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Archives for September 2013

Hart Would Give Brewers Discount To Stay In Milwaukee

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Corey Hart hasn't played a game for the Brewers this season but he hopes to make it up to them in 2014.  The outfielder/first baseman says that his preference is to stay in Milwaukee when his contract expires after the season, and he is willing to take a pay cut to make that happen, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

"I told them I would be very generous to stay here. I wouldn’t sit there and ask for anything outlandish. I’d definitely take a discount to stay here because I think I owe it to them to stay here and be a cheaper player," Hart said. "Nobody wants to play for free but I basically sat there and watched all season. I owe it to them and the fans to come back at a cheaper price."

Hart has been sidelined for all of 2013 while undergoing surgery on both knees and even when taking the loyalty out of the equation, it didn't seem likely that he'd find a deal to match his $10MM salary from this season.  While Hart has told the club "numerous times" that he wants to stay put, he has yet to have discussions about a new deal.  

For his career, the 31-year-old owns a .276/.334/.491 slash line across nine seasons with two All-Star selections in 2008 and 2010.

Mariners Majority Owner Passes Away

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Hiroshi Yamauchi, the majority owner of the Mariners, has passed away at age 85, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Yamauchi, who made his fortune as the president of Nintendo, bought the Mariners in 1992 as the city of Seattle was in danger of losing the team to relocation (St. Petersburg, Fla. was the likely destination).

Yamauchi and his investors purchased the Mariners for $120MM in 1992, but the team's recent acquisition of a controlling stake in the ROOT Sports Regional network could push the team's value north of $1 billion, according to Baker. Yamauchi transferred control of his majority shares to Nintendo of America in 2004, though Mariners officials insist that all major decisions were first cleared with Yamauchi, Baker writes.

Chris Larson is the largest minority holder with a 30.6 percent share, according to Baker, though billionaire and 10 percent stakeholder John Stanton could be the most financially capable successor. Minority investor Buck Ferguson offered the following statement: “Mr. Yamauchi deserves unending thanks for his key role in saving baseball in Seattle.”

MLBTR would like to offer our condolences to Yamauchi's family and friends, as well as the Mariners organization for the loss.

Nationals Acquire Matthew Spann To Complete DeJesus Trade

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The Nationals have acquired left-hander Matthew Spann from the Rays to complete last month's David DeJesus trade, the team announced via press release.

The Nationals acquired DeJesus from the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later but quickly flipped him to the Rays just a few days later. GM Mike Rizzo later explained that he saw claiming DeJesus as an opportunity to flip him for a prospect that the team could control for years: "It’s acquiring assets. That’s really the reason you utilize your positioning on the waiver wire," said Rizzo shortly after trading DeJesus.

It's unclear what the Nats ultimately gave up to acquire DeJesus in the first place, but the trade will net them Spann, the Rays' 25th-round selection from the 2010 draft. The 22-year-old southpaw spent the season with Class-A Bowling Green, pitching to a 2.87 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 59 2/3 innings — most of which came in relief. Spann was fairly hittable, as opponents batted .284/.349/.453 against him.

DeJesus has been solid for the Rays, geting on base at a solid clip, but his overall .258/.343/.339 slash line is a bit underwhelming. Curiously, the Nationals now have Matthew Spann and Denard Span to go along with Jordan Zimmermann and Ryan Zimmerman.

Octavio Dotel Wants To Pitch In 2014

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A right elbow injury limited right-hander Octavio Dotel to just 4 2/3 innings with the Tigers this season, but despite the fact that he will turn 40 in November, the veteran reliever isn't ready to hang it up. MLB.com's Bobby Nightengale writes that Dotel would like to return for a 16th Major League season in 2014.

Dotel met with Dr. James Andrews and received a platelet-rich plasma injection as well as a rehab schedule. Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand elaborated on Dotel's potential schedule:

"He wants to avoid surgery, obviously, and was told to rest basically for four-to-six weeks, I believe, before doing any kind of exercises and will start doing shoulder exercises after that. He won't do any elbow exercises until two months."

Dotel's 2013 season was forgettable at best, as he allowed seven runs on 10 hits and four walks in those 4 2/3 innings, but prior to that he showed that he can still be plenty effective in his late 30s. In 2011-12, Dotel compiled a 3.54 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 112 innings between the Blue Jays, Cardinals and Tigers.

The veteran has played for a record 13 Major League teams throughout his lengthy career. As a free agent at season's end, if Dotel is able to work his way back to the big leagues in 2014, he could extend that record further. Of course, he'd likely have to prove himself on a minor league deal in Spring Training to do so, regardless of where he signs. Nightengale notes that any surgery with a lengthy reab would likely mean the end of what has been a solid big league career for Dotel.

