Archives for 2013

Jim Leyland Steps Down As Tigers Manager

By Steve Adams | October 21, 2013 at 10:46am CDT

10:46am: The Tigers and Leyland have officially announced that he is stepping down as the team's manager. At his press conference, Leyland said that he will likely accept a new role with the team that has yet to be determined (via John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press on Twitter). Leyland told GM Dave Dombrowski in September that he was running low on fuel, and though he was asked to return, he declined the offer (also via Lowe).

8:51am: The Tigers have scheduled a press conference for 11:30am ET today, and Tom Mazawey of Detroit Sports 105.1 reports that it's likely to announce that Jim Leyland will step down as the Tigers' manager (Twitter links). Mazawey adds that Leyland informed the team of his decision on their flight home from Boston. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the 68-year-old Leyland feels that it's time for someone younger to manage the team (Twitter link).

Leyland has managed the Tigers since the 2006 season, winning exactly 700 games against just 597 losses. In his time with Detroit, he's led the team to four playoff berths and twice reached the World Series. He came within a game of a fifth playoff appearance in 2009, but the Tigers fell victim to a late surge from the Twins and saw their season end in a Game 163 walk-off in Minnesota.

Despite the fact that he didn't win a World Series with the Tigers, Leyland does have a World Series ring after leading the 1997 Marlins to the Fall Classic and emerging victorious. A three-time Manager of the Year recipient (1990 and 1992 with the Pirates as well as 2006 with the Tigers), Leyland has a career record of 1769-1728. The Tigers' current stretch of three straight division titles marks the second three-year stretch of first place finishes in Leyland's managerial career. He accomplished the same feat with the Pirates from 1990-92.

Blue Jays Interested In Iannetta, Conger

By Steve Adams | October 21, 2013 at 9:59am CDT

Catcher is known to be a priority for the Blue Jays this offseason, and Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reports that the team is interested in Chris Iannetta and Hank Conger of the Angels. According to Elliott, the Blue Jays have already begun their efforts to acquire one of Anaheim's backstops.

As MLBTR's Mark Polishuk noted in analyzing the Blue Jays' upcoming offseason, the team is set at most offensive positions with the exception of catcher and second base. Mark noted that while incumbent J.P. Arencibia may not be non-tendered, his days as the team's starter are likely over. Toronto's desire to acquire one of the Angels' catchers and their interest in Washington's Wilson Ramos seem to support that line of thinking.

Iannetta, who turns 31 next April, might at first appear to be similar to Arencibia given his low batting averages and escalating strikeout rate (25.1 percent in 2013). However, Iannetta has always been adept at drawing a walk. In fact, he drew nearly as many walks in 399 plate appearances in 2013 (68) as Arencibia has in his entire career (74). Overall, Iannetta batted .225/.358/.372 for the Halos in the first season of a three-year, $15.5MM extension. He'll earn $4.975MM in 2014 and $5.525MM in 2015. In each of those seasons, his contract calls for an additional $100K bonus for starting 90 games at catcher and $125K when he reaches each of 100, 110, 115, 120 and 125 starts behind the dish.

The switch-hitting Conger batted .249/.310/.403 in 2013. He'll turn just 26 years old in January and won't be eligible for arbitration until next offseason. Originally selected by the Angels with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2006 draft, Conger has never gotten a full season's worth of at-bats with the Halos despite a robust .298/.371/.470 slash line in 854 career plate appearances at Triple-A.

As we saw last offseason, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has no problem dealing young talent to fill holes on his big league roster. Though the Blue Jays' farm system was depleted after acquiring R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson in trades, the team still has plenty of minor league pitchers that would pique the Angels' interest. According to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, the Blue Jays' top six prospects are all pitchers, though a top prospect along the lines of Aaron Sanchez would seem far too steep a price for either of the catchers in question.

