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Rangers, Kinsler Have Had Talks About New Deal

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Earlier this week we heard that the Rangers intend to look into contract extensions for their core players, and that process has started with Ian Kinsler. Kinsler told Jeff Wilson of The Star Telegram that his agent, Jay Franklin, has had preliminary talks with the team about a new deal.

"I want to stay here," said Kinsler. "I was drafted by the Rangers, and I want to be a Ranger. You never know how long it's going to take. I think the sooner the better for them, and the sooner the better for me."

Kinsler, 29, hit .255/.355/.477 with 32 homers and 30 steals in 34 chances this season. He also walked 89 times compared to just 71 strikeouts, and UZR says his defense at second has been above-average in recent years. Kinsler has had some injury problems in his career though, spending time on the disabled list in 2010 (ankle sprain, groin strain), 2009 (hamstring strain), 2008 (sports hernia), 2007 (stress fracture in his left foot), and 2006 (dislocated thumb).

There is one year left on the five-year, $22MM deal Kinsler signed before the 2008 season. He will make $7MM in 2012, and the team holds a $10MM club option for his services in 2013. Dan Uggla's five-year, $62MM extension with the Braves could serve as framework for a new contract, as could a new deal between the Reds and Brandon Phillips. Baseball Time In Arlington suggests three years and $17MM annually tacked onto his existing contract.

King’s Latest: Yankees, Fielder, Rangers, McGehee

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Here are some notes from George A. King III of The New York Post…

  • “I am ready to rock and roll," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman while acknowledging that he still isn't optimistic about making a major pitching addition. "The Yankees are open for business."
  • An NL executive heard that the Rangers have interest in signing Prince Fielder and trading Mitch Moreland to the Rays for Wade Davis. A person with knowledge of Texas' plans say neither scenario is close to being done, however. The Rangers checked in with Scott Boras about Fielder during the winter meetings.
  • The Rangers also have interest in Casey McGehee of the Brewers to play first base, which would still allow them to make the Moreland-for-Davis swap. Matt Moore's new extension means the Rays won't have to send him down to the minors for service time reasons, giving them six starters (David Price, James Shields, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Hellickson, Moore, and Davis) for five spots.

D’Backs Acquire Cahill, Breslow From A’s

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SATURDAY: Slusser reports that the cash considerations going to the Diamondbacks will be "a couple of hundred thousand dollars."

FRIDAY: As was rumored earlier today, the Diamondbacks have acquired pitchers Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow from the Athletics for minor leaguers Jarrod Parker, Collin Cowgill and Ryan Cook, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) and Steve Gilbert of MLB.com (Twitter). The Diamondbacks will also receive cash from Oakland, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

The centerpiece of the trade for Arizona is Cahill, a right-handed starter who has logged more than 175 innings in each of his three seasons as a Major Leaguer. The groundballer (53.3% career rate) is under team control at least through 2015 and perhaps through 2017, depending on two club options. He'll join Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson at the top of the D'Backs' rotation, with Josh Collmenter and perhaps (or not) Joe Saunders at the back end.

On a conference call with reporters on Friday night, D'Backs GM Kevin Towers said the timing was right to make a move of this nature:

“A lot of it is just the depth that we have in the system. Certainly, Jarrod Parker was a tough piece to give up, but with Trevor Bauer, Tyler Skaggs and Charles Brewer, we feel we’ve got depth in the starting rotation – also, Wade Miley. We see a window here, specifically in the NL West. We’re kind of in a go-for-it mode.”

Clearly, Cahill will be counted on as one of the mainstays of the D'Backs' rotation, but it wasn't long ago he seemed destined to remain in Oakland after inking a multiyear extension in April:

"I defintely thought I’d be with them a bit longer. But their history is, they usually keep guys when they don’t make too much, then trade them off for prospects. I thought I’d be there longer, but I'm glad to be part of a team that’s headed in the right direction."

Breslow, a lefty reliever, kicked around earlier in his career before latching on with the A's the past three seasons. He's posted a career 3.80 FIP, and with no significant lefty/righty splits, Towers said Breslow will likely be used as a swing lefty out of Kirk Gibson's bullpen in 2012. He is eligible for free agency after 2013.

