Odds & Ends: Abraham, Mariners, Free Agency
A few tasty nuggets to fill the gap…
- Peter Abraham is moving to the Boston Gobe to cover the Red Sox…Congrats to Abraham. Well deserved.
- Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News-Tribune is reporting that the Mariners have hired Jeff Kingston to be their new Assistant GM. Kingston was formerly the Padres Director of Baseball Operations.
- Circling the Bases will be counting down the top 111 upcoming free agents starting with the bottom 20.
Discussion: Crawford Or Upton?
When the Rays traded Scott Kazmir, their projected '10 payroll dropped to about $70MM. Prior to the season, owner Stuart Sternberg indicated that next season's payroll would be similar to this year's opening day payroll of $63MM. Declining Akinori Iwamura's $4.25MM option would get the payroll in that neighborhood. However, there is still a chance the Rays could try to move Carl Crawford, who will be entering the final year of his deal, or B.J. Upton, who will be arbitration-eligible this offseason for the first time. Moving one the outfielders could open up a spot for Desmond Jennings, who hit a combined .318/.401/.487 with 52 stolen bases between double-A and triple-A.
So, if you were the Rays, which outfielder would you move and if you were the GM of another club, which player would you rather have?
Tale of the tape…
Carl Crawford
- Will be 28 next season
- Currently hitting .302/.357/.445 with 57 steals
- Next year will be the final year of his contract. He will make $10-11.5MM based on escalators.
- Ken Rosenthal thinks Rays may prefer to move Crawford with Upton's value currently low.
- Jayson Stark wrote that the Rays may be able to keep Crawford after moving Kazmir's contract.
B.J. Upton
- Will be 25 next season
- Currently hitting .233/.304/.363 with 10 home runs and 37 steals.
- Will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this off-season.
- Buster Olney heard that the Rays will listen to offers for Upton.
- Several teams contacted the Rays last off-season about acquiring Upton.
Odds & Ends: Pudge, Millwood, Harden
Links for Thursday…
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers are "strongly considering re-signing" catcher Ivan Rodriguez.
- Scott Boras told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that Rangers pitcher Kevin Millwood is scheduled to pitch Tuesday, which would likely cause his $12MM option for 2010 to vest.
- Cubs starter Rich Harden will miss a few starts and possibly the rest of the season, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald guesses the Cubs will not risk offering arbitration to the potential Type A free agent.
- Juan Uribe has been a bargain-basement bonanza for the Giants, says Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- White Sox GM Ken Williams has no regrets about the Jake Peavy trade, talking to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is now on Twitter.
Chipper Jones Talks Retirement
Chipper Jones has been talking a lot about his future lately, and today he was blunt when talking to the AP:
"If I back up this year with the same kind of year next year, I don't want to play the game. The game is not fun to me when I'm not playing up to my standards."
Jones does not blame his down year on injuries. It's only a disappointment by Chipper's standards, since his .390 OBP still ranks 14th in the NL. However, his .435 SLG would be a career-worst and he hasn't done much in August and September.
Jones, 38 in April, is owed $13MM in each of the 2010, '11, and '12 seasons. He has a $7MM club option for 2013 that can vest and increase with certain games played milestones. I have to admit, I liked the extension when it was signed in March. Today in his blog, Joel Sherman of the New York Post draws a parallel between Jones' extension and the upcoming Derek Jeter contract situation.
Royals’ Talks With Aaron Crow Intensify
2:01pm: MLB.com's Dick Kaegel talked to Royals exec J.J. Picollo, who said:
"Apparently Buster Olney knows something we don't know. There's nothing to report on, there's no confirmed deal or anything. We've picked up the talks with them the last couple of days and that's about it. We're working at it."
Picollo told Kaegel he's pushing to get Crow signed by the end of the week so he can pitch in the Arizona Fall League. Baseball America's John Manuel says Crow is close to signing.
9:43am: The Royals are on the verge of an agreement with first-round pick Aaron Crow, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney says Crow's deal will pay between $3MM and $4.5MM.
The Nationals drafted Crow ninth overall in 2008, but GM Jim Bowden couldn't get a deal done with Crow's agents. The gap was reportedly $900K, with Bowden stopping at $3.5MM and the Hendricks brothers coming down to $4.4MM. Crow then pitched independent ball for the Fort Worth Cats and re-entered the 2009 draft. The Royals picked him 12th overall, and the August 17th signing deadline did not apply. The extra year will probably cost Crow in the long-term; other '08 draft picks such as Brian Matusz, Buster Posey, Gordon Beckham, Ryan Perry, and Daniel Schlereth have already accrued Major League service time.
Rangers Sign Tanner Scheppers
Add another name to the Rangers' huge stock of impressive young pitchers. They signed 44th overall draft pick Tanner Scheppers today, according to SI's Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Baseball America's John Manuel says Scheppers received a signing bonus of $1.25MM, a record for the supplemental first round. Scheppers, like Aaron Crow, was not subject to the August 17th signing deadline since he was drafted from an independent club. Scheppers was drafted 48th overall by the Pirates in 2008, but did not sign. His shoulder injury was a likely factor. Click here for MLB.com's scouting report on Scheppers.
