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Yankees Agree To Terms With Hiroki Kuroda

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The Yankees have retained their most consistent starter from 2012 as the club has agreed to terms on a one-year, $15MM contract with Hiroki Kuroda, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links).  Kuroda is represented by the Octagon agency. Uspw_6648978

Kuroda was seen as fairly likely to re-sign with New York entering the offseason, and indeed, it was reported earlier today that the Yankees were "very confident" about their chances of retaining the Japanese veteran.  The righty did turn down a one-year, $13.3MM qualifying offer from the Yanks a few weeks ago, assuming (correctly) that he could find a richer deal on the open market.  Kuroda's list of suitors included such MLB teams as the Red Sox, Angels and Dodgers, plus Japanese teams, as Kuroda has said that he would like to eventually finish his career by returning to pitch in his native country.

After four years with the Dodgers, Kuroda signed a one-year, $10MM free agent contract with the Yankees last January and made a strong transition to the AL East, posting a 3.32 ERA and 3.27 K/BB ratio in 33 starts.  Kuroda turns 38 years old in February but seems to be as durable as ever, pitching a career-best 219 2/3 innings in 2012.  His return will bring some stability to a Yankee rotation that has a lot of question marks given CC Sabathia's recent injury problems, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova's up-and-down performances and Andy Pettitte again considering retirement. 

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Kuroda as the ninth-best free agent on the market this winter and correctly predicted that he would re-sign with the Yankees.

Photo courtesy of Anthony Gruppuso/US Presswire

Yankees Favored To Sign Kuroda; L.A. Teams Out

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5:12pm: The Dodgers "are not in" on Kuroda, an industry source tells Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).  Feinsand adds that the Angels appear to be out of the running for Kuroda as well.

4:00pm: The Yankees are seen as the favorites to sign free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. In fact the Yankees are "very confident" they'll sign Kuroda, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Stark suggests Kuroda will pitch for the Yankees if he's pitching in MLB next year. However, Heyman reports that the Yankees sense a threat from Japan, where Kuroda pitched before joining MLB.

The Dodgers, Angels and Red Sox have also expressed interest in Kuroda, who is linked to draft pick compensation after declining a qualifying offer from the Yankees. It appears the Dodgers and Angels are shifting their focus elsewhere, Stark writes. The Dodgers are now pursuing Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Ryan Dempster and others, according to Stark. The Angels are also targeting Greinke.

The Yankees feel good about talks with Mariano Rivera so far, Heyman reports (on Twitter). They still haven't officially heard whether Andy Pettitte intends to return for another season in 2013.

Yankees Sign David Herndon

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The Yankees have signed right-hander David Herndon to a one-year contract, reports his agent Joshua Kusnick (via Twitter).  The split contract will pay Herndon $750K if he makes the Major League roster, plus $50K in possible incentives. 

Herndon was claimed by the Yankees earlier this month and, according to a team press release, had elected free agency after he was outrighted to Triple-A.  Herndon has a career 3.85 ERA in 97 relief appearances for the Phillies over the last three seasons, though he appeared in just five games in 2012 and underwent Tommy John surgery in June.

Yankees Claim Mickey Storey

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The Yankees claimed right-hander Mickey Storey off of waivers from Houston, the Astros announced. The Astros now have 36 players on their 40-man roster.

Storey made 26 relief appearances for the Astros this past season. The 26-year-old posted a 3.86 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 30 1/3 innings at the MLB level. He also spent considerable time at Triple-A in 2012, posting a 3.05 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 65 innings.

Mutual Interest For Yankees, Ibanez

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Postseason hero Raul Ibanez would like to re-sign with the Yankees this offseason and the interest is mutual, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. The Yankees have “significant interest” in the 40-year-old, according to Davidoff. The club has asked Ibanez to wait while they focus on pitching, and that hasn’t diminished his interest in returning to the Bronx.

“If I get an opportunity to play for the Yankees again,” he told Davidoff, “it would be fantastic.”

