Brewers Notes: K-Rod, Shortstop, Saito
The Brewers are on the hook for a likely salary in excess of $11.5MM for reliever Francisco Rodriguez next year, after K-Rod accepted their arbitration offer. The latest on the team after GM Doug Melvin met with reporters:
- Melvin said he doesn't have to trade Rodriguez to clear payroll space, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Brewers feel good about the back end of the bullpen now, and Melvin noted that Rodriguez's added cost should be considered less the $3MM he would have had to spend to sign two compensatory draft picks. That estimate doesn't hold water if you assume the Brewers would have received, say, the Padres' second-round pick plus a supplemental choice. Slot for two picks of that nature would probably total $1.25MM.
- Asked about Aramis Ramirez, Melvin said, "Anybody that's still a free agent is a possibility."
- Melvin hopes to zero in on a shortstop early next week. Yuniesky Betancourt, Alex Gonzalez, and Rafael Furcal are the candidates, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- Melvin gave some parameters to Takashi Saito's agent Nez Balelo, which didn't change post K-Rod. It's not an official offer, but Melvin expects Balelo to try to get more from another team. Six to eight teams have shown interest in Saito, Balelo told WEEI's Alex Speier yesterday.
Cubs Lack Cash For Prince Fielder?
Yesterday word was the Marlins and Rangers were not in on Prince Fielder, despite Scott Boras' Jimmie Foxx comparisons. The latest…
- The Cubs say they do not have the cash to sign Fielder, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network.
- The Marlins are not and will not be in on Fielder, a high-ranking Marlins official told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Fielder can't drive the Latin market like Albert Pujols could have.
- The Brewers are far from out of it on Fielder, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
- Most of the teams talking to Boras about Fielder don't want to commit to the seven or eight-year contract Fielder desires, topping out at five years, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Rockies Acquire Kevin Slowey
THURSDAY: The Twins acquired righty Daniel Turpen from the Rockies to complete the Slowey deal, they announced today. Turpen, 25, posted a 4.83 ERA in Double-A this year. He was taken by the Yankees from the Red Sox in last year's Rule 5 draft, then returned to Boston and later traded to Colorado.
TUESDAY: The Rockies agreed to acquire starter Kevin Slowey from the Twins for a player to be named later, reports MLB.com's Thomas Harding. The Twins have since announced the trade.
Slowey, 27, was widely regarded as a non-tender candidate had he remained with the Twins until next week's deadline. He projects to earn $2.7MM through arbitration in 2012, and is under team control through 2013. One of the game's most extreme flyball pitchers, Slowey (pictured) doesn't seem a great fit for Coors Field. The other concern is that Slowey hasn't compiled big innings totals in the Majors. Still, he limits free passes as well as anyone and could be a useful back-end rotation addition for Colorado. The Rockies also added starter Tyler Chatwood last week in a trade with the Angels.
The Rockies may have other irons in the fire, as Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post reported earlier that they've discussed a deal with the Reds involving closer Huston Street for starter Edinson Volquez. It's unclear whether those talks are still active given the Slowey acquisition. Renck also wrote that the Rockies have interest in trading for the Phillies' Placido Polanco or the Braves' Martin Prado, and asked the Cubs about D.J. LeMahieu and Scott Maine in Ian Stewart talks that have since lost momentum.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Marlins Were High Bidders For Pujols, Wilson
With $191MM committed to Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell, Marlins fans can't complain about their offseason so far. Only one of the 5,020 entrants in MLBTR's free agent prediction contest, Matthew Lazear, correctly guessed in November that the Marlins would sign all three. However, it's interesting to note that the Marlins also made the highest bids on top free agents Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, who ultimately went to the Angels today.
Pujols received ten years and $254MM from the Angels, but Bob Nightengale of USA Today says the Marlins offered ten years and $275MM. That would have tied Alex Rodriguez for the largest contract guarantee in baseball history. Nightengale says that with incentives and Florida's lack of a state income tax, the deal could have been worth nearly $300MM.
