SB Nation - Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:51:04 -0000

by Keith Birmingham - AP

Another day, another picture of Randy Wolf.

Some things to read while making your pitch to Gatorade.

It's been roughly 24 hours since we were told the Brewers were "very close" to a deal with Randy Wolf, but said deal has yet to materialize. Both Tom H. and Buster Olney are saying the Brewers are expecting a response today, now that Arn Tellem has had a day to shop the offer around, but reportedly hasn't found anyone willing to match it. Other notes on Wolf:

Tom H. says he "gets the feeling that the Brewers are suprised that Randy Wolf hasn't accepted their three-year offer yet."
Jayson Stark heard that the Brewers' offer to Wolf was bigger than the three year, $28 million deal the Braves recently gave Tim Hudson.
Jon Heyman tweeted that the Mets don't appear likely to land Wolf, and while MLB Trade Rumors lists them as showing interest in five other pitchers, Heyman says the price of mid-level pitching might drive them to spend a little more in pursuit of John Lackey.
The Junkball Blues has a look at the average return teams get on three year contracts to starting pitchers. There are some good ones (Greg Maddux, Andy Pettitte, A.J. Burnett), but also some disasters (Adam Eaton, Jason Schmidt, Carl Pavano).
Jorge Says No! wonders about the wisdom of offering Wolf a third year, but says the Brewers' willingness to do it implies they don't think they can sign Prince Fielder to a long term deal.

By the way, over two months ago Jorge Says No! predicted Wolf would get three years, $31 million on the open market. Impressive.

I feel the need to clarify my position on the Wolf rumor a bit, because I feel I was a little hard on the front office in this one act play last night. I still don't think Wolf wants to play in Milwaukee, which is why Arn Tellem has spent the last 24 hours searching for anyone on a coast willing to match the Brewers' offer. With that said, I'll give credit where credit is due to the front office for finding the guy they wanted and being aggressive in an attempt to get him here. If it turns out that the scenario I laid out is true and Tellem was just using the Brewers to raise the price for someone else, so be it. At least we're talking about the Brewers making an effort, and not hearing the reasons why they can't.

Meanwhile, the Brewers are close to a deal to bring Claudio Vargas back for another season, and are just waiting for formal acceptance from Vargas and his agent (FanShot). Conversation on the deal is probably complicated a bit by the fact that Vargas is currently in the Dominican Republic pitching in winter ball.

They're also expecting an answer sometime today from Craig Counsell, who may or may not be seeking a two year deal for next season. It sounds like Counsell and his agent spent the day yesterday checking out other options. Don't be surprised if a deal gets done relatively quickly.

Ken Macha told reporters yesterday that Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra are the only pitchers guaranteed a spot in the Brewer rotation next season, implying that Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan will have to compete to earn an opportunity (FanShot). Open competition should be good for all involved, especially if the Crew manages to bring in some high-upside pitchers to compete.

Tom H. has all of those notes (and a terrible headline) in his roundup piece today, along with this note: The 40 man roster is starting to fill up, so don't be surprised if the Brewers decide not to take a chance on a Rule 5 pick in tomorrow's draft. I think that's a poor decision. Among others, Tim Dillard and Luis Cruz could probably pass through waivers without much notice. Passing on a cheap lottery ticket to protect one of those guys doesn't seem to make sense.

In the minors:

Project Prospect has a look at the speed of several Brewers who recently performed in the Arizona Fall League. Jonathan Lucroy appears to be in about the middle of the pack, while Taylor Green rated out way on the low end. They mustn't have had enough data to publish a ranking for Lorenzo Cain.
Angel Salome will be the next Brewer prospect to head out for winter ball: He's reportedly leaving at the end of the week to play for Este in the Dominican League. You can keep up with him and all the Brewer winter leaguers in our Winter League Updates.

We're continuing the effort to put together a BCB All Decade Team, and if you haven't cast your first votes yet, there's still time. Voting at first base will remain open until 4 pm today, and voting at second base runs until 4 pm tomorrow. Check back later today to vote for a shortstop.

