Wandy Rodriguez

Yanks Prefer Left-Handers And Rentals

By Steve Adams | June 18, 2011 at 8:37pm CDT

8:37PM: The Yankees are "watching everyone, focused on no one," a source tells Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter).

2:23PM: George A. King III of the New York Post lists both Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster as two pitchers of potential interest to the Yankees (which we also heard yesterday), but soon after notes that the Yankees would prefer to add a left-handed starter, and that they also prefer players who are only signed through 2011.

King names Wandy Rodriguez as the best available southpaw starter, though he's anything but a rental; his contract is guaranteed through 2013 with an option for 2014. Dempster better fits the criteria of a rental player; he has a $14MM player option for 2012, but after a disastrous start owns a 3.21 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 56 innings of work since May 1. If he continues to pitch that well through season's end, he can likely find more money on the free agent market. Dempster also has full no-trade protection, making him a difficult target.

Left-handed starters whose contracts expire following the 2011 season include Paul Maholm, Bruce Chen, Jeff Francis, and Zach Duke. Of the four, only Maholm is currently pitching well enough to be considered an upgrade. Mark Buehrle is also a free agent following 2011, but a clause in his contract states that he will receive an extra year at $15MM if he's traded this season.

Maholm earns just $5.75MM this year and has a $750K buyout on his $9.75MM option for 2012. To date, he's compiled a strong 3.12 ERA that's supported fairly well by his 3.53 FIP and 3.89 xFIP. Chen has been solid in 42 2/3 innings for the Royals, but is currently rehabbing from a lat muscle injury. Those names, of course, are pure speculation based on the Yanks' stated desires.

New York is currently sixth in the American League in starters' ERA with a mark of 3.89, but that's been largely supported by surprising performances from Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, who was recently put on the 15-day disabled list. As King points out, the club expects Phil Hughes to return at some point as well. He's set for a rehab start tomorrow.

Rosenthal’s Full Count: Marlins, Wandy, Phillies, Rockies

By Steve Adams | June 18, 2011 at 3:23pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal has his lastest Full Count video up over at FOXSports.com. Let's go over the highlights:

If the Marlins make a managerial change, the most likely candidate would be Nationals' third base coach Bo Porter. Porter spent five years with the Marlins, and three as a Major League coach. Rosenthal wonders if the Nats would let him go to a division rival midseason, and if Porter would accept the job on an interim basis, knowing the Marlins ultimately want Ozzie Guillen. Porter turned down a similar offer last season.
Rosenthal asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman if he would consider trading for an ace, and Cashman replied, "I'm not Ruben Amaro," referring to the Phillies GM and his affinity for blockbuster trades. Rosenthal names Wandy Rodriguez as a potential target for New York, but says there could be a hangup since the Astros value Rodriguez as an ace, while the Yanks would view him as a back-of-the-rotation addition.
The Phillies are doing their due dilligence in looking for right-handed hitters and left-handed relievers, but are limited by payroll issues. They also don't currently have regular at-bats for any hitter they'd acquire. Rosenthal says someone like Ryan Spilborghs, making $2MM with the Rockies, is the type of hitter that would be appealing to Philadelphia.
The Rockies could be buyers or sellers, depending on their play over the next month. If they're buyers, they'll seek innings-eating pitchers (Rosenthal names Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers and the Twins' Kevin Slowey as possible targets), while if they sell they could look to move Huston Street, Ty Wigginton, and Aaron Cook.

Stark On Pence, Phillies, Braves

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 24, 2011 at 3:35pm CDT

Of all the teams in baseball, the 18-30 Astros are likeliest to become sellers this summer, in the eyes of ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Yet Stark suggests there may be a shortage of sellers, since so many teams are within striking distance of a playoff berth. Here are the details, as the summer trade market starts to take shape:

Houston GM Ed Wade says it makes sense to explore “anything that builds the type of depth that will get us where we need to be."
Rival teams believe Wade would listen to offers for players like Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Clint Barmes and Bill Hall, but the GM says he’s “going to be very protective of [Houston’s] younger players."
Stark hears that the Braves, Orioles and Phillies have some interest in Hunter Pence. A rival executive says Wade would need an immense haul to justify trading Pence, who is under team control through 2013.
The Phillies’ interest in Pence may be overstated. Pence’s $6.9MM salary appears to be about double what Philadelphia can add and at this point, the Phils are just creating a shopping list of possible targets.
The Braves are “actively stepping up” their search for hitting. They’ve been looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder and would also like a utility infielder who can handle shortstop. They signed longtime shortstop Julio Lugo yesterday.

