Center Field Options For The Nationals
Six days ago, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Nationals are searching for a center field upgrade. They haven't talked to the Rays about B.J. Upton, but it's unlikely we'll see any significant trades in general until the second half of June anyway. Which center fielders might be available this summer aside from Upton? We won't consider those who will be eligible for free agency after the season, other than Sizemore.
- Angel Pagan, Mets. Pagan will be eligible for free agency after the 2012 season, so the Mets might not consider him their long-term answer in center field. Would Sandy Alderson be open to sending him to a division rival? He's struggling so far in his second full season as a regular.
- Marlon Byrd, Cubs. Brett Jackson, perhaps the Cubs' top prospect, is primed to push Byrd aside soon. Byrd, 33, is owed $6.5MM next year. He might not be what the Nationals have in mind.
- Matt Kemp, Dodgers. The Dodgers can easily keep Kemp and Trayvon Robinson in the same outfield by moving Kemp to a corner. I can't picture the Dodgers' ownership situation forcing a trade of Kemp, even if his salary exceeds $10MM next year before he hits free agency. I could see a new owner agreeing to a mega-extension with Kemp, but if they can't find common ground perhaps he'd become available this winter.
- Michael Bourn, Astros. Bourn is a viable trade candidate. The Scott Boras client is under team control through 2012 and earns $4.4MM this year.
- Rajai Davis, Blue Jays. The Jays are light on short-term alternatives without Davis – note that Corey Patterson is starting in center while Davis recovers from an ankle injury. Still, I expect Alex Anthopoulos to keep an open mind. Davis' contract will look team-friendly if he starts performing.
- Julio Borbon, Rangers. If the Rangers continue to gravitate toward David Murphy in center field and feel good longer-term about Engel Beltre and Leonys Martin, Borbon could be expendable.
- Aaron Rowand, Giants. Rowand is having a decent April, taking over in center when Andres Torres hit the DL. However, the Giants would have to pick up almost all of the $22MM owed to him through 2012 to move him.
- Grady Sizemore, Indians. The first-place Indians hope to be thinking about adding rather than subtracting this July. If things go wrong, Sizemore will be very attractive on the trade market, even though his 2012 option becomes a player option upon a trade. For that reason, he may not be a fit for the Nationals even if he's made available.
- Chris Denorfia, Padres. He continues to play well in a fourth outfielder role, but perhaps he could be had.
- Felix Pie, Orioles. Pie is another fourth outfielder type who can handle center. The Orioles need him around as a center field backup, but they'd have to listen if the Nationals made a solid offer.
- Chris Heisey, Reds. Heisey is a cost-effective left field option for the Reds, so he might be hard to pry loose.
- Charlie Blackmon, Rockies. The Rockies' #11 prospect could work his way into the right field mix, or the team could consider a trade.
- Scott Cousins, Marlins. Cousins ranked seventh among Marlins prospects heading into the season, according to Baseball America. Right now he's needed by the Marlins as Chris Coghlan's center field backup, and he'll see increased playing time while Logan Morrison is out. They may prefer to maintain the depth. The Marlins did deal within the division with the Dan Uggla trade.
- Mitch Maier, Royals. Maier has played center field more than anywhere else. The 28-year-old may have to settle for an extra outfielder job if he remains in Kansas City.
- Torii Hunter, Angels. What do the Angels do when Mike Trout is Major League ready? Vernon Wells is probably immovable, so you have to wonder if they could trade Hunter. Hunter is only under contract through 2012 though so it's quite possible they make it work without a deal.
As you can see, I can speculate on more than a dozen center field trade candidates. However, some might not offer a clear upgrade over the Nationals' internal options. At this point, Bourn and Upton seem like the most likely fits if they become available this year.
2012 Contract Issues: Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series. Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:
Eligible For Free Agency (3)
- Ramon Hernandez's timeshare behind the plate with Ryan Hanigan is working well, and if the Reds can re-up Hernandez in the $3MM range again I think they will. On the other hand, as several readers have pointed out, prospect Devin Mesoraco is knocking on the door.
- Jonny Gomes has not seemed to be the Reds' Plan A in recent offseasons. It's too early to predict what the offseason holds for Gomes or whether his 20% walk rate means anything.
- Edgar Renteria will also be eligible for free agency.
Contract Options (2)
- Francisco Cordero: $12MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Cordero blew eight saves last year but is three for three in 2011. Regardless, I can't imagine the Reds picking this up.
- Brandon Phillips: $12MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Phillips' power came back down to Earth in '09 and '10, though he's off to a great start this year. Phillips would like a new contract with the Reds. I'm not sure whether the Reds will be up for that, but I can picture them exercising the option.