If the Blue Jays really want to get aggressive, they could look to structure a deal that would land one of Iannetta or Conger as well as second baseman Howie Kendrick, who is known to be available. While that scenario is purely my speculation, such a trade would address both of the major holes highlighted in Polishuk's outlook. The Blue Jays own two of the first 11 picks in next year's draft, so they would have ample opportunity to add high-end talent to their farm system following another aggressive winter on the trade market.

Quick Hits: McCann, Lincecum, Red Sox, Scherzer

By charliewilmoth | October 20, 2013 at 9:40pm CDT

Brian McCann's foray into free agency is well-timed, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports writes. The Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers, Cubs and Angels could all have interest in him, perhaps along with the Blue Jays and White Sox. The fact that big-market teams like the Red Sox (whose primary catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, is also a free agent) and Yankees might be on the lookout for a catcher could drive McCann's price sky-high. Here are more notes from around the Majors.

Tim Lincecum did indeed decline a two-year deal to remain with the Giants, but Heyman says that doesn't mean Lincecum is looking for a longer contract. Instead, Lincecum was seeking a one- or two-year deal with the Giants, seemingly hoping to recover his earlier, Cy Young-caliber form before heading back out on the free-agent market. The Mariners, Dodgers and Angels could all have interest in Lincecum, Heyman writes.
The Red Sox' run to the World Series has been stressful and exciting for its front office, writes MLB.com's Ian Browne. "Those of us in the front office, we're kind of just along for the ride at this point," says GM Ben Cherington. "When the games start, we're rooting so hard, we're fans, and every pitch is like an event. So some parts of the games are hard to watch. We enjoy grand slams and the last three outs when Koji [Uehara] is on the mound. That's about it."
It's unclear what the Tigers will do with Max Scherzer this offseason, the New York Post's Joel Sherman writes. Scherzer can become a free agent after 2014, and many executives for other teams believe the Tigers will shop him. Others believe, though, that the Tigers will simply pretend they might trade Scherzer in order to get Scherzer to encourage his agent, Scott Boras, to negotiate a long-term deal.

Week In Review: 10/13/13 – 10/19/13

By charliewilmoth | October 20, 2013 at 8:25pm CDT

Here's a look back at this week at MLBTR.

The White Sox agreed to sign Cuban first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu to a six-year, $68MM deal.
Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan retired.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly will return in 2014.
The Rockies signed manager Walt Weiss to a three-year extension.
The Red Sox will sign Cuban pitcher Dalier Hinojosa.
The Rays sent infielder Ben Kline and pitcher Sean Bierman to the White Sox to complete the Jesse Crain trade.
The Diamondbacks signed pitcher Matt Reynolds to a one-year deal with a club option, avoiding arbitration.
The Dodgers claimed outfielder Mike Baxter from the Mets. To make room on their roster, they designated outfielder Alex Castellanos for assignment.
The Angels claimed pitcher Robert Carson from the Mets.
The Rangers claimed pitcher Edwar Cabrera from the Rockies.
Rangers infielder Jeff Baker became a free agent after the team designated him for assignment.
The Rockies outrighted pitchers Jeff Manship and Manny Corpas, who both became free agents.
The Phillies outrighted pitcher John Lannan, who then opted for free agency. The Phillies also outrighted outfielders Casper Wells and Roger Bernadina and pitchers Cesar Jimenez and J.C. Ramirez. Wells, Bernadina and Ramirez also became free agents.
The White Sox outrighted pitcher David Purcey.
The Astros outrighted outfielder Trevor Crowe and pitcher Jorge De Leon.
The Mets outrighted pitchers Greg Burke and Sean Henn.
The Marlins outrighted outfielder Alfredo Silverio.
The Indians re-signed reliever Matt Capps.

Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates

By charliewilmoth | October 20, 2013 at 7:15pm CDT

After their first winning season and playoff berth in 21 years, the Pirates find themselves in an enviable position, with a fairly sturdy roster and a strong farm system. It remains to be seen whether they will play it safe this offseason, heading into camp next year with a roster similar to last year's, or whether they'll make headlines with a splashy move or two.

