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Rosenthal On Upton, Soriano, Olt, Porter

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Highlights from the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • At the age of 28, B.J. Upton will be the youngest outfielder on the open market this winter.  Rosenthal believes that Upton figures to land a deal of at least five years and virtually every NL East team could pursue him.  The Marlins in particular could show strong interest as Dan Jennings was the Rays' scouting director when they drafted him in 2002.  Earlier today, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com checked in with four MLB execs who had varied opinions on what kind of deal Upton will get this offseason.
  • Rafael Soriano could opt-out of his three-year, $35MM deal at the end of this season in pursuit of a larger deal, but that might not be a wise choice.  That would call for Soriano to forfeit his $14MM salary in 2013 and the Yankees would definitely make him a qualifying offer (around $13MM) that would require a team to give up draft pick compensation to sign him.  Historically, that has hurt the value of free agent relievers.
  • The Rangers had little interest in parting with Mike Olt at the deadline but some rival execs think that they'll be more willing to move him this offseason.  While the Rangers have Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli as free agents and may like Olt to be a part of their offensive core going forward, he could have tremendous value as many teams are in search of a strong third base option. 
  • Don't be surprised if the Marlins talk to Nationals third base coach Bo Porter again in the event that they fire Ozzie Guillen.  Earlier this week, the Astros met with Porter, making him the first person to interview for the managerial vacancy.

Latest On Astros’ Managerial Search

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The Astros interviewed Nationals third base coach Bo Porter for their managerial opening yesterday. Here’s the latest on some other possible candidates for the position…

  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow met with former MLB manager and player Larry Bowa at Minute Maid Park today, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Luhnow didn't say whether Bowa was interviewing for the managerial opening, but confirmed that the sides met to discuss "some baseball related matters.”
  • The Astros interviewed Rays bench coach Dave Martinez for the managerial opening earlier in the week, McTaggart reports.
  • Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco formally interviewed for the permanent managerial position yesterday, McTaggart reports (on Twitter).

Red Sox Notes: Valentine, De Jesus, Ellsbury

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The Red Sox are on track to finish below .500 for the first time since 1997. Here’s the latest as a disappointing season winds down:

  • Manager Bobby Valentine is now fighting a battle that he cannot win, opines Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.  Miller writes that Valentine couldn't possibly be back as skipper in 2013 because either the Red Sox will lose patience or he will.
  • In a heated interview on WEEI, Valentine characterized the 2012 season as "miserable" but said he'd definitely like to manage the Red Sox again in 2013. "If that's what I'm asked to do, that's what I'm going to get paid to do," Valentine said. He also suggested he would like to punch radio host Glenn Ordway in the face and defended himself when asked about a late arrival to a game earlier this year (highlights via Alex Speier).
  • Blue Jays manager John Farrell would be an excellent hire for the Red Sox, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes. The Red Sox tried to acquire Farrell from Toronto twice last offseason, including once after the Blue Jays made it clear that Farrell was off-limits to teams seeking managers, Bradford reports. The Blue Jays asked for Clay Buchholz as compensation for Farrell, according to WEEI.com. Red Sox pitchers who worked with Farrell in Boston have a deep respect for their former coach based on both friendship and fear, Bradford adds.
  • Farrell said yesterday he’s  "unequivocally" focused on the Blue Jays.
  • Ivan De Jesus Jr. wanted to get traded from the Dodgers leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. “I wanted a fresh start,’’ said De Jesus, who was sent to Boston in the recent blockbuster trade between the Red Sox and Dodgers.
  • The price tag on a potential extension for Jacoby Ellsbury would be “astronomical" should the Red Sox attempt to lock the outfielder up long term, ESPN.com's Buster Olney said on WEEI today (partial transcript via Kirk Minihane of WEEI.com). Olney said he's doubtful rival teams will overwhelm Boston with trade offers for Ellsbury, partly because he's a Scott Boras client.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Jeff Keppinger

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Jeff Keppinger can play multiple positions and he’s a difference maker on offense — at least against left-handed pitching. The combination will attract the interest of many teams when he hits free agency this coming offseason.

Jeff Keppinger - Rays (PW)

When the Rays signed Keppinger to a one-year, $1.525MM deal in January, they expected him to be a tough out, especially against left-handed pitching. The 32-year-old has thrived with Tampa Bay posting a .329/.376/.445 batting line in 320 plate appearances. He also has nearly as many walks (20) as strikeouts (21) thanks in part to a 93.2% contact rate that ranks third among MLB players with at least 300 trips to the plate. 

Keppinger has been particularly effective against lefties, as his .411/.437/.558 batting line against them shows (103 plate appearances). This performance isn’t unexpected, either. Keppinger, a right-handed hitter, has a career line of .336/.380/.491 against left-handers. 

Teams will also take note of Keppinger’s versatility when he hits free agency this offseason. He has appeared in 15 or more games at first base, second base and third base in 2012, playing mostly at the hot corner. He has previous experience at shortstop, though none since 2010. The mixture of versatility and offense has been worth two wins above replacement in 2012, according to both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.

The ability to hit left-handed pitching doesn’t always translate into substantial free agent contracts, as noted lefty mashers Jonny Gomes (one-year, $1MM), Andruw Jones (one-year, $2MM) and Scott Hairston (one-year, $1.1MM) discovered last offseason. Similarly, veteran utility players usually sign for less than $5MM. Ramon Santiago, Nick Punto, Greg Dobbs, Willie Bloomquist and John McDonald obtained two-year deals worth $1.5-2MM per season last winter.