Arbitration Eligible (8)
- First time: Homer Bailey, Paul Janish
- Second time: Edinson Volquez, Nick Masset, Fred Lewis, Jared Burton, Bill Bray
- Third time: Jeremy Hermida
Not everyone in this group will make it to the point of being tendered a contract. Bailey, Volquez, Janish, Bray, and Masset should be retained, which could cost around $10MM in total.
2012 Payroll Obligation
The Reds' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $51.558MM not including Phillips' buyout. If he and the arbitration eligibles are retained they could be in the $74MM range, about $7MM shy of this year's payroll. GM Walt Jocketty won't have much to work with unless payroll is increased, though he would gain flexibility if Phillips is let go or extended on a backloaded deal.
Pirates Designate Josh Rodriguez For Assignment
SATURDAY: Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Colin Dunlap of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette there "is a process that we have to go through," when asked about Rodriguez's future. "The first is the ability to see if there's a trade partner out there. The second is he'd have to clear waivers. We will work through those two processes first and go from there."
FRIDAY: The Pirates designated infielder Josh Rodriguez for assignment and recalled Pedro Ciriaco from Triple-A, according to the team. Ciriaco appears to be a placeholder for new Pirate Brandon Wood, who was claimed today from the Angels.
Rodriguez, 26, was claimed by the Pirates from the Indians as the first pick in the December Rule 5 draft. If he's not traded or claimed in the next ten days, the Pirates have to offer him back to the Indians for $25K or work out a trade to keep him. If another team picks up Rodriguez, they'll still be subject to the Rule 5 restriction of keeping him in the Majors all year.
Rodriguez received only 14 big league plate appearances this year. Last year at Triple-A he hit .293/.372/.486 in 364 plate appearances, spending most of his time at shortstop. Baseball America ranked him 24th among Pirates prospects, noting that "his upside appears to be as a utility player."
Dodgers Takeover Links: Friday
MLB took over the Dodgers' financial operations on Wednesday, and a trustee should be appointed any day now. Yesterday owners of other teams such as Mark Attanasio, Lew Wolff, and Tom Werner denied interest in buying the Dodgers, though ESPN's Buster Olney passes along the opinion of a longtime executive who feels an interested team owner would keep such intentions secret until the last possible moment. Today's links, with the latest to be added at the top:
- "Business as usual" is the operative phrase being thrown around Dodger Stadium, writes SI.com's Tom Verducci. He looks at how the takeover could impact the team's on-field product with regards to the draft, midseason trades, contract extensions, and more.
- In a free article at Baseball Prospectus, Steve Goldman examines the first time MLB took over the Dodgers, back in 1929.
- Lots of good reading on this topic from ESPN's Jayson Stark today. He found one sports attorney who thinks McCourt at least has a shot in a lawsuit against MLB, since MLB does not appear to treat its troubled franchises the same. Also, Stark feels the pressure will be on for the Dodgers' next owner to crank payroll up to the $150MM range.
- The team's baseball operations department "will continue to work under the same guidelines and budget," Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times learned from GM Ned Colletti (Twitter link).
- Commissioner Bud Selig seized control of the Dodgers partly because the other owners "fear the devaluation of their own franchises" from Frank McCourt's actions, reports Yahoo's Tim Brown. In particular, the other owners do not want to see McCourt undersell the Dodgers' valuable TV rights. Brown's sources believe Selig felt secure in his legal standing before making the decision to take over the Dodgers.
- Fox loaned McCourt $30MM to make April payroll partially because Time Warner was "ready and willing to assist him with his financial problems," reports Diane Pucin of the L.A. Times. Fox, of course, has a tentative agreement worth $3 billion over 20 years for the team's TV rights, which has not been approved by Selig.
Stark On Mets, Fielder, Nationals
The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- People all over baseball predict that Commissioner Bud Selig will eventually have to act on the Mets' situation, perhaps engineering a "soft landing" that would allow Fred Wilpon a graceful exit.
- A couple executives Stark spoke to don't feel that Adrian Gonzalez's seven-year, $154MM extension with the Red Sox will affect Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder. I imagine there are some teams that will try to say Fielder doesn't deserve significantly more than Gonzalez, but Gonzalez's contract wasn't signed on the open market and he's not represented by Scott Boras. Stark says the "early buzz" is that Boras seeks $200MM over eight years for Fielder. Of course, the early buzz around Boras clients is often way above what the player actually signs for. A few candidates to sign Fielder, in the eyes of SI's Jon Heyman: the Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, Orioles, and Dodgers.
