Transaction Analysis: May 29-June 4

With O’Brien gone and Todd Greene’s shoulder giving him some problems, this
may be present a chance for Steve Decker to stick around and do some
catching.If Greene goes behind the plate on the days Walbeck isn’t
catching, someone like Reggie Williams can play. Overall, not really
something the Angels needed to put up with, even with O’Brien off to as bad
a start as he was.

Their need to be cautious with their best starter satisfied, Smoltz returns
with the Braves still in first place, and with the added benefit that Chen
got the experience of two more major league starts without hurting himself
or them. Chen’s demotion isn’t really a setback; He’ll take his regular
turn in Richmond’s rotation, and wait for Odalis Perez to pitch his way out
of the Braves’ rotation, or for someone else to break down. The miseries
are Chen’s alone, since the Braves can afford to be comfortable with the
idea that their #6 starter is a better guy to have out there than many
team’s #3s.

Claimed C Mike Figga off waivers from the Yankees. [6/3]

"Quick boys! Angelos wants to blame us for everything that’s gone
wrong! Look busy! Do something! Anything!" Figga will be a slight
improvement on Tommy Davis as the team’s second-choice second-stringer for
as long as Lenny Webster’s among the wounded, and that may just be the sort
of thing that sends the Devil Rays a message that the O’s mean business
when it comes to gunning for fourth place. Yessir, them "big
market" behemoths sure do have everyone licked.

Activated RHP Bret Saberhagen from the DL; optioned RHP Tim
Harikkala to Pawtucket. [6/1]

Saberhagen’s return coincides with Pena’s rehab and Brian Rose’s success,
which sort of takes the pressure off the Duke to do something if Mark
Portugal decides to hang ’em up. Sadly, there’s still room in the rotation
for Pat Rapp, but hopefully Jin Ho Cho or even Bob Wolcott will get to
change that shortly.

Because the Cubs’ rotation is putting up some excellent numbers, they can
afford to let Gonzalez work his way back under their original
timetable–August–instead of the one that become possible because of his
remarkably accelerated rehab and recovery. If Kyle Farnsworth falls on his
face his second time through the league, or if Jim Riggleman decides to
bump Terry Mulholland back into the pen, the Cubs will have the luxury of
calling up Gonzalez once he’s recovered some durability and command.

Released 2B Carlos Baerga. [6/4]

Taking the analyst’s beanie off my noggin for the moment, here’s hoping
that Skippy fights off tendinitis and MS and comes back up for the Reds
soon. As for Baerga, do the people who keep singing his praises, or
crediting every GM who picks him up, want to come clean? He’s done. Get
used to it.

"Hey Duke, what you do with your spare time? I mean, things are going
pretty well: the big league team’s looking good, my latest scouting
director has the draft well in hand, so I can’t fire him for at least
another three months, and I just don’t know how I’m going to fill the time.
What do you do?"

"John, c’mon, that’s easy. When I’ve run out of things to do, I always
figure I can whack somebody in the bullpen. It makes people think you’re
decisive, and frightens the fringe guys."

"Are you sure it’s okay?"

"It’s fun, I tell you. All I have to do is stick my head in the
clubhouse and say ‘waive who?’, and next thing you know, Brian Daubach’s
saying he’d be happy to wash my car. There are definite perks to creating a
climate of unabashed fear."

"Well, if you say so. Delores, tell DeLucia he’s gone! Phone Buffalo
and tell Stevens he’s got two innings to prove he’s got what it takes, or
he’s roadkill!" [pause] "You’re right, Dan, that was fun. I’ll
have to do this again!"

Optioned 1B Derrek Lee to Calgary; recalled PH Tim Hyers from
Calgary. [5/30]

Activated RHP Archie Corbin from the 15-day DL; optioned LHP
Brian Billingsley to Calgary. [6/1]

Returned RHP Archie Corbin to the 15-day DL (muscle strain);
recalled RHP Rafael Medina from Calgary. [6/2]

I’m not unhappy with what the Marlins are doing. Todd Dunwoody and Derrek
Lee have played like crap, so giving an outspoken minor league vet like
Kevin Millar his first serious shot at a job, or deciding you can take a
long look at Preston Wilson’s mix of intriguing assets and debilitating
weaknesses, are ways of telling a young team that improvement is expected.
Mark Kotsay should probably be taking note.

