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Archives for March 2012

Mets Notes: Dickey, Pelfrey, Baxter, Edgin

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Three of the NL East teams generated considerable buzz with their offseason moves, but the Mets and Braves remained relatively quiet. Here's the latest on the Mets via Andy Martino of the New York Daily News…

  • The Mets are considering numerous options regarding R.A. Dickey's contract, Martino reports. The club views the knuckleballer as someone who can contribute for years and they may preemptively guarantee his 2013 option at $5MM. 
  • I don't see the value in doing this from the team perspective unless Dickey agrees to add club options for later years. Otherwise there's minimal benefit to guaranteeing the option now in my view.
  • The Mets considered releasing Mike Pelfrey in a recent meeting, but on-field staff didn't favor the idea and it was dismissed, Martino writes. Releasing the right-hander before Opening Day would save the Mets nearly $5MM, since his contract is non-guaranteed.
  • Mike Baxter will make the Mets unless they acquire someone from outside of the organization, Martino writes.
  • Left-handed reliever Josh Edgin "has opened a lot of eyes," a club official told Martino. Edgin won't make the Opening Day roster, but he could join the team at some point.

Quick Hits: Cain, Hosmer, Team Values, Izturis

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Ichiro Suzuki and Yoenis Cespedes are the early stars of this young 2012 season, with the rest of the league waiting until next week to catch up to the Mariners and Athletics.  Here's some news from around the majors…

  • Matt Cain reiterated to reporters (including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle) that Opening Day is the "cutoff" for contract talks between him and the Giants.  Cain said Giants GM Brian Sabean feels the same way.  Larry Baer, the team's CEO, discussed the Cain negotiations and more in a live chat with fans earlier today.
  • Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is in no hurry to sign a multiyear contract, he tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.  "There’s a long time for that coming,” Hosmer said of a possible contract extension. “For me, I haven’t even experienced an opening day yet….I feel like it wouldn’t even be fair to this team to start thinking about that.”  Last January, MLBTR's Mike Axisa featured Hosmer as an extension candidate.
  • Sports business consultant Marc Ganis tells ESPN New York's Adam Rubin that if the Dodgers are worth $2.15 billion, it greatly raises the ceiling for the prices of baseball's big-market teams.  Ganis estimates the Yankees would be worth $4 billion, the Red Sox $2.5 billion and the Mets roughly $1.5 billion.  Only the biggest markets would have higher price tags, however, since they offer the most lucrative local broadcasting deals.
  • Also from Henry Schulman (Twitter links), Gregor Blanco says he chose the Giants over the Marlins in the offseason since San Francisco hitting coach Hensley Meulens promised Blanco a legitimate chance at a roster spot.  It looks like Blanco made the right choice, as he's poised to start the season in the majors after a big Spring Training.
  • Alexi Amarista's impressive camp has made him a candidate for a utility job with the Angels, but Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times says Amarista is too inexperienced at the big league level to make Maicer Izturis expendable.  Izturis' name has been connected to a few trade rumors this spring as several teams are in the market for infielders.
  • Cesar Izturis (Maicer's older brother) has been told he will make the Brewers' roster, says team media director Mike Vassallo (Twitter link).  Izturis' minor league deal with Milwaukee allowed him to ask for his release if he wasn't on the 40-man roster by March 30, but now his $875K salary for 2012 is guaranteed.
  • MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (via Twitter) predicts the Indians to make a "big roster reduction" on Saturday as the team starts to pare down its roster from its current 41-player state.  Bastian says the Tribe has been "looking at trades" as well, and indeed Cleveland has at least one notable deal reportedly in the works.
  • If the Angels cut Jason Isringhausen, the veteran reliever tells MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that he'll probably retire, though there's a slight chance he'll keep pitching if he gets the right offer.  "It depends on who's that team that might call, who they'd be," Isringhausen said.

