Masahiro Tanaka Rumors: Thursday
With the courting of Japanese starter Masahiro Tanaka now firmly underway, here is the latest on the top remaining free agent (in the estimation of MLBTR's Tim Dierkes):
- Tanaka is in Los Angeles not only to meet with clubs, but to undergo a physical, reports Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. Tanaka will have his physical on Thursday and release the results to interested clubs. With a sizeable workload already under Tanaka's belt at age 25, says Dilbeck, agent Casey Close may be looking to get out in front of any health concerns.
- After Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said yesterday that discussions were in the "feeling-out" stage, president Stan Kasten further discussed the team's interest in Tanaka today in an interview with Mark Willard and Ben Lyons of ESPNLA 710, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. "You can be assured we'll investigate everything and, if there's a way that it made sense, I'm sure we would consider it," said Kasten. "But I wouldn't predict it, I wouldn't hang our hat on it, because I think the team we have right now in place is ready to go to spring training, ready to start the season and ready to compete and win."
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers also discussed Tanaka from his club's perspective, indicating to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he anticipates a chance to meet with Tanaka and his camp. "They've been good through the process," Towers said in reference to Tanaka and Close. "I'm sure they've dealt with us the same way they've dealt with other clubs." Towers also addressed the issue of whether Arizona could compete with other teams that may have greater financial flexibility. "We don't know if it's about dollars or location or the chance to be competitive," said Towers. "Nobody has really met with him so I don't think any of us have any idea. … If they come out and say it's going to be the club that spends the most money on him, then we're probably not the front-runner. But everything right now is pure speculation by the media." The D-Backs' top baseball man declined to disclose his sales pitch, but did say that his organization has "spent a great deal of time putting together what our plan of attack is and what our selling points are."
- The White Sox have issued a statement confirming that club representatives met with Tanaka and his camp today, Scott Merkin of MLB.com was among those to report (through a series of Twitter links). GM Rick Hahn was joined by executive VP Ken Williams and manager Robin Ventura for a meeting that was, in Hahn's words, "exploratory in nature."
- Meanwhile, the Red Sox have been in touch with Close, GM Ben Cherington told WEEI.com in a radio interview today. As WEEI.com's Alex Speier tweets, Cherington said that "we'll see how it plays out" as to whether the club ultimately meets with Tanaka and company.
- The details of the negotation process could have a major role in where Tanaka ultimately ends up, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explores in a series of tweets. For instance, the Diamondbacks have a scout who played with Tanaka in Japan, while Angels executive Hal Morris played ball with Close in college. While such advantages may be minor, Rosenthal says that clubs are looking for any edge.
- The precise structure of the deal could also be highly variable, says Rosenthal, and may well include creative contract terms. Rosenthal cites Close's utilization of an opt-out clause in the Zack Greinke deal, and proposal to include a similar clause in a Clayton Kershaw extension. An opt-out clause or even a massive AAV over a shorter term would not be surprising, according to Rosenthal.
Earlier Updates
- Tanaka arrived in the United States to begin meeting with Major League clubs, tweets David Waldstein of the New York Times. Tanaka was originally planning on flying into Chicago, but an NL official tells Waldstein that weather caused him to fly into Los Angeles instead.
- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Tanaka's camp could meet with as many as a dozen by Friday. According to Heyman, the Dodgers, Cubs, and Yankees (in addition to the above-noted Angels, White Sox, and Diamondbacks) all have meetings set. The Blue Jays have also had multiple conversations with Tanaka's camp already, he adds, but it's unclear if they have a face-to-face meeting set in Los Angeles. Heyman reports that Tanaka began meetings yesterday and could meet with five to six teams per day.
- We also learned additional details on the payment schedule for the posting fee that will be owed by whatever team ultimately lands Tanaka.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Colletti On Tanaka, Guerrero, Kershaw, Hanley
Earlier today, Dodgers general manager spoke with the Los Angeles media. In addition to confirming manager Don Mattingly's three-year extension, Colletti offered some insight into a number of Dodgers issues…
- Colletti confirmed to reporters that the Dodgers have spoken with Masahiro Tanaka's agent, Casey Close recently, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. For the time being, Tanaka is in the "feeling out process," Colletti added (Hernandez tweeting).
