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Odds And Ends: Francoeur, Draft, Giants

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Some more links for the evening…

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Peavy, Braves, Penny, Francoeur

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On this date 20 years ago, Mike Schmidt announced his retirement 42 games into the season. He was still voted to the National League All-Star team, but did not play. Schmidt retired with a career line of .267/.380/.527, 548 home runs and 10 gold gloves. As we approach the 50-game mark of the '09 season, teams are starting to recognize needs and make changes. Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…

  • The Fightins make a case for the Phillies going after Jake Peavy.
  • When Sid Slid highlights players the Braves might be able to target in a trade, including Luke Scott, Josh Willingham and Brad Hawpe.
  • Center Field Gate takes a look at a Manny Delcarmen-Nick Johnson swap from a Nats perspective and finds things not to like.  Nats GM Mike Rizzo said the rumor was a fabrication, anyway.
  • The Bottom Line puts together a list of catchers the Red Sox might target in a trade involving Brad Penny or Clay Buchholz.
  • Capitol Avenue Club says it is time for the Braves to shake things up and moving Jeff Francoeur is the key.
  • The Ghost of Moonlight Graham sees a Matt LaPorta for Michael Bowden trade as good for both the Red Sox and Indians.
  • DC Sports Plus takes a look back at the Nationals' recent draft history.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.

Red Sox Rumors: Bay, Penny, Buchholz

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We have several Red Sox situations up for discussion today.

  • Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe writes of Jason Bay's superstar performance in Boston.  Bay has a .292/.393/.569 line in 407 plate appearances in his Red Sox career.  By comparison, J.D. Drew has a .274/.388/.470 line in 1166 plate appearances spread over 2.28 seasons in Boston.  Says Massarotti: "If and when the time comes, the Red Sox may have a hard time denying Bay the $14 million average they paid Drew — this is one of the more damning aspects of the Drew deal — though that deal was signed in a much different economic climate."
  • Nick Cafardo of the Globe discusses Brad Penny, "one of the most valuable chips in the game."  Penny figures to be one of the five best available starting pitchers available this July, unless the Sox decide they'd rather maintain the depth.  While he cannot be traded without his consent until June 15th, ESPN's Buster Olney figures he would not stand in the way of a trade.  Olney says the Red Sox want a good prospect in return and expects a deal sooner rather than later.
  • How about Clay Buchholz, currently stuck in Triple A?  He took a perfect game into the ninth inning yesterday according to Amalie Benjamin of the Globe.  The 24 year-old needs to be in the Majors, given his 1.30 ERA and 49:12 K/BB ratio in 48.3 innings.  However, the Red Sox have to activate John Smoltz by June 19th.

Rosenthal On Atkins, Red Sox, Webb

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It's time for a new Ken Rosenthal column.  He's cranking these out daily now?

  • Add Rosenthal to the list of columnists who don't understand why the Mets don't just use Daniel Murphy at first base.
  • The Rockies have kicked around a Garrett Atkins for Mark DeRosa swap, but it doesn't work from the Cleveland side.  Rosenthal likes the Brewers and Mets as possible fits for DeRo.
  • If the Red Sox are to trade Clay Buchholz or Michael Bowden, they'd want an elite hitter under similar team control (for example, Justin Smoak or Brett Wallace).  Players aren't eligible to be traded until a year after signing, anyway.
  • Given his injury situation, Rosenthal does not see Brandon Webb as a viable trade candidate this summer.  More likely, a Jon Garland deal.
  • Rosenthal sees Joe Beimel as a trade chip for Washington if he starts pitching decently.

Nick Johnson Rumors

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The Nationals' injury-prone first baseman, Nick Johnson, is off to a .333/.432/.468 start in 169 plate appearances.  He hasn't played a full season since '06, so it might make sense for GM Mike Rizzo to trade him while he's healthy and hitting.  Johnson has about $4.2MM left on his contract.

On Saturday, ESPN's Peter Gammons wrote:

The Nationals have let it be known that Nick Johnson is available, but Boston won't trade Clay Buchholz.

I think MLB.com's Bill Ladson was responding to that Gammons sentence when he wrote today:

Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson has been mentioned in trade rumors of late. The Red Sox are said to be scouting Johnson, but the truth is, according to a baseball source, Washington and Boston haven't talked since April.

Ladson goes on to say that the Nationals would want a pitching prospect in a Johnson trade, and the player had kind words for the Red Sox.

How about the Giants, who are 14th in the NL with 3.97 runs scored per game and have gotten a .228/.275/.272 line out of first basemen Travis Ishikawa and Rich Aurilia?  Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says "I heard Nick Johnson's name on the lips of more than one uniformed person Tuesday."  Aurilia might be on the way out, but to make room for Jesus Guzman.

