Pirates Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mauer, McCutchen, Guzman

By Mike Axisa | March 26, 2010 at 10:45am CDT

On this date back in 1974, the Red Sox released Orlando Cepeda and Luis Aparicio, both future Hall of Famers. Cepeda, then 36, signed with Kansas City and retired after the season as a .297/.350/.499 career hitter with 379 home runs. Aparicio, 39 at the time, never played again following his release, and finished his career as a .262/.311/.343 hitter and with a reputation as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history.

Here are some links from around the baseball blogosphere…

Josh's Thoughts acknowledges the possibility that it may not have been the best move for the Twins to sign Joe Mauer to such a huge deal since it will eat up a large chunk of their payroll.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. compares a theoretical Andrew McCutchen extension to Justin Upton's deal.
The Daily Something calls Cristian Guzman and Adam Kennedy the two most redundant players in baseball.
Camden Crazies wonders if Chin-Lung Hu makes sense for the Orioles.
Gear Up For Sports asks if you could only keep one, who would it be: Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp?
Mets Paradise tries to figure out the Mets' Opening Day roster.

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

Rangers Interested In Trading For Utility Infielder

By Mark Polishuk | March 24, 2010 at 8:06pm CDT

In spite of the deal with Oakland that brought Gregorio Petit to Texas, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that Petit will probably end up in Triple-A rather than fill the Rangers' need for a utility infielder on their big league roster. Texas has been looking to fill their backup infield void for weeks, and a few new options have appeared on the Rangers' radar for a possible deal.

Augie Ojeda (who we know the D'Backs are shopping) is one option that the Rangers have an interest in, Sullivan says. Sullivan proposes that right-hander Luis Mendoza might be a good fit to be dealt for Ojeda since Arizona wants pitching and Mendoza is out of options. Willie Bloomquist and Kevin Frandsen are also possible options, Sullivan reports. Frandsen is another player known to be on the trade market, and that same MLBTR piece also cites the Giants as a team that could be interested in a player of Ojeda's type.

Former Ranger Ramon Vazquez has been mentioned in trade talks this winter and we know the Pirates want to move him. But Sullivan says Texas doesn't want to acquire Vazquez at the cost of Mendoza, and you have to figure that the Rangers might just pick Vazquez up if Pittsburgh is forced to release him.

Odds & Ends: Twins, Fien, Podsednik

By Tim Dierkes | March 23, 2010 at 12:48pm CDT

Links for Tuesday…

Twins assistant GM Rob Antony told Parker Hageman of Over The Baggy that the team just hired a stats guy. Also, Antony reads MLBTR every day!
According to Tom Gage of the Detroit News, pitcher Casey Fien asked the Blue Jays why he was released and was told he was a liability.
Scott Podsednik told MLB.com's Scott Merkin there was miscommunication between his agent and the White Sox this offseason, but Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn disagreed.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if the Mets will be thinking about trading Fernando Martinez for a top-notch starter come July.
Ed Price of AOL FanHouse tweets that the Rangers are still looking at bringing Ramon Vazquez back. Vazquez is a prime candidate to be traded or released by the Pirates before the season begins, though the Rangers added Hernan Iribarren ten days ago.

Offseason In Review: Pittsburgh Pirates

By Tim Dierkes | March 22, 2010 at 10:13am CDT

Next in our Offseason In Review series, the Pirates.

Major League Signings

Octavio Dotel, RP: one year, $3.5MM. Includes $4.5MM club option for 2011 with a $500K buyout.
Ryan Church, OF: one year, $1.5MM. Arbitration-eligible for 2011.
Brendan Donnelly, RP: one year, $1.35MM.
Bobby Crosby, SS: one year, $1MM.
Javier Lopez, RP: one year, $775K.
Total spend: $8.125MM.

Notable Minor League Signings

Brian Bass, Brian Burres, D.J. Carrasco, Vinnie Chulk, Neal Cotts, Wilfredo Ledezma, Jack Taschner, Tyler Yates, Luke Carlin, Brian Myrow, Jonathan Van Every

Trades and Claims

Claimed P Justin Thomas off waivers from Mariners
Acquired 2B Akinori Iwamura from Rays for RP Jesse Chavez
Claimed P Chris Jakubauskas off waivers from Mariners
Acquired Rule 5 pick OF John Raynor from Marlins
Acquired 3B Jesus Brito from Indians for SS Brian Bixler
Claimed OF Brandon Jones off waivers from Braves

Notable Losses

Jesse Chavez, Matt Capps, Chris Bootcheck, Denny Bautista, Phil Dumatrait, Luis Cruz, Robinzon Diaz, Brian Bixler, Jeff Salazar

Summary

Between Iwamura and their free agent signings, the Pirates added about $13MM in guaranteed money this winter. They also non-tendered Capps, who earned $2.425MM last year.

