Free Agent Market For Third Basemen
The Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Indians, Tigers, Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Marlins, Cardinals, and Giants may be looking for third base help this winter. Here's a look at the hot corner free agent market.
The Best Choice By Far
By signing a one-year deal last offseason, Adrian Beltre positioned himself for another big contract. He hit .321/.365/.553 with his usual stellar defense, so don't be surprised if Scott Boras seeks more than the five years and $64MM Beltre received in 2004. On top of the contract, signing Beltre will require giving up a draft pick. The Red Sox hope to re-sign him, but don't expect a discount.
May Not Hit The Open Market
Even coming off a bad year, Aramis Ramirez would be an appealing free agent. However, the Cubs' third baseman is expected to exercise his $14.6MM player option for 2011. The Tigers may not pick up Jhonny Peralta's $7MM option, but they expect to retain him and play him at shortstop.
Less-Than-Ideal Starters
Most clubs won't be thrilled to pencil in Jorge Cantu, Pedro Feliz, Brandon Inge, Miguel Tejada, Juan Uribe, Melvin Mora, Nick Punto, or Ty Wigginton as their starter at third base, though many of them played regularly this year. Inge is looking to re-sign with the Tigers at a fair price, and GM Dave Dombrowski would like to reach an agreement before he hits the open market according to Tom Gage of the Detroit News. Inge shows pop from time to time, but most of his value is in his defense.
Non-Tender Candidates
Kevin Kouzmanoff, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Lopez are the most notable non-tender candidates at third base. The A's may keep Kouzmanoff for lack of a better option, but Encarnacion and Lopez are likely to join the free agent ranks. Andy Marte, Andy LaRoche, and Kevin Frandsen could also be cut loose.
Summary
It's Beltre or bust this year if you're looking to sign a free agent third baseman. Whoever you'd rank behind Beltre, it's a distant second. Teams that find him too expensive may turn to the trade market.
2011 MLB Free Agent List
MLBTR maintains a constantly-updated, information-packed free agent list. The list can always be found on the sidebar under 2011 MLB Free Agent List, or you can just bookmark this link:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/09/2011-mlb-free-agents.html
Our free agent list contains everything you need for your hot stove discussions. Players are grouped by position. The player's 2011 age is included. Contract options are noted. Scott Boras clients are bolded. New free agents are added right away, and signed players are removed. And exclusively on MLB Trade Rumors, projected Elias Type A and B rankings are included.
Arbitration Eligibles: Arizona Diamondbacks
Next in our arbitration eligibles series, the Diamondbacks.
- First time: None
- Second time: Joe Saunders, Stephen Drew, Miguel Montero, D.J. Carrasco, Blaine Boyer
- Third time: Kelly Johnson, Ryan Church
- Fourth time: Augie Ojeda
The Diamondbacks will be spending significant money on arbitration raises for 2011. Saunders, Drew, Montero, and Johnson are locks to be tendered contracts. They're all coming off respectable seasons, though Saunders led MLB with 17 losses and Montero's season was shortened by knee surgery. Having made $3.7MM in his first arbitration year, Saunders is operating from a high base salary and could land around $5.5MM. Drew should manage a similar salary. Johnson, with close to six years service time, could attempt to draw a comparison to Orlando Hudson, who signed for $5MM last winter.
Carrasco pitched decently since coming over via trade from the Pirates. Given the state of their bullpen I expect him to be tendered a contract, although the White Sox did cut him loose last year coming off a good season. He has a $950K base salary. Boyer's best traits are throwing hard and getting groundballs, but he could be non-tendered. He was designated for assignment in May by former GM Josh Byrnes.
Church turned around his season after coming to Arizona, but I have to think they non-tender him rather than pay him around $1.5MM in 2011. Ojeda is not an expensive player, but his ugly offensive stats may get him cut too.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Takashi Saito
Reliever Takashi Saito told reporters today he's uncertain about his future, but still believes he can pitch, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Free agent stock watch time!
