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Dodgers almost had dream 'pen, but balked

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Ken Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since August 2005. He appears weekly on MLB on FOX. Follow him on Twitter.

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Updated Aug 11, 2009 11:24 AM ET
     
 
The Dodgers were close to acquiring Padres closer Heath Bell at the non-waiver deadline.

Confession: Wren was right

OK, time to admit the truth. Much as I love John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, much as I hated to see them leave Atlanta, Braves general manager Frank Wren was right to part with both. Smoltz, who left the Braves for a better offer from the Red Sox coming off shoulder surgery, is mulling his options after getting designated for assignment. Glavine, who was released by the Braves just as he seemed on the verge of returning from elbow and shoulder surgeries, has not resumed his career. Wren, the bad cop in both cases, took a public-relations beating. His decision on Glavine seemed particularly cold, considering that the pitcher would have received a $1 million bonus upon joining the major- league roster. The issue, Wren said, was performance, not money. The Braves simply did not believe that Glavine still could pitch effectively in the majors. Instead, the team promoted rookie right-hander Tommy Hanson, who is 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA — numbers Glavine probably could not have matched. The Braves' quest for more stability in their rotation was the main reason they were reluctant to commit to Smoltz, 42, and Glavine, 43. Now the question is settled. The Braves' rotation, bolstered by the off-season additions of right- handers Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez and Kenshin Kawakami, ranks fourth in the National League in innings pitched and third in ERA.

— Ken Rosenthal, FOXSports.com

Real close. The Dodgers offered a multi-player package that the Padres were willing to accept, then had misgivings and chose not to complete the deal, two major-league sources say. Another source, however, puts the onus for the failed negotiations on the Padres, saying that the team changed the players it wanted from the Dodgers at the end. The talks had a "lot of momentum," one of the sources says, and continued right up until the non-waiver deadline at 4 p.m. ET on July 31. Regardless of what happened — or, to be more accurate, did not happen — the Dodgers could use the right-handed Bell. One of the team's right-handed setup men, Ron Belisario, missed one month with a strained elbow before getting activated on Saturday. Another, Ramon Troncoso, allowed six runs in a combined 2/3 of an inning in two appearances against the Braves over the weekend. Now imagine if the Dodgers had acquired Bell. The combination of Bell and newly acquired lefty George Sherrill would have given the Dodgers a powerful right-left setup tandem in front of closer Jonathan Broxton. The increased bullpen depth also would have allowed manager Joe Torre to rely less on his starters, who rank 12th in the National League in innings per start. The Dodgers, who announced Monday that right-hander Chad Billingsley will miss his next turn due to a strained left hamstring, are looking for another starter. As for the Padres, their trade of right-hander Jake Peavy should make it much easier for them to retain Bell and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez in 2010 and beyond. The team once again will be open to listening to offers for both this offseason. But the Peavy deal greatly reduced the financial pressure to make such a move.

Mets' Ricco: A threat to Minaya?

There is growing industry buzz that the Mets might force general manager Omar Minaya into an advisory position and replace him with assistant GM. John Ricco at the end of the season. The Mets are not even considering such a change at this time, according to a major-league source. But don't be surprised if Ricco continues to assume a more visible role with the team, particularly in dealing with the media. Minaya is not detail-oriented and does not always communicate effectively. His performance at the news conference announcing the firing of assistant GM Tony Bernazard might have been the lowpoint of his tenure. Minaya later apologized to New York Daily News beat reporter Adam Rubin for publicly questioning his motives and credibility. Ricco, 40, is known mostly as an administrator. Increasing his media responsibilities would allow Minaya to focus more on his greatest strength — player evaluation.

Nats' Guzman: In D.C. to stay?

Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman cleared waivers on Monday, but it would be an upset if he were traded to the Red Sox or any other club. True, Guzman is guaranteed $8 million next season, an inflated salary in today's market. True, the Nats' top shortstop prospect, Ian Desmond has a combined .822 OPS between Class AA and AAA. But several factors work against a deal:
  • Mike Rizzo, the team's acting general manager, almost certainly would want a significant return as he tries to persuade ownership to name him the permanent GM.
  • The Nats view Guzman as a critical part of their offense, batting second behind the newly acquired Nyjer Morgan and in front of the formidable 3-4-5 combination of Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham.
  • Desmond is no sure thing at short, even though club officials are high on him and he has responded well to the surgical removal of the hamate bone from his left hand. Some scouts believe that Desmond will be more of a super-utility man than a shortstop, bouncing all over the infield.

