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Archives for February 2013

Red Sox Notes: Pedroia, Henry, Overbay

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Red Sox principal owner John Henry spoke with the media yesterday, looking back at a disappointing 2012 season and forward to 2013. Here's more on Henry and the Red Sox as Spring Training continues in Fort Myers…

  • While Henry prefers to avoid unnecessarily long contracts, it’s possible Dustin Pedroia could be an exception, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. Henry said Pedroia is “everything you want in a player,” but noted the sides haven’t started extension talks just yet. Pedroia prefers to focus on the present, telling Bradford the contract will take care of itself. “The Red Sox, they know how I feel about them, and I know how they feel about me,” he said. Pedroia's contract covers the 2013-14 seasons with a club option for 2015.
  • Before buying the Red Sox, Henry learned a lot about running a baseball team as a part-owner of the Yankees, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal reports. Henry even has the four World Series rings from his years with the Yankees.
  • Though Lyle Overbay had a minor league offer from the Brewers, he felt he would have been a “quick fix” in Milwaukee, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports (on Twitter). The Red Sox have spoken with Overbay about the possibility of using him in the outfield, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).

Indians Notes: Bourn, Theriot, Stubbs

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It’s been an uncharacteristically busy offseason for the Indians, who are typically modest spenders in free agency. They added Nick Swisher, Brett Myers and Mark Reynolds earlier in the winter and agreed to sign Michael Bourn to a four-year, $48MM contract last night. Here’s the latest from Cleveland…

  • To the surprise of many, the Indians responded to an increase in TV-related revenue by spending aggressively on free agents. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Indians are suddenly a must-see team, even if their pitching staff does have shortcomings.
  • The Indians and Rangers are still in the mix for free agent infielder Ryan Theriot, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter). Theriot’s main concern is playing time, and he could have trouble getting into the lineup in Cleveland and Texas.
  • Drew Stubbs is "eminently available" and "very likely the odd man out" in the Cleveland outfield, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote last night that it doesn't appear Stubbs or Michael Brantley will be moved.
  • It's believed that three of the final four teams in on Bourn had top ten draft picks that would have been protected, Heyman reports.
  • MLBTR’s Steve Adams compiled some more signing reactions last night.

Indians To Sign Michael Bourn

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TUESDAY: Bourn will take his physical tomorrow and the Indians will introduce him at a Thursday press conference, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (Twitter links). Bourn will earn $7MM in 2013, $13.5MM in 2014 and 2015, and $14MM in 2016.

MONDAY: Michael Bourn has agreed to a four-year, $48MM deal with the Indians, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The contract contains a $12MM vesting option for a fifth year (Twitter links). The option vests if Bourn reaches 550 plate appearances in the final season of his contract, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Bourn is represented by Scott Boras. Michael Bourn

Bourn's contract is the second four-year deal that the Indians have given out this offseason, as the team also agreed to a four-year, $56MM contract with Nick Swisher in early January. Cleveland forfeited its second-round pick in order to sign Swisher, and the Bourn signing will cost them their competitive-balance pick, which would have been No. 69 overall according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (on Twitter). Bourn's former team, the Braves, will now pick 31st in the upcoming draft, Callis adds. (A refresher on the new draft pick compensation system can be found here.)

The 30-year-old Bourn hit .274/.348/.391 this past season with the Braves, adding nine homers and 42 stolen bases. He topped 155 games for the third time in the past four seasons and played stellar defense according to both UZR/150 (+22.4) and The Fielding Bible (+24).

Bourn was pursued heavily by the Mets over the past few weeks, but signing him would have required forfeiting the No. 11 overall pick in the 2013 draft. The Mets wanted to make an appeal to MLB that would allow them to keep the pick due to the fact that they felt they earned it by finishing with one of the ten worst records in baseball.

As MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows, it's been an exceptionally busy offseason for Indians GM Chris Antonetti. In addition to Bourn and Swisher, Cleveland has also signed Brett Myers (one year, $7MM) and Mark Reynolds (one year, $6MM). In total, Cleveland spent a whopping $117MM on free agents this offseason, not including minor league deals with notable base salaries for Daisuke Matszuaka and Jason Giambi. The Tribe also exercised Ubaldo Jimenez's $5.75MM option and acquired Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs in a three-team blockbuster that sent Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati.

The addition of Bourn gives Cleveland an enviable surplus in the outfield, meaning that either Stubbs or Michael Brantley could end up on the trading block in the coming weeks. They could also shift Swisher to first base and use Reynolds as a designated hitter, which would allow them to deploy a strong outfield of Brantley, Bourn and Stubbs.

Bourn ranked third on Tim Dierkes' list of Top 50 free agents this offseason, behind only Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton. With Bourn's agreement, the only members of that list that remain unsigned are fellow Scott Boras clients Kyle Lohse and Jose Valverde.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pirates, Brandon Inge Close To Deal

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The Pirates are close to reaching an agreement with infielder Brandon Inge on a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Inge, 35, spent the majority of the 2012 season with the Athletics after being released by the Tigers.

