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Archives for September 2011

NL West Notes: Kemp, Sanchez, Street, Villalona

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The first-place Diamondbacks had a magic number of 2 to clinch the NL West entering Thursday's action and could pop the champagne as soon as Friday. Here are some notes regarding three of the division's other ballclubs:

  • Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, echoing what his agent said recently, told Beto Duran of ESPN 710 radio in Los Angeles that he hasn't yet begun discussing a possible contract extension with the club but he'd like to spend the rest of his career there (Twitter link). Kemp is eligible for free agency after 2012.
  • Giants lefty Jonathan Sanchez won't return in 2011 and may have thrown his last pitch for the Lads, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. The Giants may non-tender Sanchez, or, if they do go through the arbitration process with him, could decide to trade him for a bat, according to Baggarly. Sanchez, 28, dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness this season, making just 19 starts, while earning $4.8MM. Sanchez does possess a big arm, so he won't have trouble finding a new job if and when the Giants decide to move on.
  • The Rockies will seek a trade partner to offload closer Huston Street, perhaps in return for a starting pitcher, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. However, Renck notes it won't be easy to shop Street considering the depth of relief pitching on the free-agent market, so he could just as easily return to Colorado in 2012 (Twitter links).
  • Giants first base prospect Angel Villalona, who recently had murder charges against him dropped in his native Dominican Republic, has reportedly changed agents from Boras Corp. to Para Sports, tweets Baggarly. Para Sports represents Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon, as Baggarly notes, who also had murder charges against him dropped in the Dominican.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Francisco Rodriguez

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Lurking among the ranks of the elite impending free agent closers is the Brewers' Francisco Rodriguez, who in fact has served as a setup man (more on that in a bit) in Milwaukee since being acquired from the Mets in a midseason trade. K-Rod is an accomplished, compelling, and perhaps controversial figure, and his second venture into free agency should be fascinating.

Though he rose to prominence a decade ago during the Angels' run to a World Series title in 2002, K-Rod is only 29 (he'll turn 30 in January), so his new agent, Scott Boras, can still sell the right-hander as being relatively close to the prime of his career to potential suitors. And although Rodriguez's strikeout rates have dipped from where they were in the mid-aughts (from a high of 13.18 K/9 in 2005 down to 9.66 in 2011), he's posted sub-3.00 FIPs in each of the past two seasons, so he's still effective. He's just finding different ways to get it done.

In addition to having age and effectiveness on his side, K-Rod has also proven durable throughout his career, pitching fewer than 60 innings only once. However, that blip came in 2010 on account of an off-field incident in which the right-hander was involved in a violent altercation with his girlfriend's father. Rodriguez injured his hand, was lost for the season's balance, and forfeited a chunk of his salary upon being placed on the disqualified list by the Mets, his employer at the time.

It didn't do any favors toward changing Rodriguez's image as a volatile type, and though he reported to camp this spring in good shape and with a new attitude, he recently drew some criticism for voicing his displeasure about his role with the Brewers:

"I'm not fine," Rodriguez said. "They told me I'd have the opportunity to close some games, and we've had 20-some save opportunities since then and I haven't even had one."

As one AL exec recently told Buster Olney of ESPN.com, K-Rod's oddly timed comments probably won't help him in free agency this winter. So, where does all of this leave him?

Firstly, it seems highly unlikely the Brewers will offer Rodriguez arbitration, seeing as he earns $11.5MM this season. Most free agents typically eschew arbitration in favor of pursuing long-term deals, anyway, but it's a risk the Brewers won't want to take, because if he were to accept, he'd see a raise that would bring his salary to upwards of $13-14MM. That's a number Milwaukee won't want to pay, and since he'll be competing in free agency with the likes of Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Madson, Heath Bell and several other accomplished relievers, K-Rod might very well accept.

