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Heyman On Pujols, Wilson, Angels, Crane

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SI's Jon Heyman leads his latest column with an examination of Albert Pujols' impending free agency.  An additional $20MM in total dollars wouldn't compel Pujols to leave St. Louis, says one person who knows the slugger well.  The preseason gap was large, though, as Heyman says the Cardinals were at nine years and "a bit more than $200MM" while Pujols wanted to beat Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM deal.  Wherever he lands, Pujols is certainly putting an exclamation point on his season.  Heyman's other rumors…

  • The Rangers almost surely would be out of the C.J. Wilson bidding if it reaches five years and $75MM, hears Heyman.  A Rangers person tells Heyman Wilson hasn't actually named an exact asking price.  The lefty is looking forward to free agency and noted to Heyman that he doesn't have a wife, a child, or a dog, implying the decision will be entirely his.  The Nationals, Marlins, and Royals are likely to pursue Wilson, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The Angels' desire for a scouting type in their GM job may favor the Yankees' Damon Oppenheimer, hears Heyman.
  • Prospective Astros owner Jim Crane seeks a $50MM discount for moving to the American League.
  • "I wish I stay here," remarked Rafael Furcal on his upcoming free agency.  The 34-year-old shortstop joined the Cardinals at the trade deadline and is playing in his first World Series.

Davidoff On Pujols, Fielder, Angels, Oppenheimer

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Industry people are curious whether C.C. Sabathia actually would leave the Yankees and opinions are all over the map on where Jose Reyes will end up in 2012.  There's an even bigger debate brewing in baseball circles, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday..

  • Whoever signs first between Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols will set the financial bar for the other player to top and it's hard to say who will make the first move.  Pujols has a realistic chance to re-sign with the Cardinals while it seems increasingly unlikely that Fielder will return to the Brewers.  There's also the matter of the relationship between the players' agents, Scott Boras and Dan Lozano.  Boras has shown in the past that he has no concerns about dragging his players' free agencies well past January 1st in order get the deal he wants.  Meanwhile, Pujols represents Lozano's first big test since breaking off from the Beverly Hills Sports Council last year.
  • For now, Davidoff predicts that Pujols will sign first and stay with the Cardinals.  Fielder, wherever he goes, won't top Pujols' annual average value.
  • There are a number of candidates for the vacant Angels' GM position but Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is the club's top choice.  However, it's widely assumed that Friedman will remain with Tampa Bay.  Davidoff writes that Yankees senior vice president/director of scouting Damon Oppenheimer seems like the best choice for the job.  Oppenheimer played a significant role in several departments for the Bombers, from postseason scouting to discovering amateur talent to recommending major-league trades.  Oppenheimer would bring baseball intelligence and a strong presence to serve as a check and balance for owner Arte Moreno and manager Mike Scioscia .

AL West Notes: Angels, C.J. Wilson

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A couple of notes out of the American League West as the Rangers ready for Game 3 of the World Series …

  • The Angels will interview Omar Minaya for their general manager vacancy, according to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times. Minaya previously served as Mets GM from 2005-10 and as Expos GM from 2002-04. We learned Thursday that Rays executive Andrew Friedman has met with the Halos regarding the opening and tops the team's wish list, but he's seen as a long shot to take the job. Yesterday, White Sox executives Dan Evans and Rick Hahn joined the list of candidates.
  • Minaya is still under contract with the Mets but was not an active member of the organization in 2011, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, who also reports that Minaya has a "standing offer" from Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers to work in the Arizona organization.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels was asked about impending free agent starter C.J. Wilson on Saturday and said, "We'd love to have him back," according to Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Still, the early rumors regarding Texas' chances of (or interest in) re-signing the left-hander are pretty mixed.
  • For more on what the Angels, Athletics, and Mariners face this winter, be sure to check out their respective installments in MLBTR's Offseason Outlook series.

Heyman On Friedman, Darvish, Yankees

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With the general manager carousel moving at full speed and free agency approaching quickly, there are plenty of rumors in Major League Baseball. Jon Heyman weighed in today at SI.com; here are some highlights: 

  • Heyman’s sources doubt the Angels would waste Andrew Friedman’s time if they weren’t prepared to offer him a job. However, someone close to Friedman doubts he would leave the Rays. Friedman tops the Angels’ long list of GM candidates.
  • One general manager expects C.J. Wilson to sign a deal worth $75MM over five years.
  • Yu Darvish is undecided about making the jump to MLB, but he’ll be in line for lots of money if he does make the leap. One general manager suggested Darvish would cost about $100MM between his contract and his posting fee and another GM agrees that he’ll cost “big bucks.”
  • The Yankees and GM Brian Cashman are making progress in their discussions about a new contract.
  • Free agent starter Freddy Garcia is popular with the Yankees’ front office and could return in 2012. The right-hander barely qualifies as a Type B free agent, according to our rankings.

