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Greg Maddux

Perrotto’s Latest: GMs, Angels, Offseason Moves

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John Perrotto at Baseball Prospectus has his Every Given Sunday column up, let’s take a look at what he has to say:

  • Perrotto believes that there’s a good chance that the only GM change baseball will see this offseason may be the one we already know about, as Pat Gillick has already announced his retirement. Perrotto cites Assitant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. as a likely replacement. The most likely other change is in Seattle, and cites Dodgers’ Assistant GM Kim Ng as a possible replacement, which would make her the first female general manager in the game’s history. Perrotto believes Cashman and the Yankees will work something out, though notes that if Cashman leaves, he will ascend to the top of both the Mariners’ and Phillies’ lists.
  • Angels’ owner Arte Moreno says that the 2009 club will not exceed the current $123MM payroll. This leaves the Angels with hard decisions on Mark Teixeira, Francisco Rodriguez, Garrett Anderson, Juan Rivera, and Jon Garland. Of all those options, I see Teixeira as the top priority, as well as the most likely to return. Garland and Rivera seem like certainties to be gone, with Garland being one of the more appealing starters on the free agent market.
  • The Robinson Cano trade rumors continue, as Perrotto expects the Yankees to make a run at Orlando Hudson. Giving up on Cano seems like a mistake to me, but he certainly hasn’t lived up to the expectations he set when he nearly won a batting title in 2006. The Yankees are also not likely to re-sign Jason Giambi or Bobby Abreu.
  • The Tigers feel they have a good chance at re-signing Freddy Garcia for 2009. Garcia could potentially be a nice rebound candidate in a rotation that desperately needs help. Perrotto mentions that Detroit has considered Derek Lowe as a possibility, but I don’t see how that could work with the Tigers trying to cut payroll at the same time. One thing seems certain: Kenny Rogers will not be pitching for Detroit in 2009.
  • The White Sox have removed the nameplate from Joe Crede’s locker. Doesn’t seem like he’ll be back in 2009, not that that’s necessarily a new revelation.
  • The Royals/Jeff Francouer rumors continue in Perrotto’s column. It’s been written all over the site, but doesn’t it seem like the Royals should actually be pursuing people who have a career OBP that isn’t lower than several good hitters’ career average?
  • The Giants are willing to trade Matt Cain for a solid power hitter in return. Again, I think keeping a rotation headed by Cain and Tim Lincecum for the next few years is a far better option than trading Cain.
  • The Pirates have said that the only guarantee for their rotation next season is Paul Maholm. It’s been a rough season for Ian Snell, but I don’t see why he wouldn’t be guaranteed a spot as well, unless they’re not positive he’ll still be with the club.
  • The Mariners will likely non-tender Erik Bedard, completing the downward spiral on what has been one of the worst trades in recent history. Bedard will have shoulder surgery and likely miss a good portion of 2009.
  • Speaking of disappointing moves: Both Greg Maddux and Kosuke Fukudome are in danger of being left off their respective teams’ postseason rosters.

Heyman’s Latest: Colletti, Maddux, Burnett

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The latest from SI.com’s Jon Heyman…

  • Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is "fixated" on the team’s recent unsuccessful free agent signings.  You have to wonder if he’ll direct Ned Colletti to exercise caution this winter.  Heyman’s sources say McCourt intends to stick with Colletti for ’09.
  • Greg Maddux is "said by friends to want to return next year."  Tim Keown wrote in April that Maddux told teammates this is his last season.
  • Heyman is now saying Larry Lucchino is likely to remain Red Sox president.
  • Heyman considers Hank Steinbrenner’s suggestion of interest in A.J. Burnett "the clearest example of tampering in recent history."
  • Miguel Olivo has a reputation as a player who does not get along with his manager.

Week in Review: 8/17 – 8/23

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Another week in the books, and we keep seeing big names moved after the July 31 non-waiver deadline. Let’s look back on the past week:

  • The Dodgers acquired Greg Maddux from the Padres for two minor league players to be named later. Nice acquisition to bolster their rotation, and does anyone want to place bets on how excited 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw is to get tips from Maddux every day for the rest of the season?
  • The Pirates are exploring the idea of trading Jack Wilson this offseason more and more. Given the slim free agent market for shortstops, he would likely gather a lot of interest.
  • Nate Robertson’s struggles this season have lost him his spot in the rotation, but have they also lost him a spot with the Tigers after 2008?
  • Orlando Hernandez needs surgery on his foot, and that could likely mean that El Duque’s career would be over.
  • Lots of speculation lately about where Ben Sheets is going to land after 2008. And while there’s no way to tell right now, Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman have stepped up and said they would like the Astros front office to go out and sign him in the offseason.
  • A lot of minor-league deals signed this week: Kip Wells signed with Kansas City, the Mets added Al Reyes, the Astros signed Jose Castillo, the Red Sox signed Dave Ross, and the Braves took a flyer on Rodrigo Lopez following his Tommy John surgery last year. The Jays made a trade to acquire Jose Bautista for a PTBNL as well.
  • The Rangers would like Milton Bradley back in 2009, and the feeling is mutual, though negotiations will wait until after the season. Similarly, Frank Thomas would prefer to stay with the A’s in 2009.
  • Eric Gagne, David Riske, and David Weathers all cleared waivers this week. The first two make sense to me, but given Weathers’ success this year, his affordable contract for the rest of the season, and all of the teams desperately seeking bullpen help, it seems strange that no one would place a claim on him. Here’s an updated list of all the players who have been confirmed to have cleared waivers this year.

