Jhonny Peralta Wants To Stay With Tigers
It has been a trying year for Jhonny Peralta as he missed 50 games due to his PED suspension before the club's playoff run, which ended at the hands of the Red Sox last night. Peralta now faces an uncertain future as he is eligible for free agency, but the veteran says that he wants to stay with the Tigers, writes John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
The Tigers have their shortstop position spoken for with Jose Iglesias, but Peralta might be willing to continue at his new left field position to facilitate a new deal with Detroit.
"There's a chance for sure, yeah, because I like the organization here," Peralta said when asked about the possibility. "Do I want to be here? Yeah, I want to be here."
It's unclear how much interest there will be on the other side of the table. The Tigers could turn to Nick Castellanos or Andy Dirks to man the position and might not want to spend the money to bring Peralta back. Peralta, an SFX client, hit .303/.358/.457 in 448 plate appearances in 2013.
Managerial/Coaching Notes: Cubs, Backman, Leyland
Tony La Russa is available, but Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears that the Cubs haven't reached out to the former Cardinals skipper. Meanwhile, La Russa is telling his friends that he'd be more intereted in a front office role if he were to jump back in. Here's the latest managerial and coaching news from around baseball..
- Rays bench coach Dave Martinez says that his interview with the Cubs for their vacant managerial position went "really well," writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. In addition to the standard topics, Martinez said they talked about lineup construction and game preparation and watched some in-game video sequences to go over what moves he would make. The Cubs have also interviewed Padres bench coach Rick Renteria, former Indians and Nats manager Manny Acta, and former D-backs manager A.J. Hinch.
- Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo is also in the mix for the Cubs' gig, but he says that he's not thinking about it at this time, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. At the same time, he was open about his desire to manage a big league team and spoke fondly of Theo Epstein.
- Wally Backman is expected to return as the Mets' Triple-A manager next season, a team insider told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets have not been asked by any other club for permission to speak with Backman about a managerial opening.
- When asked about whether Jim Leyland will return in 2014, GM Dave Dombrowski said that now is "not the time," tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
Cafardo On Tigers, Sandoval, La Russa, Blue Jays
After the Tigers were knocked out of the playoffs, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at some of the club's flaws. He starts at the top of the lineup, where Austin Jackson's .337 on-base percentage and eight stolen bases were not good enough of a contrast to the slow, power-hitting lineup that produced the best offense in baseball. Possible solutions this winter include Scott Boras clients Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury. “That’s the one team we haven’t heard Ellsbury’s name mentioned with,” said one American League GM. “We’ve heard a lot about the Mets, Mariners, Rangers, but the Tigers make perfect sense. They are a big-market team with big resources. There’s a relationship with Scott and Mr. Ilitch. They’ve done business before and there’s no reason they can’t do business again.” Here's more from today's column..
- The Giants would probably listen to anyone who had interest in Pablo Sandoval, but his weight will be an issue for clubs. However, his conditioning might not totally dissuade teams given the lack of third base options available.
- Tony La Russa is out there, but according to a Cubs source there’s been no contact with him. For his part, La Russa has told friends he’d rather be considered for a front office job than manage again.
- Two people in baseball operations with the Blue Jays indicated to Cafardo that they need two quality starting pitchers to go with Brandon Morrow, Mark Buehrle, and R.A. Dickey. They could take care of one of those spots by extending a qualifying offer to Josh Johnson.
- It doesn't appear that Justin Morneau will return to the Pirates but the Orioles could make a play for him this winter as they go for another bat. If Carlos Beltran is too pricey, Morneau could be an alternative even though the O's may prefer a right-handed bat like Mike Morse.
- The Red Sox went pretty far in their pursuit of Jose Dariel Abreu, but ultimately they lost out to the White Sox. It was a sensitive negotiation for Boston out of respect for pending free agent Mike Napoli, who would have been affected by an Abreu signing.
- There’s some real talk about the possibility that the Rays could see Montreal as a real alternative if plans for a new stadium don’t work out in the Tampa area.
- One of the reasons why Nolan Ryan parted ways with the Rangers was because of the club's decision to let bench coach Jackie Moore go.
- The Yankees appear to be on the verge of shaking up their scouting and player development departments.
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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Davis, Rasmus, Astros
Eight years ago this week, the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens paid tribute to the departed Expos by raising a commemorative banner to the rafters of Montreal’s Bell Centre. Expos legends Gary Carter and Andre Dawson were joined by displaced mascot Youppi to hoist a blue and orange banner that features their retired numbers, 8 and 10, respectively, as well as the numbers for Tim Raines (30) and Rusty Staub (10). Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Camden Depot looks at what Chris Davis can do in 2014 and beyond.
- Blue Jays Plus asks if Colby Rasmus is still in need of a platoon partner.
- Climbing Tal’s Hill examines players that the Astros should protect from the Rule 5 draft.
- South Side Sox asks if the White Sox can compete in 2015.
- Dr. Strangeglove breaks down the Pirates’ first base situation.
- Baseball Professor caught up with White Sox prospect Chris Beck.
- Rays Colored Glasses isn’t thrilled about the Jesse Crain deal.
- Lasorda’s Lair gives us five positive things about Don Mattingly.
- Baseball Hot Corner tries to figure out where David Price will land.
- Jays Journal asks if John Lackey‘s comeback could bode well for Josh Johnson.
- Kingdome Of Seattle Sports sees Johnson as a free agent find.
- The Shea Faithful says that winning is the only thing that will bring credibility back to the Mets.
- The Giants Cove suggests a successor for Bud Selig.
- MLB Reports has an idea for the Rays.
- Phoul Ballz spoke with Phillies pitching prospect Mike Nesseth.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Minor Moves: Rays, Cubs, Purcey, Okajima
We'll keep track of today's minor moves here..
