Bell to Cubs?

Padres closer Heath Bell is 2-1 in 25 games with 1.42 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP, but is making just 1.5 million dollars in 2009. Bell won't be a free agent until after the 2011 season, but his salary will continue to climb if he continues to throw the ball well. If the Padres were to make the closer available, we should expect to see a lot of teams calling.

One of those teams could be the Cubs, one source believes. Current Cubs closer Kevin Gregg has been very inconsistent, and Carlos Marmol hasn't been as dominant as he was in 2008. Angel Guzman is emerging as a solid late inning reliever, taking a lot of time away from the struggling Aaron Heilman. The Cubs' bullpen used to be rock solid, and now it is a huge question mark. Cubs starter Randy Wells should have three wins, but the bullpen has blown the lead three times, denying him of his first career win. A Guzman-Marmol-Bell tandem would make for one of the best in baseball. 

The Yankees are a possible destination for Bell also.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Interview with Jorge Arangure

A couple weeks ago, ESPN.com article caught my eye about some of the top international prospects in this years pool. The article was written by Jorge Arangure, and I was curious to find out more about the process. It is a lot different than the MLB Draft. In the draft, teams can select anyone from the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico. Following the draft, the team has until August 15th to sign the player and then assign him to one of the minor league teams. In the international pool, the process varies depending on the player and the team. So I emailed Arangure and asked him if he would be up for answering some of my questions. He was more than happy to and I appreciate his informative responses.

ELI: Is there an age a player has to be before he can be scouted by MLB teams?

JORGE: There is no particular age when a team can simply scout a player. Often, diligent scouts will know about a particular player years before they are eligible to sign. It's not uncommon for a scout to have seen a player when they were as young as 12 or 13. For example, this January, powerful trainer Edgar Mercedes had a showcase for several of his top prospects which was attended by scouts from almost every team. Among those prospects was Wagner Mateo, who is considered one of the top outfielder's in this year's free agent class. But also working out were several players who weren't eligible until 2010 and there were even a couple players working out who won't be eligible to sign until 2011. The distinction of course is that teams aren't supposed to even negotiate for those players at this point.

ELI: In some scouting videos, you'll see the same prospect wearing different uniforms. How much contact can teams have with players leading up to the international signing date when they are available?

JORGE: Really, there are no limits on how much contact a team can have with a player. The only limit lies in how much time a prospect can spend at a particular team's academy. MLB dictates that a prospect can spend a maximum 30 days housed at the academy. But that doesn't rule out that a player can basically work out for the team as much as he wants while not housed there.

ELI: Today, news travels pretty quickly. How connected are the different cities and towns when it comes to baseball. When there is touted prospect somewhere in the D.R. (for example), how do people usually hear about him and how long does it take before he is being talked about here?

JORGE: This is a bit complicated. Usually Dominican trainers will know about a particular prospect much earlier than teams do. Because trainers can sign a contract to represent a player at any age, they have an advantage over teams, who can't sign a player until they are 16. It's very rare these days for a top prospect to not be a linked with a well-known trainer (aka buscon). Trainers have their own scouts looking for players. And also, you'll get a low level trainer with a top prospect who simply sells or agrees to split the bonus commission with a more well-known trainer so the prospect gets more exposure. The more well known trainers can get teams to attend workouts simply because they have produced top players in the past.

Of course there are always exceptions. Many players who get small bonuses often blossom later because no one really can predict how 16 year old kids will develop.

ELI: After the international signing begins, how long does the team have to sign players?

JORGE: There is no time limit on when a team can sign a player. Once a player become a free agent he can sign with whichever team he wants whenever he wants. A player becomes eligible to sign in a certain year if he turns 16 in that year prior to Sept. 1. If he turns 16 after Sept. 1, then he won't be eligible to sign until July 2 of the following year. For example, if Player X turns 16 on May 12, then he can sign this year on July 2. But if he turns 16 on Sept. 12, then he must wait until July 2, 2010.

ELI: After a player is signed, what are the next steps for the player? Where is he assigned?

JORGE: Usually, 16-year-old kids signees will spend at least one season in the Dominican Summer League. Kids that young usually aren't deemed physically or mentally ready to travel to the United States to play against high school and college graduates. That isn't always the case if a player is signed when he's 18 or older. Then a team may deem the player ready to start his pro career in the US.

ELI: Who would you say is the top hitting prospect and pitching prospect in this years pool?

