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Quick Hits: Indians, Bedard, Braves, Phillies

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Links for Thursday, before the Pirates try to reach the .500 mark and the Indians try to climb above it…

  • One GM told Tim Kurkjian of ESPN The Magazine that the Indians gave up an awful lot to get Ubaldo Jimenez, "a guy you're just not sure about." However, reliever Frank Herrmann told Kurkjian that he believes in Cleveland's GM. "We're not going to meddle in the way the front office works," Hermann said. "I would be upset if Chris Antonetti came down to the clubhouse and told me how to hold my curveball."
  • Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox never stopped pursuing Erik Bedard throughout their negotiations for Jimenez, Hiroki Kuroda and Rich Harden.
  • Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton told Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com that the Rangers want to prove that last year's World Series run was just the beginning. "We want to show we belong there, that it wasn't a fluke," Hamilton said. 
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Padres should have traded Heath Bell by now or signed him to an extension. Their best remaining option is to trade him this August, even though they have significantly less leverage than they did a month ago, Rosenthal says.
  • Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle can envision the Astros winning as many as 90 games in 2013 – but he can also envision three consecutive 100-loss seasons.
  • The Braves and Phillies will likely reinforce their bullpens internally, as Rosenthal explains. The Braves would like to add a right-hander and Peter Moylan, who is returning from back surgery, and minor leaguers Arodys Vizcaino and Julio Teheran are options. The Phillies, meanwhile, are looking forward to the return of Jose Contreras.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Jimmy Rollins

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In theory, the Yankees’ negotiations with Derek Jeter could have provided a model for the Phillies, whose star shortstop hits free agency this offseason. Jimmy Rollins is a longtime fixture in Philadelphia, so there are definite parallels between him and Jeter, who signed a three-year $51MM deal with the Yankees in December. But given how publicly contentious those negotiations became, it’s not easy to imagine the Phillies following the Yankees’ example.

Jimmy Rollins

Instead, the Phillies could look to lock Rollins up during the five day period after the World Series, when they’ll have exclusive rights to him, wait and bid for his services against other teams, or let him walk (likely with an offer of arbitration and the expectation that he would decline). Rollins may not be an MVP candidate anymore, but he’s a valuable enough player that he should draw lots of interest this offseason if the Phillies let him reach the open market.

That said, he won’t be the premier available shortstop. That honor goes to Jose Reyes, who could ask for Carl Crawford money. The rest of the market includes Rafael Furcal, Jamey Carroll, Clint Barmes and others, though Rollins will likely be the most appealing option once Reyes signs.

There’s a lot to like about Rollins, who turns 33 after the season. He has a .264/.337/.399 line with 13 home runs and 24 stolen bases this year.  Only six shortstops (Reyes, Troy Tulowitzki, Yunel Escobar, Jhonny Peralta, Asdrubal Cabrera and Alexei Ramirez) have more wins above replacement than Rollins this year and Jeter is the only shortstop with more WAR since 2000, when Rollins broke into the league, according to FanGraphs.

Rollins also has three Gold Gloves on his mantle and the stats suggest he has earned his hardware. UZR says he is an above-average defender in 2011 and has been for nine consecutive seasons.

However, Rollins’ on-base average was just .296 in 2009 and only .320 in 2010, so there has to be some concern about his ability to reach base, despite his solid .337 mark so far in 2011. Since the Phillies will presumably offer arbitration and Rollins projects as a Type A free agent, he’ll cost any team other than Philadelphia a top draft pick.

He figures to surpass the three-year, $22.25MM deal J.J. Hardy signed last month, but it’s hard to imagine a deal worth more than Jeter’s $51MM. Rollins is worth more to the Phillies than any other team because of his history in Philadelphia, just as Jeter means more to the Yankees than he would to any other club. That doesn’t mean the Phillies are going to hand their shortstop a blank check, however. If Rollins does stay in Philadelphia, it's not hard to imagine the sides agreeing to a three-year deal in the $30MM range.

Minor Moves: Fien, Bocock

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The latest minor moves…

  • The Astros have released right-hander Casey Fien, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (Twitter link).  Fien had a 4.81 ERA and an 8.9 K/9 ratio in 21 relief appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year.  The 27-year-old righty last pitched in the Majors in 2010 as a member of the Tigers.
  • The Phillies traded shortstop Brian Bocock from their Triple-A team to the Pirates' Triple-A team, according to the transactions page for the International League. Bocock, 26, has MLB experience with the Giants and Phillies. In 2107 minor league plate appearances over the course of six seasons, he has a .227/.302/.307 line.

Quick Hits: Orioles, Beane, Bourn, Beltran

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The Cardinals acquired Woody Williams from San Diego on this date ten years ago. The right-hander pitched 75 innings of 2.28 ERA ball and helped the Cardinals reach the postseason, where they lost to the eventual World Champion Diamondbacks. Here's the latest from around MLB…

  • As Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun points out, Buck Showalter took over the Orioles one year ago today. In 162 games under Showalter, the Orioles are 76-86. The honeymoon is over, but Showalter is "the most prepared and observant person [Connolly has] been around in this game."
  • The Phillies may tinker with their roster in August by calling up a reliever or acquiring a bat in a minor trade, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
  • Yahoo's Steve Henson looks back at the 13 most lopsided trades in baseball history. If you guessed that Jeff Bagwell, Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek would appear on the list, you're right.
  • Moneyball has become a "period piece," Tom Verducci writes at SI.com. The advantages Billy Beane once had in Oakland have been neutralized by stadium revenue for other clubs and savvy front offices around baseball. "The biggest problem we have is that until we get a stadium it's going to be treading water for us," Beane said. "There cannot be any long-term planning. It's likely to get worse before it gets any better. It's going to be more than challenging."
  • GM Jon Daniels says the Rangers checked in on Michael Bourn without pursuing him seriously, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
  • ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick examines the Giants' feeble offense and the impact that Carlos Beltran will have on it. 
  • As Scott Miller of CBSSports.com shows, the Diamondbacks have once again become relevant in the NL West thanks, in large part, to an improved pitching staff.

