MLBTR Originals: 2/19/12 – 2/25/12
A look back at the original analysis and reporting that the MLBTR staff churned out over the past week …
- The Rangers signed lefty reliever Neal Cotts to a minor league contract, Tim Dierkes reported.
- Brandon McCarthy's transformation has made him an extension candidate, explained Tim.
- Which team spent the most on its arbitration eligible players this offseason? Tim had a look.
- Minor league contracts can be big values to clubs, so Tim ranked the 10 best of this offseason.
- Tim compared and contrasted the respective top-100-prospect list of Baseball America, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, and Keith Law of ESPN.com.
- Ben Nicholson-Smith hosted MLBTR's Weekly Live Chat.
- Ben looked at the youngest remaining free agents on the market.
- Mike Axisa rounded up some of the best pieces from around the baseball blogosphere. A Billy Beane interview, a Ryan Braun reaction piece, and a farewell to Tim Wakefield were among the many interesting reads.
East Notes: Loria, Johnson, Chavez, Qualls
Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is today's headliner after agreeing to a hefty long-term contract extension that could keep him in a Washington uniform through 2020. Here are a few more odds and ends out of baseball's East divisions …
- Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said he intends to own the Marlins for "as long as I live," writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Loria is 71 and entering his 11th season as owner of the Fish.
- The Blue Jays are open to the possibility of signing second baseman Kelly Johnson to a multiyear extension, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. Johnson was a free agent this offseason but accepted the Jays' arbitration offer after receiving underwhelming offers, likely because of his Type A status under the old collective bargaining agreement. The Jays and Johnson settled on a $6.375MM salary.
- Orioles manager Buck Showalter said there was lots of competition to sign outfielder Endy Chavez this offseason, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Chavez said four or five teams were interested.
- The Phillies were scouting reliever Chad Qualls as early as last season, when he was with the Padres, writes Adam Berry of MLB.com. The sides were in touch throughout the offseason, and the Phils eventually signed the right-hander to a one-year deal on Jan. 31 when his asking price came "way down," according to assistant GM Scott Proefrock.
Week In Review: 2/19/12 – 2/25/12
In case you missed it the first time around, here's a look back at the week that was here at MLBTR:
- Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun won his appeal of a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a PED last October.
- The Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman inched toward a contract extension that eventually came to fruition today.
- Free agent starter Roy Oswalt said he'll sign with a contender after the season begins.
- Reds closer Ryan Madson said he'll retain Scott Boras as his agent despite having to settle for a below-market-value contract this offseason.
- The Yankees rounded out their roster, signing DH Raul Ibanez and agreeing to terms with infielder Eric Chavez on one-year contracts.
- The Pirates acquired right-hander A.J. Burnett from the Yankees in exchange for prospects Exicardo Cayones and Diego Moreno.
- The Phillies signed right-hander Kyle Kendrick to a two-year extension, a deal that doesn't carry into his free agent years.
- The Angels signed reliever Jason Isringhausen to a minor league contract.
- The Cardinals and catcher Yadier Molina progressed enough in extension talks that one could transpire within the week.
- The Padres continued extension talks with center fielder Cameron Maybin.
- Phillies lefty Cole Hamels, a free agent after 2012, indicated he has no deadline for a potential contract extension.
- The Yankees signed reliever David Aardsma, coming off 2011 Tommy John surgery, to an incentive-laden Major League deal.
- Twins first baseman Justin Morneau acknowledged that concussion symptoms could threaten his career.
- Braves lefty Mike Minor said he'd like to be traded if he's not in the rotation this season, though he later couched those remarks.
- The Yankees and catcher Russell Martin tabled extension talks.
- Brewers righty Francisco Rodriguez mulled taking legal action against his former representatives.
- The Rockies and manager Jim Tracy agreed to an indefinite contract extension.
- The Athletics signed outfielder/DH Manny Ramirez to a minor league contract.
- Mike Cameron called it a career.
- The Dodgers claimed outfielder Matt Angle off of waivers from the Orioles.
