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Washington Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth may not be available when the regular season begins after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder. 

Continue for updates

Werth Undergoes Successful Surgery

Friday, Jan. 9

The Nationals announced an update on Werth:

Werth to Miss 2-3 Months After Surgery

Thursday, Jan. 8

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Werth is having arthroscopic surgery that is expected to take between two to three months of rehab:

Rosenthal also noted that the shoulder being operated on is one that Werth had issues with during the 2014 season:

The Nationals open the 2015 season on April 6 against the Mets. If Werth’s recovery takes two months, he could be on track to be in the lineup for that game since it would give him around four weeks of spring training. 

However, if Werth’s recovery is on the long side, he could start the season on the disabled list to keep getting work in extended spring training. That would be a blow to Washington’s lineup, as the 35-year-old led the team with a .394 on-base percentage and tied for second with a .455 slugging percentage. 

Fortunately for the Nationals, if Werth does have to miss time, the starting rotation has the depth to make up for the lack of offensive production. Keeping Bryce Harper healthy will also go a long way to adding a different dynamic to this lineup. 

Werth has battled injuries throughout his career. Last year was the first time since 2011 that he played in more than 130 games. His advanced age isn’t going to make him more durable, so expect the Nationals to proceed with caution. 

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One month removed from the winter meetings, Major League Baseball’s hot stove seems to have burned out. There are still two big free-agent dominoes in Max Scherzer and James Shields, but the trade winds are starting to pick up once again. 

Teams that missed out on free agents they were hoping to get, or see an opportunity to strike a deal with a team perhaps in over its head financially, will be working the phones for the next few weeks to make those final tweaks before spring training begins in February. 

Think of this portion of the offseason as a shark in the water. There’s a boat approaching that it’s going to start circling, but it’s unclear if there will be enough momentum to finish the deal. General managers will try everything they’ve got, especially if it brings them closer to a championship. 

Here are the latest rumors floating around, complete with analysis of the news. 

St. Louis Cardinals Looking For One Big Splash

Having seen their division rivals in Chicago and Pittsburgh upgrade their starting rotations this offseason, the defending NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals are starting to feel the heat. Their stranglehold over the division is more tenuous than ever. 

When you combine that with questions about what the Cardinals rotation looks like right now, it’s no surprise to see Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com report the team has made some effort into finding out the availability for two of baseballs best pitchers:

The team is exploring trades for left-handers Cole Hamels and David Price and the possibility of signing free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer, according to major-league sources.

No deal appears close on any front, and it’s possible that the Cardinals will simply decide that the acquisition cost in each case is too high.

Rosenthal and Morosi also note that the Cardinals could be concerned about the depth in their rotation. Adam Wainwright had offseason surgery to trim cartilage in his pitching elbow. Michael Wacha was injured most of last season and may need time to get his legs back under him. 

Scherzer is a different animal in this case because he’s a free agent represented by Scott Boras. That does bring a certain appeal to teams, as they would just have to shell out money without giving up multiple prospects like they would have to in a trade. 

Looking at the two trade candidates, Cole Hamels makes more sense simply because there’s more incentive for Philadelphia to move him than there is for Detroit to move David Price. 

The Phillies have finally accepted the reality that they aren’t a contender, having already traded Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd and Antonio Bastardo.

While there are other players who should be moved to really begin the transition to a rebuild, it doesn’t seem likely due to issues of loyalty (Chase Utley) or a bloated, immovable contract (Ryan Howard). 

Hamels is certainly a popular figure in Philadelphia, given his overall body of work and heroics during the 2008 World Series, but the ability to have a true top-line starting pitcher signed to a reasonable contract still in his prime is rare these days. 

General manager Ruben Amaro needs to find more impact young players in these trades. Getting rid of aging stars like Rollins and Byrd is nice, but they don’t bring back much in return because of their age and limitations. 

There are no limitations to Hamels at this juncture. He’s 31 years old, signed through 2018 for $97 million guaranteed with an option for 2019 and coming off a season in which he set new career benchmarks in ERA (2.46) and ERA+ (151) and tied a career high with 6.6 wins above replacement, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

Paying a top starting pitcher $23.5 million per season through his age-34 season is hardly a burden to most teams, so it comes down to whether the Cardinals would be willing to meet Philadelphia’s demands in a trade. 