Instead, with his suitors limited in a deep market, K-Rod may end up seeking a one-year contract — perhaps to set up — so that he can hit free agency again after 2012, when the market won't be as favorable for buyer's (one executive even suggested this scenario to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com). Last offseason, two righties with closing experience signed to set up. Bobby Jenks got two years and $12MM from the Red Sox, and Rafael Soriano got three years and $35MM from the Yankees. While K-Rod and Boras would be ecstatic with a contract like the one Soriano signed, that deal is probably the exception. The midpoint for Jenks' and Soriano's average annual salaries is roughly $9MM, and that seems a reasonable number for K-Rod's services on a one-year deal.

Ramirez Intends To Seek Reinstatement & Return

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Manny Ramirez intends to play Major League Baseball again, so he will seek reinstatement from MLB, according to ESPN.com. Ramirez says he's prepared to serve the 100-game suspension he received this year for violating MLB’s drug policy for a second time.

“If any team wants to sign me, I would play,” Ramirez told Enrique Rojas. “If no one does, I would look to play in Japan or any other place. I was not prepared for retirement."

Rob Manfred, MLB's executive VP of labor relations, confirmed to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that Ramirez will not be able to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic. He's on the inactive list and would require commissioner Bud Selig's approval to play.

Ramirez, who appeared in five games for the Rays this year, posted a .312/.411/.585 line and 555 home runs in 19 MLB seasons. The 12-time All-Star has told agent Scott Boras of his intent to return to the Major Leagues.

Astros To Select First Overall In 2012

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The Astros are on the clock. The Twins won today, ending their 11-game losing streak and assuring Houston of the top pick in the 2012 draft. As our Reverse Standings page shows, there's no way that the Twins will finish with a worse record than the Astros this year.

The Astros will finish with at least 102 losses (even if they don't lose again) and the Twins reached the 60-win plateau with today's win, which means they won't exceed 102 losses. Because the Astros finished with a worse record (73-78) than the Twins (91-60) a year ago, Houston would win a tiebreaker and select first overall in 2012 should both clubs happen to finish 60-102 this year.

Houston has selected first overall twice before, though both selections came long before they hired current scouting director Bobby Heck. Houston selected Floyd Bannister first overall in 1976 and selected Phil Nevin with the top choice in 1992, five picks ahead of Derek Jeter.

Boston’s Starting Pitching Options

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Boston’s late-season slide isn’t so shocking when you consider that Red Sox pitchers have allowed 6.5 runs per game this month. With just six regular season games remaining, Boston’s lead has diminished to 2.5 games over the Angels and Rays. Baseball Prospectus still gives the Red Sox a 91.5% chance of advancing, but there’s zero doubt that Red Sox fans and front office members are unsettled by the team’s play.

The Red Sox made multiple inquiries about Chris Capuano, though it doesn’t appear that they’ll reach a deal with the Mets. Capuano would be ineligible for Boston’s postseason roster, but GM Theo Epstein and his front office are focused on the immediate future: three games in Yankee Stadium against the AL East Champions followed by three games at Camden Yards against the Orioles.

Jon Lester is set to pitch tomorrow, with 45-year-old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield scheduled to take the ball Saturday and John Lackey and his 6.49 ERA set to wrap the series up Sunday. Clearly, there’s room for improvement. Ideally, the Red Sox would have been able to turn to Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who are injured, or Rich Harden, whose medicals scared Boston away, or a more productive version of Lackey. But those options aren’t there, so the Red Sox are looking at alternatives.

If they move on from Capuano to other potentially available starters, they aren’t likely to encounter many pleasing options. Pitchers like Bruce Chen and Rodrigo Lopez aren’t clear upgrades and if the Red Sox considered Kevin Millwood a viable starter in the AL East, they would have held onto him earlier in the season.

They could ask Padres GM and longtime Red Sox executive Jed Hoyer about Aaron Harang, who has put together a nice season in San Diego (3.82 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 3.2 BB/9). No Yankee regular other than Russell Martin has had much exposure to Harang, and five of the team’s regulars (Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner, Jorge Posada) have never faced him in a regular season game, so the Red Sox would have the element of surprise on their side. But even if they were comfortable bringing a fly ball pitcher into Yankee Stadium, the third most homer-friendly ballpark in baseball, they’d have to convince the Padres to part with Harang. The sides have a mutual option for 2012 and Harang projects as a Type B free agent in the offseason, so he still has value to San Diego. 

