Transaction Analysis, September 28-November 10, 2002
by Chris Kahrl
Activated RHP Aaron Sele from the 15-day DL. [9/29]
Released C-R Sal Fasano; activated RHP Steve Green from the
60-day DL. [11/5]
Sele was activated from the DL,
but significantly enough, not added to the postseason roster.
Steve Green,
of course, remained on the 40-man, fulfilling his notional purpose of being on
the 60-day DL all season and theoretically allowing Francisco Rodriguez to slip
onto the postseason roster... except that Rodriguez wasn't added to the 40-man
until after September 1, and was notionally ineligible for postseason play. That
said, don't hold your breath waiting for the Angels' title to be forfeited. If
this was a miscarriage of roster management, the commissioner's office is
charged with the responsibility to make sure these things don't happen. Since
the commissioner's office has been turning a blind eye to roster shenanigans for
at least the last two or three years, "anything goes" has been the
rule of the day long enough that it would probably be akin to Merkle's Boner to
suddenly single out the Anaheimians. It's a pity the Fourth Estate missed the
story. I guess it was too baseball-related.
Announced the retirement of RHP Todd Stottlemyre. [10/29]
Picked up their 2003 option on LHP Mike Myers. [11/5]
Signed INF-R Mike Bell to a minor league contract. [11/8]
It's interesting that it took this long to finally make the obvious public.
Perhaps the Snakes took this long because they wanted to let Stottlemyre
participate in their postseason glories, and then when there weren't any, waited
until the end of the World Series to make it so. The Diamondbacks haven't been
around long enough to really have a history, so there's not a whole lot of
reason for them to have held a Todd Stottlemyre Day anyway. I've written enough
retrospectives on Stottlemyre's career already, so there's no reason to repeat
another, although I can't help but find his early flirtations with becoming a
closer before settling into being a solid starter interesting, and not just
because I'm a Keith Foulke fan. Would anyone have expected his career would end
before his old man's?
Re-signed pitching coach Leo Mazzone. [11/8]
I don't go through coaching staff hiring decisions in too much detail in this
space, especially when I'm trying to catch up. That said, re-upping with Leo
Mazzone is one of those things that is big news, especially since his career
with the Braves will be taking a more interesting turn should both Greg Maddux
and Tom Glavine wind up elsewhere. Then the Braves would essentially be left
with people Mazzone really would have taught or will need to teach. That's not
meant as a slight on Mazzone, but a staff that lives and dies with Millwood and
Marquis and Moss and some of the interesting young pitchers in the organization
would go a long way in terms of making certain that all of Mazzone's reputation
is his, and not just the product of some inspired synergies with two of the
smartest pitchers in the game.
Waived RHP Calvin Maduro; sent RHP Kris Foster to Ottawa. [10/7]
Signed LHPs Rendy Espina and Mike Mohler, RHPs Mike Garcia
and Rafael Pina, C-R Izzy Molina and SS/2B-B Eddy Garabito
to minor league contracts. [10/16]
Signed RHP Pat Hentgen to a one-year contract with a club option for
2004. [10/30]
Signed RHP Mike Drumright. [11/7]
No real surprises here, re-upping a lot of their own minor league free agents
and keeping a lot of their own around. Calvin Maduro should be going from spring
training NRI to 40-man roster and back again every year. The Orioles are hoping
that they'll get something out of Pat Hentgen, and the odds are decent that he
might be useful by the second half, given that he's only a year and a half
removed from Tommy John surgery. He'll be in the running for the fourth or fifth
slot in the rotation, but he'll also be competing with Jason Johnson, John
Stephens, Sean Douglass, and more. What they elect to do about Sidney Ponson's
arbitration situation is, of course, a complicating factor.
Claimed RHP Jason Shiell off of waivers from the Padres. [10/2]
Claimed RHP Brandon Lyon off of waivers from the Blue Jays. [10/9]
Signed RHP Hansel Izquierdo to a minor league contract with a spring
training NRI. [10/17]
Declined to pick up the option on RHP Dustin Hermanson for 2003. [10/31]
Re-signed LHP Alan Embree to a two-year contract. [11/5]
Well, you win some and you lose some, but as much as
Dustin Hermanson was one of
those big, dumb Big Mistakes that an organization should take on the chin,
they've cut bait and moved on, and done smart stuff beyond that. Brandon Lyon's
a nice claim to make, Hansel Izquierdo's an interesting NRI, and Alan Embree was
a sweet pickup last summer for the short-term, and remains a good choice to keep
around as your primary lefty reliever. So while none of this is going to win
them the division, these are the little things that can add up to a good winter.
