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MLB Officially Announces Biogenesis Suspensions

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After months of speculation, we have some finality for a dozen of the players implicated in the Biogenesis scandal.  Major League Baseball has officially announced 50-game suspensions for Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta, Everth Cabrera, Antonio Bastardo, Jesus Montero, Francisco Cervelli, Jordany Valdespin, Fautino De Los Santos, Jordan Norberto, Cesar Puello, Fernando Martinez and Sergio Escalona.

All of those players will accept their suspensions, while Alex Rodriguez, who was suspended for 211 games (effective Aug. 8), will appeal his suspension and be eligible to play until that process is complete.

The suspensions carry particular weight for the Rangers and Tigers. The Rangers, who are 2.5 games back of the A's in the AL West and just a half-game behind the Indians for a Wild Card berth, will lose their starting right-fielder and club home run leader in Cruz for the remainder of the regular season.

The Tigers will lose Peralta, their starting shortstop, for the remainder of the season as they look to fend off surging Cleveland and Kansas City clubs and win the American League Central division. Detroit safeguarded itself somewhat against the loss of Perata by acquiring Jose Iglesias in a three-team deal with the White Sox and Red Sox prior to the trade deadline.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today was the first to tweet that Cruz would accept his suspension. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first tweeted that Peralta, Cabrera, Bastardo and Valdespin would also accept 50-game bans. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports added Escalona to the list (Twitter link), and Rosenthal reported that Cervelli, Montero, Puello, De Los Santos, Martinez and Norberto would do the same (on Twitter).

Cubs Claim Thomas Neal

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The Cubs have claimed outfielder Thomas Neal off waivers from the Yankees, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (Twitter link). Neal, 25, was designated for assignment by the Yankees over the weekend. To make room on the 40-man roster, Rafael Dolis was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

Neal received only thirteen plate appearances over four games with the Yankees this season after signing a minor league deal over the winter. Across 297 Triple-A plate appearances, Neal was producing at an attractive .325/.391/.411 clip. Once a highly-regarded prospect with the Giants, Neal is still only 25 years old. The move makes sense from the Cubs' standpoint, as the team recently designated Julio Borbon for assignment.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Nelson Cruz Leaves ACES; Hires Wasserman Media Group

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10:08am: Cruz has hired Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Katz is the agent for notable players such as Yoenis Cespedes and Bartolo Colon, the latter of whom was suspended for PEDs in 2012.

9:57am: Nelson Cruz has fired agents Seth and Sam Levinson of ACES, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Cruz is one of 13 players expected to accept a 50-game suspension for his connection to the Biogenesis PED investigation today, Heyman adds.

ACES came under fire this past offseason and was investigated by Major League Baseball after another client, Melky Cabrera, was suspended 50 games for PED use. Cabrera and ACES employee Juan Carlos Nunez reportedly tried to cover up the scandal by purchasing Spanish-language web sites to advertise a fictitious product which Cabrera claimed he took, unbeknownst to the fact that it contained synthetic testosterone.

In addition to Cruz and Cabrera, ACES also represents Biogenesis-connected names such as Jhonny Peralta, Jesus Montero, Fautino de los Santos, Cesar Puello and Gio Gonzalez, though the substances purchased by Gonzalez were reportedly legal and he is not believed to be facing a suspension.

Cruz, 33, is hitting .269/.330/.511 with 27 homers this season for the Rangers as they fight to keep pace with division-leading Athletics. Both decisions — parting ways with ACES and accepting a suspension — will impact Cruz's free agency this offseason.

