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Jayson Werth Looking For A New Agent

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Jayson Werth will no longer be represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.  Werth hasn't decided on new representation yet, and the process could take a while due to the "expected agent feeding frenzy" (Twitter link) that should surround the pending free agent.

It's no surprise that Werth would want to be completely confident in his representation as he prepares to sign the biggest contract of his professional career this winter.  Werth and Carl Crawford are the top free agent outfielders on the market and both should command annual salaries of $15MM or more.  All of the usual big-market suspects will be in on the bidding, though given how Philadelphia was shopping Werth earlier this summer, it would be surprising to see Werth return to the Phillies next season. 

Durbin Hopes To Return To Phillies

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Chad Durbin told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he “definitely” wants to re-sign in Philadelphia when he hits free agency this offseason. The Phillies seem to want the right-hander back, too. Manager Charlie Manuel says Durbin has “done a tremendous job” and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says the 32-year-old has “done everything” expected of him. But the Phillies have already committed over $140MM to next year’s payroll, so Durbin realizes he may not be back.

"It'll be something that's tough," Durbin said. "If somebody is offering two or three years, it'll be hard to say no to that to take a one-year deal where you really want to be."

Amaro says the Phillies have not yet discussed the possibility of signing Durbin, who now earns $2.125MM, to a multi-year deal. Durbin has averaged 60 appearances per season from 2008-10 in Manuel’s bullpen. His 3.63 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 over that three-year span are respectable, but not irreplaceable. 

As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes showed last month, the Phillies have handed out more years than necessary before, so perhaps Durbin will get to stay in Philadelphia on a multi-year deal as well. If not, other teams will show interest on the open market. Durbin now ranks as a Type B free agent, so he won’t cost other clubs a draft pick, but the Phillies will get one if they lose Durbin after offering arbitration.

 

White Sox, Phillies Eyeing Relief Options

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The White Sox and Phillies, having recently placed relief pitchers on the disabled list, are looking into acquiring bullpen help, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Phillies placed Danys Baez on the 15-day DL Friday, while Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz, and now Erick Threets are out for the Sox.

One team who may match up with both clubs, and the White Sox in particular, is the Toronto Blue Jays. We heard this weekend that Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Kevin Gregg, and Shawn Camp were all claimed on waivers by unknown teams. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Sox, who have waiver priority over the American League's other contenders, placed claims on one or more of Toronto's arms, though ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link) doesn't expect the Jays to make any trades.

The Reds may also kick the tires on available bullpen options; Morosi adds in a second tweet that they're open to upgrading their 'pen. George Sherrill and Brian Tallet are among the relievers we know have cleared waivers and can be traded to any club.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Winfield, Gio, Hawpe, Cubs

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On this date three years ago, the Astros fired manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura. They were replaced on an interim basis by Cecil Cooper and Tal Smith, respectively. Cooper kept the job until he was fired last September, and the team is now under the direction of Brad Mills. Ed Wade took over the GM job about a month after Purpura was fired, and has held it since.

Here's a look at what's being written in the baseball corner of the web…

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

Stark On Cubs, Manny, Lilly, Moyer

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If you like the idea of trading draft picks, you may be in luck. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears from an American League official who says "just about everyone I talk to is in agreement with" the idea that "there's no reason not to [trade picks] anymore." The MLBPA doesn't oppose the idea either, so perhaps teams will be able to trade picks after the next collective bargaining agreement expires in 2011. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors:

  • Stark hears that the Cubs don't intend to pursue "celebrity managers" this offseason. They have signed Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella, but may go for an under-the-radar candidate this time.
  • Manny Ramirez has to play well between now and the end of the season if he wants a significant amount of guaranteed money for 2011, but one executive predicted that he could make $6-7MM as a DH if he finishes strong.
  • Teams that have been in contact with the Dodgers don't get the sense that the team has interest in trading Ted Lilly. They may want to re-sign him, though recent history suggests they'll be hesitant to offer arbitration.
  • Jamie Moyer says he hasn't given up on pitching this year and doesn't want his career to end because of his current elbow strain.

