Free Agent Stock Watch: Aramis Ramirez
Aramis Ramirez's free agency seemingly came at a great time. 2011 was his healthiest season since '08, and he bounced back offensively to win the National League's Silver Slugger award at third base. Also to his benefit: he's the only free agent third baseman likely to be viewed as a starter at the position.
The occasional trip to the disabled list had never affected Ramirez on the field until perhaps 2010. That year he dealt with a sore triceps, bruised thumb, and a quad injury. A .303 hitter over the previous six seasons, Ramirez slipped to .241 last year. That might have been injury-related, a fluke, or a little of both, but Ramirez preferred a $14.6MM salary for 2011 over free agency. He probably could have gotten a multiyear deal at a reduced salary.
New Cubs management would have been content with Ramirez on a one-year, $16MM deal, as they exercised their side of a mutual option in late October. Or, perhaps Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer were certain Ramirez would decline his end, and exercised theirs to avoid paying the $2MM buyout. At any rate, the longtime Cub will be with a new team in 2012.
Ramirez is a middle-of-the-order bat in a market bereft of third basemen, yet at least three teams with openings have little interest. The Marlins and Rockies are unlikely to participate in the bidding, with the Rockies reportedly balking at the number of years Ramirez seeks. The Marlins would seemingly prefer to commit six years to Jose Reyes and move Hanley Ramirez to third base for three years than pursue Ramirez. Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said outright he's not interested in Ramirez.
Ramirez is 33 years old, and his agent Paul Kinzer seeks four guaranteed years or three with an option. Perhaps that early demand has scared off the Marlins, Rockies, and Angels, but Kinzer says he has at least two teams with strong interest.
Ramirez doesn't seem a great fit for the Orioles, who have options at the infield corners and aren't close to contending. Several other teams with clearer third base openings are not close to contending either. The Red Sox or Yankees probably aren't ready to use Kevin Youkilis and Alex Rodriguez full-time at DH, so they're unlikely. The Phillies still have Placido Polanco under contract for one more year and just added Ty Wigginton. The Diamondbacks only make sense if they consider Ramirez an upgrade over the much cheaper Ryan Roberts. The Tigers, Twins, and Brewers could work for Ramirez, if they have the money. I can picture three years and as much as $42MM for Ramirez, but at this point it's unclear which team would be eager to make that commitment.
Greg Halman Killed
Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was killed early this morning, Dutch police told the Associated Press. Halman was stabbed to death, and his brother has been arrested as a suspect. Halman, 24, was a native of the Netherlands.
Our thoughts are with Greg's loved ones.
Free $400 Fantasy Football Contest (Sponsored Post)
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Kemp, Dodgers Sign Eight-Year Extension
Dodgers fans are looking forward to new ownership next season, and now they have certainty about their cornerstone center fielder. The Dodgers and Matt Kemp signed an eight-year, $160MM extension today, which ties for the seventh-richest contract in MLB history.
Kemp obtains a $2MM signing bonus and earns a $10MM salary in 2012, according to Dylan Hernandez and Mike Hiserman of the LA Times. $2MM of Kemp's '12 salary is deferred without interest, so the Dodgers only take an $8MM payroll hit next year. The deal does not include a full no-trade clause, according to Jim Peltz of the LA Times.
Kemp, 27, did not want to discuss an extension once his 2012 contract year began. He might have earned $15MM+ through arbitration for '12, so the new deal buys out seven free agent seasons at more than $20MM each. At $160MM, Kemp ties Manny Ramirez's free agent contract from 11 years ago as the seventh-largest in MLB history, for now. Prior to Kemp, the biggest contract in Dodgers history was Kevin Brown's $105MM deal in December of '98. Kemp is represented by former pitcher Dave Stewart.
Kemp is expected to finish highly in the NL MVP voting later this month after breaking out with a .324/.399/.586 line and 39 home runs in 689 plate appearances this year. Outside of 2010, UZR has shown Kemp to be roughly an average defender in center field.
