Week In Review: 10/30/11 – 11/5/11
Tonight is the deadline to enter your picks in MLBTR's Free Agent contest, so be sure to get them in for your chance to win your share of the prizes. Let's take a look back at the past seven days:
- Frank McCourt agreed to sell the Dodgers, and will seek approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for an auction of the team. Earlier in the week we heard that Mark Cuban has interest in buying the team and could make a bid.
- The Yankees retained C.C. Sabathia before he even hit the open market by adding on an extra year at $25MM and a vesting option with a $5MM buyout. Here's some reactions to the signing.
- The Indians acquired Derek Lowe from the Braves in exchange for minor leaguer Chris Jones. The Braves are on the hook for $10MM of Lowe's salary, but managed to successfully save $5MM by shipping the veteran righty to Cleveland.
- Jim Thome is returning to the Phillies on a one-year deal worth $1.25MM.
- On Monday morning, Tony La Russa announced his retirement after 33 seasons as a manager. La Russa captured three World Championships in his career and won Manager of the Year four times.
- The Nationals announced on Monday that they've exercised manager Davey Johnson's option for 2012.
- The Giants and Javier Lopez have agreed to a two-year, $8.5MM contract and shortly thereafter exercised Jeremy Affeldt's $5MM club option for 2012.
- The Dodgers retained Juan Rivera by locking him up to a one-year deal worth $4.5MM.
- The Cubs exercised their $16MM option on Aramis Ramirez, but the slugging third baseman exercised a contractual right to void the option and forfeit his $2MM buyout. Ramirez, a projected Type B free agent, will explore the free agent market following a season in which he belted 26 homers and posted a .306/.361/.510 triple slash line.
- The Nationals also retained a player when they guaranteed Chien-Ming Wang $4MM on an incentive-laden one-year deal for the 2012 season.
- The Diamondbacks signed John McDonald to a two-year, $3MM deal and also inked Henry Blanco to a one-year deal worth $1.2MM. In addition to the on-field decisions, the club also extended both GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson.
- The Brewers declined the $17.5MM option on Francisco Rodriguez and the $6MM option on Yuniesky Betancourt. The pair will receive buyouts of $3.5MM and $2MM, respectively.
- The Mets are prepared to offer Jose Reyes a four-year deal worth $60-$70MM, but their hope of retaining their superstar shortstop is dwindling.
- The Braves are open to moving both Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado, but a potential deal in which Atlanta tried to acquire Wil Myers and Lorenzo Cain from the Royals fell through.
- The Giants are open to trading Jonathan Sanchez, who should draw some interest given his high strikeout totals and the relative weakness of the free agent market.
- The Cardinals declined their options for Octavio Dotel and Rafael Furcal.
- The Red Sox exercised their $6MM option on Marco Scutaro for the 2012 season.
- C.J. Wilson said there is a "great" chance that he stays with the Rangers. The Yankees will also be in contact with Wilson.
- Roy Oswalt is in search of a multiyear deal, and the Nationals will be players for his services.
- The Marlins will make the starting rotation their top priority this offseason.
- The Phillies are said to be in "serious pursuit" of Michael Cuddyer, which could be bad news for the Twins and his many other suitors.
- The Diamondbacks exercised their sides of the mutual options for Henry Blanco and Willie Bloomquist, while declining their team options for Zach Duke and Aaron Hill. However, Bloomquist has declined his side of the mutual option and would like to work out a longer deal.
- The Blue Jays announced that they exercised their 2012 option for Edwin Encarnacion and declined their option for Jon Rauch.
- The Royals announced that they exercised their 2012 option for closer Joakim Soria. Soria will earn a $6MM salary, rather than a $750K buyout.
- The Reds exercised Brandon Phillips' 2012 option and declined their option for Francisco Cordero. The Reds will pay Cordero a $1MM buyout instead of a $12MM salary and they'll pay Phillips a $12MM salary instead of a $1MM buyout.
- The Padres announced they've declined their options on Aaron Harang, Brad Hawpe, and Chad Qualls. Only Harang was slightly in question as he had a $5MM mutual option with a $500K buyout.
- The Rays exercised Kyle Farnsworth's 2012 option while declining Kelly Shoppach's. Meanwhile, they exercised James Shields' $7.5MM option. Shields would not have been eligible for free agency if the Rays had declined the option. Instead, Tampa Bay would have gone to arbitration with Shields and he would have obtained a salary in excess of $7.5MM.
