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Archives for November 2012

Yankees Agree To Terms With Mariano Rivera

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The Yankees have agreed with closer Mariano Rivera on a one-year contract for 2013, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link).  The deal is worth $10MM in guaranteed money, plus extra performance and awards incentives.  Rivera is represented by SFX.

Rivera, who turns 43 today, appeared in just nine games before tearing his ACL in May. He considered retirement after his two-year, $30MM contract expired before deciding to return. Rivera, the all-time leader in saves, has remained very effective beyond his 40th birthday — he posted a 1.87 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 from 2010-12, his age 40, 41 and 42 seasons.  Rivera was ranked as the 39th-best free agent on the market by MLBTR's Tim Dierkes, who unsurprisingly predicted that it would be "Yankees or retirement" for the veteran stopper.

The Yankee icon is expected to immediately resume his duties as closer, though it wouldn't be surprised to see New York pick up another experienced bullpen arm to provide depth given the nature of Rivera's injury.  Rafael Soriano, who became the closer in the wake of Rivera's injury last season, elected to opt out of his contract with the Yankees in search of a multiyear deal.

ESPN's Jayson Stark reported earlier today that the two sides were close to a deal, with YES Network's Jack Curry and FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi both adding contract details (Twitter links).

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post

The Denard Span Trade: Reaction & Fallout

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The Nationals avoided the busy free agent center field market by acquiring Denard Span from the Twins today in exchange for highly-touted pitching prospect Alex Meyer.  Here is some of the early buzz about the trade and how it affects the Nationals, Twins and several other teams around the league…

  • The trade seems to leave Adam LaRoche without a spot in the Nationals' lineup, meaning the first baseman could go elsewhere as a free agent.  In a conference call with reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider), Washington GM Mike Rizzo said the trade "gives us some options" with player moves and noted that the team is still talking to LaRoche.  Rizzo said teams have called about Michael Morse, so the Nats could potentially re-sign LaRoche and deal Morse instead.
  • While a Morse trade is a possibility, some executives feel the Span deal will lead to LaRoche signing with the Red Sox, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports looks at how the trade impacts LaRoche, Michael Bourn, Josh Hamilton and the Phillies.
  • The trade was "a huge win" for the Nationals, opines Fangraphs' Dave Cameron, who thinks Minnesota could've gotten more than Meyer in exchange for an affordable center fielder.  "The Twins got a real talent back in return for Span, but it’s a talent with too many question marks to be the piece they’re getting back in return for a three win player under team control at a fraction of his market price," Cameron writes.
  • Conversely, ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required) likes the trade for the Twins.  The club sorely needs young pitching and Meyer's potential is worth "an average regular in center whose value will fluctuate with his BABIP," as Law describes Span.  Law also notes that this deal should help the Rockies get more in a trade for Dexter Fowler, as Fowler is younger and has more power than Span.

Reds Notes: Span, Latos, Bailey, Ludwick

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With B.J. Upton now a Brave and Denard Span now a National, the Reds' outfield/leadoff hitter options are thinning out, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.  The Reds tried to acquire Span from the Twins at last year's trade deadline, though Sheldon hadn't heard anything about the Reds continuing their pursuit for Span this winter.  Sheldon believes Michael Bourn and Angel Pagan are too expensive for the Reds and Shane Victorino may be as well, though Cincinnati is one of at least seven teams who have shown interest in Victorino's services.

Here are some more items about of the Queen City…

  • In a separate piece from Sheldon, the Reds' recent history of locking up young players before free agency makes Mat Latos and Homer Bailey seem like extension candidates this winter.  In his recent look at Cincinnati's arb-eligible players, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes noted that Bailey's injury history may keep the Reds from pursuing a multiyear deal with the righty, while Latos could receive a five-year, $60MM extension, though predicting a new Latos deal is difficult due to a lack of comparables.
  • Dustin Bledsoe, Latos' agent, tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the Reds have yet to approach his client about an extension.
  • Also from Fay, he hears from agent Dan Horwits that the Reds have "been in contact" with his client Ryan Ludwick about a possible return to Cincinnati.  "There’s interest on both sides. Hopefully, we can [get] something done. We’re talking to other clubs. He has offers from other clubs,” Horwits said.