Phillies Sign Nate Robertson

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The Phillies signed Nate Robertson to a minor league deal, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). The Cardinals signed the left-hander earlier in the month, after the Marlins released him.

The Phillies will assign Robertson to Triple A, the same level at which he struggled in the Cardinals system. The 32-year-old posted a 9.45 ERA in 20 innings at Triple A Memphis, allowing 32 hits and six walks along the way. The results weren't much better at the major league level for Robertson this year. He posted a 5.47 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 for the Marlins.

Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Dobbs, Paulino, Hawpe

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Links for Saturday, as Ubaldo Jimenez prepares for his third attempt at his 18th win….

The Phillies’ 2011 Rotation

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The Phillies' 2011 rotation won't be hard to assemble, will be expensive and should be effective. The combination of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton will cost the Phillies $56MM next season – more than the Padres, Pirates or Marlins will spend on their entire teams this year. That's an expensive front four, but the group should also be durable and effective. 

Halladay is arguably the best pitcher in the game and Oswalt and Hamels are in the midst of characteristically strong seasons. That trio is tough to beat, even if Blanton doesn't rebound from his career high 5.54 ERA. 

This year, Charlie Manuel has called on Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick to fill out the rotation. Moyer, a free agent this offseason, is out indefinitely with a left elbow injury, but Kendrick has been effective in spite of his low strikeout rate (4.5 K/9). He has a 4.45 ERA thanks to his ability to limit walks (2.4 BB/9) and induce enough ground balls (44% ground ball rate).

Should the Phillies need to call on a minor leaguer next year, they'll have a few options. Right-handers Drew Carpenter and Vance Worley have been effective in the upper minors this year and both have pitched in the majors. Worley, still just 22, could become a back-of-the-rotation starter, according to pre-season analysis from Baseball America. Carpenter, who is two and a half years older than Worley, is now putting together his second consecutive solid season at Triple A Lehigh Valley, so he provides Philadelphia with another option.

The Phillies can bring their entire rotation back for 2011 and they have minor leaguers who are ready to contribute if called upon. They don't need to pursue Moyer or other free agent pitchers this winter and they already have about $144MM committed to next year's payroll, so they wouldn't have much to spend on pitching if they wanted to.

Philadelphia traded talented players away to acquire the rotation they now have. It cost Kyle Drabek, J.A. Happ and then some to acquire Halladay and Oswalt. The result is a more predictable, more expensive rotation that could easily be one of the league's best. 

Phillies Could Pursue Hawpe; Red Sox Unlikely

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The Phillies could have interest in Brad Hawpe when he clears release waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links).  A club official told Rosenthal that the Phillies will be a “maybe” on Monday or Tuesday once he can sign with any team.

The Red Sox, who were looking for a left-handed hitting first baseman before we learned that Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury were out for the season, will not likely pursue Hawpe, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Hawpe has spent most of his career in right field, but has appeared in a handful of games at first base this year. He hasn't hit like a first baseman, as his .255/.343/.432 line shows.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested the White Sox and Rays could also have interest, before the Rockies released Hawpe.

Cardinals Acquire Pedro Feliz

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The Cardinals acquired Pedro Feliz and cash from the Astros for pitcher David Carpenter, according to Astros director of social media Alyson Footer (on Twitter). Feliz, 35, has a .221/.243/.311 line this season with four homers in 304 plate appearances. He hasn't hit much in recent years, but has a reputation as a strong defender. UZR suggests that Feliz's defense has been excellent throughout his career (though he has a -7.9 rating in 530 innings so far in 2010).

The Cardinals acquired Feliz to help out at third base, since an injury to David Freese and a Felipe Lopez slump have left St. Louis thin at the hot corner. The Cardinals intensified their search for infielders this week, showing interest in multiple third basemen. Feliz makes a total of $4.5MM in 2010 (he has yet to receive about $1.1MM of that) before becoming a free agent this winter. 

Carpenter, 25, was the closer for the Cards' Florida State League (High A) affiliate. He has 20 saves this year with a 2.36 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. The Cards drafted Carpenter in the 12th round of the 2006 draft as a catcher. Astros GM Ed Wade describes the right-hander as a "power arm" who could become a major league contributor. 

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