Rosenthal and Morosi speculate on some of the possible names Amaro would want, including Carlos Martinez, Marco Gonzales, Randal Grichuk, Stephen Piscotty and Peter Bourjos. 

An actual deal wouldn’t involve all of those names, but that gives you an idea of where conversations would get started. 

As for Price, the Tigers are having an interesting offseason. It’s certainly not a good one, as they sold low on Rick Porcello. Yoenis Cespedes‘ offense is overrated because of his power, but his .298 on-base percentage since 2013 ranks 41st out of 44 outfielders with more than 1,000 plate appearances, via FanGraphs.com. 

If Scherzer doesn’t re-sign with Detroit, that leaves a rotation of Price, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, Shane Greene and Alfredo Simon. That’s certainly not the group Tigers fans have gotten accustomed to seeing the last few years. 

Trading Price, considering the Tigers are still in win-now mode, even though they are getting older and have contracts that are looking bad sooner than anyone would have predicted, would basically eliminate any hope the franchise has to contend in 2015. 

It might be the smart play for the future, as general manager Dave Dombrowski would be able to bring some talent to a depleted farm system, but it doesn’t make sense for what the Tigers believe they can accomplish right now. 

Dan Haren An Option In SF?

One of the unsolved mysteries of this offseason is Dan Haren’s status as a member of the Miami Marlins. The right-hander was traded to the Marlins from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the winter meetings, but he wasn’t happy about the move. 

Haren’s preference has been to pitch on the West Coast, to the point where The Associated Press reported on January 5 that the Marlins have “given up” in their attempts to convince the veteran to pitch for them in 2015, via FoxSports.com:

The Marlins have given up trying to persuade Haren to pitch for them this season, and the team hopes to swing a trade for the right-hander, a person familiar with the discussions said Monday.

…

The 34-year-old Haren wants to pitch close to his family in Southern California, and the Marlins knew that when they acquired him in a seven-player deal. He’s considering retirement but is working out this winter and preparing to pitch just as he has done in the past.

The trouble is finding a spot for Haren on the West Coast. Morosi reported on Twitter that the World Series champion Giants did have a conversation with the Marlins, but it happened before San Francisco re-signed Jake Peavy:

There are still concerns about San Francisco’s rotation in 2015. Madison Bumgarner is the ace, though there may be some pressure to lighten his load during the year after he carried the franchise to a championship in October. Matt Cain is coming back after missing most of last year following elbow surgery. 

Peavy and Hudson are back-end starters at this point in their career. Haren falls into that category as well, though he could put up solid numbers playing in a big stadium like AT&T Park. 

Given how light the rumor mill has been for Haren on the trade market, it doesn’t seem like teams are knocking down Miami’s door to get him. The Angels are a team that makes sense for Haren given his history with the franchise and the team’s need for more depth after the injuries last year to Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs. 

Whatever the case may be, the Haren pendulum seems to be swinging in the direction of retirement, unless the right team steps up to make Miami a fair offer to acquire the right-hander. It would be an unceremonious exit, but one he’s brought on himself by being so rigid in his demands. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

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Free agency has not been kind to Stephen Drew recently, but the veteran shortstop has found a new home heading into the 2015 season.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Drew has decided to rejoin the New York Yankees:

CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman first reported that a deal was close.

The last two times Drew was a free agent, after 2012 and 2013, he had to settle for one-year deals. He battled injuries during the 2012 season that limited him to 79 games with Arizona and Oakland, so Boston was able to get bargain at $9.5 million in 2013.

However, because Drew posted a solid .253/.333/.443 slash line and played good defense at shortstop, the Red Sox made him a $14.1 million qualifying offer after helping the team win a World Series. He turned it down.

With teams having to forfeit a draft pick to sign Drew, his market never really developed last winter and he didn’t sign with anyone until Boston came calling with a one-year deal for $10 million in May.

The long layoff clearly took a toll on Drew, who had the worst offensive season of his career with a .162/.237/.299 slash line in 85 games with the Red Sox and Yankees.

One interesting wrinkle to Drew’s free agency this time around was provided by his agent Scott Boras (h/t Daniel Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal), who said the 31-year-old would be open to playing second base:

Switching positions would help Drew’s versatility, but it would also take away part of what makes him so valuable. FanGraphs indicates that his ability to play shortstop and put up the numbers he did in 2013 made him worth 3.4 wins above replacement (WAR).

