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Archives for February 2010

Nationals Notes: Benson, Smoltz, Starting Pitcher

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Some Nationals news from SIRIUS XM'S MLB Home Plate Channel and Bill Ladson of MLB.com…

  • In an interview with Rob Dibble and Steve Davis, Kris Benson said that he and the Nationals were "still talking."  There's been word of the Nats' interest in the 35-year-old as of late, though Benson says he's not in a rush to sign anywhere.
  • Ladson writes that Washington has not had any recent conversations with John Smoltz.  The Nationals are reportedly one of ten teams that have expressed interest in the 42-year-old.
  • On his blog, Ladson writes that the Nationals are trying hard to add another veteran starter after striking out on Chan Ho Park and Braden Looper.  It should be noted that the Nationals did not confirm extending offers to either pitcher.

Indians Notes: Cabrera, Salcedo, Shapiro

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Some Indians tidbits courtesy of MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince..

  • The Indians believe that they have the long-term financial flexibility to investigate long-term deals for their emerging core players such as Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo.  Both players will be arbitration-eligible at season's end and eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.
  • In other Choo news, the South Korea native is facing a deadline from his country to enlist in the military.  The 27-year-old is hoping to receive an exemption but has a backup plan in case he is denied, writes Castrovince.
  • The Tribe's interest in Edward Salcedo appears to have been overstated.  To Castrovince's knowledge, they have not been linked to him since two years ago, when a Dominican newspaper reported that they signed the shortstop.
  • The promotions of Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti are "unsurprising" to Castrovince.  He writes that while some fans are upset with the promotion, one must consider the financial constraints the two men have had to work with in recent years.

Khalil Greene Will Not Report To Rangers’ Camp

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5:15pm: Club officials say there is a one-hundred percent probability that Greene's replacement will be internal, according to Sullivan (via Twitter).

4:58pm: Rangers officials say they have no interest in Lopez, tweets MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.

10:58am: Infielder Khalil Greene "will not be joining the team and will not report to spring training camp," according to a statement from the Rangers.  They'll leave the door open for Greene, who signed for $750K as a free agent in January after missing much of '09 with social anxiety disorder.  Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that "options on Greene could include the restricted list and voiding his contract."

According to another Grant tweet, the Rangers will give Joaquin Arias a longer look for a utility role.  The 25-year-old, who came to the Rangers in '04 as part of the Alex Rodriguez deal, didn't hit much in his second Triple A stint.  Though he had shoulder surgery a few years back, Arias could still be a plus defender.  Also, he's out of options.

Grant also tweets that the Rangers reached out to Felipe Lopez and are surveying the thin free agent market.  They've got Esteban German around as a non-roster invite, but lost Joe Inglett to a Brewers waiver claim in January.

Heyman On Blalock, Crawford, Reynolds

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The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Heyman writes that the Rays and Marlins are thought to have interest in Hank Blalock.  We discussed Blalock here; his prospects are dim now that the Indians, Orioles, Braves, and Pirates have gone in different directions.
  • Heyman notes that the Yankees love Carl Crawford and that could be one reason they were reluctant to give Johnny Damon a two-year deal.  We discussed Crawford's situation earlier today.
  • The Diamondbacks offered Mark Reynolds an extension to cover his first three arbitration years, in the $11MM range.  That'd be quite a concession, since he should easily top $5MM in his first arbitration year.
  • Heyman tweets that the Braves and Reds "could be in the mix" for outfielder Garret Anderson.  Presumably, Anderson is in line for a minor league deal.  He was linked to the Dodgers before they signed Reed Johnson.

Jayson Werth Discusses Next Contract

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Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth will be eligible for free agency after the 2010 season.  The 30-year-old's '09 season featured career-bests in plate appearances, home runs, RBIs, runs, and slugging percentage.  He also qualifies as an above-average defensive right fielder.  Werth signed a two-year, $10MM extension in January of '09.

Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer was part of the group questioning Werth about the future today.  Asked if he sees himself as comparable to Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, Werth said he feels he's "a season away from something like that."  Keep in mind that 2009 was the only time Werth reached 500 plate appearances in his seven-year career.

Werth says he's only had very preliminary talks with the Phillies about an extension.  He wants to stay, and deferred to his agent when asked if he'd negotiate in-season.  GM Ruben Amaro Jr. raised the topic a month ago, saying "there will be some difficult decisions down the road." 

It seems feasible that Werth will exceed the three-year, $30MM range occupied by Raul Ibanez and Milton Bradley the previous offseason.  Werth has advantages over both players, and given a strong 2010 he should be able to command four or five years at at least $12MM per.

Reds Re-Sign Jonny Gomes

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The Reds officially re-signed outfielder Jonny Gomes to a one-year, Major League deal with a club option for 2011.  John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer broke news of the agreement, and ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted details.

Gomes, 29, hit .267/.338/.541 in 314 plate appearances for the Reds in '09 before being non-tendered.  35% of his plate appearances came against lefties, and his defense was suspect.  Gomes had a hard time finding a job as a free agent, and perhaps the Reds saw that coming.  He will be arbitration-eligible again if the Reds decline his 2011 option.

Offseason In Review: Toronto Blue Jays

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The Blue Jays are next in our Offseason In Review series.

Major League Signings

  • John McDonald, SS: two years, $3MM.
  • Alex Gonzalez, SS: one year, $2.75MM.  Includes $2.5MM club option for '11.
  • Kevin Gregg, RP: one year, $2.75MM.  Includes $4.5MM club option for '11 and $8.75MM club option for '11 and '12.
  • John Buck, C: one year, $2MM.
  • Total spend: $10.5MM.

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

Summary

Alex Anthopoulos' first winter as Blue Jays GM started off quietly, with an October waiver claim for Henn.  His major moves came a few months later, as he traded Halladay, Taylor, League, and Chavez and netted Drabek, d'Arnaud, Wallace, and Morrow.  His free agent moves were sensible, affordable replacements for Scutaro and Barajas.  There was also a typical smattering of minor league signings and the interesting under-the-radar pickup of Valdez.

Anthopoulos' moves should be judged on two criteria: did he waste significant money trying to stay respectable in a rebuilding year, and did he get enough for Doc?  Gregg was a free agent head-scratcher, but it's hard to quibble with the other $7.75MM spent.  The answer to the latter question appears to be yes.  If we judge the Halladay trade on what we know now, Anthopoulos acquired at least two badly-needed top 50 prospects in Drabek and Wallace.

Odds & Ends: Floyd, Looper, El Duque, Manny

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Links for Monday…

Carl Crawford Enters Contract Year

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Rays executive Andrew Friedman will probably address Carl Crawford's contract situation next week, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The 28-year-old outfielder is slated to earn $10MM in 2010 before he reaches free agency.  Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said on Friday, "We're going to do everything we can to make sure he stays here longer."

Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times spoke to Crawford, who would prefer not to negotiate during the season.  Crawford hopes to stay with the Rays, but also noted that "you go [to free agency] to be paid like the guys playing against you."

In a January article, ESPN's Buster Olney noted that Crawford "may turn out to be one of the big beneficiaries" of teams' increasing emphasis on defense.  Disciples of UZR might suggest Crawford is worth north of $15MM a year, potentially more than a quarter of the Rays' projected 2011 payroll.

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