- Offseason pickup Alexander Guerrero is the favorite to start at second base while Dee Gordon and Miguel Rojas should also be in the mix, according to Colletti (via Hernandez). It's not a huge surprise to hear that Guerrero is the frontrunner for the job after inking a four-year, $28MM deal that can reach $32MM with incentives. However, the Dodgers still would like to add another utility infielder, Colletti added (via MLB.com's Ken Gurnick on Twitter).
- Colletti indicated that he's had "a lot of conversations" with Clayton Kershaw on a new contract (Hernandez reporting). He's also checked in with Hanley Ramirez's reps on a new deal (also via Hernandez).
- Colletti also provided a number of health updates on his injured players. Josh Beckett is expected to be ready by the time Spring Training begins (Hernandez reporting), while Chad Billingsley and Scott Elbert are targeting respective June and July returns to the Majors (via Gurnick). Gurnick also relays that Matt Kemp has begun hitting and is expected to play during Spring Training.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Dodgers Extend Don Mattingly
WEDNESDAY: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has officially announced Mattingly's extension to reporters, including Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
TUESDAY: The Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly have agreed to an extension that will keep him in the Dodgers' dugout for the next three seasons, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne. An official announcement is expected later this week. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) reported yesterday that the two sides were closing in on a deal.
Mattingly was already under contract through the 2014 season thanks to a $1.4MM option that vested when his Dodgers defeated the Braves in the NLDS. However, Mattingly made his desire for a multiyear contract known shortly after the season in a surprisingly candid press conference. Mattingly has led the Dodgers to three straight winning seasons, including an NL West Division Championship and an NLCS berth in 2013.
His job was called into question earlier in the season when the Dodgers were struggling despite the team's gaudy payroll, but Mattingly – thanks to some improved health and the emergence of Yasiel Puig – silenced critics by helping the Dodgers to a 42-8 run that vaulted them to the top of the NL West. Shelburne reported back in November that the two sides were discussing a multi-year deal and it sounds like they've finally hammered it all out.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Dodgers, Mattingly Closing In On Extension
The Dodgers are making progress on an extension with manager Don Mattingly, and a deal is expected to be completed soon, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Mattingly is under contract through the 2014 season thanks to a $1.4MM option that vested when his Dodgers defeated the Braves in the NLDS. However, Mattingly made his desire for a multiyear contract known shortly after the season in a surprisingly candid press conference.
Mattingly has led the Dodgers to three straight winning seasons, including an NL West Division Championship and an NLCS berth in 2013. His job was called into question earlier in the season when the Dodgers were struggling despite the team's gaudy payroll, but Mattingly silenced critics by helping the Dodgers to a dominant 42-8 run that placed them firmly atop the division. The deal has been in the works for some time now, as ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne reported back in November that the two sides were discussing a multiyear deal.
Cafardo On Red Sox, Denorfia, Cruz, Kemp
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that there were two disasters in the city of Toronto last year: mayor Rob Ford and the Blue Jays. Despite the high expectations, the Blue Jays fell flat and they'll have to rally back this season to re-energize their fan base. The Blue Jays are at a disadvantage, Cafardo writes, because players aren't always open to playing north of the border and tend not to realize how great it is until they're there. More from this week's column..
- The Brewers need a first baseman and Mike Carp of the Red Sox appears to be a good fit. Whether Boston would deal him remains to be seen, however, as they enjoyed his off-the-bench contributions last season. Carp has shown that he can play every day but he won’t get that opportunity with the Red Sox unless there’s an injury to Mike Napoli.
- While the Red Sox don’t believe they can carry another outfielder, they have expressed some interest in the Padres' Chris Denorfia, a righthanded bat with a little power who can play center field. The Red Sox might be able to swing a move like this, Cafardo writes, if they deal Carp or Daniel Nava somewhere.
- A few general managers think that a one-year pillow contract would make sense for free agent outfielder Nelson Cruz. It seems that he needs to reestablish his value and if he'd do a one-year pact, it could open more opportunities for him with clubs like the Mariners, Mets, Blue Jays, Orioles, and others. The 33-year-old remains one of the best power hitters out there, but teams are wary about PED guys after they’re off the stuff.
- Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp could still be trade bait as he starts to show what he can do in spring training. Said one scout familiar with Kemp, “I think he’s going to be a guy who will be OK this year, but you’ll get the best of Kemp the following year as he’s recovered completely from the ankle.”
- The Reds have been very quiet this offseason, but Homer Bailey’s name has come up quite often as possible trade bait. In fact, they could possibly bring back Bronson Arroyo if they can deal Bailey.
NL West Notes: D’Backs, Tanaka, Hanley, Giants
The Diamondbacks consider Masahiro Tanaka to be their "No. 1 target" and are serious suitors for the Japanese ace, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. Had Arizona not acquired Mark Trumbo, the Snakes were open to spending the $140MM that agent Scott Boras said it would've taken to sign Shin-Soo Choo, and Rosenthal notes that D'Backs management could instead invest that money (the $20MM posting fee and a $120MM contract) towards landing Tanaka. The D'Backs could have an extra source for information on Tanaka in the form of scout Rick Short, who played with Tanaka from 2007-09 on the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
You can click here for some Tanaka news from earlier today, and here are some more items from around the NL West…
- Also from Rosenthal's piece, Arizona could be more motivated to sign an ace like Tanaka in free agency since they found the Cubs' and Rays' respective asking prices for Jeff Samardzija and David Price to be too high, Rosenthal notes, not to mention the fact that Price will become more expensive in his final two arbitration-eligible seasons. The D'Backs rate Tanaka higher than other free agent arms like Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez or Ervin Santana.
- Hanley Ramirez and the Dodgers have reportedly been discussing an extension this offseason and ESPN Los Angeles' Mark Saxon looks at some of the factors involved in giving Ramirez a major new deal.
- In a Giants-related mailbag, MLB.com's Chris Haft argues that the Giants should've given Brett Pill more time to prove himself rather than give those at-bats to Jeff Francoeur last summer. Pill's rights were recently sold to the KIA Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization and his deal with the club was just finalized today. As Haft writes, "the sense here is that the Giants jettisoned Pill without fully discovering what they had in him."
- Buster Posey is just one season into his multiyear extension with the Giants and he's still owed $157MM over the next eight seasons. While it's far too early to place a verdict on this contract, Grant Brisbee of the McCovey Chronicles argues that the Giants may have saved money by locking Posey up last March as opposed to this offseason, as San Francisco might've had to offer their star catcher a nine- or even a ten-year deal in the $200MM threshold.
Dennis Gilbert Reflects On His Career As Top Agent
Scott Boras may have the most impressive client list of any agent in baseball today, but it wasn’t long ago that he shared that title with Dennis Gilbert. From the early 80s until his retirement in 1999, Gilbert was in charge of negotiations for some of the biggest names in the game, from George Brett to Jose Canseco to Barry Bonds. He built a reputation for getting top dollar for his players and churned out record-smashing deals for his top clients. Ultimately, however, Gilbert sold his powerful Beverly Hills Sports Council at a young age, then got back into the game a couple years later as a special assistant to White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
Throughout his career, there’s been one constant for Gilbert: the life insurance business. When a friend of his who worked as a baseball agent passed away unexpectedly, Gilbert took over for some of his clients and quickly built his business from there. Still, he never left the insurance industry and juggled both by surrounding himself with the right people in both worlds. It was an impressive feat, given the amount of attention and hours that being a baseball agent requires.
In 1993, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated wrote a tremendous piece comparing Boras and Gilbert when they were both at the top of the business. The consensus from around the game was that the two men achieved their success quite differently. “One guy’s a salesman, and the other’s a warrior,” Reinsdorf told Verducci. “Dennis is smooth. While he’s taking your money, he makes you very happy.”
It may be a cliche, but Gilbert is one of a kind. He still greets people with warmth and a few card tricks, and he tends to make lasting impressions. There was no one in his field in the 1980s or ’90s who had a comparable demeanor, and there’s no one now either, nearly 15 years after he transitioned out of the business.
“I don’t have a ton of interaction with agents on a daily basis, but I don’t think any of them do. My approach was unique and I built some strong relationships during that time,” Gilbert tells MLBTR.
