Is Eric Byrnes an Option for the Minnesota Twins?

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Jeremiah Graves

Eric Byrnes is officially a free agent and might be exactly what the Twins are looking for this offseason.

Byrnes, 33, was designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks last Friday when the club signed first baseman Adam LaRoche and was officially released this afternoon.

Byrnes was entering the final season of an ill-fated three-year, $30 million contract he signed on the heels of a career-year in 2007. That season he put up a solid batting line of .286/.353/.450 with 21 home runs, 83 RBI, 103 runs scored, and 50 stolen bases.

In the two seasons since inking the deal, Byrnes has been besieged by injuries and overall ineffectiveness.

In 2008 and 2009 combined, he only appeared in 136 games while putting up a paltry .218/.271/.382 line at the plate. His power and speed have both dropped off precipitously in the process.

As such, it wasn’t a shock that the Diamondbacks couldn’t find a trade partner for Byrnes and the $11 million he’s owed in 2010.

Arizona will be on the hook for the vast-majority of his salary this season while Byrnes’ new team will only be responsible for paying him the league minimum.

This is where the Minnesota Twins come into the picture.

After trading Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy, the once-crowded outfield in Minnesota seems a bit barren.

Gomez was the only “true center fielder” of the bunch, given his speed and ability to seemingly reach every ball hit within his zip code.

Denard Span, although talented in his own right, figures to be a bit stretched as an everyday center fielder. His arm and range both project much better in one of the corners than in center field.

Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young are going to hold down the corner spots, but both have proven to be prone to injuries (Cuddyer) and ineffectiveness (Young) in recent years and either could struggle this season.

Jason Pridie (aka: the other guy in the much-maligned Garza/Bartlett trade) is currently projected as the club’s fourth outfielder.

Pridie, 26, has shown very little in his time with the Twins to convince anyone he’ll ever be anything more than a fourth outfielder. He has virtually no plate discipline, decent speed on the bases, and a little pop in his bat. That’s it.

Pridie has looked overmatched at Triple-A Rochester the past two seasons hitting a combined .268/.300/.409 with a dreadful K:BB ratio of 237:49 over the same span.

Byrnes, especially, at the bargain price of roughly $400,000 would be a significant upgrade over Pridie as a fourth outfielder.

It is entirely possible that Byrnes will never hit .300 or smash 20+ home runs again and it is almost a foregone conclusion that the 50 bases he swiped in 2007 was a major statistical anomaly.

That having been said, he’s still a much better option than Jason Pridie.

Byrnes is still a very strong corner outfielder who could play center field in a pinch, albeit without the same range he flashed earlier in his career. He showed last season that he still has some pop when facing lefties and can still run a little bit on the bases.

Additionally, Byrnes is well-regarded around baseball for being a very good clubhouse presence. His energy and infectious enthusiasm have been mentioned as two things the Diamondbacks clubhouse will miss most in his absence this season.

That type of attitude and enthusiasm seems like a perfect fit for the traditionally loose and fun-loving atmosphere for which the Minnesota clubhouse is well-renowned.

Adding Byrnes obviously wouldn’t be akin to signing Felipe Lopez or Miguel Tejada, but he would definitely provide the Twins with some much needed insurance off the bench and a much better fourth outfield option than Jason Pridie.

It may not be a sexy move, but it just might be the right one.

Posted in AL Central, American League, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Eric Byrnes, Free Agency, Minnesota Twins, MLB | 1 Comment

Maybe It’s Just Me: The Bill Smith Inactivity Edition

Posted on January 16, 2010 by Jeremiah Graves

Bill Smith's Busy Offseason Schedule Maybe it’s just me, but I might hate Bill Smith.

I’m not much for hating, but come on, it’s mid-January and all Smith has accomplished this offseason is trading for J.J. Hardy.

Now that move was—admittedly—an impressive exploit by Smith and I have no intention of downplaying the importance of Hardy’s acquisition.

Here’s the problem. That was in November.

That was before the Winter Meetings.

That was before popular targets such as Rich Harden, Placido Polanco, Adrian Beltre, Mark DeRosa, and Kevin Kouzmanoff all landed elsewhere.

There are still solid free agents available in the likes of Felipe Lopez, Orlando Hudson, and Miguel Tejada.

Bill Smith, however, seems more interested in signing the likes of Jarrod Washburn to “bolster” the rotation.

The way I see it, the rotation with Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Carl Pavano, and some combination of Glen Perkins/Francisco Liriano/Brian Duensing/Anthony Swarzak is due for a pretty good year.

As such, why waste the money and starts on overrated, overpaid hurlers like Washburn?

The club needs another infielder and appears to be operating under the impression that Joe Crede is just waiting at home for a phone call from the club.

Rumor has it, he’s not. The club may be quickly working on losing its fallback plan.

Miguel Tejada—who would be an ideal number two hitter—is still on the market. Melvin Mora is out there and on a one-year deal, makes plenty of sense.

Second-sackers Orlando Hudson and Felipe Lopez are both still on the block and either one would be a dramatic improvement in the two-hole next season.

