MLB FanHouse

Footprints in the Snow: Blue Jays

Josh Alper — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The man in charge of personnel may be new -- Alex Anthopoulos replaces his former boss J.P. Ricciardi as general manager -- but the two crucial questions for the franchise remain intact. How do you contend in a division stocked with the behemoths in Boston and New York as well as the young and talented Orioles and Rays? And, perhaps more pressing, what to do with Roy Halladay?

The answers to the two questions have some common ground. The only way the Jays will be able to compete with the Sox and Yankees over the long haul is to stock every level of their organization with talent, like the Rays did, and then use those pieces to build a consistent winner. When Halladay leaves, whether by free agency or trade, they need to maximize the return by either paying above slot for the top available draftees or acquiring high-quality players at positions where talent is scarce.

Easier said than done, to be sure, but so is competing in the AL East.

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Marco Scutaro, SS; Rod Barajas, C; John McDonald, SS; Kevin Millar, DH/1B

Shopping List

The shopping list in Toronto all depends on whether or not Anthopoulos and his masters try to contend in 2010 or not. The bet here is that they won't -- and shouldn't -- increase payroll enough to make a serious run, which means they should let Scutaro and Barajas walk as free agents.

Scutaro had a classic walk year, bettering his offensive numbers significantly over past seasons. He's 34, so not a particulary strong bet to repeat those numbers over the course of a long-term deal. Given the relative scarcity of shortstops, they can probably offer him arbitration and collect draft picks when he signs elsewhere. Barajas is an OK catcher, but the team should be able to find a cheaper alternative.

There will be bargains come January and February among outfielders and designated hitters. The Jays would be wise to add one to round out their offense no matter what route they wind up taking with Halladay. They don't need to add any pitchers as last year's injuries left them with a stack of young pitchers with experience to fill in the rotation.

Under this assumption, the Jays would build around a core of Aaron Hill, Adam Lind and Travis Snider, which means they don't need to set any particular positional requirements for a Halladay trade. Get the best available players and start slotting them in as you build toward a brighter future.

Money Matters

If the Jays figure out a way to get rid of Vernon Wells' contract, they should do it even if it entails taking back a vat of swine flu. It's a mistake to buy into the notion that Wells is somehow holding the team back from being a contender all by himself, however. It's the general idea that spending is the only way to compete. There has to be more building. Dealing Wells isn't likely to happen, which means they should settle for finding someone to trade for Lyle Overbay.

He's not too expensive at $7 million, but he's not going to make a difference for them while the farm system could use whatever help it can get. Most of the Jays' arbitration-eligible players are ones they'd like to keep, with the possible exceptions of reliever Jeremy Accardo and outfielder Jose Bautista. In an unexpected (and, to be honest, unwanted) benefit, starters like Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan will actually come cheaper because of injury questions.

On top of money owed to players still on the team, the Blue Jays still have to pay B.J. Ryan $10 million after releasing him during the season. That's another sign of the danger of committing big money for big years when you don't have or avail yourself of Boston and New York's ability to simply swallow the costs.

Offseason Goals

Some might call the above recommendations rebuilding, but that's not an appropriate phrase. Given the lack of success and a strong organizational blueprint in recent years, it would actually be building. One of the first things Anthopoulos said the Jays would do this offseason is beef up their scouting staff. That's a good sign, because the Jays need to beef up the strength of their organization from the bottom up instead of worrying about adding big names who will do nothing other than finish in third or fourth place. Tearing things down now and steadily building the payroll back up as you develop your own stars is absolutely the best route for this franchise.

Footprints in the Snow: Blue Jays originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB's Economic Rebound Could Be Slow

Jeff Fletcher — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Dodgers, Nationals, MLB Biz, MLB Inside Scoop

CHICAGO -- On a day this week when the stock market had one of the encouraging spikes investors have enjoyed more frequently over the past few months, Kenny Williams let out a sarcastic cheer for what it meant to baseball.

"Let's go, let's party," he said. "We've got cash again."

Then, the White Sox general manager quickly returned to reality, at least the version of reality that he and his colleagues have been describing this week at the GM Meetings.

"I don't think it works that way," he said. "We might need to see six months of recovery before we buy into that. We need an advertiser or a sponsor or two to come back to us."

Baseball teams have cried poverty before, but last winter turned out to be, financially, one of the coldest in recent years. Dozens of players waited until just a week or two before spring training, eventually settling for cut-rate deals. Although there are indications that the economy is improving, it remains to be seen what type of winter this will be in terms of spending.

"I honestly have no idea," Braves GM Frank Wren said. "Every market has its own life it takes on once we get a little deeper into the winter. I don't know that any of us know."

"We heard a lot last year about the impending doom of the economics of baseball. ... Even in an economy where many many businesses are struggling, ... our industry has been able to keep the revenues at record levels."
-- Scott Boras While owners and GMs may call for fiscal restraint, agents will, as usual, say that it's all a smokescreen intended to help the teams keep their cash out of the hands of their clients.

"We heard a lot last year about the impending doom of the economics of baseball," agent Scott Boras said. "We had another record year this year and the economy is better. ... Even in an economy where many many businesses are struggling, particularly in the last year, our industry has been able to keep the revenues at record levels."

Attendance actually dropped 6.5 percent from last year, which was the biggest decline since 1952. That said, the raw number of fans to come to games -- more than 75 million -- was still the fourth-highest in history.

Everything is relative, from the money clubs are making to the money players are making.

"When you are talking free agency with these guys, the question isn't 'Are you going to be rich?', the question is 'How rich do you want to be?'" Williams said. "No matter the real economics of the world, in a lot of ways this is Fantasy Land. None of these guys are going to starve."

Boras countered by saying that any club that considers itself to be a small- or middle-market also should have some perspective.

"I don't know what a mid-market franchise is," he said. "That's like a mid-sized aircraft carrier. They all have the potential to have an economic bomb. If you are drawing 3.3 million fans and averaging $50 a fan. ... I just don't know that mid-market team."

Free agents may be the first to feel the economic crunch, particularly since this market has few marquee players and dozens who have question marks because of their age or performance. Traditionally, the players hurt most when the money dries up are the ones in the middle. Now the middle expands all the way up to the second tier of free agents and all the way down to arbitration-eligible players.

Jeremy Hermida, J.J. Hardy and Mark Teahen have already been traded this offseason because they were arbitration-eligible players whose potential salaries were already getting out of line with their production. Others like Garrett Atkins, Chad Billingsley, Ryan Church, Jack Cust, Mike Jacobs and Russell Martin all could follow. Each was a valuable asset when he was making the relative pennies of a player with less than three years of service time, but now they have contracts that might need to be moved.

In past years it was easy to move players like that, because most any team could afford a $3-to-$5 million player, but these days, not so much.

"All of the sudden, there is a risk-reward of 'Am I going to go after the second-tier free agent?'" Giants GM Brian Sabean said. "There might be some risk dollar wise, but I'm not sure of the reward vs. a guy that's coming in my system or the guy that a year from now we're going to need to get anyway."

A raft of players may wind up creating a new pool of free agents after Dec. 12, the deadline to tender contracts to those that are eligible for arbitration.

Another recent, economically based, change in baseball's offseason is the reluctance of teams to give up draft picks for free agents. A team that signs a Type-A free agent has to surrender a high draft pick as compensation. With teams lusting after all the cheap players they can find, those draft picks are valued more than they were five years ago.

"There are guys out there I would certainly have interest in if they weren't Type-A's," Williams said.

It is certainly not a recent development to have baseball decisions impacted by money, but there is no doubt that dollars have become more of a driving force in the past couple years.

"I don't think we're out of the woods yet with sports getting slapped in the face of reality," Williams said. "That's just my own personal opinion. It's not just fun and games any more. It's got to be a business. You have to run it as it is supposed to be, as a business."

Here are five other key questions to watch as this offseason unfolds:

Where will the big free agents land?

Jason Bay, Chone Figgins, Matt Holliday and John Lackey are the only premium players on the market. The Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Angels, four of baseball's big spenders, each are expected to be in on the bidding for at least a couple of those players, so they should end up getting nice contracts.

Look for Holliday to be the last of the bunch to sign, since he's represented by Boras. He probably won't go anywhere until he sees what Bay gets.

Which big names will be traded?

The biggest name on the trade block this winter is Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays shopped him in all-too-public fashion over the summer, but asked for so much in return that they didn't make a deal. The failure to move Halladay may have contributed to GM J.P. Ricciardi's demise in Toronto. Now Alex Anthopolous is running the Blue Jays, and he has not tipped his hand about what the Jays plan to do with Halladay, but he has made it clear he'll listen to anything.

