Bay Area Notes: Ellis, Breslow, Fuentes, Whiteside
Here's the latest on the A's and the Giants, including some trade rumors between the two clubs themselves…
- "The Giants are not pursuing" A's second baseman Mark Ellis, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. (Twitter links). The Giants at least checked in on Ellis but have cooled their pursuit for a variety of reasons, including Ellis' salary, his poor performance this season, Oakland's trade demands and the presence of Bill Hall, Emmanuel Burriss and Freddy Sanchez (who could still return from the DL) on the roster.
- Rival scouts have been watching Brian Fuentes and Craig Breslow, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Of the two southpaws, the Athletics would be more apt to move Fuentes since he has around $7.6MM remaining on his contract through 2012, whereas Breslow still has two more arbitration years left. Fuentes also stirred up controversy earlier this season when he criticized then-manager Bob Geren. These two pitchers and Jerry Blevins made MLBTR's Tim Dierkes' recent list of potentially-available left-handers.
- Eli Whiteside has been ignoring the rumors about the Giants' catching search, reports Chris Haft and Adam Berry for MLB.com. The incumbent starter has been hitting well lately, which Whiteside attributes to getting regular playing time.
- Another internal option for the Giants: Triple-A catcher Hector Sanchez. Schulman reports that Barry Zito was very complimentary about Sanchez's game-calling abilities during Zito's recent rehab stint at Fresno. Sanchez, 21, has a .299/.327/.495 line in 226 plate appearances this season, though just 42 of them have been at the Triple-A level.
Olney On Hanley, Phillies, Ellis
Some people in the Marlins organization believe new manager Jack McKeon has exactly what it takes to deal with Hanley Ramirez, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest on the Marlins’ shortstop, who is having the worst offensive season of his career:
- Ramirez’s stock “has dropped to Enron levels.” Some rival evaluators say that his poor start is more than a slump and that the shortstop needs to improve his physical condition.
- “If he doesn't change his body,” one scout said. “He's going to have to move [to a different position] sooner rather than later."
- Click here to check out Olney’s analysis of Ramirez from yesterday.
- No one believes the Phillies when they say they have limited financial flexibility for possible trades, Olney writes.
- The Orioles are another possible fit for Mark Ellis of the A’s. The Giants, one team with some interest in Ellis, have been considering other possible infielders, according to Olney.
Quick Hits: Twins, Ellis, Cole, Hultzen
The Mets released Wily Mo Pena on this date two years ago. The slugger resurfaced with the D'Backs yesterday, when he homered in his first MLB game since 2008. Here are some links for Wednesday night as Pena attempts to hit another homer or two…
- A scout tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Twins seem less likely to become sellers than they were a few weeks ago (Twitter link). Minnesota has re-entered the playoff race thanks to a 14-3 tear.
- Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group hears that the Giants are not one of the six teams on Mark Ellis’ no-trade list (Twitter link). Ellis has lost his starting second base job in Oakland and the Giants have had internal talks about obtaining him.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that top draft choices Gerrit Cole (Pirates) and Danny Hultzen (Mariners) will sign for roughly $10MM or so. Two high school arms, Archie Bradley (D’Backs) and Dylan Bundy (Orioles), will likely obtain $6-7MM and some executives see high school outfielder Bubba Starling (Royals) signing for more than Cole or Hultzen.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick examines the case for expanding active rosters to 26 players. Teams now have sprawling bullpens and demanding travel schedules, so there's support for bigger rosters from Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, Marlins infielder Wes Helms and others.
Finding Backup Catchers Who Can Hit
Nearly a month after Buster Posey last suited up for them, the Giants are still searching for catching depth. They signed Max Ramirez today, but he figures to provide organizational depth at Triple-A, not an immediate impact in San Francisco.
Eli Whiteside (pictured) continues playing regularly for the Giants, though his offense remains inadequate and the Giants continue seeking reinforcements. A look at backups around the league provides insight into why Whiteside continues playing so often despite his struggles throwing out opposing base stealers and paltry .190 average.
Few teams, if any, have the catching depth to withstand the loss of a player like Posey. The league average catcher is hitting .241/.314/.378 so far in 2011 and that slash line includes starters as well as reserves. The job of a catcher includes calling pitches, blocking balls in the dirt and throwing runners out as well as hitting, but for the sake of simplicity we’ll focus on offense as we examine the caliber of backup catching in MLB.
Victor Martinez (.324/.373/.498 slash line) and Mike Napoli (.221/.344/.493 before he hit the disabled list) are technically backup catchers, though both DH and play first as well. Ramon Hernandez is one of the few backup catchers who can match Martinez and Napoli in terms of offensive production this year. The 35-year-old has seven homers and a .302/.368/.504 line in 155 plate appearances (Ryan Hanigan now starts for the Reds most days). Royals backup Brayan Pena is another one of the reserves with an acceptable batting line this year: .250/.310/.400 in 113 trips to the plate.
