Quick Hits: Soriano, Cubs, Wieters, Blue Jays
Alfonso Soriano has been on the pages of MLBTR quite a bit over the last year, but if the outfielder has anything to say about it, he'll remain with the Cubs. "I want to stay here and finish my career here and try to win before I retire," Soriano said, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "I signed here to bring a World Series winner to Chicago. It's been a long time since they won a World Series. That's my dream. I hope to stay here, and when they win, I want to be part of that team." Here's more from around baseball..
- Orioles catcher Matt Wieters wasn't too sure that he would reach agreement with the club on a new deal before today's deadline, but he's relieved that they did, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Wieters and the O's came to terms on a one-year, $5.5MM pact to avoid arbitration.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports examined the six worst teams in the American League in 2012 and looked at what steps they've taken to improve in the New Year. The Blue Jays have obviously done a great deal to reverse their fortunes, but Morosi does have some concern about how the stars will mesh with one another.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com broke down the Red Sox's payroll commitments over the next three years to see how much breathing room they presently have.
- The Dodgers are leaning towards moving their television broadcasts over to Time Warner Cable starting in 2014, people familiar with the matter tell Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers' lucrative television potential fueled their record-breaking sale and historic spending in 2012.
Players Avoiding Arbitration: Friday
Dozens of players will agree to terms with their respective teams today and avoid arbitration. We'll have detailed posts on the top earners around MLB, and we'll track more modest agreements — those worth less than $4MM — right here. MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker will have all of the details.
Teams had until 12pm CDT today to exchange filing numbers with their arbitration eligible players. Generally speaking the deadline creates lots of discussion and leads to early deals. Plus, for ‘file and trial’ teams this marks the final chance for negotiations in advance of a hearing. Here are the latest agreements from around MLB…
- The Padres announced that they have avoided arbitration with Edinson Volquez. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
- The Red Sox announced that they avoided arbitration with Andrew Bailey ($4.1MM), Daniel Bard ($1.8625MM), Andrew Miller ($1.475MM), and Franklin Morales ($1.4875MM). Terms courtesy of WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
- The Mets and Bobby Parnell avoided arb with a $1.7MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox avoided arbitration with Alfredo Aceves, agreeing to a deal worth $2.65MM plus incentives, according to O'Connell Sports Management, Aceves' agency (on Twitter via Jon Heyman).
- The Cubs avoided arbitration with James Russell and Jeff Samardzija, Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter). Samardzija obtains $2.64MM while Russell gets $1.075MM, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter).
- The Diamondbacks announced that they avoided arbitration with Chris Johnson ($2.2875MM). The team also avoided arbitration with Brad Ziegler ($3.15MM), agreeing to a one-year deal, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter). Terms courtesy of Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
- The Nationals announced that they agreed to terms with Tyler Clippard, avoiding arbitration (via Amanda Comak on Twitter). The Nationals avoided arbitration with Ian Desmond, agreeing to a one-year, $3.8MM deal, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports (on Twitter). The Nationals also avoided arb with Roger Bernadina according to the outfielder's agent, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). The Nationals and Ross Detwiler agreed to a one-year, $2.3375MM contract, according to CAA (via Twitter).
- Brennan Boesch and Phil Coke avoided arbitration, agreeing to one-year deals with the Tigers, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Boesch will earn $2.3MM while Coke will earn $1.85MM. The Tigers also avoided arbitration with Alex Avila, agreeing to a one-year, $2.95MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (all Twitter links). Austin Jackson agreed to a deal worth $3.5MM for 2013, Heyman reports. Doug Fister obtained a one-year, $4MM deal from Detroit, Heyman reports.
- The Dodgers and A.J. Ellis avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $2MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Ronald Belisario agreed to a one-year, $1.45MM deal, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports (on Twitter).
- The Mariners announced that they avoided arbitration with Kendrys Morales and Brendan Ryan on one-year agreements for 2013. Morales will obtain $5.25MM plus performance bonuses, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Ryan obtained $3.25MM, Heyman reports (on Twitter).
- The Rockies avoided arb with Tyler Colvin, agreeing to a one-year deal, the team announced (on Twitter). Colvin will earn $2.275MM, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes (on Twitter).
