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Rangers Will Look To Trade Andrus, Barring Extension

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The Rangers will look to deal shortstop Elvis Andrus next offseason if the club can't sign him to a multiyear extension, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports.  People within the Texas organization are reportedly not "overly optimistic" they can extend Andrus, who is scheduled to hit the free agent market following the 2014 season.  The Rangers, of course, already have a ready replacement at shortstop in Jurickson Profar, the consensus top prospect in baseball.

Andrus, 24, enjoyed his best offensive season yet in 2012 (.286/.349/.378 with 21 steals and 85 runs) and also provided very strong defense (9.1 UZR/150) at short.  He is entering the second year of a three-year, $14.4MM extension signed in February 2012 that covered his three arbitration years.

While Andrus recently said he wants to stay in Texas, the team hasn't been able to come to terms on a major extension.  The Rangers have twice offered Andrus long-term deals in recent years, Heyman reports.  Andrus is represented by Scott Boras, whose clients often eschew extensions in favor of testing free agency (though this is not always the case, as evidenced by recent high-profile examples as Carlos Gonzalez and Jered Weaver).  There was a great deal of trade speculation over Andrus this offseason, most notably from the Diamondbacks as they and the Rangers attempted to work out a trade for Justin Upton.  Texas, however, declined to move either Andrus or Profar.

Heyman says the Rangers haven't approached Andrus about an extension this winter, though if the two sides did work out a multiyear deal, it would likely mean that Profar would have to change positions.  There was speculation that Ian Kinsler could be moved to first or the outfield to make room for Profar at second base, though Kinsler said in January that he wasn't yet comfortable with a position switch.  Nelson Cruz, David Murphy and Lance Berkman could all be free agents following the 2013 season so that could create space for Profar in the outfield, or Kinsler could be moved then to make way for Profar at second. 

NL East Links: Hamels, Young, Owings, Marlins

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Here's the latest from around the NL East…

  • Cole Hamels wouldn't have signed an extension with the Phillies unless he thought the team would continue to contend, the southpaw tells CBS Sports' Scott Miller.  "I was very comfortable with making the decision [to re-sign] because I do know what they're going to do and what it takes to win," Hamels said.  "I've experienced it first hand.”
  • Chris Young and Micah Owings have both had impressive springs for the Nationals but will be hard-pressed to win jobs on the largely-settled Nats roster, Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com writes.  Owings needs regular at-bats to help in his transition from pitching to first base but the Nationals are deep at both first and in the outfield at both the Major League and Triple-A levels.  As for Young, he can opt out of his minor league deal with Washington if he isn't on the big league roster by March 24.
  • The Nationals' depth is also explored in the latest mailbag piece from MLB.com's Bill Ladson, as he notes that the club wants to hold onto Steve Lombardozzi and Danny Espinosa as backup options. 
  • Ladson also says the Nationals have no interest in Kyle Lohse unless one of their starting pitchers gets injured, and even then, they would only sign Lohse to a one-year deal.  As I noted in my recent examination of the Lohse market, the Nats are a real longshot to sign the veteran righty, and probably wouldn't be considered candidates at all were it not for the club's relationship with Scott Boras, Lohse's agent.  
  • The Marlins still have a lot of decisions to make about the composition of their 25- and 40-man rosters, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes.
  • Earlier today on MLBTR, Ben Nicholson-Smith compiled some Phillies notes and Tim Dierkes continued the Offseason In Review series with a look at the Mets.

Craig Gentry Drawing Trade Interest

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The Rangers have been getting calls about center fielder Craig Gentry, though the team isn't interested in moving him, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter).  The Yankees are not one of the teams who have contacted Texas.  

Gentry, 29, is currently penciled in for at least a share of the Rangers' center field job, platooning with the left-handed hitting Leonys Martin.  Gentry hit .304/.367/.392 in 269 PA for the Rangers in 2012 (including an .859 OPS against left-handed pitching) but most of his value has come from his glove — the 29-year-old has posted 29.9 UZR/150 ratings in each of the last two seasons, making him one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball.

Gentry and Nelson Cruz are the Rangers' only two right-handed hitting outfielders, and as Rosenthal notes, Gentry could be an important future piece for Texas given that Cruz and David Murphy are both scheduled to become free agents after the 2013 season.  Gentry will be arbitration eligible for the first time next offseason and is under team control through 2016.

