Red Sox Notes: Shoda, Coello, Bishop
Don't let all that snow in Boston fool you, Spring Training is fast approaching. Here's some of the latest BoSox news out of Fort Myers, Florida..
- As we learned last night, the Red Sox are closing in on a deal with Japanese left-hander Itsuki Shoda. A major league source told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that Shoda has been invited to minor league camp and would have to win a job to stay with the organization. The figures on the deal are not yet out but Abraham writes that the cost to the Red Sox is minimal.
- Robert Coello, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday, is still working out at the Red Sox minor league training facility while he waits to hear where he might be playing baseball this season. The 26-year-old should be able to draw interest from clubs after turning in a 3.86 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 107 1/3 innings for Boston's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates as a swingman.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com profiles the story of Te Wera "Beau" Bishop and how the New Zealand softballer was discovered by the BoSox.
Quick Hits: D’Backs, Doumit, Wagner, Marlins
Chuck Tanner, manager of Pittsburgh's last World Series championship team, passed away today at age 81. Tanner played eight seasons in the majors but gained more fame as a manager, compiling a 401-414 record manning the benches of the White Sox, Athletics, Pirates and Braves from 1970 to 1988. Tanner's lone postseason appearance came in 1979 when he led the "We Are Family" Bucs to victory over the Orioles in a tight, seven-game World Series. The MLBTR team sends its condolences to Tanner's friends and family.
Some news to wrap up the week…
- Arizona CEO Derrick Hall tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the Diamondbacks' payroll for next season will be "in the low $60s, approaching $65MM." Hall says the team has lost money in each of the last three years but is still open to potential new spending if the Snakes are in contention, since the club will only draw more fans if they put a winning product on the field. The article also notes the D'Backs "are budgeting for significant costs in this year's draft," given that Arizona holds the third and seventh overall picks.
- The Pirates have both received and sent out some "feelers" about Ryan Doumit, writes Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as part of a chat with fans. Dunlap thinks teams want to make sure Doumit is healthy during Spring Training before seriously pursuing the catcher/first baseman. I recently looked at how Doumit's 2011 season is a make-or-break campaign.
- Billy Wagner is taking his time filing retirement papers, but David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that Wagner's continued presence on the Braves' 40-man roster isn't preventing the club from making any moves.
- The Marlins are comfortable with their young rotation and have no need for a veteran innings-eater like Kevin Millwood or Jarrod Washburn, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com thinks that labeling either Albert Pujols or Michael Young as "greedy" is misguided.
- The Irving Picard lawsuit filed against the Mets' ownership group could result in the financial records of several, if not all, other Major League teams being examined in court, reports Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Jayson Stark of ESPN.com recaps the offseason and lists which teams he thought made the best and worst winter moves.
Red Sox Close To Contract With Itsuki Shoda
The Red Sox are close to signing Japanese left-hander Itsuki Shoda to a minor league contract, reports Nikkan Sports (Japanese language link) and tweeted by NPBTracker's Patrick Newman. As WEEI.com's Alex Speier translates, Sox GM Theo Epstein said the two sides are close to an agreement and Shoda will report to Boston's minor league Spring Training camp.
Shoda, 29, won the Pacific League's Rookie of the Year award in 2002 as a member of the Nippon Ham Fighters, but failed to live up to that early promise, eventually moving to Hanshin in 2007 and playing two seasons for the Tigers. For the last two seasons, Shoda has pitched in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, posting a 3.60 ERA and a 3.35 K/BB ratio in 324 1/3 innings for the Sinon Bulls.
AL Notes: Millwood, Soria, A-Rod, Barton
MLBTR sends its condolences to the friends and family of Ernie Tyler, who passed away on Thursday night. The long-time umpire attendant at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards worked 3819 consecutive games between Opening Day 1960 and July 27, 2007, only halting his streak when the Orioles' other iron man (Cal Ripken Jr.) invited Tyler to Cooperstown for Ripken's induction into the Hall of Fame. Tyler, 86, is survived by his wife and 11 children.
Some news from the Junior Circuit…
- The Yankees are still considering signing Kevin Millwood, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. We heard about New York's interest in the right-hander last week, and recent rumors have linked him to Cleveland, though the Indians don't want to pay Millwood the $4-5MM he's seeking.
