Indians Re-Sign Matt Capps
The Indians announced that they have re-signed reliever Matt Capps to a minor league deal. The pact comes with a non-roster invitation to Major League spring training camp.
Capps, 30, joined the Tribe on a minor league deal last offseason. The veteran couldn't stay healthy in 2013 and wound up pitching in just six games for the club's Triple-A affiliate. In eight big league seasons, Capps owns a 3.52 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.
AL East Notes: Rays, Orioles, Price, Dickerson, Hammel
The Orioles need an ace and Rays David Price will likely be on the trade market this winter. However, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com doesn't see Tampa Bay even considering an intra-division trade and the O's might not have enough to land him. More from the AL East..
- Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com has a hard time imagining that the Rays would part with Price in a deal with Texas without the inclusion of Jurickson Profar. Without the shortstop being involved, the Rangers would have to exhaust much of the top part of their farm system. While sacrificing Profar would certainly sting, Texas has to be tempted by the idea of pairing Price with Yu Darvish at the top of their rotation.
- The Orioles have a lot of questions to address when it comes to their 40-man roster, including what to do with Chris Dickerson, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. The outfielder was one of the final players cut during spring training and rejoined the big league club during the first week of the season.
- Jason Hammel made $6.75MM with the Orioles in 2013 and Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com asks how much he is worth to the O's in 2014. The right-hander had a strong 2012 season but followed it up with a 4.97 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in '13.
Offseason Outlook: San Francisco Giants
After winning the 2012 World Series, the Giants pretty much decided to hold pat and retain the same team. This year, it could be a different story after San Francisco finished fourth in the NL West with a sub-.500 record.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Buster Posey, C: $154MM through 2021
- Hunter Pence, OF: $90MM through 2018
- Matt Cain, SP: $80MM through 2017
- Madison Bumgarner, SP: $31.75MM through 2017
- Angel Pagan, OF: $28MM through 2016
- Marco Scutaro, 2B: $12MM through 2015
- Jeremy Affeldt, RP: $10MM through 2015
- Santiago Casilla, RP: $9.5MM through 2015
- Sergio Romo, RP: $5.5MM through 2014
Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses)
- Brandon Belt (2.128, Super Two): $2.4MM
- Gregor Blanco (3.164): $2.2MM
- Jose Mijares (5.024): $2.1MM
- Yusmeiro Petit (3.016): $1.3MM
- Joaquin Arias (4.071): $1.2MM
- Tony Abreu (3.170): $700K
Contract Options
- Barry Zito, SP: $18MM club option with a $7MM buyout
- Ryan Vogelsong, SP: $6.5MM club option with a $300K buyout
Free Agents
The Giants have a few important players set to hit the open market, including the perplexing Tim Lincecum. After breaking out in 2008 and asserting himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball across four consecutive years, The Freak struggled mightily in 2012 and rebounded somewhat in 2013. Lincecum's fall from grace is troubling, but this year's numbers are promising. This season, the 29-year-old posted a 4.37 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 versus a 5.18 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 2012. Meanwhile, his FIP (3.73), xFIP (3.56), and SIERA (3.75) are all better than his 2013 ERA as well as his 2012 marks. Giants assistant General Manager Bobby Evans has made no secret of his desire to work out an extension with Lincecum and talks got underway shortly after the season ended. The Giants could net a draft pick by extending him a qualifying offer of about $14.1MM, but it's not likely that they can keep him with that deal.
The rotation figures to have at least one more vacancy. Barry Zito is unlikely to return after finishing out his colossal contract and Ryan Vogelsong's $6.5MM club option is far from a slam dunk. It's possible that Vogelsong, who posted a 5.73 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 2013, could be retained for less if the Giants decline the option and bring him back to the table. Internal candidates Yusmeiro Petit and Eric Surkamp will get to audition for rotation spots during the spring, but they're not guaranteed to take off in 2013. Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner are a strong 1-2 combination, but they'll need their 3-5 starters to produce if they hope to get back to the playoffs.
The Giants will have to go out and find a left fielder or a first baseman, depending on where they slot Brandon Belt. Brett Pill is the understudy at first base and while he wouldn't be a terrible choice, San Francisco would probably look out-of-house for an alternative or competitor. Gregor Blanco's solid glove helped him to a 2.8 WAR, but if he's slotted as the every day left fielder, he won't offer much in the way of offensive firepower. If the Giants are going to spend, left field could be the place to do it. Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo, and Jacoby Ellsbury will all be out on the open market and could play the position. Guys like Nelson Cruz, Curtis Granderson, Marlon Byrd, Corey Hart, and Mike Napoli could also be in play if they don't feel like backing up a Brink's truck.
