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Minor League Transactions: Henn, Dodgers, Mendoza

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All of the minor league moves that took place between October 15-25 have been helpfully catalogued by Baseball America's Matt Eddy. Here are a few of the notable names involved…

  • Left-hander Sean Henn re-signed with Toronto, a week after the Blue Jays granted him free agency.  Henn spent his 2010 season pitching for the Jays' Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, posting a 4.73 ERA in 38 games (nine of them starts).
  • The Dodgers re-signed a number of players with major league experience, such as J.D. Closser, Tim Corcoran and Travis Denker.  Los Angeles also re-signed 11-year veteran Corey Smith, who has yet to get a cup of coffee in the bigs after being drafted 26th overall by Cleveland in the 2000 amateur draft.
  • Luis Mendoza re-signed with Kansas City.  The right-hander has an 8.43 ERA in 36 career major league appearances, 14 of which were starts, with the Rangers and Royals.
  • Houston re-signed Brian Esposito and Wladimir Sutil, both of whom were recently removed from the club's 40-man roster.  In addition, the Astros re-signed Oswaldo Navarro, who picked up 25 plate appearances for Houston last season.

Marlins “Leaning Toward” Retaining Edwin Rodriguez

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The Marlins "are leaning toward" keeping current manager Edwin Rodriguez at least through 2011, tweets The Palm Beach Post's Joe Capozzi, passing on information from Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  Rodriguez took over as Florida's interim manager on June 23 and led the team to an even 46-46 mark over the remainder of the 2010 season after Fredi Gonzalez was fired.    

If the Fish did bring back Rodriguez, it would bring a sudden end to a managerial search that, in the words of the Miami Herald's Clark Spencer, has been "like watching a glacier melt." Bo Porter, Jim Fregosi and Bobby Valentine were a few of the names mentioned in connection with the Florida job, but the consensus was that the Marlins would still bring in a few more candidates for interviews after the World Series.

In a meeting with media on Tuesday, Marlins president David Samson told reporters (including MLB.com's Joe Frisaro) that team management was still having "internal conversations" about the direction of the manager search.  Samson made these comments while taking media members on a tour of the club's new stadium, which is in itself might be the reason why Florida hasn't yet agreed on a manager for 2011 or made movement on long-term deals for Dan Uggla or Ricky Nolasco.

"Everything takes a little longer right now because our allocation of time," Samson said.  "So when [owner Jeffrey Loria] and I speak, it's 85 percent construction and ballpark related." 

"There are decisions on the ballpark that have to get done….Construction doesn't wait for anyone. It's deciding what needs to be done. So in a priority battle, when we talk about players or the ballpark, the ballpark wins every time."

It seems odd to think that a manager could be hired simply as a time-saver, but if Marlins officials are really devoting their focus to the stadium's completition this winter, it would be an easy solution to just retain a familiar and comfortable face in Rodriguez.  If he or the team struggles next season, then Florida could always let him go and bring in a big-name manager to grace the opening of their new ballpark in 2012.

Free Agent Market For Designated Hitters

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With so many quality hitters available to fill designated hitter jobs these days, it's embarrassing for a club to get subpar production out of the spot.  Demand might be high too, though – of the 14 American League teams, only the Indians are locked into a player they must use at DH.  Let's examine the free agent market.

Already Full-Time DHs

David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, and Hideki Matsui each played at least 119 games at designated hitter this year, and won't be looking to transition back to regular field work.  The Red Sox could pick up Ortiz's $12.5MM option after a bounceback season.  Vlad's $9MM option with the Rangers is mutual, but expect the two sides to try to hammer something out after the World Series.  Matsui does not have an option.  The Angels may have to let him go if they'd prefer to move Bobby Abreu or Juan Rivera to DH.

Johnny Damon played 36 games in the outfield this year and 97 at DH.  With his slugging percentage down to .401 this year, he may be a tough sell for Scott Boras as a designated hitter.

Jim Thome picked up just 340 plate appearances this year, but had a big impact with a .283/.412/.627 line and 25 homers.  He's just 11 home runs shy of 600, and he'd like to return to the Twins.  The Twins also must decide on Jason Kubel's $5.25MM option.

Could Occupy Full-Time DH Roles

Manny Ramirez, Lance Berkman, and Aubrey Huff spent much or all of their seasons in the National League.  Ramirez, whose .409 OBP was second only to Thome among free agents, seems a lock to seek a full-time DH job.  Berkman could still be a first base option.  Huff, the Giants first baseman, didn't DH at all this year but has plenty of experience in the role from his time with the Orioles and Rays.  Only Huff is coming off a strong contract year, but any of these three will help on offense.

Adam Dunn and Pat Burrell are a couple of free agents who prefer to play defense, so we won't consider them here.