Dan Uggla is another premium player who is almost certain to be traded. The Marlins are always looking to trim payroll and they have Rookie of the Year candidate Chris Coglan ready to move to second.

After that, the next biggest players to watch are Adrian Gonzalez and Felix Hernandez. Both are so good and so cheap that their current teams can keep them. But those current teams are not contenders, so they may also use them for rebuilding, looking for a Mark Teixeira-like four- or five-for-one deal.

Will the Dodgers ownership saga affect the baseball team?

The ugly divorce proceedings between Frank and Jamie McCourt have so far been a story more fitting for TMZ than FanHouse. However, if the McCourts end up having to sell the team in order to liquidate their assets for a split, it could have a dramatic impact on how the Dodgers do business. The model everyone in Los Angeles fears is what happened to the Padres when John Moores got divorced.

For now, though, it's too early in the process to know if the Dodgers will go the same route. GM Ned Colletti said he's conducting business as usual.

Which of the aging star players will be back and which ones will retire?

This past season saw what may have been the end of a lot of great careers, including Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Andy Pettitte, Pudge Rodriguez, John Smoltz and Omar Vizquel. Ken Griffey Jr. would have been on this list, but he re-signed with Seattle on Wednesday.

Of that group, Martinez seems to be the most likely to come back because of what he showed in the second half and the postseason with the Phillies. He also said he wishes to return.

Pettitte certainly performed well enough to warrant another contract, but after winning another ring, he may prefer to stay home.

Who will sign the biggest names on the international market?

Aroldis Chapman is a 21-year-old Cuban left-hander who throws up to 100 mph. Although he's got potential, he is considered very raw and probably won't be able to help a big-league team this year.

Ryota Igarashi is a polished veteran of the NPB, Japan's major league. A 30-year-old right-hander, he has been a setup man and closer in Japan. He'd most likely be considered a late-inning reliever in the majors.

MLB's Economic Rebound Could Be Slow originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Money Worries Could Force Reds to Move All-Star Phillips, Others

Ed Price — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:48:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Blue Jays, Giants, Nationals, Red Sox, Reds, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Inside Scoop

Editor's Note: FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher contributed to this report

CHICAGO -- The Reds' need to slash payroll, according to a major league source, could lead them to explore trading second baseman Brandon Phillips as well as right-handers Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang.

Cincinnati's 2009 payroll was about $71 million. General manager Walt Jocketty said during a break Tuesday at the GM Meetings that he "might" have to move some high-salaried players to meet the 2010 goal.

"We're going to probably have less to spend this year than we have in the past," Jocketty told FanHouse. "It just depends on how [ticket] sales go this offseason."

Boras: Holliday Can Play in Either League

Cincinnati's total attendance fell from 2.06 million in 2008 to 1.75 million this year, a drop of more than 15 percent.

The source above said the Reds plan to cut back to $65-70 million, which is a challenge in part because of raises due Harang ($11 million to $12.5 million), Arroyo (from $9.5 million to $11 million) and Phillips (from $4.75 million to $5 million).

With their salaries and so-so 2009 seasons, the pitchers would be hard to trade without the Reds taking on some of their pay. So Cincinnati's best bet could be finding a taker for Phillips, who last season hit .276 with 30 doubles, 20 homers, 98 RBI and 25 stolen bases.

The source said the Reds would prefer to keep closer Francisco Cordero, who has two years and $25 million left on his deal. They also need a shortstop and a catcher and have a decision to make at first base, where Joey Votto hit .322 but prospect Yonder Alonso (.838 OPS in the minors last season) seems close to being ready.

o. In a 180-degree turn from predecessor J.P. Ricciardi, new Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos declined any comment on whether he will trade ace Roy Halladay. But baseball sources expect that to happen this winter, with one GM predicting the Dodgers as a landing spot.

o. Detroit is probably content to let second baseman Placido Polanco sign elsewhere as a free agent and replace him with prospect Scott Sizemore, who by spring training is expected to be recovered by from a broken ankle suffered in the Arizona Fall League. It would seem to make sense for the Tigers to re-sign shortstop Adam Everett, a defensive specialist who could help a rookie double-play partner.

o. Washington should name its manager by the end of the week. A source confirmed the FOXSports.com report that Jim Riggleman, who finished out the 2009 season as interim manager, and Bobby Valentine are the finalists. One major league source said the decision will be based on who can help the team develop -- rather than public personality -- which seems to point to Riggleman.

Once that is settled, the Nats may target a veteran starting pitcher to top off and mentor their young rotation. Jon Garland and Randy Wolf are free agents who fit the profile.

Washington seems committed to Adam Dunn at first base with an outfield of Josh Willingham, Nyjer Morgan and Elijah Dukes. And Ian Desmond (.280 as a September call-up) will get a chance to be the everyday shortstop.

o. One official from another team expects the Red Sox to trade for a left fielder to replace Jason Bay, in part because they see Bay's rough two-month stretch from late June to late August -- .214 average with 59 strikeouts in 168 at-bats -- as a red flag. But another major league source said Boston is still engaged with Bay, a free agent. The Giants, in dire need of offense, could also get involved with the slugger.

"Chronological age does not have anything to do with a player of his genetics."
-- Scott Boras on client and free agent Johnny Damon San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean said his team won't be used as a pawn in a bidding war.

"You've got to be realistic," Sabean said. "Do they really want to come to San Francisco versus the people they are going to be talking to, including their own teams? We'll gauge in that way. People who are interested in San Francisco sincerely, we'll be interested in. Are we going to chase people we have no chance of signing?"

The Giants may have a tough time convincing a slugger to play in San Francisco because AT&T Park is so pitcher-friendly.

"If you can hit, you can hit," Sabean said. "The ballpark shouldn't bother you."

o. Johnny Damon just turned 36, but, as you'd expect, that's not going to deter Scott Boras from seeking as long a contract as he can get.

"The thing I'll say about Johnny is his durability is off the charts," Boras said. "It's like when I had Maddux on the market at age 37 and he got a four-year deal. Johnny Damon is at the point he's played 12 years and played 140-plus games and put up this remarkable career. Then you are talking about Pete Rose and all those players who went on to play till they were 40 at very high levels. Chronological age does not have anything to do with a player of his genetics."

Boras also said that Damon would not necessarily want to wait until he goes on the open market to re-sign with the Yankees, even though he conceded that it is customary for Boras clients to test the waters.

"If there is a deal that comes across the table that Johnny is happy with, I'm sure he'd sign quickly," Boras said.

o. The Angels have started a dialogue with all of their free agents, including the two big ones, John Lackey and Chone Figgins. General manager Tony Reagins said it's too early to tell how those negotations will go.

He said neither player has closed the door on re-signing with the Angels before the end of the 15-day exclusive negotiating window.

o. After the main portion of the GM Meetings on Tuesday morning, there was a second meeting just for the assistant GMs. Essentially, that's the meeting where they discuss topics so mundane that MLB officials know that the GMs would leave if they were invited.

"We spent 20 minutes talking about urine samples," one assistant GM said.

Money Worries Could Force Reds to Move All-Star Phillips, Others originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.P. Ricciardi Fired as Blue Jays GM

Ed Price — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:13:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays

J.P. Ricciardi, fired Saturday morning as general manager of the Blue Jays, will be remembered for spending plenty and not winning enough.

Hired in 2001, Ricciardi was charged with trying to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East. To do it, he splurged on free-agent signings such as A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan and long-term deals for Toronto players Vernon Wells and Alex Rios.

Not only did those not work out, but Blue Jays ownership reversed course on its payroll plan. By trimming its budget for salary, Toronto made the Wells and Rios contracts even more untenable.

And despite a hot start this year, the Jays will finish fourth. Meanwhile, Rios went to the Chicago White Sox on waivers for nothing and a three-week exploration into trading ace Roy Halladay ended with no deal.

"This was a tough decision and a difficult one for me personally as I have enjoyed J.P.'s friendship and his perspective on the game," Jays acting president and CEO Paul Beeston said in a prepared statement. "J.P. has put an incredible amount of effort into improving the team and he has brought along a number of great young players. However, I feel that it is time for a change and accordingly we have decided to move on."

Ricciardi is probably relieved in some ways, since his contract was up in a year anyway and he no longer has to deal with baseball's toughest division or the unique challenges of running a team in Canada.

And his successor -- intelligent assistant Alex Anthopoulos takes over for now -- will have a lot to do. Such as trying a new plan (Tampa Bay came up with one) and, probably, finding a good deal for Halladay.

There have been rumors (rumours?) that Pat Gillick could come out of retirement to rejoin the Blue Jays as GM or in a higher position. And he could bring back former Toronto scouting director Tim Wilken in some capacity.

