Latest On Masahiro Tanaka
Free agent starters have largely been held up by Masahiro Tanaka, but Ubaldo Jimenez hasn't let them hurt his asking price. Want to sign the right-hander? It'll still cost you $14MM annually. While we wait to see how that plays out, here's the latest on the Japanese sensation..
- Braves president John Schuerholz says that he's not in on Tanaka but that his club did their "due diligence" on him, tweets Jim Bowden of SiriusXM.
- The Angels may be a long shot to land Tanaka, but history shows us that they shouldn't be counted out, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Some would argue that it doesn't make sense for the Halos to spend big. On the other hand, Gonzalez writes that this is as good a time as any to splurge, because Tanaka is a free agent at a relatively young age, has more upside than any other available pitcher, won't cost a Draft pick, and the Angels badly need high-upside starting pitching.
- Tanaka will meet with the Cubs and White Sox this week, likely in Chicago, tweets Luke Stuckmeyer of CSNChicago.com.
A’s Avoid Arbitration With Jesse Chavez
3:17pm: Chavez's one-year deal is worth $775K, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (Twitter link).
12:27pm: The A's and Jesse Chavez have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal, according to Jane Lee of MLB.com (via Twitter). Chavez is represented by Sosnick/Cobbe, according to the MLBTR Agency Database.
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but MLBTR's Matt Swartz projected the reliever to earn $600K through arbitration. Chavez, 30, turned in a 3.92 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 35 relief appearances last season for the Athletics. Oakland acquired the right-hander from the Blue Jays in August 2012 for cash considerations shortly after Toronto designated him for assignment.
The A's now have seven arbitration eligible players to go.
Rays Claim Pedro Figueroa, Designate Jerry Sands
The Rays have claimed Pedro Figueroa off of unconditional release waivers, according to Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, the club has designated outfielder Jerry Sands for assignment.
Figueroa, 28, has 24 big league appearances to his credit over the last two years with the Athletics. He spent the bulk of last year at Triple-A Sacramento, posting a 4.10 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 45 relief appearances and one start.
Sands, 26, was claimed off waivers from the Pirates just before Christmas and didn't get a chance to go house hunting in Tampa Bay. Sands batted just .207/.311/.329 with seven home runs in 106 games (397 PAs) at the Triple-A level in 2013. Once a favorite in the Dodgers' farm system, he became one of the players in the Adrian Gonzalez/Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett blockbuster of August 2012. The Red Sox included him in another notable trade last offseason – the deal that sent Mark Melancon to Pittsburgh and Joel Hanrahan to Boston. In his minor league career, Sands is a .276/.366/.526 hitter with 128 homers in 2433 plate appearances.
Mets Front Office Divided On Stephen Drew
The Mets remain engaged with agent Scott Boras about free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew, but a source familiar with the process tells Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that Drew is more of a "possibility" than a "probability" for them. Team officials are divided about how valuable Drew would be to the Mets.
The Mets would be more willing to consider a one- or two-year deal for Drew at the right price but don't want to go to three years or beyond. Andy Martino of the Daily News (on Twitter) gets the sense that the Mets have a strong reluctance towards offering anything more than one year. However, Rubin writes that if Drew were to accept a shorter-term deal, the feeling is that it would be with the Red Sox. Because of that, some Mets officials are wary that Boras is using them to drive up the price in Boston. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently explored possible destinations for the 14th-ranked player on MLBTR's 2014 Top 50 Free Agents list including the Astros, Yankees, Twins, Royals, and Marlins, in addition to the Mets and Red Sox.
A team insider tells Rubin that he doesn't think the Mets would need to shed payroll in order to free available space for Drew. It also helps that their first-round pick is protected. The Mets have already forfeited their second-round draft choice for signing Curtis Granderson, so inking Drew would cost them their third-round selection and its assigned slot-value, something, according to Rubin, they are not totally averse to considering.
The club has made it known that they're comfortable with using Ruben Tejada at shortstop, a revelation that was surprising given his recent history with the Mets. The Mets always recognized that he has talent, but his work ethic and motivation was repeatedly called into question in 2013.
AL East Notes: Rays, Orioles, Markakis
The Blue Jays remain among the favorites to sign either Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez, despite their quiet offseason thus far, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. In fact, the Jays could be quite aggressive in the New Year. Rosenthal writes that they could acquire as many as two starters before the offseason is over and they've also discussed trades for significant starters, including the Cubs' Jeff Samardzija. More out of the AL East..
- Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he is looking to add another bench player and remains on the lookout for another arm for the bullpen, writes Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Tribune. Friedman also indicated that this year's payroll could be a record high, beating 2010's total of $72.8MM. If that's the plan, it could be an indication that they plan to hang on to David Price.
- Like the Blue Jays, it's been a pretty quiet offseason so far for the Orioles, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com fully expects the club to go out and get another starter based on the current makeup of the rotation. For now, it looks like Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez, and Bud Norris are in the rotation. The fifth spot is wide open, but left-hander Zach Britton is the likely favorite because he's out of options.
