Vazquez Interested In Pitching For The Nationals
Javier Vazquez has thrown the second most innings (2,320.1) and recorded the second most strikeouts (2,122) in all of baseball since the start of the 2000 season, but 2010 was the worst year of his career. His return engagement with the Yankees resulted in 157.1 innings of 5.32 ERA, 6.9 K/9, and 1.8 HR/9 ball, certainly not what they Yanks expected after trading three young players for him last winter.
After a performance like that, it stands to reason that Vazquez would have some trouble finding work for next season, but that hasn't stopped him from expressing interest in pitching for the Nationals according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The Nats are one team that we know is ready to spend on pitching, and Javy has long preferred the East Coast so he could be close to his family in Puerto Rico.
Vazquez obviously will not approach the $11.5MM he made each year from 2008-2010, and a multi-year deal is unlikely as well. A pitcher with his track record is a nice candidate for one-year, low base salary contract, and the Nats are in the perfect position to gamble on deals like that. It's worth noting that his fastball velocity dropped off considerably this season, so perhaps all those innings are finally catching up to him at age 34.
I examined Vazquez's free agent stock a few weeks ago, and Luke Adams listed him as a pitcher that could benefit from a move to the NL.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Indians
Next up in our series looking at each team's top amateur signing bonuses, the Indians…
- Danys Baez, $4.5MM (1999)
- Jeremy Guthrie, $3MM (2002)
- Drew Pomeranz, $2.65MM (2010)
- Jeremy Sowers, $2.475MM (2004)
- Alex White, $2.25MM (2009)
Baez's bonus was part of the four-year, $14.5MM contract Cleveland gave him after he defected from Cuba as a 22-year-old. After a year in Triple-A, the Indians gave him a rotation spot in 2002 and watched Baez post a respectable 4.41 ERA, 7.1 K/9, and 4.5 BB/9. Overall, Baez had a 3.92 ERA in 291.1 innings with Cleveland in a variety of roles (starter, setup man, closer) before they cut ties with him after the 2003 season.
Guthrie, the 22nd overall pick in 2002, never hit his stride in Cleveland, appearing in just 16 games (37 IP, 6.08 ERA) for the Tribe before being designated for assignment and subsequently claimed off waivers by the Orioles in January 2007. Sowers' tenure with the Indians was just as forgettable, though he got a much longer look. The sixth overall pick in the 2004 draft started 71 games for Cleveland from 2006-2009, though he pitched to just a 5.18 ERA with a measly 3.9 K/9 in exactly 400 IP. He spent 2010 in their minor league system.
White and Pomeranz are the team's two most recent first round picks. White (15th overall in 2009) split the 2010 season between the Single-A and Double-A levels, posting a 2.45 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 150.2 IP. Pomeranz (5th overall in 2010) signed right at the August 16th deadline and will start his professional career next season.
Yankees Rumors: Girardi, Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte
The Yankees always have interesting offseasons, but this one figures to have a little extra something after the Rangers massively outplayed them in the ALCS. Three of their stalwart players, not to mention the manager, are scheduled to become free agents in a few weeks. Let's round up all the news that came out of Yankeeland following last night's loss, courtesy of Chad Jennings of The Journal News, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, Mark Feinsand and Anthony McCarron of The Daily News, Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger, and Dom Amore of The Hartford Courant (Twitter link)…
- Re-signing manager Joe Girardi is "the first order of business," said GM Brian Cashman. Cashman also said he has yet to talk to ownership, which gives you an idea of how far along (or not) they are in the process.
- Neither Mariano Rivera nor Derek Jeter would talk about their upcoming free agency after last night's loss. “This is where they belong,” said Cashman, and the general belief is that both will re-sign with the Yankees this winter.
- Andy Pettitte's decision about whether to return for another year or retire will be based solely on his family, adding that he's already accomplished everything he wanted to in his career. Cashman said that they'll give Pettitte as much time as he needs.
- Yankee starting pitchers not named CC Sabathia posted a 5.91 ERA in the second half, so Cashman unsurprisingly said that starting pitching will be a priority in the offseason. They're expected to be major players for Cliff Lee, and will likely check in on Zack Greinke.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Ichiro, Garza, Greinke, Bell
On this date two years ago, the Mariners named former Brewers vice president Jack Zduriencik as their new general manager. His defense-heavy approach resulted in a 24 win increase in his first season at the helm, though team scoring dropped by 31 runs. The Mariners won just 61 games and scored a mere 513 runs in 2010, the fewest by any team in the DH era. Unsurprisingly, there's already talk that Jack Z. is on the hot seat.
