10:47am: The Jays have made Gregg, Frasor, and Scott Downs available, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford. Bradford feels that the Red Sox are a potential match for one of them.
Frasor's control has slipped this year, especially against lefties. He's getting more groundballs than last year, though more hits have dropped in too. Frasor has been better lately and remains a useful arm. He has $1.21MM remaining on his contract. At the moment, he profiles as a Type B free agent after the season. Downs, meanwhile, has trimmed walks and hits compared to '09. The lefty is owed $1.83MM; MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith analyzed the potential Type A free agent a week ago.
7:50am: The Blue Jays have made closer Kevin Gregg available, tweets Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Elliott adds that the Jays re-routed a scout to Seattle for the final two games of this weekend's Yankees-Mariners series, implying that the Jays might consider the Yanks a potential match for Gregg.
Gregg doesn't appear concerned with trade rumors, based on his comments to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith Saturday. Gregg's one-year, $2.75MM deal with the Blue Jays seemed curious in February, but he was installed as the team's closer in April when Jason Frasor struggled. Gregg has a 3.67 ERA, 9.7 K/9, and 4.7 BB/9 with three home runs allowed in 34.3 innings this year. He's saved 20 of 23 and bumped his groundball rate from last year.
After the season Gregg's team can choose to retain him for zero, one, or two years. His club option is for $4.5MM in 2011 or $8.75MM for 2011-12. He currently profiles as a Type B free agent, and an arbitration offer seems possible. Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos figures to aim for more than the value of one supplemental draft pick if he trades Gregg now. Gregg has $913K remaining on his contract, plus a potential $750K buyout on the option.
One of the most over rated closers have ever seen. Why Hendry decided to sign this guy after the Fish finally dumped him proved once again why he is an idiot and whoever gives up anything for his gopher ball in the clutch self is out of their collective minds.
Hendry didn’t sign him after the Fish dumped him…. He actually traded for him. So besides the fact that he paid Gregg $4.2 million to “Close” for the Cubs last year he also gave up a prospect (Jose Ceda) for the privilege. Sigh.
My apologies Pageian. was so happy to get him out of Miami since he stank so bad that forgot all about being traded, then Matt Lindstrom all of a sudden blew up also when moved from 8th inning role to closer and was about as bad as Gregg had been.
Sure, it’s understandable that a Marlins fan would forget he was traded. Cub fans remember it well though because not only did we acquire him, we gave up a prospect as well as too much money. Not that Ceda is all that, it’s just the thought of losing something for the privilege of overpaying a guy who only made that much money because he was in the right place at the right time to accumulate a junk stat.
I still shiver. When he gave up clutch HRs, he got hit H-A-R-D. I place Kevin Gregg in my LaTroy Hawkins and Mel Rojas folder for Cub closers I would rather forget.
Sure, it’s understandable that a Marlins fan would forget he was traded. Cub fans remember it well though because not only did we acquire him, we gave up a prospect as well as too much money. Not that Ceda is all that, it’s just the thought of losing something for the privilege of overpaying a guy who only made that much money because he was in the right place at the right time to accumulate a junk stat.
No chance this is part of a championship bullpen. Most teams that would be in position to acquire him would probably have a better closer in place, but even as a setup man i would be ALL set. A team like the White Sox however, would have one of the great bullpens in recent memory (in my opinion) if they made this move.
Jenks closing
Putz setting up
Thornton setting up
Gregg in the 6th inning of a playoff game if need be??
that would be an incredibly deep pen, and while i wouldn’t want Gregg as my closer or #2 guy in the pen; i would feel incredible with him as my 4th best reliever.
game over at the end of the 5th or 6th inning. wow.
I was down on the Gregg signing at first but the guy has far & away exceeded my expectations this year. I mean, 20 of 23 save opportunities converted is pretty solid. Sometimes he makes it interesting but when used properly (not trotted out there 3 days in a row) he’s been quite good.
The key is definitely when used properly, I think his numbers would look a lot better if he wasn’t thrown out on back to back days so often.
