Scott Podsednik

National League Free Agent Arbitration Offers

By Tim Dierkes | November 23, 2010 at 11:01pm CDT

11 National League teams have free agent arbitration offer decisions to make, and we'll group them in this post. For a fantastic customizable chart with all 65 Type A/B free agents and their decisions in real-time, click here.

The Padres offered Jon Garland (B), Yorvit Torrealba (B) and Kevin Correia (B) arbitration, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). They did not offer Miguel Tejada (A) and David Eckstein (B) arbitration.
The Reds declined to offer Orlando Cabrera (B) or Arthur Rhodes (A) arbitration, according to the team (on Twitter).
The Dodgers declined to offer arbitration to Scott Podsednik (B), Rod Barajas (B) and Vicente Padilla (B), according to the team (on Twitter).
The Giants offered Juan Uribe (B) arbitration, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
In a surprising move, the Brewers decided to offer Trevor Hoffman (B) arbitration, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports that Hoffman has agreed to turn the offer down (Twitter link).
The Diamondbacks announced that they offered arbitration to Adam LaRoche (B) and Aaron Heilman (B).
The Rockies will offer arbitration to Jorge de la Rosa (A) and Octavio Dotel (B), according to Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post.
The Braves will not offer arbitration to first baseman Derrek Lee (A), according to GM Frank Wren via David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Twitter.
The Nationals offered arbitration to first baseman Adam Dunn (A), reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
The Mets will offer arbitration to lefty Pedro Feliciano (B), tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
Yesterday, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki learned that the Phillies will offer arbitration to Jayson Werth (A) but not Chad Durbin (B).

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Boras, Francisco, Dunn

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 23, 2010 at 8:24pm CDT

Links for Tuesday night, one year after the White Sox signed Omar Vizquel. One year later, the White Sox have already re-signed the 43-year-old infielder for 2011…

The Dodgers are open to re-signing Rod Barajas, Vicente Padilla and Scott Podsednik, though they didn’t offer the players arbitration. Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports on Twitter that the team remains in contact with all three.
Scott Boras' company provided families of poor Dominican prospects with tens of thousands of dollars, reports Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times. Boras tells Yahoo's Tim Brown that he was helping prospects out when their careers were on the line, but MLB will investigate the issue.
The Rangers expect Frank Francisco to accept their offer of arbitration, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
The Nationals are no longer pursuing Adam Dunn aggressively and they appear to be a fringe suitor for him, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Brian Moehler tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he intends to play in 2011 and has interest in returning to the Astros. But Moehler has never pitched in the playoffs, so he'd like to sign with a team that has a good chance of making a playoff run.
The divorce between Frank and Jamie McCourt is now final, according to the AP (on ESPN). The McCourts await a decision that will determine whether Frank has sole ownership of the Dodgers or whether he shares the club with his ex-wife.
Don Nomura, the agent for Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he "deeply" hopes to complete a deal between his client and the A's. Oakland, who won the bidding for Iwakuma, broke off talks earlier in the week because the sides were too far apart.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Scott Podsednik

By Steve Adams | November 7, 2010 at 3:42pm CDT

Last week, Scott Podsednik officially declined his half of his mutual option with the Dodgers and elected to become a free agent. Pods has seen time with three different clubs over the past two seasons, and may end up with a fourth within the next few months. While a few years ago, Podsednik may have been a Major League afterthought, he's rebuilt some stock and now joins a fairly weak outfield market. Let's take a look at his position:

The Good

Podsednik can still run. He may no longer be a 70 stolen base threat, but he's still good for 30-plus swipes per season and will always give pitchers something to think about when he's on base.
His .300/.347/.397 slash line over the past two seasons is passable for a leadoff hitter who can steal plenty of bases.
Podsednik makes good contact; he struck out just 15.4% of his plate appearances this year, while the Major League average sat at 20.7%.
He's a Type B free agent, so he won't cost a draft pick to sign, and likely won't require an overly large salary either.
He can handle lefties decently, so he doesn't need to be part of a platoon. It's worth noting that what little power he has is against right-handers though; he had just four extra base hits against southpaws in 2010.

The Bad

It's been awhile since Pods was a defensive asset. While he has good speed still, he's failed to post a positive UZR in left field since 2007, and his arm is considerably below average.
While he can steal you bases, it's not at an elite rate anymore. Podsednik got caught in nearly 30% of his attempts in 2010, compared to just 16% of the time at his peak in 2004, when he stole 70 with Milwaukee.
He can hit the occasional home run, but Podsednik isn't a reliable source of power. He's slugged above .400 just twice in his career.
He may not be the sexiest option, but after Carl Crawford, Podsednik represents one of the best left field options on the market (Johnny Damon and Pat Burrell are others, depending on how many clubs still view them as viable outfielders). That should give him bargaining power and increase the number of suitors.

