East Notes: Marlins, Orioles, Yankees
The choice between the promise of millions of dollars in America and remaining in Cuba isn't a simple one for many Cuban athletes, writes Dan Le Batard in a piece for ESPN the Magazine. Using the experience of his own parents as an example, Le Batard, a Cuban-American, explains that fleeing Cuba to begin life anew in a foreign country can mean leaving behind one's friends and family forever. Marlins ace Jose Fernandez spent two months in a Cuban prison camp after one failed escape attempt, but he tells Le Batard that his first few lonely months in America were worse. Jose Contreras, another Cuban pitcher, had to attend the funeral of his father via cellphone after defecting.
Let's take a look around the AL and NL East:
- The Marlins' roster is coalescing quickly following the Jeff Baker signing, which may leave just one bench position open, notes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Frisaro says Miami's strategy this offseason was to create as much competition as possible. Jake Marisnick, a promising prospect who struggled in his 2013 debut, appears headed for the minors.
- Orioles baseball operations chief Dan Duquette maintains that he's focused on winning now despite his club's quiet offseason, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. "We've been looking for a veteran starter to bolster our staff all winter, and hopefully we'll be able to sign one," Duquette said in a radio interview this week. "Every pitcher that we are involved in, that we're trying to recruit to come to Baltimore, there's four or five teams on each of these pitchers."
- The Yankees are making upgrades to their minor-league complex in Tampa, Fla., including a cafeteria for players and field refurbishments, reports Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News. The Yankees have also added to their player development staff, bringing in more scouts and a statistics guru, following a season that saw struggles up and down their farm system.
West Notes: Reddick, Padres
Let's take a look at the latest from the AL and NL West:
- Josh Reddick was one notable absence at the Athletics' FanFest today, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Reddick is arbitration eligible and has yet to agree to a deal, but such players still attend team events, according to Slusser. When asked about Reddick's case, GM Billy Beane indicated a lack of concern, commenting, "these things always get done." The outfielder is projected to earn $2.2MM in his first trip through the abritration process by MLBTR's Matt Swartz.
- Padres starter Josh Johnson tells Corey Brock of MLB.com that he's already been able to throw three bullpen sessions since undergoing surgery in October to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. Club management has informed Johnson, however, that he may have a light workload in Spring Training to ensure that he's fully healthy for the start of the season.
- Catcher Yasmani Grandal told attendees at the Padres' FanFest today that he's well ahead of schedule in his rehab from ACL surgery, and aims to start the season opener behind the plate for San Diego. Starting on Opening Day would put him back on the field less than seven months after the surgery, which can require close to a year of recovery time, writes Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego.
- Andrew Cashner was also in attendance at FanFest today and offered his thoughts after attending his own arbitration hearing earlier this week, reports Brock. "I thought it was an interesting process," the starter commented. "All you ever really know is the stuff on the field. It was interesting hearing both sides." Cashner won his case after filing for $2.4MM, just $125K more than the Padres' offer of $2.275MM. The difference was the smallest among all arbitration filings this year.
Jeff Samardzija, Cubs Avoid Arbitration
The Cubs have avoided arbitration with pitcher Jeff Samardzija, signing him for one year and $5.345MM, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets. Samardzija had filed for $6.2MM and the Cubs had proposed $4.4MM, so the final figure comes in just above the $5.3MM midpoint. The two parties were to have their arbitration hearing on Monday. Samardzija is represented by Frontline.
This contract simply avoids arbitration for this season, and does not resolve the possibility of a long-term deal for Samardzija, who is eligible for free agency after 2015. There have also been recurring rumors that the rebuilding Cubs could trade Samardzija, although the most recent word is that, given the continued presence of solid starting pitching options (like A.J. Burnett, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana) on the free-agent market, the Cubs could wait until July to make a deal. Samardzija posted a 4.34 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 213 2/3 innings for the Cubs last season.
Free Agent Notes: Santana, Burres, Hanrahan, Madson
Johan Santana will throw for interested teams at some point soon, Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com tweets. When he does, the Twins will be in attendance. Yesterday, Santana himself indicated that he had begun throwing off a mound, the latest step in his recovery from shoulder surgery. Here are more notes on free agents, all of them pitchers.
- Brian Burres threw for teams on Thursday, and he will throw again on Monday in Florida, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. Burres last appeared in the big leagues in 2011 with the Pirates. He spent 2012 in the Giants' system, and 2013 in Taiwan.
- The Red Sox continue to "check in on" reliever Joel Hanrahan, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports (via Twitter). Hanrahan's agent told MLBTR yesterday that Hanrahan would host a showcase for interested teams in March. Hanrahan is making his way back after a 2013 season mostly lost to elbow troubles.
- The Red Sox watched Ryan Madson on Friday in Arizona, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets. Like Hanrahan, Madson is a once-dominant reliever trying to make his way back after dealing with elbow problems. The Phillies are among the teams that have shown interest in Madson, who last appeared in the big leagues in 2011 as a Phillie.
Quick Hits: Arroyo, Athletics, Bray, Cardinals, Brewers
The Diamondbacks' signing of Bronson Arroyo was a mistake, ESPN's Keith Law writes (Insider-only). Law argues that Arroyo's declining velocity, tendency to give up homers, and struggles with lefties all make him a bad bet for two years and $23.5MM. Arroyo allowed 32 homers last season (although 19 of them were in the Reds' homer-friendly ballpark), and lefties hit .295/.327/.529 against him. He's also had an average fastball velocity of about 87 MPH the past several seasons, which Law suggests has been one cause of his home-run problems. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.
- GM Billy Beane says the Athletics are done making significant moves this offseason, Jane Lee of MLB.com tweets. The A's have been busy this winter, adding Scott Kazmir, Jim Johnson, Luke Gregerson and Eric O'Flaherty to their pitching staff and Nick Punto to their infield. They also lost Bartolo Colon, Grant Balfour, and Chris Young via free agency, traded Brett Anderson and Jerry Blevins and signed Coco Crisp to an extension.
- Lefty reliever Bill Bray wants to continue his career, but might wait until May to sign, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter). Bray pitched just four games in the Nationals system in 2013, missing most of the season due to injuries. He last appeared in the big leagues in 2012 with the Reds.
- The Cardinals have the flexibility to make a significant move this spring, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. After the departures of Carlos Beltran, Chris Carpenter, Jake Westbrook and Rafael Furcal, among others, the Cardinals' payroll is down significantly from last season, even after the addition of Jhonny Peralta. Their free payroll and strong collection of young pitching mean they'll be able to make a big trade if the right opportunity presents itself.
- Scout.com's Kiley McDaniel looks ahead to the July 2nd market for international prospects. He notes rumors that Dominican third baseman Gilbert Lara already has a $3.2MM deal in place with the Brewers, not generally a team known for splashy international signings. Dominican shortstop Dermis Garcia, meanwhile, reportedly has a $3MM deal in place with the Yankees, who figure to be big spenders in the international market this summer.
Vinnie Pestano Loses Arbitration Case
Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano has lost his arbitration case, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman tweets. Pestano, who was eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player, sought $1.45MM, but he will receive $975K. He is represented by PSI Sports Management.
Pestano posted a 4.08 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 35 1/3 innings for Cleveland in 2013, and those numbers were significantly worse than those of his strong 2011 and 2012 seasons. The Indians blame an elbow injury Pestano suffered while pitching in the WBC in March, which led to changes in his mechanics.
Bailey, Reds Far Apart In Extension Discussions
Homer Bailey and the Reds are extremely far apart in extension talks, and barring large concessions by one or both sides, Bailey appears likely to become a free agent next offseason, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). Last month, Reds GM Walt Jocketty said he was "optimistic" that Bailey and the Reds would be able to negotiate a long-term deal.
Bailey filed for a 2014 salary of $11.6MM through the arbitration process, while the Reds countered with $8.7MM. After that, Bailey is due to hit the market as a 28-year-old, and if his 2014 season is anything like his 2013 (in which he posted a 3.49 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over 209 innings), he'll be an immensely valuable property — Max Scherzer is the only 2014-15 free agent starter who rates more highly. Given the probability of an enormous payday for Bailey, it's easy to see why he and the Reds might be having trouble finding common ground on an extension.
Dodgers Appear Likely To Sign Paul Maholm
12:23pm: Maholm is likely to sign a minor-league deal with the Dodgers, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick tweets. That Maholm would receive a minor-league deal is somewhat surprising, given his relative youth and history of reasonably strong performances.
10:08am: Judging from events in the Dodgers' clubhouse today, the team appears likely to sign starting pitcher Paul Maholm. Maholm currently has a locker, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times notes (via Twitter). Hernandez also tweets that Maholm is in the clubhouse, apparently to take a physical. The Dodgers were reportedly a candidate to sign Bronson Arroyo, so Arroyo's recent decision to sign with the Diamondbacks may have led the Dodgers to pursue Maholm as an alternative.
Maholm, 31, posted a 4.41 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 153 innings with the Braves last season. He made $6.5MM after the Braves picked up an option on the one-year deal he originally signed with the Cubs prior to the 2012 season. The lefty is one of many starting pitchers remaining on the free-agent market, joining names like Chris Capuano and Suk-Min Yoon in a tier below top options A.J. Burnett, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes projected that Maholm would get a one-year, $7MM deal this offseason.
Andrew Cashner Wins Arbitration Case
Starting pitcher Andrew Cashner has won his arbitration case against the Padres, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (via Twitter). Cashner will make $2.4MM in 2014. The Padres had offered $2.275MM, so the difference between the two figures was relatively small, but Cashner's victory should still help him bump his salary up slightly in future seasons. Cashner is represented by CAA Sports.
2014 is Cashner's first year of arbitration eligibility, and he's eligible for free agency after the 2016 season. The righty posted a 3.09 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 175 innings for the Padres in 2013.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Gonzalez, Kimbrel
There isn't much optimism about the Phillies, but their roster has the talent to contend if it can stay healthy, Bob Ford of the Inquirer writes. Their season will turn on Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, all core players in their thirties. "I don't believe all of a sudden that these guys are so old that they've lost all of their bat speed, their quickness, and their abilities," says GM Ruben Amaro Jr. Here's more on the NL East.
- Amaro will be the Phillies employee who faces the heaviest scrutiny this spring, but after that is Cuban pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, writes Matt Gelb of the Inquirer. "If I knew more what Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez was, I would feel better about it," says Amaro, referring to the Phillies' starting pitching. "We think he has the potential to be that guy. It's not a slam dunk. We haven't seen him pitch. In some ways, we have to get lucky on that one." Gonzalez and the Phillies initially agreed on a deal worth a minimum of $48MM, but the team ended up signing him for $12MM instead after concerns about Gonzalez's elbow scuttled the original deal.
- The Braves' signings of Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward to extensions likely mean less money on hand to sign Craig Kimbrel. That might be justified given the decline in Kimbrel's deceptiveness last season, Alec Dopp of BaseballAnalytics.org writes. While Kimbrel was still dominant in 2013, his K:BB ratio took a big step backward, and batters made significantly more contact against him. His release point varied more in 2013, Dopp argues, which made it easier for batters to identify his pitches.