Center Field Top Priority For Phillies
The Phillies are putting other needs on hold until they sign a center fielder, agents and executives told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. B.J. Upton has been identified as a priority for the Phillies, who invited the free agent to visit their park and city last week.
The 28-year-old could seek a six-year deal and while the Phillies probably prefer a four-year term, Gelb suggests they might be willing to go to five years. The Phillies are also fond of Michael Bourn and have confidence that he could handle playing in Philadelphia, Gelb writes. Other potential targets include free agent Angel Pagan and trade candidates such as Dexter Fowler and Denard Span.
The Braves also have strong interest in Upton — he appears to be their top target. The Nationals have at least some interest in Upton, who ranks fifth on MLBTR’s list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents. As I explained earlier this month, the Phillies also have needs at third base and in the bullpen this winter.
Offseason Outlook Series
Ever since the regular season ended I’ve been previewing teams' offseason needs, outlining potential solutions and challenges along the way. Each piece offers an overview of a team’s commitments before previewing the months ahead. The resulting series provides a comprehensive look ahead to the offseason from the perspective of all 30 clubs. Here’s the team by team breakdown:
AL East
AL Central
AL West
NL East
NL Central
NL West
SoftBank Hawks, LaHair Nearing Deal
8.38pm: MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith reports (on Twitter) that LaHair can opt-out of the contract after 2013, and the deal includes $2MM in incentives each year. The total value is $4.7MM when you include his signing bonus and buyout.
7:42pm: LaHair's agreement with the Hawks is worth $4MM over two years, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The Cubs received about $950K in the transaction.
11:12am: The SoftBank Hawks are close to an agreement with Bryan LaHair, according to a Sanspo report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The Cubs designated LaHair for assignment yesterday, announcing that the team and player were "pursuing an opportunity" for LaHair to sign with a Japanese team.
LaHair, 30, made the NL All-Star team in 2012, but his production diminished in the second half. He finished the season with 16 home runs and a .259/.334/.450 batting line in 380 plate appearances as a corner outfielder and first baseman.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Red Sox To Sign Jonny Gomes
7:21pm: It's a two-year contract worth $10MM according to Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. She says it's about double what the Athletics offered Gomes in September.
4:18pm: The Red Sox agreed to a two-year contract with free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). MVP Sports Group represents Gomes, whose deal is pending a physical.
Gomes, 31, spent this past season with the Athletics as a corner outfielder and designated hitter. He posted a .262/.377/.491 batting line with 18 home runs and 44 walks in 333 plate appearances. Gomes, a career .284/.382/.512 hitter against left-handed pitching, continued hitting southpaws well in 2012. He posted a .974 OPS against lefties and hit 11 homers.
The Orioles had also been linked to Gomes, who was not ranked among MLBTR's top 50 free agents.
Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald first reported that the sides were nearing a deal. Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com first reported that the sides were building momentum and had discussed a two-year deal.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Olney On Guthrie, Royals, Pettitte
While Jeremy Guthrie’s three-year, $25MM contract prompted some to question the Royals, the deal was considered fair in front offices of some other teams, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. Some executives think of the contract as reasonable given Guthrie’s durability at the MLB level. Here are more notes from Olney…
- The Royals will continue seeking starting pitching, even after adding Guthrie and Ervin Santana, Olney writes. They could trade minor leaguers to add to the MLB rotation.
- Royals officials still view the club as a work in progress, but rival evaluators are intrigued by their talent. "They're a team to watch," an AL GM told Olney. The team’s young bullpen draws especially strong reviews, Olney writes.
- The Yankees believe that the return of Hiroki Kuroda increases the chances Andy Pettitte will decide to pitch for another season, Olney reports. The Yankees signed Kuroda to a one-year, $15MM contract yesterday.
Reds Sign Emmanuel Burriss
The Reds signed utility player Emmanuel Burriss to a minor league deal, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). CAA Sports represents Burriss, who elected free agency earlier in the month.