These links don't have to worry about being on the hot seat, they've made this week's edition of BBWI…
- Speaking of the Mariners, Prospect Insider discusses the possibility of trading Ichiro.
- DRays Bay speculates about what the Rays could get in return for Matt Garza.
- Meanwhile, The Process Report looks ahead to Tampa's 2011 bullpen.
- The Tao Of Stieb wonders if the Blue Jays should get involved in trade talks for Zack Greinke.
- Redleg Nation asks the same Greinke question for the Reds.
- The Friarhood debates whether the Padres should trade or extend Heath Bell.
- Disciples of Uecker re-lives the history of Nelson Cruz.
- Monkey With A Halo reviews Angels GM Tony Reagins' 2010 moves.
- Royals Review wonders if Robinson Tejeda turned the corner in 2010.
- Yankeeist breaks down Cliff Lee as he approaches his massive payday.
- River Ave. Blues writes that Lance Berkman and Kerry Wood have gone from spare parts to important pieces for the Yankees.
- Cubs Packs wants to know if Jim Hendry can fix the team's bullpen.
- 1 Blue Jays Way offers up a quick take on Toronto's options.
- The Hardball Times looks at some players whose best position is DH.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Dodgers Sign Ted Lilly
The Dodgers have signed Ted Lilly to a three-year, $33MM contract that was finalized today when the 34-year-old pitcher passed a physical. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) reports that Lilly has a full no-trade clause for the first two seasons of the deal, and the left-hander will receive a $3.5MM signing bonus to be paid out over all three years. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com broke the news of the agreement last Saturday, and MLB.com's Ken Gurnick was the first to confirm the dollar amount (both Twitter links).
Los Angeles acquired Lilly from the Cubs at the trade deadline this summer, and watched him post a 3.52 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in dozen starts (76.2 innings). He also threw his first complete game shutout since 2004 while in a Dodgers' uniform. Lilly just wrapped up the four year, $40MM contract he signed with Chicago before the 2007 season.
Lilly projected to be a Type-A free agent, so the Dodgers will be forfeiting a chance at two high draft picks with the move. Of course they would have had to offer arbitration and Lilly would have had to turn it down for that to happen, and neither of those things was a given.
Lilly was positioned to be one of the best free agent starting pitchers available, and Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (via Twitter) calls the signing a "bargain" for Los Angeles considering what Lilly could've earned on the open market. Apparently he preferred to sign quickly, and given how the market played out last offseason, it's hard to blame him.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Reds
Next up in our series looking at how much each club spends on amateurs, the Reds…
- Aroldis Chapman, $16.25MM (2010)
- Chris Gruler, $2.5MM (2002)
- Yorman Rodriguez, $2.5MM (2008)
- Homer Bailey, $2.3MM (2004)
- Mike Leake, $2.27MM (2009)
I don't want to ruin the surprise, but Chapman's bonus is by far the largest you'll see in this series. It wasn't all paid out at once though; the 22-year-old Cuban defector received $1.5MM up front and the rest will be paid in annual installments through 2020, the first of which is due in less than two weeks. I'm sure the Reds will happily hand that money over after Chapman's late season showing, when he struck out 19 with a 2.03 ERA in 13.1 relief innings. He also threw the fastest recorded pitch in baseball history on September 24th, a fastball that MLBAM's PitchFX system clocked at 105.1 mph.
Gruler made 11 starts in 2002 after being the third overall pick that year, but unfortunately the 44 innings he tossed that season would be a career high. He battled shoulder injury after shoulder injury, and was out of baseball by 2006 after just 92.2 minor league innings, none of them above the Single-A level. Rodriguez is still just 18 years old despite signing two summers ago. The outfielder is a .276/.316/.384 career hitter in 472 plate appearances in the lowest levels of minor league baseball.
The eighth overall pick in 2009, Leake became the first pitcher since Ariel Prieto in 1995 to skip the minor leagues and make his professional debut in the show. He threw 138.1 innings for the Reds this season, putting up a 4.23 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 before being placed on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue in an effort to control his workload. Bailey took a more conventional route after being selected with the seventh overall pick in 2004. He made his big league debut in 2007, and in 39 starts (222.1 innings) for the Reds over the last two seasons he's pitched to a 4.49 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. Both Leake and Bailey figure to have a spot in Cincinnati's rotation next season.
