Royals Sign Pedro Feliz
The Royals signed Pedro Feliz to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, the team announced. Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com reports (on Twitter) that Feliz will earn $800K if he makes the team and will have the chance to earn $200K more in incentives.
The Astros signed Feliz to a $4.5MM deal last winter, then traded him to the Cardinals midseason. He didn't hit for either team, posting a .218/.240/.293 line in 429 plate appearances for the two NL Central clubs. Feliz, 35, has seen his slugging percentage and isolated power drop in each of the past four seasons. He once had 20-homer power, but it seems to have disappeared; his homer totals keep dropping and he hit just five long balls last year.
Feliz has a history of hitting lefties better than righties and a reputation as a strong defender, though he posted a below-average -4.9 UZR/150 last year. He'll join Mike Aviles and the surprising Wilson Betemit at the hot corner this spring.
Ten Well-Paid Arbitration Eligible Players
Free agents are often well-paid and extensions provide arbitration eligible players with security, but going year to year can be lucrative, too. Many players have already doubled or tripled their 2010 salaries through arbitration and some of the 14 unsigned arbitration eligible players are set to do the same this month, as our Arb Tracker shows.
These are the ten arbitration eligible players who will earn the most on one-year deals in 2011 (not counting players like Dan Uggla, Joey Votto and Wandy Rodriguez, who agreed to extensions):
- Prince Fielder – $15.5MM
- Jonathan Papelbon – $12MM
- Heath Bell – $7.5MM
- Matt Capps – $7.15MM
- C.J. Wilson – $7.05MM
- Ryan Ludwick – $6.78MM
- Cody Ross – $6.3MM
- Chad Billingsley – $6.28MM
- Josh Willingham – $6MM
- John Danks – $6MM
Three players (Josh Hamilton, Jose Bautista and Jered Weaver) will definitely crack the top ten if they agree to one-year deals and six others (Rickie Weeks, Hunter Pence, Luke Scott, Jeremy Guthrie, Kelly Johnson and Delmon Young) could make the list if they settle for enough money or win their case in a hearing.
Poll: Which Team Offered Guerrero $8MM?
The Orioles have interest in Vladimir Guerrero, but their offer sits in the $4.5-5MM range and the nine-time All-Star is looking for more. ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported over the weekend that the Orioles are being told Guerrero has an $8MM offer in hand from an unknown team.
Guerrero doesn't have that many suitors to begin with, since he's a DH at this point in his career. The 35-year-old can hit – he won his ninth Silver Slugger last year after clubbing 29 homers – but teams with DHs probably don't have room for him. That means the Rays aren't interested and leaves the Blue Jays, Angels and Rangers as the most logical potential suitors outside of Baltimore.
So let's answer the $8MM question…
Which team offered Guerrero $8MM?
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There is no $8MM offer 64% (10,630)
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Blue Jays 12% (2,046)
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Angels 12% (2,026)
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Rangers 6% (982)
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Other 5% (824)
Total votes: 16,508
This Date In Transactions History: February 2nd
February 2nd isn't just known for groundhogs looking at their shadows or Bill Murray getting stuck in time warps. Some notable moves have taken place as well…
- The Blue Jays signed Kevin Gregg one year ago today. The one-year, $2.75MM contract (with two option years) was seen as a surprising move for the Jays given that they weren't expected to spend money on a closer, but Gregg delivered a solid season at the back of the Toronto bullpen. Gregg rebuilt enough value to become a Type B free agent, and thus netted the Jays a compensation round draft pick when they declined his options and the right-hander signed with Baltimore.
- On this day in 2009, the Mets signed Oliver Perez to a three-year, $36MM contract that will go down as one of the worst deals in the history of the franchise. Perez has a 6.81 ERA in 31 games (21 of them starts) over the last two seasons, battling injuries and raising the ire of fans, Mets management and his own teammates when he refused a minor league assignment last year.
