Quick Hits: Braves, Selig, Indians
A few stray items to pass along on this Saturday evening …
- The Braves plan to increase their payroll over 2011's $87MM Opening Day figure, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Atlanta could bring back arbitration eligibles Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado, Michael Bourn, Tommy Hanson and Eric O'Flaherty, and still be able to increase payroll, but "trading one or more of those players would enable them to spend more," according to Rosenthal. We've already seen the Braves try to trade Jurrjens and Prado, but a potential deal with the Royals fell through.
- The sale of the Dodgers was one of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's final big chores before likely retirement after 2012, according to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. Next on Selig's to-do list, per Rogers: Deciding on whether to approve Jim Crane's purchase of the Astros; getting the Mets back in solid financial standing; and resolving the untenable stadium situations of the Athletics and Rays.
- The Indians have signed 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Henry Lunar, according to ElTiempo.com.ve (Spanish link, translated by MLBTR's Nick Collias).
- Cubs president Theo Epstein will be the front man in the North Siders' efforts to secure funding for a $300MM proposal to improve the conditions of Wrigley Field, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
Quick Hits: Cuddyer, Willingham, Duquette, Mets
Let's take a look at some weekend links from around the league….
- Michael Cuddyer is open to returning to the Twins, but even if Minnesota makes him the best offer, there's no guarantee he'll sign there, says Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 (Twitter links). Last night we heard that the Phillies are seriously pursuing Cuddyer.
- Approximately ten teams have expressed interest in Josh Willingham so far, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). O'Brien adds that the Braves, who could use a power-hitting outfielder, are not one of those clubs.
- With the Orioles close to hiring Dan Duquette, MASN's Roch Kubatko (Twitter link) talks to one O's person who calls Duquette "brilliant" and says no one is more connected in Asian and Latin American markets.
- As Alex Speier of WEEI writes, 60-year-old Pete Mackanin, a managerial candidate for the Cubs and Red Sox, would be an unconventional choice – no one 60 or older has been hired for his first full-time managerial job since Bobby Mattick in 1980 with the Blue Jays.
- Jim Thome doesn't seem to be a great fit in Philadelphia, says ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider link). The Phillies agreed to sign the 41-year-old slugger to a one-year deal and introduced him at a news conference this afternoon.
- Rick Sofield, who has played and coached with Clint Hurdle in the past, is the latest addition to the Pirates' staff, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- The Mets are attempting to attract potential investors by agreeing to pay an annual interest on minority stakes, according to a New York Post report.
Olney’s Latest: Cuddyer, Thome, O’s, Jurrjens
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney explained how Michael Cuddyer's versatility makes him a great fit for many teams, including the Phillies. Last night we learned that Philadelphia is seriously pursuing the long-time Twin. Here's the rest of Olney's hot stove talk…
- Jim Thome has told friends that he could use the offseason to prepare himself to play first base once or twice a week next year. Thome agreed to a one-year deal to rejoin the Phillies yesterday, and Ryan Howard could miss the start of the season after rupturing his Achillies.
- Olney knows of about "a dozen assistant-level executives" that have passed on interviewing for the Orioles' still vacant GM job.
- Rival executives have told Olney that Jair Jurrjens' trade value was probably at its highest this past July (Twitter link). The Braves are reportedly open to moving Jurrjens, as well as Martin Prado.
- In another tweet, Olney adds that Jurrjens still has plenty of trade value. He figures the right-hander would be among the most coveted free agent starters if he was on the open market.
Jurrjens Talks Stall Between Royals And Braves
Yesterday we learned that the Braves are open to moving Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado, and that they've already had trade talks with the Royals. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star reports that talks have stalled however, likely because Kansas City does not want to include top prospect Wil Myers in the deal.
Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal Constitution says (on Twitter) that Atlanta is not actively shopping Jurrjens and Prado, but they will listen to offers for any player on their roster without ten-and-five no-trade protection. Dutton says the Braves offered the Royals a two-for-two deal: Jurrjens and Prado for Myers and Lorenzo Cain. Kansas City is open to moving Cain, he added. That deal would add close to $10MM to the Royals' payroll next season, eating up a big chunk of what they have available to spend this offseason according to Dutton. The Braves are trying to unload some salary, which they managed to do earlier in the week by trading Derek Lowe to the Indians.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports notes (on Twitter) that it shouldn't be tough for Atlanta to find a taker for Prado if they're really motivated to move him. The Blue Jays, Tigers, Twins, Cardinals, and Dodgers could all use an upgrade at second base. Troy Renck of The Denver Post speculates (on Twitter) that the Rockies could get involved, possibly using Dexter Fowler or Charlie Blackmon as trade bait. Both outfielders are from Georgia.
