Results tagged ‘ Padres ’
Game 40: Angels-Padres …
Greetings from gorgeous San Diego and massive PETCO Park, site of the Angels’ first Interleague game of the year …
Angels (17-22)
Mike Trout, CF
Maicer Izturis, 3B
Albert Pujols, 1B
Mark Trumbo, RF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Vernon Wells, LF
Erick Aybar, SS
Bobby Wilson, C
Jered Weaver, SP
Padres (14-25)
Will Venable, RF
Cameron Maybin, CF
Chase Headley, 3B
Yonder Alonso, 1B
Jesus Guzman, LF
John Baker, C
Everth Cabrera, SS
Alexi Amarista, 2B
Jeff Suppan, SP
Some pregame notes …
- The Angels are just going to have to deal with the fact they won’t have Kendrys Morales‘ bat in the lineup during these road Interleague games … or are they? Pujols told Mike Scioscia recently about playing third base, which he did for seven games last year and spent a good portion of his first two big league seasons at. Scioscia said, “We’re a long way off,” from seeing Albert at 3B and it won’t happen this weekend. But it could happen during that six-game stretch from June 8-13, when the Angels play in Colorado and Arizona. That would allow Scioscia to get Pujols, Morales and Trumbo in the same lineup. … Who needs defense?
- Back to Albert. It’s not just that he’s hit home runs the last couple of days. It’s the way he’s hit those home runs that make you think he might — just might — be starting to turn it around. The one off Gavin Floyd saw him keep his hands in on a fastball and drive it to left-center field. The one off Chris Sale was on a high fastball that he stayed back on and drove right up the middle. “The way he puts it,” Scioscia said, “he feels really comfortable about the process and where he’s going to end up. He says that when he gets there, you’ll see a big difference.”
- Ernesto Frieri is right back where it all started, just two weeks after being acquired for infielder Alexi Amarista. In case you hadn’t noticed, Frieri hasn’t allowed a hit and has struck out 10 batters — 10! — in his first 4 2/3 innings with the Angels. Amarista is playing second base and will stay there now that Orlando Hudson has been released.
Some Angels links from Thursday …
- C.J. Wilson can’t find strike zone, defense can’t find fly balls, offense can’t find firepower — Halos give one away to White Sox
- Torii Hunter won’t return until the situation surrounding his son is resolved
- Notebook, on the spark Trout has given the Angels and the production Izturis and Alberto Callaspo are providing in the 2 spot
- Justice: Dismissing coaches never easy
Some AL West links …
- Nolan Ryan expects Josh Hamilton to test free agency
- Castrovince: M’s offense taking baby steps
- High school transition helped Jarrod Parker reach bigs
And things are not looking good for my Heat right now.
– Alden
Jepsen optioned to make room for new RP
Needing to open up a spot for newly acquired relief pitcher Ernesto Frieri, the Angels chose Friday to option hard-throwing right-hander Kevin Jepsen, who has his electric stuff back but has yet to translate it into big league success this season.
Jepsen, recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery, was back throwing his fastball in the mid- to high-90s, but had given up eight runs in seven innings, notching a 10.29 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP and a 2.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the process. He’ll report to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Jordan Walden (out of the closer’s role and working on command of his slider) and rookie David Carpenter (really the only ground-ball pitcher in the ‘pen) were other out-of-option candidates.
Frieri was acquired from the Padres Thursday in exchange for Minor League infielder Alexi Amarista and Minor League right-hander Donn Roach. With a lively fastball and deceptive delivery, the 26-year-old has posted a 2.33 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in parts of four seasons in San Diego.
– Alden
6 Divisions in 6 Days, Day 5 …
Leading up to Opening Day, I’ll roll out an All-Star team for each of the six divisions in baseball — that includes a manager, a starting nine (with a DH also for the National League), three starters and two relievers. One catch: Each team must have at least one representative, and the skipper doesn’t count. Feel free to submit your own lineups below. I’d love to see how yours differ.
