2011 Contract Issues: Kansas City Royals
The Royals face four contractual options after the season:
- Right fielder David DeJesus has a $6MM club option with a $500K buyout. DeJesus continues to do his thing, and it'll make sense to exercise.
- Reliever Kyle Farnsworth has a $5.25MM club option with a $500K buyout. Farnsworth can void the option if traded, but it's a moot point since it'll surely be declined.
- Center fielder Rick Ankiel has a $6MM mutual option with a $500K buyout. It seems unlikely that both sides exercise.
- Left fielder Scott Podsednik has a $2MM club option with a $100K buyout. He's cooled down in the last few weeks. It's too early to call the option.
The Royals also have four free agents in Jose Guillen, Willie Bloomquist, John Parrish, and Bruce Chen. They're earning a total of $14.7MM this year. Take another $6.25MM off the books for Farnsworth and Ankiel and $4.85MM for buyouts the Royals won't be paying in '11, and the team has $25.8MM coming off the books.
Increases to players under contract total $11.4MM, assuming DeJesus and Podsednik are retained. Zack Greinke has the biggest raise at $6.25MM. First-time arbitration-eligibles include Luke Hochevar, Josh Rupe, Billy Butler, Alberto Callaspo, Brayan Pena, and Josh Fields. Robinson Tejeda and Alex Gordon would go for a second time, while Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies, and Brad Thompson could go for a third. A good portion of the remaining freed up cash will go to arbitration-eligible players, especially Butler, Callaspo, and Bannister.
If the Royals decline their options on Farnsworth and Ankiel and let their other free agents go while holding payroll steady, they may have a few million left to work with after giving raises. Significant free agent spending would require a payroll increase.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
White Sox Acquire Buck Coats
The White Sox have acquired outfielder Buck Coats from the Royals according to 610 Sports Radio out of Kansas City (via Twitter). The Royals receive cash considerations in the deal.
Coats, 28 in June, was hitting .315/.377/.389 in 62 plate appearances for Kansas City's Triple-A affiliate, playing left field exclusively. He last played in the majors with the Blue Jays in 2008, and is a .193/.242/.333 career hitter in 62 big league plate appearances. Coats has played all three outfield spots extensively throughout out his career, and even dabbled with the infield a few years ago.
Odds & Ends: Crawford, Raynor, Lackey, Strasburg
Links for Tuesday, as Tim Lincecum reclaims the MLB strikeout lead…
- Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times spoke to Crawford, who said he was misquoted in the upcoming Sports Illustrated piece mentioned below. "Nothing's changed, no decisions," he said. "I don't know what Carlos [Pena] is doing.''
- Pirates' GM Neil Huntington told Chuck Finder of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette that he tried to made a deal with the Marlins that would allow Rule 5 pick John Raynor to remain with the Pirates, but to no avail. Raynor was returned to Florida today.
- John Lackey said he wasn't surprised when the Angels let him depart as a free agent given their trade record with letting home grown players leave, according to Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. "It's different," said Lackey. "The way they preach the team game and giving it up for the team. That's a little suspect. You're supposed to give it up for the team. When the time comes, they might not want to give it up for you. But I totally knew that was a possibility. I was prepared for that. That's the nature of the game today."
- Stephen Strasburg has been promoted and will make his Triple A debut Friday against Freddie Freeman and the Gwinnett Braves, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. ESPN's Rob Neyer notes that Strasburg seems to be on the Mark Prior path to the bigs, perhaps delayed a few weeks for cost savings.
- MASN's Ben Goessling says Nats 2006 first-round pick Colton Willems has decided to retire. The team has the pitcher on the restricted list in case he changes his mind.
- An upcoming Sports lllustrated piece on Carlos Pena features this quote from Carl Crawford: "This core group is going to still be together, me and Carlos are the only two guys that are going to be leaving."
- The Royals granted reliever Roman Colon his release so he can sign with the Kia Tigers of Korea, according to the team. Just three months ago, Colon and Juan Cruz were in the mix to be Joakim Soria's primary setup man. The Royals' bullpen sports an AL-worst 5.56 ERA in 81 innings.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams wouldn't rule out a fire sale at a later date, but said the team's aggressive nature will probably prevent it (Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reporting).