- Nick Markakis potentially could be entering his last season with the Orioles in 2014, a year where he will be paid $15MM with a club option at $17.5MM. While it would take an exceptional season for that to be triggered, the O's would happily settle for a return to the norm for Markakis in 2014 and worrying about 2015 later, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.
Cafardo On Red Sox, Denorfia, Cruz, Kemp
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that there were two disasters in the city of Toronto last year: mayor Rob Ford and the Blue Jays. Despite the high expectations, the Blue Jays fell flat and they'll have to rally back this season to re-energize their fan base. The Blue Jays are at a disadvantage, Cafardo writes, because players aren't always open to playing north of the border and tend not to realize how great it is until they're there. More from this week's column..
- The Brewers need a first baseman and Mike Carp of the Red Sox appears to be a good fit. Whether Boston would deal him remains to be seen, however, as they enjoyed his off-the-bench contributions last season. Carp has shown that he can play every day but he won’t get that opportunity with the Red Sox unless there’s an injury to Mike Napoli.
- While the Red Sox don’t believe they can carry another outfielder, they have expressed some interest in the Padres' Chris Denorfia, a righthanded bat with a little power who can play center field. The Red Sox might be able to swing a move like this, Cafardo writes, if they deal Carp or Daniel Nava somewhere.
- A few general managers think that a one-year pillow contract would make sense for free agent outfielder Nelson Cruz. It seems that he needs to reestablish his value and if he'd do a one-year pact, it could open more opportunities for him with clubs like the Mariners, Mets, Blue Jays, Orioles, and others. The 33-year-old remains one of the best power hitters out there, but teams are wary about PED guys after they’re off the stuff.
- Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp could still be trade bait as he starts to show what he can do in spring training. Said one scout familiar with Kemp, “I think he’s going to be a guy who will be OK this year, but you’ll get the best of Kemp the following year as he’s recovered completely from the ankle.”
- The Reds have been very quiet this offseason, but Homer Bailey’s name has come up quite often as possible trade bait. In fact, they could possibly bring back Bronson Arroyo if they can deal Bailey.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Middlebrooks, Burnett, Orioles
On this date in 1920, the secret deal made to sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $125K was announced publicly. Harry Frazee, the cash-strapped Red Sox owner, also got a $300K loan as part of the deal. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Beyond The Box Score wonders why Will Middlebrooks isn’t getting more interest.
- Camden Chat looks at A.J. Burnett as a possible fit for the Orioles.
- Baltimore Sports and Life talks economics.
- The Giants Cove explains the Mobius Strip Theory.
- Outside Pitch says free agency needs to be re-evaluated.
- MLB Reports wonders who the next great AL DH will be after David Ortiz.
- Inside The Zona looks at where crowdsourcing can go wrong.
- Baseball News Source compares Gerrit Cole and Danny Salazar.
- Reviewing The Brew takes a closer look at Khris Davis.
- Baseball Stooges discusses flaws in the arbitration process.
- Brats and Baseball wonders if Daric Barton can be a fit for the Brewers.
- 101 Baseball News applauds the Astros’ offseason.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Angels To Sign Mark Mulder
TODAY, 1:25pm: Mulder's deal includes no guaranteed money, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. He will have to make the opening day roster to guarantee his $1MM base, and must stay active and in the rotation for the full season to reach the $6MM in incentives, according to Fletcher.
YESTERDAY, 6:36pm: Mark Mulder has agreed to a minor league deal with a big league invite with the Angels, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran, who is represented by Brian Charles of Big League Management Company, LLC, can earn more than $6MM if all incentives are met, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The deal comes with a guaranteed $1MM base salary, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. 
Mulder, 36, hasn't pitched since 2008 because of shoulder issues, and has been working as an analyst with ESPN since 2011. Mulder began his comeback in Arizona in November and auditioned for the Giants, Diamondbacks, and numerous other clubs before reaching agreement with the Halos. In nine seasons with the Athletics and Cardinals, Mulder owns a 4.18 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
The veteran will get an opportunity to compete for a starting job while also training near his home in the Phoenix area, tweets Crasnick. The Halos have Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson atop the rotation, with Joe Blanton, Garrett Richards, and lefties Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago also in the rotation mix. The agreement with Mulder shouldn't preclude them in their pursuit of Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka or Matt Garza. The baseball world will be rooting for Mulder, who last pitched in '08 and hasn't spent a full season as a starter since '05.
While it's a minor league deal, Mulder's agent won't commit to the left-hander actually pitching in the minors. "Mark will evaluate that if and when the time comes," Charles told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe first reported that Mulder was nearing agreement with the Angels.
