Quick Hits: Yankees, Mets, Indians, Ross
With just one day to go before option decisions are due and only a few days remaining before free agents can sign with any team, here are the latest links from around MLB…
- The Yankees should consider pursuing players such as Carlos Beltran and Jeff Keppinger in the coming offseason, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.
- Meanwhile, the Mets should check in on A.J. Pierzynski, Marco Scutaro and Randy Choate in the view of the Post’s Ken Davidoff.
- Brian Cashman of the Yankees and Chris Antonetti of the Indians have some of the toughest offseason assignments in baseball, former GM Jim Bowden writes at ESPN.com.
- It's not a foregone conclusion that David Ross will return to the Braves, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes (on Twitter). The Braves would like to re-sign the catcher, but he'll draw interest following a strong season. He's a possible fit for the Tigers in my view.
Braves Exercise Three 2013 Options
2:03pm: The Braves announced they've exercised the options for McCann, Hudson and Maholm.
10:46am: The Braves are expected to announce today that they've exercised the 2013 contract options for Brian McCann, Tim Hudson and Paul Maholm, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Braves have until tomorrow to decide whether the players will return to Atlanta for another year or become free agents.
McCann recently underwent shoulder surgery that was more extensive than expected, so there was some question as to whether GM Frank Wren would exercise the $12MM option. The 28-year-old hit 20 home runs and posted a .230/.300/.399 batting line in 2012, the worst offensive season of his career.
Hudson will earn $9MM in 2013 instead of a $1MM buyout. He posted a 3.62 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 179 innings with the Braves in 2012. Joining him in the rotation will be Maholm, who posted a 3.67 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 189 innings this past season. The 30-year-old left-hander will earn $6.5MM.
Braves Would Like To Re-Sign Ross
The Braves have contacted David Ross' agents at Sports One Athlete Management and made it known that they'd like to re-sign him, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. O'Brien adds that Ross has made it known he'd like to return to Atlanta.
With Brian McCann now a possibility to miss the beginning of the 2013 season, re-signing Ross likely becomes more of a priority for general manager Frank Wren. Ross, who will turn 36 during Spring Training next season, hit .256/.321/.449 with nine homers in 196 plate appearances for the Braves in 2012.
Ross initially signed a two-year, $3MM contract with the Braves prior to the 2009 season. He elected to sign a two-year extension worth $3.25MM prior to the 2011 season rather than testing free agency. The veteran will likely require a larger annual commitment given his strong play over his tenure in Atlanta. He'll represent one of the more desireable options on the free agent market for catchers.
Olney On Braves, Cano, Otani
The latest from ESPN.com’s Buster Olney…
- Brian McCann’s $12MM option for 2013 no longer seems as appealing as it once did, Olney writes. The Braves are working to address many offseason needs with a modest payroll and McCann's recent shoulder surgery was more extensive than expected. Olney points out that the Braves could attempt to negotiate a deal at a lower salary or exercise the option and trade McCann to a team such as the Rangers or Yankees. Of course the Braves could simply bring the catcher back for another season in the hopes that his shoulder recovers.
- Next year’s free agent class might be light on impact talent other than Robinson Cano, Olney writes. In general it probably doesn’t make sense to expect stacked free agent classes at a time that teams are locking up players to extensions that cover their prime years.
- Japanese pitching prospect Shohei Otani intends to pursue a career in MLB, and a number of teams are interested in the hard-throwing right-hander. The Red Sox and Rangers “have done the most work in this arena,” according to Olney.
Quick Hits: Yankees, Orioles, Scutaro, McCann
The Yankees are not talking about a potential Alex Rodriguez trade with the Marlins, according to GM Brian Cashman. Cashman said Keith Olbermann’s report about trade talks is "not true," according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. It’d be an unusual time to discuss a trade, as the Yankees are still in the playoffs and the Marlins have uncertainty in their front office. On to today’s links…
- Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said Jim Thome "did a nice job" in Baltimore and "added a real veteran presence,” Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Thome sounds undecided about his next step, but he could re-sign with Baltimore this coming offseason. Making room for him on the roster could require some creativity on the part of Duquette and manager Buck Showalter.