- ESPN's Buster Olney explains that his Saturday story about Cliff Lee being likely to reach free agency was prompted by a call Olney made to Lee's agent.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Blue Jays attempted to sign Kelly Johnson to play left field during the offseason, offering more than the $2.35MM Johnson received from Arizona. Johnson told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic in March that he strongly considered offers from the Blue Jays, Pirates, and Indians.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that the upon acquiring Javier Vazquez, the Yankees considered two 2011 draft picks part of the deal. Already, Vazquez's Type A status and arbitration offer are in question. We'll be able to give you Vazquez's exact Elias standing later this month, when Eddie Bajek makes his first pass at 2009-10 rankings.
- Dejan Kovacevic's latest article for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests the Pirates were overly optimistic about Akinori Iwamura, currently their highest-paid player.
- Click here to listen to my radio appearance on KFNS St. Louis from earlier today.
Odds & Ends: Harper, Escobar, Vazquez, Gordon
Links for Monday, as Joe Blanton makes his 2010 debut…
- Washington GM Mike Rizzo scouted Bryce Harper in person for the first time, and he and scouting director Kris Kline came away confident in Harper's makeup, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com takes an in-depth look at the Pirates' arms throughout the organization.
- The Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales writes that GM Ken Williams is exercising patience when it comes to trading, despite the White Sox' slow start.
- Kelvim Escobar will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn capsule in the front of his right shoulder, tweets MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Escobar signed a one-year deal with the Mets this winter for $1.25MM.
- Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues looks at the pitchers the Yankees were considering over Javier Vazquez, noting that they've all had concerns as well. The Yankees will delay Vazquez's sixth start until a week from today against the Tigers. John Harper of the New York Daily News wonders if the Yanks should ship Vazquez to the Mets.
- Joe Posnanski questions the Royals' decision to demote Alex Gordon. Gordon will play left field and first base in the minors, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out the Tigers' collection of young talent.
- Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times wonders what's happened to George Sherrill. The 33-year-old lefty has allowed 12 hits and 11 walks in nine innings so far. Given his $4.5MM salary this year, Sherrill is a prime candidate to be non-tendered after the season.
- RotoAuthority notes that while Vazquez and Ben Sheets have been brutal so far, they could still have fantasy value this year.
Odds & Ends: Royals, Byrnes, Colon, Twins
A few links to browse, as we prepare for the Mets' third consecutive appearance on Sunday Night Baseball….
- R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs weighed in on the Royals' demotion of Alex Gordon.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner (via Twitter) has a gut feeling that the M's will release Eric Byrnes tomorrow. Heading into today's game, Byrnes had a slash line of .107/.265/.179 in 34 plate appearances.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that reports of the Royals selling Ramon Colon to Korea's Kia Tigers appear to be premature. However, the deal for the righty should happen sometime mid-week.
- In a guest piece at Minorleagueball.com, Twins' prospect guru Seth Stohs tells readers about five Twins prospects that you might not know, but probably should.
- ESPN New York's Ian O'Connor spoke with Omar Minaya about several Mets-related issues, including his early impression of Ike Davis and Jerry Manuel's contract status. Minaya offers praise for Manuel, but says he won't be approached about an extension until season's end.
- The New York Post's Joel Sherman writes that the Rays' front office will continue to keep their club competitive, regardless of how many fans are in the stands. He also opines that the presence of Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson in Triple-A Durham gives the team the flexibility to make a trade that would help them both immediately and in the long-term.
- Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times examines how the Dodgers' cost cutting has affected their scouting and player development.
- J.D. Durbin has signed a one-year deal with NPB's Softbank Hawks, according to Kyodo News. The 28-year-old right-hander last pitched in the majors in 2007 for the Phillies.
Diamondbacks Acquire Carlos Rosa
The Diamondbacks have acquired righthander Carlos Rosa from the Royals in exchange for shortstop Rey Navarro, tweets David Holtzman, the director of media relations for the Royals.
Rosa, 25, posted a 4.56 ERA, 10.1 K/9, and 4.1 BB/9 in 71 Triple A innings last year. Early in 2010, his peripherals have moved in the wrong direction. Baseball America notes that Rosa was originally part of the Mike Jacobs trade in October of '08, but elbow concerns prompted the Royals to send Leo Nunez to Florida instead. BA writes that Rosa, who was converted to relief last year, had the best fastball in the Royals' farm system. However, his secondary pitches need work.
