Transaction Analysis: May 15-18

Maybe it’s just because the Braves exude a certain confidence that they
know what they’re doing, or maybe it’s that they’re the major league team
with the luxury of calling up Bruce Chen. They’re saying Smoltz
will only miss two starts, and wouldn’t have to miss any if this was August
or September: they’re just taking a precaution early on. Smoltz
wasn’t entirely happy, but unlike similar situations (like the Cubs’
caution with Jon Lieber and his broken cheekbone), it didn’t lead to
rancor. Everyone seems comfortable with the idea that the sky
won’t fall and the Braves will still win.

Chen’s been dominant in the International League, leading the loop
in strikeouts (53) while posting a 2.30 ERA and allowing just 38
hits and 13 walks in 47 innings. He’ll be called up in a few days
for a two-start audition (starting on Sunday) to try to unseat
Odalis Perez and potentially carve a place for himself in a post-
Maddux/Glavine rotation. Springer’s rehab went exceptionally well,
as he put up a 1.17 ERA at Richmond, allowing just 10 baserunners
in 15 1/3 innings.

As for Simon’s return: with Otis Nixon’s collapse, the interesting
possibility here is that it gives Bobby Cox the opportunity to start
Simon at first base and send Ryan Klesko back out to left field. As
bad as Klesko’s glovework is in left, it would allow him to retain his
admittedly slender grasp on his ability to play there, while giving Cox
greater flexibility come the postseason. While Simon isn’t a great
prospect, he’s certainly more dangerous than Otis Nixon, and too much
playing time
for Gerald Williams could lead to an even worse offensive situation.

Optioned RHP Doug Linton to Rochester; recalled LHP Doug Johns from
Rochester. [5/15]

Webster hasn’t been playing much now that Charles Johnson has shaken
off an epic slump, but it will be sort of entertaining to see if Scott
Erickson lets CJ catch his games, or if he asks for the organizational
soldier, Davis. A converted first baseman and ex-first round pick, Davis’
calling card is his hitting: he was off to a .234/.289/.355 start at
Rochester. That isn’t atypical for him.

What’s really mystifying is why Doug Johns got the call after allowing
20 runs in 29 2/3 innings as a Red Wing. Why reshuffle the deck chairs
when the ship’s already going under? Rocky Coppinger, by contrast, has
a 2.49 ERA at Rochester, allowing 27 baserunners in 25 1/3 innings
with 32 Ks. Ray Miller can’t work with Coppinger? Well, Coppinger
may be a dubious prospect, he’s still more important to the Orioles
than the manager.

At long last, the Cubs are finally out from under carrying three catchers,
right at the point when it almost made sense to have them all. With Tyler
Houston doing his finest impersonation of the Washington Monument at the
hot corner, he won’t be catching much. Even though Santiago is going to
catch 80% of the games, if they’re going to use Houston elsewhere, they
may need that third catcher. The other side of the coin is that it
gives Jim Riggleman more flexibility with his roster. I’d buy that, if the
Cubs were stocking those last few roster spots with something they’d use,
like a deadly pinch-hitter or a great center fielder to substitute
for rag-armed Lance Johnson late in games. Instead, the Cubs have called
up two young outfielders in Brown and Bo Porter, who along with Curtis
Goodwin aren’t going to play. On a team already carrying two hurting
utility infielders (Jeff Blauser and Manny Alexander), that adds up to a
bench that isn’t exactly rich with power or speed or patience to use for
any tactical situation.

The fun in this fracas is that Tomko’s unrepentant, the Reds are
unrepentant and no one is happy. After pitching a near-shutout on
Sunday, you’d think he’d be a lock for the rotation for at least another
start. But with Jack McKeon offended by the brainy Tomko’s defiance, and
with the organizational fat in the fire over Jason Bere, there’s a big
opportunity for the organization to spite itself just to show Tomko who’s
boss.

This year’s medical miracle is called "hyalgan," the goop that
keeps getting injected into Sandy Alomar’s knee that doesn’t seem to be
doing the trick. So the critical role of hitting ninth for the Indians
will be Einar Diaz’s to lose while he catches every day. Regardless of
whether or not Alomar heals enough to play regularly during the course of the
season, or whether the Indians end up trading for a veteran catcher if he
can’t, letting Diaz play every day to get a good idea of his merits is the
small silver lining.

Recalled LHP Brent Billingsley from Calgary; activated RHP Alex Fernandez
from the DL. [5/18]

The Marlins have been extremely patient with Fernandez, even if he hasn’t.
With his return, Dennis Springer is out of the rotation again, but with the
way things have been so far, he’s pretty likely to return once Livan falls
apart or if Jesus Sanchez is a casualty. I’m at a loss for why Billingsley
earned the callup. He was getting pasted in the PCL (68 baserunners in 38 2/3
IP, a 5.82 ERA), his control seems to be going rather than coming and he
doesn’t throw hard. The best explanation is that he gives the Fish a second
lefty in the pen, where John Boles has already shot himself in the foot by
restricting Vic Darensbourg to a situational role.

