Rosenthal On Darvish, Marlins, White Sox, Astros
Let's take a look at what FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal has for us in his latest edition of Full Count..
- It's expected that C.C. Sabathia will opt out of his deal this offseason, but after that the most coveted pitcher this offseason might not be the Rangers' C.J. Wilson. Rather, some say it could be Japanese hurler Yu Darvish. Darvish is not a free agent, he'll have to be posted by his Japanese club and after that his rights will go to the highest bidder. The process has backfired on MLB teams before, but Darvish is seen as different because he has lived outside of his comfort zone in Japan for virtually all of his life.
- Improbable as it might seen, a rival GM says that there is logic to the Marlins making a run for either Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols this winter. The Fish are moving into a new ballpark but there are still questions about whether they can sustain long-term success. Either slugger would obviously be a major draw in tandem with Mike Stanton and that would surely get fans in the seats.
- If Ozzie Guillen lands with the Marlins and Tony La Russa stays with the Cardinals, the identity of the White Sox's next manager could hinge on the type of team they field in 2012. If they go all in, they'll likely want a veteran manager and if they go with a younger club they'll probably want a younger manager. With Juan Pierre and Mark Buerhle approaching free agency and Carlos Quentin and John Danks as trade candidates, the time is now if the club wants to rebuild.
- Baseball's biggest problem with approving Jim Crane as Astros owner stem from concerns about his past business practices and whether he would make a good long-term owner. Crane's deal with the current owner Drayton McLane expires on November 30th and meanwhile, baseball's labor talks continue. The players are reluctant to go to two additional wild cards unless there are fifteen teams in each league. The easiest way to do that would be to shift the Astros to the American League, but for now the club remains on hold.
Quick Hits: Pujols, Nunez, Mets, Moneyball
With some Major League teams restricting players from consuming energy drinks, you'll have to rely on these late-night news items to perk you up…
- The Cardinals' re-signing of Lance Berkman is a good move for several reasons, argues Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Berkman's presence will help convince Albert Pujols that the Cards can remain competitive or, if Pujols did leave, Berkman could replace Pujols as the club's first baseman.
- Speaking of Pujols, Tony La Russa praised his star for not being distracted by his pending free agency, reports MLB.com's Steve Overbey. La Russa also commented on Pujols' future, saying "I just know both parties want to stay here, so I'm hopeful it will work out." No doubt Pujols' decision will factor heavily in La Russa's own decision about exercising his side of the mutual option on his contract for 2012.
- Leo Nunez (a.k.a. Juan Carlos Oviedo) could face jail time in the Dominican Republic for using a false identity, reports Ezra Fieser and Frances Robles of the Miami Herald.
- The Mets recently signed 16-year-old, Venezuelan right-hander Luis Carreno, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.
- Scouts from around baseball are telling Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that they won't be going to see Moneyball given how the A's scouts are portrayed in the movie. Slusser herself objected to how former A's manager Art Howe was turned into "a villain" in the picture. "It’s essentially character assasination of a man who is well-liked all over the sport," Slusser writes.
- For more on Moneyball, check out my review of the film.
Front Office/Managerial Notes: Melvin, Padres, ChiSox
A few items about some shuffling in a few Major League front offices and some potential moves in the dugout for next season…
- Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said the club's postseason push is holding off discussions of a contract extension with GM Doug Melvin, writes Adam McCalvy and Jordan Schelling for MLB.com. "Doug, with everything going on with the team, doesn't want any distractions," Attanasio said. "After the season, I'm sure, it's something we could talk about. Obviously, we are very happy with Doug. We have one of the three best records in baseball." Melvin's current deal with Milwaukee is up after the 2012 season.
- The Padres have extended the contracts of A.J. Hinch, Jason McLeod and Fred Uhlman Jr. through 2013, according to a team press release. McLeod and Uhlman Jr. are assistants to the general manager and team vice-presidents, while Hinch is being promoted to that same position after serving as San Diego's VP of professional scouting.
- Kenny Williams said he didn't feel a change in leadership was necessarily needed in Chicago, reports MLB.com's Scott Merkin. The White Sox GM was non-committal about his team's offseason plans and the future of manager Ozzie Guillen, though Williams also noted the team hadn't held any formal organization meetings yet.
- The Marlins will interview third base and outfield coach Joe Espada and Nationals third base coach Bo Porter on Monday about the manager's job for next season, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Both men were candidates for the job last season before the club decided to bring Edwin Rodriguez back for 2011.
- The Mets have informed front office members Wayne Krivsky and Bryan Lambe that they won't be back in 2012, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The moves were expected, as both men were hired by ex-Mets GM Omar Minaya.
Marlins Will Consider Big-Name Free Agents
The Marlins are prepared to look into signing even the most expensive free agents this offseason, sources close to the team tell Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. This includes the likes of Albert Pujols, C.C. Sabathia or Prince Fielder, though Capozzi notes that it could be a stretch seeing any of those players in South Beach next year.
