Zack Greinke Trade Reactions
After what's sure to be one of the biggest trades of the offseason, let's take a look at some reactions to the Zack Greinke trade from around the baseball world:
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy passes on some quotes from Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun, who's reportedly "fired up" about his team's offseason. "…I don't think we could have possibly accomplished more than we did…" said Braun.
- McCalvy also has a quote from Brewers' GM Doug Melvin, who told Greinke it feels like they're getting C.C. Sabathia all over again, but for two years, and maybe longer (Twitter link).
- Tom Haudricourt from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more from Melvin, who calls the move a "now trade." Haudricourt says Milwaukee was originally on Greinke's no-trade list, but that changed after he switched agents. His new representation at CAA have a good relationship with Braun and Corey Hart.
- After adding the haul from the Greinke trade, Kevin Goldstein from Baseball Prospectus calls Kansas City's farm system the best that he's ever seen (Twitter link).
- MASN.com's Ben Goessling says the Nats are lucky they didn't get Greinke. He speculates, based on what the Brewers paid, that the Nats would have had to include Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Michael Burgess, and possibly Drew Storen in a deal, and that such a trade would've created more holes for Washington than Greinke could've filled.
Poll: Where Will Carl Pavano Sign?
Cliff Lee is off the free agent market. The trade market's best and most available starter, Zack Greinke, has found a new home in Milwaukee. As unlikely as it would've seemed two years ago, Carl Pavano finds himself in a position to be the best option left for many teams looking to upgrade their rotation.
After a disastrous four-year stint with the Yankees that saw Pavano pitch only 145 2/3 innings combined, the right-hander has revitalized his career in the AL Central with the Indians and Twins. From 2009-2010, Pavano totaled 420 1/3 innings and posted a respectable 4.39 ERA in the process. His 2009 season was marred by some bad luck, but his FIP and xFIP over the past two seasons have both settled in right around the 4.00 mark, and he's totaled 6.9 WAR in that timeframe.
Pavano's 2010 saw him become a slightly different pitcher, as he traded in some strikeouts for groundballs. While he's never been one to miss too many bats, his K/9 was a full-season career low 4.76. However, he posted full-season career bests in both BB/9 (1.51) and GB% (51.2%).
Pavano, 35 next month, has told Minnesota teammates and club officials that he'd like to return. As the best free agent option though, he could also be in line for a three-year deal from another suitor. We've heard that the Twins may not need to match the best offer to retain Pavano, who has also been linked to the Brewers (though their acquistion of Greinke may remove them from the running), Nationals, and Rangers. The Tigers, who are looking at starters, say they aren't in on Pavano for now, but they've certainly got the money to spend. So where does Pavano end up? Let's take a vote:
Where will Carl Pavano sign?
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Twins 46% (5,088)
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Rangers 16% (1,758)
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Nationals 14% (1,573)
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A different team 11% (1,266)
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Brewers 7% (775)
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Tigers 6% (647)
Total votes: 11,107
Brewers Acquire Zack Greinke
The Brewers entered this offseason with the goal of upgrading their rotation. Today, they acquired Zack Greinke, Yuniesky Betancourt, and $2MM from the Royals for Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, and Jake Odorizzi. The Royals have confirmed the move in a press release. After already acquiring Shaun Marcum in exchange for Brett Lawrie last month, it's safe to say Milwaukee has accomplished its goal.
Greinke, 27, had been one of the winter's most discussed trade candidates, with rumors picking up steam after the right-hander requested a trade earlier this weekend. Although many clubs reportedly inquired on and pursued the Royals ace, a trade was no sure thing, due to Greinke's no-trade clause and the Royals' high asking price. However, neither issue ultimately proved to be an obstacle for the Brewers, who had made repeated attempts to acquire the righty despite being on his no-trade list, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links).
During his time in Kansas City, Greinke posted a 3.82 ERA in 1108 innings, including a 3.25 ERA and 8.4 K/9 over the last three years. Prior to his Cy Young campaign in 2009, Greinke signed a four-year extension, meaning he'll remain under Milwaukee's control for two more seasons, at a cost of $13.5MM per year.
Escobar, who turned 24 earlier this week, was viewed by Baseball America as the Brewers' top prospect heading into the 2010 season, his first full year in the bigs. Although he struggled at the plate, hitting .235/.288/.326 in 552 plate appearances, Escobar provided above-average defense at shortstop, according to UZR. Baseball America's scouting report prior to the season dubbed Escobar a "defensive whiz" and a "special defender," while also citing a hope that he'd develop into a solid leadoff option. The 24-year-old's minor league numbers (.293/.333/.377, 176 SB) indicate that his offensive game should continue to improve at the major league level.
