In their first 12 seasons, the Rays owned the majors’ best record for just more than a month. Total. Those losing ways are history, of course. Tampa Bay has been one of the majors’ top teams for going on three seasons.
Wade Davis hasn’t won a game in June.
This season, in fact, the Rays had the majors’ best record for more than two months. Behind a strong rotation and the majors’ most athletic lineup, the Rays soared to 20 games over .500 on May 23 while building their lead to six games in baseball’s toughest division.
A month later, the Rays have been grounded. They have been caught not only by the Yankees but also by those other bullies in Boston. What’s going on? Glad you asked.
The pitching
The Rays own the AL’s best ERA but they won’t for much longer if the rotation continues to falter. Tampa Bay’s starters have posted a 5.76 ERA during the club’s 10-16 skid, after posting a major league-best 2.72 ERA through 44 games.
Rookie Wade Davis has led the struggles. Unable to locate his fastball, he walked five Padres and fell to 0-4 in four June starts in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night.
"Four and a third (innings) and 103 pitches," Rays manager Joe Maddon pointed out. "We have to do better than that. He’s got to reign in command of his fastball. We’ve talked about it all year."
Davis has had company. James Shields, the senior member of the rotation at 28, has lost five consecutive starts (he earned a win in relief Saturday), and Matt Garza has allowed 15 runs in his past three starts.
Only David Price and Jeff Niemann have managed to avoid a rough stretch.
The hitting
Theirs has been an erratic attack all season. Carlos Pena, the primary cleanup hitter, has a .198 batting average but 15 homers. B.J. Upton still is underachieving at .226/.316/.391. An All-Star last year, Jason Bartlett is at .232. The club hit .299 with runners in scoring position through their hot start but only .224 since. In the long season, such a disparity can be expected to eventually even out.
B.J. Upton has struggled at the plate.
"We need to regain the game of inches," Maddon said after a rally on Tuesday night was snuffed when a line drive hit baserunner John Jaso, preventing a first-and-third situation with the middle of the order coming up. "It’s one of those freaky moments that happen to everybody."
But with a lineup stocked with All-Stars, scoring hasn’t been much of a problem. The Rays still are tied for third in runs scored. Carl Crawford has been hot lately, Ben Zobrist has hit his stride and Evan Longoria has carried them all season.
The fans
OK, the Rays can’t blame their slump on a lack of support because they are used to playing inside of an echoing dome mostly full with empty seats. But the club has started to make its own noise about it.
Owner Stuart Sternberg held a news conference earlier this week to fire the first warning. As subtle as he was in saying that the club needs to explore potential stadium sites outside of St. Petersburg, his message was clear: If the situation doesn’t improve, there will be some kind of move long before the club’s lease at the Tropicana Field expires in 2027.
"The facts are too persuasive to ignore," Sternberg said at the news conference. "Baseball will not work long term in downtown St. Petersburg."
Though the club is winning and playing as entertaining a brand of ball as any team, about the only times it draws 20,000 fans are when the Yankees, Red Sox or Barenaked Ladies visit. As a result of the lack of support, the Rays likely won’t be linked to any of the big-name players who will be available before the nonwaiver trading deadline.
If a team is a contender and no one’s around to see it … ?
The division
As the Rays roared through the first six weeks, the Red Sox dealt with injury and pitching woes to the point that they were teetering on a lost season. The turnaround for both teams began when Boston swept three games in Tampa Bay in the last week of May.
Just like that it seems, the Red Sox are back in their accustomed spot of contending. No one in Tampa Bay is surprised. "You’re just waiting for them to get their stuff together and they have," Maddon says. "We’re almost at the All-Star break."
The Rays have plenty of chances to pay back the Red Sox. Beginning with a two-game set at Fenway Park next week, 11 of the Rays’ 18 dates with the Red Sox remain. Tampa Bay also has 13 games left with the Yankees on a schedule that continues to draw Maddon’s criticism.
"Playing four teams 80 times in a season is ridiculous," says the manager, in a slight exaggeration (they actually play each division rival 18 times, not 20). "I would prefer a more balanced schedule."
In such a deep division, Maddon knows the significance of a strong start. In 2008, the Rays vaulted into contention early and went all the way to the World Series. In ’09, they weren’t able to overcome their 9-14 April.
"When you don’t get off to a good start in this division, that’s when you can get buried," Maddon says. "We got the wonderful start but we’ve been scuffling a bit as of late. That’s going to happen. I really was pushing for a good start knowing something like this would eventually happen."
Indeed the Rays’ heads remain way above water. Getting them back to the top, however, will not be easy.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Sponsored link: Rays tickets available
In their first 12 seasons, the Rays owned the majors’ best record for just more than a month. Total. Those losing ways are history, of course. Tampa Bay has been one of the majors’ top teams for going on three seasons.
Wade Davis hasn’t won a game in June.
This season, in fact, the Rays had the majors’ best record for more than two months. Behind a strong rotation and the majors’ most athletic lineup, the Rays soared to 20 games over .500 on May 23 while building their lead to six games in baseball’s toughest division.
A month later, the Rays have been grounded. They have been caught not only by the Yankees but also by those other bullies in Boston. What’s going on? Glad you asked.
The pitching
The Rays own the AL’s best ERA but they won’t for much longer if the rotation continues to falter. Tampa Bay’s starters have posted a 5.76 ERA during the club’s 10-16 skid, after posting a major league-best 2.72 ERA through 44 games.
Rookie Wade Davis has led the struggles. Unable to locate his fastball, he walked five Padres and fell to 0-4 in four June starts in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night.
"Four and a third (innings) and 103 pitches," Rays manager Joe Maddon pointed out. "We have to do better than that. He’s got to reign in command of his fastball. We’ve talked about it all year."
Davis has had company. James Shields, the senior member of the rotation at 28, has lost five consecutive starts (he earned a win in relief Saturday), and Matt Garza has allowed 15 runs in his past three starts.
Only David Price and Jeff Niemann have managed to avoid a rough stretch.
The hitting
Theirs has been an erratic attack all season. Carlos Pena, the primary cleanup hitter, has a .198 batting average but 15 homers. B.J. Upton still is underachieving at .226/.316/.391. An All-Star last year, Jason Bartlett is at .232. The club hit .299 with runners in scoring position through their hot start but only .224 since. In the long season, such a disparity can be expected to eventually even out.
B.J. Upton has struggled at the plate.
"We need to regain the game of inches," Maddon said after a rally on Tuesday night was snuffed when a line drive hit baserunner John Jaso, preventing a first-and-third situation with the middle of the order coming up. "It’s one of those freaky moments that happen to everybody."
But with a lineup stocked with All-Stars, scoring hasn’t been much of a problem. The Rays still are tied for third in runs scored. Carl Crawford has been hot lately, Ben Zobrist has hit his stride and Evan Longoria has carried them all season.
The fans
OK, the Rays can’t blame their slump on a lack of support because they are used to playing inside of an echoing dome mostly full with empty seats. But the club has started to make its own noise about it.
Owner Stuart Sternberg held a news conference earlier this week to fire the first warning. As subtle as he was in saying that the club needs to explore potential stadium sites outside of St. Petersburg, his message was clear: If the situation doesn’t improve, there will be some kind of move long before the club’s lease at the Tropicana Field expires in 2027.
"The facts are too persuasive to ignore," Sternberg said at the news conference. "Baseball will not work long term in downtown St. Petersburg."
Though the club is winning and playing as entertaining a brand of ball as any team, about the only times it draws 20,000 fans are when the Yankees, Red Sox or Barenaked Ladies visit. As a result of the lack of support, the Rays likely won’t be linked to any of the big-name players who will be available before the nonwaiver trading deadline.
If a team is a contender and no one’s around to see it … ?
The division
As the Rays roared through the first six weeks, the Red Sox dealt with injury and pitching woes to the point that they were teetering on a lost season. The turnaround for both teams began when Boston swept three games in Tampa Bay in the last week of May.
Just like that it seems, the Red Sox are back in their accustomed spot of contending. No one in Tampa Bay is surprised. "You’re just waiting for them to get their stuff together and they have," Maddon says. "We’re almost at the All-Star break."
The Rays have plenty of chances to pay back the Red Sox. Beginning with a two-game set at Fenway Park next week, 11 of the Rays’ 18 dates with the Red Sox remain. Tampa Bay also has 13 games left with the Yankees on a schedule that continues to draw Maddon’s criticism.
"Playing four teams 80 times in a season is ridiculous," says the manager, in a slight exaggeration (they actually play each division rival 18 times, not 20). "I would prefer a more balanced schedule."
In such a deep division, Maddon knows the significance of a strong start. In 2008, the Rays vaulted into contention early and went all the way to the World Series. In ’09, they weren’t able to overcome their 9-14 April.
"When you don’t get off to a good start in this division, that’s when you can get buried," Maddon says. "We got the wonderful start but we’ve been scuffling a bit as of late. That’s going to happen. I really was pushing for a good start knowing something like this would eventually happen."
Indeed the Rays’ heads remain way above water. Getting them back to the top, however, will not be easy.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Sponsored link: Rays tickets available
With four-plus months until the World Series, the list of contenders remains lengthy. So many clubs have a legitimate chance that this weekend’s interleague schedule includes at least three potential Fall Classic matchups — each of which features one of the past three world champions.
Each comes with a story line that brings plenty of intrigue for June, much less October.
Will Manny Ramirez be booed at Fenway Park?
Dodgers at Red Sox
The Boston newspapers have been conducting surveys in anticipation of Manny Ramirez’s return to Fenway Park: Will he be booed or cheered? The results have been mixed enough that no one knows what to expect, including his former teammates. "I don’t know how this one is going to go," catcher Jason Varitek told The Boston Globe.
Ramirez was the Red Sox’s best — and most controversial — player for most of the previous decade. He was MVP of the World Series that ended the Boston’s 86-year championship drought. He hit .348 in the 2007 playoff run that resulted in a second World Series title. In his seven-plus seasons in Boston, he hit .312 and averaged more than 34 homers and 108 RBIs.
Of course, Ramirez also loafed his way out of town and ripped into the Red Sox upon his arrival on the West Coast. He became an instant hit in Hollywood before he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs early in the 2009 season. Since returning from a 50-game suspension last July, he hasn’t been the same. In 125 games, he has hit .278 — 35 points below his career mark — with 20 homers, though he also has a team-best .388 OBP.
Don’t ask Manny what kind of reception he anticipates. He hasn’t done interviews this season, and Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton said Manny hasn’t said much to his teammates about his return to Boston. "But he knows it’ll be a big deal," Broxton says. "Oh yeah."