The Pros
- Back in the National League, Saito's numbers this year were reminiscent of his Dodgers days: 2.83 ERA, 11.5 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and four home runs allowed in 54 innings. Unlike last year with the Red Sox, Saito was particularly tough on right-handed hitters.
- Saito is likely to sign a one-year deal.
- He could handle a closing job, and that strict usage would effectively limit his workload.
The Cons
- Saito turns 41 in February. Back in 2008 he became the first pitcher known to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection into his elbow, which allowed for a quick recovery from a torn ulnar collateral ligament. With the Braves this year he dealt with hamstring and shoulder ailments. At this point in his career Saito cannot be counted on for 50 innings. I'm no doctor, but you'd have to worry about that ligament fully tearing.
- 2009 may have been a fluke, but Saito's periperhals suffered in the American League.
The Verdict
Saito signed with the Braves for a $3.2MM base salary and another $2.3MM in incentives. If his shoulder and elbow check out, there's no reason he should sign for less this time around. In fact, he'd have a case for a raise. He'll be appealing to most teams looking for a tough late-game reliever, but clubs will attempt to keep the base salary low and sign him to an incentive-laden deal given his age and recent injury history.
Nationals Face Decision On Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang pitched again in the instructional league today, and Bob Klapisch tweets word from a scout that he looked "filthy." Wang hit 89 mph and got four groundballs in 17 pitches, reports MASN's Ben Goessling.
If the Nationals want to retain Wang, they could simply tender him a contract for no less than $1.6MM, or work out a new agreement before the non-tender deadline. If the Nats non-tendered Wang and still wanted to bring him back, they'd have to either wait until May to sign him to a major league deal or sign him to a minor league contract and keep him in the minors until May 1st.
On October 6th, Goessling wrote that Nationals GM Mike Rizzo expects to work out a new deal with Wang before the December 2nd non-tender deadline; Wang's agent Alan Nero also told Goessling he expects to reach some kind of agreement with the team. The Nationals signed Wang in February to a $2MM deal with $3MM in performance bonuses, but his recovery from July '09 shoulder surgery became drawn out and prevented him from facing hitters until recently.
Odds & Ends: Nakajima, Butler, Managers
On this date six years ago, the Dodgers released a 20-year-old righty named Joakim Soria, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Soria was later signed by the Padres out of the Mexican League and then snagged by the Royals in the 2006 Rule 5 draft. He's now one of the game's best closers. On to today's links…
- The Astros signed Dominican righty Luis Abad for a low six figures bonus, tweets SI's Melissa Segura. Back in May, Blake Bentley ranked the new Dominican prospects for MLBTR, placing Abad in a tenth-place tie and calling him "one of the most projectable pitchers you'll see."
- I took a look at Neil Walker's fantasy baseball prospects for 2011 over at RotoAuthority.
- The Mariners are interested in Japanese middle infielder Hiroyuki Nakajima, says U.S.S. Mariner's Dave Cameron. Nakajima may be posted by the Seibu Lions and could be a bargain this winter. Patrick Newman of FanGraphs has more on Nakajima.
- Royals first baseman Billy Butler changed agents, going from Doug Rogalski to Greg Genske of Legacy Sports, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Rogalski has to feel burned, as Butler is heading to arbitration for the first time this winter.
- Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts interviewed Eric Wedge for the team's managerial opening yesterday, reports ESPN's Bruce Levine. Larry Stone of the Seattle Times reports that the Mariners interviewed Bobby Valentine yesterday and have Lloyd McClendon on the docket this week.
- Billy Wagner talked to MLB.com's Mark Bowman about his retirement.
Hardest-Throwing Free Agent Relievers
Thanks to the average fastball velocity data available at FanGraphs, we can make all kinds of fun lists. Today we'll compile the hardest-throwing free agent relievers (minimum 20 innings in 2010).
