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Hache Man · 07-17-07, 02:47 PM

A's Send Kendall to Cubs
With an eight-game losing streak putting them 10.5 games out of a playoff spot, the A's parted with what figures to be the first of several veterans Monday, trading Jason Kendall to the Cubs for Rob Bowen and Jerry Blevins. Originally acquired from the Pirates for Arthur Rhodes and Mark Redman in November of 2004, Kendall was a tremendous disappointment with the A's after making three All-Star teams while hitting .306/.387/.418 in nine seasons in Pittsburgh.

Kendall struggled to throw out runners from behind the plate while hitting just .271/.337/.321 in parts of three seasons in Oakland, including .226/.261/.281 in 80 games this year. Rather than rely upon some combination of Bowen, Geovany Soto, and Koyie Hill, the Cubs will hand the everyday job to Kendall just weeks after trading former starter Michael Barrett to the Padres in a deal that netted them Bowen.

In the final year of a $60 million contract signed in 2000, Kendall figures to benefit from a move back to the NL. However, his skills have clearly eroded to the point that he has little chance of being a fantasy asset in mixed leagues and has marginal value even in NL-only formats. Manager Lou Piniella said Monday that Kendall will likely bat seventh in the Cubs' lineup, which limits his potential value even further.

Combined with the news that Mike Piazza will not be returning as a catcher, parting with Kendall means that the A's are committed to going with Kurt Suzuki as their starter behind the plate. Suzuki is somewhat similar to the player Kendall once was in that he doesn't offer much power, but is solid defensively and has good on-base skills. He's worth grabbing in AL-only leagues, but even at just 23 years old his long-term fantasy potential is pretty limited.

A relatively generic backup catcher, Bowen figures to stick as Suzuki's caddy, although the A's also have one-time Rockies prospect J.D. Closser hitting .259 with an .856 OPS at Triple-A. A 6-foot-6 left-hander, Blevins has a 1.02 ERA, 69-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .190 opponent's batting average in 53 innings between Single-A and Double-A. He lacks overpowering stuff, but the 23-year-old has a chance to develop into a solid reliever down the road.

While the Cubs play musical catchers and A's general manager Billy Beane works the phones as a seller, here are some other notes from around baseball …

* Brad Lidge has turned in back-to-back hitless innings while racking up four strikeouts since coming off the disabled list, with manager Phil Garner apparently seeing enough to return him to the closer role Monday. Not only does Lidge have a 2.21 ERA and 48-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 36.2 innings overall, he's sporting a 0.86 ERA, 44-to-9 strikeout-to-ratio, and .156 opponent's batting average in 31.1 innings spread over 29 appearances since late April.

Despite being one of baseball's most dominant relievers over the past three months and racking up 103 saves over the past three years, Lidge has yet to save a game this season. "I'm definitely ready to get back and close some games," Lidge said. "We need to start winning games and hopefully I can get a lot of opportunities to help us win." Lidge should have little trouble holding off Dan Wheeler for ninth-inning duties, but a trade remains possible and knee problems linger.

* An MRI on Ben Sheets' injured middle finger reportedly showed no further damage Monday, but the Brewers still placed him on the disabled list with what is being called a sprain. He'll miss at least 2-3 starts, but further tests Tuesday could reveal a much lengthier recovery timetable. With Sheets out, Yovani Gallardo will slide back into the rotation beginning Thursday against the Diamondbacks.

One of the elite pitching prospects in baseball, Gallardo posted a 2.79 ERA and 19-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in three starts in place on an injured Chris Capuano before moving to the bullpen. He has tremendous value in NL-only leagues and is a must-grab in mixed leagues as well. As manager Ned Yost said Monday when asked about Gallardo replacing Sheets: "We're covered, we're in good shape. I've got a lot of confidence in Gallardo. We're not going to miss a beat."

* As expected, the Royals activated Reggie Sanders from the disabled list Monday and optioned Joey Gathright back to Triple-A. Gathright hit .328 with a .450 on-base percentage in 50 games at Omaha earlier this season and batted .315 with a .390 on-base percentage in 25 games with the Royals, so the move clearly had nothing to do with performance and everything to do with the fact that he had minor-league options remaining.

"I told Joey that I didn't know what to say to him," manager Buddy Bell said. "We want him on our club. He's just in a position where he got caught up in some roster issues." While the Royals were somewhat limited in terms of how they could create a spot on the roster for Sanders, a viable alternative to demoting Gathright would have been simply releasing Sanders. They're no doubt showcasing the 39-year-old for a trade, but the value they figure to get back is marginal.