Age is catching up to Drew, as are the years of injuries that cost him much of his prime, but he’s not regressed to the point where a position change is a necessity.

If playing second base is what helped get Drew signed, then surely he will be more than happy to do whatever his new team wants after the debacle that happened last year. He could turn out to be a great bargain once again with a full spring training to prepare for the season.

Stats via Baseball-Reference.com.

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

Follow @adamwells1985

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One of the most-talked about days on the baseball calendar is Hall of Fame day. The class, which was announced on Tuesday and will be inducted into Cooperstown on July 26. includes Craig Biggio, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, this is also a historic vote by volume of players elected:

Full voting results can be found at BBWAA.com

The Baseball Writers Association of America had the unenviable task of choosing from the deep list, but arrived at a consensus.

The four stars of baseball’s past were welcomed to the exclusive club by MLB on Twitter:

No surprise, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez headline the 2015 class. The Big Unit was as consistently dominant as any pitcher in baseball from 1993-2004. 

Johnson’s dominance on the mound was impressive no matter how you slice it, but High Heat Stats may have the best numbers on how impressive his career was:

Even Johnson’s vote totals were impressive, as Greg Johns of MLB.com pointed out:

One thing that fans missed out on, as noted by ESPN’s David Schoenfield, was the opportunity to see the greatest left-handed pitcher of his era (Johnson) against arguably the greatest right-handed pitcher of his era (Martinez):

Martinez didn’t have the longevity that Johnson did, but his peak was as good as there has ever been. 

Mark Simon of ESPN.com compiled a statistical breakdown of Pedro at the height of his powers from 1999-2000:

Martinez was the only ERA-title qualifier in the league with a WHIP below 1.2 (his was 0.92) and a strikeouts-per-9 rate above 8.5 (his was 13.2). He was the only AL pitcher with more than 200 strikeouts (he had 313).

The next year was more of the same. His 1.74 ERA beat the next-best AL pitcher by two runs (Roger Clemens finished second at 3.70). His 0.74 WHIP was way ahead of Mike Mussina’s runner-up 1.19. He won the strikeout title with 284, but won it by only 72.

Martinez also expressed excitement and gratitude to his native Dominican Republic on Twitter after the announcement:

Even though Martinez wasn’t the most intimidating physical specimen, he told MLB Network that the mound made him look bigger than he actually was, via MLB Network PR:

Whatever Martinez had, whether it was just natural ability or the intimidation factor, it worked well enough to land him in the Hall of Fame. 

John Smoltz took an interesting path to Cooperstown. He was a dominant starting pitcher early in his career, winning a Cy Young award in 1996 with a 24-8 record in 253.2 innings and 276 strikeouts. 

The Atlanta Braves then moved Smoltz to the bullpen in 2001 after he had Tommy John surgery the previous year. He had three consecutive seasons with at least 44 saves from 2002-04 before moving back to the rotation. 

Smoltz joked on MLB Network that the call from Cooperstown led to one of the quietest moments of his life, via MLB Network PR:

Joining the pitchers in Cooperstown is Craig Biggio, who gets in this year after finishing two votes shy of election last year.

The former Houston Astros catcher/second baseman/outfielder wasn’t a star at the level of Johnson or Martinez—few players in history are—but Biggio carved out a niche as one of the best leadoff hitters of his era. 

Biggio’s former team took to Twitter to boast about some of his credentials for the Hall of Fame:

WIth Johnson and Martinez headlining the class of 2015, the induction ceremony in July shouldn’t be missed. The addition of Smoltz and Biggio makes this one of the more memorable groups to be enshrined in recent years. 

A lot of think pieces have been written and will be written about who got left out of the Hall of Fame this year. There are always going to be valid criticisms, but let’s not forget to appreciate the incredible talents who did get in. 

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The 2014 Major League Baseball season has been over for two months, but San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is still reaping the rewards for his postseason heroics. On Tuesday, he was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.     