Fighting For Playing Time

Ten hitters who figure to chase the best opportunity for playing time: Nick Johnson, Marcus Thames, Troy Glaus, Andruw Jones, Brad Hawpe, Jonny Gomes, Russell Branyan, Jose Guillen, Mark Kotsay, and Jorge Cantu.  Some of these guys can still play the field.  A few, such as Thames and Jones, are coming off solid part-time seasons.  Seven of them reached double digits in home runs.

Non-Tender Candidates

Jack Cust had a robust .395 OBP this year for the A's, but they could choose to go in a different direction.  He was non-tendered and then re-signed last winter, but was coming off a worse year.  The Rays have a couple of non-tender candidates in Willy Aybar and Dan Johnson.

Summary

American League teams such as the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Orioles could stay in-house at DH, but there are plenty of vacancies.  If Ortiz, Guerrero, and Thome are re-signed early, Manny, Berkman, and Matsui will become the best available.

Phillies Decline Option On J.C. Romero

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The Phillies declined their $4.5MM option on lefty reliever J.C. Romero, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  He'll receive a $250K buyout instead.

Romero, 34, posted a 3.38 ERA, 6.8 K/9, and 7.1 BB/9 over 53.3 innings spanning the 2009-10 seasons after tossing 59 innings in '08.  He had flexor tendon elbow surgery in October of '09 and also had a 50 game suspension that year for using a banned supplement. 

The Phillies signed Romero to a three-year, $12MM deal in November of '07, even though he's always demonstrated big control problems.  Romero, who says he's got "a brand new arm," joins Scott Downs, Pedro Feliciano, Arthur Rhodes, and others on the lefty relief free agent market.

Trade Market For Right Fielders

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The free agent market for right fielders offers a few solid options, such as Jayson Werth and Magglio Ordonez.  With the Tigers, Angels, Phillies, Nationals, Pirates, Cardinals, and Giants potentially looking for help at the position, let's survey the trade landscape.

Are They Available?

Jose Bautista, David DeJesus, and Carlos Quentin are three names to watch this winter.  Though there were a few rumors in the summer, it's difficult to picture the Blue Jays trading Bautista coming off a 54 home run campaign.  With DeJesus, we mentioned earlier that it may be wise to let him establish good health after his season ended in July with a torn thumb ligament.  Though it's pure speculation, Quentin seems the most likely of the three to be dealt this winter.  The Daily Herald's Scot Gregor examined his stock four days ago.  At one point, the Nationals showed interest.

Three Under Contract

Bobby Abreu, Kosuke Fukudome, and Milton Bradley are three well-paid right fielders who could be on the move if their teams assume salary.  Abreu is owed $9MM next year and another $9MM in 2012 if he reaches 433 plate appearances in '11.  Abreu or Juan Rivera could be dealt if the Angels add a free agent outfielder.  Fukudome was useful given his .263/.371/.439 line, but at $13.5MM next year the Cubs might prefer to trade their first-ever Japanese player and recoup some payroll space.  Bradley at $12MM is nearly immovable, but I like listing him anyway.

Deemed Expendable?

The Giants' Nate Schierholtz, 27 in February, could be sent packing after failing to produce in the bigs the last few years.  The non-tender candidates, discussed here, are so heavily favored to be cut loose that it doesn't make sense to trade for any of them.

Summary

There are several useful bats potentially joining the right field trade market.  Players like DeJesus and Quentin require injury risk tolerance, while most of the others require a willingness to assume part of an oversized contract.  Also consider that some clubs may be open to tolerating a left field type in right field for a year, adding names like Josh Willingham, Raul Ibanez, and Luke Scott to the mix.

Cliff Lee’s Wife Offended By Yankees Fans

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3:02pm: Lee's agent Darek Braunecker told ESPN's Andrew Marchand, "The story is not an issue to us.  Her experience in New York is certainly a non-issue. She enjoys New York as much as anyone enjoys New York."

10:01am: Two years ago, C.C. Sabathia's wife Amber was said to prefer the Giants.  Yankees GM Brian Cashman was able to pitch the couple on New York and close the deal on a seven-year, $161MM contract.  He may have a tougher task with Cliff Lee's wife Kristen, who did not have a good time at Yankee Stadium during the playoffs.  From USA Today's Bob Nightengale:

Perhaps the Rangers' greatest sales pitch simply was having Kristen sit in the visiting family section at Yankee Stadium during the playoffs. She says there were ugly taunts. Obscenities. Cups of beer thrown. Even fans spitting from the section above.  "The fans did not do good things in my heart," Kristen says. "When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it's hard not to take it personal."

It's impossible to say how Kristen Lee's experience will factor into the lefty's decision.  As Nightengale notes, Sabathia and A.J. Burnett (and perhaps their wives) are ready to recruit Lee this offseason.  Plus, it's unlikely Yankees fans would taunt their own star pitcher's wife.

The Yankees' main selling point, of course, will have to be money and contract years.  The Rangers have all the intangibles in their favor, especially the team's World Series appearance and proximity to the Lee family's Little Rock, Arkansas home.  We've seen players leave millions on the table before, though the Rangers plan to be aggressive in the bidding.

