Odds and Ends: Garland, Ordonez, Pettite, Peavy
Links from around the league on a slow Monday night…
- Keith Law of ESPN says that the Rockies should consider picking up Jon Garland.
- In the Detroit Free Press, Jamie Samuelsen argues that the Tigers should keep Magglio Ordonez in the lineup to maintain credibility with future free agents.
- When asked whether Andy Pettitte will be brought back by the Yankees next year, ESPN's Buster Olney writes that "given how he's throwing, I'm sure it will happen."
- And the White Sox's new acquisition, Jake Peavy, could start on Saturday against CC Sabathia and the Yankees, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
Heyman On Damon, Minaya, Wagner
Jon Heyman of SI.com would like to see an Angels-Dodgers World Series. He breaks down lots of great possible matchups and, as always, provides some rumors:
- The Yankees plan on bringing back Johnny Damon and they figure to make him an opening offer worth $6-8MM. It would be a big paycut from the $13MM he's currently making, but Damon seems to want to return to the Yanks.
- As much as the Yankees like Hideki Matsui, they probably need the DH spot for players like Damon and Jorge Posada. Check out some possible destinations for Matsui right here.
- It looks and sounds as though the Mets plan on keeping Omar Minaya around as GM, and the $3.5MM remaining on his contract definitely has something to do with their stance. As Heyman says, one of the best deals Minaya made was his own.
- One GM believes Billy Wagner's a "difference maker" and suggested the Mets should seek a decent prospect in return for him.
- The Cubs don't appear likely to fire Lou Piniella, Heyman hears.
- Heyman guesses Tony La Russa will return when his contract with the Cardinals is up after the season.
Previewing The Hideki Matsui Market
Hideki Matsui has three multi-homer games in the last week and a half, so he's clearly got something left, even at 35. The Yankees have reportedly decided not to bring Matsui back, but his bat should make him appealing to other teams. With 23 homers and just eight more strikeouts than walks, Matsui has a .265/.365/.508 line for the season.
The problem is, he hasn't played an inning in the outfield this year and he played just 24 games in the field last season. He would like to play defense, but even when he has taken the field, Matsui has been a consistent liability, according to UZR. It's hard to imagine an NL team paying millions for Matsui, so let's consider some possible AL destinations.
The Red Sox, Indians, Twins and Rays have DHs under contract for next year, so unless they get creative, Matsui won't fit. The Angels and White Sox will see their own DHs hit free agency after the season; The Royals have Billy Butler and Mike Jacobs under control next year and the A's may be reluctant to bring in an aging DH for a second straight year. The Rangers could have interest depending on what they do with Marlon Byrd, Hank Blalock and Julio Borbon; The Jays could have interest if they have enough money; and it wouldn't be fair to completely rule out the Mariners, Tigers or Orioles.
Matsui hits free agency alongside Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Sheffield, so there could be more DHs than DH jobs this offseason. The league-wide emphasis on defense and youth doesn't help Matsui's value, either. It only takes a couple injuries or trades to change that dramatically, but at this point, the offseason market for Matsui doesn't look promising, in spite of his hot streak.
Yankees Rumors: Damon, Pettitte, Matsui
Last year it was Mussina, Abreu and Giambi. This year we've got another set of free agents-to-be in the Bronx, so let's take a look at the latest rumors surrounding them:
- Johnny Damon doesn't expect to negotiate with the Yankees before the season's over, but he tells Yahoo's Gordon Edes that he likes New York so much he hopes to "lock something in for a couple more years."
- Andy Pettitte tells Christian Red of the New York Daily News that he knows he wants to avoid drawn-out contract negotiations after the season. Pettitte, who says he's focused on winning now, admits he decided to return to the Yankees "no matter what" last winter.
- Hideki Matsui likes New York and wants to play defense, but other than that he's not thinking about his upcoming free agency, according to Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.
Odds & Ends: Wagner, Yankees, Pirates, Astros
A few links on a slow Sunday afternoon:
- Buster Olney says (Insider required) that the Red Sox made a "worthwhile gamble" placing a claim on Billy Wagner. Olney feels that with no obvious fixes to their starting rotation, trying to make their bullpen overpowering is a good strategy. As we learned last night, Jonathan Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen don't necessarily agree. Olney says the Mets "are crazy" if they pass the opportunity to move Wagner's salary.
- Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger says that the Yankees need to address the communication problems between A.J. Burnett and Jorge Posada. Both players have said they "couldn't get on the same page" during the recent blowout the Yankees suffered at the hands of the Red Sox.
- Dejan Kovacevic has a letter from Jack Wilson to the fans of Pittsburgh, thanking them for their support during his time as a Pirate. It's a good read; Wilson's a class act. Kovacevic's article also has Neal Huntington's thoughts on the extensions offered to Wilson and Freddy Sanchez, as well as a report on the Pirates' draft spending.
