Lance Berkman

Yankees Notes: Eiland, Girardi, Jeter

By Tim Dierkes | October 25, 2010 at 11:53am CDT

The Yankees have fired pitching coach Dave Eiland, GM Brian Cashman told reporters today (Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News seemingly tweeted it first). Cashman said his reasons for the dismissal are private. Other Yankees notes of interest:

Cashman will meet with Joe Girardi's agent tomorrow about a new contract, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The Yankees and Girardi need each other, says the New York Post's Joel Sherman, though he feels the manager regressed this year.
Cashman on Derek Jeter, from Feinsand: "He's going to be a part of this franchise. We'll work something out."
Cashman noted that the team's option decisions on Kerry Wood, Lance Berkman, and Nick Johnson are "all pretty obvious," implying that the three will be declined.
SI's Jon Heyman previews the Yankees' offseason, guessing they'd gladly sign Cliff Lee for five years and $125MM if he'd take it. Instead, Lee could look for C.C. Sabathia money.

Odds & Ends: Brewers, Marlins, Yankees, Bagwell

By Mike Axisa | October 23, 2010 at 7:55pm CDT

A few links to check out as the Giants try to join the Rangers in the World Series…

Over at RotoAuthority, Tim Dierkes lists some Pittsburgh Pirates that could help your fantasy team next season.
Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com report that Joey Cora and Bob Melvin are among the final candidates for the Brewers managerial opening. Pat Listach was informed that he is no longer considered a candidate for the job according Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel.
Elsewhere in Milwaukee coaching news, the team has confirmed that Dale Sveum will return as hitting coach on a two-year deal according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). Sveum was a candidate for Pirates' manager job.
The Marlins have no immediate plans to interview Yankees bench coach Tony Pena for their managerial opening now that New York has been eliminated from the postseason, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun-Sentinel.
Meanwhile, Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com lists ten issues the Yanks must deal with this offseason, starting with Derek Jeter's contract situation.
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tweets that Jeff Bagwell has informed the Astros that he will not be returning as hitting coach. Astros senior director of social media Alyson Footer says (via Twitter) that there are no hard feelings on either side.
MetsBlog.com's Matthew Cerrone muses about the Mets acquiring a starting pitcher.
In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney explains how the Rangers were able to take on payroll over the last year despite being bankrupt.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports that when the Mets interview GM candidates Sandy Alderson and Josh Byrnes for a second time this week, they will focus on what each would do in the immediate future, meaning the upcoming offseason.
Meanwhile, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that because Josh Byrnes is still under contract with the Diamondbacks for the next five years, the Mets would only have to pay him a "reasonable amount" if they hire him as their new GM. That amount would then be deducted from what Arizona is paying him.
In the wake of their ALCS loss to the Rangers, John Harper of The New York Daily News says that the failed Cliff Lee trade ultimately cost the Yankees.
Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle thinks there's a case to be made for the Astros signing Lance Berkman this offseason.
Troy Renck of The Denver Post thinks the Rockies should make a run at Javier Vazquez if the price is right (Twitter link).

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Ichiro, Garza, Greinke, Bell

By Mike Axisa | October 22, 2010 at 12:38pm CDT

On this date two years ago, the Mariners named former Brewers vice president Jack Zduriencik as their new general manager. His defense-heavy approach resulted in a 24 win increase in his first season at the helm, though team scoring dropped by 31 runs. The Mariners won just 61 games and scored a mere 513 runs in 2010, the fewest by any team in the DH era. Unsurprisingly, there's already talk that Jack Z. is on the hot seat.

These links don't have to worry about being on the hot seat, they've made this week's edition of BBWI…

Speaking of the Mariners, Prospect Insider discusses the possibility of trading Ichiro.
DRays Bay speculates about what the Rays could get in return for Matt Garza.
Meanwhile, The Process Report looks ahead to Tampa's 2011 bullpen.
The Tao Of Stieb wonders if the Blue Jays should get involved in trade talks for Zack Greinke.
Redleg Nation asks the same Greinke question for the Reds.
The Friarhood debates whether the Padres should trade or extend Heath Bell.
Disciples of Uecker re-lives the history of Nelson Cruz.
Monkey With A Halo reviews Angels GM Tony Reagins' 2010 moves.
Royals Review wonders if Robinson Tejeda turned the corner in 2010.
Yankeeist breaks down Cliff Lee as he approaches his massive payday.
River Ave. Blues writes that Lance Berkman and Kerry Wood have gone from spare parts to important pieces for the Yankees.
Cubs Packs wants to know if Jim Hendry can fix the team's bullpen.
1 Blue Jays Way offers up a quick take on Toronto's options.
The Hardball Times looks at some players whose best position is DH.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Greinke, Marlins, McGwire, Daniels

By Mark Polishuk | October 18, 2010 at 10:08pm CDT

As Cliff Lee continues his domination of the Yankees, here's some news from around baseball…

