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AL West Notes: Beltre, Rangers, A’s, Guerrero

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Needless to say, the Adrian Beltre signing is the biggest news of the day in the AL West.  Here are some other items from the division with the longest World Series title drought (albeit only since 2002) in baseball…

  • There isn't any deferred money in the five guaranteed years of Beltre's contract, reports Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News.  (Twitter link)  Grant says the Rangers are "trying to do away with deferrals."
  • Beltre's signing could push the Rangers' payroll over the $100MM mark for the first time since 2003, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  Team president Nolan Ryan says the team is not only prepared for the possibility, but says Beltre's deal won't affect plans to explore extensions with players like Josh Hamilton.
  • Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com thinks the Beltre signing "isn’t necessarily a loss for the jilted A’s" since the Rangers didn't solve their main need of pitching, and Beltre's production last year "represents a wash offensively" with the departed Vladimir Guerrero.  
  • Speaking of Guerrero, Angels manager Mike Scioscia discussed the veteran slugger with Jim Duqette and Kevin Kennedy of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM.  (MLB.com's Lyle Spencer has a fuller recap of Scioscia's appearance.)  Scioscia said his team isn't looking for a long-term contract with Guerrero, but admitted that "he's definitely a guy that's very interesting to look at."  We've heard mixed reports about the Angels' interest in bringing Guerrero back to Anaheim, but with Texas out of the picture, the Halos probably won't have to offer more than a one-year deal to sign the possible Hall-of-Famer. 

Scot Shields Still Undecided About Retirement

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Scot Shields sounded as if he was closing the door on his baseball career last September, but while the veteran reliever says he is still "not leaning any way" about whether or not he wishes to continue pitching, Shields seemed a bit more open to returning in an interview with Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

"If something comes along that seems like it's a good deal in a good place, I will play. If not, I'll be happy to stay home and spend time with my family," Shields said.  "I feel really good….It doesn't take me long to get ready for the season. If I do play, I'll have a lot of desire to prove I can still pitch."

DiGiovanna speculates that if Shields does return, either with the Angels or another team, it will be on a minor league contract given Shields' injury-plagued 2009 and 2010 seasons.  If Shields is healthy, he could provide a team with a nice right-handed bullpen option.  The 35-year-old posted a 2.93 ERA, a 2.53 K/BB ratio and an 8.2 K/9 rate in 428 appearances with the Halos between 2001 and 2008, earning a "set-up man of the decade" distinction from Sports Illustrated.

The Significance Of The Adrian Beltre Deal

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Beltre
Adrian Beltre agreed to a deal that guarantees him $80MM over five years. It's the biggest contract of Beltre's career and the fourth biggest free agent deal of the 2010-11 offseason.

The left side of the Rangers' infield should improve when Beltre joins defensive whiz Elvis Andrus. Since Andrus became a regular in 2009, he ranks seventh among MLB shortstops in UZR/150 and Beltre ranks second among MLB third baseman for that same time period. Beltre has had his highs ('04 and '10 stand out) and lows ('01, '05, '09) at the plate, but he has been an above average hitter and defender more often than not.

Beltre joins the defending American League champions on what will presumably be the last major contract of his career (he'll be at least 36 when the deal expires). For what it's worth, Beltre has a career .306/.336/.521 line in 229 plate appearances in Texas.

Here's what it means for the others involved:

Michael Young

  • This could be the end of Young's tenure in Texas, but he won't be easy to trade and he adds value as a utility player, so the Rangers may keep him. Young, who has already proven that he can adjust to big league position switches, may have to play shortstop for the first time since 2008 and second base for the first time since 2003.

Vladimir Guerrero

The Angels

  • The Angels could have used Carl Crawford and Beltre, yet they did not sign either player. While the A's and Rangers have made a number of acquisitions, the Angels have been relatively quiet, adding left-handers Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi.

The A's

The Red Sox

  • The Red Sox will obtain two top draft picks next year since they offered arbitration to Beltre, a Type A free agent, and he turned it down. One draft choice will be a supplementary first rounder and the other will come from the Rangers. It will be Texas' first rounder as long as the Rangers don't sign Rafael Soriano. If they do sign the closer, the Rays would get the Rangers' top pick and the Red Sox would get their second rounder.

