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Two Walk-Year Closers With Declining Trade Value

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Uspw_6259562The new playoff system may or may not impact the number of buyers and sellers this summer, but there's one thing about the trade deadline that won't change: pitching will be in demand. It is every year and in all forms — starters and relievers, right-handers and left-handers, aces and innings-eaters — there's a market for all of them.

A popular target for clubs looking to add bullpen help is the proverbial "closer on a bad team." The Rangers were 14.5 games out when they traded Eric Gagne to the Red Sox in 2007 and the Nationals were 13.5 games out when they traded Matt Capps to the Twins in 2010, just for example. The upcoming free agent class is littered with closers, but two of them have seen their trade value drop because of poor performance in recent weeks.

Brandon League, Mariners
League saved 37 games and was an All-Star a year ago, but this season he's pitched to a 4.43 ERA with a 44.4% ground ball rate that is well below his career norm (60.3%). Manager Eric Wedge removed the 29-year-old right-hander from the closer's role following last night's blown save, already his fourth of the season. He told reporters (including Larry Larue of The News Tribune) they'll instead "match up with what we think works" in the ninth inning.

Grant Balfour, Athletics
Three poor performances (two blown saves) in late-April and early-May cost Balfour his job as closer, and now he's working the seventh inning in Oakland thanks to Ryan Cook's emergence. The 34-year-old veteran has a 4.09 ERA in 22 innings, though his strikeout (7.0 K/9) and walk (3.3 BB/9) rates are both trending in the wrong direction for the second straight season.

Both League and Balfour are scheduled to become free agents after this season, though Balfour's contract includes a $4.5MM club option ($350K buyout) for 2013. With pitchers like Jonathan Broxton, Huston Street, and Francisco Rodriguez providing quality rental bullpen help alternatives on the trade market, the Mariners and A's could be left with nothing to show for their free agent-to-be relievers.

Photo via US Presswire.

Cutting Figgins “Not A Consideration” For Mariners

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Chone Figgins has been a colossal bust with the Mariners, but manager Eric Wedge told reporters (including Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times) that parting ways with the infielder is "not even a consideration" right now. Seattle optioned Casper Wells to Triple-A rather than cut ties with Figgins when Miguel Olivo came off the disabled list today.

"Not right now,'' said the manager. "Right now, that's not even an option for us. With Chone, as you all know — we were very open with you (media) guys about that — we wanted to give him every opportunity to get back on track. We feel like we did that, leading him off, switching his role a little bit, and it didn't work out."

Figgins, 34, has hit just .230/.303/.286 in over 1,100 plate appearances with the Mariners since signing his four-year, $36MM contract prior to 2010. Seattle has indicated a willingness to eat part of that contract to facilitate a trade, but so far they've found no takers. Figgins still offers a lot of versatility but is owed approximately $15MM through next season.

2013 Contract Issues: Seattle Mariners

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

Eligible For Free Agency (5)

  • Ichiro Suzuki - Sentimentality only goes so far, as the Mariners know from Ken Griffey Jr.'s return to Seattle. Yet it's hard to imagine Ichiro in another team's uniform and he appears to prefer Seattle to other potential suitors. He won't be earning $17MM per season, no matter where he plays.
  • Brandon League - Nothing screams 'trade candidate' like established relievers nearing free agency on non-contenders. It won't be surprising if the Mariners trade League this summer. Hopefully for Seattle, potential suitors aren't put off by the right-hander's declining peripherals.
  • Hisashi Iwakuma - Manager Eric Wedge hasn't used Iwakuma much (four appearances in the team's first 43 games). That in itself could be an indication that he's not part of the Mariners' long-term plans.
  • George Sherrill - The left-hander will miss the remainder of the season to recover from Tommy John surgery.
  • Kevin Millwood - GM Jack Zduriencik did well to add Millwood to the rotation on a low-risk deal. The right-hander figures to sign another short-term, low-risk contract this coming offseason whether he's back in Seattle or pitching elsewhere.
  • Munenori Kawasaki - The infielder has the right to elect free agency for the purposes of going back to Japan but not to explore other opportunities in MLB.