- Baseball executives Brian Sabean (Giants GM), Dan O'Dowd (Rockies GM) and J.P. Ricciardi (Mets special assistant) agree that Marco Scutaro is a talented played with toughness, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Giants infielder stayed in the game to deliver a key hit after being knocked down by Matt Holliday’s overly aggressive slide in the second game of the NLCS.
- Brian McCann could miss the beginning of the 2013 season to recover from shoulder surgery, so the $12MM club option on his contract presents the Braves with a quandary, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. McCann doesn’t have much to worry about in Olney’s estimation. Either the Braves bring the 28-year-old back or he hits free agency and draws interest from many teams, especially AL clubs looking at him as a catcher/DH.
- It's too soon to know if the Braves will pick up the option, but MLB.com's Mark Bowman would guess that McCann will be back.
Brian McCann Could Miss Start Of 2013 Season
Braves catcher Brian McCann underwent shoulder surgery today and, due to a larger-than-expected tear of his labrum, will be out of action for 4-6 months according to a team press release (passed on MLB.com's Mark Bowman). McCann is expected to resume light baseball activities by mid-February and full activities by mid-April, so it seems likely that the six-time All-Star will miss at least the first couple of weeks of the 2013 season.
The Braves have until three days after the World Series to decide about exercising McCann's $12MM team option for 2013, or they could buy the catcher out for $500K. The option was thought to be a foregone conclusion despite McCann's career-worst .230/.300/.399 slash line in 487 plate appearances given McCann's track record, the Braves' lack of other catching options and the belief that the surgery would correct the issues that hampered McCann's performance.
I'd argue that Atlanta is still likely to pick up the option for these reasons, though McCann's chances of receiving a multiyear extension beyond 2013 are very questionable. The added uncertainty about McCann's health may also cause the team to look for a stable backup option this winter. There is mutual interest between the Braves and long-time backup David Ross, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but the team doesn't see Ross as a viable everyday solution should McCann be forced to miss an extended period of time. Ross, a free agent, has a .816 OPS in 663 plate appearances for the Braves over the last four seasons.
Hudson Wants To Finish Career With Braves
Following the conclusion of this year's World Series, the Braves will have three days to decide on whether or not to exercise a $9MM option on Tim Hudson or pay a $1MM buyout. It seems practically inevitable that they'll pick up the option, but David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Hudson is hoping for more than just one final year as a Brave:
"I’d love to stay here,” said Hudson … who’s been with the Braves for eight seasons. “Obviously for next year, but I’d love to stay here as long as they’ll have me.”
Hudson, 37, pitched to a 3.62 ERA with a 5.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 179 1/3 innings of work for the Braves this season. His 55.5 percent ground-ball rate ranked seventh in all of baseball among qualified starters, but still represented a noticeable departure from the 62.2 percent mark he posted from 2007-10.
The sinkerballer missed time with bone spurs in his ankle this season, but told O'Brien that he believes the back surgery he underwent last November has prolonged his career:
“I felt better this year than I have in a while, except for the ankle,” he said. “My arm felt great all year, my back never gave me any problems, so that was definitely encouraging. I feel good that I can pitch for a while longer.”
The Braves, of course, don't have to decide on a long-term extension right now. Hudson would like to discuss such a deal this offseason, but the Braves could simply wait to see how he fares in 2013 before deciding on his fate. There are some signs for concern that would merit such caution. Hudson's ERA rose in both 2011 and 2012, his ground-ball rate declined in each of those seasons, and his 5.1 K/9 in 2012 was his lowest since 2004. Hudson's sinker also averaged just 89 mph — a full 1.5 mph drop from 2011.
The Alabama native has been with the Braves since being acquired from the Athletics following the 2004 season. In hindsight, that trade looks like a steal, as the Braves gave up just Juan Cruz, Dan Meyer and Charles Thomas. While all three were highly regarded, none developed into a superstar. Hudson, meanwhile, has pitched to a 3.52 ERA in 1,441 2/3 innings for the Braves.
Braves Extend Frank Wren
Five years into Frank Wren's tenure as the Braves' general manager, the team continues contending on an annual basis. Wren will have at least two more seasons to bring a championship to Atlanta, as he has agreed to a contract extension through 2014. His previous contract covered the 2012-13 seasons.
In related moves the Braves promoted Bruce Manno to the role of vice president and assistant GM/player development and John Coppolella to the role of assistant GM.
