Free Agent And Trade Market For Left Fielders
The Indians, Twins, Athletics, Braves, Padres and Giants could find themselves pursuing left fielders this offseason. Here's a preliminary look at which players will be available at the position:
Starting Left Fielders Available In Free Agency
No free agent left fielder will command Carl Crawford money this offseason. Josh Willingham, the top left fielder available, appears to be in line for a two or three-year deal.
Ryan Ludwick could draw interest, though his homer total and OPS have fallen for three consecutive seasons. Raul Ibanez and Laynce Nix also have power, but it's unclear if teams will see them as a viable everyday options. Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer have both have played left field before, although they didn't play much of it in 2011. Similarly, Johnny Damon isn't an everyday defender. Juan Pierre will likely find an everyday job.
Quality Backups
Jonny Gomes, Juan Rivera and Bill Hall are useful bats against left-handed pitching and Wily Mo Pena and Marcus Thames have also had success against southpaws. Scott Hairston, Travis Buck, Willie Harris and Reed Johnson can add value off of the bench. Mark DeRosa and Carlos Guillen spent considerable time on the disabled list in 2011. Pat Burrell would only play for the Giants and the Braves may exercise their club option for Eric Hinske.
Non-Tender Candidates
Luke Scott, Jeremy Hermida, Steven Pearce, Ryan Spilborghs and Delmon Young are all non-tender candidates to one degree or another. Young may be a non-tender candidate in name only after his powerful stint in Detroit.
Thinking Outside The Box
Free agent David DeJesus has played left field before, though not in 2011. Scott Boras clients Carlos Beltran and J.D. Drew could be fits in left field, despite their inexperience at the position. Ryan Doumit could be worth a shot in left field and if might be easier on Grady Sizemore's knees to play left, rather than center.
Other Trade Candidates
Ed Wade and Theo Epstein may hope to move Carlos Lee and Alfonso Soriano and their generous contracts. Chris Heisey and Yonder Alonso may come up in trade talks as the Reds look to acquire a top starter. Logan Morrison appears to have displeased his bosses at times and could be on the block. The Angels could move Bobby Abreu and clear their outfield logjam. Younger left fielders, such as Josh Reddick, could also be available this offseason.
Check out the full free agent list, as well as our articles on the markets at catcher, first base, second base, third base and shortstop.
Minor Moves: Astros, Carlin
Here are the latest minor moves from around MLB…
- The Astros announced that they re-signed outfielder Brandon Barnes to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. The 25-year-old posted a .238/.313/.426 line in the upper minors in 2011. In seven pro seasons since Houston selected him in the sixth round of the 2005 draft, Barnes has a .743 OPS.
- The Indians announced that they re-signed catcher Luke Carlin to a minor league deal and invited him to next year's Spring Training. Carlin, 30, spent the 2011 season at Triple-A Columbus, where he posted a .213/.364/.335 line in 238 plate appearances.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Jakubauskas, Fox
Here are the latest outright assignments…
- The Orioles announced that they outrighted right-hander Chris Jakubauskas and catcher Jake Fox to Triple-A after the players cleared waivers. Baltimore now has 36 players on its 40-man roster. Jakubauskas posted a 5.72 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 72 1/3 innings in 2011. Fox, 29, posted a .756 OPS in 67 plate appearances this year, also appearing in left field and at first base.
Heyman On Beltran, Reds, Fielder, CBA
The latest from Jon Heyman of SI.com:
- The Red Sox are expected to pursue Carlos Beltran, according to Heyman. Beltran won’t cost a draft pick and posted a .300/.385/.525 line in 2011, but he would block Josh Reddick in right field. He’d be replacing fellow Scott Boras client J.D. Drew.
- The Reds are “still thinking about” Francisco Cordero’s $12MM option for 2012. Cincinnati considered an extension for Cordero in September. For all fantasy baseball updates on relievers, go to CloserNews.com and follow @closernews on Twitter.
- The Mariners are believed to be eyeing free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik drafted Fielder with the Brewers, but the Mariners already have switch-hitting first baseman Justin Smoak in place.
