Archives for April 2012

Poll: Will The Giants Extend Tim Lincecum?

By Zachary Links | April 22, 2012 at 9:00pm CDT

Last week the Giants announced a five-year extension for Madison Bumgarner that will keep the left-hander in the fold through 2017 and could keep him in place through 2019 with a pair of options. The deal guarantees the hurler $35MM over five years and sets a record for pitchers with one-plus years of MLB service. The 22-year-old is now locked up for years to come alongside Matt Cain, but there's still the matter of addressing Tim Lincecum's future.

The two-time Cy Young winner is under team control through 2013 and the two sides haven't made a great deal of progress towards a new deal in recent months. Some see the long-term contracts for Bumgarner and Cain as preparation for Lincecum's eventual departure. Others contend that while San Francisco has committed a great deal of money to the two pitchers, it has little bearing on whether the club will iron out a deal with The Freak. As it stands today, do you see the Giants extending Lincecum?

MLBTR Originals

By Zachary Links | April 22, 2012 at 6:02pm CDT

A look at this week’s original reporting and analysis from the MLBTR team..

Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at the top arbitration eligible catchers for 2013.
Mike Axisa put together a list of players claimed off of waivers since the start of the offseason and are now contributing at the big league level.
Ben compiled a list of the top young pitchers without extensions.
The specifics of Madison Bumgarner’s five-year, $35MM extension were somewhat surprising, Ben writes.
James Loney’s late-season tear in 2011 likely saved his job with the Dodgers, but this will be a Make Or Break Year for the first baseman, Mike writes.
I asked MLBTR readers if they like the Erick Aybar extension from the Angels’ perspective and the results were just about split.
BN-S examined how much Super Two status is worth.
Ben had the wheel for our chat on Wednesday.
With enough interested parties, larger offers wouldn’t be out of the question for Francisco Liriano. A repeat of his 2011 numbers, however, would likely relegate Liriano to a one-year deal, writes Steve Adams.
The Astros welcomed a new owner, hired a new GM and agreed to switch leagues this past offseason.
There are three players who will soon have their ten and five rights kick in.
Mike rounded up the best from around the baseball blogosphere for this week’s edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
Here’s a list of all the ways you can enjoy MLBTR.

Week In Review: 4/15/12 – 4/21/12

By Steve Adams | April 22, 2012 at 4:33pm CDT

A pair of notable extensions were handed out in baseball's two Western divisions this week. Let's take a look back at those stories and all of the other news from the past week…

Madison Bumgarner set the record for pitchers with one-plus years of service time when he agreed to a five-year extension with the Giants that will guarantee him $35MM. The deal contains two options — a club/vesting option for 2018 and a club option for 2019.
The Giants also checked in with the agents for Tim Lincecum and Buster Posey, but nothing is imminent on either front.
Oddly enough, a second $35MM extension was issued this week, though Erick Aybar was the beneficiary of the second. The Angels locked up their shortstop for the next four years — the same amount of time for which they'll control Howie Kendrick, the other half of their double play combination following his extension.
Personal service deals and milestone bonuses will no longer be allowed in contracts, under the new collective bargaining agreement. The stipulation was added because Major League Baseball is trying to avoid situations where teams could use these clauses as loopholes to avoid paying the luxury tax.
The Nationals are considering an extension for Jordan Zimmermann, who told reporters that he has mutual interest in the idea.
With injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford hampering their outfield depth, the Red Sox acquired Marlon Byrd from the Cubs in exchange for Michael Bowden (whom they DFA'ed along with Luis Exposito earlier in the week) and a player to be named later. Chicago will pay roughly $6.1MM of the $6.5MM owed to Byrd in this, the final year of his contract.
The Orioles would claim Exposito off waivers from the Red Sox later in the week, designating Josh Bell for assignment to create roster space. The Diamondbacks then acquired Bell from Baltimore in exchange for a player to be named later.
Other notable waiver claims this week included the Rays claiming Brandon Allen off waivers from the Athletics. Oakland claimed Rich Thompson off waivers from the Angels this week as well.
Giants closer Brian Wilson announced that he will undergo his second Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2012 season. Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo, and Javier Lopez will combine to close in his stead.
The Mariners signed Dominican prospect Hersin Martinez for a bonus of $1.1MM. The outfielder is praised for his "tremendous raw power."
The Padres are prepared to release veteran Orlando Hudson, who hasn't been performing on the field and also reportedly hasn't wowed San Diego with his clubhouse presence.
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that if he could improve his club in one area, he'd like to add one more impact bat to his lineup.
Astros closer Brett Myers isn't currently being shopped, according to general manager Jeff Luhnow. That, of course, could change as the trade deadline approaches if Myers is pitching well.
Lastly, MLBTR is seeking part-time writers. If you think you fit the bill, check the post for details and send in your application!

