Ortiz Taking Sox Out Of Hitter Sweepstakes?
Don't look now, but reports of David Ortiz's demise may be exaggerated. As Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal reports, Ortiz is hitting .280 over his six-game hitting streak, including a home run, two doubles, and four RBI.
Remember that when it comes to Ortiz, the Red Sox, due to the enormous contract Ortiz carries, will likely be like Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber. If the numbers point to a one in a million chance of an Ortiz recovery, GM Theo Epstein may take a look at the $12.5MM owed to Ortiz in 2009, the $12.5MM in 2010, and say, "So you're saying there's a chance? Yeah!"
Odds And Ends: Atkins, Ortiz, Bedard
Some links for your Friday morning…
- Garrett Atkins hit a pair of homers yesterday, emerging from an extended slump and taking the first step towards restoring his trade value.
- Could Big Papi's struggles be related to a vision problem? Ron Borges of the Boston Herald reports that David Ortiz will get his eyes tested.
- On the Newberg Report Jamey Newberg sees Elvis Andrus as the leader of great Rangers teams to come. Newberg passes along a comment from Baseball America's Jim Callis: Andrus would be "in the mix" for the second overall pick in this year's draft if he were eligible.
- Erik Bedard said on ESPN radio that he loves Seattle and doesn't concern himself with trade rumors. He added that the Mariners haven't approached him about a contract extension, but sounded open to the idea (Hat Tip: Bleeding Blue and Teal).
- Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram points out that if no one wants Vicente Padilla now, he's not likely to be hotly pursued this offseason if the Rangers buy out his $12MM option for 2010.
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Pirates president Frank Coonelly maintains the team hasn't given up on 2009. He even says he expects the Pirates to contend.
- Laura Keeley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that fans are not happy about the McLouth trade in Pittsburgh.
Red Sox To Talk Trades, Might Deal
As Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports, Theo Epstein says he'll be involved in trade talks. However, there's no guarantee that he'll make a deal. Epstein predicts that the Red Sox will be "active on trade talks as far as discussions go," but cautions that he "would never want to predict" a trade.
Discussion: The Red Sox And David Ortiz
David Ortiz has presented the Red Sox with a dilemma. Without him the Red Sox probably wouldn't have won two World Series titles this decade, but this year he's hitting just .211/.318/.324. He hit his first homer of the year this week, after Terry Francona benched him for a few days, but he hasn't found the form that saw him post an OPS over 1.000 and average over 40 homers a year from 2003-07.
- ESPN.com's Peter Gammons says the Red Sox are willing to wait on Big Papi.
- A few days ago ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggested the Red Sox would have to consider replacing Ortiz if he doesn't start producing soon. Olney speculated that the Red Sox would like to deal for a young hitter like Matt LaPorta.
- Earlier in the week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that it would be easy for the Red Sox to replace Big Papi's numbers, but nearly impossible to trade him.
The Red Sox have many choices; what should they do? Trade for a bat to replace Ortiz immediately? Ride the slump out for a few more weeks? Hope that, like Carlos Delgado a year ago, Ortiz puts it all together? Stick with him for the season regardless of his production?
Gammons On Peavy, Greene, Holliday
More rumors from ESPN.com's Peter Gammons in his latest column:
- Gammons says it made sense for Kenny Williams to try to deal for Jake Peavy because the AL Central is winnable and Gordon Beckham wasn't part of the deal.
- Gammons expects teams to be wary of no-trade clauses after seeing Peavy thwart the Padres' plans to deal him.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo wants to deal now, while more teams are in the pennant race and remain possible buyers.
- Rizzo would like to improve his bullpen, which has an ERA nearing 7.00.
- The Red Sox want to wait on David Ortiz and plan on giving him the chance to start hitting. He finally homered this week, but has struck out in seven of his last 20 plate appearances.
- Gammons believes it makes sense for the Cardinals to see if the Red Sox have interest in Khalil Greene.
- Billy Beane may face a limited market for Matt Holliday if he decides to trade the left fielder in July.
Odds and Ends: Big Papi, Ray, Murphy
The night in baseball so far…
- David Ortiz finally homered after 149 regular-season at-bats without a home run dating back to September 22, 2008. Home runs tend to come in bunches, so if Ortiz quickly follows with a few more, consider the Red Sox less interested in hitters like Aubrey Huff or Nick Johnson.
