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Potential Suitors For Carl Crawford

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There's a whole lot to like about Carl Crawford's game. He can hit, as his .302/.356/.485 line shows. He has stolen 38 bases (47 attempts) and his defense is tremendous. He has a higher UZR/150 than any qualified major leaguer, not that most fans or scouts need statistical confirmation that Crawford's play in left field is excellent. And Crawford, who turned 29 yesterday, will likely play in 140 or more games for the seventh time in eight seasons this year.

Critics might suggest that his speed is likely to fade, point to his relatively low walk rate and claim that he's having a career year, but nearly half the teams in baseball could have interest in the four-time All-Star when he hits free agency this winter despite any perceived question marks. So let's speculate on some potential suitors, with teams' 2011 payroll commitments in parentheses:

  • Yankees ($141.6MM) – Hey, Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson are nice players, but are they enough to prevent the Yanks from pursuing Crawford? GM Brian Cashman, who pursued Cliff Lee, Dan Haren and Adam Dunn before the trade deadline, likes elite players and the Yankees can afford them.
  • Red Sox ($94.1MM) – Here's another team that can afford big-time players. The Red Sox have Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron and J.D. Drew under team control next year plus an option for David Ortiz. They can also call on Daniel Nava and Darnell McDonald or prospects like Josh Reddick and Ryan Kalish. Those players may stand between the Red Sox and Crawford, but let's not rule Boston out.
  • Angels ($92.5MM) – Peter Gammons suggested last month that signing Crawford will be the Angels' top priority this winter. They figure to be strong bidders.
  • Rays ($16.3MM) – The Rays are lowering payroll in 2011 and it will be difficult for them to pay Crawford market value unless they compromise the rest of their roster. Tampa Bay does not appear to be a serious contender to sign Crawford, but they could get creative and keep him.
  • Blue Jays ($35.5MM) – The Blue Jays have outfielders Vernon Wells, Travis Snider and Jose Bautista, but they could move the latter to third base to make room for Crawford. Adam Lind could be playing first base in 2011, which would open up the DH spot. Crawford knows as well as anyone that the AL East is a tough place to win, so he's not likely to give the Jays any discounts.
  • White Sox ($73.4MM) – Let's not rule the White Sox out, even though their entire outfield (Juan Pierre, Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin) is under team control in 2011.
  • Tigers ($54.2MM) – The Tigers have lots of money coming off the books and Crawford could be a fit in spacious Comerica Park.
  • Braves ($58.2MM) – The Braves have Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera, Matt Diaz and Jason Heyward under team control, but they showed interest in outfielders at the trade deadline, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them pursue Crawford.
  • Nationals ($22.4MM) – Josh Willingham has become a fixture in left field, but the Nats have pursued free agents aggressively, bidding on Mark Teixeira and signing Jason Marquis, Ivan Rodriguez and Matt Capps. 
  • Padres ($1.1MM) – Imagine Crawford and Tony Gwynn Jr. (second among all qualified major leaguers in UZR/150) patrolling Petco Park – I'm sure Padres GM Jed Hoyer has. Unlike some of the teams above, the Padres have committed a ridiculously low amount to their 2011 payroll, so they could surprise people and pursue Crawford.
  • Giants ($74MM) – The Giants also showed interest in outfielders leading up to the trade deadline, so they might see Crawford as a potential long-term solution in left. 
  • Dodgers ($49.2MM) – Manny Ramirez's contract will be coming off the books, so the Dodgers could look to replace him with Crawford. That would give the Dodgers a star-powered outfield, but until their ownership situation becomes more stable, the team won't necessarily be able to make a nine-figure commitment to any free agent.
  • Reds ($36.1MM) – The Reds are by no means the favorite to sign Crawford, but GM Walt Jocketty should have some payroll flexibility this winter.

Thanks for Cot's Baseball Contracts, Baseball-Reference and Dave Rutt of BattersBox.ca.

Poll: Which First Round Picks Will Sign?

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As usual, many top draftees remain unsigned with ten days remaining before the deadline to sign picks. Last year, first overall pick Stephen Strasburg agreed to a deal with the Nationals just seconds before the deadline. This year, top picks Bryce Harper, Jameson Taillon and Manny Machado remain unsigned, but that's to be expected. 

Which first round picks will sign by the August 16th deadline? (Feel free to vote for multiple players)

Click here to take the survey, here to view the results and here to see MLBTR's list of top picks to sign.

Jack Of All Trades: Carl Everett

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Carl Everett may not believe in dinosaurs. Carl Everett may not believe in the moon landing. But Carl Everett can't dispute this: he has been traded many, many times.

Everett had a reputation for being a difficult teammate, but the teams that traded him always got value in return. Let's take a look at every deal from the Jurassic Carl period.

