Transaction Analysis, August 19-21, 2002
by Chris Kahrl
Placed RHP Aaron Sele on the 15-day DL (partially torn rotator cuff);
recalled LHP Mark Lukasiewicz from Salt Lake. [8/21]
Naturally, buzzwords like "torn," and "rotator cuff" are
passports to instant ghost status on a roster. The early mousetalk from
Squeaky Goebbels is that everything's going to be just daffy ducky, and
Aaron Sele will only miss two to three weeks, at which point he will return
to the rotation. That, and London will be bombed into submission. Cooler
heads--Mike Scioscia among them--don't think things will work out quite that
well.
Fortunately, skipping past the expense of having Sele around, he was the
fifth-best starter in the Angels' rotation, so it isn't like they just lost
Jarrod Washburn. The obvious outcome, between losing Sele and
promoting a lefty spot reliever like Mark Lukasiewicz, is that Scott
Schoeneweis should be returning to the rotation. That's not all bad, since
Schoeneweis had arguably outpitched Sele anyway; his
Support Neutral
Value-Added is lower, but he contributed five quality starts out of
fifteen, versus Sele's eleven (counting one blown in the eighth inning) in
25 starts. The main point is that it's merely an exchange in the fifth slot,
which is another way of saying John Lackey has been a godsend.
Traded RHP P.J. Bevis to the Mets as the PTBNL to complete the Mark
Little trade. [8/20]
Placed LHP Greg Swindell on the 15-day DL (strained back); recalled
LHP Eddie Oropesa from Tuscon; optioned C-R Rod Barajas to
Tuscon; recalled INF-B Alex Cintron from Tuscon. [8/21]
As roster tweaking goes, this is interesting in the same way that being able
to recite twentieth century Bulgarian czars is interesting: it's a non
sequitur that you cough up at a bad party out of desperation, not desire, to
keep the silence from getting deafening. Similarly, the Snakes' last five
roster spots are trivia with which to annoy thoughtful friends, and bemuse
Diamondback opponents. Losing Flounder Swindell sort of hurts, since he's
been moderately effective the few times he's pitched over the last seven
weeks or so, while Eddie Oropesa hasn't really been effective anywhere
outside of Larry Bowa's fantasy life in the last two seasons. But
bringing up Alex Cintron and ending the "competition" between the
Snakes' lousy pair of backup catchers is a moderately good thing, since it
allows them to keep Jay Bell buried on the bench, while using Cintron as the
main utility infielder up the middle until Craig Counsell comes back.
Picking between Rod Barajas' tepid power and Chad Moeller's all-around
perkiness isn't a real choice, it's a lifeless passion play before praying
for Damian Miller's continued good health.
Optioned RHP Jared Fernandez to Louisville; placed RHP John
Riedling on the 15-day DL (strained groin). [8/19]
Recalled RHPs Chris Reitsma and Luke Hudson from Louisville;
named OF-R Raul Gonzalez as the first of two PTBNLs from the Estes
deal. [8/20]
So there you have it, the latest permutation of the Reds' rotation of the
we(e/a)k. For those keeping score, that means we're down to hired guns Shawn
Estes, Scuffy Moehler, and Ryan Dempster (one quality start and one blown
quality start in eight for the Reds), Jimmy Haynes, and now this week's
fresh meat:
a returning Chris Reitsma.
Jared Fernandez apparently made the
mistake of outpitching Dempster and Haynes, so he's out. For now. Blink, and
he'll be back, or maybe Bob Boone will go with seven starters. See, once you
slip out of contention, you get back to being goofy, and that's Boone's
natural environment.
Reitsma didn't set the International League on ear with
his three starts in Louisville, giving up ten runs in 21 IP. But the Reds
are hard-up for help, especially
with Elmer Dessens not getting better as
quickly as they'd like. Fortunately, Dessens should be able to start next
week, but at this rate, the Reds may be ten games out and dead in the water
by then.
The happier news is that Luke Hudson will get a look-see in a relief role.
He can pump low-90s gas, and as an ex-starter, he should be fine in a long
relief role. He struggled as a starter with the Riverbatwings, but like a
healthy John Riedling or Scott Williamson, he could become a significant
asset in the bullpen. He's also managed to pelt sixteen hitters at the
plate, which will impress... well, Bury'em Bruce Kison, I guess.
Placed 2B-R Ricky Gutierrez on the 15-day DL (strained neck),
retroactive to 8/15; purchased the contract of INF-R Greg LaRocca
from Buffalo; transferred RHP Bob Wickman from the 15- to the 60-day
DL. [8/19]
Optioned RHP Ryan Drese to Buffalo; recalled RHP Ricardo
Rodriguez from Buffalo. [8/20]
The bad news is that Ricky Gutierrez is not only done, he might be
done, as in forever. He may require surgery that will keep him out
for at least three-to-six months. The question is if this injury was
sustained at the end of last season, how he passed the Indians' physical.
Signing him for the money they're paying him
wasn't a good idea in the first
place, but now it's a godsend for Gutierrez and something you hope the
Indians got insurance on.
