Yankees Notes: Swisher, Sabathia, Soriano, Garcia
With a month and a half remaining in the regular season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post takes a look at a few subplots facing the Yankees as they prepare for the playoffs and the subsequent offseason. Let's check out the highlights….
- Nick Swisher's OPS sat at .649 heading into June, but he's posted a .941 mark since then. Given his improved play, the Yankees will likely view his $10.25MM option for next year as reasonably priced, and bring him back.
- It's nearly a certainty that C.C. Sabathia exercises his opt-out at season's end. Sherman sees the 31-year-old asking for a raise, from the four years and $92MM he'll have left, to no less than the seven years and $161MM he originally signed for.
- Rafael Soriano has allowed one baserunner in six outings since coming off the DL, leading Sherman to wonder if the righty's opt-out could become a factor this winter. Considering how strong the relief market will be, I can't imagine even Scott Boras finding a deal better than the two years and $23MM Soriano has remaining on his current contract.
- There's no guarantee Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia are Yankees next season, but Garcia projects as a Type B free agent, meaning the club figures to at least offer him arbitration.
- Speaking of starters facing free agency, Jason Marquis tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he'd love to represent his hometown and pitch for the Yankees or Mets. Taking into account their divisions and home parks, the Mets may be more appealing for Marquis than the Yanks, but either way, Marquis suggests he'll "explore that avenue when the season is done."
Quick Hits: Marquis, Pedroia, Mariners
A few links of note for my fellow night owls …
- Diamondbacks right-hander Jason Marquis may once again rekindle his interest in pitching for either his hometown Mets or Yankees this offseason when he enters free agency, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. “I’m a New York guy, and I have always dreamed of playing for the Yankees or Mets, representing my hometown," said Marquis. The veteran was thought to have talked with the Mets prior to 2010 before signing with the Nationals, although those talks apparently never became serious.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com looks at the uniquely structured contract of Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. There's a lot going on with this deal, but the takeaway is that there are escalators that can kick in depending upon where Pedroia finishes in MVP voting. Check it out here at Cot's Baseball Contracts.
- The Mariners have signed fifth-round pick Tyler Marlette, a high school catcher out of Florida, for $650K, writes Jim Callis of Baseball America. MLB's slot recommendation for the 153rd overall pick is $165.6K, according to Callis. Marlette was ranked No. 72 overall in BA's pre-draft rankings.
Central Notes: Leyland, Big Z, Brewers, Lindor
Here's the latest from some of baseball's central clubs, as the division-leading Tigers stage a comeback against the O's on the strength of a Miguel Cabrera three-run bomb …
- Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who signed a one-year extension through 2012 on Monday, won't retire even if his club goes deep into the postseason, two sources tell Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- The Cubs knew within two hours of Carlos Zambrano's tirade that he wasn't serious about retiring, and the righty returned his belongings to his locker later that night, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Of course, these are the events that led to Big Z being added to the disqualified list earlier today.
- The Brewers probably won't reach agreement with their first-round picks, Taylor Jungmann and Jed Bradley, before Monday, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter).
- Talks twixt the Indians and first-round pick Francisco Lindor (No. 8 overall) could also come down to the wire on Monday, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Lindor, a shortstop, is represented by Sportsmeter, LLC, the same agency that brokered supplemental rounder Nick Castellanos' $3.45MM bonus with the Tigers last season, as Bastian notes. That sum was the fifth-highest among last year's first and supplemental rounders.
Marlins Release Wes Helms
The Marlins have released infielder Wes Helms, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (via Twitter).
Helms, 35, was hitting .193/.279/.239 at the time of his release. The Marlins signed him to a one-year, $1MM extension through 2011 last August, at which point there was talk of him remaining with the organization beyond his playing days as a coach.
Helms is a career .256/.318/.405 hitter in parts of 13 seasons with the Braves, Brewers, Marlins and Phillies, mostly as a reserve and pinch-hitter. His best season was in 2003, when he hit .261/.330/.450 with 23 homers as an everyday player for Milwaukee.
The past few seasons haven't been especially productive ones for Helms, so there's a chance he could call it a career here.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Wandy, Reds, Rays
Here's the latest Full Count video clip from Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com:
- The Astros may place lefty Wandy Rodriguez on waivers next week, and it's possible but unlikely that Rodriguez will be claimed by another team. He stands to earn $36MM over the next three seasons, which could be a deterrent for teams considering a claim, but if he clears, the Diamondbacks and other teams may show interest in working out a trade.
- The Reds have not seen a significant spike in attendance coming off last season's division title and will likely be relatively inactive this offseason.
