Cubs Agree To Terms With Geovany Soto
The Cubs and catcher Geovany Soto have avoided arbitration, reaching an agreement on a one-year contract worth $3MM, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). Soto, who turns 28 next week, is represented by WMG.
Soto was the NL's Rookie of the Year in 2008, and bounced back from a sophomore slump in 2009 with an impressive .280/.393/.497 line in 397 plate appearances last season, though he was plagued with a shoulder injury that eventually required arthroscopic surgery in September. He earned $575K for that performance and obviously was in line for a big raise in his first year of arbitration eligibility. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at Soto as an extension candidate in September, but it appears as though Chicago wants to see if Soto can remain consistent before making a longer-term commitment to the catcher.
The Cubs have four remaining arb-eligible players — Matt Garza, Tom Gorzelanny, Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall. You can follow their cases plus those of every other arbitration-eligible player this winter on MLBTR's Arb Tracker.
Rafael Soriano Signing Reactions
The Yankees agreed to sign Rafael Soriano to a three-year deal that guarantees the right-hander $35MM. The Bronx Bombers don't get much of a guarantee from Soriano, who can opt out after year one or year two. The deal sends a first round pick from the Yankees to the Rays and gives the Yankees a pair of shutdown relievers in closer Mariano Rivera and Soriano. Here are some reactions to the deal between the Yanks and the Scott Boras client with the latest reactions up top:
- ESPN.com's Keith Law points out that the Yankees gave Soriano tons of leverage. It's "a baffling scenario" from the Yankees' perspective, Law writes.
- The Soriano deal was more ownership-driven than from baseball operations, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The team's front office was split on the prospect of signing Soriano. WEEI.com's Alex Speier notes that the Soriano signing seems to contradict Cashman's year-old opinion about relief contracts.
- The Yankees had talked about signing Grant Balfour in a possible sign-and-trade before Soriano and Balfour agreed to their respective deals, according to Olney.
- Olney suggests there’s a “major divide of opinion on Soriano within the organization, and that [GM Brian] Cashman's autonomy in matters of baseball operations may have eroded.” Olney points out that the Yankees now have two of the six relievers in baseball who earn $10MM or more.
- Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal feels it's hard to properly judge the Soriano contract since "the Yankees operate on a completely different economic scale from the rest of baseball and can't be used as a comparison point for anything."
- Tom Verducci of SI.com calls the deal a "smart" one for the Yankees and points out that it doesn't change the way they do business.
- As Ben Shpigel of the New York Times points out, the Yankees expect the signing to take pressure off of their thin rotation.
- Kevin Kernan of the New York Post argues that the deal saved the offseason for Cashman.
- Chad Jennings of the Journal News explains that the deal makes the Yankees better short-term, but not necessarily a lot better.
- Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald explores what the deal means for the Red Sox. They will be tough to beat late in games, they'll definitely obtain the Rangers' first rounder for the loss of Adrian Beltre and Jonathan Papelbon could have trouble finding a massive deal in free agency after the season.
- FanGraphs' Chris Cwik says "it’s tough to defend any team that gives out such a large contract to a relief pitcher and this instance is no different."
- My reaction has less to do with the Yankees and Soriano and more to do with Boras. How did Boras get a $35MM guarantee plus two opt-outs for his client in a market that was, by all accounts, pretty dry? It's been a standout offseason for baseball's best-known agent.
Francis Chooses Royals Over Other Suitors
Jeff Francis says he drew interest from "a bunch" of teams this offseason before agreeing to sign in Kansas City. His suitors reportedly included the Yankees and Rockies, but Francis chose the Royals instead of a team with a legitimate chance to contend in 2011.
As he explained on a conference call with reporters this afternoon, the left-hander chose the Royals because they offered him the opportunity to start and boast the game's most impressive collection of minor league prospects.
