Revisiting Ryan Zimmerman’s Extension
The Nationals and GM Mike Rizzo have taken their share of criticism for bidding aggressively on Jayson Werth and signing him to a free agent contract worth $126MM. Back in 2009, six weeks after taking over in Washington, Rizzo, then the interim GM, signed an equally important player to a long-term contract that's now looking like a fantastic deal for the team.
Ryan Zimmerman signed a five-year, $45MM deal two years ago this month and though his reasons for accepting the deal – guaranteed money, an extended stay with an organization he likes – are understandable, the Nationals are set to save $14MM or more in 2012-13, Zimmerman's age 27 and 28 seasons.
If he hadn't signed the exension two years ago, Zimmerman would have hit free agency after the 2011 season as a 27-year-old. He’s now on the disabled list (for just the second time in his career) with a left abdominal strain, but that wouldn’t have stopped teams from bidding on him if he had hit the open market after the season. Zimmerman and Prince Fielder would have been the best free agent position players available other than Albert Pujols.
A $20MM annual salary on a long-term deal would have been possible for the third baseman and his agents at CAA. Instead, the Nationals will pay Zimmerman $12MM in 2012 and $14MM in 2013. They have always been aggressive with Zimmerman, promoting him to the majors just 85 days and 269 minor league plate appearances after being drafted. It paid off with a sizzling cameo in 2005, a productive rookie season in 2006 and a shrewd contract extension in 2009.
The only players with more wins above replacement than Zimmerman since he became an everyday player in 2006 are perennial All-Stars and, in many cases, Hall of Fame candidates: Pujols, Chase Utley, Matt Holliday, David Wright, Alex Rodriguez, Hanley Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera and Joe Mauer. Zimmerman, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, has a career mark of 13.1 UZR/150 and a .289/.356/.485 batting line, testaments to his well-rounded game.
He said last month that he would like to stay in Washington and is open to extending his stay in D.C. once again. This time, the Nationals might not be able to secure free agent years for south of $20MM, but that doesn't change the fact that his current deal has been a success for them so far and promises to be even better in 2012-13.
Blue Jays Designate David Purcey For Assignment
The Blue Jays designated David Purcey for assignment, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (on Twitter). Toronto recalled Casey Janssen and Brad Mills and officially placed Rajai Davis on the disabled list in related moves.
Purcey faced four batters in last night's ugly loss to the Mariners, allowing two hits and a walk. Though Purcey entered the game with the Blue Jays leading 7-1, the Mariners scored five runs in the eighth because of his poor performance and bases loaded walks by Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski. The Mariners completed the improbable comeback to win 8-7.
In five outings this year, Purcey has an 11.57 ERA with three strikeouts and four walks in 2 1/3 innings. The left-hander was considerably more effective in 2010, when he posted a 3.71 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 34 innings. The 28-year-old went 16th overall in the 2004 draft.
Dodgers Notes: Carroll, Eckstein, Dye
The Dodgers have only scored 34 runs in their first ten games, but they're 6-4 in the early goings of the 2011 season. Here’s the latest on the club, which just lost its starting shortstop, probably for a month or more…
- Rafael Furcal’s broken thumb leaves the Dodgers weakened in the middle infield, and they’re preparing to fill the void by playing Jamey Carroll at shortstop and Ivan DeJesus at second base, according to MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (Twitter link).
- Furcal is not retiring, though he's frustrated by his latest injury.
- The Dodgers expressed some interest in David Eckstein this offseason, but backed off when they heard he was asking for $2MM, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown (on Twitter).
- Recently retired slugger Jermaine Dye tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the Dodgers showed interest in him this offseason, before they signed Marcus Thames. The Blue Jays and Brewers showed interest after the 2009 season, according to Dye.
Lastings Milledge Clears Waivers
TUESDAY: Milledge cleared waivers and accepted a Triple-A assignment, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
THURSDAY: The White Sox designated Lastings Milledge for assignment to create roster space for Jeff Gray, the team announced (on Twitter). Milledge broke camp with the team after signing a minor league deal and appeared in two games (he went 1/4 with a double), but the White Sox needed relief, particularly after consecutive extra innings contests against the Royals.
Ozzie Guillen's relievers have combined for 11 1/3 innings of work since Tuesday, so Gray gets the call. The former Cubs reliever has a 4.91 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 40 1/3 innings at the Major League level. The White Sox signed him last November, after the Cubs granted him free agency.
Quick Hits: Abreu, Dodgers, Snell
Links for Monday night, as Sam Fuld comes tantalizingly close to hitting for the cycle and a couple of young left-handers toe the rubber in San Francisco…
- MLB.com's Doug Miller says some players can't be replaced because they do more than put up numbers. Bobby Abreu, Mark Ellis and Craig Counsell are in Miller's select group.
- A Boston law firm, Bingham McCutchen, is suing Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
- The Cardinals officially granted Ian Snell his release so that he can pursue a job elsewhere, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). Snell, who retired about a month ago, now says he's considering a return.
Blue Jays Sign Dewayne Wise
The Blue Jays signed Dewayne Wise to a minor league deal, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (on Twitter). The Marlins signed Wise in January, but released him before Opening Day, making him a free agent.
Though Wise is dealing with a bunion problem on his foot, the Blue Jays gain some depth by bringing him back to Toronto. Corey Patterson is coming off of the DL, but Rajai Davis is now on the DL with an ankle injury, so the team could use outfield depth, especially in center.
