Joe Strauss, who covered the Braves, Orioles and Cardinals over three decades as a reporter and columnist for several news outlets, passed away today at age 54 due to complications from a battle with leukemia. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko are just a few of the many peers who paid tribute to Strauss with chronicles of his outstanding career and remembrances of their friend and colleague. Countless news items from Strauss appeared on this website’s pages over the years, and all of us on the MLB Trade Rumors staff send our condolences to Strauss’ friends and family.
Here are some notes from around the game as we head into a new week…
- The Tigers have been getting calls about Nick Castellanos, Tony Paul of the Detroit News reports. Castellanos was a 2010 first-rounder and a former top prospect, though he’s underwhelmed both offensively and defensively in two full Major League seasons, posting negative fWAR totals in both 2014 and 2015. These struggles notwithstanding, it’s probably unlikely that Detroit would move Castellanos since he’s only 23 and under team control through the 2019 season.
- Also from Paul, he guesses that once J.D. Martinez and the Tigers get talking about an extension, the negotiations will be in the neighborhood of a four-year, $60MM deal. This contract could be backloaded, which would allow the team to pursue more upgrades now and pay Martinez his biggest salaries later once other large contracts have come off the books. Martinez is entering his age-28 season now and has two remaining years of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency, so under Paul’s projected extension, Martinez would reach the open market as a 32-year-old having given up two free agent years. The $60MM number may be a little conservative, in my view, given how first-rate hitting is at a premium.
- While the Tigers aren’t shy about spending, Paul doesn’t think the team will stray too far (if at all) over the luxury tax limit, so landing a top outfield name like Yoenis Cespedes or Alex Gordon is probably unrealistic. Detroit could move another big contract like Ian Kinsler to make payroll space, though Paul points out that the team would just be creating a new hole at second base to solve a hole in left field. The Tigers could instead save any payroll room for a trade deadline addition.
- At the Winter Meetings, Orioles manager Buck Showalter told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko that the club was willing to surrender its first round draft pick (14th overall) to sign the right qualifying offer free agent but it wouldn’t be without great consideration. “It would have to be something that really fits. But we would if we had to,” Showalter said. “But one of our big days is going to be…in June, we got seven picks in the first 100 in the draft. I don’t know if we’ve ever had that. This is big for us. We can solidify our already strong system.” An interesting wrinkle to Showalter’s statement is that the O’s are actually guaranteed to have only five picks within the first 91 selections. They would only receive those two other picks if QO free agents Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Davis both signed elsewhere. Since Showalter’s statement was made during the Meetings, it would’ve come roughly around the time that Baltimore pulled its $150MM offer to Davis off the table, so the manager’s words could be interpreted as a hint that the O’s could be prepared to move on from the first baseman (though the two sides have since continued to talk).
Even the Tigers aren’t spenders anymore.
Wonder which teams have the money to sign the remaining guys out there.
Many teams are losing money; TV is now losing money…
Nope
No teams are losing money. They’re all flush with the largest television contracts in baseball history.
Sounds like a Nutting comment.
Pirates can’t spend cuz obviously no one watches tv anymore.
So spending 100+MM on Zimmermann puts the Tigers in the “not spending” column?
Dombrowski was a wild-child when it came to contracts.
Maybe, but I think it’s more likely that they were just farther from the mythical cap, so he had that option.
Nothing wrong with taking a step back and making some money after give give giving.
We envy owners like/especially Illitch in Pittsburgh, where they’ll never spend over budget for the fans simply because our owner isn’t a fan.
Dumbo and Illitch were responsible for those big deals, Illitch specifically with the Fielder deal.
I knew JD as a kid, and know his father. Its crazy to think that he is about to make that money. This is the exact reason I try to tell certain people that baseball is the way to go
Not all the guys make it dude.
Hence why formerlyz said “certain” people?
My bad.
Name dropper. Probably know Eminem too
Ya he meant for superb athletes that choose getting their head knocked off in football or knees worn down in basketball… All for less money.
However, we all love baseball because it’s not as much physical as it is technical.
When I was a kid I had dreams of playing in the big leagues(like most kids). I was a pretty good pitcher but wanted to play the outfield. A scout told me to stick with pitching. When I asked why he said,”A major league team carries 4 outfielders but 13 pitchers.”
So not only is baseball the way to go, if you can pitch, stay a pitcher.
The Tigers can not get rid of kinsler he is too big of a part to that clubhouse he is the leader of that team. Losing him will really send this team into a downward spiral.
Also, the remainder of his contract is very team friendly:
2016 – 14M
2017 – 11M
2018 – team option 10M or 5M buyout
Exactly. This is the first time they’ve had stability up the middle infield since Lou/Tram. When his contract only gets better every year, why would you trade him?
Seems to me that their is more money in baseball than ever before. The Tigers were so close to winning it all a few years ago, now they are trying to win before their window closes.
4 years / 60 million? Perhaps it’s because I play fantasy baseball, but I’d think J.D. Martinez could get much more on the open market.
Kinsler isn’t overpaid by today’s standards. While he’s no spring chicken he’s durable and plays the game with heart. As for Castellanos, I wouldn’t mind the Tigers moving on.
Who would the Tigers move to, if they were to jettison Castellanos? There aren’t a lot of 3B available out there. Freese is the best FA available, and has probably peaked, yet Nick is already at that level and is only 23. Seems a tad early to give up on him.
The Tigers are still in a good position and unlike football with a hard cap, a team’s “window” will be open for as long as the owner wants it to be. Even recently Mr. I talked about how badly he wants to win the WS and that he’ll keep writing checks.
You’re dead wrong if you say MLB teams are losing money. If they were they’d be going out of business. They play accounting games to make it look like they lose money when, in fact, only the Dodgers, Phillies, Tigers, Blue Jays and D’backs posted negative operating incomes for 2014 according to Forbes. When you combine the operating incomes for all 30 teams the owners pocketed in excess of $617 million with each team averaging profits of $20.6 million per team. Don’t bother with any cries of baseball teams losing money. It’s just not happening.
I think fans have been spoiled by guys like Trout/Harper and expect first rounders to dominate from day one. There’s no willingness to let a guy develop into a solid everyday player anymore. In that sense, a little early to sell on Nick unless you’re really getting something you want.
I don’t see them keeping JD long term, but it’s possible he’s watching Gordon/Cespedes/Upton and thinking nothing’s a sure thing. Nonetheless, Victor got 4/60 for his twilight years, I doubt JD would sell himself that short this close to free agency and I don’t think the Tigers can afford another $20mil man until Sanchez and Victor are gone.