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Angels Eyeing Hanigan In Search For Catcher

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The Angels have been interested in a number of free agent pitchers this offseason, both starters and relievers, and now they're looking for an entire new battery. ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Halos have intensified their search for a catcher, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says they have their eye on Ryan Hanigan of the Reds (Twitter links). 

Jeff Mathis, Bobby Wilson, and Hank Conger are on the team's 40-man roster, but Mathis is a non-tender candidate and Wilson is a .206/.268/.344 career hitter in 116 big league games. Conger is one of the team's top prospects, but he might not be ready to catch everyday after hitting just .204/.284/.345 in limited time with the Angels over the last two seasons. Hanigan, 31, has hit .275/.371/.368 in 287 games with Cincinnati over the last five years. Rosenthal says the Reds could re-sign Ramon Hernandez if they move Hanigan.

As our Free Agent Tracker shows, backstops like Kelly Shoppach, Ivan Rodriguez, former Angel Jose Molina, and Hernandez are available on the open market. Hernandez will be treated as a Type-B free agent thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, so it will not cost a draft pick to sign him.

Reds’ First Priority Is Finding A Starting Pitcher

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The Reds have made it no secret that they want to add a top-of-the-rotation starter this winter, and today GM Walt Jocketty reiterated to John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer that starting pitching is the team's top priority…

“I can’t comment of other team’s players," said Jocketty, "although others are OK talking about ours. I will say we’re looking at improving pitching. The first priority is finding a starting pitcher. If [Francisco] Cordero leaves, we’ll have to look at finding a closer.”

The Reds have been linked to Huston Street and Andrew Bailey this week, and earlier this month Jocketty said the team is more likely to seek upgrades via trade rather than free agency. Internal solutions are also "something we'll discuss" according to GM, who said that Aroldis Chapman "probably" won't be one of those solutions. The hard-throwing southpaw was supposed to work as a starter in winter ball before a shoulder problem put that plan on hold.

Yonder Alonso is the club's primary piece of trade bait since Joey Votto is off limits. Tim Dierkes broke down the trade market for starting pitchers earlier this month, though not many of the clubs with available starters are in need of a first baseman.

Red Sox Notes: Hazen, O’Halloran, Farrell

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Here's the latest from Boston, as the Red Sox are still without a manager and a closer…

  • The team announced a series of front office moves in a press release. Among the reshuffling, Mike Hazen and Brian O'Halloran have both been named Vice President and Assistant GM. All of the moves can be found here.
  • The Blue Jays announced last month that they would not give employees permission to make lateral moves, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that didn't stop the Sox from asking Toronto what it would take to let them talk to manager John Farrell about their managerial vacancy. The talks failed to progress.
  • Earlier today we learned that the Red Sox have interest in Huston Street, and they also spoke to Joe Nathan without making an offer.

Marlins, Padres Swap John Baker For Wade LeBlanc

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The Marlins have traded catcher John Baker to the Padres for left-hander Wade LeBlanc, according to a press release from the Padres.

Baker, 31 in January, was mentioned as a non-tender candidate by Tim Dierkes last week. Our projections have the backstop earning $800K as a first time arbitration-eligible player in 2012. Baker had just two singles and two walks in 16 plate appearances this past season after recovering from Tommy John surgery, but the lefty swinger hit .273/.358/.406 with 14 homers in 744 plate appearances from 2008-2010. He's thrown out just 34 of 175 attempted base stealers as a big leaguer (19.4%).

The 27-year-old LeBlanc has made 52 starts (and two relief appearances) for the Padres over the last four seasons, pitching to a 4.54 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. He's an extreme fly ball pitcher, getting a ground ball just 34.7% of the time in his career. That works well in Petco Park, but it remains to be seen how the Marlins' new stadium will play. He owns a 4.64 ERA in 376 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.

Nick Hundley has battled injuries over the last three seasons, so Baker gives San Diego some depth behind the plate as well as a potential platoon partner. The Marlins were looking to add a lefty pitcher to their staff, reportedly inquiring on Gio Gonzalez, but LeBlanc also fits the bill. MLB.com's Corey Brock confirms that LeBlanc has minor league options remaining (Twitter link).

