Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pirates, Amaro, Bonds

By Mike Axisa | February 4, 2011 at 3:17pm CDT

February 4th is a big day in contract extension history. Last year on this date, the Tigers and Justin Verlander finalized a five-year, $80MM contract while another Tiger, Curtis Granderson, agreed to a five-year, $30.25MM contract three years ago. The most notable deal was struck seven years ago, when the Cardinals and Albert Pujols avoided arbitration by agreeing to a seven-year deal worth $100MM. St. Louis picked up the $16MM option for 2011, but now they're trying to get a new deal done that will keep Pujols in town for the rest of his career.

Here's the latest from around the web, with a heavy dose of interviews and Q&A sessions…

Pittsburgh Lumber Co. recapped a recent get together between bloggers and Pirates president Frank Coonelly, GM Neal Huntington, and pitcher Paul Maholm.
Phoul Ballz posted some excerpts of their interview with Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
The Process Report interviewed Chaim Bloom, the Rays' Assistant Director of Minor League Operations.
DRays Bay, meanwhile, interviewed one of the newest Rays, Dirk Hayhurst.
Blogging From The Bleachers posted a Q&A with Matt Antonelli, who signed a minor league deal with the Nationals.
Splashing Pumpkins asked Giants' prospect Thomas Neal ten questions.
SF Giants Rumors interviewed a different Giants prospect, Brandon Crawford.
The Few, The Proud, The Braves listed five things they learned at a Braves' season ticket holder event.
Beyond The Box Score looks at the possibility of a Barry Bonds comeback.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wonders if the Dodgers should have taken a look at Jim Edmonds.
Camden Crazies likes the Justin Duchscherer signing, noting that the O's could trade him if he stays healthy during the first three months of the season.
Through The Fence Baseball makes a case for the Pirates having baseball's best outfield.
Some Thoughts On Baseball breaks down the Blue Jays' rebuilt bullpen.
Yankeeist looks at the possibility of Yu Darvish becoming the next great Yankee right-hander.
Harness The Halo sorts out the Angels' catching situation following the Mike Napoli trade.
Earning My Stripes lists one last move the Tigers could make this offseason.
Baseball Analysts wonders if the Phillies' rotation is a luxury, or a necessity.
Red Sox Beacon posted part one of their series looking ahead to John Lackey's 2011.
Ivy Report wonders if next season will be Carlos Zambrano's last chance.
The Nats Blog looks at how the Mets' financial crisis impacts the Nationals.
The Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan came up with an idea to revolutionize bullpen usage.
River Ave. Blues penned a requiem for the Yankees' offseason.
MLB Depth Charts looks at some Comeback Player of the Year candidates.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Orioles Sign Justin Duchscherer

By Mike Axisa | February 4, 2011 at 12:47pm CDT

The Orioles and Justin Duchscherer have finalized a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $4.5MM in salary and incentives. The right-hander has passed his physical, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Dan Connolly of the Sun reports that Duchscherer gets $700K guaranteed and that his base salary will jump to $1.1MM when he makes the roster (Twitter links). To get the full $4.5MM, he'll have to make 30 starts.

Earlier in the week we heard that just a handful of clubs were in on the Duke of Hurl, and it eventually came down to beltway neighbors Baltimore and Washington. Duchscherer is represented by Lapa/Leventhal.

The 33-year-old right-hander made just five starts for the Athletics last year, pitching to a 2.89 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 28 innings. He had surgery on his hip, and has also battled elbow issues and depression in recent years. Duchscherer has a ton of experience as both a starter (3.01 ERA in 194 1/3 IP) and a reliever (3.22 ERA in 260 1/3 IP), but he recently said he'd like to remain in the rotation. He's never come close to making the 30 starts needed to max out his contract, topping out at 22 starts in 2008.

Duchscherer showcased his stuff at a workout on Friday, and was set for an encore performance on Tuesday, but that obviously won't be necessary. The O's have been looking for a veteran starter to slot in behind Jeremy Guthrie and in front of their younger arms, which Duke should be able to do as long as he's healthy.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first reported the agreement.

