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Dustin Pedroia could easily be mistaken for a mechanic, carpenter or plumber, most anything except a major leaguer.
“I’m not the biggest guy in the world. I don’t have that many tools,” he said. “If you saw me walking down the street, you wouldn’t think I’m a baseball player.”
Well, not unless he was carrying his AL MVP award.
Pedroia added to his ever-expanding trophy case Tuesday, becoming the first second baseman to earn the honor in nearly a half-century.
The Boston little man with the meaty swing easily beat out Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau, Red Sox teammate Kevin Youkilis and record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez in a scattered ballot that saw five different players draw first-place votes.
Generously listed at 5-foot-9, Pedroia has quickly piled up a huge stack of hardware. Earlier this month, he won the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger. He was the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year and capped off that season with a World Series ring.
“I had to overcome a lot of things to prove people wrong, and so far I’ve done that,” the 25-year-old Pedroia said on a conference call from his home in Arizona. “I have to find a way to have that edge.”
Pedroia drew 16 of the 28 first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and finished with 317 points. He was even left off one ballot, while Morneau and Youkilis were listed on every one.
“You look around the league, there are a ton of great players,” Pedroia said.
Pedroia led the AL in hits, runs and doubles in helping the Red Sox win the wild-card berth. He batted .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs and also stole 20 bases.
Pedroia became a fan favorite at Fenway Park with his scrappy approach. In a lineup depleted by injuries to David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew and the midseason trade of Manny Ramirez, Pedroia took his hearty hacks wherever needed - while he usually batted second, he also hit leadoff and cleanup.
“He’s such a good player,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “When the game’s on the line, he’s a better player.”
An improved one, too, from his rookie year.
“I thought his whole game got better. I think he got more dangerous at the plate,” Francona said. “He never gives away an at-bat.”
Nellie Fox was the previous second baseman to become AL MVP, in 1959 with the White Sox. No position has produced fewer MVPs - just 10 overall since the AL and NL awards were first presented in 1931.
Pedroia was the fourth second baseman to win the AL MVP award, along with Fox, Joe Gordon (1942) and Charlie Gehringer (1937). Six second basemen have won the NL honor, with Jeff Kent, Ryne Sandberg and Joe Morgan doing it most recently.
Pedroia and his wife originally planned to leave early this week for a vacation in Mexico. But with the MVP vote looming, a Red Sox official suggested he delay the trip by a day or two, just in case.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Pedroia said. “I wasn’t nervous or overly excited.”
Pedroia certainly didn’t plan on this. He made just $457,000 last season and didn’t have an MVP bonus provision in his contract.
Pedroia was driving to his daily workout when he got the phone call telling him he’d won. Right away, the calls and text messages from teammates began pouring in.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said.
Pedroia became the 10th Red Sox player to take the award and first since Mo Vaughn in 1995. He also is just the third player to become MVP the season after earning the Rookie of the Year award, joining Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard.
Morneau got seven first-place votes and had 257 points, and Youkilis and Twins catcher Joe Mauer each got a pair of first-place votes. Rodriguez drew the other first-place nod and came in sixth.
Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP winner, hit .300 with 23 home runs and 129 RBIs in helping the Twins reach a one-game playoff for the AL Central, which they lost to Chicago.
Youkilis (.312, 29, 115) was third with 201 points and Mauer (.328, 9, 85) was next with 188 points.
White Sox star Carlos Quentin, who was leading the AL with 36 home runs when he broke his right wrist in an act of frustration, was fifth with 160 points. Rodriguez, who went 62-for-69 in save chances and recently filed for free agency, drew 143 points.
Texas slugger Josh Hamilton, who made a remarkable recovery from drug addiction to resume his career, was seventh and followed by last year’s winner, Yankees star Alex Rodriguez.
Tampa Bay first baseman Carlos Pena came in ninth, the top vote-getter from the AL champions. The Rays beat Boston in Game 7 of the ALCS.
Morneau earned $75,000 for his MVP finish and Mauer, Youkilis and Pena got $25,000 each.
