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Braves should have traded for Rasmus. La Russa must really hate that guy its a dumb trade by the Cardinals.
2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by proshares,
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Phillies Whitesoxs talking...involving Quentin.
probably involves Singleton.
probably involves Singleton.
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Phillies Whitesoxs talking...involving Quentin.
probably involves Singleton.
probably involves Singleton.
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All praise to AA
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All praise to AA
Hanley will never change
Spoiler [+]
Hanley calls Jeff Conine a "chicken," predicts he'll be the next "Mr. Marlin"
WASHINGTON -- One week after Marlins special assistant Jeff Conine made uncomplimentary remarks about Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop shot back with sharp words of his own, calling Conine a "chicken" and saying his goal now is to supplant the former player as "Mr. Marlin."
"I think he wants to be Mr. Marlin forever," Ramirez said of Conine, who was given that moniker during his eight seasons with the team. "It won't happen. I'm coming, baby. I think I'm going to be Mr. Marlin. That's my goal now. I wasn't thinking about that (before Conine's comments)."
Newhanley While being interviewed on The Dan LeBatard Show on 790-The Ticket last week, Conine said that, if it was up to him, he would trade Ramirez and gets frustrated with the shortstop "on a nightly basis."
"I think there are some nights where he doesn't try as hard as he should," Conine said, adding that he doesn't think Ramirez respects the game enough.
Ramirez said Wednesday that Conine should have spoken to him privately instead of airing his opinions of him on the radio.
"If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man," Ramirez said. "Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
Asked if gets along with Conine, who is a special assistant to Marlins president David Samson, Ramirez replied: "I used to, yeah."
Ramirez said he was surprised at the timing of Conine's comments, and that he feels he is being unfairly labeled as someone who doesn't care or try hard enough.
"Why now?" Ramirez said. "There are a lot of worse guys than me out there. But nobody knows because nobody pays attention. When I'm on the field, I'm just being me. I'm playing my game. It's how I've got to play. Nobody's going to change me. What I get paid for is to win, respect each other, respect the organization. That's what I do."Newconine
Ramirez is aiming higher than becoming known as the next Mr. Marlin. He said wants to remain with the team for the rest of his career, have his number retired, and go into the Hall of Fame as a Marlin.
"I'm going to make it to the Hall of Fame being in a Marlins uniform," Ramirez said. "This number (No. 2), nobody's going to wear it."
As for Conine, Ramirez said: "I'm still playing. I'm in the game. Where is he? I'm just happy to be in the game. I don't care what other people say."
Read more: http://miamiherald.typepa...ish_bytes/#ixzz1TLkPfL8M
WASHINGTON -- One week after Marlins special assistant Jeff Conine made uncomplimentary remarks about Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop shot back with sharp words of his own, calling Conine a "chicken" and saying his goal now is to supplant the former player as "Mr. Marlin."
"I think he wants to be Mr. Marlin forever," Ramirez said of Conine, who was given that moniker during his eight seasons with the team. "It won't happen. I'm coming, baby. I think I'm going to be Mr. Marlin. That's my goal now. I wasn't thinking about that (before Conine's comments)."
Newhanley While being interviewed on The Dan LeBatard Show on 790-The Ticket last week, Conine said that, if it was up to him, he would trade Ramirez and gets frustrated with the shortstop "on a nightly basis."
"I think there are some nights where he doesn't try as hard as he should," Conine said, adding that he doesn't think Ramirez respects the game enough.
Ramirez said Wednesday that Conine should have spoken to him privately instead of airing his opinions of him on the radio.
"If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man," Ramirez said. "Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
Asked if gets along with Conine, who is a special assistant to Marlins president David Samson, Ramirez replied: "I used to, yeah."
Ramirez said he was surprised at the timing of Conine's comments, and that he feels he is being unfairly labeled as someone who doesn't care or try hard enough.
"Why now?" Ramirez said. "There are a lot of worse guys than me out there. But nobody knows because nobody pays attention. When I'm on the field, I'm just being me. I'm playing my game. It's how I've got to play. Nobody's going to change me. What I get paid for is to win, respect each other, respect the organization. That's what I do."Newconine
Ramirez is aiming higher than becoming known as the next Mr. Marlin. He said wants to remain with the team for the rest of his career, have his number retired, and go into the Hall of Fame as a Marlin.
"I'm going to make it to the Hall of Fame being in a Marlins uniform," Ramirez said. "This number (No. 2), nobody's going to wear it."
As for Conine, Ramirez said: "I'm still playing. I'm in the game. Where is he? I'm just happy to be in the game. I don't care what other people say."
Read more: http://miamiherald.typepa...ish_bytes/#ixzz1TLkPfL8M
Hanley will never change
Spoiler [+]
Hanley calls Jeff Conine a "chicken," predicts he'll be the next "Mr. Marlin"
WASHINGTON -- One week after Marlins special assistant Jeff Conine made uncomplimentary remarks about Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop shot back with sharp words of his own, calling Conine a "chicken" and saying his goal now is to supplant the former player as "Mr. Marlin."
"I think he wants to be Mr. Marlin forever," Ramirez said of Conine, who was given that moniker during his eight seasons with the team. "It won't happen. I'm coming, baby. I think I'm going to be Mr. Marlin. That's my goal now. I wasn't thinking about that (before Conine's comments)."
Newhanley While being interviewed on The Dan LeBatard Show on 790-The Ticket last week, Conine said that, if it was up to him, he would trade Ramirez and gets frustrated with the shortstop "on a nightly basis."
"I think there are some nights where he doesn't try as hard as he should," Conine said, adding that he doesn't think Ramirez respects the game enough.
Ramirez said Wednesday that Conine should have spoken to him privately instead of airing his opinions of him on the radio.
"If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man," Ramirez said. "Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
Asked if gets along with Conine, who is a special assistant to Marlins president David Samson, Ramirez replied: "I used to, yeah."
Ramirez said he was surprised at the timing of Conine's comments, and that he feels he is being unfairly labeled as someone who doesn't care or try hard enough.
"Why now?" Ramirez said. "There are a lot of worse guys than me out there. But nobody knows because nobody pays attention. When I'm on the field, I'm just being me. I'm playing my game. It's how I've got to play. Nobody's going to change me. What I get paid for is to win, respect each other, respect the organization. That's what I do."Newconine
Ramirez is aiming higher than becoming known as the next Mr. Marlin. He said wants to remain with the team for the rest of his career, have his number retired, and go into the Hall of Fame as a Marlin.
"I'm going to make it to the Hall of Fame being in a Marlins uniform," Ramirez said. "This number (No. 2), nobody's going to wear it."
As for Conine, Ramirez said: "I'm still playing. I'm in the game. Where is he? I'm just happy to be in the game. I don't care what other people say."
Read more: http://miamiherald.typepa...ish_bytes/#ixzz1TLkPfL8M
WASHINGTON -- One week after Marlins special assistant Jeff Conine made uncomplimentary remarks about Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop shot back with sharp words of his own, calling Conine a "chicken" and saying his goal now is to supplant the former player as "Mr. Marlin."
"I think he wants to be Mr. Marlin forever," Ramirez said of Conine, who was given that moniker during his eight seasons with the team. "It won't happen. I'm coming, baby. I think I'm going to be Mr. Marlin. That's my goal now. I wasn't thinking about that (before Conine's comments)."
Newhanley While being interviewed on The Dan LeBatard Show on 790-The Ticket last week, Conine said that, if it was up to him, he would trade Ramirez and gets frustrated with the shortstop "on a nightly basis."
"I think there are some nights where he doesn't try as hard as he should," Conine said, adding that he doesn't think Ramirez respects the game enough.
Ramirez said Wednesday that Conine should have spoken to him privately instead of airing his opinions of him on the radio.
"If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man," Ramirez said. "Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
Asked if gets along with Conine, who is a special assistant to Marlins president David Samson, Ramirez replied: "I used to, yeah."
Ramirez said he was surprised at the timing of Conine's comments, and that he feels he is being unfairly labeled as someone who doesn't care or try hard enough.
"Why now?" Ramirez said. "There are a lot of worse guys than me out there. But nobody knows because nobody pays attention. When I'm on the field, I'm just being me. I'm playing my game. It's how I've got to play. Nobody's going to change me. What I get paid for is to win, respect each other, respect the organization. That's what I do."Newconine
Ramirez is aiming higher than becoming known as the next Mr. Marlin. He said wants to remain with the team for the rest of his career, have his number retired, and go into the Hall of Fame as a Marlin.
"I'm going to make it to the Hall of Fame being in a Marlins uniform," Ramirez said. "This number (No. 2), nobody's going to wear it."
As for Conine, Ramirez said: "I'm still playing. I'm in the game. Where is he? I'm just happy to be in the game. I don't care what other people say."
Read more: http://miamiherald.typepa...ish_bytes/#ixzz1TLkPfL8M
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- Joined
- Aug 2, 2006
Originally Posted by Proshares
Hanley will never change
Spoiler [+]Hanley calls Jeff Conine a "chicken," predicts he'll be the next "Mr. Marlin"
WASHINGTON -- One week after Marlins special assistant Jeff Conine made uncomplimentary remarks about Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop shot back with sharp words of his own, calling Conine a "chicken" and saying his goal now is to supplant the former player as "Mr. Marlin."
"I think he wants to be Mr. Marlin forever," Ramirez said of Conine, who was given that moniker during his eight seasons with the team. "It won't happen. I'm coming, baby. I think I'm going to be Mr. Marlin. That's my goal now. I wasn't thinking about that (before Conine's comments)."
Newhanley While being interviewed on The Dan LeBatard Show on 790-The Ticket last week, Conine said that, if it was up to him, he would trade Ramirez and gets frustrated with the shortstop "on a nightly basis."
"I think there are some nights where he doesn't try as hard as he should," Conine said, adding that he doesn't think Ramirez respects the game enough.
Ramirez said Wednesday that Conine should have spoken to him privately instead of airing his opinions of him on the radio.
"If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man," Ramirez said. "Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
Asked if gets along with Conine, who is a special assistant to Marlins president David Samson, Ramirez replied: "I used to, yeah."
Ramirez said he was surprised at the timing of Conine's comments, and that he feels he is being unfairly labeled as someone who doesn't care or try hard enough.
"Why now?" Ramirez said. "There are a lot of worse guys than me out there. But nobody knows because nobody pays attention. When I'm on the field, I'm just being me. I'm playing my game. It's how I've got to play. Nobody's going to change me. What I get paid for is to win, respect each other, respect the organization. That's what I do."Newconine
Ramirez is aiming higher than becoming known as the next Mr. Marlin. He said wants to remain with the team for the rest of his career, have his number retired, and go into the Hall of Fame as a Marlin.
"I'm going to make it to the Hall of Fame being in a Marlins uniform," Ramirez said. "This number (No. 2), nobody's going to wear it."
As for Conine, Ramirez said: "I'm still playing. I'm in the game. Where is he? I'm just happy to be in the game. I don't care what other people say."
Read more: http://miamiherald.typepa...ish_bytes/#ixzz1TLkPfL8M
My man.
But seriosuly now that I have watched Yunel for I still can't get over how crazy that Yunel>Hanley argument was.
- 32,321
- 26,766
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2006
Originally Posted by Proshares
Hanley will never change
Spoiler [+]Hanley calls Jeff Conine a "chicken," predicts he'll be the next "Mr. Marlin"
WASHINGTON -- One week after Marlins special assistant Jeff Conine made uncomplimentary remarks about Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop shot back with sharp words of his own, calling Conine a "chicken" and saying his goal now is to supplant the former player as "Mr. Marlin."
"I think he wants to be Mr. Marlin forever," Ramirez said of Conine, who was given that moniker during his eight seasons with the team. "It won't happen. I'm coming, baby. I think I'm going to be Mr. Marlin. That's my goal now. I wasn't thinking about that (before Conine's comments)."
Newhanley While being interviewed on The Dan LeBatard Show on 790-The Ticket last week, Conine said that, if it was up to him, he would trade Ramirez and gets frustrated with the shortstop "on a nightly basis."
"I think there are some nights where he doesn't try as hard as he should," Conine said, adding that he doesn't think Ramirez respects the game enough.
Ramirez said Wednesday that Conine should have spoken to him privately instead of airing his opinions of him on the radio.
"If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man," Ramirez said. "Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
Asked if gets along with Conine, who is a special assistant to Marlins president David Samson, Ramirez replied: "I used to, yeah."
Ramirez said he was surprised at the timing of Conine's comments, and that he feels he is being unfairly labeled as someone who doesn't care or try hard enough.
"Why now?" Ramirez said. "There are a lot of worse guys than me out there. But nobody knows because nobody pays attention. When I'm on the field, I'm just being me. I'm playing my game. It's how I've got to play. Nobody's going to change me. What I get paid for is to win, respect each other, respect the organization. That's what I do."Newconine
Ramirez is aiming higher than becoming known as the next Mr. Marlin. He said wants to remain with the team for the rest of his career, have his number retired, and go into the Hall of Fame as a Marlin.
"I'm going to make it to the Hall of Fame being in a Marlins uniform," Ramirez said. "This number (No. 2), nobody's going to wear it."
As for Conine, Ramirez said: "I'm still playing. I'm in the game. Where is he? I'm just happy to be in the game. I don't care what other people say."
Read more: http://miamiherald.typepa...ish_bytes/#ixzz1TLkPfL8M
My man.
But seriosuly now that I have watched Yunel for I still can't get over how crazy that Yunel>Hanley argument was.
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- Apr 15, 2005
Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk
Cardinals sold Rasmus low... Damn.
Giants caved and gave up Wheeler for 8 weeks of Beltran.Ouch.
Their window to win is now. Wheeler won't even be up until 2013 if that and who knows where the Giants will be.
- 11,588
- 837
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2005
Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk
Cardinals sold Rasmus low... Damn.
Giants caved and gave up Wheeler for 8 weeks of Beltran.Ouch.
Their window to win is now. Wheeler won't even be up until 2013 if that and who knows where the Giants will be.
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- Nov 14, 2007
At least one Upton bro has it figured out
- 8,956
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- Nov 14, 2007
At least one Upton bro has it figured out
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- May 8, 2006
I have a feeling Beltran will resign with us at the end of the year.
- 13,432
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- May 8, 2006
I have a feeling Beltran will resign with us at the end of the year.
Risky deal for the Giants.
Phillies, Yanks, Sox could deal.
Espinosa deserves ROY.
Rumors.
http://[h3]The market for Upton[/h3]
9:43AM ET
[h5]B.J. Upton | Rays [/h5]
UPDATE: With the Giants out of the mix following the acquisition of Carlos Beltran, the market for Upton may be taking shape. Marc Topkin of the St. Pete Times says the field includes the Braves, Indians, Nationals and Pirates along with the Phillies and Reds.
The Nationals are believed to have serious interest. They say that they are not actively shopping shortstop Ian Desmond, but that could change if the Upton talks turn serious.
--
UPDATE: While Upton's name has been linked to the Reds, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer remains skeptical, noting that Upton's current production currently isn't that much better than that of Jonny Gomes, who was traded to the Nationals Tuesday.
For the latest on Upton's fantasy value, check out Eric Karabell's take at the bottom of this post.
--
UPDATE: Until now the word has been that the Giants preferred Carlos Beltran but SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets Tuesday afternoon that San Francisco's interest in Upton is now strong, which could suggest they don't like the asking price on Beltran the rental and could consider moving otherwise off-limits players for Upton, who is under club control through next season and is considered an above-average defender in center, if not an elite glove.
...
UPDATE: The Brewers have joined the sweepstakes on Upton, tweets Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com, though it seems unlikely Milwaukee can match up with the Rays in a deal since they have so little left in terms of young talent after dealing away prospects in trades over the past several months.
...
For a player with just three hits in his last 34 at-bats, B.J. Upton seems to be drawing plenty of interest.
The Rays' promotion of top prospect Desmond Jennings on Friday night has fanned the fires of a deal for Upton, even if his batting average has dipped to .229. In case you didn't notice, Upton's BA has declined each of his last four seasons.
Upton's enormous upside, as well as the Rays' recent slide in the standings, still makes him a primary target. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the Rays, now 7 1/2 games off the pace in the wild card race, are awaiting major bids on Upton.
The Nationals have long had interest in Upton and, in a surprising twist, Sherman says the Royals have checked in on the center fielder, as have the Braves, Pirates, Reds and Cardinals.
Upton also has drawn interest from the Giants as an alternative to Carlos Beltran. Upton is seven years younger Beltran and is under club control through 2012.
The market for outfielders is turning out to be crowded, and teams might be willing to pay more for Upton than for a Josh Willingham or a Ryan Ludwick.
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Fantasy take on Upton
http://[h3]Braves consider Ludwick, Willingham[/h3]
9:32AM ET
[h5]Brian McCann | Braves [/h5]
UPDATE: ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney writes in Thursday's blog that the Braves could have had Beltran if they had offered Mike Minor, but they decided to retain the top pitching prospect. Now the Braves are evaluating other options such as Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham.
--
Lost in the aftermath of what is being called the worst umpiring call ever is the sobering reality for the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/atl/atlanta-bravesAtlanta Braves that catcher http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6309/brian-mccannBrian McCann is headed to the disabled list.
Jerry Meals' safe call in the 19th inning Wednesday morning automatically puts him in the company of Jim Joyce, the author of Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game. Nine innings earlier, McCann strained his left oblique muscle, an injury that could sideline him until the middle of August.
Finding a viable catcher via the trade market is no easy task. Just ask the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/sf/san-francisco-giantsSan Francisco Giants, who for months have been unable to land an alternative to http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30112/buster-poseyBuster Posey.
Backup http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5206/david-rossDavid Ross figures to get the bulk of the playing time for the time being, with the Braves likely to pursue a potent bat at another position. ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported Wednesday morning that the Braves have yet to make progress on a deal for http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/3971/carlos-beltranCarlos Beltran, but you have to wonder if GM Frank Wren might change his tune.
We also could see the Braves making a push for Houston's http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28535/michael-bournMichael Bourn, who would be a nice fit in center field. The Braves have been reluctant to deal pitching prospect http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30624/mike-minorMike Minor, but they may now have no choice.
Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Eric Karabell gives his fantasy take on how to handle the loss of the Braves' catcher:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Don't bail on McCann
http://[h3]Giants still want a catcher[/h3]
8:54AM ET
[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]
The San Francisco Giants have been in search of a power bat from almost the minute Buster Posey went down. GM Brian Sabean finally filled the void with Wednesday's deal for Carlos Beltran.
There is still room improvement behind the plate, and Sabean may not be done dealing.
The Giants would love to pry Ramon Hernandez away from Cincinnati, but Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports the backstop is unavailable. Sabean wouldn't mind Seattle's Miguel Olivo, but he is cost prohibitive due to the $5.3 million left on his contract.
The Giants could simply get by with Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart behind the plate and look for offense elsewhere.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Angels seek relief help[/h3]
8:26AM ET
[h5]Los Angeles Angels [/h5]
UPDATE: We mentioned earlier this week that the Angels were interested in Nunez and Choate, but SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted Wednesday night that the price for the Marlins relievers remains high.
--
UPDATE: The Angels, tweets Ken Rosenthal, are more focused on adding bullpen help, despite a need at third base and a lefty bat for first base.
...
UPDATE: It may have to be a smaller deal but the Angels would also like to add a third baseman with some pop, though without payroll flexibility that seems highly unlikely.
We've mentioned Aramis Ramirez and how he's a fit but isn't giving any indications that he would waive his no-trade clause, and his salary sure seems too hefty for the Halos.
...
The Los Angeles Angels traditionally have kept the rumor mill churning at this time of year. After all, the likes of http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5565/dan-harenDan Haren, http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/4937/mark-teixeiraMark Teixeira and http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5917/scott-kazmirScott Kazmir all landed in Anaheim in summer deals.
The bottom line could have the Angels taking a different approach this month with owner Arte Moreno being reluctant to open his checkbook, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote earlier this month.
With that in mind, a report by Kevin Baxter in Tuesday's LA Times makes sense. Baxter says the Angels remain interested in landing the Padres' Heath Bell, but could lower their sights and turn to the Marlins, who are shopping Leo Nunez and Randy Choate.
Florida is looking for a third baseman or a center fielder, but Baxter says the best the Angels could offer would be a deal built around either Alberto Callaspo or Maicer Izturis. The Marlins are likely looking for much more, but that has not stopped them from scouting the Angels closely.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Phils, Braves after Pence[/h3]
8:11AM ET
[h5]Hunter Pence | Astros [/h5]
The domino effect of Carlos Beltran landing in San Francisco is the altered leverage of teams still in search of an impact outfielder.
The Houston Astros know they have a valuable trading chip in Hunter Pence, who, unlike Beltran, is not hitting the free agent market this winter. As a result, the asking price for Pence is still quite high here at mid-week, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman, suggesting that Pence may stay in Houston for the time being.
