Tim Williams - AccuScore Analyst
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12/11/08 – 6:00 PM:  Rule 5 Draft Recap

The winter meetings wrapped up this morning with the Rule 5 draft.  If you are not familiar with the Rule 5 draft, here is a short run down:

Certain players (high schoolers who were drafted in 2004 or earlier, and college players who were drafted in 2005 or earlier) are eligible for the Rule 5 draft if they are left off of their team’s 40 man roster.  Any player who is eligible for the draft can be selected by another team.  In order to draft a player, a team has to have a spot open on their 40 man roster, and each pick costs $50,000.  That player goes to a team’s 25 man roster, and must stay on the 25 man roster the entire season, or be offered back to the player’s former team at half of the price paid for the player.

So for example, if the Pirates have Player A unprotected, and the Tigers have a spot open on their 40 man roster, Detroit can take that player for a $50,000 fee.  To keep that player, Detroit has to keep Player A on their 25 man roster for the entire 2009 season, or waive the player.  If Player A goes unclaimed, he is offered back to the Pirates for $25,000, where he can return to the minors.

As you can imagine, the majority of picks don’t last long with their new teams, but there have been some gems uncovered by the Rule 5 process, including Johan Santana, Josh Hamilton, and Dan Uggla.  This year the rules have changed to give teams an extra year to evaluate their players, which will lower the chances of a stud emerging.

Here is a recap of the draft:

* - Traded to Astros

** - Traded to Cubs

*** - Traded to Mariners

A lot of pitchers, and only five position players taken, which is to be expected.  It is easier to carry a pitcher in the bullpen all season long than it is to carry a position player on the bench.  Some brief numbers on the players who were taken:

Terrell Young: 23 years old, 7.67 K/9, 5.06 BB/9, 0.27 HR/9 in three years at A ball.  Good strikeout numbers, but not a lot of control.  Keeps the ball in the park, with three homers allowed in just 101.1 innings in A ball.

Reegie Corona: 22 years old, .261/.334/.342 in 597 at bats at AA the last two years.  Very little power, but a lot of speed, with 31 steals at AA.  Could make it as a pinch runner.

Everth Cabrera: 22 years old, .287/.374/.402 in 644 at bats at A ball the last two years.  Amazing speed, with 86 steals in 644 at bats.

Donald Veal: 24 years old, 8.31 K/9, 5.04 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9 in 275.2 innings at AA the last two years.  Has been compared to the good version of Dontrelle Willis in his career.  Could make it as a left handed specialist.

Lou Palmisano: 26 years old, .254/.352/.381 between high A and AA the last three years.  Could stick as a backup catcher if he hits like he did at AA in 2007 (.256/.368/.419, 31.91 AB/HR).

Luis Perdomo: 24 years old, 10.60 K/9, 3.53 BB/9, 0.82 HR/9 in 33.1 innings at AA the last two years.  Could be a good reliever if he carries that power and control over to the majors.

David Patton: 24 years old, 9.36 K/9, 3.97 BB/9, 0.90 HR/9 in 99 appearances in relief at high A the last two years.  Might be hard to make the jump from high A to the majors.

Kyle Bloom: 25 years old, 7.66 K/9, 4.53 BB/9, 0.74 HR/9 in 109.2 innings at AA last year.  Ranked by Baseball America as one of the top prospects in Hawaii Winter Ball this year.

Jose Lugo: 24 years old, 9.91 K/9, 4.30 BB/9, 0.52 HR/9 in 51 appearances at high A last year.  Another guy who might find it hard to jump from A ball to the majors.

Ben Copeland: 25 years old, .278/.365/.413 between three levels the last two years.  Could be this year’s Brian Barton, who stuck with the Cardinals as a fourth outfielder last year.

James Skelton: 23 years old, .303/.451/.401 in the last two years between high A and AA.  Has a good track record of throwing out base stealers.

Zack Kroenke: 24 years old, 8.83 K/9, 5.35 BB/9, 1.20 HR/9 in 56 appearances the last two years between AA and AAA.  Needs to improve his control in order to stick.

Gil de la Vara: 24 years old, 6.24 K/9, 3.25 BB/9, 0.33 HR/9 in 86 appearances between high A and AA the last two years.  Good control and doesn’t allow the long ball, which gives him a good chance of sticking.

Jason Jones: 26 years old, 5.50 K/9, 2.62 BB/9, 0.87 HR/9 in 342 innings between AA and AAA the last three years.  Excellent control, but probably won’t overpower hitters.

