SB Nation - Kenny Rogers

Twins Sign Mark Grudzielanek to Minor League Contract

Jesse — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:37:22 -0000

I'm surprised. Are you surprised? We shouldn't be surprised, it's a quintessential Twins move.

Mark Grudzielanek

#?? / Second Base / Minnesota Twins

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jun 30, 1970

The following occurred between 12:45 and 12:46 pm CDT today:

Jesse: Grudz?
Jesse: Really?
Seth: Ya...just had it confirmed, too.
Jesse: Why am I surprised?

I don't want to set anyone up with the wrong idea here, because there are merits to this signing and I'll get to them later, but honestly: why was I surprised? The Twins organization has done a fantastic job over the years of acquiring veterans in twilight in the hope that they can provide some kind of depth or leadership. I could also add production, but that hasn't always been the case.

These signings have all fallen under one of two categories. Either these veterans were A) washed up and we all knew it (James Baldwin, Jesse Orosco, Juan Castro, Bret Boone, Ruben Sierra, Tony Batista, Phil Nevin, Jeff Cirillo, Ramon Ortiz, Sidney Ponson, Craig Monroe, Livan Hernandez, the return of Eddie Guardado, Luis Ayala, Sean Henn) or B) all things considered weren't a bad gamble (Tom Prince, Rick Reed, Kenny Rogers, Henry Blanco, Jose Offerman, Terry Mulholland, Pat Borders, Mike Redmond, Rondell White, Jason Tyner, Mike Lamb, Adam Everett, R.A. Dickey). Of course, whether or not any of column B actually worked out is another matter altogether. But you're catching my drift, and I didn't even list all of Joe Mauer's third catchers.

Now we can officially add one Mark Grudzielanek to that list. I think the reason this signing surprised me is because Grudz was a free agent. It was almost too easy. Of course if the Twins were in contact with Grudz, you can bet they were probably in contact with Ray Durham, too. Let's get to the actual analysis of this deal.

Contract

Minnesota has offered Grudzielanek a minor league deal, and he'll report to a Gulf Coast League squad in Florida. He made $4.5 million with the Kansas City Royals in 2008, but suffice it to say he won't be making anywhere near that much this year. Financial terms haven't been disclosed, but I'd be surprised if it cracks the one million mark. It sounds like he did have offers in the off-season, being a Type B free agent, but he declined those offers.

Age

This is the bit that everyone is going to focus on: Grudz is 39. Most guys are out of the league by this time, whether that's by choice or not, but here's something to keep in mind: even at 38 he was a good player.

Offense

Patience & Discipline: Grudz hasn't really been a guy who walks a lot over the course of his career, but he makes up for that by being a great contact hitter. He makes contact on over 90% of his swings, and goes outside of the zone at right around the league average rate. Again, the walk rates (5% of plate appearances) are low, but Alexi Casilla (6%) and Brendan Harris (7%) aren't walk machines, either. He sees roughly 3.5 pitches per plate appearance.

Power: He's a career .395 slugger, .106 isolated power. As a full-time player he's always been good for plenty of doubles, but as far as the long-ball goes he's a middle infielder. This is a secondary concern for anyone playing second base.

Batted Ball: Grudz is a line-drive hitter. A lot of analysts will say that hitting line drives isn't a repeatable skill, and that might be accurate, but when you're hitting them at a rate that's better than league average year after year after year, something is going well.

Defense

Arm: This has never been a problem. He spent a lot of time at shortstop for the Expos earlier in his career, but for a guy who would be playing exclusively at second base, the arm is fine.

Range: Oddly enough, for a guy who was 38 last season his range didn't fall off too much. The problem is that he is a bit older, and having lost that first step does mean something. That's reflected in defensive metrics like UZR/150, which came in at 5.3 in 2008. Still above average, which is very much in line with Grudzielanek's history, it's just not what it was.

