Dead Money: Paying Players To Play Elsewhere
Eating money in trades or by releasing players is far from an ideal business practice, but sometimes it's a necessary evil. The Mets believe they are better off paying Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo a combined $18MM not to be on their team this year, and released the two just last month. David Wharton of The Los Angeles Times wrote about the concept of "dead money" today, speaking to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, sports economist J.C. Bradbury, and Scott Boras.
With some help from Cot's Baseball Contracts, let's look at the teams that are paying players to be anywhere but on their roster this season…
- Angels: Gary Matthews Jr. ($11.4MM)
- Astros: Roy Oswalt ($7MM)
- Blue Jays: Vernon Wells ($5MM)
- Cubs: Carlos Silva ($7.25MM, plus $2MM in 2012)
- Diamondbacks: Chris Snyder ($3MM)
- Dodgers: Manny Ramirez ($8.33MM per year through 2013), Andruw Jones ($3.2MM per year through 2014), Juan Pierre ($3.5MM)
- Mariners: Carlos Silva ($5.5MM), Yuniesky Betancourt ($1MM), Josh Wilson ($179K)
- Mets: Oliver Perez ($4MM), Luis Castillo ($6MM), Gary Matthews Jr. ($1MM)
- Rockies: Manny Corpas ($3.55MM, $250K in 2012)
- Royals: Yuniesky Betancourt ($2MM)
- Twins: Brendan Harris ($500K)
- White Sox: Scott Linebrink ($3.5MM)
This doesn't include money the Braves owe Kenshin Kawakami ($7.4MM) or the Yankees owe Kei Igawa ($4MM). Both Japanese imports remain in the organization, but they've since been banished to the minor leagues. It also doesn't include all the money the Mets famously owe Bobby Bonilla for the next two decades.
Yuniesky Betancourt is the only player collecting paychecks from three different big league teams at the moment, but Carlos Silva could join him if he's called up by the Yankees. Gary Matthews Jr. could also be in that mix if he catches on somewhere this summer.
AL West Notes: Barton, Angels, Wilhelmsen
Happy birthday to Rangers manager Ron Washington, who turns 59 years old today. Let's celebrate by taking a look at some items from Washington's division…
- Daric Barton admits that he has been thinking about his multiyear contract negotiations with the Athletics, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's always in the back of your mind," Barton said. "It's not something you like to think about, but realistically, it happens." We heard about these negotiations last month, with MLBTR's Tim Dierkes noting that Barton's walk-heavy production could make him a bargain for the A's if they choose to go to arbitration with the first baseman.
- The Angels are integrating young players into their lineup while still remaining competitive in the AL West, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Mike Trout is having a nice season at Double-A Arkansas, but ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill predicts Trout will only reach the majors in 2011 if the Angels want to give him a few token at-bats in September. Churchill speculates that Trout might skip Triple-A altogether and potentially make the Angels out of Spring Training next year, or at least be in the majors by May 2012 (or after next year's Super Two cutoff date).
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports profiles Mariners right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen, who made his improbable Major League debut this season after spending five years away from the sport.
Angels Designate Jason Bulger For Assignment
The Angels designated right-hander Jason Bulger for assignment, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (on Twitter). The Halos optioned Matt Palmer to Triple-A, and activated Joel Pineiro and Scott Downs from the disabled list in corresponding moves.
Bulger, 32, has a sparkling 0.96 ERA in 9 1/3 innings this year. However, he has walked more batters (10) than he has struck out (7). Opponents have hit just .167 on balls in play and Bulger's 7.54 FIP and 6.14 xFIP suggest his ERA should probably be 5-6 runs higher than it is.
Bulger has a 4.33 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 133 career innings, all but 10 of them with the Angels. The seven-year veteran has pitched in manager Mike Scioscia's bullpen every year since 2006.
Arbitration Records: Starting Pitchers
Several arbitration records could fall in 2012. Here's my best attempt at finding the current records for starting pitchers who went year-to-year.
- First time: Dontrelle Willis – $4.35MM (2006). If you count the $100K in award bonuses Jered Weaver earned last year, he's the record holder at $4.365MM.
- Second time: Jered Weaver – $7.37MM (2011). Weaver's agent Scott Boras actually aimed to push this bar up to $8.8MM, but he lost an arbitration hearing to the Angels. There does not appear to be a challenger to this record in the upcoming offseason.
