Marlins Interested In Aroldis Chapman
MLBTR has learned of a surprising suitor for free agent lefty Aroldis Chapman: the Marlins. They intend to submit an offer and hope to meet Chapman this month. Offers began rolling in for Chapman last week.
Here's our Chapman review from last week. Since then we've learned more about the Angels, White Sox, Orioles, Cubs, and Braves.
Epstein: Red Sox Bought Low On Hermida
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein says he bought low on a player with considerable promise when he acquired Jeremy Hermida.
"He hasn't fulfilled his potential yet," Epstein said of the former top prospect. "We acquired him today to see if he can fulfill that potential."
It's impossible to predict whether Hermida can become a star, but Red Sox saw "positive indicators" that suggest the 25-year-old can improve upon the .259/.348/.392 line he posted for the Marlins this year.
Hermida hit .284/.398/.436 throughout the minors, with plate discipline and flashes of power. As recently as 2007, he posted an .870 OPS in the majors, so Hermida has succeeded in the big leagues before.
The Red Sox consider Hermida an average defender in either left or right field. According to UZR/150, Hermida has slightly below average range and a slightly below average arm. Ultimately, the Red Sox wanted to see if a change of scenery can improve Hermida's production.
"It was a chance to get a guy with unfulfilled potential for a reasonable cost," Epstein said.
The Red Sox have Hermida under team control for two seasons. The outfielder has missed time due to a variety of injuries, but the Red Sox say he doesn't have lingering structural problems.
Odds & Ends: Crosby, Gonzalez, Mariners
More items from a busy opening day of baseball's hot stove season…
- Consider it a formality, but John Lackey, Matt Holliday, and Jason Bay were among the 79 players filing for free agency today according to MLB.com's Tom Singer.
- Free agent Bobby Crosby told MLB.com's Mychael Urban that he doesn't expect to be back in Oakland next season.
- Alex Gonzalez has yet to hear from the Red Sox in regards to whether or not they will exercise his $6MM option for next season, says The Boston Herald's Michael Silverman.
- Jim Street of MLB.com breaks down Seattle's free agents, noting that Russell Branyan and Ken Griffey Jr. "are the most likely to return," and that if Griffey comes back, it would likely mean that the Mariners wouldn't re-sign veteran Mike Sweeney. Street also reported that right-hander Miguel Batista feels he won't be back in Seattle next season, with Batista going so far as to say there is a "99.9 percent chance" he will be in another team's uniform in 2010.
- Texas introduced former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle as their new hitting coach on Thursday.
- John Harper of the New York Daily News feels that Hideki Matsui's World Series MVP award made the Yankees' decision whether or not to re-sign the free agent slugger much more difficult. Even before Matsui's huge Game Six performance, MLBTR's Luke Adams outlined the factors behind any decision to put Matsui back in pinstripes in 2010.
- Randy St. Claire has been hired as the Marlins' new pitching coach, reports Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
Red Sox Acquire Jeremy Hermida
According to Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel, the Red Sox have acquired Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins in exchange for minor league lefthanded pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.
Hermida, 25, has hit .265/.344/.425 in almost 2,000 career plate appearances, which is not what many had in mind for the guy Baseball America once ranked as the fourth best prospect in baseball. He earned $2.25MM in 2009, and still has two more years of arbitration eligibility ahead of him.
The 25-year-old Jones got his first taste of the big leagues in 2009, when he put up a 9.24 ERA in 12.2 innings. He spent most of the year in Triple-A, where he held lefties to a .206 AVG against. Alvarez, 20, spent 2009 in Class-A ball, where he put up a 2.26 ERA in 26 games (12 start).
Odds & Ends: Lilly, Iwamura, Beckett, Marlins, Dunn, Cubs
Here's some links to check out while waiting for what might be the final start in the great careers of Andy Pettitte and Pedro Martinez…
- Ted Lilly had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder today, and the Cubs expect to have him back in their rotation "within the month of April," according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Might the Cubbies look for a little extra rotation insurance this offseason?
- MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch mentions that the Pirates "began to show heavy interest" in Akinori Iwamura back in September. GM Neal Huntington confirmed that they had several scouts watch Aki after he came back from his knee injury.
- WEEI.com's Rob Bradford mentions that Josh Beckett "isn’t likely to take a hometown discount" to stay with the Red Sox. Yesterday we learned that the two sides plan to meet in the coming weeks to discuss a contract extension.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro answers some hot stove related questions in his mailbag today. He thinks the Marlins will sign Josh Johnson to an extension this winter, and that they may explore trade possibilites for reliever Renyel Pinto.