Conclusions

There are a lot of positives here; just not as many as we'd hoped as fans rooting for someone like Freddy Sanchez. This is a move that has zero risk for the Twins, who are still counting on Casilla to get the job done. If Casilla faulters again, it's not as though Minnesota would be wasting a roster spot by calling on Grudzielanek. The biggest focus as far as positives go though, and it's a big one, is this: it's not going to take much to improve on what the Twins have been given from second base this season. If Grudz is ready by the middle of August, comes up and hits .280/.330/.380, that's an improvement. As far as his defense goes, there would have to be something desperately wrong for him to have suddenly turned into a negative player in the field. For a guy like this, his offensive skills may disappear, but the glove will linger on.

What does leave me slightly disappointed is the fact that this is such a by-the-numbers move for the Twins. There's no risk here, but sometimes that's exactly what a team needs for a boost: a risk. A sign that, yes, dammit, this organization believes in you so much that we went out and put our own asses on the line. Sometimes I get the sense that the front office forgets that everything about baseball is a two-way street, it's all a relationship, from the fans to the players to the front office.

Baseball is a business. By that definition, picking up a guy like Grudzielanek is a good move simply because getting a guy to play league average anything at second base constitutes an upgrade. But I just had my sights on something a bit more substantial.

There's still time.

Poll

Which list does Grudz belong on?

A) He's washed up and we all know it.

53 votes

B) All things considered, not a bad signing.

245 votes

C) I've already ordered my "Grudz" jersey.

33 votes

331 votes | Poll has closed

Rangers offense slumping at a historic level

Adam J. Morris — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:26 -0000

Going into last night's game, the Rangers' team OPS for the month of June was 668. I think it is safe to say it dropped a few points last night.

The last time the Ranger offense was this bad in a calendar month was September/October, 1992. That team had Nolan Ryan, Kevin Brown, and Jose Guzman in the rotation, Kenny Rogers, Terry Matthews, Floyd Bannister, and Todd Burns in the bullpen, Dickie Thon at shortstop, Brian Downing at DH, and and people named Russ McGinnis, Doug Davis (the catcher, not the pitcher) and Ray Stephens (the baseball player, not the singer) getting ABs.

This is absurd.

Better Know a White Sox Division Rival: Detroit Tigers

larry — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:00:10 -0000

This is the last in a series about AL Central division rivals and the race to be the tallest midget.

Offseason Comings and Goings

Back in 2006, Dave Dombrowski was the darling of GMs. He’d rebuilt the long dormant Tigers from both within and without to form a team that reached the World Series. In 2007, they won 88 games but ran into a rampant Indians team and, to remedy that, Dombrowski flexed his prospects and payroll muscles by first acquiring Edgar Renteria and then Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis (signing both to lucrative extensions for good measure). There was talk of a 1000 run offense. And then the 2008 season happened. They scored 821 runs – a solid performance, good for fourth in the AL – but gave up 857 as both their rotation and bullpen imploded.

Dombrowski’s past dealings had largely exhausted his formerly rich farm system. And his spendthrift ways (along with a super economy, especially in the Motor City, which has apparently almost halved their season ticket base) had largely exhausted his monetary advantage, as well. Still, with their collection of older talent and big contracts, the Tigers have to go all-in. And, to the best of their ability, that’s just what they did this offseason.

Knowing his rotation needed help, Dombrowski did about as well as he could and traded/overpaid for Edwin Jackson. Knowing his bullpen needed help, he signed Brandon Lyon to close. Knowing his defense needed help, he signed Adam Everett to play SS. And knowing his pitchers needed help by having someone catch the ball, he traded for Gerald Laird to do so.

Going out the door were Edgar Renteria, Matt Joyce to Tampa for Jackson, and a bunch of relievers – including Kyle Farnsworth – who helped their bullpen stink. The Gambler also appears to have retired.

