By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The latest outright assignments from around MLB as teams look for ways of opening up 40-man roster spots…
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Rangers aren’t prepared to make Josh Hamilton a long-term contract offer when he hits free agency this offseason, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Instead, the Rangers will let the five-time All-Star listen to other teams’ offers before determining their next step.
GM Jon Daniels confirmed today that the Rangers won't make Hamilton an offer during their exclusive negotiating period, Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com reports (Twitter links). Hamilton could still re-sign with Texas, Daniels said.
Rangers people don’t see the point in offering a contract Hamilton would surely decline, Heyman writes. The 31-year-old has said he’ll give the Rangers the chance to match any offer he gets, but those offers might be beyond Texas’ spending limit. While Hamilton appears to be seeking a contract that pays him like an elite player, the Rangers aren’t comfortable offering a long-term deal worth ‘huge money.’
The Rangers would like to keep Hamilton at their price and contract length. However, Heyman’s sources have a hard time seeing the Rangers going much beyond four years. The Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers aren’t expected to pursue Hamilton, who hasn’t had contract talks with the Rangers for months. The sides aren’t likely to talk until after Hamilton hits free agency and gets a sense of his options.
Just 27% of 14,000 respondents to a recent MLBTR poll expect Hamilton to re-sign with the Rangers. He's coming off of a season in which he hit 43 home runs and posted a .285/.354/.577 batting line in 636 plate appearances.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Managers are in the spotlight more than ever in October, since in-game decisions are heavily scrutinized throughout the postseason and it’s a busy month for hirings and firings. The latest…
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Serious conversations about a new contract for David Ortiz are expected to begin at some point next week, Joe McDonald of ESPNBoston.com reports. The Red Sox have already had some informal talks about contracts for Cody Ross and Ortiz, who are both on track to hit free agency next month.
"David is someone who we feel strongly about bringing back and we're trying to figure out a way to do that and we hope that happens," GM Ben Cherington said at the end of the regular season.
Ortiz, who turns 37 next month, posted a .318/.415/.611 batting line in 383 plate appearances this past season. He hit 23 home runs and 26 doubles, but appeared in just one game after suffering a right Achilles strain on July 16th. Ortiz is an SFX client.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Not only is Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria deciding whether to fire manager Ozzie Guillen, he is considering restructuring his team’s front office, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. Loria probably won’t make a decision until the Marlins’ organizational meetings take place later in October.
Earlier this offseason, reports surfaced that the Marlins would dismiss president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and replace him with vice president of player personnel Dan Jennings. As of late last month, Beinfest's job appeared to be safe. Like Guillen, he’s under contract through 2015.
There’s a “very strong chance” Guillen returns, Frisaro reports. The Marlins haven’t decided whether to fire Guillen, but they’ve started considering possible replacements. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported last week that the Marlins are aggressively seeking a replacement for Guillen. Mike Lowell doesn’t appear to be a fit in Miami at this time.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Anibal Sanchez will take the ball in Oakland tonight as the Tigers look to advance to the ALCS for the second consecutive season. In the meantime, here are some AL Central links…
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Red Sox officially dismissed Bobby Valentine yesterday, ending months of speculation about his job security. Of course that hasn’t put an end to rumors about managerial openings and potential openings around MLB. Here are today’s managerial notes…
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Twins announced that they have removed the interim label from Terry Ryan's job title, making him the permanent general manager once again (Twitter link). Ryan had been in charge of baseball operations as the team's interim GM for the last 11 months.
Ryan, who first became the Twins' GM in 1995, spent more than a decade in the role before stepping aside in September of 2007. Bill Smith succeeded Ryan as the team's general manager, a role he stayed in until last offseason, when Minnesota replaced Smith with Ryan on an interim basis.
Since Ryan returned to the GM role, the Twins have signed Jamey Carroll, Ryan Doumit, Matt Capps and Josh Willingham to Major League deals. Some of Ryan's best minor league additions in the last year include Jared Burton and Casey Fien, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows.
I recently explained that the Twins must obtain pitching this offseason and Tim Dierkes took a detailed look at the team's arbitration eligible players.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
MLB agent Jeff Berry will represent Jake Peavy in an offseason that will likely see the right-hander hit free agency, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports. Berry, an agent with CAA’s baseball division, said Peavy is open-minded with weeks to go before he’s expected to appear on the free agent market.
“Jake loves his teammates and the organization,” Berry told Gonzales. “Having said that, he’s excited to experience the free agent process for the first time in his career.”
Peavy’s contract includes a $22MM option for 2013, and the White Sox are expected to decline the option in favor of a $4MM buyout. The right-hander had also considered hiring John Boggs or representing himself before selecting Berry.
Rick Hahn, the White Sox executive who will soon be named the team’s general manager, has negotiated a number of significant contracts with Berry in the past, Gonzales writes. Peavy has set himself up for a multiyear deal with his best season in years.
“Jake is 31, a three-time All-Star, a Cy Young winner, one of the best competitors in the game and pitching as well as ever,” Berry said.
Peavy posted a 3.37 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 219 innings for the White Sox this past season. He’ll join Zack Greinke as one of the top free agent pitchers available, assuming the White Sox decline his option. Barry Axelrod represented Peavy until deciding to join the Diamondbacks organization.
As MLBTR's Agency Database shows, CAA represents a number of prominent players, including Ryan Braun, Roy Halladay and Matt Cain.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Angels have agreed to sign catcher Chris Iannetta to a three-year extension, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (Twitter links). The contract is worth $15.5MM, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The deal keeps Iannetta off of the free agent market for the foreseeable future and provides the Angels with certainty behind the plate.
Iannetta's previous contract included a $5MM club option for 2013. He had the right to void the option as a result of the 2011 trade that sent him to Anaheim. Now it's academic, as his new deal covers the 2013-15 seasons. Octagon represents the 29-year-old.
Iannetta missed most of May, June and July to undergo wrist surgery. When healthy he appeared in 79 games, hitting nine home runs and posting a .240/.332/.398 batting line in 253 plate appearances. He prevented 26% of stolen base attempts, a rate that's slightly better than average.
This offseason's class of free agent catchers still includes the likes of Russell Martin, Mike Napoli and A.J. Pierzynski. MLBTR's Extension Tracker offers a look back at some recent extensions for other catchers.
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