Everett was actually a first-round pick of the New York Yankees back in 1990. After some uninspired seasons in the low minors, the Marlins took Everett in the 1992 expansion draft. In 1993-94, he managed just a .515 OPS over 74 plate appearances with Florida, so the stage was set for his first trade: the Marlins sent him to the Mets on November 29, 1994 for second baseman Quilvio Veras.

Veras promptly led the National League in steals (and in caught stealing) for Florida in 1995 while compiling a .261/.384/.373 line at second base. Everett had his best Mets season in 1995; he hit .260/.352/.436 that year before injuries slowed him down in 1996 and 1997.

Finally, the Mets decided to cut bait, dealing Everett to the Houston Astros on December 22, 1997 for reliever John Hudek. Hudek posted a 4.00 ERA in half a season and helped the Mets acquire supersub Lenny Harris, but Everett became a star for the Astros immediately. He hit .296/.359/.482 in 1998, then had arguably his best year in 1999: .325/.398/.571.

Despite this dominance, the Astros unloaded Everett on the Boston Red Sox on December 14, 1999, getting Greg Miller and Adam Everett in return. While the latter went on to some magical years in the field for Houston, Jurassic Carl continued to produce at the plate for Boston. He hit .300/.373/.587 in 2000, though his production dropped off a bit in 2001.

That drop-off was the impetus the Red Sox needed to trade Everett, then entering his age-31 season, to Texas for Darren Oliver on December 12, 2001. Everett struggled somewhat in 2002, then had his last great Carl Everett season in 2003: .287/.366/.510. Naturally, he was traded right in the middle of it, heading to the White Sox on July 1 for Frank Francisco, Josh Rupe and Anthony Webster. Francisco, in particular, went on to success with the Rangers, saving 25 games last year and putting up a strong 55/14 K/BB ratio in his first 46.1 innings in 2010.

Everett spent a half-season in Chicago, then signed as a free agent with the Montreal Expos for the 2004 season. But the White Sox needed him back and traded for him again on July 18, 2004, giving up Gary Majewski and Jon Rauch, a pair of relievers, for the right to bring Everett back into the fold. This was part of the latter-day Everett production: .260/.319/.432 won't get it done when your outfield defense is declining and you have a reputation as a difficult teammate.

Six years later, Carl Everett is still playing baseball, hitting .276 with seven home runs for the Atlantic League's Newark Bears. Chances are, he'll never get traded again, but his Jack Of All Trades legacy is secure.

Rangers Rumors: Lee, Daniels, Washington

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The last month has been kind to Rangers fans. They acquired Cliff Lee and a pair of veteran infielders and appear headed for financial stability now that the group headed by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan won the auction for the team. More importantly, the 63-45 Rangers seem destined for the playoffs. But what does the auction mean for the club? GM Jon Daniels explained some specifics to ESPNDallas.com’s Richard Durrett:

  • The Rangers aren’t worrying about re-signing Cliff Lee now, but their chances have improved since the auction. "In bankruptcy, we had no chance,"  Daniels said. "This improves that and I can’t really tell you how much until the season is behind us and we sit down and talk about it.”
  • Daniels repeated that he enjoys working for the Rangers and said he’s sure he’ll discuss his own contract status with the team when the time is right.
  • The Rangers aren’t going to finalize anything with manager Ron Washington until after the season, but Daniels told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan that “it's very clear that Ron is our guy and Ron will be our manager in 2011." Washington's contract expires after the season and Daniels' contract expires after 2011.

Cardinals Interested In Andy LaRoche

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The Cardinals have interest in Andy LaRoche and are eyeing the infielder as a possible trade target, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Cardinals recently found out that David Freese will miss the rest of the season, but they've been getting by at the hot corner with Felipe Lopez and (for one game) Allen Craig. For the Cardinals to acquire LaRoche from their division rivals, every NL team with a worse record than St. Louis would have to let LaRoche slip through waivers.

The former top prospect has just a .223/.290/.299 line this year after a solid 2009 season. LaRoche has spent most of his major league career at third base, though he has played a handful of games at second. He earns $450K this year and will go to arbitration for the first time this winter. The Pirates have LaRoche under team control through 2013.

Webb Will Try To Return As Reliever

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Brandon Webb tells MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that if the Arizona ace is able to pitch at all in 2010, it will be out of the Diamondbacks' bullpen.  Webb threw a bullpen session last weekend and plans to stick to long-toss sessions for the next two weeks, with an eye towards a very tentative September 1 return date.

"I feel like if I get my velocity, if I throw a couple of 'pens and a couple of simulated games, it'll be right around Sept. 1 and no Minor Leagues are going to be playing, they'll be done. I'll have to throw out of the 'pen here," Webb said.