NL East Notes: Wang, Buehrle, Ankiel, Braves
The Mets are losing confidence that Jose Reyes will return in 2012. Here are some more hot stove notes from the NL East…
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters, including Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com, that the team discussed possible 2013 options with Chien-Ming Wang's representatives before agreeing to a simple one-year deal.
- The Nationals will continue searching for pitching. "We want a guy that has shown he's a good leader, that can win in the big leagues," Rizzo said. "It's not about having the best stuff. It's about being able to pitch 200 innings many, many times in your career.” As Goessling and a number of other Nationals reporters have noted, that describes Mark Buehrle quite well.
- Scouts tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney that they like what Buehrle offers, even though the 32-year-old southpaw doesn't light up any radar guns. Meanwhile, the Marlins are concerned about the command issues C.J. Wilson had in the postseason, according to Olney.
- The Mets haven’t ruled out free agent Rick Ankiel as a center field option, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. They still have arbitration eligible center fielder Angel Pagan, but they may trade or non-tender him instead.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore acknowledged that he has had preliminary trade talks with the Braves, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Braves are open to moving Jair Jurrjens or Martin Prado and the Royals are looking for starting pitching.
Braves Open To Trading Jurrjens, Prado
The Braves have told some teams they would be willing to move Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado in a trade, a Major League source tells MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Atlanta is known to be looking for a power-hitting outfielder and possibly a new shortstop, so either could be acquired in a Jurrjens/Prado trade, or at the very least the Braves could pick up some salary relief — both Jurrjens and Prado are arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter.
The Braves and Royals have already discussed a Jurrjens trade, and the Braves have an interest in minor league outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Wil Myers, amongst several other prospects in K.C.'s deep farm system. The Royals are known to be targeting veteran starting pitching on the trade market this winter so the two sides would seem like a fit as trading partners. As Bowman notes, Cain could be seen by the Braves as a future center field option if Michael Bourn isn't signed to an extension.
Jurrjens was an All-Star in 2011, though the right-hander struggled badly (a 5.88 ERA) in the second half of the season and spent time on the DL with a knee injury. While Jurrjens' health is a question mark, Myers also took a minor step back (a .745 OPS in Double-A) in 2011 after being ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the sport in Baseball America's preseason rankings. Myers is still just 20, however, and was converted to the outfield this year after spending his first two pro seasons as a catcher.
After an impressive 2010 season that saw him finish ninth in NL MVP voting, Prado took a step back in 2011, hitting .260/.302/.385 as Atlanta's everyday left fielder. Prado's ability to play left, third, first and second base would make him an intriguing trade possibility for a number of teams, especially since he could be available at a somewhat buy-low price.
Minor Moves: Braves, Johnson, Orr, Blue Jays
Here are today's minor moves…
- The Braves signed outfielder Jordan Parraz to a minor league deal with an adjusted big league salary, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The deal includes an invitation to Spring Training
- Dan Johnson, who was outrighted earlier today, has elected free agency, according to the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter).
- Utility player Pete Orr re-signed a minor league deal with the Phillies, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (on Twitter). The deal includes an invitation to Spring Training.
- The Blue Jays signed 16-year-old right-hander Jesus Tinoco out of Venezuela, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Meanwhile, the Reds signed 16-year-old righthander Soid Marquez.
- Here's a note for the diehard transactions fans out there: the Blue Jays actually released Adam Loewen, tweets Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (the team announced that it had outrighted Loewen this morning). The Blue Jays would have interest in re-signing Loewen to play at Triple-A if he doesn't find a better offer. Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi tweets that Loewen became a six-year minor league free agent.
- The A's signed right-hander Edgar Gonzalez to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 28-year-old appeared in one game with the Rockies in 2011, but spent most of the season at Triple-A. He posted a 5.00 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 133 1/3 innings for the top affiliates of the Rays and Rockies.
Outrighted: Crowe, Rangers, Rodriguez, Braves
The latest players to be outrighted off 40-man rosters:
- The Indians outrighted Trevor Crowe off of their 40-man roster, according to the team. Crowe, who appeared in 15 games for the Indians in 2011, cannot elect free agency
- The Rangers outrighted pitchers Omar Beltre, Merkin Valdez and Eric Hurley and infielders Andres Blanco and Esteban German off of the 40-man roster, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Blanco, who would have been arbitration eligible, projected to earn $500K through arbitration. He posted a .605 OPS in 82 plate appearances as a utility player and was the only one of the outrighted players to pick up significant playing time in 2011.
- The Mariners outrighted infielder Luis Rodriguez, tweets Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. I named Rodriguez and David Aardsma as the Mariners' primary non-tender candidates back in September, and now both are off the 40-man roster, which stands at 36. Rodriguez has elected free agency, reports MLB.com's Greg Johns.
