Multiyear Free Agent Contracts On The Rise
Multiyear free agent contracts are on the rise again. If the first six weeks of the 2010-11 offseason are any indication, teams are offering more long-term deals than they were a year ago.
Over the course of the entire 2009-10 offseason, 27 free agents signed multiyear contracts. A month and a half into a new offseason, owners have already surpassed that figure and agreed to 28 multiyear deals, as MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker shows.
After two offseasons of relatively restrained spending, baseball owners are pursuing top free agents with vigor. Already, Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee have agreed to nine-figure contracts (though Lee declined to take the biggest offer available to him).
It’s the first time since 2006-07 and just the third time in baseball history that three free agents have signed deals worth over $100MM in the same winter. Alfonso Soriano, Barry Zito and Carlos Lee all signed for $100MM-plus in a 2006-07 offseason that stands out as one of the more player-friendly winters in recent history. Six years before that, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Mike Hampton signed nine-figure deals within three weeks of one another.
Barring another coup by Scott Boras, who represents free agents such as Adrian Beltre, Rafael Soriano and Magglio Ordonez, Lee's contract will be the last $100MM deal of the current offseason. However, the winter promises to bring a number of more modest multiyear deals. Carl Pavano, Adam LaRoche, Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, Grant Balfour and others could sign for two or more years before the offseason ends.
Please note that extensions like the ones Troy Tulowitzki and Jay Bruce signed are not counted as free agent signings, since they weren’t completed on the open market. Multiyear deals signed by international free agents like Aroldis Chapman and Noel Arguelles are not counted either.
Diamondbacks Close To Deal With Xavier Nady
The Diamondbacks are closing in on a deal with Xavier Nady, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The first baseman/outfielder was in Phoenix for a physical on Wednesday.
Nady, 32, hit .256/.306/.353 with six homers in 347 plate appearances for the Cubs in 2010. He missed almost all of 2009 after having his second Tommy John surgery. D'Backs GM Kevin Towers had Nady with the Padres, continuing a theme that has seen him target (or acquire) many of his former players this winter, including Henry Blanco, Sean Burroughs, and Geoff Blum.
Nady signed a one-year contract worth $3.3MM guaranteed (he did earn another $1.05MM in incentives) coming off his injury, and I predicted that he would have to settle for a similar deal when I previewed his free agent stock back in September.
The post was originally published on December 15th.
Padres Notes: Eckstein, Hairston Jr.
So far this offseason, the Padres have swapped Adrian Gonzalez for prospects, signed Aaron Harang, agreed to a deal with Dustin Moseley, traded for Cameron Maybin and discussed a trade that would send Jason Bartlett to San Diego. Jed Hoyer's second offseason as GM has been a busy one and more moves are on the horizon for the Friars. Here's the latest:
- Jerry Hairston Jr. told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that four to five teams are pursuing him and the chase is "heating up" (Twitter link). Hayes reports that the Padres still have interest in Hairston and we know the Yankees would consider bringing the utilityman back to the Bronx.
- David Eckstein told MLB.com's Corey Brock that he has not been in contact with the Padres (Twitter link). Brock suggests it's an "extreme long shot" that Eckstein returns.
Poll: Top Remaining Free Agent
The top free agents – Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth – have signed their nine-figure deals, but many players are still available. The question is, which of the remaining unsigned players is the top free agent available? (Players listed alphabetically).
Who is the top remaining free agent?
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Adrian Beltre 59% (16,239)
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Rafael Soriano 16% (4,461)
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Magglio Ordonez 7% (1,861)
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Vladimir Guerrero 6% (1,551)
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Andy Pettitte 5% (1,406)
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Carl Pavano 5% (1,251)
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Jim Thome 2% (447)
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Other 1% (303)
Total votes: 27,519
Odds & Ends: Counsell, Ibanez, Johnson, Sheffield
Exactly one year ago, the Angels signed Hideki Matsui. Today, the slugger finalized his one-year agreement with the A's. Here are today's links…
- The Brewers are having ongoing discussions with the representatives for Craig Counsell, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
- If you've heard about agent Darek Braunecker, but don't know much about him, you're not alone. David Waldstein of the New York Times introduces us to Cliff Lee's agent.
- The Phillies do not intend to trade Raul Ibanez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Joe Blanton, on the other hand, is available.
- Rosenthal also notes that the Rangers and Rockies have not discussed Michael Young since the Winter Meetings (Twitter link).
- The Orioles are still talking to the representatives for Adam LaRoche, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
- Indians manager Manny Acta is watching Bartolo Colon's start in the Dominican Republic tonight, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes (on Twitter).
