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Latest At RotoAuthority.com

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Now is the time for fantasy baseball drafts, and perhaps our fantasy site RotoAuthority.com can you give a few sleeper ideas.  Catch the latest articles via Twitter and Facebook; here are a few examples:

Free $400 March Madness Contest (Sponsored Post)

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Is your bracket busted?  Try DraftStreet, where you can put together a college basketball team this week and compete against other users for real money.

Right now DraftStreet has a college basketball freeroll for MLB Trade Rumors readers, meaning you can take a shot at a chunk of the $400 prize pool for free, with no strings attached.  Here's how it works.

The March Madness freeroll begins Friday at 7:15pm eastern time, so you have until then to create your team.  You're given a $100K salary cap, and each player is assigned a price by DraftStreet.  Your roster will cover these positions: 3 forwards, 3 guards, and 2 utility players.  You get points based on how your team performs through Friday's games in points, rebounds, and assists.  The teams with the most points get the prize money.  Below is a screenshot of a sample roster: 

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If you're interested, sign up and create a roster prior to Friday's games (7:15pm eastern time).  It's quick, easy, fun, and the MLBTR league gives you a free chance to win some of the $400 prize pool.  If you enjoy the competition you can try other leagues for free and earn credits, or deposit real money.

Offseason In Review: Colorado Rockies

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The Rockies made changes at catcher, second base, third base, and right field this offseason, and many rotation spots are up for grabs.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

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The biggest move of the Rockies' busy offseason was the Cuddyer signing.  Though he's below-average defensively at the position, Cuddyer is penciled in to replace Smith and Spilborghs as the Rockies' right fielder.  Smith is defensively-challenged himself, and as a left-handed hitter he's the inverse of Cuddyer offensively.  Pairing Smith with a better platoon partner like Jonny Gomes, as the A's did, would have equaled or exceeded Cuddyer's production at a fraction of the commitment.  There is an intangible side to the Cuddyer signing, as the Rockies like the leadership he brings.

Smith was fairly popular on the trade market, and Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd eventually pulled the trigger for a pair of back-rotation arms in Moscoso and Outman.  Chatwood, acquired for catcher Chris Iannetta, has more upside than those two but was rushed to the Majors last year by the Angels.  Iannetta had more value to the Rockies than to any other team, because he gained the ability to void his 2013 club option only if traded.  The Rockies controlled Iannetta for two years, but the Angels probably control him for one.  O'Dowd still did well in getting six years of Chatwood for Iannetta, a player of whom he did not seem terribly fond.

Though the Rockies won the Iannetta trade from an actuarial standpoint, they downgraded at catcher in 2012.  Ramon Hernandez is inferior defensively and is probably incapable of catching 100 games in his age 36 season.  Perhaps the Rockies feel the short-term dropoff in their catcher swap is insignificant, and wanted a more experienced backstop for a young pitching staff.  

Some of O'Dowd's intended upgrades required payroll flexibility, so he shipped out unneeded veterans Street and Wigginton.  Unloading $7MM owed to Street was a masterstroke, and ditching $2MM on Wigginton was also a win.  These were O'Dowd's questionable contracts in the first place, but at least he was able to cut his losses.  O'Dowd added a pair of new contracts in the extensions for relievers Betancourt and Belisle.  Each received one extra year at the market rate for a solid setup man, which is favorable to letting both reach free agency after 2012.

The Rockies' newfound payroll flexibility allowed for the acquisition of Scutaro.  The Rockies acquired a quality infielder on a salary dump, and only had to make a one-year commitment.  With an average throwing arm and declining range, Scutaro is better-suited for second base as he enters his age 36 season.  There will be a defensive loss compared to Ellis, but he required a two-year commitment.  An OBP north of .350 from Scutaro would be a big improvement over the .304 mark compiled by the team's second basemen in 2011.  

With a below-midpoint $8.2MM salary, Guthrie will cost less than Hammel and Lindstrom, who are owed $8.55MM in 2012.  Hammel flashed potential in 2009-10, but he's not a 200-inning workhorse like Guthrie.  Prior to the Guthrie acquisition, the closest to a sure thing in Colorado's rotation was 24-year-old Jhoulys Chacin, who led the NL in walks in 2011 and showed up to spring training overweight.