Perhaps the most important factor in Webb's decision lies in the last line of Gilbert's piece, where he notes that Webb wants to get some major league innings under his belt this season as he goes into free agency.  Whereas another pitcher might want to save his arm rather than risk further injury in a meaningless September game for the last-place D'Backs, Webb would prefer to prove his health now rather than take part in offseason throwing sessions a la Ben Sheets.  (Then again, Sheets was still able to sign a one-year, $10MM deal with Oakland despite having a more checkered injury history than Webb currently does.)

Webb hasn't pitched in a major league game since April 6, 2009 due to shoulder surgery.  The Diamondbacks took the risk and picked up his 2010 club option worth $8.5MM last November, but a number of setbacks have kept Webb off the mound.  Even with these injury problems, Webb will surely attract lots of interest from teams looking to sign the 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner to a short-term and/or incentives-laden contract.

Odds & Ends: Martin, Sweeney, Red Sox, D’Backs

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On this day in 1999, Mark McGwire hit his 500th career homer, reaching that plateau faster than any other player in history.  It was McGwire's second consecutive season with a home run milestone, as he hit homer #400 during his (then) record-breaking 1998 campaign.  But since we're not here to talk about the past, let's get to some news items…

Greinke Pessimistic About Royals’ Rebuilding Plan

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Though "some of the best prospects in the minors" are in the Royals organization, K.C. ace Zack Greinke expressed doubt that these youngsters will develop quickly enough to help the team while he is still wearing Royal blue.  Greinke told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that "there’s no reason for me to get real excited about it…because the chance of more than one of them making a major impact by the time my contract is up is pretty slim.”

While Greinke stopped short of saying he wants out of Kansas City, he said that "it’s been six years with me, and most people (who are Royals fans) have been through a lot more than I have.  But for me, it’s the third complete re-start/rebuilding phase….I like Kansas City….It’s a town that fits me pretty well. But I don’t know…at least put a team together that has a fighting chance (to win).”

These aren't the inspiring words that the Royals want to hear from their star pitcher, and it furthers speculation that a Greinke trade might be a key piece of K.C.'s (latest) rebuild.  The Royals were at least listening to offers for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner before the trade deadline, and perhaps in the wake of the Cliff Lee deal were wondering what their own ace might draw on the market.  Greinke's contract runs through 2012 and he is set to earn $13.5MM in each of the next two seasons.  It's a reasonable price for a top-line starter who has posted a 3.18 ERA and 3.78 K/BB ratio since 2007.

As Dutton points out, Greinke could just be venting in the midst of yet another losing season.  But Greinke does make the logical point that even if the likes of Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas eventually live up to expectations, they probably aren't going to be the type of instant breakout stars that can lead a young team to earlier-than-expected success.  The Royals have been openly shopping their veteran players this season and should this strategy continue, trading Greinke sometime before the 2012 trade deadline could provide the final influx of talent necessary to finally turn Kansas City into a winner.   

Rangers, Washington To Talk Contract After Season

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With the Rangers looking like a solid bet to win the AL West, manager Ron Washington has given himself a strong negotiating base for his next contract.  Washington is in the final year of the deal he originally signed with Texas after the 2006 season, and ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett reports that club management is very interested in bringing the skipper back.  Negotiations are being held off until the offseason, according to GM Jon Daniels, since the team doesn't want to distract from the Rangers' push for the American League pennant.

It's quite a turnaround for Washington, who about a year ago was worried for his job after testing positive for cocaine use.  The Rangers decided to keep Washington at the helm, and he has paid off the club's faith by leading Texas to the division lead.  Entering tonight's play, Washington has a 303-290 (.511) record as the team's manager. 

Astros Sign Delino DeShields Jr.

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THURSDAY, 5:43PM: The deal was officially announced today.  DeShields' bonus is worth $2.15MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (Twitter link).  As Callis notes, this bonus is $107K over the recommended slot for the eighth overall pick.

TUESDAY, 6:51PM: The Astros have reached an agreement with eighth overall pick Delino DeShields Jr., according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. DeShields' father, longtime big leaguer Delino DeShields, told McTaggart yesterday that his son would sign. The younger DeShields turns 18 on August 16th, the date by which teams must sign their draft picks.

This year's MLB draft guide noted that DeShields was "one of the best high school running backs in Georgia" and had committed to LSU.

It's not clear how much the Astros will commit to the compactly-built teenager, but recent history suggests the bonus will fall in the $2MM range. Mike Leake ($2.27MM in 2009), Gordon Beckham ($2.6MM in 2008) and Casey Weathers ($1.8MM in 2007) all signed for $2MM or so after their clubs selected them eighth overall. The recommended bonus for the eighth overall pick was $2.04MM last year.

Click here for MLBTR's list of first-round picks to sign. 

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