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International Notes: Marlins, Guerrero, Abreu, Twins

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A look at the latest on the international front…

  • The Marlins made a bid for Cuban shortstop Alexander Guerrero prior to the 26-year-old's decision to hire Scott Boras as his new agent but were told that the bid wasn't competitive, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun-Sentinel. The Marlins are no longer in the mix for Guerrero but still have interest in fellow Cuban Jose Dariel Abreu. However, the slugging first baseman would require an even larger commitment than Guerrero. Abreu is said to be looking for a larger guarantee than Yasiel Puig's seven-year, $42MM commitment from the Dodgers.
  • The Twins have signed 16-year-old Dominican prospect Alexander Vargas, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.  Terms of the deal are not known for the right-hander, who stands at 6-foot-3 and boasts a fastball in the low 90s, a curveball, and a changeup.  In addition to the La Academia product, Minnesota has also inked Dominican outfielder/first baseman Lewin Diaz for $1.4MM and Dominican third baseman Roni Tapia for $550K during this signing period.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

AL Notes: Twins, White Sox, Wedge

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The Twins could have as much as $40MM to spend this offseason, Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN writes. The contracts of Justin Morneau ($14MM in 2013), Nick Blackburn ($5.5MM) and Mike Pelfrey ($4MM) won't be on the books anymore, and Mackey points out that the Twins have $90-100MM budgeted for payroll in 2014. That doesn't mean they'll actually spend it all, and they haven't been big free-agent spenders in the past. But the possibility should make the offseason an interesting one for Twins fans. Here are more notes from the American League.

  • GM Rick Hahn of the White Sox doesn't feel his predecessor, Kenny Williams (who was promoted to executive vice president after the 2012 season), left the organization in a tough spot, reports MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "He left the position of general manager with a club that was in first place for [117] days," says Hahn. "He left us in a position to have a nine-digit payroll. You are not going to hear any gripes about the condition he left us in." Hahn points to the White Sox's crop of starting pitchers — which includes Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago — as evidence that the White Sox aren't in that unfavorable a position.
  • Manager Eric Wedge says that "the kids," meaning young players, and their struggles with fundamentals have been a big part of the Mariners' struggles during his tenure. But Dave Cameron of USS Mariner points out that, while the Mariners have given playing time to lots of young hitters in recent years, those hitters — including players like Kyle Seager and Brad Miller — have mostly played at least passably, if not well. It's hitters over 25 who have really struggled. Cameron doesn't address how the Mariners' young pitchers have done, but it's clear that the Mariners' young hitters, at least, don't deserve a large portion of the blame for the team's performance.

Central Notes: Brewers, Carpenter, Baker, Twins

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The Brewers front office held individual meetings with the coaching staff, as part of the team's annual season-ending evaluations, while in St. Louis for a series against the Cardinals this past week. "It's more on what's going on and what we can do better, and do we need to change anything in Spring Training, do we need to do anything in the season differently?" manager Ron Roenicke told reporters, including MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. "Kind of, 'What went wrong?' We know the injuries, we know what. But what else can we do to help?" This week, the front office and the coaching staff will meet as a group to discuss plans for 2014. Elsewhere from MLB's Central divisions:

  • Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel breaks down the Brewers' roster position-by-position.
  • Chris Carpenter is concentrating on mentoring the Cardinals' young starters and not on whether he will be able to resume his career in 2014, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I'll start working out before Spring Training, get off the mound like I always do and see what happens — and it's not time to say whether or not I want to do that. That's not on my mind right now." Carpenter said. "I'm going to enjoy this time with the guys, my family, and at the end of it we'll sit down and process where we're at, where we want to go forward as a family."
  • Scott Baker will make one more start for the Cubs on Friday before being shut down for the remainder of the season, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Baker, who underwent Tommy John surgery 17 months ago, has allowed just one run and five hits with a 5.0 K/BB ratio in his two starts (11 innings) since being activated from the disabled list. 
  • Baker's performance has impressed manager Dale Sveum, who would like to see Cubs re-sign the right-hander, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Baker, finishing off a one-year, $5.5MM contract, is also interested in a return engagement. "It's definitely an interesting place for me to be next year," said Baker. "I love the city and I love the organization as a whole. But obviously, we'll just have to see because there's a lot of moving parts. They've got a master plan and we'll just see if I'm part of it."
  • Twins manager Ron Gardenhire may or may not be back in 2014, but he does know the team needs to acquire better starting pitching, writes MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. "I don't think we have enough ready arms to step into this rotation," Gardenhire said. "We have lots of candidates. But are these guys ready to turn you around? I don't think so."
  • Within the same piece, Gardenhire also expressed his disappointment in some players' work ethic, as the franchise plots its course for 2014. "A lot of these guys have to understand this means a lot right now to how this roster is going to shape up next year," said Gardenhire. "Hopefully, they'll figure it out. We've been beating it into their heads that there's still something to play for." 