Quick Hits: Jimenez, D’Backs, Cubs, Dodgers

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Ubaldo Jimenez has managed to turn things around as of late and is looking more like the pitcher that the Indians expected to have when they traded first-round picks Drew Pomeranz and Alex White for him more than two years ago.  His resurgence is incredibly well-timed, as he’ll be a free agent this winter.  What does he attribute the turnaround to?  Jimenez says that he’s no longer obsessing about getting his velocity back to where it once was and is instead focusing on mixing up his pitches, writes MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian.  Here’s more from around baseball..

  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers took responsibility for the team’s .500 record and acknowledges that neither he nor skipper Kirk Gibson are safe, writes Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com.  Towers didn’t get into specifics about his offseason plan to improve the roster, but he sounds pretty content with the offense as it stands.
  • Cubs skipper Dale Sveum doesn’t have a vote of confidence yet from team brass, but he understands that the process comes with the territory of being a big league manager, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
  • The Dodgers announced the signing of a relatively unknown Japanese prospect in 19-year-old right-hander Takumi Numata this week and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com attempts to profile him based off of the crumbs of information that are available.  
  • Raul Ibanez and Kendrys Morales are the last two people to blame for the Mariners’ woes this season, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  Barring obvious bat improvements at DH and first base/outfield front, Baker says there’s nothing wrong with having both impending free agents return to the team in 2014.

AL East Notes: Blue Jays, Yankees, Logan, DeRosa

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Earlier tonight we rounded up the latest from the NL East and in the interest of equal time, we'll run down tonight's news from the AL East..

  • Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet runs down the Blue Jays' in-house and out-of-house rotation options for 2014.  BNS expects GM Alex Anthopoulos to go after high-end starters this winter and sees Matt Garza, Ricky Nolasco, Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Tim Lincecum as potential targets.  Of course, they won't just be limited to the open market and they could even explore deals for Chicago's top young arms – Jeff Samardzija and Chris Sale.
  • Impending free agent Boone Logan makes no secret of his desire to stay with the Yankees beyond this season, writes Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal.  "Why wouldn't you?" he said. "I look at it like this: When I started pitching good, I was with the Yankees. It's something I'm going to look a lot more into, and give it more thought, but I will say this: Why fix something that isn't broke? That's something I've got to talk to myself about. That time will come. But why wouldn't you want to play for the Yankees, if you can?"
  • Blue Jays veteran Mark DeRosa still isn't sure if he wants to return in 2014 or retire, writes MLB.com's Evan Peaslee.  Toronto will likely exercise his $750K option for next season, so the decision to come back to the Blue Jays rests in the 38-year-old's hands.

Abreu Takes First Step Towards Free Agency

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Cuban prospect Jose Dariel Abreu has oficially established residency in Haiti, effectively the first step towards becoming an MLB free agent, a source tells Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.  The slugger has been unblocked by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and will be eligible to sign with a big league club when he is declared a free agent after filing the proper paperwork with MLB.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that Abreu will hold a showcase for scouts later this month.  However, there’s a chance he won’t sign until sometime this winter, possibly as late as the Winter Meetings in December, according to Sanchez's source.

Crasnick sees the Red Sox, Rangers, Giants, Mets, White Sox, Pirates, and Marlins as possible landing spots for the 26-year-old first baseman.  It's not clear how much Abreu will command once he's eligible to be signed, though one August report said that he could get something in excess of $60MM.

NL East Notes: Harvey, Werth, Halladay

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Earlier today, we learned that Marlins owner Jeffery Loria seems to be taking the lead on baseball decisions as rumors swirl about the job security of president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest.  Here's more out of the NL East..

  • Yesterday we learned that for the time being, Mets ace Matt Harvey will try to avoid Tommy John surgery by rehabbing his throwing elbow this fall.  However, the Mets' statement on the situation seemed to take a more glass-half-empty view of the plan.  According to the club, doctors determined that "surgical repair would likely be necessary, unless [Harvey] could complete a throwing program free of elbow-related symptoms."  
  • Grant Brisbee of Baseball Nation wonders what Jayson Werth would make on the open market if he were a free agent this winter.  Werth's seven-year, $126MM deal looked like an overpay on the part of the Nationals three years ago, but he's in the middle of a surprisingly strong campaign, hitting .320/.397/.533 with 23 homers.  He's owed $83MM over the next four seasons and while he wouldn't get that much if he were headed towards free agency, Brisbee could see $65MM on a four-year deal.
  • Last night could have been Roy Halladay's final home start in a Phillies uniform.  Todd Zolecki of MLB.com asks if he should be brought back for 2014 and concludes that he would be worth it on a low-cost one-year deal with incentives.  

Free Agent Profile: Bronson Arroyo

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Barring an injury in the next 12 days, Bronson Arroyo will be the only pitcher in baseball to make at least 32 starts per year from 2005 to present.  Even Dan Haren, C.C. Sabathia, and Mark Buehrle can't make that claim.  Arroyo, 37 in February, came into his own after a March 2006 trade from the Red Sox to the Reds, but during that time he's never hit the open market as a free agent despite never getting a guarantee exceeding three years.