J.P. Ricciardi Fired as Blue Jays GM originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Vazquez Dealing, Braves Streaking Into Contention

Jeff Fletcher — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Reds, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That when we told you a few weeks ago that the Braves were just about dead, we might have been a bit premature. Led by Javier Vazquez's third complete game of the season, the Braves beat the Nationals, 4-1, winning their fourth game in a row and 12th out of the past 14.

The Braves are still 3 1/2 behind the Rockies in the wild-card race (and mathematically alive in the NL East, believe it or not), but they do have at least one thing in their favor. They play the Nationals six more times in their final nine games, with the other three against Florida.

In Friday's game, Vazquez added another line to his under-appreciated resume. He is 10-2 since July 7. He has 15 victories this season. The only pitcher to win at least 10 games every year since 2000, Vazquez is second only to Randy Johnson in strikeouts in the decade.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainer's Room ...
Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee couldn't play on Friday night because of a neck spasms. The injury was aggravated by teammates whacking him too hard on the head after he scored ahead of Jeff Baker's ninth-inning two-run homer on Thursday night. Pitcher Angel Guzman was identified as the player who hit Lee. Manager Lou Piniella didn't blame Guzman, though.

"All Guzman was trying to do was congratulate him for the stolen base and getting on base and scoring a run. It's something that just happened. I'm not faulting anybody."

Numbers Game ...
The Reds pounded out a 10-1 victory over the Astros, the 22nd win in their past 32 games. They have the best record in the majors since Aug. 22.

In Their Own Words ...
"Regardless of what happens this winter, it means a lot to me." -- Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, who was greeted by fans chanting "Thank You Roy" after his final home game of the season. Halladay is signed through next year, but the Blue Jays may opt to trade him over the winter, considering they shopped him at the trading deadline.

Advance Scouting ...
The Dodgers and Cardinals will both try again to lock up playoff spots. Each failed on Friday. The Dodgers, who play the Pirates (7:05 PM ET) need a win or a Braves loss to clinch a playoff spot. The Cardinals, who play the Rockies (8:10 PM ET), need a win or a Cubs loss to clinch the NL Central.

Starting Five: Vazquez Dealing, Braves Streaking Into Contention originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.P. Ricciardi: 'The Division Is Not Going To Change'

Pat Lackey — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:38:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, AL East

With the season winding down and the Blue Jays headed for their first losing season since 2005, it seems like there's a very good chance that general manager J.P. Ricciardi is going to lose his job when the season ends. His popularity in Toronto is waning and 2009 will mark his eighth season on the job without making the playoffs. The Blue Jays ownership reportedly went over his head in hiring Cito Gaston last year, so the Jays' record this year might be the final straw.

Ricciardi, however, isn't going down looking. When asked about the possibility of being replaced, Ricciardi went on a rant about the difficulties of playing in the American League East before taking a dig at Blue Jays fans for forgetting that the 1992 and 1993 World Series champion Blue Jays both had the highest payroll in baseball.

The quote (with the full version at the link):

"Let me make this clear: It doesn't matter if J.P. Ricciardi is the GM, or Joe Blow is the GM. Two years from now, five years from now, seven years from now, the reality that we face in Toronto is the division is not going to change," Ricciardi said in an interview this week. "The Red Sox and Yankees are not going away. If the Yankees want to, they can take their payroll to $300 million.

There are two points that immediately come to mind when reading this. The first is that Ricciardi is absolutely right; the AL East is ruthless. The Yankees have enough money to fix any problem they have and the Red Sox are both loaded with cash and exceptionally well run. On a year to year basis, it's certainly hard to compete with those two things.

The second thing, though, is that there has been a team that's managed to crack the AL East power structure, the Rays, and they've done it in a worse market than Toronto with a strategy that's not really like anything Ricciardi's tried in his time with the Blue Jays. Toronto tries to compete on essentially the same model that most teams in baseball do: grow talent in the minors and supplement it through free agency. The problem is that it's much harder to make that fly in a division where one team can afford to spend $50 million for the rights just to negotiate with a player and another team can drop a quarter of a billion dollars in one offseason to upgrade its pitching staff. The Rays tried a different route; rebuild the organization from the bottom up and try to beat the Yankees and Red Sox at something they can afford to beat them at - player development.

Ricciardi's certainly got some reason to be upset. He's put together some good teams in Toronto that could've made the playoffs in worse divisions (or, you know, in the National League). The problem, though, is that he was tasked with putting together a playoff team in the American League East. And while that's not an easy task for a team that's not in Boston or New York, the fact is that someone else has managed to do it.

J.P. Ricciardi: 'The Division Is Not Going To Change' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Rolling With Dice-K

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Daisuke Matsuzaka has momentum.

The enigmatic Red Sox right-hander who spent three months on the disabled list is 2-0 since returning. He followed up six shutout innings against the Angels earlier this week by allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings against Baltimore Sunday.

Matsuzaka has a 2.38 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings in his return, further strengthening his case to be the fourth starter in Boston's playoff rotation when the postseason begins next month and showing how formidable the Red Sox can be when their pitching is rolling.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"When we throw quality starts we've been in pretty much every game," Boston catcher Jason Vartitek said. "It's a big part of how we win."

The Red Sox went 16-2 against the Orioles this season.

From the Trainer's Room ...
The Phillies' increasingly shallow bullpen could be down another pitcher. Brett Myers has soreness in the back of his right shoulder and will not accompany his club to Florida this week so he can have the injury examined in Philadelphia. Myers indicated to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that the injury is not serious:

Myers, reached by telephone, said, "I don't think it's real serious. I have some stiffness and tightness and they want me to go get it checked out."

Either way, the Phillies can ill afford to lose another piece of their relief corps.

Numbers Game ...
The Rays beat Roy Halladay for the fourth time this year Sunday, becoming the first team ever to hand that many losses to the Blue Jays ace in one season.

"Beating him four times in your life is tough," said Tampa Bay's Gregg Zaun, who spent five years in Toronto as Halladay's catcher. "Four times in one year is pretty amazing. He's unbelievable. He's by far the best in the game."

In Their Own Words ...
"We needed this one. You play here and the Twins get the first two, they sniff sweep. I've seen it a few times." -- Nate Robertson, who earned his second win of the year to help the Tigers avoid a sweep at the Metrodome. Detroit will now take a three-game -- instead of one-game -- lead over Minnesota into the final two weeks of the season. The Tigers host a four-game set with the Twins from Sept. 28-Oct. 1 that will likely decide the division.

Advance Scouting ...
It could be clinch day in Anaheim Monday, and it's not the Angels who can secure an October berth. The Yankees' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is one, and they'll take their first crack at officially qualifying for the postseason in Orange County. New York and Los Angeles will match left-handers (10:05 PM ET), with Andy Pettitte going for the Bronx Bombers against Joe Saunders for the Halos. Even if they lose, the Yankees could still clinch with a Rangers loss in Oakland. (10:05 PM ET).

Starting Five: Rolling With Dice-K originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Angels Become Patients For Dr. Abreu's Lessons

Ed Price — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Twins, Yankees, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Bobby Abreu's influence has its limitations.

Vladimir Guerrero is still going to swing at everything.

But besides his fine season -- 89 runs scored, 96 RBI, .823 OPS -- Abreu seems to have passed on his patience at the plate to the rest of his Angels teammates.

"He's got the younger players understanding patience isn't a bad thing," Chone Figgins told FanHouse. "It's not about not being aggressive, but being patient, getting a pitch to hit. There's nothing wrong with being 1-1 and hitting, or 1-2, or 2-2.

"It's not something simple to do, but I think we did a good job of it in spring training and have tried to bring it into the season and have so far done a good job."

Figgins has crushed his career high in walks, previously 65, and leads the AL with 95. He is fourth in the league in pitches seen per plate appearance, at 4.23.

And he's not alone.

The Angels last year were last in the league in running up the count, with 3.65 pitches per plate appearance. In fact, they ranked in the AL's bottom three very year from 2002 through 2008.

Now they're fourth in the league, at 3.88.

And, by the way, are second in the AL in runs.

As the Yankees and Red Sox have shown in recent years, working the count forces starting pitchers out of the game and allows the lineup to attack the soft underbelly of middle relief. And patience also leads to walks, which leads to men on base, which lead to runs.

The ability to work the count seems more a skill than a learned behavior -- either you have it or you don't, like a strong arm or speed.

But maybe the Angels are proving otherwise.

"You have to just look for a pitch," Abreu said. "They're going to throw a pitch to you [some] time. Just be patient. You don't have to rush yourself. And have a plan whenever you go to the plate. You have to have a plan. If you have a plan, you just go up there and execute, that's all."

