Haudricourt On: Hall, Pitching, Cain
Tom Haudricourt from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has some topics of discussion for your reading pleasure this Sunday afternoon:
- Haudricourt says that there's a best case scenario for Bill Hall, and it's not returning to the Brewers' lineup. Haudricourt feels the best thing for both sides is for Hall to play strongly at the Triple-A level, draw interest from a team needing infield help, and get traded. This would require the Brewers eating a significant portion of the roughly $10MM Hall has left on his deal, but with Casey McGehee's emergence and Mat Gamel waiting in the wings, Hall is an odd man out.
- It's not fair to blame the Brewers' lack of minor league pitching depth on injuries to first round picks such as Mike Jones and Mark Rogers. As Haudricourt says, at some point, you have to develop a mid- or late-round pick into a viable major leaguer. His example: Randy Wells – a 38th round pick – and his 2.84 ERA.
- Matt Cain's dominance this season serves as a testimonial as to why the Brewers were unable to acquire him when they were rumored to be pursuing the San Francisco righty in the past. Haudricourt says the Giants never intended to deal Cain, and his 12-2 record and 2.12 ERA are the reasons for that.
- Haudricourt wonders aloud how nice Zack Greinke would look in a Brewers uniform, and offers this quote from the Kansas City ace: "The way we've been playing, it's as bad as any team I've played for." Strong words from someone who's been with the Royals since 2004. Greinke is just 10-6 despite leading the Majors with a 2.08 ERA, and has a 2.97 ERA over his five no-decision this season. Ouch.
- Haudricourt discusses the Indians as well, pointing out that no team had ever traded the AL Cy Young winner in back-to-back seasons. He quotes Cliff Lee:
Gammons On Matthews, Teahen, Harang, Peavy
12:07pm: John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer asked Reds GM Walt Jocketty about Gammons' Harang note. Jocketty said, "I'm not going to comment on something when he doesn't know what he's talking about."
9:19am: ESPN's Peter Gammons had a new blog post yesterday discussing available players.
- Gammons names Geoff Jenkins ($8MM remaining, limited no-trade), Brian Giles ($9MM remaining, full no-trade), Gary Matthews Jr. ($33.5MM remaining, full no-trade), Marcus Thames ($2.275MM salary), Nick Johnson ($5.5MM salary), Jason Repko, and Jeff Baker as players being dangled. Gammons links Matthews to the Yankees but admits his contract will be an issue.
- Mark Teahen has drawn interest from the Astros, Red Sox, and Yankees.
- Gammons says the Reds "have let teams know that they will wait and see whether they need to move Aaron Harang during the season." It'd be a shame to see the Reds break up that rotation. Harang has about $36MM coming to him over the next three seasons if his 2011 option is exercised.
- Brewers third baseman Bill Hall expects his team to pursue Padres ace Jake Peavy if available this summer. Unlike C.C. Sabathia, Peavy is more than a rental.
A-Rod Has Torn Labrum In Hip
7:12pm: All A-Rod, All the time…Tom Verducci notes that the A-Rod injury is a sign of a bigger problem, that the Yankees are getting old. Verducci also notes that Mark Teixeira is the player that will be most impacted without A-Rod’s protection and the pressure to live up to the new contract…The New York Post has another comprehensive list of possible A-Rod replacements. The two intradivisional options at the top of their list seem like a long-shot…Ken Davidoff wonders if some time away will help Yankees fans appreciate what they have with A-Rod…Rob Neyer can’t help but wonder if the Yankees are going to have to eat a good chunk of the $178MM they still owe A-Rod.
5:30pm: Even more from Abraham with special bonus audio of Brian Cashman: Abraham says surgery is necessary at some point, but that the Yankees are hoping that rest and rehab will be enough to hold off the surgery until after the season. Abraham notes that Mike Lowell tried the same tactic last season after his injury was discovered in June, but the injury got so bad he was held off the playoff roster.
3:27pm: More details from Abraham: A-Rod has a torn hip labrum that would take four months to repair surgically. He won’t play in the WBC and he’ll play less in Spring Training to try to return soon. Marc Craig of the Star-Ledger writes that A-Rod’s out indefinitely and could still need surgery. The New York Daily News offers more, including analysis from various doctors.
2:40pm: Peter Abraham of The Journal News talked to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, who said Rodriguez’s cyst was drained and they will attempt rest and rehab rather than surgery.
12:59pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post offers other ideas for third base if A-Rod is to be out for a considerable length of time: Scott Rolen, Melvin Mora, Brandon Inge, Hank Blalock, Chone Figgins, Adrian Beltre, Blake DeWitt, Martin Prado, and Mark Teahen.
