Quick Hits: Cabrera, Kazmir, Padres’ Draft
Here are a few items of note as Jarrod Saltalamacchia parks one over the Big Green Monster on Sunday Night Baseball …
- The Indians' acquisition of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is looking like one of the organization's best moves in recent years, writes Bud Shaw of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. The Tribe plucked Cabrera, now 25 and posting All-Star caliber numbers, from the Mariners in 2006 in exchange for Eduardo Perez. For more on how the 2011 Indians were assembled, check out Ben Nicholson-Smith's recent post.
- Angels lefty Scott Kazmir, who's spent most of the season on the disabled list, will soon begin a minor league rehab stint, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Kazmir may return to to the bigs as a long reliever, and if he continues to struggle, he could be released, in which case the Halos will have to eat his contract (what's left of his $12MM salary, plus a $2.5MM buyout after the season). Mike Axisa wrote in January that this one would be a make-or-break season for Kazmir, and it's not going well so far. Ben thinks the lefty may have to settle for a minor league deal this offseason.
- The Padres own six of the first 58 picks in next month's draft, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and they face some pressure after they were unable to sign last year's first-round pick, Karsten Whitson. Center speculates that the Friars could focus on pitching and up-the-middle players, considering their farm is relatively stocked with corner infielders and outfielders. For more on the draft, be sure to check out our Amateur Draft Glossary.
Quick Hits: Brown, Padres, Johnson
On this date in 1919, Babe Ruth hit his first career grand slam to help the Red Sox beat the Browns. Oh yeah, and he pitched a complete game. Here’s the latest from around the league on the anniversary of the Babe’s big day…
- The Phillies placed Shane Victorino on the 15-day DL with a right hamstring strain and called up outfielder Domonic Brown from Triple-A, the team announced.
- By waiting a month, the Phillies could have ensured themselves that Brown would finish the 2011 season with less than a full year of service time, but their focus is clearly (and rightfully) on winning games now.
- The Padres are close to announcing a 20-year TV deal with Fox that will provide the team with $25-30MM per season, according to John Maffei of the North County Times.
- Teddy Cahill of Baseball America lists draft-eligible prospects with connections to current and former big leaguers and others around the game.
- Dan Johnson, who was designated for assignment earlier today, told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he's "kind of numb," but open to remaining in the organization if he clears waivers.
Few Waiver Claims Contributing So Far
A number of non-tenders are adding value in the Major Leagues this year, as I showed earlier today. Waiver claims – at least so far – haven’t had close to the same success. Former top prospects such as Brandon Wood and Max Ramirez haven’t produced and neither have most of the 30-plus players who have been claimed since last season. Here’s a look at the few waiver claims who have made an impact in the Majors this year:
- Phil Humber (White Sox, from Royals, via Athletics) – The 28-year-old former top draft pick has a 3.18 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 through 45 1/3 innings. Now a member of Chicago's six-man rotation, Humber is finally providing value in his sixth MLB season.
- Pat Neshek (Padres, from Twins) – Neshek is back on the Padres' active roster after a quick stint in the minors. He posted a 1.86 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings earlier this year. Padres reliever Samuel Deduno (from Rockies) gets an honorable mention, though he's not on San Diego’s active roster.
- Joe Mather (Braves, from Cardinals) – A longtime favorite of the Braves, Mather has a .747 OPS after 24 plate appearances and has appeared at three positions. With respect to Mather, his presence on this list shows how little other waiver claims have impacted MLB rosters so far in 2011.
Randy Flores Opts Out Of Contract
Randy Flores has opted out of his minor league contract with the Padres according to Sarah Trotto of The Arizona Star Daily (on Twitter). The lefty reliever had a clause in his contract that allowed him to do so if he was not added to the Major League roster by Sunday.
Flores, 36, struck out 19 and walked six in 18 2/3 innings with San Diego's Triple-A affiliate this year. Left-handed batters had eight hits and two walks against him in 11 1/3 innings. Flores is left-handed and breathing, so there's likely to be a market for his services. He's held same-side batters to a .275/.345/.435 batting line in a big league career that has spanned eight seasons and four different teams.
Quick Hits: Dodgers, Cardinals, Inglett, Broderick
Saturday evening linkage…
- Frank McCourt told Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times that the Dodgers' roster would look the same even if the team didn't have financial problems. He was also vague about future payroll plans if the multi-billion dollar deal with FOX were to be approved (Twitter link).