In spring training, hitting coach Mickey Hatcher asked Abreu to specifically tutor Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar in that philosophy.

Well, Morales' pitches per plate appearance is up 14 percent from last year and Aybar is up 7 percent. Howie Kendrick has gone up 10 percent and Juan Rivera 8 percent.

And even veteran Torii Hunter is at a career-high 3.77, 7 percent higher than his career mark coming into the season (3.52).

"Bobby Abreu has brought something different," Hunter said. "A lot more patience. Get a pitch around the plate, that's something he's been preaching to me from day one."

It's all part of a subtle strategy.

"The most important thing that Bobby does," Hatcher said, "is the fact that when the game starts, he might be willing to give an out but he wants to see every pitch that pitcher throws. He's not just taking. If that pitcher's got three pitches, he wants to see them all.

"That's what we talked about with our guys: You don't know what his pitches are, you're just swinging. So you're really not seeing what he has. And I think it's paid off for a lot of these guys. You might get a walk out of it, but the more pitches you see from a guy, you come to understand what he's trying to do to you. I think that's what Bobby does."

The key, Abreu said, is having no fear of hitting while behind in the count.

"They've been doing great," he said of his teammates. "They're not afraid, which is good. ... They've started to feel comfortable. They don't worry about it."

No player is less afraid of a two-strike count than Abreu. He'll "spit on" borderline strikes, as players say, until he gets one he's looking for or until he has to swing.

Abreu leads the majors with 484 two-strike hits since 2004, including a remarkable 90 in 2007. He has also had 137 more at-bats with two strikes than any other player in that time.

"Bobby has fit right in to give some of the balance [to] a team that was maybe lacking the ability to work counts as well as Bobby does," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's been an important piece to that puzzle.

"But I think Bobby's biggest impact is just the production that he's brought. He's set the table for the middle of our lineup as well as anybody could possibly imagine."

It shouldn't be a surprise, really, but Abreu's remarkable consistency is rivaled only by his ability to go unnoticed.

With four more RBI, Abreu can join Albert Pujols as the only players to drive in 100 runs every season since 2003. He has 11 straight years with 20 or more steals (29 this year, his most since 2005). And he has a chance to play in 150 games for the 12th consecutive season, something done only by Pete Rose, Cal Ripken Jr., Billy Williams and Willie Mays.

(This is a guy who was left unprotected by Houston in the 1997 expansion draft. He wound up in Philadelphia because Tampa Bay wanted shortstop Kevin Stocker and gave the Phillies a choice: the Devil Rays would take either Abreu or Quinton McCracken in the draft and trade him for Stocker. Philadelphia wisely chose Abreu.)

The Angels took advantage of last winter's slow free-agent market to swoop in and sign Abreu, 35, for just $5 million (plus a potential $1 million in playing-time bonuses).

"I couldn't believe we got him," Hunter said. "What a discount, man. That's what we call in the hood, 'The hookup.'"

Yes, it has turned out to be a great bargain, and there are indications both sides may have even had preliminary discussions on an extension.

Like some actors, Abreu functions best as part of an ensemble. He didn't thrive as the highest-paid player on the Phillies, when he expected to be the centerpiece of the team. But as a piece with the Yankees and Angels, he is comfortable.

"Pretty much the same, third hitter, set up the table for the guys behind me," Abreu said.

And teach some of them the art of patience.

Overheard and Understood

o. There has been speculation on whether the Diamondbacks will pick up the 2010 option on ace Brandon Webb, who underwent shoulder surgery last month. Our guess is Arizona makes a low-base, incentive-laden offer to keep Webb; But since he didn't need major repairs in the shoulder and could be ready for the start of the season, he might be able to find a two-year deal in the Ryan Dempster ($9 million per) range.

Chart of the Week
Three players have hit 20 or more home runs every year since 2000, making the 2000s the decade with the most players to have 20 homers every year. And three more players could join the group: Manny Ramirez (has 19 this year), Chipper Jones (16) and Vladimir Guerrero (15).
Decade	20-HR Player(s)
1920s	Babe Ruth
1930s	Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx
1940s	None
1950s	Gil Hodges
1960s	Hank Aaron
1970s	Reggie Jackson
1980s	None
1990s	Barry Bonds, Matt Williams
2000s	Carlos Lee, Alex Rodriguez, Lance Berkman
Source: Astros

o. One rumor around front offices is that Pat Gillick is going to come out of retirement to return as general manager of the Blue Jays, whom he ran from 1978 to 1994 as they won two World Series. The rumor also has Gillick bringing back Tim Wilken, who was Toronto scouting director (1996-2000) and is now the Cubs' scouting director.

o. How important will home-field advantage be in the playoffs? It looks like six of the eight teams in the field will have a home winning percentage better than .600. And home teams overall this year have a .551 winning percentage, the sixth-highest mark ever, according to STATS LLC. Last year's home winning percentage was .556 -- but the team with home-field advantage won just four of the seven series.

o. When the Rays traded Scott Kazmir to the Angels, they were 69-58 and 4 1/2 games out in the wild-card race. While the idea behind the Kazmir trade made some sense -- with some pitching depth, save the money remaining on his contract to help keep the rest of the club together -- the timing seems to have sent the wrong message in the clubhouse. One friend of some Rays said the players wondered if the front office had given up on a playoff push this year. And since the trade, Tampa Bay has gone 7-15 and fallen out of contention while looking lethargic for long stretches.

o. When Adam Moore caught all 14 innings of the Mariners' Thursday win over the White Sox, it marked the most innings caught in a big-league debut in at least 55 years.

o. Cincinnati's recent success is meaningless, and doesn't necessarily presage a playoff run in 2010, but it does seem to affirm that for all the criticism leveled at Dusty Baker, he has a knack for getting his team to play hard. And that's no small thing.

o. What does good play in September mean the next year? The best record in last year's final month belonged to Kansas City. The best teams in September 2007 were the Yankees, Indians and Rockies; both missed the playoffs in 2008.

o. Only once since 1900 has a shortstop batted .325 with 15 homers and 25 stolen bases -- Hanley Ramirez two seasons ago. But Ramirez, Jason Bartlett and Derek Jeter could all do it this year.

o. Quotes from Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on Carl Pavano that Yankees fans will find hard to believe: "I like the way he goes about his business. ... Plus, he's very competitive. ... Since he's come here, he's been really good for our ballclub. A real bonus."

o. Red Sox manager Terry Francona was asked about how teams position their left fielder at Fenway Park. "When Manny [Ramirez] was here," Francona cracked, "we didn't know what our philosophy was. We tried to have one, but we didn't always know what it was."

Baseball Brunch: Angels Become Patients For Dr. Abreu's Lessons originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posada Suspended 3 Games for Brawl

Andrew Johnson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Yankees

Jorge Posada will pay the price for his role in the brawl between the Yankees and Blue Jays Tuesday night. The New York catcher has been suspended for three games and fined for his actions by Major League Baseball.

Posada elected to begin serving his suspension immediately.

Jesse Carlson, the Toronto reliever who was the other party at the center of the bench-clearing scuffle, will begin serving a three-game suspension for his role in the incident Wednesday night.

Carlson's suspension was first reported by MLB.com.

The Yankees' Shelley Duncan was also suspended for three games, but he has elected to appeal.

Posada sparked the brawl when he brushed past Carlson after scoring a run in the eighth inning of the Yankees' 10-4 loss to the Blue Jays, raising the ire of the Toronto reliever. Earlier in the inning, Carlson threw behind the New York backstop, a move many saw as retaliation.

Two Blue Jays -- Edwin Encarnacion and Aaron Hill -- were hit by pitches earlier in the game.

Home plate umpire Jim Joyce was critical of Posada's actions after the game.

"As he ran past Carlson, he gave him a little shove with his elbow. It was very unsportsmanlike," Joyce told a pool reporter. "It was a cheap shot."

Toronto catcher Rod Barajas, New York hitting coach Kevin Long and New York reliever Edwar Ramirez were also fined for their roles in the brawl.

Posada Suspended 3 Games for Brawl originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One

Ed Price — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Yankees are still fired up despite their large lead in the AL East.

After two Yankees pitchers hit Blue Jays batters in Tuesday's game, Toronto's Jesse Carlson threw behind Jorge Posada in the bottom of the eighth.

Posada glared, benches briefly emptied, but there were no punches. Yet.

Instead of letting it end there, or charging the mound, Posada waited until he walked and then scored a run to give Carlson a shove after he crossed home plate.

And then it was on.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Posada ended up on the bottom of the pile in the ensuing melee -- and the Yankees can't afford to have him hurt. (Posada missed most of last year, and the Yankees missed the playoffs.)

