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AL Notes: Wotus, Corrigan, Orioles, Youkilis

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What are the biggest holes to be filled by potential 2014 contenders? Writing for ESPN, Paul Swydan lists catcher for the Tigers, right field for the Orioles, and DH for the Yankees. Having already covered some of this evening's news from the AL Central side, here are more notes from the American League:

  • The Mariners have interviewed Giants bench coach Ron Wotus for the team's manager role, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman notes that Wotus joins a lengthy group of candidates vying to become the new Seattle skipper. 
  • The Angels lost major league special assignment scout Larry Corrigan, who will return to the Twins in some capacity, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports via Twitter. Corrigan has previously been described as one of GM Jerry Dipoto's most trusted scouts.
  • While the Orioles have a lengthy list of free agents, the club is taking its time addressing their situations, reports Dan Connolly of the Balitimore Sun. With well-known names like Scott Feldman, Nate McLouth, Michael Morse, Brian Roberts, and Francisco Rodriguez all coming off the books, the Baltimore front office has to decide who to pursue. "We haven't moved on any of those free agents yet," said executive VP Dan Duquette.
  • Yankees third baseman Kevin Youkilis is healthy and ready to test the free agent market once more, agent Joe Bick tells Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News. The 35-year-old was a bust for the Yanks, who got 28 games off subpar production from him at a cost of $12MM. 

Ryan On Free Agents, Tenders, Pelfrey, Pitching

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Twins GM Terry Ryan discussed a number of topics with 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson on Wednesday, including the following hot stove-related items…

  • The Twins have a protected first round draft pick but Ryan said he'd be comfortable in surrendering the club's second round selection to sign a free agent who had declined a qualifying offer, provided that he felt the free agent was a good fit.
  • Likewise, if the Twins identify a player on the trade market that would upgrade their club and could be had at the right price, Ryan would be open to dealing prospects to make a big splash like the Royals did last offseason to acquire James Shields.  "If you find some of that pitching, it makes you look a lot better in a hurry. So, you'd have to give it some consideration. But it'd have to make a lot of sense. No doubt," Ryan said.
  • Ryan has "flexibility with payroll" and isn't afraid to spend on a player his front office thinks is the right guy.  "We have people who put their neck out and are committed to whoever the player is or the pitcher is, you move forward. If it costs you some money, we go to where we're comfortable," Ryan said.
  • Trevor Plouffe will be tendered a contract, Ryan confirmed.  He declined to comment on Anthony Swarzak or Brian Duensing (both of whom are also eligible for arbitration), but Wolfson reports that "league sources are convinced" that both pitchers will be tendered contracts.
  • There is "probably not" any chance of the Twins re-signing Mike Pelfrey before he hits the free agent market, as Ryan suggested Pelfrey and agent Scott Boras will want to test the market.  Pelfrey returned from Tommy John surgery in 2012 to throw 152 2/3 innings for the Twins last season and he posted a 5.19 ERA that peripherals stats indicated should've been lower.  Pelfrey has said he would be interested in returning to Minnesota and MLBTR's Steve Adams suggests Pelfrey could be had on another one-year contract.

AL Notes: Oh, Yankees, Twins, Martinez

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The Yankees are among the teams interested in Korean pitcher Seung-Hwan Oh, the New York Post's George A. King III writes. Oh, a reliever, must go through the posting process, which begins in November. The 5'10, 31-year-old righty throws a 94-96 MPH fastball and a splitter. He pitched in 51 2/3 innings for the Samsung Lions in 2013, with a 1.74 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9. Here are more notes from around the AL.

  • Twins GM Terry Ryan says his team would give up its 2014 second-round pick to sign a free agent who received a qualifying offer, 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson writes (on Twitter). The Twins' first-rounder, at No. 5 overall, is protected. Still, Wolfson says it seems doubtful that the Twins would actually sign such a free agent, although Ervin Santana might be a possibility.
  • Ryan also says the free-agent pitching market will be "very competitive," Wolfson tweets. "You’ll probably be able to get one of them, hopefully," Ryan says. Minnesota's 5.26 rotation ERA in 2013 was easily the worst in the American League, with Scott Diamond, Pedro Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey, among others, struggling badly.
  • Pedro Martinez reiterates he left the Red Sox for the Mets prior to the 2005 season because the Red Sox refused to offer a contract of significant length, WEEI.com's Alex Speier writes (Twitter links). Martinez wanted a deal with the Red Sox for three years, but Boston only offered two, with the possibility of voiding the second year if Martinez got hurt. The Mets gave Martinez four years and $54MM.

