Angels Notes: Madson, Pujols, Morales, Trumbo
Going forward, Angels owner Arte Moreno has made it clear that he wants to leave baseball decisions up to the baseball department as opposed to manager Mike Scioscia. Here's a look at what the Halos might do next..
- The Angels are considering free agent closer Ryan Madson, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, in order to stay under the cap, the club would likely have to backload his contract. Madson's market has thinned out somewhat and nearly 32% of MLBTR readers polled believe that the right-hander will sign with the Angels.
- Speaking of backloaded deals, Heyman has more details on Albert Pujols' ten-year contract. Yesterday we learned that Pujols will earn $12MM in 2012 and $16MM in 2013. Heyman adds that the slugger will make $23MM, $24MM, $25MM, $26MM, $27MM, $28MM, $29MM and $30MM in the following years, according to sources.
- Every indication from the Halos suggests that they're willing to hold on to Mark Trumbo and Kendry Morales right now, but eventually they will have to move somebody, writes MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. If Trumbo can play third base, Alberto Callaspo or Maicer Izturis could be expendable.
Olney’s Latest: Yankees, Ethier, Angels, Blue Jays
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney ranks the ten best outfields in the game. The Diamondbacks, Yankees, and Rangers top the list, though I thought it was surprising the Rays didn't even garner an honorable mention. Here are Buster's rumors…
- The Yankees have "quietly checked around" on possible right field alternatives to Nick Swisher as they prepare for his possible free agent departure after next season.
- Andre Ethier can also become a free agent after 2012, and Olney points out that a pre-deadline trade involving the Dodgers outfielder is possible.
- "[Angels owner Arte Moreno] made it known he wants to leave the baseball decisions to the baseball department," said one talent evaluator. Manager Mike Scioscia essentially dictated moves in the past, but that has changed since Moreno hired GM Jerry Dipoto earlier this offseason.
- Sources tell Olney that the Blue Jays are much more like to hold or even cut their payroll rather than increase it.
AL West Notes: Pujols, Wilson, Balfour, Kata
Between the Angels' big signings, the Rangers winning the Yu Darvish bidding, the Athletics' rebuilding, the Mariners' dabbling in the Prince Fielder derby and even the news that the Astros are coming in 2013, no division has generated more news than the AL West this offseason. Here's the latest…
- Albert Pujols will earn base salaries of $12MM in 2012 and $16MM in 2013, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Pujols' 10-year, $254MM contract with the Angels was backloaded so the Halos could afford to sign C.J. Wilson. As a result, Pujols will receive more than $30MM per year in the latter years of his deal. The contract's total value could be worth as much as $265MM should Pujols reach various incentive and milestone bonuses.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com names the contract between Pujols and the Angels as the transaction of the year. The trade that sent Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski to St. Louis for Colby Rasmus gets an honorable mention, as does the Tigers' trade for Doug Fister and the Phillies' trade for Hunter Pence.
- Athletics right-hander Grant Balfour is receiving trade interest, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Australian has a 2.85 ERA and 266 strikeouts in 243 innings over the last four seasons and, if he remains with the A's, is a candidate to replace Andrew Bailey as Oakland's closer in 2012.
- The Rangers have re-signed Matt Kata to a minor league deal, reports Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The infielder spent last year with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, posting an .832 OPS in 447 plate appearances. Kata has a career line of .239/.290/.370 in parts of five Major League seasons and last appeared in the majors with the Astros in 2009.
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post
Cafardo’s Latest: Madson, Kuroda, Cespedes, Zumaya
Even on Christmas, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe delivers his usual Sunday Baseball Notes column. This week, he runs down the best available players remaining on the free agent and trade markets at each position. Here are a few highlights from those lists and the rest of Cafardo's piece:
- The Red Sox and Angels are "keeping the dialogue open" with Ryan Madson.
- While many reports have indicated Hiroki Kuroda's willingness to play on the East Coast, the right-hander still has some desire to stay out west.
- The Marlins are being aggressive on Yoenis Cespedes, with the Nationals right behind them. Earlier this weekend, we heard there's some divide within the Marlins' front office on Cespedes.
- An AL GM on Joel Zumaya: "Our doctors don't think he would pass the physical based on what they see."
- The Rays are among the clubs that have talked to Francisco Cordero.
- Cafardo gets the feeling Matt Garza will be dealt, and warns not to rule out the Tigers.
Angels Sign Langerhans, Hurley, Diaz
The Angels have signed outfielder Ryan Langerhans, right-hander Eric Hurley, and catcher Robinzon Diaz according to Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). All three players received minor league contracts.
Langerhans, 32 in February, hit just .173/.317/.346 in 64 plate appearances for Seattle in 2011. He did post a monstrous .311/.437/.573 batting line in 426 plate appearances split between the Mariners' and Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliates, however. The left-handed hitter has always been adept at drawing walks (13.0% of his career plate appearances), and the advanced metrics generally like his glovework.
Hurley, 26, returned to the mound in 2011 after missing all of 2009 and 2010 due to major shoulder surgery. The former Rangers' top prospect pitched to a 5.55 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 84 1/3 innings across 16 starts for Texas' Triple-A affiliate this past season. Hurley made five starts for the Rangers in 2008, allowing 15 runs in 24 2/3 innings.
Diaz, 28, also spent last season in Texas' minor league system. The backstop hit .318/.352/.444 in 211 plate appearances while throwing out just ten of 51 attempted basestealers (19.6%). Diaz hasn't appeared in the majors since 2009, and he's perhaps most famous for being the guy the Blue Jays traded to the Pirates for Jose Bautista back in 2008.
