Marlins Re-Sign Donnie Murphy
Florida has re-signed infielder Donnie Murphy, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). The contract is a split major league/minor league deal and Murphy will be invited to Florida's major league spring training camp.
Murphy, a fifth-round pick of the Royals in the 2002 amateur draft, has a career .659 OPS in 411 plate appearances with Kansas City, Oakland and Florida. He appeared in 29 games with the Marlins last year before undergoing wrist surgery in September. Murphy can play third, short and second, so he'll give the Fish some infield depth if he can make the team in the spring.
Free Agent Market For Left Fielders
Left field is traditionally a power position, yet Pat Burrell is the only free agent who hit 20 home runs in 2010. The Rays, Tigers, Angels, Braves, Reds, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Padres, and Giants may be looking for help at the position. Let's break down the free agents.
The Big Name
Carl Crawford's name will be all over this website for the next several months. Here's our stock watch post on him. Crawford is so good that teams I did not name above, such as the Red Sox and Yankees, are expected to at least kick the tires.
Solid Regulars
Burrell put himself back into the "solid regular" conversation by hitting .266/.364/.509 with 18 home runs in 341 plate appearances after signing with the Giants. There could be one other left field 20 home run bat available if the Twins choose Jason Kubel's $350K buyout over his $5.25MM club option, but I think they'll pick up the option.
Aside from Crawford, Jonny Gomes and Scott Podsednik were the only other free agents to log at least 1,000 innings in left field this year. Gomes, who has a $1.75MM club option with a $200K buyout, is a decent source of power. Podsednik's game is all about speed; he has the ability to void the Dodgers' $2MM option.
Looking For DH Jobs
Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon tallied fewer than 600 left field innings between them, and both figure to seek designated hitter work in 2011.
Useful Bench Bats
Andruw Jones, Bill Hall, Marcus Thames, Austin Kearns, and Corey Patterson all played 100+ innings in left this year and had their moments. Thames and Jones were particularly useful offensively. Willie Harris, Jeremy Hermida, Randy Winn, and Reed Johnson will also be vying for utility roles.
Non-Tender Candidates
Scott Hairston, Matt Diaz, Melky Cabrera, Conor Jackson, and Ryan Langerhans are among the left fielders who may be non-tendered on December 2nd. Laynce Nix and Lastings Milledge are candidates as well, but were useful enough to be tendered contracts for 2011. Hairston, Diaz, and Cabrera were quality players in 2009, but they'll have to earn their playing time.
Summary
For teams that don't have $100MM for Crawford, the free agent market for left fielders is weak. Burrell, Gomes, and Podsednik may find regular left field work, while Manny and Damon may still dabble at the position.
Odds & Ends: Mets, Reds, Nationals, Cardinals
Links for Monday, as impending free agent lefties Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte prepare to duel in New York…
- Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter) doesn't think that Dana Brown, an "[Omar] Minaya disciple", has a good chance of landing the Mets GM job. Brown will reportedly meet with the club on Wednesday.
- RotoAuthority attempts to find the next Carlos Gonzalez for fantasy players.
- Cody Ross is expected to be tendered a contract this winter by the Giants, and he told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, "I'd like to stay for my career." Ross also revealed that he's been pushing former teammate Dan Uggla to sign with the Giants after next season.
- Forget about the Reds signing Carl Crawford, suggests MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Sheldon sees the Reds attempting to find a more affordable leadoff hitter.
- Patrick Newman of FanGraphs looks at the repertoire of starter Hisashi Iwakuma, who will be posted by the Rakuten Golden Eagles. The righty, 30 in April, excels at limiting home runs. Newman estimates a posting fee in the $10MM range plus a contract of four years and $20MM.
- Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider examines Washington's 2011 payroll commitments and finds that they will have less than $50MM committed. He doesn't know if they'll bump payroll to the $80MM range, but if so they could be big offseason spenders. For MLBTR's look at the Nationals' twelve arbitration eligible players, click here.
- MLB.com's Matthew Leach spoke to Jake Westbrook about the future, shortly before the season ended.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch outlines the battle for Cardinals 40-man roster spots.
- The Yankees' Jesus Montero is the best hitting prospect left in the minors, writes Baseball America's Jim Callis.
Mets To Interview Dana Brown For GM Opening
The Mets received permission from the Blue Jays to interview special assistant Dana Brown for their GM opening, reports ESPN's Adam Rubin. Rubin says Brown, the first minority candidate, will meet with the Mets Wednesday. Brown, 43, joined the Jays a year ago after serving as the Nationals' scouting director. Brown made that jump as a stepping stone to a GM job, he told Chico Harlan of the Washington Post.
