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Archives for September 2011

Prince Fielder: ’11 ‘Probably’ Last Year With Brewers

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It's not the first time someone has suggested the Brewers might soon be looking for a new first baseman. But it's the clearest indication yet that Prince Fielder will leave Milwaukee this offseason. The free agent-to-be himself publicly conceded that this is likely his final season with the Brewers in an interview with TBS (link at SI.com).

"I'm signed for this year, but being real about it, it is probably the last year," Fielder told TBS.

The Scott Boras client figures to be one of the most sought-after free agents of the offseason. Still just 27, Fielder began the day with a .294/.407/.543 line and 32 homers. He'll cost a top draft pick, not that that will deter serious suitors. I examined the market for Fielder and fellow free agent Albert Pujols a week ago.

Indians Notes: Shapiro, Carrasco, Santana

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On this date in 1997, Jim Thome hit his 40th homer of the season for the Indians, who went on to win the American League pennant. Here's the latest on the current version of the Indians, who have a 0.0% chance of returning to the postseason this year, according to Baseball Prospectus' playoff odds report…

  • Indians president Mark Shapiro hasn't had contact with the Cubs about their open GM job, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Shapiro is involved in making the Indians more successful on and off the field and appears to be happy in his role, Hoynes writes. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported yesterday that the former GM might be intrigued by the Cubs job.
  • The Indians announced that Carlos Carrasco had Tommy John surgery in New York City today, as Dr. David Altchek repaired the ulnar collateral ligament in Carrasco’s right elbow. Recovery time is generally a year or more, so the Indians won’t be counting on Carrasco in 2012.
  • Indians manager Manny Acta told Todd Wills of MLB.com that Jeanmar Gomez will be a name to consider for next year's rotation. Gomez has allowed just three earned runs in 17 1/3 innings since being recalled from Triple-A at the end of August.
  • Carlos Santana could be a long-term solution behind the plate or at first base, Acta told Wills. The Indians' decision will depend, in part, on others, such as Matt LaPorta.
  • The 26-year-old LaPorta has had his chances. In what amounts to two full seasons, he has 30 homers and a .234/.300/.394 line. He has always destroyed minor league pitching, but he hasn't helped the big league club nearly as much as expected.

Bay Area Notes: Neukom, Baer, Athletics

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On the field, the Giants won today and the A's lost. Off the field, the Giants are set to undergo a shakeup and the A's may have reason to hope. Here's the latest… 

  • The Giants announced that Bill Neukom will retire from his position at the end of the 2011 calendar year and will serve as Chairman Emeritus in 2012. As anticipated, Baer will become CEO at that point.
  • Giants' managing general partner and CEO Bill Neukom will not return in the same role next season, according to Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News. The executive committee has asked Neukom to step aside following a series of disagreements. Larry Baer, the Giants' president and COO, will become the CEO when Neukom steps down.
  • ESPN.com’s Buster Olney suggests the leadership change could provide the Athletics with optimism, since Neukom has opposed the possibility that the might A's move to nearby San Jose (Twitter link). 
  • Baer also opposes the Athletics' proposed move to San Jose, so it's difficult to see the Giants' position changing, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Reds Owner Says Jocketty, Baker Will Return

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The season has not gone according to plan for the Reds, who are 72-76 and 14.5 games back of the Brewers in the NL Central. GM Walt Jocketty's contract is up after the season, and there's been some speculation that he could be a fit for the Cubs. Reds owner Bob Castellini shot that down though, telling John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer that both Jocketty and manager Dusty Baker will be back.

"Walt's contract is up … There's been some speculation about his future. My instincts tell me he isn’t going anywhere," said Fay to Castellini, who replied: "Your instincts are correct." As for Baker, Castellini said: "Of course, he’ll be back."

Jocketty has been running the Reds since late-April of 2008, when he replaced Wayne Krisvky. Baker came on board a few months before Jocketty, agreeing to manage the Reds during the 2007-2008 offseason. The duo has helped the team go from 72-90 in 2007 to the NLDS and a division title last year, though this season has been a bit of a bump in the road.

To see all of Jocketty's moves with the Reds, check out our Transactions Tracker. 

NL Central Notes: Astros, Rodriguez, Carpenter

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The Pirates lost to the Cardinals today and Pittsburgh clinched a 19th consecutive losing season in the process. Here are today’s NL Central notes…

  • The Astros also lost a historic game today. They fell to the Phillies, setting a franchise record with their 98th defeat of the season.
  • Chris Carpenter told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he didn't want to pitch anywhere else and hopes to finish his career in St. Louis. The former Cy Young winner realizes he's no Hall of Famer, but says he's proud to have become a fixture for the Cardinals. The Cardinals locked Carpenter up to a two-year, $21MM extension this week.
  • Francisco Rodriguez told Scott Miller of CBS Sports.com that he's disappointed that the Brewers haven't provided him with the chance to close games. "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." It’s worth noting that closer John Axford has converted his last 39 save chances.
  • MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes provided the latest Cubs updates this morning and I examined possible suitors for Aramis Ramirez this afternoon.

Marlins, Omar Infante Discussing Extension

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The Marlins are discussing an extension with second baseman Omar Infante, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. The sides are discussing a multiyear deal, and though they aren’t currently close to finalizing anything, they could complete a deal before the season ends. 

