Astros general manager Ed Wade downplayed reports of the club's interest in free agent right-handers J.J. Putz and Brett Myers. "We've made contact with agents for about every player out there as a matter of course," said Wade. "I would not read anymore into it than that. If there's an opportunity for us to do something from a pitching standpoint, it behooves us to make contact. That's all that's taken place." Both pitchers are working their ways back from injury-plagued seasons, so while he is downplaying interest for now, Wade could be in the market for a buy-low option.
According to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, the Phillies have made known their interest in free agent reliever J.J. Putz. The Phils, like any team, would like to add depth to their bullpen this winter and could use Putz as a backup to closer Brad Lidge. The 32-year-old Putz had a disappointing 5.22 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 2009, but he's only a year removed from his reputation as a shut-down bullpen arm. The Astros and Pirates have also expressed interest in the right-hander.
Braves signed LHP Billy Wagner to a one-year, $7 million contract with a $6.5 million vesting option for 2011. The deal became official once Wagner passed his physical on Wednesday morning. There will be a press conference to introduce him at 2:30pm ET. The 38-year-old southpaw projects as Atlanta's closer for 2010 and should do a fairly decent job, barring injury. He had a 1.98 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 26/8 K/BB ratio in 15 appearances this past season for the Red Sox. - rotoworld
Scott Kazmir -- Class of 2002 -Cypress Falls (Cypress Falls, Houston, Texas) - Remember all the hoopla last spring when Patrick Schuster threw four straight no-hitters? Well, Kazmir did that in 2002 while becoming the Baseball America Player of the Year. Kazmir, who went on to become a first-round pick, led the American League in strikeouts in 2007.
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David Wright Class of 2001 - Hickory (Chesapeake, Va.) - Just before the Upton brothers came along, Virginia already had a big-time talent around in Wright. As a senior, he hit .544 with six homers. Now with the New York Mets, Wright is a four-time All-Star.
Lastings Milledge -- Class of 2003 - Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Fla.) - Milledge led the Mustangs to the Class 5A state title as a senior after stealing 43 bases and batting .414. A first-round pick by the New York Mets out of high school, Milledge now plays for the Pirates. - espn
The Mets could be looking to address their lack of power through a major acquisition to play left. General manager Omar Minaya has raved for years about the potential of Fernando Martinez, and unless the Mets make a major free agent splash to fill this spot, this could be an opportunity for Martinez, who required knee surgery in July but is playing winter ball. Murphy could still play left if the team acquires a first baseman.
Jeff Francoeur:
Jeff Francoeur has been an enigma since his first two seasons with the Atlanta Braves in 2005-06. But he showed signs of coming around, hitting .311 with 10 homers in 75 games after being acquired by the Mets in 2009. His offseason thumb surgery should not be a factor.
Left-hander Johan Santana (29-16 in two seasons with the Mets) is a true No. 1, and the Mets don't believe his recovery from surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow will hinder him this spring. They believe they can count on righties Mike Pelfrey (10-12, 5.03 ERA and the only Mets pitcher to start more than 25 games in '09) and John Maine. Consistency has been a major issue with lefty Oliver Perez. Perez missed the final six weeks of 2009 and required knee surgery, though he's expected to be ready for spring training. Righty Bobby Parnell has shown flashes and could work his way into the rotation. There could also be an opportunity for lefty Jon Niese, recovered from his August hamstring surgery.
Lefty Pedro Feliciano and righties Sean Green, Brian Stokes and Nelson Figueroa have the makings of a solid middle-innings corps. J.J. Putz didn't pan out in 2009, so the Mets declined the option on his contract and are shopping for a setup man — ideally a left-hander to complement Feliciano, who made 88 appearances last year.
With 35 saves, Francisco Rodriguez didn't come close to the record 62 he notched for the Los Angeles Angels in 2008. Even so, his WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched) of 1.31 was close to the 1.29 he posted in his record-setting season. Rodriguez, a right-hander, remains a solid ninth-inning performer whose save numbers are greatly a reflection of his opportunities. - usa today
The results weren’t pretty, not with a 12.56 ERA and 13 walks in 14 1/3 innings for Surprise. But Mejia showed one of the league’s strongest arms with a 90-96 mph fastball that touched 98. His fastball at times has excellent cutting life, and at other times he’ll put sink on it to generate an abundance of ground balls. Mejia still needs to bring his secondary pitches up to par, but each one flashes potential. His most advanced offspeed pitch is his changeup, which he throws with good arm speed and has good depth at times. His curveball comes and goes, though it flashes quick break at 78-82 mph.
Even after Davis hit .298/.381/.524 in 114 games between the high Class A Florida State League and Double-A Eastern League, the 2008 first-round pick still draws mixed reviews. Davis has the raw power to hit 25-30 home runs annually, though he has a somewhat unorthodox swing, starting his stance with a high hand setup then dropping his hands before he hits. He crushes right handed pitching but still needs to show he can hit enough against lefties. Davis has below-average speed, but he moves well around first base and has a strong arm. -
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