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Rangers Notes: Payroll, Lee, Washington

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The offseason isn't far away, so the Rangers are thinking ahead, even though they can continue their bid for a World Series title with a win against the Giants tonight. Here's the latest on the AL Champs:

  • GM Jon Daniels says the Rangers may be able to increase payroll next year, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). The Rangers intend to bid on Cliff Lee, who won't come cheap, so it's not surprising to hear that the club has the flexibility to spend.
  • Yankees people are angry that Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg called Yankees fans "an embarrassment," according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Heyman says the Yankees will return fire after the World Series. The best way of retaliating would probably be to lure Lee to the Bronx if you ask me.
  • Daniels left no doubt that the Rangers will sign manager Ron Washington to a multi-year deal after the World Series, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter).

A User’s Guide To MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker

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MLBTR is introducing a database that sorts transactions by player, date, team, transaction type, GM, agency and more. Here are some guidelines to the transaction tracker:

Features & Tips

  • Hover over the leftmost column for more detailed info on a transaction, such as who a player was traded for and a link to the MLBTR post on the deal.
  • You can link to results or share them on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on the “Link Results” button once you complete a search. 
  • You can search for transactions between teams or GMs with this database.
  • We highly recommend searching for different contracts. For example, if you want to know how many teams handed out two-year extensions worth at least $10MM and no more than $12MM between 2008 and 2010, this is the tool for you.
  • Some searches yield hundreds of transactions and they don’t all show up at once. Click “Load More Transactions” at the bottom of the page to ensure you’re seeing complete results.
  • Click on the columns to sort according to different categories.

What The Database Can And Cannot Do

  • We have made every effort to add as much data as possible, but the database does have limitations.
  • We have extensive trade, signing, release and waiver claim data that dates back to 1900 thanks to the help of Sean Forman and Baseball-Reference.com. We don't have complete data for that entire period, though.
  • We have GM data from 1980 on, thanks to Baseball America’s fantastic executive database.
  • Signings before 2006 do not all have dollar figures attached.
  • We have non-tender data from 2007 on.
  • Extension data for non-current players is incomplete.
  • International signing data is incomplete.
  • Agent data is incomplete.

Feedback

  • Send questions or corrections to mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Acknowledgements

  • Many thanks to Mike Melusky, Cale Cox, Daniel Lowenstein and Tony Bennett. Without their considerable skill and hard work, Tim Dierkes and I would not have come close to completing this database.

Mariners Hire Eric Wedge As Manager

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SATURDAY, 5:20pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Wedge will be paid close to $1.9MM per year through the life of the contract. He was likely the Pirates' top choice for their managerial opening as well.

MONDAY, 12:09pm: The Mariners announced Wedge's hiring today, with a press conference to take place tomorrow.  Said Wedge: "With the fan support, the ballpark, the ownership and management, the Mariners are in a great position to be very successful."

FRIDAY, 7:34pm: Wedge's deal is for three years, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

3:45pm: The Mariners will hire Eric Wedge to be the team's next manager, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Wedge, the 2007 manager of the year with the Indians, beat out Bobby Valentine, John Gibbons, Lloyd McClendon, Cecil Cooper and others for the job. The Blue Jays and Pirates were among the teams who were reportedly considering Wedge for their managerial vacancies.

The highlight of Wedge's tenure in Cleveland came back in 2007, when the Tribe made it to the ALCS before losing to Boston. The 42-year-old led the Indians to a 561-573 record in seven seasons. 

Back in April of 2004, the Indians traded Milton Bradley to the Dodgers when it became clear that he was no longer a fit in Cleveland. Wedge perceived a lack of hustle from Bradley, and that perception contributed to the trade. The two will be reunited in Seattle, but Wedge no doubt convinced Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik that his relationship with Bradley will be workable.

Hiroyuki Nakajima Hasn’t Given Up On Being Posted

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SATURDAY: Newman passes along another report (via Twitter) saying that Nakajima hasn't given up on being posted just yet. He wants to meet with Seibu Lions management again and try to get them to change to their minds.

FRIDAY: Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima will not be posted, according to reports passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (on Twitter). He had been drawing interest from MLB teams including the Orioles and Mariners, but those clubs will have to look elsewhere for middle infield help. Nakajima would have added some pop to the otherwise ordinary group of shortstops available via trade or free agency.

The 28-year-old hit .314/.385/.511 with 20 home runs in 579 plate appearances in Japan this year.  In an article for Fangraphs, Newman suggested Nakajima is a line drive hitter whose power could fade in the majors. 

Gimenez & Reyes Become Free Agents

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Catcher Chris Gimenez and right-hander Anthony Reyes are free agents, the Indians announced. The Tribe outrighted Gimenez and Reyes today, along with right-hander Hector Ambriz. Gimenez, 27, batted .190/.288/.328 in 67 plate appearances this year. He has struggled to hit at the big league level in two short stints with the Indians.

Reyes, a former top prospect with the Cardinals, rose quickly through the St. Louis system after being selected in the 15th round of the 2003 draft. He struck out more than a batter per inning with excellent command in the minors from 2004-06, but soon lost his top prospect status.

This year, the 29-year-old struggled through 10.0 minor league innings and did not pitch in the majors. Last year, he made eight starts for the Indians and posted a 6.57 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 38.1 innings. Reyes does have one major postseason accomplishment; he pitched eight innings of four-hit, two-run ball against the Tigers in the opening game of the 2006 World Series.

Ozzie Guillen For Mike Stanton Trade Was Discussed

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4:47pm: Williams told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that the Sun-Times report is “false,” but declined to go into further detail because of rules forbidding executives from speaking about other teams’ players. "That's tampering," Williams said. "All I can say is the report isn't completely accurate." Merkin hears that the White Sox demanded compensation from the Marlins when they wanted to talk to Guillen.

