More Inside Baseball...
The No. 1 pick remains a secret but there seems to be momentum for Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson, who's had a very nice college career. The other main considerations appear to be UC Santa Barbara RHP Dillon Tate, Kennesaw Mountain, Ga. catcher Tyler Stephenson and Vanderbilt righthander Carson Fullmer. Hard to predict the D-Backs, though, as Dave Stewart and Co. have traversed the country to find their guy ... Some scouts saw Yasmany Tomas as a big power prospect who may not hit for a high average. Well, so far he has one home run but he's hitting .331. Tomas moves back to the outfield once Jake Lamb returns to play third base ... The D-Backs like outfielder Gabby Guerrero and shortstop Jack Reinheimer, who came in the Mark Trumbo deal and have a chance. Plus they needed a catcher, so Wellington Castillo helps. They also save some money since Mark Trumbo made $6.9 million after winning his arbitration case, and the D-Backs higher-ups wanted to save a bit after spending big on Cuban signees (Tomas, etc.) ... Big-time hitting prospect Peter O'Brien suggested recently he may give up catching, but GM Dave Stewart reminded him it's not up to him to make that decision, as he suggested in this story by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. If he can catch, that would be a much easier path to the bigs. The D-Backs have many outfielders and are noticeably thin at catcher ... Paul Goldschmidt is the often overlooked one among baseball's top five players but there's no good reason he doesn't get the recognition. As Dan O'Dowd said on MLB network, it may have something to do with the market, and the "transient" nature of it.
Matt Wieters returns Friday, June 5 after missing a year with Tommy John surgery. He is a free agent after the year so it's big for all concerned.
Manager John Farrell received the dreaded vote of confidence, and while those are generally worthless, Red Sox higher-ups are believed to have immense respect for him. That his contract goes through 2017 isn't an issue, though, as they've eaten managerial contracts before and can afford to eat this one, if need be. Farrell is very bright and respected but he's had an unusual record, with a World Series championship in 2013 surrounded by all non-winning seasons so far in Toronto and Boston.
The Cubs have used versatile wunderkind Kris Bryant in left field and center field, but he hasn't done anything to suggest he isn't a third baseman long-term ... The Cubs, meanwhile, seem committed for now to excellent hitting prospect Kyle Schwarber as a catcher ... Jason Hammel has been a fantastic under-the-radar pickup. "He's been our best pitcher," one Cub remarked of the pitcher with a 9-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (63 strikeouts, seven walks) ... Starlin Castro continues to be a hit machine but he also continues to frustrate his bosses with errors on routine plays. Joe Maddon is trying positive reinforcement in what has been a half-decade project for many managers. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune covered the subject nicely ... As was mentioned here, Rafael Soriano could become an option for the Cubs. He is now represented by the Chicago-based Alan Nero and Octagon, who also happen to represent Maddon. Octagon reps announced he will throw for teams in the D.R. next Thursday ... Junior Lake will never graduate to Senior with that protracted home run trot and hand signals he employed for his first home run, at Miami.
The Reds do not seem anxious to sell despite their low standing, rivals say. That could be because the July 14 All-Star Game is in Cincinnati (and the selling may commence shortly thereafter) but some believe owner Bob Castellini simply prefers to play it out in light of the big money he has invested (considering the market size, Joey Votto's $225-million, 10-year deal may be the most surprising mega contract in baseball) ... One rival suggests the Reds are a "mess." That may be an exaggeration, but more specifically, they do have depth issues, no surprise considering their big contracts for the small-market team (Cincinnati and Milwaukee are the smallest markets in MLB).
If superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki doesn't get traded, it's probably the club-owning Monforts' doing. One of the Monforts was recently overheard to say, "He's the face of the franchise," as a reason why they have no interest in trading him ... Top outfield prospect David Dahl, who chose to have his spleen removed after a collision with a teammate resulted in extensive bleeding, so he'd have a chance to return this season, is expected to be released from the hospital by Friday June 5. Best wishes to David.
A lot of folks criticized the Kendrys Morales signing for $17 million over two years. But it's turned out to be one of the better ones of the winter. Another choice would have been to go for Ryan Howard, but word is the Royals never got an indication they could have gotten Howard for a comparable price. That would have necessitated Philly paying down $43 million of the $60 million that remained at the time. It isn't known whether KC would have done that rather than sign Morales, anyway, but word is the Phillies never got quite that far in talks with KC.
Albert Pujols isn't quite done, is he? After six home runs in six games, he is at 534 for his career, two behind Mickey Mantle. And he still has six years to go on his contract ... Hector Santiago appears on the verge of taking off. In eight of his 11 starts Santiago has allowed zero or one run.