Outrighted RHPs Lorenzo Barcelo, Kyle Kane and Mitch Wylie
and LHP Thomas Jacquez to Charlotte. [10/8]
Barcelo has been a consistent disappointment, so his eventual removal from the
40-man roster given his injury history isn't really a surprise. That doesn't
make him a lost cause, just a risky use of any organization's main winter
commodity, a 40-man roster spot. Kane and Wylie have also both shown flashes of
promise, but this organization is rich enough in pitching, and both of them lost
time to injuries this year as well. Quality retreads have to come from
someplace, so in the same way that you could invest in a flyer on Barcelo, you
could take them on Wylie or Kane just as easily any time in the next two or
three years and be rewarded for it.
Announced that interim manager Bruce Kimm will not be retained for 2003. [9/29]
Released LHP Jesus Sanchez. [10/1]
Named Gary Hughes special assistant to GM Jim Hendry; agreed to terms
with LHP Mike Sirotka on a minor-league contract with a spring training
NRI. [10/30]
Declined to exercise their option on 1B-L Fred McGriff for 2003. [10/31]
Announced they will not exercise their 2003 option on RHP Jon Lieber. [11/1]
There's a lot here to like, but there's also a goodly share of dirty pool too.
Dumping Bruce Kimm couldn't come fast enough. After a week-long honeymoon which
served as a reminder that managers can have settings other than 'morose,' Kimm's
mini-season at the helm showed him to be a gung ho commando from the army of
irresponsibility. He got wacky, he worked the team's only future-oriented big
league commodities--the young flamethrowers in the rotation--far too hard
without any worthwhile end, and he fulminated with a bellicosity not seen in
these parts since Lee Elia. I guess the nice way to look at it is that he did it
his way.
Excusing Fred McGriff is similarly necessary for the club to make any progress.
He's expensive, and you can simultaneously consider him as a known commodity, a
useful offensive placeholder, a defensive slacker, and a jogging gentleman, all
at once. With the right team, and especially if he remains in the NL, he'll be a
borderline All-Star. Considering his age, he's lapsed into that area where he's
useful to a contender that lacks a short-term answer at first base (for the
right price), or he'll be a free agent boondoggle for a team that isn't close,
and worse yet doesn't know it. If he gets more than either a two-year or
year-plus-option deal, it'll be a shocker.
The interesting choices were with the pair of pitchers. Mike Sirotka talked
about trying to make his comeback in Toronto, but the Cubs showed him a little
bit of money, and his bold talk about trying to give the Jays something for
their effort disappeared in a quick puff. But on the other hand, the Cubs had no
problem handing Jon Lieber his walking papers, saving themselves a good chunk of
change. It was a completely defensible business decision, with nary a gesture
towards Lieber's good work in a Cubs uniform.
He's damaged goods, unlikely to
contribute much in 2003, so this move was equally calculating and proper. Both
were merely business decisions, with no wasted words on loyalty between wealthy
employers or liberally compensated employees, and that's totally OK.
No, the really cynical yet inspired move was Gary Hughes' decision to slip into
the Cubs' organization. This is a team that should show off a lot of premium
talent in 2003 and the years to come, and that provides great cover (and a
little reflected credit) for Hughes before he even does anything. Hughes is one
of the most highly-regarded talent wranglers in the game, but he's also getting
long in the tooth. Why not hook up with an organization that already has good
young talent, and glom on to add the next generation and help the Cubs mount
their best shot at multi-year contention since the '60s?
