Transaction Analysis, June 13-17, 2002
by Chris Kahrl
Released RHP Donne Wall; recalled RHP Scot Shields from Salt Lake. [6/14]
A nice, normal, low-stakes exchange. All that happened here, practically speaking, was switching an ineffective reliever and an
organizational soldier.
The Angels took a flyer on Donne Wall
on the off chance that the sweet reliever of 1998 or the simply
useful reliever of 1999 might make a reappearance. He didn't, but the bum-shouldered 2000-2001 version did.
So what comes next for Wall? Probably a lot of money from the Indians or the Giants, given their track records. Somebody is
likely to remember that he looked adequate at times in spring training, and it's usually easier to give Donne Wall service time
than it is to pick an organizational soldier who deserves a break, or acknowledging that finding good relief help isn't really
all that hard. I guess that's expansion pitching for you, keeping the people you've heard about in uniform so you can keep the
people you ought to be scouting in Triple-A.
Placed IF-R Junior Spivey on the 15-day DL (strained hamstring), retroactive to 6/10; recalled RHP Duaner Sanchez
from El Paso (Double-A). [6/14]
The roster cannibalization continues. After a good ten weeks in the Texas League, it makes sense to have Duaner Sanchez up. In
the oft-repeated story of the weak minor-league starter who moves into the bullpen and thrives, Sanchez posted a 2.78 ERA as a
reliever at El Paso, not an easy place to pitch. He allowed only 31 hits and 12 unintentional walks in 35 2/3 innings, while
striking out 37. Perhaps most important for his development, he logged 13 saves, which gives him that closer pixie dust gloss
that may keep him from ever having to start again. Considering this team still has Mike Morgan hanging on for dear life,
and even misses Jose Parra,
the Snakes can use somebody, anybody, to give them right-handed relief help.
The problem is that they're still on the merry-go-round of exacerbating one problem to address another. With Junior Spivey on
the DL and Alex Cintron in the lineup, they're essentially without a utility infielder. Certainly, this is a problem exacerbated
by losing both Spivey and Jay Bell. Fortunately, Craig Counsell has proved adequate at shortstop, but the only team that would
give him as much work at short as he's gotten would have to be the team playing Tony Womack. The Snakes aren't among the best
teams in baseball defensively, currently ranking 12th on the
Defensive Efficiency Report.
Offensively, counting on Womack, Counsell and Cintron as your three regulars doesn't make scoring runs any easier. And yet the
Snakes are in first place, and rank third in the NL in
Equivalent Average. Fun, ain't it? Spivey and Luis Gonzalez and even
Damian Miller have gotten goodly heaps of attention in the early going, but has anyone noticed that Steve Finley's having a hell
of a year? When you have four players among the top ten hitters at their positions, and it just so happens that none of them
play first base, chances are your offense is doing some pretty good things.
Placed 1B-R Jeff Conine on the 15-day DL (strained hamstring). [6/15]
Purchased the contract of 3B-R Jose Leon from Rochester; transferred 1B-B David Segui from the 15- to the 60-day
DL. [6/16]
A long-ago, once-upon-a-time prospect with the Cardinals, Jose Leon is basically up to platoon with Jay Gibbons at first base
now that Jeff Conine is out. That creates playing time in the outfield, but with the road series in National League parks being
a schedule-wide blight, Marty Cordova takes over in left. Melvin Mora has become less available for outfield duty of late, as
he's getting more and more work at shortstop at Mike Bordick's expense. That should mean we'll see an outfield of Chris
Singleton, Gary Matthews Jr. and Cordova pretty often over the next week. That boils down to having Singleton, Matthews and
Bordick share two lineup slots, with Cordova and Mora playing every day. It's a reasonable adaptation.
Keep in mind, there aren't a whole lot of options internally. Rochester's first baseman was Ryan McGuire,
and he's already up.
Doug Gredvig is doing well in Bowie, but he's only 22, not even on the 40-man roster yet, and this is his first season above A
ball. It would be great to see a utility man and minor-league vet like Howie Clark finally get the call he earned years ago, but
he bats left-handed, and that's not what the Orioles need at the moment.
If you're pining for Conine, don't worry.
He's signed through 2004, with an option for 2005.
At this rate, he'll be here longer than the Angeloses. The only shame is that
with David Segui also on the DL,
the Orioles' master plan of hoarding mid-tier first basemen doesn't do them much good.
