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2012 Contract Issues: Cincinnati Reds

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The Reds are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series.  Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:

Eligible For Free Agency (3)

  • Ramon Hernandez's timeshare behind the plate with Ryan Hanigan is working well, and if the Reds can re-up Hernandez in the $3MM range again I think they will.  On the other hand, as several readers have pointed out, prospect Devin Mesoraco is knocking on the door.
  • Jonny Gomes has not seemed to be the Reds' Plan A in recent offseasons.  It's too early to predict what the offseason holds for Gomes or whether his 20% walk rate means anything.
  • Edgar Renteria will also be eligible for free agency.

Contract Options (2)

  • Francisco Cordero: $12MM club option with a $1MM buyout.  Cordero blew eight saves last year but is three for three in 2011.  Regardless, I can't imagine the Reds picking this up.
  • Brandon Phillips: $12MM club option with a $1MM buyout.  Phillips' power came back down to Earth in '09 and '10, though he's off to a great start this year.  Phillips would like a new contract with the Reds.  I'm not sure whether the Reds will be up for that, but I can picture them exercising the option.

Arbitration Eligible (8)

Not everyone in this group will make it to the point of being tendered a contract.  Bailey, Volquez, Janish, Bray, and Masset should be retained, which could cost around $10MM in total.

2012 Payroll Obligation

The Reds' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $51.558MM not including Phillips' buyout.  If he and the arbitration eligibles are retained they could be in the $74MM range, about $7MM shy of this year's payroll.  GM Walt Jocketty won't have much to work with unless payroll is increased, though he would gain flexibility if Phillips is let go or extended on a backloaded deal.

Trade Candidate: Francisco Rodriguez

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78910062528_Twins_at_Mets The season is but a few weeks old,and we've already seen a fair amount of upheaval at the closer's role. That's not unexpected, of course; each year seems to bring a slew of injuries and demotion-prompting ineffectiveness among the league's closers. With such a high turnover rate, many teams understandably prefer to turn over closing duties to cheaper guys – it's just better business. Still, the lure of relying on a top-tier, tested closer can be tough to resist for a contending team.

With the Mets in the early stages of what many project to be a rebuilding mode, Francisco Rodriguez makes for an intriguing potential trade candidate. He could probably be acquired without giving up much in return, but between his pricey 2012 option and limited (10 teams) no-trade clause, it won't be easy. The $17.5MM option for '12 will vest with 55 games finished (and if K-Rod's deemed healthy). That's an unsightly price tag for a closer and would be especially garish if the Mets aren't contending. If the option doesn't vest, K-Rod will get a $3.5MM buyout.

We've heard that the Mets won't allow K-Rod to finish that many games, but in his first six seasons as a full-time closer from 2005-10, K-Rod averaged 59 games finished. With eight appearances and six games finished in the Mets' first 22 tilts this season, he's on pace for 59 appearances and 44 games finished. Those figures, however, could be a bit skewed by the Mets' slow start.

As unattractive as that vesting option is for the Mets, it's equally, if not more, unattractive to a potential trade partner. Typically, a contending team that's acquiring a pending-free-agent closer would like to use the pitcher as often as necessary – and not have to worry about financial ramifications. As well, Rodgriguez's season ended prematurely in 2010 after injuring his hand in a clubhouse altercation with his father-in-law. That won't reflect well under "makeup" on those scouting reports.

Between the specter of the vesting option and Rodriguez's limited no-trade clause, it figures to severely limit his trade market. A savvy buyer, though, could look into acquiring him as a setup man/secondary closer so as to circumvent the games finished.

