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Boras Expects Valverde, K-Rod To Sign Soon

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In 2008, Jose Valverde and Francisco Rodriguez combined for 106 saves.  Even last year, Valverde saved 35 and K-Rod whiffed a batter per inning.  Both relievers are represented by Scott Boras, who tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports he expects to find new teams for the pair soon.

Valverde has lost 18 pounds and is throwing 93 to 95 miles per hour in bullpen sessions, Boras tells Rosenthal.  Valverde, 35, averaged 93.4 miles per hour on his fastball last year, but posted a career-worst 6.3 K/9.  He's the lone remaining unsigned player among our Top 50 Free Agents.  Rodriguez, pitching for the Brewers, received fewer than 20 save opportunities for the first time since 2004.  Still just 31, he too could be a useful component in someone's bullpen.  I know the Boras Corporation has training facilities and such, but it seems it would have been helpful for both relievers to participate in Spring Training with a team.  Rodriguez, at least, recorded seven outs in the World Baseball Classic.

Latest At RotoAuthority.com

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Many of us could use a little extra boost heading into an all-important fantasy baseball draft or two this week.  Check out our latest at RotoAuthority:

Indians Release Matt Capps

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The Indians released reliever Matt Capps, according to a tweet from the team.  The move enables them to avoid paying a $100K retention bonus, notes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, but the team will continue to negotiate with him.  The Tribe released Daisuke Matsuzaka yesterday for the same reason.  Here's the full list of Article XX(B) free agents, who today must be placed on the 25-man roster, released outright, or given the $100K bonus if sent to the minors. 

Capps, 29, posted a 3.68 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, 1.53 HR/9, and 41.8% groundball rate for the Twins last year in 29 1/3 innings.  The former closer missed time with a shoulder injury, and the Twins declined his $6MM club option following the season.

You can check out MLBTR's complete list of current free agents here.

Diamondbacks Release Rod Barajas

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The Diamondbacks released catcher Rod Barajas, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  The D'Backs had signed Barajas to a minor league deal in February, but they've decided to go with Wil Nieves as Miguel Montero's backup behind the dish.  And, they avoid paying Barajas a $100K retention bonus.

Barajas, 37, hit .206/.283/.343 in 361 plate appearances for the Pirates last year, throwing out only six of the 99 attempted basestealers.  His 136 career home runs rank fifth among active catchers.

Tigers Retain Rights To Lobstein; Outright Him To Double-A

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The Tigers retained the rights to Rule 5 selection Kyle Lobstein by trading catcher Curt Casali to the Rays, the team announced.  Additionally, Detroit outrighted the contract of Lobstein to Double-A Erie.

Lobstein, a 23-year-old southpaw, was chosen by the Mets from the Rays with the tenth pick in December's Rule 5 draft, and immediately traded to the Tigers for cash considerations.  After evaluating him over a dozen spring innings, it seems the Tigers didn't want to stash him all year in their big league bullpen but did find him worth retaining.  Last year in Double-A, Lobstein posted a 4.06 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and 0.75 HR/9 in 27 starts.  Baseball America ranked him 19th among Tigers prospects, noting "the craftiness to pitch in the Majors."

Casali, 24, hit .270/.365/.427 in 385 plate appearances across A and High-A ball last year.  BA wrote that he "profiles as a solid backup catcher at the Major League level."

Offseason In Review: Washington Nationals

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The Nationals signed the best available reliever, re-signed their slugging first baseman, and made strong choices for center field and their rotation.

Major League Signings

  • Rafael Soriano, RP: two years, $28MM. $14MM vesting option for 2015.
  • Adam LaRoche, 1B; two years, $24MM. Mutual option for 2015 with a $2MM buyout.
  • Dan Haren, SP; one year, $13MM.
  • Zach Duke, SP; one year, $500K.
  • Total Spend: $65.5MM 

International Signings

  • Neivy Pilier ($225K)

Notable Minor League Signings

Traded and Claims

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

In November, the Nationals agreed to a new contract with manager Davey Johnson.  It seemed an easy choice for both parties, after Johnson guided the Nats to the playoffs in 2012.