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Strengths/Pros

When you hear a pitcher praised for "taking the ball every fifth day," that doesn't mean that he literally never misses a turn in the rotation.  But that truly can be said for the rubber-armed Arroyo, as explained above.  Not only does Arroyo make all of his starts, but he's good for six-plus innings each time out.  He projects for about 205 innings this year, right around his recent annual average.  Arroyo will likely be joined by only Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco, and Hiroki Kuroda as 200-inning free agent pitchers.

Arroyo doesn't just take the ball; he adds positive value.  He'll likely finish with a sub-4.00 ERA in four of his last five seasons, and it's down to 3.56 at the moment.  We recently extolled the virtues of Nolasco's walk rates, but Arroyo's is even better.  In fact, only Cliff Lee and Haren have walked fewer batters per nine innings since 2011.

We'll reference Arroyo's age as a negative in free agency, but the fact that he'll pitch at 37 next year is the reason he can expect a two-year deal at best.  Signing Arroyo lacks upside, but one or two years for him seems safer than four for Matt Garza.  As for a qualifying offer?  I doubt Arroyo gets one, as the perenially budget-conscious Reds won't want to risk paying him $14MM next year, even if he says he wants a multiyear deal.

Arroyo is also solid defensively, having picked up a Gold Glove award in 2010.

Weaknesses/Cons

It's always scary to give decent money to a guy with an 87 mile per hour fastball, with the concern that he'll lose another tick of velocity and start throwing batting practice.  He's got one of the lowest swinging-strike rates in the free agent class.  Arroyo is a low-strikeout, pitch-to-contact hurler, and he's had multiple years where he's allowed around ten hits per nine innings.  When that happens, it results in a lot of baserunners even with a low walk rate.  On top of that, Arroyo is mostly a flyball pitcher, so he's relatively prone to the longball.

Arroyo also lacks upside; it's easier to picture Garza, Tim Lincecum, Masahiro Tanaka, or even Scott Kazmir and Phil Hughes ascending (or returning) to the heights of a front of the rotation Major League starter.

Arroyo has a history of avoiding injury, but how many 37-year-olds have reached 200 innings in recent years?  If we include Kuroda for 2013, it has happened only four times in the last five seasons: two seasons from Kuroda, and two from R.A. Dickey.

Personal

Arroyo is an accomplished musician, putting out a CD in '05 and performing in concert at various functions regularly.  He's a four-time winner of the Reds' Joe Nuxhall Good Guy Award.

Market

As the Reds' longest-tenured player, Arroyo's first choice is to stay, but it's less likely if they don't offer multiple years.  Back in January 2011, Arroyo told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald the other two teams he'd be interested in pitching for are the Rays (he resides in Florida in the offseason) and the Red Sox (his former team).  It is difficult to picture either AL team offering Arroyo a multiyear deal, however.

Expected Contract

Arroyo made it clear earlier this month he considers this his final shot at a multiyear deal.  I think there is a chance of a two-year offer, along the lines of Ryan Dempster's $26.5MM contract.  In the end I predict a two-year, $24MM contract for Arroyo.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bidding For Alexander Guerrero “Wide Open” Again

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3:43pm: The Dodgers are no longer willing to pay Guerrero $32MM and may not pursue him at all, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal notes that the team's position may merely be strategic; they could be backing off that number simply so Boras doesn't use that as a baseline when negotiating with other clubs.

3:15pm: Just over a week ago, it seemed that Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero was close to signing a five-year, $32MM contract with the Dodgers. SInce that time, however, the 26-year-old has left his former agent, Rudy Santin, in favor of the Boras Corporation. Boras described the bidding as "wide open," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, who reports that the Red Sox, Reds, Rangers and Giants all have interest in Guerrero and are fighting the Dodgers for his services.

MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez tweeted yesterday that Sanchez is looking for an overall better deal than the previously rumored agreement. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti wouldn't comment when asked by Heyman about the situation, stating that he wouldn't publicly discusss contract negotiations.

The Rangers seem a curious fit for Guerrero, with Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler and Jurickson Profar all already in the fold. The Reds would have to use him at shortstop or perhaps third base due to the presence of Brandon Phillips, despite the fact that many scouts have predicted Guerrero will have to transition to second base to play in the Majors. Boston has Dustin Pedroia at second base, and Xander Bogaerts projects as their long-term answer at shortstop. The Giants, too, are a curious fit with Marco Scutaro under contract, Brandon Crawford at short and Pablo Sandoval at third base.

Guerrero hit .290/.402/.576 with 21 home runs in 328 plate appearances in his final season inSerie Nacional. As Matthew Pouliot of NBC Sports pointed out last January, Guerrero OPSed .997 or better each year in Cuba from 2009-11. Heyman points out that Guerrero could have an impact on Robinson Cano's market this offseason if bidding drags on and teams believe Guerrero to be superior to other second base options, as Guerrero will naturally be more affordable than Cano.

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