January 2010
January Flurries
The Hot Stove League had barely been simmering until earlier this week when a flurry of moves was able to keep it cooking. The Matt Hollidays and John Lackeys are already off the market. So, that leaves us with the Jon Garlands and Ronnie Belliards to spark the interest of myself and fellow transaction junkies. Nonetheless, these moves deserve some notoriety and I’m here to do just that with a quick synopsis of this weeks moves:
Rich Hill LHP- The former star prospect of the Chicago Cubs has signed on with the St. Louis Cardinals with the hope that pitching coach Dave Duncan can work his magic again. Duncan has gotten solid production out of many pitchers who were facing career declines before arriving in St. Louis. His revamping projects have included Jeff Weaver, Todd Wellemeyer, Ryan Franklin, Joel Pineiro, and Kyle Lohse, just off the top of my head. Hill has a nice repetoire including a plus curveball which makes him an enticing project for Duncan and a candidate for the 5th spot in the rotation.
Jim Edmonds OF- Edmonds is a former All-Star for the Cardinals who resurrected his career once already with the Cubs after a rough start in San Diego two years ago. After not receiving much interest last winter, Edmonds took the year off. He now returns to the NL Central on a minor league deal with the Brewers in search of a part-time role in Milwaukee. It’s a great signing for the Crew given the low risk contract.
Fernando Tatis UT- Tatis finally was able to find a home in the Majors with the Mets the past couple of seasons after being away from The Show for a while. This off-season he re-signed with the Mets to primarily serve as the platoon partner for Daniel Murphy at first base. His return seemed unlikely until recently as the Mets were rumored to be interested in higher profile first basemen like Russell Branyan, Adam LaRoche and Carlos Delgado. The Mets continue to miss out on their targets this off-season but this signing is a nice fallback plan.
Jon Garland RHP- Garland has never been great and has never been bad. That means he should have a pretty steady salary of about $5M on one year deals for a while. You know what you’re going to get with Garland and it’s usually a chance to win ball games. He goes to San Diego who I believe will make some noise this season in the NL West. The Padres were an over-achieving team in the second half. Garland’s arrival gives San Diego time to mold their abundance of young starters. If they do fall out of the race, however, Garland will be dealt along with closer Heath Bell.
Randy Winn OF- Above all else, Randy Winn signing with the Yankees finally ended the nagging drama between the Evil Empire and Johnny Damon. Whether the Yankees or Damon should’ve lowered their demands is finally behind us. Now back to Mr. Winn. He will provide plus defense and is perfect for the nine spot in an already dangerous lineup. Winn displayed durability last year and was added on a relatively inexpensive contract. This was the best destination for the veteran outfielder.
Ronnie Belliard 2B- Belliard turned out to be a difference maker down the stretch and even stole the starting gig from Orlando Hudson for the month of September. After re-signing with the Dodgers, it will be tough for him to produce at the same level but I doubt that the Dodgers are expecting that. A return to form by Russell Martin and a full season of Manny Ramirez will give the Dodgers plenty of offense. Belliard will start most of the time but Jamey Carroll will also get starts at second.
Jim Thome DH- Last year Thome put up 23 home runs along with a .366 OBP in 124 games for the White Sox and Dodgers. Much of those numbers came while Thome was starting at DH for the White Sox but he got a taste of being a pinch hitter in limited time with Los Angeles. Pinch hitting will be his main role with the Twins as the DH spot is already held down by fellow lefty Jason Kubel. However, Thome is one injury to Kubel, Michael Cuddyer or Delmon Young from the starting DH job. If Cuddyer or Young were to get injured, Kubel would take over in a corner outfield spot and Thome would inherit the DH job while quietly continuing his chase for 600 career home runs.
Eric Byrnes OF- Byrnes’ time in Arizona did not go as well as he or the Diamondbacks would’ve hoped and it resulted in his release this week. Byrnes has always been known as a stand-up guy who gives everything he’s got on every play. That attitude will embraced by both the fans and players in Seattle. He will not be a starter which may help him stay away from the DL. What he will be is a pinch runner/hitter and a part-time left fielder when the club wants to give Milton Bradley a day at designated hitter. This signing fits well for the Mariners and Byrnes.
