AL Notes: Sano, Figgins, Washington, Rangers
All MLBTR readers are familiar with the MLB hot stove, but the biggest factor on the 2013-14 offseasion hails from abroad. As you are no doubt aware, Masahiro Tanaka spent his entire career to date in Japan with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Rakuten posted Tanaka, and stands to collect $20MM once Tanaka signs with a big league club. Tanaka was the best player on last year's Japan Series-winning Golden Eagles club. But how did Rakuten build that championship team, when the franchise was not even formed until 2005? Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker details the rise of the Golden Eagles, which featured the use of top draft picks on pitchers while the club added power from MLB castaways like Andruw Jones and Casey McGehee. Though Rakuten inked Kevin Youkilis to replace the departed McGehee, says Newman, filling in for Tanaka figures to be an impossibility.
As we pass another night without learning where Tanaka will land, let's look at some notes from the American League:
- Twins top prospect Miguel Sano is the game's best third-base prospect, according to Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. Sano anchors the top spot on the list for the second consecutive season. The free Top 10 list (with scouting reports) is rounded out by Kris Bryant, Nick Castellanos, Maikel Franco, Colin Moran, Garin Cecchini, Matt Davidson, D.J. Peterson, Joey Gallo and Hunter Dozier.
- Minnesota has not shown interest in Chone Figgins since watching his workout last week, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). Other clubs have expressed interest in Figgins and made offers inviting him to camp, Wolfson adds.
- When asked about an extension for manager Ron Washington, Rangers GM Jon Daniels was positive but noncommittal, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports on Twitter. "He's been a huge part of what we've done here," said Daniels. "I expect that to continue going forward."
- Meanwhile, Daniels says that Texas is working the free agent market for pitching depth, but is not looking at top-of-the-market arms, Wilson further tweets. We heard recently that the club had inquired on Paul Maholm and Bruce Chen.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Twins, Hanwha Eagles Working On Andrew Albers Deal
9:43pm: The deal may be coming up against some friction, reports Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The issue relates to Hanwha failing to follow MLB protocol by not notifying MLB of its intentions before negotiating with Albers.
As Berardino notes, the pitcher has reached a tentative agreement with his would-be new club on contract terms at this point.
6:31pm: Albers' agent, Blake Corosky, indicates that Albers is increasingly likely to land in Korea this year, reports Kevin Mitchell of Canadian outlet The StarPhoenix. At this point, Albers is waiting for the two clubs to reach agreement on the terms of their arrangement.
Albers would reportedly stand to earn a salary in the "high six figures," and would become a free agent following the season. If he stays in Minnesota, the 28-year-old would not be eligible for free agency until 2020, as he still has only 58 days of MLB service time. "The worst-case scenario," Corosky said semi-jokingly, "is he goes to spring training with the Twins — sort of what we expected five days ago."
12:50pm: The Twins and Eagles are negotiating a buyout of Albers, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. Should the two teams finalize that agreement, Albers would likely head to KBO on a one-year deal worth roughly $1MM deal with the Eagles.
12:09pm: The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization have shown interest in Twins lefty Andrew Albers, but the two sides have yet to come to an agreement, MLBTR has learned. While a deal is possible, an agreement would be a ways off, if one comes to fruition at all.
The 28-year-old Albers made 10 starts for the Twins in 2013 — his first taste of Major League action. The soft-tosser posted a solid 4.05 ERA with 3.8 K/9, 1.1 BB/9 and a 43.5 percent ground-ball rate in an even 60 innings for Minnesota. The Twins plucked the Canadian southpaw out of the independent Canadian-American Association following the 2010 season, and he rose through the ranks to become the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year this past season. Albers posted a stellar 2.86 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 132 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level prior to his big league debut.
Should he remain with the Twins, Albers will be in the mix for the fifth spot in the rotation alongside Vance Worley, Sam Deduno, Scott Diamond and Kyle Gibson. Minnesota will have a front four of Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes, Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey, each of whom is guaranteed at least $5.5MM in 2014.