Instead, they'll give the oft-injured veteran a couple weeks of at-bats to show that he's healthy so that they can potentially cash him in for a mid-level prospect. Briefly sending Gathright to Triple-A is certainly not the end of the world, but the Royals will be compounding their mistake if they allow Sanders to steal playing time from Billy Butler at designated hitter. Between Sanders and Emil Brown, at least one lineup spot will essentially be used solely to entice teams into a trade.

AL Quick Hits: According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's have discussed trading Dan Johnson to the Yankees for Scott Proctor … Darin Erstad (ankle) and Scott Podsednik (ribs) are scheduled to share an outfield while rehabbing at Triple-A beginning Wednesday … Huston Street (shoulder) threw a simulated game Monday and is hoping to come off the disabled list early next week … Jason Giambi (foot) has begun a running program, but is likely still at least three weeks from returning … According to the Kansas City Star, the Dodgers are the frontrunners to acquire Octavio Dotel, but have balked at the Royals' asking price of Matt Kemp or James Loney … Miguel Tejada is scheduled to begin hitting off a tee and fielding ground balls Tuesday … Eric Chavez was scratched from Monday's lineup because of a sore back … Ichiro Suzuki's bruised thigh limited him to designated-hitter duties Monday, but he went 2-for-3 with a walk and a steal … The Indians are reportedly interested in bringing Kenny Lofton back for his third stint in Cleveland.

NL Quick Hits: John Smoltz (shoulder) is scheduled to come off the disabled list to start Wednesday against the Reds … With Brian Fuentes (ribs) set to return Thursday, Manny Corpas pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning Monday for his second save … In the midst of a 0-for-18 slump, Barry Bonds sat out Monday's game with sore legs … Carlos Zambrano said Monday that he's optimistic about finally working out the long-rumored contract extension with the Cubs … Ken Griffey Jr.'s three-run homer Monday moved him past Frank Robinson into sixth place on the all-time list with 587 career long balls … Josh Hamilton (wrist) hasn't been cleared to begin baseball activities yet, so he won't be ready to return when eligible Monday … Michael Barrett went 3-for-4 with three RBIs Monday, but has yet to draw a walk in 57 plate appearances since joining the Padres … Roughed up Thursday at Triple-A, Homer Bailey will remain in the minors for at least one more start … After holding the Cubs to one run over 6.1 innings Monday, Tim Lincecum has a 1.37 ERA over his past four starts.

