Archives for February 2011

White Sox Won’t Be In On Pujols

By Zachary Links | February 21, 2011 at 5:49pm CDT

If Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hits free agency after the 2011 season, most of the major market teams are expected to jump into the fray for his services. However, White Sox GM Kenny Williams says that his club won't be one of them, writes Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com.

“If [Jerry Reinsdorf] gave me $30MM dollars right now, I’m not going to spend it on one guy. Sorry White Sox fans,” the GM said. “But I tell you what, I’m going to take that $30 million and I’m going to distribute it around. My team is going to be better as a whole than it is with one player who might get hurt. Then you’re done. Sorry, that’s just me. And that’s no disrespect to a future Hall of Famer, first ballot, one of the greatest players in history.”

Even though the White Sox currently have a $125MM payroll, Williams says that he and Reinsdorf agree that there should be a salary cap in baseball in order to level out the field. The GM says that a contract that would give one player $30MM per season would be bad for baseball, to the point where he'd be okay with the game being "shut down" in order to correct the issue. After getting all of this off of his chest, Williams immediately tried to downplay his comments:

“Wait a minute, didn’t I say I wanted it quiet, I wanted peace? Let me shut the hell up already. I was hoping no one would ask me that this entire spring training.”

Quick Hits: Pelfrey, Pujols, Livan, Benoit, Astros

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 21, 2011 at 4:38pm CDT

The Twins signed Joe Crede two years ago today in the hopes that he could replicate or improve upon the numbers he posted in 2008, when he made the All-Star team. Crede battled injuries and clubbed 15 homers in 90 games for Minnesota that year, but he hasn't played in the majors since. Crede remains a free agent after deciding not to report to Rockies camp. Here are today's links…

In a piece for ESPN.com, MLBTR's own Howard Megdal points out that Mets starter Mike Pelfrey has been far more consistent than anyone gives him credit for.
MLBPA leader Michael Weiner said the union would be open to a player owning a share of a team, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The possibility came up when the Cardinals discussed an extension with Albert Pujols.
Weiner says he expects to make progress on the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement during Spring Training, according to Tim Reynolds of the AP (via the Miami Herald). Baseball's current agreement expires this offseason.
Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post explains how Livan Hernandez and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo negotiated the right-hander's current contract.
Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit told Dick Scanlon of the Detroit Free Press that he signed early because the Tigers made him a strong offer ($16.5MM) and he couldn't justify waiting around. "I didn't want to make a mistake of being too greedy and trying to wait and wait, get myself in a hole and wait to the last minute," Benoit said.
Astros GM Ed Wade told Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner that he expects better things from Carlos Lee in 2011 and that last year was an "aberration" for the outfielder.

Red Sox Notes: Lackey, Miller, Bard

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 21, 2011 at 3:28pm CDT

Some Red Sox links, as Adrian Gonzalez takes his first swings since undergoing shoulder surgery last fall…

The Red Sox included a creative clause in Andrew Miller's contract that will discourage rival clubs from claiming the left-hander, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. If a team claims Miller, who is out of options, when the Red Sox try to send him from the majors to the minors, his 2012 option becomes guaranteed, according to Speier. Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston says the option is worth $3MM, so a team would really have to want Miller to make a claim.
Miller explained to Speier that he chose a minor league offer from the Red Sox instead of a Major League deal elsewhere because he wants to develop as a pitcher. The left-hander made a similar decision out of high school, when he chose to go to college instead of taking guaranteed money in the form of a signing bonus.
As Speier explains, Daniel Bard told the Yankees he wouldn't sign for less than $2MM when they drafted him in the 20th round out of high school in 2003. The Bronx Bombers never made Bard an offer and he's now a key member of their biggest rival's 'pen.
John Lackey told Dennis & Callahan of WEEI that he expects Carl Crawford's transition to the Red Sox to be a little smoother than Gonzalez's, since Crawford is accustomed to playing in the AL East. Lackey, who is hoping for a bounce-back 2011 season, says he was trying to sink the ball too much early on in 2010, his first campaign with the Red Sox.