Released RHP Jose Silva; activated RHPs Seth Etherton and Luis
Pineda from the 60-day DL; activated 1B-L Sean Casey, OF-R Austin
Kearns, 3B-R Brandon Larson, C-R Jason LaRue and LHP Gabe
White from the 15-day DL. [10/2]
Reinstated RHP Carlos Almanzar from the 60-day DL, and outrighted him and
RHP Luis Pineda to Louisville. [10/9]
Added RHPs Chris Booker and Josh Hall, SS-B Rainer Olmedo
and OF-R Steve Smitherman to the 40-man roster. [11/7]
Josh Hall is one of the organization's best young arms, having worked his way up
to Double-A. A high school pick in 1998, he's a decent example of what can go
right when you draft a high school pitcher with a non-top choice (Hall was a 7th
rounder). Chris Booker was a hard-throwing guy in the Cubs organization, but he
lost 2002 to injury. What he'll be next spring will determine his future, but he
could be an early candidate for being outrighted in March to make way for a NRI,
especially if he isn't 100%. Steve Smitherman hit for power in the California
League, which is nice, but he's already 24, so he'll have to move up the chain
fast to have a shot at a real big league career. Rainer Olmedo isn't really a
prospect after hitting .247/.331/.314, but there are people in the organization
who like him. But he doesn't look like he's going to stick at short defensively.
He is only 21 with a full year of Double-A under his belt, and even Jose Oquendo
came from somewhere, after all. I'm not a big believer, but between moderate
patience and youth, he's worth a 40-man roster spot until you've got enough
reason to keep him off.
Declined their option on RHP Jaret Wright for 2003; outrighted RHP
Dave Elder to Buffalo and re-signed him to a minor league contract.
[10/16]
Claimed RHP Jack Cressend off of waivers from the Twins; re-signed INF-L
Bill Selby and RHP Jason Phillips to minor league contracts.
[10/17]
Named Eric Wedge manager and signed him to a three-year contract with
club options for 2005 and 2006. [10/29]
Activated RHPs Chad Paronto, Jake Westbrook and Bob
Wickman, 2B/SS-R Ricky Gutierrez and CF-R Alex Escobar from
the 60-day DL, reinstating them to the 40-man roster. [11/6]
I have absolutely no explanation for why Eric Wedge is the man beyond guessing
that he's simply the guy that Mark Shapiro feels most comfortable with. They're
both buckled in for the long haul, as the Tribe's real hopes reside with Brandon
Phillips and Alex Escobar and Milton Bradley more than they do with Jim Thome's
financial choice. After five years in the organization and two years in Buffalo,
Wedge has seen most of the guys who will be once and future Indians on a day-in,
day-out basis. Although his age (34) is considered an issue, that should be a
non-story. There have been other managers getting jobs at younger ages. The
Cleveland media market isn't known for its barracudas, and the organization can
use somebody familiar with everyone in camp for the next few years. A manager
can win more games through a roster designed out of the knowledge of what he's
got and what his people can do than out of anything related to tactical
micromanagement.
Jack Cressend is a nice little claim,
although his September shoulder surgery
probably precludes his being able to contribute before the last couple of months
next season. Cressend keeps the ball on the ground and usually shows good
command. If or when he's healthy, he can be a very handy long reliever on a team
that's going to need good long relievers.
Declined their option on 3B-R Todd Zeile for 2003, and picked up their
option on RHP Todd Jones for 2003. [10/29]
Add Todd Zeile to
the ever-growing heap of O'deas that didn't pan out.
At some point, you'd have to think that the sheer size of Dan O'Dowd's cluttered
waste basket is going to be a threat to his job security. I admire his
commitment to an intellectual curiosity when it comes to trying everything to
try to win in Coors Field, but that's also the nature of the problem: he's
trying everything, instead of taking the time to see what works and doesn't
work. Sure, executing and sticking with one plan would be dull and potentially
threatening (if that plan fails, you're gone), but flitting between plans won't
achieve anything beyond plausible deniability, and repeated denials without
actually achieving anything doesn't work for college freshmen, Bill Clinton, or
big league GMs.
Fired manager Luis Pujols and his coaching staff. [9/30]
Outrighted RHPs Jason Beverlin, Seth Greisinger and Brian
Powell, C/DH-B Mitch Meluskey, 3B-R Chris Truby, OF-L Jacob
Cruz and OF-R Wendell Magee to Toledo. [10/2]
Named Alan Trammell manager. [10/9]
Claimed LHP Pedro Feliciano off of waivers from the Mets. [10/11]
Sure, naming Alan Trammell as celebrity manager with Lance Parrish and Kirk
Gibson around as celebrity sidekicks seems no more than a publicity stunt. But
Luis Pujols didn't demonstrate anything in his brief gig that made you want to
keep him around, and the Tigers need something resembling cachet while Dave
Dombrowski's crew slowly assembles some viable talent. In three years, the White
Sox might have collapsed under the collective weight of their various
disappointments, the Indians might still be merely marking time, and the Twins
probably won't be an annual hundred-win powerhouse. As long as Dombrowski can
work hand-in-hand with Trammell to assemble a better team, and Tram and his
merry henchmen don't assume they know everything and are willing to do some OJT,
this doesn't have to be as bad as it initially looks.
