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AL West Notes: Tomko, Felix, Robertson

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The Rangers are asking for top prospects in exchange for Michael Young and there's lots more going on in Texas and around the AL West. Here's the latest…

  • Brett Tomko can opt out of his contract with the Rangers on June 1st, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The clause presumably exists in case Tomko is still in the minors at that point.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that the Mariners should call the Yankees and see exactly how much they'd give up for Felix Hernandez. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is under contract through 2014 for a total of $68MM.
  • Nate Robertson will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow and miss at least four weeks. As MLB.com's Greg Johns points out, that leaves Michael Pineda, Luke French and David Pauley as the primary candidates for the Mariners' fifth rotation spot.
  • Johns reports that the Mariners turned a $1.7MM  profit in the fiscal year ending on October 31st, 2010.

Mariners Sign Jody Gerut, Nate Robertson

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The Mariners have signed outfielder Jody Gerut and left-handed pitcher Nate Robertson to minor-league deals and invited them to Spring Training, according to the team's official Twitter feed.

Gerut was a touted prospect coming out of Stanford and has enjoyed intermittent but fleeting periods of success in the Majors, chiefly as a rookie with the Indians in 2003 (.279/.336/.494) and with the Padres in 2008 (.296/.351/.494).

Robertson was a key cog during the Tigers' run to the World Series in 2006 but has not been able to capture that form since then. After spending parts of seven seasons with Detroit, he pitched primarily for the Marlins in 2010 but was released in July and made a two-outing cameo with the Phillies in September. For his career, he has 6.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 5.01 ERA.

Phillies Cut Robertson, Claim Carrillo

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The Phillies cut left-hander Nate Robertson and claimed right-hander Cesar Carrillo from the Padres, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki (Twitter links). The Phillies designated Robertson for assignment after he allowed six runs in two thirds of an inning last night, ending a short tenure with the Phillies and a long 2010 season. Unwanted in Detroit, Robertson struggled with the Marlins and Cardinals organizations before joining the Phillies. The 33-year-old logged over 100 big league innings this season, but posted a 5.95 ERA.

The Padres selected Carrillo in the first round of the 2005 draft, but he hasn’t become an impact major leaguer. In 27 Triple A starts this year, Carrillo has a 5.60 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. The 26-year-old right-hander debuted on last year’s Padres team but has not returned to the majors in 2010.

Phillies Sign Nate Robertson

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The Phillies signed Nate Robertson to a minor league deal, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). The Cardinals signed the left-hander earlier in the month, after the Marlins released him.

The Phillies will assign Robertson to Triple A, the same level at which he struggled in the Cardinals system. The 32-year-old posted a 9.45 ERA in 20 innings at Triple A Memphis, allowing 32 hits and six walks along the way. The results weren't much better at the major league level for Robertson this year. He posted a 5.47 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 for the Marlins.

Cardinals Sign Nate Robertson

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The Cardinals signed Nate Robertson to a minor league deal, according to B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com (via Twitter). The Marlins released the left-hander last month after an extended stint in Florida's rotation. Now, Robertson will report to Triple A Memphis, though it's not clear what his role will be with the Redbirds. 

Robertson struggled through 18 starts with the Marlins, posting a 5.47 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. The Cardinals will have considerable rotation depth if and when Kyle Lohse (forearm) and Brad Penny (shoulder) return from the injuries that have sidelined them. The Cards recently acquired starter Jake Westbrook, so they could consider using Robertson as a reliever.

Marlins Release Nate Robertson

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The Marlins released Nate Robertson, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). Robertson struggled as a starter this season and the Marlins designated him for assignment last week. Today, the Marlins designated minor league right-hander Kris Harvey for assignment, according to Capozzi (Twitter link).

Robertson’s stats (5.47 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 3.6BB/9) aren’t pretty and the outing against the Rockies that preceded his DFA was ugly (7 ER in 5.0 innings). However, his splits suggest he could be more effective out of the bullpen against lefties. The Tigers, Robertson’s former team, don’t appear to have interest. Any club can now sign Robertson for a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.

