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Archives for December 14, 2010

Reds Extend Jay Bruce

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The Reds officially signed Jay Bruce to a six-year, $51MM extension today.  ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick broke the story on Thursday. The extension will keep Bruce in Cincinnati through at least 2016 – longer than any other member of the Reds is under contract for – and pay him $50MM in salary over the next six years. The deal includes a $1MM buyout for a $13MM option in 2017, plus a partial no-trade clause and the chance to earn more money with award bonuses. Agent Matt Sosnick represents Bruce.

The 23-year-old batted .281/.353/.493 with 25 homers as Cincinnati's everyday right fielder in 2010. His 5.3 Wins Above Replacement placed him tenth among MLB outfielders last year and even if that stat doesn't impress you, this will: Bruce's September 28th walk off home run clinched Cincinnati's first playoff berth in 15 years. 

A super two player, Bruce would have been arbitration eligible for the first time this winter and was on track to hit free agency after the 2014 season. Reds GM Walt Jocketty has discussed locking up Bruce for a while and this deal will keep the outfielder under contract until he's 29 or 30. 

Justin Upton, who is four months younger than Bruce, signed a comparable extension with the Diamondbacks before the 2010 season. Upton's six-year, $51.25MM deal will keep him under team control for all of his arbitration seasons and what would have been his first two years of free agency.

Next up for the Reds – extending Joey Votto. Like Bruce, the 2010 NL MVP is arbitration eligible for the first time and open to discussing an extension. Jocketty has already signed Bronson Arroyo to an extension this month.

Diamondbacks Interested In Kearns, Hawpe

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The Diamondbacks have varying levels of interest in Austin Kearns, Brad Hawpe, Xavier Nady, and Jorge Cantu, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The team's interest in Nady and Cantu has been reported previously.

The D'Backs have added Melvin Mora and Geoff Blum to replace Mark Reynolds at third base, but they've still got openings at first base and left field.  The team took a shot on Paul Konerko and is said to have interest in Derrek Lee as another first base possibility.

Nationals Reach Agreement With Matt Stairs

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The Nationals reached an agreement on a minor league deal with Matt Stairs, according to the team's Twitter feed.  Stairs has assumed a pinch-hitter role in the last few seasons, hitting .232/.306/.475 in 111 plate appearances for the Padres in 2010.  He holds the big league record with 23 career pinch-hit home runs.  Stairs, 43 in February, was originally signed by the Expos as an amateur free agent in 1989.

Rangers Interested In Chien-Ming Wang

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The Rangers expressed interest in free agent righty Chien-Ming Wang, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  He says "they've discussed a low-base, incentive type deal."

Wang, 31 in March, was non-tendered by the Nationals this month after failing to make a pro appearance in 2010.  He had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right shoulder capsule in July of 2009.  Wang is said to be seeking a big league deal, and can at least build off a promising instructional league stint.  The Rangers are also known to have an eye on another pitcher who missed the 2010 season due to shoulder issues: Brandon Webb.

The Rangers clearly have some money to work with after Cliff Lee turned them down.  One American League executive speculated to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that they could turn to Carl Pavano (Twitter link).  The Rangers also have the possibility of moving Neftali Feliz or Alexi Ogando to the rotation.

Possible Fits For Joe Blanton

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The Phillies seem likely to trade Joe Blanton in hopes of clearing some payroll in the wake of their Cliff Lee signing.  The 30-year-old righty is owed $8.5MM in each of the next two seasons.  Though he probably deserved better than his 4.82 ERA in 2010, the Phils may have to assume some salary to move him.  My speculation on potential fits:

  • Brewers, Nationals, Twins - Blanton could be a nice alternative for a team that doesn't want to go to three years on Carl Pavano.  He may be best suited remaining in the National League, though that would limit the market significantly.
  • Rangers, Yankees – It would be a bitter pill to swallow, acquiring Blanton from the Phillies after losing Cliff Lee to them.
  • Mariners, Orioles - Not sure whether they're interested in adding bulk innings.
  • Royals – They were in on Kevin Millwood at one point, so a look at Blanton makes sense.
  • Athletics – They brought Brandon McCarthy aboard, but may be looking for someone more reliable after their Hisashi Iwakuma bid didn't work out.  Blanton, of course, spent the first half of his career in Oakland.

