Rumors for June, 2010
In May 2009,the Seattle Mariners bullpen catcher Jason Phillips saw an attractive woman in the stands and made a promise to the guys in the ‘pen.
“If we go extra innings, I’m gonna make a move,” Phillips said. “If we go to extra innings, that’s gotta be a sign.”
Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times says the game went into extra innings and Phillips grabbed a baseball, scribbled his number on it and tossed the ball to the women.
After 15 innings, Phillips returned to the clubhouse and saw a text message. “My name is Molly. Nice to meet you.”
On Sunday, about an hour and a half after the game ends, Phillips and Molly Ray will get married in the bullpen at Safeco Field in Seattle.
“It kind of has to be there,” Phillip says. “It’s only right.”
Detroit Tigers Trade Rumors: Taking a wait-and-see approach
Posted by: | CommentsJon Paul Morosi of FOXSports says the Detroit Tigers are taking a wait-and-see approach to the midseason trade market.
“It’s been quiet,” one club official said.
Morosi says that the team could use an upgrade at shortstop and possible trade candidates include Stephen Drew (Diamondbacks) or Ryan Theriot (Cubs). The Tigers have had the second-worst shortstop production in the majors in the tandem of Ramon Santiago and rookie Danny Worth, as determined by OPS.
The team could also pursue left-handed pitching since Comerica Park caters to it. The team currently does not have a left-handed starter. Could the Tigers go after Cliff Lee of the Seattle Mariners?
Darin Erstad Retirement Rumors: “I’m done”
Posted by: | Comments“I’m done,” Darin Erstad said. “I had my time. I always said, ‘When I’m done, I’m done.’ … I’m good.”
The three-time Gold Glove winner Erstad is now chasing his kids rather than baseballs.
“I couldn’t be much happier,” he said from his home in Lincoln, Neb. “I got to live a dream playing baseball for 14 years, now I’m getting to live the other side and it’s a blast.”
Erstad retires with a career .282/.336/.407 in 14 seasons with the Angels, White Sox and Astros. The pinnacle of his long career was catching the final out in 2002 of the World Series that clinched the Los Angeles Angels only World Championship. The Marlins considered picking up Erstad this off-season, but did not go through with it.
Information from Dave Selvig of The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead was used in this article.
Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine says the Mets are looking to add a starting pitcher, and not a five-inning, 100-pitch, No. 4 or No. 5 guy. The Mets want a solid No. 1 or No. 2 pitcher.
Olney says the Mets will have several choices:
Roy Oswalt: Oswalt may be too expensive given the $27 million that is owed to him and the fact that the Astros will want good prospects in return.
Cliff Lee: There is sentiment internally that the Mets will make a good run at the left-handed pitcher. The downside is that the Mets may not have good enough prospects to make Seattle bite.
Ben Sheets: The Mets were second in the Sheets bidding last off-season and the Mets can absorb whatever is left of his $10 million salary this year.
Fausto Carmona: The pitcher has a 3.23 ERA and has improved command. Carmona may be a long-term liability that the Mets may not want. He’s signed for $6.1 million next y ear and a series of options through 2014.
Dan Haren: The Diamondbacks may want a significant return for Haren, and the Mets would rather take on a player who costs more in dollars than in prospects.
Jake Westbrook: Olney also suggests that Cleveland right-hander Westbrook is available. Westbrook has been rumored as a target of the Mets. The Mets had advanced scouts watching Westbrook earlier this month and will get a first-hand look at him tonight when Westbrook starts for the Indians.
Alex Rodriguez Rumors: Not dating Cameron Diaz?
Posted by: | CommentsWhen Playboy Magazine asked actress Cameron Diaz if she and New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez were an item, she said, “No, no, no. I’ve been in relationships since I was 16 years old. In the past three years I’ve made a conscious decision not to be in a relationship for as long as I want. … I want to have a relationship with myself right now.”
This is an odd statement from somebody that apparently has had interest in Rodriguez since the Super Bowl. She was filmed last month walking out of Rodriguez’s apartment. She’s been out to dinner with him. They took a private plane to Boston, and they worked their scheduled around quick trips to Miami to meet up.
Maybe this is an opportunity for A-Rod’s last girlfriend, Kate Hudson, to get back into the mix.
Los Angeles Angels designate Michael Ryan for assignment
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com, the Angels have designated outfielder Michael Ryan for assignment to make room for the return of catcher Jeff Mathis. Mathis is returning from a broken wrist suffered in April.
“I had a blast being here,” Ryan said. “These guys gave me the opportunity to get back to the big leagues. I’ll never forget that. I just wish I could have done better.”
Ryan, 32, hit .205 with no home runs in 39 at-bats. He has been out of the Major Leagues since 2005.
The Angels would like Ryan to return to Triple-A Salt Lake, but this chioce is his and he has not decided what he’s going to do next.
Information from Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times was used in this article.
Los Angeles Dodgers sign RHP Claudio Vargas
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to the Pacific Coast League transaction page, the Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers) have signed right-handed pitcher Claudio Vargas. The Brewers gave Vargas his unconditional release in early June.
Vargas was with the Dodgers in 2009 before he was traded to the Brewers in July for catcher Vinny Rottino. Vargas was 1-0 with a 7.32 ERA in 17 appearances for the Brewers this season.
