Odds & Ends: Pirates, Mariners, Cubs
Because we know you aren't ready to go to bed just yet…
- With the Pirates looking to end their streak of losing seasons, Manager John Russell described the team's offseason plan this way: "To say what specific area, we'll see what the board holds," Russell said. "I don't know — is it a left fielder? Is it a second baseman? Is it a pitcher? I don't know. We'll just have to look into it and see what's available. Offensively, we've struggled. It would be nice to find a bat that can be productive."
- According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, all the Mariners' coaches should be back next season.
- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune has his wish list of power hitters for the Cubs. Astonishingly, it includes Gary Sheffield.
- According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, GM Kevin Towers has not been told yet by Padres' management if he will be returning in 2010.
- Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that Brewers' GM Doug Melvin is expected to ask Ken Macha to return as manager on Friday.
- Apparently, however, Seth McClung does not expect to return to Milwaukee in 2010, and has Twittered his discontent.
Correia: The Forgotten Padre?
While nearly all of the national attention on the Padres this year has focused on either A) Adrian Gonzalez or B) the astonishing lack of talent around Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Correia has quietly been one of the best pickups of last offseason, as Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune points out.
Correia signed a one-year, $750K minor-league deal with the Padres last winter. All he's done in 2009 is manage a 3.89 ERA, 138 strikeouts and 63 walks in 192 innings.
For a little contrast: Derek Lowe has pitched to a 4.55 ERA this season- in the first year of a four-year, $60MM contract.
Correia will be trying to reach 200 innings for the first time in his career Friday night. He's got a streak of 20 1/3 scoreless innings going, and in his last ten starts, has a 2.31 ERA.
All of which means he'll be much more expensive this winter. The Padres can offer arbitration and expect a significant raise will be forthcoming.
So what should San Diego do? Let a consistent pitcher who has finished particularly strong reach free agency as a non-tender? Or pay big bucks for a pitcher just a year removed from a 6.05 ERA?
Odds & Ends: Padres, Molina, Cubs, Unit
Another round of links for the afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer would like to see big market teams share more revenue with their small market rivals. Still, he says MLB has been competitive compared to football, basketball and hockey.
- Padres CEO Jeff Moorad was non-committal about GM Kevin Towers' future on XX 1090 in San Diego, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (via Twitter). Moorad said Towers is the GM now, and added that the Padres are evaluating all levels of the organization.
- Towers said in no uncertain terms that he wants to be in San Diego.
- Bengie Molina's agent tells the AP that his client wants to return to San Francisco (via ESPN). We heard in late August that Molina wants to sign a two-year deal. ESPN.com's Keith Law says the Giants should pass.
- Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball notes that the Cubs have drawn three million fans for the sixth straight season. Along with the Cubs, only the Angels, Dodgers, Yankees and Cardinals have accomplished the feat.
- Randy Johnson tells the AP (via the East Valley Tribune) that he's in no rush to decide on his future.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hands out his postseason awards and issues a number of apologies to people around the game.
Odds & Ends: Padres, Molina, Cubs, Unit
Another round of links for the afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer would like to see big market teams share more revenue with their small market rivals. Still, he says MLB has been competitive compared to football, basketball and hockey.
- Padres CEO Jeff Moorad was non-committal about GM Kevin Towers' future on XX 1090 in San Diego, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (via Twitter). Moorad said Towers is the GM now, and added that the Padres are evaluating all levels of the organization.
- Towers said in no uncertain terms that he wants to be in San Diego.
- Bengie Molina's agent tells the AP that his client wants to return to San Francisco (via ESPN). We heard in late August that Molina wants to sign a two-year deal. ESPN.com's Keith Law says the Giants should pass.
- Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball notes that the Cubs have drawn three million fans for the sixth straight season. Along with the Cubs, only the Angels, Dodgers, Yankees and Cardinals have accomplished the feat.
- Randy Johnson tells the AP (via the East Valley Tribune) that he's in no rush to decide on his future.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hands out his postseason awards and issues a number of apologies to people around the game.
