Eh, I'd pass on Anderson for Montero unless another couple pieces are thrown in there. Cahill and Gonzalez are partially products of that gigantic park and good defense. I'd rather keep Swisher's clubhouse presence.
Pitching ruled the day on Saturday at the AFL Rising Stars game, a sort of All-Star game for this fall circuit, with just five runs scored in total and only a few impressive at bats between the two clubs. But there were plus fastballs up and down both rosters, with none more impressive than Brewers right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, who sat 96-99 and then touched 100 on my gun and 101 on the gun of the scout in front of me on his final pitch.
Jeffress threw two curveballs with better rotation, one on 0-2 and one on 0-0, but was clearly amped up for the outing and wanted primarily to throw heat. Jeffress' velocity is easy but his command and trouble developing a consistent second pitch both point to a bullpen future; in that role, he could be dominant for some time as long as he has even a fringe-average alternative to keep hitters from cheating on his velocity.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Twins reliever Carlos Gutierrez threw probably the best slider I've seen from him, even missing some bats with it, while sitting 92-93 with plus sink and tail. He gets groundballs but couldn't generate swings and misses as a starter for the Twins, while he fanned 34 in 36.2 innings once they moved him to the bullpen in the middle of 2010. I'm not sure if he has closer potential, as his low slot gives left-handed hitters a great look at the ball (and they hit .313/.402/.430 off him in Double-A this year), but if he can back-foot that slider consistently he's got a chance to be a very good setup guy.
• Both starters were excellent, with Kansas City's Mike Montgomery struggling a little with fastball command but still working from 92-96 with good two-plane break on a tighter curveball than he showed me two weeks ago, as well as an above-average changeup at 81-84. Assuming the elbow trouble is behind him, he looks like he'll settle in as a starter with two plus pitches and a third that's at least average, which would put him among the top ten or so starting prospects the minors.
His opponent, Yankees lefty Manny Banuelos, was also excellent with a ridiculous changeup that had plus arm speed and hard, late fading action, and he touched 94 as well. I don't see much physical projection with Banuelos, who is already pretty maxed out physically (unless he gets taller -- he is just 19), but his feel for pitching and fastball command are extremely advanced and tightening his curveball would give him three above-average or better pitches too.
[h3]Other quick notes:[/h3]
• Leslie Anderson won the game with a walkoff homer -- much appreciated, Les -- but the best swing of the night was Brandon Belt taking an 86 mph slider the opposite way to the left-center wall ... only to have Ben Revere run it down. Revere got a good jump and never slowed up, hitting the wall as he caught what would have been an easy double with almost any other centerfielder out there.
• Phillies reliever Josh Zeid was 92-95 with a decent slider, better than when I saw him in relief in September for Lakewood. Zeid was old for the Sally League and I haven't seen a starter's repertoire from him, but if the Phils decide to put him in the pen he could probably go right to Double-A in 2011. He and Justin De Fratus give them two solid middle relief prospects who could help either late next year or at some point in 2012.
• It wasn't a great defensive night overall. Zack Cox (Cardinals) misplayed a hard grounder at third, although he recovered later by showing off a plus arm on a later groundball. Ryan Adams (Baltimore) was worse at the hot corner, showing hard hands and limited range; by the end of the night he was probably wishing he was back in Whiskeytown. Behind the plate, Ryan Lavarnway (Boston) turned on a 93 mph fastball for a base hit but struggled receiving and thrownig, and Austin Romine (Yankees) continued to have problems just catching the ball.
• You're going to ask anyway, so here's the answer: Bryce Harper wasn't there. Because he is a taxi squad player and wasn't on the original roster, he was ineligible for this event. I'm a bit of a strict constructionist myself, so I understand the adherence to rules, but MLB Network aired this game live, and having Harper in for even two at bats would have given more casual fans a reason to watch. Any additional exposure the AFL can garner is welcome, because it's a great league and worth more attention from anyone interested in learning about the top prospects bubbling up through the minors. Having Harper on the sidelines when he deserved to be in the game based on talent and could have boosted viewership was a mistake.
http://[h3][/h3][h3]Could Downs be up in Boston?[/h3]
10:55AM ET
[h5]Scott Downs | Blue Jays | Interested: Red Sox? [/h5]
The Boston Red Sox are in the market for bullpen help, and the task for GM Theo Epstein is to sift through the significant quantity to find the quality.
Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald takes a look at the possible candidates and says the safest bet for the Red Sox is Scott Downs, who has compiled a 2.36 ERA in four seasons for AL East rival Toronto.
Downs could provide a late-inning, left-handed complement to Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon. Downs, however, will be be 35 in March and surely will be seeking at least a two-year deal. Epstein hates giving multi-year deals to relievers due to the up-and-down nature of the profession. Downs brings the added baggage of being a Type A free agent and the Red Sox may balk at giving up the draft pick compensation.
Other possibilities include lefty Brian Fuentes and righty Kerry Wood, both of whom drew interest from the Red Sox before the July trade deadline.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Extention for Arroyo?[/h3]
10:35AM ET
[h5]Bronson Arroyo | Reds [/h5]
The Reds officially picked up the $13 million option on Bronson Arroyo last week, and general manager Walt Jocketty would like to keep the 17-game winner in Cincinnati past the 2011 season.
"We haven't talked since we picked up his option," Jocketty told the Cincy Enquirer. "We'll continue to talk. Nothing's set yet. But I'm optimistic."
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports a two-year extension could be completed later this week. Including the option, the value of the deal over three years is expected to be between $36 million and $39 million.
Arroyo will join Edinson Volquez, Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto and potentially Travis Wood and Aroldis Chapman in the club's rotation next season.
Jocketty's plan for an extension seems premature without knowing what the winter and 2011 trade deadline nets the club heading into 2012. But Arroyo has won at least 15 games each of the last three seasons, bringing a reliable veteran presence.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]The book on Nishioka[/h3]
10:23AM ET
[h5]Tsuyoshi Nishioka [/h5]
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/leagues/lrg/trans/mlb.gif[/img]
Tsuyoshi Nishioka, a 26-year-old middle infielder for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League in Japan, will be posted for MLB teams this week, reports ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
Nishioka won the Pacific League batting title this year with a .346 average. He scored 121 runs, stole 22 bases and had 206 hits, the most by a player in that league since Ichiro Suzuki in 1994.
Just how good is Nishioka? We're seeing some red flags.
"If he had been a college kid four or five years ago, he would have been a first-round pick," said ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine, who managed Nishioka in Japan. "He has style issues, positive and negative: he likes to be noticed. How he develops will depend on what team signs him."
Our Keith Law hears that Nishioka struggles to hit anything over 92 mph and can't play shortstop. Law adds that while Nishioka has an Ichiro-type swing, he does not close to that kind of speed.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Hampton draws interest[/h3]
10:07AM ET
[h5]Mike Hampton | Diamondbacks [/h5]
Mike Hampton showed there still might be something left in the tank when he came back from shoulder surgery to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings down the stretch for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ken Rosenthal tweets that the 38-year-old Hampton wants to pitch again and is drawing interest.
The days of another $121 million contract are long gone for Hampton, but look for him to land a non-guaranteed deal closer to the start of spring training. Hampton has eight seasons of double-digit wins, but none since 2004.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Samuel out in Baltimore?[/h3]
9:54AM ET
[h5]Baltimore Orioles [/h5]
Juan Samuel's future with the Baltimore Orioles is uncertain, and there is a chance he could end up back in Philadelphia as first base coach.
Samuel was the interim manager in Baltimore before the hiring of Buck Showalter, and he was thought to be the leading candidate to return to his old job of third base coach. Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com, however, reports that Samuel was not present at the Orioles mini-organizational meetings in Arizona last week.
Samuel, who played seven seasons for the Phillies in the 1980s, is one of several candidates being considered for the coaching position in Philadelphia vacated by Davey Lopes.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Colorado's contingency plans[/h3]
9:39AM ET
[h5]Colorado Rockies [/h5]
The http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/col/colorado-rockieshttp://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/col/colorado-rockiesColorado Rockies want to re-sign free agent pitcher Jorge De La Rosa, even if they let their exclusive negotiating period expire quietly. Troy Renck of the Denver Post, however, says the Rockies will make an aggressive three-year offer at some point.
De La Rosa, who went 8-7 with a 4.22 ERA this season, could ask for a four- or five-year contract after the Dodgers' http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4062http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4062Ted Lilly signed a three-year, $33 million deal.