For the remaining rotation spots, the Rockies' options were so numerous that they deemed Slowey expendable.  The Rockies acquired the non-tender candidate from Minnesota in December for reliever Daniel Turpen, and then flipped him to Cleveland about a month later for reliever Zach Putnam and $1.25MM.  It was a middle reliever upgrade for the Rockies, at the cost of $1.25MM.  Juan Nicasio and Drew Pomeranz probably slot into the Rockies' rotation behind Guthrie and Chacin, but there will be heavy competition all year.

Stewart and Weathers were shipped to Chicago in a change of scenery deal.  Weathers' trade value was probably minimal, as he would eventually clear waivers with the Cubs.  The Rockies' third base situation may remain dicey in the short-term, as Blake, Chris Nelson, Wood, and/or Harris will keep the seat warm for top prospect Nolan Arenado.  The Rockies received Colvin and LeMahieu for Stewart, two useful big leaguers who may fall short of everyday duty.

After all the offseason activity, are the Rockies a better team?  Last year's rotation posted a 4.73 ERA, so that bar is set low.  The bar is low at the hot corner as well, and the Rockies definitely improved at second base.  With full seasons from Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler, the offense could be a powerhouse.  The Rockies must hope a potentially downgraded defense and an inexperienced rotation can keep them in games.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Offseason In Review: Kansas City Royals

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The Royals sat out the trade market for top starting pitchers, instead adding a pair of short-term lefties to their rotation, supplementing their bullpen, and extending a couple of up-the-middle position players.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

The Royals aren't quite ready to pounce.  In an offseason that included trades of starting pitchers Trevor Cahill, Mat Latos, Gio Gonzalez, and Michael Pineda, Royals GM Dayton Moore settled for stopgaps Jonathan Sanchez and Bruce Chen.

Melky Cabrera wasn't part of Moore's long-term plan, despite an age 26 career year for the Royals in 2011.  Though Lorenzo Cain turns 26 himself in April, he'll be a defensive upgrade over Cabrera in center field and remains under team control for the full six years.  Allowing Cain to take over in center and taking a one-year look at Sanchez in the rotation is a better fit for Kansas City.  The 29-year-old Sanchez tantalizes with big strikeout rates, and is at least useful when he's healthy and keeps his walk rate below five per nine innings.

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Chen, 34, received the first multiyear deal of his career to return to the Royals' rotation.  A back injury cost him over a month in 2011, limiting him to 25 starts.  Chen (pictured) posted a 3.77 ERA last year, but his peripheral stats suggest his ERA will come in a full run higher.  Rather than jump on Chen for two guaranteed years in November, the Royals would have been better served to go bargain hunting for starting pitchers on one-year deals in late December and January, around when Jason Marquis, Paul Maholm, and Bartolo Colon signed.  The departed Jeff Francis, who was no worse than Chen in the Royals' rotation, signed a minor league deal with the Reds in late January.   

A hunting trip with Ned Yost, Jeff Francoeur, and Jeff Foxworthy on the comedian's property helped secure Broxton on a reasonable one-year deal.  The huge righty is a year removed from relief dominance.  Along with Greg Holland, the Royals have the talent to survive the late innings without closer Joakim Soria if his spring elbow soreness proves serious.  Southpaw Mijares was signed on the cheap for lefty matchups.

The Royals' other minor moves were led by the signing of Betancourt, who started at shortstop for the club for a year and a half before being traded to Milwaukee in last offseason's Zack Greinke trade.  The Royals' press release made sure to stress Betancourt's utility role.  It remains to be seen how Betancourt's poor shortstop defense will carry over to second and third base.  Of the team's minor league signings, Gutierrez is a fairly interesting 2013 play once he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

The Royals extended catcher Salvador Perez with just 50 days of Major League service time, taking a page from the Rays' playbook.  Unlike Evan Longoria and Matt Moore, Perez profiles as more of a solid regular than a star.  With three club options and a guarantee of just $7MM, it'll still be hard for the Royals to lose money here unless Perez completely flames out.  Perez is off to a rough post-contract start, with knee surgery knocking him out for 12 to 14 weeks.  The injury necessitated the acquisition of Quintero.  We'll have to see the player to be named to properly judge that deal.

