Odds & Ends: Twins, Fien, Podsednik
Links for Tuesday…
- Twins assistant GM Rob Antony told Parker Hageman of Over The Baggy that the team just hired a stats guy. Also, Antony reads MLBTR every day!
- According to Tom Gage of the Detroit News, pitcher Casey Fien asked the Blue Jays why he was released and was told he was a liability.
- Scott Podsednik told MLB.com's Scott Merkin there was miscommunication between his agent and the White Sox this offseason, but Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn disagreed.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if the Mets will be thinking about trading Fernando Martinez for a top-notch starter come July.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse tweets that the Rangers are still looking at bringing Ramon Vazquez back. Vazquez is a prime candidate to be traded or released by the Pirates before the season begins, though the Rangers added Hernan Iribarren ten days ago.
Could Mauer’s Deal Impact Fielder?
Joe Mauer's contract sent a ripple though baseball over the weekend, as it effectively shed Minnesota's "small market team" label. Not only was it fourth largest contract in baseball history, but it was also the largest contract ever signed by a catcher. As Satchel Price at Beyond The Box Score shows, it's not even close.
Could Mauer's deal have a trickle down affect on Prince Fielder, who is two years away from free agency? Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel spoke to several members of the Brewers' organization about the possibility, including Prince himself. When asked if he thought about how Mauer's deal effects him, Fielder replied "Not really because I don't really think about it. I'm just focused on getting ready. It doesn't really make me think about myself. It's just cool for him."
GM Doug Melvin responded with the rather boring (yet true) line of “You can keep anybody if you want to pay the market price." Milwaukee already has its other franchise player, Ryan Braun, locked up through 2015 at more than affordable annual salaries, though if they give Fielder a Mauer-esque contract, they'll have roughly 40% of their payroll tied up in just two players, assuming they maintain the same $80MM payroll they've had the last two seasons.
Of course, the differences between Mauer and Fielder are obvious. Mauer plays the more premium position and doesn't share the same long-term concerns about his size and athleticism. He also has more hardware, and doesn't employ Scott Boras as an agent. Both are among the best young players in the game, no doubt, but in the end, we're talking about a unique situation when it comes to Joe Mauer because of his status as a true homegrown player.
Heyman’s Latest: Crawford, Yankees, Werth, Twins
Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…
- The Rays tried hard to sign Carl Crawford to a contract extension this offseason, but they got nowhere."That's something we spent a good amount of time on this winter and, obviously, wasn't something that came together quickly or easily," said GM Andrew Friedman. Owner Stuart Sternberg added "We're going to do everything we can within our means to keep him a Ray," referring of course to his leftfielder.
- The Yankees "absolutely love" Crawford according to a rival executive, and they also like Jayson Werth, who is set to become a free agent after the season. Heyman mentions that they didn't want to re-sign Johnny Damon to a two-year deal this past offseason to potentially keep a spot open for Crawford.
- Heyman thinks the Twins will probably go out and acquire a bona fide closer since, as he puts it, it would be the smart thing to do with close to a $100MM payroll. Minnesota has inquired about Heath Bell and Jason Frasor within the last week or two.
Joe Mauer Extension Reactions
Joe Mauer's eight-year, $184MM extension with the Twins will be officially announced later today. Reactions from around the web:
- Aaron Gleeman says "the decision was a no-brainer for the Twins despite the incredible amount of risk involved." Gleeman notes that a payroll in the $100MM range will still leave the Twins with "more money to spend than they had in any previous season" despite Mauer's percentage.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests Twins catching prospect Wilson Ramos could "enable the Twins to better preserve Mauer." Or maybe Ramos becomes one of the game's better trade chips?
- How much did Mauer leave on the table? ESPN's Jayson Stark believes he could've gotten $30MM per year and more than eight years on the open market. Stark's colleague Buster Olney says Mauer "might've walked away from the promise of another $60 million to $70 million in free agency."
- ESPN's Rob Neyer discusses the opportunity costs of being locked into a Mauer megadeal, as well as the short-term credibility cost of not signing him.
- Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez told WEEI's Alex Speier that Mauer "deserves every penny he got." Regarding his own extension, Martinez is leaving the ball in Boston's court and hasn't heard anything thus far.
Odds & Ends: Royals, Dodgers, Mauer, Reyes
Sunday night linkage..
- Rookie left-hander and Rule 5 draftee Edgar Osuna has impressed in Kansas City and will likely stick with the club, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
- Joe Torre has suspended contract extension talks with the Dodgers to avoid becoming a distraction during the season, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner (via Twitter) believes that the Twins are paying Joe Mauer what he's worth. Meanwhile, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that Minnesota's payroll will likely top $100MM in 2011.
- Social media can be a real headache for GMs, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Hanshin Tigers are looking at three major league pitchers to bolster their rotation, according to a report from Sports Hochi passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The report lists Jo-Jo Reyes, Eric Stults, and Seth McClung as possibilities. You may recall that another Japanese club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, has previously shown interest in Stults.
- Bobby Jenks will be on a short leash this season, writes Barry Rozner of the Daily Herald. Jenks, who turned 29 on March 14th, is set to earn $7.5MM in 2010 after avoiding arbitration with the White Sox.
- The Padres' Adrian Gonzalez is ignoring all of the trade talk that surrounds him, writes Peter Gammons in a column for MLB.com.
Twins, Mauer Agree To Eight-Year $184MM Deal
Joe Mauer isn't going anywhere. After months of anticipation, the Twins reached an agreement with Mauer on an eight-year, $184MM extension today. The contract will keep the soon-to-be 27-year-old in Minnesota from 2011 to 2018.
The agreement was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) and the Twins disclosed the contract's terms, including its full no-trade clause, via press release. Rosenthal (via Twitter) and ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggested earlier in the day that the sides were nearing a deal.