JORGE: The market is shaping up to be that SS Miguel Angel Sano and P Daniel Sanchez are the top hitters and pitchers this year. Sano is a Dominican power hitting shortstop with a strong body that makes likely that he'll end up playing another position at one point. Teams love his raw power and he has a strong arm, which means he could end up playing third base. Sanchez is a right-handed hard-thrower from Venezuela. He has an above average fastball and some teams think he will eventually develop a good slider.

ELI: What teams are most active in scouting players? What team, if there is one, the least active?

JORGE: It's hard to say which teams are more or less active than others simply because some teams choose to bypass paying the big bucks for the big name players and instead focus on cheaper players who they project can be successful major leaguers. I'd say the most active players on the big names this year are Texas, the Yankees, the Pirates, San Diego, the Dodgers, the Mets, among others. Every team is active in some way. Some just choose to be a bit more clandestine about which players they scout.

ELI: Is there was a way to improve the process? More media access to players, something in the regulations, etc. If there was something you could change, what would it be?

JORGE: If I could change something I'd say i would make it so that players aren't eligible to sign until they are 18. For me this would eliminate some of the age manipulation.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

2009 MLB Draft Order

Here is the order for this years MLB Draft, which is set to take place in June.

1. Washington Nationals
2. Seattle Mariners
3. San Diego Padres
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Baltimore Orioles
6. San Francisco Giants
7. Atlanta Braves
8. Cincinnati Reds
9. Detroit Tigers
10. Washington Nationals*
11. Colorado Rockies
12. Kansas City Royals
13. Oakland Athletics
14. Texas Rangers
15. Cleveland Indians
16. Arizona Diamondbacks
17. Arizona Diamondbacks*
18. Florida Marlins
19. St. Louis Cardinals
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. Houston Astros
22. Minnesota Twins
23. Chicago White Sox
24. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
25. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim*
26. Milwaukee Brewers
27. Seattle Mariners*
28. New York Yankees*
29. Boston Red Sox
30. Tampa Bay Rays
31. Chicago Cubs
32. Colorado Rockies*

10 - Washington Nationals receive this pick as compensation for not signing 2008 1st Round Pick, Aaron Crow.

# 17 - Arizona Diamondbacks receive this pick as compensation for the Los Angeles Dodgers signing 2B Orlando Hudson

# 24 - Los Angeles Angels receive this pick as compensation for the New York Mets signing Francisco Rodriguez.

# 25 - Los Angeles Angels receive this pick as compensation for the New York Yankees signing Mark Teixeira.

# 27 - Seattle Mariners receive this pick as compensation for Philadelphia Phillies signing Raul Ibanez.

# 28 - New York Yankees receive this pick as compensation for not signing 2008 1st Round Pick, Gerrit Cole.

# 32 - Colorado Rockies receive this pick as compensation for Los Angeles Angels signing Brian Fuentes.

(Courtesy of 2009 MLB Mock Draft)

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Yankees, Angels Interested In Lopez

The Boston Herald is reporting that the Red Sox have put Javier Lopez on waivers and are waiting to hear whether or not he can be assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket. Lopez is 0-2 with a 9.26 ERA in 14 games this season, but had a 2.43 ERA last season in 70 games. The Yankees are believed to be considering Lopez, mostly because they have the third worst bullpen ERA in the AL (5.85).

One AL executive wouldn't be surprised to see the Angels make a move. Even though they are close to adding Rudy Seanez, adding a reliever with Lopez's talent could be worth your while when he starts to turn it around. He has only appeared in 14 games, so a turnaround is inevitable.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Thoughts on Yankees/Red Sox Game

Thanks to the MLB Network, I was able to watch most of Joba Chamberlain's dominant performance. His dominance was over casted by four run first inning, but that takes nothing way from Chamberlain striking out the final eight batters he faced. Chamberlain works himself up on the mound quite a bit, reminding me a little bit of Carlos Zambrano back in 2003 and 2004 (Here is a picture of Zambrano. And another). 

The big picture is that Chamberlain has had success at Yankee stadium despite his age. The intensity he brings to the Yankees is going to produce wins, and being around guys like A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte, known for their poise and intensity on the mound, will certainly level him out. Zambrano is coming off his sixth season with at least 13 wins, and is 3-1 so far this season. Chamberlain has better command of his pitches than Zambrano did when he was 23, and will mature. 