Notable August Extensions

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In July, we saw a pair of extensions for second basemen, with Dustin Pedroia (seven years, $100M) and Jose Altuve (four years, $12.5MM plus two club options) receiving significant financial commitments from their clubs. August has proven to be a bigger month for extensions in recent years. While many of the recent August extensions have been small, one-year renewals for veteran role players and innings eaters, there's been at least one massive extension signed in August in each of the past three seasons. Let's take a look, with an assist from MLBTR's Extension Tracker…

2012

  • Starlin Castro — The Cubs guaranteed Castro $60MM over seven years on the strength of back-to-back All-Star nominations for their pre-arbitration shortstop. After hitting .297/.336/.425 over his first three seasons, Castro is hitting just .245/.281/.354 this season.
  • Jake Westbrook — The Cardinals kept their No. 5 starter away from free agency for at least one more season, signing Westbrook for an additional year at $8.75MM with a $9.5MM mutual option for 2014. The option looks unlikely to be a factor, as Westbrook has walked more batters (41) than he's struck out (39) in 98 1/3 innings this season. Mutual options are rarely exercised by both sides anyhow.
  • Jeff Mathis — Mathis signed a small two-year, $3MM extension with the Blue Jays, but he'll spend the entirety of those two years with a different team, as Toronto included him in this offseason's blockbuster deal with the Marlins.
  • Mark Kotsay — Kotsay received a one-year, $1.3MM extension from the Friars based largely on his veteran leadership. He's hit just .207/.264/.252 this season and been used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter.

2011

  • Jered Weaver — The Angels locked up their ace through the 2016 campaign by signing him to a five-year, $85MM contract that looks to be a below-market rate given the mammoth contract extensions signed by Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander recently. Weaver's fastball velocity has continued a downward trend, but he's still posted an ERA under 3.00 since signing the new deal.
  • Jose Tabata — The Pirates, considering Tabata to be a core player at the time of the deal, signed him to a six-year, $15MM extension with three club options that could push the deal's value north of $37MM over nine years. Tabata hit poorly enough to be demoted to Triple-A last season and for much of this year, though he's now slashing a respectable .265/.339/.401 in the bigs. He's still just 24 years of age.
  • Jeff Francoeur — The Royals would probably take a mulligan on their two-year, $13.5MM extension for Francoeur if they could. After a surprising 20-20 campaign with an .805 OPS, Frenchy has hit just .228/.275/.358, some of which has come with the Giants after being released by Kansas City.

2010

  • Ricky Romero — Speaking of mulligans, Romero's five-year, $30.1MM deal with the Blue Jays is assuredly one that GM Alex Anthopoulos would like to have back. Romero was masterful in 2011, posting a sub-3.00 ERA and getting some Cy Young votes, but he's posted a 5.92 ERA since and been outrighted off the 40-man roster. He currently has a 5.67 ERA at Triple-A Buffalo.
  • Corey Hart — Hart signed a three-year, $26.5MM contract with the Brewers that looked like a bargain until injuries prevented him from taking the field this season. He batted .277/.344/.509 with 26 homers from 2011-12.
  • Brett Myers — Rather than trade Myers, the Astros locked him for an additional two years and $21MM. Myers regressed but was solid in Houston's rotation in 2011 before stepping into the closer's role and ultimately being traded to the White Sox in 2012.
  • Wes Helms — The Marlins tacked on an additional one year and $1MM to Helms' contract in a move that proved to be forgettable. Helms hit .191/.276/.236 for the Fish in 2011 and was released the following August.
  • Livan Hernandez — Like Helms, Hernandez received an additional one year at $1MM. He ate up 175 1/3 innings for Washington in 2011 with a 4.47 ERA, proving to be an absolute steal for GM Mike Rizzo.

If you're curious about what to expect on the trade front this August, MLBTR's Zach Links did a rundown of last season's noteworthy August trades over the weekend.