Twins Notes: Perkins, Mauer, International Free Agents

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The Twins announced yesterday that All-Star closer Glen Perkins underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the medial meniscus in his right knee. Perkins, who saved 36 games for the Twins with a 2.30 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9, is expected to be ready for Spring Training. Here's more out of the Twin Cities…

  • Joe Mauer is symptom-free after missing the final 39 games of the regular season with a concussion, GM Terry Ryan told Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. There's been chatter of moving Mauer to first base to preserve his health in the Minnesota media, but both Ryan and Mauer himself have said that Mauer will catch in 2014.
  • Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN writes that the Twins were in on Dalier Hinojosa prior to his $4.25MM agreement with the Red Sox over the weekend. Though Hinojosa has pitched as both a starter and a reliever, the Twins viewed the Cuban righty as a starter.
  • Wolfson adds that the Twins will watch Cuban right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne and Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz in Mexico in the coming weeks. Despaigne's agent said yesterday he expects to negotiate a contract with a Major League team while in Mexico.

Managerial/Coaching Links: Molitor, Dodgers, Tigers, Hale

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The Twins announced today that they have added Hall of Famer and St. Paul native Paul Molitor to their Major League coaching staff. Molitor has been an oft-rumored candidate to be Ron Gardenhire's successor in the Twin Cities media, but with Gardenhire receiving a two-year extension, Molitor will oversee baserunning, bunting, infield instruction/positioning and assist with in-game strategy from the dugout. He has previously served as the Mariners' hitting coach and coached with the Twins under manager Tom Kelly in 2000-01.

Here's more on the managerial/coaching front from around the league…

  • The Dodgers announced that the options of coaches Davey Lopes, Rick Honeycutt and Tim Wallach's were exercised for 2014.  Hitting coach Mark McGwire was already under contract for next season.  It's an apparent indication that the Dodgers would prefer for Mattingly to stay, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), as a new manager would want to have some say in his staff.  However, the renewal of the coaches' contracts wouldn't preclude a promotion for Wallach (link).
  • The Dodgers have fired bench coach Trey Hillman and advanced scout Wade Taylor, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Both were close with manager Don Mattingly, who said at a press conference yesterday that his return in 2014 wasn't a guarantee just because his option vested and added that he wanted his entire coaching staff to return in 2014. The dismissal of Hillman and Taylor figures to add to the tension between Mattingly and the Dodgers brass.
  • Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times tweets that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti informed Hillman of his dismissal, but Mattingly, who hired Hillman, was not involved.
  • John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press runs down a list of candidates for the recently vacated Tigers managerial position. Former Pirates manager and current hitting coach Lloyd McClendon is the leading in-house candidate, but Lowe contacted Dusty Baker and Eric Wedge, both of whom expressed interest in the job. GM Dave Dombrowski said yesterday that the Tigers would hire someone with either Major League or Minor League managerial experience, adds Lowe, which seemingly takes former Detroit backstop Brad Ausmus out of the running.
  • The Nationals have intereviewed Blue Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale for their managerial vacancy, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Hale is the fifth candidate interviewed by the Nats (and third external candidate). He has previously interviewed for managerial openings with the Mariners (2009), Blue Jays (2011) and Cubs (2012). Kilgore adds that the Nationals were impressed by Hale's interview.
  • The Rangers announced yesterday that they have hired Tim Bogar as their bench coach. The 47-year-old Bogar spent 2012 managing the Angels' Double-A affiliate and spent the 2009-12 seasons filling the positions of Major League first base coach, third base coach and bench coach for the Red Sox.

