Arbitration Eligibles: Cleveland Indians
The Indians are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series. Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.
- First time: Tony Sipp ($1MM), Brent Lillibridge ($700K), Lou Marson ($800K)
- Second time: Jack Hannahan ($1.5MM), Justin Masterson ($5.7MM)
- Third time: Shin-Soo Choo ($7.9MM), Chris Perez ($7.2MM), Joe Smith ($2.7MM), Kevin Slowey ($2.8MM)
- Fourth time: Rafael Perez ($2MM)
Choo, Perez, and Masterson represent the Tribe's big money arbitration trio, and all will be tendered contracts. Choo, 30, had a strong bounceback season and will be entering his contract year. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports talked to Chris Antonetti in August, and the Indians' GM explained that Choo and agent Scott Boras have not been receptive to an extension. Choo's trade value may be limited by the lone year of remaining control and his struggles against left-handed pitching.
Perez made headlines in September when he was mildly critical of the Indians' payroll and front office in an interview with Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The closer later hashed things out with Antonetti in a long meeting. After that, Perez touched on his future with MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, saying, "That's a business decision that they're going to have to make. That's not up to me. That's not my decision. I have two years left here at least. Right now, it's up to them. I think whatever they decide to do is definitely going to tell you which way the team is going one way or the other." In other words, if the Indians trade Perez for cheaper players, it'll represent a step in the rebuilding direction. On that point, I disagree: the value placed on the save statistic will continue to artifically inflate Perez's salary next year, and if the Indians can get a solid return for him, that's just a good baseball decision.
At a salary approaching $6MM, Masterson will be pricey for a guy coming off a 4.93 ERA. He's better than that, and maybe the comfort of having Terry Francona as manager again will provide a small boost.
Of the team's seven remaining arbitration eligible players, many are non-tender candidates: Lillibridge, Rafael Perez, Hannahan, and Slowey. Slowey will pitch in the Dominican Winter League following an injury-shortened 2012 campaign in which he did not return to the Majors. Without the Rockies picking up part of the tab on Slowey this time, he's headed for a non-tender. Lillibridge couldn't reproduce his strong part-time showing in 2011. The Red Sox acquired Lillibridge in the Kevin Youkilis trade in late June, but designated him for assignment in less than a month, at which point the Indians got him in a minor deal.
Rafael Perez came down with shoulder soreness in March, missed most of the season, and had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in late September. Even if he is ready for Spring Training, Perez doesn't represent a great risk of $2MM. Hannahan, typically well-regarded for his defense, could stick around for a reduced role behind Lonnie Chisenhall. Or, the Indians could seek a cheaper backup at third base.
Sipp has troublesome flyball/home run tendencies, though at a million bucks or so he may be retained. Smith will remain a key cog in next year's bullpen. With Carlos Santana spending some time at first base, Marson received more starts at catcher than a typical backup. I expect him to be tendered a contract.
A total arbitration estimate doesn't mean much given the different trade and non-tender scenarios for the Indians. But if Choo, Chris Perez, Masterson, Smith, Sipp, and Marson are retained, we're estimating $25.3MM for six arbitration eligible players.
Matt Swartz's arbitration projections are available exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors. To read more about his projection model, check out this series of posts.
Central Links: Soriano, Cubs, White Sox, Mills, Royals
The Cardinals and Tigers have met three times in the World Series, tying them with Red Sox/Cardinals and Reds/Yankees as the seventh-most common matchup in Series history. Could the two teams share their fourth date in the Fall Classic this season? Here's the latest from both the AL and NL Central…
- Alfonso Soriano wants to keep playing the outfield, so the Cubs may have trouble convincing him to waive his no-trade clause to join an AL team looking for a designated hitter, reports Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. "I don't know what I could do the whole season [as a DH]. To me, playing DH is boring. You only play like half [the game]," Soriano said. "I always play defense and offense, so I'd always have to work hard on my mind, 'Now I'm an offense guy only.' "
- The Cubs are likely to pursue veterans looking to rebuild value on one- or two-year contracts, opines ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine as part of a chat with fans. Levine cites Shaun Marcum, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jeff Francis, Francisco Liriano, Joe Blanton and Brandon McCarthy as types of pitchers that could interest the Cubs. Levine also discusses several other Cubs and White Sox-related topics in the all-Chicago chat.
- The Indians will not bring back hitting coach Bruce Fields or third base coach Steve Smith, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Smith had already said he was taking 2013 off, while Fields already has another job. Former Astros manager Brad Mills is expected to join the Indians staff in some capacity; Mills worked on Terry Francona's coaching staffs in both Philadelphia and Boston.
- Alcides Escobar appears to be the Royals' long-term answer at shortstop, but Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes that the club has compiled lots of young depth at the position in the minor leagues.
- From earlier today on MLBTR, I compiled some Cardinals notes, Tim Dierkes looked at the Brewers' arbitration-eligible players, and Ben Nicholson-Smith compiled a set of Tigers notes plus profiled the Cubs in the latest entry in our Offseason Outlook series.
