A-Rod should be participating in Home Run Derby
Alex Rodriguez, who just passed Mickey Mantle for 13th on the all-time home-run list, isn't in the Derby. Neither is Manny Ramirez, the newest member of the 500-homer club.
Ryan Howard, the major-league leader with 28 homers? Not an All-Star, not present. Ditto for Adam Dunn, who is second overall with 26 homers. And Albert Pujols, who apparently wasn't invited to participate.
A-Rod, though, is the most glaring absentee.
Barry Bonds was heavily criticized for declining to participate in last year's Derby at his home park. A-Rod deserves the same heat for the same offense, and let's not hear about how the Derby might disrupt his precious swing.
Yes, several recent Derby participants — Bobby Abreu, David Wright, Alex Rios — had their home-run production decline after they competed in the event. But those dropoffs might have occurred anyway. These are the best hitters in the game. They can't adjust?
This year's Derby field includes many of the game's leading sluggers — Lance Berkman, Ryan Braun, Dan Uggla and Chase Utley for the National League; Josh Hamilton, Evan Longoria, Justin Morneau and Grady Sizemore for the AL.
It's great to see fresh faces. It would be better to see more marquee names.
In the movie, "Spiderman," Peter Parker says, "With great power, comes great responsibility." Ramirez has never been Mr. Responsibility. A-Rod, though, should know better.
He should change his mind the way he once changed countries before the World Baseball Classic and make a surprise appearance in Monday night's event.
The Dunn conundrum
Power hitters are increasingly difficult to find, yet the Reds are generating little trade interest in Dunn, who is on pace for his fifth straight 40-homer season.
Dunn offers both on-base percentage and power, but rival clubs are discouraged by his high strikeout rate and sub-par defense in left field. An official from a club that has had past interest in Dunn offers yet another criticism — Dunn's performance with runners in scoring position.
Statistically, that criticism does not appear to be valid. This season, Dunn's batting average/on-base/slugging line is nearly identical to his line with RISP. For his career, Dunn is batting .247-.381-.521 overall, .223-.412-.473 with RISP.
The Reds will take a considerable risk if they fail to trade Dunn, then allow him to become a free agent. They would need to offer Dunn salary arbitration to preserve their rights to draft-pick compensation. If Dunn accepted, he likely would receive a salary of at least $15 million.
MLB roundup
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Thursday's action
- Yanks avoid sweep, beat BoSox
- Backe sharp on mound for Astros
- McCann powers Braves to win
- Rays hang on to beat Blue Jays
- Guzman hits for cycle as Nats win
- Cubs rally in 8th to stun Phils
- Halos hang on to down Rangers
- A's edge Twins in an upset
More on MLB:
- Perry: Twins make more with less
- Rosenthal: Yanks' woes not over
- Ringolsby: Quentin for MVP?
- Power Rankings: Cubs on top
Photo gallery:
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Milestone tracker:
National Holliday?
The Nationals have expressed interest in Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday. From Washington's perspective, it's easy to understand how such a trade could make sense.
The Nats' outfield is by far the least productive in the majors. Their average home attendance in their new ballpark ranks only 17th out of 30. And in trade discussions, their farm system is deep enough to entice other clubs.
Nationals general manager Jim Bowden traded for Alfonso Soriano when Soriano had only a year left on his contract; Holliday is signed through 2009, and the Nationals would have the resources to keep him long-term.
The Nats are busy on other fronts as well, drawing interest in closer Jon Rauch, who is under club control at low salaries through '10; right-hander Tim Redding, who also is not a free agent until after '10; and even left-hander Odalis Perez.
It remains to be seen whether Bowden's authority will be compromised now that he reportedly is under federal investigation for his possible role in a scam involving the signings of players from the Dominican Republic.
One more thought on Holliday: Several rival executives believe the Rockies stand little chance of hitting the same prospect jackpot that the Rangers did last July for Mark Teixeira — in part because teams value energy from young players in the wake of the sport's crackdown on steroids and amphetamines.
K-Rod: Too good for his own good
Odd as it might sound, Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez is effectively shrinking his market as a free agent with each save.
Any thought that Rodriguez might have accepted closer money to set up for a relief ace such as the Yankees' Mariano Rivera or Mets' Billy Wagner now borders on absurd: K-Rod, who earned his 38th save on Sunday, isn't going to set up for anyone if he breaks Bobby Thigpen's all-time mark of 57 saves in a season.
In theory, the Mets could trade Wagner and sign Rodriguez, but Wagner holds a complete no-trade clause, and the Mets will need to invest in starting pitching with Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez set to become free agents.
Still, don't cry for K-Rod: The Angels will attempt to keep him, and the Tigers and Dodgers are among the other high-payroll teams that could pursue closers. Several other clubs might jump at the chance to sign Rodriguez even if they don't have an obvious need.
Nice showcase
That was quite a performance Sunday by Blue Jays right-hander A.J. Burnett on three days rest against the Yankees — 8 1/3 innings, one run. The Jays evidently plan to pitch Burnett as often as possible before the July 31 non-waiver deadline; he will start their first game after the break on Friday if Roy Halladay does not pitch in the All-Star Game, the second game if Halladay does.
