Spanish Links: Sanchez, Hanley, Contreras
Links are, you guessed it, in Spanish…
- Anibal Sanchez has looked strong this preseason, but the 29-year-old told Wilmer Reina at the Venezuelan daily La Verdad that his history of shoulder problems is more than just a memory. "I've never pitched without pain. There's always a small problem with something," Sanchez said. "I have five scars inside my shoulder, and some nerve has to be touching those." Sanchez has bounced back from three injury-shortened campaigns to log 190-plus solid innings in 2010 and 2011, but he said last month the team has yet to approach him about keeping him off the the free agent market next winter. Back in January, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith analyzed Sanchez as an extension candidate.
- Despite an offseason of predictions to the contrary, Hanley Ramirez says he is confident and, yes, even content at third base. "I feel really happy. If I had known that, I would have changed before. I really feel comfortable here," Ramirez told Juan Mercado at the Dominican paper El Día. "I like playing third base, because I'm more relaxed and it makes me focus more, because I have to be prepared for every pitch."
- Jose Contreras told Luis Rangel at the El Nuevo Herald that he feared the worst when he learned he needed surgery on his pitching arm last summer. "When they told me that, I said, 'Wow! My career is done,'" Contreras recalled. "I'm not a young man. I'm 40 years old, and an operation is difficult." However, the Cuban swingman has worked his way back and says he's nearly ready to fulfill the second year of the two-year deal he signed with the Phillies in 2010. "At the moment I can say that I feel good, and if everything goes well in Spring Training, with a couple more good outings this spring, I'll be ready for the season," Contreras said.
Latest On Matt Cain
The Giants and right-hander Matt Cain have mutual interest in working out a long-term agreement, but aren't particularly close to an extension at the moment. Here's the latest on the talks…
- Cain told Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com that he's 'torn' about whether to sign an extension in San Francisco. “I’m definitely going to enjoy this season,” Cain said. “But you also think about going to free agency, and you might not have that chance again. So you really are torn between the two sides. It’d be hard to say it’s one way or the other.”
- Agent Rick Landrum told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that Cain's side will "never give up hope" even though a soft deadline of Opening Day exists. Both sides want to have completed negotiations by the time Spring Training ends.
- Cain and fellow Giants starter Tim Lincecum have led the Giants' rotation for years, but they're getting expensive and there's no guarantee the Giants will be able to keep them, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick explains. If Cain's negotiations were a nine-inning game, talks would be in the fifth inning, Crasnick reports.
NL West Notes: Dodgers, Montero, Desmond
Four teams have won the NL West since 2006 and the Rockies, the lone team never to win the division, have made the postseason twice in that six-year period. Here are the latest links on the NL West…
- The leaders of two failed bids for the Dodgers will appeal MLB's decision to a mediator, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times writes.
- Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com hears from sources who expect the Dodgers to bid aggressively on free agents once a new ownership group is in place.
- The Diamondbacks had been hoping to lock Miguel Montero up for $8MM per season, but he may cost $12MM now that Yadier Molina signed a deal worth $15MM annually, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio reports (all links go to Twitter). Towers is already eyeing catchers in the minors and Majors, Bowden reports.
- The Diamondbacks are considering moving Josh Collmenter to the bullpen if and when a starting pitching prospect such as Trevor Bauer or Tyler Skaggs is ready, Bowden reports.
- GM Kevin Towers told Bowden the Diamondbacks have no interest in Ian Desmond. They were linked to the Nationals shortstop earlier this week.
Orioles Seek Starting Pitching
The Orioles are looking for a starting pitcher, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. Executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette spent much of the offseason acquiring candidates for the rotation, but it remains light on MLB experience.
Joe Blanton, Gavin Floyd and Freddy Garcia are among the potentially available starters for the Orioles to consider. They also appear to have had interest in Cardinals right-hander Kyle McClellan for some time. John Lannan may no longer be available given Chien-Ming Wang’s hamstring injury.
Wei-Ying Chen, Jason Hammel, Zach Britton, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz, Brad Bergesen, Chris Tillman, Dana Eveland, Tsuyoshi Wada and Armando Galarraga entered the spring with a shot at obtaining a spot in Baltimore’s rotation.
Offseason In Review: Oakland Athletics
The Athletics restocked their farm system and restored outfield depth this offseason, but their future in Oakland remains unresolved.
Major League Signings
- Yoenis Cespedes, OF: four years, $36MM.
- Coco Crisp, OF: two years, $14MM.
- Bartolo Colon, SP: one year, $2MM.
- Jonny Gomes, OF: one year, $1MM.
- Total spend: $53MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Manny Ramirez, Brandon Moss, Jason Pridie, Edgar Gonzalez.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired OF Josh Reddick, 1B Miles Head and SP Raul Alcantara from the Red Sox for RP Andrew Bailey and OF Ryan Sweeney.
