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Cubs Notes: Epstein Deal, Garza, Jackson, Wood

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The Cubs made some cuts today, sending Jason Jaramillo to minor league camp and optioning Alberto Cabrera, Jeff Beliveau, John Gaub, Josh Vitters, Junior Lake and Matt Szczur to the minors. Here are some Cubs-related news items as the countdown to Opening Day continues…

  • Right-hander Aaron Kurcz has been told that he is going to the Red Sox as part of the Theo Epstein compensation package, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link).  Kurcz, an 11th round pick in the 2010 amateur draft, posted a 3.28 ERA and a 9.9 K/9 rate in 32 games for Class A Daytona last season.  After months of negotiation, the Cubs and Sox agreed to righty Chris Carpenter and a player to be named later (Kurcz) as the price for the year remaining on Epstein's Boston contract.  The Red Sox still need to send a player to the Cubs to complete the deal.
  • The Cubs will take the time to get to know Matt Garza before determining whether to sign him long-term or trade him, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. The right-hander's on track to hit free agency following the 2013 season.
  • There's no everyday job for Cubs outfield prospect Brett Jackson, but he has impressed his new manager nonetheless, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. "It’s been pretty impressive, every part of his game," manager Dale Sveum said. Jackson figures to open the season in the minors and work on his approach at the plate.
  • Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune wonders what the Cubs will do with left-hander Travis Wood if he doesn't make the rotation. The Cubs could put Wood in the bullpen or send him to the minor leagues. 
  • Sveum added that Rule 5 selection Lendy Castillo has been "throwing great," Sullivan writes.

Indians Re-Acquire Kelvin De La Cruz

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The Indians announced that they re-acquired left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz from the Rangers for cash considerations. The club placed right-hander Carlos Carrasco on the 60-day disabled list to create roster space for De La Cruz. Cleveland's 40-man roster is full with the addition of De La Cruz, who will be optioned to Double-A Akron.

The 6'5" 23-year-old posted a 4.19 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 in 86 innings as a starter and reliever at Double-A last year. He has typically walked and struck out lots of opponents, as his career rates of 8.9 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 indicate. The Indians originally sent De La Cruz to the Rangers on February 21st. He made one appearance for Texas before being returned to Cleveland.

Nationals Notes: Wang, Lannan, Harper

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Stephen Strasburg says he'll have to learn when to pitch to hitters and when to overpower them in order to develop further as an MLB pitcher, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. Here are some more notes on the Nationals…

  • Nationals starter Chien-Ming Wang had to be helped off of the field after straining his left hamstring in today's Spring Training game against the Yankees. If Wang misses time with an injury, the Nationals may need trade candidate John Lannan in their Opening Day rotation after all.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com both reported today that Lannan's trade value isn't very high right now.
  • Bryce Harper explained that he’s definitely hoping to make the Nationals’ Opening Day roster, Kilgore reports. There was some confusion about Harper's expectations earlier in the week, but he still intends to break camp with the big league team.
  • MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains why it might make sense for the Nationals to play Harper in center field. "As far as I'm concerned, anybody that can throw and run like he can should have experience at all the outfield positions," manager Davey Johnson said. Harper, who played center field in last night’s exhibition game, could provide the Nationals with stability at a position they’ve had trouble solidifying.

AL East Notes: Ibanez, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles

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The AL East figures to be one of the game's most competitive divisions in 2012. Here are the latest links from Florida, where all five AL East teams are preparing for the season…