Chamberlain is now 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA in five games, but owns a career 2.32 ERA in 65 career games. His numbers may look a little better if the Yankee bullpen weren't in ruins, owning the third worst bullpen ERA (6.35 ERA). If the Yankee bullpen were able to keep a one run deficit from becoming a four run deficit, the Yankee bats might have come through. Instead, they appeared checked out batting in the bottom of the ninth.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Quick Hits: Crow, Damon, Chacon, Milledge

Quick hits:

• The Nationals have the first and ninth overall pick in this years draft. By missing out on pitcher Aaron Crow last year, they receive the ninth pick as compensation. Bill Ladson of MLB.com says the Nationals haven't ruled out drafting Aaron Crow, who chose not to sign with them last year. He probably would be in the Nationals rotation by now if he hadn't spurned them. Crow made his Independent league debut Monday, lating just 1 2/3 innings, giving up three runs (one earned) while striking out three.
• Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon has been discussing his future lately. "Hopefully, I can be happy in New York for a few more years. It’s tough to keep moving around teams. Hopefully this will be my last.” Damon has hit .286 in the past three years with the Yankees, and has averaged a little over 17 homeruns those three years. With Austin Jackson waiting in the wings, will the Yankees sign Damon?
• The Global Post has an excellent featured video on 15-year old prospect Miguel Angel Sano from the Dominican Republic. His athletic build and smooth swing has all thirty teams pursuing him. With so many stories coming out about players giving the wrong age, it is hard not to be suspicious. But the video gives you a little background and his family reassures everyone that he is indeed 15-years old. For what it's worth, I was convinced.
• Right handed pitcher Shawn Chacon has signed with the Newark Bears. Chacon will join veterans Keith Foulke, Armando Benitez, Carl Everett, Jay Gibbons, Bobby Hill, and Pete Rose Jr. on the Bears roster.
• "The Lastings Milledge Project" has taken a turn for the worst. Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says that Milledge and the Nationals have not had contact since his demotion last month. I suspect teams will follow him closely, especially after what Triple-A manager Tim Foli said: "You'd be pretty stupid to not understand how high the ceiling would be on a Lastings Milledge if he got it all together."

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

A-Rod Took Steroids As Teen?

The Associated Press is reporting that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez may have taken steroids in the high school. Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts is scheduled to have a book come up May 12th about Rodriguez and his alleged steroid use. A high school teammate reportedly told Roberts that Rodriguez was on steroids and the coach new about it.

The book also says that an unnamed major leaguer saw Rodriguez and Kevin Brown in 2004 with HGH. Rodriguez has adamately denied using steroids with the Yankees, saying he gave them up in 2003 with the Rangers. There are more allegations in the book and it will be interesting to see what happens to Rodriguez if it is, in fact, true. Major League Baseball may have something to say about this if Rodriguez did use steroids after 2004.

Between 2004-2005, Rodriguez hit .303 with 84 HR in 317 games. Rodriguez was the face of baseball in 2005, playing at the largest venue with success. Could baseball have looked the other way for financial reasons? I doubt they will open a Senate investigation into this now, they certainly have a lot on their plate right now.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Holliday Has Yankees On Mind

Athletics outfielder Matt Holliday is not even through his first month with the Athletics and reporters are already asking him questions about his interest in playing in New York. "I think a little bit, as a human being, you can't help but to think that if the Yankees are interested I would definitely consider it," Holliday said, as reported on an NYPost.com blog. "I wouldn't be looking around if I were under contract for four years, but I think I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be interested, especially with the Yankees being such a storied franchise." Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon are both free agents following this season, along with Andy Pettitte and Xavier Nady, among others. 


Holliday turned down a five year deal worth 85 million dollars from the Rockies last season, and his price has definitely fallen as the economic problems are still up in the air. Holliday is 29, and could probably sign a 5-6 year deal if he puts up another good season. So far in Oakland, he is hitting just .242 with 0 HR in 66 at-bats. 


It is possible the Athletics will trade Holliday if they fall out of contention early. A small market team in need of an impact player could pursue Holliday. He would bring a powerful bat to the lineup, not to mention two drafts picks if he is Type-A free agent in 2010 MLB Draft. The Marlins could be that team. They nearly acquired Manny Ramirez last season at the trade deadline, and still have the pieces to pull of a blockbuster without significantly impacting them long term. 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Yankees To Conduct Wind Study

After seeing twenty homeruns fly out of the ballpark in the first four games at the new Yankee Stadium, the team will conduct another wind study to see if there is in fact a wind difference between the fields. Mark Fiensand of the New York Daily News spoke with a meteorologist  at accuweather.com, who believes the stadiums shell, which is wider than the previous stadium, allows wind to blow across the field with less restriction. "As the air comes into the stadium with a westerly wind, it would sink and then rise up again as it goes out," said John Feerick of Accuweather.com. "A fly ball to right field would definitely be helped by that."

