in touch with Pedro Martinez, which presumably means they have at least a million or two to work with. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has said he'll be reluctant to give up prospects, but it's not hard to imagine the Phillies taking on payroll. 
  • Cardinals – The Cardinals were big spenders at last year's deadline, acquiring Mark DeRosa and then Matt Holliday. They may look for starters this year, which could cost them a few million, even though ESPN.com's Buster Olney expects a buyer's market.
  • Blue Jays – Team president Paul Beeston is "all about winning" in the words of GM Alex Anthopoulos (via the Toronto Star). It will be a balancing act between short-term needs and long-term goals, but the Jays could spend if they're in contention.
  • Some teams that don't appear on this list will likely become spenders this summer, but these are at least some of the clubs that could take on salary in the right deal.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Lee, Braves, Mets, Oswalt

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On this date 12 years ago, Diamondbacks manager Buck Showalter ordered closer Gregg Olsen to intentionally walk Barry Bonds with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 9th. Arizona was leading the Giants 8-6 at the time, and the move not only forced in a run, but also put the winning run in scoring position. The next batter, Brent Mayne, flew out to deep center field to end the inning and give the D'Backs the 8-7 win. It was just the third time in history that a batter was intentionally walked with the bases loaded, though the Rays' Joe Maddon turned the same trick with Josh Hamilton in August 2008. 

Coincidentally, Bonds hit his 715th career homer to pass Babe Ruth for sole possession of second place on the all-time list on this same date back in 2006. Anyway, here's a collection of links from around the baseball blogiverse…

  • Prospect Insider examines the Cliff Lee trade market.
  • Capitol Avenue Club lists six players the Braves could select with their first pick, #35 overall, in next month's draft. Atlanta sent their first round pick, #20 overall, to the Red Sox as compensation for signing Billy Wagner.
  • Mets Paradise looks at the internal candidates the Mets could turn to if they need to fill another rotation spot.
  • Yankeeist reviews some players the Yankees either let go or passed on last offseason, plus some players they could pursue next winter.
  • Dodger Dugout tries to figure out what Ned Colletti might be thinking as the trade deadline slowly approaches.
  • Meanwhile, The Baseball Opinion speculates about Roy Oswalt landing with the Dodgers.
  • The Bottom Line says that John Lackey's curve has been lacking with the Red Sox.
  • River Ave. Blues takes a deeper look at some draft prospects the Yankees have been linked to.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Chapman, Gordon, Winn, Brewers

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Some Thursday notes from around the majors…

  • Aroldis Chapman recorded seven strikeouts while allowing three hits and a walk over five shutout innings for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville tonight, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Chapman is in the midst of a 10 2/3 inning scoreless streak.
  • Fangraphs' Jack Moore looks at Alex Gordon's ongoing demolition of Triple-A pitching and says "there’s no excuse if he’s not back in Kansas City by June."
  • Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweets that "many people believe" the Yankees will designate Randy Winn for assignment when Curtis Granderson returns from the DL.  Feinsand believes the Yanks should keep Winn and instead send Kevin Russo back to the minors.
  • MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports (via Twitter) that the Brewers have signed right-hander Eduardo Morlan to a minor-league deal.  The Brewers selected Morlan from Tampa Bay in the 2008 Rule 5 draft but he was designated for assignment and returned to the Rays during spring training of that year.  The Rays just released Morlan two days ago.
  • ESPN's Insider Rumors section (subscription required) speculates that Rickie Weeks could be a trade candidate if Milwaukee doesn't want to pay his likely arbitration raise in the winter.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explored the Brewers' trade options last week, and noted that Weekes' arbitration salary bump might also cause teams to shy away from acquiring him.
  • John Schuerholz chatted on the air with Sirius XM Radio's Jim Bowden today.  Bowden tweeted that Schuerholz feels the Braves have enough pop in their lineup and don't "need to make a Fred McGriff type trade."  The Crime Dog was acquired by Atlanta in July 1993 for Donnie Elliott, Vince Moore and Melvin Nieves — don't you always need to make a deal like that?
  • Bowden also had Baltimore president Andy MacPhail on his show, and speculates (via Twitter) that the O's will look to draft Jameson Taillon based on MacPhail's description of his club's wants.  Bowden also tweeted that MacPhail didn't offer an endorsement of manager Dave Trembley, and instead just noted that it's still early in the season.
  • Omar Minaya said the Mets might look to trade for a starter later in the summer, reports Kieran Darcy of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Fanhouse's Ed Price explains how Philadelphia's unheralded signings of Jose Contreras and Danys Baez have bailed out their bullpen over the first two months of the season.
  • Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com answers Cleveland-related fan questions in a mailbag about such topics as when Michael Brantley will return to the majors, the recent release of Scott Lewis, and how the Tribe passed on Jason Heyward in the 2007 amateur draft.