  • Raul Ibanez doesn’t have emotional, historical or financial ties keeping him on the Yankees’ roster, so Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders how long the club will stick with Ibanez if his struggles continue. But as Sherman point out, it’s still just March 15th.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman and third baseman Alex Rodriguez tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Blue Jays are becoming a serious threat in the AL East. “They aren’t a secret anymore,” Rodriguez said. “They are knocking on the door,” Cashman added. “It is undeniable that they are going to win and win for a while.” Blue Jays ownership could support a top ten payroll in time and “that isn’t a guess, that’s a fact,” GM Alex Anthopoulos said.
  • John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports that the relationship between Red Sox GM Ben Cherington and manager Bobby Valentine seems to be starting off well. If the Red Sox name Jose Iglesias their starting shortstop, it'll be a sign of just how much Valentine's opinion matters. The front office has maintained the defensive whiz needs more seasoning.
  • Mark Melancon's interleague experience could help him transition from the NL Central to the AL East, Brian MacPherson Providence Journal writes.
  • Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com ranks the AL East rotations, placing the Orioles fifth. They have intriguing arms such as Zach Britton and Jake Arrieta, but their rotation is filled with uncertainty from top to bottom this spring.

How To Use MLBTR

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Royals Extend Alcides Escobar

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The Royals announced that they signed shortstop Alcides Escobar to a four-year extension through 2015. The deal with the Wasserman Media Group client includes club options for 2016 and 2017. The contract guarantees Escobar $10.5MM through 2015, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets. The shortstop could earn a total of $21.75MM if the Royals exercise both of their options.

Alcides Escobar - Royals

Escobar was on track for arbitration eligibility following the 2012 season, so the deal buys out his final pre-arbitration season and his three arbitration years. The club options cover Escobar's first two free agent seasons.

Escobar, 25, posted a .254/.290/.343 line in 2011, his debut season with the Royals. He posted similar offensive numbers in his first full season before being traded to Kansas City in the Zack Greinke deal. Considered an above-average defender, Escobar has a career UZR/150 of 5.9 at shortstop. 

As MLBTR's Extension Tracker shows, the Royals have extended pre-arbitration players aggressively under GM Dayton Moore. The club locked Joakim Soria up to a three-year, $8.75MM deal in 2008 and signed Salvador Perez to a five-year, $7MM deal earlier this spring.

Elvis Andrus, who has one more year of service time than Escobar, recently signed an extension valuing his three arbitration seasons at $14.4MM. Escobar's numbers are comparable to where Andrus' were a year ago, so it's fair to say the Royals could save as much as $4.5MM through 2015. There's always risk in locking young players up, since injuries can strike at any time. Perez, for example, will undergo knee surgery just weeks after signing his deal.

Shortstops Hanley Ramirez and Troy Tulowitzki signed extensions as pre-arbitration eligible players in 2008, but they wouldn't have been comparables for the light-hitting Escobar. 

Photo courtesy Icon SMII.

Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Phillies

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Ruben Amaro Jr.'s aggressive offseason approach landed him an elite but expensive closer and enabled the Phillies to lock Jimmy Rollins up for three more years.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Extensions

Notable Losses

Draft Picks Gained or Lost

  • Lost 31st overall selection to Red Sox for Papelbon.
  • Obtained 40th overall selection for losing Madson. 
  • Obtained 54th overall selection for losing Ibanez.
  • Obtained 77th overall selection for losing Madson.

It’s easy and maybe a little hip to criticize the Phillies’ offseason moves, but you’ve got to admit this club does a lot of things right. They have appeared in two of the past four World Series, and they won it all in 2008. They’ve won their division five consecutive times, most recently with an MLB-best 102-60 mark for 2011. Their pitching staff, which allowed just 3.25 runs per game last year, returns for more of the same in 2012.

Admittedly, Jonathan Papelbon’s contract already looks like a mistake. The Phillies signed him for $50MM after engaging longtime reliever Ryan Madson in talks about a similar deal. Piles of sabermetric evidence suggest it’s imprudent to invest heavily in relievers, since their performance is volatile and you’re likely paying a premium for saves. Papelbon’s a tremendous pitcher and he was going to require a multiyear commitment. But he signed for more than Heath Bell, Ryan Madson, Francisco Cordero, Takashi Saito and Francisco Rodriguez combined. The Phillies overpaid, though they're better off in 2012 because of it.