There’s Javier Vazquez, the Marlins right-hander who has been pitching at the top of his game for the past half-season (1.93 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 1.4 BB/9 in the last three months). In theory, the Red Sox could bring him in to start in place of Lackey on three days’ rest Sunday. It would be a significant upgrade, but Vazquez has a no-trade clause and appears ready to announce his retirement, so it seems unlikely that he’d agree to uproot himself. Plus, it's not as if Vazquez has had much success in Yankee Stadium.

In other words, the odds may be on Boston’s side, but the trade market isn’t. It appears that their chances of reaching the postseason depend entirely on the players they currently have.

GM Candidate: Matt Klentak

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MLBTR’s list of general manager candidates introduced 20 people who were identified by their peers as potential Major League GMs. We’re now going to bring you closer to the candidates with a series of pieces. Today the series continues with one of the Orioles’ top executives. 

Matt Klentak grew up in Massachusetts, where he played shortstop and rooted for Cal Ripken Jr. of the Orioles. His playing career ended after four years of college ball at Dartmouth, but he’s now working in the front office of the team his boyhood hero starred on for decades.

Klentak, 31, got his start in professional baseball with the 2003 Rockies. He contacted Thad Levine, the Rangers’ assistant GM who then worked in Colorado, through connections he had with the Red Sox and joined a Rockies front office that had recently lost Josh Byrnes to Arizona and Michael Hill to Florida. 

After a year in Colorado’s front office, Klentak moved on to the labor relations department in the commissioner’s office. He worked on the 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement and later advised teams on rules and the CBA. Andy MacPhail hired Klentak in 2008 and he now works on contracts, 40-man roster management and arbitration as the Orioles’ director of baseball operations.

I spoke with Klentak this week; here are some highlights from our conversation:

On growing up a baseball fan in Massachusetts:

Cal Ripken Jr. was absolutely my favorite player. I was a tall, lanky shortstop from the north and when I was growing up as a kid in the ‘80s, Cal was among the best shortstops and he was the player I tried to emulate. When a lot of people would tell me that I was too tall to play shortstop, all I had to do was point to Cal and say ‘no, no, no, that’s not true.’

On the scope of his current role in Baltimore:

One of the things that’s really special about our industry is that month to month, the job responsibilities are constantly changing and that keeps all of us fresh. Just when you finish the draft, it’s time for the trade deadline and then when the trade deadline’s over it’s time for the draft signing deadline and before you know it you’re budgeting and getting ready for the following year and then free agency hits and then the tender deadline and arbitration and lo and behold, it’s Spring Training and we’re getting ready for Opening Day. It’s nice. It keeps us on our toes, but it’s also a lot of fun.

On mentors in the game:

In Colorado, [GM] Dan O’Dowd is one of the best leaders I’ve ever worked with. I learned a ton from Thad Levine, [Rockies Assistant GM] Bill Geivett and [Rockies VP of Scouting] Bill Schmidt. Mike Hamilton was the video coordinator in 2003 and Mike took me under his wing and taught me a lot about clubhouse culture. I spent a lot of time in the video room with Mike and when you’re a 23-year-old kid who has never been in a big league clubhouse, that was an important adjustment to make and Mike really took me under his wing and taught me a lot.

In New York, I worked with some really impressive people. [Pirates president] Frank [Coonelly] was the one who gave me my first job and he is one of the most hard working and detail-oriented people I’ve ever worked with. [Padres VP of Strategy & Business Analysis] John [Abbamondi] is analytically brilliant and taught me a ton. And here in Baltimore, Andy MacPhail has just been a tremendous teacher and mentor for me. I can’t thank Andy enough for the opportunity he’s given me here.