"He was just right there on the line to the dugout. We got carried away and hopefully that's the end of it," the 38-year-old Posada said. "I don't want my kids to see that. ... Fight in the middle of the field, benches clearing -- that's a bad example."

A suspension seems likely.

"As he ran past Carlson, he gave him a little shove with his elbow. It was very unsportsmanlike," [home plate umpire Jim] Joyce told a pool reporter. "It was a cheap shot."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi met with his team after the game to ask them to chill.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Jarrod Washburn, Detroit's big trade deadline pickup, had to come out after an inning against Kansas City because of a bad left knee.

"Shortly after the strikeout [to start the game], we could tell he was in pain," [manager Jim] Leyland said. "We'll see what happens, but it seems pretty obvious to me that, at this point, he's unpitchable."

The Tigers went on to lose for the sixth time in eight games, four of those losses have come to the last-place Royals.

Numbers Game ...
Heath Bell's ERA has gone up almost a full run in less than a week. On Tuesday he gave up the winning runs after blowing two straight saves. In those three games, he has given up seven hits and seven runs in three innings, so his ERA has gone from 1.98 to 2.90. If Bell blows his next save chance, he will be the first Padres closer to fail in three straight save opportunities since Craig Lefferts in 1990; Trevor Hoffman has never blown three straight.

In Their Own Words ...
"I felt great in batting practice, ran around great, and then the second pitch he threw me, I got off balance, landed on my front side a little too hard and it just grabbed,. I didn't want to make it worse. I've been making too much progress." -- Texas' Michael Young, who tried to return from a strained left hamstring but came out of the game against Oakland after one plate appearance

Advance Scouting ...
With a 2 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race, Colorado will try to avoid its sixth straight loss to San Francisco in the teams' final regular-season meeting (10:15 PM ET). Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa is 2-0 against the Giants this year, but in those two starts he has a 5.40 ERA. He faces Matt Cain, who in 17 career starts against Colorado has allowed opposing hitters to bat just .212.

Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two Tossed in Bronx Basebrawl

FanHouse Newswire — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Yankees

NEW YORK (AP) -- As soon as Jorge Posada bumped Toronto reliever Jesse Carlson after crossing home plate, almost everyone at Yankee Stadium knew a fight was coming.

Posada and Carlson got into a scrap near the New York dugout, leading to a frenzied, bench-clearing brawl during the Blue Jays' 10-4 victory over the Yankees on Tuesday night.

"It got pretty heavy and pretty thick pretty quickly," New York slugger Alex Rodriguez said. "I think we're all fortunate and glad no one got hurt."

Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion and All-Star second baseman Aaron Hill were hit by pitches before Carlson threw behind Posada in the eighth inning. Posada glared out at the mound and appeared to say, "You don't want to do that."

Carlson motioned toward Posada as the benches and bullpens emptied, though the teams never got close to each other and order was quickly restored. Johnny Damon and manager Joe Girardi aggressively pulled teammates away, aware an injury or suspension could be costly to the Yankees as they close in on a playoff berth. Plate umpire Jim Joyce warned both benches.

But moments later, a nasty rumble broke out.

After scoring on Brett Gardner's double, Posada jostled Carlson, who was on his way to back up the plate. Joyce promptly ejected Posada as Carlson shouted curses at the star catcher.

"As he ran past Carlson, he gave him a little shove with his elbow. It was very unsportsmanlike," Joyce told a pool reporter. "It was a cheap shot."

Posada spun around, sidestepped Joyce and came back at Carlson, who took a high swing with a punch that missed. The two wrestled to the ground as the benches and bullpens emptied and other scuffles broke out near home plate.

"He was just right there on the line to the dugout. We got carried away and hopefully that's the end of it," the 38-year-old Posada said. "I don't want my kids to see that. ... Fight in the middle of the field, benches clearing - that's a bad example."

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Brawl in the Bronx

Toronto Blue Jays infielder John MacDonald, right, reacts as New York Yankees' Eric Hinske (14), CC Sabathia, in dark blue jacket, manager Joe Girardi (27), and Mark Teixeira are seen in a bench-clearing brawl during the eighth inning of the Blue Jays' 10-4 victory over the Yankees in a baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Brawl in the Bronx

New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays brawl on the field during the eighth inning of the Blue Jays' 10-4 victory in a baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in New York. Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas is on the ground at left. Blue Jays third base coach Nick Leyva (16) tries to separate participants. Yankees' Nick Swisher is in the center of the group. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

New York Yankees reliever Edwar Ramirez, center, restrains Toronto Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas as home plate umpire Jim Joyce approaches after a brawl broke out in the eighth inning of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York Yankees' Derek Jeter, far left, rushes out toward on-deck batter Johnny Damon, second from left, as Yankees' Jorge Posada (20) tries to get around home plate umpire Jim Joyce during an eighth-inning brawl in the Yankees' baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in New York. Toronto's Rod Barajas is next to Posada and Joyce. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas, left, is restrained by an umpire during a brawl in the eighth inning against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (John Dunn/Newsday/MCT)

MCT

New York Yankees Jorge Posada is restrained by Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia after a brawl with the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning, Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (John Dunn/Newsday/MCT)

MCT

New York Yankees' Jorge Posada (20) faced off with Toronto Blue Jays' Jesse Carlson (39) as a brawl breaks out after Posada scored in the eighth inning, Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (John Dunn/Newsday/MCT)

MCT

A brawl breaks out between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees in the eighth inning, Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (John Dunn/Newsday/MCT)

MCT

A brawl breaks out between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees in the eighth inning, Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (John Dunn/Newsday/MCT)

MCT

Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas and Yankees reserve Shelley Duncan got in a particularly rough tussle.

"Once he crossed the plate and threw that elbow at me or whatever, I just said, 'Let's go,"' Carlson said. "I'm probably the smallest guy in MLB and we were right near their dugout, so I was just hoping I got out of there all right."

When things finally settled down, there was catching equipment strewn all over the field behind home plate. New York pitchers CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte escorted Posada into the dugout.

The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Carlson, also ejected, was left with a large red knot on the left side of his forehead.

"We were wrestling or whatever and we both went down to the ground. We were kind of right near their dugout and kind of got trampled on for a little bit. I was trying to cover up and I'm not sure who it was, but somebody moved my hands out of the way and got in a shot," Carlson said. "I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt."

Carlson declined to apologize and said he didn't throw at Posada intentionally.

"It was a fastball in and I yanked it. Just a bad pitch," he said.

Once umpires review the tape and report to Major League Baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson, Posada and Carlson are likely to be suspended and fined. Perhaps others, too.

"I don't know if that was too smart. They have a lot more to lose than we do," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said.

Girardi appeared to get hit in the face with a fist from Toronto infielder John McDonald as he lunged into the scrum. Afterward, the manager had a little scratch on the left side of his face near his eye.

"It's all right. I don't think anyone was trying to hit me," Girardi said, adding that he spoke to his team after the game about focusing on the pennant race. "I thought the umpires did a good job, pulling people off, but it's hard when people have 35-man rosters and they're running in from all directions."

McDonald said he didn't throw a punch at Girardi.

The game was interrupted for about 10 minutes. When play resumed, there were only three umpires on the field. During the fight, third base ump and crew chief Derryl Cousins was hit in the knee by a bottle full of soda that he said was thrown from the stands.

"Doctor checked it out. Nothing is broken. There's going to be a bruise. It's just painful," Cousins said.

Early on, Roy Halladay (15-9) stymied the Yankees and rookie Travis Snider hit two of Toronto's five homers. New York's lead in the AL East was cut to 6 1/2 games over Boston, which beat the Los Angeles Angels.

The Yankees' magic number for clinching a playoff spot is six.

Adam Lind and Encarnacion also connected off Yankees starter Sergio Mitre (3-3).

Notes: Halladay is 18-6 with a 2.84 ERA in his career against the Yankees. ... Lind and Encarnacion also homered Monday in Detroit.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Two Tossed in Bronx Basebrawl originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Not a Clean Sweep, but a Sweep The Rangers Will Take

Ed Price — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Cubs, Indians, Orioles, Pirates, Rangers, Red Sox, Rockies, Twins, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That it took a lot of work for the Rangers to climb within two games of the Red Sox in the American League wild-card race.

Texas swept a doubleheader at Cleveland, 11-9 and 10-5, and the games took a combined five hours, 59 minutes.

"It's pretty good to get back on track and win some ballgames," manager Ron Washington said. "We'll come back tomorrow, get greedy and see if we can get a [series] sweep."

