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Odds & Ends: Papelbon, Bay, Lopez, Brewers

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Monday night linkage…

  • The World Umpires Association voted to ratify a new five-year contract with MLB that will extend to December 31st, 2014, according to Barry M. Bloom and Tom Singer of MLB.com.  The new contract was agreed upon in principal last month, but was not officially ratified until late Monday night.
  • Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe writes that neither Jonathan Papelbon nor the Red Sox seem interested in a long-term deal.  Boston may be reluctant to lock Papelbon in for the long-haul as they have Daniel Bard waiting in the wings.
  • Peter Gammons, in an appearance on NESN, said that the Red Sox and Jason Bay agreed to a four-year, $60MM pact in July, before an MRI raised concerns about both of his knees.  As a result, Boston reduced their offer from four years to two years.  Gammons suggested that this was an example of why an independent medical staff should be in place in the majors.
  • Cards manager Tony La Russa said that if the club makes one more move this off-season, he would prefer another hitter to a pitcher, writes Matthew Leach of MLB.com.  Ideally, La Russa says he would like a third baseman who could also play the outfield.  Leach writes that Felipe Lopez comes to mind.
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke to Brewers negotiator Teddy Werner, who said that Jody Gerut might be the only arbitration signing today.  We'll be keeping you posted on all of the day's signings in this handy post.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Monday

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More 2010 salary agreements are expected in advance of Tuesday's noon deadline for exchanging arbitration figures.

  • Chad Durbin has avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a $2.125MM contract with the Phillies, tweets Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.  This marks an increase over the $1.635MM he received by avoiding arbitration last year.
  • The Rockies signed Ryan Spilborghs to a two-year deal worth $3.25MM, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post.  The 30-year-old, who was arb-eligible for the first time, could earn an additional $1.15MM in incentives over the course of the deal.
  • Arizona agreed to terms with right-handed pitchers Chad Qualls and Aaron Heilman, reports Steve Gilbert of MLB.com (via Twitter).  Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweets that Heilman gets $2.15MM whereas Qualls will make $4.185MM in 2010.  This was the third arbitration-eligible year for both players.
  • The Bombers avoided arbitration with their last two eligible players, Chad Gaudin and Boone Logan, according to Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees Blog.  This was Gaudin's third arbitration-eligible year and Logan's very first.  Marc Carig of the Newark Star Ledger reports that Gaudin will make $2.95MM with incentives while Logan will make $590K.
  • The Rangers agreed to terms with pitcher C.J. Wilson on a one-year deal worth $3.1MM, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  The deal represents a $1.25MM raise in base pay for the 29-year-old, who avoided his first potential arbitration hearing this time a year ago.
  • The Reds agreed to terms with Jared Burton, their last arbitration-eligible player, reports John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer.  This was Burton's first flirtation with the arbitration process.
  • The Marlins avoided arbitration with Anibal Sanchez and Renyel Pinto by signing each to one-year deals, according to the Marlins' official twitter page.  This is the first go-round in arbitration for both players.  Sanchez will earn $1.25MM with up to $100K in bonuses, reports Jon Paul Morosi (via Twitter).  Pinto will make $1.075 according to the Associated Press.
  • Tony Pena and the White Sox have avoided arbitration, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal, tweets White Sox VP Scott Reifert.  Pena will earn $1.2MM, according to Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).  This was the 28-year-old's first time being arbitration-eligible.
  • Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla settled at $7.8MM, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  It's a $2.45MM raise for the slugger, who was arb-eligible for the second time.  He remains a trade candidate. Uggla told Frisaro he was happy to avoid a hearing, even after winning last year. 
  • The Brewers signed outfielder Jody Gerut for 2010, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  MLB.com's Adam McCalvy pegs the value at $2MM, a $225K raise.  This is Gerut's final arbitration year.
  • Blue Jays pitcher Shaun Marcum, who missed '09 due to Tommy John surgery, signed for $850K tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  2010 is Marcum's first arbitration year.

