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Quick Hits: Phillips, Kinsler, Podsednik, Moyer

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Links for Thursday, as the first full day of the regular season wraps up…

  • The Reds and Rangers are working towards contract extensions with Brandon Phillips and Ian Kinsler, respectively, and ESPN's Jim Bowden says (on Twitter) there's some work left to be done on each. Phillips is expected to get $12.5-13MM annually, Kinsler $13.5-14MM.
  • Scott Podsednik will report to the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, his agent confirmed to David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News. Podsednik was not technically a Major League free agent this offseason since he spent all of last year in the minors, so he was unable to opt-out of his contract at the end of Spring Training.
  • Jamie Moyer's can make $2MM in incentives op top of his $1.1MM base salary, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (on Twitter). The 49-year-old left-hander will open the season in the Rockies’ rotation.
  • Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright took note when Matt Cain of the Giants signed earlier in the week, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. "Obviously, you have to pay attention to it,"Wainwright said. "It's a tremendous deal for him." Cain obtained $112.5MM in new money from the Giants, establishing a record for right-handed pitchers.
  • Ivan Rodriguez is working out and says he's in shape, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Heyman suggests the Rays could be a fit for the veteran free agent.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Largest Contracts In Draft History

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Baseball new collective bargaining agreement went to rather extreme lengths to restrict amateur spending, so the days of big money contracts for drafted players appear to be a thing of the past. Clubs are now given a "draft pool" based on their winning percentage, and they face stiff penalties if they spend more than allotted.

Teams were aware that these restrictions could be put in place, so they spared no expense on last year's draft, likely their final chance to spend freely. The 30 clubs combined to spend $236MM on the draft last year, the most in baseball history. Let's take a second to update our list of the largest contracts in draft history…

Major League Contracts

  1. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (2009, 1st round/1st pick): Four years, $15.1MM. His $7.5MM signing bonus is no longer the draft record, however.
  2. Mark Prior, Cubs (2001, 1/2): Five years, $10.5MM. Prior exercised an opt-out clause near the end of the deal and instead filed for salary arbitration. He earned an extra $1.575MM by doing so.
  3. Bryce Harper, Nationals (2010, 1/1): Five years, $9.9MM. Includes a $6.25MM signing bonus that will be paid out in five installments.
  4. Mark Teixeira, Rangers (2001, 1/5): Four years, $9.5MM. His $4.5MM signing bonus was a draft record for six years.
  5. Danny Hultzen, Mariners (2011, 1/2): Five years, $8.5MM. The deal includes a $6.35MM signing bonus and escalators that could push the total value to $10.6MM.
  6. David Price, Rays (2007, 1/1): Six years, $8.5MM. Like Prior, Price opted out of the final year of his contract and filed for arbitration, earning an extra $2.85MM.
  7. Pat Burrell, Phillies (1998, 1/1): Five years, $8MM. The first of these mega-contracts for draftees.
  8. Dustin Ackley, Mariners (2009, 1/2): Five years, $7.5MM. There's another $2.5MM in incentives tied to how quickly he reached the majors.
  9. Rick Porcello, Tigers (2007, 1/27): Four years, $7.285MM. Porcello also opted out of his contract and filed for arbitration, earning an extra $1.756MM in the process.
  10. Anthony Rendon, Nationals (2011, 1/6): Four years, $7.2MM. All but $1.2MM of the guarantee comes in the form of a signing bonus.

The Hultzen and Rendon deals pushed J.D. Drew and Josh Beckett (both four years, $7MM) out of the top ten. Porcello's contract was designed to match but not exceed Beckett's by pro-rating his 2007 salary.

Big league contracts can no longer be handed out to drafted players according to the new CBA, so this list will not change until the current agreement expires at the earliest.

Minor League Contracts

  1. Gerrit Cole, Pirates (2011, 1/1): $8MM
  2. Bubba Starling, Royals (2011, 1/5): $7.5MM
  3. Jameson Taillon, Pirates (2010, 1/2): $6.5MM
  4. Donavan Tate, Padres (2009, 1/3): $6.25MM
  5. Buster Posey, Giants (2008, 1/5): $6.2MM
  6. Tim Beckham, Rays (2008, 1/1): $6.15MM
  7. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks (2005, 1/1): $6.1MM
  8. Matt Wieters, Orioles (2007, 1/5): $6MM
  9. Eric Hosmer, Royals (2008, 1/3): $6MM
  10. Joe Borchard, White Sox (2000, 1/12): $5.3MM

The Cole and Starling deals pushed Manny Machado and Zach Lee (both 2010 draft picks with $5.25MM bonuses) out of the top ten.

