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Archives for November 2013

Yanks Made Preliminary Inquiry On Brandon Phillips

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Preparing themselves in the event that Robinson Cano signs elsewhere, the Yankees have placed a preliminary call to the Reds on Brandon Phillips, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Cincinnati's asking price for Phillips is said to be "way too steep" according to Heyman.

Phillips, 32, batted .261/.310/.396 with 18 home runs this season but was involved in a pair of ugly PR incidents: one in which he publicly complained about how the Reds handled his contract negotiations and another in which went on a tirade against a Cincinnati reporter for pointing to his low on-base percentage. He is owed $50MM over the final four years of his six-year, $72.5MM contract.

Reports from this past weekend indicated that the Yankees made a similar preliminary inquiry on free agent Omar Infante. The Yankees are still considered the favorites to re-sign Cano this offseason, but it's not surprising to see GM Brian Cashman doing his homework in the event that another team swoops in and lands the All-Star second baseman.

Randy Messenger Has Deadline For MLB Offers

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4:15pm: The Twins are not one of the teams interested in Messenger at this time, MLBTR has learned.

3:51pm: MLBTR's Tim Dierkes tweets that Messenger's offer from Hanshin is worth $10MM over three years, plus $5MM worth of incentives. That would explain why Messenger is looking for a comparable amount on a two-year deal to return to the Majors.

3:46pm: Right-hander Randy Messenger has set a Nov. 15 deadline to field offers from Major League teams, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The 32-year-old has revived his career by posted three dominant seasons for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball — a team that has already extended him a three-year offer, as MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reported last month.

That three-year offer, which could reach $15MM after incentives according to Passan, is the reason for the deadline, as Hanshin would like an answer to their proposal by mid-month. Messenger, a Sosnick/Cobbe Sports client, is looking for a two-year deal worth $8-10MM to return to Major League Baseball. Passan reports that multiple teams have offered one-year deals, while one team has pushed the boundaries to one year plus an option.

Messenger's resurgence is in part due to the addition of an effective splitter, and some scouts have seen his fastball touch 96 mph (though it usually sits 92-93 mph), Pasan writes. A former member of the Giants and Mariners, Messenger has posted a 2.75 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 543 innings out Hanshin's rotation from 2011-13. He was particularly impressive in 2013, boosting his K/9 to 8.4 and firing six complete games, including a trio of shutouts.

The Twins were said to have interest in Messenger last offseason, though it's unclear at this time if they're one of the teams that has made an offer.

Latest On Brian McCann

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One catcher is already off the market with the news that the Rangers have re-signed Geovany Soto to a one-year, $3.05MM contract, but the biggest fish on that market is likely to take his time. As it stands right now, the Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers could all be players for McCann.

Agent B.B. Abbott of Jet Sports Management tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that the Red Sox would be a consideration if Jarrod Saltalamacchia signs elsewhere:

"Certainly Boston is a city that Brian likes, and he has always respected the organization and the front office," said Abbott. "Obviously, the coaching staff and clubhouse unity is attractive. He has also always been fascinated with the fan base, their support of the Red Sox and the history of the organization. Boston would certainly be a place that would be a consideration for Brian."

Abbott wouldn't comment on whether or not the Red Sox have actually reached out regarding McCann, but Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger reports that the Yankees indeed have contacted Abbott regarding the longtime Braves backstop. McCullough spoke with a pair of rival executives who believe that the bidding for McCann could top $100MM, which would be a stark increase from the five-year, $80MM deal predicted by MLBTR's Tim Dierkes in his free agent profile of McCann.

Andy Martino of the New York Daily News echoes the report on the Yanks' interest, adding that the Red Sox and "especially" the Rangers are expected to be serious competitors for Yankees GM Brian Cashman in his pursuit of McCann (Twitter link).

McCann is coming off his seventh straight 20-homer season despite starting the year on the disabled list. The seven-time All-Star made a bid for his sixth Silver Slugger award by hitting .256/.336/.461 in 2013.