Minor Moves: Negrych, Haughian

By Steve Adams | April 22, 2012 at 2:45pm CDT

We'll keep track of the minor transactions around the league this Sunday in this post…

The Nationals have signed infielder Jim Negrych to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has appeared primarily at second and third base in the minors, but didn't reach Triple-A until he was 25 years old in 2010. A sixth round pick by Pittsburgh in 2006, Negrych is a career .302/.377/.402 hitter in six minor league seasons.
Orioles minor league lefty Nicholas Haughian asked for his release and was granted it, tweets Steve Melewski of MASNsports. The 25-year-old Haughian was Baltimore's ninth round pick in 2008, but has yet to advance past High-A Frederick. He has a career 3.76 ERA, 7.1 K/9, and 3.1 BB/9.

Athletics Claim Luke Hughes

By Steve Adams | April 22, 2012 at 1:09pm CDT

The Athletics have claimed infielder Luke Hughes off waivers from the Twins, according to the A's official Twitter account. Dallas Braden was transferred to the 60-day disabled list in a corresponding move.

Hughes, a native of Australia, signed with the Twins as a free agent back in 2002. Because he was out of options, Minnesota designated the 27-year-old for assignment last week after just 11 plate appearances this season in an attempt to send him to Triple-A Rochester.

Hughes has appearead in parts of three seasons for the Twins, seeing time at third base, second base, and first base. Over his brief Major League career (335 plate appearances), the righty is a .224/.285/.342 hitter. He's fared better in the minor leagues, hitting .257/.319/.440 over parts of four Triple-A seasons. Perhaps Hughes' best asset in the minors was his ability to hit left-handed pitching, but that has yet to show in his Major League career.

The Athletics recently claimed fellow Australian Rich Thompson off waivers from the Angels, and have another Australian, Grant Balfour, currently installed as their closer.

Quick Hits: Rays, Inge, Red Sox, Indians

By Zachary Links | April 22, 2012 at 12:34pm CDT

On this day in 1997, the Yankees traded Ruben Rivera, Rafael Medina, and $3MM to the Padres for players to be named later, Homer Bush, and minor leaguer Gordon Amerson. A little more than a month later, the Padres later sent Hideki Irabu to the Yankees as one of the PTBNLs to complete the deal. Here's a look at today's links..

It looks like the Rays will need to go out and find help behind the plate, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Even though Tampa Bay appears to be in browsing mode at the moment, big name catchers such as A.J. Pierzynski, Geovany Soto, and Kurt Suzuki could all be available. Lower tier possibilities include Miguel Olivo, Chris Snyder, George Kottaras, and Bobby Wilson.
As Brandon Inge continues to take more and more criticism, Terry Foster of The Detroit News thinks that it's time for the Tigers to let him go. Inge is making $5.5MM this season and can be bought out of his $6MM option in 2013 for $500K.
The only former Rangers teammate that pitcher Vicente Padilla has had a real problem with is new teammate Marlon Byrd, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (Twitter links). The pitcher, now with the Red Sox, was released by Texas in 2009 for behavior that was seen as a distraction to the clubhouse.
The Indians need to do a better job of building through the draft, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.

Red Sox Notes: Cherington, Valentine, Bard, Cook

By Zachary Links | April 22, 2012 at 10:46am CDT

A look at the Red Sox following last night’s ugly loss to the Yankees..

Saturday was the symbol of an organization that has made too many poor decisions in recent years, both under Epstein and new GM Ben Cherington, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The club shouldn’t be blamed for failing to match the Phillies’ offer for Jonathan Papelbon, but they can be faulted for failing to find adequate replacements for him and Daniel Bard, knowing that they planned to make Bard a starter.
After last night’s game, Cherington, president Larry Lucchino, and principal owner John Henry met with Bobby Valentine. Not much was said after the meeting but in a brief phone interview with Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com, Henry said “This is not a 14-game problem, this is 41-game problem (including the Red Sox’ 7-20 mark last September). Our pitching has been terrible over the last 41 regular season games.”
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe thinks that the Red Sox should put Bard in the role of closer and recall Aaron Cook from Triple-A to fill in the back of the rotation. Cook can request his release if he’s not on the 25-man roster on May 1st and again on June 1st.
Cherington hopes that Marlon Byrd will turn over a new leaf in Boston, write Peter Abraham and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “He’s been a good major league center fielder for a long time and is off to a tough start,” the GM said. “But our hope is that a change of scenery and maybe a new environment may get him going.”

