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Brewers Eyeing Starting Pitchers

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Regarding the Brewers' search for starting pitching, we heard yesterday that John Lackey is unlikely while Jarrod Washburn and Doug Davis are possibilities.  Today, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has further details.

Brewers GM Doug Melvin didn't seem to rule out Lackey, saying:

"It depends what they’re asking for.  I don’t know if it could fit or not. I might have to make some other moves to make it fit."

Haudricourt says Randy Wolf could be a more reasonable target; Melvin met with his agent Arn Tellem at the GM Meetings.  Wolf is seeking a multiyear deal.  Tellem's agency also represents Joel Pineiro, Rich Harden, and Vicente Padilla, by the way.

Haudricourt adds that Melvin spoke to Steve Canter, who represents Davis.  Plus, Scott Boras confirmed the Brewers' interest in Washburn.  And what about Braden Looper, who has a $6.5MM mutual option?  MLB.com's Adam McCalvy says that's due Saturday.

Another Brewers note: Melvin reiterated that Prince Fielder is not available, and confirmed that he'd like to pursue a long-term extension with his first baseman before the season begins.

Brewers Notes: Washburn, Davis, Kendall

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Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has the latest on the Brew Crew's off-season maneuvering….

  • As reported earlier today, the Brewers are expected to pursue veteran starters Jarrod Washburn and Doug Davis.  Scott Boras, Washburn's agent, said that he hadn't met with Brewers management yet, but expected the team to "resume their interest" (via Twitter).
  • Haudricourt tweeted that the Brewers have already made contact with Davis' agent.  Milwaukee could be battling with (among other teams) the Mariners over Davis' services, as FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi noted that Seattle "may be keen" on Davis themselves.
  • Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin said he didn't ask the Red Sox for Clay Buchholz or Daniel Bard in exchange for the now-departed J.J. Hardy, but those names did surface in trade talks with Boston last summer (via Twitter).
  • Melvin said the club may go with prospect Jonathan Lucroy at catcher next season, either as part of a platoon or perhaps as an everyday player should Lucroy perform well in spring training.  Lucroy hit .267/.381/.418 in 506 plate appearances at Double-A Huntsville last season, and has an .844 OPS over his three minor league seasons.  Another catching prospect, Angel Salome, will be given a long look in the spring as well.
  • Lucroy's elevation could spell the end of Jason Kendall's time in Milwaukee, though Haudricourt noted that Melvin met with Kendall's representatives to see if the free agent catcher would be willing to return.  If the veteran does come back to the Brewers, it will surely be at a lower price than Kendall's $5MM salary in 2009.

Brewers Unlikely To Be Major Players For Lackey

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In their roundup of the talk at the GM meetings, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports report that the Milwaukee Brewers aren't likely to land John Lackey.

While the report notes that the Brewers need starting pitching, it suggests they're much more likely to pursue lesser free agents such as Jarrod Washburn and Doug Davis.

Milwaukee was in the hunt for C.C. Sabathia last offseason, making him a $100MM offer, and could potentially have the money to go after Lackey. Brewers officials, however, think that the top starting pitching prize in this year's free agent class will want to play in a larger market.

D’Backs Talk: Davis, Tracy, Eric Byrnes

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Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes was forthcoming, talking to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic today.  Highlights:

  • Payroll will likely be higher than the season-ending mark of $73MM.  They have about $60MM committed for 2010, assuming Conor Jackson is retained.  GM Josh Byrnes may have $15MM+ to spend.
  • Byrnes has until the December 12th non-tender deadline to decide on Jackson, who must be paid at least $2.44MM if tendered a contract.  Byrnes intends to use that time to gather information, but his comments had a positive vibe.
  • Free agents Doug Davis and Chad Tracy are not expected to return in 2010 (Tracy has a $7MM club option that will certainly be declined).  It'll be interesting to see who the D'Backs acquire to replace Davis.
  • Brandon Allen does not have a lock on the first base job.  Second base will probably be filled internally.
  • Byrnes admitted "the roster crunch on Eric Byrnes is pretty real," implying the could release the outfielder and eat $11MM.

Diamondbacks Seeking Veteran Reliever

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The Diamondbacks could have two potential holes to fill in their rotation depending on what happens with Doug Davis and Brandon Webb after the season, but GM Josh Byrnes also wants to add a veteran reliever according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.

"We've had our share of adversity this year, and in the bullpen it's not going to be a smooth ride for six months," Byrnes said. "We'd like to have people who can sort of understand that a bad game is going to happen but not let it happen too often and set an example that way."

Arizona's pen was supposed to be anchored by Chad Qualls, Scott Schoeneweis, Tony Pena and Jon Rauch, but Rauch and Pena were traded, Qualls battled injury, and Schoeneweis dealt with the unfortunate passing of his wife. The foursome combined for a 4.46 ERA in 163.1 IP for the D-Backs this season.

Looking the list of available free agents this offseason, could Bobby Howry or Octavio Dotel make sense? Maybe a Brandon Lyon reunion? 