Tim Lincecum, SFG
Matt Cain, SFG
Game 5: Padres-Angels …
Padres (1-5)
Cameron Maybin, CF
Makr Kotsay, LF
Yonder Alonso, 1B
Carlos Quentin, DH
Nick Hundley, C
Will Venable, RF
Jedd Gyorko, 3B
Jeudy Valdez, SS
Everth Cabrera, 2B
RH: Clayton Richard
Angels (3-1)
Erick Aybar SS
Howie Kendrick 2B
Albert Pujols 1B
Torii Hunter RF
Vernon Wells LF
Bobby Abreu DH
Alberto Callaspo 3B
Chris Iannetta C
Peter Bourjos CF
SP: Ervin Santana (others: John Hellweg, Trevor Bell, Kevin Jepsen)
Some notes from this morning …
- Reliever Bobby Cassevah should be off a mound for the next couple of days. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said his arm is “a little behind,” but added: “It shouldn’t impact where he is at the end of spring.”
- Scioscia said Mark Trumbo (right foot) is “close.” He’ll run the bases today and do an aggressive fielding drill with some of the coaches. Trumbo targeted Saturday as the day he’d be in full game mode a couple days ago.
- Recovering slugger Kendrys Morales (left ankle) run the bases without bases earlier this morning and Scioscia said he got a “really good report.” The next step is for him to push off bases and make a turn.
- Mike Trout, who lost 10 pounds with his illness, is still a little ways away from getting in games but said he’s feeling good.
- Jerome Williams (left hamstring) needs to make at least four Spring Training starts in order to start the season in the rotation. The Angels don’t need a fifth starter until April 15, and Scoiscia is confident he’s got enough time if all goes according to plan, but the deadline is fast approaching. “There’s a definite line where he’s going to have to be out there pitching in a game,” Scioscia said, “but we’re not near it yet.”
- Maicer Izturis, Scioscia said, is nursing some tightness in his legs.
- The veteran guys who have not pitched yet — guys like Scott Downs, LaTroy Hawkins and Jason Isringhausen — should get in there by Monday.
- Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson, Santana, Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter are all on the cover of the Angels media guide.
Some Angels links from Thursday …
- Haren a model of consistency and health
- Haren, Hisanori Takahashi look sharp from the start
- Throwing motion critical for Hank Conger
- Near or far, Pujols wants to play
- Young Taylor Lindsey catches Scioscia’s eye
Some links from around the AL West …
- Transitioning closer Neftali Feliz made his first start, officially putting him in the rotation mix
- Top prospect Jarrod Parker also made his spring debut for the Athletics
- Second baseman Dustin Ackley homered for the Mariners
Udonis Haslem still confident in the clutch despite struggles. I know I trust him.
Where will the top free agents sign? Here’s a guess …
Two things about the free-agent market this offseason: It sure is thin, and it sure is top heavy. If you’re looking for a lights-out closer, there are many. If you’re looking for a front-line starter, there are little. And if you want a premier slugger, you better be prepared to pay up.
Without further ado, here’s my guess (with emphasis on the word “guess”) at the destination of who I consider to be the top five free agents …
Albert Pujols: Cardinals
The notion that Tony La Russa‘s retirement somehow has some relevance with regards to Pujols’ situation is silly. Pujols is signing a deal that could reach 10 years. And even if La Russa, at 67, did come back, he’d only manage for another, what, two years? Pujols knows this. And this may just be me falling victim to the moment, but I can’t see Pujols signing with a different organization just because he’ll be making a few extra millions. With the Cardinals, Pujols goes to a city where he’s revered, an organization where he basically makes the rules and a team that consistently has a chance to win. The Cardinals’ contract offers may not have been lucrative enough before, but they got some extra money with a World Series run, restructuring Chris Carpenter‘s contract and signing Lance Berkman to a rather bargain deal. Plus, if they make third-base coach (and Pujols’ buddy) Jose Oquendo the manager, their chances of him staying are even greater. It’ll be a long, drama-filled battle. But in the end, I’ve got the Redbirds. … Perhaps it’s just that part of me that wants to believe a star player can stay with one franchise.
Other options: Rangers, Cubs, Giants, Dodgers, Marlins, Blue Jays, Nationals
Prince Fielder: Dodgers
I can’t see Fielder picking his team until Pujols signs first and, thus, sets the market for him. And though Brewers owner Mark Attansio expressed his team would “be in the game” for Fielder, it’s long been considered a foregone conclusion that the 2011 season was Fielder’s last in Milwaukee. The West coast seems to be the logical landing spot for the big vegetarian. It’s a big market, Prince and Matt Kemp are pals, the Dodgers badly want to improve their offense, and general manager Ned Colletti is expected to have $25 million to spend on free agents this offseason. Of course, a lot of this will hinge on how quickly the sale of the Dodgers goes through and who buys them. But if this gets done quickly, and MLB proclaims it will be, the Dodgers and Prince look like a great match.
