Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Kyle Lohse

Mariners Watching Starters

By | at

UPDATE: Hickey writes that the Mariners have also scouted Kyle Lohse, Matt Morris, Jason Johnson (thought he went to Japan), and Octavio Dotel.  However, a deal seems unlikely because none of those players are worth top Mariner prospects.

According to Jim Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Mariners have been scouting all kinds of available and not-so-available starters lately.

  • The Mariners have been scouting the White Sox "religiously" lately.  If they saw Javier Vazquez beat the Tigers on Tuesday, they came away impressed.  (However, Vazquez can and probably would veto a trade to the AL or NL West).  They were on hand to watch Jose Contreras tonight; the Tigers had batting practice with him and his ERA is up to 6.22.  Did you hear that?  That was the sound of Contreras’ remaining ounce of trade value evaporating.
  • As you know, the Ms watched Dontrelle Willis on Monday.  Compared to Contreras, Willis pitched well – four earned runs, nearly seven innings. 
  • The Ms also had a scout on hand to see Livan Hernandez twirl a gem over the Marlins on Tuesday.  Hey, at least he takes the ball every fifth day.  That has to be worth something.
  • Hickey says Seattle has also been monitoring the Astros, perhaps in hope of acquiring Dan Wheeler or Chad Qualls.  He speculates that Wandy Rodriguez would be a coup for the Mariners.  Wand-Rod has thrown up stinkers in his last two outings but tossed a complete game shutout over the Mets in the game prior.  He’s inconsistent like that.  The Astros’ #2 starter for 2008 wouldn’t come cheap.

Unfounded Rumor: Mariners Scout Weathers?

By | at

UPDATE: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Weathers has been pulled off the block.

An MLBTR reader had good seats at last night’s Reds game, and he observed about eight scouts watching.  Specifically, he saw a Seattle Mariners scout.  Apparently the scout got pretty active when David Weathers took the hill.  This is reasonable; the Ms are known to be looking for bullpen help.   

Weathers picked up a two-inning save last night.  He’s having a surprisingly strong year, with some of the best control of his career.  His contract runs through 2008, when he will make $2.75MM.  However, Will Carroll wrote yesterday that the Reds want to keep Weathers and trade Todd Coffey instead.

Another reason eight scouts might have been watching last night’s Reds-Brewers contest: Kyle Lohse started.  He wasn’t too bad, allowing two runs (one earned) in 5.2 innings.  The Mariners seem to be monitoring quite a few starters so it wouldn’t surprise me if they had an eye on Lohse.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Lohse, Hunter, Contreras

By | at

The latest trade and signing rumors from Ken Rosenthal:

  • Rosenthal believes Alex Rodriguez’s ability to play shortstop could increase the number of suitors.  Take a look at the free agents – there may not be a single viable option at short this winter.  Still, the number of suitors for Rodriguez is severely limited by his massive contract requirement.  Not too many clubs aside from the Yankees and Red Sox can get in on $240MM over eight years or whatever.  The lack of available, reasonably priced shortstops could compel the Braves and Orioles to aggressively shop Edgar Renteria and Miguel Tejada.
  • As a 29 year-old free agent starter with decent stuff, Scott Boras could sell Kyle Lohse as the next Gil Meche this winter.  Meche’s work in the season’s first three months would only aid the wishcasting.  I put up a little Lohse history here, writing that his deal will likely fall somewhere between Jason Marquis and Meche.  Other free agent starters who will be under 30 for the 2008 season: Carlos Zambrano, Jason Jennings, Joe Kennedy, and Byung-Hyun Kim.
  • Rosenthal believes the Rangers will bid on Torii Hunter this winter unless they acquire a proven center fielder this summer.  He mentions that Jon Daniels set his sights on Shane Victorino but the Phils would rather trade Michael Bourn.  Unless the Rangers get a proven guy they will still go after Hunter.
  • The Mariners scouted Jose Contreras and Matt Morris recently, but both were lousy.  I still think Jennings could sneak in there as the best available starter, but he too hasn’t pitched well in July.  Definitely seems like the Mariners will snag some kind of starter.
  • Rosenthal disputes Evan Grant’s report of the Brewers and Indians showing interest in Kenny Lofton.  The Brewers are getting Bill Hall back soon and the Indians have some outfielders on the road to recovery as well.  Perfect, this frees him up for the Cubs!
  • Rosenthal mentions the same teams I did for Kevin Millar, but sees an August deal as a possibility.  Waiting until August doesn’t seem to make sense for the Orioles, as things get trickier then.
  • The Padres could trade Scott Linebrink in order to make payroll room for a starter.  Or they could just sign Brian Lawrence.  I discussed some other options for the Friars here.