Amateur Signing Bonuses: Angels

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Next up in our series looking at each club's five largest amateur signing bonuses, the Angels…

  1. Jered Weaver, $4MM (2004)
  2. Kendry Morales, $3MM (2004)
  3. Kaleb Cowart, $2.3MM (2010)
  4. Troy Glaus, $2.25MM (1997)
  5. Joe Torres, $2.08MM (2000)

Coming off a junior season at Long Beach State in which he posted a 1.62 ERA with 213 strikeouts and just 21 walks in 144 innings (13.3 K/9, 1.3 BB/9), Weaver was the best pitching prospect in the 2004 draft but fell to the 12th overall pick due to bonus demands. The Scott Boras client held out until the following May (this was before the days of the signing deadline), pitching in an independent league to stay sharp in case he re-entered the draft in 2005. The Angels eventually got him to sign, and just about a year later he was in the big leagues. Weaver has a 3.55 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 144 career big league starts. He earned his first trip to the All Star Game in 2010, leading the AL with 233 strikeouts.

Morales defected from Cuba as a 21-year-old during the summer of 2004, signing with the Angels that December after establishing residency in the Dominican Republic. The $3MM bonus was paid up front as part of his six-year, $4.5MM major league contract. That deal just expired this season, but the Halos still control him as an arbitration eligible player for the next three years. The switch-hitting first baseman is a .284/.336/.502 career hitter in 1,240 big league plate appearances, coming into his own with a 43 double, 34 homer season in 2009.

The third overall pick in 1997, Glaus zoomed through the minors and made his major league debut in July 1998. A three-time All Star with the Angels, Glaus hit 40+ homers twice with the team, leading the AL with 47 big flies in 2000. He was named the World Series MVP during the team's 2002 title run, and overall hit .253/.357/.497 in six-plus years with the Angels before signing with the Diamondbacks as a free agent after the 2003 season. That $2.25MM bonus, a staggering amount at the time, was a tremendous investment. The Angels got their money's worth and then some.

Cowart was the the team's first round pick this year, the 18th overall selection. He hit .192/.214/.308 in just 28 plate appearances down in rookie ball after signing, but his career will begin in earnest next season. Torres flamed out after being the tenth overall pick in 2000, never getting out of Single-A. He missed part of 2003 and all of 2004 after having Tommy John surgery, and left the team as a minor league free agent after the 2006 season. Torres threw 375 innings in the Angels' system with a 5.40 ERA.

Casey Kotchman is right behind Torres at $2.075MM. He was the 13th overall pick in 2001. Mike Trout, the best prospect in baseball and the 25th overall pick in the 2009 draft, was originally asking for $2.5MM to sign last year, but he settled for $1.215MM. Through 807 minor league plate appearances, he's a .344/.426/.489 hitter.

White Sox Exercise Options On Thornton, Castro

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The White Sox exercised their 2011 options on reliever Matt Thornton and catcher Ramon Castro, tweets MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  The Sox also requested release waivers on righty Carlos Torres so he can pursue a job in Asia.

Thornton's $3MM option, which had a $250K buyout, was a given after his dominant 2010 season.  The hard-throwing southpaw posted a 2.67 ERA, 12.0 K/9, and 3.0 BB/9 in 60.6 innings, the only blemish being an August forearm injury.  After Thornton's strong '06 campaign for the Sox, GM Kenny Williams wisely signed him to a three-year deal with club options for 2010 and '11.  Talking to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Thornton said he's confident he can close in 2011 if needed.  Many consider Bobby Jenks a non-tender candidate.

Castro had a $1.2MM option with a $200K buyout, so his option was also an easy choice.  In his second season as A.J. Pierzynski's backup he hit .278/.328/.504 with eight home runs in only 128 plate appearances.

Torres, 28, was ranked 16th among White Sox prospects by Baseball America heading into the season.  He repeated Triple A, posting a 3.42 ERA, 7.9 K/9, and 4.0 BB/9 in 160.3 innings.  BA wrote that Torres "profiles as a long reliever/sixth starter."  His repertoire: "a heavy 90-92 fastball and a plus cutter that frustrates lefthanders."  They described him as an organizational favorite for his fearlessness and durability.

Yankees Sign Wilmer Romero

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The Yankees signed July 2nd prospect Wilmer Romero out of the Dominican Republic, tweets SI's Melissa Segura.  Romero, a 16-year-old center fielder, was ranked fifth among Dominican prospects on the list Blake Bentley compiled for MLBTR back in May.  Bentley wrote that Romero has the toolset to demand seven figures – the 6'2" center fielder has good speed, a strong arm, and plus power.  ESPN's Keith Law also praised Romero's tools and noted that he signed later because he had to go through MLB's age verification process.

Olney On Offseason, Athletics, Red Sox

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ESPN's Buster Olney dishes hot stove opinions and rumors…

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