Navarro, 20, was promoted to High-A Visalia for the 2010 season. In 2009, the switch-hitter hit .262/.308/.339 for Single-A South Bend. BA sees him as a plus defender capable of playing a variety of positions.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Howard, Francisco, Mendoza
Links to check out as we await Cliff Lee's Mariners debut…
- BoSox manager Terry Francona says that the upcoming player move to make room on the roster for Daisuke Matsuzaka will almost certainly involve a pitcher, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
- If you play fantasy baseball, be sure to follow our @closernews feed on Twitter. We've got instant news on all closer situations, enabling you to conquer the save category.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Ryan Howard extension negotiations, speaking to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and Howard's agent, Casey Close.
- In an MLB.com mailbag, T.R. Sullivan suggests that Frank Francisco could be a prime trade candidate in July, particularly if the Rangers are slipping from playoff contention.
- Luis Mendoza cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Mendoza was designated for assignment by the Royals last week.
- GM Jim Hendry says prospect Starlin Castro will join the Cubs at some point this season, but he won't say how soon, according to ESPNChicago. A source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago earlier in the week that Castro's promotion could be right around the corner.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer doesn't think the White Sox have any need for Jermaine Dye. We heard earlier today that Dye believes he'd be a fit for the South Siders.
- Talking to Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse, Brewers outfielder Jody Gerut explained why the Padres should retain Adrian Gonzalez.
- Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez answered questions from Denver Post readers, explaining that "it's a really bad feeling when you get traded" and he'd like to sign a contract "for a few years." Gonzalez is not arbitration-eligible until after the 2011 season, and he's represented by Scott Boras.
- The Yankees are not typically inclined to sign young players to long-term deals. It makes sense to maintain flexibility, as they did going year-to-year with Chien-Ming Wang. On the other hand, Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that Robinson Cano's extension has worked out quite well. Will the Yankees exercise his $14MM club option for 2012, or choose the $2MM buyout?
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald believes that the future of the Red Sox catching position points more toward Adalberto Ibarra than Victor Martinez.
Royals Claim Jai Miller
The Royals claimed outfielder Jai Miller off waivers from the Athletics, according to a team press release. Miller was designated for assignment by the Marlins on April 3rd, claimed by the A's on the 8th, and designated again on the 22nd. The Royals transferred Josh Fields to the 60-day DL to clear a spot.
Miller, 25, hit .289/.360/.510 in his second Triple A stint for the Marlins last year, playing right and center field. The athletic outfielder could still be a late bloomer.
Discussion: Gil Meche
It's safe to say that Gil Meche is off to a less-than-stellar start as he has given up 16 runs with a 0.58 K/BB ratio in 12.2 innings of work. Even though he missed time early on this season with shoulder bursitis, Royals manager Trey Hillman doesn't believe that Meche is having any physical or mechanical issues (Ryan Young of The Kansas City Star reporting).
Meche, who shares the honor of having the largest contract in Royals history with Mike Sweeney, is set to earn $12MM in each of the two remaining years on his deal. The 31-year-old's contract didn't seem unreasonable at this time last year, as he turned in a 3.82 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 across his first two seasons in Kansas City. However, in the winter following his injury riddled 2009, the Royals told clubs that they would be open to dealing their former ace.
There were a few suitors for Meche over the offseason, including the Mets and the Cubs. Could Meche conceivably restore his trade value this season, or will the Royals be stuck with the $24MM bill?
Odds & Ends: Fields, Contracts, Suppan, Silva
Links for Sunday….
- Injuries have really soured the Royals' half of the Mark Teahen trade so far. Both Chris Getz and Josh Fields are on the disabled list, and the Associated Press reported today that Fields will undergo hip surgery that will likely end his season.
- Ethan Trex has an interesting article up on CNN.com that highlights some unusual contractual clauses over the years, including George Brett becoming partial owner of a Memphis apartment complex back in 1984 and Charlie Kerfeld receiving 37 boxes of orange Jell-O in 1987. Seriously.
- It looks like a trend is developing in the NL Central. A few days after the Cubs moved Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that the Brewers will do the same thing with Jeff Suppan and his $12.5MM salary. As for Zambrano, the Cubs won't use him on back-to-back days for now, tweets MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post tries to play matchmaker and work out a Carlos Silva–George Sherrill/Jamey Carroll trade between the Cubs and Dodgers. I'm not sure such a swap necessarily makes sense for either team, given the Cubs' lefty surplus and Silva's price tag next year.
- Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes that Victor Martinez is working overtime to improve his throwing, presumably hoping to silence the constant rumblings about the Red Sox shopping for a catcher.
- The latest mailbag from Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer includes a Carlos Santana update and an assessment of the Indians' free agent prospects following the 2010 season.