Rafael Furcal Not Retiring
1:06pm: Furcal's agent Paul Kinzer ended the retirement talk, telling Yahoo's Tim Brown, "He'll be back. He's just frustrated" (Twitter link).
7:34am: Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal broke his thumb last night, and MLB.com's Ken Gurnick has his postgame reaction:
"I think about retiring if I'm not healthy. I feel so good with my back, now this — what do you think I am thinking?"
The recovery time could be four to six weeks, but Gurnick says Furcal will see a hand specialist today. Most likely, the 33-year-old shortstop was just emotional in the aftermath of yet another injury. He'll probably be talked out of the retirement idea by Dodgers teammates and management as well as his agent.
Furcal's contract, signed in December of 2008 amid all kinds of drama, calls for a $12MM salary this year. He also has a 2012 option for the same salary that vests with 600 plate appearances, which is no longer possible.
Most teams would suffer a major downgrade if they lost their starting shortstop, and the Dodgers are no exception. Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times runs through the team's internal options.
Cubs Sign Doug Davis
12:55pm: Davis will earn a $900K pro-rated salary in the Majors, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, with the chance to earn close to $2MM with incentives.
12:21pm: The Cubs have signed Davis, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. The lefty will head to extended Spring Training. Wittenmyer suggests the signing was done to provide "longer-term depth."
10:39am: The Cubs are close to signing free agent lefty Doug Davis to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned. The contract will include some kind of opt-out. The team is in need of rotation depth given the recent injuries to Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner. They added Ramon Ortiz on a minor league deal a few days ago.
Davis, 35, made only eight starts with the Brewers last year due to a heart condition and eventual surgery to fix a small tear in the flexor tendon of his elbow. At his best, Davis can eat up innings and work around the many baserunners he allows.
Michael Young Not Seeking Trade
Rangers infielder Michael Young appeared on ESPN's Mike & Mike show today, and he's backed off from his February trade request:
"At this point now, my thoughts are completely on the Texas Rangers. That's the way it should be. I'm not going to sit here and say I want to leave a team that's 9-1, a team that went to the World Series last year. Right now a trade is the furthest thing from my mind. Once the season rolls around, it's time to play baseball. I'm not going to concern myself with things I can't control."
So far this year, Young has played seven games at DH, two at second base, and one at first base for the Rangers.
The Dodgers, who lost shortstop Rafael Furcal to a broken thumb last night, "recently checked back" with the Rangers on Young according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (Twitter link). However, Brown says the price hasn't dropped and the Dodgers passed.
Rangers Notes: Thad Levine, C.J. Wilson
At 9-1, the Rangers have the best record in baseball. They've scored a healthy six runs per game and lead the league with a 2.22 ERA. The latest on the club:
- Assistant GM Thad Levine agreed to an extension that runs through 2015, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Levine told ESPN's Richard Durrett he's honored and thankful for the job security. Jon Daniels brought Levine aboard in October of 2005, two weeks after he was hired as GM.
- Durrett has an excerpt from Jayson Stark's upcoming column, in which Stark spoke to Rangers lefty C.J. Wilson. The 30-year-old can be a free agent after the season. "The winning thing is more important than anything else," Wilson told Stark. Wilson agrees with Roy Halladay that free agency is more about picking where you play than about making the most money. The Rangers made an offer to Wilson in March, which you can read about here.
- While we're talking Rangers, head here to read MLBTR's Offseason In Review from last week.
2012 Contract Issues: Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series.
Eligible For Free Agency (6)
- Vladimir Guerrero and Derrek Lee were signed as free agents to one-year deals totaling $15.25MM plus incentives. Ideally, Orioles minor league player of the year Joe Mahoney will be ready to take over at first base in 2012.
- Mike Gonzalez, signed as a closer at the cost of $12MM and a draft pick, seems to be third in the pecking order in an improved Orioles bullpen. He's in need of a healthy year.
- J.J. Hardy will be eligible for free agency, probably a year later than he thought he'd be. Right now he's headed to the DL for a strained oblique; Hardy hasn't had 500 plate appearances in a season since '08. Though Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins may also be on the free agent market, Hardy should be fairly popular. His backup Cesar Izturis is also eligible for free agency.
- Justin Duchscherer hopes to make his Orioles debut on April 21st. He's battling hip and back issues.
Contract Options (1)
- Koji Uehara: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Though his elbow started barking during Spring Training, Uehara still has a good chance of meeting one of the requirements.
