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Archives for February 2012

Indians To Sign Jon Garland

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The Indians have agreed to sign Jon Garland to a minor league contract reports the AP (via ESPN). He will take his physical at the team's complex in Arizona next week. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and ESPN's Buster Olney reported that they were nearing a deal this morning (all Twitter links). Garland is an LSW Baseball client.

Garland, 32, made nine starts for the Dodgers to begin the 2011 season before having July surgery to clean out debris in his shoulder. Two weeks after the surgery, he said he told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick and AJ Cassavell that he expected to be ready for spring training…

"I was very satisfied with what the doctor said," said Garland. "He's upbeat. The labrum was almost pristine. The cuff was a little worse than he thought, but a lot of what he found was just scar tissue and bursitis. He shaved down the bone so things move smoothly. A layoff like this can only help the rest of my body."

The Indians added Derek Lowe and Kevin Slowey this offseason, with the latter likely battling for the fifth starter job with David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Roberto Hernandez Heredia (a.k.a. Fausto Carmona) who was previously penciled in, is an unknown due to false identity charges.

Prior to 2011, Garland had posted nine consecutive seasons of at least 190 regular season innings. He signed a team-friendly one-year, $5MM deal with the Dodgers in November of 2010. At that time it seemed likely to become a two-year, $13MM contract, as an $8MM option for 2012 was to vest with Garland's customary 190 innings. Now it seems the California native may wind up back in the AL Central, after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the White Sox.

Potential Fits For Mike Gonzalez

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33-year-old southpaw Mike Gonzalez may be the best available reliever, and he's got the Boras Corporation on his side.  However, with pitchers and catchers due to report in a week, financial resources and roster spots are limited for most teams.  Here are some potential fits for Gonzalez, who posted a 4.39 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.18 HR/9, and 40.9% groundball rate for the Orioles and Rangers in 2011.

Red Sox, David Ortiz Settle At Midpoint

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Hours before today's arbitration hearing, the Red Sox and designated hitter David Ortiz settled at the midpoint for $14.575MM, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  The new contract represents the largest-ever average annual value for a DH, notes WEEI's Rob Bradford.  Had Ortiz and the Red Sox reached a hearing, a panel of three arbitrators would have chosen between Boston's $12.65MM submission and Ortiz's $16.5MM salary figure for 2012.  Ortiz is represented by Fern Cuza of SFX.

Potentially inhibited by the cost of a draft pick, Ortiz accepted an arbitration offer from the Red Sox in December, and it took the looming threat of a hearing to force a settlement.  I favored the Red Sox in a potential hearing, but they preferred not to risk a situation many regard as a crapshoot.  As a bonus, they were able to avoid Ortiz having a front-row seat for their attempt to prove he's worth less than the midpoint.

Six potential arbitration hearings remain, as our tracker shows: Alexi Casilla (Twins), Casey Janssen (Blue Jays), Adam Jones (Orioles), Garrett Jones (Pirates), Casey McGehee (Pirates), and Jose Veras (Brewers).

Athletics Still In On Manny, Jays Out

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The Athletics appear to be the only team still 100 percent in the mix for Manny Ramirez, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but they'd like to add a reliever before making Manny their priority. According to Rosenthal, the Blue Jays were in on Manny at one point, but talks failed to progress. Orioles GM Dan Duquette, meanwhile, said that he doesn't see a fit for Ramirez in Baltimore last week.

As Rosenthal explains, Ramirez will be eligible to play in Spring Training games in spite of his 50-game suspension. He's also eligible to play in extended Spring Training, and can begin a 10-game minor league rehab assignment prior to the completion of his suspension to allow him to get some reps in before seeing Major Leaue action. Ramirez can work out with a Major League or minor league team prior to that, provided that he departs before the gates open that day.

Rosenthal writes that it's unclear whether other clubs are in the mix for the career .312/.411/.585 hitter. With the Blue Jays and Orioles seemingly out of the mix, it could be down to a one-team market for the oft-troubled slugger.

Quick Hits: Payrolls, Orioles, De La Rosa, Red Sox

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On this day in 1988, the Padres traded Rich Gossage and Ray Hayward to the Cubs for Mike Brumley and Keith Moreland.  Here's a look at today's links..