Red Sox, Angels, Reds Talking To Francisco Cordero
WEDNESDAY: The Red Sox are backing off since they aren't eager to commit to an aging reliever who will require a multiyear deal, according to John Tomase of the Boston Herald. The Red Sox would have offered more than one year at a certain price, but the sides couldn't come to an agreement.
TUESDAY, 7:47pm: Cordero prefers to return to the Reds, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com, who adds that the Rockies are not a suitor for the right-hander.
4:45pm: The Reds and Red Sox aren't the only clubs involved. The Angels and another team have been in dialogue with Cordero, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. "We’ve been exploring multiyear deals and we’re very confident that’s where we’re going to end up,” Stringfellow told Speier. “The teams that we’ve spoken to, none of them have balked at that of the four remaining clubs.” Cordero will only consider closing roles.
1:28pm: The Red Sox have had increased dialogue with Francisco Cordero this week, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The Reds have resumed talks with Cordero and remain interested in re-signing him.
The 36-year-old posted a 2.45 ERA with 5.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 50% ground ball rate in 69 2/3 innings for the Reds this past season. Cordero reached the 30-save plateau for the fifth consecutive season, saving 37 games. However, his average fastball velocity dropped to 93 mph and peripheral stats such as xFIP (4.14) and SIERA (3.91) suggest his 2.45 ERA may be artificially low. Agent Bean Stringfellow represents the three-time All-Star.
Angels Still Exploring Relief Options
The LaTroy Hawkins signing got understandably overshadowed during the winter meetings, but the Angels are still exploring bullpen options according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Gonzalez says they've been in touch with Darren Oliver's representatives and had scouts watch Joel Zumaya's recent showcase.
The Halos have Jordan Walden, Scott Downs, Hisanori Takahashi, and Hawkins slated for the bullpen at the moment, plus they have Kevin Jepsen, Rich Thompson, Bobby Cassevah, and Jerome Williams on their 40-man roster as well. Gonzalez says the Angels can't afford Francisco Cordero, and he adds that GM Jerry Dipoto has not reached out to free agents Luis Ayala and Dan Wheeler either.
Angels Interested In Dioner Navarro
The Angels have interest in free agent catcher Dioner Navarro, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Chris Iannetta figures to get most of the playing time behind the plate in Anaheim, with former Angels catcher Jeff Mathis on the Blue Jays' roster.
Navarro, 27, signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Dodgers a year ago. He posted a .193/.276/.324 line in 202 plate appearances for the Dodgers this past season, preventing 14 of 55 stolen base attempts against him. He hasn't posted an OPS over .600 since making the All-Star team as a member of the 2008 Rays.
The Angels' interest in Navarro indicates the team is open to options other than Hank Conger and Bobby Wilson. Both backstops appeared in 50-plus games in 2011, though the offense Conger provided as a minor leaguer has yet to translate to the Major Leagues.
Quick Hits: Astros, Angels, Cespedes
We wouldn’t want the biggest news of the day — that the Rangers won the bidding for Yu Darvish — to completely overshadow some secondary notes from around MLB. Here are some quick hits from around the league, starting in Texas:
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told fans at MLB.com that Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Carlos Lee are “very good players” who could help the Astros going forward. “We will look for any opportunity to improve our team in the medium and long term,” Luhnow explained, “so if there were a trade that made sense, we would consider it.”
- Brian Bixler cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to Oklahoma City, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. The Astros designated the infielder for assignment last week to create roster space for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland.
- The Cubs and Red Sox have agreed that former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein won't be able to hire anyone from the Red Sox for three years, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (on Twitter).
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto likes the depth in his team's starting rotation, but doesn't yet know whether his bullpen is a strength or a weakness, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times. Ideally, the Angels would like to add a late-inning reliever and make the lineup a little more left-handed, Dipoto says.
- There's a consensus among international MLB people that the Yankees are "BIG" on Yoenis Cespedes, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (on Twitter).
- Cespedes is close to establishing residency in the Dominican Republic, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. The Cuban outfielder still needs to secure a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control since his residency is not permanent. The process could take two weeks, but he should be cleared to sign sometime in January.
Bobby Abreu Would Welcome Trade
The Angels added Albert Pujols to their stable of first base/corner outfield/designated hitter-type bats during the Winter Meetings, leading to speculation about players they might move in a trade. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that Bobby Abreu would welcome a trade out of Anaheim, though he is not the type to demand one.
“Right now, [Abreu] is a valuable asset,” said GM Jerry DiPoto to Rosenthal. “I have a world of respect for Bobby. I want to make sure he’s in a position to be productive. Right now, we have that ability.”
Abreu, 38 in March, will earn $9MM in 2012 before becoming a free agent after the season. His power numbers have slipped in recent years (just eight homers in 2011), but he still manages to rank among the league leaders in walks and hasn't stolen fewer than 20 bases in a season since 1998. Abreu is also a defensive liability, but the Angels could use him to balance out their right-handed heavy lineup. The only problem is that he's become increasingly susceptible to southpaws in recent years (.238/.319/.279 vs. LHP in 2011).
Rosenthal says a trade is unlikely to happen anytime soon, just because the team wants to see as much of Kendrys Morales as they can before determining if they have offense to spare. He also lists the Mariners, Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays as clubs that need help at DH, though none have been connected to Abreu yet.