Yet, despite the names available, Bill Smith seems content to continue playing “the waiting game” to see if the prices plummet further.

It’s entirely possible that the prices will plummet further.

Last year, Orlando Hudson didn’t sign with the Dodgers until February 20 and even then he had to settle for an incentive-laden, one-year pact with a miniscule $3.38 million base salary.

Hudson went on to make the All-Star team, win a Gold Glove, and put up a batting line of .283/.357/.417.

Clearly there are gems to be found late in the offseason and clearly they can be found at an incredible discount.

I simply want to know why the Twins—a club that has seemingly been one or two parts away from becoming a legitimate World Series contender—wouldn’t be doing everything to ensure they land a Hudson or Tejada for the 2010 club.

Joe Mauer is supposedly sitting back and waiting to see the club take shape before he’ll begin discussing a contract extension.

If I’m Joe Mauer—and I’ve seen the Red Sox and Yankees re-load in an offseason where neither team needed to re-load—I’d be starting to think that the grass looks a whole lot greener on the other side.

But hey, maybe it’s just me…

Posted in AL Central, American League, Baseball, Bill Smith, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, Maybe It's Just Me, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Trades, Ranting | 4 Comments

Florida Marlins Forced to Increase Payroll, Should Fans Increase Expectations?

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Jeremiah Graves

The Florida Marlins are adding payroll, whether they like it or not.

That is the agreement that Major League Baseball and the players’ union have come to after years of watching Marlins’ owner Jeffrey Loria line his pockets with money from baseball’s revenue sharing system, an act which would be in violation of the revenue sharing provisions.

According to MLB’s Basic Agreement, any club that receives money via revenue sharing is committed to use those funds “to improve its performance on the field.”

The Marlins clearly haven’t been doing that as the club’s payroll has been the lowest in MLB in three of the past four seasons.

The club’s payroll topped $40 million just four times in the last decade and has only exceeded $46 million once over the same time period.

Poor attendance is often pointed to as the main culprit, but the Marlins are due to open a new ballpark in 2012, the same year the payroll agreement ends.

Club spending typically increases with the opening of a new stadium, but the commissioner’s office and the union wanted the Marlins to reinvest more of their revenue sharing profits into the on-field product prior to the opening of the new field.

The agreement doesn’t state a mandated minimum salary for the club, but it is believed that the payroll will increase significantly beyond the roughly $37 million the team spent last season.

Despite operating with a shoestring budget, the Marlins finished in second-place in the National League East, while the New York Mets were fourth even with a payroll of $136 million.

As such, it isn’t too far-fetched to believe that this “punishment” could turn into a blessing for the Marlins.

The club can now build a winning ballclub prior to the move across town in two years.

Second baseman Dan Uggla, has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason long and interest has been tepid at best.

Much of this is Uggla’s own doing after publicly stating an unwillingness to move his atrociously bad glove to a position other than second base.

The club can now afford to keep Uggla, 29, who figures to make upwards of $7 million in arbitration this winter. This allows the Marlins to either lock up the slugging second baseman long-term or move him later when the market for his services has improved.

Additionally, the club can—and hopefully will—now right a previous offseason wrong and lock up club ace Josh Johnson.

Earlier this offseason the then-stingy Marlins were near an extension with the 25-year-old Johnson, but balked when Johnson’s agent asked for a fourth-year on the deal.

The club would be wise to jumpstart negotiations with Johnson regarding an extension as the balky right-hander could anchor the Marlins staff well into the next decade if the club is smart enough to keep him around.

A third name that hasn’t been brandied about nearly as often is Ricky Nolasco.

The right-hander was the club’s Opening Day starter in 2009 before ineffectiveness relegated him to the minors for a brief midseason stint.

Nolasco, 27, has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career and pairs up nicely with Johnson at the head of the club’s rotation.

If the season started today the Marlins’ payroll, factoring in arbitration raises, would be somewhere between $40-$50 million.

That figure may be all the higher the club is willing to go, but with a new ballpark only two seasons away and the club on the brink of contending it wouldn’t be unheard of to see the Marlins alter course and make some splashes.

With plenty of free agents still available, and many willing to sign at a discounted rate to ensure employment, the club could go bargain-shopping and lock up in-house talent at the same time.

In doing so, the Marlins would become immediate favorites for the Wild Card and a dark horse candidate to unseat the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

The other option is that the Marlins will simply comply with the “punishment” and spend the necessary dollars to appease MLB and the players’ union.

Either way, one thing is certain, the 2010 Marlins will have more money invested into the on-field talent; a fact which should create for a more competitive ballclub and may have the rest of the National League wondering who is really getting punished.

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Dan Uggla, Free Agency, Josh Johnson, Miami Marlins, MLB, National League, NL East, Playoffs, Ricky Nolasco | Leave a comment

Joe Mauer Tops Minnesota Twins All-Decade Team

Posted on December 25, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

As the first decade of the 2000s comes to a close, it seems like a fine time for a little reflection.

The Twins have arguably been one of baseball’s best franchises during the past decade.

Largely under the watch of underrated skipper, Ron Gardenhire, the Twins have won the American League Central five times.