Darren O’Day: 26 years old, made 30 appearances in the majors last year, with a 4.59 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.

Eduardo Morlan: 22 years old, was traded to the Rays from the Twins in the Delmon Young/Matt Garza trade.  11.15 K/9, 2.71 BB/9, 0.93 HR/9 in the last two years between high A and AA.  Struggled last year with velocity, posting an 8.62 K/9.

Bobby Mosebach: 24 years old, 4.47 K/9, 3.51 BB/9, 0.30 HR/9 last year at AA.  Good control and doesn’t allow a lot of homers.

Miguel Gonzales: 24 years old, missed the 2008 season, 5.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9 in 2007 at AA.

Derek Rodriguez: 25 years old, 10.36 K/9, 3.67 BB/9, 0.75 HR/9 last year between AA and AAA.  Struggles against left handers.

Ivan Nova: 21 years old, 6.62 K/9, 2.79 BB/9, 0.36 HR/9 in 148.2 innings as a starter in high A last year.

Rocky Cherry: 29 years old, has made 40 appearances at the major league level, posting a 5.80 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP, due to horrible control (6.55 BB/9).

12/11/08 – 4:50 PM:  Other moves

-The Diamondbacks have signed Felipe Lopez to a one year, $3.5 M deal.  Lopez hit .266/.328/.367 the last three years, including .283/.342/.387 last year between St. Louis and Washington.  He has yet to put up the power we saw in Cincinnati, where he posted a .441 slugging percentage between 2004 and 2006 with the Reds, but he should provide the Diamondbacks with a good utility infielder.

-The Cincinnati Reds have signed Arthur Rhodes to a two year, $4 M deal.  Rhodes may be 39 years old, but he still has an arm, posting a 2.05 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in 61 appearances last year.  He’s best used as a left handed specialist, pitching only 35.1 innings in those 61 appearances.  He posted a 10.26 K/9 ratio and a 2.50 K/BB ratio, with no homers in those 61 appearances.

-The Toronto Blue Jays signed Matt Clement to a minor league deal.  Clement hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2006, when he posted a 6.64 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP with the Red Sox.  A shoulder injury forced him to miss the end of the 2006 season, and the entire 2007 season.  He posted a 5.31 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 32.2 innings between three minor league levels last season.

-The Minnesota Twins re-signed Nick Punto to a two year, $8.5 M deal, with a 2011 option.  Punto will serve as the Twins’ starting shortstop.  He’s posted a .254/.317/.336 line playing for the Twins the last five seasons, including a .284/.340/.382 line in 338 at bats last season.

-The Kansas City Royals have signed Horacio Ramirez to a one year deal.  Ramirez posted a 2.61 ERA and an 0.91 WHIP for Kansas City last year in 15 appearances, before being traded to the White Sox for prospect outfielder Paulo Orlando.  Ramirez didn’t see the same success with the White Sox, posting a 7.62 ERA, a 2.46 WHIP, and an atrocious 1.38 K/9 ratio in 17 appearances.

12/11/08 – 4:50 PM:  Tigers and Rays make a trade

The Detroit Tigers traded outfielder Matt Joyce to the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Edwin Jackson.  Jackson, who turned 25 in September, had a good year for the Rays in 2008, going 14-11 with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP, a year after going 5-15 with a 5.76 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP.  What was the difference for Jackson between 2007 and 2008?

2007: 7.16 K/9, 4.92 BB/9, 1.06 HR/9

2008: 5.31 K/9, 3.78 BB/9, 1.13 HR/9

The biggest difference was that Jackson limited his walks, lowering his BB/9 ratio by more than one walk per nine innings.  He saw a slight increase in home runs, and a decrease in strikeouts, and obviously benefitted from Tampa’s offense, with 14 wins despite a 4.42 ERA.  If Jackson can keep his walks down in the 2009 season, he would provide the Tigers with a decent starter at the back end of the rotation.

Joyce is a good pickup for the Rays to solve their outfield issues.  In 656 at bats between AA and AAA, Joyce posted a .261/.339/.483 line, with 21.87 AB/HR.  Joyce saw 242 at bats at the major league level last season, posting a .252/.339/.492 line, with 20.17 AB/HR.  Comparing those numbers to Gabe Gross (.242/.333/.434, 23.23 AB/HR in 2008) we see that Joyce gives the Rays a slight upgrade in batting average and power.  Joyce is also only 24, while Gross is 29, which means Joyce still has room to grow.  He would definitely be a good sleeper choice in the later rounds of fantasy drafts next year if you’re looking for an outfielder in deeper leagues.

