Quick Hits: Young, Papelbon, Marlins, Rangers
On this day in 1989, the Yankees re-signed Tommy John, who was 45 years old at the time. John lost seven of the 10 starts he made in '89, and was released by the Yankees on May 30th. It would be his last stint in the majors. Of course, over two decades later, the southpaw is a bigger household name than ever, immortalized as the namesake of a surgical procedure now common among pitchers: Tommy John surgery. Here are the links for Sunday, as we celebrate the return of baseball. Pitchers and catchers report!
- Jamey Newberg provides some reasons that Michael Young is unlikely to be traded. He points out that Texas doesn't match up well with contenders looking to add offense because those contending teams don't want to give up players who will help them win in 2011.
- Jonathan Papelbon doesn't know why everyone assumes he won't be with the Red Sox after 2011, tweets Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. However, in this piece from WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, Papelbon voices his desire to be the "number one guy" on free agency next offseason and says Rafael Soriano's contract helped set the bar for elite relievers.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel discusses five questions about the Marlins' roster changes for 2011.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider-only link) thinks Michael Young makes a lot of sense for the Brewers. Not only would Young represent an upgrade over Yuniesky Betancourt at shortstop, but it was GM Doug Melvin who initially acquired Young from the Blue Jays in 2000. Olney acknowledges, however, that Milwaukee's minor league system has been depleted by the Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum deals, and the money situation might not work.
- It's been an up-and-down offseason for the Rangers, writes Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- The Indians view recently signed infielder Orlando Cabrera as a super utility type who could play not just second base, but also shortstop and third base as needed, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Verducci On Weaver, Lester, Pujols, Young
Here's the latest from Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci….
- Though the Angels won their arbitration hearing with Jered Weaver, Verducci thinks the fact that the case went all the way to a hearing is "a bad sign" for Weaver's future with the Halos. It certainly doesn't help refute the purported hard feelings between the Angels and Weaver's agent Scott Boras.
- Verducci compares the contracts and basic performance stats of Weaver, Chad Billingsley, Jon Lester and Cole Hamels. Verducci guesses Boston saved at least $15MM by signing Lester to a multiyear deal before the 2009 season.
- Just three players (Todd Helton, Raul Ibanez, and Ichiro) aged 36 years old or older managed to play 100 games in the field last season and reach the league average OPS of .728, Verducci writes. This pronounced decline rate for older players is the reason the Cardinals are hesitant to pay Albert Pujols a $30MM annual salary into his late thirties.
- The Rangers are still "the best fit" for Michael Young. Verducci points out that Young should still be able to find lots of playing time with Texas, if not necessarily an everyday spot in the lineup. Given how thin the trade market for Young appears to be, Young also may not have a choice but to remain in Texas.
Michael Young Rumors: Thursday
Michael Young wants out of Texas and, despite the $48MM remaining on his contract, some of the Rangers' rivals are interested. The Phillies inquired on Young and though the Angels, Dodgers and Yankees appear to have little interest in the 34-year-old, other clubs could become involved. Here's the latest on Young, with the most recent updates up top:
- Renck hears that the Rangers want more than they did six weeks ago, but the Rockies are not inclined to change their offer (Twitter link).
- The Rockies thought they had a deal in place with the Rangers for Young about six weeks ago, writes Renck. The Rockies would have given up a pair of solid prospects and were to take on about $20MM of Young's contract. But then the Rangers missed out on free agent DH targets and at this time want more from the Rockies.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that "nobody looks good right now" for a Young trade. Daniels suggested that "if a deal is going to happen, it's probably going to happen" before Rangers position players report to Spring Training in nine days, though he does not consider February 19th a deadline. He also told Grant the Rangers are not pursuing free agents to replace Young.
- The Dodgers and Rangers had serious discussions about Young, but the sides didn't get close to a deal, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. One source told the FOX writers the Dodgers wanted the Rangers to assume "as much as" $36MM of the $48MM owed to Young.
- The Rangers and Rockies both know the deal they want and seem to be waiting for the other club to blink, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- The Rangers don't expect to be able to move Young, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Teams have inquired, but there's no apparent fit.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post has been told multiple times that the Rockies are out unless the Rangers approach them again (Twitter link).