Offseason Outlook: San Diego Padres
Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Padres. Their likely commitments for 2010:
C – Nick Hundley – $404K
C – Eliezer Alfonzo – $400K
1B – Adrian Gonzalez – $4.75MM
2B – David Eckstein – $1MM
SS – Everth Cabrera – $400K
3B – Kevin Kouzmanoff – $432K+
IF – Luis Rodriguez – $675K+
IF – Edgar Gonzalez – $407K
LF – Kyle Blanks – $400K
CF – Tony Gwynn Jr. – $405K
RF – Will Venable – $402K
OF – Chase Headley – $412K
OF – Drew Macias – $401K
SP – Kevin Correia – $750K+
SP – Chris Young – $6.25MM
SP – Mat Latos – $400K
SP – Clayton Richard – $405K
SP – Tim Stauffer – $400K
Other candidates: Aaron Poreda – $400K, Sean Gallagher – $410K, Cesar Ramos – $400K, Wade LeBlanc – $402K, Cesar Carrillo – $400K, Josh Geer – $402K
RP – Heath Bell – $1.255MM+
RP – Luke Gregerson
RP – Mike Adams – $415K
RP – Joe Thatcher – $404K
RP – Greg Burke – $400K
RP – Luis Perdomo – $400K
RP – Edward Mujica – $410K
Other candidates: Adam Russell – $405K, Ryan Webb – $400K
Non-tender candidates: Shawn Hill, Cha Seung Baek, Luis Rodriguez
The Padres have about $21.5MM committed before arbitration raises to Kouzmanoff, Rodriguez, Correia, and Bell. By my estimate those raises will put the team in the $30MM range for 2010. The Padres had an Opening Day payroll of $42.7MM, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. New Padres CEO Jeff Moorad told MLB.com's Corey Brock in August that he's comfortable with a $70-80MM payroll, "but it's likely that it will take us a couple of years to get back to that level." While Moorad doesn't expect a huge free agent splash, Padres GM Kevin Towers should realistically have at least $15MM available this offseason.
Towers recently suggested to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune that the Padres could be a .500 team or even a playoff contender next year. The GM added, "I don't know if we need to do a lot this winter."
ESPN's Buster Olney and various Baseball Prospectus writers covered the Padres a few days ago, suggesting the team might add a veteran starter and outfielder despite Towers' comment. The article ponders trading Bell to free up the payroll space needed for bigger-name free agents like Chone Figgins, Randy Wolf, or John Lackey. I like the idea of trading Bell, but the salary relief would just be a side benefit. I'd trade him simply because he may be at peak value and Towers is skilled at building bullpens out of nothing. Problem is, there's a surplus of closers on the market this winter.
Towers has admitted interest in bringing Milton Bradley back, talking with ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. If the Cubs are desperate enough to cover $17MM of the $21MM left on his contract, it'd be as if Towers signed a potential .400 OBP bat to a two-year, $4MM deal. It's a chance worth taking, and it'd leave the Padres with a surplus of outfielders. The Padres are second-to-last in the NL with 3.96 runs scored per game this year, but a Gonzalez-Blanks-Bradley heart of the order could be decent. More silver lining: Headley, Venable, and Kouzmanoff have been offensive assets in the second half.
It'd be nice to have Wolf back, but even the classic San Diego discount might result in a $10MM salary. I'd rather entertain Lackey for $15MM. Either way, a quality veteran addition would push Richard to the fifth starter role and give the team surprisingly strong rotation depth months after trading Jake Peavy.
If Towers truly has a quiet winter and keeps the payroll around $30MM, it'd be a stretch to see the 2010 Padres contending. But with the right free agent strikes and perhaps a shrewd Bell trade, they'd have a chance.
Offseason Outlook: San Diego Padres
Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Padres. Their likely commitments for 2010:
C – Nick Hundley – $404K
C – Eliezer Alfonzo – $400K
1B – Adrian Gonzalez – $4.75MM
2B – David Eckstein – $1MM
SS – Everth Cabrera – $400K
3B – Kevin Kouzmanoff – $432K+
IF – Luis Rodriguez – $675K+
IF – Edgar Gonzalez – $407K
LF – Kyle Blanks – $400K
CF – Tony Gwynn Jr. – $405K
RF – Will Venable – $402K
OF – Chase Headley – $412K
OF – Drew Macias – $401K
SP – Kevin Correia – $750K+
SP – Chris Young – $6.25MM
SP – Mat Latos – $400K
SP – Clayton Richard – $405K
SP – Tim Stauffer – $400K
Other candidates: Aaron Poreda – $400K, Sean Gallagher – $410K, Cesar Ramos – $400K, Wade LeBlanc – $402K, Cesar Carrillo – $400K, Josh Geer – $402K
RP – Heath Bell – $1.255MM+
RP – Luke Gregerson
RP – Mike Adams – $415K
RP – Joe Thatcher – $404K
RP – Greg Burke – $400K
RP – Luis Perdomo – $400K
RP – Edward Mujica – $410K
Other candidates: Adam Russell – $405K, Ryan Webb – $400K
Non-tender candidates: Shawn Hill, Cha Seung Baek, Luis Rodriguez
The Padres have about $21.5MM committed before arbitration raises to Kouzmanoff, Rodriguez, Correia, and Bell. By my estimate those raises will put the team in the $30MM range for 2010. The Padres had an Opening Day payroll of $42.7MM, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. New Padres CEO Jeff Moorad told MLB.com's Corey Brock in August that he's comfortable with a $70-80MM payroll, "but it's likely that it will take us a couple of years to get back to that level." While Moorad doesn't expect a huge free agent splash, Padres GM Kevin Towers should realistically have at least $15MM available this offseason.
