Indians Interested In Shinobu Fukuhara
The Indians are interested in Japanese right-hander Shinobu Fukuhara, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The 34-year-old is a free agent and can sign with any team.
Fukuhara posted a 2.59 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 48 2/3 innings for the Hanshin Tigers in 2011. According to NPB Tracker, Fukuhara's fastball tops out around 92 mph and he also throws a slider and curve. From 2007-10, he posted a 5.24 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 as a starter and reliever in Japan.
Latest On Yoenis Cespedes
The market is strong for Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, who currently resides in the Dominican Republic. The paperwork required for the center fielder to play baseball in the United States should be done this month, advisor Edgar Mercedes told Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. Said Mercedes, "I'm confident that he'll be in spring training with a major league club."
Private workouts are beginning this week, with a large Marlins contingent scheduled to visit Thursday. The Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Indians, Blue Jays, and Pirates are among the teams that will visit in the coming weeks, Mercedes told Goldstein. Mercedes also answered questions about the legendary showcase video he produced for Cespedes.
On Monday, the Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, and Athletics were named as other clubs interested in Cespedes, who is represented by Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group.
Yoenis Cespedes To Gain Free Agency
7:15pm: The Red Sox are "sending everyone" to the Dominican to evaluate Cespedes, according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons. The Rangers are also interested, along with the many teams named below, according to Gammons, who confirms that small-market teams like the A's, Pirates and Indians will be involved.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports names the Marlins, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Nationals as teams with a significant presence at the Friday workout.
5:49pm: Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed that he saw the Cespedes video, but wouldn't say whether the Yankees are interested, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (link on Twitter; the video has been removed). Meanwhile, Braves GM Frank Wren told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he doesn't expect to sign the center fielder, though they're checking in on him (Twitter link).
2:25pm: The Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Giants, Marlins, Nationals, Indians, Athletics, and Pirates have had a presence at Cespedes' workouts, reports Yahoo's Tim Brown. Giants GM Brian Sabean told reporters today that his team will not be involved on Cespedes, however (via Andrew Baggarly on Twitter).
Agent Adam Katz tells Brown he'll wait until his client is technically declared a free agent before discussing contract terms with teams. The Yankees, Phillies, and Marlins will have private workouts with Cespedes within the next few weeks, with a Marlins contingent heading to the Dominican Republic this week.
8:30am: Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes defected mid-summer and is expected to be cleared for free agency within a matter of weeks, reports Yahoo's Jeff Passan. The 26-year-old is "arguably the best all-around player to come out of Cuba in a generation," according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, who describes Cespedes as "a legitimate centerfielder with plus power and speed." Both Passan and Goldstein expect the 26-year-old to receive a deal in the range of the $30.25MM Aroldis Chapman received in January of 2010. MLBTR first told you about Cespedes' escape from the Cuban National Team in July.
If you really want to get to know Cespedes, though, you need to watch the 20-minute YouTube video sent by his trainer to MLB teams. Goldstein's column provides a full breakdown of this bizarre production, but I'll just note that it includes Cespedes making a 45-inch vertical jump, leg-pressing 1,300 pounds (with two friends atop the weights), catching a flyball behind his back while facing the batter (twice), a thank you to Ahman Green, and the player roasting a pig. Some of the songs used may not be appropriate for your workplace, except for Christopher Cross' 1980 hit "Sailing," which was deemed too tame even for your office's elevator.
Cespedes is represented by Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group. Passan says the Yankees are "particularly hot" for the center fielder. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says the Nationals had multiple talent evaluators on hand at Cespedes' workout last week in the Dominican Republic, and a team official said they'd "love to have him." Ownership has been informed about Cespedes and what it would take to sign him. The Marlins and Phillies are also in the mix for Cespedes, writes Kilgore. As with Chapman, this type of player in his prime will draw the interest of almost every club.
