Orioles Notes: Beltre, Delgado, Wolf, Blalock
The Orioles are positioned to be buyers in free agency, according to Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. GM Andy MacPhail says that the club is looking to spend this offseason, but there remains some skepticism in Baltimore as to whether owner Peter Angelos will be willing to open up his checkbook. If the O's decide to dole out dollars this winter, here are some of the players they will and won't be targeting:
- Barring a change in organizational plans, you can cross the Orioles off the list of suitors for outfielders Matt Holliday and Jason Bay.
- The Orioles have contacted the agents of Chone Figgins and John Lackey, but are hardly alone in that regard.
- Adrian Beltre and Pedro Feliz top the O's wish list to replace Melvin Mora at third base.
- At first base, Nick Johnson, Hank Blalock, and Carlos Delgado are options. We know that Baltimore is not the only club keeping tabs on Delgado, as his last employer is said to be keeping an eye on him as well. The 37-year-old slugger ranked #43 on Tim's Top 50 Free Agents list, where it is predicted that he will sign with the Orioles.
- Andy MacPhail & Co. are considering Dodgers pitchers Randy Wolf and Jon Garland, as well as Braden Looper. MacPhail noted that the club is not afraid to take a chance on a hurler with a history of injuries and high upside. Former Oriole Erik Bedard, Ben Sheets, and Rich Harden all fit the bill.
- The O's would gladly add an established closer at the right price. Billy Wagner, Fernando Rodney, and Mike Gonzalez are mentioned as members of a deep crop of available relievers.
- It shouldn't be long before the Orioles agree to terms with pitcher Mark Hendrickson as both sides want to get a deal done. The 6'9 lefty spent time with four different organizations before coming to Baltimore – eight if you count NBA teams.
Orioles Rumors: Corner Infielders, Hendrickson
MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez has a bunch of Orioles rumors for us, but unfortunately they're spread out among a half-dozen tweets or so. Here's the goods…
- Andy MacPhail said that they've "made no secret about the fact that we're looking for corner infielders."
- ESPN's Keith Law notes the team has some prospects coming up at first and third base, but MacPhail acknowledged that they probably aren't ready to contribute yet. Gonzalez mentions the team's two most notable prospects, Josh Bell and Brandon Snyder, will likely get some more seasoning in the minors.
- MacPhail also said the team plans to accumulate whatever pitching they can.
- Regarding free agent lefty Mark Hendrickson, "We've talked with his [rep], & I think we both have a pretty good understanding of where we are …"
- When it comes to trading prospects, MacPhail said "I think we'll be judicious about giving up any of those guys we think are a part of our core future… I would think it unlikely … we gave up a young key part of our future and just got something back that would be a short-term answer."
Odds & Ends: Phillies, Hendrickson, Sheets, Brewers, Hinske
A few links to start the day…
- Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the Phillies will prioritze defensive versatility over power when filling Matt Stairs' roster spot, though Stairs, Miguel Cairo, and Paul Bako are welcome to come to Spring Training on minor league deals.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com has an update on the Orioles' negotations with Mark Hendrickson. Last month we learned that Hendrickson hoped to re-sign quickly.
- ESPN's Keith Law wrote about players coming off injury, and notes that Ben Sheets is worth gambling on, considering his upside.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com say that despite the Brewers' logjam on the infield, a trade will probably not happen "unless some club offers the pitching equivalent of (Mat) Gamel."
- David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News takes a look at the Phillies' pitching staff to see which free agents may or may not fit.
- R.J. Anderson at FanGraphs wrote about free agent (and good luck charm) Eric Hinske, while his blogmate Dave Cameron took a look at some interesting minor league free agents.
- Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan took the time to speak with Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com about several of the team's 2009 draft picks.
- Buddy Carlyle has joined the Nippon Ham Fighters, according to Kyodo News.
