Diamondbacks Notes: Goldschmidt, Hill, Prado
Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers revealed this weekend that he approached first baseman Paul Goldschmidt about the possibility of signing a long-term extension. MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert has more on Goldschmidt plus notes on some players who recently signed deals of their own…
- Though the Diamondbacks were interested in locking Goldschmidt up, they will honor his request to wait before engaging in serious contract talks. "We tried, but he was just confident in his ability at the time and said, 'You know, I'm not looking for security right now and need a little bit more time just to kind of have a better idea with another year of play who my peer group looks more like,'" Towers said.
- Earlier on in their history the Diamondbacks signed many players to deals that included deferred salaries. The team has now paid off most of that $250MM commitment, which has led to increased financial flexibility.
- Arizona managing general partner Ken Kendrick explained that the upcoming national television deal should allow teams such as the Diamondbacks to spend more aggressively and retain their top players. "Our view with some of our key players is we can invest in multiple year deals in advance of the wave of money, where all clubs will begin to perhaps spend more on free agents or on their own players,” Kendrick said.
- Kendrick said he’s not concerned that Martin Prado and Aaron Hill might decline over the course of their recently–completed contract extensions. "If these guys continue to play at the level that they have played, which we hope they will, then I think we will look at all these signings, hopefully all these signings, as good investments," Kendrick said.
Diamondbacks Sign Rod Barajas
FEBRUARY 10th: The Diamondbacks officially announced the signing of Barajas to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 8th: The Diamondbacks have signed catcher Rod Barajas, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports (Twitter links). The MVP Sports Group client obtains a minor league deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). He'll earn $800K if he makes the MLB team, according to Piecoro. Barajas began his career with the Diamondbacks, playing in Arizona from 1999-2003.
Barajas spent the 2012 season with the Pirates and posted a .206/.283/.343 batting line with 11 home runs in 361 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 37-year-old has a history of providing some power from behind the plate, having reached double figures in home runs in eight of the past nine seasons. Barajas didn't surface in offseason rumors after the Pirates declined his 2013 option in late October.
Piecoro suggests Barajas will likely compete with Wil Nieves for playing time behind Miguel Montero. Matt Treanor is now the lone free agent catcher who spent significant time at the MLB level in 2012.
Quick Hits: Freese, Podsednik, Jurrjens, Goldschmidt
Yesterday, the Cardinals avoided arbitration with David Freese on a one-year, $3.15MM deal, which took care of all of their unsigned arbitration eligible players. However, the third baseman says that he wants to be in St. Louis for life, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "If a long-term deal is going to happen I know for a fact that I have to do some things. I have to be a leader. I have to do what I do on the field. I have do the things expected of me," Freese said. Here's more from around baseball..
- Teams are interested in Scott Podsednik but he likely will need to wait for one that wants more help, suffers an injury, or misses out on a free agent like Michael Bourn, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Earlier today, we learned that the Twins haven't ruled out making a play for the outfielder.
- Orioles General Manager Dan Duquette says he hopes to have the Jair Jurrjens situation resolved by the start of spring training, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The Orioles have yet to finalize their one-year, $1.5MM agreement with the pitcher and are believed to be concerned about his knee.
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers says he approached Paul Goldschmidt about a long-term deal but the 25-year-old wanted to wait before talking about it, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Goldschmidt won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2014 season and isn't scheduled to hit free agency until the winter following the 2017 season.
Diamondbacks To Extend Aaron Hill
The Diamondbacks officially announced that they've extended second baseman Aaron Hill through 2016. The deal is valued at $35MM, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, who first reported the agreement (on Twitter). The Legacy Agency represents Hill.
The Diamondbacks initially extended Hill in 2011, signing him to a two-year, $11MM contract covering the 2012-13 seasons. That contract calls for a $5.5MM salary in 2013 and won't be affected by today's deal. The new agreement covers the 2014-16 seasons. Hill will earn $11MM in 2014, $12MM in 2015 and $12MM in 2016, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter).
The Diamondbacks acquired Hill from Toronto late in the summer of 2011. The second baseman hit well after joining the Diamondbacks and he continued producing throughout the 2012 season. Hill hit .302/.360/.522 with 26 home runs in 668 plate appearances last year, leading all National League second basemen with 6.2 wins above replacement (per FanGraphs).
This marks the fourth extension Kevin Towers & Co. have completed in 2013. The team signed Martin Prado, another client of the Legacy Agency, to a four-year, $40MM contract. Cliff Pennington (two years, $5MM) and J.J. Putz (one year, $7MM) also obtained new deals, as MLBTR's Extension Tracker shows.
Robinson Cano still projects as the top second baseman — and likely the top position player — available in free agency next offseason. While Cano seems poised for a substantially larger deal than Hill, he does gain some leverage today. Teams no longer have Hill as a free agent alternative.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Diamondbacks, Parra Avoid Arbitration
We'll track the day's arbitration agreements under $3MM right here. Be sure to check out MLBTR's Arbitration Basics for a primer on the process. Now for today's signings…
- The Diamondbacks announced that they have avoided arbitration with outfielder Gerardo Parra, agreeing to a one-year contract for 2013. The deal is worth $2.35MM, a source tells Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona (on Twitter). Parra, a 25-year-old SFX client, was arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason with a projected $2.1MM salary. He remains under team control through 2015. As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the Diamondbacks have now avoided arbitration with all of their eligible players.