The Verdict

Podsednik is no longer the terror on the bases he was in his younger days. He'll be 35 next season, but can still steal 30+ bases and get on base well enough to be a club's leadoff hitter. He won't bring power, but he doesn't strike out much and many teams will like his veteran presence. He represents one of the better left field options on the market, thanks to a resurgent 2009-2010 stretch. He declined a $2MM salary with the Dodgers, which means he'll look to best that mark and likely won't have trouble doing so. It's at least possible a team commits two years, but I'd assume most will want to stick to one-year deals, probably with a club option. Podsednik can likely command a salary in the $3MM-$4MM range, and if he can maintain his speed, it wouldn't be a terrible commitment.

Podsednik's nothing too special at this point, but he picked a good time to enter free agency. A weak market and back-to-back solid seasons will earn him a respectable payday.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Giants, Gregg, Pujols, Webb

By Zachary Links | November 4, 2010 at 10:33pm CDT

Links for tonight as we remember Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, who passed away today at the age of 76. MLB.com's Marty Noble penned a great article today looking back at the life and career of the universally beloved skipper.

The Mets announced that GM Sandy Alderson will interview in-house candidates Wally Backman, Terry Collins, and Chip Hale in California this weekend, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Earlier today the Mets sat down with Bob Melvin and Dave Jauss in New York.
Giants GM Brian Sabean says that the club will soon make an offer to Aubrey Huff and will "certainly be in discussions" with Juan Uribe, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News.
Expect the Rockies to call Kevin Gregg's agent, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said that he hopes to work out an extension with the club before Opening Day, according to the Associated Press.
Jonathan Maurer, the agent for Brandon Webb, says that several teams have already contacted him with interest in his client, according to the Associated Press. We learned yesterday that Webb would like to return to Arizona but that seems unlikely.
After turning down his end of a mutual option today, Scott Podsednik is still in talks with the Dodgers, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The Denver Post's Troy Renck says that Jorge de la Rosa hasn't been presented with an offer from the Rockies since last winter when he instead opted to take a one-year deal in arbitration.
The Mets dropped five players from the 40-man roster today including Jesus Feliciano and Omir Santos, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.

Podsednik Declines Option, Becomes A Free Agent

By Tim Dierkes | November 4, 2010 at 1:13pm CDT

Scott Podsednik declined his side of his mutual option with the Dodgers and will hit free agency. The Dodgers exercised their side of the option for $2MM two days ago, but Podsednik topped 525 plate appearances this year, so his contract gave him the choice between a $2MM salary or free agency.

Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reported (on Twitter) that Podsednik turned down his side of the option and MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reported on Twitter that the Dodgers picked up theirs.

Podsednik, 35 in March, hit .297/.342/.382 in 595 plate appearances for the Royals and Dodgers this year. He spent most of his time in left field, tallying 1078.6 innings there. Given the weak free agent market for left fielders after Carl Crawford, it's not surprising that Podsednik chose free agency.

Odds & Ends: Weeks, Blue Jays, Daisuke, Vazquez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2010 at 4:13pm CDT

Links for Wednesday, after a roller coaster win by Joey Votto and the Reds…

GM Doug Melvin told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that the Brewers won't discuss an extension with Rickie Weeks until the season's over. Weeks, who will hit free agency after 2011, recently switched agents.
Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Shawn Camp, Kevin Gregg and John Buck all hit waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). There's no indication that the Blue Jays intend on moving any of their players this month.
Over at RotoAuthority, Tim Dierkes analyzes the seasons some top second basemen are having.
Number 18 is an 'ace number' in Japan, so Daisuke Matsuzaka has a clause in his contract ensuring that he gets to wear it. Matsuzaka explained to Alex Speier of WEEI.com that a childhood idol of his, Masumi Kuwata, wore the number for the Yomiuri Giants.
Ben Kabak of River Ave. Blues calls the Javier Vazquez trade a "true disappointment," but hesitates to label it a "true bust."
Joel Sherman of the New York Post argues that the Mets should make decisions with the future of the organization in mind, instead of "letting a lame-duck manager make choices" to win as much as possible.
Manny Ramirez isn't the only Dodger on waivers. As Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times notes (on Twitter), Casey Blake, Jay Gibbons and Scott Podsednik also hit the waiver wire today.

Odds & Ends: Aramis, Podsednik, Huff, Hawpe

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 19, 2010 at 4:08pm CDT

Links for Thursday, exactly two years after the Padres traded Greg Maddux to the Dodgers…

Aramis Ramirez told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com that he plans to honor his contract. Presumably that means he intends on exercising his 2011 player option worth $14.6MM.
As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out on Twitter, Scott Podsednik has now reached 525 plate appearances for 2010, so he will have the power to void his 2011 option. The Dodgers have a $2MM option for next season with a $100K buyout.
Mark Pieper of SFX now represents Aubrey Huff, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Huff, a free agent this winter, left ACES earlier in the season.
Brad Hawpe, who was officially released today, thanked the fans for his seven years in Colorado, via Troy Renck of the Denver Post. It's been a rough year for Hawpe, who was "a player who everybody would have wanted" last winter, according to a GM who spoke to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe says he would offer Adrian Beltre a three-year $45MM deal this winter if he were running the Red Sox, but he's not sure about $60MM over four years.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests all parties would benefit if the Dodgers trade Manny Ramirez this month. Manny is rehabbing, but can soon be placed on waivers. He will likely clear waivers and draw trade interest.

