MLBTR Originals
Here's a look at the original reporting and analysis delivered by the MLBTR writing staff this week..
- Several contenders are already dealing with injuries in the bullpen and it seems likely that trade suitors will be checking in with the Padres on Huston Street, writes Dan Mennella.
- Dan checked in on the free agent stock of Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier.
- This week's edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In includes pieces on Derek Jeter, Jason Bay, and the Rays.
- It's a Make Or Break Year for Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind, writes Mark Polishuk.
- Nearly 62% of MLBTR readers don't think that Josh Hamilton will play for the Rangers in 2013.
- Delmon Young's representatives at Wasserman Media Group will seek a multi-year deal if he replicates his 2010 performance but he'll be limited to one-year offers if he doesn't perform. It's an important season for Young, Ben Nicholson-Smith writes.
- More than 9,000 of you weighed in on Mike's poll asking if the Phillies will sign Cole Hamels to an extension and the votes were just about split.
- Ben conducted MLBTR's weekly chat and you can check out the transcript right here.
- Mike writes that fair or not, the Yankees are going to have to give Robinson Cano a larger contract than what Ian Kinsler and Brandon Phillips received if they intend to keep him beyond next season.
- Ben wrapped up the Offseason In Review series with a look at the Indians.
- Want a rundown of all of MLBTR's regular features? We got you covered.
- Ben looked at recent extensions for pre-arbitration eligible players.
- Mike Pelfrey could be in for a big payday if he delivers in 2012, Mike writes.
- I asked MLBTR readers when they expect the Dodgers to start contending and most see next season being the turning point for Los Angeles.
Angels Notes: Wilson, Thompson, Pujols, Morales
After dropping three straight, the Angels were especially glad to top the Yankees 7-1 yesterday in the Bronx. Here's a look at some items on the Halos as they face the Bombers again this evening..
- Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson nearly wound up signing with the Marlins, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Wilson's agent Bob Garber was moments away from accepting an offer from Miami unless the Angels went from a four-year deal to five. Halos GM Jerry Dipoto was preoccupied with the Albert Pujols negotiations but agreed to go to five years and hammer out the dollar figure later.
- Reliever Rich Thompson could be a good fit for the Yankees, writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues. The Angels designated the 27-year-old for assignment yesterday to create roster space for Brad Mills.
- Even with the addition of Pujols and the return of Kendrys Morales, the Angels have shown early tendencies that are likely to hamper the offense in the long term if not corrected, writes Wendy Thurm of Fangraphs for ESPN.com (Insider req'd).
Red Sox Actively Exploring Outfield Market
The Red Sox are “actively” exploring the market for available outfielders, a major league source told Alex Speier of WEEI.com. However, it’s unlikely that the Red Sox will find a starting center fielder on the trade block this early in the season.
Two American League talent evaluators wondered aloud to Speier whether the A’s Coco Crisp could be a fit. Crisp has been displaced from center field, where his value is greatest, to left field by the signing of Yoenis Cespedes. Oakland is also said to like several prospects in the Red Sox’s system and the two teams came close on a deal that would have brought Gio Gonzalez to Boston in a prospect-driven deal.
Central Notes: Reds, Votto, Pirates, Indians
A look at items out of the Central divisions..
- Reds first baseman Joey Votto told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he wanted to become the highest-paid Canadian player in baseball. Votto’s ten-year, $225MM extension not only made him the top earning Canadian baseball player, but made him the country’s highest-paid athlete. There was talk about the Blue Jays targeting Votto down the line but the slugger said that it would be difficult to ever settle for a five-year deal as per their policy.
- There’s been a lot of talk about the Braves‘ low-paying television deal but Bob Cohn of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out that the Pirates contract is also undervalued. The Bucs are in the third year of a ten-year TV deal and will receive $18MM this year, according to industry sources.
- Even though the Indians are in need of an impact bat, Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer isn’t sure that the club should trade Chris Perez to get that done.
- Drew Stubbs has some level of trade value but the Reds wouldn’t get a whole lot back for him, tweets John Fay of Cincinnati Enquirer.
Red Sox Designate Bowden, Exposito For Assignment
The Red Sox have designated Michael Bowden and Luis Exposito for assignment, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The moves were made to allow Boston to promote Jason Repko and Nate Spears.
Bowden, 25, was one of three supplemental first-round picks by Boston in 2005 along with Clay Buchholz and Jed Lowrie. The right-hander has a 3.27 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in parts of four Triple-A seasons. Bowden has also appeared in 39 big league games for the Red Sox over the last five years.
Exposito, also 25, moved up to Triple-A Pawtucket last season and hit .242/.298/.367 with eight homers in 359 plate appearances. The catcher was briefly called up to the Red Sox last June but did not appear in a game.
Cafardo On Greinke, Marcum, Damon, Indians
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders how the Red Sox will approach Jacoby Ellsbury, now that he is injured for the second time in three years? The Sox could be thinking longer-term with players like Daniel Bard, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Andrew Bailey but Ellsbury's health is a concern. However, it might not make a big difference one way or another as Ellsbury is a Scott Boras client. Here's more from Cafardo..
