Heyman On Montero, Rivera, Rodney, Hamilton
Though offseason additions such as Albert Pujols and Heath Bell have disappointed so far this year, other free agent signings are playing well for new teams. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com puts together a list of 25 such players, including C.J. Wilson, Bartolo Colon and Edwin Jackson. Here’s more from Heyman:
- Heyman hears negotiations between the Diamondbacks and Miguel Montero could start up again soon (Twitter link). Montero, a free agent this offseason, has been seeking a four-year, $52MM deal.
- The Yankees want Mariano Rivera back in 2013, but he'll have to wait until the season ends to discuss a contract, per team policy (Twitter link).
- The Angels continue seeking relief help, Heyman tweets. However, few teams are looking to sell just yet.
- Fernando Rodney says he signed with the Rays because they believed in his ability. "With the Angels they tried to change my mechanics to throw more strikes,'' Rodney recalled. "Here they told me, you come here, we're not going to change anything.''
- Heyman suggests the Mets should extend manager Terry Collins for doing a “terrific job” (Twitter link).
- One management person suggested a five-year, $100MM deal could work for the Rangers and Josh Hamilton, Heyman reports. One agent says a seven or eight-year deal worth $25-30MM per season seems more appropriate, assuming there’s protection for the Rangers. For more on Hamilton’s next contract, check out this post from earlier today.
2013 Contract Issues: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:
Eligible For Free Agency (5)
- Andre Ethier - The Dodgers would like to sign Ethier long-term, but it might require a $100MM commitment.
- James Loney - Loney doesn't hit much relative to other first basemen, so the Dodgers may let him walk in an attempt to improve their offense.
- Adam Kennedy - The 36-year-old will have to provide some offense to go along with his defensive versatility.
- Jamey Wright - Teams always need middle relievers, though Wright turns 38 this offseason.
- Bobby Abreu - Five games into Abreu's Dodgers career it's too early to know if he'll return in 2013.
Contract Options (3)
- Juan Rivera: $4MM club option with a $500K buyout. The Dodgers don't seem to trust Rivera against right-handed pitching, and given his struggles their hesitation is justified. $4MM is expensive for a platoon bat with little defensive value.
- Todd Coffey: $2.5MM club option with a $300K buyout. Coffey spent much of April on the disabled list, but he could earn a place in the Dodgers' 2013 'pen with a strong finish.
- Matt Treanor: $950K club option with a $150K buyout. The Dodgers may prefer to make Tim Federowicz their backup and save a little money.
Arbitration Eligible (2)
- First time: Blake Hawksworth, A.J. Ellis
Recently hired director of baseball contracts Alex Tamin will likely be up against one of the smallest arbitration classes in the game next offseason. Two players are eligible for the first time and that's it.
2013 Payroll Obligation
The Dodgers have a $105MM payroll this year, and they've already committed $103MM to next year's team, not including arbitration eligible players. It's a good thing new ownership expects payroll to rise, because the Dodgers are getting expensive.
Minor Moves: Stange, White
Keeping track of the day’s minor moves…
- The Padres signed right-hander Daniel Stange to a minor league contract, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. Stange, 26, has a 4.34 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in seven minor league seasons. He has MLB experience with the 2010 Diamondbacks.
- The Angels signed right-hander Sean White to a minor league contract, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. The 31-year-old pitched in 105 games for the Mariners from 2007-10, posting a 4.16 ERA with 4.0 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9.
Rays Place Jeff Keppinger On Restricted List
The Rays placed infielder Jeff Keppinger on the restricted list due to a personal matter following last night’s game, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports. The Rays called up outfielder Brandon Guyer in a corresponding move and indicated that Keppinger’s absence will be a short one.
The Rays signed Keppinger to a one-year, $1.25MM contract in January. The 32-year-old has a .313/.338/.453 batting line in 68 plate appearances as a second and third baseman in Tampa Bay. Players on the restricted list do not count toward a team's 25-man or 40-man roster. They do not accrue service time and they don't always get paid.
Quick Hits: Draft, Sizemore, Royals, CBA, Greinke
Some links from around MLB…
- ESPN's Keith Law posted a list of the top 100 prospects in this year's amateur draft. High school outfielder Byron Buxton and high school shortstop Carlos Correa top the list.
- "I love this game and I don't see myself calling it quits anytime soon," said Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (Twitter link). Sizemore is currently on the DL with a back issue, the latest problem in a long line of injuries in recent years.
- Royals owner David Glass says he hasn't spoken to anyone about selling his team despite rumors to the contrary, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. "I've not talked to anyone, nor has any of my family talked to anyone," he said.
- Ben Badler of Baseball America explains how teams and player representatives are working to side-step the international spending restrictions imposed under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. MLB is aware of the loopholes and would object more strongly to some than others.
