Dan Lozano To Represent Alex Rodriguez
Agent Dan Lozano signed Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez for all baseball-related work, reports Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (subscription required). On the surface it doesn't seem that A-Rod has much need for an agent, since he is signed through 2017. Rodriguez left the Boras corporation last summer. Steve Loy of Gaylord Sports Management handles Rodriguez's marketing.
Lozano left Beverly Hills Sports Council about a year ago. His robust client list includes impending free agents Albert Pujols and Jimmy Rollins, as MLBTR's agency database shows.
Mariners Designate Ryan Langerhans For Assignment
The Mariners announced they've designated Ryan Langerhans for assignment to make room for outfielder Mike Wilson, tweets ESPN 710's Shannon Drayer.
Langerhans, 31, hit .173/.317/.346 in 64 plate appearances for the Mariners this year after re-signing on a minor league deal in December. Langerhans is no stranger to the DFA, as this is the third time in his career. Other candidates to be removed from the roster, such as Milton Bradley and Chris Ray, live to see another day.
Rosenthal On Hendry, Indians, Kelly Johnson
The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- On Saturday Rosenthal talked about the "consensus in the game is that the Cubs need to show progress for GM Jim Hendry to keep his job beyond this season." Rosenthal, however, feels that the Ricketts family should extend Hendry, who in his estimation has built a team that is positioned to contend for the next several years. The club may have over $60MM to spend in 2012 salaries during the offseason, so the Cubs' GM, whoever it is, should be a major player in the free agent market.
- Rosenthal wonders whether the Indians will be willing to part with prospects for midseason reinforcements, having assembled much of their promising team through trades. Earlier this month, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith discussed the Indians' approach with GM Chris Antonetti.
- If the Diamondbacks want to acquire a pitcher, they're most likely to move Kelly Johnson according to Rosenthal. He feels that they'd be open to swapping Johnson for a starter "at a comparable salary and service level," though Johnson would need to start producing first. It's tough for me to identify a team positioned to swap a starter for Johnson, as well.
- Jered Weaver has the best stuff in the game, says Red Sox DH David Ortiz. Click here for my take on how much Weaver might earn in his 2012 contract year.
2012 Contract Issues: Kansas City Royals
The Royals are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series. Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:
Eligible For Free Agency (6)
- Catchers Jason Kendall and Matt Treanor will be eligible for free agency, so look for the Royals to acquire a veteran backstop this offseason.
- With Kyle Davies, Bruce Chen, and Jeff Francis signed through 2011, three-fifths of the club's current rotation will be up in the air. The Royals might lose a couple of veteran lefties, but in Mike Montgomery, John Lamb, Danny Duffy, and Chris Dwyer, they've got four highly-rated southpaws not far from the Majors. Aaron Crow has pitched well out of the team's big league bullpen, but he could also be in the rotation mix next year. I can picture the Royals adding a veteran free agent or two for depth.
- Infielder Wilson Betemit may be approaching free agency at the ideal time, as he's assembled a .300/.374/.497 line in 422 plate appearances in his Royals career to date. He should be able to continue as a third base regular with another club.
Contract Options (2)
- Joakim Soria: $6MM club option with a $750K buyout. Arbitration eligible if declined. Soria hasn't been himself this year, though much of the damage came in one outing against the White Sox. At any rate, he's not going anywhere.
- Jeff Francoeur: $3MM mutual option. Did you know Francoeur is currently tied with Howie Kendrick for the American League lead in total bases? He could end up knocking 30 home runs for the first time in his career. Wil Myers is learning to play right field in Double-A currently, so the Royals may prefer a stopgap solution at most for 2012.
Arbitration Eligible (8)
- First time: Mike Aviles, Mitch Maier, Chris Getz
- Second time: Luke Hochevar, Brayan Pena
- Third time: Robinson Tejeda, Alex Gordon
- Fourth time: Melky Cabrera
There may be a few non-tenders in this group, but Aviles, Maier, Hochevar, Tejeda, Gordon, and Cabrera are likely to be retained. I'll estimate something like $15MM for the six.
2012 Payroll Obligation
The Royals' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is about $17MM assuming Soria's option is picked up. $15MM for the key arbitration eligibles puts them around $32MM, $6MM shy of this year's payroll and about $40MM short of the '09 and '10 payrolls. The Royals will probably increase their free agent activity during the 2011-12 offseason, as things may already be starting to come together.
