Odds & Ends: Marlins, Brewers, Wang, Mitre, Matzek
Here's some links to hold you over while waiting for the sky to start lighting up…
- Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald says the Marlins have some important decisions to make in the coming weeks, whether they plan to make a trade before the deadline or not.
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy mentions that the Brewers have some questions of their own to answer, including what to do with the starting rotation and how to handle Mat Gamel, who hasn't played much of late.
- Chien-Ming Wang is headed for the DL after leaving today's game with a shoulder strain and bursitis, and Peter Abraham of The Journal News mentions that Sergio Mitre could be an option to replace him in the rotation. After rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and serving a 50-game suspension, Mitre has a 3.26 ERA and a 2.71 GB/FB ratio in 30.1 Triple-A innings this year.
- Wang's injury basically eliminates any chance he'll be traded by the 31st as well.
- Rockies' top pick Tyler Matzek is the first rounder most likely not to sign according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
- Bart Hubbuch of The New York Post tweets that reliever Connor Robertson has been demoted all the way to High-A ball. Ouch. Robertson had been designated for assignment about two weeks ago.
Phillies, Rangers Interested In Wang
Saturday: Heyman says the Phillies offered "a prospect apparently not to Yankees' liking" for Wang.
Friday: SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Phillies and Rangers are among the teams interested in Yankees righthander Chien-Ming Wang. We first learned of Philadelphia's interest in the sinkerballer last weekend, but the Rangers are new to the discussion. With the recent news that Ben Sheets may not pitch all at this season, Texas could turn to Wang for help as they prepare to make a second half run at the first place Angels. They certainly have the young players to offer in exchange for Wang, or any other pitcher in the big leagues for that matter.
Wang famously struggled earlier in the season but has settled down of late, allowed three earned runs or less in his last four starts.
Odds & Ends: Morgan, Brewers, Phillies
Some odds and ends around the league:
- Nyjer Morgan was caught off-guard by recent trade rumors, says Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Morgan said he was "flattered."
- Adam McCalvy of MLB.com says the Brewers are still pursuing potential deals after not matching up to acquire Mark DeRosa. Doug Davis is mentioned in the piece.
- Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer rounds up who will be buyers and who will be sellers over the next month. Nothing too surprising. He lists the Phillies as buyers, in need of pitching, and suggests they're looking at Chien-Ming Wang and "have been all over" Brad Penny.
Cashman On Trade Market
Talking to Newsday's Arthur Staple, Yankees GM Brian Cashman discussed the team's approach toward the trade market. Cashman said that if the team fixes itself by getting Brian Bruney healthy and Chien-Ming Wang right, there may not be a need to make a deal. Bruney returns from the DL Tuesday, while Wang's last-chance start comes Wednesday against John Lannan and the Nationals. Seems odd to me to place so much emphasis on a single start.
Staple also learned that Cashman intends to talk to Hal Steinbrenner if he seeks approval to add to the payroll. I'd be surprised to see money become an impediment for a deadline acquisition.
What are the team's needs? The Yankees' rotation currently ranks 12th in the AL with a 4.98 ERA. The question is whether Cashman could come up with a starter who'd be definitively better than Phil Hughes. As for the pen, Ken Rosenthal wrote Friday that the Yanks have already expressed interest in Colorado closer Huston Street and "eventually will target the best available late-inning relievers." The Angels are also known to be eyeing Street, having lost Scot Shields for the season.
Odds And Ends: Beltre, Rusch, Percival, Price
Links for Friday evening…
- As Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times explains, Adrian Beltre's trade value is diminishing because teams are no longer confident that he'll be a Type A free agent. This means the team that trades for Beltre can't expect two compensation picks for losing the third baseman to free agency.
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman argues that the Braves need to make an immediate change to their outfield and says there's an "indication that we'll begin to see it in the near future." He says the Braves must consider dealing the powerless Jeff Francoeur, or at least finding a more productive outfielder.
- According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post Glendon Rusch is staying at home instead of reporting to Triple A Colorado Springs. The Rockies are expected to put him on the restricted list.
- Via Twitter, Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune reports that Troy Percival, who was just placed on the DL, has gone home to ponder a future "which could be in doubt." Joe Maddon has said he "wouldn't be surprised" to see Percival hang it up, according to Marc Lancaster.
- Another piece of Rays news from the same Lancaster report – With Scott Kazmir headed to the DL, it's likely that David Price will make his long-awaited season debut in Kazmir's place on Monday.