- The Mets made a better pitching transaction the year prior, acquiring Johan Santana from the Twins for a package of four prospects. Santana signed a new six-year, $137.5MM deal with New York and has delivered a 2.85 ERA and 3.02 K/BB ratio in 88 starts for the team. Santana's performance dipped a bit last year, however, and he will be out until next summer after undergoing left shoulder surgery. As for Minnesota, only one of the four prospects they got back for Santana is still with the organization — minor league right-hander Deolis Guerra. The Twins released Philip Humber and dealt Kevin Mulvey and Carlos Gomez for Jon Rauch and J.J. Hardy, respectively. Those two players, Rauch especially, played key roles in the Twins' back-to-back AL Central titles.
- Sammy Sosa officially parted ways with the Cubs when he was traded to the Orioles in 2005 in exchange for Mike Fontenot, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Dave Crouthers. That deal was finalized on this day six years ago, and Sosa proceeded to deliver just a .671 OPS in his lone season with the O's.
- After cracking the 50-homer plateau in 1998, Greg Vaughn was dealt from the NL champion Padres (along with Mark Sweeney) to Cincinnati in exchange for Reggie Sanders, Damian Jackson and Josh Harris on this day in 1999. Vaughn became the first player in history to be swapped after a 50-homer season, and he followed his big year up with 45 homers for the Reds in 1999 before leaving for free agency and a deal with Tampa Bay. Sanders had a tremendous 1999 season himself, posting a .904 OPS that actually topped Vaughn (.881 OPS) that year.
- Soon after the St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles, the franchise released Satchel Paige on this day in 1954. Paige had a 3.28 ERA over the previous two seasons with the Browns and was coming off two All-Star appearances, but the legendary Negro Leagues star was 47 years old (though Paige's age was always in some dispute). Paige pitched minor league ball in the Phillies' system from 1956-58, started five games for Portland of the PCL in 1961 and then, incredibly, returned to the majors in 1965 to start one game for the Kansas City A's. At age 54, Paige pitched three scoreless innings against Boston, holding the Red Sox to one hit.
- Also of note, it was on this day in 1936 that the inaugural Hall of Fame class was announced. Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner were the first five players to be inducted to Cooperstown.
Jermaine Dye Hints At Retirement
Jermaine Dye says that if he doesn't hear from a team about a Major League contract by the end of the spring, he may retire, reports FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. Dye, who turned 37 last week, didn't play in 2010 after failing to receive a contract to his liking. Even after missing a season, Dye is still adamant about receiving a Major League deal.
“I’m still working out. I’m still in shape. I’m still motivated,” Dye said. “If nobody wants to put me on a team, I can’t do much about that. But I’m not going to go for a minor-league contract."
Dye told Rosenthal earlier this winter that the Phillies, Rays and Rockies had been in contact with him. The veteran slugger also said he discussed a workout with the Dodgers in December but the club didn't call him back. We heard the Rockies were also interested in Dye midway through last season (along with the Padres and Rangers) and Rosenthal reports Dye was offered Major League contracts by the Cubs and Brewers last winter. The Nationals also made Dye an offer.
As Rosenthal notes, teams are hesitant to make anything more than a minor league commitment to Dye until he proves that he's still in shape and can still hit. There were already concerns about Dye's ability to play the field last winter and a year away from the game surely has teams looking at Dye as just a DH or pinch-hitting option. For his part, Dye isn't sure why clubs won't sign a healthy player but will give Major League deals to pitchers recovering from injuries.
“All these pitchers get hurt, miss the whole year and get major-league deals,” Dye said. “That’s what I don’t get.”
Dye posted a .250/.340/.453 line with the White Sox in 2009, and the team bought out his $12MM option in the offseason. Dye hinted at retirement last year too, but now it may be thrust upon him unless he's willing to accept a minor league contract.