Dennis Gilbert Reflects On His Career As Top Agent
Scott Boras may have the most impressive client list of any agent in baseball today, but it wasn’t long ago that he shared that title with Dennis Gilbert. From the early 80s until his retirement in 1999, Gilbert was in charge of negotiations for some of the biggest names in the game, from George Brett to Jose Canseco to Barry Bonds. He built a reputation for getting top dollar for his players and churned out record-smashing deals for his top clients. Ultimately, however, Gilbert sold his powerful Beverly Hills Sports Council at a young age, then got back into the game a couple years later as a special assistant to White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
Throughout his career, there’s been one constant for Gilbert: the life insurance business. When a friend of his who worked as a baseball agent passed away unexpectedly, Gilbert took over for some of his clients and quickly built his business from there. Still, he never left the insurance industry and juggled both by surrounding himself with the right people in both worlds. It was an impressive feat, given the amount of attention and hours that being a baseball agent requires.
In 1993, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated wrote a tremendous piece comparing Boras and Gilbert when they were both at the top of the business. The consensus from around the game was that the two men achieved their success quite differently. “One guy’s a salesman, and the other’s a warrior,” Reinsdorf told Verducci. “Dennis is smooth. While he’s taking your money, he makes you very happy.”
It may be a cliche, but Gilbert is one of a kind. He still greets people with warmth and a few card tricks, and he tends to make lasting impressions. There was no one in his field in the 1980s or ’90s who had a comparable demeanor, and there’s no one now either, nearly 15 years after he transitioned out of the business.
“I don’t have a ton of interaction with agents on a daily basis, but I don’t think any of them do. My approach was unique and I built some strong relationships during that time,” Gilbert tells MLBTR.
Gilbert had a strong rapport with executives around the league, but he had more than one client who rubbed folks the wrong way. Canseco was viewed as a brash and arrogant; Bonds’ rep was as a standoffish individual who didn’t care for the media. Of course, the stain of steroids didn’t help either player’s image. To hear Gilbert tell it, most people didn’t have a full idea of what either man was about and chose only to zero in on the more odious aspects of their personalities.
“The part of Jose that I know about was when he had money he gave his money to his father, mother, sister, brother and a lot of friends around him and he just took care of a lot of people. He had a very big heart and I think that’s a part that people never saw,” Gilbert says. “Barry did a lot of things under the radar also. Going to children’s hospitals, signing dozens of bats every year and handing them out and doing a lot of things that people weren’t cognizant of. They both had soft sides to them.”
Gilbert’s relationships with certain people in baseball continued even after he sold off the BHSC. He was Mike Piazza’s agent during much of his Dodgers prime, and even though Gilbert was no longer representing the catcher towards the end of his stay there, he was “in the room” around the time when Piazza was traded to the Marlins. Once again, in Gilbert’s mind, public perception didn’t quite match reality. As most Dodgers fans understand it, the new FOX ownership group was reluctant to pay the All-Star catcher fair market value on his next contract, necessitating the trade to Florida. On the contrary, Gilbert says that Rupert Murdoch’s baseball arm did everything it could to make things work.
Today, he’s on call for “anything that Jerry Reinsdorf needs” in his role with the White Sox and says that he’s optimistic that the club will have a quick turnaround after a down 2013. He’s considered team ownership, with exploratory talks to purchase the Rangers and, most recently, the Dodgers. One might think that he’s wistful for his days as one of the very top agents in the game, but that’s not exactly the case. Gilbert says that he enjoyed negotiating the contracts and “the baseball part” but isn’t wild about some of the outside stuff the job also calls for. His future could take him in a number of directions, but it’s safe to say that he won’t be sitting opposite of Reinsdorf at the negotiating table again.
Quick Hits: A-Rod, McGuiness, Tanaka, Twins, Jays
Brendan Kuty of the Star-Ledger looks at how much money the Yankees can save based on the outcome of Alex Rodriguez's case. If his full 211 game suspension is upheld, the Yankees would be off of the hook for his $25MM salary in 2014 and roughly $6.8MM in 2015, good for a total of $31.8MM saved over the next two years. Meanwhile, if A-Rod manages to win his appeal, he could recoup those funds and potentially more thanks to the incentives he can get for passing Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755), and Barry Bonds (762) on the all-time home run list. He's in line to get $6MM for each separate milestone. Here are more notes from around the Majors.
- The Pirates acquired first baseman Chris McGuiness from the Rangers because they were seeking a left-handed first bat to platoon with Gaby Sanchez and have a surplus of bullpen arms, tweets Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Pittsburgh shipped reliever Miles Mikolas to Texas in the deal, whom they acquired in late November from San Diego. It's possible the Pirates will use McGuiness more as a depth option than as their starter at first base against righties, however.
- Masahiro Tanaka will be more like Rangers standout Yu Darvish than big league bust Daisuke Matsuzaka, opines Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com.
- The Twins and Blue Jays took different paths towards fixing their rotations this offseason, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Since the season ended, Twins GM Terry Ryan has signed Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes, and Mike Pelfrey with a series of moves that cost $84MM. Anthopoulos, meanwhile, hasn't signed any starters, opting instead to explore trades and bide his time on select free agents.