Heyman reports that the Astros turned down an offer from the Phillies that included top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart and first base prospect Jonathan Singleton, as well as one other prospect.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported Wednesday that that the Phillies "had a deal" for Pence, but that Houston had "backed off."
The Phillies and Braves are focused on Pence, tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. The Astros want young pitching in return for their All-Star outfielder, and both Philly and the Braves have the chips to deal.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com adds that the Phillies are willing to include right fielder Domonic Brown as part of the deal. That could appeal to the Astros since Brown, unlike Pence, is still a few years away from arbitration.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]The Mets after Beltran[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Carlos Beltran | Mets [/h5]
Carlos Beltran has a new lease on life in San Francisco, leaving the New York Mets with a roster spot to fill. Some red tape, however, will likely leave the Mets with just 24 players for Thursday's matinee in Cincinnati.
The plan is to call up catcher Mike Nickeas from Triple-A Buffalo. But there is a 24-hour minimum before Beltran can waive his no-trade clause, and it might not come in time for the early-afternoon game at Great American Ballpark.
Lucas Duda started in right for the Mets on Wednesday night, and figures to get a long audition the rest of the way.
As for any additional moves, GM Sandy Alderson has said there are no plans to conduct a fire sale, so expect only a minor move or two. Candidates for a new address include relievers Tim Byrdak and Jason Isringhausen.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Johnson: not done yet [/h3]
7:19AM ET
[h5]Josh Johnson | Marlins [/h5]
UPDATE: Johnson said no decision has been made on whether to shut down for the season, but the righthander does concede he is running out of time.
The goal is still for Johnson to make a few starts before the end of the season.
--
Marlins ace Josh Johnson, who hasn't pitched since mid-May due to shoulder problems, isn't expected to return to the mound this season, reports SI.com's Jon Heyman
Heyman says the Fish are just being cautious and there is no need for surgery. With the Fish out of contention, there is no need to rush him back.
Johnson has a 1.64 ERA in nine starts this season.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Cards still in chase for Bell[/h3]
7:06AM ET
[h5]Heath Bell | Padres [/h5]
UPDATE: The Cardinals may have a glut of righty relievers after making the blockbuster deal involving Colby Rasmus, but they retain interest in Heath Bell, says Joe Strauss in Thursday's Post-Dispatch.
--
UPDATE: Just as ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweeted earlier Wednesday about the pace quickening in talks for Padres relievers, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden tweets that the next big deal could be the Rangers acquiring Bell for a package centered around left-hander Robert Erlin.
The 20-year-old Erlin, who has spent this season at Double-A Frisco, is generally considered by scouts to carry a ceiling as a No. 3 starter. He's a strike thrower with plus control of average stuff. Erlin ranked as the Rangers' No. 5 prospect in Keith Law's top 100 rankings prior to the 2011 season.
...
UPDATE: Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com handicaps the odds of the Rangers landing Bell, noting that the value for the reliever remains high. But with other relievers on the market, the price might drop by this weekend.
--
UPDATE: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted Monday night that the Phillies were aggressive in their pursuit of Bell. Sherman adds that the Padres were surprised with the lack of interest from the Yankees and that there has not been more of a push from the Cardinals or Reds.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote Monday the buzz around the Padres this past weekend was that Bell is most likely to wind up getting dealt to the Rangers or Phillies, because they have the prospect pool that best fits the Padres' hefty asking price.
--
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6084/heath-bellHeath Bell seems resigned to the fact that his days in San Diego are numbered. Given his preference, he would like to land with a contender in the National League.
In the days immediately following the All-Star Game, Bell put his chances of being traded at 90 percent. Fast forward to Sunday, and Bell tells Dan Norcross of the Union Tribune that nothing has changed.
Bell tells Norcross his priorities would be: a) to be dealt to a contender; b) traded to a National League team; c) traded to the Diamondbacks or Angels because they?re close to San Diego.
The Angels could be a long shot. Kevin Baxter of the LA Times wrote Sunday that the Angels have been eagerly courting the Padres regarding Bell and/or http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5969/mike-adamsMike Adams, but the Halos don't appear to have the means to complete a deal.
The Rangers have zeroed in on Bell, according to a recent report on ESPNNewYork.com. They have been linked to Bell all season and though they will use the right-hander primarily in a setup role.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]More on Hanley[/h3]
6:50AM ET
[h5]Hanley Ramirez | Marlins [/h5]
UPDATE: While it doesn't appear the Marlins will even consider moving Ramirez this summer, the shortstop is adding fuel to the fire by responding to Conine's comments by saying Conine just wants to be Mr. Marlin forever and that he himself is going to become the new Mr. Marlin. Ramirez also called out Conine, saying "If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man. Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
...
Just like the weather in most of the country, Hanley Ramirez has heated up in July, batting .333 with five homers and 18 RBI. That followed a dismal April and May in which the Marlins shortstop hit around the Mendoza Line.
At least one member of the Florida front office thinks it would not necessarily be a bad idea in on Ramirez' sizzling bat.
Special assistant Jeff Conine, a former teammate of Hanley, said in radio interview Friday he wouldn't be opposed to the Marlins trading Ramirez. "If it were up to me, probably," Conine said.
While Conine later downplayed his comments, they do point to what could be continued frustration in the Marlins' front office with Ramirez' concentration level. Ramirez last weekend eclipsed Conine (1,005) for second on the club's all-time hit list.
Ramirez is in the middle of a reasonable six-year, $70 million deal that lasts until 2014.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Brewers to step up infield search?[/h3]
6:40AM ET
[h5]Milwaukee Brewers [/h5]
UPDATE: Brewers manager Ron Roenicke conceded after Wednesday's victory over the Cubs that Weeks will be out a while. Veteran Craig Counsell will likely fill in at second base for the time being.
--
UPDATE: The Brewers were already looking for infield help but Rickie Weeks injured his ankle during Wednesday night's game -- X-rays came back negative -- which could intensify the club's push for infield help.
Other than Carroll and Barmes, Milwaukee could have interest in Seattle's Adam Kennedy, Toronto's John McDonald or San Diego's Orlando Hudson. If Weeks' injury is remotely serious, Hudson may become a prime target.
...
With Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt struggling at the plate and in the field this season, the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/mil/milwaukee-brewersMilwaukee Brewers are seeking infield help on the left side.
Tom Hauricourt of the Journal Sentinel writes that the Brewers have kicked the tires on many infielders with other clubs, including the Los Angeles Dodgers' Jamey Carroll and Houston's Clint Barmes.
Another possibility is recalling infielder Mat Gamel, but he hit just .115 (3-for-26) in an audition earlier this month.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Red Sox rethinking trade plans?[/h3]
4:07AM ET
[h5]Boston Red Sox [/h5]
All along the Boston Red Sox have been linked to some extent with every big name on the trade market, as well as some smaller names. They checked in on Carlos Beltran, were believed to be at least mildly interested in B.J. Upton, Hunter Pence and Colby Rasmus and have reportedly checked in on some relievers. The club, however, may feel the need to look at their starting rotation and get aggressive.
The concerns with the hurting back of right-hander Clay Buchholz may have elevated a bit Wednesday when the Red Sox canceled a scheduled bullpen session and instead will send Buchholz to see a specialist again before he gets back on the mound, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
Manager Terry Francona categorized it as a precaution because Buchholz is about to turn up the intensity of his rehab, but the Red Sox were already kicking around the thought of going after a starting pitcher, and Rob Bradford reports that Boston is still talking with the Rockies about Ubaldo Jimenez.
Others the Sox could look into include right-handers Hiroki Kuroda and Rich Harden, and left-hander Erik Bedard, continues Speier. Speier also notes that while the Red Sox value their prospects, they also value the opportunity to win a World Series, suggesting they'd be willing to part with young talent for the right player.
Buchholz, Francona said, is likely to see that specialist sometime over the next five days. If that occurs prior to the trade deadline and the doctor's assessment is positive, GM Theo Epstein may back off the trade market. Otherwise, all of the above may be fair game in Beantown.
Spoiler [+]
In acquiring pitching prospect Zack Wheeler from the San Francisco Giants for Carlos Beltran, the New York Mets made out like bandits. The Giants get a piece to help them substantially this year, but with the risk of an enormous long-term cost.
Wheeler, who ranked No. 31 on my most recent prospect rankings, is an elite pitching prospect with a high ceiling. The right-hander will most likely be a solid No. 2 starter, but there is some chance he will be better than that because of the big fastball. He'll touch 97 mph and sits 91-94 or better with an above-average curveball that has shown it can miss bats. He has a fringy changeup that's a little too firm, and left-handed hitters are not impressed yet, as they've hit .292/.404/.487 against him this year. The fastball-breaking ball combo is top-notch, but between the changeup and a few other issues, Wheeler is high-risk as well as high-reward. His control is below average, with three starts this year in which he walked five or more batters, and he'll have to show durability to match his frame, as he's retired more than 18 batters just twice this year. You have to add an arm like that to your system any time you get the opportunity, but even as a fan of Wheeler's I admit he's no sure thing.
Beltran's value to the Giants depends largely on who he replaces. Of course, what the Giants should do is send Aubrey Huff out to pasture, but with their $12 million commitment to him next year (including his option buyout), that's not likely. They should at least park him on the bench and play Brandon Belt every day at first and Beltran in left field, which is their best offensive and defensive alignment. In the best-case scenario, if Beltran replaces Huff -- who has actually been below replacement level this year -- it's worth two wins to them the rest of the way, perhaps more given Huff's recent performance (.217/.295/.275 in July) and an obvious inability to play any position. If Beltran replaces Belt, the impact is limited, probably cut in half while also hampering Belt's development. Any other alignment is also suboptimal.
Beltran's contract includes a clause forbidding his team from offering him arbitration, meaning that the Giants can't get any draft picks for him if and when he departs as a free agent. San Francisco gave up six years of control of Zack Wheeler for about 60 games of Carlos Beltran. If Wheeler sees the big leagues at all, the deal will probably end up a losing one for the Giants.
Wheeler, who ranked No. 31 on my most recent prospect rankings, is an elite pitching prospect with a high ceiling. The right-hander will most likely be a solid No. 2 starter, but there is some chance he will be better than that because of the big fastball. He'll touch 97 mph and sits 91-94 or better with an above-average curveball that has shown it can miss bats. He has a fringy changeup that's a little too firm, and left-handed hitters are not impressed yet, as they've hit .292/.404/.487 against him this year. The fastball-breaking ball combo is top-notch, but between the changeup and a few other issues, Wheeler is high-risk as well as high-reward. His control is below average, with three starts this year in which he walked five or more batters, and he'll have to show durability to match his frame, as he's retired more than 18 batters just twice this year. You have to add an arm like that to your system any time you get the opportunity, but even as a fan of Wheeler's I admit he's no sure thing.
Beltran's value to the Giants depends largely on who he replaces. Of course, what the Giants should do is send Aubrey Huff out to pasture, but with their $12 million commitment to him next year (including his option buyout), that's not likely. They should at least park him on the bench and play Brandon Belt every day at first and Beltran in left field, which is their best offensive and defensive alignment. In the best-case scenario, if Beltran replaces Huff -- who has actually been below replacement level this year -- it's worth two wins to them the rest of the way, perhaps more given Huff's recent performance (.217/.295/.275 in July) and an obvious inability to play any position. If Beltran replaces Belt, the impact is limited, probably cut in half while also hampering Belt's development. Any other alignment is also suboptimal.
Beltran's contract includes a clause forbidding his team from offering him arbitration, meaning that the Giants can't get any draft picks for him if and when he departs as a free agent. San Francisco gave up six years of control of Zack Wheeler for about 60 games of Carlos Beltran. If Wheeler sees the big leagues at all, the deal will probably end up a losing one for the Giants.
Phillies, Yanks, Sox could deal.
Spoiler [+]
A rival executive spoke with admiration the other day about Boston general manager Theo Epstein, about how creative he tends to be this time of year, about how he seems to be able to juggle a bunch of trade ideas and trade talks. That's how he made the Nomar Garciaparra blockbuster, and the Manny Ramirez deal.
Getty ImagesOne is almost certain to make a move, and soon.
So far, all we hear about the Red Sox -- and the other two current financial powers, the Yankees and Phillies -- is that they are talking. And talking. And talking. And kicking around ideas.
The biggest name of the trade summer, Carlos Beltran, has come off the board, but do not assume that more big names aren't going to follow. The Red Sox are talking, and looking for pitching. The Phillies are talking, and have a clear need for a right-handed hitter.
The Yankees are talking, and they appear to be the current front-runners for Hiroki Kuroda -- and are positioned well to add one major bat, because they could theoretically look for an upgrade at designated hitter.
We don't know what's going to happen over the next 3½ days, before the Sunday 4 p.m. Eastern deadline. But it really feels like Epstein and the Red Sox and the Phillies and Yankees could be a part of whatever happens.
Boston still has no idea when Clay Buchholz will pitch; it's in the Kuroda discussions. The Red Sox remain on trade lookout, writes Scott Lauber.
The Yankees are among the five teams focused on Kuroda, along with Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and Texas. The Yankees are keeping an eye on Kuroda. If Hunter Pence is traded -- and I still don't think he will be -- the bet here is it would be to Philadelphia, which would go all-in.
Charlie Manuel will be looking across the field tonight at Beltran, and that's probably part of the reason he's looking for a hitter, as Jim Salisbury writes. The Phillies are in no position to hold back, writes Paul Hagen.
[h3]The Beltran deal[/h3]
• Last season, the Giants won the World Series after Brian Sabean quilted together some additions with scraps and pieces, like Cody Ross, Pat Burrell and others. This year, Sabean took a different approach, using a big-time prospect in Zack Wheeler to get the best available offensive player in Carlos Beltran. And now San Francisco has the kind of offensive player needed in the postseason -- an RBI guy who can lend at least modest support to a pitching staff that doesn't need a lot of support.
The deal shows that the Giants are going for it, writes Bruce Jenkins. Beltran appreciates the Giants, writes John Shea. This is the right risk at the right time, writes Tim Kawakami. This is what the Beltran deal means, writes Andrew Baggarly.
After finishing the Beltran trade, the Giants sent a message to the Phillies, writes Henry Schulman.
• The Mets did well in getting Wheeler. Give Sandy Alderson credit: He felt he had the best offensive player available in the trade market and wanted a top prospect, and he got one. This is what the Mets bargained for when they hired Alderson, writes John Harper. This was a Mets victory, writes Joel Sherman.
• The Braves could have had Beltran if they had offered Mike Minor, but they decided to hold onto the most developed young left-handed starter in their organization and spent much of Wednesday evaluating the other options, including Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham. If I had to guess, as of today, I think they'll get Willingham, who grew up in the South as a Braves fan. No matter what the Braves do, they are not panicking, even with Brian McCann on the disabled list, writes David O'Brien. Jeff Schultz has one question about the Braves' approach. Frank Wren does not think it makes sense to trade any of his top guys for a short-term fix, as Mark Bradley writes.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Rickie Weeks could be out a while, after hurting his ankle. Milwaukee has had conversations with the Dodgers about Jamey Carroll. Adam Kennedy of the Mariners is available.
• The Jays, who are quickly becoming the NFL's version of the Oakland Raiders -- they'll take the talent off your hands if you're unhappy with it, whether it be a Yunel Escobar or Brett Lawrie or a Colby Rasmus -- might be done trading.
Rasmus' dad blasted Tony La Russa. From Elliott's story:
Two evaluators offered very different opinions on the Cardinals' trade of Rasmus:
Evaluator No. 1: "I think Rasmus has a chance to be a star. I don't understand that deal at all."
Evaluator No. 2: "He does make a lot of mistakes. And after awhile, you begin to think that maybe he'll never stop making those mistakes."
• The Rays lost again and are now just 1½ games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. The market for B.J. Upton is getting clearer, writes Marc Topkin.
• The Pirates are looking for a deal to get better.
• The Rangers missed out on Carlos Beltran, but are still looking for relief help; Neftali Feliz is a real concern for the Rangers right now, writes Gerry Fraley.
• The Reds are fading, but their owner says they are still shopping. They should sell and go young, writes John Fay.
• The only real way to shake up the Rockies is by trading Ubaldo Jimenez, writes Troy Renck. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca vehemently denied a report saying that he has a disconnect from Jimenez.
• The White Sox trades were good business, writes Joe Cowley. Totally agree.
• Carlos Zambrano is basically untradeable.
• Denard Span is not fazed by the trade rumors.
• A trade of Michael Bourn or Pence could lead to regret for the Astros, writes Steve Campbell.
• We had the Angels on "Sunday Night Baseball" a few weeks ago, and Mike Scioscia talked at the time about how Ervin Santana seemed to have turned a corner, especially with his use and execution of his slider. And the Indians got a first-hand look at the new and improved Santana on Wednesday, during the pitcher's no-hitter.
From ESPN Stats & Information, how he won:
A. Santana generated 14 swing-and-misses Wednesday. That is his most in any start since Sept. 27, 2010, against the Athletics, when he also posted 14. The last time he exceeded 14 was May 25, 2010, against the Blue Jays (21).
B. Santana threw 66 of his 105 pitches in the strike zone. That is his second-highest total of the season and the second-highest total since the start of the 2009 season. The 62.9 percent mark is his highest since the start of 2009.
C. In completing the no-hitter, Santana relied on the ground ball far more often than he normally does, generating 72.2 percent ground balls in the start. That is easily the highest since the start of the 2009 season; he's only eclipsed the 60 percent mark two other times this season.
D. Santana's fastball velocity has been slowly ticking up over the past few starts, with Wednesday's 93.3 average fastball velocity his highest since June 21 and his maximum velocity of 96.4 his highest since June 15. Members of the Indians were 0-19 against Santana's fastball Wednesday with five strikeouts. Entering the game, the Indians were batting .290 against fastballs in July, fourth in the AL and 10th overall in that span.
The Rangers are the most talented team in the AL West, the most well-rounded team -- but the Angels have three dominant starters right now in Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Santana. So it'll be interesting to see the improvements the Rangers make to their club before the trade deadline.
The no-hitter left the Indians nearly speechless.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Matt Stairs was designated for assignment with the arrival of Jonny Gomes.
2. Kyle McClellan is being moved to the bullpen, and he's OK with that, writes Rick Hummel.
3. The Royals signed a shortstop, writes Bob Dutton.
4. Alex Rios was benched.
5. Alfonso Soriano won't be benched any time soon.
• Watched the beginning of the Pirates' game Wednesday, and I thought Clint Hurdle did a great job in turning the page on the Jerry Meals call from the day before. As he went out to exchange the lineup cards, Hurdle talked with Meals, and on his way back to the dugout he patted the umpire on the back.
It was the right thing to do, especially after Meals and Major League Baseball acknowledged the mistake. Then the Pirates lost in extra innings.
Getty ImagesOne is almost certain to make a move, and soon.
So far, all we hear about the Red Sox -- and the other two current financial powers, the Yankees and Phillies -- is that they are talking. And talking. And talking. And kicking around ideas.
The biggest name of the trade summer, Carlos Beltran, has come off the board, but do not assume that more big names aren't going to follow. The Red Sox are talking, and looking for pitching. The Phillies are talking, and have a clear need for a right-handed hitter.
The Yankees are talking, and they appear to be the current front-runners for Hiroki Kuroda -- and are positioned well to add one major bat, because they could theoretically look for an upgrade at designated hitter.
We don't know what's going to happen over the next 3½ days, before the Sunday 4 p.m. Eastern deadline. But it really feels like Epstein and the Red Sox and the Phillies and Yankees could be a part of whatever happens.
Boston still has no idea when Clay Buchholz will pitch; it's in the Kuroda discussions. The Red Sox remain on trade lookout, writes Scott Lauber.
The Yankees are among the five teams focused on Kuroda, along with Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and Texas. The Yankees are keeping an eye on Kuroda. If Hunter Pence is traded -- and I still don't think he will be -- the bet here is it would be to Philadelphia, which would go all-in.
Charlie Manuel will be looking across the field tonight at Beltran, and that's probably part of the reason he's looking for a hitter, as Jim Salisbury writes. The Phillies are in no position to hold back, writes Paul Hagen.
[h3]The Beltran deal[/h3]
• Last season, the Giants won the World Series after Brian Sabean quilted together some additions with scraps and pieces, like Cody Ross, Pat Burrell and others. This year, Sabean took a different approach, using a big-time prospect in Zack Wheeler to get the best available offensive player in Carlos Beltran. And now San Francisco has the kind of offensive player needed in the postseason -- an RBI guy who can lend at least modest support to a pitching staff that doesn't need a lot of support.
The deal shows that the Giants are going for it, writes Bruce Jenkins. Beltran appreciates the Giants, writes John Shea. This is the right risk at the right time, writes Tim Kawakami. This is what the Beltran deal means, writes Andrew Baggarly.
