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Cardinals GM Will Watch Sano Work Out

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Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak will watch prospect Miguel Angel Sano work out in the Dominican Republic. Sano, a 16-year-old shortstop, will have a number of suitors to choose from once he becomes a free agent on July 2nd when the international signing period begins.

Strauss says the Cardinals are at the "forefront" of the Sano sweepstakes. The Pirates, Twins, Yankees and Orioles are among the teams that have recently been linked to Sano. Check out our complete archive of Sano rumors for all the details.

Discussion: Which Player Coming Back From Injury Helps The Most?

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Last night we had a discussion about which injuries would ultimately hurt their team the most this season, with probably close to a hundred names drawing votes in the comments section. Tonight, let's discuss which currently injured players will help their team the most when they come back.

Manny Ramirez doesn't count because he was suspended, but some examples include Aramis Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Grady Sizemore, John Smoltz, Josh Hamilton, Scott Kazmir, Joey Votto, Jake Peavy, and Jake Westbrook. Who ya got?

Playoff Odds Update

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The season's now two and a half months old, so it's a good time to check the current Playoff Odds report at Baseball Prospectus. When Tim analyzed these odds a couple weeks ago, there were eleven teams with less than a 10% chance of making the playoffs. Now, there are ten such teams, but since the Pirates are sitting right on 10%, essentially the same number of teams seems to be out of the race. 

The teams themselves are different, though. The Rockies have boosted their playoff chaces from under 5% to 21%. The Giants and Marlins didn't do as well as the streaking Rockies, but they both boosted their chances considerably. Here's the list of teams with less than a 10% chance of making the playoffs, according to BP.
  • Mariners – 9.5%
  • Royals – 9.2%
  • Braves – 8.8%  
  • White Sox – 5.4% 
  • Astros – 4.8%
  • A's – 2.9%  
  • Diamondbacks – 2.0%  
  • Padres – 1.5%  
  • Orioles – 0.3%  
  • Nationals – 0.0% 

These odds can change in a hurry, as the Rockies proved, but it takes a lot. This doesn't mean these teams will all become sellers, but it would be surprising to see any of these teams, even the Braves or Mariners, make the playoffs. Contenders will probably find that adding Nick Johnson or Aubrey Huff is simpler than dealing for players like Brad Hawpe, whose teams are back in the race.

Discussion: Should The Cards Extend Pujols Now?

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Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals should try to extend Albert Pujols' contract soon, instead of waiting until the first baseman becomes a free agent after 2011. Here's his reasoning:

  • Already a two-time MVP with a batting title, a World Series win and the fourth highest OPS of all-time, Pujols could finish his career as the greatest right-handed hitter ever.
  • He's a good defender and a smart baserunner.  
  • Cardinals fans love him and would be devastated to see their star leave. 
  • Baseball Prospectus projects Pujols to be an elite hitter well into his thirties.
But there are reasons to hold off extension talks, at least for now:
  • An injury between now and the end of the 2011 season could prevent him from playing, limit some elements of his game, or lower his market value. 
  • They can wait a year and a half and still have exclusive negotiating rights next winter.
  • It's hard to imagine Pujols ever having more negotiating power than he does now. 

What do you think the Cardinals should do? 

Discussion: Which Injury Hurts The Most?

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As always, a slew of players have suffered serious injuries this year.  My question to you: which one will ultimately hurt the player's team the most?  Leaving Manny Ramirez aside, examples include Carlos Quentin, Josh Hamilton, Aramis Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Joe Mauer, Jose Reyes, Rickie Weeks, Carlos Delgado, Jake Peavy, Brett Myers, Ervin Santana, Brandon Webb, Jose Valverde, and John Lackey.  Who's your pick?

Discussion: Veterans In Triple-A

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One year ago today, the Mets swung a deal for veteran outfielder Trot Nixon, who at the time was hitting .309-.437-.558 for Triple-A Tuscon. While Nixon wasn't much of a boost to the Mets' offense, teams could still look to patch up holes without breaking the bank by acquiring veterans stuck in the minors. Let's take at some guys who have been performing well down in Triple-A and could possibly offer a big league team help off the bench or out of the bullpen. First, the position players:

  • Andy Marte: .321-.351-.530 in 171 PA while playing first and third for Cleveland's AAA affiliate.
  • Shelley Duncan: .310-.379-.670 in 227 PA, leading the International League in homers and RBI, and not by a small margin either. He's played the corner outfield spots and first base for the AAA Scranton Yankees.
  • Hector Luna: .351-.413-.655 in 218 PA, playing first, second and third base for the Dodgers' top minor league club.

