By Mike Axisa | at
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.
By Mike Axisa | at
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.
By Tim Dierkes | at
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.
By | at
A few more links to peruse as MLB officials sift through rainy forecasts in NYC…
By Tim Dierkes | at
Links for Tuesday…
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A fresh batch of links for Saturday afternoon…
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
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.
By Luke Adams 2 | at
Only a handful of games on the schedule tonight, but here are some links to make up for it….
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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.
By Mike Axisa | at
Friday Night Lights Links…
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