- B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com points out that the Cardinals will have to make room for Brian Tallet when the lefty comes off the disabled list next week (Twitter links). He doesn't think they'll cut ties with the struggling Ryan Franklin, but he says it's "debatable."
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that Joe Inglett has accepted his outright assignment and will join the Astros' Triple-A affiliate (on Twitter). Inglett could have elected free agency after clearing waivers earlier in the week.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo believes that pitcher Brian Broderick has a bright future in the big leagues, despite being DFA'd by the club earlier today, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
- Manager Dusty Baker is curious to see if the newly activated Jose Arredondo can provide the Reds with the kind of pitching they expected upon signing him.
- Dave Gershman of Beyond The Box Score examined the market for Padres pitcher Dustin Moseley.
Padres Unlikely To Pursue Milton Bradley
The Padres have what is arguably the worst offense in the game, hitting .230/.306/.337 with the third fewest runs (127) and most strikeouts (307) in baseball. And that's after yesterday's 13-run, 23-hit outburst. Despite the struggles, GM Jed Hoyer told Darren Smith of XX1090 Sports Radio that he "[doesn't] think it's likely" they'll pursue the recently designated for assignment Milton Bradley. Gaslamp Ball provides a link to the mp3 as well as a roundup of the entire interview.
Hoyer indicated that Bradley has supporters in the Padres' clubhouse, including manager Bud Black. The outfielder spent part of the 2007 season in San Diego, hitting .313/.414/.590 with 11 homers in 42 games before a knee injury ended his year. Over the last two seasons though, Bradley has hit just .209/.298/.351 in 393 plate appearances with the Mariners. Yesterday we heard that at least one executive believes his career is over, though several others think he'll get another chance.
Padres ‘Pen Continues To Thrive After Winter Trades
Bullpens don’t get much better than the one the Padres had last year. Led by Heath Bell, Mike Adams and Luke Gregerson, Padres relievers combined for over 500 innings of 2.81 ERA ball, averaging more than one strikeout per inning while allowing the fewest walks per frame of any MLB bullpen. But the Padres had weaknesses elsewhere and teams were interested in San Diego’s relievers, so GM Jed Hoyer faced a decision last offseason.
“We traded a bunch of quality arms, but that was our area of depth,” Hoyer told MLBTR. “We were quite weak up the middle a year ago.”
So the Padres parted with five of their relievers in the deals that brought Cameron Maybin and Jason Bartlett to San Diego. Gone are Edward Mujica, Ryan Webb, Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell, four pitchers who combined for 152 2/3 MLB innings last year, and Brandon Gomes, who struck out 93 batters in 72 1/2 Double-A innings and is now in the majors with the Rays.
The results – at least to this point – have Padres relievers among the league leaders in a number of categories. They’re first in MLB with a 2.10 ERA, second with 124 innings and 3.0 BB/9 and fourth with a 3.34 xFIP. (However, the relievers’ home run per fly ball rate is just 4.0% and opponents are hitting only .265 on balls in play, so luck appears to have been on the Padres’ side so far).
Bell, Adams and Gregerson are back, which gives manager Bud Black three premium options to call on. Southpaw Cory Luebke, who made all of four appearances in 2010, leads San Diego relievers with 19 2/3 innings this year (9.6 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 3.66 ERA, 47% ground ball rate). Developing relievers like Luebke (pictured) and finding others on waivers or in free agency has helped the Padres replace Webb, Mujica and others.
“Our biggest challenge has been trying to replenish the depth we lost by trading so many arms,” Hoyer said. “That is something that we continue to do and will be an ongoing issue.”
So far, the Padres signed Chad Qualls (5.1 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 2.33 ERA, 61% ground ball rate), claimed Pat Neshek and Samuel Deduno and promoted Luebke, Ernesto Frieri and Evan Scribner into more prominent roles.
A lot is going wrong for the Padres, who have slipped to the bottom of their division and are last in the National League in scoring. But their offseason trades are paying off, as they strengthened his team at two premium positions without weakening their bullpen.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI. Click here for analysis of the Rays' remade 'pen.
Stark On Pirates, Royals, Bedard, K-Rod
Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that he wants “to fight that mentality of, 'We're .500, so we're really on our way.'" Huntington points out that it takes years to develop an elite team and an elite farm system and says one season of .500 ball isn't going to satisfy the Pittsburgh front office. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors from around the league:
- People in the game suggest the Royals' decision to call Eric Hosmer up early may mean they intend to compete in the AL Central this year. Stark hears that the Royals will have money to spend in July if necessary (remember that Gil Meche retired instead of collecting the $12MM he was scheduled to earn).