Suddenly Crowded Bench in Chicago
As recently as this morning the Chicago Cub’s bench was the biggest weakness on the roster. This evening, however, it now seems to be a strength.
Xavier Nady was signed to provide right-handed pop and to be a platoon partner for Kosuke Fukudome in right field. Nady was a full-time player from 2005 through 2008 and posted increasing home run and RBI numbers during each of those years. Nady entered last year as the Yankee’s right fielder but was limited to 7 games before needing Tommy John surgery which ended his season. Nady has played the outfield corners and first base during his career. His signing already put Micah Hoffpauir’s job in jeopardy as they play the same positions but that was just the beginning of the Cub’s busy day.
Chad Tracy signed a minor league deal with the Cubs later this evening to further improve Chicago’s bench. Tracy plays the infield corners and, like Hoffpauir, bats left-handed. Tracy broke into the Majors with three good seasons for the Diamondbacks from 2004 to 2006 as the team’s third baseman. 2007 began Tracy’s string of injury-plagued seasons which opened the door for Mark Reynolds to take over at third base. 2009 was the worst season of Tracy’s career and he will look to bounce back. The Cubs will hope a more defined role helps him get back on track at the plate.
After these two moves the Cub’s bench projects as follows:
- Koyie Hill- C
- Chad Tracy- 1B/3B
- Andres Blanco- 2B/SS
- Jeff Baker- UT
- Xavier Nady- OF
Today’s additions make Micah Hoffpauir expendable but his value is low. If Nady proves to not be fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, Hoffpauir may be given another chance as a pinch hitter. Jeff Baker will get a lot of playing time at second base in a platoon with Mike Fontenot but the team has been linked to other second basemen including Orlando Hudson and Adam Kennedy. An Orlando Hudson addition would give Lou Piniella the luxury of keeping Baker in a super-utility role which is most valuable for the team. Either way, Jim Hendry was able improve the Cubs through adding quality depth without having to over-spend, and given their current payroll situation, that makes for a pretty good day.
Diminishing Roles
A year ago, Ken Griffey Jr. and Omar Vizquel were preparing for the role of mentor and part-time player with their new clubs. For two decades, these icons had been obvious starters given their exceptional talents and respected presence on the diamond. Griffey and Vizquel were staples in center field and at shortstop, respectively, as they had defined their positions with Gold Glove after Gold Glove. But with age and injuries taking a toll on these great baseball players, a new role provided them a chance to stay in the game as mentors for a couple of promising teams.
Junior took a DH role back where it all began in Seattle while Vizquel went to Texas as a utility infielder. Though they did not start as many games, their presence was still known in the field and at the plate. Each helped transform their teams back into winners and next season looks bright for the Mariners and Rangers. Early this off-season, Griffey re-signed with the M’s with a similar role in-store and Vizquel signed a one year deal with the White Sox to provide the same intangibles and versatility he did in Texas.
As the off-season has progressed, many of these former All-Stars are finding themselves in the same position as Griffey and Vizquel. This evening it was reported that Jim Thome and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a one year deal worth $1.5M. Besides a huge paycut, Thome’s playing time will decrease too. He will have to earn at-bats from Jason Kubel at DH but will be their primary pinch hitter off the bench.
There are still a few other prominent players in search of those elusive at-bats. Carlos Delgado is rehabbing in hopes of landing the first base job with the New York Mets. Gary Sheffield’s market has been quiet this year though he still produced in 268 at-bats in 2009. Randy Winn is still capable of playing solid defense in all three outfield spots and showed great durability in 149 games last season. Another solid outfielder, Jermaine Dye, played in 140 games and hit 27 home runs. Despite great power numbers, Dye’s performance declined in the second half.
It’s an especially tough time for these aging stars given the fairly common youth movements happening across the Majors. With time running out in this winter’s Hot Stove League, where do you see these players ending up? And will any of these guys arrive at Opening Day with starting jobs?