The Rangers were unable to sign their first-round draft pick, high school lefty Matt Purke. He reportedly rejected a $4MM offer at the signing deadline, though Jim Reeves wrote on Saturday that MLB forced the team to lowball him.
Reds Chat With Assistant GM Bob Miller
Reds assistant GM Bob Miller chatted with fans today for MLB.com. A few hot stove highlights:
- Miller expects all four of the Reds' infielders to return for 2010. Presumably he is referring to Paul Janish as the shortstop, along with Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Scott Rolen. The fan from the chat had a point – that is a stellar defensive infield. Miller shot down a fan's idea of pursuing Orlando Hudson.
- Miller hopes the Reds can come to an agreement with Jonny Gomes for next year. Shouldn't be too hard, since Gomes is under control as an arbitration-eligible player.
- Miller's philosophy on trades seems to be that everyone is available at the right price. Hard to argue with that.
- Expect the player-to-be-named from the David Weathers trade to be finalized around mid-October.
- Miller admitted that the offense is a weakness that needs to be addressed. A healthy, effective Jay Bruce and less Willy Taveras might be sufficient upgrades, in my opinion. What do you think about a Mike Cameron reunion?
Cubs To Shop Zambrano This Winter?
THURSDAY: Sullivan's sources say Zambrano has no intention of waiving his no-trade clause this offseason.
WEDNESDAY: Sullivan has comments from Zambrano in the aftermath of his report:
"Why, are you guys our general manager now?" he said. "I don't care. If the Cubs want to trade me, it's because they don't like me anymore. I have to move on. What else can I do? I just move on." Zambrano added he doesn't want to waive his no-trade rights, then left, saying: "That's enough."
Sullivan's latest article implies Zambrano's agent Barry Praver was not the source of the original "Cubs plan on shopping Zambrano" report, and Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says the Cubs' baseball operations department denies putting the info out there. Who's left?
TUESDAY: The Cubs plan on shopping Carlos Zambrano this offseason, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Citing unnamed sources, Sullivan says the Cubs believe Zambrano would waive his no-trade clause to accept a deal to the right team. The 28-year-old righty jokingly suggested it might be easier to play in another market.
"Maybe if I go to a different city next year, if I get traded, I can do what I want," he said.
Sullivan says the Cubs think they can find a team willing to exchange quality players for Zambrano. The hot-tempered pitcher has at least $53.75MM remaining on his contract, however. He makes more per season than A.J. Burnett, so there's no guarantee that the Cubs would find takers.
This year, Zambrano has a 3.77 ERA in 143.1 innings. He's striking out 7.7 batters per nine innings, but has a characteristically high walk rate of 4.1 batters per nine.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports pointed out this weekend that the Cubs, Blue Jays and Braves could all shop top pitchers this offseason. The combination of Zambrano, Roy Halladay and Javier Vazquez could be every bit as enticing as this year's crop of free agent pitchers.
Vazquez Wants To Stay With Braves
Common speculation is that the Braves could shop Javier Vazquez or Kenshin Kawakami if they re-sign Tim Hudson. Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked to Vazquez about the trade possibility, and the pitcher expressed his desire to stay with the Braves.
Vazquez has been a bona fide ace in his return to the NL, with a 3.01 ERA, 216 strikeouts, and 40 walks in 197.3 innings. He's signed affordably for next year at $11.5MM. I've said it before: signing Hudson and having six starters under control on paper does not equal a surplus. Derek Lowe is 36 and his numbers took an alarming dip this year. And whether Hudson, Kawakami, and Tommy Hanson can each throw 200 innings next year is an open question. The Braves need a first baseman, an outfield bat, and a closer, but trading Vazquez for a hitter might just create a new hole. We'll analyze the team's payroll commitments in the coming weeks and see if free agency offers any solutions.
Brewers Rumors: Melvin, Looper
All but eliminated from the playoffs, the Brewers are focused on 2010. A few notes about their future…
- Speculation about GM Doug Melvin being fired is "ridiculous," owner Mark Attanasio told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Attanasio added that he's not pressuring Melvin to make significant changes. He'll also leave the decision on manager Ken Macha up to Melvin.
- Attanasio said trading Prince Fielder for pitching "seems like a cop-out." He's right in saying it makes for "great Internet fodder and speculation." Realistically, Fielder will not be on the market this winter.
- When Braden Looper made his 30th start on September 11th, his mutual option for next year increased to $6.5MM. His 4.89 ERA matches his 4.87 xFIP, so there's no hidden story about Looper's performance. Still, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy thinks the Brewers "will almost certainly exercise their half of the option." Looper said returning to Milwaukee is his first choice, but notes that "the option gives me a little bit of leverage."
- My opinion: for a net of $5.5MM guaranteed, the Brewers should seek a pitcher with more upside than Looper. Erik Bedard, Brett Myers, and even Brad Penny might fit the bill. Looper didn't sign until mid-February this year, and the guarantee was only $4.75MM. The Brewers can find another Looper if they need an innings-eater, so why not decline the option and see how the market plays out?