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Odds & Ends: Brewers, Pierre, Webb, Mariners

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Here's a few links on a gorgeous Saturday, at least around these parts…

  • Acquiring Carlos Gomez allows the Brewers to wave goodbye to Mike Cameron, and Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel says they'll use the savings on pitching. "We're going to have to take our resources that we gave to Mike and distribute them to fill other needs for our ballclub," said GM Doug Melvin. "We've said pitching is our focus. We still have other needs, like any club. And the salaries of our other players go up, too."
  • The return of Manny Ramirez allows the Dodgers to resume searching for a trade partner for Juan Pierre, according to Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times. Pierre still has two-years and $18.5MM remaining on his contract.  
  • In today's blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney says that Brandon Webb will be prime trade bait in the middle of next season if he makes it all the way back and the Diamondbacks aren't in contention.
  • Jason A. Churchill of Prospect Insider takes a look at some offseason options for the Mariners.
  • Meanwhile, former Mariner Kenji Johjima can provide some additional input on American pitchers the Hanshin Tigers may pursue, notes Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. Patrick also passes along a report that lists some pitchers Hanshin is looking at, including two Mariners: Ryan Rowland-Smith and Chris Jakubauskas. 
  • Rowland-Smith is on Twitter, and was a little surprised by the news.
  • Bob Dutton of The KC Star takes a look at the newest Royals, Chris Getz and Josh Fields.
  • Maury Brown at The Biz of Baseball lists all 39 players who filed for free agency on Friday.

Twins Acquire J.J. Hardy For Carlos Gomez

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12:55pm: A bunch of Tweets from the Brewers' side: Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he won't pursue re-signing Cameron, and will look to the free agent market for starting pitching.  Melvin contacted Mark Mulder's agent but hasn't heard back.  Melvin even mentioned John Lackey's name.  (Reporting: Haudricourt and MLB.com's Adam McCalvy).

12:04pm: I asked Hardy if he's closed the book on the service time issue, and he said yes.  A grievance does not seem likely; Hardy admitted it'd be hard to prove.

Twins GM Bill Smith said on today's conference call that he talked to free agent Orlando Cabrera this morning and told him Hardy will be the team's shortstop.  Smith implied that re-signing Joe Crede is a possibility, as he has talked to Scott Boras.  Smith added that Delmon Young is a lock to be tendered a contract.

10:57am: The Twins acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy for center fielder Carlos Gomez, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

While I expected the Brewers to snag a young pitcher for Hardy, I like the move for both sides.  Center field was certainly a need for the Brewers with Mike Cameron eligible for free agency.  Haudricourt notes that the money the Brewers saved on Cameron will probably go toward starting pitching.  While Gomez hasn't had offensive success in his career, his stellar defense is unquestionable.  He'll be eligible for arbitration this winter as a Super Two player, and is under team control through 2013.

Hardy is a huge addition for the Twins, who entered the offseason needing upgrades at shorstop, third base, and second base.  Due to an August demotion by the Brewers, Hardy is under team control for 2010 and 2011 (Hardy says there are "no hard feelings.")  He slumped offensively this year, but maintained his strong defense.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Cameron, Valentine

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A few news items to think about while we get ready for Game Five of the NLCS….

  • MLB.com's Marty Noble agrees with a reader e-mail that a defensively-sound first baseman would do wonders for the Mets' infield defense and overall performance.
  • From that same piece, Noble thinks that Mike Cameron would be a good fit with the Mets due to his ability to cover the vast expanses of Citi Field's outfield.  Noble isn't as keen on Chone Figgins since he doesn't fit New York's needs.
  • MLB.com's Noah Coslov tweets that the Indians will interview Bobby Valentine on Thursday.
  • If Manny Acta isn't hired in Cleveland or Houston, The Globe & Mail's Jeff Blair thinks he could land in Toronto.
  • Canadian Business Online looks at the best and worst free agent signings from last year and examines which teams got the most value from their rosters in 2009.

Padres Rumors: GM, Cameron, Correia

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FRIDAY, 5:53pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes that the Padres and Diamondbacks could work out a compensation package for Arizona VP of player personnel Jerry DiPoto.  San Diego CEO Jeff Moorad has what he characterized as a "gentleman's agreement" not to raid his former club for candidates, but Morosi says that the stipulation could be waived for the right price.  Moorad is said to have a "very high opinion" of DiPoto.

In addition to labeling Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer as a "strong candidate" (per industry sources), Morosi writes that some in the industry expect Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng to be considered.  Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine has drawn the interest of the Padres, but the team has yet to seek permission to interview him.

WEDNESDAY, 2:02pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock, via Twitter, says Forst has not been interviewed and the Gillick rumor below is untrue.  Furthermore, the A's emailed the AP to say the Padres have not asked permission to interview Forst.  SI's Jon Heyman's sources believe Hoyer is the favorite.

