Rumors for May, 2010
Dontrelle Willis Rumors: New York Mets not interested – Florida Marlins mild interest
Posted by: | Comments
5/31 21:18: According to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post, the Marlins are considering a re-union with Dontrelle Willis. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed “mild interest” in Willis, but it’s a subject that is being debated by the front office.
5/31 20:15: It doesn’t look like Dontrelle Willis will return to the National League East. According to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post and Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, neither the Marlins or Mets are interested in pursuing Willis. Willis was designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
Martino adds that the Mets are not interested in Willis or Nelson Figueroa, who was recently cut by the Philadelphia Phillies. The team is pleased with its depth of pitching within the organization and believes that it has better options in the Minors.
Willis, 28, pitched with the Marlins from 2003-2007. He had his best year with the Marlins in 2005 when he went 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA.
VIDEO: Dodgers win game over Diamondbacks with walk-off balk?
Posted by: | CommentsOver the weekend we saw a strange walk-off grand slam that resulted in a Kendry Morales broken leg. Tonight the Los Angeles Dodgers win a game 5-4 over the Arizona Diamondbacks by getting a balk called on pitcher Esmerling Vasquez. The Dodgers’ Casey Blake scored the winning run on the balk.
Dontrelle Willis Rumors: Arizona Diamondbacks have interest in LHP
Posted by: | Comments
5/31 20:44: Steve Gilbert of MLB.com confirms the D-backs have interest in acquiring the veteran left-handed pitcher.
“We are at least considering him,” D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes said Monday
Gilbert has had discussions with Detroit regarding Willis. Because Willis was designated for assignment, the Tigers have 10 days to trade, release him or place the player on waivers with the hopes they can send him to the Minor Leagues. In Willis’ case he will unlikely accept an assignment to the Minors
5/31 16:53: Could the D-Train be headed back to the National League? According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Daily Republic, he tweets, “Dbacks have interest in LHP Dontrelle Willis as a starter. Willis was designated for assignment by the Tigers over the weekend.”
Willis’ agent, Matt Sosnick, says that Arizona is “one of the places he would rather play.” Sosnick added, “Out west in the National League would be his choice.” Sosnick said that Willis and his wife are buying a home in the Phoenix area – a process that started before Willis was designated for assignment.
Willis went 2-8 with a 6.86 ERA over the last three years with the Tigers, covering 24 games — 22 of them starts. He missed stretches over the previous two seasons to the disabled list — a knee injury in 2008, then what was termed as anxiety disorder last year — but at the root, his Tigers tenure came down to a seemingly endless battle with finding the strike zone consistently.
There has been talks within the organization regarding their starting pitching. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports over the weekend said that the Arizona Diamondbacks have internally discussed trading their ace, Dan Haren or their number two pitcher, Edwin Jackson.
Rosenthal notes that the combined salary of both pitchers would jump from $12.8 million to about $20.5 million in 2011 – a salary too high for the Diamondbacks to afford. With Willis, the D-backs will only be responsible for the prorated portion of the $400,000 minimum salary (about $200-300K).
Stephen Strasburg to make MLB debut for Washington Nationals on June 8
Posted by: | Comments
According to GM Mike Rizzo (via Bill Ladson of MLB.com), Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg will make his debut on June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Why did the Nationals wait until June 8 to call Strasburg up even though he was mowing them down in the Minor Leagues? Service Time.
In certain cases players could become arbitration eligible if they qualify as a Super Two, usually those top tier players that have at least two years and 140 days of Major League service. Strasburg likely will be a Super Two by 2012 and when he’s arbitration-eligible in 2013 he’ll be compared to top tier first-time eligible pitchers such as Felix Hernandez or Justin Verlander. Strasburg’s salary could be in the $4.5 million range in 2013 when compared to the Heranandez’s or Verlander’s.
Depending on Strasburg’s ability to stay in the Major Leagues and not being sent back down, he can become eligible for free agency in the 2016-2017 off season.
St. Louis Cardinals Rumors: Could they go after White Sox Mark Buehrle?
Posted by: | Comments
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says it would not be a surprise if the St. Louis Cardinals add a starting pitcher to their roster. Currently the injuries to Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse leave the team’s rotation vulnerable. Rosenthal says the Cardinals will patch the loss of Lohse internally, but additional problems may come up if another pitcher cannot stay healthy.
The team has payroll flexibility come trade deadline, but they may be reluctant to trade prospects since their farm system was depleted during the deals for Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa and Khalil Greene over the last few years.