There really isn't much for the Yankees to do except sit and wait to see how it plays out. The good thing is A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia can keep the ball down, and Teixiera, Posada, Jeter, and Cano all can drive the ball to right field with regularity. We could see career highs from Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira, and maybe even Derek Jeter.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Source: Yankees Won't Trade For Replacement

The Yankees do not intend on trading for a corner outfielder to replace the injured Xavier Nady, sources with knowledge of the situation have said. Nady injured his elbow on throw during the seventh inning against the Rays, and may require Tommy John surgery to repair it. The NY Post suggests that the Yankees could go after Austin Kearns or Jason Repko, but they already have Melky Cabrera and Nick Swisher to fill in for the time being. 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Weekly Roundup

What started as a nice start to another baseball season, we were blindsided with the news that Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in an automobile accident. Off to a promising start with a six inning shutout performance, the top pitching prospect looked to be blossoming into a true major leaguer. The news of his death was a tragedy, not to mention the three other lives that were taken as well. The Angels, already with their three top pitchers on the DL, are now forced to find a replacement. The Angels held a very nice ceremony for the victims before Saturday's game, and were able to beat the Red Sox in his honor. On a lighter note, there were several young players who had nice weeks, and teams are looking to these guys to build off their strong starts.

Jordan Schafer, Braves: .348 AVG, 2 HR, .423 OBP.

- Schafer has put up great numbers at the plate and has shown off his speed in the outfield. 

Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins: .500 AVG, 1 HR, .517 OBP, 4 SB.

- Bonifacio is off to a great start at third for the Marlins. The talent has always been there, it's poor consistency that has been the problem.

Adam Lind, Blue Jays: .400 AVG, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .419 OBP.

- Entering his third major league season, Lind has taken big strides at the plate. He could play a big role in the Blue Jays playoff hopes this season.

Jeremy Guthrie, Orioles: 2-0 W-L, 2.25 ERA, 5 K, 12 H.

- Guthrie has been an Orioles project for the past three seasons, and he might be putting his stuff together. He did put up 10 wins last season, and is off to a good start this year.

Josh Johnson, Marlins: 2-0 W-L, 0.57 ERA, 1 ER, 15 SO.

- Johnson is a big, hard throwing right hander who combines his fastball with a hard slider. He was able to beat Johan Santana today, and is hoping to lead that young rotation.

Here are some other young players whose first week is something they would like to forget:

John Lannan, Nationals: 0-2 W-L, 10.00 ERA, 10 ER, 3 BB, 9 IP. 

- The Nationals hope Lannan can breakout for the Nationals after putting up 10 wins last season, but he hasn't been able to command his fastball early on.

Scott Olsen, Nationals: 0-2 W-L, 14.63 ERA, 8 IP, 13 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB.

- The Nationals hoped that when they traded for Olsen, he would emerge into a solid top of the rotation starter to lead the Nationals. So far, that hasn't been the case.

Chris Davis, Rangers: .045 AVG, 1 H (22 AB), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 10 SO.

- There is a lot of pressure on Davis to put up big numbers after having a breakout 2008 campaign. So far he has struggled mightily and the Rangers could be scrambling if Davis doesn't pick it up.

Injuries

Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks: 15-day DL, shoulder tightness.

Doug Brocail, Astros: 15-day DL, strained rotator cuff.

Rumors

After Cole Hamels struggled through his first outing, several believe that he is showing the effects of an overworked pitching from last season. Hamels told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he is "fine now."

The Angels may be forced to add another pitcher with Escobar, Lackey, and Santana on the DL. Pedro Martinez is available. The LA Times mentions Anthony Ortega and Darren Oliver asi in-house possibilities.

Dodgers outfielder Delwyn Young is out of options, and several scouts have been watching him during his rehab assignment. The Indians, Pirates, and Phillies are interested.

Minor League Update

Juan Miranda, Yankees (AAA): .474 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI.

- The Yankees won't hesitate to recall Miranda if Teixeira goes down for an extended amount of time.

