Yankees Have Come Closest On Cole Hamels
Many teams have called on ace Cole Hamels, but so far one club has enticed the Phillies more than the others. Of the teams that have expressed interest in Hamels, the Yankees have come closer than anyone, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. The Bombers have offered a package of prospects for the 31-year-old that at least has given the Phillies a baseline for future talks.
Trading Hamels, who pitched two strong innings in his spring training debut Friday against the Yankees, would help the Phillies kickstart their rebuilding efforts in earnest. However, they continue to insist that another team should take on the entirety of Hamels’ salary as well as part with top level prospects. Last month, Cafardo wrote that the Phillies seemed willing to wait it out for the right deal, perhaps even taking things up until the trade deadline.
The Red Sox have been heavily connected to Hamels this winter but Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported recently that talks have actually been dormant for weeks. Meanwhile, Cafardo hears that Cliff Lee could actually wind up changing uniforms before Hamels does.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Davis, Anderson, Medeiros
In 2006, a Canadian team made up mostly of minor leaguers shocked the baseball world by beating Team USA in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, as Leo Panetta of NationalPastime.com writes. Center fielder Adam Stern hit an inside-the-park homer to help the Canadians post their biggest victory in its national history of baseball. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Camden Depot says Chris Davis should bunt more to beat the shift.
- Inside The ‘Zona likes Chase Anderson‘s decision to throw more sinkers.
- Reviewing The Brew spoke with Milwaukee prospect Kodi Medeiros.
- The Point Of Pittsburgh talked about Andrew McCutchen and his contract.
- Bronx Baseball Daily looks for the next Dellin Betances and Shane Greene.
- MLB Reports isn’t high on the Padres.
- RSN Stats knows the importance of the hot start.
- Baseball Essential ran down the lesser-known family ties in MLB.
- Sultans Of Swing is high on the Reds in 2015.
- World Series Dreaming says Jorge Soler isn’t the only one bulking up.
- Kingdome Of Seattle Sports talked about what could have been for the Mariners.
- Yankees Unscripted asks whether Adam Warren will stick in the Yankees’ rotation.
- Rumbunter ID’d the best pitches of each Pirates starter.
- Heat Waved previewed the AL Central.
Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
AL Notes: Rays, Viciedo, Reddick
Since taking over as the Rays‘ head of baseball operations, Matt Silverman has taken the somewhat unusual step of polling a small group of key players (including Evan Longoria and Alex Cobb) so that their voices can help inform his decision-making, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Silverman consulted with players about hiring new manager Kevin Cash, as well as on other moves. “It opened up conversations about their feelings not just on the manager position, but the organization and how it operates,” says Silverman. “And I believe those conversations led to some outcomes, and to better dialogue between the front office and the clubhouse. … There are certain things I learned that I wasn’t aware of, and wouldn’t have known, given my prior position [as team president].” Here’s more from the American League.
- Dayan Viciedo was taken aback by the White Sox‘ decision to release him, but he’s landed on his feet after signing a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays, the Associated Press reports. “I was slightly surprised because I thought I had an agreement in place to stay there, but I understand it’s a business,” Viciedo says. “You have good days, you have bad days. I took it in stride. I’m not upset. It kind of surprised me at first but everything had worked out and is OK.”
- Athletics manager Bob Melvin says outfielder Josh Reddick will be out for two weeks with a right oblique strain, MLB.com’s Jane Lee writes. Reddick will then have to take additional time to prepare to play, which means it’s questionable whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day. In the meantime, the Athletics will take looks at a variety of players in right field, including Rule 5 pick Mark Canha and newly-claimed (or, rather, re-claimed) former Red Sox farmhand Alex Hassan. Billy Burns, Jason Pridie, top prospect Matt Olson and perhaps even first baseman Ike Davis will also get looks. From the outside, though, the Athletics’ opportunity to get a better sense of what they have in Canha, who hit an impressive .303/.384/.505 with Triple-A New Orleans in the Marlins’ system last year, looks like the clearest silver lining to Reddick’s injury.
Huntington On Snider Trade, Pitching Market
Here are the highlights of Pirates GM Neal Huntington’s long conversation today with Ken Laird and Guy Junker of TribLIVE Radio (podcast link):
- The Pirates traded Travis Snider to the Orioles in part because they didn’t envision a likely role for him beyond 2015, Huntington says. Also, because Snider was out of options, removing him from their roster gives them more flexibility.
