Nationals Rumors

Odds & Ends: Rosario, Red Sox, Bernazard, Storen

By Luke Adams 2 | April 27, 2010 at 10:28pm CDT

Links for Tuesday….

Baseball America's Ben Badler tweets that the Red Sox have signed speedy 17-year-old outfielder Roberto Rosario from the upstart Dominican Prospect League for $150K.
The Red Sox might be in a terrific position to take advantage of the Ryan Howard contract fallout, says Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.
FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal interviewed former Mets' executive Tony Bernazard, who was fired last year. It's a very interested read, give it a look.
MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling explores the financial savings the Nationals could enjoy if they delay calling up Drew Storen.
Meanwhile, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Marlins aren't going rush Mike Stanton to the big leagues.
Dusty Baker denied a report that the Reds turned down extension talks, tweets John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Didn't get enough Ryan Howard extension reactions yesterday? Not to worry, there are plenty more pundits weighing in today. ESPN.com's Buster Olney says that many baseball people now feel that Howard, "a star in his prime," is overpriced, and the Phillies might regret the contract long before it expires. ESPN.com's Keith Law agrees, writing that he laughed when he heard the news. Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the contract may be an overpay but it represents "the cost of doing business," and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com says the Phils had to either pony up for Howard or risk letting him walk after 2011.
Meanwhile, USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggests Howard's deal could be the beginning of a slew of mammoth contracts for baseball's sluggers.
John Tomase of the Boston Herald notes that modifications in Fangraphs' UZR model make Jason Bay's defense look a whole lot better. Fangraphs' latest UZR update included adjustments for specific ballparks like Fenway, and improved Bay's 2009 UZR from -13.8 to +1.9. As Tomase indicates, Bay and his agent probably would've liked that change made before Bay signed his four-year deal this winter.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants have discussed promoting Buster Posey earlier than June.
In his MLB.com blog, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann speculates on who would be next in line for each managerial job in both the National League and American League.
Also at MLB.com, Peter Gammons has a column up that addresses a few intriguing what-if questions, including what could have happened if the Red Sox had acquired either Alex Rodriguez or Mark Teixeira.

Odds & Ends: Paul, Embree, Zobrist, Wakefield

By Tim Dierkes | April 26, 2010 at 9:35pm CDT

Links for Monday, as we digest Ryan Howard's $125MM extension…

Since the Dodgers called Xavier Paul up from the minors, he should be getting regular playing time with Manny Ramirez out, reasons Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
Alan Embree told Dan Barbarisi of The Providence Journal that he won't be extending his contract deadline again. He hopes to be called up by the Red Sox by April 30th.
The AP has details on Ben Zobrist's $18MM extension with the Rays.
Though the knuckleballer doesn't say it, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says "it's obvious [Tim Wakefield] isn't keen on his new [bullpen] assignment."
Jim Callis of Baseball America explores what might happen if MLB allows trading draft picks.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders how long Javier Vazquez will be given to get on track.
With tongue firmly in cheek, Grant of the McCovey Chronicles predicts free agent-to-be Jayson Werth will sign with the Giants next winter.
ESPN's Keith Law shares his rankings of the top 100 prospects for the June amateur draft. (ESPN Insider subscription required.)
Speaking of young players, MLB.com's Jane Lee talks to Athletics director of player personnel Keith Leippman about some of the top prospects in Oakland's farm system.
ESPN.com's Eric Karabell says that if Matt Capps can keep up his strong start, the right-hander will be a good trade chip for Washington over the summer. Karabell also notes that if Capps is dealt, it will likely be to a team looking for set-up help, not a closer.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times says it's a close call between Derek Jeter or Manny Ramirez for the title of "best big contract in baseball history."

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Orioles, Griffey, Braves

By Mike Axisa | April 24, 2010 at 5:46pm CDT

FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up, so let's see what he has for us…

The Orioles will almost certainly be the first team to fire their manager this season, and both Bob Melvin and Bobby Valentine came up in past internal discussions. Bigger jobs are in store for Valentine, but Buck Showalter might also be a candidate. Rosenthal reminds us that the team doesn't have anyone in-house with prior big league managing experience.
The Mariners expect Cliff Lee back on Friday and Erik Bedard back in four weeks, but the focus will remain on the offense and Ken Griffey Jr.'s .238/.289/.262 performance. Rosenthal says not to expect anything to happen with him anytime soon; Seattle has five Griffey-centric promotions scheduled for the first half.
The Braves are a logical landing spot for Adrian Gonzalez, but they're also very high on first base prospect Freddie Freeman. The last time they traded for a first baseman with a year-plus left on his contract, they basically rebuilt the Texas Rangers.
The Nationals made a run at Jermaine Dye and had more than one conversation with Gary Sheffield's agent, but GM Mike Rizzo said those talks were just to gauge interest. For now, they're happy with the a platoon of Willie Harris and Justin Maxwell because of their defensive abilities, and Rizzo says that will remain a point of emphasis as the team moves forward.
Rosenthal expects the Nats to get better as the season progresses. They'll be adding Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen, Chien-Ming Wang, Ross Detwiler, and Jordan Zimmermann to their pitching staff at various points this year.