Twins at Phillies
One of the season’s biggest mysteries is Philadelphia’s offensive struggles. The Phillies have the most potent lineup in the National League but rank last in the majors in runs scored over the past four weeks (since May 22). They were shut out four times in a five-game stretch and have failed to score more than three runs in 11 other games. As a result, they have gone leading from the NL East by 3 1/2 games to third place.
Philadelphia’s problems could be fixed with the return of leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins from the disabled list. Limited to 12 games this season because of a bad right calf, Rollins has spent the week in Florida on rehab assignment and could return Tuesday.
Rollins could return to face a Minnesota club that never has played in Citizens Bank Park. The last time the Twins played in Philadelphia was 2002 when Joe Mauer was in Class A, Johan Santana was the starting pitcher and Torii Hunter hit a pinch-hit home run. And the Phillies were in last place.
Phil Hughes faces the Mets Saturday.
Mets at Yankees
Now this is a rematch. Four weeks after the Mets took two of three against the Yankees at Citi Field, the clubs meet again at Yankee Stadium — with the identical pitching matchups.
After two of the season’s most successful young starters, Mike Pelfrey and Phil Hughes, square off Saturday for the second time, Santana and CC Sabathia will meet Sunday in a nationally televised game on TBS.
Since Santana outpitched Sabathia in the team’s last meeting, the Mets have turned around their season. They have gone an NL-best 17-5 to move from last place in the NL East to second, just a half-game behind the Braves.
"It’s the starting pitching," says TBS analyst Dennis Eckersley. Since that May 23 win against the Yankees, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is 5-0 with a 2.78 ERA, Mike Pelfrey is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA, Jonathon Niese is 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA and the ace, Santana, is a mere 2-1 with a 2.23 ERA.
Two other reasons: The Mets are playing well at home and have taken advantage of a soft spot in their schedule.
"Maybe they have a different way of going about it offensively now that they’ve been there (for more than a year)," Eckersley says. "And they just won six in a row against Baltimore and Cleveland. Come on."
A weak opponent isn’t something the Mets will be dealing with in the Bronx. But who knows? If they continue their strong play, perhaps these teams will meet again — in four-plus months.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
With four-plus months until the World Series, the list of contenders remains lengthy. So many clubs have a legitimate chance that this weekend’s interleague schedule includes at least three potential Fall Classic matchups — each of which features one of the past three world champions.
Each comes with a story line that brings plenty of intrigue for June, much less October.
Will Manny Ramirez be booed at Fenway Park?
Dodgers at Red Sox
The Boston newspapers have been conducting surveys in anticipation of Manny Ramirez’s return to Fenway Park: Will he be booed or cheered? The results have been mixed enough that no one knows what to expect, including his former teammates. "I don’t know how this one is going to go," catcher Jason Varitek told The Boston Globe.
Ramirez was the Red Sox’s best — and most controversial — player for most of the previous decade. He was MVP of the World Series that ended the Boston’s 86-year championship drought. He hit .348 in the 2007 playoff run that resulted in a second World Series title. In his seven-plus seasons in Boston, he hit .312 and averaged more than 34 homers and 108 RBIs.
Of course, Ramirez also loafed his way out of town and ripped into the Red Sox upon his arrival on the West Coast. He became an instant hit in Hollywood before he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs early in the 2009 season. Since returning from a 50-game suspension last July, he hasn’t been the same. In 125 games, he has hit .278 — 35 points below his career mark — with 20 homers, though he also has a team-best .388 OBP.
Don’t ask Manny what kind of reception he anticipates. He hasn’t done interviews this season, and Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton said Manny hasn’t said much to his teammates about his return to Boston. "But he knows it’ll be a big deal," Broxton says. "Oh yeah."
Twins at Phillies
One of the season’s biggest mysteries is Philadelphia’s offensive struggles. The Phillies have the most potent lineup in the National League but rank last in the majors in runs scored over the past four weeks (since May 22). They were shut out four times in a five-game stretch and have failed to score more than three runs in 11 other games. As a result, they have gone leading from the NL East by 3 1/2 games to third place.
Philadelphia’s problems could be fixed with the return of leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins from the disabled list. Limited to 12 games this season because of a bad right calf, Rollins has spent the week in Florida on rehab assignment and could return Tuesday.
Rollins could return to face a Minnesota club that never has played in Citizens Bank Park. The last time the Twins played in Philadelphia was 2002 when Joe Mauer was in Class A, Johan Santana was the starting pitcher and Torii Hunter hit a pinch-hit home run. And the Phillies were in last place.
Phil Hughes faces the Mets Saturday.
Mets at Yankees
Now this is a rematch. Four weeks after the Mets took two of three against the Yankees at Citi Field, the clubs meet again at Yankee Stadium — with the identical pitching matchups.
After two of the season’s most successful young starters, Mike Pelfrey and Phil Hughes, square off Saturday for the second time, Santana and CC Sabathia will meet Sunday in a nationally televised game on TBS.
Since Santana outpitched Sabathia in the team’s last meeting, the Mets have turned around their season. They have gone an NL-best 17-5 to move from last place in the NL East to second, just a half-game behind the Braves.
"It’s the starting pitching," says TBS analyst Dennis Eckersley. Since that May 23 win against the Yankees, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is 5-0 with a 2.78 ERA, Mike Pelfrey is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA, Jonathon Niese is 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA and the ace, Santana, is a mere 2-1 with a 2.23 ERA.
Two other reasons: The Mets are playing well at home and have taken advantage of a soft spot in their schedule.
"Maybe they have a different way of going about it offensively now that they’ve been there (for more than a year)," Eckersley says. "And they just won six in a row against Baltimore and Cleveland. Come on."
A weak opponent isn’t something the Mets will be dealing with in the Bronx. But who knows? If they continue their strong play, perhaps these teams will meet again — in four-plus months.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Baseball’s trade season is upon us. That means weeks of speculation (six-plus weeks to be exact), a ton of rumors (some that even make sense) and a bunch of deals that won’t make a difference in the standings (see: Conor Jackson for Sam Demel).
Well, here are five trades to root for because of the impact they would have on the pennant races. Although they merely are speculation now, stay tuned.
1. Cliff Lee to the Dodgers
What it would mean: Lee will be the biggest difference-maker available before July 31. He has pitched into the seventh inning in all nine of his starts and has a 2.88 ERA, and his 4-3 record would be much better if the Mariners had not totaled five runs in his losses. "Cliff’s been outstanding," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu says. "It’s just a shame the offense hasn’t stepped up for him."
Put such a proven No. 1 on the Dodgers and they become favorites to beat the Phillies in the NLCS — should the teams meet in that round for the third consecutive season. L.A.’s lineup is just about as potent as Philly’s, and that’s when Philly is at full strength. The Dodgers’ bullpen is better because it has Jonathan Broxton and the Phillies have Brad Lidge. Now check the potential rotation matchups: Lee-Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw-Cole Hamels, Vicente Padilla-J.A. Happ and Chad Billingsley-Joe Blanton.
Why it could happen: It’s time for the Dodgers’ ownership to do something that doesn’t embarrass the club, and Lee already has said he will test the free-agent market after the season. Because he will be owed "only" about $4.5 million for the second half, trading Lee should net the Mariners a far superior package to the compensation picks he would bring if they lost him as a free agent.
Why it might not: The Dodgers figure to have plenty of competition for Lee’s services. He also could transform the hopes of the Mets, Twins and Rangers, to name a few.
Paul Konerko has worked with Mike Scioscia before and might be a good fit for the Angels now.
2. Paul Konerko to the Angels
What it would mean: The void at first base created by Kendry Morales’ broken leg wouldn’t have to be filled by a catcher and utility players. Konerko has been one of the game’s top sluggers for the past seven seasons, and his 17 homers and 46 RBIs would lead the Angels this season. Los Angeles is 12-5 since Morales’ injury, but the fill-ins at first base don’t deserve much of the credit. The quartet of Mike Napoli, Robb Quinlan, Michael Ryan and Kevin Frandsen has supplied six RBIs, no homers and a .254 average (17-for-67) while sharing first in Morales’ absence.
Why it could happen: The third-place White Sox are five games under .500, trail the division-leading Twins by 7 1/2 games and have provided little evidence to suggest a turnaround is coming. Why not save what is left on Konerko’s $12 million salary for this season and get a decent prospect in return? After all, the White Sox could try to bring back Konerko when he becomes a free agent in the fall.
Why it might not: Trading Konerko wouldn’t be good for ticket sales because it would signal that the club is giving up on the season. Konerko must approve any trade, but that probably wouldn’t be much of a stumbling block with the Angels. Konerko knows manager Mike Scioscia from their time together with the Dodgers. Besides, who wouldn’t want to play for a contender in Southern California?
3. Roy Oswalt to the Mets
What it would mean: Put Oswalt (or Dan Haren, for that matter) with Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey and the Mets’ rotation would have as strong a top three as any in the majors. Combine such a top-heavy rotation with a lineup that has been one of the NL’s highest scoring for the past month and the Mets might not finish ahead of the Phillies, but they would move to the forefront of the wild-card chase.
Why it could happen: Oswalt’s desire to be traded only will get stronger as the Astros continue to fade, and the Mets are one of the few clubs that could take on Oswalt’s contract. He is due $15 million this season, $16 million in 2011 and has a $16 million club option for 2012.
Why it might not: The Astros, reluctant to trade their stars, likely would expect a return similar to what Lee will bring. That won’t happen unless Houston agrees to pay a chunk of Oswalt’s contract — and good luck with that. Also, Oswalt has full no-trade protection and might not consider the Mets a serious enough contender to warrant relocating to the big city.
4. Corey Hart to the Padres
What it would mean: The surprising Padres need a bat and Hart has been wielding a big one. He leads the NL with 17 homers. Put him in right field and beside Adrian Gonzalez in the batting order and the Padres’ pop-gun attack would become a lot more formidable.
Why it could happen: The Brewers need pitching and the Padres have plenty. And even the Padres could afford what would be left on Hart’s $4.8 million contract.
Why it might not: Milwaukee might decide it needs to hang on to Hart in case it can’t afford to keep Prince Fielder long term.
5. Mike Lowell to the Twins
What it would mean: Lowell would be an ideal fit for the Twins because he is the kind of proven postseason performer who could help them (finally) hang with the Yankees. He also would fill the biggest need in their lineup — third base — and the club is deep enough to keep him fresh. Even though he has been limited to 79 at-bats, Lowell’s two homers equal the output of Twins’ third basemen in 211 at-bats.