Arbitration Eligible (11)
- First time: Robert Andino, Brad Bergesen, Jake Fox (close to projected Super Two cutoff), Alfredo Simon (if he's activated early enough)
- Second time: Adam Jones, Felix Pie, Jim Johnson, Josh Rupe
- Third time: Jeremy Guthrie, Jeremy Accardo
- Fourth time: Luke Scott
A few of these players will fail to accrue enough service time to be arbitration eligible or will be non-tendered or released. Jones, Guthrie, and Scott are the three cases that will be worth watching. Guthrie and Scott could cost $9MM each, and Jones around $6MM. It's hard to say at this point whether Scott will be a non-tender candidate.
2012 Payroll Obligation
The Orioles have a 2012 payroll obligation of about $36MM for 2012 according to Cot's Baseball Contracts, with Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts, and Mark Reynolds leading the way. Assuming Uehara, Jones, Guthrie, Scott, Pie, and Johnson are retained, they'll be in the $69MM range – about $18MM short of the 2011 Opening Day payroll. The Orioles should again have payroll space to work with, especially if one of the more expensive arbitration eligible players is traded.
Offseason In Review: Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- Victor Martinez, DH/C: four years, $50MM.
- Joaquin Benoit, RP: three years, $16.5MM.
- Brandon Inge, 3B: two years, $11.5MM. Includes $6MM club option for 2013 with a $500K buyout.
- Jhonny Peralta, SS: two years, $11.25MM. Includes $6MM club option for 2013 with a $500K buyout.
- Magglio Ordonez, RF: one year, $10MM.
- Brad Penny, SP: one year, $3MM.
- Total spend: $102.25MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
- Ryan Raburn, LF: two years, $3.4MM.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired RP Pedro Perez from Red Sox for IF Brent Dlugach
- Acquired SP Kevin Eichhorn and RP Ryan Robowski from Diamondbacks for SP Armando Galarraga
Notable Losses
Summary
The Tigers' offseason was all about being aggressive early, as they locked up Inge, Peralta, Benoit, and Martinez before the end of November. GM Dave Dombrowski was able to land his top targets, but often had to overpay in the process.
Dombrowski's commitment to Benoit shook the relief market. The contrast was stark for a reliever whose previous contract was a minor league deal. Explained the GM, "When you want to get the best players at certain positions, you have to be aggressive and prepared to do things." The Tigers should be commended for signing the reliever they felt was the best available, going the extra mile to get it done. Like most eight-figure relief contracts, this one is risky – Benoit is a 33-year-old who had rotator cuff surgery in January of '09.
The early push to sign Inge and Peralta is more difficult to understand. Despite being known as an offensive-minded infielder, Peralta hasn't hit much since '08. And while Inge might make up for Peralta's lack of range, he's a negative with the bat as well. The free agent market typically doesn't reward defense-first players with the kind of contract Inge received. The Tigers' goal here seemed to be to secure the left side of their infield and have cost certainty before moving on to bigger fish.
That big fish was Martinez (pictured). The popularity of Martinez and Adam Dunn on the free agent market showed that teams are willing to make large commitments to players with little defensive value. Martinez has more than Dunn, in that the former can don the tools of ignorance without embarrassing himself. I would have liked the V-Mart signing more if it didn't require giving the Red Sox the best unprotected draft pick at #19. Now, the Tigers won't have a pick in the 2011 draft until #76. Still, the team got the capable middle of the order bat they sought from the outset of the offseason.
Dombrowski was able to further bolster the offense by signing Ordonez, who chose the popular Scott Boras "pillow contract" as he attempts to rebuild value after a fractured ankle ended his season in July. Unlike Carlos Pena, Ordonez was at least coming off a strong season. However, at age 37, Ordonez's durability will be a huge question mark – especially with Martinez claiming the DH spot most of the time.
Converted reliever Phil Coke filled one rotation spot, while Dombrowski took a $3MM flier on Penny for the other. Sooner or later teams will stop guaranteeing Penny millions of dollars on the hope that he will have another 2007. To be fair, Penny only needs to provide 100 solid innings to be worth the $3MM guarantee. The bigger question is where the Tigers will turn when they inevitably need a sixth or seventh starter. Andy Oliver is big league ready, though top prospect Jacob Turner is only 19 years old. Lefties Casey Crosby, Duane Below, Charlie Furbush, and Adam Wilk could factor in depending on the magnitude of the Tigers' need. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith addressed the Tigers' rotation depth last month in a piece at FanGraphs.
The Tigers had significant money come off the books after the '10 season, and despite their numerous free agent commitments the Opening Day payroll still appears to be down about $27MM. I wasn't a fan of all of Dombrowski's choices, but I respect his aggressive pursuit of primary targets. If the 2011 Tigers fail, it won't be because the market got away from them and they had to go to Plan B or C.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Quick Hits: Buchholz, Duaner Sanchez, Royals
Links for Monday, as Angels number two prospect Tyler Chatwood prepares for his big league debut against the first place Indians…
- The Red Sox were non-negotiable on getting two club options on Clay Buchholz's contract, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Buchholz explained, "If it was me and I didn’t have a wife and a kid that I had to take care of, it might have been a decision that we would have thought about a little bit more."