- Not only do players truly hit the open market on Friday, but teams must also set their 40-man rosters for next month's Rule 5 Draft that day as well. Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes about a player the Braves may choose to protect, while Erik Hahmann of DRays Bay looks back at Tampa Bay's history in the Rule 5.
- Speaking of Morosi and O'Brien, make sure you follow both guys on Twitter!,
Orioles Rumors: Bedard, Third Base, Adam Jones
Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun has the buzz on the Orioles…
- President Andy MacPhail said he can't see himself trading a young, talented player for a short-term (one or two-year) fix. He left open the possibility of trading a young player to fill a different, more urgent need long-term.
- Zrebiec says bringing Erik Bedard back to the organization has been discussed.
- The Orioles may acquire bullpen help, but Zrebiec adds, "some team officials would be comfortable starting the season with Koji Uehara as the closer."
- MacPhail admitted the third base supply is strong. Zrebiec says the O's have interest in free agents Adrian Beltre, Mark DeRosa, and Pedro Feliz, while Dan Uggla and Garrett Atkins are also known to be available.
- The Orioles have not yet spoken to Mark Hendrickson's agent, nor have they made an offer for Aroldis Chapman.
- It was close, but Adam Jones just missed being a Super Two. Since he won't be arbitration-eligible this winter, the Orioles will save millions.
Hendrickson Hopes To Re-Sign With O’s Quickly
Once the World Series ends, teams get an exclusive 15-day window to negotiate with their own free agents before they truly hit the open market, and as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun notes, lefthander Mark Hendrickson hopes the Orioles take advantage of that window.
"We won't wait just for the purpose of waiting," said Joe Urbon of CAA Sports. "They have an exclusive window to talk and try to get something done and I would hope that they'd use it because I know that's what Mark would like.
"There has been indications and a vibe that there is an interest in the Orioles in having him back and Mark has made it clear that he has an interest in staying. It has to work on both sides. That includes fit and role and economics. I don't see any reason that all three things can't be accomplished."
The former Philadelphia 76er, Sacramento King, New Jersey Net, and Cleveland Cavalier pitched to a 4.37 ERA in 105 innings this season, mostly out of the bullpen for the O's. He earned $1.5MM in 2009, but FanGraphs values his performance at $2.2MM. It was also the fourth straight year Hendrickson's value has declined.
Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Orioles, Garner
Apparently Sunday afternoons in October are a slow time for baseball news. Who knew? Here's some links to tide you over for now…
- Viva El Birdos takes a look at the 2010 rotation options for the Cardinals, both internal and external. Could Kyle McClellan or Blake Hawksworth succeed in the rotation?
- Roch Kubatko isn't sure that the Orioles are in the market for a left-handed reliever at all, though he does mention that they're expected to re-sign Mark Hendrickson.
- Brian McTaggart from MLB.com held a Q&A session with Astros managerial candidate Phil Garner. Garner managed the Astros from 2004-2007.
- Adam Rubin expects the Brewers to hire Rick Peterson as their new pitching coach. General manager Doug Melvin recently flew to New Jersey to meet with Peterson, and as Rubin points out: "How often does a GM fly halfway across the country to interview a pitching coach? Isn’t it usually the other way around?"
- Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reports that Tony Bernazard is close to signing on with Scott Boras, stating that Boras likely sees Bernazard's rapport with Latin players as a valuable asset in recruiting new clients.
- J.J. Cooper at Baseball America ranks the Top 10 Independent League prospects, with Reynaldo Rodriguez ranking number one. The Red Sox purchased Rodriguez's contract last week.
Hendrickson Hopes To Return To Orioles
Orioles lefty Mark Hendrickson sports a 4.43 ERA, 55 strikeouts, and 27 walks in 83.3 innings this year. He struggled in his seven starts, but has a 3.44 ERA out of the bullpen. According to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, Hendrickson relishes his role as a leader on the young club and hopes to return in 2010. Plus, he lives in York, Pennsylvania, about an hour from Camden Yards.