Minor Moves: Ramirez, Crowe, Purcey

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Twins have outrighted outfielder Wilkin Ramirez off their 40-man roster, reports Tyler Mason of FOX Sports North (on Twitter). Ramirez, who turns 28 on Friday, broke camp with the team but missed a significant portion of the season with a concussion. He received just 87 plate appearances for the Twins, batting .272/.302/.370. Though he's been primarily a corner outfielder in his minor league career, Minnesota used Ramirez in center for 50 innings this season.
  • Outfielder Trevor Crowe rejected his outright assignment from the Astros and elected free agency, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. The former first-rounder was outrighted last week and would have been eligble for arbitration had he remained on the 40-man roster. Instead, Crowe is now free to sign with any team following a season in which he batted .218/.287/.291 in 181 MLB plate appearances. Crowe was solid in the minors, slashing .304/.364/.388 with three homers and 16 steals in 60 Triple-A games.
  • Left-hander David Purcey rejected his outright assignment from the White Sox in lieu of free agency as well, per the International League's transactions page. Purcey, 31, posted a 2.13 ERA with 8.2 K/9 but an ugly 6.0 BB/9 rate in 24 relief appearances for the South Siders in 2013. Like Crowe, he'd have been arbitration eligible, so his team decided to cut ties early on, knowing that he wouldn't be tendered a contract. Purcey missed the final week of the season with a sprained UCL in his throwing elbow, but the injury wasn't expected to require surgery and should be able to heal with offseason rest.
  • The Dodgers' Alex Castellanos is the only player currently in DFA limbo, as can be seen in MLBTR's DFA Tracker.

Arbitration Eligibles: Minnesota Twins

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Matt Swartz has developed a very accurate model that MLBTR uses to project arbitration salaries, as explained in this series of posts. We've heard from many MLB teams and agencies that reference the projections in their work.  The Twins are next in our series.  Estimated service time is in parentheses, and estimated 2014 salary follows.

Plouffe received 57 more plate appearances in 2013 than 2012, but hit 10 fewer home runs.  He may be better served as a platoon option at third base moving forward, but he's still worth retaining at this price.  

Duensing had his first season of full-time relief pitching and was serviceable with a 3.98 ERA in 61 innings.  He was dominant against lefties, and could have more success in a LOOGY role.  Swarzak led all of MLB with 96 relief innings, posting a strong 2.91 ERA.  Both pitchers should be part of the Twins' bullpen in 2014.

Assuming the Twins tender contracts to Plouffe, Duensing, and Swarzak, they're looking at an estimated $4.8MM for three arbitration eligible players.

AL Central Notes: Ortiz, Peavy, Tigers, Ramirez

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David Ortiz's postseason heroics are a painful reminder of the worst decision in Twins' history, writes Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Twins cut ties with Ortiz following the 2002 season after his salary was expected to jump to $2MM+. Interest in Ortiz on the free agent market was tepid, and the Red Sox, of course, were able to sign him for just $1.25MM in late January. The rest is history, though the legend of Big Papi continued to grow this October with a dramatic, game-tying grand slam off Joaquin Benoit in the ALCS.

Here's more from the AL Central…

  • Jake Peavy admitted to reporters, including Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago, that he's disappointed that the White Sox weren't able to make the playoffs, as he had hoped when he signed a two-year extension with the team last offseason. However, he's enjoying his time with the Red Sox and relishes the chance to pitch in meaningful games: "…this is what, as a competitor, as a baseball player, playing at the highest level, you dream of being able to do,” Peavy said. “Pitching in games that mean the world to your teammates, to yourself, to your coaching staff and your fan base."
  • Former Tiger and current MLBPA Deputy Executive Director Tony Clark told George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press that Tigers owner Mike Illitch was always committed to winning, even in the years in which the Tigers weren't competitive. Clark added that he's excited to see the current group of Tigers playing well, as he has fond memories of his days with the team. Clark hit .277/.355/.502 with 156 homers for the Tigers from 1995-2001 after Detroit picked him second overall in the draft.
  • Royals catcher Max Ramirez has left the Wasserman Media Group and is now represented by Burton Rocks, tweets Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Ramirez, a former top prospect, will be a free agent this winter and batted .263/.336/.375 with nine homers in 467 plate appearances at Triple-A Omaha.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Twins, Yoon, Santana

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Trades don't always work out for both clubs involved and it's even rarer for a three-team deal to benefit all parties.  However, the Jake Peavy deal did just that, according to Red Sox skipper John Farrell.  “One, It’s a great baseball trade because it clearly had specific needs and fit for the three teams involved,” Farrell said, according to Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. “Secondly, you have to give up a quality player to get a quality player in return. … It was hard to see Jose Iglesias go, but in return we knew we needed another quality starter, and we got that in Jake."  The swap brought five-tool outfielder Avisail Garcia to the White Sox and the Tigers received Iglesias from Boston.  More out of the AL Central..

