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Archives for November 2010

Felix Hernandez Wins AL Cy Young Award

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Felix Hernandez won the 2010 American League Cy Young Award, as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. David Price and C.C. Sabathia finished second and third in the voting, respectively. Click here to see the complete results.

The win, which brought Hernandez to tears, will lead to a $1MM raise in 2011, according to the AP (on SI.com). The 24-year-old will also earn $500K raises in 2012, 2013 and 2014, so he pockets $2.5MM for the win. Price received an $80K bonus for finishing second and Jered Weaver won $50K for finishing fifth.

Astros, Rockies Swap Paulino & Barmes

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The Astros acquired Clint Barmes from the Rockies for Felipe Paulino, according to the team. GM Ed Wade says he pursued Barmes for his defensive versatility and gap power. Barmes said on a conference call that he's been told he'll mostly play shortstop, his preferred position.

The Rockies, who were not necessarily going to offer Barmes arbitration, get something in return for the 31-year-old. Barmes said that he had hoped to work something out with the Rockies, since he has enjoyed playing in Denver, but is looking forward to joining a young Astros team that finished the 2010 season strong.

Barmes was a non-tender candidate heading into his final season of arbitration eligibility. After hitting 23 homers in 2009, he hit just 8 homers this year and his batting line fell to .235/.305/.351. Barmes earned $3.33MM in 2010 and figures to pocket $4MM or so in 2011.

Paulino, 27, posted a 5.11 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 91 2/3 innings for the Astros this year. He'll be arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason (as a Super Two). In each of the past three seasons, his average fastball velocity has surpassed 95 mph. Paulino struggles against lefties, but is considerably more effective against right-handed hitters.

Yankees Acquire Scott Allen For Juan Miranda

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It's no blockbuster, but Kevin Towers and Brian Cashman made a deal today. The Yankees acquired right-hander Scott Allen from the Diamondbacks for first baseman Juan Miranda, according to a team press release.

The Diamondbacks chose Allen, 19, in the 11th round of the 2009 draft. In 95 2/3 innings over two seasons, he has a 3.95 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. He won't figure into the Yankees' big league plans for a while, but Miranda could compete for Arizona's first base job in 2011. 

Miranda, now 27, has played parts of three seasons with the Yankees and has a .253/.330/.458 line in 94 big league plate appearances. With Mark Teixeira at first base and Jorge Posada DHing, the Yankees don't have much room for Miranda, who has a .281/.367/.478 line in 1779 minor league plate appearances. He's out of options, so the D'Backs will have to expose him to waivers to send him to the minor leagues.

Towers worked for the Yankees in 2010, so he knows their farm system – and their general manager – well. It's not the first time in recent history the two GMs have matched up on a trade. Cashman acquired Chad Gaudin from Towers' Padres in 2009 and acquired Darrell May from San Diego for Paul Quantrill and Tim Redding in 2005.

Justin Upton Rumors: Thursday

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Yesterday we learned that rival teams continue to kick the tires on Justin Upton. It will take four or five players to meet Arizona's demands, but GM Kevin Towers seems genuinely open to moving the 23-year-old. The Rockies, Marlins and Red Sox appear to be among the interested teams, but the Braves aren't likely to get involved. Here are today's rumors:

  • D'Backs president Derrick Hall isn't concerned about potential fallout if the club does not move Upton, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.  Arizona has talked to Upton and told him that they "owe it to [themselves]" to listen, Crasnick tweets.
  • The D’Backs are more inclined to move Upton than they were when the GM Meetings began, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who confirms that the Blue Jays, Mariners and Marlins “have expressed a high level of interest in Upton.”
  • The Blue Jays are showing "strong interest" in Upton, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter). They are the mystery team from FOX Sports' earlier report.
  • The Mariners are not ruling out Upton and could construct a deal around pitching prospect Michael Pineda, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • The Orioles are not pursuing Upton now, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • Towers is determined not to trade Upton within the NL West, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Red Sox are on the "backburner" in the Upton talks after a mystery team made a strong push yesterday, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. About half of MLB teams showed some interest in Upton, but the D'Backs aren't going to trade him unless they "win" the trade. Arizona wants four prospects in return and teams like the Yankees aren't comfortable parting ways with that much talent. The D'Backs and Red Sox have discussed expanded deals that involve at least one other team.
  • The Red Sox are showing more interest than the Yankees, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link). He says the D'Backs would likely request Daniel Bard and Jacoby Ellsbury from the Red Sox.

Ryan Expects Yanks To Outbid Rangers For Lee

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Nolan Ryan told Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal that he expects the Yankees to outbid the Rangers for Cliff Lee (Twitter link). The Rangers will try to sell the appeal of Texas to Lee, an Arkansas native, but they don't have the same spending power as the Yankees.

