Paul Konerko Could Still Return To White Sox
On the surface, the White Sox’s signing of Jose Dariel Abreu to a monster six-year, $68MM deal might have signaled the end of Paul Konerko’s tenure in the Windy City. However, General Manager Rick Hahn said yesterday on a conference call that the veteran could still return to the team next season, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com.
“(We’ll) talk through what Paul is feeling and how he wants to handle his future as well as potentially the role he could conceivably play on the 2014 White Sox,” Hahn said. “Those conversations haven’t taken place yet and when they do we we’ll handle them the way we have (before) which is open and honestly and internally and not publicly.”
Konerko posted an uncharacteristically low .244/.313/.355 slash line in 2013 and missed nearly an entire month with back troubles. The 37-year-old, who has six All-Star selections to his credit, posted a career low of 12 home runs last season. Many speculated that 2013 would be Konerko’s final season, but the slugger sounds open to returning to the White Sox on a part-time basis.
Reactions To Jose Dariel Abreu Signing With White Sox
Last night, the White Sox signed Cuban first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu to a six-year, $68MM deal – the largest ever for an international free agent and the most lucrative deal for any White Sox player in club history. Abreu turned heads in his showcases for clubs earlier this month and had serious interest from the Red Sox, Astros, Rangers, Marlins, and Giants. Here's a look at the latest reactions to the deal..
- Sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links) that bidding for Abreu was fast and furious with four clubs bidding between $63MM and $66M. It's not known which four teams put those bids down, but the White Sox’s winning bid of $68MM wasn't excessive.
- While Abreu’s power is impressive, scouts are split over whether his power will translate against major league pitching, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. Some consider his bat speed is just average and he appears vulnerable to good fastballs on the inner third of the plate. The first baseman lacks the athleticism of fellow Cuban stars Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig.
- The scouting consensus is that Masahiro Tanaka is better than Abreu and the total price tag for the Japanese hurler should be going up, tweets Badler.
- While some are up in arms about Abreu's price tag, Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors (via Twitter) notes that there is plenty chance for Abreu to be something between boom or bust at $11.3MM annually.
- It’s interesting that the White Sox signed Abreu to a hefty deal without having publicly disclosed future of first baseman Paul Konerko yet, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). It's possible the veteran has already indicated that he will probably retire or maybe the White Sox determined that Abreu is the first baseman of the future, no matter what.
Tim Lincecum To Test Open Market
The Giants have talked with two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum about a new contract, but he won't sign before he finds out what he can get on the open market. Lincecum won't do anything until five days after the World Series, when he can solicit offers on the open market, sources tell Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com.
The Giants presented a two-year deal to The Freak, but talks haven’t progressed since then. The Giants plan on making the right-hander the qualifying offer of one-year, ~$14MM if they can't change Lincecum's mind and get something done before the end of the World Series, setting themselves up for draft pick compensation if he bolts. Baggarly speculates that Lincecum, a Seattle native, might be curious to see what level of interest the Mariners will have in him. The M's, whose first-round pick is protected, had a scout following Lincecum and the Giants over the club’s last homestand.
San Francisco took care of one of their top stars earlier this month when they re-signed Hunter Pence to a five-year, $90MM deal. Yesterday, I previewed the offseason ahead for the Giants, including the Lincecum situation.
Quick Hits: Rangers, Price, Rodon, Cubs
Nolan Ryan might be missing out on a really fun offseason. Rival talent evaluators believe that the Rangers are going to be very aggressive this winter and pursue the likes of David Price, Masahiro Tanaka, and Brian McCann, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Texas is eager to right the ship after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Here's more from around baseball..
- The 2014 draft class has potential to be the best class since 2011, write John Manuel and Clint Longenecker of Baseball America. Left-hander Carlos Rodon stands out as the top talent in the group while power pitcher Jeff Hoffman would be the No. 2 pick if the draft was today.
- Top international prospects Eloy Jimenez and Gleyber Torres are pretty far along in their development considering that they're just 16, but they'll be working to adjust to the U.S. culturally, writes MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "They're not raw in their physical abilities, it's just being raw to the United States, how things are run," said Cubs Minor League hitting coordinator Anthony Iapoce. "As far as the way they play the game, they're pretty advanced for 16 years old. They're not raw as far as their tools. Their tools are in place."
- Pirates first baseman Justin Morneau will look to sign with a winner this offseason, writes Sid Hartman of the Star-Tribune. Because of that, a return to the Twins seems highly unlikely, unless he finds an extremely weak market for his services.
Minor Moves: Astros, Mets, Phillies
We'll keep track of today's minor moves here.
- The Astros have outrighted outfielder Trevor Crowe and pitcher Jorge De Leon, according to a team press release. Crowe, a former first-round pick of the Indians, hit .218/.287/.291 in 181 plate appearances with the Astros in 2013. With Crowe's departure, the only Astro remaining who is eligible for arbitration is Jason Castro. De Leon pitched ten innings of relief for Houston after spending much of the year with Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Oklahoma City.
