Offseason In Review: Oakland Athletics
Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Athletics.
Major League Signings
- Ben Sheets, SP: one year, $10MM.
- Coco Crisp, CF: one year, $5.5MM. Includes $5.75MM option for 2011 with a $500K buyout.
- Jack Cust, LF/DH: one year, $2.65MM.
- Justin Duchscherer, SP: one year, $2MM.
- Gabe Gross, OF: one year, $750K.
- Total spend: $20.9MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
- Michael Wuertz, RP: two years, $5.25MM. Includes $3.25MM club option for 2012 with a $250K buyout.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired 3B/OF Jake Fox, 2B Aaron Miles, and $1MM from Cubs for P Jeff Gray, P Ronny Morla, and OF Matt Spencer
- Claimed Rule 5 pick P Bobby Cassevah from Angels
- Acquired OF Michael Taylor for 1B Brett Wallace
- Acquired 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff and 2B Eric Sogard from Padres for OF Aaron Cunningham and OF Scott Hairston
- Claimed 2B Steve Tolleson off waivers from Twins
- Acquired IF Adam Rosales and OF Willy Taveras from Reds for 2B Aaron Miles
- Traded P Dana Eveland to Blue Jays for cash
Notable Losses
- Adam Kennedy, Bobby Crosby, Scott Hairston, Aaron Cunningham, Willy Taveras, Aaron Miles, Jeff Gray, Matt Spencer, Ronny Morla, Nomar Garciaparra, Edgar Gonzalez, Santiago Casilla, Dana Eveland, Kevin Cameron, Jay Marshall, Tommy Everidge, Brett Wallace
Summary
This was an offseason of risk-taking for GM Billy Beane and company. Three-year offers to Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro were rejected, but the A's succeeded in committing $17.5MM to Sheets, Duchscherer, and Crisp. The pitchers tallied zero big league innings in 2009, while Crisp managed 49 games.
To be fair, Duchscherer at $2MM isn't a huge risk, even as he begins his season with back and hip pain. That Casey Close found a $10MM guarantee for Sheets after the pitcher missed all of 2009 due to elbow surgery is surprising. Perhaps the A's considered overpaying for Sheets their best route to importing an ace for 2010. There's also the added benefit of trading him midseason if necessary. The ace alternatives included trading for Roy Halladay, Javier Vazquez, or Cliff Lee, or signing John Lackey.
The A's must love Crisp's defense as much as the Red Sox once did, to make a $5.5MM commitment despite the player's two shoulder surgeries in 2009. The club option is the silver lining on that contract. An outfield of Crisp, Rajai Davis, and Ryan Sweeney could be spectacular defensively, and the Taylor-Wallace swap fits this theme.
Beane dealt from an area of strength to get Kouzmanoff, a credible third baseman. To acquire Fox and Rosales, the cost was mostly the $2.6MM or so lost on Taveras' salary, as the A's can do without Gray, Morla, and Spencer. Fox is a right-handed Cust without the walks, but at least the A's control the former Cub through 2015 if they choose. Rosales can theoretically fill a utility infield role that would've cost a million or more to fill in free agency anyway.
The A's will need stellar pitching and defense to win the AL West, because their offense projects to be in the bottom half of the league again. Even past their expected Opening Day rotation, most A's starters project to post ERAs in the low 4.00s and have the upside for more. The bullpen could be the league's best once again. The A's look like they have a shot this year, especially if they have the flexibility to trade for a bat midseason. I should warn you, though, that I liked the A's heading into 2009 as well.
Red Sox Notes: Ortiz, Victor Martinez
A few Red Sox bullet points today…
- David Ortiz told Dennis & Callahan he'd like to play three or four more years, and wants to finish his career with the Red Sox. In my opinion, for that to happen, Ortiz will need to be willing to go one year at a time and also sign for much less than his $12.5MM 2011 club option.
- Also on Dennis & Callahan, catcher Victor Martinez said he has not discussed an extension with the Red Sox yet.