Cain, 24, was considered one of the Brewers' top 10 prospects even before a hugely successful 2010 campaign. After hitting .317/.402/.432 across two minor league levels, Cain received his first shot at the bigs, and posted a .306/.348/.415 slash line in 148 plate appearances in Milwaukee. Like Escobar, Cain's primary strengths are his speed and athleticism. Baseball America suggested before the 2010 season that he "could be a more prolific and successful basestealer," and Cain responded by stealing 33 bases in 37 attempts between the minors and majors. According to Baseball America, the former 17th-round pick shows "flashes of power but is mostly a gap hitter."
Both pitching prospects heading to Kansas City are former first round picks; the Brewers selected Jeffress with the 16th overall pick in the 2006 draft, while Odorizzi was taken 32nd overall in 2008. Jeffress' path to the bigs has been sidetracked by repeated suspensions for substance abuse. His most recent violation resulted in a 100-game ban that saw him miss significant chunks of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Jeffress' fastball has touched 100 mph and Baseball America raved that he had "as much sheer talent" as any player in the Brewers' system heading into this season, but his off-field issues and control problems (5.5 BB/9 in his minor league career) had slowed his development.
Odorizzi, meanwhile, was rated by some teams as the best high school pitcher in the 2008 draft, according to Baseball America. Just 20 years old, Odorizzi is the only player in the deal who has yet to see major league action, but he turned in an impressive year at Class A Wisconsin, recording a 3.43 ERA and 10.1 K/9 in 120 2/3 innings. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick notes in a tweet that the two right-handers were ranked first (Odorizzi) and third (Jeffress) in Milwaukee's system in Baseball America's upcoming Prospect Handbook.
The Brewers had long indicated a desire to shore up a starting rotation whose 4.65 ERA ranked near the bottom of the National League in 2010. Moving a handful of young players in two trades, while hanging on to Prince Fielder, suggests that the club feels they can immediately contend in the NL Central.
Credit Jim Breen of Bernie's Crew with the scoop last night, with an assist to Andrew Wagner of OnMilwaukee.com. ESPN's Buster Olney confirmed the story this morning, while Kevin Goldstein from Baseball Prospectus cleared up some conflicting reports and confirmed that Jeffress would indeed be included in the deal (via Twitter).
MLBTR's Luke Adams and Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Minor Deals: Budde, Lerew, Guzman, Jimenez
A roundup of today's minor transactions, with any new signings added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- The Blue Jays signed catcher Ryan Budde to a minor league deal, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Budde, who has some history with new Toronto manager John Farrell, has seen limited major league playing time in each of the last four seasons with the Angels.
- Softbank, a Japanese club, acquired Anthony Lerew and signed him to a one-year deal, according to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. Lerew had signed with the Athletics earlier this offseason.
- Other players to sign with Japanese teams, Newman reports, include Joel Guzman with Chunichi and Kelvin Jimenez with Rakuten. Guzman was a former top prospect in the Dodgers system; Baseball America ranked him as baseball's fifth-best prospect prior to the 2005 season. Jimenez, meanwhile, last pitched in the majors in 2008 with St. Louis.
- The Indians have signed former Yomiuri Giants pitcher Toru Murata to a minor league deal. According to Newman, "Murat is a former first-round draft pick who never reached the top level in NPB. At 25 he should still have some upside left." A year ago, Murata earned a roster spot in the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars game.
Cafardo’s Latest: Papelbon, Beltre, Pavano, Kapler
After a morning of headlines involving Zack Greinke, let's not forget that there are still plenty of trade targets and free agents remaining on the market. Nick Cafardo has the latest updates on a few of them in his newest piece for the Boston Globe….
- The Red Sox have been listening to offers for Jonathan Papelbon. When the team made a three-year, $51MM offer to Mariano Rivera, the assumption was that, on the off chance Rivera accepted, Papelbon wouldn't be back next season.
- Even if Papelbon remains a Red Sox through 2011, there's an understanding that he'll explore the free agent market. Boston only expects to re-sign him if he agrees to a team-friendly deal like those signed by Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jon Lester.
- The article names the Rangers and Angels as a couple teams who could have interest in trading for Papelbon, though it appears to be mostly speculation on Cafardo's part.
- While the Rangers and Halos also appear to be the two leading suitors for Adrian Beltre, Cafardo wonders if a mystery team could be involved, given the silence surrounding the third baseman lately. As we learned during the Cliff Lee derby, you can never entirely rule out those ever-looming mystery teams.
- Cafardo writes that Carl Pavano likely won't sign until at least later this week, unless a team ponies up and makes him an offer in the ballpark of $36MM over three years. Of course, at the time Cafardo's column was published, the Brewers' acquisition of Greinke wasn't confirmed. With Greinke off the table, teams who missed out on the Royals' ace may feel a greater sense of urgency to get something done with Pavano. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests that a reunion with the Twins appears likely for Pavano, following the Greinke trade.
- The Red Sox have tried to re-acquire Justin Masterson from the Indians, but have been denied so far.