In Parker, Cowgill and Cook, the A's get three prospects who all have far less than a full season of service time. Of them, Parker, a right-handed starter, is regarded by scouts as having the highest ceiling. Now 24, Parker pitched mostly in the minors in 2011 after missing all of 2010 due to Tommy John surgery. He was ranked No. 19 in Keith Law's top 50 minor league prospects in July.

Cowgill is a 25-year-old outfielder who made his Major League debut in 2011 after posting a .383 career on-base percentage in parts of four minor league seasons. Cook was a starter in the minors before being converted to relief work in 2011. He has a "strong arm, chance for a good slider," tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.

John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR in Phoenix first tweeted the rumored trade, and Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, Piecoro, Slusser and Gilbert all filled in with details.

MLB Reinstates Manny Ramirez

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MLB has officially reinstated Manny Ramirez from the voluntary retirement list according to ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links). Ramirez intends to attempt a comeback next year, but will first need to serve a 50-game suspension for his failed PED test this past season.

Manny, now 39, has been calling teams directly to find employment, though neither the Dodgers or Rays are expected to have much interest in him. There aren't many clubs in need of a DH, plus there are still several DH candidates on the free agent market that come with less baggage. Ramirez will likely have to settle for a non-roster invite to Spring Training.

Quick Hits: Bell, Reyes, D’Backs, Rox, Rollins

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A handful of odds and ends as Friday night winds down …

  • Joe Frisaro of MLB.com has the breakdown on Heath Bell's and Jose Reyes' respective contracts with the Marlins. Bell's 2015 club option for $9MM will vest if he finishes 55 games in 2014 or 100 games in 2013-14. Reyes will earn a $1MM bonus if he wins a World Series MVP.
  • D'Backs GM Kevin Towers told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, that he's looking to fortify his bullpen and perhaps add another starting pitcher (Twitter link).
  • The Rockies are looking for a short-term answer at third base so as not to block the path of prospect Nolan Arenado, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro will meet with shortstop Jimmy Rollins' agent, Dan Lozano, on Saturday, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
  • Brewers shortstop Alex Gonzalez told Spanish-language sports talk radio show Los Cronistas in Venezuela that he had offers from the Giants and the Mets but that he chose to sign with Milwaukee because he wanted to be a starter (Twitter links). Thanks to MLBTR's Nick Collias for the translation.

How The Albert Pujols Deal Shapes The Offseason

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Albert Pujols is heading to Anaheim. After flirtations with the hyper-aggressive Marlins and extended talks with his hometown Cardinals, Pujols accepted a ten-year deal worth more than $250MM from the Angels. Here's a blow-by-blow look ahead to the impact the contract will have, starting in Anaheim:

Angels: The Angels' offense was ordinary in 2011, and Pujols should help change that. The Angels' projected lineup becomes even more right-handed with the addition of Pujols, but GM Jerry Dipoto figures to make more moves before Spring Training.

Rookie of the Year runner-up Mark Trumbo and the injured Kendrys Morales are now in limbo. There has been some talk of moving Trumbo to third, but the Angels may trade him instead. Morales, a borderline non-tender candidate with a projected salary in the $3MM range, might draw interest from teams such as the Rays, Pirates, Cubs, Brewers and Blue Jays if and when he and Trumbo become available.

Dipoto has had an immense impact in his six weeks on the job in Anaheim (the Angels also agreed to terms with C.J. Wilson). It's clear that owner Arte Moreno hired an aggressive GM who believes the Angels can win soon. The Angels will lose the 19th overall selection in the 2012 draft to the Cardinals. 

Cardinals - You can't replace the best hitter in baseball. The Cardinals outscored every National League team in 2011 and they'll keep scoring in 2012, but replacing Pujols in the short-term represents a challenge for the defending World Series winners.

The Cardinals have lost two franchise icons — Pujols and manager Tony La Russa — since winning it all this October. They’ll have a new look in 2012 under rookie manager Mike Matheny. St. Louis also obtains two compensatory draft picks for Pujols in 2012.

The St. Louis lineup will look considerably different next year. Lance Berkman projects as the everyday first baseman with Allen Craig in right field. However, Craig underwent knee surgery and may not be ready for Opening Day, so the Cardinals may look to obtain outfield (or first base) depth. GM John Mozeliak should have the money he needs to address weaknesses in the middle infield, the bullpen and, possibly, the rotation. Losing Pujols also provides the Cardinals with future payroll flexibility. Though the loss stings now, they'll have more financial freedom over the course of the next decade.

