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Quick Hits: Padres, Snider, Wheeler

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Let's take a look at some tidbits from around the majors on this Thursday evening..

  • Be wary when considering radar gun readings.  Former Padres GM (now Diamondbacks GM) Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the club would tinker with the pitch speeds from time to time.  Every time Brad Penny pitched for the Dodgers in San Diego, the club would dial down the radar gun to frustrate him.
  • The Blue Jays caught some off guard by demoting promising outfielder Travis Snider earlier today.  MLB.com's Todd Wills writes that the club sent him to Triple-A to make adjustments to his swing.
  • Red Sox newcomer Dan Wheeler is still working to carve out a niche for himself in the bullpen, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.  Last year with the Rays, Wheeler posted a 3.35 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.

Gabe Gross Retires

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Gabe Gross has decided to retire, reports Jon Johnson of The Enterprise Ledger.  Said Gross:

"I just felt like my heart wasn’t into it.  This and quitting football are the two hardest decisions I’ve ever made."     

Gross signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in February, and after a March release he was ready to hang up his cleats.  But then he took the Marlins up on an offer last week.  When his Sunday physical was delayed, he thought about it for an extra day and decided to retire to spend time with his wife and two kids.

The 31-year-old finishes his career having earned approximately $5MM, including his signing bonus as the 15th overall pick out of Auburn by the Blue Jays in 2001.  He posted a .239/.330/.385 line in seven seasons for the Jays, Brewers, Rays, and Athletics.  Gross was involved in the 2005 deal in which the Jays also sent Dave Bush to the Brewers for Lyle Overbay.

East Notes: Beato, Ibanez, Emaus, Hulett

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Here are some items of note and musings coming out of the East divisions as Phillies interim closer Jose Contreras hits the DL …

  • Mets reliever Pedro Beato, a Rule 5 draftee this offseason, is pitching well, writes Thomas Boorstein of MLB.com. "I've been impressed ever since he walked into camp," Mets manager Terry Collins said. Earlier this week, the Mets returned second baseman Brad Emaus – their other Rule 5 pick – to the Blue Jays, who flipped him in turn to the Rockies, but it looks like Beato has a good shot of sticking with the Mets throughout the season.
  • Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez is struggling, as is Philly's lineup on the whole, and David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders how long the Phils will continue to start Ibanez. Should the Phils choose to divvy up starts between John Mayberry Jr., Ben Francisco and Domonic Brown, it would be interesting to see whether they would look into trading the 39-year-old. Ibanez is past his prime, sure, but he posted a triple-slash of .272/.347/.552 as recently as two years ago, and his contract expires at season's end, so he could draw interest at a cheap price. However, he does have no-trade protection.
  • The Blue Jays will place second baseman Aaron Hill on the DL, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. We'll never know the answer, but I wonder whether the Jays would have held onto Emaus to fill in briefly with Hill, Jayson Nix, and Edwin Encarnacion being banged up. Of course, it seems pretty clear that the Jays had made the decision that Emaus didn't factor into their plans, but they are stretched thin now, as John McDonald and Mike McCoy started at third and second base, respectively, on Sunday.
  • The Nationals signed infielder Tug Hulett to a minor league contract, according to NBC Sports. Hulett last appeared in the big leagues with the Royals in 2009. He was with the Rockies earlier this season but was let go after Colorado acquired Emaus.

Rockies Acquire Brad Emaus

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The Rockies have acquired Brad Emaus from the Blue Jays in exchange for right-hander Chris Malone according to the team (on Twitter). Toronto will also receive a player to be named or cash considerations, tweets Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.

Emaus is suddenly well-traveled, joining his third team of the week; the Mets returned him to Toronto as a Rule 5 Draft player just yesterday. The 25-year-old infielder hit .162/.262/.162 in 42 plate appearances with the Mets before they cut ties with him. Colorado can send him to the minors without having to pass him through waivers since the Rule 5 Draft rules no longer apply.

Malone, 27, was not considered one of the Rockies top 30 prospects in the 2011 edition of Baseball America's Prospect Handbook. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 36th round of the 2003 draft, but he joined the Rockies after a 2008 stint in an independent league. He owns a 6.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 63 2/3 relief innings (4.10 ERA) with Colorado's Double-A affiliate over the last year and change.

Who Might The Blue Jays Pursue In The Offseason?

