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Melvin On Brewers’ Offseason

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The Brewers’ season is over and while GM Doug Melvin wishes his club were in the World Series, he’s proud of its accomplishments. "There's just too many good things that happened this year for me to be hanging my head,” he said, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Here are more details from today’s press conference via Haudricourt:

  • Melvin and Brewers owner Mark Attanasio will meet in early November to discuss what kind of offer they can make free agent first baseman Prince Fielder.
  • The Brewers aren’t concerned about Shaun Marcum’s health, though the right-hander struggled in the postseason.
  • Melvin said Yuniesky Betancourt was “a better player than what his critics said.” The Brewers have a $6MM option ($2MM buyout) for the shortstop in 2012 and Melvin declined to say whether they'll pick it up.
  • Melvin explained that he would like to improve defensively without sacrificing on offense.
  • He said the Brewers will seriously consider giving Mat Gamel a chance to make an impact in the Major Leagues if an opportunity emerges (i.e. Fielder signs elsewhere).
  • The Brewers haven’t talked about moving Corey Hart to first base.
  • Melvin said he’ll check in with free agents LaTroy Hawkins and Takashi Saito. Francisco Rodriguez is likely to sign elsewhere, probably as a closer.
  • Melvin said Casey McGehee can still be a good player, despite his disappointing 2011 campaign.
  • Craig Counsell hasn’t told the Brewers whether he intends to play again next year, but it sounds as though Melvin would have some interest in re-signing him. Melvin also expects to speak to Jerry Hairston Jr. and his representative.
  • Mitch Stetter, Manny Parra and Josh Wilson are non-tender candidates, as MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained this week.

Theo Epstein Rumors: Wednesday

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The Cubs and Red Sox could work out compensation for Theo Epstein today and announce the deal Friday, Peter Gammons of MLB Network said on WEEI’s Mut & Merloni show. Gammons also says the rebuilding process Epstein is about to undertake is “far greater” than the one he inherited in Boston nine years ago. Here are the latest rumors about Epstein with the most recent updates up top:

  • The Cubs-Padres talks appear to be developing more smoothly than the Cubs-Red Sox talks, according to Morosi (on Twitter).
  • There seems to be more optimism from the Red Sox today, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
  • Talks are going slowly and Boston’s asking price remains high, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. 
  • The discussions were progressing well as of this morning, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
  • We heard earlier today that the Padres could lose a high-ranking front office member when Epstein starts hiring in Chicago.

Yankees Notes: Kuroda, Darvish, Sabathia, Nova

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The Yankees will decline Damaso Marte's option, as expected. Here are some more notes on the club's pitching staff…

  • C.C. Sabathia's investment in the Yankees is not "in the same universe" as Derek Jeter's, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out. The Yankees are hesitant to tie themselves up with long-term deals, but there should be common ground for the Yankees and their ace. Sherman proposes a number of deals that could work for both sides, including a five-year, $125MM contract with a vesting option for a sixth year. 
  • Though the Rangers would have interest if Sabathia hits the open market, Sherman explains that they aren't likely to be among his most aggressive suitors.
  • The Yankees don't seem inclined to add three years to Sabathia's contract to keep him in New York, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Sabathia has four years and $92MM remaining on his current deal and he will likely opt out after the World Series. Sabathia's weight gives the Yankees some concern about another seven-year deal.
  • The Yankees are beginning their scouting meetings today, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. Front office members will discuss possible acquisitions and provide GM Brian Cashman with the information he needs to create his offseason plan.
  • Marchand notes that free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda is a possible fit for the Yankees. Though Kuroda appears to prefer the Dodgers if he continues playing in MLB, the Yankees have had interest in him before. 
  • Rafael Soriano will not opt out of the two years and $25MM remaining on his contract, though there's nothing official yet, according to Marchand.
  • Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues explains that Yu Darvish makes sense for the Yankees because they can use their most abundant resource (money) to add a potential star who fits their offseason needs. Bidding on Darvish wouldn't require the Yankees to surrender a draft pick and wouldn't prevent them from bidding on free agent pitchers such as C.J. Wilson.
  • Ivan Nova remains an SFX client, after switching to Legacy Sports for two days, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). As MLBTR's Agency Database shows, Mariano Rivera, Francisco Cervelli and Eduardo Nunez are also SFX clients.

Yankees To Decline Damaso Marte’s Option

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The Yankees will announce that they're declining their 2012 option for Damaso Marte, according to Mark Hale of the New York Post (on Twitter). The left-hander missed the entire 2011 season after undergoing shoulder surgery last October. He'll get a $250K buyout instead of a $4MM salary for 2012.