- The Royals believe Triple-A pitchers Danny Duffy and Mike Montgomery are nearly MLB-ready, so GM Dayton Moore may talk about moving Kyle Davies and Jeff Francis within a few weeks. The Royals probably wouldn't get much for Davies, but Francis could draw interest.
- Erik Bedard could be an attractive trade chip this summer, but one NL executive says the left-hander needs to “prove he can log innings.” Tim Dierkes suggested a month ago that Bedard could have lots of appeal at the deadline.
- Left-hander Randy Flores can opt out of his minor league deal on Sunday if the Padres don't call him up from Triple-A. Cory Luebke is the lone left-hander in the Padres' 'pen at the moment, so they could consider calling on Flores instead of cutting him loose.
- Teams are still skeptical of Francisco Rodriguez, despite his 10 saves and 1.10 ERA. K-Rod has walked 10 of the 73 batters he has faced (16 1/3 innings).
- Stark points out that it's been a while since Giants GM Brian Sabean made win-now midseason trades that cost him top prospects.
Trade Candidate: Heath Bell
The Padres' Heath Bell has been one of baseball's best closers over the past two-plus seasons, racking up 89 saves in 2009-10. Though he's undoubtedly benefited from the pitcher-friendly dimensions of his home digs, PETCO Park, Bell's output is no fluke: He's posted closer-worthy peripherals since establishing himself as a big league reliever.
Now in the final year of his contract before free agency, however, Bell, 33, is a trade candidate on a cost-conscious Padres team that may not be able to afford investing too heavily in a closer. As well, the Friars have excellent setup men in Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson and Chad Qualls, any of whom could capably take over closing duties if need be.
Earlier this year, Bell expressed that he'd like to stay in San Diego, and a rumors of an extension were cropping up. Those talks have cooled, however, and thought it's too early to write off any team, the Padres are six games under .500 through their first 34 tilts and struggling considerably on offense. In fact, Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that the Padres should think about peeling off a reliever – perhaps Bell – now, to beef up their lineup.
Bell, like the Mets' Francisco Rodriguez, could be an intriguing rental for a contending team looking to bolster its bullpen, and unlike K-Rod, Bell's contract doesn't include that tricky games-finished option, meaning an acquiring team could use him at will.
Here's a list of some teams that could be in the running for Bell's services, should he be made available:
- Cardinals. You don't need to follow the @closernews Twitter feed to know that the Redbirds have been unsettled in the ninth inning recently. Bell could be the linch pin to a bullpen that can't seem to produce a clear-cut closer.
- Rangers. Neftali Feliz is a top-flight closer, but his recent stint on the DL exposed Texas' relatively thin relief corps. Bell could be an ideal setup man and spot-closer when the Rangers want to rest the younger pitcher's prized arm.
- Phillies. Brad Lidge, currently on the DL, is on the mend but is injury- and slump-prone, and Jose Contreras is hurt, too. Bell could solidify the Phils' bullpen with Ryan Madson and the emergent Antonio Bastardo. Remember: The Phils are a win-now team in a big market, so they'd probably make a deal like this if they think it'd put them over the top.
- Marlins. The Marlins' early success has surprised some, largely on the strength of a revamped, so-called no-name bullpen – including the likes of Michael Dunn, Ryan Webb and Brian Sanches. Still, closer Leo Nunez has struggled in the past, and Bell would probably become their best reliever.
- Indians. The Tribe are another pleasant surprise getting by with an unheralded bullpen, and Bell could make a formidable late-inning duo with closer Chris Perez.
Quick Hits: Morales, Padres, Cardinals, Hamels
Links for Sunday, as players around the league break out the pink bats. Happy Mother's Day!
- Kendrys Morales will travel to Vail, Colorado to see a foot specialist for a second opinion on his left ankle, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times. In a followup tweet, DiGiovanna says that they've "explored" the possibility of surgery. Mark Trumbo has filled in for Morales with a .265/.296/.500 line and six homers.
- Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Padres should consider trading one of their late-inning arms, perhaps Heath Bell, for offensive help.
- Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he's open to exploring a trade for a closer. While Mozeliak is on board with Tony La Russa's current "hot hand" approach for the ninth inning, the GM would prefer to see more defined roles in the bullpen as the season progresses.
- Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the likelihood of Phillies starter Cole Hamels playing in Philadelphia long-term.
- As Newsday's Ken Davidoff writes, there may not be any top starting pitching available at the trade deadline this year. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes drew the same conclusion after examining the midseason trade market for the AL and NL in mid-March.