A few more newsbits as we near the end of a busy Tuesday…
- Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times singles out the Cubs and Yankees as "among those interested" in Rocco Baldelli. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com thinks Baldelli would be a good fit in the Bronx, though he notes that New York GM Brian Cashman "refused an internet rumor" claiming that the Yanks had already signed Baldelli.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals are looking over Chien-Ming Wang's medical history.
- Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports (via Twitter) that pitcher Steven Jackson was designated for assignment by the Pirates to make room for Ryan Church on the 40-man roster. Jackson posted an impressive 3.14 ERA in his 2009 rookie season, making 40 appearances out of the bullpen for Pittsburgh.
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman thought the Braves might try to trade Jordan Schafer earlier this winter, but no more.
- The Cubs have settled with five arbitration-eligible players, but still don't have deals worked out with Carlos Marmol and Ryan Theriot, reports Dave van Dyck of The Chicago Tribune.
- Grant of the McCovey Chronicles blog is, shall we say, less than enthused about the Bengie Molina signing.
A healthy Wang would be such a sweet addition to the cards rotation. If he can post a 3.70 ERA, in the AL East, he could fluorish in the NL central with dave Duncan.
I’ve got a healthy wang i could give to the cards rotation.
I think we all know Wang fits in to a lot of places.
I bet you do freak. I got one for the Cardinal girls but you can keep the rotation all to yourself
I don’t know how Jackson posted a 3.14 ERA. I was always scared out of my mind when he would come to pitch.
Jackson actually finished the season off really strong. In September – when everybody stopped watching the Pirates – he posted a 0.90 ERA in 11 appearances. Figured he was a lock for the bullpen. Maybe he is getting packaged with Brandon Jones in a trade?
Wondering if the Phils are going to be linked to the starter Amaro has said he wants…Sheets, Piniero (though I wouldn’t want him), Wang…no mention of the Phils.
What? The Pirates DFA’d Jackson instead of a never-was scrub like Steve Pearce or, better yet, Brian Bixler? They have Cedeno, Iwamura, Crosby, Vazquez, and (eventually) LaRoche on the MLB roster and a better prospect in Argenis Diaz at AAA….and they keep holding onto the worthless K machine that is Brian Bixler. I don’t get it.
Bixler was traded to the Indians yesterday.
Bixler is with Indians now.
You’re right. Sorry I missed that. Just saw it and was coming back to correct myself. My bad.
Still…rather see Pearce designated than Jackson.
Pearce stil has an option left – so it doesn’t really hurt to hold on to him for another year. Figured Claggett or Jakubauskas would have been more expendable than Jackson though.
This does seem strange when taken on its own, but there are rumors that the Bucs picked up Brandon Jones for another team and that a trade with Jackson might be in the making.
If Wang is coming at a low price, how about the Yankees resigning him. Sign him for a cheap price and start him out in the bullpen to let him get some innings and reestablish himself. Then if Hughes/Chamberlain struggles in the rotation you put him in there. Imagine a rotation of CC, AJ, Pettitte, Javy, and a healthy and effective Wang as your number 5 (when really hes a 2 or 3)…thats a crazy rotation. But like I said, only if he comes at a low price. Otherwise focus your money on maybe a corner outfield bat, a bat off the bench, and the bullpen.
Last I heard, they intended on matching any offer he gets.
Wang has no intention of signing back with the Yanks, it’s clear he wants to move on. And that has been printed.
How about the Yankees buy the WORLD!!!
Yeah that way no more complaints from cry baby fans.
no, we might by the world next year haha. but at least we do whatever it takes to win.
but as far as matching any offer, i wouldnt match it if its too high. save most of our money for next year.
Yawn. Salary cap, please.
Only significant change is how much money players make. The MLBPA will oppose it, players will protest it, and you’ll probably have a strike.
If you think all the teams that compete that also have high salaries won’t remain good/competitive teams with a salary cap, then you’re one hell of a wishful thinker.
Good old Yanks, they love “a healthy and effective Wang” especially at a good price.
and i dont know about baldelli, but maybe. i really dont know yet.
Anyone remember when Rocco Baldelli was being compared to Joe Dimaggio? Everyone, including espn, was calling him Rocco Baldimaggio. Yankees are interested….
yeah i remember that. he couldve been great if it werent for vertigo or whatever he has. if the yankees get him he could be a good 4th outfielder i think, but im not sure who else is out there. i still like nady for a low price (RF, LF, 1B, DH).
I don’t think it was ever in question that Schafer would be traded. Bowman saying that signing Byrd and making Schafer expendable may have been in the realm of possibility but not in the realm of probabilty.
The fact is: Schafer is still our CFer of the future and he showed us alot before he got hurt. He is still the same .270/.360/.440 15/15 plus-plus defensive centerfielder prospect he has always been. I’m sure the FO is just salivating over an elite OF defense in ’11 of McLouth/Schafer/Heyward that still adds plenty of speed and stick at the plate.