Latest On Angels’ GM Search: Evans, Hahn

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The Angels' top choice for their general manager opening is Andrew Friedman of the Rays. Owner Arte Moreno and team president John Carpino dined with Friedman this week, but it doesn't seem likely that he'll leave the Rays. Here are the latest updates on the Angels' GM search, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Dan Evans and Rick Hahn have emerged as strong candidates for the job, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). Hahn, the assistant GM of the White Sox, placed second on MLBTR's list of GM candidates. Evans, a longtime assistant GM for the White Sox himself, was the Dodgers' GM in 2002-03.
  • Kim Ng of MLB, Billy Eppler and Damon Oppenheimer of the Yankees, Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks, Thad Levine of the Rangers and Tory Hernandez of the Angels are also candidates for the job.

The Orioles’ GM Search: Jennings, Watson, Dipoto

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The Orioles have interviewed Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks and Tony LaCava of the Blue Jays for their open GM position. Here's the latest on the team's search with the most recent updates up top:

  • As expected, the Marlins have officially denied the Orioles' request to interview Dan Jennings, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).  Jennings is halfway through an eight-year contract with the Marlins, reports Connolly, and this is the fourth time in four years that the Marlins have turned down another club's request to interview Jennings, Florida's assistant GM and vice-president of player personnel.
  • The Orioles are expected to contact Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson about their GM position, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. They haven't scheduled additional interviews at this point, but more are coming.
  • Dipoto probably has the edge at this point, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Connolly explains why Dipoto might prefer the Orioles to the Angels. Los Angeles is interviewing many candidates, but the Orioles won't interview many more than two, so Dipoto's chances of getting an offer from Baltimore seem good. Connolly notes that the Orioles would look bad if they want Dipoto then let him slip away to the Angels.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that Dipoto had a "terrific" interview with the Orioles (Twitter link).
  • For more on LaCava and Dipoto, check out MLBTR's GM Candidate pieces from earlier in the year.

Friedman Tops Angels’ List, Met With Moreno

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3:52pm: Rosenthal's sources are skeptical that Friedman would leave the Rays. One said "he's not going" (Twitter link). Scott Miller of CBS Sports notes that Friedman has a stake in the Rays (Twitter link).

2:32pm: Friedman is the Angels' top choice, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

2:02pm: Andrew Friedman, the Rays' executive VP of baseball operations, recently dined with Angels owner Arte Moreno and team president John Carpino, according to Jason Collette of DRaysBay. Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com confirms that Moreno and Carpino met with Friedman in Florida this week. The Angels, who are searching for a new general manager, also interviewed Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer.

Yesterday's reports indicate that the Angels will also interview Tory Hernandez from their own baseball operations department along with Kim Ng of MLB, Rick Hahn of the White Sox, Billy Eppler of the Yankees and Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks (Saxon hears that Ng's unlikely to get the job). The Angels also appear to be interested in Thad Levine, the Rangers' assistant GM.

Though the Rays operate with one of the smallest payrolls in the game, they've reached the playoffs in three of the past four seasons under Friedman, who became the team's executive VP of baseball operations in 2005. The Angels are in direct competition with the Orioles. Baltimore is searching for a GM and has interviewed Dipoto.

The Angels and Rays face different offseason challenges, but both are poised to contend in 2012.

Angels To Interview Ng, Interested In Levine

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7:55pm: The Angels will interview Rick Hahn of the White Sox and Tory Hernandez, their own manager of baseball information, along with Oppenheimer, Eppler, Ng and Dipoto, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (Twitter links).  The interviews will likely take place in the coming week.

12:18pm: The Angels are also interested in Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine, report Olney and Mark Saxon.  Levine has ties to the area, having worked for the Dodgers for a year and earned his MBA from UCLA.

10:59am: The Angels will interview Kim Ng for their GM opening, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  Ng currently works for MLB with a focus on international operations.  She was previously the Dodgers' assistant general manager for nine years, and interviewed for three GM vacancies during that time.  Before that, Ng was assistant GM with the Yankees and also worked for the White Sox and MLB.  Ng, who ranked tenth on our list of GM candidates, would be the first female to take on the role.

So far we've heard that Diamondbacks' Jerry Dipoto and the Yankees' Damon Oppenheimer and Billy Eppler will be interviewed for the Angels GM job.  Owner Arte Moreno outlined his criteria earlier this month.

Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Angels

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The Angels, soon to be under new leadership, will look to add a minimum of one starting pitcher, improve their offense and tinker with their bullpen.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)

Free Agents

The Angels' new general manager will face challenges, as every GM does, but no organizational overhaul is required in Anaheim. Even after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the Angels have many above-average players and the payroll to keep them in place. The Los Angeles front office can build on 2011's 86-win team by pursuing starting pitching, considering bullpen upgrades and finding a way to improve the offense.

The Angels have already committed over $100MM to next year's payroll and if they bring back their arbitration eligible players, payroll will rise to $120MM before accounting for those earning the minimum salary. This would give Tony Reagins' replacement a little more than $20MM to work with, assuming owner Arte Moreno is willing to match last year's $142MM payroll.

