Heyman On Holliday, Giambi, Lackey
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Heyman says the Braves "may consider going after Matt Holliday." So maybe I shouldn't rule out Holliday and Jason Bay for the Braves' right-handed power bat options.
- Jason Giambi hopes to play another year as a DH. There will be fewer than 11 open DH spots this winter.
- John Lackey wants A.J. Burnett money ($82.5MM over five years) and the Angels aren't confident about re-signing him.
DeWayne Wise Declares Free Agency
Outfielder DeWayne Wise has declared free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple A, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin (via Twitter).
In addition to the catch that saved Mark Buehrle's perfect game, Wise hit .225/.262/.366 in 153 plate appearances for the White Sox this year. The 31-year-old played mostly center and right field. UZR/150 loved his defense in the limited 371-inning sample. Wise has about four years of service time, so a team signing him for 2010 could retain him in 2011 as an arbitration-eligible player.
Right-Handed Power Options For Atlanta
It's pretty well-established at this point: the Braves want to add a right-handed power bat at first base or an outfield corner. Let's look at some candidates (assuming Jason Bay and Matt Holliday are too pricey).
- Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks Nelson Cruz's name will come up at the Braves' organizational meetings. Cruz, 29, hit .260/.332/.524 with 33 home runs in 515 plate appearances this year. However, he is under team control through 2013 and the Rangers have given no indication he's available.
- Jonny Gomes slugged .541 this year; he'd fit the bill. He'll become a free agent if the Reds play it cheap and non-tender him.
- Josh Willingham slugged .496 for the Nationals this year. The Nats may consider him a big part of their lineup, but for the right young arm(s) they'd have to listen. He's under team control through 2011.
- Juan Uribe, a free agent, quietly slugged .495 for the Giants. Uribe might be a poor fit with Martin Prado at second base for Atlanta. Miguel Tejada also probably does not make sense positionally.
- Paul Konerko slugged .489 for the White Sox. But the Sox are not in a position to subtract a bat, and Konerko has full no-trade rights.
- Marlon Byrd, a free agent, slugged .479 for the Rangers. He can play any outfield position. Solid player, but Byrd is coming off a career year and the Braves might not prefer doubles power.
- Jake Fox will probably be available this winter. The 27-year-old slugged .468 in 241 plate appearances for the Cubs after a ridiculous .841 mark in Triple A. The Braves could look into other older minor leaguers with power such as Shelley Duncan, Mitch Jones, or Randy Ruiz. Probably wouldn't be a fan-pleaser.
- Free agent Vladimir Guerrero (.460 SLG) would have difficulty playing the outfield full-time.
- Marlins' second baseman Dan Uggla slugged .459 this year and .514 in '08. Uggla's teammate Jorge Cantu could also be available.
- The Tigers could non-tender Marcus Thames, who slugged .453 this year and .516 in '08.
- Free agents Jermaine Dye or Gary Sheffield could come back to Atlanta, if the Braves don't mind sacrificing on defense. Pat Burrell, a player of the same ilk, might be available in trade.
- Xavier Nady is another consideration; he slugged .510 in '08. Mark DeRosa, who the Braves non-tendered in December of 2004, also showed good power last year. Ditto on the '08 power of free agents Troy Glaus and Melvin Mora.
- Magglio Ordonez slugged .494 in '08 and finished strong this year. However he makes $18MM next year and his 2011 option still might vest. Speaking of large contracts, Vernon Wells slugged .496 in '08.
- Jorge Says No wonders if a Corey Hart–Kenshin Kawakami swap would be fair.
- Did we miss anyone? Which right-handed power bat would you like to see the Braves target?
Rays Unlikely To Acquire Closer
The Rays don't find adding a closer realistic this offseason, executive VP Andrew Friedman told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Friedman's said the Rays are more likely to add two or three late-inning relievers who can handle high-leverage situations. The plan is sure to please the stat-head crowd.
J.P. Howell saved 17 games in 25 opportunities for the Rays this year, but the majority of his blown saves occurred before the ninth inning. I'm not sure which free agent relievers the Rays will target this offseason, but Kiko Calero seems like their type. Between free agents and trade candidates, the market for closers is deep this winter, but the Rays are right not to pay a premium for the closer tag (they did so with Troy Percival back in December of '07).
Additionally, manager Joe Maddon and Friedman said they expected catcher Dioner Navarro and DH Pat Burrell to rebound in 2010. Navarro is on our list of non-tender candidates, so we'll see whether the Rays cut him loose in mid-December.
MLBTR Survey
I would appreciate it if you would take a brief four-question survey. Each question is Yes or No, so it'll take less than a minute. Thanks. Click here to take the survey.
Odds & Ends: Mets, Hardy, Hammel
Links for Wednesday…
- The Mets favor Matt Holliday over Jason Bay, according to SI's Jon Heyman.