The AL MVP was the last of the major BBWAA awards presented this year. Albert Pujols won the NL MVP award Monday and last week Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum won Cy Youngs, Joe Maddon and Lou Piniella were picked as Managers of the Year and Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto were the top rookies.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
The Kansas City Royals picked up the leadoff hitter they had been seeking, acquiring center fielder Coco Crisp from the Boston Red Sox for reliever Ramon Ramirez on Wednesday.
Kansas City was 12th among 14 AL teams in runs last season and added power last month, obtaining first baseman Mike Jacobs from Florida.
The switch-hitting Crisp gives the Royals speed at the top of the lineup and a superb defender in center field who has World Series experience.
“The speed aspect of it was very important,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “I’ve talked many times about the importance of a balanced lineup, speed at the top and the bottom, and Coco certainly gives us that.”
The 29-year-old was the subject of trade rumors for much of last season following the emergence of rookie Jacoby Ellsbury.
The two split time in center, with Crisp hitting .283 with seven homers and 41 RBI in 98 games. He also stole 20 bases in 27 attempts, the third straight season he’s reached the 20-steal mark.
Ellsbury hit .280 with nine homers and 47 RBI last season, proving to the Red Sox that he’s ready to be an everyday player. Boston also gains financial savings by trading Crisp, who’s due to make $5.75 million next season in a deal that includes an $8 million club option for 2010 with a $500,000 buyout.
“He played through injuries. He played hard,” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said of Crisp. “With the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury, we felt like we would be able to find a (backup) outfielder on the market easier than we would find a valuable member of the bullpen.”
The Royals got Ramirez, a 27-year-old righty, in a trade with Colorado before last season. They were so impressed with his stuff that they projected him to be their closer.
With a fastball that reaches the mid-90s mph, Ramirez is a power pitcher who seems suited for the late innings. He was one of the primary setup men for closer Joakim Soria and flourished in that spot, going 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings.
“He’s very quietly had a tremendous amount of success in the major leagues over the last 2½ years,” Epstein said.
Ramirez figures to play a setup role for closer Jonathan Papelbon and could send Justin Masterson back to the rotation, where he feels more comfortable.
“It’s a new experience for me to be able to play on a contending club. I know that Boston is going to be in it, as they have in previous years,” Ramirez said, speaking through a translator on a conference call. “I couldn’t be happier right now. I’m ecstatic.”
Masterson was 6-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 36 games as a rookie last season - 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA in nine starts. As a reliever, he was 2-2 with a 2.36 ERA and worked nine postseason games with a 1.86 ERA and no decisions.
“(He) gives us the flexibility to start Masterson,” Epstein said. “Ramirez potentially could replace Masterson in the ‘pen.”
Boston traded for Crisp after his breakout season — .333, 15 homers, 69 RBI — with Cleveland in 2005. But a broken finger derailed Crisp’s first year in Boston and Epstein said his offense never fully recovered.
Crisp has always been a superb fielder and picked up his offense the last half of 2008, hitting .315. He also hit .417 (10-for-24) in the playoffs, driving in the tying run in the eighth inning to complete Boston’s comeback from a 7-0 deficit in Game 5 of the AL championship series against Tampa Bay.
“I play hard and pretty much stay within myself,” said Crisp, a career .280 hitter. “I know what I can and cannot do, and with that I think it makes me a pretty good ballplayer. And to help the team, besides stepping on the field, I can hopefully bring a presence into the clubhouse that will help us win, the attitude of winning.”
Epstein said the Red Sox hope to replace Crisp with a right-handed fourth outfielder who can play center. He probably will look outside the organization.
The addition of Crisp could signify more moves for the Royals, as well.
Crisp is expected to be the starter in center and Jose Guillen, the highest-paid player in franchise history, is locked in at right. That means Kansas City will have to find a way to get enough playing time for David DeJesus and Mark Teahen.
The loss of Ramirez also creates a hole in the middle of the bullpen that will likely need to be filled from outside the organization.