Quick Hits: Trout, Indians, Giambi, Mets
Mike Trout's outstanding rookie season earned him Baseball America's Rookie of the Year award, but that's not all he won. The publication named Trout the 2012 Player of the Year ahead of Buster Posey, Miguel Cabrera and others. Check out Jerry Crasnick's piece for a more complete look at Trout and continue reading for more of today’s links…
- The Angels have promoted Gary DiSarcina, and the former MLB shortstop will now report to GM Jerry Dipoto as a special assistant, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports. The Angels added a second special assistant to Dipoto, hiring Rays national cross-checker Tim Huff.
- Sandy Alomar Jr. will have a spot as an Indians coach when Terry Francona's staff is officially announced, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.
- The Rockies seem to be taking Jason Giambi seriously as a managerial candidate and while some executives chuckle at the possibility, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com asks 'why not?'
- The Mets expect catcher Josh Thole to be eligible for arbitration this coming offseason, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $1.2MM salary for the backstop.
AL Central Notes: Cespedes, Boesch, Francona, Soria
As the Tigers prepare to face the A's in the deciding game of their ALDS series, here's the latest from the AL Central…
- The Tigers "had a de facto deal" with Yoenis Cespedes last winter, reports Peter Gammons for MLB.com, before the Tigers instead chose to sign Prince Fielder. Cespedes, of course, signed with the A's instead and now could play a role in the end of Detroit's season.
- Brennan Boesch wasn't on the Tigers' playoff roster and his "days likely are numbered in Detroit," writes Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press. Boesch hit a disappointing .240/.286/.372 last season and will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, so the Tigers might not tender him a contract. Sharp hints that Rick Porcello could also be non-tendered (Porcello is arb-eligible for the second time), though with so many pitching-needy teams in baseball, the Tigers might be better served by dealing Porcello than cutting him outright.
- The reported out clause in Terry Francona's Indians contract that allows the manager to leave if GM Chris Antonetti or president Mark Shapiro are fired is not a big deal, opines Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Shapiro and Antonetti owe their futures with the Tribe to Francona" already, Pluto argues, so if the team continues to struggle, a total change in front office and field management is the logical next step.
- The Indians are much more likely to pursue upgrades through the trade market than through free agency, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- “It’s better for me and my family (to stay with the Royals)," Joakim Soria tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. "My wife is pregnant. I’m just focusing on my rehab. The most important thing is for me to get healthy. After that, everything else will come together." Dutton says that Royals team officials "privately acknowledge" that Soria's $8MM option for 2013 will be bought out within three days of the World Series ending, though both sides are interested in reaching a new contract.
Duncan, Repko, Carlin, Hoey Hit Free Agency
Outfielders Shelley Duncan and Jason Repko, catcher Luke Carlin and right-handers Jim Hoey and Robert Coello have hit free agency, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. Repko declared free agency while Carlin, Duncan, Hoey and Coello refused minor league assignments.
Duncan got more MLB playing time than the others in 2012. He spent much of the season as Cleveland's left fielder, and posted a .203/.288/.388 batting line in 264 MLB plate appearances. Carlin appeared in four games with the Indians this year, spending most of the season at Triple-A. The 31-year-old posted a .703 OPS in 244 plate appearances with Columbus.
Toronto outrighted Coello off of the 40-man roster two days ago after he appeared in six games with the club this past season. The 27-year-old also appeared in 19 games at Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 3.00 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 42 innings. Hoey pitched alongside Coello in Las Vegas, posting a 4.60 ERA in 60 2/3 innings.
Repko played in five games for the Red Sox this year and posted a .743 OPS in 228 minor league plate appearances.
Managerial Notes: Leyland, Rockies, Indians, Red Sox
Earlier today, we ran down the latest managerial news including word that Rangers skipper Ron Washington's job is safe despite the club's disappointing finish. Here's the latest on vacancies from around the major leagues..
- While the Tigers and manager Jim Leyland will address his contract situation at the end of the year, the skipper confirmed today that he wants to continue managing, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com.
- Rockies senior vice president Bill Geivett told Jim Bowden (via Twitter) on MLB Network Radio that both bench coach Tom Runnells and Triple-A manager Stu Cole are internal candidates for their managerial job.
- As of now, former Astros skipper Brad Mills is not joining the Indians staff under Terry Francona, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Mills served as Francona's bench coach while with the Red Sox.
- Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington declined to comment when asked if he has requested permission to interview candidates from other clubs, tweets Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Of course, there has been wide speculation that the Red Sox are interested in Blue Jays manager John Farrell.
- Mike Lowell told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he would want to know the "ins and outs" of an organization before taking on the role of manager. Yesterday, Lowell told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that he's not looking to become a big league manager at this point in time despite being linked to the Marlins job.