Zack Greinke has until after the World Series to notify the Royals about the 8-10 teams on his no-trade list, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Bo Porter is not "the front runner" to be the next Marlins manager, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Rodriguez also notes that Florida would've kept Cody Ross had the team not fallen out of the pennant race. Since the Marlins faded, Ross was expendable given the club's desire for Cameron Maybin to get playing time.
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears from Tony La Russa that Mark McGwire is "really torn" about returning as the Cardinals' hitting coach (Twitter link).
In the wake of Jeff Wilpon's statement that the Mets might not hire their new GM for a few weeks, Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com wonders if the Mets are waiting for the postseason to be over so they can speak to Rangers GM Jon Daniels.
Speaking of Daniels, he tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he saw the Jarrod Saltalamacchia trade "as an opportunity to give [the catcher] a fresh start."
MLB.com's Bill Ladson looks at a few hot stove items from Washington in his latest mailbag. He has some strong words about Jason Bergmann, who was released by the Nationals last week, and doesn't think there's any chance of Adam Dunn getting an early extension completed with Washington a la Ted Lilly's deal with the Dodgers.
Carrie Muskat has her own MLB.com mailbag concerning the Cubs. Neither Derrek Lee nor Lance Berkman, she opines, are good fits for Chicago at first base next season.
We heard earlier that Joey Cora will interview for the Brewers' managerial job on Tuesday, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Pat Listach will also interview on the same day. Listach, Washington's third base coach, won the AL Rookie Of The Year Award as a Brewer in 1992 and played for Milwaukee from 1992 to 1996.
CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam predicts that Paul Konerko is "likely staying put" with the White Sox. (Twitter link)

Cafardo’s Latest: Stairs, Pierzynski, Inge, Berkman

By Luke Adams 2 | October 17, 2010 at 11:16am CDT

Let's round up the highlights from Nick Cafardo's Sunday column for the Boston Globe….

One AL executive tells Cafardo that he's never seen so many candidates interviewed for managerial openings: "It’s amazing to me that you wouldn’t know within, say, two or three candidates who you want. But I guess in some cases the GM’s job is also on the line if he picks the wrong guy."
Matt Stairs would like to play for at least one more season. While he says he'd like to return to Boston, he concedes that he'd probably play "anywhere."
An NL scout was positive about A.J. Pierzynski, suggesting that he'll be one of the most attractive catching options on the free agent market, behind Victor Martinez and John Buck. "With A.J., you know he’s not going to throw people out," said the scout. "But there’s nothing wrong with his receiving and he can still hit. I know the fire he has can rub people the wrong way, but I think that’s great for a team."
Brandon Inge has a good chance of landing a starting role this winter, given the lack of free agent third base options after Adrian Beltre. However, Cafardo wonders if Inge could eventually become a Bill Hall-esque utility player, given his ability to play a few different positions.
Possible bullpen targets for the Red Sox include Joaquin Benoit, Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, and Brian Fuentes.
A market appears to be developing for Lance Berkman. Teams like the Rockies, Orioles, Mets, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks could have interest.
Carlos Delgado underwent another hip procedure two and a half weeks ago, but is rehabbing the hip and feels like he'll be able to play in 2011.

Odds & Ends: Lee, Astros, Hermida, Rockies

By Luke Adams 2 | October 14, 2010 at 7:40pm CDT

As Cliff Lee prepares to face the Yankees in the ALCS, he's trying not to think about his impending free agency, according to T.R. Sullivan and Bill Ladson. Still, Lee hinted to the MLB.com writers that winning the World Series with the Rangers this year would make it that much harder to leave Texas. Here are a few other links from around the league, as we count down the final 24 hours until the ALCS gets underway….

The Astros removed three players from their 40-man roster, outrighting Brian Esposito, Anderson Hernandez, and Wladimir Sutil to Triple-A, according to a team release.
Jeremy Hermida appreciates that the Athletics allowed him to reach free agency early in the offseason, says Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post asked Lance Berkman about the possibility of coming to Colorado for next season, and Berkman said he might be interested (Twitter links). Of course, the 34-year-old will be looking for an everyday role, and Todd Helton is still very much in the first base picture for the Rockies.
In a separate tweet, Renck adds that even with Jarrod Saltalamacchia under contract, the Red Sox could still inquire on Chris Iannetta this winter.
Fangraphs' Jack Moore argues that Paul Janish's play at shortstop should prompt the Reds to turn down Orlando Cabrera's 2011 option. Yesterday, over 80% of you opined that Cincinnati wouldn't exercise Cabrera's option.
The Triple-A Portland Beavers will be sold to a group led by Padres owner Jeff Moorad, as J. Harry Jones of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. If everything proceeds as planned, the club will play in Tucson in 2011 and then move permanently to Escondido in 2012, according to Jones and Josh Leventhal of Baseball America.