Guaranteed Contracts

Andrew McCutchen, OF: $44.25MM through 2017
Jose Tabata, OF: $11.75MM through 2016
Russell Martin, C: $8.5MM through 2014
Francisco Liriano, SP: $6MM through 2014
Jason Grilli, RP: $4MM through 2014

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses)

Garrett Jones, OF (4.158): $5.3MM (non-tender candidate)
Neil Walker, 2B (3.166): $4.8MM
Pedro Alvarez, 3B (3.085): $4MM
Charlie Morton, SP (5.010): $3.9MM
Mark Melancon, RP (3.098): $3MM
Gaby Sanchez, 1B (4.025): $2.3MM
Travis Snider, OF (3.091): $1.4MM (non-tender candidate)
Michael McKenry, C (2.136): $900K (non-tender candidate)
Vin Mazzaro, RP (3.021): $800K
Felix Pie, OF (4.028): $500K (non-tender candidate)

Contract Options

Wandy Rodriguez, SP: $13MM player option (Astros will pay $5.5MM if Rodriguez accepts)

Free Agents

A.J. Burnett, Justin Morneau, John Buck, Clint Barmes, Jeff Karstens, Kyle Farnsworth, Marlon Byrd

Whenever a small-market team follows 20 straight losing seasons with an unexpected 94-win campaign, you know what the narrative will be: They're the young, scrappy Davids who somehow managed to compete with Goliath. When it comes to the Pirates, that's true, to an extent — their top player, Andrew McCutchen, didn't turn 27 until October, and they also got plenty of mileage from homegrown talents Starling Marte, Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez, Gerrit Cole, Tony Watson and Justin Wilson.

For an upstart team, though, the 2013 Pirates also got a ton of help from veterans, including several who had very high profiles earlier in their careers. A.J. Burnett quietly was one of the best pitchers in the National League, leading the NL in K/9 and ground ball percentage. Russell Martin anchored the Pirates' pitching staff and was fantastic behind the plate, rating 23 runs above average on defense, according to FanGraphs. Francisco Liriano was one of the best bargain-basement signings of the 2012-13 offseason. And the top two relievers in the Pirates' bullpen, Jason Grilli and Mark Melancon, were dominant.

While the Pirates may not have been that young, though, they're well-positioned to compete in the near future, even if it will be tough to repeat their 94-win 2013 performance. There's no reason to think McCutchen won't continue to be one of the best position players in baseball, and Marte should continue to post star-caliber seasons alongside him, mostly thanks to his defense. Cole looked more and more like an ace as his debut season went on, and fellow top pick Jameson Taillon will likely soon join him in the Pirates' rotation. The 2013 Pirates had a solid, ground-ball-heavy pitching staff that was aided by terrific fielding (thanks in part to very frequent defensive shifts) and an underrated offense. That probably won't change much in 2014.

The short-term problem for the Pirates, though, will be how to replicate or replace the performances they got from veterans in 2013. Martin and Liriano will be back, but they're unlikely to combine for 7.2 WAR again. Likewise, Grilli and Melancon will have a tough time again combining for 4.0 WAR. And Burnett might not be a Pirate at all — he's still deciding whether to return for another season or to retire. The Pirates also stand to lose Marlon Byrd, who provided a boost to the their offense after an August trade with the Mets.

Offensively, the Pirates are set for 2014 at catcher (Martin), second base (Walker), third base (Alvarez) and two of the outfield positions (McCutchen and Marte). At shortstop, Clint Barmes is a free agent, but newcomer Jordy Mercer easily outhit him in 2013, while also providing credible defense. It will be tough for the Pirates to do better than Mercer this offseason, so their best bet might be to simply re-sign Barmes or acquire another defensive-minded player to serve as Mercer's backup and occasionally give Walker days off against lefties.