I’m not sold on Jackson.  At best, he’s a number five starter on a good team.  At his worst…well, he went 5-15 in 2007, so something along those lines.  I’d venture a guess that he won’t see ten wins this season, and with the power Joyce has displayed, plus the rotation spot this opens for David Price, Tampa Bay got the better end of this deal from all angles.

12/11/08 – 4:00 PM:  Mets need an innings eater

When the Mets signed Francisco Rodriguez, AccuScore ran simulations showing how the 2008 Mets would have won ten more games if they had K-Rod in the 2008 season, rather than dealing with the closer issues that led them to 29 blown saves, third worst in baseball.  The addition of K-Rod also gave the Mets the edge in the 2009 NL East race according to early AccuScore simulations.

The recent trade that brought in J.J. Putz and Sean Green from the Mariners only goes to further strengthen New York’s bullpen, with the Mets continuing to take a bigger lead over the Phillies in the NL East race, according to recent AccuScore simulations.  As for their chances of making it to the World Series, New York still has room for improvement.

Before the addition of K-Rod and Putz, AccuScore simulations had the Cubs as the favorite to win the National league pennant, with the Mets ranked fourth, behind the Phillies and Dodgers.  New York passed Philadelphia and Los Angeles with the recent set of moves, but the Cubs remain the favorites to win the National League in 2009.  The question to ask now is: what move do the Mets need to make to pass the Cubs?

In AccuScore simulations where the Mets add a pitcher like Derek Lowe or Jon Garland to their rotation, they improve by five to six wins.

In AccuScore simulations where the Mets add a hitter like Bobby Abreu or Raul Ibanez, they improve by three to four wins.

The Mets are having no problems scoring runs in AccuScore simulations, ranked as one of the top offenses in the National league for the 2009 season.  With the recently upgraded bullpen of Putz and K-Rod taking the ball in the final innings, the Mets need someone who can get the game to the eighth inning with a lead, more than they need an extra bat to help out David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Delgado.  Innings eaters like Lowe and Garland are accomplishing this need, averaging almost seven innings per start in AccuScore simulations with the Mets.

If the Mets were to add an innings eater, they would not only increase their team by five to six wins next year, but they would also improve their chances of winning the 2009 National League title by 40 percentage points, placing them neck and neck with the Cubs at the top of the NL race in AccuScore simulations.

12/11/08 – 12:30 AM:  Putz traded to Mets in 3-team deal

The New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and Cleveland Indians have completed a three year deal that ultimately sends closer J.J. Putz to the Mets.  Here is the breakdown of the deal:

Mets trade starter Aaron Heilman, outfielder Endy Chavez, first baseman Mike Carp, reliever Joe Smith, pitchers Maikel Cleto and Jason Vargas, and outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, and get Putz, reliever Sean Green, and outfielder Jeremy Reed from the Mariners.

Indians trade outfielder Franklin Gutierrez and get Joe Smith from the Mets and Luis Valbuena from the Mariners.

Mariners trade Putz, outfielder Jeremy Reed, reliever Sean Green, and infielder Luis Valbuena for Heilman, Chavez, Cleto, Vargas, Carrera, and Carp from the Mets, and Gutierrez from the Indians.

The Deal for the Mets

Putz, who turns 32 in February, has been the closer for Seattle the last three years, posting a 2.35 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 91 saves, plus an amazing 11.15 K/9 ratio.  The addition of Putz, plus the signing of Francisco Rodriguez yesterday, gives the Mets an incredible duo in the late innings, plus insurance just in case K-Rod’s arm falls off due to overuse the last few years.

The swap of Reed and Chavez seems to be a wash.  Looking at their numbers from last season:

Jeremy Reed: .269/.311/.360, 2 HR, 2 SB in 286 AB

Endy Chavez: .267/.299/.330, 1 HR, 6 SB in 270 AB

Aaron Heilman finally gets dealt from the Mets after many trade rumors that included his name.  In the last three years Heilman has made 233 appearances as a reliever, posting a 3.90 ERA, and a 1.26 WHIP.  He turned 30 in November.

Sean Green, who turns 30 in April, has made 160 appearances as a reliever the last three years, posting a 4.32 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.  Last year he posted a 4.67 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 72 appearances.