Orie’s injury conveniently makes space for the beginning of Lowell’s
Marlins career, but what I haven’t figured out is why some people are
arguing for moving Orie to keep them both in the lineup. Orie’s an
outstanding glove at third base and an adequate offensive player for the
position; if he isn’t playing third, the rest of what he does isn’t enough
to help, relative to what other teams in the league are putting at first
base or left field or in the middle of their batting orders. Amusingly, the
Cubs could still use a guy who can play third base, but that could lead to
a potentially disastrous reunion with hitting coach Jeff Pentland.

This is definitely a mixed bag. Losing Grudz and replacing him with
Vizcaino isn’t going to do anything for a weak Dodgers lineup, but it will
help defensively, because Vizcaino can actually play short. The odd
decision is that by losing their fourth outfielder, Hollandsworth, they’re
carrying only one backup outfielder (Trenidad Hubbard), who hits
right-handed, just like both starting corner outfielders. Chance Sanford’s
upside at this point is that he might out-hit Tripp Cromer, but neither one
is a pinch-hitter you want to call on. Considering they’re still carrying
both Mike Maddux and Doug Bochtler as the 11th and 12th pitchers, either or
both of Kevin Malone and Davey Johnson don’t seem to be putting the best
possible team together from the pieces at hand.

Traded DH Todd Dunn to the Orioles for OF Lyle Mouton. [6/1]

Collier hadn’t done anything as the team’s utility man to earn a demotion,
but with twelve pitchers, roster space is tight. Esepcially while the
Brewers let Ron Belliard try to win Fernando Vina’s job in front of them,
instead of from Louisville.

Placed SS Cristian Guzman on the 15-day DL, retroactive to 5/27
(strained hamstring); recalled 2B/SS Cleatus Davidson from New
Britain of the Eastern League (Double-A). [5/29]

Returned C Terry Steinbach to the DL; recalled C A.J.
Pierzynski from Salt Lake. [6/1]

Addition by subtraction? Guzman’s absence forces Denny Hocking into the
lineup as the regular shortstop, which in turn should cut down on Tom
Kelly’s whimsical desires to use him everywhere else. This creates playing
time for a wide variety of players, all of whom are better hitters than
Guzman or Hocking. Not counting Brent Gates. Okay, so I’m trying to make a
silk purse out of a sow’s ear, and still winding up with a one-eared pig.

There’s little positive to say about Steinbach’s absence. A.J. Pierzynski
won’t get much playing time, the Twins don’t seem interested in reaping the
short-term offensive gains they could get by calling up George Williams,
it’s far too soon to start talking about Matt LeCroy, and Javy Valentin
looks about as dangerous as an overripe melon.

Activated 3B/1B Shane Andrews from the DL. [6/1]

Lilly didn’t get an opportunity to do much, but Mike Thurman isn’t doing
anything to help himself keep a rotation spot, so I expect Lilly will be
back after a brief Ottawa tuneup. Andrews will get to play in Felipe Alou’s
constant position shuffle, as Michael Barrett’s flip-flops between third
base and catcher will let Andrews flip-flop between a platoon with Ryan
McGuire at first base and some time at third, except on those days that
Mike Mordecai has to be in the lineup.

Activated DH Bobby Bonilla from the DL; optioned LHP Rigo
Beltran to Norfolk. [5/31]

There’s something going on here in terms of the Mets not really getting to
keep or play their best team. Yes, Allensworth’s offensive skills seem cut
from the same cloth as those of Roger Cedeno or Brian McRae, only less so,
but why should anyone have to lose playing time to the continuing
professional existence of Bobby Bonilla?

