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McCourts Reach Divorce Settlement

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The divorce of the couple that bought the Dodgers nearly eight years ago has finally been settled. Frank and Jamie McCourt confirmed that they have come to a financial agreement, according to the LA Times. Bill Shaikin of the Times, who first reported the settlement, reports that Jamie will obtain $130MM and relinquish any claim to a share of the Dodgers. She will no longer stand in the way of Frank's plan to sell the team's media rights.

As Shaikin notes, the agreement sets up a possible court showdown for the Dodgers between Bud Selig and Frank McCourt. The commissioner asked the Bankruptcy Court to order the Dodgers sold, but McCourt intends to keep the team, which he and Jamie purchased in 2004. The McCourts had reached a divorce settlement in June, but it was contingent on a TV deal with FOX that Selig rejected.

Despite the off-field distractions, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has indicated that he's willing to spend to improve the offense as dramatically as possible. Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols could draw interest from the Dodgers, who could consider a long-term deal for Matt Kemp.

Rosenthal On CBA Talks

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has the latest on the talks between the players' union and owners as they aim to strike a new collective bargaining agreement…

  • It's a coin flip that an agreement will occur during the World Series, a source with knowledge of the discussions tells Rosenthal.  While that goal remains within reach, Rosenthal says the more important target date is the opening of free agency five days after the Series.  If no agreement is reached by then, it will create a new set of issues.  The World Series will end between October 23rd and 27th this year.
  • Rosenthal hears the players and owners remain far apart on the owners' request for hard slotting in the amateur draft, yet the gulf could narrow quickly.
  • The new deal is expected to include big changes for 2013: two 15-team leagues and a new one-game wild card round for the postseason.  The Astros' situation is fluid, hears Rosenthal.  They're the team most likely to move to the AL if new owner Jim Crane is approved.

Offseason Outlook: Colorado Rockies

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The Rockies intend to add an innings-eater and a right-handed hitter this offseason, likely focusing on the trade market rather than free agency due to budgetary constraints.

Guaranteed Contracts

Contractual Options

  • Aaron Cook, unranked SP: $11MM mutual option with a $500K buyout
  • Jason Giambi, unranked 1B: $1MM mutual option

Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)

Free Agents

Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd has his work cut out for him this offseason.  The team needs an innings-eating starter, solutions at second base, third base, and left field, and a left-handed reliever.  The Rockies will require significant trading and creativity to get back on top, if payroll is to remain in the low-$80MM range.

If all four arbitration eligible players are retained, the Rockies would appear to have less than $15MM in payroll flexibility next year.  Fortunately, trade candidates abound in Street, Wigginton, Smith, Stewart, and Iannetta.  Those five players will earn about $21MM in total next year — a quarter of the team's expected payroll.  Iannetta is the least likely to be traded, as Wilin Rosario is probably not ready for full-time duty.  O'Dowd projects Stewart and Smith as potential platoon players next year.  If a full-time left fielder or third baseman is acquired, Stewart and Smith will become expendable.  Street and Smith might be the only veteran Rockies with decent trade value, so O'Dowd may have to part with prospects to improve the team.  The Rockies GM has implied that Stewart will be tendered a contract, but that may have been posturing.

200 innings is an arbitrary cutoff, but it's a level 39 pitchers reached in 2011.  None of them were Rockies.  Trade targets could include James Shields, Carl Pavano, Brett Myers, Jeremy Guthrie, Ricky Nolasco, Gio Gonzalez, and Jason Vargas.  Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Mike Pelfrey, John Lannan, and Wandy Rodriguez have at least shown an ability to take 180+ innings.  Finding that type of starter in free agency is less likely, and pitchers may still be reluctant to play in Colorado.  An August waiver claim on Rodriguez showed the Rockies are willing to assume a commitment in the three-year, $36MM range.  It seems odd the Rockies would consider trading prospects for any of the above pitchers when they had Ubaldo Jimenez set to earn $18MM over 2012-14.  Obviously, O'Dowd feels strongly about Drew Pomeranz and Alex White.  Additionally he probably felt Jimenez's stock would trend downward. 

In the Rockies' search for a right-handed bat, Michael Cuddyer seems to possess some positive traits that Aramis Ramirez does not have.  The free agent market also features left fielder Josh Willingham.  From a trade standpoint, Michael Young, Carlos Quentin, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Reynolds, and David Wright are potential matches.  It seems unlikely the Rockies will fill both third base and left field by acquiring regulars, so look for a platoon in at least one of the positions.  Ellis is a candidate to return at second base, but that position does not appear to be of primary concern to Colorado.  Similarly, left-handed relief is something the Rockies will address, but probably without making a major commitment.