AL Central Notes: Tigers, Francona, Alomar
Anibal Sanchez will take the ball in Oakland tonight as the Tigers look to advance to the ALCS for the second consecutive season. In the meantime, here are some AL Central links…
- The Tigers' decision to trade for Sanchez and Omar Infante looks better than ever, Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press writes. Sanchez, a free agent this offseason, said he doesn't think much about what will happen when his contract expires. "Right now, I just focus on what I'm going to do tomorrow," he said.
- Manager Terry Francona said he's not worried about how much the Indians spend on payroll, Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. "My job is to build a relationship with every player on the team and get the most out of them,” Francona said. The skipper is believed to be earning something close to the $4MM salary he earned in Boston, Ocker writes.
- Francona and GM Chris Antonetti have talked to Sandy Alomar Jr. about joining the Indians’ on-field staff, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (via Sulia). Alomar told Hoynes he expects to return, though managerial opportunities could emerge elsewhere. Alomar, a 20-year veteran of the Major Leagues, was a finalist for the Indians job.
Indians Hire Terry Francona
8:16pm: The Indians aren't commenting on Olney's tweet referring to Francona's out clauses, according to Hoynes (via Twitter).
7:30pm: Francona's option contains out clauses that he can exercise if the people he's working for are dismissed from the organization, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Presumably, that's in reference to Antonetti and Shapiro.
MONDAY, 9:57am: The Indians announced that they have signed Francona to a four-year deal through 2016.
SATURDAY, 6:25pm: The Indians have announced the hiring of Francona and will formally introduce him at a press conference on Monday morning.
4:42pm: The Indians and Francona are discussing a four-year deal, according to Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. The manager also implied to Hoynes that while a deal may be close, it has yet to be finalized.
3:24pm: The Indians are set to hire Terry Francona as manager with an announcement likely for Monday, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Francona, currently an analyst for ESPN, said last night that his two options at present were to either manager in Cleveland or remain with the network.
The former Red Sox skipper has linked to the vacancy ever since the dismissal of Manny Acta, but many wondered if Cleveland could offer him a satisfactory deal. Sandy Alomar Jr. was also viewed as a strong candidate for the job, having guided the club for its final six games of the season with obvious ties to the organization. At the same time, Tito has strong relationships with GM Chris Antonetti and team president Mark Shapiro following his 2001 stint with Cleveland as a special assistant to the GM.
Francona now takes over for a club that finished 68-94 in 2012 and has a limited budget to work with. For his career, the 53-year-old has a 1,029–915 record across a total of 12 seasons as a big league skipper.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Indians Notes: Francona, Alomar, Masterson
A lot of people in baseball think that Terry Francona is crazy for taking the Indians job, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). However, the skipper knew that Cleveland was where he wanted to be thanks in large part to his strong relationships with GM Chris Antonetti and president Mark Shapiro. In fact, Tito showed how much he wanted the job by handing the club a 16-page breakdown of their team, the organization, and what he envisions for their future. Earlier this afternoon, the Indians formally introduced Francona as their next manager. Here are some highlights..
- Francona was asked if he came to Cleveland in part because he preferred a smaller market as opposed to his previous stops in Philadelphia and Boston, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The skipper insisted that he wasn't looking to avoid the pressures of a big market but instead came to Cleveland because he's not "afraid of a challenge." He added that he was treated well by the media in Boston for the most part.
- The skipper said that negotiations for his four-year deal "took about ten minutes", according to Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
- Acknowledging the challenge that he will be faced with, Francona said that he's in it for the long haul, Hoynes tweets. "I don't want to be a rental manager. I want to be part of the solution. I want to stick around," said Francona.
- Antonetti and Francona have talked to Sandy Alomar Jr. several times about a coaching job, but Alomar still isn't sure if its a good fit, tweets Hoynes. Meanwhile, Antonetti expects to get calls on Alomar about managerial vacancies this winter (Twitter link).
- Francona plans to keep Justin Masterson in the starting rotation next season, tweets Hoynes. Masterson turned in a 4.93 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 34 starts last season.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Francona, Tracy, Phillies
Sunday afternoon linkage..
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if the Pirates will take a step forward in 2013. Biertempfel notes that the Bucs find themselves with the same holes to fill as they did a year ago at catcher, first base, shortstop, right field, in the bullpen, and in the starting rotation.
- The hiring of Terry Francona as manager gives the Indians credibility heading into next season, opines Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link). Rosenthal believes that Francona was looking for a front office that he could really trust after his uncomfortable exit from Boston.
- Unless Jim Tracy believes that the Rockies are capable of reaching the playoffs next season, the veteran skipper should opt to part ways with the club, writes Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. Kiszla suggests that Tracy should find a way to leave without forfeiting his $1.4MM salary, but it has been widely reported that he simply as a handshake agreement for 2013.
- Free agent options such as Josh Willingham and Yoenis Cespedes would have been a worthwhile investments for the Phillies last winter, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While there were missed opportunities for the club, Brookover is quick to note that injuries took their toll on the team in 2012 .