Rosenthal On CBA
Though MLB and the MLBPA finalized baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement during the 2011-12 offseason, some elements of the CBA didn’t take effect until this winter. This means the 2012-13 offseason has been the first full winter under the sport’s new CBA. So far, it’s turning out better than many anticipated, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Here are some details from Rosenthal:
- The CBA has led to uncharacteristic caution from the Yankees while creating incentives for many other teams to spend. The agreement’s market-disqualification program encourages large market teams such as the Blue Jays, Braves and Nationals to spend. As Rosenthal explains, those teams are seeing their revenue sharing proceeds diminish. This change encourages the clubs to spend and generate revenue with on-field success.
- The MLBPA would love to eliminate draft pick compensation, as Rosenthal notes. However, the new CBA reduced the number of players linked to compensation. And those connected to draft picks such as Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher and Rafael Soriano are signing lucrative deals.
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently examined the effect the qualifying offer had on teams and free agents. Check out Tim's post for the thoughts of MLB execs and agents on the new system.
- Indians front office executives encouraged ownership to spend on Bourn, explaining that it could be a while before a similarly appealing opportunity emerged.
- Many executives consider the recently-imposed amateur spending limits counter-productive, Rosenthal reports.
- MLB has “no intention” of changing the rule that protects the top ten selections in the draft (Twitter links). The Mets were considering challenging the rule and arguing that they should have a protected 11th overall selection after finishing with one of the ten worst records in baseball. The language in the CBA on the matter is clear in MLB’s view.
AL Central Notes: Perez, Scherzer, White Sox, Twins
The latest from the AL Central on the day before Michael Bourn is expected to take his physical with the Indians…
- Chris Perez said he was pleased to see the Indians agree to terms with Bourn, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. "It feels like we're a big market club," Perez said. Last fall the closer publicly criticized Indians ownership and management for their decision making and spending.
- Max Scherzer said the Tigers brought up the possibility of a long-term contract this winter, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. “We talked about it,” Scherzer said. “But we were more focused on just getting one year done." Agent Scott Boras represents Scherzer, who said he loves Detroit and the Tigers organization. Scherzer is on track to hit free agency following the 2014 season.
- A.J. Pierzynski said he's not disappointed to have moved on from the White Sox to the Rangers, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. "I'm excited about the new opportunity here and the chance to come to a team that definitely has a team to be very competitive, with a goal of going to the playoffs," he said. Pierzynski, who obtained a one-year, $7.5MM deal from the Rangers, described the signing as "bittersweet."
- The Twins have a new-look rotation after adding pitching reinforcements during the offseason, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com writes.
Kyle Lohse Rumors: Tuesday
Now that Michael Bourn has agreed to terms with the Indians, Kyle Lohse is the top free agent available. Lohse, another client of the Boras Corporation, would represent an upgrade for most rotations. However, the market for the right-hander remains difficult to read, partly because he’s linked to draft pick compensation. Here’s the latest with the most recent rumors up top…
- Washington GM Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio that the Nationals don't have interest in Lohse presently (Twitter link).
Earlier Updates:
- The Nationals might try to sign Lohse, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. If Gio Gonzalez faces a suspension for his alleged links to the Miami Biogenesis clinic, the Nationals could look to bolster their rotation by adding Lohse. Though the right-hander would represent a luxury rather than a necessity, the Nationals did like him early in the winter. Now that the Nationals have signed Rafael Soriano, adding Lohse would only require the forfeiture of a second round draft choice. Lohse’s asking price might be prohibitive, however.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he doesn’t expect to add starting pitching, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Though Chris Carpenter may not pitch in 2013, the Cardinals have internal candidates such as Joe Kelly, Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal.
- Some general managers have speculated that the Indians would be a fit for Lohse, but ESPN.com's Buster Olney has been told the Indians won't sign him (Twitter link).
Indians Notes: Bourn, Theriot, Stubbs
It’s been an uncharacteristically busy offseason for the Indians, who are typically modest spenders in free agency. They added Nick Swisher, Brett Myers and Mark Reynolds earlier in the winter and agreed to sign Michael Bourn to a four-year, $48MM contract last night. Here’s the latest from Cleveland…
- To the surprise of many, the Indians responded to an increase in TV-related revenue by spending aggressively on free agents. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Indians are suddenly a must-see team, even if their pitching staff does have shortcomings.
- The Indians and Rangers are still in the mix for free agent infielder Ryan Theriot, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter). Theriot’s main concern is playing time, and he could have trouble getting into the lineup in Cleveland and Texas.
