Yesterday we learned that the Yankees have strong interest in free agent outfielder Andruw Jones. GM Brian Cashman is in search of a backup outfielder who hits right-handed and Jones is one of the better options available at this point in the offseason.
MLBTR Polls
Poll: Where Will Jim Thome Sign?
After uncertainty early in the offseason, Jim Thome's mind is made up — he'll play in 2011. Any team would love to have Thome's 2010 production on board. The likely Hall of Famer hit .283/.412/.627 and blasted 25 home runs for the Twins, moving into sole possession of eighth place on the all-time home run leaderboard.
However, Thome is unlikely to repeat that line, and few teams can afford his reported asking price. We learned last week that Thome is looking to make up for the meager $1.5MM contract he signed last year, possibly seeking as much as $8MM on a one-year deal.
There's also the fact that several teams already have their designated hitter spot filled and don't have much wiggle room with their roster to accommodate someone who's strictly a DH.
We know there's mutual interest with the Twins, but they picked up Jason Kubel's $5.25MM option and seem to be focusing on Carl Pavano for the time being. The Rays freed up some money in the Matt Garza trade, and have an opening at DH, though $8MM would likely still be too much for them. Batimore was recently linked to Vladimir Guerrero, even after signing Derrek Lee, so one would think Thome should appeal there as well. Same goes for the Angels, though they have Bobby Abreu and Juan Rivera.
Toronto committed $2.5MM to Edwin Encarnacion, but Thome could platoon with him at DH if the Jays plan on using Adam Lind at first base. If Detroit decides to use Victor Martinez as their primary catcher in 2011, Thome could join his fourth AL Central team as their DH as well.
There's no clear fit for Thome in terms of roster flexibility, team need, and available payroll, but eventually, someone will bring him on board and watch him close in on the elite 600 home run mark. Thome sits just 11 homers shy of that honor, and while his health is no guarantee, I'm not betting against him reaching that plateau when he can still hit homers like this one. Let's open it up to everyone:
Where Will Jim Thome Sign?
Twins
42.45%
(4,410 votes)
Rays
13.46%
(1,398 votes)
Another team
10.51%
(1,092 votes)
Angels
10.29%
(1,069 votes)
Orioles
8.10%
(841 votes)
Tigers
7.84%
(814 votes)
Blue Jays
7.35%
(764 votes)
Total Votes: 10,388
Poll: Greinke Or Garza?
As the reactions to yesterday's Matt Garza trade poured in, ESPN's Keith Law said he believes the Rays received more in return for their young right-hander than the Royals did when they traded Zack Greinke to the Brewers. He explained that Tampa "focused less on position and more on overall value" after saying the exact opposite about the deal Kansas City made (Insider req'd for the last link).
Obviously, the trades are not equal in a number of ways. The Cubs are receiving two young players in addition to Garza, one being Fernando Perez. Greinke, however, is a former Cy Young Award winner and according to WAR, his last three seasons were all better than Garza's best season (2009) by a considerable margin. He does lack Garza's postseason experience though. The pitchers were born less than a month apart, but the Cubs will get three years of Garza while the Brewers get just two of Greinke (at a higher salary).
So, knowing what we know about the players, do you prefer the package of Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, and Jake Odorizzi or the package of Chris Archer, Brandon Guyer,Robinson Chirinos, Hak-Ju Lee, and Sam Fuld?
Which team got a better return for their young right-hander?
Rays
58.80%
(9,185 votes)
Royals
29.57%
(4,620 votes)
The packages are about equal
11.63%
(1,817 votes)
Total Votes: 15,622
Poll: Recent Rockies Extensions
The Rockies have locked up Troy Tulowitzki through 2020 and they've agreed to a deal that should keep Carlos Gonzalez in Denver through 2017. Both are powerful young hitters capable of playing premium defensive positions at a high level, so any team would want them.
Tulowitzki, 26, finished fifth in MVP voting in 2009 and 2010. He plays Gold Glove defense and has an electrifying bat capable of carrying a team (remember those 15 September home runs?). Gonzalez, also a Gold Glove winner, is just 25. He won a batting title last year and hit 34 home runs. Few teams have two elite young players like Tulo and CarGo, so it's not surprising that GM Dan O'Dowd wanted to keep them around.
