Quick Hits: Royals, Jennings, Rule 5 Draft
As everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving leftovers, here are a few items to serve as dessert…
- The Royals would "much prefer" to trade prospects to acquire starting pitching and don't want to move Wil Myers or any of their top regulars, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The Royals are "willing to listen," however. We heard earlier tonight that K.C. was shopping some of its top position players in search of frontline pitchers.
- In an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM's Inside Pitch show, Marlins assistant GM Dan Jennings told hosts Jim Bowden and Casey Stern that the club's standing with both Major League and minor league free agents has changed in the wake of the controversial trade with the Blue Jays and the accusations of broken promises from Mark Buehrle. "We know that that is an issue. It's out there," Jennings said. "We probably will have to look at our policy of [not] granting no-trades, if it's something that we look to remove, [or] do you look to put more money on the front end [of contracts]? I think there's a lot of ways to address that."
- The Baseball America staff looks ahead to the Rule 5 draft, listing both players who could be drafted and five players who were somewhat surprising additions to their teams' 40-man rosters.
- As "Black Friday" comes to an end, USA Today's Jorge L. Ortiz lists Brandon McCarthy, Scott Hairston, Kyle Farnsworth, Ryan Theriot and Shaun Marcum as lower-priced free agents who could prove to be bargains.
- Of recent teams who jumped from sub-.500 records to the playoffs in a year's time, MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince notes that none did so after splurging on free agents, instead relying on trades and international signings to remake their rosters.
Passan’s Latest: Myers, Fowler, Asdrubal, McCarthy
The Royals have been shopping top prospect Wil Myers but only in exchange for starting pitching, reports Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan. Earlier this week, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reported that Kansas City was known to be at least listening to offers for Myers and top position players like Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. The only untouchable Royals appear to be Alcides Escobar and Salvador Perez due to their team-friendly contracts — "executives consider [Perez's deal] the best in the game," Passan writes.
The Royals have discussed trades with the Rays, Mariners, Diamondbacks and Athletics, Passan reports. While Myers would be of interest to any team, he is of particular value to low-payroll teams like the Rays and A's given that Gordon and Butler have large contracts and Moustakas/Hosmer are Scott Boras clients.
Here are some more items from Passan…
- The Rockies' asking price for Dexter Fowler is "absurd," one rival executive tells Passan. It appears to be a buyers' market for center fielders right now, though another executive warns that "it will shake out" as the offseason progresses.
- The Indians are shopping Asdrubal Cabrera, though "not at Black Friday prices," an executive says. Cabrera is one of a few shortstops on the trade market, along with the Astros' Jed Lowrie and the Marlins' Yunel Escobar.
- Teams are more worried about Brandon McCarthy's history of arm injuries than with his season-ending brain surgery. If McCarthy's medicals are clear, however, a team executive thinks the right-hander will get a multiyear contract.
- Anibal Sanchez's demands for a six-year, $90MM contract are "crazy, and he's probably going to get it," an executive tells Passan.
Amaro On Phillies, Upton, Bourn, Marlins
The Phillies haven’t made any major additions to their team to this point in the offseason, but they continue working to address their biggest needs, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “We’ve had some good discussions, some fruitful discussions, with agents as well as other clubs,” Amaro said. “There are some situations where we’re waiting right now on someone to say ‘yes,’ and other situations where other teams are waiting for us to say ‘yes.’ It’s an interesting dynamic right now.” Here’s the latest on the Phillies, who are looking to contend again following an 81-81 season in 2012:
- Amaro still wants to add at least one outfielder and a veteran reliever for the eighth inning. The club could also pursue help at third base, though that could depend on the team’s search for outfielders.
- Reading between the lines, Salisbury suggests the Phillies have reached out to the Marlins to see if they’d trade Giancarlo Stanton in a follow up to Miami’s recent blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays. “We’ve made some inquiries about a lot of players that went in that trade, both to Toronto and to Miami,” the GM acknowledged. “But nothing imminent so far.”
- Amaro said he has not received any indication that former Phillies closer Ryan Madson is opposed to pitching in a setup role. Madson underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2012 season and is now a free agent.
- While B.J. Upton appears to be the Phillies’ top target, Amaro also mentioned free agents Angel Pagan, Michael Bourn and Shane Victorino as other potential center field options. “We can’t put all our resources in one area and not address others,” Amaro said. He added that the Phillies are more likely to add an outfielder or two in free agency than via trades.
- Earlier this month I previewed the Phillies’ offseason.