Renck reports Tuesday that the Rockies are making contingency plans if De La Rosa leaves. Colorado has expressed interest in or internally discussed starters Jon Garland, Jake Westbrook and Hiroki Kuroda.
The market for a pitcher such as De La Rosa may not be set until http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5353http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5353Cliff Lee, the top free agent available, agrees to a deal. That could force the Rockies to look outside their organization sooner than they would like.
Another caveat: De La Rosa is a Type A free agent, so any team that signs him will have to surrender two compensatory draft picks. That could limit his suitors as it has done in past years with reliever http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4838Juan Cruz and second baseman http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5029Orlando Hudson.
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Keith Law[/h5]
The Book on De La Rosa
http://[h3]Another year in Triple-A for Sandberg?[/h3]
9:23AM ET
[h5]Philadelphia Phillies [/h5]
Ryne Sandberg cut the cord with the Chicago Cubs once the franchise bypassed the Hall of Famer for their managerial vacancy. His next stop could be in the Philadelphia system, where Phillies fans would be reminded of what might have been.
Bob Brookover of the Philly Inquirer reports Sandberg is among the candidates for the Phillies' managerial vacancy at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Sandberg managed the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa affiliate this season and was a candidate for Lou Piniella's job in Chicago that ended up going to Mike Quade.
Sandberg made his big league debut for the Phillies in 1981 and is best known in Philadelphia as being the throw-in player in a deal that sent shortstop Larry Bowa to the Cubs in exchange for shortstop Ivan DeJesus.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Crowded front office in Queens[/h3]
8:51AM ET
[h5]New York Mets [/h5]
The size of Sandy Alderson's front office seems to be topped only by the list of candidates who will be interviewed for the New York Mets' managerial vacancy.
Alderson, named GM late last month, hired former Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta as vice president of player development and amateur scouting on Monday. Former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi came aboard last week as a special assistant. Former Cincinnati GM Wayne Krivsky is on staff as a special adviser and assistant GM John Ricco remains with the club.
The number of prominent front office members rivals the list of baseball announcers in The Naked Gun, but will it work?
Andy Martino of the NY Daily News says that the hiring of DePodesta could help the managerial candidacy of Terry Collins, who DePodesta wanted to hire as manager of the Dodgers before being overruled.
Alderson will begin interviewing external candidates for manager Tuesday when Boston Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale visits Citi Field. The process will continue Wednesday when the Mets interview former Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle and former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu.
The interviews began last week in Queens where Alderson talked with Bob Melvin and Dave Jauss. Then it was on to California over the weekend for talks with Collins, Chip Hale and Wally Backman.
A sixth internal candidate, Triple-A Buffalo manager Ken Oberkfell, is expected to interviewed in the Dominican Republic, where Oberkfell is managing Escogido in the Dominican Winter League.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Seattle's search for bats[/h3]
8:25AM ET
[h5]Seattle Mariners [/h5]
Almost nothing went right for the Seattle Mariners during a 101-loss season, and the club is starting fresh under manager Eric Wedge.
Larry LaRue of the News Tribune writes that the Mariners should look at the blueprint of the World Series champion Giants, who relied on homegrown pitching talent and then went outside the organization for productive bats.
The Mariners could start the 2011 season with three homegrown starting pitchers in Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda and Doug Fister, so the priority is some offensive punch. Forget the marquee names of Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford. "Think names like Lance Berkman, Hideki Matsui and Miguel Tejada. Any of the three would improve Seattle's designated hitting," LaRue writes.
The Mariners ranked dead last in the majors last season in batting average (.236), homers (101) and runs (513), so there is pelnty of room for improvement.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Yanks prepared to overpay Jeter[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Derek Jeter | Yankees [/h5]
Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner turned some heads last week by predicting that the negotiations with free agent shortstop Derek Jeter "could get messy."
Now comes word from Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that the Yankees have no intention on putting the squeeze on the franchise icon, but only that they have no intention of handing him a blank check.
"The Yankees are going to overpay him," said a source with intimate knowledge of the discussions between the team and Casey Close, Jeter's agent. "The question is, how much are they going to overpay him?"
Several sources told ESPNNewYork.com on Monday that while the Yankees have yet to make a formal offer to Jeter -- or to Mariano Rivera, their other high-profile free agent, nor Cliff Lee, their primary target in the free-agent market -- offers are currently being prepared for all three.