Bowman does hit the nail on the head this time around. He said people in the organization are expecting Schafer to play most of the year in AAA (where he needs to show his wrist is healed and get a large chuck of at-bats) and then come up to make a big impact in August and Semptember.
Giving up on an elite defensive CF prospect with the OBP/speed tools to hit leadoff is just not an option for mid-market teams like the Braves.
i thought he was projected to be a 20/20 with the potential to actually reach around 40 steals
Yeah, he certainly has the potential to be a 20/20 guy with the talent to hit 40 steals. In a career year in these catagories he has the raw talent to hit 25HR, 40SB, .300BA, and .400OBP but I see that slash line I listed above as more of a conservative average of our six years of control of him.
Steven Jackson looks like the perfect example of why ERA for relievers is an awful judge of performance. Guy walked more batters than he struck out!
MCC doesnt like the Molina signing? NO WAY! True fans on that site, no BS with them.
The idea of the Molina signing being good is pretty far-fetched, considering how, despite the 88 wins they had last year, the Dodgers and Rockies are both better teams, as both have above average pitching and superb hitting. The Giants have excellent pitching but horrid hitting. I’m shocked Cain didn’t have another season of 10 games under .500 while pitching to a sub-4.00 ERA with how that team hits.
I know it isn’t much money spent on Molina…but really, with how much progress Posey has made, and with pitchers who really don’t need a catcher controlling the entire game (Lincecum and Cain do it themselves. I give little credit to Molina in any of their pitching success by this point), was it worth paying that money that could have been saved or put to another need?
The Giants cant fill any needs that they have at this point in the free agent market. What they need is another marque player that can come in and be an impact bat. Bay was never going to be that player. Holliday could have been but he never was going to leave St. Louis. Although the team is not the 27′ Yankees the additions that they have made this offseason are nothing but temporary fixes that don’t hinder the progress of the team for the long run, while giving them a more proven and capable line up than they had last season.
Last season, Bochy used over 100 different lineups, that is not something that you will be seeing this year. By having Derosa and Huff (who i am not too crazy about) it gives them someone who isn’t going to win the triple crown but at least give you some pop and are totally capable of handling a bat. I am a fan of Velez, as well as Torres, but if the Giants want to give themselves a serious chance to make the playoffs they needed a few more proven guys than last season. This in turn, will make Velez and Torres even more useful as impact bench players when the veterans need a day off.
On that same note, and the real reason I wrote, the Molina signing IS a good move. Here is why:
1. Posey is not ready. As much as I would love to say he is, he just is not. He hit .220 during winter ball and did nothing to prove he was ready when he was up with the club at the end of the year. Having him spend a half to full season as the backup will serve good for him in the long run and allow Molina to have a backup with fresh legs and the opportunity to teach him right. Oh, and he has only been out of college for 7 months… Not every one is Timmy Franchise.
2. Molina will now be batting in an appropriate spot in the lineup. Instead of 4th, it is either 6th or 7th (if Bochy would bench that bum Renteria and bat Uribe 6th). This gives him the opportunity to not clog up the base pads in the middle of the order and really try to use his power due to his spot in front of the pitcher. 20 Home runs in the bottom of the line up is never a bad thing. However, if things go wrong and he is batting 4th in June then you know something is wrong with the team…
3. We got him for 1 year. He isn’t going to get much better over his career, but he did just come off of a 20 home run year. He was asking for 3 years from every other team, got offered 2 by NY and passed. So not only do the Giants get an excellent bat at the catcher position, which was a need until they resigned him, they get one that knows the pitching staff and is a fan favorite. All the while, they are letting Posey get a full season to learn and will hand the thrown to him after this season is over.
I’m not trying to say they are going to win the World Series by signing Molina. But the team is THEORETICALLY better offensively this season than they were last season.
**I am a die hard Giant fan who has a supreme dislike for Edgar Renteria, Bob Howry (yes, I know he is on the Diamondbacks) and most of all, Brian Sabean**
Wang would actually be a good signing for the Angels. Although i wouldnt be surprised if he signed with the Mariners. Their defense would make any GB pitcher salivate
Baldelli would be a perfect signing for the yanks, if he can stay healthy he is the best option out there if they are not resigning Damon.
Baldelli, Wang, Johnson…wanna throw a Schlong, and a Tube Steak in there too?
Ill give you those and throw in a Dick Pole and a Rusty Kuntz to manage the team.
Thank you Omar for not giving into Molina’s demands. Just stick with Santos/Blanco while Thole learns about the NL hitters from Coste in AAA.