The Dodgers appear to be working toward a deal with yet another big-time Cuban player, 19-year-old righthander Yadier Alvarez. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs first reported LA had made a $16-million offer. While there's no written agreement yet, folks are suggesting they expect Alvarez to land in LA. Alvarez is a big-time athlete who hit 97-98 mph in workouts, shocking folks. This follows the $62.5-million deal for Hector Olivera, so there will be talk about the Dodgers' having an unfair advantage in the wallet. They certainly are throwing their spending power around. He can't sign by league rules until July 2 ... Joc Pederson's amazing start includes home runs of 472 feet and 480 feet at Coors Field. Somehow he's also striking out less in the majors than he did in the minors
... The Dodgers did try for Chase Utley before landing Howie Kendrick over the winter, but deemed the price tag excessive. If it was excessive before, it's hard to imagine it wouldn't be now that Utley is hitting .204 ... Big righthanded pitching prospect Jose De Leon has hired Scott Boras to represent him ... Rafael Soriano could make sense for the Dodgers (he had 45 saves and a 1.73 ERA for Andrew Friedman's Rays back in 2010), though it's unknown whether they've looked into it.
Marlins people feel other teams are gunning for them since making the outside-the-box hiring of GM Dan Jennings as manager. While many neophytes are getting that job, other managers seem more put off that someone was hired without managing, coaching or playing experience. Jennings took the job out of "loyalty" according to friends. It's a little reminiscent of Arizona hiring A.J. Hinch out of its front office to manager. That was so poorly received by scouts and traditionalists at the time it never had a chance. But as it turns out, Hinch is excellent in his second go-round with the Astros ... Dan Haren, whose twitter handle @ithrow88 is a nice way to poke fun at himself, humorously acknowledged the disclaimer “88 tops” is appropriate now. Give him this, the man knows how to pitch. He is the Marlins' best pitcher this year, in fact ... Anyone still worried about Giancarlo Stanton (17 home runs, 46 RBI) being affected by that beanball last year?
Conventional wisdom says Torii Hunter returns next year at age 40, as he hasn't slowed a bit ... The Twins could be yet another team in the reliever market should their surprising play continue (heck, even they are surprised). They will seek depth in a few areas actually. Hunter's OPS is .794, compared to his career .798.
Gee and Niese are still available, as the Mets would probably like to add Steven Matz to their six-man rotation. Some scouts are saying Matz "is better than the others, except Harvey," which means another starting pitching star is coming ... As for Harvey, one scout says, "He has the best stuff in baseball, better than Clayton Kershaw, better than anyone." … Headline of the Week: The New York Post back page “Double Excel” to celebrate Colon's heroics in both pitching and hitting.
The Yankees are interested in Ben Zobrist, which should surprise no one considering their second-base issues. They are surprised that Jose Pirela hasn't performed since his promotion, and Stephen Drew's batting average remains oddly low again. Yankees people think Rob Refnsyder can hit at the big-league level now, but his defense remains a little rough. Of course, as an A's person said, "There will be many teams interested in Zobrist."
... The Yankees also continue to like Dustin Ackley, despite his recent struggles ... The Yankees seem more committed to Didi Gregorius at shortstop, though he hasn't been especially inspiring, even in terms of his range, which hasn't been as great as advertised
... The Yankees do not expect to be big players on Hamels, as they remain reluctant to do long deals for pitchers into their mid 30s following the ones for CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka, who both performed very well at the start ... They have to be thrilled with shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo, 19, who's wowing them at Class-A Charleston. "I saw him make a play nobody makes," said an AL scout. "He's got it all." Mateo recently hired Boras, by the way ... Mark Teixeira's resurgence is astounding. He truly came to camp in the best shape of his life, likely owing to his new gluten-free diet. Exact figures are closely guarded Yankee secrets, but word is, his weight is up while his waist size is down ... The Yankees were worried enough about Teixeira that they were among teams to look into Howard this winter. However, they saw the asking price as way too high, though ... How good is the back end of the bullpen? Andrew Miller is perfect in saves, Dellin Betances has a perfect 0.00 ERA ... The Yankees could still use another reliever (a righty), though, as they know. They have five lefties in the bullpen.
GM Billy Beane and Co. have performed a near miracle by winning 88-plus games 10 of the last 15 seasons, but with them 10 games under (despite a plus eight on run differential) and all their many injuries, they are seen as a likely seller this summer. It's too early to say for sure, as Beane pointed out, but Beane also said in a phone interview, "We have to be realistic and who's coming back and who isn't." ... Outfielder Coco Crisp and closer Sean Doolittle aren't expected back anytime soon. The absences of Doolittle, Ryan Cook and Eric O'Flaherty have been devastating, as the A's are 3-15 in one-run games ... Scott Kazmir would draw big interest, and Beane said he believes he's healthy after missing a start.
The Philly system is underwhelming, as folks mention. But third baseman Maikel Franco looks great, righthander Aaron Nola has been superb and shortstop J.P. Crawford is fantastic. A scout who saw Crawford says that while he'll be an average defender with a very good arm, he's good enough to stay at shortstop, and he has a "great bat." If Crawford is indeed a shortstop, that would enable them to move Freddy Galvis to second base, which covers three of the four infield positions ... Howard is still out there and available, but teams may be waiting for him to put together a second straight very good month ... While most believe Cliff Lee would need the surgery to have his flexor tendon repaired to keep pitching, which would require six months off, he's officially giving the rest/rehab route one more chance. But considering it didn't work last winter (and also the Phillies' standing), well, if he doesn't pitch again in the big leagues, he's had a great career ... The Phillies have all of five home runs from their outfielders.