Quick Hits: Young, Ortiz, Blue Jays, Chicago Teams
Congratulations to Jack Gillis, Jim Howard, Terry Reynolds and Mike Toomey on their induction into the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame! The four long-time scouts will be inducted individually during separate ceremonies through August.
Some news items…
- The Rockies and Rangers were close enough on a Michael Young trade package earlier this winter that a Colorado player who would've gone to Texas, Eric Young Jr., was asked to take a physical, reports Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com. Texas was concerned by the stress fracture that sidelined Young Jr. for half of last season and the two sides couldn't settle on a deal.
- With Vladimir Guerrero struggling to find a contract, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal wonders if a similar fate awaits David Ortiz in next winter's free agent market.
- The Blue Jays' decision to start John Buck over prospect J.P. Arencibia in August and September of last season was an organizational call, Alex Anthopoulos tells MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm. The Jays GM said he promised Buck an everyday job if he signed with Toronto, and Anthopoulos wanted to stand by his agreement. "When we give our word to someone … that's part of our brand," Anthopoulos said. "When I'm negotiating with an agent or I'm trying to recruit a player, and we have to tell them something, whether it's good or bad news, they know that we're going to honor our word and we're going to be straight shooters."
- Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago discussed several Cubs and White Sox topics in a chat with fans.
- Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com gives his list of the offseason's biggest winners and losers. I'm not sure if I agree with Urban's designation of Manny Ramirez as the biggest individual "loser" this winter — he took a big pay cut, but the Rays should still be a contending team.
Yankees Remain In Contact With Kevin Millwood
The Yankees have added Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia in the last week, but the team is still in contact with Kevin Millwood, reports Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (Twitter link). It could be that the Yankees just want to give themselves as many veteran starting options as they can, or, as Heyman opines, "they're growing more worried" that Andy Pettitte will retire. Pettitte's retirement would leave the Bombers with two open rotation spots that would be contested between Colon, Garcia, Sergio Mitre, Andrew Brackman, Ivan Nova and potentially Millwood.
Besides the Yankees, the Orioles, Royals and Indians have also been recently connected to Millwood. Like Baltimore, New York wouldn't be able to guarantee Millwood a rotation spot, but it's possible Millwood would take the risk for a chance to pitch for a contending team.
NL Notes: Mets, Martis, Loney, D’Backs
Hall-of-Famer and Cardinals legend Red Schoendienst celebrates his 88th birthday today. Let's celebrate by looking at some news from the league where Schoendienst spent his entire 33-year career as a player and manager.
- The Mets want to find a new minority owner by June, reports The Wall Street Journal's Matthew Futterman, Michael Rothfeld and Chad Bray. If the Wilpons can't sell a minority share of just the club, Futterman, Rothfeld and Brian Costa report that the Mets ownership group could look to add a share of the SNY cable network to the sale "if and when it became a necessity." Jeff Wilpon said last week that SNY wasn't for sale.
- Mark Cuban tells Newsday's Barbara Barker that after failed attempts to buy the Cubs and Rangers, he won't pursue another baseball ownership opportunity unless he's approached. Cuban thinks the Mets are "a great opportunity, but I'm not going to call their investment banker." Cuban also said it's "very unlikely" he would settle for a minority share in a franchise unless he was given the first chance at buying a majority share in the future.
- Shairon Martis has cleared waivers and been outrighted to the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate, reports the team's official Twitter feed. Martis was designated for assignment by Washington on January 24.
- James Loney and the Dodgers "don't appear close to a settlement" of Loney's arbitration case, reports ESPNLosAngeles.com's Tony Jackson. Loney is L.A.'s last arb-eligible player, now that Hong-Chih Kuo has come to an agreement with the club. You can keep track of all the outstanding and settled arbitration cases at the MLBTR ArbTracker.
- Joe Pawlikowski of Fangraphs looks at what the Diamondbacks have done to remake their bullpen after last year's disastrous performance.
