Arbitration Eligibles: Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are next in our arbitration eligibles series.
- First time: Shawn Kelley
- Second time: Jason Vargas
- Third time: David Aardsma, Luis Rodriguez
- Fourth time: Brandon League
Aardsma and Rodriguez are the primary non-tender candidates. Aardsma's salary in arbitration would remain close to $4.5MM and can't go below $3.6MM. Since he had Tommy John surgery in July, that wouldn't be good value. Rodriguez is a $700K type player, but he hasn't done anything noteworthy this year. Kelley also projects for $700K. Fully recovered from Tommy John, I think the Mariners will keep him around for 2012.
Vargas and League should each land in the $4.2-4.5MM range for 2012. They're both trade candidates, especially League having saved 34 games and counting.
If Kelley, Vargas, and League are retained, that should add around $9.4MM to the team's commitments, bringing the total to about $69MM before accounting for minimum salary players. That'd be about $26MM short of the 2011 payroll, so the team has flexibility.
Free Agent Stock Watch: David DeJesus
When the Athletics acquired David DeJesus last winter, the outfielder's stock was at a high. Although he appeared in only 91 games in 2010, DeJesus posted career highs in average (.318), OBP (.384), and OPS (.827), and played his usual solid corner outfield defense. Unfortunately for the A's, DeJesus has followed up that performance with perhaps the worst season of his career. In 125 games with Oakland, the 31-year-old has hit .236/.322/.369, his OPS dropping nearly 140 points from a year ago.
It's likely little consolation to the A's that the main piece they traded for DeJesus, young right-hander Vin Mazzaro, took a step back this year in Kansas City. Mazzaro still has time to turn things around for the Royals, while DeJesus figures to become a free agent in a matter of weeks.
As our latest Elias projections show, DeJesus comfortably ranks as a Type B, so he won't cost a draft pick even if he turns down arbitration. Of course, with a salary of $6MM this year, DeJesus might be a good bet to accept an arbitration offer, given this season's performance. The payroll-conscious A's could probably only offer arb to the outfielder if he agreed to decline it in order to net them a draft pick. Either way, DeJesus figures to hit the open market.
This year's class of outfielders isn't particularly stacked, so despite his down year, DeJesus should draw interest. His batting average on balls in play (.271) is 45 points below his career mark, and his walk rate (9.1%) matches a career high, suggesting that he's a candidate to bounce back. It wouldn't be the first time he came back strong after a disappointing year – he followed up a subpar 2007 season (.722 OPS) by hitting .307/.366/.452 in 2008.
So what sort of contract could make sense for both DeJesus and an interested team? Carlos Pena's deal with the Cubs could be an interesting comparison. The two are very different players, and DeJesus won't earn the $10MM the Cubs are paying Pena for a year of his services, but their career trajectories are similar. Pena entered free agency for the first time last year coming off his worst season, and elected to sign a one-year deal, presumably in hopes of rebuilding his value and landing a multiyear contract this coming winter. The approach seems to have worked – Pena's OPS has jumped 100 points in Chicago this season, setting him up nicely for the offseason.
For DeJesus, a one-year deal playing in a better hitter's park than Oakland's could be the most effective way to rebuild his value and earn a bigger payday down the road. Given the outfielder's promising peripheral numbers, the team that signs him could very well be getting solid value for 2012.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Quick Hits: Thome, Indians, Byrdak, Mets
Sunday night linkage..
- It's exceedingly rare for the Mets to grant an in-season extension to anyone, but Tim Byrdak was aggressive and approached the team with the idea, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- However, it doesn't sound like more extensions with veterans are in the works, Martino tweets. General Manager Sandy Alderson stressed that locking up a lefty reliever was special circumstance.
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti believes that Jim Thome can be a productive player in 2012, should he decide to continue playing, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
- Even though Indians rookie Jason Kipnis appears to have the starting role at second base locked up for next season, he does not plan on thinking that way, writes Bastian.
Marlins Targeting Aramis Ramirez
The Marlins are moving into a brand new retractable ballpark in 2012 and they'll look to make a big splash on the open market this winter, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is one of the top free agents who is clearly on the Marlins' radar.
Internally, the club views him as a good fit for a lineup as they look to add an established veteran to a youthful squad. The addition of Ramirez would also give rookie Matt Dominguez more time to develop.
The Fish may also wind up making inquiries on top free agents Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and Jose Reyes. Sources say that the Marlins will also explore signing C.J. Wilson and the left-hander is already being talked about.
NL West Notes: Rockies, Stewart, Darnell, Giants
Some NL West notes for Sunday evening..
