Odds & Ends: Pierzynski, Yankees, Orioles, Fox
Ted Lilly doesn't get the no-hitter, but he does get his first win in a while. Some links for tonight..
- A.J. Pierzynski is looking forward to not having to talk about the possibility of being traded, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- There have been noticeable changes for the Yanks since their last showdown with the Phillies in the Bronx, writes MLB.com's Tim Britton.
- If asked, the Dodgers aren't likely to grant the Orioles permission to interview third base coach Larry Bowa, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
- The recently DFA'd Jake Fox told MLB.com's Jane Lee (via Twitter) that he wasn't too surprised by the move.
- The Tigers are unlikely to go through lengthy negotiations with catcher Patrick Leyland, son of manager Jim Leyland, writes Chris Iott of MLive.com. Detroit took Leyland in the 8th round of the draft.
Athletics Designate Jake Fox For Assignment
The A's have designated Jake Fox for assignment, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
Slusser also tweets that the A's are hoping that he clears waivers, though it might be tough as he has demonstrated the ability to catch. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has started seven games behind the plate this season.
Fox has struggled at the plate in 2010, posting a slash line of .214/.264/.327 in 106 plate appearances. While his offensive performance has been disappointing, Mychael Urban of CSN (via Twitter) believes that this move could be a precursor to something else.
Oakland acquired Jake Fox and Aaron Miles from the Cubs in December for Jeff Gray and a pair of minor leaguers. Miles would later be dealt to the Reds, released, and signed by the Cardinals.
Possible Destinations: Andruw Jones
Was a better bargain than Andruw Jones signed this winter? The White Sox added him on a one-year deal worth $500K, and all he's given them so far is a batting line of .260/.360/.604. Meanwhile, the man patrolling his old Atlanta center field home, Nate McLouth, checks in at .167/.302/.271, and Gary Matthews Jr., who will make twice what Jones does from the Mets this year (and next year!), is hitting .152/.235/.196.
The problem is, this hasn't allowed the White Sox to move into contention. Thanks to a 14-20 start, combined with Minnesota's 22-12 beginning, Chicago is already eight games out, with Memorial Day still weeks away. So it may well be that the White Sox can, and should flip Jones to a contending team down the stretch. And that reasonable short-term deal means some of the smaller-market contenders are likely to be in the Jones sweepstakes.
What are some possible destinations?
- Washington could be a good fit. Willie Harris is hitting just .182/.313/.418, and with Willy Taveras also getting outfield at-bats, so Jones could be a good fit for regular corner outfield time. The Nationals have several pitchers set to join the big league team, but little in the way of outfield prospects at the top of their system. For now, the Nationals say they're content with Harris and Roger Bernadina.
- Cincinnati has seen Drew Stubbs struggle in center field so far; he's hitting just .196/.283/.321. It shouldn't be hard to convince Dusty Baker to play the veteran Jones over Stubbs, either. It's not clear that Jones is still an every day center fielder, but Chicago has already played him there four times in 2010.
- The Padres have Kyle Blanks in left field, Tony Gwynn Jr. in center field, and Will Venable in right field. Of the three, only Blanks profiles as a top prospect, so the other two could be vulnerable to a Jones acquisition, should San Diego remain in the race.
- With Eric Chavez and Jake Fox struggling, and Rajai Davis reverting to form, the Athletics could use Jones in either center field or at designated hitter to support an imposing starting rotation. The move sounds a lot like acquiring Frank Thomas, doesn't it?
- And don't fall asleep on Seattle, either. Currently 6.5 games out, the Mariners have the talent to climb back into the race, but their DHs, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Sweeney, simply aren't hitting. Jones could also slot into left field.
One thing's for sure: those who believed Andruw Jones' career was over- a sad thing for anyone who saw him dominate baseball in his 20s- appear to have been premature.
Top Trade Chips: AL West
We've completed the National League, so now it's time to jump over to the so-called junior circuit…
- Angels: They moved three pretty good young players to get Scott Kazmir last season, so they might prefer to hold onto the rest of their top prospects. Their best chip is someone you may not have heard of, out of options catcher Bobby Wilson. He's on the 25-man roster but has barely played as the third stringer, yet how many teams would love to have a 27-year old catcher with a very good defensive rep, a .290/.345/.425 batting line in 820 Triple-A plate appearances, and six years of team control left? Pretty much all of them. He'll never clear waivers if the Halos try to send him back to the minors.
- Athletics: Oakland has plenty of young pitching, but Billy Beane likes to hang on to those kind of guys, and for good reason. With ten infielders on the 40-man roster, someone like Jake Fox or Eric Patterson could be moved, as could outfielders Travis Buck or Gabe Gross since Michael Taylor is coming fast. Plus there's always Ben Sheets.
- Mariners: Jack Zduriencik surrendered a good amount of prospect depth this offseason by acquiring Cliff Lee, but no one will argue with that move. Dustin Ackley, the second overall pick in 2009, will make Jose Lopez expendable in short order, and they could choose to make one of two minor league outfielders – Michael Saunders or Greg Halman – available. Seattle's best trade chip might be their potential ability to absorb some money.
- Rangers: Texas is absolutely loaded with young players, so they have plenty of pieces to offer. They can move Chris Davis because Justin Smoak is knocking on the door, or they could move Derek Holland because Martin Perez isn't too far away. They dangled Max Ramirez this winter, and outfielder David Murphy is about to get expensive through arbitration, so he could find himself on the block. Bottom line: the Rangers have the pieces to go out and get anything they need or want.
