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Rockies Aggressively Pursuing Pavano, Lowe

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The Rockies signed Chris Volstad yesterday, but that’s not stopping them from going after more veteran pitching. The club is “aggressively pursuing” free agent right-handers Carl Pavano and Derek Lowe, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. The Rockies would like to complete another deal this week.

Lowe, a 39-year-old client of the Boras Corporation, posted a 5.11 ERA with 3.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 142 2/3 innings for the Indians and Yankees this past season. He has drawn interest from multiple teams as a free agent. Pavano, 37, has drawn interest from the Mets, Twins and Marlins this winter. The Dave Pepe client posted a 6.00 ERA in 63 innings for the Twins in 2012, spending considerable time on the disabled list with a shoulder strain.

The Rockies allowed more runs than any team in baseball this past season (890). They have since re-signed Jeff Francis, added Volstad and seen Jorge de la Rosa exercise his option for 2013.

Details On Arbitration Process

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Even in a sport known for its analytics, back of the baseball card stats rule for a couple months of the year. MLB arbitrators prefer traditional stats such as wins, saves and RBI, which means those stats take on additional importance each winter when teams negotiate salaries with their arbitration eligible players.

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos discussed some fundamentals of the arbitration process last week while addressing reporters. Though the Blue Jays have since agreed to terms with all of their arbitration eligible players, their GM’s comments provide insight into the process in general. Here are some details:

On Arbitrators’ Preferred Stats

There’s often a significant difference between what arbitrators value and what front offices value. “The arbitration process is totally different,” Anthopoulos said. “Guys get paid on power, guys get paid on holds out of the bullpen, wins, things like that. Not necessarily the same things you evaluate as a free agent.”

On Interpreting the CBA

Player earnings are based on precedent rather than explicit instructions in the sport’s collective bargaining agreement. “Even though in the CBA it won’t tell you specifically ‘this is what we pay for,’ just look at previous hearings and previous cases, how players get paid.”

On Valuing Relievers

“Relievers are hard,” Anthopoulos said. “Holds can be something more quantifiable to an arbitration panel because it impacts late in the game. It seems to be a stat that for the middle relievers and setup guys can become a really key part of the criteria.” Anthopoulos recalled paying current Blue Jays coach Pete Walker more than Juan Cruz because of Walker’s role, even when Cruz was the more appealing reliever from an objective standpoint. “He had the holds and Juan Cruz didn’t.”

Follow the arbitration process with MLBTR’s Arb Tracker and projected 2013 salaries. Plus, Tim Dierkes recently explained what it means to be a file and trial team and Matt Swartz’s Arbitration Breakdown series offers in-depth insight into some prominent cases. Matt has also explained arbitration salaries for pitchers and hitters.

Week In Review: 1/13/13 – 1/19/13

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Here's the top news and stories that made headlines this past week at MLBTR…