- Mariners reliever David Aardsma cleared waivers and elected free agency.
- The White Sox exercised their $3.75MM club option on reliever Jason Frasor.
- The Indians exercised their club option on Fausto Carmona and declined their option on Grady Sizemore. Carmona would have earned more than the $7MM option price as an arbitration eligible player, and the Indians made the expected choice to retain him.
- The Pirates announced they've declined club options on Paul Maholm, Chris Snyder, Ryan Doumit, and Ronny Cedeno. Cedeno was the one unknown of the bunch.
- The Rockies declined their 2012 option on righty Aaron Cook.
- The Rangers exercised their 2012 option for Yoshinori Tateyama and the right-hander will earn a $1MM salary in 2012.
- The Athletics will listen to offers on anyone except for Jemile Weeks. The speedy second baseman hit .303/.340/.421 and stole 22 bases in his solid but under-the-radar rookie season.
- The Yankees declined their 2012 option on righty Andrew Brackman.
- MLBTR obtained the official Elias Rankings for this upcoming offseason.
Orioles To Name Dan Duquette GM
4:11pm: CSNBaltimore's Rich Dubroff reports that Duquette's contract is expected to be a three-year deal.
2:18pm: After nearly ten years away from the game, Dan Duquette is coming back to baseball. The Orioles and Duquette have agreed to a deal that will make him their new general manager, according to Jim Bowden (on Twitter). Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com agrees, stating that the two sides are merely "dotting the I's and crossing the T's" at this point (Twitter link). Bowden says that a press conference to announce the move could come as soon as tomorrow.
Duquette, 53, served as the general manager of the Expos from 1991-1994 and then GM of the Red Sox from 1994-2002. As a GM, Duquette twice traded for Pedro Martinez (once with Montreal and once with Boston), acquired Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek in trade, and signed Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon as free agents. Before becoming GM of the Expos, he oversaw the team's farm system, which produced Vladimir Guerrero and Cliff Floyd, among others. Other major credits on his resume include drafting Nomar Garciaparra and leading the Red Sox to an AL East title in 1995 and back-to-back playoff appearances in 1998 and 1999 as the American League Wild Card winner.
Prior to being hired by the Orioles, Duquette had interviewed for the GM opening with the Angels that was later filled by Jerry Dipoto.
MLBTR's Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
East Notes: Thome, Braves, Red Sox, O’s
The Phillies made one of the first notable signings of the offseason the other day, inking Jim Thome to a one-year deal. Here's some more on Thome and the rest of the game's Eastern division teams…
- Thome's deal with the Phillies allows him to earn an additional $250K based on his plate appearances, according to this tweet from ESPN's Jerry Cracnick. Thome will earn $50K for reaching 175, 200, 225, 250, and 275 plate appearances, making his contract potentially worth $1.5MM.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Braves would be open to trading anyone for the right price, following their late season collapse. Rosenthal also notes that Atlanta tried to acquire Lorenzo Cain from both the Brewers and Royals last offseason, offering up Brandon Beachy. They also tried for a swap of Jair Jurrjens and Brett Lawrie with Milwaukee, but were unsuccessful.
- WEEI.com's Arielle Aronson wonders if the Red Sox will pursue Martin Prado as an alternative if Michael Cuddyer signs elsewhere. The Phillies are thought to be big players in the Cuddyer sweepstakes.
- Steve Gould of the Baltimore Sun offers up his thoughts on how free agents Edwin Jackson, Mark Buehrle, Roy Oswalt, and Carlos Pena could or couldn't fit the Orioles.
Orioles GM Search Notes
Yesterday we learned that the Orioles are close to naming Dan Duquette as their next general manager. O's owner Peter Angelos reportedly wanted to avoid hiring a GM who had recently been fired by another team and Duquette, who was removed as Red Sox GM in March of 2002, fits the bill. Here's the latest from Baltimore..
- Roch Kubatko of MASNSports believes that the new GM needs to increase the club's international presence, stating that "someone needs to build a pipeline to Venezuela."
- The Red Sox likely wouldn't have won two World Series titles if Duquette had remained general manager, in Rob Neyer's mind, but he does point out that a roster largely constructed by Duquette won 93 games the year after his departure. Neyer wonders if anyone can succeed under Angelos.
- Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston runs down some of Duquette's triumphs and failures in his time as GM of the Red Sox from 1994-2002, specifically mentioning his subpar people skills.
- Duquette is meeting with Peter Angelos this morning and it still looks good for him to get the offer, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.
- According to an industry source, the Orioles did not offer Dan Duquette the GM job during Saturday's meeting, tweets Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. However, there is still the sense that they will offer Duquette the position.
Rockies Notes: Carroll, Ellis, Prado, Cuddyer
The Rockies have expressed interest in free agent second baseman Jamey Carroll, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. The 37-year-old enjoyed his time in Colorado and has interest in a return. However, the veteran might be too rich for the Rockies' blood. Renck sees Carroll's market value as something around a two-year, $8MM deal, as established by the Marlins' Omar Infante. Here's more from Renck..
- The Rockies' unwillingness to go to that range could also preclude a return for Mark Ellis, which hasn't been ruled out.
- The Braves will reportedly listen on Martin Prado and Renck wonders if Seth Smith would be enough to pry him away from Atlanta. Prado should get about $4.4MM in arbitration and the Braves are in search of a corner bat.
- With the Phillies aggressively pursuing Michael Cuddyer, the Rockies are a longshot to land the free agent.
- The Rockies have long been linked to David Wright but Renck doesn't see him as a likely acquisition either. The Mets will listen on Wright but if they lose Jose Reyes this offseason, the third baseman will be needed as a draw for fans.
- Veteran Kevin Youkilis makes a lot of sense for the Rockies there's mixed opinions on how available he is from AL sources. The Red Sox are left-handed heavy, and Youkilis provides balance to their lineup. Youkilis can play first or third, making him particularly valuable to the Rockies.
- Pitching remains necessary for the Rockies and Wandy Rodriguez is still a trade target. After the Rockies' organizational summit this week in Scottsdale, Arizona, activity will pick up with the focus narrowing on specific pitchers such as Rodriguez, Carl Pavano, Wade Davis, John Danks and Kevin Slowey.
- As the Rockies explore moving closer Huston Street, the Blue Jays and Phillies represent possible matches.
- You can expect the Pirates to pursue former Rockie shortstop Clint Barmes.
- The Mariners could be a fit for 49-year-old Jamie Moyer as he attempts a comeback.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Pettit, Velazquez, Navarro
We'll keep track of the latest outright assignments from around baseball right here..
- According to the Angels' official transactions page, the club outrighted Chris Pettit, Gil Velazquez, and Efren Navarro to the minors on October 28th.
The latest outright assignments from around MLB…
Olney On Reyes, Wright, Cuddyer, Prado
In his Sunday column, ESPN.com's Buster Olney weighs-in on David Wright and other stories from around baseball. Here are some highlights..
- This morning we learned that the Mets will listen on offers for David Wright. With a $15MM salary next year and a $16MM option (which Wright can void if dealt) for 2013, Olney writes that the club's best chance to get value in return for him is to deal him now. Wright will turn 30 next year and while he has been a good solider, he could eventually ask to be sent to a contending team. Instead, the Mets can deal him now and get players to help them win in 2014 or 2015.
- There is sentiment within the Mets' organization that the timing isn't right to build around Jose Reyes, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. There are concerns that he's not a fit between his leg injuries and their own timetable for contending.
- One official told Olney that the Phillies' interest in Michael Cuddyer is so ardent that if wants to play with the Phillies, the deal is inevitable as the club will make it happen. The expectation within the industry is that the veteran will get at least a three-year deal.
- The Braves are open to trading Martin Prado this winter and given the attention currently being lavished on Michael Cuddyer in the free agent market, Prado figures to be quite popular. An AL official told Olney that Prado is like a younger version of Cuddyer and might be a better hitter.
- The Diamondbacks continue to negotiate with second baseman Aaron Hill, and there appears to be some momentum toward getting a deal done.
- Dan Duquette is on the verge of becoming the Orioles' next GM but as recently as five days ago, the club had no plans to interview him.
