Olney On Hamilton, Brewers, Lohse
The Brewers could pursue Josh Hamilton this offseason if the free agent outfielder doesn’t get any offers for four-plus years and more than $100MM, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes. Here are more notes from Olney’s column…
- The Brewers aren’t positioned to give Hamilton a massive contract, but they can offer him a comfortable place to play where he’d be supported. Johnny Narron, his former mentor, works as Milwaukee’s hitting coach, and Brewers bench coach Jerry Narron also knows the 31-year-old. While many outsiders lack detailed information about Hamilton’s off-field issues, the Narron brothers know the outfielder well enough to make a determination about his ability to continue producing.
- At this point the Brewers intend to pursue multiple starters this offseason.
- General managers expect free agent starting pitchers to do well this year, since there’s a shortage of viable options at a time that many teams are flush with dollars. The Blue Jays, Royals, Cubs and Angels are among the many teams known to be seeking starting pitching.
- Some agents and general managers believe free agent starter Kyle Lohse could command a deal in the $60-75MM range, Olney reports.
Arbitration Eligibles: Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series. Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.
- First time: John Axford ($5.1MM), Travis Ishikawa ($900K), Chris Narveson ($800K), Marco Estrada ($1.6MM)
- Second time: Nyjer Morgan ($2.6MM)
- Third time: Jose Veras ($2.6MM), Manny Parra ($1.6MM), Kameron Loe ($2.6MM)
- Fourth time: Carlos Gomez ($3.4MM)
The Brewers' arbitration class includes four relievers: Axford, Loe, Parra, and Veras. Axford was removed from the closer role in July, but was soon worked back into save situations. Saves pay in arbitration, and Axford still amassed 35 of them in 2012 (and 106 for his career). At $5.1MM, he'll already be expensive for a reliever after his first time through arbitration, but Axford will be back in 2013.
Earlier this month, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel noted that the Brewers' bullpen will be "extensively retooled" behind Axford and Jim Henderson, so it's possible Loe, Veras, and Parra are all removed one way or another. Loe struggled this year but would get credit in arbitration for 51 career holds. Veras' already-shaky control slipped in 2012, but he still racks up strikeouts. Parra missed all of 2011 with an elbow injury and returned in 2012 with 58 2/3 relief innings. He remains tough on lefties and still throws hard, so he might be worth a $1.6MM investment. On the other hand, with a 5.06 ERA and tons of baserunners, it's possible the Brewers have seen enough. My guess is that Brewers GM Doug Melvin will shop this trio prior to the November 30th non-tender deadline.
Starters Estrada and Narveson are first-time arbitration eligible. Estrada posted a 3.76 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, and 1.18 HR/9 in 23 starts, so he has a rotation spot locked up for 2013. Narveson was serviceable in 2011, but he missed almost of all 2012 due to rotator cuff surgery. If, as we're projecting, that keeps him under a million bucks for '13, the Brewers will probably tender him a contract.
The Brewers have three arbitration eligible position players: Morgan, Ishikawa, and Gomez. Morgan lost his effectiveness against left-handed starters, and won't be worth his projected arbitration salary. Ishikawa was decent in limited action, but there's still some danger of a non-tender. Gomez hit a career-high 19 home runs, and is locked in as the Brewers' center fielder for next year.
The Brewers have a lot of borderline non-tender candidates in the bullpen, so it's tough to pin down a total salary estimate. If only Axford, Gomez, Narveson, and Estrada are retained, that'd be a projected $10.9MM for four arbitration eligible players.
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.
Maysonet, Hernandez, Palmer Declare Free Agency
Infielders Edwin Maysonet and Luis Hernandez and pitchers Matt Palmer and Juan Perez have declared free agency, according to the transactions page of the Pacific Coast League. All four had seen time on MLB rosters in 2012, before being outrighted to Triple-A.
Maysonet and Perez both saw action with the Brewers this year. Maysonet appeared in 30 games with a slash line of .250/.297/.350, including a game-winning grand slam against the Cubs on May 12, while playing shortstop, second and third base. Perez, a left-hander, appeared in ten games posting 12.9 K/9, 10.3 BB/9, and 2.6 HR/9 in only seven innings of work.
Hernandez played two games for the Rangers in August. He spent the rest of the year at Triple-A Round Rock batting .262/.303/.376 in 129 games, all but one at shortstop and second base. Hernandez also has MLB experience with the Orioles, Royals and Mets.
