Dustin Nippert Signed With Team In Korea
Free agent right-hander Dustin Nippert signed with the Doosan Bears of the Korean Baseball Organization according to a report from Naver news services (link in Korean), passed along by the blog True Stories of Korean Baseball. The signing actually occured back in mid-January.
Nippert, 29, spent the last three years with the Rangers, pitching to a 4.91 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 198 innings. He was non-tendered this offseason after posting a 4.28 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings in 2010. Nippert spent close to two months on the disabled list last year after getting hit in the head with a batted ball and suffering a concussion.
Youngest Remaining Free Agents
We're weeks into Spring Training now, so few notable free agents remain. But some players (min. 50 PAs) and pitchers (min. 20 IP) remain unsigned. Here's a look at the remaining free agents who will play the 2011 season while no older than 32:
- Willy Aybar (28) – The Rays declined Aybar's option and non-tendered him, but he can play first, second and third and has a career .341 OBP. He wouldn't be in line for more than a minor league deal if he signs.
- Jeremy Bonderman (28) – Bonderman may sit the season out, but you have to think he can help someone (the Cardinals?) despite the 5.53 ERA he posted in 171 innings last year. He's only 28 and he has recovered from shoulder surgery.
- Manny Corpas (28) - Corpas will miss the 2011 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. He posted a 4.62 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 62 1/3 innings last year, and defense independent pitching stats suggest his ERA should have been lower, so he would have drawn interest if healthy.
- Hank Blalock (30) - Blalock averaged 29 homers per season from 2003-05, when he made two All-Star teams. That power was nowhere to be seen last year, when he posted a .254/.319/.349 line in 69 plate appearances for the Rays. Blalock just turned 30 last fall, but he probably needs to rebuild value in the minor leagues to make a complete comeback.
- Bobby Crosby (31) – Three teams were interested in the former AL Rookie of the Year earlier in the winter, but he remains on the open market. In 189 plate appearances for Pittsburgh and Arizona last year, Crosby hit .220/.294/.298 and played all four infield positions.
- Ryan Church (32) - Church, who was traded with Crosby from Pittsburgh to Arizona last summer, also struggled in 2010. He posted a .201/.265/.352 line, though he had 59 extra base hits as recently as 2007.
- Ben Sheets (32) – If he wasn't going to miss the season with flexor tendon surgery, Sheets would likely have found a team by now. He won't sign this year.
Red Sox Notes: Ortiz, Gonzalez, Papelbon
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says the Red Sox are the team to beat in 2011 and that's far from the only news out of Boston's Spring Training camp today…
- David Ortiz told Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com that he feels good and is open to negotiating an extension during the season if the Red Sox are interested in one (link in Spanish).
- Adrian Gonzalez told Rojas that he has no pre-set extension agreement with the Red Sox and that he needs to prove that his shoulder is completely healthy before finalizing a deal with his new team (link in Spanish). Gonzalez denied that the sides are waiting to announce the deal because of baseball’s luxury tax.
- Ortiz told Joe McDonald of ESPNBoston.com that that he would at least consider playing for the Yankees. "Well, if I don't get signed here, I would play somewhere," Ortiz said. "You know what I'm saying? I'm not saying I would play for the Yankees, but I if I don't have a job, I gotta go somewhere else. As long as I play, right?"
- But Ortiz tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he is "not even thinking" about his next contract yet.
- Jonathan Papelbon says his slider will be a key pitch for him in 2011, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The closer hits free agency for the first time after the season, though he'll have plenty of competition as the relief market figures to be strong again.
Quick Hits: Lawson, Franklin, Hanson
The Dodgers signed Garret Anderson exactly one year ago today. Earlier this week, Anderson retired as the all-time leader in a number of offensive categories for L.A.'s other team. Here are today's links…
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti explained to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the Tribe likes Matt Lawson's versatility and defense. They acquired the Double-A utility player for Aaron Laffey in a trade with the Mariners yesterday.
- One of Lawson's former minor league teammates, Nick Franklin, has switched agents and is now a client of the Boras Corporation, according to Conor Glassey of Baseball America (on Twitter).
- Another Scott Boras client, Tommy Hanson, had his contract renewed by the Braves, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). When teams renew players' contracts, it means the sides did not agree to terms.
- Jerry Crasnick catches up with former can't-miss prospects Jeremy Hermida, Lastings Milledge and Jeff Francoeur in an enjoyable piece at ESPN.com.
Players, Owners Begin Formal Bargaining
MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner says the players and owners had their first formal bargaining session in Tampa Bay last night, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Baseball's Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire after the season, so the sides will continue negotiating over the course of the coming months.
A number of issues, including the amateur draft, revenue sharing and expanded playoffs, figure to be on the bargaining table. But there's one major issue that won't likely come up: a salary cap. Weiner told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he doesn't expect the possibility of a salary cap to be an issue. In fact, Weiner says he doesn't expect that either side "is looking to make fundamental or radical changes in the structure of [the existing] contract."
