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Justin Duchscherer

Red Sox Interested In Justin Duchscherer

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A major league source tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com that the Red Sox are interested in righthander Justin Duschscherer as a starting pitcher.

The 32-year-old missed all of 2009 following surgery on both his hip and throwing elbow, plus a bout with clinical depression that ESPN's Jerry Crasnick chronicled today. Duchscherer was originally drafted by Boston back in 1996, and has a 3.14 career ERA in 27 starts and 192 relief appearances.

A’s Unlikely To Pursue Free Agents

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Billy Beane indicated that the A's will not pursue free agents with whatever money they have available, and instead will look to the trade market to fill any openings, according to MLB.com's Mychael Urban.

"We're going to look at young players to fill spots, first and foremost," Beane said. "If those players we'd like to acquire aren't obtainable, we'll consider bringing in guys who can hold the positions down. We're going to stay disciplined and try to do everything we can to fill those spots with young players.

"So the next step is to continue to bring guys like Andrew up here. That's our responsibility, and I know the deal. To sign a couple free agents and have three or four press conferences during the winter doesn't get it done. We're going to be disciplined."

Urban says that means the team may let Adam Kennedy and Justin Duchscherer entertain offers on the open market, and that Beane will look for an alternative (i.e. younger and cheaper) option at third base.

The A's traded for Matt Holliday while signing Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, and Nomar Garciaparra last offseason, but only Nomar made it through the entire season with Oakland.

A’s Talk: Third Base, Duchscherer

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Athletics general manager Billy Beane is looking at possible third base acquisitions, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The A's face uncertainty with hot corner options Eric Chavez, Adam Kennedy, and Brett Wallace.

Slusser says the A's are emphasizing youth and "unlikely to spend much money on free agents."  So you have to question my earlier guesses that the A's will sign Miguel Tejada and Jim Thome.  Slusser wonders, "from a sheer speculation standpoint," if Alex Gordon, Josh Fields, or Brandon Wood could be trade possibilities.  Click here to read our post about third base trade candidates.

Also, Slusser spoke to Justin Duchscherer's agent Damon Lapa.  Duchscherer is doing well and "has dedicated himself to preparing for 2010."  Interest in Duchscherer is strong, with the A's still in the mix.  Duchscherer wants to start.  Back in '08, he posted a 2.54 ERA in 22 starts.

Odds & Ends: Duchscherer, Dodgers, Phillies

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A few more links to peruse as MLB officials sift through rainy forecasts in NYC…

  • According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland GM Billy Beane has touched base with free agent right-hander Justin Duchscherer.  It's not yet clear, however, whether the A's will try to retain him.  MLBTR profiled the "Duke of Hurl" about a month ago.
  • Diamond Leung passes along a nice anecdote involving Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng and Justin Orenduff, the club's 2004 first-round pick.  Orenduff was designated for assignment last year to clear roster space for Manny Ramirez and then retired in March of 2009.
  • As noted by Scott Lauber of the Wilmington News Journal, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. believes putting together a winning organization is about more than simply finding the best talent.  "We have guys who, throughout the lineup and in the rotation and the bullpen, are just good guys, winning-type players who believe in each other," said Amaro. "I would put our clubhouse up against any clubhouse I’ve ever been around or may ever be around."  It's corny, but you can't argue with the results.

Odds & Ends: Johjima, Rockies, Kikuchi

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Links for Tuesday…

Odds & Ends: Bucs, Duchscherer, Astros

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A fresh batch of links for Saturday afternoon…

  • Perry Hill left his post as Pirates first base coach Saturday and, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, expressed unhappiness with the team's aggressive trading on his way out.  The Pirates got rid of three-fourths of their infield (Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez and Adam LaRoche) during the year.
  • According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's have not touched base with soon-to-be free agent Justin Duchscherer since the end of the season.  GM Billy Beane plans to engage in some kind of discussions with the right-hander and his agent "soon."  We profiled "The Duke of Hurl" about a month ago.
  • Former Astros manager Phil Garner interviewed for the club's managing vacancy on Saturday afternoon, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).  He was the seventh of 10 candidates to interview for the gig.
  • Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that the Royals have retained minor league right-hander Jairo Cuevas.  The 25-year-old was eligible for free agency.