Davis Would Return To D’Backs Or Brewers

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Doug Davis has played his entire National League career with two teams: the D'Backs and Brewers. Now that he's about to become a free agent, Davis tells Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic that he'd return to either club. However, he knows other teams are likely to have some interest in him, so he's not publicly ruling anything out.

"I think there are a lot of teams out there that could use me," he said.

Davis, who turns 34 on Monday, has been remarkably consistent throughout the last six years. He doesn't have electric stuff, but he's made 30 starts or more nearly every season. A year ago, Davis missed time to recover from cancer, but still managed to start 26 games.

Davis says he won't ask for a ton of money, but he considers himself one of the better left-handers available, so he expects to be paid fairly. After the Brewers nearly acquired him last month, Davis said he wants a three-year deal. Since there are other innings-eaters out there, a deal that long would be a coup for Davis and his agent.

Stark On Free Agent Pitchers

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"I don't think there's one pitcher in this entire group I'd invest a lot of money in. Not one," said one general manager to ESPN's Jayson Stark. This year's collection of free agent pitchers doesn't have the star power that last year's CC Sabathia highlighted crop had, or that next year's group led by Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee will have, but there will still be plenty of money thrown around.

As Stark explains, club officials seem to be down on available starters this year, describing them as "risky," "weak," "terrible," and "mediocre" among other things. One AL executive said that "There are some guys in this group who are dependable. Except they're dependable to give you 5.00 ERAs and 180 innings. And that's not what you want to build a staff around."

Regardless, Stark ranks the top ten starting pitching options in this year's free agent class. Here's a roundup of his list, with quotes from various sources…

  1. John Lackey: "He's the best name on the list," one exec said. "But if Anaheim shies away from this guy or doesn't make a serious attempt to sign him, I'd have concerns. They know him better than everyone else. So that would send out some serious red flags for me."
  2. Randy Wolf: He's "durable, dependable and left-handed," one GM said. And he's also "two 190-plus-inning seasons removed from any health issues."
  3. Joel Piniero: One GM said "I'd have interest in Pineiro, but I'd never invest multi-years in that guy. Just too inconsistent a track record."
  4. Jason Marquis: "He's having a great year," said an official of one team. "But I'm just not sure how to look at it. Was this a turning point in his career? Or do you look at it as somebody who turned it up and figured it out when he had the most to gain? I really don't know."
  5. Rich Harden: "I'd be scared to death to commit years to this guy," one AL exec said. "He's been used kind of like Pedro [Martinez] was used in the past, where they're always trying to build in an extra day's rest. And he's just a five-inning guy, in the National League. He might strike out 10, but he'll only go five innings, so he still kills your 'pen. He'll get some money. I just don't see anybody giving him more than a year."
  6. Andy Pettitte: One exec described his situation as "will probably either stay in New York or shut it down."
  7. Jarrod Washburn: One GM said, "he's 35 years old, and [before this year] his last winning season was [2004]."
  8. Jon Garland: "He doesn't have the stuff the other guys on this list have, but he's proven he's durable, and durability counts," said an official of one team. "It's like they say in golf: Most putts that you hit short don't go in. Well, most pitchers that don't make a start don't win. This guy at least makes his starts."
  9. Doug Davis: "Made for the NL West."
  10. Brad Penny: An executive said "He's the kind of guy who, if you give him a multiyear deal, he'll crush your franchise. Is somebody going to sign him for four years and expect 120 starts? Good luck."

Stark also names several players he calls "X-Factors," which are guys who could enter the market with major question marks. Included in this group are Brandon Webb, Erik Bedard, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson, Brett Myers, and Vicente Padilla. We could even add Chien-Ming Wang's name to that list.

Heyman On Red Sox, Davis, Padilla

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Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Red Sox are "thought to have offered a five-prospect package of [Clay] Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and a position player" for Roy Halladay. The club apparently offered the Mariners an even better deal for Felix Hernandez. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • The Brewers offered nothing more than salary relief for Doug Davis, so the D'Backs held on.
  • There's a decent chance the Blue Jays will find a new GM. As one exec points out, no one gets to rebuild twice without making the playoffs.  
  • The Rangers gave up on Vicente Padilla because they consider him a bad teammate.  

Doug Davis Looking For A Three Year Deal

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According to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, southpaw Doug Davis is looking for a three year contract, something he's already presented to the Diamondbacks.

"I'm still looking for the three-year deal I was looking for two months ago," Davis said. "If I can't come to terms on that then I'll test the free agent market."

Gilbert says the club seems to prefer a one year deal with a club option, especially since they figure this year's free agent class will play out like last year's. Davis is going to remain in Arizona the rest of the season after the Brewers and D-Backs were unable to consummate a deal earlier deadline.

Davis is 7-10 with a 3.62 ERA this year, but he leads the National League with 73 walks.

Odds And Ends: Dodgers, Davis, Prospects

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