The veteran posted a .218/.275/.383 batting line last season before an injury to his throwing shoulder led to arthroscopic surgery in September. Beyond spending time at third base and providing an experienced bat at the plate, Inge's greatest value to the A's may have been the leadership he demonstrated in the clubhouse.

Quick Hits: O’s, Verlander, Royals, Crawford

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Justin Verlander repeated today that he wants to stay with the Tigers beyond 2014, when his current contract expires. “I love Detroit,” he said, according to John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. “I feel like I’m a kindred part of that town. I grew up in front of these fans and earned my way into their hearts.” Verlander said he's not yet sure whether he and his representatives would be willing to negotiate during the season. Here are some more links from around MLB…

  • Grantland's Jonah Keri interviewed Orioles GM Dan Duquette about the success of his team in 2012 and Duquette's outlook on 2013. Duquette feels that both Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman will be ready to make significant impacts on the club at some point in 2013.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark presents an in-depth look at the top stories to watch in each league during Spring Training this year. Stark's piece also includes breakdowns of the best and worst free agent signings, trades and more, according to a group of 16 baseball scouts and executives.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs lists the ten worst moves of the offseason with the caveat that "the worst moves aren’t as bad as bad as they used to be." The Royals make three appearances on the list after trading Wil Myers to obtain James Shields, acquiring Ervin Santana and signing Jeremy Guthrie for three years.
  • Meanwhile, in another piece for Grantland, Keri examines the worst contracts in MLB starting with Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees and Carl Crawford of the Dodgers.
  • Agents at Hendricks Sports have filed an MLBPA grievance against three MLB agents who left the firm for Excel Sports Management and took players with them, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal reports (on Twitter). Be sure to use MLBTR’s Agency Database for your agency-related inquiries.

Reactions To The Michael Bourn Signing

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The Indians agreed to a four-year deal with Michael Bourn earlier tonight, presumably capping an offseason spending spree that saw GM Chris Antonetti dish out $117MM in guaranteed contracts. Here are some reactions from around the baseball world pertaining to tonight's news…

  • It doesn't sound like the signing will prompt the Indians to trade Drew Stubbs or Michael Brantley, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
  • In the event of a trade, Stubbs is the most likely to go, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, who notes that the Mets are a logical landing place.
  • Heyman also writes that the Mets' credibility took a hit with their inability to sign Bourn. He opines that the team should've have filed a grievance weeks ago to attempt to keep their first-round pick, even if it meant risking increased leverage for Scott Boras in negotiations.
  • The contract is good for both Bourn and the Indians in the mind of Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan. He adds that Cleveland's protected first-round pick meant they were sacrificing less value to sign Bourn, as he cost them only a competitive balance draft pick. Because they didn't have to give up as much value as others would have to sign Bourn, they were willing to spend more on the contract itself.
  • It's a fair contract, and Bourn immediately becomes one of Cleveland's best players, but the move is still a head-scratcher according to ESPN's Keith Law. Law feels that Cleveland's pitching isn't improved enough to make them a .500 team, which makes all of this spending a curious decision unless it's with an eye toward stockpiling affordable talent for future trade assets.
  • Law also notes that the Royals are losers in this deal, as part of their rationale for parting with Wil Myers was that the weakness of the AL Central could make them Wild Card contenders: "…every move that Cleveland, Minnesota or the White Sox make to get better hurts the odds of Kansas City getting to the 88-win territory."

Mets Sign Brandon Lyon

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MONDAY: ESPN New York's Adam Rubin has the breakdown of Lyon's contract. He'll earn a $750K base salary, and his contract has incentives for appearances, games finished and time spent on the MLB roster.

Lyon will receive $100K for reaching 40, 45, 50 and 55 appearances. He'll receive $125K for reaching 60 and 65 appearances. He'll receive $50K for finishing 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 games. He will receive $100K for 1, 30, 60 and 90 days spent on the roster. Lastly, he'll receive $125K for 120 and 150 days on the roster.

All told, Lyon's contract could total $2.3MM if he hits each of his incentives. That seems unlikely, as he doesn't currently project as New York's closer.

FRIDAY: The Mets announced they have officially signed free agent right-hander Brandon Lyon to a one-year deal. Meister Sports Management represents Lyon, who will earn a base salary of between $750-$900K, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The total value of the deal will be worth $2.4MM if Lyon hits his incentive bonuses (Twitter links).

Lyon, 33, split the 2012 season between the Astros and Blue Jays. He posted a 3.10 ERA with 9.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 37.5% ground ball rate in 61 innings of relief work. The 11-year veteran averaged 90.2 mph with his fastball. Lyon earned $5.5MM in 2012, but the terms of his deal with the Mets are not yet known.

The Mets have added a number of relief pitchers on minor league deals this winter, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. Scott Atchison, Tim Byrdak, Pedro Feliciano and LaTroy Hawkins are also candidates for the New York bullpen. Frank Francisco is expected to close for the Mets (though be sure to follow @closernews in case anything changes).