Marte, 36, signed a three-year, $12MM deal after the 2008 season and contributed just 31 regular season innings over the course of the past three seasons. However, he was effective in the 2009 playoffs and has a 3.48 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 over the course of an 11-year career (hat tip to River Ave. Blues). If healthy, he could obtain a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training this offseason.

Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates

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The Pirates have money to spend this offseason, but their team has more holes than free agency can possibly fill.

Guaranteed Contracts

Contractual Options

  • Paul Maholm, unranked SP: $9.75MM club option with a $750K buyout
  • Chris Snyder, Type B catcher: $6.75MM club option with a $750K buyout
  • Ryan Doumit, Type B catcher: $7.25MM club option for 2012 and $8.25MM club option for 2013 with a $500K buyout
  • Ronny Cedeno, unranked SS: $3MM club option with a $200K buyout

Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)

Free Agents

The Pirates hired GM Neal Huntington in November 2007, and this year we finally saw light at the end of the tunnel.  The team won 72 games for the first time since '04, and was enough of a contender to justify acquiring Lee and Ludwick while taking on their salaries.  In September, the Pirates rewarded Huntington with a three-year extension that included a club option for 2015.

Huntington's first order of business will be making decisions on the options of Maholm, Snyder, Doumit, and Cedeno.  Snyder and Doumit are easy choices to decline.  Maholm's $9MM net price seemingly doesn't work for the Pirates, but they can check with other teams before making that decision official.  Just by virtue of his ability to play shortstop for 130 games Cedeno is worth $2.8MM in a technical sense, but the Pirates might prefer to use those starts in an attempt to find a long-term answer.  The safe move would be to pick up Cedeno's option but leave the starting job as an open competition.

Look for the Pirates to make more cuts at the non-tender deadline, with Pearce, Wood, and Ohlendorf on the bubble.  The five arbitration eligible Pirates relievers figure to stay, so the team's bullpen is in good shape for 2012. 

The Pirates have four favorites for the rotation, though the group features a low-strikeout trio of Karstens, Correia, and Morton after James McDonald.  SI's Jon Heyman says the team is looking for starting pitching.  I'd expect another stopgap acquisition like Correia.  The Pirates need bulk innings after their rotation provided the fewest in the National League in 2011.

The Pirates' search for a short-term first base solution led to $5MM spent on Overbay and a few million more on Lee.  The team has interest in signing Lee, otherwise Huntington can look into Casey Kotchman, James Loney, or outside-the-box options like Raul Ibanez or Josh Willingham.

Questions don't stop there:  the Pirates have needs at catcher, third base, and right field.  Huntington will likely be thinking short-term at catcher, so maybe someone like Ramon Hernandez or Rod Barajas could draw the Pirates' interest.  A new, more affordable contract for Snyder would also work.  Michael McKenry and Jason Jaramillo are internal options.

The Pirates hope Alvarez can shake off his awful season, and again, they won't be adding any big names at his position.  Right field is likely to be handled internally, as Alex Presley has earned a shot and Jones may still be in the mix.  The Pirates have money to spend and needs to fill, but I'm still not sure free agency offers much for them.  They could afford Jose Reyes or Prince Fielder, but the best remaining years of those prime free agents will not coincide with the Pirates' window of contention.

The importance of Huntington's tinkering pales in comparison to the importance of locking up Andrew McCutchen.  The center fielder has a case for a six-year deal in excess of $50MM.  Additionally, the Pirates also have interest in locking up Neil Walker, though that would be a much smaller, team-friendly type of deal.

The first two-thirds of the Pirates' season was different and fun, and it resulted in a 20% increase in attendance.  Otherwise, the playoff bid didn't change much, as the team faded well before the stretch-run and is still is years away from transforming into a serious threat.  The team is still trying to get to .500 for the first time since 1992, though I don't think .500 should be any kind of goal.  Huntington has expressed a willingness to trade prospects, but I'm guessing he'd only do so to fill a long-term need.  It's taken too long, but he's building the team the right way.  It would be a shame to see hard draft slotting instituted, as it would severely limit the Pirates' best route to sustained success.

Free Agent And Trade Market For Catchers

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The Rays, Angels, Pirates, and Twins may seek help at catcher this winter, and none of the available players will be expensive to acquire.

Starting Catchers Available In Free Agency

Ramon Hernandez and Rod Barajas qualify as starting catchers, though they're not quite full-blown regulars since they play 90-100 games per year.  Hernandez has a shot at a multiyear deal.

Ryan Doumit hasn't caught 900 innings in a season since '08, but given his offensive ability there should be a hybrid role for him somewhere.  Chris Snyder and Kelly Shoppach were starters not long ago, and free agency might allow them to pick teams with opportunities.  Jorge Posada caught only one game this year, but feels he could handle the duty here and there.  But would he do so for another team?