Central Notes: Anderson, Meyer, Bourjos, Indians
Former White Sox first-rounder and top prospect Brian Anderson is making one last comeback attempt, he tells MLB.com's Scott Merkin. After trying his luck as a pitcher, the soon-to-be 32-year-old Anderson is looking to catch on as an outfielder once again and believes he's made adjustments that will allow him to succeed. Making those adjustments didn't always come easily, he tells Merkin: "…I was too stubborn to fully commit to making adjustments. That led to my demise and my inconsistency at the plate. I wanted everything that came with the big leagues without having to prove myself." Anderson is hoping for a Spring Training invite with a chance to win a fourth outfielder gig before hitting his way into more playing time. Here's more out of baseball's Central divisions…
- Steph Rogers of Getting Blanked interviewed Twins top pitching prospect Alex Meyer and covered a number of topics ranging from the best advice he's received to the transition to pro ball to the most beneficial aspects of winter ball. Meyer tells Rogers that he treasures the time he's been able to spend with former Reds left-hander Tom Browning in winter ball. Says Meyer of Browning, who pitched a perfect game in 1988: "If I can continue to pick his brain for the limited time I have left, it would be so beneficial."
- New Cardinals center fielder Peter Bourjos told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he wasn't surprised to be traded by the Angels this offseason. Bourjos told Hummel that one of his goals with the Cards is to steal 40 bases, adding that it will depend on how he swings the bat because he knows drawing walks is not one of his strengths.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tackles a number of trade Indians scenarios in his latest Inbox piece but ultimately concludes that Asdrubal Cabrera, Justin Masterson and Lonnie Chisenhall will all be in the organization come Opening Day (though he doesn't believe Chisenhall will start at third base).
- Earlier today, I ran down several NL Central notes, including pieces on Kolten Wong, Mark Reynolds and several Cubs topics.
Players Avoiding Arbitration: Friday
We'll keep track of today's smaller deals to avoid arbitration in this post. Click here for background on the upcoming arbitration schedule and how MLBTR is covering it. You can also check in on our Arbitration Tracker and look at MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz's arbitration projections.
Today's noon CT deadline to exchange arb figures has passed, but negotiations to avoid an arbitration hearing can continue into February. The Braves are the only strict "file and trial" team that did not agree to terms with all of its arb-eligible players, meaning they could be headed for several hearings. The Nats and Indians have also shown a willingness to go to a trial and still have some players unsigned. On to today's contract agreements…
- After exchanging numbers, the Mets and pitcher Dillon Gee have agreed to settle at the midpoint of $3.625MM, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Swartz projected Gee to earn $3.4MM.
- The Cubs have avoided arbitration with reliever Pedro Strop, president Theo Epstein told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). He will earn $1.325MM next year, according to a tweet from Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. It is not immediately apparent whether the deal was reached before the sides exchanged terms.
- The Angels have reached agreement on a $3.8MM deal with reliever Ernesto Frieri, reports Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (on Twitter).
- Mike Minor has agreed to terms on a $3.85MM deal with the Braves to avoid arbitration, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com (Twitter links). The deal came before figures were exchanged, Bowman notes.
- Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports that the D-Backs and lefty Joe Thatcher have avoided arb with a one-year, $2.375MM deal (Twitter link).
- Nicholson-Smith tweets that the Angels and Fernando Salas reached an agreement to avoid arbitration. Salas is the first Halos player to avoid arb. Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times tweets that Salas will earn $870K, which beats out his $700K projection.
- MLB.com's Jason Beck reports (via Twitter) that the Tigers and righty Al Alburquerque have reached agreement on a deal to avoid arb. The hard-throwing righty will earn $837.5K in 2014, tweets Beck.
- Sherman tweets that the Yankees and Ivan Nova avoided arbitration with a one-year, $3.3MM deal.