- As MLB.com's Brian Hoch reports, Chien-Ming Wang is returning to the Yankees as a long reliever because of the team's depleted bullpen.
Odds And Ends: Sanchez, Strasburg, Big Unit
Links for Saturday…
- Baseball America's John Manuel reports that 22-year-old Twins first base prospect Henry Sanchez has been suspended 50 games for violating minor league baseball's drug policy. Sanchez was the 39th overall pick in the 2005 draft.
- John Maffei of the North County Times reports on Stephen Strasburg's latest start, one in which the top prospect struck out 14, though he did allow a home run (hat tip to Buster Olney). His strikeout to walk ratio now exceeds 10-1.
- Ever wonder how much Japanese teams spend on their players? Ryo Shinkawa of NPB Tracker has the figures and their payrolls range from $18-45MM this year.
- ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski reviewed some old scouting reports on Randy Johnson with the Big Unit himself.
- And there are more injuries piling up: Chien-Ming Wang and Cody Ransom for the Yankees and Brian McCann and Garret Anderson for the Braves.
Yankees Issues
The Yankees' 7-6 record puts them 2.5 games behind the Blue Jays. With only 8% of the season finished, here are the issues currently facing the Yanks.
- Chien-Ming Wang has allowed 23 hits and 23 earned runs in six innings spanning three starts. He'd need to pitch four shutouts to get his ERA under 5.00…that has to affect a guy's confidence. Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Yankees will skip Wang's next start. He believes the team attributes the poor start to a lack of arm strength. Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News says the Yankees found mechanical issues, though Wang says everything's the same as last year. Tyler Kepner of the New York Times notes that Wang is out of options, so the Yankees won't end up sending him to the minors. Benjamin Kabak at River Avenue Blues suggests the Yankees saw this coming, given their reluctance to lock Wang up long-term. Kabak believes a DL stint would make sense.
- Is the new stadium a launching pad? It's early, but many say the ball is flying out to right field. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports looks at the stadium and other issues, including the bullpen. ESPN's Buster Olney calls the park "a veritable wind tunnel that is rocketing balls over fences." He notes that the team cannot structurally alter the park this season.
- Regarding Xavier Nady's elbow injury, Sherman says "the Yanks were privately a lot more optimistic by Sunday that Nady could avoid Tommy John surgery and that he might be able to return in June and form a righty-lefty DH platoon with Hideki Matsui." Nady had a second MRI on Saturday, and the team doctor will speak with Dr. Lewis Yocum.
The Future Of Chien-Ming Wang
In a blog post this morning, Joel Sherman of the New York Post discussed the future of Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang. Sherman says the Yankees are not positive about offering Wang an elite free agent contract after the 2010 season (note: I believe Wang may not be free agent-eligible until after 2011). This uncertainty has caused the Yanks to "weigh trade scenarios in the past involving Wang." Sherman adds, "I have yet to talk to a Yankee official who is fully committed to keeping him long-term."
There was a time back in December of '07 when Wang was said to be open to a three or four-year deal, but Kat O'Brien of Newsday said talks fizzled when the Yankees requested Wang's agent Alan Nero make the opening offer. In a display of the distance between the two parties, the Yanks went to an arbitration hearing with Wang in February of '08 over a difference of $600K (Wang lost).
Yankees Sign Chien-Ming Wang
According to a press release, the Yankees signed arbitration-eligible starter Chien-Ming Wang for 2009. Wang is under team control through the 2011 season. River Ave. Blues notes that the two sides went to a hearing about $600K last year, and the Yankees’ victory continues to pay off.
Chien-Ming Wang Injury Repercussions
We don’t cover injuries here at MLBTR. But with Chien-Ming Wang‘s possibly season-ending foot injuries, I’ve already received a boatload of emails from Yankees fans asking what’s next.
The starting pitching market has already changed since our June 4th post – Sidney Ponson has been released, Miguel Batista demoted to the bullpen, and Odalis Perez, Jeremy Bonderman, and Brad Penny are hurt. Plus, the Tigers are coming around.
That leaves plenty of viable names for the Yankees to consider, though. Reasonable acquisition targets include Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Erik Bedard, Derek Lowe, C.C. Sabathia, Randy Wolf, Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, and Paul Byrd. Most of these pitchers would probably be an upgrade over the team’s internal options. The Yankees have multiple young pitchers and outfielders considered to be among the top 100 prospects in the game who could be used as trade chips. Freddy Garcia could also be a consideration; he may be back by late August and only costs money.
River Ave. Blues discussed replacement options this morning, but Brian Cashman says "there is no trade market at the moment."