Regardless of where Belt is slotted, he appears to have a very bright future for himself in San Francisco. He'll go through arbitration for the first time this season and thanks to his Super Two status, he'll have four arb eligible winters in total. The Giants may consider buying out those years and more with an extension and Tim Dierkes recently suggested Allen Craig's deal as a possible comp. Craig got a backloaded five-year deal out of the Cards that guarantees him $31MM with a club option in year six worth $13MM.
The Giants seem to have the backend of their bullpen locked in with closer Sergio Romo and Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla to set the table. Beyond that, it's a bit of a quagmire. Javier Lopez is a free agent after earning $4.25MM and he could be plucked away by another club looking for a solid lefty specialist. If the 36-year-old is plucked by someone else, they could go after less expensive left-handers like Mike Gonzalez, who posted rates of 10.8 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 2013 but saw his ERA jump to 4.68 after a rough finish to the year. The Giants obviously would love to keep Lopez after he pitched to a 1.83 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9, but they might not have the spare coin to make that happen. Fellow southpaw Jose Mijares hasn't been nearly as sharp and is a non-tender candidate. Jake Dunning and Heath Hembree figure to have important roles for the Giants next season and Guillermo Moscoso could continue as their long reliever. Notable relievers on the open market that won't break the bank include Chad Qualls and Joba Chamberlain.
Beyond those areas of need, the Giants could use some bench reinforcements. Injuries slowed the Giants' momentum in 2013 and underscored their need for a better reserve unit. Now that 38-year-old second baseman Marco Scutaro had a pin inserted in his bothersome left pinkie, this seems like a good time to find some infield support. Utility man Jeff Baker will be out there on the open market after slashing .279/.360/.545 in a small sample size of 175 plate appearances. The 32-year-old, who offers experience at first base, second base, third base, and the outfield corners, killed lefties in 2013 with an OPS of 1.073. Pairing incumbent utility man Joaquin Arias with someone like Baker would help the Giants stay afloat if the injury bug bites them again next season.
How about something outside of the box? Earlier this year, Evans indicated that the Giants will do their due diligence on top international talents Jose Dariel Abreu and Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka in particular would be useful to the Giants since they have so many rotation spots up in question and there will be marketing opportunities abound in SF for the Japanese sensation. The Giants were one of the most well-represented teams at Abreu's showcase in early October, though they weren't mentioned as one of the frontrunners in Buster Olney's update yesterday. Abreu, meanwhile, would give the Giants some needed pop and could be the club's first baseman if Belt goes to left field. Ultimately, the Giants aren't the favorites to land either player, but watching Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes thrive in their own backyard has them thinking about spending more on the international market.
After capturing World Series crowns in 2010 and 2012, GM Brian Sabean isn't willing to take a backseat to the Dodgers in the NL West. He'll have his work cut out for him this offseason, however, as the Giants look to get back to the top in 2014.
Offseason Outlook: San Diego Padres
Injuries hurt the Padres in 2013, but that only tells part of the story. The Padres have some work to do in order to keep up in the competitive NL West.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Cameron Maybin, OF: $20MM through 2016
- Carlos Quentin, OF: $17.5MM through 2015
- Will Venable, OF: $8.5MM through 2015
- Cory Luebke, SP: $8.25MM through 2015
- Huston Street, RP: $7MM through 2014
- Nick Hundley, C: $4MM through 2014
- Chris Denorfia, OF: $2.25 through 2014
Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses)
- Chase Headley (5.123): $10MM
- Ian Kennedy (4.124): $5.8MM
- Clayton Richard (5.070): $5.24MM
- Luke Gregerson (5.000): $4.9MM
- Eric Stults (3.075): $3MM
- Andrew Cashner (3.126): $2.4MM
- Everth Cabrera (3.144): $2.2MM
- Tyson Ross (2.124, Super Two): $1.3MM
- Jesus Guzman (2.151, Super Two): $1.3MM
- Tim Stauffer (5.143): $1.2MM
- Kyle Blanks (4.029): $1MM
Free Agents
There have been non-stop questions about Chase Headley's future in San Diego for the last year but it seems like the Padres will come up with an answer, one way or another, this offseason. They could put the rumors to rest with a contract extension for their star or trade him at a time when the third base free agent market is thin. The Yankees have long had a soft spot for the 29-year-old and even though a new deal for Headley would be tricky given their budget constraints, he'd be a very welcome addition in light of the Alex Rodriguez saga. General Manager Josh Byrnes & Co. will surely be listening on offers for Headley, but both sides have stated their preference for a contract extension.
