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Latest On The MLB/Japan Posting System

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Major League Baseball's posting agreement with Nippon Professional Baseball has expired but a reworked version of the system would be announced soon, and perhaps as early as Tuesday (according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post and Newsday's David Lennon via Twitter). 

As Davidoff explains in a series of tweets, the new system would still award the highest-bidding Major League team the rights to negotiate with a Japanese player, but the team would only have to pay a posting fee equal to the average of the top two bids.  This helps prevent a team from posting a very large bid just to block other teams from getting a player, or guards "against one team going rogue and bidding an insane number," as Davidoff puts it.  Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) cites a Japanese report which states that a Major League team that wins a posting bid would be fined if they can't reach an agreement with the player.

This plan is meeting some resistance from the Japanese players union, according to a report from the Sponichi network (hat tip to MLBTR's Aaron Steen for the translation).  The players are asking for a system in which posted players are allowed to negotiate with several teams.  In regards to a team overbidding just to block a rival from getting a player, a spokesperson for the players union said they would "also like to hear from NPB on a penalty fee when negotiations between a player and an MLB team break down."  Some NPB teams are in favor of implementing a new system without player approval, while other clubs would just implement the new system temporarily and revisit negotiations in a year's time.

There has been speculation for months that the MLB/NPB posting agreement was going to be overhauled in order to create a fairer system for both leagues and the players themselves.  One rumored scenario would've allowed a posted player to choose which of the three highest-bidding teams he'd prefer to negotiate with, giving him some say in the matter of his Major League future.

Another alternative would be to bypass the posting system altogether, which MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom writes is "the sentiment among a growing number of Major League owners."  Without the posting process, MLB teams would have to wait until Japanese players reached free agency (like Hideki Matsui or Koji Uehara) after nine NPB seasons, and then they would be free to sign with any team in any country.

The player most directly impacted by possible changes to the posting system is, of course, Masahiro Tanaka.  The offseason's top free agent pitcher has drawn interest from many teams, and even if the posting system is altered in favor of averaged bids, big-spending clubs like the Dodgers and Yankees would still seem to have the inside track on Tanaka.

Mutual Interest Between Tigers, Joe Nathan

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The Tigers and closer Joe Nathan are mutually interested in each other, as Nathan has Detroit "high on his wish list" of free agent destinations, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter).  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted Nathan would sign with the Tigers this winter and indeed the two sides seem like natural fits. 

Detroit is eager to find a solution to its closing issues, and they're one of the few teams that could afford to give a multiyear deal worth a projected $26MM to a closer who will be 39 years old on Opening Day.  Still, that price could be worth it for Nathan, who fully recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2010 to post two elite seasons for the Rangers in 2012-13.  No active pitcher has saved more games than Nathan (341), which helps him stay out in a free agent class that is crowded with late-game closing options.

Along with the Tigers, Dierkes projected the Yankees, Angels, Orioles and Indians as teams who could possibly vie for Nathan's services this offseason.  The Orioles and Yankees have closing options already present in Jim Johnson and David Robertson, respectively, while it can be argued that the Tigers are closer to contention than the Indians or Angels, making them a more attractive landing spot for Nathan.

Wil Myers, Jose Fernandez Win Rookie Of The Year Awards

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Rays outfielder Wil Myers and Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez have respectively won the AL and NL Rookie of the Year Awards.  The Baseball Writers Association of America announced both results today, with the full voting breakdowns available on the BBWAA's website.

Once promoted to the majors on June 16, Myers lived up to his lofty prospect status by hitting .293/.354/.478 with 13 homers and 50 runs scored in 373 PA with the Rays.  It could be argued that the Rays could've avoided the wild card game had they promoted Myers sooner, though holding him back until June will likely allow Tampa Bay to gain another year of control over Myers and keep him from reaching Super Two status.  It could also be argued that the Royals would've been better served by keeping Myers rather than dealing him as part of the James Shields blockbuster last offseason, as fans and pundits could be debating the merits of that trade for years to come.  

Myers earned 23 of 30 first-place votes from the writers, plus five second-place votes and one third-place vote.  Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias finished second in the balloting with five first-place votes (plus 17 seconds and four thirds).  Rays righty Chris Archer and Athletics righty Dan Straily each received one first place vote and finished third and fourth in the voting, respectively, while Angels outfielder J.B. Shuck finished fifth.  Myers joins Evan Longoria and Jeremy Hellickson as Rays who have won Rookie Of The Year awards.

