Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Opening Day Payrolls
On this date 33 years ago, Andy Messersmith signed a three-year, $1M contract with the Atlanta Braves after being granted free agency by an arbitrator in the Seitz Decision. This move was historic in that the ruling effectively nullified baseball's reserve clause, seven years after Curt Flood first challenged the clause. This led to the inclusion of free agency after six years of service in the next collective bargaining agreement, a rule still in place today. Since then, payrolls have skyrocketed. Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- The Biz of Baseball takes a closer look at opening day payroll, the highest paid players in baseball and which teams have the highest average player salaries.
- Astros Country breaks down the Astros' 2009 payroll.
- Bleed Cubbie Blue has details on the Cubs' payroll.
- Rays Index breaks down the Rays' opening day payroll.
- YanksBlog tries resolve different reports of the Yankees opening day payroll.
- Purple Row takes a look at service time and options remaining on the Rockies' roster, among other things.
- Baseball Analysts takes a look at payroll efficiency for the last three years.
- On a side note, The Sports Banter put together a list of the best off-season moves, and the worst.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here and followed on Twitter.
Rosenthal On Free Agents, Orioles, Ortiz
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column up.
- Rosenthal discusses the unprecedented number of decent free agents available, a few games into the season (click here for our free agent list). He suggests the hitters will have a harder time getting jobs than the pitchers due to the time needed to shake off the rust. In talking with execs, Rosenthal learned that the trade market for mediocre players (Jarrod Washburn, Nate Robertson, Austin Kearns) may be depressed this summer due to the available free agents.
- As he wrote in February, Rosenthal says that Braden Looper turned down more money to play for the Orioles due to his preference for the NL. Tim Redding also preferred the easier league. The result of those rejections: a very questionable '09 rotation.
- Rosenthal spoke to an executive who was shocked to discover that Russ Ortiz seems to be back to his peak form.
- Rosenthal speculates that Paul Bako could help the Twins.
Astros Acquire Jeff Keppinger
According to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Astros acquired out of options infielder Jeff Keppinger from the Reds for a player to be named later. Looks like Keppinger will be Houston's third base addition. MLB.com's Alyson Footer says he'll complement Geoff Blum at the hot corner and also play the middle infield positions. Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says the minor leaguer the Reds will receive must be chosen by May 1st.
Keppinger, 29 in April, hit .266/.310/.346 in 502 plate appearances last year while playing all around the infield (mostly shortstop).
Offseason In Review: Houston Astros
Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Astros. Here's what we wrote about them on October 10th. Changes for 2009:
Additions: Mike Hampton, Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Michaels, Doug Brocail (re-signed), LaTroy Hawkins (re-signed), Jose Capellan, Clay Hensley, Russ Ortiz
Subtractions: Randy Wolf, Ty Wigginton, Mark Loretta, Brad Ausmus, David Newhan. Midseason: Shawn Chacon, Oscar Villarreal, Dave Borkowski, Jack Cassel.
The Astros' offense was an issue last year, ranking 11th in the NL with 4.42 runs per game. Losing Wigginton hurts, but getting a full season from Lee helps. Also, Pence and Tejada are projected to have better seasons. And even a declining Pudge offers 100 points in slugging over Ausmus. The end result: a lineup that will score 4.46 runs per game, using Baseball Musings' lineup analysis tool and CHONE projections. Sure, they'd score more with Wiggy at third, but in hindsight it was right to non-tender him. You'd just like to see a better solution than Blum at the hot corner.
Coupled with last year's 743 runs allowed, the Astros would profile as a 79 win team. Can they improve in run prevention?
Last year's starters were good for 908.3 innings of 4.56 ball. Wolf and Chacon are gone. Brandon Backe will start the season on the DL, and Chris Sampson may not have a chance to start again. The Opening Day rotation of Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Hampton, Brian Moehler, and Ortiz projects at a similar ERA, especially if Oswalt beats the projection of a career-high 3.83 mark. But this group does carry a lot of health risk and lacks depth. The Astros' middle of the pack bullpen should be a little better in 2009 given the re-signings of Hawkins and Brocail and the lack of Villarreal and Borkowski.
According to The Fielding Bible II, the Astros' defense ranked 7th in the NL last year. Less Wigginton is good for the defense, but more Matsui is bad. Otherwise it's a similar cast of characters.
The Astros seem like a team that will be average at everything and fall a few wins short of .500. Thinking optimistically, perhaps they can contend if everyone stays healthy while Ed Wade finds a third baseman and starting pitcher on the trade market.
Bottom line: Strapped for cash, the Astros went for bargains on the free agent market. They don't seem to have the talent to match last year's 86 wins.
Astros Release David Newhan
According to MLB.com's Alyson Footer last night, the Astros released David Newhan. Newhan wasn't pleased that he had to read about his exclusion from the backup shortstop competition on MLB.com rather than hearing about it from manager Cecil Cooper.
The 35 year-old Newhan hit .182/.308/.182 in 38 plate appearances this spring.
Stark’s Latest: Keppinger, Baker, Phillies
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark has a new blog post up. Some of this is old news, but probably worth revisiting…
- The Reds are dangling infielder Jeff Keppinger, with the Red Sox and Astros as possible suitors.