WEDNESDAY, 8:37am: Center says the Padres have two more GM interviews in addition to the three they've already conducted.  He says Hoyer, David Forst, and Pat Gillick "have surfaced in connection with the Padres vacancy."  Meanwhile, Newsday's Ken Davidoff says via Twitter that the Padres have not contacted the Yankees for permission to speak with Eppler.

TUESDAY: Let's discuss the latest buzz around the Padres.

  • MLB.com's Corey Brock says the team's baseball operations department will be run by manager Bud Black, executive VP Paul DePodesta and assistant GM Fred Uhlman Jr. until CEO Jeff Moorad finds Kevin Towers' replacement at GM. 
  • Moorad has interviewed three candidates for GM, with more to come.  He hopes to make the hire within a few weeks.  Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer and Yankees director of pro scouting Billy Eppler have been rumored.
  • Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes about the Padres' offseason needs (they have roughly $10MM to spend).  Center says the team needs a right-handed hitting center fielder, and Mike Cameron's name surfaced.
  • Center suggests that to save money the Padres might have to shop Kevin Kouzmanoff, Heath Bell, or both.  He even wonders if they'd non-tender Kevin Correia and attempt to sign him more cheaply (presumably using his desire to play near home as leverage).
  • On his blog, DePodesta writes about the difficult realities of working within baseball.
  • Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues suggests the Yankees should add Towers to their front office.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Indians, Draft Order

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Let's take a look around the web on this Sunday evening:

  • Cubs manager Lou Piniella says that Ryne Sandberg will be "in the mix" to succeed him as Cubs skipper, according to Andrew Simon of MLB.com.  Sandberg is the manager of Chicago's Double-A affiliate and could get consideration as soon as 2011 if Piniella does not ink a new deal.
  • Speaking of the Cubs, the Associated Press reports that hitting coach Von Joshua will not return to the team next year but has been invited to fill a similar role for the Triple-A affiliate.  Sullivan identifies Sandberg as a possible replacement for Joshua, although GM Jim Hendry declined to name names.
  • Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Indians general manager Mark Shapiro wants to appoint the club's next manager by the end of the World Series.  Hoynes says that while Cleveland's list of candidates includes some people who are already in-house, Eric Wedge's replacement will likely come from outside of the organization.
  • Via twitter, ESPN's Keith Law runs down the 2010 MLB Draft order.  Law also notes that spots 9-11 could change.
  • Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron, who is a free agent this offseason, suffered a minor concussion when he hit his head diving for a ball in the sixth inning of the season finale, writes Adam McCalvy of Brew Beat.  Cameron says that he has had several concussions during the course of his career but assured reporters that he'll "be fine."

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Indians, Draft Order

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Let's take a look around the web on this Sunday evening:

  • Cubs manager Lou Piniella says that Ryne Sandberg will be "in the mix" to succeed him as Cubs skipper, according to Andrew Simon of MLB.com.  Sandberg is the manager of Chicago's Double-A affiliate and could get consideration as soon as 2011 if Piniella does not ink a new deal.
  • Speaking of the Cubs, the Associated Press reports that hitting coach Von Joshua will not return to the team next year but has been invited to fill a similar role for the Triple-A affiliate.  Sullivan identifies Sandberg as a possible replacement for Joshua, although GM Jim Hendry declined to name names.
  • Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Indians general manager Mark Shapiro wants to appoint the club's next manager by the end of the World Series.  Hoynes says that while Cleveland's list of candidates includes some people who are already in-house, Eric Wedge's replacement will likely come from outside of the organization.
  • Via twitter, ESPN's Keith Law runs down the 2010 MLB Draft order.  Law also notes that spots 9-11 could change.
  • Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron, who is a free agent this offseason, suffered a minor concussion when he hit his head diving for a ball in the sixth inning of the season finale, writes Adam McCalvy of Brew Beat.  Cameron says that he has had several concussions during the course of his career but assured reporters that he'll "be fine."

Brewers Face Plenty Of Roster Decisions

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After a tremendous run last year that resulted in the club's first playoff berth in a quarter-century, the Brewers sat 13.5 GB of a playoff spot coming into today's action, and sport the National League's worst starting rotation thanks to their 5.22 ERA. As Adam McCalvy of MLB.com writes, the club has a ton of roster decisions to make this offseason, although GM Doug Melvin says "We've got a lot of decisions, and none of them will be discussed until the end of the season."