Phillies, Red Sox Discussed Joe Blanton

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7:54am: No agreement has been finalized, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford.  A deal is unlikely, tweets ESPN's Gordon Edes.  The talks were never serious, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

7:35am: Word is that the Phillies have a Blanton deal in place with the Red Sox, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  As one MLBTR commenter noted below, Boston's goal might have been to help facilitate Lee signing with a National League club.  The Red Sox could always flip Blanton in the coming months, taking that burden off the Phillies.

7:14am: The Phillies were deep in discussions yesterday about sending Joe Blanton to the Red Sox, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Moving some of the $17MM owed to Blanton seems to be a priority for the Phillies now that they've added Cliff Lee's huge salary to the payroll.

The Red Sox would be a surprising match for Blanton, as they've already got John Lackey, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Josh Beckett penciled into the rotation with Tim Wakefield under contract as well.  Some teams have inquired on Matsuzaka, but Blanton wasn't great in his last American League stint and might not be an upgrade.

Diamondbacks Nearing Deal With Henry Blanco

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WEDNESDAY, 7:53am: The Diamondbacks are "on the verge" of a one-year deal with Blanco, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. The contract will likely pay the catcher about $1MM in 2011 and may include a mutual option for 2012.

TUESDAY, 11:30am: Blanco indicated the two sides are close to an agreement in an interview on the team site of the Margarita Braves (link in Spanish), where he plays in the Venezuelan Winter League. Asked by Leonard Ojeda Ledezma about his status with the Diamondbacks, Blanco replied, "Although nothing definite has been settled on yet, I believe it should be made official in the first part of next week. I'm happy because I'll have Venezuelan teammates like Gerardo Parra and Melvin Mora." – Nick Collias

FRIDAY, 12:28pm: The D'Backs are still eyeing Blanco, but will move on if his asking price is too high, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 11:18am: The Diamondbacks are close to signing backup catcher Henry Blanco, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  A one-year deal is likely, he says.

Blanco, 39, picked up 144 plate appearances in 50 games for the Mets last year.  He was signed by Kevin Towers to play for the Padres prior to the '09 season.

Cliff Lee Signing: What We Learned

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It's safe to say that prior to yesterday, not many people were predicting Cliff Lee would sign a five-year deal with the Phillies.  The Yankees essentially offered Lee $148MM over seven years, so he turned down two more years and an extra $28MM in guaranteed money.  Here's what we learned:

  • It's unfair to make assumptions about a player's priorities.  There was a lot of talk about how Lee's number one goal was the biggest possible contract.  We also heard about how the Rangers had the advantage of playing near Lee's Arkansas home.  Now it appears the player's comfort with a previous team trumped all else, but we'll wait until Lee explains his choice at the press conference.
  • Players can leave big money on the table.  Before Lee, the best recent example of a player signing a far below-market contract was Roy Halladay's three-year, $60MM extension with the Phillies.  It's rarer in free agency, but Mark Teixeira reportedly turned down the best offer two years ago.  This winter, Jorge de la Rosa, Jake Westbrook, Hiroki Kuroda, and Jon Garland are a few examples of players who probably could have gotten more money elsewhere.
  • Teams can change their minds.  The Phillies traded Lee to Seattle a year ago in part because they reportedly didn't think they could afford to extend him.  Something changed since then - perhaps Jayson Werth's agent?  We also should note that a player being unexpectedly traded doesn't mean he'll hold a grudge.
  • The Yankees can miss out on a targeted free agent.  If a free agent seeks top dollar and the Yankees want him, they'll probably win the bidding.  But a player can turn down the biggest offer and still be set for life, as Lee is. 
  • Every offseason has big surprises.  A couple of years ago I couldn't believe John Smoltz and Trevor Hoffman signed with new teams.  This year there were at least rumblings that the Red Sox could get Carl Crawford and the Nationals liked Jayson Werth.  But the Phillies were not seen as legitimate contenders for Lee, nor was their interest telegraphed prior to yesterday.  Mystery teams can be real and even succeed in signing a top free agent.  In reality, plenty of teams operate entirely under the radar without leaks to the media.
  • You can never have too much pitching.  Front-end starting pitching is exceedingly rare.  Unless C.C. Sabathia opts out, there will be no free agent aces available after the 2011 season.  The availability of an ace prompts teams to move parts around to make it work, and sometimes put more money toward the rotation even when the offense needs help.  The Royals should trade Zack Greinke for nothing less than a king's ransom.

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