Even more impressively, the club has maintained a high level of competitiveness all decade long, as Minnesota only finished lower than third one time, way back in 2000.

The success of the club as a whole has come as a result of numerous players over the last ten years.

As such, I’ve created the Twins All-Decade Team, a full 25-man roster meant to honor those players who played a big part in the most successful period of Twins baseball in franchise history.

Not all of the players listed below are the best players who have suited up for the club in the past ten years, but they are the players who had the biggest impact.

For example, Luis Castillo is probably the best overall second baseman to grace the Twins’ roster in the past decade, but his brief stint with the club didn’t warrant a position on this list. The same could be said about Joe Crede, who (when healthy) was arguably the best third baseman the Twins have had in years.

As such, all of the players listed have spent significant time—at least three seasons—with the Twins.

Some of the decisions were no-brainers and some required a lot more reflection. When you’re done with the slideshow, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Without any further ado, I present the Minnesota Twins All-Decade Team.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

Posted in AL Central, All-Decade Team, American League, Awards, Baseball, Brad Radke, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Francisco Liriano, Jason Kubel, Joe Mauer, Joe Nathan, Johan Santana, Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Scott Baker | Leave a comment

Juan Pierre Traded to the Chicago White Sox

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Juan Pierre is a free man.

After two long seasons, Pierre’s stint as baseball’s best fourth outfielder is presumably over.

The Chicago White Sox have reportedly acquired the slap-hitting sensation from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for two minor league pitchers to be named later.

Pierre, 32, will give the club an element it has lacked in recent years, speed.

Prior to assuming a bench role, Pierre averaged 52 steals per 162 games played while hitting mostly in the leadoff spot, a role he figures to assume with the White Sox.

Pierre brings more than speed to the Chicago lineup as he is also a solid top of the order table-setter with a career .301/.348/.372 batting line.

Last season, Pierre appeared in 145 games and hit .308/.365/.392 with 30 stolen bases.

Included in that total is a torrid stretch when starting left fielder Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50-games. During Ramirez’s suspension Pierre hit .318/.381/.411 with 21 stolen bases, 17 extra-base hits and 32 runs scored in 240 at-bats.

Despite his obvious skills as a leadoff hitter, Pierre had been deemed largely unmovable as he has two more years and $18.5 million remaining on the five-year, $44 million pact he signed with Los Angeles prior to the 2007 season.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Pierre will cost the White Sox $3 million in 2010 and $5 million in 2011, with the Dodgers picking up the remaining $10.5 million.

Prior to his relegation to the bench in 2008, he’d shown incredible durability by playing in all 162 games in each of the previous five seasons.

His defense and throwing arm are both stretched in center field and he ranks poorly on the defensive metric du jour, UZR/150. However, with Alex Rios in the fold, the club is more likely to shift Pierre to left field, Rios to center, and move Carlos Quentin to right field.

Based on the aforementioned UZR/150 rating, that arrangement would give the White Sox their best overall defensive alignment in the outfield, with the recently-acquired Andruw Jones serving as the fourth outfielder.

The addition of Pierre probably spells the end of Chicago’s tinkering for the offseason. The club is set all around the diamond and the rotation appears solid.

The White Sox now have a dynamic leadoff hitter, something the club hasn’t truly had in years. Pierre figures to be the table-setter the club has desperately needed in recent years.

Overall, the offense appears to be very solid and—given a full, healthy season of Jake Peavy—the club should have one of the best pitching staffs in the American League Central.

After struggling in 2009, Chicago’s under-the-radar roster moves could land the club right back in the thick of the pennant chase next season.

Posted in AL Central, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chicago White Sox, Juan Pierre, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, MLB Trades | Leave a comment

Mike Cameron Signs with Boston and Ends the Jason Bay Era

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Jason Bay? Nope.

Matt Holliday? Pass.

The Boston Red Sox balked at the sticker price on the two marquee left fielders on the market and went a different route by reportedly signing veteran center fielder Mike Cameron.

The signing—which is currently pending a physical—further solidifies the end of the Jason Bay era in Boston and by all accounts should spell the end of any more Matt Holliday to Boston rumors.

It also shows that the Red Sox, after reportedly signing ace John Lackey earlier today, are making a commitment to pitching and defense going forward. A decision that contrasts Boston’s rival, the recently re-stocked powerhouse New York Yankees.

Cameron and the Red Sox have reportedly reached an agreement on a two-year deal worth roughly $15.5 million.

Cameron, 36, is an elite defender in center field and has three Gold Glove Awards to his name as a result.

It isn’t yet known if the Sox will use Cameron in center or left, but given last year’s low defensive ratings of incumbent center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, it would make sense to move Ellsbury to left and allow Cameron to roam center at Fenway Park.

Throughout his big league career Cameron has played 1,699 games in center field, 139 games in right, and just three in left field. He did, however, express a willingness to shift to a corner spot earlier this offseason in an attempt to entice more suitors.

Cameron brings much more to the table than just his glove.

He is a .250/.340/.448 career hitter with 265 home runs in 15 seasons spent with the White Sox, Reds, Mariners, Padres, Mets, and the Brewers.

