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Lyle Spencer of MLB.com is reporting that Robb Quinlan has interest from a handful of teams.

I suppose this could be correct. Of course Spencer is obvious vague about what the teams have said to Quinlan and well he got the information from his agent so believe what you want.

If I’m reading this I’m believing the interest in Quinlan is mainly made up of minor league offers with invites to spring training. Quinlan is capable of playing all four corner positions but he lacks any real power threat and his average has been down the last few seasons.

Over a seven year span with the Angles, Quinlan hit .281/.326/.408 with 25 homers, 119 RBI and 130 runs scored. His best year came in his rookie season of 2004 when he hit .344/.401/.525 with 5 homers and 23 RBI before suffering an injury during batting practice. In 2006 he appeared in a career high 86 games with 244 at-bats compiling a .321/.344/.491 line.

Since 2006 though his numbers have been 457 at-bats with a .252/.305/.333 line and 6 homers, 15 doubles. He collected 46 RBI and 49 runs scored during that three year span.

His biggest value would undoubtedly comes with NL clubs where he could pinch hit and remain in games as a defensive sub. Quinlan could hold out for guaranteed money if he’d like so there shouldn’t be much of a rush to accept a minor league deal right now as they figure to remain on the table.

Popularity: 1% [?]

On the surface signing Omar Vizquel on the heels of a season in which he hit just .266/.316/.345 in 177 at-bats while a member of the Texas Rangers may seem like a procedural move to round out the bench. However, this is the Chicago White Sox and while Vizquel will be behind Mark Teahen at third, Alexei Ramirez at short and Gordon Beckham at second he figures more often then not to be used as a defensive replacement considering Omar Vizquel at 42 years of age is a better defensive player then all three.

Last season the White Sox were 28th in baseball in fielding percentage only above Arizona and Washington. Only Washington, Arizona and Kansas City committed more errors on the year.

While moving around the infield for the Rangers, Omar appeared at three different positions last season and in 207 total chances committed 0 errors.

On the other hand Alexei Ramirez committed 20 errors at short in 650 chances and was right around average when it comes to range. Teahen had 11 errors in 248 chances at third base for Kasans City last season to finish below the league average for fielding percentage, he’s also a below average fielder in terms of range over the last three seasons. Gordon Beckham who played third last season made 14 errors and finished with a league average .957 fielding percentage. Beckham however did have a higher range factor then most third basemen but it’s unsure  how yet another position change will effect him.

Vizquel still has the tools on defense and manager Ozzie Guillen shouldn’t have any qualms about making late substitutions that bring Vizquel into games.

In a way it’s almost comical that Vizquel doesn’t still have a starting gig. Mind you only 7 times in his 21 year career has he posted an OPS above .700 and five of them came between 1996-2000. A career .273 hitter with a .338 on base percentage and a .355 slugging percentage Vizquel became a star in the majors with the glove and when you compare him to the guys playing today, he’s still a better bet with the glove then almost all of them.

Vizquel alone doesn’t fix the defense in an instant but he does when he’s on the field.

Popularity: 3% [?]

When I was writing about Derek Lowe and conversations the Braves had with the Brewers I had to note that they were talking about acquiring Corey Hart. Of course that reminded me of Frank Catalanotto.

Catalanotto was released by the Texas Rangers at the end of spring training when the team opted to use their final roster spot on outfielder Andruw Jones. Being a fan of Catalanotto and considering he had a pretty good spring I figured it’d be a matter of days before he showed up on some teams 25 man roster but March and April passed and May was coming close to an end when news finally came that he had signed with Milwaukee.

At the time of the signing I knew his best chance for at-bats came at the expense of Hart but it wasn’t until August that that happened on a regular basis. By all accounts he had a pretty nice August hitting .296/.397/.407 in 22 games including 15 starts. Oh but stats are stats and what makes August 1st to August 31st any more important then say August 14th to 21st? Hmm.

In his first 45 games with the team he hit .267/.345/.360 with three extra base hits and 8 RBI in 74 at-bats. Numbers that aren’t too bad when it comes to utility men.

That of course brings us to August 14th. When he had a six game streak in which he got hot from August 14-21. He collected 9 hits in 18 at-bats to compile a .500/.550/.611 line, of course negative Nancy would poin tout he had just 2 extra base hits, 0 RBI and a total of 4 runs scored but then again can you really blame the lack of scoring all on him?

Then began the tail spin which warped into a nose dive. Over his last 26 appearances Catalanotto collected 51 at-bats but hit just .216/.273/.333 with a lone RBI.