- The Red Sox and Astros have also checked in on Colorado's Jeff Baker, along with the Phillies. But, the Rockies are reportedly demanding a "quality young starter" in return.
- The Mets expressed interest in Ronny Paulino before he was dealt to the Giants (then moved swiftly to the Marlins).
- The Phillies continue to shop around for a right-handed reserve outfielder.
Odds And Ends: Braves, Bernie, Boras
Links for Saturday…
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports that the Braves are considering dealing outfielder Josh Anderson. Bowman suggests the White Sox could be a fit even though Ozzie Guillen said he expects to find a center fielder internally. Bowman also passes along some fun anecdotes about Chipper Jones and Santonio Holmes.
- MLB.com's Sarah D. Morris likes the bench assembled by Dodgers GM Ned Colletti.
- MLB.com's Ed Eagle reports that Bernie Williams wants to play in the majors again, but not if it means playing in the minors or an independent league first.
- In this article by Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune Scott Boras says the Padres will spend more liberally on amateur talent now that Jeff Moorad's taking over the club.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer offers his take on a female knuckleballer from Japan.
- Tim recently did a Q&A about the Jays at The Blue Jay Hunter blog.
- Steve Melewski of MASN Sports breaks down the minor league free agents in Orioles camp.
- ESPN The Magazine's Jeff Bradley profiled Manny Ramirez.
- The Astros, Marlins and Pirates made decisions about their respective backup catchers.
Odds & Ends: Wieters, Padres, Peavy, Price
LInks for Thursday…
- Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says the Nationals will honor a handshake agreement Dmitri Young made with Jim Bowden, and put the first baseman back on the 40-man roster.
- Catcher Matt Wieters has been told by the Orioles that he'll be optioned to Triple A on Monday, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Will the Orioles wait until late May to try to avoid Super Two status?
- Reds assistant GM Bob Miller talked to fans in an MLB.com Q&A.
- Check out an entertaining chat transcript with Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times over at Halos Heaven.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star interviewed Zack Greinke.
- Rangers owner Tom Hicks told Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News that the team has not reduced its budget for 2010. The Rangers have yet to set next year's budget, but it's known that some big salaries will be coming off the books. Meanwhile, MLB.com's Barry Bloom notes that Hicks intends to sell a minority share of the team.
- Rays exec Andrew Friedman said the team's demotion of David Price was entirely for baseball reasons, talking to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay supports the decision. Bart Given agrees.
- Tom Haudricourt and Adam McCalvy write about Brewers GM Doug Melvin's irritation with the bogus Jake Peavy rumor.
- Purely speculative, but Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders if Dontrelle Willis could get his career back on track with the Marlins.
- Rockies infielder Jeff Baker, unaffected by the trade rumors, homered twice yesterday.
- John Moores says the Padres sale to Jeff Moorad is "awfully close," talking to MLB.com's Barry Bloom. As you know, Sandy Alderson will step down as CEO when the deal closes (possibly today).
- Padres pitcher Shawn Hill had offers from six teams, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.
- The Red Sox signed reliever Rocky Cherry to a minor league deal.
- MLB.com's Alyson Footer says reliever Danny Graves asked for and received his release from the Astros.
Odds & Ends: Beckham, Taschner, Red Sox
Links for Wednesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- The White Sox sent last year's first-round pick Gordon Beckham to Double A to play shortstop, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
- Brian McTaggart of the Houston Chronicle talked to Astros GM Ed Wade about the difference between guaranteed and non-guaranteed contracts.
- El Lefty Malo expects the Giants to trade lefty Jack Taschner and go after free agent Will Ohman. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News dismissed an internet rumor about Taschner and the Tigers. Not sure where that came from.
- Alex Speier of WEEI projects Boston's Opening Day payroll to be under $120MM, its lowest since '03. Speier suggests this could allow midseason financial flexibility.
- Chico Harlan of the Washington Post asks whether the Nationals will try to avoid an eventual Super Two status for Jordan Zimmermann.
- Bart Given says Shawn Hill made the right decision in signing with San Diego.
- Oil Can Boyd hopes to pitch in Ottawa in the Cam-Am Baseball League.
- The Royals Authority 2009 Annual is on sale now – check it out.
Rockies Hope To Trade Torrealba, Baker
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post writes today about the Rockies desire to trade catcher Yorvit Torrealba and infielder Jeff Baker.
Torrealba was signed in November of '07 after coming close to a deal with the Mets. The Rockies had reached the World Series with Torrealba behind the dish, and Chris Iannetta had yet to emerge. Now, though, the Rox would love to move Torrealba and the $4MM owed to him for '09. Renck says they shopped him hard this winter but came up empty. The Rockies like Sal Fasano as the backup catcher and don't have much use for Torrealba.
Baker, 27, hit .268/.322/.468 in 333 plate appearances for the Rockies last year, crushing lefties while struggling away from Coors. Baseball Prospectus likens Baker to former Padre Archi Cianfrocco, circa 1994. Baker has spent time at first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field in his career. Yesterday Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said the Phillies, Astros, and Pirates were interested. Rosenthal suggested Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick as a possible target for the Rockies, but Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. doesn't see that as a fair trade. Renck says the Pirates and Astros have interest in Baker while the Yankees, Braves, and Phillies have a need. Baker is trying to bounce back from elbow soreness this spring.