Per a release from Janie McCauley of The Associated Press, Bumgarner captured the honor ahead of two MLB players and the world’s best golfer:

Bumgarner finished first in a vote by U.S. editors and news directors. He beat out Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw—who won the National League Cy Young and MVP but lost to Bumgarner’s Giants in the playoffs. Retiring New York Yankees star Derek Jeter and golfer Rory McIlroy tied for third place.

Even though baseball is a team sport, Bumgarner was the single biggest difference-maker in the playoffs. The 25-year-old appeared in seven games, including a five-inning relief stint in Game 7 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals on just two days of rest, throwing 52.2 innings with 45 strikeouts and six earned runs allowed, via Baseball-Reference.com. 

Bumgarner was also named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year earlier this month. He told SI‘s Tom Verducci in a profile that a strong bout of homesickness after he was drafted in 2007 almost forced him out of baseball:

I was out of high school and had just turned 18 years old. I had been away from home a couple of times, but never more than a couple of days at a time, and I always had someone with me—family or friends, someone. I was out there by myself. I had no idea what to expect. Honestly, I contemplated just going home and choosing not to have this lifestyle because it was so different from what I was used to.

Even though Kansas City fans may not agree based on what happened in the World Series, there’s little doubt that Bumgarner made the right choice. All of these accolades, in addition to what happened on the field, show just how revered the young left-hander’s 2014 season was.  

Now, the only question is what Bumgarner does for an encore. Considering how much better he seems to be getting, there may not be a ceiling for him in 2015. 

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The Tampa Bay Rays may not be done making changes to their roster this offseason. This time, the focus of trade discussions appears to be super-utility player Ben Zobrist.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Rays will at least listen to potential offers for Zobrist and Yunel Escobar:

This news comes after Rosenthal reported the Rays struck a deal with free-agent infielder Asdrubal Cabrera on Tuesday and also potential fallback options for the team:

Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune noted on Twitter that Cabrera’s presence could have an impact on where the Rays stand with Zobrist:

Mark Zuckerman of Comcast SportsNet Washington noted that the Nationals, who lost Cabrera to the Rays, could be a potential landing spot:

Joel Sherman of The New York Post noted that the Yankees could have an interest, though there’s been some reluctance by Tampa Bay to trade within its own division and Washington may have more immediate interest to make a deal happen:

The Rays are clearly going through a period where they want to shed payroll and restock their farm system. Trading David Price last summer was the first step in the process, but Zobrist might be a more valuable asset. 

Entering the final year of his contract, Zobrist is set to make $7.5 million with a career slash line of .264/.354/.429. He’s one of the most versatile players in the sport, able to play every infield position and both outfield corners. 

If the Rays don’t believe contending is an option in 2015, putting Zobrist on the market and waiting for the best offer makes the most sense. There are plenty of teams that can use a player with his unique skill set, so there should be no shortage of suitors. 

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Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro was reportedly detained by police for questioning on Saturday in the Dominican Republic following a nightclub shooting, though his agent claims he voluntarily spoke with authorities.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports provides a statement from Castro’s agent:

Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com previously reported that Castro was being held for questioning and the incident left six people injured: 

Mike Axisa of CBSSports.com provided an announcement from Jacobo Mateo Moquette, a police spokesman in the Dominican Republic:

ATTENTION: Some sports media have called me inquiring about Major League Baseball player Starlin Castro. At the moment it is in the Office of Montecristi, where prosecutors questioned him regarding several injured yesterday at the Ocean club where persons involved were very close to him. At the moment I have no more details.

Morosi provides more information from Moquette:

Bob Nightengale of USA Today has details on the reasoning behind the questioning:

This is the second alleged incident involving Castro this month. According to a December 9 report from Latino Fox News, via CBSChicago.com, the Cubs shortstop was “sought for questioning by police in Santo Domingo in connection to a firefight at a nightclub.” 

Castro’s agent Paul Kinzer told CBSChicago.com that his client was cleared by officials of any wrongdoing in the first alleged incident three weeks ago.

“Starlin and his family were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kinzer said. “They were at a concert when someone in a black SUV started shooting at a car next to them. Starlin and his family are fine. They are clear of any involvement in this altercation by Dominican officials.”

Castro has spent his entire career with the Cubs, signing with the team in 2006 and making his MLB debut in 2010. Since then, he has appeared in three All-Star games. He signed a seven-year contract extension in August 2012 that runs through 2019 with a team option for 2020. 