Why it could happen: Sooner or later, the Red Sox will give in to Lowell’s wishes and move him to a place where he won’t be stuck to the bench. Because Lowell will become a free agent after the season, the Twins would not be on the hook for another long-term deal.
Why it might not: Boston now seems reluctant to eat most of Lowell’s salary, as it planned to do when it tried to trade him to the Rangers prior to the season. Because he has not been able to get on the field enough to prove he is healthy, teams will be reluctant to pay much for Lowell.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Baseball’s trade season is upon us. That means weeks of speculation (six-plus weeks to be exact), a ton of rumors (some that even make sense) and a bunch of deals that won’t make a difference in the standings (see: Conor Jackson for Sam Demel).
Well, here are five trades to root for because of the impact they would have on the pennant races. Although they merely are speculation now, stay tuned.
1. Cliff Lee to the Dodgers
What it would mean: Lee will be the biggest difference-maker available before July 31. He has pitched into the seventh inning in all nine of his starts and has a 2.88 ERA, and his 4-3 record would be much better if the Mariners had not totaled five runs in his losses. "Cliff’s been outstanding," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu says. "It’s just a shame the offense hasn’t stepped up for him."
Put such a proven No. 1 on the Dodgers and they become favorites to beat the Phillies in the NLCS — should the teams meet in that round for the third consecutive season. L.A.’s lineup is just about as potent as Philly’s, and that’s when Philly is at full strength. The Dodgers’ bullpen is better because it has Jonathan Broxton and the Phillies have Brad Lidge. Now check the potential rotation matchups: Lee-Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw-Cole Hamels, Vicente Padilla-J.A. Happ and Chad Billingsley-Joe Blanton.
Why it could happen: It’s time for the Dodgers’ ownership to do something that doesn’t embarrass the club, and Lee already has said he will test the free-agent market after the season. Because he will be owed "only" about $4.5 million for the second half, trading Lee should net the Mariners a far superior package to the compensation picks he would bring if they lost him as a free agent.
Why it might not: The Dodgers figure to have plenty of competition for Lee’s services. He also could transform the hopes of the Mets, Twins and Rangers, to name a few.
Paul Konerko has worked with Mike Scioscia before and might be a good fit for the Angels now.
2. Paul Konerko to the Angels
What it would mean: The void at first base created by Kendry Morales’ broken leg wouldn’t have to be filled by a catcher and utility players. Konerko has been one of the game’s top sluggers for the past seven seasons, and his 17 homers and 46 RBIs would lead the Angels this season. Los Angeles is 12-5 since Morales’ injury, but the fill-ins at first base don’t deserve much of the credit. The quartet of Mike Napoli, Robb Quinlan, Michael Ryan and Kevin Frandsen has supplied six RBIs, no homers and a .254 average (17-for-67) while sharing first in Morales’ absence.
Why it could happen: The third-place White Sox are five games under .500, trail the division-leading Twins by 7 1/2 games and have provided little evidence to suggest a turnaround is coming. Why not save what is left on Konerko’s $12 million salary for this season and get a decent prospect in return? After all, the White Sox could try to bring back Konerko when he becomes a free agent in the fall.
Why it might not: Trading Konerko wouldn’t be good for ticket sales because it would signal that the club is giving up on the season. Konerko must approve any trade, but that probably wouldn’t be much of a stumbling block with the Angels. Konerko knows manager Mike Scioscia from their time together with the Dodgers. Besides, who wouldn’t want to play for a contender in Southern California?
3. Roy Oswalt to the Mets
What it would mean: Put Oswalt (or Dan Haren, for that matter) with Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey and the Mets’ rotation would have as strong a top three as any in the majors. Combine such a top-heavy rotation with a lineup that has been one of the NL’s highest scoring for the past month and the Mets might not finish ahead of the Phillies, but they would move to the forefront of the wild-card chase.
Why it could happen: Oswalt’s desire to be traded only will get stronger as the Astros continue to fade, and the Mets are one of the few clubs that could take on Oswalt’s contract. He is due $15 million this season, $16 million in 2011 and has a $16 million club option for 2012.
Why it might not: The Astros, reluctant to trade their stars, likely would expect a return similar to what Lee will bring. That won’t happen unless Houston agrees to pay a chunk of Oswalt’s contract — and good luck with that. Also, Oswalt has full no-trade protection and might not consider the Mets a serious enough contender to warrant relocating to the big city.
4. Corey Hart to the Padres
What it would mean: The surprising Padres need a bat and Hart has been wielding a big one. He leads the NL with 17 homers. Put him in right field and beside Adrian Gonzalez in the batting order and the Padres’ pop-gun attack would become a lot more formidable.
Why it could happen: The Brewers need pitching and the Padres have plenty. And even the Padres could afford what would be left on Hart’s $4.8 million contract.
Why it might not: Milwaukee might decide it needs to hang on to Hart in case it can’t afford to keep Prince Fielder long term.
5. Mike Lowell to the Twins
What it would mean: Lowell would be an ideal fit for the Twins because he is the kind of proven postseason performer who could help them (finally) hang with the Yankees. He also would fill the biggest need in their lineup — third base — and the club is deep enough to keep him fresh. Even though he has been limited to 79 at-bats, Lowell’s two homers equal the output of Twins’ third basemen in 211 at-bats.
Why it could happen: Sooner or later, the Red Sox will give in to Lowell’s wishes and move him to a place where he won’t be stuck to the bench. Because Lowell will become a free agent after the season, the Twins would not be on the hook for another long-term deal.
Why it might not: Boston now seems reluctant to eat most of Lowell’s salary, as it planned to do when it tried to trade him to the Rangers prior to the season. Because he has not been able to get on the field enough to prove he is healthy, teams will be reluctant to pay much for Lowell.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Perhaps Jason Bay will find his power facing AL teams. Maybe the interleague interruption will help Matt Holliday recover his home run swing.
They need some sort of lift. So do Chone Figgins and John Lackey. So far the free agents who signed the largest contracts last offseason are not performing up to their multi-year deals.
How they’re faring as the interleague schedule moves into Day 4 of a 17-day run:
Matt Holliday isn’t putting up the kinds of numbers the Cardinals would like.
Matt Holliday, Cardinals
The seven-year, $120 million deal handed out by the Cardinals was questioned around baseball, but don’t mention buyer’s remorse to GM John Mozeliak.
The Cardinals keep saying Holliday is close to breaking out, and his .293 average and .370 OBP are not far below his career numbers of .317 and .386. His run-producing numbers, however, are lacking. Holliday is hitting just .206 with runners in scoring position and ranks 10th in RBIs among NL cleanup hitters. He is on pace for 16 homers and 65 RBIs.
More than once, Holliday has reminded the media in St. Louis that he started slowly last season and still managed 24 homers and 109 RBIs.
Facing the team that traded him to St. Louis could help. The A’s, who visit Busch Stadium this weekend, have an AL-worst 5.25 road ERA.
Chone Figgins, Mariners
If nothing else, the Mariners’ season gone wrong has provided another reason why the media should avoid predictions. Picked to contend, the Mariners have spent most of the season in last place. Figgins has played a big part in the disappointment.
One of the game’s top leadoff hitters in 2009, Figgins was signed to a four-year, $36 million deal to hit behind Ichiro Suzuki and give the Mariners a potent 1-2 punch. But Figgins, with as many strikeouts as hits, is hitting .227/.336 — and those numbers are on the upswing. Figgins hasn’t had his average over .230 in two months, and was dropped to ninth in the order last week.
"We’re not just pointing a finger at him," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said last week. "We’re not getting enough run production, and we’re just looking at any way we can. Figgie’s a good player who went through some struggles."
Scouts say Figgins’ failings are easily explainable: Moving him to second base from third just before spring training threw him off, and he hasn’t adjusted. His stats suggest another reason: Figgins, a switch-hitter, is hitting .185 from the left side, more than 100 points below his career .296. His numbers hitting righthanded — .311/.383 — are well above his career averages.
After a rough weekend against the Padres, the majors’ ERA leaders, Figgins and the Mariners finish a long road trip against the Cardinals, who sport the second-best ERA.
John Lackey, Red Sox
With seven wins and three losses, Lackey hasn’t been totally lacking, and he has turned in strong performances in his past two outings. Still, his 4.54 ERA is well above his career 3.85.
What’s the problem? Pitching in the AL East with Fenway Park as your home park is not easy. Lackey’s 5.10 home ERA is more than a run higher than his road ERA. Overall, he is allowing more hits (10.0 per nine innings) and walks (3.9) while striking out fewer (4.9) hitters than he has during any season in his career. And this is just Year 1 of a five-year, $82.5 million contract.
Lackey next starts Thursday against Arizona, which totaled six runs in losing a three-game series at Fenway in 2008.
Jason Bay, Mets
After landing a four-year, $66 million deal with the Mets, few figured Bay would hit 36 homers like he did for the Red Sox last season. His new home, Citi Field, is not kind to power hitters. But nobody would have guessed Bay would have the same number of homers (four) and fewer RBIs (25 to 26) than teammate Angel Pagan.
Like the others here, Bay hasn’t been a total disappointment. His defense has been better than advertised, and he leads the Mets in runs scored, partly because he has missed only one game. His calm, professional approach also has played well with his new team, which has moved into second place behind strong pitching and improved chemistry.
His next series is at Cleveland, where he has hit three homers in six games.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Perhaps Jason Bay will find his power facing AL teams. Maybe the interleague interruption will help Matt Holliday recover his home run swing.
They need some sort of lift. So do Chone Figgins and John Lackey. So far the free agents who signed the largest contracts last offseason are not performing up to their multi-year deals.
How they’re faring as the interleague schedule moves into Day 4 of a 17-day run:
Matt Holliday isn’t putting up the kinds of numbers the Cardinals would like.
Matt Holliday, Cardinals
The seven-year, $120 million deal handed out by the Cardinals was questioned around baseball, but don’t mention buyer’s remorse to GM John Mozeliak.
The Cardinals keep saying Holliday is close to breaking out, and his .293 average and .370 OBP are not far below his career numbers of .317 and .386. His run-producing numbers, however, are lacking. Holliday is hitting just .206 with runners in scoring position and ranks 10th in RBIs among NL cleanup hitters. He is on pace for 16 homers and 65 RBIs.
More than once, Holliday has reminded the media in St. Louis that he started slowly last season and still managed 24 homers and 109 RBIs.
