Yankees Aiming To Add Starter Soon
Yankees GM Brian Cashman will "almost certainly add a starter by New Year's," reports Mike Puma of the New York Post. Puma notes that the Yanks inquired on the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano, but did not like the asking price. Zambrano has a full no-trade clause and is well-paid – $53.75MM over the next three years. On the other hand, ESPN's Bruce Levine has a Cubs source that refuted the idea that the Yankees even inquired.
A few other names to consider from our trade market post: Derek Lowe, Aaron Harang, and Gil Meche (we're unsure on the availability of Meche). Another interesting name could be Jeremy Bonderman, given his $12.5MM salary for 2010. Note that the Yankees have not been connected to these four in trade rumors; we're just speculating. And there is the small question of whether the team has $10MM+ in payroll space for a veteran starter.
Puma finds a free agent addition more likely for the Yankees; his speculative targets are Jason Marquis, Joel Pineiro, and Ben Sheets. However, Ken Davidoff of Newsday talked to "a person in the Yankees' loop" who said Sheets is "not even on the board" currently. Pineiro's contract demands remain steep, and you have to wonder whether a low-strikeout National League lifer like Marquis offers anything over Sergio Mitre or Chad Gaudin. The rest of the free agent market is not terribly appealing.
Bottom line: Puma expects Cashman to add a starter in the next eleven days, but we have no idea who that will be.
Pirates Sign Javier Lopez
The Pirates signed left-hander Javier Lopez, as first noted by a team press release on December 18th. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the deal is worth $775K with another $550K in appearance-based performance bonuses.
Lopez struggled through 14 appearances with the Red Sox last year, but enjoyed prior success in Boston. The 32-year-old pitched to a 2.70 ERA from 2006-08, allowing fewer hits than innings pitched. That ERA may be a little deceptive, given his strikeout rate (5.8 K/9) and walk rate (4.2 BB/9) during the three-year period, but Lopez does have major league success to build on in Pittsburgh.
Kovacevic notes that Lopez is the only lefty reliever on the Pirates' 40-man roster. Talking to Lopez, Kovacevic learned that part of the appeal of Pittsburgh was the opportunity to pitch to both righties and lefties and possibly toss multiple innings per appearance.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
Mets’ Molina Strategy Linked To Bay
Ken Davidoff of Newsday (subscription required) reminds us that the Mets made offers to Jason Bay (four years and about $65MM) and Bengie Molina (two years and about $10MM) on December 10th. After talking to a Mets official, Davidoff explains the team's strategy:
If the team fails to secure Bay, it will strongly consider raising its offer to Molina. But if Bay signs, the Mets will hold a harder line with Molina.
MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone doesn't see why the two would be related, and I agree. Is it a payroll thing? Or do the Mets simply hold Molina in higher regard than the other 29 teams?
Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post says both players are holding out for an extra year, and the Mets might start considering other options if the stalemate continues.
Week In Review: 12/13/09 – 12/19/09
Let's take a look back on the week that was…
- The biggest news of the week was, of course, the Roy Halladay–Cliff Lee blockbuster. The four-way deal landed Doc and prospects in Philly, Lee in Seattle, a trio of youngsters (including Kyle Drabek) in Toronto, and Michael Taylor in Oakland. Halladay also agreed to a three-year extension that will pay him $20MM annually through 2013. The contract will not affect his 2010 salary ($15.75MM) and will include a vesting option.
- The BoSox signed the market's top starter, John Lackey, to a five-year deal worth $82.5MM. This matches A.J. Burnett's deal with the Yanks from a year ago and includes no incentives or bonuses.
- Boston also took care of their vacancy in the outfield, signing Mike Cameron to a two-year deal worth approximately $15.5MM. The soon-to-be 37-year-old is expected to be slotted in left field.
- After Johnny Damon and the Yanks were unable to come to terms on a new deal, the club welcomed Nick Johnson back to the Bronx. Johnson will earn $5.5MM plus incentives next season, with a $5.5 mutual option for 2011.
- The Halos signed Hideki Matsui to a one-year pact for about $6.5MM. The deal will pay him roughly half of the $13MM he made with the Yanks in the final year of his contract.
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik turned the less-than-stellar Carlos Silva into outfielder Milton Bradley. The Cubs also receive $9MM in the transaction, but only net $5MM as Silva will earn $4MM more than Bradley over the next two seasons.