Central Notes: Grimm, Rodriguez, McDonald

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Since picking up Justin Grimm from the Rangers in the Matt Garza deal, the Cubs have liked what they've seen from him in a relief role, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Pitching coach Chris Bosio explains that the club is "presenting different roles for him," and Gonzales says that Grimm could stay in the pen going into spring training. On to more links from the AL and NL Central…

  • The Pirates have shut down Wandy Rodriguez because of persistent pain and discomfort in his left forearm, according to a statement from GM Neal Huntington. The move will provide more time for the flexor tendon in Rodriguez's forearm to heal and sets him up to be ready for Opening Day 2014, Huntington said.
  • Rodriguez says he hasn't considered whether he'll trigger his $13MM player option for next year, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets. However, it's unlikely that he doesn't do so, Biertempfel says. The Pirates are on the hook for $7.5MM of the option.
  • The Twins don't plan to sign James McDonald, who elected free agency today after being outrighted to Triple-A by the Pirates, Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com says. Minnesota will re-evaluate McDonald and take a look at his medicals over the offseason, however.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Rosenthal On Gardenhire, McCann, Saltalamacchia

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports brings us yet another edition of Full Count, let's dive in and take a look at the highlights..

  • Of all of the pending managerial situations to watch in the majors, the Twins might be the most interesting club to keep an eye on.  Ron Gardenhire is trying to avoid his third-straight 90-loss season and he's extremely unlikely to accept a one-year deal and serve as a lame duck in 2014.  By the same token, the Twins might not be willing to give him another multi-year pact.  For what it's worth, GM Terry Ryan has taken full responsibility for the team's poor roster.
  • Catchers generally don't do well in free agency, but two prominent ones are about to hit the open market with prominent teams bidding for their services: the Braves' Brian McCann and the Red Sox's Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  The Phillies and Rangers figures to be in the mix as they could lose free agent backstops of their own.  The White Sox badly need to upgrade behind the plate, though it's not clear how much they'll spend.  The Yankees could be involved too.  They want to stay under the $189MM luxury tax threshold, but they could use one of the two to finally give themselves an adequate replacement for Russell Martin.
  • It's not a huge surprise to see the Marlins contemplating a front office shakeup in September, but regardless of what they do with Baseball Operations President Larry Beinfest, Miami has bigger fish to fry.  The Marlins have to decide if they will part with Giancarlo Stanton as he's still unlikely to sign an extension.  Rosenthal also wonders why they have been bystanders when it comes to going after Cuban free agents that have come and gone like Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes, and Alexander Guerrero.  One has to imagine that a notable Cuban import would be a sizable draw in Miami.
  • Even though all of the focus is on the playoff chase, there's still a matter of who will get the final protected pick in next year's draft.  The Phillies, if they win too much, can wind up losers.  The difference is critical for Ruben Amaro & Co. as they have an older club and they'll want to sign free agents, but, of course, they don't want to lose a first rounder.  You can keep track of the other September race with MLBTR's Reverse Standings.