Marlins - President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest improved his lineup — one that finished the 2011 season 23rd in baseball in runs scored — even though Pujols signed elsewhere. Few pitchers will want to face a group that includes Jose Reyes, a healthy Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison.

The lineup will also include Gaby Sanchez, assuming the Marlins don't sign Prince Fielder. Sanchez, a Miami native who has never played a position other than first base at the Major League level, would have interested other teams if Pujols had signed in Miami.

Brewers, Mariners, Cubs, Rangers, Mystery Teams – Any team interested in Prince Fielder watched the Pujols negotiations with interest. Though Pujols’ numbers are superior to Fielder's from a career standpoint, agent Scott Boras may attempt to use Pujols’ deal to his client’s advantage. 

Joey Votto – Votto doesn’t have the same resume as Pujols, but he may use Thursday’s agreement as a point of reference when he hits free agency after the 2013 season. Fielder’s deal will be a better be a better comparison for Votto.

Mark Buehrle - The Marlins agreed to sign Buehrle, but it's unlikely they would have moved as aggressively on the southpaw if Pujols had decided to accept the Marlins' offer.

Mets – The Mets would have obtained a third round compensation pick for losing Reyes if Pujols had signed with the Marlins. Instead, the Mets are looking at a second round selection for losing the All-Star shortstop.

The MLBPA – It’s the second biggest deal in baseball history, so there’s lots to like from the players association's perspective. The contract tops the average annual value of deals for lesser players such as Ryan Howard, Adrian Gonzalez and Mark Teixeira. Agent Dan Lozano obtained a deal that makes Pujols the second MLB player to surpass the $200MM contract plateau (Alex Rodriguez is the other).

A’s Notes: Parker, Gio, Bailey, Trades, Ballpark

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A few notes regarding the Athletics in the wake of tonight's Trevor Cahill swap with the Diamondbacks …

  • The A's preferred Jarrod Parker over Trevor Bauer during trade talks with Arizona, a source tells Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link).
  • Assistant GM David Forst confirmed that all of the A's players are available to be traded except for Jemile Weeks, tweets Jane Lee of MLB.com. Two players who have been mentioned prominently in rumors this offseason are lefty starter Gio Gonzalez and closer Andrew Bailey.
  • Interest in Gonzalez and Bailey is "intense," a Major League source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. The Rangers, Blue Jays, Nationals and Marlins are targeting Gonzalez, while the Red Sox are after Bailey, according to Rosenthal. The Rangers and Reds like both players.
  • The A's objective is to get younger – not necessarily cheaper – and to build a competitive team within three years in anticipation of a potential move to a new ballpark in San Jose, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links).
  • Parker and center fielder Collin Cowgill both have a chance to win starting jobs in spring training this year, according to Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links).

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pujols, Reyes, Cespedes

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As expected, the winter meetings brought plenty of excitement and changed the baseball landscape this week. The Angels and Marlins made multiple significant additions while other clubs did some fine tuning. Here's the latest from around the baseball blogosphere on all of this week's moves and more…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

D’Backs May Trade Joe Saunders

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7:38pm: A source tells Piecoro that the Red Sox are one of several teams interested in Saunders (Twitter link).

6:42pm: The Diamondbacks' acquisition of Trevor Cahill may lead them to trade lefty Joe Saunders, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

Saunders was considered a non-tender candidate earlier this offseason, but the D'Backs apparently offered him a two-year contract earlier this week. Saunders' camp countered Arizona's offer, but nothing yet has come of that, and during a conference call with reporters to discuss the Cahill trade, D'Backs GM Kevin Towers said there's a "significant gap" between the sides.

MLBTR's arbitration projection pegs Saunders for a salary of $8.7MM in 2012. He's logged no fewer than 186 innings in each of the past four seasons but was worth just 6.6 WAR in that span, according to Fangraphs.

Pirates Designate Jeremy Hefner For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated right-handed pitcher Jeremy Hefner for assignment, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, who adds that the 40-man roster is now full.

The Bucs claimed Hefner, 25, off waivers from the Padres last month. The righty started 28 games for Triple-A Tucson in 2011, posting a 4.98 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 157 1/3 innings. He has a 3.84 ERA with 7.9 K/0 and 2.8 BB/9 in 688 2/3 career minor league innings over five seasons.

Hefner attended Oral Roberts and was a fifth-round pick of the Friars in 2007.

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