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Potential Suitors For Mike Cameron

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114110624042_Red_Sox_at_Pirates The Red Sox cut ties with veteran outfielder Mike Cameron yesterday, designating him for assignment after he hit just .149/.212/.266 in 105 plate appearances this year. "Rest assured I'll play again," said Cameron to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). "I'm not going out that way."

Despite his poor season and last year's injury riddled campaign (just 48 games), Cameron figures to draw interest based on his track record. He hit .250/.342/.452 with 24 homers as a full-time player just two seasons ago, and he went deep at least 20 times every year from 2006 through 2009. That power might be gone at 38 years old, but his three homers this year suggest that he might still be able to provide double digit long balls given enough playing time.

With approximately $3.625MM left on his contract this year, it's very likely that Cameron will clear waivers and hit the open market. Any team would then be able to sign him for the pro-rated league minimum, which is attractive to clubs on a budget. Let's look at some teams that could be potential suitors for Cameron…

  • Braves – Martin Prado is dealing with a staph infection and temporary fill-in Jordan Schafer is hitting just .222/.295/.310. Wilkin Ramirez, Atlanta's current righty outfield bat off the bench, has been unimpressive in limited playing time.
  • Cardinals – There's no way to replace Albert Pujols, but St. Louis was able to slide Lance Berkman over to first and stick Jon Jay in right field. The lefty bat is hitting .289/.340/.356 against southpaws, but Cameron could replenish some outfield depth.
  • Giants – This one is probably a long shot because their outfield is already crowded, but the game's worst offense (just 285 runs) is in desperate need of help, particularly in the power department.
  • Indians – Shin-Soo Choo will miss a substantial amount of time after having thumb surgery, and the incumbent righty hitting outfielder (Austin Kearns) has been ineffective both overall (.194/.282/.265) and against lefties (.244/.292/.267).
  • Mariners – Jeff Sullivan of Lookout Landing tackled this one.
  • Nationals – They've been looking for a center fielder basically all season, and if nothing else, Cameron would give them a platoon partner for Roger Bernadina (.208/.255/.271 vs. LHP).
  • Phillies – Ben Francisco has been disappointing against lefties (.200/.317/.314) this year, plus Cameron could give them platoon partners for both Domonic Brown and Raul Ibanez.
  • Pirates – It's strange to think of the Pirates as buyers, but they're over .500 and just two games back in the NL Central. Jose Tabata is on the DL and Matt Diaz has been a disappointment (.268/.297/.331).
  • Rangers – Julio Borbon is back in Triple-A and David Murphy can't hit lefties (.177/.235/.194), plus they could probably use the depth since Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz are known to visit the DL from time to time.
  • Rays – Matt Joyce and Sam Fuld have cooled off considerably, though the righty hitting Justin Ruggiano has done a swell job in limited playing time (.300/.328/.500). That might not last though.
  • Tigers – Ryan Raburn (.207/.244/.348) and Magglio Ordonez (.200/.268/.279) have been big disappointments, and Austin Jackson isn't tearing the cover off the ball either (.248/.312/.364). All three are right-handed and could be replaced, though Jackson figures to keep the center field job.
  • Twins – Injuries have decimated the Twins outfield, though at 8.5 games back of a playoff spot, they might be looking to sell off veterans rather than add one.

Jack Curry of the YES Network heard that the Yankees "probably" won't have interest in Cameron (Twitter link), but several other teams figure to come calling once he clears waivers and is available on the cheap. It's easy to see Cameron fitting on the 25-man roster of nearly even team, though the amount of playing time he'll receive is sure to factor into his decision.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Olney On Deadline Plans For AL Teams

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ESPN's Buster Olney outlined plans for National League teams heading into the trade deadline yesterday, and today he follows up with the American League in an Insider-only column that comes highly recommended. Here's a brief recap…