- The Rays considered trading center fielder B.J. Upton in July, but they may hold him this offseason and allow him to walk in free agency after 2012. The Rays value Upton highly and think they may not be able to spend his 2012 salary, which Rosenthal estimates will be roughly $7MM, any better on another player or players.
- Tampa might be more willing to trade righty James Shields, who would probably yield a greater return than Upton.
- The Yankees will not release catcher Jorge Posada, which is why they're having trouble squeezing prospect Jesus Montero to the big leagues. The Yanks do not want to go to an 11-man pitching staff, which they'd have to do if they called up Montero.
Cubs’ Pick Baez Remains Unsigned
7:25pm: The Cubs have not reached an agreement with Baez, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
6:48pm: The Cubs have agreed to terms with shortstop Javier Baez, the No. 9 overall selection in this year's draft, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (via Twitter).
The terms of the contract have not yet been announced. MLB's slot recommendation for the No. 9 pick is $1.962MM, according to Baseball America.
Baez, 18, was selected out of Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Fla. He was the fourth position player and second shortstop taken, the first being Francisco Lindor, whom the Indians took at No. 8. Per our list of first and supplemental rounders, Baez becomes the 11th first-round selection to agree to terms or sign.
Cubs To Retain GM Jim Hendry
The Cubs will hold onto general manager Jim Hendry, barring a change of thinking among the team's owners, the Ricketts family, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
There has been plenty of speculation over the course of this season, another disappointing one for the North Siders, that this could be Hendry's last year at the helm, although it has been reported previously on several occasions that the Ricketts and Hendry have a strong relationship. Tom Ricketts, chairman and one of the owners of the Cubs, gave Hendry a vote of confidence last season.
This offseason and next will be big ones for the Cubs. Aramis Ramirez (club option), Carlos Pena, John Grabow and Kerry Wood will be free agents after this season. Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Sean Marshall are slated to be free agents the following offseason. Alfonso Soriano, whose eight-year, $136MM deal has been a defining transaction of Hendry's tenure, is under contract through 2014.
Hendry became the GM of the Cubs in 2002, succeeding Andy MacPhail. The Cubs have reached the postseason three times under his guidance.
Draft Signings: Blue Jays, Indians, Red Sox, Pirates
The draft signing deadline is now less than three full days away, and the signing status of all first and supplemental first round picks can be found right here. We'll keep track of all the day's notable signings right here, with the latest up top…
- The Blue Jays have signed third rounder Josh Stilson for $500K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America. MLB's slot recommendation was just about $290K. Stilson, a right-hander from Texas A&M, was expected to be a first round pick before injuring his shoulder this spring.
- The Indians have signed 19th round pick Shawn Morimando, according to the Reynolds Sports Twitter feed. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports (on Twitter) that the high school left-hander from Virginia Beach received a $350K signing bonus.
- The Red Sox have signed 29th rounder Matt Spalding for $275K, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Spalding is a high school right-hander from Kentucky.
- The Pirates announced that they have signed 12th rounder Candon Myles in a press release. He's a high school center fielder from Texas, and his signing bonus was undisclosed.
NL West Notes: Romero, Dodgers, Giants, Padres
Here's the latest from the NL West…
- Lefty reliever J.C. Romero is with the Rockies today according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter), but he has not signed. Troy Renck of The Denver Post says (on Twitter) that Romero will see a doctor and throw a bullpen tomorrow, and if all goes well, he could be added to the roster as soon as Monday. The Yankees released Romero earlier this week.
- Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers are currently on pace to lose more than $42MM in annual revenue since 2009, their last playoff appearance. Shaikin also has a breakdown of some payments the team made in recent years, including more than $5K for Red Sox tickets.
- A source told Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle that the Astros asked the Giants for one of their untouchable prospects "plus plus" in exchange for Hunter Pence before the trade deadline (Twitter link).
- Tyler Kepner of The New York Times wrote about the Padres and their knack for finding relievers in uncommon places, including Josh Spence. The left-hander from Australia has a 1.61 ERA in 22 1/3 innings since being called up, and lefties have hit just .140/.159/.279 off him.
- Despite a 38-56 record in their lasts 94 games, SI.com's Jon Heyman says (on Twitter) that the job of Rockies manager Jim Tracy is not in jeopardy.
Yankees Sign Scott Proctor
The Yankees have signed Scott Proctor to a minor league contract, reports Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News (on Twitter). He'll report to their Triple-A affiliate early next week.
Proctor, 34, was released by the Braves earlier this week. He had pitched to a 6.44 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 in 29 1/3 relief innings with Atlanta this season before being let go. Proctor spent parts of four seasons with the Yankees, posting a 4.29 ERA in 226 1/3 innings from 2004-2007. That was several arm injuries ago, however.