Rosenthal suggests that the Cardinals could go after White Sox left handed pitcher Mark Buehrle, a native of St. Charles, MO. Buehrle has always wanted to pitch for his hometown team. Buehrle gains full no-trade protection on July 15 so the teams will need to make a deal before that date. Rosenthal says the biggest obstacle will be the balance of his $14 million salary this season and the $14 million salary next season.
Los Angeles Angels Rumors: Will team sign Jermaine Dye to replace Kendry Morales?
Posted by: | Comments
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says one MLB GM expects the Los Angeles Angels to sign free agent Jermaine Dye. The Angels will need to replace injured first baseman Kendry Morales‘ bat in the line up. Morales broke his leg on Saturday celebrating a walk-off grand slam.
The Angels had interest in Dye before they signed outfielder and DH Hideki Matsui during the off season. Dye traditionally an outfielder and DH has made only one career appearance at first base.
Rosenthal says there are a few other low cost options that could play first base including Adam LaRoche, Russell Branyan and Mike Lowell (with the assumption that the Red Sox pay most of his salary). The White Sox Paul Konerko may be available but he’s pricey at the remainder of his $12 million contract.
Rosenthal suggests that the team could continue using Mike Napoli at first and Bobby Wilson at catcher until Jeff Mathis returns from his broken bone in his right wrist.
PRO Rumors: Oliver Perez, Josh Beckett and Nelson Figueroa
Posted by: | CommentsHere are a few PRO Rumors to check out on this holiday weekend. We at PRO Rumors would like to thank all of our past, present and future service men and women. We are very thankful for the sacrifice that you make on a daily basis so that we can be free!
-Oliver Perez has refused a minor league assignment. The only problem for the Mets’ front office personnel is that Perez’s contract gives him the option on whether or not he wants to go to the minors.
On Saturday, Perez imploded in relief against the Braves allowing 3 runs in two innings. An unknown team member had this to say about Perez: “You tell him you go to Triple-A or that’s it, you are finished,” one Mets player said, well aware that Perez is still owed about $20 million on the three-year contract he signed before the 2009 season.
It gets even worse, when manager Jerry Manuel was asked in what type of relief situation would he use Perez in the future he responded: “That’s really a tough question,” Manuel said. “[Maybe] extra innings or something like that, but it’s going to be tough to find spots for him.”
Information from Mike Puma of the New York Post was used in this article.
-Boston’s Josh Beckett has shut down his rehab program and will not throw again until he is 100 % pain free in his lower back. “The day before my side (session) was pretty good,” Beckett said. “It was limited activity, but it gives you that sense of everything’s going to be OK and the next day you come in and obviously it’s not.”
The Red Sox will again gauge where Beckett is at on Tuesday before deciding how to proceed. Beckett had a similar injury in 2008. He dealt with the problem all season, which led to other injures, so the club does not want a repeat performance and will be cautious. On the year, Beckett is 1-1 with a 7.29 ERA far from the ace they expected him to be.
Information from Joe McDonald of BostonESPN.com was used in this article.
Roy Oswalt Rumors: Pitcher worth the risk for Detroit Tigers?
Posted by: | Comments
Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press says that the Tigers should take a risk on Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt. By risk, Sharp means two things: contract and the prospect bounty.
If the Tigers acquire Oswalt they will inherit the remaining two years on Oswalt’s contract and the roughly $31 million owed to the pitcher. The team will also have to likely give up two of their premier prospects. At the end of the day Sharp says that “It’s worth it. You can’t fall in love with hope if it blinds you to one of a minor league prodigy’s principle values: trade bait for that one veteran piece that could put the Tigers over the top.”
The decision by the Tigers’ front office can go either way with Oswalt. The team just designated Dontrelle Willis for assignment, but 25-year-old Max Scherzer struck out 14 batters in 5 2/3 innings today so it’ll be interesting to see if the Tigers can trust Scherzer with the front of the rotation role that can take the team into and through the playoffs.
Detroit Tigers Gerald Laird hopes jersey number change will change his luck
Posted by: | CommentsDetroit Tigers catcher 
Gerald Laird’s number 8 is no more. As of last Friday, Laird is wearing number 12, a number that used to be worn by hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. Laird worked out a deal with his hitting coach to get his number with the hopes that his hitting would improve.
“Just changing it up,” Laird said. “That’s all I’m doing. Maybe my luck will change a little bit.”
With number 12 on his back, he went 0-for-3 on Saturday and 2-for-3 on Sunday. He’s currently batting .229.
According to Jason Beck and Alex DiFilippo of MLB.com, McClendon will wear No. 19.