Around baseball:

Braves: Designated outfielder Ryan Church for assignment.
D-Backs: Acquired pitchers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy in a three way deal that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees and outfielder Austin Jackson and pitchers Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke to the Tigers.
Mets: Signed 1B/3B Mike Hessman to a minor league deal.
Nationals: Signed outfielder Jerry Owens to a minor league deal.
Phillies: Signed Ross Gload to a two year deal.
Pirates: Are expected to sign Bobby Crosby to a one year deal.
Tigers: Signed catcher Robinzon Diaz, who was recently released by the Pirates.
Twins: Designated Boof Bonser for assignment.
White Sox: Signed Mark Teahen to a three year, $14 million deal, avoiding arbitration.
Yankees: Will receive the #1 pick in tomorrow's Rule 5 Draft as the PTBNL in the Brian Bruney trade.

Meanwhile, ~~Gritty von Canthitalick~~ Jason Kendall continues to search for work, but there's more suitors than you might think: The Rangers are reportedly strongly considering Kendall, now that Jarrod Saltalamacchia injured his shoulder playing winter ball. The Royals have also expressed interest.

From surprising news to what might possibly be the week's least surprising news: John Lackey is having a hard time finding a team willing to offer him a six year deal.

Actually, this might be the most surprising news: Kudos to the BBWAA for their decision to allow Sean Forman of Baseball Reference to join their organization.

We could have used this days ago, but Dave Cameron of FanGraphs has a guide to deciphering sources in Winter Meeting rumors. Again today, the meetings provide us with some things you might never have known without the internet, and wouldn't have missed:

Michael Tucker, who hasn't played in the majors since 2006, is in Indianapolis and wants to play next season.
Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson heard about a trade offer the Diamondbacks made for him and was offended by it.
C. Trent Rosecrans gave the Meetings' Best Hat Award to Manny Acta.
Blue Jays beat reporter Jordan Bastian gives us a look at the hotel lobby, complete with Christmas tree.
Jonathan Mayo of MiLB.com had to step away from the meetings for a moment to help his mom figure out the TV.

On this day in 1977, the Brewers traded pitchers Jim Slaton and Rich Folkers to the Tigers for Ben Oglivie. The 29 year old Panama native would spend the last nine years of his career as a Brewer, hitting .277/.345/.461, leading the AL with 41 home runs in 1980, and appearing in three All Star games.

Happy birthday today to:

Doc Medich, who made the final ten starts of his major league career for the 1982 Brewers, and turns 61.
Ed Romero, who spent parts of eight seasons as a Brewer in the late 70's and 80's and later served as a minor league infield coordinator and manager. He turns 52.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some snowblowing to do.

Drink up.

Rangers shopping for a catcher

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:05:51 -0000

According to Evan Grant, the Rangers are looking for a catcher who could possibly take on the bulk of the catching duties, should Jarrod Saltalamacchia not be ready to go to start the 2010 season.

This seems to suggest that the Rangers don't see Taylor Teagarden as anything other than a backup option.

Grant says that the guys the Rangers are looking at include Jason Kendall, Rod Barajas, and Brad Ausmus.

The offseason just keeps getting better and better...

Marlon Byrd declines arbitration, Pudge Rodriguez signs with Washington

Adam J. Morris — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:19:49 -0000

Marlon Byrd and Pudge Rodriguez both decline arbitration, per T.R. Sullivan.

That was expected.

Not expected, though, is the report from Yahoo's Tim Brown that the Washington Nationals have signed Pudge Rodriguez to a 2 year, $6 million deal.

If true, that's baffling. Pudge was a nice insurance policy for the Rangers, if he had accepted arbitration, although I suspect the Rangers weren't interesting in paying him more than $1.5-2 million for one season. He's a decent to solid backup catcher, but not really starting quality anymore.

But the Nats are guaranteeing him $3 million per year for 2 years. I don't get it. I guess they figure he's going to mentor their young pitching staff.