- Teams are locking up their best players earlier and placing increased emphasis on club options, writes Dave Cameron of FanGraphs, and the result may be that "the best players in the game are going to be significantly underpaid during their primes," while the free agent market could become even more inflated.
- Reliever Duaner Sanchez signed with the Long Island Ducks, the team announced. Sanchez hasn't pitched in the Majors since May of '09, his career derailed by a July '06 taxi cab accident. His Ducks teammates include Ruddy Lugo, J.R. House, Lew Ford, and John Rodriguez.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star writes about how Royals owner David Glass changed his tightfisted ways upon hiring Dayton Moore as GM about five years ago. Glass won't rule out keeping his talented wave of top prospects together on long-term deals "regardless of who their agent is."
- Baseball America links: Conor Glassey chatted with potential top draft pick Anthony Rendon, while J.J. Cooper lists the youngest players in every league.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has details on the iPads Carl Crawford's agent Brian Peters distributed as a promotional tool early in the outfielder's free agency. Though GM Theo Epstein said the iPad didn't change his evaluation of Crawford, he was compelled to return the favor with some Red Sox Beats By Dre headphones. First Dr. Dre mention in MLBTR history?
Offseason In Review: Houston Astros
The Astros are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- Bill Hall, 2B: one year, $3.25MM. Includes $4MM mutual option for 2012 with a $250K buyout.
- Jason Michaels, OF: one year, $900K. Club option exercised.
- Total spend: $4.15MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Ryan Rowland-Smith (re-signed to minor league deal), Fernando Nieve, Oswaldo Navarro, Anderson Hernandez, Casey Fien, Carlos Corporan, Brian Dopirak, Sammy Gervacio, Gustavo Chacin, Robinson Cancel
Extensions
Trades and Claims
- Claimed RP Aneury Rodriguez from Rays in Rule 5 draft
- Acquired SS Clint Barmes from Rockies for P Felipe Paulino
- Acquired P Jonnathan Aristil and SP Wes Musick from Rockies for RP Matt Lindstrom
- Acquired RP Sergio Escalona from Phillies for 2B Albert Cartwright
- Acquired IF/OF Joe Inglett from Rays for player to be named later or cash considerations
Notable Losses
- Felipe Paulino, Matt Lindstrom, Albert Cartwright, Geoff Blum, Brian Moehler, Tim Byrdak, Chris Sampson
Summary
It was a quiet offseason for Astros GM Ed Wade, who added some middle infield pop, extended Wandy Rodriguez, and acquired a few arms via trades and claims.
For about $7MM, Wade revamped his middle infield with Hall and Barmes. Not many teams considered these players middle infield regulars, which might be a red flag. Wade is taking an offensive-minded approach to second base and shortstop, and both players have 20 home run ability. Of course, they both have .300 OBP ability too, so I'm not sure that the lineup will benefit much. Once again, this appears to be an Astros lineup littered with easy outs. Barmes, who broke a bone in his hand in March, is in line for a late April debut.
I can't complain too much about the Hall and Barmes pickups, as they're not blocking anyone. Still, the Rockies got the better end of the Barmes-Paulino swap. Why would the Astros rid themselves of a 27-year-old with a 96 mile per hour fastball and 8.1 career K/9? Barmes (pictured) was a non-tender candidate for Colorado.
The Astros' barren offense is a shame, because their rotation has the potential to be solid (early returns aside). Myers and Rodriguez form a strong one-two punch, J.A. Happ and Bud Norris have flashed 4.00 ERA skills, and Jordan Lyles is one of the 50 best prospects in baseball.
Extending Rodriguez was a win for Wade, as Wandy would have been one of the better free agent starters available after the season. The price was reasonable, though I'm not sure what conditions cause his $13MM option for 2014 to vest. In the cases of Rodriguez and Brett Myers, the extensions could improve their trade value for certain suitors should Wade look to improve his farm system this summer.
The Astros have a consensus bottom-five farm system, which must be improved if the team is to return to prominence. Grabbing a couple of arms to try in the Rule 5 draft made sense. Lindstrom was traded for prospects, though his salary might have been the Astros' motivation in trading him. I don't mind a non-contender having an unproven bullpen, but I hope Lindstrom's potential $3MM salary didn't force Wade to settle for less in trade.
