NL East Notes: Nationals, Morrison, Thome
Top Nationals prospect Bryce Harper had to leave last night's Double-A contest with a hamstring injury and Washington's medical staff will re-evaluate the 18-year-old outfielder today. In the meantime, here are some links from the Nationals' division…
- Former Nationals president Stan Kasten told Bill Ladson of MLB.com that the Nationals had an "awesome, fantastic" draft this year. Kasten found out that Nats pick Matt Purke looks up to Tom Glavine and was able to set up a talk between the two left-handers.
- Scott Miller of CBSSports.com understands why the Marlins' decision to demote Logan Morrison has drawn so much criticism, but he isn't ready to criticize Florida's move himself. One Marlin told Miller that Morrison was behaving like a superstar before he had even become a star.
- Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders if Jim Thome could end up returning to Philadelphia this season and says there's probably a way to make it happen. "Now it's up to the Phillies to decide whether it makes sense from a competitive standpoint," Hagen writes.
Quick Hits: Damon, Choate, Braves
August 18th featured significant trades in 2009 (Ivan Rodriguez to the Rangers) and 2010 (Derrek Lee to the Braves). So far, today we've seen the Rangers acquire Tim Wood from the Pirates. Here are today’s links…
- As of today Jason Giambi and Jim Thome had yet to be placed on waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal wonders if Johnny Damon, who has already cleared waivers, could be a fit for the Phillies.
- Marlins left-hander Randy Choate told Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald that he's not likely to pitch again this season. The left-hander, who is under contract for 2012, would have been an August trade candidate if healthy.
- Chipper Jones told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Braves have more pitching than they know what to do with. “It’s almost embarrassing how much talent we have at the minor league level that can help this ballclub,” he said (Twitter link).
Phillies Interested In Acquiring Left-Handed Hitter
The Phillies have had internal discussions about acquiring a left-handed bench bat to serve as a pinch-hitter, according to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Phils discussed trades involving Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi and Twins first baseman/DH Jim Thome prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, and they would still like to acquire either of those sluggers, according to Brookover. However, both would be long shots at this point because it's unlikely Giambi or Thome would fall to the Phillies through waivers.
Ross Gload and Brian Schneider are the only lefty hitters on the bench presently, although the Phils recently signed former Athletics and Mariners slugger Jack Cust to a minor league contract in hopes that he could serve in a Matt Stairs-like role. Cust has declined in recent years, though, and has not had much success in his career as a pinch-hitter, so it doesn't sound like the Phils are expecting much there.
Otherwise, one remaining option would be to recall Domonic Brown, although that is less than ideal because he is slumping with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and needs to play every day to develop. Another option the Phils have discussed, a source tells Brookover, is recalling Brandon Moss from Lehigh Valley. Moss, of course, was involved in the three-team swap that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and Jason Bay to the Red Sox a couple years back.
The Phils look to be fine-tuning things before the postseason. We also heard yesterday that they are seeking a left-handed reliever.
Twins Notes: Thome, Kubel, Young
MLBTR congratulates Jim Thome, who hit career home runs number 599 and 600 in Detroit tonight. Here are some links on Thome’s big night…
- Tim Kurkjian of ESPN the Magazine looks back on Thome's run to 600 home runs.
- The Twins are not averse to a shakeup, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Jason Kubel isn't on waivers yet, though other teams covet him.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says former Twins outfielder Delmon Young, the Tigers' most recent acquisition, is probably better than Magglio Ordonez even if he doesn't live up to his potential as a former top draft pick. Young homered in his first at bat for the Tigers today.
Phillies Asked Twins About Jim Thome
The Phillies' next move might be for a home run threat off the bench, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. He says the Phillies even asked the Twins about Jim Thome, and cited Jason Giambi as another example.
Thome, 40, signed a six-year, $85MM deal with the Phillies prior to the 2003 season but was traded to the White Sox three years later. He's four home runs shy of 600, but the Twins haven't shown any inclination to trade veterans.
As for Giambi, ESPN's Buster Olney hears from an executive who feels he would not make it through waivers to them in August. Giambi "appeared almost certain to go to Philly" before he hurt his quad, tweets Troy Renck.
Stark On Twins, Reyes, Beltran, Draft
Jose Bautista and Josh Beckett are the player and starting pitcher of the month for ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Here are Stark's latest rumblings from around the league:
- Barring a miracle, the Twins will be sellers this July, but they aren’t ready to trade anyone yet.