12:17pm: ESPN’s Peter Gammons comments about the injury, wondering if mid-May is a best case scenario. Gammons speculates that Garrett Atkins or Chad Tracy could be fits for the Yanks, but the price for Atkins could be high. River Ave. Blues likes Mark Grudzielanek or possibly Bobby Crosby as other external options, while ESPN’s Buster Olney speculates on Bill Hall (who is recovering from a torn calf). Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if Bobby Crosby could fit.
ESPN’s Stephania Bell suggests ten weeks could be a light estimate, if Rodriguez has a labral tear.
10:40am: ESPN’s Enrique Rojas talked to Alex Rodriguez‘s brother, who says the Yankees third baseman will miss about ten weeks due to hip surgery to remove a cyst. A ten week rehab would put A-Rod at a mid-May return, so he could miss a quarter of the season. A-Rod’s brother told MLB.com the operation will be performed Monday. The Yankees haven’t confirmed anything yet though. It probably makes sense to hold off on replacement speculation until we get official word on the injury.
Check out my instant fantasy take on the situation over at RotoAuthority.
Mike Cameron Yankees Rumors
SUNDAY, 1:51pm: George A. King III with the New York Post writes that the Yankees want the Brewers to take on Igawa’s contract as well, but that Milwaukee doesn’t want to pay much of the $12MM he has left. The Brewers are trading Cameron to trim payroll, and don’t want to unload $10MM for Cameron just to take on another $4MM for Igawa.
New York has told Milwaukee that no pitcher on their 40-man roster is available. Both sides still expect a deal to get done eventually; Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt talks will resume tomorrow. River Ave. Blues thinks the Yankees should hold off, for now.
FRIDAY, 3:50pm: Haudricourt heard this might get tabled until Monday, though now with Burnett signed maybe the Yankees will switch their focus. Or maybe they’ll spend the weekend working on Andy Pettitte/celebrating the Burnett signing.
THURSDAY, 5:40pm: Haudricourt now writes that the Cameron negotiations are back underway after a "hiccup". Haudricourt heard from Doug Melvin that there’s a "strong possibility it could still happen." The clubs are negotiating over finances and whether a second player would go to the Brewers with Cabrera.
1:01pm: Cameron’s agent told Tyler Kepner nothing has been completed. Kepner says the Brewers have actually been asking about Igawa.
11:49am: Joel Sherman talked to a top exec involved in the talks who called the chances of a deal "remote." Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times was told the deal is done, however.
11:17am: Ken Rosenthal says the potential deal hit a roadblock over the Yankees’ desire to have Milwaukee pick up part of the tab on Cameron. Also, the Brewers want a second player after Cabrera. Tom Haudricourt says the Yankees tried to unload Kei Igawa on them.
9:28am: The Cabrera for Cameron deal is close but not done, according to Joel Sherman’s source. He says the Brewers could receive a pitcher as well, with the quality depending on whether they’ll assume salary.
8:41am: Tom Haudricourt is not sure this is done. He says the Yankees like Bill Hall as well. The Brewers could gain quite a bit of payroll flexibility here. It’d be interesting to see all three Brewers friends (including Sabathia) move to the Yanks.
7:15am: Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News says the Yankees are set to acquire Cameron for Cabrera.
12:55am: According to Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger, the Yankees met with the Brewers Wednesday to resume trade talks for Mike Cameron that began at the GM Meetings. Whatever mild concern the Brewers reportedly had about trading away a friend of C.C. Sabathia‘s is gone.
On November 7th, Peter Abraham wrote that Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera were on the Brewers’ radar. Clearly the Brewers want to add a starting pitcher.
Lamb Re-Signs With Brewers
12:33pm: MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy says the deal with Lamb has been finalized, with the Brewers on the hook for something close to the league minimum for ’09.
TUESDAY, 10:58am: Tom Haudricourt says Lamb’s signing will be announced today. Haudricourt rejects the Rosenthal/Price report about the Lamb signing paving the way for a Hall trade.
MONDAY, 8:07pm: Rosenthal and Ed Price say the Lamb signing could prompt the Brewers to trade Bill Hall. Hall interests the Yankees, but he has almost $16MM left on his deal. Rosenthal notes that Yankees targets Hall and Mike Cameron are friends of C.C. Sabathia.
4:52pm: According to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, the Brewers are "closing in on a deal to re-sign free agent third baseman Mike Lamb." GM Doug Melvin will continue discussions with Lamb’s agent later today.