- Heyman hears that the players and owners may compromise on the issue of slotting in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. The sides may be discussing a tax system for draft bonuses that would limit spending to an extent.
Astros Claim Craig Tatum
The Astros claimed catcher Craig Tatum off of waivers from the Orioles, MLBTR has learned. Tatum, 28, has three partial seasons of catching experience at the Major League level and isn't yet eligible for arbitration. He joins backstops Jason Castro, Humberto Quintero and Carlos Corporan on Houston's 40-man roster, which now includes 36 players.
Tatum has a .223/.291/.264 line in 299 MLB plate appearances and has stopped 21% of stolen base attempts against him. In eight seasons as a minor leaguer, the 2004 third round pick has a .249/.316/.377 batting line and has stopped 35% of stolen base attempts.
The Astros have confirmed the move.
Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Indians
The Indians face major decisions in center field and in the rotation this offseason. GM Chris Antonetti begins the winter with the expectation that payroll will rise following a promising 2011 season.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Travis Hafner, DH: $15.75MM through 2012
- Ubaldo Jimenez, SP: $5.2MM through 2012
Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)
- Justin Masterson, SP: $3.6MM
- Jack Hannahan, UT IF: $1.3MM
- Asdrubal Cabrera, SS: $4.8MM
- Shin-Soo Choo, OF: $4.3MM
- Chris Perez, RP: $4.2MM
- Joe Smith, RP: $1.6MM
- Rafael Perez, RP: $1.9MM
Contract Options
- Grady Sizemore, OF: $8.5MM club option with a $500K buyout (no Elias ranking)
- Fausto Carmona, SP: $7MM club option (would be arbitration eligible if Indians decline option)
Free Agents
- Kosuke Fukudome (unranked OF), Jim Thome (unranked DH), Chad Durbin (unranked RP)
The Indians' offseason begins with a pair of difficult decisions for GM Chris Antonetti. Cleveland has options for Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona, two of the club's longest tenured players. Neither one is guaranteed to return in 2012 and the Indians' decisions regarding the pair will shape the rest of their offseason.
The Indians have a $7MM option for Carmona, who would be arbitration eligible if the team declines the option. MLBTR projects Carmona would earn about $7.8MM if the Indians declined his option and went to arbitration with him, so it's the option or nothing in 2012.
Carmona doesn't strike many opponents out — Indians starters as a group placed 27th in MLB in strikeout rate — but there were some positives in 2011. He pitched 188 2/3 innings and though his 5.25 ERA wasn't pretty, his xFIP of 4.17 and SIERA of 4.18 suggest his ugly ERA may have been due to bad luck. Carmona had a 54.8% ground ball rate in 2011, so he could have trade value to teams in homer-friendly parks, like the Rockies, Rangers and Yankees, even if the Indians pick up his option and guarantee him a $7MM salary. I expect Cleveland to pick the option up and given how difficult it is to obtain starting pitching, that decision would be justifiable.
Regardless of how the Indians handle Carmona's option, they'll probably pursue starting pitching depth. Ubaldo Jimenez, Justin Masterson and Josh Tomlin will lead the rotation, possibly with Carmona. David Huff, Zach McAllister and Jeanmar Gomez provide manager Manny Acta with internal alternatives and Antonetti will likely add an arm or two from outside of the organization.
Sizemore's knees have limited him to 104 total games in the past two seasons, so exercising his $9MM club option ($500K buyout) would be a bet on Sizemore's health. Why would a small-market team even consider such a gamble? From 2005-08, Sizemore combined power, speed and on-base skills as one of baseball's premier center fielders. When he's healthy, he's a force, but the Indians don't seem confortable paying him $9MM in 2012.
Sizemore offers more offensive upside than free agent alternatives such as Rick Ankiel, Cody Ross and former Indians center fielder Coco Crisp. The Indians already have 24-year-old Michael Brantley, who posted a .702 OPS in 114 games and spent considerable time in center field. Rookie Ezequiel Carrera played 55 games in center, but had an OPS of just .613. If the Indians decide to pursue experience and certainty in center field and are unimpressed by the available free agents, they could turn to trade targets such as Angel Pagan and B.J. Upton.
