Bailey, Coghlan Win Rookie Of The Year Awards
The Rookie of the Year awards are in; it's A's reliever Andrew Bailey in the American League and Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan in the National League. Your thoughts? Who was robbed?
Bailey, 25, posted a 1.84 ERA, 9.8 K/9, and 2.6 BB/9 in 83.3 innings. He took over the closer job and saved 26 games. Coghlan, 24, hit .321/.390/.460 in 565 plate appearances, playing mostly left field. He'd played second and third base in the minors.
Vernon Wells Extension Reactions
On December 15th, 2006, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi signed center fielder Vernon Wells to a seven-year, $126MM extension. The heavily-backloaded contract included a full no-trade clause and an opt-out clause after the 2011 season. At the time of the signing, Wells was a year away from free agency.
With five years and $105MM remaining, the Wells extension is now widely regarded as the worst contract in baseball. I thought it'd be interesting to see what sportswriters were saying at the time of the signing.
Jerry Crasnick, ESPN: "Depending on your viewpoint, Wells' new deal with Toronto is either a heartwarming tale of loyalty or yet another sign that major league baseball owners never learn."
Keith Law, ESPN: "By deferring most of the payments due, Ricciardi keeps more payroll in the 2007-10 years available to pay other players, even if it means killing the team's financial flexibility in 2011 and beyond."
Peter Gammons, ESPN: "If you're going to give $18 million to somebody, you want them to be as diligent and as reliable as Vernon. If he went out in the market next year, with Andruw Jones, and Ichiro, and Torii Hunter, I really believe that at his age he might be #1."
Jeff Blair, Globe and Mail: "The dollars involved in Wells's extension are an accurate reading of a system flush with cash because of new media riches, labour peace and solid attendance in big markets. Wells would have received $20-million a year as a free agent next year without breaking a sweat. His on-field production – a Gold Glove, .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in – would not be replaced in time to compete this year in the hypercompetitive American League East."
Nate Silver, Baseball Prospectus: "Toronto did a good job of assessing Wells's value in the short term. As for the risks associated with a contract that stretches past the player's 35th birthday? Consider it a necessary evil for securing a premium player who likely would've fetched at least $150 million in next year's market."
J.C. Bradbury, Sabernomics: "Wells needs to hurry up and sign the Blue Jays contract offer of $126 million over seven years. My most optimistic projection (assuming no decline in play from 2006) has him at $107 over seven years."
I didn't offer much opinion on the extension, but I did note that it was crazy that the $18MM salary was seen as a loyalty discount. Click here to read the opinions of MLBTR commenters.
Reds Re-Sign Ramon Hernandez
12:06pm: MLB.com's Mark Sheldon tweets the contract details: $3MM in 2010, with the vesting option worth $3.25MM.
9:59am: The Reds re-signed catcher Ramon Hernandez to a one-year deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal says the deal includes a 2011 option that vests with 120 games played in '10. The dollars are not yet known, but the Reds had declined Hernandez's $8.5MM option for next year.
Hernandez, 33, hit .258/.336/.362 in 331 plate appearances this year for Cincinnati after coming over in a December trade from the Orioles. He missed time with arthroscopic knee surgery. Hernandez was out-hit by his backup Ryan Hanigan, and I was surprised to see the Reds' eagerness to re-sign the veteran given their tight payroll.
Eric Bruntlett, Tyler Walker Become Free Agents
Four Phillies – Eric Bruntlett, Tyler Walker, Andy Tracy, and Paul Hoover - were removed from the 40-man roster and became free agents today, according to Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Bruntlett, 32 in March, hit .171/.224/.238 in 118 plate appearances, spending time all around the diamond. He came over in the November '07 Brad Lidge trade with the Astros.
Walker, 34 in May, tossed 35.3 innings of 3.06 ball in the Majors as well as 19.3 fine innings in Triple A. He was used in low-leverage situations this year with the Phils.
Tracy and Hoover spent most of the year at Triple A.
Lyon Aiming For Multiyear Deal
ESPN's Buster Olney spoke with Brandon Lyon's agent Barry Meister, who believes his client can land a multiyear deal this winter. Lyon is flexible with his role, whether it be closer, set-up man, or something in-between. Olney believes the Phillies, Angels, Yankees, and Mets make sense. Will the Tigers feel safe offering Lyon arbitration? They could gain a draft pick from the Type B free agent, as it doesn't sound like he'd accept an offer.