The Rangers will get a supplemental first rounder as a result of Pudge signing elsewhere.

With Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Max Ramirez dealing with injuries last season, and Taylor Teagarden being awful at the plate in 2009, the Rangers are probably going to be on the lookout for a potential alternative behind the plate on a non-roster invite.

Thursday a.m. Rangers things

Adam J. Morris — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:23:53 -0000

Continuing our exciting winter of ownership drama and doing nothing to improve the team on the field...

Jeff Wilson has a story about Tom Hicks deciding between bids from Chuck Greenberg and Dennis Gilbert, with an announcement possibly coming next week as to who the winner is, and MLB having imposed a December 15 deadline for a decision to be made.

David Brown has a Q&A with Frankie Pilliere up at BBTiA.

And Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be evaluated tomorrow to determine what the problem is with his arm, which necessitated him leaving his winter league game.

MLB Trade Rumors: On the Beat with John Perrotto Version

raygu — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:37 -0000

by Eric Risberg - AP

2 months ago: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Chad Billingsley takes a break on the mound after the San Francisco Giants scored their third run in the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. San Francisco won the game 7-2; Billingsley was the losing pitcher. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

View full size photo »

Every Sunday, John Perrotto from Baseball Prospectus puts out an article talking about possible trade rumors and signings, along with analysis of the goings on around baseball. Yesterday's article was chock full of names who could be available in trade talks this offseason, with some suprise names.

Let's take a look after the jump:

Here is a list of names who could be available in trade talks per Perrotto:

Chad Billingsley Kerry Wood

Dave Bush Bobby Jenks

Jeremy Guthrie Pat Burrell

Adrian Gonzalez Nelson Cruz

Heath Bell Ryan Ludwick

Glen Perkins Dan Uggla

Kenshin Kawakami Juan Pierre

Derek Lowe Ryan Doumit

Javier Vazquez Dioner Navarro

Carlos Zambrano Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Matt Capps Geovany Soto

Christian Guzman Elijah Dukes

Corey Hart David Dejesus

Poll

What name on the Perrotto list is most surprising?

Ryan Ludwick

39 votes

Geovany Soto

61 votes

Chad Billingsley

116 votes

Ryan Doumit

17 votes

233 votes | Poll has closed

Evaluating Catcher Defense

Adam J. Morris — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:37:48 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

7 months ago: Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird attempts to catch a foul bunt by Cleveland Indians' Dave Dellucci in the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 9, 2009, in Cleveland. The ball popped out as Laird hit the ground. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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Driveline Mechanics has a lengthy, stat-geeky post up, seeking to find a way to quantify catcher defense in terms of runs saved, and then setting out how every catcher ranked in that regard.

Taylor Teagarden was a couple of runs ~~below~~above average, Jarrod Saltalamacchia was right around average.

Oh, and some guy who used to play for the Rangers lapped the field...

Wednesday Morning Astros, etc Round Up

HighLeveragePerformer — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - ASSOCIATED PRESS

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As Ivan Rodriguez heads out of Houston, Zach Levine looks back on the era of Astros baseball in which he donned the starred hat. Oh Pudge, we hardly knew ye...in a sense. In another, more tangible baseball sense, we knew him all too well as a below replacement level catcher who didn't help the Astros defense all that much, and was a sieve with a bat in his hands after May. Drayton wanted a big league catcher on the team to start 2009, meaning that Humberto Quintero and JR Towles weren't ready for primetime. Q isn't and will never be, and JR still has time to prove us wrong.

The Dallas Morning News introduced readers to Jose Vallejo and Matt Nevarez. He calls Vallejo a top 20 prospect, suggesting his high ceiling and athleticism should play well for him in the Astros' system. On the flip side, Matt Nevarez is running out of time to prove himself. The Astros will need to place him on their 40 man roster in order to protect him from the Rule V draft. Should they do so, he has only a few seasons to make a positive impression on the major league level before he becomes a free agent outright.