Ibanez provided power throughout the regular season, hitting 19 home runs and posting a .240/.308/.453 batting line as a designated hitter and corner outfielder. The 40-year-old had a remarkable postseason, hitting two memorable home runs in the ALDS and another in the ALCS. He shouldn't face left-handed pitching at this stage in his career, and manager Joe Girardi acknowledged as much by using Ibanez against right-handers for 85% of his 425 plate appearances.

AL Notes: Yankees, Tigers, Indians, Red Sox

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Blockbuster trades motivated by one team's desire for financial flexibility (AKA a salary dump) like the Marlins-Blue Jays deal or the Red Sox-Dodger swap are nothing new in baseball history. On this date in 1947, the St. Louis Browns and the Boston Red Sox began a two-day trading frenzy involving 13 players (four Browns and nine Red Sox) and the Browns receiving $375K (worth nearly $3.1MM in today's dollars). Here's the latest news, notes, and comments from the present-day American League:

  • The Yankees continue to have conversations with free agent outfielder Scott Hairston, writes the New York Post's Dan Martin. Hairston would bring a right-handed power bat to the outfield mix and could fit into a platoon, as the Yankees have already had preliminary discussions to bring back Raul Ibanez.
  • The Yankees still want to trim payroll to $189MM by 2014 for luxury tax and revenue sharing refund purposes, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if Hal Steinbrenner isn't risking a brand worth billions for the millions the team would earn by doing so.
  • If the Tigers fail to re-sign Anibal Sanchez, the signing of Torii Hunter will still make the offseason a success, team president and GM Dave Dombrowski told George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press. "We'll see where other things take us," Dombrowski said. "If we end up with this major move (Hunter) being our major move of the winter, I would be very happy."
  • The Indians have yet to set their 2013 budget, but it is expected to be in the neighborhood of this past season's $65MM, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes. As a result of this "fluid" situation, GM Chris Antonetti must take any intriguing proposals to ownership.
  • Also in that article, Hoynes lists the five best and five worst free agent signings by the Tribe.
  • The Red Sox will interview Craig Counsell and Greg Colbrunn for their hitting coach opening, reports Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Counsell, a special assistant to Brewers GM Doug Melvin, will interview tomorrow while Colbrunn, the hitting instructor for the Yankees' Single-A affiliate in Charleston, is in the process of being scheduled for another time during the week. The Red Sox have already interviewed their minor league hitting coordinator Victor Rodriguez, former Diamondbacks hitting coach Rick Schu, and Braves assistant hitting coach Scott Fletcher. 

Offseason Outlook: New York Yankees

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The Yankees must address a number of needs on offense and on the pitching staff — all while looking to avoid the MLB luxury tax by 2014.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)

Free Agents

In his tenure as Yankees’ GM, Brian Cashman has often strengthened his team with free agent additions. It’s time for some role reversal: the Yankees could lose their catcher, their closer, both corner outfielders and a dependable starter to free agency this offseason. As the Yankees prepare to lower payroll for 2014, Cashman must retain some of New York’s free agents and pursue outside help for the Yankees to hold onto top spot in the AL East.

Mariano Rivera - Yankees (PW)

The Yankees have more needs than usual this offseason. They must address their starting lineup, their rotation, their bench, and their bullpen on an apparently limited budget. Let's start with the spending restrictions, since there's something jarring about the notion of the Yankees lowering payroll.

There are significant financial incentives for the Yankees to avoid the luxury of $189MM for 2014. They have committed less than $70MM to the '14 team, so avoiding the tax seems simple enough until you realize that they still have to pay Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and about 20 others. The way I see it, it'll be challenging for the Yankees to lower payroll below $189MM as long as they continue to rely so heavily on baseball's most expensive commodity: established stars. If their reliance on star players diminishes, and they evolve into a team that’s built around younger players, capping costs will be easier. And that, according to Cashman and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, has become the plan for sustained success in New York. Still, the Yankees have downplayed their interest in free agency before only to spend big, so many observers will have to see this team show restraint to believe it.