So, done deal, right? Not quite. There appears to be a pretty serious schism in negotiations between San Diego and agent Jim Murray of Excel Sports Management. Back in May, we heard that the Padres were looking to lock Headley up with something in the range of $75MM over five years. Headley, meanwhile, likely sees Ryan Zimmerman's six-year, $100MM deal as a baseline for his own deal. It's hard to say what kind of deal Headley could get out of the Padres. On one hand, the Zimmerman deal raised the bar for what a top third baseman should command. On the other hand, Headley is coming off of a down year and has really only had one season where he looked like an elite player. Headley hit .243/.335/.389 with 10 homers and a 2.1 WAR, a far cry from his 2012 campaign where he slashed .286/.376/.498 with 31 home runs and a 6.3 WAR on his way to capturing Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards. Pads skipper Bud Black attributes much of Headley's struggles to the thumb injury he suffered in Spring Training, but the dip in hitting is still a concern. Recently, Tim Dierkes opined that Headley will probably risk being traded elsewhere if he can't get something in the range of Andre Ethier's five-year, $85MM deal from San Diego.
Looking out-of-house, the Padres' top priority will probably be to bolster their rotation. Thanks to the progress of Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross and the July addition of Ian Kennedy, the top half of the starting five is taken care of. After that, San Diego will be waiting on the returns of Joe Wieland and Cory Luebke after Tommy John surgery. Eric Stults will probably stay in the starting five after posting a 3.93 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 33 starts last season. The Padres are likely to non-tender Clayton Richard and they already purged Edinson Volquez from the roster, so there will be spots available. There will be plenty of affordable veterans for the Padres to choose from as they look to improve the rotation while saving some coin for the rest of the roster. Chris Capuano figures to be bought out of his $8MM mutual option with the Dodgers and will probably be willing to take a bit of a pay cut. A modest offer could also net them someone of Roberto Hernandez or Jason Hammel's caliber.
The bullpen also needs to be shored up as the Padres' middle relief was shaky for much of the year. Anthony Bass, Brad Brach, Brad Boxberger, and Miles Mikolas all had varying degrees of success in 2013, but they'll have to take a step or two forward to show that they can be reliable. Nick Vincent and Tim Stauffer were solid but San Diego will have to rebuild the bridge to Luke Gregerson and closer Huston Street. Speaking of Gregerson, San Diego will have to address his future as he enters his final year of arbitration eligibility. A club-friendly extension would be ideal, but the Padres will also find a lot of interested suitors if they shop him.
Ronny Cedeno saw a ton of playing time in 2013 thanks to Everth Cabrera's PED suspension and gave the Padres decent defensive play. He'll be a free agent, however, and they'll look for another shortstop/utility man if they don't retain him. If the Padres can trade Headley, they can cover for him easily by moving Jedd Gyorko over to third, but that will create something of a void at second. Logan Forsythe and Alexi Amarista can handle the position but they'd be better off with a full-timer who can replace some of Headley's offense.
You can expect 90 percent of San Diego's trade buzz to center on Headley, but its possible that they work the phones to fill other holes in the lineup. Recently, Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune suggested that the Padres could move either Will Venable or Chris Denorfia and a pitching prospect for an upgrade at a corner outfield slot. The Pads have gotten interest in both players in the past and with salaries of $4.25MM and $2.25MM, respectively, they could be attractive to other teams.
Headley figures to get the most ink of anyone tied to the Padres this offseason, but they'll have other matters to tend to as well.
East Notes: Beltran, Yankees, McCann, Thornton
Yesterday we learned that the Yankees and Carlos Beltran are expected to have mutual interest in a union this offseason. Today, David Lennon of Newsday weighed the pros and cons of that for the Bombers and noted that acting quickly – as the Tigers did with Torii Hunter – could help their efforts. Here's a look at the latest from the AL and NL East..
- Braves catcher Brian McCann could receive $100MM in free agency, a GM tells Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York. Marchand also notes that the Yankees feel that if Alex Rodriguez's PED suspension holds (meaning the Yankees would not have to pay his $25MM 2014 salary), they might be able to sign McCann in addition to Robinson Cano. McCann ranks fourth in Tim Dierkes' latest 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, and MLBTR predicts that McCann will receive a five-year, $80MM deal.
- Red Sox reliever Matt Thornton won't retire after the season, CSN Chicago's Dan Hayes reports. Boston has a $6MM option with a $1MM buyout on Thornton's services for 2014, but it looks unlikely they'll pick it up, given that they left him off their ALCS roster. "I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near being done in my career,” says Thornton. "I feel like I have plenty left in the tank physically." The Red Sox acquired Thornton from the White Sox for minor-leaguer Brandon Jacobs in mid-July, but he missed time down the stretch with a strained oblique and did not pitch much in September.
