AL West Notes: Tanaka, Ibanez, Astros
In today’s press conference to introduce Raul Ibanez, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto declined to comment on whether he’s in on Masahiro Tanaka, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “It’s not fair to the player or the organization to openly discuss free agents,” said Dipoto (link). Despite that, Fletcher thinks it’s still safe to assume they’re interested in the Japanese hurler. More out of the AL West..
- Brian McTaggart of MLB.com looked at the Astros‘ top storylines from 2013, including owner Jim Crane expanding the payroll and the appointment of Ryan Reid as president of business operations.
- Ibanez told reporters, including Fletcher (Twitter link) that he wouldn’t still be playing if he didn’t think he could do it at a high level. The 41-year-old inked a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $2.75MM that can go as high as $5MM with incentives.
- Ibanez also talks about why he hits well at the Angels‘ home park, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The slugger said the background allows him to see ball well, he benefits from the park’s wide open gaps, and he says the ball moves well through the infield. His value is also helped by the fact that he won’t have to play the outfield in Anaheim.
Mets Still Talking With Stephen Drew
The Mets are still in contact with Scott Boras, the agent for shortstop Stephen Drew, a person with knowledge of the talks tells Marc Carig of Newsday. However, the source likened the situation to the Mets' pursuit of outfielder Michael Bourn late last winter, a chase that ended with the outfielder signing with the Indians.
The parallel here, in the source's view, is that the Mets made a serious run at signing Bourn mostly because he lowered his asking price late in the offseason. Meanwhile, Mets assistant GM J.P. Ricciardi recently indicated in a radio interview that the club is happy with Ruben Tejada as their starting shortstop. The Mets have been frustrated with Tejada's effort in the past, but they seem to believe that he is ready to turn things around in 2014.
Drew's market doesn't look any clearer as we approach the New Year. The Red Sox have interest in bringing the shortstop back, but they're also determined to wait things out and get a deal that suits them.
Orioles Notes: Rodney, Balfour, Lough
The Orioles have talked with the Mets about Ike Davis, but it sounds like the asking price coming out of Queens is a touch high. The Mets tried to get the O's to part with top pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez in a deal but, unsurprisingly, Baltimore said no. Davis to GM Dan Duquette & Co. may not happen, but Orioles fans would like to see something significant go down. More out of Baltimore..
- Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com looks at Fernando Rodney as a closer candidate for the Orioles in the wake of Grant Balfour's non-deal. Rodney offers a big strikeout rate, a power arm, and decent groundball numbers, all characteristics that surely make him attractive to the O's. However, his $10MM asking price is likely a turnoff for the cost-conscious Orioles.
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun fears that the Orioles' window of opportunity might be closing as the New Year approaches. Nobody expected Baltimore to go out and get Robinson Cano or Jacoby Ellsbury this winter, but the Jim Johnson trade and the collapse of the Balfour agreement have left them with a lot of uncertainty at a time when division rivals have combined to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on free agents and will do even more.
- In today's column, ESPN.com's Buster Olney ranks the top ten defenses in baseball. The Orioles are at the top of the heap thanks in part to third baseman Manny Machado, who is "the best at his position, and it’s not close," according to one talent evaluator. Newcomer David Lough also helps their case as he posted one of the best UZR/150 ratings among outfielders with at least 650 innings last season. Baltimore acquired Lough in exchange for Danny Valencia earlier this month.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Tanaka, Yankees, Orioles
The Red Sox are pretty much the only big market team not heavily connected to Masahiro Tanaka, but a case could be made that they should be involved, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Boston already has six starters under contract with a rich minor league system that could deliver three or four more in the next two years and they're right against the $189MM tax threshold, but the 25-year-old is a special talent. More out of the AL East..
- For the Yankees rotation to go from a concern to a strength, the Bombers will need a lot to go right, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman says the Yanks have to sign Tanaka, have Manuel Banuelos and Michael Pineda return to health and a high-level form, and see Ivan Nova be the pitcher he was upon returning full-time to the rotation last July.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com looks at the Orioles roster and finds that surprisingly few players were signed as major league free agents.
- The Rays are excited about the defensive play that new catcher Ryan Hanigan will bring, writes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay acquired the backstop from the Reds earlier this month in a three-team deal and promptly gave him a contract extension.
Cafardo On Tanaka, Jimenez, Cruz, Lackey, Ichiro
In this week's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the Orioles owe it to their fans to take a shot at a championship by bolstering the roster. The O's moved Jim Johnson to save on his expected $10MM salary for 2014 but the nixing of Grant Balfour's deal leaves them without a proven closer. The Orioles, with a few fixes, could be exciting and fun to watch, but they need more if they want to win it all. More from this week's column..
