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Quick Hits: Hatcher, Wright, Giants, Duffy, Draft

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The Angels announced that Mickey Hatcher has been removed from his job as the team's hitting coach.  Hatcher will be replaced by Jim Eppard, who had been the hitting coach at Triple-A Salt Lake City.  This was Hatcher's 13th year as the Angels' hitting coach, and his firing is surely a response to the club's overall lack of offense this season, particularly from Albert Pujols.  (Ironically, Pujols hit three singles in today's 4-0 win over the A's.)  Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times thinks this move came from owner Arte Moreno and is another sign that GM Jerry Dipoto is in charge of the team, not Mike Scioscia (both Twitter links).

Here are some items from around the majors…

  • David Wright told Adam Rubin of ESPN New York that he hasn't been approached by the Mets about a contract extension and he hasn't thought about the possibility of in-season negotiations.  We heard on Sunday that the Mets will likely offer Wright a multiyear contract, possibly sometime this summer.
  • Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan, both free agents after the season, told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that they'd be open to midseason contract talks with the Giants but are both just focused on baseball for now.
  • Danny Duffy's Tommy John surgery is just the latest blow in what has been a hard-luck season for the Royals, writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star.  The Royals will essentially lose a year of control over Duffy (who will accumulate service time while on the DL) and "the pressure on the Royals…to sign a frontline starting pitcher this winter just intensified," said Mellinger.
    Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/14/3610785/royals-pain-continues-with-duffys.html#storylink=cpy
  • High school outfielder Byron Buxton holds the top spot in Baseball America's ranking of the top 100 prospects in the June amateur draft.  The Astros hold the #1 overall selection.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney looks at ten starting pitchers who could be trade candidates this summer.
  • The early results of last offseason's trades are evaluated by MLB.com's Joey Nowak.
  • Marlins Park is proving to be very pitcher-friendly, but Marlins president David Samson told reporters (including Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post) that the team wasn't planning to move in the fences after the season.

Athletics Claim Travis Blackley

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The Athletics announced that they claimed left-hander Travis Blackley off of waivers from the Giants. The A's moved Joey Devine to the 60-day disabled list to free up a 40-man roster spot in a corresponding move. The team will announce a corresponding 25-man roster move once Blackley reports to his new club.

Blackley, 29, allowed seven hits and five earned runs in five innings for the Giants before getting designated for assignment two days ago. He has a 3.98 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in ten minor league seasons.

This marks the third time this year the Athletics have claimed an Australian-born player, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows. They claimed Rich Thompson from the Angels and Luke Hughes from the Twins back in April.

Giants Open To In-Season Contract Talks For Cabrera

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Melky Cabrera is on track to hit free agency following the 2012 season, but there’s a chance the Giants will keep him off of the open market altogether. GM Brian Sabean told Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle that Cabrera’s play and work ethic have impressed him so far this year. This means the Giants won’t necessarily postpone contract talks until the offseason.

"I think it's different with a transitional player, depending on who the agent is or the appetite of the player,” Sabean said. “So I wouldn't say that's an absolute."

Cabrera, an ACES client, will earn $6MM in 2012. The 27-year-old is hitting .338/.386/.490 in San Francisco, an indication that last year's breakout may be sustainable. So far in 2012 Cabrera has played left and right field, positions which suit his skillset, according to The Fielding Bible Volume III.

Cabrera’s hot start should give him enough leverage to demand a multiyear deal in talks with Sabean and the team's front office. The Giants could lose Cabrera and Angel Pagan to free agency this offseason, as I explained last week.

Giants Designate Travis Blackley For Assignment

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The Giants have designated left-hander Travis Blackley for assignment, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area (on Twitter). In corresponding moves, Jeremy Affeldt has been activated from the disabled list, Conor Gillaspie has been optioned to Triple-A, and Charlie Culberson has been recalled.

The 29-year-old native of Australia signed a minor league deal with the 2010 World Series champions this past February and appeared in only four games. Blackley totaled five innings and allowed five earned runs, walking two and striking out two as well.