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues looks at the Yankees' upcoming 40-man roster crunch. At this moment, the Yankees have 47 players on their 40-man roster.
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Jeff Manship, Manny Corpas
Today's minor moves..
- The Rockies placed right-hander Jeff Manship on waivers, but he's expected to clear and be outrighted to Triple-A, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). Manship made four starts and three relief appearances for the Rockies this season but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A. He posted a 4.85 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 24 games for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate.
- The Rockies have outrighted reliever Manny Corpas off of the 40-man roster, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Renck could see Corpas re-signing with Colorado later this winter and notes that there will be multiple Colorado relievers fighting to keep their jobs this offseason (Sulia link). The soon-to-be 31-year-old earned $800K last season and pitched to a 4.54 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. Tim Dierkes predicted earlier this month that Corpas would be deemed expendable by the team. To read up on Corpas and the rest of the Rockies' arbitration eligible players, you can check out Tim's rundown here.
Rangers Claim Edwar Cabrera From Rockies
The Rangers have claimed Edwar Cabrera off waivers from the Rockies, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Cabrera was expected to be removed from Colorado's 40-man roster this offseason.
Cabrera was sidelined all season with a shoulder injury. The left-hander made two big league starts for the Rockies in 2012 but spent the rest of the season in the minors. In 21 combined starts for the club's Triple-A and Double-A affiliates, Cabrera posted a 3.05 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
The Rockies dropped another pitcher from the 40-man roster earlier today when they outrighted Manny Corpas.
Rays, White Sox To Complete Jesse Crain Trade
WEDNESDAY, 11:07am: The Rays will send infielder Ben Kline and left-hander Sean Bierman as the players to be named later and cash considerations to the White Sox, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 7:49pm: The Rays will send Bierman to the White Sox as a part of this summer's Jesse Crain trade, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Another player will also go from Tampa Bay to Chicago in the trade and it is likely to be finalized tomorrow. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (Twitter link) first reported Bierman's inclusion in the deal.
Bierman, who turns 25 on Sunday, posted a 2.55 ERA in 14 starts and four relief appearances in 2013 between the club's Class-A and Class-A Advanced affiliates this season. The lefty was not ranked among the Rays' top 30 prospects by Baseball America heading into the '13 season.
Earlier tonight, Tim Dierkes looked at the offseason ahead for the White Sox.
Dodgers To Bring Don Mattingly Back In 2014
The Dodgers could be on their way out of the playoffs, but manager Don Mattingly will be safe regardless of what happens in tonight's Game 5 or beyond. Sources tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the club will bring their skipper back in 2014.
Los Angeles holds a $1.4MM option on Mattingly's deal for next season but it's not clear what kind of commitment they plan on making to him this winter. The 52-year-old's job was reportedly in jeopardy back in early June when the Dodgers were struggling, but the club's almost unprecedented surge put those rumors to bed. The Dodgers' official stance has been that they will wait until the end of the season to address Mattingly's status, but it appears that they won't have a manager on their winter shopping list.
In his three years as Dodgers manager, Mattingly has amassed a 242–207 (.539) regular season record. If L.A. opted to let him go, Mattingly could have been a candidate for openings in Seattle, Cincinnati, and Washington.
AL Central Notes: Tigers, Twins, Yoon, Santana
Trades don't always work out for both clubs involved and it's even rarer for a three-team deal to benefit all parties. However, the Jake Peavy deal did just that, according to Red Sox skipper John Farrell. “One, It’s a great baseball trade because it clearly had specific needs and fit for the three teams involved,” Farrell said, according to Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. “Secondly, you have to give up a quality player to get a quality player in return. … It was hard to see Jose Iglesias go, but in return we knew we needed another quality starter, and we got that in Jake." The swap brought five-tool outfielder Avisail Garcia to the White Sox and the Tigers received Iglesias from Boston. More out of the AL Central..
- Korean starting pitcher Suk-Min Yoon is on the Twins' radar, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Because Yoon is a free agent, he won't require a posting fee from the team that signs him. Yoon hired agent Scott Boras to represent him following the 2011 season but he ultimately stayed in Korea despite speculation he would pitch in the big leagues in 2012. The 27-year-old is set to audition for clubs in the U.S in the near future.
- It's something of a longshot to happen, but Wolfson (Twitter link) hears that the Twins aren't married to keeping their second-round pick and would sacrifice it to sign a player tied to draft compensation. Of course, the Twins' first-round pick is protected thanks to finishing in the bottom third of the standings.
- The Royals should be very careful about the kind of offer they give to free agent Ervin Santana, writes Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star. Historically, large and long-term commitments to free agent pitchers don't pan out and Mellinger suggests that KC sets a limit of $45MM over three years.