Rangers Release Brad Hawpe

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The Rangers have released veteran outfielder Brad Hawpe, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter).  Hawpe signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in January that would've paid him $1MM had he made the roster.  By releasing Hawpe now, Texas avoids paying him a $100K bonus as a six-year veteran.

Hawpe's chances of making the Texas roster were slim given that the Rangers are in need of a right-handed hitting outfielder and Hawpe is both a lefty bat and hasn't been able to throw from the outfield due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery.  Still, Hawpe hit well in limited action during the spring (a .849 OPS in 23 at-bats) and has a decent chance of catching on with another team if he can prove he's healthy.  MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports the Rangers have invited Hawpe to return if he can't find a Major League job elsewhere.

Indians, Angels Discussing Bobby Abreu Trade

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10:32pm: The trade has a "50-50" chance of happening, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  A source says the two teams are negotiating how much of Abreu's salary will be covered by the Angels.

9:43pm: Peter Greenberg, Abreu's agent, hasn't gotten confirmation that his client has been dealt, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.  Jon Heyman notes that the trade would require permission from the Commissioner's Office, given the large amount of salary the Angels are very likely covering to make the deal happen.

8:34pm: The Indians and Angels are "on [the] verge" of a trade that would send Bobby Abreu to Cleveland, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter).

With Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter filling the corner outfield spots, and Mark Trumbo and a seemingly healthy Kendrys Morales slated to play DH, Abreu was the odd man out in Los Angeles.  Abreu was becoming increasingly vocal about his likely lack of playing time which could well have sealed his fate as an Angel.  The 38-year-old is coming off his worst full season in the majors (a .253/.353/.365 line in 585 plate appearances) and will earn $9MM in 2012 after reaching enough plate appearances for a contract option to vest.

While the Indians were known to be looking for help in left or center field, Abreu is a bit of an odd fit.  It seems Abreu will platoon with Shelley Duncan in left, but Abreu played just 28 games in the field last season and has been a below-average defender for years — he has a -8.3 lifetime UZR/150 rating.  Abreu also adds yet another left-handed bat to the lefty-heavy Cleveland roster and he won't get much opportunity to play DH given Travis Hafner's presence.  Still, since the Angels are undoubtedly paying most of Abreu's salary, the price is right for the Indians if Abreu is able to recapture some of his old form.

AL East Links: Rays, Epstein, O’s, Eveland, DePaula

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Blue Jays prospect Anthony Gose stole second, third and home all during the eighth inning of the Jays' 3-2 win over the Red Sox today in Grapefruit League action.  The young outfielder will begin the season in the minors but he's definitely drawing attention — Baseball America named Gose as baseball's 39th-best prospect in its preseason rankings.

Some news from around the AL East….

  • With B.J. Upton and Sam Fuld starting the season on the DL, the Rays are looking for outfield help, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox and Cubs seemed to have completed the compensation package for Theo Epstein's move to Chicago earlier today, but Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald hears from a team source that the Sox aren't quite satisfied.  Chris Carpenter underwent elbow surgery on Wednesday and while the Red Sox believe the Cubs gave up Carpenter with no knowledge of any injury problems, Boston "is weighing its options" about whether the matter should be revisited.
  • Dan Duquette told reporters (including Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun) that before Spring Training ends, the Orioles "have a few player contracts we need to resolve in camp, and we have had some tertiary trade discussions.”
  • Connelly thinks Duquette will try to trade Dana Eveland (designated for assignment earlier today) if the Orioles think the southpaw will get claimed on waivers.  Eveland, for his part, tells Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link) that he will accept a minor league assignment if he clears waivers and the O's wish to keep him.
  • Rafael DePaula passed his physical and his Yankees contract is now official, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America.  The right-hander initially signed a $500K deal with New York in November 2010 but his attempt to get a visa was delayed since DePaula used to play under a false identity and was suspended by Major League Baseball in 2009.

Indians Close To Trading Trevor Crowe?

