NL Central Moves
Next up let's take a look at the offseason moves made by NL Central clubs so far.
Cubs
- Acquired/Re-signed: John Grabow, Ryne White, Scott Maine, Jeff Gray, Matthew Spencer, Ronny Morla, Mike Parisi, Carlos Silva
- Lost: Rich Harden, Aaron Heilman, Aaron Miles, Jake Fox, Milton Bradley
Reds
- Acquired/Re-signed: Justin Lehr, Wilkin Castillo, Laynce Nix, Ramon Hernandez
- Lost: Danny Richar, Ramon Ramirez, Craig Tatum, Ben Jukich
Astros
- Acquired/Re-signed: Jason Bourgeois, Chris Shelton, Alex Romero, Drew Meyer, Oswaldo Navarro, Gary Majewski, Casey Daigle, Roy Corcoran, Matt Lindstrom, Pedro Feliz, Brandon Lyon, Jason Michaels, Gustavo Chacin, Edgar Ferreira, Geoff Blum
- Lost: Chris Coste, LaTroy Hawkins, Luis Bryan, Robert Bono, Jorge Jimenez, Geoff Geary
Brewers
- Acquired/Re-signed: Adam Stern, Carlos Gomez, Mark DiFelice, Craig Counsell, Trevor Hoffman, Claudio Vargas, George Kottaras, Chris Capuano, John Halama, Gregg Zaun, Trent Oeltjen, Luis Cruz, Chuck Lofgren, Randy Wolf, A.J. Murray, LaTroy Hawkins, Kameron Loe, Matt Treanor
- Lost: Jason Bourgeois, Corey Patterson, Mike Cameron, Jason Kendall, J.J. Hardy, Mike Rivera
Pirates
- Acquired/Re-signed: Justin Thomas, Akinori Iwamura, Chris Jakubauskas, Wilfredo Ledezma, Vinnie Chulk, Bobby Crosby, John Raynor, Javier Lopez
- Lost: Luis Cruz, Chris Bootcheck, Jesse Chavez, Eric Hacker, Robinzon Diaz, Phil Dumatrait, Matt Capps
Cardinals
- Acquired/Re-signed: Jason LaRue, Ruben Gotay, Brad Penny, Ben Jukich
- Lost: Jarrett Hoffpauir, Brad Thompson, Joe Thurston, Mark DeRosa, Troy Glaus, Mike Parisi, Brian Barden
iPhone Application – Help Wanted
We are looking to design an MLB Trade Rumors iPhone application. The main request for this app is that it uses push notifications to alert users of new posts involving specified teams and/or players.
If you or your company has experience in designing iPhone apps and you're interested in creating ours, please contact me at mlbtriphone@gmail.com. Experience creating sports-related apps is a plus.
Also, iPhone users – if you have other ideas for an MLBTR app beyond the push notifications, please let us know in the comments of this post.
Cardinals Eyeing Felipe Lopez
Mark DeRosa is off the board, and the Cardinals continue to await an answer from Matt Holliday. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sums up the Cards' other free agent targets in an article this morning.
Goold says the Cardinals are "known to have interest" in free agent infielder Felipe Lopez, who finished the '08 season with a bang in St. Louis. He was used in a super-utility role in his brief time there. Lopez had a fine 2009 (.310/.383/.427), but he's received little interest so far this winter. Last time around Lopez was scooped up by the D'Backs for $3.5MM on December 12th.
Goold also reminds us of two other free agent targets for the Cards: Xavier Nady and Jermaine Dye. It's unclear whether the Braves still have interest in Nady, while the Rangers are the team most often linked to Dye.
NL East Moves
Today let's take a look at moves made so far this offseason by NL East teams. Unsigned free agents are not yet considered losses for this post. Also, Rule 5 losses might end up returning.