- In response to some weekend speculation that Adam Dunn could be a fit in St. Louis if Matt Holliday leaves as a free agent, ESPN's Keith Law says "just doesn't make a lot of sense for the Cardinals to consider it," noting that they'd be looking at a big drop-off by sticking Dunn in left field.
- The Cub Reporter looks at what might happen on Chicago's north side in the coming weeks.
Offseason Outlook: Florida Marlins
Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Marlins. Their likely commitments for 2010:
C – John Baker – $400K
C – Ronny Paulino – $440K+
1B – Jorge Cantu – $3.5MM+
2B – Dan Uggla – $5.35MM+
SS – Hanley Ramirez – $7MM
3B – Emilio Bonifacio – $400K
IF/OF – Alfredo Amezaga – $1.3MM+
1B/3B – Wes Helms – $950K
LF – Chris Coghlan – $400K
CF – Cody Ross – $2.225MM+
RF – Brett Carroll – $400K
OF – Cameron Maybin – $400K
? –
SP – Ricky Nolasco – $2.4MM+
SP – Josh Johnson – $1.4MM+
SP – Chris Volstad – $400K
SP – Sean West – $400K
SP – Andrew Miller – $1.575MM
Other candidates: Rick VandenHurk – $400K
RP – Leo Nunez – $415K+
RP – Matt Lindstrom – $410K+
RP – Brian Sanches – $400K
RP – Renyel Pinto – $404K+
RP – Burke Badenhop – $400K
RP – Dan Meyer – $400K
RP – Carlos Martinez – $400K
Non-tender candidates: Jeremy Hermida, Renyel Pinto, Alfredo Amezaga
Assuming Hermida is non-tendered, the Marlins will have about $32MM committed before arbitration raises to Paulino, Cantu, Uggla, Amezaga, Ross, Nolasco, Johnson, Nunez, Lindstrom, and Pinto. The huge arbitration group should put the Fish around $45MM, even if Pinto and Amezaga are also non-tendered. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Marlins entered 2009 with a $36.8MM payroll.
Presumably the non-tender candidates will be shopped, and it would not be surprising to see many of the other arb-eligible players available on the trade market. Cantu and Uggla seem particularly likely to be traded, while the Marlins hope to sign Johnson to an extension.
In a recent mailbag for MLB.com, Joe Frisaro answered a question about a possible Uggla-Javier Vazquez swap. Uggla fits the Braves' need for right-handed power, though the team's first base and left field vacancies don't match up. Plus, the Braves and Marlins are in direct competition. The Tigers, Twins, Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Dodgers might need help at second base, while Uggla could theoretically play third base for the Orioles, Twins, Angels, A's, Mariners, Astros, or Cardinals. Of course, trading Uggla would leave the Marlins weak at second or third base themselves.
Cantu has much less trade value than Uggla. Ross fits somewhere in-between, given the weak market for center fielders. It'd make sense for the Marlins to seek young pitching in any deal, though I expect them to improve on this year's 4.57 rotation ERA regardless of any acquisitions. Gaby Sanchez can step in at first base for Cantu after hitting .289/.374/.475 at Triple A. Also, Logan Morrison logged a .411 OBP as a 21-year-old at Double A.
The Marlins deserve praise for last year's bullpen-building – Nunez was acquired for Mike Jacobs, while Kiko Calero, Brendan Donnelly, and Sanches were signed to minor league deals. With Calero and Donnelly likely headed for greener pastures, Lindstrom a question mark, and Pinto getting pricey, look for the Marlins to repeat the process.
Same old story for the Marlins for 2010 - they'll probably find a way to compete on a shoestring budget. The light at the end of the tunnel: the new stadium opens in 2012.
Rays Deal Iwamura To Pirates For Chavez
6:15pm: The deal is official, as per a press release by the Pirates. The deal is Chavez for Iwamura straight-up.
4:34pm: ESPN's Buster Olney tells us the Rays will receive reliever Jesse Chavez in return. Chavez, 26, posted a 4.01 ERA in 67.3 innings this year as a rookie, with a 6.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. He throws hard – his average fastball was 94.5 mph. Chavez is under team control through 2014.
Kovacevic believes the Pirates "will probably get another player in the Iwamura deal." He notes that Iwamura would be the Pirates' highest-paid player.