Facing the team that traded him to St. Louis could help. The A’s, who visit Busch Stadium this weekend, have an AL-worst 5.25 road ERA.
Chone Figgins, Mariners
If nothing else, the Mariners’ season gone wrong has provided another reason why the media should avoid predictions. Picked to contend, the Mariners have spent most of the season in last place. Figgins has played a big part in the disappointment.
One of the game’s top leadoff hitters in 2009, Figgins was signed to a four-year, $36 million deal to hit behind Ichiro Suzuki and give the Mariners a potent 1-2 punch. But Figgins, with as many strikeouts as hits, is hitting .227/.336 — and those numbers are on the upswing. Figgins hasn’t had his average over .230 in two months, and was dropped to ninth in the order last week.
"We’re not just pointing a finger at him," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said last week. "We’re not getting enough run production, and we’re just looking at any way we can. Figgie’s a good player who went through some struggles."
Scouts say Figgins’ failings are easily explainable: Moving him to second base from third just before spring training threw him off, and he hasn’t adjusted. His stats suggest another reason: Figgins, a switch-hitter, is hitting .185 from the left side, more than 100 points below his career .296. His numbers hitting righthanded — .311/.383 — are well above his career averages.
After a rough weekend against the Padres, the majors’ ERA leaders, Figgins and the Mariners finish a long road trip against the Cardinals, who sport the second-best ERA.
John Lackey, Red Sox
With seven wins and three losses, Lackey hasn’t been totally lacking, and he has turned in strong performances in his past two outings. Still, his 4.54 ERA is well above his career 3.85.
What’s the problem? Pitching in the AL East with Fenway Park as your home park is not easy. Lackey’s 5.10 home ERA is more than a run higher than his road ERA. Overall, he is allowing more hits (10.0 per nine innings) and walks (3.9) while striking out fewer (4.9) hitters than he has during any season in his career. And this is just Year 1 of a five-year, $82.5 million contract.
Lackey next starts Thursday against Arizona, which totaled six runs in losing a three-game series at Fenway in 2008.
Jason Bay, Mets
After landing a four-year, $66 million deal with the Mets, few figured Bay would hit 36 homers like he did for the Red Sox last season. His new home, Citi Field, is not kind to power hitters. But nobody would have guessed Bay would have the same number of homers (four) and fewer RBIs (25 to 26) than teammate Angel Pagan.
Like the others here, Bay hasn’t been a total disappointment. His defense has been better than advertised, and he leads the Mets in runs scored, partly because he has missed only one game. His calm, professional approach also has played well with his new team, which has moved into second place behind strong pitching and improved chemistry.
His next series is at Cleveland, where he has hit three homers in six games.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
STRIKE 1: Strasburg’s success will continue
Not that they are necessary, but here are two more reasons to believe Stephen Strasburg really is different:
There are two good reasons to believe Stephen Strasburg will live up to the hype.
• Just three years ago, the Rays made David Price the much-ballyhooed No. 1 pick out of Vanderbilt. A "poised-beyond-his-years" lefthander with a 99-mph fastball and nasty slider, Price lived up to the early hype when — in his first month in the majors — he saved Game 7 of the ’08 ALCS against the Red Sox.
Price’s progress hasn’t stalled. After beating the Blue Jays Wednesday, he is 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA, making him the only AL pitcher to rank in the top 10 in the majors in ERA. Last week, I asked a longtime scout who he would want to pitch Game 7 and Price made his short list (along with Ubaldo Jimenez at No. 1, Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson). No doubt, Price is well on the road to becoming one of the game’s top starters.
I asked another scout to compare Strasburg and Price, and he replied, "It’s really not that close. Strasburg is that good."
Two reasons: Strasburg’s command and his curve. Price, 24, pitches like the young starter he is, still working to master the ability to consistently throw quality strikes. Strasburg commands his secondary pitches as well as some command their fastball. While Price’s slider is considered a plus pitch, Strasburg’s 83-mph curve is plus-plus — especially when hitters have to remain focused on his high-90s fastball.
• Strasburg sells. Credit (or blame) the media for creating the massive buildup. The Indians, struggling on the field and at the gate, don’t mind. Strasburg’s second start is set for Sunday in Cleveland and tickets are so hot that Indians’ PR folks are sending out updates on sales. One of them: 2,000 tickets were sold Wednesday afternoon. Attendance in Washington went from 40,000-plus for Strasburg’s debut to sub-20,000 the next night. Also, TBS has switched its nationally televised Sunday broadcast to Nationals-Indians — as unlikely a national telecast as there is under normal circumstances.
Coincidentally or not, Washington chose an ideal time to call up its phenom. If Strasburg starts every five days, he will start four times at home and face only one quality offense — the Braves — before the All-Star break. Five of his first six likely opponents rank in the bottom half of the majors in runs scored: Pirates (30th), Indians (26th), White Sox (21st), Royals (19th) and Mets (18th).
The Nationals, however, figure to start rationing Strasburg’s appearances at some point. The club has set roughly a 100-inning cap on his major league season after he pitched 55 1/3 innings in the minors. If Strasburg averages six innings per outing, 17 more starts would put him right at his limit. "We’re looking long term," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says. "He’s pitching at 21 throughout the season and we’re going to be careful with him."
STRIKE 2: New-look All-Star rosters
Although the All-Star Game is more than a month away, we already can expect another onslaught of first-time participants. There might not be 26 like last year, but with rosters expanded again (to 34 per side) there will be no shortage of young, rising stars in Anaheim.
First-time shoo-ins include the Rockies’ Jimenez (the deserving starter), Braves right fielder Jason Heyward (who would be the first rookie voted in by the fans since 2008 — Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukodome), Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (his team’s most deserving player), Royals first baseman Billy Butler (with apologies to Zack Greinke and his 4.05 ERA), and Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier (who should have made the team in 2009).
Other strong possibilities for making their first-time appearance include Astros center fielder Michael Bourn, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw, Braves second baseman Martin Prado, Diamondbacks second baseman Kelly Johnson and Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson.
Unfortunately, one 13-time All-Star, Ken Griffey Jr., wouldn’t be allowed to play even if he benefited from the sentimental vote for his lifetime achievements and moved from third to first in the DH voting. "You have to be active," an MLB spokesman says.
Would instant replay have overturned one of baseball’s most famous plays?
STRIKE 3: A "no" vote on expanded replay
While most in the media continue to scream for more instant replay, Brewers manager Ken Macha remains opposed. He cites the "human element" and the time factor. "I have tickets to Pitt (football) and the games take four hours," he says.
Another reason: "Some of the most memorable plays in history have come on bad calls," Macha says.
Macha’s A’s were part of one in 2001 when Derek Jeter made one of the postseason’s most memorable plays with a flip toss to Jorge Posada, who tagged out a non-sliding Jeremy Giambi with the potential tying run. "I was there. Slow it down. He was safe," says Macha, then the A’s bench coach.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
STRIKE 1: Strasburg’s success will continue
Not that they are necessary, but here are two more reasons to believe Stephen Strasburg really is different:
There are two good reasons to believe Stephen Strasburg will live up to the hype.
• Just three years ago, the Rays made David Price the much-ballyhooed No. 1 pick out of Vanderbilt. A "poised-beyond-his-years" lefthander with a 99-mph fastball and nasty slider, Price lived up to the early hype when — in his first month in the majors — he saved Game 7 of the ’08 ALCS against the Red Sox.
Price’s progress hasn’t stalled. After beating the Blue Jays Wednesday, he is 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA, making him the only AL pitcher to rank in the top 10 in the majors in ERA. Last week, I asked a longtime scout who he would want to pitch Game 7 and Price made his short list (along with Ubaldo Jimenez at No. 1, Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson). No doubt, Price is well on the road to becoming one of the game’s top starters.
I asked another scout to compare Strasburg and Price, and he replied, "It’s really not that close. Strasburg is that good."
Two reasons: Strasburg’s command and his curve. Price, 24, pitches like the young starter he is, still working to master the ability to consistently throw quality strikes. Strasburg commands his secondary pitches as well as some command their fastball. While Price’s slider is considered a plus pitch, Strasburg’s 83-mph curve is plus-plus — especially when hitters have to remain focused on his high-90s fastball.
• Strasburg sells. Credit (or blame) the media for creating the massive buildup. The Indians, struggling on the field and at the gate, don’t mind. Strasburg’s second start is set for Sunday in Cleveland and tickets are so hot that Indians’ PR folks are sending out updates on sales. One of them: 2,000 tickets were sold Wednesday afternoon. Attendance in Washington went from 40,000-plus for Strasburg’s debut to sub-20,000 the next night. Also, TBS has switched its nationally televised Sunday broadcast to Nationals-Indians — as unlikely a national telecast as there is under normal circumstances.
Coincidentally or not, Washington chose an ideal time to call up its phenom. If Strasburg starts every five days, he will start four times at home and face only one quality offense — the Braves — before the All-Star break. Five of his first six likely opponents rank in the bottom half of the majors in runs scored: Pirates (30th), Indians (26th), White Sox (21st), Royals (19th) and Mets (18th).
The Nationals, however, figure to start rationing Strasburg’s appearances at some point. The club has set roughly a 100-inning cap on his major league season after he pitched 55 1/3 innings in the minors. If Strasburg averages six innings per outing, 17 more starts would put him right at his limit. "We’re looking long term," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says. "He’s pitching at 21 throughout the season and we’re going to be careful with him."
STRIKE 2: New-look All-Star rosters
Although the All-Star Game is more than a month away, we already can expect another onslaught of first-time participants. There might not be 26 like last year, but with rosters expanded again (to 34 per side) there will be no shortage of young, rising stars in Anaheim.
First-time shoo-ins include the Rockies’ Jimenez (the deserving starter), Braves right fielder Jason Heyward (who would be the first rookie voted in by the fans since 2008 — Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukodome), Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (his team’s most deserving player), Royals first baseman Billy Butler (with apologies to Zack Greinke and his 4.05 ERA), and Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier (who should have made the team in 2009).
Other strong possibilities for making their first-time appearance include Astros center fielder Michael Bourn, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw, Braves second baseman Martin Prado, Diamondbacks second baseman Kelly Johnson and Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson.
Unfortunately, one 13-time All-Star, Ken Griffey Jr., wouldn’t be allowed to play even if he benefited from the sentimental vote for his lifetime achievements and moved from third to first in the DH voting. "You have to be active," an MLB spokesman says.
Would instant replay have overturned one of baseball’s most famous plays?