- The trade of Mike Lowell to the Rangers was called off on Saturday as a physical revealed that the third baseman would require surgery on his right thumb. The deal, which had been talked about for quite a while, would have sent Max Ramirez to Boston in exchange for Lowell and $9MM to help cover his $12MM salary.
- The Dodgers shipped Juan Pierre to the White Sox, in exchange for pitchers Jon Link and John Ely. Ned Colletti & Co. will eat $10.5MM of Pierre's contract as part of the deal.
- The Orioles signed former Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez to a two-year deal worth $12MM guaranteed. Since Atlanta offered the 31-year-old Type A free agent arbitration, the O's will surrender their second-round pick to them (currently #44).
- The O's also inked Garrett Atkins to a one-year deal worth $4.5MM. The contract has a club option for 2011 worth $8.5MM with a $500K buyout.
- The Reds restructured Scott Rolen's contract, extending his deal through 2012. Rolen will receive a shade under $24MM through the remainder of the pact while giving the club an additional $5MM in payroll flexibility this winter.
- While Jason Bay's options have shrunk considerably this past week, some feel he may be hesitant to play for the Mets.
- It sounds as though Adrian Gonzalez will be staying put– for now, at least. Although it has been widely reported that the BoSox covet the slugger, the Padres aren't expected to move him this winter.
- The Nats are making a run at free agent pitcher Jon Garland, who is seeking a three-year deal. Washington, however, would prefer to limit him to two years.
- Jamey Carroll agreed to a two-year deal with the Dodgers for just under $4MM total. Carroll is expected to see time at multiple positions while serving as insurance for Blake DeWitt at second base.
- Arbitration-eligible Ricky Nolasco came to terms with the Marlins on a one-year deal worth $3.8MM. This represents a 58% pay raise for the 27-year-old.
- Tim polished off his crystal ball and looked ahead to the free agent class of 2011.
Odds & Ends: Fehr, Indians, Swisher
Sunday night links…
- Former MLBPA head Donald Fehr talked to Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal. Amongst other things, Fehr says that with the current agreement expiring in 2011, he hopes the owners remember the brutal work stoppage of 1994.
- Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (via Twitter) says that we can expect to find out what Rays player will be shipped to the Indians as part of the Kelly Shoppach deal. The Cleveland press release announcing the trade a few weeks ago had said that the "player to be named later" would be revealed today, December 20th.
- While some Yankees fans have talked about the possibility of trading Nick Swisher, Chad Jennings of The Journal News defends the eccentric outfielder, citing his 29 HRs and .371 OBP. Dealing Swisher probably made sense when the club still might have re-signed Johnny Damon. At this point, unless the Yanks plan on signing Matt Holliday, can anyone think of a good reason why they should move Swisher?
Mike Lowell’s Future In Boston
5:04pm: Ken Rosenthal adds to the discussion, making the prediction that Lowell will never play another game for the Red Sox. He says Boston simply does not want Lowell to be their third baseman next year, citing the team's interest in Mark Teixeira last offseason, its moves to acquire Victor Martinez and Casey Kotchman, and its willingness to pay $9MM of Lowell's salary in a trade as evidence.
Rosenthal calls the situation "Julio Lugo all over again," with the notable exception that Lowell has, for the most part, been a very productive player for Boston, unlike Lugo. Still, the veteran infielder is owed $12MM and seemingly doesn't fit into Boston's plans anymore. And if you ask Rosenthal, the end result will be the same as it was with Lugo — a trade of Mike Lowell with the Sox picking up most of the tab.
1:38pm: John Tomase of the Boston Herald looks at what's next for Mike Lowell, now that the trade with Texas has been called off. Tomase notes the extreme respect that the Red Sox have for Lowell's heart and desire last season, playing through injuries to start 105 games and post a respectable .811 OPS.
Boston's biggest concern now is whether or not Lowell will be able to remain healthy and whether or not he will have the mobility to play defense. Lowell had been a consistently strong defender for Boston until last season, when his UZR/150 plummeted from a strong 15.6 in 2008 to an ugly -14.4.
Lowell could still be had at a fairly inexpensive price, as the Red Sox have already shown willingness to eat $9MM of the $12MM owed to him in 2010. The question, however, is whether or not the upside of his bat is worth the risk of his health. Lowell's torn thumb ligament has been described as "non-essential" by one baseball source, but it's only the latest on the list of issues that have shelved the Boston third baseman.
Does it make sense for Boston to hang onto Lowell and hope for the best in 2010, or should they still be actively shopping him? Given that the free agent market has numerous options at both corner infield spots, are there any teams that would make sense for the 36-year-old?
Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Bradley, Hamels
Let's have a look at some miscellaneous Sunday links….
- The Tigers purchased the contract of catcher Andy Bouchie from the Long Beach Armada. Bouchie, 24, was a seventh round pick by the Brewers after his junior season at Oral Roberts University, but was released due to catching depth in the Milwaukee system. He hit .290 with 7 home runs and 45 RBI in 59 games in the Golden Baseball League this year.
- Jon Paul Morosi explains why the Padres should wait until July 31 to trade Adrian Gonzalez.
- Larry Stone offers some optimism for Seattle fans with concerns about newly-acquired Milton Bradley in a nice article, reminding us that Bradley has had non-problematic stops over the course of his career. Stone quotes Eddie Guardado, Bud Black, and Ken Macha, all of whom support Bradley.
- Scott Lauber writes that amidst the Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee pandemonium, it's easy to forget about Cole Hamels, but the Phillies haven't. They still see Hamels as a top-of-the-rotation arm and are confident in his ability to rebound from a forgettable 2009.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes that Oakland's potential deal with Coco Crisp reflects the value the A's place on defense.
- In his usual lengthy Sunday column, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo focuses primarily on the Red Sox' moves, past, present, and future. He provides at least one interesting hot stove note though: Mark DeRosa's asking price has come down, and Cafardo wonders if the Mets could sign the infielder and play him at first base.
- Cafardo also mentions that, while plenty of teams are interested in Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees hope to match any final offer the right-hander receives.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff can't see any other teams taking a chance on Mike Lowell unless he exhibits good health in Spring Training.
- In a separate article, Davidoff examines the next move for Johnny Damon. Davidoff lists the Braves, Rays, Cubs, and Mets as possible destinations, but concedes there are roadblocks in each case.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports looks at the remaining names on the closing market, concluding that there are too many arms and not enough teams in need of a closer.
- Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun says there's nothing wrong with any of the Orioles' recent signings, but that they aren't the big splashes fans may have hoped to see.
Cubs Rumors: Byrd, Capps, Bradley
After finally trading Milton Bradley, the Cubs are in position to move forward and address the rest of their offseason priorities. Let's round up some Cubs-related links….
- Jon Heyman tweets that before the Cubs traded Bradley, their choices for center fielders were Marlon Byrd, Rick Ankiel, Melky Cabrera, and Scott Podsednik.
- A center fielder and a setup man are two of the Cubs' most pressing needs, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. There is mutual interest between Marlon Byrd and the Cubs, and the team could also be one of two finalists for Matt Capps (the other being the Nationals).
- Wittenmyer also points out that, of the $9MM coming to Chicago in the Bradley-Carlos Silva swap, $5.5MM will be applied this season, giving the team a little more flexibility for 2010 salaries.
- Erik Manning of Fangraphs wonders if moving Bradley is actually addition by subtraction for the Cubs.
- Yesterday we heard via a FOX Sports report that the Cubs might look into acquiring Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera from the Yankees. LoHud.com's Chad Jennings examines the Yankees' perspective of such a move, arguing that the world champions' center field depth is a necessity, rather than a luxury.
Marlins Rumors: Chapman, Capps, Walker
Barry Jackson has a couple of Marlins-related notes in his latest piece for the Miami Herald. Here are the highlights:
- Jackson hears that the Marlins have made a five-year offer worth about $13MM to Aroldis Chapman. Chapman will certainly receive higher offers from other clubs, but it's worth a shot for the Marlins, in case the Cuban defector prefers South Florida.
- Replacing departed relievers Matt Lindstrom, Kiko Calero, and Brendan Donnelly is a priority for Florida.
- Among their bullpen targets: Matt Capps, Tyler Walker, and Jose Veras.
Jason Bay Rumors: Sunday
Bill Madden of the New York Daily News writes that Jason Bay can thank his agent, Joe Urbon, for pricing him out of a good situation in Boston. With no obvious bidders remaining for Bay besides the New York Mets, Madden says that Urbon returned to the Red Sox to see if they would revisit negotiations with Bay. The Sox, however, having signed Mike Cameron, no longer appear interested.
Madden thinks that Bay's reluctance to accept the Mets' four-year, $64MM offer suggests the outfielder is wary of playing in Citi Field for a team that "even with him, looks to be no better than a third-place club." Newsday's Ken Davidoff agrees that Citi Field could be a factor, as the Mets pursue Bay and other free agents. Davidoff points out that, statistically, the park doesn't seem all that bad for hitters, but it's hard to shake that perception.