Braves Extend Frank Wren

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 21, 2011 at 12:25pm CDT

The Braves signed GM Frank Wren to a two-year contract extension through 2013, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). Wren, who took over as GM when John Schuerholz became team president after the 2007 season, led Atlanta to its first playoff berth since 2005 last year.

The Braves, who have graduated Jason Heyward, Tommy Hanson and Jonny Venters to the majors in recent years, still boast one of the game's best farm systems. Baseball America ranked the Braves' system second in baseball and says Atlanta is "developing the industry's hardest-throwing, deepest pool of pitching prospects." Prospects Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado and Arodys Vizcaino could become impact major leaguers by the time Wren's new extension expires.

Wren's notable Major League acquisitions include Dan Uggla (trade), Kenshin Kawakami (signing), Alex Gonzalez (trade), Takashi Saito (signing), Billy Wagner (signing), Tom Glavine (signing), Garret Anderson (signing), Derek Lowe (signing), Derrek Lee (trade), Adam LaRoche (trade), Javier Vazquez (trade) and Jair Jurrjens (trade), as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows.

Make Or Break Year: Edwin Jackson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 21, 2011 at 11:20am CDT

If Edwin Jackson continues pitching the way he did after being traded last summer, he'll set himself up for tens of millions in free agency. If he pitches the way he did before being dealt from Arizona to Chicago, his free agent stock will tumble and agent Scott Boras will be looking to find Jackson a 'pillow contract.'

Though he threw a no-hitter for the D'Backs last summer, Jackson was mediocre in his brief stint in the desert. The 27-year-old posted a 5.16 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 134 1/3 innings in hitter-friendly Chase Field before moving back to the American League, where he thrived under the tutelage of pitching coach Don Cooper.

Jackson dominated 11 starts for the White Sox after the trade, posting a 3.24 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 75 innings. Overall, Jackson posted a 49.4% ground ball rate and maintained an average fastball velocity of 94.4 mph (5th in MLB among qualified pitchers).

Like Jorge de la Rosa, who entered the 2010 season with comparable stats to the ones Jackson has now and a similarly inconsistent track record, Jackson could convince teams he's worthy of a multiyear contract by performing well in 2011, his contract year. De La Rosa, who has also been a member of five MLB organizations, missed time with a finger injury before putting together a strong season last year and he ended up with a $31.5MM contract.

If Jackson pitches reasonably well in 2010, he could ask for a contract like De La Rosa's. Jackson isn't left-handed, but he has more big league experience than De La Rosa despite being two years younger, since he first appeared in the majors as a teenager.

A poor season would limit interest in Jackson. His former teammate, Jeremy Bonderman, can attest to the fact that teams will shy away from starters if they don't have a strong walk year even if they're young and have a history of big league success (Bonderman's medical history is considerably spottier than Jackson's). But a strong season would set Jackson up as one of the top options in what will likely be a weak free agent class.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

MLBTR At FanGraphs: Every Year Is A Contract Year

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 21, 2011 at 10:30am CDT

I'm writing a series of guest posts at FanGraphs, one of the first places baseball fans go for top analysis and stats. Today, I explain that players don't have to be free agents to cash in on big years. In fact, players don't have to be arbitration eligible to turn a standout season into a new deal so, in a way, every year is a contract year.

Arbitration Recap

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 21, 2011 at 9:41am CDT

The arbitration season ended when Hunter Pence beat the Astros at Friday's hearing to give players a 2-1 advantage in the three cases that did go in front of a panel of arbitrators, as MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows

The Angels, who beat Jered Weaver and Scott Boras in arbitration, were the only team to win an arbitration hearing this year. The Pirates and Astros lost to Ross Ohlendorf and Pence, respectively and no other cases went to arbitration hearings. The three total cases matched a record low, as there have never been fewer than three hearings since 1974, when the process began, according to the AP.