- In the past, the Bucs had gotten great results with down-on-their-luck pitchers like Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez, but they found those types of pitchers difficult to acquire this offseason, because they now require “$10MM to $12MM to $14MM annually” to sign. Huntington is presumably referring to pitchers like Brett Anderson and Justin Masterson, who looked, heading into the offseason, like they might be good fits for the Pirates. Instead, the Bucs went way under the radar to sign Radhames Liz (who’s pitched in the minors, in Korea, and in the Dominican Winter League in recent years) to a one-year, $1MM big-league deal.
- The development of the free-agent pitching market this winter demonstrates another reason the Pirates traded Snider, Huntington says — they acquired two pitchers in that deal, Stephen Tarpley and Steven Brault, who could one day be big-league starters.
- Huntington speaks of the challenges of making decisions based on input from various voices within his front office and scouting staff. “I’m the first to realize that I don’t have the best evaluation skills within our organization,” he says. “I don’t necessarily always have to see it with my own eyes. It helps when I see what they’re seeing, and if I don’t see what they’re seeing, I can ask questions.”
NL Notes: Cubs, Gee, Myers
The Cubs are on the verge of being competitive for the first time in years, and their new additions, headed by Jon Lester and manager Joe Maddon, have their players imagining big things, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. “This is the place to be in Major League Baseball right now,” says David Ross. “To be able to hold a World Series trophy in this city — it’s the Holy Grail, right?” Pitcher Jason Hammel says that one of Maddon’s assets as a manager is that he’s not intimidating to younger players. “[I]f he makes a handful of our best young players more relaxed to the point where they feel they can be themselves, that’s when players thrive,” says president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. Here’s more from the National League.
- Despite the Rangers‘ loss of Yu Darvish to injury, they don’t seem inclined to try to acquire Dillon Gee from the Mets, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets. The Rangers had previously been connected to Gee, who is slated to start the year in the Mets’ bullpen thanks to a crowded rotation picture that also includes Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom, Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon. Via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (on Twitter), Mets GM Sandy Alderson recently admitted there had been few recent trade talks involving Gee.
- The Padres are pleased with how Wil Myers is taking to center field, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. “All our outfield guys — Dave Roberts, Jose Valentin, Mark Kotsay, Alonzo Powell — have been very positive on how Wil is moving in center,” says manager Bud Black. “He’s got long strides, he’s got good routes, good angles, his hands are good, he sees the ball off the bat.” Myers, meanwhile, is eager to prove himself after having been traded twice in a little over two years.
East Notes: Orioles, Position Changes, Castillo
A number of Orioles players worked temporary jobs in the offseason when they were minor-leaguers, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes. Caleb Joseph rode a scooter to deliver packages for UPS, Darren O’Day worked as a bouncer (wearing five T-shirts one on top of the other to look more intimidating, he says), and Miguel Gonzalez worked early mornings in a grocery store stocking shelves. Minor-league salaries are, for the most part, very low. “We could always order fast food because fast-food restaurants would be the only thing open after the game and guys would stand by the cash register and ask for your change,” O’Day says of some of his old teammates in the Angels system. “You’d give them two dimes and a nickel, whatever you got back, and after we all ordered, they would go to the back of the line and order whatever they could with the change. You don’t make a lot of money.” Here are more notes from the East divisions.
- The Mets are gambling on Wilmer Flores, who played no shortstop at all in the minors in 2012 or 2013, as their starting shortstop next year, and they aren’t the only team hoping a position change works out, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Across town, the Yankees are hoping Stephen Drew works out at second base. In Boston, Hanley Ramirez is trying his hand at the outfield, although he could eventually wind up at designated hitter when David Ortiz departs.
- The Red Sox still aren’t quite sure what they have in outfielder Rusney Castillo, but the early returns are promising, and Castillo himself is trying to look forward despite the twisting path he took to the big leagues, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. “Obviously, it goes without saying that leaving family behind is very difficult,” says Castillo. “But once I made the decision, at least for me personally, I didn’t look back. No regrets. It was easy for me to turn the page.” The Red Sox signed Castillo last August after he defected from Cuba the previous November, and he made his way to the Majors by the end of the season. Now, though, as he deals with an oblique strain, he says he isn’t worried about whether the Red Sox have him start the season in the big leagues or in the minors. “If that’s what it’s got to be, that’s what it’s got to be. I’m just worrying playing and continuing to get reps and reps wherever they may come,” he says.
Padres, Braves, Dodgers Among Favorites To Sign Olivera
A long new article by Baseball America’s Ben Badler assesses the current market for Cuban infielder Hector Olivera, who reportedly is expecting to land a contract of $70MM or more. Badler lists three teams that currently stand out as front-runners to sign Olivera, suggesting that other teams who have been connected to him, like the Yankees, Giants, Mariners and Athletics, now look less likely.
