Olney On Sizemore, Jones, Votto, Pujols
Grady Sizemore tells ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that it's "miserable" to have to sit and watch others play. The center fielder, who is on track to be ready for Opening Day after microfracture knee surgery, says he can't wait to return to the playing field. Here are Olney’s thoughts on Sizemore, plus rumors from around the league:
- Sizemore’s contract includes an $8.5MM option for 2012, so within a year the Indians will have to decide whether to exercise the option, let him hit free agency or trade him.
- The Yankees are the frontrunners for Andruw Jones, Olney reports (on Twitter).
- Joey Votto’s three-year, $38MM extension makes sense for both sides, in Olney’s opinion.
- It’s apparent that talks between the Cardinals and Albert Pujols “are not going as smoothly as the Cardinals want,” Olney writes. Click here to vote on Pujols’ future in St. Louis.
Mets Sign Willie Harris
The Mets have signed Willie Harris to a minor league deal and invited him to Spring Training, according to the team. Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com first reported the agreement. The utility player will have a good chance of making the team's Opening Day roster, Rubin writes.
We heard last week that Harris had two offers and would not return to Washington, where he played from 2008-10. Harris played all three outfield positions and backed up at third base last year. The 32-year-old posted a .183/.291/.362 line with 10 homers in 262 plate appearances. Harris bats from the left side and generally maintains an above-average strikeout to walk ratio.
The Mets, who had been looking for a fourth outfielder, now figure to continue their search for starting pitching.
Poll: The Cardinals & Albert Pujols
The Cardinals have until Spring Training to work out an extension with Albert Pujols. Since he's the face of the franchise and arguably the best player in the game, there's a fair amount of pressure on the team not to let the slugger hit free agency. After all, the bidding for a three-time MVP coming off of consecutive home run titles would likely accelerate in no time. Now, the Cards have exclusive negotiating rights with their first baseman.
With just one season remaining on his current contract, Pujols has a fair amount of leverage. If the Cardinals don't meet his demands, he can resist their overtures and wait for other clubs to enter the bidding after the season. And a player of Pujols' caliber could potentially ask for an Alex Rodriguez-like deal on the open market.
Which means everyone wants to know the answer to this question:
Will the Cardinals extend Albert Pujols?
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Yes - he'll get at least $200M, but he won't sign a record deal 42% (7,006)
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Yes - but they'll have to pay him A-Rod money ($275MM) or more 30% (5,041)
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No - he'll hit free agency after the season 21% (3,463)
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Yes - the Cards will lock him up for under $200MM 7% (1,140)
Total votes: 16,650
Mets Closing In On Deal With Chris Young
The Mets are closing in on a deal with Chris Young, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The deal is pending a physical. That could be more than a formality for Young, who missed most of last season with a shoulder strain before pitching in September.
Reports earlier in the month suggested Young was nearing a decision and willing to accept less than $2MM in guaranteed money. A deal with the Mets would reunite him with two of his former Padres bosses, current Mets execs Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta.
This post was first published January 17th.
Nationals, Alex Cora In Serious Talks
The Nationals are in serious talks with Alex Cora about a potential deal, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Former Nationals utility player Willie Harris recently finalized a deal with the Mets, so GM Mike Rizzo is looking outside the organization for potential infielders.
Cora played all four infield positions in 2010, though most of his big league experience has come at second and short. The 35-year-old hit .210/.266/.278 with the Mets and Rangers last year, before Texas released him in September. Rizzo has a good working relationship with agent Scott Boras, who represents Cora and Nationals such as Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg.
Though the team considered Jerry Hairston Jr. as a utility player, some in the organization believe his asking price would be too high, according to Ladson.
This post was originally published on January 17th.
Five Teams Have Expressed Interest In Manny
SATURDAY, 9:24pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Blue Jays are still considering Ramirez.
FRIDAY, 10:04am: At least five teams have shown some level of interest in Manny Ramirez, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (link in Spanish). The Angels, Twins, Rangers, Rays and Blue Jays have asked about Manny, according to Rojas’ source.
Ramirez is training in Arizona and he’s preparing to play defense if necessary. Agent Scott Boras made the case for Manny yesterday, speaking to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick. Crasnick heard that Ramirez could be a fit in Tampa Bay, but suggested that the Blue Jays are less likely to sign him.
The five clubs mentioned in Rojas' report all appeared on my list of teams with potential interest in designated hitters.
