Marlins Shopping Morrison; Nolasco May Be Traded
The Marlins aren’t done yet. One day after agreeing to a blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays, they’re shopping outfielder/first baseman Logan Morrison, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter). Furthermore, several general managers expect Ricky Nolasco to be traded as well.
The Yankees are among the teams with an interest in Nolasco, Erik Boland of Newsday reports (on Twitter). The right-hander has one year and $11.5MM remaining on his contract with Miami. The Rockies had interest in Nolasco last winter and could inquire about him, Troy Renck of the Denver Post suggested this morning (on Twitter).
The Marlins do not intend to trade Giancarlo Stanton, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports. The sides are not currently discussing a long-term deal, but the slugger "pretty much remains untouchable" for 2013, according to Frisaro.
Trade Reaction: Marlins-Blue Jays Blockbuster
As you’ve surely heard by now, a blockbuster trade took place last night. The Blue Jays and Marlins agreed to a franchise-altering deal that will send Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, John Buck, Emilio Bonifacio and $4MM to Toronto for Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jeff Mathis and prospects Anthony DeSclafani, Justin Nicolino and Jake Marisnick. The trade might not be official for a couple of days, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
Not only does the deal re-shape the teams’ rosters, it affects the way the Marlins and Blue Jays are viewed around baseball. To summarize, the Blue Jays are seen as legitimate contenders while top Marlins executives are seen as selfish people compromising the game's integrity. Here are some of the many reactions to the mega-deal. The initial post about the trade now has well over 1,000 comments so chime in here with more of your thoughts. Here are the reactions and updates, with the most recent items up top:
Afternoon Updates
- MLB hasn't received official documentation for the trade, Yahoo's Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). The cash headed to Toronto could be at least double the $4MM initially reported, according to Brown.
- Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the trade was justified. "We finished in last place. Figure it out," he said. Loria added that he's "absolutely not" selling the Marlins. "We have to take a new course," the owner said.
Reaction To Marlins Ownership
- Loria and president David Samson are destroying baseball in Miami, but commissioner Bud Selig shares blame with the pair of Miami executives in the view of Yahoo's Jeff Passan. Selig knew the Marlins were lying last year but let them continue, Passan writes.
- After looking back at recent comments made by Loria, Samson and others, ESPN.com's Buster Olney finds it hard to view the Marlins' decision making "as anything other than a complete sham." There are calls for MLB to force Loria to sell the team, Olney writes. However, baseball executives think the deal was good for Miami from a pure baseball standpoint (considering talent and salary obligations).
- The trade is "a despicable disgrace" for the Marlins, Scott Miller of CBSSports.com writes. The Marlins obtained a publicly funded ballpark only to trade their top players. Loria, Miller concludes, "must be stopped."
- It's the same tired act in Miami, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. Former Marlins reliever Randy Choate told Kepner Loria wants to win, but questioned this trade. "It’s just unexplainable,” Choate said. “I don’t think any of those guys would have signed there if they thought they’d get traded one year later."
Reaction To The New-Look Blue Jays
- We just witnessed the defining move of Alex Anthopoulos' career in Toronto, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes. Casey Janssen told Davidi he hopes the deal gets finalized soon. "I think we kind of told baseball that we’re going to be a factor next year," Janssen said.
- The Blue Jays now seem like a serious threat in the AL East, but as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reminds us, you don't get prizes for winning the offseason. One NL executive told Sherman GM Alex Anthopoulos "was tired of asset collecting and finishing fourth."
- ESPN.com's Keith Law likes the trade for the Blue Jays, who now look like contenders. As for the Marlins, Law writes he would offer "condolences to the Marlins' fans if only [he] could find them."
What The Trade Means For Toronto’s Manager Search
- Before the trade took place, a person with Blue Jays reached out to longtime Braves manager and former Toronto manager Bobby Cox to determine his interest in returning to the Blue Jays, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports.
- The Blue Jays called right after their opening emerged and heard that Cox wasn’t interested, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). Cox told MLB.com's Mark Bowman that he plans to stay retired. “I really don’t know what else to say,” Cox said.
Quick Hits: Scutaro, Stanton, Hunter, Reyes, Tolleson
The Marlins‘ colossal deal with the Blue Jays has some wondering if Giancarlo Stanton will be the next big name shipped out of Miami, but that may not be the case. Outside executives tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) that of all the players the Marlins floated at the GM meetings, Stanton was not among them. Here’s more from around baseball..