Cafardo On Gonzalez, Rays, Davis, Ortiz
The Cubs and Red Sox are after managers that will take a lot of input from their front offices, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. In fact, the two teams have quite a bit of overlap on their lists. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will also be looking for their next skipper and it'll be interesting to see what type of manager they look for. Cafardo writes that the important thing for the new managers in any of these cities is that they know the ground rules from the start. Here's more from Cafardo's Sunday column..
- A's lefty Gio Gonzalez remains a viable trade option for many teams, including the Red Sox and Marlins. Meanwhile, the Athletics probably aren’t ready to contend. The club appears to be buying time until they can build a new stadium in the San Jose area. Until then, they may be in the mode of developing players and dealing them for players who might emerge a few years from now.
- When all is said and done, the Rays are expected to be willing to deal right-hander Wade Davis this offseason. A major league source says that while Tampa Bay will listen on James Shields, Davis is the pitcher they will likely end up dealing for an outfielder or a catcher.
- Free agent David Ortiz seemed upset that the Red Sox did not re-sign him during the exclusivity period, but it made no sense for the club to do so with the veteran's limited options. While Ortiz wants a three-year deal, the BoSox can wait and survey the market before committing to a multiyear deal for the 36-year-old hitter.
- Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird removed himself from the Orioles GM search this week and Cafardo wouldn't be shocked to hear of a new title for him within the Sox organization.
- Cafardo envisions Tim Bogar winding up with a significant role with either the Cubs or Red Sox.
- Former Rangers and Red Sox skipper Kevin Kennedy says that he enjoys his broadcast career but he sometimes gets the itch to return to the dugout. Kennedy says that he would even consider being a bench coach.
- Larry Bowa, currently working as an analyst for MLB Network, also has aspirations of managing in the majors again.
Sherman On Wright, Reyes
The latest from Joel Sherman of the New York Post…
- "We will listen on [David] Wright for sure," a Mets official told Sherman last week. The official added, "We know we are not going to win it all in 2012. We have to hope the Phillies get old and we are in position to take advantage of that in 2013-14, and we have to figure out ways to speed the process to get there." Sherman says the Mets crave a "young, defensive-oriented center fielder plus an arm or two" for Wright. He says they are focusing most on the Angels, and Peter Bourjos is a possibility.
- Sherman was hearing similar thoughts about Wright from a Mets official back on October 21st. Around then, an official told him, "We'll explore Wright's market. I think considering where we are as an organization, it would be foolish not to at least look at it. However, I expect actually pulling the trigger is a long shot." GM Sandy Alderson said on on October 31st that he thinks Wright will be a Met in 2012. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News heard a few days later that Alderson will be "strongly disinclined to deal" Wright. Though some of these reports have different themes, I don't consider them conflicting. I think the Mets are being careful not to be seen as "shopping" Wright, as that's considered a dirty word in terms of leverage. Wright seems far from off-limits, but with his value at a low point the Mets might prefer to wait.
- Sherman questions why the Mets weren't more proactive in trading Jose Reyes in July, a theme of my offseason outlook a few weeks ago. But I did note, "In Alderson's defense, Reyes spent half of July on the disabled list, perhaps cutting down his trade value to the point that two draft picks wasn't much worse."
- Sherman spoke to one American League talent evaluator who thinks the Phillies will be in on Reyes. It's true that they'll have the need and the money if Jimmy Rollins signs elsewhere.
Quick Hits: Braves, Selig, Indians
A few stray items to pass along on this Saturday evening …
- The Braves plan to increase their payroll over 2011's $87MM Opening Day figure, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Atlanta could bring back arbitration eligibles Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado, Michael Bourn, Tommy Hanson and Eric O'Flaherty, and still be able to increase payroll, but "trading one or more of those players would enable them to spend more," according to Rosenthal. We've already seen the Braves try to trade Jurrjens and Prado, but a potential deal with the Royals fell through.
- The sale of the Dodgers was one of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's final big chores before likely retirement after 2012, according to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. Next on Selig's to-do list, per Rogers: Deciding on whether to approve Jim Crane's purchase of the Astros; getting the Mets back in solid financial standing; and resolving the untenable stadium situations of the Athletics and Rays.
- The Indians have signed 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Henry Lunar, according to ElTiempo.com.ve (Spanish link, translated by MLBTR's Nick Collias).
- Cubs president Theo Epstein will be the front man in the North Siders' efforts to secure funding for a $300MM proposal to improve the conditions of Wrigley Field, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.