- The Pirates and Vin Mazzaro inked a one-year, $950K deal in lieu of an arbitration hearing, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune.
- The Royals announced that they've avoided arbitration with infielder Emilio Bonifacio. Heyman tweets that Bonifacio will earn $3.5MM in 2014.
- Sherman reports that the Rays avoided arbitration with Jeremy Hellickson and Sean Rodriguez (Twitter link). Hellickson landed a $3.625MM payday with a $25K bonus if he hits 195 innings pitched. Rodriguez will get $1.475MM with a $25K bump for hitting 300 plate appearances.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets that Brian Matusz avoided arb with the Orioles. Sherman adds that he'll earn $2.4MM in 2014.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tweets that Jason Castro and the Astros have avoided arbitration. McTaggart adds in a second tweet that Jesus Guzman avoided arb as well. Heyman reports that Castro will be paid $2.45MM, while Sherman tweets that Guzman will make $1.3MM.
- The Indians tweeted that they've avoided arb with lefty Marc Rzepczynski, and MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets that he'll earn $1.375MM in 2014. Bastian adds that Scrabble will earn an additional $25K for appearing in 55 games and another $25K for 60 games.
- The Giants avoided arbitration with Yusmeiro Petit, according to MLBTR's Steve Adams (on Twitter). He'll earn $845K, according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith (via Twitter).
Mark Reynolds Weighing Offers, Expected To Sign Soon
Free agent corner infielder/designated hitter Mark Reynolds has several offers in hand and is likely to take one by the end of the week, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. As Kilgore notes, the Nationals are among the teams to have expressed interest in the slugging 30-year-old.
Last we heard, the Nats were joined by four other teams that were in on Reynolds: the Rangers, Twins, Orioles, and Yankees. Though Reynolds was let go by the Indians after a rough .215/.307/.373 triple-slash over his first 384 plate appearances of 2013, he was better upon joining the Yankees. In 120 plate appearances for New York, Reynolds slashed .236/.300/.455.
Reynolds has prodigious power, having hit at least twenty home runs over the last six seasons. But with that strength comes a tendency to swing and miss; Reynolds has led the league in K's in four of his seven seasons. Reynolds has also graded out poorly as a fielder as well, though his baserunning metrics see him as average in that regard. It is worth noting, also, that Reynolds has a relatively minor career platoon split (.777 OPS and 147 home runs vs. righties; .834 OPS and 55 home runs vs. lefties).
Quick Hits: Kershaw, Tanaka, Matsuzaka, Twins
Bargains abound on the free agent market, opines Doug Miller of MLB.com. Miller lists the following sleeper candidates for solid production in 2014: catcher Michael McKenry, first bagger Casey Kotchman, outfielders Chris Coghlan, Derrick Robinson, Grady Sizemore, and Tyler Colvin, and pitchers James McDonald, Suk-min Yoon, and David Aardsma. Here are a few more links to round out the day:
- Ace Clayton Kershaw has had ongoing discussions with the Dodgers about an extension that could reach ten seasons with over a $30MM annual salary, says Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Club GM Ned Colletti said just recently that talks have been active, and of course the club reportedly extended Kershaw a $300MM offer during the 2013 season. Such a deal would make Kershaw the best paid player in baseball history, both in terms of total guarantee and annual salary.
- Meanwhile, the Dodgers are still in on the biggest open market pitcher of the offseason, Masahiro Tanaka. As Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com explains, the Yankees have an urgent need for Tanaka, while the Dodgers more aptly want the hurler. If Los Angeles nevertheless outbids the Yanks for the Japanese star, says Saxon, it would represent a fundamental power shift in the game.
- You can count the Athletics out of the mix for Tanaka, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Though GM Billy Beane surprised many when he nabbed Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Slusser says that Oakland is not pursuing Tanaka.
- Reports earlier this evening that Daisuke Matsuzaka had re-signed with the Mets proved untrue, as multiple reports made clear. But Matsuzaka still realistically could land in New York on a minor league deal, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. He would compete with in-house options for the club's fifth and final rotation slot.