- A couple of outstanding compensation cases were (somewhat) settled: The Red Sox acquired reliever Chris Carpenter and a player to be from the Cubs in exchange for Theo Epstein, while the Padres will receive a player to be named (among 12 prospects) from the Cubs for Jed Hoyer.
- After signing a minor league contract with the Indians this offseason, Jon Garland didn't join the club after declining a physical.
- Free agent infielder Edgar Renteria indicated he's leaning toward retirement.
- The Brewers signed Jay Gibbons to a minor league contract.
- The Indians signed infielder Cristian Guzman to a minor league deal.
- The Blue Jays signed Rick VandenHurk to a non-guaranteed split contract.
- The Rangers acquired Kelvin De La Cruz from the Indians.
Bengie Molina Retires
Bengie Molina has retired, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. Molina, a catcher, played in parts of 13 seasons with the Angels, Blue Jays, Giants and Rangers, and though he did not play in 2011, he had remained open to the possibility of returning until now.
Molina, 37, was regarded as a defense-first backstop, posting a .274/.307/.411 line with 144 homers for his career. His full-season high in long balls was 20, which came in 2009. All told, Molina accumulated 15.2 wins above replacement, according to Fangraphs' version of that metric. He earned World Series rings with the Angels in 2002 and the Giants in 2010, though he actually finished that season with the Rangers, the team that lost the World Series, after a midseason trade.
Originally signed by the (then) California Angels as an amateur free agent in 1993, Molina earned $33.48MM in his career, per Baseball-Reference.
Zimmerman Extension Notes And Reactions
Ryan Zimmerman became the second $100MM player on the Nationals' payroll earlier today when he inked a six-year, $100MM extension with a full no-trade clause and a $24MM option for a seventh year. Here's some notes and reactions from around the baseball universe:
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs examines some comparables and calls the extension a "fair price" for a "valuable skill set." The Nationals won't save a ton of money on this deal, according to Cameron, but Zimmerman will earn the value of the deal barring lingering injury issues.
- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports writes that the Nationals spent a lot of money for a player with Zimmerman's injury history, especially with Anthony Rendon waiting in the wings. One competing executive told Heyman, "Seems like they have two $100-million contracts but no $100-million players.''
- The no-trade clause doesn't come into effect until 2014, but Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com tweets a quote from GM Mike Rizzo explicitly stating Zimmerman "will not be traded the next two years."
- Getting that no-trade clause in place was the final hurdle in the deal, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Amanda Comak of the Washington Times observes that Zimmerman joins Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, Prince Fielder, and Albert Pujols as the only players under contract through 2019 (Twitter link).
- Zimmerman's deal won't impact any contract negotiations between David Wright and the Mets, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- Wright recognizes that his situation is different from Zimmerman's, according to ESPN's Adam Rubin. Wright also expressed that he's happy for Zimmerman, who is a close friend.
Extension Notes: Wright, Ellsbury, Swisher
Ryan Zimmerman's six-year, $100MM extension earlier today isn't the only contract extension (or lack thereof) being talked about in the baseball world…
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson said he'd love to keep David Wright in the fold and called him a "special player," writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Martino's sources said the Amazin's would like to see Wright produce in 2012 to make an extension "palatable." An executive told Martino it'd take "four Zack Wheelers" for the Mets to move Wright, which makes an extension sound preferable to a trade (in my opinion). Both sides agree that Zimmerman's extension won't be a factor in contract discussions.
- Jacoby Ellsbury is open to discussing a long-term deal to keep him in a Red Sox uniform beyond 2013, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Ellsbury said he leaves negotiations up to his agent, Scott Boras, but that he loves the city of Boston and its fans.
- Nick Swisher recognizes that the Yankees rarely negotiate additional years on top of existing contracts, and anticipates filing for free agency, according to Wallace Matthews of ESPN. Swisher said it's "not his style" to ask agent Dan Lozano to approach New York about a long-term deal. He also said New York is where he ultimately wants to be.