Quality Backups

Henry Blanco is expected back with Arizona, but Ramon Castro, Jose Molina, and Jason Varitek are a few backups who provided a touch of offense in 2011.  Ivan Rodriguez and Matt Treanor also may be able to find big league deals.  Our full free agent list can be found here.

Non-Tender Candidates

We've got nine speculative non-tender candidates: Jeff Mathis, Koyie Hill, Robby Hammock, Eli Whiteside, John Baker, Ronny Paulino, Jesus Flores, Rob Johnson, and Brayan Pena.  By definition, some of these guys are trade candidates.  Mathis, Paulino, Baker, and Flores have had semi-regular roles in the past.  

Other Trade Candidates

Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd expects Chris Iannetta to be their catcher next year, though perhaps he could become available during the season if Wilin Rosario comes on strong.  Similarly, the White Sox could trade A.J. Pierzynski if they deem Tyler Flowers ready for full-time catching, though Pierzynski would need to approve a deal.  A team could eye George Kottaras for more than the backup role he held with the Brewers this year.  Jake Fox is far from a regular catcher, but he could be available.

The Yankees currently have strong catching depth, with Russell Martin, Jesus Montero, Francisco Cervelli at the big league level.  Austin Romine got a cup of coffee this year, while Gary Sanchez spent the season at Low-A ball.   

Non-Tender Candidate: Joe Saunders

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Diamondbacks lefty Joe Saunders is a non-tender candidate, based on comments GM Kevin Towers made to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  Towers explained his thought process toward the 30-year-old:

"He certainly logs innings, which is good. A veteran with experience. A good guy. Fits in well with our club. We like him. A deciding factor will be how much confidence do we have with the younger players in our system."

Every rotation needs innings guys, and this year Saunders tallied 215 including a playoff start.  Throw in a 3.69 ERA and how could the D'Backs be thinking about cutting Saunders for no return?  

First there's the price tag, which we project at a hefty $8.7MM.  That'd represent a $3.2MM raise as Saunders enters his last season before free agency.  Then there's that ERA, which doesn't seem representative of Saunders' skills.  His SIERAs have consistently been in the 4.70 range.  Saunders is a hittable, low-strikeout pitcher who can be prone to the longball.  Finally there's Arizona's depth; they might have young starters who can provide similar performance for the league minimum, if not the innings.

Trading or non-tendering Saunders would greatly add to the D'Backs' payroll flexibility, though they don't have huge needs.  Would at least one team feel that Saunders is worth $8-9MM on a one-year deal, and also give up a minor leaguer for him?  I find it unlikely.  Saunders is similar to a healthy Jon Garland, and the open market repeatedly valued Garland close to $5MM.  Only four free agents reached 200 innings this year, and C.C. Sabathia, C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, and Hiroki Kuroda will either be expensive or picky about where they sign.  However, innings alone don't get a free agent an $8MM+ payday, as we saw with Garland and Rodrigo Lopez last year.  Let's hear your thoughts on Saunders in the poll below.

Offseason Outlook: Chicago White Sox

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Expect the White Sox to consider trading established players as they retool for manager Robin Ventura's rookie season in 2012.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)

Contract Options

Free Agents

Going all-in didn't work out for the White Sox. After spending $127MM on a team that won just 79 games and trading their manager, the White Sox intend to ease up this offseason. Reality has set in, replacing the optimism of a year ago, but GM Kenny Williams says the team isn't going into rebuilding mode. With players like Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Jake Peavy on the books, Chicago's going to retool instead.

It appears the White Sox will consider trading Carlos Quentin, John Danks and Gavin Floyd. They could use an infusion of talent. The White Sox, who opened the 2011 season with the 27th-ranked farm system in the game, according to Baseball America, spent less on this summer's amateur draft than any other team.

Interest in Quentin, a free agent after 2012, would likely be strong. Teams such as the Rockies, Mariners, A's, Braves, Twins and Orioles could have interest in the outfielder, who has averaged 27 homers per season with an .857 OPS since 2008. Though both Floyd and Danks will earn $7MM or more next year, they would draw heavy interest trade market. They're under 30, have been steady producers for years and wouldn't require the same financial commitment as C.J. Wilson or other free agents.

The White Sox could let Mark Buehrle walk. Few pitchers match his durability — he has surpassed 200 innings in each of his 11 seasons in the rotation — but the White Sox could turn to younger, cheaper options like Chris Sale and Zach Stewart instead. Assuming the White Sox offer Buehrle arbitration, they'll collect a compensatory draft pick for losing the Type B free agent.