Olney On Zito, Brown, Jeter, Reyes
As ESPN.com's Buster Olney points out, the Giants would have to have a legitimate alternative in place before dumping Barry Zito and the $64.5MM remaining on his salary. If Jeff Suppan earns a rotation spot or someone else pitches unexpectedly well, the Giants could consider releasing Zito, but until then they can use the durable left-hander. Here's more on the Giants and other notes from Olney:
- Olney says now is the time for the Giants to dump Zito if they're ever going to do it. The Giants are coming off of a World Series title, so Olney argues that they're working from a position of credibility. They aren't likely to cut Zito, however.
- As Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes, manager Bruce Bochy says Zito is the team's fourth starter and GM Brian Sabean says the team isn't frustrated with him.
- One talent evaluator says "the athleticism has been taken out" of Domonic Brown's swing.
- Derek Jeter's relationship with the Yankees will be defined by the team's perception of what's required to win, writes Olney. The team will likely be willing to put Jeter at the bottom of the order or switch him to another position if his performance declines.
- It's for that reason that Jose Reyes could become a solution for the Yankees when he hits free agency after the season.
Poll: The Next Winning Royals Team
They've had a winning season more recently than the Pirates, but the last quarter century has not been kind to the Royals. The only Royals team to finish at or above .500 since 1994 was the 2003 club that finished 83-79. And it's been so long since Kansas City made the playoffs that 16 players on the Royals' 40-man roster weren't even alive to see George Brett, Bret Saberhagen & Co. win the I-70 series in 1985.
But Dayton Moore has improved the team's farm system since taking over as GM early in the 2006 season and the Royals now boast the best group of prospects in baseball. So although Billy Butler, Alcides Escobar and Joakim Soria aren't expected to lead the Royals to a winning record this year, it won't be a surprise if the Royals are winners again before long. They were once one of baseball's model franchises – when will they become winners again?
When will the Royals next finish above .500?
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2013 35% (3,392)
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2014 or later 33% (3,188)
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2012 26% (2,465)
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2011 6% (603)
Total votes: 9,648
Rangers May Explore Long-Term Extensions
Rangers GM Jon Daniels says that the club still may explore long-term extensions with some players before Spring Training ends, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The club currently has four notable players who could be candidates for new deals.
Even though he won't be a free agent until after the 2015 season, Elvis Andrus could be in line for an extension. As Sullivan points out, the Rangers worked out a multiyear deal with Ian Kinsler at a similar point in his career to skirt future arbitration years. Rightfielder Nelson Cruz has three years left before he can test the open market but a multiyear deal would mean avoiding two years of arbitration.
Club officials have suggested that an extension is unlikely with left-hander C.J. Wilson, who is a free agent after this season. Same goes for slugger Josh Hamilton who recently signed a two-year, $24MM deal to avoid arbitration. Even though Hamilton is the biggest name in the quartet, Sullivan writes that because the deal was just completed, the two parties probably aren't in a rush to hammer out a new one right away.
Meanwhile, the Rangers would also like to get a deal done with Daniels. Club president Nolan Ryan is confident that the two sides will work out an extension, though he won't put a timetable on it.
Quick Hits: Hall, Young, Feliz, Burnett, Buck
Links for Wednesday night..
- Longtime major leaguer Juan Castro told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he never considered retirement at any point this winter. The 38-year-old is trying to hook on with the Dodgers in 2011 for what would be his fourth stint with the club.
- Earlier today, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told versatile Astros veteran Bill Hall that the club was "this close" to signing him, tweets Jack Curry of the YES Network.
- A source close to the Rockies told Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated that the Rangers sought a "very good player" for Michael Young, but didn't elaborate on who that player might be.
- Some in the Rangers front office feel that Neftali Feliz could develop into the type of starter that would otherwise cost a bundle in a trade, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- Yankees fans have been hard on A.J. Burnett, who is set to earn $16.5MM annually through 2013. However, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that Burnett's career numbers are not all that different from Boston's Josh Beckett.
- Outfielder Travis Buck views his arrival in the Indians locker room as a fresh start, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
Mariners Notes: Laffey, Kelley, Lawson, Ackley
Some links pertaining to the Mariners and their newest acquisition..
- The newly acquired Aaron Laffey will have a shot to compete for both a rotation and bullpen job, GM Jack Zduriencik told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. Jack Z also told Baker that Laffey has a minor league option left, meaning that he can be bumped down to Triple-A in favor of a non-roster player.
- The M's won't have to cut or release anyone to make room for Laffey on the 40-man roster, as they have placed right-hander Shawn Kelley on the 60-day disabled list, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com (via Twitter). Kelley is on the mend from from partial Tommy John surgery and isn't expected back until June.
- A fun fact from MLB.com's Jordan Bastian: Following the Laffey deal, the Indians now have five players who were traded for Cliff Lee. Infielder Matt Lawson was involved in trade that sent Lee from Seattle to Texas last July.
- Larry Stone of The Seattle Times writes that the potential Super Two status of second baseman Dustin Ackley and pitcher Michael Pineda will likely impact when they are called-up to the bigs.