Odds & Ends: Alfaro, Brewers, Byrnes, Giambi

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Monday links, as we await a flurry of players avoiding arbitration…

  • The Rangers signed 16-year-old Colombian catcher Jorge Alfaro for $1.3MM, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.  Click here to watch video, courtesy of Kiley McDaniel.
  • The Mariners agreed to sign 17-year-old righty Kevin Quintanilla out of El Salvador.
  • Here's a link to Jon Heyman's latest at SI.com, where he ranks which teams have had the best offseasons so far.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees did not make an offer to Jerry Hairston Jr., nor have they had recent contact with Johnny Damon.
  • Olney also says the Rockies "are staying in contact with Jason Giambi, but they are considering other options first."
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel names the Brewers' arb-eligible seven, while also noting that GM Doug Melvin "remains in touch with the agents for free-agent lefties Doug Davis and Jarrod Washburn."
  • Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes about the Blue Jays' six arb-eligibles, noting that GM Alex Anthopoulos will not negotiate beyond Tuesday's deadline.
  • Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner believes Eric Byrnes is a fit for the Ms, though he acknowledges that the team already has several injury-prone players.  Cameron would be willing to pay about $1MM for Byrnes.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic looks back at the positive side of Byrnes' Arizona tenure.
  • In a FanGraphs article, Cameron says the WAR stat does value relievers correctly, and teams are just overpaying for closers.
  • WEEI's Rob Bradford wonders if Jonathan Papelbon's 2010 salary will lead to Theo Epstein's first arbitration hearing.
  • White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he wants to stay with the team beyond 2010, the last year of his current contract.
  • Yahoo's Jeff Passan examines the Athletics, who he feels are set up to contend in 2011.
  • At the Cubs Convention over the weekend, GM Jim Hendry said fans can "expect to have two new faces" before Spring Training.  The Cubs seek a reliever and a bench bat. 

Odds & Ends: Schumaker, Chapman, Thome

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Sunday linkage…

  • Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reflects on Eric Byrnes' time with the D'Backs.
  • Skip Schumaker tells MLB.com's Matthew Leach that he and the Cardinals are nearing an agreement on a 2010 contract.
  • MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that the Marlins were willing to offer $20MM to Aroldis Chapman.  
  • MLB.com's Scott Merkin writes that a handful of teams have contacted Jim Thome, including the Rays, though nothing is imminent. 
  • Owner Tom Ricketts defended general manager Jim Hendry this Saturday at the Cubs' annual convention, according to Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.
  • Shi Davidi from the Canadian Press spoke with both Justin Morneau and Jeff Francis at Baseball Canada's Annual Awards Banquet Saturday. Morneau expects to begin full workouts in a couple of weeks as a season-ending stress fracture in his back appears to have healed without issue. Francis is recovering from shoulder surgery but expects to be ready for Spring Training.
  • Bill Ladson tweets that Ryan Zimmerman thinks the Nationals are having their best offseason since he's been with the organization. Some of the larger moves we've seen the Nats make include signing Jason Marquis, Matt Capps, and Ivan Rodriguez, in addition to trading for Brian Bruney.
  • Eric Chavez told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he is comfortable with shifting to a utility role after the addition of third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.
  • Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) "overheard" that the Brewers will sign at least one more pitcher.  Recently, Milwaukee outrighted pitcher Omar Aguilar to Triple-A, though assistant GM Gord Ash claimed it wasn't in anticipation of an acquisition.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney writes that the Marlins didn't give Josh Johnson an extension just to appease the "Powers That Be".  Those within the organization expected the deal to get done well before the joint press release from the commissioner's office and the players' union.
  • Olney also writes that the Marlins are still looking for bullpen help and will sift through the remaining free agent relievers, including Kiko Calero.  Florida declined to offer arbitration to Calero, to avoid giving him a raise on his $500K salary in 2009.