Juan Pierre, another Type B free agent, probably doesn't fit into Chicago's long-term plans. He told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune he doesn't expect the White Sox to place him high on their list of offseason priorities. Even if the White Sox trade Quentin, they have outfielders in Viciedo, Rios and Alejandro de Aza, so Pierre will likely depart without an offer of arbitration. Free agent backups Omar Vizquel and Ramon Castro will probably leave as well, though they aren't tied to compensation picks.

Last offseason's Adam Dunn deal soured in a hurry, so it's possible the White Sox will take a backseat to this year's free agent frenzy. This would mean relying on relatively unproven players like de Aza, Viciedo, Stewart, Sale and Brent Morel and could mean more responsibility for Tyler Flowers, Brent Lillibridge and Addison Reed. If the White Sox are prepared to go younger, as they've suggested, this offseason could be a quiet one in terms of free agent signings.

Like most teams, the White Sox will likely add a reliever or two over the course of the offseason, not that there's much urgency when it comes to Chicago's 'pen. Matt Thornton, Jesse Crain, Will Ohman and newly extended closer Sergio Santos provide Ventura with four reliable arms. The White Sox also hold a $3.75MM option for Jason Frasor, a Type B free agent. The Illinois native struggled through 20 appearances in Chicago, so Williams may decide to decline the option without offering arbitration and rely on a more affordable reliever, such as Reed. It's possible that Frasor has some trade value to a team looking for relievers. The club could decline the option and offer arbitration, keeping Frasor if he accepts and obtaining a pick if he declines.

The White Sox have already committed $90MM to next year's team, without accounting for Danks, Quentin or minimum salary players. Dunn and Rios aren't going anywhere, so the White Sox are stuck with their bloated contracts, clinging to hope that the former stars will rebound. They could stay in the AL Central race next year if enough goes their way, but if they do it probably won't be because of high-profile offseason acquisitions.

Theo Epstein Rumors: Tuesday

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The latest on the Cubs' attempt to add Red Sox GM Theo Epstein to their front office…

  • Epstein is actively looking to hire a general manager to join him in Chicago, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 37-year-old is exploring GM candidates while he waits for the Red Sox and Cubs to work out compensation for his departure. The Cubs would bring Epstein in as their president of baseball operations and he would hire a general manager to assist with the daily grind of the job.
  • The Red Sox are "holding tough" on their asking price and don't anticipate resolution tonight, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).
  • Hoyer told Marty Caswell of XX1090 Sports Radio that he's not going to comment on media speculation (Twitter links).  "I'm excited about what we continue to build here in San Diego," he said. 
  • The Cubs haven't asked for permission to talk to any Padres executives, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link).
  • Carrie Muskat of MLB.com points out that obtaining Hoyer could prove difficult, as he is under contract through 2013 with an option for 2014 (Twitter link).  But Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres doubts owner Jeff Moorad would hold up a deal if it meant Byrnes became the Padres' next GM (Twitter link).
  • Current Padres GM Jed Hoyer is being considered by the Cubs and Epstein, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  In that scenario, Josh Byrnes would become the Padres' GM.  Heyman notes that the Cubs are also looking at Padres executives Byrnes and Jason McLeod for themselves, should Hoyer stay.  All the executives were once members of the Boston front office with Epstein.
  • Yesterday we learned that the Red Sox started out the Epstein compensation discussions by asking the Cubs for righty Matt Garza, which CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam says was "rejected out of hand."  Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says that "the sides slowly have moved their position to a more realistic center" as they discuss Cubs prospects.  
  • Cafardo says the Red Sox have been focusing on Trey McNutt, Brett Jackson, Matt Szczur, and Josh Vitters, the latter three labeled as unlikely by Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com yesterday.  McNutt and Andrew Cashner are unlikely as well, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, while McAdam says McNutt's inclusion is "far from guaranteed at this point."
  • An announcement today has been ruled out, writes McAdam, with "significant work" remaining to reach an agreement on compensation.  He says Friday's World Series off-day is the earliest possibility, assuming the teams come to terms and get Bud Selig's permission for an announcement.  McAdam says that although progress has been made, the Cubs feel that precedent calls for minimal compensation while the Sox think this situation defies precedent.
  • McAdam writes that the issue of Epstein taking Red Sox employees with him is not an issue, with a mutual understanding in place that he will not raid Boston's baseball operations department. 
  • Most reports, including this one from Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, suggest that the five-year, $18.5MM deal between Epstein and the Cubs is not in jeopardy.  Still, as Cafardo notes, both teams have a lot of team-building to do.    

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Cardinals, Red Sox

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MLBTR has the rundown on your team's arbitration eligible players. Be sure to read Tim Dierkes' series for insight into how each team's offseason will develop. Here are the latest links from around MLB…

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

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