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2013 Contract Issues: Kansas City Royals

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The Royals are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

  • Jonathan Sanchez - The Royals were hoping for more from Sanchez, who struggled on the mound before hitting the disabled list earlier this month. However, they are short on MLB-ready starting pitching depth.
  • Yuniesky Betancourt - The Royals appear to value Betancourt's ability to play multiple infield positions. He'll likely be in line for another one-year deal next offseason.
  • Jonathan Broxton - Broxton has pitched effectively for the Royals, even though he doesn't have the swing-and-miss stuff he once did. It's not hard to imagine a reunion, but Broxton will have other offseason suitors. 
  • Humberto Quintero - Assuming Salvador Perez recovers from his knee injury, and Brayan Pena returns, the Royals would be set behind the plate. None of Kansas City's free agents should expect offseason qualifying offers from the team.

Contract Options (1)

  • Joakim Soria: $8MM club option with a $750K buyout. This won't be an easy decision for the Royals, since their longtime closer will miss the 2012 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. For what it's worth, Soria has said he would like to stay in Kansas City.

Arbitration Eligible (8)

The Royals have worked aggressively to extend some of their young position players and others aren't yet arbitration eligible, so next offseason's class should be relatively manageable. Hochevar and Paulino are getting expensive, but Mijares could be traded. Bourgeois could miss the cutoff for eligibility, depending on how long he remains in the minor leagues. Wood will be eligible even though he's missing the entire season to undergo Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Royals have committed just shy of $35MM to next year's team, not counting Soria's option or arb-eligible players going year to year. If ownership is willing to maintain a payroll in the $65MM range, GM Dayton Moore should be well-positioned to pursue some second-tier free agents this coming offseason.

Minor Moves: Cory Aldridge, Lance Zawadzki

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Angels have signed outfielder Cory Aldridge to a minor league deal, reports Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The 32-year-old hit .363/.440/.650 in the Mexican League this year after not playing in 2011. Aldridge has 18 career big league plate appearances to his credit with the 2001 Braves and 2010 Angels.
  • The Braves signed infielder Lance Zawadzki to a minor league contract, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. The 26-year-old switch-hitter has big league experience with the 2010 Padres and had spent the early part of the 2012 season with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate. Zawadzki owns a .259/.332/.394 batting line in parts of six minor league seasons.

2013 Contract Issues: Minnesota Twins

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The Twins are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

  • Carl Pavano - Pavano has already been traded three times in his career and it won't be a surprise if the Twins deal the right-hander for a fourth time this summer. He doesn't strike many hitters out, but he limits walks and makes his starts, so contending teams could have interest.
  • Francisco Liriano - Liriano has already lost his status as an elite pitcher and his place in the starting rotation. His spot on the Twins' roster could be next if the club lets him go after the season.
  • Ryan Doumit - Doumit, 31, is hitting well enough to set himself up for another Major League deal next offseason. None of the Twins' free agents should expect offseason qualifying offers from the team.
  • Jason Marquis – Marquis lost his spot on the Twins' roster when they designated him for assignment earlier today.

Contract Options (2)

  • Scott Baker: $9.25MM club option. Baker is out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery and the Twins can be expected to decline this option.
  • Matt Capps: $6MM club option with a $250K buyout. The Twins should decline this option if Capps is still on the team when decisions are due. There's also a chance the Twins deal the right-hander to a team seeking midseason relief help.

Arbitration Eligible (5)

The Twins' arbitration class will be relatively light next offseason. Casilla is the lone player here with a shot at a salary of $3MM-plus in 2013. Burnett is on track for super two status, but not by much. He'd lose eligibility if the Twins send him to the minors at some point this year.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Twins' payroll has risen to the $100MM range in recent years, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. They've already committed $65MM to next year's team, which leaves lots of breathing room if ownership holds payroll steady. But attendance has dropped by 5,000 fans per game so far this year, so GM Terry Ryan could be working with sub-$100MM payroll.

Quick Hits: Guerrero, Nationals, Cubs

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The Mets traded for Mike Piazza on this date in 1998. He would go on to hit .296/.373/.542 with 220 home runs in eight seasons with the Mets, establishing himself as one of the best offensive catchers ever. Here are today's links…

  • Vladimir Guerrero says signing with the Blue Jays brings his career full circle, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca tweets. The former Montreal Expos star says he would like to hit 51 more home runs and reach 500 for his career.
  • The Nationals are not actively pursuing a trade for catching depth, according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. They’d consider adding a veteran backup, but aren’t willing to part with anything significant in a deal. Jesus Flores is the Nationals' starting catcher following Wilson Ramos' ACL tear and Sandy Leon's high ankle sprain. Carlos Maldonado is on the MLB roster to back Flores up.
  • The Cubs will face some difficult decisions this summer, when they must decide which players to keep and which players to trade, ESPN.com's Buster Olney notes. It seems likely that they'll trade Ryan Dempster, but deciding whether to trade Bryan LaHair and Matt Garza could be more difficult for GM Jed Hoyer.

