Rangers Extend Ron Washington
The Rangers and manager Ron Washington agreed to a two-year extension through 2014, John Blake of the Rangers tweets. The 59-year-old Washington has led the Rangers to the World Series in consecutive seasons. His previous contract, an extension signed after the 2010 season, ran through 2012.
Washington, a former big league infielder and coach, has a 427-383 record in five seasons as the Rangers' skipper. The club has increased its regular season win total every season under Washington, leading up to last year's 96-66 record.
Indians Sign Dan Wheeler
SUNDAY: Wheeler will earn $900K if he makes the Major League roster, tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Wheeler can make an additional $50K every 5 games he appears in from 45-70 games, $50K for 35 games finished, $75K for 40 games finished, and $125K each for 45 and 50 games finished.
THURSDAY: The Indians announced that they signed reliever Dan Wheeler to a minor league contract. Diamond Sports Management represents the right-hander.
Wheeler, 34, posted a 4.38 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 and a 32.0% ground ball rate in 49 1/3 innings for the Red Sox in 2011. Boston declined its option on Wheeler after the season, but did offer arbitration. Wheeler, who earned $3MM in 2011, declined in a decision that likely cost him guaranteed money. Wheeler has a 3.88 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 35.7% ground ball rate in his 12-year MLB career.
As Alex Speier of WEEI.com points out on Twitter, the Red Sox won't get a compensatory draft pick for losing Wheeler, since he didn't sign a Major League deal.
Giants Sign Tim Lincecum To Two-Year Deal
The Giants and Tim Lincecum have agreed to a two-year, $40.5MM contract extension, avoiding arbitration with the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The contract became official once Lincecum passed his physical with the team.
The two-year deal buys out Lincecum's final two seasons of arbitration eligibility and avoids a potentially historic hearing. The right-hander will earn $18MM in 2012 and $22MM in 2013 to go along with a $500K signing bonus. The deal includes a limited no-trade clause that allows Lincecum to select a certain number of teams to which he can block a trade. Both sides remain open to discussing a longer term contract in the near future.
Lincecum, a Beverly Hills Sports Council client, filed for a $21.5MM salary through arbitration and the Giants countered at $17MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. Both figures set new records for players with less than six years of service time. Derek Jeter ($18.5MM) and the Yankees ($14.25MM) had established the previous marks more than a decade ago, in 2001.
Lincecum, 27, has a 2.98 ERA with 9.9 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 47.1% ground ball rate in 1028 career innings. He already has two Cy Young Awards and four All-Star Game selections to his name. Only four pitchers – Roy Halladay, C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander and Dan Haren – have produced more wins above replacement since 2007, Lincecum's rookie season.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report that an agreement had been reached, with Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reporting earlier on Tuesday that the sides were "very, very close" to a two-year deal worth a little more than $40MM. Schulman, his Chronicle colleague John Shea and Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News all added contract details (all links are via Twitter).
Red Sox Sign John Maine
The Red Sox signed right-hander John Maine to a minor league contract, Steve DeShazo of the Fredericksburg Freelance-Star reports. Agent Rex Gary told DeShazo that the Red Sox will look at Maine as a reliever.
Maine, 30, last pitched in the Majors with the 2010 Mets. He had a strong 2007 season, when he posted a 3.91 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 191 innings, but his performance later dropped off and he missed considerable time with shoulder injuries. Maine posted a 7.43 ERA in 46 innings with the Rockies' top affiliate in 2011.
AL West Notes: A’s, Oswalt, Hamilton, Mariners
The Athletics signed future Hall of Famer Goose Gossage on this date 20 years ago. The right-hander spent two seasons in Oakland, though he's better known for stints with the Yankees, White Sox and Padres. Here are the latest notes and rumors from the AL West…
- Athletics owner and managing partner Lew Wolff said the team made a $370K profit in 2011, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. That figure takes into account $32MM from other clubs via revenue sharing. The A’s may move to San Jose in the relatively near future, but at least they’re staying afloat in the meantime.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels said on The Ben and Skin Show on ESPN Dallas that he’d love to add pitching depth such as Roy Oswalt if it makes sense in the context of the team's entire roster. "The flip side we’ve got to consider is what if that doesn’t happen? How does it all fit together? We've spent a lot of time and resources developing this younger group,” Daniels said, according to Richard Durrett.
- Daniels also explained on The Ben and Skin Show that he plans to have extension talks with Josh Hamilton’s representatives before Spring Training (quotes via Durrett).
- GM Jack Zduriencik and some rival executives from around the league check in with ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick about Ichiro Suzuki and the rest of the 2012 Mariners.