- Gabe Kapler would like to keep playing, and is "waiting for the right situation."
Greinke Links: Nationals, Yankees, Pavano, Reactions
It's not often that the Brewers and Royals are the two teams dominating discussion around baseball, but that's exactly what's happening today, after the clubs agreed to a blockbuster deal. Let's check out some reactions and a few more details on the trade that will send Zack Greinke to Milwaukee….
- According to Yahoo's Tim Brown (via Twitter), the Dodgers were discussing Greinke and even brought a third team into the mix in an attempt to meet Kansas City's needs. Ultimately, they ran out of time.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that the Royals were close to a deal that would've sent Greinke to Washington, if not for the right-hander's no-trade clause. MLB.com's Bill Ladson confirms that Greinke turned down a potential trade to the Nationals (Twitter links). Heyman adds that Drew Storen and Danny Espinosa likely would've been involved in the hypothetical deal (Twitter link).
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post hears that the Royals coveted Jordan Zimmermann, who the Nats were reluctant to give up.
- Heyman tweets that Greinke approved the Brewers and not the Nats because he believes Milwaukee is closer to serious contention. He's also apparently fond of the city.
- According to Heyman (via Twitter), Greinke told the Royals that he wouldn't mind playing for the Yankees, but New York never got close to making a trade for the Kansas City ace.
- The Brewers had some interest in Carl Pavano, who they presumably won't pursue now. As such, the Twins' leverage with Pavano should improve, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that the $2MM going to Milwaukee will cover the buyout for Yuniesky Betancourt's 2012 option, if the Brewers choose to buy him out.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports praises Brewers GM Doug Melvin for choosing an established player over prospects. Rosenthal also examines the trade from the Royals' perspective.
- With Prince Fielder a year from free agency, Melvin saw the team's window for playoff contention closing and moved aggressively to improve the 2011 roster, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
- Fangraphs' Marc Hulet breaks down the package acquired by Kansas City, noting that their haul is "certainly quantity over quality." In an Insider-only article, ESPN.com's Keith Law makes a similar point, calling the Royals' return "bulk, and fit, but not impact."
- Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus and two front office people he spoke to "really like" the move for the Royals (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Rauch, Rays, Jenks, Rockies, Rangers
On this date in 1997, the Red Sox traded Tony Armas Jr. and Carl Pavano to the Expos for reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez. A case can be made that Pedro's 1999 and 2000 seasons were the two best pitching seasons in baseball history, in which he held batters to a .186/.231/.274 batting line with 597 strikeouts in 430.1 innings.
It's highly unlikely that we'll see a pitcher of Pedro's caliber traded anytime soon, but that Zack Greinke kid is pretty good in his own right. Here are today's links…
- Two days ago we heard that the Rockies had interest in David Aardsma, Grant Balfour, and Todd Coffey, and now Troy Renck of The Denver post throws Jon Rauch's name into the mix.
- Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times has some quotes from Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg, who called the size of free agent contracts being handed out this winter "discouraging." He also commented (briefly) on the team's 2011 payroll.
- Bobby Jenks will take his physical on Monday, tweets Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. It was originally scheduled for today but was pushed back, and it's necessary to finalize his contract with the Red Sox.
- Renck also has the goods (Twitter links) on two recent Rockies signings. Ty Wigginton took less money to sign in Colorado, earning $3.5MM in 2011, $4MM in '12, and a club option for $4MM in '13 ($500k buyout). Meanwhile, pitcher Eric Stults has an out in his $435k minor league deal that will allow him to sign with the Hiroshima Carp if he does not make the big league roster.
- Richard Durrett of ESPN.com applauds the Rangers' efforts to bolster their starting depth.
- Dan Wheeler is happy to be a member of Boston's improved bullpen, writes MLB.com's Ian Browne.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that Seth McClung's deal with the Rangers will pay him $700K if he makes the team. There are another $700K available in bonuses tied to the number of starts he makes.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report (via Twitter) indicating that Hideki Matsui's contract with the A's has a limited no-trade clause preventing trades to the Mariners, Orioles, Twins, Blue Jays, Indians, and Royals.
- Mariano Rivera told Erik Boland of Newsday that he plans to give long-time teammate Andy Pettitte a call to try to convince the lefty to come back for another season.
- Finding a left-handed bat off the bench is one of the last remaining items on the Marlins offseason agenda, but MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says they might already have that guy on their roster. Catcher John Baker, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, said he would be up for the job until he's cleared to catch again.
- Former Mets GM Omar Minaya told Ian Begley of ESPN New York that he plans to sit down with new GM Sandy Alderson after the holidays to discuss a potential new role with the team. Minaya said he has several offers on the table, including interest from the Diamondbacks.
- Hey iPhone users, do you have the MLBTR app yet? Jason Bartlett does, and that's how he found out his trade to the Padres was in the works.