Over the past four years he has averaged 23 home runs and 75 RBI to go with 16 stolen bases per season.

Cameron could thrive moving from Milwaukee’s spacious Miller Park to the more hitter-friendly confines of Fenway Park.

Cameron also has a reputation for being an upstanding clubhouse presence and a mentor to younger players.

He figures to have a profound impact on Ellsbury who is very talented and has a flair for the dramatic plays. Ellsbury also has a reputation of getting bad reads and taking poor routes to balls, both of which impacted his defensive decline last season.

The Cubs, Braves, Padres, and Mariners were all rumored to have interest in Cameron.

Chicago had waited to pursue Cameron until the club was able to clear salary by moving outfielder Milton Bradley and Seattle was reportedly preoccupied trying to sign the aforementioned Jason Bay.

Undoubtedly, their loss is the Red Sox gain as the club continues to stockpile talent in one of the busiest days of the offseason.

Cameron will no doubt prove to be a great acquisition for the Red Sox and at a substantially more reasonable price than Bay or Holliday would have required.

Posted in AL East, American League, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, Mike Cameron, MLB | Leave a comment

John Lackey to Sign with the Boston Red Sox

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

The never-ending game of one-upmanship continues.

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly on the verge of inking the top pitcher on the market, John Lackey, to a five-year, $85 million contract.

Reports out of Boston claim that Lackey took a physical with the Sox on Monday, an indication that an official deal is close.

The move would serve to counter the New York Yankees’ recent acquisition of All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson in a three-team blockbuster trade last week.

The Sox have money to spend after Jason Bay reportedly rejected the club’s latest contract offer. With his rejection, the club had seemingly decided to go a different route and improve the club’s pitching and defense.

Lackey, 31, would play a major part in the club’s new mission, as the Sox would boast one of the most formidable rotations in the American League.

The club has already acquired shortstop Marco Scutaro to shore up the middle infield both defensively and offensively.

Additionally, the Sox are in the process of trading veteran third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

The belief is that the club would then move to acquire free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre or attempt—once again—to trade for San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Beltre is a Gold Glove third sacker who would help solidify one of baseball’s best defensive infields. Gonzalez is one of the game’s most underrated first baseman who could legitimately mash 50-plus home runs playing in a different home park.

In left field, the club appears content to let Bay get overpaid elsewhere and has shown limited interest in Matt Holliday.

Recent rumors have the club interested in free agent center fielder Mike Cameron.

Cameron is a top-flight center fielder who would allow the club to move Jacoby Ellsbury to left field, a position he is better suited to play on a full-time basis.

It was reported earlier in the offseason that Lackey was seeking a contract similar to the five-year, $82.5 million deal that the Yankees gave to right-hander A.J. Burnett last offseason, and he seems to have gotten exactly what he wanted.

Lackey entered this offseason as the top starting pitcher on the free-agent market after going 11-8 in 2009 with a 3.83 ERA in 27 starts. He helped the Angels advance to Game Six of the American League Championship Series and dominated the Red Sox in Game One of the AL Division Series, hurling 7.1 shutout innings.

Needless to say, adding a pitcher of his caliber to an already daunting front two of Josh Beckett and Jon Lester would be a major coup for the Red Sox.

Lackey has a career record of 102-71 with a 3.81 career ERA in eight seasons. In the postseason he is 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA.

Posted in AL East, American League, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, John Lackey, MLB | 1 Comment

Minnesota Twins: Non-Tenders Provide New Free Agent Targets

Posted on December 13, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Minnesota Twins general manager Bill Smith just got a reprieve.

After sitting idly by and watching a number of the club’s offseason targets sign elsewhere in the past two weeks, Smith now has a second chance at making some major moves this offseason.

Smith’s reprieve comes as the free agent pool just received an infusion of new talent.

This infusion came as a result of the non-tender deadline, which passed at 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday.

Teams had the option to not tender a contract to any player with less than six years of service time, rather than enduring the arbitration process.

In doing so, those players are then released by the club and become free agents.

In total, 39 players were non-tendered last night, including some very big names.

Of those non-tendered, many could be good fits for the Twins’ roster next season.

Making them all the more attractive is that most of these players should be willing to sign one-year, make-good contracts to re-establish their market value and/or build for a solid raise via arbitration next winter.

Obviously signing a non-tendered player wouldn’t inspire the inhabitants of Twins Territory in the same way signing Adrian Beltre, Felipe Lopez, or even Joe Crede would.

These players, despite the lack of fanfare, could still provide a major boost to the Twins’ championship hopes next season and at a fraction of the cost that their heavily-acclaimed counterparts will no doubt require.

With that in mind, here’s a look at five newly-minted free agents that should be of significant interest to general manager Bill Smith in the coming weeks.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

Posted in AL Central, American League, Baseball, Bill Smith, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chien-Ming Wang, Free Agency, Garrett Atkins, Jonny Gomes, Kelly Johnson, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Ryan Church | Leave a comment

MLB’s Winter Meetings: Winners and Losers

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings have officially come to a close.

