Gammons to leave ESPN

Surprising and sad news today – Peter Gammons is leaving ESPN after the Winter Meetings. I know many have criticized ESPN over the past few years (and Mr. Gammons in particular) for being too Boston-centric at times but Gammons has always been one of my favorite writers and I’m going to be sorry to see him leave a position he has held for over 20 years.

Granderson to Yankees deal complete

Word is the three-team trade between the Yankees, Tigers, and Diamondbacks has been completed or at least an agreement has been reached pending physicals. The one change from the combination of players that I discussed earlier is the Yankees will keep Michael Dunn and the Tigers will receive Daniel Schlereth from the D’backs instead. I like the haul for all three teams but the Tigers definitely made out well in this situation, acquiring four players that are under team control for at least the next five seasons. Substituting Schlereth for Dunn certainly makes it a nicer collection of pieces for Detroit.

Winter Meetings roundup: day 1

As talks continue on Day 2 of the Winter Meetings, let’s take a moment to look at all the action from yesterday. First, let’s cover all of the arbitration decisions as 23 eligible free agents made announcements about their decisions. Of the 23, 10 were Type A free agents and the other 13 were Type B’s. Relievers Rafael Betancourt (Rockies), Rafael Soriano (Braves), and starter Carl Pavano (Twins) were the only ones to accept arbitration – meaning they’ll return to their 2009 teams via the arbitration process rather than seek a deal on the free agent market. The Braves will likely now look to trade Soriano as they’ve already signed Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito to finish games for them this next season and the organization has reportedly been looking for ways to trim payroll in order to bring in some offensive support. Soriano will be a little more attractive to teams now that he won’t cost them a draft pick but now he will have no control over where he ends up.

The Nationals signed veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez to a two year contract reportedly worth $6 Million. Incumbent catcher Jesus Flores should be healthy and ready to go for Opening Day but Rodriguez gives the team a more-than-suitable backup and potential mentor for the young Flores. It will be interesting to see what Pudge is able to do to help out the young pitching staff on the team. It’s a nice move for the Nationals but seems like they overpaid a bit.

Meanwhile, the Nationals also picked up a bullpen piece as they acquired hard throwing righty Brian Bruney from the Yankees in exchange for a player-to-be-named-later (PTBNL). Reports say that the PTBNL will actually be the first selection in the Rule V draft at the end of the week so we won’t have to wait long to see who the Yankees will get to complete the deal. Either way, the cash savings by giving up Bruney are enough to make it worthwhile for New York.

The Tigers resigned defensive minded shortstop Adam Everett to a one-year deal and dealt relief pitcher Clay Rapada to the Texas Rangers. The Rockies sold the rights to outfielder Matt Murton to a team in Japan.

The Cardinals signed Brad Penny to a one year contract that seems to have surprised most due to the dollar amount of the deal. Penny, who signed late last offseason with Boston only to be traded to San Francisco over the summer, will receive at least $7.5 Million in 2010 from a deal that will likely increase the asking price of some other free agent starters such as Rich Harden, Ben Sheets, and Erik Bedard.

Yanks, Tigers, D’backs discussing three-team trade

This year’s Winter Meetings are being held in Indianapolis and the first day came to a close with a number of topics worth discussing. Perhaps the biggest (and thus far, most widely discussed) rumor so far is an alleged three-team trade that is being discussed involving the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal centers around both Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson – the two players Detroit has been rumored to be shopping in recent weeks.

According to reports, Granderson would be going to the Yankees along with a “prospect or two from Arizona”. Jackson would be going to the Diamondbacks along with Ian Kennedy of the Yankees. The Tigers would receive Max Scherzer from Arizona and Austin Jackson, Phil Coke, and Michael Dunn from New York.

Word has it that late last night the Yankees backed out of talks over concerns that they were giving up too much in the deal, specifically in the form of Austin Jackson. Jackson is coming off of his first full season at AAA and the Yankees have been cautious with him so that he isn’t rushed. Some have speculated that he could be called up to New York sometime this season but he likely won’t break camp with the team. The #2 prospects in the Yankees system, he isn’t someone they want to just simply give away.