Make Or Break Year: Phil Hughes

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Phil Hughes is still only 25 years old, but the Yankees' right-hander has ridden the career roller coaster since making his debut in 2007. He knows what it's like to be a highly touted prospect, to deal with injury, to be a dominant setup man, a quality starter, an All-Star, a World Champion, and a disappointment. The 2012 season figures to be the most important season of his career.

Uspw_5541668After helping the Yankees to the 2009 World Series as Mariano Rivera's setup man, Hughes moved into the team's rotation in 2010 and rewarded them with an 18-8 record. That record had more to do with all the terrific run support he received, though the advanced metrics indicate that his performance was almost exactly league average. His 4.19 ERA was backed up by a 4.25 FIP. League average isn't too shabby for a 23-year-old in the AL East.

Because he had worked primarily as a reliever in 2009, Hughes threw 80 1/3 more innings in 2010 than he had the year before. He also showed up to camp overweight in 2011. The combination of being out of shape and having a big workload increase led to shoulder issues. Hughes missed the majority of last season and wasn't particularly effective when he was on the mound, pitching to a 5.79 ERA (4.58 FIP) in 74 2/3 innings. His fastball velocity was gone and his breaking ball had no bite.

After making $2.7MM as a first-time arbitration-eligible player last year, Hughes got a very slight raise to $3.2MM this year. He rededicated himself to conditioning this offseason and came to camp in much better shape, showing renewed life on his fastball and break on his curveball. He came back like the 2010 version of himself, and the Yankees rewarded him with a rotation spot thanks in part to Michael Pineda's sore shoulder.

That said, no one will care how Hughes looked in Spring Training during his first start of the season this weekend. He has to show that he's back to being an effective starter, because another disaster season like 2011 could very end with him being non-tendered in December. Hughes is scheduled to become a free agent after next season, when he'll still be just 27. An effective season this year and next could lead to a significant payday, so Hughes stands to gain or lose quite a bit in 2012.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Reds Expect To Extend Brandon Phillips

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6:16pm: ESPN's Jim Bowden hears that the Reds offered Phillips a five-year deal in the "neighborhood" of $62.5-65MM (Twitter link). That is just north of Dan Uggla's five-year, $62MM contract with the Braves.

3:51pm: GM Walt Jocketty said on today's TV broadcast that he's confident the Reds will complete a contract extension with Brandon Phillips within a week, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter). The ACES client will be eligible for free agency following the 2012 season if the Reds don't lock him up.

Earlier this week it seemed unlikely that the Reds would lock Phillips up long-term. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last week that the likely asking price for Phillips is a raise from his current $12MM salary on a four or five-year deal. Phillips posted a .300/.353/.457 line with 18 home runs and 38 doubles in 675 plate appearances last year. He won his third Gold Glove in 2011, and deserved it based on advanced assessments of his fielding.

The Reds announced a ten-year, $225MM extension for Joey Votto earlier this week.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Rangers Working Towards Extension With Ian Kinsler

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The Rangers and Ian Kinsler are working towards a five-year contract extension worth approximately $14MM per season, reports ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter). The deal would exercise his $10MM option for 2013 and tack the additional five years on top of it. The total package would be six years and approximately $80MM.

Kinsler, 29, called the negotiations a "very confusing process" earlier today. The new extension would eclipse Dan Uggla's five-year, $62MM guarantee with the Braves, but it would fall short of Chase Utley's second base record of seven years and $85MM. Kinsler's contract could impact talks between the Reds and Brandon Phillips, as well as the Yankees and Robinson Cano down the road.

Extension Rumors: Zack Greinke, Ian Kinsler

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The baseball world is still reeling from the two historic contract extensions handed out earlier this week. Here's the latest on two players in line for similar deals…

Outrighted: Neal, Hamren, Eveland, Rodriguez

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Teams are clearing 40-man roster space for non-roster invitees who’ve made Opening Day rosters, so we’ve had a flurry of outright assignments in recent days. Here are the details via MLB.com’s transactions page…

  • Indians outfielder Thomas Neal, who was designated for assignment yesterday, has cleared waivers, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (Twitter link). The Indians outrighted him to Triple-A.
  • The Padres announced that right-hander Erik Hamren cleared outright waivers. The Padres have assigned him to Double-A and now have an open spot on their 40-man roster.
  • The Orioles announced that they outrighted left-hander Dana Eveland to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. They had designated him for assignment last week.
  • The Mets outrighted Armando Rodriguez to Binghamton after he cleared outright waivers. The right-hander pitched at Class A in 2011, posting a 3.96 ERA in 16 starts. 
  • The Cubs outrighted Frankie De La Cruz to Triple-A Iowa. They had claimed the 28-year-old right-hander off of waivers from the Brewers less than a month ago. De La Cruz 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.
  • The Indians outrighted Rick VandenHurk to Triple-A. They had designated him for assignment soon after claiming him on waivers.