I don't know what's more interesting, that Mitch Meluskey is this available, or
wondering whether or not anyone's going to set aside his reputation from his
Houston days and take a chance on his bat.
Announced they will not exercise their option on RHP Shane Reynolds,
making him eligible for free agency; outrighted C/1B-B Alan Zinter to New
Orleans. [10/10]
Announced that C-R Brad Ausmus has exercised his option for 2003. [10/16]
Signed RHPs Chris Gissell, Jonathan Johnson and Miguel
Saladin and LHP Ken Vining to minor-league contracts with spring
training NRIs. [11/1]
Shane Reynolds had long since moved into fragility to be considered anything
other than a senior member in a young rotation lacking gravitas. But given how
nice Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt and Kirk Saarloos and Carlos Hernandez look, the
Astros are like those mid-'80s Royals, and there gets to be a point where you
didn't need to count on Bud Black any more.
The question is whether the Astros felt they couldn't afford Reynolds because
they knew they'd be stuck with Brad Ausmus. In a world where Randy Smith is no
longer there for the easy Ausmus swap, that has to be a particularly bitter
pill. Press clippings about "Brad Ausmus, leader of men, molder of young
minds" make for fun reading, but they don't add much in the way of putting
runs on the board or fact-based data that he's bringing much to the table in
terms of improving the staff's performance.
Acquired RHP Brian Mallette from the Brewers to complete the Tyler
Houston trade. [10/16]
Even if the Dodgers blew it
as far as not taking the Tyler Houston pickup as an
opportunity to bench Eric Karros--replacing Karros with Houston or with Dave
Hansen would have been an offensive upgrade--at least they got a serviceable
middle reliever as a throw-in. Mallette should be given every opportunity to be
the team's 11th pitcher, and there's every reason to expect he'll be a good one.
And if, as it turns out, the Brewers scrag Ben Diggins before he really gets a
shot, the Dodgers will come out looking that much better on this exchange, since
they'll have gotten the prospect and the veteran.
Fired manager Jerry Royster. [10/2]
Activated RHPs Chad Fox and Paul Rigdon, LHP Shane Nance
and OF-L Alex Sanchez from the 60-day DL; outrighted RHP Nelson
Figueroa, LHP Andrew Lorraine and OF-Rs Ryan Christenson and
Ryan Thompson to Indianapolis. [10/9]
Claimed OF-L Scott Podsednik off of waivers from the Mariners; designated
RHP Jose Mieses for assignment. [10/11]
Announced that OF-R Ryan Christenson and RHP Chad Fox opted for
free agency; outrighted RHP Jose Mieses to Indianapolis. [10/15]
Sent RHP Brian Mallette to the Dodgers to complete the Tyler Houston
trade. [10/16]
Outrighted RHP Paul Rigdon to Indianapolis. [10/17]
Named Ned Yost manager. [10/29]
Named Gord Ash to be the Assistant GM and Reid Nichols as Special
Assistant to the GM. [11/1]
Signed minor league free agent C-L Cody McKay and added him to their
40-man roster; signed RHP/DH-L Brooks Kieschnick and INF-R Scott
Seabol to minor-league contracts with spring training NRIs. [11/8]
It isn't every organization that gets to shake things up with messages like
"Snookums, I've decided that you need to be reassigned to spend more time
with my grandchildren," but in Milwaukee, that's the shape of progress. It
isn't every organization that could look at Gord Ash's track record and say that
looks like an improvement. But the Brewers aren't every organization, they're
arguably the worst. I mean, at least the D-Rays have a perceived track record
for drafting talent. The Brewers still haven't lived down
Antone Williamson.