Whether the Mets can deal K-Rod remains to be seen, but his games finished – and option – bears watching regardless. He won't be the most sought-after closer out there, as that distinction belongs to Heath Bell. The market for Bell could be fierce, though, and he won't come cheaply, at least not for a while. But a reliever like K-Rod – a 2.49 career ERA and 272 saves – should garner some interest.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

East Notes: Beato, Ibanez, Emaus, Hulett

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Here are some items of note and musings coming out of the East divisions as Phillies interim closer Jose Contreras hits the DL …

  • Mets reliever Pedro Beato, a Rule 5 draftee this offseason, is pitching well, writes Thomas Boorstein of MLB.com. "I've been impressed ever since he walked into camp," Mets manager Terry Collins said. Earlier this week, the Mets returned second baseman Brad Emaus – their other Rule 5 pick – to the Blue Jays, who flipped him in turn to the Rockies, but it looks like Beato has a good shot of sticking with the Mets throughout the season.
  • Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez is struggling, as is Philly's lineup on the whole, and David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders how long the Phils will continue to start Ibanez. Should the Phils choose to divvy up starts between John Mayberry Jr., Ben Francisco and Domonic Brown, it would be interesting to see whether they would look into trading the 39-year-old. Ibanez is past his prime, sure, but he posted a triple-slash of .272/.347/.552 as recently as two years ago, and his contract expires at season's end, so he could draw interest at a cheap price. However, he does have no-trade protection.
  • The Blue Jays will place second baseman Aaron Hill on the DL, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. We'll never know the answer, but I wonder whether the Jays would have held onto Emaus to fill in briefly with Hill, Jayson Nix, and Edwin Encarnacion being banged up. Of course, it seems pretty clear that the Jays had made the decision that Emaus didn't factor into their plans, but they are stretched thin now, as John McDonald and Mike McCoy started at third and second base, respectively, on Sunday.
  • The Nationals signed infielder Tug Hulett to a minor league contract, according to NBC Sports. Hulett last appeared in the big leagues with the Royals in 2009. He was with the Rockies earlier this season but was let go after Colorado acquired Emaus.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Brewers, Sampson, Yankees

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Some links for Sunday afternoon..

Week In Review: 4/17/11 – 4/23/11

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It's time to take a look back at the week that was..

Cafardo On Dodgers, Upton, Doumit, Red Sox

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Do not expect Dodgers owner Frank McCourt to go quietly into the night, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  The McCourt-Bud Selig saga could turn out to be one of the great sports legal battles of the 21st century.  While he's been silent publicly, major league sources close to McCourt indicate he is flabbergasted by Selig’s actions, and that he has not been able to discuss the issues with the commissioner face-to-face.  Here's more from Cafardo's Sunday column..

  • A couple of major league evaluators say the Rays could explore moving B.J. Upton if they fall out of contention, or even if they’re in contention.  They’d like to make a deal similar to the Matt Garza trade, in which they received good talent, including Sam Fuld.
  • The Pirates received calls on catcher Ryan Doumit this winter but the talks eventually petered out.  The Red Sox could be in the market for a backstop, but one talent evaluator says that Doumit isn't a great receiver and the club is better off sticking with Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Pittsburgh’s Chris Snyder, who is off to a hot start, could also be available.
  • The Nationals are thought to be in the market for a center fielder and/or someone who can add give a boost to the Nats offense.
  • The White Sox lead the majors with six blown saves, but one club exec stands by the team's decision to let Bobby Jenks go.  Even though Jenks may do very well with Boston, it was the right decision, even if it doesn't look like it right now.
  • Cafardo was surprised to see BoSox chariman Tom Werner issue a statement that he wasn’t interested in pursuing ownership of the Dodgers.  Werner has Los Angeles roots and was once the owner of the Padres.  The chairman himself pointed out that his business and personal relationships with John Henry are too good to walk away from.

Olney On Rangers, Bell, Dodgers

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Reds slugger Joey Votto could be on his way to a second-straight MVP award, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.  Pitchers now work around Votto with extreme wariness and the 27-year-old can no longer predict what's coming.  Because of that, the first baseman has adapted and learned to work with what he's given.  Here's more from Olney..