How Teams Obtained Their Opening Day Starters

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The 30 Opening Day starters aren't the 30 best pitchers in the game, but their managers do consider them the best arms currently available. Here's a list of the pitchers who got the Opening Day nod this year and how their current teams acquired them (note that many have since signed extensions that delayed their arrival on the free agent market):

Draft Picks (12)

  • Stephen Strasburg, Nationals – Selected in the first round of the 2009 draft (1st overall).
  • Justin Verlander, Tigers – Selected in the first round of the 2004 draft (2nd overall).
  • Ricky Romero, Blue Jays – Selected in the first round of the 2005 draft (6th overall).
  • Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers – Selected in the first round of the 2006 draft (7th overall).
  • Tim Lincecum, Giants – Selected in the first round of the 2006 draft (10th overall).
  • Jered Weaver, Angels – Selected in the first round of the 2004 draft (12th overall).
  • Yovani Gallardo, Brewers – Selected in the second round of the 2004 draft.
  • Jon Lester, Red Sox – Selected in the second round of the 2002 draft.
  • Josh Johnson, Marlins – Selected in the fourth round of the 2002 draft.
  • Jake Arrieta, Orioles – Selected in the 5th round of the 2007 draft.
  • James Shields, Rays – Selected in the 16th round of the 2000 draft.
  • Tommy Hanson, Braves – Selected in the 22nd round of the 2005 draft.

Free Agent Signings (8)

  • Kyle Lohse, Cardinals – Signed a free agent contract worth $4.25MM in March, 2008. 
  • Ryan Dempster, Cubs – Signed a free agent contract worth $52MM over four years in November, 2008.
  • C.C. Sabathia, Yankees – Signed a free agent contract worth $161MM over seven years in December, 2008.
  • Colby Lewis, Rangers – Signed a free agent contract worth $5MM over two years in January, 2010.
  • Brandon McCarthy, Athletics – Signed a free agent contract worth $1MM in December, 2010.
  • Carl Pavano, Twins – Signed a free agent contract worth $16.5MM over two years in January, 2011. The Twins originally traded for him in 2009, but Pavano has since hit free agency.
  • Bruce Chen, Royals – Signed a free agent contract worth $9MM over two years in November, 2011.
  • Erik Bedard, Pirates – Signed a free agent contract worth $4.5MM for one year in December, 2011.

Trades (7)

International Free Agent Signings (3)

  • Wandy Rodriguez, Astros – Signed as an amateur free agent in 1999.
  • Felix Hernandez, Mariners – Signed as an amateur free agent in July, 2002.
  • Johnny Cueto, Reds – Signed as an amateur free agent in 2004.

NL East Notes: Reyes, Hamels, Lannan

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Some NL East links for Thursday, as the Braves and Mets get their season started in New York…

  • Jose Reyes doesn't seem to be missing the Mets, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. It’d be hard to fault Reyes for enjoying his role on an exciting Marlins team and his $106MM contract.
  • Cole Hamels' track record is "a little better than [Matt] Cain's, so it does make things difficult," Phillies senior advisor Pat Gillick told Bob McCown and Damien Cox on Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 yesterday. The Phillies have some interest in locking Hamels up long-term, but Cain's $112.5MM extension complicated things earlier this week.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he had two "uncomfortable" conversations with John Lannan after telling the left-hander he was being optioned to the minor leagues (Twitter links). "If he was happy and took this laying down, it wouldn't be John Lannan," Rizzo said. "And you'd have to worry about that type of person.''
  • Rizzo said there's "mild" interest in Lannan, but manager Davey Johnson said the Nationals are "not trading him," Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. Lannan has requested a trade.

Rays Claim John Gaub

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The Rays have claimed left-hander John Gaub off of waivers, the Cubs announced. The Cubs also announced that they placed right-hander Marcos Mateo on the 60-day disabled list to create 40-man roster space.

Gaub, 26, appeared in four games for the 2011 Cubs after spending most of the season in the minor leagues. He posted a 3.42 ERA with 12.2 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 in 55 1/3 innings for the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa affiliate. Left-handed relievers J.P. Howell and Jake McGee made the Rays' Opening Day roster and Cesar Ramos and Alex Torres are minor league options.

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