The Marlins have the inside track, one American League source who attended the showcase told Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. A Marlins contingent including owner Jeffrey Loria will visit Cespedes in the Dominican Republic later this week, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Quick Hits: Braves, Selig, Indians
A few stray items to pass along on this Saturday evening …
- The Braves plan to increase their payroll over 2011's $87MM Opening Day figure, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Atlanta could bring back arbitration eligibles Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado, Michael Bourn, Tommy Hanson and Eric O'Flaherty, and still be able to increase payroll, but "trading one or more of those players would enable them to spend more," according to Rosenthal. We've already seen the Braves try to trade Jurrjens and Prado, but a potential deal with the Royals fell through.
- The sale of the Dodgers was one of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's final big chores before likely retirement after 2012, according to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. Next on Selig's to-do list, per Rogers: Deciding on whether to approve Jim Crane's purchase of the Astros; getting the Mets back in solid financial standing; and resolving the untenable stadium situations of the Athletics and Rays.
- The Indians have signed 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Henry Lunar, according to ElTiempo.com.ve (Spanish link, translated by MLBTR's Nick Collias).
- Cubs president Theo Epstein will be the front man in the North Siders' efforts to secure funding for a $300MM proposal to improve the conditions of Wrigley Field, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
AL Central Notes: Chen, La Russa, Buehrle, Tigers
Justin Verlander was the big winner as the 2011 Players Choice Awards were announced today. Verlander's peers selected him as both the 2011 AL Outstanding Pitcher and the 2011 Player Of The Year. Could this be an omen for the AL MVP result in a few weeks?
Here's some other news from the AL Central…
- Bruce Chen tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that he has already received calls from two teams interested in the veteran southpaw. Despite this outside interest, Chen says he wishes to remain with the Royals. "Kansas City has expressed numerous times that they would like to sign me back,” Chen said. “We have a real good relationship, and we’re making progress."
- There is "some talk" that Tony La Russa could become a consultant with the White Sox, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). La Russa, who managed the Sox from 1979-86, would work with rookie manager Robin Ventura.
- Mark Buehrle is "wide-open" to the possibility of joining a number of different teams, his agent Jeff Berry tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Buehrle has said in the past that he only wished to pitch for the White Sox or his home-state Cardinals, but also said last month that he would be interested in pitching in the National League for the first time in his career.
- Unlike last winter, the Tigers will take their time in perusing the free agent market this offseason, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- A few tweaks at third base, backup catcher and the bullpen could be all it takes to push the Tigers to a championship next year, writes Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian discusses the Indians' plans for third base next year, the chances of Kosuke Fukudome re-signing in Cleveland and other topics in a reader mailbag.
Minor Moves: Indians, Dodgers, Jake Fox
Here's where we'll keep track of today's minor moves…
- The Indians announced that outfielder Jerad Head elected free agency. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .284/.338/.526 line with 24 homers.
- Double-A right-hander Will Savage re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor league deal according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 27-year-old posted a 3.95 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 141 1/3 innings in 2011.
- Jake Fox refused an assignment to the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate and has elected free agency, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). Baltimore had outrtighted Fox off of its 40-man roster last week. The 29-year-old posted a .756 OPS in 67 plate appearances this year, appearing behind the plate, in left field and at first base.
Outrighted: Crowe, Rangers, Rodriguez, Braves
The latest players to be outrighted off 40-man rosters:
- The Indians outrighted Trevor Crowe off of their 40-man roster, according to the team. Crowe, who appeared in 15 games for the Indians in 2011, cannot elect free agency
- The Rangers outrighted pitchers Omar Beltre, Merkin Valdez and Eric Hurley and infielders Andres Blanco and Esteban German off of the 40-man roster, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Blanco, who would have been arbitration eligible, projected to earn $500K through arbitration. He posted a .605 OPS in 82 plate appearances as a utility player and was the only one of the outrighted players to pick up significant playing time in 2011.
- The Mariners outrighted infielder Luis Rodriguez, tweets Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. I named Rodriguez and David Aardsma as the Mariners' primary non-tender candidates back in September, and now both are off the 40-man roster, which stands at 36. Rodriguez has elected free agency, reports MLB.com's Greg Johns.