After finishing the Beltran trade, the Giants sent a message to the Phillies, writes Henry Schulman.
• The Mets did well in getting Wheeler. Give Sandy Alderson credit: He felt he had the best offensive player available in the trade market and wanted a top prospect, and he got one. This is what the Mets bargained for when they hired Alderson, writes John Harper. This was a Mets victory, writes Joel Sherman.
• The Braves could have had Beltran if they had offered Mike Minor, but they decided to hold onto the most developed young left-handed starter in their organization and spent much of Wednesday evaluating the other options, including Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham. If I had to guess, as of today, I think they'll get Willingham, who grew up in the South as a Braves fan. No matter what the Braves do, they are not panicking, even with Brian McCann on the disabled list, writes David O'Brien. Jeff Schultz has one question about the Braves' approach. Frank Wren does not think it makes sense to trade any of his top guys for a short-term fix, as Mark Bradley writes.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Rickie Weeks could be out a while, after hurting his ankle. Milwaukee has had conversations with the Dodgers about Jamey Carroll. Adam Kennedy of the Mariners is available.
• The Jays, who are quickly becoming the NFL's version of the Oakland Raiders -- they'll take the talent off your hands if you're unhappy with it, whether it be a Yunel Escobar or Brett Lawrie or a Colby Rasmus -- might be done trading.
Rasmus' dad blasted Tony La Russa. From Elliott's story:
- Tony Rasmus didn't throw the first stone, but he was firing back.
In June of 2010 the father visited his son in St. Louis and worked on hitting: "We didn't do anything serious. Colby told Tony about it. After last June that was the end of that," said Tony Rasmus, who said four weeks ago the Cards and Colby were involved in talks on a four-year deal.
"Evidently Tony (La Russa) has absolutely made that stuff up. He's got it on the brain. If I was working with my son I'd tell people.
"Tony needed pitching and wanted to force the GM into making a trade, so he belittled Colby to the fans."
Two evaluators offered very different opinions on the Cardinals' trade of Rasmus:
Evaluator No. 1: "I think Rasmus has a chance to be a star. I don't understand that deal at all."
Evaluator No. 2: "He does make a lot of mistakes. And after awhile, you begin to think that maybe he'll never stop making those mistakes."
• The Rays lost again and are now just 1½ games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. The market for B.J. Upton is getting clearer, writes Marc Topkin.
• The Pirates are looking for a deal to get better.
• The Rangers missed out on Carlos Beltran, but are still looking for relief help; Neftali Feliz is a real concern for the Rangers right now, writes Gerry Fraley.
• The Reds are fading, but their owner says they are still shopping. They should sell and go young, writes John Fay.
• The only real way to shake up the Rockies is by trading Ubaldo Jimenez, writes Troy Renck. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca vehemently denied a report saying that he has a disconnect from Jimenez.
• The White Sox trades were good business, writes Joe Cowley. Totally agree.
• Carlos Zambrano is basically untradeable.
• Denard Span is not fazed by the trade rumors.
• A trade of Michael Bourn or Pence could lead to regret for the Astros, writes Steve Campbell.
• We had the Angels on "Sunday Night Baseball" a few weeks ago, and Mike Scioscia talked at the time about how Ervin Santana seemed to have turned a corner, especially with his use and execution of his slider. And the Indians got a first-hand look at the new and improved Santana on Wednesday, during the pitcher's no-hitter.
From ESPN Stats & Information, how he won:
A. Santana generated 14 swing-and-misses Wednesday. That is his most in any start since Sept. 27, 2010, against the Athletics, when he also posted 14. The last time he exceeded 14 was May 25, 2010, against the Blue Jays (21).
B. Santana threw 66 of his 105 pitches in the strike zone. That is his second-highest total of the season and the second-highest total since the start of the 2009 season. The 62.9 percent mark is his highest since the start of 2009.
C. In completing the no-hitter, Santana relied on the ground ball far more often than he normally does, generating 72.2 percent ground balls in the start. That is easily the highest since the start of the 2009 season; he's only eclipsed the 60 percent mark two other times this season.
D. Santana's fastball velocity has been slowly ticking up over the past few starts, with Wednesday's 93.3 average fastball velocity his highest since June 21 and his maximum velocity of 96.4 his highest since June 15. Members of the Indians were 0-19 against Santana's fastball Wednesday with five strikeouts. Entering the game, the Indians were batting .290 against fastballs in July, fourth in the AL and 10th overall in that span.
The Rangers are the most talented team in the AL West, the most well-rounded team -- but the Angels have three dominant starters right now in Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Santana. So it'll be interesting to see the improvements the Rangers make to their club before the trade deadline.
The no-hitter left the Indians nearly speechless.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Matt Stairs was designated for assignment with the arrival of Jonny Gomes.
2. Kyle McClellan is being moved to the bullpen, and he's OK with that, writes Rick Hummel.
3. The Royals signed a shortstop, writes Bob Dutton.
4. Alex Rios was benched.
5. Alfonso Soriano won't be benched any time soon.
• Watched the beginning of the Pirates' game Wednesday, and I thought Clint Hurdle did a great job in turning the page on the Jerry Meals call from the day before. As he went out to exchange the lineup cards, Hurdle talked with Meals, and on his way back to the dugout he patted the umpire on the back.
It was the right thing to do, especially after Meals and Major League Baseball acknowledged the mistake. Then the Pirates lost in extra innings.
Espinosa deserves ROY.
Spoiler [+]
The current issue of ESPN The Magazine includes a story in which members of the Detroit Tigers make the case that Justin Verlander deserves the 2011 Cy Young award. Since it's not even August, you might be thinking that it's too early to start talking about awards. But let's be honest, it's never too early to start talking about awards.
[h4]Long at Short[/h4]
If Penn State is "Linebacker U," then Long Beach State is certainly "Shortstop U." In addition to Espinosa, Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria and 2004 AL Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby all played shortstop for the Dirtbags. Crosby's career has been derailed by injuries, but the other three have developed into excellent power hitters in the majors. Why is this notable? Because none of them displayed big power numbers in college. Of the trio, Longoria had the largest single-season home run total for LBSU, hitting 11 in 2006, and this was before the NCAA-regulated BBCOR bats. For comparison, Pedro Alvarez hit twice as many home runs for Vanderbilt that year.
But again, context explains a lot of this. According to Boyd's World, LBSU's Blair Field had a park factor of 75 from 2007 through 2010, making it one of college baseball's best pitchers' parks. (For park factors, 100 is an average number, and anything below it means the park favors the pitcher, in this case extremely.) So the next time you see a great Dirtbags shortstop taken in the draft, take his college power numbers -- or lack thereof -- with a huge grain of salt.
With Verlander, Jered Weaver and CC Sabathia all having spectacular seasons, the race for AL Cy Young will almost certainly go down to the wire. There is one piece of hardware, however, that should be all but locked up, and that's National League Rookie of the Year.
As Tim Kurkjian writes today, Freddie Freeman is having an excellent season for the Atlanta Braves, particularly of late. His 1.002 July OPS is a big reason why Atlanta has maintained a 3½-game lead in the wild card, even with Chipper Jones missing most of the month with another injury. But when it comes to selecting the NL's top rookie, Danny Espinosa of the Washington Nationals stands head and shoulders above the rest. A cursory glance at Espinosa's stats would probably not lead you to such a conclusion, but his .234/.324/.440 line needs to be put in proper context.
Although he was drafted as a shortstop when he came out of Long Beach State, Espinosa moved to second base while playing for Triple-A Syracuse in 2010. And in this suppressed offensive era, Espinosa's batting line is extremely impressive for a player at his position. In fact, Rickie Weeks is the only other second sacker in the NL who has a higher OPS (.822) than Espinosa. And it's that positional scarcity that makes Espinosa so valuable. As a whole, major league second basemen are hitting just .256/.318/.380 on the year, which makes Espinosa's rookie numbers all the more impressive, particularly his 17 home runs. First basemen, on the other hand, are hitting .266/.342/.440, which means that Freeman's .283/.357/.470 line does not stand out nearly as much among his peers.
This difference really bears itself out when you look at the wins above replacement (WAR) leaderboard for NL rookie position players over at FanGraphs. Espinosa leads by a wide margin with 3.4 WAR.
WAR takes into account batting, fielding and positional scarcity, which is the most important factor in this case. The only pitcher with a real case for ROY is Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, who has 2.3 WAR. And while some voters might be persuaded by his gaudy save totals, his lack of playing time means he does not provide nearly as much value as Espinosa. Any way you slice it, it's hard to imagine him not leading NL rookies in WAR by a significant margin.
[table][tr][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]WAR[/th][/tr][tr][td]Danny Espinosa[/td][td]3.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Wilson Ramos[/td][td]1.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Darwin Barney[/td][td]1.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Allen Craig[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Freddie Freeman[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][/table]
If you're a Nationals fan, the most promising aspect of Espinosa's performance is that it hasn't been particularly fluky, at least not in terms of how stat-minded folks typically measure flukes. His batting average on balls in play is just .271, which means his performance isn't fueled by good luck on bloops or bleeders. If anything, it suggests that he's been unlucky on balls in play. And while his home run per fly ball (HR/FB) percentage is high (15.5), it's not so outrageously high that you'd say his home run numbers are unsustainable. For context, Lance Berkman leads the majors with a HR/FB of 27.3 percent, while Freeman's is 16.0 percent. In fact, Espinosa showed in his cup of coffee last season that he has some serious pop, posting a .233 ISO. This year that mark is .207.
From the looks of it, the Nats have another piece they can pencil in as part of their future, and one of the many reasons their fans can expect their team to begin competing for the playoffs in the next couple of years. As for this year, they can take pride in the fact that their guy is by far the NL's top rookie, and there is probably nothing that can be done from here on out to change that.
[h4]Long at Short[/h4]
If Penn State is "Linebacker U," then Long Beach State is certainly "Shortstop U." In addition to Espinosa, Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria and 2004 AL Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby all played shortstop for the Dirtbags. Crosby's career has been derailed by injuries, but the other three have developed into excellent power hitters in the majors. Why is this notable? Because none of them displayed big power numbers in college. Of the trio, Longoria had the largest single-season home run total for LBSU, hitting 11 in 2006, and this was before the NCAA-regulated BBCOR bats. For comparison, Pedro Alvarez hit twice as many home runs for Vanderbilt that year.
But again, context explains a lot of this. According to Boyd's World, LBSU's Blair Field had a park factor of 75 from 2007 through 2010, making it one of college baseball's best pitchers' parks. (For park factors, 100 is an average number, and anything below it means the park favors the pitcher, in this case extremely.) So the next time you see a great Dirtbags shortstop taken in the draft, take his college power numbers -- or lack thereof -- with a huge grain of salt.
With Verlander, Jered Weaver and CC Sabathia all having spectacular seasons, the race for AL Cy Young will almost certainly go down to the wire. There is one piece of hardware, however, that should be all but locked up, and that's National League Rookie of the Year.
As Tim Kurkjian writes today, Freddie Freeman is having an excellent season for the Atlanta Braves, particularly of late. His 1.002 July OPS is a big reason why Atlanta has maintained a 3½-game lead in the wild card, even with Chipper Jones missing most of the month with another injury. But when it comes to selecting the NL's top rookie, Danny Espinosa of the Washington Nationals stands head and shoulders above the rest. A cursory glance at Espinosa's stats would probably not lead you to such a conclusion, but his .234/.324/.440 line needs to be put in proper context.
Although he was drafted as a shortstop when he came out of Long Beach State, Espinosa moved to second base while playing for Triple-A Syracuse in 2010. And in this suppressed offensive era, Espinosa's batting line is extremely impressive for a player at his position. In fact, Rickie Weeks is the only other second sacker in the NL who has a higher OPS (.822) than Espinosa. And it's that positional scarcity that makes Espinosa so valuable. As a whole, major league second basemen are hitting just .256/.318/.380 on the year, which makes Espinosa's rookie numbers all the more impressive, particularly his 17 home runs. First basemen, on the other hand, are hitting .266/.342/.440, which means that Freeman's .283/.357/.470 line does not stand out nearly as much among his peers.
This difference really bears itself out when you look at the wins above replacement (WAR) leaderboard for NL rookie position players over at FanGraphs. Espinosa leads by a wide margin with 3.4 WAR.
WAR takes into account batting, fielding and positional scarcity, which is the most important factor in this case. The only pitcher with a real case for ROY is Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, who has 2.3 WAR. And while some voters might be persuaded by his gaudy save totals, his lack of playing time means he does not provide nearly as much value as Espinosa. Any way you slice it, it's hard to imagine him not leading NL rookies in WAR by a significant margin.
[table][tr][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]WAR[/th][/tr][tr][td]Danny Espinosa[/td][td]3.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Wilson Ramos[/td][td]1.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Darwin Barney[/td][td]1.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Allen Craig[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Freddie Freeman[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][/table]
If you're a Nationals fan, the most promising aspect of Espinosa's performance is that it hasn't been particularly fluky, at least not in terms of how stat-minded folks typically measure flukes. His batting average on balls in play is just .271, which means his performance isn't fueled by good luck on bloops or bleeders. If anything, it suggests that he's been unlucky on balls in play. And while his home run per fly ball (HR/FB) percentage is high (15.5), it's not so outrageously high that you'd say his home run numbers are unsustainable. For context, Lance Berkman leads the majors with a HR/FB of 27.3 percent, while Freeman's is 16.0 percent. In fact, Espinosa showed in his cup of coffee last season that he has some serious pop, posting a .233 ISO. This year that mark is .207.
From the looks of it, the Nats have another piece they can pencil in as part of their future, and one of the many reasons their fans can expect their team to begin competing for the playoffs in the next couple of years. As for this year, they can take pride in the fact that their guy is by far the NL's top rookie, and there is probably nothing that can be done from here on out to change that.
Rumors.
Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Yankees looking at Kuroda?[/h3]
10:56AM ET
[h5]Hiroki Kuroda | Dodgers [/h5]
A perfect storm appears to be making Hiroki Kuroda the most valuable 6-13 pitcher in baseball.
The Dodgers' righthander allowed one run over six innings in Wednesday's loss to Colorado. He is 1-10 over his past 12 starts despite a more-than-adequate 3.38 ERA during that stretch.
Given the shortage of starting pitchers available, Kuroda remains a hot commodity, and his value could rise even higher if the Yankees and Red Sox decide to become major players.
After a shaky outing by Phil Hughes Wednesday, the Yankees are looking for pitching help and remain in regular contact with the Dodgers about Kuroda, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The Red Sox also are on the radar and their interest could accelerate given the health issues with Clay Buchholz.
Buster Olney tweeted Wednesday night that five teams monitored Kuroda'a start with keen interest: the Yankees, Red Sox, Cleveland, Detroit and Texas. Ken Rosenthal notes that the Yankees have "intensified" their pursuit of Kuroda.
The problem, of course, is we don't know if Kuroda will approve a deal, given his full no-trade clause. That could be the main hold up of a deal with the Tigers. Kuroda likes pitching in LA and could be convinced to waive his no-trade clause, leave as a two-month rental, and then come back next season.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Fukudome to Cleveland?[/h3]
10:50AM ET
[h5]Kosuke Fukudome | Cubs [/h5]
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports the Cubs are closing in on a deal that would send outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland. The deal not totally done yet, but it's close.
The Indians have been looking for outfield help in the aftermath of injuries to Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore. Olney adds the Cubs will receive two prospects from the Indians and will fork over more than half of the $4.7 million owed to Fukudome for the rest of the season.
The Tribe also was believed to be in the chase for Padres outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Their need for more offense became even more evident Wednesday when they were no-hit by Ervin Santana of the Angels.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Rangers concerned with Neftali?[/h3]
10:39AM ET
[h5]Neftali Feliz | Rangers [/h5]
The Texas Rangers were among the teams that fell short in the pursuit of Carlos Beltran. It could be a blessing in disguise for GM Jon Daniels, who may need to use his bargaining chips on a reliever.
Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News says Neftali Feliz is becoming a serious concern due to his diminished velocity. "I don't know if he's hurt. He's not the same pitcher this year; he's not blowing away hitters," Fraley writes.
The Rangers were believed be looking for bullpen help even before the concerns with Feliz surfaced, and this could prompt an even more serious pursuit of Heath Bell.
Meanwhile, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers did push hard for Beltran but have been focused more on relief pitching.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]No interest in Zambrano[/h3]
10:23AM ET
[h5]Carlos Zambrano | Cubs [/h5]
UPDATE: Even with the Cubs offering plenty of cash, there is no interest in Zambrano at this point, writes Gordon Wittenmyer in Thursday's Sun Times.
--
The New York Yankees would like to add quality starting pitching this summer -- we assume, due to the lack of it in their current rotation -- and the Chicago Cubs would like to move Carlos Zambrano. Might there be a match?
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweets Wednesday that the Cubs are trying to get the Yankees to take Zambrano and cash. The "cash" part would likely have to be quite substantial as Zambrano is owed about $6 million for the rest of 2011 and $18 million next season.
Whether or not the Yankees view Zambrano as the type of arm they believe improves their team or not remains to be seen, but it's out there now. The CUbs are willing to send cash along with Zambrano, so anything is possible, including a deal with another club. A Free Zambrano is a different story than one making $18 million per.
SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that there is apparently no interest at all from the Yankees.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Twins, Rockies talk Slowey deal[/h3]
10:13AM ET
[h5]Kevin Slowey | Twins [/h5]
The Twins and Rockies have been discussing a trade for righthander Kevin Slowey with Minnesota interested in reliever Rafael Betancourt and infielder Ty Wigginton, reports La Velle Neal of the Star Tribune.
The Twins are trying to trade Slowey, who is stuck at Triple-A Rochester after he balked at a bullpen role earlier this season. He was on the trading block in spring training when it was thought that the Twins had a surplus of starting pitching.
The attempt to land a veteran such as Betancourt or Wigginton seems to indicate that the Twins are not willing to toss in the towel in the AL Central, even if they are six games under .500.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Reds still buyers[/h3]
9:59AM ET
[h5]Cincinnati Reds [/h5]
Speculation regarding the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/cin/cincinnati-redsCincinnati Reds has had them straddling the fence between buyers and sellers. Despite three straight losses to the New York Mets, Reds owner Bob Castellini still sees the glass as half full, not half empty.
"There's no stone unturned," Castellini tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "But we've got to start playing like we know how. It's getting late."
It's getting late early, as Yogi would say, and the Reds have fallen 5 1/2 games off the pace in the National League Central.
With the Cardinals making a bold move Wednesday in the deal involving Colby Rasmus, the Reds could be prompted to make a major move in kind to keep up with a division rival.
The Reds have been mentioned in the Ubaldo Jimenez discussion, but is a deal for the Rockies' righthander feasible? ESPN.com's Jim Bowden has a suggestion:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Jim Bowden[/h5]
Ideal NL Trades
10:56AM ET
[h5]Hiroki Kuroda | Dodgers [/h5]
A perfect storm appears to be making Hiroki Kuroda the most valuable 6-13 pitcher in baseball.
The Dodgers' righthander allowed one run over six innings in Wednesday's loss to Colorado. He is 1-10 over his past 12 starts despite a more-than-adequate 3.38 ERA during that stretch.
Given the shortage of starting pitchers available, Kuroda remains a hot commodity, and his value could rise even higher if the Yankees and Red Sox decide to become major players.
After a shaky outing by Phil Hughes Wednesday, the Yankees are looking for pitching help and remain in regular contact with the Dodgers about Kuroda, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The Red Sox also are on the radar and their interest could accelerate given the health issues with Clay Buchholz.
Buster Olney tweeted Wednesday night that five teams monitored Kuroda'a start with keen interest: the Yankees, Red Sox, Cleveland, Detroit and Texas. Ken Rosenthal notes that the Yankees have "intensified" their pursuit of Kuroda.
The problem, of course, is we don't know if Kuroda will approve a deal, given his full no-trade clause. That could be the main hold up of a deal with the Tigers. Kuroda likes pitching in LA and could be convinced to waive his no-trade clause, leave as a two-month rental, and then come back next season.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Fukudome to Cleveland?[/h3]
10:50AM ET
[h5]Kosuke Fukudome | Cubs [/h5]
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports the Cubs are closing in on a deal that would send outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland. The deal not totally done yet, but it's close.
The Indians have been looking for outfield help in the aftermath of injuries to Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore. Olney adds the Cubs will receive two prospects from the Indians and will fork over more than half of the $4.7 million owed to Fukudome for the rest of the season.
The Tribe also was believed to be in the chase for Padres outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Their need for more offense became even more evident Wednesday when they were no-hit by Ervin Santana of the Angels.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Rangers concerned with Neftali?[/h3]
10:39AM ET
[h5]Neftali Feliz | Rangers [/h5]
The Texas Rangers were among the teams that fell short in the pursuit of Carlos Beltran. It could be a blessing in disguise for GM Jon Daniels, who may need to use his bargaining chips on a reliever.
Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News says Neftali Feliz is becoming a serious concern due to his diminished velocity. "I don't know if he's hurt. He's not the same pitcher this year; he's not blowing away hitters," Fraley writes.
The Rangers were believed be looking for bullpen help even before the concerns with Feliz surfaced, and this could prompt an even more serious pursuit of Heath Bell.
Meanwhile, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers did push hard for Beltran but have been focused more on relief pitching.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]No interest in Zambrano[/h3]
10:23AM ET
[h5]Carlos Zambrano | Cubs [/h5]
UPDATE: Even with the Cubs offering plenty of cash, there is no interest in Zambrano at this point, writes Gordon Wittenmyer in Thursday's Sun Times.
--
The New York Yankees would like to add quality starting pitching this summer -- we assume, due to the lack of it in their current rotation -- and the Chicago Cubs would like to move Carlos Zambrano. Might there be a match?
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweets Wednesday that the Cubs are trying to get the Yankees to take Zambrano and cash. The "cash" part would likely have to be quite substantial as Zambrano is owed about $6 million for the rest of 2011 and $18 million next season.
Whether or not the Yankees view Zambrano as the type of arm they believe improves their team or not remains to be seen, but it's out there now. The CUbs are willing to send cash along with Zambrano, so anything is possible, including a deal with another club. A Free Zambrano is a different story than one making $18 million per.
SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that there is apparently no interest at all from the Yankees.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Twins, Rockies talk Slowey deal[/h3]
10:13AM ET
[h5]Kevin Slowey | Twins [/h5]
The Twins and Rockies have been discussing a trade for righthander Kevin Slowey with Minnesota interested in reliever Rafael Betancourt and infielder Ty Wigginton, reports La Velle Neal of the Star Tribune.
The Twins are trying to trade Slowey, who is stuck at Triple-A Rochester after he balked at a bullpen role earlier this season. He was on the trading block in spring training when it was thought that the Twins had a surplus of starting pitching.
The attempt to land a veteran such as Betancourt or Wigginton seems to indicate that the Twins are not willing to toss in the towel in the AL Central, even if they are six games under .500.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Reds still buyers[/h3]
9:59AM ET
[h5]Cincinnati Reds [/h5]
Speculation regarding the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/cin/cincinnati-redsCincinnati Reds has had them straddling the fence between buyers and sellers. Despite three straight losses to the New York Mets, Reds owner Bob Castellini still sees the glass as half full, not half empty.
"There's no stone unturned," Castellini tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "But we've got to start playing like we know how. It's getting late."
It's getting late early, as Yogi would say, and the Reds have fallen 5 1/2 games off the pace in the National League Central.
With the Cardinals making a bold move Wednesday in the deal involving Colby Rasmus, the Reds could be prompted to make a major move in kind to keep up with a division rival.
The Reds have been mentioned in the Ubaldo Jimenez discussion, but is a deal for the Rockies' righthander feasible? ESPN.com's Jim Bowden has a suggestion:
- Doug Mittler
Ideal NL Trades
9:43AM ET
[h5]B.J. Upton | Rays [/h5]
UPDATE: With the Giants out of the mix following the acquisition of Carlos Beltran, the market for Upton may be taking shape. Marc Topkin of the St. Pete Times says the field includes the Braves, Indians, Nationals and Pirates along with the Phillies and Reds.
The Nationals are believed to have serious interest. They say that they are not actively shopping shortstop Ian Desmond, but that could change if the Upton talks turn serious.
--
UPDATE: While Upton's name has been linked to the Reds, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer remains skeptical, noting that Upton's current production currently isn't that much better than that of Jonny Gomes, who was traded to the Nationals Tuesday.
For the latest on Upton's fantasy value, check out Eric Karabell's take at the bottom of this post.
--
UPDATE: Until now the word has been that the Giants preferred Carlos Beltran but SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets Tuesday afternoon that San Francisco's interest in Upton is now strong, which could suggest they don't like the asking price on Beltran the rental and could consider moving otherwise off-limits players for Upton, who is under club control through next season and is considered an above-average defender in center, if not an elite glove.
...
UPDATE: The Brewers have joined the sweepstakes on Upton, tweets Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com, though it seems unlikely Milwaukee can match up with the Rays in a deal since they have so little left in terms of young talent after dealing away prospects in trades over the past several months.
...
For a player with just three hits in his last 34 at-bats, B.J. Upton seems to be drawing plenty of interest.
The Rays' promotion of top prospect Desmond Jennings on Friday night has fanned the fires of a deal for Upton, even if his batting average has dipped to .229. In case you didn't notice, Upton's BA has declined each of his last four seasons.
Upton's enormous upside, as well as the Rays' recent slide in the standings, still makes him a primary target. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the Rays, now 7 1/2 games off the pace in the wild card race, are awaiting major bids on Upton.
The Nationals have long had interest in Upton and, in a surprising twist, Sherman says the Royals have checked in on the center fielder, as have the Braves, Pirates, Reds and Cardinals.
Upton also has drawn interest from the Giants as an alternative to Carlos Beltran. Upton is seven years younger Beltran and is under club control through 2012.
The market for outfielders is turning out to be crowded, and teams might be willing to pay more for Upton than for a Josh Willingham or a Ryan Ludwick.
- Doug Mittler
Fantasy take on Upton
http://[h3]Braves consider Ludwick, Willingham[/h3]
9:32AM ET
[h5]Brian McCann | Braves [/h5]
UPDATE: ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney writes in Thursday's blog that the Braves could have had Beltran if they had offered Mike Minor, but they decided to retain the top pitching prospect. Now the Braves are evaluating other options such as Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham.
--
Lost in the aftermath of what is being called the worst umpiring call ever is the sobering reality for the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/atl/atlanta-bravesAtlanta Braves that catcher http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6309/brian-mccannBrian McCann is headed to the disabled list.
Jerry Meals' safe call in the 19th inning Wednesday morning automatically puts him in the company of Jim Joyce, the author of Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game. Nine innings earlier, McCann strained his left oblique muscle, an injury that could sideline him until the middle of August.
Finding a viable catcher via the trade market is no easy task. Just ask the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/sf/san-francisco-giantsSan Francisco Giants, who for months have been unable to land an alternative to http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30112/buster-poseyBuster Posey.
Backup http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5206/david-rossDavid Ross figures to get the bulk of the playing time for the time being, with the Braves likely to pursue a potent bat at another position. ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported Wednesday morning that the Braves have yet to make progress on a deal for http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/3971/carlos-beltranCarlos Beltran, but you have to wonder if GM Frank Wren might change his tune.
We also could see the Braves making a push for Houston's http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28535/michael-bournMichael Bourn, who would be a nice fit in center field. The Braves have been reluctant to deal pitching prospect http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30624/mike-minorMike Minor, but they may now have no choice.
Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Eric Karabell gives his fantasy take on how to handle the loss of the Braves' catcher:
- Doug Mittler
Don't bail on McCann
http://[h3]Giants still want a catcher[/h3]
8:54AM ET
[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]
The San Francisco Giants have been in search of a power bat from almost the minute Buster Posey went down. GM Brian Sabean finally filled the void with Wednesday's deal for Carlos Beltran.
There is still room improvement behind the plate, and Sabean may not be done dealing.
The Giants would love to pry Ramon Hernandez away from Cincinnati, but Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports the backstop is unavailable. Sabean wouldn't mind Seattle's Miguel Olivo, but he is cost prohibitive due to the $5.3 million left on his contract.
The Giants could simply get by with Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart behind the plate and look for offense elsewhere.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Angels seek relief help[/h3]
8:26AM ET
[h5]Los Angeles Angels [/h5]
UPDATE: We mentioned earlier this week that the Angels were interested in Nunez and Choate, but SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted Wednesday night that the price for the Marlins relievers remains high.
--
UPDATE: The Angels, tweets Ken Rosenthal, are more focused on adding bullpen help, despite a need at third base and a lefty bat for first base.
...
UPDATE: It may have to be a smaller deal but the Angels would also like to add a third baseman with some pop, though without payroll flexibility that seems highly unlikely.
We've mentioned Aramis Ramirez and how he's a fit but isn't giving any indications that he would waive his no-trade clause, and his salary sure seems too hefty for the Halos.
...
The Los Angeles Angels traditionally have kept the rumor mill churning at this time of year. After all, the likes of http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5565/dan-harenDan Haren, http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/4937/mark-teixeiraMark Teixeira and http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5917/scott-kazmirScott Kazmir all landed in Anaheim in summer deals.
The bottom line could have the Angels taking a different approach this month with owner Arte Moreno being reluctant to open his checkbook, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote earlier this month.
With that in mind, a report by Kevin Baxter in Tuesday's LA Times makes sense. Baxter says the Angels remain interested in landing the Padres' Heath Bell, but could lower their sights and turn to the Marlins, who are shopping Leo Nunez and Randy Choate.
Florida is looking for a third baseman or a center fielder, but Baxter says the best the Angels could offer would be a deal built around either Alberto Callaspo or Maicer Izturis. The Marlins are likely looking for much more, but that has not stopped them from scouting the Angels closely.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Phils, Braves after Pence[/h3]
8:11AM ET
[h5]Hunter Pence | Astros [/h5]
The domino effect of Carlos Beltran landing in San Francisco is the altered leverage of teams still in search of an impact outfielder.
The Houston Astros know they have a valuable trading chip in Hunter Pence, who, unlike Beltran, is not hitting the free agent market this winter. As a result, the asking price for Pence is still quite high here at mid-week, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman, suggesting that Pence may stay in Houston for the time being.
Heyman reports that the Astros turned down an offer from the Phillies that included top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart and first base prospect Jonathan Singleton, as well as one other prospect.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported Wednesday that that the Phillies "had a deal" for Pence, but that Houston had "backed off."
The Phillies and Braves are focused on Pence, tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. The Astros want young pitching in return for their All-Star outfielder, and both Philly and the Braves have the chips to deal.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com adds that the Phillies are willing to include right fielder Domonic Brown as part of the deal. That could appeal to the Astros since Brown, unlike Pence, is still a few years away from arbitration.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]The Mets after Beltran[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Carlos Beltran | Mets [/h5]
Carlos Beltran has a new lease on life in San Francisco, leaving the New York Mets with a roster spot to fill. Some red tape, however, will likely leave the Mets with just 24 players for Thursday's matinee in Cincinnati.
The plan is to call up catcher Mike Nickeas from Triple-A Buffalo. But there is a 24-hour minimum before Beltran can waive his no-trade clause, and it might not come in time for the early-afternoon game at Great American Ballpark.
Lucas Duda started in right for the Mets on Wednesday night, and figures to get a long audition the rest of the way.
As for any additional moves, GM Sandy Alderson has said there are no plans to conduct a fire sale, so expect only a minor move or two. Candidates for a new address include relievers Tim Byrdak and Jason Isringhausen.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Johnson: not done yet [/h3]
7:19AM ET
[h5]Josh Johnson | Marlins [/h5]
UPDATE: Johnson said no decision has been made on whether to shut down for the season, but the righthander does concede he is running out of time.
The goal is still for Johnson to make a few starts before the end of the season.
--
Marlins ace Josh Johnson, who hasn't pitched since mid-May due to shoulder problems, isn't expected to return to the mound this season, reports SI.com's Jon Heyman
Heyman says the Fish are just being cautious and there is no need for surgery. With the Fish out of contention, there is no need to rush him back.
Johnson has a 1.64 ERA in nine starts this season.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Cards still in chase for Bell[/h3]
7:06AM ET
[h5]Heath Bell | Padres [/h5]
UPDATE: The Cardinals may have a glut of righty relievers after making the blockbuster deal involving Colby Rasmus, but they retain interest in Heath Bell, says Joe Strauss in Thursday's Post-Dispatch.
--
UPDATE: Just as ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweeted earlier Wednesday about the pace quickening in talks for Padres relievers, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden tweets that the next big deal could be the Rangers acquiring Bell for a package centered around left-hander Robert Erlin.
The 20-year-old Erlin, who has spent this season at Double-A Frisco, is generally considered by scouts to carry a ceiling as a No. 3 starter. He's a strike thrower with plus control of average stuff. Erlin ranked as the Rangers' No. 5 prospect in Keith Law's top 100 rankings prior to the 2011 season.
...
UPDATE: Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com handicaps the odds of the Rangers landing Bell, noting that the value for the reliever remains high. But with other relievers on the market, the price might drop by this weekend.
--
UPDATE: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted Monday night that the Phillies were aggressive in their pursuit of Bell. Sherman adds that the Padres were surprised with the lack of interest from the Yankees and that there has not been more of a push from the Cardinals or Reds.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote Monday the buzz around the Padres this past weekend was that Bell is most likely to wind up getting dealt to the Rangers or Phillies, because they have the prospect pool that best fits the Padres' hefty asking price.
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http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6084/heath-bellHeath Bell seems resigned to the fact that his days in San Diego are numbered. Given his preference, he would like to land with a contender in the National League.
In the days immediately following the All-Star Game, Bell put his chances of being traded at 90 percent. Fast forward to Sunday, and Bell tells Dan Norcross of the Union Tribune that nothing has changed.
Bell tells Norcross his priorities would be: a) to be dealt to a contender; b) traded to a National League team; c) traded to the Diamondbacks or Angels because they?re close to San Diego.
The Angels could be a long shot. Kevin Baxter of the LA Times wrote Sunday that the Angels have been eagerly courting the Padres regarding Bell and/or http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5969/mike-adamsMike Adams, but the Halos don't appear to have the means to complete a deal.
The Rangers have zeroed in on Bell, according to a recent report on ESPNNewYork.com. They have been linked to Bell all season and though they will use the right-hander primarily in a setup role.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]More on Hanley[/h3]
6:50AM ET
[h5]Hanley Ramirez | Marlins [/h5]
UPDATE: While it doesn't appear the Marlins will even consider moving Ramirez this summer, the shortstop is adding fuel to the fire by responding to Conine's comments by saying Conine just wants to be Mr. Marlin forever and that he himself is going to become the new Mr. Marlin. Ramirez also called out Conine, saying "If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man. Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
...
Just like the weather in most of the country, Hanley Ramirez has heated up in July, batting .333 with five homers and 18 RBI. That followed a dismal April and May in which the Marlins shortstop hit around the Mendoza Line.
At least one member of the Florida front office thinks it would not necessarily be a bad idea in on Ramirez' sizzling bat.
Special assistant Jeff Conine, a former teammate of Hanley, said in radio interview Friday he wouldn't be opposed to the Marlins trading Ramirez. "If it were up to me, probably," Conine said.
While Conine later downplayed his comments, they do point to what could be continued frustration in the Marlins' front office with Ramirez' concentration level. Ramirez last weekend eclipsed Conine (1,005) for second on the club's all-time hit list.
Ramirez is in the middle of a reasonable six-year, $70 million deal that lasts until 2014.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Brewers to step up infield search?[/h3]
6:40AM ET
[h5]Milwaukee Brewers [/h5]
UPDATE: Brewers manager Ron Roenicke conceded after Wednesday's victory over the Cubs that Weeks will be out a while. Veteran Craig Counsell will likely fill in at second base for the time being.
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UPDATE: The Brewers were already looking for infield help but Rickie Weeks injured his ankle during Wednesday night's game -- X-rays came back negative -- which could intensify the club's push for infield help.
Other than Carroll and Barmes, Milwaukee could have interest in Seattle's Adam Kennedy, Toronto's John McDonald or San Diego's Orlando Hudson. If Weeks' injury is remotely serious, Hudson may become a prime target.
...
With Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt struggling at the plate and in the field this season, the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/mil/milwaukee-brewersMilwaukee Brewers are seeking infield help on the left side.
Tom Hauricourt of the Journal Sentinel writes that the Brewers have kicked the tires on many infielders with other clubs, including the Los Angeles Dodgers' Jamey Carroll and Houston's Clint Barmes.
Another possibility is recalling infielder Mat Gamel, but he hit just .115 (3-for-26) in an audition earlier this month.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Red Sox rethinking trade plans?[/h3]
4:07AM ET
[h5]Boston Red Sox [/h5]
All along the Boston Red Sox have been linked to some extent with every big name on the trade market, as well as some smaller names. They checked in on Carlos Beltran, were believed to be at least mildly interested in B.J. Upton, Hunter Pence and Colby Rasmus and have reportedly checked in on some relievers. The club, however, may feel the need to look at their starting rotation and get aggressive.
The concerns with the hurting back of right-hander Clay Buchholz may have elevated a bit Wednesday when the Red Sox canceled a scheduled bullpen session and instead will send Buchholz to see a specialist again before he gets back on the mound, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
Manager Terry Francona categorized it as a precaution because Buchholz is about to turn up the intensity of his rehab, but the Red Sox were already kicking around the thought of going after a starting pitcher, and Rob Bradford reports that Boston is still talking with the Rockies about Ubaldo Jimenez.
Others the Sox could look into include right-handers Hiroki Kuroda and Rich Harden, and left-hander Erik Bedard, continues Speier. Speier also notes that while the Red Sox value their prospects, they also value the opportunity to win a World Series, suggesting they'd be willing to part with young talent for the right player.
Buchholz, Francona said, is likely to see that specialist sometime over the next five days. If that occurs prior to the trade deadline and the doctor's assessment is positive, GM Theo Epstein may back off the trade market. Otherwise, all of the above may be fair game in Beantown.
Risky deal for the Giants.
Phillies, Yanks, Sox could deal.
Espinosa deserves ROY.
Rumors.
http://[h3]The market for Upton[/h3]
9:43AM ET
[h5]B.J. Upton | Rays [/h5]
UPDATE: With the Giants out of the mix following the acquisition of Carlos Beltran, the market for Upton may be taking shape. Marc Topkin of the St. Pete Times says the field includes the Braves, Indians, Nationals and Pirates along with the Phillies and Reds.
The Nationals are believed to have serious interest. They say that they are not actively shopping shortstop Ian Desmond, but that could change if the Upton talks turn serious.
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UPDATE: While Upton's name has been linked to the Reds, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer remains skeptical, noting that Upton's current production currently isn't that much better than that of Jonny Gomes, who was traded to the Nationals Tuesday.
For the latest on Upton's fantasy value, check out Eric Karabell's take at the bottom of this post.
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UPDATE: Until now the word has been that the Giants preferred Carlos Beltran but SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets Tuesday afternoon that San Francisco's interest in Upton is now strong, which could suggest they don't like the asking price on Beltran the rental and could consider moving otherwise off-limits players for Upton, who is under club control through next season and is considered an above-average defender in center, if not an elite glove.
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UPDATE: The Brewers have joined the sweepstakes on Upton, tweets Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com, though it seems unlikely Milwaukee can match up with the Rays in a deal since they have so little left in terms of young talent after dealing away prospects in trades over the past several months.
...
For a player with just three hits in his last 34 at-bats, B.J. Upton seems to be drawing plenty of interest.
The Rays' promotion of top prospect Desmond Jennings on Friday night has fanned the fires of a deal for Upton, even if his batting average has dipped to .229. In case you didn't notice, Upton's BA has declined each of his last four seasons.
Upton's enormous upside, as well as the Rays' recent slide in the standings, still makes him a primary target. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the Rays, now 7 1/2 games off the pace in the wild card race, are awaiting major bids on Upton.
The Nationals have long had interest in Upton and, in a surprising twist, Sherman says the Royals have checked in on the center fielder, as have the Braves, Pirates, Reds and Cardinals.
Upton also has drawn interest from the Giants as an alternative to Carlos Beltran. Upton is seven years younger Beltran and is under club control through 2012.
The market for outfielders is turning out to be crowded, and teams might be willing to pay more for Upton than for a Josh Willingham or a Ryan Ludwick.
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Fantasy take on Upton
http://[h3]Braves consider Ludwick, Willingham[/h3]
9:32AM ET
[h5]Brian McCann | Braves [/h5]
UPDATE: ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney writes in Thursday's blog that the Braves could have had Beltran if they had offered Mike Minor, but they decided to retain the top pitching prospect. Now the Braves are evaluating other options such as Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham.
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Lost in the aftermath of what is being called the worst umpiring call ever is the sobering reality for the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/atl/atlanta-bravesAtlanta Braves that catcher http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6309/brian-mccannBrian McCann is headed to the disabled list.
Jerry Meals' safe call in the 19th inning Wednesday morning automatically puts him in the company of Jim Joyce, the author of Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game. Nine innings earlier, McCann strained his left oblique muscle, an injury that could sideline him until the middle of August.
Finding a viable catcher via the trade market is no easy task. Just ask the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/sf/san-francisco-giantsSan Francisco Giants, who for months have been unable to land an alternative to http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30112/buster-poseyBuster Posey.
