Rumors for May, 2011
Nationals still looking for a CF, leadoff hitter
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Back in April, we learned that the Nationals were looking for help in center field. Today, according to a baseball source close to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, the Nationals are not only looking for a center fielder, but someone who can be a leadoff hitter as well.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post Tweeted that the Nationals inquired with the Astros about Michael Bourn a couple of weeks ago, but the talks didn’t advance much.
The team’s center fielder, has not been productive and according to Ladson they are not getting any production from the leadoff spot either. So a leadoff center fielder could solve both of their problems.
Early in May, the Nationals traded for center fielder Gregor Blanco, but he has not been productive at Triple-A.
Roger Bernadina could be an option although many members inside the organization don’t consider him a center fielder. If they decide to trade Ivan Rodriguez or Todd Coffey they will probably ask for a center fielder with leadoff hitting skills.
As a Venezuelan and big fan of Blanco, he could be a perfect fit as long as he becomes more productive. I’ve seen him play a lot in Venezuela and he has a lot of qualities that identify him as a leadoff hitter.
Besides that, he has a lot of range in the outfield, a powerful arm and a reliable glove. The down side, even though he’s fast, he still has to learn how to jump on pitchers to steal a base and be a little bit more aggressive at the dish so he doesn’t strike out looking that often.
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New York Mets may deal David Wright this winter
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The New York Mets have been long suspected of dealing shortstop Jose Reyes away since he’ll be a free agent after the season, but a source close to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says that GM Sandy Alderson could deal long-time third baseman David Wright.
“It will be a very ticklish situation because of what David has meant to the team for so long, but that’s not a concern of Sandy,” the source said. “There will be some capital there to spend on Reyes if they choose to go that direction. Now, he can’t obviously get monster money. If Reyes wants monster money, no, the Mets won’t keep him.”
Alderson has indicated that he’ll likely approach Reyes’ agents before the trading deadline to see how much he’ll be seeking in the off-season.
The source adds that it’s likely the Mets will complete the season with both Reyes and Wright on the roster. The team may try to re-sign Reyes, but if they don’t then they’ll offer him arbitration and collect two first-round draft picks.
“I think they’ll go to him and they’ll request a home-team discount,” the source said. “He’s got reasons to stay. The flights between New York and the Dominican are easy. He’d be the man. That’s for sure, if that’s what he wants.”
Wright is under contract with the Mets for two more years with an team option for $16 million in 2013. His salary will likely prevent the team from retaining their third baseman.
Said the source: “If they wanted to move Wright, there’s no better time to move him than now, because there still will be teams out there thinking, ‘Well, David Wright was sabotaged by the stadium. He’s still a good player. He’d be a good fit where he doesn’t have to be the guy,’ which he’s been here for so long. So they can get some return on Wright. Plus the fact that he has two years left on his deal, so you’re not talking about long-term financial damage for any team that does pick him up.”
There were rumors in early May about the possibility of the Giants acquiring Reyes from the Mets. San Francisco eventually denied those rumors.
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Pitchers notes: Soria, Coke, Garcia and Jimenez
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Here are some notes regarding some Major League pitchers:
– Joakim Soria has lost his job as the Royals closer after another meltdown against the Angels yesterday, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. “I went to his office and told him it’s the right time to do it,” Soria said. “I don’t want to be (the reason for) this losing streak. The team is playing really well, and they need a man who can go after (the other team). Right now, that’s not (me).”
Manager Ned Yost identified rookie Aaron Crowas Soria’s primary replacement. Crowis 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA in 22 games.
– Tigers left hander Phil Coke is hoping to return to the team’s rotation by June 8 according to Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press. Coke will have one rehab start at Triple-A Toledo on Friday and manager, Jim Leyland, doesn’t believe he’ll need more than that.
– Cardinals manager, Tony LaRussa met with starter Jaime Garcia after his last outing to clarify any mixed messages he perceived, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post. “I just wanted him to know there wasn’t any hidden meaning or any hidden messages behind it,” said LaRussa.
Garcia allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over 11 hits throughout 3.1 innings against the Rockies last Saturday. According to LaRussa, he left Garcia in the game for so long because he didn’t want to over-use his bullpen, who is also having problems of their own.
“We had another game in the series. If we didn’t have to play on Monday, the decision would have been different. But, obviously, we played on Monday,” he added.
– The Colorado Rockies not only lost Jorge de la Rosa for the season, but also their ace, Ubaldo Jimenez hasn’t won a game this season. Dave Krieger of the Denver Post remind us that Jimenez a year ago today had a 10-1 record with a 0.78 ERA. This season he is 0-5 and an ERA of 5.86.
The apparent reason for his struggles could be the velocity of his fastball. Last season he was routinely in the upper 90’s, while this season he’s between the high 80’s and low 90’s.
“I know my velocity is not there, so I have to find a way to pitch with whatever I have,” Jimenez said.
Apparently Jimenez couldn’t build up his usual arm strength during Spring Training because of a variety of minor ailments, and he already visited the Disabled List back in April.
Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca also thinks that Jimenez is over emphasizing his control which could also be a reason for his loss of velocity.
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Reds designate Tom Cochran for assignment
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The Cincinnati Reds have designated left handed pitcher Tom Cochran for assignment according to the team’s official Twitter account.
The movement will create room for right handed pitcher Chad Reineke who was promoted to the Majors today.
