Odds & Ends: Bumgarner, Rangers, Kim
Links for Tuesday…
- Giants top pitching prospect Madison Bumgarner surprisingly gets the big league call today, says John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The bad news: Cy Young contender Tim Lincecum is out with back spasms.
- Evan Grant of D Magazine shows how little the Rangers got out of the 2002-05 drafts (including the "DVD" trio), yet they had the game's best farm system coming into the season.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has the reverse standings, which give an idea of the 2010 draft order.
- Eddie Bajek looks at various scenarios where Placido Polanco could ascend to Type A status. It's a good reminder on how the Elias rankings come together.
- Tigers owner Mike Ilitch is behind the decision to let Magglio Ordonez's 2010 option vest, believes John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
- Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire finds the upcoming free agent class lacking in depth.
- East Windup Chronicle passes along a report suggesting Byung-Hyun Kim wants to make a comeback. Is he still represented by Scott Boras?
- Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee feels the team can win in 2010 with the same group, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune considers possible moves for next year.
- Brad Penny had a strong preference to pitch in the NL, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Twins players Mike Redmond and Carl Pavano lobbied Penny directly.
- Ben Kabak of River Ave. Blues expresses concern that Derek Jeter's next contract could approach $100MM.
Odds And Ends: Jeter, Pettitte, Griffey
All three of these potential Hall of Famers were on their current teams ten years ago…
- Bob Klapisch of FOX Sports says the Yankees are bracing themselves for the possibility that Derek Jeter will ask for a massive contract after next season. Klapisch wonders if Jeter could ask for $100MM over four years when negotiations begin.
- Andy Pettitte tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that he hasn't decided whether to return for another season after this one. The 37-year-old has a 4.10 ERA in 28 starts for the Yanks this year.
- MLB.com's Jim Street says Ken Griffey Jr.'s return to Seattle has been a complete success. We heard last week that Griffey would consider returning to the team next year.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Figgins, Hanley, Kershaw, Drew
Let's see what FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has for us in his latest Full Count video…
- Chone Figgins could be one of the most popular free agents this winter. The White Sox have long had interest in him, and his skills as a leadoff hitter will make him attractive to many teams, perhaps even the Yankees.
- Figgins will come cheaper than Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, and the Yanks could easily withstand his lack of power if they put him in left field. Four years younger than Johnny Damon, Figgins and Derek Jeter would make a dynamic 1-2 punch atop the Yankees' lineup.
- Apparently, Hanley Ramirez isn't very popular in the Marlins' clubhouse. The complaints should only go so far though, because he's played hurt this seasons and is on target to play in 150 or more games for the fourth straight year. Hanley's also batting .385 with runners in scoring position this year after hitting just .239 in those spots last year. He's also worked very hard to improve his defense as well.
- The Dodgers did well by adding Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla to their rotation, but one National League GM is worried about Clayton Kershaw because he's approaching 3,000 pitches thrown on the season, which is when you start to worry.
- Maybe it's time to cut J.D. Drew some slack. Sure, he's missed 92 games in three seasons with Boston, but one team official told Rosenthal he'd sign Drew to the same contract (five years, $70MM) again in a second. The Red Sox consider Drew one of the five best right fielders in baseball when you consider on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and defense.
Heyman On Holliday, Red Sox, Pedro, Bradley
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Heyman covers numerous examples of National League GMs mining the American League scrap heap.
- Heyman agrees with Jayson Stark's note yesterday, that the Yankees will allow Derek Jeter to enter his walk year unsigned and worry about it after the 2010 season.
- The Cardinals will try hard to retain Matt Holliday, but Heyman believes the Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox could be in the mix for the slugger.
- Heyman discusses future shortstop possibilities for the Red Sox – they could retain Alex Gonzalez or go after Marco Scutaro. He says they "don't seem anxious" to bring Orlando Cabrera back.
- Pedro Martinez is looking good, and Heyman says only the Phillies and Rangers had real interest. The Cubs and Brewers were on the fringes.
- Heyman talked to two GMs about the Cubs and Milton Bradley. One thought the Cubs could unload him by eating half his remaining $21MM; another thought they'd need to assume almost all the money. I am not a Bradley apologist; he's certainly been a distraction. But how would subtracting a .394 OBP make the Cubs' middling offense better?
Stark On Lackey, Rays, Jeter
More from Jayson Stark's Rumblings and Grumblings column at ESPN.com…
- One of Stark's sources says the Angels' acquisition of Scott Kazmir is not linked to John Lackey's future. Lackey is said to have dropped his price from the C.C. Sabathia range ($161MM over seven years) to A.J. Burnett money ($82.5MM over five years) due to his recent injury history. The Angels will attempt to re-sign Lackey, but they have their limit. Stark's suggestion that Lackey had a "Sabathia-esque" price tag in Spring Training runs counter to Mike DiGiovanna's report that the pitcher wanted Burnett money at that time.
- Stark feels that the Rays' trade of Kazmir will help them allocate money toward retaining Carl Crawford and/or Carlos Pena. Crawford's 2010 club option is worth between $10-11.5MM. Pena is signed at $10.125MM for '10 and is represented by Scott Boras. One positive: the slugging first baseman inked a below-market deal in January of '08.
- Derek Jeter is not talking about his next contract, but Stark feels the Yankees will take care of him. They may wait until after next season, when Jeter finishes his current deal.
