No Bonds For Seattle
One of the teams for which Barry Bonds makes the most sense is the Mariners. By shifting around various players, they could definitely use his bat at left field and DH. As a team with its sights set on ’08, the Mariners probably can’t afford to use Jose Vidro as their designated hitter.
Nonetheless, Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln emphatically stated today that the Mariners will not sign Bonds under any circumstances at any time. Looks like it’s Vidro for ’08 (and perhaps ’09 if his option vests). PECOTA sees Vidro hitting .281/.346/.372 this year.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rule 5 Draftees
Last year the Reds selected Josh Hamilton in the Rule 5 draft despite only 23 games above Single-A and only 15 games anywhere since 2002 (actually the Cubs picked Hamilton and traded him to the Reds the same day). Hamilton went on to hit .292-19-47 in 90 games. This year, 18 players were chosen in the Rule 5 draft (14 pitchers). These players must remain on the 25-man roster all season or be offered back to their original club for $25K. By my count, three players (Sergio Valenzuela, Lincoln Holdzkom, Jose Capellan) have already been offered back to their original clubs (Capellan was picked up on waivers by a third team during the process). Hamilton is the rare case of a position player sticking with his new club as it is far easier to hide a developing pitcher and still get him playing time in the bullpen than it is on the bench.While it is rare for position players to stick, we have already learned that the Cardinals may keep Brian Barton as a fifth outfielder. As opening day rosters begin to take shape, let’s take a look at what is being said in the Blogosphere about the chances for the Rule draftees.
- Tim Lahey (RHP, CHC/MIN): Bleed Cubbie Blue sees the Cubs working out a trade with the Twins that would allow them to send Lahey to AAA. In fact, they speculate that Lahey will be the PTBNL in the Craig Monroe deal.
- Evan Meek (RHP, PIT/TB): Bucs Dugout predicts that Meek will at least start the season with the Pirates before being offered back to the Rays.
- Randor Bierd (RHP, BAL/DET): Bird Brain projects Bierd to make the roster and hopes the O’s give him every chance to stick.
- Jose Capellan (LHP, CIN/BOS): Capellan was originally selected by the Giants but was just placed on waivers. The Reds picked him up (Rule 5 rules still apply) and Obsessive Giants Compulsive is surprised the Giants let him go.
- Sergio Valenzuela (RHP, CIN/ATL): Valenzuela was sold back to the Braves after not making a single appearance in a spring game. The Braves then traded Valenzuela to a team in the Mexican League. Which begs the question…Are "future considerations" from the Mexican League worth the $25K the Braves dropped to bring him back? Talking Chop finds the entire situation funny and is not surprised that Valenzuela did not stick with the Reds.
- Brian Barton (OF, STL/CLE): Cardinals GM is predicting Barton to be on the opening day roster with Juan Gonzalez starting the season in AAA.
- R.A. Dickey (RHP, SEA/MIN): Detect-O-Vision is infatuated with the knuckleballer but notes that Dickey "has a looooooooooong way to go".
- Steven Register (RHP, NYM/COL): Mets Fever thinks Register might actually stick by earning the final spot in the bullpen.
Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.
Gammons’ Latest: Bailey, Crisp, Giants
ESPN’s Peter Gammons posted to his blog yesterday; let’s take a look.
- More negative vibes around the Reds’ Homer Bailey. His apparent availability seems odd given his talent. Bailey was described by an evaluator friend of Buster Olney as "someone who thinks he’s got it all figured out."
- Gammons likes the fit of Barry Bonds in Seattle, but sees Jeff Clement as the team’s DH in the event that Richie Sexson starts to repeat his ’07.
- The A’s still like Coco Crisp, but the Red Sox want young catching and/or pitching that the A’s would prefer to keep. Susan Slusser wrote on Saturday that talks between the two clubs had revived.
- Giants scouts are apparently handing out a list to other teams with almost a dozen available players (basically all the veterans). The Giants currently have nine pitchers vying for three bullpen spots.
Angels In Need Of Another Arm?
At the end of his most recent column Ken Rosenthal posits a nightmare scenario for the Angles, going back to 2001 when the Mariners cracked out to a 20-4 start to seize the AL West crown before May Day. With John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar on the shelf for at least 4-6 weeks, should the Angels be concerned going into 2008? Is a move to pick up an extra starter in order?
The team is looking at filling 14-16 starts. With a surplus of outfielders the Angels are certainly in position to make a move. They could opt for a back of rotation innings eater like the Brewers Chris Capuano or the Reds’ Matt Belisle. Or, the team could really make a splash and dive head first into the Joe Blanton sweepstakes. David Bush might fill out the rotation nicely, through April and beyond.
Another possibility is a move toward the scrap heap, which got a slight upgrade this past week with the addition of Horacio Ramirez. Think Horacio might like a shot at the April 11 contest up at Safeco? How about reuniting brothers Jeff and Jared Weaver for one last sentimental run? And then there’s always the possibility of getting Southern Cali comfort David Wells off the couch for a month or two of solid work.
