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hot stove Archive

JEFF FRANCOUER PLAYS SANTA, TALKS HOT STOVE

By
theOCD
Published: 16 December 2009 1:17 PM ESTPosted in: MLB

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Jeff Francoeur went from being loved to hated in his hometown then came to New York where he was moderately supported. That has Frenchy riding high. So much so that he dressed up as the Santa for the Mets’ holiday party.

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Francoeur headed to Citi Field along with some teammates to hang out with PS 55 students. The former Atlanta Brave was decked out as St. Nick. He has the Santa suit, hat, beard, and two pillows for a faux gut. Word is that Franceour can now grasp small items with his surgically repaired thumb. He and teammates talked to MLB.com about potential offseason moves by the Mets:

Francoeur wanted more pitching. All of them — even Parnell — expected another reliever or two would be in camp come February, and everyone with exception of would-be left fielder Pagan, would welcome a new left fielder with power, a good glove and speed to tame Citi’s vast expanse. No specifics were mentioned — except for Francoeur, who would love to have his buddy Mark DeRosa on the roster — as if players were prohibited from public fantasizing.

The other item on the Mets’ wishlist was health. The Amazins lost a ton of games due to injury from some of their best players. Speaking of injuries, even the elusive Jose Reyes was on hand. He’s still nursing an injury but expects to return for Spring Training. The Mets’ shortstop returns to the Dominican Republic on Sunday, moves to his Long Island home on January 5th, then will report to Port St. Lucie shortly thereafter.

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WINTER HEATS UP: YANKEES GET GRANDERSON

By
theOCD
Published: 09 December 2009 9:23 AM ESTPosted in: MLB

Brian Cashman trades for Curtis Granderson

If you follow baseball, you probably started hearing rumblings about Curtis Granderson being traded to the Yankees early in the day. A few hours later, it was supposedly dead. Then after a couple MORE hours, the on-again, off-again Curtis Granderson trade was done.
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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made a deal that locked up an all-star player for the peak of his career. Granderson’s contract is very manageable and the Yankees didn’t have to give up too much to get him. The Bombers parted ways with lefty reliever Phil Coke along with prospects Ian Kennedy and Austin Jackson. Here’s how Rotoworld described the deal:

The Yanks did really well here, snagging the 28-year-old Granderson for Ian Kennedy, Austin Jackson and Phil Coke. It’s a small price to pay for a player of Granderson’s talent and personality. As part of the three-way deal, Detroit will receive right-handers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona and Coke and Jackson from the Yanks. The D’Backs, meanwhile, receive a questionable return in Edwin Jackson from the Tigers and Kennedy from the Yanks. Granderson can be used in either left or center field in New York, giving general manager Brian Cashman some flexibility in regards to Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, who are now likely on the outs. It’s safe to say the Tigers now have the payroll flexibility they wanted while securing a tremendous haul of young players.

This is yet another instance where Brian Cashman squeezes maximum value out of a transaction. Not only does he have Granderson’s ability and manageable salary, but he also gives himself more leverage with Damon and Matsui. And no respect to Phil Coke, but Granderson’s personality will probably have a much bigger positive impact on the Yankees clubhouse. So he even fills the “character void” if Damon and Matsui both play elsewhere.

You can also gauge the quality of the trade by looking at what the Boston press is saying about it. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, who covered the Yankees as recently as last year, complimented the deal and said that the “move by the Yankees will only increase calls that he [Theo Epstein] does something.” The Boston Herald wrote that Granderson was “too good to pass up.” The Herald also quoted Theo Epstein who said that the Yankees will win “between 95 and 100 games.” Hey, that guy is pretty smart! That estimation may be a tad conservative though.

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HOT STOVE REPORT: GRANDERSON, MAUER, & FIGGINS

By
John
Published: 12 November 2009 5:11 PM ESTPosted in: MLB
Curtis Granderson would be an impressive catch for the Yankees

Curtis Granderson would be an impressive catch for the Yankees

This morning’s big trade rumor has the New York Yankees potentially making a move for Detroit Tigers All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson. While this may seem strange at first, I wrote here yesterday that economic constraints are forcing some teams, including the Tigers, to trade their more expensive players. There is no official word on what the Yankees would offer, but I would imagine top prospects Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero, as well as the Yankees extensive collection of young pitchers, would have to be in the discussion. Joel Sherman of the NY Post wonders if the Yankees can take advantage of their financial situation by taking on an additional big contract to lower the price on Granderson. Edwin Jackson could even be part of the discussion if the Yankees want to make this a blockbuster. I think Granderson would be a great fit on the Yankees due to his combination of power and speed and their need for athletic outfielders. While the Yankees outfield in 2009 was solid, there is no one on the roster who can get up and rob a “cheap” home run, and that could definitely be a factor in the homer friendly Yankee stadium.