Lyon, 30, posted a 2.86 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 3.5 BB/9 in 78.6 innings this for the Tigers, earning $4.25MM. He posted his best groundball rate in years – 47.2% – which helps soften the blow of his career-worst walk rate.
Mariners Sign Jack Wilson
4:04pm: Kovacevic confirmed it, the deal is worth $10MM.
3:58pm: Kovacevic says the deal is believed to be worth a total of $10MM.
3:33pm: The Mariners signed shortstop Jack Wilson to a two-year deal, according to a team press release. Terms were not disclosed, but the sides were said by Dejan Kovacevic to be discussing a deal worth more than $8MM. Wilson's new deal overwrites an $8.4MM club option for 2010.
Wilson, 32 in December, is renowned for his defensive ability. In Wilson and Franklin Gutierrez, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has acquired two of the game's best defenders at their respective positions in his year with the club. The Mariners' left-side infield could be a wall if Zduriencik re-signs Adrian Beltre or inks Joe Crede.
Curtis Granderson Rumors: Friday
3:55pm: The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers tweets that the Cubs are not yet involved in trade talks for Granderson, "but will become aggressive when the Tigers are ready for offers."
9:38am: The Angels and Tigers have discussed a trade for center fielder Curtis Granderson, according to Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Davidoff says the Halos would use Granderson in left field and either shift Juan Rivera to DH or trade him. In my opinion, the Angels could fill several needs cheaply for the Tigers with players such as Mike Napoli and Brandon Wood. Davidoff adds that the Yankees "think very highly" of Granderson and the Cubs are "expected to inquire." Talking to the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers, Baseball America's Jim Callis suggested the Cubs are in the best position of these three suitors to acquire Granderson.
Granderson, 29 in March, hit .249/.327/.453 in 710 plate appearances this year. His defense is at least respectable. His contract is reasonable - $25.75MM guaranteed over the next three years. ESPN's Keith Law, however, considers Granderson a platoon player given his inability to hit lefties.
Odds & Ends: Bonds, Bay, Astros, Mulder
Another stash of links for the afternoon…
- FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal says Red Sox GM Theo Epstein will have to be creative to keep the team competitive in both the short and long-term.
- Contrary to a report last month, Yahoo's Tim Brown says former Mets executive Tony Bernazard is not working for Scott Boras.
- Brown talked to Barry Bonds' agent Jeff Borris, who said he has not filed retirement papers because Bonds is "not retired – he was run out of the game."
- WEEI's Alex Speier talked to Jason Bay's agent Joe Urbon, who said "interest has been well distributed between the two leagues."
- Astros GM Ed Wade spoke to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart about his unsettled bullpen situation.
- Dialogue has continued between the Brewers and Mark Mulder's agent Gregg Clifton, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman passes along a report indicating the Braves are interested in 36 year-old Japanese righty Hidetaka Kawagoe.
Mets Rumors: Delgado, Francoeur, Non-Tenders
The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch has some good Mets info this afternoon, though it is unfortunately broken up into three tweets.
- Hubbuch learned that Mets GM Omar Minaya intends to watch Carlos Delgado in winter ball next month. Delgado could probably be re-signed cheaply after hip surgery limited the 37-year-old to 112 plate appearances this year.
- Cross Jeff Francoeur off the list of non-tender candidates – Minaya said Francoeur will be back and also mentioned that an extension is a possibility. Mets fans – do you believe Francoeur's 308 plate appearances with the club represent a reformed hitter?
- Hubbuch says Mets officials "plan to look hard" at the group of non-tendered players. Those additional free agents will be known on December 12th. Here are our candidates.
Ben Sheets Plans To Be Ready For Spring Training
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick spoke to Ben Sheets' agent Casey Close, who said his client is doing well rehabbing his February flexor tendon surgery and plans to be ready for Spring Training.
Close will apparently use Andy Pettitte as a positive comparable for the surgery. Pettitte had the surgery in August of 2004 and was ready for the start of the 2005 season eight months later. If we take Pettitte at his word, he used HGH to recover from a 2002 elbow injury but never again.
Several teams have already inquired about Sheets, according to Close. Three front office officials Crasnick spoke to expect Sheets will have to audition for teams, maybe in January or February. If he looks good, I imagine a dozen teams will be interested.