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Odds & Ends: Gregg, White Sox, Francis

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Exactly five years ago today, the Blue Jays sent Orlando Hudson and Miguel Batista to the Diamondbacks for Troy Glaus. Hudson signed a two-year deal this month, but Glaus and Batista are still available on the free agent market. Here are today's links…

  • The Baseball Federation of Cuba is discussing the possibility of allowing baseball players to leave the country and play abroad as long as a portion of their salary returns to the Cuban government, according Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. Defections to MLB would likely continue, since Cuba would send its players to Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Europe, not the U.S.
  • The Orioles are still talking to Kevin Gregg, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The team discussed a two-year deal with Gregg a couple of weeks ago.
  • Jim Margalus of South Side Sox explains that the White Sox have had trouble developing relievers who can graduate from the minors midseason and support the big league 'pen.
  • Jeff Francis told Marc Weber of the Vancouver Province that  "teams are interested [in his services], but that's about it at this point."

New Look For Pirates’ Bench

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There are always many ways for 105-loss teams to improve and last year's Pittsburgh Pirates are no exception. GM Neal Huntington has signed starting pitchers (Kevin Correia, Scott Olsen) and a pair of bats (Lyle Overbay, Matt Diaz), but he’s also working to improve the Pirates' bench.

The team has cut ties with Andy LaRoche, Delwyn Young, Akinori Iwamura and Bobby Crosby, a group that was well below average in 2010. WAR, a stat which measures a player’s overall on-field contribution, suggests those four players combined to produce two wins less than replacement players would have mustered. The Pirates may have had more pressing needs this offseason, but their bench had to be revamped.

Last week, the team made two acquisitions that will give manager Clint Hurdle more options in Spring Training. Garrett Atkins, a player who’s familiar with Hurdle from their days in Colorado, and former A’s farmhand Corey Wimberly are now members of the Pirates organization.

Atkins will compete for a corner utility job and Huntington says Wimberly will also be a candidate to back up the likes of Ronny Cedeno, Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez on the infield.

“We traded for Wimberly because his defensive versatility and speed makes him a quality role player with some upside for more,” Huntington told MLBTR. 

Wimberly should be able to handle a number of roles. The 27-year-old switch hitter played ten or more games as a center fielder, left fielder, shortstop, second baseman and third baseman at Triple-A last year. In the process, he batted .284/.373/.354, led the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases (56 SB) and walked (58 BB) nearly as much as he struck out (64 K). 

But Wimberly and Atkins will have competition this Spring. Rule 5 pick Josh Rodriguez is about as versatile as Wimberly. The former Indians prospect played all three outfield positions and every infield position but first base in the upper minors last year, batting .297/.378/.484.

Pedro Ciriaco, a product of the deal that brought Chris Snyder to Pittsburgh, could also win a big league job. The 25-year-old middle infielder hasn’t showed the same offensive promise as Wimberly or Rodriguez (.265/.281/.387 Triple-A line last year), but he did appear in eight big league games in 2010.

Like Atkins, who has a .294/.379/.467 line against lefties in his career, Steve Pearce can handle southpaws. The powerful first baseman/right fielder has a .304/.372/.557 line against left-handed pitching as a major leaguer. He’ll likely compete with Atkins to make the team as a corner infielder who can spell Lyle Overbay and Pedro Alvarez, two starters who bat from the left side.

Andy Marte and Josh Fields both have extensive big league experience at third base and could contribute off the bench in 2011. Neither player hit much last year, but the two former top prospects have played first base as well as at the hot corner.

These seemingly minor acquisitions are important ones for a team that could have used considerably more production off the bench in 2010. There are no guarantees for Atkins, who struggled mightily in 2010 or the others, who have not had extended big league success. But these additions could transform the Pirates' bench from significantly below average to respectable.

Mets Acquire Chin-lung Hu

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The Mets acquired infielder Chin-lung Hu from the Dodgers for left-hander Mike Antonini according to the Dodgers (on Twitter). 

Hu has appeared in 96 games over the course of four seasons with the Dodgers, but has not seen regular big league playing time since 2008. Before that season, Baseball America ranked the middle infielder 55th among big league prospects, but he has yet to produce much in the majors.

Hu, who turns 27 in February, posted a .317/.339/.438 line in 223 plate apperarances at Triple-A last year. It seems likely that he'll compete with the likes of Brad Emaus, Luis Hernandez and Ruben Tejada for a job this spring. 

Antonini, 25, started 25 games at the highest levels of the Mets organization last year, logging 168 1/3 innings and posting a 4.49 ERA. He limited walks (1.7 BB/9) and posted relatively strong strikeout numbers (7.0 K/9), as he has done throughout his four-year minor league career.

Unfinished Business: NL Central

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We looked at the NL East earlier; now it's time to examine the unfinished business of NL Central clubs.

