Red Sox, Wakefield Finalize Two-Year Contract
6:23pm: Full details of Wakefield's contract are here, courtesy of Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
4:29pm: The team has confirmed the signing, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi. Bradford, meanwhile, has some quotes from Wakefield, who admitted to being a little disappointed that they wanted to cut his guarantee, "but in the long run they’re at least guaranteeing me another year.”
1:48pm: Bradford confirmed in an email that the deal has been finalized.
1:28pm: WEEI.com's Rob Bradford says the new deal will guarantee Wakefield $5MM ($3.5MM in 2010, $1.5MM in 2011), with incentives that could push the total value of the deal up to $7MM.
1:26pm: The Red Sox have held (and exercised) a perpetual $4MM option for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield since 2005, but now Tony Massarotti of The Boston Globe reports that the two sides are renegotiating the deal after Wakefield had surgery to remove disc fragments from his back.
Massarotti says the two sides are close to an agreement on a two-year deal with a lower base salary, but incentives that will give Wakefield the chance to earn the same money if he stays healthy. The 43-year-old has made 20+ starts for the Sox for the last seven years, and he's just 17 wins behind Roger Clemens and Cy Young for the franchise record of 192 wins.
Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Halladay, Pettitte, Snyder
Here's some more links on a busy first day at the GM meetings…
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier writes that when Jed Hoyer took over as GM of the Padres, it only made it tougher for the Red Sox to pull off a deal for Adrian Gonzalez. “He knows all my tricks, and I know his,” said Theo Epstein of Hoyer.
- Meanwhile, WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports that Roy Halladay has identified the Red Sox as a team he'd be willing to accept a trade to. Doc has a full no-trade clause.
- Andy Pettitte has apparently told his Yankee teammates that he'd like to come back for one more year, though there's been no definitive word according to SI.com's Jon Heyman. GM Brian Cashman said he expects the team to be more "cautious than anxious" this offseason, and that he plans to go slow, even with their own free agents according to Joel Sherman of The NY Post.
- Mets' GM Omar Minaya "has told several of his friends in the industry that he badly wants to add a run-producing bat at either first base and/or left field," according to Sherman.
- MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports that Chris Snyder confirmed there has not been a setback in his rehab from back surgery. The Blue Jays nixed a potential Snyder for Lyle Overbay swap over the weekend over concerns about the catcher's back.
- The Orioles claimed righthander Armando Gabino off waivers from the Twins, according to Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune. Meanwhile, a team press release says the Rays claimed righty Ramon Ramirez off waivers from the Reds.
- FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report that Melvin Mora is working out at other positions to increase his versatility and up his value as a free agent.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs compared Jason Bay to Mike Cameron, and determines that the latter is a better value.
- Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts breaks down some Chad Billingsley rumors.
Heyman’s Latest: Holliday, Lackey, Bay, Trades
Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…
- Scott Boras said on Sunday that the Cardinals have not made any proposals in an effort to retain Matt Holliday, and Heyman says "the chances for Holliday to remain a Cardinal look slim at this point."
- A source familiar with the situation said the Angels offered John Lackey an extension earlier this year worth less than $40MM over three years on top of 2009's $10MM salary, so if they wish to re-sign him now, they'll have to completely rethink their original stance.
- The Red Sox are trying to bring Jason Bay back on a four year, $60MM deal, though his agent maintains that Bay is the "most complete player on the market."
- The Mets, Giants, Braves, Cubs, Mariners, and Yankees could also be interested in Holliday and/or Bay.
- The Mets are believed to have Holliday higher on their wish list than Bay, and are also expected to pursue Randy Wolf.
- There is speculation that Lackey would like to pitch at home in Texas, but the Rangers' interest might depend on how quickly their sale is resolved.
- Heyman says that "MLB has set a tentative Thanksgiving deadline for the sale of the Rangers, but the price tag is expected to be in the $500 million range, and in cases of such big money there are no guarantees that things will go quickly."
- Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Bobby Jenks, Dan Uggla, and Milton Bradley should highlight a star studded trade market.
- Halladay seems like a good bet to be moved, while the Red Sox and Dodgers represent possible suitors for Gonzalez.