Quick Hits: Haren, Rodriguez, Extensions

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Let's take a look at a few stray links to round out the weekend …

  • Nationals starter Dan Haren has begun to turn around his difficult season, and sounds prepared to leave D.C. when he becomes a free agent after this season. As MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports, Haren acknowledges that he has failed to "live[] up to the billing so far," and that his "heart says [he] probably won't be back." The veteran righty also noted his interest in being closer to his family, which makes its home in Southern California.
  • With Alex Rodriguez apparently prepared to fight his reportedly upcoming suspension, sources tell the New York Daily News that Rodriguez "may accuse the Yankees in his appeal of mishandling his injuries, forcing him to turn to other alternatives to stay on the field." Were Rodriguez to pursue such an approach, however, he could run into other issues with his contract. As I recently explored in the context of a hypothetical lawsuit between MLB teams and players, the MLB Basic Agreement requires a player to provide advance notice of any medical treatment for baseball-related injuries. 
  • How have recent early-career contract extensions held up over time? To approach the question, Sam Miller of Baseball Prospectus looked at it another way: standing here today, would the team choose to sign the player to the portion of the deal that remains? While the full article requires a subscription, the Baseball Prospectus team also discussed this issue in their most recent podcast. While some deals have clearly worked out to date, others are more debatable, such as those given White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, Royals pitcher Wade Davis, Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz, and Diamondbacks hurler Trevor Cahill. (Also included in the BP podcast is an interesting discussion of the international slot bonus system.)

Anthopoulos On Blue Jays: Defense, Rotation, Salary

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In a wide-ranging talk with the media (transcript courtesy of MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm), Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos hit on a number of interesting topics regarding his organization. Among the highlights:

  • Defense has been an issue for the Blue Jays this season, as they rank 26th in errors and fielding percentage and 25th in terms of UZR. Acknowledging the problems, Anthopoulos suggested that the team will "evaluate [defense] even more than we have" and place "even more value on it" going forward. "I don't think these guys are trying to make mistakes," said Anthopoulos. "I think ultimately then it falls on me to get certain players that are going to start to make those plays."
  • Looking at the club's rotation in the near future, Anthopoulos said that he plans to "be looking outside the organization to see if we can do things." He also expressed hope that younger arms like Drew Hutchison, Kyle Drabek, and Brandon Morrow can ovecome their respective setbacks in the near future. Minor league starters Marcus Stroman and Sean Nolin could both receive call-ups later this year, added the Jays' GM. Meanwhile, veteran Josh Johnson has struggled long enough that the club will "have to look at alternatives at some point if this continues," with Johnson's rotation spot potentially at risk. (Anthopoulos said that the righty is only "start to start at this point.") 
  • The club's other most pressing area of need is at second base, said Anthopoulos. While he believes that Brett Lawrie could handle the keystone, Anthopoulos indicated that "second base looks like it will be easier to fill" through the trade or free agent market.
  • Anthopoulos expects the club's salary levels to remain high ("we won't be going backwards") and says ownership will continue to provide the financial resources to support a contending ballclub. He noted that, other than Jose Reyes, the team's future contract commitments generally only run through 2015.
  • Reflecting on August waiver and trade season, Anthopoulos said that too much is often made of a team placing a player on waivers. "If certain All-Stars get claimed, I just think if you didn't see them traded by the end of July they're probably not going to get traded. Guys that are free agents, guys with big contracts, those are the only ones that I think should be big stories." Anthopoulos went on to explain that the club's policy of putting all of its players on waivers after the trade deadline has never caused any clubhouse issues, with the possible exception of the Alex Rios claim back in 2009.

2014 Vesting Options Update

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As we turn to August, here's a look at the players who have vesting options for the 2014 season..