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Hiroki Kuroda has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

Sports Illustrated translated Daisuke Sugiura of Yahoo Japan’s original report:

According to Japanese reports shared by Sugiura, Kuroda will return to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. He spent 10 seasons from 1997-2007 with the Carp before jumping to the majors and signing with the Dodgers.

Kuroda has been a stable presence in the New York Yankees’ starting rotation for the last three years after emerging as a 200-inning pitcher in his final two seasons with Los Angeles. He’s made at least 31 starts and thrown at least 196.1 innings every year since 2010. 

Coming off a strong 2014 campaign with the Yankees—in which he posted a 3.71 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 199 innings—Kuroda told Erik Boland of Newsday in late September that he was keeping all of his options for next year open.     

“Right now, I’m relieved that I don’t have to think about the next outing,” Kuroda said. “To think about next year is something I cannot do right now.”

At the end of 2014, Kuroda told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com through an interpreter that he spoke with Andy Pettitte about his future and holding up over a long season at the age of 40.

“Before the game yesterday, we talked about Andy’s last outing last year in Houston,” he said. “One thing I can say is, the fact that I was able to stay in the rotation the full year without getting injured, that’s one thing I can say that fulfilled me.”

Despite a pedestrian 11-9 win-loss record last year, Kuroda was often a hard-luck loser in those games. Per Katie Sharp of ESPN, the right-hander couldn’t buy a win in games when he pitched at least seven innings and allowed three or fewer runs:

Kuroda hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves throughout his career. He’s never had gaudy strikeout numbers or led the league in ERA, yet the stats at the end of every season have always been strong.

Going back to where it all started is something that often appeals to veteran athletes, and Kuroda decided that rejoining the Carp was the best choice at this point in his career. With that decision, major league teams lost out on a potentially valuable back-of-the-rotation pitcher.

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This is going to be an offseason Major League Baseball fans look back on with a smile. With the exception of a few teams, virtually every franchise seems to believe that contention in 2015 is possible. It’s why trades and signings have been happening more rapidly than we are used to. 

Despite all of the action that’s occurred up to this point, there are no signs that things will slow down. There may not be as many deals involving top-tier stars because there are only so many of those players to go around. But a lot of valuable role players will find new homes. 

The trade winds have been blowing for the last few weeks. There are going to be one or two big gusts left, so don’t be surprised by anything that happens anymore. As for what’s on the hot stove right now, here’s what’s cooking. 

Rockies Have One Suitor for Troy Tulowitzki

Despite his popularity and ability when he’s healthy, trading Troy Tulowitzki is the best thing that could happen to the Colorado Rockies this offseason. That franchise is wasting money on a player who has a rare ability but has demonstrated throughout his career an inability to stay on the field. 

Plus, the Rockies are in such a terrible state right now with their pitching staff that Tulowitzki’s salary sticks out like a sore thumb. 

While there doesn’t appear to be a big market for Tulo, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com is reporting one team is still engaged in conversations for the All-Star shortstop:

The Mets and Rockies have been quietly discussing a potential Troy Tulowitzki blockbuster for weeks, though it isn’t known yet whether New York will have a decent chance to complete such a deal.

…

New York and Colorado have been stealthily talking names for weeks, and while there’s said to be some progress, it still feels like they are almost in the early stages with several hurdles to go, including ultimately whether the Rockies-owning Monfort brothers would sign off on such a deal for their beloved superstar shortstop.

There’s no doubt the Mets need to upgrade their shortstop situation. That group hit a collective .236/.317/.312 last year, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

By comparison, Tulowitzki hit .340/.432/.603 in 91 games last season. He had 13 more home runs (21) than New York’s shortstops in 71 fewer games. The Mets’ 629 runs scored were tied with Houston for 21st in the league.

The Mets added Michael Cuddyer to their lineup earlier this offseason, but he’s hardly a difference-maker given his age (35), bad outfield defense and inability to stay healthy.

While one could argue the Mets would be better with Tulowitzki, is he really worth the cost? Heyman says in his report the talks have centered on star pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard going back to Colorado. 