However, the Yankees would be receiving what I believe is the most valuable piece of this proposed trade in Granderson. Sure, his 2009 season was a far cry from his breakout season in 2007 or what we started to consistently expect from him after 2008. But Granderson will only be 30 in March and would make for a very nice fit in the Yankees outfield. There is a decent chance he’ll bounce back from last season and he’d certainly prove to be an upgrade over Johnny Damon if a deal can be competed. Some say that the Yankees will use the possibility of landing Granderson to force Damon into taking a lesser deal but I don’t quite think that is the case. Granderson is the better option, plain and simple.

The Diamondbacks would receive two young pitchers in Jackson and Kennedy that would certainly improve their rotation behind Danny Haren and Brandon Webb. Jackson had a breakthrough season last year and Kennedy has shown great promise before a blood clot cut his season short last May. The loss of Scherzer hurts but he’d be replaced by two equally promising talents.

The Tigers would get a young starter in Scherzer that they can slide in behind Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello and Austin Jackson would likely slot into their outfield. In a way, Jackson would be the young center field prospect they traded away in Cameron Maybin when the team acquired Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Phil Coke and Michael Dunn would give the team two more options out of the bullpen as they’ll likely let both Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney leave via free agency.

On paper the deal seems to work for all three parties – something rarely seen from a three-team trade. The Yankees do seem to be giving up the most in the deal and that could ultimately prove to be a problem but don’t count anything out just yet. GMs are creative this time of year.

could a Pierre/perez swap work?

The common “bad contract swap” is something of a rarity. It is often discussed or even suggested but rarely comes to fruition. Yet, once again the idea has crossed my mind.

Over at MLB Trade Rumors under a post filled with Los Angeles based rumors, it was suggested that the Dodgers could look to trade Juan Pierre for “an equally overpriced back-of-the-rotation pitcher.” The first name that came to mind was Oliver Perez. Bear with me, there are some caveats to making this hypothetical deal work.

Despite having a number of contracts coming off the books from this past season, the Dodgers aren’t exactly in a good position to add payroll due to a potentially nasty divorce that is currently facing team ownership. More importantly, the team’s young nucleus of players are coming up on arbitration raises that will likely utilize most of the organization’s limited remaining resources. If they are going to improve in 2010 there are going to have to be some creative ideas coming from Joe Torre and Ned Colletti. As such, one possibility that is reportedly being discussed is trading Pierre.

Now relegated to being a fourth outfielder on a roster with Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier, Pierre has become extraordinarily expendable and seemingly overpaid. Owed a total of $18.5 Million over the next two seasons, Pierre’s once horrific contract doesn’t quite look as bad as it once did. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Pierre was a surprise boost early this past season while Ramirez served his 50 game suspension. The speedy left fielder hit .308/.365/.392 with 30 stolen bases in a little over 400 plate appearances in 2009. With the decent speed, he still can cover a fair amount of ground in the outfield. So there is some value there despite the contract.

The Dodgers thought that they were getting a Pierre who was emerging into a consistent threat when they signed him prior to the 2007 season. There were high expectations but streaky performance, the emergence of Ethier and Kemp, and the acquisition of Ramirez signaled the end of Pierre’s tenure as a starter in LA. However, a strong argument could be made for Pierre to fit in New York.

First, Citi Field is rather spacious and history has proven that pitching and defense win games. One method of improving your pitching staff is improving the defense behind them. Installing Pierre in left field would improve the team’s defense and fill a need as the team is reportedly looking for an outfielder.

Second, Pierre has had the most success of his career from the leadoff spot in the lineup. The Mets have a leadoff hitter already in Jose Reyes but could easily move him down in the lineup. Reyes could benefit from the change. Maybe taking some pressure off of Reyes by taking him out of the leadoff spot will result in a bounce back season from the star shortstop.

Third, Pierre, who will be 33 in August, could potentially do a little mentoring for one of the Mets few prospects – Fernando Martinez. The young outfielder has been described as “toolsy” and has shown numerous signs of promise. He hasn’t quite put things together at the Major League level yet and the Mets faithful are counting on that happening in the not-so-distant future.