  • The Mark Ellis trade could just be the first domino that falls for the Athletics. Other veterans like Josh Willingham, Coco Crisp, and Grant Balfour could follow him out the door.
  • The Twins aren't as willing to trade now as they were a few weeks ago, and the big question they have to ask themselves is if eating a chunk of the $5.5MM left on Michael Cuddyer's contract is worth it to trade him.
  • We've heard this before, but B.J. Upton and Kyle Farnsworth of the Rays figure to draw interest.
  • The Red Sox and Angels don't have a lot of financial flexiblity and are more likely to target smaller pieces.
  • Jeff Francoeur, Melky Cabrera, and Wilson Betemit are all affordable and reasonably productive, but Olney notes that the Royals might want to keep some veterans around so the youngsters don't get pounded.
  • The Indians and Mariners will not blow up their rebuild processes despite their surprising runs at contention. Erik Bedard's injury took away Seattle's best chip.
  • Poor seasons from Alex Rios and Adam Dunn make it difficult for the White Sox to do anything. They need those two to get back on track more than anything.
  • The Yankees are convinced their internal pitching options are better than what's available on the market right now. A Rafael Soriano setback would put them in the reliever market.
  • It's all about right-handed relief pitching for the Rangers, who will have plenty of options to choose from. The Blue Jays have lots of bullpen help to deal.
  • The Tigers are asking around about pitching, specifically left-handers.
  • The Orioles are having an internal debate about whether or not to trade Jeremy Guthrie, but they are expected to at least listen to offers.

Starting Pitchers Among Best Low-Risk Pickups

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Bartolo Colon didn’t pitch an inning in the Major Leagues last year. Neither did Erik Bedard, or Brandon McCarthy, or Ryan Vogelsong. Halfway through the 2011 season, each one of them has already made a difference at the highest level. The quartet of reclamation projects has combined for 309 2/3 innings of 2.88 ERA baseball this year with three times as many strikeouts (257) as walks (77).

Vogelsong

A year after splitting his time between two Triple-A teams, Vogelsong (pictured) is a key contributor on one of baseball’s most effective pitching staffs. His 2.09 ERA leads a San Francisco rotation that includes the likes of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

Yet there’s no denying that the same issue that kept the others off of MLB mounds in 2010 – health – persists. Colon could return from the disabled list this weekend; the Mariners placed Bedard on the DL today; McCarthy has been on Oakland’s disabled list for more than a month.  

But before their respective teams placed them on the disabled list, their contributions surpassed all expectations. It’s been six weeks since McCarthy toed the rubber, yet A’s fans probably haven’t forgotten the 3.39 ERA and 37K/10BB ratio he posted through 63 2/3 innings.

The Yankees will be hoping for more of the same from Colon when he returns from the DL. The former Cy Young Award winner has tremendous numbers in 2011: a 3.10 ERA with a 72K/18BB ratio in 78 1/3 innings.

Two years after Colon won his Cy Young, Bedard posted a 3.16 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 en route to a top-five finish for the award. If the lefty’s 2011 numbers look familiar, it’s probably because Bedard was pitching as well as ever before hitting the DL. He has a 3.00 ERA with an 85K/26BB ratio 90 innings into the season.

Don’t forget that the Mariners signed Bedard for just $1MM. McCarthy signed with Oakland for the same amount and the Yankees’ deal with Colon is worth just $900K in base salary. Like Colon, Vogelsong signed a minor league contract in January.

The pursuit of high-risk, high-reward arms does not guarantee success by any means. Brandon Webb ($3MM) and Rich Harden ($1.5MM) signed for more than any of the pitchers above and neither has thrown a pitch in the majors this year.  

Naturally, that won’t stop teams looking to gamble on seemingly injury-prone pitchers this offseason. Someone – Ben Sheets, Jeremy Bonderman or 48-year-old Jamie Moyer perhaps? – will return from the discard pile after a year-long absence and make an impact, whether it's for a handful of starts or an entire season season. It’s just a question of who will resurface and which team will sign him.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Mariners Designate Chaz Roe For Assignment

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The Mariners announced that they designated right-hander Chaz Roe for assignment to create 40-man roster space for catcher Jose Yepez. The backstop takes the 25-man roster spot of Erik Bedard, who is going on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained knee.

Roe, 24, has a 6.41 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 for the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate. The former first rounder had a respectable 115K/53BB ratio in 2010, but ended up with a similarly high ERA (5.98). The Mariners acquired Roe from the Rockies for Jose Lopez last offseason at the deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players.

Mariners Designate Edward Paredes For Assignment

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The Mariners designated lefty reliever Edward Paredes for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster roster for catcher Josh Bard, announced the team.

Paredes, 24, posted a 7.71 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 6.4 BB/9, and 1.3 HR/9 with 41 hits allowed across 28 Double and Triple-A innings this year.  Baseball America ranked him 25th among Mariners prospects prior to the 2009 season, at which point there was hope that he'd become "a Felix Heredia-type reliever."