3:35pm: Topkin says Iwamura is headed to the Pirates, and the deal will be announced tonight. MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch does not believe the Bucs will surrender an established player. I'm a bit surprised they're willing to take Iwamura on at that salary, not that he's bad value.
3:04pm: Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets that he's hearing the Pirates are part of the Iwamura trade talks. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro believes the Marlins would have interest, but not if they had to assume Iwamura's entire contract.
2:41pm: Roger Mooney of the Bradenton Herald believes Iwamura is headed to an NL club.
12:45pm: Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times hears that the Rays are on the verge of trading Akinori Iwamura. Topkin's source, who's not with the Rays, says the team close to acquiring Iwamura is not the Dodgers or Cubs.
The Rays have until one day after the end of the World Series to pick up Iwamura's $4.85MM option or buy him out for $550K. The Rays don't need Iwamura thanks to Ben Zobrist's emergence, but it's not surprising that other teams have interest in the Japanese infielder. The 30-year-old has a career line of .281/.354/.393 and he plays a solid second base, according to UZR/150.
Odds & Ends: Bay, Damon, Josh Johnson
More links for Thursday…
- Jon Heyman of SI.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Red Sox might be willing to offer Jason Bay $60MM over four years. Heyman can see the Giants and, possibly, the Mets bidding more than that for the Canadian left fielder.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law can imagine some team signing Johnny Damon to a three-year deal this offseason, but cautions that it's riskly to sign a player in decline to a long-term pact.
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald had an interesting line at the end of his article yesterday - the Marlins are "preparing a multi-year offer for Josh Johnson." Earlier in the month, Ken Rosenthal said signing Johnson was the team's top offseason priority.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro presents some of the options the Marlins are considering for their coaching vacancies. The team may hire longtime big leaguer Jamie Quirk.
- Tyler Hissey of Around the Majors is unimpressed with this year's class of free agent first basemen. Adam LaRoche should be productive next year and the Mariners will likely want to bring Russell Branyan back if he's not too pricey, but there's no Mark Teixeira around this year.
- Hissey responds to the Josh Johnson chatter, arguing that he's an elite pitcher worth investing in. He suggests a four-year $48MM deal would be fair for both sides. What kind of contract would you offer Johnson?
Odds & Ends: Kikuchi, Astros, Smoltz, Hermida
Some links to read for Thursday morning…
- The AP reports (via the Miami Herald) that the Seibu Lions won the rights to negotiate with top Japanese amateur Yusei Kikuchi.
- Another top young pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, hit 100 mph repeatedly in his third AFL start, according to ESPN.com's Jason Grey.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says fans and media members need to hold Astros owner Drayton McLane accountable, and says it wasn't GM Ed Wade's fault that managerial candidate Manny Acta signed with the Indians.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears that the Cardinals still have interest in bringing John Smoltz back next year, perhaps as the team's fourth starter. The club seems likely to find a fifth starter within the organization.
- The Pirates and Reds will swap A ball affiliates next year, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer offered contracts to all of the organization's scouts and player development personnel, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs expects Tim Hudson to be worth the extension he's expected to sign.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro lists the Blue Jays, Mariners, Rays and Mets as possible destinations for Jeremy Hermida. The Marlins may trade the outfielder, who should hit free agency after 2011.
Odds & Ends: Beeston, St. Claire, Bay
Links for Tuesday…
- The Blue Jays announced today that Paul Beeston will remain the team's president and CEO on a three-year deal.
- The Cub Reporter has three potential offseason targets: Rajai Davis, Jeremy Hermida, and Kelly Johnson.
- Kerry Wood replied, "Never say never" when asked on ESPN 1000's Waddle and Silvy show about returning to the Cubs after his Indians contract expires. I was surprised the Cubs didn't offer Wood arbitration a year ago.
- The Marlins hired Randy St. Claire as their new pitching coach; he received a two-year deal according to Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. St. Claire was fired by the Nationals in June.
- Jason Bay's agent Joe Urbon unconvincingly defended his client's defense in this article from WEEI's Rob Bradford. Curt Schilling weighed in on Bay and J.D. Drew here.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times discusses the Angels' key free agents. He sees John Lackey getting at least five years and $100MM, and Chone Figgins landing around five years, $50MM. He adds that reliever Darren Oliver is again considering retirement.
- The Cubs sale to the Ricketts family is complete, says Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.