Offense

A projected lineup: Curtis Granderson CF, Placido Polanco 2B, Magglio Ordonez RF, Miguel Cabrera 1B, Carlos Guillen LF, Gary Sheffield DH, Gerald Laird C, Brandon Inge 3B, Adam Everett SS

Bench and Spare Parts: Matt Treanor C, Ramon Santiago INF, Marcus Thames OF, Timo Perez OF, Ryan Raburn OF, Brent Clevlen OF, Ryan Larish INF/OF, Mike Hessman OF

This remains a potent offense. Granderson is an ideal leadoff hitter. The 33 year old Polanco keeps chugging along with his blend of batting average dependent OBP and decent pop. Ordonez also keeps chugging along. While his days of 30+ home runs are gone, his line drive ways should keep his batting average high and power numbers good. While Cabrera’s continued weight gains and plate discipline losses make his contract look more risky long-term, the short-term prognosis is still that of an offensive powerhouse. Guillen struggled with back problems late last season and missed all of September. The Tigers will hope that his power returns. Sheffield has been atrocious since coming over from the Yankees. The Tigers will hope to get anything out of him – though he’s healthy for the first time in a long time. Laird is an overall average catcher, though it will be interesting to see how he reacts to his return to a full-time role (it wasn't pretty last time). Inge and Everett are offensive black holes but their defense makes them adequate and this offense can handle their lack of production.

Pitching

Rotation: Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Armando Galarraga, Edwin Jackson, Nate Robertson

Bullpen and Spare Parts: Brandon Lyon, Fernando Rodney, Joel Zumaya, Bobby Seay, Clay Rapada, Zach Miner, Ryan Perry, Juan Rincon, Alfredo Figaro, Scott Williamson, Dontrelle Willis

You want question marks, this pitching has them plastered all over the place. Verlander was not impressive last season and a return to prior form will be absolutely essential for the Tigers. While his peripherals suggest a decent rebound should be expected, the continued loss of fastball velocity is a concern. Bonderman’s 2008 campaign was cut short by surgery to correct a circulatory problem in his throwing shoulder. His velocity and command have yet to return so far this spring. Galarraga was the Tigers’ one bright spot last season as he turned from random offseason acquisition to staff ace; however, nothing in his history suggests anything close to a repeat and his peripherals show massive regression is on tap. Perennial breakout favorite Jackson will continue to entice but be nothing more than backend fodder. Left-hander Robertson looks to be the current favorite for the 5th spot, but a sprained thumb could cause him to miss the opening day roster.

Starting at the top of the bullpen, Lyon just isn’t that good. He’s a fine enough relief pitcher but he’s certainly not the lights-out closer that is usually associated with the role. This would perhaps be okay – because, after all, more of the high leverage relief innings happen before the typical bases empty ninth inning entrance of a closer – however, it’s not like there’s much else to really like in this bullpen, either. Zumaya is hurt again and will be opening the season on the DL. Rodney was erratic last season after returning from injury but, while he gives up too many walks, he does strike batters out and a return to adequacy is likely. Non-roster invitee Rincon has had an excellent spring and appears to have pitched his way onto the roster – though coming off two poor seasons, not much should be expected of him. Rapada will be the LOOGY while Seay, the man responsible for Jerry Reinsdorf’s hate of Scott Boras, will be the primary lefty set-up man. 2008 top draft pick Perry, a win now selection, is a hard-throwing righty whose fastball touches triple digits and has a slider and change which are also good; while his command can be shaky, he could be a repeat of 2006 Zumaya. Miner, who lost out in the 5th starter derby, will be the swingman. Although Willis was almost a certainty to not make the opening day roster, him being placed on the DL on Sunday was a bit of a shock and even more surprising was that it was for an anxiety disorder.

Farm

There’s just one man in this depleted system that will make an impact this year.

Rick Porcello is a 20 year old righty. There was talk early in the spring about him breaking camp with the Tigers in their rotation. That talk died down, not least because of control problems, but it is a near certainty that he will appear sometime this season in the big leagues. Last season, against older and more advanced competition, he was the Florida State League (High-A) Player of the Year. His 93 MPH sinking two-seam fastball, 95 MPH four-seam fastball, slider, and change are all excellent to good and his low strikeout rate at Lakeland was attributed to the Tigers not permitting him to use his slider in order to force him to work on his curve. He’ll start the season at Double-A Erie but expect the stay to be short.