Minor Moves: Perez, LaRoche, Nickeas, Cardinals

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Here are today's outright assignments and minor moves from around the league…

  • The Blue Jays announced that they outrighted left-hander Juan Perez off the 40-man roster and re-signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. The 35-year-old southpaw posted a 3.69 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 31 2/3 innings for Toronto this season and held lefties to a .200/.280/.333 batting line.
  • The Blue Jays also announced that they've re-signed catcher Mike Nickeas and and infielder Andy LaRoche to minor league deals with invites to Spring Training. Nickeas, 30, posted just a .507 OPS at Triple-A this season while LaRoche, the younger brother of Adam LaRoche, slashed .271/.339/.433 in 104 games at the same level.
  • The Cardinals announced that they have outrighted catcher Rob Johnson, outfielder Brock Peterson and outfielder Adron Chambers off their 40-man roster. Each has elected free agency, per the MLB.com Transactions page. Johnson spent most of the season in Triple-A, but found his way onto a big league roster for the seventh straight season. In 829 Major League plate appearances he's a .200/.275/.295 hitter. Peterson, 29, made his Major League debut after 11 seasons between the minors and indepedent ball. He collected just two hits in 26 at-bats but dominated Triple-A, hitting .296/.364/.531 with 25 homers in 508 PAs. The 27-year-old Chambers hit .252/.338/.387 with eight homers and 16 steals in the minors, adding 29 big league plate appearances and making the Cards' postseason roster as well.

Rangers Re-Sign Geovany Soto

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The Rangers have re-signed catcher Geovany Soto to a one-year, $3.05MM deal, according to Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter).  Soto will have the opportunity to add to his salary with incentives.

Soto, 31 in January, posted a .245/.328/.466 slash line with nine home runs in 54 games last season.  He also threw out ten of 34 (29.4%) attempted base stealers in 2013.  For his career, which was spent mostly in Chicago, Soto has hit .248/.335/.439.

It's not a surprise to see Soto back in Arlington after it was reported that he was interested in a return.  Meanwhile, fellow free agent backstop A.J. Pierzynski remains unsigned and while he also wants to come back to the Rangers, he could be lured away by another club in search of a catcher.

It's a decent raise for the veteran as he had a $2.75MM base salary in 2013.  Soto is represented by Kinzer Management Group.

Five To Six Teams Interested In Rafael Furcal

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Rafael Furcal appears to be drawing quite a bit of interest with free agency in its early stages. Jorge Castillo of the Star Ledger reports that the Mets have already reached out to the former Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star, and Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets that as many as five to six teams have shown early interest.

Furcal, who turned 36 just two weeks ago, didn't play in 2013 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but should be healthy for the 2014 season. Castillo notes that Furcal participated in fielding drills with the Cardinals prior to postseason games without any noticeable hindrance.

Furcal flopped in his final season with the Dodgers, prompting a trade to the Cardinals where he restored quite a bit of his value. Furcal helped the Cards to the 2011 World Series, and his strong performance in St. Louis was enough to earn him a two-year, $14MM contract that offseason. Furcal spent 171 regular-season games in a Cardinals uniform from 2011-12, slashing .262/.323/.367 with 12 homers and 16 stolen bases in 748 plate appearances.

In addition to the Mets, contenders such as the Pirates and Cardinals have a need at shortstop. The Twins have little stability at the position outside of Pedro Florimon's defensive wizardry, and other teams such as the A's and Indians could make sense. Oakland could play Jed Lowrie at second base and use Furcal as a bridge to top prospect Addison Russell, while the Indians, who likely would be open to dealing Asdrubal Cabrera, could use Furcal as a bridge to Francisco Lindor in the event of such a trade. Doing so would allow them to reallocate some or all of Cabrera's $10MM salary to fill other needs.

Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2014

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As explained in this series of posts, Matt Swartz has developed a very accurate model for MLBTR to project arbitration salaries.  We've heard from many MLB teams and agencies that reference the projections in their work.  By my count there are 214 remaining arbitration eligible players.  Click here to download an Excel spreadsheet with our projected salaries, or click below to see everything.  For thoughts on each arbitration player, click the team name to see the associated Arbitration Eligibles post.

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Arbitration Eligibles: Boston Red Sox

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Matt Swartz has developed a very accurate model that MLBTR uses to project arbitration salaries, as explained in this series of posts. We've heard from many MLB teams and agencies that reference the projections in their work.  The Red Sox conclude our series.  Estimated service time is in parentheses, and estimated 2014 salary follows.  An explanation of our service time format: 5.062 means five years and 62 days.  172 days of service is equal to one year.

Bailey's time in Boston did not go well.  He needed thumb surgery early in 2012, making his season debut in mid-August and pitching poorly.  The Red Sox retained him through arbitration for 2013, but also acquired Joel Hanrahan to close.  Bailey took over as closer when Hanrahan hit the DL for a hamstring injury, and was still the closer after missing time himself for a biceps injury.  Bailey lost the ninth inning job in mid-June due to poor performance, and in July ended up needing season-ending shoulder surgery.  It seems that Bailey will miss much of the 2014 season as he recovers, so he's certain to be non-tendered by Boston.

Miller had a solid 2012 campaign for the Red Sox and started off acceptably this year, until enduring a July foot injury that required season-ending surgery.  He expects to be ready for Spring Training, and his price tag is palatable for a situational lefty.  Tazawa was excellent in the regular season and playoffs, and will have a prominent role in next year's bullpen.