When the season ended Catalanotto had finished with his worst season in his 13 year career. His final line was .278/.346/.728 which could be considered respectable for a 25th man but below what you expect out of Frank Catalanotto. While the average and on-base percentage were solid, it’s his real lack of pop (even doubles last year) that really make his line frown. He connected for just 6 doubles and one homer that ultimately resulted in a total of 9 RBI and 18 runs scored  in 144 at-bats.

I suppose there will be no shortage of teams interested in Catalanotto as a bat off the bench, something that may appeal more to National League clubs. Whether it’s a major league contract or a minor league one with an invite to spring training remains to be seen.

If I had to make a projection on his numbers for 2010 I’d probably go with something around .27/.348/.412 which is a bit of a boost in the slugging category compared to the last two seasons. I’d predict him to get in the neighborhood of 200 at-bats, hit 2-3 homers, 15-20 doubles with an RBI total around 20.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The Derek Lowe signing of last season is proving to be a pain this off-season as the Atlanta Braves seek a trade partner for the right hander who has 3 years and $45 million left on a four year contract he signed last winter.

The knocks on Lowe are that he turns 37 on June 1. He is guaranteed $15 million in each of the next three seasons. And he had a 6.65 ERA in his final nine starts.

With a surplus of pitchers following the resigning of Tim Hudson the Braves have made it clear they are shopping both Lowe and Javier Vazquez and while they have made it obvious they’d rather trade Lowe other teams are likely to take the wait and see approach especially with comparable pitchers as free agents this winter.

The Braves’ most extensive discussions concerning Lowe have been with the Brewers for outfielder Corey Hart. Hart appeared in 115 games for the Brewers last season hitting .260/.335/.418 with 12 homers, 48 RBI and 64 runs scored. He was 11-for-17 in stolen base attempts. If he was acquired by the Braves he would figure to play right field and the Braves would hope he regains some of the pop he showed in 2007 when he hit .295/.353/.539 with 24 homers and 81 RBI.

Lowe finished 15-10 with a 4.67 ERA last season and his 232 hits allowed led the league. He is coming off his eighth straight 180-plus inning season, a streak dating back to him moving into the rotation at the start of the 2002 season. Lowe was pretty good in his first 12 starts, average in the next 12 and a mine filed in his last 10.

He’s only getting older and when I said giving him $15 million because they were jolted by AJ Burnett was a less then wise decision I pretty much envisioned everything that could go wrong once Lowe moved outside of Dodger stadium.

Truth is Lowe is still going to rack up innings, he can have games in which he’s pretty darn filthy out there but the Braves can’t expect there to be a huge list of teams lining up to pick up the majority of his remaining salary considering Jon Garland, Randy Wolf, Joel Pinerio and Jason Marquis can all be had for less and they won’t have to give up anything.

The only way this type of trade gets done is if a team such as Milwaukee is looking to get rid of an overpaid player (like a Corey Hart) who just isn’t the everyday player they are looking for their lineup. Hart was so terrible at the plate last season that he actually began losing at-bats to utility man Frank Catalanotto in August and September.

Hart figures to make around $3.5 million in arbitration this year and by cutting his salary there is no way the Brewers are going to add $15 million back on the books for Derek Lowe. Even if they were to pick up half the salary remaining the

Braves are going to have a tough time selling them on this one as the Brewers as well as every other team know cheaper pitchers who likely will put up the same numbers Lowe did last season are available via free agency.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Royals agreed to terms with RHP Brad Thompson on a one-year minor league contract. Thompson could be an option at the back end of the Royals rotation, the bullpen or as minor league depth in 2010.

The front end of the Royals rotation figures to made up of Zack Grienke and Gil Meche. Trade rumors have swirled on and off about Brian Bannister who could be the team third starter. He finished the season 7-12 with a 4.73 ERA after dealing with should fatigue midway though August. Kyle Davies (22 starts) and Luke Hochevar (25 starts) also were parts of the rotation for the bulk of 2009 but after seasons in which neither right hander proved to be reliable starters there’s cause for concern.

Davies regressed last season seeing his record go from 9-7 to 8-9 while his ERA rose from 4.06 to 5.27.  Hochevar who has now spent two seasons in the Royals rotation has a career line of 13-26 with a 5.88 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 284.2 big league innings.
As a minor league free agent, Thompson was able to agree to a contract before Friday. The contract doesn’t include a spot on Kansas City’s 40-man roster, but he stands a pretty good chance of making the roster out of spring training, whether it’s as the teams fifth starter or out of the bullpen. Thompson, 28, had a 4.36 ERA in parts of five seasons with the St. Louis, including a 4.84 ERA in 32 appearances (eight starts) in 2009.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Last season prior to the trade deadline the Chicago White Sox traded away DH Jim Thome. While the trade didn’t exactly make headlines like it would have five years ago, it signaled them waiving a white flag in the divisional race.