Originally signed by the Mariners as an international free agent in 2000, Blackley has just 39 2/3 innings of Major League experience. He's struggled in the big leagues, amassing a 9.30 ERA, 6.6 BB/9, and 5.2 K/9. He's fared better in the minors, where he has a 4.54 ERA over 589 Triple-A innings. The San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman tweets that Blackley likely will stay in the organization.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Youkilis, Beckett, Nationals

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In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders what is at the root of the Red Sox’s pitching woes.  Some around baseball feel that the club’s hurlers are missing catcher Jason Varitek.  “He did a lot for that team in terms of getting the staff ready for each team,’’ said an American League GM. “They depended on him like no team depended on a catcher anywhere in baseball, with the possible exception of St. Louis, where Yadier Molina seems to have that effect.’’  Here’s more from Cafardo..

  • An AL GM told Cafardo that there could be a market for embattled Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, but the club would have to be willing to eat more than half of his contract.  Beckett will earn $15.75MM each year through 2014.
  • If Red Sox Kevin Youkilis can show he’s healthy, there’s a strong third base market out there for Boston. A National League special assignment scout told Cafardo that the Giants and Phillies are looking while the Rays could factor in, even though they say they aren’t in search of an answer at third base.
  • The Nationals would like to deal left-hander John Lannan but teams appear more interested in Chien Ming-Wang. The Nationals also have a good thing going and have created competition on their staff, as Wang and Lannan could push the other five. 
  • One American League GM doesn’t see the Phillies parting with Cole Hamels via trade.  “The [Blue] Jays are looking to do something big,” said an American League GM. “I just don’t see the Phillies bailing out on Hamels. They can still win it.“
  • The Rangers probably won’t let Josh Hamilton leave in free agency, but if he does look elsewhere, the Dodgers could be a fit for him with their new-found dollars.  Signing Hamilton would also allow the club to let Andre Ethier head into the market.

Quick Hits: Draft, Sizemore, Royals, CBA, Greinke

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Some links from around MLB…

  • ESPN's Keith Law posted a list of the top 100 prospects in this year's amateur draft. High school outfielder Byron Buxton and high school shortstop Carlos Correa top the list.
  • "I love this game and I don't see myself calling it quits anytime soon," said Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (Twitter link). Sizemore is currently on the DL with a back issue, the latest problem in a long line of injuries in recent years.
  • Royals owner David Glass says he hasn't spoken to anyone about selling his team despite rumors to the contrary, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. "I've not talked to anyone, nor has any of my family talked to anyone," he said.
  • Ben Badler of Baseball America explains how teams and player representatives are working to side-step the international spending restrictions imposed under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. MLB is aware of the loopholes and would object more strongly to some than others.
  • Recent extensions talks haven’t taken place for Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels or Tim Lincecum, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Greinke and Hamels are eligible for free agency this offseason, while Lincecum is under team control through 2013.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that Edinson Volquez of the Padres looks like a trade candidate (Twitter link). However, six of the right-hander’s seven starts have been at Petco Park, a generally forgiving environment for pitchers.\

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

2013 Contract Issues: San Francisco Giants

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The Giants are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (6)

  • Melky Cabrera - Cabrera, still just 27, will present the Giants with a dilemma if he repeats his 2011 success in San Francisco. They'd likely have to offer a multiyear deal or let him walk.
  • Freddy Sanchez - The Giants have learned to cope without Sanchez, who's on the 15-day disabled list recovering from shoulder surgery.
  • Jeremy Affeldt - The Giants evidently value Affeldt's left arm and could offer him another deal in the $4-5MM range if he turns in a typical season.
  • Angel Pagan - Just one year after restructuring their outfield, two of the Giants' starting outfielders will hit free agency. It's too early to predict the Giants' interest in re-signing the 30-year-old center fielder.
  • Ryan Theriot - Off to a slow start at the plate, Theriot's place on the 2013 Giants is anything but secure.
  • Guillermo Mota - Mota has been suspended for 100 games following a positive test for a performance enhancing substance. He'll be eligible to return late this season even if the ruling stands following an appeal. A suspension would reduce Mota's free agent value and may diminish the Giants' interest in retaining the 38-year-old.