Quick Hits: Weiner, Blue Jays, Tax
Happy Thanksgiving! Here are some links on a relatively quiet day for MLB transactions…
- Jerry Crasnick profiles MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner in a must-read piece at ESPN.com. Weiner, who is fighting brain cancer, has the respect of MLB players, agents and officials thanks in part to his ability to relate to others and strong communication skills.
- John Lott of the National Post explains how the Blue Jays–Marlins blockbuster started with an attempt to acquire Josh Johnson and expanded to include others, including Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. However, both GM Alex Anthopoulos and president Paul Beeston denied that they set out to "make a splash" this winter, Lott writes.
- Upcoming changes to American tax laws could affect the way teams and agents do business, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports (via the Miami Herald). The expected changes are primarily a concern for large market teams, in the view of Athletics GM Billy Beane. "It's probably not a situation I'll have to face in Oakland too much," he said.
Marlins Notes: Buehrle, Stanton, Johnson
Just like last offseason, the Marlins have made plenty of headlines so far this year. This winter's moves haven't been met with the same kind of praise, however. Here's the latest from Miami…
- "I’m upset with how things turned out in Miami," said the recently-traded Mark Buehrle in a statement, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun-Sentinel. "Just like the fans in South Florida, I was lied to on multiple occasions. But I’m putting it behind me and looking forward to moving on with my career."
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports says the Marlins should trade Giancarlo Stanton right now if they're serious about rebuilding. "This has a chance to be baseball's version of the Herschel Walker trade," he wrote.
- Josh Johnson, one of the players involved in last week's blockbuster, found out he was traded thanks to the MLB Trade Rumors app. The right-hander joined the Dan LeBatard Show on 790 the Ticket in Miami and explained how he heard about the deal (via Sports Radio Interviews).
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Offseason Outlook: Miami Marlins
The Marlins already completed one blockbuster trade, and they probably aren’t done making moves yet.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Ricky Nolasco, SP: $11.5MM through 2013
- Yunel Escobar, SS: $5MM through 2013
- Jeff Mathis, C: $3MM through 2014
- Adeiny Hechavarria, SS: $2.75MM through 2013
- Greg Dobbs, UT: $1.6MM through 2013
- Juan Pierre, OF: $1.6MM through 2013
- Jacob Turner, SP: $1.175MM through 2013
- Zack Cox, 3B: $950K through 2013
Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)
- Ryan Webb, RP: $900K (first time eligible)
Free Agents
The current version of the Marlins doesn’t look anything like the roster that generated so much excitement leading up to the 2012 season. Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and manager Ozzie Guillen are gone, and it seems highly unlikely that their replacements will contend for a playoff berth next year.
Last week's trade strips the Marlins of two quality starting pitchers, an All-Star shortstop and two others who belong on MLB rosters. No team could replace that assortment of talent easily. The Marlins lost 93 games even with those players, so they project as a poor team in the short term. That could change within a year or two, when some of the Marlins’ prospects reach the MLB level along with some of the players obtained in the trade with Toronto. However, unless owner Jeffrey Loria decides to invest in the sustained on-field success of this club, it’ll remain hard for Miami to contend consistently.
As presently configured, the Marlins project to have one of the lowest payrolls in the game just one year after raising payroll past the $100MM threshold. It means president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and general manager Michael Hill probably won’t have much financial flexibility in the coming winter. And if Loria indicates that he wants payroll to dip even further, then established players such as Ricky Nolasco and Yunel Escobar could be the next ones traded.
The Marlins will apparently consider trade offers for Nolasco, Escobar and Logan Morrison this winter. Each player has trade value, though none of them had particularly strong seasons in 2012. Nolasco, who has one year remaining on his contract with Miami, could appeal to teams seeking rotation help such as the Angels, Yankees, Red Sox and Twins.
Escobar, the Marlins’ projected third baseman, would also generate interest on the trade market. The Diamondbacks, Athletics and Cardinals are among the teams that could be looking for help on left side of the infield this offseason. Escobar has a team friendly contract, and there’s simply not much out there for teams seeking infield help.
If the Marlins trade Morrison this offseason, they'd definitely be selling low. The 25-year-old dealt with a knee injury this past season, and was limited to just 93 games. He hasn't yet qualified for arbitration, so he's affordable for now. In the event that the Marlins do listen to offers for Morrison, clubs like the Rays, Red Sox and Indians could check in.
As a consequence of the Marlins' recent trades, the second half of their lineup includes four inexperienced players. Projected starters Justin Ruggiano, Donovan Solano, Rob Brantly and Adeiny Hechavarria have combined for fewer than 1,100 career plate appearances. This isn't to say the Marlins need more experienced players, but they must establish contingency plans in case Hechavarria doesn't hit, or Ruggiano can't replicate his 2012 success.