The Mets are another team often speculated as a suitor for Johnson.  GM Omar Minaya will stay in-house for now for Carlos Delgado's replacement, but maybe he'll make a deal if Delgado has a setback.

Gammons On Ackley, Red Sox, Relievers

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ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new blog post up.  Let's take a look.

  • Gammons writes in praise of North Carolina's Dustin Ackley, who is likely to be chosen by the Mariners at #2 in June.  Ackley may wind up at center field or second base.
  • The Red Sox don't appear willing to trade young pitchers like Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and Nick Hagadone.  The Sox have looked at bats such as Colorado's Matt Murton and Ryan Spilborghs, but for now aren't desperate enough to trade pitching.  Gammons wonders if, for the right bat, Boston would part with Manny Delcarmen.  He believes Delcarmen could close in the NL.
  • Gammons says the Mets think they could have Carlos Delgado back by August if he has hip surgery, allowing them to stay in-house for his replacements.
  • The Dodgers, Indians, Yankees, and Twins are looking for relief help.  Gammon names Jose Valverde, Huston Street, Danys Baez, Russ Springer, and John Grabow as future trade candidates.

Heyman On Bargains, Andruw, Buchholz

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The latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman…

  • Heyman runs through his top 13 free agent bargains, beginning with Orlando Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, and Jon Garland.
  • Andruw Jones will decide next week whether to opt out and become a free agent again.  Heyman reminds us that the Yankees, Braves, and Phillies were previously interested.  He says a Yankees person "hedged" when asked if they'd rejoin the Jones pursuit.
  • The Twins sent a scout to watch Ivan Rodriguez before he signed with Houston, but Heyman figures they must be confident about Joe Mauer's back after standing pat.
  • The Red Sox "remain uninterested in the Rangers' proposal from a few months ago of Jarrod Saltalamacchia for Clay Buchholz."  Buchholz has allowed one run, nine Ks, and two walks in 8.6 innings this spring.

Red Sox Pre-Arb Signings

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With the exception of Jon Lester, who’s expected to sign at any moment, the Red Sox have agreed to 2009 contracts with every player on their 40-man roster.  (Information courtesy of Sean McAdam with the Boston Herald).

Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Masterson, Jed Lowrie, Clay Buchholz and Wes Littleton have finalized contracts in recent days.  Ellsbury will make $449.5K in ’09.  Masterson will earn $441K.  These are guys with zero to three years of MLB service time.

Cafardo’s Latest: Crede, Gagne, Rangers, Brewers

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Some quick notes from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

  • The Twins and Giants will be monitoring Joe Crede’s workouts in Arizona next week. Both teams have had ongoing interest this month.
  • The Twins and Rangers are continuing to seriously consider Eric Gagne.
  • Cafardo notes the growing sentiment among middle-market teams that patience could land an all star caliber player for a "low-risk one-year deal."
  • Milwaukee would prefer to save and make a "Sabathia-like" deadline deal rather than spend now.
  • Adam Melhuse signing with Texas could be a signal that Taylor Teagarden or Jarrod Saltalamacchia are en route to the Red Sox. Cafardo cautions that’s probably not the case since the Rangers have not come down on their asking price of Clay Buchholz.
  • Watch for the Cubs to reengage the Padres and Jake Peavy now that they have found an owner in billionaire Tom Ricketts.

Red Sox Still Eyeing Miguel Montero

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9:10am: WEEI’s Alex Speier talked to a source who said little has changed in the Montero trade talks.  Speier says the D’Backs hope to receive a starter for Montero, meaning Daniel Bard might not cut it.  The D’Backs aren’t in any rush to trade Montero.

TUESDAY, 8:40am: Massarotti says the D’Backs and Red Sox "clearly feel there is a fit."  They’re still trying to determine which young Boston player is comparable to Montero.  Massarotti reiterates that the Red Sox maintain interest in Jason Varitek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia as well.

MONDAY, 2:44pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic weighs in:

We’re hearing the Diamondbacks aren’t getting the impression that the Red Sox are zeroing in on Montero. The clubs are still talking — or maybe we should say they are again talking — and the Sox have tweaked their offer, but it apparently is not to the point where it satisfies the Diamondbacks.

8:59am: According to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, the Red Sox have been "intensifying talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks concerning 25-year-old catcher Miguel Montero."  Silverman says the D’Backs have not been requesting Clay Buchholz, and the teams may be able to find a match.  Last week Peter Gammons said the Red Sox would not give up Michael Bowden for Montero.  Alex Speier wrote on December 9th that the Red Sox rejected that offer.

Silverman adds that the Red Sox are expected to continue to sign new players this week. They’ve already added John Smoltz, Brad Penny, Mark Kotsay, Rocco Baldelli, and Takashi Saito on one-year deals.  Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire weighs in on Boston’s bargains at MLB.com.

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