Transaction Report (5/2/10-5/8/10)

As we get into may, we are still in what is considered to be the “rumor” period of the trading market, as most teams still have yet to determine whether or not they are buyers or sellers. But obviously with some teams such as the Orioles and Astros it is clear that they are going to be sellers. But, even facing uncertainty teams generally try to make an under the radar type of trade in May, and get what they are looking for way before the deadline, like the White Sox tried to do last year when they and the Padres agreed on a Jake Peavy trade in May, but at the time Peavy nixed the deal.  And, still Peavy wounded up in Chicago anyways. So we may see an attempt at a trade this month, but for now lets look at what has happened so far in the first week of May.

Curtis Granderson Placed on the 15 Day DL

The New York Yankees have placed their starting center fielder Curtis Granderson on the 15 day DL, after he strained his left groin and is expected to miss the next 2-4 weeks. Granderson so far has been off to a cold start this year for his new team as he is hitting .225/.311/.375 with 2 home runs, and only 10 RBI’s.

For more info on the Granderson injury, head over to Yanks Go Yard, here is a tidbit of what lead writer Andrew Corselli had to say about the injury.

"After receiving the results of 100 Grand’s MRI (Grade 2 strain of the left groin, expected to miss 2-4 weeks), the Yanks plan on platooning Marcus Thames and Randy Winn in left field while moving Gardner to center. To take Grandy’s spot on the roster, the Yanks will recall Mark Melancon from Scranton-Wilkes/Barre. RAB thinks the team will probably call up another outfielder next week."

The injury should not affect how the Yankees  were playing, as they look to be going on all cylinders as they look to sweep the Red Sox today. However, I wonder that when Granderson comes back, if the Yanks may start to use a platoon in center field as Granderson has not looked good for most of the season. If you remember that was the knock on Granderson when he was traded, as many people thought he would be a better fit as a platoon outfielder instead of an everyday starter.  And the Numbers don’t lie, so far this year Granderson is hitting .265 against right handers, and 100+ points lower against left handers at .161.

Mariners Release Byrnes, and Ricky Orta

With Eric Byrnes hitting .094/.237/.156, he made it easy for the Mariners to release him. For whatever reason, Byrnes has not been able to produce in the major leagues since 2007 when he hit .286/.353/.460  while hitting 21 home run and driving in 83 for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Byrnes signed a one year deal with Seattle in the winter, in hopes of reviving his career, but obviously that was not the case.

Here is what Griffin Cooper, of SoDo Mojo, had to say about the Byrnes’ release…

"While I kind of like Byrnes, he’s looked just awful in his time here, and it’s no surprise that he’s the first one to get the boot. However, there are others I would have preferred to see cut, and I’m left to wonder what lineup we’ll be putting out there against lefties."

The Mariners also released double A pitcher Ricky Orta, to clear a spot on their 40 man roster. Last year in double A, Orta  posted a 1.94 ERA, 8.9k/9, and 3.9BB/9 in 41.6 innings. However, Orta recently had Tommy John Surgery in the spring.

Minor Moves

• The Florida Marlins have signed journey man first basemen Doug Mientkiewicz to a minor league deal, and he will start off in triple A. Mientkiewicz, was released by the Dodgers back in march, after spending all of 2009 with the them, while struggling with injuries. Mientkiewicz, also turned coaching offers from Joe Torre, and Brett Boone while he was a free agent, showing that he still has a will to play.
• The Chicago White Sox have signed Luis Rodriguez to minor league deal.Rodriguez, originally signed a deal with the Cleveland Indians before he was released, in 2009 Rodriguez spent most of the year with the San Diego Padres. He spent time last year as the teams starting second basemen and shortstop, but eventually was replaced as he was not producing offensively, as he had a line of .202/.319/.260 with only 2 home runs.