STRIKE 3: A "no" vote on expanded replay
While most in the media continue to scream for more instant replay, Brewers manager Ken Macha remains opposed. He cites the "human element" and the time factor. "I have tickets to Pitt (football) and the games take four hours," he says.
Another reason: "Some of the most memorable plays in history have come on bad calls," Macha says.
Macha’s A’s were part of one in 2001 when Derek Jeter made one of the postseason’s most memorable plays with a flip toss to Jorge Posada, who tagged out a non-sliding Jeremy Giambi with the potential tying run. "I was there. Slow it down. He was safe," says Macha, then the A’s bench coach.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Free agent bargains are about as difficult to find these days as instant replay opponents. Just look at the league leaders. The top 10s are stocked with players making top salaries.
Based on the first one-third of the season, however, a case can be made that several bargain signings from this past offseason have paid off better than many of the big-money deals (see: Matt Holliday’s .206 average with runners in scoring position; John Lackey’s 4.72 ERA; Jason Bay’s three homers).
Still not convinced?
A position-by-position look at the best free agent signings:
Rod Barajas leads the Mets in homers.
C: Rod Barajas, Mets ($900,000)
Who says the Mets don’t know what they’re doing? They did something right by not giving in to Bengie Molina’s contract demands this past offseason and instead picking up Barajas and Henry Blanco. Barajas leads the club — and all catchers — with 11 homers and has played solid defense. "He’s a big guy so I don’t know how long he can keep this up, but he’s getting better as he gets older," a scout said.
1B: Troy Glaus, Braves ($1.75 million)
After making $12 million-plus in a dismal 2009 season, Glaus had to take a huge pay cut and change positions. If he continues to hit like this, you won’t find him in the bargain bin next winter. Glaus was NL player of the month for May after leading the league with 28 RBIs and raising his average 80 points to .274. Chipper Jones said in spring training that Glaus would be an ideal fit because "he’s a big righthanded bat that we can put in the cleanup spot and not miss much when (Brian) McCann takes a day." Indeed, Glaus has done much of his damage batting fourth, hitting .343 with 23 of his 45 RBIs in just 67 at-bats (compared to .254 with 22 RBIs in 134 at-bats from the fifth spot).
2B: Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks ($2.35 million)
He became a free agent when the Braves decided they would rather pay Martin Prado $440,000 than deal with arbitration-eligible Johnson. He quickly showed why Arizona was in such a hurry to sign him. Since homering twice in his third game, Johnson has ranked among second-base leaders in homers (13), runs (41) and OBP (.379).
3B: Placido Polanco, Phillies ($5 million)
While not quite a bargain at three years, $18 million, Polanco has met the Phillies’ expectations of being a strong contact hitter in the second spot in the order (.319 average, .356 on-base percentage). His value perhaps was best displayed when he missed a week recently and the club lost four of six as the offense staggered.
Alex Gonzalez and the Jays have surprised.
SS: Alex Gonzalez, Blue Jays ($2.75 million)
He was one of the first free agents to sign after the Red Sox declined his $6 million option to pursue then-Jay Marco Scutaro, who signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal with Boston. Gonzalez signed early because he wanted to be assured of one of the few remaining starting shortstop jobs. He doesn’t have to worry about playing time now. He leads all shortstops with 12 homers and has emerged as a key reason the Jays have turned into one of the season’s surprise successes. For Toronto, the best part of the deal might be yet to come. The team holds an even more reasonable $2.5 million option on Gonzalez for 2011.
OF: Jonny Gomes, Reds ($800,000)
He waited until February to accept a minor league deal to return to Cincinnati. Gomes not only made the club in spring training but has hit his way into a regular job. His walkoff homer in the season’s third game gave the Reds their first win and established what has become a trend for the first-place club that leads the majors with 11 wins in its last at-bat.
OF: Scott Podsednik, Royals ($1.75 million)
"As long as he doesn’t try to hit the ball in the air, he’ll be fine," said a scout when the speedy Podsednik was leading the AL in hitting in April. To which Podsednik replied, "I’ll be fine as long as I hit it where they aren’t." Though he hasn’t been doing that as well as he did in April, he is hitting .288 with a .342 on-base percentage and ranks in the top 10 in the AL with 17 stolen bases.
OF: Austin Kearns, Indians ($750,000)
After struggling with the Nationals for the past two seasons, teams showed little interest in the former first-round pick and he accepted a minor league deal just hoping to make the Indians. Crediting improved health, the 30-year-old has had his average over .300 most of the season and has taken over the left field job.
DH: Vladimir Guerrero, Rangers ($6.5 million)
Though Vlad was the Angels’ best hitter in the 2009 postseason, the club didn’t make much of an effort to re-sign him after paying him $15 million and seeing him struggle with injuries during the regular season. Asked in spring training what he wanted from this season, Guerrero replied, "To be healthy so I can help my team." Check, check. Guerrero, 35, has been hitting on par with his career averages and ranks among AL leaders in homers (13), RBIs (49) and average (.330). His replacement in Anaheim, Hideki Matsui, is hitting .257 with nine homers and 33 RBIs on a $6 million salary.
Livan Hernandez ranks among the major league leaders in ERA and innings.
SP: Livan Hernandez, Nationals ($900,000)
Jon Garland (6-3, 2.68 ERA) also deserves a mention for his part in the Padres’ success, but he was able to score a major league contract (for $5.3 million) before spring training. Hernandez was left with a late minor league deal to return to Washington. He has used the slight as motivation. Hernandez didn’t allow a run in his first two starts and still ranks among the major league leaders in ERA (2.22) and innings (73 in 11 starts). Hernandez has been especially big for the Nationals considering how Jason Marquis has disappointed. Given a two-year, $15 million deal, Marquis allowed 20 runs in his first three starts before going on the disabled list and having elbow surgery.
RP: Jose Contreras, Phillies ($1.5 million)
Shortly after giving Danys Baez a two-year deal for $5.25 million, Philly scooped up Contreras on a one-year deal. Baez has been OK, but Contreras has been the club’s best reliever (1.45 ERA, 3-for-3 in save chances).
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Free agent bargains are about as difficult to find these days as instant replay opponents. Just look at the league leaders. The top 10s are stocked with players making top salaries.
Based on the first one-third of the season, however, a case can be made that several bargain signings from this past offseason have paid off better than many of the big-money deals (see: Matt Holliday’s .206 average with runners in scoring position; John Lackey’s 4.72 ERA; Jason Bay’s three homers).
Still not convinced?
A position-by-position look at the best free agent signings:
Rod Barajas leads the Mets in homers.
C: Rod Barajas, Mets ($900,000)
Who says the Mets don’t know what they’re doing? They did something right by not giving in to Bengie Molina’s contract demands this past offseason and instead picking up Barajas and Henry Blanco. Barajas leads the club — and all catchers — with 11 homers and has played solid defense. "He’s a big guy so I don’t know how long he can keep this up, but he’s getting better as he gets older," a scout said.
1B: Troy Glaus, Braves ($1.75 million)
After making $12 million-plus in a dismal 2009 season, Glaus had to take a huge pay cut and change positions. If he continues to hit like this, you won’t find him in the bargain bin next winter. Glaus was NL player of the month for May after leading the league with 28 RBIs and raising his average 80 points to .274. Chipper Jones said in spring training that Glaus would be an ideal fit because "he’s a big righthanded bat that we can put in the cleanup spot and not miss much when (Brian) McCann takes a day." Indeed, Glaus has done much of his damage batting fourth, hitting .343 with 23 of his 45 RBIs in just 67 at-bats (compared to .254 with 22 RBIs in 134 at-bats from the fifth spot).
2B: Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks ($2.35 million)
He became a free agent when the Braves decided they would rather pay Martin Prado $440,000 than deal with arbitration-eligible Johnson. He quickly showed why Arizona was in such a hurry to sign him. Since homering twice in his third game, Johnson has ranked among second-base leaders in homers (13), runs (41) and OBP (.379).
3B: Placido Polanco, Phillies ($5 million)
While not quite a bargain at three years, $18 million, Polanco has met the Phillies’ expectations of being a strong contact hitter in the second spot in the order (.319 average, .356 on-base percentage). His value perhaps was best displayed when he missed a week recently and the club lost four of six as the offense staggered.
Alex Gonzalez and the Jays have surprised.
SS: Alex Gonzalez, Blue Jays ($2.75 million)
He was one of the first free agents to sign after the Red Sox declined his $6 million option to pursue then-Jay Marco Scutaro, who signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal with Boston. Gonzalez signed early because he wanted to be assured of one of the few remaining starting shortstop jobs. He doesn’t have to worry about playing time now. He leads all shortstops with 12 homers and has emerged as a key reason the Jays have turned into one of the season’s surprise successes. For Toronto, the best part of the deal might be yet to come. The team holds an even more reasonable $2.5 million option on Gonzalez for 2011.
OF: Jonny Gomes, Reds ($800,000)
He waited until February to accept a minor league deal to return to Cincinnati. Gomes not only made the club in spring training but has hit his way into a regular job. His walkoff homer in the season’s third game gave the Reds their first win and established what has become a trend for the first-place club that leads the majors with 11 wins in its last at-bat.
OF: Scott Podsednik, Royals ($1.75 million)
"As long as he doesn’t try to hit the ball in the air, he’ll be fine," said a scout when the speedy Podsednik was leading the AL in hitting in April. To which Podsednik replied, "I’ll be fine as long as I hit it where they aren’t." Though he hasn’t been doing that as well as he did in April, he is hitting .288 with a .342 on-base percentage and ranks in the top 10 in the AL with 17 stolen bases.
OF: Austin Kearns, Indians ($750,000)
After struggling with the Nationals for the past two seasons, teams showed little interest in the former first-round pick and he accepted a minor league deal just hoping to make the Indians. Crediting improved health, the 30-year-old has had his average over .300 most of the season and has taken over the left field job.
DH: Vladimir Guerrero, Rangers ($6.5 million)
Though Vlad was the Angels’ best hitter in the 2009 postseason, the club didn’t make much of an effort to re-sign him after paying him $15 million and seeing him struggle with injuries during the regular season. Asked in spring training what he wanted from this season, Guerrero replied, "To be healthy so I can help my team." Check, check. Guerrero, 35, has been hitting on par with his career averages and ranks among AL leaders in homers (13), RBIs (49) and average (.330). His replacement in Anaheim, Hideki Matsui, is hitting .257 with nine homers and 33 RBIs on a $6 million salary.
Livan Hernandez ranks among the major league leaders in ERA and innings.