Escobar isn't similar to Perez, as the shortstop has over two years of Major League service.  Upon locking up Escobar, Moore noted the payroll is "going to get a little sticky for us, it's going to get a little hairy as we get into 2014-15-16."  That doesn't apply much to Escobar, whose fantastic defensive skills wouldn't have been highly-compensated in arbitration in '14 or '15.  Instead, this contract gives the team affordable club options on two free agent years.

The team and left fielder Alex Gordon have mutual interest in an extension, but they've been unable to find common ground.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Gordon will "almost certainly will want more than $55 million," the current club record.  From the Royals' point of view, I'd be looking to do more of an improved Corey Hart-type deal: $9MM for his final arbitration year (2013) and $22MM for a pair of free agent years (2014-15).  For Gordon to set a team record, the Royals will have to buy out at least four free agent years.  That kind of commitment is a gamble until Gordon proves his 2011 levels of health and performance are sustainable.

The Royals are poised for another step forward at the big league level, especially if players like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Luke Hochevar, and Felipe Paulino expand upon partial seasons of big league success.  The Royals have at least three potential front-rotation starters in the farm system in Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, and John Lamb, but only Montgomery has a 2012 estimated time of arrival.  GM Dayton Moore seems to have an eye on truly contending in 2014, telling MLB.com's Richard Justice, "We're not there yet.  We won 71 games last year. I do feel we're going to win more games in 2012 and 2013 — and a lot more in 2014."  Perhaps Moore will make a play for an ace starting pitcher prior to the '14 season, after which his own contract will be up. 

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Offseason In Review: Miami Marlins

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The Marlins quieted skeptics by signing three of the top 20 free agents, improving the chances of a winning season under manager Ozzie Guillen as their new ballpark opens.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

The Marlins made some noise this winter.  They've associated with Miami rather than all of Florida, marked by an interesting new logo.  They've finally got a baseball-only stadium, complete with a retractable roof and an aquarium behind home plate.  They've got baseball's most colorful manager, too.  The team's eventful offseason began with a trade to acquire manager Ozzie Guillen from the White Sox for a trio of prospects.  Jhan Marinez and Osvaldo Martinez aren't considered top prospects, but they are potential useful pieces.  The commitment to Guillen was probably as much about generating buzz as it was about finding the best possible leader.

Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest clearly had a mandate to push the team's payroll to new heights by signings the best players available.  Extra money was suddenly burning a hole in the Marlins' pocket, but they were limited to what was available in the store this particular winter.  I mentioned in October that the Marlins' biggest needs were the rotation, center field, and third base, but the best two free agents were first basemen.

The Marlins kicked off the Winter Meetings by overpaying Heath Bell.  The 34-year-old closer continued to rack up saves last year, but his strikeout rate dropped signficantly.  Beinfest, typically so good at finding cheap closers, paid a major premium for the save statistic for a reliever who may have begun his decline.  Jonathan Papelbon was the only other reliever to sign for three or more years this offseason.

In the case of Jose Reyes, the Marlins' creativity was wise.  They pursued him aggressively, pushing Hanley Ramirez's questionable shortstop defense to the hot corner.  Ramirez seems better-suited for third base at this point in his career, and a decent season from him would top any third baseman the Marlins could have acquired.  Reyes represented the rare available shortstop in his prime, and he'll be worth the money if the Marlins can just keep him moderately healthy.

The Marlins needing starting pitching badly, with Javier Vazquez showing no interest in playing in 2012.  They targeted Buehrle or C.J. Wilson, and Wilson's agent Bob Garber said the Marlins "would not let it go."  The Marlins were rightly willing to commit significantly more to Wilson than Buehrle, but Wilson took a discount to go to the Angels.  That left Buehrle as the best available free agent starter, but only for a couple of days until Yu Darvish would be posted.  The Marlins were never connected to Darvish, preferring the dependable, unspectactular Buehrle.

The Winter Meetings also included the Marlins' pursuit of Albert Pujols.  Acquiring Pujols would have meant trading Gaby Sanchez, and a useful trade chip would have been welcome given the team's remaining needs.  The Angels overshadowed the Marlins' Meetings by inking Pujols and Wilson on the final day.  The Marlins were apparently willing to offer $200MM+ to Pujols, but showed little interest in Prince Fielder.

