Nationals Rumors: Young, Swisher
Chico Harlan of the Washington Post has a few notes on the Nationals.
- The Nationals and Rangers have had basic discussions about Michael Young, but Harlan says the Nationals will not be players for him.
- So far the Nationals haven’t offered enough for Nick Swisher, but at the least he provides leverage to use on the team’s free agent targets.
- Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson remain of interest. Harlan considers recent stories about their high prices to be posturing by the Nationals.
Braves Sign Omar Infante To Extension
According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves signed Omar Infante to a two-year deal with a club option. Troy Renck says the deal is worth $4.325MM. The club 2011 club option is for $2.5MM with a $250K buyout. The deal buys out one free agent year with an option on a second.
Infante, 27, hit .293/.338/.416 in 348 plate appearances in ’08 while playing second base, shortstop, third base, left field, and center field. The Braves acquired Infante and Will Ohman a year ago from the Cubs for Jose Ascanio.
Rays Sign Gabe Kapler
According to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times, the Rays signed outfielder Gabe Kapler to a one-year, $1MM deal. An hour earlier, Tommy Rancel of DRays Bay wrote that the two sides could be close to a deal.
Hard not to like the signing. Kapler, 33, hit .301/.340/.498 while playing all three outfield positions in his comeback season (he spent ’07 managing in the minors). ESPN’s Keith Law suggested Kapler showed enough to merit an everyday job in center field.
Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice Elected To HOF
This year’s Hall of Fame inductees: Rickey Henderson (94.8%) and Jim Rice (76.4%). Andre Dawson (67.0%) and Bert Blyleven fell short (62.7%). Tim Raines received only 22.6% while Mark McGwire was at 21.9%. Jesse Orosco got a vote; Jay Bell and Mo Vaughn got multiple votes.
Indians Avoid Arb With Kelly Shoppach
According to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince, the Indians avoided arbitration with catcher Kelly Shoppach, signing him to a one-year deal. The AP says it’s worth $1.95MM. Shoppach is under team control through 2011.
Odds and Ends: Andruw, Manny, Hudson
Links for Monday…
- David Chase lists the signs a pitcher may be primed for a breakout.
- The Dodgers considered trying to void Andruw Jones‘ contract, but waived possible action as part of their new agreement.
- Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng on the Manny Ramirez talks.
- Michael Silverman explains why the Red Sox are not inclined to deal with Scott Boras.
- Dave Sheinin talked to one exec who predicted a one-year deal for Orlando Hudson.
- The Tigers signed Taiwanese lefty Fu-Te Ni.
- The alleged Japanese interest in Eric Hinske may have come from the SoftBank Hawks, in November.
- Pitcher win (and dollar) values are now up at FanGraphs. Cliff Lee was worth $20.2MM in 2008.
Wren Considering Trade For Pitcher
Braves GM Frank Wren was on 790 The Zone yesterday. Wren explained that the Braves have other options besides Derek Lowe, and had several things in play prior to John Smoltz leaving:
There’s other guys out there that we like. I have trade proposals on my desk as we speak that would bring another pitcher to us. There’s other things we can do…The trade proposal that I have on my desk – that was put in place six weeks ago.
So far this winter the Braves added two starters: Javier Vazquez and Kenshin Kawakami (pending a physical).
Other notes: Wren wouldn’t comment on Andruw Jones, and doesn’t see the Braves acquiring Manny Ramirez or Jake Peavy.
Red Sox To Talk Bay Extension Before Season
According to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox plan to discuss a contract extension with outfielder Jason Bay before the season begins but after the remaining big-name free agent outfielders sign. The depressed free agent market could lead to a reasonably-priced extension for Bay, if he’s willing. Bay signed a four-year deal in ’05 to cover his arbitration years.
Bay’s agent may advise his client to test the 2009-10 free agent market; he’d be among the best available hitters.
Evaluating Michael Young Suitors
Michael Young‘s trade request is the hot topic this morning. Young, 32, is owed $62MM over the next five seasons and controls his fate with his full no-trade clause. He’s submitted a (small) list of teams to which he’d accept a trade to Rangers GM Jon Daniels, and we don’t know who’s on it. Ken Rosenthal says the Rangers want a young third baseman in any deal. Young is willing to consider playing second base if he’s dealt.
Before we take a look at various possibilities, we have to establish that Young is overpaid at a $12.4MM average salary over the next five seasons. FanGraphs suggests he was worth that amount only once, in 2006 (the dollar value of a win will increase, but Young will decline). Even if we’re being generous it’s hard to value Young at more than $10MM a year over the next five. On to possible suitors, starting with those who have been rumored:
- Twins: Jon Heyman wrote about a month ago that they inquired, but wondered if Young would waive his no-trade clause to go there. The Twins re-signed Nick Punto to play shortstop, but could find a place for Young. Third base is probably considered a bigger need. Surely the Rangers would love to pry one of their young starters loose though.
