Red Sox To Tender Contract To Andrew Bailey
The Red Sox will tender a contract to Andrew Bailey, a source tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). Sherman surmises the reliever can serve as insurance for the incumbent closer Koji Uehara and/or become a valuable trade chip this summer. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects that Bailey will earn $4.3MM through arbitraton, after earning $4.1MM during an injury-plagued 2013.
Bailey underwent shoulder surgery in July and is expected to miss the first half of the 2014 season making him a non-tender candidate. Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports Bailey has made twice-weekly trips to Boston since the end of the season to work with Red Sox physicians and trainers and will begin his throwing program in January. The 29-year-old, however, refused to put a timetable on his rehab.
"I don't want to say I'm ahead of schedule, but things are going really well," Bailey told MacPherson.
Bailey saved eight games and pitched to a 3.77 ERA, 12.2 K/9, and 3.8 BB/9 in 28 2/3 innings (30 innings) before landing on the disabled list. Since being acquired by Boston two years ago, Bailey has struggled with thumb and shoulder injuries limiting his production to 14 saves in 49 appearances covering 44 innings. In his previous three seasons with Oakland, Bailey was the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star with 75 saves in 157 appearances (174 innings).
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Arroyo, Mariners, Twins, Stubbs
Several teams have now called on free agent pitcher Bronson Arroyo, but none of them have made an offer yet, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Mets may or may not have plans to meet with the veteran, depending on who you ask. The Giants could be interested as well, even after re-signing Ryan Vogelsong to a one-year deal. Here's more from around baseball..
- The Mariners are hesitant to deal their young arms and they prefer to upgrade their offense with free agent bats, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Despite agreements with Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco, the Twins could still add one more veteran to their rotation, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Prospects Alex Meyer and Trevor May are still in the minors and Minnesota is looking to keep up with the arms of the Royals and Tigers (link).
- The Indians' outfield has gotten a little more crowded, but the club is still expected to tender a contract to Drew Stubbs, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Orioles
John Tomase of the Boston Herald looks at the Red Sox’s top three needs this winter. Aside from finding a replacement for Jacoby Ellsbury and a solution to their catching vacancy, the Red Sox need to make sure they have protection for David Ortiz in the lineup. If Mike Napoli returns, he could easily fill the No. 4 or No. 5 hole. If not, it’s possible that Xander Bogaerts could be the man to take over. More from the AL East..
- With catcher Jose Molina all but officially announced as re-signed and the bullpen reconstruction expected to be ongoing into January, the Rays presumably will turn their attention to first base, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Topkin notes that all of the Rays’ potential trade targets are still out there, including Ike Davis of the Mets and Texas’ Mitch Moreland.
- The Red Sox and the Cardinals are staying flexible this offseason, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The Cards probably won’t re-sign Carlos Beltran while Boston seems likely to lose at least three of Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia this winter. As CEO Larry Lucchino put it, it’s all about not falling “in love” with your veterans.
- Relief pitcher Oh Seung-hwan of the KBO Samsung Lions decided to move to Japan’s Hanshin Tigers on a record-breaking contract, his agency told The Korea Herald. Seung-hwan, who boasts a 94-96 MPH fastball, had drawn interest from the Yankees.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com looks at the candidates to back up Matt Wieters in the wake of the Orioles‘ acquisition of Johnny Monell.
Cafardo On Samardzija, Price, Kemp, Pierzynski
The Red Sox won a World Series last year thanks to their daring offseason gameplan. Will they break away from those habits going forward? “So far, I don’t think it’s been all that different,” Lucchino told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “We still value the draft picks enormously and our behavior has shown that we still prefer shorter- to longer-term contracts and a presumption against really long-term contracts. A lot of things we did last year proved to be successful at least in the short term, and I think we’ll behave accordingly going forward.” Here's more from today's column..
- Trade talks for Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija have been going on and he could be on the move, but the Cubs’ preference would be to re-sign Samardzija and lock him in beyond 2015 and build their future around him, according to a major league source. The Cubs will continue to work on both fronts until an extension is reached or an extension proves to be improbable.
- The Rays, unsurprisingly, have gotten a number of inquiries on David Price. However, none of them have been strong enough to make Tampa Bay give serious consideration to parting with him.
- Moving Matt Kemp would require the Dodgers to eat some of the $128MM he's owed over the next six years. If L.A. knocks that down to $80-90MM, the market is expected to open up.
- The notion that A.J. Pierzynski is bad for a team is way off-base, according to one longtime teammate who said, “He may rub people the wrong way on other teams, but if he’s your teammate, he’s great. He’s tough, loyal, can call a game, and he can hit. I wish we had him back.”
- Daniel Bard's control issues have followed him into winter ball. The Cubs are expected to keep working with Bard, however, as they can give him a longer leash than the Red Sox did.
- Most teams, including the Brewers, want Corey Hart on a one-year deal. However, because there are a number of teams in on him, he might get two.
Dodgers Avoid Arbitration With Elbert, Butera
4:50pm: Butera's deal includes $100K in attainable performance bonuses, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Likewise, Elbert can earn up to $100k in incentive pay, Heyman further tweets.
4:01pm: The Dodgers' deals with Elbert, Butera, and Mike Baxter are all non-guaranteed, Hernandez tweets.
3:49pm: The Dodgers have avoided arbitration with Scott Elbert and Drew Butera, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Elbert gets a one-year, $575K deal while Butera will earn $700K (link).
Our own Matt Swartz projected that Elbert would earn $600K through arbitration while Butera would get $700K. Elbert, 28, underwent Tommy John surgery in June and was considered a non-tender candidate, but it would appear that the Dodgers are confident that he will bounce back strong in 2014. The lefty reliever posted a 2.20 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 2012.