Also, remember how many game Frasor blew in the beginning? With Gregg, we may still be a .500 team.
Gregg is an odd one.
For the first couple of months, the guy was an absolute terminator. Then he started blowing up spectacularly, to the extent that we’d dread him being wheeled out.
It may be an inherent flaw with Gregg, or it may very well be to do with Cito’s poor management of him. If it’s the latter, then Gregg is a very valuable piece to have. And, look, you don’t put together 20/23 saves by complete accident. There’s worse out there on the market.
If you don’t pitch him on back to back days then he has been very good. He explodes with the walks on days when he has just pitched the previous night… I think the Jays are fairly happy with closer that has saved 87% of his chances… he may not be an elite closer but he has shown he has some value in the pen.
Philly should be on the phone with Toronto, pronto.
Who do Philly want? I’m guessing they could use any of Buck, Bautista, Downs, Frasor and Gregg. And do Philly really have the prospects to get business done?
They certainly do, keep in mind that most of the guys on the block for the Jays aren’t going to demand A prospects back. Guys like Downs and Bautista will probably bring back the largest returns and the Phillies have high upside players that can get deals done for either player(Valle, Colvin etc).
We shouldn’t sell ourselves short, though.
Bautista is the MLB home run leader and astonishingly versatile in the field (with another year of arb), while Downs is the best lefty reliever available. Even Buck is stinging it around.
I just hope we don’t get diminishing returns by selling them off in pieces. Bundle them up in packages, and I see no reason why we can’t get an A prospect from a contending team in dire need of reinforcements.
We shouldn’t sell ourselves short, though.
Bautista is the MLB home run leader and astonishingly versatile in the field (with another year of arb), while Downs is the best lefty reliever available. Even Buck is stinging it around.
I just hope we don’t get diminishing returns by selling them off in pieces. Bundle them up in packages, and I see no reason why we can’t get an A prospect from a contending team in dire need of reinforcements.
I think Downs is underrated and the best reliever on the market, i’m not completely selling him short and the type A status should help the Jays in receiving quality back. There are factors that devalue him though such as his age relative to his likely hood in accepting arb(how many teams offer multi years and give up draft picks for a 34 year old type A set up man? Personally, I think a couple will but I have to think that weighs heavily on the mind of Scott Downs’ agent). In regards to Jose Bautista, this is his first very successful campaign and and his value might be tarnished by a smoke and mirrors factor. I still think he will retain good value but it’s definitely a factor to keep in mind.
I agree with your player assessments.
I think we’re looking at it from a card-trading perspective, though. We have to factor in the leverage that the Jays have. Most contending teams should be desperate to add in the pieces that can put them over the top, especially considering what the likes of the Yanks and Rangers have done to up the stakes.
Add to that the fact that most of these players are on pretty team-friendly contracts with the Jays. There was a nice piece on MLBTR recently about Downs’ strong trade value, for example.
I agree with your player assessments.
I think we’re looking at it from a card-trading perspective, though. We have to factor in the leverage that the Jays have. Most contending teams should be desperate to add in the pieces that can put them over the top, especially considering what the likes of the Yanks and Rangers have done to up the stakes.
Add to that the fact that most of these players are on pretty team-friendly contracts with the Jays. There was a nice piece on MLBTR recently about Downs’ strong trade value, for example.
I think Downs is underrated and the best reliever on the market, i’m not completely selling him short and the type A status should help the Jays in receiving quality back. There are factors that devalue him though such as his age relative to his likely hood in accepting arb(how many teams offer multi years and give up draft picks for a 34 year old type A set up man? Personally, I think a couple will but I have to think that weighs heavily on the mind of Scott Downs’ agent). In regards to Jose Bautista, this is his first very successful campaign and and his value might be tarnished by a smoke and mirrors factor. I still think he will retain good value but it’s definitely a factor to keep in mind.
They certainly do, keep in mind that most of the guys on the block for the Jays aren’t going to demand A prospects back. Guys like Downs and Bautista will probably bring back the largest returns and the Phillies have high upside players that can get deals done for either player(Valle, Colvin etc).