Mets Avoid Arbitration With R.A. Dickey

By Mike Axisa | January 31, 2011 at 2:41pm CDT

The Mets and R.A. Dickey have avoided arbitration and agreed to a two-year deal with a third year club option, the team announced. Andy Martino of The New York Daily News, who first reported the agreement, says Dickey will make $7.5MM total for the two guaranteed years of the deal, excluding the option year and incentives (Twitter link). The contract is official, now that Dickey has passed his physical, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork, who says the deal is believed to guarantee $7.8MM (Twitter link).

When doctors performed Dickey's physical, one thing they're didn't find was a UCL in his right elbow. The 36-year-old knuckleballer is famously missing the all-important ligament, something Texas Rangers' doctors first discovered when they drafted him in 1996.

Dickey has bounced from team to team for most of his career, but he broke out with the Mets last season. After being recalled from Triple-A in mid-May, he pitched to a 2.84 ERA with 5.4 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and a 55.1% ground ball rate in 174 1/3 innings. Given the nature of the knuckleball, that walk rate is mighty impressive.

“R.A. had a breakthrough season for our organization last year, meriting this new contract,” Mets GM Sandy Alderson said. “We expect R.A. to be a major part of our success going forward.”

As our Arbitration Tracker shows, Dickey filed for $4.7MM in arbitration while the team countered with $3.35MM, prompting Ben Nicholson-Smith is name his arbitration case one of ten to watch. Dickey would have been eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.

MLBTR Originals: 1/23/11 – 1/30/11

By Mike Axisa | January 30, 2011 at 10:40pm CDT

Time to recap the last seven days of original MLBTR content…

Ben Nicholson-Smith provided a ton of original Blue Jays' coverage this week. He wrote about some recent comments made by GM Alex Anthopoulos, the team's eventual payroll boost, and their pursuit of bullpen depth. In the wake of the Vernon Wells' trade, I looked at Toronto's future payroll obligations.
Ben also looked at four potential landing spots for Vladimir Guerrero, the 22 teams that have given out multiyear contracts this offseason, and ten arbitration cases to watch.
Nick Collias reported that the Cubs signed a pair of Cuban players: outfielder Ruby Silva ($1.2MM) and catcher Yaniel Cabezas ($500K). MLBTR also reported that Ian Stewart had avoided arbitration with the Rockies.
We started a new series looking at players who face a make or break year in 2011. So far we've covered Grady Sizemore of the Indians, Nate McLouth of the Braves, and Scott Kazmir of the Angels.
We posted a pair of poll questions this week, asking where Justin Duchscherer will sign and who the best unsigned starting pitcher is.
I rounded up the latest and greatest from around the web in Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
Here is this week's chat transcript.
Howard Megdal's latest Jack of all Trades post looked at baseball's tallest players.

Week In Review: 1/23/11 – 1/30/11

By Mike Axisa | January 30, 2011 at 9:32pm CDT

Pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training in just two short weeks, but that doesn't mean the rumors have stopped. Let's recap the last seven days of hot stove action…