SP: Livan Hernandez, Nationals ($900,000)
Jon Garland (6-3, 2.68 ERA) also deserves a mention for his part in the Padres’ success, but he was able to score a major league contract (for $5.3 million) before spring training. Hernandez was left with a late minor league deal to return to Washington. He has used the slight as motivation. Hernandez didn’t allow a run in his first two starts and still ranks among the major league leaders in ERA (2.22) and innings (73 in 11 starts). Hernandez has been especially big for the Nationals considering how Jason Marquis has disappointed. Given a two-year, $15 million deal, Marquis allowed 20 runs in his first three starts before going on the disabled list and having elbow surgery.
RP: Jose Contreras, Phillies ($1.5 million)
Shortly after giving Danys Baez a two-year deal for $5.25 million, Philly scooped up Contreras on a one-year deal. Baez has been OK, but Contreras has been the club’s best reliever (1.45 ERA, 3-for-3 in save chances).
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
The draft and a long-anticipated debut will put baseball’s spotlight on the nation’s capital this week, at least until the return of interleague play on Friday. The week ahead:
After thriving in junior college, Bryce Harper is likely to be the No. 1 pick.
Monday: Nationals pick first
For the second consecutive year, the Nationals have the first pick in the amateur draft. This time, they’re expected to take Bryce Harper, a 17-year-old catcher/outfielder who hit 29 homers in 62 games for a Nevada junior college.
Harper would have been a high school junior this year, but he earned his GED so he could attend junior college. As a result, he is eligible to be drafted Monday. While he has caught much of his amateur career, his forte is hitting, especially the long ball. "He has excellent power and he’ll hit for a decent average. He’s not going to hit for average like Joe Mauer, but there’s only one Mauer, but he could hit for more power," one talent evaluator said.
The first 50 picks will be made Monday, with the 50-round draft continuing through Wednesday.
Tuesday: Strasburg starts
Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 pick a year ago, is scheduled to make his first big-league start Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., against the Pirates.
The hype for Strasburg’s debut is approaching that which followed LeBron James from high school to the NBA. Tuesday’s game is a sellout (his rumored first start on last Friday almost sold out). The Nationals expect to distribute 200 media credentials, according to the Washington Post, and the MLB Network will televise the contest.
By all accounts, Strasburg is good enough to live up to the hype, too. He dominated hitters in 11 minor league starts split between Class AA and AAA, posting a 2.08 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings. Duplicating that in the majors will be difficult, of course, but it’s what many are expecting.
"Expectations have been blown so far out of proportion and are so out of whack that it’s almost impossible to reach whatever people think he should reach," Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said recently. "He has to be comfortable in his own skin. We know what we’re expecting of him. If he reaches his potential, in my expectations, we’ll all be feeling good about it."
The Nationals will continue to handle Strasburg like a 21-year-old in his first pro season, monitoring his pitches and his innings. He likely has about 100 innings to work before he is shut down.
Washington could not have picked a better opponent for Strasburg’s start: The Pirates entered Sunday as the majors’ lowest-scoring club. If Strasburg works every five days — no guarantee given his limits for the season — his second start would be Sunday at Cleveland.
Friday: Interleague, Part 2
The National League will be in an unusual spot when the schedule again breaks for interleague games. The NL, on the losing side of interleague for the past six years, holds a 22-20 lead over the AL.
Last month’s weekend break for interleague served as a three-day tuneup for this 17-day interruption. The season will be nearly half over when the schedule returns to intraleague. The Dodgers, for one, will not mind getting back to normal. They have perhaps the most difficult interleague schedule with all four of their remaining series against teams that reached the playoffs last year: the Angels (twice), Red Sox and Yankees.
After 13 years of interleague, even players are ready for some kind of change. "I think the fans enjoy interleague play to see different teams and players," Indians DH Travis Hafner said. "I’d like to see the DH added to all the games."
If that doesn’t happen next year, another possibility would be for the DH to be used in NL parks during interleague but not in the AL.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
The draft and a long-anticipated debut will put baseball’s spotlight on the nation’s capital this week, at least until the return of interleague play on Friday. The week ahead:
After thriving in junior college, Bryce Harper is likely to be the No. 1 pick.
Monday: Nationals pick first
For the second consecutive year, the Nationals have the first pick in the amateur draft. This time, they’re expected to take Bryce Harper, a 17-year-old catcher/outfielder who hit 29 homers in 62 games for a Nevada junior college.
Harper would have been a high school junior this year, but he earned his GED so he could attend junior college. As a result, he is eligible to be drafted Monday. While he has caught much of his amateur career, his forte is hitting, especially the long ball. "He has excellent power and he’ll hit for a decent average. He’s not going to hit for average like Joe Mauer, but there’s only one Mauer, but he could hit for more power," one talent evaluator said.
The first 50 picks will be made Monday, with the 50-round draft continuing through Wednesday.
Tuesday: Strasburg starts
Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 pick a year ago, is scheduled to make his first big-league start Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., against the Pirates.
The hype for Strasburg’s debut is approaching that which followed LeBron James from high school to the NBA. Tuesday’s game is a sellout (his rumored first start on last Friday almost sold out). The Nationals expect to distribute 200 media credentials, according to the Washington Post, and the MLB Network will televise the contest.
By all accounts, Strasburg is good enough to live up to the hype, too. He dominated hitters in 11 minor league starts split between Class AA and AAA, posting a 2.08 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings. Duplicating that in the majors will be difficult, of course, but it’s what many are expecting.
"Expectations have been blown so far out of proportion and are so out of whack that it’s almost impossible to reach whatever people think he should reach," Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said recently. "He has to be comfortable in his own skin. We know what we’re expecting of him. If he reaches his potential, in my expectations, we’ll all be feeling good about it."
The Nationals will continue to handle Strasburg like a 21-year-old in his first pro season, monitoring his pitches and his innings. He likely has about 100 innings to work before he is shut down.
Washington could not have picked a better opponent for Strasburg’s start: The Pirates entered Sunday as the majors’ lowest-scoring club. If Strasburg works every five days — no guarantee given his limits for the season — his second start would be Sunday at Cleveland.
Friday: Interleague, Part 2
The National League will be in an unusual spot when the schedule again breaks for interleague games. The NL, on the losing side of interleague for the past six years, holds a 22-20 lead over the AL.
Last month’s weekend break for interleague served as a three-day tuneup for this 17-day interruption. The season will be nearly half over when the schedule returns to intraleague. The Dodgers, for one, will not mind getting back to normal. They have perhaps the most difficult interleague schedule with all four of their remaining series against teams that reached the playoffs last year: the Angels (twice), Red Sox and Yankees.
After 13 years of interleague, even players are ready for some kind of change. "I think the fans enjoy interleague play to see different teams and players," Indians DH Travis Hafner said. "I’d like to see the DH added to all the games."
If that doesn’t happen next year, another possibility would be for the DH to be used in NL parks during interleague but not in the AL.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
Strike 1: Just say no to instant replay
As soon as the first replay aired to confirm that Jim Joyce’s bad call had cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game Wednesday, baseball’s cyberspace was screaming: "Replay! Replay! Replay!"
No, no, no. Please. Three reasons why replay might be an easy topic for the media to puff out its collective chest about but should not be expanded:
Jim Joyce’s blown call has brought out calls for instant replay.
1. There is no ideal system.
Before replay was introduced in 2008 to assist on home run calls, opponents were wary for one reason: Limited replay would lead to more replay. So here we are.
Where would it end? Would it be used on close calls at first, home, every base? To determine trapped catches? What about balls and strikes? Proponents likely would not be satisfied until a robot is calling balls and strikes. After all, if the goal is to get every call right, that is what would be needed.
And who would decide when it would be used? Let’s say some silly system is instituted that would allow managers to challenge a certain number of calls. Say the limit is three. What if Jim Leyland had used up his challenges before the 26th out Wednesday night? Then what?
2. Instant replay it is not.
By the time umpires gather, watch and re-watch a disputed play and make their final decision, instant replay becomes more like three-minute replay. Baseball already has lost countless fans because of its slow pace. Building in another drag to the game is needed about as much as the Yankees could use a larger payroll.
3. Mistakes are part of the game.
Everyone makes them. Bill Buckner, Grady Little, Don Denkinger and, now, Jim Joyce. Players, coaches and managers don’t have the luxury of technology to reverse their errors. Umpires, who are just as much a part of the game as anyone on the field, should not either.
Baseball is a great game, with the emphasis on game. Money already has sapped much of its charm. More replay would take away even more.
Strike 2: Ubaldo for MVP
Ubaldo Jimenez is not only the obvious early choice to win the NL Cy Young Award, he also is an easy call to take home MVP honors. This is one time when a pitcher’s wins say a lot.
After 53 games, the Rockies are three games over .500. In Jimenez’s 11 starts, they are nine games over .500. Every one of his 10 wins is legit, too. The 26-year-old righthander has yet to give up more than two runs and has worked at least six innings in every start.
"Without him, we’d be brutal," says Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd, who is not surprised with Jimenez’s ascension. "You never know when a lightning bolt will turn on. Everyone around him knew he was this capable once he slowed himself down, learned to pitch to contact and stay within his delivery. This is a great kid who doesn’t dream about being good. He has a tremendous desire to be the best, and his work habits are consistent with that."
A veteran scout doesn’t disagree. Asked to name the starter he would most want on the mound for a Game 7, he doesn’t hesitate. "Jimenez. His stuff is far away the best right now. I would choose him over Roy Halladay because his stuff is so good he can afford to make mistakes. Roy’s margin for error is less."
Strike 3: Harper and his future
Seventeen-year-old Bryce Harper is expected to be the first pick in Monday’s draft. Not quite as certain is where he will play. Catching has been his main position, but most project Harper to wind up in right field.
According to one evaluator who has been running his teams’ drafts for more than 20 years, Harper should excel wherever he plays.
"I thought he was a big goon who had power until I saw him," the executive says. "He’s got a great arm and he’s pretty athletic — much more than I thought. I saw him play center field and while he’s not going to play center (in the majors), I can see him playing right field real quick."
If the Nationals, who are picking first, decide to put Harper behind the plate, his time in the minors likely would last longer than if he plays the outfield (think that has anything to do with Scott Boras wanting him there?). "Learning a lot of the stuff catchers have to learn generally takes another year," the executive says. "But he could be an average — or even a hair above average — defensive catcher in the big leagues if he’s willing to grind through the learning process."
Still, this executive expects Harper to end up in right field "unless his club has such a huge, gaping hole behind the plate." And if it’s set at catcher? "You’ve got a helluva power-hitting right fielder that’s pretty athletic."