Contract Options (1)

  • Miguel Olivo: $3MM club option. If at the end of the season the Mariners don't believe Jesus Montero is a future catcher, there could be a role for Olivo on next year's team. He has his shortcomings on offense and on defense, but he hits lefties, which makes him a suitable complement to the left-handed hitting John Jaso.

Arbitration Eligible (4)

This relatively small arbitration class doesn't figure to generate many headlines, but Vargas could be an exception. He's building a case for another substantial raise via arbitration and it's hard not to wonder if the Mariners might cash in on him soon, while his salary's just $4.85MM, and obtain a couple of controllable players in a trade. Contenders will be looking for pitching help before long and Vargas' durability should generate interest.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Mariners have committed $40MM to next year's team, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Ownership has been lowering payroll in recent years, and the 2012 team will cost approximately $85MM. GM Jack Zduriencik should have financial flexibility this coming offseason when he looks to round out his pitching staff and add some offense.

AL West Notes: Ross, Hamilton, Angels, League

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Links from the AL West, before the Rangers and Yu Darvish host the Angels and C.J. Wilson in Arlington…

  • The Rangers offered left-hander Robbie Ross to the Mets in a package of players for Carlos Beltran last summer, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter link). The Mets ultimately passed on Ross and obtained Zack Wheeler from the Giants.
  • The Rangers would do well to sign Josh Hamilton to a short-term deal at a high average annual value, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. A four-year $100MM deal could work, Rosenthal suggests. The MLBPA views drug and alcohol-related contract provisions as unenforceable, according to Rosenthal, who offers a short history of related disputes between teams and players.
  • The Angels aren't seeking outside catching help now, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com tweets. They'll rely on internal options such as Bobby Wilson until Chris Iannetta returns from wrist surgery one or two months from now.
  • Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner says the Mariners should shop Brandon League before his value drops because Seattle's bullpen could manage without him and rival teams would be interested in potential trades.
  • Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak was once a top prospect, but ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden says we should adjust our expectations for him and accept that he’s not going to be a middle-of-the-order hitter.

Minor Moves: Martinez-Esteve

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Here are the latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Mariners released infielder Eddy Martinez-Esteve, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times tweets. The 28-year-old spent seven minor league seasons with the Giants before joining the Mariners' organization in time for the 2012 campaign. Martinez-Esteve has a .295/.382/.431 line as a professional since being selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2004 draft.

Rosenthal On Hammel, Pirates, Tigers, Gomez

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that Jason Hammel has outperformed Jeremy Guthrie so far this season. The right-handers were traded for one another this offseason (with Matt Lindstrom also going to the Orioles) and Hammel has pitched well for Baltimore, while Guthrie is on Colorado’s disabled list. Here are more notes from Rosenthal:

  • Some considered Hammel a “passive competitor,” but Dan Duquette and the Orioles viewed him as a dependable innings eater. Hammel, 29, has a 1.73 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 through 26 innings for his new team.
  • Though Yankees GM Brian Cashman says his team did more background work than ever before acquiring Michael Pineda from Seattle, one rival executive says his club grew concerned. The right-hander showed diminished velocity in his final start of the 2011 season after struggling in the second half. Pineda will miss the 2012 season with a shoulder injury.
  • The Pirates aren’t scoring many runs, but rival executives like the trio of Alex Presley, Jose Tabata and Andrew McCutchen at the top of Pittsburgh's order, Rosenthal writes.
  • Tigers starters other than Justin Verlander and Drew Smyly have struggled so far this year, and rival executives expect Detroit to make a strong push for rotation help by the July trade deadline.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Rosenthal that Carlos Gomez would generate approximately as much interest as Yoenis Cespedes if you put him in a tryout camp. Gomez, who is two months younger than Cespedes, could be a late-bloomer, Melvin said.