- Though the Nationals could probably afford Pujols or Fielder, one source who has talked with them extensively told Stark they're more likely to spread their money around.
Pirates Claim Brandon Wood
The Pirates claimed shortstop Brandon Wood off waivers from the Angels, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Wood had been designated for assignment by the Halos late Tuesday, and the Pirates were first in line in the waiver order.
The former top prospect is now 26 years old, and in 494 big league plate appearances with the Angels he hasn't had success. The Pirates present the perfect opportunity for redemption, as they're one of few teams that can give Wood regular at-bats at shortstop with some leeway for struggling. The scouting report is three years old, but before the '08 season Baseball America said Wood had unexceptional range but could "handle shortstop just fine" defensively. Though he's a shortstop by trade, Wood has played third base as well. MLB.com's Lyle Spencer wrote recently, "It was fascinating to see how different he was when he was in the lineup at shortstop rather than at third."
The claim was a no-brainer for Pittsburgh, a team with few interesting players in the shortstop pipeline. Ronny Cedeno is currently the starter, though the club sought upgrades all winter. The Pirates were able to get Wood for nothing, after the Angels seemingly kept the asking price high on him for years. The Pirates will have to open up a 40-man roster spot to accommodate Wood, and they've said they'll make the corresponding move this afternoon.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Who Might The Blue Jays Pursue In The Offseason?
The Blue Jays continue to accumulate talent, and an extended period of contention could begin in 2012. It doesn't hurt that an additional playoff team will be added to each league next year. Let's speculate on who the Blue Jays might pursue during the 2011-12 offseason to help take their team to the next level.
I discussed Toronto's 2012 payroll issues on Tuesday. I'll speculate that they exercise options on Jason Frasor and Jon Rauch and decline on Aaron Hill and Edwin Encarnacion, putting commitments in the ballpark of $54MM.
Back in January, Blue Jays president Paul Beeston said, "We should be a city that can have $140 million, $150 million in the way of salaries. We could support that, and that's the direction that we're headed." GM Alex Anthopoulos talked about a "very fluid" budget, which "has the ability to rise with the right opportunity."
Should we expect the Blue Jays to immediately add $85MM in 2012 salaries during the offseason? Of course not. Anthopoulos said he's not going to "spend for the sake of spending." However, it is fair to say that there is no free agent the Blue Jays can't afford if they deem him a worthwhile investment. There's a lot of baseball to be played in 2011, but here are my guesses at the spots Anthopoulos could try to upgrade during the offseason:
- Second base: Hill has five months to prove his options are worth exercising. If he fails, the free agent market offers little beyond Kelly Johnson. I don't see anything in the way of exciting trade candidates.
- First base: Adam Lind is the man right now and could be in 2012 as well if he resumes hitting. He's also a candidate to be used at DH. I still believe the Blue Jays could be legitimate suitors for the two big-name first basemen: Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols. Fielder is more likely to make it to the free agent market. The question is whether Anthopoulos will view a seven or eight-year, $125MM+ investment in Fielder as a sound one.
- Designated hitter: There are plenty of options at DH each year on the free agent market. Even if they sign a first baseman, the Jays could add a DH as well if they're unhappy with Lind. The biggest name out there could be David Ortiz, but it's a flexible position and about a dozen free agents could be slotted in.
- Left field: A major acquisition here seems unlikely, with Travis Snider holding the spot and prospect Eric Thames behind him. Still, the Jays could consider a veteran on a one-year deal depending on where Snider and Thames stand.
- Bullpen: Depending on whether they exercise their relievers' options, the Blue Jays could have a decent pen in place for 2012. I wouldn't anticipate a big free agent contract from Toronto for the likes of Jonathan Papelbon or someone like that.
- Rotation: The Jays have some question marks beyond Ricky Romero. They've certainly got plenty of talent beyond the lefty, though, and it makes sense to wait to see how everyone comes along in 2011. The free agent market is weak after C.C. Sabathia, so maybe Anthopoulos will lean toward a trade here if he does anything.
Brandon Wood Rumors: Pirates, Blue Jays
26-year-old infielder Brandon Wood was designated for assignment late Tuesday by the Angels, and there is "zero chance of him clearing waivers," tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale. He'd be a fit for many clubs at shortstop or third base, as I outlined here, but he's more likely to land with a club that can give him some leeway to struggle in the Majors. Claims are due in by noon eastern time today, reports Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The latest:
- The Blue Jays "expressed interest in trading for Wood as recently as this offseason," according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, so they could be interested now.