The deal, which covers Mauer's first eight free agent seasons, averages out to $23MM per year. That's the fourth largest deal in MLB history, topped only by Alex Rodriguez's $275MM contract with the Yankees, Rodriguez's $252MM contract with Texas, and Derek Jeter's $189MM deal.
The Minnesota native outdid himself in 2009, posting .365/.444/.587 with 28 homers in 606 plate appearances en route to his third batting title in four seasons and the AL MVP Award. The Twins and Mauer will make it all official at a press conference tomorrow evening.
It's the news many Twins fans have been waiting for all offseason, but it comes on the same day that Joe Nathan decided to undergo Tommy John surgery. The closer will miss the season, but Twins fans have one less player to worry about, now that the Yankees and Red Sox are not going to have the chance to bid on their star catcher.
Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Brewers, Willis, Guardado
Links for Sunday….
- The Cardinals are considering Adam Ottavino, their 2006 first-round pick, as an option for the bullpen, writes Derrick Goold. The 24-year-old has improved his delivery and hurled 8.1 innings so far this spring, allowing just one run with five strikeouts, though he also has five walks to go along with them.
- The Brewers will have some decisions to make this week on players such as Jim Edmonds, Matt Treanor, and Scott Schoeneweis, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Each signed a minor league deal with an out clause. McCalvy opines that "it would be a surprise" if Edmonds didn't factor into the Crew's 2010 Major League plans.
- Lynn Henning of the Detroit News thinks that the Tigers will release Dontrelle Willis in the near future.
- Eddie Guardado hasn't officially announced his retirement, but he tells Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas "I think I'm done." Durrett reports that, even if Guardado doesn't pitch again, the lefty would like to stay in baseball in some capacity.
- The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo has a few interesting notes in his latest column. He names Jake Westbrook as an intriguing trade-deadline pitching option, and says that Mark Mulder could still work toward a comeback this season.
- The Rangers may try to trade for a utility infielder, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't think it's a foregone conclusion that Adrian Gonzalez will be playing in Fenway Park by August.
- Heath Bell, another Padre who has been the subject of trade rumors, is staying in San Diego for the time being, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The Bell-to-Minnesota rumors have been swirling lately, following the news of Joe Nathan's season-ending injury.
- For the latest updates on Bell, and the rest of the closing situations around baseball, be sure to follow our @closernews account on Twitter.
The Latest On Mike Lowell
Although a Mike Lowell trade isn't the sure thing it once seemed, there's still a chance that a deal could be completed, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
Silverman mentions four teams that are possible landing spots for Lowell: the Astros, Marlins, Rangers, and Twins. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if the White Sox could be added to that list as well. Each of these teams has potential question marks at first base or designated hitter, or just could use another right-handed bat.
Alex Speier of WEEI speculates that the Marlins' willingness to return Jorge Jimenez to the Red Sox could signal that Florida's need for a corner infielder isn't that strong. If the team feels confident enough in either Gaby Sanchez or Logan Morrison at first base that they'd cut Jimenez, that could mean a diminished interest in Lowell as well.
Lowell will, of course, have display good health before any club thinks about acquiring him. Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston tweets that the Rangers, among other teams, are scouting Lowell today. The 36-year-old is scheduled to play third base for the first time this spring.
Joe Nathan To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, according to Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). Nathan played a game of catch today, and decided afterward that his right elbow required surgery.
Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune writes that Nathan hasn't decided yet where or when he'll have the surgery, but hopes to get it done as soon as possible, aiming to be ready to pitch by Opening Day 2011.
In the meantime, the injury will leave the Twins with a gaping hole in the ninth inning, a spot Nathan had dominated over the past few years. Since joining Minnesota, Nathan has been perhaps the most effective closer in baseball, recording a 1.87 ERA since 2004, with an average of 41 saves per season.
To replace Nathan, the Twins could use an in-house candidate such as Jon Rauch or Matt Guerrier. Or, they could look to make a trade. We've already heard that they might be interested in Heath Bell and Jason Frasor. Now that there's no question that Nathan will miss the 2010 campaign, the team's search for a replacement could become more aggressive.
Odds & Ends: Crawford, Alvarez, Mauer, Aumont
Some links for your Friday…
- Tom Verducci of SI.com said on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show that he expects Carl Crawford to sign with the Yankees after the season, because "nobody is going to outbid them." The Yankees and Red Sox both love Crawford, according to Verducci.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Dodgers should spend more aggressively, especially considering they led the league in attendance last year.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com points out that Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, Bill Hall and Jeremy Hermida will combine to make only $10MM or so less than the entire Pirates team this year. Why is that noteworthy? All four Red Sox are expected to be bench players.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry is under contract through 2012, but he tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he knows "these jobs aren't forever."
- The Pirates say Pedro Alvarez needs seasoning above AA, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sending the third baseman to the minors limits his MLB service time, so it's a sound financial decision by the Pirates.
- The A's haven't called Joe Beimel, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The A's worked out Wagner Mateo on Tuesday, according to Slusser.
- ESPN.com’s Buster Olney thinks that the Joe Mauer contract negotiations, which remain cordial, could continue in a few months if the sides don’t reach a deal in Spring Training.
- The Dominican prospect already worked out for the D'Backs and will likely work out for the Indians.
- Twins minor league director Jim Rantz told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that another Dominican prospect, Miguel Sano, has "tremendous upside." Kovacevic says it's still too early to know how much the Pirates missed out on when Sano signed with the Twins instead of the Pirates.
- Phillies prospect Phillippe Aumont tells Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he thought he was heading to the Blue Jays at one point this offseason.
- Carl Crawford tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that he's comfortable with the speculation about his future since it "comes with the territory." Crawford is a free agent after the season.