- The Twins have hit before on the international market, and may now have their eyes on a couple of Cuban pitchers. According to a report on Twitter from 1500 ESPN Darren Wolfson, Minnesota sent three scouts to Mexico to see hurlers Misael Siverio and Odrisamer Despaigne throw in a showcase.
Latest On Suk-Min Yoon
10:40am: Major League Baseball has taken the procedural step of requesting a status check on Yoon from the Korea Baseball Organization, according to a Yonhap News report (hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). The KBO confirmed that Yoon is indeed a free agent and able to sign anywhere.
TODAY, 9:05am: Yoon is traveling to the United States on Wednesday in hopes of securing a contract, according to a report from Korean news outlet Arirang (video link).
JAN. 10: The Red Sox and Twins are both interested in Korean right-hander Suk-Min Yoon, tweets Peter Gammons of the MLB Network and GammonsDaily.com. Gammons also spoke with one executive who guessed that the Giants are a good fit for Yoon as well. In an article at GammonsDaily.com earlier this week, Gammons noted that Yoon is one of many depth options still on the radar for the Red Sox. Cuban right-hander Raicel Iglesias is also among their potential targets.
It's been quiet on the Yoon front this offseason, as agent Scott Boras has had his hands full in negotiating contracts for Shin-Soo Choo, Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Pelfrey while also trying to build the markets for Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales. As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes noted in his free agent profile of Yoon, the 27-year-old has a low-90s fastball and was considered the second-best pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization behind Hyun-jin Ryu prior to Ryu's jump to MLB. He has experience as both a starter and a closer.
The Twins have been connected to Yoon multiple times this offseason, but it's unclear whether or not they'd still have significant interest after adding Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes and re-signing Pelfrey. He could slot into Minnesota's bullpen, but the relief corps was one of the few strengths for last season's 96-loss Twins team.
Free Agent Notes: Tanaka, Santana, Reynolds, Baker, Guerrier
Here is the latest on several free agent situations around the league:
- While not technically a free agent, Masahiro Tanaka can still be signed by any club that is also willing to pay his $20MM posting fee. Reports out of Japan indicate that the Yankees and Dodgers are the favorites to land the 25-year-old righty, tweets David Waldstein of the New York Times, with Tanaka's wife reportedly interested in landing on the West Coast. The Angels are also said to be among the top suitors for Tanaka's services, says MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (referencing a recent report from Japanese outlet Sports Hochi).
- The Orioles, Twins, and Yankees recently asked for medicals on righty Ervin Santana, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. (Links to Twitter.) New York appears only to be performing due diligence, says Rosenthal, who notes that Santana's flyball tendencies make him a poor fit at Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile, the Twins seem unlikely to add another free agent starter, Rosenthal adds.
- There are at least five clubs that "have been in on" infielder/DH Mark Reynolds, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The teams include the Nationals, Rangers, Twins, Orioles, and Yankees.
- Right-handed starter Scott Baker has several minor league offers in hand but is holding out for a guaranteed MLB deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. The Twins have not been interested in a reunion thus far, Wolfson adds.
- Another former Twin who spent time with the Cubs last year, right-handed reliever Matt Guerrier, is set to throw off of a mound on Friday as he rehabs from an elbow injury suffered late last year, Wolfson tweets. Minnesota is interested in potentially bringing him back, according to Wolfson.
AL Notes: A-Rod, Moreland, Twins, Figgins
MLB was ready to pass expanded replay and eliminate home plate collisions at last month's Winter Meetings. However, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, the main hurdle is union approval. In an email to FOX Sports, MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark wrote the union's executive board discussed both issues "at length" during its December meeting, but "a consensus on both matters was not reached." Clark added "what has been contemplated exceeds what was agreed to" in regards to instant replay and "as it relates to home plate collisions, there are several points of view to explore with the players and we continue to do so." In today's news and notes from the American League:
- The Yankees will not make a final decision about how to handle the possibility of Alex Rodriguez reporting to Spring Training until speaking with the comissioner's office, reports ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand. One baseball official told Marchand the Yankees could send Rodriguez to their minor league camp and even go as far as instructing coaches not to hit him grounders or throw him batting practice.