- In an article for Baseball America, Maury Brown notes that the Red Sox exceeded the luxury tax threshold four times but only paid a total of $13.86MM. Maury's article concerns the luxury tax and revenue sharing in general; check it out.
Jorge De La Rosa Enters Walk Year
Between big league stops with the Brewers, Royals, and Rockies, lefty Jorge de la Rosa has managed to rack up more than five years of service time. It follows that he'll be eligible for free agency after this season, at age 29.
De La Rosa's overall work for the Rockies last year was solid – 4.38 ERA, 9.4 K/9, 4.0 BB/9. His control needs polish, but an under-30 southpaw averaging 93 mph and a strikeout per inning should be a hot commodity on the free agent market.
Will De La Rosa join a 2011 free agent market that's projected to include Josh Beckett, Cliff Lee, Ted Lilly, Javier Vazquez, and Brandon Webb? Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd had discussions this offseason with De La Rosa's agent Bobby Barrett, but O'Dowd told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post:
"We were just light years apart on where they saw him at this stage of his career and what our risk tolerance was. That's not something we think is out of our reach. It's just that we would be a lot more comfortable seeing it again."
Armstrong says the Rockies' offer was in the three-year, $11MM range. The offer seems pretty light, since the arbitration-eligible De La Rosa commanded half of that amount in 2010 alone. However, De La Rosa feels gratitiude for the opportunity the Rockies provided him, and he wants to return. As O'Dowd notes, a huge 2010 for De La Rosa is a double-edged sword in that it'll help the Rockies now but make retaining him "somewhat problematic."
Odds & Ends: Chapman, Upton, Mets, Gallardo
Some links as Spring Training games get started…
- Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports writes that Aroldis Chapman may be the most well-known of the recent Cuban defectors hoping to make an MLB impact, but that he's hardly the only one.
- The Hendricks brothers, who represent Chapman now, reached a settlement with API, who used to represent the lefty, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.
- The Justin Upton deal should work for both sides, writes Tyler Hissey of Around the Majors. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic warns that there's some risk involved from Arizona's perspective, and wonders if B.J. Upton's recent struggles factored in his brother's decision to sign an extension now.
- The Mets have called the Padres about Adrian Gonzalez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter).
- Yovani Gallardo's agent had some talks with the Brewers about a long-term deal last spring, but nothing came of them, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that Joe Crede is hitting, throwing and waiting for a job offer.
- Red Sox Assistant GM Ben Cherington tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com that the club has catchers in the upper minors who are "capable of coming up and playing." From defensive catchers like Dusty Brown and Mark Wagner to the powerful Luis Exposito, the team has potential behind the plate, though it doesn't have certainty for 2011.
- R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs wonders if Eric Hinske will encourage Jason Heyward to sign a long-term deal, like Evan Longoria did a couple springs ago.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star reports that another team offered Noel Arguelles more than the $7MM bonus he will receive from the Royals.
Discussion: Joe Beimel And Ron Mahay
A look at the remaining 2010 free agents reveals only a handful of left-handed relievers still available. Of the small group, two names stand out as more reliable options than the rest: Joe Beimel and Ron Mahay.
The 32-year-old Beimel has been one of the more consistent lefties in the majors over the last few seasons, posting a 3.17 ERA in 287 relief appearances since 2006. Mahay, 38, has been nearly as effective, compiling a 3.50 ERA in 234 games over the same period. Both pitchers, however, showed warning signs in 2009: Beimel was tough on left-handed hitters, but walked more righties than he struck out, while batters hit nearly .300 against Mahay.
So where might these veteran relievers land? The Mets have been connected to both recently and seem like favorites to sign at least one of the two, but they've yet to compromise on a price with either pitcher. The Phillies had some interest in Mahay earlier in the offseason, and could still use another left-handed arm in their bullpen, but there haven't been any reports linking the two sides since January.
Do you see Beimel and Mahay exercising a little more patience, perhaps in hopes that a few spring injuries force a team to meet their demands? Or will they have to lower their expectations and sign cheap ($1MM or less) one-year deals, or even minor league contracts?
