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Archives for April 2013

Minor Moves: Donald, Berken, Gartrell

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Today's minor moves…

  • Reds infielder Jason Donald cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, according to the International League transactions page.  He'd been designated for assignment on Sunday.  The 28-year-old hit .277/.365/.441 in 296 Triple-A plate appearances last year.
  • The White Sox added righty Jason Berken to their Triple-A roster, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.  Berken, 29, tossed 19 2/3 big league innings in 2012, mostly for the Cubs, but was removed from their 40-man roster in October.  For the Orioles' Triple-A club, he posted a 3.50 ERA, 6.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and 0.63 HR/9 in 144 innings last year.  Four years ago, Baseball America explained that Berken can throw strikes with any of his four pitches, but doesn't have swing-and-miss stuff.
  • The White Sox also released outfielder Stefan Gartrell, tweets Gonzales. Gartrell had signed a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp. The 29-year-old hit .251/.335/.452 over 472 plate appearances last year for the Braves' Triple-A affiliate.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

AL Notes: Valverde, Rays, Viciedo, Wells

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Baseball America has released this useful chart showing where each of baseball's 100 best prospects is currently playing. Elsewhere around baseball:

  • Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski says the club's deal with Jose Valverde does not include a Major League side, reports Jason Beck of MLB.com. Dombrowski acknowledged that he "talked extensively" with Valverde agent Scott Boras "throughout the last couple months" about the Tigers' former closer, in spite of reports that the Tigers were not interested. The team decided that the deal was beneficial because "if this makes us the best team, then, great, and if it doesn't, then we don't have any commitments." 
  • The Rays organization is fully stocked with major league ready talent after its offseason moves, writes Bill Chastain of MLB.com. Manager Joe Maddon says that the club "sent some Major League players back to Triple-A this time," which is "not so good for them and good for us." In particular, Chastain cites players such as pitchers Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, and Alex Colome, along with hitters Wil Myers and Tim Beckham, as ready to step in on the MLB level. According to Maddon, "if anything were to happen, we have the guys in tow."
  • White Sox outfielder Dayan Viciedo, another Boras client, appears content to sit back and let his agent decide whether or not to seek an extension, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Viciedo says he has already been "very privileged" to have signed a four-year, $10MM deal as an international free agent from Cuba. The 24-year-old will reach arbitration eligibility in 2015, unless he qualifies for Super Two status. 
  • Both the Mariners and Yankees made bad decisions relating to a player named Wells, writes ESPN.com's Dave Szymborski (insider sub. req'd). Szymborski opines that Seattle's decision to go with Jason Bay over Casper Wells and New York's acquisition of Vernon Wells are among the worst moves of the spring.

East Notes: Halladay, Loria, Rays, Ellsbury

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"He's more like a [No.] 4 starter for me now," a scout said to ESPN's Jayson Stark after watching Roy Halladay's bizarre start for the Phillies last night, in which he allowed five earned runs, six hits, and three walks while striking out nine in 3 1/3 innings against the Braves.  It seems likely that Doc will slide down our 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, as he tries to reinvent himself with a less-effective fastball.  On to today's East links…

  • "It’s great baseball. It’s the beginning of a new era for us and it’s exciting," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told reporters including Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post before last night's game.  The Marlins do have a pair of exciting players on the big league roster in Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez, but they're also brimming with replacement-level guys.  Outside of Stanton and Fernandez, I'd say the Marlins have one of baseball's least-exciting teams to watch.
  • Roberto Hernandez's start today for the Rays ended a streak of 1,207 straight games without using a free agent starting pitcher, according to the team.  The last one was Hideo Nomo in July 2005, which predates the current front office by a few months.
  • "You have examples like CarGo, Weaver, Andrus, Varitek — there’s a ton of examples of guys that have signed before [free agency]," explained Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to WEEI's Alex Speier in the wake of Elvis Andrus' new contract. "[Agent Scott Boras] gives you advice, but it’s up to you to make your own decision."  Ellsbury may be the top available free agent position player in free agency, if Robinson Cano signs before then.
  • Earlier today, the Yankees released David Aardsma, the Orioles claimed Josh Stinson, and the Nationals signed Chris Young.