What we saw this week was a lot of talking and very little action from most teams, but a few intrepid general managers forged headlong into the free agent market, essentially setting the bar for all free agent signings that will follow.

Additionally, we saw a handful of teams able to strike deals with the intent of improving their fortunes heading into next season.

As is often the case, much of the winter’s action will happen in the weeks between the Winter Meetings’ conclusion and the opening days of Spring Training.

Whatever happened or—in some cases—didn’t happen in Indianapolis figures to lay the framework for the rest of the offseason.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five biggest winners and losers of this year’s Winter Meetings.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

Posted in AL West, American League, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Free Agency, Jack Zduriencik, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Trades, National League, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers | Leave a comment

Rich Harden Signs with the Texas Rangers

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

The (AL) West just got wilder.

Rich Harden has reportedly signed a one-year deal, worth a guaranteed $7.5 million, with the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers will pay him $6.5 million in a base salary for 2010, plus $2.5 million in incentives. He gets $500,000 more if he pitches 155 innings and another $500,000 each at 165, 175, 185 and 195 innings.

There is a mutual option for 2011 worth $11 million with a $1 million buyout. Both the Rangers and Harden have the right to turn down the option for 2011 and have him become a free agent.

The deal is currently pending a physical.

The timing of the deal is no surprise as the Rangers traded incumbent staff ace, Kevin Millwood to Baltimore earlier today in exchange for reliever Chris Ray.

The swap netted the Rangers roughly $5-7 million worth of savings, leaving them with enough money to add one of the three big “risk vs. reward” pitchers on the market.

The club showed no real interest in lefty Erik Bedard, but did seem intrigued by Harden and the player they coveted—and nearly signed—a year ago, Ben Sheets.

Sheets priced himself out of the Rangers plans—and likely limited his overall market—when he announced that he was seeking a deal worth $12 million, the same figure he earned when he last pitched in 2008.

As such, Harden immediately became the most attractive option for Texas.

Harden, 28, was not offered arbitration by the Chicago Cubs, but was a Type B free agent and would not have cost the Rangers a draft pick either way.

The right-hander went 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 games last season with Chicago.

Overall he has a career record of 50-29 with a cumulative 3.39 ERA and 783 strikeouts in 753.2 innings pitched.

All of that work, however, comes in just 127 career starts spread over seven seasons.

Harden has a checked health history, there’s no denying that fact. He’s never pitched more than 190 innings in a season and he’s only surpassed last season’s mark of 26 starts once, back in 2004 as a 22-year old.

He does, however, offer exactly what the Rangers are looking for to head the club’s rotation.

He’s young, having just turned 28 at the end of November, he’s got experience pitching in the American League West after spending five and a half years with Oakland, and he’s a lot like team president Nolan Ryan, in that he likes to strike people out.

Harden has a career mark of 9.4 K/9 while allowing just 3.9 BB/9. He isn’t going to waste pitches and he’s got all the making of a legitimate ace on the mound.

The Rangers are definitely taking a gamble that he’ll remain healthy and effective while transitioning back to the American League after a year and a half pitching on the senior circuit.

If Harden is healthy, however, he’ll be a dramatic improvement over Kevin Millwood and could give the Rangers the push they need to leapfrog the Angels and Mariners for division dominance.

With that thought in the mind the Rangers are more than happy to welcome Harden back to the wild, wild AL West.

Posted in AL West, American League, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Injuries, MLB, Rich Harden, Texas Rangers | 1 Comment

Texas-Sized Trade: Rangers Deal Ace, Millwood to Baltimore

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Kevin Millwood is headed east to Baltimore after the Orioles and Rangers made a splash in the trade market today.

The Rangers receive former closer, Chris Ray and a player to be named later in the swap.

Ray, 27, closed for the Orioles in 2006, saving 33 games. He started the 2007 campaign as the closer, but underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2007.

He missed all of 2008 while recovering from the surgery and didn’t rebound as the club had hoped in 2009, putting up an abysmal 0-4 record with a 7.27 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched.

Although he wasn’t effective in 2009, he still possesses a fastball that is consistently in the mid-nineties. It is, however, a very hittable, very straight fastball.

The hope is that Rangers’ pitching coach Mike Maddux can help straighten out the youngster and get him back into the form that made him a late-inning dynamo back in 2006.

If Ray is healthy, he could be the right-handed setup man that allows the Rangers to move Neftali Feliz or C.J. Wilson to the rotation.

Millwood, 34, figures to take on the same role he did in Texas, ace by default.

Millwood doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he gets the job done on the hill and has proven to be a reliable innings-eater, which is exactly what the Orioles need.

He has made at least 25 starts for eight consecutive seasons. In fact, he’s started at least 29 games in ten of his twelve full-seasons in the big leagues.

Currently the only other “sure thing” in the rotation is Jeremy Guthrie, and that ain’t saying much.

The rest of the rotation is stocked with young talent and Millwood’s ability to eat up innings and provide stability atop the rotation will be a great asset as the rest of the staff matures.

Millwood has spent the last four of his 13 major-league seasons with the Rangers. He is 155-121 for his career with a 4.02 ERA.