Update – Pedro Martinez Rumors: Philadelphia Phillies to talk to pitcher about comeback
Posted by: | Comments6/16 20:41: According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said the rumors are “overblown.”
“I don’t think anything’s going to happen with the Phillies,” said a person close to Martinez, indicating that the pitcher is seeking significantly more money than the Phillies want to pay. “I just don’t think it’s going to happen.”
“I haven’t spoken with Pedro’s representatives in three weeks, maybe a month,” Amaro said Wednesday. “The last time I spoke with Pedro was two months ago. Take it from there.
“I don’t know if he wants to pitch. I don’t know if he’s been throwing or if he’s even run a sprint. If he decides he wants to pitch, I’m sure we’d take a look at him, as we would take a look at any other pitcher. If we liked what we saw, we could have some interest depending on our needs and his price tag. Anything beyond that right now is overblown.”
6/16 11:17: Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com says the Philadelphia Phillies have talk to Pedro Martinez and his agent about a possible comeback.
“We have talked to his agent, but there’s nothing so far,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “We are not negotiating, but we’ve been talking to him. It all depends on whether he wants to play or not.”
Sources close to Martinez told ESPNdeportes.com that he plans to pitch in the second half of the season and that he is undergoing a physical conditioning regimen in the Dominican Republic and Miami.
Amaro said talks between the team, Martinez and his agent began “a few weeks ago. We have talked to Pedro, but we don’t know [yet].”
Last week, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports said that Martinez needed to be “really motivated” to pitch this season. Rosenthal translates this as a request for more money than the $1 million paid to the pitcher last year by the Phillies for his six weeks of work. Before today’s news, many have said that Martinez was very content on retiring.
PRO Rumors Editorial – What Should the Astros Do?
Posted by: | CommentsThe rumors recently have the Houston Astros shopping one, if not both, of their homegrown stars as the summer trade deadline approaches. It does make sense for the Astros to be looking around for the best possible talent-haul they could get back for either Roy Oswalt or Lance Berkman, but is that even possible?
The Astros for the last three to four seasons have been that cautionary tale that all stat-geeks talk about when referring to teams that pay for perceived skill based on reputation instead of actual value based on production. In large part this tale is affirmed with the contracts given to league-average players such as Pedro Feliz, and Brandon Lyon, in an effort to be “competitive” when that money would be better spent on amateur players.
For a franchise in the market size of Houston – which let’s be honest, Houston is a rather large city, any payroll limitations they may have are self-inflicted – the best bargain of talent they can find is through Latin-American signings and the draft. Instead, coming as close as they did at winning the World Series in 2005, Houston ever since has been trying to regain that level of talent by handing out massive contracts to +30 year old players. It’s not a great idea. Ask the Phillies in five years regarding Ryan Howard.
So while owner Drayton McLane might find it better for the sake of his PR department to keep players that the community can identify with – which is a largely foolish reason to keep a player – he’s stuck keeping the player that should be traded, Carlos Lee, because of some $46 million still owed to him over the next three years and a full no-trade clause. Lee is a prime example of what “old-player skills” look like when they get, well, old. He’s a terrible leftfielder with a slowing bat and a whole ton of money still coming his way. He’s stuck.
So what should the Astros do? Blow it up. Of course, I’m always in favor of blowing it up when it comes to perennially bad teams with three players making over $14 million. If you’re going to lose, lose with young talent. The only problem is each player has a full no-trade clause, but hopefully, the chance to player for a winner could get each to waive that.
Trading Oswalt and Berkman and eating a large sum of the money like Cleveland did when they traded Casey Blake to the Dodgers for Carlos Santana, should be first on the agenda. Sure that’s easier said than done because it isn’t my money, but teams every year fall into the same trap over worrying about money owed to players because of familiarity.
Veterans make a lot of money for the most part because they’ve been around long enough to accumulate the counting stats that necessitate raises. See: Feliz, Pedro. Also there’s a case of “I know what I have in this guy” syndrome floating around that keeps bad teams bad. Veterans are, if nothing else consistent, and that in baseball’s mind means a lot. But at this point Oswalt’s value to the Astros is more in what he can bring back in terms of young talent than his current 3.16 ERA. Why? Because it’s not like they’re winning with him anyway.
Oswalt is signed through 2011 with a healthy club option of $16 million for 2012. Chances are that’s not getting picked up, so whatever team trades for him is looking at roughly $25.5 million for the right-hander after his $2 million buyout.
Berkman’s contract is up at the end of this year so he fits the literal definition of Rental Player. There’s almost no way the Astros can flip Berkman for talent if they don’t eat most, if not all, of the remaining money on his contract. A 34-year-old first baseman having a bad year isn’t exactly a top priority for most clubs. But you can envision a club like the Angels looking into Berkman as someone to fill the void left by the (hilariously) injured Kendry Morales.
Houston should use Oswalt and Berkman as if they would, or should, use the draft. The money they would be spending to send each player to another team should be considered the same as a signing bonus they would give a drafted amateur. These two players give the Astros a chance to quickly rebound a farm system that hasn’t produced an all-star player since, well, these two.