Outlook

This midget is all-in but it still doesn’t look like it’s enough to take this contest.

Previously: Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians

Astros Farm System Question #5

farm_stros — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:00:17 -0000

Especially after the 2007 draft, I am excited about starting to find out the answer to the question: "HOW GOOD IS JASON CASTRO?"

As a child, my parents and I watched numerous minor league baseball games as part of family vacations. One of the best memories about those trips would occur a few years after the fact when we'd see one of the players again in a major league uniform. This event always led to the comment, "We saw him play in Nashville a few years ago, didn't we?" or something along those lines. For example, I saw Kenny Rogers pitching for Burlington at Waterloo, Iowa, Shawon Dunston playing shortstop for Midland in Little Rock. I also saw Jose Canseco playing for the Southern League all-stars against the Houston Astros in Birmingham. As A minor league fan, there is nothing to compare with the "I saw him when" moment.

I hope we have a chance to have a "I saw him when" moment with Jason Castro in the near future. He started solidly after being drafted in the first round last June out of Stanford. Who knows maybe in 2030, when he is being inducted in Cooperstown, we'll be able to say "We saw him playing in Lancaster or Corpus Christi back in 2009, didn't we?"

Morning Prowl: Sheff, the WBC, The Gambler, and Social Media

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:00:08 -0000

Let's see if he feels this way in June, but for now, Gary Sheffield says "I'm a DH" and won't ask to play in the outfield this season.

Placido Polanco told Jon Paul Morosi that he'll be skipping the World Baseball Classic. Does anyone else wish Justin Verlander was opting out, as well?

Jeremy Bonderman still keeps in touch with Kenny Rogers, and is trying to coax him into coming back. However, Rogers is apparently comfortable with retirement.

If you're into power rankings, the Tigers rank 25th on FOX Sports' preseason list. (Lynn Henning has a response.)

DesigNate Robertson is not happy about Adam Everett's choice of number.

You can now keep up on your Toledo Mud Hens via Twitter, with @MudHens.

In case you didn't know, we are also on Twitter at @blessyouboys. (I'd like to do much more with Twitter this year, and plan to install a sidebar widget this week.) If you want to feed my narcissism, my personal account is @iancass.

Other Tigers-related Twitter accounts worth following are @TweetingTigers (which aggregates all Tigers news and blog feeds), @detroit_tigers (MLive.com), @MikeMcClary (or @DailyFungo), @joedexter, and @billfer. If I missed any, please let me know.

While we're on a social media kick, you can become a fan of the Detroit Tigers on Facebook. (However, as Matt Wallace and I discussed last night, there are several ways to declare your Tigers fanhood on Facebook.)

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:04:27 -0000

Some things to read while flashing gang signs to your astronomy buddies.

At the very least, today is off to a better start than yesterday, since I titled today's post "Wednesday's Frosty Mug" and it actually is Wednesday.

So, as you've probably read and perhaps even commented on, Salomon Torres announced his retirement yesterday. I don't think anyone is counting it as an absolute certainty that he won't pitch in 2009, but this makes it seem pretty likely. The Brew Town Beat recounts the story of Torres' final Brewer hat. Where have you gone, Andy Van Slyke? remembers the early career of Torres, including a four-year retirement and return to the big leagues via Korea. Al has some quotes from Doug Melvin and a look at what's left in the bullpen.

CC Sabathia finished fifth in the NL Cy Young voting, behind Tim Lincecum, Brandon Webb, Johan Santana and Brad Lidge. He finished fourth in the voting at BirdLand. I guess he'll have to settle for being Jeff Passan's #1 rated free agent. (h/t Bless You Boys)

Here are the other Brewers on the list, of 183 free agents:

8. Ben Sheets
40. Brian Shouse
48. Ray Durham
90. Gabe Kapler
91. Russell Branyan
105. Guillermo Mota
107. Mike Lamb
109. Craig Counsell
113. Eric Gagne

MLB FanHouse has their offseason preview for the Brewers, and says their #1 focus should be retaining Sabathia. I've decided my #1 focus for winter will be getting the sun to stay above the horizon longer. I'll let you know how that goes.