Who do Philly want? I’m guessing they could use any of Buck, Bautista, Downs, Frasor and Gregg. And do Philly really have the prospects to get business done?
I don’t see a playoff-worthy team trusting Gregg as their closer (or even setup man).
I can really see how Kevin Greg would help the yankee’s, but I’m guessing Toronto still has big interest in Jesus Montero. Not sure sure if any of the 3 players mentioned above are worth a top prospect, but If the yank’s are interested, I could see AA trying to work his way into getting Montero.
No player on the block for the Jays is going to return a Jesus Montero.
Agreed, though I don’t think Montero’s future is with the Yankees. He remains one of the best trade chips in baseball. It will be interesting to see who the Yankees deal him in for.
Agreed, though I don’t think Montero’s future is with the Yankees. He remains one of the best trade chips in baseball. It will be interesting to see who the Yankees deal him in for.
Marcum+Downs gets you close to a blue-chip prospect.
I’d assume that the Jays had their eye on somebody further down in the Yankees’ system. Some 18 year old diamond in the rough, somewhere…
I’d assume that the Jays had their eye on somebody further down in the Yankees’ system. Some 18 year old diamond in the rough, somewhere…
Who cares about Gregg? Downs and Frasor are the big names in this story.
Who cares about Gregg? Downs and Frasor are the big names in this story.
I wonder if making three of your top relief pitcher available means that guys like Bautista are just as available.
I wouldn’t say the Braves really need him (as CF is the only place we really need a full time replacement) but he could play just about full time giving a day or two off a week to Heyward in RF to keep his thumb fresh, a couple days a week at 1B to give Glaus’s knees a break, spell Chipper at third when he is nicked up for a series and also some time in LF in the middle of the already solid Hinske/Diaz platoon in LF.
I think that’s a pretty safe assumption. Any player that’s already into his arbitration years is probably obtainable for the right price. That includes Marcum, Bautista, Gonzalez, Buck, Gregg, Frasor, Downs, Camp, Janssen, and a few less interesting names (Overbay, Encarnacion, Tallet)
I think that’s a pretty safe assumption. Any player that’s already into his arbitration years is probably obtainable for the right price. That includes Marcum, Bautista, Gonzalez, Buck, Gregg, Frasor, Downs, Camp, Janssen, and a few less interesting names (Overbay, Encarnacion, Tallet)
Bautista for Heyward? 😉
Hell, we’ll throw in Gregg, Downs, Frasor, Gonzalez AND Buck for free!
Add John McDonald and it’s fair….
I wonder if making three of your top relief pitcher available means that guys like Bautista are just as available.
I wouldn’t say the Braves really need him (as CF is the only place we really need a full time replacement) but he could play just about full time giving a day or two off a week to Heyward in RF to keep his thumb fresh, a couple days a week at 1B to give Glaus’s knees a break, spell Chipper at third when he is nicked up for a series and also some time in LF in the middle of the already solid Hinske/Diaz platoon in LF.
I could see the tigers making a deal with the jays. Tigers are in need of a SS , C , and relief help. Gonzo , Buck and Gregg for Weinhardt , Wilkin Rameriz , Figaro & Worth.
I doubt Figaro has much value left, he is a good pticher who is tragically always called up and put into stressful situations way out of his maturity level, it dosen’t look good on paper
Figaro is destined for the pen. I could see another prospect like Will Rhymes thrown in , but I doubt they get much more.
I doubt Figaro has much value left, he is a good pticher who is tragically always called up and put into stressful situations way out of his maturity level, it dosen’t look good on paper
I could see the tigers making a deal with the jays. Tigers are in need of a SS , C , and relief help. Gonzo , Buck and Gregg for Weinhardt , Wilkin Rameriz , Figaro & Worth.
Kevin Gregg stinks
Worse than this year’s Cubs?
It would be nice if Frasor was traded away. The length it takes for a game to complete with him making an appearance would drop by 20 minutes.