But few players offer the versatility to play multiple infield positions and the ability to produce against lefties. The combination could drive Keppinger’s asking price to the two-year, $10MM range. Aaron Hill, Clint Barmes and Mark Ellis signed contracts in that range a year ago, and those deals could represent a target for Keppinger’s representatives at CSE. Teams may hesitate to pay starter money for a so-called utility player and if that’s the case, the deals signed by Jerry Hairston Jr. (two years, $6MM) and Jamey Carroll (two years, $6.75MM) could provide an alternate template for Keppinger. 

He definitely appears to be in line for a considerable raise and he has a good shot at a multiyear deal. It’s a notable shift in value for a player who was non-tendered by the Giants just nine months ago.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Cleared Waivers: Rhymes, Suarez

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We'll keep track of the players that clear waivers today in this post..

  • Infielder Will Rhymes and right-hander Albert Suarez have both cleared waivers and remain in the organization after being designated for assignment last week, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Rhymes hit .228/.299/.285 in 137 plate appearances for the Rays this season while playing second and third base.  Suarez spent the year with Advanced-A Charlotte, posting a 4.08 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 25 starts.

Rays Designate Will Rhymes For Assignment

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The Rays have designated Will Rhymes for assignment, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Times. The move clears room on the 40-man roster for Jeff Niemann, who was activated off the 60-day DL.

Rhymes, 29, hit .228/.299/.285 in 137 plate appearances for the Rays this season while playing second and third bases. He hit .256/.326/.390 in 194 plate appearances with their Triple-A affiliate as well.

Rays Acquire Ben Francisco From Astros

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The Rays announced that they have acquired Ben Francisco from the Astros in exchange for a player to be named later.  Houston first acquired the outfielder from the Blue Jays in their ten-player trade on July 20th.

Francisco, 30, hit .244/.292/.370 with two homers in 144 plate appearances for the Astros and Blue Jays this season.  The veteran has now been a part of four trades in his big league career and will join his fifth club when he arrives in Tampa Bay.  Across six big league seasons, the outfielder owns a .258/.328/.425 slash line.

Quick Hits: Astros, Blue Jays, Yankees, Wolf, Appel

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Blue Jays first round draft choice Marcus Stroman has been suspended for 50 games for violating the minor league drug prevention and treatment program, the team announced. Stroman, who obtained a $1.8MM bonus earlier in the summer, maintains that he “unknowingly ingested a banned stimulant that was in an over-the-counter supplement.” He wasn’t the only former first rounder suspended today. Josh Sale, who was selected 17th overall by the Rays in 2010, also obtained a 50-game suspension, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter).

Here are Tuesday’s links…

  • “We’re continuing to assess our list of candidates,” said Astros GM Jeff Luhnow to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart about the club's managerial search. “We need someone that’s going to be good at teaching, someone good at inspiring and basically working with the front office and help us achieve our goal of becoming as competitive as possible."
  • The Yankees hadn’t placed Alex Rodriguez on waivers as of yesterday morning, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. Though the Yankees would like to dump Rodriguez and the $114MM remaining on his contract for luxury tax purposes, Davidoff says A-Rod and the Yankees have a pretty good relationship these days.
  • ESPN officially announced an eight-year extension for the rights to broadcast MLB games. John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal reports that the deal is worth $700MM per year for a total of $5.6 billion. The deal also covers digital, international and radio rights.
  • Four teams showed interest in Randy Wolf when he hit the free agent market, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Athletics were one of the teams with serious interest in Wolf before he agreed to sign with the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law previews the 2013 amateur draft class, suggesting it projects as one of the weakest in years. Mark Appel, the Pirates' first round selection in 2012, projects as a top talent for 2013 along with college right-hander Ryne Stanek.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Rosenthal On Swisher, Brewers, Dodgers

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The Pirates know what it’s like to fall out of contention after playing well for four months and they hope to avoid a repeat of last year’s late-season struggles. “Our young players have been through it once,” Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. “They don’t ever want to go through it again.” Here are the rest of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…

  • The Yankees aren’t ruling out keeping Nick Swisher when he hits free agency after the season, but it seems more likely that he’ll sign elsewhere. It appears that Swisher will be tied to draft pick compensation this winter.
  • The Blue Jays will likely discuss an extension with manager John Farrell this offseason so he doesn’t enter the 2013 season without long-term security. If Farrell isn’t ready to commit to an extension, the Blue Jays could look to work out a deal with the Red Sox, who previously employed Farrell as their pitching coach.
  • Rosenthal points out that Marco Scutaro has provided the Giants with offense and versatility since San Francisco acquired him from Colorado last month.
  • Though the Brewers’ season has generally been disappointing, the team has developed Mike Fiers into a promising starting pitcher, found a second catcher in Martin Maldonado and traded for shortstop Jean Segura. The Brewers are impressed by Aramis Ramirez’s leadership, according to Rosenthal.
  • Rosenthal suggests we shouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers make another waiver trade before the month of August ends. They already acquired Joe Blanton from the Phillies in one waiver deal.
  • Could the Rays trade David Price to the Rangers for a package of players built around Elvis Andrus and Martin Perez this winter? Rosenthal speculates about the possibility, but there’s no indication the sides are discussing a deal.
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