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Poll: Erick Aybar’s Extension

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Yesterday we learned that the Angels reached agreement with shortstop Erick Aybar on a four-year, $35MM deal.  Today, the particulars of the deal went public: Aybar will earn $8.5MM per year with a $1MM signing bonus and won't have a no-trade clause.  The deal, which is similar to Howie Kendrick's extension, marks a significant pay bump for the 28-year-old who avoided arbitration this winter by agreeing to a one-year, $5.075MM deal.

The dollar figure may strike some as high, particularly with prospect Jean Segura waiting in the wings.  However, the 22-year-old shortstop remains in Double-A Arkansas and missed significant time with hamstring issues throughout 2011.  The lack of a no-trade clause for Aybar also gives the Halos flexibility down the line.  If Segura shows that he is ready to take over the starting job, Aybar should attract a fair amount of interest if he can produce at the plate like he did in 2011.  If Segura doesn't progress as expected, then the Angels will have their shortstop situation covered for the next five seasons.

The Angels certainly aren't afraid to spend and have doled out $68.5MM in new deals to lock up their double play combination in 2012.  All things considered, do you like the extension from the Halos' perspective?

Poll: Josh Hamilton’s Next Contract

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The Rangers have signed Ian Kinsler, Derek Holland, Nelson Cruz and Elvis Andrus to multiyear contracts in recent months, but Josh Hamilton — possibly the Rangers’ best player — is still on track to hit free agency after the regular season. The Rangers recently met with Hamilton’s agent, so there’s a chance they’ll keep him off of the open market.

Even if Hamilton does reach free agency, the Rangers could re-sign him. They know he’s one of the best players in the game when he’s healthy. But they also know he’s had trouble staying on the field and that he’s dealing with serious off-field issues. And Hamilton has suggested he won’t be offering any hometown discounts.

“I’m not going to sit here and say I owe the Rangers,” he said in February. “I don’t feel I owe the Rangers.”

Hamilton’s chance for a massive free agent contract is approaching. Now the Rangers have to decide whether to commit to the 30-year-old long-term or let him leave as a free agent.

Poll: The Phillies And Cole Hamels

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The Phillies and Cole Hamels haven’t made any progress in contract extension talks for more than a month now, leaving roughly eight months for the two sides to work out a potential deal. Hamels will be the best free agent starter on the market next winter now that Matt Cain has re-signed, and there will be plenty of suitors for the left-handed, in his prime ace.

A problem on the team’s end could be the other pitchers on the payroll. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee will make $40MM+ combined for the next few years, and there simply might not be room for another $20MM-a-year hurler in the budget. Shane Victorino will be a free agent after the season as well, plus Jonathan Papelbon, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard will remain on the books. It’s not a question of if the Phillies want the Hamels back, but whether or not they can make it happen.

Poll: When Will The Dodgers Contend?

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After the much maligned Frank McCourt sold the team to a group headed by Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson, it's once again a good time to be a Dodgers fan.  In the short-term, the news is likely to spark attendance at Dodger Stadium.  In the long-term, patrons are hopeful that they will see the club spend the money necessary to win.  Despite being in the nation's No. 2 media market, the Dodgers have just the 12th highest payroll in baseball this season after spending about $50K more than the Twins and about $50MM less than the Phillies. 

While they didn't make a Prince Fielder-sized splash this winter, they did manage to lock up Matt Kemp to an eight-year, $160MM deal that will keep him in L.A. through his age-34 season.  They also signed Clayton Kershaw to a two-year, $19MM deal, but they'll really have to break out their checkbooks to sign the left-hander into his free agent years.  They'll also have to dole out major money to keep Andre Ethier next winter if the outfielder stays healthy and plays up to his ability in 2012.

The Dodgers might not be ready to play with the big boys just yet, but they do have pieces in place and it appears that they'll have the money needed to build on that.  However, it's not yet clear when they'll start spending and how soon those dollars can translate to wins.  Some have speculated that the Dodgers could add to their payroll prior to the deadline if they appear to be in the mix for the playoffs.  Others think that the club will hold off on their spending splurge until the offseason.  All things considered, when do you think the Dodgers will find themselves back in contention?

