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Excel To Represent Clayton Kershaw

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Excel Sports Management now represents Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. When agent J.D. Smart left Hendricks Sports for Excel earlier this year, Kershaw made the transition too. At the time it wasn’t clear if Smart was bringing Kershaw with him. Agent Casey Close, who oversees Excel’s baseball department, will assist Smart in contract talks for Kershaw.

The Dodgers have expressed interest in reaching a long-term extension with Kershaw. However, Heyman reports that the sides haven’t started discussing a new deal. The left-hander will earn $11MM in 2013 then hit free agency following the 2014 season. He has considerable leverage after winning the 2011 Cy Young award and finishing second in this year’s balloting. 

The Dodgers are focused on their contract negotiations with Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu and on free agent pitchers, Heyman writes. Zack Greinke and Anibal Sanchez are on Los Angeles’ radar and Kyle Lohse could be of interest as well.

MLBTR’s Agency Database has up-to-date information on MLB players and their agents.

Red Sox, Mariners, Rangers In On Napoli

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FRIDAY: The Mariners are definitely in on Napoli and the Rangers and Red Sox are also involved, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

THURSDAY: The Red Sox and Mariners continue pursuing free agent catcher Mike Napoli, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). Napoli is holding out for a fourth guaranteed year from Boston, and he's meeting with the Mariners, who might be willing to commit for the extra year.

The Mariners, Red Sox and Yankees are among the teams that have already been linked to Napoli this offseason. The 31-year-old ranked 14th on MLBTR’s top 50 free agent list earlier in the month. He did not obtain a qualifying offer from the Rangers, which means he won’t be linked to draft pick compensation. In 417 plate appearances as a catcher, first baseman and designated hitter, Napoli posted a .227/.343/.469 line with 24 home runs this past season. He is a client of Paragon Sports International.

Amaro On Phillies, Upton, Bourn, Marlins

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The Phillies haven’t made any major additions to their team to this point in the offseason, but they continue working to address their biggest needs, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “We’ve had some good discussions, some fruitful discussions, with agents as well as other clubs,” Amaro said. “There are some situations where we’re waiting right now on someone to say ‘yes,’ and other situations where other teams are waiting for us to say ‘yes.’ It’s an interesting dynamic right now.” Here’s the latest on the Phillies, who are looking to contend again following an 81-81 season in 2012:

  • Amaro still wants to add at least one outfielder and a veteran reliever for the eighth inning. The club could also pursue help at third base, though that could depend on the team’s search for outfielders.
  • Reading between the lines, Salisbury suggests the Phillies have reached out to the Marlins to see if they’d trade Giancarlo Stanton in a follow up to Miami’s recent blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays. “We’ve made some inquiries about a lot of players that went in that trade, both to Toronto and to Miami,” the GM acknowledged. “But nothing imminent so far.”
  • Amaro said he has not received any indication that former Phillies closer Ryan Madson is opposed to pitching in a setup role. Madson underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2012 season and is now a free agent.
  • While B.J. Upton appears to be the Phillies’ top target, Amaro also mentioned free agents Angel Pagan, Michael Bourn and Shane Victorino as other potential center field options. “We can’t put all our resources in one area and not address others,” Amaro said. He added that the Phillies are more likely to add an outfielder or two in free agency than via trades.
  • Earlier this month I previewed the Phillies’ offseason.

Olney On Giants, Angels, Hamilton, Soriano

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Buster Olney outlines the most pressing offseason needs for ten teams viewed as contenders in his latest column at ESPN.com. Here are more of Olney’s notes from around MLB…

  • Some GMs and agents say they sense that others are still waiting at this stage in the offseason. There’s a sense that asking prices could drop and opportunities could emerge a little later on.
  • The Giants aren’t sure they’re willing to commit to Angel Pagan for as many years as he’s seeking, Olney reports. But the Giants do believe they’ll find a way to re-sign second baseman Marco Scutaro.
  • Rival executives say the Angels have a thin farm system, Olney writes. This puts pressure on GM Jerry Dipoto to address his rotation through free agency, which gives Zack Greinke considerable leverage.
  • Some general managers believe the secondary starting pitching options are incredibly overpriced, Olney reports. MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker offers a complete list of the unsigned starting pitchers available in free agency.
  • Some executives say they’d be comfortable offering Josh Hamilton a three-year deal that includes protective language for the team. I expect Hamilton can do far better than a three-year deal.
  • The A’s seem like a possible fit for Asdrubal Cabrera, but they probably wouldn’t want to part with the kind of starting pitching the Indians would want in a trade for their shortstop.
  • Rival executives expect Scott Boras to try to engage the Tigers on Rafael Soriano, according to Olney. However, the Tigers have suggested they’d prefer to rely on internal options instead of spending big on a closer.
  • Some agents presume the Phillies will be particularly aggressive in addressing their center field need. Acquiring a center fielder remains the club's priority.
  • The Red Sox are open to signing Cody Ross, even after agreeing to terms with Jonny Gomes, according to Olney.

Quick Hits: Weiner, Blue Jays, Tax

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Happy Thanksgiving! Here are some links on a relatively quiet day for MLB transactions…

  • Jerry Crasnick profiles MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner in a must-read piece at ESPN.com. Weiner, who is fighting brain cancer, has the respect of MLB players, agents and officials thanks in part to his ability to relate to others and strong communication skills.
  • John Lott of the National Post explains how the Blue Jays–Marlins blockbuster started with an attempt to acquire Josh Johnson and expanded to include others, including Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. However, both GM Alex Anthopoulos and president Paul Beeston denied that they set out to "make a splash" this winter, Lott writes.
  • Upcoming changes to American tax laws could affect the way teams and agents do business, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports (via the Miami Herald). The expected changes are primarily a concern for large market teams, in the view of Athletics GM Billy Beane. "It's probably not a situation I'll have to face in Oakland too much," he said.