Royals Avoid Arbitration With Felipe Paulino

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The Royals have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Felipe Paulino for 2013, according to a team press release.  The deal allows the club to avoid arbitration with the right-hander, who was arb-eligible for the third time. 

Paulino will earn $1.75MM in guaranteed money with another $250K in incentives, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link).  That's a significant drop from the $2.7MM that MLBTR's Matt Swartz projected that Paulino would earn through arbitration and actually less than the $1.9MM salary Paulino earned in 2012.  The pay cut is no doubt due to Paulino's Tommy John surgery last July, and he isn't expected to pitch for the Royals until at least midseason.

Since being acquired from the Rockies in July 2011, Paulino has a 3.55 ERA and 8.8 K/9 rate in 28 games (27 of them starts) for Kansas City, including a 1.67 ERA over his seven starts in 2012 before his injury.

Luke Hochevar and Chris Getz are the Royals' two remaining arb-eligible players.  You can follow the status of every arbitration-eligible player on MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker.

Red Sox Notes: LaRoche, Gonzalez, Ross, Aceves

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Here's the latest news from Fenway…

  • The Red Sox are talking to Adam LaRoche, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  With the Sox reluctant to go beyond a three-year contract for Mike Napoli, LaRoche could be the team's fallback plan.  A three-year deal would top the Nationals' best offer to the free agent first baseman, as the Nats "have been fairly steadfast" in not offering LaRoche more than two years.  The Rangers have also been linked to both LaRoche and Napoli this offseason.
  • Also from Heyman's piece, he notes that the Red Sox have "checked in" on Alex Gonzalez and Stephen Drew, though Jose Iglesias will get first priority at shortstop.
  • Jacoby Ellsbury's name hasn't been mentioned in trade talks, team president Larry Lucchino said during an appearance on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan radio show today (partial transcript from WEEI.com's Kirk Minihane).  Lucchino also said that while the Sox haven't closed the door on any free agents, "what we have ruled out is the kind of long-term, gigantic commitment to players if at all possible….We are more concerned about years than we are dollars."
  • From that same radio appearance (courtesy of The Boston Herald's Scott Lauber), Lucchino said the team is still interested in re-signing Cody Ross.  Though Boston recently signed Jonny Gomes, Lucchino said the team wants to build "deep depth" after last year's injury-plagued season.
  • The Red Sox will tender Alfredo Aceves a new contract before tomorrow's non-tender deadline, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  The pitching-needy Sox value Aceves' versatility as a starter and reliever too much to let him go for nothing, despite Aceves' disciplinary issues in 2012.  Lauber thinks Aceves could still possibly be a trade candidate.

Quick Hits: Mauer, Boras, Upton, Park

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MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes will interview Peter Gammons of MLB Network tomorrow, and if you have any particular questions you’d like Tim to ask the Hall of Famer we’d like to hear them. To get in touch you can leave a comment below, reach us on Twitter (@mlbtraderumors) or use MLBTR’s contact form. Here are today’s links…

  • An executive who asked the Twins about Joe Mauer heard the catcher isn't available, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter). Not only does Mauer have a no-trade clause, he's the face of the Twins and Minnesota isn't looking to dump salary.
  • Yahoo's Tim Brown tells the story of a recent meeting between Scott Boras and Marvin Miller. Check out Brown’s entire piece, which includes some thoughtful quotes from Boras and is definitely worth your time. Miller, the first executive director of the MLBPA, died this week at the age of 95.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com previews the outfield market in the aftermath of B.J. Upton’s five-year, $75.25MM contract with the Braves. The Phillies’ best offer to Upton was worth $55MM over five years, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports (on Twitter). The Red Sox weren't in on Upton, but have been in on Shane Victorino, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
  • Chan Ho Park is set to announce his retirement tomorrow, reports Korea's Yonhap News Agency (passed on by C. Trent Rosecrans of CBS Sports).  The 39-year-old right-hander was the first Korean-born player to reach the Major Leagues, posting a 4.36 ERA in 476 games over his 17 seasons in MLB from 1994-2010.  Park earned $85.46MM (hat tip to Baseball Reference) during his Major League career and pitched for seven teams.  Park spent the last two seasons pitching in Japan and South Korea, respectively. 

Nationals Acquire Denard Span

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The Nationals announced that they acquired center fielder Denard Span from the Twins for minor league right-hander Alex Meyer. The Twins have confirmed the deal.

