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Archives for October 2012

Hamilton Will Give Texas Chance To Match Any Offer

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Josh Hamilton's season came to an unceremonious end last night, as he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a ground ball double play during the Rangers' loss in the AL Wild Card play-in game. After the game, the outfielder told reporters (including Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports) that the odds of him returning to Texas are "50-50," and that he would give the team the chance to match any offer (Twitter links).

"I always would love to stay here," said Hamilton according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas. "They understand that. They know that. When we talked earlier in the year, we didn't get things worked out, so we said we'd wait until the year was over. They obviously get first shot. I told them they'd get first shot at the end of the year. We'll see what happens."

The 31-year-old Hamilton had a remarkable regular season, hitting .285/.354/.577 with 43 home runs in 636 plate appearances. He avoided the DL for the first time since 2008, though he did battle some sinus and vision problems late in the year. Hamilton seemed to indicate that they were still an issue after last night's game, and he finished the season by going 8-for-35 (.229) with 16 strikeouts and no walks in his final eight games and 35 plate appearances.

The two sides discussed a contract extension during Spring Training and into the regular season, but decided to suspend talks in early-August. Hamilton will be the top hitter on the free agent market this winter, though he will be one of the riskiest big-ticket free agents in history given his off-the-field concerns and injury issues. A long-term contract worth $100MM+ is not unreasonable given his production.

Quick Hits: Feliz, General Managers, Mariners

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The Mariners announced (on Twitter) that long-time vice president of international operations Bob Engle informed the team that he will not sign a new contract when his deal is up on October 31st. Players like Felix Hernandez, Shin-Soo Choo, Michael Pineda, and Asdrubal Cabrera were signed under Engle's watch. Here is the latest from around the league…

  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels told reporters (including Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports) that the team may bring Neftali Feliz back as a reliever next season (Twitter link). Feliz is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and Daniels indicated that they would get him back sooner by moving him back to the bullpen.
  • It appears as though all 30 general managers will retain their jobs this offseason, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Managers and coaches won't be so lucky, however.
  • The Mariners fired scout Patrick Guerrero, reports Baseball America's Ben Badler. Guerrero, who was based in the Dominican Republic, was the club's Latin American coordinator and high-regarded.

Managerial Notes: Tracy, Leyland, Reds, Twins

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The Red Sox officially dismissed Bobby Valentine yesterday, ending months of speculation about his job security. Of course that hasn’t put an end to rumors about managerial openings and potential openings around MLB. Here are today’s managerial notes…

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com hears that there will be no decision made about Jim Tracy's future with the Rockies tonight (Twitter link). The team's front office will continue to discuss things, however.
  • Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told James Schmehl of mLive.com that they will address manager Jim Leyland's contract "at the appropriate time." Leyland's deal expires after the season.
  • Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe lists some off-the-grid candidates the Red Sox could consider for their managerial opening.
  • Dusty Baker hinted he'll return as the Reds' manager in 2013, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports. Baker said “this is my team, you know,” when asked about his future with the Reds.
  • Twins GM Terry Ryan explained to manager Ron Gardenhire that a contract extension for Gardenhire doesn't make sense right now, Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN reports (on Twitter). Gardenhire is signed through 2013.
  • The Indians announced that Terry Francona arrived in Cleveland for his job interview today. The former Red Sox manager is a leading candidate for the position along with longtime MLB catcher and current Indians coach Sandy Alomar Jr.
  • It’d be a surprise if Francona doesn’t accept the Indians job and name Brad Mills his bench coach, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes (on Twitter). The Astros dismissed Mills, Francona’s former bench coach in Boston, toward the end of the 2012 season.
  • People who know Francona well say the Indians are a "slam dunk" for him, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). Francona knows he can work with Indians executives such as Chris Antonetti, Abraham notes.
  • The Rangers won't fire manager Ron Washington even if they lose today's play-in game against the Orioles, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Washington is under contract with Texas through 2014.
  • Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is mulling whether to fire manager Ozzie Guillen, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. The owner has kept front office executives “out of the loop” on the decision, which will be entirely his own call. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported yesterday that the Marlins are aggressively seeking a replacement for Guillen.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Colletti Doesn’t Rule Out Bringing Victorino Back

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It appeared as though Shane Victorino's days with the Dodgers were numbered when they acquired Carl Crawford, but today GM Ned Colletti told Steve Dilbeck of The Los Angeles Times that bringing him back for 2013 has not been ruled out.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” quipped Colletti. “Use your imagination.”

Crawford is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery but is expected to be ready early next season. Matt Kemp had shoulder surgery today and is also expected to be ready in time for Opening Day. Either way, the Dodgers are locked into those two as well as Andre Ethier on big money contracts. There doesn't appear to be a spot for Victorino, who reiterated to Dilbeck that he wants to play everyday.

“I’m not taking a back seat to nobody," he said. "Not in a negative way am I saying that. I still feel like I can play every day and that’s my goal. I don’t know who came up with the mindset that all of a sudden that I’m not an everyday player."

Victorino, 31, hit .245/.316/.351 with the Dodgers and .255/.321/.383 overall this season. He is scheduled to become a free agent for the first time in his career this winter, and he is working to hire a new agent after recently dropping ACES. Victorino could be a more affordable alternative to top outfield free agents Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton.

Rays Release Matt Bush

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The Rays have released Matt Bush, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). The former first overall pick is still incarcerated following a DUI charge in Spring Training. He was on both the 40-man roster and restricted list all season.