How The Top NL MVP Finishers Were Acquired

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Just one of the top ten finishers in this year’s NL MVP balloting joined his team via the free agent market. Eight were drafted by their 2011 teams and one was acquired in a blockbuster trade. Here's a look at how teams around the National League originally acquired the top ten finishers in the 2011 NL MVP voting (some have since signed extensions):

  • Ryan Braun – Draft – The Brewers selected Braun fifth overall in the 2005 draft and extended him on a five-year, $105MM deal this year.
  • Matt Kemp – Draft- Dodgers scouting director Logan White selected Kemp in the sixth round of the 2003 draft. The Dodgers recently locked him up to an eight-year, $160MM extension. 
  • Prince Fielder – Draft – Fielder is a Jack Zduriencik selection, like Braun. The seventh overall selection (2002) already has three top-five finishes in the MVP voting.
  • Justin Upton – Draft – Upton, the first overall selection in 2005, reached the Major Leagues as a teenager and put together his best season yet in 2011. 
  • Albert Pujols – Draft – The Cardinals selected Pujols, a three-time MVP, in the 13th round of the 1999 draft. He has ten top-ten finishes in MVP balloting after 11 MLB seasons. Pujols and Fielder are the only two current free agents on this list.
  • Joey Votto – Draft – The Reds selected last year's MVP in the second round of the 2002 draft.
  • Lance Berkman – Free Agency – Berkman, the lone player on this list to join his current team via free agency, signed a one-year, $8MM deal with the Cardinals before the season and has since signed an extension that will keep him in St. Louis through 2012.
  • Troy Tulowitzki – Draft – The Rockies selected Tulowitzki with the seventh overall selection in 2005 and he has blossomed into one of baseball's top shortstops.
  • Roy Halladay – Trade - The Phillies obtained Halladay for Travis d'Arnaud, Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor in December, 2009 before signing him to an extension.
  • Ryan Howard – Draft – Howard, a fifth round selection in 2001, won the NL MVP in 2006 and has finished in the top ten for the award in every season since.
  • Here's a look at how American League teams acquired this year's top vote getters.

Modified Procedure For Type A Free Agents

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Matt Capps, Francisco Cordero, Octavio Dotel, Ramon Hernandez and Darren Oliver were all Type A free agents under the Elias Rankings system, but they will now be treated as Type B free agents, the MLBPA announced. Teams won't have to surrender draft picks to sign them, but the players' former teams obtain a supplementary first round pick whether or not they offer arbitration tomorrow.

Meanwhile, clubs won't have to surrender a draft pick to sign one of the following six players: Heath Bell, Michael Cuddyer, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Madson, Josh Willingham and Francisco Rodriguez. Teams that lose these players after offering arbitration will obtain first round picks in the slot before the signing team plus a supplementary draft pick for a total of two selections.

Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, C.J. Wilson, David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon, Roy Oswalt, Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins were also Type A free agents this offseason. They will cost one draft pick to sign. Their teams will obtain two total picks if they decline offers of arbitration to sign elsewhere, as expected. Takashi Saito and Carlos Beltran, two other Type As, cannot be offered arbitration. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the changes.

Highlights From The New CBA

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The effects of Major League Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement can't be described within one post, even one as long as this. It will take a while for teams and players to adjust to the game's new conditions, but here's an early look at ten highlights from the CBA (in no particular order):

  1. Playoffs may expand in 2012 – If Commissioner Bud Selig gets his wish and MLB playoffs expand next year, more teams than ever will have a realistic shot at contention.
  2. Good news for middle-tier free agents – Teams will only offer arbitration if they're prepared to pay a one-year salary that matches or exceeds the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players from the previous season (likely more than $12MM). Middle-tier free agents won't see offers of arbitration and will hit the market uninhibited as a result.
  3. Draft limits may curb rebuilding efforts –  Teams will face draft spending ceilings in the $4.5-11.5MM range. Clubs like the Pirates, Rays, Indians, Nationals, Blue Jays and Mets had been spending aggressively on the draft, but will have to slow down or face steep fines and lose future selections.
  4. Earlier signing deadline – The draft signing deadline will now be in mid-July, which means a) teams can get a longer look at players who sign late b) teams can trade players from the previous year's draft before the July 31st trade deadline and c) college coaches will be able to set their fall rosters with more time to spare. 
  5. The trade market for elite free agents shifts - "Only players who have been with their clubs for the entire season will be subject to compensation," according to the CBA. In other words, teams won't be compensated for losing players acquired in midseason trades.
  6. Some draft picks can be traded – If a team wins a pick in the competitive balance lottery, it can assign the selection to another club under some circumstances.
  7. International spending restrictions – The restrictions on international spending appear to make it harder for teams to build a competitive advantage internationally.
  8. More super twos – More players than ever will be arbitration eligible before obtaining three years of MLB service. This won't stop the annual service time manipulations for top prospects, but it might delay them until later in the summer. The cutoff will now be earlier than ever, which means teams may wait until the end of June before calling top prospects up.
  9. Earlier deadlines speed offseason up – Going forward, teams have to decide whether to offer arbitration to free agents soon after the World Series, instead of in late November. The sides also moved the tender deadline for arbitration eligible players up to December 2.
  10. Expanded rosters for doubleheaders - Though the sides didn't announce any reductions for September roster sizes, they did agree on one change. Teams will be allowed to expand their rosters to include 26 players for some doubleheaders.