So, we’ve covered what value Pierre could/would potentially provide to the Mets and why he is expendable in Los Angeles, let’s get back to the other half of my hypothetical trade scenario.

Oliver Perez has $24 Million remaining on his contract, covering the next two seasons. Once touted as an upcoming star when he was with the Pirates, Perez has been largely inconsistent over his past few seasons in New York and has never truly lived up to that hype that surrounded him. Based on his on-field performance over the past few seasons, it is unlikely that the Mets are looking forward to paying out the remainder of his contract for the production they have been receiving.

Having pitched to a 29-24 record during his time in New York, Perez has seen his walk rate rise and his strikeouts/9.0 innings pitched drop significantly. Command and composure have been a problem and some have speculated that the pressures of playing in the New York market might just be too much for the 28-year-old lefty. I realize that Los Angeles isn’t any smaller of a market than New York is but you really don’t hear about players struggling to play in the LA market. Maybe the change of scenery is all Perez needs.

Either way, the Dodgers have holes in their rotation that Perez could easily fill. Joe Torre has always liked having more than one lefty starter and pairing Perez with young Clayton Kershaw could make for a formidable rotation after Chad Billingsley. If you were to remove Pierre’s salary from the Dodgers budget they could likely afford to pay Perez, even with the $6 Million difference between the two salaries.

Of course, the Mets are also in need of starting pitching and that is where the caveat is that I briefly alluded to earlier. This deal (or even one similar) wouldn’t make sense for the Mets unless they had a contingency plan in place to replace Perez in the rotation. Rumors have speculated that John Lackey will be the team’s primary target this offseason (although actions seem to say otherwise) but frankly I think the team would be better off spending that money on two pitchers as opposed to just the one. For the amount of money that it might take per season to bring in Lackey I think the team could sign two free agents from a group consisting of Jason Marquis, Joel Pineiro, Rich Harden, Ben Sheets, Erik Bedard, and Randy Wolf. Any one of these guys would more than adequately replace Perez in the Mets rotation and adding a second arm would allow the team to fill the need they already are trying to fill.

Ultimately a Pierre for Perez swap sounds feasible on paper. Making such a trade is never as easy as things may seem on paper but from where I stand it at least seems like something to consider for both clubs.

Could the Rays replace Navarro

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Dioner Navarro underwent surgery on his elbow in October but is expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training. Navarro is due a raise through arbitration on his $2.1 Million salary and he had a very disappointing 2009 season. Naturally, some have started to wonder if the Rays will tender him a contract at all. Current free agents Bengie Molina and Rod Barajas have been mentioned as candidates to replace him.

Now I’m no fan of Navarro and that stems back to when he was a prospect in the Yankees system*, but the fact of the matter is the available catcher market isn’t strong. It never is. While both Molina and Barajas could be viable options for the Rays, I don’t think either option is a better baseball decision than simply retaining Navarro. Molina has proven that he can handle an American League pitching rotation through the thick of a pennant race from his time with the Angels so he could handle playing in the AL East. Don’t forget current Rays manager Joe Madden has ties to the Angels. So there would be a logical fit there. The problem with Molina is his price tag. We don’t truly know what he’ll be asking for in free agency but it seems reasonable to think that he could get a 2 year deal somewhere worth around $4-6 Million per. As for Barajas, he was in Toronto last year so that covers the division factor, but he doesn’t have the track record that Molina has. Coming off a strong year he could likely ask for the same type of deal I suggested Molina could seek.

* Navarro was part of a three-team trade in January 2005 that sent Randy Johnson to the Yankees from the Diamondbacks. Navarro was again traded six months later by the Dodgers to the Rays.

Chris Snyder of the Diamondbacks and Kelly Shoppach of the Indians would likely be the two best available catchers through trades but each have their flaws. Snyder is coming off of a back injury and has a hefty price tag that likely puts the Rays out of consideration to trade for him. Shoppach regressed last season badly and looked lost both at and behind the plate. Neither option truly looks more appealing than Navarro.

