April 6, 2006

It is the rumor that simply will not quit. According to new whispers emanating from the Bay Area, the A’s are once again talking to the Mets about a trade involving Barry Zito. According to the latest scuttlebutt, the Mets have offered a package of minor league outfielder Lastings Milledge, who is far and away their top prospect, and right-hander Brian Bannister, who has emerged as New York’s No. 5 starter. On the surface, that package seems a little bit slim for Oakland, which would probably want another minor leaguer added to make it a three-man return. Besides, the timing of this rumor just doesn’t seem right. With Opening Day upon us, the A’s have been installed as no worse than co-favorites in the American League West (along with the Angels), with many prognosticators regarding them as the outright leader in a weak division. If that’s the case, why would Billy Beane surrender his No. 1 starter for two players who wouldn’t contribute much in ‘05, thereby sacrificing Oakland’s pre-season stand as the elite team out West?…

Craig Wilson has become one of the favorite players of this column. Why? He’s always mentioned in trade rumors, but never actually gets traded. Wilson once again finds himself on the block, squeezed out by new Pirate acquisitions at first base (Sean Casey) and right field (Jeromy Burnitz). Given his 30-home run power and decent on-base skills, the Pirates are wasting him as only an occasional starter against left-handed pitching. And since his value figures to plummet the less he plays, it would make sense for the Pirates to trade him now—and not sometime after Opening Day—in an effort to bolster their starting rotation. There are several teams that could use Wilson’s services as a first baseman, such as the Reds (who are planning to use the aging Scott Hatteberg now that Adam Dunn has been moved back to the outfield) and the Royals (who are strangely committed to Doug Mientkiewicz). Yet, neither of those clubs seems interested. One team that has expressed serious interest is the Mariners, who would use Wilson as a DH, and might be willing to part with oft-injured right-hander Joel Pineiro. And then there are the Braves, who would like to platoon the “Blond Bomber” with Adam LaRoche at first base. (Again, that seems like a waste of Wilson’s talents, but better to be underused for a pennant contender in Atlanta than an also-ran in Pittsburgh.) There is a stumbling block, however. The Braves are unwilling to give up right-hander John Thomson, one of the main targets of Pittsburgh’s affection…

The Alfonso Soriano trade rumors will inevitably calm down now that he’s ended his selfish refusal to play left field, but there actually might be a better chance of him being traded sometime in 2006. Come again? Well, if Soriano had continued his narrow-minded stance and the Nationals had reacted by placing him on the disqualified list, his trade value would have shrunk to near zero proportions. With teams offering less than 50 cents on the dollar for Soriano, it would have been easy for Nationals GM Jim Bowden to reject such overtures. Now that Soriano has agreed to play left field every day, he can rebuild his trade value by making a smooth transition to a new position, giving Bowden a bit more leverage. And Bowden may be willing to revisit trade talks if the Nationals fall out of the race early, given Soriano’s impending free agency at season’s end. The Mets are one of the teams that has inquired about Soriano; they reportedly offered Victor Diaz as part of a deal, but insisted that the Nationals take on Kaz Matsui’s contract. Bowden was unwilling to do so, killing the proposal…

The Mets may revisit the Soriano sweepstakes later this season (especially if they’re willing to up the ante by including someone like Anderson Hernandez, who could play shortstop in Washington), but he really isn’t a perfect fit because New York has a greater need for a top-of-the-order tablesetter than a middle-of-the-order free swinger. A better and cheaper solution for the Mets might have been found in Boston, as the Red Sox shopped Graffanino to other teams before finally deciding to waive him. Unfortunately for the Mets, the Royals claimed Graffanino, despite the presence of Mark Grudzielanek at second base… Graffanino is somewhat miscast as a utility infielder; he’s basically a second baseman who can’t play short and has little experience as a third baseman. He’s more useful as an everyday player, assuming that you need someone to play the right side of the infield. The Amityville, New York native would have been a nice fit at Shea, playing second base and batting second behind Jose Reyes in the Mets’ order. Perhaps the Royals will try to build up Graffanino’s trade value before shopping him to New York.

200 and 60

Although it escaped the attention of most of the mainstream and internet media, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America recently announced the names of 200 players and 60 managers/executives who have made it to the preliminary round of next year’s Veterans Committee election. (Perhaps the media has decided to ignore the story because of the two most recent Veterans elections, which have produced a total of zero Hall of Famers.) The two lists, which were put together by the Hall’s Historical Overview Committee, contain some intriguing choices. Among the 60 managers/executives are President George W. Bush, a selection that is sure to rile some of the political types that frequent Baseball Primer. (Bush was selected for his tenure as principal owner of the Texas Rangers.) The most surprising name on the managerial list is that of Don Zimmer, who has skippered the Rangers, Cubs, Red Sox, and Padres during a 55-year career in baseball, but whose work as a manager has never been associated with that of a Hall of Famer. And then there’s the players’ list, which features the likes of two-time felon Denny McLain, whose continued inclusion by the overview committee has rankled more than one Hall of Fame official.

