Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

Minor Moves: Brent Dlugach

By Mike Axisa | February 4, 2012 at 10:10am CDT

Let's keep track of the day's minor moves right here…

Infielder Brent Dlugach has signed with the Tigers according to his Twitter feed. "Heading to spring training at my home away from home again … Glad to be back with the Tigers," he said. Dlugach, 28, hit .222/.284/.343 in 236 plate appearances with the Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate last season after spending the first seven seasons of his career in Detroit's farm system. He has three big league plate appearances to his credit, coming back in 2009.

Quick Hits: Veras, Garza, Harper, Playoffs

By Mike Axisa | February 3, 2012 at 11:15pm CDT

Some links as Friday turns into Saturday…

There has been no progress in contract talks between the Brewers and reliever Jose Veras, reports MLB.com Adam McCalvy. As our Arbitration Tracker shows, the right-hander filed $2.375MM while the team countered with $2MM. Club negotiator Teddy Werner told McCalvy that he expects to return to Florida for a hearing.
Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com hears that the Cubs will continue to shop Matt Garza in Spring Training. The two sides avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $9.5MM today, and Knobler says the salary doesn't figure to hurt their chances of moving him.
"We'll be cautious yet open-minded," said Nationals GM Mike Rizzo to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com when asked about the possibility of Bryce Harper making the team out of Spring Training. "If he gives us the best chance to win, we'll keep an open mind and see where it takes us."
Talks continue between the union and management about expanded playoffs for 2012, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The deadline for resolution is March 1st.

Orioles Links: Manny, Additions, Larish

By Mike Axisa | February 3, 2012 at 9:58pm CDT

Here's the latest from Baltimore…

“[Manny Ramirez] is looking for a second chance. I think it is a good story, but that’s about all I can say about it right now," said Orioles GM Dan Duquette to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. The O's are one of three teams in the mix for Manny, though Connolly says it's unlikely the two sides are far along in process because there's so much baggage.
Duquette also told Connolly that he's not necessarily done adding players to the big league roster. “We’re still talking to teams and there are a couple players we are interested in, but at this time of year people generally want to see what their (rosters) look like,” said the GM. “There are a couple unsigned players that might fit for us.”
The Orioles signed utility man Jeff Larish according to his Facebook page. MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports (on Twitter) that it's a minor league contract without an invite to Spring Training. Larish, 29, hit .240/.330/.449 for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate last year before breaking his leg. He's a .224/.308/.380 career hitter in 276 big league plate appearances, though he hasn't appeared in the show since 2010.

Rangers, Hamilton Put Extension Talks On Hold

By Mike Axisa | February 3, 2012 at 8:20pm CDT

The Rangers have been discussing long-term contract extensions with several core players this offseason, but talks with one of them have been put on hold indefinitely. Josh Hamilton and GM Jon Daniels confirmed to reporters today that talks about a new deal have been tabled for the time being.

"We'll put that on the back-burner for now," said the outfielder while Daniels noted there are "more important things to deal with." The quotes come courtesy of CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler and The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson (Twitter links).

The "more important things" Daniels referred to would be Hamilton's admitted relapse from his drug and alcohol addiction recovery earlier this week, which Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says could cost him millions. The club was already eyeing a conservative contract while Hamilton's side reportedly had Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder money in mind. Hamilton has said he will not discuss a new contract once Spring Training begins, and he can become a free agent after this coming season.

This is the second time the two sides have tabled extension talks this offseason. Negotiations were put on hold while the club worked out new deals with their arbitation-eligible players and Yu Darvish a few weeks ago.

Giants Notes: Cain, Lincecum, Payroll, Beltran

By Mike Axisa | February 3, 2012 at 5:49pm CDT

The Giants made their roster available to the media today, on the eve of the club's annual FanFest event. Here's latest on the 2010 World Champs…