Jason Bergmann Clears Waivers, Outrighted To Triple-A

By Luke Adams 2 | April 23, 2010 at 12:48pm CDT

12:48pm: Bergmann has cleared waivers and will head to Triple-A Syracuse, according to a Ladson tweet.

FRIDAY, 10:28am: The Nationals had a few teams interested in trading for Bergmann, but couldn't find an offer they liked, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Resolution on the right-hander should come later today.

THURSDAY, 7:12pm: Ladson tweets that Bergmann has been placed on waivers, meaning he could be outrighted, become a free agent, or be claimed by another team by tomorrow.

MONDAY, 7:20pm: Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com reports that Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo acknowledged fielding calls for Bergmann.

"We've taken a few calls. We're still in the inquiry stage," said Rizzo. "We still have a few days to do something. Nothing to announce."

The Nats have until Thursday to waive Bergmann, and until Saturday to trade or release him.

SUNDAY, 11:37am:The Blue Jays have expressed interest in Jason Bergmann, who was designated for assignment by the Nationals on Thursday, tweets Bill Ladson of MLB.com. In a second tweet, Ladson adds that if they acquired Bergmann, the Jays probably wouldn't need him until mid-season.

At the time of Bergmann's DFA, MLBTR speculated that the Jays could take a look at the right-hander, given former Nats' scouting director Dana Brown's familiarity with the 28-year-old. Brown now works on Alex Anthopoulos's staff in Toronto.

The Nationals have a ten-day window, as of Thursday's roster move, to attempt to finalize a trade involving Bergmann.

Stark On Padres, Jose Guillen, Derrek Lee

By Tim Dierkes | April 22, 2010 at 2:04pm CDT

ESPN's Jayson Stark kicks off today's column with a look at which teams' starts he considers reality and illusion. Beyond that, a look at his hot stove rumblings…

One club official who "felt out" the Padres over the winter believes they'll hold on to their top players if they're in contention in July. As Stark says, the market would look a lot worse without Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell.
Stark names six sluggers who "might be in play" this summer: Josh Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Adam LaRoche, Rick Ankiel, Paul Konerko, and Manny Ramirez. Hamilton and Manny are longer shots, but they'd certainly get the hot stove burning.
As for Jose Guillen – executives Stark talked to just aren't interested, despite his .377/.406/.738 start.
In search of new stadiums, where could the Rays and A's legitimately threaten to move? Stark and his sources run through ideas and can't find a viable city.
A friend of Cal Ripken's tells Stark "there's a lot of mutual respect" between Ripken and Orioles owner Peter Angelos. Ripken seeks a difference-making job, rather than just a title. It doesn't necessarily have to be with the Orioles.
The Cubs told Derrek Lee's agent Casey Close they'd prefer to let the season play out before talking extension. Lee discussed the situation during Spring Training.
Stark's sources consider Brett Anderson's four-year, $12.5MM deal a very team-friendly contract. To the A's credit, most young pitchers are not willing to give two club options. Playing devil's advocate – did the potential cost savings justify committing four years to Anderson after just one year of service? You can find multiple clubs that do not share Oakland's enthusiasm for locking up good young pitchers.

Odds & Ends: Martinez, Rangers, Strasburg, Zambrano

By Tim Dierkes | April 21, 2010 at 9:10pm CDT

Links for Wednesday…

Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal thinks that Victor Martinez's inability to contain baserunners could cost him millions in free agency and compromise his long-term future with the Red Sox.
Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes that Tom Hicks is "concerned" about the sale of the Rangers to new ownership. Hicks' comments prompted MLB to release a statement in which they say the league has taken control of the Rangers' sale.
Despite Stephen Strasburg's hot start, Mike Rizzo has no plans to rush his prized prospect through the minors, according to Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington. Rizzo says that when Strasburg arrives in Washington, the club wants it to be for good.
Ever seen a $17.875MM reliever? Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Cubs are moving Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen on Friday. Carlos Silva will remain in the rotation; Tyler Kepner of the New York Times recently looked at his potential resurgence.
In a pair of February articles, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune noted that Mark Buehrle's 10-and-5 rights kick in on July 6th, while A.J. Pierzynski's date is June 14th.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times posits that if the Mariners hadn't traded Adam Jones, they wouldn't have Jack Zduriencik and Franklin Gutierrez.
Though he'll continue to work for ESPN, Joe Morgan has joined the Reds as a "special advisor to baseball operations." Morgan will not be involved in the team's day-to-day operations, learned John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says the Diamondbacks looked into a trade for Nate Robertson before the southpaw was dealt to Florida. Crasnick's article deals with the performances of nine important fill-ins so far this season.
FanGraphs has added an aspect of catcher defense to its Wins Above Replacement stat.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports talks about the plight of Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley. I imagine quite a few teams would like to try to get him back on track.
Kevin Millar, released by the Cubs in March, has joined the MLB Network as an analyst according to Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball.