That leaves right field and first base. At right field, there is, again, a reasonable case for standing pat — Jose Tabata came on strong at the end of the 2013 season, quietly producing 1.1 WAR in a part-time role. Tabata is defensively limited and offensively erratic, but given his relative youth and the possibility that top prospect Gregory Polanco will occupy the position beginning in late 2014 or early 2015, it might not make sense for the Bucs to make a multiyear commitment to a free agent outfielder, unless he's a superstar. And if Tabata flops, the Pirates could also turn to Andrew Lambo, who hit 33 home runs across three levels in 2013.

First base is where a splashy offseason acquisition would make the most sense — Garrett Jones and Justin Morneau weren't particularly inspiring in 2013, and Gaby Sanchez is most useful as a lefty-killer. Unfortunately, there are few big names to pursue, at least on the free agent market. The Pirates apparently were never serious players for Jose Dariel Abreu, meaning Mike Napoli is the only player on the market who would clearly be a large upgrade. Players like Corey Hart and James Loney (in free agency) and Ike Davis (on the trade market) might also be possibilities, but they aren't great ones.

Any changes to the Pirates' 2014 rotation will likely hinge on whether A.J. Burnett returns. Burnett has said that, if he continues playing, he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, but he's also mulling retirement. If he does stay, it might be for a one-year deal right around the qualifying offer value of $14.1MM, whether or not the Pirates actually extend a qualifying offer. If he returns, he'll join Cole and Liriano atop the Pirates' rotation. Charlie Morton should slot into one of the back two spots, and Wandy Rodriguez, who finished the 2013 season on the disabled list, will likely pick up his player option. That leaves Jeff Locke, who faded badly down the stretch last year, as an insurance policy.

The Pirates also control most of their bullpen. Grilli and Melancon are set to return, along with top lefties Watson and Wilson and, assuming the Pirates tender him, righty Vin Mazzaro. Righty Stolmy Pimentel, who arrived along with Melancon last offseason's Joel Hanrahan trade with the Red Sox, will be out of options, and he pitched well in both the minors and the big leagues last year, so he could occupy another bullpen spot, perhaps along with fellow righty Bryan Morris.

The Pirates' farm system is also well-stocked, with Taillon and Polanco leading the way. The Bucs also have a well-regarded infielder in Alen Hanson, a tall righty who posted 13.3 K/9 in Tyler Glasnow, and two 2013 first-round picks who had good debuts in Austin Meadows and Reese McGuire.

The Pirates' strong system may turn out to be important this winter. The Bucs' attendance has taken a huge leap forward in the past few years, from 1.6MM in 2010 to almost 2.3MM in 2013, and owner Bob Nutting recently spoke about significantly increasing the team's payroll next season. There are, however, few good free agent options at the Pirates' clearest positions of need, particularly first base. So it wouldn't be a huge shock if the Pirates were involved in some sort of blockbuster trade this offseason, trading away prospects in return for a star who can play one of the corner spots. Giancarlo Stanton or Chase Headley might make sense.

There ultimately isn't much point in trying to predict specifics. But it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the Pirates do something dramatic this offseason. Their first winning campaign since 1992 is now in the books. The atmosphere at PNC Park during the Pirates' 6-2 win over the Reds in their one-game playoff was unlike anything the Pirates (or, frankly, lots of baseball teams) have seen in decades. It's an important time for baseball in Pittsburgh, and the team has money to spend. GM Neal Huntington isn't the type to make a huge move just because he's expected to, but if the right one presents itself, well, now is the time.

