Rafael Soriano Signing Reactions
The Yankees agreed to sign Rafael Soriano to a three-year deal that guarantees the right-hander $35MM. The Bronx Bombers don't get much of a guarantee from Soriano, who can opt out after year one or year two. The deal sends a first round pick from the Yankees to the Rays and gives the Yankees a pair of shutdown relievers in closer Mariano Rivera and Soriano. Here are some reactions to the deal between the Yanks and the Scott Boras client with the latest reactions up top:
- ESPN.com's Keith Law points out that the Yankees gave Soriano tons of leverage. It's "a baffling scenario" from the Yankees' perspective, Law writes.
- The Soriano deal was more ownership-driven than from baseball operations, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The team's front office was split on the prospect of signing Soriano. WEEI.com's Alex Speier notes that the Soriano signing seems to contradict Cashman's year-old opinion about relief contracts.
- The Yankees had talked about signing Grant Balfour in a possible sign-and-trade before Soriano and Balfour agreed to their respective deals, according to Olney.
- Olney suggests there’s a “major divide of opinion on Soriano within the organization, and that [GM Brian] Cashman's autonomy in matters of baseball operations may have eroded.” Olney points out that the Yankees now have two of the six relievers in baseball who earn $10MM or more.
- Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal feels it's hard to properly judge the Soriano contract since "the Yankees operate on a completely different economic scale from the rest of baseball and can't be used as a comparison point for anything."
- Tom Verducci of SI.com calls the deal a "smart" one for the Yankees and points out that it doesn't change the way they do business.
- As Ben Shpigel of the New York Times points out, the Yankees expect the signing to take pressure off of their thin rotation.
- Kevin Kernan of the New York Post argues that the deal saved the offseason for Cashman.
- Chad Jennings of the Journal News explains that the deal makes the Yankees better short-term, but not necessarily a lot better.
- Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald explores what the deal means for the Red Sox. They will be tough to beat late in games, they'll definitely obtain the Rangers' first rounder for the loss of Adrian Beltre and Jonathan Papelbon could have trouble finding a massive deal in free agency after the season.
- FanGraphs' Chris Cwik says "it’s tough to defend any team that gives out such a large contract to a relief pitcher and this instance is no different."
- My reaction has less to do with the Yankees and Soriano and more to do with Boras. How did Boras get a $35MM guarantee plus two opt-outs for his client in a market that was, by all accounts, pretty dry? It's been a standout offseason for baseball's best-known agent.
Boras Talks Damon, Andruw, Manny
Scott Boras told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that Johnny Damon, Andruw Jones and Manny Ramirez can boost fan interest, TV ratings and revenue for MLB teams. Not only that, the agent insists his clients can be key players on winning clubs.
"These guys are star players," Boras said. "They're championship-caliber players. Owners and general managers know they have extraordinary abilities, and they can be a force in the locker room and around young players."
Crasnick surveyed MLB executives and scouts about the three stars and heard the Angels and Rays mentioned as possibilities for Damon. The Dodgers, who have also been linked to the 37-year-old, are “unlikely” to sign him, according to a source familiar with the team’s thinking. The Yankees haven’t ruled out a reunion with Damon, but they’re only interested in him as a fourth outfielder, according to Crasnick.
Jones, another Yankees target, “still has value as an extra outfielder who can fill in at all three spots and mash left-handed pitching," an AL assistant GM said. The Braves briefly discussed a reunion with Jones and the Rockies are another possible fit.
Despite speculation that Ramirez could be a fit in Toronto, where former Red Sox coach John Farrell will take over as manager, it isn’t a likely match. In fact, Crasnick suggests Farrell’s familiarity with the slugger could make the Jays less likely to sign Manny. Tampa Bay could be a fit for Ramirez, who definitely wants to play in 2011, according to Boras.
Quick Hits: Soriano, Manuel, Galarraga, Angels
Some items from around the majors…
- The Angels aren't one of the teams reportedly still interested in Rafael Soriano, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. The Yankees are "still trying," in spite of their earlier statements to the contrary.
- Charlie Manuel's agent tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that Manuel and the Phillies have a mutual interest in working out a contract extension before Opening Day. Manuel has one year left on his current deal, and Salisbury speculates that he's looking for a two-year extension worth roughly $4MM per season.