CBA Reactions: Marlins, Twins, Amateur Draft

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The new collective bargaining agreement includes radical changes to draft pick compensation, the postseason, arbitration, and much more.  Here's a look at some reactions to the new CBA..

  • With CBA now finalized, the Marlins now have a guideline on what is at stake to sign free agents, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
  • The Twins will benefit from the new agreement as Matt Capps goes from a Type A to a modified Type B and they can receive compensation for him without offering arbitration, writes Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune.  The only downside for the club is that they might have been able to re-sign Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel at lower prices under the old system.
  • The new CBA means that the Mets can't exploit their large-market status by going over slot for draft picks and spending a lot on international free agents, writes ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin.
  • Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated writes that the new agreement helps put Commissioner Bud Selig's legacy in order but doesn't agree with the new limits imposed on spending on the amateur draft.  Agent Scott Boras predictably doesn't agree with the new rules pertaining to the draft and says that GMs have told him that they don't like the changes either.
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter) calculates that 20 teams went 16% or more over slot this year, which would have triggered 100% tax and a loss of two first-rounders under this CBA.
  • The overwhelming sentiment in baseball is that the CBA will prevent amateur talent from coming into baseball, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo.
  • More from Passan (via Twitter) as he writes that the new amateur rules will have the greatest effect on successful, low-revenue teams like the Rays, which now have even less room for error than before.
  • There's already major concern among some baseball officials about the impact of the changes to the draft and the international signings cap on the player talent pool, Buster Olney of ESPN.com tweets.  
  • The new CBA makes it tougher for teams to draft two-sport stars like the Angels did with Jake Locker, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.  The Angels drafted Locker in the 10th round of the 2009 draft but the quarterback instead graduated from the University of Washington and was drafted eighth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Titans.

Six Teams Interested In Huston Street

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TUESDAY: The Marlins, Red Sox, Reds and Mets are also interested in Street, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

MONDAY: The Orioles and Blue Jays are among the teams to have expressed trade interest in Rockies reliever Huston Street, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Jim Johnson replaced Kevin Gregg as the Orioles' closer late last season, but Rosenthal says the O's prefer Johnson in next year's rotation.  There's no harm in inquiring on Street, but in my opinion an $8MM closer is a luxury the Orioles don't need.  We'll see whether the Rockies are willing to cover a decent chunk of his contract.  Rosenthal suggests Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie as a possible fit for Colorado, though I think Baltimore could trade Guthrie for better long-term assets than Street.

With Rafael Betancourt penciled in to close for the Rockies next year, Street seems widely available.  Rosenthal and colleague Jon Paul Morosi first made the Blue Jays connection last week.

CBA Details: Luxury Tax, Draft, HGH, Replay

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Baseball players and owners announced today that they’ve agreed to terms on a five-year collective bargaining agreement that assures MLB of two decades of labor peace. MLB.com offers a detailed look at the CBA. Here are some highlights: 

Draft Pick Compensation:

  • There are no longer ranked free agents under the new CBA. Type As, Type Bs and the Elias system are history.
  • "Only players who have been with their clubs for the entire season will be subject to compensation," according to the CBA.
  • Free agents will cost compensatory draft picks if their former clubs offer guaranteed one-year deals with an average salary that matches or exceeds the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players from the previous season. The offer "must be made at the end of the five-day free agent “quiet period,” and the player will have seven days to accept," according to the CBA.
  • Teams that sign players who have been offered these lucrative one-year salaries will surrender their first round draft choice. However, teams with top-ten picks will give up their second-highest pick instead.
  • Here are the details on changes for Type A free agents this offseason. 
  • Going forward, It appears possible that teams will still obtain two picks for losing free agents after offering arbitration. The signing team forfeits one of its top selections and the club obtains a selection at the end of the first round.

Postseason:

  • MLB will announce by March 1 whether playoffs will expand in 2012 or in 2013. Commissioner Bud Selig says he's hopeful of expanding playoffs next year.
  • The Astros are moving to the American League in 2013 to accomodate a more balanced divisional setup.

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