Butera, 30, saw just six big league games in total last season for the Twins and Dodgers. The catcher came to Los Angeles in a July 31st deal for a player to be named later. In 43 Triple-A games last year, Butera hit just .187/.228 /.281.
The Dodgers have now avoided arbitration with three of their players today after signing Elbert, Butera, and Mike Baxter earlier today. There are four remaining arbitration eligible Dodgers – Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, A.J. Ellis, and Ronald Belisario.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Marlins, Pirates, D’Backs
On this date in 1976, the Yankees signed free agent Reggie Jackson to a five-year, $3.5MM contract. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Marlin Maniac sat down with Miami radio play-by-play man Glenn Geffner.
- Rumbunter spoke with Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.
- Inside The Zona wonders if the D’Backs and Royals are potential trade partners.
- Reviewing The Brew looks at Yovani Gallardo‘s struggles in 2013.
- Rays Colored Glasses wonders if soccer’s loan system could work in baseball.
- Blue Jays Plus says the rumored payroll cuts in Toronto are nonsense.
- Baseball Hot Corner has five reasons why the Blue Jays need to sign Robinson Cano.
- MLB Reports breaks down the Peter Bourjos for David Freese deal.
- Outside Pitch MLB checked with MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch to talk Yankees.
- Conor Glassey wondered what MLB would look like if it were split up regionally.
- Breaking Blue ranks this year’s free agent pitchers by their own ERA estimator.
- Talkin Sox With Dan says that Jarrod Saltalamacchia is the best fit for Boston.
- Yanks Beat Blog sings the praises of Brian McCann.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Dodgers, Mike Baxter Avoid Arbitration
2:45pm: Baxter settled with the Dodgers for $700K in 2014, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
1:50pm: The Dodgers have avoided arbitration with outfielder Mike Baxter, according to his representatives at the Beverly Hills Sports Council (via Twitter). Terms of the one-year deal are not known for Baxter, who was projected to earn $500K by MLBTR's Matt Swartz.
Baxter, 29 in December, was arbitration eligible for the first time this winter as a Super Two. The Dodgers claimed the outfielder off waivers from the Mets in October, hoping that he could regain his form from 2012 where he slashed .263/.365/.413 with three homers in 211 plate appearances. In 74 games for the Mets in 2013, Baxter hit just .189/.303/.250.
Royals, GM Dayton Moore Agree To Two-Year Extension
The Royals announced that General Manager Dayton Moore has agreed to a two-year extension that runs through the 2016 season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“When Dayton’s contract was extended during the 2009 season, I felt that this franchise had begun to turn the corner and that we were pointed in the proper direction,” said Dan Glass, Royals’ team President. “It’s been a challenging process, but we are now seeing tangible evidence that the process is working, thanks to the tireless efforts of Dayton and his Baseball Operations staff. Dayton is not only an outstanding baseball man, but he’s very much a part of our family and one of the top individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”
Under the guidance of Moore, who became the Royals’ GM in June 2006, the Royals have focused on building from within, with 21 members of the current 40-man roster home grown. The club's 86-76 record was the Royals' best mark since 1989. Since taking over KC, the Royals have had a total record of 552-685 and have yet to make the playoffs or place higher than third in the AL Central. The Royals haven't found their way to the postseason since 1985 when they topped the Cardinals in seven games to win the World Series.
Marlins Have Discussed Mark Ellis
The Marlins are looking to fill voids at second base, third base, and catcher this offseason and it appears that GM Dan Jennings has a level of flexibility that predecessor Larry Beinfest did not, writes Peter Gammons of Gammons Daily. For their second base opening, Miami has discussed Mark Ellis, who would also provide the club with some needed veteran leadership.
The 36-year-old had his $5.75MM club option declined by the Dodgers after they finalized their deal with Cuban second baseman Alexander Guerrero. Ellis batted .270/.323/.351 with six homers and four steals in 126 games (480 plate appearances) for the Dodgers and, as usual, he was a standout defender at second base. Ellis posted marks of +7.6 in UZR/150 and +12 in The Fielding Bible's Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) metric. The Tigers also have Ellis on their radar.
The Marlins have also approached the Red Sox about 22-year-old third baseman Garin Cecchini, even though he would appear to be similar to Colin Moran, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft. Cecchini spent time in Advanced-A and Double-A in 2013, hitting a combined .322/.443/.471 with seven homers. Baseball America ranked Cecchini as the seventh-best prospect in the Red Sox's system heading into the 2013 season. One executive covering the Arizona Fall League told Gammons that the youngster “has sneaky power that will play in the big leagues and will keep increasing in pro ball.”
AL East Notes: Orioles, Johnson, Price, Cano
Last week, the Yankees pounced on top available free agent catcher Brian McCann, inking him to a five-year, $85MM deal. The Bombers were connected to other backstops along the way, including Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Carlos Ruiz, but they reportedly only had passing interest in them as backup plans. Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger heard that the Yanks didn't make serious overtures to Ruiz and had slightly more substantive talks with Salty. Here's more out of the AL East..
- The Orioles are said to be willing to listen on offers for closer Jim Johnson and Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com ran down the possible alternatives if he's dealt. The hard-throwing Tommy Hunter is the most likely in-house candidate to take over, but closing would be new territory for him. Darren O'Day would be a consideration, but the O's value him in a set-up role.
- Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com looks at Rays pitcher David Price as a trade candidate for the Rangers. Durrett argues that it would be worthwhile to give up promising young second baseman Jurickson Profar to land a pitcher of Price's caliber.
- The Mariners could be the wild card club to pull Robinson Cano away from the Yankees, but George A. King III of the New York Post wonders if the second baseman would go all the way to Seattle to play for a losing ballclub.