Red Sox Notes: Crawford, Cameron
We already heard today that the Red Sox are planning to exercise Terry Francona's contract options for the next two seasons. Here are a few more items from the Sox camp…
- Boston looks like the AL East favorite, but SI.com's Jon Heyman lists a few unanswered questions about how various players will perform this season.
- Theo Epstein backed away from comments he made earlier this week saying the Red Sox "covered [Carl Crawford] as if we were privately investigating him." In an e-mail to ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes, Epstein said he used "a bad figure of speech" and said the club's "scouts just did a real thorough job on background, that's all" in researching the free agent outfielder. Crawford said Epstein informed him of Boston's tactics over the winter, but admitted that he was "a little freaked out" by the in-depth scouting procedures.
- Mike Cameron reiterated his desire to not be traded, writes Gordon Edes. "Why would I want to be traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks to play every day and miss out on the opportunity here?”, Cameron asked. It's unknown if Cameron cited the D'Backs because he knew of any interest on their part, or if he was just throwing out the name of a team that isn't expected to contend this season. (If it's the latter, sorry, D'Backs fans.)
AL East Links: Bautista, Francona, Wakefield, Phelps
The latest from the AL East, as Derek Jeter deflects Hank Steinbrenner's criticism…
- ESPN.com's Jayson Stark argues quite convincingly that Jose Bautista is the face of the Blue Jays. Toronto manager John Farrell compared Bautista to Jayson Werth, another late bloomer who signed a big contract this offseason.
- The Red Sox intend to pick up Terry Francona's two-year option at the end of the year, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Francona says he doesn't know how the Red Sox intend to approach the option, which is worth a total of $9MM.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald re-imagines the 1988 draft and suggests Tim Wakefield, then a first base prospect with some power, would have been worthy of a seventh overall selection. The Pirates drafted the future Red Sox knuckleballer in the eighth round.
- Former Blue Jays and Yankees DH Josh Phelps signed with the Italian Baseball League team Telemarket Rimini according to mister-baseball.com. The 32-year-old former top prospect hit 64 homers in the majors, including 20 for the 2003 Blue Jays.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law includes Blue Jays prospect Brett Lawrie on his list of young players who are ready for the majors in one respect, but who need development in other areas. Lawrie's bat is nearly ready, but the Blue Jays need to figure out his future position.
Red Sox Will Extend Gonzalez “For Sure”
Red Sox president Larry Lucchino confirmed on WEEI's the Dennis & Callahan Show what most of the team’s fans have been assuming since December. The Red Sox will extend Adrian Gonzalez before he hits free agency after the season.
"We're not going to let him get away," Lucchino said. "We're going to get him signed for sure."
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein says there's "no timetable" for talks between the team and its new first baseman, but it would be a surprise if the sides don't agree to a long-term deal by April. The Red Sox avoid a luxury tax hit if they wait until the season begins, so they may be inclined to finalize the deal in April, as they did with Josh Beckett last year. Though Gonzalez has denied that he has an agreement with the Red Sox, the sides have been working toward a long-term deal since December.
Kirk Minihane has the transcript of Lucchino's comments and the audio's here.
Red Sox Notes: Lackey, Miller, Bard
Some Red Sox links, as Adrian Gonzalez takes his first swings since undergoing shoulder surgery last fall…
- The Red Sox included a creative clause in Andrew Miller's contract that will discourage rival clubs from claiming the left-hander, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. If a team claims Miller, who is out of options, when the Red Sox try to send him from the majors to the minors, his 2012 option becomes guaranteed, according to Speier. Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston says the option is worth $3MM, so a team would really have to want Miller to make a claim.
- Miller explained to Speier that he chose a minor league offer from the Red Sox instead of a Major League deal elsewhere because he wants to develop as a pitcher. The left-hander made a similar decision out of high school, when he chose to go to college instead of taking guaranteed money in the form of a signing bonus.
- As Speier explains, Daniel Bard told the Yankees he wouldn't sign for less than $2MM when they drafted him in the 20th round out of high school in 2003. The Bronx Bombers never made Bard an offer and he's now a key member of their biggest rival's 'pen.