Evaluating backups who have fewer than 100 plate appearances is dangerous, since the sample sizes are generally too small to be reliable. With that in mind, here are some other backstops off to decent starts with the bat: Ramon Castro of the White Sox (.211/.274/.404 slash line in 62 plate appearances), Kyle Phillips of the Padres (.239/.327/.413 in 52 PA), Henry Blanco of the D’Backs (.229/.302/.521 in 53 PA), Ronny Paulino of the Mets (.317/.371/.390 in 89 PA), David Ross of the Braves (.327/.411/.551 in 56 PA), Jose Molina of the Blue Jays (.304/.389/.456 in 91 PA), Brett Hayes of the Marlins (.298/.353/.511 in 52 PA) and the injured Jose Morales of the Rockies (.267/.352/.317 in 71 PA).
Those backups are solid hitters, though certainly not Victor Martinez-like offensive forces, and the're best of the bunch. Most teams are getting far less offensive production from their second catcher and many don't even have one catcher who makes significant contributions at the plate.
There aren’t many options for the Giants or any other club that decides to take on the unenviable task of finding catching help this summer. San Francisco is looking to the Rangers for catching depth, since Texas could make a move once Napoli is healthy enough to play. Wilson Ramos’ performance has led to plenty of discussion and speculation about Ivan Rodriguez, though he’s not the most interesting catcher to watch between now and July 31st.
Ramon Hernandez’s .872 OPS will surely appeal to teams and, unlike most clubs, the Reds could conceivably part with a catcher. Hanigan’s emergence has continued this year and Devin Mesoraco, who entered the season as Baseball America's #64 prospect, is destroying Triple-A pitching. The former first rounder has a .322/.402/.546 line for Louisville after a similarly impressive showing in 2010.
Given the Reds’ depth – they also have highly-touted prospect Yasmani Grandal in the lower minors – and the shortage of catching in MLB, I won’t be surprised if GM Walt Jocketty hears from a number of interested teams this summer. Only so many catchers can hit and Hernandez is a known commodity who’s playing well.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Giants Sign Max Ramirez
The Giants signed catcher Max Ramirez, MLBTR has confirmed. Earlier tonight, CSNBayArea.com reported the deal, which provides the catching-starved Giants with some depth at Triple-A.
Ramirez has a .229/.267/.339 line for the Cubs' and Astros' Triple-A affiliates this year. In parts of two MLB seasons with the Rangers, the 26-year old has a .217/.343/.357 line.
Ramirez has bounced around constantly in 2011. The Rangers designated him for assignment in January and saw the Red Sox claim him. The Cubs claimed him less than a week later only to release him in May. The Astros then signed him, but his stint with Houston was short, as they released him last week.
Giants Asked Questions About Mark Ellis
The Giants "asked questions" about Athletics second baseman Mark Ellis over the weekend, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Schulman's Ellis note was parenthetical, in an article that focused on the lack of clear sellers here in late June. Still, the assumption is that the Giants asked those questions of Athletics brass, as the teams faced off Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Ellis, 34, was hitting .211/.245/.287 in 224 plate appearances this year before hitting the DL with a hamstring strain. The Athletics' longest-tenured player, Ellis is expected to be activated from the DL tomorrow, wrote Jane Lee and Tom Green of MLB.com on Saturday. The strong play of rookie Jemile Weeks in 12 games complicates the second base situation.
Even with the A's hanging around the fringes of contention at 5.5 games out, Ellis could be expendable. Earlier this month I named him as a viable second base trade candidate, with the Giants one of six potential suitors. Ellis has good pop for the position, and his defense is highly regarded. Still, he's a tough sell right now with a $6MM salary. The Giants have a need given Freddy Sanchez's shoulder injury, but in-house they've got Emmanuel Burriss and Bill Hall as well as Mike Fontenot and Mark DeRosa on the DL.
According to our Transaction Tracker, Billy Beane and Brian Sabean have never matched up for a trade. They represent the game's longest-tenured GMs.
Catching Top Priority For Giants; Kottaras Available
Obtaining catching help remains the Giants' top priority, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). One potential target is Brewers catcher George Kottaras, who is available according to Schulman.
However, 21-year-old prospect Hector Sanchez has a .310/.375/.448 line in eight games at Triple-A since the Giants promoted him all the way from Class A earlier this month, so GM Brian Sabean does have one internal option. Eli Whiteside, who has picked up most of the playing time since Buster Posey's home plate collision, hasn't hit much. He has a .190/.278/.291 line this year and backup Chris Stewart hasn't done any better.