Matt LaPorta, Indians (AAA): .625 AVG, 1 HR, 1 SO, .667 OBP.

- LaPorta could be playing for the Indians very soon if he continue to swing a big bat.

Tyler Flowers, White Sox (AA): .417 AVG, 1 HR,  2 RBI, .500 OBP

- Flowers is the young power hitter the White Sox hope can fill the shoes of Jim Thome or Jermaine Dye when there time with the team runs out. So far he is looking really good.

David Price, Rays (AAA): 0-0 W-L, 4.91 ERA, 4 SO, 3.2 IP.

- Price will be pitching for the Rays at the major league level really soon. Once he gets comfortable and into more of a routine will the Rays give him the opportunity. 

What to look for next week...

Interviews will start to be scheduled next week.

Rich Harden, who is coming off a solid 10 strikeout performance, will be making his second start of the season. Some think that Harden is already DL bound, so it will be interesting to see if he can string together back to back strong outings.

The Pirates, Cubs, Nationals, Rays, Dodgers, and Mets all have their home openers. 

Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello will make his second start of the season.

 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

2009 American League Predictions

American League East

1. Tampa Bay Rays: 93-69

2. Boston Red Sox: 89-73

3. New York Yankees: 86-76

4. Toronto Blue Jays: 82-80

5. Baltimore Orioles: 73-89

The AL East is going to be a really close race, but the depth the Rays have will keep them on top the whole season. While the Yankees have strong pitching, they are more vulnerable to injuries because of their age.

American League Central

1. Chicago White Sox: 90-73

2. Minnesota Twins: 86-76

3. Cleveland Indians: 83-79

4. Detroit Tigers: 79-83

5. Kansas City Royals: 77-85

The AL Central is up in the air so it is hard to predict, but I expect strides from all teams in the Central. If the Tigers don't hold a fire sale midseason, they could pose a threat for the division. 

American League West

1. Los Angeles Angels: 86-76

2. Texas Rangers: 83-79

3. Oakland Athletics: 78-84

4. Seattle Mariners: 75-87

The Athletics and Rangers both made improvements over the offseason, but the A's young pitching and the Rangers spotty rotation still has them behind the Angels. As for the Mariners, they need to trade their veterans to bring in more young prospects. 

American League MVP: Evan Longoria, Rays

American League Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Blue Jays

American League Rookie of the Year: Matt LaPorta, Indians

American League Manager of the Year: Ozzie Guillen, White Sox

ALDS: Red Sox defeat Rays; White Sox defeat Rays

ALCS: Red Sox defeat White Sox

American League Champion: Red Sox

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

2009 New York Yankees Projection

DH Hideki Matsui

.284 AVG, 17 HR, 75 RBI

C Jorge Posada

.273 AVG, 15 HR, 67 RBI

1B Mark Teixeira

.294 AVG, 38 HR, 122 RBI

2B Robinson Cano

.299 AVG, 17 HR, 83 RBI

3B Alex Rodriguez

.289 AVG, 24 HR, 85 RBI

SS Derek Jeter

.303 AVG, 12 HR, 68 RBI

LF Johnny Damon

.279 AVG, 14 HR, 63 RBI

CF Brett Gardner

.281 AVG, 3 HR, 37 RBI

RF Xavier Nady

.286 AVG, 21 HR, 78 RBI

OF Nick Swisher

.249 AVG, 19 HR, 66 RBI

SP CC Sabathia

14-12 W-L, 3.59 ERA, 186 K

SP A.J. Burnett

13-11 W-L, 3.72 ERA, 193 K

SP Chien-Ming Wang

14-7 W-L, 3.95 ERA, 93 K

SP Andy Pettitte

11-10 W-L, 4.46 ERA, 129 K

SP Joba Chamberlain

10-6 W-L, 3.29 ERA, 113 K

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Phils Sign Young Dominican

The Phillies have come to terms with 16-year old Domingo Santana. Santana, a 6-foot-5 outfielder, was also being pursued by the Yankees. He has a strong throwing arm and the Phillies are reportedly very excited to have him. It'll be interesting to see if Santana comes to the United States to play this season, or if he goes to a MLB Developmental Academy in the Dominican or Australia.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

White Sox Interested In Cabrera?