Backup http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5206/david-rossDavid Ross figures to get the bulk of the playing time for the time being, with the Braves likely to pursue a potent bat at another position. ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported Wednesday morning that the Braves have yet to make progress on a deal for http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/3971/carlos-beltranCarlos Beltran, but you have to wonder if GM Frank Wren might change his tune.
We also could see the Braves making a push for Houston's http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28535/michael-bournMichael Bourn, who would be a nice fit in center field. The Braves have been reluctant to deal pitching prospect http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30624/mike-minorMike Minor, but they may now have no choice.
Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Eric Karabell gives his fantasy take on how to handle the loss of the Braves' catcher:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Don't bail on McCann
http://[h3]Giants still want a catcher[/h3]
8:54AM ET
[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]
The San Francisco Giants have been in search of a power bat from almost the minute Buster Posey went down. GM Brian Sabean finally filled the void with Wednesday's deal for Carlos Beltran.
There is still room improvement behind the plate, and Sabean may not be done dealing.
The Giants would love to pry Ramon Hernandez away from Cincinnati, but Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports the backstop is unavailable. Sabean wouldn't mind Seattle's Miguel Olivo, but he is cost prohibitive due to the $5.3 million left on his contract.
The Giants could simply get by with Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart behind the plate and look for offense elsewhere.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Angels seek relief help[/h3]
8:26AM ET
[h5]Los Angeles Angels [/h5]
UPDATE: We mentioned earlier this week that the Angels were interested in Nunez and Choate, but SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted Wednesday night that the price for the Marlins relievers remains high.
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UPDATE: The Angels, tweets Ken Rosenthal, are more focused on adding bullpen help, despite a need at third base and a lefty bat for first base.
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UPDATE: It may have to be a smaller deal but the Angels would also like to add a third baseman with some pop, though without payroll flexibility that seems highly unlikely.
We've mentioned Aramis Ramirez and how he's a fit but isn't giving any indications that he would waive his no-trade clause, and his salary sure seems too hefty for the Halos.
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The Los Angeles Angels traditionally have kept the rumor mill churning at this time of year. After all, the likes of http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5565/dan-harenDan Haren, http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/4937/mark-teixeiraMark Teixeira and http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5917/scott-kazmirScott Kazmir all landed in Anaheim in summer deals.
The bottom line could have the Angels taking a different approach this month with owner Arte Moreno being reluctant to open his checkbook, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote earlier this month.
With that in mind, a report by Kevin Baxter in Tuesday's LA Times makes sense. Baxter says the Angels remain interested in landing the Padres' Heath Bell, but could lower their sights and turn to the Marlins, who are shopping Leo Nunez and Randy Choate.
Florida is looking for a third baseman or a center fielder, but Baxter says the best the Angels could offer would be a deal built around either Alberto Callaspo or Maicer Izturis. The Marlins are likely looking for much more, but that has not stopped them from scouting the Angels closely.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Phils, Braves after Pence[/h3]
8:11AM ET
[h5]Hunter Pence | Astros [/h5]
The domino effect of Carlos Beltran landing in San Francisco is the altered leverage of teams still in search of an impact outfielder.
The Houston Astros know they have a valuable trading chip in Hunter Pence, who, unlike Beltran, is not hitting the free agent market this winter. As a result, the asking price for Pence is still quite high here at mid-week, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman, suggesting that Pence may stay in Houston for the time being.
Heyman reports that the Astros turned down an offer from the Phillies that included top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart and first base prospect Jonathan Singleton, as well as one other prospect.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported Wednesday that that the Phillies "had a deal" for Pence, but that Houston had "backed off."
The Phillies and Braves are focused on Pence, tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. The Astros want young pitching in return for their All-Star outfielder, and both Philly and the Braves have the chips to deal.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com adds that the Phillies are willing to include right fielder Domonic Brown as part of the deal. That could appeal to the Astros since Brown, unlike Pence, is still a few years away from arbitration.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]The Mets after Beltran[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Carlos Beltran | Mets [/h5]
Carlos Beltran has a new lease on life in San Francisco, leaving the New York Mets with a roster spot to fill. Some red tape, however, will likely leave the Mets with just 24 players for Thursday's matinee in Cincinnati.
The plan is to call up catcher Mike Nickeas from Triple-A Buffalo. But there is a 24-hour minimum before Beltran can waive his no-trade clause, and it might not come in time for the early-afternoon game at Great American Ballpark.
Lucas Duda started in right for the Mets on Wednesday night, and figures to get a long audition the rest of the way.
As for any additional moves, GM Sandy Alderson has said there are no plans to conduct a fire sale, so expect only a minor move or two. Candidates for a new address include relievers Tim Byrdak and Jason Isringhausen.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Johnson: not done yet [/h3]
7:19AM ET
[h5]Josh Johnson | Marlins [/h5]
UPDATE: Johnson said no decision has been made on whether to shut down for the season, but the righthander does concede he is running out of time.
The goal is still for Johnson to make a few starts before the end of the season.
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Marlins ace Josh Johnson, who hasn't pitched since mid-May due to shoulder problems, isn't expected to return to the mound this season, reports SI.com's Jon Heyman
Heyman says the Fish are just being cautious and there is no need for surgery. With the Fish out of contention, there is no need to rush him back.
Johnson has a 1.64 ERA in nine starts this season.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Cards still in chase for Bell[/h3]
7:06AM ET
[h5]Heath Bell | Padres [/h5]
UPDATE: The Cardinals may have a glut of righty relievers after making the blockbuster deal involving Colby Rasmus, but they retain interest in Heath Bell, says Joe Strauss in Thursday's Post-Dispatch.
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UPDATE: Just as ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweeted earlier Wednesday about the pace quickening in talks for Padres relievers, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden tweets that the next big deal could be the Rangers acquiring Bell for a package centered around left-hander Robert Erlin.
The 20-year-old Erlin, who has spent this season at Double-A Frisco, is generally considered by scouts to carry a ceiling as a No. 3 starter. He's a strike thrower with plus control of average stuff. Erlin ranked as the Rangers' No. 5 prospect in Keith Law's top 100 rankings prior to the 2011 season.
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UPDATE: Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com handicaps the odds of the Rangers landing Bell, noting that the value for the reliever remains high. But with other relievers on the market, the price might drop by this weekend.
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UPDATE: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted Monday night that the Phillies were aggressive in their pursuit of Bell. Sherman adds that the Padres were surprised with the lack of interest from the Yankees and that there has not been more of a push from the Cardinals or Reds.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote Monday the buzz around the Padres this past weekend was that Bell is most likely to wind up getting dealt to the Rangers or Phillies, because they have the prospect pool that best fits the Padres' hefty asking price.
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http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6084/heath-bellHeath Bell seems resigned to the fact that his days in San Diego are numbered. Given his preference, he would like to land with a contender in the National League.
In the days immediately following the All-Star Game, Bell put his chances of being traded at 90 percent. Fast forward to Sunday, and Bell tells Dan Norcross of the Union Tribune that nothing has changed.
Bell tells Norcross his priorities would be: a) to be dealt to a contender; b) traded to a National League team; c) traded to the Diamondbacks or Angels because they?re close to San Diego.
The Angels could be a long shot. Kevin Baxter of the LA Times wrote Sunday that the Angels have been eagerly courting the Padres regarding Bell and/or http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5969/mike-adamsMike Adams, but the Halos don't appear to have the means to complete a deal.
The Rangers have zeroed in on Bell, according to a recent report on ESPNNewYork.com. They have been linked to Bell all season and though they will use the right-hander primarily in a setup role.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]More on Hanley[/h3]
6:50AM ET
[h5]Hanley Ramirez | Marlins [/h5]
UPDATE: While it doesn't appear the Marlins will even consider moving Ramirez this summer, the shortstop is adding fuel to the fire by responding to Conine's comments by saying Conine just wants to be Mr. Marlin forever and that he himself is going to become the new Mr. Marlin. Ramirez also called out Conine, saying "If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man. Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
...
Just like the weather in most of the country, Hanley Ramirez has heated up in July, batting .333 with five homers and 18 RBI. That followed a dismal April and May in which the Marlins shortstop hit around the Mendoza Line.
At least one member of the Florida front office thinks it would not necessarily be a bad idea in on Ramirez' sizzling bat.
Special assistant Jeff Conine, a former teammate of Hanley, said in radio interview Friday he wouldn't be opposed to the Marlins trading Ramirez. "If it were up to me, probably," Conine said.
While Conine later downplayed his comments, they do point to what could be continued frustration in the Marlins' front office with Ramirez' concentration level. Ramirez last weekend eclipsed Conine (1,005) for second on the club's all-time hit list.
Ramirez is in the middle of a reasonable six-year, $70 million deal that lasts until 2014.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Brewers to step up infield search?[/h3]
6:40AM ET
[h5]Milwaukee Brewers [/h5]
UPDATE: Brewers manager Ron Roenicke conceded after Wednesday's victory over the Cubs that Weeks will be out a while. Veteran Craig Counsell will likely fill in at second base for the time being.
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UPDATE: The Brewers were already looking for infield help but Rickie Weeks injured his ankle during Wednesday night's game -- X-rays came back negative -- which could intensify the club's push for infield help.
Other than Carroll and Barmes, Milwaukee could have interest in Seattle's Adam Kennedy, Toronto's John McDonald or San Diego's Orlando Hudson. If Weeks' injury is remotely serious, Hudson may become a prime target.
...
With Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt struggling at the plate and in the field this season, the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/mil/milwaukee-brewersMilwaukee Brewers are seeking infield help on the left side.
Tom Hauricourt of the Journal Sentinel writes that the Brewers have kicked the tires on many infielders with other clubs, including the Los Angeles Dodgers' Jamey Carroll and Houston's Clint Barmes.
Another possibility is recalling infielder Mat Gamel, but he hit just .115 (3-for-26) in an audition earlier this month.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Red Sox rethinking trade plans?[/h3]
4:07AM ET
[h5]Boston Red Sox [/h5]
All along the Boston Red Sox have been linked to some extent with every big name on the trade market, as well as some smaller names. They checked in on Carlos Beltran, were believed to be at least mildly interested in B.J. Upton, Hunter Pence and Colby Rasmus and have reportedly checked in on some relievers. The club, however, may feel the need to look at their starting rotation and get aggressive.
The concerns with the hurting back of right-hander Clay Buchholz may have elevated a bit Wednesday when the Red Sox canceled a scheduled bullpen session and instead will send Buchholz to see a specialist again before he gets back on the mound, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
Manager Terry Francona categorized it as a precaution because Buchholz is about to turn up the intensity of his rehab, but the Red Sox were already kicking around the thought of going after a starting pitcher, and Rob Bradford reports that Boston is still talking with the Rockies about Ubaldo Jimenez.
Others the Sox could look into include right-handers Hiroki Kuroda and Rich Harden, and left-hander Erik Bedard, continues Speier. Speier also notes that while the Red Sox value their prospects, they also value the opportunity to win a World Series, suggesting they'd be willing to part with young talent for the right player.
Buchholz, Francona said, is likely to see that specialist sometime over the next five days. If that occurs prior to the trade deadline and the doctor's assessment is positive, GM Theo Epstein may back off the trade market. Otherwise, all of the above may be fair game in Beantown.
Spoiler [+]
In acquiring pitching prospect Zack Wheeler from the San Francisco Giants for Carlos Beltran, the New York Mets made out like bandits. The Giants get a piece to help them substantially this year, but with the risk of an enormous long-term cost.
Wheeler, who ranked No. 31 on my most recent prospect rankings, is an elite pitching prospect with a high ceiling. The right-hander will most likely be a solid No. 2 starter, but there is some chance he will be better than that because of the big fastball. He'll touch 97 mph and sits 91-94 or better with an above-average curveball that has shown it can miss bats. He has a fringy changeup that's a little too firm, and left-handed hitters are not impressed yet, as they've hit .292/.404/.487 against him this year. The fastball-breaking ball combo is top-notch, but between the changeup and a few other issues, Wheeler is high-risk as well as high-reward. His control is below average, with three starts this year in which he walked five or more batters, and he'll have to show durability to match his frame, as he's retired more than 18 batters just twice this year. You have to add an arm like that to your system any time you get the opportunity, but even as a fan of Wheeler's I admit he's no sure thing.
Beltran's value to the Giants depends largely on who he replaces. Of course, what the Giants should do is send Aubrey Huff out to pasture, but with their $12 million commitment to him next year (including his option buyout), that's not likely. They should at least park him on the bench and play Brandon Belt every day at first and Beltran in left field, which is their best offensive and defensive alignment. In the best-case scenario, if Beltran replaces Huff -- who has actually been below replacement level this year -- it's worth two wins to them the rest of the way, perhaps more given Huff's recent performance (.217/.295/.275 in July) and an obvious inability to play any position. If Beltran replaces Belt, the impact is limited, probably cut in half while also hampering Belt's development. Any other alignment is also suboptimal.
Beltran's contract includes a clause forbidding his team from offering him arbitration, meaning that the Giants can't get any draft picks for him if and when he departs as a free agent. San Francisco gave up six years of control of Zack Wheeler for about 60 games of Carlos Beltran. If Wheeler sees the big leagues at all, the deal will probably end up a losing one for the Giants.
Wheeler, who ranked No. 31 on my most recent prospect rankings, is an elite pitching prospect with a high ceiling. The right-hander will most likely be a solid No. 2 starter, but there is some chance he will be better than that because of the big fastball. He'll touch 97 mph and sits 91-94 or better with an above-average curveball that has shown it can miss bats. He has a fringy changeup that's a little too firm, and left-handed hitters are not impressed yet, as they've hit .292/.404/.487 against him this year. The fastball-breaking ball combo is top-notch, but between the changeup and a few other issues, Wheeler is high-risk as well as high-reward. His control is below average, with three starts this year in which he walked five or more batters, and he'll have to show durability to match his frame, as he's retired more than 18 batters just twice this year. You have to add an arm like that to your system any time you get the opportunity, but even as a fan of Wheeler's I admit he's no sure thing.
Beltran's value to the Giants depends largely on who he replaces. Of course, what the Giants should do is send Aubrey Huff out to pasture, but with their $12 million commitment to him next year (including his option buyout), that's not likely. They should at least park him on the bench and play Brandon Belt every day at first and Beltran in left field, which is their best offensive and defensive alignment. In the best-case scenario, if Beltran replaces Huff -- who has actually been below replacement level this year -- it's worth two wins to them the rest of the way, perhaps more given Huff's recent performance (.217/.295/.275 in July) and an obvious inability to play any position. If Beltran replaces Belt, the impact is limited, probably cut in half while also hampering Belt's development. Any other alignment is also suboptimal.
Beltran's contract includes a clause forbidding his team from offering him arbitration, meaning that the Giants can't get any draft picks for him if and when he departs as a free agent. San Francisco gave up six years of control of Zack Wheeler for about 60 games of Carlos Beltran. If Wheeler sees the big leagues at all, the deal will probably end up a losing one for the Giants.
Phillies, Yanks, Sox could deal.
Spoiler [+]
A rival executive spoke with admiration the other day about Boston general manager Theo Epstein, about how creative he tends to be this time of year, about how he seems to be able to juggle a bunch of trade ideas and trade talks. That's how he made the Nomar Garciaparra blockbuster, and the Manny Ramirez deal.
Getty ImagesOne is almost certain to make a move, and soon.
So far, all we hear about the Red Sox -- and the other two current financial powers, the Yankees and Phillies -- is that they are talking. And talking. And talking. And kicking around ideas.
The biggest name of the trade summer, Carlos Beltran, has come off the board, but do not assume that more big names aren't going to follow. The Red Sox are talking, and looking for pitching. The Phillies are talking, and have a clear need for a right-handed hitter.
The Yankees are talking, and they appear to be the current front-runners for Hiroki Kuroda -- and are positioned well to add one major bat, because they could theoretically look for an upgrade at designated hitter.
We don't know what's going to happen over the next 3½ days, before the Sunday 4 p.m. Eastern deadline. But it really feels like Epstein and the Red Sox and the Phillies and Yankees could be a part of whatever happens.
Boston still has no idea when Clay Buchholz will pitch; it's in the Kuroda discussions. The Red Sox remain on trade lookout, writes Scott Lauber.
The Yankees are among the five teams focused on Kuroda, along with Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and Texas. The Yankees are keeping an eye on Kuroda. If Hunter Pence is traded -- and I still don't think he will be -- the bet here is it would be to Philadelphia, which would go all-in.
Charlie Manuel will be looking across the field tonight at Beltran, and that's probably part of the reason he's looking for a hitter, as Jim Salisbury writes. The Phillies are in no position to hold back, writes Paul Hagen.
[h3]The Beltran deal[/h3]
• Last season, the Giants won the World Series after Brian Sabean quilted together some additions with scraps and pieces, like Cody Ross, Pat Burrell and others. This year, Sabean took a different approach, using a big-time prospect in Zack Wheeler to get the best available offensive player in Carlos Beltran. And now San Francisco has the kind of offensive player needed in the postseason -- an RBI guy who can lend at least modest support to a pitching staff that doesn't need a lot of support.
The deal shows that the Giants are going for it, writes Bruce Jenkins. Beltran appreciates the Giants, writes John Shea. This is the right risk at the right time, writes Tim Kawakami. This is what the Beltran deal means, writes Andrew Baggarly.
After finishing the Beltran trade, the Giants sent a message to the Phillies, writes Henry Schulman.
• The Mets did well in getting Wheeler. Give Sandy Alderson credit: He felt he had the best offensive player available in the trade market and wanted a top prospect, and he got one. This is what the Mets bargained for when they hired Alderson, writes John Harper. This was a Mets victory, writes Joel Sherman.
• The Braves could have had Beltran if they had offered Mike Minor, but they decided to hold onto the most developed young left-handed starter in their organization and spent much of Wednesday evaluating the other options, including Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham. If I had to guess, as of today, I think they'll get Willingham, who grew up in the South as a Braves fan. No matter what the Braves do, they are not panicking, even with Brian McCann on the disabled list, writes David O'Brien. Jeff Schultz has one question about the Braves' approach. Frank Wren does not think it makes sense to trade any of his top guys for a short-term fix, as Mark Bradley writes.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Rickie Weeks could be out a while, after hurting his ankle. Milwaukee has had conversations with the Dodgers about Jamey Carroll. Adam Kennedy of the Mariners is available.
• The Jays, who are quickly becoming the NFL's version of the Oakland Raiders -- they'll take the talent off your hands if you're unhappy with it, whether it be a Yunel Escobar or Brett Lawrie or a Colby Rasmus -- might be done trading.
Rasmus' dad blasted Tony La Russa. From Elliott's story:
Two evaluators offered very different opinions on the Cardinals' trade of Rasmus:
Evaluator No. 1: "I think Rasmus has a chance to be a star. I don't understand that deal at all."
Evaluator No. 2: "He does make a lot of mistakes. And after awhile, you begin to think that maybe he'll never stop making those mistakes."
• The Rays lost again and are now just 1½ games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. The market for B.J. Upton is getting clearer, writes Marc Topkin.
• The Pirates are looking for a deal to get better.
• The Rangers missed out on Carlos Beltran, but are still looking for relief help; Neftali Feliz is a real concern for the Rangers right now, writes Gerry Fraley.
• The Reds are fading, but their owner says they are still shopping. They should sell and go young, writes John Fay.
• The only real way to shake up the Rockies is by trading Ubaldo Jimenez, writes Troy Renck. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca vehemently denied a report saying that he has a disconnect from Jimenez.
• The White Sox trades were good business, writes Joe Cowley. Totally agree.
• Carlos Zambrano is basically untradeable.
• Denard Span is not fazed by the trade rumors.
• A trade of Michael Bourn or Pence could lead to regret for the Astros, writes Steve Campbell.
• We had the Angels on "Sunday Night Baseball" a few weeks ago, and Mike Scioscia talked at the time about how Ervin Santana seemed to have turned a corner, especially with his use and execution of his slider. And the Indians got a first-hand look at the new and improved Santana on Wednesday, during the pitcher's no-hitter.
From ESPN Stats & Information, how he won:
A. Santana generated 14 swing-and-misses Wednesday. That is his most in any start since Sept. 27, 2010, against the Athletics, when he also posted 14. The last time he exceeded 14 was May 25, 2010, against the Blue Jays (21).
B. Santana threw 66 of his 105 pitches in the strike zone. That is his second-highest total of the season and the second-highest total since the start of the 2009 season. The 62.9 percent mark is his highest since the start of 2009.
C. In completing the no-hitter, Santana relied on the ground ball far more often than he normally does, generating 72.2 percent ground balls in the start. That is easily the highest since the start of the 2009 season; he's only eclipsed the 60 percent mark two other times this season.
D. Santana's fastball velocity has been slowly ticking up over the past few starts, with Wednesday's 93.3 average fastball velocity his highest since June 21 and his maximum velocity of 96.4 his highest since June 15. Members of the Indians were 0-19 against Santana's fastball Wednesday with five strikeouts. Entering the game, the Indians were batting .290 against fastballs in July, fourth in the AL and 10th overall in that span.
