Tigers Not Trying To Void Miguel Cabrera’s Contract
In the aftermath of Miguel Cabrera's DUI arrest late Wednesday night, his second alcohol-related arrest in the last 17 months, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told ESPN's Jayson Stark (on Twitter) that "right now there's no language that can void [his contract], and we're not trying to do that." Two days ago we heard that some executives believed Detroit would try to make the contract non-guaranteed as a result of the incident.
Cabrera, 28 in April, signed an eight-year, $152.3MM contract extension before the 2008 season, not long after the trade that brought him to Detroit and before he ever played an official game for them. There are still five years and $106MM left on the deal, between $20MM and $22MM annually through 2015. It was the fifth richest contract in baseball history at the time it was signed.
Despite his off-the-field troubles, Cabrera is one of the game's premier sluggers, hitting .328/.420/.622 with career highs in doubles (45) and homers (38) last season. He's hit .317/.392/.558 in his seven full seasons, and his 247 homers before age 28 are the 12th most all-time.
Dombrowski told Tom Gage of The Detroit News and SI.com's Jon Heyman that he'd be surprised if MLB sanctioned Cabrera in any way, though his star first baseman will miss the start of camp to be evaluated by doctors (Twitter links). The absence is not expected to spill over into the regular season.
Quick Hits: Vlad, Pujols, Cabrera
Here are a few items of note for Feb. 17, the day on which Wally Pipp was born 118 years ago.
- The Orioles will hold a press conference for Vladimir Guerrero on Friday, tweets Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com, so it's safe to assume that he passed his physical earlier this week and that his one-year deal is now official.
- The Cardinals at some point offered Albert Pujols a nine-year contract extension worth more than $200MM, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com. To this point, the value of St. Louis' offer has been consistently around the $200MM range, but the length has been less clear.
- Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, arrested in Florida late Wednesday night and charged with DUI and resisting arrest, will not likely face jail time, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com, who spoke to a "leading criminal defense attorney." Whether Cabrera will enter a treatment program at this time remains unclear, Morosi notes.
Contract Notes: Cabrera, Feliz, Branyan
Some thoughts and details on contracts around the game…
- Some executives in baseball wonder if the Tigers will try to make Miguel Cabrera's contract non-guaranteed, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The first baseman, who was arrested and charged with driving under the influence last night, has five years and $106MM remaining on his long-term deal with the Tigers. The Mets unsuccessfully attempted to convert Francisco Rodriguez's contract into a non-guaranteed deal after his legal trouble in 2010.
- Pedro Feliz can opt out of his deal and become a free agent if he isn't on the Royals' Opening Day roster, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Alternatively, he can go to the minors for $75K.
- Russell Branyan has a similar clause in his deal with the Diamondbacks, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
Quick Hits: Ortiz, Cabrera, Pujols, Astros
On this date in 2008, the Rockies signed Scott Podsednik. The Blue Jays did just that yesterday, agreeing to a minor league deal with the speedy outfielder. Here are some links for Thursday…
- David Ortiz told reporters, including Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com, that he would still like to stay in Boston long-term. Big Papi's contract expires after the season.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests the Tigers should help Miguel Cabrera find a full-time mentor to keep him focused on baseball. Cabrera was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Florida last night.
- Adrian Gonzalez told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he hasn't set a deadline for extension talks with the Red Sox. Gonzalez says Albert Pujols' demands won't affect his discussions with Boston (Twitter link).
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan points out that the Cardinals offered Pujols less money per season than Ryan Howard, Mark Teixeira or, assuming he finalizes his extension, Adrian Gonzalez.
- Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe shows that the Red Sox have enough money to bid on Pujols and suggests Boston will have at least passing interest in him when he hits free agency.
- Astros GM Ed Wade tells Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle that he didn't realize just how thin Houston's minor league system was when he took over after the 2007 season.
- The Yankees have definite lingering interest in Kevin Millwood, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Quick Hits: Wilson, Allen, Swisher, Maholm, Tigers
Ten years ago today, the Angels signed Alberto Callaspo as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela. He spent four years in their farm system before being traded to the Diamondbacks for Jason Bulger. After a stint with the Royals, Callaspo ended up back with the Halos following a mid-summer trade last year.
Here are today's batch of links…
- MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith appeared on this week's edition of the Beyond The Box Score Podcast, so head on over and give it a listen.
- C.J. Wilson told MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that he's not thinking about his upcoming free agency, mentioning that the Rangers has never offered him a long-term deal.
- The Russell Branyan signing seems to indicate that the Diamondbacks don't see Brandon Allen as a fit anymore, says Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic (Twitter links). He adds that Arizona gauged Allen's trade value at the winter meetings, and he's heard that the Rays were high on him in the past.
- Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher said he and former agent Joe Bick "just grew apart," which is why he signed on with Dan Lozano recently, reports Ken Davidoff of Newsday.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm that he's not a fan of performance-based incentives because of the uncertainty they create.
- Paul Maholm told Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he's willing to discuss an extension with the Pirates, which pleasantly surprised GM Neal Huntington. "Paul's done some good things for this organization," said the GM. "We'll give it due consideration." The team holds a $9.75MM club option for Maholm's services in 2012 after he earns $5.75MM in 2011.
- John Lowe of The Detroit Free Press points out that there is no dead weight on the Tigers' $105MM payroll. Detroit paid close to $24MM for Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis last season, who gave them 43 1/3 IP with a 4.98 ERA (all by Willis).
- Larry Stone of The Seattle Times spoke to Yankees GM Brian Cashman about last summer's near trade for Cliff Lee. Cashman said he's glad he didn't agree to Seattle's revised offer after seeing Lee sign with Philadelphia. "Now I'm like, I've got one of the premier hitting talents here, and I didn't have a two-month rental," said the GM, referring to top prospect Jesus Montero.