The Astros finally committed to a rebuild last summer, trading two of their best-known players in Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman (though neither had much trade value). This summer Wade will face tougher decisions on whether to move Rodriguez, Myers, Hunter Pence, and Michael Bourn, making the team even worse in the short term for the greater good.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
2012 Contract Issues: Pittsburgh Pirates
The 2012 Contract Issues series kicks off with a look at the Pirates.
Eligible For Free Agency (1)
- First baseman Lyle Overbay is the one Pirates player who is eligible for free agency after the season with no strings attached.
- GM Neal Huntington is also signed through 2011. Team president Frank Coonelly told Rob Biertempfel in February, "He is under contract for this season and it’s our expectation that Neal will be here for a long time. He has hot been extended at this point. We’ll continue to evaluate it as we move forward."
Contract Options (5)
- Chris Snyder: $6.75MM club option with a $750K buyout. It's difficult to picture Snyder being retained at a $6MM net price.
- Paul Maholm: $9.75MM club option with a $750K buyout. Maholm is a prime summer trade candidate, but his option will probably be declined.
- Ryan Doumit: $7.25MM club option for '12, $8.25MM club option with '13, $500K buyout. Another trade candidate, Doumit's options figure to be declined.
- Ronny Cedeno: $3MM club option with a $200K buyout. Though the price is reasonable, I can see the Pirates declining and trying someone else at shortstop next year.
- Scott Olsen: $4MM club option with a $100K buyout. Olsen appears headed to the bullpen once he recovers from a hamstring injury. This option is unlikely to be exercised. If it's declined, the Pirates must then decide whether to tender him a contract.
Arbitration Eligible (12)
- First time: Garrett Olson, Chris Resop, Garrett Jones, Charlie Morton, Evan Meek, Jose Ascanio, Steve Pearce
- Second time: Ross Ohlendorf, Joel Hanrahan, Jeff Karstens, Jose Veras
- Third time: Scott Olsen
Not all of these players will make it to arbitration, as some could fail to accrue the necessary service time and others will be non-tendered in December or cut loose beforehand. Using CAA's Super Two cutoff projection of 2.146 years of service, Andrew McCutchen's first big payday won't come until 2013.
2012 Payroll Obligation
Cot's Baseball Contracts sets the Pirates' 2012 payroll obligation at just $10.625MM, with Kevin Correia accounting for more than a third of that. You can pencil in another $4MM or so for Hanrahan and Meek. If the Pirates want to be around $40MM again they should have about $25MM to play with.
Top Starters Unwilling To Go Year-To-Year
Baseball players, starting pitchers in particular, are a risk-averse bunch. Given the choice between multiyear security and maximized earnings, they almost always choose the former. You can't blame starting pitchers for wanting to lock in an eight-figure payday well before free agency, given the risk of a career-altering injury. Still, I'm surprised that no ace starter has been willing to roll the dice and go year-to-year before hitting free agency in recent memory.
Here's the list of active starters who received Cy Young votes since 2007 and were willing to delay their own free agency with a multiyear contract:
- Felix Hernandez, C.C. Sabathia, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Cliff Lee, Trevor Cahill, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright, Ubaldo Jimenez, Tim Hudson, Josh Johnson, Roy Oswalt, Justin Verlander, Brett Myers, Bronson Arroyo, Matt Cain, Zack Greinke, Javier Vazquez, Dan Haren, Ervin Santana, Brandon Webb, Johan Santana, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Fausto Carmona, Jake Peavy, Brad Penny, Aaron Harang, Carlos Zambrano, Jeff Francis
Some were locked up well before free agency, while others signed extensions with just one year to go. And the above list doesn't include guys like Ricky Romero, Gavin Floyd, Wandy Rodriguez, Johnny Cueto, Scott Baker, James Shields, Ricky Nolasco, and Yovani Gallardo.
Most top starters who didn't sign extensions and reached free agency as early as possible did so because of injuries, Erik Bedard for example. Zambrano came very close, going to arbitration all three times and signing his five-year extension a few months before free agency.
A few frontline starters remain on the year-to-year path, such as David Price, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Jered Weaver, and Francisco Liriano. Weaver, a Scott Boras client, seems most likely to be doing so to maximize his earnings. Nothing wrong with that, and we don't know what the Angels offered, if anything. Weaver could be a 30-year-old free agent after the 2012 season, with over $20MM in arbitration earnings in his pocket. John Danks, Matt Garza, Shaun Marcum, C.J. Wilson, and Jeremy Guthrie are also on the year-to-year track currently.
Though they signed multiyear deals, Tim Lincecum and Cole Hamels each left at least one arbitration year uncovered, as well as all free agent years. They've got the best of both worlds, locking in over $20MM without delaying free agency. Edwin Jackson isn't at their level, but he's another starter who snagged an eight-figure contract and remained on track for free agency as early as possible.