Marlins, Nolasco On Verge Of Contract Extension
The Marlins and Ricky Nolasco are "putting the finishing touches" on a three-year contract extension worth $27MM, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The deal is not yet finalized, but the two sides came close to agreeing to terms according to Frisaro's source. Nolasco needs to take and pass a physical as well.
A three-year deal would buy out Nolasco's two remaining years of arbitration-eligibility as well as one year of free agency. He earned $3.8MM in 2010. Just yesterday we heard that the two sides had hit a bit of a snag in their negotiations, but Nolasco's agent Matt Sosnick told us that they remained optimistic about getting a deal done. Clearly, his optimism was warranted.
The 28-year-old Nolasco posted a 4.51 ERA in 157.2 innings this past season, though he once again put up stunning peripheral stats. He struck out 8.4 batters per nine innings pitched and walked just 1.8 per nine unintentionally. For his career, he owns an 8.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 (again removing intentional walks), though he is a bit homer prone (1.2 HR/9).
Nolasco had been mentioned as a trade candidate if the two sides were unable to work out a new contract.
This post was originally published on December 19th.
Poll: The Padres’ Opening Day First Baseman
The Padres lost their best player when they traded Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox for three prospects earlier this month, and GM Jed Hoyer is still trying to find someone to replace him at first base. Hoyer recently told XX1090 sports radio that the team’s next first baseman will come via free agency (as opposed to trade), and it would also be a one-year solution only.
Derrek Lee, who was originally drafted by the Padres back in 1993, seemed like a logical fit, but yesterday we heard they were unlikely to pursue him after signing Orlando Hudson. Jorge Cantu, Brad Hawpe, and Adam LaRoche are on the team’s list of options instead. Another solution could be free agent Troy Glaus, who Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse reminds us was a client of Padres CEO Jeff Moorad’s back in his agent days (Twitter link). The free agent pool also offers guys like Russell Branyan and Casey Kotchman.
Kyle Blanks would have been an ideal candidate if he wasn’t out until midseason after having Tommy John surgery. Who do you think will be manning first base for the Padres when the season starts?
Who will be the Padres' Opening Day first baseman?
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Jorge Cantu 17% (1,797)
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Troy Glaus 16% (1,713)
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Derrek Lee 15% (1,657)
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Adam LaRoche 13% (1,412)
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Someone not listed 12% (1,271)
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Casey Kotchman 11% (1,187)
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Russell Branyan 10% (1,048)
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Brad Hawpe 7% (742)
Total votes: 10,827
Rays Loading Up On Draft Picks
The Rays have become baseball's model franchise when it comes to drafting and developing players from within. Four-fifths of their 2010 starting rotation was homegrown (all but Matt Garza), as were sixth and seventh starters Andy Sonnanstine and Jeremy Hellickson. Homegrown products Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria batted three-four in their lineup for much of the season while B.J. Upton roamed centerfield and John Jaso handled most of the catching duties. Jason Bartlett was just traded to the Padres to clear room for Reid Brignac, another homegrown player.
Tampa is going to have to continue to operate this way to contend at the big league level given their financial situation, and there is plenty of more help on the way from their strong farm system. The Rays will also have a tremendous opportunity to replenish the pipeline in the 2011 draft because they are loading up on compensation picks this offseason.
In addition to their own first round pick (32nd overall), the Rays also received Boston's first rounder (24th overall) when Crawford headed north, and they also pocketed three supplemental first round picks for Crawford, Joaquin Benoit, and Randy Choate. That's not it though. They can still receive six more compensation picks if Rafael Soriano (Type-A), Grant Balfour (A), Brad Hawpe (B), and Chad Qualls (B) all sign elsewhere. That's 11 potential first or supplemental first round draft picks, the last of which can be no worse than 64th overall.
Of course having a lot of early draft picks means the Rays will have to spend a lot of money to sign those players. The Angels led the way with five of the first 64 picks last year and spent over $6.2MM to sign those players. That's more than 15 teams spent on their entire draft class. The Blue Jays had eight of the first 100 picks and spent more than $6.55MM to sign those players. No matter how many picks Tampa ultimately ends up with, this will clearly be a costly venture.
The Rays are not shy about spending money on draft picks though. They gave David Price the largest major league contract out of the draft in six years in 2007 and signed Tim Beckham to what was then the largest minor league contract in draft history in 2008. Over the last three seasons Tampa has spent over $21MM on draft picks, the seventh most in baseball.
Tampa has already lost the best player in franchise history as well as basically its entire bullpen via free agency this offseason, but landing all of those extra draft picks will be a nice consolation. The 2011 draft class is widely considered one of the best and deepest in years, and they're well positioned to reap the benefits thanks to scouting director R.J. Harrison and his staff.
Click here to see the current 2011 draft order.