Though Fernandez was a consensus top-five prospect before the season and the 14th overall pick of the 2011 draft, the Marlins' decision to promote him to the majors was met with surprise given Fernandez's young age (20) and the fact that he has never pitched above the high-A ball level.  The righty was more than prepared for the big leagues, however, posting a stunning 2.19 ERA over 28 starts, and recording 187 strikeouts against only 58 walks over 172 2/3 innings. 

Fernandez is the second Cuban-born player to be named Rookie of the Year, after the Twins' Tony Oliva in 1964.  Fernandez joins Chris Coghlan, Hanley Ramirez and Dontrelle Willis as the only Marlins to capture ROY honors.

Fernandez took 26 of 30 first-place votes and finished second on the other four ballots.  Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig received the other four first-place votes and 25 second-place votes to finish second in the voting, though he was also left off one ballot entirely.  Cardinals righty Shelby Miller, Dodgers southpaw Hyun-jin Ryu and Braves righty Julio Teheran round out the top five in the NL voting.

Astros Notes: Luhnow, Free Agents, Abreu, Castro

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The Astros might not aim on contending in 2014, but don't be surprised if Houston is one of the offseason's busier teams as the team continues its extensive rebuilding project.  Evan Drellich of the Houstron Chronicle has the latest from Astros GM Jeff Luhnow…

  • The Astros will look to add some pop to their lineup, Luhnow said, with the outfield being the most logical spot given that most of their infield is set.
  • The club could also add a hitter to the first base/DH mix, which is why Luhnow said the Astros were contenders for Jose Dariel Abreu, who ended up signing a six-year, $68MM deal with the White Sox.  “We pursued that player and we came up short,” Luhnow said. “That particular case was interesting because the player’s never played in the United States, but the track record in Cuba is pretty impressive, and we had done our homework and felt like that player should produce immediately.”
  • The Astros intend to raise their 2014 payroll, and Luhnow said this allows the team to pursue some new avenues.  “We have the resources to sign players and agents reach out no matter what,” Luhnow said. “(The level of communication has) not changed. We’re able to engage in a lot more conversations that we weren’t the past couple years. It opens up a different caliber of pool of players for us.”
  • The Astros' first overall draft pick is protected but the team would still have to give up its second round pick if they signed a free agent who has rejected a qualifying offer.  Luhnow said the Astros would "have to think hard" about giving up such a valuable young asset for such a veteran who could help immediately but would come at a high price.  There have been rumors that Houston is willing to make a big splash this winter by pursuing Shin-Soo Choo.
  • Whle the Astros are still focused on adding young talent, they could be open to trading some of that young talent if they feel they have a surplus in a certain area.  "So we’re not going to do anything to block any of our players or disrupt their development. But you can argue that we’re in a position where we have some areas of excess in terms of future talent, and we could potentially use some of that to get something," Luhnow said.
  • The team hasn't begun talks with Jason Castro's representatives about a long-term extension and none are expected until around January when arbitration decisions are nearing, Luhnow said.  Castro is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason and is Houston's lone remaining arb-eligible player.  MLBTR's Matt Swartz projects Castro to receive a $2.2MM salary for 2014.

No Free Agents Accept Qualifying Offers

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The 13 free agents who received qualifying offers a week ago have declined, according to the MLBPA's official Twitter feed.  In the two years since the new collective bargaining agreement was put in place, no free agent has accepted a one-year qualifying offer, this season valued at $14.1MM.  Though some of the free agents may not find that high an average annual value in their next contracts, it was widely expected that the 13 players would turn down the offers in search of longer-term deals.

The 13 players and their former teams are listed below…

If a qualifying offer free agent signs elsewhere, the player's former team will receive a compensatory draft pick between the first and second rounds of the 2014 amateur draft.  A team that signs a qualifying offer free agent will forfeit its first round pick, though the teams with the 10 worst records in baseball last year (the Astros, Marlins, Cubs, White Sox, Twins, Mariners, Phillies, Rockies, Blue Jays and Mets) have protected first-rounders and would only have to give up a second-round pick for signing a Q.O. free agent.

Royals Request Release Waivers On Luis Mendoza

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The Royals have requested release waivers on right-hander Luis Mendoza, the team announced.  Mendoza, 30, intends to pitch in Japan next season.