Mariners Must Clear 40-Man Roster Spot
27-year-old outfielder Mike Wilson is off to a blazing start for the Tacoma Raniers, with a .381/.429/.683 line in 70 plate appearances. He'll be called up to the Mariners before Tuesday's game in Baltimore, reports Ryan Divish of The News Tribune. Since he's not on the 40-man roster, the Mariners will need to clear a spot.
Divish ran through players who could be removed from the 40-man, and came up with minor leaguers Edward Paredes and Yoervis Medina as well as Mariners Chris Ray, Milton Bradley, and Ryan Langerhans. It's time to end the Bradley experiment, writes Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner. In the opinion of Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, it will down to Ray or Langerhans.
Releasing Bradley would require eating the remainder of his contract. He has just under $9.5MM remaining on the deal he signed with the Cubs in January of '09. Bradley has a .209/.298/.351 line in 393 plate appearances for the Mariners since the beginning of the 2010 season.
Trade Candidate: Heath Bell
The Padres' Heath Bell has been one of baseball's best closers over the past two-plus seasons, racking up 89 saves in 2009-10. Though he's undoubtedly benefited from the pitcher-friendly dimensions of his home digs, PETCO Park, Bell's output is no fluke: He's posted closer-worthy peripherals since establishing himself as a big league reliever.
Now in the final year of his contract before free agency, however, Bell, 33, is a trade candidate on a cost-conscious Padres team that may not be able to afford investing too heavily in a closer. As well, the Friars have excellent setup men in Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson and Chad Qualls, any of whom could capably take over closing duties if need be.
Earlier this year, Bell expressed that he'd like to stay in San Diego, and a rumors of an extension were cropping up. Those talks have cooled, however, and thought it's too early to write off any team, the Padres are six games under .500 through their first 34 tilts and struggling considerably on offense. In fact, Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that the Padres should think about peeling off a reliever – perhaps Bell – now, to beef up their lineup.
Bell, like the Mets' Francisco Rodriguez, could be an intriguing rental for a contending team looking to bolster its bullpen, and unlike K-Rod, Bell's contract doesn't include that tricky games-finished option, meaning an acquiring team could use him at will.
Here's a list of some teams that could be in the running for Bell's services, should he be made available:
- Cardinals. You don't need to follow the @closernews Twitter feed to know that the Redbirds have been unsettled in the ninth inning recently. Bell could be the linch pin to a bullpen that can't seem to produce a clear-cut closer.
- Rangers. Neftali Feliz is a top-flight closer, but his recent stint on the DL exposed Texas' relatively thin relief corps. Bell could be an ideal setup man and spot-closer when the Rangers want to rest the younger pitcher's prized arm.
- Phillies. Brad Lidge, currently on the DL, is on the mend but is injury- and slump-prone, and Jose Contreras is hurt, too. Bell could solidify the Phils' bullpen with Ryan Madson and the emergent Antonio Bastardo. Remember: The Phils are a win-now team in a big market, so they'd probably make a deal like this if they think it'd put them over the top.
- Marlins. The Marlins' early success has surprised some, largely on the strength of a revamped, so-called no-name bullpen – including the likes of Michael Dunn, Ryan Webb and Brian Sanches. Still, closer Leo Nunez has struggled in the past, and Bell would probably become their best reliever.
- Indians. The Tribe are another pleasant surprise getting by with an unheralded bullpen, and Bell could make a formidable late-inning duo with closer Chris Perez.
MLBTR Originals: 5/1/11 – 5/8/11
Among the many topics covered in this week's MLBTR original analysis was, of course, the no-hitters of Francisco Liriano and Justin Verlander. You can find those pieces and other insights from MLBTR's writing staff right here:
- Verlander reflected on his achievement and his career development, as Ben Nicholson-Smith writes.
- With roughly five weeks of the season in the rearview, Mike Axisa looks at the performances of this offseason's free agents: Which ones have earned their keep and which ones haven't, and the best pitchers by ERA+ and best hitters by OPS+.
- Here's the best baseball blogging of the week, as compiled by Mike.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore's offseason is looking pretty good right now, writes Ben.
- In the wake of Liriano's no-no, Howard Megdal writes that if history is any indication, the lefty improved his chances of remaining in Minnesota.
- A look at the financial implications of Eric Hosmer's promotion to the bigs.
- Mark Polishuk examines David Wright as a trade candidate, and Ben does the same with Wilson Betemit.
- Which positions players and which pitchers were the best minor league signings?
- A now famous deal between the Giants and Twins sent Liriano to Minnesota. Ben examines the transactions history of the hurlers who've thrown no-nos since 2005.
- Here's the transcript from this week's MLBTR chat with Tim Dierkes.