- Tampa has a replacement for Crawford in top prospect Desmond Jennings, while Jenks and Uggla would be moved in cost cutting deals.
- Teams will certainly inquire on the availability of Felix Hernandez, but Heyman says the team plans to spend the winter trying to lock him up long-term. At the GM Meetings today, GM Jack Zduriencik said "Felix is our property. We're going to have him the next two years."
- The Yankees have started to think about re-signing both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.
- Both the Brewers and Mariners are expected to have interest in Jarrod Washburn.
- If the Angels don't re-sign Chone Figgins, they are expected to pursue Adrian Beltre to fill their third base hole.
- The Rangers will let Hank Blalock walk as a free agent, and are expected to promote top prospect Justin Smoak next year.
- Orlando Hudson is expected to leave the Dodgers as a free agent, though Heyman says they could re-sign Ronnie Belliard to compete with Blake DeWitt at second base.
- Team officials would not be shocked if the Red Sox tried to move David Ortiz and/or Mike Lowell, though it's going to be tough to move them with all the DH-types available on the free agent market.
Red Sox Pick Up Victor Martinez’s Option
No surprise here, though now it's official: The Red Sox have exercised their $7.1MM option for Victor Martinez according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. This was about as much of a no-brainer as they come.
The 30-year-old Martinez hit .303/.381/.480 this season, .336/.405/.507 after coming to Boston at the trade deadline. He split his time in the field almost equally between catcher and first base, and FanGraphs values V-Mart's 2009 production at $21.9MM.
Nick Green, Joey Gathright Become Free Agents
According to WEEI.com's Alex Speier, both Nick Green and Joey Gathright elected to become free agents after the Red Sox outrighted them off the 40-man roster late last week.
Green, 31, hit .236/.303/.366 in 309 plate appearances in 2009, holding down Boston's shortstop gig for much of the season. Speier mentions that Green will have surgery on his back today to correct a disc and nerve problem.
The 28-year-old Gathright received just 32 plate appearances with the Cubs and Sox this season, but made Boston's postseason roster as a pinch-runner specialist.
Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Halladay, Rangers
Here's some links to kick off the week…
- Bill Center of The San Diego Union Tribune reports that the Padres haven't contacted John Boggs (Adrian Gonzalez's agent) to discuss a contract extension yet, mentioning that Gonzalez could be an $18-20MM player. FanGraphs valued Adrian's 2009 performance at $28.4MM, tenth best among position players.
- The Toronto Star's Richard Griffin looks at some potential suitors for Roy Halladay, saying that there are ten teams that meet the necessary criteria to make a deal work.
- Meanwhile, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe touches on two players figured to be tied to the Red Sox this winter: Gonzalez and Halladay.
- T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes that the Rangers have plenty of trade fodder thanks to their pitching, and they may be willing to deal someone like Brandon McCarthy.
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal looks at some third base options for the Phillies.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday ranks the ten best general managers, with Billy Beane taking the top spot for the second year in a row.
- John Lowe of The Detroit Free Press takes a look at the key free agents in the AL Central.
- MLBTR's own Cork Gaines analyzes how the Rays have fared in free agency during Andrew Friedman's tenure.
- J.C. Bradbury defends his stance that just because there are more available free agents at a given position, it doesn't mean their prices wil drop.
Red Sox Decline Option On Alex Gonzalez
The Red Sox have declined to pick up Alex Gonzalez's $6MM option, writes Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe. However, the club may still have interest in bringing back the 32-year-old on a lesser salary.
Gonzalez posted .284/.316/.453 in 44 games with the BoSox in 2009. Including his play in Cincinnati, Gonzalez turned in a UZR/150 of 10.5. Fangraphs estimates that his total body of work in '09 was worth $2.4MM.
With Gonzalez eligible for free agency, Boston does not have a full-time shortstop on the roster. GM Theo Epstein "all but acknowledged" that Jed Lowrie's injury history has cast doubt on his ability to handle the brunt of the workload.
Cafardo On Gonzalez, Nady, Mulder
Nick Cafardo's latest column for the Boston Globe is a lengthy one, and is full of hot stove discussion and speculation. Let's take a look….