- Multiple sources tell Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that the Giants are confident that they’ll be able to re-sign Marco Scutaro. The veteran would likely return on a two-year deal.
- Torii Hunter left his meeting with the Tigers today without a deal or a formal offer, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Several officials still see Detroit as the frontrunner for him, however. We kept track of the latest on Hunter in one handy post on Tuesday.
- The Red Sox made a push for Josh Johnson and Jose Reyes, but the Blue Jays just blew the Marlins away, a source tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
- Infielder Steven Tolleson agreed to terms on a minor league deal with the White Sox, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). Kubatko adds that the Orioles would have liked to retain him.
- More than a dozen teams have checked in on free agent pitcher Jeremy Bonderman, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Bonderman has an offer in hand from the Tigers and the Nationals are among the dozen teams with interest, Olney tweets.
- The Red Sox are among the teams in contact with Jason Bay as he considers his options for 2013, tweets Olney. Bay is looking for a solid opportunity as well as familiarity and Boston would obviously provide the latter.
Blue Jays To Acquire Johnson, Reyes, Buehrle From Marlins
The Blue Jays have reached agreement on a deal with the Marlins that will send right-hander Josh Johnson, left-hander Mark Buehrle, shortstop Jose Reyes, outfielder Emilio Bonifacio, and catcher John Buck to Toronto for shortstop Yunel Escobar, infielder Adeiny Hechavarria, right-hander Henderson Alvarez, left-hander Justin Nicolino, outfielder Jake Marisnick, catcher Jeff Mathis, and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani. The deal, which will also call for the Marlins to send $4MM to the Blue Jays, is awaiting MLB approval.
The shocking trade effectively means that the Marlins are hitting the reset button on a team which had a payroll in the range of $100MM on Opening Day last season. The Marlins brought out the checkbook last winter to draw fans to their brand new stadium, signing Reyes to a six-year, $106MM deal and Buehrle to a four-year, $58MM deal. Neither player had a no-trade clause as per club policy. Miami now has roughly $16MM in non-arbitration commitments heading into 2013.
Meanwhile, the blockbuster deal could make the Blue Jays a serious threat in the AL East. Johnson, the first player first known to be involved in the deal, turned in a solid 2012 season after missing the bulk of 2011 with inflammation in his right shoulder. The 28-year-old wasn't as quite as sharp as he was in 2009 and '10 but still posted a 3.81 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.
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 obviously didn't receive 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 came back to earth in the two years since, posting a .213/.308/.358 batting line for the Marlins.
While the Marlins gave up a boatload 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 brass 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.
The trade was initially reported by Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports with additional details coming from ESPN.com's Buster Olney, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com, and Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.
Six Teams Interested In Kevin Youkilis
The lot of free agent third basemen isn't very strong this offseason, and as a result, Kevin Youkilis has become a hot commodity. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Mariners and Marlins have checked in on the 33-year-old, as have the Phillies, Dodgers, and Indians. The White Sox are also said to want him back.
Youkilis hit .235/.336/.409 in 509 plate appearances last year, including .236/.346/.425 in 344 plate appearances following his trade to the ChiSox. He has plenty of experience at both first and third base throughout his career, though he has been on the disabled list five times in the last four years. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Youkilis 27th in his Top 50 Free Agents List, predicting he would sign with the Phillies.
Arbitration Eligibles: Miami Marlins
The Marlins are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series, with one of the smallest arbitration classes. The Marlins are one of baseball's "file and trial" teams, in that they're known to automatically go to an arbitration hearing if figures are exchanged. Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.
- First time: Ryan Webb ($900K)
- Second time: Emilio Bonifacio ($2.5MM)
- Third time: None
Webb came to the Marlins two years ago along with Edward Mujica, in the deal that sent Cameron Maybin to San Diego. Webb, who turns 27 in February, excels mainly at keeping the ball in the yard. He's generally hittable and doesn't post great strikeout rates, and spent some time in Triple-A in July. But at less than a million bucks, I think the Marlins will keep Webb around for 2013, especially having subtracted Heath Bell from their bullpen.