- The Braves outrighted catcher J.C. Boscan, reliever Stephen Marek, outfielder Wilkin Ramirez, and outfielder Antoan Richardson to Triple-A Gwinnett, tweets MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Meanwhile, starter Todd Redmond's contract was selected. Marek had Tommy John surgery in May; he was obtained from the Angels with Casey Kotchman for Mark Teixeira at the '08 trade deadline. I thought at the time that the Braves' return topped the value of a couple of draft picks. That hasn't been true if you look at who the Angels took with their two Teixeira picks: top prospect Mike Trout and lefty Tyler Skaggs, a main component in the Dan Haren trade.
Indians Notes: Sizemore, Carmona, Lowe
The Indians started their offseason off with a few major moves today, acquiring Derek Lowe from the Braves, picking up Fausto Carmona's option and declining Grady Sizemore's. Here are some more notes about the Indians…
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti told Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he visited Sizemore's Arizona home to tell him that the Indians had decided to decline his option. The decision was "very difficult" for Antonetti, but he determined that there were better ways for the Indians to spend the $8.5MM they saved.
- The Indians will pursue a "quality outfielder" through free agency, Antonetti said. There's still a chance that the Indians will re-sign Sizemore.
- The Indians are expecting better results from Carmona in 2012, since the groundballer has bounced back from difficult seasons in the past.
- Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer says the Indians should make Michael Brantley their everyday center fielder and shop for a corner outfielder this offseason.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law breaks down the Lowe trade and says it helps the Indians, since they get another groundball pitcher who makes his starts. Lowe isn't much more than a back-of-the-rotation pitcher, Law writes, so Atlanta's willingness to part with him for salary relief and lefty reliever Chris Jones is understandable.
- Jason Roberts of FanGraphs explains that there's reason for the Indians to expect Lowe to rebound from his ugly 5.05 ERA in 2012.
- When I looked ahead to the Indians' offseason last week I explained that adding rotation depth was a significant part of the team's offseason challenge. Now that they've acquired Lowe and declined Sizemore's option, their next job will be to re-establish outfield depth.
Indians Acquire Derek Lowe
We have our first trade of the 2011-12 offseason! The Indians acquired Derek Lowe from the Braves, tweets John Kreger. The Braves will pay all but $5MM of Lowe's $15MM salary, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney says the Braves will receive 23-year-old High-A lefty reliever Chris Jones in return for Lowe. Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein provides a quick scouting report.
Lowe, 38, posted a 5.05 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.67 HR/9, and 59% groundball rate in 187 innings this year for Atlanta. Lowe's Braves career ended on a sour note, as his 8.75 September ERA contributed to their collapse. Still, his groundball rate ranked second in all of baseball. Lowe signed a four-year, $60MM deal with the Braves in January of 2009.
With Lowe, Justin Masterson, and Fausto Carmona, the Indians' rotation now has three of MLB's top seven in 2011 groundball rate. Ubaldo Jimenez and Josh Tomlin are also penciled in, with Carlos Carrasco down for Tommy John surgery.
For the Braves, the benefit is $5MM in much-needed salary relief for a pitcher otherwise projected for middle relief on their 2012 club. The Braves and Indians last matched up on a trade in July of 2006, when the Tribe sent reliever Bob Wickman to Atlanta for Max Ramirez.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Indians Exercise Option On Carmona, Decline On Sizemore
The Indians announced today they've exercised their club option on Fausto Carmona and declined their option on Grady Sizemore.
Carmona would have earned more than the $7MM option price as an arbitration eligible player, and the Indians made the expected choice to retain him.
Sizemore spent his entire career with the Indians, peaking in 2008 with a tenth-place finish in the MVP voting. Due to Sizemore's health concerns, the Indians chose a $500K buyout over a $9MM option for 2012. Sizemore has had several surgeries in recent years but expects to be ready for Spring Training, so he'll be appealing on a one-year deal to many teams.