Last season he posted a 3.67 ERA in 198.6 innings with a 5.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9.

The Rangers will pay approximately $3 million of Millwood’s $12 million salary for 2010, after which he’ll become a free agent.

Both teams walk away from this deal with exactly what they need.

The Rangers were able to shed some payroll and add a power arm to the back of a bullpen, which should allow them to improve the rotation internally. They could also used the money they’ve saved to sign a free agent starter.

The Orioles, who have money to spend, acquired a solid, albeit pricey, front of the rotation starter to provide much-needed stability to a very young rotation. Additionally, they were able to acquire Millwood without giving up a major piece of the farm system.

In the end, this deal is a win-win for both parties.

Posted in AL East, AL West, American League, Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chris Ray, Kevin Millwood, MLB, MLB Trades, Texas Rangers | 1 Comment

Randy Wolf Signs with the Milwaukee Brewers

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Another one bites the dust.

An already weak crop of free agent starters just took another hit as left-hander Randy Wolf has reportedly inked a three-year deal deal worth just under $30 million with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The deal, which is contingent upon Wolf passing a physical, reportedly has an option for a fourth year.

Wolf, 33, is coming off a stellar year with Los Angeles in which he went 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 34 starts. He hurled 214.1 innings, topping the 200 inning mark for the first time since 2003 when Wolf was with Philadelphia.

Along with staff ace, Yovani Gallardo, Wolf will be expected to help anchor a rotation that was one of the worst in baseball last season.

The Brewers tied the Orioles for the worst starters’ ERA in the Majors at 5.37 and finished next to last in the National League in cumulative team ERA at 4.83.

Wolf also figures to provide the Brewers with a much-needed innings-eater. Although he’s only thrown more than 200 innings in a season four times in his eleven year career, the club is confident that he is the man for the job and can continue to put up numbers similar to the ones he posted last season.

After making the playoffs in 2008, the Brewers lost both Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia to free agency and fell two games below .500 last season. As a result, the club finished eleven games behind the St. Louis Cardinals and missed the playoffs once again.

Wolf will be expected to help right the ship and push the Brewers back into contention in the traditionally tight National League Central.

That is, if Wolf can stay healthy, something that hasn’t always been easy for the southpaw.

Wolf’s aforementioned 2003 campaign with Philadelphia earned him an All-Star nod and, at 26, he figured to be a pitcher on the rise.

Unfortunately, Wolf was hampered by lingering arm troubles after the 2003 season. In 2005, Wolf’s injuries required Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss parts of the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

The Phillies let him enter free agency following the 2006 season and he signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers.

Wolf started the season well, but landed on the 15-day disabled list in July with shoulder soreness. It was believed that he would recover quickly, but the condition worsened and he underwent shoulder surgery and missed the remainder of the year.

In 2008, Wolf signed yet another one-year deal, this time with the Padres, and he finally managed to stay healthy.

In a season that was split between San Diego and Houston, Wolf went 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA in 33 starts while notching 190.1 innings pitched.

Wolf’s return to health was enough to convince the Dodgers to give him a second chance in 2009 and he made the most of it by anchoring a rotation full of inexperienced youngsters and veteran journeymen.

The Dodgers ran away with the National League West and Wolf’s contributions played a major part.

As such, he had seemingly re-captured the spark he’d shown back in 2003 and put himself in a situation to earn a big multi-year payday, as opposed to another one-year deal.

As a Type A free agent, it was believed that he might once again struggle to find a team willing to offer him a multi-year deal as the signing club would be forced to surrender draft pick compensation to Los Angeles.

There was even talk that Wolf might be better served to accept arbitration and return on yet another one-year deal.

The perennially short-sighted Dodgers, however, were worried Wolf would accept and didn’t want to pay him the $8-10 million it was believed he could earn via arbitration.

As such, the club foolishly chose not to offer him arbitration and he immediately became one of the most desirable free agents on the market.

As a Type A free agent, the Dodgers would have received Milwaukee’s first-round draft pick and a sandwich pick in next year’s amateur draft.

Instead, the Dodgers receive nothing, the Brewers receive a second ace, and Wolf receives nearly $30 million and, something he’s coveted for years, job security.

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, Injuries, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, National League, NL Central, Randy Wolf | 1 Comment

Curtis Granderson Heads to the Yankees in a Blockbuster Three-Team, Seven-Player Trade

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

The New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and Arizona Diamondbacks have reportedly completed a blockbuster trade that has seven players switching teams.

All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson goes from the Tigers to the Yankees.

Pitcher Edwin Jackson goes from the Tigers to the Diamondbacks.

Pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth go from from the Diamondbacks to the Tigers.

Pitcher Ian Kennedy goes from the Yankees to the Diamondbacks.

Top outfield prospect, Austin Jackson and reliever Phil Coke go from the Yankees to the Tigers.

Got all that?

Don’t worry, with all of the players who have been rumored to be in on this deal in the past 24 hours, the three teams involved might not be entirely sure who is landing where when it all shakes out.