But why linger over the copious amounts of bad stuff? In this, the season of
hope, the Brewers can take some small pride in offseason acquisitions like Cody
McKay, Brooks Kieschnick and Scott Seabol. Are any of them world-beaters? No,
but Seabol would make a nifty utility infielder with a bit of sock, McKay can
handle splitting the catching duties of a big league team much better than
somebody like Henry Blanco (he can throw, he bats lefty, he's not an offensive
zero), and Kieschnick can simultaneously be at least a twelfth pitcher for a
mop-up role and a primo pinch-hitter and spot starter at first or left. Sort of
Matt Stairs and your last reliever, rolled up in one. I don't know if Ned Yost
is the manager to blaze the trail of really creating a dual-purpose roster spot
like this, but I'd love to see him try.
Exercised their options on LHP Eddie Guardado, RHP LaTroy Hawkins
and C-R Tom Prince for 2003; declined their 2003 options on RHP Bob
Wells and UT-B Denny Hocking. [10/28]
Re-signed UT-B Denny Hocking to a more mutually agreeable contract. [10/30]
Denny Hocking for a million bucks seems steep to me, but the parties involved
all seem happy about it, and it is only Carl Pohlad's money being spent. Better
it go to Hocking than to Pohladling trust funds.
Activated RHP Troy Mattes from the 60-day DL and designated him for
assignment. [10/1]
Released PH-B Wilton Guerrero on waivers; selected the contract of RHP
Julio Manon from Harrisburg (Double-A). [10/10]
Picked up the option on RHP Bartolo Colon for 2003. [10/29]
Added OF-L Terrmel Sledge and RHP Seung Song to the 40-man roster.
[11/1]
Given that the Expos
gave up
a good chunk of their future to bring Bartolo Colon in, and given that
they're about to have to convert a significant portion of their current roster
to make payroll into future-oriented talent, picking up his option makes sense.
They may just hold onto him in particular for political reasons, but here's
hoping that having mounted his tepid, doomed rush at the NL East title in 2002,
Omar Minaya just lets the past go and does everything in his power to assemble
some talent as he starts to break up this team, thus handing the future owners
of the organization some reason for hope.
Hey, talk about the right idea, it's just too bad that they didn't release The
Vlad Sibling by August 1.
Outrighted RHPs Adrian Hernandez, Jay Tessmer and Nate
Field and INF-R Scott Seabol to Columbus. [10/2]
Announced C-R Alberto Castillo and RHP Mike Thurman refused minor
league assignments and are now free agents. [10/10]
Purchased the contracts of LHP Danny Borrell, RHPs Jason Anderson,
Julio DePaula and Chien-Ming Wang and 2B/3B-R Andy
Phillips, adding them to the 40-man roster. [11/8]
Fired manager Bobby Valentine. [10/1]
Claimed RHP Doug Nickle off waivers from the Padres. [10/2]
Outrighted RHP Adam Walker and OF-L Tony Tarasco to Norfolk;
activated RHP Kane Davis from the 60-day DL. [10/3]
Activated 1B/LF-R Jorge Toca from the 60-day DL; designated RHP Kane
Davis for assignment. [10/5]
Exercised the club's 2003 option on 2B-B Roberto Alomar; released RHP
Satoru Komiyama. [10/8]
Claimed RHP Joe Orloski off of waivers from the Blue Jays; claimed RHP
Franklin Nunez off of waivers from the Phillies. [10/10]
Outrighted 1B/LF-R Jorge Toca and LHP Pedro Feliciano to Norfolk.
[10/11]
Named Art Howe manager and signed him to a four-year contract. [10/28]
I've relegated most of the nice things I have to say about Art Howe
to the Oakland section, but frankly, I don't know why he'd
take this job beyond the multi-year payday. The Mets should have held Steve
Phillips responsible for the disasters of the last two years, but his charms
seem to work on his employers better than his employees. I don't know why
someone with Howe's reputation for being a stand-up guy would work with
Phillips, if not for the money, but another strike against Howe's long-earned
rep for being generally solid is that he wants to hire Don Baylor.
None of this bodes especially well for the Mets. Will a relatively easygoing
manager like Howe be a nice chaser for the memories of the hyperkinetic Bobby
Valentine? Almost certainly, but I don't think you're going to see the so-called
"Shotton Effect" here, because the basic requisite, a collection of
great talent, isn't really here. There's still no outfield on this team. You're
still stuck with Rey Ordonez for another season. You're still stuck with Alomar
after the good years, Piazza as a declining asset, Mo Vaughn and Jeromy Burnitz
and Roger Cedeno, and potentially without Edgardo Alfonzo. This team has more of
a chance to reprise the grisly early-90s wipeout than they do of winning 80
games, and Art Howe will have very, very little to do with it, which means that
when the piper finally kicks down the door and collects his due from Phillips,
the next GM is going to have to be willing to work with Howe, or the Mets will
have yet another contract to pay off.