- The only reason for Rodriguez to attend Spring Training is to give the media even more A-Rod headlines next month, opines Jayson Stark of ESPN. Several industry sources familiar with baseball's Basic Agreement and Joint Drug Agreement tell Stark neither agreement explicitly gives a player suspended for the season the right to attend Spring Training with one official calling the wording "intentionally vague."
- The Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League have released a statement on their Facebook page saying they will not sign A-Rod and doing so "would be a hurtful precedent." However, the San Rafael Pacifics of the independent Pacific Association are open to the possibility, tweets the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea, who first wrote about the team's interest last August. In the article, Shea notes the Pacific Association does not adhere to MLB suspensions and has no mandatory drug testing.
- Mitch Moreland told reporters, including Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com, he still isn't sure whether he will playing for the Rangers or elsewhere in 2014. "They’ve definitely made a lot of moves and have been very active this offseason," Moreland said. "From what I know right now, I’m still here and still a Texas Ranger and happy to be here and looking forward to the season." Earlier today, we learned Texas has been unwilling to discuss Moreland in trade talks. If that remains the case, Moreland says he has been told his role will be changing and he will use Spring Training to prepare himself to play first base, the outfield, and DH.
- The Twins are still showing no interest in exploring multi-year pacts with any of their three arbitration eligible players, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a total of $4.8MM for the trio of Trevor Plouffe, Brian Duensing, and Anthony Swarzak. In a separate tweet, Berardino reports an arbitration hearing will probably not be needed for Swarzak because the salary gap should be pretty narrow. The filing deadline is Tuesday.
- After sitting out 2013, Chone Figgins wants to play this season and will work out for teams in Tampa this week, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. After a .298/.395/.393 line with the Angels in 2009, Figgins signed a four-year, $36MM deal with the Mariners and proceeded to struggle in Seattle with a .227/.302/.283 slash over the life of the contract.
Quick Hits: Twins, O’s, Pirates, Phillies, CarGo
Robinson Cano is the latest to join baseball's $20MM-man club, Doug Miller of MLB.com writes, noting that the list of players making an average of $20MM or more annually has swelled dramatically in recent years. "It goes to the fact that these teams are anticipating revenue from regional television networks, and the new cable agreements are an accelerant to the spending," David Carter of the University of Southern California's Sports Business Institute comments. "The owners feel as though they're going to get that money back." Here's more from around the majors:
- The Twins are up next in Yahoo Sports' rundown of each club's offseason. Jeff Passan argues that while Minnesota's additions to the rotation should help, Twins fans will spend much of 2014 waiting for the arrivals of heralded prospects like Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Passan also likes the decision to move Joe Mauer to first base.
- Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun lists five factors to monitor as the Orioles prepare to hold a four-day offseason minicamp next week.
- The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Rob Biertemfepfel spoke with Pirates reliever Duke Welker, who was traded to Minnesota in October but was flipped back to Pittsburgh 44 days later. Welker is expected to compete for one of the Pirates' bullpen spots this spring.
- Scott Boras believes the Phillies' new TV deal is worth about $200MM annually when factors such as the club's equity stake in the network are considered, Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Having an ownership stake in the entity allows a team to avoid exposure to revenue-sharing rules, according to Boras, who says the loophole "hurts other teams in the league from receiving the true payment."
- Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez had his appendix removed on Friday night in an emergency surgery. Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports that Gonzalez didn't undergo a standard appendectomy, and could require nearly two months to recover, instead of the usual four weeks. However, that should still allow the All-Star plenty of time to recover and prepare for Opening Day.