- The Padres have been aggressive in their pursuit of Olivera. Badler writes that Olivera would be an upgrade for the Padres at either second (where the Padres currently have Jedd Gyorko) or third (where they have Yangervis Solarte and Will Middlebrooks). Gyorko is currently signed to a long-term deal, but as Badler notes, GM A.J. Preller is unlikely to feel too attached to a player who was signed under previous management.
- The Braves have scouted Olivera heavily, and are connected to Olivera’s trainer Rudy Santin, who also has worked with recent Braves signee Dian Toscano.
- The problem for the Dodgers is where Olivera would fit in the near term, since they have Howie Kendrick at second base and Juan Uribe at third. Both players are eligible for free agency after the season, however, and the ability to use Olivera (who played most of last season as a DH) in a part-time role might ease concerns about whether he can handle a 162-game season. When top Dodgers brass were present to watch him in workouts, Olivera only played third, perhaps suggesting that’s where they would ultimately use him.
Minor Moves: Ji-Man Choi
Here are today’s minor moves from throughout the game.
- The Mariners have outrighted first baseman Ji-Man Choi to Triple-A Tacoma, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets. The M’s designated Choi for assignment earlier this week after he broke his leg in a Spring Training game on Wednesday, an injury that will cause him to miss much of, or perhaps all of, the upcoming season. He hit .283/.391/.392 in 281 plate appearances for Tacoma in 2014.
Reactions To Yu Darvish’s Injury
Yu Darvish‘s injury, UCL sprain that could require Tommy John surgery, is yet another setback for a Rangers team that has collapsed at surprising speed in the past two seasons, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. The Rangers’ sudden struggles are more extreme than the Red Sox’ descent to last place in 2014, given the cash and prospects the Red Sox still had on hand. The Phillies have suffered steep decline in the last few seasons, but that decline was predictable. Meanwhile, the Rangers finished in last place in 2014 as the result of an ugly outbreak of injuries, and with Darvish out, they could well finish last again. Rosenthal suggests that it’s unlikely the Rangers will pursue Cole Hamels to replace Darvish, since doing so would mostly be mere desperation. Here’s more on Darvish’s injury.
- Darvish is currently undecided about whether to have surgery, and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that he will see Dr. David Altchek on Tuesday to get a second opinion. Via MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, Rangers GM Jon Daniels describes Darvish’s options. “One is to attempt to pitch through it, which is not a great option. Two, would be an effort for rest and rehab. I think the sentiment is that is effectively what we did in the fall and in the winter and up until two days ago, we had very good results with it,” says Daniels, noting that option didn’t work out well in the end. “The third option would be Tommy John surgery,” he adds.
- Darvish’s injury is part of a “pitching drain” fro the American League, Dayn Perry of CBS Sports writes. Since last season, Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields have left the AL for the NL, Hiroki Kuroda has returned to Japan, and various pitchers are the midst of returns from injury.
- Darvish is part of an epidemic of arm injuries throughout the game, writes Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan. Pitchers’ problems begin to develop at very young ages, and Passan writes that parents and youth coaches will need to change the way they develop young pitchers.
NL Notes: Ethier, Taillon, Lester
The Dodgers are reportedly willing to pay half of Andre Ethier‘s salary in a trade, but it’s still hard to figure out where he might be able to find regular playing time, Eno Sarris of Fangraphs writes. Ethier is nearly 33 and profiles as a below-average player, and half of the $56MM remaining on his contract is still more than he would likely get on the open market. The Braves are one team who could conceivably use him. The Phillies might work if Ethier weren’t left-handed, and the Rangers could make sense if they didn’t already have so many corner outfield options. Overall, though, there shouldn’t be much of a market. Here’s more from the National League.
- Top Pirates prospect Jameson Taillon is scheduled to face live batters next week for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Taillon, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft, only has six career starts at Triple-A, and the Pirates tend to be cautious about promoting their prospects. Health permitting, though, he could make his big-league debut at some point in the second half of the season.
- The signing of Jon Lester helped change the Cubs‘ reputation, Paul Sullivan of the Boston Herald writes. The Cubs will lean heavily on young players this season, but Lester says there’s no reason not to expect those players to win right out of the gate. “Time to grow up sometime,” says Lester. “When I played in Boston we didn’t have time to grow up. You just had to show up and play, and each year you’re expected to win.”