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10:07pm: The Crowe trade "now appears to be a no-go," according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter).  Heyman doesn't know whether this could impact the rumored Abreu trade.

9:03pm: The Indians are close to dealing outfielder Trevor Crowe, report Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).  Crowe was pulled from a minor league game earlier today, though the trade has not yet been finalized, Morosi adds.  It is unknown if Crowe could be going to the Angels as part of another impending Tribe deal involving Bobby Abreu.

NL West Notes: Montero, Parra, Giants, Kasten

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It was on this day in 1983 that the Dodgers, after selling 27,000 season tickets, cut off season ticket sales for the upcoming season out of a desire to leave large quantities of seats available for walkup and group sales.  The club could be on the way to rekindling this popularity in Los Angeles, as tickets are selling fast with the news that the Magic Johnson/Stan Kasten group has bought the team.

Some items from the Dodgers and elsewhere in the NL West…

  • Miguel Montero is looking for a contract akin to Victor Martinez's four-year, $50MM deal with the Tigers, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Montero is entering the last year of his contract with the Diamondbacks and Heyman believes that the Snakes will have trouble re-signing the catcher at his desired price.  While Yadier Molina's extension with the Cardinals raised the bar for catcher contracts, I think Montero needs one more big season to prove himself worth of a Martinez-esque deal.  The D'Backs could also use V-Mart as a reverse example, pointing to his season-ending ACL injury as an example of why a catcher's health is tenuous (thought Martinez had mostly transitioned to a DH spot in Detroit) and why they'd be hesitant to make such a commitment to Montero.
  • Montero wouldn't confirm his contract demands to Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona and said he "can’t really think about" potentially giving the Diamondbacks a hometown discount "right now" since he's focused on the upcoming season.
  • The Diamondbacks are still getting trade inquiries about Gerardo Parra but the team isn't going to move the Gold Glover, tweets MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.  Arizona GM Kevin Towers describes the trade market as "pretty quiet."
  • Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at the details of the Giants' TV contract, which runs through the 2032 season.
  • In case you missed it earlier today, Giants CEO Larry Baer commented on the negotiations between the team and pending free agent Matt Cain.
  • In an interview with Chris Russo of Mad Dog Radio on SiriusXM, Stan Kasten dismissed criticism that his group overpaid for the Dodgers and thought they met "the market value" for the team.  Kasten did say that Mark Walter, the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, views the Dodgers as "a gold standard asset that you just cannot acquire….there are values there that just transcend conventional return on investment metrics."
  • Kasten has heard "generally favorable" impressions about Dodgers GM Ned Colletti and manager Don Mattingly and isn't planning to make any management changes, "but you don’t know anything until you work with people."
  • Kasten said that the team will look into renovating, not replacing, Dodger Stadium.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, however, speculates that the Dodgers could build a new ballpark in downtown Los Angeles and sell the Chavez Ravine land to a group looking to build a stadium for a new NFL team for L.A.

Braves Looking For Bench, Bullpen Depth

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The Braves are still looking for a right-handed bench bat who can play the outfield or third base, and possibly also a reliever to replace the injured Arodys Vizcaino in the bullpen, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  With Chipper Jones injured, Martin Prado shifts to third base while Matt Diaz and Eric Hinske will platoon in left field, thus creating a hole in the Braves'' pinch-hitting corps.

Atlanta has been connected to Xavier Nady, Marlon Byrd and Will Venable within the last week.  David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Braves also have interest "a couple of lesser available Cubs" as well as Byrd.  If these "lesser Cubs" are relievers, I'm not sure Chicago is a fit as a trade partner, given that the Cubs are themselves trying to figure out their bullpen.  An outfielder is probably an easier pickup for the Braves than a third baseman, as they'd be competing with the Phillies, Athletics and Twins, among others looking for infield help.