- The Braves avoided arbitration with Cristhian Martinez, agreeing to a one-year deal, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports (on Twitter). The Braves avoided arb with Kris Medlen, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (on Twitter). Medlen will earn $2.6MM in 2013. They also avoided arb with Jason Heyward, agreeing to a one-year, $3.65MM deal, Bowman reports (onTwitter). The Braves agreed with another young player, avoiding arb with Jonny Venters, O'Brien reports (on Twitter). It's a $1.625MM deal. Earlier today the Braves agreed to a one-year deal with Eric O'Flaherty, avoiding arbitration, Bowman reported (on Twitter). He'll earn $4.32MM plus awards bonuses, Bowman adds.
- The Athletics announced they avoided arb with Jerry Blevins and Brandon Moss, agreeing to one-year deals for 2013.
- The Cardinals avoided arb with Mitchell Boggs and Edward Mujica, B.J. Rains of FOX Sports MidWest reports (on Twitter).
- The Indians announced that they avoided arb with Matt Albers and Justin Masterson. Albers will earn $1.75MM in 2013, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter). Masterson will earn $5.6875MM according to Bastian (on Twitter). The Indians and Joe Smith avoided arbitration with a one-year, $3.15MM deal, Bastian reported earlier today (on Twitter). The Indians also avoided arbitration with Lou Marson, Bastian reports (Twitter links). The catcher will earn $1MM on a one-year deal in 2013.
- The Astros avoided arb with Wesley Wright, agreeing to a one-year deal, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports (on Twitter). Wright will earn $1.025MM, according to Heyman (on Twitter). Earlier today the Astros and Bud Norris avoided arb with a one-year, $3MM deal, McTaggart reports (on Twitter). The Astros and Jed Lowrie avoided arbitration with a one-year, $2.4MM deal with awards bonuses, according to his representatives at CAA Baseball (on Twitter).
- The White Sox announced that they avoided arbitration with Alejandro De Aza, agreeing to a $2.075MM deal for 2013. The White Sox also avoided arb with Gordon Beckham, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.925MM for 2013, MLBTR has learned.
- The Orioles announced that they avoided arb with Chris Davis and Brian Matusz (Twitter link). Matusz gets a base salary of $1.6MM while Davis gets $3.3MM, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (Twitter links). The Orioles also avoided arbitration with Troy Patton. The sides agreed to a one-year, $815K deal, his agency, CAA Sports, announced on Twitter.
- The Brewers avoided arb with right-hander Marco Estrada and reliever Burke Badenhop, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (Twitter links). Estrada will earn $1.955MM while Badenhop will earn $1.55MM, Haudricourt reports.
- The Rays avoided arbitration with Matthew Joyce and Ryan Roberts, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). Joyce will earn $2.45MM and Roberts will earn $2.95MM plus incentives, the Rays announced. The Rays also avoided arbitration with Sam Fuld, agreeing to a one-year, $725K deal, Topkin reported (on Twitter). Earlier today the Rays avoided arbitration with Jeff Niemann. The sides agreed to a one-year, $3MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- The Royals announced that they avoided arbitration with Luke Hochevar, agreeing to a one-year deal for 2013. Hochevar will earn $4.56MM plus performance bonuses, Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter).
- The Yankees avoided arb with Boone Logan, agreeing to a one-year, $3.15MM deal (via CAA Sports on Twitter).
- The Padres avoided arb with John Baker, agreeing to a $930K deal (via CAA Sports on Twitter).
- The Twins and Brian Duensing avoided arb with a $1.3MM deal for 2013 (via CAA Sports on Twitter).
- The Marlins avoided arbitration with Ryan Webb, agreeing to a $975K deal, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (on Twitter).
- The Blue Jays announced that they avoided arbitration with Emilio Bonifacio by agreeing to a one-year, $2.6MM deal. The Blue Jays also announced that they avoided arbitration with J.A. Happ, agreeing to a one-year, $3.7MM deal for 2013.
- The Angels and Tommy Hanson avoided arbitration with a one-year, $3.725MM deal, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.
- The Giants avoided arb with Gregor Blanco, agreeing to a one-year, $1.35MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- The Phillies announced that they avoided arbitration with Antonio Bastardo with a $1.4MM contract for 2013.
- Gaby Sanchez and the Pirates have reached agreement on a one-year, $1.75MM deal plus bonuses to avoid arbitration, according to the Beverly Hills Sports Council (on Twitter).
Dodgers Sign Peter Moylan
The Dodgers have signed right-hander Peter Moylan to a minor league contract, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports (via Twitter). Moylan, 34, is represented by the Wasserman Media Group.