- Cafardo cautions not to sleep on the Red Sox in the Masahiro Tanaka hunt and one AL scout says it’s the perfect time for the Red Sox to strike. “They have veteran pitchers in the final year or two years remaining on their deals,” he said. “They’ll be clearing out a lot of payroll soon. I know they feel they have good young pitching on the horizon, but Tanaka should be a very good No. 2 or No. 3 starter on any staff. I would think with their emphasis on pitching, they would get into it.” The Yankees, Cubs, Rangers, and Dodgers figure to be the most aggressive and the Angels, Phillies, Royals, and Blue Jays are expected to get into it.
- Will the Red Sox's experience with Daisuke Matsuzaka scare them off of Tanaka? “I don’t think that can enter their thinking. I’m sure they would have gone after Yu Darvish in retrospect,” said one National League GM.
- Cafardo recently spoke with a few GMs who feel the Yankees may wind up with Ubaldo Jimenez, even if they land Tanaka. “He had an excellent second half, has great stuff, and he has the type of personality that would fit New York,” one GM said. “He doesn’t let things get to him. He’s good at shrugging off things and turning the page.” If the Yankees ink both pitchers, it's pretty difficult to see them staying under the $189MM mark.
- Nelson Cruz is the best available free agent among position players, but his demand of four years at $75MM has turned off teams. While other PED guys such as Jhonny Peralta have cashed in, teams are worried that Cruz, who more relies on his power is of greater concern for teams who worry that being off the stuff could hurt his power numbers.
- John Lackey’s name has come up consistently this winter, but the Red Sox aren’t motivated to deal him. That could change, but the club is enthused about his $500K option for 2015.
- It'll be interesting to see if the Yankees can move Ichiro Suzuki given their crowded outfield. The Giants remain a possibility, Cafardo writes.
- The Dodgers could still trade from their outfield surplus. When it comes to Matt Kemp, of course, teams want to see how he rebounds from shoulder and ankle surgeries.
- With Brian McCann aboard and Francisco Cervelli as backup, Yankees catcher Austin Romine is very much available.
- Johan Santana is getting closer to making a decision on a minor league deal with a team. There’s been some speculation about the Twins since Santana still resides in Fort Myers, Fla., where the Twins have spring training. A small-market team such as the Astros could also have some interest.
MLBTR Regular Features
If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, Week In Review posts and Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:
- MLBTR Chats - Join Tim Dierkes every Tuesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the Major Leagues.
- Baseball Blogs Weigh In - Every Friday, I feature some of the best writing from baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to submit a post of yours, you can reach me at zachbbwi@gmail.com.
- Week In Review - It's remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, MLBTR summarizes the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
- MLBTR Originals - Edward Creech gathers all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Blue Jays, Tanaka, Mets
On this date in 2005, the Diamondbacks send Troy Glaus and highly touted infield prospect Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays in exchange for Gold Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson and starter Miguel Batista. Toronto’s active off-season convinced Glaus to waive his limited no-trade clause and head up north. As for Santos, he never made his mark as an infielder, but instead found his success on the mound. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Baseball Hot Corner has Alex Anthopoulos’ five worst deals.
- Inside The Zona handicaps everyones odds on Masahiro Tanaka.
- Blogging Mets looks at the Mets’ top moments of 2013.
- i70 Baseball says the Danny Valencia deal made sense for the Royals.
- The Beanball wants to know where the love for Paul Maholm is.
- Baseball News Source stacks Tanaka against Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish.
- Reviewing The Brew backs Marco Estrada.
- Outside Pitch looks at the five remaining major starters.
- MLB Reports makes a case against the Nats extending Jordan Zimmermann.
- Yanks Beat Blog says the Yankees need Tanaka.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Cubs Sign Jose Veras
The Cubs caught lightning in a bottle with a revitalized Kevin Gregg for much of the 2013 season, but they'll have a more consistent option in place next season in the form of Jose Veras. Chicago officially announced the signing of Veras to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2015 season today. The Praver/Shapiro client will reportedly earn $3.85MM and has a $150K buyout on a $5.5MM option, making a total guarantee of $4MM. Veras, who will serve as Chicago's closer, can also earn $750K worth of incentives based on games finished.
The 33-year-old posted a 3.02 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 with a 41.8 percent ground-ball rate in 62 2/3 innings between the Astros and Tigers, collecting a career-high 21 saves along the way. The right-hander drew interest from multiple clubs this offseason including the Rockies and Astros.