Poll: Baseball’s Most Improved Team

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This past offseason was a historic one, at least in terms of the contracts signed. We saw two players change teams thanks to $200MM+ contracts and a total of eight deals worth $100MM+ handed out. A number of young pitchers changed addresses in blockbuster trades, and the new collective bargaining agreement drastically changed free agent compensation and the amateur talent markets.

Now that all 30 clubs have officially opened their season, let’s take a second to look back at the offseason to see which teams helped themselves the most. Our various trackers – Transactions, Free Agents, Extensions, Arbitration — are at your disposable with all sorts of filters to help narrow your search.

Poll: Which Team Will End Its Playoff Drought First?

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In the past decade, 80% of baseball’s 30 teams have made it to the playoffs at least once. That leaves six franchises that haven’t appeared in a postseason game in the last ten years: the Mariners, Orioles, Blue Jays, Pirates, Royals and Nationals/Expos. 

It’d be a surprise if the Mariners, Orioles, Pirates or Royals made a postseason appearance this year, but the Nationals and Blue Jays could contend, especially now that there’s a second Wild Card berth in each league. That said, the NL East and AL East project as tough divisions, so you could make a case for a number of teams (most recent postseason appearance in parentheses).

Poll: Best Trade Package For A Young Pitcher

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When the offseason started, we figured it would be headlined by a pair of MVP caliber bats (Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder) and a Japanese import (Yu Darvish). While those three certainly garnered their fair share of attention, the winter was mostly dominated by trades involving young, high-upside pitchers with multiple years of team control remaining.

The Doug Fister trade seemed to get it all started. The Mariners sent him and David Pauley to the Tigers for Francisco Martinez, Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush, and Chance Ruffin at the trade deadline. Four similar young, high-upside starters with multiple years of contractual control remaining were traded this offseason. Here are those deals, presented chronologically…

Each trade involved multiple young players going the other way, including at least one top 100 prospect according to Baseball America. Which team got the best return for their young hurler?

Poll: The 2014 Yankees Payroll

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The new Collective Bargaining Agreement changed the game for large payroll clubs, raising the luxury tax rate and offering partial revenue sharing refunds for remaining under the luxury tax threshold. Yankees GM Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner have both come out and said the club’s goal is to get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold by 2014, just two years from now.

At the moment, the Yankees have just three players under contract for 2014: Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and CC Sabathia. Those three combine for $75.125MM in salary, giving the team roughly $113MM for the remaining 37 spots on its 40-man roster plus benefits and bonuses. Both Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson are scheduled to become free agents after 2013, and both could command $20MM+ annual salaries if they maintain last year’s production. Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova will both be in their first arbitration years, potentially giving the club two cost effective rotation options behind Sabathia.

Building a World Series contender for $189MM or less is obviously doable, but getting from where the Yankees are now to where they want to be in 2014 may prove difficult. Cashman and everyone else in the front office will have to come up with creative solutions at certain positions and also make some very difficult decisions about whether to retain productive players or allow them to leave as a free agents.

The Biggest Surprise Of The Offseason

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The 2011-12 offseason was one for the ages, with five $100MM+ commitments and plenty of big trades.  Please vote below on the biggest surprise of the offseason. 

Poll: Which AL Team Will Have Biggest Turnaround?

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The postseason is expanding by a total of just two games, but ten teams will now qualify for playoff berths each year, so pennant races should continue deep into the summer. Though Spring Training camps are generally optimistic, there’s even more reason for hope this year, and many teams are looking to turn things around.

MLBTR readers suggested over the weekend that the Nationals, Marlins and Reds are strong contenders for 2012 turnarounds in the National League. Let's turn our focus to the ten American League teams that missed the playoffs in 2011 and determine which of those clubs might be poised for a significant turnaround this coming season.

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