Acquired LHP Bruce Chen from the Expos for RHP Jim Brower. [6/14]
Of course this looks like a rip-off. It is. I can't fault the Reds for keeping their sights low, dealing for somebody cheap with
talent instead of somebody expensive with fame. They even did it early enough in the season that they've got a good month-plus
to see if Bruce Chen will perplex Don Gullett as much as he has every other pitching coach he's had, or if Gullett can add to
his reputation as one of the best in the business.
That Chen only cost a piece of waiver bait like Jim Brower is either another boner by Omar Minaya or a troubling sign that Chen
has issues that cannot be fixed easily. Okay, it's clearly the former; the question is whether it's also the latter. If Chen is
unfixable, then the Reds did nothing that will hurt their ability to deal for a top starter at the end of July. If Gullett can
turn Chen around, then the Reds just got somebody with the talent to be a front-of-the-rotation starter, and that for a
29-year-old long reliever who's as good as he's ever going to get.
Placed RHP Paul Shuey on the 15-day DL (strained groin), retroactive to 6/10; recalled RHP Jerrod Riggan from
Buffalo. [6/13]
Placed IF-R Ricky Gutierrez on the 15-day DL (strained groin), retroactive to 6/14; recalled UT-R Jolbert Cabrera
from Buffalo. [6/16]
Scratch another one of Mark Shapiro's bright offseason ideas.
Signing Ricky Gutierrez
was one of those poisoned notions that had
next to nothing to recommend it. He's 32, or right around the age when mediocre players get bad in a hurry, and he was never an
especially nimble shortstop. Indeed, his profound problems going to his right should have been taken as a good indicator that he
probably wasn't the sort of shortstop you can easily turn into a useful second baseman. But he got a three-year deal, and if it
doesn't look good in year one, the chances that it'll be a peach in year three is about as likely as a forthcoming home movie
series featuring Pamela Anderson and Shmoo.
Of course, that isn't the full story. Something "had" to be done in the wake of the decision
to send Roberto Alomar to the Mets.
The question is whether this particular something had to be done. Gutierrez is a shortstop by experience, and not a
long-term solution at this stage of his career. Signing him did nothing in terms of prestige ("Season-ticket holders,
renew! We've got Gutierrez!"), and giving him three years was irresponsible. The only level on which the deal might have
made sense was if it gave Shapiro freedom of action to explore peddling Omar Vizquel. However, given Vizquel's price tag after
his latest extension (he costs about as much as Alomar in 2003, and is also signed for 2004 with a mutual option for 2005),
there can only be a short list of potential takers. The Snakes and Mets, of course, and maybe the Cardinals as part of a
challenge trade fueled by some new bout of frustration with Edgar Renteria.
If there's a silver lining, it's that in Gutierrez's absence, the Indians can showcase John McDonald. The window of opportunity
to turn him into a Royal is still dead,
ever since Allard Baird's nifty pickup of Angel Berroa,
but there are plenty of
shortstop-hungry NL teams. Of course, if the Tribe deals Vizquel, they'll be shortstop-hungry as well. McDonald's glovework gets
plenty of kudos, but his offense is going to be down in the Neifi/St. Rey range, and to put it politely, that's a lot of offense
to compensate for.
Paul Shuey is doing a lot to become the new Jeff Nelson, just without the cachet, the playoff glory, or the rehab junkets in
Tampa. You have to wonder if Nelson regrets leaving the Yankees. I mean, who wants to rehab in San Bernardino or Appleton? Sure,
they're nice enough, but they're not Tampa. At any rate, in Shuey's absence, the Indians should get plenty of opportunity to go
on deep buyer's remorse jags running Mark Wohlers and Chad Paronto out there.
Placed 2B-R Jose Ortiz on the 15-day DL (strained hamstring); recalled IF-R Brent Butler from Colorado Springs.
[6/16]
Sadly, Jose Ortiz gets to enter the Todd Walker Zone, where high expectations become luggage instead of sunshine, because the
next couple of weeks should be Brent Butler's golden opportunity to seize the second-base job. Humidified balls or no, there's
an advantage to getting the ball in play in Coors Field, and the ability to do that a little more often than the next guy gives
you just that slight edge to do something that looks special enough to get a couple hundred at-bats to stake a real claim to a
job.
Butler is just 24, although it seems like he's been around forever because once upon a not-so-distant long ago, he was the only
hitting prospect the Cardinals had. He did not have the range for shortstop, but he's generally popular for his on-field acumen,
he hits for more power than your Craig Counsells of the world, and he's not totally hopeless as somebody who might draw some
walks someday. He stopped after a couple of years in the minors, but he did it once. If he does it again, he could be one of the
better hitters at second base in the league. Of course, the same thing has been said about Ortiz, and was said about Terry
Shumpert when he first came up with the Royals. The point is that there's always a way to scare up some talent at second base.