The Nationals wisely made a qualifying offer to first baseman Adam LaRoche, ensuring they'd receive a draft pick if he signed elsewhere.  Perhaps the team also anticipated that the attached draft pick would cause difficulty for LaRoche on the open market.  It took until January, but ultimately GM Mike Rizzo was able to retain the 33-year-old on his terms: a two-year, $24MM deal.  With Mike Morse under contract, Rizzo was able to remain patient with LaRoche.

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Rizzo did not extend a qualifying offer to Edwin Jackson, preferring not to get locked in (presumably, Rizzo thought there was some chance Jackson would accept the one-year, $13.3MM proposal).  This decision surprised me, because it seemed unlikely Jackson would pass up a chance to find his deserved multiyear deal for the second consecutive offseason.  As it turned out, Rizzo was saving his money for Haren, who signed in December.  In November, the Cubs had nearly acquired Haren from the Angels, with the intent of exercising his $15.5MM club option and unloading ineffective reliever Carlos Marmol.  The Cubs reportedly killed the deal over concerns with Haren's health.  Rizzo did not share those concerns, and Haren (pictured) seems hellbent on returning to his innings-eating days.  The Nationals were thinking big for their rotation vacancy, and were willing to spend much more on Haren than teams spent on other one-year deal starters like Scott Baker, Scott Feldman, Joe Saunders, and Brett Myers.

It was thought the Nationals would make a push for a free agent center fielder such as Michael Bourn or B.J. Upton, but instead they swung a deal with the Twins for Span.  Rizzo found an established center fielder who can get on base and play the position well, and can be under contract affordably for three seasons.  He surrendered a quality pitching prospect in Alex Meyer, but creating assets to trade for Major Leaguers is one purpose for the farm system of a contending club.  The Nats had not yet re-signed LaRoche at the time of the trade, which further reduced the first baseman's leverage against them.

Once Span and LaRoche were both in tow, Rizzo was free to trade Morse.  He chose to restock his farm system, acquiring Cole, Treinen, and Krol.  Having drafted Cole in 2010 and sent him to the A's in the Gio Gonzalez deal, Rizzo was happy to get the pitching prospect back into his organization.  It seems a solid return for a year of Morse, who has his warts.

The Nationals non-tendered Gorzelanny and lost Burnett and Gonzalez to free agency.  The trio of lefties had accounted for a third of the team's bullpen innings at a 2.74 ERA, so the Nats saw a match with closer Rafael Soriano still available in mid-January (more on that later). 

Questions Remaining

Considered one of the most complete teams in baseball, the Nationals are light on question marks. They've got a righty-heavy bullpen, but that's not necessarily a concern.

The Nationals signed arbitration eligible players Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmermann to one-year deals.  It's always nice to lock up young talent and grab a few free agent years in the process, but it's not clear what the players were seeking.

Deal of Note

Soriano seemed to have few suitors entering the new year, but Scott Boras is tight with Nationals' ownership and brokered a two-year, $28MM deal with heavy deferrals and a vesting option.  It's top dollar for a reliever, but the term is short, and Soriano is very good when he's healthy.  The Nationals also had to surrender their first-round pick, which would have become the 28th overall.  At this stage in the team's competitive cycle, it makes sense to swing the pendulum toward Major League talent over prospects or draft picks.

Overview

It's plain to see why the Nationals are often named the best team in baseball.  The entire roster just seems to be overflowing with talent and depth, phenoms and veterans.  It'll be fun to see if the World Series predictions come true, but for now, the Nationals have assembled a potential juggernaut.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Moves: Kvasnicka, Koyie Hill

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Today's minor moves:

  • The Twins acquired 24-year-old right fielder/catcher Mike Kvasnicka from the Astros, tweets La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  Kvasnicka, a Minnesota native, was drafted by the Twins out of high school but attended the University of Minnesota and was taken 33rd overall in the 2010 draft by Houston.  Prior to the 2012 season, Kvasnicka was ranked 25th among Astros prospects by Baseball America.  The Astros received 21-year-old righty reliever Gonzalo Sanudo in the deal.
  • The Marlins signed catcher Koyie Hill to a minor league deal, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  Hill, 34, spent most of 2012 at Double and Triple-A, posting a .190/.251/.275 line in 221 plate appearances.  Needless to say, he's a glove-first backstop.