- More on Ian Stewart from Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post as the 26-year-old says that he's willing to take a significant pay cut to stay with Colorado next season. Stewart says that the club has made no indication of the future outside of telling him to be ready for Spring Training.
- The Rockies would "love" to sign Michael Cuddyer this winter, but Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post thinks they need to focus their offseason spending on pitching rather than offense, given the structure of the NL West. Renck says the club won't get C.J. Wilson, but should "relentlessly" pursue Wandy Rodriguez in a trade, and also do the same with Matt Garza and Carl Pavano. Colorado was Pavano's second choice last offseason after re-signing with the Twins, says Renck.
- Renck's colleague Jim Armstrong tweets that Ian Stewart isn't looking for a change of scenery and will report to the Instructional League on September 27.
- Padres 2008 second rounder James Darnell will miss the Arizona Fall League and undergo surgery to clean up his labrum, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times.
- Bill Neukom's departure from the Giants came down to money and management style, according to Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- In a Q&A with Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffery KNBR Radio, Larry Baer tells fans that the Giants mission won't change much. Baer reminds that his role isn't to evaluate player mechanics, but to make sure that the organization has the funding to field the best team they can to win.
- Earlier today, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti talked about the upcoming offseason.
MLBTR Originals
Here's a look back at this week's original reporting and analysis from the MLBTR staff..
- Mike Axisa gathered the best from around the web in this week's edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
- With a number of closing jobs opening up around baseball, Ryan Madson’s job prospects are promising, writes Ben Nichsolon-Smith.
- Ben also looked at the free agent prospects of Javier Vazquez and revisited the Felipe Paulino for Clint Barmes swap.
- On Wednesday, Tim Dierkes outlined the Ten Best Minor League Deals Of The Year of 2011. It's no surprise that Bartolo Colon of the Yankees tops the list.
- Jacoby Ellsbury is in line for a raise in arbitration this winter, but how much can the 28-year-old expect to come away with?
- We outlined the Angels, Athletics, and Royals in our Arbitration Eligibles series this week. You can check out all of our Arbitration Eligibles posts right here.
- Here are our predictions on the options of 15 relievers coming up this winter.
- Our latest Elias Rankings projections are up, and 26 free agents are in line for Type A status.
- Under GM John Mozeliak, the Cardinals have been the lone team to embrace September extensions, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith.
- There are a number of potential suitors for Jose Reyes but only four appear to be clear fits. We also previewed the market for third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
- Here's a handy post which outlines the many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors.
- Did you miss our weekly chat? Don't fret, you can check out the transcript right here.
- Tim Dierkes took a look at the ACES agency, which has a strong record of securing multiyear deals.
- Here at MLBTR, we're bringing you closer to this year's GM candidates with a series of pieces. This week we caught up with De Jon Watson and John Coppolella.
Week In Review: 9/11/11 – 9/17/11
We're just weeks away from the postseason, but there's still hot stove news flying around left and right, so let's look back at the past seven days:
- The top story this week came when the Cardinals signed Chris Carpenter to a two-year extension worth $21MM. That's a sizeable decrease from the $15MM salary they'd have paid him if the team had merely exercised his 2012 option.
- The Pirates extended general manager Neal Huntington on a four-year contract to continue exercising his long-term plan. Huntington has brought in names such as Jameson Taillon, Gerrit Cole, and Jose Tabata, just to name a few.
- The Diamondbacks will look into extending their own GM, as they consider the two-year club options on Kevin Towers' contract.
- Bob Castellini, owner of the Reds, says that both GM Walt Jocketty and manager Dusty Baker will be returning for the 2012 season.
- Giants CEO Bill Neukom announced that he will retire from his position at the end of the 2012 season. COO Larry Baer will step in and fill the vacancy.
- Logan Morrison filed a grievance against the Marlins over his demotion to Triple-A last month.
- Prince Fielder told reporters this week that 2011 will probably be his last year as a member of the Brewers.
- There have been some mentions of FIelder in connections with the Blue Jays over the past several months, but from the sound of things, Toronto won't be handing out any six- or seven-year deals in the near future.
- Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is looking for a multi-year deal if he hits free agency this offseason.
- Another big money Cubs option is Ryan Dempster's $14MM player option, but the 34-year-old right-hander said this week that he hasn't thought about whether or not he'll exercise the option to this point.
- The Reds are considering hammering out an extension for closer Francisco Cordero.
- The Marlins, who released Mike Cameron this week, are also said to be considering an extension for one of their players. They'd like to retain Omar Infante's services rather than let him hit free agency.
