NL West Notes: Padres, Kershaw, Iannetta
On this date 15 years ago, Barry Bonds stole his 40th base of the season to become the second member of the 40-40 club. Matt Kemp is now two homers away from joining the elite club himself. Here's the latest from Bonds' former division, starting with an update on Kemp's current club…
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer told Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune that the 2011 season was an instructive one for him. "I missed on some guys we signed after they had off years and that helped lead to a disappointing 2011,” he said. Hoyer's also looking to improve his bench dramatically this offseason, when the Padres' payroll could climb over $50MM.
- Clayton Kershaw told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he has started to think about next year's contract. The Dodgers left-hander, who earned $500K this year says he's looking forward to the arbitration process and isn't overly concerned about obtaining a long-term deal. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained earlier today that Kershaw could earn a record $7.7MM as a first-time arbitration eligible starter if he wins the Cy Young Award.
- The MLB Players Association intends to monitor the Dodgers' offseason spending very carefully, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner sent team's players a memo explaining that all Dodgers have been paid what they're owed so far. The memo acknowledged that it's not clear how the financial issues surrounding Frank McCourt and his team will ultimately be resolved.
- Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports says Chris Iannetta will open the 2012 season with the Rockies (Twitter link). The catcher is no stranger to these pages, but his .370 on-base percentage and powerful right-handed swing give the Rockies lots of reasons to want him around, despite the presence of Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario.
Colletti: Dodgers Can Afford Long-Term Deals For Key Players
T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times talked to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti; here's the latest:
- Simers writes that "Frank McCourt has told Colletti that he will have the money needed to sign Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier to long-term contracts this off-season as well as the money required to compete in the free-agent market." Simers suggests one way to pull this off would be to engineer lower 2012 salaries for the players, but that'd happen naturally since all three are arbitration eligible. If they go through the arbitration process, Matt Swartz's work for MLBTR suggests salaries of $15.1MM for Kemp, $7.7MM for Kershaw if he wins the Cy Young, and $11.8MM for Ethier.
- Colletti told Simers James Loney has eased his concerns, but the team needs another bat. Strong work in the season's final two months has pushed Loney to a .287/.339/.412 line, which could lead to the Dodgers tendering him a contract. Earlier this month, Colletti talked about improving the Dodgers' offense in the "most dramatic way."
- Colletti hopes to add a veteran reliever, but not a closer. He expects to go with a combination of Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra for the ninth inning next year. For all the latest on closing situations, be sure to check out CloserNews.com.
West Notes: Dodgers, Mariners, Padres
Clayton Kershaw will win the triple crown for NL pitchers and Matt Kemp homered and drove in three tonight in his quest for the batting triple crown. Here are some updates on MLB's West Coast teams…
- Dodgers owner Frank McCourt could look to attack the credibility of commissioner Bud Selig by claiming that the Marlins and owner Jeffrey Loria have had preferred treatment from MLB, according Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times shows that the Mariners' owners, many of whom are based out of Japan, are rarely heard from. Team president Chuck Armstrong is accountable for baseball moves, while financial decisions generally occur out of sight.
- The Mariners may have money to play with this offseason, according to Baker. Depending on the timetable and direction of their rebuilding program, they could spend to varying degrees this winter, so Baker runs through some possibilities.
- The Padres announced that they extended the contracts of Chris Gwynn, their director of player personnel, and Jaron Madison, their scouting director, through 2013.
West Notes: Kuroda, Lopez, Sanchez, Harden, Angels
Here are some notes from both divisions out west…
- Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda shrugged off speculation from the Japanese media that he'll return to Japan to pitch a farewell season with Hiroshima in 2012, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Kuroda put the odds of him pitching in MLB or going home next season at 50-50.
- Expect lots of teams to talk with the agent of Giants reliever Javier Lopez, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The 34-year-old has postseason experience and teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Brewers, and Cardinals have been after a good matchup lefty this year.
- Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez expect to be ready for opening day but manager Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean already have discussed the importance of covering themselves with other options at the position, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News.
- Rich Harden would like to return to the Athletics and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says that’s something that could happen. The injury-prone veteran would likely sign for an inexpensive one-year deal.