Ken Rosenthal has interesting logic. He notes that Doug Melvin doesn't seem to want to make trades unless they net pitching. Then, he suggests the Brewers should trade Mike Cameron and Prince Fielder to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano and "young pitching." Unless that young pitching is big enough to be the centerpiece of the deal, the answer is still no.

As he navigates through the offseason, it's important to remember Doug Melvin must be doing something right, as he's the Negro League Museum's 2008 NL Executive of the Year. This is much bigger than yesterday's "Good Guy Award."

Also worth noting: apparently Melvin has a good relationship with the Red Sox, or at least Tony Massarotti said so in his blog listing the Brewers as a possible trading partner with the Red Sox.

Baseball Musings' Probabilistic Model of Range has the Brewers eighth in left field defense in 2008, and Ryan Braun above average at 101.50. Does this officially make him a better defensive outfielder than Corey Hart, who rated slightly below average in right? I'm interested in hearing the debate.

Brewerfan.net has their season ending Power 50 up. Not a lot of big moves or surprising names in there. (h/t Bernie's Crew)

Here's what's simmering on the hot stove:

Blue Jays: C Gregg Zaun, who was upset over the way his request to be traded was handled, will not be back in 2009.
Cubs: Have reportedly offered Ryan Dempster a 4 year/$50 million deal.
Tigers: Kenny Rogers filed for free agency Tuesday. He could retire, but this will at least let him size up the market before making a decision.
Reds: Have reportedly contacted the Rockies to express interest in Willy Taveras, Garrett Atkins and Yorvit Torrealba.

Also, this isn't really hot stove news, but the Marlins may be in trouble with the Players Association regarding failure to pay per diem to players sent away from the team for rehab assignments.

What is a replacement level player? Sean Smith of The Hardball Times breaks it down for you.

Could a replacement level player add some value by bringing postseason experience to the table? Tangotiger suggests they might.

Oh, and if you've ever wondered what it's like to be in the front office of a team that's cutting ties with the face of its franchise and a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Paul DePodesta can offer some insight.

Drink up.

There He Goes, Mr. #183

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:00:07 -0000

If you haven't seen it already, Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan compiled his rankings of the 183 eligible free agents for 2008-09. And the Detroit Tigers' hard-luck catcher, Vance Wilson, he of the two ligament replacement surgeries on his right elbow, is at the very bottom of the totem pole.

183) Vance Wilson, C: Mr. Irrelevant is a guy who hasn’t played in the major leagues since 2006. Seriously, it is impressive to appear on MLB’s official free-agent list despite missing two full seasons. Wilson probably will retire because of elbow problems, so congratulations are due on this final accomplishment. What a way to go out.

Passan definitely has a point. Should Wilson even be on this list, given the unlikely nature of his playing status for next season?

Other Tigers of note in Passan's rankings:

20. Edgar Renteria

61. Freddy Garcia

72. Kyle Farnsworth

82. Kenny Rogers

128. Casey Fossum

Check out the list if you want to see where free agent targets like Rafael Furcal, Derek Lowe, Juan Cruz, and Brandon Lyon rank. Plus, you can check back throughout the winter to see if Wilson actually begins to move up the rankings.

Posting a list of "players on the edge" in response is Newsday's Ken Davidoff. Kenny Rogers ranks quite favorably (or perhaps unfavorably) there.

Is Kenny Rogers Folding 'Em?

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:45:06 -0000

At the MLB.com Hot Stove blog, Jason Beck notes that Kenny Rogers has yet to file for free agency.

Given that Rogers hasn't yet answered whether he intends to pitch next year or retire, the wait adds to the mystery regarding his situation.

Technically, the filing has nothing to do with his decision. Players who retire often file anyway if they're eligible. Fellow Tiger Todd Jones, who announced his retirement near season's end, filed earlier.