The rotation always seems to be an area of need for New York. The Yankees wisely offered Hiroki Kuroda a qualifying offer only to have the veteran right-hander decline. He'd be an excellent addition given his effectiveness. As a bonus, he'll consider one-year deals. If Kuroda signs elsewhere, the Yankees will have to look at alternatives. Ryan Dempster and Dan Haren are among the starters who might accept the kind of contracts that won't compromise the team's ability to avoid the luxury tax. The Yankees have never seemed convinced Zack Greinke could thrive in New York, but the point is moot, since he appears to be too expensive.

The Yankees might get another season from Andy Pettitte, who returned from retirement to make 12 strong regular season starts and two more in October. Re-signing Pettitte would be advisable, even if he doesn't pitch a full season. The 40-year-old has a history of playing well in the postseason, a bonus for any team that threatens for championships annually.

Some speculative trade targets for the Yankees: Brett Anderson, Gavin Floyd, Ricky Nolasco and Chris Capuano. I'm taking the team at its word and excluding Felix Hernandez from this list because he's now earning close to market value.

Mariano Rivera, arguably the best reliever of all time, and Rafael Soriano, the Yankees' top reliever in 2012, are both free agents this offseason. Assuming Rivera continues pitching, the Yankees should bring him back, perhaps for one year at $15MM. While spending on relievers often seems unnecessary, these are exceptional circumstances: the richest team in baseball needs relief help and its Hall of Fame closer is available on what will presumably be a short-term contract. Expect the sides to reach an agreement.

If the Yankees bring Rivera back, Soriano will presumably leave in search of a closing job elsewhere. The Yankees would obtain a 2013 draft pick in that case, since they made Soriano a qualifying offer. It's possible the Yankees will decide to pursue a setup reliever. Joakim Soria seems interested and could be one option. 

Russell Martin finished the season strong, improving his free agent stock in the process. Naturally, the Yankees aren't eager to overpay. Still, they're interested in Martin, one of the top free agent catchers out there. Mike Napoli, another free agent catcher, has also drawn interest from New York. He'd be an intriguing fit, since the Yankees could keep him in the lineup most days by using him as a part-time designated hitter.

That's another one of the positions Cashman must address this offseason. Playoff hero Raul Ibanez has hit free agency along with Andruw Jones. The Yankees might prefer to keep the DH spot open for days when Jeter, Alex Rodriguez or Mark Teixeira could use a rest, so they won't necessarily target a high-profile bat for the position. Re-signing Ibanez as a platoon bat could make sense, since he provided power all year long before his postseason heroics.

Nick Swisher will probably sign elsewhere, which means the Yankees will be seeking at least one corner outfielder. They showed interest in Torii Hunter and could now turn to free agents such as Cody Ross and Shane Victorino. I think the Yankees should target Shin-Soo Choo in a trade, since he'd add lots of value in right field on a limited one-year commitment. Andre Ethier makes less sense given the Yankees' interest in avoiding the luxury tax. 

Meanwhile, Brett Gardner projects as the starter in left field. If the Yankees are concerned about the health of Gardner's elbow, they could become more aggressive in their search for outfield depth. The Yankees haven't ruled out the possibility of re-signing midseason acquisition Ichiro Suzuki.

Granderson has a case for a long-term extension now that he's just one year away from free agency. The Yankees will almost surely want to sign Cano long-term as well. The team has policy of waiting until players hit free agency to negotiate new contracts, but Cashman could allow for an exception or two this winter. If he does, he'll have to be prepared to spend. Cano has a case for a deal worth in excess of $200MM.

The Yankees have a substantial class of arbitration eligible players that includes much of their bullpen. The group includes three non tender candidates in Jayson Nix, David Herndon and Eli Whiteside. It seems unlikely that any arbitration eligible players will obtain extensions given the Yankees' team policy.