By acquiring Juan Pierre, they obtained a useful, affordable player who just completed a strong season in Philadelphia. The addition of Pierre means the Marlins won't have to count on someone like Gorkys Hernandez for immediate production. That said, the signing won't prevent the Marlins from finding playing time for player in the process of breaking out.
The Marlins will need to add starting pitching this coming offseason. While Henderson Alvarez, Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob Turner all have promise, the Marlins should add some certainty to the rotation, especially if they move Nolasco. Otherwise, they'd be poorly positioned if one of the starting five experienced a setback. Even if the Marlins aren't going to spend on top tier free agents again, they could look to sign one or two starters like Kevin Correia, Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis, Freddy Garcia, Roberto Hernandez and Francisco Liriano. Miami could appeal to free agent pitchers looking to restore value on one-year deals, since the Marlins play in a pitcher-friendly park and in the National League. Beinfest might be able to take advantage of this and sign at least one intriguing free agent starter to a low-risk contract.
Though it's difficult to imagine the Marlins spending big on a free agent starter, it's even harder to imagine another Heath Bell-like free agent addition. The Marlins do need relief help since their bullpen, like most of their roster, includes lots of uncertainty. Even if the team limits itself to waiver claims, minor league deals and short-term free agent signings, it'll be possible to obtain a number of useful arms affordably.
The Marlins have just one arbitration eligible player, Ryan Webb. The reliever has a projected salary of less than $1MM, so this year's arb class will be as light as it gets for Miami.
Giancarlo Stanton narrowly missed qualifying for arbitration, which saves the Marlins millions in 2013. Still, they might want to sign him to a long-term deal given his status as one of the game's premier young players. Unfortunately for Marlins fans, Stanton has expressed frustration with the team's decision making, an indication that he could be reluctant to commit to the organization long-term. That said, the Marlins could give him tens of millions of reasons to reconsider. The Marlins, who don't give out no-trade clauses, could theoretically increase Stanton's trade value by extending him to a reasonable long-term contract.
With the hiring of manager Mike Redmond, the Marlins addressed one of their most significant offseason needs. The former catcher has a formidable task. He'll be working with a relatively young roster and under the notoriously fickle Loria.
The Marlins probably won’t be a good team in 2013. In fact their offseason moves so far suggest that winning in 2013 isn’t the organization’s top priority. Still, they can stay somewhat competitive by supplementing their young talent with some depth moves for affordable players.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Marlins Links: Beinfest, Union, Escobar, Raburn
The Marlins' controversial blockbuster deal with the Blue Jays "will be a factor" in Miami's ability to attract future free agents, club president of baseball options Larry Beinfest admitted to media members (including MLB.com's Joe Frisaro). Though the Marlins could face "some disdain in the marketplace," Beinfest said his team has no plans to change its policy of not offering no-trade clauses.
"It is what it is. We will deal with it," Beinfest said. "We won't know until we get into those negotiations with free agents, or we show over a sustained period of time that we operate in a certain manner. It's definitely not great for the club, and we're going to have to deal with it."
Here are some more items from south Florida…
- MLBPA head Michael Wiener said the union will monitor the Marlins during the 2013 season to make sure that the team is complying with the collective bargaining agreement, reports Ronald Blum of the Associated Press.
- Though the Marlins didn't officially acquire Yunel Escobar from Toronto until yesterday, they were shopping the shortstop to other teams last week, reports Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan (Twitter link). Escobar is set to make $5MM in 2013 and the Fish hold $5MM club options on him in both 2014 and 2015, though even this team-friendly deal might be too pricey for the Marlins at this time.
- Ryan Raburn, released today by the Tigers, is "a realistic option" for the Marlins, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The versatile Raburn could provide depth at several positions for Miami and has a career slash line of .256/.311/.430 over seven seasons in Detroit.
Blue Jays, Marlins Complete Blockbuster Trade
Commissioner Bud Selig has approved the blockbuster trade that the Blue Jays and Marlins agreed to last week. The Blue Jays announced the 12-player trade, which sends Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, John Buck, Emilio Bonifacio and cash considerations to Toronto for Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jeff Mathis, Justin Nicolino, Anthony Desclafani and Jake Marisnick.
The deal, which calls for the Marlins to send the Blue Jays $4MM, required the approval of the commissioner's office. The Blue Jays are taking on tens of millions in future payroll obligations, while the Marlins are moving the contracts of Reyes and Buehrle less than one full year after signing them as free agents.
Ultimately the deal "represents the exercise of plausible baseball judgment on the part of both clubs," Selig said in a statement approving the trade.