Right-hander Cory Gearrin (who has 18 1/3 Major League innings under his belt) and rookie southpaw Yohan Flande are projected for the two remaining spots in Atlanta's bullpen, so there's certainly room for the Braves to add another experienced arm into the mix.  Off the top of my head, the Rangers are shopping Mark Lowe and Koji Uehara, though they're looking for a right-handed hitting bench bat themselves.

Minor Moves: Bard, Sullivan, Pearce, Michaels

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Here are the latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Dodgers released Cory Sullivan and catcher Josh Bard, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  The pair both signed minor league deals with L.A. in December.
  • The Yankees have signed Steve Pearce to a minor league contract, reports Josh Norris of the Trentonian (Twitter link).  Pearce, a former well-regarded prospect with the Pirates, signed a minor league deal with the Twins in December but was released on Tuesday.
  • The Nationals released outfielder Jason Michaels, the team announced. The Nationals signed the 11-year veteran to a minor league contract in December.
  • The Brewers signed catcher Jason Jaramillo to a minor league deal, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The Cubs released the backstop a couple of days ago after signing him to a minor league deal in January.
  • The Red Sox released catcher Max St. Pierre, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). SoxProspects.com first reported the transaction.
  • The Brewers released Corey Patterson then re-signed him to another minor league contract, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). Patterson, who signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee in January, will start the season at Triple-A.
  • The Indians announced that they acquired right-hander Jairo Asencio from the Braves for cash. The right-handed reliever led the International League in saves in 2009 and 2011 and posted a 1.81 ERA with 11.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 54 2/3 innings at Triple-A last year. Asencio is out of options.
  • The Mets have signed infielder Josh Rodriguez to a minor league deal, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. The Pirates selected the 27-year-old in last year's Rule 5 draft, returned him to the Indians in April, and traded for him in June. Rodriguez, who played in seven MLB games last year, posted a .258/.323/.349 line in 330 plate appearances in the upper minors.

Giants CEO: Team Isn’t “Lowballing” Matt Cain

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Giants CEO Larry Baer said both his club and Matt Cain's representatives are "both working very hard" to reach agreement on a contract extension for the star right-hander.  Cain's future in San Francisco was a hot topic during Baer's web chat with fans on MLB.com (quotes passed along by Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com) and Baer stressed that the team is making every effort to lock Cain up to a multiyear deal.

"Our desire is for [Cain] to remain a Giant. There’s nothing we’ve seen from him that shows his desire is not to be. We just keep plugging along," Baer said.  "There’s been a lot of mischaracterizations with hard-and-fast deadline or we’re lowballing him. Those are uneducated. I can’t promise it will or won’t happen — that’s going to ultimately be the process of negotiation and Matt’s decision."

"We’d like to keep the homegrown players that are performing and Matt Cain is at the top of the list."

We heard last week that negotiations between Cain and the Giants hadn't yielded much progress, though the two sides had recently started talking again.  Baggarly noted that the MLBPA was keeping an eye on Cain's contract given that he has already signed two extensions considered to be below-market, which is perhaps a reason why Baer made a point of saying the Giants weren't "lowballing" Cain. 

Still, Baggarly reports the Giants are again looking to pay Cain less than the estimated six-year, $120MM deal he'd find on the open market due to the additional risk the team would be taking on should the right-hander be injured before his extension begins in 2013.  It's also possible the Giants could be waiting to see if the Phillies extend Cole Hamels, with that deal becoming the blueprint for a new Cain contract.

The Giants potentially face a looming threat in the NL West now that the Dodgers have been sold and will once again have money to spend, but Baer didn't think the Dodgers' new ownership group would immediately impact next winter's free agent market.  In any case, San Francisco's focus is not on free agents, but rather locking up their own players.

"Fans would like certain free agents like Albert Pujols …  but the first priority is homegrown players that we still think have a lot of productivity left," Baer said. "(But) we can’t control the overall economics of player and agent. It’s got to be something that allows us to field a team that will win.”

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