Yankees Release David Aardsma

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The Yankees have unconditionally released reliever David Aardsma, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.  Aardsma had been designated for assignment on Friday.

Aardsma signed with the Yankees in February 2012, and appeared in only one big league game for them after recovering from July 2011 Tommy John surgery.  The team picked up his cheap $500K option in October, but cut him this spring partially due to his history as a one-inning guy.

Aardsma, 31, was drafted in the first round by the Giants in 2003, but didn't really find himself until he became the Mariners' closer in 2009.  From 2009-10, Aardsma ranked ninth in the game with 69 saves.  Aardsma's velocity reached 94 miles per hour in Spring Training, and he was able to prove his health, so he should generate interest as a free agent.

Offseason In Review: San Diego Padres

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The Padres are banking on their younger players taking a leap forward in 2013 to help propel them into the playoff chase.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

The Padres' biggest need was pitching, but they didn't make any major shakeups in that department during the offseason.  In fact, they inked just one Major League free agent all winter and it was one of their own – Jason Marquis.  The veteran was signed to a one-year, $3MM deal in early December after turning in a 4.04 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 across 15 starts for San Diego.  While those are decent numbers, we can't totally forget about his dismal 8.47 ERA with 3.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in seven starts for the Twins that led to his May release.  General Manager Josh Byrnes hopes that he got to see the real version of Marquis in 2012 and that the right-hander's history of success in the National League continues in 2013.

The club's other addition to the starting five was Tyson Ross, who came over from the A's in a November trade.  The right-hander has shown promise but he'll have to put his control issues behind him to stick in a major league rotation.  Ross made 13 starts and five relief appearances for Oakland last season, posting a 6.50 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.  He didn't get to finish the season in the A's rotation, but after a strong spring he'll be slotted in as the No. 5 starter for the Padres.

Questions Remaining

There are a good deal of question marks surrounding the Padres after the club essentially opted to stand pat after a 76-86 campaign.  The Padres don't necessarily have to reassemble the 1998 Braves rotation to keep the runs down in the spacious confines of Petco Park, but the Padres didn't make significant upgrades to a staff that didn't perform in 2012.  Clayton Richard turned in a 3.99 ERA but his strikeout numbers are trending downward and he had a career low of 4.4 K/9 last season.  Richard did manage to keep the walks down (career best 1.7 BB/9) but the same can't be said for Edinson Volquez, who had 5.2 BB/9.  The No. 3 starter in the rotation is Eric Stults, who did well in 14 starts for the Friars last year, but the 33-year-old has never turned in more than 99 innings of big league work in a season.

The Padres' offense was actually solid when they got away from their pitcher-friendly home park, but they're behind the 8-ball to start the year with several players out of action.  Yasmani Grandal, who hit .297/.394/.469 in his 60 game debut season, will be out for 50 games after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.   As much as they'll miss Grandal in the lineup, they'll miss Chase Headley even more as he recovers from a broken thumb over the next 4-6 weeks.  His understudy, Logan Forsythe, is still dealing with a foot injury, forcing rookie Jedd Gyorko over to third with Alexi Amarista filling in at second.  Plus, Carlos Quentin generally misses some time due to injury.  The Padres are definitely a banged up team, but the fences at Petco have been moved in and that should help power numbers across the board. Headley

Headley is the Padres' premier bat, but will he finish the season in San Diego?  The third baseman has long been coveted by rival teams and if things aren't clicking as the deadline approaches, it stands to reason that Byrnes will give serious thought to the phone calls that he receives, despite his offseason assertions.  The 28-year-old will earn $8.575MM in 2013 and will remain under team control through next season, but it doesn't appear that the Padres have made serious headway with their star player on a contract extension.

Deal of Note

It's hard to say that the Padres had a deal of note this offseason with the Ross acquisition rating as their biggest move.  While San Diego flirted with doing something significant at times over the last few months, nothing wound up surfacing.  The Padres wanted to lock up Headley for the long-term, but that remains unfinished and doesn't appear to be imminent.  They explored adding another starter at a time when Kyle Lohse was still on the market, but they didn't follow through on that either.  Byrnes reportedly had interest in plucking Justin Upton from the Diamondbacks, but he was hardly alone there.  The Padres' inactivity either speaks to the confidence that they have in their young club or their financial constraints.  Or maybe it's a little from column A and a little from column B.

Overview

The Padres have been bitten hard by the injury bug to open the 2013 season and they could find themselves in a bit of a hole on the other side of April.  They'll have to vie with the Dodgers and Giants for traction in the NL West and it's tough to see them making the postseason unless everything goes right.  That means their offense getting/staying healthy, repeat pitching performances from the likes of Marquis and Stults, more power from Yonder Alonso at first, and a better all-around defensive effort.  None of those things are out of the question, but right now, it appears that the odds are against them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Orioles Claim Josh Stinson; A’s Outright Barton

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The Orioles claimed righty Josh Stinson off waivers today, according to an Athletics press release.  The Orioles transferred Tsuyoshi Wada to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster for Stinson.  The A's also noted that first baseman Daric Barton cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.  

The A's had claimed Stinson off waivers from the Brewers last week, but designated him for assignment yesterday upon their claim of Will Harris from the Rockies.  Stinson, 25, appeared briefly in the Majors last year.  He posted a 3.16 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 4.4 BB/9, and 0.43 HR/9 in 145 1/3 Triple-A innings.  The former Mets draft pick will work out of the rotation at Triple-A Norfolk.

Barton, 27, was a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2003.  He did his thing at Triple-A last year, hitting .255/.411/.425 in 336 plate appearances.  Barton led the American League with 110 walks in 2010, but a shoulder injury has affected him since.

Francisco Cordero Aiming For 2014

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Free agent reliever Francisco Cordero is aiming for 2014 after undergoing surgery on his non-throwing shoulder, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Cordero was released by the Astros in September of last year.

Cordero, 37, posted a 7.55 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 2.06 HR/9, and 39.6% groundball rate in 39 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays and Astros last year.  He lost the Jays' closer job in May, was traded to Houston in July, and hit the DL with a toe injury prior to his release.  Cordero has 329 saves in his career, second among active players.

White Sox Sign Tyler Greene

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The White Sox signed infielder Tyler Greene, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.  He'll presumably add to the club's infield depth at Triple-A.  With less than three years of Major League service, the White Sox can control Greene for a while if he proves useful.

Greene, 29, hit .230/.274/.400 in 330 plate appearances for the Cardinals and Astros last year.  Astros GM Jeff Luhnow acquired Greene, a former draft pick of his in the first round in '05, from the Cards in August of 2012.  Though the Astros would go on to trade Jed Lowrie, they added Ronny Cedeno at shortstop in March, leading to Greene's release last month.

Players With Opt-Out Clauses

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The opt-out clause seems to be gaining in popularity over the last ten years or so.  The most popular example is Alex Rodriguez's first contract, negotiated by Scott Boras in December of 2000.  That record deal allowed A-Rod to opt out after the seventh year, and he did so (during the World Series) to eventually snare an even larger contract.  We've also seen J.D. Drew, A.J. Burnett, C.C. Sabathia, and Rafael Soriano use opt-out clauses to their advantage.  Vernon Wells had the ability to opt out after the 2011 season, but chose to stick with his current contract.  Here's a look at current Major Leaguers with opt-out clauses or something similar:

  • Zack Greinke, Dodgers.  Greinke can opt out after the 2015 season, at which point he'd have three years and $71MM remaining ($23.67MM AAV).  He'll be 32 at that point, so there's a possibility for another $100MM contract.
  • Elvis Andrus, Rangers.  Andrus' new deal with the Rangers, which was officially announced today, allows him to opt out after the 2018 or 2019 season.  I haven't yet seen the year-by-year salary breakdown, but using the $15MM AAV, Andrus would either leave four years and $60MM or three years and $45MM on the table by opting out at age 30 or 31.
  • Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dodgers.  Ryu may opt out after the 2017 season, leaving one year and $7MM on the table, if he reaches 750 innings pitched from 2013-17 (an average of 150 per year).
  • Barry Zito, Giants.  Zito has an $18MM club/vesting option for 2014, of which he may opt out and receive a $3.5MM buyout if it vests.  The option vests with 200 innings in 2013, a level he has not reached since his last year in Oakland (2006).
  • Ubaldo Jimenez, Indians.  Having been traded in the midst of his contract, Jimenez can void the Indians' $8MM club option for 2014.
  • Joe Nathan, Rangers.  Nathan may void a $9MM club option for 2014, forfeiting a $750K buyout, with 55 games finished this year.  He finished 62 in 2012.
  • Derek Jeter, Yankees.  Jeter has an $9.5MM player option for 2014 with a $3MM buyout.  The option value increased by $1.5MM when Jeter won a Silver Slugger award last year, and would have gone up another $2MM had he finished one spot higher in the MVP voting.  It is reasonable to expect Jeter to decline the player option, since he only needs to top one year and $6.5MM after the buyout to come out ahead.
  • Mike Scioscia, Angels manager.  Scioscia can walk away after 2015, leaving three years and $18MM on the table.

What's next for the opt-out clause?  The Dodgers handed out two this offseason, and Andrus set a precedent for a non-free agent to get two of them.  It'd be a fair request for Clayton Kershaw, even though Justin Verlander did not receive one.  An opt-out clause could also be a target for Robinson Cano, though it's been more popular with Scott Boras than CAA.

Latest On Robinson Cano

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Robinson Cano found an agent who is perhaps more powerful than Scott Boras, dropping Boras for Jay-Z this week.  While it was previously suggested CAA Baseball's Brodie Van Wagenen would handle all of the contract negotiations, Jay-Z will be "intimately involved," Van Wagenen tells Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Heyman feels that Cano, next offseason's top free agent, has "at least tipped his hand that he wants to stay in the Bronx."  

Boras, who never brokered a contract for Cano during their time together, flew to New York Tuesday to try to meet with his former client, writes Heyman.  Notes Heyman, "As of late Wednesday morning, he had not heard a word back from Cano, who is notoriously non-confrontational."  Perhaps players just aren't keen on making the breakup call to Boras.  Former Boras advisee Jay Bruce admitted to me in February that his mom made that call with his contact at the agency, though it was certainly a different situation since Bruce was a teenager and did not have a relationship with Boras himself.  Cano did not want to address his avoidance of his former agent, responding to the question with, "No answer on that one, how's that?" according to David Lennon of Newsday.

Cano's teammate Mark Teixeira, also a former Boras client, explained to reporters why some players might prefer other representation.  He told reporters, including Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, "Everyone knows Scott likes to control everything.  He has a financial-services part of his business, he has a sports-performance training side of his business, he has a mental-performance side of his business. He has everything that you could possibly do; he takes care of for you if you choose. It doesn’t necessarily benefit every player. Some guys need that, some guys want that. But the guys that want to take control of their lives and make their own decisions, it’s not ideal for."  

Does Jay-Z have a conflict of interest, given his longstanding association with the Yankees?  Certainly Boras doesn't sport a Yankees cap in public.  Publicist Ron Berkowitz told Heyman, "Jay-Z's a New York guy, but he's going to represent his guys, and it's going to be about where the player wants to go."

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