Dodgers Still In Mix For Alexander Guerrero
The Dodgers thought they had a deal with Cuban second baseman Alexander Guerrero several weeks ago, but the pact dissolved when it was discovered that Guerrero's first representatives were not certified agents. Since then, the Dodgers have said that their previous five-year, $32MM deal was off the table, but that may have just been posturing. The Dodgers are again one of a few teams in the thick of the Guerrero talks, people familiar with the discussions tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
Since the L.A. deal fell apart, Guerrero signed on with Scott Boras and the agent immediately opened the bidding back up to all major league clubs. Now, the 26-year-old is only seeking a four-year deal so that he can once again become a free agent at the age of 30. Many of the clubs in the mix for Guerrero are seeking a longer pact, but Heyman writes that the team willing to meet his asking price on a four-year deal will be the victor.
The Giants, Rangers, Red Sox, and Reds have also been connected to Guerrero in recent weeks. However, Reds GM Walt Jocketty said yesterday that he expects the Cuban to sign elsewhere and a Rangers source suggested to Heyman that they're not making an aggressive push for him. Heyman adds that it's possible the Cardinals will get involved with Guerrero this winter.
Minor Moves: Langerhans, Silverio
We'll keep track of tonight's minor moves here..
- Blue Jays outfielder Ryan Langerhans elected free agency earlier this month, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Langerhans, 33, posted a .748 OPS in 248 PA with Triple-A Buffalo this season between two minor league stints in Toronto's sytem. The outfielder also spent some time playing for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, hitting .287/.420/.500.
- The Marlins outrighted outfielder Alfredo Silverio to Triple-A New Orleans, according to the MLB.com page. Silverio was plucked from the Dodgers in the 2012 Rule 5 draft but hasn't played since 2011 after being badly injured in a car accident and undergoing two Tommy John surgeries. The 26-year-old hit .306/.340/.542 in 572 Double-A plate appearances in '11.
Mutual Interest Between Beltran, Yankees Expected In Offseason
Carlos Beltran showed interest in the Yankees during his two previous trips through free agency, but there wasn't enough interest in 2005 or 2011 on the club's side. This year, however, the two sides could be a match as sources tell Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that there is mutual interest.
Despite getting a "last-ditch discount proposal", the Yankees passed on Beltran following the 2004 season as they opted to stick with Bernie Williams in center field. After the 2011 season, the Bombers were scared off by Beltran's injury history and already had a more reasonable alternative in Nick Swisher thanks to his club-friendly option.
Multiple sources tell Feinsand the Yanks could be in the market for an outfielder this winter as they look to add some pop to a lineup that finished next-to-last in the American League in homers and Beltran would certainly fit the bill.
While left field and center field are likely spoken for with Alfonso Soriano and Brett Gardner, right field projects to be open with question marks about Ichiro Suzuki and Vernon Wells. Curtis Granderson could change that situation if the Yankees decide to retain a familiar option as opposed to looking outside the organization.
Of course, Beltran could require a team to forfeit a draft pick if the Cardinals extend him the $14.1MM qualifying offer. The veteran hit .296/.339/.491 with 24 home runs this season on his way to his eighth All-Star selection.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Tanaka, Giants, A’s, Moore
On this date in 1992, Atlanta Falcons star Deion Sanders flew from Miami to Pittsburgh in an effort to joint he PIrates for Game 5 of the NLCS and become the first athlete to play in two professional leagues in the same day. However, the outfielder/cornerback wasn’t in the lineup for the Braves’ 7-1 loss. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Camden Depot asks if Masahiro Tanaka is the gem of the offseason.
- The Giants Cove has some thoughts on the 2013 season in San Fran.
- A’s Farm runs down Oakland’s top players in the Arizona Fall League.
- Kings Of Kauffman looks at GM Dayton Moore with a critical eye.
- Wahoo’s On First talks Yan Gomes.
- Marlin Maniac compiled an entire lineup of ex-Marlins on playoff teams.
- More Hardball has a minor league free agent All-Star team.
- Kingdome of Seattle Sports runs down former Mariners in the postseason.
- MLB Reports breaks down the Red Sox’s roster.
- Orioles Nation knows the importance of a third pitch.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Henry Blanco Elects Free Agency
THURSDAY: Blanco cleared waivers, declined his outright assignment and has elected free agency, the Mariners announced on Twitter.
TUESDAY: To make room for the newly-acquired Travis Witherspoon on the 40-man roster, the Mariners announced that they have designated catcher Henry Blanco for assignment.
Blanco, 42, slashed just .125/.215/.240 in 107 big league platea appearances this season. Blanco joined Seattle in June, just days after he was cut loose by the Blue Jays. Over 16 years in the majors, the well-traveled veteran owns a .223/.288/.361 line with the Cubs, D'Backs, Braves, Brewers, Twins, Mets, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Mariners, and Blue Jays.
To keep track of Blanco and other players in DFA limbo, check out MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
NL Central Notes: Hurdle, Pirates, Parra, Reds
Veteran Justin Morneau was in Minnesota for his entire career before the summer trade that shipped him to the Pirates, but the adjustment wasn't too difficult for him thanks to a familiar element, writes Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. “[Manager Clint Hurdle] speaks the same language as Ron Gardenhire,” said Morneau. “He’ll come up and say ‘[I'm] going to give you a blow tomorrow.’ I know I’m getting the day off. Gardenhire used to say it.” Elliott spoke with several Pirates players about their respect for Hurdle and their appreciation for him as a motivator. Here's a look at more from the NL Central..