- Rockies manager Jim Tracy is familiar with Brad Penny, and his opinion might have caused the team to back off. And the Yankees cooled Jon Garland because they didn't see him as a difference-maker in the AL East.
- The Marlins were in on Mike Cameron, but the Brewers decided to keep their players and win as many games as possible.
- The White Sox "wanted something good" for Jermaine Dye, according to one Stark source. He would not have been as easy to pry away as Jim Thome and Jose Contreras were.
- A couple of sources are skeptical that the Red Sox will shop closer Jonathan Papelbon this winter.
- Stark notes that only two players – Ryan Franklin and David Eckstein – signed extensions in-season. These days it makes more sense to talk during the exclusive negotiation period after the season. Plus, there were many bargains to be had on the free agent market last offseason.
Odds And Ends: Garcia, Astros, Reds
More links for the afternoon…
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports looks at some candidates for waiver trades. Could Freddy Garcia help a National League team?
- Jim Callis of Baseball America ranks the 15 biggest bonuses MLB draft picks have ever received. Stephen Strasburg tops them all, of course.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers will send Jose Vallejo to the Astros along with Matt Nevarez as part of the Ivan Rodriguez trade, as expected. The Astros receive a third player if the Rangers make the playoffs.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says the Reds have veered away from rebuilding plans instead of devoting themselves to one like the Twins, Rays and Marlins.
- Via Twitter, Matthew Pouliot wonders if the A's, who are interested in adding starters, could pick up Livan Hernandez.
- Remember the Derek Jeter–Jimmy Rollins debate at the WBC? As Tyler Hissey shows, the two shortstops have had remarkably different seasons.
Odds And Ends: Jeter, Uggla, Cubs, Hall
Links for Thursday morning…
- Derek Jeter, whose contract expires after next season, says he isn't thinking about his next deal or how long he'll keep playing, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel asks: Are the Marlins better off holding onto Dan Uggla after the season and paying him about $7MM in arbitration, or should they trade him?
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that he takes resonsibility for his team's frustrating season.
- Jeff Sackmann of the Hardball Times says Doug Melvin was justified in handing Bill Hall a long-term contract, even though it didn't work out for the Brewers.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports expects Vicente Padilla to be on his best behavior with the Dodgers, who need him badly.
- In his latest roundup of top Rangers prospects at MLB.com, Jamey Newberg notes that it doesn't look like Justin Smoak will reach the majors this year.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles will audition Luke Scott at first base between now and the end of the season.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says the Astros won't see their attendance improve if they put another "old, bad, boring" team on the field next year.
Rosenthal On Jeter, Jenkins, Keppinger
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports posted a new column last night.
- Rosenthal wonders if the eventual emergence of Yankees shortstop prospects Ramiro Pena and Eduardo Nunez will prompt the team to ask Derek Jeter to change positions in the future. Neither player ranked among the Yankees' top 30 prospects in the Baseball America 2009 Handbook, however. Jeter's current contract runs through 2010.
- Rosenthal says Boston's talks for catchers Miguel Montero and Jarrod Saltalamacchia "remain stalled because of those clubs' respective asking prices."
- Rosenthal believes the Phillies are unlikely to trade Geoff Jenkins or Matt Stairs.
- The Reds are considering trading infielder Jeff Keppinger, and Rosenthal wonders if the Astros would be a fit. He also speculates on Juan Uribe for Houston. John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer talked about the Keppinger possibility on Friday.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Yankees, Oil Can, Halladay, Mets
On this date 21 years ago, the Baltimore Orioles traded Ray Knight to the Tigers, only one year after signing the World Series hero as a free agent. The O’s received Mark Thurmond, who would go 1-8 in 1988 with an 85 ERA+. Knight would only play 105 games for the Tigers before retiring. With spring training now in full swing, several veteran free agents are still without contracts or guaranteed jobs and may be on the verge of retirement. Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- More Hardball puts together a 25-man roster of veteran players in camps on minor league deals.
- 6 Pound 8 Ounce Baby Joba spoke with Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch about a number of topics including what the will happen once the current contracts for Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter expire.
- Sully Baseball makes a case for a team, any team, signing Oil Can Boyd.
- The Phrontiersman takes a look at the possibility of the Phillies trading for Roy Halladay at some point during the season.
- Megamets argues for the Mets adding Dennys Reyes, over the other available lefty relievers.
- The Sports Banter puts together their own list of off-season winners.
- Midwest Sports Fans project the Twins opening day roster.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.
Derek Jeter’s Next Contract
Derek Jeter is signed through 2010, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post says "Yankee officials already talk privately about dreading" the expiration of his contract. He lists all kinds of complications: Jeter’s position, his salary, his declining offense, and his drive toward 3,000 hits. River Ave. Blues, IATMS, and others took on the issue recently as well.
We can rule out the infield corners for Jeter, with Mark Teixeira signed through 2016 and Alex Rodriguez through 2017. Assuming you’re not comfortable with a 36 year-old Jeter manning shortstop, the options would be second base or the outfield. Robinson Cano‘s contract runs through 2011 with club options for ’12 and ’13. The Yankees have two full seasons to determine Cano’s future in the organization. If he stays, can he play a better center field than Jeter, opening up second base? Is the experiment even worth it? Another inefficient option would be to try Jeter in an outfield corner.
If Jeter wasn’t an icon, the best baseball decision would be to let him go after his contract expires. Since he is, we’ll be debating this for the next two years. By the way, Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins can both be free-agent eligible after the 2011 season, if their teams exercise their 2010 options.