Palmer, a right-hander, pitched in three games for the Padres in late May before being outrighted to Triple-A. With Tucson, Palmer started 20 of the 21 games in which he appeared posting a 5.66 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9.
Brewers Notes: Starting Rotation, Hart, Weeks
The Milwaukee Brewers experienced a roller coaster season in 2012 marked by injuries, blown saves, and being 12 games under .500 on August 20 before embarking on a 24-6 run that boosted them back into the Wild Card race until being eliminated on the final weekend of the season. Club officials say everyone feels better about the state of the franchise heading into the offseason. But, how will that shape the winter for the Brewers? Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discussed that topic and other issues in a recent online chat with fans. Here are the highlights:
- GM Doug Melvin will be looking to add a veteran to the starting rotation and Haudricourt named Ryan Dempster, Edwin Jackson, and Kyle Lohse as possibilities. A fan suggested Brandon McCarthy and Haudricourt acknowledged the Brewers will perform their due diligence, but any addition will only be made if the pitcher is affordable, the right fit, and wants to come to Milwaukee.
- Haudricourt anticipates the Brewers signing a free agent starting pitcher is a more likely scenario than trading for one because the club has some payroll flexibility and they've already traded away a lot of prospects for pitching in recent years.
- Don't look for the Brewers to deal Corey Hart or Rickie Weeks to create more payroll flexibility. Haudricourt would be surprised if Hart, entering the final year of his contract with a 2013 salary of $10 MM, is traded despite the presence of Southern League MVP Hunter Morris. Weeks, due a guaranteed $21MM over the next two seasons, should also be safe, Haudricourt theorized, because the Brewers have enough money coming off the books to not have to worry about his salary.
- Haudricourt expects the payroll be less in 2013 than the $100 million-plus of this year, a spending level that should put the franchise in the red for 2012.
- Expect Nyjer Morgan to be non-tendered. It was obvious, Haudricourt opined, that Morgan was being phased out and having made $2.3MM and eligible for arbitration again, he probably will be replaced by Logan Schafer, a less expensive option who is considered a better defender. Haudricourt did praise Morgan for conducting himself professionally and never popping off or openly complaining about his decrease in playing time.
- Haudricourt listed some minor league prospects who took a big step this year and that fans should keep an eye on next season, including the aforementioned Morris.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Dodgers, Brewers
The latest outright assignments from around MLB…
- The Brewers announced that they outrighted infielder Eric Farris and right-hander Cody Scarpetta to Triple-A Nashville. Farris appeared in 13 games for the Brewers this past year, but spent the majority of the season as a second baseman and utility player at Triple-A. Scarpetta, 24, posted a 3.85 ERA in 117 innings at Double-A Huntsville in 2011 but missed the 2012 season to undergo Tommy John surgery.
- The Dodgers outrighted right-hander Blake Hawksworth and outfielder Matt Angle to Triple-A Albuquerque, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports (on Twitter). Hawksworth didn't pitch at the MLB level in 2012 and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in August. Angle, 27, spent the 2012 season at Triple-A, posting a .303/.376/.412 batting line in 447 plate appearances.
Quick Hits: Kinsler, Marcum, K-Rod, Rays
For the first time since baseball expanded the playoff field to eight teams, all four divisional series have gone to a deciding fifth game. The Nationals and Orioles forced Game Fives that will take place tomorrow, so we've got one more wild day of first-round baseball in store before the LCS round. Here are some news items from around the league…
- How the Rangers decide to use Ian Kinsler next season will impact the rest of their offseason moves, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. Durrett suggests that Kinsler should be dropped from the leadoff spot in the batting order and moved to the outfield to make room for Jurickson Profar at second base.
- Shaun Marcum doesn't expect to pitch for the Brewers next season, the pending free agent told Todd Rosiak and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week. Marcum said the Brewers "haven't said anything" to him about a contract extension. "I think that ship sailed a long time ago," Marcum said. "It's just one of those things. It's baseball, it's a business and we all understand that. You play to get to free agency, so we'll see what happens."
- Also from Rosiak and Haudricourt, Francisco Rodriguez said he would "love to come back" to Milwaukee. Rodriguez surprisingly accepted arbitration from the Brewers last season, earning himself $8MM in 2012. The club obviously won't repeat the move again this year but Rodriguez could still return on a smaller deal if he can't find a closer's job elsewhere.
- The Rays have asked the city of St. Petersburg for permission to explore potential stadium sites outside of the St. Pete area, reports Stephen Nohlgren of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays' lease at Tropicana Field runs through the 2027 season and St. Petersburg mayor Bill Foster "has been adamant" about keeping the team in his city for the duration of the lease, albeit possibly in a new ballpark.