Jeter's 10-year, $189 million deal expired at the end of the season and the Yankees face the delicate task of negotiating a new deal. There were reports that Jeter will apparently ask the Yankees for a six-year contract, which sounds a few years too long for a 37-year-old.
Could Jeter go elsewhere? We mentioned Sunday that the San Francisco Giants might be one club that keeps tabs on the situation between Derek Jeter and the defending American League East champs, and Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune wonders if the Detroit Tigers might get involved at some point.
The Tigers just re-upped with Jhonny Peralta and signed infielder Brandon Inge, too, which means Jeter's presence pushed one or both off their projected position. Inge can play left field, Peralta can play third.
It seems highly unlikely that Jeter would leave the Yankees and play a position other than shortstop.
Our Buster Olney cautions that things are different now that George Steinbrenner is no longer in charge:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Buster Olney[/h5]
The Jeter negotiations
http://[h3]Lee in no rush to sign[/h3]
7:24AM ET
[h5]Cliff Lee | Rangers [/h5]
Just because the cell phone for Cliff Lee's agent was buzzing constantly Sunday is no reason to think the free agent left-hander is close to a decision.
We talked earlier this week of how several teams, most notably the Yankees reached out to Darek Braunecker on Sunday, the first day that clubs could officially contact free agents of other teams. The other teams believed to be interested in Lee include the Rangers, Nationals, Phillies, Brewers, Cubs and Angels.
Braunecker is listening intently, but told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that "these deals take time.". The agent may not even attend the general manager's meetings next week in Orlando and Lee may not even make up his mind until after the winter meetings December 6-9 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
The Yankees have a history of sparing no expense and will employ a full court press in an effort to sign Lee. Lee is expected to command a contract in the neighborhood of Sabathia's seven-year, $161 million deal, and the Yankees can expect stiff competition from the Rangers, whose outspoken owner, Chuck Greenberg, last week vowed to make a strong effort to hold on to Lee.
Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News wrote Saturday that the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/laa/los-angeles-angelsLos Angeles Angels could be a wild card in the chase for Lee, since owner Arte Moreno appears to be opening the checkbook and is expected to pursue http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5035Carl Crawford this winter.
While the Rangers and Yankees are the obvious frontrunners, sources say the Nationals are a potential sleeper team. "They're going to step up and try to get a top free agent," one baseball insider told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. "They'd like to make a splash."
The folks at Baseball Prospectus say the Yankees' signing of Lee is one of the five "must moves" for this offseason.
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Baseball Prospectus[/h5]
Lee to the Bronx
http://[h3]Pujols worth $25 million per?[/h3]
6:53AM ET
[h5]Albert Pujols | Cardinals [/h5]
There has been nothing new the past couple days on the Albert Pujols contract extension front, but just to set the parameters that agent Dan Lozano is sure to note during negotiations, we should not forget the deal the Phillies handed Ryan Howard last spring.
Howard will make an average of $23 million per season through 2016, and by all accounts is not the player, at the plate or in the field, as is Pujols.
ESPN Insider's Keith Law confers, saying Lozano and Pujols have "to at least argue (above) Howard, because Pujols actually is the preeminent hitter in the game."
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch told 550 KTRS Radio, however, that he believes the chances of Pujols signing an extension with the Cardinals could soon be less than 50-50 and those odds could get worse for the team as time passes.
Strauss did not mention what exactly changed those odds -- he previously had them at 75-25 -- but it sounds like Pujols and his agent aren't hearing what they'd like to hear, which may mean the 30-year-old wants close to A-ROD money and the team is balking.
As expected, the Cardinals officially triggered the $16 million team option for the final year of Pujols' deal early in October.
That set the stage for negotiations the Cardinals plan to have with Pujols' representatives about an extension, one that could keep the three-time MVP a Cardinal for the remainder of his career. Pujols apparently would like to wrap up those talks sooner than later. "I hope that before the season begins I get an extension," Pujols told reporters Thursday during a news conference in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Could this be faster than what the Cardinals would like? GM John Mozeliak told the Post-Dispatch last month that an extension with Pujols is not necessary before plunging into other goals this offseason.
This could get interesting, and perhaps messy, if Pujols starts to think that the Cardinals are dragging their feet.
