Odds & Ends: Scott, Valentine, Manny
Four years ago today, the Yankees released first baseman Carlos Pena. He signed a minor league deal with the Rays in January of '07 and went on to have a monster season. On to today's non-draft links…
- Luke Scott was claimed on waivers this month and pulled back, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Not a big surprise, but now we know Scott won't be traded in August.
- Ichiro Suzuki has talked to Mariners ownership about hiring Bobby Valentine to manage, tweets MLB Network's Peter Gammons. However, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times hears that Ichiro has not approached the Mariners about Valentine.
- The possibility of Manny Ramirez being claimed or traded is examined in columns by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and Buster Olney of ESPN.
- RotoAuthority explores whether Jordan Zimmermann is worth stashing in fantasy leagues.
Angels Sign Kaleb Cowart
The Angels signed first-round pick Kaleb Cowart, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports by way of a team press release. BA's Jim Callis reports that he'll get $2.3MM, about $900K over slot. Cowart, a pitcher and third baseman drafted out of high school, was chosen 18th overall by the Angels. The Angels received the pick from the Mariners as compensation for the Chone Figgins signing.
With the Cowart agreement, 16 first-round picks remain unsigned.
Would-Be Free Agents
The upcoming free agent class has its share of big names, including Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford. Lee's free agency was delayed by one year because of the extension he signed with the Indians four years ago. Crawford's chance at a huge payday was pushed back two years because of a deal he signed with the Rays more than five years ago. Imagine if all players took the riskier but more potentially lucrative approach, forsaking multiyear extensions. These players would be hitting the market:
- Catchers: Yadier Molina, Chris Snyder. Molina lost money by choosing the security of a long-term deal, though Snyder was smart to sign one.
- First basemen: Kevin Youkilis, Justin Morneau. I doubt they have regrets about signing, but both players would be primed for huge free agent contracts this winter. Then again Morneau hasn't played since July 7th due to a concussion and Youkilis' season ended on August 2nd with a thumb injury. Maybe teams would have been cautious of major commitments.
- Second basemen: Brandon Phillips. He would've scored big on the open market; there's not much at this position and he's only 29.
- Shortstops: Maicer Izturis, Ramon Santiago.
- Third basemen: David Wright. Wright's had his ups and downs this year but as a 28-year-old he would have done well.
- Outfielders: Grady Sizemore, David DeJesus, Jason Kubel, Alex Rios, Nick Swisher. DeJesus and Kubel have club options that will probably be exercised. Sizemore's contract was once considered a massive bargain, but now his 2012 option is in question. Rios and Swisher would be entering free agency off strong seasons.
- Starting pitchers: Zack Greinke, Dan Haren, Scott Kazmir, Joe Blanton. Greinke might be wishing he didn't have another two years on his contract, while Haren could probably beat the two years and $29MM he has remaining. Kazmir and Blanton, though, are likely glad they have security.
- Relievers: Huston Street, Matt Thornton. Contrasting would-be contract years. Street didn't debut until June 23rd this year due to a shoulder injury. Thornton continues to dominate, making his 2011 club option an easy decision.
Zach Duke’s Future
Pirates lefty Zach Duke debuted with a splash in 2005, posting a 1.81 ERA over 14 starts and finishing fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. Since then Duke has posted more pedestrian numbers, strong enough to garner decent salaries in arbitration but not a multiyear deal. Duke is arbitration-eligible one last time after the season. Let's take a closer look at the Pirates' situation.
This year, the 27-year-old Duke has a 5.20 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and 1.4 HR/9 in 114.3 innings. Stats like SIERA and xFIP suggest he's been better, deserving of an ERA more in the 4.30 range. I'd call Duke a back-rotation innings-eater, but he missed significant time this year and in 2007 with elbow injuries.
Duke earns $4.3MM in 2010, and will be due some kind of raise if tendered a contract for 2010. Given the Matt Capps situation last year, we can't rule out a non-tender for Dukes if the Pirates don't like his salary demands. Still, a trade seems more likely. Here's what GM Neal Huntington said to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on July 30th:
"If the package is appropriate for one of our starting pitchers, we are willing to consider a move. If the interest is in one of our starting pitchers who is one year away from free agency, that shifts the tolerance accordingly, as we would be able to reinvest their potential dollars into a major-league starting pitcher — via trade or free agency — and add valuable multiyear pieces to our major-league club and/or system. Again, we will need to feel good about the return to make a move."
