Quick Hits: Buchholz, Ishikawa, Tabata, Rivera
Rounding up Sunday's links, as Andre Ethier celebrates his 29th birthday….
- Jon Lester told WEEI.com's Rob Bradford that he didn't talk to Clay Buchholz about the pros and cons of signing a long-term extension before the right-hander inked a four-year pact today.
- Travis Ishikawa admitted he hoped another team would claim him when he was placed on waivers earlier this season, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft. However, now he says he's glad he's still with the Giants organization and is excited to stay on the West Coast, playing for Triple-A Fresno.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks back at the trade that sent Xavier Nady to the Yankees. Kovacevic argues that even if three of the four players the Pirates received for Nady don't work out, Jose Tabata alone makes it a steal for Pittsburgh.
- Juan Rivera isn't off to a good start with his new team, as Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun writes. The Blue Jays are reportedly interested in trading Rivera, but his performance so far likely isn't helping draw any interest.
- The Indians will have some roster shuffling to do when injured players return, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who also addresses trade possibilites in a Tribe mailbag.
- Nationals infielder Alex Cora should make a good manager someday, says MLB.com's Marty Noble.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Ekstrom, Wagner, Ishikawa
The Pacific Coast League's transactions page gives us the update on three recently-designated players.
- Rays reliever Mike Ekstrom has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A according to the transactions page on the team's official site. Ekstrom was designated for assignment three days ago.
- Red Sox catcher Mark Wagner cleared waivers and was assigned to extended Spring Training, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. The Red Sox designated him for assignment on March 29th.
- Travis Ishikawa cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, the Giants announced (on Twitter).
- The Dodgers outrighted pitchers Jon Link and John Lindsey to the Albuquerque Isotopes. They'd been designated for assignment in late March.
- Catcher Lucas May, designated for assignment by the Royals on March 30th, cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Omaha Storm Chasers.
Giants Designate Travis Ishikawa For Assignment
The Giants designated Travis Ishikawa for assignment, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Rookie Brandon Belt made the Giants' Opening Day roster, bumping Ishikawa from the team.
The 27-year-old appeared in 116 games last year and hit .266/.320/.392 in 173 plate appearances. He doesn't have much power for a first baseman (career .400 SLG), but UZR suggests he is well above average with the glove (career 13.5 UZR/150).
Ishikawa, who is out of options, didn't draw trade interest this spring, according to Henry Schulman of the Chronicle (on Twitter). That could change now that the Giants only have ten days to trade Ishikawa, release him or outright him to the minor leagues.
Schierholtz, Ishikawa On The Bubble For Giants
The Giants have a pair of out of options position players on the bubble in Nate Schierholtz and Travis Ishikawa. According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, "Schierholtz could be the easiest and most likely to be dealt. Perhaps soon."
Schierholtz, a right fielder, is trying to break into an outfield that already features more expensive players such as Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Pat Burrell, Mark DeRosa, and perhaps Aaron Rowand. And don't forget top prospect Brandon Belt, who could force Aubrey Huff to left field or play there himself. Just for good measure, Ishikawa is playing a little outfield this spring.
The 27-year-old Schierholtz has failed to produce in 758 scattered big league plate appearances. He has, at least, shown the ability to hit for average, power, and a strong contact rate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Going back to the Baseball America 2008 Handbook, Schierholtz "plays a strong right field and has an above-average, accurate arm." He would have been a more interesting player for the Royals to try in right field than Jeff Francoeur, and could make sense for the Phillies currently.
Trading Rowand would alleviate the Giants' outfield logjam slightly, but Baggarly says there's nothing cooking on that front. Rowand is a release candidate in my mind, unless there's a team willing to pick up a couple million bucks of the $24MM owed to him for 2011-12.
Baggarly notes that both Schierholtz and Ishikawa could be on the outs if Belt makes the team. On Friday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the situations of Rowand, Ishikawa, and Schierholtz will not be big factors in the Belt decision. Belt's service time might be a consideration, not that the team would admit that publicly. If the Giants can survive the season's first nine games without Belt, they can delay his free agency by a year.