Minor Transactions: Chulk, Dillard, Clevlen
Baseball America's Matt Eddy recaps this week's minor league transactions, including these notable moves…
- Brewers right-handers Vinnie Chulk and Tim Dillard have elected free agency. After last pitching in the Major Leagues in 2009, Chulk posted a 10.00 ERA in nine relief innings for Milwaukee this season before he was designated for assignment in May. Dillard, 29, was a 34th-round draft pick for Milwaukee in 2002 and has a 4.70 ERA in 73 career games over four seasons with the Brewers. Dillard had a 4.38 ERA, a 10.9 H/9 rate and a 2.07 K/BB ratio in 37 relief innings in 2012.
- The Diamondbacks re-signed outfielder Brent Clevlen to a new contract. Clevlen signed a minor league deal with the D'Backs in April and posted a combined .290/.366/.520 line in 345 plate appearances for the franchise's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. Clevlen, 28, has a career .783 OPS over 11 minor league seasons plus 84 PAs in the majors with the Braves and Tigers, though just four of those PAs have come since 2008.
NL Central Notes: Brewers, Soriano, Cubs, Cardinals
When addressing the press earlier today, Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin said that his "gut feeling" is that he won't be pursuing high-priced free agents this winter, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel. More from the NL Central..
- Melvin also said the current plan is to keep Corey Hart at first base and Norichika Aoki in right field with Mat Gamel coming off the bench, Haudricourt tweets.
- The Cubs are willing to explore an offseason trade involving Alfonso Soriano, writes Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. Last night, Soriano made it known that he would be open to a trade this winter as he hopes to return to the World Series before his career is through.
- Speaking of the Cubs, they promoted Shiraz Rehman to the position of Assistant GM, joining Randy Bush, Padilla tweets.
- Kyle Lohse could be making his final start for the Cardinals as they face the Braves in a one-game playoff in Atlanta, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
Central Notes: Myers, Soriano, Ryan, Morgan, Cubs
Earlier today, we looked at the latest on the White Sox courtesy of Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The club will decline options on Jake Peavy and Kevin Youkilis, but Kenny Williams will still work to retain both veterans. Speaking of Williams, he will soon be promoted from General Manager to team president with Rick Hahn assuming his former title. Here's more out of the Central divisions..
- Williams says that reliever Brett Myers could start for the White Sox in 2013, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. The White Sox hold a $10MM option on Myers for next season that they can buy out for $3MM.
- Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano told reporters that he is open to being traded in the offseason, according to the Associated Press. Soriano hopes to have one more shot at making a trip to the World Series before his career is through. The 36-year-old went on to say that he is open to retiring after the two remaining years on his contract are up.
- Twins manager Rod Gardenhire suggested to Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (via Twitter) that the club will probably have a press conference tomorrow to remove the interim tag from General Manager Terry Ryan's title.
- Brewers outfielder and former ACES client Nyjer Morgan says that he is now represented by agent Rex Gary, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. The outfielder is set to be a free agent for the first time following the 2014 campaign.
- The Cubs dismissed third base coach Pat Listach tonight, tweets Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. The decision was made by the club and manager Dale Sveum said that he would recommend him for any other coaching job (Twitter link).
NL Central Notes: Correia, LaHair, Snyder, Brewers
With tonight's 3-0 win over the Cubs, the Astros have now recorded three straight shutouts for the first time since 1986. It's a small measure of consolation for a team that has already clinched the worst record in baseball and the first overall pick in next year's amateur draft. Here's the latest from Houston and elsewhere around the NL Central…
- Kevin Correia cracked the 170-inning plateau with tonight's start, earning him a $100K bonus, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Correia will be a free agent this winter and is rumored to be parting ways with the Pirates, given that he's already requested a trade earlier this season.
- Bryan LaHair thinks he has a 50-50 chance of being traded by the Cubs this offseason, he tells ESPN Chicago's Doug Padilla.
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow is undecided about bringing back Chris Snyder next season, though he's been impressed by Snyder's veteran leadership, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The Astros and Snyder have a $4MM mutual option for 2013, an option that seems unlikely to be exercised by the club given Snyder's poor hitting this season and the fact that $4MM is a high price for a backup catcher. It's possible the Astros could decline the option and still bring Snyder back on a smaller contract.
- Ron Roenicke tells reporters (including MLB.com's Adam McCalvy) that the Brewers will bring their current coaching staff back next season.