MLBTR Originals

By edcreech | October 20, 2013 at 5:56pm CDT

A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the past seven days:

MLBTR presented Offseason Outlooks for the Twins (by Steve Adams), Phillies (by Jeff Todd), White Sox (posted by Tim Dierkes prior to the Jose Dariel Abreu signing), Rangers (by Charlie Wilmoth), Yankees (by Mark Polishuk), Padres and Giants (both by Zach Links).
There were five installments of the MLBTR series Free Agent Profiles this week.
Tim predicted the aforementioned Abreu would receive six-years and $54MM. Just two days after the post was published, Tim was proven correct on the years, but $14MM short of what the White Sox agreed to pay the Cuban slugger in the most lucrative deal in franchise history and the largest for an international free agent.
Tim doesn't see Abreu riches for either Josh Johnson (one-year, $8MM) or Joe Nathan (two years, $26MM with a 2016 club option).
If a team is looking for a less expensive closer option, Steve suggests Grant Balfour at $18MM over two years with a possible club or vesting option or Joaquin Benoit at $16MM over two years.
Steve also sees A.J. Burnett re-signing with the Pirates on a one-year deal worth $12MM, if the 36-year-old right-hander does decide to postpone retirement.
The Arbitration Eligibles series continued with Tim's anaylsis of the Padres, White Sox, Brewers, and Giants.
Troy Percival's agent, Paul Cohen of TWC Sports, told MLBTR his client, who retired four years ago and ranks eighth on the all-time saves list, wants to become a MLB coach with the thought of eventually becoming a manager.
Jeff featured a pair of catchers in a Free Agent Faceoff: Carlos Ruiz and A.J. Pierzynski. More than 53% of you would prefer to sign Pierzynski.
Steve hosted the weekly live chat.
Zach gathered the best the baseball corner of the web had to offer in Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
There are many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors. Here's a refresher on how to use the apps, features, and functions on MLBTR.

NL Notes: Cardinals, Dodgers, Puig, Asche, Franco

By edcreech | October 20, 2013 at 4:30pm CDT

The most meaningful lesson to be learned from this postseason is to stop giving mega-contracts to first basemen, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Six first basemen are earning at least $22MM (Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, and Joey Votto). Sherman believes the jury is still out on the deals given to Gonzalez and Votto, but believes the other four are disasters which, given the opportunity to amnesty Fielder, Howard, Pujols, and Teixeira for nothing in return, each team would do so just to be free of the contractual albatross. But, Sherman posits the true test of whether the era of first basemen receiving mega-contracts is over will be two offseasons from now when Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis are scheduled to become free agents.

Speaking of Pujols, CBSSports.com's Scott Miller details how the Cardinals were able to overcome his loss and the retirement of Tony LaRussa to return to the World Series in just two years.
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains the franchise's method as "The Cardinal Way," which he defines as an organizational model of success (scouting, drafting, and developing players and shaping their personalities to fit into a winning environment) and an attitude (trust, subjugating ego, working together, and always pulling in the same direction).
The Dodgers should model their organizational plan after the Cardinals and have already begun to do so, according to ESPNLos Angeles.com's Mark Saxon. The difference between the two clubs in the NLCS was the Cardinals' power arms, Saxon asserts, and most of them were drafted out of college. He points out 21 of the Dodgers' 40 selections in the last draft were pitchers and 31 of the 40 picks came out of colleges.
Yasiel Puig is too important to the Dodgers' future to have his mistakes excused because of his enormous talent and enthusiasm, opines Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
The Phillies have a satisfying problem with Cody Asche and Maikel Franco, two young and homegrown talents, competing for the third base job, writes the Philadelphia Inquirer's Matt Gelb.

AL Notes: Napoli, Tigers, Orioles, Ryan

By edcreech | October 20, 2013 at 2:30pm CDT

Yesterday, the Associated Press reported MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred testified, during the Alex Rodriguez arbitration hearing, baseball did not concern itself if Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch distributed illegal substances to minors and was only interested in possible criminal activity involving players. Today, Manfred called the report "ridiculous" telling Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel his testimony was "totally out of context and mischaracterized" and accused the A-Rod camp of leaking the story. "The larger point is this: From our perspective, one of the reasons we pursue cases like the A-Rod case is we think players should be role models for kids," Manfred explained to Haudricourt. "It's almost comical that A-Rod, who already has admitted in the past he used steroids, would express an opinion on our stance on children and PEDs." The hearing will resume next month. In other news and notes from the American League:

Mike Napoli's strong postseason is further proof his avascular necrosis is not an issue as he enters free agency for the second time, reports MLB.com's Lindsay Berra. Napoli was frustrated by having to settle for a one-year, $5MM deal (incentives pushed the eventual value to $13MM) after a three-year, $39MM contract was scrapped because of the AVN diagnosis. "I waited seven years for free agency and then got an opportunity, and it got taken away because of something I didn't even know I had and had never had any pain from," said Napoli. "I'm a little more confident about negotiating a contract now that I've shown all year that my hips aren't an issue, but I'm sure I'm going to have to go through all the steps again, with all the MRIs and talking to doctors."
There are six questions the Tigers must answer this offseason, writes MLive.com's Chris Iott. Among the answers, Iott predicts Jim Leyland will return as manager, the Tigers will not re-sign Jhonny Peralta (despite his desire to remain in Detroit), but will re-sign Joaquin Benoit and Omar Infante.
The Orioles don't have a lot of inventory to deal this winter after trading away six players in midseason acquisitions, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. Zach Britton, Brian Matusz, and Steve Johnson head the list of tradeable players, according to Dubroff.
Nolan Ryan left his imprint on the Rangers, especially the pitching staff, with his attitude and focus on conditioning, opines Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Ryan received a $10MM buyout (his ownership stake plus incentives) when he announced his retirement from the Rangers, Grant reports in separate article. However, according to Forbes, Ryan wound up losing money on his ownership investment. Ryan's original equity interest was valued at $13MM (6% ownership); but, dwindled to $7MM (1% ownership) because he declined to participate in various cash calls to cover his share of the losses the franchise incurred.

Quick Hits: Rockies, Abreu, Tigers, Dodgers

By Zachary Links | October 20, 2013 at 12:26pm CDT

The Rockies placed multiple bids on Jose Dariel Abreu and while its not known how close they came to matching the White Sox's six-year, $68MM offer, it gives an interesting window into their offseason intentions, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Abreu might have been out of their price range, but a hitter like free agent Justin Morneau, who is on their radar, wouldn't be. Here's more from around baseball..

Now that their 2013 season is over, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) offers some suggestions for how the Tigers can take the next step forward this winter. The first step will be addressing some tough questions with free agents including Joaquin Benoit and Jhonny Peralta, who says that he'd like to return to Detroit.
An international scout from the National League said the price paid for Abreu seems a little steep, write Colleen Kane and Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, the White Sox like that they don't have to give up draft picks as they might for a major league free agent or prospects in a trade.
It was reported that MLB is looking into Magic Johnson's comments that the Dodgers won't pursue free agent second baseman Robinson Cano, but Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets that they aren't viewing it too harshly. Had the comments been made by Stan Kasten or someone in baseball operations, it'd be a different story.
The Red Sox's success this year is a reminder that, sometimes, finding the right fits for your team is more important than star power, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

Jhonny Peralta Wants To Stay With Tigers

By Zachary Links | October 20, 2013 at 11:22am CDT

It has been a trying year for Jhonny Peralta as he missed 50 games due to his PED suspension before the club's playoff run, which ended at the hands of the Red Sox last night. Peralta now faces an uncertain future as he is eligible for free agency, but the veteran says that he wants to stay with the Tigers, writes John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.

The Tigers have their shortstop position spoken for with Jose Iglesias, but Peralta might be willing to continue at his new left field position to facilitate a new deal with Detroit.

"There's a chance for sure, yeah, because I like the organization here," Peralta said when asked about the possibility. "Do I want to be here? Yeah, I want to be here."

It's unclear how much interest there will be on the other side of the table. The Tigers could turn to Nick Castellanos or Andy Dirks to man the position and might not want to spend the money to bring Peralta back. Peralta, an SFX client, hit .303/.358/.457 in 448 plate appearances in 2013.

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