Quick Hits: Pelfrey, Wandy, Beato, Bennett

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | April 5, 2011 at 4:15pm CDT

Links for Monday, before Josh Beckett makes his 2011 debut. Will he live up to his extension?

Rival executives don’t expect Mariners ace Felix Hernandez to be available this summer, but they’re eyeing Wandy Rodriguez and Mike Pelfrey as potential trade targets, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
If you want to look a little further ahead, check out Tim Dierkes' preview of which starters will be available next offseason.
ESPN.com's Keith Law suggests the Orioles will regret leaving Pedro Beato off of their 40-man roster last fall. The Mets nabbed the reliever in the Rule 5 draft and he's now on the team's active roster.
Former Braves reliever Jeff Bennett is trying to revive his career after seeing it hit rock-bottom, as Greg Sullivan of the Tennessean writes.

Heyman On Pettitte, Millwood, Molina, Wandy

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 28, 2011 at 11:29am CDT

Yankees people seem a bit more optimistic about the potential return of Andy Pettitte, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. They’ll consider alternatives such as Kevin Millwood, but only after hearing from Pettitte. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:

The Indians and Royals remain possibilities for Millwood.
One rival executive doesn’t think the Bartolo Colon signing means much for the Yankees. "There is no real risk. But there is no real reward, either," the executive said.
Bengie Molina might consider returning for “special opportunities,” Heyman writes.
The Rangers and GM Jon Daniels have started discussing a contract extension and Rangers people expect a new deal for Daniels, whose current contract expires after the 2011 season.
One competing executive believes the Astros overpaid for Wandy Rodriguez. I don’t mind this deal for the Astros, since solid left-handed starters aren’t cheap or easy to find and Rodriguez was about to hit free agency.

Astros, Wandy Rodriguez Sign Long-Term Deal

By Mark Polishuk | January 26, 2011 at 3:30pm CDT

The Astros have avoided arbitration with Wandy Rodriguez, agreeing to a three-year, $34MM contract with the left-hander, the team announced. Rodriguez has passed his physical, according to Astros senior director of social media Alyson Footer (on Twitter).

Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes first reported the extension and Footer tweets that the contract also includes a vesting option for 2014 that could raise the total value of the deal to $44.5MM. Rodriguez is represented by the Wasserman Group.

The average annual value of $11.33MM per season will pay Rodriguez more than the $10.25MM arbitration number he submitted last week (Houston submitted an $8MM contract offer). The deal covers not just Rodriguez's final arbitration year, but it also buys out his first two free agent years. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith listed Rodriguez on his list of ten arbitration cases to watch and noted that the southpaw's eight-figure asking price wasn't so outlandish given his career numbers.

Rodriguez, who turned 32 last week, has a 3.36 ERA, a 2.87 K/BB ratio and an 8.4 K/9 rate in 90 starts for Houston over the last three seasons. With this extension in place, Hunter Pence is the only arbitration-eligible Astro who hasn't yet settled on a 2011 contract. MLBTR's ArbTracker offers details on all the arbitration settlements and submitted figures this offseason.

Astros Notes: Pence, Rodriguez, Figueroa

By Mark Polishuk | January 25, 2011 at 7:10pm CDT

Wandy Rodriguez's contract extension is the big news out of Houston today, but here are some other Astros-related items of note…