The Rangers are the most talented team in the AL West, the most well-rounded team -- but the Angels have three dominant starters right now in Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Santana. So it'll be interesting to see the improvements the Rangers make to their club before the trade deadline.
The no-hitter left the Indians nearly speechless.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Matt Stairs was designated for assignment with the arrival of Jonny Gomes.
2. Kyle McClellan is being moved to the bullpen, and he's OK with that, writes Rick Hummel.
3. The Royals signed a shortstop, writes Bob Dutton.
4. Alex Rios was benched.
5. Alfonso Soriano won't be benched any time soon.
• Watched the beginning of the Pirates' game Wednesday, and I thought Clint Hurdle did a great job in turning the page on the Jerry Meals call from the day before. As he went out to exchange the lineup cards, Hurdle talked with Meals, and on his way back to the dugout he patted the umpire on the back.
It was the right thing to do, especially after Meals and Major League Baseball acknowledged the mistake. Then the Pirates lost in extra innings.
Getty ImagesOne is almost certain to make a move, and soon.
So far, all we hear about the Red Sox -- and the other two current financial powers, the Yankees and Phillies -- is that they are talking. And talking. And talking. And kicking around ideas.
The biggest name of the trade summer, Carlos Beltran, has come off the board, but do not assume that more big names aren't going to follow. The Red Sox are talking, and looking for pitching. The Phillies are talking, and have a clear need for a right-handed hitter.
The Yankees are talking, and they appear to be the current front-runners for Hiroki Kuroda -- and are positioned well to add one major bat, because they could theoretically look for an upgrade at designated hitter.
We don't know what's going to happen over the next 3½ days, before the Sunday 4 p.m. Eastern deadline. But it really feels like Epstein and the Red Sox and the Phillies and Yankees could be a part of whatever happens.
Boston still has no idea when Clay Buchholz will pitch; it's in the Kuroda discussions. The Red Sox remain on trade lookout, writes Scott Lauber.
The Yankees are among the five teams focused on Kuroda, along with Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and Texas. The Yankees are keeping an eye on Kuroda. If Hunter Pence is traded -- and I still don't think he will be -- the bet here is it would be to Philadelphia, which would go all-in.
Charlie Manuel will be looking across the field tonight at Beltran, and that's probably part of the reason he's looking for a hitter, as Jim Salisbury writes. The Phillies are in no position to hold back, writes Paul Hagen.
[h3]The Beltran deal[/h3]
• Last season, the Giants won the World Series after Brian Sabean quilted together some additions with scraps and pieces, like Cody Ross, Pat Burrell and others. This year, Sabean took a different approach, using a big-time prospect in Zack Wheeler to get the best available offensive player in Carlos Beltran. And now San Francisco has the kind of offensive player needed in the postseason -- an RBI guy who can lend at least modest support to a pitching staff that doesn't need a lot of support.
The deal shows that the Giants are going for it, writes Bruce Jenkins. Beltran appreciates the Giants, writes John Shea. This is the right risk at the right time, writes Tim Kawakami. This is what the Beltran deal means, writes Andrew Baggarly.
After finishing the Beltran trade, the Giants sent a message to the Phillies, writes Henry Schulman.
• The Mets did well in getting Wheeler. Give Sandy Alderson credit: He felt he had the best offensive player available in the trade market and wanted a top prospect, and he got one. This is what the Mets bargained for when they hired Alderson, writes John Harper. This was a Mets victory, writes Joel Sherman.
• The Braves could have had Beltran if they had offered Mike Minor, but they decided to hold onto the most developed young left-handed starter in their organization and spent much of Wednesday evaluating the other options, including Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham. If I had to guess, as of today, I think they'll get Willingham, who grew up in the South as a Braves fan. No matter what the Braves do, they are not panicking, even with Brian McCann on the disabled list, writes David O'Brien. Jeff Schultz has one question about the Braves' approach. Frank Wren does not think it makes sense to trade any of his top guys for a short-term fix, as Mark Bradley writes.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Rickie Weeks could be out a while, after hurting his ankle. Milwaukee has had conversations with the Dodgers about Jamey Carroll. Adam Kennedy of the Mariners is available.
• The Jays, who are quickly becoming the NFL's version of the Oakland Raiders -- they'll take the talent off your hands if you're unhappy with it, whether it be a Yunel Escobar or Brett Lawrie or a Colby Rasmus -- might be done trading.
Rasmus' dad blasted Tony La Russa. From Elliott's story:
- Tony Rasmus didn't throw the first stone, but he was firing back.
In June of 2010 the father visited his son in St. Louis and worked on hitting: "We didn't do anything serious. Colby told Tony about it. After last June that was the end of that," said Tony Rasmus, who said four weeks ago the Cards and Colby were involved in talks on a four-year deal.
"Evidently Tony (La Russa) has absolutely made that stuff up. He's got it on the brain. If I was working with my son I'd tell people.
"Tony needed pitching and wanted to force the GM into making a trade, so he belittled Colby to the fans."
Two evaluators offered very different opinions on the Cardinals' trade of Rasmus:
Evaluator No. 1: "I think Rasmus has a chance to be a star. I don't understand that deal at all."
Evaluator No. 2: "He does make a lot of mistakes. And after awhile, you begin to think that maybe he'll never stop making those mistakes."
• The Rays lost again and are now just 1½ games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. The market for B.J. Upton is getting clearer, writes Marc Topkin.
• The Pirates are looking for a deal to get better.
• The Rangers missed out on Carlos Beltran, but are still looking for relief help; Neftali Feliz is a real concern for the Rangers right now, writes Gerry Fraley.
• The Reds are fading, but their owner says they are still shopping. They should sell and go young, writes John Fay.
• The only real way to shake up the Rockies is by trading Ubaldo Jimenez, writes Troy Renck. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca vehemently denied a report saying that he has a disconnect from Jimenez.
• The White Sox trades were good business, writes Joe Cowley. Totally agree.
• Carlos Zambrano is basically untradeable.
• Denard Span is not fazed by the trade rumors.
• A trade of Michael Bourn or Pence could lead to regret for the Astros, writes Steve Campbell.
• We had the Angels on "Sunday Night Baseball" a few weeks ago, and Mike Scioscia talked at the time about how Ervin Santana seemed to have turned a corner, especially with his use and execution of his slider. And the Indians got a first-hand look at the new and improved Santana on Wednesday, during the pitcher's no-hitter.
From ESPN Stats & Information, how he won:
A. Santana generated 14 swing-and-misses Wednesday. That is his most in any start since Sept. 27, 2010, against the Athletics, when he also posted 14. The last time he exceeded 14 was May 25, 2010, against the Blue Jays (21).
B. Santana threw 66 of his 105 pitches in the strike zone. That is his second-highest total of the season and the second-highest total since the start of the 2009 season. The 62.9 percent mark is his highest since the start of 2009.
C. In completing the no-hitter, Santana relied on the ground ball far more often than he normally does, generating 72.2 percent ground balls in the start. That is easily the highest since the start of the 2009 season; he's only eclipsed the 60 percent mark two other times this season.
D. Santana's fastball velocity has been slowly ticking up over the past few starts, with Wednesday's 93.3 average fastball velocity his highest since June 21 and his maximum velocity of 96.4 his highest since June 15. Members of the Indians were 0-19 against Santana's fastball Wednesday with five strikeouts. Entering the game, the Indians were batting .290 against fastballs in July, fourth in the AL and 10th overall in that span.
The Rangers are the most talented team in the AL West, the most well-rounded team -- but the Angels have three dominant starters right now in Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Santana. So it'll be interesting to see the improvements the Rangers make to their club before the trade deadline.
The no-hitter left the Indians nearly speechless.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Matt Stairs was designated for assignment with the arrival of Jonny Gomes.
2. Kyle McClellan is being moved to the bullpen, and he's OK with that, writes Rick Hummel.
3. The Royals signed a shortstop, writes Bob Dutton.
4. Alex Rios was benched.
5. Alfonso Soriano won't be benched any time soon.
• Watched the beginning of the Pirates' game Wednesday, and I thought Clint Hurdle did a great job in turning the page on the Jerry Meals call from the day before. As he went out to exchange the lineup cards, Hurdle talked with Meals, and on his way back to the dugout he patted the umpire on the back.
It was the right thing to do, especially after Meals and Major League Baseball acknowledged the mistake. Then the Pirates lost in extra innings.
Espinosa deserves ROY.
Spoiler [+]
The current issue of ESPN The Magazine includes a story in which members of the Detroit Tigers make the case that Justin Verlander deserves the 2011 Cy Young award. Since it's not even August, you might be thinking that it's too early to start talking about awards. But let's be honest, it's never too early to start talking about awards.
[h4]Long at Short[/h4]
If Penn State is "Linebacker U," then Long Beach State is certainly "Shortstop U." In addition to Espinosa, Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria and 2004 AL Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby all played shortstop for the Dirtbags. Crosby's career has been derailed by injuries, but the other three have developed into excellent power hitters in the majors. Why is this notable? Because none of them displayed big power numbers in college. Of the trio, Longoria had the largest single-season home run total for LBSU, hitting 11 in 2006, and this was before the NCAA-regulated BBCOR bats. For comparison, Pedro Alvarez hit twice as many home runs for Vanderbilt that year.
But again, context explains a lot of this. According to Boyd's World, LBSU's Blair Field had a park factor of 75 from 2007 through 2010, making it one of college baseball's best pitchers' parks. (For park factors, 100 is an average number, and anything below it means the park favors the pitcher, in this case extremely.) So the next time you see a great Dirtbags shortstop taken in the draft, take his college power numbers -- or lack thereof -- with a huge grain of salt.
With Verlander, Jered Weaver and CC Sabathia all having spectacular seasons, the race for AL Cy Young will almost certainly go down to the wire. There is one piece of hardware, however, that should be all but locked up, and that's National League Rookie of the Year.
As Tim Kurkjian writes today, Freddie Freeman is having an excellent season for the Atlanta Braves, particularly of late. His 1.002 July OPS is a big reason why Atlanta has maintained a 3½-game lead in the wild card, even with Chipper Jones missing most of the month with another injury. But when it comes to selecting the NL's top rookie, Danny Espinosa of the Washington Nationals stands head and shoulders above the rest. A cursory glance at Espinosa's stats would probably not lead you to such a conclusion, but his .234/.324/.440 line needs to be put in proper context.
Although he was drafted as a shortstop when he came out of Long Beach State, Espinosa moved to second base while playing for Triple-A Syracuse in 2010. And in this suppressed offensive era, Espinosa's batting line is extremely impressive for a player at his position. In fact, Rickie Weeks is the only other second sacker in the NL who has a higher OPS (.822) than Espinosa. And it's that positional scarcity that makes Espinosa so valuable. As a whole, major league second basemen are hitting just .256/.318/.380 on the year, which makes Espinosa's rookie numbers all the more impressive, particularly his 17 home runs. First basemen, on the other hand, are hitting .266/.342/.440, which means that Freeman's .283/.357/.470 line does not stand out nearly as much among his peers.
This difference really bears itself out when you look at the wins above replacement (WAR) leaderboard for NL rookie position players over at FanGraphs. Espinosa leads by a wide margin with 3.4 WAR.
WAR takes into account batting, fielding and positional scarcity, which is the most important factor in this case. The only pitcher with a real case for ROY is Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, who has 2.3 WAR. And while some voters might be persuaded by his gaudy save totals, his lack of playing time means he does not provide nearly as much value as Espinosa. Any way you slice it, it's hard to imagine him not leading NL rookies in WAR by a significant margin.
[table][tr][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]WAR[/th][/tr][tr][td]Danny Espinosa[/td][td]3.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Wilson Ramos[/td][td]1.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Darwin Barney[/td][td]1.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Allen Craig[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Freddie Freeman[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][/table]
If you're a Nationals fan, the most promising aspect of Espinosa's performance is that it hasn't been particularly fluky, at least not in terms of how stat-minded folks typically measure flukes. His batting average on balls in play is just .271, which means his performance isn't fueled by good luck on bloops or bleeders. If anything, it suggests that he's been unlucky on balls in play. And while his home run per fly ball (HR/FB) percentage is high (15.5), it's not so outrageously high that you'd say his home run numbers are unsustainable. For context, Lance Berkman leads the majors with a HR/FB of 27.3 percent, while Freeman's is 16.0 percent. In fact, Espinosa showed in his cup of coffee last season that he has some serious pop, posting a .233 ISO. This year that mark is .207.
From the looks of it, the Nats have another piece they can pencil in as part of their future, and one of the many reasons their fans can expect their team to begin competing for the playoffs in the next couple of years. As for this year, they can take pride in the fact that their guy is by far the NL's top rookie, and there is probably nothing that can be done from here on out to change that.
[h4]Long at Short[/h4]
If Penn State is "Linebacker U," then Long Beach State is certainly "Shortstop U." In addition to Espinosa, Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria and 2004 AL Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby all played shortstop for the Dirtbags. Crosby's career has been derailed by injuries, but the other three have developed into excellent power hitters in the majors. Why is this notable? Because none of them displayed big power numbers in college. Of the trio, Longoria had the largest single-season home run total for LBSU, hitting 11 in 2006, and this was before the NCAA-regulated BBCOR bats. For comparison, Pedro Alvarez hit twice as many home runs for Vanderbilt that year.
But again, context explains a lot of this. According to Boyd's World, LBSU's Blair Field had a park factor of 75 from 2007 through 2010, making it one of college baseball's best pitchers' parks. (For park factors, 100 is an average number, and anything below it means the park favors the pitcher, in this case extremely.) So the next time you see a great Dirtbags shortstop taken in the draft, take his college power numbers -- or lack thereof -- with a huge grain of salt.
With Verlander, Jered Weaver and CC Sabathia all having spectacular seasons, the race for AL Cy Young will almost certainly go down to the wire. There is one piece of hardware, however, that should be all but locked up, and that's National League Rookie of the Year.
As Tim Kurkjian writes today, Freddie Freeman is having an excellent season for the Atlanta Braves, particularly of late. His 1.002 July OPS is a big reason why Atlanta has maintained a 3½-game lead in the wild card, even with Chipper Jones missing most of the month with another injury. But when it comes to selecting the NL's top rookie, Danny Espinosa of the Washington Nationals stands head and shoulders above the rest. A cursory glance at Espinosa's stats would probably not lead you to such a conclusion, but his .234/.324/.440 line needs to be put in proper context.
Although he was drafted as a shortstop when he came out of Long Beach State, Espinosa moved to second base while playing for Triple-A Syracuse in 2010. And in this suppressed offensive era, Espinosa's batting line is extremely impressive for a player at his position. In fact, Rickie Weeks is the only other second sacker in the NL who has a higher OPS (.822) than Espinosa. And it's that positional scarcity that makes Espinosa so valuable. As a whole, major league second basemen are hitting just .256/.318/.380 on the year, which makes Espinosa's rookie numbers all the more impressive, particularly his 17 home runs. First basemen, on the other hand, are hitting .266/.342/.440, which means that Freeman's .283/.357/.470 line does not stand out nearly as much among his peers.
This difference really bears itself out when you look at the wins above replacement (WAR) leaderboard for NL rookie position players over at FanGraphs. Espinosa leads by a wide margin with 3.4 WAR.
WAR takes into account batting, fielding and positional scarcity, which is the most important factor in this case. The only pitcher with a real case for ROY is Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, who has 2.3 WAR. And while some voters might be persuaded by his gaudy save totals, his lack of playing time means he does not provide nearly as much value as Espinosa. Any way you slice it, it's hard to imagine him not leading NL rookies in WAR by a significant margin.
[table][tr][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]WAR[/th][/tr][tr][td]Danny Espinosa[/td][td]3.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Wilson Ramos[/td][td]1.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Darwin Barney[/td][td]1.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Allen Craig[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Freddie Freeman[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][/table]
If you're a Nationals fan, the most promising aspect of Espinosa's performance is that it hasn't been particularly fluky, at least not in terms of how stat-minded folks typically measure flukes. His batting average on balls in play is just .271, which means his performance isn't fueled by good luck on bloops or bleeders. If anything, it suggests that he's been unlucky on balls in play. And while his home run per fly ball (HR/FB) percentage is high (15.5), it's not so outrageously high that you'd say his home run numbers are unsustainable. For context, Lance Berkman leads the majors with a HR/FB of 27.3 percent, while Freeman's is 16.0 percent. In fact, Espinosa showed in his cup of coffee last season that he has some serious pop, posting a .233 ISO. This year that mark is .207.
From the looks of it, the Nats have another piece they can pencil in as part of their future, and one of the many reasons their fans can expect their team to begin competing for the playoffs in the next couple of years. As for this year, they can take pride in the fact that their guy is by far the NL's top rookie, and there is probably nothing that can be done from here on out to change that.
Rumors.
Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Yankees looking at Kuroda?[/h3]
10:56AM ET
[h5]Hiroki Kuroda | Dodgers [/h5]
A perfect storm appears to be making Hiroki Kuroda the most valuable 6-13 pitcher in baseball.
The Dodgers' righthander allowed one run over six innings in Wednesday's loss to Colorado. He is 1-10 over his past 12 starts despite a more-than-adequate 3.38 ERA during that stretch.
Given the shortage of starting pitchers available, Kuroda remains a hot commodity, and his value could rise even higher if the Yankees and Red Sox decide to become major players.
After a shaky outing by Phil Hughes Wednesday, the Yankees are looking for pitching help and remain in regular contact with the Dodgers about Kuroda, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The Red Sox also are on the radar and their interest could accelerate given the health issues with Clay Buchholz.
Buster Olney tweeted Wednesday night that five teams monitored Kuroda'a start with keen interest: the Yankees, Red Sox, Cleveland, Detroit and Texas. Ken Rosenthal notes that the Yankees have "intensified" their pursuit of Kuroda.
The problem, of course, is we don't know if Kuroda will approve a deal, given his full no-trade clause. That could be the main hold up of a deal with the Tigers. Kuroda likes pitching in LA and could be convinced to waive his no-trade clause, leave as a two-month rental, and then come back next season.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Fukudome to Cleveland?[/h3]
10:50AM ET
[h5]Kosuke Fukudome | Cubs [/h5]
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports the Cubs are closing in on a deal that would send outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland. The deal not totally done yet, but it's close.
The Indians have been looking for outfield help in the aftermath of injuries to Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore. Olney adds the Cubs will receive two prospects from the Indians and will fork over more than half of the $4.7 million owed to Fukudome for the rest of the season.
The Tribe also was believed to be in the chase for Padres outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Their need for more offense became even more evident Wednesday when they were no-hit by Ervin Santana of the Angels.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Rangers concerned with Neftali?[/h3]
10:39AM ET
[h5]Neftali Feliz | Rangers [/h5]
The Texas Rangers were among the teams that fell short in the pursuit of Carlos Beltran. It could be a blessing in disguise for GM Jon Daniels, who may need to use his bargaining chips on a reliever.
Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News says Neftali Feliz is becoming a serious concern due to his diminished velocity. "I don't know if he's hurt. He's not the same pitcher this year; he's not blowing away hitters," Fraley writes.
The Rangers were believed be looking for bullpen help even before the concerns with Feliz surfaced, and this could prompt an even more serious pursuit of Heath Bell.
Meanwhile, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers did push hard for Beltran but have been focused more on relief pitching.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]No interest in Zambrano[/h3]
10:23AM ET
[h5]Carlos Zambrano | Cubs [/h5]
UPDATE: Even with the Cubs offering plenty of cash, there is no interest in Zambrano at this point, writes Gordon Wittenmyer in Thursday's Sun Times.
--
The New York Yankees would like to add quality starting pitching this summer -- we assume, due to the lack of it in their current rotation -- and the Chicago Cubs would like to move Carlos Zambrano. Might there be a match?
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweets Wednesday that the Cubs are trying to get the Yankees to take Zambrano and cash. The "cash" part would likely have to be quite substantial as Zambrano is owed about $6 million for the rest of 2011 and $18 million next season.
Whether or not the Yankees view Zambrano as the type of arm they believe improves their team or not remains to be seen, but it's out there now. The CUbs are willing to send cash along with Zambrano, so anything is possible, including a deal with another club. A Free Zambrano is a different story than one making $18 million per.
SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that there is apparently no interest at all from the Yankees.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Twins, Rockies talk Slowey deal[/h3]
10:13AM ET
[h5]Kevin Slowey | Twins [/h5]
The Twins and Rockies have been discussing a trade for righthander Kevin Slowey with Minnesota interested in reliever Rafael Betancourt and infielder Ty Wigginton, reports La Velle Neal of the Star Tribune.
The Twins are trying to trade Slowey, who is stuck at Triple-A Rochester after he balked at a bullpen role earlier this season. He was on the trading block in spring training when it was thought that the Twins had a surplus of starting pitching.