  • The Rangers agreed to a five-year, $55MM extension with Matt Harrison. The contract contains an team option for a sixth year in 2018 that can become a vesting option if Harrison pitches certain innings plateaus.
  • The Nationals agreed to sign free agent closer Rafael Soriano to a two-year, $28MM contract. Soriano posted a 2.26 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 35.9% ground ball rate for the Yankees this past season.
  • The Red Sox and Mike Napoli reached an agreement on a new contract. Napoli gets $5MM plus incentives for the one-year deal that could reach $13MM.
  • The Mariners, Nationals and Athletics combined on a three-team trade that will send Michael Morse to the Mariners, John Jaso to the A's and a three-player package to the Nationals that includes minor league right-handers A.J. Cole, Blake Treinen and a player to be named from the Athletics. 
  • The Diamondbacks agreed to sign J.J. Putz to a one-year extension that will keep him in Arizona through 2014.The LSW Baseball client will reportedly receive a $7MM salary in 2014.
  • The Pirates agreed to sign right-hander Jeff Karstens to a one-year deal worth $2.5MM.
  • The Athletics designated catcher George Kottaras for assignment. The move was made to free up 40-man roster space for the newly-acquired John Jaso, who will take Kottaras' spot as Oakland's primary left-handed hitting catching option.
  • The Yankees and Phil Hughes avoided arbitration with a one-year contract worth $7.15MM. The right-hander was arbitration eligible for the third and final time after earning $3.2MM in 2012.
  • The Orioles announced extensions for manager Buck Showalter and executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette through the 2018 season.
  • The Athletics signed manager Bob Melvin to a two-year contract extension, the team announced. The deal will keep the reigning AL Manager of the Year in Oakland through 2016.
  • The Rockies signed Miguel Batista to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Batista, 41, posted a 4.61 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9 in 52 2/3 innings for the Mets and Braves last season. 
  • The White Sox agreed to sign Matt Lindstrom to a one-year contract with a club option. Lindstrom, 32, pitched to a 2.68 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 47 innings for the Orioles and Diamondbacks last season.
  • The Indians signed Ryan Raburn to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Raburn averaged 15 home runs per season from 2009-11 and owns a career batting line of .256/.311/.430.
  • The Red Sox reached agreement with Craig Breslow on a two-year deal to avoid arbitration. In 63 relief outings for Arizona and Boston last year, Breslow posted a 2.70 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.
  • The Pirates and Garrett Jones avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $4.5MM. The left-handed hitter posted a .289/.332/.556 line with 25 homers against right-handers in 2012. 
  • Many players avoided arbitration by coming to an agreement with their respective teams. MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker has a complete list of those who signed. 
  • The Angels avoided arbitration with Jason Vargas as the CAA Sports client will earn $8.5MM in 2013.
  • The Red Sox and Joel Hanrahan avoided arbitration with a one-year deal worth $7.04MM. The 31-year-old had been arbitraiton eligible for the third and final time.
  • The Giants and Buster Posey avoided arbitration with a one-year, $8MM contract. Posey was arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason. 
  • The Diamondbacks avoided arbitration with starting pitcher Ian Kennedy, signing him to a one-year, $4.265MM deal.
  • The Tigers avoided arbitration with Rick Porcello, agreeing to a one-year deal. The right-hander will earn $5.1MM in 2013.
  • The Giants avoided arbitration with Hunter Pence, agreeing to a one-year, $13.8MM contract for 2013.
  • The Orioles avoided arbitration with Matt Wieters. The Scott Boras client obtained a $5.5MM contract for 2013.
  • The Indians avoided arbitration with Chris Perez as he will earn $7.3MM plus bonuses in 2013.
  • The Cubs avoided arbitration with Matt Garza by agreeing to a one-year, $10.25MM deal. In 2012, Garza posted a 3.91 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 18 starts.
  • The Brewers reached agreement with Carlos Gomez on a one-year deal for $4.3MM to avoid arbitration. The outfielder had his best season to date in 2012, posting a slash line of .260/.305/.463 with 19 homers in 452 plate appearances.
  • The Pirates signed outfielder Brad Hawpe and catcher Lucas May to minor league deals. Both players receive invitations to MLB Spring Training.
  • The Red Sox avoided arbitration with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Munsey Sports Management client obtains a one-year, $4.5MM deal for 2013.
  • The Blue Jays avoided arbitration with center fielder Colby Rasmus, agreeing to a one-year, $4.675MM deal.
  • The Marlins signed Austin Kearns to a minor league deal with an invitation to MLB Spring Training.
  • The Tigers signed Don Kelly to a minor league deal with an invitation to MLB Spring Training.
  • The Phillies signed right-hander Juan Cruz to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.

Cards Notes: Wainwright, Miller, Descalso, Matheny

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Hall of Fame and Cardinal icon Stan Musial passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Today, tributes are pouring in ranging from fans outside the Stan the Man statue at Busch Stadium (St. Louis Post-Dispatch video) to the White House (h/t MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch). Daniel Solzman of Redbirdrants.com even suggests the Cardinals name the playing field at Busch Stadium in honor of Musial. The Cardinals are holding their 17th annual fanfest this weekend and, while the Musial official memorabilia booth was closed today in tribute to the St. Louis legend, players still made their appearances and made some news.

  • Chairman Bill DeWitt, Jr. says the club is prepared to increase payroll in the coming years, tweets Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goold adds the 2013 payroll is around $115MM.
  • Adam Wainwright, who is entering the final year of his contract, admitted the Cardinals approached him about a contract extension during the final month of this past regular season, Goold reports. Wainwright said he wanted to focus on the playoff stretch and "it wasn’t going to hurt my case to just wait it out and see where some of these guys signed."
  • On the upcoming Wainwright extension talks, Goold, within the same piece, quoted GM John Mozeliak as saying, "It’s going to be long. It’s going to be expensive." 
  • Wainwright has become a mentor to pitching prospect Shelby Miller, Goold writes in a separate article. Miller, who will compete for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, says he doesn't know what he was thinking last offseason when he "was trying to be a beach bod" with his workout regimen. Miller's performance suffered and the club questioned the right-hander's conditioning. Enter Wainwright who exchanged texts with Miller throughout the season and challenged him to reach training camp at a weight that would help his strength and durability. 
  • While Miller has gained enough pounds to reach his playing weight, Jake Westbrook's outlook on the offseason is to copy last year's regimen in hopes of slimming down, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. "It worked out so well last year that I thought I would just do it again," Westbrook said.
  • The injury reports on Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and Rafael Furcal are positive, according to Langosch. 
  • Mozeliak says second base is Daniel Descalso's "job to lose," but he is open-minded about Matt Carpenter making a push for playing time there, writes Langosch. 
  • Mike Matheny told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he only became the Cardinals' manager because of losses he sustained in a failed real estate venture. A Missouri judge recently ruled Matheny and his wife owe more than $4MM from that deal plus interest and court costs. Matheny will earn $750K in the final guaranteed year of his contract. 

Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

Rockies Sign Chris Volstad

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The Rockies have signed Chris Volstad to a minor league deal worth $1.5MM, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). The Moye Sports Association client will compete for a spot in Colorado's rotation.

Volstad, 26, spent the 2012 season with the Cubs where he posted a 6.31 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 111.1 innings. The towering right-hander will look to regain the success he enjoyed with the Marlins earlier in his career.

D’Backs Discussing Two-Year Deal With Pennington

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The Diamondbacks are discussing a two-year deal with shortstop/second baseman Cliff Pennington, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  The Sosnick/Cobbe client is arbitration eligible for the first time this winter.

Arizona acquired Pennington from the A's last October in a three-team deal that also brought Heath Bell to the Diamondbacks.  For his career, Pennington owns a .249/.313/.356 batting line across parts of five seasons in Oakland.

As MLBTR's Transactions Tracker shows, Pennington filed for $2.8MM last week while the Diamondbacks countered with $1.8MM.  The midpoint between the two figures is $2.3MM.

MLBTR Originals

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A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR this past week:

NL Notes: Braves, Reds, Pirates, Duda, Chipper

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It was on this date in 1871 the Boston Red Stockings incorporated giving birth to today's Atlanta Braves. Let's take a look at the news from the 21st century Braves and the rest of the National League:

  • The Braves have enough payroll space to add one significant salary and have yet to rule out Michael Bourn or Justin Upton, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. O'Brien adds GM Frank Wren has spoken with Bourn's agent Scott Boras, but they didn't start any negotiations. O'Brien also has been told manager Fredi Gonzalez contacted Bourn within the past few weeks. In regards to Upton, O'Brien sees the Braves and Rangers as the last two teams standing, but neither seems willing to match what the Mariners offered in their failed bid to acquire the outfielder.
  • O'Brien, via Twitter, discounts the suggestion the Braves have yet to acquire Bourn or Upton to save payroll in order to sign Martin Prado to a long-term deal. 
  • It's been nearly a decade since the Reds had to go to an arbitration hearing, but this year could be different, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "We're hopeful we can get something done," Reds GM Walt Jocketty said of the six players with whom salary figures were exchanged. "Some of the spreads were significant. We'll see how it proceeds the next week or two." The Reds' arbitration class is headlined by Mat Latos, whose case was analyzed by MLBTR's Matt Swartz last week. You can keep track of all of the Reds' arbitration cases with MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker.
  • With the Red Sox still seeking a left-handed hitting first baseman/left fielder, Tom Singer of MLB.com wonders if the Pirates will make another run at Jose Iglesias, as the starting point of a bigger deal involving Garrett Jones (Twitter links).
  • There is still no clear-cut answer as to whether Francisco Liriano will be with the Pirates in 2013, tweets Singer. The Pirates and Liriano agreed to a two-year, $12.75MM contract in December, but the deal was put on hold earlier this month when it was discovered the left-hander injured his right arm.
  • Lucas Duda told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com his surgically repaired right wrist feels great and he has started hitting off a tee. Duda is projected to man left field for the Mets.
  • Chipper Jones was honored at the New York BBWAA dinner last night and confessed to the audience he was starting to get the itch to go back to Spring Training, Rubin reports. "I was on the Braves' web site, just kind of messing around on my computer," said Jones. "I was thinking to myself, 'You know what? I think I'm going to go down and get me a workout in, see how everything feels.' I was down there for about five minutes and I figured I'd go to Hawaii instead."

Quick Hits: Gonzalez, Fowler, Harrison, Nationals

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Several teams have shown interest in the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler, but the club hasn't had trade discussions on either player in recent days, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  Colorado heard from a number of parties interested in Gonzalez during the Winter Meetings but they reportedly told teams that he wasn't available.  Meanwhile, Fowler's name has popped up quite a bit in trade rumors in recent months with the Braves, Reds, and Phillies all showing interest earlier this offseason.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Nationals manager Davey Johnson said at last night's BBWAA dinner that he was caught off guard by the club's signing of Rafael Soriano, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post.  "That kind of surprised me,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know we were needing a closer. I thought we were done” this offseason."
  • The Rangers are basically paying Matt Harrison as just a slightly above-average starting pitcher in his new deal and even if his results fall back to his peripherals, he'll still outpitch his contract, writes Jack Moore of Fangraphs.  Texas agreed to a five-year, $55MM extension with the 27-year-old last week.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider sub. req'd) writes that there are interested teams champing at the bit to get involved in the Justin Upton conversations with the Diamondbacks.  The D'Backs spent the early part of the month talking with the Mariners and Cubs, who are both on his no-trade list. 

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