- Acquired A.J. Cole, C Derek Norris, SP Brad Peacock and SP Tom Milone from the Nationals for SP Gio Gonzalez and SP Robert Gilliam.
- Acquired SP Jarrod Parker, OF Collin Cowgill and RP Ryan Cook from the Diamondbacks for SP Trevor Cahill and RP Craig Breslow.
- Acquired OF Seth Smith from the Rockies for SP Guillermo Moscoso and SP Josh Outman.
- Acquired cash considerations from the Orioles for OF Jai Miller.
- Acquired cash considerations from the Blue Jays for RP Trystan Magnuson.
- Claimed RP Evan Scribner from the Padres.
- Claimed OF Cedric Hunter from the Padres.
Notable Losses
- Josh Willingham, David DeJesus, Hideki Matsui, Rich Harden, Michael Wuertz, Landon Powell, Bailey, Sweeney, Gonzalez, Gilliam, Cahill, Breslow, Moscoso, Outman, Miller, Magnuson.
Draft Picks Gained or Lost
- Obtained 34th, 62nd overall selections for losing Willingham.
- Obtained 47th overall selection for losing DeJesus.
When the offseason began, it was clear that the A’s would have to assemble a new outfield and weigh offers for their controllable young pitchers. Billy Beane didn’t hold back, adding six outfielders and trading away as many experienced arms. The result: a new-look Athletics team whose future in Oakland remains undetermined.
After ranking sixth among American League teams in runs allowed a year ago, the A’s decided to part with a ton of pitching: Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, Craig Breslow, Andrew Bailey, Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso. One man who didn’t change teams was the one doing the trading. Beane reportedly attracted interest from clubs with GM openings this offseason, but he stayed put in Oakland. Parting with so much pitching was difficult, but the A's viewed the trades as a necessary step.
“There was a need to infuse a quantity of talent into the system,” director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told MLBTR. “And when you’re looking to do that, you have to be willing to give up your best assets. You have to start from the top in terms of guys you’re willing to shop.”
As unpleasant as it must have been for the A's to part with Gonzalez after back-to-back 200 inning seasons, I can see why they made the move when they did. Gonzalez is getting expensive via arbitration, he's prone to walks and good luck appears to have deflated his ERA to an extent since 2010. Still, any team would miss a pitcher of his caliber.
The Bailey trade was equally defensible given the $3.9MM salary he'll earn in 2012, his past health concerns and Oakland's other bullpen arms. Some consider Josh Reddick a fourth outfielder, so it's not as though the Athletics obtained a sure thing in return for their former closer, but perhaps it’s time to temper expectations when it comes to trades involving relief pitchers. Teams haven't always obtained much of substance in return for relievers in the past year. Reddick will get the chance to prove the naysayers wrong as the club's everyday right fielder in 2012.
The decision to trade Cahill, a durable, young ground ball pitcher who's under team control through 2017, was more puzzling. Jarrod Parker, under team control for the same period, showed promise in Double-A last year, and he appears to have more top of the rotation potential. But he's just nine months younger than Cahill, and he's a season removed from Tommy John surgery. This deal makes the A's cheaper for the next few seasons, but I'm not convinced swapping a young 200 inning starter for a prospect makes them better.
There's no denying that Oakland improved its farm system this offseason. Parker and A.J. Cole are consensus top 100 prospects, according to lists at Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN.com. Brad Peacock and Derek Norris both appeared on two of the three prospect lists, an indication that the industry holds Oakland’s new prospects in high esteem.
Parker, Peacock and Tom Milone could get extended looks in the rotation behind Opening Day starter Brandon McCarthy. The A’s are hoping for more than three starts from Dallas Braden this year and Brett Anderson should return from Tommy John surgery midseason. Free agent signing Bartolo Colon provides depth for just $2MM. Though he faded down the stretch in 2011, this signing will be a bargain as long as Colon strings together half a season or so of quality outings.
Josh Willingham and David DeJesus signed multiyear deals elsewhere, as expected, so the A’s outfield seemed incredibly thin until Coco Crisp re-signed a two-year, $14MM deal. Although the A’s signed him to play center field, they may decide to move Crisp to a corner spot in favor of a new acquisition.
Yoenis Cespedes obtained $36MM from Oakland despite the fact that he’s never played affiliated baseball. The A's gambled that Cespedes’ power and athleticism will vault him to stardom in the American League. This was no impulse move, either. They'd been eyeing Cespedes for a while.
“We said ‘if we make one big financial investment this offseason, this would be the guy we would do it with,’” Zaidi said.
The move also serves as a reminder that the A’s rarely if ever outbid the competition for premium domestic free agents. Major Leaguers, particularly position players, don’t seem to have a strong affinity for Oakland.