But the Rockies didn't have to offer Tulowitzki and Gonzalez massive extensions to keep the players in Colorado. They were both under team control through 2014 before they agreed to extensions. You could argue that the Rockies took on unnecessary risk with their recent deals. It begs the question…
Should the Rockies have extended Tulo and CarGo?
Yes - championship clubs are built around elite players
73.75%
(7,087 votes)
No - the team took on unnecessary risks
26.25%
(2,522 votes)
Total Votes: 9,609
Poll: Which Team Will Sign Orlando Cabrera?
Most of the big time free agents are off the board, leaving just spare parts and stopgap players on the shelves. One such player is Orlando Cabrera, who’s certainly familiar with this role. None of his three career free agent contracts were agreed to before the month of January, and he even had to wait until early March before joining the Athletics in 2009. Once again, he’s waiting for a team looking for a short-term solution to call his name.
The number of teams looking for an upgrade at short is surprisingly small, but the Reds (who employed Cabrera in 2010) are one of them; they recently spoke to Edgar Renteria’s agent. Perhaps the Pirates get involved as well. A number of clubs are looking for infield help off the bench, including the Giants and Yankees, but Cabrera doesn’t exactly qualify as a bench player. He’s played shortstop exclusively for the last ten seasons, with his only other playing time coming at second base (just 241 career innings). That doesn’t mean he can’t play second or third, just that he hasn’t done in a while.
At age 36, Cabrera’s game is slipping noticeably. He was never a great on-base threat, but his OBP fell to just .303 this past season, his lowest since his rookie season. His overall batting line (.263/.303/.354) represents the lowest OPS (.657) he’s ever put up in a full season. Cabrera’s defense has declined but still qualifies as above average at +4.5 UZR over the last three seasons. The baseline for shortstop production is pretty low these days, so Cabrera can still be a viable everyday player.
Which team will sign Orlando Cabrera?
Another team not listed
19.83%
(1,178 votes)
Reds
19.20%
(1,140 votes)
Pirates
18.62%
(1,106 votes)
Giants
18.35%
(1,090 votes)
Yankees
14.04%
(834 votes)
He'll go unsigned
9.95%
(591 votes)
Total Votes: 5,939
Poll: The Designated Hitter Market
The market for designated hitters has been slow to develop this winter, meaning that a few intriguing veteran bats are still available. When we looked at MLBTR's top 15 remaining free agents this week, three of the top six names were designated hitters, with another likely DH, Johnny Damon, also cracking the list.
Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, and Damon all appear capable of contributing solid offensive production in 2011. Of the four, only Damon had a 2010 OPS below .841, and he still reached base at a .355 clip, right in line with his career rate. Considering their defensive limitations and the fact that they're on the wrong side of 35, it seems unlikely that any of these four will land multiyear deals. While the values may vary, one-year contracts in designated hitter roles appear probable for all four players.
Taking into account that likely variance in salary, here's tonight's poll question: if you were an American League GM in search of a DH, which player would you prefer to add? Who will provide the most bang for your buck in 2011? Ramirez, Thome, Guerrero, and Damon are the most intriguing names out there, but there are also a few under-the-radar DH candidates available, as MLBTR's free agent tracker shows, so be sure to take that into consideration as well.
Which DH would you sign for 2011?
Vladimir Guerrero
48.63%
(9,328 votes)
Jim Thome
29.00%
(5,563 votes)
Manny Ramirez
15.01%
(2,878 votes)
Johnny Damon
5.45%
(1,046 votes)
Someone else
1.90%
(365 votes)
Total Votes: 19,180
Poll: Where Will Scott Podsednik Sign?
Recently we learned that the Reds have spoken to the agent for Scott Podsednik as they look to land a left-handed hitting outfielder. The veteran would likely be affordable for the Reds though there is a decent-sized market for his services. The Angels' interest in the 34-year-old is well-known and the Dodgers seemed open to retaining him earlier this winter.