Texas has played three regular (i.e., not day-night) doubleheaders this year, most in the majors, and has swept all three.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

In Game 1, Texas led 4-0, fell into a 5-5 tie, went up 8-5, had that cut to 8-7, made it 11-7 and held on 11-9.

In Game 2, a 7-0 lead became 7-5 before getting extended to 10-5.

The pitching wasn't great, but no one had to work both ends of the doubleheader, and the batters pounded out 31 hits after coming into the game with a 15-inning scoreless streak.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies' star shortstop, sat out Tuesday after leaving Monday's game with back stiffness.

"Tulo has to be right to have him out there," [manager Jim] Tracy said. "He has to be able to bend over, dive for a ball, run from first to third, score from second to home on a single. Right now he can't do those things."

Team trainers have told Tracy that once Tulowitzki's muscle spasms are gone and his back unclenches, he will be on the road to recovery. But Tulowitzki is not there yet.

Numbers Game ...
By losing 10-0 at Boston -- and allowing six homers -- Baltimore fell to 5-33 in its past 38 road division games. Since the start of last season, the Orioles have won just two of 20 road series against AL East teams, with the last series win July 28-30, 2008 in New York. (By the way, the last time the Red Sox hit six home runs in a home game was June 29, 2003 -- and four of them came off Brad Penny, then with the Marlins.)

In Their Own Words ...
"I've never really seen anything like that, but it happened. It was just one of those things where we couldn't stop it. You can't explain it. It was just bad luck or good hitting, I don't know what it is." -- Pirates manager John Russell after the Cubs tied a major league record by starting the game with eight straight hits, all off Pittsburgh's Zach Duke. No NL team had begun a game with eight consecutive hits since the 1975 Pirates.

Advance Scouting ...
Roy Halladay tries to keep intact his perfect record against the Twins as Toronto hosts Minnesota tonight (7:07 PM ET). Halladay is 8-0 in 12 career outings against the Twins, with a 2.77 ERA. He has been especially hard on Jason Kubel (1-for-12), Joe Mauer (1-for-10) and Alexi Casilla (0-for-7, four strikeouts).

Starting Five: Not a Clean Sweep, but a Sweep The Rangers Will Take originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Halladay Cools Off Yanks

Jeff Fletcher — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Cardinals, Indians, Phillies, Royals, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Roy Halladay stopped his his cold streak and the Yankees' hot streak in one night. The Blue Jays ace had not pitched well, losing three consecutive starts for only the third time in his career. On Friday night, though, he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with the second one-hitter of his career.

"He's just a cut above a lot of other people," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said.

The Yankees came into the game having won seven in a row, but Halladay didn't give them much of a chance. Halladay improved to 17-6 against the Yankees. That is by far the most wins against the Yankees of any active pitcher. Pedro Martinez is next with 11.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From the Trainers' Room...
Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore saw his season ended on Friday. Sizemore will be out until next year, recovering from a pair of surgeries. He'll first have an operation on his left elbow, followed by a procedure on his left abdominal wall. It is the end to an injury-marred season for Sizemore, who once played 382 consecutive games. With Sizemore out, it allowed top prospect Michael Brantley to get in the lineup to pick up his first big-league RBI.

By The Numbers...
The Phillies have scored just three runs in their past four games (winning two of them, remarkably). According to FanHouse's Ed Price, that's the Phillies' worst four-game offensive stretch since Sept. 1-4, 2000. Don't bet on the Phillies from Sept. 1-4, 2018.

In Their Own Words...
[Wainwright] is having a great, great year, nobody's getting anything off him and all of a sudden, there's the one big inning. He just looked like he ran out of gas ... But I liked it because sometimes he picks us up. It's a good team thing." -- Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, on Adam Wainwright's rare outing. Wainwright had gone 13 consecutive games without allowing more than two runs before the Pirates scored six runs against him in the fifth inning. The Cardinals rallied quickly from the 6-5 deficit to get Wainwright his major league-leading 17th victory.

Advance Scouting...
Zack Greinke gets another chance to convince Cy Young doubters that he's the guy for the award, even though his 13 victories rank eighth in the league. Greinke will pitch against the Angels (7:10 PM ET), who have one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. Unfortunately, the Angels will counter with John Lackey, so Greinke is likely to continue getting criminally poor support. Greinke has a had a one-hit shutout and a 15-strikeout game in his past two outings.

Starting Five: Halladay Cools Off Yanks originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Crazy Eights for Jays' Lind

Andrew Johnson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Padres, Tigers, Yankees, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That in a game of runs -- the basketball, not baseball variety -- it was Adam Lind who stood out.

The Blue Jays jumped out to an 11-0 lead through five innings in Texas. Then the Rangers, fighting to hang with Boston in the AL wild-card race, answered with 10 runs of their own. And Toronto followed with seven insurance runs in the ninth inning to win a slugfest 18-10.

The main difference? Lind, who homered twice, including a grand slam, and drove in eight runs

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"I hit it on the sweet spot on a couple of pitches," Lind said.

His eight RBI are the most by a Blue Jay since Roy Howell drove in nine 32 years ago.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Kyle Blanks' season may be in jeopardy. The promising Padres rookie was diagnosed with a partial right plantar fascia tear. The plantar fascia is the tissue that supports the arch of the foot. Blanks has played off and on since Aug. 22, when he initially injured his foot, but was placed on the disabled list over the weekend. He'll be fitted for a cast and re-evaluated in a week.

Numbers Game ...
The before and after picture isn't pretty for Jarrod Washburn. The left-hander, who came to the Tigers in a July 31 trade, gave up eight runs in a loss to the Rays Monday afternoon. In six starts with his new club he is 1-2 with a 6.81 ERA. That's more than four runs higher than his ERA with the Mariners this season.

"He certainly didn't have very good success today," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "Some of it by his own doing and some of it was that's just the way it is sometimes.

"Sometimes it just isn't your day."

In Their Own Words ...
"He was like, 'You took the pressure off me.' He goes, 'If I haven't thrown a no-hitter by now, then I'm not going to do it.' He was probably the best. He said he didn't want to throw nine innings anyway. That's what type of attitude he has." -- Yankees utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr. on how Andy Pettitte consoled him after he made an error in the seventh inning that ended Pettitte's bid for a perfect game. Pettitte gave up a hit immediately after Hairston's error, but New York still beat Baltimore 5-1.

Advance Scouting ...
Tim Hudson makes his first start in the major leagues since last July, completing a lengthy rehab process from Tommy John surgery, and he'll do it on the same mound which he was initially hurt. The right-hander will take the hill at Land Shark Stadium as the Braves take on the Marlins (7:10 PM ET) in the second game of a critical series in the NL wild-card race. Atlanta won the opener to pull within three games of the wild-card lead.

Starting Five: Crazy Eights for Jays' Lind originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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White Sox Claim Alex Rios on Waivers

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:50:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, White Sox, MLB Transactions

The White Sox will take on outfielder Alex Rios, and the remaining guaranteed $59.7 million on his contract (which runs through 2014), for the stretch run after successfully claiming him off of waivers from the Blue Jays, according to multiple reports.

Chicago will not send a player to Toronto in exchange for Rios, making the deal a straight salary dump.

Because of the money involved, it's a fascinating transaction.

White Sox GM Kenny Williams has taken on a staggering amount of salary in the last two weeks -- first by swooping for Jake Peavy, who is owed $52 million over the next three seasons, and now by adding Rios.

Both players can help Chicago during the stretch run of this season. Peavy, currently on the disabled list, is an ace and former Cy Young winner. Rios has struggled this year, hitting .264 with a .744 OPS, but, just 28, is capable of better, and could be particularly useful to Ozzie Guillen if he can play center field regularly.

Rios has played 106 games in center during his career -- eight this season -- and the White Sox have gotten almost nothing out of that position, with Chicago center fielders hitting .224 in 2009.

Still, such gaudy financial commitments suggest Williams was not simply thinking about the three-way logjam atop the AL Central this year when he made these moves. Peavy further solidifies an excellent rotation that also features Mark Buehrle and John Danks. Rios could be the right fielder of the future on the South Side with the 35-year-old Jermaine Dye potentially a free agent after the season.

As for the Blue Jays, this is the type of salary relief general manager J.P. Ricciardi was looking for when he dangled ace right-hander Roy Halladay in trade talks that consumed the entire month of July.

Rios is just one of the bad contracts Ricciardi has saddled Toronto with in recent seasons, limiting the team's flexibility as it tries to compete in the cutthroat AL East.

Though the Jays have made some noise about regrouping and contending with Halladay next season, much of that talk seems hollow now. Highly-touted youngster Travis Snider could potentially fill the offensive void next season, and Toronto could use Rios' money elsewhere in hopes of making a run, but it feels more like the beginning of a tear-down-and-rebuild process.