Contract Options (1)

  • Aubrey Huff: $10MM club option with a $2MM buyout. The Giants can be expected to buy Huff out, since he's no longer a $10MM player.

Arbitration Eligible (10)

Assuming the Giants tender Wilson a contract, he'll lead the way with a salary that could fall in the $8.5MM range. Posey's 2013 salary can be expected to fall in the $2-3MM range, which would make him the Giants' highest-paid position player going year to year. In total, the team's arbitration eligible players could cost $20MM-plus, with the usual caveat that some of the players above will become non-tender candidates.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Giants have already committed more than $80MM to next year's payroll, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. The team's payroll has surpassed $115MM in 2011 and 2012, and it's currently hard to envision a substantial payroll drop for 2013. The Giants will likely need to spend on outfielders this winter and if GM Brian Sabean is going to have any flexibility after retaining his arbitration eligible players, the payroll will have to stay above $100MM.

Quick Hits: Lee, Brewers, Moyer, Bonderman

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Giants reliever Guillermo Mota is appealing his 100-game suspension due to a positive drug test, reports Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com.  In a statement issued through Adam Katz, Mota's agent, the right-hander claims that children's cough medicine was responsible for the banned substance (clenbuterol) that was found in his system.  Since this is his second drug-related suspension, Mota will not be allowed to continue playing while waiting for an appeal.

Here's the latest from around the majors….

  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Trenni Kusnierek of WTMJ 620 radio in Milwaukee that the team "had a discussion" with free agent first baseman Derrek Lee but a signing is "not going to happen."  The team will look internally to fill its hole at first base with Mat Gamel out for the season.
  • Melvin also said that the Brewers have the financial resources and farm system depth to make trades if necessary, though the club will wait until about a week before the July trade deadline before deciding if any moves need to be made.  Melvin predicts less deadline activity in general around baseball this year due to both the Cardinals' late-season hot streak last year and the extra wild card that will have more teams unwilling to give up on their season.
  • Jamie Moyer thought he had a deal worked out with the Orioles last fall but Dan Duquette's hiring scuttled the move, reports Caleb Hannan of the Denver News.  "They said one thing one day and by the next it was completely different," Moyer said. "They pulled a complete 180."  One of the reasons may have been due to an incident between Moyer and Duquette in 1996 when both men were with the Red Sox. 
  • Jeremy Bonderman tells Chris Iott of MLive.com that he was "burnt out" and didn't expect to return to baseball when he sat out the 2011 season but he's now eager to pitch again.  Bonderman underwent Tommy John surgery last month and is hoping to catch on with a team in 2013.
  • Teams that write off several seasons in the name of a long rebuilding process run the risk of permanently alienating their fans, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.

Quick Hits: Gonzalez, Mota, Red Sox

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Brewers shortstop Alex Gonzalez has torn his right ACL and is expected to miss the rest of the season, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (Twitter links). It's another setback for the Brewers, who have also lost Mat Gamel and Chris Narveson to season-ending injuries. Gonzalez's vesting option for 2013 is no longer in play, as Haudricourt notes. Here are today's links…

West Links: Abreu, Ishikawa, Trumbo

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Here's the latest out of baseball's two West divisions…

  • Bobby Abreu had other offers before choosing to sign with the Dodgers, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). He liked the idea of returning to the NL and knows manager Don Mattingly from his time with the Yankees.
  • The Giants offered Travis Ishikawa a minor league contract to return during the offseason, but he signed with the Brewers because they offered a better opportunity to Hank Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle. Mat Gamel's injury opened the door for Ishikawa to play everyday.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports speculates (on Twitter) that Mark Trumbo of the Angels would be a good fit for the Blue Jays. He says it's hard to see Toronto trading a reliever while Sergio Santos is still on the DL, however.
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