Odds & Ends: Rangers, Hawpe, Griffey, Matsui
Are you over that back-and-forth, edge of your seat Yankees-Twins game yet? If not, here's some links to calm you down…
- Jeff Wilson of The Dallas Morning News provides a quick breakdown of each of the three bidders that are considering purchasing the Rangers. He notes that there is still no timetable for a sale to be complete.
- Jim Armstrong of The Denver Post wonders about Brad Hawpe's future in Colorado after Jim Tracy used three lefthanded pinch hitters during Game Two of the NLDS, none of whom was Hawpe. With several younger, more athletic, and (perhaps most importantly) cheaper outfielders on the roster, Hawpe could be the odd man out.
- When asked if he wanted to play in 2010, Ken Griffey Jr. replied "Um, yeah," according to Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune. Junior also qualified that by saying he'll do what's best for his family and for the Mariners.
- Could Hideki Matsui stay in New York next year? Newsday's David Lennon thinks it may be possible, with the Mets instead of the Yankees. The one they call Godzilla has insisted he could play the outfield all season, yet the Yankees have only used him at DH because of his surgically repaired knees. Lennon notes that Matsui has also "told people he would consider trying first base," which would fit great for the team from Flushing.
Heyman On Pavano, Gomez, Nick Johnson
Reggie Jackson tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that Alex Rodriguez will have a big postseason. Jackson says as much every year, but A-Rod did hit well last night – maybe 2009 is his year. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:
- Like most Yankees people, Jackson is no fan of Carl Pavano.
- Carlos Gomez is hesitant to call the trade that sent him (and others) to Minnesota for Johan Santana fair. But, as Heyman points out, the Twins beat the Mets to the playoffs.
- The Mets will look at free agent first basemen this offseason, but don't expect them to sign Nick Johnson. GM Omar Minaya and the Mets are shying away from injury-prone players. I wonder if that applies to pitchers like Ben Sheets, Rich Harden and Erik Bedard.
Odds & Ends: Sabathia, Leyland, Astros
Some links to start the day off…
- Marc Carig of the Star Ledger says the Yankees hit the jackpot when they signed C.C. Sabathia to a $161MM deal last offseason.
- As Yankees manager Joe Girardi tells Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News, they acquired the lefty for big games like last night's ALDS opener against the Twins.
- Tigers fans are rightfully frustrated after a devastating week, but Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press says firing manager Jim Leyland wouldn't solve a thing.
- Former Astros manager Phil Garner tells Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle that candidates for the Houston managerial job have to be honest with owner Drayton McLane and GM Ed Wade.
- Now that Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez knows his job is secure, he's clearing his head in Georgia for a few days, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer agrees with Tyler Hissey: the Rockies deserve a lot of credit for acquiring Jason Hammel.
- Hissey says the Rays appear to have won the deal that sent Delmon Young and Brendan Harris to the Twins for Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza.
Discussion: What Late Additions Could Have Big Playoff Impact?
With the 2009 postseason picture nearly in place, it's time to identify some of the late-season pickups that can make a huge splash in this year's playoffs.
In 2002, the Angels may not have won the championship without the help of a young pitcher by the name of Francisco Rodriguez. Because of multiple injuries to their bullpen, the Angels called up the 22-year-old in mid-September. Rodriguez was able to pitch in just five regular season games for the club before being thrown into the postseason fire. The hard-throwing righty responded to the pressure beautifully, posting an ERA of 1.93 and fanning 28 batters in just 18.2 innings.
Here are some of the key late-season additions by playoff-bound squads:
- Scott Kazmir has posted an ERA of 1.73 since being acquired by the Angels in late August. The 25-year-old southpaw is slated to start the third game of the ALDS against Boston.
- The Yankees acquired pitcher Chad Gaudin from the Padres in August. Gaudin proved to be a valuable addition as he posted a 3.43 ERA in 42 IP as both a reliever and a starter. If Gaudin makes the playoff roster, it will be as a reliever. Along with deadline acquisition Jerry Hairston Jr., Gaudin will have to wait until Wednesday for confirmation that he will be on the postseason roster.
- When the Cardinals claimed John Smoltz off of waivers in August, no one was sure if the future-hall-of-famer had much to offer after an unsuccessful stint in Boston in which he posted an ERA over 8. However, Smoltz appears to be turning things around in St. Louis as he has posted a 4.26 ERA, 2.1 BB/9 and 9.5 K/9 in seven starts for the NL Central division champs.
- Alex Gonzalez has given a boost to the Red Sox after coming over from Cincinnati in an August trade, as he has played well in the field while posting a slash line of .285/.318/.438 in 43 games.
- Jason Giambi has thrived in his new role as a pinch hitter for the Rockies, who signed the slugger on August 23rd. In 18 games with Colorado, Giambi hit .350/.519/.700. It's safe to say that this year's NL wild-card winners will carry Giambi on the playoff roster.
- The Dodgers acquired pitcher Jon Garland via an intra-divisional trade on August 31st. Prior to that, they signed Rangers-castoff Vincente Padilla to fill-in for Hiroki Kuroda after a comebacker to the mound took him out of action. It is probable that both Padilla and Garland will find themselves on the Dodgers' playoff roster. One or both could land themselves a start in the NLDS with Kuroda shelved once-again – this time to recover from a neck injury.