The Deal for the Mariners

Seattle loses Putz, but adds Aaron Heilman, who is an upgrade over Green, and a possible buy low candidate.  Heilman struggled last year, posting a 5.21 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP.  In 06/07 Heilman posted a 3.33 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in 155 appearances.

Seattle also gets Franklin Gutierrez, who has hit .258/.304/.409 with 36.64 AB/HR the last three years for Cleveland.  Gutierrez, who turns 26 in February, struggled last year with a .248/.305/.383 line and 49.88 AB/HR, but is another buy low candidate, hitting .266/.312/.472 with 20.85 AB/HR in 2007.  Gutierrez doesn’t provide much in the form of batting average, but he has some good power potential, making him a good option to replace the power that was lost with Raul Ibanez.

Seattle also loaded up on prospects, getting Mike Carp, Maikel Cleto, Ezequiel Carrera, and Jason Vargas.

-Carp, first baseman, 23 in June, hit .278/.375/.435 with 29.89 AB/HR the last two years at AA

-Cleto, starting pitcher, 20 in May, made 22 starts mostly in low A ball last year, posting a 5-11 record with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.

-Carrera, outfielder, 22 in June, hit .263/.340/.393 with 61.43 AB/HR and 15.36 AB/SB last year in high A ball

-Vargas, pitcher, 26 in February, has pitched 127 innings in the majors with a 5.81 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP.  Vargas missed the 2008 season with an elbow injury.

The Deal for the Indians

Cleveland deals Gutierrez, and receives Joe Smith from the Mets and Luis Valbuena from the Mariners.  Smith, who turns 25 in March, has made 136 appearances in relief for the Mets over the last two years, posting a 3.53 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP in 107.2 innings.  Smith shows the power needed to be a successful reliever, with an 8.14 K/9 ratio, and limits homers with an 0.59 HR/9 ratio, but struggles with control, posting a 1.87 K/BB ratio.  He will help Cleveland’s depleted bullpen, which could also get an upgrade soon with the rumored signing of Kerry Wood.

Valbuena, a second baseman who turned 23 in November, hit .303/.375/.431 in 452 at bats between AA and AAA last year, with 41.09 AB/HR and 25.11 AB/SB.  He saw 49 at bats at the major league level, hitting .245/.315/.347.  He looks like he could have a shot at the second base job in Cleveland next year.

Fantasy Implications

Putz sees his value drop, as he goes from a closer to a set up man.  There have been rumors that the Mariners would move Brandon Morrow to the closer role, but that would make no sense.  Morrow would be a dominant closer, but would be better used as a starter, especially with his success at the end of the year in the rotation.  Heilman struggled as the closer in New York, but could be an option for the role, allowing Morrow to pitch in the rotation.

Gutierrez gets a boost if this deal ends up giving him regular playing time, but he only provides value if his 2007 power returns, and then he would only be valuable in leagues that start more than three outfielders.  Valbuena could be a sleeper at second base if he gets a shot at the Indians job.  His minor league numbers show a bit of power, along with speed and a good average.

12/10/08 – 12:00 PM:  Sabathia signs with the Yankees

The Yankees have signed C.C. Sabathia to a record seven year, $161 million contract, addressing their starting pitching problems in a big way.  Sabathia made a huge impact for the Milwaukee Brewers last year, going 11-2 in 17 starts after coming over from the Cleveland Indians, and helping to lead the Brewers to the wild card.  The Yankees are hoping Sabathia can do the same for them, however, at the moment Sabathia doesn’t provide a major upgrade.

New York has lost two of their best starting pitchers so far, with Mike Mussina announcing his retirement, and Andy Pettitte currently a free agent.  That leaves Joba Chamberlain and Chien-Ming Wang as the best starting options in New York before the Sabathia signing.  AccuScore simulated the Yankees with Mussina, Pettitte, and Alfredo Aceves, and compared that group to Sabathia, Aceves, and Phil Hughes.

AccuScore simulations show the Yankees see a three game improvement with Sabathia and Hughes replacing Mussina and Pettitte.  Going in to the 2009 season, the Yankees were looking at an 81-81 record with a rotation that didn’t include Mussina, Pettitte, or Sabathia.  The addition of Sabathia upgrades the Yankees by nine wins.  The Yankees aren’t finished yet.

Current rumors have the Yankees going heavily after Derek Lowe, which would provide another big impact.  In AccuScore simulations with Sabathia and Lowe in the rotation, the Yankees improve their record to 97-65, with Lowe providing an additional seven game upgrade for New York.