In Gutierrez' absence, the Tribe gets to spend serious time evaluating John
McDonald. This might seriously improve their interior defense, but they'll
only get a sharp reminder of something they should have known three years
ago: he won't hit. They could take a look at another one of their classic
Bisons, Greg LaRocca. Like Bill Selby before him, he's got an established
track record of hitting in Triple-A, coming up after hitting .293/.402/.432
(equal to a .273
Equivalent Average
in the majors). Unfortunately, they
probably need to clone him, because he can't play both second and
third. Selby hasn't hit much in spotty playing time, and Travis Fryman is
simply marking the days until it all comes to an end. And since they're
committed to taking a long look at McDonald, LaRocca can look forward to
service time and not much else.
As for the decision to finally put Ryan Drese out of the club's misery, it's
overdue. He's clambered up to being the sixth-worst starter by Michael
Wolverton's Support-Neutral metrics. The Tribe is moving into a youth
movement in the rotation: behind Danys Baez and C.C. Sabathia, they're
starting Jason Phillips and Jake Westbrook, which makes sense. All four are
better prospects than Drese, who posted only six quality starts in 24.
Overall, it's progress from goofing around with the individual death rides
of Charles Nagy, Jaret Wright, and Dave Burba. The part I find troubling is
the decision to propel Ricardo Rodriguez into the rotation already. He's got
a whopping six starts in Triple-A. Unfortunately, the Indians are short of
alternatives above A-ball. They really are down to rushing Rodriguez,
sticking with Drese, or running with one of George Romero's living undead
yester-vets.
Placed RHP A.J. Burnett on the 15-day DL (injured elbow); recalled
RHP Blaine Neal from Calgary. [8/19]
There's already been a lot of bandwidth appropriately shed on the subject of
Jeff Torborg, Doofus,
and his role in slagging A.J. Burnett
to inspire dozens, no, perhaps hundreds of season ticket holders with the
sacrifice. Torborg was a management tool in the uses and abuses of White Sox
starters back in the day, so he slipped pretty easily into the "gosh, I
don't know what happened" script. The shame is that this is one of
those rare situations (for him) where he may actually believe every word. I
could rail about how he deserves to be fired, but what's the point? Barring
a fan riot where they throw Jeff Loria, David Samson, Torborg, and Torborg's
henchmen Ozzie Guillen and Demon into an Olympic-sized pool loaded with
barracuda, there's no point in singling out just one villain.
The question is what happens from here? The Fish will be bumping Carl Pavano
into the rotation after he's given them some reasonable quality time mopping
up in the pen. I've always held out hope that Pavano could finally turn
things around, and now is as good a time as any. On this team, he may get to
do it and then flame out before many notice.
Activated CF-R Brian Hunter from the DL; optioned OF-R Jason
Lane to New Orleans. [8/20]
The horror of the Astros' outfield situation is that
the return of Brian Hunter
might shake up both of their non-Berkman outfield slots. Both Richard
Hidalgo and Daryle Ward are struggling terribly, not hitting in The Ballpark
To Be Named Later, and not on the road either, and the Astros have to be in
win-now mode to keep up with the Cardinals. Just as Jimy Williams fell into
making Geoff Blum and Jose Vizcaino almost-everyday players, there's a very
real chance that Brian Hunter and Orlando Merced could win even larger
shares of playing time. Now sure, maybe Williams could mix and match and
create some effective platoons, similar to the semi-platoon he's created
between Blum and Adam Everett in the left side of the infield, with Vizcaino
playing every day. But giving Brian Hunter more playing time will only make
you ask yourself what you were thinking, sort of like an after-action report
on what happened after ordering that ninth pint. Hunter doesn't hit lefties
better than any righthanders, randomly selected bipeds, or Moties for the
Pournelle/Niven classic,
The Mote in God's Eye.
His real role should
remain pinch-running, defensive substitutions, and bringing something to the
dugout from the clubhouse real fast. The pity is that by sending down Jason
Lane, they're sticking with thirteen hitters. As a result, they don't have
someone to platoon with Orlando Merced if they did decide to sit Ward down.
Activated RHP Tony Armas Jr. from the DL. [8/19]
Tony Armas Jr.
comes back to reclaim his fifth slot in the rotation.
He'll need to pitch well to keep it. In four starts in Armas' absence, Britt
Reames made two quality starts and a serviceable start, only getting knocked
around once (by the Cardinals). A starter who gives his team a shot at a win
three times out of four is valuable. By contrast, before going onto the DL,
Armas made one quality start in five, and he just got lit up by the Rockies
(in Coors, of course). Fortunately for Armas, the Expos are back to
irrelevance, unless the fight for second place in the National League's
weakest division quickens your pulse. So Armas can rely on his status as an
outstanding young talent to keep his slot. Since the other four starters are
all doing well, this is the best way for them to use the rotation slot
anyway. And if, coincidentally, it gives Armas and Frank Robinson a chance
to iron out their minor peccadillo, so much the better.
