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Arbitration Eligibles: New York Mets

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The Mets are next in our arbitration eligibles series…

Pelfrey will be tendered a contract after his strong 2010, unless the Boras client signs an extension.  He owns a 4.34 career ERA with 43 wins, which should be enough to get him more than $3MM.  Pagan and Dickey were a couple of bright spots in the Mets' season, and both will be back next year.  In Dickey's case, interest in a multiyear deal appears mutual. 

Green missed most of the season with a torn rib cage muscle and a stress fracture in a rib, so he could be retained for a modest raise on top of this year's $975K salary.  Maine is operating from a $3.3MM base, and made only nine starts for the Mets before succumbing to a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery.  Even at no raise, he's a likely non-tender.  Maine would hit the free agent market before his 30th birthday.

Jack Of All Trades: Jose Guillen

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Jose Guillen's career has been one of many teams, many moods, and many different levels of play. As a result, Guillen holds this rare double: four teams have released him, while four other teams have traded for him. Fascinatingly, the return on a Jose Guillen trade has usually been far better than you'd think.

With Guillen's Giants headed to the playoffs, now seems like a perfect time to bask in the memories of Jose Guillen, and all the Topps Series Two baseball cards his career has created.

Like most players who succeed elsewhere, Jose Guillen began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, signing as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 1992. The Pirates allowed Guillen to jump directly from A-ball to the majors, then seemed surprised when his performance failed to live up to their expectations. Finally, on July 23, 1999, the Pirates sent the 23-year-old Guillen and Jeff Sparks to Tampa Bay for catchers Humberto Cota and Joe Oliver.

The trade wasn't as one-sided as it should have been to punish Pittsburgh for trading a talented young outfielder for Joe Oliver and a younger version of Joe Oliver. Guillen never figured it out in Tampa Bay, hitting .255/.317/.394 over three seasons and earning his first release following the 2001 season.

His releases by Arizona, Colorado, and even Cincinnati quickly followed. But the Reds brought him back in 2003, and the hitter who'd posted a career line of .260/.305/.398 through age 26 had a mostrous age-27 season: .311/.359/.569. He also got traded in the process, amazingly enough, going to Oakland on July 30, 2003 for Jeff Bruksch, Aaron Harang and Joe Valentine.

Cincinnati won that deal, and won it big. Guillen hit just .265/.311/.459 for Oakland over the remainder of the 2003 season. Meanwhile, Harang posted full seasons as a starter with ERA+ marks of 112, 124 and 124 from 2005-2007, along with some success (and some injuries) in a tenure that has lasted to the present day.

The Athletics didn't even bring Guillen back in 2004, letting him sign with the division-rival Angels instead. Guillen's age-28 season was strong for Los Angeles of Anaheim: a .294/.352/.497 batting line.  However, a late September outburst was the last straw for the Halos, who felt they were better off without him for the rest of the regular season and playoffs.  Guillen was dealt to the Washington Nationals on November 19, 2004, with the Angels receiving Maicer Izturis and Juan Rivera in return.

Again, the team dealing Guillen did not regret doing so. Izturis has been a valuable utility infielder for the Angels, and Juan Rivera is a .277/.325/.462 hitter with the Angels over six seasons. Both contributed significantly to four postseason runs.

 As for Guillen, he had one good season in Washington, one horrific one, then signed with Seattle for the 2007 season. With a good year for the Mariners, he earned a three-year, $36MM contract from the Kansas City Royals. Guillen proved instrumental in taking Kansas City from a 69-93 record in 2007 to a 75-87 record in 2008. I guess that was the plan.

Guillen then slumped badly through an injury-ravaged 2009, and while he recovered to post a decent-enough .255/.314/.429 in 106 games with the Royals in 2010, it was still a surprise when the Giants traded cash and a player to be named later for Guillen. But San Francisco needed offense, and Guillen does, at times, provide it.

Guillen's .279/.331/.393 line for the Giants down the stretch actually wasn't a disappointment by comparison. The primary right fielder for San Francisco this year, Nate Schierholtz, hit .246/.315/.371. Still, if you are betting in a futures market, grab whoever turns out to be the player to be named later. There's something almost mystical about getting traded for Jose Guillen.

Visit The MLBTR Forums

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The offseason has officially begun for 22 MLB teams!  The free agent filing period won't start until the week of November 1st, but it's never too early to discuss the hot stove possibilities at the MLBTR Forums.  We've got over 7,500 members and counting.  You'll find areas for actual trade rumors, speculative trades, free agents, the draft, prospects, general baseball discussion, fantasy baseball, and all 30 teams.  Sign up today!

Free Agent Stock Watch: Aaron Harang

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Aaron Harang may have made his last start as a member of the Reds today, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.  The big righty had his outing cut short by a blister, and probably will not make the postseason roster.  The Reds are certain to choose Harang's $2MM buyout over his $12.75MM club option for 2011.  His best years were 2005-07, when the workhorse tossed 677.6 innings of 3.77 ball.  Let's assess his situation.

The Pros

  • Even as he started to slip in recent years, Harang's peripherals remained respectable.  He's prone to hits and homers, but at least he gets strikeouts and limits walks typically.
  • He's highly likely to sign a one-year deal.
  • Harang will not cost a draft pick to sign.  In fact, he's below a Type B.