Still, with the team's new ballpark opening in Miami in April, team president David Samson says owner Jeffrey Loria is prepared to spend to put a competitve team on the field in 2012.
"Basically, what Jeffrey has instructed all of us is that no stone will be left unturned in order to make this year a memory and make next year unforgettable,' Samson said. "He said, 'I want people to forget about '11, forget about Sun Life Stadium, forget about the Florida Marlins, and I want the Miami Marlins to have their franchise start by making history.' "
We've already heard about Florida's interest in Aramis Ramirez and C.J. Wilson and Capozzi adds that the Marlins are also keeping an eye on Joey Votto should the Reds decide to make their star first baseman available. Though any team would be interested in the likes of Votto, Pujols and Fielder, this focus on first basemen could indicate the Marlins are dissatisfied with Gaby Sanchez and could look to make a move at first even if they don't acquire a superstar.
One source tells Capozzi that the Marlins' payroll could be close to $100MM next season. Cot's Baseball Contracts records Florida's 2011 payroll at a bit under $58MM and MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently looked at what the Fish could spend on their arbitration-eligible players.
NL East Notes: Wang, Rollins, Nunez, Capuano
The Nationals have won nine of their last eleven games, including a four-game sweep of the Phillies. They'll try to keep their hot streak alive tonight against the struggling Braves, who hold just a two-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL wild card race. Some news from the NL East….
- The Nationals are in the "preliminary stages" of negotiations with Chien-Ming Wang about an extension, Wang's agent Alan Nero tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter link).
- C.C. Sabathia thinks Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins may sign with the Giants in the offseason, reports Jon Heyman from Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Sabathia and Rollins are long-time friends and, as Heyman notes, Rollins was the first to predict that Sabathia would sign with the Yankees in the 2008-09 offseason.
- The Marlins may have been unable to deal Leo Nunez at the trade deadline due to the ongoing saga of Nunez's true identity, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Within that same link, Dan LeBatard is reporting that Major League Baseball (who must've been aware of Nunez's issues, as the Marlins were) nixed a deal involving Nunez last July.
- Chris Capuano is interested in returning to the Mets next year but said he prefers to be a starting pitcher whenever he goes, reports Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- Jose Reyes likes playing for the Mets but isn't sure how his free agency will play out this winter, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. "This is the only team that I played [for] so far in my whole career," Reyes said. "I feel comfortable here. I feel good with the ownership. I feel like we are family and stuff like that. At the same time, this is a business. And to be honest with you, I don't know what's going to happen.
- Davey Johnson wants the Nationals to add some outfield depth this winter, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Tyler Kepner of the New York Times explores the possibility that southpaw Mike Zagurski (dealt from the Phillies to the Diamondbacks earlier today) could end up returning to Philadelphia as the player to be named later in the deal, a rare "traded for himself" move.
East Notes: Blue Jays, Marlins, Nationals
Here are a few items of note regarding the offseason plans for teams that reside in MLB's East divisions …
- The Blue Jays will be more active on the trade market than in free agency this offseason, GM Alex Anthopoulous tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. “Philosophically speaking, if we want to improve the club, free agency is the last area I want to go to,” says Anthopoulos. Still, some in the organization feel the Jays need another starter, according to Davidi, and Yu Darvish remains a possible target. The Jays will also look to improve their bullpen.
- The Marlins will interview Nationals third-base coach Bo Porter for their managerial vacancy this offseason, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Porter, 39, is considered a "rising star" among future managerial candidates, according to Kilgore, and could take over in Washington if Davey Johnson does not return as Nationals skipper in 2012.
- As mentioned above, the Nationals could have a managerial vacancy of their own this offseason. Among the candidates to replace interim manager Johnson are first-base coach Trent Jewett, Triple-A Syracuse manager Randy Knorr, and Porter, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
Marlins Place Leo Nunez On Restricted List
7:52pm: Two sources familiar with Nunez's immigration status say the righty has been playing under an assumed name, reports Steven Wine of the Associated Press.
The Marlins have been aware of this for months, according to Wine's report. One of the sources says Nunez's real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo, and he's actually 29 years old, not 28.
1:14pm: The Marlins placed closer Leo Nunez on the restricted list for undisclosed reasons, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Agent Andy Mota declined to comment on his client, who was headed to the Dominican Republic.
Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel hears that Nunez isn't being disciplined for inappropriate behavior. He was placed on the list to return to the Dominican Republic and handle a personal matter.
Players on the restricted list do not count toward a team's 25-man or 40-man roster. Teams do not always pay players on the restricted list, so Nunez could be at risk of losing some of his $3.65MM salary depending on the circumstances of the move and whether the MLBPA objects on his behalf.
Nunez will be arbitration eligible for the fourth time this coming offseason and MLBTR's Tim Dierkes projects a $5.8MM salary for the right-hander in 2012, assuming the Marlins tender him a contract. Back in July, Rodriguez reported that the Marlins intended to keep Nunez in 2012.