Veras spent the first four months of the season as Houston's closer before being shipped to the Tigers in July for outfield prospect Danry Vasquez and a player to be named later who turned out to be right-hander David Paulino. Detroit turned down a $4MM option on the veteran, but he would up getting the same guaranteed money out of the Cubs, plus a $150K buyout from Detroit, $750K of incentives from Chicago and a chance at a healthy raise in 2015.
Though Gregg served as Chicago's closer for much of the season, the team relied on a number of late-inning options that did not fare well. Carlos Marmol struggled once again, Shawn Camp was unable to replicate his 2012 magic and found himself released and Japanese acquisition Kyuji Fujikawa wound up requiring Tommy John surgery after just 12 innings with the Cubs. Veras will join Pedro Strop, James Russell, Blake Parker, Wesley Wright and presumably Carlos Villanueva in the Cubs' bullpen. Other internal options include Arodys Vizcaino, Hector Rondon, Brooks Raley and Justin Grimm. Fujikawa should return at some point this season as well.
The Astros were said to be pushing hard to get Veras back in the organization and the fondness seemed mutual. "It feels like family there," Veras said of Houston. "It’s a young team and they’re hungry to win. I feel part of the team. I doesn’t mater to me if we won or lose. When you play as a team and everybody cares, that’s the best part for me." Alas, Veras will be moving on to a new club, his eighth team in the past six seasons.
Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com first reported the $4MM guarantee and the $5.5MM club option (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported Veras' exact 2014 salary, the additional incentives and his 2015 buyout. Heyman also reported that Veras will serve as Chicago's closer (All Twitter links).
Steve Adams contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL West Notes: Rangers, Tanaka, Mariners, Choo
A look at today's links out of the AL West..
- Evan Grant of the Dallas News looks at how the Rangers could potentially make a play for Masahiro Tanaka. While Texas is considered a longshot to land Tanaka thanks to their already hefty payroll, they can’t be totaly counted out. Grant says, in theory, they could move Alex Rios' $12.5MM salary, sign Tanaka, and move one of their other starters to fill the newly-created hole in the outfield. A theoretical Derek Holland-for-Brett Gardner swap, for example, might save about another $1.5MM pending the outcome of Gardner’s arbitration situation. There's also another way to create some breathing room: selling the naming rights to their ballpark.
- Signing Tanaka without making other moves wouldn't help to fix the Mariners' roster inbalance, tweets Bob Dutton of The News Tribune. It doesn't seem likely that the M's will get in on Tanaka anyway considering that they are pretty much at capacity in terms of payroll.
- Rob Neyer of SB Nation spoke with Mike Curto, voice of the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, about his reaction to the 2006 trade that sent Shin-Soo Choo to the Indians for platoon DH Ben Broussard.
Agents, Executives On Holiday Activity In Baseball
So far, it has been an entertaining offseason in baseball littered with surprising trades and free agents landing lucrative deals thanks to the influx of new TV money across MLB. However, there tends to be less deals consummated during the holidays and (never say never, but) we're not likely to see a major transaction go down on Christmas. That doesn't mean that the business of baseball magically comes to a screeching halt, however. Agents and executives are still sending texts and making calls as they enjoy Christmas and New Year's Eve with their families.
"When I've had a free agent negotiation in progress, I can recall times that I have been talking to a GM in the back of my in-laws house while he was at the back of his in-laws house," said agent Joe Longo of Paragon Sports International, a firm that represents Mike Napoli, Sergio Santos, and other notable big leaguers.
"We all have families and we're all trying to celebrate the holidays but sometimes you just have to get an update on a free agent when there are four or five teams you're talking to. Luckily, my family is really understanding. My wife gets it."
For Giants Vice President Bobby Evans, there's "never a complete shutdown" on business and he told MLBTR last week that his front office will continue to be active through the holiday season.
"There are still quite a few guys out there so I wouldn't be surprised if there was some activity. Some of it can be put to the side and kept quieter until after the day of Christmas or the New Year but there's still goint to be activity, there are just too many options out there," Evans said, while noting that, in his case, the Giants have already taken care of most of their Christmas shopping list and will instead focus on minor league pickups from this point forward.
While everyone acknowledges that the holidays are a slower time, agent Burton Rocks says that he finds that the stretch between Christmas and New Year's Eve can be a springboard for future activity. Deals that have stalled, he notes, can be rekindled by reaching out to an executive and wishing them happy holidays.
Meanwhile, one prominent agent says he'll be focusing on negotiations for his arbitration-eligible clients during the holidays. Of course, he acknowledges that it's still possible for something to come out of left field for one of his free agents before the ball drops. Things may be a bit quieter during the holidays, but every agent and GM will be keeping their phones handy during their downtime.