Wilson signed a five-year, $77.5MM deal with the Halos, but agent Bob Garber told Ken Rosenthal Wilson could "easily" have gotten $100MM, and the Marlins "would not let it go." Said Wilson: "But if it were just about money I'd be a Marlin, straight up, because they offered more money, they have a great situation."
The Marlins reportedly stuck to their policy of not including a no-trade clause for either player, which may have been a factor in their decisions.
Angels Sign Albert Pujols
The Angels are the bridesmaid no more. Albert Pujols signed a ten-year deal with the Angels, reports Yahoo's Tim Brown. He receives a full no-trade clause. Pujols decided this morning, writes Brown. The Angels have since announced the monumental signing, which ESPN's Buster Olney says is for $254MM. It's the second-largest contract in baseball history in terms of overall and average annual value, behind Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM deal with the Yankees four years ago. Pujols is represented by Dan Lozano of Icon Sports Group.
Pujols, 32 in January, was drafted by the Cardinals in 1999 in the 13th round and began his career with a staggering 11-year stretch. The first baseman is the active career leader in batting average (.328) and slugging percentage (.617). He's second among active players in career on-base percentage at .421, so Pujols certainly fits new Angels GM Jerry Dipoto's plan to improve the team's OBP. Pujols owns a Rookie of the Year award and three MVP awards, and has ranked no worse than ninth in the MVP voting in every season of his career. He's been extremely durable, averaging 155 games per season.
Pujols anchors an Angels offense that ranked tenth in the American League in 2011 with 4.12 runs scored per game. With Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo, Dipoto now has a surplus at first base, but reportedly he won't trade either. Within an hour of the Pujols signing breaking, Dipoto completed a five-year, $77.5MM deal with free agent lefty C.J. Wilson, bringing the team's total today to $331.5MM.
The Cardinals signed Pujols to a long-term deal in 2004, which ended up being a huge bargain at $111MM over eight years. Pujols and the Cardinals failed to find common ground on an extension in February this year, but the contract didn't seem a distraction as the team ended up winning the World Series.
The suddenly free-spending Marlins made the high bid for Pujols this offseason at ten years and $275MM, but they would not bend on their policy of avoiding full no-trade clauses. They seemingly dropped out after signing Mark Buehrle. The Cubs reportedly made an offer to Pujols as well. Up until Thursday morning, the Cardinals were considered the favorite, though they reportedly topped out with a nine-year offer that was just the fourth-best he received. Pujols could have been the next Stan Musial, but even a call from the legendary Cardinals Hall of Famer couldn't convince him to take less money to stay in St. Louis. It's not much of a consolation prize, but the Cardinals will receive the Angels' #19 pick in the 2012 draft as well as a supplemental choice.
With Pujols off the market, Prince Fielder is the top prize still available for teams looking to add a big bat. However, based on recent reports, the most aggressive suitors for Pujols, the Cardinals and Marlins, won't be involved in the bidding for Fielder.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Angels Sign C.J. Wilson
Lefty C.J. Wilson will join Albert Pujols in Los Angeles, as the Angels continue a surprising free agent spending spree. The Halos completed a deal with Wilson today, learned Joel Sherman of the New York Post. It's a five-year, $77.5MM contract, according to ESPN's Karl Ravech, bringing the Angels' tally to $331.5MM on the last day of the 2011 Winter Meetings. The contract includes a full no-trade clause in the first two years and partial in the last three, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Wilson is represented by Bob Garber of Select Sports Group.
Wilson, a 31-year-old Fountain Valley, California native, will earn $10MM in 2012, $11MM in '13, $16MM in '14, $18MM in '15, and $20MM in '16, according to Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas (via Twitter). The remaining $2.5MM makes up the southpaw's signing bonus.
