Rangers Notes: Cliff Lee, Vlad, Molina
It was a bittersweet ending for the Rangers last night, but they're still the AL champions. They're planning to raise payroll, and now it's time to focus on Cliff Lee. The Dallas Morning News has a bunch of quotes from the free agent market's top starter. This cover-your-bases excerpt implies he'll at least test the market:
This is the first time I've been a free agent and I'm going to see what that's all about. It's an earned right by a player once you get six-plus years, and I'm going to take advantage of that and see where it leads me. I know I've enjoyed it here and I'm never ruling out the possibility of coming back, but I've got to play things out and see how it goes. I know this was a great group of guys, a lot of fun, and I would love to be a part of it next year, but there's so many things that could happen, you never know. There's a lot of things I've got to weigh into that. There's a lot of variables, what's best for my family, that's going to be a huge part of it. I want to be on a winning team. Obviously, this is one of those. We'll see, there's no telling what's going to happen.
Regarding the Rangers' other free agents:
- Designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero has a $9MM mutual option for 2011. GM Jon Daniels told Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News, "We're not going to evaluate him on two weeks of games when he's had a career of excellent performance."
- Catcher Bengie Molina didn't rule out playing next year, talking to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Rangers' other free agents are Cristian Guzman, Jorge Cantu, Frank Francisco, and Matt Treanor. Their ten arbitration eligible players should eat up a chunk of the payroll increase: Nelson Cruz, David Murphy, Darren O'Day, Josh Hamilton, Mark Lowe, Dustin Nippert, Jeff Francoeur, C.J. Wilson, Brandon McCarthy, and Esteban German. Nippert, Francoeur, McCarthy, and German are non-tender candidates, in my estimation.
Rangers Notes: Payroll, Lee, Washington
The offseason isn't far away, so the Rangers are thinking ahead, even though they can continue their bid for a World Series title with a win against the Giants tonight. Here's the latest on the AL Champs:
- GM Jon Daniels says the Rangers may be able to increase payroll next year, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). The Rangers intend to bid on Cliff Lee, who won't come cheap, so it's not surprising to hear that the club has the flexibility to spend.
- Yankees people are angry that Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg called Yankees fans "an embarrassment," according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Heyman says the Yankees will return fire after the World Series. The best way of retaliating would probably be to lure Lee to the Bronx if you ask me.
- Daniels left no doubt that the Rangers will sign manager Ron Washington to a multi-year deal after the World Series, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Lee, Lewis, Blue Jays, Moyer
Links for Friday as the Rangers prepare for a crucial game 3 tomorrow night..
- Carlos Lee could be attractive to a team in need of a designated hitter, says MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
- Ed Price of Fanhouse details the long and strange journey taken by Colby Lewis.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian writes that with Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, and Kevin Gregg all eligible for free agency this winter, the Blue Jays' bullpen could get a lot younger.
- It's unlikely that the Phillies would bring back Jamie Moyer on anything other than a non-guaranteed deal, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
- The Orioles have agreed to hire Rick Adair as their bullpen coach and Jim Presley as hitting coach, reports Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. Both men have agreed to two-year deals though some contractual language is still being worked out.
- Yanks GM Brian Cashman will talk to Triple-A pitching coach Scott Aldred and bullpen coach Mike Harkey about filling the Yanks' pitching coach vacancy, writes Anthony McCarron of the Daily News. However, Cashman cautions that a hire will likely be made "later rather than sooner."
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Braves, Rangers, Rays, Haren
The Phillies won their second World Series in franchise history two years ago today, beating the Rays in the first suspended game in series history. Game Five started on October 27th, 2008, and the two clubs played to a 2-2 tie through the first five and a half innings before rain forced the suspension. The game didn't resume until October 29th due to the weather, but when it finallly did the Phillies outscored Tampa 2-1 the rest of the way for a 4-3 final score.
There's no weather-related delay for these links; here's the best from around the web this week…
- Capitol Avenue Club provides a primer for the Braves' offseason.
- Pine Tar And Pocket Protectors explains how Mark Teixeira built the AL Champion Rangers.
- The Baseball Opinion re-lives Sandy Alderson's biggest trade.
- DRays Bay compiles Andrew Friedman's offseason to-do list.
- Meanwhile, The Process Report thinks about Nick Johnson as a cheap option for the Rays.
- Drunk Jays Fans reacts to the John Farrell hiring and more.
- Baseball Analytics breaks down Pat Burrell's resurgence.
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wonders if Ivan DeJesus should get a crack at the Dodgers second base job next year.
