Rays designate Leslie Anderson for assignment - should Giants pick him up?
by Fla-Giant on Feb 8, 2011 4:34 PM PST
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PrintAccording to MLBTR.com, the Tampa Rays just designated OF/1B prospect Leslie Anderson for assignment to the minor leagues for the purpose of clearing room for Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon on their 40 man roster.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/02/rays-designate-leslie-anderson-for-assignment.html
This is an obvious attempt by the Rays to save money, and an admittal that their minor league system will soon be awash in new highly-rated prospects after the June draft (where they'll have 12 picks by the end of the 2nd round). Anderson is owed at least $1.1M over the next 3 seasons under his current contract, and he could earn even more based on incentives. If the Rays can get another team to claim Anderson on the waiver wire, that team will take over paying Anderson the rest of his contract and they will have to make room for him on their 40 man roster. If, after 10 calendar days, no other team claims Anderson then he will become an unrestricted free agent and the Rays will be responsible for the rest of his contract even if he signs with another team. I'm guessing that none of the other teams will claim him - even the ones that like him as a prospect. They will take the gamble that they can sign him to a minor league deal for pennies on the dollar after he clears waivers and becomes a free agent.
Anderson is a soon to be 29 year old (DOB=3/30/82) Cuban defector that the Rays just signed to a 4 year, $1.7M contract less than 10 months ago. He was graded as a C+ prospect and ranked as the Rays 21st best prospect heading into the 2011 season by John Sickels, but that's misleading. The Rays have a very deep system, with the #17 prospect graded out as a B-. For perspective, Sickels's lowest-rated "B" level Giants prospect was Jarrett Parker at #7 overall, and he has Adrianza, Bucardo, Crawford, Culberson, and Surkamp graded out at C+.
Anderson played at all 3 advanced levels for Tampa in 2010, playing a total of 99 games in A+, AA, and AAA - with the bulk of his time (almost 50%) spent in AA. He ended up with the following stats:
.302/.359/.442/.801 in 387 AB's, with ISO=.140, HR=11, DBL=19, TPL=1, K=12.7%, BB=6.4%, SB=3 out of 5
He is known for his versatility and ability to make consistent contact with the bat. He's a fringe above-average defender as a corner OF and a fringe average defender at 1B and CF.
I'm hoping that the Giants try to sign him to a minor league deal in 10 days, because he provides decent upside and much-needed depth in the OF at AAA. He reminds me a little bit of Andres Torres. By all accounts he's a high-effort, high-energy guy who's a popular teammate.
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I saw him in the AFL last year. you might remember him hitting the walk off in the Rising Stars game. Take a flyer on him plus, he makes less than RafRod…
Obviously any links in the above post are probably NSFW
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by jctGamer on Feb 8, 2011 6:38 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Nothing wrong with an embarassment of riches
Stock up Fresno if we can get him cheap. We have so much 1B/OF talent that there are those who’d take a pass. We can always trade.
"It's too LATE to stop now!" - John Lee Hooker
Leslie is a girl's name.
"Do you smell that Kenny? That's hard news. Notice the lack of fornicating horses."
Which is why we need him.
We already have Aubrey and Madison.
While I'm not opposed to any pickup...
I’d dispute the notion that there’s a big ‘need’ for outfield depth at Triple-A.
First of all, Tank Engine will have one spot. That, I hope, is indisputable, both in terms of ‘will he’ and ‘should he’.
At the other spot, there may not be a guaranteed prospect to go there, but should it be filled with an everyday guy?
• If they’re going to pursue the Belt in the outfield option, well, he needs to play the outfield.
• Roger Kieschnick is rated by some as a Top 10 prospect, still. Assuming a healthy, productive year, it would be nice to not have to shove someone out of the way to promote him from his Double-A repeat. Like how right field would be open once Belt gets his Posey-ish start with Fresno, and midseason promotion. Also, Francisco Peguero is a prospect who could have a big season and push for a big promotion.
• There’s organizational warriors the team can use to be successful around the prospects, such as Tyler Graham and Ben Copeland. Plus, I believe minor league veteran Joe Borchard is returning.
I could buy a depth issue at center field, but that’s not going to affect things with Anderson.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Check out the new look of SFDugout.com•
I think that the org really likes Ford, so I'm guessing he'll be the everyday CF at Fresno
"You think someone that big would be more well endowed" Aubrey Huff's mother on Pat Burrell
I thought he was going to punch me and I was totally accepting of it. I was planning a reason to thank him if he did." Brian Wilson on Buster Posey
Twiitter: @gobroks
Blog: GMPotential.blogspot
Might have been that
But it might also have been that otherworldly .365 SLG%. Speed is overrated!