Curiously, the Hall of Fame’s web site contains nary a mention of the two Veterans Committee lists announced by the BBWAA. The site’s “Historical Overview” link lists the 200 players who made the preliminary list in 2005, but there is no update to include the names for 2007.

Phanatical About The Phillies

For years now, the Phillies have been one of baseball’s great underachievers. More than a few players bristled at the leadership style of Larry Bowa, basically faulting him for the team’s persistent also-ran status in the National League East. The Phillies then continued to underachieve under Bowa’s diametrical opposite, Charlie Manuel, falling one game short of qualifying for the postseason in 2005.

Well, things may be changing in Ben Franklin’s domain (or is it Ryan Franklin’s?), where Bowa and Billy Wagner are no longer around to take the blame. I watched the Phillies play the Yankees during the final week of spring training and came away highly impressed with Philadelphia’s perennially underachieving team. The Phils, who have played well throughout the spring, have enough talent to win the National League East. The Phillies’ spring training performance produced the following observations:

*The Phillies may undergo a changing of the guard—or the shinguards, so to speak. Backup catcher Sal Fasano, who’s always been an underappreciated player, could emerge as an important player at a position that has become a Philadelphia liability. With Mike Lieberthal showing his age and a disconcerting amount of wear and tear, Fasano could be doing a lot of catching for the Phillies this summer. Impressive play aside, Fasano’s new Fu Manchu mustache brings back memories of “Harvey’s Wallbangers,” making him look like a cross between Gorman Thomas and Pete Vuckovich.

*Ryan Howard emerged as the MVP of the Grapefruit League (as if there were such an award), hounding pitchers on both Florida coasts. Howard’s slugging percentage reached as high as .800 and he hit 10 home runs this spring, eclipsing Richie Allen’s Phillies’ spring training record of nine home runs in 1964. If Howard approaches the kind of regular season that Allen enjoyed in 1964, he’ll emerge as a legitimate MVP candidate and just might lead the Phillies to their first postseason berth in 13 years.

*The Phillies appear ready to commit to Ryan Madson as a fulltime member of the starting rotation. The lanky right-hander has the talent to emerge as a high-grade No. 3 starter behind Jon Lieber and Brett Myers. Madson has a terrific curve ball and change-up, with the latter pitch making his above-average fastball seem more powerful. A rotation featuring Lieber, Myers, Madson, Cory Lidle, and Gavin Floyd (who matched Madson in opening up eyes in Philadelphia’s front office) could put the Phillies within hand’s reach of both the Mets and the Braves.

A Truckload of Transactions

So who says spring training doesn’t produce any trades? Well, I did just last week, but major league teams have proven me wrong this spring. Within the last two weeks, seven fairly significant transactions have been made, including four substantial trades and three high-profile player releases, with two of the jettisoned players being claimed on waivers. You could make a mini-all-star team out of the players who have been moving on in recent days:

The Rangers traded David Dellucci, though it wasn’t to the Angels, as had been rumored. Instead, the Rangers sent the underrated outfielder-DH to the Phillies for a package headed up by Robinson Tejeda, who figures to join the back end of Texas’ rotation sometime in 2005. (Tejeda is an intriguing talent, but is that the best that the Rangers could do in trading Dellucci when his value seemed to be at its highest?) I love Dellucci’s game—he reached career highs in home runs (29) and walks (76) last season, can play all three outfield spots, and is a hard-nosed grinder whom Philly fans will appreciate—but it’s hard to see where he fits in Philadelphia’s outfield. With three excellent starters and Shane Victorino available to back them up, Dellucci could become a glorified pinch-hitter—unless the Phillies are planning to unload Bobby Abreu later this season…

Rather than trade him to a team like the Mets, the Red Sox foolishly waived Tony Graffanino, losing out on a useful player who could have contributed as a pinch-hitter. Graffanino, a solid hitter and decent defender who gave Boston some insurance against the 34-year-old Mark Loretta breaking down, will now have to bide his time for a non-entity in Kansas City, wasting his talents for a team going nowhere anytime soon…

The Tigers surprisingly released Carlos Pena, who was slated to back up Chris Shelton at first base while giving Detroit another DH and pinch-hitting option. I would have thought that Pena could have brought something via trade; he has significant power (18 home runs in 260 at-bats) and won’t turn 28 until May. While Pena may never become the impact player that the Detroit and Oakland organizations once touted for stardom, he is clearly capable of helping somebody at the major league level. At first glance, he would make sense for teams like the Orioles, where he could platoon with either Jeff Conine or Kevin Millar, or the Giants, where he could alternate with Lance Niekro. He’d also represent an upgrade for the Reds, but they’ve mysteriously become obsessed with the notion of Scott Hatteberg as a suitable solution at first base…