Jose Bautista & Aramis Ramirez

  • Bautista and Ramirez are set to enter free agency after the season. They're far from perfect comps for Beltre – Bautista may end up playing right field next year – but this deal could play in their favor if they hit free agency after strong 2011 seasons at third base.

Scott Boras

  • Did anyone expect Jayson Werth to sign for $126MM and Beltre to sign a deal that could make him $96MM? Finding the right deal for Rafael Soriano is another major test for Boras, who has found unexpectedly big paydays for his clients so far this winter.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI

Heyman On Crawford, Pavano, CarGo

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There’s word that many Angels people were in favor of offering Carl Crawford a seven-year deal worth $142MM or so, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Red Sox won the bidding for the All-Star left fielder with a $142MM offer that left the Angels without one of their offseason targets. Owner Arte Moreno has said that his team never made Crawford an offer, but he acknowledged the Angels' interest. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:

  • There are thought to be one or two teams looking at Carl Pavano other than the Twins and Nationals, according to Heyman. The Mariners and Rangers have been linked to Pavano this winter, but it's not clear if those clubs are currently interested.
  • Heyman reports that the Rockies are still trying to lock up Carlos Gonzalez. Meanwhile Troy Renck of the Denver Post hears that the Rockies could move closer to an extension with the 25-year-old this week 

Rangers Talking With Adrian Beltre

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10:30pm: After talking to Rangers officials, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes, "There appears to be some mutual interest on both sides, but nothing is remotely imminent."

6:52pm: Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports that the two sides are close to agreeing to a deal (link in Spanish). An agreement "appears imminent" according to one of Rojas' sources, while another tells him it will "probably" be a five-year contract with an option for 2016.

SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that nothing is done, but "there appears to be some hope." Jeff Wilson of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram echoes Heyman's report (Twitter link).

3:14pm: While the two sides have no deal in place, the Rangers remain in contact with Adrian Beltre, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) have both shot down a report out of the Dominican Republic earlier today that said the Rangers had signed Beltre to a six-year deal.

With Michael Young, Elvis Andrus, and Ian Kinsler all entrenched in the Texas infield, it would seem an unlikely match at first. However, the Rangers had some discussions at the Winter Meetings about sending Young to multiple teams, and this is far from the first time we've seen them linked to Beltre. Young could also be shifted into a designated hitter role in the event of a Beltre signing.

As WEEI.com's Alex Speier points out, Texas landing Beltre would represent a best case scenario for the Red Sox, as the Rangers' first round pick is unprotected, while other suitors such as the A's and Angels would only net Boston a second-round selection. In a poll just before New Year's, 11.55% of the near-12,000 MLBTR readers who voted thought Beltre would land in Texas.

According to Morosi, Scott Boras is seeking a five-year deal worth at least $85MM for his client, which is on par with ESPN's Buster Olney's take in late December. Despite ongoing discussions with the Rangers, Morosi says the Angels are still viewed as the favorite to land Beltre.

Cafardo On Blanton, Beltre, Indians, LaRoche

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe names ten teams who might reap the benefits of bargain shopping as the winter winds down. The Rays, Mets, Yankees, and Angels top the list of clubs Cafardo thinks could make discounted moves in the coming weeks. Here are the rest of his hot stove notes:

  • While the Mets will be hunting for affordable starting pitching options, don't expect the Phillies to trade Joe Blanton within the division.
  • The Angels are making sure they don't bid against themselves on Adrian Beltre, and could eventually land the third baseman for a lesser price than Scott Boras is seeking.
  • The Indians could make some more moves if they want to continue stockpiling prospects. Other teams would have interest in players like Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, and Fausto Carmona, while Cleveland would "love to trade" Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner.
  • The Nationals "know it’s tough to get players to buy into the future of the team," writes Cafardo. As such, they may eventually commit to Adam LaRoche for the three years he's looking for.
  • Jim Masteralexis, Manny Delcarmen's agent, says several teams are interested in his client, and Cafardo warns not to bet against the Rays.
  • Carl Pavano may make a decision this week, and it appears that while he'd prefer to return to Minnesota, the Nationals will offer the better contract. Of course, we already saw one top free agent pitcher choose comfort over more guaranteed money, when Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies.

Lots Of Arb Cases For Angels, Jays, Giants, Padres

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The Angels and Blue Jays have more upcoming arbitration cases than any other major league teams. Toronto and Los Angeles both have eight remaining arbitration eligible players, one more than the Giants, Padres and Rockies, who lead the National League with six apiece.