Reyes, 29, hit .287/.347/.433 with eleven home runs in 716 plate appearances last season. The batting line wasn't quite as impressive as the .337/.384/.493 he put up in his contract year with New York, but it was promising to see the shortstop appear in 160 games after missing 191 games across the previous three seasons. Despite the club's disappointing performance last season, Reyes said over the summer that he didn't have any regrets about signing with Miami.
Buehrle's deal, like Reyes', is heavily backloaded with the hurler set to earn $11MM in 2013, $18MM in 2014, and $19MM in 2015 after making just $6MM in 2012. The contract also includes a $4MM signing bonus that's deferred without interest. While considering a number of offers, Buehrle was said to be prioritizing a no-trade clause, something he didn't end up receiving from the Marlins. The veteran had a 3.74 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 31 starts for Miami last season.
Bonifacio played just 64 games in an injury-riddled 2011 campaign. The 27-year-old can fill a number of different roles, having experience at all three outfield positions, second base, shortstop, and third base. Buck, 32, earned his first All-Star selection in 2010 as a member of the Blue Jays. His offensive production regressed in the two years since, posting a .213/.308/.358 batting line for the Marlins.
While the Marlins gave up a substantial amount of talent in the trade, they won't be coming away empty handed. Hechavarria was a highly-regarded prospect in the Blue Jays' organization and his play reportedly had Toronto executives ready to part with Escobar in the right trade. Of course, this megadeal sends both shortstops out of town.
Escobar struggled at the plate last season, hitting .253/.300/.344 with nine homers in 608 plate appearances. The infielder does come with a team-friendly contract, however, as he'll earn $5MM in 2013 with team options for the same amount in '14 and '15. For his career, the 30-year-old has a .282/.353/.390 batting line in six seasons with the Braves and Blue Jays. Mathis, 29, came to the Blue Jays last season in a trade for Brad Mills that helped ease the Angels' catching glut. The veteran will earn $3MM across the next two seasons with a club option for 2015 worth $1.5MM.
The Marlins also picked up a quartet of quality youngsters in the trade. Alvarez, 22, made 31 starts for the Blue Jays last season with a 4.85 ERA and 3.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Nicolino, taken in the second-round of the 2010 draft, has received high praise for his aggressive pitching and willingness to pound the strike zone. The Florida native cruised through Single-A ball last year, posting a 2.46 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9.
Marisnick, 21, was rated as the No. 67 prospect in the country and the No. 3 prospect in the Blue Jays' organization after the 2011 season by Baseball America. The publication also considered the former third-round pick to have the best defensive skillset and arm of any outfielder in the Toronto farm system. DeSclafani, taken in the sixth-round of the 2011 draft, posted a 3.37 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in his debut season for Single-A Lansing.
MLBTR's Zach Links contributed to this post.
Blue Jays Notes: Manager, Blockbuster
The Blue Jays have made more moves than any other team to this point in the offseason, completing six waiver claims, a managerial deal, two multiyear free agent contracts and a blockbuster trade. Here’s the latest from Toronto…
- The Blue Jays are focusing on veteran managers, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. They’ve told some people they’d prefer to hire an established manager “with an edge,” according to Knobler. The Blue Jays have spoken to Hargrove, but they haven’t spoken to Jim Fregosi, Jim Riggleman or Bobby Valentine and don’t appear to have contacted Lou Piniella.
- The Blue Jays have asked former Mariners executives about former Seattle manager Mike Hargrove, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reports (on Twitter). Hargrove, 63, has experience managing the Indians, Orioles and Mariners. The Indians made it to the World Series in 1995 and 1997 under Hargrove, who played at the MLB level for 12 seasons.
- The Blue Jays-Marlins blockbuster is still on the path to approval, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (all Twitter links). The delay in announcing the deal indicates that commissioner Bud Selig isn’t pleased with the Marlins. Though Selig can take his time evaluating the trade, the teams could get approval as soon as today and it’d be a shock if it doesn’t go through.
Marlins Sign Juan Pierre
9:19pm: Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel says it's a one-year agreement worth $1.6MM (Twitter link).
8:28pm: The Marlins have signed Juan Pierre, reports Craig Mish of Sirius 210 XM 87 Fantasy Sports Radio (on Twitter). The veteran outfielder is an SFX client. Details of the deal are unknown.
Pierre, 35, hit .307/.351/.371 with 37 steals for the Phillies this season. He'll fill the leadoff void created by the blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays, which will send both Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio to the Blue Jays. Tim Dierkes did not rank Pierre on his Top 50 Free Agents List.