12/10/08 – 12:00 PM:  Recapping recent deals

-The Orioles signed Cesar Izturis to fill their hole at shortstop.  Izturis doesn’t provide much in the way of hitting, with a .258/.306/.313 line the last three years, along with no power.  His appeal comes on the defensive side of the ball.

-Colorado signed left handed reliever Alan Embree.  Embree turns 39 in January, and has made 211 appearances the last three years.  Last year he made 70 appearances, posting a 5.00 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in 61.2 innings.  He posts a good amount of strikeouts, with a 2008 K/9 ratio of 8.38, but he also walks a lot of people, with a 4.41 BB/9 ratio in 08, and gives up the long ball rather frequently, with 1.18 HR/9 last year.  The home run ratio will be the big factor while playing most of his games at Coors Field.

-The Orioles received prospects Brandon Waring and Justin Turner from the Reds to complete the Ramon Hernandez deal.  Turner was a seventh round draft pick for the Reds in 2006, plays second base, and turned 24 on November 23^rd.  He hit .298/.365/.418 in 416 at bats between high A and AA last year.  Waring is a third base prospect that was taken in the seventh round of the 2007 draft by the Reds.  He turns 23 in January.  He has yet to play above low A ball, but has hit for a .286/.355/.523 line, showing some power with 17.73 AB/HR.  Turner looks like the best shot to make the majors of the two players the Orioles received.

12/9/08 – 4:30 PM:  Orioles and Reds complete trade

The Baltimore Orioles traded catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for utility player Ryan Freel and two prospects.  The Orioles also sent money in the deal to cover the cost of Hernandez.  Hernandez gives the Reds a starting catcher, after watching David Ross sign with the Braves earlier in the off-season.

In the last three years Hernandez has hit .264/.328/.427 with 28.26 AB/HR with the Orioles.  The catcher, who will turn 33 in May, hit .257/.308/.406 with 30.87 AB/HR in 463 at bats with Baltimore last year.  Ryan Freel, who turns 33 in March, has hit .267/.340/.376 in the last three years, while stealing 58 bases in 81 attempts.  Freel hit .298/.336/.359 in just 131 at bats last year, stealing six bases in ten attempts.

The Orioles don’t have a spot for Freel at the moment, despite the fact that Freel can be used at second base, third base, and center field.  Adam Jones, the main piece in last year’s Erik Bedard trade, is currently in center field.  Melvin Mora hit .285/.340/.483 with 22.30 AB/HR while playing third base for the Orioles last year.  One possibility would be for Baltimore to use Freel as their second baseman in the event of a Brian Roberts trade, something that has been rumored endlessly since last off-season.

The move has a big fantasy impact for Hernandez, who should see his home run totals spike playing in Great American Ballpark.

12/9/08 – 4:05 PM:  Mets sign K-Rod

The Mets made a big splash on the free agent market on Tuesday, adding closer Francisco Rodriguez to a three year deal, with an option for a fourth year.  The deal comes after a 2008 season where Rodriguez was lights out in the closer role, converting 62 of 69 save opportunities.  The Mets were in need of a lights out closer, after watching their bullpen blow 29 save opportunities last year, third worst in the majors.

The Mets lost a very close division race to the Philadelphia Phillies, finishing three games behind the Phillies in the NL East, and just one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Wild Card spot in the playoffs.  AccuScore simulated the Mets’ 2008 season with Rodriguez as their closer to show what a difference he would have made to their bullpen.

The Mets still would have seen some blown save issues due to their poor middle relief, but Rodriguez would have made a significant impact, saving an additional ten games for the Mets.  In AccuScore simulations the addition of Rodriguez would have been enough to give the Mets the division over the Phillies, with Philadelphia taking the Wild Card spot, and the Brewers missing the playoffs.

The Mets had one of the top offenses in the league last year, and have retained the important pieces of that offense going in to 2009.  By adding Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets address their biggest problem from the 2008 season.  Early AccuScore simulations of the 2009 season show the Mets are the favorites to win the NL East division, and slightly behind the Cubs for the best record in the National League.

The Angels will receive the Mets' first round pick in the 2009 draft, plus a compensation pick between the first and second rounds due to this signing.