- Win or lose, Pirates GM Neal Huntington hopes to keep his team together for 2014, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. That means keeping veteran pitcher A.J. Burnett and midseason acquisitions Marlon Byrd and Morneau. Byrd figures to see a significant raise over his $700K salary while Morneau ($15MM) and Burnett ($16.5MM) will obviously earn less in 2014.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter) says that there's a decent chance that the Reds will re-sign reliever Manny Parra. The soon-to-be 31-year-old pitched to a 3.33 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9.
- John Erardi of the Cincinnati Enquirer believes that Mets minor league skipper Wally Backman would be a good fit for the Reds' managerial vacancy.
- The Cardinals' 2009 draft class is a huge reason for their success in 2013, writes MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. That draft saw St. Louis tap Shelby Miller (first round), Joe Kelly (third), Matt Carpenter (13th), Trevor Rosenthal (21st) and Matt Adams (23rd).
- Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at the host of Pirates first-round picks that didn't work out but notes that the trend began to change with Neil Walker in 2004. Since that time, the Bucs have also selected Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez and Gerrit Cole in the first round.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Yankees Re-Sign Joe Girardi
The Yankees announced that they have re-signed manager Joe Girardi to a four-year deal that will keep him in place as manager through the 2017 season. Girardi, 48, was at the top of the Cubs' wishlist this winter, but he'll be back in the Bronx for a seventh season in 2014.
Girardi will earn $16MM over the course of the deal plus bonuses, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The new deal makes him the second-highest paid manager in baseball, next to Mike Scioscia of the Angels.
The former catcher was said to be quite torn between staying in New York or joining the Cubs as they enter the next phase of their rebuilding project. Girardi has history with both teams, having played in pinstripes for four seasons and with the Cubbies for seven seasons. The Nationals were also believed to have interest in his services.
The Bombers missed the playoffs in 2013 but Girardi has guided the club to the postseason in four of his six seasons, including a World Series championship in 2009. Under Girardi, the Yankees have gone 564-408 since 2008 while leading the majors in home runs (1,236) and ranking second in runs scored (4,884).
Astros Payroll Could Reach $60MM In 2014
Last week, Astros owner Jim Crane indicated that the club's payroll could go up in 2014 but declined to say how much it could increase. This week, Crane said that the payroll could climb as high as $50-60MM, regardless of how their lawsuit with Houston Regional Sports Network over their TV contract plays out, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
In fact, if there is a favorable resolution to the dispute, Crane says that the team could go "a little bit deeper." While that could mean that the Astros will have $30MM to spend on a handful of players, no one should expect Houston to go after the top tier guys on the open market.
“We’re not going to make a move unless it fits into the plan, and we’re not going to rush the plan. [General Manager Jeff Luhnow has] a very systematic formula and we do have some good players coming up. You add three or four key positions and bring in a couple of guys that are ready, this team is pretty competitive pretty quickly with the starting pitching we’ve got. We’re deep in pitching," Crane said.
The Astros will likely be in the market for late-inning relief help, an outfielder with a big bat, and a veteran starting pitcher in place of free agent Erik Bedard. While a $60MM payroll would still place them among the lowest in the league, it would be a marked improvement over their 2013 Opening Day figure of $26.1MM. Last week, I looked at the Astros' needs and potential offseason targets as a part of MLBTR's Offseason Outlook series.
Cubs Outright McDonald, Dolis, Four Others
The Cubs announced that outfielder Darnell McDonald, catcher J.C. Boscan, and right-hander Trey McNutt have cleared waivers and were outrighted off of the 40-man roster. In addition, the Cubs activated right-handers Rafael Dolis and Zach Putnam and outfielder Thomas Neal off of the 60-day disabled list and subsequently outrighted them from the 40-man.
McDonald, 35 in November, slashed .302/.351/.434 in 57 plate appearances for the Cubs this season but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A Iowa, where he hit .236/.307/.346. Dolis made 34 relief appearances for the Cubs in 2012, but pitched to a 6.39 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 and saw just five games this season before a June injury. McNutt, 24, was rated by Baseball America as the 48th best prospect in the country prior to the 2011 season. The well-traveled Neal was claimed on August 5th and played in two games before suffering a separated right shoulder.
With the moves, the Cubs’ 40-man roster currently stands at 37 players.
Latest On Alexander Guerrero
Cuban second baseman Alexander Guerrero is back on the free agent market after his engagement with the Dodgers was called off in September. Now, the Scott Boras client is seeking a four-year deal from interested MLB teams. However, some of the clubs that are in on Guerrero are pushing for a longer pact.
Heyman cites the Dodgers, Giants, Rangers, Red Sox, and Reds as clubs with interest in the 26-year-old. Guerrero and Los Angeles were closing in on a five-year, $32MM deal last month but the deal fell apart for reasons that are still unknown. The 86ing of the near-agreement also coincided with a change in representation as Guerrero left his former agent for Boras.
Guerrero played mostly shortstop in Cuba's Serie Nacional, but most scouts expect him to move to the other side of the bag for defensive purposes. He slashed .290/.402/.576 with 21 home runs in 328 plate appearances in his final season in Cuba. According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, Guerrero doesn't figure to be a premium talent, but he does offer impressive raw right-handed power.