Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Nationals Rumors

Quick Hits: Pirates, Cubs, Werth, Byrdak

By | at

The Cardinals won and the Braves lost, so only 2.5 games separate the two clubs in the National League Wild Card race. Here's the latest news from around MLB…

  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington didn't say whether he intends to offer arbitration to Ross Ohlendorf this offseason, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Ohlendorf would earn a raise from his current $2.025MM salary if the Pirates tender him a contract this winter.
  • The Cubs told scouting director Tim Wilken that he'll be back in 2012, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. There had been some rumblings that Wilken would receive a four-year extension like the one director of player personnel Oneri Fleita obtained, but Wilken will return on a one-year deal.
  • Giants officials acknowledged to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that it will be hard to bring back both Jeremy Affeldt ($5MM option) and Javier Lopez (free agent) next year. The two left-handers could hit free agency this offseason.
  • Jayson Werth told Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he still believes that the Nationals are headed for success. The outfielder hasn't lived up to his $126MM contract so far, but he says he has found his swing and regained his composure.
  • Mike Mosa, the agent for Tim Byrdak, told MLBTR's Tim Dierkes that Byrdak's decision to sign an extension with the Mets had to do with the team's willingness to include an opt-out in his deal for 2011 (Twitter link).
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that serious analysts don't believe "that awards voting should be done according to an ordinal ranking" of the wins above replacement statistic. WAR is a tool that guides baseball fans, not an absolute statement about value or ability.
  • In this week's edition of Ask BA, Jim Callis of Baseball America explains that he doubts we'll ever see an international draft because of all the logistics that would be involved. Commissioner Bud Selig has long supported a worldwide draft, which will come up during this round of collective bargaining.

Quick Hits: Draft, White Sox, Rodriguez, Nationals

By | at

On this date nine years ago, Curt Schilling struck out his 300th batter of the season, joining Randy Johnson to become the first teammates to each strike 300 hitters out in the same season. Here are the latest links from around MLB…

  • Conor Glassey of Baseball America took an early look at the top 50 prospects for the 2012 draft (subs. req'd). Stanford right-hander Mark Appel tops the list, and Glassey says he has "Justin Verlander upside."
  • Ozzie Guillen will decide his own fate, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). He can return to the White Sox if he wants to and if not the Marlins would love to have him.
  • One executive told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that Francisco Rodriguez’s public comments about his displeasure setting up aren’t going to help him in free agency. ”Everybody is going to think he is a me-first guy, totally selfish,” the person said. “Why would you say those things right now?"
  • Bill Price of the New York Daily News wonders if the Mets might be better off without Jose Reyes and David Wright.
  • GM Mike Rizzo told the Philadelphia Daily News that the Nationals feel that they're going in the right direction. "Our young players are getting opportunities and we're progressing. So I think it kind of shows not only our fan base, but the organization itself that we are improving," Rizzo said.
  • Paul Hagen of the Daily News wonders if Ryne Sandberg could end up managing in the Major Leagues next year.

Quick Hits: Clippard, Storen, Ellsbury, Braves

By | at

B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria and Casey Kotchman all homered for the Rays tonight as Tampa Bay defeated Boston, 9-2, in the opener of a big four-game series.  The Red Sox now have just a three-game lead over the Rays (and a four-game lead over the idle Angels) for the AL Wild Card.

Some notes from around the league….

Outrighted To Triple-A: Garrett Mock

By | at

Here are the latest players to get outrighted to the minor leagues…

  • The Nationals outrighted Garrett Mock to Triple-A Syracuse, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Washington designated the right-hander for assignment last week. He spent this season with four of the Nationals' affiliates, posting a 6.39 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 49 1/3 total innings of work.

Quick Hits: McCutchen, Upton, Cameron

By | at

15 years ago today, the Mariners' acquisition of third baseman Dave Hollins was completed when they sent a 20-year-old first baseman named David Ortiz Arias to the Twins.  Arias had just hit .322/.390/.511 for the Low-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.  By the following year Ortiz had dropped the Arias in his name and earned a September call-up.  Ortiz posted a .266/.348/.461 line in 455 games spanning 1997-2002 with Minnesota, battling wrist and knee injuries.  After the '02 season the Blue Jays reportedly expressed interest in Ortiz, but ultimately the Twins non-tendered him in lieu of a raise from his $950K salary.  New Red Sox GM Theo Epstein signed Big Papi for $1.25MM, and the rest is history.  Today's links…

  • The Pirates are far apart in contract talks with Andrew McCutchen, reports ESPN's Jim Bowden.  Bowden feels that a six-year deal in the $47-49MM range, plus a club option, would be a fair compromise.  In my opinion, there's a good case to be made for a McCutchen contract to exceed the $51.25MM Justin Upton received over six years in March of 2010.  McCutchen has played in over 100 more games than Upton had at that point, their offensive lines are very similar, and McCutchen plays center field.
  • ESPN's Keith Law discusses MLB's European presence and what must be done for further growth.
  • Answering a question from Craig Heist of WTOP about playing in Washington, Rays center fielder B.J. Upton said he'd love to remain in Tampa Bay but otherwise would like to play for the Nationals with old friend Ryan Zimmerman.  You can follow Craig on Twitter here; MLB.com's Bill Ladson transcribed the discussion.  Upton is heading into his last arbitration year and projects for a $7MM salary.
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo names 20 young, next generation GM candidates.  To check out MLBTR's top 20 plus honorable mentions, click here.
  • Mike Cameron was consistently one of the best players in baseball when he was on the field, writes Dave Cameron of FanGraphs.
  • The Orioles will try Chris Davis at third base for the rest of the season, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  The 25-year-old was a key piece of the July 30th Koji Uehara trade with Texas.  With Mark Reynolds getting comfortable at first base, it's conceivable that the Orioles will sit out the corner infielder bidding this winter.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports chronicles how Joey Gathright went from being managed by Jose Canseco as a member of the independent league Yuma Scorpions to a minor league deal with the Red Sox.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Beato, Braves