Gilbert had a strong rapport with executives around the league, but he had more than one client who rubbed folks the wrong way. Canseco was viewed as a brash and arrogant; Bonds’ rep was as a standoffish individual who didn’t care for the media. Of course, the stain of steroids didn’t help either player’s image. To hear Gilbert tell it, most people didn’t have a full idea of what either man was about and chose only to zero in on the more odious aspects of their personalities.
“The part of Jose that I know about was when he had money he gave his money to his father, mother, sister, brother and a lot of friends around him and he just took care of a lot of people. He had a very big heart and I think that’s a part that people never saw,” Gilbert says. “Barry did a lot of things under the radar also. Going to children’s hospitals, signing dozens of bats every year and handing them out and doing a lot of things that people weren’t cognizant of. They both had soft sides to them.”
Gilbert’s relationships with certain people in baseball continued even after he sold off the BHSC. He was Mike Piazza’s agent during much of his Dodgers prime, and even though Gilbert was no longer representing the catcher towards the end of his stay there, he was “in the room” around the time when Piazza was traded to the Marlins. Once again, in Gilbert’s mind, public perception didn’t quite match reality. As most Dodgers fans understand it, the new FOX ownership group was reluctant to pay the All-Star catcher fair market value on his next contract, necessitating the trade to Florida. On the contrary, Gilbert says that Rupert Murdoch’s baseball arm did everything it could to make things work.
Today, he’s on call for “anything that Jerry Reinsdorf needs” in his role with the White Sox and says that he’s optimistic that the club will have a quick turnaround after a down 2013. He’s considered team ownership, with exploratory talks to purchase the Rangers and, most recently, the Dodgers. One might think that he’s wistful for his days as one of the very top agents in the game, but that’s not exactly the case. Gilbert says that he enjoyed negotiating the contracts and “the baseball part” but isn’t wild about some of the outside stuff the job also calls for. His future could take him in a number of directions, but it’s safe to say that he won’t be sitting opposite of Reinsdorf at the negotiating table again.
Olney On Selig, MLBPA, Key Contract Situations
In Buster Olney's New Year's Day column (Insider link), the ESPN senior writer covered his ten top MLB storylines for the coming year. While I recommend a full read of the piece, here are a few of Olney's notes that are of particular interest from a transactional perspective:
- Both MLB and the MLBPA face leadership questions owing to the announced retirement of commissioner Bud Selig and the untimely death of union chief Michael Weiner. Olney says that he has heard three possible scenarios regarding the commissioner's chair: first, that Selig could be enticed to stay on; second, that COO Rob Manfred will be the hand-picked successor; and third, that a new leader has yet to be chosen (and could be the subject of disagreement due to increasing unrest from middle- and small-market clubs). On the union side, Olney says that much remains unknown about how the leadership transition to Tony Clark will impact the organization's power structure and approach.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman is only under contract through the 2014 season, and Olney hints that his fate could be tied to the club's transition as it faces a "crossroad season" with aging star Derek Jeter. Across the country, a veritable "cold war" between the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly will also be worth close attention, says Olney.
- Meanwhile, several front offices are dealing with financial pressures and high expectations that could result in major changes if things don't break right. Olney lists the Phillies, Royals, Diamondbacks, Orioles, and Blue Jays as clubs that are facing high-stakes seasons.
- Several key contract situations are reaching points of decision around the game. Clayton Kershaw and Hanley Ramirez of the Dodgers have been the subject of extension rumors. The Rays still have to decide how to proceed with ace David Price. And extension speculation is set to ramp up for the Tigers, who have cleared future payroll space but will soon need to chart a path on two of their best players in Max Scherzer and Miguel Cabrera. Finally, says Olney, Braves closer Craig Kimbrel is set to reach new heights in arbitration salary — indeed, his unique statline has already busted MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz's arbitration model — that could force Atlanta to consider a trade.
NL West Notes: Butler, Rockies, Dodgers, Wright
The NL West makes a strong showing on Jim Bowden's list of the offseason's seven most underrated transactions (ESPN Insider account required). The Giants and Dodgers combine for three of the seven moves, while the Diamondbacks find themselves on possibly the wrong end of one of the deals — Bowden believes the White Sox got the best end of the three-team Sox/D'Backs/Angels trade since Adam Eaton fills a big need in Chicago and Bowden doesn't rate Hector Santiago too highly.
