Though Craig Kimbrel was at one point said to be seeking a six-year contract worth as much as $100MM, Fancred’s Jon Heyman writes in his latest notes column that the asking price on Kimbrel has come down a bit. Kimbrel’s camp, however, is still eyeing a contract along the lines of the $86MM and $80MM contracts signed by Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen two offseasons ago. Given Kimbrel’s track record of elite performance, it’s not exactly surprising to see him aiming for a potentially record-setting deal, though it’s important to note that both Chapman and Jansen were younger than Kimbrel when signing those deals more than two years ago. Kimbrel is only three months younger than Chapman and eight months younger than Jansen, which will likely make it difficult for him to secure a contract of that length and total guarantee. The market for Kimbrel remains somewhat undefined, though the Red Sox have some degree of interest in retaining him; Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets that Boston is waiting to see what happens with Kimbrel before taking action on the relief market. Heyman, however, notes that the current asking price is still deemed too high by the Red Sox front office.
Some other notes on the market for relievers…
- Heyman notes that the Red Sox also have interest in David Robertson, though their preference would be to limit a Robertson signing to two years, while the veteran righty is believed to be aiming for a three-year pact. Robertson, 34 in April, is representing himself in free agency this winter and has been connected to both the Dodgers and Mets in recent weeks. Robertson, who has split his career between the Yankees and White Sox, has pitched at least 60 innings and made at least 60 appearances in each of the past nine seasons and is fresh off a 3.23 ERA with 11.8 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 69 2/3 innings in 2018.
- With Andrew Miller reportedly on the verge of a contract with the Cardinals, Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweets that the Phillies’ search for a left-handed reliever in free agency could be down to “Zach Britton or bust,” noting that Britton has numerous teams with serious interest in his services. The Phils were in on both Miller and Britton, with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury reporting last week that the team was “strongly” in the mix for Miller. Britton is, of course, quite familiar to Phillies brass, as president Andy MacPhail, GM Matt Klentak and assistant GM Ned Rice were all in the Orioles’ front office when Britton was drafted and developed. The trade market could certainly present alternatives, though there’s no one with the track record of either Miller or Britton known to be available.
- Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets that Miller’s impending deal with the Cardinals will have ramifications for the Giants as well. San Francisco has been waiting for Miller, Britton and others to sign before marketing their own left-handed relievers (i.e. Will Smith, Tony Watson). There are numerous hopeful contenders in need of left-handed relief help, and both Smith and Watson are coming off strong 2018 showings. Smith, projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $4.1MM in 2019, will be a free agent again next offseason. Watson, meanwhile, is signed to a guaranteed $3.5MM salary for the 2019 season and is owed at least a $500K buyout on a player option for the 2020 season. Of course, if Watson replicates his excellent 2018 production, he’ll surely turn down that option in favor of a return to free agency. And, if he struggles through a poor season or is injured, he’ll quite likely take that option for the 2020 campaign.
ericl
The Phillies owner said a few weeks ago that the Phillies wouldn’t be outbid, but Matt Klentak hasn’t gotten any of the pitchers he’s been in on because he won’t give the extra year. He wouldn’t give Happ a 3rd year or even a vesting option like the Yankees did. He wouldn’t give Miller the 3rd year & now he is going to St. Louis. I don’t blame him for not giving Corbin a 6th year, but it is still the same result. Sooner or later, Klentak is going to have to give the extra year to get the player he wants.
ASapsFables
Perhaps he’s saving all those extra perks for Manny Machado and/or Bryce Harper instead. If that’s the case, I’d imagine most Phillies fans would be just fine with that.
djpiglatin
Yeah if my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle
Mishimacool
And your uncle would be your aunt’s wife…makes family reunions more adventuresome. Party on.
InPolesWeTrust
One of the classics. Well played sir.
jaytai7918
Hahahaha!
Jonthunder
If he’s willing to spend on offense and not pitching, I’m sure every other team would be just fine with that.
walls17
They still need bullpen help though and all the good names appear to be slipping away
Regi Green
They have 6 starters for 5 slots already.And they added lh relievers in Alvarez and Pazos….Corbin would’ve been nice to slot up top with Nola,and Miller would’ve gave them a more proven lh for the back end of the pen,but they’re not areas they need to overspend at.Happ was great in Ny,but still not sure he would’ve been a big improvement over what they have beyond Arrieta.And Given the age of VV,Eickhoff,Pivetta,& Eflin,compared to Happ,all 4 of them can outperform Happ by the end of next year,and more than likely will be better plays by year 3.And after reports of the Minor rumors,gotta figure they don’t like the prices on lhr free agents…Machado and Kluber are the areas they need to consider overpaying in,with Harper being a backup option for Machado.
ericl
The Phillies starting staff was average at best after Nola last season. Arrieta wasn’t great last season, but you can slot him in there. Eflin had a solid year, but Velazquez & Pivetta aren’t getting you to the playoffs. They are far too inconsistent. Velazquez would probably be better served being a reliever. Eichoff missed most of last season. If he’s healthy, he’d be a fine #5, but they still need an upgrade over Pivetta & Velazquez & they need a lefty starter & a closer.