Mariner’s Makeover Not Done Yet
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times has recently said that the Mariners have about $10M to use while continuing to improve their team this off-season. Given their chance to win, I wouldn’t be surprised to see ownership allow a slight increase over last year’s payroll. GM Jack Zduriencik’s exciting off-season has already transformed the team from one that could contend, to a team that is favored by many to win the AL West. And that is a definite possibility. Here’s a trio of players that could be brought in for a combined $10M in 2010:
Xavier Nady 1B/OF: Nady was only able to play in 7 games for the New York Yankees in 2009. However, the year before that, Nady played in 148 games and hit 25 home runs. If there is one thing the Mariners are currently lacking, it is power. After deciding to part ways with Russell Branyan, the team brought in defensive-minded first baseman Casey Kotchman. Nady, a righty, could form a perfect platoon situation with Kotchman, a lefty. Nady can also get innings in left to spell Milton Bradley and at-bats as the DH to rest Ken Griffey Jr.
Joe Beimel RP: Beimel is the best un-signed lefty reliever and Seattle does not have a late inning south-paw in their bullpen. The Mariners could use a guy who has played on two playoff teams in two years. During each of those seasons, Beimel pitched in 71 games and in 2007 he appeared in 83 games. Not to mention an ERA that has been below 3.9 since 2005. This is a match that makes almost too much sense.
Yorvit Torrealba C: Torrealba lost his chance to return to the Rockies when the team signed Miguel Olivo to fill his role. Torrealba has spent the last two seasons splitting time with Chris Iannetta behind the plate. In Seattle he would have a similar situation with catching prospect Adam Moore. The Mets are now rumored to be targeting Torrealba but the Mariners would provide him a much better opportunity. Though both teams are in tough divisions, the Mariners will be better and are closer to winning. The Mets are built for now, but not to win now.
This is already a winning team and Jack Zduriencik can make $10M go a long way. These three moves could all be had for rather in-expensive contracts and the team would be wise to give all three an option for 2011 as well.
Do you agree with these ideas? What other moves make sense for the M’s given the remaining monetary funds?
“A+” Move
Today the Oakland A’s officially acquired third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and a minor league prospect in a trade for San Diego outfielders Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham. This deal brings clarity to the A’s infield picture and unblocks a log jam in San Diego, making it a great move for both teams.
Kouzmanoff’s defense has gotten better each year and his hitting has been constant during his three years in the Bigs. He would be best suited as a 5 or 6 hitter but the A’s will likely need him to bat cleanup. Speedsters Coco Crisp and Rajai Davis will get on-base ahead of him so he should be able to build on his solid 88 RBIs of 2009.
The addition of Kouzmanoff pushes Jake Fox to the bench but Fox, a right-handed slugger, will still get plenty of playing time. The A’s will rotate Fox between first base, right field and DH as each of those spots are occupied by left-handed starters. This move should set the infield with Cliff Pennington and Mark Ellis up the middle. Fellow third baseman and longtime Athletic, Eric Chavez, is rehabbing after another surgery and it would be tough for him to play everyday. Just another reason this is a smart move for the A’s.
The trade of Kouzmanoff works out well for the Padres as they can now move Chase Headley back to third base which is his original position. The Friars will hope a reunion with his old position will bring comfort that translates into improved offensive output as well. Headley has performed below expectations the last two years but he is still young and the team has confidence he will be a switch-hitting threat in the near future.
Before the trade, San Diego’s projected lineup had two natural infielders (Chase Headley and Kyle Blanks) playing the outfield corners. Blanks is a large athlete who will eventually take over at first base or be traded. His bat is strong enough to keep him in the lineup and he will remain in right field. Will Venable displayed strong defense and hit 12 home runs in limited playing time which earned him first crack at left field.
This will be Scott Hairston’s second tour with the Padres. He is a strong right-handed outfielder with good pop but his role with the A’s became foggy when the team brought in Coco Crisp and re-signed Jack Cust. Last time around, he enjoyed the best success of his career and will be back to a platoon situation with left fielder Venable and center fielder Tony Gwynn, both of whom are left-handed. Aaron Cunningham is the other outfielder attained by the Padres and he will start the year in AAA but has a good chance to start in the future.