12/9/08 – 1:49 PM:  Dodgers re-sign Blake, Brewers re-sign Lamb

The Dodgers have made their second move of the winter meetings, re-signing Casey Blake to a three year, $17.1 million deal.  Los Angeles acquired Blake from the Cleveland Indians in July for prospects Carlos Santana and Jon Meloan.  In the last three years Blake has hit .275/.344/.457 with 26.29 AB/HR, including .251/.313/.460 with 21.10 AB/HR in 211 at bats with the Dodgers last year.

The re-signing of Blake solves the third base hole for the Dodgers, moving Blake DeWitt to second base, and leaving a question mark at shortstop.  Current rumors have the Dodgers pursuing Rafael Furcal to return as their shortstop, which would put Mark Loretta in to an infield utility role.

The Brewers also re-signed Mike Lamb to a one year deal.  Lamb was released by the Twins last year after hitting .233/.276/.322 with one homer in 236 at bats.  The Twins picked up the remainder of his two year contract, including $3.1 million in 2009.  With money not an issue this year, Lamb signed with the Brewers, where he should receive a decent amount of playing time over Bill Hall.  In the last three years Lamb has hit .282/.340/.427 with 39.13 AB/HR.

12/9/08 – 1:00 AM:  Dodgers sign Loretta

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed Mark Loretta to a one year deal worth $1.4 million.  The Dodgers were facing potential holes at second base, shortstop, and third base, and Loretta can help at any of those positions.  Loretta turned 37 in August.  In the last three years he has a .285/.347/.369 line, with little power and speed.  Last year he hit .280/.350/.383 in 261 at bats with the Astros.

Los Angeles lost most of their infield to free agency, with Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal, and Casey Blake currently on the market.  The Dodgers are rumored to be close to a deal with Blake, which could allow LA to move Blake DeWitt to second base, with Loretta covering time at shortstop.  The Dodgers would probably need someone else to split time at short, due to Loretta’s age, but keeping Blake would almost solve the infield holes for LA.

12/8/08 – 3:43 PM:  Tigers trade for Laird, sign Everett

Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings are going on, running all week in Las Vegas, and concluding on Thursday with the Rule 5 draft.  The biggest names on the market are C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira.  Both players are drawing the usual interest from big market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox, however, Milwaukee is making a push to keep Sabathia, while the Washington Nationals have been in the mix for Teixeira.

The winter meetings will also provide an opportunity for general managers of different clubs to get together and discuss trade options.  One of the biggest names on the trading block is Jake Peavy, who has been shopped around by the Padres, and will likely be shopped this week, though the chances of a deal being done are rumored to be slim.

The Tigers got things going today with the first few moves of the meetings.  Detroit traded for Texas catcher Gerald Laird, and recent reports have them set to sign shortstop Adam Everett, ending their trade pursuit of Pittsburgh Pirates’ shortstop Jack Wilson.

The Tigers got Laird for pitching prospect Guillermo Moscoso and 17 year old pitching prospect Carlos Melo.  Laird hit .276/.325/.398 with 57.33 AB/HR last year for Texas, playing in 95 games, and receiving 344 at bats in a split role at catcher.  He will probably play the same role in Detroit, with Brandon Inge also seeing some time behind the plate.  Inge hit .205/.300/.369 with 31.55 AB/HR last year, playing 60 games behind the plate.

Moscoso was ranked as the number ten prospect in Detroit’s system for 2009, according to Baseball America.  He’s got some injury issues with his shoulder, but when healthy, draws some comparisons to Jair Jurrjens, who the Tigers traded for Edgar Renteria last year.  Moscoso could find himself in the back end of the Rangers’ rotation at some point this season.

Detroit also added Everett to fill the shortstop void that was left when the Tigers essentially kicked Edgar Renteria out the door.  Everett turns 32 years old in February, and has hit .233/.280/.339 the last three years, with a .213/.267/.323 line in 127 major league at bats for the Twins last year.  The Tigers considered Everett to be Jack Wilson’s equal, although a comparison of the two players over the last three years shows differently:

Both players are about the same age.  Wilson has by far been the better hitter the last three years.  Everett has been better on defense, with 32 defensive runs above the average shortstop the last three years, compared to 21 from Wilson.  The benefit for the Tigers is that Everett costs much less.  The Pirates may have picked up some of Wilson’s $7.25 million contract, but Detroit probably would have had to pay more than the $1 million they gave Everett, plus they would have had to part with a few prospects to bring Wilson in.  When you take that in to consideration, Everett’s value to the Tigers is the same as Wilson.