Other options: Brewers, Rangers, Cubs, Giants, Mariners, Marlins, Blue Jays, Nationals
Jose Reyes: Tigers
The Tigers are right there. They just need to improve their defense and get some sort of consistency out of the top of their order. Hello, Jose Reyes. The Tigers’ biggest deficiency in 2011 was third base, but that can easily be solved by moving the defensively-inept Jhonny Peralta — signed through next year, with a team option for 2013 — over to his more comfortable position of third base and obtaining Reyes, who would allow Austin Jackson and his .317 on-base percentage to move lower in the order. Two things that may stand in the way: GM Dave Dombrowski has said he prefers to keep Peralta at shortstop, and the Tigers already have two players making $20-plus million a year in Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. But owner Mike Ilitch has shown he’ll do what it takes to build a championship-contending club, and the Tigers may be a Reyes away from that. The Mets will give it a valiant effort, but barring significant payroll-shedding moves, they don’t have the capital to keep up.
Other options: Mets, Marlins, Red Sox, Cardinals (if no Pujols)
C.J. Wilson: Marlins
The Marlins have money to spend, and they keep telling everybody they’re going to be in play for the major free agents. That includes Wilson, who would give Florida something it badly needs headed into its new ballpark: A frontline starting pitcher, particularly a left-hander. The price for Wilson will be high, considering he’s clearly the best of what’s a shallow free-agent pool of starters and plays a position that’s always coveted. Projections have him attaining something in the range of the five-year, $82.5 million deals A.J. Burnett and John Lackey previously signed in free agency. But he may get an ever bigger deal. Regardless, the Marlins want to prioritize the rotation and, for one of the rare times in franchise history, have the means to do it. Wilson would give them a solid No. 2 behind Josh Johnson.
Other options: Rangers, Yankees, Blue Jays, Padres, Nationals, Red Sox, Twins, Orioles, Rockies, Royals
Yu Darvish: Yankees
The Yankees are prioritizing the rotation once again, but reports say they don’t want to go all-in on Wilson. If he’s posted, the Japanese Darvish seems like the perfect answer for general manager Brian Cashman, who continues to put a premium on accumulating young starting pitching (something he showed while refusing to trade his top prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez at the non-waiver Trade Deadline). Darvish will have a much cheaper contract than Wilson because he’s only 25, but because of the posting fee that would come with him — remember, Daisuke Matsuzaka required a $52 million posting fee, and that was five years ago — he won’t be much cheaper. The Yanks will face a lot of competition for Darvish, but when it comes down to dollars, they usually win if they have enough desire. And they definitely desire another rotation piece.
Other options: Rangers, Blue Jays, Nationals, Red Sox, Mariners, Twins, Orioles, Rockies, Royals (and probably a bunch of others)
* Filed this week: The Cardinals will be fine, even without Albert Pujols; a look at the curious free agent case of one C.J. Wilson.
** Photo courtesy of The Associated Press.
– Alden
A week of moves — and non-moves
At 2 p.m. ET, as I sat in my seat just before a 2 1/2-hour flight from New York to Chicago (I’ll be covering the Yankees in the South Side this week), I shut off my phone and immediately started thinking about what would await me once I had service again. The non-waiver Trade Deadline was only two hours away. Where would Heath Bell go? What will the Yankees do? Who will land B.J. Upton? Then I touched down at O’Hare Airport, and realized all of that was a non-story.
Bell was the guy that was sure to be pitching elsewhere the rest of this season, the Yankees — as is their custom — were sure to make some sort of splash, and Upton was sure to be dealt after having his name in rumors for so many years. But none of that happened, Hiroki Kuroda didn’t waive his no-trade clause, James Shields stayed put in Tampa Bay, and the White Sox held on to Carlos Quentin.
That’s right, the biggest thing I’m taking away from the Deadline is what actually didn’t occur.
Now, on to the obligatory post-Deadline-winners-and-losers story. I know that in trades there really aren’t supposed to be any “winners” or “losers” (Neither side makes a deal if they don’t feel they’re “winning,” too, right?), but certain teams simply make out better than others.