2011 Contract Issues: Washington Nationals

By Tim Dierkes | April 21, 2010 at 8:35am CDT

The Nationals face one contractual option after the season. Second baseman Adam Kennedy has a $2MM club option with a $500K buyout. Of course, it's too early to tell if Kennedy can reprise his offensive success of '09 and post a solid defensive season.

Aside from Kennedy, nearly $24MM could be freed up with departing free agents. Adam Dunn ($12MM) and Cristian Guzman ($8MM) make up the bulk. Talks for a Dunn extension have quieted. The Nationals will be free of their commitment to Austin Kearns, who received a $1MM buyout this year.

Increases to players under contract are mild, made up mostly of Ryan Zimmerman's $2.675MM bump. The Nats have several notable arbitration cases after the season. John Lannan goes for the first time, while Sean Burnett and Jesus Flores go for a second. Third-timers include Josh Willingham, Matt Capps, and Scott Olsen. Fourth-timers are interesting too, with Chien-Ming Wang and Brian Bruney in the mix. Recent history says the Nationals won't be shy about going to hearings if necessary.

Assuming Dunn leaves, the Nationals will have money to work with even if they hold payroll steady. It might be another active offseason for Washington.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.

Odds & Ends: Nationals, Angels, Royals

By Howard Megdal | April 20, 2010 at 9:04pm CDT

As the West Coast games get started, here are some tidbits to snack on…

The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore reports that there is "nothing going on" with contract extension talks involving Adam Dunn. Dunn is off to a slow start, but says it has nothing to do with his possible extension.
With Jeff Mathis on the disabled list with a fractured wrist, all those teams hoping to take advantage of the Angels' inexplicable disenchantment with Mike Napoli can move on for now.
MinorLeagueBall.com's John Sickels speculates about what it would take for the Twins to acquire Alex Gordon from the Royals.
ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin talks with the rehabbing, Daniel Murphy, who says he's willing to learn other positions, even second base, with Ike Davis looking to be up to stay.

Odds & Ends: Bell, Dye, Ortiz, Davis, Strasburg

By Tim Dierkes | April 19, 2010 at 9:32pm CDT

Links for Monday…

The MLBTR Forums are rocking with over 3,600 members. Join the discussion today! Just added a prospects section; we've also got areas to discuss trade rumors, free agents, the draft, general baseball, fantasy baseball, and every team.
Tom Krasovic tweets that the Twins have a scout at tonight's Padres-Giants game, but it's just a routine visit. He adds that Heath Bell remains on Minnesota's radar, but the two sides haven't talked since Spring Training.
The Giants have no interest in Jermaine Dye, tweets Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle. The reasons are the same as they've been all winter: defense and asking price.
More changes could be coming to the Dodgers' bullpen, says Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Russ Ortiz was designated for assignment yesterday, and Hernandez thinks Ramon Ortiz could be next.
Talking to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith, I learned that teams can now safely promote minor leaguers for their MLB debuts with no chance of the player amassing 172 days of service in 2010. By promoting '08 first-rounder Ike Davis today, the Mets ensured that he will be under team control through 2016 instead of 2015. In contrast, the Braves have Jason Heyward through '15.
On that same topic, agent Scott Boras told MLB.com's Peter Gammons that Stephen Strasburg starting in the minors "had nothing to do with money."
Joe Posnanski digs into Forbes' team revenue numbers, noting that the Yankees made $173MM more than any other team.
MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch tells us Hayden Penn has accepted the Pirates' Triple A assignment in lieu of electing free agency.
In a statement, Cal Ripken said he looks forward to continued talks with the Orioles about a position in the organization.

Nationals Re-Sign Ron Villone

By Tim Dierkes | April 19, 2010 at 8:26pm CDT

8:26pm: Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post clears things up. He says Villone was re-signed to a minor league and assigned to Extended Spring Training, presumably for conditioning purposes.

3:06pm: The Nationals have apparently retained lefty reliever Ron Villone, based on this tweet from MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Ladson says Villone is "back in the Nats organization, working out in Viera, Florida right now." The Nationals had released Villone in March after three spring appearances. Ladson notes that Villone had a leg injury prior to the release, which probably explains why they were unable to let him go.

Villone, 40, posted a 6.66 K/9 and 4.81 BB/9 in 24.3 innings against lefties last year. Control was a problem in '08 as well, through he had a better strikeout rate. Villone has pitched for a dozen different teams in his 15 seasons.

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