- Drew Stubbs is "eminently available" and "very likely the odd man out" in the Cleveland outfield, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote last night that it doesn't appear Stubbs or Michael Brantley will be moved.
- It's believed that three of the final four teams in on Bourn had top ten draft picks that would have been protected, Heyman reports.
- MLBTR’s Steve Adams compiled some more signing reactions last night.
Indians To Sign Michael Bourn
TUESDAY: Bourn will take his physical tomorrow and the Indians will introduce him at a Thursday press conference, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (Twitter links). Bourn will earn $7MM in 2013, $13.5MM in 2014 and 2015, and $14MM in 2016.
MONDAY: Michael Bourn has agreed to a four-year, $48MM deal with the Indians, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The contract contains a $12MM vesting option for a fifth year (Twitter links). The option vests if Bourn reaches 550 plate appearances in the final season of his contract, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Bourn is represented by Scott Boras. 
Bourn's contract is the second four-year deal that the Indians have given out this offseason, as the team also agreed to a four-year, $56MM contract with Nick Swisher in early January. Cleveland forfeited its second-round pick in order to sign Swisher, and the Bourn signing will cost them their competitive-balance pick, which would have been No. 69 overall according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (on Twitter). Bourn's former team, the Braves, will now pick 31st in the upcoming draft, Callis adds. (A refresher on the new draft pick compensation system can be found here.)
The 30-year-old Bourn hit .274/.348/.391 this past season with the Braves, adding nine homers and 42 stolen bases. He topped 155 games for the third time in the past four seasons and played stellar defense according to both UZR/150 (+22.4) and The Fielding Bible (+24).
Bourn was pursued heavily by the Mets over the past few weeks, but signing him would have required forfeiting the No. 11 overall pick in the 2013 draft. The Mets wanted to make an appeal to MLB that would allow them to keep the pick due to the fact that they felt they earned it by finishing with one of the ten worst records in baseball.
As MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows, it's been an exceptionally busy offseason for Indians GM Chris Antonetti. In addition to Bourn and Swisher, Cleveland has also signed Brett Myers (one year, $7MM) and Mark Reynolds (one year, $6MM). In total, Cleveland spent a whopping $117MM on free agents this offseason, not including minor league deals with notable base salaries for Daisuke Matszuaka and Jason Giambi. The Tribe also exercised Ubaldo Jimenez's $5.75MM option and acquired Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs in a three-team blockbuster that sent Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati.
The addition of Bourn gives Cleveland an enviable surplus in the outfield, meaning that either Stubbs or Michael Brantley could end up on the trading block in the coming weeks. They could also shift Swisher to first base and use Reynolds as a designated hitter, which would allow them to deploy a strong outfield of Brantley, Bourn and Stubbs.
Bourn ranked third on Tim Dierkes' list of Top 50 free agents this offseason, behind only Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton. With Bourn's agreement, the only members of that list that remain unsigned are fellow Scott Boras clients Kyle Lohse and Jose Valverde.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Reactions To The Michael Bourn Signing
The Indians agreed to a four-year deal with Michael Bourn earlier tonight, presumably capping an offseason spending spree that saw GM Chris Antonetti dish out $117MM in guaranteed contracts. Here are some reactions from around the baseball world pertaining to tonight's news…
- It doesn't sound like the signing will prompt the Indians to trade Drew Stubbs or Michael Brantley, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
- In the event of a trade, Stubbs is the most likely to go, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, who notes that the Mets are a logical landing place.
- Heyman also writes that the Mets' credibility took a hit with their inability to sign Bourn. He opines that the team should've have filed a grievance weeks ago to attempt to keep their first-round pick, even if it meant risking increased leverage for Scott Boras in negotiations.
- The contract is good for both Bourn and the Indians in the mind of Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan. He adds that Cleveland's protected first-round pick meant they were sacrificing less value to sign Bourn, as he cost them only a competitive balance draft pick. Because they didn't have to give up as much value as others would have to sign Bourn, they were willing to spend more on the contract itself.
- It's a fair contract, and Bourn immediately becomes one of Cleveland's best players, but the move is still a head-scratcher according to ESPN's Keith Law. Law feels that Cleveland's pitching isn't improved enough to make them a .500 team, which makes all of this spending a curious decision unless it's with an eye toward stockpiling affordable talent for future trade assets.
- Law also notes that the Royals are losers in this deal, as part of their rationale for parting with Wil Myers was that the weakness of the AL Central could make them Wild Card contenders: "…every move that Cleveland, Minnesota or the White Sox make to get better hurts the odds of Kansas City getting to the 88-win territory."