“I think it’s safe to assume there’s possible changes, but if we have to begin the season with the core group we finished the season with, it can be managed easily,” Moore said.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Pitcher Ryan Dempster and the Chicago Cubs agreed Tuesday on a four-year contract worth about $52 million.
Dempster was 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the Cubs last season, then became a free agent after making the switch from the closer to starter.
As the Cubs’ closer from 2005-07, he saved 87 games in 102 chances. But after earning a spot in the rotation during spring training, Dempster returned to the starter’s role he held with the Marlins and Reds from 1998-2003.
Dempster was 14-3 at Wrigley Field during the regular season after starting 10-0 on the Cubs’ home field. But Wrigley was also the site of one of his worst performances when he struggled in the playoff opener against the Dodgers.
Dempster threw 109 pitches in just 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs and four hits while matching a career high seven walks. He gave up a grand slam to James Loney in the Cubs 7-2 loss and Chicago — which had the NL’s best record — was swept out of the playoff in the first round for the second straight season.
On the first day of spring training last February, it was Dempster said he thought the Cubs would win the World Series. But instead, they still haven’t won one since 1908. Now he’ll get another chance to help the Cubs end their long drought.
Last week, the Cubs traded for Florida reliever Kevin Gregg and said goodbye to free agent Kerry Wood. General manager Jim Hendry said the Cubs couldn’t give him the long-term deal he deserved because they had more important priorities.
And one of those top priorities was re-signing Dempster.
Chicago also has explored acquiring San Diego ace Jake Peavy.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun did not win the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award on Monday, but if he stays on the same career path, he will someday.
Coming off his first full season in the big leagues, Braun placed third with 139 points in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s balloting system and was one of three Brewers to place. Left-hander CC Sabathia was sixth with 121 votes despite playing only half of the season in the NL, and first baseman Prince Fielder, last year’s third-place finisher, was 20th with 11 votes.
The winner was Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, who won his second career NL MVP award and beat second-place finisher Ryan Howard of the Phillies by 61 votes. Pujols had 18 first-place votes and 369 total votes to Howard’s 12 and 308.
Thirty-two BBWAA members cast ballots ranking players from first to 10th for the award, and Braun appeared on 25 ballots. He received two second-place votes and ranked as low as 10th on one ballot and received one more point than Dodgers’ midseason acquisition Manny Ramirez, who totaled 138 points.
The balloting system rewards 14 points for first place, nine for second, eight for third and on down to one point for 10th place.
The Brewers had not placed multiple top-10 vote-getters since 1982, when Robin Yount won the American League MVP Award, Cecil Cooper placed fifth and Gorman Thomas was eighth. The AL champion Brewers actually had six top-20 finishers that year, with Paul Molitor running 12th, Rollie Fingers 16th and Pete Vukovich 18th.
Braun, the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year, batted .285 with 37 home runs and 106 RBIs this past season. He led the league with 83 extra-base hits despite playing much of the final two months of the regular season with a lower back injury that limited his range of motion and affected his swing. He also won a Silver Slugger Award last week.
Sabathia might have won MVP honors with more time in the NL. Acquired from the Cleveland Indians on July 7, Sabathia was 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in his 17 Brewers starts, including a league-best seven complete games. He actually received more second- or third-place votes (nine) than Braun (five) but appeared on only 20 ballots
Fielder hit .276 with 34 homers and 102 RBIs and was Milwaukee’s hottest hitter in September, when he batted 316 with six home runs and 21 RBIs to help the Brewers clinch the NL Wild Card. Fielder appeared on four ballots, as high as sixth.
Hookscenter.com wire report (McCalvy).
Reliever Jeremy Affeldt became the first of 171 free agents to agree to a contract, striking an $8 million, two-year deal Monday with the San Francisco Giants.
One of Giants general manager Brian Sabean’s offseason priorities was to bolster his club’s inconsistent bullpen, so adding the left-hander helps in that process. The Giants, who haven’t reached the playoffs since 2003, often had problems in the middle innings between their starter and getting to reliable closer Brian Wilson.