Rangers, “Number Of Teams” Interested In Lohse

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The Rangers are staying in contact with Kyle Lohse, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.  Scott Boras, Lohse's agent, didn't confirm Texas' interest but did say that he had heard from several teams about the 34-year-old right-hander.

"He’s doing his workouts, and we’ve continued talking with a number of teams,” Boras said.  "A lot of teams are evaluating their existing situations, but have called and have interest in Kyle.”

Lohse's name has been mentioned in connection with the Rangers since Texas failed to land Zack Greinke, and the whispers have grown louder since fifth starter candidate Martin Perez suffered a fractured ulna.  We heard last week, however, that Texas wasn't going to sign Lohse for a variety of reasons, including concerns about how Lohse would fare in the AL West, the expensive multiyear deal that Boras was seeking and the draft pick (24th overall) that the Rangers would have to forfeit to sign the free agent righty.  Boras told Rosenthal that he was confident his client would sign before the June amateur draft, though a late signing would be a way for a team to avoid losing their pick.

Lohse was ranked as the 10th-best free agent of the offseason by MLBTR's Tim Dierkes last October.  Of Dierkes' top 50 free agents, only Lohse and Jose Valverde (No. 44, and another Boras client) remain unsigned.  I cited the Rangers as a possible candidate to sign Lohse in my breakdown of the right-hander's market last month.

Texas Notes: Ryan, Red Sox, Luhnow, Crane

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Nolan Ryan doesn't seem pleased with the Rangers' re-structured front office, and there are rumblings that he could leave the organization. There's no denying Ryan's stature in the game, but he's acting "like a big baby" in the view of Yahoo's Jeff Passan. The Hall of Famer has made the mistake of picking a fight at a time that he has few alternatives and limited leverage, Passan writes. Here are more links from the state of Texas…

  • Rangers senior scout Don Welke is in Florida looking at Red Sox relievers, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.  Welke is also scouting Yankees right-hander Joba Chamberlain, as we heard yesterday.  Both Boston and New York had their own scouts watching the Rangers play today.
  • The circumstances behind the Barret Loux/Jake Brigham trade between the Rangers and Cubs are outlined by MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
  • Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported two days ago that there's sentiment within the Rangers organization that Ryan will stay with the club.
  • GM Jeff Luhnow told Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal that the Astros are looking forward to determining which young players will become part of the team’s core. That’s part of Luhnow's motivation for passing on experienced free agents and relying on younger players. “If you take away their job and give it to a veteran, you delay finding it out. It doesn't push the organization forward," Luhnow explained.
  • Though some fans would like to see the Astros spend more, owner Jim Crane pointed out that it’s not the fans’ money. “This is a private company, even though it's got a public flair to it,” Crane told Costa. “If they want to write a check for 10 million bucks, they can give me a call."

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

Phillies Notes: Manuel, Halladay, Howard

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The Phillies were a .500 team in 2012 after winning five consecutive NL East titles. They enter the 2013 season with a payroll in excess of $150MM and new additions such as Michael Young, Delmon Young, John Lannan and Mike Adams. Here's the latest on the Phillies…

  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told the Associated Press that he wants to continue managing the Phillies after the 2013 season (link via ESPN.com). Manuel, who's entering the final year of his contract with the team, said he has no plans to retire. "I'm not ready for somebody to tell me to go home. I'm not ready to quit managing." Ryne Sandberg looms as a possible replacement for Manuel.
  • Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has drawn positive reviews from scouts this spring, but there are some questions surrounding Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes. Halladay, a potential 2014 free agent, hasn’t looked good in recent outings. “I’ve got to believe he’s just working to get ready at this point,” one scout told Martino.
  • Howard "was hobbling around a little and struggled versus good stuff" in the words of a scout. This could become a long-term problem for the Phillies, who owe Howard $105MM through 2017.

Tigers Weighing Trade Options

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The Tigers have uncertainty in their bullpen, and they could use a right-handed hitting outfielder. They also have six starters capable of pitching at the MLB level, which has led to speculation that Rick Porcello could be dealt. While the team doesn’t seem close to making any trades, general manager Dave Dombrowski acknowledged that he continues to consider various options, Chris Iott of MLive.com reports.

"I'm not lacking for trade phone calls," Dombrowski said. "That's not any different. I've had a lot of those phone calls. It's more people calling us at this point."