- Third time: Carlos Zambrano – $12.4MM (2007). Z's $5.9MM raise had precedent: the $6MM raises Kevin Millwood and Chan Ho Park received early in the decade.
Whatever you consider the first-time record, it'll probably fall unless Clayton Kershaw and David Price sign multiyear extensions. If those two aces have their first-time salaries determined in the arbitration process, they'll probably both reach $5MM.
Weaver, who already has six wins and 49 strikeouts on the season, has a good chance of topping Zambrano's $5.9MM raise and setting a new standard for elite pitchers going to arbitration for a third time. Based on projections, Weaver should be well ahead of where Zambrano was before his third arbitration year in everything aside from ERA (in which they could be almost dead even). Boras could have a good case for a $7-8MM raise, taking Weaver to a $15MM salary in his final year before free agency.
Side note: if Weaver's salary gets to such dizzying heights, the rising tide will lift those below him like John Danks and Matt Garza. If Weaver gets to $15MM before Danks' salary is determined, Danks' agent can use that to his client's benefit.
We haven't yet mentioned Tim Lincecum, who would have eclipsed Willis' record had he not signed a two-year deal. Lincecum is untouchable, and if his 2012 salary is determined by the arbitration process it will easily top Weaver's and be an arbitration record for all non-free agent players, not just pitchers.
Pirates Claim Brandon Wood
The Pirates claimed shortstop Brandon Wood off waivers from the Angels, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Wood had been designated for assignment by the Halos late Tuesday, and the Pirates were first in line in the waiver order.
The former top prospect is now 26 years old, and in 494 big league plate appearances with the Angels he hasn't had success. The Pirates present the perfect opportunity for redemption, as they're one of few teams that can give Wood regular at-bats at shortstop with some leeway for struggling. The scouting report is three years old, but before the '08 season Baseball America said Wood had unexceptional range but could "handle shortstop just fine" defensively. Though he's a shortstop by trade, Wood has played third base as well. MLB.com's Lyle Spencer wrote recently, "It was fascinating to see how different he was when he was in the lineup at shortstop rather than at third."
The claim was a no-brainer for Pittsburgh, a team with few interesting players in the shortstop pipeline. Ronny Cedeno is currently the starter, though the club sought upgrades all winter. The Pirates were able to get Wood for nothing, after the Angels seemingly kept the asking price high on him for years. The Pirates will have to open up a 40-man roster spot to accommodate Wood, and they've said they'll make the corresponding move this afternoon.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Brandon Wood Rumors: Pirates, Blue Jays
26-year-old infielder Brandon Wood was designated for assignment late Tuesday by the Angels, and there is "zero chance of him clearing waivers," tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale. He'd be a fit for many clubs at shortstop or third base, as I outlined here, but he's more likely to land with a club that can give him some leeway to struggle in the Majors. Claims are due in by noon eastern time today, reports Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The latest:
- The Blue Jays "expressed interest in trading for Wood as recently as this offseason," according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, so they could be interested now.
- The Pirates will "almost surely" place a claim, tweets Dunlap. They have first dibs, as 2010 records are used within the first 30 days of this season to determine waiver order. The team's 40-man roster is currently full, so they'll either have to designate someone for assignment or put someone on the 60-day DL if they win a claim on Wood. Keep in mind that claims might not come into play if a team simply trades for Wood.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (Twitter link) that his team discussed going after Wood, but demurred since Milwaukee has no spot for him. I named the Brewers as one potential candidate for Wood yesterday.
Quick Hits: Purke, Wood, Bonderman, Promotions
On this date three years ago, the Blue Jays released Frank Thomas. He retired after a brief return engagment with the Athletics, hitting .301/.419/.555 in a career that should garner Hall of Fame consideration. Here's some links for the evening…
- TCU left-hander Matt Purke is out indefinitely with a sore shoulder according to Stefan Stevenson of The Star-Telegram. He will be evaluated by Dr. James Andrews later this week. Purke, who was expected to be one of the top picks in this June's draft, spoke to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith last month.
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic says (on Twitter) that the Diamondbacks don't have interest in, or room on the roster for Brandon Wood.
- Jeremy Bonderman recently visited his former Tigers' teammates during their trip to Seattle, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck. The right-hander told reporters that he feels "great," and that he plans to visit the Tigers in Detroit in a few weeks. That would seem to indicate he isn't close to signing with a team.
- In a piece for ESPN Insider, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus breaks down some factors that are considered when a prospect is promoted to the big leagues or a higher minor league level.