Named Ken Macha manager. [10/29]
Exercised their option on 1B-L Scott Hatteberg for 2003; declined to
exercise their options on C-L Greg Myers, DH-R Olmedo Saenz and
RHP Jeff Tam. [10/31]
Well, there you have it. The A's were happy to let Art Howe move on to greener
pastures and acquire the multi-year security he desired, and they were happy to
let Ken Macha slip into his place. Although I've complained a lot about Howe in
this space (and others) in the past, I'm still going to remember him somewhat
fondly. He was a needed antidote to the overwrought LaRussian gotterdammerung
that sucked the franchise into a black hole in the mid-90s. If he wasn't Dick
Williams, he also wasn't Steve Boros or Bobby Winkles or Jackie Moore. I wish
him well managing the Mets, for all the fat chance of that turning out well. But
after a successful stint in Houston, Howe deserved a second chance, and if he
was at times exasperating with his tactical shortcomings, he had his uses. I'm
glad to see him get his payday.
I was pretty critical of the decision to sign Scott Hatteberg last winter,
but at the end of the day, he was about as effective offensively as Fred
McGriff, and he cost considerably less while theoretically providing the team
with an emergency catcher, so chalk one up to the smart guys in green and gold,
and one less for the sniveling critic. I can understand the decision to take on
another year of the same.
Signed INF-B Tomas Perez to a two-year contract. [10/8]
Announced that RHP Jose Santiago elected to become a free agent rather
than accept an assignment to Scranton. [10/10]
Named Joe Kerrigan pitching coach. [10/11]
Declined to pick up the option on RHP Ricky Bottalico for 2003. [10/30]
The Phillies mentioned their decision to let Bottalico slip away in conjunction
with a statement that they're looking to upgrade their bullpen. Isn't Ed Wade
always looking for ways to spend money to upgrade his bullpen? This isn't
quite to the level of missing-the-point/anal retentive as the battalion
quartermasters who lost the battle of Isandhlwana for the British, but at some
point you need to spend more time worrying about actually fielding a successful
team than being a kneebiter on these sorts of details. The Angels and the Giants
both fielded good bullpens in this postseason, but while the Giants built theirs
by spending (or with their insane devotion to Aaron Fultz), the Angels built
theirs with Troy Percival and a bunch of retreads. The Phillies should have been
taking notes, instead of wondering where they have to mail Turk Wendell's next
check.
Purchased the contract of 1B-L Carlos Rivera from Altoona (Double-A). [10/8]
Released OF-B Adrian Brown; claimed RHP Jim Mann off of waivers
from the Astros. [10/10]
I'm easily amused, but the idea that the team that employs Mike Williams would
scare up Jim Mann off of waivers seems totally appropriate. Like Williams, Mann
has had to beat the bushes for an overly long time. Like Williams, there's
probably nothing he hasn't seen, and no situation he hasn't had to confront on
the mound. And like Williams, he could be that rare reliever who turns his
thirties into his money decade after the miseries of extended apprenticeship in
the bus leagues. I'd like to hope so, at any rate.
Declined their options on C-R Mike DiFelice and LHP Jeff Fassero
for 2003. [10/31]
Is Tony LaRussa allowed to operate without three catchers among his thirteen
position players? What's next, signing a third catcher who does something better
than Mike Matheny? And I'm not talking about finding the next
Scott Hemond,
the first and only backup catcher/pinch-runner of modern memory. How about somebody
with some pop? It might be nice. I think we all understand and can respect the
extent to which Matheny's a tough guy at a tough guy position, but that
shouldn't blind you to tactical needs as stark as the Cardinals have given their
intentionally foreshortened bench.
Released RHP Matt DeWitt; outrighted OF-L Kory De Haan, INF-R
Julius Matos and RHP Jonathan Johnson to Portland; announced that
LHP Mike Holtz cleared waivers and has elected to become a free agent.
