Odds & Ends: Nationals, Lilly, Haren, Marlins, Kotsay
Sunday night linkage..
- Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com wonders if the reason Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo has made players like Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham available is because the team's offense is struggling with them as it is, so he'll try to improve other areas of the team.
- ESPNChicago's Bruce Levine says the Yankees could join the mix for Ted Lilly following Andy Pettitte's injury today. Meanwhile, Yanks' GM Brian Cashman told Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that he is "not inclined" to make a move to replace Pettitte yet, saying that he prefers to give internal options a try first. Levine has the Tigers, Twins, Mets, and Dodgers also in the hunt for Lilly.
- Scott Miller of CSBSports.com wonders if this weekend's poor play (three losses to the Padres) makes a Dan Haren trade more likely.
- David Villavicencio of Fox Sports Florida tells us that players like Cody Ross and Ricky Nolasco want to stay with the Marlins, and know they need a strong run to make that a reality.
- Mark Kotsay knows what it's like to be the player who's desired in a trade, but also to be the player who would lose playing time as a result of one, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Jose Bautista was honored that Alex Anthopoulos called him to help get Yunel Escobar settled into his new environment, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Bautista says that he loves Toronto and would like to stay there long-term.
- The Yankees, who have been interested bystanders through most of the process, are now getting more interested in Mexican amateur pitcher Luis Heredia, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. However, the Pirates and the Blue Jays remain the frontrunners for the 15-year-old, who is sure to get a bonus of more than $2MM.
- Jerry Crasnick of ESPN tweets that Tampa Bay expressed interest in Yunel Escobar before he was dealt to Toronto. He also tweets that Reid Brignac was part of the talks.
- Hayden Penn, a pitcher for the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate who was reportedly nearing a deal with the Chiba Lotte Marines, is on his way to Japan, according to Indianapolis Indians Triple-A announcer Scott McCauley (via Twitter). McCauley also says that another Indianapolis hurler is "close to a deal".
- The White Sox, who have been linked to Nationals slugger Adam Dunn, have had a scout present for Washington's series against the Marlins, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
- Reliever David Aardsma is a possible fit for the Tigers, tweets Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse.
- R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs attempted to peg Fausto Carmona's trade value.
- Roy Oswalt wants to claim the Astros win record before leaving, writes Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.
- Jean-Jacques Taylor of The Dallas Morning News praised the moves made by Rangers GM Jon Daniels.
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun senses deja vu all over again as the deadline approaches.
White Sox Notes: Beckham, Jones, Designated Hitter
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen addressed some of the team's needs before heading off to Indianapolis, and MLB.com's Scott Merkin has the goods..
- Guillen would like to find an upgrade over Gordan Beckham in the leadoff spot. However, Guillen went out of his way to say that he is a "good RBI man" and added that he would like to move him down to sixth or seventh in the lineup.
- Andruw Jones could be an everyday outfielder for the ChiSox if (and, as Merkin notes, "that's a big if") he reports to Spring Training in shape.
- Guillen seems to like the flexibility that comes with not having a true designated hitter. The way he sees it, he can use Jones, Omar Vizquel, Mark Kotsay, Paul Konerko or Mark Teahen in the spot when neccessary, and shift them around as he sees fit.
- Freddy Garcia is working to get himself in position to be the club's fifth starter. The 33-year-old posted a 4.34 ERA in nine starts with the White Sox last season.
White Sox Re-Sign Mark Kotsay
Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times reports that the White Sox have announced that Mark Kotsay was given a one year, $1.5MM contract to return to the team in 2010. It's essentially the same contract he signed with Boston last January.
Kotsay, acquired from the Red Sox just before the trade deadline, hit .292/.349/.434 in 127 plate appearances with the Pale Hose. He played mostly first base for Chicago, but also saw action in all three outfield spots.
Ozzie Hopes To Have Kotsay Back
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen would like to have outfielder/first baseman Mark Kotsay back for the 2010 season, according to MLB.com's Jesse Temple. Kotsay had positive words about a possible return, but admitted, "It's just kind of early to speculate on what lies ahead."