1. Kyle Farnsworth – 94.9
2. Jesse Crain – 94.8
3. Kerry Wood – 94.4
4. J.J. Putz – 94.0
5. Jose Contreras – 94.0
6. Joaquin Benoit – 94.0
7. Guillermo Mota – 93.9
8. Frank Francisco – 93.4
9. Rafael Soriano – 92.9
10. Jason Frasor – 92.8
Bobby Jenks gets an honorable mention, as he'll top the list at 95.0 if he's non-tendered. The White Sox had a ridiculously hard-throwing bullpen this year; Matt Thornton is at 96.1 but we assume his option will be picked up. Also of note: the Cardinals' Mike MacDougal (94.7) just missed our innings cutoff.
Trade Market For Shortstops
As many as seven teams could be looking for help at shortstop, but the options aren't very interesting beyond Juan Uribe and Hiroyuki Nakajima. Let's see if the trade market offers anyone useful.
Non-Tender Candidates
As we mentioned earlier, Jason Bartlett, J.J. Hardy, and Ryan Theriot are getting expensive through arbitration and could be shopped around. Theriot will probably be non-tendered and Hardy may get another shot with the Twins because their alternatives aren't much better. The Rays, though, could trim several million dollars by trading Bartlett. Reid Brignac and Sean Rodriguez could be in-house alternatives.
Probably Off-Limits
We've heard the odd Stephen Drew rumor here and there over the years, but new Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers probably won't trade him this winter. Drew had a strong year, and the D'Backs need him at short.
Potential Surpluses
A few teams might feel they've captured a rare surplus of shortstops. The Rays are one, with Bartlett, Brignac, and Rodriguez. The Red Sox could be another, given the strong play of Jed Lowrie this year. Generally we'd expect the older, more expensive player to be shopped. In this case that's Marco Scutaro, who's set to earn $5MM next season.
Chris Nelson will never supplant Troy Tulowitzki as the Rockies' shortstop, but they'll probably prefer to keep Nelson around in the second base mix. The Cubs have strong organizational shortstop depth with Starlin Castro and Hak-Ju Lee, perhaps making Darwin Barney expendable.
The Padres' Everth Cabrera, Dodgers' Chin-lung Hu, and the Angels' Brandon Wood may have fallen out of favor. Cabrera's offense took a dive this year, though the Padres don't have better options. Hu has spent time at Triple A in each of the last four seasons and is behind Dee Gordon and Ivan DeJesus Jr. on the team's depth chart. Wood had his longest big league trial this year, but he still hasn't figured it out.
Veterans Under Contract
Jack Wilson ($5MM) and Jamey Carroll ($1.8MM) are a couple of veterans who may be available. Wilson is a much pricier Adam Everett, so he'd be tough to move. Carroll logged a surprising 573 innings at shortstop this year with a career-best .379 OBP.
Logan White To Interview For Mets GM Job
12:55pm: White is interviewing for the Mets GM job, confirms Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Hernandez adds that White has a new deal in place to remain with the Dodgers in his current role if he does not get the Mets gig.
9:45am: A potential new candidate has entered the mix for the Mets GM vacancy in Dodgers assistant GM of amateur and international scouting Logan White. ESPN's Tony Jackson reported early Tuesday that White will interview for the Mets GM job on Friday. The implication is that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti granted White permission to do so. However, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News talked to non-Mets league sources who said White is not a candidate for the GM job. Instead, they're interested in hiring him in a scouting role to work with the team's new GM.
Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird interviewed for the Mets GM position yesterday. ESPN's Adam Rubin reports that Baird spoke to Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, acting GM John Ricco, and other team executives. The Mets will interview White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn today and former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes tomorrow. Sandy Alderson, the reported favorite, interviews Thursday or Friday.
Meanwhile, Dan Martin of the New York Post spoke to Athletics GM Billy Beane, who unsurprisingly supported the idea of the Mets hiring Alderson. Martin's colleague Joel Sherman explains why he feels Alderson is best qualified for the job.
Arbitration Eligibles: St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are next in our arbitration eligibles series…
- First time: Kyle McClellan, Brendan Ryan
- Second time: None
- Third time: None
The Cardinals have one of MLB's smallest arbitration classes this year with first-timers McClellan and Ryan. Both should be tendered contracts and neither will be expensive. Ryan was abysmal with the bat this year, but he could win a Gold Glove.