Mets Rumors: Closer, Reyes, Wright

The Mets currently project for the 13th overall draft pick next June, same as this year.  The latest on the club:

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson talked at length about closers yesterday, as usual leaving the door open for most possibilities.  He explained to ESPN's Adam Rubin that the closer position "needs to be a point of concentration for us," and wouldn't rule out signing one of the big-name free agent closers.  He added, "There are no concessions from me," implying he's not interested in signing a stopgap closer.  On the other hand, a "cheap, proven veteran" is exactly the route Mike Puma of the New York Post expects Alderson to take after listening to the GM make the same comments.  No matter what the Mets decide to do, it'll all be covered in detail at our @CloserNews Twitter feed and CloserNews.com.
  • Alderson expects to know early on which direction the Jose Reyes situation is headed, he told Rubin.  He won't count on an early resolution, but he admitted "everything will be contingent on how that turns out."  Ruben Tejada appears to be Plan B for the Mets at shortstop, writes David Lennon of Newsday.
  • Third baseman David Wright is showing greatly diminished range, a rival scout tells Andrew Keh of the New York Times.

Rosenthal On Wright, Showalter, Sizemore

Let's take a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • There are conflicting signals over the Mets' willingness to deal David Wright.  They've turned away suitors and the subject has hardly come up in internal discussions.  However, others in baseball think the club will look to deal Wright if they re-sign Jose Reyes.  Wright's club option for 2013 becomes void if he's dealt, making him a free agent after next season.
  • Orioles owner Peter Angelos is willing to give Buck Showalter virtually anything that he wants.  Sources tell Rosenthal that Angelos has told the skipper that he can stay on as manager while assuming the role of General Manager.  The club will have to work out Andy MacPhail's siutation before making any moves.
  • The chances of a new labor agreement being struck by the World Series seem to be diminishing.  Things are tough to handicap as things can pick up at anytime, but the two sides are very far apart on the draft.  The owners want hard slotting and a worldwide draft which would be a difficult undertaking.  Of course, free agent compensation, the luxury tax, and revenue sharing are also among the chief topics of discussion.
  • Grady Sizemore's future with the Indians might hinge on how he performs in the final weeks of the season.  The Tribe holds a 8.5MM option on Sizemore for 2012 but they'll be reluctant to exercise it on a player who hasn't played much recently.  One potential solution would be a contract extension with a lower base salary but the outfielder might prefer to test the open market.

Olney On Mauer, Morneau, Wright, Royals

Twins GM Bill Smith told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are totally committed to arriving at Spring Training in top physical form. The Twins’ chances in 2012 revolve around Mauer, who had knee surgery in December, and Morneau, who is recovering from concussion symptoms. Here are the rest of Olney’s notes from around MLB… 

  • Mauer has discussed a ‘rigorous’ training program with the Twins’ staff.
  • The Twins will also have to restructure their bullpen and decide how Tsuyoshi Nishioka fits into their plans this offseason.
  • The Mets are expected to listen to offers for David Wright, who would presumably draw interest from the Rockies and Angels, among others.
  • Rival teams are in awe of the Royals’ collection of promising position players, Olney writes. Kansas City is still waiting for its pitching prospects to develop.

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. Player names are linked to the source articles.

Updated 8-30-11 at 10:56pm

Starting pitchers

  • Aaron Harang, Padres - Harang's ERA is a respectable 3.92 with 6.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in pitcher-friendly Petco Park.
  • Dontrelle Willis, Reds – Willis has bounced back with the Reds, posting a 4.10 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, 0.68 HR/9, and 56.8% groundball rate in 52 2/3 innings.
  • Carlos Zambrano, Cubs – Zambrano cleared waivers prior to being placed on the disqualified list.  He has a short fuse, lousy stats, and over $22MM remaining on his contract through next year.
  • Rodrigo Lopez, Cubs – Not surprising to see the journeyman clear waivers.
  • Chris Capuano, Mets – Capuano owns a 3.74 SIERA as of August 14th and earns only $1.5MM plus incentives, so it's hard to see why a few teams didn't place claims.
  • Bronson Arroyo, Reds – His peripheral stats haven't changed much, but Arroyo has a 5.31 ERA as of August 15th.  $15MM of his $35MM contract is deferred through 2021 without interest.  The deferrals are voided if he's traded, however.  At any rate, expect Arroyo to stay put.
  • Bruce Chen, Royals – Chen has his moments, but it's not surprising to see him clear waivers.
  • Jason Vargas, Mariners – Like many of the starters here, Vargas' fastball wouldn't break a window.  But he has less than a million bucks left on his contract this year and is under team control through 2013.  He'd fit nicely at the back end of several rotations.    
  • Chien-Ming Wang, Nationals – His three starts this season were his first in over two years, so it's understandable that contenders wouldn't jump to claim him.
  • Tom Gorzelanny, Nationals – Booted to the bullpen last month, the 29-year-old flyballing southpaw has posted strong strikeout rates in recent years but can't hold a rotation job.
  • Ted Lilly, Dodgers – He always has strong strikeout-to-walk numbers, but is prone to the longball.  With over 82% of his $33MM contract remaining ($27MM+), it's no surprise he cleared waivers.