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
Strike 1: Just say no to instant replay
As soon as the first replay aired to confirm that Jim Joyce’s bad call had cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game Wednesday, baseball’s cyberspace was screaming: "Replay! Replay! Replay!"
No, no, no. Please. Three reasons why replay might be an easy topic for the media to puff out its collective chest about but should not be expanded:
Jim Joyce’s blown call has brought out calls for instant replay.
1. There is no ideal system.
Before replay was introduced in 2008 to assist on home run calls, opponents were wary for one reason: Limited replay would lead to more replay. So here we are.
Where would it end? Would it be used on close calls at first, home, every base? To determine trapped catches? What about balls and strikes? Proponents likely would not be satisfied until a robot is calling balls and strikes. After all, if the goal is to get every call right, that is what would be needed.
And who would decide when it would be used? Let’s say some silly system is instituted that would allow managers to challenge a certain number of calls. Say the limit is three. What if Jim Leyland had used up his challenges before the 26th out Wednesday night? Then what?
2. Instant replay it is not.
By the time umpires gather, watch and re-watch a disputed play and make their final decision, instant replay becomes more like three-minute replay. Baseball already has lost countless fans because of its slow pace. Building in another drag to the game is needed about as much as the Yankees could use a larger payroll.
3. Mistakes are part of the game.
Everyone makes them. Bill Buckner, Grady Little, Don Denkinger and, now, Jim Joyce. Players, coaches and managers don’t have the luxury of technology to reverse their errors. Umpires, who are just as much a part of the game as anyone on the field, should not either.
Baseball is a great game, with the emphasis on game. Money already has sapped much of its charm. More replay would take away even more.
Strike 2: Ubaldo for MVP
Ubaldo Jimenez is not only the obvious early choice to win the NL Cy Young Award, he also is an easy call to take home MVP honors. This is one time when a pitcher’s wins say a lot.
After 53 games, the Rockies are three games over .500. In Jimenez’s 11 starts, they are nine games over .500. Every one of his 10 wins is legit, too. The 26-year-old righthander has yet to give up more than two runs and has worked at least six innings in every start.
"Without him, we’d be brutal," says Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd, who is not surprised with Jimenez’s ascension. "You never know when a lightning bolt will turn on. Everyone around him knew he was this capable once he slowed himself down, learned to pitch to contact and stay within his delivery. This is a great kid who doesn’t dream about being good. He has a tremendous desire to be the best, and his work habits are consistent with that."
A veteran scout doesn’t disagree. Asked to name the starter he would most want on the mound for a Game 7, he doesn’t hesitate. "Jimenez. His stuff is far away the best right now. I would choose him over Roy Halladay because his stuff is so good he can afford to make mistakes. Roy’s margin for error is less."
Strike 3: Harper and his future
Seventeen-year-old Bryce Harper is expected to be the first pick in Monday’s draft. Not quite as certain is where he will play. Catching has been his main position, but most project Harper to wind up in right field.
According to one evaluator who has been running his teams’ drafts for more than 20 years, Harper should excel wherever he plays.
"I thought he was a big goon who had power until I saw him," the executive says. "He’s got a great arm and he’s pretty athletic — much more than I thought. I saw him play center field and while he’s not going to play center (in the majors), I can see him playing right field real quick."
If the Nationals, who are picking first, decide to put Harper behind the plate, his time in the minors likely would last longer than if he plays the outfield (think that has anything to do with Scott Boras wanting him there?). "Learning a lot of the stuff catchers have to learn generally takes another year," the executive says. "But he could be an average — or even a hair above average — defensive catcher in the big leagues if he’s willing to grind through the learning process."
Still, this executive expects Harper to end up in right field "unless his club has such a huge, gaping hole behind the plate." And if it’s set at catcher? "You’ve got a helluva power-hitting right fielder that’s pretty athletic."
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
On this date a year ago, the Rockies were 14 1/2 games out of first place and 11 games below .500. "And we made the playoffs," general manager Dan O’Dowd says.
Translation: It still is too early for losing teams to give up and start peddling players. If they surrender now, it becomes even more difficult to sell tickets for the prime months of June and July. It also is too early for potential buyers to know exactly what they need and how much they can spend.
"There just aren’t many clubs at this point that know definitively what they want to do," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels says.
Well, there still are eight-plus weeks before the nonwaiver trading deadline. Even if clubs want to trade now, they have to consider the price "is usually a lot higher than it may be next month," as Daniels says.
Once the wheeling and dealing begins, here are 10 players with the best chance of being moved:
Mike Lowell could be headed to L.A.
Mike Lowell, IF, Red Sox. Boston doesn’t need him; the Angels do (though the Sox say there’s no shot of him going to LA.). They cannot expect to win the AL West with Mike Napoli, Robb Quinlan and Michael Ryan trying to replace Kendry Morales at first base. And they can’t expect the White Sox to move Paul Konerko or the Cubs to deal Derrek Lee unless those clubs still are struggling in late July (though the Chicago Tribune says the Cubs and Angels are talking).
Adam LaRoche, 1B, Diamondbacks. Who knows how long Arizona might wait to become a seller. As O’Dowd points out, "We were very similar (last year) to where the Diamondbacks are now." One difference: The Rockies didn’t have what is shaping up as a historically bad bullpen (7.70 ERA).
Cliff Lee, SP, Mariners. Another weekend of consecutive walkoff losses like the past one in Anaheim, and the Mariners just might conclude what everyone else already has: This isn’t their year. With Lee unlikely to stay in Seattle when he becomes a free agent in the fall, the Mariners can save some salary and return a decent prospect. For Seattle’s sake, let’s hope that prospect can hit.
Kevin Millwood, SP, Orioles. Baltimore is one team that doesn’t need to wait. The Orioles are 22 games under .500 and 19 1/2 games out of first place, and their attendance already is an embarrassment. The sooner they move Millwood, the more of his $12 million salary they can save. He isn’t in the class of Lee or Roy Oswalt but "he’s a pretty solid pitcher who has pitched well" this season, says a scout.
Miguel Tejada’s second stay in Baltimore could be brief.
Miguel Tejada, 3B, Orioles. Ty Wigginton has been the more productive Orioles hitter, but the team can better afford him because of his versatility and his salary ($3.5 million), compared to Tejada’s ($6 million, plus a $150,000 trade bonus). Tejada isn’t enjoying as strong a season at last year but he is "fine," says a scout.
A.J. Pierzynski, C, White Sox. He could be moved soon because he becomes a 10-and-5 man on June 14, which will give him veto power over any trade. However, the contender most in need of a catcher, Texas, remains in a state of semi-limbo because of its pending sale.
Jose Guillen, DH/OF, Royals. His average has dropped 54 points to .250 since April 30, but he has 12 homers. Kansas City might even help pay the remainder of his $12 million contract. Guillen, however, has started only two games in the field and needs to DH.
Kerry Wood, RP, Indians. In a market that appears thin in bullpen help, Wood is one hard-throwing veteran who has handled ninth innings. Of course, he is a health risk and makes huge bucks ($10.5 million this year, $11 million team option next year). But Cleveland could pay a big portion of that and still save millions. The Indians aren’t going anywhere with him, anyway.
Ben Sheets, SP, A’s. I pegged him as likely trade bait the moment the tight-fisted A’s signed him for $10 million. Sheets hasn’t missed a start after not pitching all last season and he has a 2.81 ERA over his past five outings. First-place Oakland needs offense and Sheets could fetch a bat.
Roy Oswalt has made no secret of his desire to be traded.
Roy Oswalt, SP, Astros. Expect his desire to be traded to get stronger as Houston continues to get buried in the standings. Even with a large contract, Oswalt will cost a couple of front-line prospects because he is pitching so well. If a club comes calling for Carlos Lee, however, it could have him for his contract. Lee is due $18.5 million a year through 2012 and, according to a scout, "looks like he doesn’t even care." (I will second that opinion. In an early season game at Busch Stadium, Lee strolled into the Astros’ clubhouse about 10 minutes before stretching — long after the rest of his teammates already had dressed).
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
On this date a year ago, the Rockies were 14 1/2 games out of first place and 11 games below .500. "And we made the playoffs," general manager Dan O’Dowd says.
Translation: It still is too early for losing teams to give up and start peddling players. If they surrender now, it becomes even more difficult to sell tickets for the prime months of June and July. It also is too early for potential buyers to know exactly what they need and how much they can spend.
"There just aren’t many clubs at this point that know definitively what they want to do," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels says.
Well, there still are eight-plus weeks before the nonwaiver trading deadline. Even if clubs want to trade now, they have to consider the price "is usually a lot higher than it may be next month," as Daniels says.
Once the wheeling and dealing begins, here are 10 players with the best chance of being moved:
Mike Lowell could be headed to L.A.
Mike Lowell, IF, Red Sox. Boston doesn’t need him; the Angels do (though the Sox say there’s no shot of him going to LA.). They cannot expect to win the AL West with Mike Napoli, Robb Quinlan and Michael Ryan trying to replace Kendry Morales at first base. And they can’t expect the White Sox to move Paul Konerko or the Cubs to deal Derrek Lee unless those clubs still are struggling in late July (though the Chicago Tribune says the Cubs and Angels are talking).
Adam LaRoche, 1B, Diamondbacks. Who knows how long Arizona might wait to become a seller. As O’Dowd points out, "We were very similar (last year) to where the Diamondbacks are now." One difference: The Rockies didn’t have what is shaping up as a historically bad bullpen (7.70 ERA).
Cliff Lee, SP, Mariners. Another weekend of consecutive walkoff losses like the past one in Anaheim, and the Mariners just might conclude what everyone else already has: This isn’t their year. With Lee unlikely to stay in Seattle when he becomes a free agent in the fall, the Mariners can save some salary and return a decent prospect. For Seattle’s sake, let’s hope that prospect can hit.
Kevin Millwood, SP, Orioles. Baltimore is one team that doesn’t need to wait. The Orioles are 22 games under .500 and 19 1/2 games out of first place, and their attendance already is an embarrassment. The sooner they move Millwood, the more of his $12 million salary they can save. He isn’t in the class of Lee or Roy Oswalt but "he’s a pretty solid pitcher who has pitched well" this season, says a scout.
Miguel Tejada’s second stay in Baltimore could be brief.
Miguel Tejada, 3B, Orioles. Ty Wigginton has been the more productive Orioles hitter, but the team can better afford him because of his versatility and his salary ($3.5 million), compared to Tejada’s ($6 million, plus a $150,000 trade bonus). Tejada isn’t enjoying as strong a season at last year but he is "fine," says a scout.
