Rumors for March, 2010
Kris Benson Rumors: Working out for Diamondbacks
Posted by: | Comments03/12 21:17: Veteran right-hander Kris Benson threw for team officials on Friday and reached 90 miles per hour with his fastball.
According to Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthalof Fox Sports.com, the Diamondbacks will probably make a decision in the next 24 hours on what sort of deal to offer the 35-year-old Benson.
Brandon Webb’s status is worrisome for Arizona because the club has little depth at the other end of its rotation. If Webb is out, Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy will probably occupy the top three spots, followed by some combination of Kevin Mulvey, Billy Buckner and Rodrigo Lopez and now possibly Benson.
03/12 13:25:Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic says that free agent right-handed pitcher Kris Benson threw a simulated game in Arizona today against Minor League hitters for five innings.
Piecoro mentioned that GM Josh Byrnes confirmed that Benson was in camp. It’s speculated that Benson did not throw very hard since Byrnes did not provide many details about his outing.
“He came here to work out and we certainly afforded him the opportunity,” Byrnes said. “Every club is always wanting to ensure pitching depth. It’s an evaluation worth doing. We’ll see how we proceed.”
It was rumored that in addition to the Diamondbacks, the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been interested in Benson.
Benson, 35, has only appeared in eight Major League games since 2006 because of arm and elbow injuries. In his eight games with the Texas Rangers last season, he was 1-1 with a 8.46 ERA in 22 1/3 innings. You can see Benson’s statistics here.
PRO Rumors: Manny, Ethier, Kemp, Belliard and Aroldis Chapman
Posted by: | CommentsHere are a few PRO Rumors stories to check out:
- Move over Manny Ramirez as you are no longer the face of the Dodgers. The new face(s) of the team……. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. A shipment of the Dodgers’ 2010 media guides was delivered to Camelback Ranch and on the cover of the 472-page book: Ethier and Kemp. According to Dodger officials, the honor was given to Kemp and Ethier to commemorate the Silver Slugger awards they won last season. But don’t worry Dodger fans Mannywood seating will still be in effect and you can still wear your famous dreadlocks to the game and not be looked at weirdly.
- Dylan Hernandez of Los Angeles Times reported (via twitter) that Ronnie Belliard has in fact not reached the necessary weight of 209 pounds that he needs to reach to make his contract guaranteed. Belliard has to reach the set weight (209) at any point during spring training. When Belliard showed up to camp, he estimated his weight at “210 or 211.”
- According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com Dusty Baker is doing his best to bring Aroldis Chapman along slowly but can he keep Chapman in the minors at the start of the season? Chapman has been very impressive, though one has to remember it is only spring training. Chapman continues to work hard and is also very tough on himself. When Chapman was asked about his performance today he said, “I was not finishing up my pitches very well with the slider,” Chapman said. “That’s why I was not happy with it.” This is coming from the pitcher who made the heart of the Dodger lineup look silly as he got Andre Ethier to foul out, Matt Kemp struck out swinging as he saw a 100 MPH fastball then a 90 MPH change up. Lastly he got Casey Blake swinging. After 6 years, the Reds will probably be arrested for robbery as they are paying Chapman around $5 million a year. A safe bet would be Chapman’s next contract will probably be at least triple the dollar amount of his contract now.
Eddie Guardado Rumors: Could the Mets be looking at the lefty?
Posted by: | CommentsESPN Insider says that newly released pitcher Eddie Guardado could be a fit for the New York Mets. The Mets have been interested in Ron Mahay and Joe Beimel, two left-handed pitchers.
It was suggested that Guardado could get his old job back as a closer for the Minnesota Twins. However, the Pioneer Press quickly shot that idea down.
The only problem, according to ESPN Insider, is that he is not very effective against left-handed batters. In 2009, lefties hit .333/.400/.519 off of him
Gaurdado, 39, has pitched for the Twins, Mariners, Reds and Rangers. Guardado was released by the Washington Nationals yesterday. He was 1-2 with a 4.46 ERA in 48 games with the Rangers in 2009. You can see Guardado’s statistics here.
Here are your T.G.I.F. PRO Rumors:
- Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury says that rookie pitcher Madison Bumgarner did not crack 90 mph in his recent outing against the Seattle Mariners. Bumgarner was expected to be the No. 5 starter for the Giants. If he cannot prove that he has a Major League velocity, expect that the No. 5 job will go to right-handed pitcher Todd Wellemeyer.
- Former San Francisco Giant Ryan Garko said the Giants were going to acquire Northern California native Nick Johnson to play first base. Johnson ended up signing a one-year deal with the New York Yankees. (Andrew Baggerly, San Jose Mercury)
- Jarrod Washburn told Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports that the “odds are probably not great” when asked if he would be joining the Seattle Mariners this season.
- Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario has not reported to Spring Training due to visa issues. He has missed three appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela to clear up his issues. (Tony Jackson, ESPNLosAngeles.com)
- According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, both manager Lou Piniella and the Chicago Cubs are open to having a “conversation” if Piniella decides he wants to manage beyond the 2010. Piniella’s contract will run out after 2010. He adds that Triple-A Iowa manager Ryne Sandberg and Yankees manager Joe Girardi could be candidates for the Cubs’ job if Piniella does not return.
