2010 Options: Los Angeles Angels
The Angels do not have any 2010 options. Instead, they're faced with a slew of key free agent situations after the 2009 season:
- Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero played in eight games this year before hitting the DL for a torn pectoral muscle in his chest. He could return in late May. Vlad will be 35 when he begins his next contract. It's hard to envision more than two years, and even matching his '09 salary of $15MM would be questionable. Guerrero has had an incredible Angels career, but this might become a tricky situation.
- John Lackey. Lackey is also a tough one. He wanted A.J. Burnett money, but he'll make his season debut in mid to late May due to a forearm strain. If he finishes strong he'll still do well, but will it be with the Angels?
- Chone Figgins. Ken Rosenthal wrote about Figgins' future on April 29th.
- Bobby Abreu. Abreu is on a one-year deal with a $5MM base salary. He's hitting .363/.427/.418 in 103 plate appearances, with zero home runs and 11 steals. It's odd, but it works. Will Abreu be open to a similar one-year deal again?
- Kelvim Escobar. Escobar is looking at a possible June return from shoulder surgery. Maybe he has a few more 190 inning seasons left in his arm, or maybe he should market himself as a closer. Like Lackey, Escobar's second half will determine his price tag.
Odds & Ends: Nationals, Teixeira, Ligtenberg
Links for Friday…
- RotoAuthority looks at the April offensive stat leaders.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America discussed Jim Bowden's Stephen Strasburg comments. Bowden says the Nationals' decision to draft Strasburg has been made, and predicts they'll sign him for around $15MM minutes before the deadline.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. talked to Nats interim GM Mike Rizzo about their revamped Latin American plan.
- Mark Teixeira talked to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times about his decision to sign with the Yankees.
- Brian Stensaas of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes about Kerry Ligtenberg, who is attempting a comeback with the St. Paul Saints.
- SI.com's Tom Verducci spoke with one GM who points to struggling older teams and says "it's better to be young these days."
- Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers are being patient with pitchers Ryan Perry and Rick Porcello.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock doesn't expect GM Kevin Towers to sit back and watch if the Padres continues to struggle.
- Here's Baseball America's list of the hottest prospects in the minors right now.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law scouts a pair of college players who could turn up on BA's list next year: Tim Wheeler and Drew Storen.
- Twins reliever Juan Morillo cleared waivers, so he'll head to Triple A according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Rosenthal On Figgins’ Future
Ken Rosenthal has a new column up, discussing the future of Angels third baseman Chone Figgins. The versatile leadoff man is eligible for free agency after the season (perhaps a Type B). Rosenthal says the Halos, who have bigger issues in the free agency of John Lackey and Vladimir Guerrero, "will balk at retaining Figgins for $10 million a season." Will Figgins find a Brian Roberts-like four-year, $40MM deal elsewhere?
Here's what Figgins had to say regarding free agency:
"I'm excited. I've talked to (Garret) Anderson about it before. I've talked to (Juan) Pierre. I've talked to Orlando Cabrera. They say, 'You've worked hard to get to this point. Leave it out on the field like you always do and see what happens.' It's an honor to get to that point. That means you've done well in the big leagues."
Angels May Look to Independent Leagues for Pitching Help
According to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times, Angels manager Mike Scioscia says he might look to independent leagues for pitching help.
"There are some good pitchers that don't have jobs that have major league experience," Scioscia said of independent league pitchers.
According to Baxter, "the team appears unlikely to make a trade and management doesn't believe the big-name free agents still on the market – namely Pedro Martinez and Paul Byrd – can get up to game speed fast enough to help them."
Baxter notes that Jose Lima and Brendan Donnelly are among the players who have resurrected their careers after pitching in the independent Atlantic League. He mentions Ryan Drese as a player who "might be worth a look" by the Angels.
Angels DFA Daniel Davidson
According to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times, the Angels have designated left-hander Daniel Davidson for assignment. The 28-year-old reliever had allowed one earned run and three walks in 1 1/3 innings this season. He projects as nothing more than a mediocre middle reliever, but it wouldn't be surprising to see another club claim him.
Byrd Would Pitch For Angels
Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports that Paul Byrd is interested in pitching for the Angels. Byrd's agent spoke with the Angels recently and heard that they're going to find pitching within their organization until John Lackey and Ervin Santana return. Earlier in the week GM Tony Reagins acknowledged contacting the agents for Byrd, Mark Mulder and Pedro Martinez.
Pedro Martinez May Sign Soon
6:47pm: Just to clarify, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says the team maintains mild interest in Pedro.