- One rival executive says they will eventually talk about trading prospective free agents including Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome and Matt Capps. The Twins would have interest in re-signing some of those players after the season and could conceivably do so even after trading them (the Indians did that with Austin Kearns last year).
- Though Jose Reyes is the Mets’ most exciting player, the consensus is that the Mets are going to have an easier time trading Carlos Beltran, partly because they will feel the need to get more in return for Reyes.
- The draft could be significantly different under a new collective bargaining agreement (baseball’s current CBA expires in December) and one scouting director says MLB needs to make changes, including a possible worldwide draft. "The dollars that are being asked now in Latin America are a joke,” the director said. “And this is the only way to address it."
- One small-market official says a slotting system would hurt small market clubs, since it would prevent them from out-spending deep-pocketed teams on draft picks.
- One GM suggests moving the draft back to the All-Star break and making it more of an event.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Reyes, Mariners, Galarraga
Links for Sunday, after John Danks was unable to get his first win of 2011 this afternoon….
- It seems likely that the Pirates will place Ryan Doumit on the disabled list after he injured his ankle today, and Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh-Tribune Review says (on Twitter) that Dusty Brown would get called up to replace him since Jason Jaramillo is also hurt. Pittsburgh's 40-man roster is full, so a move will have to be made to accommodate Brown.
- Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger reports (on Twitter) that Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was again asked about his contract following today's game. "I've told you like a million times already," said Reyes, an impending free agent. "If [an extension] comes, it comes. If not, I'm going to continue to play."
- Larry Stone of The Seattle Times spoke to Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik about the upcoming draft, who indicated that he will not draft based on team need and that they have a group of about five players they're specifically targeting for the second overall pick.
- Bob Cohn of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote about the importance that decision-making plays into the success of small market teams.
- Armando Galarraga wasn't pleased about his demotion to Triple-A, writes Chris Gabel of the Reno Gazette-Journal. The right-hander was blunt about why he stayed in the Diamondbacks' organization and accepted his minor league assignment: "The money. They have to pay me $2.3MM to come here."
- The trade pulled off by the Yankees, Tigers, and Diamondbacks in 2009 was the rare three-way deal that worked out for each team, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Asked whether the Indians could pursue Jim Thome this summer, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer points out that if the Twins make him available, it likely won't be until after he hits his 600th home run. Hoynes doubts that the veteran slugger is a fit for the Tribe anyway.
- While the Red Sox committed over $300MM to Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez this year, their smaller investments are also paying dividends, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- P.J. Walters was removed from the Cardinals' 40-man roster and cleared waivers earlier this weekend, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Oldest Current MLB Players
Generally speaking, young players tend to have athleticism, upside and a salary right around the MLB minimum. It’s no wonder that teams tend to gravitate to those players when constructing their rosters. There’s not much demand for aging, positionless sluggers in this era, yet a small group of older players are contributing to winning teams. In honor of Jason Giambi’s three-homer game, here’s a comprehensive list of every 40-plus player to don an MLB uniform in 2011:
- Tim Wakefield (44) – The knuckleballer is once again a member of Boston's rotation. He has a 5.40 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 23 1/3 innings this year.
- Omar Vizquel (44) – The active leader in games played is showing few signs of age. Vizquel isn't on this list for his bat, but his .327/.358/.388 line is excellent. The 11-time Gold Glove winner has played second, short and third this year.
- Matt Stairs (43) – Stairs, who figures to DH in interleague play this weekend, needs to turn his season around. The New Brunswick native has just two hits and six walks in 28 plate appearances. Give Stairs credit for staying in the majors this long; Bryce Harper wasn’t even born when Stairs made his MLB debut with the ’92 Expos.
- Takashi Saito (41) – Before hitting the disabled list with a left hamstring injury, Saito appeared in just two games for the Brewers.
- Mariano Rivera (41) – How is Rivera this effective at 41? He leads the league in saves (13) and has a 1.80 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9. His average fastball still checks in at over 91 mph.
- Arthur Rhodes (41) – Rhodes hasn't quite matched his 2010 performance so far, but a 3.97 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 isn't bad at any age.
- Craig Counsell (40) – The 16-year veteran has a .234/.321/.255 line in 55 plate appearances at second, third, short and left field. Consider that the average MLB shortstop has a .254/.312/.361 line and Counsell's numbers look a little better.
- Jason Giambi (40) – Giambi has an unusual .194/.306/.581 line after his three-homer game.
- Miguel Batista (40) – Batista has a 1.69 ERA through 16 innings despite having an equal number of walks and strikeouts (9).