Nunez, 28, has a 4.06 ERA with 7.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and 36 saves in 64 1/3 innings this year. Keep track of the latest fantasy-related reliever updates at CloserNews.com and on Twitter.
Quick Hits: Willingham, Rivera, Royals, Wilson
Links for Wednesday, as the Cardinals, Rays and Angels try to make improbable surges into the playoffs with some late-season magic…
- It appeared that Manny Ramirez was going to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic, but he is ineligible to play there because he has "unresolved drug program violations" with MLB, which is an affiliate of the Dominican League, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
- Josh Willingham, a free agent after the season, told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that manager Bob Melvin's extension helps make Oakland an appealing destination (Twitter link).
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post chronicles the obstacles that Mariano Rivera had to overcome before throwing a single MLB pitch. The Yankees left Rivera unprotected in the 1992 expansion draft and nearly traded him in 1995.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney predicts that a wide variety of teams including the Marlins and Nationals will be interested in C.J. Wilson this offseason (Twitter link). We heard earlier today that the Nationals are scouting the Rangers left-hander.
- The Royals intend to trade for a starting pitcher this winter, but they don’t intend to trade Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas or Danny Duffy and probably won’t part with Jake Odorizzi or Mike Montgomery, either, Jon Heyman writes at SI.com. They are one of the many teams with interest in Wilson.
Cubs Rumors: Aramis, Zambrano, Quade, Hughes
The Cubs project for the seventh overall pick in next year's draft, though it's a tight race. The latest on the club:
- Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez said yesterday that he'd probably played his last game as a Cub, noting that he's ready to move on and expects to hit the open market. Today, Ramirez told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that he doesn't think interim GM Randy Bush has the power to sign a big free agent, therefore nothing will come of today's meeting between Bush and his agent Paul Kinzer. Ramirez still prefers to stay with the Cubs, but he doesn't want to be part of a rebuilding process. If he hits the market, he'll easily be the best third baseman available.
- Kinzer also represents Starlin Castro, Geovany Soto, Carlos Marmol, and John Grabow, notes MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, so today's meeting probably won't just be about Ramirez.
- Manager Mike Quade answered a question about Carlos Zambrano from Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald, saying, "I'd like his arm back if he fit into the mix. But it would be tough for him to come back, for me." The Zambrano situation will be a tough assignment for the new GM.
- Quade expects to be back next year, he told Sullivan and other reporters.
- Longtime Cubs adviser Gary Hughes resigned yesterday, and ESPN's Buster Olney thinks he could land with the Marlins.
Arbitration Eligibles: Florida Marlins
The Marlins are next in our arbitration eligibles series.
- First time: Chris Volstad, Emilio Bonifacio, Donnie Murphy, Brian Sanches, John Baker
- Second time: Clay Hensley, Edward Mujica, Burke Badenhop
- Third time: Anibal Sanchez
- Fourth time: Leo Nunez
Volstad is probably interesting enough where the Marlins won't want to cut him loose. His projected $2.6MM salary shouldn't scare anyone off, but perhaps the Fish will trade him if they don't envision him in next year's rotation. Even with a $600K projection, I think Murphy will be non-tendered. Sanches is looking at about $1MM, and there's a chance the team lets him go. Baker had Tommy John surgery a year ago, and the Marlins must decide whether he can catch next year and is worth $800K. The Hensley starting experiment failed, but at $1.8MM I think he still has value as a reliever.
Everyone else seems on firmer ground to be tendered contracts: Bonifacio ($1.9MM), Mujica ($1.6MM), Badenhop ($1.1MM), Sanchez ($5.9MM), and Nunez ($5.8MM). Sanchez could be an extension candidate. We heard in July that Nunez would be retained for 2012; I don't know if his shaky August changed that. He has performance bonuses for games finished, which could push next year's salary past $6MM.
We've heard quite a bit about the Marlins' willingness to spend money this offseason, but these arbitration decisions are not as much about whether the team can afford the players but rather whether the players are worth their projected salaries. I think we're looking at $12.3MM if only Bonifacio, Hensley, Mujica, Badenhop, and Sanchez stay and the others are traded or non-tendered. That'd push the team's commitments to about $58MM before accounting for arbitration eligible players, but you can add as much as $9MM more if you see Nunez and Volstad on next year's team.
MLB.com's Joe Frisaro has estimated a significant bump to an $80MM payroll, which in my estimation means anywhere from $13-22MM to spend depending on Nunez and Volstad. Say it's $22MM. The team has potential needs at center field, third base, second base, the bullpen, and especially the rotation, so if the Marlins sign just one player with an eight-figure salary they'd have to skimp on other needs. Someone like C.J. Wilson makes more sense to me if the team is willing to jump to a $90MM payroll as they head into their new stadium.
Matt Swartz contributed to this post.