The Yankees appear ready to battle the Red Sox for the services of Roy Halladay. Though there have been no official statements, the Daily News reports that a source with knowledge of the Yankees’ thinking said they are already planning on making an attempt to sign either Halladay or Cliff Lee if both become free agents after next season. If that truly is the case, the Yankees might just wait it out. However, if Boston is their main competition for Hallady it could become a matter of blocking their rivals from acquiring a difference making talent.

The Mets are trying to trade Luis Castillo (possibly to the Dodgers) to make room for an Orlando Hudson signing. The Mets seem to be very high on O-Dog, and Hudson has even said that he was a Mets fan growing up so a Castillo deal is probably an inevitability. Apparently the Mets also have an interest in Chone Figgins, but possibly as a left fielder.

Both the Mets and Yankees are already salivating over next year’s free agent class now that Joe Mauer has put off contract extension talks. Mauer became the first catcher to win 3 batting titles, will probably win the MVP, and will demand a hefty pay day next winter. Every big market team will be interested in the 26 year old Mauer, and he could end up with “A-Rod money”.

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News and notes around the league: Marlins 2B Dan Uggla is on the market, a move to the outfield is possible…Buster Olney tweeted that the Indians are fielding offers for closer Kerry Wood…the Mariners have re-signed Ken Griffey Jr for one year, potentially ruling out a Matsui signing…the Braves have signed SP Tim Hudson to a 3-year $28 million extension.

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HOT STOVE REPORT: POOR WILL GET POORER IN 2010

By
John
Published: 11 November 2009 11:46 AM ESTPosted in: MLB, Spotlight
Brandon Phillps is looking at an uncertain future

Brandon Phillps is looking towards an uncertain future

After just a couple days of GM meetings and hot stove excitement, there is a somewhat disturbing trend developing around some of the “middle tier” teams in the MLB. Teams like the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers are in a position to trade some of their more talented players due to financial restraints placed on the respective clubs. The Reds in particular are in an interesting position. They have a projected payroll of about $70 million, with $36 million of that going to just Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo and Francisco Cordero. Due to the difficulty in trading such the bloated contracts of under-performing players, the Reds may have to resort to trading All-Star Brandon Phillips and the $5 million owed to him. While there are some needy teams who might be willing to eat a portion of the contracts owed to Arroyo ($11m) or Harang ($12.5m) — Mets, anyone? — the Reds have put themselves in the unfortunate position of having to trade their best player for some financial freedom.

Similarly, the Detroit Tigers are feeling the effects of their city’s shrinking economy and will have to move some salary. 2009 breakout pitcher Edwin Jackson is on the market, and the Dodgers are interested. The Tigers may also move their closer Fernando Rodney to the Phillies, who have been looking for some late inning insurance for the inconsistent Brad Lidge.

While the Reds and Tigers are looking to shed payroll this offseason, the Mariners will be looking to add some. Adrian Beltre, Erik Bedard, Miguel Bautista, and Kenji Johjima will all be coming off the books and should free up about $45 million. With all of that money now available Seattle will reportedly have interest in a handful of players including Jason Bay, Hideki Matsui, Rich Harden, Orlando Hudson, and possibly bringing back Jarrod Washburn. An Ichiro/Matsui pairing would definitely be an interesting PR move, and with those 2 players the Mariners could become the biggest thing in Japan since karaoke. Additionally, because GMs around the league do not believe Matsui is capable of playing the outfield anymore, their competition to sign him will be limited.

Another team that will should be active in free agency are your very own New York Mets. The NY Post reported today that the Mets opened talks with left fielder Matt Holliday. The report indicated that “The Mets’ priority list in order is a slugging left fielder, a high-end starting pitcher and a regular catcher.” Holliday would take care of the issue in left, but a high-end starting pitcher might be hard to come by. As I wrote here yesterday, the Mets are scared off by John Lackey’s arm history and it looks like they may be on to something with the Angels seemingly uninterested in bringing back their ace. That leaves the Mets interested in the services of Randy Wolf, Joel Piniero (if the price is right), or Jarrod Washburn. Take a second to process the names on that list, and tell me the Mets won’t be looking into trade scenarios for Mr. Halladay.