  • Cubs: Starting pitcher.  ESPN's Bruce Levine says the Cubs are still talking to Tampa Bay about Matt Garza, though the Rays seem to prefer to hang on to him.  The Cubs' rotation is already five-deep, so adding a back-end guy wouldn't make sense.  
  • Reds: Lefty reliever, left-handed hitting outfielder/leadoff hitter, backup shortstop, Joey Votto extension.  The Reds have a small amount of cash to play with after Arthur Rhodes signed with the Rangers.  Scott Podsednik or Fred Lewis could fit into their tight budget.  NL MVP Votto will be tough to lock up, but he's under team control through 2013 anyway.
  • Astros: Lefty reliever.  The Astros will probably stay in-house for left-handed relief, though they could make a minor move.  They also appear reluctant to sign a left fielder and affect Brett Wallace's playing time.  Their last move may be trading Jeff Keppinger to clear a little payroll.
  • Brewers: None.  After signing Takashi Saito today, the Brewers might be done with a successful offseason.  They have Yuniesky Betancourt at shortstop and Carlos Gomez/Chris Dickerson in center, but don't appear to be looking for upgrades.
  • Pirates: Veteran reliever, starting pitcher, taker for Ryan Doumit.  Despite the signings of Kevin Correia and Scott Olsen, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch says they're still looking for starting pitching.  They've also been in on Octavio Dotel and others and appear to be shopping Doumit.
  • Cardinals: Albert Pujols extension, pitching depth.  There was word on December 8th from Joe Strauss that the Cards were shopping for a sixth starter and big league reliever, though MLB.com's Matthew Leach wrote six days ago that they appear to be done adding Major Leaguers.  An established backup third baseman wouldn't hurt.  The dominating story for the next several weeks should be Pujols, who will be perilously close to free agency if the Cards don't get something done before spring training.

Unfinished Business: NL East

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The new year is typically when free agent bargains begin, for teams that set a few million bucks aside.  Let's examine the unfinished business for each of the NL East clubs today.

Blue Jays Moving Closer To Deal With Octavio Dotel

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MONDAY, 12:42pm: Dotel is "moving closer" to an agreement with the Jays, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  He agrees that it would be in the $3.5MM range.

SUNDAY, 8:49pm: Heyman tweets that the deal with Toronto isn't done yet, and that the Pirates, Rays, and several other teams are still very much involved in the Dotel bidding.

8:21pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the deal will pay Dotel $3.5MM, or a bit above that.

6:15pm: The Blue Jays and Octavio Dotel are on the verge of agreeing to a one-year contract, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. The deal will be "almost identical" to the $3.2MM he earned in 2010, including another $500K in incentives.

Although Jason Frasor will return after accepting arbitration, the Jays still lost late-inning relievers Scott Downs and (presumably) Kevin Gregg to free agency. Dotel, 37, gives them a veteran arm with closing experience. He pitched to a 4.08 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 for the Pirates, Dodgers, and Rockies last season. Dotel's trademark velocity is declining but still well above 90 mph, and over the last four seasons he owns an impressive 11.4 K/9. Only Carlos Marmol, Jonathan Broxton, and Billy Wagner top that. 

The Pirates and Rays also had interest in Dotel, who is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council. The Rockies will receive a supplemental first round draft pick as compensation for losing the right-hander, who was a Type-B free agent. Toronto will be Dotel's 11th big league team, amazingly enough.

Will Carl Pavano Land A Three-Year Deal?

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The Twins and Nationals are still vying for free agent righty Carl Pavano, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  He suggests a decision could come later this week. 

On December 15th, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports passed along one GM's word that Pavano sought a three-year deal worth $10-11MM per year.  Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote yesterday that Pavano is holding out for three years.

Aside from the Twins and Nationals, Cafardo tossed the Rangers and possibly Mariners into the mix for Pavano.  Rosenthal's column from a couple of weeks ago said the Rangers were "not on" Pavano, and their agreement with Brandon Webb probably solidified that stance.

So Pavano seems to have two serious suitors, and agent Tom O'Connell could have a problem if one of them makes a deal for Joe Blanton or even signs a remaining free agent on a one-year deal.  My guess is that if Pavano received a three-year offer anywhere near $30MM, he would have taken it already.  Teams may be comparing Pavano to Joel Pineiro, who was coming off a great 2009 but could only find a two-year deal from the Angels on January 22nd.  But while Pineiro was coming off a lone strong season, Pavano was solid in '09 as well and has tallied 433 1/3 innings over 2009-10 including the postseason.  Perhaps the spectre of Pavano's Yankees contract is still looming.

Let's get your take: will Pavano sign a three-year deal?