- After Ken Rosenthal expressed skepticism about Boston's ability to acquire Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, Cafardo declares that it's the one move the Red Sox have to make to keep up with the Yankees. Although he presents a lengthy argument for why it could work, he never specifically addresses what players the Sox could send to San Diego, which was the sticking point for Rosenthal.
- Xavier Nady would like to return to the Yankees, but doesn't know if they'll want him back. "I know I can go out there and be a productive starting player for someone," Nady says. As Cafardo points out though, after Nady's injury-plagued 2009, many teams would probably prefer to sign him as a fourth outfielder.
- Cafardo thinks the Los Angeles Dodgers should consider signing Pedro Martinez to a half-year deal in 2010, and that Philadelphia could be a good fit for Billy Wagner.
- The Jeremy Hermida acquisition raises questions about Rocco Baldelli's future as a Red Sox. Baldelli says he enjoyed Boston and would love to return, but that the team hasn't informed him of their plans yet.
- "It would be an upset" if Mark Mulder signed anywhere but Milwaukee.
- One baseball official tells Cafardo that the New York Yankees might be a bit reluctant to re-sign Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui because "they’re afraid of sticking with a guy too long. They’d rather get rid of a guy a year sooner, ahead of his decline, than a year later."
Rosenthal On Gonzalez, Beckett, De La Rosa
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column up today, in which he discusses a variety of topics from around the league. Let's recap a few of the highlights….
- Although the Boston Red Sox have been the team most frequently linked to Adrian Gonzalez, it's unclear whether they have the pieces to work out a trade. Rosenthal suggests the Padres will want some major-league talent in return, and quotes one baseball executive who says he can't imagine how the Sox get a deal done.
- Rosenthal says the Padres should be more inclined to move closer Heath Bell than Gonzalez.
- When Josh Beckett discusses a contract extension with the Red Sox, Rosenthal advises him to point to the deal A.J. Burnett signed last winter as a starting point, since Beckett's track record is even stronger than Burnett's. He thinks if the Red Sox were to balk at a long-term commitment, plenty of other teams would be interested.
- A source indicates that when Jorge De La Rosa hits free agency in a year, he would like a contract similar to Oliver Perez's three-year, $36MM deal. It's hard to see him demanding that much unless he has a breakout year in 2010, but his impending raise could prompt the Rockies to field trade offers for the lefty.
- Ken Griffey Jr. will likely decide in a couple weeks whether he wants to keep playing.
- According to Rosenthal, "some who know [Matt] Holliday say he would prefer not to play in New York."
- We heard from Troy Renck yesterday that the Rockies were talking to Rafael Betancourt about an extension. Rosenthal reports that Betancourt apparently turned down a two-year deal worth up to about $7MM.
- Rosenthal opines that Garrett Atkins is unlikely to be traded because of his price tag, and will almost certainly be non-tendered.
Kurkjian’s Latest: Yankees, Dodgers, Chapman
Tim Kurkjian runs through some of the top storylines to watch this offseason for his latest article on ESPN.com. Here's a breakdown of some of the topics discussed…
- Kurkjian believes the Yankees will let Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui walk this winter and will "consider" free agents Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.
- Kurkjian also thinks Holliday is "perfect for Fenway Park," and someone who will be pursued if the Red Sox aren't able to reach an agreement with Bay.
- The McCourts' divorce could have a serious impact on the way Los Angeles does business this offseason. As Kurkjian writes, "The Dodgers need to acquire at least one topflight starting pitcher, but there is already speculation that they will not have enough money to re-sign left-hander Randy Wolf."
- The Cubs won't be able to trade Milton Bradley without picking up most of the two years, $20MM left on his contact.
- The Yanks are likely to re-sign Andy Pettitte for at least one year.
- Kurkjian spoke to one MLB general manager who thinks Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman has "a ways to go before he's ready to pitch in the major leagues, phyiscally and emotionally."
- The Angels are expected to be aggressive in trying to re-sign Chone Figgins, but he'll have plenty of other suitors. Kurkjian lists the White Sox and Orioles as possibilities. We've heard the Cubs might also have interest.