Heyman’s Latest: Bowden, Helton, Maddux, K-Rod

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Let’s take a look at the latest from SI.com’s Jon Heyman.

  • Despite the headline "Nats GM in trouble," Heyman says Jim Bowden has the support of his bosses.  They do not blame him for Aaron Crow and are not concerned with his possible connection to the scout skimming scandal.
  • Heyman suggests the Rockies could shop first baseman Todd Helton this winter if he demonstrates a healthy back in September.  Here’s the thing – if Helton was a free agent and you had to give him a three-year deal, what would you pay?  $5MM a year maybe?  Are the Rockies going to eat $40MM?  Helton might have to be swapped for another bad contract.
  • Heyman sees Ryan Dempster getting four years and $48MM, and Oliver Perez snagging $60MM over five.  Are they worth that?
  • People close to Greg Maddux are saying he wants to pitch next year.  Heyman also sees John Smoltz and Tom Glavine back in ’09.
  • "Some are expecting" the Reds to be big players in free agency this year.  The Reds figure to be in the market for catching and outfield help.  Manny Ramirez would be interesting.
  • Heyman wonders if the Mets will be players for Francisco Rodriguez this winter.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: O’s. Holliday, Glavine, Maddux, Cardinals, Jeter

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A few notes on from around the baseball Blogospehere…

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Dodgers Acquire Maddux

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11:51am: Tony Jackson says the Padres will pay about $1.3MM of Maddux’s remaining salary, with the Dodgers taking on $900K.

WEDNESDAY, 8:43am: Tom Krasovic has more.  The Phillies apparently offered a better package for Maddux earlier this year, but he would not approve a trade there.  So the Dodgers will pay a significant amount of Maddux’s remaining salary and the Padres will choose two low-level minor leaguers from a list by October 15th.  They wanted James McDonald or Scott Elbert but the Dodgers wouldn’t do it.

8:52pm: Paul DePodesta weighs in on the Maddux trade.  He mentions in the comments that the Padres want players as opposed to cash considerations.

4:28pm: The deal is done, for two minor league players to be named later or cash considerations.  Still not sure how Maddux’s remaining salary will be split.

TUESDAY, 8:42am: The L.A. Times says Maddux has been traded for two players to be named later.  The Dodgers will pay at least part of Maddux’s remaining Maddux’s remaining $2.35MM.  Keith Law says the deal makes sense for both sides.

MONDAY, 11:25pm: The AP is now saying an agreement has been reached and the trade will be announced Tuesday.  ESPN’s Rob Neyer wonders if one motive for the Dodgers is to save keep Clayton Kershaw’s innings down.

9:50pm: Through a team spokesman, GM Ned Colletti said a deal is not done.  The L.A. Times still says an agreement has been reached, while the L.A. Daily News says they’ve agreed in principle but the deal has not been finalized. 

8:31pm: Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News says the Dodgers and Padres are actively engaged in talks for Maddux, but isn’t sure how far along the discussions are.

8:09pm: According to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, the Dodgers have acquired Greg Maddux from the Padres.  Further details are not yet known.  The Dodgers had been looking for starting pitching, since they’re not counting on much from Brad Penny.

Dodgers In Market For Pitching

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10:36am: Jackson has an article up, and takes a more definitive stance in saying the Dodgers are looking for a starter and remain interested in Maddux.  Ned Colletti apparently has conversations going regarding players who would need to clear waivers.  23 year-old prospect James McDonald is a strong in-house candidate if the Dodgers want to go that way.

9:34am: Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News talked to Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who does not expect much from Brad Penny for the rest of the season (he may return as a reliever, though).  Torre hinted that he would like a starting pitcher to be acquired if it’d improve upon the current fifth starter candidates, Eric Stults and Jason Johnson.

Jackson hasn’t heard anything new on the Greg Maddux front.  As you may recall, Maddux was said to have cleared waivers according to ESPN’s Peter Gammons.  The teams were not able to work out a trade earlier this month, because the Dodgers wanted the Padres to pay roughly 83% of Maddux’s remaining salary.  That amounted to $2.5MM for the Dodgers back then; now it’s about $1.95MM.

The Dodgers are in a dead heat for first place in the NL West, so every win is crucial.  Last year they were willing to take on $8MM for a massive question mark in Esteban Loaiza, but this year they’re trying to keep deals payroll-neutral.

Players Who Cleared Waivers

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I will make this post a permanent sidebar link.  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).

Updated 8-25-08 at 9:00am.  Latest to clear in red.