Bush, 26, pitched to a 4.83 ERA with 13.8 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 50 1/3 relief innings for Tampa Bay's Double-A affiliate in 2011. The Padres originally drafted him as a shortstop with the top pick in 2004, but a lack of production and off-the-field issues stunted his development. 

Arbitration Eligibles: Seattle Mariners

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The Mariners are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series.  Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.

At 1.45 per nine innings, Vargas' home run rate ranked seventh-worst in baseball among qualified starters this year.  With the Mariners moving their fences in for 2013, Vargas' gopheritis could become an even larger problem at a time when his salary is expected to exceed $7MM.  On the surface, his 2012 performance of a 3.85 ERA in 217 1/3 innings seems like it'd have mild trade value even at our projected salary.  On the other hand, the Diamondbacks were unable to find a trade partner for a similar pitcher in Joe Saunders in advance of last year's non-tender deadline and chose to cut him loose.  Saunders had a higher projected salary than Vargas does, but Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik will have to make a tough decision by the November 30th non-tender deadline.

Ryan, the Mariners' starting shortstop, finished a multiyear deal and projects at a fairly modest raise through arbitration.  His offense was worse than ever this year, but his unparalleled glovework coupled with the team's lack of an MLB-ready replacement should compel the Mariners to keep him around.

Jaso, Kelley, and Kinney should be in good standing for 2013.  Relievers Kelley and Kinney both spent time in the minors this year, but each whiffed more than a batter per inning in the bigs and should earn less than a million bucks.

Center fielder Michael Saunders falls one day short of the projected Super Two cutoff.  If he were to snag Super Two status, we project him for $1.6MM.

Assuming Kinney, Jaso, Kelly, Vargas, and Ryan are retained, we're estimating a $13MM commitment for five arbitration eligible players.

Matt Swartz's arbitration projections are available exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors.  To read more about his projection model, check out this series of posts.  For more on the Mariners' offseason outlook, read Ben Nicholson-Smith's recent article.

Terry Ryan Named Permanent Twins GM

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The Twins announced that they have removed the interim label from Terry Ryan's job title, making him the permanent general manager once again (Twitter link). Ryan had been in charge of baseball operations as the team's interim GM for the last 11 months.

Ryan, who first became the Twins' GM in 1995, spent more than a decade in the role before stepping aside in September of 2007. Bill Smith succeeded Ryan as the team's general manager, a role he stayed in until last offseason, when Minnesota replaced Smith with Ryan on an interim basis.

Since Ryan returned to the GM role, the Twins have signed Jamey Carroll, Ryan Doumit, Matt Capps and Josh Willingham to Major League deals. Some of Ryan's best minor league additions in the last year include Jared Burton and Casey Fien, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows.

I recently explained that the Twins must obtain pitching this offseason and Tim Dierkes took a detailed look at the team's arbitration eligible players.

CAA To Represent Jake Peavy

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MLB agent Jeff Berry will represent Jake Peavy in an offseason that will likely see the right-hander hit free agency, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports. Berry, an agent with CAA’s baseball division, said Peavy is open-minded with weeks to go before he’s expected to appear on the free agent market.

“Jake loves his teammates and the organization,” Berry told Gonzales. “Having said that, he’s excited to experience the free agent process for the first time in his career.”

Peavy’s contract includes a $22MM option for 2013, and the White Sox are expected to decline the option in favor of a $4MM buyout. The right-hander had also considered hiring John Boggs or representing himself before selecting Berry.

Rick Hahn, the White Sox executive who will soon be named the team’s general manager, has negotiated a number of significant contracts with Berry in the past, Gonzales writes. Peavy has set himself up for a multiyear deal with his best season in years.

“Jake is 31, a three-time All-Star, a Cy Young winner, one of the best competitors in the game and pitching as well as ever,” Berry said.

Peavy posted a 3.37 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 219 innings for the White Sox this past season. He’ll join Zack Greinke as one of the top free agent pitchers available, assuming the White Sox decline his option. Barry Axelrod represented Peavy until deciding to join the Diamondbacks organization.

As MLBTR's Agency Database shows, CAA represents a number of prominent players, including Ryan Braun, Roy Halladay and Matt Cain.

Angels Extend Chris Iannetta

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The Angels have agreed to sign catcher Chris Iannetta to a three-year extension, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (Twitter links). The contract is worth $15.5MM, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The deal keeps Iannetta off of the free agent market for the foreseeable future and provides the Angels with certainty behind the plate.

Iannetta's previous contract included a $5MM club option for 2013. He had the right to void the option as a result of the 2011 trade that sent him to Anaheim. Now it's academic, as his new deal covers the 2013-15 seasons. Octagon represents the 29-year-old.

Iannetta missed most of May, June and July to undergo wrist surgery. When healthy he appeared in 79 games, hitting nine home runs and posting a .240/.332/.398 batting line in 253 plate appearances. He prevented 26% of stolen base attempts, a rate that's slightly better than average.

This offseason's class of free agent catchers still includes the likes of Russell Martin, Mike Napoli and A.J. Pierzynski. MLBTR's Extension Tracker offers a look back at some recent extensions for other catchers.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Chipper, Indians, Haren

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The Braves, Cardinals, Orioles, and Rangers will make baseball history later today, when they participate in the first ever Wild Card play-in games. The winner of the NL match-up moves on to face the Nationals while the AL winner will advance to play the Yankees. Here is the latest from around the baseball blogodome…

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