The Cons

  • He's always been a flyball pitcher.  He's also so hittable that many of his frequent home runs allowed will come with runners on base.
  • This year Harang's strikeout rate was his lowest since '03, while his walk rate was his highest since '04.
  • Harang hasn't reached 200 innings since '07, as he's dealt with forearm and back injuries as well as an appendectomy.

The Verdict

Harang needs a big ballpark, and could join the long list of free agents hoping to rebuild value in San Diego.  He could be looking at a base salary in the $3-4MM range for 2011.

Beinfest Talks Offseason Plans

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Earlier today, Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest gave his end-of-season address in which he said that he never felt that his club was playoff-caliber this year.  Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald has the goods..

  • This winter, the Fish hope to improve their bullpen.  Beinfest hopes to strike a better balance between lefty and righty arms as he upgrades the quality and depth of the team's relievers.  Florida's 'pen turned in a 4.04 ERA this season, 18th in the majors.  The Marlins could certainly use someone like Rafael Soriano of the Rays but his expected salary demands will likely be too rich for their blood.
  • Meanwhile, Florida wants to name their next manager and solidify their coaching staff as soon as possible.  According to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, Beinfest told reporters that the club has a short list of about four or five managers.  The Marlins have not yet asked clubs for permission to speak to prospective candidates.  A few weeks ago we heard that Bobby Valentine was still in the mix though some reports say that doesn't seem to be the case.  The only coach who is certain to return is Randy St. Claire as he is under contract for 2011 and will return.
  • Beinfest told reporters that the club did not make the strides defensively that he had hoped they would.  The president of baseball operations wondered aloud if the team would have to make acquisitions to improve their fielding.

Odds & Ends: Gross, Cubs, Dunn, Ellis, Pujols

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Links for the final day of the 2010 regular season…

Cubs GM Says Zambrano Will Stay

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Cubs GM Jim Hendry says that Carlos Zambrano will remain with the club next season, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.  Even though the hurler said earlier this year that he would waive his no-trade clause, Hendry says that he never anticipated dealing him.

"I've never assumed that he really wanted to go," the GM said Sunday. "He earned the contract that he got. I've always assumed that he will be pitching for the Cubs. I'm glad he's righted the ship and had a really good end."

Even if Zambrano doesn't change zip codes in 2011, several Cubs could as the club may look to trim payroll.  Hendry has yet to meet with owner Tom Ricketts about 2011's budget but the GM says that he expects it to be lower than this year.  The Cubs owned the highest payroll in the National League this season.

Tightening the belt could mean that the Cubs won't be able to land a major free agent such as Adam Dunn, which Zambrano suggested that they do earlier today.  Hendry refused to comment on Big Z's suggestion, citing tampering rules.

White Sox GM Frustrated With Jenks

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Comments made earlier today by White Sox GM Ken Williams make closer Bobby Jenks' return less likely, writes Scott Merkin of MLB.com.  Jenks is eligible for arbitration but could find himself non-tendered this winter.

"That's something we have to evaluate strongly because I've been disappointed on a number of levels," the GM said. "And there are certain things that I'm not going to talk about right now." 

Jenks, 29, has missed significant time this year due to a series of injuries.  In 55 appearances, the closer turned in an ERA of 4.44 with 10.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.  While Williams acknowledged that Jenks has accomplished great things in Chicago, he seems to know that retaining him might not make financial sense.  The righty earned $7.5MM in 2010 and is likely to receive a raise in arbitration.

In a recent poll, 85% of MLBTR readers said that they expect the White Sox to non-tender Jenks this winter.

Diamondbacks To Retain Gibson

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The Diamondbacks are expected yo announce on Monday that they will retain manager Kirk Gibson with a two-year deal, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com.  Meanwhile, GM Kevin Towers says that there will be changes to the coaching staff.

Dipoto will also stay with the Diamondbacks in a newly created position, Vice President of scouting and player personnel.  However, Dipoto has been given permission to speak with other teams about a general manager's position.  The Mets, in particular, are said to be interested in him.

Steve Gilbert of MLB.com first reported that a deal with Gibson was "expected" to be announced on Monday (via Twitter).

Tigers Will Not Pursue Cliff Lee Or Other Top Starters

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The Tigers will not pursue free agent-to-be Cliff Lee or another top tier free agent starter this offseason, tweets MLB.com's Jason Beck. That does not mean they will only go after back-of-the-rotation starters, however.

Detroit already boasts a frontline starter in Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer has been outstanding (153.2 IP, 2.46 ERA, 9.25 K/9) after a brief demotion to the minors in May. Those two and Rick Porcello are the only guys guaranteed spots in the Tigers rotation next year, but reliever Phil Coke will reportedly transition to starting according to John Lowe of The Detroit Free Press. Other internal option include Armando Galarraga and Andy Oliver.

The free agent market offers plenty of help beyond Lee, with quality second tier options like Hiroki Kuroda, Jorge de la Rosa, and Ted Lilly. Aaron Harang, Jon Garland, and Bronson Arroyo might also be available depending on whether or not their options are exercised. 

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