In 60 games with the Giants this past season, Burriss appeared at second base, third base, shortstop and right field. The 27-year-old posted a .213/.370/.221 batting line in 150 plate appearances. Burriss, San Francisco's first round selection in 2006, would have been arbitration eligible this offseason if the Giants had kept him on their roster.
Cubs Sign Brian Bogusevic
The Cubs signed outfielder Brian Bogusevic to a minor league contract, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The Cubs also signed infielder Alberto Gonzalez, right fielder Johermyn Chavez and catcher J.C. Boscan, according to Eddy.
Bogusevic, a 2005 first round pick, appeared in 146 games for the Astros in 2012. He posted a .203/.297/.299 batting line with seven home runs and nine doubles in 404 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter played all three outfield positions for Houston. Beverly Hills Sports Council represents Bogusevic.
Gonzalez appeared in 24 games with Texas in 2012, posting a .241/.241/.315 batting line while playing second base, third base and shortstop. Boscan, 32, appeared in six games for the Braves this past season. Chavez posted a .725 OPS in 288 plate appearances for the Mariners' Double-A affiliate in 2012.
Minor Moves: Ka’aihue, Hinshaw, Luna, Pirates
We’ll keep track of the day’s minor moves here…
- The White Sox signed catcher Bryan Anderson and left-hander David Purcey to minor league deals, Eddy reports (on Twitter).
- The Diamondbacks signed Kila Ka'aihue, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The 28-year-old appeared in 39 games for the Athletics this past season, posting a .234/.295/.398 batting line.
- The Blue Jays announced that they signed outfielder Ricardo Nanita and left-hander Alex Hinshaw to minor league contracts. Nanita played for the Blue Jays' Triple-A team in 2012, hitting 12 home runs. Hinshaw appeared in 33 games for the Padres and Cubs in 2012, posting a 6.04 ERA. The team also confirmed its minor league contracts with infielder Jim Negrych and right-hander Neil Wagner.
- The Chunichi Dragons have agreed to sign utility player Hector Luna to a one-year, $450K deal that includes $200K in incentives, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com reports (on Twitter). Luna, 32, appeared in 28 games for the Phillies this past season, playing first base, third base and left field. In seven seasons at the MLB level, he has a .262/.314/.385 batting line.
- The Pirates announced that they’ve agreed to sign right-handers Brooks Brown and Erik Cordier to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training. The club also announced minor league deals with right-handers David Bromberg and Luis Sanz, and infielder Alex Valdez. Finally, the Pirates officially announced their minor league deal with former MLB outfielder Felix Pie.
Offseason Outlook: Colorado Rockies
The Rockies will seek pitching in their first offseason under the joint leadership of Bill Geivett and Dan O’Dowd.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Troy Tulowitzki, SS: $144MM through 2020
- Carlos Gonzalez, OF: $71MM through 2017
- Michael Cuddyer, OF: $21MM through 2014
- Jorge De La Rosa, SP: $11MM through 2013
- Todd Helton, 1B: $5MM through 2013
- Rafael Betancourt, RP: $4.5MM through 2013
- Matt Belisle, RP: $4.35MM through 2013
- Ramon Hernandez, C: $3.2MM through 2013
Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)
- Dexter Fowler, OF: $4MM (second time eligible)
- Jhoulys Chacin, SP: $1.6MM (first time eligible)
- Jonathan Herrera, IF: $800K (first time eligible, non-tender candidate)
- Tyler Colvin, OF: $1.9MM (first time eligible)
- Josh Outman, RP: $600K (first time eligible, non-tender candidate)
Free Agents
As Bill Geivett begins his first offseason leading the Rockies' baseball operations department, the organization faces an intimidating challenge: find a way to improve the worst pitching staff in MLB. If Geivett accomplishes this goal, the Rockies will be that much closer to contending in the increasingly competitive NL West. It's not an easy task.
The Rockies have already completed one of their biggest offseason additions, hiring manager Walt Weiss. The longtime MLB shortstop had been managing his son’s high school team in the Denver area, but the leap isn’t as great as it first sounds. Weiss spent years working as a special assistant to GM Dan O'Dowd after his 14-year playing career ended in 2000.