Placed LHP Oswaldo Mairena on the 15-day DL (strained abdomen); recalled IF-R Pablo Ozuna from Calgary. [6/15]
This was an overdue move, to put it mildly. With Vic Darensbourg and Armando Almanza both healthy, even with Michael Tejera
making spot starts the Fish had a pair of useful lefties in the pen, and only Andy Fox able to play shortstop on the roster.
Pablo Ozuna won't make anyone forget Rey Sanchez at shortstop, but at least he can play the position, unlike the other notional
utility infielder on the roster, Homer Bush.
Placed RHP Shane Reynolds on the 15-day DL (pinched nerve - back); recalled RHP Brandon Puffer from New Orleans.
[6/13]
Activated RHP Scott Linebrink from the DL; optioned SS-R Adam Everett and 2B/3B-R Keith Ginter to New
Orleans; purchased the contract of C/1B-B Alan Zinter from New Orleans. [6/16]
Shane Reynolds is out for the season, which has Jimy Williams wringing his hands and griping about trying to win with young
pitchers. Let's be honest here: this isn't your normal collection of kids. Wade Miller is experienced, and you couldn't pick a
better young trio than Roy Oswalt, Tim Redding and Carlos Hernandez. Kirk Saarloos is up to get a look in the fifth slot for
at least as long as Dave Mlicki stays on the DL.
This is not a rotation that handicaps the Astros' chances of getting back in the race.
What it does make is for a handy enough excuse, which, if rehearsed often enough, might become believable. But this team's
problems have been more connected to bad roster construction and another 1999-style dose of bad luck in one-run games. Any
attempt to set up the starting pitching would be an insult to what has been a very effective unit, if not the team's greatest
strength.
Alan Zinter was a first-round pick in June 1989 with the Mets. He was traded straight up for Rico Brogna in 1994. It would be
hard to identify that Brogna was ever a better player than Zinter, but Brogna's career has already gone to the major leagues and
then on to baseball Valhalla.
After the indignity of being traded to the Tigers, Zinter was the last cut of spring training for the Cubs once or twice, and
now he finally gets to make his long-overdue major-league debut. And his chances of getting work? Jeff Bagwell is no Glenn
Davis, so it isn't like there's a Harry Spilman role to be carved out for Zinter for some spot starts. The team already has the
best (miscast) backup catcher in baseball in Gregg Zaun, so there isn't really a need there. Orlando Merced is the team's
primary high-leverage pinch-hitter, so Zinter's call-up really just seems to be a case where the team (and ex-Mets staffer Gerry
Hunsicker) decided to give Zinter a good turn.
Placed UT(?)-R Donnie Sadler on the 15-day DL (strained hamstring); recalled OF-L Alexis Gomez from Wichita of the
Texas League (Double-A). [6/15]
The Royals are apparently cranky about
losing Nate Field on a waiver claim,
so they promoted young outfielder Alexis Gomez for
no other reason than because he was on the 40-man roster. Why spite yourself because somebody else claimed a replaceable mop-up
reliever? There is a good reason, insofar as there is a current roster management problem. The majority of players the Royals
have on the 15-day DL (and therefore still on the 40-man roster) all seem to be about to come off of the DL, and nobody needs to
be pushed to the 60-day DL. None of that helps answer the unanswerable question of why Donnie Sadler is on the 25- or 40-man in
the first place.
Activated RHP Bryan Corey from the DL, and optioned him to Las Vegas. [6/13]
Acquired RHP Jim Brower from the Reds for LHP Bruce Chen; recalled RHP Zach Day from Ottawa; optioned RHP
Britt Reames to Ottawa; signed RHP Mike Buddie to a minor-league contract. [6/14]
Omar Minaya has got to have all us nascent Washington Federals fans wondering. As old-school Expos fan/BP correspondent Jonah
Keri notes, Minaya's work so far this translates into the Expos sending off Scott Strickland, Jim Serrano, Jason Bay, Geoff
Blum, Guillermo Mota and Wilken Ruan to bring in Jim Brower, Dicky Gonzalez, the since-released Lou Collier, Jose Macias and
Matt Herges. To shorten it up, that's a bunch of useful stuff for two old middle relievers of moderate talent, two old
utilitymen of moderate talent (one already released), and Dicky Gonzalez. Since nobody's placing bets on Gonzalez becoming the
next Greg Maddux, I'm comfortable in characterizing the net effect of these moves as disastrous.