Relievers

  • Joe Nathan, Twins - Nathan won't be traded, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
  • Chad Qualls, Padres – Qualls is enjoying a bounce-back season, though his strikeout rate dipped to 5.3 K/9 this year.
  • Bill Bray, Reds – Bray has been decent this year, and a little tougher against lefties.  He'll be arbitration eligible for the second time this offseason.
  • Hong-Chih Kuo, Dodgers – A dominant reliever last year, Kuo has dealt with a back injury and anxiety disorder as his control has eluded him.
  • Huston Street, Rockies – Between a recent triceps injury and the $9MM+ owed to him through 2012, Street was expected to clear.
  • Brian Fuentes, Athletics – He's owed over $6MM through next year, and has been mediocre for the A's.
  • Jon Rauch, Blue Jays – Rauch is affordable, but he's on the DL for an appendectomy and wasn't great before that.
  • Mike Gonzalez, Orioles – Gonzalez has been dominant in August, and against lefties.  The problem is that he's still owed almost a million bucks.
  • Kevin Gregg, Orioles – Gregg might be the worst reliever holding down a closer's job, and he's owed at least $6.4MM through next year.
  • John Grabow, Cubs – He's been ineffective even against lefties, and he has over $700K remaining.
  • D.J. Carrasco, Mets – The Mets signed Carrasco to a two-year deal in December – their biggest acquisition of the offseason - but optioned him to Triple-A in April.  He stayed there until mid-June.

Position players

  • Aramis Ramirez, Cubs – In July, Ramirez's agent said that his client would consider an August deal but he has since had a change of heart.  The Cubs hold an option on Ramirez's deal worth $16MM.
  • Alfonso Soriano, Cubs – This one was also obvious.  SI's Jon Heyman notes on Twitter that the Cubs are willing to pay a "major, major chunk" of the $58.35MM owed to the left fielder through 2014.
  • Lance Berkman, Cardinals – Berkman has said he hopes to re-sign with St. Louis after the season, when he hits free agency.  Still, it's a surprise to see him clear waivers.
  • Ryan Theriot, Cardinals - Theriot earns $3.3MM this year and will be a non-tender candidate after the season.
  • David Wright, Mets - It's surprising that Wright cleared waivers, but it doesn't mean the Mets have interest in dealing him. Wright earns $15MM next year and can void a $16MM club option for 2013 if traded.
  • Conor Jackson, Athletics – Olney notes that the Red Sox asked about the light-hitting 1B/LF/RF, but there doesn't seem to be any traction there.
  • David DeJesus, Athletics – DeJesus has had a rough year but could at least be useful against right-handed pitching.
  • Hideki Matsui, Athletics – The Athletics have several waiver trade candidates, and Matsui's hot second half and low salary (owed less than $2MM the rest of the season) could make him a popular target.
  • Jason Bay, Mets – With Bay being owed at least $38.8MM through 2013, this was expected.  It's only been 12 games, but Bay is at least having his first good month of 2011.
  • Willie Harris, Mets – The versatile Harris has less than $200K left on his contract.
  • Angel Pagan, Mets – It's been a dismal year for Pagan, who may be in line for a non-tender after the season.
  • Carlos Lee, Astros – No surprise here, as the 35-year-old is hitting .263/.321/.417 and is owed almost $23MM through next year.  El Caballo's ten-and-five rights kick in after the season.
  • Johnny Damon, Rays – Damon blocked an August trade last summer and 12 months later he's a candidate to be traded once again.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Dempster, Wright, Kubel, Bell, Thome

Let's take a look at some links as the northeast prepares for Hurricane Irene..