2012’s Highest-Paid Arbitration Eligible Players
Arbitration eligible players may not get paid like free agents Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, but the arbitration process can be lucrative, too. Many players have already doubled or tripled their 2011 salaries through arbitration and some of the unsigned arbitration eligible players are set to do the same in the coming weeks, as our Arbitration Tracker shows.
Here’s a list of the 20 arbitration eligible players who will earn the most in 2012. I’ve included 2012 salaries on long-term extensions signed this offseason and listed team submissions for unresolved arbitration cases, since that represents a floor for each player's earnings. Players with six-plus years of service time, such as David Ortiz and Francisco Rodriguez aren’t included. Here’s the list:
- Tim Lincecum – $18MM (part of an extension)
- Cole Hamels – $15MM
- Andre Ethier – $10.95MM
- Hunter Pence - $10.4MM
- Matt Kemp – $10MM (part of an extension)
- Mike Napoli – $8.3MM (minimum salary possible via arbitration)
- Jacoby Ellsbury – $8.05MM
- John Danks – $8MM (part of an extension, including signing bonus)
- Matt Garza – $7.95MM (minimum salary possible via arbitration)
- Russell Martin – $7.5MM
- Jeremy Guthrie – $7.25MM (minimum salary possible via arbitration)
- Carlos Quentin – $7.025MM
- B.J. Upton – $7MM
- Anibal Sanchez – $6.9MM (minimum salary possible via arbitration)
- Michael Bourn – $6.845MM
- Delmon Young – $6.75MM
- Shaun Marcum – $6.75MM (minimum salary possible via arbitration)
- Clayton Kershaw – $6.5MM (minimum salary possible via arbitration)
- James Loney – $6.375MM
- Melky Cabrera and Juan Carlos Oviedo - $6MM
Rays Designate Russ Canzler For Assignment
The Rays designated Russ Canzler for assignment, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The move creates 40-man roster space for Jeff Keppinger, whose deal with the Rays became official today.
Canzler, 25, made his MLB debut in 2011, appearing in three games with the Rays as a September callup. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .314/.401/.530 line with 18 home runs and 40 doubles in 549 plate appearances. The Cubs selected Canzler in the 30th round of the 2004 draft.
Phillies, Pence Avoid Arbitration
The Phillies avoided arbitration with Hunter Pence, agreeing to a one-year, $10.4MM contract for 2012, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. The Phillies announced the agreement, adding that it includes award bonuses. Beverly Hills Sports Council represents the right fielder.
As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the sides settled at the midpoint between Pence's request for $11.8MM and the Phillies' $9MM offer. The Phillies have now signed all of their arbitration eligible players for 2012. Pence, 28, won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2013 season. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently examined his case for a long-term deal.
Minor Moves: Sweeney, Tuiasosopo, Redding, Cabrera
The latest minor league deals…
- The Mariners signed former MLB reliever Brian Sweeney to a minor league contract, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports. Sweeney spent the 2011 season with the Mets' top affiliate and last appeared in the Majors with the 2010 Mariners.
- The Twins signed left-hander Luke French, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (Twitter links). French owns a 4.99 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 155 Major League innings.
- The Mets signed infielder Matt Tuiasosopo, who picked up MLB experience with the Mariners from 2008-10, Eddy reports.
- The Blue Jays signed right-hander Tim Redding and left-hander Bill Murphy, according to Eddy. Redding has substantial MLB experience as a starter for the Astros, Nationals and Mets.
- Eddy reports that four catchers signed minor league deals: Mitch Canham joined the Rockies, Orlando Mercado agreed to terms with the Marlins, Kyle Phillips caught on with the Blue Jays and Max St. Pierre signed with the Red Sox. Phillips appeared in 36 games for the 2011 Padres and St. Pierre made his debut with the 2010 Tigers after 14 minor league seasons.
- Former MLB starter Daniel Cabrera signed a minor league deal with the Pirates, Mario Rojas of CandelaDeportiva reports. Cabrera, 30, was a fixture in Baltimore's rotation from 2004-08, but hasn't pitched in MLB since 2009.
- The Cubs re-signed infielder Bobby Scales, who started the 2011 season in Chicago before going to Japan, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets.
- The Phillies re-signed former Tigers outfielder Brent Clevlen, Goldstein tweets.
- The Orioles signed 18-year-old outfielder Andres Aguilar, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. The speedy Guatemala native has a strong throwing arm.
Astros Sign Zach Duke
The Astros signed left-hander Zach Duke to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training, the team announced. Duke, a native of Clifton, Texas, spent the 2011 season with the Diamondbacks.
Duke, 28, posted a 4.93 ERA with 3.8 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 49.6% ground ball rate in 76 2/3 innings last year. The 2009 All-Star owns a 4.56 ERA with 4.6 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 49.0% ground ball rate in seven seasons with Arizona and Pittsburgh. SFX represents Duke.