1:41pm: For what it's worth, Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post would like to see the Nationals ink Pedro. He believes the organization has more than enough money, citing the recent Forbes findings, to match the right-hander's high salary demands.
FRIDAY, 8:53am: MLB.com's Bill Ladson has a source saying the Nationals haven't had interest in Pedro since Spring Training. The door remains just a crack open in the event that Martinez becomes amenable to an inexpensive contract. Otherwise, Ladson's Nationals source says, "We are satisfied with our rotation even though there is going to be some bumps along the way. We wouldn't want to make any changes there."
Meanwhile, here's Dodgers GM Ned Colletti talking about Pedro.
THURSDAY: According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Pedro Martinezcould decide on his next team within two weeks. He's set to begin throwing off a mound tomorrow. Rosenthal says Pedro is open to both contending and rebuilding teams, but continues to demand a $5MM salary. ESPN's Jayson Stark suggested today that Martinez's exorbitant asking price may be a way of delaying his return.
A rundown of possible suitors, from Rosenthal:
- Angels GM Tony Reagins recently admitted to contacting Pedro's agent, but Rosenthal says "the two sides have not spoken in more than two weeks."
- Rosenthal learned from Nationals acting GM Mike Rizzo that the team has mild interest in Pedro and scouted him in March. Martinez's asking price is the issue.
- The Rangers have some interest.
- Rosenthal's Yankees source denies interest in Pedro, despite the pitcher telling friends the opposite. There is a Dominican newspaper report floating about suggesting a Pedro-Yankees union, but we'll trust Rosenthal's source.
- The Indians don't have the money, the Dodgers don't like the price, and the Mets aren't interested.
- Rosenthal does not mention the Orioles, Cardinals, or Pirates, teams that have been linked to Pedro in the past.
Stark’s Latest: Halladay, Vlad, Magglio
Jayson Stark's most recent column over at ESPN.com is absolutely chock-full of rumors and information…
- Marlins president David Samson doesn't anticipate the Marlins ever implementing a fire sale again. "We've put ourselves in a position, with salaries and the performance we're getting from players at a young age, that we don't have to do that anymore," said Samson. The new stadium should help with attendance, which should in turn help with payroll.
- Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi doesn't see his club trading Roy Halladay this season. "I still don't see us doing it," said Ricciardi. "I know ownership doesn't want to do it. And I don't think, in my gut, that Doc really wants to be anywhere else."
- Some MLB officials believe Vladimir Guerrero's recent pectoral injury could severely affect his free agent value this offseason. "He could be a $1 million player in a year, with $4 million in incentives," said an unnamed official of one team. "He's a tough guy to commit to."
- Pedro Martinez continues to demand a $5 million paycheck. It's doubtful any team, no matter how desperate, would commit to that price.
- Some folks in the baseball world think Magglio Ordonez might be made available near the trade deadline. Magglio has vesting options for 2010 and 2011, however, which could complicate a potential deal.
- Teams are also tracking a few other Tigers players, including Carlos Guillen and Placido Polanco.
Dodgers Interested In Mark Mulder
Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times has more information on free agent starter Mark Mulder, after talking to his agent Gregg Clifton:
Mulder is working out and, according to Clifton, could sign in one week and throw 100 pitches in a major league game in another two weeks. The Dodgers, with one starter on the disabled list, are among the "six to eight" teams interested, Clifton said. And how much contact has Clifton had with the Angels about Mulder? "Literally none," Clifton said.
Classic agent-speak – he is somehow not sure whether six, seven, or eight teams are interested in his client. But so much for the report yesterday that Angels GM Tony Reagins contacted Clifton regarding Mulder. Shaikin says Reagins is doing fact-finding on free agent pitchers, with the search even extending to the independent leagues.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote Sunday that in addition to the Dodgers, the A's and Nationals are extremely interested in Mulder.
More From Torii Hunter
On Sunday, Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press had this to say about Torii Hunter:
The longtime Twin grows so sentimental about his former home whenever he’s in Minneapolis, he told Jim Rantz, the franchise’s director of minor leagues, that he would like to finish his career with the Twins. But not until his five-year, $90 million contract with the Angels runs out, of course. "He said, 'I'll come off the bench and pinch-hit,’'" manager Ron Gardenhire said of the 33-year-old center fielder. "He said, 'Save me a spot.’'"
Gardenhire added that "we'll probably work something out" if Hunter is looking for a job after the 2012 season.
Hunter was questioned about his comments by Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Here's what he had to say:
"They asked me, and I said, 'Why not?' That was the place I grew up with, so why not consider that? But at the same time, I'm home. I'm having fun here. That's a long way away. I don't know where my career will take me."