The Red Sox have Craig Breslow under contract, so along with Miller, Morales represents a potential third southpaw in next year's bullpen.  Morales began the season on the DL for a back injury, and then strained a pectoral muscle in late April.  The Red Sox stretched him out as a starter as he rehabbed the injury, but his May 30th season debut was his only start of the season.  A shoulder injury put him back on the DL in late June, from which he returned in mid-August.  He pitched in the Division Series and ALCS but was not used in the World Series despite being on the roster.  It's hard to give up on a 28-year-old southpaw who throws 93-94 miles per hour, and Morales is cheap enough that the Red Sox might keep him around for 2014 or at least find a trade partner for him this winter.

Carp was designated for assignment by the Mariners in February, and after interest from the Twins, Astros, Brewers, the Red Sox acquired him, eventually just sending cash in return.  Carp, a left-handed hitter, faced righties in 88% of his plate appearances and authored an excellent overall line of .296/.362/.523.  The Red Sox will be happy to have him as part of next year's bench.

Assuming the Red Sox tender contracts to Miller, Morales, Carp, and Tazawa, they're looking at an estimated $6.1MM for four arbitration eligible players.

Angels Notes: DiSarcina, Vargas, Tanaka

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The Angels have hired former infielder Gary DiSarcina to be their new third base coach, a source told Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. DiSarcina, 45, spent his entire 12-year playing career in an Angels uniform, batting .258/.292/.341 in 1,086 games. He takes over for Dino Ebel, who was promoted to bench coach. Here's more on the Halos as the offseason gets underway…

  • The Angels would like to retain Jason Vargas, but they don't want to give him a three-year pact, writes Gonzalez. The Halos also don't want to approach an average annual value of $10MM for Vargas, who would slot as their fourth starter. As MLBTR's Zach Links explained in the Angels' Offseason Outlook, they'll be working with limited breathing room this winter as they try to steer clear of the luxury tax. Still, the team is currently prioritizing Vargas over other free agents, DiPoto tells Gonzalez.
  • Angels GM Jerry Dipoto confirmed that he has interest in Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Dipoto says that the club has scouted the right-hander "multiple times." Tanaka, who some executive believe will be more expensive than Yu Darvish, has already been connected to other big market clubs like the Yankees and Dodgers.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Arbitration Eligibles: St. Louis Cardinals

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Matt Swartz has developed a very accurate model that MLBTR uses to project arbitration salaries, as explained in this series of posts. We've heard from many MLB teams and agencies that reference the projections in their work.  The Cardinals are next in our series.  Estimated service time is in parentheses, and estimated 2014 salary follows.

The Cardinals added Axford in a late August trade with the Brewers, and the 30-year-old righty did a nice job in 10 1/3 regular season innings for St. Louis, picking up another 5 2/3 innings in the postseason.  He recorded 19 holds this year, after amassing 106 saves previously in his career.  Saves pay well in arbitration, getting Axford a $5MM salary his first time through.  Axford would be useful to pencil into next year's pen, with Edward Mujica up for free agency and a decent-sized contract and Carlos Martinez being considered for the rotation.  However, Axford's projected arbitration cost is a little steep, making a non-tender likely if the Cardinals are not able to find a team willing to take him on in trade.

Freese represents a tougher decision.  The MVP of the 2011 postseason, Freese hit .262/.340/.381 in 521 regular season plate appearances this year and .179/.258/.268 in the playoffs.  He was quite good as recently as 2012, and to non-tender him seems drastic given a $4.4MM salary projection.  If Freese stays with the Cardinals, it seems likely the presence of Matt Carpenter and Kolten Wong will affect his playing time.  The Cards could also trade Freese this offseason.

The Cardinals are a team with few deficiencies, but center field is another potential area of upgrade.  Jay, 29 in March, hit .276/.351/.370 in 628 plate appearances.  At the least, he remains a useful player at $3.4MM.  Jay's situation is similar to Freese: a non-tender seems unlikely, a trade is possible, and he may be pushed for playing time if he stays with St. Louis.  Descalso, meanwhile, seems likely to have a utility role on next year's club.

Salas, 29 in May, was the Cardinals' surprise closer for much of 2011, but spent time in the minors in 2012.  This year, he battled a shoulder injury and bounced up and down from Triple-A.  With a projected salary under a million bucks, the Cardinals might be able to find a taker in a trade if Salas is not part of their plans for 2014.

Assuming the Cardinals tender contracts to Freese, Jay, Descalso, and Salas, they're looking at an estimated $9.7MM for four arbitration eligible players.

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