I don’t know if adding Molina is the way to go or not. In one way I feel that it is, in the other way i don’t feel great about this move. I was looking foward to seeing Buster this year. How long do us Giant fans have to wait to be in the playoffs? He is going to be 23 this year. Most ballplayers are entering thier prime by then. The trouble with Sabean, Evans, Nuekeom, and Botchy is they never give thier young players a chance long enough to see what they really can do. Bowker, Guzman, Rohlinger, Downs, Frandsen and Posey to mention a few. Now for instance, the Giants said that they are looking for a fifth starter, instead of looking in thier farm system, right in thier own backyard, they rather waste a few million dollars for players that are mediocore at best and way past thier prime. They have Steve Edlefson, Henry Sosa, Kevin Pucetas, Osiris Matos, Waldis Joaquin, Joey Martinez, Dan Otero, Dan Turpen Joe Patterson and Craig Whitaker. To tell you the truth, the Giants have the most promising pichers by far in the minor league. To mention a few, we will start with the lefthanders, Craig Clark, Clayton Tanner, Paul Oseguera, Wimin Rodriques, Art Ronick, Eric Surkamp, Aaron King, David Quinowski, Ryan Verdugo, Chris Gloor, Franklin Noel and Alex Hinshaw. The righthanders consist of Kyle Nicholson, Justin Fitzgerald ,Craig Westcott, Kyle Vazquez, Jorge Bucardo, Wilbur Bucardo, Cameron Lamb and Kendry Flores. The position players, such as Thomas Neal, Roger Kieshnick, Darren Ford, Michael Ambort, Brock Bond ,Brad Boyer, Brandon Crawford, Bret Pill, Andrew Dallessio, Michael McByrd, Francisco Peguero, Ben Woodbury, Josh Mazzola, Ryan Lormand, Johnny Monell, Ehire Adrianza, Drew Biery, Ydwin Villegas, Evan Crawford, Ryan Lollis, Dan Cook, John Eshleman, Juan Martinez, Ryan Cavan and Luke Anders. And also Christopher Dominguez, Rafeal Rodriquez Julio Izturis, Carlos Willoughby and Rey Duran. Not to mention Zack Wheeler, the next Timmy. With all of this talent, the Giants are all set for the next decade. If the Giants want to know what moves to make, or who to trade for, just contact me. I mean that with all of my heart. I have been a Giants fan all of my life, 65 years,and I know the Giants and their farm clubs like nobody’s business. One more thing, I am from Connecticut, but now live in Florida, and I am going to Arizona all of Febuary and March to my wife’s cousins houses, she has 4 of them out there. I cant wait because I will be wherever the Giants will be playing most of the time. I just wish the Giants would try a little harder to keep the team younger and stick more with thier own players through thier farm organization. And to sum up the Molina signing, the part I like is first of all he is a real good man, a role model type for kids, a popular figure for the clubhouse, a good pure hitter especially in the clutch, and very good for our young tremendous pitching staff. Now the reasons why I don’t like the signing. He is a very slow runner, if there is a man on first you have to worry about a double play, he does not take many pitches to continue a rally, his OBP average is very low because of this. He never walks. And to finalize this opinion, Buster Posey is not going to get a lot of playing time. Therefore, Posey will not get the experience needed. He was the best college player, so at age 23 he should be starting to gain experience. Some of the other super stars of the past started a lot younger than his age.
I was hoping the Baldelli rumors to the Cubs were made up. Come on Jim, this is not the move needed here.
This is a nice signing for the Giants, who will slot Molina in the number 6 hole. Buster Posey (rather than Eli Whiteside) will hopefully spell Molina and get some much needed playing time in the big leagues — at an easy-going, no-pressure, part-time pace. If Posey shows he can handle the bigs with his bat and calling balls & strikes, he just might supplant Benjie before the season is over. Here’s the potential opening day starting lineup for the Giants:
1. Rowand (cf)
2. F.Sanchez (2b)
3. Sandoval (3b)
4. Huff (1b)
5. DeRosa (lf)
6. Molina (c)
7. Schierholtz (rf)
8. Renteria (ss)
9. Lincecum (p)
Rotation:
Lincecum
Cain
J.Sanchez
Zito
Bumgarner (unless the Giants sign a Ben Sheets or Jon Garland)
And with an emerging Brian Wilson as closer, the Giants certainly seem like a team that can vie for the NL West title. They are definitely the most improved team in the division.
Excellent point. I definitely agree that they are the most improved team in the NL west. They just need production from their new players and they should be able to compete in any game.
baldelli in new york wouldn’t be a good fit…he grew up supporting the red sox..AND he was very excited last year when he became a sock
Reading this. I think the Braves have even thought about trading Schafer. Because no way can you trade him. He still got potential! Even after a bad season (mainly because of his wrist).
Ive always loved Baldelli! Look at the name of his hometown!
You gotta wonder what kind of career he could have had if healthy all these years. I hope he has bounced back from his Jedi Cancer and is ready to reclaim his hype.