- The Brewers took a hit when they couldn’t retain Prince Fielder, and owner Mark Attanasio is very competitive. That could spark the club to get a deal worked out with right-hander Zack Greinke, even though the two sides recently put discussions on hold. Greinke, however, needs to have a strong season and show consistency from one year to the next to get the big-money deal he’s after. Greinke could be after a Matt Cain-type deal (six years, $127.5MM) but the numbers may not support that.
- There hasn't been much talk between the Brewers and Shaun Marcum either, but Milwaukee should have extra incentive to get a deal done after giving up Brett Lawrie to land him.
- Could the Indians slow offensive start have sparked them to sign Johnny Damon? Cafardo writes that GM Chris Antonetti came to the conclusion that the Tribe could use Damon, especially after the club hit .176 on its opening five-game homestand.
- Scouts seem to have split opinons on Alex Rodriguez as some say that his bat has slowed down significantly and others believe that he looks as physically sound as he has in three years. Cafardo agrees with the latter. Including this season, Rodriguez has six years remaining on his ten-year, $275MM deal.
Quick Hits: Twins, Thomas, Damon, Nationals, Rays
Saturday afternoon linkage..
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) notes that the Twins finally got Clete Thomas, years after they drafted him but were unable to sign him. Minnesota claimed Thomas off of waivers from the Tigers earlier today.
- Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs examines whether Johnny Damon is worth it for the Indians.
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson pushed for major changes to the bench this year and is happy with the outcome, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson. This year's bench is clicking so far with the likes of Chad Tracy, Xavier Nady, and Mark DeRosa.
- The Rays signed Dominican shortstop Christian Toribio for $65K, according to a press release from the Dominican Prospect League. The DPL categorizes Toribio as an above average runner and a solid defender with enough arm strength and range to stick at the position.
Rosenthal On Lannan, Greinke, Cardinals, McCann
Highlights from the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- The Nationals continue to look for a taker for John Lannan but his $5MM salary is only part of the problem. A rival exec points out that any team that gets Lannan might prefer to let him go this offseason rather than go to arbitration with him, further diminishing his value.
- A rival executive says that Joey Votto's ten-year, $225MM contract with the Reds could affect Zack Greinke's talks with the Brewers. In the past, a team like Milwaukee could claim that a small market team could never afford such a deal, but that no longer seems like a fair argument.
- The Cardinals talked about trading Kyle Lohse or Jake Westbrook to free up space for Albert Pujols but it now looks like they made the right decision to hang on to both. While the two pitchers will earn a combined $20MM+ this season, both reported in excellent condition this season and are off to strong early starts.
- The Braves are locked into their local TV deal for the next 20 years – a deal that could soon become the worst in the sport. Meanwhile, their payroll is stagnant and while the farm system is deep in pitchers and shortstops, it's not terribly deep in other areas. Rosenthal can't imagine that the future looks promising for catcher Brian McCann as he is two years away from free agency.
Quick Hits: Royals, Teixeira, Wright, Rockies, Royals
On this day in 2000, the (Devil) Rays purchased Dwight Gooden from the Astros. Doc made eight starts with Tampa Bay before being released in May, allowing him to finish out his career in New York with the Yankees. Gooden obviously didn't replicate the numbers of his prime in this final season but did post a 4.71 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 for the three teams. Here's a look at tonight's links..
- The Royals have hope for the first time in a long time but they'll have to ramp up the spending to truly contend, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
- Teams continue to sign first basemen to long, expensive agreements despite mounting evidence that such deals are not very good ideas, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. It looks as though Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is in decline in the middle of his monster deal and even Todd Helton's team-friendly pact with the Rockies wound up looking like an overpay.
- In a piece for CapitalNewYork.com, Howard Megdal wonders if the Mets might be laying the PR groundwork to let David Wright walk at the end of this season. The Mets hold a $16MM option on the third baseman for 2013.
- Mike Fontenot could replace Pete Orr on the Phillies' bench as the utility man, but don't expect him to replace Freddy Galvis, writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. The Phillies signed the 31-year-old infielder to a minor league deal earlier today.
- Mike Cameron signed a one-day deal with the Mariners today in order to retire with the club and though he may look to be a coach or instructor he vowed to never pursue a managerial career, tweets John Hickey of SportsPressNW.com.
Nationals Designate Brett Carroll For Assignment
The Nationals have designated Brett Carroll for assignment in order to make room for Rick Ankiel, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The outfielder made just one plate appearance for Washington this season.
Carroll, 29, appeared in 173 games for the Marlins from 2007 through 2010 but has seen limited action in the big leagues since then. The right-handed hitter has put up strong numbers in Triple-A for his career, posting a .277/.343/.500 slash line in parts of five seasons.
The veteran was signed by Washington in December to help bridge the gap between Opening Day and Bryce Harper‘s eventual promotion.