For a team with seemingly limited resources that has the ability to remain consistently competitive, it would seem to me that it would make more sense to retain Navarro. Assuming he can bounce back to some resemblance of his old self the Rays should be happy with the production they’ll get from Navarro. He already knows the pitching staff. And sometimes roster continuity can be a good thing. Plus, even after an arbitration raise I think Navarro will be less costly than either Molina or Barajas. The Rays could use that money in a number of different places.

abreu, kotsay sign

The first day of the offseason also means the first day of the 15 day exclusive window that team’s have to resign their own free agents. Two teams – the Angels and White Sox – didn’t waste any time taking advantage.

Bobby Abreu spent most of the last offseason at home waiting and waiting and waiting for a deal to come through his agent. When the deal he was looking for didn’t come along, Abreu signed a below market deal to go to Los Angeles and it proved to be a good move for both him and the team. He put up a typical season – batting .293 with 15 homers, 103 RBIs, 30 steals, and 94 walks. While not a superior defender in right field, his offensive consistency has always been where most of his value comes from. This past season was the 7th consecutive season with 100+ RBIs and he fit in well within the Angels’s clubhouse.

For that, the team didn’t waste any time approaching him about an extension and the deal seems to have been worked out fairly quickly. Abreu will receive $9 Million each of the next two seasons. There is also an option for 2012 with a $1 Million buyout. Abreu signed for $5 Million last winter so this new deal represents a significant raise for the outfielder nearing the last phase of his career.

Meanwhile, the White Sox didn’t waste any time resigning Mark Kotsay to a one year, $1.5 Million contract. Kotsay was acquired in July from the Red Sox and spent time at all three outfield positions and first base this past season. He gives the Sox a solid bat off the bench with some defensive versatility. Depth is always important that is exactly what this deal is for the team. Kotsay fit in well in Chicago and a return seems like a natural move for both sides.

hermida to boston

With the World Series coming to an end late last night the offseason officially began today and it certainly wasn’t a slow day around the world of Major League Baseball. The Boston Red Sox, fresh off of seeing their arch rivals win yet another World Championship, didn’t waste any time getting down to business making a move that I admit I find rather peculiar. Outfielder Jeremy Hermida was acquired from the Florida Marlins in exchange for two left-handed relief pitchers, Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.

The fact that the Marlins were willing (and eager) to trade the 25-year-old Hermida is likely one of the worst kept secrets ever to come out of Florida. Hermida, with four years of service time, still faces two arbitration years but his salary has started to climb out of the organization’s price range. Last season Hermida made $2.25 Million and is likely in line for a raise to around $4.0 Million. While that seems like a minimal cost for a left-handed outfielder with relatively good defensive abilities and the potential for above average offensive prowess, that’s highway robbery when it comes to the Marlins. Hermida simply stood no chance at staying there.

In fact, it was widely believed that Hermida would likely be non-tendered in December if the team was unable to trade him. Which explains why they jumped at the (seemingly) first offer that came along. The two pitchers the team will receive from the Red Sox project as middle relievers despite the fact that Alvarez made more than half of his appearances this past season as a starter in A ball. Jones spent some brief time in Boston with mixed results – 9.24 ERA but 9 K’s in 12+ innings pitched. While both are still unproven and could someday develop into valuable bullpen pieces, the Marlins seem to have received nothing but salary relief in this deal. Had they not been in a rush to make a deal they could have likely received at least one marginal prospect in return for Hermida.

The part of this deal that I find peculiar is just what exactly the Red Sox plan on doing with Hermida. As far as I’ve read, the team is still negotiating with Jason Bay to return to his starting spot in left field. Should the two sides work out a deal – and I happen to believe that they will – that would relegate Hermida to being the 4th outfielder. If that is what the team was thinking when acquiring him, then I think the deal makes sense. He is capable of playing either corner position. He is solid defensively, committing only one error in 129 games this past season. While he hasn’t reached the potential once bestowed upon him he could thrive in Fenway Park much like Mike Lowell did when he came from Florida. Plus, being a left-handed hitter with some power potential the short porch in right field could be inviting. Finally, with the fragility of J.D. Drew the Sox would be wise to have a strong 4th outfielder on their roster.