The Phillies and longtime shortstop Jimmy Rollins worked out a three-year, $38MM contract that makes sense for both sides. Rollins’ asking price of five years wouldn’t have worked for the Phillies, but he can still play short while adding value on offense. For a team whose window for contention is now, and not necessarily later, this deal was advisable. Signing a second-tier free agent or starting prospect Freddy Galvis wouldn’t have been enough.

GM Ruben Amaro Jr. didn’t stop tinkering with his bullpen after finalizing the Papelbon signing. He added Dontrelle Willis and Chad Qualls on Major League deals that have promise as long as Willis doesn’t face too many right-handed hitters and Qualls’ 2011 success translates from spacious Petco Park to Philadelphia’s cozy home field. 

Amaro bolstered his bench, adding Thome, Nix and Schneider for a total of $4.55MM, and making a few significant trades. Gone are Ben Francisco and Wilson Valdez, both fixtures in Philly for the past couple of seasons. The Phillies reportedly pursued Michael Cuddyer before acquiring an older, less productive version of Cuddyer: his predecessor in Colorado Ty Wigginton. 

Given the injuries currently sidelining Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, Placido Polanco's recent troubles staying healthy for an entire season and the group of players in left field, the Wigginton trade made sense for the Phillies. For $2MM, nearly $30MM less than Cuddyer’s eventual price tag, the Phillies get a versatile player with a history of success against left-handed pitching. There's no sense acting as though Utley and Howard are the fixtures they once were, which makes infield depth particularly important for the Phillies.

They boast the best rotation in MLB, even after losing Roy Oswalt to free agency. Vance Worley, Joe Blanton and the newly-extended Kyle Kendrick round out a rotation that includes three of the sport’s elite arms, so starting pitching depth likely ranked relatively low on the team’s offseason to-do list. Amaro added Joel Pineiro and Dave Bush on sensible minor league deals that provide the club with some options just in case.

Hamels and Shane Victorino are poised to hit free agency after the 2012 season, so it won’t be a surprise if Amaro looks to lock one or both players up within the next month or so. Retaining Hamels will require a nine-figure commitment, but the expense would be justifiable for a team that spends, draws and wins like a superpower. Victorino sounds willing to consider a discount to remain in Philadelphia, and it would be wise for the Phillies to take advantage of their status as a desirable destination for elite players and strike a deal if a discount's actually within reach.

The National League East is tougher than ever now that the Marlins are spending big and the Nationals have deepened their rotation. Meanwhile, the Phillies are a little older, a little more banged up and, let's face it, far less intimidating on offense than they once were. Don’t let it fool you. The Phillies’ elite run prevention should send them to a sixth consecutive postseason berth in 2012 and no one will want to face this team’s pitching staff in October.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Weeks, Tigers, Cain

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The latest links from around MLB, as Albert Pujols flashes some power in Arizona…

  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told reporters, including Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the club continues monitoring the market for starting pitching. "We’re not doing our job if we’re not looking, whether that’s trade or free agent opportunities," Cherington said.
  • Excel Sports management represents Athletics second baseman Jemile Weeks, the agency confirmed to MLBTR. Check out our Agency Database for the details on who represents MLB players.
  • There’s no indication that extension talks between the Giants and Matt Cain are stalling, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). There’s lots of time remaining before the soft deadline of Opening Day, and it doesn’t appear that the sides are particularly close to a deal.
  • It seems unlikely that the Tigers would give up a major package for a fifth starter, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. Manager Jim Leyland says he’s pleased with his internal options for the final rotation spot and the bullpen, MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Harper, Mets

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The latest from the NL East…

First-Time Arbitration Eligible For 2013

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Some pre-arbitration eligible players have already signed million dollar extensions, but arbitration eligibility represents the first chance at a seven figure deal for most Major Leaguers. Here’s a look at which players could be arbitration eligible after the 2012 season. Keep in mind that some of these players could sign extensions and that others will spend too much time in the minor leagues to qualify for arbitration after the season.  