Buehrle would effectively replace Vazquez in the team's 2012 rotation, but Beinfest (and perhaps Guillen) couldn't resist pulling Zambrano out of an ugly situation in Chicago.  Despite Zambrano's complete lack of trade value, the Marlins gave up a pitcher of value for him in Volstad.  Maybe everyone wins from a change of scenery, but Volstad is probably the better pitcher right now and is under control for 2013.  This trade was a head-scratcher from the Marlins side. 

Center field was addressed internally with Emilio Bonifacio, a reasonable gamble given the lack of alternatives on the market.  The Marlins pursued Yoenis Cespedes aggressively, but they wanted a commitment of more than four years.  Plus, Cespedes doesn't necessarily fit with a win-now mentality.  The Reyes signing certainly improved the Marlins, and losing Vazquez and Volstad for Buehrle and Zambrano is probably a wash in the rotation.  Although the Marlins overpaid for Bell, they needed some kind of bullpen addition since Juan Carlos Oviedo (the former Leo Nunez) is a question mark due to identity fraud.  With healthy seasons from Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez, the Marlins should be in the thick of the NL East race.

Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Angels

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The Angels stole Winter Meetings headlines by signing the offseason's best free agent hitter and pitcher in the course of a few hours.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

In August, MLBTR surveyed dozens of baseball people for their GM candidates.  Former big league reliever Jerry Dipoto was mentioned more than anyone else.  After a thorough search, the Angels named Dipoto as Tony Reagins' replacement in late October.  Dipoto came with a great drafting track record, and also had made several excellent trades as Arizona's interim GM in the summer of 2010.

Shortly after his hiring, Dipoto told ESPN's Jim Bowden catcher was one of multiple positions for which he wanted to improve the Angels' on-base percentage.  Several weeks later, Dipoto backed up his words by acquiring Iannetta for Chatwood.  Iannetta has a .357 career OBP, and The Fielding Bible considers him a "terrific defensive catcher."  Though the Rockies may not have appreciated Iannetta, they extracted a solid bounty in Chatwood, who Baseball America ranked the 76th best prospect in baseball prior to the 2011 season.  Given Iannetta's ability to void a $5MM club option for 2013 because of the trade, the Halos may have acquired only one year of control in exchange for six of Chatwood.  This was the first sign the Angels were embarking on a win-now offseason.  The Iannetta acquisition made non-tender candidate Jeff Mathis expendable, so Dipoto picked up Mills to essentially replace Chatwood down the rotation depth chart. 

Even in November, Dipoto warned Bowden not to assume the Angels had no interest in Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols.  However, many assumed Angels owner Arte Moreno would continue to drop out of the bidding on top free agents, and that Moreno's expected $130-140MM payroll precluded signing multiple impact players.

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The Marlins had shocked baseball by committing $191MM to free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell during the 2011 Winter Meetings, and they were in play for Pujols as well.  The Rule 5 draft typically signals the conclusion of the Meetings, but just as it began Yahoo's Tim Brown posted a tweet that required a double-take: the Angels had signed Pujols to a ten-year deal.  The contract was worth $240MM, a figure that rose to $246.8MM once the present-day value of ten-year, $10MM personal services contract was considered.  In baseball history, only Alex Rodriguez has signed for more.

With a .421 career OBP, Pujols was the best fit for Dipoto's OBP mandate.  One concern, however, is that Pujols' unintentional walk rate dropped to 7.1% in 2011, after staying above 9% in almost every other season.  The Angels are betting that at age 32, Pujols has many more elite, durable seasons ahead of him.  Pujols is about four years older than Fielder, but is probably the game's best defensive first baseman while Fielder might be the worst, according to The Fielding Bible.  The Angels signed the better player for 2012, but will Pujols still be a superstar in 2015?  His backloaded contract averages a $27MM salary over the last seven years.  Pujols will likely be a $30MM designated hitter by 2021, but the Angels are planning on celebrating milestones in his final playing years.  Even if Pujols' contract becomes burdensome, an unceremonious breakup seems unlikely given the personal services commitment.