The attempt to land a veteran such as Betancourt or Wigginton seems to indicate that the Twins are not willing to toss in the towel in the AL Central, even if they are six games under .500.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Reds still buyers[/h3]
9:59AM ET
[h5]Cincinnati Reds [/h5]
Speculation regarding the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/cin/cincinnati-redsCincinnati Reds has had them straddling the fence between buyers and sellers. Despite three straight losses to the New York Mets, Reds owner Bob Castellini still sees the glass as half full, not half empty.
"There's no stone unturned," Castellini tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "But we've got to start playing like we know how. It's getting late."
It's getting late early, as Yogi would say, and the Reds have fallen 5 1/2 games off the pace in the National League Central.
With the Cardinals making a bold move Wednesday in the deal involving Colby Rasmus, the Reds could be prompted to make a major move in kind to keep up with a division rival.
The Reds have been mentioned in the Ubaldo Jimenez discussion, but is a deal for the Rockies' righthander feasible? ESPN.com's Jim Bowden has a suggestion:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Jim Bowden[/h5]
Ideal NL Trades
10:56AM ET
[h5]Hiroki Kuroda | Dodgers [/h5]
A perfect storm appears to be making Hiroki Kuroda the most valuable 6-13 pitcher in baseball.
The Dodgers' righthander allowed one run over six innings in Wednesday's loss to Colorado. He is 1-10 over his past 12 starts despite a more-than-adequate 3.38 ERA during that stretch.
Given the shortage of starting pitchers available, Kuroda remains a hot commodity, and his value could rise even higher if the Yankees and Red Sox decide to become major players.
After a shaky outing by Phil Hughes Wednesday, the Yankees are looking for pitching help and remain in regular contact with the Dodgers about Kuroda, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The Red Sox also are on the radar and their interest could accelerate given the health issues with Clay Buchholz.
Buster Olney tweeted Wednesday night that five teams monitored Kuroda'a start with keen interest: the Yankees, Red Sox, Cleveland, Detroit and Texas. Ken Rosenthal notes that the Yankees have "intensified" their pursuit of Kuroda.
The problem, of course, is we don't know if Kuroda will approve a deal, given his full no-trade clause. That could be the main hold up of a deal with the Tigers. Kuroda likes pitching in LA and could be convinced to waive his no-trade clause, leave as a two-month rental, and then come back next season.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Fukudome to Cleveland?[/h3]
10:50AM ET
[h5]Kosuke Fukudome | Cubs [/h5]
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports the Cubs are closing in on a deal that would send outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland. The deal not totally done yet, but it's close.
The Indians have been looking for outfield help in the aftermath of injuries to Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore. Olney adds the Cubs will receive two prospects from the Indians and will fork over more than half of the $4.7 million owed to Fukudome for the rest of the season.
The Tribe also was believed to be in the chase for Padres outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Their need for more offense became even more evident Wednesday when they were no-hit by Ervin Santana of the Angels.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Rangers concerned with Neftali?[/h3]
10:39AM ET
[h5]Neftali Feliz | Rangers [/h5]
The Texas Rangers were among the teams that fell short in the pursuit of Carlos Beltran. It could be a blessing in disguise for GM Jon Daniels, who may need to use his bargaining chips on a reliever.
Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News says Neftali Feliz is becoming a serious concern due to his diminished velocity. "I don't know if he's hurt. He's not the same pitcher this year; he's not blowing away hitters," Fraley writes.
The Rangers were believed be looking for bullpen help even before the concerns with Feliz surfaced, and this could prompt an even more serious pursuit of Heath Bell.
Meanwhile, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers did push hard for Beltran but have been focused more on relief pitching.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]No interest in Zambrano[/h3]
10:23AM ET
[h5]Carlos Zambrano | Cubs [/h5]
UPDATE: Even with the Cubs offering plenty of cash, there is no interest in Zambrano at this point, writes Gordon Wittenmyer in Thursday's Sun Times.
--
The New York Yankees would like to add quality starting pitching this summer -- we assume, due to the lack of it in their current rotation -- and the Chicago Cubs would like to move Carlos Zambrano. Might there be a match?
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweets Wednesday that the Cubs are trying to get the Yankees to take Zambrano and cash. The "cash" part would likely have to be quite substantial as Zambrano is owed about $6 million for the rest of 2011 and $18 million next season.
Whether or not the Yankees view Zambrano as the type of arm they believe improves their team or not remains to be seen, but it's out there now. The CUbs are willing to send cash along with Zambrano, so anything is possible, including a deal with another club. A Free Zambrano is a different story than one making $18 million per.
SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that there is apparently no interest at all from the Yankees.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Twins, Rockies talk Slowey deal[/h3]
10:13AM ET
[h5]Kevin Slowey | Twins [/h5]
The Twins and Rockies have been discussing a trade for righthander Kevin Slowey with Minnesota interested in reliever Rafael Betancourt and infielder Ty Wigginton, reports La Velle Neal of the Star Tribune.
The Twins are trying to trade Slowey, who is stuck at Triple-A Rochester after he balked at a bullpen role earlier this season. He was on the trading block in spring training when it was thought that the Twins had a surplus of starting pitching.
The attempt to land a veteran such as Betancourt or Wigginton seems to indicate that the Twins are not willing to toss in the towel in the AL Central, even if they are six games under .500.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Reds still buyers[/h3]
9:59AM ET
[h5]Cincinnati Reds [/h5]
Speculation regarding the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/cin/cincinnati-redsCincinnati Reds has had them straddling the fence between buyers and sellers. Despite three straight losses to the New York Mets, Reds owner Bob Castellini still sees the glass as half full, not half empty.
"There's no stone unturned," Castellini tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "But we've got to start playing like we know how. It's getting late."
It's getting late early, as Yogi would say, and the Reds have fallen 5 1/2 games off the pace in the National League Central.
With the Cardinals making a bold move Wednesday in the deal involving Colby Rasmus, the Reds could be prompted to make a major move in kind to keep up with a division rival.
The Reds have been mentioned in the Ubaldo Jimenez discussion, but is a deal for the Rockies' righthander feasible? ESPN.com's Jim Bowden has a suggestion:
- Doug Mittler
Ideal NL Trades
9:43AM ET
[h5]B.J. Upton | Rays [/h5]
UPDATE: With the Giants out of the mix following the acquisition of Carlos Beltran, the market for Upton may be taking shape. Marc Topkin of the St. Pete Times says the field includes the Braves, Indians, Nationals and Pirates along with the Phillies and Reds.
The Nationals are believed to have serious interest. They say that they are not actively shopping shortstop Ian Desmond, but that could change if the Upton talks turn serious.
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UPDATE: While Upton's name has been linked to the Reds, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer remains skeptical, noting that Upton's current production currently isn't that much better than that of Jonny Gomes, who was traded to the Nationals Tuesday.
For the latest on Upton's fantasy value, check out Eric Karabell's take at the bottom of this post.
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UPDATE: Until now the word has been that the Giants preferred Carlos Beltran but SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets Tuesday afternoon that San Francisco's interest in Upton is now strong, which could suggest they don't like the asking price on Beltran the rental and could consider moving otherwise off-limits players for Upton, who is under club control through next season and is considered an above-average defender in center, if not an elite glove.
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UPDATE: The Brewers have joined the sweepstakes on Upton, tweets Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com, though it seems unlikely Milwaukee can match up with the Rays in a deal since they have so little left in terms of young talent after dealing away prospects in trades over the past several months.
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For a player with just three hits in his last 34 at-bats, B.J. Upton seems to be drawing plenty of interest.
The Rays' promotion of top prospect Desmond Jennings on Friday night has fanned the fires of a deal for Upton, even if his batting average has dipped to .229. In case you didn't notice, Upton's BA has declined each of his last four seasons.
Upton's enormous upside, as well as the Rays' recent slide in the standings, still makes him a primary target. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the Rays, now 7 1/2 games off the pace in the wild card race, are awaiting major bids on Upton.
The Nationals have long had interest in Upton and, in a surprising twist, Sherman says the Royals have checked in on the center fielder, as have the Braves, Pirates, Reds and Cardinals.
Upton also has drawn interest from the Giants as an alternative to Carlos Beltran. Upton is seven years younger Beltran and is under club control through 2012.
The market for outfielders is turning out to be crowded, and teams might be willing to pay more for Upton than for a Josh Willingham or a Ryan Ludwick.
- Doug Mittler
Fantasy take on Upton
http://[h3]Braves consider Ludwick, Willingham[/h3]
9:32AM ET
[h5]Brian McCann | Braves [/h5]
UPDATE: ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney writes in Thursday's blog that the Braves could have had Beltran if they had offered Mike Minor, but they decided to retain the top pitching prospect. Now the Braves are evaluating other options such as Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham.
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Lost in the aftermath of what is being called the worst umpiring call ever is the sobering reality for the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/atl/atlanta-bravesAtlanta Braves that catcher http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6309/brian-mccannBrian McCann is headed to the disabled list.
Jerry Meals' safe call in the 19th inning Wednesday morning automatically puts him in the company of Jim Joyce, the author of Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game. Nine innings earlier, McCann strained his left oblique muscle, an injury that could sideline him until the middle of August.
Finding a viable catcher via the trade market is no easy task. Just ask the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/sf/san-francisco-giantsSan Francisco Giants, who for months have been unable to land an alternative to http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30112/buster-poseyBuster Posey.
Backup http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5206/david-rossDavid Ross figures to get the bulk of the playing time for the time being, with the Braves likely to pursue a potent bat at another position. ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported Wednesday morning that the Braves have yet to make progress on a deal for http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/3971/carlos-beltranCarlos Beltran, but you have to wonder if GM Frank Wren might change his tune.
We also could see the Braves making a push for Houston's http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28535/michael-bournMichael Bourn, who would be a nice fit in center field. The Braves have been reluctant to deal pitching prospect http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30624/mike-minorMike Minor, but they may now have no choice.
Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Eric Karabell gives his fantasy take on how to handle the loss of the Braves' catcher:
- Doug Mittler
Don't bail on McCann
http://[h3]Giants still want a catcher[/h3]
8:54AM ET
[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]
The San Francisco Giants have been in search of a power bat from almost the minute Buster Posey went down. GM Brian Sabean finally filled the void with Wednesday's deal for Carlos Beltran.
There is still room improvement behind the plate, and Sabean may not be done dealing.
The Giants would love to pry Ramon Hernandez away from Cincinnati, but Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports the backstop is unavailable. Sabean wouldn't mind Seattle's Miguel Olivo, but he is cost prohibitive due to the $5.3 million left on his contract.
The Giants could simply get by with Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart behind the plate and look for offense elsewhere.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Angels seek relief help[/h3]
8:26AM ET
[h5]Los Angeles Angels [/h5]
UPDATE: We mentioned earlier this week that the Angels were interested in Nunez and Choate, but SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted Wednesday night that the price for the Marlins relievers remains high.
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UPDATE: The Angels, tweets Ken Rosenthal, are more focused on adding bullpen help, despite a need at third base and a lefty bat for first base.
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UPDATE: It may have to be a smaller deal but the Angels would also like to add a third baseman with some pop, though without payroll flexibility that seems highly unlikely.
We've mentioned Aramis Ramirez and how he's a fit but isn't giving any indications that he would waive his no-trade clause, and his salary sure seems too hefty for the Halos.
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The Los Angeles Angels traditionally have kept the rumor mill churning at this time of year. After all, the likes of http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5565/dan-harenDan Haren, http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/4937/mark-teixeiraMark Teixeira and http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5917/scott-kazmirScott Kazmir all landed in Anaheim in summer deals.
The bottom line could have the Angels taking a different approach this month with owner Arte Moreno being reluctant to open his checkbook, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote earlier this month.
With that in mind, a report by Kevin Baxter in Tuesday's LA Times makes sense. Baxter says the Angels remain interested in landing the Padres' Heath Bell, but could lower their sights and turn to the Marlins, who are shopping Leo Nunez and Randy Choate.
Florida is looking for a third baseman or a center fielder, but Baxter says the best the Angels could offer would be a deal built around either Alberto Callaspo or Maicer Izturis. The Marlins are likely looking for much more, but that has not stopped them from scouting the Angels closely.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Phils, Braves after Pence[/h3]
8:11AM ET
[h5]Hunter Pence | Astros [/h5]
The domino effect of Carlos Beltran landing in San Francisco is the altered leverage of teams still in search of an impact outfielder.
The Houston Astros know they have a valuable trading chip in Hunter Pence, who, unlike Beltran, is not hitting the free agent market this winter. As a result, the asking price for Pence is still quite high here at mid-week, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman, suggesting that Pence may stay in Houston for the time being.
Heyman reports that the Astros turned down an offer from the Phillies that included top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart and first base prospect Jonathan Singleton, as well as one other prospect.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported Wednesday that that the Phillies "had a deal" for Pence, but that Houston had "backed off."
The Phillies and Braves are focused on Pence, tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. The Astros want young pitching in return for their All-Star outfielder, and both Philly and the Braves have the chips to deal.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com adds that the Phillies are willing to include right fielder Domonic Brown as part of the deal. That could appeal to the Astros since Brown, unlike Pence, is still a few years away from arbitration.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]The Mets after Beltran[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Carlos Beltran | Mets [/h5]
Carlos Beltran has a new lease on life in San Francisco, leaving the New York Mets with a roster spot to fill. Some red tape, however, will likely leave the Mets with just 24 players for Thursday's matinee in Cincinnati.
The plan is to call up catcher Mike Nickeas from Triple-A Buffalo. But there is a 24-hour minimum before Beltran can waive his no-trade clause, and it might not come in time for the early-afternoon game at Great American Ballpark.
Lucas Duda started in right for the Mets on Wednesday night, and figures to get a long audition the rest of the way.
As for any additional moves, GM Sandy Alderson has said there are no plans to conduct a fire sale, so expect only a minor move or two. Candidates for a new address include relievers Tim Byrdak and Jason Isringhausen.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Johnson: not done yet [/h3]
7:19AM ET
[h5]Josh Johnson | Marlins [/h5]
UPDATE: Johnson said no decision has been made on whether to shut down for the season, but the righthander does concede he is running out of time.
The goal is still for Johnson to make a few starts before the end of the season.
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Marlins ace Josh Johnson, who hasn't pitched since mid-May due to shoulder problems, isn't expected to return to the mound this season, reports SI.com's Jon Heyman
Heyman says the Fish are just being cautious and there is no need for surgery. With the Fish out of contention, there is no need to rush him back.
Johnson has a 1.64 ERA in nine starts this season.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Cards still in chase for Bell[/h3]
7:06AM ET
[h5]Heath Bell | Padres [/h5]
UPDATE: The Cardinals may have a glut of righty relievers after making the blockbuster deal involving Colby Rasmus, but they retain interest in Heath Bell, says Joe Strauss in Thursday's Post-Dispatch.
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UPDATE: Just as ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweeted earlier Wednesday about the pace quickening in talks for Padres relievers, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden tweets that the next big deal could be the Rangers acquiring Bell for a package centered around left-hander Robert Erlin.
The 20-year-old Erlin, who has spent this season at Double-A Frisco, is generally considered by scouts to carry a ceiling as a No. 3 starter. He's a strike thrower with plus control of average stuff. Erlin ranked as the Rangers' No. 5 prospect in Keith Law's top 100 rankings prior to the 2011 season.
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UPDATE: Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com handicaps the odds of the Rangers landing Bell, noting that the value for the reliever remains high. But with other relievers on the market, the price might drop by this weekend.
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UPDATE: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted Monday night that the Phillies were aggressive in their pursuit of Bell. Sherman adds that the Padres were surprised with the lack of interest from the Yankees and that there has not been more of a push from the Cardinals or Reds.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote Monday the buzz around the Padres this past weekend was that Bell is most likely to wind up getting dealt to the Rangers or Phillies, because they have the prospect pool that best fits the Padres' hefty asking price.
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http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6084/heath-bellHeath Bell seems resigned to the fact that his days in San Diego are numbered. Given his preference, he would like to land with a contender in the National League.
In the days immediately following the All-Star Game, Bell put his chances of being traded at 90 percent. Fast forward to Sunday, and Bell tells Dan Norcross of the Union Tribune that nothing has changed.
Bell tells Norcross his priorities would be: a) to be dealt to a contender; b) traded to a National League team; c) traded to the Diamondbacks or Angels because they?re close to San Diego.
The Angels could be a long shot. Kevin Baxter of the LA Times wrote Sunday that the Angels have been eagerly courting the Padres regarding Bell and/or http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5969/mike-adamsMike Adams, but the Halos don't appear to have the means to complete a deal.
The Rangers have zeroed in on Bell, according to a recent report on ESPNNewYork.com. They have been linked to Bell all season and though they will use the right-hander primarily in a setup role.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]More on Hanley[/h3]
6:50AM ET
[h5]Hanley Ramirez | Marlins [/h5]
UPDATE: While it doesn't appear the Marlins will even consider moving Ramirez this summer, the shortstop is adding fuel to the fire by responding to Conine's comments by saying Conine just wants to be Mr. Marlin forever and that he himself is going to become the new Mr. Marlin. Ramirez also called out Conine, saying "If he's got a problem, just come over and talk to me like a man. Don't be a chicken, talking on the (radio), because whatever you say is going to stay out there."
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Just like the weather in most of the country, Hanley Ramirez has heated up in July, batting .333 with five homers and 18 RBI. That followed a dismal April and May in which the Marlins shortstop hit around the Mendoza Line.
At least one member of the Florida front office thinks it would not necessarily be a bad idea in on Ramirez' sizzling bat.
Special assistant Jeff Conine, a former teammate of Hanley, said in radio interview Friday he wouldn't be opposed to the Marlins trading Ramirez. "If it were up to me, probably," Conine said.
While Conine later downplayed his comments, they do point to what could be continued frustration in the Marlins' front office with Ramirez' concentration level. Ramirez last weekend eclipsed Conine (1,005) for second on the club's all-time hit list.
Ramirez is in the middle of a reasonable six-year, $70 million deal that lasts until 2014.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Brewers to step up infield search?[/h3]
6:40AM ET
[h5]Milwaukee Brewers [/h5]
UPDATE: Brewers manager Ron Roenicke conceded after Wednesday's victory over the Cubs that Weeks will be out a while. Veteran Craig Counsell will likely fill in at second base for the time being.
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UPDATE: The Brewers were already looking for infield help but Rickie Weeks injured his ankle during Wednesday night's game -- X-rays came back negative -- which could intensify the club's push for infield help.
Other than Carroll and Barmes, Milwaukee could have interest in Seattle's Adam Kennedy, Toronto's John McDonald or San Diego's Orlando Hudson. If Weeks' injury is remotely serious, Hudson may become a prime target.
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With Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt struggling at the plate and in the field this season, the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/mil/milwaukee-brewersMilwaukee Brewers are seeking infield help on the left side.
Tom Hauricourt of the Journal Sentinel writes that the Brewers have kicked the tires on many infielders with other clubs, including the Los Angeles Dodgers' Jamey Carroll and Houston's Clint Barmes.
Another possibility is recalling infielder Mat Gamel, but he hit just .115 (3-for-26) in an audition earlier this month.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Red Sox rethinking trade plans?[/h3]
4:07AM ET
[h5]Boston Red Sox [/h5]
All along the Boston Red Sox have been linked to some extent with every big name on the trade market, as well as some smaller names. They checked in on Carlos Beltran, were believed to be at least mildly interested in B.J. Upton, Hunter Pence and Colby Rasmus and have reportedly checked in on some relievers. The club, however, may feel the need to look at their starting rotation and get aggressive.
The concerns with the hurting back of right-hander Clay Buchholz may have elevated a bit Wednesday when the Red Sox canceled a scheduled bullpen session and instead will send Buchholz to see a specialist again before he gets back on the mound, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
Manager Terry Francona categorized it as a precaution because Buchholz is about to turn up the intensity of his rehab, but the Red Sox were already kicking around the thought of going after a starting pitcher, and Rob Bradford reports that Boston is still talking with the Rockies about Ubaldo Jimenez.
Others the Sox could look into include right-handers Hiroki Kuroda and Rich Harden, and left-hander Erik Bedard, continues Speier. Speier also notes that while the Red Sox value their prospects, they also value the opportunity to win a World Series, suggesting they'd be willing to part with young talent for the right player.
Buchholz, Francona said, is likely to see that specialist sometime over the next five days. If that occurs prior to the trade deadline and the doctor's assessment is positive, GM Theo Epstein may back off the trade market. Otherwise, all of the above may be fair game in Beantown.
Indians add Fukudome.
Ichiro: Bad luck or age?