“We’ve talked … and it’s a process,” said Matt Cain to reporters (including Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News) when asked about an extension. “We’ll see what’s going to happen. We’re definitely here for this year.”
The right-hander did stop short of saying he'll give the team a hometown discount. “That’s tough,” he said. “You definitely love being in San Francisco, and we do. We have a year till free agency. That’s something as a player you think about, having that opportunity. It’s hard to say what will happen in these next several months.”
“Budget won’t be a factor," said GM Brian Sabean when asked about signing both Cain and Tim Lincecum long-term. "We’ll have enough wherewithal in the budget that we won’t have to pick. Whether that happens, I can’t predict. But we have it in the budget to sign both players.”
Sabean also said that increasing payroll to add players in midseason has "always been possible with our ownership group" according to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
The Giants wanted Carlos Beltran back as a left fielder, says Shea (on Twitter). They were willing to give him two years, but not the $26MM the Cardinals gave him.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Jackson, Oswalt, Trout

By Mike Axisa | February 3, 2012 at 11:34am CDT

One year ago today, Andy Pettitte officially announced his retirement from baseball. The southpaw finished his career with a 240-138 record and a 3.88 ERA. He was part of eight pennant winning teams in his 16 seasons, taking home five World Series rings. Although he was only a three-time All-Star, he finished in the top six of the Cy Young voting five times. Here's the latest from the baseball corner of the internet…

Tulane University Law School is conducting a baseball arbitration competition next week, and SaBEERmetrics interviewed the club head.
Chicken Friars interviewed baseball player and author Dirk Hayhurst.
Marlins Nation spoke to top Marlins prospect Christian Yelich.
Call to the Pen analyzed the Nationals signing of Edwin Jackson.
Federal Baseball wrote about Washington's improved rotation.
Redbird Rants says it's time for the Cardinals to sign Roy Oswalt.
AL Eastbound & Down wonders if the Blue Jays should target Oswalt.
Wahoo's On First lauds the Casey Kotchman signing and the Russ Canzler trade.
BrewCrew365 discussed Ryan Braun's appeal and Prince Fielder's departure.
Halos Heaven mused about a Mike Trout-for-Bryce Harper challenge trade.
River Ave. Blues wrote about the future of the Yankees' front office.
Over The Monster made a case for the Red Sox to pursue John Lannan.
Baseball New England reviewed the Red Sox's offseason.
Dr. Strangeglove reviewed the Pirates' offseason.
Motor City Bengals says the Tigers need Jhonny Peralta to repeat last season.
Through The Fence Baseball calls Rich Harden a diamond in the rough.
Twins Fan From Afar tries to come up with expectations for Joe Mauer.
The Baseball Opinion looked back at the trade that sent Carlos Delgado to the Mets.
House of the Bluebird examined at the curious case of Travis Snider.
NASORB says Mariners prospect Francisco Martinez deserves more respect.
The Entrepreneurial Oriole looked at the Orioles' on-base skills.
Warehouse Worthy wonders were the Orioles go from here.
Tomahawk Take broke down the Braves and their payroll.
Lasorda's Lair penned an open letter to the next owner of the Dodgers.
Shutdown Inning looked back on the career of Ruben Mateo.
The Hardball Times dissected Freddy Garcia's mystery pitch.
Marlin Maniac posted some photos of the Marlins' new stadium.
MLB Reports previewed the American League closers.
Full Spectrum Baseball lists ten minor leagues you should draft in your fantasy league.
M.C. Antil listed nine underrated baseball movies.
District on Deck looked at what might have been had Tom Brady chosen baseball over football.

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

Nationals Aggressively Shopping John Lannan

By Mike Axisa | February 2, 2012 at 11:39am CDT

After beating John Lannan in an arbitration hearing this week, the Nationals are now aggressively shopping the left-hander according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The move would potentially clear $5MM in payroll, and Rosenthal says (on Twitter) they are targeting Edwin Jackson (not Roy Oswalt). Signing Jackson is contingent on trading Lannan, he adds. The Nationals would like to get a position player in a trade for Lannan, MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets.

Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, and Jordan Zimmermann are locks for Washington's rotation, and Chien-Ming Wang is a safe bet as well given his $4MM salary. That leaves Lannan and Ross Detwiler for the final spot, though Detwiler is out of options. He could potentially shift to the bullpen if the team is able to move Lannan and sign someone like Oswalt or Jackson.

Lannan, 27, is the team's highest paid pitcher. He posted a 3.70 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 184 2/3 innings last year. It marked the third time in four seasons that he has started 30 games, pitched 180-plus innings and kept his ERA under 4.00. He will be under team contract as an arbitration-eligible player in 2013.