Check Out HoopsRumors.com

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NBA fan? HoopsRumors.com has you covered this offseason, as teams look to upgrade their rosters through the draft, trades, and free agency. With the draft just over five weeks away and the free agent period to follow shortly thereafter, rumors have already begun to fly. In what figures to be an eventful summer, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin, and others will hit the free agent market, while Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol are among the big names on the trade block. You can follow the latest NBA news, rumors, and transactions at Hoops Rumors!

2013 Contract Issues: Los Angeles Angels

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The Angels are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (6)

  • Torii Hunter - Hunter has said he would like to play for the Angels or another contending team once his contract expires. He'll be looking at a short-term deal and a major pay cut from his current $18MM salary. None of the Angels' free agents should expect qualifying offers after the season.
  • Hisanori Takahashi - The 37-year-old Takahashi has seen his stock drop since signing a two-year, $8MM contract with the Angels two offseasons ago.
  • Maicer Izturis - Mike Scioscia continues to find playing time for the versatile 31-year-old. It's not as though the team's offseason plans will hinge on Izturis, however.
  • LaTroy Hawkins - Hawkins has been on the disabled list for most of this month, but he was pitching reasonably well before getting hurt.
  • Jason Isringhausen – The 39-year-old seriously considered retirement this spring, so it won't be surprising if he retires this offseason.
  • Ryan Langerhans - Langerhans, now on the disabled list, could return, but it would presumably be on another minor league deal.

Contract Options (3)

  • Dan Haren: $15.5MM club option with a $3.5MM buyout. Despite his unsightly ERA and lopsided record, Haren's past successes are too compelling to ignore. I expect the Angels to exercise this option.
  • Ervin Santana: $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout. A net price of $12MM for the age-30 season of an established 200-inning pitcher seems reasonable, especially for a high-revenue team.
  • Chris Iannetta: $5MM club option with a $250K buyout. Player can void option. At his best, Iannetta's worth considerably more than $5MM per season, so he figures to void the option if he puts together a strong year. If he struggles to hit and/or stay healthy, the Angels might not value him at $5MM (he has been on the disabled list since May 9th because of a wrist injury). It would likely take a solid but unspectacular season for both sides to OK the option.

Arbitration Eligible (5)

Callaspo and Morales are off to slow starts at the plate and given that they'll both be in line for raises from the $3MM range this offseason, trades or non-tenders aren't out of the question. The three other arb-eligible players will remain affordable in 2013.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Angels have committed $92MM to next year's payroll, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. If Haren and Santana return, the team will already have $116MM in commitments for 2013. Yet owner Arte Moreno boosted payroll to $150MM for the 2012 season with a spending spree at last year's Winter Meetings, so generous payrolls are nothing new in Anaheim. GM Jerry Dipoto won't have too many positions to fill this coming winter, though the bullpen figures to be an area of concern.

2013 Contract Issues: Oakland Athletics

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The Athletics are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

  • Brandon McCarthy - McCarthy, now on the disabled list, figures to be in high demand this offseason. If the right-hander returns from the DL on schedule and the A's are out of contention by the end of July, he could be traded.
  • Brandon Inge - Scott Sizemore should return in 2013, eliminating the Athletics' need for a second everyday third baseman. Note that Inge signed a new one-year contract with the Athletics and that the 2013 option on his previous deal with the Tigers is no longer in play.
  • Bartolo Colon - In theory, Colon could also be available this summer. He has pitched well for the A's and they might have interest in re-signing him to a similar low-risk deal in 2013.
  • Jonny Gomes - Bob Melvin has maximized Gomes' exposure to left-handed pitching and the early results are excellent. Perhaps the Bay Area native will re-sign and complement the likes of Seth Smith for another year.
  • Manny Ramirez – Let's see what Ramirez does in 2012 before speculating about his role on the 2013 team.

Contract Options (2)

  • Grant Balfour: $4.5MM club option with a $350K buyout. It's been a rough ten-game stretch for Balfour, who could be a summer trade candidate if he recovers from his current slump.
  • Brian Fuentes: $6.5MM club option with a $500K option. Fuentes would be among the top left-handed relievers available this summer if the A's are willing to listen to trade offers for him. It would seem un-Athletics-like for the team to exercise this option and commit 10% of its payroll to a 37-year-old pitcher who won't pitch more than 5% of the team's innings. But if he puts together a strong season, the club could pick up the option and trade him.