On paper Seth Smith (.881 career OPS against RHP) and Bay Area native Jonny Gomes (.877 career OPS against LHP) could platoon in the DH spot and exceed Hideki Matsui's 2011 production. Gomes' ability to hit left-handed pitching will complement Smith and Reddick nicely.
The signing of Manny Ramirez to a minor league contract makes sense for the A’s given their offensive struggles in 2011. Ramirez faces a 50-game suspension for violating MLB’s drug policy, and by the time he's eligible to play, the Athletics will have had many chances to evaluate his hitting skills. If Ramirez makes the club at some point, he could generate some buzz for a team that finished last in the Major League in attendance a year ago. More importantly for Beane and manager Bob Melvin, he might hit. Every American League team but the Mariners outscored the A's a year ago, so Oakland needs offense. Ramirez has never posted a full-season OPS below .870; why not give him a shot?
Scott Sizemore will miss the 2012 season after a promising 2011 showing, so the A’s are looking to Josh Donaldson and Adam Rosales at third base. It’s possible the club will look outside of the organization for help, and Brandon Inge, Juan Francisco and Alberto Callaspo could intrigue the front office to varying degrees.
It doesn't appear likely that the A's will score significantly more in 2012 and their thinned-out pitching staff will make it difficult to maintain last year's level of run prevention. The A’s, a 74-88 team a year ago, got younger and cheaper this offseason, but I expect they're headed for a third or fourth-place finish and 70 or so wins in 2012. Until MLB, the A’s and the Giants settle the long-term future of the franchise, the A’s will need more than their share of health and good fortune to contend.
Cubs Claim Frankie De La Cruz
The Cubs claimed right-hander Frankie De La Cruz off of waivers from the Brewers, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets. The Brewers now have one open spot on their 40-man roster.
De La Cruz made 11 appearances with the 2011 Brewers, posting a 2.77 ERA with nine strikeouts and five walks. The 28-year-old spent most of last year as a starter at Triple-A, where he had a 3.88 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 137 innings.
Red Sox Agree To Sign Dominican Prospect Mercedes
The Red Sox have agreed to sign Dominican right-hander Simon Mercedes to a deal including an $800K bonus, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. For the agreement to become official, Mercedes must pass MLB’s investigation into his age, identity and visa.
Mercedes formerly presented himself as two years younger and went by the name of Jeffrey Tapia, so he has a history of identity issues. He agreed to a $400K deal with the Giants last offseason, but the agreement disintegrated following an MLB investigation and he was declared ineligible to sign for one year. The ban expired Wednesday, meaning the 20-year-old was again eligible to sign.
The right-hander stands 6’4” and his fastball ranges from 92-96 mph. Scouts say he has an average to above-average breaking ball, Badler reports. He has the potential to start in the Major Leagues.
Yankees Sign Andy Pettitte
A year after retiring, Andy Pettitte is back in pinstripes. The Yankees announced that they signed the 39-year-old left-hander to a minor league contract. Pettitte, a Hendricks Sports client, can potentially earn $2.5MM on the deal, which doesn't include incentives.
Pettitte announced his retirement from baseball after the 2010 season and did not play at all in 2011. He got the itch to return while with the team as a guest instructor earlier this month, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The Yankees have left the door open for a return since Pettitte retired, so they were able to work a deal out once he decided to return.
It's unlikely that Pettitte will be able to start the season with the team. Joel Sherman of the New York Post says (on Twitter) that he will use the rest of Spring Training to get in shape, then rejoin the club. The Yankees currently have CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia, and Ivan Nova for five rotation spots, so Pettitte makes seven starters for five spots.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI. Jack Curry of The YES Network first reported the deal. Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Yankees Notes: Pineda, Ibanez, Willis
The Yankees have averaged more than 97 regular season wins per year since 1996. Here's the latest on the 2012 club via Joel Sherman of the New York Post…
- Yankees officials say Michael Pineda is a hard worker and his teammates say he’s mixing in well, Sherman reports. There’s been some concern about Pineda’s velocity and conditioning this spring, but Sherman points out that it’s wise to avoid definitive statements based on Spring Training information.
- The Yankees say they aren’t worried about Raul Ibanez’s spring struggles, Sherman tweets. Ibanez has been facing more left-handed pitching than he will during the regular season.
- The Yankees offered Dontrelle Willis a minor league deal this offseason, Sherman tweets. The Yankees might look into signing Willis, who was released by the Phillies this morning.
Phillies Release Dontrelle Willis
The Phillies announced that they released left-hander Dontrelle Willis. The Sosnick Cobbe client signed a one-year, $1MM contract with Philadelphia in December and had been expected to contribute out of the bullpen.
Willis pitched 75 2/3 innings for the Reds in 2011 — his highest total since 2007. The 30-year-old southpaw posted a 5.00 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 54.5% ground ball rate in 13 second half starts with Cincinnati this past season. The Mariners, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Reds reportedly had interest in Willis as a reliever before he signed with the Phillies.