In case you're wondering, I'm working out and plan to be in the best shape of my life come spring.
by Giant Torture on Feb 10, 2011 9:33 AM PST up reply actions
Speaking of which (depth at CF, that is), what’s the story with McBryde this year? Is it finally time for him to toe the rubber?
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
I know that’s DrB’s speculation, and it’s possible, but I’ve heard no indication of it. If he did do it, it’d be a very difficult transition to do it at this age.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Check out the new look of SFDugout.com•
by BruteSentiment on Feb 9, 2011 6:57 AM PST up reply actions
Mr. and Mrs. Keischnick say hi!
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Adopted 'nephew' to the ever avuncular and always awesome Jon Miller
by Johnny Disaster on Feb 9, 2011 8:42 AM PST up reply actions
I'm kind of hoping Micah Owings becomes Brooks Kieschnick
I’m also hoping Roger Kieschnick becomes good
"You think someone that big would be more well endowed" Aubrey Huff's mother on Pat Burrell
I thought he was going to punch me and I was totally accepting of it. I was planning a reason to thank him if he did." Brian Wilson on Buster Posey
Twiitter: @gobroks
Blog: GMPotential.blogspot
This made me LOL
That being said, Kieschnick was hurt last year and generally seemed out of whack, but I have higher hopes for Kieschnick this year than I do for Ford or Neal, because last year he at least had an excuse.
In case you're wondering, I'm working out and plan to be in the best shape of my life come spring.
by Giant Torture on Feb 10, 2011 9:37 AM PST up reply actions
Though
I agree with your general point. And I don’t even think there’s need for CF depth, since we already have 3 CF on the 25 man roster. Overall, Anderson would be, at the highest, 8th in the depth chart – behind Torres, Ross, Burrell, Rowand, Huff/Belt, Neal, and Schierholtz.
If we want him, we'll have to give him a Major League contract
My bet is that he Anderson either gets traded or claimed off of waivers or Tampa Bay outrights him to the minors. I don’t think they just release him for no return if no one claims him. He has at least two options to the minors left as he was only signed last year, so that will add to his value. We currently have 38 on the 40 man roster so we have room.
Although it’s good to have the extra 40 man roster space in case you get one of your minor league contract guys who makes the club out of ST. Certainly wouldn’t be surprising if Suppan or Dessens makes the club in any case, and there’s always the odd chance of an injury forcing a roster move (say Eli Whiteside has a pulled muscle or something come Opening Day and needs a 15 day stint).
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
You’re wrong on the rules. If all the Rays wanted to do was trade him then they would just trade him. Between now and July 31st nobody on any temas 40 man roster has to be put on the waiver wire in order to be traded – it’s open season. Any tema that the Rays trade him to, or any team that claims him on the waiver wire, will have to have an open spot on their 40 man roster before they can claim him or trade for him. Obviously, the Rays could find no team that was willing to assume Anderson’s remaining 3 year salary that also wanted to put him on their 40 man roster. Therefore, if Anderson clears waivers the odds are that he will only be offered a minor league deal by any team. He’ll try to get a mojor league deal, but will have absolutely no leverage at that point. Alos, even if the Rays want to keep him in their minor league system, once Anderson clears waivers he’s an unrestricted free agent, so why would he stay with a team that obviously has no spot for him?
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
I'm not talking about the post July 31st waiver rules
Anderson has been designated for assignment. Tampa Bay must either trade him or expose him to waivers to remove him from the 40 man roster. All I’m saying is that either he gets traded (which you have already pointed out is unlikely) or they need to expose him to waivers. If a team claims him off waivers, then Tampa loses him. A team who claims him will need to put him on their 40 man roster. If no one claims him, then my bet is that Tampa outrights him. I believe that can be done once to a player. For example, I believe that was done to Pill last fall.
“A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the 40-man roster. This gives the team time to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another transaction, if needed. Once a player is designated for assignment, the team has ten days to do one of the following things: the player can be traded, the player can be released, or the player can be put on waivers and, provided he clears, outrighted to the minors. A player who is outrighted to the minors is removed from the 40-man roster but is still paid according to the terms of his guaranteed contract. A player can only be outrighted once in his career without his consent.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_transactions
I say the Giants should get him solely on the basis of the bad Naked Gun jokes I will make.
2010 World Series Champions!
Adopted 'nephew' to the ever avuncular and always awesome Jon Miller
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