Discussion: Marlon Byrd
32-year-old outfielder Marlon Byrd makes for an interesting free agent case. He set career highs with 599 plate appearances, 20 home runs, and 89 RBIs this year. On the other hand, his .329 OBP and 5.3% walk rate fell short of his 2008 marks.
Byrd played all three outfield positions, as usual. He logged the majority of his innings in center field. His defense in center ranked as a slight negative according to UZR/150; it was a positive in previous years. John Dewan's plus-minus system also saw Byrd as a slight negative in center.
If Byrd is treated as a corner outfielder, he's not especially interesting. But the free agent market for center fielders is weak, with Mike Cameron and Coco Crisp the other palatable starting options. Byrd might be in a position to ask for $5MM+ annually for two or three years (he earned $3.06MM in '09). The Royals, Cubs, Brewers, and Padres might be in the market for a center fielder, though the Cubs will presumably seek a left-handed bat if they trade Milton Bradley. It may be a moot point, as the Rangers hope to re-sign Byrd. At the least, they should offer arbitration to the probable Type B free agent.
Discussion: Pedro Martinez
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel announced this morning that 38-year-old Pedro Martinez will start Game Two of the World Series later this week, giving us all one final chance to experience a Pedro start in the Bronx. It's not crazy to think that that start may be the last of Pedro's Hall of Fame career, however it seems like he'll be back at it again in 2010.
No one asked me, but I believe Pedro's 2000 season (217 IP, 128 H, 284-32 K/BB ratio) is the greatest single season by any pitcher in history. Obviously that Pedro Martinez is long gone, but this year's version was still effective. In nine regular season starts with the Phils, he put up a 3.63 ERA and a stellar 1.6 BB/9 in 44.2 IP. He allowed just two hits and zero runs in his lone playoff start (so far) in 2009.
Pedro made the pro-rated portion of a $2MM base salary in 2009, though he pick up another $300K in performance bonuses. What kind of contract do you see Martinez getting this offseason? Considering the shoulder issues he's had in the past, would it be smart of him to go on the "Roger Clemens plan" and pitch just half the season?
Tell us what you think in the comments.
Odds & Ends: Chapman, Padres, Orioles, Coste
Here's a few links to help you through another baseball-less night…
- Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus tweets that Aroldis Chapman will throw a bullpen at Fenway tomorrow.
- ESPN's Keith Law says that firing VP of scouting and player development Grady Fuson was a good move by new GM Jed Hoyer and the Padres. He notes that San Diego's drafts have been among the worst in the game over the last few years, although they did change course last year.
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun says the Orioles need a power hitter at one of the corner infield spots, and mentions that players like Adrian Beltre, Troy Glaus, or Carlos Delgado could represent a decent stop gap.
- Chris Coste became a free agent after being outrighted by the Astros, says Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
- Phil Wood of MASNsports.com has news on a few front office hirings by the Nationals.
- The Phillies added Brett Myers to their World Series roster according to David Murphy of The Philadephia Daily News. The 29-year-old righthander could earn himself a few extra bucks in free agency with a big series.
Gary Matthews Jr. Wants Out
When the Angels handed Gary Matthews Jr. a five-year, $50MM contract prior to the 2007 season, the team figured it was getting an elite centerfielder that played Gold Glove defense and hit .300+ like he did in his final season in Texas. Instead, the Angels brought Torii Hunter on board just one season later, and Matthews has been a part-time player ever since.
With two years and $23MM left on his deal, Matthews wants out of Anaheim, according to Mike DiGiovanna of The LA Times.
"I don't expect to be back; it's time to move on," Matthews said as he packed his belongings in the team's Angel Stadium clubhouse today. "I'm ready to play for an organization that wants me to play every day. This organization has other plans, and that's OK."
As for the money, Sarge Jr. doesn't think it'll be much of a hurdle.
"It's definitely not as big as it was a year ago," Matthews said. "Obviously, there are some teams that can't afford it, but when I'm playing every day, I feel I can be a top-line center fielder, and that, I would think, is what a lot of teams want."
