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Odds & Ends: Lee, Lewis, Blue Jays, Moyer

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Links for Friday as the Rangers prepare for a crucial game 3 tomorrow night..

Non-Tender Candidate: Mike Fontenot

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In mid-August the Giants struck a deal with the Cubs to acquire infielder Mike Fontenot in exchange for minor league center fielder Evan Crawford.  The Cubs chose to part ways with the 30-year-old who was unable to give an encore performance of his strong 2008 campaign.  In that season he delivered a slash line of .305/.395/.514 with nine homers.  His flat 2010 numbers with the Cubbies (91 OPS+) and the rise of Starlin Castro made Fontenot expendable. 

Fontenot didn't set the world on fire at the end of the Giants' regular season either, hitting .282/.329/.310 in 76 plate appearances.  While he has the ability to play shortstop and third base, his best position is second base.  Second base is, of course, already occupied by Freddy Sanchez, who is under contract through 2011.  While he could conceivably be a cheap alternative if the Giants choose not to retain Juan Uribe, his light-hitting and weak play at shortstop make that unlikely.

As for Fontenot, he earned $1MM and will head to arbitration this winter for the second time.  While he's not a bad utility option to keep around, the Giants could very well choose to non-tender him.  After all, they didn't exactly give up a ton to acquire him this year.  What do you think San Francisco will do with Fontenot?  Click here to vote, and here to view the results.

Heyman On Mets, Valentine, Yankees, Padres

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New Mets GM Sandy Alderson is going into his new position with an open mind and the understanding that he has a lot of work ahead of him, writes Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  While we've already heard that J.P. Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta could join Alderson in Queens, Heyman suggests that another one of the GM's former co-workers could make the trip as well.  A's executive Grady Fuson could possibly join the Mets front office, though Alderson has suggested to some friends that he'll remain in Oakland.  Even Omar Minaya could return to the club in some capacity as he has a relationship with Alderson and "a fondness" for owner Fred Wilpon.  Let's see what else Heyman has for us..

  • Earlier this week Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wondered if the Brewers could afford Bobby Valentine, a fair concern considering the team's limited budget and the ex-manager's rumored seven-figure salary at ESPN.  However, owner Mark Attanasio could be willing to shell out the big bucks to land Bobby V as he is said to be concerned about ticket sales slumping following two losing seasons.  Valentine would certainly qualify as a dynamic hire and could make enough of a splash to boost attendance and TV revenues.
  • Former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes is believed to have several opportunities after winning the silver medal in the Mets' GM search.  We learned earlier this week that Byrnes could wind up in San Diego due to his ties to the club's front office and most notably owner Jeff Moorad.  Heyman says that Byrnes could land with the Padres even if DePodesta doesn't head east for a gig with the Mets.
  • After firing pitching coach Dave Eiland, the Yankees are in the market for a replacement.  One possibility for the job is Rick Kranitz, who was the pitching coach for Joe Girardi in Florida.

Takahashi, Mets Discussing Extension

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FRIDAY: The Mets have extended their deadline with Hisanori Takahashi to November 5th, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter).  If the two sides don't come to an agreement by then, the left-hander will become a free agent.

Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reported yesterday that the two parties were considering an extension of the deadline.

SUNDAY: Even amidst their search for a general manager, the Mets have been discussing a deal that would keep Hisanori Takahashi in New York, writes David Waldstein of the New York Times. Waldstein reminds us that the Mets have just one more week to re-sign Takahashi; due to a loophole in his contract, the left-hander can become a free agent if he and the Mets don't agree on a contract by October 31st.

According to Takahashi's agent, Peter Greenberg, the two sides have had discussions about an extension, though it's not clear how far along the talks have progressed. With the Mets' GM situation still up in the air, assistant GM John Ricco has been handling the negotiations.

"We have been talking," Greenberg said. "Hisa loved his time in New York, and hopefully, something can be worked out. If not, then he will have to look elsewhere."

If the Mets don't reach an agreement with Takahashi by next Sunday, his time in New York is almost certainly over. Because of the nature of his contract, the 35-year-old wouldn't be able to sign a major league deal with the Mets until May 15th. After a successful rookie season in which he posted a 3.61 ERA in 122 IP, Takahashi likely wouldn't have any trouble securing a major league contract this winter on the open market.