- The Mets have outrighted relievers Greg Burke and Sean Henn, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York tweets. Burke, 31, pitched 31 2/3 innings for New York in 2013, posting a 5.68 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9. He also made 31 appearances for Triple-A Las Vegas. Before 2013, Burke had not appeared in the Majors since 2009, when he was with the Padres. Henn appeared in four games with the Mets in 2013, pitching most of the season in Las Vegas.
- The Phillies outrighted four players to Triple-A Lehigh Valley: outfielders Casper Wells and Roger Bernadina, left-hander Cesar Jimenez, and right-hander J.C. Ramirez. Wells, who also spent time with the White Sox and Mariners in 2013, had a dismal .126/.186/.147 combined slash line in 102 plate apparances. Ramirez posted a 7.50 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9 in 18 relief appearances but posted stronger numbers at Lehigh Valley. Bernadina hit .291/.372/.405 for the Nats in 2012 but he had an OPS of just .545 in '13.
- Correcting an earlier item, the Phillies did not re-sign Michael Martinez. We regret the error.
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Dodgers Claim Baxter, Designate Castellanos
The Dodgers announced they have claimed Mike Baxter off waivers from the Mets. To make room on the 40-man roster for Baxter, L.A. designated fellow outfielder Alex Castellanos for assignment.
Baxter, 29 in December, hit just .189/.303/.250 in 74 games for the Mets in 2013. In 2012, however, Baxter slashed .263/.365/.413 with three homers in 211 plate appearances appearances. Baxter has significant experience playing in both left and right field.
Castellanos, 27, has 24 big league games to his credit over the last two years with the Dodgers but spent the bulk of that time in Triple-A. In 199 games at Triple-A Albuquerque, the outfielder hit .291/.382/.525. The Dodgers acquired Castellanos in July 2011 from the Cardinals for Rafael Furcal and cash.
To keep track of Castellanos and all other players in DFA limbo, be sure to check out MLBTR's DFA Tracker. Baxter is the second player to be plucked from the Mets roster this afternoon following the Angels' claim on Robert Carson.
Angels Claim Robert Carson
The Angels announced that they have claimed Robert Carson off waivers from the Mets. The Halos' 40-man roster is now at 37.
Across the last two years, Carson has made 31 relief appearances for the Mets, pitching to a 6.82 ERA with 3.5 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. In parts of two Triple-A seasons, the left-hander has a 3.45 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. Carson was ranked as the 17th best prospect in the Mets' system before the start of the season by Baseball America.
New York Notes: Santana, Murphy, Headley
Here's a look at the latest on the Mets and Yankees..
- The Mets and Johan Santana are very likely to part ways this winter but team insiders say that the door is open a sliver of a crack for a return, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. When Martino suggested to one team source that the Mets would definitely cut bait with the left-hander, the person said, “that’s probably fair, but it’s premature to say never.”
- A source told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com not to expect multi-year deals this offseason for notable players under the Mets' control. The Mets' best candidates for a deal like Jonathon Niese's five-year, $25.5MM pact from last offseason would be the arbitration-eligible Daniel Murphy, Dillon Gee, and Bobby Parnell.
- Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com asks if the Yankees should make a play for Chase Headley this winter. The Padres third baseman could be moved for the right package, but a baseball official familiar with the team's thinking says they'll need a "compelling offer" and the Bombers don't really have the necessary talent in their farm system to do that.
- Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada has returned to The Legacy Agency as a client after spending time with Praver/Shapiro, tweets Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal. You can keep track of everyone's representation with the MLBTR Agency Database.
Jose Dariel Abreu Down To Astros, Red Sox, White Sox
Cuban slugger Jose Dariel Abreu has narrowed his list of possible destinations to the Astros, Red Sox, and White Sox, multiple industry sources tell Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. The standout first baseman could sign within the next two weeks.
The Rangers, Giants, and Marlins were also showing strong interest in Abreu along the way but are no longer in the running. ESPN's Buster Olney reported yesterday that the 26-year-old is expected to command a deal in the range of $70MM. Such a deal would shatter the four-year, $36MM contract signed by Yoenis Cespedes and the seven-year, $42MM pact signed by Yasiel Puig.
Recently, Tim Dierkes profiled Abreu and noted that because he is looked at as an "all bat" prospect, it would make sense for him to wind up in the American League. Now, barring something unforeseen, the former Serie Nacional star will call the AL his home in 2014.
Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan To Retire
Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan announced today that he will retire, effective October 31. Ryan was named as the tenth president in club history in February 2008 and became CEO in March 2011.
“This is the right time for me to step down from my role of overseeing the Rangers organization,” said Ryan. “I am extremely proud of what this organization has accomplished. On the field, we have enjoyed great success at the major league level. The fans have supported us in record numbers the last two years and we have been able to upgrade the ballpark and enhance the in-game experience to reward that loyalty."
The legendary pitcher was said to be in a power struggle with GM Jon Daniels earlier this year and there was a great deal of speculation that Ryan would wind up as the odd man out. Ryan butted heads with Daniels over staffing and player personnel decisions and appeared to have a smaller role with the club this year than he has in the past.