Braves
- Acquired/Re-signed: Tim Hudson, Juan Abreu, Mitch Jones, Scott Proctor, Melky Cabrera, Arodys Vizcaino, Michael Dunn, Brent Clevlen, Joe Thurston, Jesse Chavez, Takashi Saito, Billy Wagner, Troy Glaus
- Lost: Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano, Boone Logan, Javier Vazquez, Buddy Carlyle, Edgar Osuna, Jorge Campillo
Marlins
- Acquired/Re-signed: Hunter Jones, Jose Alvarez, Luis Bryan, Robert Bono, Jorge Jimenez, Clay Hensley, Brian Barden, Donnie Murphy
- Lost: Alejandro de Aza, Scott Proctor, Ross Gload, Jeremy Hermida, Nick Johnson, Matt Lindstrom, John Raynor
Mets
- Acquired/Re-signed: Chris Carter, Alex Cora, Elmer Dessens, Chris Coste, Mike Hessman, Henry Blanco, Clint Everts, Ryota Igarashi, Kelvim Escobar
- Lost: Wilson Valdez, J.J. Putz, Lance Broadway, Brian Schneider
Phillies
- Acquired/Re-signed: Andy Tracy, DeWayne Wise, Wilson Valdez, Paul Hoover, Brian Schneider, Juan Castro, Placido Polanco, David Herndon, Cody Ransom, Chris Duffy, Ross Gload, J.C. Ramirez, Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, Roy Halladay
- Lost: Jack Taschner, Eric Bruntlett, Cliff Lee, Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, Travis d'Arnaud, Pedro Feliz, Rodrigo Lopez, Carlos Monasterios
Nationals
- Acquired/Re-signed: Jamie Burke, Doug Slaten, Scott Olsen, Brian Bruney, Jerry Owens, Ryan Speier, Ivan Rodriguez, Logan Kensing, Joel Peralta, Pete Orr, Jason Marquis, Eddie Guardado, Josh Whitesell, Eric Bruntlett, Matt Capps
- Lost: Josh Bard, Jamie Hoffmann, Zech Zinicola
Yankees Considering Affordable Left Fielders
After talking to a Yankees official, Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News hammers home some points reported yesterday in our Yankees Search For Left Fielder post.
We're not going to get crazy and underline it, but here's McCarron quoting the official:
"No chance on Matt Holliday, no chance on Jason Bay. Zero. None. Underline it."
Also, McCarron talked to two Yankees officials who say they have no interest in Jermaine Dye. Various reports had previously suggested otherwise.
The Yankees have a couple million to play with, though they could free up a few more million by trading Chad Gaudin and/or Sergio Mitre. McCarron's official named Reed Johnson and Jerry Hairston Jr. as considerations for the left field vacancy.
Odds & Ends: Zambrano, Cabrera, Molina
Links for Monday…
- Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs gave his thoughts on the Orioles' "enviable outfield logjam." In his Offseason Outlook for the club, Tim suggested that Luke Scott could make sense as a trade candidate.
- A week ago, we heard conflicting reports about whether or not the Yankees had talked to the Cubs about acquiring Carlos Zambrano. SI.com's Jon Heyman reports, via Twitter, that the Yankees "definitely" inquired, and speculates that Zambrano is "eminently available."
- In a piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, David O'Brien suggested in passing that the Braves could potentially use Melky Cabrera as a trade chip. Heyman tweets that the Cubs would be very interested, if the Braves were to make Cabrera available.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says Bengie Molina "might be willing to consider" a two-year deal. So far the Mets are at one year with an option.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik must retain at least one of Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez long-term.
- Derek Zumsteg of U.S.S. Mariner gives us a Milton Bradley chronology.
- CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban tweets that he's heard a whisper connecting the Giants to free agent reliever Kiko Calero.
- WEEI's Alex Speier examines the differences between the contracts of John Lackey and A.J. Burnett. In case you missed it, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe revealed on Wednesday that Lackey must play for the league minimum in 2015 "if an old elbow injury forced him to miss significant time with surgery any time during the deal."
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says statheads and scouts are mostly in agreement these days, and Moneyball would be a very different book if Michael Lewis wrote it today.
Mariners Sign Josh Bard, Chad Cordero
The Mariners signed catcher Josh Bard and reliever Chad Cordero to minor league deals, according to a team press release.
Bard, 32 in March, hit .230/.293/.361 in 301 plate appearances for the Nationals this year, catching 630.6 innings. He battled a groin strain at times. Bard has flashed the ability to draw a walk in years past. Since Kenji Johjima left for Japan, the Mariners have an opportunity for a veteran catcher. Bard had also drawn interest from the Rockies.
Cordero, 28 in March, is attempting to recover from July '08 labrum surgery. He tossed 14.3 innings in the minors for the Ms this year after signing in March.
Nationals Reach Agreements With Bruntlett, Whitesell
The Nationals agreed to terms on minor league deals with infielder Eric Bruntlett and first baseman Josh Whitesell, according to a team press release.
Bruntlett, 32 in March, was acquired by the Phillies in November of '07 along with Brad Lidge. Bruntlett hit .171/.224/.238 in 118 plate appearances this year while playing all around the diamond. The Phils released Bruntlett in November and replaced him with Juan Castro.
Whitesell, 28 in April, hit .194/.346/.287 in 133 plate appearances for the D'Backs this year as well as .293/.398/.471 at Triple A. He raked at Triple A in '08, and has at times shown an impressive ability to draw walks. Whitesell came up through the Expos organization, but was claimed off waivers by the D'Backs in March of '08. According to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, the D'Backs were unable to sell Whitesell's rights to a Japanese team and non-tendered him at the December 12th deadline.