The Pujols signing had a ripple effect on the Angels' depth chart.  First basemen Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo will move to designated hitter, reducing Bobby Abreu's playing time.  Trumbo is also an option at third base.  Vernon Wells, a below-average defensive left fielder, cannot be pushed to the DH spot to clear a starting outfield position for top prospect Mike Trout.  Dipoto told Bowden in November Wells "deserves a chance to bounce back," but since that trade was Reagins' mistake, I expect a short leash.  Torii Hunter is 36, Wells is 33, Abreu is 38, and Morales is coming off a broken ankle, so it's possible an injury will help sort out this logjam.  If not, I think Dipoto will have the authority to release or bench Wells and/or Abreu to ensure the best possible lineup is on the field.  If $2-4MM of Abreu's $9MM commitment can be cleared via trade, that route should be pursued aggressively.

Shortly after the Pujols signing, the Angels continued their spending spree by signing top free agent starter C.J. Wilson to a five-year deal.  At $15.5MM per year, Wilson gave the Angels an irresistible hometown discount.  With a front four of Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, Wilson, and Ervin Santana, they continue to boast one of the best rotations in baseball.

Dipoto allocated the least resources toward the bullpen, grabbing serviceable free agent Hawkins and taking a flyer on Isringhausen on a minor league deal.  With minimal losses and quality arms in Jordan Walden, Scott Downs, Hisanori Takahashi, and Rich Thompson, the need never seemed dire.

Dipoto a finishing touch on his offseason by signing second baseman Kendrick to a four-year extension, months before the player entered his contract year.  With arbitration savings and three free agent years at $9.2MM each, Kendrick's extension provides good value to the Angels.  The Angels have been unable to find common ground with another impending free agent, shortstop Erick Aybar.  The Fielding Bible suggests Aybar has never been Gold Glove-worthy despite his 2011 win, and maybe the best course of action is to try prospect Jean Segura in 2013 if he has all-around success in the minors this year.

The Angels' heavy spending makes them a 2012 contender, in what might be a two-horse AL West race.  They have a fantastic rotation backed by strong defense, and the league's tenth-best 2011 offense will be on the rise.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Rays

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Surprisingly, the Rays augmented their offense through free agency.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

For some MLB teams, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Alex Torres, and Alex Cobb would all have rotation spots.  For the Rays, they rank #5-8 on the depth chart.  After fielding offers for various starting pitchers for the offseason's first few months, the Rays chose to maintain their rotation depth and simply sign a pair of free agents to bolster the offense.

Icon_9954168The Rays inked Pena and Scott for a total of $13.25MM in January to replace first baseman Kotchman and designated hitter Damon.  Damon didn't understand why the two positions were considered means to upgrade the offense, but the increased power potential from Pena and Scott is obvious.  The Rays can't afford to pay full sticker price for free agent power.  Pena was available on a one-year deal because he's batted .216 over the past three seasons and slugged .402 when he was last in the American League in his previous Rays stint.  Scott had been non-tendered by the Orioles after an ugly 2011 season was cut short by July shoulder surgery, and he's limited defensively.  Damon and Kotchman were far from sure things themselves, but Pena and Scott have higher offensive ceilings.

The team's unheard-of rotation depth is likely to be fully utilized in the course of the season, as most teams need seven starters in a good year.  Almost all pitchers want to remain starters as long as possible, and whether Davis or Niemann goes to the bullpen to start the season, the move will be temporary.

The Rays' bullpen needed some tinkering, and executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made some unpredictable acquisitions in Rodney, Badenhop, and Lueke.  In the Rodney signing press release, Friedman provided a euphemism for Rodney's control issues, saying, "Fernando's pure stuff is top-notch and can beat hitters both in and out of the strike zone."  Having walked almost eight batters per nine innings in a 2011 season shortened by a back injury, I thought Rodney was in line for a minor league deal.  He still throws over 95 and gets tons of groundballs, and it's likely the Rays feel pitching coach Jim Hickey can get Rodney's walk rate down to a tolerable level.  Badenhop is an extreme groundballer as well, a nice fit for the best defensive team in baseball.  The 29-year-old allowed just one home run in 63 2/3 innings last year for the Marlins.  

Though light on experienced big league catching, the Rays also traded Jaso to the Mariners for Lueke.  The Rays are no strangers to controversial players, and Lueke comes with the baggage of the 2008 rape charge for which he later pled no contest for false imprisonment with violence.  Friedman said upon the trade, "We researched the 2009 incident that Josh was involved in thoroughly and in great detail.  We’re satisfied that he is going to be the kind of person and teammate that we look for and we expect him to contribute positively to our group."  The Rays may have lowered the bar in their search for undervalued players, suggested John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times in November.