Latest On Andy Pettitte

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A friend of Andy Pettitte's told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that he expects the left-hander to decide on his plans for 2013 by the end of next week (Twitter link). The Yankees have yet to offer Pettitte a contract, but they remain interested in bringing him back as a member of their 2013 rotation.

Earlier this week Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote that the Yankees expect Pettitte to return for another season. However, the 40-year-old will likely seek a raise from his 2012 salary of $2.5MM. Pettitte, who is now represented by Excel Sports Management, pitched well in 12 regular season starts this past season before making two quality starts in the postseason. He posted a 2.87 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 75 1/3 regular season innings in 2012.

GMs Talk Starting Pitching Depth

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Every team needs starting pitching depth, but few teams have enough of it. Given the expected cost of free agent pitching, the few clubs with starters to spare will be popular in offseason trade talks. Yet the general managers of these pitching-rich teams must be careful, since depth can diminish quickly if injuries strike and players disappoint on the field.

So, earlier this month at the GM Meetings, I asked three general managers of teams with considerable young pitching to explain how they weigh the possibility of trades against the reality that you can never have enough pitching. Here are their thoughts:

Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman

Internal starting rotation options: David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Chris Archer, Alex Cobb

“The one thing that we’re very wary of is waking up one day and not being able to fill out a rotation in the American League East that can have a chance to pitch 170-220 innings [per starter].”

Braves GM Frank Wren

Internal starting rotation options: Tommy Hanson, Mike Minor, Tim Hudson, Randall Delgado, Brandon Beachy, Kris Medlen, Paul Maholm, Jair Jurrjens, Julio Teheran

“We feel like our rotation is one of our strengths. In our rotation and our bullpen we’re basically returning everyone and we have some dynamic young pitchers that are one verge of being a part of our rotation or on our club, so we do have depth.

“I always cringe when people say you have too much pitching because you never have enough pitching. But you also have to look at your club honestly and say ‘where do we have pieces that we can deal from.’ I think our pitching will enable us to fill some of our needs if we want to move one or so of those guys. It’s something we’re open to; it’s not something we’re absolutely going to do.”

Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik

Internal starting rotation options: Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, Hisashi Iwakuma, Erasmo Ramirez, Blake Beavan, Hector Noesi, Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker, James Paxton

“You have to keep your options open. At this stage [on November 7th] people are feeling each other out, people are lining their ducks up in a row. All 30 clubs are doing this and everybody has their Christmas list if you will.”

The White Sox, Athletics, Dodgers, Reds and Mets are among the other teams that could consider trading starting pitchers to address other needs in the months ahead.

AL East Notes: Robinson, Martin, Yankees

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On this date in 1957, Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle won the AL MVP, narrowly edging out Ted Williams of the Red Sox for the award. Williams had superior numbers on a per at bat basis, but Mantle played in more games, had more wins above replacement and the Yankees won the pennant. Here are today's AL East links…

Offseason Calendar

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The offseason started weeks ago, but let’s take an updated look at the offseason calendar as the news and rumors slow down for Thanksgiving. There’s a lot to keep track of in the first full offseason under the sport’s new collective bargaining agreement, so MLBTR has compiled a timeline of offseason events. Here’s what has already happened:

  • Immediately after World Series – Eligible players hit free agency
  • Three days after World Series – Option decisions due
  • Five days after World Series – Qualifying offers due
  • Six days after World Series – Free agents can sign contracts with teams other than their former clubs
  • 12 days after World Series – Players must accept or reject qualifying offers
  • November 7th – 9th - GM Meetings
  • November 20th – Deadline for setting 40-man roster in advance of Rule 5 Draft

Here’s what’s ahead:

  • November 30th – Deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players
  • December 3rd – 6th – Winter Meetings
  • December 6th – Rule 5 Draft takes place at Winter Meetings
  • January 18th - Teams, players exchange arbitration figures
  • February 1st – 21st -  Arbitration hearings take place in Phoenix
  • March 2nd – 11th – Teams can renew contracts of unsigned pre-arbitration eligible players

Dates via MLB.com, the Kansas City Star and USA Today.

Olney On Orioles, Red Sox, Kazmir, Heisey

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Agents and players have considerably more interest in Baltimore as a potential destination now that the Orioles are viewed as a contender, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. "It's winning," one agent told Olney. "Period.” Some free agents now list the Orioles as a team they’d like to join. Here are more notes from Olney, starting in Baltimore…

  • The Orioles are looking for starting pitching and hope to bring Joe Saunders back. Jeremy Guthrie’s three-year, $25MM contract could affect Saunders’ asking price, as Olney points out. 
  • While the Orioles have talked about adding a bat, they’re not expected to be particularly aggressive about free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton.
  • The Marlins, Indians and Pirates are among the teams that could have trouble luring free agents even if they’re offering competitive salaries.
  • One AL GM credits the Red Sox for building a team that plays well in Fenway Park.
  • Earlier in the offseason there had been talk that the SoftBank Hawks, the Japanese team that recently agreed to sign Bryan LaHair, could pursue veteran free agents such as Mike Napoli or Kevin Youkilis.
  • A number of teams, including the Indians, are scouting left-hander Scott Kazmir, Olney writes. The Astros had some interest in Kazmir during the regular season.
  • Olney suggests arbitration eligible players such as Chris Heisey and A.J. Ellis could be candidates for two or three-year extensions this winter.

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