The echoes from the July Jimenez trade will be felt this offseason, as O'Dowd prioritizes finding a replacement proven starter.  The longtime general manager seems prepared to add a few more major trades to his resume toward making the 2012 club a contender.

Red Sox Focused On McNutt In Epstein Talks

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The Red Sox are "believed to be focused" on Cubs pitching prospect Trey McNutt in the Theo Epstein compensation talks, writes Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com.  Mooney says Cubs center field prospect Brett Jackson is "untouchable and not part of the discussions," while prospects such as Josh Vitters and Matt Szczur are considered unlikely.  A source close to the talks said the Red Sox have been asking for "ridiculous combinations," writes Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.

McNutt, 22, posted a 4.55 ERA, 6.2 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, and 0.5 HR/9 with 120 hits allowed in 95 innings for the Cubs' Double-A affiliate this year.  Baseball America ranked him second among Cubs prospects heading into the season and he was a consensus top 70 prospect in the game.  McNutt dealt with blister problems and bruised ribs in a disappointing 2011 season, and is currently pitching in the Arizona Fall League.  ESPN's Keith Law scouted him there, noting "great velocity but well-below-average command and control."

The World Series, scheduled to begin Wednesday, seems to serve as a deadline for the talks between the Cubs and Red Sox.  That is the latest point the Red Sox expect a resolution, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  One major holdup is determining which front office members Epstein can take with him to Chicago.  Silverman's informed speculation suggests Red Sox vice president of baseball operations Brian O'Halloran, special assistant to the GM Dave Finley, and head athletic director and assistant director of medical services Mike Reinold "could be part of Epstein's request."  Senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes and assistant GM Jason McLeod could be candidates to come from the Padres.       

Brewers Owner Will Try For Prince

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"We'll be in the game" for free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, Brewers owner Mark Attansio told reporters last night (including Steve Haywood of ESPN 540) after his team was eliminated from the playoffs.  Attanasio said, "We'd love to bring the big guy back," but noted that he'd like to have some distance from the season so that emotions are not an issue.

Fielder received an ovation from Brewers fans last night, as many believed his eighth inning at-bat was his last for the team that drafted him almost a decade ago.  Fielder deflected questions about whether he'll be back next year, and seemed annoyed when pressed.  In September, he admitted 2011 was "probably the last year" he'd be with Milwaukee.    

Agent Scott Boras could begin by attempting to top his own record contract for a first baseman, the eight year, $180MM deal Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees three years ago.  Boras drew that comparison publicly in July of 2010.  Boras could also make a case to beat the $184MM given to Joe Mauer in March of 2010, especially since Prince has been so durable, tweets Peter Gammons.  However, there are some who see Fielder around Adrian Gonzalez's seven year, $154MM deal, reported SI's Jon Heyman.  Mauer helps Boras, and Gonzalez hurts him, but neither is a great comparable since they weren't signed on the open market.  

I'd be very surprised to see the Brewers re-sign Fielder within the exclusive negotation period.  I think if he hits the open market and finds the bids disappointing, then a window opens for the Brewers.  Boras has occasionally fallen well short of the early buzz for certain free agent clients.  Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon come to mind from recent years.  After the '08 season, a four-year, $100MM figure was floated for Manny, but the Dodgers held the line and got him for two years and $45MM.  The Yankees and Red Sox are likely to sit out the Fielder sweepstakes, and Prince is not a great fit for the Nationals.  The remaining potential suitors are not known for record-breaking contracts, with the possible exception of the Cubs.

Jeremy Accardo Elects Free Agency

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Reliever Jeremy Accardo is the latest addition to our 2012 free agents list, after refusing last week's outright assignment from the Orioles.  Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com posted the news on Twitter.

Accardo, 29, posted a 5.73 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 1.19 HR/9, and 37.4% groundball rate in 37 2/3 innings for the Orioles this year.  The Arizona resident was designated for assignment in June and accepted a Triple-A assignment, but was re-added to the 40-man in September.

Arbitration Eligibles: Milwaukee Brewers

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The Brewers came up short last night, and now one of the many concerns for GM Doug Melvin will be the status of his nine arbitration eligible players.

