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Archives for October 2010

Free Agent Groundballers

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One trait any GM looks for in a starting pitcher is a strong groundball rate.  According to FanGraphs, the free agent leaders (100 innings pitched minimum):

  1. Jake Westbrook – 56.4%
  2. Jorge de la Rosa – 52.3%
  3. Jon Garland – 51.9%
  4. Carl Pavano – 51.2%
  5. Hiroki Kuroda – 51.1%

An honorable mention goes to free agent Brandon Webb, who had a 64.2% rate in 2008, his last full season.  How about a few trade candidates over 50% in 2010?  Derek Lowe, Aaron Cook, Paul Maholm, and Edwin Jackson fit the bill.

Ted Lilly is the anti-Westbrook, with a groundball rate of just 29.5%.  Bruce Chen, Javier Vazquez, and Aaron Harang also tend to keep the ball in the air.

Mike Redmond Retires

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Catcher Mike Redmond has retired after 13 big league seasons, he told Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  Redmond signed an $850K big league deal with the Indians during the offseason, but was released in July.  He plans to look for a new job in baseball.

Redmond batted .287/.342/.358 in 764 career games for the Marlins, Twins, and Indians, catching over 5,300 innings.  He earned about $9MM in his career.

Mets Notes: Ryan, Hahn, Takahashi, Feliciano

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For the first time in six years, the Mets are looking for a new GM.  ESPN's Adam Rubin has the latest.

  • The field of GM candidates has about 32 names.  Five to seven will be interviewed in person (twice), with a resolution hoped for by month's end.  Terry Ryan and Rick Hahn are on the list, reports MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone.  SI's Jon Heyman expects the Mets to consider Josh Byrnes, Sandy Alderson, Gerry Hunsicker, and John Hart as well to head their baseball operations.
  • In the meantime, interim GM John Ricco will begin discussions with free agents Hisanori Takahashi and Pedro Feliciano and also talk about a Jose Reyes extension.  Takahashi can declare free agency on October 31st, so there's slightly increased urgency.  We discussed his situation here.
  • COO Jeff Wilpon told reporters Omar Minaya never asked ownership to eat the contracts of Oliver Perez or Luis Castillo.  Wilpon also said he "can't imagine" trading David Wright, but he'd listen if the new GM proposed something.

Arbitration Eligibles: Washington Nationals

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The Nationals are next in our arbitration eligibles series…

The Nationals have to make decisions on a dozen players prior to the December 2nd non-tender deadline.  They're known for their willingness to go to hearings.

Lannan got the Opening Day start for the Nats, but elbow issues surfaced in May and he was optioned to the minors in June.  He posted a 3.42 ERA, 6.2 K/9, and 1.8 BB/9 in 11 starts after his recall, improving on his career peripherals and probably earning a contract for 2011.  A couple of other starters, Olsen and Wang, will probably hit the free agent market after shoulder injuries wrecked their seasons.  Wang didn't pitch in the pros at all.  Olsen started out strong but could not recapture his success after returning from the DL. 

The Nationals have four arbitration-eligible relievers in Slaten, Peralta, Burnett, and Walker.  Slaten was designated for assignment in February, but he went on to have a strong season and dominated lefties.  Peralta and Burnett were effective as well, with the latter even getting a few save chances.  All three lefties should be tendered contracts.  Walker went down with a shoulder injury in June and will be non-tendered.

Gonzalez and Nieves are expendable role players.  They're not expensive, but the Nationals still may let one or both go.  Flores, 26 this month, missed the entire year after having elbow and shoulder surgeries during the offseason.  Wilson Ramos is now the team's catcher of the future, but Flores could be retained for little or no raise upon this year's $750K salary.

Morse, 28, earned a role on next year's club with a .289/.352/.519 performance in 293 plate appearances.  The more expensive Josh Willingham will handle an outfield corner, barring a trade.  Willingham will earn more than $6MM in his third arbitration year.

Diamondbacks Retain Gibson, Dipoto

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The Diamondbacks signed manager Kirk Gibson to a two-year extension with a club option for 2013, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.  Additionally, he tweets that former interim GM Jerry Dipoto will become the senior vice president of scouting and player development under new GM Kevin Towers.  As first noted by the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro on Twitter, only Matt Williams (first base) and Glenn Sherlock (bullpen) will remain on Arizona's coaching staff.  Bo Porter (bench) and Jack Howell (hitting) were let go, while Mel Stottlemyre Jr. (pitching) and Joel Youngblood (third base) were offered other jobs in the organization.

The Diamondbacks posted a 34-49 record under Gibson this year; he took over for A.J. Hinch while Dipoto succeeded Josh Byrnes.  Dipoto engineered the trades of Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson, Chad Qualls, and Chris Snyder in July.