Now, if Hermida was acquired solely as an insurance policy in case Jason Bay does leave then my opinion of this deal changes. For starters, Hermida has never played outside the NL East and we have seen time and time again how many players fail when coming to the AL East for the first time. It is not an easy division to play in and Boston is not an easy market to play in. Florida is the epitome of a small market by comparison and nobody knows if Hermida will be able to handle the pressures of starting for the Red Sox. Based on the past year and a half, Bay can handle those pressures. Secondly, with the struggles this past season of Lowell and David Ortiz the Sox will do whatever they can to maintain a strong offensive lineup. This would mean that if Bay signs elsewhere the team will go out and find an offensive threat. Hermida doesn’t exactly fall into that category.

If Boston is planning on Hermida being used primarily as the 4th outfielder and left-handed bat off the bench then I think the deal makes sense for the Red Sox, especially considering they gave up next to nothing and can easily afford a $4.0 Million bench player. The Marlins succeeded in moving the first of many players that they are expected to move this offseason. I just hope they can get back more value in the other trades they will ultimately make.

dr. jekyll and mr. hamels

Cole Hamels has been nothing short of impressive over his first few seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies – averaging 14 wins, 200+ innings pitched, and a 3.67 ERA. Without Hamels the Phillies never would have won the World Series a year ago. But this fall, things don’t quite seem the same for the young lefty.

Hamels has been horrendous this postseason. He has a 1-2 record and an ERA over 8.00. He has been roughed up and has looked downright uncomfortable on the mound. For a Phillies team with enough talent to repeat, this is a troublesome sign.

Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer even went as far as making the argument today that Hamels should simply be shut down for the remainder of the postseason. Simply put, Hamels has essentially been too much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He’ll pitch great for a few innings, totally dominating the other team. Something will happen – last night it was the walk allowed to Mark Teixeira – and he’ll suddenly turn into a different pitcher altogether, no longer being able to control his pitches or provide value to his team.  Essentially, as Sheridan writes, Hamels has become too unpredictable and too unreliable to warrant letting him start another game.

Obviously the question of whether to start Hamels again this postseason is a moot point unless the Phillies are able to push things to a Game 7. But, for the sake of argument let’s assume that this possibility is realistic. In such a scenario, who could the Phillies turn to instead?

As I see it, there would be two viable options to start Game 7 if Hamels is not on the mound – J.A. Happ or Joe Blanton. Happ shined throughout the regular season. For most of it he was in fact the best starter the Phillies had in their rotation. Yet, he’s been relegated to pitching out of the bullpen this postseason and hasn’t looked like the same pitcher that went 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA. Blanton, meanwhile, has never truly impressed me and thus far tonight in Game 4 he has not been overpowering anyone in the Yankee lineup. In fact, I was surprised that he was even called upon to start tonight’s game rather than giving the ball to Cliff Lee on short rest.

Essentially, if there is a Game 7, there are three options for the Phillies. Hamels, who has proven that he can pitch in big games but might have a breakdown. Happ, a rooke who hasn’t proven anything in the postseason and hasn’t even pitched any meaningful innings in a number of weeks. Or Blanton, who has no business starting a World Series game. Seems to me that Hamels is still the best option, despite his tendency to change personalities mid-game.

A-Rod, Howard are equals

Everyone (national media and bloggers alike) have been relentlessly pointing out today the fact that Alex Rodriguez is halfway to a most dubious record – most strikeouts in a single World Series. Through the first two games Alex is 0 for 8 with 6 total strikeouts (3 in each game). Through the same two games, Ryan Howard is 2 for 9 with 6 strikeouts (2 in Game 1, 4 in Game 2).

Now, I understand (and accept) the fact that there are some people that just simply will take any excuse to criticize A-Rod but something about this seems a little unfair to me. Let’s not forget that before Mark Reynolds came around Howard was the all time single season strikeout king.

Sure, both stars had superior postseasons up until the start of the World Series. Both have consistently had great regular seasons over the past few years as well. We may see one set a new record for strikeouts in a single WS but right now, the two couldn’t be more equal.