Here are the three biggest winners and three biggest losers among the contending teams. And as always, we’ll get the bad news out of the way first …
Losers
Yankees: As MLBTradeRumors.com pointed out, this was the first time since 1999 that the Yankees went through an entire July without making a trade. And even though they’re 22 games above .500 and nurse a 6 1/2-game lead in the American League Wild Card race, they needed to add two pieces that they didn’t get: A starter and a lefty reliever.
Perhaps J.C. Romero, currently pitching for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, will work out for them, and veteran relievers can usually be had in August. But I was in the minority in thinking they should’ve dealt their prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez, who they were reportedly in on. I would’ve given up two of either Ivan Nova, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances, and one of either Jesus Montero and Austin Romine. Whether or not that would’ve been enough to get the deal done, I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem the Yankees were willing to come anywhere close to doing that.
The Yankees’ hope is that just one of those three arms becomes the quality of starter Ubaldo currently is, and if you have a chance to get an arm like that now — when he’s expandable, when he’s under club control for a while and when he’s extremely affordable — you do it. Right now, the Yankees have the great CC Sabathia, and then four guys they don’t know what they’ll get out of on a nightly basis. Not good enough.
Diamondbacks: The D-backs have a real shot at winning the National League West, but they didn’t do enough to get it done. Jason Marquis and Brad Ziegler were nice and necessary additions to their rotation and bullpen, respectively, but they needed to upgrade their offense to somehow shorten the gap separating them from the Giants. Instead, San Francisco added a bat, and Arizona didn’t.
I get that the D-backs didn’t expect to compete this year and they prefer to hold on to their top prospects. But had they gone after a big bat, they would’ve had a good shot at superseding the Giants. Now? I can’t see it happening.
Tigers: I understand their hesitancy to give up a prospect like Jacob Turner, but frankly, I would’ve liked to see the Tigers do more for their rotation than just Doug Fister. Maybe one more mid-level starter like that for a team that ranks 14th in the AL in starting-pitcher ERA.
Winners
Cardinals: Fans didn’t seem too happy that they dealt an asset like Colby Rasmus and didn’t really get any long-term pieces in return. And I get that. But I give general manager John Mozeliak a lot of credit for going all in on this season — a year that could be the final one with Albert Pujols at first base and Tony La Russa as manager.
They got a necessary arm in their rotation in Edwin Jackson, who’s an impending free agent who won’t clog up their payroll and, thus, hurt their chances of resigning Pujols; they got righty Octavio Dotel and lefty Marc Rzepczynski for a needy bullpen; and they were able to pluck away from a position where they have a suitable replacement in Jon Jay.
Perhaps they could’ve waited to deal Rasmus — a guy who definitely needed a change of scenery — when his stock rose again, but then they wouldn’t look this good right now. And right now, they look like the best team in the NL Central. The Rafael Furcal acquisition is fine; I’m just not sure how much he has left.
Phillies: There was no more perfect fit for the Phillies than Hunter Pence. With him, their offense now looks on par with that vaunted rotation because they have that right-handed bat that was so critical to their production in years past. This past offseason, the Phillies added Cliff Lee to give them a ridiculous starting staff, but they lost Jayson Werth to the Nationals and missed that right-handed bat to hit behind lefties Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.
Now, they have that right-handed bat again in Pence, and they have him in the books until 2013. Pence is having a fine season, and he came into Philadelphia with an .865 OPS. He’ll get plenty more chances with runners in scoring position now. And Phillies fans will love his energy. The Phils had to part ways with their two biggest prospects, but Domonic Brown and Vance Worley stayed put. That’s another positive.
Indians: Yeah, they did give up a big chunk of their farm system to get Ubaldo. But I just love the spirit of this trade, especially from a team that has so far only been known for parting with aces — from Lee to CC. This has been a magical season in Cleveland, and somehow they’re still in it despite a shaky rotation. It doesn’t look so shaky anymore.
The others
Braves: Michael Bourn is the perfect fit for that team; gives them their first leadoff hitter since Furcal.
Brewers: Francisco Rodriguez was a big pickup, and they got some insurance at second base. But they’re crossing their fingers that Rickie Weeks returns to full health soon.
Pirates: They got a couple of bats in Ryan Ludwick and Derrek Lee – two guys who know the NL Central well — and didn’t give up much.
Reds: Was surprised they were in on some of the big guys, but they have a rather large deficit, and that may have played a part in them standing pat.
