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Central Notes: Verlander, Twins, Cardinals, Cubs

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Justin Verlander says he won't engage in contract talks with the Tigers during the regular season, reports CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. "Once this last start comes around, I want to concentrate on the start of the season,'' Verlander says. There are no signs from the Tigers that an extension is imminent. Verlander isn't slated to become a free agent until after 2014, but Heyman suggests that Verlander might be less inclined to sign a long-term deal with one year to go before free agency. Here are more notes from the two Central divisions.

  • If the Twins were to allow manager Ron Gardenhire to leave, he'd be "unemployed for about 10 minutes," Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues. Gardenhire is in the last year of his contract, and the Twins lost 96 games last season and 99 in 2011.
  • GM John Mozeliak and the Cardinals are "primed for long-term success," Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says. The Cards can both strive to win in the present and count on winning in the future, thanks to a strong core and future payroll flexibility.
  • The Cubs could be on the lookout for a spare infielder, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports. Manager Dale Sveum likes the recently-released Chone Figgins, saying Figgins "is one who would be interesting because he switch hits and plays the outfield." But don't count on the Cubs acquiring him, since Sveum would rather have a lefty hitter with power.

Quick Hits: Yankees, Overbay, Rolen, Gardenhire

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The Yankees are still looking for help at both corner infield spots and no shortage of veteran names have been mentioned in connection to the search.   CBS Sports' Jon Heyman (via Twitter) wonders if New York would be interested in Pirates first baseman Gaby Sanchez, who "appears to be available."  The Yankees have also been scouting Lyle Overbay, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports, and Overbay can opt out of his minor league deal with the Red Sox on Tuesday if he isn't on Boston's Major League roster.  As of now, however, Cafardo believes Overbay would "probably" make the Red Sox.

Here's some more news from around baseball as we head into the weekend…

Minor Moves: Blanco, Hawkins, Tanner, Smith

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Here are today's minor transactions, with the latest moves at the top of the page…

  • The Phillies re-signed infielder Andres Blanco to a minor league contract, Baseball America's Matt Eddy reports.  The club released Blanco a few weeks ago.  Blanco last played in the majors in 2011 and he has a career .634 OPS in 654 PA over six seasons with the Rangers, Cubs and Royals.  He spent last year with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Mets recently released and quickly re-signed right-hander LaTroy Hawkins, Eddy reports. The move was just "procedural," according to ESPN New York's Adam Rubin (via Twitter), as the Mets needed to "correct something in [Hawkins'] contract."  Hawkins, 40, signed his original minor league deal with the Mets in January.
  • The Athletics signed middle infielder Antonio Lamas to a minor league deal, Eddy reports.  John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reported the A's were close to signing Lamas last month.  Lamas, 23, has a .307/.350/.437 line over 1504 PA for Monclova of the Mexican League since 2008.  He was primarily used as a shortstop but he played 100 games at second base in 2012.
  • The Orioles signed left-hander Clayton Tanner to a minor league deal, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports.  Tanner, a third-round pick of the Giants in the 2006 draft, has a career 3.85 ERA, 2.11 K/BB and 6.6 K/9 in 182 games (123 starts) over seven seasons in the Giants' and Reds' minor league systems.  O's executive VP Dan Duquette tells Kubatko that the team scouted Tanner when he pitched for Australia during the World Baseball Classic.
  • The Twins have signed first baseman/outfielder Curt Smith to a minor league deal, Netherlands manager Hensley Meulens tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times (Twitter links).  Smith has a 1.008 OPS in 24 ABs for the Netherlands in WBC play, helping lead the Dutch to the tournament semi-finals.  Smith was originally a 39th-round draft pick of the Cardinals in 2008 and he has a .301/.341/.461 line in 1703 career minor league PA in the Cards' and Marlins' systems.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Aceves, Hicks, Tigers, Jones

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Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com feels that the Red Sox should part ways with the volatile Alfredo Aceves, but it doesn't seem like such a move is in the cards.  General Manager Ben Cherington told Heyman via text not to expect to see Aceves cut while another person connected to the club said that he can't see it happening.  The Red Sox's bullpen is shorthanded at the moment with Franklin Morales and Craig Breslow sidelined, so now would not be a great time to drop Aceves.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • All signs point to Twins prospect Aaron Hicks making the leap from Double-A to win the club's center field job, Heyman writes.  Recently, Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at service time considerations for Hicks and other top prospects in baseball.
  • Tigers manager Jim Leyland has success with a bullpen by committee in the past and it could work again for him in 2013, writes Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com.  Detroit has inquired on closing options from other teams in recent weeks but they could instead use rookie Bruce Rondon and other relievers already in-house to close out games.
  • Chipper Jones joked that former teammate David Ross should start a rumor that he was coming back to baseball to sign with the Red Sox, but the catcher wanted no part of it, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.  Ross asked Jones if he's staying retired and the future Hall of Famer said "I ain't going nowhere." 