Mendoza was acquired by Kansas City before the 2010 season and posted a 4.72 ERA, 1.51 K/BB ratio and a 5.4 K/9 in 58 games (42 of them starts) in his tenure as a Royal.  Never a big strikeout pitcher in either the majors or minors, Mendoza has a 50.5% ground ball rate over his 1111 career Major League innings with K.C. and Texas.  The righty threw two no-hitters over his minor league career.

Mendoza was arbitration eligible for the first time this winter.  MLBTR's Matt Swartz projected Mendoza to earn $1MM in 2014 and Tim Dierkes considered the right-hander to be a possible non-tender candidate.

Mets Notes: Murphy, Davis, Duda, Hart, Granderson

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The Mets are listening to offers on Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy, but are not aggressively shopping them at this point, according to Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter).  Here's more on the Mets…

  • Five or six teams have inquired about Davis and/or Lucas Duda, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.  Duda is considered by some AL teams to be a fit as a designated hitter, Carig tweets.
  • Peralta appears to be the Mets' top free agent target, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes.  The club "really likes" Peralta but they don't know if he intends to sign soon or later in the offseason.
  • The Mets have talked to free agent Corey Hart, but Martino gets the sense that they either don't identify him as a top target or aren't that eager to get a deal done with him.  Carig (link) also hears from a source that the Mets aren't close to a deal with the Brewers first baseman.  "We haven't discussed him in depth enough to say where we'd put him if we got him," the source said.
  • The Mets have plans to meet with Curtis Granderson's agent this week, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (on Twitter).  The outfielder is turning down the Yankees' $14.1MM qualifying offer.
  • The Mets have touched base with Marlon Byrd's representatives in the last few days, according to Carig (link).  Recently, Steve Adams examined the market for Byrd and concluded that he could fetch a deal in the neighborhood of $16MM over two years.
  • A source suggested to Carig (link) that it would make sense for the Mets to take their time in trading Davis and take advantage of a market that is starved for power.  Carig (link) hears that the Mets might do just that and hang on to him until later in the offseason when teams will be seeking out less costly alternatives to add power.
  • The Mets aren't actively talking to Mike Pelfrey about a possible reunion, but they are open to it, a team official tells Adam Rubin.  "I know he is on a long list of guys just like him," the team insider said.  The Mets non-tendered the hurler after he earned $5.7MM in 2012.
  • The Mets' top priority is shortstop, but they're hardly alone in that, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Possible options for the Mets include Peralta, Erick Aybar, Didi Gregorius, Rafael Furcal, and Jed Lowrie.

Tigers Open To Trading Max Scherzer Or Rick Porcello

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The Tigers have told teams that they're open to trading either Max Scherzer or Rick Porcello, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).  Scherzer has been involved in trade whispers for the last few weeks as the Tigers are considering their options in the event that they can't hammer out a new deal before he hits the open market after the 2014 season.

The 29-year-old Scherzer pitched a career-high 214 1/3 innings, turning in a 2.90 ERA with 10.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 36.3 percent ground-ball rate in 2013.  While he earned just $6.725MM in 2013, MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects an increase to a whopping $13.6MM in 2014 following his dominant campaign.  Scherzer's 2.98 SIERA and 2.74 FIP are both among the seven best marks in baseball and among the six starters with better FIP marks, only Clayton Kershaw has a higher innings total.

Porcello, 25 in December, turned in a 4.32 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 across 177 innings of work.  Those numbers and some of the advanced statistics (3.19 xFIP) indicate that 2013 was Porcello's best season yet.

Twins Showing Interest In Jarrod Saltalamacchia

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Just hours after announcing that Joe Mauer will be transitioning to first base full-time in 2014, the Twins have already started looking into out-of-house options at catcher.  Minnesota is showing preliminary interest in free agent Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a baseball source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.

The 28-year-old Saltalamacchia enjoyed his best season in 2013, batting .273/.338/.466 with 14 home runs in a career-high 470 plate appearances.  Not only is he one of the best catchers available, but he is one of the youngest free agents on the market this offseason.

A separate source indicated to Wolfson that A.J. Pierzynski would be a good one-year stopgap to keep the seat warm until Josmil Pinto is ready to take over.  The 36-year-old has been incredibly durable, averaging over 130 games per season for more than a decade.

AL West Notes: Rangers, Profar, Chavez

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The Rangers are looking for offensive firepower at the GM Meetings, writes Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.  “More or less we’ve been telling clubs our short-term needs are more on the offensive side,” GM Jon Daniels said. “We have some depth in a couple of areas organizationally and at the big league level. We’re open to different ideas.”  Here's more out of the AL West..

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