"From the standpoint of a financial dump, that's not the message we're trying to send," Ricciardi told reporters. "It enables us to have more financial flexibility.

"I think what's happened since we did the contract is the game has changed in so many ways economically in the last year."

Perhaps, with the financial burden lightened, the Jays really can make a run at the Yankees and Red Sox next year. At the least, it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Just don't be surprised if Halladay -- and any other expensive assets Toronto has on its books -- wind up back on the trading block this winter.

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Oakland Rajai Davis steals second base against Baltimore Orioles Brian Roberts in the ninth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, Monday, August 10, 2009. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/MCT)

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ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 10: Evan Longoria #3 of the Tampa Bay Rays is congratulated by manager Joe Maddon after scoring a run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on August 10, 2009 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Evan Longoria;Joe Maddon

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ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 10: Sean O'Sullivan #55 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Angel Stadium on August 10, 2009 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sean O'Sullivan

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ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 10: Matt Garza #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the second inning at Angel Stadium on August 10, 2009 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Garza

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ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 10: Sean O'Sullivan #55 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Angel Stadium on August 10, 2009 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sean O'Sullivan

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ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 10: Matt Garza #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first inning at Angel Stadium on August 10, 2009 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Garza

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luke French throws against the Chicago White Sox in the third inning Monday, Aug. 10, 2009, during a baseball game in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Tampa Bay Rays' Ben Zobrist dives back to first base to beat the tag after a ball hit by Carlos Pena was caught against the Los Angeles Angels in the third inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)

Los Angeles Angels' Bobby Abreu, left, and Kendry Morales, celebrate Morales' two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the third inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)

PHOENIX - AUGUST 10: Mark Reynolds #27 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates at home plate with Chad Tracy #18 after scoring a run in the second inning against the New York Mets at Chase Field on August 10, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Reynolds;Chad Tracy

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New York Yankees Hideki Matsui follows through on a ninth inning pinch hit single in the Yankees 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in their baseball game at Yankee Stadium Monday, Aug. 10, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

White Sox Claim Alex Rios on Waivers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Off to the Races

Ed Price — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, Mets, Padres, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, MLB Playoffs, Minor Leagues, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch, MLB Trade Deadline

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Now that the hands are dealt -- expect for one or two more this month -- we can examine the pennant races to come.

There wasn't much point in assessing the races until after Friday's non-waiver trade deadline, when we know what we're dealing with. Some important pieces will change hands after they clear waivers this month, but they probably won't be difference-makers.

Before we get to the predictions, though, let's talk about one trade that didn't happen.

Toronto held on to Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays had every right to ask for a boatload of prospects for him, as Halladay may be the most reliable pitcher in the game.

The strategy was to either use Halladay for a quick rebuild or keep him and make a run in 2010. An official from another team told FanHouse that strategy comes "right out of the Oakland playbook: load up for a year, take your shot. If it doesn't work, start over."

Remember, Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi came from the A's.

There's one problem, and that's Halladay himself. He was said to be quite motivated to move on, because his goal -- stated publicly -- is to get a chance to pitch in the playoffs.

That won't happen this year. And now that he's been teased with the proposition of moving to a contender, he may itch even more to get out of Toronto. He may be more vocal about what he really wants, which is a shot at October.

One person familiar with the situation assured FanHouse that trading Halladay will get revisited over the winter. He won't be worth quite as much then as he was last week, since the acquiring team gets him for just one season rather than one plus part of a second, but there may be more clubs involved in the bidding.

Halladay and Ricciardi have a good relationship. If Halladay makes it known he's unhappy, Ricciardi may accommodate him.

Until then, though, we have to play two months plus the postseason.

The most compelling race should be in the division that was most active in July trading. And while Cleveland was trying to re-stock its farm system, contenders Detroit, Chicago and Minnesota were all making a move for this year.

Edge to the Tigers.

At least for this year. They figure to get about 12 starts from Jarrod Washburn, which gives them the best one-through-four starting pitchers in the AL. Meanwhile, Jake Peavy figures to make seven starts max for the White Sox because he has to work back from an ankle tendon problem.

That five-start gap is enough for Detroit to hold onto its division lead.

The other three AL playoff teams should be the Red Sox, Angels and Yankees -- even though the latter two didn't make a significant move.

Boston recognized its offensive deficiencies and addressed them with the addition of Victor Martinez. The Angels should hold on because the Rangers seemed to be fading and couldn't pull off a booster deal.

The Yankees have an issue in rotation depth, and maybe some back-end starter will pass through waivers. They need to do something, because if they don't, then if Andy Pettitte, A.J. Burnett, Joba Chamberlain or Sergio Mitre has any kind of issue the rest of the way, the Yankees will have to subtract from their bullpen to fill the hole.

In the NL, the race for two spots between the Rockies, Giants, Cubs, Cardinals, Marlins, Braves and (perhaps) the Mets should be fun.

All but the Mets made some kind of move. The suspicion here is that San Francisco grabs the wild card because all it needed was a little more offense to supplement its pitching. Since the All-Star break, the Giants have lost eight games, and five of those were by the scores of 2-1, 2-0, 4-2, 4-2 and 5-1.

The Phillies will hold on in the East and the Dodgers in the West, leaving the jumbled Central. Like with San Francisco, St. Louis addressed its offensive need and seems OK in the pitching department, so that's the pick.

That gives us a postseason first round of Philadelphia vs. San Francisco and Los Angeles vs. St. Louis. We'll go with a Phils-Cards NLCS and the Phillies back in the World Series.

In the AL, the Angels would play the AL East runner-up (we'll say the Yankees) and the Tigers the AL East winners. We know the Yankees can't beat the Angels, and we'll take Boston over Detroit.

But the Angels aren't quite that good, so they fall to the Red Sox -- meaning a Boston-Philadelphia World Series.

Who wins? Get back to us in October if these predictions are correct.

Overheard and Understood

o. Lost in the shuffle after the bungled news conference to announce the decision is the impact of the Mets' firing of Tony Bernazard, who was supposedly overseeing their farm system. Bernazard had detractors inside the organization as well as in the media, but sources said he had ingratiated himself with GM Omar Minaya and COO Jeff Wilpon. One source said Bernazard ran off a number of good minor-league instructors (which has manifested itself when the players have reached the majors) and Gary LaRocque, who at one point ran the scouting and player development departments. LaRocque, the source said, brought a sense of organization to the front office, making up for one of Minaya's weakness -- and that too has been exposed in recent years. "We do a number of things by the seat of the pants," the source said. [LaRocque] was a structure guy. [Minaya] knows he needs a structure guy." Now Minaya has a chance to correct that.

Chart of the Week
It's a lofty comparison, and not a prediction, but look at Mike Schmidt's statistics from his 23rd birthday (July 27, 1972) through his 26th birthday compared to Mark Reynolds' numbers since his 23rd birthday (Reynolds turns 26 on Monday):
Stat	Schmidt	Reynolds
G	404	365
AVG	.244	.262
OBP	.362	.342
SLG	.470	.503
OPS	.832	.845
HR	74	75
RBI	227	229
SO	401	476
BB	234	153
Source: Diamondbacks, STATS LLC

o. While getting Cliff Lee, the Phillies kept most of their top young players. "They don't want to give up [lefty J.A.] Happ, and I don't blame them," one scout said. "He's come up with a really good changeup. He throws across his body but is able to get the ball back inside. If you can do that, you're going to be successful." Another scout called outfielder Michael Taylor, now in Triple-A, "the best player in the [Double-A] Eastern League. Plus, plus power. For a big kid, he doesn't strike out a lot. Good pitch recognition. He has a chance to hit for average and power. He can run and throw."

o. Four rookies have nine wins: Rick Porcello, Ricky Romero, Jeff Niemann, Matt Palmer. There haven't been four rookie 13-game winners in the same season since 2002 (Ryan Jensen, Kaz Ishii, Rodrigo Lopez, Jason Jennings).

o. Philadelphia went 20-7 in July, its most wins in any month since going 20-8 in May 2001, and its winningest July since 1963.

o. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, when San Diego beat Cincinnati on Wednesday, it marked the first time since the rookie rule was established in 1957 that three rookies combined on a one-hitter (Mat Latos, Greg Burke and Mike Ekstrom).

o. Enough already of people ripping the Pirates or bemoaning the breakup of the team. This isn't the selloff of the 1997 Marlins. At least Pittsburgh is trying, by using what players had value to restock and start all over.

o. Colorado has rocketed into contention under interim manager Jim Tracy, but one NL scout said first baseman Todd Helton deserves a lot of the credit. "He's this decade's [Jeff] Bagwell," the scout said, "the star player in the clubhouse who puts the team on his back. He's part of the reason they've recovered."

o. Unless there's a rainout, Oakland will play a franchise-record 28 straight days after the All-Star break (July 16-Aug. 12). In fact, the A's have just five off days in the second half because of makeup games.

o. Toronto's Marco Scutaro is on pace to be just the fourth shortstop to field .993 or better and average more than three assists per nine innings, after Rey Sanchez in 2000, Mike Bordick in 2002 and Omar Vizquel in 1998.

o. When Kansas City got double-digit strikeouts games from starters two nights in a row last weekend (10 for Zack Greinke and 13 for Luke Hochevar) it marked the first time that happened for the Royals since Tom Gordon and Kevin Appier in 1993.