- Chris Ray is throwing with desired velocity, but still doesn't have his location, according to Spencer Fordin or MLB.com. Watch Ray's walk rate. He's walked nine in 12 2/3 innings. But with 15 strikeouts in that time, he's a bit of control away from helping the Orioles-or perhaps a contending team, come the trade deadline.
- All those thinking the Mets will trade for a first baseman, watch the next four games carefully. The Mets are giving Daniel Murphy a chance to grab the position, and Murphy, a natural third baseman, should have an easier adjustment there than in left field.
Olney On Trade Scenarios
ESPN's Buster Olney talks about future trade possibilities in his blog today.
- Olney's Brewers source says the team is not looking outside for Rickie Weeks' replacement at this point. Manager Ken Macha doesn't view Craig Counsell as a regular, but he can platoon with Casey McGehee. And Alcides Escobar will start to work at second base in Triple A.
- The Red Sox might have to do something to replace David Ortiz at DH if he doesn't show signs of life soon. Olney speculates on the idea of Boston trading starting pitching "for some talented young hitter – like Matt LaPorta of the Indians." That would stink for LaPorta, getting traded twice within a year.
- Olney likes Mark DeRosa for the Mets. Most writers like DeRosa for any team though. Olney figures the Indians would seek pitching for him.
Rosenthal On Ortiz, Braves, White Sox
The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- Rosenthal notes how easy it would be for the Red Sox to find a left-handed hitter to top David Ortiz's 2009 production – many such bats are impending free agents and could be available in July. A shortstop and young catcher also remain on Boston's wish list. Unfortunately, with no-trade protection and about $22.5MM remaining on his contract, Ortiz is pretty much immovable.
- Former D'Backs pitching coach Bryan Price resigned in part due to reservations about working for new manager A.J. Hinch.
- Rosenthal notes the Braves' surplus of quality minor league arms, and suggests they're well-equipped to trade for a bat. The Braves rank 11th in the NL with 4.41 runs scored per game.
- The White Sox's rotation is looking a bit shaky given the ineffectiveness of Jose Contreras. Rosenthal says "the team eventually figures to be in the market for a starter." The Sox are hanging in there at 3.5 games out with a 14-17 record.
- Aside from Cliff Lee, Rosenthal believes Indians infielder Mark DeRosa could draw attention closer to the trade deadline.
Rosenthal On Yankees, Acta, Pedro
The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- The Yankees' bullpen ranks 12th in the AL with a 6.47 ERA in 64 innings. Rosenthal learned that GM Brian Cashman isn't interested in any of the available relievers, and the plan seems to be to let them pitch their way out of the funk. Early offenders include Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Damaso Marte. Plus, Brian Bruney is out with an elbow injury.
- Rosenthal explains some of the criticisms of Nationals manager Manny Acta. He does not think a firing is imminent, but Acta may not make it through the year.
- David Ortiz on Pedro Martinez: "When I saw him pitch, I had hot flashes of when he was here."
- Rosenthal notes the team-friendly nature of Albert Pujols' current seven-year, $100MM contract.
Ortiz Comments on Teixeira’s Contract and His Own
David Ortiz indicates that he might have missed an opportunity for a Teixeira-like contract in this piece from Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. It is definitely worth reading in its entirety, but here are a few quotes from the Red Sox slugger:
- On Teixeira’s Contract: "He was put in a good situation. Everybody needed a player like him at the time and the market was wide open. He walked into a situation that was perfect for him, and on top of it he was a very good player. Everybody who performs at that level wants to be put in that situation."
- On Signing His Four-Year, $52MM Extension in 2006: "The market wasn’t like it is now. It wasn’t close to what it is now. The year after I signed my deal the market exploded with the big television deal."
- On His Next Contract: "I know it will be hard to get that kind of money a few years from now. I haven’t really sat down and thought about it. All my focus is about doing my thing. You work, try to get better every day for a reason. I’m not planning to go anywhere."
Ortiz is 33 years old and could have hit the free agent market at the age of 31 had he not signed his extension with the Red Sox. The contract includes a team option for 2011. Bradford notes that his $12.5MM annual salary is $1.5MM smaller than that of teammate J.D. Drew.