Rubin notes that Sandy Alderson, the reported favorite, will have a second meeting the following day, but it's just the completion of his first-round interview. Second-round interviews should take place next week, according to Rubin.
The Mets were recently denied the chance to talk to Tigers assistant GM Al Avila. So far they've interviewed Allard Baird, Rick Hahn, Josh Byrnes, Logan White, and Alderson.
Cardinals Re-Sign Tony La Russa
The Cardinals announced that manager Tony La Russa signed a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2012, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 66-year-old has been managing the Cards since 1996 and has led the club to a .543 winning percentage, eight playoff appearances, two pennants, and one World Series ring. La Russa also has another World Series ring earned in 1989 while managing Oakland, and is a four-time winner of the Manager Of The Year award (twice with the A's, and once each with the Cardinals and White Sox).
La Russa is the third-winningest manager in baseball history, with 2638 victories (and 2293 losses) to his name. Should he manage through 2012, he is a virtual lock to pass John McGraw (2763 wins) for second on the all-time wins list.
Bengie Molina Still Thinking Retirement
With a World Series ring and two Gold Gloves, Bengie Molina doesn't have much left to prove where hardware is concerned. Yet it still surprised many, including Molina's then-manager Bruce Bochy, when the 36-year-old announced in May that he would likely retire at the end of the season. At the time, Bochy dismissed the prediction as "posturing" in the midst of the veteran's uprooting by Buster Posey, but Molina has held firm through the end of the season.
"I'd like to say [I'm coming back], but the way this year is going, I think it's going to be my last year," Molina told the Spanish Baseball Network's Rolando Nichols (link and video in Spanish) in late September. Pressed for details, Molina added a few disclaimers and plenty of shrugs, saying, "I'm not sure. If someone needs me and they want me to play, for the right price, why not? I can play. I'm still in good shape." It bears mentioning that Molina was trolling for a two-year deal last winter, though he didn't like what he found and ended up accepting a one-year, $4.5MM deal with the Giants. After putting up a .249/.297/.326 combined line with the Giants and Rangers this season, with his fewest innings in five years and fewer home runs and RBIs than in any season since the millenium, Molina could have trouble finding that kind of payday again.
Arbitration Eligibles: San Diego Padres
The Padres are next in our arbitration eligibles series.
- First time: Chris Denorfia, Tony Gwynn, Edward Mujica, Tim Stauffer
- Second time: Mike Adams
- Third time: Ryan Ludwick, Heath Bell, Scott Hairston
Denorfia, Mujica, Stauffer, Adams, and Bell are highly likely to be tendered contracts. Adams and Bell should get noticeable raises, with the latter in line for a salary in the $7MM range. Bell hopes for a three-year deal, though a trade can't be ruled out given the Padres' strong bullpen. Ludwick disappointed after coming over in a deadline day trade, hitting .211/.301/.330 in 239 Padres PAs. Still, it appears he'll be tendered a contract.
Gwynn and Hairston are non-tender candidates. Gwynn hit .204/.304/.287 in 339 plate appearances, missing time due to wrist surgery. Ludwick staying would increase the chances of Hairston going; last month 69% of you predicted a non-tender for Hairston.
Manager Roundup: Marlins, Pirates, Blue Jays
The Braves hired Fredi Gonzalez and the Mariners chose Eric Wedge, leaving the Marlins, Pirates, Blue Jays, Brewers, Cubs, and Mets with managerial openings. The latest:
Marlins
Bo Porter "has emerged as the frontrunner," heard MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Frisaro says Porter "has been making inquiries about candidates for his coaching staff." Edwin Rodriguez remains in the mix despite not speaking with the team since the end of the season.
Pirates
John Gibbons is "a serious candidate," says ESPN's Buster Olney. Others linked to the Bucs in the past: Porter, Dale Sveum, Ken Macha, Jeff Banister, Bobby Valentine, and Carlos Tosca.
Blue Jays
Red Sox third base coach Tim Bogar is no longer a candidate, tweets Maureen Mullen. The Jays have been linked to more than a dozen names. One of those, Rick Renteria, was announced as the Padres' new bench coach today.
Brewers
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy profiled eight candidates who have been linked to the Brewers. Bob Melvin is the favorite, in the opinion of a few baseball writers.
White Sox bench coach Joey Cora will interview for the job on Tuesday, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Updated at 4:11pm.
Nothing new on the Cubs, and it's too early for the Mets, but we'll keep you posted on all manager rumors here.
Arbitration Eligibles: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are next in our arbitration eligibles series.
- First time: None
- Second time: Chad Billingsley, James Loney, Ryan Theriot, Hong-Chih Kuo
- Third time: Russell Martin
- Fourth time: George Sherrill
Billingsley and Kuo will certainly be tendered contracts this offseason. Billingsley trimmed walks, home runs, and ERA this year and is operating from a strong first-time salary of $3.85MM. Agents will be rooting for second-timers Billingsley, Jered Weaver, Matt Garza, Joe Saunders, John Danks, and Jeremy Guthrie to jump to the $6MM range and raise the bar for others. Kuo has a strong case as well, with a fantastic, healthy platform year in which he took over at closer.
Loney, Martin, Theriot and Sherrill form an interesting group of non-tender candidates for the Dodgers. We discussed Loney's case a week ago; about 82% of you expect him to be tendered a contract. A trade is more likely than a non-tender. Martin is in a similar situation - ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted last month that "the perception among rival GMs is that he will have some (but not great) trade value." It doesn't help that Martin is coming off a broken hip. For a look at the trade market for catchers, click here.
MLBTR's Mike Axisa looked at Theriot's case on September 4th, at which point 42% of you predicted he'll be cut loose. Looking at Theriot's numbers since then, a non-tender is even more likely. Sherrill is a lock to be let go after his tough year. He was placed on outright waivers in July and cleared.
Trade Market For Third Basemen
On Wednesday we looked at the free agent market for third basemen, noting that it's Adrian Beltre and not much else. The Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Indians, Tigers, Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Marlins, Cardinals, and Giants can't all sign him, so let's analyze the trade market at the hot corner.
Best Available Regular
There is sentiment that new Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers could shop Mark Reynolds in hopes of changing the team's offensive approach. Reynolds led MLB in strikeouts in each of the past three seasons, and those totals hold the top three spots as single-season records. He hit 44 home runs and slugged .543 in '09, but slipped to 32 and .433 this year. Former GM Josh Byrnes locked Reynolds up in March; he's owed $5MM in 2011, $7.5MM in '12, and has an $11MM club option for '13. Reynolds being under contract doesn't help his market value, but at half the price of Beltre he will draw suitors despite his difficulty making contact.
Sell High Opportunity
Wilson Betemit isn't known to be available, but Royals GM Dayton Moore would do well to field offers. The soon-to-be 29-year-old has hit a little in the past, but nothing like this year's .297/.378/.511 line in 315 plate appearances. The Royals are his fifth organization; he'll be arbitration eligible for 2011 before hitting free agency after the season. Betemit is expendable and coming off the best year of his career at a time when decent-hitting third basemen are hard to come by.
Three Under Contract
Chone Figgins didn't play third base for the Mariners this year, but he's played it well in the past. He slipped to .259/.340/.306 this year and has $26MM left on his contract for 2011-13. A $9MM salary for 2014 could vest with 600 plate appearances in '13. A fresh start makes sense for Figgins, who still qualifies as a useful leadoff man. Another burdensome contract will have to be involved.
Mark Teahen, inexplicably locked up through 2012, hit .258/.327/.382 in 262 plate appearances in his White Sox debut. He fractured a finger on May 30th and returned to the team on August 13th. The Sox could change course and try Brent Morel or Dayan Viciedo as their third baseman next year, perhaps swapping Teahen for another bad contract.
The Twins' Brendan Harris is under contract at $1.75MM for 2011. He was outrighted in June, so he's presumably available.
Former Top Prospects
Brandon Wood's stock is low – he hit .146/.174/.208 in 243 big league plate appearances for the Angels this year and turns 26 in March. He's shown big power at Triple A and is capable of playing shortstop, so a few clubs would be interested in seeing if a change of scenery helps.
Mat Gamel, 25, had a solid year in the minors but saw little big league time with the Brewers. He dealt with a slight tear in his right lat muscle in the beginning of the season but eventually hit well enough to earn a September call-up. He had toe surgery at the end of the month, however. Casey McGehee is locked in at third base for the Brewers. They could use Gamel elsewhere or shop him for starting pitching this offseason.
Non-Tender Candidates
As we mentioned before, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Lopez, Andy Marte, Andy LaRoche, and Kevin Frandsen could be trade bait as non-tender candidates. There may be a few clubs willing to tender Kouzmanoff a contract if the Athletics aren't, so a trade is possible for him if the A's find a third base alternative. Regarding the others, teams might wait until the December 2nd non-tender deadline passes.
Summary
The trade market for third basemen offers worthwhile gambles. Will Reynolds and Figgins bounce back and will Betemit regress? Can Wood and Gamel hold down everyday jobs? Can Kouzmanoff and Teahen hit enough to justify salaries north of $4MM?