Earlier this month, owner Frank McCourt agreed to sell the Dodgers. GM Ned Colletti was able to lay the groundwork for the Kemp deal despite the uncertainty surrounding the team when McCourt appeared headed for a bankruptcy trial.
With Kemp off the board, here's a look at those eligible for free agency after the 2012 season.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports broke the story, with SI's Jon Heyman tweeting news of the agreement.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Padres Sign Mark Kotsay
The Padres agreed to terms with Mark Kotsay on a one-year deal, the team announced today. The contract is worth $1.25MM. Kotsay previously played for the Padres from 2001-03; he was one of their best players during that time.
“We are elated to bring Mark back to the Padres,” said GM Josh Byrnes. “His versatility and leadership will be invaluable for our club.”
Kotsay, 35, hit .270/.329/.373 in 255 plate appearances for the Brewers this year, spending time at all three outfield positions and first base. Kotsay, who resides 35 minutes from Petco Park in Rancho Santa Fe, California, is represented by Legacy Sports Group.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that the two sides had reached an agreement.
White Sox Notes: Trades, Quentin, Sale
Recent White Sox notes…
- GM Kenny Williams won't rule out the possibility of trading both Gavin Floyd and John Danks, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The White Sox GM said he's continuing to lay the groundwork for next month's Winter Meetings, but that some of his fellow GMs are employing a more direct approach this week (Twitter link).
- "We're not going to make moves unless we get an impact player or impact-type prospects, guys who are close to being ready," Williams explained to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Williams has received at least one surprising trade proposal in Milwaukee at the GM Meetings. Danks, Floyd, and Carlos Quentin could be hot commodities around the game.
- Quentin is fully recovered from a late-season shoulder injury, agent Brodie Van Wagenen told Gonzales. The 29-year-old right fielder is under team control for one more year, and we project him to earn around $6.6MM in 2012.
- Chris Sale will be a starting pitcher next season, Williams confirmed to reporters. The team's 2012 rotation is shaping up to have Jake Peavy, Philip Humber, Sale, and Zach Stewart, with the status of Danks, Floyd, and Mark Buehrle in question. Buehrle has been very popular so far this offseason.
Furcal Believed To Be Seeking Multiyear Deal
3:42pm: There are eight teams chasing Furcal, four of them want Furcal at second base and four are interested in him at shortstop, agent Paul Kinzer told Jim Bowden (via Twitter) on MLB Network Radio.
3:01pm: Interest in Furcal is heavy enough that the veteran should be able to get a deal to play shortstop, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Tigers, Blue Jays, and Rockies all like him at second base.
9:19am: Rafael Furcal's agent Paul Kinzer is believed to be seeking a three-year deal, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, with two years and an option a possibility. The Padres aren't inclined to guarantee multiple years to Furcal, and Kinzer indicated yesterday he's open to a shorter term for a higher average annual value. Furcal did just that six years ago, taking a three-year, $39MM deal from the Dodgers when a longer term was available.
The idea of a multiyear free agent deal for Furcal at the time of his July 31st trade to St. Louis was laughable, given his health issues. 217 decent plate appearances for the Cards may have changed that, in the same way that a short stint after a trade earned Aaron Hill a two-year, $11MM contract. The Brewers have some level of interest in Furcal for their shortstop opening, and the Rockies, Tigers, and Blue Jays checked in on him as a second baseman. Regarding Kinzer meeting with the Brewers, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said, "I'm not going to base our reaction on rumors or innuendo. But if I woke up tomorrow and he was signed I'd be a little disappointed."
Aside the situations with Furcal and Albert Pujols, Strauss says the Cardinals will look into bringing back relievers Octavio Dotel and Arthur Rhodes. The Cardinals are "apparently willing to exploit" their depth in right-handed relievers.
Minor Moves: Kimball, Corporan, Rottino, Pascucci
Today's minor moves…
- The Twins re-signed left-hander Phil Dumatrait, according to the Sosnick Cobbe Twitter page. Dumatrait appeared in 45 games for the Twins last season, posting a 3.92 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9.