- In case you missed it, the Reds are nearing an extension with setup man Sean Marshall and Josh Hamilton expects to reach free agency.
Josh Hamilton Expects To Hit Free Agency
SUNDAY: USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that Hamilton expects to file for free agency this coming offseason, but says he'll give the Rangers the first crack at signing him. Hamilton would headline a strong free agent market for outfielders that could also include Shane Victorino, Nick Swisher, B.J. Upton, Lance Berkman, and Ichiro Suzuki.
FRIDAY: Josh Hamilton is mere months away from hitting free agency, and it doesn't sound as though he feels compelled to offer the Rangers a hometown discount any time soon. The outfielder suggested today that he intends on earning market value on his next contract, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
“The Rangers have done a lot of me," Hamilton said. "I have a question. Have I done a lot for the Rangers? I think I have given them everything I’ve got. When it comes down to is, people have to understand this is a business. I love Texas, I love the fans, I love the organization and I love my teammates. But I’m not going to sit here and say I owe the Rangers. I don’t feel I owe the Rangers.”
Extension talks are currently on hold between the Rangers and Hamilton, who had an alcohol-related relapse earlier in the offseason. The 30-year-old will earn $13.75MM in 2012 as part of the two-year deal he signed last winter. Hamilton played in 121 games last year, posting a .298/.346/.536 line with 25 home runs in 538 plate appearances.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Hunter Wants To Play Two Or Three More Years
Just last September, Torii Hunter was talking about retiring following the 2012 season. An offseason of rest and rejuvenation seems to have quelled that urge, as Hunter recently told ESPN's Mark Saxon that he'll look to play for another two or three seasons after his contract expires this season:
"I'm just going to keep playing and get it out of my system, because I don't want to go home and be like, 'I've got like two or three years left,'" Hunter said. "I know I've got two or three good years in me. My body's good, my athletic ability is good. I can go out there and play."
Hunter, 36, struggled at times in 2011, but finished with a torrid two-month stretch in which he hit .324/.396/.537 with 10 long balls over the season's final 51 games. That tear propelled his home run total to 23 — the tenth time in 11 seasons that he's broken the 20-homer barrier. Only an injury-shortened 2005 (14 homers in 98 games) broke that streak.
Hunter is entering the final season of the five-year, $90MM contract he signed with the Halos following the 2007 season. The Angels and Twins are the only organizations he's ever known in his 19-year professional career. Minnesota selected Hunter with the 20th pick in the 1993 draft, and he's totaled a .274/.332/.467 line while winning nine Gold Gloves in his career.
Minor Moves: Dickerson, Rincon
We'll keep track of today's minor moves right here..
- Chris Dickerson cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A by the Yankees, writes Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. The move opens a spot on the 40-man roster, which should allow the Bombers to officially add Eric Chavez to the team. The 29-year-old Dickerson hit .260/.296/.360 in 55 plate appearances while playing both outfield corners for the Yankees last season.
- To bolster their minor league depth, the Angels signed reliever Juan Rincon to a deal with no spring training invite, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Zumaya Has Torn UCL, Out For Season
An MRI today reavealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament for Joel Zumaya, tweets Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN. Twins GM Terry Ryan confirmed to reporters, including Chris Girandola of MLB.com, that Zumaya will miss the 2012 season. According to Ryan, Zumaya will decide in the next couple of days whether or not he'll undergo Tommy John surgery.
The Twins signed the oft-injured flamethrower to a low-risk Major League deal that guaranteed Zumaya $850K if he broke camp with the team. Because of the injury, the Twins are only on the hook for $400K of that figure. Mackey writes that Ryan says the Twins will stay in-house to fill the void in their bullpen and that Zumaya is "distraught."
The 27-year-old Zumaya owns a career 3.05 ERA in 209 2/3 innings of work with a 9.0 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9. It's hard not to feel for Zumaya, who hasn't pitched since June of 2010 and was looking to revive his career as a member of the Twins.