Lyon drew interest from several teams before completing his deal with the Mets. The Giants had interest and the Blue Jays never ruled out a reunion.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement (on Twitter) and Andy Martino of the New York Daily News first reported the sides agreed to a one-year deal (on Twitter). Steve Adams also contributed to this post.

AL West Notes: Cabrera, Athletics, Garland

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The baseball community is buzzing over Michael Bourn's four-year pact with the Indians, but there's more news than just that in the baseball world. Here's a collection of links pertaining to the AL West…

  • Right-hander Fernando Cabrera, who signed a minor league contract with the Angels in January, can opt out of his deal if he is not on the Major League roster by July 31 according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (Twitter link).
  • John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group tweets that Athletics manager Bob Melvin called Hiroyuki Nakajima and told him not to worry about the club's acquisition of Jed Lowrie. The A's traded for Lowrie a week ago.
  • There's no bad blood between Bartolo Colon and his teammates, writes CSN Bay Area's Casey Pratt. The Athletics have welcomed Colon back with open arms, and his teammates are glad to have him back in the fold as they look to defend their AL West title.
  • A scout texted Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and praised the Mariners for their minor league pact with Jon Garland. The scout tells Rosenthal that Garland looks healthy and was impressive in a recent workout. Garland told Rosenthal that his decision not to go to camp with the Indians after agreeing to a minor league deal with them last winter may have been the best decision of his career because it helped him finally get back to 100 percent. Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti called Garland's decision "very classy."
  • Kenji Nimura, who served as Hiroki Kuroda's intepreter for the Yankees last season, will now assume that role with Yu Darvish of the Rangers, Newsday's David Lennon tweets.
  • Ryan Madson suffered a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which means he probably won't be ready to take the reins as the Angels' closer on Opening Day, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Remember fantasy baseball players, you can keep track of all the latest closer-related injuries and news this season by following Tim Dierkes' @closernews on Twitter.

Mets Made Four-Year Offer To Bourn

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News of Michael Bourn's four-year, $48MM deal with the Indians is still fresh in the air, but the Tribe wasn't the only team to extend him such an offer. Two sources have confirmed to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Mets also made a four-year offer, which Sherman adds was also in the $48MM range but contained no options (Twitter links).

Of course, the Mets had far more hurdles to clear than just years and dollars. The team currently holds the No. 11 overall pick in this year's draft — the first pick that is unprotected from free agent compensation. General manager Sandy Alderson and his staff felt that because they finished with one of baseball's ten worst records, they were deserving of draft pick protection. However, the Pirates have a compensation pick due to their failure to sign No. 8 overall selection Mark Appel last season, which pushed the Mets out of the Top 10. The Mets were said to be pursuing an exception to the new CBA that would allow them to retain the No. 11 pick.

A Major League source told Sherman's colleague, Mike Puma, that the Mets were "definitely" Bourn's first choice, but the draft pick compensation issue would have taken two-to-three weeks to resolve. The two sides were down to small details such as the hotel rooms in which Bourn would stay on road trips, according to Puma (All links to Twitter).

Sherman adds that the Mets elected not to initiate the arbitration process to resolve the draft pick issue because they wanted a finalized agreement in place first. Having an agreement in place would keep agent Scott Boras from gaining extra leverage and drive up Bourn's price (Twitter links).

Ultimately, the allure of a fifth year and the certainty of Cleveland's offer looks to have enticed Bourn to pass up on his preference to play in the Big Apple.

Michael Bourn Rumors: Monday

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Could this be the week Michael Bourn signs? Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reported yesterday that the Mets remain hopeful that they can complete a deal with the free agent center fielder. However, it’s still too early to rule out teams such as the Rangers and Mariners. Here’s the latest on Bourn with the most recent updates up top:

  • MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says Bourn to the Cubs "isn't happening" (Twitter link).
  • The Cubs continue to be on the fringe of the Bourn talks, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). As Olney notes, the Cubs — unlike the Mets — already have a protected first-round pick, so Bourn would only cost them their second-round selection in this year's draft.

Earlier updates:

  • The Mets have a “decent” chance of winning the argument that their first round draft choice should be protected even if they sign Bourn, a source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal notes that other clubs could be more interested than they’re letting on publicly. The Cubs, Indians, Rangers and Mariners are potential suitors for the Scott Boras client, Rosenthal writes.
  • MLBPA general counsel David Prouty said he has been in talks with MLB via the Mets regarding Bourn and the issue of draft pick compensation, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). The Mets wish to sign Bourn without forfeiting the 11th overall pick. They could take the issue to an arbitration hearing, arguing that they deserve a protected pick for finishing with a bottom-ten record in 2012.
  • One person described talks between MLB and the MLBPA as "inquiring/position nature at this point in time,"Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. Another person said the sides had engaged in superficial talks. It doesn't appear that substantive talks would take place unless the Mets sense a deal with Bourn is within reach.

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