22 Triple-A Players Elect Free Agency
A total of 22 players that finished the year in Triple-A elected free agency after the end of the regular season according to the transaction pages of the Pacific Coast and International Leagues. All but one of those 22 players (Matt Carson, formerly of the Rays) played in the big leagues this season. Here's the full list:
Dusty Brown (Pirates), Travis Buck (Indians), Armando Galarraga (D'Backs), Jay Gibbons (Dodgers), Edgar Gonzalez (Rockies), Steve Holm (Twins), Wil Ledezma (Blue Jays), Andy LaRoche (Athletics), Felipe Lopez (Brewers), Lastings Milledge (White Sox), Pat Misch (Mets), Pat Neshek (Padres), Mike O'Connor (Mets), Matt Palmer (Angels), Felix Pie (Orioles), Brad Snyder (Cubs), Brett Tomko (Rangers), Wyatt Toregas (Pirates), P.J. Walters (Blue Jays), Randy Williams (Red Sox), and Reggie Willits (Angels).
In-Season Trades By The 2011 Playoff Teams
It's hard to fake your way through 162 games, so most MLB playoff teams have earned the right to play in October. Once every few years, a team in a weak division slips into the playoffs with a mediocre record, but teams like the 2005 Padres and 2006 Cardinals are exceptions.
Now that this year's postseason lineup has been determined, we have the chance to look back at the trades the eight playoff teams made this year. Here's a summary of the in-season acquisitions that made an impact for one of MLB's 2011 playoff teams (linked team names go to our Transaction Tracker):
National League
- Phillies: Hunter Pence, John Bowker
- Cardinals: Rafael Furcal, Edwin Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski, Octavio Dotel, Corey Patterson
- Diamondbacks: Jason Marquis, Brad Ziegler, John McDonald, Aaron Hill
- Brewers: Nyjer Morgan, Sergio Mitre, Francisco Rodriguez, Felipe Lopez, Jerry Hairston Jr.
American League
- Yankees: Sergio Mitre
- Rays: None
- Tigers: Wilson Betemit, Doug Fister, David Pauley, Delmon Young
- Rangers: Koji Uehara, Mike Adams, Mike Gonzalez, Matt Treanor
All four National League teams added valuable contributors in midsummer trades. The Rangers improved their bullpen with a pair of highly-coveted late-inning relievers and the Tigers acquired Doug Fister, who posted a 1.79 ERA with a 57K/5BB ratio in 70 1/3 innings down the stretch and is arguably the acquisition of the season.
After months of rumors about the Yankees' interest in starting pitching, GM Brian Cashman remained quiet on the trade front. The Wild Card Rays were also inactive despite constant rumors about B.J. Upton, James Shields, Johnny Damon and others. Tampa Bay's midseason acquisitions came from the minor leagues, where Desmond Jennings and Matt Moore began the season.
The Yankees and Rays are not averse to trading players – Cashman nearly acquired Cliff Lee last summer and Friedman makes major trades just about every year. Similarly, the Tigers and Brewers aren't this aggressive every year – they simply saw potential upgrades on the market. If there's a lesson here it's that the significance of the trade market varies wildly from year to year and from team to team.
Los Angeles Notes: Beltre, Napoli, Dodgers
Both the Angels (86 vs. 80) and Dodgers (81 vs. 80) have already improved on last year's win totals with one game to play. Here's a look back at a couple moves that shaped the Angels' season and a look ahead to the Dodgers' offseason…
- Adrian Beltre, who lives 30 minutes from Angel Stadium, begged the Angels to sign him last offseason, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter). Instead, he signed a five-year deal with the AL West Champion Rangers and has a .296/.332/.563 line with 32 home runs. It won't be surprising if the Angels are on the lookout for third base help this offseason.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times explains that there's reason to consider the Vernon Wells–Mike Napoli trade one of the worst deals in Angels history. Wells is expensive and has struggled offensively, Napoli has had the best offensive season of his career and the Angels finished second to the Rangers. Manager Mike Scioscia says we should give the deal some time before calling it a poor one for Los Angeles.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that he understands Los Angeles is a star-driven city and will consider the best players out there this winter, even if they cost $100MM or more. Still, Colletti says he's "very conscious" of the Dodgers' drop in attendance.