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| A.J. Burnett's contract makes moving him a tough task for the Blue Jays. (The Canadian Press, Aaron Harris / Getty Images) |
Most teams interested in Burnett say they would prefer that he opted out if they acquired him, rather than collect the $24 million on the final two years of his deal. Burnett's contract, which also gives him the right to veto trades to 15 teams, will make it difficult for the Jays to move him. Difficult, but not impossible.
For the right club — say, the Cardinals, a team that pursued him as a free agent in 2005, or the Orioles, who play close to Burnett's home in Monkton, Md. — the pitcher might be willing to sacrifice his right to free agency in exchange for a one-year extension. If Burnett accepted the extension at his current $12 million salary, the deal would amount to three years, $36 million. Such numbers would not be outrageous in the current pitching market.
One problem for the Jays is that they cannot expect a big return if they move all of Burnett's money. Another complicating factor is that they have shown modest improvement under manager Cito Gaston, going 12-9 to move one game under .500.
Conceding at this point would look foolish — why did they hire Gaston in the first place if that was the plan? — but the Jays' direction should become clear after a seven-game trip to Tampa Bay and Baltimore and six-game homestand against Seattle and Tampa Bay.
Here comes Jed
The Red Sox are not looking for a shortstop to replace Julio Lugo, who is out 4-to-6 weeks with a torn left quadriceps. Jed Lowrie, promoted from Class AAA, will split time with Alex Cora, who is most useful in a limited role.
Lowrie irritated some members of the Red Sox's staff during his first callup with his know-it-all manner — a common criticism of players who attended Stanford, and one that is occasionally tinged with jealousy.
Some question whether Lowrie can handle short, but one scout believes he will be fine defensively. Lowrie's biggest problem might be on balls to his right, the scout says, citing concerns about the infielder's quickness on such plays and his ability to plant and throw.
Around the Horn
Give the Mets credit for their nine-game winning streak, but let's be real: Their last six victories were at home against the Giants and Rockies. Playing against the NL West during inter-league play also helped revive the Twins and Tigers, but the Mets' schedule after the break will be more of a challenge. After playing four games in Cincinnati against the Reds, another relative softie, they come home for six against the Phillies and Cardinals, followed by three in Florida . . .
Why did Mets left fielder Fernando Tatis return to baseball after sitting out in 2004 and '05? "Unbelievable story," he says. Tatis wanted to buy a piece of land for his church in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. He told his wife that the way he could acquire the land — and enable the church to build a bigger home — would be to resume his playing career. He signed a minor-league contract and returned to the majors with the Orioles in '06. After spending all of '07 at Class AAA with the Mets, he has emerged as one of the team's biggest surprises . . .
One reason the Mariners' left-handed hitting Raul Ibanez is so attractive to contenders: He's hitting lefties better than righties this season. Ibanez, a free agent at the end of the season, also qualifies as a financial bargain; a team would owe him only the remaining portion of his $5.5 million salary. Still, the Mets' interest in Ibanez will diminish if Ryan Church makes a relatively quick return from his migraine-related condition, and the Diamondbacks do not presently view Ibanez as enough of an upgrade over the revived Chad Tracy, who is playing first base against right-handed pitching, with Conor Jackson moving to left field . . .
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| Will Jack Wilson end up being Rafael Furcal's replacement in L.A.? (J. Meric / Getty Images) |
The Dodgers remain interested in Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson, a move that seemingly would preclude them from re-signing Rafael Furcal. Wilson has not played any position but shortstop in the majors; his bat profiles even worse at third than it does at short, and also would be a significant comedown at second from Jeff Kent. Another option for the Dodgers would be to sign Diamondbacks second baseman Orlando Hudson in free agency, and turn over short to one of their younger shortstops, Chin-Lung Hu or Ivan DeJesus Jr. . . .
The Pirates' prices remain high on outfielders Jason Bay and Xavier Nady and lefty reliever Damaso Marte, according to rival executives. The Pirates' position is that they can trade all three of those players before July 31, during the offseason or next July. Some teams, however, are skeptical that the Pirates would offer Marte arbitration (after declining his $6 million option) to preserve their rights to draft-pick compensation. The Red Sox are among the teams interested in Marte . . .
Davey Johnson, the manager in the Futures Game and in the upcoming Olympics, joked Sunday that he taught A's general manager Billy Beane "everything he knows" about statistical analysis. Johnson, who was Beane's manager with the Mets in 1984 and '85, first saw the value in numbers when he was playing for the Orioles and writing out lineups for Earl Weaver. "It's not rocket science," Johnson says . . .
A belated congratulations to Royals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek on reaching 2,000 hits. Grudzielanek, 38, is one of the game's more underrated players, a solid defender who batted .302 from 2003 to '07 with the Cubs, Cardinals and Royals — and is batting .309 this season despite playing with a sore back. Ian Kinsler, Brian Roberts and Dustin Pedroia are the only American League second basemen with higher on-base/slugging percentages than Grudzielanek in 2008 . . .
And finally, a young man riding the "4" train to Yankee Stadium on Sunday displayed a stunning series of 26 small tattoos on his right arm — each denoting a year that the Yankees won the World Series. "You are a true fan," a fellow rider told him, gazing at the man's arm in astonishment. "I'm a Mets fan, but I can appreciate that."
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