The Astros set a 5pm deadline today to reach agreements with any remaining arbitration-eligible players, according to a team press release. The club beat the deadline with Rodriguez, but not with Hunter Pence, so the Astros and the 27-year-old outfielder will go to an arbitration hearing. As MLBTR's ArbTracker shows, Pence is Houston's last unsigned arb-eligible player. The club offered $5.15MM, while Pence is asking for $6.9MM in his second arbitration year. Pence is a Super Two player, so he still has two more arb years left after this one.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post has the breakdown of Rodriguez's contract (Twitter link). The southpaw will earn $7MM next season, $10MM in 2012 and $13MM in 2013. There is a vesting option worth $13MM in 2014 that has a $2.5MM buyout. Rodriguez also receives a $1.5MM signing bonus.
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart notes that Houston now has its top four starters (Rodriguez, Brett Myers, J.A. Happ and Bud Norris) all under team control through at least 2012.
Nelson Figueroa talks to Astros senior director of social media Alyson Footer about how relieved he is to be on a guaranteed contract for the first time in his eight-year Major League career.

Ten Arbitration Cases To Watch

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 24, 2011 at 12:50pm CDT

There aren't many unsigned arbitration eligible players remaining at this point in the winter, but many of the most high-profile cases remain unresolved. As MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows, 26 arbitration eligible players have yet to agree on their 2011 salaries. Some of them will sign extensions, some will go to hearings and others will avoid arbitration with one-year deals. Here's a primer on ten of the most interesting arbitration eligible players out there:

10. Mike Napoli, Blue Jays - In case arbitration cases weren't complicated enough, the Blue Jays have to defend the Angels' number ($5.3MM) if they go to an arbitration hearing with Napoli, who filed at $6.1MM. The numbers stand, even though the Blue Jays acquired the catcher/first baseman after the Angels exchanged arbitration submissions with him.

9. R.A. Dickey, Mets – Dickey has said he's open to a multiyear deal. We'll soon know whether Mets GM Sandy Alderson wants to extend the knuckleballer or settle on a contract in the $3.35-4.7MM range.

8. Delmon Young, Twins - There's a $1.6MM difference between Young's asking price ($6.25MM) and the Twins' suggested salary ($4.65MM).

7. Jeremy Guthrie, Orioles – As I explained yesterday, Guthrie's case could come down to his durability (175 innings in four consecutive seasons) vs. the fact that comparable starters (John Danks, Chad Billingsley, Matt Garza) have been harder to hit.

6. Rickie Weeks, Brewers – The Brewers are no longer discussing a multiyear deal with Weeks, who is asking for $7.2MM. The Brewers countered with $4.85MM.

5. Francisco Liriano, Twins - Liriano made $1.6MM last year and posted a 3.62 ERA with 9.4 K/9 in 191 2/3 innings. His representatives at Legacy Sports will argue that he has earned a raise to $5MM, while Bill Smith and the Twins say $3.6MM is more appropriate.

4. Wandy Rodriguez, Astros – Rodriguez's $10.25MM asking price seems high until you realize how few arbitration eligible pitchers have comparable big league experience (the Astros offered $8MM). Rodriguez is just 15 innings shy of 1,000 for his career and his ERA hasn't surpassed 3.60 in any of the past three seasons. The lefty's 985 innings are 246 more than Erik Bedard had after 2008, the season that set Bedard up for a $7.75MM payday. Few arbitration eligible pitchers earn eight-figure deals, but few have as much big league experience and success as Rodriguez.

3. Jered Weaver, Angels - Weaver requested $8.8MM, while the Angels countered with $7.465MM. Either way, the Scott Boras client will be earning substantially more than he did in 2010, when he made $4.625MM.

2. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays – I wrote last fall that Bautista's case comes down to his historic 2010 season vs. the forgettable campaigns he strung together before last year. Click here to read more.

1. Josh Hamilton, Rangers - The Rangers could bring up Hamilton’s injury history and past substance abuse, but they would have to do so subtly, says Michael Vlessides, a veteran arbitration consultant. “It’s the fine line between how much do you pick on the guy who’s the MVP. If you do it too much, you can lose a lot of credibility” Vlessides said. Beating MVPs in arbitration hearings isn’t easy, but the Pirates beat Barry Bonds after he won his first MVP in 1990 and again the following offseason.

Arbitration Figures: Tuesday

By Mike Axisa | January 18, 2011 at 6:41pm CDT

Today is the deadline for players and teams to submit arbitration figures. Let's keep track of those figures here, with the latest updates on top. You can track all of the players that avoided arbitration today here.