- ESPN The Magazine published a list of the highest paid athletes from 182 countries. A dozen MLB players make the list, but that comes nowhere close to the number of soccer players making big bucks.
AL West Notes: Felix, Leonys Martin, Brandon Wood
The Rangers and Angels are currently tied for first place in the AL West, with 11-6 records. The latest from the division:
- For what seems like the hundredth time, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik explained why he is not looking to trade ace Felix Hernandez. His latest comments came today on the Brock and Salk Show on 710 ESPN Seattle.
- The Rangers made a series of roster moves today, purchasing Brett Tomko's contract, recalling catcher Taylor Teagarden, putting Mason Tobin on the DL, and optioning Michael Kirkman. In the opinion of Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, they're likely to create a 40-man roster spot for Tomko by moving Wilmer Font to the 60-day DL.
- Leonys Martin awaits a work permit before his $15.5MM deal with Texas can be made official, reports Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (link in Spanish). A source close to the negotiations told Ebro, "Everything should come through in one or two weeks, but the deal is still on, without any problems."
- MLB.com's Lyle Spencer fills us in on Brandon Wood, who was recently designated for assignment by the Angels. Spencer says Wood "is a shortstop in his heart and mind," and likes the Padres and Diamondbacks as fits for him. For a look at other possible matches for Wood, check out my article from earlier today.
Minor League Signings: Lawrence, Place, Salome
Baseball America's Matt Eddy tweets a few minor league signings of note:
- The Angels released Virgil Vasquez and signed Brian Lawrence. Lawrence, 34, hasn't pitched in the Majors since '07. He racked up 142 2/3 innings for the Marlins Triple-A affiliate last year, posting a 4.42 ERA. Lawrence was a staple in the Padres' rotation from 2002-05, even winning 15 games in '04.
- Right fielder Jason Place, released by the Red Sox in Spring Training, was signed by the Yankees. Place was drafted 27th overall in 2006, one spot ahead of Daniel Bard. 18 of the 44 first-rounders from that draft have yet to play in the Majors, Place among them.
- The Mariners signed catcher/right fielder Angel Salome. Salome was a fairly well-regarded catching prospect as recently as a year ago, but he was removed from the Brewers' 40-man roster last July after taking an extended leave for the birth of his child and requesting a switch to the outfield upon his return (Tom Haudricourt reporting for Baseball America).
Which Teams Could Use Brandon Wood?
Brandon Wood seems like he's been an Angels prospect forever. However, at this point he's 26 years old with 494 career big league plate appearances and a .168/.197/.259 line to his name. The Halos designated him for assignment last night, and a trade or claim seems likely.
Since Wood is out of options, any team giving up a prospect of value for him will have to be able to keep him in the Majors rather than risk exposing him to waivers. Wood can probably play an acceptable shortstop or third base. This scouting report is three years old, but before the '08 season Baseball America said Wood had unexceptional range but could "handle shortstop just fine," and he was "solid if unspectacular at third base." He's never played second base, but he might be passable there as well.
I'd like to see a non-contending team install Wood as the starting shortstop and just let him rip for 500 plate appearances. That plan might be unfair to players who don't have the "advantage" of being out of options. But the Pirates might as well try him over Ronny Cedeno. The Mets could be a fit, if they're thinking of trading Jose Reyes in a few months. Wood could man a middle infield position for the Astros, though they might consider themselves booked between Clint Barmes, Bill Hall, Angel Sanchez, and Jeff Keppinger. Likewise, the Mariners aren't contenders but would have to do some shuffling to get Wood regular at-bats.
Since they sit atop the AL Central at the moment, I won't rule out the Indians and Royals as contenders. But the Tribe might be able to get Wood some third base at-bats until they deem Lonnie Chisenhall ready. Wood could also keep the seat warm at the hot corner for Royals prospect Mike Moustakas.
The Twins, Brewers, and Dodgers were regarded as preseason contenders, but haven't been spectacular in the early going. All three clubs have question marks at shortstop, though Wood is certainly not a clear upgrade. The Marlins are cobbling together a solution at third base, though it's actually going well overall.
In the end, I expect Wood to land with a non-contending team like the Pirates. Like the Royals, the Bucs should still be thinking long-term even though they're technically in contention at the moment. But even in a lower-pressure environment I'm not sure Wood will get regular playing time, given how far his stock has fallen.