AL Central Notes: Kazmir, Sanchez, Tigers
A rebuilt Indians club should add to the mix of what was a competitive AL Central Division race during the 2012 season. While the Royals and Twins aren't expected to be much of a factor in 2013, the Indians, Tigers and White Sox may find themselves fighting for a playoff spot well into September. Let's catch up on the latest news and headlines from around the division.
- Scott Kazmir told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com that he had a variety of offers to choose from but chose to sign with the Indians mostly due to the presence of manager Terry Francona (via Twitter). The 29-year-old lefty signed a minor league deal with Cleveland in December and will be given an opportunity to crack the squad's starting rotation.
- The Twins remain uninterested in signing free agent Freddy Sanchez, who has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons, writes Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). Sanchez, 35, last appeared in over 100 games during the 2010 season with the Giants where he posted a batting line of .292/.342/.397.
- The Tigers remain in need of a right-hander off the bench and will look to find the right piece internally before exploring the free-agent market, says Jason Beck of MLB.com. According to GM Dave Dombrowski, Danny Worth and Jeff Kobernus will receive heavy consideration for the open spot on the roster.
Indians To Sign Brett Myers
FEBRUARY 10th: Myers' 2014 option vests if he pitches 200 innings this year and passes a physical at season's end, tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
JANUARY 4th: The Indians have agreed to sign right-hander Brett Myers to a one-year, $7MM deal with a club option. Myers, an LSW Baseball client, passed his physical, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). Myers' 2014 option is valued at $8MM, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).
Myers, 32, pitched to a 3.31 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 70 relief appearances last season for the Astros and White Sox. However, he has been vocal about his desire to be a starting pitcher once again in 2013. The Tribe will plug Myers into the starting five, according to Hoynes (on Twitter).
Even though he's a year removed from the role, Myers stood as one of the few innings eaters left on the open market this winter. For his career as a starter, Myers owns a 4.27 ERA with 7.2 K/9 with 2.97 BB/9 in 249 starts. He also pitched a combined 439 and 2/3 innings in 2010 and '11.
Myers became a free agent in October when the White Sox declined his $10MM option for the 2013 season, opting instead to pay him a $3MM buyout. The right-hander had interest from a number of clubs this offseason, including the Padres, Twins, and Royals.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the deal and its terms (Twitterlinks). Edward Creech contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Quick Hits: Indians, Mark Prior, Phillies, Mark Lerner
On this day in 1971, Satchel Paige became the first Negro League player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The oldest player to make his Major League debut, Paige took the field for the Indians for the first time at the age of 42. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines across MLB.
- After making a series of deals this offseason in hopes of making a strong push toward the playoffs, the Indians may not be done adding pieces to their roster just yet, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn remain on the radar for Cleveland as the organization would only have to give up a third round draft pick in order to sign either player.
- Mark Prior hasn't given up on his goal of returning to the Major Leagues as he's working on strengthening his shoulder in hopes of receiving an invitation to Spring Training, says David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com. Currently in the best shape of his life according to reports, Prior spent the 2012 season at Triple-A Pawtucket as a member of the Red Sox organization before being released in August. For more on Prior, Doug Miller of MLB.com takes an in-depth approach to telling the past and present story of the former sensation's life on both a professional and personal level.
- The contracts for recently-signed members of the Phillies organization are broken down by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com as he provides the financial incentives players would receive based upon meeting specific goals. For example, Delmon Young would be awarded $100K if named NL MVP next season and $250K for reaching 600 plate appearances, among others.
- Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner told college students at a conference directed toward finding a career in sports that he often learns of deals made by his GM Mike Rizzo by visiting MLB Trade Rumors, writes James Wagner of The Washington Post. A special thanks to Mark for publicly recognizing the work done at MLBTR by Tim Dierkes and his staff.
Indians Sign Jason Giambi
9:55pm: Giambi will receive a $750K salary plus incentives if he makes the Indians roster, says Hoynes (on Twitter).
9:37pm: The Indians have signed Giambi to a minor league contract, according to a team announcement. He will report to MLB Spring Training on Wednesday in Goodyear, Arizona, reports Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
8:44pm: The Indians are close to finalizing a minor league deal with former Rockies slugger Jason Giambi, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). The contract will include an invitation to MLB Spring Training.
Giambi, 42, will look to compete for a spot on the bench as a left-handed designated hitter and offer depth at first base. The 2000 AL MVP posted a .225/.372/.303 batting line in 89 at-bats with the Rockies in 2012 as he served as a pinch hitter.