  • Cubs starter Ryan Dempster was non-committal when asked about his player option for 2012, but he doesn't sound like he wants to leave town either, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  The 34-year-old's 2012 option is worth $14MM.
  • Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com wonders if the Cubs will keep Reed Johnson in the fold in 2012.  Johnson, he points out, could help groom top prospect Brett Jackson next season.  This year the 34-year-old is hitting .347/.385/.539 in 209 plate appearances.
  • Despite his insistence to the contrary, the swirl of trade rumors throughout the season have bothered David Wright, a Mets staffer told Andy Martino of the Daily News.  The third baseman surprisingly cleared waivers this week.  Wright is owed $15MM next year and can void a $16MM club option for 2013 if he is dealt.
  • Jason Kubel is happy to still be a member of the Twins, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.  Earlier this evening we learned that the Indians were the team to place the winning claim on him, not the White Sox as once thought.
  • Padres closer Heath Bell didn't let the recent round of trade speculation get to him, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com.  Earlier today, Ben Nicholson-Smith outlined the club's options regarding Bell this offseason.
  • Veteran Jim Thome is happy to return to the Tribe as the elder statesman, writes Zack Meisel of MLB.com.  The slugger will celebrate his 41st birthday tomorrow.

Waiver Rumors: Thome, Bell, White Sox, Wright

The waiver wire is heating up with one week remaining for teams to trade for postseason reinforcements. Here’s a refresher on how August trades work and here are the latest rumors…

Rockies Notes: Pomeranz, Willingham, Cuddyer

On this day in 2006, the Rockies signed Juan Nicasio as a 19-year-old amateur free agent. Five years later, the right-hander, who started 13 games for Colorado this season, is recovering from surgery to his C-1 vertebrae. As Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post wrote earlier this week, such an injury can lead to paralysis or even death, but Nicasio is "doing at least as well as anyone associated with the Rockies could have hoped for," and intends to pitch again. We wish him the best of luck in his comeback. Here are the rest of today's Rockies notes:

Quick Hits: Tigers, Phillies, Soriano

Padres center fielder Cameron Maybin is starting to look like one of the top acquisitions of last offseason. He has a .279/.332/.408 line with seven homers and 29 stolen bases after today's game. Here are today's ilnks…

Mets Notes: Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Wilpons

One of three Mets' starting infielders currently on the disabled list, David Wright is making good progress in his rehab, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry and Anthony DiComo. The third baseman, who has been on the DL since May 18th, could start a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday and return to the Mets for the club's ten-game road trip later this month. Let's check out some other Mets-related notes….

  • According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, executives around the league have very different opinions about what sort of contract Jose Reyes will earn in free agency. Before Reyes was placed on the DL, estimates ranged from "no more than $90MM" to as much as $160MM.
  • Within the same piece, Sherman looks at some teams besides the Mets that could be in on Reyes this winter, including the Phillies, Brewers, Mariners, Nationals, and Tigers. One GM says the Giants are the "obvious choice," predicting a bid of $120MM or so from San Francisco.
  • The Mets' solid play heading into the second half makes the decision on whether to trade Carlos Beltran tougher, says Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. While the team probably won't seriously contend for the postseason, dealing Beltran this month would be a "white flag" move that would hurt attendance.
  • The Wilpons' chances of maintaining ownership of the Mets are looking better, write Teri Thompson and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.

Mets Notes: Draft, DePodesta, Wright

Despite all the drama, ownership issues, trade rumors and injuries at Citi Field this year, the Mets have a 28-31 record and sit just five games out of the NL wild card.  Newsday's David Lennon wonders if "can [Sandy] Alderson afford to deal away the likes of [Jose] Reyes and [Carlos] Beltran if the Mets are still showing a pulse, however faint, for a playoff spot?"  In my opinion, the Mets shouldn't fool themselves into thinking they're true contenders.  Putting off a rebuild for a longshot chance at the postseason is the kind of short-term thinking that has put the Mets in this tough situation in the first place.

Some more Amazin' items…

  • The Mets have traditionally stuck close to MLB's slotting recommendations, but this year are prepared to pay above slot if necessary, reports Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.  Costa notes that Alderson was one of the MLB executives involved in creating the original slotting system in 2000.
  • As noted in Costa's piece, only the White Sox have spent less on the draft than the Mets have in the last five years.  The Mets spent $3.9MM to sign their picks from the first 10 rounds of the 2010 draft, which was roughly 4% above slot, mostly due to Matt Harvey's $2.5MM bonus.
  • Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger profiles Paul DePodesta, the Mets' VP of scouting and player development and the man in charge of running the club's draft operations.
  • The Mets "owe it" to David Wright to trade him, writes Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.  Madden compares Wright's situation to that of Hubie Brooks, another popular Mets third baseman who didn't want to leave New York when the team dealt him to Montreal in December 1984.  The Mets received Gary Carter back in that trade, however, "and you have to believe Alderson has been entertaining the same thoughts about a Wright deal being potentially similarly transforming," Madden writes.    
Show all