Cafardo On Crawford, Lee, Upton, Dodgers
This week's Sunday Baseball Notes piece from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is packed with juicy hot stove tidbits. According to one of Cafardo's major league sources, the Angels have had "serious talks" with Carl Crawford. The team's front office has been mum on the subject, but they've long been viewed as a strong potential suitor for the speedy outfielder. When five MLBTR writers predicted free agent destinations, all five guessed Crawford would sign with the Halos. Here are some of the other highlights from Cafardo's column:
- "Word is" that the Yankees are currently willing to offer Cliff Lee about $115MM over five years. Cafardo says the Rangers are aiming to match whatever the bidding gets up to, while the Nationals are also still in the hunt. Earlier in the week, Nolan Ryan said he didn't expect Texas to be able to outbid the Yanks for Lee.
- One National League scout said if he had limited trade chips to put toward a big bat, he'd acquire Adrian Gonzalez over Justin Upton. Gonzo is, as the scout notes, currently a "much better hitter," though he's also five years older than Upton and only under contract through 2011.
- While Cafardo adds Kansas City to the list of teams who have "considerable interest" in Upton, we learned Friday that the 23-year-old can block a trade to the Royals.
- The Dodgers would like to add a veteran "who can step up and be vocal when times are tough." Cafardo speculates that A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Uribe, or Johnny Damon could be a good fit.
- The Dodgers are also considering signing a low-cost starter, and haven't ruled out bringing back Vicente Padilla.
- "More and more teams" in need of middle infield help are eyeing Uribe.
- The Nationals and Giants, in addition to the Orioles, have some interest in trading for Jason Bartlett. The Rays are looking for young bullpen help in return.
- Mark Prior, attempting to make it back to the bigs, has three teams waiting on his decision, according to his agent, John Boggs.
- Not all of the clubs who are showing interest in acquiring Marco Scutaro would necessarily use him at shortstop. The Dodgers could have interest in Scutaro as a second baseman, Cafardo says.
Nationals Could Make Offer To Vazquez Next Week
The Nationals have expressed interest in free agent righty Javier Vazquez according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (via Twitter), and it's possible that the club could make him a contract offer as soon as next week. Vazquez expressed an interest in pitching for the team at the end of last month.
The Nats have let if be known that they are ready to spend to upgrade their rotation, showing interest in everyone from Cliff Lee to Carl Pavano and now Vazquez. They'll have competition from another NL East club though, Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez met with Javy in Puerto Rico earlier today. The 34-year-old righty had a 5.32 ERA in 157 1/3 innings for the Yankees in 2010, but he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2009 and was good for 200 or so innings with lots of strikeouts on an annual basis for the decade before that.
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Royals, Sizemore, Matsui
Links for Saturday…
- MLB Network's Peter Gammons hears from an agent that the Pirates and Royals are "offering big" this offseason, and that the "Angels, Red Sox, [and] Mets could be left behind." (Twitter link)
- In a mailbag piece, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer says he doesn't believe Grady Sizemore has any trade value until he shows he can play after having microfracture surgery on his left knee. Sizemore will earn $7.5MM in 2011, then the team will have to decide between his $9MM option for 2012 or a $500K buyout.
- Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times passes along another report indicating that the Rakuten Golden Eagles have interest in both Kazuo Matsui and Kenshin Kawakami (Twitter link).
- Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer says you can bet on the Phillies adding an "older pitcher on a non-guaranteed contract" to compete with Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley for the team's fifth starter spot.
- MLB.com's Carrie Muskat lists some pitching coach candidates for the Cubs in the wake of Larry Rothschild leaving for the same position with the Yankees.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post passes along some quotes from Felipe Paulino about joining the Rockies. Colorado acquired Paulino from the Astros on Thursday.
Non-Tender Candidate: Joel Zumaya
The deadline for teams to offer contracts to players with fewer than six years of service time is less than two weeks away. An entirely new batch of free agents will hit the market as clubs non-tender guys they a) don't want, b) can't afford, or c) usually a combination of both. One player that's on the bubble was one of the game's most electrifying rookies just a few years ago, Joel Zumaya of the Tigers.