Infante told Frisaro that he wants to return to Miami in 2012. The 29-year-old native of Venezuela has a .279/.321/.376 line with five homers in 574 plate appearances in his first season with the Marlins. Infante, who joined the team in last November's Dan Uggla trade, earns $2.5MM this year.

Infante will hit free agency after the season if he doesn't sign a deal with the Marlins. He projects as a Type B free agent, which means the Marlins could obtain a draft pick in 2012 if Infante turns down an offer of arbitration to sign elsewhere. Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reported this weekend that the Marlins want to bring Infante back in 2012 and will offer him a contract.

White Sox Notes: Williams, Quentin, Pierre, Morel

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Dylan Axelrod, the son of agent Barry Axelrod, provided the White Sox with six solid innings in his first MLB start this afternoon. Here's the latest on the White Sox, who have 14 games remaining after today…

  • White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has told GM Kenny Williams that he’ll be back in 2012, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. 
  • Manager Ozzie Guillen told Cowley that he could work for anyone, including Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. 
  • In a chat with fans, Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com says there's a very high chance that the White Sox trade Carlos Quentin this offseason.
  • Juan Pierre is expected to sign elsewhere when he hits free agency after the season, according to Padilla. Pierre "has the most respect of anybody in the White Sox clubhouse," so there's a chance he'll be back. 
  • Brent Morel will definitely be playing third next season and the White Sox will expect a little more on offense from Morel in 2012. I mentioned the White Sox as a possible destination for Aramis Ramirez earlier today, noting that the club probably can't afford him. 
  • The White Sox will definitely reduce payroll from $127MM next season, Padilla writes.

Pirates Claim Matt Pagnozzi

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The Pirates announced that they claimed catcher Matt Pagnozzi off of waivers from the Rockies. To create 40-man roster space for Pagnozzi, who was designated for assignment on Sunday, the Pirates transferred Steve Pearce to the 60-day disabled list.

Pagnozzi has spent parts of three seasons in the Major Leagues, including seven games in 2011. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he posted a .275/.337/.421 line in 198 plate appearances. Baseball America named Pagnozzi the best defensive catcher in the Cardinals' minor league system entering the 2009 season.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicts that the Pirates will decline their options for catchers Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder this offseason. In that context, Neal Huntington's claim makes sense; the Pirates obtain depth heading into 2012.

Potential Suitors For Aramis Ramirez

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Aramis Ramirez is looking for a multiyear deal this offseason and it sounds like he’s prepared to test the market if the Cubs don’t re-sign him first. The Cubs have a $16MM option for the 33-year-old in 2012 ($2MM buyout). If they pick up the option, Ramirez will have to decide whether to accept or decline and become a free agent. 

He has a .304/.356/.508 line with 25 homers, so other teams would figure to have interest, especially since he probably won't cost a draft pick. Here’s a look at some of the suitors agent Paul Kinzer may hear from this offseason…

Apparent Fits

  • Cubs – Though Ramirez says he’d like to stay in Chicago, it will be hard to determine the team’s interest until they complete their search for a new general manager.
  • Orioles – Chris Davis is auditioning at third base and Mark Reynolds has moved to first. The Orioles could elect to keep that pair in place instead of pursuing Ramirez. Keep in mind that they’re likely to have someone other than Andy MacPhail running baseball operations this offseason.
  • Tigers – Brandon Inge is under contract for 2012 and Wilson Betemit hits free agency this offseason. Despite Inge’s success since returning from the minor leagues, he no longer appears to be the long-term answer for the Tigers. Promising 19-year-old Nick Castellanos just finished his first pro season and has yet to play above Class A.
  • Angels – Alberto Callaspo has a knack for getting on base, so the Angels aren’t desperate. That said, they had interest in Adrian Beltre last offseason, which suggests GM Tony Reagins would consider upgrading over Callaspo.

Other Possibilities

  • Reds – The Reds would discuss Ramirez if he hits free agency, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Scott Rolen is under contract for $6.5MM in 2012 and the powerful Juan Francisco is another intriguing option.
  • Rockies – The Rockies don’t have a long-term solution at third. Ian Stewart, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Jordan Pacheco are some more affordable internal options for Colorado GM Dan O’Dowd to consider.
  • Brewers – Casey McGehee's production has fallen off, though third base doesn't figure to be Milwaukee's offseason focus.
  • Dodgers – It's hard to say how liberally the Dodgers will be able to spend this offseason. They could decide to look for more offense than Casey Blake (out for the year after undergoing surgery for a nerve issue) and Juan Uribe (.557 OPS) offered at third.
  • Astros – The Astros aren’t likely to spend big this offseason, regardless of if and when Jim Crane officially becomes the new owner. Chris Johnson has just a .650 OPS, though he is considerably cheaper than Ramirez.
  • Marlins – The Marlins move to a new stadium next year, so they could have interest in Ramirez despite the presence of slick-fielding prospect Matt Dominguez.
  • Athletics – Scott Sizemore has been a pleasant surprise for the Athletics, another team that pursued Beltre last winter. In theory the A’s could shift Sizemore into a utility role, but free agent hitters aren’t generally drawn to Oakland.
  • White Sox – Ramirez likes Chicago and he offers more offense than Brent Morel. There’s talk that the White Sox may have to lower payroll, in which case another major free agent acquisition would seem unlikely.

Minor Moves: Buente, Hendrickson, Ward

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As I showed earlier today in my 10 Best Minor League Deals Of The Year post, minor moves sometimes have a major impact.  Today's latest:

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