The Indians may pursue corner outfielders, regardless of how they handle Sizemore's option. Right-handed hitting outfielders such as Josh Willingham and Michael Cuddyer could appeal to the team. Sizemore, Brantley, Carrera and Shin-Soo Choo all bat from the left side and the Indians lineup also includes three other left-handed hitting regulars, so they may pursue right-handed hitting outfielders if possible. One such player, Matt Murton, hit .311/.339/.423 in Japan in 2011 and could be available this offseason. He just turned 30 and boasts a .788 OPS as a Major Leaguer, so Antonetti may decide to offer an incentive-based deal should Murton become available.
Jim Thome intends to play in 2012 and though he made a triumphant return to Cleveland in 2011, a new deal seems unlikely, since the Indians already have a left-handed hitting designated hitter in Travis Hafner.
First base presents more uncertainty for the Indians. Carlos Santana is a regular contributor, but Matt LaPorta hasn't produced enough at the plate in two-plus seasons and Shelley Duncan probably isn't an everyday first baseman. The Indians could pursue free agents such as Casey Kotchman if they're losing confidence in LaPorta as their primary option at first.
Second baseman Jason Kipnis and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall have the minor league pedigree LaPorta boasted a few seasons ago. They'll enter the 2012 season with a chance to build on the successes of their rookie seasons. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Cord Phelps is another homegrown option on the infield and the versatile Jack Hannahan is also under team control.
The Indians have just $17.7MM in guaranteed contracts for 2012, but that figure will rise to the $40MM range if the club retains all of its arbitration eligible players, as expected. If the Indians pick up the options for Sizemore and Carmona, payroll would be over $55MM before accounting for minimum salary players or potential acquisitions. Antonetti says he expects the Indians to exceed this year's $49MM payroll and accommodating both Sizemore and Carmona without a substantial increase would be difficult.
Joe Smith, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp and Vinnie Pestano will return to a bullpen that will mostly remain intact. Closer Chris Perez struggled down the stretch after making his first All-Star team, so he'll look to pitch as effectively as he did in 2010. Nick Hagadone, the 25-year-old southpaw who came to Cleveland in the Victor Martinez deal, posted a 3.35 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 at Triple-A before making nine appearances as a September callup. He could be ready for a season-long stint in the Indians' 2012 bullpen and while there's no guarantee he'll replicate his minor league success, he deserves a shot.
Once the option decisions have been finalized and free agency has slowed down, Antonetti could explore extensions for Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera is closer to free agency than Santana, so the Indians would likely prioritize an extension for their shortstop. It's unlikely agent Scott Boras would encourage an extension for Choo, whose bargaining power dipped after a frustrating season.
Antonetti's first offseason as the Indians' GM led to an extended playoff run. They'll enter the 2012 season with elevated expectations and, if the winter goes according to plan, depth in the rotation and answers in the outfield.
Near Misses For Super Two Status
Some players with more than two and less than three years of service time go to arbitration, while others don't. Going to arbitration an extra time, the right earned by baseball's super two players, is a clear advantage; super twos earn more than others in their service class.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned that 19 players qualified for super two status this year. But what about the others, those who missed the cut by a couple of weeks or a couple of days? Here are the players who narrowly missed super two status in 2011 (I'm only counting those currently on the 40-man roster of an MLB team):
- Gerardo Parra, Diamondbacks, 2.145
- Angel Sanchez, Astros, 2.144
- Darnell McDonald, Red Sox, 2.143
- Ramon Troncoso, Dodgers, 2.143
- Scott Mathieson, Philllies, 2.142
- Alfredo Simon, Orioles, 2.142
- Brian Burres, Pirates, 2.141
- Alejandro de Aza, White Sox, 2.139
- Chris Dickerson, Yankees, 2.138
- Tony Sipp, Indians, 2.138
- Kris Medlen, Braves, 2.137
- Adam Loewen, Blue Jays, 2.135
- Sean Rodriguez, Rays, 2.133
- Bobby Parnell, Mets, 2.132
- Matt Wieters, Orioles, 2.129
- Mitchell Boggs, Cardinals, 2.125
- Ian Kennedy, Diamondbacks, 2.124
- Andrew McCutchen, Pirates, 2.123
- Matt Joyce, Rays, 2.123
- Gordon Beckham, White Sox, 2.123
- Tommy Hanson, Braves, 2.120
- Derek Holland, Rangers, 2.120
- Chris Coghlan, Marlins, 2.120
These players are now on track to go to arbitration three times and hit free agency after the 2015 season. However, many will be released and non-tendered over the course of the next four seasons.