Teams and arbitration eligible players file for arbitration early next month in the first part of the process that determines players' 2011 salaries. If teams and players don't reach an agreement by January 18th, they exchange salary figures. If the sides don't reach a deal by the end of the month, they schedule a February hearing that would take place in front of a panel of arbitrators who decide between the player's pitch and the team's.

The Blue Jays avoided arbitration with their eligible players last offseason, the team's first under GM Alex Anthopoulos. The organization has avoided arbitration hearings for 13 consecutive offseasons, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team settle with Jose Bautista, Shawn Camp, Rajai Davis, Yunel Escobar, Casey Janssen, Jesse Litsch, Carlos Villanueva and Brandon Morrow.

The Angels have as many arbitration eligible players; the club faces potential hearings with Erick Aybar, Alberto Callaspo, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, Kendry Morales, Mike Napoli, Jered Weaver and Reggie Willits.

Most teams have 3-5 arbitration eligible players, but the Red Sox, Phillies and Pirates have just two. Kyle McClellan is the Cardinals' lone remaining arbitration eligible player.

Be sure to keep track of every arbitration case using MLBTR's new Arb Tracker, which you can find under the Tools tab at the top of the site.

Athletics Out On Adrian Beltre

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The Athletics pulled out of talks with Adrian Beltre this week, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  They made multiple offers for the third baseman this winter, but will now look at relievers Chad Qualls and Hideki Okajima and possibly a different third base option.

Rosenthal says the Rangers maintain interest but "remain uncomfortable with both the price and fit" for Beltre given incumbent third baseman Michael Young.

Unless a surprise team jumps in, the Angels remain the favorite despite pulling their offer.  It does not appear that their situation has changed since these reports eight days ago.

Orioles Target Derrek Lee

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The Orioles are targeting Derrek Lee, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The team renewed discussions with the free agent first baseman a week ago and are open to a deal in the one-year, $8MM range, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Rosenthal reports that the team is more comfortable signing Lee for one year than committing to Adam LaRoche for three.

The Orioles will have some competition for LaRoche, who appeals to the Nationals, and Lee. The Padres offered Lee a one-year deal worth more than $8MM before agreeing to terms with Brad Hawpe, according to Rosenthal. San Diego would have been a good fit for Lee, who is interested in playing for a contender and returning to the West Coast.

The Angels are “cool” on Lee, according to Rosenthal. They tried to acquire him after Kendry Morales went down last summer and could pair him with Morales at first/DH.

Lee is a potential bargain for 2011. He's coming off thumb surgery and had a down year by his standards, but finished the 2010 season strong with the Braves and hit 35 homers as recently as 2009.

Unfinished Business: AL West

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We've examined the unfinished business for the NL East, Central, and West; now it's time to check out the AL West.

  • Angels: Third base, outfielder/DH, leadoff man.  Adrian Beltre remains a great fit for the Angels, but owner Arte Moreno criticized recent huge deals for Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.  Another possibility could be to add Scott Podsednik or Johnny Damon in what many fans would deem a disappointing offseason.
  • Athletics: Reliever.  GM Billy Beane mentioned 12 days ago that he might be in the market for a reliever after sending Henry Rodriguez to the Nationals in the Josh Willingham deal.  However, that was before the A's inked Rich Harden to improve their pitching depth.  We can't rule out the possibility that the Angels and Rangers remove themselves from the Beltre bidding and Scott Boras has to come crawling back to the A's.
  • Mariners: Starting pitcher, left fielder, reliever, backup infielder.  The Mariners figure to add a back-end starter, and possibly a reliever if they move David Aardsma.  Back around the Winter Meetings, there was talk of finding a left fielder to supplement Michael Saunders.  They could also use a reserve infielder, so the Ms should be active in the shallow end of the free agent pool.
  • Rangers: Designated hitter, possible extensions.  It's a buyer's market for designated hitters, so the Rangers can probably get Vladimir Guerrero back at their price.  Theoretically, they could make a move for Adrian Beltre and shift or trade Michael Young.  Brandon Webb was affordable, so the Rangers could sign another veteran starter if they're so inclined.  The Rangers may also look into extensions for arbitration eligible players like Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson in the coming months.
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