Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Benson, Giants, Mariners
A quick rundown of some of the day's items…
- In an appearance on WEEI's Dale & Holley Show, ESPN's Keith Law said that the Red Sox are the clear front-runners if and when Adrian Gonzalez hits the trade market. "I really think that Boston could top anybody if Adrian Gonzalez becomes available, and he will," Law said. The transcript of Law's appearance is available here.
- It looks like Washington might still be the only team interested in Kris Benson. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that the Indians have no interest in the right-hander.
- ESPN.com's Jayson Stark polled "20 baseball wise men" to get their take on the offseason moves. The panel picked Seattle and Arizona as the most improved teams in their respective leagues, while Cleveland and the Dodgers were the least improved. John Lackey was named the winter's best free agent signing, while Brandon Lyon's deal with Houston was considered the worst.
- Giants infielder Freddy Sanchez underwent shoulder surgery on December 23, but the news of the procedure didn't come out until almost a month later. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News believes the club wanted to keep Sanchez's condition a secret in order to help them sign Juan Uribe to a more team-friendly contract. Uribe signed a one-year, $3.25MM deal on January 5.
- MLB.com's Jim Street answers some Mariner-related questions in a fan mailbag. Some topics of note include the possibility that the M's could deal one of their surplus outfielders, and Chad Cordero could also be trade bait if he doesn't make the Seattle bullpen but otherwise appears recovered from shoulder surgery.
- Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs thinks "Arizona overpaid a bit" in the arbitration settlement between the Diamondbacks and Edwin Jackson, but also notes that "there is reason to believe this deal is fair to both sides."
- Miguel Olivo took less money to play in Colorado because he wanted to be on a contending team, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
- "It's decision time" for teams to negotiate with players entering the last year of their contracts, says USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
- Wandy Rodriguez and the Astros had their arbitration hearing today, and The Associated Press reports that a decision should be reached by tomorrow. Rodriguez wants $7MM, while Houston has countered with an offer of $5MM.
- Jane Lee of MLB.com breaks down the dollars and reasoning behind Oakland's quick flip of Willy Taveras earlier this month.
- There are no new developments between Jonny Gomes and the Reds, but John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the two sides are still talking. GM Walt Jocketty is hopeful the team and player "can get something done this weekend."
- Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at some of the issues facing the Pirates this spring, and notes that the club's young players could be helped without the pressure to win starting jobs.
Edes On Lowell, Ortiz, Martinez
Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com chatted with fans today about the Red Sox, and here were a few items of note during the conversation…
- Edes said "there is a consensus expectation" that the Twins and Joe Mauer will come to terms on a long-term deal for the superstar catcher. Edes said that Mauer's negotiations might be holding up Boston's attempt to sign current backstop Victor Martinez to a contract extension, but only in the sense that the Red Sox want to use Mauer's contract to set the market, not out of a hope that they might sign Mauer in the offseason.
- Speaking of Martinez, Edes believes that the Sox will soon begin to negotiate with both the catcher and fellow impending free agent Josh Beckett.
- In response to a fan who asked why the Red Sox don't hang onto Mike Lowell (who has been considered to be as good as traded for months) as insurance in case David Ortiz has another early-season slump, Edes said that Boston thinks Lowell is simply too big of a health risk. If Ortiz does indeed struggle again, Edes believes the club will acquire a new player rather than look within the organization.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Lowell, Mauer, Adrian
Links for Wednesday…
- I recently did an Orioles-centric phone interview with Tom Sedlacek of the Bowie Baysox website.
- The Cubs signed 18-year-old Korean righty Kim Jin-yeong for $1.2MM, reports Matt DeWoskin of True Stories Of Korean Baseball. I have heard that this is not official yet, however.
- Ted Lilly would like to remain with the Cubs beyond 2010, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, but the lefty doesn't want to be a distraction.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford chatted with Mike Lowell about his near-trade to the Rangers and his future with the Red Sox.
- Bob Nightengale of USA Today examines the Joe Mauer extension situation, drawing a parallel to Cal Ripken in 1992.
- This time, Padres CEO Jeff Moorad talked about hope and optimism regarding an extension for Adrian Gonzalez (Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune reporting).
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Nationals, Reds, and Indians made big league offers to Chien-Ming Wang, while the Dodgers and Rays showed interest but did not make offers.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if the Tigers traded Curtis Granderson because they soured on him as a player.
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball has the numbers on the five remaining arbitration cases.
Branyan Has Offer From Indians
2:53pm: Castrovince hears (via Twitter) that the Indians offered Branyan a major league deal.
10:19am: The Indians have an offer out to Branyan, though it's not clear whether it is for a major league deal, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. The club could platoon Branyan with Matt LaPorta, who has been cleared to resume baseball activities after undergoing surgeries on his left hip and left big toe.
7:59am: The Rays and Red Sox are in the mix for Russell Branyan, but neither one of those clubs has progressed as far as the Indians, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Rays have "mild interest" in the 30-homer man and the Red Sox are keeping tabs on him even though they don't appear to have room for the slugger unless they trade Mike Lowell.
Papelbon Hopes To Stay In Boston Long-Term
Red Sox Notes: Lowell, V-Mart, Beckett
Mike Lowell is playing catch, but isn't yet swinging a bat as he recovers from a thumb injury, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. That means the third baseman isn't going anywhere for now, but GM Theo Epstein says there's a chance the Red Sox trade Lowell eventually.
Offseason In Review: Boston Red Sox
Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Red Sox.
Major League Signings
- John Lackey, SP: five years, $82.5MM. Also gave #29 pick to Angels.
- Mike Cameron, CF: two years, $15.5MM.