By | at

Ruben Amaro Jr. of the Phillies (#2) and Frank Wren of the Braves (#9) both make Jon Heyman's list of top GMs of the year at SI.com. Here are the latest notes from the NL East…

  • Davey Johnson will return as the Nationals' manager in 2012 unless he changes his mind, Heyman reports. The team is required to conduct a full offseason search, however.
  • Former Mets GM Omar Minaya expects to join a new team before the Winter Meetings, according to Heyman, who suggests the Indians and Rays are possibilities.
  • As Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com explains, Rule 5 pick Pedro Beato is destined to finish the season with the Mets and become the team's official property. 
  • The Braves' rotation is limping to the finish line, as Jon Paul Morosi writes at FOXSports.com. Atlanta probably didn't expect Mike Minor, Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado to start consecutive games in a pennant race.
  • I examined the free agent stock of Marlins starter Javier Vazquez earlier today.

Rosenthal On Guillen, Marlins, Reds

By | at

The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…

  • One prominent agent told Rosenthal he can envision a free agent frenzy if a labor agreement is reached by the start of the offseason.  The last labor agreement, in 2006 was followed by ridiculous overspending on mediocre veterans.  The current labor agreement is set to expire on December 11th, three days after the conclusion of this year's Winter Meetings in Dallas.
  • Rosenthal has a source familiar with the thinking of Ozzie Guillen who has recently dropped his predicted chances of the manager returning to 50-50.
  • Rosenthal sees "mixed signals" on whether the Nationals will spend big this offseason, but he considers Jimmy Rollins a good fit.
  • The Marlins intend to discuss every available starting pitcher this winter.  The free agent market is looking thin, so teams with starters to trade will be in a good position.
  • The Reds' top goal is to add a middle-of-the-order hitter.

Cafardo’s Latest: Epstein, Nationals, Ethier, D. Lee

By | at

With October fast approaching, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe polled experts around the league on the relative strength of the potential playoff teams. As expected, the Phillies topped the list, but the experts' choice for the second-best team may surprise you. Check out Cafardo's piece for the full rankings, along with quotes on each club, as we run down the hot stove highlights from the rest of the column:

  • The "baseball community has not dropped" rumors that Theo Epstein could be in the mix for the Cubs' GM opening, says Cafardo. I'd be pretty shocked if Epstein ended up in the Windy City, but if he did, Boston's search for a replacement would probably have them considering many of the same candidates being linked to the Cubs.
  • League rules require the Nationals to conduct a managerial search that includes minority candidates this offseason. However, that process may be merely a formality; the team seems very likely to simply retain Davey Johnson for 2012, if he wants to return.
  • While GM Ned Colletti has said the Dodgers are prioritizing long-term deals for Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, the Dodgers' financial situation isn't entirely clear, leading Cafardo to speculate that Ethier will be a trade candidate this winter.
  • As we heard last weekend, Clint Hurdle would like to see Derrek Lee in a Pirates uniform next season. Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more on that possibility.

NL Links: Dobbs, Wang, Cubs, Brewers

By | at

Here are some links from the Senior Circuit as we await tonight's Clayton Kershaw–Tim Lincecum matchup…

  • Marlins manager Jack McKeon told Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post that he hopes the team brings Greg Dobbs back next season. Of course, it seems unlikely that McKeon himself will be back in the dugout next season.
  • A report by Focus Taiwan News Channel (passed along by Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post) indicates that Chien-Ming Wang could earn more than $1MM in incentives by staying in the Nationals rotation all season. He's already made $250K for staying on the roster for 30 days, and will make another $500K for staying on the roster for 60 days. Every start after his tenth (he's started eight) will earn Wang another $100K.
  • SI.com's Tom Verducci says Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts can learn a lot from the Red Sox, who were aggressive in their search for a GM after John Henry bought the team in 2002. Billy Beane and J.P. Ricciardi were among the Boston's first choices before hiring Theo Epstein.
  • Within the same piece, Verducci notes that the Brewers haven't won a series against a non-Cardinals winning team since Memorial Day. He wonders if all of Milwaukee's wins against sub-.500 teams is making them seem better than they really are.

Wang Wants To Return To Nationals In 2012

By | at

The Nationals have spent the last two seasons waiting for Chien-Ming Wang to get back onto a big league mound, which he finally did earlier this summer. Because of the way the team has stuck with him, Wang told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he would like to return to Washington in 2012.

"They have taken care of me a lot the past two years. So I want to come back," said Wang. "I want to help them get more wins. I just want to get back, no matter the salary."

The 31-year-old sinkerball specialist is having an odd statistical year, with more walks (13) than strikeouts (12) in 44 2/3 innings across eight starts. He's getting by thanks to a 53.9% ground ball rate, which is very good but a notch below where he was before shoulder troubles set in a few years ago. 

Earlier tonight we learned that Wang could end up making more than $1MM in incentives if he stays in the rotation the rest of the season. The Nats signed him to a one-year deal worth $1MM guaranteed, and he's scheduled to become a free agent after the season.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top