- Recent extensions talks haven’t taken place for Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels or Tim Lincecum, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Greinke and Hamels are eligible for free agency this offseason, while Lincecum is under team control through 2013.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that Edinson Volquez of the Padres looks like a trade candidate (Twitter link). However, six of the right-hander’s seven starts have been at Petco Park, a generally forgiving environment for pitchers.\
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
East Links: Gonzalez, Red Sox, Yankees, Nationals
The Yankees announced that Andy Pettitte will make his return to the team this Sunday against the Mariners. The 39-year-old left-hander came out of retirement during Spring Training to re-sign with New York. Here's the latest out of baseball's two East divisions…
- The Red Sox had some talks with Scott Boras about left-handed reliever Mike Gonzalez before he signed with the Nationals, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Gonzalez felt he had more of an opportunity with Washington.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including Chad Jennings of The Journal News) that he has not made a single call about trading for reliever in the wake of Mariano Rivera's torn ACL. Late last week we heard that the team won't aggressively pursue a reliever via trade.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he's hoping players like Xavier Nady and Roger Bernadina will step up during Jayson Werth's absence so he doesn't have to make a trade (Twitter link). Werth will miss about three months with a broken left wrist.
2013 Contract Issues: San Francisco Giants
The Giants are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:
Eligible For Free Agency (6)
- Melky Cabrera - Cabrera, still just 27, will present the Giants with a dilemma if he repeats his 2011 success in San Francisco. They'd likely have to offer a multiyear deal or let him walk.
- Freddy Sanchez - The Giants have learned to cope without Sanchez, who's on the 15-day disabled list recovering from shoulder surgery.
- Jeremy Affeldt - The Giants evidently value Affeldt's left arm and could offer him another deal in the $4-5MM range if he turns in a typical season.
- Angel Pagan - Just one year after restructuring their outfield, two of the Giants' starting outfielders will hit free agency. It's too early to predict the Giants' interest in re-signing the 30-year-old center fielder.
- Ryan Theriot - Off to a slow start at the plate, Theriot's place on the 2013 Giants is anything but secure.
- Guillermo Mota - Mota has been suspended for 100 games following a positive test for a performance enhancing substance. He'll be eligible to return late this season even if the ruling stands following an appeal. A suspension would reduce Mota's free agent value and may diminish the Giants' interest in retaining the 38-year-old.
Contract Options (1)
- Aubrey Huff: $10MM club option with a $2MM buyout. The Giants can be expected to buy Huff out, since he's no longer a $10MM player.
Arbitration Eligible (10)
- First time: Buster Posey, Joaquin Arias
- Second time: Sergio Romo, Nate Schierholtz, Gregor Blanco, Emmanuel Burriss, Eli Whiteside
- Third time: Clay Hensley
- Fourth time: Brian Wilson, Santiago Casilla
Assuming the Giants tender Wilson a contract, he'll lead the way with a salary that could fall in the $8.5MM range. Posey's 2013 salary can be expected to fall in the $2-3MM range, which would make him the Giants' highest-paid position player going year to year. In total, the team's arbitration eligible players could cost $20MM-plus, with the usual caveat that some of the players above will become non-tender candidates.
2013 Payroll Obligation
The Giants have already committed more than $80MM to next year's payroll, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. The team's payroll has surpassed $115MM in 2011 and 2012, and it's currently hard to envision a substantial payroll drop for 2013. The Giants will likely need to spend on outfielders this winter and if GM Brian Sabean is going to have any flexibility after retaining his arbitration eligible players, the payroll will have to stay above $100MM.
Padres Sign Kip Wells, Anthony Reyes
The Padres have signed right-handers Kip Wells and Anthony Reyes to minor league contracts, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter links). The moves will replenish the club's Triple-A depth following injuries to Tim Stauffer, Dustin Moseley, and Cory Luebke.
Wells, 35, signed with the White Sox last month but was released just ten days later. The Burton Rocks LTD client hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2009 and owns 4.71 ERA in over 1,300 innings. Reports from earlier this spring indicate that his fastball is still running as high as 93 mph.
Reyes, 30, did not play at all last season. He's pitched to a 5.12 ERA in 293 1/3 career innings, but like Wells he hasn't been in the show since 2009. Reyes is perhaps best known for his eight-inning, two-run performance in Game One of the 2006 World Series for the Cardinals.
Orioles Sign Miguel Tejada
The Orioles have signed Miguel Tejada to a minor league contract, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. The SFX client served as the designated hitter in an Extended Spring Training game today.
Tejada, 37, contacted the Orioles about rejoining the team and they agreed to give him a look. He passed a physical yesterday and will remain in Extended Spring Training to work out. Tejada hit just .239/.270/.326 in 343 plate appearances with the Giants last season before being released in September. He spent 2004-2007 and the first half of 2010 with Baltimore, hitting .305/.354/.481 overall.
Rangers Continue Working To Extend Hamilton
The Rangers continue working to sign Josh Hamilton to a long-term contract, GM Jon Daniels told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio (Twitter link). Daniels didn’t reveal details, but confirmed that talks regarding the Moye Sports Associates client continue.
Hamilton, 30, is off to a tremendous start. He has a league-leading 10 home runs with an impressive .376/.435/.703 batting line after 115 plate appearances. He’ll earn $13.75MM in 2012 before hitting free agency this offseason.
The Rangers recently met with Hamilton’s agent, so there’s some optimism they’ll sign him long-term. Despite an alcohol-related relapse earlier in the offseason and nagging injuries, he remains one of the game’s elite players.