Marte has certainly gotten his fair share of big league opportunities, as has Luna. Both could possibly offer infield depth to a team beset by injuries. Duncan has had a tremendous offensive season (not quite a Jake Fox season, though), but swings from the right side, so he's not an ideal pinch hitter for an NL club. Here's some pitchers:

  • Lenny DiNardo: 3.48 ERA, 52-13 K/BB in 64.2 IP, mostly out of the rotation in the Royals' organization.
  • Elmer Dessens: 1.15 ERA, 26-7 K/BB in 31.1 IP, working exclusively out of the bullpen for the Mets' AAA affiliate.
  • Brendan Donnelly: 2.04 ERA, 16-5 K/BB in 17.2 IP, all as a reliever with Houston's top minor league team.

None of these three are strangers to the big leagues. DiNardo could be particularly attractive to a team looking to add another lefty to their relief corps, especially since he could spot start as well. Donnelly has playoff and World Series experience, which has value to some.

Do you see any teams that could be possible fits for these guys? Are there any other veteran players down in Triple-A that could help someone?

Discussion: Best Minor League Contracts

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One of the staples of the Hot Stove League is the minor league contract. Teams hand them out to aging veterans, players coming off injuries, guys looking for one last shot to extend their careers, stuff like that. Now that we're just over one-third of the way through the season, let's discuss some players who've made the most of their opportunity.

Here's some notable performances:

  • Livan Hernandez: 3.88 ERA in 11 starts coming into tonight for the Mets.
  • Omar Vizquel: .345-.379-.455 in 60 plate appearances while playing short, second, and even some third for the Rangers.
  • Juan Uribe: .296-.317-.435 in 121 plate appearance for the Giants. He's played all over the infield.
  • Adam Kennedy: .328-.406-.525 in 140 plate appeances for the A's after signing with the Rays.

Who do you think has been the best player after signing a minor league deal this past offseason? Anyone I miss?

Discussion: Should MLB Limit Signing Bonuses?

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There is no hard limit on the bonuses teams can award the players they draft, just a recommended cap. ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported yesterday that some GMs wonder whether the draft actually helps bad teams. As he says, the Padres knew how good Justin Verlander was when they chose Matt Bush instead, they just wanted a signable player. 

Can we improve the game by limiting the bonuses amateur players can receive? Changing the current system would be complicated and controversial, as Scott Boras and others don't want restrictions on the bonuses they can negotiate for their clients (Stephen Strasburg comes to mind). So what would happen if MLB limited bonuses?

  • Such a change would transfer money and power to teams from amateur players and their agents.
  • Teams would be more likely to select the most talented players, instead of going for a combination of talent and signability.
  • Players like Rick Porcello would be less likely to slide, since teams would be less wary of the bonuses they might demand.  
  • Agents would receive less money when brokering deals for their amateur clients. 
  • There wouldn't be nearly as much drama and uncertainty surrounding the negotiatons. 

Is it in the best interest of the game to restrict player bonuses? Some would do away with the draft altogether. Or should we leave the current system alone and just enjoy the games?

Discussion: Who Would You Start A Franchise With?

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The results are in from Sports Illustrated's annual poll. Scouts and executives were asked which five active players they would start a franchise with. Albert Pujols won easily, besting runners-up Evan Longoria, Zack Greinke, Joe Mauer and Hanley Ramirez. The five players topping SI's list are phenomenal, but what about pitchers Roy Halladay and Johan Santana? Or youngsters like Fernando Martinez and Matt Wieters? How about Stephen Strasburg? 

Which five active players would you choose if you were starting a franchise from scratch?

Looking Back At June 2008

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A glance through the MLBTR archives reveals what happened last June. Here are some highlights from a busy month:

  • The A's signed 16-year-old prospect Michel Inoa with a $4.25MM bonus. Miguel Angel Sano can't sign this month, but there are parallels between the two teenage Dominicans.
  • In one of several nasty twists to the month, pitcher Shawn Chacon shoved Astros GM Ed Wade to the floor. Not surprisingly, the altercation led to the righty's release.  
  • Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi took a cheap shot at Adam Dunn, not literally, like Chacon, but on the radio. He said the slugger didn't have "passion" for baseball. Passionate or not, Dunn went on to hit 40 homers for the fourth straight season.
  • Three managers lost their jobs: Willie Randolph of the Mets, John Gibbons of the Blue Jays and John McLaren of the Mariners.
  • Believe it or not, the Stephen Strasburg rumors began a full year ago. 
  • C.C. Sabathia, Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes were some of the bigger names involved in trade rumors.  
  • And of course there was the draft. Tim Beckham went first overall to the Rays, followed by Pedro Alvarez (Pirates) and Eric Hosmer (Royals). 
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