2013 Vesting Options
Which players can lock in 2013 contract options based on their 2012 performance? Let's take a look.
- Jason Bartlett, Padres: $5.5MM option vests with 432 plate appearances.
- Alex Gonzalez, Brewers: $4MM option vests with 525 plate appearances.
- Chipper Jones, Braves: $9MM+ option vests with 123 games.
- Kevin Gregg, Orioles: $6MM option vests with 50 games finished.
- Brett Myers, Astros: $10MM option vests based on unknown starting or relieving milestones.
East Notes: Davis, Gregg, Hellickson, McCann
Mets first baseman Ike Davis is being treated for a form of Valley Fever, though the team says Davis' infection is non-contagious and not very serious (via Mike Puma of the New York Post on Twitter). Davis says he has yet to receive an official diagnosis and hasn't experienced any symptoms. In recent years, Conor Jackson has also dealt with Valley Fever, missing most of the 2009 season with a more severe case of the infection.
Here are some (non-medical) news items from around both East divisions….
- Jim Johnson seems to have enough of a lead over Kevin Gregg for the Orioles' closer job that Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun reports that Gregg could be traded if Johnson's back is healthy. Gregg struggled in his first season in Baltimore and to move him, the O's would have to eat a big portion of Gregg's $5.8MM salary for 2012.
- The Rays have renewed Jeremy Hellickson's contract for 2012, the team announced today. Hellickson isn't eligible for arbitration until after the 2013 season and is under team control through 2016. The Rays also announced they had come to terms with 22 other players with less than three years of Major League experience, including such notable names as Desmond Jennings, Alex Cobb and Matt Joyce. Tampa Bay's entire 40-man roster is now under contract for 2012.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks the Braves may have cost themselves by waiting to extend Brian McCann. Yadier Molina's five-year, $75MM extension with the Cardinals will probably raise the price for McCann to as much as $18-$20MM or even more per season. O'Brien thinks AL teams have an advantage over the Braves if McCann hits free agency, since McCann wouldn't have to play the field in his later years if he went to the American League. McCann is under contract through 2012 and the Braves hold a $12MM club option on the All-Star catcher for 2013.
- The Blue Jays may be the best-positioned of any team to benefit from the expanded playoff format, writes ESPN's Jayson Stark.
- The two East divisions boast seven of the top 16 fantasy pitchers in baseball, according to Mike Axisa's rankings for Roto Authority. The Phillies alone have three pitchers in the top seven, including Roy Halladay in the top spot.
Quick Hits: Varitek, D’Backs, Trumbo, Suppan, Braves
Here's a look at some items from around the league on this Friday evening..
- Catcher Jason Varitek hopes to remain with the Red Sox in some capacity, but it may take him some time to determine an appropriate role, writes Jerry Spar of WEEI.com.
- When Kevin Towers was asked specifically about extensions for Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson, the Diamondbacks GM didn’t nix the idea, writes Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Towers hasn’t talked to the agents for either player yet but suggested that he might feel them out to see if there is interest in a long-term deal.
- The Angels' Mark Trumbo has been the subject of trade rumors for the bulk of the offseason, but the slugger appears to be settling in at third base nicely, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. A January poll showed that MLBTR readers think that the Halos should look to deal Kendrys Morales before Trumbo.
- Jeff Suppan wants to pitch for as long as he can, but isn't yet sure if that will extend beyond 2012, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran inked a minor league deal with the Padres this winter.
- Craig Kimbrel’s salary is the highest ever for a Braves player with less than two years of service time but the pitcher is well worth it, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Winning the National League Rookie of the Year and receiving votes for Cy Young and Rolaids Relief Man awards took Kimbrel’s salary from $419K in 2011 to $590K in 2012.
NL East Notes: Marlins, Mets, Swisher
Juan Carlos Oviedo isn’t the only member of the Marlins with a different name for the 2012 season. The slugger known as Mike Stanton said today that he prefers Giancarlo, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). MLBTR will now refer to him as Giancarlo Stanton and our archives reflect the change. On to the latest links from the NL East…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Josh Johnson looms above his teammates as the key figure for the Marlins’ chances in 2012. Rosenthal says the Marlins should contend if Johnson makes 30 starts.
- A Mets official said the team doesn’t see free agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez as a fit, David Lennon of Newsday tweets. Rodriguez called the Mets about an opportunity, but the club appears to have minimal interest.
- The Mets remain in touch with free agent right-hander Chris Young, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff (on Twitter). Young still seeks a Major League deal.
- The Braves will make Nick Swisher their top free agent target next offseason, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden. Bowden suggests the Yankees could make an all-out push for Andre Ethier if Swisher does head to Atlanta.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Stark On Blue Jays, Victorino, Braves
ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark asked five GMs how many teams have a shot at winning the World Series and each executive said 13-16 clubs could win it all. The Mets, Astros, Pirates, Cubs, Padres, Orioles, White Sox, Twins, Mariners and Athletics didn’t receive any nominations. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors…
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Stark he would take a look at a bat if one were to fall into the team’s lap. That is to say, he’d welcome players willing to accept minor league deals and hit their way onto the 25-man roster. “In terms of adding a free agent on a guaranteed contract, we won't be doing that," Anthopoulos said.
