Some news items from the AL East…
- Toronto's payroll could end up being in the $80-$85MM range, tweets FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi. The Blue Jays currently have just under $49MM committed for 2011 (according to Cot's Baseball Contracts) and have eight players eligible for arbitration. Jose Bautista will get the biggest raise of this group, but even with notables like Yunel Escobar and Brandon Morrow also arb-eligible, the Jays should have a bit of money left to spend beyond settling their arbitration cases.
- Perhaps the Jays' extra money could be spent on Brian Fuentes? We heard about Toronto's interest in Fuentes earlier this week, and now SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Jays are still "pressing for" the free agent reliever.
- Did Scott Boras wait too long for a Rafael Soriano market to develop? Fangraphs' R.J. Anderson thinks this might be the case, and that Soriano might have to settle another one-year contract with the hopes of finding a long-term deal next offseason.
- A bit of early reaction to Tampa Bay's agreement with Kyle Farnsworth: CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler thinks the signing is risky, but believes the Rays need to take chances on their bullpen if they want to contend. Meanwhile, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs thinks the Rays made a better deal for Farnsworth than Boston did with Bobby Jenks, given that Farnsworth and Jenks put up comparable numbers over the last two seasons.
- Bronson Arroyo tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he enjoyed pitching for the Red Sox and wouldn't mind returning: "Even though I can safely say that I’ve cemented myself in Cincinnati for a while, [Boston] definitely still feels like home and in the back of my mind I know that there is no better place to play than in Fenway Park." Arroyo said when his three-year extension with the Reds runs out after the 2013 season, he would be interested in pitching for the Rays (to play close to his family), returning to the Red Sox, or staying in Cincinnati.
- MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli has details on the vesting option included in Kevin Gregg's contract with the Orioles. Gregg's 2013 option will become guaranteed if he finishes 50 games in 2012, or if he finishes 100 games total in 2011-12. As SI's Jon Heyman tweeted in the previous link, Gregg will earn between $6-$10MM in 2013 if his option vests.
- Matt Bush, the first overall pick of the 2004 draft, talks to MLB.com's Dawn Klemish about his battle with alcoholism and the progress he's made in the Tampa Bay organization.
That’s a curious thing for Arroyo to say so soon after signing a 3-year contract.
I agree. I hate when players do that. If you are playing for the Reds, all you need to talk about is Cincinnati. Respect the team, fans, and owner. When you are done playing you can talk about how great Boston was, while your under contract Cincinnati should be the only thing you are worried about.
Pretty much what Derek Lowe said before he even threw a pitch for the Dodgers in 2005. Yet, he still has yet to make it back to Boston…
If I’m Soriano I’m very mad with Boras. Next years free agent class for closers looks very good for teams in need. Soriano isn’t going to be grossly overpaid like he could have been this offseason. Good job Boras, played your games with the wrong teams this time.
This years version of Johnny Damon, Boras overplays his hand once a year and Soriano is this years version hahahahahahah
Sucks that it had to be him. He is coming off a season he may NEVER come even close to repeating. I’m sure he was looking for the bulk of his career earnings to come this offseason, but nope, him and Boras had other ideas and Boras held out too long.
Edit – He has the stuff to certainly put up great numbers at his position for years to come but what he did last season was something that doesn’t happen for closers on a year to year basis. This was his time to capitalize.
Off top of head.. Having varitek decline arbitration (10m) after 2008, then settling for 2/5. Felipe Lopez out and out dumping him as an agent after he couldn’t find him a job in the winter of 2010 season, even though he had just come off of a combined .310/.383/.810 season.
Typical Boras, he spends nearly all his time on top clients and neglects the middle to lower ones time after time until they wisen up or dump him. The ones that don’t generally end up getting shafted.
I don’t know who the Jays are going to spend $10MM+ on. I hope they do, but I doubt they will. After all arb cases, the Jays will have under $70MM committed.
10MM could easily be the bill handed to them by the arbitrator for Jose’s Contract
you misunderstand. A reasonable arb projection for the guys eligible – including 8 mil for Bautista – is included in that ~$70 projection. They’d have to find a way to spend 10-15 more than what it should take to pay the guys they now have in order for them to get to the reported figure.
Matt Bush meet Babe Ruth. He was drunk most of the time yet still was the greatest ever.
There are exceptions to every rule.
That Blue Jays number seems high even with raises to Bautista and Morrow.
Wells= 23
Lind = 5
Hill = 5
Bautista = 10
Hechavarria = .5
Dotel = 3
Frasor = 3.5
Encarnacion = 2
Mcdonald = 1.5
Davis = 2.3
Molina =1
Camp = 2.2
Romero = .75
Villanueva = 1.3
Janssen = 1
Escobar = 1.75
Litsch = .4
Morrow = 2
sinder = .4
Rzepczynski = .4
Arencibia = .4
Cecil = .4
Drabek =.4
Purcey =.4
With Arbitration the jays should be around 68.6 million give or take a bit. so they have lots to spend if they want it at that level.
I just saw the phrases “Toronto has money to spend” and “Soriano will have to settle for something” extremely close together and it gave me a funny feeling inside.
Even when they lose their first round pick in the draft?
Sign him after the season starts and you skip losing the pick, could be an option if he fails to get a deal elsewhere previously.
That only works if he signs after the draft. He will have a job, and will get paid people.