- In a recent online chat with fans, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star said it is "unlikely bordering on inconceivable" that the Royals will look to move Joakim Soria at the trade deadline. We heard earlier this winter that K.C. was firm on keeping Soria in the fold, despite interest from a few other clubs.
- Fangraphs' Dave Cameron argues Andy MacPhail's recent statement that Alex Rodriguez's contract with the Rangers was "the worst signing in the history of baseball." As Cameron notes, the problem wasn't Rodriguez, but rather the fact that the Rangers surrounded him with mediocre talent.
- Is Daric Barton a better first baseman than Ryan Howard and Mark Teixeira? Citing wOBA, defense and contracts, ESPN.com's Evan Brunell believes so.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald profiles Te Wera Bishop, who is trying to become the first New Zealand-born player in Major League history. Bishop, 17, starred for New Zealand's national softball team before being signed to a $60K contract by the Red Sox.
Oakland’s Free Agent Misses: Don’t Blame The Park
Here's agent Scott Boras talking to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports about the Oakland Coliseum last month:
"You talk to players. It's not the city. It's not the team. It's the ballpark. And there are no fans there. When teams recruit against the Oakland A's, they say, 'Why do you want to play in an empty park?' It's not about the organization. It's not about ownership. It's about locale."
Boras may have a point, but the Athletics' ballpark is not why they lost out on his client Adrian Beltre this winter, nor is it the reason behind the team's failure to sign Lance Berkman and Hisashi Iwakuma.
Beltre was a prime target for Oakland during the 2009-10 offseason, but he turned down a three-year, $24MM offer to take one year and $10MM from the Red Sox. The A's offer didn't match up with Beltre's goal, which was to be paid well in 2010 and also make a one-year bet on himself and re-enter the market. That was the right call for him, and this time around the A's topped out at a six-year, $76.8MM offer. The five-year, $80MM deal Beltre signed with Texas, which also has a vesting option, is a much better contract. It's not as if Beltre turned down five years and $90MM from Oakland.
Berkman spurned a two-year offer from the A's to take one year from the Cardinals, but signing with them allowed him to remain in the NL Central and play the outfield every day while also making solid money on a make-good one-year pact. The Coliseum doesn't shoulder the blame here either, as Berkman did not view himself as a full-time DH. As for Iwakuma, the A's seemed to be in the $4MM a year range while his agent wanted at least twice as much. That was simply a difference of opinion on salary. If agent Don Nomura's claim that Oakland's interest in Iwakuma wasn't sincere is true, implying they bid just to block rivals, that's a flaw of the posting system.
The Coliseum probably does hurt the Athletics' ability to lure free agent hitters. But in the cases of Beltre and Berkman, it doesn't appear to have been the primary factor.
Verducci On Weaver, Lester, Pujols, Young
Here's the latest from Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci….
- Though the Angels won their arbitration hearing with Jered Weaver, Verducci thinks the fact that the case went all the way to a hearing is "a bad sign" for Weaver's future with the Halos. It certainly doesn't help refute the purported hard feelings between the Angels and Weaver's agent Scott Boras.
- Verducci compares the contracts and basic performance stats of Weaver, Chad Billingsley, Jon Lester and Cole Hamels. Verducci guesses Boston saved at least $15MM by signing Lester to a multiyear deal before the 2009 season.
- Just three players (Todd Helton, Raul Ibanez, and Ichiro) aged 36 years old or older managed to play 100 games in the field last season and reach the league average OPS of .728, Verducci writes. This pronounced decline rate for older players is the reason the Cardinals are hesitant to pay Albert Pujols a $30MM annual salary into his late thirties.
- The Rangers are still "the best fit" for Michael Young. Verducci points out that Young should still be able to find lots of playing time with Texas, if not necessarily an everyday spot in the lineup. Given how thin the trade market for Young appears to be, Young also may not have a choice but to remain in Texas.
Nick Swisher Changes Agents
Nick Swisher has hired Dan Lozano as his new agent, reports FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). There were reports earlier today that linked Swisher to Scott Boras, but instead it's Lozano who has added the Yankee outfielder to his list of clients, which includes such names as Albert Pujols, Michael Young and Jimmy Rollins. Swisher was formerly represented by Joe Bick.