Here are some more items from around the NL West…
- The Rockies didn't push harder for more fifth starter depth since they didn't want to block right-handed pitching prospect Eddie Butler, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Sulia link). Butler, the 46th overall pick of the 2012 draft, pitched very well last season, including an 0.65 ERA in 27 2/3 Double-A innings. If he continues to progress next year, the Rockies could call Butler up by late May or early June. Juan Nicasio and Jordan Lyles are currently slated to battle for the fifth spot in the Colorado rotation behind Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, Tyler Chatwood and Brett Anderson, though Anderson's health history will create a need for depth.
- The Rockies added Raul Fernandez to the 40-man roster rather than risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft, as Colorado has been cautious about losing even low A-ball prospects to the Rule 5 draft since the Padres took Everth Cabrera from their roster in 2008. Baseball America's Jack Etkin profiles Fernandez, who owns a 96-mph fastball and projects as a back-end reliever.
- Jamey Wright signed his first Major League contract since 2005 when he agreed to a one-year, $1.8MM deal with the Dodgers last week. Fangraphs' Mike Petriello looks at how Wright has revived his career by adding a cutter to his arsenal, which led to more strikeouts and more success against right-handed batters.
- Right-hander Javy Guerra has become little more than a minor league depth option for the Dodgers, and Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times opines that Guerra could become trade bait. Guerra (who is out of options) emerged as the Dodgers' closer in 2011 but hasn't been nearly as effective since, pitching in just 10 2/3 Major League innings in 2013.
Cafardo On Tanaka, Jimenez, Cruz, Lackey, Ichiro
In this week's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the Orioles owe it to their fans to take a shot at a championship by bolstering the roster. The O's moved Jim Johnson to save on his expected $10MM salary for 2014 but the nixing of Grant Balfour's deal leaves them without a proven closer. The Orioles, with a few fixes, could be exciting and fun to watch, but they need more if they want to win it all. More from this week's column..
- Cafardo cautions not to sleep on the Red Sox in the Masahiro Tanaka hunt and one AL scout says it’s the perfect time for the Red Sox to strike. “They have veteran pitchers in the final year or two years remaining on their deals,” he said. “They’ll be clearing out a lot of payroll soon. I know they feel they have good young pitching on the horizon, but Tanaka should be a very good No. 2 or No. 3 starter on any staff. I would think with their emphasis on pitching, they would get into it.” The Yankees, Cubs, Rangers, and Dodgers figure to be the most aggressive and the Angels, Phillies, Royals, and Blue Jays are expected to get into it.
- Will the Red Sox's experience with Daisuke Matsuzaka scare them off of Tanaka? “I don’t think that can enter their thinking. I’m sure they would have gone after Yu Darvish in retrospect,” said one National League GM.
- Cafardo recently spoke with a few GMs who feel the Yankees may wind up with Ubaldo Jimenez, even if they land Tanaka. “He had an excellent second half, has great stuff, and he has the type of personality that would fit New York,” one GM said. “He doesn’t let things get to him. He’s good at shrugging off things and turning the page.” If the Yankees ink both pitchers, it's pretty difficult to see them staying under the $189MM mark.
- Nelson Cruz is the best available free agent among position players, but his demand of four years at $75MM has turned off teams. While other PED guys such as Jhonny Peralta have cashed in, teams are worried that Cruz, who more relies on his power is of greater concern for teams who worry that being off the stuff could hurt his power numbers.
- John Lackey’s name has come up consistently this winter, but the Red Sox aren’t motivated to deal him. That could change, but the club is enthused about his $500K option for 2015.
- It'll be interesting to see if the Yankees can move Ichiro Suzuki given their crowded outfield. The Giants remain a possibility, Cafardo writes.
- The Dodgers could still trade from their outfield surplus. When it comes to Matt Kemp, of course, teams want to see how he rebounds from shoulder and ankle surgeries.
- With Brian McCann aboard and Francisco Cervelli as backup, Yankees catcher Austin Romine is very much available.
- Johan Santana is getting closer to making a decision on a minor league deal with a team. There’s been some speculation about the Twins since Santana still resides in Fort Myers, Fla., where the Twins have spring training. A small-market team such as the Astros could also have some interest.