Placed RHP Mariano Rivera on the 15-day DL (strained shoulder),
retroactive to 8/16; recalled RHP Mike Thurman from his hotel room.
[8/19]
The Yankees have been here already, and while the news appears to be bad,
this is what they brought Steve Karsay in for, isn't it?
Karsay plus Mike Stanton might not come into the game looking like the grim reaper in
pinstripes, but they've been two of the game's most effective relievers over
the last couple of seasons, so it isn't like the Yankees are hurting for
quality relief help. Ramiro Mendoza has also outpitched Rivera this summer,
giving the Yankees a solid trio, so if Rivera doesn't pitch again, they'll
have the horses for the last three innings of a tight game.
In back of those three, you've got the Yankees' sixth through eighth
starters from their Overpreparation Plan: Jeff Weaver, Sterling Hitchcock,
and Mike Thurman (again). For those of you--and you're probably all in
Oregon--counting this sort of thing, Thurman has been up and down three
times in the last month, so the amount of time he's actually spent in Ohio
as opposed to in transit or in pinstripes during that time makes for an
interesting question.
Acquired OF-R Raul Gonzalez from the Reds as the first of two PTBNLs
from the Estes deal; acquired RHP P.J. Bevis from the Diamondbacks to
complete the Mark Little trade. [8/20]
Optioned INF-R Marcos Scutaro to Norfolk; added Gonzalez to
the active roster. [8/21]
The Mets' organization needs depth, and if nothing else, they just added
some. Apparently the Mets couldn't wait for the minor league free agent
market to add Raul Gonzalez, but that's okay, considering he's one of the
minor league vets who's already earned his shot. He's having another nice
season in Triple-A, hitting .333/.416/.495, which translates to a nifty .283
Equivalent Average in the major leagues. A classic tweener, he'd make an
outstanding fourth outfielder, but on the Mets he's arguably the best
they've got right now. He'll be 29 before the year is out, so it isn't like
he's a long-term answer, but since they're locked into Jeromy Burnitz
through 2003
and Roger Cedeno through 2005,
he can at least be a cheap and effective alternative to them for the
immediate future.
P.J. Bevis was pitching very effectively in El Paso, posting a 2.83 ERA
while allowing only 50 hits in 63.2 IP, with a 62-to-24 strikeout-to-walk
ratio. He's another success story in their experimentation with sidearm
deliveries, and since he can also dial up heat in the low 90s, he might
become a nifty little steal for the Mets of 2003 and beyond. Considering
they're already spiraling out of contention, getting Bevis for a fourth
outfielder is another nice little pickup for Steve Phillips.
Agreed to a four-year contract with C-R Mike Lieberthal. [8/19]
The deal is for $23.5 million, so it ain't cheap. The question is why you
would sign it now? Lieberthal is 30, he's not having the sort of season that
tells you he's going to be the next Carlton Fisk and be a great catcher in
his thirties, and he's missed significant time to injuries in three of the
previous four seasons. Pudge Rodriguez will be a free agent this winter, and
while he might get an eight-figure contract, that would be a bad investment
at the price. He hasn't come close to reproducing his peak season (at age
27) in 1999 in any of the last three. Admittedly, position scarcity and
Johnny "I will make you forget Bo Diaz" Estrada are pretty good
reasons to want to re-up Lieberthal, but at this price, it won't be any
easier to afford
a quality replacement for Scott Rolen.
Added RHP Ismael Valdes to the active roster; optioned LHP John
Halama to Tacoma. [8/20]
Well, obviously Mr. Halama isn't too happy about this, now that he's earned
the official Brett Tomko Gift Basket of fruits, cheeses, and a tasty
selection of summer sausages for his contributions to this summer's edition
of your Seattle Mariners. If you were Halama, you'd be cranky too. He's
being bumped for Ismael Valdes while James Baldwin goes a-whistling to work?
That's hardly fair, but you know the score. He had an option. Ryan Franklin
should as well, so it seems strange that Halama got bumped when he's
outpitched both of them, both as a starter and as a reliever, but maybe he
refused to endorse a local caffeinated beverage or something.
Purchased the contract of LHP C.J. Nitkowski from Oklahoma; optioned
RHP Reynaldo Garcia to Oklahoma. [8/19]
Activated OF-L Todd Hollandsworth from the DL; optioned 1B/OF-R
Jason Hart to Oklahoma. [8/20]
Todd Hollandsworth refused to go on a rehab assignment,
forcing the Rangers
to reactivate him right now this instant. Given that this is Hollandsworth's
opportunity to make a first and perhaps only impression, the Rangers really
should have considered suggesting the anatomically impossible, suspending
him, and then waiting for the slow wheels of justice to grind until October
before getting to an arbitrator, at which point Hollandsworth would have
gone without his rehab stint and getting any at-bats to help feather
his impending free agency. With their season over and corner outfielders who
need to be looked at coming out of their ears, Hollandsworth owes the
Rangers for the at-bats he might get more than the Rangers need to invest
them in him.
Chris Kahrl is an author of Baseball Prospectus. You can contact him by
clicking here.
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