"From everything I've been able to learn, they certainly have the talent available," Francis said, comparing the current group of Royals prospects to the young Rockies players who made it to the 2007 World Series. "I've seen [a quick turnaround] happen before and I know it can be done."
Francis turned 30 over the weekend, but it wasn't long ago that he was a top prospect like current Royals lefties Mike Montgomery, John Lamb, Danny Duffy and Chris Dwyer. Though he doesn't consider himself much of a mentor yet, Francis knows what it's like to be a top prospect. As the 9th overall pick of the 2002 draft, Francis arrived in Colorado with lots of fanfare.
He leaves the Rockies – the only franchise he has ever known – for the American League. Francis says there could be an adjustment period and that he expects to succeed as long as he throws strikes, keeps hitters off-balance and stays healthy.
Injuries have been a problem throughout Francis' six-year big league career, but he says his left shoulder has been "feeling really good" and that he expects to be ready for Spring Training next month. The left-hander spent the entire 2009 season recovering from shoulder surgery and says he experienced some soreness again at the end of the 2010 campaign.
Quick Hits: Pedro, Young, Rays, Thome
On this date nine years ago, Carlos Pena and Ryan Ludwick were traded for each other. Here are some links on a day that has featured a number of signings, but no trades…
- Pedro Martinez told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he hasn't decided whether to pitch in the majors again or retire. The three-time Cy Young Award winner last pitched in 2009, when he made a late-season comeback for the Phillies.
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if Chris Young is the top option remaining in the Mets' price range, now that the Royals have agreed to a deal with Jeff Francis. Mets executive J.P. Ricciardi told Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com that Young "could be a nice fit" for the team.
- The Rays seem to like Vladimir Guerrero more than Manny Ramirez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Heyman also lists his best and worst deals of the offseason.
- Jim Thome, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins today, would like to play at least two more seasons, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian takes a position-by-position look at the Indians' roster.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says it's been frustrating and disappointing not to add top starting pitchers this offseason, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.
Gregg Likes Orioles’ Direction
Kevin Gregg didn’t have much say in his future immediately after the 2010 season. The Blue Jays had the choice of cutting him loose, keeping him for one more year or keeping him for two more years. Their decision to let him hit free agency caught Gregg by surprise, but it ultimately led him to the security of a multiyear deal.
“You like to know where you’re going to be at,” Gregg told reporters on a conference call. “Two years isn’t a long time, but it’s nice for me and my family to know where we’re going to be at least for two years, maybe three.”
The Orioles officially announced the $10MM deal that will keep Gregg in Baltimore through 2012 or, if an option vests, 2013. Manager Buck Showalter says he likes the right-hander’s "moxie" and closing background, though he stopped short of promising his newest reliever the team’s closing job.
Gregg, who has averaged slightly more than 30 saves per season since 2007, will have to compete for the chance to save games with Koji Uehara. But that wasn't a deterrent earlier in the offseason when he was choosing from a number of proposals.
“Fortunately for me, I had a lot of interest all over the board,” Gregg said.
After sorting through his offers, the Beverly Hills Sports Council client decided he wanted to join the Orioles. The team went 34-23 after Showalter took over last summer and has since added Derrek Lee, J.J. Hardy and Mark Reynolds. Gregg says he likes Baltimore’s direction and wanted to stay in what he considers baseball’s toughest division because pitching in the AL East is a challenge. It will also provide him with plenty of chances to remind the Blue Jays what they could have had.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Waiver Rumors: Brown, Igarashi, Rapada
The latest on three players who were recently designated for assignment…
- The Indians announced that Jordan Brown has cleared waivers. The Indians had designated the 2006 Carolina League MVP for assignment last week, but he will remain in the Cleveland organization and arrive in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
- Ryota Igarashi cleared waivers as expected and was outrighted to Triple-A, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets DFA'd Igarashi last week.
- The Rangers put left-hander Clay Rapada on release waivers and intend to release him, according to ESPNDallas.com. The Rangers designated Rapada and Max Ramirez for assignment last week.
