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Stark On Montero, Athletics, Phillies

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Teams may be able to trade draft picks as soon as next year, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. It also appears that owners and players are leaning toward adding a second Wild Card team in each league and having a one-game playoff between each league's two Wild Card teams to open the playoffs, according to Stark. Here are the rest of his rumors:

  • Though the Yankees never officially offered Jesus Montero to the Royals for Joakim Soria last year, executives around baseball are convinced GM Brian Cashman would have parted with the top catching prospect to acquire the Royals’ reliever.
  • Athletics manager Bob Geren is at “the top of the ‘First Manager to Get Fired’ charts,” according to Stark. The 27-34 A’s have lost their last seven games.
  • One rival scout tells Stark that Josh Willingham is the only Oakland player he’d recommend to his team. Scouts are bearing down on the A’s as possible sellers.
  • It’s highly unlikely that the Phillies consider trading Roy Oswalt or prospect Jonathan Singleton for a bat.

Phillies Notes: Madson, Trade Targets, Lidge, Oswalt

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Let's round up the latest links on the National League's top team….

  • Ruben Amaro Jr. told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that, before the season, the Phillies expressed a desire to "continue the relationship" with Ryan Madson. An extension before season's end is probably unlikely though. Madson's stock is improving with his ninth inning success, and agent Scott Boras figures to want to test the open market.
  • Even with Chase Utley on his way back, the Phillies may need to acquire a bat to help jump-start their offense, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes did last month, Brookover takes a look at a few potential targets for the Phils, who could be facing luxury taxes if they make a midseason move.
  • Within the previously linked FOX Sports piece, Rosenthal speculates that a healthy Brad Lidge could become a trade chip for the Phillies, to make room for an offensive acquisition.
  • In a separate Inquirer column, Brookover explains why Cody Overbeck is considered a better prospect than Double-A Reading teammate Matt Rizzotti.
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff is betting on Roy Oswalt turning down his 2012 mutual option if he enjoys a successful 2011 season. Davidoff thinks the right-hander, who has previously discussed the possibility of early retirement, "probably won't be in position to get a five-year contract but should get significant dollars" on the open market.

Quick Hits: Feliz, Oswalt, Dodgers

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A few items to close out this weekend..

  • Given his recent mind-changing history, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter) suggests not reading too much into Neftali Feliz's thoughts on starting next season.  Earlier today, Feliz said that he wants to continue finishing games for the rest of his career, before backtracking later on.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN tweets that of all the players he has ever written about, he would say that Roy Oswalt is among those most likely to leave baseball whenever he felt it necessary.
  • Tom Schieffer is a good pick to oversee the Dodgers, writes Olney.  Olney writes that Schieffer is, by all accounts, a tough negotiator and someone who will make budgetary decisions and stick to them.

Dead Money: Paying Players To Play Elsewhere

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Eating money in trades or by releasing players is far from an ideal business practice, but sometimes it's a necessary evil. The Mets believe they are better off paying Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo a combined $18MM not to be on their team this year, and released the two just last month. David Wharton of The Los Angeles Times wrote about the concept of "dead money" today, speaking to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, sports economist J.C. Bradbury, and Scott Boras.

With some help from Cot's Baseball Contracts, let's look at the teams that are paying players to be anywhere but on their roster this season…

This doesn't include money the Braves owe Kenshin Kawakami ($7.4MM) or the Yankees owe Kei Igawa ($4MM). Both Japanese imports remain in the organization, but they've since been banished to the minor leagues. It also doesn't include all the money the Mets famously owe Bobby Bonilla for the next two decades.

Yuniesky Betancourt is the only player collecting paychecks from three different big league teams at the moment, but Carlos Silva could join him if he's called up by the Yankees. Gary Matthews Jr. could also be in that mix if he catches on somewhere this summer.

