Here's the latest from baseball's two West divisions as some late night baseball is being played in Florida…
- The Diamondbacks added to their depth this offseason by signing Jason Kubel, and if they do trade an outfielder it won't necessarily be Gerardo Parra according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. They could decide to trade Chris Young, or prospects Adam Eaton or A.J. Pollock instead.
- All indications point to Yoenis Cespedes being on the Athletics' Opening Day roster, writes Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. "Based on the contract, the sooner the better," said GM Billy Beane. "We're going to be open-minded."
- "It is an honor to learn from him, to watch him hit, to have him tell me these things," said Cespedes to reporters (including Bruce Jenkins of The San Francisco Chronicle) when asked about playing with Manny Ramirez. "That is very, very special." Manny intends to shadow the Cuban newcomer in Athletics camp.
- "For us dealing with free agency, we'd rather deal with it now rather than when a guy is a year away," said Padres GM Josh Byrnes to Jim Duquette and Kevin Kennedy of MLB Network Radio while talking about the Cameron Maybin extension. Byrnes said they also believe there is more offense on the way from their center fielder.
Manny “shadowing” Cespedes doesn’t sound like the best of ideas.
Hopefully for the A’s he doesn’t shadow him into a bathroom stall with a syringe.
Better than Kenny Powers
Prospect Adam Eaton? feels like 1999 again.
Pat Gillick’s worst signing as Phillies GM was giving that dude $8 mil per.
Amaro has been trying to top that one ever since…..
Worse than Howard? No way.
pat gillick didn’t sign howard to that contract…
Amaro already topped that one. Ryan Howard. Probably also Papelbon.
Linked to the wrong Adam Eaton.
Correct link: baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=eaton-…
wrong Chris Young link but when is the outfielder Chris Young eligible for FA?
If B-R.com is correct he’ll cross the 6 year service time mark this season, but he’s signed through ’13 with a team option for ’14
It is correct. The Dbacks have an $11MM option with a 1.5 buyout on his 2014 year. If he stays healthy this year, unlike last year, it won’t take much more out of Young for that salary to look pretty reasonable.
The Dbacks really are in the driver’s seat here. There simply isn’t any incentive to move either Parra or Young. So the only way a team prys one of those players away is to make an above value trade offer. Those sorts of offers usually only happen at the deadline, and usually only for pitchers or bonafide thumpers.
“Cots baseball contracts” will tell you everything you need to know about any player’s contract, team payroll, etc.
2014?
I kind of like what Geraldo Parra adds to the D’Backs. It’s good to hear they aren’t necessarily thinking of moving him.
His value is too high. Towers typically waits until a players shine has worn off to move his players. If he has a poor year in 2012 expect him dealt next off-season. Very few trades happened when his players value was at or near their “peak”.
It makes me sick to my stomach that in the first 10 picks of the 2011 draft, the first under Towers helm, he’s almost guaranteed to get more production from that duo then he did with with a good 13 or so drafts worth of first rounders with SD. In fact I expect Bauer alone to cross that threshold come 2014 or 2015.
Parra seems like too good a piece to deal away. The perfect Kubel insurance if he turns out to be a dude and a championship caliber 4th outfielder if he isn’t.
you think Kubel might just be a dude? Well that’s just, like your opinion man!
Probably meant dud, but still, a funny typo.
Cespedes needs to be on the opening day roster. They only have four years with him on the team, and sending him down wont delay his free agency. The Athletics dont appear to be a contender this year, so there is no harm in letting Cespedes prove himself on the big club.
Agreed.
The A’s don’t play the “delay the FA’cy” game nearly as much as people think they should. Parker, Milone and Peacok will all very likely be up this year, with two in the rotation the first month.
They don’t really have a choice with only AAAA Godfrey and Ross behind McCarthy and Colon and Dallas Braden not ready. And Milone/Parker are right there. You don’t waste/stash young arms at AAA. If anything, players like Cahill, Mazzaro and Anderson were rushed.
Note how they brought Weeks up last year, with Ellis still on the roster. Kurt Suzuki may have been delayed a 1/2 year or so, but nothing major.
The Nats are certainly looking for a CF, maybe Young’s a fit?
wrong Chris Young and wrong Adam Eaton