Rockies Relievers Drawing Interest
A handful of teams have scouted the Rockies' bullpen to check in on Joe Beimel and Rafael Betancourt, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). The Red Sox are among the teams that have considered the Rockies relievers, but they aren't the only interested team. The Phillies and three or four other clubs have shown interest in Beimel, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links).
Renck gets the impression from GM Dan O'Dowd that the Rockies will be open to making deals in August (Twitter link). So far, the Rockies haven't decided whether to buy, sell or tinker before Saturday's trade deadline. It's important to note that Huston Street, one of the team's best relievers, was taken to the hospital after getting struck by a line drive in batting practice yesterday.
Rockies Considering Selling, Shopping Cook
2:54pm: The Rockies had feelers out a week ago on names ranging from Adam Dunn to Dan Haren, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman says the Rockies are now "quietly shopping" Aaron Cook and are willing to help make the financial aspect work. Cook is still owed $3.75MM this year if traded, plus $10.25MM for 2011, a $500K buyout for '12, and $125K per year if he reaches 200 innings.
7:51am: The Rockies are preparing for the possibility of becoming sellers, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. They've not yet committed to that course, but they're eight games back in the NL West. But at 4.5 games out of the wild card, the Rockies still appear to have a legitimate playoff shot. Baseball Prospectus' postseason odds report puts their chances at a healthy 23.4% despite a recent losing streak.
Rosenthal says the Rockies are still eyeing Jorge Cantu and could move Melvin Mora, Ryan Spilborghs, and/or Brad Hawpe regardless of their direction. If the team's rough week continues and they start thinking about 2011, Jorge de la Rosa would be an interesting addition to the trade block. Rosenthal names Aaron Cook, Rafael Betancourt, and Joe Beimel as other possibilities.
De La Rosa has made three starts since returning from the DL for a finger injury. His last effort was solid, and he takes on the Pirates tonight. He'll be a free agent after the season and currently profiles as a Type B.
Odds & Ends: Penn, Veras, Beimel, Mientkiewicz
Links for Friday…
- Hayden Penn cleared waivers and now has until Monday to decide whether to report to Triple A or become a free agent, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (via Twitter). The Pirates designated Penn for assignment Monday.
- Jose Veras, who was designated for assignment Wednesday, has been outrighted to Triple A by the Marlins, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). This presumably means Veras cleared waivers.
- The Rockies called up Joe Beimel, according to the team. Beimel's deal pays him $850K in the major leagues.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick heard that Bret Boone is trying to recruit Doug Mientkiewicz and Bobby Kielty for his Golden League team (Twitter link).
- ESPN.com's Keith Law offers updates on some of the top prospects eligible for this June's draft, including Bryce Brentz, an outfielder who Law considers "one of the top college bats in this draft."
- Fred Lewis and his representatives had been asking the Giants for a trade for nearly a year, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- FanGraphs' Jack Moore calls the Lewis deal a no-brainer for the Blue Jays and a head-scratcher for the Giants.
- Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun takes us on a must-read behind the scenes look at the Adeiny Hechavarria signing.
- Recent injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron will test Boston's depth, says WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America brings us up to date on the latest round of minor league transactions. Among the notable players released: Brady Clark and Curtis Thigpen.
Odds & Ends: Beimel, Cust, Dukes, Santos
Saturday links..
- Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post says that Joe Beimel should arrive in the big leagues within a few days, once he's able to pitch in back-to-back games. Beimel signed a minor league deal with Colorado that will pay a base salary of $850K when he makes the roster.
- A's GM Billy Beane is happy to have Jack Cust back in the mix, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- MLB.com's William Ladson (via Twitter) received a text from Elijah Dukes shooting down a rumor that he has signed on with the Tabasco Olmecas of the Mexican League. Dukes was released by the Nationals roughly three weeks ago.
- Sergio Santos is becoming an integral part of the White Sox' bullpen, writes Scott Merkin of MLB.com. The right-hander made the squad just one year after converting over from the infield.
- The Twins' revamped bullpen is off to a good start, writes Bradford Doolittle of MLB.com.
Rockies, Beimel Agree To Minor League Deal
The Rockies signed lefty reliever Joe Beimel to a minor league deal, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the deal pays an $850K base salary in the Majors with $300K in incentives. Beimel believes he can be ready for the season, though he's likely to start the year in the minors. He was signed to step into the lefty reliever spot left vacant by Franklin Morales, who will fill in for injured closer Huston Street.
Last year Beimel signed on March 18th, so he's comfortable waiting for the right deal. The southpaw, 33 in April, continued to pitch well against lefties aside from allowing four home runs in 26 innings. It seems those home runs cost Beimel, as he got a guaranteed $2MM deal coming off an otherwise similar '08 season. Beimel has seen significant time against righties the last few years, and the results have not been pretty.
Astros Not Interested In Beimel
7:28pm: FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter) passes on this quote from Beimel's agent, Joe Sroba: "Talks with [the] Mets have fallen apart. Beimel is re-open to consider all clubs and willing to be flexible."