Quick Hits: Feliciano, Twins, Rendon, Oswalt

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 Links for Wednesday, after a walk-off win for Brandon Inge and the Tigers…

  • Yankees manager Joe Girardi says Pedro Feliciano has a "damaged shoulder" according to Ben Shpigel of the New York Times (on Twitter). It sounds like surgery is a possibility for the Yankees' $8MM investment.
  • Tsuyoshi Nishioka’s leg injury weakened the Twins' middle infield, which means they may look for infield help, rather than relievers in potential deals, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Trade candidate Kevin Slowey hasn’t pitched in a game since April 4th because of bursitis in his right shoulder, but he could become available again this season.
  • Anthony Rendon nudged out Gerrit Cole for top spot on Baseball America’s updated list of top draft eligible players.
  • The Yankees were frustrated that the Astros never made them fully aware that Roy Oswalt was available last summer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Credit Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. for acquiring Oswalt quietly and later denying the Yankees their primary offseason target, Cliff Lee.

Oswalt On Retirement; Hamels On Future In Philly

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Roy Oswalt is still considering retirement after the 2011 season, while his rotation mate Cole Hamels wants to sign an extension to stay in Philadelphia, reports Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.

Oswalt told Morosi last February that "this year [2010] and next year will probably be it."  Oswalt didn't sound quite as definitive on Monday, but said that retirement is still on his mind.

“I’ll play this year and see how it goes,” Oswalt said. “I’ll see where my body’s at and pretty much go from there.”

2011 is the last guaranteed year on Oswalt's contract.  The Phils hold a $16MM option on the veteran right-hander for 2012, and Oswalt can choose to opt out of this option himself, though doing so would reduce the $2MM buyout price.  Oswalt turns 34 in August but is still pitching at a high enough level that if he remains in good form through this season, the Phillies probably wouldn't hesitate to exercise that option. 

Oswalt has never played for a World Series winner, so it's possible the Phillies' performance this season will influence his future plans.  If the Phils win the Series, Oswalt could choose to walk away from the game on the high note of his first championship.  If the club falls short, Oswalt could decide to return in 2012 to take one last shot at a title on a Phillies team that is still set up to contend.

Oswalt's retirement would make a long-term extension for Hamels even more of a priority than it probably already is for the Phils.  Hamels is entering the last year of a three-year, $20.5MM pact he signed with Philadelphia before the 2009 season, but the left-hander still has one more year of arbitration eligibility left as a Super Two player.

We heard in January that the Phillies hadn't begun to discuss a multiyear deal with Hamels, but the left-hander told Rosenthal/Morosi that he is very interested in remaining in Philadelphia.

“I want to be here as long as I possibly can,” Hamels said. “It’s why Cliff ( Lee) came back. It’s the reason Roy ( Halladay) wanted to be here. It’s a great place to play….I want to be here for the majority of my time of being a baseball player. I’ve never looked at anything else.”

How Long Will Phillies’ Four Aces Stay Together?

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The Phillies have assembled an amazing quartet to front their 2011 rotation: Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt.  How long can we expect this group to stay together?

  • Halladay is signed through 2013, with an option for '14.  It's possible the option will vest if Halladay tosses 225 innings in '13, 415 innings in '12-13, and avoids the disabled list at the end of the '13 season.
  • Lee is signed through 2015, with a $27.5MM club option for '16.  This option can vest more easily than Doc's, if Lee has 200 innings in '15 or 400 in '14-15 and does not finish the '15 season with a left shoulder or elbow injury.  Plus, the massive $12.5MM buyout on that option gives it a $15MM net price, which might be worth exercising if Lee is good but not great in his age 36 season.
  • Hamels is signed through 2011 and is arbitration eligible for the '12 season.  Will he test the free agent waters after '12?  The Phillies were able to sign Hamels to his current deal two years ago, but were not able to secure his final arbitration year let alone a free agent season or two.
  • Oswalt is signed through 2011.  He has a $16MM mutual option for '12 with a $2MM buyout.  The $14MM net price should be appealing to the Phillies if Oswalt performs anywhere near his 2010 level, though the pitcher does have the ability to opt out.  There are plenty of possibilities after the '11 season: Oswalt could retire, both sides could decide $16MM is a fair salary for another go-round, the Phillies could choose to decline, or the pitcher could decide he wants security for 2013 and seek a multiyear deal.

