This offseason’s Yoenis Cespedes sweepstakes could come down to the Mets, Nationals, Giants and Blue Jays, Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. A return to New York makes sense, but only if the Mets are willing to make a commitment long enough to lure Cespedes back, Puma writes. The Nats competed for Cespedes last year, but this winter, signing Cespedes would require them to move Bryce Harper back to center field. The Giants, meanwhile, have an outfield opening with Angel Pagan set to depart, and the Blue Jays have a number of key offensive free agents, although it’s unclear whether they’ll seek to add a new talent as expensive as Cespedes will likely be. Here’s more from around the game.
- Extending Mike Matheny (which the Cardinals did on Thursday) was a logical choice, Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. The Cards have had five straight winning seasons to begin Matheny’s tenure, and his previous three-year deal would have made him a lame duck for the 2017 season. Many Cardinals fans aren’t sold on Matheny, but Hochman thinks Matheny could improve his reputation by being more open with the press, the way Joe Maddon or Terry Francona are.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says lefty Tyler Lyons’ knee injury is “not responding as quickly as we hoped,” via Hochman. Lyons spent the previous three seasons bouncing back and forth between the rotation and bullpen. He pitched 2016 entirely as a reliever was in the midst of a solid campaign (3.38 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 in 48 innings) before he missed the last two months with a stress reaction. He is out of options in the spring.
- The Padres have “some interest” in retaining Adam Rosales, Jon Jay, Clayton Richard and Edwin Jackson, but will not be extending qualifying offers to any of them, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. That comes as no surprise, since none of them profile as the kinds of upper-echelon players who typically get qualifying offers. Nonetheless, several of them were useful for the Padres in 2016. Rosales and Jay were both solid complementary pieces — Rosales hit a surprising 13 home runs in 248 plate appearances while playing six positions, and Jay produced a fine .339 OBP, although he missed two months with a fractured forearm. Richard, too, helped after arriving as a free agent in August, posting a 2.52 ERA in 53 2/3 innings down the stretch, although with underwhelming peripherals. Of the four, only Jackson clearly struggled, with a 5.89 ERA, 6.6 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 73 1/3 innings. Jackson has voiced interest in returning to the Padres next season.
How many teams left for Jackson to set the record for most teams?
Just three more. Octavio Dotel played for 13, Jackson has played for 11. Jackson is still only 33 so he probably sets the record.
And the Orioles will probably be one of them
The Nats, and Giants are looking for a big time bat, I would rather go with players like Fowler and Desmond. Why put all your eggs in one basket; The team that makes the best upgrades at catcher, outfield, and closer should win the winter. Many of the contending teams need good players in these areas.
Fun fact, Dexter Fowler and Ian Desmond were both more valuable than Cespedes in 2016.
If that’s by WAR, Ces missed practically 2 months with a quad injury. Also, if he plays left the whole season his overall defense is better.
But he was hurt, and he didn’t play left….
Every year, these sites peg the Giants as an interested party in the top free agent hitter sweepstakes. But, for some reason, all these bloggers and analysts can’t figure out that this isn’t the way the Giants build winning teams. The biggest, non-pitching, free agent that SF has signed in the last 10 years has been Aaron Rowand, to the tune of 4 years, $60 million.
There is a 0% chance they sign Cespedes.
They have filled this spot with Pat Burrell, Mike Morse, Kyle Blanks, Brandon Belt and Gregor Blanco in recent years and I see no reason why they’d make a big splash now.
If I had to bet money, I’d say they wind up, on the low end, with Michael Saunders, or on the high end, with Colby Rasmus.
Was pence not a free agent? Or was he traded there and then signed an extension?
traded to SF from PHIL for Tommy Joseph in 2011.
Signed extension Sept 2013.
You are correct, Cespedes is unlikely to sign with the Giants as it isn’t their way. Most likely they will look internally for a LF with Parker and Williamson as the likely options. The Giants favor pitching over offense in the FA market. The only way I see the Giants as a serious contender for Cespedes is if the Giants strikeout on getting an impact closer.
FWIW, I think they’re out on Cespedes, all together. They’ll keep their name out there in the hopes that the Mets or the Nats bid against themselves, but that’s as far as their interest goes.
Reading the FA list, Michael Saunders name jumps off the page to me. Low cost, coming off career highs in most categories, while still being largely under the radar. This is a move that has the Giants written all over it.
Cueto?
Johnny Cueto is a pitcher. Which is exactly my point.
The Giants biggest free agent signings of the last 10 years are Barry Zito, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija.
All of the other contracts, anywhere in the neighborhood of $100 million, have been contract extensions for existing players, Matt Cain, Buster Posey, and Hunter Pence. To a lesser degree, Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford are also signed long term, for 6 years, roughly $75 million, each.
Meanwhile, each (free agent) position player they sign, almost never exceeds $35 million or a 4 yr contract, whichever is higher (Denard Span, Melky Cabrera, Miguel Tejada, Edgar Renteria, etc). All of their largest position player acquisitions have been via trade (Pence, Beltran, Freddy Sanchez, Orlando Cabrera, etc)
The majority of Cardinals fans aren’t Mathaney hater’s. But are very frustrated with the questionable pitching moves, pitching relievers into the dirt, mismatched batting orders, playing his friends who are in elongated slumps until the GM has to trade them. At the beginning, this was fine because he was getting in the job training as a manager. Now, he’s making the same mistakes and hasn’t learned anything from the mistakes he’s made in the past. That’s what’s fans are upset with. They’ll give him a chance to redeem himself. As long as it looks like he’s trying. If he goes back to making the same mistakes that he made as a rookie manager in 2017 that will be unacceptable and the boo birds will be heard more and more.
Rosales is the best HR jogger of all time. That dude just speeds out the bases like it’s the usual; it isn’t the usual, but it is kick ass.