Adrian Gonzalez Will Ask For A Massive Contract
Guillen: White Sox Will Keep Beckham Around
The White Sox plan on keeping Gordon Beckham around for a while, according to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. He told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune not to overreact when Beckham's name comes up in trade rumblings.
Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Angels
Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Angels.
Major League Signings
- Bobby Abreu, RF: two years, $19MM. Includes $9MM option for 2012 with a $1MM buyout; can vest based on plate appearances.
- Joel Pineiro, SP: two years, $16MM.
- Fernando Rodney, RP: two years, $11MM.
- Hideki Matsui, DH: one year, $6MM.
- Total spend: $52MM.
Minor League Signings
Extensions
- Maicer Izturis, IF: three years, $10MM.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired RP Brian Stokes for OF Gary Matthews Jr. and $21.5MM.
Notable Losses
- John Lackey, Chone Figgins, Vladimir Guerrero, Darren Oliver, Gary Matthews Jr., Shane Loux, Dustin Moseley, Kelvim Escobar
Summary
My first reaction after reviewing the Angels' offseason is that this wasn't a great way to spend $52MM. GM Tony Reagins appears to have overpaid several of his free agent signings.
Like many November deals in recent years, the Abreu contract looked OK at the time and worse as the offseason developed. There's a very good chance his 2012 option vests and this becomes a three-year, $27MM deal for a questionable defender who turns 36 in March. CHONE projects a .273/.368/.415 line, not unlike what Johnny Damon should do for one year and $8MM. Matsui's deal looks a little high, but not excessive.
Rodney was brought in to assume an eighth inning role, and was paid on the strength of his 37 saves rather than his skills. At least he can help prevent Brian Fuentes' $9MM option for 2011 from vesting, as that requires 55 games finished.
I liked the Pineiro move; Reagins did not panic when Lackey left. Pineiro is unlikely to match Lackey, but it's still a positive signing. Reagins also gets a thumbs-up for locking up Maicer Izturis for three years and getting something mildly useful back for Matthews.
Even without Lackey, the Angels have a good shot at improving upon last year's 4.44 rotation ERA. Ervin Santana and Scott Kazmir are somewhat unpredictable, but have ace potential. The Angels had the second-best offense in the AL last year, and CHONE predicts a dropoff to more of a middle of the pack performance. At this point there is no clear AL West favorite, but the Halos remain a respectable contender despite a few questionable free agent contracts.
The Giants’ Offer To Adam LaRoche
Adam LaRoche turned down a deal from the Giants, but he tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that it's not the deal everyone thinks he turned down. When LaRoche signed a one-year $6MM deal with the D'Backs, he and his agent were criticized for turning down a two-year $17.5MM deal from the Giants. But LaRoche says their offer wasn't that simple.
Which Overpaid Veterans Could Be Released?
The Diamondbacks released Eric Byrnes, owed $11MM, in January of this year. In March of 2009, the Giants released outfielder Dave Roberts and ate $6.5MM in salary. Soon after, the Tigers cut Gary Sheffield despite $14MM left on his contract. In '08, the Orioles cut Jay Gibbons and assumed his remaining $11.9MM. That same month, the Astros released pitcher Woody Williams despite his $6.5MM commitment. Which well-paid veterans might be on the chopping block for 2010? My entirely speculative list follows.
- Eric Chavez, Athletics: one year, $15MM. Even as a utility man, Chavez is a tough fit on an A's roster that includes an out of options Jake Fox. Chavez retiring might make this situation easier on everyone.
- Jeff Suppan, Brewers: one year, $14.5MM. For the first time in his Brewers career, Suppan is battling for a rotation spot.
- Carlos Silva, Cubs: two years, $25MM. Though the Cubs are only on the hook for $16MM of Silva's contract, it still may make sense to cut him if he shows nothing in Spring Training.
- Jose Guillen, Royals: one year, $12MM. Coming off ankle and back surgery, Guillen is slated to be the Royals' full-time DH. CHONE projects him to hit just .254/.309/.398 in 2010.
- Dontrelle Willis, Tigers: one year, $12MM. Willis is in good spirits as he tries to return from anxiety and command issues and earn a rotation spot.