What would Jose Vallejo have done as a major leaguer this season? Well it's not great to say the least: .215/.263/.293.

As far as what the Rangers will have to pay in terms of salary for Rodriguez' services, Evan Grant chimes in that:

Rodriguez is owed about $300,000 in salary, but he’s on the brink of a number of incentive thresholds. He has 344 plate appearances at this time and will get $200,000 when he reached 350. He gets another $200,000 at 375. Other incentives for 400, 425 and 450 seem unreachable. If he plays in seven more games, he’s also due another incentive bonus for reaching 100 games. So there could be up to close to $1 million remaining in payment.

The credit for this deal occurring lies with Rangers' GM Jon Daniels. It's not as if Ed Wade is exhibiting his plan to rebuild the Astros by trading away veterans for youngsters. Daniels had a need, and he did what he thought was best to satiate that need by trading for Pudge.

However, if we examine why the Rangers needed a backup backstop, the situation makes Daniels not appear as savvy in making this late season trade for a hometown favorite. Remember last season, when the Rangers were out of the race early, and they had in their stable three young catchers? Max Ramirez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden were all thought to be potential catchers of the future for any major league team. It was inconceivable that at some point the Rangers wouldn't trade one if not two of them. Depth is depth, but for a rebuilding team, a young catcher is worth the weight of his gear in gold.

Rumors and potential deals swirled concerning Ramirez possibly heading to a team with a need like the Red Sox. It made sense to a great extent- Ramirez hit well in the minors in 2008, and contending teams like Boston had aging, somewhat unreliable options at their disposal. From his position of strength, Jon Daniels did not trade any of these young men. They stayed with the organization, and to the surprise of some, the Rangers are in contention in 2009 a year or two ahead of schedule.

It's difficult to say what the Rangers could have gotten for Max Ramirez or either of the other two top catchers, but suffice it to say that it was probably someone who could have helped their club in 2009. Maybe Daniels thought that one of his catchers would put it all together and be the player to catch 130, 135 games for him. That hasn't happened, and now a position of strength isn't so fortified. Say what you will about a veteran presence, but it would have surprised many last season to be told that the Rangers would trade prospects of any sort for Ivan Rodriguez in 2009. The Rangers are going to good for many years to come, and Daniels should get the lion's share of the credit. It's funny though, how much things can change in a year's time, and goes to show that even the most well equipped teams on occassion have to acquire the Pudge Rodriguezes of the world.

Just to get rid of all the post-Pudge reporter opinions (a DQ insert):

Alyson Footer probably provides the most informative of the recap/reaction pieces. She starts by looking at Matt Nevarez and has this to say:

One scouting report describes Matt Nevarez as having a "huge arm" but also as "extremely raw." The Astros do not see him as raw. They like his plus-plus fastball and see what could be the makings of an average slider.

Footer also touches on how the deal went down between Jon Daniels and Ed Wade. For the most part it's all pretty nonchalant information until she mentions that Pudge inquired with Ed Wade about coming back to Houston 2010 before he left for the air port. The plot thickens, I suppose.

Although Drayton McLane wants everyone to know that this does not mean the Astros are going into rebuilding mode, some of the players think otherwise. The most outspoken among them, Roy Oswalt.

"I got to the clubhouse and they told me they traded Pudge, and I guess that's the process of trying to build the club for next year," Oswalt said. "That's what I'm hoping they are doing now. There is a time where you have to start rebuilding, and if you wait until the end of the season, you may not get the pieces you need for the next year. I think we still have some dates here where we can get guys that can help us next year, and why not do it now rather than wait and have to go up and bid against somebody in the offseason in a bidding war."

I've got to give Roy credit on this. Whether or not it's actually possible to moves the pieces he wants moved (Hawkins, Valverde...?) remains to be seen. Oswalt has a friend in the media on this one, as JJO chimes in with similar sentiments.