Regi Green
I agree that Nola was the only consistent option last year,but I still don’t think Happ would’ve been a big improvement over any of the 4 beyond Arrieta.They were 1/4 of the season away from a playoff spot,last season,with this pitching staff.They could use a lh starter,but it’s not a big enough need to overpay for a slight improvement.Segura and McCutchen should solidify 2 defensive weak spots,while also atleast slightly improving those same spots offensively.That alone could help them compete a full 162,and there’s still options and plenty of offseason left to improve more.
AndyMeyer
I think Segura more than “slightly” improves the shortstop position offensively
PhanaticDuck26
agree with you regi. the phils want to give Eickhoff a chance to redeem himself after last season, so as the roster stands now, i would expect him to take VVs spot. Nola, Arrieta, Pivetta, Eickhoff, and Eflin is pretty decent 5 to start with, and the Phils have more depth with guys like de los Santos and Irvin ready to see some MLB action. Could this rotation be upgraded? of course, but focus on Machado and Britton first as real areas neded to improvememt.
Regi Green
I agree,and I also think McCutchen is an improvement over Santana’s bat.Still a good ob%,with a better avg and baserunning skills.
kiddhoff
Phillies are about to be forced to spend stupid money.
nstale
so are the Astros.
xabial
Astros couldnt even afford to QO Morton.. who got 2 years
costergaard2
Astros should go out and re-sign Keukel
Nook
The Astros owner said the GM has up to the luxury tax, so $35,000,000+ left to spend.
The Astros let Morton because they have questions about how much he has left.
They will add, but are likely to make pitching additions via trade.
jdgoat
The Phillies already have Pazos and Alvarez and then potentially Davis and Morgan, how many lefties does one team need?
xabial
Ask the Yanks…
No LHP RP excluding Chap. Tarpley unproven.. (Looks uninspiring)
xabial
I know sound spoiled cuz still have a good bullpen, just strange to see their lack of LHP options outide Chappy.
semut
You don’t sound so much spoiled as you do just plain uninformed about almost everything you post
goldenmisfit
Given the age of Kimbrel and his Rocky postseason he might be more inclined to ask for a four-year deal given his age with the total contract worth around 70-75000,000.
TheTrotsky
Why would he? If he sits tight someone will offer the extra year and the extra 10-15 million.
proof2006
The longer he waits the less likely he is to get anything near what he wants. Sitting tight does not guarantee an extra year or extra money. More likely the opposite.
Ejemp2006
Kimbrel is my pick for most likely to get paid way more than projected.
NotaGM
exaxtly…ask J-mart how well that worked for him in today’s market.
mj-2
Andrew Miller off the board and the Braves just sit around doing nothing.
jhuck5
Braves will add Will Smith via trade
Balk
Come with the prospects and you can have em.
basebaIl1600
Will cost an impact OF prospect. Probably Waters 1 on 1 for Smith, or no deal and the giants wait till the deadline most likely.
Balk
They will move one before the deadline, but they are I believe in the hunt for some pitching.
basebaIl1600
If that’s true I’d be surprised. Outfield is a black hole right now, Ramos is years away and very raw, and Duggar although slick-fielding has never had amazing minor league offensive stats. Shaw is a great hitter but is more of a 1B than a LF. On the flip side, Andrew Suarez has mad potential, Rodriguez pitched like an ace last year (sub 3 ERA), and one of our best prospects (imo the second best behind Bart) is a pitcher; Shaun Anderson.
Balk
If you read what Zaidi said about those two young boys, he said he would like to ease them in to more innings, and look for some pitching options to buy those boys some time. So this might be the year they let Williamson, and Duggar, with a solid trade or salary right fielder to get in there with Shaw maybe? But what do I know? Only a guessing game.
snotrocket
Rodriguez will be 27 next season and Suarez will be 26. If they can’t handle a full season at this point will they ever be able to?
SFGiants74
If Giants are in the hunt for pitching, why would they trade pitching. Bizarre.
SFGiants74
Funny. Why should the Giants trade down? Do you really believe that Giants will be able to trade up with 2 injured players?
nuschler22
Anderson did pitch in the futures game. Where he got Ramos out.