Due to the talent of the players and the situations they are heading to, I see this deal as a perfect win-win for everyone involved.
Musical Chairs
Last off-season Michael Young wasn’t too happy about moving to third base. That marked the second time in five years that Young move around the infield for the Texas Rangers. Well if you thought that was a big deal, check out the defense for the San Francisco Giants in just the past two months.
The field started off like this:
C- Buster Posey
1B- Travis Ishikawa
2B- Freddy Sanchez
SS- Edgar Renteria
3B- Pablo Sandoval
LF- Fred Lewis
CF- Aaron Rowand
RF- Nate Schierholtz
At this point the Giants were linked to rumors about Dan Uggla. This idea had Freddy Sanchez ready to move to third base which was his spot when he broke in with the Pirates. Sandoval would have moved to first where he will likely end up anyway. Those rumors never seemed to progress very well and GM Brian Sabean turned his attention back to first base. Adam LaRoche was linked to the team but his lofty contract demands turned Sabean’s attention to others on the market, and the defense was still set as is.
Then a flurry of moves started the musical chairs that is the Giants’ infield. Mark DeRosa was signed to potentially play third base. Infielder Juan Uribe was brought back and his late season push of 2009 may have given him the inside path to third, pushing Mark DeRosa to the outfield. Either way, Sandoval will now be their first baseman… Nope.
Sunday night the team came to an agreement with lefty Aubrey Huff. In his early days Huff played third base for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays when they were still bottom feeders in the AL East. Now don’t let that fool you. He has since moved on to more of a first base/DH role. Though it’s only a $3M deal, Huff will man first base.
Everything finally appears set with Sandoval moving back to third base where he will, for at least one more year, display his “Kung Fu Panda” skills at the hot corner. Utility man Mark DeRosa will play left and Fred Lewis will battle Nate Schierholtz for the right field job. Ishikawa and Uribe have been moved to the bench but something tells me that Bochy will have a few different lineups this year given the versatility of DeRosa, Sanchez, Uribe and Sandoval.
When the dust settles on this renovation project the Giants will come away with the feeling of pride that they atleast did something, but was it enough? In the powerful NL West it will take big strides to move past the Dodgers and Rockies. Bruce Bochy’s lineup is not built around his stadium which calls for either speed to take advantage of the gaps or power to at least drive the ball far enough into those gaps. The Giants finished 27th in extra base hits and that number won’t rise too much with these middle-of-the-road transactions. The Giants will still be adding another catcher this off-season (meaning the musical chairs aren’t done just yet) but there are no impact bats left in that market. The pitching staff will have a tough challenge ahead of them next season in keeping the scores low out west.
All 30- Pitchers
My predictions of a free agent pitcher each team will still sign this off-season:
Nationals: Tim Redding could reunite with his former team as a swing-man after failing in NY.
Royals: Joe Beimel to be their lefty out of the bullpen.
Pirates: Kevin Gregg who will compete with Joel Hanrahan for the closer job.
Orioles: Erik Bedard can comeback to Baltimore and help a push for the Wild Card.
Indians: D.J. Carrasco will be the fifth man in their young rotation after performing well out of the White Sox’ bullpen.
Mets: Joel Piniero to help solidify their rotation because their makeover won’t be complete without a couple more starters.
Diamondbacks: Will Ohman to give the D-Backs another lefty to throw against the left-handed sluggers of the NL West (Helton, Gonzalez, Ethier, Loney, etc.).
Padres: Seth McClung who may get a chance to start.
Astros: Rich Hill as a low-risk/high-reward lefty; they don’t have much to spend after a couple questionable commitments this off-season.
Blue Jays: Pedro Martinez to mentor the very young rotation and be a trade chip at the deadline.
Athletics: John Bale as a veteran lefty out of the pen.
Cincinnati: Luis Vizcaino on an inexpensive deal; not much money left after they reportedly signed Aroldis Chapman this morning.