The Tigers seem more likely to open the season with Bruce Rondon or a committee of relievers closing games, Iott writes. The team may also rely on internal options in left field, where the left-handed hitting Andy Dirks will be more than a platoon player. Other teams have interest in Porcello, but the Tigers would have limited rotation depth if they dealt Porcello and replaced him with Drew Smyly. Instead, Porcello figures to open the season at the MLB level with Smyly pitching in relief or at Triple-A. 

MLBTR reviewed the Tigers’ offseason earlier today.

Offseason In Review: New York Mets

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The Mets locked up their most famous player through 2020, boldly following that move by trading the NL Cy Young winner for prospects.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Extensions

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

In early December, the Mets locked up the face of their franchise by giving third baseman David Wright seven years and $122MM in new money.  Some will argue that the Mets "had" to retain Wright, unless they wanted to deal with a revolt from fans who haven't seen them finish better than fourth place since 2008.  The Madoff suit had been settled prior to the season, and Wright was coming off a vintage year.  This was more than just a contract extension; it was a grand gesture to fans.

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Signing Wright is certainly a decision that would require the involvement of ownership.  Still, back in 2010, GM Sandy Alderson had expressed a preference to avoid "second generation" contracts, and the Wright deal qualifies as such.  The extension covers his age 31-37 seasons, obviously not the ideal slice of any player's career.  In the Mets' defense, at an average annual value of under $17.5MM, Wright doesn't need to be a superstar for the team to recoup value.  Deferred money and a frontloaded structure are also points in the Mets' favor.

The positive P.R. from the Wright signing may have softened the blow for the team's half-hearted attempt to extend reigning Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey.  The knuckleballer was already under contract for a mere $5MM for 2013, after the team exercised its club option.  Dickey reportedly asked for two years and about $26MM for 2014-15, his age 39-40 seasons.  That request was more than reasonable even given Dickey's age, but the Mets reportedly stopped at two years and about $20MM.  The implication is that the team didn't really want to extend him, and Dickey was instead traded to Toronto.

For the Mets, the need to add a pair of blue-chip prospects outweighed the team's desire to field the best possible team in 2013.  The team's farm system was ranked 26th in baseball by Baseball America prior to the trade.  They added a consensus top 25 prospect in catcher D'Arnaud, plus a top 100 prospect in righty Syndergaard.  The deal pushed their system into the 18-20 range overall, according to BA's Jim Callis.  With Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Syndergaard, and Jon Niese, the Mets could have an intriguing, affordable rotation in place by 2015.

In the shorter-term, the Mets addressed the departures of Dickey and relievers Ramirez and Rauch by adding bargain free agents Marcum and Lyon and other potentially useful veterans on minor league deals.

Questions Remaining

When will the Alderson regime start spending significant money on new players?  The time to pounce could be the 2013-14 offseason, when players such as Johan Santana, Jason Bay, John Buck, and Frank Francisco come off the books.  The 2014 club has only Wright and Niese under contract, plus potentially decent arbitration contracts for Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, and Bobby Parnell.  It might be appropriate to bring in a few corner outfielders and late-inning relievers.

For 2013, the team's outfield could be quite bad.  The Mets could begin the season with players like Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, Collin Cowgill, and Marlon Byrd holding starting positions.  The silver lining is that the Mets can offer opportunity, and could find a diamond in the rough.

There's also the question of the team's bullpen, which looks mighty shaky after Parnell and Lyon.  Again, the one benefit of such a shaky group is uncovering a sleeper.

Deal of Note

Alderson snagged Marcum in January for just a $4MM guarantee, much less than I would have predicted at the outset of the offseason.  With one of the slowest right-handed fastballs you'll find in the Majors, Marcum came cheap after missing two months due to an elbow issue.  He posted a 3.59 ERA in 396 innings over 2010-11, so he's not far removed from solid mid-rotation innings eating.

Overview

The Mets have been a sleeping giant under the Alderson regime, parting ways with their best veterans other than Wright, avoiding free agency, and allowing their attendance to slip to 17th in MLB.  A decent rotation won't be enough to overcome the team's gaping holes in 2013, but perhaps the season will provide a sneak preview for the Mets' return to relevance in the coming years.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Happ, Thole

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The Red Sox and Yankees are among the teams that will take a look at recently released outfielder Brennan Boesch. The left-handed hitter could provide power in a complementary role for a club like Boston or New York. Here are the latest AL East notes…

  • Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera are beloved members of the Yankees organization but, more importantly, they're playing significant roles on the 2013 team, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. “We have always felt the same responsibility, that never changes,” Jeter said.
  • Though J.A. Happ would draw some trade interest, the Blue Jays prefer to keep him in the organization, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News notes. The 30-year-old left-hander adds more value as injury insurance than he would bring in a trade. The Blue Jays will keep him, even though that could mean stashing him at Triple-A for a while.
  • The Blue Jays expect catcher Josh Thole to contribute over the next few years, according to Martino. Even so, Thole could start the season at Triple-A Buffalo with Henry Blanco catching at the MLB level.