The deal has been in various stages of completion and dormancy since late last night, but talks heated up this morning and all three teams seemed determined to find the right mix to make it work.

Arguably the biggest catch of the bunch is Curtis Granderson who is trading in his English D for pinstripes.

Granderson, 28, is a left-handed hitting outfielder with great speed on the bases and in the field. He showed some serious power this year and could conceivably be a consummate 30-40 home runs threat in Yankee Stadium.

His overall numbers dipped last year to.249/.327/.453, but his power numbers spiked despite the struggles. Granderson is still considered among baseball’s premier leadoff men and plays above average defense in center field.

The Diamondbacks receive a top-flight pitcher in Edwin Jackson and an elite Triple-A starter in Ian Kennedy who has yet to translate his minor league success into the big leagues.

Jackson, 26, went 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA for the Detroit Tigers last season and made his first All-Star team. The Tigers only incentive for dealing the youngster, who was finally realizing his potential, was the potential cost.

Jackson is arbitration-eligible and figures to earn a significant raise on the $2.2 million he made last season. The Tigers, currently suffering from the down economy, couldn’t afford to take that kind of financial hit.

Kennedy, 24, has an amazing minor league track record, but little big league success. He is 19-6 with a 1.95 ERA in 43 minor league starts over four seasons. In twelve starts at the big league level he’s mustered a 1-4 record with a 6.03 ERA.

Getting out of the New York spotlight, and switching to the lighter-hitting National League, figure to give Kennedy a golden opportunity to finally translate his minor league prowess into big league success.

The Tigers, in addition to shedding the salaries of Jackson and Granderson, have picked up some serious young talent.

In terms of pitching, Max Scherzer is the cream of the crop in the Tigers’ haul.

Scherzer, 25, was one of the Diamondbacks top pitching prospects and has shown flashes of brilliance in his short tenure in the big leagues. In 37 career starts, Scherzer is 9-15 with a 3.86 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 226.1 innings pitched.

Schlereth, 23, is a lot like the aforementioned Kennedy. He’s shown glimpses of brilliance in the minors, but has yet to have the same success in the big leagues. He has limited experience in both the minors and big leagues, but is a power lefty who has the stuff to be a very successful setup man and potentially a closer.

The catalyst in the deal to get Detroit to deal Granderson was a major-league ready center fielder. Enter Austin Jackson.

Jackson is considered the Yankees top prospect and has an impressive batting line of .288/.356/.410 over five seasons in the minors.

Jackson, 22, has shown flashes of both power and speed in his time in the minors and defensively appears ready to take on an everyday role with the Tigers in 2010.

Phil Coke, 27, is a dominant late-inning reliever who has proven very effective in a setup role with the Yankees and figures to serve the same purpose in Detroit.

All in all, the deal seems to give each team exactly what they need.

The Diamondbacks, by acquiring Edwin Jackson, gain a young, but experienced, arm to slot behind Brandon Webb and Dan Haren in the rotation and a wild card in Kennedy who could finally live up to his potential.

The Yankees gain a legitimate center fielder and leadoff hitter for the first time in nearly a decade. Additionally they now have major leverage in any potential negotiations with free agent outfielder Johnny Damon.

The Tigers gain a slew of young talent and considerable payroll flexibility going forward.

Personally, I can’t find a clear-cut winner or loser in this trade. I feel like Arizona could have asked for more, but other than that it seems to be on the up and up for all parties involved.

Posted in AL Central, AL East, American League, Arizona Diamondbacks, Austin Jackson, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Curtis Granderson, Daniel Schlereth, Detroit Tigers, Edwin Jackson, Ian Kennedy, Max Scherzer, MLB, MLB Trades, New York Yankees, NL West, Phil Coke, Trade Rumors | 2 Comments

Brave Decision: Rafael Soriano Accepts Atlanta’s Arbitration Offer

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Rafael Soriano just threw a curveball and Frank Wren didn’t see it coming.

In a move that the Atlanta general manager hadn’t planned for, Soriano has accepted the arbitration offer from the Braves and will return to the club for the 2010 season.

Soriano, 29, racked up 27 saves in 31 chances last season. He also posted a 2.97 ERA and a 102/27 K/BB ratio in a career-high 75 2/3 innings.

Soriano made $6.5 million in 2009 and figures to make close to $8 million via arbitration.

On the bright side, with Soriano returning, the Braves figure to have one of the most dominant bullpens in all of baseball next season.

On the not so bright side, with Soriano returning, the Braves figure to have one of the most expensive bullpens in all of baseball next season.

Wren offered arbitration to both of his free agent relievers, Soriano and lefty Mike Gonzalez with the intent of reaping first-round draft picks when the two signed elsewhere.

Needless to say, Soriano’s decision to accept the offer throws a wrench into those plans and the rest of the Wren’s offseason to-do list.

That list included rebuilding the backend of the bullpen after the loses of Gonzalez and Soriano, something Wren took care of last week when he dished out big bucks to sign closer Billy Wagner and setup man Takashi Saito.

After investing more than $10 million in his bullpen, Wren was ready to move on to the second item on his list, adding some offense via free agency and trades.