Forgotten Trade Candidates

By | at

Amidst all the Buehrle/Jacque rumors floating around this week, we’ve neglected to write about the many other players who could be traded in July.  Let’s give a little press to three forgotten players who could be on the move.

Kyle Lohse, SP, CIN – I was pretty high on Lohse after April, thinking he was about to go all Bronson Arroyo on the NL.  Good Bronson, that is.  But Lohse followed up his first four starts by going 2-10 with a 6.27 ERA and 4.4 K/9.  And that actually included a shutout against the Pirates.  It’s hard to see how Lohse can help a pennant contender this year, but as a Boras client and impending free agent earning $4.2MM, Wayne Krivsky should dump him off somewhere.  OK, so now that I think about it, he’s more of a DFA candidate than a trade candidate.

Joe Kennedy, SP, OAK – Billy Beane might be able to move the 28 year-old southpaw and free agent-to-be for something useful.  Kennedy makes only $2.8MM and has an ERA under 4.  That might not last with his microscopic strikeout rate though.  With Esteban Loaiza on the shelf and Rich Harden questionable, Beane might have to hold off and take the draft picks for Kennedy.  But given Kennedy’s strong groundball tendencies and the Phillies’ lousy starting pitching, maybe they could match up.

Jose Guillen, RF, SEA – Guillen is earning $4MM this year with a $9MM club option for ’08.  The Mariners are just 2.5 games out of the wild card, and their rotation could use a boost.  Guillen has posted a subpar line for a right fielder – .257/.330/.412.  I’m not sure how much trade value he has, but the Mariners already have a superior player ready to go at Triple A in Adam Jones.  Guillen is on pace for about 20 homers and 90 RBIs, so maybe some GM would bite on that.  Teams looking for an outfielder with some pop could include the Royals, Twins, Mets, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Padres.

2008 MLB Free Agents: Kyle Lohse

By | at

I’m sure we’ll revisit this after the season.  But on a slow trade rumor day, let’s take a closer look at a free agent pitcher who could cash in after this season: Kyle Lohse.  It sounds absurd to say that about a guy who posted a 5.83 ERA last year, but Lohse might be primed for a three year, $24MM contract.

Lohse was never ranked among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects.  But as a 20 year-old pitching well in High A ball, he was enough to snag the Cubs a closer from the Twins in Rick Aguilera.  The need had surfaced for Chicago after Rod Beck came down with bone spurs in his elbow.

So Lohse became a Twin, and initially struggled to master Double A.  It didn’t matter, as he was very young for his levels and reached the Majors in ’01 as a 22 year-old.  He didn’t fare well in his 16 starts, though his command wasn’t bad.

Lohse won the Twins’ fifth starter job out of camp in ’02, beating out Johan Santana among others.  He had a fine year, winning 13 games with a 4.23 ERA.  Lohse even tossed five scoreless postseason relief innings.

2003 was more of the same – 33 starts, 14 wins, and a strong 1.27 WHIP.  His propensity to allow home runs kept his ERA in the mid 4s, but it was still a good year.  A five win season, according to Baseball Prospectus.

He added a sinker in 2004, but it didn’t help his home run rate.  That worsened; his strikeout rate continued to drop, his control wasn’t great, and he allowed tons of hits.  Lohse made 34 starts but posted a 5.34 ERA.

That winter he reached arbitration for the first time.  No agreement could be reached, so a hearing was conducted.  Lohse was the winner and snagged $2.4MM despite coming off his worst season.

His first possible serious injury surfaced in ’05, as he felt shoulder stiffness in April.  The MRI came up clean and it turned out to be a non-issue.  He pitched tolerably in the first half, generating talks of a swap to the Blue Jays for Shea Hillenbrand.

The trade didn’t happen.  In September of that year, Lohse badmouthed Ron Gardenhire in the media and also punched several clubhouse doors, injuring his finger temporarily.  The two sides made amends, but the finger injury lingered a bit.

That winter, Lohse again went to arbitration with the Twins and beat them, winning $3.95MM.  It wasn’t a bad year – a 4.18 ERA in 30 starts.

In the spring of 2006, Lohse scrapped his curve to go with only his fastball, changeup, and slider.  Somehow, he earned a rotation spot over Francisco Liriano out of camp.  The new approach didn’t work – Lohse was awful in April and earned a trip to Triple A.  He was angered by the demotion, but pitched well in four starts.  The Mets, Red Sox, and other clubs expressed interest.  He returned to the Twins in June and worked as a reliever, posting a 4.44 ERA out of the pen in 26 innings.