Offseason In Review: Detroit Tigers

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The Tigers signed two significant free agents to bolster a roster that already included its share of impact players.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

When the offseason began, the Tigers needed a starting pitcher and a corner outfielder. Within two months, Dave Dombrowski had addressed those needs, ensuring that the defending AL Central Champions will enter the 2013 season as favorites to defend their division title.

Torii Hunter - Tigers (PW)

Before the Tigers made any significant player moves, they brought back manager Jim Leyland. The longtime manager obtains another chance to lead the Tigers to their first World Series title since 1984.

The Tigers signed Torii Hunter to a two-year, $26MM contract after the Angels made it clear that the 37-year-old wasn’t in their plans. Hunter didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Angels, which made it possible for the Tigers to sign him without surrendering a draft pick.

Victor Martinez isn’t a newcomer, but he seems like one after missing the entire 2012 season with a torn ACL. He should provide more offense at designated hitter than Delmon Young did.

Other than Zack Greinke, Sanchez was the top starting pitcher available in free agency. After teams such as the Cubs showed serious interest, the Tigers retained Sanchez with a five-year, $80MM contract. While Sanchez isn’t an ace starter, he just turned 29 and has pitched at least 195 innings for three consecutive seasons. He rounds out the Tigers’ rotation nicely without costing the team prospects or draft picks.

Questions Remaining

The Tigers are entering the season without a clear sense of how they’ll handle high-leverage, late-game innings. Their interest in potential upgrades makes sense, yet this doesn’t seem to be an urgent situation for Dombrowski. The Tigers won the American League pennant last year with Jose Valverde, a closer who was average at best (all MLB relievers in 2012: 3.66 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 3.4 BB/9; Valverde in 2012: 3.78 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 3.5 BB/9). Plus, quality relievers are always available at the trade deadline, so the Tigers will have the chance to upgrade their bullpen by June or July. In the meantime, Leyland will face innumerable questions about his closer unless an internal candidate such as Bruce Rondon emerges as a viable stopper.

Justin Verlander’s contract won’t expire for another two seasons, but it’s not too early to start talking about an extension for the 30-year-old right-hander. Verlander would like to become baseball’s $200MM pitcher, and why not? His representatives can convincingly argue he’s the top pitcher in the game following a four-year stretch during which he leads all MLB pitchers in wins, wins above replacement, and many categories in between. Yet a nine-figure commitment for any pitcher — even one as durable as Verlander — must be carefully considered. Even though the Tigers might minimize financial risk by letting Verlander walk following his age-31 season in 2014, owner Mike Ilitch has shown many times that he’s willing to spend to retain and acquire elite talent. There’s hope for Tigers fans that Verlander will stay in Detroit.

While the Tigers lack elite relievers, they have depth in other areas. Rival teams have inquired on Rick Porcello in the event that the Tigers are comfortable going forward with Drew Smyly in the rotation. A trade seems possible, though there's no indication the Tigers are hoping to make a move.

Deal of Note

Torii Hunter posted a .313/.365/.451 batting line with 16 home runs in 584 plate appearances as the Angels' right fielder last year. It’s an impressive line, and advanced metrics valued Hunter’s overall performance around five wins above replacement last year. However, it seems highly unlikely that he will replicate his league-best .389 batting average on balls in play in 2013, especially considering his career mark of .307.

In other words Hunter projects as a good player rather than an elite one going forward. That’s fine for the Tigers, who aren’t paying him like an elite performer and didn’t have to surrender a draft pick to sign him. Even as he enters his 21st professional season, Hunter represents an upgrade over Detroit’s other options, so this two-year, $26MM contract made sense for the Tigers.

Overview

After adding Hunter and re-signing Sanchez, the Tigers are built for another run at a World Series title. Like every team in baseball, they’re vulnerable in some areas, and it’d be easier to envision the Tigers playing deep into October if they had an ace reliever. But with a strong lineup including some of the game’s best hitters and a deep rotation featuring arguably the sport’s top pitcher, the Tigers are the closest thing to a playoff lock you’ll find in the American League.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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