The 29-year-old Affeldt pitched for the Cincinnati Reds last season, going 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in a team-leading 74 appearances. He struck out 80 and walked 25 in 78 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-4 Affeldt, originally drafted by Kansas City in the third round in 1997, recorded a 2.23 ERA in his final 34 outings of 2008.
“Though just 29, Jeremy brings a solid veteran presence to our bullpen,” Sabean said in a statement. “There is no doubt he has been able to shoulder a heavy workload. He has been to the postseason and will help bridge the gap between our young and talented starting staff and our closer, Brian Wilson, who is one of the best in the game. We are excited to have Jeremy as a Giant.”
Affeldt was part of the Colorado Rockies team that won the NL pennant in 2007 and reached the World Series.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols won his second NL MVP award, powering past Philadelphia Phillies star Ryan Howard by a comfortable margin Monday.
Pujols hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI while playing with a sore right elbow. He was rewarded despite the Cardinals’ fourth-place finish in the NL Central.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Pujols said. “You have to consider everything. You have to put all the numbers together.”
Los Angeles outfielder Manny Ramirez and Milwaukee pitcher CC Sabathia also drew strong support after being traded by AL teams in July.
Pujols got 18 of the 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and had 369 points. The first baseman added to the MVP award he won in 2005.
Howard, who led the majors with 48 homers and 146 RBI for the World Series champion Phillies, drew 12 first-place votes and 308 points.
Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun was third with 139 points, with Ramirez fourth at 138. Houston’s Lance Berkman was fifth and Sabathia sixth.
Brad Lidge, perfect on 41 save chances for the Phillies during the regular season, drew the other two first-place votes and came in eighth. Voting was completed before the playoffs began.
“There were so many candidates,” Pujols said on a conference call from his home in St. Louis. “I’m happy I didn’t have to make that decision.”
Pujols was remarkably consistent all year — a trait he has demonstrated throughout his career. He is the only big leaguer to hit at least 30 home runs in his first eight seasons in the majors, and has finished in the top 10 of the NL MVP voting each year.
Pujols, the only player on all 32 ballots, led the league in slugging percentage and intentional walks. He drew 104 walks while striking out only 54 times, and was second in the NL with a .462 on-base percentage.
Almost single-handedly, when the Cardinals’ rotation was depleted by injuries, he tried to keep St. Louis in contention while batting .398 in the month of August.
In mid-October, Pujols had surgery for nerve irritation in his right elbow, an ailment that caused numbness, tingling in his ring finger and pinkie, a weak grip and pain inside his forearm. He hopes to resume weight training after Thanksgiving and is expected to be ready for spring training.
“The worst part was the last two months,” he said.
Pujols said there was still a slight chance he might need Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery.
“I’m crossing my fingers,” he said.
Pujols became the 25th multiple MVP winner in either league.
Howard got off to a slow start and was hitting under .200 toward the end of May. His best month came in September, when he set a team record with 32 RBI in the month and helped the Phillies rally to the NL East title. Howard won the NL MVP in 2006.
Ramirez had 138 points. He hit .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI after the Dodgers got him from Boston on July 31, and led Los Angeles’ push to the NL West title.
Sabathia got 121 points. He was 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA after Milwaukee acquired him from Cleveland on July 6, and helped the Brewers win the wild-card spot.
Both Ramirez and Sabathia drew second-place votes. Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who won the NL MVP last season, did not receive a single vote this year.
Pujols earned a $200,000 bonus for winning the award. Ramirez got $75,000 and Braun got $50,000.
The AL MVP will be announced Tuesday. A close vote is anticipated, with Minnesota’s Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau among the top contenders along with Boston’s Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
The Atlanta Braves have pulled out of the Jake Peavy trade talks and will move ahead with other plans general manager Frank Wren told CBSSports.com on Friday.
“We notified the Padres yesterday that based on our last offer not being accepted, we were out of it,” Wren said.
The Braves were set to send shortstop Yunel Escobar, pitcher Charlie Morton, reliever Blaine Boyer and Class A outfielder Gorkys Hernandez to the Padres for Peavy, who would have had to waive his no-trade clause.