It's worth noting that the Reds have also given four players bonuses of exactly $2MM: Drew Stubbs, Juan Duran, Yonder Alonso, and Yasmani Grandal. Stubbs is the team's regular center fielder; the other three are currently working their way through the farm system.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: White Sox
Time to hit Chicago's south side with our amateur signing bonus series…
- Joe Borchard, $5.3MM (2000)
- Dayan Viciedo, $4MM (2008)
- Gordon Beckham, $2.6MM (2008)
- Jason Stumm, $1.75MM (1999)
- Chris Sale, $1.656MM (2010)
Borchard's bonus was the largest ever given out as part of a minor league contract at the time, and was the record until Justin Upton showed up in 2005. The White Sox had to buy him away from a potential NFL career after Borchard starred at Stanford as both an outfielder and quarterback, though the team was able to spread the bonus out over five years according to MLB's provisions for two sport athletes. He never lived up to the hype, hitting .191/.254/.342 in 328 plate appearances across four seasons for Chicago before being dealt to the Mariners in March 2006 for a fellow former first round pick by the name of Matt Thornton. It clicked for Thornton after the trade but never did for Borchard, and the vast majority of his career has been spent in Triple-A.
Both Beckham and Sale have paid immediate dividends. Beckham, the eighth overall pick in 2008, reached the big leagues the very next year and is a career .260/.331/.416 career hitter in 928 plate appearances. Sale didn't even have to wait that long; he found himself in Chicago's bullpen less than two months after being the 13th overall pick in this year's draft. Hard to blame them for being so aggressive, Sale posted a 1.93 ERA with 12.3 K/9 in 21 appearances (23.1 innings) while hitting the upper-90's from the left side. As you probably suspect, he's the first player from the 2010 draft to reach the show.
After the success of Alexei Ramirez, the White Sox went hard after another Cuban defector in Viciedo. The 21-year-old has been just okay in the minors (.277/.313/.432), though his 106 plate appearance cameo in the big leagues this season was much more promising (.308/.321/.519). Listed at 5-foot-11 and 240 lbs. on the team's official site, he might not be long for the hot corner. Stumm was a colossal bust as the 15th overall pick in 1999. Injuries sabotaged the righthander's career (four surgeries total), and just eight of his 224.1 career innings came above A-ball. Stumm has been out of the game since 2005.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Derrek Lee
With his roster losing player after player due to injury, Braves GM Frank Wren swung a deal with the Cubs that brought two-time All Star Derrek Lee to Atlanta in August. Lee was just a rental player however; he's scheduled to hit the free agent market this winter as the five-year, $65MM extension he signed with Chicago in 2006 ends. Let's examine his stock…
The Good
- After a subpar performance with the Cubs this season, Lee rebounded to hit .287/.384/.465 in 151 plate appearances with the Braves. Perhaps being on a contender reinvigorated him.
- Even as age saps his power, he remains a strong on-base threat, drawing at least 71 walks in each of the last four seasons.
- Lee has a reputation as being a tremendous defensive first baseman, and the advanced metrics back it up: his +12.5 UZR over the last three seasons is one of the best marks in the game at the position.
- Lee fell just short of qualifying as a Type-A free agent, so a team will not have to forfeit a high draft pick to sign him (assuming Atlanta offers him arbitration and he declines).
- At 35-years-old, a long-term commitment will not be required.
The Bad
- Lee played through a torn ligament in his thumb at the end of the season according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, and recently underwent an MRI to determine the extent of the damage and the next step. He also battled back and neck issues during the past two seasons, though neither landed him on the disabled list.
- As I said before, age is beginning to steal some of his pop. Looking at isolated power, which measures extra-base power by removing singles from slugging percentage (it's just SLG-AVG), 2010 was Lee's worst power season (.168 ISO) ever, minimum 300 plate appearances. For comparison's sake, the MLB average for first basemen was .146 ISO this season, so he's still above average in that regard. But for how long?
- Always known as a lefty masher, Lee dipped to just .257/.356/.421 against southpaws this year, his worst output against pitchers of the opposite hand since 2006.