- The Blue Jays claimed right-hander Cole Kimball off of waivers from Washington, according to the Nationals' official Twitter feed. Meanwhile, the Nats outrighted outfielder Corey Brown to Triple-A Syracuse.
- Astros catcher Carlos Corporan cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, tweets Alyson Footer of the Astros. Corporan has the right to elect free agency due to previously being outrighted.
- The Mets signed catcher/left fielder/first baseman Vinny Rottino and first baseman/DH Val Pascucci to minor league deals, reports ESPN's Adam Rubin. Both players saw their first big league action in several years in 2011.
- Eric Duncan, drafted in the first round by the Yankees in 2003, has signed with the Royals, tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. The 26-year-old played mostly first base, second base, and left field this year for the Cardinals' Double-A affiliate, hitting .274/.322/.527 in 385 plate appearances.
- The White Sox re-signed Leyson Septimo, tweets Goldstein. The Sox claimed the hard-throwing 26-year-old southpaw off waivers from Arizona in June but removed him from their 40-man roster in October.
- The Giants signed center fielder Gregor Blanco, according to his agency (via Matt Eddy of Baseball America on Twitter). The 27-year-old spent the year with the Triple-A affiliates of the Nationals and Royals, hitting .201/.350/.327 in 252 plate appearances.
- The Phillies acquired righty Adam Worthington from the Diamondbacks to complete the September Mike Zagurski trade, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Worthington, 24, posted a 4.48 ERA, 10.0 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9 in 62 1/3 High-A relief innings this year.
- The Yankees signed lefty reliever Mike O'Connor, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The 31-year-old appeared briefly in the Majors for the Mets this year, also posting a 5.22 ERA, 9.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and 1.0 HR/9 in 60 1/3 Triple-A innings.
Red Sox Rumors: Cespedes, Sveum, ACES, Crawford
The latest on the Red Sox…
- Agent Adam Katz confirmed that Yoenis Cespedes will work out for the Red Sox in the Dominican Republic, tweets Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.
- Chairman Tom Werner said that the managerial process has not concluded after the team's second interview with Dale Sveum today, tweets Cafardo.
- The Red Sox met with several agents last night, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald, including Sam and Seth Levinson of ACES. As our agency database shows, ACES represents free agents Heath Bell, David DeJesus, Ross Gload, Jonny Gomes, Aaron Harang, Raul Ibanez, Jason Marquis, Jose Molina, Jorge Posada, Fernando Rodney, Ramon Santiago, and Javier Vazquez.
- The Red Sox have shown no interest in trading Carl Crawford, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
- The Red Sox are narrowing their managerial search, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, and one of his sources believes very strongly that Pete Mackanin is no longer a candidate. Still, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters today that his club granted an extension of their window of permission to talk to their bench coach at some point. Dale Sveum is meeting Red Sox management off-site today for a second interview, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- The Red Sox checked in with agent Paul Kinzer of reliever Matt Capps, reports WEEI's Alex Speier. Speier notes that Capps has closing experience but is willing to set up. Capps may fit Boston's desire to avoid multiyear deals for relievers, given his off-year.
- Terry Francona isn't going to try to manage in 2012, he told Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. The former Red Sox manager had been excited about interviewing for the Cardinals job, but doesn't think the Cubs position is the right opportunity.
- The Red Sox matched up fairly well with the Diamondbacks a year ago for Justin Upton, GM Kevin Towers told Speier, but "nothing ever really got that close."
Thirteen Teams In On Mark Buehrle
11 teams are playing on Mark Buehrle, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM and ESPN.com: the Nationals, White Sox, Cubs, Marlins, Twins, Rangers, Yankees, Royals, Cardinals, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks. These suitors have all been confirmed by club sources, according to Bowden. The Blue Jays and Angels were named by Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports yesterday, potentially bringing the total to 13. From Bowden's list, I believe the Twins, Cardinals, and Red Sox are new suitors. Cards GM John Mozeliak said yesterday he is not seeking to alter the team's rotation, however.