Why I Chose My Agency: Jamey Carroll

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Twins infielder Jamey Carroll owns a .354 career on-base percentage, sixth in baseball history among those who have played at least 200 games each at second base, shortstop, and third base.  The 11-year veteran is represented by Jonathan Maurer and Mike Montana of Millenium Sports Management, and he recently spoke to MLBTR about his agency.

On when he first came into contact with Maurer and Montana:

I believe it was when I was in Triple-A, because I was rooming with a teammate named Scott Mitchell, who was with Jonathan at the time.  I didn't have an agent, and he wanted to know if I needed anybody, and at the time I wasn't sure.  I didn't feel like I was the type of player that needed somebody.  A lot of these players are prospects, the guys that need it.  I met him and he was willing to accept me into his management company, and I didn't really know what I had that was going to be helpful or to offer him.  He took me in when I was in a situation in my career where I wasn't sure where I was really heading.  Nobody's knocking down the door of a utility guy in Triple-A that's 27 years old, to represent him.  

On why he chose to go with MSM:

They both seemed to have that faith in me, so it became a no-brainer.  They weren't a big group, I felt like there was a lot of personal one-on-one.  They were open to being around and offering their time whenever we need it.  I liked the family-oriented atmosphere, not in it for the numbers, but more for the right people and the right types of players.  I like that small, close-knit-type family feeling.

On the role his agents filled for him, prior to contract negotiations:

They were into finding out who I was in the [Montreal Expos] organization, what the organization felt about me, and where I fit and what my chances were to keep getting opportunities.  I think that's one of the most important things, where you sit within the organization.  How they view you and what goals they have for you, I think those are tough questions to ask and they were able to do that for me.  I was at a time where I had quite a few years in the minor leagues and wasn't sure what my future held.  To me that was more important than worrying about contracts and shoe deals and stuff like that.

On his involvement in contract discussions:

My wife and I are extremely involved.  It helps that my wife is a negotiator for a living [formerly a recruiter for the Gap corporation], so we were able to have good insight and anticipate how the progress goes and ask questions.  Having her in my corner to know kind of questions to ask.  I enjoyed it, I think it's an interesting process.  I wanted to know everything that was involved in it.

On how the free agent process worked:

The first time through, it was a lot of, "When somebody calls, please call."  But then I think the second time through, a certain point in the day you'd have your phone call and see what had happened, see what teams were involved, what the thought process of the teams were, where you think that you fit.  You wait to a certain point, gather all the information, and start filing through.  I'd get a certain team that was interested, I would then go and look at the team myself, see what the roster is like, and see where I thought that I would fit as far as playing time with that team.

On whether he's recommended his agents to other players:

It's ultimately an atmosphere, especially at this level, where everybody has their agent.  Most of the time, if somebody's having an issue, that's when you hear about somebody who has changed agents.  I keep an open ear for it, but at the same time, it's a tough atmosphere when it comes to that.  A lot of people are in a situation like I am now, they've had an agent for some time.  If the opportunity arises, I definitely will throw my two cents in.

Check out our other interviews in the Why I Chose My Agency series with Ted Lilly, Ryan Ludwick, Cody Ross, Aramis Ramirez, Adam Wainwright, Jeremy Affeldt, David Wright, Jay Bruce, and Matt Holliday.

2014 Free Agent Power Rankings

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With the regular season less than a week away, it's time for another entry in our 2014 Free Agents Power Rankings series.  One contender for our top ten was eliminated earlier this month, as 27-year-old Scott Boras client Carlos Gomez surprisingly inked a three-year, $24MM extension with Milwaukee.  

The full list of players who will be eligible for free agency after this season can be found here.

1.  Robinson Cano.  Cano remains atop the list, despite the Yankees making what GM Brian Cashman termed "a significant offer" when talking to reporters in late February.  Cashman's mention of the team's offer seemed to be something of a public relations move.  It would be a big surprise if Cano does not make it to the open market.