Cashman faces a challenging offseason — perhaps his toughest assignment in recent years. At a time that his stars are aging and his resources are diminishing, the GM must address multiple major needs.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

AL Links: Sanchez, Hunter, Yankees, Price, Red Sox

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With Torii Hunter joining the club on a two-year deal, the Tigers will now focus on re-signing Anibal Sanchez according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. They're unlikely to pursue another big name pitcher if they can't bring the right-hander back, however. Here's the latest from the American League, starting with some more on Hunter…

  • Hunter told teams he wasn't interested in talking to them unless things didn't work out with the Tigers, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • The Yankees saw Hunter as a good fit but never made him an offer, reports Erik Boland of Newsday (on Twitter). They don't have any offers out to position players at the moment and are focused on re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and Mariano Rivera.
  • Hunter would have taken less than $26MM he received from Detroit to re-sign with the Angels, but a one-year contract was a non-starter at any price according to Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter).
  • Knobler listed the pros and cons of trading David Price just a few hours after the left-hander took home the Cy Young Award. Some people with the Rays even identified the Rangers as the ideal trade partner.
  • The Red Sox won't alter their rebuilding plan in the wake of the Blue Jays-Marlins blockbuster, said GM Ben Cherington to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. "We know we have a plan this offseason and we're going to see how much we can execute it … We've started that and we'll continue to do that," said Cherington, who mentioned he found out about the blockbuster through MLBTR.

Marlins Shopping Morrison; Nolasco May Be Traded

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The Marlins aren’t done yet. One day after agreeing to a blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays, they’re shopping outfielder/first baseman Logan Morrison, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter). Furthermore, several general managers expect Ricky Nolasco to be traded as well.

The Yankees are among the teams with an interest in Nolasco, Erik Boland of Newsday reports (on Twitter). The right-hander has one year and $11.5MM remaining on his contract with Miami. The Rockies had interest in Nolasco last winter and could inquire about him, Troy Renck of the Denver Post suggested this morning (on Twitter).

The Marlins do not intend to trade Giancarlo Stanton, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports. The sides are not currently discussing a long-term deal, but the slugger "pretty much remains untouchable" for 2013, according to Frisaro.

Arbitration Eligibles: New York Yankees

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The Yankees are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series. Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.

The Yankees’ class of arbitration eligible players doesn’t feature any prohibitively expensive players, but it’ll still be a relatively expensive group to retain for 2013.

Hughes leads the way with a projected salary of $5.7MM. He won 16 games and completed more than 200 innings (counting postseason play), which helps his case as he goes to arbitration for the third and final time. Two more key members of the pitching staff, Logan and Robertson, project to get raises of approximately $1MM following strong seasons. Logan projects to earn $2.8MM after appearing in 80 games and striking out more than a batter per inning. Robertson won't be far behind after striking out ever more hitters, posting an ERA under 3.00, and collecting a pair of saves.

On the other hand, Gardner and Chamberlain missed too much of the 2012 season to obtain significant raises in 2013. Baseball's collective bargaining agreement prevents the Yankees from drastically cutting the players' salaries through the arbitration process, which means both Gardner and Chamberlain are expected to return on similar salaries in 2013.

Nix appears to be a non-tender candidate, as do recent waiver claims Whiteside and Herndon. Though Nix's versatility adds value, he could be cut loose if the Yankees are hesitant to commit nearly $1MM to a player who adds so little on offense. Whiteside provides depth, but he could also be non-tendered after spending most of the 2012 season in the minor leagues. And Herndon will miss the beginning of the 2013 season to recover from Tommy John surgery, which means his roster spot isn't completely secure.

Assuming the Yankees retain Gardner, Robertson, Hughes, Chamberlain and Logan, they’ll have committed $15.8MM to five eligible players in 2013.

Matt Swartz's arbitration projections are available exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors. To read more about his projection model, check out this series of posts.

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