Cochran was 5-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 28.2 innings throughout eight games, four starts with the Reds’ Triple-A team. Reineke was 5-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 53.2 innings throughout ten games, nine starts at Triple-A.
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Will the Rangers trade David Murphy?
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With Josh Hamilton coming off the Disabled List, left fielder David Murphy again became the team’s fourth outfielder and may become expendable.
T.R Sullivan of MLB.com points out that left fielders around the Majors have a combined .713 OPS, the lowest from that position in the past 30 years, and numbers suggest Murphy could help a lot of teams in an everyday role.
“It’s hard to think about numbers right now because I’m struggling,” Murphy said. “You don’t even want to think about numbers, you just want to go out and play well. You don’t need to look at the scoreboard. You get a feel if you are hitting the ball well or not. The numbers will take care of themselves.”
Even though Murphy has been struggling, maybe an everyday role could give him a boost offensively and help another team in need of a bat.
A possible trade match for the Rangers could be the Padres. They are in desperate need for offense, and we’ve learned that they are interested in Padres’ closer Heath Bell.
In six Major League seasons ,Murphy is a lifetime .276/.338/.447 hitter with 51 HR’s and 226 RBI’s with the Rangers and Red Sox.
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Olney on: Diamondbacks, Rodriguez and Bell
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Here’s the latest from ESPN’s Buster Olney:
– The Arizona Diamondbacks are going to be aggressive on the trade front before the deadline if they continue to conten, as they have money to spend.
– The Washington Nationals reached out to the Giants regarding Ivan Rodriguez, but it appears not much progress has been made. The Giants are looking for a catcher to replace Buster Posey who they lost to a season-ending injury, and Rodriguez was one of their first replacement choices.
Back in March, we learned that the Nationals were willing to trade Rodriguez if Wilson Ramos was going to be the everyday catcher. The 39-year-old Rodriguez is signed through the 2011 season for $3 million.
– The San Diego Padres will probably trade some of their bigger names in their bullpen in order to get some offensive help. Heath Bell will likely be traded, and as Olney points out, the Padres have not been using him a lot thus protecting his trade value.
Olney also mentions the Cardinals as one of the possibles destinations for Bell. The Cardinals have been having problems with their bullpen and they lack an established closer with experience that can lead them to another NL Central pennant.
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Injury updates: Johnson, Liriano, Ramirez, Doumit and Pearce
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Here’s a running list of injury updates around the Major Leagues:
– Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez isn’t optimistic about Josh Johnson returning June 7 from the Disabled List according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel.
–Francisco Liriano has been placed in the Disabled List due to shoulder soreness according to Phil Mackey of 1500.ESPN.com.
– Marlins short stop Hanley Ramirez left Sunday’s game with discomfort in his lower back and upper left leg, and was held out of today’s lineup as well. The team is hoping the pain will go away in a day or two reports Joe Cappozi of the Palm Beach Post.
– The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed catcher Ryan Doumit on the Disabled List with a sprained left ankle according to Matthew Pouliot of NBCSports.com.
– The team also placed Steve Pearce on the Disabled List after leaving Saturday’s game with a sore calf adds Pouliot.
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Is playing Buster Posey at first base a viable option for the Giants?
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After Buster Posey’s injury, much has been said and speculated, and I know we haven’t heard the end of it, but one of the most interesting things I’ve heard so far is what Bengie Molina said about Posey.
Molina, in his infinite wisdom, suggested that Posey should become a first baseman because he represents a great value for the Giants. Now let’s stop here for a moment and think what this could represent for the Giants in 2012.
With Posey playing first base the Giants would have to move rookie Brandon Belt to the outfield, because I really don’t think the Giants are planning to deal him.
Then they would have to look for a catcher via trade or via free agency because they don’t have much depth in that position. They should try to go after a young, durable catcher so he can give them at least three years in that position. Not an easy endeavour given the lack of possibilities at the moment.
I really think Molina has a point there, but I don’t think the Giants could pull that off, at least not now. Back in April, we heard rumors that the Twins could move Joe Mauer to right field to take advantage of his offensive skills and his powerful arm. Mauer, has proven to us throughout the years that he’s injury prone, so this could be a real possibility for them too.
Teams will always try to take care of their most valuable players, but sometimes it is hard to determine what is the best way to do that. We’re clear that catching is a dangerous position, more than any other position in the field, but is playing Posey at first base the ultimate solution for them?
I’m sure Posey won’t ask for a position change, but if he does, he will put the team in a very complicated situation. Let’s just hope he can fully recover from his injury and be back with the Giants in 2012. As a catcher or a first baseman, I don’t care, just in a Giants uniform.
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White Sox designated INF Dallas McPherson for assignment
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In an announcement by the team, the Chicago White Sox have designated infielder Dallas McPherson for assignment. The team also optioned Lucas Harrell to Triple-A and promoted right-handed pitcher Brian Bruney and Jeff Marquez.
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Cubs designate Jeff Stevens for assignment
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The Chicago Cubs have designated Jeff Stevens for assignment according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
This movement will create room for D.J. LeMahieu on the 40-man roster. Stevens posted a 5.14 ERA in 7 innings for the Cubs this season. LeMahieu is currently hitting .358/.386/.492 with 2 HR’s and 27 RBI’s in 187 AB’s at Double-A.
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