Twins Work To Sign Pavano; Decision Expected Soon
The Twins continue to work toward a deal with Carl Pavano and hope to know by next Monday or Tuesday if the right-hander will accept their offer, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter links). Christensen reports that Pavano appears to be taking the weekend to consider the Twins' proposal.
We heard last week that the Twins were closing in on a deal with Pavano, but there's no official agreement so far. The 35-year-old has posted a 3.97 ERA in 294 2/3 innings since arriving in Minnesota midway through the 2009 season. He posted 4.8 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 2010, when he logged 221 frames of 3.75 ERA ball.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Hoffman, Soriano, Price
On this day seven years ago, the Angels signed Vladimir Guerrero to a five-year contract worth $90MM. The deal also included an option for a sixth year at $15MM, which was eventually picked up. Vlad hit .337/.391/.598 with 39 homers in his first year with the Halos, taking home the AL MVP award. During his six year stint in Anaheim, Guerrero was a .319/.381/.546 hitter with 173 homers, winning that one MVP and finishing in the top three of the voting two other times.
Vlad is still looking for a job this offseason, but then again so are plenty of other DH's. Here is this week's batch of links…
- Friarhood remembers Trevor Hoffman's time with the Padres.
- RE-Think The Game looks at the pros and cons of the Rafael Soriano signing.
- Baseball Time In Arlington looks at the Rangers' payroll levels in the past and going forward.
- The Process Report pictures a contract extension for David Price.
- Wahoo Blues breaks down Chris Perez's arbitration case.
- FanSpeak wonders if the Orioles should sign a DH.
- Dock of the Rays looks at how Tampa can spend some of its remaining money on the open market.
- The Sports Banter put together some productive free agent platoons.
- The Nats Blog wonders if the Nationals should flip Ian Desmond with Danny Espinosa defensively.
- Rooftop View explains why the Matt Garza deal is no good for the Cubs.
- Meanwhile, the composite believes the Garza deal helps the Yankees.
- Cubs Billy Goat Blog tries to predict the Cubs' future.
- Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan is curious to know where the Athletics' infield depth is.
- Rays Prospects chatted with Baseball America's Jim Callis about Tampa's minor league system.
- Reds Minor Leagues put a dollar value on each team's farm system.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Royals, Alex Gordon Avoid Arbitration
The Royals and Alex Gordon agreed to a one-year deal for 2011, avoiding arbitration, the team announced. Gordon made $1.15MM last year in his first campaign as an arbitration eligible player.
Gordon, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, transitioned to the outfield last year after spending his entire career as a corner infielder. The 26-year-old hit .215/.315/.355 with eight homers in 281 plate appearances in 2010, so it seems unlikely that he got more than a token raise from the Royals.
Billy Butler, Kyle Davies and Rob Tejeda are Kansas City's remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible players, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows.
Tigers, Joel Zumaya Avoid Arbitration
The Tigers agreed to a one-year deal with Joel Zumaya, avoiding arbitration, the team announced. Zumaya will earn $1.4MM in 2011, according to Tom Gage of the Detroit News (via Twitter). Zumaya, eligible for the third and final time, earned $915K last year.
Zumaya has an electrifying fastball and as many strikeouts (210) as innings pitched (209 2/3) in his career. In fact, the hard-throwing right-hander has the highest strikeout rate among all Tigers relievers with at least 100 appearances since the start of the 1953 season.
But Zumaya has had trouble staying healthy. Hand, shoulder and elbow injuries have limited him to 60 appearances in the past two seasons. He was effective when he pitched in 2010, posting a 2.58 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 38 1/3 innings.
As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, Armando Galarraga is the Tigers' lone unsigned arbitration eligible player now that Zumaya and Ryan Raburn have agreed to deals. Raburn and the Tigers agreed to a two-year deal this week.