On the possibility of becoming a GM:

I got into this game because of a passion for baseball and that’s still the case and that’s why I work in this industry. At the end of my career, if I never become a GM, I’m not going to consider myself a failure. That’s not why I got into this and it’s not how I’m going to measure myself. My ultimate goal is to make a career in this industry and be happy, productive and challenged while contributing to the game and working with great people.

Red Sox Tried For Capuano; Deal Unlikely

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The slumping Red Sox are looking for pitching reinforcements and spent many days trying to obtain left-hander Chris Capuano from the Mets for cash, according to John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Boston’s lead over the Rays and Angels has shrunk to just 2.5 games after a 5-16 September slide. 

The Red Sox would start Capuano Sunday against the Yankees if they complete a deal, but it appears that the Mets will keep the 33-year-old, who has a 4.47 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 175 1/3 innings this year. Rob Bradford of WEEI.com hears that the Red Sox aren't lkely to make any deals and Joe McDonald of ESPNBoston.com hears that talks are "dead." Boston wouldn’t be able to use Capuano in the playoffs – they’re simply interested in boosting their chances of reaching the postseason.

Jon Lester pitches Friday's series opener and he'll be followed by Tim Wakefield and John Lackey barring a change of plans.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Tommy Manzella

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We'll keep track of the latest players to get outrighted to the minors right here:

Guerrero Hopes To Play Two Or Three More Years

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Vladimir Guerrero told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he hopes to play two or three more seasons in the Major Leagues instead of retiring after the season.  The 36-year-old is just three hits behind Julio Franco for the all-time Dominican hits record and one homer away from 450 for his career. Though he could reach both milestones in 2011, he expects to be back next year.

“I feel I can play two or three more years,” he told Connolly. “And I just need to work a little harder this offseason when I go to the Dominican and see what happens.”

Guerrero has 2,583 hits, 449 homers and a .318/.379/.553 line 16 seasons into a career that will probably deliver him to Cooperstown soon after he retires. It seems unlikely that the Orioles will re-sign the 36-year-old, who earned $8MM on a one-year deal in 2011.

Guerrero projects as a Type B free agent, not that it matters much – it’s hard to imagine an offer of arbitration from the Orioles. In 556 plate appearances this year, the nine-time All-Star has a .292/.320/.423 line with 13 homers.

Major Offseason Signings Possible For Dodgers

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The Dodgers are a bankrupt company with declining revenues, but that doesn’t have to stop them from offering nine-figure contracts to their best players and the stars on the free agent market, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Shaikin surveyed players, agents, union officials and MLB executives and heard that the Dodgers will be able to spend despite the ongoing financial issues of owner Frank McCourt.

 Michael Weiner is not only the executive director of the Players Association, he represents the interests of the Dodgers’ creditors. He says it’s in “everyone's interest for the team to be competitive and not compromised in trying to operate." Rob Manfred, MLB’s executive VP for labor relations, told Shaikin that McCourt is ”free to sign players to long-term contracts," though deals could require approval if they surpass $100MM.

The Dodgers’ revenues will likely drop $27MM this year, but MLB guarantees all player contracts, according to Shaikin. That means a team’s bankruptcy wouldn’t put a player at risk of losing any guaranteed money on a pre-existing deal. 

GM Ned Colletti has talked about improving the team’s offense in “the most dramatic” way he can, so fans have started wondering about a long-term deal for MVP candidate Matt Kemp and the possibility of signing a middle-of-the-order hitter like Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols. Kemp’s agent, Dave Stewart, told Shaikin that the Dodgers have not started discussing a long-term deal for the center fielder, who can file for free agency after 2012. Kemp isn’t worried about the direction of the team and would consider a multiyear deal if the Dodgers make a proposal.

Fielder has said that he’ll evaluate possible suitors based on their ability to win, but Scott Boras, the first baseman’s agent, pointed out that all players aren’t so forgiving. Pujols has said he plans to weigh offers from teams based on a number of factors, including minor league systems and the willingness of ownership groups to spend on improving the team, according to Shaikin.

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