- Stark had heard a rumor that the Blue Jays may have interest in right-handed bats such as Magglio Ordonez or Vladimir Guerrero.
- Shane Victorino, who is on track to hit free agency after the 2012 season, told Stark he’d like to stay in Philadelphia, even if that means signing an extension that delays his arrival on the free agent market. Click here for the latest on extension talks around MLB.
- Braves GM Frank Wren told Stark he isn’t worried about locking Brian McCann up just yet, since he's under team control through 2013. “I think it's probably premature for those discussions,” Wren said. “But we love him. And we know he's a big part of our club.”
Offseason In Review: Atlanta Braves
The Braves took their offseason inactivity to a new level this winter.
Major League Signings
- Eric Hinske, OF/1B: one year, $1.5MM. Club option exercised.
- Jack Wilson, SS: one year, $1MM.
- Total spend: $2.5MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Peter Moylan, Adam Russell, Drew Sutton, Josh Wilson, Jordan Parraz, Luis Durango, J.C. Boscan, Yohan Flande, Dusty Hughes, Jason Rice
Trades and Claims
- Acquired RP Chris Jones from Indians for SP Derek Lowe and $10MM
- Claimed RP Robert Fish in Rule 5 draft from Angels
Notable Losses
- Derek Lowe, Alex Gonzalez, Nate McLouth, Brooks Conrad, Joe Mather, Scott Linebrink, George Sherrill
The Braves made the first trade of the offseason, shipping Lowe to the Indians in the name of saving $5MM. Facing a relatively large arbitration tab, GM Frank Wren had limited flexibility even after that salary dump and a payroll increase. He entertained trade offers for veterans Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado, but ultimately held onto both players.
There was a case for offering Gonzalez arbitration, but perhaps the Braves didn't feel a possible supplemental draft pick was worth risking a potential $4MM salary for a player they no longer wanted as their everyday shortstop. Gonzalez signed with the Brewers, and Wren chose Wilson (pictured) as his "traditional backup shortstop" behind rookie Tyler Pastornicky. As Bill Ballew of Baseball America points out, Wren has had success aggressively using rookies as regulars before with Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward. Pastornicky is not that level of prospect, though, and I wonder if a bid for Marco Scutaro or Jamey Carroll would have offered more security than Wilson (who, incidentally, will start the season on the DL).
The league's best bullpen included 316 innings from Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel, Eric O'Flaherty, and Cristhian Martinez in 2011, and in October Wren cited Martinez, Anthony Varvaro, and Kris Medlen as reasons bullpen depth was not a concern. The Braves lost veterans Linebrink and Sherrill to free agency, after the duo provided 90 1/3 innings of 3.39 ball. A lot of teams would have spent a few million dollars to replace them, but I agree that the Braves still have plenty of bullpen depth.
The majority of the Braves' offseason MLBTR archives involved Prado and Jurrjens trade rumors. Reportedly, the asking price was huge: highly-regarded Rockies third base prospect Nolan Arenado in a deal involving Prado, and a Zack Greinke-like deal for Jurrjens. If good health allows Prado to return to his 2008-10 offensive levels, keeping him rather than signing Josh Willingham, Michael Cuddyer, or Cody Ross was the right move. The Braves poked around on trade targets Seth Smith and Adam Jones but couldn't find common ground. I think the Jones discussions solidified that Jurrjens' stock is down as well, as last year's misleading 2.96 ERA can't disguise the fact that he started only 43 games over 2010-11.
The Braves were obviously down on Lowe after his late-season struggles. They felt they needed the $5MM more than Lowe's innings, even though Tim Hudson is the lone remaining starter who exceeded 152 MLB innings in 2011. Now we know Hudson will miss the first month of the season. Somehow, the Braves' rotation still looks above-average, with Tommy Hanson, Brandon Beachy, Jurrjens, and some combination of Mike Minor, Randall Delgado, and Julio Teheran. However, I don't see a workhorse in that group, so the bullpen may be taxed again as the season wears on.
Wren has said this team deserves another chance, despite last year's collapse down the stretch. They've still got several of the game's best young pitchers and some All-Star caliber bats, so the team should be in contention even if they're not the preseason NL East favorite.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Trade Candidate: Mike Minor
Braves left-hander Mike Minor made it clear last week that he’d welcome a trade under certain circumstances. While he doesn’t have the power to demand a deal, his comments appear to have irked Braves decision makers. Should Atlanta decide to address other needs by parting with starting pitching depth, Minor could be traded.