  • Kurt Suzuki, Nationals: $9.25MM option vests with 113 starts in 2013.  The Nats were relying on Suzuki during the first half of the season when Wilson Ramos was sidelined, but Ramos returned to action on July 4th, sliding Suzuki back down the depth chart.  The 29-year-old is 45 starts shy of the needed mark with 52 games remaining, so Suzuki's chances aren't too strong.  if/when the option doesn't vest, it'll become a club option worth $8.5MM with a modest $650K buyout.
  • Jamey Carroll, Twins: $2MM option vests with 401 plate appearances. Carroll has 185 PAs in 53 games this season.  The veteran has had more than his needed total in each of the last three seasons with 500+ plate appearances in each of the last two years, but he'll have his work cut out for him in 2013.
  • Wilson Betemit, Orioles: $3.2MM option vests with 324 plate appearances (combined 700 between 2012 and 2013). Betemit underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on March 26th and he'll begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday.  Needless to say, his option won't vest.
  • Lance Berkman, Rangers: $13MM option vests with 550 plate appearances.  Berkman has 282 plate appearances to his credit and the good news is that despite whispers that he might call it quits after his latest hip troubles, he pledges to return this season.  Unfortunately for him, his rehab assignment isn't scheduled to get underway until the end of this week and 550 sounds like a longshot.
  • Roy Halladay, Phillies: $20MM option vests with 259 innings pitched (combined 415 innings pitched between '12 and '13).  This was a longshot to begin with, but shoulder surgery earlier this season makes this one impossible.
  • Brett Myers, Indians: $8MM option vests with 200 innings pitched in 2013 and a passed physical after the season.  After logging 21 and 1/3 innings in 2013, Myers was sidelined with tendinitis and a mild ligament sprain in his right elbow and has yet to return.  When he does come back, it's possible that the Tribe will move him to the bullpen.
  • Barry Zito, Giants: $18MM option vests with 200 innings pitched. Zito has racked up 111 and 1/3 innings through 21 starts this season.  Zito probably won't get to lock in his sizable 2014 salary.
  • Johan Santana, Mets: His $25MM option could have vested with 215 innings pitched or winning the 2013 Cy Young Award, but he won't have a chance at that thanks to a season-ending tear in his pitching shoulder.

It's also worth noting that Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano has a $8MM club option for 2014, but it can vest at any of three levels – $5MM, $6MM, or $8MM – based on the number of days he is not on the DL this year with a recurrence of his right arm injury.  It's not known how many days the hurler must steer clear of right arm trouble in order to trigger each level of his option, however.  The left-hander made his season debut on May 11th and has a 2.02 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 through 16 starts this season.

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Huntington, Ramirez

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Here's a look at the latest out of the National League Central..

  • Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the right side of the infield and filling out the starting rotation are the major decision points for the Brewers' brain trust before the team gathers next spring in Phoenix.
  • Within the same piece, Haudricourt notes the rationale of Pirates GM Neal Huntington for not trading away prized prospects for a much-needed outfield bat. "We were willing to do something stupid," Huntington said. "We just weren't willing to do something insane."
  • While the players involved in the Matt Garza trade are getting settled in with their new clubs, there are still Rangers players that could wind up joining the Cubs, including Neil Ramirez.  Ramirez, who could be the PTBNL if the Cubs don't instead opt for a duo of different Texas pitchers, is waiting to learn his fate, write T.R. Sullivan and Master Tesfatsion of MLB.com.

Ed Creech contributed to this post.

MLBTR Originals

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A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR this past week, as another non-waiver Trade Deadline has come and gone:

Minor Moves: Dontrelle Willis, Ramirez, Pettit

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Here are Sunday's minor moves from around MLB:

  • The Angels tweeted they have signed left-hander Dontrelle Willis to a minor league contract and have assigned him to Triple-A Salt Lake. The 31-year-old, who last appeared in a MLB game in 2011, has been pitching with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League where he has posted a 2.57 ERA, 5.3 K/9, and 4.4 BB/9 in 14 starts covering 87 2/3 innings.
  • The Phillies have tweeted the outright assignment of right-hander J.C. Ramirez to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. The 24-year-old, who made his Major League debut this year, was designated for assignment Friday after allowing 13 runs (11 earned) in his last six outings covering 8 2/3 innings.
  • The Orioles have released outfielder Chris Pettit from Double-A Bowie, tweets Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. Petit, who appeared in one game with the Angels in 2011 and ten in 2009, has a slash line of .125/.253/.219 in 77 plate appearances with the Baysox. The 28-year-old has also spent time in the Twins organization and the Mexican League this year.

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