Mets To Be Players For Top Free Agents
Mets GM Omar Minaya and COO Jeff Wilpon spoke to reporters today. Notes from the conference:
- Wilpon described the 2010 payroll as "whatever Omar needs," according to MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone. Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter) passes along a Wilpon claim that the team will be major players for top free agents. Mets fans are already dreaming of Matt Holliday and John Lackey.
- More tweeting from Hubbuch – the Mets are prioritizing adding power, and they can't commit to Daniel Murphy as the first baseman. Free agent SLG leaders: Jason Bay, Russell Branyan, Holliday, and Hideki Matsui.
- Hubbuch quotes Minaya saying he's "open to changing the core" of the team. My view: it'd still be a huge surprise to see Johan Santana, Jose Reyes, David Wright, or Carlos Beltran traded.
- SI's Jon Heyman senses the Mets will have a $140-150MM payroll in 2010.
Minaya Interested In Hiring Towers, Ricciardi
Mets GM Omar Minaya has interest in hiring two of his former counterparts, Kevin Towers and J.P. Ricciardi. Joel Sherman of the New York Postsays Minaya contacted the ousted GMs "to express his support…and also to lay the groundwork to speak to both soon about possible jobs in the Mets' organization."
Sherman notes that Minaya is on thin ice, and bringing in his potential replacement is a double-edged sword. Plus, Minaya would have to deal with Towers ribbing him about the Heath Bell trade.
In other Mets news, Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse reported on Twitterthis morning that Minaya fired coaches Sandy Alomar Sr. and Luis Alicea while retaining Howard Johnson and Dan Warthen. Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News has a few more details.
Non-Tender Candidates
December 12th marks baseball's non-tender deadline. That's when teams decide whether to offer a contract to the unsigned players on their 40-man roster. Players not tendered a contract become free agents, so we'll add a good 30 players to the list. It is a chance for certain players to reach free agency without putting in the typical six years of service time. Past non-tenders include David Ortiz, Jayson Werth, Rick Ankiel, Ryan Franklin, David Eckstein, and Chad Durbin. Last year Ty Wigginton, Jonny Gomes, Willy Taveras, and Takashi Saito were among those cut loose. Usually at least a few useful guys are unearthed and a handful sign for more than a million bucks.
Below I've listed non-tender candidates for each team; it's mostly speculative. Feel free to debate or add names in the comments; I may add to the list based on that. A few of these players – Jeff Francoeur, John Maine, Mark Teahen, and Delmon Young – are unlikely, but were included anyway.
Jeremy Accardo
Garrett Atkins
John Bale
Denny Bautista
Jose Bautista
Matt Belisle
Boof Bonser
Bill Bray
Brian Bruney
Taylor Buchholz
John Buck
Dave Bush
Daniel Cabrera
Ryan Church
Neal Cotts
Jack Cust
Randy Flores
Mike Fontenot
Jeff Francoeur
Ryan Garko
Joey Gathright
Chad Gaudin
Jody Gerut
Gabe Gross
Craig Hansen
Aaron Heilman
Jeremy Hermida
Shawn Hill
Conor Jackson
Mike Jacobs
Bobby Jenks
Kelly Johnson
Logan Kensing
Noah Lowry
John Maine
Andy Marte
Seth McClung
Brandon Medders
Corky Miller
Justin Miller
Sergio Mitre
Dioner Navarro
Scott Olsen
Joel Peralta
Scott Proctor
Robb Quinlan
Kelly Shoppach
Tim Redding
Jeremy Reed
Jason Repko
Cory Sullivan
Jack Taschner
Mark Teahen
Marcus Thames
Josh Towers
Matt Treanor
Doug Waechter
Chien-Ming Wang
Tyler Yates
Delmon Young
Hoffman Close To Re-Signing With Brewers
11:37pm: A bit more detail from SI's Jon Heyman, via Twitter:
Hoffman will be returning to the Brewers. Deal for about $8MM expected to be done within a week.
6:53pm: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Milwaukee and closer Trevor Hoffman have already begun discussing a return in 2010. Hoffman, who is coming off of a one-year deal worth $6MM, said that the two sides were "pretty close" to an accord. MLB.com's Adam McCalvy believes the deal will include some kind of 2011 option.
The likely future-hall-of-famer posted 8.0 K/9 along with an ERA of 1.70 this season – his best ERA since 1998.