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The Blue Jays continue to accumulate talent, and an extended period of contention could begin in 2012.  It doesn't hurt that an additional playoff team will be added to each league next year.  Let's speculate on who the Blue Jays might pursue during the 2011-12 offseason to help take their team to the next level.

I discussed Toronto's 2012 payroll issues on Tuesday.  I'll speculate that they exercise options on Jason Frasor and Jon Rauch and decline on Aaron Hill and Edwin Encarnacion, putting commitments in the ballpark of $54MM.

Back in January, Blue Jays president Paul Beeston said, "We should be a city that can have $140 million, $150 million in the way of salaries. We could support that, and that's the direction that we're headed."  GM Alex Anthopoulos talked about a "very fluid" budget, which "has the ability to rise with the right opportunity."

Should we expect the Blue Jays to immediately add $85MM in 2012 salaries during the offseason?  Of course not.  Anthopoulos said he's not going to "spend for the sake of spending."  However, it is fair to say that there is no free agent the Blue Jays can't afford if they deem him a worthwhile investment.  There's a lot of baseball to be played in 2011, but here are my guesses at the spots Anthopoulos could try to upgrade during the offseason:

  • Second base: Hill has five months to prove his options are worth exercising.  If he fails, the free agent market offers little beyond Kelly Johnson.  I don't see anything in the way of exciting trade candidates.
  • First base: Adam Lind is the man right now and could be in 2012 as well if he resumes hitting.  He's also a candidate to be used at DH.  I still believe the Blue Jays could be legitimate suitors for the two big-name first basemen: Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols.  Fielder is more likely to make it to the free agent market.  The question is whether Anthopoulos will view a seven or eight-year, $125MM+ investment in Fielder as a sound one.
  • Designated hitter: There are plenty of options at DH each year on the free agent market.  Even if they sign a first baseman, the Jays could add a DH as well if they're unhappy with Lind.  The biggest name out there could be David Ortiz, but it's a flexible position and about a dozen free agents could be slotted in.
  • Left field: A major acquisition here seems unlikely, with Travis Snider holding the spot and prospect Eric Thames behind him.  Still, the Jays could consider a veteran on a one-year deal depending on where Snider and Thames stand.
  • Bullpen: Depending on whether they exercise their relievers' options, the Blue Jays could have a decent pen in place for 2012. I wouldn't anticipate a big free agent contract from Toronto for the likes of Jonathan Papelbon or someone like that.
  • Rotation: The Jays have some question marks beyond Ricky Romero.  They've certainly got plenty of talent beyond the lefty, though, and it makes sense to wait to see how everyone comes along in 2011.  The free agent market is weak after C.C. Sabathia, so maybe Anthopoulos will lean toward a trade here if he does anything.

Brandon Wood Rumors: Pirates, Blue Jays

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26-year-old infielder Brandon Wood was designated for assignment late Tuesday by the Angels, and there is "zero chance of him clearing waivers," tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale.  He'd be a fit for many clubs at shortstop or third base, as I outlined here, but he's more likely to land with a club that can give him some leeway to struggle in the Majors.  Claims are due in by noon eastern time today, reports Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The latest:

  • The Blue Jays "expressed interest in trading for Wood as recently as this offseason," according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, so they could be interested now.
  • The Pirates will "almost surely" place a claim, tweets Dunlap.  They have first dibs, as 2010 records are used within the first 30 days of this season to determine waiver order.  The team's 40-man roster is currently full, so they'll either have to designate someone for assignment or put someone on the 60-day DL if they win a claim on Wood.  Keep in mind that claims might not come into play if a team simply trades for Wood.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (Twitter link) that his team discussed going after Wood, but demurred since Milwaukee has no spot for him.  I named the Brewers as one potential candidate for Wood yesterday.

Jays Accept Brad Emaus Back From Mets

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The Blue Jays have accepted infielder Brad Emaus back from the Mets, tweets ESPNNewYork's Adam Rubin.  New York designated Emaus, a Rule 5 pick from Toronto, for assignment on Tuesday and since Emaus cleared waivers, the Mets had to offer him back to the Jays for $25K or work out a trade to keep him.  Now that the Jays have taken Emaus back, he has been assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Emaus won the second base job out of Spring Training for the Mets, but was DFA'ed after posting a .424 OPS in 42 plate appearances.  Emaus, 25, was an 11th-round pick of the Jays in the 2007 amateur draft and he has a .276/.364/.426 line in four minor league seasons.

