Dodgers Links: Blake, Vogelsong, Burke
One year ago today, the Dodgers released Ronnie Belliard after he hit just .216/.295/.327 with two homers in 185 plate appearances. Mini-Manny spent some time in the minor leagues this year, but he called it a career in June. Here's the latest from Chavez Ravine…
- Jim McDowell, agent for Casey Blake, told MLBTR that his client had a post-surgery follow-up appointment this morning, and that everything checked out fine. Blake had surgery to repair a neck issue. He'll be able to begin his offseason workouts after six weeks of downtime, by which point the Dodgers will have already declined his $6MM option.
- John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Dodgers offered Ryan Vogelsong a contract this past offseason, but the he declined (Twitter links). "I couldn't see myself being a Dodger," said the right-hander, who has a 2.62 ERA in 154 1/3 innings with the Giants.
- Steve Sugarman, spokesman for Frank McCourt, told Steve Dilbeck of The Los Angeles Times that Bill Burke's $1.2 billion offer to buy the Dodgers was "unsolicited and a surprise." The team has not yet publicly responded to the offer, and Sugarman made it clear that Burke is not an acquaintance of McCourt's.
Ownership Notes: Dodgers, Astros, Selig
Two of the least stable ownership situations in baseball can be found in Los Angeles and Houston. Here's the latest on bids for the Dodgers and Astros…
- MLB's delay with Jim Crane's bid had nothing to do with switching leagues and "everything to do with his background," according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter links).
- There won't be enough time to realign the leagues by 2012, so we aren't likely to see expanded playoffs next year, according to Nightengale.
- An attorney for Dodgers owner Frank McCourt called Bill Burke's $1.2 billion bid for the Dodgers a "publicity stunt" in documents filed in court this week, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. McCourt remains intent on keeping the Dodgers, Shaikin reports.
- Incoming Astros owner Jim Crane told Joe Holley of the Houston Chronicle that he's becoming frustrated with the slow pace of the ownership transfer and the public speculation about the reasons for the holdup. Crane also pointed out that his contract with Drayton McLane goes through November 30th, which means a deal has to be finalized by then unless the sides agree to extend the window.
- However, as Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle points out, there are a thousand reasons to question the character of an incoming owner, so commissioner Bud Selig probably won't look kindly on Crane's comments.
Barajas Hopes To Finish Career With Dodgers
Rod Barajas hopes to play the rest of his career with the Dodgers, the catcher told Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times. However, Dilbeck says the Dodgers are considering going cheap behind the plate next year with a tandem of Tim Federowicz and A.J. Ellis.
Federowicz will be a 24-year-old rookie next year, while Ellis will be a 31-year-old with less than a hundred games in the Majors. Typically teams prefer someone more seasoned as the backup, although Ellis did catch 515 games across nine minor league seasons.
Barajas, 36, has played to expectations after signing for $3.25MM in December. His standard good power/low on-base line comes to .236/.289/.445 in 289 plate appearances this year. Barajas noted that his comfort level is playing four or five times a week, which probably leaves more than 60 starts for the other catcher. Barajas has earned approximately $12.5MM in his career, and one way to increase his chances of staying with the Dodgers would be to drop his asking price by a few million dollars.
As Dilbeck notes, letting Barajas leave could be a way for the Dodgers to save $3MM this offseason. The Icon Sports Group client projects as a Type B free agent, but I wouldn't expect the Dodgers to offer unless they want Barajas around next year.
Quick Hits: McGowan, Kuo, Edwin Jackson
Five years ago today, the Athletics claimed righty Jerome Williams off waivers from the Cubs. Williams pitched 30 innings for the Nationals the following year, but then didn't pitch in the Majors until last month with the Angels. Williams went through a lot in the meantime, and considers his return to the bigs "a fairy tale." On to today's Labor Day links…
- Dustin McGowan makes for another nice story; the Blue Jays reinstated him from the 60-day DL today. The former first-round pick once seemed on the cusp of big things, but he hasn't pitched in the Majors in more than three years due to a pair of surgeries on his right shoulder. He'll be one of seven arbitration eligible Blue Jays, but McGowan won't cost much to retain.
- Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo is learning to manage his anxiety better, and intends to pitch next year, writes Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. If the Dodgers tender Kuo a contract, he'll earn at least $2.18MM in 2012.
- Free agency will be "interesting," Cardinals starter Edwin Jackson tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Scott Boras client, who turns 28 on Friday, has a 3.78 ERA on the season and is on track to make 30+ starts for the fifth consecutive year.
- Reliever Bobby Jenks is probably done for the season, Red Sox manager Terry Francona told WEEI's Rob Bradford and others today. The big righty signed a two-year, $12MM deal after being non-tendered by the White Sox in December, but pitched only 15 2/3 innings for Boston due to a back injury.
Quick Hits: Strasburg, Cubs, Dodgers, Rockies
Sunday afternoon linkage..
- In a terrific article, Jonathan Newton of the Washington Post looks at Stephen Strasburg's recovery from Tommy John surgery and explains the four key advancements since the operation's initial occurence that have made it so commonplace and so successful.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney has an interesting take on the Cubs' extension of player personnel director Oneri Fleita. The move means that the incoming general manager will not be allowed to pick his own executive in that spot. Olney says that high-profile GM candidates like Theo Epstein, Andrew Friedman, or Billy Beane would likely want to fill that position themselves.
- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that if he had to choose between a big bat or a quality arm this winter, he'd choose the former, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Of course, their financial situation could hamstring them in the offseason. Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, and Ted Lilly are all set to return but with Rubby De La Rosa possibly missing the 2012 season, the Dodgers could have two spots to fill in the rotation.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post writes that the Rockies have money to spend and they shouldn't be gun-shy this winter. Their payroll situation is helped largely by Aaron Cook's $9.25MM deal coming off the books.
- Mike Gonzalez already feels comfortable with his new club, writes Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com. On Thursday we learned that the Brewers were also in on Gonzalez before he was dealt to the Rangers.
Quick Hits: Wilson, Santana, Mets, Soto, Chen
When George Kottaras hits for the cycle, left-hander Tom Milone homers on the very first pitch he sees in the Major Leagues and the Tigers come back from an 8-1 deficit for a 9-8 win over the White Sox, you know it's been a wild day in baseball. Let's end it off with some news items…
- The Rangers should offer C.J. Wilson a five-year contract worth between $92.5 and $97.5MM, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor for ESPN Dallas, but not any more than that since Wilson isn't quite one of the game's elite aces. If you think that Wilson isn't worth that kind of money, remember that unless C.C. Sabathia opts out of his deal, Wilson will be clearly the best free agent arm on the market this winter. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes thinks Wilson could even score a $100MM contract.
- Kaja Whitehouse of the New York Post isn't impressed by the Mets' plan of offering ownership "units" worth $20-$30MM to several different investors. She believes the club will find it hard to find investors willing to buy in without getting any say in the franchise's operations.
- Johan Santana threw 30 pitches for Class A St. Lucie today in his first minor league appearance since July 28, reports Adam Rubin for ESPN New York. Mets manager Terry Collins didn't rule out the possibility that Santana could pitch in a Major League game this season.
- The Cubs' new general manager may have a difficult decision to make about Geovany Soto, writes Patrick Mooney for CSNChicago.com. While Soto will have to rebound in 2012, it's hard to imagine any new GM immediately getting rid of a catcher who has performed very well in two of four Major League seasons.
- Bruce Chen tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that he wants to return to the Royals next season, what he's learned from pitching for 10 different organizations and how he wants to be like Jamie Moyer. Will MLBTR still be writing posts about Chen in 2025?
- Juan Rivera's performance for the Dodgers has convinced the team that it needs another big bat for next season, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. That big bat is intended for first base or left field, which would mean that the Dodgers would part ways with either Rivera or James Loney.