Swisher has hit exactly 29 homers in each of two seasons as a Yankee, and he hit .288/.359/.511 in 635 plate appearances last year as the Yankees' everyday right fielder. The switch-hitter made his first All-Star team in 2010. Swisher, 30, will earn $9MM this year and the Yankees have the option of exercising a $10.25MM in 2012 or spending $1MM on a buyout.
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post
Brewers Again Negotiating Multiyear Deal With Weeks
The Brewers are still trying to sign second baseman Rickie Weeks to a long-term extension, reports Anthony Witrado of The Sporting News. We heard last month that the two sides had set aside the extension talks to focus on Weeks' 2011 contract, but given that Weeks set the start of Spring Training as his deadline for any negotiations about a multiyear pact, the Brewers were no doubt interested in revisiting the topic given that their camp opens next week.
"We'll get a better sense of where we are in the next couple of days," Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin tells Witrado. "We still have a little bit of time. We're always optimistic we can get something done, and we're still engaged in multiyear talks. If we don't (get that done) then we have to focus on this year."
Weeks' arbitration hearing is set for February 17, which Witrado notes is also the same day that the Brewers' pitchers and catchers hold their first spring workout. Weeks filed an arbitration number of $7.2MM, while Milwaukee has a counter-offer worth $4.85MM. This is Weeks' last year of arbitration eligibility and he'll be a free agent after the 2011 campaign.
Milwaukee assistant GM Gord Ash has handled negotiations with Greg Genske, Weeks' agent, and Ash tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he and Genske "are still talking" but gave no further comments. In a separate piece, Haudricourt reports that Ash and Genske have found "it difficult to find a common ground" about Weeks' value given the second baseman's injury history before his breakout 2010 season. A team source tells Haudricourt that the Brewers don't want to lose both Weeks and Prince Fielder to free agency next winter, and an extension for Weeks will be much less expensive than the $200MM contract that Fielder reportedly wants.
AL East Links: Guthrie, Bard, Balfour, Rays
Yankees officially announced that they signed Luis Ayala, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, Warner Madrigal, Ronnie Belliard and Eric Chavez to minor league deals. Here are some notes on the Yanks and the rest of the AL East…
- Jordan Parraz, who was designated for assignment by the Yankees, cleared waivers, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch (Twitter link).
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun asks if you'd extend any of the seven Orioles who were arbitration eligible this offseason.
- If you answered Jeremy Guthrie, think again. The right-hander, who avoided arbitration with the Orioles today, told Jeff Zrebiec of the Sun that the Orioles appear to have ruled out an extension for him, though he wouldn't rule one out himself and doesn't have hard feelings about the team's decision.
- Here's a fun fact from Zrebiec on Twitter: Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has never gone to an arbitration hearing with a player in 25 years of running baseball teams. Pretty astounding.
- Daniel Bard told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he would like to try starting again and has not discussed an extension with the Red Sox.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post has the latest on some creative discussions between Kevin Towers and the man he worked for last year, Brian Cashman.The Yankees, who considered completing a sign-and-trade with Arizona to acquire Carl Pavano without surrendering a draft pick, discussed a similar deal with the D'Backs about Grant Balfour. The Yankees were moving toward Balfour before they signed his former teammte, Rafael Soriano.
- Justin Ruggiano and Leslie Anderson both cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. The Rays designated the players for assignment to create roster space earlier in the week.
Dodgers, Loney Avoid Arbitration
The Dodgers avoided arbitration with James Loney, agreeing to a one-year, $4.875MM deal, according to CAA, the first baseman's agency on Twitter. As MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows, Loney had filed for $5.25MM while the Dodgers offered $4.7MM.
Loney posted a .267/.329/.395 line last year. He doesn't have much power for a first baseman – his career-high in homers is 15 – but the former first rounder has been durable enough to stay on the field for 158 games or more from 2008-10. That consistency, plus Loney's RBI totals (he has 88 or more in each of the past three seasons) no doubt helped him negotiate with the Dodgers.
The sides settled slightly below the midpoint, but Loney will earn more than comparable players Kevin Kouzmanoff, Corey Hart and B.J. Upton did for their second year of arbitration eligibility, as CAA points out. Loney's relatively high salary makes him a non-tender candidate for the 2011-12 offseason, though the Dodgers can retain him through arbitration if they so choose.
Only six arbitration eligible players remain unsigned for 2011. Players and teams have each won one of the two arbitration hearings to take place so far this offseason.