Span, 28, provides the Nationals with an established center fielder. His presence will presumably keep Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth in outfield corners. It could also impact the Nationals' interest in Adam LaRoche, since Michael Morse's primary position might now be first base. Alternatively, the Nationals could move Morse to a team seeking offense and continue pursuing LaRoche.

Span posted a .283/.342/.395 batting line in 568 plate appearances with Minnesota in 2012, numbers that compare closely to his career mark of .284/.357/.389. The five-year MLB veteran will earn $4.75MM in 2013 and $6.5MM in 2014. His contract includes a $9MM club option for 2015 with a $500K buyout.

Meyer, the 23rd overall selection of the 2011 draft, pitched well in 2012, his lone season as a pro. He pitched at Class A, posting a 2.86 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 129 innings. The 6'9" 22-year-old might rank sixth among Twins prospects, John Manuel of Baseball America notes (on Twitter).

Latest On Phillies, Wilton Lopez

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3:22pm: The Phillies have "put the brakes" on their attempt to acquire Lopez, Salisbury reports. Lopez had traveled to Philadelphia for a physical yesterday. It's not clear if there's a physical issue that's limiting the Phillies' interest.

1:20pm: The trade is now unlikely to happen, sources told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

THURSDAY, 9:40am: The status of the trade remains unclear, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). One of Rosenthal's sources says the deal isn't done and multiple teams are in the mix for Lopez. Another person said it would be a two for one trade, potentially with right-hander Tyler Cloyd going to Houston. The clubs have discussed the Phillies' young catchers, according to Rosenthal.

WEDNESDAY: The Phillies and Astros have agreed to a trade that will send Wilton Lopez to Philadelphia for minor leaguers, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The teams are finalizing the details of the deal.

Lopez, arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, projects to earn $1.4MM in 2013. The 29-year-old posted a 2.17 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 1.1 BB/9 and a 55% ground ball rate in 66 1/3 innings with the Astros in 2012. In three-plus MLB seasons, he has a 3.14 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a 55.9% ground ball rate. He's under team control through 2015. 

The Phillies had been looking to acquire a reliever who can provide steady late-inning production. Lopez has pitched at least 65 innings in each of the past three seasons without posting an ERA above 3.00, so he'll be a welcome addition to the Philadelphia 'pen.

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com first reported the teams were seriously discussing a trade involving Lopez.

Yankees, Mariano Rivera Nearing Deal

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3:15pm: Jack Curry of the YES Network has heard Rivera's salary could end up in the $10-11MM range and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears it'll be a $10MM deal (Twitter links).

2:20pm: The Yankees are finishing off a contract with closer Mariano Rivera and expect to complete a deal by tomorrow, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports. SFX represents Rivera, who missed most of the 2012 season with a torn ACL.

The sides have agreed on the parameters of a one-year deal, and have worked today to agree on Rivera's salary and incentives. The deal is expected to guarantee Rivera $11-12MM and include incentives that could bring the total value of the deal to $15MM, Stark reports.

Rivera, who turns 43 today, appeared in just nine games before tearing his ACL in May. He considered retirement after his two-year, $30MM contract expired before deciding to return. Rivera, the all-time leader in saves, has remained effective beyond his 40th birthday. He posted a 1.87 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 from 2010-12, his age 40, 41 and 42 seasons.

If the Yankees can complete a deal with Rivera, they will have addressed one of the most pressing needs. They have already re-signed Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda.

Angels Continue To Pursue Pitching

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The Angels could shift their focus away from top free agent starting pitching and pursue relief depth if Zack Greinke’s asking price increases beyond their limit, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports. Adding Japanese right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa to the bullpen might provide the Angels with enough depth to avoid spending on Greinke and other free agents whose asking prices could increase when Greinke signs.

Instead, DiGiovanna writes, the Angels might pursue less costly starters such as Ryan Dempster and Joe Saunders. They appear to have interest in Dempster, who seeks a three-year contract.

The Angels are one of the top suitors for Greinke, along with the Dodgers, Nationals and Rangers, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (all Twitter links). However, the Angels haven’t made a play on Anibal Sanchez or Kyle Lohse, according to Bowden. The Angels, Rangers, Red Sox and White Sox are among the teams in play for free agent reliever Mike Adams, Bowden reports.

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