In addition to possibly losing their best prospect in the deal, the Mets would also be on the hook for a contract that pays Tulowitzki $114 million through 2020 with a $15 million team option or $4 million buyout in 2021, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

That’s a lot of money to pay a shortstop through his age-35 season, especially when you consider Tulowitzki has only played 140 games three times in his career and less than 100 twice in the last three years. 

Unless the Rockies are willing to chip in a lot of the money owed to Tulowitzki, it’s hard to justify a scenario where the Mets pull the trigger on this deal. 

Braves Might Keep One Player

This has been an offseason of great change for the Atlanta Braves, though their fans are not likely to be thrilled about it. The only regular left from last year’s outfield is B.J. Upton, whose .208/.287/.333 slash line in 141 games pretty much makes him immovable. 

It’s clear the Braves have their eye on the future, but they also need someone to generate offense in 2014. Freddie Freeman is the only returning player who had an on-base percentage over .350 and slugging percentage over .450. 

The addition of Nick Markakis might add a few points to the on-base percentage at the top of the order but does nothing to help in the power department. 

One player the Braves know well who does have power is Evan Gattis. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Atlanta’s plan is to keep the 28-year-old and hit him behind Freeman:

The Braves have a fascination with Gattis that doesn’t make much sense. He’s a nice story as a guy who was out of baseball in college and worked his way back, breaking into the big leagues at 26 and providing nice power with 43 home runs over the last two years. 

There are limitations to Gattis’ game, however. He has a career on-base percentage of .304 and has 43 walks in 723 at-bats. His defense in the outfield is atrocious, costing the Braves 10 runs in just 342.1 innings last year, per FanGraphs.com. 

That’s why it’s not particularly surprising to see the Braves are underwhelmed by offers for Gattis. As precious as right-handed power is in the game, he’s one year away from a salary increase when arbitration kicks in. 

Is Seth Smith the Odd Man out in San Diego?

It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the San Diego Padres, which isn’t something that has been said lately. But all the roster shuffling does mean that other moves will likely have to be made. 

After all, when you stockpile outfielders in trades, it’s hard to justify keeping the ones that were already on the roster. According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Padres may be inclined to move Seth Smith, and a potential landing spot has emerged:

Since the Mariners have missed out on acquiring the one big outfield bat—Nelson Cruz should only be used as a designated hitter—they need to get more creative. They already acquired Justin Ruggiano from the Cubs earlier in the week.

Ruggiano is a right-handed hitter who has hit left-handed pitching well throughout his career (.836 OPS). Smith is the counter to that, being a left-handed hitter who has an .839 OPS against right-handed pitching in his career. 

Bob Nightengale of USA Today speculated that one downside to all of San Diego’s moves is it makes the lineup overloaded with right-handed bats, adding to Smith’s value for the Padres:

Smith’s name keeps coming up in trade talks because he’s the most attractive chip the Padres have to offer. Cameron Maybin and Will Venable can’t hit, while Carlos Quentin can never stay healthy long enough to show he’s still capable of hitting. 

Eventually, the Padres will have to move someone just to have the roster space to keep players other than outfielders on their bench. Smith may be hard to move because of his value as a left-handed hitter, but he is also the most likely player to net something of value in return.

Stats and contract info via Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter.

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The Philadelphia Phillies have been unsuccessful at finding anyone to take Ryan Howard off their hands, but general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. doesn’t sound like he’s going to keep the 35-year-old first baseman around much longer. 

Speaking on 97.5 The Fanatic on Friday, via Dan Toman of TheScore.com, Amaro was very frank about where Howard stands with the Phillies:

“We’ve talked to Ryan,” Amaro said. “And I told him that in our situation it would probably bode better for the organization not with him but without him. With that said if he’s with us, then we’ll work around him.”

While that seems to put a permanent strain on this marriage, Amaro also said the Phillies have no plans to eat Howard’s contract just to get rid of him:

“No one’s going to release Ryan Howard,” Amaro said. “That’s not going to happen. Ryan Howard is too productive and too important a player to just release. You just don’t do that with a player like that. But, we don’t have any designs on doing that.”

Howard is guaranteed $50 million for the next two years with a $10 million buyout after 2016, so the Phillies would have to eat all of that if they were to release him. The 2006 National League MVP led the league with 190 strikeouts last year while hitting .223/.310/.380 in 153 games. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

Follow @adamwells1985

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