- Jered Weaver is off to a ridiculously hot start. Tim examines how much the righty will make next year.
- The red-hot Indians are all the rage. Here's their recent trade history, and here's how they were built.
- Our Contract Issues series continues with the Astros, the Angels, and the Mets.
- This piece, by Ben, will help you keep tabs on those former relievers who have converted to starting.
- Tim looks back at Tim Lincecum's historic arbitration case and wonders what it might mean as the ace is once again eligible for arbitration after the 2011 season.
- The Offseason In Review series is complete.
Nationals Acquire Gregor Blanco
The Nationals acquired Gregor Blanco from the Royals for a player to be named later, according to the team's Twitter account.
Blanco, 27, is a career .258/.358/.324 hitter who came to the Royals with Tim Collins and Jesse Chavez in the trade that sent Kyle Farnsworth and Rick Ankiel to Atlanta last season. Ironically, Blanco may be an option to challenge Ankiel for playing time in Washington. The Nationals have been looking for center field options after trading Nyjer Morgan to Milwaukee and making Ankiel their everyday center fielder. Ankiel has struggled with just a .221/.302/.288 slash line in 118 PAs.
Blanco's best assets are his ability to draw a walk (career BB% of 12.8%) and his speed. He owns 209 minor league stolen bases to go along with 26 at the Major League level. While he struggled early in his career, his success rate has improved over the past few seasons.
Week In Review: 5/1/11 – 5/7/11
Happy Mother's Day! Let's take a look back at the week that was:
- The Rangers officially signed Cuban defector Leonys Martin to a five-year, $15.5MM contract that includes a $5MM signing bonus. We'd been hearing a deal was close with the speedy outfielder for weeks. Martin, 23, will likely begin his pro career at Double-A.
- Kevin Millwood opted out of his contract with the Yankees and said he hoped to sign elsewhere this week, but hasn't done so as of yet.
- We've seen Justin Upton, Jay Bruce, and Carlos Gonzalez all locked up in the past year, and the Pirates may be looking to extend another of the game's best young outfielders. They're currently in talks with Andrew McCutchen about a long-term deal.
- The Giants have discussed attempting to acquire Jose Reyes internally, following Miguel Tejada's struggles at shortstop. Mike Fontenot is currently manning short on an everyday basis for the defending World Champs.
- Despite a dreadful start to the season, the White Sox aren't looking to make big changes yet. If they remain out of contention though, they'd have plenty of appealing pieces to sell off at the deadline.
- The Mets received terrible news this week when they learned that top prospect Jenrry Mejia has a complete tear of the MCL in his elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery.
- Both Todd Wellemeyer and former first rounder Russ Adams officially retired this week. Best of luck to both in their lives after baseball.
- Ken Rosenthal's Full Count video provided updates on the job status of Dodgers GM Ned Colletti and Cubs GM Jim Hendry, and told us that the Royals could buy and sell this July if they remain in contention.
- Jason Heyward found himself a new agent this week. He'll now be represented by Casey Close, who also represents Derek Jeter and Ryan Howard.
- The Cubs released former top prospect Max Ramirez. Ramirez was claimed off waivers twice this offseason, but Chicago passed him through waivers to send him to Triple-A at the end of Spring Training. Given the number of teams who need catching depth, he should catch on elsewhere.
- Other moves this week included the Brewers acquiring minor leaguer Jordan Brown from the Indians, the Yankees claiming Jess Todd from Cleveland and subsquently designating Kevin Russo for assignment, and Felipe Lopez being DFA'ed by the Rays and clearing waivers. For all of the week's minor moves, check our Transactions tag or use MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.
Quick Hits: Morales, Padres, Cardinals, Hamels
Links for Sunday, as players around the league break out the pink bats. Happy Mother's Day!
- Kendrys Morales will travel to Vail, Colorado to see a foot specialist for a second opinion on his left ankle, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times. In a followup tweet, DiGiovanna says that they've "explored" the possibility of surgery. Mark Trumbo has filled in for Morales with a .265/.296/.500 line and six homers.
- Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Padres should consider trading one of their late-inning arms, perhaps Heath Bell, for offensive help.
- Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he's open to exploring a trade for a closer. While Mozeliak is on board with Tony La Russa's current "hot hand" approach for the ninth inning, the GM would prefer to see more defined roles in the bullpen as the season progresses.
- Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the likelihood of Phillies starter Cole Hamels playing in Philadelphia long-term.
- As Newsday's Ken Davidoff writes, there may not be any top starting pitching available at the trade deadline this year. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes drew the same conclusion after examining the midseason trade market for the AL and NL in mid-March.