- MLB.com's Jen Langosch has Huntington's thoughts on September call-ups for the Pirates this season.
- Meanwhile, MLB.com's Alyson Footer tells fans what she would like to see the Astros do with the little money they have to spend this offseason. Her suggestions begin with picking up Brian Moehler's option and signing Randy Wolf. Moehler's option will be worth either $2.3MM or $3MM, depending on whether or not he exceeds 150 innings this season. Footer's rotation would consist of Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Wolf, Bud Norris, and Moehler. Is Moehler worth that money, or should the Astros pursue a cheaper free agent option?
Discussion: Johnny Damon
On the first three years of his four-year, $52MM deal, Johnny Damon had been an above-average outfielder for the Yankees, worth roughly $36MM of the $39MM he was paid according to Fangraphs' metrics. This year, however, Damon is on pace for a career season at age 35, and is set to surpass his career high in homers while currently holding a stout .284/.364/.517 slash line. It's got all the makings of the infamous "contract year," and Damon has recently expressed an interest in staying with the Yankees.
Earlier in the year, Damon said he'd prefer to get a two-year deal, but said he'd settle for a one year deal with a vesting option if need be. He also said back in May he didn't expect to be brought back in pinstripes, but now it looks like the Yankees may consider taking him on in a one-year deal through arbitration as Damon is set to become a Type A free agent.
Damon has a .979 OPS at the new Yankee stadium and .785 away from there, and much has been made of the park being a haven for left-handed batters, so perhaps it'd behoove him to stay there. Arbitration is a possibility for the Yankees, but Damon is probably due for a large raise and the Yankees have been uncharacteristically stingy of late. They also declined to go into arbitration with Bobby Abreu last season. And perhaps a multi-year offer could tempt him out of New York, despite his desire to stay.
So a couple questions here: If you're the Yankees, would it be an easy call to offer Damon arbitration? Or should they hand him a multi-year contract instead? If the Yankees do offer arbitration, do you see Damon accepting or opting for greener pastures? Have at it in the comments.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Strasburg, Cordero, Swisher
On this date 25 years ago, B.J. Upton was born. The second overall pick in the '02 draft, Bossman Junior made his big league debut in 2004, but will be arbitration-eligible for the first time following this season. The Rays prefer to lock up their young players to long-term deals, but there has never been an indication that Upton is willing to sign long-term. With the signing deadline for most draft picks now past, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- The Biz of Baseball looks at how the slotting system held up with this year's draft (not very well).
- Capitol Avenue Club declares the winners and losers of this year's draft.
- Nationals Pride notes that the Nationals are two-for-two in their decisions affecting Stephen Strasburg.
- Center Field Gate likes the Stephen Strasburg deal, but wants to see what Strasburg can do before getting too excited.
- Sully Baseball notes that Stephen Strasburg needs to get past Betty White before he is worth $50M.
- Around the Majors looks back the Reds' decision to give Francisco Cordero a $46MM contract.
- 6 Pound 8 Ounce Baby Joba revisits the deal that brought Nick Swisher to the Yankees.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.
Odds And Ends: Zambrano, Sheffield, Rockies
Links for the morning…
- Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times believes the Cubs need Carlos Zambrano, even if he hasn't endeared himself to everyone.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post suspects that baseball is about to retire Gary Sheffield. After all, it will be hard for a "41-year-old, oft-injured malcontent" to find work.
- Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at the Rockies and sees a team without glaring weaknesses.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times lists the best and worst free agent signings the Cubs have made since 2000.
- Sure, the Yankees and Red Sox are big spenders, but, as this Boston Globe piece shows, they develop lots of talent, too.
Padres Take Cash For Gaudin
Corey Brock at MLB.com reports that the Padres will receive cash in return for pitcher Chad Gaudin, who was traded to the Yankees August 7. The sum the Padres will receive is "believed to be" $100,000, according to Brock.
The deal was initially reported to be for a player to be named later. As it turns out, the Padres had until September 1 to decide between a PTBNL and cash considerations.
Odds And Ends: Jeter, Uggla, Cubs, Hall
Links for Thursday morning…
- Derek Jeter, whose contract expires after next season, says he isn't thinking about his next deal or how long he'll keep playing, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel asks: Are the Marlins better off holding onto Dan Uggla after the season and paying him about $7MM in arbitration, or should they trade him?
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that he takes resonsibility for his team's frustrating season.
- Jeff Sackmann of the Hardball Times says Doug Melvin was justified in handing Bill Hall a long-term contract, even though it didn't work out for the Brewers.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports expects Vicente Padilla to be on his best behavior with the Dodgers, who need him badly.
- In his latest roundup of top Rangers prospects at MLB.com, Jamey Newberg notes that it doesn't look like Justin Smoak will reach the majors this year.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles will audition Luke Scott at first base between now and the end of the season.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says the Astros won't see their attendance improve if they put another "old, bad, boring" team on the field next year.