  • The Rangers bullpen has taken a major blow after losing closer Neftali Feliz to the disabled list.  This is a difficult time to land a reliever, especially a closer, because other teams will have a skyhigh asking price. For example, Olney writes that if Texas were to call the Padres about Heath Bell, the Padres would ask for a great deal in return, even though Bell is likely to be dealt this season.
  • In the highest offices of a handful of other teams, there is heavy speculation that Brewers owner Mark Attanasio would be the most likely candidate to move from one team to the Dodgers.  This can only happen, of course, if Major League Baseball maintains their hold on the club and if they decides to have an established owner take over the Dodgers.  Such a scenario, Olney writes, would take months to play out.

Quick Hits: Figueroa, Mock, Martin, Mets

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Links for Saturday night, after Jose Bautista extended his on-base streak to ten consecutive plate appearances…

  • The Brewers formally announced their minor league contract with infielder Luis Figueroa, reports MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (on Twitter). The deal was first agreed to last weekend.
  • Left-hander Lee Hyde was designated for assignment by the Nationals earlier today, but Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post reports that Garrett Mock was also a candidate to get the axe. He was spared and instead placed on the disabled list.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand that the Yankees tried to acquire Russell Martin via trade in each of the last three seasons (Twitter link). Cashman got his man this winter, signing him as a free agent after the Dodgers non-tendered him.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson indicated to Andy Martino of The New York Daily News that there just aren’t any moves to be made right now. “In this situation, there’s not a lot that someone in my situation can do,” said Alderson. “It’s almost organic. [If any moves] happen, if it’s going to happen from within.”

This Date In Transactions History: Joaquin Arias

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39602275_Mariners_v_Rangers The "player to be named later" is one of baseball's many transactions  quirks. They must be named within six months of the trade, but are often agreed upon by the two teams long before that. Sometimes the November 40-man roster freeze gets in the way, sometimes it's because a player just signed his first professional contract and isn't eligible to be traded yet (a player can not officially be traded until a year after he signs his first contract). Sometimes it's just a placeholder, a piece of the puzzle the two clubs will figure out later.

Currently part of the Royals organization, Joaquin Arias knows what being a PTBNL is like. The Yankees signed him out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old back in 2001, giving him a $300K signing bonus. They then watched him hit a respectable .300/.338/.394 with 12 walks and just 16 strikeouts in 218 plate appearances with their rookie level Gulf Coast League affiliate the following year. He impressed the Yankees enough that they bumped him up to their Low-A affiliate in 2003, when he was still just 18. Arias hit just .266/.306/.343 in 520 plate appearances that year, but he dazzled scouts with "plus-plus range and speed" to go along with "outstanding bat speed and raw power" according to Baseball America.

Unfortunately for Arias, he would never advance further in the Yankees' system. Seven years ago today, the Rangers officially acquired him from New York as the player to be named in the Alex Rodriguez trade. Texas chose Arias from a pool of five prospects that included Robinson Cano and current Astros' reliever Jose Valdez. At the time, Arias was ranked as the fourth best prospect in the Yankees' system by Baseball America while Cano ranked sixth and Valdez placed 21st.

Arias climbed the minor league ladder steadily after the trade, making his Major League debut in 2006. He bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the minors for the next few seasons, not sticking in the big leagues for good until he was out-of-options in 2010. Overall, he hit just .286/.322/.279 in 242 career plate appearances for the Rangers before being traded to the Mets for Jeff Francoeur last summer. Although his career has been unremarkable thus far, Arias will always be able to say that he was traded for one of the greatest players in baseball history, even if he had to wait a few weeks to be included.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Marlins To Sign Gabe Gross

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The Marlins have signed Gabe Gross to a minor league contract, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). Like the Chris Sampson deal, this one is pending a physical.

Gross, 31, asked the Mariners for his release in March after having a poor Spring Training. He hit just .239/.290/.311 for the A's last year, and is a .239/.330/.385 hitter in 1,680 career plate appearances. Gross' defense in right field has been particularly strong, though.

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