Towers recently suggested to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune that the Padres could be a .500 team or even a playoff contender next year. The GM added, "I don't know if we need to do a lot this winter."
ESPN's Buster Olney and various Baseball Prospectus writers covered the Padres a few days ago, suggesting the team might add a veteran starter and outfielder despite Towers' comment. The article ponders trading Bell to free up the payroll space needed for bigger-name free agents like Chone Figgins, Randy Wolf, or John Lackey. I like the idea of trading Bell, but the salary relief would just be a side benefit. I'd trade him simply because he may be at peak value and Towers is skilled at building bullpens out of nothing. Problem is, there's a surplus of closers on the market this winter.
Towers has admitted interest in bringing Milton Bradley back, talking with ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. If the Cubs are desperate enough to cover $17MM of the $21MM left on his contract, it'd be as if Towers signed a potential .400 OBP bat to a two-year, $4MM deal. It's a chance worth taking, and it'd leave the Padres with a surplus of outfielders. The Padres are second-to-last in the NL with 3.96 runs scored per game this year, but a Gonzalez-Blanks-Bradley heart of the order could be decent. More silver lining: Headley, Venable, and Kouzmanoff have been offensive assets in the second half.
It'd be nice to have Wolf back, but even the classic San Diego discount might result in a $10MM salary. I'd rather entertain Lackey for $15MM. Either way, a quality veteran addition would push Richard to the fifth starter role and give the team surprisingly strong rotation depth months after trading Jake Peavy.
If Towers truly has a quiet winter and keeps the payroll around $30MM, it'd be a stretch to see the 2010 Padres contending. But with the right free agent strikes and perhaps a shrewd Bell trade, they'd have a chance.
Odds & Ends: Griffey, Harden, Guzman
Let's have a look at a few evening links….
- John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune notes that the uncertainty regarding Ken Griffey Jr.'s future with the Mariners could make for an uncomfortable PR situation, given Griffey's popularity in Seattle. We've already heard that Griffey would be open to returning and that the Mariners would not reject the idea. McGrath rightly points out though that it would be a mistake to bring the 39-year-old back as the same middle-of-the-order DH he was this year, since he has hit just .214/.323/.395. If the Mariners do retain Griffey, McGrath says it has to be a pinch hitter and part-time player.
- After earlier reports that the Cubs might not be interested in retaining Rich Harden, we get a follow-up from Keith Law at ESPN.com wondering what type of deal Harden might get. Law compares Harden to Brad Penny, suggesting that, like Penny, the Cubs righty may not be able to secure a multi-year deal because of health concerns.
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com blogs that Cristian Guzman is still unsure about playing second base for the Nationals in 2010. GM Mike Rizzo and interim manager Jim Riggleman requested the move, feeling that Guzman "no longer has the range to play shortstop."
- The White Sox should consider keeping Jermaine Dye, according to Matt Meyers of ESPN.com. Although he acknowledges that the outfielder's declining slugging percentage and subpar fielding make for a scary combination, Meyers contends that Dye is a better fit in Chicago than anywhere else, since he could replace the departed Jim Thome as the team's full-time DH. Dye would like to return and Ozzie wants him back too, but the Sox aren't about to pick up the $12MM option just because it's the best fit for Dye.
- Corey Brock at MLB.com talks to San Diego Padres' GM Kevin Towers about the focus on speed for the Padres. Towers believes there is such a thing as a "PETCO Park player," and that athleticism is a crucial characteristic for playing in the spacious ballpark. Given this approach, it'll be interesting to see who the Padres might target from this offseason's free agent pool.
- Baseball America's Ben Badler tweets that the Pittsburgh Pirates' win this afternoon once again clinched the No. 1 pick for the Washington Nationals in next June's draft. The Pirates and Baltimore Orioles are still in the mix for No. 2.
Heyman On Matsui, Bradley, Dye, Chapman
Hideki Matsui is in the final year of a four-year, $52MM extension he signed with the Yankees following the 2005 campaign. At the age of 35, Matsui turned in one of his best seasons in the majors, posting .280/.373/.521 and 28 HRs. However, it doesn't appear that Hideki Matsui is a capable fielder at this stage of his career after all the injuries he has been through. Having not taken the field once all season, Matsui is strictly an American League player. As Tim Dierkes pointed out last week, if Matsui looks to sign elsewhere, he will find himself vying for 8 or less DH openings with 11 or so others.