The Rays appear to be aiming for improved defense behind the plate, having traded Jaso and declined Shoppach's option.  Since they didn't receive offense from the position anyway in 2011, it made sense to double-down on defense.  Using the 36-year-old Molina as more than a backup is an interesting experiment given his strong defensive skills, but if he breaks down, inexperienced catchers Jose Lobaton, Robinson Chirinos, and Chris Gimenez could be handling the American League's best rotation with regularity.  Expect the Rays to keep a close eye on the catching market this summer.  There's also uncertainty at the shortstop position currently, but Hak-Ju Lee may be ready as early as next season.

The Rays kept the well-regarded Friedman-Maddon duo in place, as Friedman declined to interview for the Astros GM job and Maddon signed a three-year extension.  Friedman authored yet another precedent-setting contract for pitching phenom Matt Moore, signing him to a five-year deal despite just 17 days of Major League service.  There's risk in guaranteeing $14MM to a pitcher so green, but barring injury the Rays probably saved tens of millions of dollars and snagged a pair of free agent years, at their option.  Some young players are less receptive to this type of contract, perhaps including young Rays Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson, who are represented by the Boras Corporation.

The Rays hope they've found a way to improve their offense without affecting their rotation depth.  If the offense sputters, Friedman will still be in a strong position this summer, as few clubs can part with quality starting pitching without missing a beat.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Offseason In Review: San Francisco Giants

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The Giants traded for a pair of starting outfielders and spent their free agent money on left-handed relievers.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

The Giants' pitching staff held strong in 2011, but their offense plummeted to a National League-worst 3.52 runs scored per game.  Brian Sabean, baseball's longest-tenured GM, attacked the problem by acquiring Cabrera and Pagan via trade.

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Jonathan Sanchez was once considered an excellent trade chip, but after an injury and walk-filled 2011, Cabrera (pictured) was probably the best hitter Sabean could get for him.  The Giants' rotation won't miss a beat with the loss.  Sabean might have bought high on Cabrera, who hit .305/.339/.470 in 706 plate appearances for the Royals last year.  But for an offense-starved team like the Giants, Cabrera might end up batting third.  Melky doesn't have the speed to play an above-average center field.  He'll be well-served by a move to left field — Giants vice president of baseball operations Bobby Evans told MLBTR he thinks Cabrera will be one of the league's best defenders at the position.

Sabean then traded for the Mets' Pagan, at the expense of Torres and Ramirez.  Pagan and Torres were both valuable outfielders in 2010 who slipped offensively and defensively in '11.  Did the Giants bet on the right horse, especially given that they had to throw in Ramirez to get Torres, lost a year of control with Pagan, and will pay Pagan $2.15MM more in 2012?  Pagan is three and a half years younger and has a longer track record as an above-average hitter, so it seems the Giants made the right call.  The market didn't offer Sabean much in the way of alternatives — Coco Crisp isn't notably better, and other trade targets seemed to have excessive prices.

The Giants had an excellent bullpen in 2011, and Sabean chose to keep it intact aside from trading Ramirez.  Mota was a bargain to retain, but the Giants had to pay full sticker price to keep lefties Lopez and Affeldt.  Lopez, 34, was lightly-regarded two years ago when the Pirates signed him for $775K.  Since then he's gotten the job done with a 2.52 ERA and huge groundball rates over 110 2/3 innings.  He's still best-employed as a lefty specialist, however, and giving him $4.25MM a year was uninspired.  Around the same time the Giants faced a similar decision for Affeldt, whose option had a $4.5MM net price.  Affeldt is similar to Lopez, and the Giants chose to pay full price for both.  Evans told MLBTR it was a matter of depth, with the expectation of having to trade one reliever (ultimately Ramirez) and injury question marks for Brian Wilson and Dan Runzler.

Brandon Crawford will be the Giants' starting shortstop, with Ryan Theriot and perhaps Joaquin Arias pitching in.  Jose Reyes, Jimmy Rollins, Clint Barmes, Rafael Furcal, and Jed Lowrie were available this winter, but the Giants chose not to upgrade.  Evans told MLBTR the Giants explored the market but didn't get heavy, as they entered the offseason hoping Crawford would be their guy.  Both middle infield spots may continue to be offensive black holes, if Freddy Sanchez misses significant time due to injury again.  

