Rocco Baldelli

Jayson Stark’s Latest: Rays

By Cork Gaines | July 26, 2008 at 3:34pm CDT

Jayson Stark touches on a few rumors circling around the Tampa Bay Rays…

The Rays and the Phillies both made multiplayer offers to the Indians for Casey Blake, but neither was willing to offer a top prospect and a second prospect close to the big leagues.
With Blake and Xavier Nady both traded, the Rays are leaning towards eventually filling their need for a right-handed outfielder with Rocco Baldelli who played in the outfield this week on a rehab assignment. It was his first outfield action since May of ’07 and will play 5 more innings today.
After discussing Mark Teixeira, the Rays have decided to pass, not wanting to move Carlos Pena to DH.
While the Rays would still like to acquire a relief pitcher, they feel the price is too high for Brian Fuentes and they have little interest in Huston Street. Stark notes that last year’s top pick, David Price, could be called up to provide insurance for the bullpen.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Trade Deadline

By Cork Gaines | July 25, 2008 at 1:33pm CDT

Some random links as we head toward the trade deadline, from the Blogosphere…

One writer at Bugs and Cranks thinks that the Rockies should not lower their demand for Brian Fuentes and feels that the Cardinals are the most likely team to land the closer.
UmpBump wants the Rockies to keep Matt Holliday and would prefer moving Garrett Atkins, allowing Ian Stewart to play third.
Meanwhile, another writer at Bugs and Cranks wants the Cardinals to pass on Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, but think St. Louis should go after George Sherrill and/or Fuentes.
Outs Per Swing does not feel that the Rays need to add a player like Xavier Nady, but they are also skeptical that Rocco Baldelli can be the right-handed bat the team needs.
MetsBlog does not see the Mets landing George Sherrill or Huston Street, noting the O’s are asking for too much and the Mets will not meet the A’s demands. MetsBlog also feels the Mets have more obvious holes than relief pitcher.
River Ave. Blues says the recent success of Ian Kennedy in Triple A has given the Yankees a very big chip in the trade market.
Drunk Jays Fans says Roy Halladay will not be traded, despite recent reports that the Jays were secretly shopping him.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex and can be reached here.

Sherman’s Latest: Bay, Nady, Holliday, Fuentes, Blake

By Tim Dierkes | July 15, 2008 at 4:25pm CDT

The New York Post’s Joel Sherman is working hard today, filing blog posts here and here.

Multiple teams are in the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder: the Mets, Rays, and maybe the Yankees. The Pirates are asking for too much for Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, while the Rockies are waiting to see what Bay costs so they can ask for more for Matt Holliday. The Rays’ might find their solution internally, with Rocco Baldelli.
Holliday as a replacement for Manny Ramirez this winter? Right now it’s just a couple of execs speculating to Sherman.
The Rockies want either Jon Niese from the Mets or Ian Kennedy from the Yankees for Brian Fuentes, but the two New York clubs aren’t having that.
Nolan Ryan doesn’t want to punt on ’08 with the Rangers.
Sherman wonders if the Marlins could match up with Texas on a catcher.
Juan Rivera is not available at this point.
Casey Blake is likely to be traded, partially because the Indians probably wouldn’t offer him arbitration after the season. The Mets and Yankees are said to have "at least mild interest."

Odds And Ends: Baldelli, Rincon, Clemens

By Coley Ward 2 | June 14, 2008 at 4:06pm CDT

The Tampa Tribune is reporting that Rays OF Rocco Baldelli (60-day DL, mitochondrial disorder) is close to joining a minor-league team for a 20-day rehabilitation assignment. Baldelli thinks he can return to the Rays this season, but he has yet to hold any workouts in the outfield and hinted he could return as a DH. "Obviously, I’d like to be playing the field," Baldelli said. "But realistically, I’m trying not to look too far ahead."
Juan Rincon has declined the Twins’ offer of an assignment to Class AAA Rochester, and the team formally designated him for assignment. In all likelihood, that means Rincon will become a free agent in 10 days. Rincon has been with the Twins for his entire career and had a couple of good years in 2003-2006, but he’s fallen on hard times lately.
If anybody out there harbored hopes that Roger Clemens would return to pitch this season, here’s some cold water to splash on your face. A former federal prosecutor tells the New York Daily News that the evidence against Roger Clemens – testimony from Andy Pettitte and Brian McNamee, as well as the bloody gauze pads, used syringes and steroid vials McNamee turned over to authorities in January – is more than enough to indict Clemens.

Coley Ward writes for Umpbump.com and can be reached here.

Rays To Stay Flexible

By Nat Boyle | April 6, 2008 at 12:29pm CDT

Some Rays notes to report on from Marc Lancaster:

A quote from Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg: "We have room to cut payroll, we have room to grow payroll. We’ll be opportunistic. I know you guys have heard it, but we’re never going to take our eye off of that. If somebody happens to want a high-priced talent of ours and we can get low-priced talent, great. And if they want a low-priced talent and we get high-priced talent that we think is very additive, that’s fine, too."
According to Lancaster, just because the Rays didn’t pick up Rocco Baldelli’s option doesn’t mean they’re not committed to the player. Rays Executive VP Andrew Friedman says, "We’ll do anything in our power to keep him in a Rays uniform as long as possible." If Baldelli can recover and get back on track, he could possess the same relative injury risk and upside at a fraction of the cost.