Tigers Not Showing Interest In Pudge, Robertson

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The Tigers are not showing interest in re-acquiring Ivan Rodriguez or Nate Robertson for the stretch run, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. 

Tigers catchers have combined to post just a .564 OPS so far in 2010, but manager Jim Leyland told MLB.com’s Jason Beck and Alex DiFilippo that he will mix and match Gerald Laird and Alex Avila for now. There haven't been indications that the Nationals want to trade Pudge, who had a .673 OPS entering the day's action and continues to throw out 42% of would-be base stealers, even at 38.

The Marlins designated Robertson for assignment yesterday, after he allowed seven earned runs against the Rockies. There has been little reported interest in the 32-year-old, but I suggested earlier in the week that he could be a cheap, effective left-handed specialist, especially for a team that doesn't like the thin relief market. The Tigers are interested in relievers, but are apparently eyeing pitchers other than Robertson.

Morosi notes that the Tigers are not pursuing Ryan Theriot, but are keeping tabs on Brandon League, David Aardsma and other relievers.

Marlins Designate Nate Robertson For Assignment

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The Marlins designated lefty Nate Robertson for assignment, reports Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.  Robertson sports a 5.47 ERA, 5.5 K/9, and 3.6 BB/9 in 100.3 innings this year after last night's bruising at the hands of the Rockies.

Now eminently available, Robertson might be appealing to teams looking for left-handed relief.  MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith pointed out yesterday that Robertson has been decent against southpaws prior to this year and is owed only $163K with the Tigers picking up the rest of the tab.

The Nate Robertson Market

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Nate Robertson’s numbers don’t scream ‘deadline difference maker,’ but he could be just that in the right situation. His ERA is 5.10, his WHIP is 1.49 and he is only striking out 5.3 batters per nine, but Robertson could still appeal to contenders. Here’s why:

Contract

Robertson makes $10MM this year, but the Tigers are paying all but $400K of it. The Marlins only owe the lefty $163K before the end of the season, at which point Robertson's contract expires. Salary-wise, he is as cheap as it gets.

Robertson is not close to Type B status, so free agent compensation is not currently a factor. His team will not offer arbitration even if he shoots into Type B territory.

Performance

Robertson's ERA has been better than the league average in only one season, but against lefties, he has actually been quite effective. For his career, the 32-year-old has 7.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Robertson allows fewer hits against lefties and induces more ground balls (55% ground ball rate vs. LHB, 44% vs. RHB). Like most pitchers, Robertson fares better against batters the first time they hit against him in a game. 

These splits suggest that Robertson could be an effective left-handed specialist in a contender’s ‘pen. There aren't many quality left-handers available and given the high asking price for Scott Downs, Robertson could become a cheap, outside-the-box alternative for teams seeking a lefty reliever.

Asking Price/Availability

The Marlins made Robertson available earlier in the month, according to this tweet from ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.

Interested Teams

Braves Interested In Cody Ross

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Add Cody Ross to the list of right-handed hitting outfielders the Braves are eyeing. ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Braves are interested in Ross as they look to improve upon their NL-best record in the second half of the season (Twitter link).

The Braves also have interest in Corey Hart, Josh Willingham and Jose Bautista, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Like those outfielders, Ross is under team control through 2011, but unlike them he is not having a career year and he can play center field.

Ross, who earns $4.45MM in 2010, is hitting .282/.332/.415 this year with seven homers. That's respectable production, but the 29-year-old usually shows more power. He has split time between right and center field and appears to be an average defender (according to UZR).

The Padres, Giants and Red Sox may look to add outfielders before the trade deadline. San Diego and San Francisco prefer players who aren't about to hit free agency, so the Braves will have competition for Ross's services if they are intent on getting more production than Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera and Matt Diaz can provide.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday that Ross and Jorge Cantu are available and Olney adds Nate Robertson's name to the list of players the Marlins would deal.

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