9:56am: The Marlins did not discuss an Ozzie-Stanton trade with the White Sox, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). The White Sox may have discussed the possibility internally, but it seems to have been wishful thinking on Chicago’s part. As the response to our poll shows, Stanton is far more desirable.

4:56am: When Ozzie Guillen was at odds with the Chicago front office earlier this year, there was discussion of a deal that would have sent the White Sox manager to Florida for 20-year-old slugger Mike Stanton, according to Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times. De Luca reports that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was intent on making Guillen the Marlins’ next manager until Guillen met with White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and agreed to return in 2011.

Guillen says he never spoke to the Marlins about managing the team, but he confirmed to the Sun-Times that the White Sox granted the Marlins permission to talk to him. White Sox GM Kenny Williams repeated that he is on good terms with Guillen and insisted his manager is staying put.

''Ozzie is the manager of the White Sox next year and I hope the next 10 years after,” Williams said. “How many times do I have to [bleeping] say it?''

Guillen is under contract with the White Sox next year and he expressed interest in an extension at the end of the season, but did not sign one. Stanton batted .259/.326/.507 with 22 home runs as a rookie this year and is under team control through 2016.

Though manager-player exchanges are exceptional, there is some precedent for them. Eight years ago today, the Devil Rays sent Randy Winn to the Mariners after Lou Piniella left Seattle to manage in Tampa.

Odds & Ends: Boras, Antonetti, Girardi, Cubs

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Links for Friday, as Josh Hamilton and the Rangers rest before trying to make up ground against the Giants. Incidentally, it was nine years ago today that the Rangers signed Edinson Volquez, the player they later flipped to Cincinnati for Hamilton…

  • The Phillies contacted Scott Boras about Jayson Werth this week, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. At this point, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says "There's really not much to say" about possible negotiations with the free agent right fielder. 
  • Bill Lubinger of the Cleveland Plain Dealer offers up a must-read profile of Indians GM Chris Antonetti. Pirates GM Neal Huntington says Antonetti is similar to former GM Mark Shapiro – to an extent. “I would say Chris is going to seek out maybe more opinions and he's going to be more inclusive," Huntington said. "Mark will seek out the opinions that he thinks are more crucial to the decision. Chris may get outside that narrow circle a little bit more than Mark."
  • We heard lots of buzz about Joe Girardi and the Cubs, but the manager says he "didn't really think about leaving the Yankees," according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). The skipper agreed to a three-year extension yesterday.
  • The Cubs selected catcher Robinson Chirinos from Double-A and outrighted Jim Adduci to Triple-A and off of the 40-man roster.
  • Former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi wants to get back into baseball operations and has been in contact with the Red Sox about working for them, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff. We heard yesterday that Sandy Alderson contacted Ricciardi about joining the Mets.

Some Movement For Marlins, Uggla

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Agent Terry Bross told Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post that there has been some “movement” in negotiations with the Marlins about a long-term deal for Dan Uggla. The second baseman, who is one year away from free agency, seeks a five-year deal and the Marlins had been offering a three-year extension worth roughly $24MM.

Though Bross didn’t say as much, the “movement” could mean the Marlins offered a four-year deal. Earlier in the week, Marlins president David Samson told Capozzi that the team is “definitely” discussing a deal with Uggla and hopes to work something out. 

Uggla, 30, hit 32 homers in 2010, reaching the 30-homer mark for the fourth consecutive season and posting the highest OPS of his career. He earned $7.8MM and is headed for an arbitration raise that could place his 2011 salary at $10MM or so. I suggested a month ago that a three-year $24MM deal would not be fair for someone as accomplished and close to free agency as Uggla.

Alderson On Free Agents, Manager, Castillo, Perez

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The Mets officially announced that they signed Sandy Alderson to a four-year deal with a club option for 2015 and there's no question that the new GM definitely has his backers. Commissioner Bud Selig told Chris Russo of SIRIUS XM Radio that “the fans of the Mets ought to be very happy” with the team's choice. J.P. Ricciardi and Kevin Towers tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Alderson has earned their admiration and respect over the years. So what is Alderson himself saying about the Mets? Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog has the latest from this afternoon's news conference:

  • It doesn't seem like the Mets will spend big on free agents, as they have in recent offseasons. “Will we be aggressive in the free agent market this year?  Not likely,” Alderson said.
  • Alderson says “the manager is a critical part of the overall leadership structure” who has to be analytical. That doesn't mean Alderson will hire someone bland, though. He pointed out that he has worked with fiery skippers like Billy Martin before.
  • The manager he selects may or may not have previous managerial experience in the majors.
  • Alderson sidestepped a question about the future of Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, saying the team must "be careful about writing off any player or any asset … without thinking about it carefully.”

MLBTR Looking For Writers

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Would you like to join the MLB Trade Rumors team? We are considering adding a writer. The position pays on an hourly basis. The criteria:

  • Knowledge of all 30 baseball teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of hot stove concepts like arbitration and free agent compensation.
  • Writing experience is necessary and online writing experience is preferred.
  • Attention to detail – absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.  Ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs.  We need the best of both worlds: quick writing with thoughtful analysis.  You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
  • Ability to use an RSS feed reader such as Google Reader.  Ability to use Twitter.  Both of these are crucial.
  • Strong evening availability – typically 5-10pm CDT shifts.  
  • If you're interested, email mlbtrhelp@gmail.com and take a couple paragraphs to explain how you stand out. Hundreds will likely apply, so we cannot respond to most applications.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

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