Twins Notes: Payroll, Offseason, McDonald

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Ryan Doumit won't catch again for the Twins this season as the team looks to protect him from a similar situation to the one in which Joe Mauer currently finds himself, writes La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Mauer experienced a setback in his recovery from a concussion earlier this week and remains out indefinitely. Here's more on the Twins as they try to avoid a third consecutive 90-loss season…

  • A decrease in payroll isn't the reason for the Twins' struggles, argues Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Mackey cites the Athletics as a team whose model the Twins should follow, as they consistently draft talent and sell high on those players to replenish their farm system. Mackey points out that the Twins have only had two starters they've drafted since 2006 — Kyle Gibson and Jeff Manship — impact the Major League rotation. Mackey searches for the Twins' last instance of selling high came, naming only this past offseason's trades of Denard Span and Ben Revere. Indeed, the Twins have opted to hang onto names like Michael Cuddyer, Josh Willingham, Jason Kubel and others in recent years instead of trading them at their value's apex.
  • Twins owner Jim Pohlad said after the team's 18-3 loss to Oakland earlier this week that the loss team's play is "embarrassing," and he will afford GM Terry Ryan with financial resources to make changes via free agency, according to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We made a couple trades last year," said Pohlad. "I'm not sure that we can rely on that this year. So if we're going to do something, it's going to have to be that way (free agency)." Pohlad said he's willing to spend "any amount of money on the current year" but doesn't want to commit himself to seven- or eight-year mega contracts for free agents. He did specifically say that he wouldn't rule out two-, three- and four-year free agent contracts.
  • Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that the Twins don't think that recently outrighted Pirates right-hander James McDonald has fully recovered from his shoulder woes, and as such they didn't pursue him when he was designated for assignment. Wolfson adds that the Twins may be interested this offseason if he ends up a free agent.

Central Links: Peralta, Holland, Cubs, Pelfrey

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Yesterday it was reported that Jhonny Peralta has left ACES for SFX as he prepares to hit free agency this offseason. Regarding his departure, Sam and Seth Levinson of ACES offered the following statement (via MLB.com's Jason Beck):

"ACES takes great pride in standing by our players during difficult times in their lives. Thankfully, the darkest chapter in Jhonny’s professional career has concluded. We wish him the best in all that he does moving forward, and fully understand that Jhonny is more comfortable with a Latin agent.  ACES is proud to represent great players who are quality people for over three decades and we will continue to defend and assert our players’ rights under the rules of the game."

Here's more out of baseball's Central divisions…

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Stanton, Collins, A-Rod

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For the Red Sox, 2013 has increasingly taken on the feel of a triumphant return to glory. Now enjoying a seemingly insurmountable division lead, the Sox have engineered one of the greatest season-to-season turnarounds ever. Jonah Keri of Grantland looks back on each of the key free agent signings made by GM Ben Cherington, arguing that the team's "passel of midlevel free agents" were hardly the overpays that they were labeled.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • The Phillies are still interested in Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that he's tried to trade for him "at least ten times," writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.  Unfortunately for the Phils, Marlins president Larry Beinfest has rebuffed them each time and made it clear that they're not moving him.
  • A Mets source told Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter) that manager Terry Collins isn't being evaluated by wins and losses in September.  "There's different criteria at different times of the year," the offical said.
  • Alex Rodriguez's attorneys fear that the MLBPA won't fight hard for their client as he fights a 211-game ban, writes Michael O'Keeffe of the New York Daily News.  Sources say that the relationship between team A-Rod and the union is rather uneasy at this point.
  • Twins pitcher Mike Pelfrey needs 10.2 innings to reach a $100K bonus and manager Ron Gardenhire won't get in his way as he says that he never lets bonuses affect his decisions, tweets Phil Miller of the Star Tribune.
  • Regardless of his light-hitting, Brendan Ryan left his mark on Mariners baseball, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  The shortstop was traded to the Yankees earlier this week for a player to be named later.
  • Three years after signing Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126MM deal, Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner says that he's still pleased about the deal, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

AL Central Links: Santana, Peralta, Twins

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The latest out of the AL Central to kick off your Wednesday morning…

  • Right-hander Ervin Santana offered praise for the Royals organization, its training staff and his teammates when asked by Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star if he'd be open to returning to the team next season. Santana told Dutton that his main focus is finishing the season strong, however. General manager Dayton Moore said the Royals "certainly like" Santana and will make an effort to bring him back for 2014.
  • Jhonny Peralta has been told by Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski that he will not be the team's starting shortstop if he returns to the team for the postseason following his 50-game suspension, writes James Schmehl of MLive.com. If the Tigers don't bring Peralta back, they will have to make a move to remove him from the roster when his suspension is up, which likely would mean designating Peralta for assignment, Schmehl adds.
  • MLB.com's Jason Beck spoke with Tigers lefty Darin Downs, who told Beck that he was in "offseason mode" when he got a surprise call from the team and was called up to the Majors. Downs had already gone home to Florida for the winter to be with his family and hadn't thrown for a week. Beck details how rare a move like this is for the Tigers in his piece.
  • "I don't know that," Twins GM Terry Ryan told reporters, including Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, when asked who will replace Justin Morneau in 2014. "We're still looking at it, seeing how we're going to respond, seeing how our guys do." Walters adds that there's still a chance Morneau could re-sign in Minnesota.