Kotsay, 34 in December, has a .264/.312/.384 line in 139 plate appearances for the Red Sox and White Sox this year. He can play first base and all three outfield positions. Kotsay has performed better since coming to Chicago (with cash) for Brian Anderson on July 28th. He dealt with shoulder, back, and calf injuries with the Red Sox before being designated for assignment four days prior to the trade. He'd signed a $1.5MM free agent deal with Boston on January 8th.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Cubs, Free Agents
Some links to mull over during game time:
- Matthew Pouliot at NBC Sports notes that three upcoming free agents did not have pleasant days.
- Dave Cameron at Fangraphs thinks the Red Sox got a break in that Billy Wagner requested they don't exercise his 2010 option.
- Mark Kotsay holds no grudges against the Red Sox after being dealt to the White Sox earlier this year, reports Kevin McNamara at the Providence Journal.
- Steve Rosenbloom at the Chicago Tribune thinks that if the Cubs seek out a new president, former Cubs broadcaster and current White Sox announcer Steve Stone should be considered for the post.
Red Sox Acquire Brian Anderson For Mark Kotsay
2:08pm: MLB.com's Noah Coslov says the White Sox received Mark Kotsay and cash from the Red Sox for Anderson. A Red Sox press release says Anderson will be assigned to Triple A Pawtucket. The 27 year-old voiced his desire for a trade last Thursday to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. He has a .225/.288/.364 line in 862 career plate appearances (and here's a look at his glovework; the biggest sample is 966 innings in '06).
Kotsay was designated for assignment by Boston on Friday. The 33 year-old hit .257/.291/.324 in 79 plate appearances for the Red Sox; he'd re-signed in January for $1.5MM plus incentives. He was hobbled by calf and back injuries.
1:59pm: The Red Sox acquired Brian Anderson from the White Sox, according to David Lefort of the Boston Globe. It's unclear what the Red Sox gave up or where they'll assign Anderson, who had been playing in the minors for the White Sox.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Garko, Kotsay, Holliday, Tigers
Congratulations to Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice, and the late Joe Gordon on their inductions into baseball's Hall of Fame today. The Red Sox were rumored to be looking for a righthanded bat that can play the outfield earlier today, maybe Rickey's still got something left in the tank. Anyway, here's some links…
- Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer says he has "a sense the Indians are working on a deal for Ryan Garko." He also notes that Andy Marte is eligible for minor league free agency after the season.
- Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle says the A's won't pursue Mark Kotsay, who was recently designated for assignment.
- Over at FoxSports.com, Tracy Ringolsby says that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak played the waiting game and won when it comes to acquiring Matt Holliday.
- Bless You Boys ran down all the names linked to the Tigers recently.
Red Sox DFA Mark Kotsay
3:55pm: Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com says Kotsay was designated for assignment, not waived. This gives the Red Sox ten days to make their next move.
2:17pm: The Red Sox put Mark Kotsay on waivers to make room for the recently-acquired Adam LaRoche, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. If no team claims Kotsay within 48 hours, the Red Sox can release him or assign him to the minor leagues. The 33-year-old has an OPS of .615 in 27 games at first base and as an outfielder.
Odds and Ends: Kotsay, Redding
Links for Thursday…
- RotoAuthority ranks the catchers for fantasy baseball.
- Dave Cameron reminds us that talented minor leaguers often have delayed success in the bigs.
- MLB.com’s Mychael Urban talked to Mark Kotsay, who did not enjoy the free agent experience.
- MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone transcribes a Tim Redding MLB Network interview, where it was revealed that the Rockies, Pirates, and Orioles had interest before the pitcher signed with the Mets.
Kotsay Signing Official, Aardsma Designated
7:38pm: The AP has the details: Kotsay makes a base salary of $1.5MM, but he gets $200K if he makes 300 plate appearances and an additional $200K for every 50 times up after that, up to 500 plate appearances. He could make up to $1MM on top of his base salary.
3:59pm: According to Art Martone of the Providence Journal, the Red Sox announced the Mark Kotsay signing today. He gets a one-year deal. The Sox also designated reliever David Aardsma for assignment.