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees and Red Sox are no longer alone as financial superpowers. Sherman also looks at five offseason market trends that will impact the 2012 season and beyond.
  • In analyzing the Orioles' collection of non-roster invitees and the 40-man roster decisions they'll face this Spring, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes that Baltimore would eat a portion of Kevin Gregg's $5.8MM salary to trade him. Kubatko also speculates that an out of options player like Pedro Strop could be moved during Spring Training.
  • Free agent Scott Kazmir is set to throw for scouts in Houston on Wednesday, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
  • Jorge De La Rosa will undoubtedly exercise his $11MM player option for 2013 as he rehabs from elbow surgery, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post.  If he does that, the Rockies receive a $11MM club option for 2014.
  • Red Sox officials seem to think they’ll know what they’ll be getting from the Cubs “before the official start of spring training,’’ but it's not clear if that refers to when pitchers and catchers report or when the full squad arrives, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. 
  • If Magglio Ordoñez doesn't find a big-league job this season, he will have his own professional baseball club waiting for him in his native Venezuela, writes Robert Downs of the Detroit Free Press.  The slugger is set purchase shares in the Caribes de Anzoátegui when he retires.
  • The Indians and Casey Kotchman never talked about anything but a one-year deal, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.  The first baseman signed with the Tribe for $3MM earlier this month.

Marlins In Lead For Cespedes, Cubs Focused On Soler

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The Marlins are exchanging contract figures with 26-year-old Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, and two National League sources tell MLB.com's Joe Frisaro that the Cubs are no longer seriously in the mix. Chicago has apparently shifted its focus to 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, though he is not yet eligible for free agency.

Upon his recent visit to Miami, the Marlins made Cespedes an offer that was initially reported to exceed $40MM. That number has since been denied, and Frisaro confirms that the offer was under $40MM, saying the Fish are comfortable with a number in the $30-35MM range.

The Cubs, meanwhile, are willing to spend as much as $27.5MM to land Soler, though Frisaro's sources are unclear on the number of years they'd offer. New Cubs president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have already made one significant international splash this offseason, signing 18-year-old Cuban Gerardo Concepcion to a $7MM contract with another million dollars of incentives.

MLBTR Originals: 2/5/12 – 2/11/12

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Sunday nights mean it's time to take our weekly look back at the original content and scoops provided by the MLBTR team. Let's run it all down:

  • MLBTR learned that the Rangers and Mike Napoli avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $9.4MM.
  • Additionally, MLBTR was the first to confirm the $16MM value on Nelson Cruz's two-year extension with Texas.
  • For those whose sports love transcends MLB and spills over into the NBA, MLBTR creator Tim Dierkes revealed his next venture: HoopsRumors.com. HoopsRumors will have some familiar names for MLBTR faithful, as head writer Luke Adams will be joined by MLBTR veteran Zach Links and a host of talented writers to bring you the same quality you've come to expect from MLBTR over the years.
  • Ben Nicholson-Smith provided a rundown of the latest content from Tim's other newest venture, RotoAuthority.com. The re-launched RotoAuthority features fantasy-centric content from yours truly, in addition to MLBTR regulars Mike Axisa, Mark Polishuk, Dan Mennella, and a few other fantasy-minded scribes.
  • Mark took a look at what it would take for the Cardinals to extend Yadier Molina, and concluded that Yadi would command a four- or five-year deal in excess of $10MM per season on the open market.
  • Mike looked at arbitration-eligible players that have yet to sign, and also rounded up the best of the blogosphere (as he does every week) with his Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature.
  • While a six-figure salary may be a fortune to most of us, it's on the low-end among MLB free agents. Zach took the liberty of running down the esteemed members of this offseason's six-figure contract club.
  • Ben also looked at the remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible players (earlier in the week), providing an in-depth look at the top ten.
  • Alexi Casilla and Jed Lowrie are the only unsigned arb-eligible players to file for under $2MM, and Ben examined some comparable arbitration cases for the switch-hitting infielders.
  • Additionally, Ben listed multi-year agreements that don't extend team control and also highlighted some early-career extensions that haven't been as fruitful as the one signed by Evan Longoria.
  • Tim hosted this week's edition of the MLBTR Chat.
  • In the wake of Elvis Andrus' three-year extension earlier this week, Tim wondered aloud if it was necessary on the Rangers' end. Arbitration panels don't typically reward solid defense, which is where a great deal of Andrus' value comes from, as opposed to the gaudy counting stats which he lacks.
  • Tim also looked at possible fits for A.J. Burnett, and hit the nail on the head when he listed the Pirates as a potential suitor. The Buccos have been engaged in trade talks with the Yankees for several days now.
  • Tim compared the arbitration cases of Cruz, Adam Jones, and Alex Gordon, and took a look at teams that have used "draft pick currency" to land established players in the past five years.
  • Lastly, please be sure to review MLBTR's commenting policy.