- Marco Scutaro, SS: two years, $12.5MM. Includes $6MM club option/$3MM player option for '12 with a $1.5MM buyout. Also gave #78 pick to Blue Jays.
- Adrian Beltre, 3B: one year, $10MM. Includes $5MM player option for '11 that can become $10MM with 640 PAs.
- Victor Martinez, C: one year, $7.7MM. Exercised club option.
- Tim Wakefield, P: two years, $5MM.
- Jason Varitek, C: one year, $3MM. Exercised player option.
- Scott Atchison, RP: one year, $430K. Club options at near league minimum for '11 and '12.
- Fabio Castro, P: one year, $400K (estimate).
- Total spend: $137.03MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Joe Nelson, Brian Shouse, Jorge Sosa, Fernando Cabrera, Edwin Moreno, Gustavo Molina, Angel Sanchez, Gil Velazquez, Darnell McDonald
Trades and Claims
- Acquired OF Jeremy Hermida from Marlins for Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez
- Acquired IF/OF Bill Hall, PTBNL, and $7.15MM from Mariners for Casey Kotchman
- Acquired P Boof Bonser from Twins for Chris Province
- Claimed P Ramon A. Ramirez off waivers from Rays
- Claimed P Gaby Hernandez off waivers from Mariners
Notable Losses
- Jason Bay, Billy Wagner, Takashi Saito, Casey Kotchman, Nick Green, Rocco Baldelli, Alex Gonzalez, George Kottaras, Jeff Bailey, Brian Anderson, Joey Gathright, Chris Woodward, Paul Byrd, Javier Lopez
Summary
The Red Sox did most of their tinkering in free agency, bringing in an ace starter, a center fielder, and a new left side of the infield. The defensive improvements could add eight or nine wins, theorizes John Dewan. Last year I liked the additions of Brad Penny and John Smoltz, but the pair contributed a 6.24 ERA in 171.6 innings for more than $10MM. This time around Lackey projects at a 3.97 ERA, while #4-5 starters Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka project in the low 4.00s.
Worried about the offense? Don't be, as CHONE projects the Sox will very nearly match last year's 5.38 runs per game. That's optimistic, since the starting nine won't play every single game, but it still looks like a deep crew. The revamped Red Sox remain one of the best teams in the AL.
Odds & Ends: Maya, Sheffield, Rays, Yankees
Monday night linkage..
- Jon Heyman of SI writes that the Dodgers and Rockies have watched Eric Gagne throw and both teams have shown the willingness to take a chance. A few weeks ago we learned that Colorado was thinking about extending a non-roster invite to the 34-year-old.
- The Red Sox might not be close to signing Cuban pitcher Yuniesky Maya, a source familiar with the negotiations tells Rob Bradford of WEEI. There's a good chance that Maya will instead choose a team that offers a better opportunity to immediately enter its starting rotation.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes that Gary Sheffield would not be a good fit for the Nationals as he wants to play every day. Ladson spoke to a major league source who believes that Sheffield will not accept a role as a backup.
- Jason Beck of MLB.com fielded a question from a reader, asking why the Tigers dealt Curtis Granderson, only to pursue Johnny Damon instead. Beck says that the Granderson trade brought Detroit financial flexibility and prospects. He also credits agent Scott Boras for helping to create an opportunity for Damon.
- Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg told 620-AM WDAE that the club's payroll will drop below $60MM in 2011, despite having a payroll north of $70MM this season. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times points out that while the club didn't plan to make any big additions this year, they found room for Rafael Soriano after dealing Scott Kazmir and Akinori Iwamura.
- If Mike Jacobs doesn't make the Mets major league roster, Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News doesn't expect him to play for the club's Triple-A affiliate. Even though his minor league deal doesn't have an out-clause, Rubin is "virtually positive" that the Mets would accommodate him with a trade or release.
- In his latest mailbag, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch supports Yankees GM Brian Cashman's decision to wait to negotiate with upcoming free agents Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Hoch believes that both players should be confident that they'll both be taken care of eventually.
Odds & Ends: Molina, Maya, Damon, Marlins
Links for Monday…
- With catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia recovering from shoulder surgery, the Rangers are interested in free agent catcher Jose Molina, industry sources tell T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Molina would be the seventh catcher in camp for Texas if he is willing to sign a minor league deal and compete for a job.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford says the Red Sox are in preliminary negotiations with Cuban pitcher Yuniesky Maya. Sox president Larry Lucchino appears to say the Sox "would soon sign" Maya, in this Terreno de Pelota column by Uziel Gomez (translation credit to Nick Collias).
- Joe Morelli of the New Haven Register has plenty of quotes from Yankees GM Brian Cashman regarding Johnny Damon (hat tip to River Ave. Blues).
- Jack Moore of FanGraphs suggests that the Marlins' quiet offseason could cost them a shot at the playoffs.
- SI's Jon Heyman names his biggest offseason surprises, led by the Mariners' moves.
Victor Martinez Hopes To Avoid Free Agency
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald has an excellent article about Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez this morning. Martinez explained that unlike some other players, he doesn't want to test free agency:
"I don't want to be jumping around, I don’t want to go somewhere else, First, I didn’t want to go out of the Indians organization. Then I'm out, and now I'm here. I came to the place where a lot of players dream to come and a lot of players wish to play here in Boston. So I'm here, I do really want to stay here and hopefully end my career in Boston."
Regarding possible extension talks, Martinez says he's "open now until the season starts." The Red Sox have a shot at getting a reasonable deal done, just as the Indians did when they locked Martinez up for five years at $15.5MM back in '05. For more Martinez discussion, check out this MLBTR post from Wednesday.