Giants: Zack Wheeler is a good prospect, but Carlos Beltran is a good middle-of-the-order bat that should fit in perfectly in due time.
Red Sox: They got a nice rotation arm in Erik Bedard and a utility man in Mike Aviles; not flashy, but effective.
White Sox: I’m just glad they didn’t sell off all their pieces; they still have a shot.
Angels: Did nothing, which was pretty surprising.
Rangers: Got two big pieces for the back end of their bullpen in Koji Uehara and Mike Adams.
– Alden
** Filed this week: Pence trade fills Phils’ need for a righty slugger; Cards, Giants take on win-now modes with deals.
Too early for MLB power rankings? …
1. Boston Red Sox (89-73): The Red Sox have the best lineup in baseball after adding Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez (pictured right, by The Associated Press), they have a very good bullpen after key offseason additions, and their rotation is very deep. But they’ll have to stay healthy — something that didn’t happen last year.
2. Philadelphia Phillies (97-65; lost in NLCS): The old saying says, “You’re only as good as your next day’s pitcher.” If that’s the case, put the Phillies in the World Series right now. Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels is arguable the best rotation foursome in baseball history. And their offense is still scary. But the bullpen, as usual, is a question mark.
3. San Francisco Giants (92-70; won WS): They’re the defending champs, and their pitching staff is as good or better than anybody’s in baseball. But can their spare-parts offense carry them deep like it did last year? Hard to believe they can repeat without a more-consistent bat.
4. Texas Rangers (90-72; lost in WS): Not being able to get Lee hurts, especially when considering pretty much everybody in that rotation outperformed last year. But their starting staff is still solid, their bullpen is very good and, after the addition of Adrian Beltre, they have one of the best offenses in baseball.
5. Atlanta Braves (91-71; lost in NLDS): Filling the big shoes of Bobby Cox is a whole lot easier when inheriting a team like this one. Fredi Gonzalez has a dynamic lineup, especially with the addition of Uggla – though they’ll regret that extension — plus a solid rotation and a really good bullpen.
6. St. Louis Cardinals (86-76): I expected the Cards to be a lot better than they were last year, and I don’t expect them to disappoint again this year. Lance Berkman could end up being a liability in right field, but if healthy, he can give them a big middle-of-the-order bat. Regardless, two dynamic duos — Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday, and Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright — should lead to title contention.
7. Milwaukee Brewers (77-85): It took a major toll on the farm system, but the additions of Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum give the Brew Crew one of the best 1-thru-5 rotations in baseball. And Prince Fielder is still there. The Brewers will be legitimate title contenders.
8. Colorado Rockies (83-79): The Rockies have a bright future with Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and possibly Ubaldo Jimenez – if he agrees to an extension after the 2011 season — locked up. Their present looks very good, too. They have great depth, a solid rotation and a good lineup. Lots to be excited about in the Mile High City.
9. Chicago White Sox (88-74): Looks like the South Siders are going for it all this year after signing Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko – or perhaps they’re setting it up so that Ozzie Guillen is the main culprit if they don’t win it all in 2011. Regardless, they have a power-packed offense and some nice arms. It’s up to Ozzie to bring it all together.
10. New York Yankees (95-67; lost in ALCS):
The Yankees have issues, yes — they’re aging, they have holes in the rotation and the bullpen is spotty. But they’re still the Yankees. And as long as Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera are there, they’re a major threat.11. Cincinnati Reds (91-71; lost in NLDS): The Reds were a surprise team last year, but I don’t think they did enough this offseason to stay on top. Their pitching staff is still deep and talented, but they needed to make bigger moves this offseason — mostly on offense — to take the next step, especially when considering how much better the teams in their division got.
13. Minnesota Twins (94-68; lost in ALDS): The Twins always seem to find a way, and they’ll be fine again if they resign Carl Pavano and Jim Thome (as expected). A healthy Justin Morneau will be huge, too. But their bullpen took a major hit, and while the White Sox and Tigers got better, they really didn’t.
14. Oakland Athletics (81-81): This is my surprise team of the year. Billy Beane has established a phenomenal young pitching staff and a great defensive team. If only they could’ve acquired a couple of the big bats they needed. (I give their stadium a lot of the blame for that.)