What’s In Store For January

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Here's what to expect as we prepare to enter 2011…

Boras Clients Will Find Homes

Last January, Matt Holliday, Adrian Beltre, Rick Ankiel, and Xavier Nady signed.  This offseason Scott Boras still has to place top clients Beltre and Rafael Soriano despite no signs of bidding wars breaking out.  He also has to find homes for Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Andruw Jones, Kevin Millwood, and Bruce Chen, among others.  A year ago, Damon talk dominated January and he didn't sign with the Tigers until late February.

Multiyear Free Agent Deals Will Dry Up

In January 2010, Holliday and Jason Bay came off the board in the first week.  Otherwise only three multiyear free agent deals were signed, as Danys Baez, Jose Valverde, and Joel Pineiro received two years.  Aside from the Boras guys, Adam LaRoche, Carl Pavano, and a handful of relievers are trying to find multiple years now.  Most free agents should expect one-year deals in the $1-5MM range, though.

A few interesting international signings may occur, for example Aroldis Chapman and Colby Lewis last January.

Big Trades Are Rare

Kevin Kouzmanoff was the biggest name moved last January.  In 2009 the Cubs dumped Jason Marquis and Felix Pie in separate deals, while the Mariners were active in deals involving David Aardsma, Aaron Heilman, and Ronny Cedeno.

Teams Address Arbitration Eligible Players

On Wednesday of next week, over 150 players will begin filing for arbitration.  Many will settle on one-year deals in advance of the salary request exchange date, January 18th.  Extensions will be abundant – 14 multiyear deals were reached in January 2010, and nine in January 2009.  Possible candidates for multiyear deals next month include Geovany Soto, Miguel Montero, Chad Billingsley, Johnny Cueto, Delmon Young, Jonathan Sanchez, Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton, Matt Garza, Joey Votto, Billy Butler, Francisco Liriano, and John Danks.  Agent Matt Sosnick has gotten a jump on things by reaching deals for Jay Bruce and Ricky Nolasco.

January is also a good time to address players who can become free agents after the season.  Examples this year: Albert Pujols, C.C. Sabathia, Adrian Gonzalez, Jose Reyes, David DeJesus, Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson, Rickie Weeks, Dan Uggla, Jose Bautista, Josh Willingham, Wandy Rodriguez, and C.J. Wilson.

Other Fun Stuff

Top 50 prospect lists will come out.  Waiver claims and DFAs will occur.  A few players may retire, while others will start talking comeback.  Former big names will sign minor league deals.  MLBTR will cover all of it, while also trying to figure out how to make the site even better in 2011. 

The Hardest Throwers Available

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Fastball velocity holds a certain allure.  This winter we've seen four pitchers who averaged 95+ miles per hour on their 2010 fastballs change teams: Henry Rodriguez, Matt Lindstrom, Felipe Paulino, and Bobby Jenks (minimum 20 innings pitched).  Here are the hardest-throwing free agents still out there:

How about trade candidates?

All velocity data comes from FanGraphs/Baseball Info Solutions.

Possible Fits For Manny Ramirez

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Agent Scott Boras intends to find Manny Ramirez a one-year deal as a full-time designated hitter for 2011.  ESPN's Keith Law said the slugger has lost bat speed, but "even Reduced Manny has value because he'll get on base at a strong clip and show doubles power, so the only question for suitors is whether they can put up with the injury risk and the potential for drama."  Which teams could fit as suitors as we near January?

  • Orioles: Their plan appears to be to sign a free agent first baseman like Adam LaRoche or Derrek Lee and continue using Luke Scott as the primary designated hitter.  Still, as recently as December 8th the Orioles were open to using Scott at first base and signing a DH.
  • Rays: Manny remains a viable option for Tampa Bay, though they could try Dan Johnson at DH if they bring in a first baseman.
  • Blue Jays: The Jays committed $2.5MM to Edwin Encarnacion as a cheap DH candidate, so despite Manny's affinity for John Farrell and Toronto they are probably set.
  • Royals: Using Kila Ka'aihue at first base and Billy Butler at DH would be a reasonable plan, so there's no need for Manny.
  • Twins: They've still got Jason Kubel and a possible desire to re-sign Jim Thome.
  • Angels: It's hard to see the Angels adding Manny, with Bobby Abreu and Juan Rivera already on the roster.  He doesn't seem like their type of player, either.
  • Rangers: Vladimir Guerrero is still a free agent, so there is an opportunity for Boras to jump in and try to place Manny with Texas.

Teams such as the Blue Jays, Athletics, and Mariners are now off the board for Ramirez, leaving the Rays and Rangers as the two legitimate possible matches.  With Thome, Guerrero, and Johnny Damon still looking for work, the Manny situation could get interesting.  Boras probably won't be able to find more than $5MM for Ramirez, who has little leverage.

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