2.  Adam Wainwright.  Talking to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak acknowledged that "time's ticking" on a potential Wainwright extension.  The Cards and Wainwright's agent Steve Hammond made progress last week, but the 31-year-old righty is set to take the hill a week from today in Arizona.  Negotiations may cease at that point.

3.  Josh Johnson.  By all accounts, Johnson has looked sharp this spring.  So far, he's met his spring goal of allowing no walks.  He's maintaining his spot for now.

4.  Jacoby Ellsbury.  The Red Sox and Ellsbury are being careful to preserve the center fielder's health.  The speedster hasn't attempted any steals this spring, and he was removed early from yesterday's game with an ankle injury.  The injury seems to be day-to-day, but Ellsbury will need to play in 140+ games this year to shake some of his injury-prone reputation.

5.  Shin-Soo Choo.  With Choo moving up a spot, Boras now represents three of my top five 2014 free agents.  Choo missed six games this spring with back spasms, but he seems fine now.  Choo is not without his flaws, but he gets on base and could score a lot of runs atop the Reds' lineup this year.  His willingness to play center field has to be viewed as a plus.

6.  Roy Halladay.  If my fantasy baseball drafts are any indication, folks are down on Doc this year.  As MLB.com's Todd Zolecki put it, Halladay "has had a rough month, struggling in starts because of dead arm, lethargy and illness, respectively."  The righty has worked at 87-89 miles per hour recently, but his most effective seasons have been in the 91-92 range.  The bell rings for Halladay April 3rd in Atlanta, at which point we can start evaluating him more seriously.

7.  Hunter Pence.  Pence jumps an impressive three spots, more by virtue of the struggles of those around him on this list than by his strong spring.  Earlier this month Pence told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN that he'd prefer to sign an extension with the Giants rather than test free agency.  I imagine the Giants will need to see a few months of production first. 

8.  Brian McCann.  It was revealed recently that McCann will not be cleared to begin his minor league rehab assignment before April 16th, after his October shoulder surgery.  GM Frank Wren said McCann wasn't behind or ahead of schedule.  Previously, though, there had been talk of a mid-April return to the Braves.  If McCann misses all of April, that hurts his stock a bit.  For insight into the injury and McCann's relationship with the Braves, check out Ken Rosenthal's FOX Sports article from earlier this month.

9.  Tim Lincecum.  Lincecum at least appears healthy, but his spring hasn't been encouraging.  If he repeats his lackluster 2012 season, Lincecum will be off this list.  Wrote ESPN's Keith Law earlier this month, "His stuff was about where it was late last year, but I think the concerns about him having difficulty pitching off that fastball in a starting role are legitimate."

10.  Matt Garza.  Garza will start the season on the DL due to a strained lat muscle, after being shut down last year in July due to elbow issues.  With a possible mid-May season debut, Garza will need to come on strong and stay healthy thereafter to maintain a spot in our top ten.

A few players on the fringes of the list, such as Curtis Granderson and Corey Hart, will also begin the season on the DL.  That could leave an opening for others like Nelson Cruz, Phil Hughes, Hiroki Kuroda, Jason Hammel, and Chase Utley to muscle their way into the picture.

Feliciano Strongly Considering Opting Out From Mets Contract

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Lefty reliever Pedro Feliciano is strongly considering opting out of his contract with the Mets and signing elsewhere, reports Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  The Mets informed the 36-year-old he would not be making the Opening Day roster, and they'd like him to spend a month in Triple-A to build arm strength.  Feliciano will confer with his agent, but believes he's Major League ready now and may look to continue his comeback elsewhere.  If Feliciano does go to the minors for the Mets, he'll receive a $100K retention bonus.

While pitching for the Mets, Feliciano led MLB in appearances in 2008, '09, and '10.  After he signed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Yankees, he failed to make a big league appearance for his new club and had rotator cuff surgery in 2011.

This spring, Feliciano missed time when a rare heart condition was diagnosed, and as of a few days ago was working in the 82-83 miles per hour range.  The pitcher contends that "velocity don't mean nothing." His spring results were acceptable in 4 1/3 innings.  When he last pitched in the Majors, Feliciano worked at about 87 miles per hour.

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