- John Lackey told Dennis & Callahan of WEEI that he expects Carl Crawford's transition to the Red Sox to be a little smoother than Gonzalez's, since Crawford is accustomed to playing in the AL East. Lackey, who is hoping for a bounce-back 2011 season, says he was trying to sink the ball too much early on in 2010, his first campaign with the Red Sox.
Quick Hits: Millwood, Furcal, Drese, Varitek, Young
Some links to sift through on a slow Sunday evening…
- Kevin Millwood is working out and throwing simulated games at agent Scott Boras' training facility according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons (on Twitter). He says the righty is "waiting for the right widespread panic," similar to Kyle Lohse prior to the 2008 season. Earlier today we learned that Millwood rejected a minor league offer from the Yankees.
- Rafael Furcal isn't thinking about the $12MM option in his contract, writes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Yesterday we found out that the option can automatically vest with 600 plate appearances this season.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tells the story of Ryan Drese, who is attempting a comeback with the Orioles this year.
- Having embraced his role as a backup, Jason Varitek wants to play into his 40s, writes MLB.com's Ian Browne. Varitek will turn 39 on April 11 this season.
- If Michael Young had to choose a villain in the ongoing saga of his trade request, it's best that he chose Jon Daniels, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
- Jon Paul Morosi takes a look at the communication issues that led us to where we stand now in regards to the Young situation.
- This will be Dustin McGowan's last attempt at a comeback, writes John Lott of the Ottawa Citizen. McGowan has undergone two shoulder surgeries and a knee surgery since 2008, and says he won't endure another shoulder surgery if the injury barks up again.
Indians Notes: Masterson, Bonderman, Carmona
Paul Hoynes and Terry Pluto at the Cleveland Plain Dealer have the latest on the Tribe….
- In a mailbag, Hoynes explains that the Indians likely didn't consider bringing back Manny Ramirez because they preferred to add a player who could handle the outfield – like Austin Kearns.
- Within the same article, Hoynes says that the Red Sox have approached the Indians multiple times about the possibility of re-acquiring Justin Masterson. The Indians aren't likely to move the right-hander, but Hoynes points out they'd be "silly not to listen."
- Hoynes also adds that he still thinks Jeremy Bonderman could become an Indian, on a minor league deal. However, he doesn't see the team signing Kevin Millwood unless the veteran's asking price goes down.
- In a separate piece, Fausto Carmona tells Hoynes that he's happy in Cleveland and unfazed by trade rumors involving him: "I never read the newspaper in the Dominican Republic. I can't control the situation. A lot of people see something on the Internet and call me and say do you know about this trade? I just tell them I'm ready to play, no matter what the situation."
- Pluto says he's come around on the Orlando Cabrera signing after finding out it was only for $1MM. He notes that, if Cabrera plays well, the Tribe could turn him into a midseason trade chip as they did with Russell Branyan last year.
Cafardo’s Latest: Molina, Aceves, Nathan, Cameron
Bruce Bochy, coming off a World Series victory, tops Nick Cafardo's list of baseball's best managers in the Boston Globe. Cafardo, who ranks baseball's skippers 1 through 30, praises Bochy's "flawless postseason," explaining that he "had a pretty dynamite pitching staff in San Francisco but basically took a team of vagabonds to the highest peak." Here are some other items of interest from Cafardo's piece:
- Bengie Molina has gone back and forth on whether he wants to play this year. A team like the Red Sox wouldn't mind adding him for insurance, but Molina would be looking for a job that offers fairly consistent playing time.
- Alfredo Aceves, who recently signed with the Red Sox, "wasn't pleased" that the Yankees didn't show a stronger interest in re-signing him. Brian Cashman said the Yanks only offered Aceves a minor league deal due to injury concerns.
- Joe Nathan's recovery from Tommy John surgery is on track and he expects to be ready for the start of the season. Twins management is confident in Nathan's health as well, which is why the team didn't make significant additions to a bullpen that lost Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, and Jon Rauch.
- Although Cafardo thinks Mike Cameron will see plenty of playing time in Boston this year, he cautions that the outfielder could become trade bait before the end of Spring Training. One National League scout's thoughts: "Cameron is a guy who fits well on a team because he’s versatile, plays excellent defense, and can hit left-handed pitching. A team like the Phillies would have to be interested, but he’s a guy who could help a lot of teams."