[10/2]
Declined to pick up their option on OF-L Ray Lankford for 2003. [10/11]
Re-signed GM Brian Sabean; exercised their option on RHP Tim
Worrell for 2003; declined to exercise their half of a mutual option on OF-R
Reggie Sanders for 2003; announced that INF-R David Bell declined
his option for 2003, becoming a free agent. [10/31]
Brian Sabean wins out over Dusty Baker in the organizational power struggle, and
again, I'll take a useful executive over a useful field manager more often than
not. The Giants made the right move for them, although it remains to be seen if
Sabean can rebuild the organization to generate more talent than the standard
crop of bargaining chips to acquire more veteran players. The Giants already
have some good pitching talent in the system, but that's combustible, and they
haven't really developed a useful position player since Marvin Benard (to be
generous to them).
Announced that general manager Pat Gillick will return for 2003. [10/9]
Let manager Lou Piniella slip the leash to go to Tampa Bay; acquired OF-B
Randy Winn from the Devil Rays for SS-R Antonio Perez. [10/28]
Declined to pick up their option on RHP James Baldwin for 2003. [10/30]
Announced they will not exercise their option on DH-R Edgar Martinez. [11/6]
Re-signed RHP Shigetoshi Hasegawa and DH-R Edgar Martinez to
one-year contracts. [11/7]
Re-signed C-R Dan Wilson to a two-year contract. [11/8]
Pat Gillick gets sold short frequently enough, but given the choice between Lou
Piniella and somebody who can play a little baseball, he correctly chose
somebody who can play a little baseball. Managerial talent may not exactly be
interchangeable, but Bryan Price is more important to this organization from
here on out than anything Lou Piniella brings to the table.
What Randy Winn gives the Mariners right now is flexibility. Could they deal
Mike Cameron in the last year of his contract? Right now would be a bad time,
but Winn could fill in as the center fielder if the right offer came along and
the Mariners were sucking wind (or roosting in fourth) next July. In the
meantime, using Winn as the near-regular in left isn't a good offensive move,
but they'll inevitably mix in a bunch of Mark McLemore when he in turn isn't
covering for Jeff Cirillo's roster millstone act at third.
Less to Gillick's credit was his ready credulity about the value of Dan Wilson.
Yes, he had a nice little year by his own standards, coming on the heels of four
less-than-mediocre seasons. He'll be 34 before Opening Day, and despite
assertions to the contrary, in point of fact catchers don't actually age any
better than anybody else. Regardless of whether or not you think Ben Davis can
go back to being useful, is Wilson really somebody you want to make an expensive
multi-year commitment to? At least they managed to re-up Edgar on their own
terms, saving some money, and they wisely elected to give James Baldwin the
freedom to pursue other opportunities, saving even more.
Named Lou Piniella manager and signed him to a four-year contract;
acquired SS-R Antonio Perez from the Mariners for OF-B Randy Winn.
[10/28]
Signed RHP Kevin McGlinchy to a minor-league contract with a spring
training NRI. [10/30]
Signed OF-B Adrian Brown, OF-R Chad Mottola, 2B-R Jay
Canizaro, RHP Mike James and LHP Matt Perisho to minor league
contracts with spring training NRIs. [11/6]
I'm not a huge Randy Winn believer, but I wouldn't take a Piniella for Winn
offer. At least the D-Rays got a postmaturely aged Antonio Perez in the deal. I
don't have this sort of info handy, but my wild-ass recollections tell me that
Billy Martin's arrival in Oakland in 1980 did not have a major impact on season
ticket sales, and Lou Piniella is no Billy Martin any more than the Devil Rays
are an organization that inspires hope. So let's call it the way it is: Piniella
offers some veneer of baseball-like authority, sort of like lacquering a layer
of a good blue cheese onto a block of Velveeta®--in the end, it's a waste
of good material. Chuck LaMar's the third piggie, but with house made out of
cheese bricks. Adding Lou Piniella just gives his golden years a bittersweet,
wounded quality which only gobs of cash can assuage.
However, if you do want signs of intelligent life, I'm generally positive about
that gang of NRIs. All six of them have legitimate shots to make the team, yet
none of them is so good that you'd want to commit a 40-man roster spot to them
right now. As fishing expeditions go, at least this time the D-Rays came up with
more than a few bait fish.
Waived LHP John Rocker; declined their option on C-R Bill Haselman
for 2003. [10/3]
Named Buck Showalter manager. [10/11]
Signed LHP Justin Thompson to a minor league contract with a spring training
NRI. [10/17]
It's been a long, strange road for everyone mentioned here. John Rocker has gone
from frightening to frightening embarrassment to mostly just an embarrassment.