The A’s added another left-hander to their bullpen, acquiring former Yankee Brad Halsey from the D-Backs for the underachieving Juan Cruz. This was another solid deal for Billy Beane. After watching him wallow through a disastrous 2005 season, the A’s had no room for Cruz in their bullpen. Halsey, while lacking the stuff to be anything more than a No. 4 starter, throws strikes and does reasonably well against left-handed batters, making him a candidate for specialty work in the bullpen. With the addition of Halsey, the A’s now have two left-handers in the bullpen. Holdover Joe Kennedy, another National League refugee, is capable of giving Oakland some longer stints out of the bullpen while also making some spot starts for Ken Macha…

As badly as the Red Sox fared on Graffanino, they did well in claiming Hee Sop Choi on waivers from the Dodgers, who were unable to swing a deal involving the favorite of former general manager Paul DePodesta. Given his relatively light salary, Choi is a good pickup for the Red Sox. Despite failing to emerge as an everyday first baseman in Los Angeles, he had a not-so-terrible OPS of .789 in 2005, making him a solid option as a platoon partner at first base and as a pinch-hitter. If Red Sox hitting coach Ron Jackson can teach Choi an opposite field stroke, enabling him to take advantage of The Wall, this could become a dandy pickup for Boston…

*Prior to picking up Choi, the Sox added an even more ample power threat by snatching Wily Mo Pena from the Reds for right-hander Bronson Arroyo. This deal carries some risk for 2006. It’s always chancy for a contending team to part with starting pitch depth in exchange for a player who figures to be limited to a platoon role, as Pena will split time with Trot Nixon in right field. But by 2007, this could pay major dividends in Beantown, given Pena’s youth and 40-home run potential. The presence of Pena might also make it easier for the Red Sox to finally trade Manny Ramirez sometime after the 2006 season… The Pena trade also helps the Reds, who now have four potentially decent starters in right-handers Arroyo and Harang and left-handers Brandon Claussen and Dave Williams (another off-season acquisition). The revised rotation is not the second carnation of Gary Nolan, Don Gullett, and Jack Billingham, but it’s a better quartet than anything the Reds have put together since the 1990s…

*The Mariners and White Sox pulled off a deal that made few headlines, but it’s one that could bring Seattle some much needed power to its outfield. The M’s acquired minor league slugger Joe Borchard from the champion White Sox for left-handed reliever Matt Thornton, who throws hard but looks like another Brad Pennington in the making. If given a chance, Borchard could give the Mariners better production than Raul Ibanez. And even with Jeremy Reed’s wrist injury not as serious as originally thought, Borchard could receive his close-up sooner rather than later with the run-starved Mariners.

Recommended Viewing

I don’t recommend good baseball web sites as often as I should, so hopefully this will mark the start of a new trend. One site in particular has caught my attention in recent weeks. It’s “Steve’s Baseball Photography Pages,” which can be found at the URL www.geocities.com/dewing19. The site, which is run by a gentleman named Steve Dewing, features rarely seen, and in many cases, never-before-published photographs from the 1950s, sixties, and seventies. For those who enjoy baseball from that era and tire of seeing the same black-and-white photos over and over, Dewing’s site comes as a refreshing change. Constantly updated with newly found images, the site includes some new West Coast material—photos of Willie McCovey with the Padres, Bobby Murcer with the Giants, and Reggie Jackson with the A’s. For those who like action photos, there are some wonderful shots of Johnny Bench and Pete Rose with the Reds circa 1970. There’s an intriguing photograph of Hank Aaron (as a Brewer) chatting with Willie Davis (as a Ranger); making you wonder what they were talking about. In addition, Dewing features some rarely seen Rangers shots from the seventies, including photos of Texas-sized failures like Rico Carty and Alex Johnson. He also has posted several photographs for Rangers players he’s trying to identify, which may generate interest among fans of the franchise during the Ted Williams, Whitey Herzog, and Billy Martin years. So if you’re looking to spend some time at the internet on a new site, visit Steve’s Baseball Pages, send him an e-mail at dewing19@usfamily.net, and soak in some old-fashioned baseball photography.

Pastime Passings

Xavier Rescigno (Died on December 24, 2005, in Sun City West, Arizona; age 92): Nicknamed “Mr. X,” Rescigno posted a record of 19-22 with 16 saves over a war-era career that spanned 129 games in the major leagues. Recording an ERA of 4.13, the right-hander pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1943 to 1955. Rescigno won a career-high 10 games in 1944.

Bruce Markusen is the author of the forthcoming book, The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, which will be released in May by Westholme Publishing. Markusen can be heard periodically on ESPNews’ Hot List with Brian Kenny and every Wednesday morning at 10:00 am on WHAM Radio (1180 AM) in Rochester, New York, discussing the latest issues in baseball.