In three years with the Halos, the 35-year-old Matthews has hit .248/.325/.383, and he's gotten fewer and fewer plate appearances each year. The free agent pool is a little light on true centerfielders, but it's hard to imagine anyone giving up anything of value for Matthews without the Angels eating a huge chunk of his contract.
Tyler Yates Elects Free Agency
TUESDAY: Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the team is in dialogue with Yates in hopes of retaining him.
MONDAY: Tyler Yates elected free agency after being outrighted by the Pirates, according to a team press release. Yates had Tommy John surgery in July, and outrighting him now takes him off the 40-man roster earlier than non-tendering him in December. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote in July that "the Pirates' tentative plan for Yates is to offer him a minor league contract for 2010." The press release notes that the Pirates' 40-man roster is at 38, with Evan Meek and Jose Ascanio still on the 60-day DL.
Yates, 32, tossed 73.3 innings last year with a 4.66 ERA. At 5.0 per nine innings, walks were a problem. The Bucs acquired Yates from the Braves in March of '08 for Todd Redmond.
Trade Market: Catchers
We've covered the free agent market by position, but that only tells part of the story. With the GM Meetings just 11 days away, it's time to analyze the trade market. We'll start with catchers.
- Kelly Shoppach, Indians. Lou Marson, acquired in the Cliff Lee trade with the Phillies, could be handed the Indians' starting job in 2010. Shoppach is a non-tender candidate after hitting .214/.335/.399 in 327 plate appearances this year. The Indians may prefer not to pay him $2MM+ next year, so they could shop him around. Shoppach, 30 in April, slugged .517 in 2008.
- John Buck, Royals. Buck, 30, is another non-tender candidate. He hit .247/.299/.484 for the Royals in 202 plate appearances, and is due a raise on his $2.9MM salary through arbitration.
- Brayan Pena, Royals. The Royals have never seemed all that enamored of Pena, who turns 28 in January. He hit .273/.318/.442 in 183 plate appearances and is not yet eligible for arbitration.
- Ryan Doumit, Pirates. Doumit, 29 in April, slipped to .250/.299/.414 this year in 304 plate appearances. A broken bone in his wrist was a big factor. Doumit is guaranteed $9.15MM over the next two seasons on an extension signed in December of '08. He was benched at one point in August over a helmet-throwing incident.
- Chris Snyder, Diamondbacks. Like Doumit, Snyder was signed to an extension after an impressive '08. This year he was plagued with a back injury that culminated in September surgery. Snyder lost the starting job to Miguel Montero and has $11.25MM remaining on his contract for the next two seasons.
- J.R. Towles, Astros. Towles began the 2008 season as the Astros starting catcher; he was 24 at the time and was coming off a fine stint in Double A. Several injuries and 224 big league plate appearances later, Towles has lost the team's "catcher of the future" title to Jason Castro.
- Click here for our look at the free agent market for catchers.
Odds & Ends: Beeston, St. Claire, Bay
Links for Tuesday…
- The Blue Jays announced today that Paul Beeston will remain the team's president and CEO on a three-year deal.
- The Cub Reporter has three potential offseason targets: Rajai Davis, Jeremy Hermida, and Kelly Johnson.
- Kerry Wood replied, "Never say never" when asked on ESPN 1000's Waddle and Silvy show about returning to the Cubs after his Indians contract expires. I was surprised the Cubs didn't offer Wood arbitration a year ago.
- The Marlins hired Randy St. Claire as their new pitching coach; he received a two-year deal according to Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. St. Claire was fired by the Nationals in June.
- Jason Bay's agent Joe Urbon unconvincingly defended his client's defense in this article from WEEI's Rob Bradford. Curt Schilling weighed in on Bay and J.D. Drew here.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times discusses the Angels' key free agents. He sees John Lackey getting at least five years and $100MM, and Chone Figgins landing around five years, $50MM. He adds that reliever Darren Oliver is again considering retirement.
- The Cubs sale to the Ricketts family is complete, says Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
Rays Re-Sign Gabe Kapler
The Rays re-signed outfielder Gabe Kapler to a one-year, $1.05MM deal, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Kapler, 34, hit .239/.329/.439 in 238 plate appearances while playing all three outfield positions (primarily right field).