In Dotel, the Pirates may well get a performance similar to that of Capps. And the club option on Dotel gives the Pirates a possible second year at a defined price rather than a potential arbitration disagreement with Capps for 2011. That said, GM Neal Huntington has to be questioned for getting nothing at all for Capps. Huntington blamed his front office's leak of a potential non-tender for the disappearance of Capps' trade value, but the reliever could've been dealt during the '09 season, during Spring Training 2010, or during the '10 season.

They aren't big names, but I like the Pirates' free agent signings. The relievers could have midseason trade value, and getting Carrasco on a minor league deal was a win. Church and Crosby will challenge the incumbents and even offer a little bit of upside for $2.5MM.

Surrendering five years of Chavez for one of Iwamura, and paying Iwamura $4.85MM, diverges from Huntington's plan. Reading Huntington's comments to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the GM seems to be going for respectability with this move. Why not keep Chavez and sign Kelly Johnson at half the price, while also potentially retaining Johnson for 2011? Maybe Iwamura puts the Pirates on the radar of other Japanese players, but this move raises an eyebrow.

Despite concerns about Capps and Iwamura, I liked the Pirates' offseason. The Orioles and Nationals, in a similar rebuilding-for-2010 position, threw down $30MM each. The Pirates spent only $13MM, and most likely will be open to trading any of their new acquisitions if it improves the club in the long-term.

Odds & Ends: Alvarez, Strasburg, Church, Rays

By Zachary Links | March 20, 2010 at 9:18pm CDT

Links for Saturday…

Pirates' GM Neal Huntington said that Pedro Alvarez will remain in the minors so he can get more at-bats against lefthanded pitchers, though Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentions that it could have to do with pushing his service time clock back.
ESPN's Keith Law broke down Stephen Strasburg's demotion to the minors, and says that "what he does need to improve is only going to improve in the big leagues."
Ryan Church spoke to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo about his opportunity with the Pirates, saying that "It's either reestablish yourself and be one of the main guys or just be a fourth outfielder from here on out."
Rays Executive VP Andrew Friedman says the club will explore internal and external options to replace J.P. Howell, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Tampa Bay hopes to have the lefty back by May.
Most players never shed the dreaded "4A" label, but the Pirates' Garrett Jones did, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
Tom Tango will be a big part of the Blue Jays' front office, writes Robert Cribb of The Toronto Star.
Indians closer Kerry Wood could miss up to two months with a strained back muscle. Brady Gardiner of SIRIUS XM tweets that this is a blessing for the Tribe as Wood's option for 2011 likely will not vest. The 32-year-old would make $11MM in '11 with 55 games finished in 2010.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre has confidence in Ronnie Belliard's ability to play first base, writes Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com. This will likely leave first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz on the outside looking in as he jostles with Garrett Anderson for the club's left-handed pinch hitting spot. However, Belliard still must weigh in at 209 pounds or less at some point during Spring Training to guarantee his deal.
At the age of 47, Jamie Moyer has no interest in retiring, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN. Moyer is entering the final season of a two-year, $13MM deal.

Revisiting The Manny Ramirez, Jason Bay Trade

By Mike Axisa | March 20, 2010 at 11:50am CDT

It's been nearly 20 months since the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Pirates completed the three-team blockbuster that sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, Jason Bay to Boston, and four prospects to Pittsburgh. Alex Speier of WEEI.com spoke to Pirates' GM Neal Huntington about the trade, who noted that the book is still out on their end of the deal.

Here are the highlights, but the whole article is well worth the read…

Huntington suggests the Pirates now believe that they had a better offer on the table for Bay than the one they ultimately accepted, though it's not fair to look back using hindsight. The Marlins and Rays were both rumored to be interested at the time.
He also recognizes that he might have received a better package if he waited until the offseason to deal Bay.
If the deal had not been made, the Red Sox were unsure about how to proceed with Manny's $20MM club option for 2009, and it was unclear if they would have been willing to risk offering him arbitration to recoup draft pick compensation.
They were, however, confident in offering Jason Bay arbitration at the time of the trade.
Meanwhile, the two players Pittsburgh received from Boston haven't delivered as expected. Brandon Moss is out of options, and might be put through waivers after hitting .232/.300/.381 since the trade, while Craig Hansen apparently went unclaimed after being designated for assignment. Both players have dealt with injuries.
Huntington says that if Andy LaRoche's power comes on, it would be a good trade for them since they acquired six years of him for a year and a half of Bay. If Bryan Morris develops into a middle of the rotation starter, he would consider it a great deal.