The 21 extensions extensions that arbitration eligible players signed this winter helped teams avoid the arbitration process. Though some involved in the process prefer to avoid potentially disruptive hearings, this year's players appear to have enjoyed the process. Pence says his hearing was fascinating and Weaver, who remains open to a multiyear deal, says it was "kind of fun."

Last year, eight hearings took place, as three players (Corey Hart, Jeff Mathis and Cody Ross) won and five others (Ryan Theriot, Wandy Rodriguez, Sean Burnett, Brian Bruney and B.J. Upton) lost.

NL West Notes: Giants, Gonzalez, Diamondbacks

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 21, 2011 at 8:29am CDT

It's still early in Arizona, where the five NL West teams train, but that won't stop us from providing updates on some of those clubs. Here's the latest…

Giants manager Bruce Bochy repeated that he's open-minded about who ends up playing left field in 2011, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft. Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Mark DeRosa and Nate Schierholtz are all candidates to play left for San Francisco.
Edgar Renteria told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that he called the Giants' $1MM offer "a total disrespect" because of pride, not money. The 2010 World Series MVP went on to sign a $2.1MM deal with Cincinnati.
Carlos Gonzalez told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he doesn't expect to be overwhelmed by the attention that comes with national endorsement deals and his new $80MM contract with the Rockies.
D'Backs GM Kevin Towers explained to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he intends "to build [the Arizona] organization around young pitching." Pitchers like Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy and Jarrod Parker figure to be important contributors for the D'Backs' staff going forward. Kennedy, who was often grouped with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes while playing in the Yankees' system, cautions against lumping pitchers together, though.

Orioles Place Alfredo Simon On Restricted List

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 20, 2011 at 10:22pm CDT

SUNDAY, 10:22pm: MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports that Simon is expected to be found not guilty, and could be released within ten days. One of the right-hander's agents, Phil Isaac, said they "fully expect [Simon] to be back up, and pitching very soon."

Ghiroli says the Orioles could keep Simon on the restricted list until he is ready to re-join the team. He will not get paid or accrue service time in the meantime.

FRIDAY, 8:13am: The Orioles announced that they placed right-hander Alfredo Simon on the restricted list to create roster space for Vladimir Guerrero. Simon is a suspect in a fatal New Year's Eve shooting in the Dominican, where he is currently in jail.

Players on the restricted list do not count toward a team's 25-man or 40-man roster. Two of the players to go on the restricted list recently, Carlos Zambrano and Milton Bradley, kept collecting paychecks while on the list, but it appears that Simon won't collect service time or salary. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com says the Orioles won't be paying the reliever.

Quick Hits: Millwood, Furcal, Drese, Varitek, Young

By Steve Adams | February 20, 2011 at 10:06pm CDT

Some links to sift through on a slow Sunday evening…

Kevin Millwood is working out and throwing simulated games at agent Scott Boras' training facility according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons (on Twitter). He says the righty is "waiting for the right widespread panic," similar to Kyle Lohse prior to the 2008 season. Earlier today we learned that Millwood rejected a minor league offer from the Yankees.
Rafael Furcal isn't thinking about the $12MM option in his contract, writes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Yesterday we found out that the option can automatically vest with 600 plate appearances this season.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tells the story of Ryan Drese, who is attempting a comeback with the Orioles this year.
Having embraced his role as a backup, Jason Varitek wants to play into his 40s, writes MLB.com's Ian Browne. Varitek will turn 39 on April 11 this season.
If Michael Young had to choose a villain in the ongoing saga of his trade request, it's best that he chose Jon Daniels, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
Jon Paul Morosi takes a look at the communication issues that led us to where we stand now in regards to the Young situation.
This will be Dustin McGowan's last attempt at a comeback, writes John Lott of the Ottawa Citizen. McGowan has undergone two shoulder surgeries and a knee surgery since 2008, and says he won't endure another shoulder surgery if the injury barks up again.

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