I'm assuming the super two cutoff will be less than two years and 146 days of service time (this year's cutoff) given the changes in the new collective bargaining agreement. I've included possible super twos below, adding an asterisk (*) for those with more than a year and 110 days of service but less than a year and 146 days. Here's the position-by-position breakdown:

Catchers

Matt Wieters, Alex Avila, Buster Posey and A.J. Ellis will be eligible for arbitration a year from now. Jonathan Lucroy* figures to qualify and Carlos Santana* could be eligible if the cutoff drops considerably. Backups Francisco Cervelli, John Jaso, Taylor Teagarden and Josh Thole* are also on track for eligibility.

First Basemen

Matt LaPorta, Gaby Sanchez and Ike Davis are on track for eligibility following the 2012 season and Justin Smoak* could join them. Sanchez is currently on track for the biggest arb-1 salary from this group, but that could change in 2012.

Second Basemen

Gordon Beckham, Daniel Murphy and Neil Walker figure to be eligible a year from now and Eric Young Jr.* could also qualify. Walker, a projected super two player, has discussed an extension with the Pirates.

Third Basemen

David Freese is all-but certain to qualify following the 2012 season. Chris Johnson* and Danny Valencia* may be eligible, depending on where the super two cutoff falls.

Shortstops

The shortstop class figures to be relatively deep, with regulars such as Alcides Escobar, Reid Brignac, Ian Desmond and Starlin Castro on track for eligibility. Everth Cabrera and Angel Sanchez also figure to qualify.

Outfielders

Everyday players such as Matt Joyce, Drew Stubbs, Brennan Boesch, Jason Heyward, Austin Jackson and Chris Heisey will qualify after the season. Nolan Reimold, Kyle Blanks, Roger Bernadina, Travis Snider, Gerardo Parra, Jason Bourgeois, Chris Coghlan, Shelley Duncan and Julio Borbon won't necessarily play every day, but they are on track for eligibility nonetheless. Michael Saunders*, Michael Brantley*, Tyler Colvin*, Sam Fuld* and Jordan Schafer* could qualify, depending on the cutoff. If Giancarlo Stanton* qualifies, expect him to be among the best-paid first-time eligible players of the 2012-13 offseason.

Starting Pitchers

Ian Kennedy, Tommy Hanson, Derek Holland, Jonathon Niese, Chris Narveson, Mat Latos, Brett Cecil, Bud Norris, Neftali Feliz, Doug Fister, Jhoulys Chacin, Philip Humber and Mike Leake have rotation spots at this point and project as first-time eligible players next offseason. Josh Outman, Tommy Hunter and Brian Matusz have started in the past and will also qualify. Esmil Rogers* and a trio of young stars — Madison Bumgarner*, Stephen Strasburg* and Daniel Hudson* — could qualify depending on where the cutoff falls.

Relievers

Right-handers Mitchell Boggs, David Hernandez, Bobby Parnell, Rich Thompson, Kevin Jepsen, Ryan Webb, John Axford, Cristhian Martinez and Jeff Samardzija should qualify along with left-handers Tony Sipp, Brian Duensing, Jerry Blevins, Antonio Bastardo, Jonny Venters, Marc Rzepczynski and Ross Detwiler. Don't rule out Drew Storen*, Mark Melancon*, Dan Runzler*, Andrew Cashner*, Alexi Ogando* and Henry Rodriguez*. They could also qualify, depending on the placement of the super two cutoff. Extension candidates Axford and Storen have impressive save totals and would be in line for substantial paydays even on one-year deals.

Extensions

Cameron Maybin, Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata*, Wade Davis and Sergio Santos have signed extensions, though they don’t yet have enough service time to qualify for arbitration. This group would likely have been first-time eligible following the 2012 season.

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