Huntington was clearly referring to Paul Maholm and Duke. I'm guessing he'd prefer to trade only one of the lefties. They're similar pitchers in terms of performance. Their contract situations and injury histories are the difference. Maholm is signed for 2011 at $5.75MM and has a $750K buyout for '12 for a total commitment of $6.5MM. A team tendering Duke a contract might save a million or more in comparison, but they won't have the '12 option and they will have to worry about his health. As a result, it should take less to acquire Duke from the Pirates this winter.
Final-Year Arbitration-Eligibles
More than 50 players will be eligible for arbitration for the last time after this season. For some it will represent the biggest payday of their careers to this point. Other useful but overpaid players will be non-tendered and will reach free agency a year early. Here's a look at the final-year arbitration class, with 2010 base salaries included. Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
Expected To Be Tendered Contracts
- Prince Fielder, Brewers.
- Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox – $9.35MM.
- Dan Uggla, Marlins – $7.8MM.
- Ryan Ludwick, Padres – $5.45MM.
- Wandy Rodriguez, Astros – $5MM.
- Josh Willingham, Nationals – $4.6MM.
- Jason Kubel, Twins – $4.1MM, $5.25MM club option for '11.
- Jason Bartlett, Rays – $4MM.
- Heath Bell, Padres – $4MM.
- Matt Capps, Twins – $3.5MM.
- C.J. Wilson, Rangers – $3.1MM.
- Rickie Weeks, Brewers – $2.75MM.
- Jose Bautista, Blue Jays – $2.4MM.
- Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks – $2.35MM.
- Shawn Camp, Blue Jays – $1.15MM.
- Chris Ray, Giants – $975K.
- Matt Belisle, Rockies – $850K.
- Jonny Gomes, Reds – $800K, $1.75MM club option for '11.
- Javier Lopez, Giants – $775K.
- R.A. Dickey, Mets – $600K.
- Wilson Betemit, Royals – salary unknown.
Non-Tender Candidates
- Bobby Jenks, White Sox – $7.5MM.
- J.J. Hardy, Twins – $5.1MM.
- Jeff Francoeur, Mets – $5MM.
- Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays – $4.75MM.
- George Sherrill, Dodgers – $4.5MM.
- Cody Ross, Marlins – $4.45MM.
- Zach Duke, Pirates – $4.3MM.
- Casey Kotchman, Mariners – $3.5175MM.
- Clint Barmes, Rockies – $3.325MM.
- John Maine, Mets – $3.3MM.
- Conor Jackson, Athletics – $3.1MM.
- Chad Gaudin, Yankees – $2.95MM.
- Matt Diaz, Braves – $2.55MM.
- Scott Hairston, Padres – $2.45MM.
- Jose Lopez, Mariners – $2.3MM, $4.5MM club option for '11.
- Dioner Navarro, Rays – $2.1MM.
- Todd Coffey, Brewers – $2.025MM.
- Chien-Ming Wang, Nationals – $2MM.
- Brian Tallet, Blue Jays – $2MM.
- Kyle Davies, Royals – $1.8MM.
- Tim Byrdak, Astros – $1.6MM.
- Ryan Church, Diamondbacks – $1.5MM.
- Greg Dobbs, Phillies – $1.35MM.
- Lance Cormier, Rays – $1.2MM.
- Ronny Cedeno, Pirates – $1.125MM.
- Scott Olsen, Nationals – $1MM.
- Joel Zumaya, Tigers – $915K.
- Clay Condrey, Twins – $900K.
- Sergio Mitre, Yankees – $850K.
- Augie Ojeda, Diamondbacks – $825K.
- Gabe Gross, Athletics – $750K.
- Tyler Walker, Nationals – $650K.
- Ryan Langerhans, Mariners – $525K.
Cardinals Intensify Third Base Search
The Cardinals have intensified their search for help at third base, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Felipe Lopez has struggled of late; he's been David Freese's main replacement at the hot corner. Allen Craig made his first start at the position yesterday, but manager Tony La Russa isn't keen on the idea of using Craig there. One outside name on the Cardinals' radar is Brandon Inge. Strauss says they retain interest in the Tigers' third baseman, who returned from a fractured hand on August 4th and should be placed on waivers this week.
Inge is fairly pricey, with $1.76MM of his $6.6MM salary remaining. All American League teams plus any National League club with a worse winning percentage than the Cardinals will have first crack at him. The Cards have a .560 winning percentage, so the Phillies, Braves, Reds, Giants, and Padres are behind them in the waiver order currently.