“These changes are a reflection of the good work and success of our Major League baseball team and the work of Frank and his senior staff,” team president John Schuerholz said.
Atlanta won 94 games this year, losing to the Cardinals in a controversy-filled Wild Card play-in game. It marked Atlanta's second postseason appearance under Wren; the Braves lost in the Division Series two years ago.
Since being named to his current post on October 11, 2007, Wren has weathered the departure of franchise icons Bobby Cox and Chipper Jones while acquiring key contributors. Wren traded for players such as Jair Jurrjens and Michael Bourn, claimed Eric O'Flaherty off of waivers, and signed Brandon Beachy as a non-drafted free agent. The 54-year-old GM signed Derek Lowe for four years and $60MM, but in general the team has not spent aggressively on outside free agents, as MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker shows.
Wren, Schuerholz's former assistant, joined the Braves in 2000. The former minor league outfielder had previously worked for the Expos, Marlins and Orioles, including a stint as Baltimore's GM.
NL East Notes: Rizzo, Johnson, Braves, Phillies
Jayson Werth's walkoff homer gave the Nationals a 2-1 win over the Cardinals today and extended their NLDS series to a deciding fifth game tomorrow. Gio Gonzalez will start Game Five against Adam Wainwright and the Cards, with the winning team advancing to face the Giants in the NLCS. Here's the latest from Washington and elsewhere in the NL East…
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo had some choice words for unnamed executives who were said to be rooting against the Nats due to the Stephen Strasburg controversy, reports CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. Rizzo again defended his decision to shut Strasburg down, also noting that the anonymous criticisms were "not how we do things in my neighborhood.''
- Davey Johnson joked that he could "pull a La Russa" and retire if the Nationals win the World Series, reports Heyman, though the manager is expected to return next season and Rizzo wants him back.
- Given the unpredictable nature of relief pitching, the Phillies' problematic bullpen could be turned around quickly, writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. With Jonathan Papelbon's salary leaving little room for another pricey relief arm, Murphy suggests the Phils could explore a trade or target such lower-priced relievers as Koji Uehara, Luis Ayala, Jeremy Affeldt or Joel Peralta. Brandon Lyon could also be a Phillies target, as Murphy says the club was interested in the veteran righty three years ago before Lyon signed with Houston.
- Also on the topic of the Phillies' bullpen, Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News thinks a reunion with Ryan Madson would make sense, as Madson could be signed to an inexpensive deal as he looks to rebound and rebuild his value following Tommy John surgery.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution outlines what he would do with the Braves this winter, a list that includes extending Martin Prado and installing him at third base, trading for Josh Willingham or signing a free agent outfielder like Nick Swisher or Cody Ross, picking up Brian McCann's option and letting Michael Bourn in favor of signing a cheaper center field option in Angel Pagan.
East Notes: Braves, Red Sox, Wallach, Orioles
News and notes out of the Eastern divisions..
- Braves General Manager Frank Wren knows that the club may have some financial flexibility this winter, but he would prefer not to put all of his eggs in one basket, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman. "We're going to be looking for premium players," Wren said. "I don't think there is any doubt about that. But there [are] a couple things we're always mindful of. We're putting a team together. We're not trying to put a player on this team. That's overriding philosophy — to put a team together. If we think we can add two players that give us more than one player, then we're going to do that."
- The Red Sox have been granted permission to interview Tim Wallach by the Dodgers, a source tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Earlier today we learned that Boston reached out to the third base coach to gauge his interest in their managerial vacancy. We can safely assume that Wallach is interested.
- As Ben Cherington & Co. work to revamp the Red Sox after a 93-loss season, the club will look to quantify what extent injuries played in their disappointing campaign, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. MacPherson notes that Boston was just 7.5 games behind the Orioles for the second wild card spot at the time of their blockbuster deal with the Dodgers. With Andrew Bailey, Carl Crawford, and Jacoby Ellsbury healthy for the first-half of the year, that differential likely would have been much closer and may have led to Cherington declining to blow up the team.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) notes that the Orioles were the only club to offer right-hander Miguel Gonzalez a minor league deal in early March. The inexpensive, low-risk signing worked out well for the O's as he is tonight's starter against the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS.