Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Pirates Rumors

Odds and Ends: Botts, Red Sox, McLouth

By | at

Roundup of links!

  • According to Jamey Newberg, Jason Botts has cleared waivers.  He probably won’t get another chance with the Rangers though.
  • Gordon Edes notes that the Red Sox have five picks in the first three rounds of the June draft.  Even though they don’t start until the 30th pick, the Sox have had much success in recent years.
  • No extension talks have begun with Nate McLouth, but Dejan Kovacevic does expect it to happen.
  • I updated the fantasy baseball closers depth chart over at RotoAuthority.
  • SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Freddy Garcia is "progressing nicely" in rehab and will throw off a mound about a week from now.
  • Marc Topkin wonders if the Rays should consider Jason Michaels (among others) if they aren’t satisfied with their current right field options.

Pirates Hope To Retain Meek

By | at

Dejan Kovacevic fills us in on the Pirates’ attempts to retain 25 year-old reliever Evan Meek.

Meek was a Rule 5 pick who the Bucs just couldn’t hide in their big league pen all year.  Meek was designated for assignment yesterday but the Pirates are trying to make a deal with the Rays rather than return him.

Baseball America says that Meek "uses a low-90s fastball that has good sink and run to pick up strikeouts and groundballs."  As you might guess, control has been an issue.

Odds and Ends: Morris, Moeller, de la Rosa

By | at

Let’s kick things off with an odds and ends post today.  By the way did anyone watch Max Scherzer’s debut last night?  Damn.

Matt Morris Retires

By | at

According to Justin Rodriguez of the Times-Herald Record, pitcher Matt Morris has retired.  He confirmed it with Rodriguez; Morris has no desire to battle his way back or work out of the bullpen.

Morris finishes with a 3.98 career ERA in 1806 innings, including a respectable 121 wins.  Kind of nice that the career ERA didn’t get pushed over 4.00.  Retired at 33 with $60MM earned…can’t say I don’t envy him!

Pirates Gaining Trade Value

By | at

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses five Pirates players who were discussed in winter trade rumors.  Neal Huntington wasn’t satisfied with the offers, and decided to keep Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, John Grabow, and Damaso Marte.  Huntington says Nate McLouth’s name was only floated as a "trial balloon."

Bay, Nady, and Grabow have all increased their value through strong Aprils (in part via their stats, in part via good health).  Marte seems to have recovered from a rough start.  Let’s discuss some possible suitors.

  • Bay is off to a .264/.396/.448 start.  The 29 year-old earns earns $5.75MM this year and $7.5MM in ’09.  His main asset is OBP; the Padres and Mariners could use a boost.  And he’d still be a nice fit in left for the Indians.
  • Nady is hitting .327/.358/.531.  He’s also 29.  He’s a Scott Boras client; he earns $3.35MM this year and will also be under team control for the ’09 season.  He might be a good fit for the Mets, assuming they have the pieces to re-acquire him.  The Bucs could always take Aaron Heilman as part of the deal and put him in the rotation.
  • Grabow is under team control through ’09; Marte will be a free agent after this year unless a pricey $6MM option is exercised.  The Phillies are said to be looking for a lefty reliever, and the Yankees have inquired in the past.

Pirates Release Matt Morris

By | at

Unfortunately, there’s no surprise here.  ESPN reports the Pirates have released Matt Morris.  As Tim noted last night, the Pirates had little choice and eating $10MM seems their best option.  According to ESPN,

"The decision to cut Morris will cost the Pirates more than $10 million, in addition to what they already have paid him this season. Morris is making $10,037,283 this season, or about one-fifth of their payroll, and has a $1 million buyout for 2009."

There shouldn’t be much interest for Morris.  A minor league contract somewhere could be a possibility.  But retirement seems inevitable, and Morris may be resigned to the fact: 

"I’ve always said the other team will let you know when you’re done."

Phil Dumatrait will replace him in the rotation, and John Van Benschoten will be called up to fill the roster spot.

By Nat Boyle

Will Mets Release Delgado?

By | at

Is Carlos Delgado the next Frank Thomas?  Or worse yet, is he the next Mike Piazza?  Sammy Sosa?  Barry Bonds?  (steroid implications aside).  So asks Joel Sherman of the NY Post who’s headline – always in that in-your-face extra-bold verdana – reads "DELGADO ON HIS WAY OUT AT FIRST".  With aging veterans out of work, and a rash of young talent being locked up, 2008 really feels like the end of one era and the marked beginning of the next.

An arbitrary fun-fact from Sherman, "In the past 25 years, just one champion has had a regular first baseman older than 32 (the 2001 Diamondbacks with 37-year-old Mark Grace)."  Delgado’s making $16MM this season, and although 35 is often a notorious age at which batters decline, this cliff fall is not the norm.  Still, a contract of that magnitude will keep Delgado in New York for at least a short while longer.

In Buster Olney’s latest, he speculated Delgado’s release, which seems to be slightly more than speculation at this point.  Olney cited Xavier Nady or Scott Hatteberg as potential replacements should the Mets want to trade for a replacement.  Nady, however, might not be available until the Pirates say "uncle."

Should the 35-yr old Delgado reenter free agent land, what kind of interest will there be?  Most likely less than there was for Frank Thomas, but someone would throw him a bone as he’d be low risk, high reward.  Not unlike Thomas, PECOTA projects a .265-20-80 season from the veteran and while that’s not a $16MM season, it’s still adequate production for many teams from a corner infielder or DH.

By Nat Boyle

Decision Time On Matt Morris

By | at

According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates management met with Matt Morris after today’s performance brought his ERA to 9.67.  I mentioned in my recent video mailbag that I couldn’t see Morris lasting past June 1st, but it looks like May 1st is in question.  Kovacevic explains the three possible scenarios:

  • Morris goes to the bullpen.
  • The Pirates release Morris, eating more than $10MM.
  • Morris retires, saving the Pirates millions.  But as classy as Morris may be, no one should expect him to leave that kind of money on the table.  It’s not his fault Brian Sabean signed him in 2005.

Bucs Not Ready To Release Morris

By | at

The Pirates aren’t ready to release beleaguered starter Matt Morris.  However, the team’s president wouldn’t rule it out for the future.

Pirates fans are growing increasingly frustrated with Morris, but the team continues to wait it out.  Given the upside of a 5.00 ERA, what’s the point?  He wasn’t Neal Huntington’s acquisition; he should be able to deal with it rationally.  I would be surprised if Morris is still with the Pirates on June 1st.

Odds And Ends: Crede, Morris, Thomas

By | at

Just a couple of lingering posts in my browser this morning.

  • It looks like Joe Crede is sticking by Scott Boras’s side as he enters free agency after this season. I can’t blame him. It’s one thing for a superstar like A-Rod or an established veteran like Kenny Rogers to do what they want. But Crede certainly benefits from being repped by Boras.
  • If Pirates GM Neal Huntington has plans to ditch Matt Morris, he’s not tipping his hand. The 33-year-old righty has been downright horrible since coming over to Pittsburgh, a gaffe made by who else by Dave Littlefield.
  • While Tim mentioned yesterday that Jon Daniels is leaning away from Frank Thomas, Manager Ron Washington is enticed. "I’ll take him in a heartbeat. Once he reaches 100 at-bats, he really does start hacking."

Posted by Joe Pawlikowski.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top