Kapler originally signed with the Rays for $1MM back in January. The Rays seemingly got their money's worth, as Kapler's strong defense led FanGraphs to value him at $5.2MM this year.
Astros Hire Brad Mills As Manager
The Astros hired former Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills as their new manager, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The Astros fired Cecil Cooper with 13 games remaining in the season, replacing him with Dave Clark.
Mills inherits a club with many question marks; the Astros finished in fifth place in the NL Central last year with a 74-88 record.
Offseason Outlook: Detroit Tigers
Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Tigers. Their likely commitments for 2010:
C – Gerald Laird – $2.8MM+
C – Alex Avila – $400K
1B – Miguel Cabrera – $20MM
2B – Scott Sizemore – $400K
SS – Ramon Santiago – $825K+
3B – Brandon Inge – $6.6MM
IF – Brent Dlugach – $400K
LF – Carlos Guillen – $13MM
CF – Curtis Granderson – $5.5MM
RF – Magglio Ordonez – $18MM
OF – Ryan Raburn – $410K
OF – Clete Thomas – $403K
DH – Marcus Thames – $2.275MM+
SP – Justin Verlander – $3.675MM+
SP – Edwin Jackson – $2.2MM+
SP – Rick Porcello – $1.025MM
SP – Nate Robertson – $10MM
SP – Jeremy Bonderman – $12.5MM
Other candidates: Dontrelle Willis – $12MM, Armando Galarraga – $435K
RP – Joel Zumaya – $735K+
RP – Ryan Perry – $400K
RP – Bobby Seay – $1.3MM+
RP – Zach Miner – $438K+
RP – Armando Galarraga – $435K
RP – Fu-Te Ni – $400K
RP – Freddy Dolsi – $407K
Non-tender candidates: Marcus Thames, Matt Treanor
The Tigers have about $116.5MM committed before arbitration raises to Laird, Santiago, Thames, Verlander, Jackson, Zumaya, Seay, Miner, and Treanor. Thames and Treanor could be non-tendered, but the raises should easily exceed $10MM. The Tigers could be approaching $130MM committed after entering 2009 at $115MM (according to Cot's Baseball Contracts).
Given the payroll limitations and his recent history, GM Dave Dombrowski does not figure to be heavily involved with free agents. Last year he went the trade route to acquire Jackson, Laird, and Josh Anderson and signed free agents Adam Everett, Brandon Lyon, Treanor, and Ni for a total of $6.5MM.
With 2009 starters Placido Polanco and Everett eligible for free agency, the Tigers' middle infield is up in the air. Sizemore is still the favorite to take over at second base despite suffering a broken ankle in the Arizona Fall League. Sizemore, 25 in January, hit .308/.378/.473 in 330 Triple A plate appearances this year. Assuming manager Jim Leyland still views Santiago as a backup player, perhaps the Tigers will re-sign Everett or add a similar affordable free agent. Internally, Dlugach merits a look.
Raburn profiles as one of the game's better fourth outfielders, so the Tigers are protected if Guillen is injured or ineffective. Despite the current plan to use Guillen as the everyday left fielder, it may make sense to non-tender Thames and let Guillen DH. The Tigers' middling offense of 2009 will need to improve mainly from within, with Granderson and Guillen capable of better seasons.
The excellent front three are set in the rotation, and the final two spots may be snagged by pricey veterans in their contract years: Robertson, Bonderman, and Willis. Bonderman, just 26, seems healthy and is being penciled in by Leyland. The Tigers have been linked to free agent Aroldis Chapman, an investment that could conceivably be part of the scouting budget. Whether Chapman could contribute in 2010 is unknown.
The Tigers face two possible late-inning losses in the bullpen in Fernando Rodney and Lyon. If Rodney feels that his 37 saves should lead to a $6MM+ salary, he should be allowed to leave. Likewise, Lyon may want a raise after posting a 2.86 ERA in 78.6 innings. Zumaya and Perry could seize the opportunity, if they keep the walks down.
The Tigers continue to be hamstrung by lousy contract extensions, but they have enough talent to compete in 2010. Bonderman, Willis, Robertson, Inge, Laird, and possibly Ordonez could be off the books after '10, so Dombrowski will gain a lot of flexibility at that point.