MLB.com's Jane Lee tweets that Craig Breslow filed for $1.55MM, but the Athletics countered with $1.15MM.
Zachary Levine of The Houston Chronicle has some figures for the Astros. Wandy Rodriguez filed for $10.25MM, Hunter Pence for $6.9MM. The team countered with $8MM and $5.15MM, respectively.
Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star tweets that Billy Butler filed for $4.3MM while the Royals countered with $3.4MM.
Hank Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Javier Lopez filed for $2.875MM and Andres Torres for $2.6MM (Twitter link). The Giants countered with $2MM and $1.8MM, respectively.

John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Johnny Cueto filed for $3.9MM, but the Reds countered with $3MM. He adds that Edinson Volquez filed for $2MM, the team $1.3MM.
Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times tweets Jered Weaver filed for $8.8MM, but the Angels countered with $7.365MM. He adds that Mike Napoli filed for $6.1MM, the team for $5.3MM.
Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinal has the figures for some prominent Brewers (Twitter link). Rickie Weeks filed for $7.2MM, Shaun Marcum for $5MM, and Kameron Loe for $1.65MM. The team countered with $4.85MM, $3MM, and $1.055MM, respectively.
MLB.com's Ken Gurnick tweets that James Loney filed for $5.25MM, and the Dodgers for $4.7MM.
Gurnick adds that Hong-Chih Kuo filed for $3.075MM, the Dodgers countered with $2.55MM (on Twitter).
Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun has the skinny on two of the Orioles' key players (Twitter link). Luke Scott filed for $6.85MM and Jeremy Guthrie for $6.5MM. The team countered with $5.7MM and $5MM, respectively.
Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune reports that Delmon Young filed for $6.25MM, the Twins $4.65MM (on Twitter).
Christensen also reports that Francisco Liriano filed for $5MM and the Twins $3.6MM (on Twitter).
Christensen adds that Kevin Slowey filed for $3.1MM, the Twins $2.3MM (on Twitter).
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York tweets that R.A. Dickey filed for $4.7MM, the Mets $3.35MM.
Andy McCullough of The Star Ledger reports that Angel Pagan filed for $4.2MM, and the Mets for a little over $3.06MM (on Twitter).
SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Josh Hamilton filed for $12MM, the Rangers $8.7MM.
Anthony Andro of The Star Telgram reports that Darren O'Day filed for $1.4MM and the Rangers for $1.05MM (Twitter links).
Frank Francisco filed for $4.875MM, the Rangers $3.5MM according to Andro.
Shi Davidi of The Canadian Press tweets that Jose Bautista filed for $10.5MM, the Blue Jays $7.6MM. Michael Vlessides nailed both figures when he spoke to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith back in October.
MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm tweets that Jason Frasor filed for $3.725MM, the Blue Jays $3.25MM.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Pujols, Rasmus, Wandy

By Luke Adams 2 | January 16, 2011 at 10:33am CDT

The fact that the Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992 isn't stopping new manager Clint Hurdle from aiming high in 2011. Speaking to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Hurdle said that "people can laugh," but Pittsburgh will head into the season with the goal of winning the NL Central. Here are the latest updates on the Pirates and the rest of the division they hope to win:

Hurdle was a major factor in Lyle Overbay's decision to sign with the Pirates, as Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains.
As ESPN's Buster Olney hinted yesterday on Twitter, Albert Pujols is serious about his Spring Training negotiating deadline. In Olney's Insider-only blog, he says that if the deadline passes without an extension in place, "all bets are off. Because the talks will shift from a nice one-on-one conversation between the Cardinals and their star player to being a straight bidding war."
Cardinals GM John Mozeliak tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that trade rumors surrounding Colby Rasmus were blown out of proportion. According to Mozelieak, most of the calls he received on Rasmus were from teams who were "bottom-fishing," thinking the Cards might part with the 24-year-old at a reduced price.
The Astros will face a tough decision this year regarding the future of Wandy Rodriguez, writes Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. Justice expects the team to try to extend the left-hander, a possibility the Astros and Rodriguez have already discussed, but cautions that "the money can't get crazy."

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