Cafardo On Balfour, Hanrahan, Angels, Twins, Myers

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Older ballplayers are showing a lot of life so far this season, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Veterans Paul Konerko, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and Jamie Moyer have all looked sharp in the month of April.  Ortiz lost 25 pounds to get himself into shape for this season and plans to keep up the hard work as he hopes to play for another two seasons.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • The Angels have inquired on A’s pitcher Grant Balfour and he is becoming one of the more sought-after bullpen pieces.  The Halos have also shown interest in Joel Hanrahan of the Pirates and the Mariners' Brandon League, but Balfour seems the most logical.
  • If the Twins don’t turn things around by the trade deadline, Carl Pavano will be a highly sought-after pitcher.  The right-hander is earning $8.5MM in the final year of his contract and has limited no-trade protection. Jason Marquis, Matt Capps, and Francisco Liriano could also be used as chips to land prospects.
  • Teams probably have their eye on Astros right-hander Brett Myers.  Many teams, such as the Angels and Red Sox, could use the 31-year-old’s arm right now.  He has also shown that he can pitch in a big market with his time in Philadelphia.
  • If Tigers outfielder Delmon Young is convicted of a hate crime, it will be interesting to see whether the the club void his contract. They would be within their rights to do so under the collective bargaining agreement.  The 26-year-old earns $6.75MM this year and can become a free agent after the season.
  • The A's are a good bet to land Brandon Inge.
  • Most baseball people feel there’s no way the Red Sox let Aaron Cook hit the open market by not calling him up May 1.  The 33-year-old will earn the prorated portion of $1.5MM if he is called up to the majors.

Minor Moves: Pettit, Hester, Miner

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We'll keep track of the day's minor (and Miner) moves right here…

  • The Mariners have signed outfielder Chris Pettit to a minor league deal, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnicktweets. Pettit, who has MLB experience with the Angels, was released by the Dodgers at the end of Spring Training.
  • The Orioles released minor league catcher John Hester, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com tweets. Baltimore’s Norfolk affiliate let Hester go to create roster space for the recently claimed Luis Exposito.
  • The Tigers have acquired right-hander Zach Miner from the Royals, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets. The Royals confirmed the deal, noting that they'll obtain cash for Miner (Twitter link). The 30-year-old pitched in the Royals' minor league system last year after pitching for the Tigers from 2006-09. Miner has a 4.24 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 as a big leaguer, but posted a 5.26 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 as a minor leaguer in 2011.

Mariners To Sign Hersin Martinez

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The Mariners have agreed to sign Dominican outfielder Hersin Martinez to a deal worth $1.1MM, the Dominican Prospect League announced. The prospect has “tremendous plus raw power and a high projection ceiling,” according to the league release. 

Martinez won the inaugural DPL power showcase with an impressive showing that included one 507-foot homer. He's a below average runner but can play the outfield and has a solid-average arm, the release states.

Quick Hits: Royals, Teixeira, Wright, Rockies, Royals

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On this day in 2000, the (Devil) Rays purchased Dwight Gooden from the Astros.  Doc made eight starts with Tampa Bay before being released in May, allowing him to finish out his career in New York with the Yankees.  Gooden obviously didn't replicate the numbers of his prime in this final season but did post a 4.71 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 for the three teams.  Here's a look at tonight's links..

  • The Royals have hope for the first time in a long time but they'll have to ramp up the spending to truly contend, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
  • Teams continue to sign first basemen to long, expensive agreements despite mounting evidence that such deals are not very good ideas, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.  It looks as though Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is in decline in the middle of his monster deal and even Todd Helton's team-friendly pact with the Rockies wound up looking like an overpay.
  • In a piece for CapitalNewYork.com, Howard Megdal wonders if the Mets might be laying the PR groundwork to let David Wright walk at the end of this season.  The Mets hold a $16MM option on the third baseman for 2013.
  • Mike Fontenot could replace Pete Orr on the Phillies' bench as the utility man, but don't expect him to replace Freddy Galvis, writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News.  The Phillies signed the 31-year-old infielder to a minor league deal earlier today.
  • Mike Cameron signed a one-day deal with the Mariners today in order to retire with the club and though he may look to be a coach or instructor he vowed to never pursue a managerial career, tweets John Hickey of SportsPressNW.com.
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