- According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, now that Todd Helton has freed up cash flow for the Colorado Rockies, the team can now plan for upcoming free agents Jorge de la Rosa, Brad Hawpe and Jeff Francis. The latter two have pricey club options for 2011.
- 39-year-old Jim Edmonds of the Milwaukee Brewers has not lost a step according to Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel. “I was surprised right away in the off-season, how quickly things were working for me,” said Edmonds, who already has made a handful of superb catches.
Lance Berkman Rumors: All Star first baseman to have minor knee surgery
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to the Associated Press, Lance Berkman will have minor surgery on his left knee Saturday and will miss two to four weeks. It’s possible that the All Star first baseman will Opening Day.
Berkman, 34, injured his knee during a base running drill early last week, but played five Spring Training games. The diagnosis is a bruised knee. The swelling in the knee prompted doctors to operate on the injury. The first baseman had arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in 1999.
Berkman is entering the final season of an $85 million, six year contract extension. He hit .274 with 25 home runs and 80 RBIs with the Astros in 2009. You can see Berkman’s contract history and statistics here.
Josh Beckett Contract Rumors: Wants longer deal than Lackey
Posted by: | CommentsJon Heyman of Sports Illustrated says that the negotiations between the Boston Red Sox and pitcher Josh Beckett are making progress. Heyman says that the Red Sox want to replicate the John Lackey $82.5 million, five-year deal, but Beckett wants a slightly longer deal. Heyman predicts the negotiations will continue for a few more weeks.
Earlier this week, Nick Cafardo of Boston Globe said, the “Sox could insist on medical language similar to what’s included in the deals of John Lackey and J.D. Drew. Jason Bay wouldn’t bite on the language, but Beckett may consider it just to stay in Boston, where he has already forged a great relationship with Lackey and continues to build one with Jon Lester.”
Beckett, 29, has compiled a lifetime 106-68 record with a 3.79 ERA. You can see Beckett’s contract history and statistics here.
John Smoltz Rumors: Closer for the Twins?
Posted by: | CommentsIn the wake of Joe Nathan’s injury, several names have come us as possible candidates to replace the closer including Indians closer Kerry Wood, Padres closer Heath Bell and Reds closer Francisco Cordero. Today, the Pioneer Press suggest that free agent John Smoltz could go back to his old closer duties.
Greg Olson, former teammate and catcher of Smoltz praised the former closer’s ability to throw hard with command. Olson said. “He’s still got pop on his fastball, and he’s got that nasty, quick, hard slider, the same as Nathan.”
While there’s no official word from the Twins or Smoltz camp, it does make a viable option for the Twins who have recently gone from AL Central shoe-ins to merely contenders.
Mets preferred Jason Bay over John Lackey
Posted by: | CommentsA major league source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that the Mets thought a five-year offer to John Lackey would be riskier than a four-year offer to Jason Bay. “We liked Lackey,” said Mets general manager Omar Minaya during his team’s game with the Red Sox, Thursday. “We thought Lackey was probably the best starting pitcher out there. As for as Bay, we thought we needed a power hitter. Give Boston credit, they were aggressive. At the time of the winter meetings we talked to both of them and they were very aggressive going after Lackey. I’ll give them credit. They liked the guy, they went after him right away.”
Bay also offered his opinion of the signing. “You look at it now and it’s genius,” Bay said Thursday. “Look at that pitching staff and it’s ridiculous. But at the time it didn’t look like there was a need. But it was a great move.
Minaya did not see the issues with Bay’s defense as did the Red Sox and many other teams in the majors. He believes his defense may have slipped while in Boston because of the green monster and its difficulties.
I just can’t see how a team that lacks pitching depth after the 1 and 2 spots would not be more aggressive after a guy like Lackey. This year is probably a make or break year for Minaya, and with the obvious lack of pitching depth, I am surprised by the lack of moves Minaya made. There are some arms still available that would be an upgrade to the starting rotation (John Smoltz, Pedro Martinez) and to the bullpen (Joe Beimel) as well. With that said, I do not see the Mets adding either Smoltz or Martinez and think Beimel is out of their price league right now. But with no job, Beimel could slowly be coming into their price range.
For some of you, it’s already T.G.I.F., but for those at PRO Rumor’s HQ, it’s still Thursday. So enjoy these stories get through the grind:
- Former Padres GM, Kevin Towers will start working for the New York Yankees as an assistant to GM Brian Cashman. According to Tom Krasovic of MLB Fanhouse, the Yankees will pay him $50,000 while the Padres are on the hook for more than $1 million in remaining salary. Towers said he’d like to become a GM again.
- George A. King III of the New York Post says that Yankees are a favorite to sign Cuban Adeinis Hechavarria. However, there are five teams interested in the shortstop.
- 19-year-old Shelby Miller played in his first appearance with the Cardinals this week. Miller is barely 10 months out of high school. Miller’s family was able to attend the game after driving 22 hours from their home in Brownwood, Texas. (B.J. Rains, St. Louis Globe-Democrat)
- Marty Noble of MLB.com says that shortstop Jose Reyes is all but certain to be on the disabled list come the Mets season opener. Reyes has been diagnosed with an overactive thyroid and could miss as much as eight weeks.