By Nat Boyle

Rays Notes: Crawford, Baldelli, Wheeler

By Tim Dierkes | April 1, 2008 at 3:10pm CDT

Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has the latest on the Rays’ moves today. The first two were expected.

Carl Crawford’s $8.25MM option for ’09 was exercised. The Rays still have a $10MM club option for ’10 that is highly likely to be exercised. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.
The Rays chose Rocco Baldelli’s $4MM buyout over his $6MM option. It’s a sad situation but it had to be done.
Dan Wheeler was signed to an extension. His ’08 contract was replaced; the new three-year deal runs through 2010 and is worth $10.5MM. He would’ve been a free agent after the season; think of it as a two-year, $6.7MM extension. It’s not a bargain for the 30 year-old, whose 5.30 ERA in ’07 was worse than his 3.5 K/BB would indicate. He’ll need to return to his 2005-06 level to be worth the money.

Odds and Ends: Dan Johnson, Baldelli, Soria

By Tim Dierkes | March 17, 2008 at 10:46am CDT

Let’s round up some linkage.

Last Thursday I appeared on WVOX 1460 out of New York with Russell Mafes. You can download the file here (it’s about 12 mb and 16 minutes long).
Jim Hendry is very candid about the Cubs’ desire to add a right-handed hitting outfielder who can handle center.
Mike Sweeney’s success and good health could mean Dan Johnson is on his way out of Oakland.
Jim Salisbury says the Phillies might have taken Rocco Baldelli 15th in the 2000 draft instead of Chase Utley, if they’d had the chance. Would the Mets or Dodgers have taken Utley, then?
Rany Jazayerli takes an in-depth look at Joakim Soria. Should the Royals give him a shot in the rotation later this year?
On my fantasy baseball blog RotoAuthority I talk about the dropoff after the first five catchers.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Roberts, Horacio, Willits

By Tim Dierkes | March 14, 2008 at 2:49pm CDT

Rumor guru and baseball insider Ken Rosenthal has a new column at FOX Sports. Let’s discuss.

Rosenthal does not see the Cubs taking on the salaries of both Brian Roberts and Coco Crisp, even if they shed their Jason Marquis commitment. Roberts remains the focus.
Horacio Ramirez’s agent says seven clubs have already expressed interest in his client. Perhaps he meant to say 0.7.
Rosenthal runs through many Rocco Baldelli replacement options for the Rays: Reggie Willits, Kenny Lofton, Gabe Gross, and Reed Johnson. Only Willits seems the perfect fit, and the Angels aren’t making him available. Willits and his .393 career OBP could be headed to Triple A.
The Phillies are looking for middle relief help; Rosenthal suggests a possible match with Arizona. Or, how ’bout signing Bob Wickman? Is he officially retired?

Odds and Ends: Baldelli, Salcedo, Piazza, Rivera

By Tim Dierkes | March 12, 2008 at 11:00am CDT

Time for today’s linkage.

RotoAuthority looks for some fantasy baseball sleepers at second base.
Rocco Baldelli has a rare muscle condition that does not allow his body to recover after a short workout. He’ll hit the DL but won’t retire. The Rays will likely decline his option but maybe they’ll re-sign him at a lower price.
The Indians are in the running for 16 year-old shortstop Edward Salcedo, but the Boras client remains unsigned.
IGN has their own What Might’ve Been type series, and recently they took a look at the Mike Piazza trades of 1998. Haven’t heard much on Piazza these last few weeks.
The Angels seem likely to keep Juan Rivera, as he could be their left fielder in ’09 and ’10.
I’m been devouring The Worst Team Money Could Buy, a book by Bob Klapisch and John Harper chronicling the ’92 Mets. I am a bit too young to remember that team. It’s a hilarious look at that trainwreck, with all sorts of off-the-record quotes. You really get a feel for what it’s like following the Mets beat, too.

Odds and Ends: Loretta, German, Belliard, Baldelli

By stoeten 2 | March 9, 2008 at 10:35pm CDT

An update to the Ken Rosenthal article discussed earlier suggests that either Esteban German or Ron Belliard would be better, cheaper alternatives for the Dodgers than Joe Crede or Brandon Inge. It would take less to get Belliard or German, they’re paid less, and either of them could back up Jeff Kent, 40, at second base in addition to playing third. Both players are "attracting the Dodgers’ interest" according to Rosenthal.
The Baltimore Sun is now reporting that the Orioles have an interest in Mark Loretta. Hopefully this is a sign that the Brian Roberts-to-Chicago saga will soon mercifully come to a conclusion. Loretta apparently isn’t slated for regular duty in a Houston infield that now features Miguel Tejada, Kaz Matsui and Ty Wigginton, which is why he might be in play. The Astros sent a scout to watch the O’s on Sunday.
Rocco Baldelli spoke with Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal about his myriad health problems, and dispelled some of the more creative speculation about him. He didn’t, however, address the big decision on his future that the Rays will be forced to make in the coming weeks. As discussed here a couple of days ago, and again in Sunday’s St. Petersburg Times, the decision on whether the team will pick up Baldelli’s 2009 option has to be made by April 1st. The Times suggests the Rays will pass, meaning a $4MM buyout.

Posted by Andrew Stoeten of Drunk Jays Fans.

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