The Braves felt they were moving toward a deal, according to sources, and on Wednesday believed they were going to obtain the pitcher they had been attempting to acquire since October.
But then something changed, and in Wren’s conversations with the Padres it became apparent that a deal was not as close the Braves were thinking. The Atlanta GM declined comment on what explanation the Padres gave him for not accepting the deal.
“It just didn’t work,” Wren said.
The Braves became perplexed over the past six weeks by the Padres’ handling of the negotiations, sources with knowledge of the talks say, and still don’t know for sure why San Diego sent such conflicting signals to them this week.
The Braves believe that they were assuming significant risk in the deal not only because of the package of players they were willing to deal, but also because of Peavy’s history of injuries.
“We were never that comfortable with the players we were talking about because we’re a club that likes to build from within,” Wren said. “And as the deal evolved, it was going to impact too many of those players.”
Despite periodic trepidation as negotiatons were moving forward, though, the Braves ultimately were willing to part with some prospects they viewed as key — except for prospect Tommy Hanson.
Even at that, they still feel that their offer for Peavy surpassed any others the Padres have received.
So now the Braves will take their search for two starting pitchers elsewhere. Wren said that they have a couple of trade possibilities working, plus they will dive into the free agent market.
Aside from CC Sabathia, who they view as too expensive, the Braves figure to be involved in anybody and everybody on the free agent market. They’ve already believed to have touched base with A.J. Burnett, and figure to do the same with Derek Lowe and Ryan Dempster, among others.
“Jake is a player who would have fit into our club very well,” Wren said. “But it was a very rich deal, and at the end of the day we just didn’t feel like it made sense for our organization to keep talking.”
Of course, the offseason is filled with posturing as clubs seek to make deals — both in the trade and free-agent markets — and everybody has an agenda and wants their angle out there.
Could this be a case of the Braves doing the same? If the Padres were to call back before Atlanta finishes its pitching plans for the winter, could something still get done?
“We’re trying to improve our club,” Wren said. “I’m never going to close the door to anything. We have no active discussions going on. We’re actively pursuing other things.
“Would I take a call? Yes. But that’s not our focus.”
The Chicago Cubs, also searching for pitching, are believed to still be interested. However, Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Friday that the club may turn to the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
It’s official, if only procedural.
The Brewers on Friday confirmed an Associated Press report that the team had exercised closer Salomon Torres’ $3.75 million option for 2009. The team revealed in a short e-mail that it actually picked up the option on Wednesday, then forwarded Torres the necessary retirement paperwork on Thursday.
When Torres is officially placed on the voluntary retirement list, he will be removed from the Brewers’ 40-man roster and the team will be off the hook for his 2009 salary.
The decision to exercise the option was expected because of the obvious financial component — the Brewers would have owed Torres a $300,000 buyout had they declined. But Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said earlier this week that he was mostly interested in retaining Torres’ rights for 2009 in case the 36-year old changes his mind.
“I told him that if he ever thinks about it, we would love to have him back,” Melvin told MLB.com on Tuesday. “He said he was pretty well set on it.”
The team faced a Saturday deadline to decide on his option, but Torres called Melvin on Tuesday with the news he intended to retire.
Torres, who retired for three seasons from 1998-2000 before returning to active duty, enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2008, when he took over the Brewers’ closer role in May. He was 7-5 with a 3.49 ERA and a career-high 28 saves and was 27-for-32 in save opportunities after taking over for Eric Gagne on May 24.
His departure would leave the Brewers without a closer, but Melvin has said the team is likely to pursue starting pitchers or left-handed bats before focusing on the bullpen. And when he does focus in that area, Melvin said he is unlikely to spend large dollars on a closer, a stance that would seem to rule out current free-agent options like Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes or Kerry Wood.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
The New York Yankees reportedly offered free agent left-hander CC Sabathia the biggest pitching contract in major-league history Friday, which drew a somewhat puzzled response from Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin.
“It sounds like they’re overbidding,” Melvin said. “If the speculation is true that we’ve offered CC $100 million, why would you offer $140 million? Why wouldn’t you offer $110 million?”