White Sox Claim Lars Anderson
The White Sox announced that they claimed first baseman Lars Anderson off of waivers from the Diamondbacks. Chicago's 40-man roster is now full. Arizona had designated Anderson for assignment last week.
The Diamondbacks originally acquired Anderson from Cleveland in a three-team trade earlier in the offseason. The 25-year-old appeared in six games for the Red Sox last year, but Boston traded him to the Indians for Steven Wright at the non-waiver trade deadline last July. Anderson, a left-handed hitter, spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A, where he posted a .250/.353/.396 batting line in 470 plate appearances.
Martin Prado Talks Extension
Martin Prado didn’t expect Frank Wren to call last week, so he was surprised to hear the Braves general manager explain that he’d been traded to Arizona for Justin Upton. But now that he’s had a week to adjust to the chance, Prado says he’s happy to be on board with the Diamondbacks. Yesterday the sides agreed to a four-year, $40MM contract extension, so he can expect to be in Arizona for a while.
“Since I got to the big leagues I’ve been looking to be secure, to be in the right spot and not have to worry about going to free agency” he said on a conference call with reporters yesterday afternoon. “The way I am right now I’m happy.”
Prado’s deal covers his final arbitration season and delays his free agency by three years. The versatile 29-year-old said he has heard good things about the Diamondbacks and was comfortable accepting the deal before playing his first game with the the team. Arizona will use him at third base after sending Chris Johnson to Atlanta in the Upton deal.
The Braves generated considerable excitement with the trade, which places Upton alongside his older brother B.J. in Atlanta’s outfield. While Wren said giving up Prado “was the most difficult part” of the deal, some have said the Diamondbacks didn’t get enough in return. Prado acknowledged that Upton is a “superstar caliber” player and said both teams stand to benefit from the deal. But he certainly doesn’t expect it’ll look lopsided in the future.
"Maybe in a couple of years, people will think a different way," he said.
D’Backs Agree To Four-Year Deal With Martin Prado
The Diamondbacks announced they have agreed to a four-year contract through 2016 with infielder/outfielder Martin Prado. The deal will pay Prado $40MM in total, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 29-year-old is represented by the Legacy Agency.
Prado was in his third and final winter of arbitration eligibility and was set to hit the open market after the 2013 season. Arizona acquired Prado and four other players from the Braves for Justin Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson earlier this month. We heard last week that General Manager Kevin Towers & Co. were optimistic about agreeing to a new three or four-year deal with the veteran.
In 2012, Prado posted a .301/.359/.438 slash line with ten homers in 690 plate appearances for Atlanta. For his career, Prado has hit .295/.345/.435 across seven seasons for the Braves.
The Braves reportedly had a strong sense that 2012 would be his final season with them as he was pushing for a new contract with a $12MM average annual value. This four-year pact with the Diamondbacks gives him a considerable raise over his $4.75MM salary and comes a lot closer to the type of salary he had in mind.
D’Backs, Pennington Agree To Deal
January 30th: The deal is official now that Pennington has passed his physical, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). Pennington will earn $1.25MM in 2013 and $2.75MM in 2014. The deal also includes a $1MM signing bonus for a total of $5MM.
January 22nd: The Diamondbacks and Cliff Pennington have reached agreement on a two-year, $5MM deal, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The middle infielder is represented by Sosnick/Cobbe.
Arizona acquired Pennington from the A's last October in a three-team deal that also brought Heath Bell to the Diamondbacks. For his career, Pennington owns a .249/.313/.356 batting line across parts of five seasons in Oakland.
This was Pennington's first time as an arbitration eligible player. The two sides were $1MM apart upon exchanging figures – the 28-year-old filed for $2.8MM while Arizona countered with $1.8MM.
Rosenthal On Lohse, Prado, Porcello, Padres
The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- Though Brewers owner Mark Attanasio recently said “there’s always a chance” that Kyle Lohse could end up in Milwaukee, Rosenthal suggests the free agent right-hander will likely sign elsewhere. The Brewers are reluctant to surrender the 17th overall selection in the upcoming draft in addition to the corresponding slot money. Lohse, the top starter remaining in free agency, has been linked to draft pick compensation since he turned down the Cardinals’ qualifying offer.
- Martin Prado’s bat might seem suited for second base, but Aaron Hill is already established at the position. It won’t be an issue, since the Diamondbacks want to keep both Prado and Hill, according to Rosenthal. Both players are clients of The Legacy Agency.
- Rick Porcello could benefit from pitching in front of a better infield defense, and he remains a potential trade target given Detroit’s starting pitching depth. However, some teams are concerned about Porcello’s low strikeout rate, struggles against left-handers and $5.1MM salary. If Porcello has a big year, he could obtain a substantial raise through arbitration leading up to the 2014 season.
- The Padres are likely to pass on Porcello for more affordable starters. Rosenthal suggests San Diego could look to trade for pitchers such as Aaron Harang and Luke Hochevar in Spring Training.