Unless the Royals get lucky and somehow find a taker for Jeff King, they’re
stuck. Mike Sweeney is finally getting the clean shot he’s been ready for
for about two years, but unfortunately it’s as the DH and not the team’s
backstop. With Jermaine Dye being marginally useful and Jeff King’s
paycheck getting him into the lineup, that leaves Giambi in Omaha.

Giving up on Pittsley is overdue, and Fussell has an excellent chance to
stick and give the Royals a reliable fourth or fifth starter for the next
year or
two. If his commmand of a four-pitch assortment improves, he could grow
into more than that.

Steinbach’s injury only hurts the Twins’ opportunities to peddle him.
Pierzynski has a reasonable argument to have been his caddy over Javy
Valentin, but so does George Williams, and the Twins don’t seem
entirely certain if they want to be young or as good as they can be
and young.

Signed RHP Mel Rojas to a minor-league contract. [5/17]

If you’re a mediocre first-base prospect and your glove doesn’t get nice
press clippings a la J.T. Snow, you don’t deserve that many opportunities.
Just as they’re goofing around with Manny Martinez in center pending Peter
Bergeron’s arrival, les Expos will goof around with Orlando Merced and
McGuire until they decide to call up either Fernando Seguignol or Jon
Tucker. In the meantime, they’re going to keep struggling to stay ahead
of the Marlins. That may be bad enough to finally kill off their latest
bid to remain in Canada.

Signed RHP Xavier Hernandez to a minor-league contract. [5/15]

Activated RHP Jeff Tam from the 15-day DL, and assigned him to Norfolk. [5/16]

Another Japanese League veteran comes to play for Bobby Valentine. I’m not
enthusiastic: Mahomes coughed up six long-balls 38 2/3 innings for
Norfolk, so he seems like the same Pat Mahomes that gave Twins fans night
sweats. But hey, we are only talking about the Mets’ mop-up man.

This may be a sort of last hurrah, where Brantley decides to pitch with
what’s left and hopes he can log one more season. I’m not optimistic,
but given that surgery may well end his career anyway, we can admire his
courage. Now if only his sacrifices were for a team that really had a
chance…

Signed INF Dale Sveum to a minor-league contract. [5/17]

Guillen’s return and Al Martin’s recent hot streak have chased Brant
Brown to the bench. Given that Brown’s not a great player and doesn’t
seem to have made any adjustments in learning to play the outfield,
that isn’t the end of the world…as long as you forget Jon Lieber ever
existed.

It seems unlikely that Guillen is going to improve that dramatically.
He still needs to learn to take a pitch, he’s got a lot of work to
do in the outfield, and even with a lot of work, he may not end up
being an above-average corner outfielder.

As bad as Slocumb has been, it isn’t a hopeless gamble to take
the time to find out how much of it was Lou Piniella’s fault.

With the Giants in a dogfight for the NL West, the return of one of the
league’s most underrated players is an obvious boon. Of course, Mueller’s
return also sends Charlie Hayes back to the reserve role he’s much better
qualified for, so the Giants’ bench also gets reinforced.

Recalled RHP Ryan Franklin from Tacoma; placed RHP Eric Weaver on the
15-day DL (bone spurs – elbow). [5/15]

Recalled LHP Jordan Zimmerman from New Haven (Double-A); optioned RHP Brett
Hinchliffe to Tacoma. [5/16]

A-Rod’s return isn’t really going to resolve what’s beginning to shape up
as a hopeless mess on the pitching staff. Franklin brings adequate control,
which might be nice as a change of pace from Mac Suzuki, but isn’t enough.
But they need bodies, so he’s up.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the Mariners should give
Piniella a leave of absence, so that they can concentrate on getting
something out of their pitchers so that they can become useful major
league pitchers. In the meantime, they’re only wasting another critical
year of A-Rod, Griffey Jr., and Edgar Martinez. Their situation is
appalling: trading Ryan Anderson and Gil Meche to get the kind of major
league pitching they’d need to contend should be unacceptable, but they’ve
also only got one more year with the
A-Rod/Griffey combo. To lose that without winning anything will only help
return the organization to that circle of hell known as the Cottier Era.

Chuck La Mar’s Braves connection has officially turned bad, not that that
should surprise you greatly. All three of the ex-Braves taken in the
Expansion Draft flopped, and Mike Kelly flopped. Hey, at least they’ve got
Miguel Cairo.

The interesting development here is whether or not Glynn will get a crack
at John Burkett’s rotation slot. Burkett has been worse than bad, and
Loaiza’s accident with a "car door" takes him out of the picture.
Of course, the Rangers are also counting on Mike Morgan to stay healthy and
give them five innings every fifth day, which may be too much to ask of
him. The best case is that Glynn can learn a thing or two from someone like
Morgan.
The worst case is that the Rangers’ rotation collapses because of injuries
and inexperience, and the early good work from their bullpen turns sour
when Johnny Oates has to call on Jeff Zimmerman far too often.