- Infielder Ryan Roberts, 1B/OF Shelley Duncan, outfielder Jason Bourgeois and right-hander J.D. Martin have all elected to become free agents, MLBDailyDish.com's Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter links). All four players were outrighted off the Rays' roster earlier this season.
- Also from Cotillo (Twitter links), catcher J.C. Boscan and outfielder Darnell McDonald have elected to become free agents. Both players were outrighted off the Cubs' 40-man roster last week.
- The White Sox announced they have outrighted David Purcey to Triple-A Charlotte. Purcey, 31, posted a 2.13 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 in 24 relief appearances. The club's 40-man roster is now at 36. Purcey was one of Chicago's arbitration eligible players this winter.
- Left-hander Hideki Okajima and right-hander Chris Resop have elected free agency from the Athletics, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter link). Okajima, 38 in December, pitched in five big league games for the A's but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A where he posted a 4.22 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 37 appearances. Resop, 31 in November, also spent the lion's share of the year in Triple-A and had a 6.81 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.
- Reds right-hander Jose Arredondo, Angels right-hander Robert Coello, and Marlins third baseman Gil Velazquez have elected free agency under Article XX(D), according to Eddy (via Twitter). Arredondo struggled at the Triple-A level in 2013, posting a 5.87 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9. Coello made 16 big league relief appearances in 2013 and put up a 3.71 ERA with 12.2 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.
- At Baseball America, Eddy has the full list of the past week's minor league transactions.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
Jeff Baker Elects Free Agency
TODAY: Baker has officially elected to become a free agent, according to MLB.com's transactions page.
OCTOBER 9: The Rangers announced that they have designated Jeff Baker for assignment. The infielder was taken off of the 40-man roster to make room for right-handed pitcher Matt West to be activated off of the 60-day disabled list. The move doesn't make a huge difference in the Rangers' plans as Baker is set to hit the open market this winter.
Baker had a strong .279/.360/.545 slash line in a small sample size of 175 plate appearances this season. The 32-year-old, who also has experience in the outfield, has a career slash line of .267/.321/.440 over parts of nine big league seasons. Last winter, the Yankees were among the clubs that showed interest in Baker when they were in the hunt for a right-handed outfield bat.
To keep track of Baker and all other players in DFA limbo, check out the MLBTR DFA Tracker.
NL East Notes: Mets, Abreu, Marlins, Nats, Baker
The Mets were said to be intrigued by Jose Dariel Abreu's power but ultimately, they weren't one of the finalists for him and they weren't the team to sign him. Why didn't GM Sandy Alderson take the plunge? The Mets figure that they have first base covered between Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, and Josh Satin with possible support from Daniel Murphy and Wilmer Flores, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Mets weren't the only team in their division intrigued by the Serie Nacional star, however. Here's more out of the NL East..
- The Marlins were among the finalists for the Cuban slugger, but they bowed out of the bidding when it went north of $60MM, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. The Red Sox, Astros, Rangers, and Giants were also said to be among the clubs in the mix this week.
- The Nationals had interest in Abreu, but the dollar amount got "crazy" in their view, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
- Dusty Baker isn't expected to be a candidate for the Nationals' managerial job, Kilgore tweets. Baker contacted GM Mike Rizzo last week about his interest in the position but there doesn't seem to be any interest on Washington's end.
- A talent evaluator with knowledge of the Nationals' manager search tells ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link) that he would be shocked if Diamondbacks third base coach Matt Williams isn't hired.
- Braves GM Frank Wren recognizes that he needs to add experience to his rotation, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Atlanta considered making a play for Jake Peavy at the trade deadline but those thoughts quickly fizzled when it became apparent that they didn't have the pieces necessary to close that deal.
Yankees Could Dole Out ~$300MM In Total Salary
The Yankees, as we all know, are working on a plan to keep their payroll below $189MM to reduce their luxury tax bill. However, that doesn't mean they'll be totally handcuffed this offseason. The front office is currently working on a plan to stay under budget and spent roughly $300MM in total, sources tell Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
The Yankees' initial main targets, besides re-signing Robinson Cano, are Masahiro Tanaka, Braves catcher Brian McCann, and Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran, according to sources. The Bombers believe they can add at least two top free agents this winter without breaking the bank.
A source estimates the Yankees are shedding $85MM-$90MM in payroll this winter, which includes the salaries of retiring players Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte as well as free agents Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Curtis Granderson. The Yankees have a strong interest in keeping Kuroda and would be open to Granderson if he accepted the one-year qualifying offer, but they aren't obligated to either player. Beyond that, Derek Jeter exercising his $9.5MM player option (down from $17MM last year) and Alex Rodriguez's suspension being upheld would also help the cause.
Cano and Tanaka appear to be the Bombers' top two targets. A source said the Yankees realize that Tanaka, while making baseball sense, would also demonstrate ownership's stated goal to reinvest the savings from falling beneath the $189MM threshold. Beltran, another Yanks target, reportedly pushed to sign with the Bombers during his previous two trips through free agency and is eager to find his way to the Bronx this winter.
Reds Shopping Brandon Phillips
The Reds decided a month ago that they will shop Brandon Phillips this winter and intend to trade him, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). While there are several contending clubs with questions at second base to address this offseason, finding an attractive deal for Phillips could prove to be challenging.
Phillips, 32, is coming off of a down season and is owed $50MM through the 2017 season. The second baseman slashed .261/.310/.396 in 606 plate appearances in 2013, down from his previous six seasons in Cincinnati where he hit .280/.329/.446. Despite having a healthy amount of money left on his deal, Phillips openly complained about his contract earlier this year after the club re-upped Joey Votto with a ten-year, $225MM deal.
Teams with openings or potential openings at second base include the Dodgers, Yankees, and Orioles.