Matt Holliday’s Best Offer
Based on published reports, let's try to determine the best offer Matt Holliday has received.
- Tracy Ringolsby, then of the Rocky Mountain News, reported that Holliday rejected a four-year, $82MM extension from the Rockies in the spring of 2008. Ringolsby's colleague Dave Krieger talked to Holliday about the offer, and learned that it did not include a no-trade clause. In another article, Ringolsby put the offer at four years and $72MM, and noted that Holliday would've been able to void the contract if dealt.
- Did the Rockies really top out at four years? Reader Dan B. passed along this video of 9NEWS' Susie Wargin interviewing Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd in November of '08. About 35 seconds into the video, O'Dowd said the Rockies offered Holliday $107.5MM over seven years during Spring Training of '08. That comes to a salary of $15.36MM, but it's the only $100MM+ offer Holliday received.
- ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Cardinals' offer to Holliday this winter guaranteed five years, while Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch put the salary at $15-16MM. If both reports are accurate, the Cardinals' best offer could not exceed five years and $80MM.
- It appears that in terms of total dollars, Holliday's pre-John Lackey offer from the Red Sox was the best. Boston's five-year offer was initially pegged at $82.5MM, while today John Tomase of the Boston Herald says it was $85MM.
- It seems that Holliday's best offer in terms of yearly salary was $20.5MM from the Rockies before the '08 season, but the lack of a no-trade clause devalued it. It appears that the Red Sox outdid the Cardinals by a million or two per year, but Boston's offer is no longer on the table. Perhaps Scott Boras is holding out for a sixth guaranteed year or $18MM per, but with no obvious competition there's no reason for the Cardinals to raise their offer. The Orioles' interest waned quickly and the Mets are currently focused on Jason Bay. In Boras' perfect world Bay would not sign with the Mets, and they'd tangle with the Cards for Holliday.
Best And Worst Signings So Far
Free agent deals this offseason have totaled about $400MM so far, according to ESPN's free agent tracker. The offseason is young – by our count, almost 200 notable free agents remain unsigned. Before the signings pick up again, let's discuss the best and worst so far.
Worst Signings
- Placido Polanco, Phillies – three years, $18MM. Where was the demand for a 34-year-old second baseman coming off a .727 OPS? What other club would've offered even one or two years at $5MM per?
- Brandon Lyon, Astros – three years, $15MM. Lyon's not a bad pitcher, but this commitment is excessive. He's not a high strikeout guy, and his '09 control was a career-worst.
- Fernando Rodney, Angels – two years, $11MM. What would Rodney have gotten without the 37 saves? I have a reliever, 33 in March, who posted a 4.40 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 4.9 BB/9. Can I find a one-year, $2MM offer?
- John Grabow, Cubs – two years, $7.5MM. The Cubs are tight on payroll, but were quick to commit an above-market contract to a lefty reliever with a 5.0 BB/9 in '09.
- Jason Kendall, Royals, Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals – two years, $6MM. Kendall is 35, Pudge is 38, and neither topped a .700 OPS in '09. Gregg Zaun had already signed a reasonable one-year, $2.15MM deal.
- Alex Cora, Mets – one year, $2MM. Why did his salary hold steady despite a lousy '09? This contract isn't a franchise-killer, but comparable players could've been had at less than a million bucks.
Best Signings
- Mike Cameron, Red Sox – two years, $15.5MM. Cameron is getting up there (37 in January), but he seems perenially undervalued as a solid defender with pop.
- Marco Scutaro, Red Sox – two years, $12.5MM. I saw Scutaro getting three years and $18MM, so this strikes me as a reasonable deal for the best available free agent shortstop.
- Nick Johnson, Yankees – one year, $5.75MM. Johnson's injury history is acknowledged by the one-year deal. The Yanks were able to add the best on-base threat on the free agent market for less than $6MM.
- Gregg Zaun, Brewers - one year, $2.15MM. Worse catchers received two years and $3MM salaries.
- Troy Glaus, Braves – one year, $2MM. I don't agree with trading Javier Vazquez to free up cash for Glaus and others, but in a vacuum I like the signing. The risk isn't much; maybe he can supply 25 homers and a solid OBP from first base.
- Matt Capps, Nationals – one year, $3.5MM, J.J. Putz, White Sox – one year, $3MM, Ryota Igarashi, Mets – two years, $3MM, Kelvim Escobar, Mets – one year, $1.125MM. These are the types of relief deals I respect – one-year commitments, or tiny salaries in Igarashi's case. Relievers are so volatile, any of these guys could easily outpitch Rodney, Grabow, and Lyon.