A.J. Pierzynski, C, White Sox. He could be moved soon because he becomes a 10-and-5 man on June 14, which will give him veto power over any trade. However, the contender most in need of a catcher, Texas, remains in a state of semi-limbo because of its pending sale.
Jose Guillen, DH/OF, Royals. His average has dropped 54 points to .250 since April 30, but he has 12 homers. Kansas City might even help pay the remainder of his $12 million contract. Guillen, however, has started only two games in the field and needs to DH.
Kerry Wood, RP, Indians. In a market that appears thin in bullpen help, Wood is one hard-throwing veteran who has handled ninth innings. Of course, he is a health risk and makes huge bucks ($10.5 million this year, $11 million team option next year). But Cleveland could pay a big portion of that and still save millions. The Indians aren’t going anywhere with him, anyway.
Ben Sheets, SP, A’s. I pegged him as likely trade bait the moment the tight-fisted A’s signed him for $10 million. Sheets hasn’t missed a start after not pitching all last season and he has a 2.81 ERA over his past five outings. First-place Oakland needs offense and Sheets could fetch a bat.
Roy Oswalt has made no secret of his desire to be traded.
Roy Oswalt, SP, Astros. Expect his desire to be traded to get stronger as Houston continues to get buried in the standings. Even with a large contract, Oswalt will cost a couple of front-line prospects because he is pitching so well. If a club comes calling for Carlos Lee, however, it could have him for his contract. Lee is due $18.5 million a year through 2012 and, according to a scout, "looks like he doesn’t even care." (I will second that opinion. In an early season game at Busch Stadium, Lee strolled into the Astros’ clubhouse about 10 minutes before stretching — long after the rest of his teammates already had dressed).
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
Strike 1: The calm before the Strasburg
The Nationals have been one of baseball’s feel-good stories so far.
Stephen Strasburg is expected to make his major-league debut next month.
Their 38-year-old catcher, Pudge Rodriguez, is hitting .333 and earning accolades for his positive influence. Their who-knows-how-old bargain starter, Livan Hernandez, has been one of the NL’s best pitchers (1.46 in 49 1/3 innings). The defense, whose poor play resulted in 28 unearned runs at this point last season, has improved enough to allow only 10 unearned runs so far. And even after a five-game losing streak, Washington was 20-20 and owned the majors’ best turnaround from this point last season (when it was 12-28).
And Stephen Strasburg still is scheduled to arrive early next month.
Let’s hope he does. If he isn’t in the majors soon, the already "out of whack" expectations — as described by Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo — will be such that Strasburg will have to throw a no-hitter in his first game to live up to them. And if his debut comes against the Pirates, a no-no might not be enough.
The Strasburg hype is reaching LeBron James-to-the-NBA proportions. "Good comparison," Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman admits.
The Nationals are trying to temper the anticipation. They protect Strasburg from the media, and Rizzo insists they are thinking about the big picture. "I have developed players in the past and that’s why I got the job," Rizzo says. "I feel comfortable with his developmental schedule. It’s best for him long-term."
The club, meanwhile, goes about its business. Manager Jim Riggleman says "I never hear Stephen’s name come up" in the clubhouse "except when we get some reports when he pitches."
But when the Nationals hear the reports, it’s difficult even for them to not get excited. "You hear about guys who throw hard and all that and once they get here, it’s 91 to 93 and they’re a regular righthanded pitcher," Zimmerman says. "He’s definitely different. He’s really the first person I’ve ever seen who’s had a lot of hype and actually lives up to it."
That analysis was based on spring training and the minors. The countdown to the majors continues.
Strike 2: Early-season disappointments
With the season at the quarter mark, the biggest flops:
Aramis Ramirez has struggled at the plate.
Mariners’ offense. The pitching — third in the AL — is about as good as advertised. The offense — last in the AL — is even worse than expected. Six regulars were hitting .220 or lower before Wednesday night’s game against the Blue Jays. Ken Griffey Jr.’s bat shows no signs of waking up, either. He has one hit since the nap story broke.
Red Sox’s pitching. Having the AL’s worst ERA (4.94) isn’t what general manager Theo Epstein had in mind when he talked about an even greater emphasis on defense and pitching. He has to be wondering a bit about Josh Beckett’s contract extension, too. Beckett has been so bad (7.29 ERA) that the team actually had to be a bit relieved when an injury (back stiffness) was found.
Cubs. Their pitching hasn’t been terrible (4.27 ERA) and their offense ranks in the top five in the NL, but something isn’t right. Look no further than three of Chicago’s highest-paid players — Derrek Lee (.674 OPS), Aramis Ramirez (.527 OPS) and Carlos Zambrano, who has been a flop in the bullpen (5.59 ERA) and the rotation (7.45).
Matt Holliday’s hitting. His .289 average and .357 on-base percentage aren’t terrible, but Holliday is sixth on his own club in RBIs. That isn’t the kind of Albert Pujols protection the Cardinals were projecting when they re-signed Holliday for $121 million. He was moved into the 3 hole ahead of Pujols this week.
Andre Ethier’s broken pinkie. Ethier wasn’t likely to win the Triple Crown. But it would have been nice to see him healthy for a full season to give it a go.
Strike 3: Early-season surprises
The Rays. What should scare opponents about their major league-leading record: Their offense hasn’t clicked yet. Ben Zobrist (no homers after hitting 27 last season), Carlos Pena (.191 batting average) and B.J. Upton (.217) figure to get hot at some point.
Rangers lefthander C.J. Wilson as a starter. The converted reliever had a rough outing Tuesday when he allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Angels. Until then, Wilson had given up only eight earned runs total in seven starts.
Justin Morneau, 1B, Twins. You know he loves seeing his name above Joe Mauer’s among the batting average leaders. What is really impressive: Morneau leads the AL in OBP (.482) and slugging (.694).
The Padres. Their pitching has been the best in the NL, and three scouts in the past week have told me it is legit. Too bad their offense isn’t.
Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies. A no-hitter, a 7-1 record and a 1.12 ERA. Memo to Tim Lincecum: You have more new competition than Roy Halladay for the NL Cy Young award.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
Strike 1: The calm before the Strasburg
The Nationals have been one of baseball’s feel-good stories so far.
Stephen Strasburg is expected to make his major-league debut next month.
Their 38-year-old catcher, Pudge Rodriguez, is hitting .333 and earning accolades for his positive influence. Their who-knows-how-old bargain starter, Livan Hernandez, has been one of the NL’s best pitchers (1.46 in 49 1/3 innings). The defense, whose poor play resulted in 28 unearned runs at this point last season, has improved enough to allow only 10 unearned runs so far. And even after a five-game losing streak, Washington was 20-20 and owned the majors’ best turnaround from this point last season (when it was 12-28).
And Stephen Strasburg still is scheduled to arrive early next month.
Let’s hope he does. If he isn’t in the majors soon, the already "out of whack" expectations — as described by Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo — will be such that Strasburg will have to throw a no-hitter in his first game to live up to them. And if his debut comes against the Pirates, a no-no might not be enough.
The Strasburg hype is reaching LeBron James-to-the-NBA proportions. "Good comparison," Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman admits.
The Nationals are trying to temper the anticipation. They protect Strasburg from the media, and Rizzo insists they are thinking about the big picture. "I have developed players in the past and that’s why I got the job," Rizzo says. "I feel comfortable with his developmental schedule. It’s best for him long-term."
The club, meanwhile, goes about its business. Manager Jim Riggleman says "I never hear Stephen’s name come up" in the clubhouse "except when we get some reports when he pitches."
But when the Nationals hear the reports, it’s difficult even for them to not get excited. "You hear about guys who throw hard and all that and once they get here, it’s 91 to 93 and they’re a regular righthanded pitcher," Zimmerman says. "He’s definitely different. He’s really the first person I’ve ever seen who’s had a lot of hype and actually lives up to it."
That analysis was based on spring training and the minors. The countdown to the majors continues.
Strike 2: Early-season disappointments
With the season at the quarter mark, the biggest flops:
Aramis Ramirez has struggled at the plate.
Mariners’ offense. The pitching — third in the AL — is about as good as advertised. The offense — last in the AL — is even worse than expected. Six regulars were hitting .220 or lower before Wednesday night’s game against the Blue Jays. Ken Griffey Jr.’s bat shows no signs of waking up, either. He has one hit since the nap story broke.
Red Sox’s pitching. Having the AL’s worst ERA (4.94) isn’t what general manager Theo Epstein had in mind when he talked about an even greater emphasis on defense and pitching. He has to be wondering a bit about Josh Beckett’s contract extension, too. Beckett has been so bad (7.29 ERA) that the team actually had to be a bit relieved when an injury (back stiffness) was found.
Cubs. Their pitching hasn’t been terrible (4.27 ERA) and their offense ranks in the top five in the NL, but something isn’t right. Look no further than three of Chicago’s highest-paid players — Derrek Lee (.674 OPS), Aramis Ramirez (.527 OPS) and Carlos Zambrano, who has been a flop in the bullpen (5.59 ERA) and the rotation (7.45).
Matt Holliday’s hitting. His .289 average and .357 on-base percentage aren’t terrible, but Holliday is sixth on his own club in RBIs. That isn’t the kind of Albert Pujols protection the Cardinals were projecting when they re-signed Holliday for $121 million. He was moved into the 3 hole ahead of Pujols this week.
Andre Ethier’s broken pinkie. Ethier wasn’t likely to win the Triple Crown. But it would have been nice to see him healthy for a full season to give it a go.
Strike 3: Early-season surprises
The Rays. What should scare opponents about their major league-leading record: Their offense hasn’t clicked yet. Ben Zobrist (no homers after hitting 27 last season), Carlos Pena (.191 batting average) and B.J. Upton (.217) figure to get hot at some point.
Rangers lefthander C.J. Wilson as a starter. The converted reliever had a rough outing Tuesday when he allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Angels. Until then, Wilson had given up only eight earned runs total in seven starts.
Justin Morneau, 1B, Twins. You know he loves seeing his name above Joe Mauer’s among the batting average leaders. What is really impressive: Morneau leads the AL in OBP (.482) and slugging (.694).
The Padres. Their pitching has been the best in the NL, and three scouts in the past week have told me it is legit. Too bad their offense isn’t.
Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies. A no-hitter, a 7-1 record and a 1.12 ERA. Memo to Tim Lincecum: You have more new competition than Roy Halladay for the NL Cy Young award.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