- The Braves outrighted catcher J.C. Boscan, reliever Stephen Marek, outfielder Wilkin Ramirez, and outfielder Antoan Richardson to Triple-A Gwinnett, tweets MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Meanwhile, starter Todd Redmond's contract was selected. Marek had Tommy John surgery in May; he was obtained from the Angels with Casey Kotchman for Mark Teixeira at the '08 trade deadline. I thought at the time that the Braves' return topped the value of a couple of draft picks. That hasn't been true if you look at who the Angels took with their two Teixeira picks: top prospect Mike Trout and lefty Tyler Skaggs, a main component in the Dan Haren trade.
Offseason Outlook: Atlanta Braves
The Braves are unlikely to do much free agent shopping, but improvements at left field and shortstop are possible.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Chipper Jones, 3B: $13MM through 2012, unless 2013 option vests
- Dan Uggla, 2B: $52MM through 2015
- Tim Hudson, SP: $10MM through 2012
- Brian McCann, C: $12MM through 2012
- Matt Diaz, RF/LF: $2MM through 2012
- David Ross, C: $1.625MM through 2012
- Eric Hinske, LF/RF/1B: $1.5MM through 2012
- $10MM owed to Derek Lowe
Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)
- Michael Bourn, CF: $7.3MM
- Jair Jurrjens, SP: $5.1MM
- Martin Prado, LF: $4.4MM
- Eric O'Flaherty, RP: $2.6MM
- Peter Moylan, RP: $2MM (non-tender candidate)
Free Agents
- Scott Linebrink (unranked RP), Alex Gonzalez (Type B SS), George Sherrill (unranked RP), Nate McLouth (unranked CF/LF)
The 2011 Braves collapsed in epic fashion down the stretch, yet most of the pieces are in place for a competitive 2012 club. That's fortunate, because GM Frank Wren has limited financial flexibility.
Assuming Moylan is non-tendered, the Braves will have about $84MM in commitments before accounting for minimum salary players. That's $7MM less than the 2011 payroll of $91MM. The Braves were closer to $100MM in 2008-09, but with a 5% drop in attendance this year raising payroll could be difficult. Clearing $5MM of Lowe's salary yesterday was a win for the Braves, who did not envision him in next year's rotation. Wren told reporters in October that Prado is likely back in left field next year, but otherwise I can see him traded or non-tendered.
Trading Jurrjens could serve the dual purpose of shedding $5MM and bringing back a bat, but Wren said this month: "We have a lot of pitching but I think it’s not something that we’re looking to trade from." His statement could be interpreted in various ways, so we can't rule out a Jurrjens deal if the right offer comes along. The Braves have more depth than most teams with their "Big Four" of young starters: Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, Mike Minor, and Arodys Vizcaino. With Lowe gone, Hudson will be the lone 2012 starter who exceeded 152 MLB innings in 2011. But if the Braves feel Brandon Beachy, Tommy Hanson, and perhaps Minor can handle full workloads, Jurrjens may be expendable.
I think teams will be wary of surrendering a lot for Jurrjens. SIERA suggests he's a 4.40 type pitcher, despite his career ERA of 3.40. His strikeout rate dropped to 5.3 per nine this year, and he's missed significant time the last couple years due to knee, oblique, and hamstring injuries. Any big league hitter the Braves get back would probably come with similar question marks or red flags.
I'm unconvinced the Braves won't look into left field upgrades, though a reasonable free agent target like Josh Willingham could prove a wash with Prado. Still, bringing in a left fielder would allow Prado to back up Jones at third base. The Braves will need an answer at shortstop, with prospect Tyler Pastornicky the favorite at the moment. The Braves showed with Freddie Freeman they're not afraid to pencil a rookie into a starting job, but Wren should probably bring back Alex Gonzalez or a comparable veteran as an insurance policy. Since Gonzalez is a Type B free agent, an arbitration offer makes sense.
The Braves' rotation averaged only 5.91 innings per start, 11th in the NL and worst among contenders. They were saved by the league's best bullpen, but Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel, O'Flaherty, and Cristhian Martinez probably can't provide 316 innings again. Free agents Linebrink and Sherrill didn't shoulder that kind of a workload, but the Braves should probably sign at least one veteran reliever to take some of the load. Overall it looks like another winter of limited free agent shopping, after the Braves spent only about $5MM on that market last offseason.
For the most part, the Braves' improvements will come from within, as better overall seasons from Uggla, Prado, Jason Heyward, and Bourn are entirely feasible. More innings from the rotation will be another key to success.
Remaining Contract Options
By the end of today, teams and players must decide on all 2012 contract options. Here's what's left:
Cardinals
- Rafael Furcal – $12MM club option with a $1.3MM buyout. This is a lock to be declined, unless the Cardinals sign him to an extension first.
- Octavio Dotel – $3.5MM club option with a $750K buyout. I'm guessing the Cardinals will exercise this option.
Yankees
- Rafael Soriano – may opt out of remaining two years, $25MM. Scott Boras says Soriano is "highly unlikely" to opt out.