Athletics Release Akinori Iwamura

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The Athletics released infielder Akinori Iwamura, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Iwamura would have filed for free agency a month from now anyway, but it makes sense to remove him from the 40-man roster now.

Iwamura, 31, was acquired by the Pirates from the Rays for Jesse Chavez in November.  The Bucs exercised Iwamura's $4.85MM option as part of the deal, making him their highest-paid player.  He was terrible for the Pirates and was designated for assignment by June.  Iwamura was released in September and signed with the A's.  He'll need to rebuild value with a minor league deal.

Trade Market For Catchers

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Trading a catcher this offseason won't be easy, because there are plenty of free agents and many teams are going young.  We analyzed the free agent catching market here; now it's time to consider the trade market.

Non-Tender Candidates

MLBTR broke the news last week that the non-tender deadline was moved up ten days, to December 2nd.  The non-tender candidates mentioned here – including Russell Martin, Ronny Paulino, Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis, and Dioner Navarro – will presumably be shopped in advance of that date – before the Winter Meetings.  Of course, non-tender rumors can kill a player's trade market, as we saw with Kelly Johnson and Matt Capps last winter.

Catchers Under Contract

Three catchers under multiyear extensions may be trade candidates: Ryan Doumit, Chris Iannetta, and Kelly Shoppach.  Doumit, owed $5.6MM for one year, would be a salary dump on the Pirates' part.  They seem likely to move him somehow.  Iannetta, owed $6.1MM over two years, had a lost season after the Rockies signed Miguel Olivo.  If Olivo is re-signed for 2011, the Rockies might want to trade Iannetta before his stock drops further.  Shoppach is owed $3MM next year and has a club option for '12.  If the Rays have faith in the strong play of John Jaso, they could trade Shoppach and find a cheaper backup.  Shoppach missed significant time due to knee surgery this year, however.

Summary

The trade market for catchers offers no stars.  Instead you'll find bounceback candidates and useful but overpaid players.  Offensive-minded clubs should look to the trade market, with Doumit, Napoli, and Iannetta possibly available.

Free Agent Market For Catchers

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It's time to kick off a new series with a look at the free agent market for catchers.  The Red Sox, Blue Jays, White Sox, Angels, Rangers, Marlins, Reds, and Dodgers are among the teams facing uncertainty behind the dish.  You can check out our full 2011 free agent list here.

Big Names

Victor Martinez stands alone as the big name among free agent catchers this offseason.  The switch-hitter missed over a month with a broken thumb, but still hit .302/.351/.493 with 20 home runs in 538 plate appearances.  ESPN's Gordon Edes says Martinez hopes to return to Boston, but is excited to test the free agent waters.  He turned down a reported two-year offer from the Red Sox during the season, and should cost a draft pick if he signs elsewhere.  Martinez is also capable of playing first base, and he told Edes, "I'll do anything."  V-Mart is not known for his defense, but he did improve throughout the year.

Solid Regulars

John Buck, Ramon Hernandez, Miguel Olivo, Yorvit Torrealba, A.J. Pierzynski, Bengie Molina, and Rod Barajas are your solid regulars, with Gerald Laird on the fringe after an awful offensive season.  Buck is appealing for his power and youth, while Hernandez led free agent backstops in OBP.  Olivo and Barajas have good pop.  Pierzynski and Hernandez are Type A free agents, so they may cost a draft pick to sign if they turn down arbitration offers from the White Sox and Reds.

Non-Tender Candidates

Russell Martin, due more than $5MM next year in his third year of arbitration, could be non-tendered by the Dodgers if they can't find a trade match.  Martin's power seems lost but he still gets on base.  Other non-tender candidates include Ronny Paulino, Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis, Dioner Navarro, Brayan Pena, Koyie Hill, and Humberto Quintero.  Napoli is intriguing for his bat, though he's more likely to be traded than cut loose.    

Club Options

Backups Ramon Castro and Jose Molina could be plucked off the market if their club options are exercised.  The Brewers are expected to decline their option on Gregg Zaun, while Olivo and Torrealba have mutual options.

Summary

Beyond V-Mart, it looks like a buyer's market for catchers.  All but a few teams have decent young options behind the plate.  A team like the Marlins, who are known to be seeking a veteran catcher, should be able to get a bargain by offering an opportunity to start.  And don't forget the trade candidates likely to flood the market, which we discuss in a separate post.

Brewers Decline Option On Macha

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MONDAY: The Brewers announced today via press release that they declined Macha's 2011 option.

SUNDAY: Ken Macha informed the Associated Press tonight that the Brewers told him they will not be exercising his club option for 2011.  Earlier today, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported the same through a source, saying an official announcement should come tomorrow.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported two weeks ago that Macha was "almost certain" to be let go.

Macha posted a 157-167 record in two seasons as the Brewers' manager.  Haudricourt notes in his blog post that Macha had limited interaction with his players, partially due to the generation gap.

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