Quick Hits: Mitre, Bedard, Cron, Joaquin

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It was an ugly day for the Dodgers off of the field (they filed for bankruptcy), but they defeated the Twins 15-0 in a one-sided rematch of the 1965 World Series today. Here's the latest from around the Major Leagues…

  • The Brewers have gotten multiple calls on Sergio Mitre, the recently-designated right-hander, according to MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (on Twitter).
  • Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says the question of whether the Mariners will be buyers or sellers this summer comes down to whether or not they trade Erik Bedard. The lefty has a 2.93 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 83 innings this year after missing the entire 2010 season. He makes just $1MM in '11 and would have substantial value on the trade market.
  • Top Angels draft pick C.J. Cron will start his pro career instead of undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder immediately, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times. The powerful prospect took batting practice in Angel Stadium today and hit a number of home runs. Keep track of which top picks have signed with MLBTR's list.
  • Waldis Joaquin, a right-hander who pitched for the Giants in 2009-10, can opt out of his contract with San Francisco this Friday if the Giants don't put him back on their 40-man roster, MLBTR has learned. The 24-year-old has recovered from offseason back surgery to post a 2.12 ERA with 3.7 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 17 innings at Triple-A. The Giants have one of the best bullpens in baseball and a full 40-man roster, so finding room for Joaquin won't be easy.
  • New Nationals manager Davey Johnson told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he's open to staying on after 2011 (Twitter link).

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Mariners, Pedro, Giants

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On this day in 2004, the Royals completed a three-team deal that sent Carlos Beltran to the Astros.  The Athletics were the third party in the transaction and bagged Octavio Dotel from Houston.  The Royals, meanwhile, received Mark Teahen, John Buck, Mike Wood, and cash considerations..

  • A fun fact courtesy of ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin (via Twitter): Mets manager Terry Collins is tied with Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez for second-most managerial seniority in the NL East with their current team.
  • Mark Cuban’s interest in buying the Dodgers should make Padres fans nervous, writes Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  Sullivan believes that Cuban has the forward-thinking mindset and deep pockets to shift the balance of power in the NL West.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has a chance to win right now and needs to make a move to bolster the offense, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
  • Pedro Martinez isn't ready to announce his retirement just yet, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (Spanish link).  Martinez also says that he envisions himself in a Sandy Koufax-type role with a club.
  • The Giants could use an offensive infusion as the deadline approaches, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.

AL West Notes: Figgins, Angels, Willingham

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No American League West team is truly out of contention. The Rangers lead the way with a 40-36 record, the Mariners and Angels are hovering around .500 and the A's are back within 5.5 games of the division lead after a recent six-game winning streak. Here's the latest on the AL West: 

  • The Mariners still owe Chone Figgins over $20MM between now and the end of the 2013 season, but the infielder is playing poorly, so Larry Stone of the Seattle Times runs through the team's options. Stone concludes that the Mariners probably have to cut down on Figgins’ playing time and hope he finally heats up so that they can get some value from him, either in a trade or on the field. 
  • Angels GM Tony Reagins told Kevin Baxter of the LA Times that international free agency is an increasingly important and challenging source of talent for MLB teams. This year's international signing period begins July 2nd (link via the Baltimore Sun).
  • One scout for a contending team told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that Josh Willingham's Achilles injury could scare teams considering the outfielder as a possible trade target. The A's put Willingham on the disabled list, but he could return in early July, in time to reestablish his trade value.

Quick Hits: Twins, Ellis, Cole, Hultzen

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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.

Minor Deals: Lamb, Tiffee, Periard

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A few minor moves…

  • The Yankees have signed Mike Lamb and Terry Tiffee to minor league deals, reports Donnie Collins of The Scranton Times-Tribune. Both infielders were playing in the independent Atlantic League, Lamb with the Camden River Sharks and Tiffee with the Lancaster Barnstormers. They will head to Triple-A.
  • The Mariners have signed Alex Periard to a minor league pact according to Baseball America's Matt Eddy (on Twitter). Eddy notes that Periard was originally drafted by Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik back when he was the Brewers' scouting director in 2004. The right-hander had a 4.71 ERA in 11 starts last season before Milwaukee released him.
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