Bonifacio, 28 in April, missed a huge portion of the season due to a torn ligament in his thumb and a knee sprain. He still managed to steal 30 bases in only 64 games. Perhaps the Marlins will consider making him the permanent center fielder (he also plays infield) in 2013. Bonifacio won an arbitration hearing against the Marlins in February, after the team took their standard hardline stance despite a difference of only $250K.
Assuming both players are tendered contracts, the Marlins are looking at an estimated $3.4MM for their arbitration eligibles.
Matt Swartz's arbitration projections are available exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors. To read more about his projection model, check out this series of posts. To see projected arbitration salaries for all players, click here.
NL East Notes: Johnson, Tino, Phillies, Greinke, Nats
Here's the latest from around the NL East…
- The Marlins are less likely to deal Josh Johnson this offseason than they are to deal him in the weeks leading up to the July trade deadline, a source tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
- Also on Johnson, there is "not much traction" between the Marlins and Red Sox about a possible trade for the Miami ace, tweets WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
- The Marlins have hired Tino Martinez as their hitting coach, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (via Twitter). The Red Sox were reportedly also considering Martinez as a candidate to become their new hitting coach.
- Martinez will be the Marlins' only hitting coach, as Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Beach Sun-Sentinel reports, though some other teams carry two hitting coaches on staff.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he'd "rather pay for the player than trade for the player" in order to hold onto the Phils' minor leaguers. "I'd rather spend money but it's not an unlimited pool to work with," Amaro said. "We have some flexibility. I guess I would anticipate our payroll being similar to last year."
- The Phillies aren't planning to trade high-priced talent like Cliff Lee in an attempt to save payroll dollars, Amaro tells Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. "There's a reason why they're high-priced — it's because they're good. I feel like we have a much better chance of winning with them than without them," Amaro said.
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post wonders if the Nationals and Zack Greinke could be a match this winter, given that the Nats almost acquired Greinke from the Royals two years ago.
- "What's not to like?" Nats GM Mike Rizzo rhetorically asked about Greinke today, tweets Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. Rizzo also said there are "five or six really intriguing starters" on the free agent market, tying into Comak's report from earlier today about the Nationals' "open-minded" search for pitching.
- Also from Comak (Twitter link), Rizzo said the Nationals want to add at least one left-handed reliever. The team has talked to both Sean Burnett and Mike Gonzalez and they'd like to bring both southpaws back in 2013. Burnett declined his mutual option last week but said he's like to stay in Washington, while Gonzalez is also open to returning, though up to 10 teams are reportedly interested in him.
Marlins Sign Kevin Kouzmanoff & Jordan Smith
Here are the day's minor league signings…
- The Marlins have signed Kevin Kouzmanoff to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). The 31-year-old infielder hit .276/.309/.382 in 355 Triple-A plate appearances this year. He hasn't played in the big leagues since 2011.
- The Marlins also signed Jordan Smith to a minor league pact with an invite to Spring Training according to Rodriguez. Smith, 26, pitched to a 4.76 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate this year. The right-hander posted a 4.94 ERA in 62 relief innings for Cincinnati from 2010-2011.
Royals Claim Guillermo Moscoso, Brett Hayes
The Royals claimed right-hander Guillermo Moscoso off of waivers from the Rockies and claimed catcher Brett Hayes off of waivers from the Marlins, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter). The Royals have confirmed the moves.
Moscoso, 28, appeared in 23 games for the Rockies in 2012, posting a 6.12 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 50 innings. Hayes, also 28, appeared in 39 games for the Marlins in 2012. He hit .202/.229/.254 in 118 plate appearances with Miami.
Marlins Hire Mike Redmond
The Marlins hired Mike Redmond to be their next manager, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). Redmond, a former MLB catcher, spent seven years of his playing career with the Marlins. The 41-year-old obtains a three-year deal to replace Ozzie Guillen in Miami as the Marlins look to rebound from a disappointing 2012 season.
Redmond managed the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League from 2011-12. The team finished 77-60 in 2011 and went 78-55 this past season. Redmond's 13-year playing career ended just two years ago, in 2010. He played for the Marlins, Twins and Indians, and was Ivan Rodriguez's backup on the 2003 Marlins team that won the World Series. As Jeff Passan explained last year, Redmond has some unconventional methods for breaking out of slumps.
Former player and manager Larry Bowa and Reds pitching coach Bryan Price were also candidates for the position. The Blue Jays and Rockies are now the only teams seeking managers.