My guess: the Phillies will work something out with Oswalt for 2012, and we'll enjoy these four pitching together for two seasons.

Thanks to Cot's for the contract info.

Kepner’s Latest: Astros’ Future, Jackson, Pirates

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Tyler Kepner of the New York Times has some odds and ends from around the baseball universe; let's take a look at some of the highlights:

  • The trades of players like Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt signify that the Astros have finally moved on and are looking ahead. Wandy Rodriguez is the only remaining player who played in the 2005 World Series with the club.
  • General manager Ed Wade refuted speculation that he prefers to trade with the Phillies, the team for which he served as general manager from 1998-2005. Instead, he simply says that the Phillies provided the best offers to improve the Astros. Wade has traded both Oswalt and Brad Lidge to Philadelphia.
  • Wade praises first-year manager Brad Mills for keeping the Astros focused after a 17-34 start to the season. Houston went 17-12 in August and has recently swept both the Phillies and Cardinals.
  • Edwin Jackson is happy to be in Chicago on a fresh start. “It’s like a new season,” Jackson said. Earlier today we heard that Daniel Hudson, one of the players the Diamondbacks received in the deal, is experiencing similar enjoyment in Arizona.
  • Kepner points out that the pitchers acquired from the Yankees in recent years haven't panned out for the Pirates. Ross Ohlendorf has experienced some success, but Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen have both disappointed. All three came to Pittsburgh in the trade for Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. It's worth pointing out that the other component of that trade was Jose Tabata, who has played very well in his first taste of the big leagues this year.

Stark On Padres, Manny, Wandy, Harang

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The Rangers appear to be headed toward stability, but they added $4.6MM in payroll before the trade deadline and, as ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports, that left some rival executives unhappy. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors:

  • The Padres had asked the Cardinals about Ryan Ludwick more than once leading up to the trade deadline.
  • GM Jed Hoyer had also inquired on Jake Westbrook and even Roy Oswalt.
  • When the White Sox called the Dodgers to ask about Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers ended the conversation quickly. That didn't stop the Rays and two other American League teams from calling the Dodgers, however. We should note that GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that he only fielded one call about Manny (Twitter link).
  • Not one team pursued Jose Guillen seriously before the deadline. The Royals designated the outfielder for assignment today, so we'll see in the next ten days if any teams have mild interest.
  • Joe Beimel drew lots of interest last weekend, but the Rockies never seriously shopped him. 
  • A number of teams tried to acquire Wandy Rodriguez, including the Twins, Reds, Mets, Dodgers and Blue Jays.
  • The Reds tried to determine interest in Aaron Harang, so they could attempt to move him in August if he returns from the DL and proves that the back spasms that sidelined him are no longer an issue.

Cafardo On Lee, Edmonds, Dunn, Kelly

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In this week's installment of his Baseball Notes column, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo breaks down the winners and losers of the trade deadline. His assessment includes a few surprises, such as praising the inactive Blue Jays for "not settling for pennies on the dollar." Here are the rest of the highlights from Cafardo's piece:

  • This year's deadline could make teams even less willing to include no-trade clauses in future contracts. Players like Derrek Lee and Roy Oswalt took advantage of their clauses, making it difficult, or in Lee's case impossible, for their respective clubs to move them.
  • Having said that, Cliff Lee "has made it clear" he wants a no-trade clause in his next deal, having played for four different clubs in the past two seasons. As the best pitcher available this winter, he should be in a position to make that demand.
  • The Brewers would like to keep Jim Edmonds around past this season if he's healthy and willing to return. It appears, however, that he's leaning toward retirement.
  • Had David Ortiz not turned his season around earlier this year, the Red Sox would have been one of the teams in on Adam Dunn before the deadline.
  • With the Red Sox' starting rotation currently full, a few teams thought Boston may part with Casey Kelly. According to Cafardo, the Sox may try to move Daisuke Matsuzaka when they feel Kelly is major league ready.
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