Rivera Hopes To Return To Dodgers
The Dodgers took Juan Rivera off of the Blue Jays' hands in mid-July and the outfielder has been solid in 40 games for Los Angeles. Rivera is obviously comfortable with his new club and told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he would like to stay put.
"I would like to be back with this team," Rivera said. "I hope after the season, or even before, that we can agree on an extension or something."
The 33-year-old was lackluster at the plate for the Blue Jays this year but is hitting .292/.346/.438 for the Dodgers. Rivera is in the final season of a three-year, $12.75MM deal which he originally inked with the Angels.
Dodgers Notes: McCourt, Kemp, Kershaw
Dodgers owner Frank McCourt received a $1.2 billion offer for the Dodgers and related assets yesterday, though Major League Baseball appears skeptical. Here's the latest on the 66-70 Dodgers…
- Everybody is assuming that smoke and mirrors are involved in the $1.2 billion offer, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
- The issues that plague the Dodgers and Mets mirror the cities the teams play in, Jeff Passan writes at Yahoo Sports. Everything about the Dodgers is excessive, while the Mets' situation is cold and cadaverous, Passan says.
- Bill Plaschke of the LA Times argues that Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw deserve the MVP and Cy Young Award, respectively.
- If Kershaw is a Cy Young candidate, then Cliff Lee has to be one as well, Eric Seidman argues at FanGraphs. The two-left-handers have remarkably similar numbers this season.
Quick Hits: Ramirez, Byrd, Blake
Here are a couple of links regarding potential free agent third basemen, with a note about an outfielder for good measure:
- Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez will be seeking a multiyear contract this offseason, according to his agent, Paul Kinzer, writes Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune. A-Ram hasn't ruled out returning to the Cubs, apparently, but he "would have been more likely to re-sign with [Chicago] if Jim Hendry was there," Kinzer said. This is the same sentiment we heard from Kinzer in the wake of Hendry's dismissal a week or so back. The Cubs have a $16MM club option for 2012 on A-Ram, with a $2MM buyout. He can decline the option, though, in which case he'd forfeit any compensation.
- Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd would be fine with it if the team decides to trade him this offseason, writes Paul Sullivan of the Tribune, but he hopes any such move would yield a good player in return: "If it's best for the organization to move me and bring back another piece because of my trade value, then (do it). But if they're just trying to get rid of me and get nothing back, I don't see that helping the organization," Byrd said. He's slated to earn $6.5MM in the final year of a three-year, $15MM contract, so I could see him drawing some interest on the trade market.
- Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake will undergo season-ending surgery to repair damaged nerves in his neck, writes Chris Adamski of MLB.com. It sounds like a fairly serious procedure, and Blake is 38, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Blake wants to continue playing. The Dodgers hold a $6MM option ($1.25MM buyout) on Blake for 2012, so there's a chance they could move on.
McCourt Gets $1.2 Billion Offer For Dodgers
5:17pm: Major League Baseball is skeptical of the offer, writes Shaikin, as it suspects McCourt may be using the offer as a ploy to stir negotiations with other suitors or to persuade a bankruptcy judge to keep McCourt in charge of the team.
"There are questions within the sports industry about whether this is a genuine offer," said one industry consultant who works extensively with MLB and other professional sports leagues.
2:11pm: Frank McCourt's financial troubles have been well-documented, but the Dodgers owner could sell his team for more than any MLB franchise in history. McCourt has been offered $1.2 billion to sell the Dodgers, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Los Angeles Marathon founder Bill Burke headed the bid, which includes funding from Chinese and American investors.
Both Burke and a spokesman for McCourt declined to comment to Shaikin. McCourt has discussed the sale of a partial share of the Dodgers with at least two others groups, Shaikin reports. Burke's group is offering a cash payment for the team plus all related real estate and media rights. The bid would expire in 21 days with the goal of closing a sale within 90 days, according to Shaikin.
The Cubs sold for $845MM two years ago and that remains the record sale price for an MLB franchise.