Hoffman's deal will likely be a short one as he turns 42 next Tuesday. If he does re-sign with the Brewers, it will certainly weaken the pool of available closers this winter.
Discussion: What Late Additions Could Have Big Playoff Impact?
With the 2009 postseason picture nearly in place, it's time to identify some of the late-season pickups that can make a huge splash in this year's playoffs.
In 2002, the Angels may not have won the championship without the help of a young pitcher by the name of Francisco Rodriguez. Because of multiple injuries to their bullpen, the Angels called up the 22-year-old in mid-September. Rodriguez was able to pitch in just five regular season games for the club before being thrown into the postseason fire. The hard-throwing righty responded to the pressure beautifully, posting an ERA of 1.93 and fanning 28 batters in just 18.2 innings.
Here are some of the key late-season additions by playoff-bound squads:
- Scott Kazmir has posted an ERA of 1.73 since being acquired by the Angels in late August. The 25-year-old southpaw is slated to start the third game of the ALDS against Boston.
- The Yankees acquired pitcher Chad Gaudin from the Padres in August. Gaudin proved to be a valuable addition as he posted a 3.43 ERA in 42 IP as both a reliever and a starter. If Gaudin makes the playoff roster, it will be as a reliever. Along with deadline acquisition Jerry Hairston Jr., Gaudin will have to wait until Wednesday for confirmation that he will be on the postseason roster.
- When the Cardinals claimed John Smoltz off of waivers in August, no one was sure if the future-hall-of-famer had much to offer after an unsuccessful stint in Boston in which he posted an ERA over 8. However, Smoltz appears to be turning things around in St. Louis as he has posted a 4.26 ERA, 2.1 BB/9 and 9.5 K/9 in seven starts for the NL Central division champs.
- Alex Gonzalez has given a boost to the Red Sox after coming over from Cincinnati in an August trade, as he has played well in the field while posting a slash line of .285/.318/.438 in 43 games.
- Jason Giambi has thrived in his new role as a pinch hitter for the Rockies, who signed the slugger on August 23rd. In 18 games with Colorado, Giambi hit .350/.519/.700. It's safe to say that this year's NL wild-card winners will carry Giambi on the playoff roster.
- The Dodgers acquired pitcher Jon Garland via an intra-divisional trade on August 31st. Prior to that, they signed Rangers-castoff Vincente Padilla to fill-in for Hiroki Kuroda after a comebacker to the mound took him out of action. It is probable that both Padilla and Garland will find themselves on the Dodgers' playoff roster. One or both could land themselves a start in the NLDS with Kuroda shelved once-again – this time to recover from a neck injury.
- Speaking of the Dodgers, late-season acquisitions Jim Thome and Ronnie Belliard should find themselves on the playoff roster.
What other playoff-bound players added to the big league roster after the trade deadline could be poised to have a memorable postseason?
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Indians, Draft Order
Let's take a look around the web on this Sunday evening:
- Cubs manager Lou Piniella says that Ryne Sandberg will be "in the mix" to succeed him as Cubs skipper, according to Andrew Simon of MLB.com. Sandberg is the manager of Chicago's Double-A affiliate and could get consideration as soon as 2011 if Piniella does not ink a new deal.
- Speaking of the Cubs, the Associated Press reports that hitting coach Von Joshua will not return to the team next year but has been invited to fill a similar role for the Triple-A affiliate. Sullivan identifies Sandberg as a possible replacement for Joshua, although GM Jim Hendry declined to name names.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Indians general manager Mark Shapiro wants to appoint the club's next manager by the end of the World Series. Hoynes says that while Cleveland's list of candidates includes some people who are already in-house, Eric Wedge's replacement will likely come from outside of the organization.
- Via twitter, ESPN's Keith Law runs down the 2010 MLB Draft order. Law also notes that spots 9-11 could change.
- Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron, who is a free agent this offseason, suffered a minor concussion when he hit his head diving for a ball in the sixth inning of the season finale, writes Adam McCalvy of Brew Beat. Cameron says that he has had several concussions during the course of his career but assured reporters that he'll "be fine."
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Indians, Draft Order
Let's take a look around the web on this Sunday evening:
- Cubs manager Lou Piniella says that Ryne Sandberg will be "in the mix" to succeed him as Cubs skipper, according to Andrew Simon of MLB.com. Sandberg is the manager of Chicago's Double-A affiliate and could get consideration as soon as 2011 if Piniella does not ink a new deal.