Kottaras, 28, has been backing up for the first place Brewers. He has a .290/.324/.516 line in 34 plate appearances in support of everyday catcher Jonathan Lucroy this year. In 396 career plate appearances, Kottaras has a .220/.306/.405 line, which compares pretty well with the average MLB catcher in 2011 (.241/.314/.379).
Contenders In Need Of A Shortstop Upgrade
As many as six contenders are lacking at shortstop. Let's take a look.
- Rays: The Rays have been employing Reid Brignac at shortstop lately, though Elliot Johnson and Sean Rodriguez are also capable. None of them are hitting, though Brignac's defense is a plus and Rodriguez has some pop.
- Brewers: The Brewers have used Yuniesky Betancourt at short, with Craig Counsell pitching in. The numbers say Betancourt has been terrible both offensively and defensively.
- Cardinals: Ryan Theriot has been manning shortstop for the Cards, and his bat has been more than acceptable. However, he's probably better-suited defensively for second base.
- Reds: They've used the Paul Janish/Edgar Renteria tandem, with the 28-year-old Janish getting more playing time. Janish is strong defensively, and since the Reds have the best offense in the league they might be able to tolerate his struggles with the bat. Prospect Zack Cozart is hitting .317/.361/.498 at Triple-A, but the Reds are not at the point of making a move yet.
- Pirates: The Bucs have been searching for a long-term answer at short for a while now, but right now they have Ronny Cedeno. Brandon Wood is showing some signs of life this month, and he could be an option at shortstop. The Pirates also have Chase d'Arnaud playing well at Triple-A.
- Giants: Miguel Tejada was signed as the team's shortstop, but it's rookie Brandon Crawford at present. He's strong with the glove but doesn't provide much offense and skipped Triple-A upon his call-up.
All four NL Central contenders are weak at shortstop, so if one of the clubs acquires a prize like J.J. Hardy it also takes an option away from direct rivals. The Orioles aim to talk extension with Hardy before the All-Star break. If that possibility falls through with time to spare before the July 31st deadline, Hardy will be a hot commodity.
A couple of top options in Jose Reyes and Stephen Drew appear to be off the board, since the Mets and Diamondbacks are in contention. Jamey Carroll, Clint Barmes, and Rafael Furcal (if healthy) may be available.
Stark On Dempster, Adams, Reyes, Braves
Jayson Stark leads his latest column for ESPN with a debate with colleague Buster Olney about realignment possibilities. He notes that his sources say there's no chance divisions are dissolved and baseball becomes two 15-team leagues. On to Stark's other rumblings…
- An NL executive who spoke with Cubs GM Jim Hendry says there's no likely scenario where Ryan Dempster is traded. Earlier today, there were indications the Yankees at least have an eye on Dempster, who has full no-trade rights and a $14MM player option for 2012.
- Padres reliever Mike Adams also is likely to stay put, as the Padres are only interested in trading impending free agents Heath Bell and Chad Qualls.
- Jose Reyes might not be Brian Sabean's type of player, says one baseball man who speaks with the Giants' GM regularly. Still, Stark's source wondered if the liberation of winning last year's World Series might compel Sabean to take more chances. Of course, the Mets are looking like potential buyers right now.
- The Braves are "aggressively positioning themselves to deal for an outfield bat as soon as they can find a team ready to open its sell-off shop for business," writes Stark, and they've already checked in on Josh Willingham and Hunter Pence. We outlined potentially available power bats earlier this month.
West Notes: Giants, Teagarden, Harden, Angels
Jhoulys Chacin lowered his ERA to 2.81 today after allowing just one run on three hits in six innings today against the Padres. Chacin picked up his eighth win of the season and improved his case for inclusion on the NL All-Star Team.
Some notes from both divisions out west….
- The Giants are looking to the Rangers as a potential source of catching help, reports CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler. Taylor Teagarden is cited as a possible candidate once Mike Napoli returns from injury and resumes backing up Yorvit Torrealba. Knobler says the Giants' catching search has extended to the minor leagues as the club has sent scouts to look at various Triple-A backstops.
- Rich Harden looked good in his most recent simulated game and the Athletics are looking to send Harden on a rehab assignment in Triple-A next week, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Angels have signed 30 of their 49 draft picks, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The highest pick to sign thus far is fifth-round outfielder Andrew Ray.
- The Angels and Rockies were the only MLB teams in the top 10 of ESPN The Magazine's annual list of the best franchises in sports, reports Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times. The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers topped the list, while the Angels were fourth and the Rockies eighth. The lowest-ranked baseball team? The Mets, who ranked 117th out of 122 teams in MLB, the NFL, NHL and NBA.