Bill Hall Hopes For Trade
WEDNESDAY: Doug Melvin says he’s "not really motivated" to trade Hall at this time. Makes sense, since trading him now would mostly be a salary dump.
TUESDAY: According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, third baseman Bill Hall would prefer to be traded. He’s unhappy about losing playing time to Russell Branyan, and believes his willingness to switch positions in each of the last two seasons should’ve bought him more latitude.
Hall, 28, is hitting .225/.295/.418 in 201 plate appearances. He’s a year removed from his last .800+ OPS month. Would positional stability help Hall return to his 35 home run form? Will any team have the patience to find out?
Hall earns $4.8MM this year, $6.8MM in ’09, and $8.4MM in ’10 (with a $9.25MM option for ’11). I can’t imagine much of a trade market for him given his recent hitting. Can you think of a team with a need at third or short that would make sense for Hall?
Odds and Ends: Ivan Rodriguez, Hall, Street
Time for today’s link roundup.
- MLBTR live chat here at 2pm CST, don’t miss it!
- Ivan Rodriguez expects to play ball beyond this season.
- Bill Hall isn’t happy with the Brewers’ callup of Russell Branyan. Hall is hitting .220/.292/.418 in 196 plate appearances. He’s signed through 2010.
- Susan Slusser ponders the future of A’s relievers Huston Street, Alan Embree, Santiago Casilla, and Joey Devine. Might be tough to deal anyone unless the team drops out of contention.
- Part 2 of AN’s Billy Beane interview.
Olney’s Latest: Hall, Cameron, Benson
Buster Olney’s ESPN blog is always a good read. A few nuggets from today’s posting:
- Olney wonders whether the Brewers and Dodgers will revisit talks about Bill Hall. There seems to be this general vibe that Hall is upset about moving positions again, even though he hasn’t said anything publicly. Plus, he’d have to move back to third as a Dodger anyway.
- According to Olney: "The Yankees were never seriously engaged in talks to sign Mike Cameron." However you can’t really say Cameron’s agent used the Yankees to pump up Cameron’s price, since he signed for just one year and $6.2MM.
- The Phils may send people to watch Kris Benson throw next week. I believe this would be the second time they’ve observed him, so maybe it’s getting serious.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Feliz, Ellis, Lohse
Ken Rosenthal checks in with a new column of hot stove material.
- Rosenthal says some suitors are popping up for third baseman Pedro Feliz: the Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies, and Giants. Phillies Assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. confirmed interest today in an MLB.com chat. Rosenthal admits that the Dodgers don’t seem like a great fit. He says Bill Hall would have to be traded to make room for Feliz, though Tom Haudricourt implied today that Hall would stay put. It was said Wednesday that the Giants’ talks with Feliz were stalling over his three-year demand.
- Rosenthal suggests Mark Ellis would be a nice fit for Colorado, though keep in mind that the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser told us that he was the best bet among veterans to remain with Oakland for 2008. The Rockies’ current plan is to go with Jayson Nix and keep Marcus Giles around as another option. I’d be surprised if either pans out.
- Instead of the four or even five-year demands we were hearing about for Kyle Lohse, Rosenthal says three years with a vesting option for the fourth would now be acceptable. He believes Lohse’s salary could near $12MM. Lohse recently said he’s down to about three suitors.
- Rosenthal still expects the A’s to sign a free agent outfielder, with possible target Mike Cameron headed to Milwaukee. Take a look at our newly updated free agent list to see who’s out there.
Brewers Sign Mike Cameron
UPDATE, 1-11-08 at 5:21pm: Tom Haudricourt has the contract details. Cameron gets a $1.25MM signing bonus and will make about $4.22MM in ’08 (missed out on $780K due to his suspension). The 2009 option is for $10MM, plus a $750K buyout. As Haudricourt says, in a way it’s a one-year, $6.22MM deal. Were the Padres unwilling to pay this amount? By the way, the signing isn’t a precursor to a Bill Hall trade.
FROM 1-11-08 at 2:18pm:
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Brewers have signed center fielder Mike Cameron to a one-year deal with a club option for 2009. The amount is not yet known, but this seems like a solid move by Doug Melvin.
Rosenthal adds that one reason the Yankees may have passed is that they were unwilling to pay both Cameron and Johan Santana. (Really?)
Once Cameron finishes his 25 game stimulant suspension, he’ll push Bill Hall to third and Ryan Braun to left field. So the Brewers gain defensively and get a career .251/.341/.445 hitter to play center (definitely above average for the position).