AL Central Notes: Twins, Francona, Royals

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The latest notes from the AL Central…

  • After training in Phoenix Jim Thome has returned home, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports (Twitter link). While Thome still wants a Major League contract, the Twins would likely take him on a minor league deal in Wolfson’s view.
  • Indians manager Terry Francona told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he has renewed energy in Cleveland. Though Francona's tenure in Boston ended badly, he says he has new perspective on the game after his year as an ESPN analyst. Those around him agree. "He's really the dream manager everyone wants to play for," Jason Giambi said. Even Red Sox president Larry Lucchino acknowledged that Francona "was an important part of the success" of the Red Sox.
  • The Royals offered Ivan Rodriguez a Major League contract before the 2012 season, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). Rodriguez decided to retire instead of playing for Kansas City.

Central Notes: Kazmir, Jackson, Twins

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Earlier today, the Indians granted Ben Francisco his unconditional release and added Rich Hill to the 40-man roster, meaning Hill is likely to break camp as a member of the Tribe's bullpen in the mind of MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Here's some more on the Indians and other Central division teams…

  • Indians non-roster invitee Scott Kazmir feels that he's pitched well enough to earn the team's fifth starter role, according to Cleveland.com's Glenn Moore (link includes video interview with Kazmir). The 29-year-old Kazmir has pitched in just one game since 2010 but told reporters that each time he was released allowed him to step back and examine what he needed to improve on to get back to his previous levels. Bastian tweets that between the Cactus League and "B" games, Kazmir has fired 11 scoreless innings with a 13-to-2 K/BB ratio.
  • J.J. Stankevitz of CSNChicago.com writes that the trade to the White Sox was a turning point in the career of Edwin Jackson, who benefited from pitching coach Don Cooper's tutelage. Jackson tells Stankevitz that he isn't fazed by the fact that the Cubs will be his seventh team since 2008. He's likely to keep that uniform for awhile, having signed a four-year, $52MM contract this offseason.
  • The money to be saved by delaying Aaron Hicks' service time is the "only justifiable reason" to keep him from opening the season as the Twins' center fielder in the eyes of 1500 ESPN's Phil Mackey. In a separate piece, Mackey notes that Darin Mastroianni is still pushing for the job, and manager Ron Gardenhire says no decision has been reached. Our own Ben Nicholson-Smith examined the service time considerations for Hicks and other members of Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list late last month.

Offseason In Review: Minnesota Twins

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The Twins added pitching, but they still don't project as a contender in the AL Central.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Extensions

  • Jared Burton, RP: two years, $5.5MM. $3.6MM Club option for 2015.

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

The Twins needed pitching badly after a season in which they allowed more runs than all but two MLB teams. GM Terry Ryan added to his pitching staff by trading from enviable outfield depth and spending on free agents. 

Vance Worley - Twins (PW)

The Twins sent Denard Span to Washington to acquire Alex Meyer then traded Ben Revere to Philadelphia for Vance Worley (pictured). It’s not surprising that the Twins decided to listen to offers for Span, but it is surprising that they didn’t get an MLB pitcher back for an above-average outfielder playing on a team friendly contract. At least Meyer and Worley address the organization's most apparent need.

Free agents Mike Pelfrey and Kevin Correia signed with Minnesota, adding depth to the team’s rotation (more on Correia in the Deal of Note section). It made sense for the Twins to target free agent arms after seeing the contracts of Scott Baker and Carl Pavano expire. Even with prospects advancing through the minor leagues, the club needed outside help.

The Twins also acquired relievers such as Rafael Perez, Josh Roenicke and Rich Harden in a series of low-risk moves. Ryan successfully picked up Jared Burton and Casey Fien in similar moves a year ago, an indication that the Twins can find relief in unexpected places. Minnesota's rotation completed fewer innings than any American League team in 2012, and unless there's significant improvement from the 2013 group, the bullpen will again be absorbing lots of innings.

Questions Remaining

The Twins didn’t make major additions to their existing group of position players this offseason, which leaves them exposed at some positions. For example, the Twins will rely on Pedro Florimon, Jr. at shortstop and Chris Parmelee in right field.

It’s hard not to wonder if the Twins missed out on the chance to sell high on Josh Willingham, who had a tremendous offensive season in 2012. Teams would presumably have had interest in the outfielder given his strong 2012 numbers and reasonable contract. Expect Willingham and Justin Morneau to surface in midseason trades, assuming the Twins aren’t in contention.

Deal of Note

I still haven’t heard a convincing explanation for the Twins’ decision to spend $10MM on Kevin Correia (Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN relays the most compelling arguments I've seen). No disrespect to Correia — in fact, credit to his representatives at Lapa/Leventhal — but he’s not a $10MM pitcher in this market. Not when Freddy Garcia, Chris Young and Erik Bedard signed minor league deals after pitching 100-plus innings in 2012. Not when Joe Saunders and Shaun Marcum combined to sign for $10.5MM.

