Posada injury forces Yanks to find catching
As first reported by the New York Post, Posada has been told that he needs surgery, and that his rehabilitation would take six months. He wants to play, but will not catch if he returns this season, according to the Associated Press.
Laird, 28, has been on the disabled list since June 21 with a strained left hamstring, but he began a rehabilitation assignment Tuesday night at Class AAA and is expected to be activated this weekend.
The Rangers would want young pitching for Laird, sources say, and the Yankees might consider that too high a price. However, Laird is capable of playing every day, and he is not eligible for free agency until after the 2010 season. His acquisition would enable the Yankees to eventually use Posada as more of a first baseman/DH.
Olivo, 30, is being aggressively shopped by the Royals, and would come at a lower price. He has hit nine home runs in 200 at-bats, and the Yankees might consider him more of a threat than Moeller.
Molina, 33, already has started 52 games at catcher, 19 short of his career-high. He has thrown out 25 of 52 runners attempting to steal, but his batting average/on-base/slugging line is only .226/.265/.305. Moeller, 33, has made 19 starts, batting .232/.321/.348.
Washburn wearing pinstripes?
The Yankees can not acquire Mariners left-hander Jarrod Washburn without his approval.
Washburn's limited no-trade protection gives him the right to veto a deal to the Yankees, according to a major-league source.
The contract provision complicates the Yankees' pursuit of Washburn, which was first reported by the Newark-Star Ledger.
Washburn, who turns 34 on Aug. 14, is owed the balance of his $9.85 million salary this season and $10.35 million next season.
Players generally require financial compensation to waive no-trade protection, usually in the form of a cash bonus or contract extension.
The Yankees almost certainly would not part with quality prospects for Washburn if they needed to absorb his contract and negotiate additional compensation with his agent, Scott Boras. The Mariners are seeking young pitching in return, according to major-league sources.
Washburn, a native of La Crosse, Wis., is not opposed to pitching in New York, friends say. He became accustomed to playing in a large market while spending his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. He has fared reasonably well in Yankee Stadium in the regular season, going 1-4 with a 2.82 career ERA in six starts, and also went 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts against New York in the 2002 Division Series.
The Yankees also have pondered trades for Blue Jays right-hander A.J. Burnett and Reds righty Bronson Arroyo, but ultimately could turn to internal solutions. Righty Ian Kennedy is again pitching with above-average command at Class AAA.
Rauch for Bonifacio: A closer look
The Nationals had closer Jon Rauch signed to an incredibly club-friendly contract — $1.2 million this season, $2 million next season and a $2.9 million club option for 2010 that must be exercised within five days of the end of the World Series.
Why, then, at a time when late-inning relievers are in high demand, did they settle for only Class AAA second baseman Emilio Bonifacio as their return from the Diamondbacks?
One, because the Nats view Bonifacio, 23, as their long-term answer at second, a speedy switch-hitter who could form an exciting double-play combination with All-Star shortstop Cristian Guzman.
Two, because Rauch, 29, ranked among the National League leaders with 91 1/3 relief innings in 2006 and 87 1/3 in '07 — high totals that could lead to his premature decline.
Nationals assistant general manager Mike Rizzo, who signed Bonifacio out of the Dominican Republic as the Diamondbacks' scouting director in '01, says the infielder is the fastest player he ever scouted.
Some rival scouts and executives, however, only project Bonfacio as a utility man. Others were baffled that the Nats were locked in on acquiring a second baseman for Rauch.
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| Did the Nats get enough in return for bargain-priced Jon Rauch? (Greg Fiume / Getty Images) |
The D-Backs traded Bonifacio knowing they might lose second baseman Orlando Hudson as a free agent. Their fear: That Bonifacio would not make enough offensive progress to play every day in '09.
Then again, speed players often take time to develop. If the Nationals are right on Bonifacio and some of their other recent acquisitions, they will boast an impressive core of position players 24-and-under — Bonifacio, catcher Jesus Flores, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and outfielders Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge.
The Nats could have added to that core by trading Guzman to the Dodgers, but they instead signed him to a two-year, $16 million extension. Guzman, 30, surely could have gotten more as a free agent — the White Sox's Orlando Cabrera and Dodgers' Rafael Furcal will be the other top shortstops in a thin market — but he repaid the Nationals for their loyalty to him during his injury-filled, mostly disappointing tenure.
The short commitment will help protect the Nats. If Guzman continues his revival, the deal could be a bargain. On the other hand, the Nats also could have signed a lesser free agent, such as the White Sox's Juan Uribe, this offseason for a much lower price. It's not as if they're going to win the N.L. East title with Guzman the next two years.
What is Kenny doing?
Earlier this month, the White Sox contacted the Dodgers to gauge their interest in Cabrera, explaining that their desire to move him hinged on whether they could complete a separate deal.
That deal, from all indications, was a trade for Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts. The White Sox then would have moved Alexei Ramirez from second base to shortstop, his original position.
The Sox's plan went nowhere, but their general manager, Ken Williams, is always concocting new, grandiose ways to improve the club. Chances are, Williams will be quiet at the non-waiver deadline. But it's hardly certain.
The White Sox could use a leadoff man and perhaps some pitching help, but their biggest chip, Class AAA third baseman Josh Fields, is the long-term replacement for Joe Crede, who is a free agent at the end of the season.
If the White Sox traded Fields, they effectively would need to replace two infielders — Crede and Cabrera, who also is a free agent. Lots of luck: The free-agent market for third basemen is even weaker than the one for shortstops.
The "X" factor
OK, so how good is Xavier Nady, really?
Prior to this season, the answer was "pretty good" — Nady had a career batting average/on-base percentage/slugging line of .272-.327-.441. His line this season, on the other hand, is .327-.382-.528. Outstanding.
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| Xavier Nady is enjoying a career year at the plate. (Nick Laham / Getty Images) |
Either Nady is experiencing a breakthrough at age 29, or he eventually will regress to his previous levels. Bet the latter: Nady's .361 batting average on balls in play — 66 points above the N.L. average — indicates that he's benefiting from good luck.
Rival clubs, mindful of such numbers, continue to balk at the Pirates' asking price for Nady. The Rays, Yankees and Phillies are among the teams interested.
K-Rod: A different look
Earlier this week, I noted that while Francisco Rodriguez is on pace to break the single-season saves record, his strikeout rate is at a career-low while his walk rate and walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP) are at career highs.
Those trends are indicative of a pitcher in decline, but some suggest that Rodriguez is merely a pitcher in transition — a work-in-progress as he makes greater use of his changeup and overhand curve.
Rodriguez, 26, is throwing 90-91 mph rather than in the mid-90s, though he reaches back for greater velocity when necessary. In the long term, he should benefit from his ability to throw four pitches, and in the short term, he's 40-for-43 in save opportunities this season. Not too shabby.
Around the horn
The Cardinals, whose bullpen has become almost a nightly issue, had two scouts in Baltimore on Tuesday night, presumably to watch Orioles closer George Sherrill. The Orioles want either a shortstop or outfielder for Sherrill, but the Cardinals don't have a shortstop who is close to the majors, and they're not going to trade Colby Rasmus for a reliever . . .
The A's continue to talk with the Pirates about left fielder Jason Bay, but a trade remains unlikely — the Pirates want more than the A's are willing to give. The A's are trying to build a long-term contender as they prepare for the opening of their new ballpark in 2012. Acquiring Bay for the rest of this season and next season would do little to help them accomplish that goal.
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