Moylan was a force out of the bullpen for the Braves from 2007-2010 when he posted a 2.44 ERA, a 7 K/9 rate and a 1.74 K/BB ratio in 259 relief appearances. The Australian has appeared in just 21 games over the last two seasons due to back injuries and rotator cuff surgery, however, and was non-tendered by Atlanta in November.
Dodgers Sign Jesus Flores
The Dodgers signed catcher Jesus Flores to a minor league deal that includes in invitation to Spring Training, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). Praver/Shapiro represents Flores, who was non-tendered by the Nationals earlier in the offseason.
Flores appeared in 83 games for the Nationals this past season. The 28-year-old posted a .213/.248/.329 batting line with six home runs and 12 doubles in 296 plate appearances. Flores, who bats and throws right-handed, prevented 27% of stolen base attempts against him in 2012. He'll provide depth behind A.J. Ellis along with Tim Federowicz.
Quick Hits: Capuano, Stanton, Rays, Arbitration
Here's a look at the stories and news making headlines on Tuesday evening…
- Chris Capuano arguably had the best year of his career in 2012 but finds himself without much job security with Spring Training mere weeks away, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. The Dodgers left-hander can only point to his team's decision to forgo any semblance of a budget and add the best available players at any and every position.
- Two months after the Marlins left themselves with a bare bones roster thanks to a blockbuster deal with the Blue Jays, Miami star Giancarlo Stanton remains upset about the team's future, says Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports.
- Rays Executive VP Andrew Friedman spoke with the media on Tuesday while 30 prospects went through training exercises at Tropicana Field, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Friedman pointed to the designated hitter position as an area of concern, which the team may attempt to address through free agency.
- According to the MLBPA, 133 Major League players filed for arbitration on Tuesday. Players and teams will swap salary proposals on Friday with hopes of reaching an agreement without having to appear in front of an arbitration panel. Keep updated on the latest arbitration-related transactions by utilizing MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker.
National League Notes: Cardinals, Rolen, Dodgers
On this day in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave baseball the go-ahead to play despite World War II. In his famous "Green Light Letter" FDR said‚ "I honestly think it would be best for the country to keep baseball going." He also encouraged more night baseball so that day-shift workers would have the opportunity to attend games.
Here's the latest news and headlines from around the National League…
- The Cardinals' hope for building a successful middle infield in 2013 will be closely tied to the health of shortstop Rafael Furcal, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. The 35-year-old veteran suffered a season-ending elbow injury in August.
- The Reds have yet to hear back from Scott Rolen regarding his plans for the 2013 season, says John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The 37-year-old third baseman posted a .245/.318/.398 batting line in 2012.
- Count the Dodgers as a potential suitor for Rolen's services as the team looks to strengthen the left side of its infield, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Rolen has enjoyed success at Dodgers Stadium over the course of his career as he's batted .338 with a .955 OPS.
Nationals To Sign Rafael Soriano
The Nationals agreed to sign free agent closer Rafael Soriano to a two-year, $28MM contract, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (Twitter links). Soriano will receive $7MM in 2013, $7MM in 2014 and the remaining $14MM in deferred payments from 2018-2025, reports Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal includes a 2015 option valued at $14MM that will vest if Soriano finishes 120 games over the course of the next two seasons. Agent Scott Boras represents Soriano.
Soriano posted a 2.26 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 35.9% ground ball rate for the Yankees this past season. The 33-year-old saved 42 games, reaching the 40-save plateau for the second time in three seasons.
He ranked 17th on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents entering the offseason, and passed on two contracts that were available to him earlier in the winter. He opted out of his existing contract with the Yankees then declined New York’s qualifying offer.
The decision to decline the Yankees’ qualifying offer linked Soriano to draft pick compensation. The Nationals will lose a draft pick for signing Soriano, and the Yankees will obtain a compensatory selection for their loss. The Nationals stand to lose the 29th overall selection, while the Yankees are now poised to gain the 32nd overall selection, Jim Callis of Baseball America notes (on Twitter). Throughout the process Boras insisted he’d find a favorable deal for his client.
Soriano's deal resembles the two-year, $30MM contract Mariano Rivera signed with the Yankees before the 2011 season. Non-relievers such as Ryan Dempster, David Ortiz and Torii Hunter signed two-year deals worth a comparable amount earlier this offseason, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows.
Soriano joins a Nationals bullpen that includes right-handers Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Craig Stammen, Ryan Mattheus and Henry Rodriguez. Washington doesn't boast much established left-handed relief after losing Sean Burnett, Tom Gorzelanny and Mike Gonzalez to free agency.
