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Odds & Ends: Duchscherer, Bruce, Nolasco, Votto

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Some links as the Rangers look to close out the Yankees at home..

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Ichiro, Garza, Greinke, Bell

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On this date two years ago, the Mariners named former Brewers vice president Jack Zduriencik as their new general manager. His defense-heavy approach resulted in a 24 win increase in his first season at the helm, though team scoring dropped by 31 runs. The Mariners won just 61 games and scored a mere 513 runs in 2010, the fewest by any team in the DH era. Unsurprisingly, there's already talk that Jack Z. is on the hot seat.

These links don't have to worry about being on the hot seat, they've made this week's edition of BBWI…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Sosnick On Bruce, Willingham, Nolasco, Dunn

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Agent Matt Sosnick appeared on the Diamond Hoggers' Baseball Show today, and spoke at length about how he became involved in baseball, his experiences in the sport, and a few of his clients. Here are the highlights from the discussion, which you can listen to here:

  • Jay Bruce is open to signing a long-term contract with the Reds. "If the Reds felt the same way," Sosnick said. "We'd be open to doing something that was five or six years."
  • Sosnick acknowledged that locking up Joey Votto would likely be a higher priority for the club, but cited deals signed by Justin Upton and Troy Tulowitzki as potential starting points for a Bruce extension.
  • As we heard earlier today, Josh Willingham is interested in signing an extension with the Nationals. Sosnick feels that if Willingham were hitting the open market this winter, the 31-year-old could land a multi-year deal worth $10MM annually.
  • According to Sosnick, when the Giants made a push for Willingham, the Nats asked for either Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner in return.
  • Regarding a possible Ricky Nolasco extension, Sosnick says he and the Marlins agreed on the years, but were off by "about 20%" on salary. The two sides will resume extension talks in November or December, working on a one-year deal in the meantime.
  • Adam Dunn is not a Sosnick client, but the agent predicts that Dunn will receive about $40MM for three years this offseason.

Reds To Increase Payroll Slightly

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Don't expect a major offseason spending spree from the reigning NL Central champs, but the Reds are boosting payroll for the 2011 season. Cincinnati opened the 2010 season with a $76MM payroll and GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon to expect the team to spend more next year.

"It's going to increase a little bit," Jocketty said.

The Reds are expected to pick up the options for Jonny Gomes ($1.75MM) and Bronson Arroyo ($11MM), but they're expected to decline their half of the $4MM option for Orlando Cabrera. The club also has interest in re-signing Ramon Hernandez and Arthur Rhodes and will see key players such as Jay Bruce and Joey Votto head to arbitration.

Carl Crawford would fit on the Reds, who could use a leadoff hitter, but it appears that they'll stick with Gomes and within their budget.

Jocketty: Reds “Probably Will” Pick Up Gomes’ Option

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After recently disclosing that the club will exercise their option on pitcher Bronson Arroyo, GM Walt Jocketty says that he "probably will" pick up Jonny Gomes' option for the 2011 season, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  The outfielder's option is worth $1.75MM and costs $200K as he (easily) exceeded 350 plate appearances.

If the Reds have a change of heart and do not exercise Gomes' option, they are obligated to release him.  The soon-to-be 30-year-old hit .266/.327/.431 with 18 homers in 571 plate appearances.

In addition to the aforementioned Gomes and Arroyo, the Reds also hold options on two other players.  Shortstop Orlando Cabrera has a $4MM option for 2011 but we learned earlier this week that the Reds will likely decline it.  They also hold a $12.5MM option on Aaron Harang but they certainly won't pick it up.

Amateur Signing Bonuses: Reds

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Next up in our series looking at how much each club spends on amateurs, the Reds…

  1. Aroldis Chapman, $16.25MM (2010)
  2. Chris Gruler, $2.5MM (2002)
  3. Yorman Rodriguez, $2.5MM (2008)
  4. Homer Bailey, $2.3MM (2004)
  5. Mike Leake, $2.27MM (2009)

I don't want to ruin the surprise, but Chapman's bonus is by far the largest you'll see in this series. It wasn't all paid out at once though; the 22-year-old Cuban defector received $1.5MM up front and the rest will be paid in annual installments through 2020, the first of which is due in less than two weeks.  I'm sure the Reds will happily hand that money over after Chapman's late season showing, when he struck out 19 with a 2.03 ERA in 13.1 relief innings.  He also threw the fastest recorded pitch in baseball history on September 24th, a fastball that MLBAM's PitchFX system clocked at 105.1 mph.

Gruler made 11 starts in 2002 after being the third overall pick that year, but unfortunately the 44 innings he tossed that season would be a career high.  He battled shoulder injury after shoulder injury, and was out of baseball by 2006 after just 92.2 minor league innings, none of them above the Single-A level. Rodriguez is still just 18 years old despite signing two summers ago.  The outfielder is a .276/.316/.384 career hitter in 472 plate appearances in the lowest levels of minor league baseball.