Quick Hits: Petit, Pelfrey, Astros, Call-Ups

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As you've no doubt heard by now, Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit — yes, that Yusmeiro Petit — came within inches of recording 27-straight outs last night. As a youngster, Petit was twice a top-100 prospect as he moved quickly through the Mets system. When he became the headline piece of the deal shipping star first baseman Carlos Delgado to the Mets late in 2005, Marlins GM Larry Beinfest said that Petit would join the Marlins' "stable of outstanding young pitchers." Instead, the Fish quickly lost interest and shipped him to the Diamondbacks in a misguided bid to acquire a proven closer, Jorge Julio. After flaming out in Arizona, Petit's transactional history on MLBTR has provided a crash course on minor roster moves. While we can all celebrate this journeyman hurler's brush with history, does it mean anything for the 28-year-old's future as a ballplayer?

  • According to Giants manager Bruce Bochy, Petit "sent a tremendous message that this is where he belongs and this is where he should be pitching," tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. Petit has indeed performed in limited action this year for San Francisco, with a 2.05 ERA over 26 1/3 innings in which he has notched thirty strikeouts against just four walks. Though he hasn't suppressed runs quite as well in Triple-A, he does sport a nifty 7.62 K:BB rate in 92 2/3 innings there. 
  • It will be interesting to see how the Giants proceed with Petit. As Baggarly notes in another tweet, Petit will reach arbitration eligibility for the first time this offseason. While the Giants can therefore control him for three seasons, it remains to be seen whether the team will be interested in tendering him a contract to do so.
  • There is some interesting precedent here. Another highly regarded young pitcher-turned-disappointment, Philip Humber, tossed a perfect game in 2012 but went on to post a 6.44 ERA in 102 innings on the year. When the White Sox released the first-time arb-eligible Humber, the Astros snapped him up and guaranteed him $1.3MM (including the buyout of a 2014 option) just before the tender deadline. Of course, unlike Petit, Humber had put up one full season of solid performance at the big league level, as he notched 163 innings of 3.75 ERA ball in 2011. 
  • Twins pitcher Mike Pelfrey, set to become a free agent, hopes to stay in Minnesota, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com, but agent Scott Boras will ask for more than $4.5MM per year to make that a reality. (Coming off of Tommy John surgery, Pelfrey signed with the Twins for one-year and $4MM.) This season, Pelfrey's first in a uniform other than the Mets', has seen him struggle to a 4.97 ERA in 26 starts. Pelfrey's ground-ball rate has dropped to a career-low 43.8%, and he continues to strike out less than six batters per nine while posting a below-average K:BB ratio (1.83 this season; 1.62 for his career). Nevertheless, Wolfson opines in another tweet that some club will give the 29-year-old that kind of money, though he believes the Twins would be best served to pass on another year of Pelfrey.
  • The Astros are still working on finalizing the rest of the club's September call-ups, tweets Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. As he notes in another tweet, fans pining for top prospects to taste the big leagues should bear in mind that players must be on the 40-man roster to be on the active MLB roster, and adding a player necessarily carries repercussions for managing the 40-man going forward.
  • General managers around baseball seem to be coalescing around the idea that a rule change should be made that limits the September roster expansion, writes USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Among the GMs and managers that Nightengale cites, only Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers prefers to reward teams that have deep farms with a larger active roster, though he says an even better solution is to "expand in April" so teams "won't wear out [their] bullpen early, and guys won't get injured so easily coming out of spring training." Most importantly, several members of the league's committee for on-field matters — including Tony LaRussa and Mike Scioscia — seem to believe that a change is warranted to avoid the sudden and massive shift in the game's rules during its most strategically challenging month.
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