West Notes: Dodgers, Mariners, Bonderman, Giants
Here's a look at items out of the Western divisions..
- The Dodgers look great on paper, but Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com wonders if chemistry issues could hurt them in 2013. Plenty of players, coaches, and executives associated with the Marlins say that Hanley Ramirez will become a problem with the Dodgers just as he did in Florida. Same goes for people tied to the Red Sox who feel that Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford aren't as great for a team as some people believe.
- Mariners pitching coach Carl Willis says that he has no doubt that Jeremy Bonderman's comeback attempt will be a success, Knobler writes. Bonderman, who inked a minor league deal with the M's this winter, hasn't decided whether he will agree to go to Triple-A if he's asked to. However, Knobler writes that it seems likely that he would if it's a short term thing.
- Yesterday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle suggested that Brett Pill could be a trade candidate for the Giants given their depth at first base. However, a deal isn't in the cards right now as he is set to undergo knee surgery tomorrow that will sideline him for three weeks, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).
Veterans On Minors Deals In Line For $100K Bonus
To entice veterans into signing minor league contracts, teams will often dangle opt-out clauses. These clauses allow players to push the eject button on their deals if they are not on the big league roster by a certain date. However, the collective bargaining agreement makes such deals mandatory for players who meet certain requirements.
Last season, there were more than 30 players, known as "Article XX(B) free agents," who qualified for these agreements and signed minor league deals. The 2012 list, as broken down by our own Mark Polishuk, included some prominent names like Vicente Padilla, Omar Vizquel, Jason Isringhausen, Juan Pierre, and Jeff Francis.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America compiled a list of this year's group of Article XX(B) free agents. So who qualifies for this designation? Any player who had a Major League contract expire at the end of the previous season and with at least six years of Major League service time who signs a minor league deal. Then, the team must make a decision about that player's fate by five days before Opening Day. The player has to be placed on the 25-man roster, released outright, or given a $100K bonus if sent down to the minors. If the player is sent to the minor leagues, he'll also have an opt-out date of June 1st that will allow him to bail if he is not on the varsity squad by that stage.
As Eddy notes, 16 of last year's Article XX(B) free agents made an Opening Day roster, 11 were cut loose prior to the deadline, two began the year in Triple-A (Francis and Aaron Cook), and two others (Russell Branyan and Corey Patterson) re-worked their contracts so that they could sign straight minor league pacts.
Here's a look at the 33 veterans on minor league deals who could be free to find new jobs or $100K richer before Opening Day. Players who also appeared on last year's list are denoted with an asterisk..
Diamondbacks: Rod Barajas
Red Sox: Lyle Overbay
Reds: Miguel Olivo
Indians: Matt Capps, Jason Giambi, Daisuke Matsuzaka
Rockies: Miguel Batista*
Royals: Endy Chavez, Xavier Nady*, George Sherrill
Angels: Bill Hall
Dodgers: Mark Lowe
Marlins: Austin Kearns, Casey Kotchman, Chad Qualls
Mets: Tim Byrdak, Pedro Feliciano, LaTroy Hawkins
Yankees: Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera
Phillies: Aaron Cook*
Pirates: Brandon Inge, Jose Contreras, Jonathan Sanchez
Padres: Freddy Garcia
Giants: Chad Gaudin, Ramon Ramirez
Rays: Juan Carlos Oviedo, Jamey Wright*
Rangers: Jeff Baker, Yoshinori Tateyama
Nationals: Chris Young, Chris Snyder
Poll: The Diamondbacks’ Best Offseason Acquisition
No one can accuse Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers of taking it easy this winter. The D'Backs finished with a .500 record in 2012 and made some significant changes in an effort to improve going forward. Arizona first made headlines with a three-team deal in October, but there was plenty that followed. Here's a recap of their most significant moves..
- Arizona landed reliever Heath Bell, infielder Cliff Pennington, and cash considerations in a three-team deal with the Marlins and A's. The D'Backs sent outfielder Chris Young and $500K to the A's in the swap.
- As a part of the three-team Shin-Soo Choo deal, the Diamondbacks acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius, left-handed pitcher Tony Sipp, and first baseman Lars Anderson from the Indians for right-handed pitchers Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers, and Bryan Shaw.
- The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Brandon McCarthy to a two-year, $15.5MM deal. McCarthy missed significant time in 2012 but posted a 3.24 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 111 innings when he was healthy.
- Just before Christmas, the D'Backs signed Cody Ross to a three-year, $26MM deal. The pact includes a club option for $9.5MM that can be bought out for just $1MM.
- The addition of Ross meant that an outfielder had to go and it wound up being Justin Upton. Towers sent Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson to the Braves for third baseman Martin Prado, right-hander Randall Delgado, shortstop prospect Nick Ahmed, right-handed pitching prospect Zeke Spruill, and minor league first baseman Brandon Drury.