The eighth overall pick in 2009, Leake became the first pitcher since Ariel Prieto in 1995 to skip the minor leagues and make his professional debut in the show.  He threw 138.1 innings for the Reds this season, putting up a 4.23 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 before being placed on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue in an effort to control his workload.  Bailey took a more conventional route after being selected with the seventh overall pick in 2004.  He made his big league debut in 2007, and in 39 starts (222.1 innings) for the Reds over the last two seasons he's pitched to a 4.49 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9.  Both Leake and Bailey figure to have a spot in Cincinnati's rotation next season.

It's worth noting that the Reds have also given four players bonuses of exactly $2MM: Drew Stubbs, Juan Duran, Yonder Alonso, and Yasmani Grandal.  Stubbs is the team's regular center fielder; the other three are currently working their way through the farm system.

Tankersley, Others Hit Free Agency

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Taylor Tankersley and a number of others with big league experience recently hit free agency, as Baseball America's Matt Eddy reports. Joining the left-hander on the open market are Bobby Scales (Cubs), Justin Lehr (Reds), Paul Phillips (Rockies), Juan Rincon (Rockies), Hector Luna (Marlins), Anderson Hernandez (Astros), Adam Stern (Brewers), Denny Bautista (Giants), Brandon Medders (Giants), Willie Eyre (Rangers) and Sean Henn (Blue Jays).

Tankersley, the Marlins' first round pick in the 2004 draft, succeeded early in his career, but has since struggled. Still just 27, Tankersley brings a career 8.8 K/9 to the free agent market and could become a lefty specialist. He missed all of 2009 with a stress fracture in his elbow, but it wouldn't be surprising to see a team like the Diamondbacks take a flier on the former prospect.

Bautista, who turns 28 this weekend, is another interesting arm. He posted a 3.74 ERA with the Giants this year and struck out (11.8 K/9) and walked (7.2 BB/9) tons of batters in 33.2 innings. The right-hander has always walked lots of hitters, but his mid-90s fastball and ability to induce strikeouts may tempt teams looking to buy low on live arms.

Reds Rumors: Hernandez, Rhodes, Bruce

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We heard yesterday that the Reds are likely to decline their half of the $4MM mutual option on Orlando Cabrera for 2011 and that the club has interest in retaining Jonny Gomes and Ramon Hernandez. Here’s more news on the 2010 NL Central Champs from John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

  • Devin Mesoraco’s progress could impact the offers the Reds make to Hernandez. Mesoraco, a 22-year-old catcher, had an excellent season at the plate this year. The 2007 first rounder hit .302/.377/.587 at three minor league stops with 26 total homers. He’s now playing in the Arizona Fall League and figures to need more minor league seasoning given his lack of experience in the upper minors.
  • The Reds have talked to Arthur Rhodes’ agent about bringing the lefty back in 2011. Rhodes told Fay he’d like to return and talks will resume next week, so there’s a chance the sides work something out before Rhodes hits the open market.
  • The Reds expect Jay Bruce to qualify as a Super Two, but they haven’t heard official word yet. Bruce would likely earn a few million if he’s arbitration eligible this year and that commitment would likely affect the Reds’ ability to spend on other players.
  • MLBTR's Tim Dierkes heard in June that the Super Two cutoff will be earlier than usual this year and that Bruce will be the Super Two with the fewest days of service time. With just two years and 125 days of service time, Bruce will have less big league experience than any Super Two in recent years.

Reds Likely To Decline Orlando Cabrera’s Option

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"All indications are that" Cincinnati will decline its end of the $4MM mutual option on Orlando Cabrera for 2011, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.  The move isn't exactly a surprise (over 80 percent of MLBTR readers polled last week thought Cabrera's option would be declined), but the Reds are interested in re-signing Cabrera at a lower price.  Earlier this week, Reds GM Jocketty told WKRC Local 12 Sports Director Brad Johansen that Cabrera's option is "probably more than we want to exercise, we'll try to find a happy medium..if not, [Paul] Janish would be our SS." (Twitter link)

Cabrera could be amenable to staying since it appears as though he'd be given at least a share of the starting shortstop job and his lackluster 2010 season — a .263/.303/.354 slash line in 537 plate appearances — will make it hard to find a larger offer or regular playing time elsewhere.  If the Reds pass on the option, they owe Cabrera a $1MM buyout.

Jocketty also told Sheldon that the club also has interest in Ramon Hernandez and Jonny Gomes.  Hernandez is a free agent, while Cincinnati has a $1.75MM team option on Gomes.  MLBTR's Luke Adams recently examined Hernandez's value on the free agent market, while MLBTR's Steve Adams did the same with Gomes yesterday.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Reds, Nationals, Cardinals

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Links for Monday, as impending free agent lefties Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte prepare to duel in New York…

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