- Carlos Beltran figures to be one of the top names on free agency this winter, and he'd consider a return to the Giants, but only if the team adds more offense. Getting a healthy Freddy Sanchez and Buster Posey back doesn't sound like it'll be enough for Beltran, though.
- Russell Martin would like to return to the Yankees, but he knows that with prospects like Jesus Montero and Austin Romine coming down the pipeline, he may not fit into the picture.
- The Twins would like to re-sign one of Michael Cuddyer or Jason Kubel this offseason, and there's been no talk of reducing their $113MM payroll.
- Sticking in the AL Central, the Royals will decide between keeping Melky Cabrera for the 2012 season or flipping him for pitching help this offseason.
- Pedro Feliciano signed a big multi-year deal with the Yankees last winter, but failed to appear in a game this season. Now, not only is his 2012 season in jeopardy, but his whole career is in danger.
- Omar Vizquel would like to play again in 2012, but a more surprising name is also interested in making a comeback; Dmitri Young would like to return to baseball next year.
Mets, Byrdak Agree On Extension For 2012
Mets GM Sandy Alderson announced that the team finalized a contract extension for the 2012 season with lefty reliever Tim Byrdak during today's game, tweets Newsday's David Lennon. The team has confirmed the move via press release.
The 37-year-old Byrdak signed a minor league deal with the Mets prior to the 2011 season, and has enjoyed a very strong year for the club. In 36 2/3 innings (68 appearances), the left-hander has posted career bests in ERA (2.95) and K/9 (10.8).
Byrdak has been particularly tough on lefties this season, limiting same-handed batters to a .204/.257/.323 triple slash line this season. He's posted a 5.50 K:BB ratio against lefties this season (33 strikeouts, six walks) as opposed to a 0.92 versus right-handed batters (12 walks, 11 strikeouts). He is represented by agent Mike Mosa, as shown in MLBTR's Agency Database.
Ned Colletti Talks Offseason
Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times has a slew of information from Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti regarding the team's offseason plans. Colletti feels that his team's pitching and defense have been sufficient, but that the offense is lacking and needs to be bolstered:
"I say the most dramatic way we can improve the offense, that would be the way we would go," Colletti said.
Obviously, that could be an allusion to Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols, but the Dodgers' uncertain ownership and financial situations make a signing of that magnitude a stretch. Dilbeck points out that Colletti has never signed a player to a $100MM+ deal, and that Kevin Brown is the only player in Dodgers' history to receive such a contract. At the same time, however, Dilbeck also notes that the Dodgers do have $25MM in contracts coming off the books, so a run at one of the Top 2 free agents isn't necessarily unfathomable.
In the likely event that neither player comes to the Dodgers, Colletti says that James Loney is someone they'd "love to have back." Loney's overall numbers don't appear all that productive, but he's batting .355/.435/.653 with seven homers in his last 37 games. A strong finish could persuade the Dodgers to bring him back, although doing so would require giving him a raise on this year's $4.875MM salary — a risk given Loney's mostly underwhelming numbers.
Colletti also mentions re-signing Hiroki Kuroda as a priority; even if they were to retain Kuroda though, they'd require a fifth starter. Nathan Eovaldi and Dana Eveland can both be candidates, and of course the free agent market figures to offer plenty of low-budget reclamation projects that could be brought in to fill that role as well.
Beyond that, role players such as Tony Gwynn Jr., Casey Blake, Aaron Miles, and Juan Rivera may all return "in the right situation." For what it's worth, Gwynn told Dilbeck's colleague Jim Peltz that he hopes to return to the Dodgers next season.
NL Central Notes: Pujols, Cardinals, Fielder, Cubs
The Cardinals still don't know whether or not Albert Pujols will be playing in St. Louis past this season, and the team is making moves to prepare for either scenario, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards are currently negotiating with the agents of Lance Berkman and Rafael Furcal in an effort to retain both players on short-term deals. Strauss adds that the team hopes Pujols' future will be decided no later than December 11th. Here's the latest on a couple other NL Central clubs:
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wonders which teams will pursue Prince Fielder this winter. He essentially rules out the Brewers, and runs through a few other possibilities.
- The Cubs' new GM may have some work to do on the starting rotation, but the bullpen is looking strong, writes Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- With no GM in place, the Cubs' 2012 manager is still a question mark, but Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe thinks hiring Ryne Sandberg would provide a major public relations bump for owner Tom Ricketts. Chicago would embrace Sandberg's "lunchpail mentality," says Cafardo.