DTD
The Braves should hang up immediately if they want Waters for Smith. Waters is gonna be a stud
wiggysf
Smith is a stud.
pustule bosey
age has nothing to do with conditioning.
snotrocket
Op referred to them as kids. They will play next year in their mid to late 20’s, which should be their physical prime. Doesn’t really matter, as the Giants will be bad regardless.
mrnatewalter
Smith is a top 10 reliever. The cost isn’t going to be cheap.
jekporkins
I’m so tired of the Giants signing veterans that do about the same as these young dudes, and at least I’ll have something curious to watch. I feel 2019 is a wash year anyway, so let’s see what they can do.
Just start a rotation of Williamson, Duggar, Slater and Shaw and see what happens, sending one down to AAA when he’s cold. Maybe sign one vet for cheap who can swing through all positions to assist.
Williamson for sure needs one last shot. I also think he’s out of options.
chippahawk
AA has been super boring thus far with the much-anticipated offseason cash at his disposal. Maybe he’s waiting to pick up the crumbs or maybe a huge signing is on its way along with a big trade.
Dear Santa: all I want for Christmas is JTR, Harper, greinke, and kimbrel. That’s all, rewind back to the 90s.. TEAR DOWN THIS WALL
Mishimacool
Wall hasn’t even been funded yet.
petfoodfella
You want $70m+ a year for 3 players? Wow
johnsilver
Little correction there matey.. That was Reagan standing on the free side of the Berlin wall imploring Gorbachev to tear down the wall separating West Berlin (free) from East Berlin (communist/socialist) in the late 80’s while he was the president.
steelerbravenation
If you are a Brave fan why would you want Miller ? He is expecting to get paid to much for the combination of how old he is & the year he had last year. AA is not paying the price for a name in free agency.
Mikel Grady
Cub fan and we are sitting here with you .
basebaIl1600
Will Smith was better than both Britton and Miller last year, has closing experience just like Britton and Miller, costs less money. The team that lands Will Smith will be smarter than the team that pays Britton 45M.
Balk
Watson was better then those dudes.
basebaIl1600
True, he should also get a good return. Not as good as Smith, though since he’s younger and was overall better last year.
steelerbravenation
Indians gave up their best prospect for 2 RP last year. Could Watson & Smith be combined together for a top prospect ?
baseballpun
Rather spend $$ than players.
ASapsFables
Perhaps the Phillies having to settle for Zach Britton can be a blessing in disguise. Not only did he have a better season in 2018 than Andrew Miller but he had also been a teammate of Manny Machado in Baltimore ever since the free agent 3B/SS debuted in 2012.
The Phillies would be wise to sign Britton asap not only because they need him desperately in their bullpen but also to show Machado that they can also play the favoritism game in recruiting free agents.
jbigz12
I have a feeling Britton and Machado weren’t boys.
Ejemp2006
On account that Britton has a healthy work ethic and Machado… Not so much.
fasbal1
The teams better sign relievers quick, because 2 weeks from now they will all be gone.
Vizionaire
angels need a lh stopper and a closer. bad. but then i don’t know if epp sees it that way.
NotaGM
Sox will spend…I’m sure there is an offer for Kimbrel however DD is awaiting for the market to play put like he did with JD last season.
DD is spending smart not dumb but lets see who wins.
pasha2k
And I’m waiting for the Panda contract to go away.
xabial
Does it go away in 2020 when u mercifully buy out his club option for $5M? — Cuz that’s still 5M 😉
It’s like one of those “if a tree falls in the forest, does it still make a sound?” Riddles
Bruin1012
I have a hard time seeing Kimbrel coming back to Boston. If they do sign him they will be over 250 million in starting pay roll. Maybe they are going to blow it out for one last run at repeating but I just don’t see it. I think Boston’s preference is just staying under the 246 million mark to start the season and Kimbrel would blow them right past that mark.
jd396
What an enviable dilemma
jorge78
Blue light special on aisle 9!
Closers priced to move!
walls17
I think a team would be wise to go after one of Smith/Watson (hell, even both) instead of going after a reliever whose best days are probably behind him at an inflated salary
Macho King OG
Machado and Harper are waiting for the Yankees to do something. There’s no way either one wants to play in Colostomy Bag places like Philly or the South Side of Chicago.
DadsInDaniaBeach
I’ve been to NY and enjoyed my visits…
Never been to Chicago so don’t know much about the city..
Clearly, you have no idea what you are talking about when you trash the City of Philly….The history there rivals that of just about all others..From Rodin’s Museum, to Christ Church, to Independence Hall to Carpenters Hall, Elfreths Ally..The Culture there is huge…so much more..
jd396
There’s stuff to trash with every city. Especially Chicago.
bravesfan
The relief market is exactly where the braves needed to spend a lot of time improving our team in, and it’s been crickets so far. No reason the braves shouldn’t be rumored with each of the pitchers, unless they truly aren’t searching here, which is a HUGE mistake
Solaris601
Cody Allen is available. Haven’t heard him connected to any team so far.