The Latest On Yoenis Cespedes

By Mike Axisa | January 30, 2012 at 6:53pm CDT

Here's the latest on Yoenis Cespedes, who was officially declared a free agent last week…

"We are aware of the [Spring Training] dates," said agent Adam Katz to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). "We expect him to be in camp with one of the clubs." Katz also called the market for Cespedes "meaningful and aggressive."
The Marlins, Cubs, White Sox, Orioles, and Tigers are five of the six clubs that have been in serious talks with Cespedes, reports ESPN's Jim Bowden (Twitter links). He is expected to travel to the United States in the next 7-10 days for face-to-face meetings.
Baseball America's Jim Callis said he would rank Cespedes in the 7-15 range of their top 100 prospects list, and that he would take over as the top prospect of pretty much any team that signs him.

Dodgers Ownership Links: Garvey/Hershiser, Bids

By Mike Axisa | January 28, 2012 at 10:17pm CDT

Here's the latest on the sale of the Dodgers…

Last night we heard that at least eight potential buyers have advanced to the second round of the bidding process, and Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reported today (on Twitter) that the Garvey/Hershiser group was not selected to advance.
Bidding for the Dodgers is now north of $1.2 billion, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links), while Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) hears there is at least one bid in the range of $1.5 billion. Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter) is convinced the team will sell for $1.7 billion, but wouldn't be surprised if sold for a little bit more.
There is a lot going on behind the scenes, and as Steve Dilbeck of The Los Angeles Times explains, the process will continue to be shrouded in secrecy.

Extension Candidate: Eric Hosmer

By Mike Axisa | January 28, 2012 at 7:37pm CDT

This past week was a rough one for the Royals. Not only did they watch the reigning division champs add Prince Fielder, but they also caught a glimpse of what it could take to keep Eric Hosmer in town long-term should he develop into the type of player they think he can become. After giving him $6MM as the third overall pick in 2008, it's clear Kansas City expects great things.

Hosmer, 22, was called up to the big leagues in early-May and went on to finish third in the AL Rookie of the Year. He hit .293/.334/.465 with 19 homers and 11 steals in 128 games. The Royals likely delayed his free agency by a year with the late call-up, but Hosmer is almost certain to qualify as a Super Two after the 2014 season. That means he'll be arbitration-eligible four times rather than the usual three, which can get expensive in a hurry.

For comparison's sake, Hunter Pence hit .289/.340/.488 during the first three years of his career, and parlayed it into $20.8MM during his first three years of arbitration-eligibility as a Super Two. He earned $3.5MM his first year of eligibility, $6.9MM in the second, and recently agreed to $10.4MM for the third. Barring an unexpected non-tender next winter, Pence will earn north of $32MM during his four years of arbitration-eligibility. Surely the Royals would want to avoid a similar payout for Hosmer.

The largest contract ever given to a player with less than one full year of service time is the eight-year, $45MM pact the Brewers bestowed upon Ryan Braun during the 2008 season. I'm sure the Royals would love to lock up Hosmer's next eight years at that price, but it might be unrealistic since he's a Scott Boras client. If there's one thing Boras is good at, it's breaking contract records. Evan Longoria's six-year, $17.5MM deal is the only other contract ever given to a position player with less than one year of service time worth more than $1.5MM annually.

If Kansas City plans to buy out any of Hosmer's free agent years, they're looking at a minimum contract length of seven years. That would cover his six years of team control and just one free agent year. It would also be the longest deal in franchise history by two years, and anything more than $55MM would make it the richest as well (Gil Meche and Mike Sweeney hold the record with matching five-year, $55MM contracts). I'm not suggesting that a deal of that size would be appropriate for Hosmer after one year in the bigs, but like I said, Boras is fond of breaking records. Those are some benchmarks he can target.

The Royals have more pressing issues than extending Hosmer (like extending Alex Gordon), and there's no real rush to get a deal done now. They will pay their first baseman little more than the league minimum over the next two years, so time is on their side. The Fielder contract serves as a harsh reminder though, a reminder that if Hosmer turns into the franchise cornerstone Kansas City hopes he'll be, he might price himself right out of Kansas City. A long-term contract extension could help prevent, or at least delay that.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

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