Rangers acquire Ivan Rodriguez

Eli Greenspan — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:46:32 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

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The Astros have traded All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez to the Rangers for pitcher Matt Nevarez and infielder Jose Vallejo. Rodriguez will serve as a back up to Taylor Teagarden, but should expect to see a good amount of playing time for the Wild Card leading Rangers.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Ivan Rodriguez	93	327	41	82	15	2	8	34	13	74	0	2	.251	.280	.382

Nevarez has pitched exceptionally well for High-A, posting a 2.83 ERA with 50 strike outs and a 1.06 WHIP in 35 innings this season. Vallejo, on the other hand, has struggled mightily since joining Triple-A, hitting .233 with a .307 slugging percentage. Yet, the 22-year old hit .289 in 20 games at Double-A with 7 SB and 13 runs scored. If he can be more consistent at the plate, he has the chance to be a legitimate threat at the top of the Houston order.

The Rangers are responsible for a prorated part of the $1.5 million, one-year contract, which includes $1.5 million in incentives, that Rodriguez signed with the Astros in March, according to the Dallas Morning News.

The move to bring in Rodriguez comes after Jarrod Saltalamacchia went down with strange arm injury, something that could force him out for the remainder of the season. Rodriguez - who spent ten years with the Rangers - brings his competitive edge and veteran-know-how to the young and relatively inexperienced Rangers.

Poll

Who is the winner of this late season trade?

Rangers

50 votes

Astros

50 votes

About the same

25 votes

125 votes | Poll has closed

Sunday a.m. Rangers things

Adam J. Morris — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:43:50 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

3 months ago: Texas Rangers closing pitcher Neftali Felix, left, celebrates with manager Ron Washington after the team beat the Boston Rangers 7-2 in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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And just like that, we are in position this afternoon to end this series with the lead in the Wild Card race.

And just as an aside, let me assure you, the caption on the AP photo has not been altered by me. Better than "Perez," I guess.

Jeff (the writer) Miller's game story is a celebration of the Ranger youth movement coming to fruition, with rookies Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland, Julio Borbon, and Elvis Andrus -- none of whom had ever played in the majors before this season, and only Andrus on the Opening Day roster -- carrying This Thing to victory yesterday, in what I think can reasonably be said to have been the biggest game of the season thusfar, one day after one of the most devastating losses of the season.

Jeff Wilson says that this is what the Rangers are hoping to see for the next six years, this group of guys winning games for Texas.

Ian Kinsler returned from the disabled list Friday, meaning Omar Vizquel went back to the bench, but Vizquel showed his value with his performance while filling in.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia went on the d.l. yesterday, with Kevin Richardson coming up to replace him. Jon Daniels says Max Ramirez needs to play a few games in Oklahoma -- he's been out with an injury -- before he'll be considered for a callup. In the same piece, there are notes on Ian Kinsler hitting 6th and Frankie Francisco's hold on the closer role.

Anthony Andro has a write-up on the new video technology that is coming online, that is going to give a lot more data on balls in play, fielders positions, and the like...it is basically going to be pitch f/x for balls in play, and should allow a lot more precision in data available.

And incredibly, with the football preseason getting into swing, a D/FW columnist was able to tear himself away from Valley Ranch long enough to write about the Rangers. Randy Galloway writes about the "motley mix" of pitchers the Rangers accumulated being whipped into shape by Mike Maddux and Nolan Ryan, leading this team to contention. It has become entertaining to watch Galloway write about this team's success, while bending over backwards to avoid mentioning anyone in the front office other than the team prez.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia to the disabled list, Kevin Richardson up, Ian Kinsler hitting 6th

Adam J. Morris — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:17:11 -0000

Per T.R. Sullivan, Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been put on the disabled list, and Kevin Richardson has been called up to take his place on the active roster.

The Rangers are apparently actively seeking another alternative as a backup catcher on the trade market. Maybe the Tigers want to give them Gerald Laird back.

Also per Sullivan, Ian Kinsler is back in the lineup and hitting 6th tonight, with Julio Borbon in the leadoff spot.