Zumaya burst onto the scene as a 21-year-old in 2006 with a season that was straight out of a video game. He threw 83 1/3 innings of relief, striking out 97 batters and allowing just 18 earned runs to score (1.94 ERA) before chipping in another six innings of relief work during Detroit's march to the World Series. His fastball routinely exceeded 100 mph and batters mustered just a .187/.287/.270 batting line against. Zumaya did, however, miss some time in October after suffering tendinitis in his wrist while playing Guitar Hero, and it was pretty much all downhill from there.
The 2007 season featured a lengthy (107 days) stint on the disabled list because of a ruptured tendon in his finger, and when Zumaya was on the mound he pitched to a 4.28 ERA in 33 2/3 innings. The righty then separated the AC joint in his throwing shoulder after the season while helping his father move boxes as wildfires approached the family home in San Diego. Zumaya started the 2008 season on the DL but made it back in June, pitching to a 3.47 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. He ended the year like he started it, on the DL with a shoulder injury. This time it was a stress fracture.
Zumaya started the 2009 campaign on the DL but was activated in late April. He threw 31 innings through mid-July (4.94 ERA), but his season ended there because of another stress fracture in his shoulder. This one required surgery. Zumaya was healthy enough to start the 2010 season with the Tigers, and he boasted an impressive 2.58 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 38 1/3 innings through June. His fastball was again humming in the triple digits and Detroit had one of the game's best setup men in their bullpen. But again, it did not last. Zumaya's season ended on June 28th in Minnesota, when he fractured the olecranon in his elbow throwing a pitch, an injury that was particularly horrifying to watch live.
Since that stellar rookie campaign, Zumaya has been able to make more than 30 appearances in a season just once (31 in 2010), and he spent more days on the disabled list (450) than on the active roster (278). All the while his salary climbed from $327K in 2006 to $915K in 2010, and he's about to enter his final season of arbitration eligibility.
GM Dave Dombrowski recently told MLive.com's James Schmehl that Zumaya would be ready for Spring Training, which seems to indicate that the now 26-year-old's rehab is going well. We also know that the Tigers are looking to add pieces to their bullpen, evidenced by the contract they just gave Joaquin Benoit. Normally you'd expect a pitcher as unreliable as Zumaya (because of the injuries, not his actual performance) to get non-tendered, but his salary is reasonably low (even with a slight raise) and Detroit did shed approximately $70MM off of 2010's payroll thanks to expiring contracts.
Tell us what you think; will the Tigers non-tender Zumaya in 12 days, or will they keep him? Click here to vote, and here to view the results.
Poll: Scott Downs’ Next Contract
Earlier this evening I took a look at the free agent stock of reliever Scott Downs, arguably the best non-closer still available on the open market. Joaquin Benoit broke the ice this past week when he accepted the Tigers' contract offer of three years and $16.5MM, presumably giving Downs and his camp a comparable they can use as a basis for their demands.
There are obvious differences between the two relievers, of course. Downs is just about a year older than Benoit but his health history is considerably better. He also has a much longer track record when it comes to being a top shelf reliever, and being left-handed certainly doesn't hurt. It's reasonable to think that Downs could command a larger contract than Benoit, but it's been quite some time since a reliever landed a deal that big. Time for the poll…
Will Downs land a contract larger than Benoit's?
Click here to vote and here to see the results. Thanks in advance.
Edwin Rodriguez Met With Javier Vazquez Today
7:26pm: Capozzi corrected an error in his post, adding that he has "no idea" what kind of contract Vazquez is looking for (Twitter link).
3:33pm: Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post reports that Vazquez is "said to be seeking" a three-year deal worth $33MM, almost identical to his last contract. I guess there's no harm in asking.