- Disciples of Uecker says it's time for Josh Butler to put up or shut up. The Brewers acquired Butler for Gabe Gross in 2008.
- Yankeeist wonders what would have happened if the Yankees managed to acquire Dan Haren this summer.
- SPANdemonium compares the Rangers, Rays and Royals.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Frank Francisco
Neftali Feliz is ready to close games in the World Series and is a strong candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year Award, but it's easy to forget that he didn't even start the season as the Rangers' closer. That job belonged to Frank Francisco, who saved 25 games in 29 chances last season. He blew the save in his first two opportunities of the season and sported a double digit ERA in late-April, putting the ninth inning in Feliz's hands.
Francisco is set to hit the free agent market for the first time in his career in a few weeks, so let's break down his stock…
The Good
- After the rough start, Francisco was exceptionally strong as Feliz's setup man the rest of the way. After April 20th, he pitched to a 2.83 ERA with 56 strikeouts and just 13 unintentional walks in 47.2 innings.
- He's dominant, striking out 200 batters over the last three seasons (10.9 K/9) walking just 54 unintentionally (2.94 BB/9).
- As stated before, he has experience closing games, not mention familiarity with the setup role as well. Versatility is always a plus.
The Bad
- Francisco finished the year on the disabled list due to a strained rib cage suffered in late August and hasn't been able to pitch in the playoffs. He also hit the disabled list twice in 2009 due to a shoulder strain, plus once more with a bout with walking pneumonia.
- He can be prone to the long ball, averaging one homer for just a touch over every nine innings pitched over the last three seasons. The Ballpark in Arlington has exacerbated that problem, his HR/9 on the road since 2008 is a much more managable 0.68.
- Francisco is projected to be a Type-A free agent, so if the Rangers offer him arbitration, a team would have to surrender a high pick to sign him.
Verdict
Francisco's offseason is going to depend on whether or not the Rangers offer him arbitration. If they don't, his stock will be much higher because the stigma of forfeiting a high draft pick is gone. If they offer and he declines, he could find himself in a Juan Cruz circa 2008-2009 situation, where he's unemployed late into the offseason because no one feels he's worth giving up a pick. There's also a non-zero chance that Francisco would accept an arbitration offer, since an award would push him close to $4MM next year ($3.265MM salary in 2010). He might not be able to find that much money on the open market.
If Francisco does hit the market, perhaps his best course of action would be to take a one-year deal to serve as a non-contender's closer, building up his value so he could shoot for a multi-year guarantee next winter. He could also be a nice fallback option for a team breaking in a young and/or inexperienced closer.
Odds & Ends: Daniels, Takahashi, Byrnes, Lee, Gray
Links for Wednesday, as Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum duel in Game One of the World Series…
- Jon Daniels called a report indicating that he asked the Mets (through back channels) to hold off on their GM announcement until after the World Series "complete bull," according to CBSSports.com's Scott Miller. Daniels can opt out of his contract after the season since the Rangers were sold this year.
- Hisanori Takahashi switched agents from Peter Greenberg to Arn Tellem, tweets Newday's David Lennon. We learned that Takashi and the Mets were discussing an extension just a few days ago, but it appears that the lefty is positioning himself to test the free agent waters.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the "belief in the sport" is that Josh Byrnes will join the Padres' front office after losing out on the Mets GM gig. Byrnes has strong ties to San Diego's front office, most notably owner Jeff Moorad.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe wonders if the Tigers and Red Sox are getting ready to battle for the same free agents in a few weeks.
- The Yankees have had internal discussions about how much money they'd be willing to offer Cliff Lee, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network.
- The Cubs outrighted Jeff Gray to Triple A, so he’s no longer on the team’s 40-man roster. The 28-year-old righty struggled through 9.1 big league innings this year.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains that the Red Sox will have trouble finding another pitching coach like John Farrell, the new Blue Jays manager.
- Omar Minaya isn't sure whether he'll stay with the Mets, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Heyman says there's a decent chance Minaya returns, since he gets along well with owner Fred Wilpon and incoming GM Sandy Alderson.
Rangers Rumors: Daniels, Lee, Guerrero
The Rangers are the center of attention as they prepare to play in their first World Series. Here's the latest on the American League champions (click here for the latest on the NL pennant winners):
- Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine and pitcher Eddie Guardado tell MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that GM Jon Daniels has a keen sense of humor. Chuck Greenberg, the team's CEO, confirmed to Sullivan that he'll work out an extension for Daniels after the season.