At 39 years of age Thome is running out of time to win a ring. With the rotation the White Sox have built up and a decent overall offense they offer as good of a chance as any team does of making the World Series next season. Mind you that means any team that plays outside of Boston or New York.

Prior to last season Thome stated he planned to play two more seasons, which at the time was puzzling because Thome had one year left on his deal he originally signed with Philadelphia. I wondered what type of market there would be for an aging DH who can’t play a position. Well that market seems to be as ripe as any though Thome is limited to the teams in the American League for those same reasons. There’s no shortage of teams that look better when you put the name Jim Thome next to the letters DH and in Chicago it may be even better looking for the team and the player.

Following the 2002 season Thome left the Cleveland Indians for the Philadelphia Philles who offered Thome a large contract as they were moving into a new ballpark.  Thome hit 47 homers in his first season with the Phillies to tie for the NL lead and then 42 the next. Injuries struck and coupled with the growth of Ryan Howard it was time for Thome to move on. He was traded to the White Sox and over the next four seasons fortified a lineup that already had big power ability.

Over the past four season Thome has played in 546 games and has posted a .265/.390/.539 line all while hitting 134 homers with 372 RBI. Never-mind he only appeared in 124 games last season, that was in large part to the lack of a position to put Thome at for a National League club. With that being said it’s obvious Thomes numbers were to take a drop last season but it’s worth noting Thome still averaged a home run ever 4.6 games while a member of the White Sox, a number that is up just a tad from his 4.3 in 2008 when he hit 34 homers.

Obviously the man can still swing it.

Does that mean there’s a spot for him on the White Sox? Following his trade last season the White Sox played Scott Podsednik in the DH role the majority of the time. Looking over at the White Sox roster you have to feel that the team is comfortable moving Carlos Quentin back to left field for 2010 and while it’s unclear what the team will do with center and right Alex Rios figures to occupy one of them while the resigned Mark Kotsay figure to act as a fourth outfielder/defensive sub at first base behind Paul Konerko.

You can quickly look at the rest of the team and see there’s nobody who really could provide the production at DH that Jim Thome could. Mark Kotsay isn’t Jim Thome, playing Quentin at DH only cries for another outfielder to be signed, and while I’m as high on Tyler Flowers he’s going to need a bit more seasoning before he puts up those minor league numbers at the major league level.

When Thome hit his 500th career home run it was with the White Sox, he passed Ernie Banks not too long later and while he’s 36 short of 600 there’s still some excitement that he could reach that number this season as he had hit 42, 35, 34 in his last three full seasons with the White Sox and last season was on pace for another 30-plus campaign.

You’d also be hard pressed to find many in Chicago who wouldn’t welcome Jim Thome back. He’s humble and productive and is a great presence in the community and the dugout. He’s also still searching for that ring.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The answer to the above question could very well be nothing by this time tomorrow.

Every winter there is more reports then the last. The advancement of blogging has created a glut of reports. At first “respected” newspaper writers blamed fans with blogs, now they have joined them in reporting fleeting thought that has been mentioned by anyone. The bloggers blog on these tweets or blogs from these writers and make other crazy ideas.

For example Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports this on his twitter today.

#Marlins have an interest in Jamey Carroll, but aren’t as aggressive yet as some other teams, according to Carroll’s agent, Jonathan Maurer.

Ok sure maybe the Marlins do have genuine interest, but mind you Carroll made $2.5 million last season and the Marlins are again looking to cut payroll.

Truth is we live in a society that thrives on what is happening now, what is going on, what are you doing? We post every detail no matter how important or improbable it is. Anyone see an Edgardo Alfonzo news story in the New York papers in the last week?

It’s about web hits and reader base both of which translate to paychecks.

Perhaps this tweet is to make us believe the Marlins are in the process of trading Dan Uggla? Perhaps utility players who hit .276/.355/.340 with two homers, 26 RBI and 53 runs scored in 93 games with the Indians in 2009 are all the rave leading up to the winter meetings?

Maybe the Marlins are trying to find ways to keep their fans interested, after all you can’t expect that fans of the Oakland A’s are too thrilled after hearing their GM mention the team doesn’t figure to sign anyone via free agency this winter.

Carroll has always been viewed as a quality role player and while the Marlins will miss the cast of players they had in 2009 off the bench there doesn’t figure to be a shortage of players who can fit in with the club looking for jobs this winter.

Truth is these type of rumors can start from something as simple as a beat reporter asking someone on the Marlins if they would be interested in bringing in a player like Carroll. Heck, ask the guy if he’d be interested in John Lackey wouldn’t expect to hear a no. Though both could be followed by a “if we could afford it” or “if the numbers were right” but hey that’s what Friday’s tweet or blog post is for. The fact that this comes from the players agent even makes it lesser of a story as it’s more then likely he’s trying to play up the market for Carroll who could very well be used as the primary second basemen on the Marlins (if signed) when Dan Uggla is traded.