Soriano’s expected 2010 salary will undoubtedly impact Wren’s already limited funds to acquire a big bat and will definitely force the club down the path of trading from an enviable surplus of starting pitchers.

It is believed that Wren has already dipped his toes into the trading pool, but hasn’t found much interest in either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez.

The Braves figure to struggle to find a taker for Lowe and the three years and $45 million that remain on his contract.

Vazquez is only under contract through 2010 at $11.5 million, but was easily the club’s most reliable starter in 2009 and the Braves would no doubt be hesitant to lose his presence at the front of the rotation.

Additionally, Vazquez has a limited no-trade clause that prevents the club from moving him to any team in the National League West or American League West.

Neither pitcher figures to have much value until after John Lackey is signed to a new deal. After Lackey, the free agent pool of starters is very shallow and many teams could find Lowe and Vazquez to be more attractive alternatives.

The Braves may attempt to trade Soriano, but he’ll be in control of the situation more than the club will.

As is the case with all signed free agents, Soriano now possesses a full no-trade clause until June 15, so the Braves cannot move him to another club without his permission.

Clubs such as the Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, and Baltimore Orioles figure to be more interested in acquiring Soriano now that he won’t cost a first-round draft pick.

It is also possible that the club could release him in Spring Training—as arbitration players don’t receive guaranteed contracts—if his performance gives them any reason to do so.

It is conceivable that Atlanta could choose to ride out the storm with Soriano, Saito, and Wagner anchoring the bullpen. All three are proven injury-risks and all three have proven they can thrive as setup men or closers.

The Braves would be heavily invested in the rotation and bullpen, but could bid on some bargain free agent options and/or call up top prospect Jason Heyward to fill the hole in the outfield and, hopefully, in the lineup as well.

Whatever Wren does (or doesn’t do) going forward will undoubtedly be affected by Soriano’s decision to accept arbitration.

If there is one thing Wren is learning about pitchers this offseason, it’s that sometimes they throw curveballs.

Posted in Atlanta Braves, Baseball, Billy Wagner, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, MLB, MLB Trades, NL East, Rafael Soriano, Takashi Saito, Trade Rumors | Leave a comment

Ivan Rodriguez Signs with the Washington Nationals

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

An already thin catching market just got a little more barren.

According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, Ivan Rodriguez has reportedly agreed to terms on a two-year, $6 million deal with the Washington Nationals.

Rodriguez, 38, hit .249/.280/.382 for the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros last year and is a career .299/.336/.471 hitter who still has modest pop left in his bat.

Many wondered if Rodriguez—a future Hall of Famer—would accept arbitration after a contentious offseason a year ago.

Last offseason, Rodriguez struggled to find a suitor willing to take on his services. An excellent showing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in March netted him a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Houston.

Rodriguez, despite coming off one of the worst-seasons of his career, felt confident enough to reject the Rangers’ arbitration offer and venture onto the free agent market yet again.

Washington promptly proved his confidence was not unfounded.

Rodriguez will take over as the club’s primary backup and mentor to Jesus Flores. Flores is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder and elbow, but is expected to be ready to play by Spring Training.

The signing of “Pudge” essentially ends the tenure of backup catcher Wil Nieves, who is arbitration-eligible for the first time. He is now expected to be non-tendered before Saturday’s deadline.

Rodriguez figures to be the perfect mentor to Flores as he has played in 14 All-Star Games and won 13 Gold Gloves, the most by a catcher and tied for fourth most overall. In 1999 he was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player. He also has more career runs, hits, and doubles than any other catcher in Major League history.

Additionally, he has been part of major organizational turnarounds with the Florida Marlins in 2003 and the Detroit Tigers in 2006.

He doesn’t figure to have that type of impact on the lowly Nationals, but he will certainly be a great presence in the clubhouse and a good example for a relatively young and impressionable roster.

Rodriguez’s reported $3 million salary figures to make him the fifth-highest paid player on the roster behind Adam Dunn, Christian Guzman, Ryan Zimmerman, and arbitration-eligible Josh Willingham.

That is assuming, of course, that none of the four are traded this offseason.

Washington will mark Rodriguez’s sixth different team, and fourth in two years. The two-year deal does, however, offer a sense of stability and reassurance that is hard to find for aging catchers.

It is curious as to why the Nationals would give a two-year deal worth $3 million a year to an over-the-hill backup, when Nieves could have served purpose at a much cheaper cost.

It could be perceived as a sign that general manager Mike Rizzo isn’t confident that Flores will be fully-recovered by Opening Day and the club wants to have a reliable Plan B in place.

Rodriguez appeared behind the plate in 115 games last season and proved he could still carry the bulk of the catching load if necessary.

It is also entirely possible that Rizzo wanted a reliable backstop and mentor for Flores and didn’t see a better option on the market and was willing to overpay to lure Rodriguez to Washington.

Whatever the case may be, the Nationals have some stability and insurance behind the plate and “Pudge” Rodriguez is guaranteed at least two more years in the sun.

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, Ivan Rodriguez, MLB, MVP, Washington Nationals | Leave a comment