  • Paul Byrd – Byrd cleared waivers, but then was traded to the Red Sox.  They were the only team willing to pay his remaining $2MM.
  • Frank Catalanotto – Catalanotto, 34, is hitting .272/.337/.389 in 267 plate appearances.  He’s played first base and left field this year.  He’s not helpful against lefthanded pitching.  His contract is a problem – $765K this year, $4MM in ’09, and a $2MM buyout in ’10.
  • Eric Gagne – Gagne has been awful this year, as his walks and home runs skyrocketed and he dealt with rotator cuff tendinitis.  Understandably, no one wanted to pay the $2.15MM remaining on his contract.
  • Aubrey Huff – Huff’s .909 OPS ranks 10th in the league, but surprisingly no team wanted to take on his $10.1MM commitment through ’09.
  • Mark Kotsay – Ken Rosenthal says he cleared and a number of teams are interested.  Kotsay clearing is a bit of a surprise since the A’s are paying most of his salary.  Kotsay can block trades to eight teams.  The center fielder is having a nice comeback season with a .782 OPS in 324 plate appearances.
  • Greg Maddux – Maddux is earning $10MM this year and will only accept a trade to a West Coast team.  The Dodgers wanted him but asked the Padres to pay more than 80% of his remaining salary according to Peter Gammons.
  • Kevin Millar – Millar has been OK this year; he may reach 20 home runs.  He is owed about $710K from here on out.
  • Kevin Millwood – Millwood, 33, has a 5.24 ERA in 122 innings this year.  He’s dealt with a groin injury for much of the season, as well as a hamstring issue in spring.  Millwood will earn another $1.6MM this year and $11MM in ’09.  His 2010 salary of $12MM becomes a club option unless he pitches 180 innings in ’09.
  • Melvin Mora – Mora has raised his numbers and stock significantly by hitting .378/.421/.652 since the beginning of July.  He has a full no-trade clause and is owed $9MM next year and $1.79MM more this year.
  • Vicente Padilla – Padilla, 31 in September, has a 4.98 ERA in 148.1 innings.  Home runs have been his main problem.  He spent time on the DL with a strained neck.  He’ll earn another $2.1MM this year and $12MM in ’09.  He has a $12MM club option for ’10 with a $1.75MM buyout.
  • Jay Payton – Payton is the O’s regular center fielder with Adam Jones out for the season.  He is owed $1.3MM for the rest of the season.  He’s been lousy offensively, though he can hit lefties and play all three outfield positions.
  • David Riske – Riske is owed $860K more this year, $4.25MM in ’09, and $4.5MM in ’10 plus a $250K buyout for a total of almost $10MM.  Walks have been a problem this year, as well as elbow pain.
  • Dave Ross – Ross had cleared waivers prior to being designated for assignment.  He is earning $2.525MM this year.
  • Duaner Sanchez – His velocity is down 3.6 mph from ’06.  Sanchez is under team control through ’09.
  • Scott Schoeneweis – His strikeout rate is down, but so is his ERA.  Apparently no team wanted to risk taking on his contract – $910K more this year, $3.6MM in ’09.
  • Gary Sheffield – No surprise here. Sheff is owed around $17.5 million between this year and next.
  • Jamie Walker – The 37 year-old southpaw has a 5.00 ERA in 27 innings this year.  As usual, home runs have been a problem.  He spent time on the DL with elbow inflammation and is set to earn $4.5MM next year.
  • David Weathers – Weathers is owed only $610K on the season, and he has a 2.52 ERA and 2.78 K/BB since the beginning of June.  I am quite surprised he cleared waivers.

Odds and Ends: Livan, Maddux, Meredith, Fielder

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Here are today’s links.

Keith Law’s Latest: Players On The Move

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Keith Law drops some science on some big name players that could still be on the move if they clear waivers. To wit:

Paul Byrd: Law argues that Byrd would be better served pitching in the National League where a "finesse" hurler like him would have an easier time. Byrd was a Type B free agent in 2007, which means he could slip to non-compensation status this year, an incentive for the Indians to try and trade him if he clears waivers.

Greg Maddux: The Bulldog will only waive his no-trade clause for a team on the West Coast, meaning it’s the Dodgers or the Dodgers. The Padres tried to make a deal with L.A. prior to the deadline, but it fell through.

Andruw Jones/Juan Pierre: Speaking of the Dodgers, Law thinks that both Pierre and Jones would sail through waivers due to their hefty salaries and bad performance at the plate.

Aubrey Huff: Ditto for Huff, who’s owed more than $10MM between now and the end of his contract in 2009.

Law makes the case that Brian Fuentes and Adam Dunn would not clear waivers. It’s no secret Fuentes was one of the most coveted relievers before the deadline, but the Rockies were holding out for the perfect offer that never came (never mind that they’re showing signs of life in a mediocre NL West).

Dunn should still draw interest from teams looking for a corner outfielder that can hit .385/.550, argues Law, and a direct rival could place a claim on Dunn to make sure other contending teams don’t.

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Post-deadline rumors? Comments? alexo05 [at] umpbump [daught] com.

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