Orioles Leadership Notes: Showalter, MacPhail
It appears likely that Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail will step aside after the season, so before long the Cubs won't be the only team considering GM candidates around the league. It's possible that the Orioles won't have to look far though…
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun believes that the leading candidate to replace MacPhail is none other than current field manager Buck Showalter. Neither Showalter nor MacPhail will talk about the expected leadership change in Baltimore, but the club could announce that MacPhail is stepping down as soon as Thursday.
- Showalter hinted that the Orioles will make changes Thursday, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.
- Showalter will not attempt to be the manager and GM at once, according to Connolly. He'll either pick his replacement or help owner Peter Angelos find someone for the GM's role. MacPhail could also have input in the search, according to Connolly, who points out that Angelos tends to hire experienced baseball men.
- Connolly doesn't expect the Orioles to hire anyone under 45 and can't see the club selecting a "whiz kid" to take over baseball operations.
- MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli hears that John Hart, the former GM of the Indians and Rangers who has ties to Showalter, is not a likely candidate to succeed MacPhail.
- MLBTR's GM candidates series introduced Matt Klentak of the Orioles. I also spoke to Thad Levine of the Rangers, who once rooted for the Orioles with Josh Byrnes, the current Padres exec and former D'Backs GM.
Nationals Scouting C.J. Wilson
The Nationals will have a scout at C.J. Wilson's start tonight in Oakland, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Ladson takes this as a sign that the Nationals will "more than likely" have interest in signing Wilson as a free agent after the season.
Wilson, 31 in November, is putting the finishing touches on a fantastic regular season. He has a 2.97 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 0.7 HR/9, and 49.5% groundball rate in 215 1/3 innings. The lefty has been tough to hit as well.
A 2012 rotation led by Wilson, Stephen Strasburg, and Jordan Zimmermann could make the Natioanals contenders. They'll have to ante up, as Wilson has a strong case for a contract bigger than the five-year, $82.5MM deals given to John Lackey and A.J. Burnett.
AL West Notes: Wells, Mariners, Young
Brad Pitt says he now feels "a little bit romantic about the A's" after portraying GM Billy Beane in the Moneyball movie, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Here's the latest from Oakland's division…
- Vernon Wells, who could opt out of his contract this offseason, told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register that he doesn't expect to walk away from the three years and $63MM remaining on his deal. It will be a shock if he opts out given his .219/.252/.406 season line.
- The Mariners named Joe McIlvaine an assistant to GM Jack Zduriencik. The 64-year-old former Mets and Padres GM has spent the last 12 seasons working for the Twins. When MLBTR’s Howard Megdal ranked every GM in Mets history last October, McIlvaine placed fourth.
- Michael Young was the subject of near-constant trade rumors last offseason. He tells the Associated Press (link via ESPN) that he never really wanted to leave Texas, even after he requested a trade. The Rangers are glad they held on to Young, who has a .331/.374/.472 line with 40 doubles this year.
Arbitration Eligibles: Texas Rangers
The Rangers are next in our arbitration eligibles series.
- First time: Andres Blanco, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison
- Second time: Nelson Cruz, David Murphy, Darren O'Day
- Third time: Colby Lewis, Mike Adams, Mark Lowe
- Fourth time: Mike Napoli
The Rangers face one of the more sizeable arbitration classes we've encountered so far in the American League. Blanco could be cut if the Rangers don't want to guarantee him a roster spot, though we're estimating only about $500K for his salary. Lewis' $3.25MM club option is a slam dunk, as we're estimating a $6MM salary if he goes to arbitration.
Napoli's fantastic offensive year should push his salary to the $8.5MM range. Cruz has again battled injuries, but he's in line for a healthy $6MM salary. Deadline acquisition Mike Adams is looking at about $4.3MM in his last year before free agency. Andrus, Harrison, and Murphy fall within the $2.6-3.2MM range, while relievers Lowe and O'Day project for $1.3-1.4MM.