Kottaras, Stetter, Wilson, and Parra appear to be non-tender candidates.  Parra missed all of 2011, eventually needing elbow surgery, and he'd be owed a minimum of $960K if tendered a contract.  The other three are in the $700-800K range, so a case could be made for keeping them.  Kottaras was viewed as expendable by the Brewers when they outrighted him in April, though he ended up being useful in limited duty.  Stetter missed most of the season with a hip injury, while Wilson didn't do anything noteworthy.

We can't rule out the possibility of a McGehee non-tender, but a trade seems more likely.  The 29-year-old third baseman had a lost 2011 season, but he hit .291/.346/.477 over 1,064 plate appearances the previous two years.  At a projected $3.1MM, some team will want to give him a shot.

Marcum is the team's most expensive arbitration eligible player at a projected $6.8MM.  Peers such as Matt Garza, Jeremy Guthrie, John Danks, and Joe Saunders project in the $8-9MM range, so we'll have to see if they lift Marcum up a bit.  Loe ($2.8MM), Morgan ($1.9MM), and Gomez ($1.8MM) should also be tendered contracts.  Gomez had a rough year, missing time with a broken clavicle, but at $1.8MM his defense should make him worth retaining.

Including buyouts for Yuniesky Betancourt and Francisco Rodriguez, the Brewers have about $58.58MM in contractual commitments for 2012.  If they retain McGehee, Morgan, Loe, Marcum, and Gomez, that'd add $16.4MM for a total of about $75MM.  Assuming a steady payroll, that'd leave less than $9MM in 2012 flexibility before accounting for minimum salary players.  McGehee's salary could be shedded, but without a payroll increase the Brewers do not have much room to spend this winter.  

East Notes: Backman, Red Sox, Rays, Phillies

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Here are a handful of items out of the AL and NL East …

  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson cites three different sources in reporting that Wally Backman, who currently manages in the Mets minor league system, was never offered a position with the Nationals' Major League club.
  • Backman told Ed Randall of New York's WFAN radio that he will remain in the organization rather than accepting a position on another team's Major League staff, according to MetsBlog. Backman interviewed for the Mets' managerial vacancy before it went to Terry Collins last year.
  • The Red Sox are not expected to interview former Diamondbacks skipper A.J. Hinch for their managerial vacancy, a source familiar with the situation tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Hinch is currently vice president of pro scouting for the Padres.
  • The Rays are unlikely to make quick decisions on whether to re-sign free agents Johnny Damon and first baseman Casey Kotchman, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Tampa will look to improve its offense, according to Topkin, but that won't be easy without detracting from its deep well of pitching talent, which it won't want to do. Andrew Friedman will likely do most of his roster shuffling via trade, writes Topkin.
  • As their core position players are getting older and dealing with injuries, the Phillies' window of opportunity may be closing, opines Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. One talent evaluator told Brookover that the Phillies should let Jimmy Rollins walk in free agency. "It might be time to find out about a guy like Freddy Galvis," the scout said. "I saw him this year and he really is improving. I don't know if he's ready to be an everyday player in the big leagues, but I just think they need to get younger."
  • Former Yankees pitching prospect Brandon Weeden, now 28, has resurfaced as the starting quarterback of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, writes Tom Spousta of the New York Times (cap tip to Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues). Weeden was a second-round pick of the Yanks in 2002 (a compensatory selection for Tino Martinez signing with the Cardinals), but he washed out of baseball by 2007 due to injuries and ineffectiveness.

Nationals, Wang Discussing Contract Extension

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The Nationals and righty Chien-Ming Wang continue to discuss an extension, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, but the two sides aren't yet close to a deal.

Wang, who turns 32 next March, threw 62 1/3 innings of 4.04 ERA ball for the Nationals this year in his first taste of big league action since 2009. The former Yankee demonstrated pinpoint control (1.9 BB/9) but his strikeout rate was dangerously low (3.6 K/9), though that's par for the course for Wang. He did manage to whiff 16 hitters over his final 23 2/3 innings without issuing a walk.

Wang prefers to stay with the Nationals because he appreciates the loyalty they showed him when he was recovering from shoulder injuries for almost two years. He received a big vote of confidence from manager Davey Johnson who said, "If I'm here, he could have my salary."

Wang says money won't be a big issue if it means re-signing with Washington, but his precision and healthy final months could earn him a raise from the $1MM guarantee he received in his last one-year deal with the Nats. 

MLBTR Originals: 10/9/11 – 10/15/11

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Here's a look at the original content produced by the MLBTR team this week:

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

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