Other veteran infielders who might be candidates for August trades include Pedro Feliz, Geoff Blum, Melvin Mora, Wes Helms, Chone Figgins, Nick Punto, Brendan Harris, Wilson Betemit, Ty Wigginton, and Edwin Encarnacion. Encarnacion has already cleared waivers. Adam Kennedy is another potentially available name, but don't look for the Cardinals to bring him back.
Mets Intend To Exercise Reyes’ Option
The Mets plan to exercise Jose Reyes' $11MM club option for 2011, reports Mark Hale of the New York Post. Hale also echoes Andy Martino's report for the New York Daily News from eleven days ago, saying the Mets will explore a multiyear deal.
Reyes, 27, made his season debut on April 10th after missing most of 2009 due to a hamstring injury. He's hitting .279/.316/.419 on the season; his 4.9% walk rate is his lowest in several years. The $11MM option is worth exercising for the Mets, as the shortstop market is perenially weak and Reyes is decent value even at a reduced level of performance. I'm guessing that to sign Reyes to a multiyear deal when his stock is still pretty low, the Mets would require a discount.
Phillies Agree To Terms With Pointer, Musser
The Phillies agreed to terms on a pair of over-slot draft deals, MLBTR has learned. Prep outfielder Brian Pointer, drafted in the 28th round, will sign for high third-round money. Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the amount is $350K. Pointer had been prepared to play ball at Oregon State. Prep righthander Jonathan Musser, chosen in the 21st round, agreed to a deal worth $300K. Both players are advised by Adam Karon of Sosnick Cobbe Sports. Karon also advises pitcher Steve McKinnon, a 32nd-rounder signed by the Rangers earlier today.
Giants Acquire Jose Guillen
The Giants acquired outfielder Jose Guillen from the Royals for a player to be named later and $250K. The Royals, who gave Guillen an ill-advised three-year, $36MM deal in December of 2007, designated Guillen for assignment on August 5th. The $250K is about $138K more than the pro-rated portion of the major league minimum salary.
Guillen still has $3.39MM left on his contract, but the Royals are covering some of that, according to a press release. The 34-year-old is hitting .255/.314/.429 on the season with 16 home runs in 437 plate appearances. He has logged only 169 innings in right field, so playing him regularly in the outfield would be risky. The Giants probably don't have an everyday role in mind for Guillen anyway – there's no reason he should supplant Pat Burrell, Andres Torres, Aubrey Huff, or Travis Ishikawa.
Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes first reported that a deal was close and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Ed Price of AOL FanHouse and Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle also broke elements of the story (all Twitter links).
Players Who Cleared Waivers
This is a running list of players who have cleared waivers, based on published reports. Once a player clears waivers, he can be traded to any team (barring a no-trade clause). This list can always be found in the sidebar under MLBTR Features.
Updated 8-31-10 at 3:50pm.
- Carlos Beltran, Mets – It's no surprise that Beltran cleared waivers given his massive salary and poor performance since returning from a knee operation. Beltran, who has a no-trade clause, earns $18.5MM this year and the same amount in 2011.
- Geoff Blum, Astros - The veteran infielder could appeal to teams looking for a utilityman. He has played every infield position in 2010.
- Dave Bush, Brewers – Bush could provide value as a starter or swingman on a team in need of some innings.
- Craig Counsell, Brewers – Like Blum, Counsell is versatile enough to play second, third or short.
- Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays – The third baseman has another year of arbitration left, makes a total of $4.75MM this season and has a .305 OBP.
- Brad Hawpe, Rockies – Hawpe has played a few games at first base this year and can also patrol right. His homer total is down, but he's still a decent hitter.
- Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks – Johnson is having a career year and makes just $2.35MM, but the D'Backs aren't anxious to move him.
- Adam LaRoche, Diamondbacks – LaRoche is hitting well this year and has a history of second-half success. The Red Sox, White Sox or Rays could have interest.
- Lyle Overbay, Blue Jays – Overbay hits free agency this winter, but doesn't project to be a ranked free agent, so if the Blue Jays want to obtain something for him, now is their chance. Overbay has a no-trade clause.
- George Sherrill, Dodgers – Sherrill makes $4.5MM this year and has a lofty ERA, so he cleared waivers, as expected.
- Brian Tallet, Blue Jays – The southpaw might not have been a big enough name to draw a waiver claim, but he should draw some trade interest. After all, left-handed hitters have just a .474 OPS against Tallet.