At this point, Minor is competing for a rotation spot with prospects Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado, so trade talk is purely speculative. Plus, Minor has options remaining, so he can be sent to the minor leagues whether he likes it or not. Let’s look ahead to how he might be valued on the trade market and to which teams could have interest.
First, what kind of pitcher is Minor? He has a 4.74 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 36.4% ground ball rate in 123 1/3 innings at the Major League level. The 24-year-old's peripheral stats (3.63 FIP, 3.63 SIERA, .359 opponents' BABIP) suggest his ERA is inflated by about a run and can be expected to drop given his skillset.
Teams covet controllable, MLB ready players and Minor fits that description perfectly. Minor, the Braves’ 2009 first round pick, has less than one year of MLB service time (138 days). His relative inexperience means he's not projected to hit free agency until after the 2017 season. He'll be making close to the MLB minimum through 2013, at which point he projects to qualify for arbitration as a super two player.
Minor’s arguably someone who could help a big league team win now by providing steady innings at the back of a rotation. Contenders such as the Red Sox, Tigers and Angels have competition in their rotations entering Spring Training and could have interest. Teams like the Blue Jays, Royals, Athletics, Astros and Pirates aren’t necessarily in win-now mode, but many would figure to have interest in a controllable left-hander who induces swings and misses.
Recent trades involving Michael Pineda, Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Mat Latos showed that controllable, young starting pitching is a commodity for which teams are willing to surrender multiple top prospects. Though Minor’s accomplishments don’t compare to those of the pitchers above, he has shown enough as a professional that the Braves could demand one top young player or prospect plus a supplementary piece in a possible trade. There’s no reason to believe GM Frank Wren intends to part with Minor, but if the left-hander does become available, expect him to draw significant interest.
Quick Hits: Montero, Wilson, Minor
It appears "likely" that MLB will expand the playoffs to include ten teams starting this season, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports. Talks to resolve scheduling obstacles have picked up in recent days as the March 1st deadline draws closer. Here are some links from around MLB…
- No new talks have taken place between the Diamondbacks and catcher Miguel Montero, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com tweets. The sides are up against a soft deadline of March 20th and are surely monitoring extension talks for backstops Russell Martin and Yadier Molina.
- Braves shortstop Jack Wilson will be sidelined with a right calf injury for four to six weeks, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said internal candidates such as Josh Wilson and Drew Sutton could back Tyler Pastornicky up until Wilson returns.
- Mike Minor annoyed Braves people by suggesting he'd like a trade if he isn't in the rotation, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
Mike Minor Talks Role With Braves, Trade
GM Frank Wren told David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Mike Minor is the “incumbent” in the competition for the Braves' final rotation spot because of his experience and left-handedness. However, Minor says he would prefer not to go to Triple-A if he fails to earn a rotation spot after pitching well.
“Then there’s no reason I shouldn’t pitch in the big leagues somewhere,” he said. “If they don’t have room for me here, then there’s no reason they shouldn’t trade me or just do something with me.”
Minor, 24, clarified his comments to manager Fredi Gonzalez and some teammates, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman (Twitter links). Minor says the Braves should trade him if he hasn't earned a lasting spot in the Major Leagues by next year.
Minor owns a 4.74 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 123 1/3 innings at the Major League level. The 2009 first rounder made 15 starts for the Braves last year and another 16 at Triple-A. He is currently vying for the fifth spot in the Braves’ rotation, along with prospects Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado.
NL East Links: Marlins, Bourn, Rizzo, Kazmir, Mets
Ten years ago today, the Expos claimed Endy Chavez off waivers from the Mets after the Mets claimed him off waivers from the Tigers and the Tigers claimed him off waivers from the Royals. All of that happened in less than eight weeks, and later in his career Chavez suited up for three different NL East teams in the span of 10 months. Here's the latest from his old division…
- The Marlins intend to "renew" the contracts of their pre-arbitration-eligible players at the league minimum ($480K) according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. That may prompt the union to file a grievance, contending that the team did not operate in good faith.
- Michael Bourn told MLB.com's Mark Bowman that he hasn't had any contract extension talks with the Braves. The speedy center fielder is a prime extension candidate, and can become a free agent after this season.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo spoke to MLB.com's Bill Ladson about a number of topics, including the Gio Gonzalez trade and the team's ongoing pursuit of a center fielder.
- "We'll see [Scott] Kazmir for the first time [on Friday]," said Mets GM Sandy Alderson (on Twitter). "We have an open mind but a spot on the ML staff right away is not realistic." Kazmir threw for scouts last week and is said to be considering the team that originally drafted him.
- Brian Costa of The Wall Street Journal reports that the Mets have firm commitments from seven potential investors, but want to line up three more and close all ten deals (worth a total of $200MM) at once (Twitter links).
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says the smart money is on the Phillies and Cole Hamels working out a new contract to keep the left-hander in Philadelphia beyond this season.
- The Phillies announced that Marti Wolever has been promoted from director of scouting to Assistant General Manager, Amateur Scouting.