Gimenez & Reyes Become Free Agents

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Catcher Chris Gimenez and right-hander Anthony Reyes are free agents, the Indians announced. The Tribe outrighted Gimenez and Reyes today, along with right-hander Hector Ambriz. Gimenez, 27, batted .190/.288/.328 in 67 plate appearances this year. He has struggled to hit at the big league level in two short stints with the Indians.

Reyes, a former top prospect with the Cardinals, rose quickly through the St. Louis system after being selected in the 15th round of the 2003 draft. He struck out more than a batter per inning with excellent command in the minors from 2004-06, but soon lost his top prospect status.

This year, the 29-year-old struggled through 10.0 minor league innings and did not pitch in the majors. Last year, he made eight starts for the Indians and posted a 6.57 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 38.1 innings. Reyes does have one major postseason accomplishment; he pitched eight innings of four-hit, two-run ball against the Tigers in the opening game of the 2006 World Series.

Ozzie Guillen For Mike Stanton Trade Was Discussed

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4:47pm: Williams told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that the Sun-Times report is “false,” but declined to go into further detail because of rules forbidding executives from speaking about other teams’ players. "That's tampering," Williams said. "All I can say is the report isn't completely accurate." Merkin hears that the White Sox demanded compensation from the Marlins when they wanted to talk to Guillen.

9:56am: The Marlins did not discuss an Ozzie-Stanton trade with the White Sox, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). The White Sox may have discussed the possibility internally, but it seems to have been wishful thinking on Chicago’s part. As the response to our poll shows, Stanton is far more desirable.

4:56am: When Ozzie Guillen was at odds with the Chicago front office earlier this year, there was discussion of a deal that would have sent the White Sox manager to Florida for 20-year-old slugger Mike Stanton, according to Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times. De Luca reports that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was intent on making Guillen the Marlins’ next manager until Guillen met with White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and agreed to return in 2011.

Guillen says he never spoke to the Marlins about managing the team, but he confirmed to the Sun-Times that the White Sox granted the Marlins permission to talk to him. White Sox GM Kenny Williams repeated that he is on good terms with Guillen and insisted his manager is staying put.

''Ozzie is the manager of the White Sox next year and I hope the next 10 years after,” Williams said. “How many times do I have to [bleeping] say it?''

Guillen is under contract with the White Sox next year and he expressed interest in an extension at the end of the season, but did not sign one. Stanton batted .259/.326/.507 with 22 home runs as a rookie this year and is under team control through 2016.

Though manager-player exchanges are exceptional, there is some precedent for them. Eight years ago today, the Devil Rays sent Randy Winn to the Mariners after Lou Piniella left Seattle to manage in Tampa.

Odds & Ends: Boras, Antonetti, Girardi, Cubs

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Links for Friday, as Josh Hamilton and the Rangers rest before trying to make up ground against the Giants. Incidentally, it was nine years ago today that the Rangers signed Edinson Volquez, the player they later flipped to Cincinnati for Hamilton…

  • The Phillies contacted Scott Boras about Jayson Werth this week, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. At this point, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says "There's really not much to say" about possible negotiations with the free agent right fielder. 
  • Bill Lubinger of the Cleveland Plain Dealer offers up a must-read profile of Indians GM Chris Antonetti. Pirates GM Neal Huntington says Antonetti is similar to former GM Mark Shapiro – to an extent. “I would say Chris is going to seek out maybe more opinions and he's going to be more inclusive," Huntington said. "Mark will seek out the opinions that he thinks are more crucial to the decision. Chris may get outside that narrow circle a little bit more than Mark."
  • We heard lots of buzz about Joe Girardi and the Cubs, but the manager says he "didn't really think about leaving the Yankees," according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). The skipper agreed to a three-year extension yesterday.
  • The Cubs selected catcher Robinson Chirinos from Double-A and outrighted Jim Adduci to Triple-A and off of the 40-man roster.
  • Former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi wants to get back into baseball operations and has been in contact with the Red Sox about working for them, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff. We heard yesterday that Sandy Alderson contacted Ricciardi about joining the Mets.

Some Movement For Marlins, Uggla

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Agent Terry Bross told Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post that there has been some “movement” in negotiations with the Marlins about a long-term deal for Dan Uggla. The second baseman, who is one year away from free agency, seeks a five-year deal and the Marlins had been offering a three-year extension worth roughly $24MM.

Though Bross didn’t say as much, the “movement” could mean the Marlins offered a four-year deal. Earlier in the week, Marlins president David Samson told Capozzi that the team is “definitely” discussing a deal with Uggla and hopes to work something out. 

Uggla, 30, hit 32 homers in 2010, reaching the 30-homer mark for the fourth consecutive season and posting the highest OPS of his career. He earned $7.8MM and is headed for an arbitration raise that could place his 2011 salary at $10MM or so. I suggested a month ago that a three-year $24MM deal would not be fair for someone as accomplished and close to free agency as Uggla.

Alderson On Free Agents, Manager, Castillo, Perez

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The Mets officially announced that they signed Sandy Alderson to a four-year deal with a club option for 2015 and there's no question that the new GM definitely has his backers. Commissioner Bud Selig told Chris Russo of SIRIUS XM Radio that “the fans of the Mets ought to be very happy” with the team's choice. J.P. Ricciardi and Kevin Towers tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Alderson has earned their admiration and respect over the years. So what is Alderson himself saying about the Mets? Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog has the latest from this afternoon's news conference:

  • It doesn't seem like the Mets will spend big on free agents, as they have in recent offseasons. “Will we be aggressive in the free agent market this year?  Not likely,” Alderson said.
  • Alderson says “the manager is a critical part of the overall leadership structure” who has to be analytical. That doesn't mean Alderson will hire someone bland, though. He pointed out that he has worked with fiery skippers like Billy Martin before.
  • The manager he selects may or may not have previous managerial experience in the majors.
  • Alderson sidestepped a question about the future of Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, saying the team must "be careful about writing off any player or any asset … without thinking about it carefully.”

Amateur Signing Bonuses: Twins

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Time to take our amateur signing bonus series to the Land of 10,000 Lakes…

  1. Joe Mauer, $5.15MM (2001)
  2. Miguel Sano, $3.15MM (2009)
  3. B.J. Garbe, $2.75MM (1999)
  4. Adam Johnson, $2.5MM (2000)
  5. Ryan Mills, $2MM (1998)

It's funny looking back at it now, but the Mauer vs. Mark Prior debate was huge back before the 2001 draft. Both were legitimate first overall talents, but Prior was considered more of a sure thing and certainly closer to the big leagues. The Twins opted for the hometown kid with that first pick, and all he's done is develop into one of the two or three best players on the planet. Mauer debuted in 2004 as a 21-year-old and hit .308/.369/.570 in 122 plate appearances, though knee issues dampened his coming out party. He returned the next year fully healthy and hasn't stopped hitting since. Minnesota's franchise player is a .327/.407/.481 career hitter with four All Star appearances, three batting titles, and an MVP to credit. I'd say they got their $5.15MM worth.

The Twins faced heavy competition for Sano last year, most notably from the Pirates, but they were able to sign him to that huge bonus in December. He turned just 17 this past May, hitting .307/.379/.491 in 241 rookie ball plate appearances this season, his pro debut.

Garbe, Johnson, and Mills were all high-priced busts. Garbe, the fifth overall pick in '99, hit just .231/.314/.311 in more than five-plus seasons in the Twins' farm system, eventually getting traded to the Mariners for Pat Borders in August 2004. He's been out of baseball since 2006. Johnson was the second overall pick in '00 and managed to reach the big leagues with Minnesota for all of 26.1 innings (10.25 ERA) in 2001 and 2003. His minor league career consists of a 5.02 ERA in 747.1 innings, and he wound up in an independent league after the Twins released him in January 2005. Mills, taken sixth overall in '98, posted a 5.79 ERA in 480.1 minor league innings and never reached the big leagues. He's been out of baseball since becoming a minor league free agent after the 2004 season.

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