Some of the issues facing the Brew Crew this offseason are…

  • Impending Free Agents: Trevor Hoffman, Claudio Vargas, Mike Cameron, Felipe Lopez, Jason Kendall, Craig Counsell, Frank Catalanotto, and Corey Patterson will all be free agents after the season. The clubs holds a $3.7MM option for David Weathers next year ($400K buyout), and there's a $6.5MM mutual option for Braden Looper ($1MM buyout) that McCalvy says the club "will almost certainly pick up."
  • Arbitration Eligibles: Dave Bush, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks, Seth McClung, J.J. Hardy, Jody Gerut, and Todd Coffey are all eligible for salary arbitration. Coffey, who's been the club's primary setup man, figures to get a nice raise over his current $800K salary.
  • Starting Pitching: As I mentioned earlier, Milwaukee sports the NL's worst starting staff. McCalvy reports that "Melvin promised this week that he would be much more aggressive this winter in his search for answers," and that the club might take a "little more chances and risks" than they're accustomed to taking.

The Brewers also have questions about the key up-the-middle positions. They have to sort out the Hardy-Alcides Escobar situation at short, and decide whether to try and retain Lopez or give Weeks another shot at second base duty. Cameron and Kendall have both made it clear they'd like to return, but those decisions will have to wait until the winter.

Milwaukee also must figure out third base, and whether Mat Gamel or Casey McGehee deserves the job. Prince Fielder has the other corner infield spot locked down, and is under contract for $10.5MM next year before being arbitration eligible in 2011, his final year before free agency. McCalvy also mentions that manager Ken Macha faces a lame-duck year next season, and that Melvin is fielding questions about whether another managerial change may be in order.

Rosenthal On Cameron, Penny, Dye

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Time for a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…

  • The Yankees and Brewers discussed a Mike Cameron trade (again) in August, but never came close to a deal.  We learned earlier today from ESPN's Jayson Stark that the Marlins were also interested.  Cameron, however, hopes to remain with the Brewers past this season.
  • The Yankees had "serious interest" in Brad Penny as well, but the big righty preferred the NL and the Giants' ballpark.  Penny recently said he'd be willing to return to the AL East, but the smart money's on him signing in the NL after the season.
  • Rosenthal learned that Jermaine Dye had the right to convert his $12MM mutual option into a player option if traded.  That was probably one of several reasons the Giants did not pursue him.  We learned from Stark that the White Sox "wanted something good" for Dye.
  • Rosenthal expects Astros manager Cecil Cooper to be fired even though he's under contract through next year.  He believes former Phillies manager Jim Fregosi could be a candidate to replace him.

Cameron Might Take Discount To Stay In Milwaukee

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Center fielder Mike Cameron "would be willing to make a sacrifice" to remain with the Brewers beyond this year, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. (Hat tip to Aaron Gleeman, and check out his analysis as well).  McCalvy notes Cameron's $10MM salary and likely Type B status.  Gleeman writes of Cameron's continued defensive prowess, and says the center fielder is already a bargain at 10 mil.  FanGraphs agrees.

The free agent market does not have many legitimate starting center fielders.  Beyond Cameron, Marlon Byrd may be the best bet.  Coco Crisp is another decent possibility, should the Royals decline his $8MM option.  Rick Ankiel will be out there, though the Boras client has not impressed in his contract year.

Stark On Lackey, Rays, Jeter

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More from Jayson Stark's Rumblings and Grumblings column at ESPN.com…

  • One of Stark's sources says the Angels' acquisition of Scott Kazmir is not linked to John Lackey's future.  Lackey is said to have dropped his price from the C.C. Sabathia range ($161MM over seven years) to A.J. Burnett money ($82.5MM over five years) due to his recent injury history.  The Angels will attempt to re-sign Lackey, but they have their limit.  Stark's suggestion that Lackey had a "Sabathia-esque" price tag in Spring Training runs counter to Mike DiGiovanna's report that the pitcher wanted Burnett money at that time.
  • Stark feels that the Rays' trade of Kazmir will help them allocate money toward retaining Carl Crawford and/or Carlos Pena.  Crawford's 2010 club option is worth between $10-11.5MM.  Pena is signed at $10.125MM for '10 and is represented by Scott Boras.  One positive: the slugging first baseman inked a below-market deal in January of '08.
  • Derek Jeter is not talking about his next contract, but Stark feels the Yankees will take care of him.  They may wait until after next season, when Jeter finishes his current deal.
  • Rockies manager Jim Tracy is familiar with Brad Penny, and his opinion might have caused the team to back off.  And the Yankees cooled Jon Garland because they didn't see him as a difference-maker in the AL East.
  • The Marlins were in on Mike Cameron, but the Brewers decided to keep their players and win as many games as possible.
  • The White Sox "wanted something good" for Jermaine Dye, according to one Stark source.  He would not have been as easy to pry away as Jim Thome and Jose Contreras were.
  • A couple of sources are skeptical that the Red Sox will shop closer Jonathan Papelbon this winter.
  • Stark notes that only two players – Ryan Franklin and David Eckstein – signed extensions in-season.  These days it makes more sense to talk during the exclusive negotiation period after the season.  Plus, there were many bargains to be had on the free agent market last offseason.
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