The answer to that question, according to reports out of New York, is that the Yankees are trying to “blow away” Sabathia with an offer he can’t refuse. The New York Daily News, citing “industry sources,” reported that the Yankees made an initial bid of $140 million for six years.
That offer would exceed the current top pitching contract of $137.5 million for six years given Johan Santana by the New York Mets last winter.
Melvin has not confirmed the Brewers’ offer of $100 million for five years, revealed by a baseball official to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel a couple of weeks ago. Assuming the report is true that the Yankees offered Sabathia $140 million over six years, Melvin was asked if the Brewers could compete with that figure.
“I don’t want to respond to that,” Melvin said. “It’s up to the player to go where the money is.
“(The Yankees) have been pretty adamant about bidding on everybody. That doesn’t mean that’s what the market is. That’s just one team’s offer. Until all the bids are on the table, I don’t know what the market is.”
Melvin said he would ask Sabathia’s representatives by the middle of next week to tell him where the Brewers are in the bidding and if further negotiations make sense. If he has no chance of keeping Sabathia, who pitched the Brewers to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years after being acquired from Cleveland in early July, Melvin wants to move on and look for another starting pitcher.
“I’ll ask them where we’re at (in the bidding), if we have a chance or should we move on,” Melvin said. “I need to know. We don’t want this to drag on.
“They won’t tell me what the other offers are. They’ll just say, ‘We’ve got an extra year (from another bidder) or more money.’ They’ll let you know if the other offers are substantially more or a little more.
“We’re not going to negotiate until we know where we stand.”
There have been reports that the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to join the bidding for Sabathia. All of those teams have payrolls substantially higher than the Brewers, who are not expected to exceed $90 million in player salaries in 2009.
The Yankees, who had a payroll of $209 million last season, had more than $80 million come off the books and have indicated they will make every effort to sign Sabathia and perhaps another big-name free-agent pitcher or two.
Melvin said the Brewers considered Sabathia a “special case,” meaning they won’t funnel $100 million to other free agents if the big lefty goes elsewhere. The Brewers would seek another pitcher, however, perhaps deciding to bid on their other free-agent starter, right-hander Ben Sheets.
Otherwise, Melvin will explore the trade market. He needs to find a bullpen closer and is on the hunt for at least one left-handed bat for his lineup but wants to address his starting rotation first.
Because Sabathia is the cream of the free-agent pitching crop this year, the feeling in the industry is that the players union will exert pressure on his representatives to take the best deal and thus raise the bar for others to follow.
Asked if he expected union pressure, Melvin simply said, “Yeah, probably.”
Kyles joins staff: The Brewers completed new manager Ken Macha’s coaching staff by naming Class AAA Nashville pitching coach Stan Kyles as the bullpen coach.
Kyles, 47, spent the past four seasons as the pitching coach in Nashville and has been in the Brewers’ system for eight years. He previously served as the pitching coach for Class AAA Indianapolis (2004), Class AA Huntsville (2002-’03) and Class A High Desert (2001).
Kyles currently is coaching in the Dominican Winter League for Azucareros Del Este.
“Stan knows a lot of the pitchers that will be in our bullpen,” Melvin said. “He’s worked with a lot of them in the minors and in spring training.
“It’s good that Ken is willing to give people in our organization a chance. We have a couple of new guys and then some guys who have been here before.”
Kyles joins a staff that includes bench coach Willie Randolph, hitting coach Dale Sveum, pitching coach Bill Castro, first-base coach Ed Sedar and third-base coach Brad Fischer.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
When Brewers closer Salomon Torres called it quits this week, opting to retire from active duty after one of the best seasons of his career, he dug yet another hole at the back of the Brewers’ bullpen.
It could be some time before general manager Doug Melvin starts filling in those holes.
“We had to fill in some holes in the bullpen last year, too,” Melvin said after what he called a good chat with Torres. “We’ll have to sit down and talk about it. We have been spending most of our time on other things.”