In other words, the Angels could conceivably bid on an elite free agent like Jose Reyes or Prince Fielder. But in an offseason that features above-average free agents at shortstop and first base, the Angels are set at both positions (Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis, Mark Trumbo, Kendrys Morales). In theory, the Angels could trade Aybar — he'd have many suitors — and sign Reyes or Jimmy Rollins. There has even been some talk of moving Trumbo from first base to third. Don't count on a major free agent signing.

The team may get a power-hitting first baseman from within. Morales has been sidelined with a left ankle injury since an ill-fated walk-off celebration a year and a half ago and the Angels can no longer count on him to be a force in their lineup. If he does return, they'll have seven players (Morales, Trumbo, Peter Bourjos, Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and Mike Trout) for five spots. 

The Angels could option Trout, Baseball America's 2011 minor league player of the year, to the minors at the beginning of next season. The benefit, aside from clearing space in the Major Leagues, would be delaying Trout's arrival on the free agent market by a year. If the Angels are happy to let Trout develop in the minors until mid-June, they could control his rights for an extra season seven years from now.

Howie Kendrick, a free agent after 2012, is an extension candidate this offseason. He posted a .285/.338/.464 line and appeared in 140 games, including 20 or more at three different positions (first, second and left). Bourjos, meanwhile, probably needs more time to prove himself if he’s going to land a long-term deal, even after a tremendous first full season.

Kendrick, Trumbo, Erick Aybar and Alberto Callaspo give the Angels a quartet of solid everyday infielders and Maicer Izturis is a capable reserve. While Callaspo offers less power than most third basemen, his .366 on-base percentage could be enough to prevent the Angels' next GM from bidding heavily on Aramis Ramirez. However, if the Angels want to add power, Ramirez is a fit. He's easily the best free agent option at his position and the Angels have more established players than Callaspo at the other traditional power positions.

The Angels face a dilemma behind the plate. Jeff Mathis posted a .174/.225/.259 line while sharing catching duties with Hank Conger and Bobby Wilson. Only the Twins and Astros, baseball's two worst teams, had their catchers combine for a lower OPS than the Angels' .555. But manager Mike Scioscia admires Mathis’ glovework and the skipper's endorsement resonates, since he spent 1,395 Major League games behind the plate himself. Mathis is a non-tender candidate given his projected $1.8MM salary and the team's cheaper, more offensively capable alternatives. If the Angels don’t expect Conger to hit as well as he did in the minors, they could go outside of the organization for catching depth. It’s one of the primary weaknesses of an offense that the Angels should look to improve over the winter.

Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana will occupy the top three spots in the rotation for the next two years, giving the Angels one of the top rotations in the game. Like every MLB team, they have internal candidates for the back of the rotation. But the Angels' chances of unseating the American League champion Rangers would be better if they had more at the back of their rotation than Jerome Williams, Trevor Bell, Tyler Chatwood and Garrett Richards. It appears Joel Pineiro will sign elsewhere as a free agent and the Angels may attempt to sign a replacement. California native C.C. Sabathia would give the Angels one of the best rotations in baseball, though he seems to favor the Bronx.

Last offseason the Angels spent on the bullpen, signing free agent lefties Hisanori Takahashi and Scott Downs to multiyear deals. It's unlikely the Angels will make a similar splash this offseason, even though rookie closer Jordan Walden blew a league-leading ten saves in an otherwise strong season. Rich Thompson, Walden, Downs and Takahashi provide Scioscia with four solid late-inning options and the club's new GM will likely mix in new pieces for depth and competition.

The Rangers have established themselves as the team to beat in the AL West. But the Angels can compete with Texas in 2012 if their new GM improves the rotation and finds a way to infuse offense into a lineup that will remain mostly intact from last year.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Rangers, Yankees

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On this date in 1979, the Pirates beat the Orioles 4-1 to win the World Series in seven games. Willie Stargell, the '79 NL MVP, hit a two-run home run in the victory. Here are links for Monday night as we await the beginning of this year's World Series…

  • Jim Callis of Baseball America envisions Matt Barnes and Anthony Ranaudo in Boston's 2015 rotation.
  • Callis also explains that the Dodgers weren't sure what they had when they drafted right-hander Edwin Jackson in 2001. He was athletic enough to pitch or play in the outfield.
  • Bob Simpson, a co-chairman of the Rangers' board, told reporters, including Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com, that the Rangers are committed to sustaining their current level of play. 
  • Victor Martinez told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he's prepared to catch in 2012. The switch-hitter didn't catch at all after August 4th because of a knee sprain, but he's willing to don the tools of ignorance again. Martinez's health will affect Detroit's level of interest in backup catchers this offseason.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests it will be hard to get the Yankees to offer C.C. Sabathia much more than Cliff Lee obtained from the Phillies ($120MM over five years). Sabathia is expected to opt out of the four years and $92MM remaining on his contract this offseason and though he enjoys playing in New York, it doesn't seem like he's going to give the Yankees a hometown discount. 
  • The Yankees favor Yu Darvish over C.J. Wilson of the Rangers, according to Sherman.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer is highly regarded by the Angels. The Orioles hold D'Backs exec Jerry Dipoto in similarly high esteem, according to Olney (on Twitter).
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