- Armando Galarraga is out of options, eligible for arbitration and has probably been squeezed out of the Detroit rotation by Brad Penny, reports Jason Beck of MLB.com. If Galarraga gets too large of a salary bump in arbitration, the Tigers could choose to trade or just release him before Opening Day.
- The Angels' quiet offseason has been heavily criticized, but Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reminds us that the Halos still have a very solid team.
- If the Twins don't re-sign Jim Thome, Kelly Thesier of MLB.com says the team could return to what it was looking for last winter: a right-handed hitting backup option in the outfield or at first base. Thesier cites Jorge Cantu and Troy Glaus as possibilities, and we've heard the Padres were considering the same two players. The Twins could also dip into the rest of the DH market, or look to upgrade their bullpen.
- There isn't much historial evidence to suggest that Josh Beckett will return to his ace form over the long run, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.
Rays, Yanks Both In On Andruw Jones, Johnny Damon
The Yankees' interest in Andruw Jones is well-known, but now the Rays can be added to the list of suitors for the veteran outfielder, reports Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. (Twitter link) Tampa Bay has less of a pressing need for Jones since the club already has B.J. Upton and Desmond Jennings as right-handed hitting incumbents in the outfield, but with Upton coming off a weak 2010 season and Jennings entering his first full season in the bigs, Jones provides valuable depth should either player falter. He could also provide some pop as a right-handed DH option.
Heyman also mentions Johnny Damon as "a possibility" for both of the AL East rivals. Damon has expressed his own interest in playing for both clubs, and has been described as a fallback option for New York if they fail to acquire Jones. Damon would likely play more DH than outfield in Tampa Bay, since his declining defensive value wouldn't be aided by playing on Tropicana Field's artificial surface.
Andy Pettitte Will Not Start 2011 Season
8:28 PM: Cashman tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that "he just used a poor choice of words" in describing Pettitte's situation. (Twitter link) Cashman says he meant to say that Pettitte has "chosen not to pitch" rather than "chosen not to start," though this doesn't necessarily mean that Pettitte has officially retired. In another Kepner tweet, Cashman says he hasn't spoken to Pettitte about a Clemens-esque midseason return.
8:13 PM: Andy Pettitte has informed the Yankees that if he does return for the 2011 season, he won't be ready by Opening Day, reports Stefan Bondy and Nathaniel Vinton of the New York Daily News. Brian Cashman said Pettitte told him to "don't count on me" but the GM noted that if Pettitte wanted to pitch later in the season, the door would be open for a return.
"I don't think he's determined if he's officially finished or not, but he's chosen at this stage at least not to start in 2011," Cashman said. "If that ever changes he'll call us. We're not going to hound him or bother him."
ESPN's Buster Olney pointed out last month that Pettitte would already be behind on his offseason preparations if he chose to return, so it's possible that Pettitte may still come back and is building in extra time to get ready for his 17th Major League season.
Pettitte could take a page from his friend Roger Clemens' book — the Rocket didn't begin his 2006 and 2007 seasons, with the Astros and Yankees respectively, until June of those years. Clemens was able to secure $22MM from Houston and a pro-rated $4.7MM per month deal from New York, and while Pettitte wouldn't get that kind of money from the Yankees, he could command more than the rumored $12-$13MM if the Yankees found themselves desperate for pitching by May.
Poll: Will Andruw Jones Sign With The Yankees?
Yesterday we learned that the Yankees have strong interest in free agent outfielder Andruw Jones. GM Brian Cashman is in search of a backup outfielder who hits right-handed and Jones is one of the better options available at this point in the offseason.
Yankees Pursuing Justin Duchscherer
The Yankees are 'stepping up' their pursuit of Justin Duchscherer, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. It's not clear whether the Yankees are interested in the right-hander as a starter or as a reliever.
Duchscherer, who dealt with depression issues in Oakland, also missed time because of serious injuries. He underwent right elbow surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2009 season and started just five games in 2010, missing time after a left hip operation.
The Pirates, A's and Red Sox have also been linked to Duchscherer this offseason, though Boston has made substantial additions to its staff since expressing interest and may no longer be a fit.
A two-time All-Star, the 33-year-old has a 3.13 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 454 2/3 career innings. The Yankees have also expressed interest in Jeff Francis and Jeremy Bonderman as they look to solidify a pitching staff that may not include Andy Pettitte.
