Brewers Intend To Discuss Extension With Segura
Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that he will reach out to Jean Segura's representatives over the offseason about a possible long-term extension, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter). The 23-year-old shortstop, who is represented by Joe Klein, will not be eligible for arbitration until 2016.
Of course, Melvin has reportedly already once been rebuffed by Segura's team. As MLBTR's Charlie Wilmoth recently explained, however, the time is more ripe for an extension at this point. Though Segura has failed to sustain his torrid start to 2013, he still ended up being a 4 WAR player in his first season of full-time duty. Wilmoth opined that Segura might be worth a commitment of around $20-23MM on a five-year deal, if he sacrificed at least one year of free agency with a club option.
Central Notes: Peralta, Brewers, Yost
After serving a 50-game suspension for his role in the Biogenesis scandal, Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta returned to his team Friday, now playing left field. Jose Iglesias has hit fairly well while living up to his defensive reputation since the Tigers acquired him in the three-team Jake Peavy trade at the July deadline, and so Peralta's team isn't the same as it was when he left it. Luckily for Peralta, Tigers left fielders, headed by Andy Dirks, haven't been spectacular, and there's still room for Peralta's potent bat in the Tigers' lineup and on their bench. He now appears set to make the Tigers' ALDS roster. Here are more notes from the Central divisions.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio acknowledges that his team has had a "disappointing" season, Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel reports. But the team's struggles created opportunities for players like Scooter Gennett, Khris Davis and Tyler Thornburg, and those players took advantage. "It certainly is going to affect how we plan in the offseason," Attanasio says. "We did our full group staff meetings, and a lot of these guys are in the mix now, and I don’t know if you would have had any of them in the mix three to four months ago." Attanasio suggests that the Brewers will pursue pitching this offseason, even though there aren't "a lot of obvious candidates" on the free agent market.
- The Royals and manager Ned Yost haven't yet begun talks on a new contract, but it's nearly certain he'll return, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes. "I’ve got too much invested here," says Yost. "These players are a joy to be around. They’re a fun, fun group." Royals GM Dayton Moore recently expressed interest in keeping Yost in the organization. The Royals are the midst of their first winning season since 2003.
NL Central Notes: Burnett, Sveum, Aoki
Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett could be making his last career start when he takes the hill tonight against the Reds. The Pirates have clinched a playoff spot, of course, but they're extremely likely to end up in a one-game playoff, also against Cincinnati. Francisco Liriano figures to start that game, and if the Pirates lose it, their season would be over. Burnett recently told the press he was "50-50" about whether he would play in 2014, although the Pirates have shown strong interest in bringing him back. Here are more notes from the NL Central.
- Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and the Cubs are likely to make a decision about manager Dale Sveum and his coaching staff by Monday, Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com reports (via Twitter). Sveum's status has been uncertain for weeks now, with rumblings that the Cubs always considered him a placeholder until they were ready to compete. A strong year for the Cubs' top prospects may have convinced Epstein and Hoyer to be more aggressive in finding a manager for next season. The Cubs have gone 66-93 while rebuilding in 2013.
- The Brewers will exercise outfielder Norichika Aoki's option, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports (via Twitter). Aoki's option is only for $1.5MM (with a $250K buyout) and so, as McCalvy notes, the decision was likely an easy one for Milwaukee. Aoki has produced a combined 4.2 WAR in his two seasons with the Brewers, including 1.7 in a 2013 season in which he's hit .287/.357/.368.
Minor Moves: Langerhans, Martin, Lalli
Here are today's minor moves from around the league…
- The Blue Jays purchased the contract of Ryan Langerhans and added him to the 40-man roster, the team announced. Langerhans has had two separate stints in the Jays' minor league system this season, with his most recent deal signed in August. He posted a .748 OPS in 248 PA with Triple-A Buffalo this season and is appearing in his first Major League game of 2013 tonight. Brett Cecil was transferred to the 60-day DL in a corresponding move.
- Rays right-hander J.D. Martin cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Durham after being designated for assignment over the weekend, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (on Twitter). Martin, 30, was named the Triple-A International League's Most Valuable Pitcher this season after totaling 160 1/3 innings with a 2.75 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9.