Given the strong competition for spots in the Orioles' 2010 rotation, Hendrickson would probably fit as a reliever next year. He earned $1.5MM in '09, a contract he signed on the last day of December.
September Trade Candidates
We won't see nearly as many trades as we did in July, or even in August, but teams can still make deals. New acquisitions won't be eligible to play in the post-season, but they could still help their new clubs make the playoffs. Here are a few of the players who could be dealt this month:
- Mark Hendrickson and Danys Baez are among the players known to have cleared waivers; they could appeal to clubs.
- Kevin Millar has managed a .750 OPS against lefties in an otherwise disappointing offensive season, so clubs may want him off the bench, especially considering his reputation as a positive clubhouse presence. His teammate, John McDonald, could appeal to teams as a defensive specialist. He has a well-earned reputation as an excellent defender up the middle.
- Buster Olney suggested today that the Rangers will look into infielders now that Michael Young is injured. Jamey Carroll could appeal to the Rangers and other clubs.
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported recently that the Phillies have an eye on Nomar Garciaparra.
Stark On Wagner, Padres, Crawford
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark shows that a number of contenders have vulnerable-looking closers. The Cubs and Phillies two of many teams with shaky arms at the back of the 'pen. Here are the details and the rest of Stark's rumors:
- At least one scout believes John Smoltz would have been the perfect arm for the Marlins to add to their 'pen.
- However, clubs pursuing Smoltz heard that he wanted to start, at least for now.
- A scout who watched Billy Wagner throw has "no doubt" that Wagner could help a team win. The Rays and Marlins are thought to have interest in Wagner, but neither team would be likely to give up much of a prospect unless the Mets picked up salary.
- Stark hears that the Padres pulled Heath Bell and Adrian Gonzalez back off waivers after multiple teams claimed them.
- Mark Hendrickson cleared waivers, and can now be traded to any team. The Rockies were interested before the deadline, but they may decide to see where the Billy Wagner bidding goes before pursuing Hendrickson again.
- One rival GM considers the Cards "the best team in the league right now."
- The Royals don't seem interested in trading their top pitchers. They pulled Brian Bannister back from waivers and though Joakim Soria and Gil Meche are on waivers now, they aren't likely to be dealt.
- Clubs eyeing Carl Crawford believe the Rays are becoming less likely to deal him. Desmond Jennings could become the Rays' left fielder, but they'd probably have to be overwhelmed to part with Crawford.
- It's possible that Jamie Moyer could draw interest as a trade candidate after the season.
- One AL exec isn't sure Bryce Harper's the guarantee people perceive him to be.
- Stark points out that the Astros traded Ivan Rodriguez just as his incentives were about to start kicking in.
- An official of a team that inquired about Stephen Strasburg before the draft says that Scott Boras invoked Daisuke Matsuzaka's name without specifically saying he wanted $50MM for his client.
Heyman On August Trades
Executives tell Jon Heyman of SI.com that we saw the "softest deadline ever" last week because there's still the possibility for trades this month. Here's an explanation of how trades can occur after the deadline and here are the players Heyman deems likely to clear waivers (player who clear waivers may be traded):
- Bronson Arroyo, Adam Dunn, Jose Guillen, Aaron Harang, Adrian Beltre, Aubrey Huff, Jason Giambi, Melvin Mora, Miguel Batista, Juan Cruz, Ty Wigginton, Ron Mahay, Willie Bloomquist, Lyle Overbay, Willy Taveras.
Some players who could clear waivers:
- Jon Garland, Doug Davis, Gil Meche, Alex Rios, Carl Pavano, Mark Hendrickson, Jhonny Peralta, Jamey Carroll, Ron Villone.
And some players who probably won't clear waivers, but who could be dealt to a claiming team:
- Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez, Heath Bell, Adrian Gonzalez, Marco Scutaro, Chad Qualls, Michael Wuertz, Brian Bannister, Josh Willingham, Gary Sheffield, David Eckstein, Jason Frasor, Mark Teahen.