Twin-loving Reds GM Wayne Krivsky traded for Lohse at the deadline, giving up prospect Zach Ward.  So far in 14 National League starts, Lohse has found the league very much to his liking.  His strikeout rate is way up, and his command looks great.  Is it a first-time-around-the-league mirage?  We’ll need more data to be sure, but many pitchers have rejuvenated their careers in the NL.

As far as I can tell, Lohse has a decent repertoire.  He is said to throw harder than Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang, and his manager raves about his changeup.  Reds pitching coach Dick Pole loves his stuff.  He finally avoided arbitration as a Red, as seems to enjoy it there.  Lohse considers the American League "Arena Baseball," so he probably won’t be going back.

Lohse doesn’t turn 29 until October, making him one of the younger free agent pitchers out there.  He also has a fine health history.  Lohse’s next contract should fall somewhere between Jason Marquis’s 3/21 and Gil Meche’s 5/55.  It’s not inconceivable that Lohse could get $8-10MM annually and three years.  Given his age, a team might even have to add a fourth year to win his services.

Reds Acquire Lohse, Cormier

By | at

Wayne Krivsky did some tinkering this morning, picking up Kyle Lohse and Rheal Cormier in separate trades.

Lohse, 27, was demoted on May 17th.  After four solid efforts in Rochester, he was recalled and used in middle relief.  Maybe, just maybe, he can get by as a fifth starter in the NL. 

The aggregate line of all the hitters Lohse has faced this year is .269/.334/.426 (.760 OPS).  In comparison, Bronson Arroyo’s batters faced have managed an aggregate .756 OPS and Aaron Harang’s competition is at .754.  So it’s not like the NL Central is that much easier than the AL Central based on quality of batters faced.

Cormier has posted a 1.59 ERA and 1.18 WHIP this season in 34 innings for the Phils.  I’m surprised Krivsky didn’t give up Homer Bailey to get him.  One note about Cormier is that he has not been used in high leverage situations this year.  Baseball Prospectus ranks him fifth in leverage on his own team.  Among pitchers who haven’t started or closed this year, Scott Linebrink leads in leverage.  He’s followed by Scot Shields, Kyle Farnsworth, Matt Wise, Duaner Sanchez, and Roberto Hernandez. 

Twins Buzz: Mueller, Marte, Lowell

By | at

It’s well known that the Twins lineup at present is woefully devoid of power hitters.  While noted Twins blogger Aaron Gleeman seems very receptive to a second baseman who can actually get on base, he acknowledges Luis Castillo’s complete lack of punch.

So who’s on the radar?  Well, you can cross Bill Mueller off the list.  He’s planning on signing with either the Dodgers or Pirates.  Mueller is a nice player, but he’s exactly what the Twins don’t need at third.  Mueller is a fragile on-base machine.  Sure, the team could use more players who take walks, but A)they don’t have the depth to back up Mueller if/when he gets hurt and B)he doesn’t produce the power they need.  The average AL third baseman slugged .428 this season, and Mueller’s career SLG is .430.  The Twins need above average power at the hot corner.

The Twins have long been interested in Mike Lowell, but he no longer has the power they’re looking for.  There’s no use acquiring him on the off chance he recaptures his swing in Minnesota.  The Twins already tried that with Bret Boone, and it was a waste of 53 at-bats.  (Of course, "many insiders believe the three-time All-Star Lowell will bounce back."  Curious that all of these insiders chose to remain anonymous.)

Hank Blalock could be had, and he’s still good for 20 HR without Ameriquest Field.  Given that it could take a Francisco Liriano or Scott Baker to convince Jon Daniels to part with Blalock, the deal is better left alone.  A lot of third basemen can hit .260 with 20 HR.

For example, Andy Marte would probably hit .260 with 20 HR (or better) if he was given 550 at-bats at third base for the Twins.  As mentioned yesterday, the Braves might part with Marte for Jesse Crain, Kyle Lohse, and prospects.   Crain was the author of a bizarre plumetting strikeout rate once he reached the Majors, but he still posted a 2.53 ERA in 106 career innings.  In that Hardball Times article, Gleeman mentions how Crain’s success is likely not sustainable.  Wonder if John Schuerholz learned his lesson with Dan Kolb?  Lohse is the definition of average, and his ERA could top 5 next season. 

While Marte is the perfect fit for Minnesota, it seems they’d have to pony up a lot more than Crain and Lohse.  If they really want Marte, it will probably require Francisco Liriano or Scott Baker.   

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top