The Rangers met with Lee at his home on Monday, less than a week after the Yankees made the same trip. Lee will command a deal worth more than $100MM and no team wants to enter a bidding war with the Yankees, but the Rangers can afford to make multiple free agent additions this winter, according to FOX Sports. It's not just the Yankees and Rangers, of course; the Nationals are among the other interested teams.

Yankees Likely To Sign DePaula

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The Yankees are expected to sign Dominican right-hander Rafael DePaula for about $700K later today, according to Melissa Segura of SI.com (on Twitter). He reappeared on the market a week ago after facing age and identity fraud questions for a year. MLB suspended him in 2009 and he later confessed to using a false identity. 

If not for the suspension, DePaula would likely have signed for more, according to Segura. He turns 20 soon, so the Yankees may fast track his path through the minor leagues. (Twitter links).

Chicago Rumors: Zambrano, Marmol, Dunn, Quentin

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Carlos Zambrano has not asked for a trade and the Cubs have not asked him to waive his no-trade clause, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. The Cubs did meet with Zambrano’s agent, Barry Praver, but the sides didn’t discuss trading the right-hander. Here are the details on the Cubs and White Sox:

  • Praver and the Cubs also discussed Carlos Marmol, an offseason extension candidate who may be offered a long-term deal.
  • Cubs GM Jim Hendry acknowledged the team’s need for a first baseman and said he anticipates “more volume at that position than what people need at that position." 
  • The Cubs have not yet talked to the agents for Adam Dunn, but the White Sox are still targeting the slugger. The Tigers are interested in Dunn, but ESPN.com's Jayson Stark heard that the Cubs may not pursue him as aggressively as expected.
  • Levine hears that the White Sox are not shopping Carlos Quentin. Stark reported yesterday that the Phillies have interest in Quentin.

Morosi On Soriano, Pirates, Tigers

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Joaquin Benoit agreed to a lucrative three-year deal yesterday, but a former bullpen mate of his could be waiting a lot longer for his free agent payday. As Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains, Rafael Soriano may find more teams pursuing him if he shows some patience. Here’s how some teams other than the Angels could end up in pursuit of the former Rays closer, plus other hot stove notes:

  • If the Red Sox send Daniel Bard or Jonathan Papelbon to Arizona in a potential Justin Upton trade, they could be willing to spend on Soriano.
  • The Rangers could be looking for a closer if Cliff Lee signs elsewhere and Neftali Feliz moves to the rotation and the White Sox may non-tender Bobby Jenks.
  • Agent Scott Boras says closers like Soriano are rare. “A closer of this caliber — at 30 — is almost never in the marketplace.”
  • A source suggests to Morosi that the Pirates could deal Evan Meek or Joel Hanrahan and sign a replacement.
  • The Tigers would now like to add left-handed relief and are considering J.C. Romero.

Marlins Intend To Spend On Pitching

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The Marlins intend to spend the money they saved in the Dan Uggla trade on an established starting pitcher and Javier Vazquez and Carl Pavano are among the team’s top targets, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.

Vazquez is now the Marlins’ primary target, but he has a number of other suitors. At least six teams, including the Nationals, Rockies, Cardinals and Cubs, have expressed interest in the right-hander this winter, but he isn’t close to a deal with any of them. Vazquez, who has thrown the second most innings and recorded the second most strikeouts in baseball since the start of the 2000 season, would be closer to his Puerto Rico home if he signed with the Marlins.

Pavano is looking for a contract comparable to the three-year $33MM deal Ted Lilly signed with the Dodgers. If Pavano's willing to accept a shorter term deal, the Marlins could work aggressively to bring him back to Miami. Six to eight teams have expressed some interest in Pavano so far this winter.

Yankees To Make Jeter An Offer; How Will It Look?

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The Yankees plan to offer Derek Jeter a contract of at least three years, possibly by the end of the week, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Jon Heyman of SI.com and Sherman both suggest the Yankees' initial offer will likely be worth roughly $45MM (Twitter link). However, Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork reported yesterday that the Yankees would be happy to agree to a three-year $63MM deal.

Sherman suggests the Yankees might be willing to increase their offer to the $57-60MM range on a three-year deal and notes that the team could offer a fourth year or an option for a fourth year. According to Matthews, Jeter wants at least a four-year deal and has a preference for a five or six-year contract.

At least one person in the Yankees front office wants the team to draw a hard line with Jeter, Matthews reported. Sherman finds it "very possible" that the Yankees will make an offer and tell Jeter to beat it on the open market if he doesn't like it. The Yankees insist that they'll be offering a baseball contract. Yankees president Randy Levine told reporters that Jeter's contract "isn't a licensing deal or commercial rights deal." 

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