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Phils Get Help for the Pen

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Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced that the Phillies have acquired Francisco Rosario from the Toronto Blue Jays in return for "cash considerations".  The Phillies have started the season 0-2 with both games being lost in extra innings after allowing the Braves to score on the bullpen late in regulation to tie the game, squandering a good start by Brett Myers and a great start by Cole Hamels.

Rosario pitched to a 6.65 ERA in 17 appearances with the Blue Jays last season, but as we mentioned last week, he was having a very good spring.  Out of options, the Jays elected to trade him rather than cut someone else from the 25-man roster.

The Phillies are expected to make another roster move in order to create room on their 25-man roster for Rosario.  Since Zack Segovia will be needed to start a game against the Marlins this weekend, it’s likely Joe Bisenius or Clay Condrey will be the odd man out.

Tom Goyne is the author of Balls, Sticks, & Stuff, a Phillies-centric site, and maintains the Phloggers’ Pheeds page, a source for the latest commentary from around the "phlogosphere".

Lieber, Kim Rumors

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Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has some trade rumor tidbits from around baseball this morning.  To summarize:

  • Renck does not think the Phils truly want to use Jon Lieber as a reliever, and mentions two scenarios floating around.  Lieber could be paired with Aaron Rowand and sent to the White Sox, which I would think would require at least Mike MacDougal.  Would be interesting to see Liebs back in Chicago if old pals KW and "Stand Pat" Gillick can work it out.  Or, he could go to Milwaukee for Kevin Mench.  Such a trade would have to push Claudio Vargas to the bullpen.
  • Renck says the Rockies like Mark Hendrickson despite his mediocrity and their stable of starters.  The Dodgers would like to include Hendrickson as part of a bigger deal for a slugger.
  • Byung-Hyun Kim to Florida is a long shot unless the Rox eat most of his $2.5MM salary.  The Rocky Mountain News reiterates that the interested parties are Florida, Oakland, and Texas.  You can add the Pirates to that list as well.  The Bucs could also trade for Armando Benitez.
  • John Thomson seems likely to be released.  The A’s have been rumored.

Ken Rosenthal’s Latest

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Ken Rosenthal has been hard at work with his sources, and he has a new article at FOX Sports.  Some highlights:

  • The Marlins and Dodgers are interested in Byung-Hyun Kim as a reliever, and the A’s could add him as the fifth starter instead of Joe Kennedy.  Kim, a 28 year-old sidearmer, hasn’t closed since ’03 with Boston.  A trade to Florida would make him the ninth inning favorite though.  He’ll earn $2.5MM this year.
  • The Rockies like Mark Hendrickson of L.A., and they may release Josh Fogg this spring.  I wouldn’t discard Kim while acquiring Hendrickson; Kim projects as a slightly better pitcher.  Advantages to acquiring Hendrickson from Dan O’Dowd’s point of view: a slightly better groundball rate and two years remaining until free agency.
  • The Blue Jays want to give Josh Towers a rotation spot.  Towers has nine Ks in nine innings this spring while allowing two runs.  Does spring training really have that kind of influence on a team’s decision-makers?  Towers will make $2.9MM this season, but he’s still pretty far from free agency.  The Jays would like to trade John Thomson; otherwise they may release him.  As a newly signed free agent Thomson can veto any deal.  He’d be wise to take a trade to the NL, in my opinion.
  • Rosenthal thinks the Orioles and Nationals will be competing for Mark Teixeira, who will become a free agent after the 2008 season.  Tex is a Maryland native, which usually doesn’t matter for a Boras client.  But Boras might actually be able to use this to get the two clubs bidding against each other.

Cubs Looking To Deal?

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MLBTradeRumors.com has word from a reputable source that the Cubs are looking to make a deal.  They are after one more solid player, but I’m not sure what position they’re trying to fill.

A possibly related piece of info is that a Cubs scout was in attendance at a recent Braves/Blue Jays spring game.  That pretty much sums up the extent of what I know; anything else would be speculation.

Browsing that box score, I’m not sure what would make sense.  Josh Towers is available and was on display, but how does that help the Cubs?  Jason Marquis can already post a 5.50 ERA.  The Cubs have Jacque Jones to spare, but neither the Braves not the Jays need a right fielder.  Take your best guess in the comments; I really don’t know what could be cooking.  Please, no Andruw Jones speculation.