2011 Vesting Options Update

By Tim Dierkes | August 9, 2010 at 8:20am CDT

We began the season with nine potential vesting options for 2011, but they're dropping like flies. With Alex Cora and Magglio Ordonez now off the board, we look at the remaining three:

Trever Miller, Cardinals. The lefty needs 45 appearances for his $2MM option to vest, and he's made 41 on the season. He could lock in next year's salary within a week, though a DL-worthy left arm or shoulder injury changes this to a club option.
Darren Oliver, Rangers. Oliver needs 59 appearances for his $3.25MM option to vest, and he's got 46 so far. Barring injury, he'll get there.
Ramon Hernandez, Reds. Hernandez needs 120 games for his $3.25MM option to vest. He's played in 65 so far. The Reds have only 50 games remaining, so we can cross this one off the list.
An honorable mention goes to Billy Wagner, whose $6.5MM option vests with 50 games finished. Wagner has finished 46 so far. However just last month he repeated his desire to retire after the season. Having a guaranteed salary for 2011 might not sway Wagner, since he would've made at least that much on the free agent market anyway. But what if he finishes the season just shy of the fourth spot on the all-time saves leaderboard? He's currently 12 away from John Franco, who finished with 424.
Also of note is Scott Podsednik, who needs 525 plate appearances to be able to void his $2MM club option. Pods is 41 PAs shy of that mark.

Dodgers Acquire Scott Podsednik

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 28, 2010 at 8:03pm CDT

The Dodgers acquired Scott Podsednik from the Royals for catcher Lucas May and right-handed pitcher Elisaul Pimentel, the Royals announced. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, who first reported the deal on Twitter, notes that the Dodgers will pay the rest of Podsednik's salary.

Podsednik has a .309/.352/.400 line with 30 steals in 42 attempts. If those numbers look familiar, it’s because he batted .304/.353/.412 with 30 steals in 43 attempts a year ago. Podsednik has spent most of his time in left field this year, though he has played hundreds of games in center over the course of his ten-year MLB career.

The 34-year-old makes $1.65MM this year (about $620K remains). The Dodgers have a $2MM option for 2011, but Podsednik will probably be able to void it. He has 430 plate appearances and needs just 525 to neutralize the option.

Royals GM Dayton Moore said the club would likely have offered arbitration to Podsednik, a projected Type B free agent the season. The Royals remain open to signing the outfielder if he hits free agency this winter, but Moore wanted to acquire value for him now.

May, 25, is hitting .285/.344/.472 with 11 homers in the upper minors, mostly at Triple A. The Dodgers drafted him as a shortstop in the eighth round of the 2003 draft and current Royals scout Mitch Webster signed him. Moore says May is a "slam dunk MLB catcher" in some capacity, though he is still developing behind the plate.

Before the 2007 season, May became a full-time catcher. Baseball America said he was still an "inconsistent" receiver before this season, when they ranked May 17th among Dodgers prospects. BA noted his ability to square up fastballs and his struggles with off-speed and breaking pitches.

Pimentel, who was honored as the Topps Midwest League Player of the Month for June, has a 3.49 ERA in 16 starts this year. The 22-year-old Dominican native has, to borrow Moore's words, "eye-popping" minor league numbers: 9.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 with that tidy 3.49 ERA.

This afternoon, the Dodgers were pursuing Podsednik and other outfielders, including Ryan Raburn. GM Ned Colletti wanted outfield depth, since Manny Ramirez and Reed Johnson are on the DL. Now, Colletti tells Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that his focus has turned to pitching (Twitter link).

Dodgers Moving Closer On Scott Podsednik

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 28, 2010 at 3:06pm CDT

3:06pm: The Dodgers also have interest in Tigers outfielder Ryan Raburn, according to Stark (via Twitter).

2:37pm: The Dodgers are considering a second outfielder, along with Podsednik, according to Rosenthal on Twitter. Earlier in the afternoon, Rosenthal reported that the Dodgers are “in conversation” with the Royals regarding Podsednik (via Twitter). A second source tells Rosenthal that the Giants are still in on Podsednik.

1:23pm: The Dodgers are moving closer on Podsednik, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.

WEDNESDAY, 12:43pm: The Dodgers are making the strongest push for Podsednik, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, but the Giants remain involved.

MONDAY, 10:40pm: NL West teams are bombarding the Royals with interest in Scott Podsednik, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star confirms the report (via Twitter) and so does Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. Rosenthal suggests the Giants, Padres and Dodgers could be fits. The Giants and Padres have been linked to outfielders for weeks now and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti recently said he wants to add outfield depth.

Podsednik, 34, has a .309/.353/.399 line with 29 steals in 41 attempts. It's a carbon copy of the season he put together last year, when he batted .304/.353/.412 with 30 steals in 43 attempts. Teams know what they're getting in Podsednik: a speedy left fielder who can play center and get on base.

The Royals signed Podsednik to a team-friendly deal that guarantees the outfielder $1.65MM this season (about $580K remains). The team has an option for 2011 worth $2MM, but Podsednik will likely be able to void it. He had 421 plate appearances entering today's action and needs just 525 to neutralize the option.

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