Rogers, who just turned 44, has until Thursday to file, but what is he waiting for? Is he still mulling over whether or not he'll pitch next year? Given his stated preference to play for the Tigers in 2009, is he waiting for the team to begin negotiations? Is this a signal to other teams not to bother contacting him? Is he holding or folding?

(What if Rogers doesn't file by the deadline? Well... I'm trying to find that out now. Perhaps he loses the right to negotiate a contract with other teams besides the Tigers? If anyone knows - or can find something in the collective bargaining agreement that I missed - please enlighten us in the comments. But I don't see why a player eligible for free agency still wouldn't be.)

Wouldn't Scott Boras have taken care of this stuff already?

And have I exhausted every possible play on the lyrics for "The Gambler"? I think I could still keep this going, but sometimes need to be told when to quit.

UPDATE (8:30 p.m. EST): Never mind. Rogers filed for free agency shortly after this was posted. Maybe he was prompted (or reminded of the deadline) by Beck's post. Or mine. (Hat tip: Billfer)

Kenny Rogers Might Not Know When to Fold 'Em

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:00:06 -0000

Toward the end of this past season, there were some mixed signals surrounding Kenny Rogers. The conventional wisdom said that he would retire after the 2008 season was finished, a conclusion that looked all but certain after the Tigers took him out of the starting rotation (at his request) and shut him down with about two weeks remaining on the schedule.

Yet as October approached, Rogers didn't sound like a guy ready to hang 'em up. Not only might he be interested in coming back, but if he did, he wanted to pitch for the Tigers. Rogers didn't officially announce his retirement, nor did the Tigers hold a press conference and ceremony for him, as they did with Todd Jones.

Now, with the off-season about to kick off following the conclusion of the World Series, should the Tigers factor Rogers into their plans for 2009?

He told the Freep's Jon Paul Morosi that his arm felt stronger this year than at many other points throughout his career, and that the hip injury which gave him trouble at the end of season had healed him. Rogers also acknowledged that he has to rediscover the sinker he lost. But he sounds pretty confident of his chances.

Later, he added, "I know I can pitch. I could go out and have a great year next year. It can happen."

Morosi speculates that another motivating factor for Rogers is the disappointment of 2008, both from a personal and team standpoint.

So if Rogers wants to come back, is there a spot for him? Can the Tigers really count on him in their starting rotation when he hasn't been healthy for the past two seasons? He did pitch in 30 starts last year, so perhaps he could fill out the back of the rotation nicely. Or would Rogers actually help the Tigers more in the bullpen?

If he comes back, it would be at a lower salary than the $8 million Detroit paid last year. But how low would Rogers be willing to go? Morosi throws $2 million with incentives out there. If he agreed to those terms, should the Tigers say they have a deal? Or is it time to move on for both sides?

Shake-Up: Guillen to Left, Inge to Third

Ian Casselberry — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:45:42 -0000

The mysteries of which positions Brandon Inge and Carlos Guillen will be playing next season have already been solved. Jim Leyland is getting a head start on the 2009 edition of the Detroit Tigers, announcing a couple of position changes before last night's game.

Inge will be moving back to third base, where he reminded everyone over the past two weeks just how much of a difference his defense can make. And that pushes Guillen out to left field, where he played two games back in early June.

Why make the moves now, Jimmy?

"I'm not going to discuss the reasons," Leyland said prior to the game. "But this is best for the team."

Does this mean Dusty Ryan will be the Tigers' starting catcher next year? Judging from the reports, Leyland didn't say. But he was certainly impressive in his 13-game tryout this month.

This also looks like disappointing news for Matt Joyce, who looked for much of the season like he was staking a claim on left field, but didn't make much of an impression during September. Joyce hadn't posted a home run or RBI since August 25, with his batting average steadily declining, as well.

Does this also end the Marcus Thames era in Detroit? It sure seems likely.

One more note: Kenny Rogers says that if pitches anywhere next year, it will be with the Tigers. Does that mean he'll be back with the team?

We'll have more on these developments later, as information and quotes become available. But for now, what do you think of these moves? Disappointed? Excited? Were they simply inevitable? Does the Tigers' defense already look better for next year?