- Speaking of the Dodgers, late-season acquisitions Jim Thome and Ronnie Belliard should find themselves on the playoff roster.
What other playoff-bound players added to the big league roster after the trade deadline could be poised to have a memorable postseason?
Bidding On Jason Bay
WEEI.com's Alex Speier hears from multiple sources that the bidding for Jason Bay will reach at least four years at $14-15MM per season. The 31-year-old outfielder has been "pleasantly surprised" by his first contract year. Bay didn't know what to expect at the beginning of the season, but he's produced, as usual.
He has 36 homers and a .266/.385/.538 line that overshadows his 159 strikeouts and below average defense (according to UZR/150). A return to Boston appears to be a "legitimate possibility," but other teams will have interest if the two sides can't agree to a deal.
As Speier notes, the Angels, Cardinals, Giants, Mariners, Mets, White Sox and Yankees could all have interest in Bay and the resources to sign him.
Yahoo's Gordon Edes and MLBTR's Mike Axisa each compared Bay to Matt Holliday last month, so check out their articles to see how Bay fits in to the rest of the free agent market.
Odds & Ends: Sandberg, Yanks, Padres, Upton
Some links to read before the final weekend of the regular season…
- Ryne Sandberg tells Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times that his "ideal job" would be managing the Cubs.
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News says C.C. Sabathia and Mike Mussina are the only two Yankee pitchers of the decade to deliver big seasons right after signing big free agent contracts.
- Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune says there's still a lot of uncertainty surrounding Padres GM Kevin Towers.
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale says (via Twitter) that the Giants expect Randy Johnson to retire after the season.
- Nightengale says teams expect the Rays to deal B.J. Upton this winter.
- Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle says the Giants need Bengie Molina and Buster Posey next year.
- Justin Masterson tells John Tomase of the Boston Herald that his former pitching coach, John Farrell, would make a good manager.
Odds & Ends: Mariners, Marlins, Orioles
Time for your afternoon snack (naptime optional):
- The question isn't so much if all the Marlins will return, Joe Capozzi writes in the Palm Beach Post, but which Marlins will be dealt. The $36.8MM payroll would expand to around $43MM next season with the current roster.
- Geoff Baker writes in the Seattle Times that the Mariners can't expect the same group to win as many games in 2010.
- The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck says that Dave Trembley's job status will be determined "in the next 4 or 5 days."
- A front office person tells Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus that Miguel Angel Sano has incredible power for a 16-year-old. The "sky is the limit" for the Dominican infielder.
- Goldstein reports that plenty of teams are doing their "digging" on Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo. The Cards voided Mateo's contract last month after agreeing to a $3.1MM deal with him in July.
- MLB.com's Bryan Hoch says the Yankees still expect Phil Hughes to develop into a starter.
- ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. explains that Hanley Ramirez couples impressive work habits and awesome talent with a dismissive and distant demeanor.
Will Yusei Kikuchi Choose MLB?
Yusei Kikuchi may decide this week between Japanese baseball and MLB, according to Bobbie Dittmeier of MLB.com. As Dittmeier says, the hard-throwing 18-year-old southpaw would "become the first high school player to bypass Japan's draft and sign with a Major League organization."
Dittmeier says the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Tigers, Braves, Rangers, Mariners and Indians have reportedly scouted Kikuchi. She passes along a Kyodo News quote from Kikuchi's high school coach indicating the pitcher is 50-50 on his decision.
NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman has covered Kikuchi extensively. Back in May, Newman explained to MLBTR the differences between Kikuchi and Junichi Tazawa.
Miguel Angel Sano Lowers Asking Price
Dominican shortstop Miguel Angel Sano has lowered his asking price in recent weeks, according to MASN's Steve Melewski. The Orioles admitted "things have stepped up" in their talks with Sano, but a gap remains. (Just a week ago, Orioles president Andy MacPhail characterized the talks as on the backburner.) Melewski heard eight to ten teams are in on Sano, perhaps large-market clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox included. Melewski believes Sano may sign in October. The player's age remains unconfirmed, but he's saying he's 16.
The Pirates were the frontrunner for Sano a few months ago, but Sano's agent turned down their $2.6MM offer (ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. reporting). Since then, Wagner Mateo's $3.1MM deal with the Cardinals was voided.
Odds & Ends: Astros, Girardi, Ricciardi
Time for a round of afternoon links before the regular season's second-last weekend officially begins…
- The Astros signed Korean infielder Chan Jong Moon to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Tom Singer. The 18-year-old high schooler is apparently a high-energy player.
- Peter Abraham of the Journal News wonders if the Yankees would extend Joe Girardi's contract if the Yankees secure a World Series berth this year. Girardi's current deal expires after next season.
- Joe Posnanski doesn't get J.P. Ricciardi, partly because people say wildly divergent things about the GM. Posnanski doesn't expect J.P. to be the person who will turn the Jays around in the tough AL East.
- Tom Verducci of SI.com says it's time to think of Clay Buchholz as a number three starter. Meanwhile, Rob Neyer of ESPN.com wonders if Jon Lester is Boston's new ace.