- Speaking of the Cubs, the Associated Press reports that hitting coach Von Joshua will not return to the team next year but has been invited to fill a similar role for the Triple-A affiliate. Sullivan identifies Sandberg as a possible replacement for Joshua, although GM Jim Hendry declined to name names.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Indians general manager Mark Shapiro wants to appoint the club's next manager by the end of the World Series. Hoynes says that while Cleveland's list of candidates includes some people who are already in-house, Eric Wedge's replacement will likely come from outside of the organization.
- Via twitter, ESPN's Keith Law runs down the 2010 MLB Draft order. Law also notes that spots 9-11 could change.
- Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron, who is a free agent this offseason, suffered a minor concussion when he hit his head diving for a ball in the sixth inning of the season finale, writes Adam McCalvy of Brew Beat. Cameron says that he has had several concussions during the course of his career but assured reporters that he'll "be fine."
Chone Figgins Too Pricey For White Sox?
Recently, the South Side of Chicago has been identified as a logical destination for Angels third baseman Chone Figgins as he heads into free agency. However, manager Ozzie Guillen doesn't envision the 31-year-old utility player fitting into the White Sox' budget, reports Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Cowley says that in 2010 high-priced pick-up Alex Rios will take over in center field and Carlos Quentin will move from left to right in place of Jermaine Dye, whose $12MM option is not likely to be picked up. This leaves one spot open, which could be solved by signing Figgins or retaining Scott Podsednik, who Guillen would "love" to have back.
Podsednik played a slightly below average left field this season, posting a UZR/150 of -3.4 at the position. Figgins, meanwhile, hasn't played the outfield regularly since 2006.
Can Figgins be had for less than $10MM per year in a depressed economy?
Cubs Might Not Trade Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley could be back with the Cubs in 2010, reports Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. In a session with reporters in which he characterized this season as "disappointing", GM Jim Hendry left open the possibility of the troubled outfielder staying put this winter:
"You deal with the cards you have now," Hendry said. "Right now, he's still a member of the Cubs…Until people come or go, you have to play the cards you have now."
Recently, it has been reported that the Padres could reunite with the 31-year-old. The Royals and Rangers, on the other hand, are not interested in dealing for Bradley. In a radio interview, Lou Piniella hinted that Bradley would don another uniform next season.
Bradley is owed $21MM over the next two years and the Cubs would likely have to swallow a portion of his contract in a trade. Does it make more sense for the Cubs to try and iron things out with the right fielder who is only one year removed from back-to-back ~1.000 OPS seasons, or is he simply not worth the trouble? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.
Odds & Ends: Marlins, Molina, Cueto, Astros
Let's check out some links to cap off the afternoon:
- Marlins president David Samson says that he is not aware of any talks with Bobby Valentine, according to Dan Gelston of the Associated Press. Current manager Fredi Gonzalez is signed through 2011. Gordon Edes of Yahoo Sports reports that Samson would not dispel speculation that Gonzalez' job may be in jeopardy.
- Bengie Molina wants to remain in San Francisco, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Molina is seeking a raise from the $6MM he made this season in a two-year pact. Baggarly says that the Giants are going to ask for a lower base, as the 35-year-old is likely to catch less games as time progresses. The article names Ramon Hernandez and Jason Kendall as veteran catchers who could replace Molina if he is not retained. Molina projects as a Type A free agent.
- As the season comes to a close, players are looking ahead to the prospect of playing winter ball. After logging 171.1 IP this season, the Reds are considering keeping Johnny Cueto from playing in the Dominican Republic, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Meanwhile, the Mets' Bobby Parnell would prefer not to play winter ball after going through the grind of his first full big league season, writes Marty Noble of MLB.com. Manager Jerry Manuel says that not pitching in winter ball will not effect his candidacy as a starter for the Mets next season.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday posted selections from his Sunday Insider column. Davidoff says that Jim Fregosi – who worked with Houston GM Ed Wade in Philadelphia – appears to be a candidate for the Astros managerial position. Recently, Wade said that he doesn't expect Craig Biggio or Jeff Bagwell to become the team's next manager.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes via Twitter, "I will be very surprised if Rick Peterson is not the Brewers' next pitching coach. He appears to be the leading candidate by far."
- Haudricourt also tweets that Ryan Braun wants the club to capitalize on their "small window…to win"