Quick Hits: Yankees, Bonderman, Reds, Thome
The Giants signed Aubrey Huff on this date in 2010. The first baseman hit .290/.385/.506 and the Giants won the World Series. Here are some links and news items to look through while we await the bargain signing of the 2010-11 offseason…
- Jack Curry of the YES Network tweets that while the Yankees continue to monitor the starting pitcher market, we shouldn't expect them to sign Jeremy Bonderman. The Yanks showed interest in the right-hander about a week ago.
- "I think I'm done," said Reds GM Walt Jocketty to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "[Today's Fred Lewis and Edgar Renteria signings] are a couple of pieces we felt we needed."
- ESPN's Buster Olney wonders if the Twins' interest in Jim Thome is limited because they know he won't play as much in 2010 with Justin Morneau returning (Twitter links). He adds that once Thome comes off the board, the free agent DH logjam should clear up. Earlier today we learned that the Rangers' were after the man with the eighth most homers in baseball history (589).
- Padres' GM Jed Hoyer told MLB.com's Corey Brock that the team's payroll is in the mid-$40MM range, so they do have a little more money to spend (Twitter link).
- Scott Thorman and Fu-Te Ni are among the Tigers' non-roster invitees, according to the team. Manager Jim Leyland's son Patrick will also be in camp.
- As Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains in his examination of the Padres' offseason, it doesn't make sense for San Diego to extend Heath Bell. You can discuss Bell's future right here.
- Chad Jennings of the Journal News takes our list of top remaining free agents and considers whether those players would fit on the Yankees.
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince points out that the Cardinals have limited time to figure out an extension with Albert Pujols. The Cards started talks with their first baseman and they appear to be going well at this point.
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia tells MLB.com's Lyle Spencer that he'd like to add a player with a high on base percentage.
Yankees Have Strong Interest In Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones appears to be the Yankees' top choice as they continue to search for a fourth outfielder, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The sides are still apart on money, Heyman writes. Agent Scott Boras, who represents Jones, also represents Johnny Damon, who is one of the Yankees' backup options. Former Yankee Marcus Thames is still a consideration for the Bronx Bombers.
The Yankees are looking for an outfielder who bats from the right side and can handle left and center field against tough lefties. The team wants a player that can give left-handed batters Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner some rest against select southpaws and provide the team with depth.
Jones, 33, hit 19 homers for the White Sox last year, playing all three outfield positions. He has an .863 OPS against lefties in his career, including a .931 mark in 2010.
New York Notes: Castillo, Choate, Garza, Soria
In his Insider-only ESPN.com blog, Buster Olney writes that the Mets have internally discussed the possibility of simply releasing Luis Castillo. The team has repeatedly tried to free up some money by trading the second baseman, but has yet to find a taker. Olney indicates that it's possible the Mets could drop both Castillo and Oliver Perez before Opening Day. Here are this morning's other New York-related notes:
- The Mets were one of the teams pursuing Randy Choate before the southpaw signed with the Marlins, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff. Davidoff says the Mets made Choate a one-year offer worth about $1.4MM, but the veteran lefty accepted more years and more guaranteed money from Florida. If the Mets still intend to add a Pedro Feliciano replacement, Davidoff continues, it'll probably be someone on a minor-league deal, since the market is thinning.
- Brian Cashman told Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News that he felt the asking price for Matt Garza was too high to seriously pursue a trade with the Rays. "We never got off the dime, but strong impressions were that it would be something that would cost us more because we are in the division, kind of like Roy Halladay," said the Yankees GM.
- Considering Andrew Friedman's comments about using the money saved in the Garza deal to sign other players, Chad Jennings of the Journal News wonders if the Rays' targets could overlap with the Yankees'.
- The Royals have told interested clubs that Joakim Soria will not be traded, a stance which Bill Madden of the New York Daily News finds puzzling. Madden suggests the Yankees were willing to part with Jesus Montero and Eduardo Nunez for Soria.
- In his blog entry linked above, Olney disagrees with Madden's argument that the Royals need to trade Soria. According to Olney, Soria's contract is so team-friendly it makes it nearly impossible for the Royals to get equal value from the Yankees or anyone else at the moment.