Like hiring a manager, several new coaches and a new scouting director. Now that Melvin is free to move on to player matters, he is more likely to focus first on starting pitching — CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets are the team’s highest-profile free agents and both are starters — and then finding a left-handed bat, preferably a third baseman, to plug into a righty-heavy lineup.
Melvin expects to settle those matters before moving on to the bullpen, even though Torres’ retirement left the Brewers without a closer. He was the team’s fourth major bullpen loss since the end of the season, joining free-agent right-handers Eric Gagne and Guillermo Mota and left-handed specialist Brian Shouse.
“We’ve been able to find closers before,” said Melvin, who watched Dan Kolb and Derrick Turnbow transform from castoffs into All-Stars for the Brewers.
Torres did not make the All-Star team in 2008, but he enjoyed a similar renaissance, stepping in for Gagne in late May and going 27-for-32 in save chances as the closer (Torres was 28-for-35 all season).
The free-agent market could provide some candidates for Torres’ replacement, though Melvin hinted strongly that the Brewers are unlikely to pay top dollar given their patchwork successes in recent years. The latest arm available is Trevor Hoffman, who was likely to hit the market after the Padres withdrew a $4 million offer on Monday.
Hoffman joined some big names in free agency, most notably record-setting Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez. Kerry Wood of the Cubs and Brian Fuentes of the Rockies are also available.
That latter trio of arms can expect to command multiple years and big dollars. Hoffman, who has reportedly had a falling-out with the Padres, could perhaps be had for a one-year deal. Melvin was vague when asked if he had interest in Hoffman, the all-time saves leader, leaving open the possibility that the Brewers may be interested.
“Anybody who’s out there and available, we’ll have conversations about him,” Melvin said.
More likely, though, Melvin will take a similar course to the one he followed last year, when he stockpiled experienced relievers who had a taste of closing in the past, including Torres, Mota and right-hander David Riske.
There was one very notable exception to that plan. The Brewers gave Gagne $10 million for one year, preferring the short-term to a multiple-year offer for less money per season but more over the course of the contract. Gagne ended the regular season with nine scoreless appearances, but finished with an ugly 5.44 ERA and just 10 saves.
That experience could prompt Melvin to fill the closer’s role from within, and he is aware that some observers wonder if Seth McClung or Carlos Villanueva could fit the bill.
“Each of those guys has some attributes that make you think maybe they could do it,” Melvin said.
In McClung’s case, it is a power fastball; in Villanueva’s a crafty changeup.
“We’ll talk about that,” Melvin said. “No one last year thought Torres would be our closer, so you never know.”
Of the Brewers’ own free-agent relievers, the most likely to draw the team’s interest could be Shouse, who along with Villanueva are the only Brewers relievers from 2006 who were still with the team in ‘08. Shouse is seeking a two-year contract and said he has already heard from teams willing to make such an offer. The Brewers have yet to extend an offer.
“That doesn’t scare us, though,” Shouse said. “Some other teams have shown some interest, but I don’t think that means anything right now. I’m pretty confident that they want me back, because my agent and Doug talked a little bit a while back. But we are going to try to pursue a two-year deal, to see what’s out there, and I don’t think Milwaukee is willing to go that route.
“I understand that. They [the Brewers] have had a lot going on with Sheets and CC and having to make a decision on Torres and [Mike] Cameron. Those guys take precedence over guys like me, and that’s fine.”
The free-agency period begins in earnest on Friday, when player can negotiate financial terms with any team. Shouse was anxious to see what kind of offers trickle in. The Braves, Cubs and Rangers are specifically seeking left-handers, and Shouse said a few West Coast teams have also shown some interest.
If Shouse signs elsewhere, it would mean a more prominent role for Mitch Stetter, who turns 28 in January.
“I feel like I’ve done a very good job over the last couple of years and hopefully somebody sees that, whether it’s Milwaukee or somebody else,” Shouse said. “I’m very interested to see what happens with the Brewers this year, who goes after CC, who goes for Sheets. I’m curious to see where people end up.”
Hookscenter.com wire report (McCalvy).
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