Odds & Ends: Offenses, Ben Snyder, Kelly Johnson
Action-packed links for Wednesday…
- NL offense rankings are up at RotoAuthority, courtesy of CHONE projections and the Baseball Musings lineup analysis tool. The Rockies are on top and the Padres bring up the rear, but plenty will change as the season unfolds.
- Two closers were named in recent days, and our Twitter account @CloserNews passed along the info instantly to allow you to make the winning fantasy pickups.
- The Rangers are attempting to work out a trade with the Giants that will allow them to retain Rule 5 lefty Ben Snyder, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Snyder already cleared waivers, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Sullivan also notes that Matt Treanor chose not to exercise his out clause; he's headed to Triple A.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford writes that although the Rangers are scouting Mike Lowell today and they're more interested in him than any other club, a deal is unlikely now and the Rangers would want the Red Sox to pay almost all of his salary. Bradford also notes that earlier this offseason, the Rangers expressed interest in Jed Lowrie.
- Free agent Kevin Millar hopes to continue his playing career, he explained on ESPN's Waddle & Silvy show.
- Diamondbacks second baseman Kelly Johnson strongly considered offers from the Blue Jays, Pirates, and Indians, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
- The A's feel that out of options players Eric Patterson and Jake Fox would not clear waivers, so they're likely to send Landon Powell and Adam Rosales down (Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reporting).
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy offers analysis and predictions for seven out of options pitchers.
- The Orioles are looking for a suitor for catcher Chad Moeller, who is "shocked and disappointed" about not making the team according to Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltmore Sun. Peter Schmuck feels that Moeller was a better choice than Craig Tatum.
- Jeff Suppan explained to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that he's not dealing with a phantom neck injury, despite the convenient timing.
- Though they could've saved $750K, the Nationals chose not to cut Scott Olsen according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs knows the Mariners, and he analyzes the organization's health in this article.
Athletics Non-Tender Jack Cust
Oakland has announced that they will not tender Jack Cust an offer, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). The writing has been on the wall for Cust since the A's acquired Jake Fox from the Cubs.
Cust is coming off of his weakest showing in his three years as a member of the Athletics, posting .240/.356/.417 with 25 homers. What teams should look into signing the soon-to-be 31-year-old slugger?
Cust Could Be Odd Man Out In Oakland
MONDAY, 3:10pm: Don't look for Cust to land in Seattle, says Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
SUNDAY, 12:20pm: The A's acquisition of Jake Fox from the Cubs could spell the end of Jack Cust's time in Oakland, writes Carl Steward of the Mercury News. Cust, who is set to command between $4-5MM in arbitration, is a likely non-tender candidate.
However, Oakland GM Billy Beane may just find a taker for the soon-to-be 31-year-old slugger at the winter meetings. Both the Mets and Mariners could be interested. Beane also says that the club is more likely to sign a free agent during the meetings than make a trade.
How much could the A's get for Cust, considering that everyone knows the club is unlikely to tender him an offer?
Oakland Acquires Jake Fox And Aaron Miles
10:36pm: Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com provides us with a look at the newest Cubs, Ronny Morla and Matt Spencer.
Mayo characterizes Morla as a "solid mid-range" prospect and notes that he has been able to maintain a 93-94 MPH fastball as a starter. He also speculates that he could increase his velocity into the mid-90s if he is moved to the bullpen.
Spencer, meanwhile, is a solid athlete, especially when considering he is 6'4, 225 lbs. He has the versatility to play first base but his strong arm makes him more intriguing as an outfielder. In fact, there was once talk of him being drafted as a pitcher during his time at Arizona State.
5:51pm: Oakland will receive $1MM from the Cubs to help offset Aaron Miles' $2.7MM contract, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times (via Twitter).
5:35pm: The other two players in the deal are Ronny Morla and Matt Spencer, tweets Brent S. Gambill of Sirius XM. The Cubs will also give the Athletics cash considerations as part of the deal.
5:18pm: The Cubs have traded Jake Fox and Aaron Miles to the A's for Jeff Gray and two minor-leaguers, according to ESPNChicago.com.
Fox is the more attractive of the two for Oakland, as he has performed quite well in the Cubs' minor league system over the last three years. The 27-year-old took it to another level in '09 when he posted a remarkable slash line of .409/.495/.841 in 45 games for Chicago's Triple-A affiliate. This led to a promotion in late May in which he recorded a .779 OPS with 11 HRs in 241 plate appearances.
Miles disappointed the Cubs with his 2009 performance after receiving a two-year deal worth $4.9MM. The second baseman recorded an atrocious .466 OPS in 74 games.
One wonders if the addition of Fox could mean that Jack Cust's time in Oakland is through, as he may not be tendered an offer.
Cubs Rumors: Bradley, Grabow, Reed Johnson
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune and Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times discuss the Cubs' offseason plans in new articles today.
- Both writers agree that unloading right fielder Milton Bradley (owed $21MM) is at the top of GM Jim Hendry's to-do list. Wittenmyer's sources suggest the Cubs might be able to move Bradley without eating 80% of his contract. Sullivan believes the Cubs could kill two birds with one stone by trading Bradley for their desired "RBI guy," one who carries an equally poor contract. Magglio Ordonez and Jose Guillen come to mind for me. However, the Tigers would have no motivation to make the swap and the Royals are not interested (it's a poor match on money and handedness anyway).
- Sullivan says lefty reliever John Grabow wants a three-year deal, and the Cubs "are likely to give it to him." That'd be overpaying, based on last year's market for lefty relievers.
- Sullivan believes Jake Fox and Mike Fontenot are trade candidates. Fox might be a good fit with an American League club.
- Will the Cubs opt for a cheap backup outfielder in Sam Fuld, or will they re-sign Reed Johnson?
- Neither writer expects the Cubs to trade Carlos Zambrano.