  • Korean starting pitcher Suk-Min Yoon is on the Twins' radar, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter).  Because Yoon is a free agent, he won't require a posting fee from the team that signs him.  Yoon hired agent Scott Boras to represent him following the 2011 season but he ultimately stayed in Korea despite speculation he would pitch in the big leagues in 2012.  The 27-year-old is set to audition for clubs in the U.S in the near future.
  • It's something of a longshot to happen, but Wolfson (Twitter link) hears that the Twins aren't married to keeping their second-round pick and would sacrifice it to sign a player tied to draft compensation.  Of course, the Twins' first-round pick is protected thanks to finishing in the bottom third of the standings.
  • The Royals should be very careful about the kind of offer they give to free agent Ervin Santana, writes Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star.  Historically, large and long-term commitments to free agent pitchers don't pan out and Mellinger suggests that KC sets a limit of $45MM over three years.  

Offseason Outlook: Minnesota Twins

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The Twins spent nearly a decade at or near the top of the AL Central, but 2013 marked their third straight 90-loss season.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses)

Contract Options

  • N/A

Free Agents

The Twins have already cleared up one of their first orders of offseason business by issuing manager Ron Gardenhire a two-year extension and retaining the entire coaching staff. While many fans anticipated a change following the team's run of 90-loss seasons, ownership and GM Terry Ryan recognized they hadn't given Gardenhire much of a chance to succeed with the players they'd provided in recent years. They'll look to change that this offseason, as owner Jim Pohlad publicly voiced that he has had enough when he called the team's play "embarrassing." Pohlad said that he would provide Ryan with the necessary funds to sign free agents this winter, adding that he's not adverse to three- and four-year deals, which the Twins have typically shied away from in the past.

One of the biggest Twins narratives of the offseason will be "What to do with Joe Mauer?" Perennially one of the league's best catchers, Mauer missed the end of the season with a concussion. The Twins have invested more in him, financially speaking, than any other player in history. Many in the Twin Cities media and Twins fanbase are calling for Mauer to move to first base to protect his health, now that Justin Morneau has departed. However, Ryan and Mauer himself have maintained that he will catch in 2014. The Twins do have a potentially viable alternative, as rookie backstop Josmil Pinto burst onto the scene in September after a dominant minor league showing and hit .342/.398/.566 with four homers in an admittedly small sample size of 83 plate appearances.

Turning to the infield, the Twins lack an heir apparent to the now-departed Morneau. Former first-round pick Chris Parmelee has failed to repeat his brilliant production from September 2011 or his big numbers from Triple-A Rochester in 2012. Chris Colabello is among the game's best stories, as the Independent League lifer caught on with the Twins at age 28 last season and mashed his way through the minors. However, upon reaching the Majors, his tremendous opposite-field power has been overshadowed by his alarming strikeout rate. The team could look to re-sign longtime cornerstone Morneau, or they could buy low on an upside candidate like Corey Hart with Parmelee and Colabello as fall-back options.

The Twins' middle-infield corps, led by Brian Dozier and Pedro Florimon, was the best defensive group in the Majors, according to DRS (as I noted last month over at SB Nation's Twinkie Town). Though neither is a big offensive threat, Dozier was able to produce a roughly league-average line with the bat at least (100 OPS+, 101 wRC+). The switch-hitting Florimon batted just .180/.229/.230 from the right side, so one wonders if he could take a step forward simply by switching to the left side permanently. Even with Florimon's weak bat, the pair combined for four to six WAR, depending on your preferred version of the metric. The middle infield probably won't be a high priority, though one name to keep an eye on could be Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz. The Twins were said to have interest (despite a high price tag), and he should be able to sign in February.

Trevor Plouffe earned a nod as the team's third baseman when he mashed 24 homers in just 465 PAs in 2012, but the former first-rounder's power regressed in 2013, and he's a poor defender at the hot corner. The Twins figure to bring in some form of competition to push Plouffe at third base, perhaps just a minor league free agent or two. Casey McGehee, who hopes to return to the Majors after a big season in Japan, could merit consideration given the team's problems at corner infield.