Cardinals Sign Erick Hurtado

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The Cardinals have signed 17-year-old Dominican left-hander Erick Hurtado, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Hurtado's signing bonus isn't immediately available.

The 6'3", 200-pound Hurtado's fastball sat in the 86-88mph range last summer as the July 2 free agency deadline approached, but Badler writes that he's recently begun to sit in the high 80s and has even topped out in the 90-91mph range. While he's still raw, Badler explains that Hurtado shows "some feel" for his curveball and has also mixed in a changeup.

The Cardinals have been active in the Dominican Republic in the past few days; they recently finalized a deal with Andres Serrano, another 17-year-old Dominican hurler, though Serrano is right-handed.

 

A.J. Burnett Rumors: Sunday

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Yesterday we learned that four teams are in on A.J. Burnett, but the Yankees feel that the Pirates are the best match.  One of those four clubs is on Burnett's no-trade list, which reportedly includes ten West Coast clubs.  Here's the latest on Burnett and the Yanks..

  • New York is insistent on getting the "right players" in a Burnett trade, tweets Marc Carig of the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Carig's source notes that this is "not a give away" of Burnett, and says that the two sides intend to keep working toward a deal (Twitter links).
  • The Yankees likely will pay $19-23MM of $33MM remaining on Burnett’s contract and receive multiple minor leaguers in return, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Those prospects would not be players on the Pirates’ 40-man roster, the source said.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) guesses that two of the other teams in on Burnett are the Royals and Indians.  The Indians could defray some money by dealing Travis Hafner, who is owed roughly $15MM between 2012 and his '13 buyout. 
  • The Pirates are more concerned about prospects than money, so they're more likely to compromise on the amount of money they'll pay Burnett, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
  • It's doubtful that a deal will be completed today, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The Yankees don't love the two minor leaguers that the Pirates offered for Burnett, tweets Heyman.  Heyman still thinks that a deal gets done with the Pirates paying $13-15MM of the $33MM owed to Burnett.
  • The Yankees know they can make a Burnett deal with the Pirates but they first want to make sure that nothing else is available before pulling the trigger, tweets Sherman.  All signs point to the Yankees moving Burnett in the coming days and trying to sign Eric Chavez and a left-handed DH with the money saved (Twitter link).
  • The Bucs and Yankees have a framework for a possible  deal in place, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  The deal is not done but the two teams have a lot of common ground and Pittsburgh is still the frontrunner, Olney tweets.

Rangers Notes: Napoli, Payroll, Hamilton

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Yesterday, the Rangers avoided arbitration with Mike Napoli, agreeing to a one-year, $9.4MM contract for 2012.  The 30-year-old obtained the second-highest raise for any third or fourth-time eligible position player, trailing only Prince Fielder.  Here's more on the Rangers..

  • After signing Napoli, GM Jon Daniels said that the Rangers are now over budget and not likely to add any other free agents this off-season, writes Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram.  Daniels won't shut the door on either Roy Oswalt or Mike Gonzalez but he says that it's hard to envision signing either player with their current payroll situation.
  • Daniels added that there haven't been extension talks with Josh Hamilton as the outfielder is focusing on his health and family, Wilson tweets.
  • Napoli settling below the midpoint of the two offers makes revisiting multi-year deal more realistic, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

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