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Yankees are exploring the idea of trading center fielder Melky Cabrera, who has been beaten out by Brett Gardner for the Opening Day spot. Trading an outfielder is a priority for the Yankees, sources say, so with Cabrera drawing more interest than Swisher or Nady, they will probably move him. Cabrera is just 24 and is four years away from free agency, making him a nice target. Rosenthal suggests the White Sox as a possible suitor because of their need for a lead off hitter, not to mention that Cabrera is a switch hitter. 

GM Kenny Williams plays these type of moves under the radar, so a move could happen before we know it. It's no guarantee though, the White Sox may stick with Dewayne Wise, who is hitting .272 (12-for-44) so far this spring. 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Yankees Send Down Hughes

The Yankees can't be too upset that they have to send down highly touted prospect Phil Hughes to Triple-A. With CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett filling two new spots, there is simply no room for him. However, Hughes came into Spring Training in a good frame of mind and posted a 2.19 ERA in four appearances. "Hughes had a great camp," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "He knows he did great." Hughes is probably the first pitcher up if someone goes down with an injury, and will likely get a couple spot starts if all goes well in Triple-A.

Last season, Hughes was 0-4 with a 6.62 ERA.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Brewers Shopping Players

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting that the Brewers have received inquires about the availablity of Mike Cameron. While Melvin denies the report, he nearly traded Cameron to the Yankees early this offseason, and is probably just waiting for the right offer. Sources have said that the Brewers would like to add some pitching depth, opening up speculation to a possible run at Pedro Martinez.

We could see teams in the next week pull of some last minute trades to get their rosters ready, so it is still possible to see Cameron or possibly Bill Hall get moved.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Quick Hits

-Ryan Ludwick's struggles so far this spring have been, as Tony La Russa described it, "just a mess" the St. Louis Dispatch reports. Ludwick is almost certainly feeling the pressure of his expected increased role in the Cardinals offense this season. Spring struggles often mean nothing, but it would ease some fears if he would start getting some better swings.

-Front row seats at the new Yankee Stadium will cost $2625 (!) Associated Press reports. How anyone would pay that much for a single seat at a regular season game is beyond me, but the Yankees reportedly had sold 3500 out of 4300 as part of season plans before sales slowed as the recession intensified. The lowest priced seats go from $11-27.

 

   This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Possible Yankee 3B Replacements

The Yankees have restocked their farm system over the past couple years, so making a trade for an above average player really wouldn't hurt them in the long run. While there are in-house options, there is no one that has the experience to play everyday. Here are a couple possible replacements:

Mark Teahen, Royals: Teahen is a career .268 hitter who is just starting to come into his form as a major league ball player. He is very versatile and hits left handed, so he would give the Yankees several options off the bench when A-Rod did return. Teahen has never carried much of an average, but he finished the season with a strong September and could be in for a solid season. I expect Teahen to hit around .265 with 15 or so homeruns and an OBP around .325.

Likelihood of being with Yankees: Not very likely. Teahen is a solid player, but he saw a big drop in his OBP and AVG. The drop in walks and increase in homeruns means he was more aggressive at the plate in 2008, but he scored 12 less runs which managers don't really like to see.

Blake DeWitt, Dodgers: DeWitt is coming off his first full season in the big leagues and was very successful. He hit .264 with 9 HR in 117 games last season for the Dodgers, while playing average defense at third and second. He had a .344 OBP and struck out just 68 times. He's off to a slow start this spring, but has a lot of upside. 

Likelihood of being with Yankees: Not very likely. DeWitt's best years are ahead of him, but we likely won't see that in 2009, at least not fully. With Rodriguez coming back in May and Robinson Cano already playing second, there really isn't room for DeWitt to get serious at-bats when Rodriguez returns. 

Other possibilities: Brendan Harris, Twins. Hank Blalock, Rangers. Chone Figgins, Angels.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

A-Rod To Undergo Surgery

Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez has opted to undergo surgery to repair his torn hip labrum. Rodriguez will miss six to nine weeks, returning sometime in May. This puts a lot of pressure on Mark Teixeira to perform early on for the Yankees, as well as his replacement at third base. The Yankees have several in-house options to replace him, but may want to look elsewhere. They could give Juan Miranda an opportunity to play third. Cody Ransom is another in-house option.

If the Yankees went looking for a replacement, they could call the Twins about Brendan Harris. Harris is a valuable utility infielder who can play a decent third base. Not only that, but he could hold a decent average for a month or two. Another option is Marlins' third baseman Jorge Cantu. The Marlins shopped him early, but no move could be made. 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.