- Kerry Wood told Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of the Chicago Tribune that he could see himself playing for the Cubs, but probably not for the White Sox.
- In case you were wondering, the Marlins don't intend to trade Josh Johnson, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter).
- Gary Sheffield told Mike Ferrin and Tom Gordon of MLB Network Radio that he has discussed a potential deal with the Rays. However, manager Joe Maddon told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that the Rays have limited interest in Sheffield, though they wanted to get to know him better.
Pirates Sign Matt Diaz
The Pirates have signed Matt Diaz to a two-year deal, the team announced today. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) first reported the agreement, which is worth approximately $4.25MM, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. The Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Royals, Dodgers, Mariners, Blue Jays, and Yankees also had interest in the outfielder, according to reports earlier this week. Agent Larry Reynolds represents Diaz.
The 32-year-old handles lefties well and could become a complement to Garrett Jones, who handles righties well. Diaz has a .335/.373/.533 line against southpaws in his career, though he bats just .269/.327/.382 against right-handers. The Braves non-tendered Diaz earlier in the month, making him a free agent. Diaz has experience in right field, but he has spent most of his big league career in left.
Carl Pavano Rumors: Tuesday
With Cliff Lee off the market, Carl Pavano is the best available free agent starter – putting aside Andy Pettitte and those trying to bounce back from injury. The Yankees won't be entertaining a reunion, but we can't rule out the Rangers for Pavano now. The latest on the righty:
- The Brewers are definitely in the hunt for Pavano, a source tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin spoke with O'Connell yesterday but has yet to make an offer, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- The Nationals and Pavano's other suitors are still in, agent Tom O'Connell told MASN's Ben Goessling.
- Pavano is still exploring his options, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, but other suitors think he's going back to the Twins.
A’s Interested In Rich Harden
5:57pm: Renck reports the Harden-A's agreement is unconfirmed (Twitter link). The Rockies are out on Harden. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A's have talked to Harden, who appears to have better offers elsewhere (Twitter links). Slusser notes that the A's are still talking to Justin Duchscherer.
5:09pm: The A's will sign Rich Harden, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (Twitter link). Harden spent the first five and a half seasons of his career in Oakland, where he posted lofty strikeout numbers and a 3.42 ERA between trips to the DL.
The 29-year-old continued to encounter health issues in 2010, but the low ERA and remarkable strikeout numbers were nowhere to be found. Harden battled glute and shoulder injuries this year and posted a 5.58 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 92 innings for the Rangers.
Seven teams other than Oakland reportedly had some interest in Harden: the Yankees, Twins, Rays, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Mariners, and Rockies.
Cardinals Sign Gerald Laird
The Cardinals signed catcher Gerald Laird on a one-year deal, the team announced. SI's Jon Heyman reports that the contract will pay Laird $1MM. He can earn another $300K in incentives. Laird will serve as Yadier Molina's backup, replacing Jason LaRue.
Laird, 31, hit .207/.263/.304 in 299 plate appearances for the Tigers this year, catching 670 2/3 innings. He gunned down 34% of attempted basestealers, so the Cardinals will never be easy to run on in 2011. Laird's offensive woes in his two-year Detroit stint have relegated him to backup duty, and his starts could be particularly rare given Molina's durability.
Laird is represented by Scott Boras. Our transaction tracker reveals that he's the fourth Boras client to sign this winter. The free agent market for catchers is down to four viable options, three if Bengie Molina retires.
Red Sox Notes: Soriano, Crain, Guerrier, Cameron
The AL East is a busy division these days. The Yankees have to finalize their rotation, the Rays have to reconstruct their 'pen and the Orioles are acquiring players in bunches. The Red Sox have added two star players to their lineup, but they're still contemplating more moves. Here's the latest:
- The Red Sox would only offer a three-year contract to an elite reliever, a source tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Rafael Soriano fits that description, but Speier says the Red Sox are an unlikely suitor, since they already have Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard.
- Boston had significant interest in Scott Downs after signing Carl Crawford, according to Speier. Downs was a Type A free agent who would ordinarily cost a top pick, but the Red Sox had already surrendered their top pick to sign Crawford, so adding Downs would only have cost Boston its second round selection. The Angels gave Downs a three-year deal, more than the Red Sox were comfortable offering.
- The Red Sox maintain interest in Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain. Guerrier is not looking for a Joaquin Benoit-like deal ($16.5MM over three years) and, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, remains one of the team's top targets.
- The Phillies have kicked the tires on Mike Cameron, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter).