Adam Jones hit the 10-and-5 service time threshold this past week, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe mentions in his weekly notes column. Once a player achieves his 10-and-5 rights (ten full seasons in the majors, the last five with the same team), he earns full no-trade protection for the rest of his career. This may be something of a moot point in Jones’ case since his current Orioles contract already contains a no-trade clause, though reaching the 10-and-5 milestone is a noteworthy achievement for any player. Ryan Braun will be the next player to achieve 10-and-5 rights (on May 14), which carries more hot stove importance given that Braun has been at the center of several trade rumors; Braun’s contract already has a 23-team no-trade clause, and he’ll get full veto power of any deal once he becomes a 10-and-5 player.
Here’s more from Cafardo’s latest column…
- The Royals are “likely” to re-sign shortstop Alcides Escobar. The veteran shortstop is a free agent after this season and is off to a very rough start in his walk year, with just a .486 OPS over 104 plate appearances. While Escobar has always been a below-average hitter, he has provided good value in the past as a baserunner and defender, though advanced metrics are somewhat split on his glovework (he is a plus defender per UZR/150 but has minus-11 Defensive Runs Saved from 2014-16). It seems unusual that the Royals would be set on bringing Escobar back given his struggles, the fact that it is quite early in the season and the presence of Raul Mondesi Jr. as the team’s potential shortstop of the future. With Mondesi himself still unproven at the plate, however, the Royals could see Escobar as a bridge player on an inexpensive contract, potentially no longer than one guaranteed year.
- Speaking of Royals free agents, the team has scouts looking at various farm systems preparing for potential deals of Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. “The prevailing thought is the Royals can move Cain the easiest, but he’s the one they’d most like to keep,” Cafardo writes.
- The Red Sox seemingly aren’t interested in trading Rafael Devers, both due to his top prospect status and Boston’s questionable third base situation. The Sox have already dealt quite a few notable prospects in recent trades, making Cafardo wonder if the club is willing to give up even more minor league talent to acquire a pitcher like Jose Quintana. Devers has often been earmarked as Boston’s third baseman of the future, though since he is tearing it up at Double-A, one wonders if we could potentially see Devers at Fenway Park as a late-season callup, a la Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada last season.
- Corey Dickerson’s first season with the Rays was a disappointment, but he is off to a terrific start in 2017, hitting .318/.365/.570 with six homers over 116 PA. “It took him a year to get used to the American League and not hitting at Coors Field,” an AL coach tells Cafardo. “Everyone knew he could hit anywhere and now he’s gotten used to a new team and a new league, knows the pitchers better, and you’re seeing his talent come out.”
The point that I must emphasize is that trading Lorenzo Cain doesn’t bar the Royals from signing him this coming offseason
10/5 rights does not give a player full veto power for their career. Just the rest of their tenure on their 5 consecutive year team.
I had to pause at that statement as well.
Amazing how Cafardo has his ear to the ground all the way from Boston to Western Missouri. But I don’t see how the Royals would expend any more of their tight budget on Alcides Escobar, who is off to his worst start ever, and has been pretty bad overall for the past few years.
I think I’d rather believe Joe Posnanski, Sam Mellinger, Rustin Dodd, or the other local KC writers about Royals rumors.
p.s. MLBTR: Aren’t there other national writers who cover the league better than Cafardo? I never see anything new or exciting in his surveys.
Their tight budget would be added reason for them to re-sign him. A legacy signing for a couple of million bucks is a whole lot easier on the books than the $72m Gordon got.
It’s not either / or.
Who are the other 10-and-5 players? Is there some kind of tracker?
Hmmm. King Felix. Adrian Gonzalez. Mauer. Cargo. Matt Cain. Ellsbury. Yadi. Basically a bunch of players nobody would want to trade for.
Not Ellsbury. He signed after 2013.
Oh yeah. For some reason I thought it was earlier. Regardless, though, I doubt anybody is poking around Ellsbury anytime soon.
Not current but pretty close. link to sporcle.com
Thanks! That gives me a great idea of who they are. I hope MLBTR can keep an updated list somewhere.
Despite the injuries to the rotation, pitching is not the Red Sox problem and trading for Quintana will not have a good effect for the team. The problem is offense. If they want to make a trade then they need to look for a solid hitting third baseman.
A solid Fielding third baseman would net as many runs as a solid hitting 3rd baseman.
The good fielding 3rd basemen isn’t guaranteed opportunities defensively to make plays throughout a season. He is obligated to hit however.
I have to agree with this. Have been hearing way too much about how they need pitching. When Price comes back (assuming he’s healthy) they’ll be fine. Just need to hold it down for the rest of the month. Sick of hearing about the Sox and big pitching trades.
My thoughts exactly.
Devers’ name links to mlbtraderumors rather than to his -reference page.
Glad to see Dickerson back in a groove. I liked him in Colorado as he was just a hard hitting banger with the Rox. I think he can do that anywhere. Don’t know about A. Jones as he seems much like a drama queen/king. Good ability, and Baltimore can keep him.