2012 Contract Issues: Toronto Blue Jays

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The Blue Jays are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series.

Eligible For Free Agency (6)

  • The Jays seemingly took Juan Rivera from the Angels as a means of facilitating the Vernon Wells trade.  In February they were rumored to be shopping him.  If he's still struggling a few months from now a release could be in order. 
  • Frank Francisco is expected to join the big league club today after dealing with pectoral muscle and shoulder issues.  Health is always a concern for Francisco.  Though his salary is already at $4MM, I can still see the Jays offering arbitration if a draft pick is involved.
  • I'm curious to see whether Shawn Camp has Type A or B status, once Eddie Bajek starts projecting Elias rankings this year.
  • Role players John McDonald, Jose Molina, and Corey Patterson are also eligible for free agency.

Contract Options (5)

  • Aaron Hill: $8MM club option for 2012, $8MM club option for '13.  It's too early to say whether Hill can return to his '09 or '07 form and compel the Jays to pick up one or both of his options.
  • Jason Frasor: $3.75MM club option.  Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos created flexibility for his 2012 bullpen by getting club options for Frasor, Rauch, and Dotel in the same range.  After the season we'll see who's worth keeping around.
  • Jon Rauch: $3.75MM club option with a $250K buyout.
  • Octavio Dotel: $3.5MM club option with a $750K buyout.   
  • Edwin Encarnacion: $3.5MM club option with a $500K buyout.  If Encarnacion happens to pop 30 home runs for the first time in his career, the Jays can retain him at a bargain price.

Arbitration Eligible (9)

The first-timers won't necessarily make it to the point of being tendered contracts.  Escobar, Morrow, Litsch, Villanueva, and Janssen seem to be the locks here.

2012 Payroll Obligation

The Blue Jays' 2012 payroll obligation excluding buyouts is $29.9MM, according to Cot's.  Jose Bautista, Adam Lind, and Ricky Romero account for most of that.  The club options are mostly unknowns at this point; the obligation could range from a couple million for buyouts to $22.5MM if everyone stays.  I'll use $15MM as a ballpark figure for the key arbitration eligible players, putting the team around $47MM if all options are declined.  The Blue Jays have kept payroll over $70MM for quite some time, so there's room to exercise some of the options and join the bidding for a few significant free agents.

Athletics Acquire David Purcey

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The Athletics acquired lefty David Purcey from the Blue Jays for minor league reliever Danny Farquhar, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The deal is now official.  The A's cleared a space on the 25-man roster by putting Dallas Braden on the DL, and gained a spot on the 40-man by transferring Rich Harden to the 60-day DL, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

Purcey, 29 in a few days, was designated for assignment by the Jays last week.  He drew "very strong" interest, according to GM Alex Anthopoulos.  The former first-rounder is out of options, so the A's must keep him in the Majors or attempt to pass him through waivers.  Purcey, who switched to the bullpen to start the 2010 season, has battled control problems for much of his career.  He's always posted strong strikeout rates, averaging 92-93 miles per hour on his fastball since converting to the bullpen. 

Though they sandwiched an elbow strain, Purcey's '07 and '08 stints in the minors did include good control.  Purcey seemed to be on to something in '08, finishing the season in the Majors and tossing a couple of eight-inning gems.  MLB.com's Jane Lee has a bit more on Purcey, after talking to A's assistant GM David Forst.

Farquhar, 24, returns to his old organization after a brief stint this year as a Sacramento River Cat.  The A's had acquired him in November as part of the Rajai Davis deal with Toronto.  He posted a 3.52 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 4.9 BB/9, and 0.8 HR/9 in 76 2/3 Double-A relief innings last year.  Baseball America ranked him 22nd among A's prospects, noting that his "defining characteristic is his use of two different arm angles."

Blue Jays Acquire Yohan Pino

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The Blue Jays acquired righty Yohan Pino from the Indians for cash considerations, according to the Tribe's Twitter page.

Pino, 27, posted a 5.75 ERA, 7.0 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, and 1.5 HR/9 in 26 Triple-A starts last year, but was working out of the bullpen in Double-A this year.  He'd joined the organization in August of '09 as the player to be named later in the Carl Pavano deal with the Twins.  Pino last cracked a Baseball America handbook four years ago, when his command was said to rank among the best in the Twins' organization.

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