SI.com's Jon Heyman touches on that situation and much more in today's offering. Here's a look at some of his rumors:
- Those close to Matsui say his first choice is to stay with the Yanks. However, the Yankees may have to let him walk as the DH spot will be needed for Jorge Posada and others.
- Heyman mentions Ken Rosenthal's report that John Farrell will not be able to take a managerial job in 2010 because of a clause in his contract with the BoSox. Heyman then adds, "Sometimes those clauses can be negotiated away."
- The Padres are one of the "rare" teams that have a level of interest in Milton Bradley. Sources indicate that it is a "long shot" that he will wind up in Texas.
- Heyman addresses some of the lesser-heralded free agents in the upcoming class and estimates how much they will receive in their new deals. Here are his guesses: Mark DeRosa, $24MM over three years; Nick Johnson, $16MM over two years; Adam LaRoche, $25MM over three years; Joel Pineiro, $15MM over two years.
- The White Sox will not pick up Jermaine Dye's $12MM option in all likelihood. This should come as no surprise considering the 35-year-old's dismal second half. Since August 1st, Dye has registered an OPS of .576.
- One GM told Heyman that he holds Stephen Strasburg and Yu Darvish in higher regard than highly-touted Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman.
Padres Notes: Gonzalez, Bell, Latos
A few weeks ago, when Kevin Towers said he expects the Padres to be "pretty good" in 2010, many scoffed at the notion. ESPN's Buster Olney teams up with Baseball Prospectus and a few other members of the ESPN Insider staff to take a look at the Padres, what went wrong, what to expect in the future, and why there may be some hope for the Friars soon. ESPN Insider is required, but here's the highlights for those without:
- No surprise to see Olney say that the divorce of then-owner John Moores hit the team hard. That's a large part of the payroll cuts, and being forced to part with both Trevor Hoffman and Jake Peavy.
- Olney says that after going 32-21 since July 28, it's unlikely that the Padres trade Adrian Gonzalez this offseason. The Padres do feel they have a chance to be good.
- Olney likens the Padres free agent spending this offseason to going into a candy store with 50 cents, only being able to buy one thing. To put it another way, the Padres have a little to spend, but can't miss like the Rays did with Pat Burrell.
- Marc Normandin Baseball Prospectus highlights the contributions of young talent, such as Everth Cabrera (16.4 VORP), Will Venable (14.9) and Kyle Blanks (9.8). While Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley have disappointed, Normandin points out Kouzmanoff's strong second half. To his credit, Headley goes unmentioned but has tallied a very nice line of .305/.378/.445 in 66 second half games himself.
- The report suggests fielding offers on Heath Bell in order to allow pursuit of top free agents such as Randy Wolf or possibly even John Lackey and Chone Figgins. Bell's value will never be higher, and according to the report, many in the San Diego area expect Kevin Towers to listen on the All-Star closer. Interesting thought, but it's hard to picture the Padres in serious talks for Lackey or Figgins.
- Miguel Tejada is also mentioned as a possibility through free agency, to compensate for a lack of power in the middle infield.
- If what Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus has to add to the report is true, the Padres may not be as in need of a frontline starter as some would think. Goldstein quotes one front-office official hailing rookie Mat Latos as a potential ace if his change-up develops more. "Seeing him in person was one of those 'holy [crap]' moments," the official said.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Pujols, Upton, Astros, Bradley
FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up, so let's see what he has for us…
- Albert Pujols is in no rush to sign a contract extension. A source "with knowledge of his thinking" tells Rosenthal that the chances of Pujols agreeing to an extension this winter are "slim and none."
- The reason is that Pujols wants to assess the Cardinals' long-term outlook before deciding on his future. Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Tony LaRussa are all unsigned beyond this season.
- Tampa Bay figures to explore the market for B.J. Upton this offseason. The Rays would be selling low, but they have needs behind the plate and in the bullpen, and it's possible a team could offer a package that would satisfy those needs. If they don't get an offer to their liking, Tampa will simply hold onto him.
- The Astros managing job might be Jim Fregosi's to lose, but don't be surprised if Red Sox first base coach Tim Bogar "gains momentum." Even though he's relatively inexperienced, Bogar is a former 'Stro who also managed in their minor league system, as well as in Cleveland's. Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell all think highly of him.
- Teams have already called the Cubs about Milton Bradley. The Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rays, and Mets are among the clubs with possible interest. The Cubs are confident they can deal Bradley without paying the overwhelming majority of the $21MM still owed to him over the next two years. They could either trade Bradley's bad contract for another bad contract, or use the old sliding scale of "the more money we pay, the better the players we get in return."