2:54pm: The Marlins and Javier Vazquez are known to have interest in each other, and manager Edwin Rodriguez said he met with the free agent right-hander in Puerto Rico this morning on the Marlins Insider Show. "Hopefully we can get him and put him in that rotation," said Rodriguez, who has known Vazquez since he was a teenager according to Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). The two share the same hometown.
President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest confirmed the team's interest in adding to their rotation earlier in the show, saying "There's some speculation out there that we're on some starting pitching … I think that's fair to say." Reports have indicated that the Marlins only have $3-4MM left to spend this offseason, which might not be enough to land Vazquez even coming off his down year. He made $11.5MM in 2010.
I examined the 34-year-old's free agent stock last month, saying that he's a potential bargain on a short-term, low-money deal. Surely that's what the Marlins have in mind.
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Free Agent Stock Watch: Scott Downs
Left-handed relievers are always in high demand regardless of the time of year, and this offseason Scott Downs is the best the free agent market has to offer. Let's examine the former Blue Jay's stock…
The Good
- Downs isn't just a lefty specialist, he's perfectly capable of facing right-handed batters as well. Over the last three seasons, he's held righties to a .238/.325/.329 batting line (removing intentional walks) compared to .198/.264/.316 vs. LHB.
- He's already proven to be more than capable against the tough lineups that inhabit the AL East.
- Downs has experience in a variety of roles, so he's an option to both close or set-up.
The Bad
- Downs will turn 35 in Spring Training, so a three-year deal will carry him through age 37.
- He's been on the disabled list three times since 2008 with foot and ankle issues, and he also missed the last two-plus weeks of the 2009 season with a hamstring issue.
- Downs is a Type-A free agent that will certainly be offered arbitration, so it'll cost a high draft pick to sign him.
The Verdict
Joaquin Benoit's three-year, $16.5MM deal might have set the market for Downs, who's the best non-Rafael Soriano reliever on the market. The Red Sox are expected to show interest though the Yankees are reportedly not willing to surrender the draft pick. A reliever of Downs' quality fits with all 30 clubs, but only a few may be willing to offer multiple years at potentially closer money to sign him. Tim projected him to sign with Boston, and the smart money is on Downs joining a contender's bullpen.
New York Notes: Terrasas, Mets Manager, Jeter
The latest on both teams in the Big Apple…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that Bob Melvin should be the Mets next manager because he "would be a calming influence in the New York storm."
- The Mets fired scouting director Rudy Terrasas according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (Twitter link). This isn't terribly surprising, new GM Sandy Alderson presumably wants his own guy in that position. ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reviews the five drafts that Terrasas oversaw and says he could remain with the team in another capacity (via Twitter).
- Bob Klapisch of The Bergen Record tweets that the rest of the Mets' front office is taking the day off as Alderson deals with his father's passing. Klapisch's source says that everyone will "compare notes" tomorrow in choosing the team's next manager.
- Brian Costello of The New York Post says that it's possible Derek Jeter's camp will not respond to the Yankees' recent three-year, $45MM contract offer, forcing the team to "come up with a new plan."
- Chad Jennings of The Journal News looks at three players connected to the Yankees this offseason (Bill Hall, Justin Upton, and Miguel Olivo) and says he isn't sold on any of them being a legitimate fit.
Orioles Rumors: V-Mart, Garland, Duke, Manny
We know that the Orioles have varying levels of interest in Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Jorge de la Rosa, as well as J.J. Hardy and Jason Bartlett, but here's the latest from Charm City…
- MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports that the O's continue to have discussions with Koji Uehara, Ty Wigginton, and Cesar Izturis. The issue with the first two is contract length, and the fate of the last two is tied to what kind of bat the team brings in.
- Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun wonders if Victor Martinez is exactly what the Orioles need. He says that "by all accounts," Peter Angelos, Andy MacPhail, and Buck Showalter are high on V-Mart and he is "one of their top offseason priorities."
- MASNSports.com's Roch Kubatko speculates that Jon Garland could again be connected to Baltimore, as he has been for the last two offseasons. He doesn't see either Zach Duke or Manny Ramirez fitting in with the O's.