- With his strong work down the stretch, Jerome Williams has become the leading in-house candidate to assume one of the spots behind Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana in the Angels' 2012 rotation, writes Lyle Spencer of MLB.com.
Quick Hits: Capuano, Nunez, Ramirez, Jackson
Some links on this Saturday evening…
- Mets lefty Chris Capuano told Ron Chimelis of The Springfield Republican that he didn't hear anything about a potential trade to the Red Sox until after the deal was dead. "I didn't hear about it until after my start Thursday in St.Louis," said the lefty. "That's when I spoke briefly with (Mets GM) Sandy Alderson, who said there was just some talk that didn't pan out.''
- MLB.com's Peter Gammons reports (on Twitter) that two teams trying to trade for Marlins closer Leo Nunez at the deadline were told no. "Now I know why," said the GM of one of those teams, referring to Nunez's identity scandal. "I admire Larry Beinfest for doing what he did."
- Meanwhile, Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald reports that Nunez came clean about his identity because it was his dying father's last request.
- Third baseman Aramis Ramirez told ESPN 1000 Chicago that he wants to sign with a contender this winter. On Tuesday, the veteran said that he's probably played his last game with the Cubs.
- Cardinals right-hander Edwin Jackson would like to return to the team next season, writes Steve Overbey for MLB.com. However, there might not be a spot for him in the rotation next season if Adam Wainwright returns healthy.
- Darryl Strawberry regrets leaving the Mets for the Dodgers prior to the '91 season and says that impending free agent Jose Reyes should stay in New York, writes Peter Botte of the New York Daily News.
- As ESPN.com's Buster Olney touched on earlier today, the acquisitions of Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke helped propel the Brewers to the division crown. Outfielder Ryan Braun was quick to say that it was pitching that put the club in this position, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- Questioning the logic of the Diamondbacks' Dan Haren deal from July 2010 seems unfair, writes Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Piecoro also writes that the club's increased scouting for the 2009 draft proved to be beneficial at the 2010 deadline.
Olney’s Latest: Brewers, Darvish, Ethier
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about the plan Brewers GM Doug Melvin presented owner Mark Attanasio last fall. Melvin had found that trading Prince Fielder would not yield the kind of high-end pitching he sought, so he suggested that the club hold onto their star first baseman before he became a free agent and go all-in this year. Attanasio agreed with the strategy, and soon after came the Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke trades. One year later, Milwaukee has won the NL Central.
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- The Blue Jays are viewed as front-runners for Yu Darvish by some within the industry. A few days ago we heard that Darvish was still undecided about coming to MLB.
- Those close to Andre Ethier believe there's no chance he'd re-sign with the Dodgers after the 2012 season. If true, Olney says it would make sense for the team to try to trade him offseason. You can make a case they'd be selling low though, Either had a down season by his standards (.292/.368/.421 with 11 homers) and finished the year on the disabled list due to knee surgery.
NL West Notes: Dodgers, Haren, Posey, Rockies
Notes from the NL West as the D'Backs could clinch an improbable division title tonight….
- Major League Baseball has asked a federal bankruptcy judge to order that the Dodgers be sold, reports Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. The filing even threatened that the Dodgers could be suspended from the league in order to keep Frank McCourt from being able to keep the team via a new television contract.
- The Giants will use Buster Posey as a catcher next season, though manager Bruce Bochy said a position change might come "down the road," reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Kevin Millwood will be looking for a Major League contract this winter, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Millwood and the Rockies have a mutual interest in each other, but as noted earlier this month, the Rockies would prefer to bring the veteran starter back on a minor league deal.
- From that same item, Renck says J.C. Romero's first choice would be to re-sign with the Rockies, and Colorado players are expecting some changes to the coaching staff.
- You can't blame the Diamondbacks for the Dan Haren trade in 2010, argues Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, since nobody saw the club turning things around as quickly as they did this season.
- Bobby Borchering, the Diamondbacks' first-round pick in the 2009 draft, is being transitioned to left field, tweets Piecoro. Borchering has played first and third base in his first three pro seasons.
Dodgers Notes: Barajas, Kuroda, Rivera
Clayton Kershaw leads the league in ERA, strikeouts and wins. Matt Kemp leads the league in RBI and isn't far off in home runs (second) and batting average (third). We can debate the value of the traditional Triple Crown stats, but there's no denying that the Dodgers have serious contenders for the NL Cy Young and MVP. The latest links from Los Angeles…
- Earlier in the season, the Dodgers' decision to non-tender Russell Martin and sign Rod Barajas seemed like a mistake, but as Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times shows, the two backstops have comparable offensive numbers. Martin maintains a 35 point edge in OBP, but Barajas has the superior OPS+ (96 vs. 91). Barajas, a free agent after the season, told Hernandez that he hopes to return to Los Angeles next year.
- Hiroki Kuroda will obtain $175K for having pitched 190 innings and if he completes four more innings to reach the 200 inning plateau, he'll obtain $200K more, according to Hernandez.
- Juan Rivera has hit well since the Dodgers acquired him from the Blue Jays and manager Don Mattingly says he should be a consideration in 2012, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Rivera would like to re-sign with the Dodgers and his skipper likes his versatility and power, so the sides figure to discuss a deal after the season.
NL West Notes: Kemp, Sanchez, Street, Villalona
The first-place Diamondbacks had a magic number of 2 to clinch the NL West entering Thursday's action and could pop the champagne as soon as Friday. Here are some notes regarding three of the division's other ballclubs:
- Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, echoing what his agent said recently, told Beto Duran of ESPN 710 radio in Los Angeles that he hasn't yet begun discussing a possible contract extension with the club but he'd like to spend the rest of his career there (Twitter link). Kemp is eligible for free agency after 2012.
- Giants lefty Jonathan Sanchez won't return in 2011 and may have thrown his last pitch for the Lads, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. The Giants may non-tender Sanchez, or, if they do go through the arbitration process with him, could decide to trade him for a bat, according to Baggarly. Sanchez, 28, dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness this season, making just 19 starts, while earning $4.8MM. Sanchez does possess a big arm, so he won't have trouble finding a new job if and when the Giants decide to move on.
- The Rockies will seek a trade partner to offload closer Huston Street, perhaps in return for a starting pitcher, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. However, Renck notes it won't be easy to shop Street considering the depth of relief pitching on the free-agent market, so he could just as easily return to Colorado in 2012 (Twitter links).
- Giants first base prospect Angel Villalona, who recently had murder charges against him dropped in his native Dominican Republic, has reportedly changed agents from Boras Corp. to Para Sports, tweets Baggarly. Para Sports represents Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon, as Baggarly notes, who also had murder charges against him dropped in the Dominican.
Major Offseason Signings Possible For Dodgers
The Dodgers are a bankrupt company with declining revenues, but that doesn’t have to stop them from offering nine-figure contracts to their best players and the stars on the free agent market, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Shaikin surveyed players, agents, union officials and MLB executives and heard that the Dodgers will be able to spend despite the ongoing financial issues of owner Frank McCourt.
Michael Weiner is not only the executive director of the Players Association, he represents the interests of the Dodgers’ creditors. He says it’s in “everyone's interest for the team to be competitive and not compromised in trying to operate." Rob Manfred, MLB’s executive VP for labor relations, told Shaikin that McCourt is ”free to sign players to long-term contracts," though deals could require approval if they surpass $100MM.
The Dodgers’ revenues will likely drop $27MM this year, but MLB guarantees all player contracts, according to Shaikin. That means a team’s bankruptcy wouldn’t put a player at risk of losing any guaranteed money on a pre-existing deal.
GM Ned Colletti has talked about improving the team’s offense in “the most dramatic” way he can, so fans have started wondering about a long-term deal for MVP candidate Matt Kemp and the possibility of signing a middle-of-the-order hitter like Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols. Kemp’s agent, Dave Stewart, told Shaikin that the Dodgers have not started discussing a long-term deal for the center fielder, who can file for free agency after 2012. Kemp isn’t worried about the direction of the team and would consider a multiyear deal if the Dodgers make a proposal.
Fielder has said that he’ll evaluate possible suitors based on their ability to win, but Scott Boras, the first baseman’s agent, pointed out that all players aren’t so forgiving. Pujols has said he plans to weigh offers from teams based on a number of factors, including minor league systems and the willingness of ownership groups to spend on improving the team, according to Shaikin.