Stark On Zambrano, Beltran, Keppinger, Torre
Owners want a rigid slotting system like the ones in the NFL and the NBA, but ESPN.com's Jayson Stark finds it hard to believe that the MLBPA would agree to hard slotting, since it has traditionally avoided caps of any kind. One National League executive compared baseball's current slotting system to “traffic lights in the Dominican,” since he doesn’t know “what they're even there for." A hard slotting system would give teams the certainty of pre-determined bonuses, but the MLBPA wouldn't like it. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors:
- One executive believes the Cubs could find a taker for Carlos Zambrano this winter as long as they take on most of the big righty's salary, but another executive says there's no way the Cubs could trade Big Z.
- Executives are similarly divided on Carlos Beltran. One says trading him is "impossible," but another would take a flier on Beltran, partly because he's headed into a contract year.
- Jeff Keppinger was claimed on waivers, so the Astros cannot trade him this month.
- A longtime acquaintance of Joe Torre's expects the manager to sign with the Mets this winter.
Players Who Cleared Waivers
This is a running list of players who have cleared waivers, based on published reports. Once a player clears waivers, he can be traded to any team (barring a no-trade clause). This list can always be found in the sidebar under MLBTR Features.
Updated 8-31-10 at 3:50pm.
- Carlos Beltran, Mets – It's no surprise that Beltran cleared waivers given his massive salary and poor performance since returning from a knee operation. Beltran, who has a no-trade clause, earns $18.5MM this year and the same amount in 2011.
- Geoff Blum, Astros - The veteran infielder could appeal to teams looking for a utilityman. He has played every infield position in 2010.
- Dave Bush, Brewers – Bush could provide value as a starter or swingman on a team in need of some innings.
- Craig Counsell, Brewers – Like Blum, Counsell is versatile enough to play second, third or short.
- Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays – The third baseman has another year of arbitration left, makes a total of $4.75MM this season and has a .305 OBP.
- Brad Hawpe, Rockies – Hawpe has played a few games at first base this year and can also patrol right. His homer total is down, but he's still a decent hitter.
- Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks – Johnson is having a career year and makes just $2.35MM, but the D'Backs aren't anxious to move him.
- Adam LaRoche, Diamondbacks – LaRoche is hitting well this year and has a history of second-half success. The Red Sox, White Sox or Rays could have interest.
- Lyle Overbay, Blue Jays – Overbay hits free agency this winter, but doesn't project to be a ranked free agent, so if the Blue Jays want to obtain something for him, now is their chance. Overbay has a no-trade clause.
- George Sherrill, Dodgers – Sherrill makes $4.5MM this year and has a lofty ERA, so he cleared waivers, as expected.
- Brian Tallet, Blue Jays – The southpaw might not have been a big enough name to draw a waiver claim, but he should draw some trade interest. After all, left-handed hitters have just a .474 OPS against Tallet.
Carlos Beltran Clears Waivers
The Mets can trade Carlos Beltran now that the center fielder has cleared waivers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Beltran has a no-trade clause and $24MM remaining on his contract, so a trade remains highly unlikely.
Beltran has hit just .195/.300/.312 since recovering from January knee surgery, so his trade value would not be high even if he didn’t have a no-trade clause and so much remaining on his contract. Earlier today, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes wondered if the Mets could trade the center fielder this winter.
If you're wondering why the Mets couldn't trade Beltran until he cleared waivers, click here.
Will The Mets Try To Trade Carlos Beltran?
From 2001-2008, Carlos Beltran was at least a five-win player every year except for '05. Even last year, despite missing July and August with a bone bruise behind his knee, Beltran provided value. However, the Mets and Beltran battled about his decision to have January knee surgery, a procedure that delayed his 2010 debut until July 15th. Beltran's first 90 plate appearances and 180 innings in center field have gone so poorly that David Waldstein of the New York Times says the Mets would let him go for nothing if a team claims him off waivers this month.
Waldstein finds a waiver claim "extremely unlikely," as Beltran is owed over $5.5MM this year and $18.5MM in 2011 before his contract is up. He has a full no-trade clause. Waldstein expects the Mets to be open to trading Beltran this winter but believes the outfielder's salary will be an impediment. He suggests the Mets would be reluctant to assume much of Beltran's contract in a trade.
This might be fantasy baseball-type talk, but I can't help but notice that the money owed to Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano matches up closely with the money owed to Beltran, Luis Castillo, and Oliver Perez.
Mets Notes: Santana, Millwood, Westbrook, Beltran
While we ponder if the Jerry Seinfeld/Lady Gaga feud will reach the heights of Seinfeld's rivalry with Newman, here are a few news items concerning the Big Apple's NL side…
- Bob Klapisch of FOXSports.com wonders if the Mets should be worried about Johan Santana given a few shaky starts and some declining peripheral numbers. Klapisch notes that the Mets might look at Cliff Lee if they're worried about not having a top-tier ace to match against other clubs' best arms. It's way too soon to panic about Santana given his still-solid 3.31 ERA and 2.00 K-BB ratio, though when a team has at least $88MM invested in a pitcher through 2013, it's probably not wrong to be concerned about any dip in form.
- Klapisch also quotes senior team officials who say that Jon Niese wouldn't be moved in a hypothetical Lee deal, and an unnamed Mets player who doesn't think adding Kevin Millwood or Jake Westbrook would help the team.
- ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand writes that with Angel Pagan playing so well in place of the injured Carlos Beltran, the dispute between the Mets and Beltran's agent Scott Boras over "the timing and authorization of Beltran's offseason knee surgery" could be "a converging storm." Beltran is owed approximately $28MM over the rest of this season and 2011, and it was announced today that he is expected back playing by July 15.
- Jenrry Mejia's demotion to Double-A and conversion back into starting pitching means the Mets will probably get an extra year of control over his rights, says Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
The 2012 Free Agent Class
Jeff Euston of Cot's Baseball Contracts recently posted an unofficial list of players who will become free agents after the 2011 season. That free agent class will be highlighted by a trio of first basemen: Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, and Ryan Howard, though there's a chance Albert Pujols will join them if he and the Cardinals can't work out an extension.
Some other notable players scheduled to become free agents after 2011 include Jason Bartlett, Carlos Beltran, Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson, Heath Bell, and Jonathan Papelbon. Robinson Cano, Yadier Molina, Grady Sizemore, and Matt Cain may also become free agents if their club options for 2012 are declined.
Obviously a lot will change between now and then, but it's never too early to look ahead!
Giants Notes: Byrnes, Winn, LaRoche
Let's take a look at some Giants-related tidbits courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea..
- Eric Byrnes, who was recently designated for assignment by the D-Backs, told Shea that San Francisco would be the "best fit" for him geographically. Byrnes grew up a Giants fan and makes his offseason home in the Bay Area. The 33-year-old outfielder also admitted that he's not in a position to call himself an everyday player.
- Shea floats ex-Giant Randy Winn as an option for the Mets should they seek someone to fill-in while Carlos Beltran recovers from surgery.
- Adam LaRoche turned down a two-year, $17MM offer from the Giants to sign with the Arizona, where he may receive as little as $6MM for one year. LaRoche said that one reason for his decision was that he preferred Chase Field's hitting conditions to AT&T Park.
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Beltran, Guzman
Some links on this Wednesday evening…
- Yorvit Torrealba could end up with the Giants, according to Chris Haft of MLB.com. However, Torrealba may prefer to wait until after the weekend to sign with any club as his Venezuelan Winter League team is still active in the postseason.
- Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweets that in addition to Matt Kemp, the Dodgers are talking about multiyear deals with Jonathan Broxton and Andre Ethier.
- Carlos Beltran will have to refrain from baseball activities for twelve weeks after having his knee scoped, according to a Mets press release passed along by MetsBlog. The story was first reported by the New York Post's Joel Sherman (via Twitter). If all goes well with his rehabilitation, the center fielder should only miss a small amount of games to start the year.
- Free agent lefty Doug Davis is attracting interest from four teams, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Twins, Brewers, Mets, and Nationals are all interested in the 34-year-old, who posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.7 K/9 over the last three years in Arizona.
- Fernando Tatis' agent told Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the Rockies had preliminary discussions with his client earlier this week. About a week ago, we heard that the Rockies were eyeing the 35-year-old for a bench role. Also, two major league sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Mariners are interested as well.
- Former Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow will audition for at least 16 teams on Friday in Phoenix, according to a report from ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. The 31-year-old demanded his release from the Rangers back in May.
- If the Nats are able to sign Orlando Hudson or Adam Kennedy to play second base, Cristian Guzman and his $8MM salary are unlikely to be moved elsewhere, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Guzman would remain at shortstop, where his agent insists that he is still valuable despite shoulder surgery.
- Pittsburgh's signing of Ryan Church could pay huge dividends for the club, says ESPN's Rob Neyer. If Church is healthy and generates interest from other clubs, the Pirates will be able to move him for a more valuable commodity.
Carlos Beltran Not On Trading Block
The idea of trading center fielder Carlos Beltran will not be entertained by the Mets, according to a source of WEEI's Alex Speier. Beltran's knee injury limited him to 357 plate appearances this year, but that doesn't serve as motivation for the Mets to subtract an important piece for 2010. Beltran has a full no-trade clause, also.
Beltran, a Scott Boras client, signed a seven-year, $119MM deal in January of 2005. FanGraphs suggests he's already been worth $95.5MM in his five Mets seasons, with $76MM of that value coming in 2006-08.
Red Sox Notes: Hoyer, Ellsbury, Okajima
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald shares a few of his thoughts about the Red Sox hot stove. Here are some highlights:
- With Jed Hoyer taking the reins as the Padres' GM and Kevin Towers having been offered a position in Boston, Silverman thinks Adrian Gonzalez trade talks will restart in the offseason. Given how well Hoyer knows the Red Sox farm system, talks could progress faster than they have in the past.
- Silverman says, though, that Hoyer's history with Boston doesn't necessarily mean a trade will happen. He points to former Epstein assistant and current Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes, and notes that Arizona and Boston haven't made a significant deal since Byrnes was hired.
- If the Padres decide to hang on to Gonzalez, the Red Sox could potentially turn to Prince Fielder or Miguel Cabrera in their search for a power-hitting corner infielder.
- Jacoby Ellsbury's below average defense in center (he posted a -12.3 UZR/150 in 2009) has the Red Sox thinking of moving him to left field.
- If the team were to move Ellsbury to left (Silverman doesn't expect they will), it would be more difficult to find a replacement center fielder than a left fielder. Silverman thinks Boston should keep an eye on Carlos Beltran's situation in New York, given the Mets' struggles this year and the fact that Beltran would likely only be about $2MM more expensive per season than someone like Jason Bay.
- Hideki Okajima is eligible for arbitration, but his contract states that he must be made an offer by November 10, so expect that to happen within a couple weeks.