Projected first baseman Aubrey Huff was an easy out in 2011, but the Giants have an intriguing backup plan in Brandon Belt.  Manager Bruce Bochy's decision two years ago to bench Aaron Rowand in favor of Torres is evidence that contracts don't make out the lineup card, Evans told MLBTR.  Overall it's difficult to picture the Giants having an above-average offense in 2012, but it'll be surprising if they can't manage more than 570 runs this time around.

Having been out of MLB for four years, Vogelsong must have been eager to take the Giants' guaranteed $8.3MM.  The Giants seem to be banking that he can become a consistent 4.00 ERA type pitcher, in which case the price will be acceptable, if not a bargain.  Lincecum's days as a bargain are ending as well, as his new deal has salaries of $18MM and $22MM.  The Giants still saved a few million, while Lincecum retained control of his free agent years.  Lincecum was reportedly seeking seven or eight years on a longer deal, and I don't blame the Giants for holding off.  Lincecum became an ace so early in his career that by 2014 the Giants will have gotten the best of him.

Signing Matt Cain is a more pressing issue, since the 27-year-old is eligible for free agency after the season.  Cain has been extremely durable over the last six seasons.  His walk rate has improved in recent years and his ability to prevent hits is proven, if not fully understood.  In '07, Cain chose guaranteed money over maximizing his arbitration earnings.  Three years later he did it again, giving up one free agent year that time.  A $100MM+ deal might give the Giants the security to allow Lincecum to leave after '13.  As $100MM+ deals for pitchers go, Cain seems a relatively sound investment.    

The Giants did an arbitration years-only extension with Sandoval this offseason, which I found unnecessary.  If you're not getting free agent years, where are the savings?  Using the optimistic assumption that Sandoval gets 600 plate appearances and hits .305 with 25 home runs, 90 runs batted in, and 75 runs in 600 plate appearances in each of the 2013 and '14 seasons, Matt Swartz estimates arbitration earnings of $18.3MM for 2012-14 if he'd gone year-to-year.  In this performance scenario, the Giants saved only $1.15MM by guaranteeing Sandoval's three arbitration years.  To make the extension worthwhile financially, the Giants are counting on Sandoval to be elite for two full seasons.  This type of contract is a hedge on the potential of a player's performance, Evans explained to MLBTR, and sometimes it's easier to find common ground on multiyear deals than one-year contracts.  He noted that an extension like this also rewards a player for his performance and helps him focus on his game. 

Posey's recovery from a grisly May leg injury will provide a boost to the Giants, while the additions of Cabrera and Pagan should make the offense less awful.  Still, it's likely Sabean will again be actively seeking run support for his top-notch pitching staff come the July trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Greinke Plans To Hire An Agent After Season

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THURSDAY: Greinke will hire an agent if he reaches free agency next winter, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.  The right-hander is open to discussing a long-term deal with the Brewers on his own.  Michael Weiner of the MLBPA told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio that he's not concerned that Greinke doesn't have an agent (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY: Zack Greinke plans to hire an agent, ESPN's Jim Bowden learned after talking with the Brewers righty on Sunday.  Greinke, one of the biggest names eligible for free agency after the 2012 season, has been without an agent for several months after leaving CAA.  According to Bowden, Greinke is expected to consider hiring Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group, and Seth Levinson of ACES.  With a potential $100MM contract on the way, competition will be fierce to represent Greinke.

In February, Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Bowden he and owner Mark Attanasio plan to discussion an extension with Greinke this spring.

Potential Top Draft Pick Giolito Sprains Elbow

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Highly-regarded high school righty Lucas Giolito sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow yesterday and will be out six to ten weeks, reports Eric Sondheimer of the L.A. Times.  The hard-throwing senior doesn't need surgery, coach Matt LaCour told Sondheimer, but he and his teammates are crushed.  Giolito was regarded as the best high school player in the 2012 draft, but now he may be more likely to honor a commitment to UCLA.  As Baseball America notes, the new collective bargaining agreement's draft restrictions make it much harder for Giolito to fall in draft position and still receive a ton of money.

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