Odds & Ends: Crawford, Alvarez, Mauer, Aumont

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 19, 2010 at 3:11pm CDT

Some links for your Friday…

Tom Verducci of SI.com said on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show that he expects Carl Crawford to sign with the Yankees after the season, because "nobody is going to outbid them." The Yankees and Red Sox both love Crawford, according to Verducci.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Dodgers should spend more aggressively, especially considering they led the league in attendance last year.
Alex Speier of WEEI.com points out that Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, Bill Hall and Jeremy Hermida will combine to make only $10MM or so less than the entire Pirates team this year. Why is that noteworthy? All four Red Sox are expected to be bench players.
Cubs GM Jim Hendry is under contract through 2012, but he tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he knows "these jobs aren't forever."
The Pirates say Pedro Alvarez needs seasoning above AA, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sending the third baseman to the minors limits his MLB service time, so it's a sound financial decision by the Pirates.
The A's haven't called Joe Beimel, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The A's worked out Wagner Mateo on Tuesday, according to Slusser.
ESPN.com’s Buster Olney thinks that the Joe Mauer contract negotiations, which remain cordial, could continue in a few months if the sides don’t reach a deal in Spring Training.
The Dominican prospect already worked out for the D'Backs and will likely work out for the Indians.
Twins minor league director Jim Rantz told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that another Dominican prospect, Miguel Sano, has "tremendous upside." Kovacevic says it's still too early to know how much the Pirates missed out on when Sano signed with the Twins instead of the Pirates.
Phillies prospect Phillippe Aumont tells Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he thought he was heading to the Blue Jays at one point this offseason.
Carl Crawford tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that he's comfortable with the speculation about his future since it "comes with the territory." Crawford is a free agent after the season.

Pirates Notes: Vazquez, Tabata, Alvarez

By Zachary Links | March 12, 2010 at 7:05pm CDT

Let's check out some Pirates-related tidbits courtesy of MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch..

With Ramon Vazquez on the trading block, Langosch stresses that any talk of him being Texas-bound is merely conjecture at this point. Furthermore, if they do move him, they are unlikely to get much back and may have to eat some of his $2MM salary. However, Pittsburgh might be willing to move the 33-year-old for next to nothing.
One reader asks if the Pirates are considering locking up their young prospects, like Milwaukee did with Ryan Braun or like Tampa Bay did with Evan Longoria. Langosch says that the Pirates will wait until players like Jose Tabata, Brad Lincoln, and Pedro Alvarez establish themselves in the majors to open up discussions.
Speaking of Alvarez, Langosch expects the Pirates to hold off on bringing him up to the big leagues. Pittsburgh delayed Andrew McCutchen's promotion last season in order to give him more seasoning in the minors and, in all likelihood, to extend his time under team control.

Brian Giles Retires

By Tim Dierkes | March 11, 2010 at 12:46pm CDT

Outfielder Brian Giles announced his retirement today, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. The Dodgers had signed Giles to a minor league deal on February 7th, and soon after he told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick it wouldn't take long to decide whether his knee could hold up physically.

Though he's not a household name, Giles finishes with an excellent .291/.400/.502 line in 7,835 career plate appearances for the Indians, Pirates, and Padres. Giles' career OBP currently ranks 59th all-time. Giles made two All-Star appearances and received MVP votes in five seasons. He was involved in a blockbuster trade in August of '03, joining the Padres for Jason Bay, Oliver Perez, and Cory Stewart. According to Baseball Reference, Giles earned about $81MM in his career.

Ramon Vazquez Could Be Traded Or Released

By Tim Dierkes | March 11, 2010 at 9:21am CDT

Infielder Ramon Vazquez is fighting to make the Pirates, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Vazquez said he's been told he's not on the team right now, despite being guaranteed $2MM in 2010. GM Neal Huntington admitted he has to consider a trade of some sort, having six players for four bench spots.

A release is the least-desirable approach for the Pirates, since they'd still owe Vazquez's $2MM salary (less $400K if he joins another big league club). A trade makes more sense, with Kovacevic naming the Rangers and Orioles as possible matches. Vazquez, 33, hit .230/.335/.279 in 239 plate appearances last year while playing second base, shortstop, and third base. His poor performance may have been related to a knee injury.

Huntington's plan when signing Vazquez in December of '08 may have been to find a credible back-up middle infielder in case the team traded Freddy Sanchez and/or Jack Wilson. But you have to question his $4MM commitment to Vazquez, a journeyman platoon player who still didn't hit lefties in his career year '08 season.

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