Baseball Brunch: Off to the Races originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.P. Ricciardi Overplayed His Hand

Jeff Fletcher — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:36:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, MLB Trade Deadline

OAKLAND -- The Blue Jays have the best pitcher in baseball on their roster, yet they still came up as losers at the trading deadline.

The players in the clubhouse didn't feel that way. The manager didn't feel that way. The general manager didn't.

We don't know how Roy Halladay feels about it, because he chose not to talk to reporters. Therein lies the clue to what happened here. When Halladay was talking about his status on the trading block at the All-Star Game, he said over and over and over that he was willing to do whatever gave him the best chance to win.

As the trading deadline passed on Friday, with him still wearing a Blue Jays uniform, perhaps he knew that opportunity had passed for him and the Blue Jays.

J.P. Ricciardi, the Blue Jays GM, was asking for the moon, and a couple asteroids, for Halladay. His price was never met.

"We never really came close at all [to trading Halladay]," Ricciardi said. "We were just never moved. We said we would listen, we listened, and we were really never moved by an offer, something that made us jump up and say 'Wow, this is something that will really make us better, not only now but in the future.'"

The only two reasons to ask such a high price are a) if you really don't want to trade the player because you have hope of contending with him in the future or b) if you think you can get it. If it was the latter, Ricciardi clearly misjudged Halladay's value. He was asking the Phillies for a package including Kyle Drabek and J.A. Happ, a minor leaguer who is a potential front-of-the-rotation starter and a current successful young big-league pitcher. When the Phillies instead got Cliff Lee, the reigning Cy Young winner, they didn't have to give up either of those players.

Halladay is better than Lee, but not that much better. That gives you an idea of the gulf between Ricciardi's idea of Halladay's value and his open-market value.

If Ricciardi was being honest when he said he didn't feel he needed to trade Halladay because the Blue Jays can build a contender around him in 2010, then he's really got a big job ahead this winter. He's going to have to find whatever pieces are necessary to jump over the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays.

Good luck with that.

For Ricciardi to make dramatic improvements in the Blue Jays' short-term outlook, he's going to have to spend a lot of money on free agents and/or give up some of the Blue Jays prospects in trades. Even then, it's not a sure thing. Heck, the Orioles have more promise for quick improvement than the Blue Jays because of their core of young players.

This winter Ricciardi is going to have to plot two courses for his team. The aforementioned Quick Fix Course, and then the Abort And Trade Halladay Course.

If Ricciardi tries again to trade Halladay, he may get even less for him than he could have this time around. Halladay is only going to have one year left on his contract, so he's unlikely to appeal to any team that can't afford to re-sign him beyond 2010.

Again, good luck with that.

J.P. Ricciardi Overplayed His Hand originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scott Rolen Bound for Cincinnati

Ed Price — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:21:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Reds, MLB Trade Deadline

It looks unlikely that Roy Halladay will be on the move, but the Blue Jays did shed payroll Friday afternoon, dealing third baseman Scott Rolen to the Reds for Edwin Encarnacion and two minor leaguers, a source tells FanHouse.

Cincinnati has rapidly fallen out of the NL Central race over the last few weeks, losing nine of its last 10 games to slide into fifth place in the division and draw the ire of manager Dusty Baker, who criticized his team for their lifeless play.

The deal reunites Rolen with general manager Walt Jocketty, the same executive who brought him from Philadelphia to the Cardinals in a 2002 deadline deal. Rolen, who is hitting .320 this year and has a sterling defensive reputation, is signed through 2010 at $11 million, so this move is likely geared toward building the club for next season.

"Trading two young pitchers was a stumbling block, but we finally gave in to get Rolen. We felt there are a lot of things Scott will provide for this club that was lacking -- leadership on the field with the players. He is a veteran and I had a lot of experience with him when we were together in St. Louis. He'll bring a lot to our club. He is still playing well -- a good RBI guy and plays good defense. He'll be a big asset," Jocketty told Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News.

"The type of character he brings will help our organization -- a guy who will be big part of this organization this year and in the future. I hope he's here for quite a while," he added.

Toronto received two right-handed pitchers, Josh Roenicke and minor-leaguer Zach Stewart, in addition to Encarnacion.

The Reds also dealt utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr. to the Yankees. Hairston Jr. is expected to serve as insurance for injured center fielder Brett Gardner in New York. Cincinnati received minor-league catcher Chase Weems, a sixth-round pick in the 2007 draft, in exchange for Hairston.

Cincinnati assigned Weems to Single-A Dayton, and in a move related to its wheeling and dealing, called up right-handed pitchers Justin Lehr and Kip Wells from Triple-A Louisville.

Scott Rolen Bound for Cincinnati originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Tremors of Trouble in LA?

Ed Price — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Dodgers, Mariners, Marlins, Red Sox, NL West, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Dodgers have finally lost three in a row, falling 10-0 Tuesday to the Cardinals.

L.A. is the last team in the majors to have a losing streak longer than two, and by not doing so until games 98-100, it set a franchise record.

And while the Dodgers' lead in the NL West is still eight games, there are causes for concern. In two losses at St. Louis, Los Angeles has had 20 hits -- but scored just one run. The Dodgers went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position in those games and had only three extra-base hits, all doubles.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"We've won a lot of close games, but to go this long only losing two in a row is pretty unusual," manager Joe Torre said. "But we have to get ourselves righted right now."

Someone who doesn't have to get righted is Cardinals third baseman Mark DeRosa, who homered for the sixth time in eight games.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Two NL Central Opening Day starters are on the shelf. Houston ace Roy Oswalt left his start at Wrigley Field in the second inning with a lower left back strain. He will likely miss at least one turn in the rotation. In Milwaukee, Jeff Suppan underwent an MRI that showed a strained left oblique. Although no decision has been made on his status, the already-thin Brewers rotation cannot afford much more damage.

Numbers Game ...
Oakland became just the second team in more than 25 years to get 21 hits at Fenway Park -- and no homers. The A's rallied from a four-run deficit to force extra innings and they beat the Red Sox 9-8 in 11 innings. Adam Kennedy had five of the hits, a career high and one fewer than he had in his previous six games total. In June 2006, Texas had 22 hits and no homers at Boston, and before that it had not happened since the Brewers did it in 1983.

In Their Own Words ...
"I was watching one of the monitors in the hallway in the bowels of the stadium. I came running back in here and started high-fiving guys." -- Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez, who was suspended for Tuesday's game, which the Marlins won on Ross Gload's two-run walk-off homer to get to four games over .500 for the first time since they were 14-10.

Advance Scouting ...
Is this it? Roy Halladay is scheduled to start for Toronto at Seattle Wednesday (4:40 PM ET), and it could be his last outing in a Blue Jays uniform. Halladay is the biggest catch on the trade market, but he may not be dealt. With 142 wins, Halladay is second in franchise history to Dave Stieb (175).

Starting Five: Tremors of Trouble in LA? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Red Sox Be Jumping Into Roy Halladay Race?

Ed Price — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:16:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Red Sox, MLB Inside Scoop, MLB Trade Deadline

A person from a third team guessed that the Red Sox would "swoop in" and get Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays before Friday's trade deadline. And perhaps Boston is getting involved.

The Red Sox were holding high-level meetings Monday, and one team official told FanHouse, "Something is going on."

As another Boston person said, "We're not going to let an impact player be moved without investigating."

Fletcher: Yanks Eyeing Cliff Lee?
More Coverage: Trade Deadline Tracker

Boston might need rotation help. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield are on the disabled list and John Smoltz is 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA. But it will take a lot for Boston to get Halladay.

As one Toronto person put it, "We've got to get every last good guy you have, or we're not trading him."

Philadelphia has been believed to be the best fit for Halladay, and the pitcher's first choice. But the Phillies have not been willing to give up lefty J.A. Happ along with minor-league right-hander Kyle Drabek.

Could Red Sox Be Jumping Into Roy Halladay Race? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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