- Angels GM Tony Reagins told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he's "not engaged" with another AL West team in trade talks (Twitter link). It doesn't sound like Young should pack his bags for Anaheim.
- We heard Tuesday that the Rockies were out on Young, but they may still be interested in him. The Rockies haven't heard they're out of the bidding, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The Rangers asked the Rockies for a "very good player" in exchange for Young and the sides are apart on money.
Rangers, Josh Hamilton Agree To Two-Year Deal
3:02pm: Hamilton earns $7.25MM in 2011, $13.75MM in 2012 and a $3MM signing bonus, according to Grant (on Twitter). The Rangers will pay Hamilton's signing bonus in two $1.5MM installments.
1:01pm: The Rangers agreed to sign Josh Hamilton to a two-year, $24MM deal, avoiding arbitration. Hamilton had filed for $12MM in arbitration this year, while the Rangers countered with $8.7MM.
Hamilton earned $3.25MM last year in his first season as an arbitration eligible player. He won the AL MVP, a Silver Slugger and the batting title in 2010, though he battled a variety of injuries along the way. Hamilton missed most of September with a ribcage injury, but finished the season with a sparkling .359/.411/.633 line and 32 homers.
The contract buys out the Moye/Sanderson client's final two seasons of arbitration eligibility, but does not delay his free agency. Like Joey Votto, last year's NL MVP, Hamilton signed an extension that covers only his remaining arbitration years.
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News first reported the agreement (on Twitter) and Jon Heyman of SI.com reported the value of the contract (Twitter link).
Quick Hits: Marcum, Blanco, Peavy, Pujols
Links for Wednesday night..
- Brewers negotiator Teddy Werner told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter) that the ability for Shaun Marcum to exceed the $4MM arb midpoint via incentives was key to making the deal happen.
- Royals outfielder Gregor Blanco is out of options and on the bubble, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
- The Mets could learn a lot from the Rangers, who also experienced financial trouble recently, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.
- Jake Peavy is eager to fulfill the expecations that the White Sox had for him when they traded for him in 2009, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
- Agent Adam Karon has been promoted to partner and general counsel at Sosnick-Cobbe Sports, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Karon represents Jonathan Singleton, Brent Morel, Jesse Biddle, Sean Coyle, Chris Heisey, and others.
- Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (via Twitter) points out that the Cardinals have an exclusive negotiating window with Albert Pujols from the end of the team's season to five days after the World Series.
- The Cards should give Pujols the dollars he's looking for but only across seven years, says Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter).
- The White Sox are amongst the teams that did well this offseason, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
- Reliever Duaner Sanchez worked out for several clubs in Arizona today, though the Red Sox were not among them, tweets Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. The veteran right-hander last pitched in the majors in 2009 when he made 12 appearances for the Padres.
Michael Young Rumors: Wednesday
The Rockies aren't in on Michael Young, but other clubs have at least some interest in the Rangers infielder. Young would consider trades on a case-by-case basis, though he can veto deals to teams other than the Cardinals, Yankees, Twins, Astros, Rockies, Dodgers, Angels and Padres. Yesterday we found out that the Cardinals, Twins, Mariners and Tigers have little or no interest in Young. The Astros, however, like Young's tools to an extent and might consider sending Carlos Lee to the Rangers for him. Here's the latest on Young, with the most recent updates up top:
- The Phillies recently contacted the Rangers to express interest in Young, three league sources told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. The talks ultimately didn't get very far and are no longer active. One of the sources characterized the interaction as "tire kicking" on the part of the Phillies. It should be noted that the Phillies are not one of the eight clubs that Young would approve trades to, though the 34-year-old says that he would consider deals to teams not on the list.
- The Yankees aren't expected to pursue Young, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- Several people involved with the Young situation tell Jon Heyman of SI.com that they believe there’s a “decent chance” that the Rangers open Spring Training with Young. Texas is talking to multiple teams about Young and for now the Rangers are discussing deals with clubs that Young would accept trades to.