Cafardo On Washburn, Garland, Marlins

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke to Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan who talked about free agent pickups Mike Cameron and Adrian Beltre.  Let's take a look at his news and notes from around the majors:

  • Free agent pitcher Jarrod Washburn could have a suitor in the Milwaukee Brewers.  Back in November the lefty said that the Brewers were one of the teams "on his radar".  Cafardo also writes that none of the free agent pitchers on the market should expect a commitment similar to Randy Wolf's three-year, $30MM deal.
  • Meanwhile, Jon Garland could be a fit for the Giants, who are still looking to add a starter, although we heard otherwise on Friday this week.  Recently we heard that the Dodgers contacted his agent, though they still appear to be hamstrung by their financial situation.
  • Cafardo believes that Scott Boras played a role in MLB and the players' union coming down on the Marlins' thin payroll.  Boras told him during the general managers' meetings in November that the Marlins were pocketing their revenue-sharing and central-fund sourcing money.  Meanwhile, Cafardo wonders aloud how the Pirates have avoided similar scrutiny from the union and MLB.

Odds & Ends: Hairston, Brewers, Reds, Salazar

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Some links for Friday…

Discussion: Next Young Pitcher To Be Extended

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One of the game's best young pitchers signed a contract extension yesterday that will take him to his 30th birthday, as the Marlins finally locked up Josh Johnson to a four-year deal worth $39MM. The extension mirrors the deal Kansas City gave Zack Greinke before last season, and is just the latest example of a club willing to assume the risk of a breakdown in exchange for cost certainty.

Paul Maholm, Scott Baker, Ubaldo Jimenez, Adam Wainwright, Matt Cain, Jon Lester, and James Shields are other young arms who have sacrificed the superior earning power of the arbitration process for financial security in recent years. Who do the readers of MLBTR think the next young pitcher to agree to an extension could be?

Leaving aside the big names like Tim Lincecum, Justin Verlander, and Felix Hernandez, here's a few pitchers who already have, or will soon enter into their arbitration years…

  • Yovani Gallardo – the Brewers' young ace struck out 204 batters and allowed just 150 hits in 185.2 innings last season, and will be arb eligible following the 2010 season.
  • Matt Garza – one of Tampa's many young power arms, Garza has struck out 7.3 batters per nine innings in his career, and has made 62 starts over the last two years. He's arb eligible as a Super Two this offseason.
  • Jair Jurrjens – perhaps the best pitcher no one talks about, Jurrjens led the NL in starts last year and owns a 3.21 career ERA. He'll be up for arbitration after the 2010 season.
  • Wandy Rodriguez – his breakthrough season last year included a 3.06 K/BB ratio and 193 strikeouts in 205.2 innings. Wandy is arb eligible for the second time this offseason after earning $2.6MM in 2009.

Odds & Ends: Standridge, Johnson, Davis, Crede

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Links for Thursday…

  • Josh Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick is now "cautiously optimistic" about a potential long-term deal with the Marlins for his client, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. However, the two sides still have differing thoughts on the proper comparables to use for Johnson's 2010 salary.  I'd say Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano, and Zack Greinke might be used in that discussion, but given Johnson's $1.4MM salary in '09 he probably can't expect much more than $4.2MM. 
  • What do Tupac, Sandra Bullock, and MLBTR have in common?  They're all favorites of Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
  • Scott Lauber of The News Journal tweets that the Phillies signed righty Jason Standridge to a minor league deal.  The former Rays first-rounder pitched only 12.6 innings for the Marlins' Triple A club this year. 
  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports wrote last night that the Twins, Brewers, Mets, and Nationals have interest in free agent lefty Doug Davis.  Davis suggested to MLB.com's Bill Ladson that the Nats are more focused on adding a second baseman.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASN says Joe Crede "appears to top" the Orioles' free agent list.
  • The Mets signed lefty Bobby Livingston to a minor league deal, tweets MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.  The 27-year-old southpaw logged 156 innings of 4.15 ball at various minor league stops in 2009.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says players of Adam LaRoche's caliber should take note of his new deal, because "the offers aren't going to get any better."
  • Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post runs through Yorvit Torrealba's suitors, while also noting that Miguel Olivo's $2.5MM option for 2011 can become a player option with 110 games in '10.
  • Catcher Mike Rabelo is a new name among the Tigers' 17 minor league deals announced today, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.

Odds & Ends: Marlins, Chapman, Royals, Padres

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Links for Tuesday…

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