Phils Covet Rios

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Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi was pretty clear on his intentions: "we’re not trading Rios."  But what else is he going to say?  Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail has a source that says despite that declaration, Pat Gillick still wants him for the Phillies.

Blair says the Jays won’t trade Rios unless they’re getting Brett Myers or Cole Hamels in return. We’ll label that as educated speculation on Blair’s part.  Such a trade would make about as much sense as using Myers as closer.   

The much talked-about scenario involves the Phils somehow wresting Rios from the Jays without giving up either frontline starter, and then shipping Aaron Rowand to San Diego for Scott Linebrink.  I’m all for speculation, but the Jays know what they’ve got in Rios.  He doesn’t get traded if Jon Lieber is the centerpiece.

Gillick Visits Ricciardi

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Phillies GM Pat Gillick swung by the Blue Jays’ camp yesterday to talk some baseball with J.P. Ricciardi.  The Globe and Mail’s Jeff Blair writes that the Phils like Alex Rios and Dustin McGowan and are trying to trade Jon Lieber.  Reed Johnson could be a more reasonable bounty for Lieber.

As Blair says, the Jays want to see what they’ve got first.  And I’m not sure why the Phillies would be actively trying to acquire an outfielder with Burrell, Rowand, and Victorino under contract.  That looks like a decent outfield to me.  The Phillies are weak in the bullpen.

If the Jays are to part with Rios, a star in the making, they need a frontline starter.  They were asking for quite a bit back in January – Brett Myers or Chad Billingsley and then some.  A month before that, Buster Olney first mentioned that Rios could be available for Brad Penny or Joe Blanton.

The only name I’ve heard here that really makes sense is Myers, and the Phils probably didn’t just sign him with the intent of trading him.  Billingsley would certainly be a nice return for Toronto, but the Dodgers don’t need Rios.      

Blue Jays Sign Victor Zambrano

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The Blue Jays have signed 31 year-old starter Victor Zambrano as an option at the back of their rotation.  He received a minor-league deal with a spring training invite.  Hard to believe we’re only a few weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting!

Zambrano has had Tommy John plus an additional surgery on his right elbow, so he won’t make the Opening Day rotation.  The Jays like the flexibility of using Zambrano as a starter or reliever.  It probably won’t work out, but Zambrano did have a mild amount of success in the AL East back in 2003-04.

The Toronto Sun adds that J.P. Ricciardi hopes Zambrano will be ready by mid-season and his deal includes a 2008 option.

Blue Jays Sign Tomo Ohka

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UPDATE: The Blue Jays signed Ohka to a one-year deal with incentives.  He’s guaranteed $1.5MM and can double it by reaching incentives.

The Washington Post reports that Tomo Ohka will likely decide on a team today or tomorrow.  The Nats are unlikely, and he’s leaning towards Toronto.  Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Ohka now only wants a one-year deal.  Looks like he couldn’t get three years so he’d rather re-enter the market in ’08 after a hopefully solid year.  The Pirates are definitely out of the running.  The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review mentions that the Mets are still in on Ohka.

The Bucs, however, have turned their focus to Tony Armas Jr.  Several teams are interested in him, with the Pirates in the lead.  Though he’s not particularly good, he is relatively healthy and on the right side of 30.  Beggars can’t be choosy.

Latest On Ohka

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Ah, the Tomo Ohka saga.  What could be more exciting in late January?  Football just can’t compete.  The Pirates have "escalated efforts" to snag the righthander, which I suppose means an increased offer.  An Ohka signing for the Bucs would probably push Shawn Chacon out of the rotation, never a bad idea.

The Nats, Blue Jays, and…wait for it…a mystery team are the contenders for Ohka.  My guess is that Ohka wants a Jason Marquis type deal. 

Ohka Could Sign Soon

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The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reports that Tomo Ohka could decide this weekend whether to pitch for the Nationals, Pirates, or Blue Jays.  The Bucs are also working on Brian Lawrence, so they’d probably only sign one of the two.

I wonder what happened to the Mets, and whether Ohka is still holding out for a three-year deal.  You can read my full profile of the 30 year-old righty here.

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