Make Or Break Year: Joel Zumaya
Long before Aroldis Chapman defected from Cuba, Joel Zumaya was the guy breaking all sorts of velocity records. During the 2006 ALDS, MLB Advanced Media's pitch tracking system clocked one of his fastballs at 104.8 mph, heights previously unreached. Zumaya, now 26, burst onto the scene that year with a 1.94 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 83 1/3 innings, holding opponents to a .187/.287/.270 batting line. The Tigers had their closer-in-waiting with Todd Jones nearing the end of his career, but injuries started to strike.
Since the start of the 2007 season, Zumaya has been on the 60-day disabled list five times, at least once per season. He had shoulder surgery to repair an AC joint separation in 2007, an injury he suffered helping his family move items in advance of California wildfires. Two years later he had another surgery on his shoulder, this time to correct a non-union stress fracture. Last year he suffered perhaps the ugliest injury of all, fracturing a bone in his elbow mid-pitch.
That breakout 2006 season has been followed by four seasons with no more than 38 1/3 innings. Zumaya has been effective when he's been on the mound though, striking out 8.1 batters per nine and pitching to a 3.78 ERA over the last four years. He's not what he was that rookie season, but he's certainly been a quality relief arm, and quality relief arms have been rewarded with handsome multiyear contracts this winter.
Zumaya is now entering his final season of team control. He and the Tigers have already agreed to a $1.4MM salary for 2011, but that's a pittance compared to what he could make in the future with a strong and, most importantly, healthy season. Zumaya has already started throwing off a mound and is on track for Opening Day, but that's just step one of a season-long process.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Michael Young Rumors: Tuesday
The Rangers announced yesterday that Michael Young has had a change of heart and requested a trade. That's not quite the way Young sees it though. He told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he has been "misled and manipulated and [has grown] sick of it." Here's the latest on Young, who can veto deals to teams other than the Cardinals, Yankees, Twins, Astros, Rockies, Dodgers, Angels and Padres, but would consider other destinations:
- The Cardinals haven't heard from the Rangers about a possible trade and don't plan to initiate discussions, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. GM John Mozeliak didn't mention Young by name, but says his roster is set at this point and that he doesn't expect "any major additions at this point." The Cardinals have discussed Young before, according to Strauss.
- It's time to forget the idea of Young going to the Astros, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The Astros like his tools, but not his contract. GM Ed Wade declined to comment on his club's interest.
- The Rangers are increasing their asking price for Young, since it's harder to find offense now that Vladimir Guerrero has agreed to terms with the Orioles, according to Rosenthal (Twitter link).
- The Twins have discussed trading for Young in previous years, but there's "zero chance" a deal happens now, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
- The Mariners will "probably stay the course," GM Jack Zduriencik tells Morosi (Twitter link).
- Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Tigers are "set" at second base (Twitter link). Detroit is also set at third and short, so Young isn't a fit.
- A Carlos Lee for Michael Young trade is a longshot, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Lee, a former Ranger, can veto deals to 14 teams, including Texas.
- The Dodgers have had preliminary talks about acquiring Young, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. However, it's "a very long shot" that the sides agree to a deal, according to a baseball source.
- There is no imminent deal with the Rockies, though Colorado has shown the most interest in Young, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
Misc. Signings: Coke, Bourgeois, Rodriguez, Hammock
Here are a few miscellaneous signings from around the league…
- The Tigers have agreed to terms with eight pre-arbitration-eligible players according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. The only big leaguer of the bunch is left-hander Phil Coke, who received $425K. The other seven players are minor league prospects.
- Senior Director of Social Media Alyson Footer tweets that the Astros have agreed to terms with a pair of pre-arb players. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois gets $424K, right-hander Aneury Rodriguez $413K. Houston acquired Rodriguez in this offseason's Rule 5 Draft.
- The Diamondbacks have signed Robby Hammock to a minor league contract according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Hammock, 33, spent the 2010 season in the Yankees' minor league system, hitting .233/.341/.370 in 85 plate appearances while battling injury. He played with the D'Backs from 2003 through 2008, and has experience at catcher, first base, third base, and the corner outfield spots.
Tigers Not Signing Bonderman Or Guerrero
3:23pm: The Tigers aren't signing Vladimir Guerrero, either. "There's not a fit for us," Dombrowski told Gage. "We're not involved with that at all and haven't been."
2:44pm: Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has been open to re-signing Jeremy Bonderman throughout the offseason, but the longtime Tiger will not be returning to Detroit. "We are not signing Jeremy Bonderman," Dombrowski told Tom Gage of the Detroit News (on Twitter).
Last year Bonderman had his first full season since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2008. The 28-year-old logged 171 innings, posting a 5.53 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9. Bonderman, who is about to begin his ninth big league season, is a free agent for the first time. Gage suggests Bonderman could be on the verge of signing with another club.
Tigers Open To Re-Signing Bonderman
The Tigers are open to re-signing Jeremy Bonderman, but not on a major league deal. GM Dave Dombrowski told Tom Gage of the Detroit News that he would consider bringing the longtime Tiger back to Detroit.
Bonderman's four-year, $38MM extension just expired, so the 28-year-old is a free agent for the first time. The eight-year veteran is coming off a season in which he posted a 5.53 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 171 innings. Bonderman had shoulder surgery in 2008 and missed most of the 2009 season as he recovered.
The Rangers, Cardinals, Yankees, Rockies, Cubs and Pirates have been linked to Bonderman this offseason. About 17% of over 15,000 MLBTR readers say Bonderman is the best remaining free agent starter. Click here to cast your vote.