Red Sox Like Buy-Low, High-Upside Starters

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John Smoltz and Brad Penny didn't work out for the Red Sox, but the pair of righthanders cost the club a relatively small amount, so they'll consider similar pitchers this offseason. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein tells Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald that he will remain open-minded as he looks for a starter to complement Tim Wakefield.

"We’re probably not going to end up with a front-line free agent starting pitcher with the way we look at the market and the nature of the market these days," Epstein said. "Could we end up with another buy-low, high-upside, low-risk starting pitcher somewhere on the roster? Sure. And if it doesn’t work out, we’ll move on.”

A number of scouts and execs tell McAdam that the Red Sox will likely pursue Rich Harden this offseason (Harden won't cost a draft pick, since he's a Type B free agent). Ben Sheets, Brandon Webb, Erik Bedard, Justin Duchscherer and Mark Mulder are also possible targets for Epstein and the Red Sox, who have Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka in their rotation already.

Odds & Ends: White Sox, Phillies, A’s

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Only a handful of games on the schedule tonight, but here are some links to make up for it….

  • White Sox GM Ken Williams is let down by his team's performance this season, according to Chris De Luca of The Chicago Sun-Times. Players like Jake Peavy and Alex Rios were acquired with more than just 2009 in mind, but the Sox still hoped to earn a playoff spot in a weak division this year. Dave Cameron at FanGraphs and Rob Neyer at ESPN.com point out that the White Sox didn't underachieve, but rather performed almost exactly as expected. Whether Williams' disappointment will inspire any major offseason moves remains to be seen.
  • Scott Merkin at MLB.com suggests one possible change for the 2010 White Sox: Matt Thornton replacing Bobby Jenks as the team's ninth-inning option.
  • More potential musical chairs in the bullpen ranks from ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. He talks to one scout who suggests that the best closing candidate for the Phillies in October might not be Brad Lidge or Ryan Madson, but Chan Ho Park, if he's healthy. As a soon-to-be free agent, Park could certainly see his stock rise with a strong postseason.
  • Buster Olney and ESPN.com take a look at what moves the Oakland Athletics could make this offseason. The theme is a familiar one in Oakland: veteran bargain hunting. Olney mentions Jermaine Dye and Miguel Tejada as two players in their mid-30s the Athletics might look into signing, and also thinks the A's will try to bring back Justin Duchscherer if they can.
  • T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com writes that Nolan Ryan is interested in ownership of the Texas Rangers. Current owner Tom Hicks has expressed willingness to surrender controlling interest of the club.

Discussion: Justin Duchscherer

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We've already delved into the pool of 2010 free agent starters a few times here on MLBTR, but let's dig deeper and discuss just one of those soon-to-be-available arms: Oakland's Justin Duchscherer.

Duchscherer, a longtime reliever, burst onto the MLB scene in 2008 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 22 starts.  He doesn't throw hard, and never really has, but his slider and curveball are excellent out pitches and tend to keep batters guessing.  Of course, it's not all roses with the 31-year-old righty.  He didn't throw a pitch this season due to complications with his hip, his throwing arm, and finally a battle with clinical depression.  He's expected to be fully healthy by the start of spring training 2010, but what can "The Duke of Hurl" truly demand on the free agent market?  And who might have interest?

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle suggested in late August that Duchscherer would fit in well with the Astros' plans for 2010.  And the Brewers have a desperate need for starting pitching.  How about the Nationals?  Would a move to the National League help revitalize Duchscherer's career?  Get after it in the comments.

Odds & Ends: Duchscherer, Clark, Wagner

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Friday Night Lights Links…

  • Justin Duchscherer will miss the rest of the season with clinical depression according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. He's been on the disabled list just about all season with an elbow issue, but this is just sad, sad news. CSN California first had the scoop earlier tonight. Duke is scheduled to become a free agent after the season.
  • MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports that Tony Clark has had discussions with the Diamondbacks about possibly joining the team in a baseball operations role. The club released Clark last month.
  • Joel Sherman of The NY Post spoke to an AL executive who speculates (key word) that the Red Sox "claimed (Billy) Wagner over worries that (Jonathan) Papelbon's mechanics and control are off." Remember, the key word is speculates.
  • LeVon Washington, Tampa Bay's unsigned first round pick, has choosen to attend JuCo powerhouse Chipola College next season according to Marc Lancaster of The Tampa Tribune. The school has produced Buck Showalter, Mat Gamel, and Russell Martin, among others. Washington will be eligible for the draft again next year.
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