Arbitration Eligible (7)

Injuries and poor performance have created considerable uncertainty for some of Oakland's arbitration eligible players. Devine could be non-tendered, depending on his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Barton, off to another slow start at the plate, could be cut loose as well. As long as Braden's recovery from shoulder surgery progresses well, he figures to be retained this December. If not, he'll be non-tendered, too.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The A's have committed nearly $29MM to next year's team, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. The franchise typically spends $50-65MM on its players, so GM Billy Beane should have some money at his disposal this offseason. However, the team's uncertain long-term future will presumably have some effect on Beane's ability to pursue free agents.

2013 Contract Issues: Seattle Mariners

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The Mariners are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (5)

  • Ichiro Suzuki - Sentimentality only goes so far, as the Mariners know from Ken Griffey Jr.'s return to Seattle. Yet it's hard to imagine Ichiro in another team's uniform and he appears to prefer Seattle to other potential suitors. He won't be earning $17MM per season, no matter where he plays.
  • Brandon League - Nothing screams 'trade candidate' like established relievers nearing free agency on non-contenders. It won't be surprising if the Mariners trade League this summer. Hopefully for Seattle, potential suitors aren't put off by the right-hander's declining peripherals.
  • Hisashi Iwakuma - Manager Eric Wedge hasn't used Iwakuma much (four appearances in the team's first 43 games). That in itself could be an indication that he's not part of the Mariners' long-term plans.
  • George Sherrill - The left-hander will miss the remainder of the season to recover from Tommy John surgery.
  • Kevin Millwood - GM Jack Zduriencik did well to add Millwood to the rotation on a low-risk deal. The right-hander figures to sign another short-term, low-risk contract this coming offseason whether he's back in Seattle or pitching elsewhere.
  • Munenori Kawasaki - The infielder has the right to elect free agency for the purposes of going back to Japan but not to explore other opportunities in MLB.

Contract Options (1)

  • Miguel Olivo: $3MM club option. If at the end of the season the Mariners don't believe Jesus Montero is a future catcher, there could be a role for Olivo on next year's team. He has his shortcomings on offense and on defense, but he hits lefties, which makes him a suitable complement to the left-handed hitting John Jaso.

Arbitration Eligible (4)

This relatively small arbitration class doesn't figure to generate many headlines, but Vargas could be an exception. He's building a case for another substantial raise via arbitration and it's hard not to wonder if the Mariners might cash in on him soon, while his salary's just $4.85MM, and obtain a couple of controllable players in a trade. Contenders will be looking for pitching help before long and Vargas' durability should generate interest.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Mariners have committed $40MM to next year's team, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Ownership has been lowering payroll in recent years, and the 2012 team will cost approximately $85MM. GM Jack Zduriencik should have financial flexibility this coming offseason when he looks to round out his pitching staff and add some offense.

Quick Hits: Colon, Litsch, Rangers

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Cory Luebke will undergo reconstructive elbow surgery on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets. The Padres left-hander hasn’t pitched in the Major Leagues since April 27th and had been undecided as to his next step. Here are the rest of today’s links…

  • Jim Callis of Baseball America says Royals infield prospect Christian Colon will eventually move from shortstop to second base, where he can be a solid regular.
  • Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Litsch says he has a "career threatening" infection in his shoulder, Barry Davis of Sportsnet.ca tweets. Litsch, 27, has spent the entire season on Toronto's disabled list. He posted a 4.44 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 75 innings last year.
  • Former MLB outfielder Bobby Kielty told MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes that he signed with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. The 35-year-old has a career .296/.379/.503 batting line against left-handed pitching, but hasn't played in the Major Leagues since 2007.
  • There's still no resolution in the Jairo Beras–Rangers case, Ben Badler of Baseball America writes. Texas agreed to sign the prospect for $4.5MM, but MLB's questions about his age remain unanswered. International sources tell Badler MLB can't sign off on the deal if it wants to seem serious about rule enforcement in Latin America.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wonders if the Rangers could be a fit for Roy Oswalt now that starter Neftali Feliz is on the disabled list (Twitter link). Click here for the latest Oswalt rumors.

D’Backs Designate Cody Ransom For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks announced that they designated infielder Cody Ransom for assignment (Twitter link). The team will recall infielder Josh Bell from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. Arizona now has two open 40-man roster spots.

Ransom, 36, posted a .269/.345/.577 batting line in 58 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks this year. He played third base and shortstop, the same two positions he appeared at in 2011. Ransom has a .226/.310/.409 batting line in parts of ten seasons at the MLB level.

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