Quick Hits: Diamondbacks, LaRoche, Pence, Young
Some links for Saturday evening as the cold weather makes its way back to the Northeast..
- Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall told Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic that the team will "spend the money necessary to sign the players that are the best players out there when our turn comes," referring to the draft. The D'Backs hold two of the first seven picks after failing to sign sixth overall pick Barret Loux last year.
- Before landing with the Athletics on a minor league contract, Andy LaRoche drew interest from the Red Sox and Indians according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
- Astros outfielder Hunter Pence tweeted that he found the arbitration process to be fascinating but is glad to have it in the rear view mirror. Earlier today, Pence won his arb case, meaning that he'll earn $6.9MM in 2011.
- The Diamondbacks' 2011 payroll should be in the low $60MM range, managing partner Ken Kendrick told Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (via Twitter).
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels doesn't sound too upset about the status of his relationship with Michael Young in this tweet from Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram.
- White Sox slugger Adam Dunn is ready to embrace his new role in Chicago, writes Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Former Yankees prospect Zach McAllister is looking forward to a new start with the Indians, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
2012 Vesting Options
Vesting options are always worth keeping track of during the season, especially since they can often have consequences that are less than desirable. Last year Magglio Ordonez ($15MM), Kerry Wood ($11MM), and Brian Fuentes ($9MM) all had big money options that did not vest, though Darren Oliver ($3.25MM) and Trever Miller ($2MM) had some smaller ones that did.
Here is a list of 2012 vesting options to keep an eye on this summer…
- Bobby Abreu, Angels: $9MM option vests with 433 plate appearances. Abreu hasn't come to the plate fewer than 589 times in a season since 1997, his rookie year.
- Adam Wainwright, Cardinals: His $9MM option for 2012 and $12MM option for 2013 will lock in as long as he does not finish 2011 on the disabled list. His second place finish in the 2010 Cy Young voting was step one of the vesting process.
- Aramis Ramirez, Cubs: $16MM option vests if he is named MVP of either the regular season or League Championship Series, or if he is traded at some point in 2011.
- Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Furcal has come to the plate 600+ times just once in the last three seasons (2009) due to injuries.
- Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. Garland hasn't thrown fewer than 191 1/3 innings since becoming a full-time starter in 2002.
- Francisco Rodriguez, Mets: $17.5MM option vests with 55 games finished and if doctors declare him healthy at the end of the season.
- Koji Uehara, Orioles: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara hasn't reached either milestone in his first two big league seasons, though he came close in 2010: 43 appearances and 22 games finished.
- Arthur Rhodes, Rangers: $4MM option vests with 62 appearances and if he's not on the disabled list at the end of the season.
- Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances, which he's done in three of his four big league seasons. The chances of it coming into play are microscopic, but Soria has a $6.5MM option for 2012 that could vest with 334 1/3 innings pitched (400 IP in 2010 & 2011). That was obviously put into his contract in case the team ever moved him into the rotation.
- Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games. Wheeler reached 64 games in 2010, but had at least 69 in each of the previous five seasons.
Mark Buehrle is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season and although he doesn't have a traditional option in his contract, he gets an extra year at $15MM tacked onto his current deal if he's traded at some point this season.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Fenway, Epstein
Here is the latest from two of baseball's biggest powerhouses…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Chad Jennings of The Journal News that there are no player moves on the horizon. "I have nothing I'm involved with right now," he said. "Zero."
- Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino told Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe that his team will have the financial room to add players at the trade deadline, if needed (Twitter link).
- Lucchino also told Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston and Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe that he was informed by engineers that Fenway Park will be structurally sound for another 40-50 years, so there are no plans for a new ballpark (Twitter links).
- Red Sox owner John Henry told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he doesn't even know how long GM Theo Epstein is under contract, and there are no real discussions about his future (Twitter link). Cot's Baseball Contracts doesn't know how long Epstein is under contract either.
- Boston has paid upwards of $85MM in revenue sharing and approximately $1.5MM in luxury tax, tweets Speier.
- Anyone dreaming of Mark Teixeira for Albert Pujols trade can stop now. The Yankees first baseman told Joel Sherman of The New York Post (on Twitter) that "I've got that no-trade [clause] for a reason. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be buried in these pinstripes."