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Rafael Soriano Signing Reactions
The Yankees agreed to sign Rafael Soriano to a three-year deal that guarantees the right-hander $35MM. The Bronx Bombers don't get much of a guarantee from Soriano, who can opt out after year one or year two. The deal sends a first round pick from the Yankees to the Rays and gives the Yankees a pair of shutdown relievers in closer Mariano Rivera and Soriano. Here are some reactions to the deal between the Yanks and the Scott Boras client with the latest reactions up top:
- ESPN.com's Keith Law points out that the Yankees gave Soriano tons of leverage. It's "a baffling scenario" from the Yankees' perspective, Law writes.
- The Soriano deal was more ownership-driven than from baseball operations, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The team's front office was split on the prospect of signing Soriano. WEEI.com's Alex Speier notes that the Soriano signing seems to contradict Cashman's year-old opinion about relief contracts.
- The Yankees had talked about signing Grant Balfour in a possible sign-and-trade before Soriano and Balfour agreed to their respective deals, according to Olney.
- Olney suggests there’s a “major divide of opinion on Soriano within the organization, and that [GM Brian] Cashman's autonomy in matters of baseball operations may have eroded.” Olney points out that the Yankees now have two of the six relievers in baseball who earn $10MM or more.
- Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal feels it's hard to properly judge the Soriano contract since "the Yankees operate on a completely different economic scale from the rest of baseball and can't be used as a comparison point for anything."
- Tom Verducci of SI.com calls the deal a "smart" one for the Yankees and points out that it doesn't change the way they do business.
- As Ben Shpigel of the New York Times points out, the Yankees expect the signing to take pressure off of their thin rotation.
- Kevin Kernan of the New York Post argues that the deal saved the offseason for Cashman.
- Chad Jennings of the Journal News explains that the deal makes the Yankees better short-term, but not necessarily a lot better.
- Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald explores what the deal means for the Red Sox. They will be tough to beat late in games, they'll definitely obtain the Rangers' first rounder for the loss of Adrian Beltre and Jonathan Papelbon could have trouble finding a massive deal in free agency after the season.
- FanGraphs' Chris Cwik says "it’s tough to defend any team that gives out such a large contract to a relief pitcher and this instance is no different."
- My reaction has less to do with the Yankees and Soriano and more to do with Boras. How did Boras get a $35MM guarantee plus two opt-outs for his client in a market that was, by all accounts, pretty dry? It's been a standout offseason for baseball's best-known agent.
Francis Chooses Royals Over Other Suitors
Jeff Francis says he drew interest from "a bunch" of teams this offseason before agreeing to sign in Kansas City. His suitors reportedly included the Yankees and Rockies, but Francis chose the Royals instead of a team with a legitimate chance to contend in 2011.
As he explained on a conference call with reporters this afternoon, the left-hander chose the Royals because they offered him the opportunity to start and boast the game's most impressive collection of minor league prospects.
"From everything I've been able to learn, they certainly have the talent available," Francis said, comparing the current group of Royals prospects to the young Rockies players who made it to the 2007 World Series. "I've seen [a quick turnaround] happen before and I know it can be done."
Francis turned 30 over the weekend, but it wasn't long ago that he was a top prospect like current Royals lefties Mike Montgomery, John Lamb, Danny Duffy and Chris Dwyer. Though he doesn't consider himself much of a mentor yet, Francis knows what it's like to be a top prospect. As the 9th overall pick of the 2002 draft, Francis arrived in Colorado with lots of fanfare.
He leaves the Rockies – the only franchise he has ever known – for the American League. Francis says there could be an adjustment period and that he expects to succeed as long as he throws strikes, keeps hitters off-balance and stays healthy.
Injuries have been a problem throughout Francis' six-year big league career, but he says his left shoulder has been "feeling really good" and that he expects to be ready for Spring Training next month. The left-hander spent the entire 2009 season recovering from shoulder surgery and says he experienced some soreness again at the end of the 2010 campaign.
Quick Hits: Pedro, Young, Rays, Thome
On this date nine years ago, Carlos Pena and Ryan Ludwick were traded for each other. Here are some links on a day that has featured a number of signings, but no trades…
- Pedro Martinez told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he hasn't decided whether to pitch in the majors again or retire. The three-time Cy Young Award winner last pitched in 2009, when he made a late-season comeback for the Phillies.
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if Chris Young is the top option remaining in the Mets' price range, now that the Royals have agreed to a deal with Jeff Francis. Mets executive J.P. Ricciardi told Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com that Young "could be a nice fit" for the team.
- The Rays seem to like Vladimir Guerrero more than Manny Ramirez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Heyman also lists his best and worst deals of the offseason.
- Jim Thome, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins today, would like to play at least two more seasons, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian takes a position-by-position look at the Indians' roster.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says it's been frustrating and disappointing not to add top starting pitchers this offseason, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.