White Sox: Noah Lowry to rehab at AAA and provide depth for the strong rotation.
Brewers: Mark Mulder to meet up with a couple former coaches and try to stay healthy.
Cubs: Kiko Calero as a veteran righty in the pen though they need a starter badly as well.
Rays: Brendan Donnelly to come out of a bullpen that doesn’t have much depth.
Mariners: Ron Mahay to join the team’s renovation as their top bullpen lefty.
Tigers: Justin Speier who can help a good but young relief corps.
Braves: Ken Takahashi to compete for a spot in the bullpen.
Twins: Doug Davis would fit in well with the Twins as their 3 starter.
Marlins: Guillermo Mota will return to Florida for his second tour as a durable righty.
Rangers: Jon Garland who can be a reliable guy in the rotation that already has a couple injury prone starters.
Giants: Braden Looper will head back to the bullpen where he has had his most success.
Cardinals: Joe Nelson has been a solid reliever the past few years and the Cards don’t have much to spend.
Rockies: Jose Contreras pitched well last year in 7 games for Colorado.
Red Sox: Horacio Ramirez to provide lefty depth in the bullpen but will begin the season in AAA.
Dodgers: Chien-Ming Wang who will have to get healthy in a hurry because the Dodgers desperately need starters.
Angels: Chan Ho Park to be a middle reliever.
Phillies: Brian Shouse to replace retiree Scott Eyre as the second lefty in the pen.
Yankees: Mark Prior to continue his lengthy rehab process.
All 30- Hitters
My predictions of a free agent hitter each team will still sign this off-season:
Nationals: Chad Tracy to pinch hit and get some defense at 1st base for Adam Dunn.
Royals: Vladimir Guerrero to DH; maybe play some right to keep Jose Guillen rested. (I would say Scott Podsednik but it appears he is about to sign with them anyway.)
Pirates: Rick Ankiel to play right field and hit 4th/5th.
Orioles: Hank Blalock to play first base though Baltimore may use Garrett Atkins there.
Indians: Jose Molina to mentor the team’s young catching prospects.
Mets: Bengie Molina who will start at catcher.
Diamondbacks: Randy Winn to play left field and mentor their young outfielders.
Padres: Brad Ausmus to backup Nick Hundley at catcher.
Astros: Jerry Hairston Jr. to start the season at short until Manzella is ready
Blue Jays: Endy Chavez is a great defender in the outfield.
A’s: Khalil Greene to possibly get some innings at short and third.
Reds: Miguel Tejada to start at shortstop and hit 2nd.
White Sox: Ryan Church to be insurance for oft-injured outfielders Andruw Jones and Carlos Quentin.
Brewers: Fernando Tatis to provide some pop off the bench from the right side.
Cubs: Orlando Hudson to play second base and hit 2nd.
Rays: Marcus Thames who can hit for power and start if Joyce/Perez need time at AAA.
Mariners: Xavier Nady has power and can split innings at first with Casey Kotchman.
Tigers: Alfredo Amezaga to spend time in center and at second while prospects learn.
Braves: Jeremy Reed who won’t cost to much and can play all three OF spots.
Twins: Orlando Cabrera fit right in last year and he’ll be back to play second base this time.
Marlins: Gabe Gross to provide a lefty bat off the bench.
Rangers: Russell Branyan who will have to sign another cheap, one year deal.
Giants: Yorvit Torrealba to share catching duties with Buster Posey like Torrealba did with Iannetta in Colorado.
Cardinals: Matt Stairs to pinch hit.
Rockies: Jason Giambi will re-sign after a fun run in Colorado last year.
Red Sox: Rocco Baldelli to backup the outfield because I believe they will trade Jeremy Hermida.
Dodgers: Felipe Lopez to play second base and thrive in that lineup.
Angels: Melvin Mora who will get time at third and left.
Phillies: Paul Bako to play catcher at AAA and wait for an opportunity like he got last year with the Phillies.
Yankees: Reed Johnson to split time with Brett Gardner in left.
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