Make Or Break Year: Ryan Doumit
It's hard to imagine a scenario that would keep Ryan Doumit in a Pirates uniform past the 2011 season. Even if Doumit had a Jose Bautista-esque massive breakout next year, it would only hasten his depature from PNC Park, since the Bucs would jump at the chance to acquire some prospects for a suddenly-valuable asset.
Why is Doumit's future in Pittsburgh so dim? Doumit signed a three-year, $11.5MM extension following an impressive 2008 season that saw the catcher post a .318/.357/.501 slash line in 465 plate appearances. Since then, however, Doumit has been beset by injuries and has only managed a .728 OPS in 760 plate appearances over the last two seasons.
Doumit has club options worth $7.25MM in 2012 and $8.25MM in 2013, and the Pirates must decide on both options at once following this season. It's a no-brainer that Pittsburgh will take the $500K buyout rather than exercise the two options, given Doumit's struggles and durability issues since 2008. The Pirates have already been openly shopping the switch-hitter this winter and last, and have offered to pay a healthy chunk of Doumit's salary, but no takers have been found.
The challenge for Doumit in 2011 is to both stay healthy and to play well enough to impress his next team. Even if Doumit avoids the DL next year, though, playing time could be hard to come by for the 29-year-old despite his experience at three positions. Garrett Jones and Matt Diaz comprise a lefty-righty platoon in right field, Lyle Overbay will start most days at first base (with right-handed hitting Steve Pearce as the top backup) and Chris Snyder is slated to catch.
Doumit's best chance at playing time is a platoon with Snyder. Doumit has a .796 career OPS against right-handed pitching, including an .832 OPS against righties last year. (Snyder's career OPS against righties is just .687.) The downside to that plan is Doumit's career-long defensive struggles as a catcher, which is why the Pirates tried him at other positions in the first place.
When it comes to a catcher with pop, however, most teams are willing to overlook defensive problems on a short-term basis, especially for a catcher that can hit right-handed pitching. A catcher-needy team could make a move for Doumit at the trade deadline, and for Doumit's sake, an AL team would be the best option so he could get off the field and pick up a few DH at-bats.
Doumit is too much of a defensive liability to be an everyday catcher and a .796 OPS against right-handers isn't enough to sustain a full-time job at first base or in right field either. Doumit's future is likely as a platoon or bench option, but if he hits well next season, he should have no trouble finding a Major League contract in 2012 given his multi-positional experience and solid bat from the left side of the plate.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI
Dodgers Avoid Arbitration With Hong-Chih Kuo
The Dodgers have avoided arbitration with reliever Hong-Chih Kuo by agreeing to a one-year, $2.725MM contract with the southpaw, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Kuo can earn an extra $700K in incentives, with $600K of those bonuses related to games finished, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. This was Kuo's second year of arb-eligibility and he is represented by the Octagon sports agency.
Kuo, 29, is coming off an All-Star season that saw him post a 1.20 ERA, a 4.06 K/BB ratio and an 11.0 K/9 rate in 56 relief appearances with L.A. The 56 games pitched was a career-high for Kuo, who was pitched on consecutive days just four times all season in an attempt to keep him fresh, given Kuo's past elbow injuries. Over the last three seasons, Kuo has a 1.96 ERA in 133 games and has averaged 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Taiwanese left-hander recorded 21 holds and also 12 saves, taking over the closing job from Jonathan Broxton in mid-August. Broxton has been pencilled into the closer's job headed into Los Angeles' Spring Training, but Kuo performed well enough that the Dodgers wouldn't hesitate to put him at the back of their bullpen if Broxton struggles again.
As you can see on MLBTR's Arbtracker, the settled contract is worth slightly below the midpoint of the numbers submitted by Kuo and the club earlier this month — Kuo was looking for $3.08MM, and the Dodgers were offering $2.55MM. James Loney is the only arb-eligible Dodger who has yet to settle on a contract for 2011.