Earlier today we learned that the D'Backs are looking to trade veteran John McDonald, but Arizona has pretty much gotten all of their heavy lifting out of the way this offseason. It's your turn to weigh in – what was their best acquisition of the winter?
Which Was Arizona's Best Offseason Move?
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Signing Brandon McCarthy to two-year, $15MM deal 41% (4,636)
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Justin Upton trade 27% (2,993)
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Trading Chris Young For Heath Bell and Cliff Pennington 12% (1,304)
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Signing Cody Ross to three-year, $26MM deal 10% (1,157)
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Trading Bauer, Albers, and Shaw for Gregorius, Sipp, and Anderson 7% (815)
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A different acquisition 3% (362)
Total votes: 11,267
Quick Hits: Giants, Cabrera, Rangers, Rondon, Tigers
Despite reports to the contrary, the Giants never discussed nor offered a deal to Melky Cabrera in the range of $75-85MM prior to the outfielder's 50 game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Cabrera was expected to be in line for a major pay day up until that point but a softened market led him to take a two-year, $16MM deal with the Blue Jays over the winter. Here's more from around baseball..
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including Ron Matejko of ESPNDallas.com, not to expect any additions between now and Opening Day. "I would expect the 25 will come out of [the Rangers clubhouse]," said Daniels. "I won't 100 percent rule out an outside acquisition, and we do our due diligence and make our calls, things can come about, but you have to be prepared to go in house."
- Tigers manager Jim Leyland says that it is "possible" that rookie Bruce Rondon will open the season as part of a bullpen by committee, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck. The Tigers have reportedly been looking to acquire a proven closer via trade in recent weeks but using Rondon with other relievers already in-house would be a less-costly middle ground.
- The Pirates released former first-round pick Aaron Poreda, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). Pittsburgh picked up the left-hander in last winter's Rule 5 draft but he made just three Double-A starts for the organization in 2012.
AL Central Notes: White Sox, Hahn, Tigers, Porcello
Here's a look at tonight's links out of the American League Central..
- The White Sox expect to come out strong in 2013 and General Manager Rick Hahn plans on being a buyer this summer, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "Certainly we still do the coverage of the mid- or lower-level prospects, the type you traditionally acquire should you have to unload or sell at the [Trade] Deadline," Hahn said. "Our focus is going to be on adding not selling, hopefully, and we are going to be prepared should we have to shift gears and head down that path."
- There has been a great deal of trade talk surrounding Tigers starter Rick Porcello, but moving the right-hander would leave the club with little depth, writes Chris Iott of MLive.com. If the season started today, either Porcello or Drew Smyly would be left out of the rotation, but moving one would leave the club without a solid insurance policy against an injured starter.
- Michael Bourn signed a four-year, $48MM deal with the Indians in February, shortly after celebrating his 30th birthday. Players whose games are based on speed tend to fade in their 30s, but Bourn says that he has no reason to believe that he will slow down in the years to come, writes Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer.
West Notes: Giants, Pill, Lowrie, A’s, Mariners
Earlier today, we learned that there's sentiment in the Rangers organization that Nolan Ryan will stay with the club. It's still possible that Ryan could jump ship over his altered role, but it won't be to bolt for the newest member of the AL West, the Astros. Here's more out of the Western divisions..
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Sulia) has been asked a possible deal sending the Giants' Brett Pill to the Yankees. While Schulman has learned that the Yankees are not scouting Pill right now, a trade is not the craziest idea given the club's depth at first base. So far, there is no indication that San Francisco is discussing such a deal with any team now.
- When the A's first traded for Jed Lowrie, they didn't have a full-time position for him to play. Now, Oakland has a new problem in that they aren't sure which spot to use him in since they are less-than-thrilled with Hiroyuki Nakajima at shortstop and Scott Sizemore at second base, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The A's inked Nakajima to a two-year, $6.5MM deal this winter.
- Thanks in part to the July trades of Ichiro Suzuki and Brandon League, the Mariners managed to turn a $5.8MM profit in 2012, writes MLB.com's Greg Johns.
Quick Hits: Ramirez, Acta, Blue Jays, Cubs
Sunday afternoon linkage..
- Unable to find an MLB opportunity, Manny Ramirez has agreed to sign with the EDA Rhinos of the China Professional League, agent Barry Praver told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Late last month, we learned that Manny Ramirez had a verbal agreement in place with the club but had the option of backing out if he landed a deal with an MLB team before March 7th.
- Former Nationals skipper Manny Acta has joined ESPN as an analyst but he still hopes to return to the dugout as a manager, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post. Acta said he was contacted by some teams for jobs as a bench coach or special assistant this winter but none as a manager. After managing two organizations during rebuilding stages, he plans to wait for the “right opportunity.”
- It would appear that the out-of-options Jeremy Jeffress has a good chance of making the Blue Jays as he has impressed in spring training, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- There's lots of trade talk surrounding Carlos Marmol and Alfonso Soriano, but Cubs manager Dale Sveum is unfazed by it, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
New York Notes: Rivera, Wheeler, Alderson
Yesterday, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera officially announced that he will retire after the 2013 season. Rivera told reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger, that he is looking forward to moving on from the constant grind of baseball. "Well, I’m telling you the tank is empty. I think that’s enough. It’s been a journey. One thing I will say that I will never stop missing the game or the action on the field. And my teammates. But after that, there’s nothing else. It’s just traveling and hotels and all that. There’s no more in me. I’ll do what I have to do next," said Rivera. Here's more on the Yankees and Mets..
- One major league executive estimated that the Super Two cutoff date may be around June 15th this year, meaning that the Mets may not promote Zack Wheeler until after that date, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The clock is ticking on Sandy Alderson's honeymoon grace period with the Mets, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. It's possible that club ownership blocked Alderson from making bold moves along the way such as trading Jose Reyes and David Wright, but Sherman argues that Alderson was viewed as having the tools necessary to navigate his way around the top of the power structure.
- In speaking with Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter) and other reporters, Alderson addressed his record in New York. "It's a body of work that has to be judged, and not on a day to day basis. You have to step back periodically and say 'Where are we?'," said the GM.
- Rivera was what set the Yankees apart from everyone else, writes Sherman. Now, the question is whether the 43-year-old can be the difference maker for the Bombers in his farewell season.
NL West Notes: Dodgers, Giants, Capuano, Cabrera
The Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches on the mound and it stands to reason that, at some point, they will move at least one of their extra starters for other assets. Earlier today, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported that Ted Lilly is drawing more interest than Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang at this stage, despite missing most of last season. Here’s more out of Los Angeles and other notes from the NL West..
- Rival officials believe that other clubs will wait for the Dodgers to be backed into a corner by the calendar before making a deal for Harang and/or Capuano, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d). The idea behind that is to push the Dodgers to eat most of the money owed to the pitchers. Harang will make $7MM for this season and has a $2MM buyout on a 2014 option. Capuano, meanwhile, will make $6MM, with a $1MM buyout.
- Yesterday, Olney wrote that the Giants were in talks on a deal worth roughly $80MM with Melky Cabrera before his suspension, but a source with deep knowledge of the club’s thinking says that no deal was close. The slugger ultimately landed in Toronto this winter, signing a two-year, $16MM deal.
- Woody Paige of the Denver Post writes that the Rockies need to upgrade their rotation with Capuano and J.A. Happ of the Blue Jays. Toronto can afford to part with the former National League rookie of the year as he isn’t slated to be part of the rotation in 2013.
Cafardo On Yankees, Headley, Red Sox, Lohse
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that some league executives feel that the new-and-improved PED testing will have a drastic effect on the power numbers of players. That feeling has given some owners pause about committing long-term deals until they know how it will all play out. “We’re all anxious to see what the result of the testing will be, but we’re anticipating that it will have a significant effect on the numbers, which will impact the game in general,” said an American League owner. “I think a few owners feel the way we do, that we’re going to see noticeable physical changes in players and their stamina in getting through a 162-game schedule.” Here's more from Cafardo..
- The Yankees have explored temporary options to fill-in for the injured Mark Teixeira but they have also looked into more significant moves. The Bombers have inquired on the Padres' Chase Headley, though we learned recently that he's not available at this time. However, Headley could be on the market this summer.
- If shortstop Jose Iglesias continues to hit in spring training, Cafardo wonders if the Red Sox might be open to dealing Stephen Drew down the line. The Cardinals pursued Drew this offseason and they are looking for help with Rafael Furcal sidelined. Drew cannot be traded until June 15 without his approval.
- Teams have a number of reasons why they say they are not interested in Kyle Lohse, but Cafardo isn't buying any of them. He feels that some team will happily give him a one-year, $10MM contract. He would be a great fit in tfhe National League and Cafardo suggests the Brewers as a good fit.
- There is more interest in Dodgers lefty Ted Lilly than fellow surplus starters Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano. The Dodgers are holding on to all of them until they know that Chad Billingsley is fully recovered after undergoing treatments to his elbow this offseason.
- A National League scout suggested that Phillies outfielder John Mayberry might be a good fit for the Yankees at first base, with a switch back to the outfield after Teixeira returns. Mayberry is a former first baseman and was used there last season when Ryan Howard was out of action.