Not only is Podsednik affordable, he also won't require a team to forfeit a draft pick as the Dodgers opted not to offer him arbitration. After earning a modest $1.75MM salary last season, Scotty Pods hit a respectable .297/.342/.382 in 595 plate appearances. It's slim pickins' on the free agent market now and the veteran now finds himself as one of the more attractive players available. Where do you see Podsednik landing in the New Year?
Where Will Scott Podsednik Sign?
Reds
36.31%
(2,276 votes)
Angels
27.88%
(1,748 votes)
Dodgers
18.01%
(1,129 votes)
Other
17.80%
(1,116 votes)
Total Votes: 6,269
Poll: Where Will Adrian Beltre Sign
The team that opened the bidding for Adrian Beltre has reportedly removed itself from the sweepstakes for the third baseman and now the top position player available doesn't appear to have many suitors left. The A's aren't bidding, and though the Rangers maintain some interest, they aren't an ideal fit for Beltre.
The Angels, who made Beltre a significant offer earlier this winter, remain the most logical fit for his services. They have since pulled their offer, but have continued interest despite agent Scott Boras' asking price. It seems likely that Beltre will return to the AL West, but let's not put it past Boras to involve more teams. Beltre will sign with some club within a couple months – which one will it be?
Which team will sign Adrian Beltre?
Angels
57.04%
(6,900 votes)
Other
20.39%
(2,466 votes)
Rangers
11.91%
(1,441 votes)
The A's will show interest again and win the bidding
10.66%
(1,290 votes)
Total Votes: 12,097
Will Carl Pavano Land A Three-Year Deal?
The Twins and Nationals are still vying for free agent righty Carl Pavano, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. He suggests a decision could come later this week.
On December 15th, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports passed along one GM's word that Pavano sought a three-year deal worth $10-11MM per year. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote yesterday that Pavano is holding out for three years.
Aside from the Twins and Nationals, Cafardo tossed the Rangers and possibly Mariners into the mix for Pavano. Rosenthal's column from a couple of weeks ago said the Rangers were "not on" Pavano, and their agreement with Brandon Webb probably solidified that stance.
So Pavano seems to have two serious suitors, and agent Tom O'Connell could have a problem if one of them makes a deal for Joe Blanton or even signs a remaining free agent on a one-year deal. My guess is that if Pavano received a three-year offer anywhere near $30MM, he would have taken it already. Teams may be comparing Pavano to Joel Pineiro, who was coming off a great 2009 but could only find a two-year deal from the Angels on January 22nd. But while Pineiro was coming off a lone strong season, Pavano was solid in '09 as well and has tallied 433 1/3 innings over 2009-10 including the postseason. Perhaps the spectre of Pavano's Yankees contract is still looming.
Let's get your take: will Pavano sign a three-year deal?
Will Carl Pavano sign a three-year deal?
No
66.57%
(5,300 votes)
Yes
33.43%
(2,662 votes)
Total Votes: 7,962
Poll: Will Andy Pettitte Retire?
The Yankees missed out on Cliff Lee this offseason, but there's still another free agent left-hander out there that can help shore up their rotation. No, I'm not talking about Jeff Francis or Bruce Chen, it's long-time Yankee Andy Pettitte.
For the fourth time in as many offseasons, Pettitte is debating between retirement and pitching another year. The lefty showed that he can still be an effective starter in 2010, posting a 3.28 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 129 innings, but he also demonstrated the perils of a 38-year-old starter. Pettitte missed a total 71 days due to elbow and (mostly) groin issues, and he was also hampered by back and hamstring issues in the postseason. Despite that, he still gave the Yanks a 7 IP, 2 R start in both the ALDS and ALCS.
Last we heard is that Pettitte is still leaning towards retirement, and it's worth noting that in three of the last four offseasons, he's re-signed with New York no later than December 12th. The lone exception is the 2008-2009 offseason, when he was coming off a second half in which he pitched through a sore shoulder. The Yankees will surely welcome him back with open arms, but GM Brian Cashman has indicated that they're operating as if the franchise's third winningest pitcher all-time was not going to return for the 2011 season.
Will Andy Pettitte Retire?
No
51.53%
(6,990 votes)
Yes
48.47%
(6,574 votes)
Total Votes: 13,564