Purchased the contract of LHP Greg McCarthy from Columbus; optioned
INF Clay Bellinger to Columbus. [5/31]

Recalled RHP Todd Erdos and INF Clay Bellinger from Columbus;
placed RHP Jeff Nelson on the 15-day DL (inflammation – elbow);
optioned LHP Greg McCarthy to Columbus. [6/4]

The Yankees’ lineup basically has seven men playing every day, the catching
platoon, and a few bodies to run out to left field. With Jeff Nelson’s
health woes on top of long-term concerns about the arms of Andy Pettitte and
David Cone, the Yankees can afford twelve pitchers. All of which makes the
decision to demote McCarthy, leaving them with one left-handed reliever
going into a series against John Olerud and Robin Ventura, more perplexing.

Peters’ unavailability leaves the Bucs with the unappetizing choice of Pete
Schourek or Jose Silva for their fifth starter. Silva has the role now, and
Schourek seems to consistently run out of steam by the fifth inning. Of
course, using the same logic that guided the decision to sign Schourek in
the first place, or give Mike Williams a multi-year contract, any guy who
gets hot for a few weeks in any role might expect Christmas to come early
for him.

With Nen, Embree and Johnstone all pitching well out of the pen, the Giants
can probably afford to let Nathan get some starts in Fresno until they
decide if they have to do something about Mark Gardner or Shawn Estes. The
danger here is if Dusty decides to return Tavarez to an important role in
middle relief, when he’s given good indications that mop-up duty is all
he’s suited for. That may hurt in a few weeks, because if the Giants are
still putting up with the struggles of Gardner and Estes, Dusty will have
to dip into his pen even more regularly than he’s inclined to do in the
first place. Getting into the bullpen early will give Tavarez and Felix
Rodriguez more opportunities to hurt the Giants in their latest
"surprise" drive for the divisional title.

Now that Buhner’s out for perhaps another month, by bringing Ibanez back
the Mariners have a backup OF platoon of Ibanez and Matt Mieske to caddy
for the current OF platoon of John Mabry and Butch Huskey. The best case
would involve benching Brian Hunter altogether, because he’s not going to
put more runs on the board than a Ibanez/Mieske platoon.

Meanwhile, Meche’s march to the majors continues, and given the Mariners’
desperation, he may be up by the All-Star break. Indeed, promoting him to
Tacoma will only endanger him by bringing him to Mt. Piniella’s attention.

The only thing to say about Saunders here is to offer condolences. The best
I can do here is wish him a full, speedy recovery, because no one deserves
this sort of thing.

It’s kind of fun to remember that Dave Eiland came up the same year Bobby
Witt got his ERA below 4.00 for the first time, and now, eleven years
later, he may be the better bet to do it again. He’ll get a brief
opportunity to stick in the rotation, essentially battling for one of the
last two slots with Julio Santana and Bryan Rekar, behind a front three of
survivors Wilson Alvarez, Ryan Rupe and Witt.

This is an interesting move, in that Morgan’s injury isn’t supposed to keep
him from pitching in his next scheduled start on June 8th.

Optioned RHP Peter Munro to Syracuse. [5/29]

Activated C Darrin Fletcher from the DL; optioned C/UT Mark
Dalesandro to Syracuse. [6/1]

Received 1B Joe Dusan from the Padres to complete an earlier trade.
[6/3]

If anyone really believes the Jays know what they’re doing, I’d love to
hear from you. Otanez isn’t a better player than Willie Greene, but
effective immediately, he’s the third baseman while Tony Fernandez aches
and Greene copes with banishment. Otanez has a slim chance to be a
half-decent temp at third, but he’s also nowhere near guys like Tom Evans
or Greene, let alone someone like Scott McClain.

So now the Jays’ roster has no shortstop, no adequate fourth outfielder,
three designated hitters (David Hollins, Jacob Brumfield and Patrick
Lennon–none as good as Kevin Witt), and Munro gets caught in a numbers
game because nobody wants to confront Pat Hentgen’s decline. I wouldn’t be
pleased, even if I didn’t already believe they should be doing a better job
pushing for the wild-card berth.