The LA Times sees General Manager Tony Reagins looking in-house to try and bridge the gap. Lefty Joe Saunders and righty Ervin Santana become your No. 3 and 4 starters, and Dustin Moseley, who made eight starts for the team in 2007, becomes your No. 5. Pencil in young gun Nick Adenhart for an outside shot at getting some innings, if not as a starter possibly as a long-reliever.
Aaron Shinsano writes for East Windup Chronicle.
Mariners Release Horacio Ramirez
The Mariners released pitcher Horacio Ramirez, closing the door on the Bill Bavasi blunder. RotoWorld makes a good point – the Mariners wasted $458K by not non-tendering Ramirez back in December. Nice. Meanwhile, Rafael Soriano will close for the Braves for the next couple seasons.
Ramirez, a 28 year-old southpaw, brings nothing to the table at this point aside from his groundball rate.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Crede, Willits, Rivera, Belliard
Ken Rosenthal checks in with all kinds of hot stove info.
- Continuing on yesterday’s post regarding Joe Crede and the Dodgers , Rosenthal reports that a source close to Dodgers management explained that the team trading for a third baseman like Crede or Brandon Inge is "all about the budget and whether [owner Frank] McCourt will allow them to add money." Rosenthal continues to point out that Crede is a better deal than Inge in terms of their contracts, and that Crede could also be more attractive to Dodgers management because the White Sox might be willing to trade for prospects, while the Tigers are looking for immediate bullpen help.
- The Mariners had been in the market for a veteran right-handed hitting outfielder, but have opted instead for in-house options. It seems Coco Crisp could have filled a need. Sure, he’s a switch-hitter, but his splits suggest it could have made some sense. If they didn’t have to part with too much, it might have worked.
- The Angels have a surplus in the outfield — Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits — and Rosenthal reports that Willits is now untouchable according to the Angels (two teams have inquired after him recently). The two are blocked by Vladimir Guerrero, Garrett Anderson, Torii Hunter, and Gary Matthews Jr. While it sounds as if they’d prefer to move Rivera (a free agent at season’s end), it’s hard to imagine that they’d send Willits to the minors (he has options remaining) if they don’t find a good match for Rivera (Umpbump Coley suggested the Padres or Mets yesterday). As Coley pointed out, the Angels have numerous banged up pitchers, and there are a number of teams out there who are going to be starting center fielders with inferior skill sets compared to Willits (as Tim pointed out a few days ago).
- The Nationals are dealing with a surplus at second base, and Rosenthal believes that Ron Belliard is the most logical piece to move, what with his $1.6MM salary this season, and his $1.9MM for next. Rosenthal pinpoints the Rockies (perhaps too little range on the right side with Jeff Baker and Todd Helton), Cardinals, Twins, and White Sox as potential trade partners.
Rumor Royalty: Geoff Baker (Mariners)
Geoff Baker kindly answered our Rumor Royalty questions despite vacationing in Hawaii. Geoff covers the Mariners beat for the Seattle Times. He also keeps a blog here.
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MLBTR: How do you see the first base situation turning out? Richie Sexson is entering a contract year and his production has been below average. Do you think anyone else in the system could see time at the cold corner?
Baker: If Sexson struggles out of the chute again, then fails to rebound by mid-May, I could see a chain reaction of moves that could lead to someone like Raul Ibanez or Jose Vidro being moved over to first base. A lot will depend on the progress of Jeff Clement. If Clement shows he’s ready for a big-league job, it gives the Mariners plenty of flexibility where Sexson is concerned. Clement himself could be moved over to play first base. The reason I said Ibanez or Vidro first is because they’ve both played first base in the majors already. I could see Clement taking over as DH if Vidro were to be moved to first base. Or, if Vidro struggled as well, him and Clement seeing time as DH. The point is, the M’s have no excuse to spend an entire season waiting for Sexson this year. Once Clement and outfielder Wladimir Balentien show they’re ready for the bigs (and a couple of months at Class AAA could be all it takes) there are plenty of moves that could be made to bring in a new first baseman.
All that said, I do expect Sexson to rebound to something more reflective of his career norms. He’s in a contract year, and last season sort of snowballed away from him quickly. The combination of nagging hurts, getting booed by his own fans and the pressure he put on himself after a terrible start all conspired to drag him down. Not saying he’ll hit 30 home runs again, but an .800 OPS is the minimum I expect.
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MLBTR: Do you think the Mariners are giving any consideration to signing Barry Bonds, despite Jose Vidro‘s presence as the DH?
Baker: I’d be very surprised. The Mariners have made a point of not hanging on to players with black marks against them in the community. We saw that last year when Julio Mateo was traded to Philadelphia at a time when an assault charge (for beating his wife) was pending against him. Bonds is also charged with a crime — perjury. He may not have been found guilty yet (and the M’s have given chances to folks caught using steroids, like Mike Morse) but the team won’t want that cloud and the distraction that is Bonds himself hanging over their clubhouse and season. He’s a perfect match for this team. If they wanted Bonds, he’d already be signed.