Pittsburgh scares some rivals. "They're the team to watch. Their pitching is fantastic," says a rival GM. Also notable is that they are over .500 with Andrew McCutchen (.293 and climbing), Josh Harrison (.256) and Gregory Polanco (.250) all off to disappointing starts ... One of the best signings of the winter was Jung Ho Kang, who was inked to an $11-million, four-year deal after winning his services with a bid just over $5 million ($5,002,015). The reason the price was kept down is the small history of success among Korean hitters in MLB. But other teams are regretting not getting in on the bidding ... A.J. Burnett is making his last year one of his best years (2.20 ERA), and the assumption is that he still plans to retire at year's end. He regretted leaving the Pirates after 2013, and didn't want it to end the way it did in Philly last year, so he instructed his long-time agent Darek Braunecker to negotiate with only one team. Burnett happily took a basically unprecedented pay cut from $12.75 million to leave Philly and go to the Pirates, and had to be talked by Braunecker into accepting the $8.5 million offered since he thought $8 million was more than fair. In all ways it's been a great way to go out in a place he loves, where he finally feels completely appreciated by the fans and others.
St. Louis is a surprise entry in the Rafael Soriano derby ... Matt Holliday deserved more play for his 45-game on-base streak (47 including last year). He has been everything the Cardinals sought for $120 million over seven years. Holliday is also one of two active major-leaguers with at least an .800 OPS each of the last eight seasons. The other? Miguel Cabrera.
The Padres may be a lot better than their record indicates, as an astounding 47 of their first 55 games have come against teams with a winning record, as was noted on their telecast ... Matt Kemp's awful start has to be perplexing coming as it did after a good first couple weeks, which came on the heels of is big finish last year.
The Mariners were said by someone close to them to be "desperate" for offense considering the struggles of Dustin Ackley, Chris Taylor, Justin Ruggiano (just DFA'ed), Mike Zunino, Rickie Weeks and others. So Trumbo gives them another big bat, and he can play left field, right field, first base and DH for them, so he fits. But more changes could come considering the Mariners' very disappointing start ... Things have the potential to get ugly in Seattle, as the Mariners were seen by many as a possible World Series team (including here) and five straight losses have left them below .500 ... The Mariners probably do need a veteran catcher after giving up Castillo in the trade, though the defensively strong, delightfully-named Jesus Sucre (Sugar) is back up to back up Zunino. On Zunino, the question has to be asked: were 364 minor-league at-bats enough? ... Some in New York are speculating that Robinson Cano is "homesick" for New York, and that that's what's behind his early-season struggles. His father Jose does fly back and forth, but that's to be expected. Some have suggested he so misses New York that he has his favorite Dominican foods flown to him. Not sure if that's true, but he has his own chef, so he should be good there. "If he was going to be homesick, he would have been homesick last year," points out one Mariners person. Cano looked anything but homesick Wednesday night as he staged an event for his charity, RC 22 Foundation, which raised more than $1 million. Onlookers say they saw a "heartfelt connection" between player and community that night, at least ... With Fernando Rodney struggling, the Mariners could look into Soriano, though there's no evidence they've reached out lately. Manager Lloyd McClendon, author of our favorite managerial blowup to date, just gave Rodney a vote of confidence (so the slings and arrows haven't reached him yet) ... It's still hard to believe the Mariners are struggling below .500. "Not so hard," replied one scout. "They don't have a shortstop." In the winter, some considered them as actually having two shortstops – Taylor and Brad Miller ... The Yankees tried for Ackley a few times in the past. He could be more available now, considering his offensive struggles (.190).
Hard as it is to believe, Joey Gallo, Kris Bryant and Bryce Harper did all play together as youths in Las Vegas (Gallo and Bryant are particularly close). And yet another young slugger, Houston's Chris Carter, is also from Las Vegas. Hard to believe this city of two million people (metro area) produced four of baseball's best young sluggers. What are the odds? ... Adrian Beltre suffered a subluxation of his left thumb but no fracture so could possible be back in three weeks ... Josh Hamilton picked up where he left off three years ago in Arlington. At $3 mil per year, he may prove to be the biggest bargain in the game, even if he does have a one-month break to heal his hamstring.
Toronto hasn't completely given up the idea of signing Soriano and is looking into it, depending on the price. They tried for pen arms in the winter, and could use some experience back there, though they stopped short of making an offer on top free agent closer David Robertson when they heard the winning answer had to start with a 4 (as in 40-plus million). They have saved some money for just this type of occasion.
The MLB Draft is this Monday, here's a preview of what to know and look out for ... Pete Rose's meeting with commissioner Rob Manfred will take place sometime after the All-Star Game this year, as was suggested likely in this space last week ... Yasiel Sierra, lefthander, is another big-time Cuban prospect on the horizon ... Roc Nation has hired a new baseball head and it's Kyle Thousand, a former player and current lawyer who was working at Excel under Casey Close. Darren Heitner first reported the news ... List of the week: Favorite ballparks: 1. San Francisco. 2. Pittsburgh. 3. Mets. 4. Miami. 5. Seattle.