- The Pirates will "almost surely" place a claim, tweets Dunlap. They have first dibs, as 2010 records are used within the first 30 days of this season to determine waiver order. The team's 40-man roster is currently full, so they'll either have to designate someone for assignment or put someone on the 60-day DL if they win a claim on Wood. Keep in mind that claims might not come into play if a team simply trades for Wood.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (Twitter link) that his team discussed going after Wood, but demurred since Milwaukee has no spot for him. I named the Brewers as one potential candidate for Wood yesterday.
2012 Contract Issues: Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series. Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:
Eligible For Free Agency (7)
- Relievers Chris Ray and Jamey Wright will be eligible for free agency after the season, though at the rate he's been going Ray might not get to six years service time. Wright has been effective as a setup man in a very small sample this year, and if his success continues perhaps the team will re-sign him affordably.
- Well-paid veterans Milton Bradley and Jack Wilson don't figure to be back in 2012. They also seem like long shots to accumulate trade value.
- Erik Bedard is at least healthy and striking people out at the moment, but he's been knocked around badly. If he shows signs of his former self and remains healthy into July, he'll probably be traded.
- Adam Kennedy and Ryan Langerhans will also be eligible for free agency.
Contract Options: None
Arbitration Eligible (7)
- First time: Aaron Laffey, Shawn Kelley
- Second time: Jason Vargas
- Third time: David Aardsma, Jack Cust, Luis Rodriguez
- Fourth time: Brandon League
Standard disclaimer: not all of these players will rack up the necessary service time or make it to the point of being tendered contracts. Vargas and League could jump past $4MM, while Aardsma should pass $6MM. Cust seems in line for his annual non-tender. The pitchers in this group would make for decent trade bait, but if the Mariners have an eye on contending in 2012 they might prefer to keep a few around. Assuming the key arbitration eligibles stay I'll peg the group for around $15MM.
2012 Payroll Obligation
The Mariners' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $59.513MM. If the major arbitration eligibles are retained the team could be around $75MM, roughly $20MM short of their '11 payroll. The club's payroll situation is tough to project, though, because we don't know who will be traded or whether they're planning a serious contention push for '12.
Offseason In Review: San Francisco Giants
The World Champion Giants conclude our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- Aubrey Huff, 1B/RF: two years, $22MM. Includes $10MM club option for 2013 with a $2MM buyout.
- Miguel Tejada, SS: one year, $6.5MM.
- Pat Burrell, LF: one year, $1MM.
- Total spend: $29.5MM.
International Signings
- Simon Mercedes, Adalberto Mejia
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
- Freddy Sanchez, 2B: one year, $6MM.
Trades and Claims: None
Notable Losses
Summary
Brian Sabean, the longest-tenured GM in the game, bought himself some offseason leeway by winning the World Series. It's harder to question the guy who put together the team that won it all, but I'll give it a shot.
In Sabean's defense, the Dodgers seemingly offered Huff something close to the two-year, $22MM deal he ultimately signed. That doesn't make it a good signing though. This was a risky move, with concerns about Huff's defense and uncertainty trying to project his next two seasons. There's also the presence of top prospect Brandon Belt, who might be able to approximate Huff's offensive production at four percent of his salary. The Braves took a different approach, installing Freddie Freeman at first base and ignoring the free agent market.
The Dodgers did steal away Uribe, though I don't blame Sabean for not offering that magnitude of a contract. Sabean had to put someone at shortstop, though, so he signed Tejada for $6.5MM. I would have estimated a contract about half that size for Tejada. Pursuing J.J. Hardy would have been preferable, but failing that I can understand adding a stopgap - just not a $6.5MM one. Hopefully the Giants will be in the mix for Jose Reyes this summer, as he'd represent a significant upgrade.
It's hard not to like the Burrell signing, as the veteran signed for a million bucks despite being the only free agent left fielder to hit 20 home runs. This was similar to the Kerry Wood deal, where a player dictated his team by taking a pay cut. The Sanchez extension, on the other hand, was acceptable but didn't represent a bargain.
Sabean's offseason was very quiet otherwise; I think he was the only GM not to make a trade or claim. The Giants did have quite a few arbitration cases, and I can't fault them for tendering contracts to everyone but Ray. Cody Ross was a borderline case, but the decision had to be made before Burrell was signed or Mark DeRosa's health was fully assessed. If DeRosa bounces back to his 2007-08 levels for a few months, Sabean might be able to shed his salary midseason and gain extra payroll flexibility.
The Giants' offense should be a little better this year, and they've got the same excellent rotation. That doesn't necessarily put them in the playoffs again, so hopefully Sabean will be active this summer in seeking an upgrade at shortstop.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.