Wise, 33, spent the 2010 campaign with the Blue Jays and hit .250/.282/.393 in 118 plate appearances, backing up at all three outfield positions. The Blue Jays granted him free agency last November.
Upcoming Player Options
Teams covet options and are reluctant to provide them to players when it's not absolutely necessary, so there are about ten times as many club options as player options coming up after the season. Here's a look at the four upcoming player options and whether they're likely to be exercised:
- Marco Scutaro, Red Sox – If the Red Sox don't exercise Scutaro's $6MM option, he can remain in Boston for $3MM instead of taking a $1.5MM buyout. Top shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias is now at Triple-A and could position himself to take over the regular shortstop job in 2012. Scutaro, who turns 36 before the offseason, may be choosing between free agency with a $1.5MM buyout or a backup job with a $3MM salary.
- Ryan Dempster, Cubs - With a typical season (200-plus innings, sub-4.00 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 48% ground ball rate) Dempster would be one of the top pitchers available in a weak free agent class. He'll be 34 after the season, but that's how old Ted Lilly was when he signed his current three-year deal.
- Rafael Soriano, Yankees – Soriano can opt out and collect $1.5MM or exercise his $11MM player option and stay in the Bronx for another year (or two). Agent Scott Boras did well to bypass GM Brian Cashman and find his client a player-friendly deal last offseason and it's hard to imagine a better opportunity arising for Soriano, even if he reproduces his tremendous 2010 numbers. Soriano's leverage will be reduced with so many quality relievers hitting free agency at once.
- C.C. Sabathia, Yankees – Sabathia will be the top free agent starter if he opts out and, with respect to Dempster, Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson, it's not that close. Sabathia can exercise a four-year, $92MM option if he gets hurt, has an off-year or decides free agency is too much of a hassle, but the early expectation is that he'll opt out. It's a win-win decision for the big left-hander.
A’s Notes: Gonzalez, Beane, Cahill
The A's announced their multiyear deal with Trevor Cahill today; here are some related notes and reactions to the deal:
- Gio Gonzalez told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he wouldn't mind a deal of his own (Twitter link). "It looks like everyone in the rotation is getting a deal. I'm crossing my fingers!" MLBTR's Luke Adams examined the possibility of a Gonzalez deal yesterday.
- Billy Beane won't discuss which player(s) he's considering for possible extensions, but he told Slusser that extending young players is a template for success for small and mid-market teams (Twitter link).
- As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes pointed out last month, Daric Barton is another extension candidate.
- Beane says Cahill has impressed him by learning quickly, according to Slusser. "I've never seen someone make such great strides in such a short amount of time," Beane said (Twitter link).
- For comparison's sake, I took a look at Brett Anderson's extension, signed a year ago this week.
Brett Anderson’s Extension One Year Later
Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill were born four weeks apart, went in the same round of the same draft and made their MLB debuts the same week. The similarities extend to their stats, their service time and their place in Oakland's long term plans.
Examine their respective extensions, however, and the parallels aren't as strong. Anderson signed a year ago this week for a guaranteed $12.5MM over four years. If the A's exercise both of their club options, Anderson (pictured) will become a free agent after the 2015 season with $31.4MM in career earnings.
Cahill signed a record deal earlier this afternoon that guarantees him $30.5MM over five years. If the A's exercise both of their club options, Cahill will become a free agent after the 2017 season with $57.5MM in career earnings.
At a glance, it appears that Cahill got a decisively better contract by waiting a year, both in terms of guaranteed money and potential earnings over the course of the deal.
There's another way to look at the extensions, though. Anderson will be a free agent by the 2015-16 offseason at the latest, potentially two years earlier than his rotation-mate. Given the scarcity of top starters on the free agent market, Anderson and his representatives at Legacy Sports Group will be in an enviable position when his contract expires, assuming he pitches well; his age 28 and 29 seasons could be worth $40MM total on the open market.
If the A's exercise both of their options for both pitchers, Anderson will have to earn $26.1MM for 2016-17 to match Cahill's career earnings, an achievable goal given the asking price for the few top starters who do reach free agency. Cahill won't earn more than $26.5MM for his age 28-29 seasons, a trade-off for the security he obtains with substantial guaranteed salaries in 2014-15.
The 2016-17 seasons seem distant now and injuries or poor performance could limit Anderson's marketability between now and then. There's no question that he doesn't have the same security as Cahill, but in surrendering fewer years of team control, he'll appear on the open market sooner. That could be a good thing for Anderson, since the market is a profitable place to be for elite free agent starters who have yet to turn 30.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Heyman On Manny, Mets, Yankees, Dodgers
Jon Heyman of SI.com points out that despite all of his antics, Manny Ramirez earned more than any players other Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. And unlike Jeter and Rodriguez, Ramirez was not a well-rounded player. Here’s Heyman’s latest from around the league:
- There’s ‘growing suspicion’ that the Mets will look to trade veterans such as Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and Francisco Rodriguez if they are not contending midseason. Plus, Mike Pelfrey could find himself on the block.
- Though the Yankees maintain that Phil Hughes is healthy, it’s troubling for them to see him pitching with reduced velocity. It’s part of the reason they have continued adding starting pitching depth, most recently with Carlos Silva.
- Dodgers owner Frank McCourt had proposed a deal that would have seen FOX advance him $200MM, but MLB rejected it, according to Heyman. McCourt is losing the support of fellow owners, Heyman reports.