15. Chicago Cubs (75-87): The Cubs sure look like they’re going for it by trading for Matt Garza, signing Kerry Wood to a two-year deal and giving Carlos Pena $10 million. On paper, they look good. But that seems to be the case a lot in the Windy City, and somehow it never comes to fruition. Why should I believe otherwise now?
16. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (80-82): It has been a very disappointing
offseason for Angels general manager Arte Moreno, who lost out on Crawford and Beltre despite badly needing offensive help. They have potential in their rotation and a good bullpen that will be great if they get Soriano. But it seems they took a step back this offseason.
17. Los Angeles Dodgers (80-82): The Dodgers still have pieces in that lineup that can do some things, as well as a deep rotation. Don Mattingly will keep them relevant in his first year on the job.
18. San Diego Padres (90-72): This was the kind of reality Padres faithful expected, even after a surprising 2010 season that should’ve led to a playoff berth. No Gonzalez, and Heath Bell is a very likely Trade Deadline chip. But they still have a great pitching staff and a very good defensive team. I just don’t know where their offense will come from.
19. Tampa Bay Rays (96-66; lost in ALDS): It’s a different Rays team now, with no Crawford, Soriano, Benoit, Pena or Garza. But that’s a savvy front office, and their array of young players give them a great future once again. But it’s a retooling year in Tampa Bay. And they won’t be as relevant in the AL East as they have been.
20. Florida Marlins (80-82): The Marlins needed bullpen help, a catcher and another arm for the rotation this offseason and got all of that. They also have a great bunch of young position players and two franchise-type guys in Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson. But it looks like another .500 year in South Florida. Nothing more, nothing less.
21. New York Mets (79-83): The Mets have toiled in obscurity this offseason, and maybe that’s a good thing. This is a year about finding out their identity and improving for the future — not competing.
22. Washington Nationals (69-93): Mike Rizzo lost out on Lee, and he overpaid enormously for Werth. But they vastly improved their defense (with Werth and Adam LaRoche), have a nice lineup and boast a few nice, young pitching arms. D.C. is still on its way to becoming a place where free agents will actually want to be at some point.
23. Baltimore Orioles (66-96): O’s look to have a pretty impressive lineup, but they need a lot more pitching — especially in the bullpen — to compete in baseball’s toughest division.
24. Toronto Blue Jays (85-77): They’re another team that had its bullpen get completely stripped, and I don’t expect Jose Bautista and Vernon Wells to equal their 2010 season and keep them competitive. Not a bad rotation, though, and Alex Anthopoulos has made some nice forward-thinking moves thus far.
25. Houston Astros (76-86): Brad Mills led the Astros to an impressive second half last year, but they have a long, long way to go.
26. Seattle Mariners (61-101): The M’s were a big disappointment last year, and they will struggle once again in 2011.
27. Arizona Diamondbacks (65-97): Kevin Towers has gone to work on retooling that dreadful bullpen, but there’s a lot more work to be done in Arizona than that.
28. Cleveland Indians (69-93): Indians are still waiting for the young players they got back from trading two Cy Young Award winners (Sabathia and Lee) to come through. Until that happens, they’ll go nowhere.
29. Kansas City Royals (67-95): With the pieces they have in their farm system and in the big leagues, the Royals seem set up to be a competitive team as soon as 2012. But not in 2011.
30. Pittsburgh Pirates (57-105): The Pirates have issues. Their Major League roster is unimpressive, and their farm system isn’t great. All they can hope to do is avoid another 100-loss season.
– Alden Gonzalez
Some notable additions to the free-agent pool
All the Hot Stove attention, of course, is drawn towards
free-agent targets Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, and possible
trade chips like Zack Greinke and Adrian Gonzalez. But not every team is
willing to hand out nine-figure salaries or unload their farm
systems. Every team, however, has a couple million to spare for a potential
bargain pickup.
And that’s what makes this year’s non-tender list so intriguing.
After baseball’s non-tender deadline came and went on Thursday night, 52 players were added to the free-agent pool. Here’s the gist: A player who is under club control — meaning he doesn’t have a set contract and hasn’t reached six years of service time — and is not tendered a contract by the deadline hits free agency.
Most of the time, clubs don’t tender a player a contract because they don’t want to pay him what the Basic Agreement forces them to (no less than 20 percent of a player’s salary from the previous season can be cut), or because they’re worried about what he’ll get in arbitration. The most famous non-tender signing, perhaps, is David Ortiz by the Red Sox in 2002. And last year, the Nationals got a bargain when they signed closer Matt Capps after he was non-tendered by the Pirates.