Cafardo On Peavy, White Sox, Twins, Liriano, Rays

By Zachary Links | April 22, 2012 at 9:00am CDT

The Red Sox are struggling early on in the season, but no one in the American League East seems to be off to a hot start, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. However, as one American League GM said, "I will never comment on any team or even my own based on April. You just don’t get a fair assessment. You may get a snapshot of what you may be short on, or what you may have overevaluated. But even then, you have to be careful about making hasty decisions in April because there’s a long way to go." Here's more from Cafardo..

White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy is back on some teams’ radars as a midseason acquisition after a strong start to the year. Scouts have been impressed with Peavy’s overall stuff and the fact that he is notching strikeouts and throwing 92-93 m.p.h. Peavy, 30, earns $17MM this season and the White Sox would likely have to take on a portion of what’s remaining if he’s dealt. However, he has a partial no-trade to eight teams and the White Sox may not part with him if they're still relevant in July.
The Twins had some bites on Francisco Liriano this winter but didn’t pull the trigger. Because Minnesota probably won’t re-sign him, they're hoping to land a prospect or two for him at the trade deadline. He'll have to pitch better for that to happen, however.
If the Rays pitching is clicking as expected, Wade Davis will be trade bait at some point this season. So far though, in his current role as long man, scouts love what they see.
A longtime National League scout who has been keeping an eye on the Rays this season says that the club could use another bullpen piece.
There has been some questioning of Blue Jays manager John Farrell’s pitching moves at times, according to a major league source.
Cafardo asked Pedro Martinez whether he could pitch right now and he responded, "Not right now. I would need about 20 days."
Cafardo is surprised that Ivan Rodriguez is retiring and one National League GM said that the veteran, "is probably better defensively right now than 75 percent of the catchers in the league."

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Angels, Garcia

By Dan Mennella | April 21, 2012 at 10:13pm CDT

A few odds and ends as a rather eventful Saturday in MLB winds down …

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington offered embattled manager Bobby Valentine a vote of confidence following this afternoon's disheartening loss. Cherington told reporters, such as CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler, that he's "very satisfied" with Valentine's performance, noting that the skipper is doing the best he can with the current roster (Twitter link).
To that end, Cherington did allow that the team's sluggish 4-10 record "does increase the urgency" to find solutions for a battered pitching staff, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
The money saved in the acquisition of Marlon Byrd will not affect the Red Sox's luxury-tax calculation, according to Speier, a loophole MLB recently closed (Twitter links).
Touted Angels infield prospect Jean Segura's future with the club may be in question now that the Halos have locked up shortstop Erick Aybar and second baseman Howie Kendrick to long-term contracts, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
The Halos have not fared particularly well in signing relievers to multiyear contracts of late, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, a trend that GM Jerry Dipoto is trying to rectify by piecing together a cheap but effective bullpen of undervalued types. The Angels' list of relief flops includes the likes of Brian Fuentes, Justin Speier and Fernando Rodney.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he still has faith in Freddy Garcia when asked whether the right-hander was "running out of time," according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. Garcia has gotten off to a poor start, including an ugly outing today, and is a candidate to be moved (either to the bullpen or perhaps elsewhere) when Andy Pettitte is called up from the minors.

Red Sox Acquire Marlon Byrd From Cubs

By Zachary Links | April 21, 2012 at 8:53pm CDT

Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd confirmed that he has been traded to the Red Sox, tweets Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. The Cubs will receive Michael Bowden and a player to be named later in exchange for Byrd while paying all but roughly $400K of his $6.5MM salary (the prorated minimum), according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).

The Red Sox designated infielder Nate Spears for assignment to make room for Byrd on the 40-man roster, the club announced. Spears, 26, appeared in four games with Boston this season, including today's loss to the Yankees.

Meanwhile, the player to be named will not be left-hander Andrew Miller, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

Byrd, 34, has just three singles and one walk in 47 plate appearances this season, resulting in a .070/.149/.070 batting line. He hit .276/.324/.395 in 482 plate appearances last season while missing time with multiple fractures after taking a pitch to the face, an injury that occurred in Fenway Park. Byrd is in the final season of his three-year, $15MM contract and will earn $6.5MM this year. He is not in Chicago's lineup this afternoon.

Ellsbury's subluxed his right shoulder last week and there is still not timetable for his return. Carl Crawford is also on the shelf with wrist and elbow problems, leaving the Red Sox with an outfield of Jason Repko, Ryan Sweeney, Cody Ross, and Darnell McDonald. Byrd has played center field exclusively during his time with the Cubs, though he has experience in all three outfield spots.

Boston has been actively exploring the outfield market following Jacoby Ellsbury's shoulder injury. The deal will be announced after today's Red Sox game, according to Levine's tweet.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

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