There was concern this spring that the Expos would decline into being a flow-through organization, and nothing about these moves
should inspire any confidence that Minaya is operating the team on the level. If Minaya believes he's helping the Expos contend
by acquiring people like Brower or Herges, his competence needs to be called into question. Otherwise, it looks like he's
deliberately seeding other teams with the talent other people put into this organization for the purposes of fielding a better
ballclub someday. If it weren't for Frank Robinson and the players doing some fun things on the field, the spectacle would be
even more noxious.
Zach Day is the prize
from last summer's trade of Angryman, Milton Bradley.
He's up to replace Carl Pavano in the rotation, an
overdue change given Pavano's struggles and debilitating lucklessness. It comes at Britt Reames's expense, which narrows the
field among baseball's least-effective relievers even further. Among the survivors on Michael Wolverton's list of the ten worst
in the league are the Dodgers' Terry Mulholland and the Orioles' B.J. Ryan. The Twins' Boomer Wells had worked his way down into
this company, but he's temporarily on ice.
Activated LHP Andy Pettitte from the DL; optioned RHP Brandon Knight to Columbus. [6/14]
This says a lot about how quickly and thoroughly the Sterling Hitchcock signing is being consigned to the Whitson Zone. Not only
would the Yankees rather start Mike Thurman, they'd rather let Andy Pettitte rehab in the major leagues than let Hitchcock start
any more games that count. Not that this is unreasonable. It's almost July, and the Red Sox are still in first place. Some
effort has to be expended to set things right, although it doesn't hurt that the Yankees are headed for series against the
Padres, Orioles and Mets, while the Red Sox have to face the Dodgers, Indians and Braves.
Named Chris Chambliss hitting coach; placed RHP Grant Roberts on the 15-day DL (strained rotator cuff),
retroactive to 6/9; recalled RHP Mark Corey from Norfolk. [6/13]
I'm always happy to see an organization hire Chris Chambliss, whether or not he's here to fix their offensive problems. You
can't fix Rey Ordonez, after all, setting aside the question of whether or not it's humane. As Mo Vaughn pointed out earlier
this year in previous hitting coach Dave Engle's defense, it isn't like there are a bunch of people here who have no idea what
they're doing. The Mets are as Steve Phillips made them: they're mostly old, and bringing in sluggers with slowing bats, like
Vaughn and Jeromy Burnitz, were risks that had nothing to do with the caliber of instruction.
The larger issue is whether or not Chambliss is here for another reason. I don't think Bobby Valentine deserves to be fired, but
New York has a way of creating its own drama. The failure of the Mets to succeed this year belongs with Phillips more than
anyone else, but it would be more than a little strange to see Valentine retained, Phillips fired or stepping down or up or
wherever, and the new guy having to work with Bobby V.
There aren't a lot of high-profile alternatives elsewhere in the organization. Beyond Chambliss, who deserves a shot somewhere,
the only other person who has ever been mentioned in connection with a big-league managing job is third-base coach Matt Galante,
and that wasn't recently. First-base coach Mookie Wilson might amuse, but basically, if the Mets were to fire Valentine
in-season, they really only have Chambliss available to take over. Of course, it would be fun to see Buck Showalter follow in
Yogi Berra's footsteps and take his turn in Flushing Meadows. Either way, it might be the only way for the Mets to steal some of
the Yankees' thunder.
A bad break for Grant Roberts, who was finally resembling the prospect that the Mets' hype machine had made him out to be. Now,
it was in a long-relief role, which is different from starting, but it's to Bobby Valentine's credit that Roberts was being put
to work in a low-leverage role initially, and being worked into bigger and better things. Fortunately, the injury isn't supposed
to be serious, so the Mets should be able to get him back by the end of the month.
Activated RHP Carlos Silva from the DL; optioned LHP Hector Mercado to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. [6/14]
Now that Dan Plesac is in the fold
and the Phillies are still as irrelevant as they were when they acquired him, there are two
lefty relievers on staff, so Hector Mercado wasn't especially valuable.
The good news is getting Carlos Silva back.
In a season that has been heavy on bad news and backsliding, the experiment with
Silva in a Weaveresque long-relief role is at least one thing the Phillies can point to as a little project with an eye towards
some future good team. After all, right now there are more important things going on locally, like the persistent need of the
local press to burnish the backsides of anyone remotely connected to the '80 Phillies at the expense of the people who are
Phillies today.