This year, the opportunity to strike gold with non-tenders seems plentiful. Here are some of the more-notable names (listed by 2011 age) …
Career: 3.40 ERA, 1.206 WHIP, 173-199 SV, 329 G
Jenks became perhaps the most notable non-tender on Thursday, when the White Sox decided they weren’t willing to give their long-time closer a raise from his $7.5 million 2010 salary. Jenks has had back-to-back down years since putting up a 2.63 ERA and converting 30 saves in ’08. Now, he joins a free-agent crop of closers that boasts Rafael Soriano at the top, but then drops off rather considerably with guys like Kevin Gregg, Brian Fuentes, Kerry Wood, Trevor Hoffman and Frank Francisco. Expect Jenks, who has made no less than 52 appearances since 2006 and put up a 2.70 ERA from 2007-08, to get a fair share of interest, and perhaps even sign an affordable multi-year deal.
Russell Martin, C, 28
2010: .248/.347/.332, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 97 G
Career: .272/.365/.396, 54 HR, 300 RBI, 667 G
It wasn’t too long ago that Martin was considered one of the top catchers in the game. But after hitting .286 with a .380 on-base percentage, one Gold Glove and 32 home runs from 2007-08, Martin has struggled the last two years. He hit just .250 in 142 games while battling a bad back in ’09. Then, last year, he hit .248 in 97 games before being deemed out for the year with a broken right hip in early August. The market for free-agent catchers started rather deep but is quickly thinning, and about six teams have reportedly showed interest in Martin. Hard to see him as anything more than a platoon mate right now, though.
Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, 28
2010: .244/.305/.482, 21 HR, 51 RBI, 96 G
Career: .258/.336/.453, 100 HR, 337 RBI, 652 G
The Athletics made Encarnacion a free agent weeks after they claimed him off waivers from the Blue Jays, mainly because they wanted to keep Kevin Kouzmanoff on board and because they’re still reportedly going after Adrian Beltre. Encarnacion is not very good defensively (a -1.5 UZR last year, according to FanGraphs.com), and he doesn’t really hit for average. But he can drive the ball out of the ballpark and could be a serviceable everyday player. When given 582 plate appearances in 146 games in ’08, he hit 26 home runs. And in 139 games in ’07, he hit .289 with 16 home runs. Perhaps he can be a backup plan for the Red Sox if they don’t resign Beltre. General manager Theo Epstein is more comfortable with Kevin Youkilis playing first base.
Jack Cust, DH/OF, 32
2010: .272/.395/.438, 13 HR, 52 RBI, 112 G
Career: .245/.378/.452, 102 HR, 300 RBI, 603 G
The A’s also dumped Cust, who made $2.65 million in 2010 and would’ve likely doubled his 2011 salary through arbitration. Cust is sure to draw a lot of interest. He’s a left-handed hitter who averaged 28 homers and 76 RBIs from 2007-09, and even though his power numbers diminished this past season, he did hit for a career-best batting average while starting the vast majority of his games as a designated hitter. Cust can also play both outfield corners. Problem: He’s a .182 hitter with no home runs in 58 career plate appearances as a pinch-hitter.
Chien-Ming Wang, RH-SP, 31
2010: N/A
Career: 55-26, 4.16 ERA, 109 G (104 GS)
Remember when Wang was a back-to-back 19-game winner and put up a 3.67 ERA from 2006-07? That seems like a lot longer than three years ago. Wang wound up making just 15 starts in 2008 and hasn’t pitched in the Majors since July 4, 2009. Wang didn’t even pitch in the Minors in 2010 while recovering from shoulder surgery. He won’t get anything more than a Minor League deal, and shoulder surgery is a tough thing to come back from — much tougher than Tommy John. But who knows? It’s worth a shot.
Keep your eye on these guys, too: George Sherrill (formerly of the Dodgers), Hideki Okajima (Red Sox), J.P. Howell (Rays), Matt Diaz (Braves), Tony Gwynn Jr. (Padres), Ryan Rowland-Smith (Mariners) and Dustin Nippert (Rangers).
– Alden Gonzalez
Postseason breakdown: National League
MINNESOTA — While the American League was pretty much decided by the time the final week of the 2010 regular season began, the National League came down to the final Sunday.
Jason Heyward, RF
Alden Gonzalez
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