10:31am: Astros GM Ed Wade told MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that his club is "more than adequately covered" with the relievers they have, so don't expect the Astros to pursue Joe Beimel (Twitter link). New additions Brandon Lyon and Matt Lindstrom lead a bullpen that could include Tim Byrdak, Jeff Fulchino, Chris Sampson and Alberto Arias on Opening Day.
Odds & Ends: Crawford, Alvarez, Mauer, Aumont
Some links for your Friday…
- Tom Verducci of SI.com said on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show that he expects Carl Crawford to sign with the Yankees after the season, because "nobody is going to outbid them." The Yankees and Red Sox both love Crawford, according to Verducci.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Dodgers should spend more aggressively, especially considering they led the league in attendance last year.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com points out that Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, Bill Hall and Jeremy Hermida will combine to make only $10MM or so less than the entire Pirates team this year. Why is that noteworthy? All four Red Sox are expected to be bench players.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry is under contract through 2012, but he tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he knows "these jobs aren't forever."
- The Pirates say Pedro Alvarez needs seasoning above AA, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sending the third baseman to the minors limits his MLB service time, so it's a sound financial decision by the Pirates.
- The A's haven't called Joe Beimel, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The A's worked out Wagner Mateo on Tuesday, according to Slusser.
- ESPN.com’s Buster Olney thinks that the Joe Mauer contract negotiations, which remain cordial, could continue in a few months if the sides don’t reach a deal in Spring Training.
- The Dominican prospect already worked out for the D'Backs and will likely work out for the Indians.
- Twins minor league director Jim Rantz told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that another Dominican prospect, Miguel Sano, has "tremendous upside." Kovacevic says it's still too early to know how much the Pirates missed out on when Sano signed with the Twins instead of the Pirates.
- Phillies prospect Phillippe Aumont tells Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he thought he was heading to the Blue Jays at one point this offseason.
- Carl Crawford tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that he's comfortable with the speculation about his future since it "comes with the territory." Crawford is a free agent after the season.
Mets, Rockies Interested In Joe Beimel
5:35pm: Foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Mets continue to talk with Beimel, while other clubs remain in the mix.
9:25 am: The Rockies expressed interest in free agent lefty Joe Beimel, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Southpaw Franklin Morales is slated to close while Huston Street is out with a shoulder injury, creating an opening in left-handed relief.
Beimel, 33 in April, posted a 3.58 ERA, 5.7 K/9, and 3.1 BB/9 in 55.3 innings for the Nationals and Rockies last year. The excellent FanGraphs splits pages show us that Beimel still handles lefties quite well, but had home run problems against them last year. He is not to be used against righties.
Today is the one-year anniversary of Beimel's one-year, $2MM deal with Washington, so he's not afraid to wait for the right situation. At the trade deadline the Nats traded Beimel and cash to Colorado for Robinson Fabian and Ryan Mattheus. The Rockies chose not to offer arbitration to Beimel on December 1st. Last we heard Beimel received an offer from the Mets in recent weeks.
Two New Teams Interested In Joe Beimel
Two new teams expressed interest in Joe Beimel late last week, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Beimel's agent, Joe Sroba, doesn't reveal which two clubs spoke to him about his client, but Kilgore says that the Nationals are not one of them.
Last we heard, Beimel still had a contract offer on the table from the New York Mets, who were hoping to add a left-handed arm to their bullpen for $1MM or less. Beimel, on the other hand, was looking for a salary closer to the $2MM he earned in 2009. He may yet get there, given the possibility of two new potential suitors. Perhaps one of those suitors is the Phillies, who could use another lefty in their pen, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Paul Hagen.
With teams constantly searching for reliable left-handed throwers, it wouldn't be surprising to see Beimel sign a deal worth in excess of $1MM within the next week or two. Waiting out the market didn't necessarily hurt the 32-year-old last winter either, when he signed with the Nationals on March 18.
The Latest On The Remaining Free Agent Relievers
The Cubs and Twins have seen top relievers get hurt this spring and already both clubs are interested in relievers (specifically Jason Frasor). Don't expect Jim Hendry to sign one of the free agent options remaining; the Cubs are reportedly uninterested in that group. But as more pitchers get injured, some of the free agents will gain appeal. Here's a look at the remaining relievers who have attracted at least some interest this offseason.
- Russ Springer wants to pitch and would like to return to the Cardinals.
- As of last week, Joe Beimel still had a major league offer from the Mets, who hadn't ruled out pursuing Ron Mahay, either.
- Mahay turned down a minor league offer from the Red Sox last month. Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that Mahay still wants a major league deal.
- The Phillies had interest in Mahay and Alan Embree on minor league deals earlier in the offseason. Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies reported in October that there was a good chance Embree would retire.
- The Nationals released Eddie Guardado yesterday. He had considered retirement late last season, but decided his knees were healthy enough to pitch.