Spoiler [+]
Just a few hours after Chris opined that the Indians needn’t go all-in this season, the Indians made a fairly conservative move. To help shore up their outfield, which is currently short Grady Sizemore and Shin-Shoo Choo, the Indians acquired Kosuke Fukudome from the Cubs for two prospects. Chicago will pick up some of the $4.7 million remaining on Fukudome’s deal. While the specific prospects aren’t clear at the time of writing, we can still examine how this helps Cleveland’s chances.
There’s no denying the Indians need for help in the outfield. Sizemore has spent plenty of time on the DL this season, and the Indians cannot count on him to remain healthy and productive for any significant stretch this season. Shin-Soo Choo, after starting the season in uncharacteristically slow fashion, has been on the DL since June 24th. He’s on his way back, but it could still be another month, at the earliest, before he’s back with the Indians. Even then, it’s tough to say how he’ll perform afterward. Thumb injuries are tricky things that can linger.
For the next month Fukudome figures to be the most productive member of Cleveland’s outfield. He currently has a .374 OBP and a 106 wRC+. Michael Brantley, with a .330 OBP and 101 wRC+, is the only active Indians outfielder who comes close to that level of productivity. The trade also squeezes Ezequiel Carrera out of a starting role, for which he is ill-suited. The platoon of Austin Kearns and Travis Buck will continue playing below average in one of the corners, though Carrera could get some time in favor of them if they continue hitting poorly.
While the move helps on the whole, it might not help the one specific need the Indians have in the outfield. They have combined to produce a .128 ISO, which ranks 11th in the AL. The current unit of Brantley-Carrera-Buck-Kearns has produced an ISO just about at that level (.127), meaning they could really use a boost in the power department. Fukudome, unfortunately, comes in well below the unit’s average with a .096 ISO. While he’ll add value on the whole, in that he gets on base at a far better clip than the other outfielders, he’ll help little in adding the power that they need.
Acquiring Fukudome is by no means a splash, but that’s not what the Indians needed. They needed someone who upgraded on their current outfield, and Fukudome is certainly that. When he puts on an Indians jersey tonight he’ll represent one of their four best active players, and by this year’s numbers he’s their best active performer in the outfield. It’s tough to make that kind of acquisition without it being a huge move. But the Indians found someone who represents and upgrade, and they moved quickly. He might not bring all the tools they need to upgrade, but considering the market and the Indians current position, he was probably the best option available. Things could get better, still, if Sizemore or Choo makes it back in time to help for a September push.
There’s no denying the Indians need for help in the outfield. Sizemore has spent plenty of time on the DL this season, and the Indians cannot count on him to remain healthy and productive for any significant stretch this season. Shin-Soo Choo, after starting the season in uncharacteristically slow fashion, has been on the DL since June 24th. He’s on his way back, but it could still be another month, at the earliest, before he’s back with the Indians. Even then, it’s tough to say how he’ll perform afterward. Thumb injuries are tricky things that can linger.
For the next month Fukudome figures to be the most productive member of Cleveland’s outfield. He currently has a .374 OBP and a 106 wRC+. Michael Brantley, with a .330 OBP and 101 wRC+, is the only active Indians outfielder who comes close to that level of productivity. The trade also squeezes Ezequiel Carrera out of a starting role, for which he is ill-suited. The platoon of Austin Kearns and Travis Buck will continue playing below average in one of the corners, though Carrera could get some time in favor of them if they continue hitting poorly.
While the move helps on the whole, it might not help the one specific need the Indians have in the outfield. They have combined to produce a .128 ISO, which ranks 11th in the AL. The current unit of Brantley-Carrera-Buck-Kearns has produced an ISO just about at that level (.127), meaning they could really use a boost in the power department. Fukudome, unfortunately, comes in well below the unit’s average with a .096 ISO. While he’ll add value on the whole, in that he gets on base at a far better clip than the other outfielders, he’ll help little in adding the power that they need.
Acquiring Fukudome is by no means a splash, but that’s not what the Indians needed. They needed someone who upgraded on their current outfield, and Fukudome is certainly that. When he puts on an Indians jersey tonight he’ll represent one of their four best active players, and by this year’s numbers he’s their best active performer in the outfield. It’s tough to make that kind of acquisition without it being a huge move. But the Indians found someone who represents and upgrade, and they moved quickly. He might not bring all the tools they need to upgrade, but considering the market and the Indians current position, he was probably the best option available. Things could get better, still, if Sizemore or Choo makes it back in time to help for a September push.
Ichiro: Bad luck or age?
Spoiler [+]
Ichiro Suzuki is getting old. In life, that’s not a bad thing. In baseball, it is.
He is now in season 11 of the MLB portion of his career and season 20 of his professional career. Despite his age, he has played in 102 of the Seattle Mariners’ 103 games this year (not counting today). Moreover, he has more plate appearances (457) than anyone over age 35 in 2011. The next closest, Paul Konerko, is over 30 PAs behind him.
Ichiro may look as healthy and athletic as ever, but his numbers this year have been very un-Ichiro-like:
wOBA: .285
wRC+: 80
UZR: -8.4
Bsr: 2.3
All, except for the base-running (UBR) numbers, are career lows for Ich-dawg. We have long-anticipated Ichiro would slow down his ageless mastery of baseball at some point, but the depreciation in his 2011 statistics seem rather sudden. Worth noting:
BABIP: .289
For most players, .289 is normal. For most 37-year-old players, .289 is great. However, Ichiro has a career BABIP of .353 and as recently as last year sported that exact BABIP.
His problems seem to stem from this uncommonly low BABIP. He’s walking at his career rates (0.1% above, actually) and striking out less (8.5%) than this career rate (9.3%). The only plate discipline number out of whack is his O-Contact rate, which says he’s touching 86% of balls outside the strike zone — compared to a 76.7% career number. This may be a bit misleading, though, as he sported a O-Contact rate above 80% through his last three seasons — and still managed wRC+’s of 109, 126, and 112 in those seasons.
So, it comes back to BABIP. I have heard many a mournful Mariners fan say ol’ Ichi cannot catch the fastball anymore. Indeed, the pitch type values indicate he is enduring an unprecedented struggle with fastballs (-0.88 runs per 100 pitches; his previous career low was -0.12) and sliders (-3.42 per 100; previous career low: -2.26).
I recall Marinerites lodging similar laments in the waning Ken Griffey Jr. Era. It should come to us as no surprise, then, that Ken Griffey Jr.’s BABIP also declined in his final year. In fact, it made a steady decline through his career as a whole:
But here’s the deal: Age has never really had a solid correlation to BABIP. At least, none that I have ever discovered. Look at Ichiro’sheart rate monitor yearly BABIP:
Digging deeper, we find the possibilities of bad luck and Balrogs. A player’s BABIP is merely the surface of their batted ball data; what boils underneath is a stew of liners, grounders, flies, and bunts — the four basic batted ball results. These four elements combine with a player’s speed, luck, the defense’s ability, and [joke] the player’s aim [/joke] to make the final or surface BABIP.
For Ichiro, his speed seems intact. His speed score (6.0) is actually up from his last two seasons (5.3ish). Meanwhile, he has 26 steals to 5 captures and an aforementioned, rather decent base-running score.
So let’s look at Ichiro’s stew, his mix of liners and whatnot. For the most part, we see he at or near his career norms: A solid line drive rate, a high groundball rate, and a low fly ball rate. Notably, though, he has hit a lot of infield flies (16.0%), much like the ill-fated final showing of Griffey Jr. (16.7%).
But, unless there’s a serious pitch classification error (and there may be, I’m not sure), then Ichiro’s line drives are “softer
He is now in season 11 of the MLB portion of his career and season 20 of his professional career. Despite his age, he has played in 102 of the Seattle Mariners’ 103 games this year (not counting today). Moreover, he has more plate appearances (457) than anyone over age 35 in 2011. The next closest, Paul Konerko, is over 30 PAs behind him.
Ichiro may look as healthy and athletic as ever, but his numbers this year have been very un-Ichiro-like:
wOBA: .285
wRC+: 80
UZR: -8.4
Bsr: 2.3
All, except for the base-running (UBR) numbers, are career lows for Ich-dawg. We have long-anticipated Ichiro would slow down his ageless mastery of baseball at some point, but the depreciation in his 2011 statistics seem rather sudden. Worth noting:
BABIP: .289
For most players, .289 is normal. For most 37-year-old players, .289 is great. However, Ichiro has a career BABIP of .353 and as recently as last year sported that exact BABIP.
His problems seem to stem from this uncommonly low BABIP. He’s walking at his career rates (0.1% above, actually) and striking out less (8.5%) than this career rate (9.3%). The only plate discipline number out of whack is his O-Contact rate, which says he’s touching 86% of balls outside the strike zone — compared to a 76.7% career number. This may be a bit misleading, though, as he sported a O-Contact rate above 80% through his last three seasons — and still managed wRC+’s of 109, 126, and 112 in those seasons.
So, it comes back to BABIP. I have heard many a mournful Mariners fan say ol’ Ichi cannot catch the fastball anymore. Indeed, the pitch type values indicate he is enduring an unprecedented struggle with fastballs (-0.88 runs per 100 pitches; his previous career low was -0.12) and sliders (-3.42 per 100; previous career low: -2.26).
I recall Marinerites lodging similar laments in the waning Ken Griffey Jr. Era. It should come to us as no surprise, then, that Ken Griffey Jr.’s BABIP also declined in his final year. In fact, it made a steady decline through his career as a whole:
But here’s the deal: Age has never really had a solid correlation to BABIP. At least, none that I have ever discovered. Look at Ichiro’s
Digging deeper, we find the possibilities of bad luck and Balrogs. A player’s BABIP is merely the surface of their batted ball data; what boils underneath is a stew of liners, grounders, flies, and bunts — the four basic batted ball results. These four elements combine with a player’s speed, luck, the defense’s ability, and [joke] the player’s aim [/joke] to make the final or surface BABIP.
For Ichiro, his speed seems intact. His speed score (6.0) is actually up from his last two seasons (5.3ish). Meanwhile, he has 26 steals to 5 captures and an aforementioned, rather decent base-running score.
So let’s look at Ichiro’s stew, his mix of liners and whatnot. For the most part, we see he at or near his career norms: A solid line drive rate, a high groundball rate, and a low fly ball rate. Notably, though, he has hit a lot of infield flies (16.0%), much like the ill-fated final showing of Griffey Jr. (16.7%).
But, unless there’s a serious pitch classification error (and there may be, I’m not sure), then Ichiro’s line drives are “softer
Indians add Fukudome.
Ichiro: Bad luck or age?
Spoiler [+]
Just a few hours after Chris opined that the Indians needn’t go all-in this season, the Indians made a fairly conservative move. To help shore up their outfield, which is currently short Grady Sizemore and Shin-Shoo Choo, the Indians acquired Kosuke Fukudome from the Cubs for two prospects. Chicago will pick up some of the $4.7 million remaining on Fukudome’s deal. While the specific prospects aren’t clear at the time of writing, we can still examine how this helps Cleveland’s chances.
There’s no denying the Indians need for help in the outfield. Sizemore has spent plenty of time on the DL this season, and the Indians cannot count on him to remain healthy and productive for any significant stretch this season. Shin-Soo Choo, after starting the season in uncharacteristically slow fashion, has been on the DL since June 24th. He’s on his way back, but it could still be another month, at the earliest, before he’s back with the Indians. Even then, it’s tough to say how he’ll perform afterward. Thumb injuries are tricky things that can linger.
For the next month Fukudome figures to be the most productive member of Cleveland’s outfield. He currently has a .374 OBP and a 106 wRC+. Michael Brantley, with a .330 OBP and 101 wRC+, is the only active Indians outfielder who comes close to that level of productivity. The trade also squeezes Ezequiel Carrera out of a starting role, for which he is ill-suited. The platoon of Austin Kearns and Travis Buck will continue playing below average in one of the corners, though Carrera could get some time in favor of them if they continue hitting poorly.
While the move helps on the whole, it might not help the one specific need the Indians have in the outfield. They have combined to produce a .128 ISO, which ranks 11th in the AL. The current unit of Brantley-Carrera-Buck-Kearns has produced an ISO just about at that level (.127), meaning they could really use a boost in the power department. Fukudome, unfortunately, comes in well below the unit’s average with a .096 ISO. While he’ll add value on the whole, in that he gets on base at a far better clip than the other outfielders, he’ll help little in adding the power that they need.
Acquiring Fukudome is by no means a splash, but that’s not what the Indians needed. They needed someone who upgraded on their current outfield, and Fukudome is certainly that. When he puts on an Indians jersey tonight he’ll represent one of their four best active players, and by this year’s numbers he’s their best active performer in the outfield. It’s tough to make that kind of acquisition without it being a huge move. But the Indians found someone who represents and upgrade, and they moved quickly. He might not bring all the tools they need to upgrade, but considering the market and the Indians current position, he was probably the best option available. Things could get better, still, if Sizemore or Choo makes it back in time to help for a September push.
There’s no denying the Indians need for help in the outfield. Sizemore has spent plenty of time on the DL this season, and the Indians cannot count on him to remain healthy and productive for any significant stretch this season. Shin-Soo Choo, after starting the season in uncharacteristically slow fashion, has been on the DL since June 24th. He’s on his way back, but it could still be another month, at the earliest, before he’s back with the Indians. Even then, it’s tough to say how he’ll perform afterward. Thumb injuries are tricky things that can linger.
For the next month Fukudome figures to be the most productive member of Cleveland’s outfield. He currently has a .374 OBP and a 106 wRC+. Michael Brantley, with a .330 OBP and 101 wRC+, is the only active Indians outfielder who comes close to that level of productivity. The trade also squeezes Ezequiel Carrera out of a starting role, for which he is ill-suited. The platoon of Austin Kearns and Travis Buck will continue playing below average in one of the corners, though Carrera could get some time in favor of them if they continue hitting poorly.
While the move helps on the whole, it might not help the one specific need the Indians have in the outfield. They have combined to produce a .128 ISO, which ranks 11th in the AL. The current unit of Brantley-Carrera-Buck-Kearns has produced an ISO just about at that level (.127), meaning they could really use a boost in the power department. Fukudome, unfortunately, comes in well below the unit’s average with a .096 ISO. While he’ll add value on the whole, in that he gets on base at a far better clip than the other outfielders, he’ll help little in adding the power that they need.
Acquiring Fukudome is by no means a splash, but that’s not what the Indians needed. They needed someone who upgraded on their current outfield, and Fukudome is certainly that. When he puts on an Indians jersey tonight he’ll represent one of their four best active players, and by this year’s numbers he’s their best active performer in the outfield. It’s tough to make that kind of acquisition without it being a huge move. But the Indians found someone who represents and upgrade, and they moved quickly. He might not bring all the tools they need to upgrade, but considering the market and the Indians current position, he was probably the best option available. Things could get better, still, if Sizemore or Choo makes it back in time to help for a September push.
Ichiro: Bad luck or age?
Spoiler [+]
Ichiro Suzuki is getting old. In life, that’s not a bad thing. In baseball, it is.
He is now in season 11 of the MLB portion of his career and season 20 of his professional career. Despite his age, he has played in 102 of the Seattle Mariners’ 103 games this year (not counting today). Moreover, he has more plate appearances (457) than anyone over age 35 in 2011. The next closest, Paul Konerko, is over 30 PAs behind him.
Ichiro may look as healthy and athletic as ever, but his numbers this year have been very un-Ichiro-like:
wOBA: .285
wRC+: 80
UZR: -8.4
Bsr: 2.3
All, except for the base-running (UBR) numbers, are career lows for Ich-dawg. We have long-anticipated Ichiro would slow down his ageless mastery of baseball at some point, but the depreciation in his 2011 statistics seem rather sudden. Worth noting:
BABIP: .289
For most players, .289 is normal. For most 37-year-old players, .289 is great. However, Ichiro has a career BABIP of .353 and as recently as last year sported that exact BABIP.
His problems seem to stem from this uncommonly low BABIP. He’s walking at his career rates (0.1% above, actually) and striking out less (8.5%) than this career rate (9.3%). The only plate discipline number out of whack is his O-Contact rate, which says he’s touching 86% of balls outside the strike zone — compared to a 76.7% career number. This may be a bit misleading, though, as he sported a O-Contact rate above 80% through his last three seasons — and still managed wRC+’s of 109, 126, and 112 in those seasons.
So, it comes back to BABIP. I have heard many a mournful Mariners fan say ol’ Ichi cannot catch the fastball anymore. Indeed, the pitch type values indicate he is enduring an unprecedented struggle with fastballs (-0.88 runs per 100 pitches; his previous career low was -0.12) and sliders (-3.42 per 100; previous career low: -2.26).
I recall Marinerites lodging similar laments in the waning Ken Griffey Jr. Era. It should come to us as no surprise, then, that Ken Griffey Jr.’s BABIP also declined in his final year. In fact, it made a steady decline through his career as a whole:
But here’s the deal: Age has never really had a solid correlation to BABIP. At least, none that I have ever discovered. Look at Ichiro’sheart rate monitor yearly BABIP:
Digging deeper, we find the possibilities of bad luck and Balrogs. A player’s BABIP is merely the surface of their batted ball data; what boils underneath is a stew of liners, grounders, flies, and bunts — the four basic batted ball results. These four elements combine with a player’s speed, luck, the defense’s ability, and [joke] the player’s aim [/joke] to make the final or surface BABIP.
For Ichiro, his speed seems intact. His speed score (6.0) is actually up from his last two seasons (5.3ish). Meanwhile, he has 26 steals to 5 captures and an aforementioned, rather decent base-running score.
So let’s look at Ichiro’s stew, his mix of liners and whatnot. For the most part, we see he at or near his career norms: A solid line drive rate, a high groundball rate, and a low fly ball rate. Notably, though, he has hit a lot of infield flies (16.0%), much like the ill-fated final showing of Griffey Jr. (16.7%).
But, unless there’s a serious pitch classification error (and there may be, I’m not sure), then Ichiro’s line drives are “softer
He is now in season 11 of the MLB portion of his career and season 20 of his professional career. Despite his age, he has played in 102 of the Seattle Mariners’ 103 games this year (not counting today). Moreover, he has more plate appearances (457) than anyone over age 35 in 2011. The next closest, Paul Konerko, is over 30 PAs behind him.
Ichiro may look as healthy and athletic as ever, but his numbers this year have been very un-Ichiro-like:
wOBA: .285
wRC+: 80
UZR: -8.4
Bsr: 2.3
All, except for the base-running (UBR) numbers, are career lows for Ich-dawg. We have long-anticipated Ichiro would slow down his ageless mastery of baseball at some point, but the depreciation in his 2011 statistics seem rather sudden. Worth noting:
BABIP: .289
For most players, .289 is normal. For most 37-year-old players, .289 is great. However, Ichiro has a career BABIP of .353 and as recently as last year sported that exact BABIP.
His problems seem to stem from this uncommonly low BABIP. He’s walking at his career rates (0.1% above, actually) and striking out less (8.5%) than this career rate (9.3%). The only plate discipline number out of whack is his O-Contact rate, which says he’s touching 86% of balls outside the strike zone — compared to a 76.7% career number. This may be a bit misleading, though, as he sported a O-Contact rate above 80% through his last three seasons — and still managed wRC+’s of 109, 126, and 112 in those seasons.
So, it comes back to BABIP. I have heard many a mournful Mariners fan say ol’ Ichi cannot catch the fastball anymore. Indeed, the pitch type values indicate he is enduring an unprecedented struggle with fastballs (-0.88 runs per 100 pitches; his previous career low was -0.12) and sliders (-3.42 per 100; previous career low: -2.26).
I recall Marinerites lodging similar laments in the waning Ken Griffey Jr. Era. It should come to us as no surprise, then, that Ken Griffey Jr.’s BABIP also declined in his final year. In fact, it made a steady decline through his career as a whole:
But here’s the deal: Age has never really had a solid correlation to BABIP. At least, none that I have ever discovered. Look at Ichiro’s
Digging deeper, we find the possibilities of bad luck and Balrogs. A player’s BABIP is merely the surface of their batted ball data; what boils underneath is a stew of liners, grounders, flies, and bunts — the four basic batted ball results. These four elements combine with a player’s speed, luck, the defense’s ability, and [joke] the player’s aim [/joke] to make the final or surface BABIP.
For Ichiro, his speed seems intact. His speed score (6.0) is actually up from his last two seasons (5.3ish). Meanwhile, he has 26 steals to 5 captures and an aforementioned, rather decent base-running score.
So let’s look at Ichiro’s stew, his mix of liners and whatnot. For the most part, we see he at or near his career norms: A solid line drive rate, a high groundball rate, and a low fly ball rate. Notably, though, he has hit a lot of infield flies (16.0%), much like the ill-fated final showing of Griffey Jr. (16.7%).
But, unless there’s a serious pitch classification error (and there may be, I’m not sure), then Ichiro’s line drives are “softer
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He could hit 20-25 homers every year if he wanted to though.
- 25,109
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- Joined
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He could hit 20-25 homers every year if he wanted to though.
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