- The Angels have little interest in picking up most of Young’s contract or assembling a package of players that would appeal to the Rangers, according to Mike DiGiovanna and Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times. Texas is looking for starting pitching and a position player who can help at the Major League level. The Angels would part with Scott Kazmir and Fernando Rodney, but those players have little appeal to the Rangers.
- The Dodgers have some concern about Young’s defense and power, according to DiGiovanna and Dilbeck.
- The Mets should consider acquiring Young, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Mets could send Jason Bay to the Rangers, who are known to be seeking a DH type, and New York could then either keep Young or flip him to another team, with net salary savings in either scenario.
Quick Hits: AL West Grades, O-Cab, Scott, Hernandez
Offseason grades were revealed for the NL Central on Tuesday by ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, and his colleague Jerry Crasnick has marks for the AL West today. Here's more on that and a couple other tidbits of note …
- The A's had the best offseason of the AL West clubs, writes Crasnick, after adding some pop to their lineup relatively cheaply and solidifying their bullpen behind their strong, young starting rotation. They missed out on a couple bigger-ticket players and added some guys with injury questions, Crasnick notes, but they improved overall. The Rangers fared OK this offseason, writes Crasnick. The loss of Cliff Lee hurts Texas, as does its mishandling of a good asset in Michael Young, although Adrian Beltre was a nice if pricey add. The Angels and Mariners had a rough go of it, according to Crasnick, with the Halos committing too much money to Vernon Wells in the wake of losing out on Carl Crawford, and the M's pulling off some "uninspiring" signings, like Miguel Olivo.
- Free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera is talking to a couple teams and is "too good not to get a job," writes Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Twins, Brewers and Pirates all could make sense as a landing spot for Cabrera, Heyman explains.
- The Mets have signed outfielder Lorenzo Scott to a minor league deal, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Scott, 28, spent 2010 in the Marlins organization, primarly with the Double-A Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League. There he hit .265/.369/.412 in 324 plate appearances.
- The Mariners have signed Moises Hernandez, the older brother of Seattle ace Felix Hernandez, to a minor league deal, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Hernandez, 26, was last with a Major League organizaiton in 2009, when he pitched for three Braves affiliates. For his minor league career, Hernandez has a 4.37 ERA in 116 appearances (57 starts).
- MLBTR founder and owner Tim Dierkes was interviewed by the folks over at BaseballNation.net recently, so be sure to give that a read for more information on the innerworkings of MLBTR.
Rockies Out Of Michael Young Trade Talks
The Rockies are no longer among the potential trade partners to land the Rangers' Michael Young, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
A potential deal between the Rockies and Rangers was hampered not necessarily by money, blogs Renck, but by the Rangers' need to acquire a "bigger name player" than Eric Young Jr., whom they had targeted earlier this offseason. Further complicating matters was Vladimir Guerrero's recent agreement on a contract with the Orioles, Renck notes, leaving Texas less inclined to compromise on its financial or prospect demands in a Young swap without a suitable replacement to handle their DH duties (Twitter links). The Rangers' plan was, Renck notes, to spend the money they saved on Michael Young's offloaded contract on a DH type, but that option has dried up.
Potential suitors for Young seem to be dwindling, and one has to wonder whether a deal will get done as this situation grows increasingly tricky, as Renck tweets. It may simply come down to how hard the Rangers try to honor Young's request of a trade, tweets Buster Olney.
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.
Michael Young Reactions & Analysis
You've heard the Rangers' side: Michael Young requested a trade. You've heard Young's side: Texas "misled and manipulated" him. By now, you've heard the latest rumors, too. In case that's not enough, we have assembled some reactions and analysis on the situation…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that some rival executives think the Rangers’ stance suggests they do not want to trade Young. But Rosenthal says Texas needs to trade Young soon.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and ESPN.com's Buster Olney break down the potential destinations for Young.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs argues that a Carlos Lee for Young swap makes more sense than other potential deals.
- But Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle says the deal "appears to be a no-go" for Houston, even if the Astros ship Lee to the Rangers.
- MLB.com's Jason Beck explains why Young isn't a fit in Detroit.