All told the Rangers have a pretty expensive group, at an estimated $30MM not including Lewis and Blanco. They have about $101MM in commitments for next year once you add Lewis and Yoshinori Tateyama but before minimum salary players are included. That'd mark the Rangers' first foray past the $100MM mark since the Alex Rodriguez days, so you can see that simply squeezing in C.J. Wilson might require GM Jon Daniels to move some pieces around. On the other hand, attendance is up over 5,000 tickets per game this year and payroll figures to be on the rise.
Quick Hits: Wilson, White Sox, Cubs, Fielder
Links for Thursday, before the Rays visit the Red Sox for a four-game series that's critical to the American League Wild Card race…
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker hears that Yu Darvish is undecided on whether it's the right time for him to join an MLB team. The Japanese right-hander could be available via the posting system this offseason.
- C.J. Wilson, who will hit free agency this winter, likes pitching under pressure in September, T.R. Sullivan writes at MLB.com. The Rangers left-hander has lowered his ERA (3.01) and walk rate (2.9 BB/9) this year, setting a career-high in innings pitched (209) with an improved strikeout rate (8.2 K/9) and an All-Star berth.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from someone close to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen that there’s just a 10% chance the skipper will return to Chicago next year. Though Guillen is under contract in Chicago, he appears to be tiring of his current role and his relationship with GM Kenny Williams appears “unsalvageable,” Rosenthal reports.
- There’s almost no chance that the Cubs will have their next GM in place by the end of the month, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi hears from one agent who expects the Cubs to try to get “the biggest name they can," and goes on to discuss some of the high-profile candidates who have been linked to the job.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com suggests the Orioles, Rangers or Dodgers could sign Prince Fielder this offseason (Twitter link).
Heyman On Orioles, Cubs, Astros
The Orioles may have trouble attracting GM candidates with stature, assuming president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail leaves after the season, Jon Heyman writes at SI.com. Owner Peter Angelos is involved in all the big decisions the Orioles make, sometimes making the calls himself. Angelos loves manager Buck Showalter and there’s some buzz that Angelos could make his manager the GM as well, as unlikely as that seems. Here’s the latest from Heyman:
- Showalter was Angelos’ choice last year, though MacPhail appeared to be leaning toward current Mariners manager Eric Wedge.
- Cal Ripken Jr. doesn’t appear to have interest in becoming a general manager and people close to the longtime Orioles shortstop say they can’t see him working under Angelos as a GM.
- It’s hard to imagine Rangers executive John Hart agreeing to work under Angelos, unless he gets real autonomy.
- Angelos wouldn’t like the idea of hiring a Yankee to turn his franchise around and it appears unlikely that Brian Cashman would leave New York for Baltimore.
- Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine, who grew up rooting for the Orioles, figures to be a candidate for the job.
- Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has started calling around “in earnest” about possible GMs.
- If the Astros move to the American League, MLB will add an extra Wild Card team next year.
- Mets executives see Justin Turner as a utility player.
Heyman On Pujols, Huntington, C.J. Wilson
SI's Jon Heyman leads his latest column with a discussion of the Albert Pujols situation, which is due to flare up once the season ends. Heyman's sources say the Cardinals are "not overly confident" about retaining Pujols. Heyman hears the Cardinals are not inclined to increase their offer much from nine years and around $210MM, although the SI writer thinks the team could reduce the number of years to boost the average annual value past the $23MM range. Heyman hears Pujols is "not overly thrilled" that the Cardinals' offer last winter wouldn't place him in the top ten among MLB player salaries, though by my count there are only five players currently averaging $23MM or more as their AAV.
Heyman has plenty more musings on the Pujols topic in the column; here are a few other highlights…
- The Pirates intend to extend the contract of GM Neal Huntington. He says the Bucs have waited for the draft and trade deadlines to pass. Huntington was hired four years ago.
- "There are some who could see" Rangers ace C.J. Wilson "wanting to go to his native Southern California." Heyman views the Angels as a threat for Wilson.
- Heyman says Angels people suggest they would have been willing to resume extension talks with Jered Weaver next year if they hadn't reached a deal by the team's deadline this year.
- The Twins are interested in re-signing reliever Joe Nathan, though they won't be picking up his $12MM option.