East Notes: Phillies, Werth, Harper, Mets, Gimenez, Orioles, Martin
Jayson Werth was not surprised when his bromantic partner Bryce Harper signed with the Phillies exactly a year ago yesterday, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. After years of traveling together, yukking it up from stadium to stadium, Werth knew Harper’s feelings about the league about as well as could be expected, and given his own positive feelings about his time in Philly (he won a ring there in 2008), Harper taking a shine to his mentor’s former club definitely tracks. Werth impacted both franchises in their most recent championship endeavors, directly for the Phils as he hit .309/.387/.582 during their ’08 run. For the Nats, he provided legitimacy to the franchise at the outset of their current run of competency. The Nationals have posted a winning record in each of the last eight seasons back to 2012, Werth’s second year with the club. That’s enough reminiscing for today. Let’s stay in the NL East and check in on some spring training news…
- New York Mets prospect Andres Gimenez added a leg kick to his swing this winter in an effort to get more lift, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. Gimenez will have to push the envelope to make his presence felt at the major league level this season, but he’s breathing down Amed Rosario‘s neck. Robinson Cano is owed big money over the next four seasons, but there’s certainly the possibility that one of the Mets’ young shortstops could eventually move to the keystone. Despite some uncertainty regarding Rosario’s performance at the big league level, shortstop is a deep positional field for the Mets organizationally. Gimenez is the Mets’ 2nd-ranked prospect, per Fangraphs, behind only Ronny Mauricio, who trails Gimenez in timeline by roughly the same margin between Gimenez and Rosario. For now, Rosario, 24, will keep the position warm until Gimenez, 21, can take it. That is, until Mauricio, 19 in April, can get to it first.
- Jumping to the junior circuit, the Baltimore Orioles expect 2020 to be a development year for Richie Martin – out of the spotlight. With defensive wizard Jose Iglesias in-house to hold down shortstop – until July at least – Martin can make up for lost time in Triple-A. Last year’s Rule-5 selection from the A’s, Martin was pushed into a full season with the big league club last year, and his naïveté showed. Martin put up -0.6 rWAR and a 50 wRC+ in 2019 as their more-or-less everyday shortstop. Still, Martin isn’t giving up the possibility of winning a job at second base or in a utility role, per MASN’s Roch Kubatko. The team lacked middle infield depth last season, but they at least have more players vying for those roles this spring – likely leaving Martin on the outside looking in on opening day. Hanser Alberto has his name on one roster spot, while Andrew Velazquez and Ramon Urias are contenders for utility roles, while Stevie Wilkerson, Pat Valaika, Jose Rondon, and Dilson Herrera are all in camp as non-roster invitees.
The Shortstop Trade Market
By my count, five starting shortstop candidates may be on the market currently: Miguel Tejada, Orlando Cabrera, Cesar Izturis, Craig Counsell, and Julio Lugo. The Red Sox, Cubs, Twins, and Mariners are all at least semi-contending teams with shortstops that have to be considered less than a sure thing. Add in a surprise injury or two, and there’s sure to be some shortstop movement in the coming months. Let’s break down the five most likely to be dealt.
Miguel Tejada was worth 7.6 wins in 2005 and projects to be worth 6.8 in 2006. He’ll be 30 years old and will earn $48MM over the next four seasons. He’s an impact player who’s been named in countless trade rumors, even involving teams that already have decent shortstops in place. The Orioles will try to extract a young starter with top-rotation potential if Tejada is traded. I have a feeling that Tejada will either be dealt before the season begins or not until after the season. Just a hunch, but I think he’ll have a lousy first half and damage his trade value.
Julio Lugo was surprisingly almost as valuable as Tejada in 2005, tallying a 7.0 WARP score. Baseball Prospectus expects him to come down to Earth this year but still be worth 5.2 wins. He’s also 30 years old and will become a free agent after earning $4.95MM in ’06. Tampa Bay’s new management is looking for young pitching and nothing but. A Jonathan Papelbon type would probably do the trick, but teams obviously aren’t quick to part with that type of pitching talent for a rental shortstop. Lugo is pretty much a lock to be traded before the July deadline, and it could take a three-team deal for them to find the pitching prospect(s) they desire.
Craig Counsell is the elder statesman of the group at age 35. He’s been on a couple of World Series winners, which adds a nice intangible. He earned 6.1 wins as a 2B in 2005, and will move to shortstop for the Diamondbacks with their acquisition of Orlando Hudson. He projects to be worth 3.2 wins in ’06 and will earn just $1.75MM. Counsell falls under the bargain rental category for a team anxious to improve defense up the middle. The D-Backs will probably flip him at the deadline whether or not Stephen Drew is ready. Unless they’re in the thick of the playoff race, Alex Cintron could probably hold down the position for a half season.
Orlando Cabrera signed a big contract last offseason, and he’s still owed $23MM over the next three seasons. Once an incredible defender, Cabrera has slipped a bit but was worth 4.1 wins in 2005. He projects as a 3.5 win player in 2006, so teams won’t be anxious to take on the 31 year-old’s contract. The Angels have some great shortstop candidates pushing their way up through the system, but the team hasn’t always been quick to unload overpaid vets in the past. The Red Sox probably wouldn’t mind having him back, but only if the Angels picked up most of the tab.
Cesar Izturis is recovering from Tommy John surgery and the 26 year-old was shocked to see the Dodgers sign Rafael Furcal to a three-year contract. The club might choose to keep him around as a second baseman after Jeff Kent leaves, creating the best defensive middle infield in the game. A summer trade would make sense too. He earned just 2.4 wins in a partial 2005, but was a 4.4 win player the year before. He plays good D but hasn’t been much with the stick outside of 2004. Izturis will earn $7.25MM over the next two seasons and has a $5.45MM club option for 2008. There’s a $300K buyout attached to the option. Izturis would make a decent pickup in that he’s young enough to improve in coming years.