Boras represents a number of Nationals players, as MLBTR's Agency Database shows. Bryce Harper, Danny Espinosa, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg and Jayson Werth are also clients of the Boras Corporation.
Nationals owner Ted Lerner was "heavily involved" in bringing Soriano to Washington, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Dodgers were also in the mix for Soriano, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports (on Twitter). The Yankees never engaged Soriano after he declined their qualifying offer, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Morosi that Detroit "did not seriously pursue" the reliever either.
Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse, two other Boras clients, are now the lone remaining free agents still linked to draft pick compensation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Upton, Bourn, Hairston, Clemens
The Giants expect to begin discussing a "blockbuster extension" with Buster Posey this spring, but that's not the only news coming out of baseball's Western divisions…
- Grantland's Jonah Keri wonders if the Diamondbacks lost leverage in Justin Upton trade negotiations after their deal with the Mariners fell through. Keri also examines several trades from the past 30 years in which a well-regarded player who had fallen out of favor with the franchise was traded.
- The Rangers are "keeping the lines of communication open" when it comes to free agent Michael Bourn and trade candidate Justin Upton, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. If either's price comes down to the liking of GM Jon Daniels, Texas is prepared to take action.
- Jerry Hairston Jr. is in the final year of a two-year, $6MM contract, and he told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he'll retire if the Dodgers win the World Series this season. Hairston already has one World Series ring, having been a part of the 2009 Yankees and says "you can't get any better" than retiring after a World Series win.
- Roger Clemens sat down with CSN Houston's Steve Bunin to discuss his 2013 role with the Astros and confirmed again that he will not pitch next season. Clemens said he would've had to start training in November to make a serious run at a comeback. Instead, he'll help Houston by mentoring their young arms in Spring Training. For the time being, he's not interested in a full-time role with the organization, however.
- Wendy Thurm of Fangraphs takes a look at a potential Posey extension and notes the risk involved in doling out a massive contract for a player whose career only includes 1255 plate appearances to date.
International Moves: Dodgers, Liberato, Villatoro
We’ll keep track of the day’s international signings here…
- The Dodgers announced the signings of four 17-year-olds from the Dominican Republic (via Twitter): outfielders Deivy Castillo and Ariel Sandoval, shortstop Ravel Hernandez, and right-hander Miguel Urena. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweeted the age and positions of each player.
- The Mariners signed Luis Liberato, a 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Liberato obtains a $140K bonus. The 6'1" teenager has gap power with a solid swing and could stay in center field or move to right, according to Badler.
- The Blue Jays signed 18-year-old right-hander Denis Villatoro to a five-year contract, Saúl Carranza of the Honduran newspaper Diez reported over the weekend (translation via MLBTR's Nick Collias). It's a five-year deal, according to La Tribuna. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun notes that it's worth $20K (Twitter link). Villatoro, who worked out for the Blue Jays before signing, said he's "very happy" to have agreed to terms with Toronto, Carranza reports. His fastball reaches 93 mph, and he also drew interest from the Orioles, Yankees, Mets, Astros, Giants and Pirates.
Dodgers Have Looked Into Rafael Soriano
The Dodgers have already spent big on their bullpen this offseason, adding Brandon League on a three-year, $22.5MM deal and J.P. Howell for one year and $2.85MM. According to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter), that hasn't stopped them from looking into the biggest name left on the relief market: Rafael Soriano.
Olney says there's only about a 20-percent chance the team goes out and signs the former Yankee stopper. That's obviously a long shot, but it's more interest than has been reported by most other clubs to date. The market for Soriano appears to be stalled due to the fact that he rejected a qualifying offer from the Yankees and will therefore require a signing team to forfeit a draft pick.
The Dodgers appear set in the bullpen with League, Howell, Kenley Jansen, Javy Guerra and Matt Guerrier. They've already shown a willingness to spend even when they appear set, however, as they've added Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu despite already having Clayton Kershaw, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang in tow.
Soriano, 33, pitched to a 2.26 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings for the Bombers in 2012. He also racked up 42 saves following injuries to Mariano Rivera and David Robertson. The strong season prompted Soriano to opt out of his three-year contract, reportedly in search of a new four-year deal on the free agent market.
Four years seems to be an unlikely outcome at this point, though Soriano only needs to sign for more than $14MM to obtain more than the salary he opted out of. Agent Scott Boras recently discussed Soriano's situation with ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.