Minor League Transactions

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Matt Eddy of Baseball America has this week's listings of comings and goings in the minors, and here are a few of the notable names on the move…

  • Reliever Andrew Brown was dealt from St. Louis to Washington for future considerations.  Brown last pitched in the majors in 2008 with Oakland, and he has a 3.84 ERA in 73 appearances between 2006-08.  This is the fifth time Brown has been traded in his 10 seasons of pro ball, but it's by far the most low-profile deal; he's been involved in past trades for Gary Sheffield, Kevin Kouzmanoff and has twice been included in deals for Milton Bradley.
  • The Tigers released Phil Dumatrait, and Eddy passes on the news that the left-hander has already caught on with the Korean Baseball Organization's LG Twins.  Dumatrait was Boston's first-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2000 amateur draft, and he posted a 7.06 ERA in 42 major league appearances with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
  • The Yankees have brought former prospect Rudy Guillen back into their system.  Guillen briefly converted from the outfield to the mound in 2007, but then seemed to drop off of the radar for two seasons.  Eddy reports that he is coming back as an outfielder once again.
  • Eddy notes that catcher Carlos Maldonado, called up by the Nationals on Tuesday, could be in line for playing time as Stephen Strasburg's personal catcher given Washington's injury problems behind the plate and Maldonado's experience catching the superstar prospect at Triple-A.  Maldonado last played in the majors in 2007 as a member of the Pirates.  He has a .586 OPS in 50 major league plate appearances and a .689 OPS in 4097 minor league plate appearances.

Stark On Oswalt, Braves, Carmona, Yankees

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Astros scouts haven't been told to watch specific teams or players, so Roy Oswalt doesn't need to start preparing for life after Houston just yet. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark has the details on Oswalt and more rumblings from around the major leagues:

  • Oswalt has told friends he'd love to play in St. Louis and it's believed that he would be interested in joining the Dodgers and Braves.
  • We've heard lots about the $29MM remaining on Oswalt's deal, but the Angels have some money, according to an official Stark spoke to. The Nationals may be "the one team that would pay the whole freight on the contract."
  • GM Andrew Friedman says he wasn't sure how Rafael Soriano's National League experience would translate to the American League East when the Rays dealt for him last offseason. Needless to say, the Rays have been pleased with Soriano's dominant start to the season.
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. tells Stark that other teams offered Jose Contreras "much more money" last winter.
  • Braves GM Frank Wren says he's pleased with Eric Hinske's play and notes that teams probably don't pay enough attention to their benches.
  • Wren says the Braves would not have interest in adding a starting pitcher. Besides their current rotation, they have the injured Jair Jurrjens and Triple A pitcher Chris Resop.
  • GM Jon Daniels says the Rangers saw "a guy with major league ability and pedigree" when they scouted Colby Lewis in Japan last year.
  • One scout says the Blue Jays are definitely tracking Fausto Carmona and have watched his last 12 starts.
  • The Red Sox have tried trading Mike Lowell unsuccessfully, but they aren't eager to eat the $8MM-plus remaining on his salary. 
  • Rival clubs say the Yankees haven't decided what their trade deadline needs are, though they're showing some interest in versatile outfield bats.

Yankees Not Likely To Pursue Oswalt

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The Yankees are not likely to pursue Roy Oswalt, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). One Yankees official told Heyman "we like our starters," which isn't a surprise considering how they've pitched this year. 

Javier Vazquez has a high ERA and is walking twice as many batters as usual, but C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes have pitched well. The rotation has combined for a 3.70 ERA and helped the Yankees prevent more runs than any AL team except the Twins and Rays.

Ken Rosenthal reported yesterday that the Yankees would rather pursue Cliff Lee as a free agent than give up prospects for Oswalt. Since we're still two months away from the trade deadline, it's too early to predict what teams like the Yankees will need down the stretch. The Astros have told at least one club that they're not shopping Oswalt yet, so they don't figure to be too surprised or disappointed by the Yankees' lack of current interest.

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