- As Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains, Daniels is all about scouting.
- Grant takes a detailed look at how the Rangers assembled this year's edition of the team and explains how Tim Lincecum was nearly a part of it.
- As Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains, Cliff Lee's arrival changed the Rangers' attitude.
- Dustin Pedroia said on WEEI that he hopes the Yankees don't sign Lee this offseason.
- Vladimir Guerrero told Carlos A. Nava of the Texas Spanish Language paper Al Dia that he signed with the Rangers for a number of reasons. “One of the principal reasons I signed with Texas is that I knew they had a team that was planning on going far," Guerrero said. “The other is that the heart and soul of this team is Latino, on and off the field.” (Translated by MLBTR's Nick Collias).
Odds & Ends: Ortiz, Girardi, Molina, Werth
On the eve of the World Series, here are some news items to tide you over until the big Lee/Lincecum battle tomorrow night…
- David Ortiz tells Mike Vega of the Boston Globe that he'll be back with Boston next season, reports the Globe's Peter Abraham. Ortiz said his representation and the Red Sox will talk next week about the club's $12.5MM option on the slugger for 2011. Boston has until three days after the end of the World Series to decide to pick up Ortiz's option.
- Joe Girardi's expected new contract with the Yankees will probably be a three-year deal, writes George A. King III and Mark Hale of the New York Post. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reports the deal will be worth between a total of $9-$10MM. While no one doubts Girardi will be manning the Yankee bench next season, ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor thinks the Yankees should limit Girardi's extension to two years, citing lingering issues about how the manager deals with the New York pressure.
- Bengie Molina is still planning to retire this winter, writes MLB.com's Lyle Spencer. "It's more 'yes' than 'no' right now," Molina said. "Something could get worked out this winter. As for now … yes."
- If the Phillies don't re-sign Jayson Werth, Fangraphs' Dave Cameron points out that they'll be "running out a line-up with a large, exploitable flaw" — a lack of right-handed hitting.
- Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle praises Ron Washington and wonders if Billy Beane should've hired Washington (a former Oakland coach) to manage the A's.
- With Jorge de la Rosa possibly being too expensive for the Rockies to bring back, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets that the "most likely scenario" is that De La Rosa goes elsewhere and Colorado trades for a James Shields-caliber starter, if not necessarily Shields himself.
Cliff Lee’s Wife Offended By Yankees Fans
3:02pm: Lee's agent Darek Braunecker told ESPN's Andrew Marchand, "The story is not an issue to us. Her experience in New York is certainly a non-issue. She enjoys New York as much as anyone enjoys New York."
10:01am: Two years ago, C.C. Sabathia's wife Amber was said to prefer the Giants. Yankees GM Brian Cashman was able to pitch the couple on New York and close the deal on a seven-year, $161MM contract. He may have a tougher task with Cliff Lee's wife Kristen, who did not have a good time at Yankee Stadium during the playoffs. From USA Today's Bob Nightengale:
Perhaps the Rangers' greatest sales pitch simply was having Kristen sit in the visiting family section at Yankee Stadium during the playoffs. She says there were ugly taunts. Obscenities. Cups of beer thrown. Even fans spitting from the section above. "The fans did not do good things in my heart," Kristen says. "When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it's hard not to take it personal."
It's impossible to say how Kristen Lee's experience will factor into the lefty's decision. As Nightengale notes, Sabathia and A.J. Burnett (and perhaps their wives) are ready to recruit Lee this offseason. Plus, it's unlikely Yankees fans would taunt their own star pitcher's wife.
The Yankees' main selling point, of course, will have to be money and contract years. The Rangers have all the intangibles in their favor, especially the team's World Series appearance and proximity to the Lee family's Little Rock, Arkansas home. We've seen players leave millions on the table before, though the Rangers plan to be aggressive in the bidding.
Alderson Favored For Mets GM Job
Sandy Alderson is "the overwhelming favorite" to become the next Mets GM, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post. A source with knowledge of the hiring process told Puma Alderson is "close to a slam dunk" for the position. His source adds that Alderson has the votes of Jeff and Fred Wilpon and only needs the approval of team president Saul Katz. Puma speculates that Alderson's hiring could be announced on Friday, a World Series travel day.
Andy Martino of the New York Daily News agrees that Alderson is the favorite and also speculates on a Friday announcement. Martino says Rangers GM Jon Daniels is no longer being considered for the Mets job.
Alderson, 63 next month, served as GM of the Athletics from 1983 through the 1997. He later worked in the commissioner's office and for the Padres.