Davidoff’s Latest: Joba, Berkman, Mets

By Steve Adams | October 9, 2010 at 1:56pm CDT

Newsday's Ken Davidoff has some notes up about both New York teams in his latest blog post. Let's take a look at some of the highlights:

Joba Chamberlain has "slipped down the Yankees' food chain," writes Davidoff. Joba will be arbitration-eligible and due for a nice raise, and it wouldn't surprise Davidoff to see the Yankees at least listen to offers on the 25-year-old. Over his last two seasons (229 IP), Joba's managed just a 4.64 ERA to go with an 8.3 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 (his 2010 peripherals are much stronger than 2009). Still, I'd imagine a substantial amount of interest if he were made available.
Lance Berkman doesn't think he'll be a Yankee in 2011 and Davidoff agrees. He praises Berkman for getting his big moments in Game 2 of the ALDS and calls him an "eminently likeable man." That personality may be a factor that teams consider this offseason as Berkman looks for an everyday role, and not just a platoon spot.
Sandy Alderson will most likely interview with the Mets next week about their GM opening. According to Davidoff, Alderson is a "dream candidate" for the Mets and he can't see how the Mets wouldn't give him the position if he's interested.

Berkman Will Seek Everyday Role

By Luke Adams 2 | October 9, 2010 at 9:51am CDT

Asked whether he could picture himself returning to the Yankees in a platoon role next year, Lance Berkman couldn't see it happening, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork. Berkman tells Kristie Ackert, Sean Brennan, and Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News that he still views himself as an everyday player.

"I don't like to platoon," said Berkman. "If I was the manager I would platoon me because I've been so bad righthanded this year. But I don't think that's a permanent problem…. I like to play every day. The DH role is great but I also like to play the field. I feel like I've got something to offer still defensively."

Berkman is in the final year of a six-year, $85MM contract, which includes a $15MM option for 2011 that will not be exercised. After posting the worst full-season OPS of his career (.781), the long-time Astro knows that his disappointing walk year hasn't set him up well for free agency.

"It's going to be an interesting offseason for me because I don't know what the interest level is going to be like," Berkman said. "I don't know what the market is going to be for a 35-year old coming off the worst year of his career."

While this winter's first base free agent market appears flush with potential starters, there are also plenty of clubs that will have holes to fill at first. Coming off a season that was plagued by injuries, Berkman is a decent bet to bounce back in 2011. If he wants an everyday job and a chance to play the field, there's a good chance there will be at least one team willing to accommodate him.

Kepner’s Latest: Astros’ Future, Jackson, Pirates

By Steve Adams | September 4, 2010 at 4:03pm CDT

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times has some odds and ends from around the baseball universe; let's take a look at some of the highlights:

The trades of players like Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt signify that the Astros have finally moved on and are looking ahead. Wandy Rodriguez is the only remaining player who played in the 2005 World Series with the club.
General manager Ed Wade refuted speculation that he prefers to trade with the Phillies, the team for which he served as general manager from 1998-2005. Instead, he simply says that the Phillies provided the best offers to improve the Astros. Wade has traded both Oswalt and Brad Lidge to Philadelphia.
Wade praises first-year manager Brad Mills for keeping the Astros focused after a 17-34 start to the season. Houston went 17-12 in August and has recently swept both the Phillies and Cardinals.
Edwin Jackson is happy to be in Chicago on a fresh start. “It’s like a new season,” Jackson said. Earlier today we heard that Daniel Hudson, one of the players the Diamondbacks received in the deal, is experiencing similar enjoyment in Arizona.
Kepner points out that the pitchers acquired from the Yankees in recent years haven't panned out for the Pirates. Ross Ohlendorf has experienced some success, but Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen have both disappointed. All three came to Pittsburgh in the trade for Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. It's worth pointing out that the other component of that trade was Jose Tabata, who has played very well in his first taste of the big leagues this year.

Poll: Berkman or Hawpe?

By Mike Axisa | September 4, 2010 at 9:40am CDT

Owners of the two best records in baseball, both the Yankees and Rays aimed to acquire a bat for the season's stretch run as they battle for the AL East crown. The Yanks got their man at the trade deadline, acquiring Lance Berkman from the Astros for a pair of minor leaguers and cash. The Rays waited a little longer, grabbing Brad Hawpe off the scrap heap after the Rockies released him. Both players have slotted in as their team's primary designated hitter against righthanded pitching.

Since the trade, Berkman has hit .239/.314/.348 in 51 plate appearances while spending some time on the disabled list with an ankle injury. Hawpe has come to the plate just four times with Tampa since being recalled on September 1st, and has struck out all four times. Clearly, both players are capable of much better than what they've shown with their new teams so far, which brings us to today's poll question.

Who will perform better down the stretch: Berkman or Hawpe?

Click here to participate in the poll, and here to see the results.

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