- Cotillo also tweets that Blake Lalli has been outrighted off the Brewers' 40-man roster after clearing waivers. Lalli, 30, was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Josh Ravin, who was claimed off waivers from the Reds. Lalli went 3-for-24 for the Brew Crew this season and is a lifetime .268/.312/.420 at Triple-A.
NL Central Links: Lohse, Arrieta, Sveum
The NL Central has morphed into one of the game's toughest divisions, with three teams ticketed for October baseball in the form of the Cardinals, Reds and Pirates. Here are some notes on the division's non-playoff teams…
- Kyle Lohse picked up a $350K bonus tonight for reaching the 190-inning mark, tweets Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Lohse signed a three-year, $33MM contract in Spring Training and has delivered nearly 200 innings of a mid-3.00 ERA for the Brewers.
- Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago writes that the Cubs' 2014 rotation is beginning to take shape, and Jake Arrieta has cemented a spot for himself among the team's core of starting pitchers with his solid performance after coming over from the Orioles in the Scott Feldman trade. Manager Dale Sveum told Rogers the only uncertainty in the rotation, in his mind, circles around the No. 5 spot. Jeff Samardzija, Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson will join Arrieta in the rotation next season.
- Speaking of Sveum, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune opines that the right thing for Cubs president Theo Epstein to do is bring his manager back for the 2014 season (subscription required). Firing Sveum with one year left on his contract would send the wrong message, writes Haugh. He's been given little Major League talent to work with and has done nothing to embarrass the organization.
Central Notes: Chen, Konerko, Brewers, Axford
For the first time since 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to the postseason. The Buccos and Reds each clinched playoff spots tonight, though it remains to be seen if those two clubs will face each other in the Wild Card game, or if one of them can catch the Cardinals for the NL Central lead. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis all won on Monday, so the Cards retained their two-game lead.
Here's the latest from both the NL and AL Central divisions…
- Bruce Chen loves pitching for the Royals and wants to re-sign the team this winter, the veteran southpaw tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Chen said that he hasn't yet sat down with agent Scott Boras to determine his market and that the Royals "haven’t talked to me" about a new contract, but Chen said he hopes to pitch for at least another four or five seasons. The 36-year-old has a 3.13 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 2.30 K/BB ratio in 109 1/3 IP this season, making 13 starts and 19 appearances out of the bullpen. Dutton shared some more Royals items earlier today.
- Paul Konerko won't decide on his playing future until after the season, a source tells ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine. Konerko has been toying with the idea of retirement all season, though he has reportedly told friends he intends to play in 2014.
- Norichika Aoki earned a $250K bonus upon making his 140th start of the season tonight, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports. This ups Aoki's salary to $1.5MM for the season, and he can earn $0.5875MM for playing in one more game this year. The Brewers have already gotten a huge bargain from Aoki's original two-year, $2.5MM contract and they hold a $1.5MM team option on the outfielder for 2014.
- In other Brewers contract news from McCalvy, right-hander Kyle Lohse will earn a $350K bonus on Wednesday when he retires his first batter and reaches the 190-inning mark for the season.
- John Axford is "open to discussing something with the Cardinals" about a new contract this offseason but for now is just looking forward to the postseason, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Axford has posted a 1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 IP since joining the Cards three weeks ago but he could be a non-tender candidate due to his high arbitration number. Axford is arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter and will earn a raise on his $5MM salary, plus he has two more arb years remaining after that as a Super Two player.
Quick Hits: Beckham, Lind, Tejada, Sveum, Ravin
Tim Beckham, the first overall pick in the 2008 Draft, entered the Rays' game as a pinch-hitter against the Rangers Thursday night and singled in his first big-league at-bat. It marked a milestone for the infielder, who crawled through the minor leagues, never hitting all that impressively at any level, before posting a line of .276/.342/.387 in 2013 for Triple-A Durham. All of the 20 players drafted immediately after Beckham made it to the big leagues before he did. (Many, of course, were drafted out of college; Beckham came out of high school.) Remarkably, as Baseball America's John Manuel notes (via Twitter), Beckham is the first player drafted by the Rays since 2007 to make it to the big leagues with them. That's surprising, given how vital young players are to a low-payroll team like the Rays and how successful they've been in recent years. Here are more notes from around the Majors.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has implied to first baseman Adam Lind that there's a good chance the team will pick up Lind's 2014 option, but nothing is certain yet, SportsNet.ca's Shi Davidi reports. "You know Alex pretty well, it’s pretty much the explanation I anticipated," says Lind, who will get either $7MM to play for the Jays or a $2MM buyout. The Jays also have options on Lind's services for 2015 and 2016. Lind has hit .282/.352/.486 so far this season. The team isn't required to make a decision about his option until shortly after the World Series ends.