Two pitchers landed multiyear contract extensions this week. Wandy Rodriguez agreed to a three-year deal worth $34MM with the Astros while Johnny Cueto got four years and $27MM from the Reds. The Angels are trying to lock up their ace as well, having opened up talks with Jered Weaver about a long-term contract extension.
Less than a week after acquiring him from the Angels, the Blue Jays turned around and traded Mike Napoli (and cash) to the Rangers for Frank Francisco. Both Napoli and Francisco later agreed to one-year contracts with their new teams to avoid arbitration.
In an effort to bolster their pitching staff, the Diamondbacks acquired Armando Galarraga from the Tigers for a pair of minor leaguers. The Padres added depth by signing Jorge Cantu to a one-year deal worth $850K while the Nationals added Todd Coffey to their bullpen for $1.35MM and one year.
Chone Figgins' name came up in trade talks with the Athletics (and Blue Jays), but he ultimately said he's going to remain a Mariner. The Red Sox pursued a trade for Jose Bautista, but nothing ever materialized.
The Orioles made an offer to Vladimir Guerrero, but there hasn't been any progress in talks and there's no timetable for a decision. Baltimore also has interest in Justin Duchscherer, who wants to start, as do the Nationals.
If he decides to pitch in 2011, the Yankees will offer Andy Pettitte a cool $12MM. Rodrigo Lopez has offers from the Braves, Mets, and Rockies, while the Orioles have an offer out to Mark Hendrickson. The Indians have interest in bringing back Kevin Millwood, ditto the White Sox and Freddy Garcia and the Tigers and Jeremy Bonderman. A few clubs have interest in Aaron Miles.
Spring Training deadlines for contract extensions are the new black. Rickie Weeks set one this week, as did Shin-Soo Choo. Albert Pujols said he will veto all trades if he can't get an extension worked out with the Cardinals before the season. Rumor has it he might seek $300MM.
The Rangers and GM Jon Daniels are discussing a contract extension. The Rockies locked up Rafael Betancourt for the next two years, as the Mets did with R.A. Dickey.
The list of players that avoided arbitration by agreeing to one-year deals includes Edinson Volquez of the Reds, Jason Frasor of the Blue Jays, Ian Stewart of the Rockies, Miguel Montero of the Diamondbacks, Kevin Slowey of the Twins, and Craig Breslow of the Athletics.
A number of players signed minor league contracts this week, including Dave Bush (Rangers), Shawn Hill (Marlins), Nick Green (Orioles), Mike MacDougal (Dodgers), Joe Beimel (Pirates), Jose Julio Ruiz and Ty Taubenheim (both Rangers), Nick Bierbrodt (Orioles), Braden Looper and Augie Ojeda (both Cubs), Casey Kotchman (Rays), Alfredo Amezaga (Rockies), Greg Burke (Padres), Bartolo Colon (Yankees), Chris Ray (Mariners), Clay Rapada (Orioles), Todd Wellemeyer (Cubs), Marc Kroon (Giants), Andy LaRoche (Athletics), Willy Taveras (Rockies), and Micah Owings (Diamondbacks).
We saw three players get claimed off waivers this week. The Padres claimed Samuel Deduno, the Rays claimed Rob Delaney, and the Twins claimed Dusty Hughes. Deduno was designated for assignment after the Rockies acquired Clayton Mortenson from the A's for minor leaguer Ethan Hollingsworth.
The Nationals designated both Justin Maxwell and Shairon Martis for assignment while the Diamondbacks did the same with Rafael Rodriguez. The Cubs signed a pair of Cuban-born players: outfielder Ruby Silva ($1.2MM) and catcher Yaniel Cabezas ($500K).
Troy Glaus is going to sit out at least the start of the 2011 season, while both Rocco Baldelli and Russ Springer officially announced their retirements. Jim Edmonds is likely to call it a career as well.

Jocketty Hopes New Deals Will Improve Attendance

By Mike Axisa | January 30, 2011 at 8:13pm CDT

The Reds have been very aggressive about signing their own players to long-term contract extensions this winter, and GM Walt Jocketty hopes the moves will improve the team's attendance according to Hal McCoy of The Dayton Daily News.

"If we continue to win … our attendance will improve, our revenues will improve and we’ll be in great shape to try and re-sign these guys," said Jocketty.

McCoy says the target appears to be 2.8MM fans in 2011, which would be an increase of about 800K fans from last season according to the data in his post. Cincinnati has consistently drawn about 2MM fans a year since the Great American Ballpark opened in 2003. The team's first division title and playoff appearance since 1995 will certainly help increase interest.

As our Transactions Tracker shows, the Reds have doled out over $150MM in contract extensions to four players this offseason: Jay Bruce, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, and NL MVP Joey Votto. Edinson Volquez is rumored to be next in line.

Grilli Appears Likely To Sign With Phillies

By Mike Axisa | January 30, 2011 at 7:00pm CDT

Right-hander Jason Grilli announced on his Twitter account that he's "FIRED UP about the City of Brotherly Love," possibly indicating that he's agreed to sign with the Phillies. We heard that the team was interested in signing him just yesterday.