- Adam Guttridge of The Hardball Times explains why J.J. Hardy is a prime buy-low opportunity.
- Tyler Hissey of Around the Majors notes that Jason Hammel has been a great pickup for the Rockies.
- Tommy Rancel of DRays Bay says the Rays should pursue free agent reliever Joaquin Benoit.
Mets, Red Sox Complete Billy Wagner Trade
The Mets and Red Sox completed the Billy Wagner trade today, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Hubbuch says the Mets acquired outfielder Chris Carter and first baseman Eddie Lora to finish the deal. The Red Sox had to wait until the offseason to send Carter to the Mets because of a waiver claim made by the Yankees in August.
Wagner pitched well in his time with Boston, posting a 1.72 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and 8 walks in 15.6 innings. He could also have an impact in the playoffs. The Red Sox agreed to decline Wagner's $8MM option for 2010, but the pitcher expects the team to offer arbitration. He told WEEI's Rob Bradford he'll probably turn it down, which would mean a new team will have to surrender a draft pick to sign him.
Brewers Hope To Add Two Starters
Brewers GM Doug Melvin spoke to reporters today, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has quotes. A few highlights:
- Melvin feels that re-signing closer Trevor Hoffman early will aid the Brewers in attracting free agent starting pitchers. Melvin hopes to add two starters.
- When asked about trading Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun, Melvin responded, "I don't see that happening." Might as well close the book on those rumors.
- The Brewers view Rickie Weeks as their starting second baseman, which implies they'll let free agent Felipe Lopez leave.
- Melvin told Haudricourt it would "be very difficult" for the Brewers to keep both J.J. Hardy and Alcides Escobar. Hardy could be a great pickup given the scarcity of shortstops. Also, Haudricourt thinks Mat Gamel could be available in trade.
Discussion: Takashi Saito
Let's talk about Red Sox reliever Takashi Saito, who is a sleeper closer candidate for 2010 after bouncing back well (2.43 ERA, 52 strikeouts, 25 walks in 55.6 innings) from an interesting elbow procedure. WEEI's Alex Speier has the details - the Red Sox have a $6MM option on Saito for 2010. If the option is declined as expected, Saito will be an unfettered free agent. Through an interpreter, Saito told Speier he'd like to return to the Red Sox. Speier speculates that the two sides could negotiate a new deal.
If Saito doesn't re-sign, which clubs might be interested? Last winter, the Cardinals and Twins were in on him before he signed with Boston. This year, if Saito wants to return to a closer role, the 39-year-old might find opportunities with the Orioles, Rays, Tigers, Braves, Marlins, and Astros.
Projected Type B Free Agents
All the data is in for Eddie Bajek's Elias Ranking projections. There may be a few errors to clean up but we'll take a look at the tentative rankings anyway. The projected Type B free agents (asterisk denotes an option):
Garret Anderson
Rod Barajas
Erik Bedard
Joe Beimel
Ron Belliard
Adrian Beltre
Doug Brocail*
Marlon Byrd
Kiko Calero
Mike Cameron
Carl Crawford*
Doug Davis
Carlos Delgado
Justin Duchscherer
Scott Eyre
Pedro Feliz*
Chone Figgins
Jon Garland*
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Rich Harden
Ramon Hernandez*
Bob Howry
Aubrey Huff
Nick Johnson
Randy Johnson
Reed Johnson
Jason Kendall
Adam LaRoche
Braden Looper*
Brandon Lyon
Jason Marquis
Hideki Matsui
Melvin Mora*
Guillermo Mota
Xavier Nady
Will Ohman*
Miguel Olivo*
Vicente Padilla*
Chan Ho Park
Carl Pavano
Andy Pettitte
Joel Pineiro
Fernando Rodney
Ivan Rodriguez
Brian Schneider
Gary Sheffield
Brian Shouse*
Russ Springer
Jason Varitek*
Tim Wakefield*
Dave Weathers*
Brandon Webb*
Randy Winn
Gregg Zaun*
The biggest beneficiary of Type B status is Figgins, who was due an arbitration offer from the Angels whether he's A or B. If his B ranking holds up, he'll be more attractive to other teams since he won't cost a draft pick. Byrd, Nick Johnson, Marquis, Pavano, Pineiro, and Rodney seem like strong candidates to be offered arbitration.
When a Type B free agent is offered arbitration, turns it down, and signs elsewhere, the losing team does get one draft pick. The pick does not come from the signing team; it is instead inserted into a supplemental round. The Reds (Jeremy Affeldt), Rangers (Milton Bradley), Diamondbacks (Brandon Lyon), Twins (Dennys Reyes), Brewers (Brian Shouse), and Angels (Jon Garland) were compensated with draft picks for Type B losses last year.