Phillies Release Danys Baez

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The Phillies released reliever Danys Baez after he cleared waivers, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  He'd been designated for assignment a week ago to create a spot for Brad Lidge.

Signed to a curious two-year deal before the 2010 season, Baez produced a 5.81 ERA, 4.9 K/9, 3.9 BB/9, and 1.2 HR/9 in 83 2/3 innings for the Phillies.  He still posts healthy groundball rates, at least.

NL East Trades

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Here are the trades that took place in the NL East this month..

Braves

Mets

Marlins

Nationals

Phillies

Heath Bell Rumors: Sunday

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The latest on Padres closer Heath Bell, who is owed $2.47MM on the season and projects as a Type A free agent in either league…

  • There has been some discussion between the Padres and Bell's agents within the last 24 hours, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock.  The Padres will not trade Bell unless the Yankees or Phillies offer an astronomical package, tweets Scott Miller.
  • The Phillies still seem to be in on Bell, tweets Heyman.  The Padres just traded setup man Mike Adams to the Rangers.
  • The Angels have minimal interest in Bell, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.
  • The Cardinals are sensing no traction for Bell, GM John Mozeliak tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
  • The Rangers appear to be losing momentum on Bell with the Cardinals still possible, tweets Rosenthal.
  • The Rangers are still in on Bell, but don't want to pay big now that they've gotten Koji Uehara, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  The Yankees are in the mix, the Cardinals are on the fringes, and the Phillies have slight interest.  The Yankees are still viewed as a long shot, tweets Buster Olney.  The Rangers are also still in on Oakland closer Andrew Bailey, tweets Bob Nightengale.
  • The Yankees are in on Bell, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  However, Joel Sherman tweets that as of this morning the two teams are not optimistic there is a common ground for a deal.  Last night, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that the Yankees were showing late interest in Bell, but the Rangers were the frontrunner and the Cardinals were still involved.

NL East Notes: Braves, Pence, Minor, Beltran, Marlins

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The Phillies sent Bobby Abreu to the Yankees on this date five years ago. Now they're buyers and they have Hunter Pence to show for it. Here's the latest on Pence and his new division…

  • The Braves are working hard to acquire an outfield bat, but there are "still no dance partners" according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
  • The Astros sent $2MM (not $1MM) to the Phillies in the Pence deal, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). The Phillies won't have to pay the luxury tax this way, Stark reports. 
  • Kevin Goldstein and R.J. Anderson of Baseball Prospectus break down the trade that sent Pence to the Phillies.
  • The Braves would have included Mike Minor in a deal for Pence, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • One executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Braves have six untouchable players (Twitter link).
  • The Mets thought they were going to trade Carlos Beltran to the Rangers earlier in the week, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Texas was being more aggressive than other teams and even though they weren't willing to include elite prospects, the Mets considered a multi-prospect package. Finally, the Giants offered Zack Wheeler and the Mets moved on from the Rangers, who wouldn't budge on certain requests.
  • The Marlins intend to keep Leo Nunez, Omar Infante, Ricky Nolasco and Randy Choate, according to Olney (on Twitter). They've gotten tons of hits on those players, Olney reports.

Padres Reliever Rumors: Saturday

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The Padres have right-handed relievers Heath Bell, Mike Adams, and Chad Qualls on the trading block.  Here are yesterday's rumors, and below is the latest.

  • The Rangers continue talking to the Padres about Bell, even after acquiring Koji Uehara, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
  • The Padres have always said they'd be fine with two compensatory draft picks for Bell if the trade offers aren't compelling, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (on Twitter).
  • The Cardinals and Rangers remain the most persistent on Bell, tweets Joel Sherman, while the Yankees haven't called the Padres in days about Bell or Adams.
  • The Tigers have talked to the Padres about their group of relievers, tweets Ken Rosenthal, including Qualls.
  • The Rangers, Cardinals, and Blue Jays are the clear leaders for Bell, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden, with the Angels, Yankees, and Phillies still kicking the tires.  Ken Rosenthal has the Rangers as the frontrunner with the Cardinals hanging on.
  • Interest in Adams continues to rise, tweets Rosenthal, but the Padres would still need to be compelled to move him.  Meanwhile, trusted Yankees scout Bill Livesey is watching the Padres' relievers, tweets Joel Sherman.
  • The Cardinals are still alive for Bell, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Rangers "have gone deep into negotiations with the Padres about Bell, and both sides are optimistic they can strike a deal," reports Yahoo's Jeff Passan.  Yesterday, word from Scott Miller of CBS Sports was that Friday's talks between the two clubs did not advance much.  MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan feels that logically, the two teams should strike a deal.

Phillies Asked Twins About Jim Thome

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The Phillies' next move might be for a home run threat off the bench, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.  He says the Phillies even asked the Twins about Jim Thome, and cited Jason Giambi as another example.

Thome, 40, signed a six-year, $85MM deal with the Phillies prior to the 2003 season but was traded to the White Sox three years later.  He's four home runs shy of 600, but the Twins haven't shown any inclination to trade veterans.

As for Giambi, ESPN's Buster Olney hears from an executive who feels he would not make it through waivers to them in August.  Giambi "appeared almost certain to go to Philly" before he hurt his quad, tweets Troy Renck.

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