Now that the Rockies have a field boss in place, they can focus on obtaining rotation help. No team allowed more runs than the Rockies in 2012 and while part of that can be attributed to Coors Field, this team could certainly use more pitching. Jorge De La Rosa and Jhoulys Chacin have had success pitching in Colorado and pitchers such as Juan Nicasio, Drew Pomeranz and Alex White offer some promise. Still, the Rockies must obtain another starter this winter. It probably won’t be a top free agent pitcher — luring the game’s best arms to the thin air of Coors Field has never been easy — but there are still lots of potential targets for the Rockies.
Ricky Nolasco and Gavin Floyd could be trade targets for Colorado. I believe the Rockies should also pursue Jon Niese and Rick Porcello in case there’s a trade to be made for either starter. Free agent starters such as Kevin Correia, Ervin Santana, Roberto Hernandez and Francisco Liriano are some of the low-risk free agents who could appeal to Geivett. These pitchers would provide support in the short term, a worthwhile goal given the team's struggles in 2012. However, it also makes sense for the Rockies to pursue pitchers who project as long-term members of their staff.
The Rockies are deepest in the outfield, meaning players such as Dexter Fowler, Michael Cuddyer and Tyler Colvin could surface in trade talks this winter. At this point it doesn’t sound as though the Rockies will move Carlos Gonzalez.
Interest in Fowler would likely be strong, even at a time that there are many center fielders available via trades and free agency. The Braves seem like a fit for the Atlanta native, since they have enough depth to send a young pitcher to the Rockies. Fowler remains under team control for three more seasons, and he’ll earn considerably less than a free agent during that time. For that reason, the Rockies could look to extend him on a deal that covers his arbitration seasons and some years of free agency. I suggested in August that a five-year, $42MM extension could work for both sides.
Cuddyer and Colvin wouldn’t have as much trade value as Fowler. Still, teams interested in adding offense could inquire about the outfielders. Both Cuddyer and Colvin can play first base, a bonus for teams seeking versatility. Plus, the Rockies could part with offense more easily than most teams. Even without much production from Troy Tulowitzki the Rockies ranked third in the National League in runs scored this past season.
Giambi, a fixture on the bench since 2009, hasn't decided what his next step will be. The Rockies clearly like Giambi lots — enough to sign him as a free agent three times and consider him for their managerial opening — but he's not a logical fit on the roster. They already have one aging, left-handed hitting first baseman in Todd Helton, so there could come a time when Giambi’s skillset simply doesn’t fit.
The Rockies will also need relief help, though none of their most relied upon relievers are departing as free agents. That said, it doesn't make sense for the mid-market Rockies to invest a significant portion of their budget in relief help. Relievers Kyle Farnsworth, Ramon Ramirez and Brandon Lyon might be among the free agent options available on short-term contracts.
Colorado's class of arbitration eligible players includes two non-tender candidates: Josh Outman and Jonathan Herrera. It's possible Herrera and other Rockies infielders will draw trade interest this offseason given the lack of free agent infielders available. Other than Fowler, the group doesn't include any obvious extension candidates.
The Rockies will pursue pitching this offseason in an attempt to restore some balance to their roster. They don't have to have an elite pitching staff, but they must make significant improvements before they can expect to win more games than they lose.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Sherman On Blue Jays, Royals, Dickey
Though the Blue Jays and Royals have already added to their respective rotations this winter, they might not be done. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Blue Jays are still looking for a top of the rotation starter and the Royals look as if they need one, too. Here are more notes from Sherman…
- Many executives tell Sherman they plan to investigate the trade market for pitching more thoroughly given the expected cost of free agent starters.
- Rival executives suggested to Sherman that the Mets could ask for more in a trade involving R.A. Dickey if they grant the acquiring team a window for discussing an extension.
- For example, the Blue Jays might be more willing to surrender players such as Travis d’Arnaud, J.P. Arencibia, Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Sanchez if they had the chance to talk extension with Dickey. To be clear Sherman isn’t saying the Blue Jays and Mets will necessarily discuss these specific players.