Some players on this list bounced between the majors and the minors and just happen to have fallen short. Brian Burres, for example, has not been subject to service time manipulation. Others fell short for a reason. It's not a coincidence that McCutchen, Hanson and Beckham debuted within three days of one another in June, 2009. It's not a crime, either. Teams are operating within the collective bargaining agreement when they call players up strategically and service time is never the lone consideration for clubs.
Early in the 2009 season, before Wieters made his MLB debut, I explained why the Orioles might delay his callup until early June. "He won't accumulate more than 126 days service time. This would likely prevent him from becoming a Super Two and would likely save the Orioles millions of dollars in years ahead." As frustrating as it can be for fans to wait while MLB-ready prospects play in the minors, the Orioles weren't going to contend no matter what in 2009 and they are undoubtedly better off paying Wieters $500K than $3MM in 2012.
Tigers Exercise Jose Valverde’s 2012 Option
The Tigers announced that they have exercised their 2012 club option for Jose Valverde. The 33-year-old will earn $9MM next year instead of becoming a free agent (his contract did not include a buyout).
Valverde posted a 2.24 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 4.2 BB/9 and a 42.9% ground ball rate in 72 1/3 innings in 2011. He converted all 49 of his save opportunities and led the American League in saves and appearances. His average fastball checked in at 93.9 mph, down from 95.2 mph in 2010. Valverde, who signed a two-year, $14MM contract with Detroit after the 2009 season, projected as a Type A free agent this offseason.
Dan Mennella examined the fantasy baseball implications of the move at CloserNews.com, your source for fantasy updates on MLB relievers.
Yankees Likely To Retain Swisher, Pass On Beltran
The Yankees are likely to pick up Nick Swisher's $10.25MM option for 2012 and stay out of the bidding for free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran, according to Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News. Though it looks like they'll stick with Swisher, no decisions have been finalized, according to McCarron. Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com reported yesterday that the Yankees are considering Beltran as an option in right field.
Swisher, 30, posted a .260/.374/.449 line with 23 home runs in 2011, while Beltran posted a .300/.385/.525 line with 22 homers. Beltran cannot be offered arbitration, so he won't cost a draft pick despite his Type A free agent ranking. It doesn't sound as though the Yankees would pursue both switch-hitters, but if necessary they could flip Swisher for pitching after signing Beltran.
Boras Kidding About Reworking Cano’s Contract
6:32pm: Boras was just joking about a new contract for Cano, the agent tells George A. King III. "Cash [Brian Cashman] and I have talked three or four times in the last three days. My statements were in jest. Cash always returns my phone calls,'' Boras said. "My conversations with Cash about Robinson have nothing to do with the options. We fully expect the options to be exercised."
9:57am: Agent Scott Boras phoned Yankees GM Brian Cashman to discuss the possibility of re-working Robinson Cano’s contract, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. Boras says he’s hoping to remove the 2012 and 2013 options on the second baseman’s deal and work out a new contract.
"I called Cash to ask about dropping the options and he hasn't returned the call," Boras told King.
The four-year, $30MM extension Cano signed under different representation in 2008 includes a $14MM team option for 2012 and a $15MM team option for 2013 ($2MM buyout). The Yankees are sure to pick up Cano’s 2012 option and it would be a surprise if they don’t exercise his 2013 option a year from now.
While there's no harm in asking to re-structure the deal, the Yankees aren't under any obligation to do so. Unless Boras and Cano prepared to make concessions of their own, the Yankees can keep Cano at a relative bargain for the next two years. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that it's "highly, highly unlikely" that the Yankees will re-work the deal (Twitter link). Boras successfully re-worked Francisco Rodriguez’s contract with the Brewers this summer.