    Next for Padilla: Who knows?

    Two NL teams, believed to be the Dodgers and Brewers, are "kicking the tires" on right-hander Vicente Padilla, who was designated for assignment by the Rangers. A trade, however, remains unlikely; any team interested in Padilla can simply wait for him to clear waivers, knowing the Rangers will be responsible for the remainder of his $12 million salary. A more assertive club could include money and/or a marginal prospect to entice the Rangers into making a deal. It's doubtful, however, that any team would be so motivated. As one rival GM points out, the Rangers were so disgusted with Padilla's conduct, they purged him in the middle of a pennant race.

    Around the Horn

    The Braves, according to a major-league source, offered the Pirates the same trade that they ultimately made with the Red Sox — Casey Kotchman for Adam LaRoche. The Pirates could have controlled Kotchman for two more seasons, but preferred to acquire two prospects from the Red Sox — shortstop Argenis Diaz and pitcher Hunter Strickland.
  • Right-hander Russ Ortiz could get the next call for the Yankees' rotation — he can ask for his release after three starts, and pitched six shutout innings in his debut for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last Thursday night. Righty Sergio Mitre, who has a 7.04 ERA in five starts, might not get another shot after his latest poor outing Monday night against the Blue Jays. Righty Chad Gaudin would be another candidate to replace him.
  • One rival GM says the Nationals' Morgan is making catches that no Washington center fielder has made in five years. Morgan, the Nats' leadoff hitter, brings the team more energy, and new manager Jim Riggleman is instilling more discipline. The Nats perform defensive drills before every home game and Riggleman holds a meeting after every game, win or lose. He also has required players to wear their uniforms properly and appealed to the professionalism of his veterans.
  • The Diamondbacks placed left-hander Doug Davis on waivers Monday, and given the shortage of available starting pitching, it will be interesting to see if any team lodges a claim. Davis, owed the balance of his $8.75 million salary, could be a decent fit for the Dodgers and other National League clubs. He probably is not well-suited for the AL.
  • The Rays and Rangers have been among the most aggressive teams claiming players on waivers, and the Rays already have made two moves that should prove beneficial, adding catcher Gregg Zaun and reliever Russ Springer. Zaun, 38, is hardly a front-line player, but for the Rays he represents a significant upgrade over Dioner Navarro, whose .594 OPS is the lowest among AL catchers with enough plate appearances to qualify for the league leaders.
  • The Braves are eagerly awaiting the return this week of infielder Omar Infante, who has been out since May 21 with a fractured left hand. Infante will provide a needed right-handed bat at second base, third or in the outfield. Uber-prospect Jason Heyward, who is red-hot at Class AA, is not a natural fit on a roster that already features three other left-handed hitting outfielders — Garret Anderson, Nate McLouth and Ryan Church.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin advocates that the signing deadline for draft picks should be before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, not after. Melvin's reasoning is sound: If a team signed most or all of its picks before July 31, it might be more inclined to move a young player in a trade.
  • So far, so good in the Rockies' bullpen makeover: Right-hander Rafael Betancourt has worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits. Lefty Joe Beimel has allowed only one run in 3 1/3 innings, a homer by the Reds' Joey Votto. Righty Jhoulys Chacin, who will start Tuesday against the Pirates, has allowed one run in five innings, a homer by the Cubs' Kosuke Fukudome.
  • In a season of lost pitching for the Angels, right-hander Kevin Jepsen is emerging as a legitimate setup man, according to one rival GM Jepsen's statistics aren't especially impressive, but he's throwing 96 to 100 mph with a 92-mph slider.
  • One scout views the Giants' red-hot Eugenio Velez the same way he viewed the Marlins' Emilio Bonifacio early in the season. Velez, the scout says, is feasting on fastballs. Once opponents start throwing him breaking balls, his party will end.
    • Tagged: Adrian Gonzalez, Sergio Mitre, Ramon Troncoso, Jake Peavy, Adam Dunn, Chad Gaudin, Joey Votto, Joe Beimel, Casey Kotchman, Omar Infante, George Sherrill, Red Sox, Ryan Zimmerman, Angels, Blue Jays, Rafael Betancourt, White Sox, Braves, Reds, Dodgers, Nationals, Yankees, Mets, Pirates, Rangers, Padres, Giants, Emilio Bonifacio, Rockies, Marlins, Eugenio Velez, Rays, Heath Bell, Nate McLouth, Dioner Navarro, Nyjer Morgan, Chad Billingsley, Vicente Padilla, Jhoulys Chacin

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