- Mets manager Terry Collins wants Ruben Tejada to take command of the shortstop position next season, Anthony DiComo and Chris Iseman of MLB.com write. "My message is real simple: this job is his," says Collins. "But he's got to show everybody that he wants it desperately." That doesn't rule out the possibility that the Mets could pursue a shortstop from outside the organization. The offseason free-agent market isn't a strong one, but a trade might be a possibility. Tejada has hit .202/.259/.260 in 227 plate appearances this season.
- The Cubs aren't ready to say whether Dale Sveum will remain their manager in 2014, but the notion that the Cubs would fire Sveum is "laughable," says Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times. Morrissey raises the possibility that the Cubs hesitation on Sveum may have something to do with big-name managers like Joe Girardi and Ron Gardenhire being free agents this offseason. He argues that Sveum shouldn't be blamed for the struggles of Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro this season, suggesting that the pair might simply not be as good as the Cubs and their fans hoped.
- The Brewers claimed pitcher Josh Ravin off waivers from the Reds today, and MLB.com's Adam McCalvy compares Ravin to Joe Nathan, noting that Ravin can throw in triple digits (Twitter link). Ravin wouldn't be the first player to find success as a reliever in the Majors after an unimpressive minor-league career, but Joe Nathan is a lofty name to drop when discussing a 25-year-old who posted a 5.82 ERA with 6.7 BB/9 in the minors this year.
- Dodgers lefty Onelki Garcia is now represented by BHS Sports Council, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter). Garcia posted a 2.90 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in the upper levels of the minors in 2013, and he made his big-league debut last week.
Brewers Designate Blake Lalli For Assignment
The Brewers have designated Blake Lalli for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Josh Ravin, whom they claimed off waivers from the Reds earlier today, according to MLB Daily Dish's Chris Cotillo (Twitter link).
Lalli, 30, went 3-for-24 with three singles for Milwaukee this season and is 5-for-39 in his brief Major League career. The catcher/first baseman has a much stronger track record at Triple-A, where he has a solid slash line of .268/.312/.420 with 19 homers in 651 plate appearances. Lalli attended Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C. and signed with the Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 2006.
As always, you can track the status of Lalli and every other recently designated player using MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
Brewers Claim Josh Ravin
The Brewers have claimed Josh Ravin off waivers from the Reds, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter). The right-hander took to Twitter himself to confirm the transaction.
Ravin was designated for assignment by Cincinnati earlier this week. The 25-year-old posted a 5.82 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 6.7 BB/9 in 51 innings of relief between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He boasts a career 8.1 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 across parts of eight minor league seasons.
To keep up with the status of all players in DFA limbo, be sure to check out the MLBTR DFA Tracker.
Hart Would Give Brewers Discount To Stay In Milwaukee
Corey Hart hasn't played a game for the Brewers this season but he hopes to make it up to them in 2014. The outfielder/first baseman says that his preference is to stay in Milwaukee when his contract expires after the season, and he is willing to take a pay cut to make that happen, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
"I told them I would be very generous to stay here. I wouldn’t sit there and ask for anything outlandish. I’d definitely take a discount to stay here because I think I owe it to them to stay here and be a cheaper player," Hart said. "Nobody wants to play for free but I basically sat there and watched all season. I owe it to them and the fans to come back at a cheaper price."
Hart has been sidelined for all of 2013 while undergoing surgery on both knees and even when taking the loyalty out of the equation, it didn't seem likely that he'd find a deal to match his $10MM salary from this season. While Hart has told the club "numerous times" that he wants to stay put, he has yet to have discussions about a new deal.
For his career, the 31-year-old owns a .276/.334/.491 slash line across nine seasons with two All-Star selections in 2008 and 2010.