In the outfield, Josh Willingham will man left field. One would think that top prospect Oswaldo Arcia's .251/.304/.430 batting line and 14 homers in a half-season of big league PAs as a 22-year-old have earned him a look as 2014's right fielder. Fellow top prospect Aaron Hicks flopped in his initial center field tryout, but Hicks has typically developed at a slow pace throughout the minors and skipped Triple-A entirely to jump to Minneapolis on Opening Day. While his strikeout rate was sky-high, Hicks showed better power than expected and possesses one of baseball's best arms in center field, so he should have a chance again in 2014. Alex Presley, acquired in the Morneau trade, could start in center if the team wants Hicks to open his age-24 season in Triple-A.

Pitching remains the Twins' biggest problem, and perhaps no stat is more telling than the league-worst 5.26 ERA turned in by Twins' starters. No team was even close to that bad, as the Blue Jays finished 29th at 4.81. The 871 innings turned in by the Twins' starters was also the lowest total of any team. Kevin Correia pitched better than most expected in his first season with the Twins, and journeyman Samuel Deduno's surprising 4.09 ERA in 187 innings for the Twins from 2012-13 is likely enough to earn him a rotation spot as well. Beyond that, things are murky. Scott Diamond was the team's best arm in 2012, but his contact-oriented arsenal caught up to him in 2013. Mike Pelfrey posted a nice FIP, but his 5.19 ERA and inability to work deep into games should keep the Twins away, though he did express interest in returning. Andrew Albers was another independent league gem found by the Twins, but with just 3.8 K/9 in 60 innings, it's fair to wonder if he can repeat his 4.05 ERA over a full season. FIP liked him at 3.96, but xFIP (4.42) and SIERA (4.71) weren't so optimistic. Top prospect Kyle Gibson struggled tremendously in his first taste of the bigs, but the 2009 first-rounder will be two full years removed from Tommy John surgery next Spring. With a respectable Spring Training showing, he should crack the big league roster.

If Pohlad's word is true, the Twins need to prioritize adding higher-upside arms than they did last winter. Ervin Santana, Matt Garza and Masahiro Tanaka are probably too expensive, but the next tier of starting pitchers could be realistic targets. Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir and Phil Hughes are all relatively young and all carry more upside than arms the Twins have targeted in past seasons. Ricky Nolasco and Scott Feldman could make sense as innings eaters with more upside than Correia as well. If they want to think outside the box, Randy Messenger could be a Colby Lewis-style addition after three very strong years in Japan (Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reported last year that the Twins had interest).

The bullpen is the team's strong point, anchored by Glen Perkins, who has emerged as one of baseball's best closers. Beyond Perkins, Jared Burton and Casey Fien are solid options in the seventh and eighth innings, though Fien seemed to wear down a bit in August, allowing 10 of his 27 runs in a seven-game span before a strong September. Brian Duensing is tough on lefties, and rookie southpaw Caleb Thielbar was a revelation (1.76 ERA in 46 innings). Anthony Swarzak led Major League relievers with 96 innings pitched, and he did so with a 2.91 ERA and 3.28 FIP. Josh Roenicke spent a whole season in the team's bullpen but has already been outrighted. He could be replaced by Michael Tonkin, who had a nice season between Double-A and Triple-A.

This could be one of the most important offseasons in Twins history, as the team is rich in prospects that could comprise the Twins' core for their next sustained run of success. Byron Buxton is the consensus top prospect in the Majors, and Miguel Sano is right there with him in the Top 5. Eddie Rosario could be in Triple-A early in 2014. Alex Meyer is among the game's best starting pitching prospects, and Gibson, who was a Top 50 prospect himself prior to 2013, can't be written off just yet. That Meyer/Gibson tandem isn't far off, and it's not too late for Trevor May to take a step forward or forgotten man Vance Worley to experience a turnaround. Further away are 2013 first-rounder Kohl Stewart and 2012 first-rounder Jose Berrios, both of whom have lofty ceilings.

However, the Twins need to bridge the gap to that wealth of minor league talent, much of which figures to work its way onto the big league roster over the next two seasons. If they're able to do so by adding veteran rotation pieces with upside that will still be effective in 2015-16, and perhaps a corner bat, the future looks bright in Minnesota.

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