As I mentioned above, The Mets’ other target for this offseason is at catcher. Giants backstop Bengie Molina is garnering some interest from the team, and they might be interested in giving him a 2 year deal. One name you can definitely rule out is Jason Varitek. The Mets want a catcher who can start 100+ games, and V-Tek does not come close to fitting that bill. Arizona’s Chris Snyder is an option, however.

Across town, the Yankees are concentrating on their own free agents-to-be, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Scott Boras reportedly compared Johnny Damon’s production to that of Derek Jeter’s over the past 4 years and will be looking for compensation similar to what the Yanks would give Jeter. This is probably just Boras driving up the price for his client, but if Damon holds out for a deal longer than 2 years you can probably kiss him and his unique fashion sense goodbye. Speaking of Derek Jeter, the Yanks are in no rush to figure out his, or manager Joe Girardi’s contract situations. Both of which expire after this season.

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News and notes around the league…after writing yesterday that the Phils are looking to Mark DeRosa to replace Pedro Feliz, Jon Heyman of SI says they have a real interest in Chone Figgins for the same role…Jays GM Anthopoulos won’t talk about Halladay, but you know the Red Sox are keeping a close eye…you can also expect to see the Jays’ Lyle Overbay dealt before spring training, Toronto backed out of a deal of Overbay for Arizona’s Snyder yesterday…the Colorado Rockies could deal both Atkins and Hawpe this winter.

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HOT STOVE REPORT: CASHMAN, HALLADAY, METS & MORE

By
John
Published: 10 November 2009 1:31 PM ESTPosted in: MLB
Has Roy Halladay pitched his last game for Toronto?

Has Roy Halladay pitched his last game for Toronto?

We here at BigLeagueScrew take the MLB off-season almost as seriously as the actual season. It allows us to try on our pretend GM hats (sorta like Steve Phillips) and hypothetically improve some needy teams with money/talent to spend (sorta like The Mets). We will be updating regularly on the status of some of the major free agents and trade targets around the league, so stay tuned.

Starting things off, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman arrived at the Winter Meetings yesterday around 3 pm. Trying to stay calm in the storm that usually is the Winter Meetings, Cashman noted, “I’d rather focus on the process and make sure we do that right than treat this like a fast food situation and all of the sudden get indigestion.” Nice analogy. But with the Yankees being the World Champions and the highest salaried team in the league you can probably look for Cashman to make an under the radar move like last year’s Nick Swisher acquisition, as opposed to handing out some more long term contracts to players in their primes (see: Sabathia, Burnett, Teixeira). Cashman’s goals for this meeting are to assess the trade market, and team needs around the league.

While the Yankees are plotting to keep Andy Pettitte as well as both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, Cashman has stated that he will not be swayed by any player’s success (or lack thereof) in the postseason.

Think the Phillies were happy to relinquish their crown and finish in 2nd? Not a chance. The Yankees’ World Series opponents are looking to do what it takes to get back to the Fall Classic by checking in on an old flame. Prior to acquiring Cliff Lee last season, rumors ran rampant about the possibility of Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay ending up in Philly. With Halladay 1 year from free agency, and the Blue Jays looking to maximize some value, those rumors are back up and running. Needless to say, if Philadelphia opens 2010 with a starting rotation featuring Halladay, Cliff Lee and a “mentally rejuvenated” Cole Hamels, they will be clear cut favorites to win their 3rd straight NL title. It has also been reported that the Phillies have shown some interest in super-utility player Mark DeRosa, possibly to replace the departed Pedro Feliz.

The Mets are doing their best to squash the hopes of their fans’ wishes of a “Yankee-esque” off-season. According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman the Mets are concerned about the arm issues surrounding Angels ace John Lackey and will likely stay away. Omar Minaya’s fren-emy Adam Rubin of the Daily News writes that both Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are too rich for the Mets’ blood, and will try to land a 2nd tier player in free agency or via a trade. In other team news, it’s also reported that Luis Castillo may be on the move and that FAs Bengie Molina and Orlando Hudson are high on the team’s wish list.

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News and notes from around the league…White Sox GM Ken Williams has said he’s looking for a legitimate lead-off hitter, but Chone Figgins is not on their radar…the Texas Rangers are open to the idea of re-acquiring noted team cancer Milton Bradley…American Idle Carl Pavano would like to stay with Minnesota but will probably hit the open market…Baseball experts in Boston are questioning the makeup of international free agent Aroldis Chapman, probably just to throw the Yankees off the scent.

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