Not really sure where this was intended to go. I don’t know Jamey Carroll at all other then a few minutes prior to a Nationals game a few years back when he pretty much just said hi and how you doing. He’s a solid support in holding down a bench, a guy you don’t want to collect too many at-bats, and a player who is adequate enough with the glove to be useful late in games or for short periods of time across the infield.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I had hoped to be able to write the following headline this winter and now it has happened. Buddy Carlyle has signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League.

The 32-year-old right hander has a 5.61 ERA in parts of six seasons spent with the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. Carlyle’s best statistical season came in 2008 when he pitched in 45 games out of the Braves bullpen going 2-0 with a 3.59 ERA in 62.2 innings while having a career best 1.25 WHIP. The previous season he emerged as an emergency starter with the Braves and started 20 games while picking up 8 of his 11 career wins while helping out a Braves rotation ravished with injuries.

In 2009 Carlyle was expected to fill the role of swing man/first guy out of the pen but missed nearly three months of the season while dealing with a back strain and a diagnosis of Type-1 diabetes. In 16 appearances with the Braves he had a 8.86 ERA and a 2.203 WHIP and quickly proved he wasn’t much of an option going into the off-season.

Carlyle made $425,000 last season and had been rumored to be an option at a minor league contract for organization depth for the Braves. There figures to be no shortage of players looking for work this off season so it doesn’t figure to be too hard to replace a guy whose career numbers are 11-11 with a 5.61 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. In his three seasons on the Braves big league roster he was 10-8 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Bobby Labonte will indeed be driving the #71 Cheverlot in 2010. The former Nascar Cup Series champion ,who has run for the team on a limited basis when removed from his normal ride at Hall of Fame racing, and the team ended the weeks of rumors.

In Labonte TRG is getting a driver who will be in the field for every race courtesy of the past champions provisional, in TRG Labonte is getting a car to ride in.

Labonte who has struggled to find success since leaving Joe Gibbs racing at the end of the 2005 season has 21 past victories and 114 top 5’s in 580 Cup starts. He hasn’t finished higher then 12th since 2004 in the Series points and current is 29th this season.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Jay Cutler had another bang up outing last night tossing 5 interceptions while leading the Chicago Bears to their fifth loss of the season in San Fransisco.

Cutler has now thrown 17 interceptions, a number that is four more then Jake Delhomme who is second in the category.

While QB rating isn’t an “exact science” as NFL analysis like to remind us on a weekly basis it’s worth noting that Cutler does rank towards the bottom in the league with a rating of 76. Prior to the game against the 49ers’ his rating was in the 83’s so it’s not as if last nights performance has sunk his numbers.

Last year Cutler threw 18 interceptions over the course of the season, a number that is high for a full season, he’s currently on pace for 30 as he’s averaging 1.88 INT’s per game.

Up until last nights performance the blame for Cutler’s interceptions largely laid on the dismal offensive line who provided little help for the ground game or on running-back Matt Forte who has struggled to break tackles.

Last night it was clear with the exception of a route in which wide receiver Devin Hester fell down that Cutler’s interceptions are largely due to his “gun-slinger” mentality. The term most identified with Brett Favre, a future hall of famer who is the all time leader in interceptions, and the exact definition is a professional killer who uses a gun. I’ve never heard Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Tom Brady or even Dan Mario referred to over and over as a gunslinger so obviously the label applies to a QB who at times also kills his team with the gun. That’s exactly what Cutler is doing to the Bears this season. It’s nothing new for Cutler as the same problem existed last season in the red zone for the Denver Broncos.

There’s little reason to doubt that Jay Cutler has the skills to be a NFL quarterback but now that he’s on a team like the Bears, away from the skill players that the Broncos had, it’s not so easy to hide the flaws that he possesses. Sometimes it appears Cutler fails to read coverage correctly, he tries to force balls into positions where only a guy like Manning could complete a pass. This wasn’t the first time Cutler crumbled with the game on the line, in fact last nights game was eerie similar to the first game of the season in which it was a low scoring affair and Cutler struggled but had a chance to win the game for his team only to throw a game losing interception.

Cutler can be the quarterback to lead the Bears back to the playoffs but until he stops slinging it around like he has the last two seasons it simply won’t be anything more then a first round and done.

An off-season full of excitement for the Jay Cutler experience is turning into a season in which the Bears are looking less and less like a playoff team and more like a clutzy cousin who finishes third in their division. Ironcially that’s exactly where the Bears sit following last nights loss.

Popularity: 2% [?]