- Darren Oliver (40) – Oliver has a 2.95 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 1.0 BB/9 in 18 1/3 innings of relief. He and Rhodes provide the Rangers with a pair of dependable lefty relievers.
- Jim Thome (40) – After a tremendous 2010 season, Thome's numbers have fallen off and he has spent time on the disabled list. He hit a pair of homers and posted a .214/.333/.375 line before hitting the DL with an oblique strain.
Heyman On Orioles, Young, Thome, Red Sox
Orioles president Andy MacPhail told Jon Heyman of SI.com that Baltimore can contend if their young rotation continues pitching well. "If our starting pitchers pitch the way they did the last two months [of 2010] and the first four games [of 2011], of course we'll be a contender.'' The O’s are eyeing back-of-the-rotation help, just in case. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:
- The Rangers may have enough hitting to be able to afford trading Michael Young for a starting pitcher. With three starters on the DL, the Rangers may already have some of the pitching they need. Rangers GM Jon Daniels said this week that the club is not discussing possible deals involving Young or anyone else.
- The Marlins will likely need a third baseman, as Donnie Murphy has not proven he’s more than a part-time player.
- Jim Thome does not assume that he’ll retire after 2011. "Why not keep going as long as you can do it?'' Thome asked.
- The Red Sox say they aren’t concerned about Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Heyman hears that the catcher has until June to prove he belongs in Boston.
Antony On Nishioka, Hardy, Pavano, Liriano, More
Twins Assistant GM Rob Antony recently sat down for a chat with Jesse Lund from Twinkie Town to discuss a variety of topics. Let's recap the hot stove talk…
- Tsuyoshi Nishioka first popped up on the team's radar after Antony mentioned to his agent that the team was looking to get more athletic on the infield. This was long before they decided to trade J.J. Hardy.
- The Twins believe Nishioka is a good player, but they understand there might be a bit of a transition period. Not just for the move to MLB, but the move to the United States. They've hired an interpreter for Nishioka, and don't believe the additional Japanese media will be an issue in the clubhouse.
- The three-year, $9MM contract Nishioka signed was "exactly what we pretty much anticipated and were willing to give." They were trying to add speed and athleticism to the lineup, but no one on the free agent market jumped out at them, hence the pursuit of Nishioka.
- Hardy was expected to make $5MM+ in 2011 (he eventually signed for $5.85MM), and the team "just decided that we wanted to put that money into other areas." Carl Pavano, Jim Thome, and most of the bullpen were free agents, so they had to prioritize. "Trying to fit all those guys into a budget was going to be impossible."
- The Twins had conversations with other teams about Hardy, but there were never any real offers. The trade with Baltimore was "by far [their] best opportunity to make a deal." It became apparent that Brendan Harris wasn't a fit anymore, hence his inclusion in the trade.
- Antony says the Twins like Rule 5 Draft pick Scott Diamond in long relief, and Dusty Hughes' success against Minnesota last year played a role in claiming him off waivers.
- Although they would have liked to retain Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Jon Rauch, and Brian Fuentes, the Twins just "couldn't compete" with the multyear offers they were receiving as free agents.
- Thome decided that Minnesota was where he wanted to be after talking with his family, and the money didn't appear to be much of an issue.
- Antony expected Pavano to get two or three years at $10-11MM per season, and he knows the Brewers had some interest in the right-hander. Pavano's agent basically told the Twins he wanted to play there, and he wasn't a guy that was "chasing the last dollar."
- Rumors of Francisco Liriano being available in a trade were just that, rumors. As far as a multiyear deal with the lefty, Antony said there "can be many reasons why you don't consummate a multiyear deal, and sometimes the player doesn't want to, sometimes the club doesn't want to, sometimes you just don't agree on numbers, or whatever. So we're not going to talk about any of our negotiations with that or anything else, but he was a big part of our rotation. We're not talking to anybody right now on Francisco Liriano."
- The team is at the "far reaches" of where they can go with payroll, so they tried to maintain flexibility for 2012 by not doing any multiyears deals this offseason (aside from Pavano).
- "If the right deal arises and we can improve our ballclub, we could look at it from that point of view," said Antony, regarding a potential trade involving one of the team's excess starting pitchers. "I don't think we'd trade away one of our starting pitchers for a middle reliever or something. It would have to be something that would make sense for us. And a trade isn't even the most likely scenario, it's a possible scenario."
Antony also talked about Justin Morneau's health, Delmon Young's breakout, injury concerns, minor league prospects, and much, much more. Make sure you give it a read.