The Verdict
Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko highlight the free agent first base crop, but Lee is about as good of a stopgap option as you'll find. He's a solid all-around player despite declining some in recent years, and his track record is both better and longer than other free agents like Lyle Overbay and Carlos Pena. Teams looking to solidify the first base position for a year or two while they wait for a prospect (or just want to avoid a long commitment) figure to show the most interest. That includes clubs like the Mariners, Orioles, Nationals (assuming Dunn leaves), Rangers, Rays, and maybe even the Cubs again.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Cubs
Time for another post in our series looking at the five largest signing bonuses each team has given to amateur players. The Cubs are up…
- Mark Prior, $4MM (2001)
- Corey Patterson, $3.7MM (1998)
- Josh Vitters, $3.2MM (2007)
- Luis Montanez, $2.75MM (2000)
- Bobby Brownlie, $2.5MM (2002)
You'd be hard pressed to find a team that pumped more money into high draft picks and received so little in return. Prior was undeniably special, going from USC to a third-place finish in the NL Cy Young voting within two years. His first 56 big league starts (377 innings) featured a 2.60 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 (removing intentional walks), but arm injuries wrecked the rest of his career. Prior last pitched for the Cubs (and in the big leagues) on August 10th of 2006. If his latest comeback attempt is unsuccessful, his career is likely to end with a 3.51 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 3.1 BB/9 in 106 starts (657 innings).
Patterson and Montanez were the third overall picks in their respective drafts. Neither delivered on their promise, though Patterson at least managed to reach the big leagues for Chicago. He hit just .252/.293/.414 with 70 homers and 86 steals in 589 games for the Cubbies before being traded to the Orioles for a pair of minor leaguers before the 2006 season. Montanez spent six years in the Cubs' farm system before signing with Baltimore as a minor league free agent in 2007. He didn't make it out of A-ball until five years after he was drafted. Vitters, yet another third overall pick, reached Double-A at age 20 this season, but he's just a .275/.317/.435 hitter in the minors, walking only 46 times unintentionally in 1,178 plate appearances.
Brownlie, a Scott Boras client and the 21st overall pick in 2002, pitched very well in Cubs farm system for two years before his elbow started to act up in 2005. He was shifted to the bullpen and pitched terribly in 2006 (6.33 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 4.2 BB/9), leading to his release. Brownlie bounced around a bit after that, including a stint in an independent league, but he now coaches at his alma mater Rutgers. He never reached the big leagues, but did throw 199 innings at the Triple-A level.
Kosuke Fukudome matched Prior's signing bonus at $4MM, but he's not considered an amateur given all of his time in Japan despite having zero MLB experience when he signed.
MLBTR Originals: 10/10/10 – 10/17/10
As the baseball world focuses on the League Division Series, we here at MLBTR are looking ahead to the offseason. Here's a recap of our original content from the past week…
- Ben Nicholson-Smith broke down Jose Bautista's historic arbitration case with some help from an expert.
- Tim Dierkes looked at the free agent market for second basemen, shortstops, and third basemen, as well as the trade market for first basemen, second basemen, and shortstops. He also listed the hardest-throwing free agent relievers.
- Tim also looked at the arbitration cases facing the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Pirates, Brewers, and Astros this winter.
- Ben continued his series looking at what was said when each of the current general managers were hired. This week he tackled the NL East and NL Central.
- Mark Polishuk listed the managers and general managers who are entering the final year of their contracts. Ben re-introduced us to Sandy Alderson, the leading candidate for the Mets GM job.
- As usual, we examined the stock of several soon-to-be free agents. This week we tackled Carl Crawford of the Rays, Takashi Saito of the Braves, Jonny Gomes of the Reds, and Rick Ankiel of the Braves. We also looked at two non-tender candidates: Todd Coffey of the Brewers, and James Loney of the Dodgers.
- Our series looking at the largest bonuses each team has given to amateurs continued with the Braves, Orioles, and Red Sox.
- Among the poll questions this week, we asked who you thought would win the ALCS as well as the NLCS. We also want to know what you think the Reds will do with Orlando Cabrera's option.
- I dug up the latest and greatest links in this week's edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
- Howard Megdal's latest Jack Of All Trades post highlighted Nelson Cruz.
- Here is Tim's chat transcript.
- Last, but certainly not least, welcome to all of the new readers that stumbled across the site this week! Here's a handy guide with all the different ways you can use MLBTR, as well as a list of our regular features. Make sure you check out our complete list of 2011 free agents.