- Mets: Luis Castillo‘s contract is an impediment for the Mets, who are focused on their rotation currently.
- Angels: Brandon Wood or Chone Figgins might fit from the Rangers’ point of view, but Rosenthal says the increased price for a division rival makes a deal unlikely. Plus, the Angels are set with Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar.
- Dodgers: The Dodgers were said to be interested before they re-signed Rafael Furcal. Adding Young as a second baseman would put Blake DeWitt out of a job for no reason, and the Dodgers have pitching to acquire.
- Royals: The Royals have Mike Aviles at shortstop with Alberto Callaspo and Willie Bloomquist battling at second. And Young’s contract would figure to be a problem.
- White Sox: Josh Fields could fit for the Rangers, though GM Ken Williams seemed to indicate a recent Jermaine Dye-Young rumor was baseless.
- Red Sox: Nick Cafardo wrote earlier this month that they do not have interest in Young.
Which young third basemen might be available? The Reds have Edwin Encarnacion, a third baseman in name only. The Rockies have Garrett Atkins, but probably lack the payroll room. The Rays have Willy Aybar, but not the need or payroll room for Young. Can anyone think of a reasonable match for Young? Commenters below are suggesting the Cardinals.
Ken Rosenthal Interview
FOX Sports baseball guru Ken Rosenthal answered questions for MLBTR on Saturday…
MLBTR: I don’t have an official count, but I believe you’ve broken more MLB signings and trades than any other reporter over the past several years. Is it still a thrill for you to break news?
Rosenthal: Oh, of course. It also hurts to lose. So, you’re motivated both ways. I don’t have much of a temper – at least I don’t think I do – but I will occasionally let loose after getting beat. My wife and kids look at me look I’m nuts. And it’s sort of difficult for me to argue the point!
MLBTR: Hundreds of baseball writers are trying to break news, including perhaps your stiffest competition in SI.com’s Jon Heyman and the ESPN crew. Do you share information with other writers? Or is it more of a "every man for himself" situation?
Rosenthal: Everyone for themselves, now more than ever. I don’t share with anyone, and I don’t believe anyone else does, either. Every web site and every newspaper is in competition. And there are so many hard-working baseball reporters, you never know who might come up with something next.
MLBTR: Say you snag a scoop on a signing. What has to happen before that story hits the FOX website? What is a typical amount of time between you confirming the info and it hitting the website?
Rosenthal: The turnaround is incredibly quick, especially if I’m able to give our editors a heads-up that something is coming (which isn’t always the case). I’ve never actually timed it, but I would guess that it takes no more than 1-2 minutes for us to post a story. I would imagine this is true for the other web sites and many of the newspapers as well.
MLBTR: If a team source or an agent gives you information that feels like propaganda to you, do you still run with it?
Rosenthal: My job is to inform my readers, not serve the interest of others. I am no one’s stooge, and my sources know it.
MLBTR: A scoop on a signing or trade – do you have to confirm that with multiple sources? Or is one rock-solid source sufficient?
Rosenthal: Depends. All of us were taught to use multiple sources. However, the business has changed. There are times I will go with a story even if I have only one source. Too often, if you wait for multiple confirmations, you get beat. I do think, however, it is important to be accurate, more important than it is to be first.
MLBTR: These days it seems like every beat writer and national guy has a blog and can publish news instantly. Does that make your job more difficult? Have you considered starting up a blog similar to Jon Heyman’s, where you could drop in a few quick paragraphs on a topic?
Rosenthal: Absoutely, the job gets more difficult by the day, with so many writers in competition. I do live updates like Jon’s during the winter meetings, but if I have a news item in other periods, I just turn it into a story. Not much of a difference, really, in my mind.
MLBTR: You have a fairly unique and very interesting job, at least to the average hot stove junkie. I’ve read that you have three kids – what do they think of their dad’s line of work? Do they share the same passion for the inside side of the game?
Rosenthal: My wife and children do not follow baseball. They are not at all caught up in what I do. Which, for me, is fantastic. They keep me very grounded. My kids are 17, 16 and 13. They’re all busy with their own lives, and my wife is busy keeping them going. C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Scott Boras – not on their radar.
MLBTR: Did you enjoy the Winter Meetings this year? Do you have any suggestions on how MLB could improve this event?
Rosenthal: I don’t know that any reporter "enjoys" the winter meetings; they’re pretty intense! As for improving ’em, I don’t know. Some believe they’re obsolete. Most people in baseball communicate by phone, e-mail or text message. Still, having everyone in one place creates a certain deal-making dynamic, in some cases. The attention is good for the game.