It bears repeating: Scott Rolen is not a replaceable commodity, but tantrum-prone managers and destructive blowhards are. The
Phillies need to be judged on the basis of who they keep and who they send away, and making the choice that's most agreeable to
Bill Conlin really should be the last thing on their minds. Belittling, bullying and trashing a quality ballplayer to ...well,
what is the objective, anyway? For its own sake?
Activated CF-L Jim Edmonds from the DL; optioned Novelty-R So Taguchi to Memphis. [6/16]
The timing of getting Jim Edmonds back
is almost ideal. The Cardinals rotation is chugging along with virtual functionality. The
lineup can't afford to go without a major hitter, not when Tino Martinez isn't adding a whole lot and the self-inflicted hole at
third base festers. The timing also works out nicely in that before next week's showdown with the Reds, the Cardinals get to
face the woeful Cubs and Brewers, and there's nothing better than an opportunity to beat the bejeezuz out of the scrubs to help
create a decisive in-season moment.
If So Taguchi's call-up sold tickets, it's news to me.
Placed PH-L Mark Sweeney on the 15-day DL (strained oblique), retroactive to 6/6; transferred RHP Brian Tollberg
from the 15- to the 60-day DL; claimed OF-B Eugene Kingsale off of waivers from the Mariners. [6/14]
Claiming Eugene Kingsale has to be a temporary roster solution at best. He's out of options,
so once Sean Burroughs and Phil
Nevin come off of the DL, people are going to be packing for Portland. In the meantime, he offers a nice defensive replacement
for Bubba Trammell and a pinch-runner.
Although he wasn't hitting much so far, losing Mark Sweeney hardly helps, in that the bench is really down to Kingsale, Kevin
Barker, Julius Matos, Treni Hubbard and Ron Gant.
Activated IF-R Ramon E. Martinez from the DL; designated CF-L Tom Goodwin for assignment. [6/16]
Getting Ramon E. Martinez back is good news,
although it doesn't help him in particular to come back with both Jeff Kent and
Rich Aurilia both healthy and playing. Martinez might make for a useful alternative in the lineup to J.T. Snow, whose
uselessness seems to be testing even Dusty Baker's patience. At the moment, Damon Minor is getting a good chunk of time at first
base, which is overdue.
There's an opportunity to build a Minor/Martinez platoon in the lineup, with Kent flipping between first base (against
left-handed pitching) and second base (against right-handed pitching). That would get Martinez regular playing time, strengthen
the lineup, improve the defense up the middle now and again, and only leave Snow and Brian Sabean wondering why Snow was given a
contract that pays him $6.85 million in 2003 and $6.5 million in 2004 (fortunately, there is a $750,000 buyout for that year).
The Giants need to do what's best for their shot at winning right now, instead of fretting over the money Sabean made the
mistake of spending in 1999.
As for Tom Goodwin, anybody who makes the mistake of outplaying the Yellow Peril in center field can expect to hear
"sayonara."
Activated DH-R Edgar Martinez from the DL; designated OF-B Eugene Kingsale for assignment, and lost him on waivers
to the Padres. [6/14]
It's a strange choice to activate Edgar Martinez now, as the Mariners start three road series against the National League. As a
result, he won't get regular at-bats until next week. Not that having the best hitter on anybody's bench anywhere for the next
week or so is a bad thing, but perhaps the Mariners are worried about having to listen to two sets of footsteps.
Placed RHP Luke Prokopec on the 15-day DL (elbow tendinitis); activated RHP Steve Parris from the 60-day DL.
[6/14]
On a basic level, this is just more bad news that highlights what a disappointment Luke Prokopec has been. Beyond the 5.86 ERA
or the mere four quality starts in a dozen outings, he got smacked around by the Devil Rays his last time out. When a rubbery
cartilaginous fish that generally settles for terrorizing plankton can get good wood on you, there's usually something wrong, but
apparently he's only going to miss the minimum two weeks.
Steve Parris doesn't have a whole lot of trade value, no matter how well he does, but having him back should make it easier for
the Blue Jays to shop Esteban Loaiza. If Parris can last, they'd be able to field a full rotation without automatically handing
rotation slots to Brandon Lyon or Prokopec by default, let alone rushing Mike Smith back up. This is another way of saying that
it's been nice seeing Pete Walker and Justin Miller do something with the opportunities they've been given. Eventually, Lyon and
Prokopec
(and even Chris Carpenter)
will return to the rotation, at which point the Jays can try to start dealing from their surplus of starters.
Chris Kahrl is an author of Baseball Prospectus. You can contact him by
clicking here.
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