Grilli, 34, last pitched in the big leagues in 2009. He posted a 5.32 ERA in 45 2/3 innings with the Rockies and Rangers. He struck out an impressive 9.7 K/9, but walked 5.3 BB/9. He agreed to a minor league pact with the Indians last year, but he missed the entire season with a quad injury. The fourth overall pick in the 1997 draft, Grilli has worked exclusively in relief since 2005.

Jesus Feliciano Weighing Minor League Offers

By Mike Axisa | January 30, 2011 at 6:05pm CDT

It took Jesus Feliciano 12 years before he finally reached the big leagues, which he did with the Mets in 2010. Now the 31-year-old outfielder is weighing multiple minor league contract offers according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. It's unclear which teams made those offers.

Feliciano has spent the last five years playing in Triple-A, hitting .316/.363/.394 in 1,834 plate appearances. In 119 trips to the plate for the Amazin's last season, he hit .231/.276/.287 while playing all three outfield spots. The Mets dropped Feliciano off their 40-man roster back in November.

Make Or Break Year: Grady Sizemore

By Mike Axisa | January 28, 2011 at 10:41pm CDT

It wasn't too long ago that Grady Sizemore was one of the best players on the planet. He hit .279/.380/.499 with 85 homers and 93 steals from 2006 through 2008, ranking third among all center fielders with a +22.5 UZR. Three All-Star Game appearances, three top-12 finishes in the MVP voting, and two Gold Gloves are fantastic accomplishments over a career. Sizemore did all that before he turned 27.

It's clear that Grady and his ladies were well on their way to superstardom, but injuries started to get in the way. He battled a sore elbow early in the 2009 season, eventually hitting the disabled list for over three weeks with inflammation. With the Indians out of the race and his batting line sitting at a respectable but un-Grady-like .248/.343/.445 in early-September, Sizemore shut it down for the season and had surgery on both his elbow and abdomen.

Healthy at the outset of the 2010, Sizemore's season lasted all of 33 games. He hurt his knee sliding into a base in April then re-aggravated the injury the next month, playing his final game of the season on May 16th. Sizemore hit just .211/.271/.289, and had mirofracture surgery on his left knee in early-June. The six-to-nine month recovery time has him on track for Opening Day, and ESPN's Buster Olney reported last week that Grady has started hitting off a tee, the first wave of baseball activity he's performed since the surgery.

The Indians made waves by signing Sizemore to a six-year, $23.45MM contract back in 2006, then the largest contract (in terms of guaranteed money) ever given to a player with less than two years of service time. That contract expires at the end of the 2011 season, though the team will have to decide between a $9MM club option for 2012 or a $500K buyout.

That option looked like a no-brainer not too long ago, but it's been two full seasons since Sizemore was healthy enough to play more than 106 games, and it's been close to two calendar years since he was completely healthy and productive. We've heard that the Indians would love to trade their second highest paid player, but he's got to prove his health before the team can even think about getting fair value in return.

Sizemore won't turn 29 until August, and a return to his MVP-caliber form will ensure that his option is picked up. If he doesn't rebound, he'll hit the open market with his stock at an all-time low.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Red Sox Notes: Starting Pitcher, Cuban Prospects

By Mike Axisa | January 28, 2011 at 9:21pm CDT

Three years ago today, the Red Sox acquired David Aardsma from the White Sox for a pair of minor leaguers. Aardsma pitched to a 5.55 ERA in 48 2/3 innings for Boston in 2008, then was shipped to the Mariners after the season. Here's the latest from Beantown…

GM Theo Epstein told WEEI.com's Rob Bradford that the team's Spring Training roster is fully constructed. "Who knows when there might be a waiver claim, or one more minor league sign," said the GM, "but, we’re more or less set."
Epstein said one thing they would target on a minor league deal is a starting pitcher. "We do feel OK about our starting depth. That's one area we’re still looking, there might be a late minor-league sign, somebody who can go to Triple-A."
Alex Speier, Bradford's colleague at WWEI.com, wrote about the Red Sox and their cache of Cuban talent at the minor league level, highlighted by shortstop Jose Iglesias.

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