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MLBTR: Can you tell us which Mariners with less than five years of service time are out of options?
Baker: Mike Morse, who can play the infield or outfield, is the biggest name and will likely not get through waivers if he fails to make the team out of spring training. I’d say Morse has a great shot at joining the club. He’s already hitting well this spring, offers them plenty of versatility and I’m not sure the M’s feel Wladimir Balentien is ready to leave Class AAA just yet. If Morse doesn’t stick in Seattle, some other club will likely use him in the big leagues.
Cha Seung Baek is also out of options. A right handed pitcher, he’s had his share of appearances with the club the past two years, but, for some reason, hasn’t made a lasting impression. Seemed like a surefire option as a fifth starter heading into last spring, but the M’s opted to sign Jeff Weaver instead. That tells you plenty. There sould be a question about Baek’s durability and willingness to take the ball. The rotation is set for this year, so he’s either a long reliever or likely gone. My guess is he’s gone.
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MLBTR: Do you expect both Kenji Johjima and Jeff Clement to be Mariners in 2009?
Baker: I do expect Clement to be there, mainly because Sexson, Ibanez and Vidro could all be gone. That’s a lot of power to lose without replacing some of it from within. That said, I’d expect to see Clement in a first base or DH role more than as a starting catcher. Unless he makes tremendous strides in catching this season at Class AAA.
And if that’s the case, I would expect Johjima to return. The Mariners are pleased with the progress he’s made in transitioning from the Japanese to the American game. He offers pretty good offensive power for a catcher. At this point, not knowing how he’ll do this season, I think the team is leaning towards keeping him. Not like there’s anyone else in the system ready to step in and play every day. That could change over the next seven months, but right now, there isn’t. If Rob Johnson, or Clement, was going to be Johjima’s backup this season, I’d feel differently. But it’s going to be Jamie Burke.
That said, if Clement has an absolute monster year as a Class AAA catcher, or half a monster season down there and then fills in as a major leaguer at any spot the rest of the way, we’ll talk. But for right now, the way I see it, Clement won’t be catching for the M’s in the big leagues. That means Johjima stays put.
Odds and Ends: Johnson, Ponson, Nady
Ever lose a contact in the bathroom and scour for it for hours? That was my morning. Good times. On to the links.
- Friend of MLBTR Susan Slusser notes that the Giants had two scouts watching the A’s on Wednesday. One guy they might have been eyeing is first baseman Dan Johnson. It seems that Johnson, who is out of options, may be able to linger around on the A’s roster until at least mid-April given the expanded rosters for the Japan series. And since Slusser’s article we’ve learned that Daric Barton‘s hand injury is more serious than initially thought. That could buy Johnson even more time if the A’s aren’t ready to trade him.
- The Cardinals, Mariners, Royals, and Diamondbacks, Astros, and Rangers were among teams with scouts watching Sidney Ponson touch 94mph today. He’s stopped drinking and lost some weight; who knows, maybe he can help an NL club.
- Peter Abraham views Joba Chamberlain‘s recent comments with a little skepticism.
- MLB.com’s Marty Noble calls a Mets trade for Xavier Nady "quite unlikely," though an anonymous Mets player likes the idea.
Odds and Ends: Ponson, Inge, Papelbon
Let’s round up some Monday morning links.
- The Cardinals are taking another look at Sidney Ponson. Insert your own punchline in the comments.
- Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun could see the O’s making a minor trade for a veteran second baseman if they acquire Ronny Cedeno but not Eric Patterson in a Brian Roberts deal with the Cubs.
- Brandon Inge is trying his best to talk his way out of town. The Dodgers’ recently reported nibble hasn’t been publicly shot down, so that’s a plus.
- South Side Sox thinks speedy infielder Eugenio Velez is the type of player the White Sox could desire for Joe Crede.
- Jonathan Papelbon wants $900K in his last year before arbitration eligibility. Ryan Howard set a scary precedent last year. If Papelbon doesn’t get offered something close, he’d rather make a statement and be renewed near the minimum.
- Buster Olney suggests Dan Johnson and Doug Mientkiewicz could be possibilities for the Mets in their quest for a backup first baseman. Olney speculated on Nick Johnson, Scott Hatteberg, Richie Sexson, Tony Clark, and Kevin Millar the day before.
Mariners Make Offer To Felix
3-3-08: John Hickey says the Mariners have made an initial offer to Felix. On Friday I suggested it might take $15-17MM to buy out his three arbitration years. The Mariners wouldn’t mind buying out a free agent year while they’re at it.
3-1-08: The Seattle Mariners have approached Felix Hernandez and his agent about signing a long-term contract. According to Hernandez’ agent, Wil Polidor, the club has broached the idea but no formal offers have been made. Polidor went on to say that he will be in Arizona for the next two weeks and has plans to meet with Mariners brass.
Hernandez, who was 14-7 with a 3.92 ERA in ’07 will be eligible for arbitration for the first time following the ’08 season.
By Cork Gaines and Tim Dierkes