The Twins’ push for rotation depth is understandable. Every team needs enough arms to get through the 162-game schedule without over-exposing developing players. Outside reinforcements are vital, even to a team in transition such as the Twins.

In Mike Pelfrey the Twins obtained a pitcher who could have trade value at the non-waiver deadline, health permitting. In Vance Worley they got an affordable player under long-term control. These moves make sense for a team in the Twins' position. But the Correia deal won't net the Twins a key trade chip and it doesn't provide them with a low-cost piece for the future. Simply put, Ryan invested in a high-cost, low-reward pitcher when other more appealing options were available.

Overview

The Twins needed pitching, and they got some. But the fulfillment of offseason goals doesn’t always lead to competitive teams. In the Twins’ case, contention seems like an unrealistic goal for 2013. Instead, they can hope that the continued development of an exceptionally strong minor league system has them back in the playoff mix relatively soon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Twins, Hicks, Indians

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Here's a look at tonight's news out of the AL Central..

  • Tigers right-hander Bruce Rondon struck out two and did not issue a walk this afternoon in what was his best outing of the Grapefruit League season so far.  In fact, if the rookie had thrown this well in his previous outings, the Tigers would probably feel more confident about their closer situation, writes Chris Iott of MLive.com.  The Tigers are said to be scouring the trade market in search of a proven ninth-inning option.
  • When asked if whether starting the service time clock will play a role in whether prospect Aaron Hicks makes team, Twins General Manager Terry Ryan responded, "Not here," according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com (on Twitter).  Recently, our own Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at service time considerations for Hicks and other top prospects across baseball.
  • The pain of a 68-94 season was the Indians' motivating factor in going out and getting Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds, and Brett Myers, CEO Paul Dolan told Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer.  "We didn't want to go through something like that again," he said. "In some ways, it was a shock we needed."
Twins GM Terry Ryan on whether service time/arbitration will play role in whether Hicks makes team: "Not here."

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Sale, Indians, Morneau

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Here's the latest from around the AL Central…

  • Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski admitted to reporters (including Lynn Henning of the Detroit News) that teams had been calling him about the Tigers' starting pitching depth.  The Rangers reportedly asked about Rick Porcello earlier this week and several teams have shown interest in the right-hander throughout the offseason.
  • Dombrowski and Jim Leyland revealed no new details about the Tigers' closer situation other than saying that rookie Bruce Rondon is still very much a candidate for the job despite struggling in four Spring Training outings.
  • White Sox GM Rick Hahn discussed Chris Sale's extension with reporters (including MLB.com's Scott Merkin) and likes that the team was able to lock up a potential ace at what could end up being a bargain price.  "Obviously this past offseason was a pretty robust one in terms of where the compensation was going. So being able to lock something down before there was further escalation in Chris' market had a lot of appeal to us," Hahn said.
  • Scott Kazmir can opt out of his minor league deal with the Indians if he isn't on their Major League roster by April 2, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (via Twitter).  Daisuke Matsuzaka, another Tribe minor league signing, also has an opt-out date "about the same time."
  • Unless Justin Morneau improves on his 2012 numbers, Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities feels the Twins will struggle to get "anything significant" for the slugger in a possible trade, and could have to settle for a trade package similar to what they received for Francisco Liriano last summer.  Morneau hit .267/.333/.440 with 19 home runs in 570 PA in 2012 and is entering his last season under contract with Minnesota.  Mackey also discusses the Twins payroll, various roster decisions and other topics during this chat with fans.

2014 Vesting Options

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Recently, I crunched the numbers on vesting options from the last three years and found that just over 29% of them were triggered.  Which players can lock in their 2014 options based on their performance this season?  Let's take a look..

  • Kurt Suzuki, Nationals: $9.25MM option vests with 113 starts in 2013.
  • Jamey Carroll, Twins: $2MM option vests with 401 plate appearances.
  • Wilson Betemit, Orioles: $3.2MM option vests with 324 plate appearances (combined 700 between 2012 and 2013).
  • Lance Berkman, Rangers: $13MM option vests with 550 plate appearances.
  • Roy Halladay, Phillies: $20MM option vests with 259 innings pitched (combined 415 innings pitched between '12 and '13).
  • Barry Zito, Giants: $18MM option vests with 200 innings pitched.
  • Johan Santana, Mets: $25MM option vests with 215 innings pitched or winning the 2013 Cy Young Award.

It's also worth noting that Francisco Liriano has a $8MM club option for 2014 with the Pirates, but it can vest at any of three levels, $5MM, $6MM, or $8MM, based on the number of days he is not on the DL this year with a recurrence of his right arm injury.

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