Wilson posted a 2.94 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.64 HR/9, and 49.3% groundball rate in 223 1/3 innings this year. He added another 28 innings in the postseason. Including the playoffs, Wilson has tallied a massive 479 2/3 innings over 76 starts since being converted back to a starter in 2010. Aside from perhaps the recently-posted Yu Darvish, Wilson was the best available pitcher this offseason. Wilson, who has a popular Twitter page, joins a stellar Angels rotation that includes Dan Haren, Jered Weaver, and Ervin Santana. Weaver had signed a five-year, $85MM extension in August, and it seemed like the Angels couldn't justify giving Wilson more.
The Rangers reportedly topped out at four years in their bid to retain Wilson, though they never made a formal offer and according to the player, weren't close. The Rangers will receive the Angels' second-round draft pick and a supplemental choice as compensation. GM Jon Daniels appears to already be exploring alternatives such as Darvish and Matt Garza. The Marlins were heavily in the mix for Wilson, reportedly making the best offer at $98-99MM over six years. In fact, Garber said the Marlins "would not let it go" and Wilson could easily have gotten $100MM.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
D’Backs In On Cahill, Gio, Kuroda
11:45am: Talks between the A's and D'Backs have advanced but aren't close to completion, tweets Olney. He reiterates that Bauer is a player of interest to Oakland.
THURSDAY, 8:49am: The A's and D'Backs have discussed the names of many prospects as a possible return for Cahill, even including Trevor Bauer, reports ESPN's Buster Olney. Bauer, I should note, can't even be included in a deal as a player to be named later until late January.
WEDNESDAY, 1:49pm: Add Athletics righty Trevor Cahill to the list of pitchers under pursuit by the Diamondbacks, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He says they'd need to surrender Tyler Skaggs for Gio Gonzalez, but not for Cahill. Cahill, 23, is signed through 2015 with club options on the '16 and '17 seasons.
In November, Rosenthal reported the A's were willing to listen to trade offers for any player other than Jemile Weeks.
Twins, Indians, Rockies Most Likely For Willingham
The Twins, Indians, and Rockies are most likely to sign free agent left fielder Josh Willingham, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Indians are interested but have yet to make an offer, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
Orioles Acquire Dana Eveland
The Orioles acquired lefty Dana Eveland from the Dodgers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Orioles will give up a 22-year-old lefty Jarret Martin and outfielder Tyler Henson, announced the team.
Eveland, 28, will be arbitration eligible for the first time in 2012. He posted a 3.03 ERA in 29 2/3 innings for the Dodgers this year, tossing another 154 frames in Triple-A. Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said in a statement, "We think Dana is a qualified Major League pitcher who won 15 games last year between Albuquerque and Los AngelesHe provides depth and can compete for a starting spot on our roster in 2012."
2011 Rule 5 Draft Results
Rule 5 players must stay with their new big league club all year or be offered back to the old team. MLB.com has a full recap of both the Major League and minor league portions of the draft. The results of the Major League phase are listed below:
- Astros take Rhiner Cruz from Mets.
- Twins take Terry Doyle from White Sox.
- Mariners take Lucas Luetge from Brewers.
- Orioles take Ryan Flaherty from Cubs.
- Royals take Cesar Cabral from Red Sox; traded to Yankees for cash.
- Cubs take Lendy Castillo from Phillies.
- Padres
- Pirates take Gustavo Nunez from Tigers.
- Marlins
- Rockies
- Athletics
- Mets
- White Sox
- Reds
- Indians
- Nationals
- Blue Jays
- Dodgers
- Angels
- Giants
- Braves take Robert Fish from Angels.
- Cardinals take Erik Komatsu from Nationals.
- Red Sox take Marwin Gonzalez from Cubs, traded to Astros for Marco Duarte
- Rays
- Diamondbacks take Brett Lorin from Pirates.
- Tigers
- Brewers
- Rangers
- Yankees take Brad Meyers from Nationals.
- Phillies