07-17-07, 02:47 PM	#254
Hache Man "Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak" Join Date: Aug 19, 2005 Location: Orlando, Florida Posts: 64,496	Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007 A's Send Kendall to Cubs With an eight-game losing streak putting them 10.5 games out of a playoff spot, the A's parted with what figures to be the first of several veterans Monday, trading Jason Kendall to the Cubs for Rob Bowen and Jerry Blevins. Originally acquired from the Pirates for Arthur Rhodes and Mark Redman in November of 2004, Kendall was a tremendous disappointment with the A's after making three All-Star teams while hitting .306/.387/.418 in nine seasons in Pittsburgh. Kendall struggled to throw out runners from behind the plate while hitting just .271/.337/.321 in parts of three seasons in Oakland, including .226/.261/.281 in 80 games this year. Rather than rely upon some combination of Bowen, Geovany Soto, and Koyie Hill, the Cubs will hand the everyday job to Kendall just weeks after trading former starter Michael Barrett to the Padres in a deal that netted them Bowen. In the final year of a $60 million contract signed in 2000, Kendall figures to benefit from a move back to the NL. However, his skills have clearly eroded to the point that he has little chance of being a fantasy asset in mixed leagues and has marginal value even in NL-only formats. Manager Lou Piniella said Monday that Kendall will likely bat seventh in the Cubs' lineup, which limits his potential value even further. Combined with the news that Mike Piazza will not be returning as a catcher, parting with Kendall means that the A's are committed to going with Kurt Suzuki as their starter behind the plate. Suzuki is somewhat similar to the player Kendall once was in that he doesn't offer much power, but is solid defensively and has good on-base skills. He's worth grabbing in AL-only leagues, but even at just 23 years old his long-term fantasy potential is pretty limited. A relatively generic backup catcher, Bowen figures to stick as Suzuki's caddy, although the A's also have one-time Rockies prospect J.D. Closser hitting .259 with an .856 OPS at Triple-A. A 6-foot-6 left-hander, Blevins has a 1.02 ERA, 69-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .190 opponent's batting average in 53 innings between Single-A and Double-A. He lacks overpowering stuff, but the 23-year-old has a chance to develop into a solid reliever down the road. While the Cubs play musical catchers and A's general manager Billy Beane works the phones as a seller, here are some other notes from around baseball … * Brad Lidge has turned in back-to-back hitless innings while racking up four strikeouts since coming off the disabled list, with manager Phil Garner apparently seeing enough to return him to the closer role Monday. Not only does Lidge have a 2.21 ERA and 48-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 36.2 innings overall, he's sporting a 0.86 ERA, 44-to-9 strikeout-to-ratio, and .156 opponent's batting average in 31.1 innings spread over 29 appearances since late April. Despite being one of baseball's most dominant relievers over the past three months and racking up 103 saves over the past three years, Lidge has yet to save a game this season. "I'm definitely ready to get back and close some games," Lidge said. "We need to start winning games and hopefully I can get a lot of opportunities to help us win." Lidge should have little trouble holding off Dan Wheeler for ninth-inning duties, but a trade remains possible and knee problems linger. * An MRI on Ben Sheets' injured middle finger reportedly showed no further damage Monday, but the Brewers still placed him on the disabled list with what is being called a sprain. He'll miss at least 2-3 starts, but further tests Tuesday could reveal a much lengthier recovery timetable. With Sheets out, Yovani Gallardo will slide back into the rotation beginning Thursday against the Diamondbacks. One of the elite pitching prospects in baseball, Gallardo posted a 2.79 ERA and 19-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in three starts in place on an injured Chris Capuano before moving to the bullpen. He has tremendous value in NL-only leagues and is a must-grab in mixed leagues as well. As manager Ned Yost said Monday when asked about Gallardo replacing Sheets: "We're covered, we're in good shape. I've got a lot of confidence in Gallardo. We're not going to miss a beat." * As expected, the Royals activated Reggie Sanders from the disabled list Monday and optioned Joey Gathright back to Triple-A. Gathright hit .328 with a .450 on-base percentage in 50 games at Omaha earlier this season and batted .315 with a .390 on-base percentage in 25 games with the Royals, so the move clearly had nothing to do with performance and everything to do with the fact that he had minor-league options remaining. "I told Joey that I didn't know what to say to him," manager Buddy Bell said. "We want him on our club. He's just in a position where he got caught up in some roster issues." While the Royals were somewhat limited in terms of how they could create a spot on the roster for Sanders, a viable alternative to demoting Gathright would have been simply releasing Sanders. They're no doubt showcasing the 39-year-old for a trade, but the value they figure to get back is marginal. Instead, they'll give the oft-injured veteran a couple weeks of at-bats to show that he's healthy so that they can potentially cash him in for a mid-level prospect. Briefly sending Gathright to Triple-A is certainly not the end of the world, but the Royals will be compounding their mistake if they allow Sanders to steal playing time from Billy Butler at designated hitter. Between Sanders and Emil Brown, at least one lineup spot will essentially be used solely to entice teams into a trade. AL Quick Hits: According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's have discussed trading Dan Johnson to the Yankees for Scott Proctor … Darin Erstad (ankle) and Scott Podsednik (ribs) are scheduled to share an outfield while rehabbing at Triple-A beginning Wednesday … Huston Street (shoulder) threw a simulated game Monday and is hoping to come off the disabled list early next week … Jason Giambi (foot) has begun a running program, but is likely still at least three weeks from returning … According to the Kansas City Star, the Dodgers are the frontrunners to acquire Octavio Dotel, but have balked at the Royals' asking price of Matt Kemp or James Loney … Miguel Tejada is scheduled to begin hitting off a tee and fielding ground balls Tuesday … Eric Chavez was scratched from Monday's lineup because of a sore back … Ichiro Suzuki's bruised thigh limited him to designated-hitter duties Monday, but he went 2-for-3 with a walk and a steal … The Indians are reportedly interested in bringing Kenny Lofton back for his third stint in Cleveland. NL Quick Hits: John Smoltz (shoulder) is scheduled to come off the disabled list to start Wednesday against the Reds … With Brian Fuentes (ribs) set to return Thursday, Manny Corpas pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning Monday for his second save … In the midst of a 0-for-18 slump, Barry Bonds sat out Monday's game with sore legs … Carlos Zambrano said Monday that he's optimistic about finally working out the long-rumored contract extension with the Cubs … Ken Griffey Jr.'s three-run homer Monday moved him past Frank Robinson into sixth place on the all-time list with 587 career long balls … Josh Hamilton (wrist) hasn't been cleared to begin baseball activities yet, so he won't be ready to return when eligible Monday … Michael Barrett went 3-for-4 with three RBIs Monday, but has yet to draw a walk in 57 plate appearances since joining the Padres … Roughed up Thursday at Triple-A, Homer Bailey will remain in the minors for at least one more start … After holding the Cubs to one run over 6.1 innings Monday, Tim Lincecum has a 1.37 ERA over his past four starts.