Buck Showalter has had to go hat in hand to teams with no sense of direction and
one of the best track records from among his generation of managers, and been
told to wait because said directionless franchises like themselves that way. And
Justin Thompson's long, difficult comeback road may never wind up happily ever
after, but it's hard not to close your eyes, think of that terrific overhand
curve, and hope against hope that it might just work out. If it doesn't, it's at
least a simultaneously gracious and stubborn gesture for the Rangers to keep
trying. And Bill Haselman... well OK, there's nothing strange about his long
road, he'll just have to hope some other franchise is looking to import a little
bit of Haselmania.
The move that deserves comment among these four, however, is the move to hire
Showalter. I don't see this as being anything like the old Bob Short '70s
Rangers cycling through talented managers like Whitey Herzog and Billy Martin in
a vain attempt at contention. This is an organization with the best player in
the game, a fine collection of up-and-coming prospects, financial wherewithal,
and no idea what to do short- or long-term. Beyond any questions about what
he'll do with his pitching staff or who will be in the Opening Day lineup, the
thing you can expect above anything else from a Showalter team is structure.
That quality is exactly what the Rangers have been lacking for the last couple
of years, and weren't likely to achieve with John Hart calling all of the shots
to try to win now. Showalter has run two successful build-ups working with two
infamously difficult owners. There is no better man to try to manage a Tom Hicks
franchise. Assuming Hart can work with and not run up against Showalter, the
Rangers should be able to start positioning themselves to contend within
baseball's toughest division. If the two cannot cooperate, then the Rangers need
to find a way to accelerate the timetable on promoting Grady Fuson and letting
Hart slip back into retirement rich in possibilities, trading gardeners
willy-nilly and gunning for some coveted competitive lawn art prize.
Outrighted RHPs Luke Prokopec, Chad Ricketts and Chris
Baker, and OF-R Reed Johnson outright to Syracuse; announced that RHP
Chris Carpenter and LHP Mike Sirotka declined assignments to
Syracuse, becoming free agents. [10/9]
Outrighted RHP Scott Cassidy, LHPs Gustavo Chacin and Scott
Wiggins, OF-R Brian Lesher and OF-L Pedro Swann to Syracuse.
[10/10]
Signed free agent LHP Doug Creek to a one-year contract. [10/29]
Signed RHP Doug Linton and LHP Trever Miller to minor league
contracts with spring training NRIs. [10/30]
Signed RHP Jeff Tam to a one-year contract; signed RHP Evan
Thomas, LHP Tim Young and SS-R Mike Moriarty to minor league
contracts with spring training NRIs. [11/1]
Signed UT-L Howie Clark and OF-L Rob Ryan to minor league
contracts. [11/5]
Signed OF-R Bruce Aven and RHP Josh Towers to minor league
contracts. [11/8]
Clearly, they didn't want to lose Prokopec and Sirotka, but both decided to
bolt. Chalk this up as a lesson on what happens when you give people freedom of
choice, although near-term, neither pitcher is likely to do his 2003 employer
that much good.
No, what's really interesting here is the way in which the Blue Jays are making
up for lost time. Last winter, because of the removal of Gord Ash and the time
taken to hire J.P. Ricciardi, the Jays were late entries into the minor league
free agent market, which left Syracuse understaffed and limited the Jays'
in-season options last year. This year, they're out of the gate strong and
stealing a march on everybody else. And unlike other organizations (or Jays'
past practice), the minor league free agents will get serious looks in camp.
Evan Thomas is a steal who might earn a spot on the staff. Josh Towers will have
a chance to earn a shot at the rotation with a good camp. Tim Young or Trever
Miller could be second lefties in the pen. Howie Clark, Bruce Aven, Rob Ryan and
Mike Moriarty are all minor league vets who could use service time, and all of
them have opportunities here to earn bench jobs. At the least, Syracuse will be
extremely competitive, which is certainly worthwhile in a world where even the
Baltimore-Rochester relationship can go sour. But there's also the basic good
news that your 2003 Blue Jays won't have the depth problems that the 2002 Jays
did.
Chris Kahrl is an author of Baseball Prospectus. You can contact him by
clicking here.
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