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Poll: Multiyear Deals For Relievers

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Multiyear contracts are on the rise in general, and one group in particular has benefitted from the trend: relief pitchers. As MLBTR's free agent tracker shows, 11 relievers have signed multiyear deals so far this offseason. Many of these relievers will pick up saves in 2011, but only one of them – Mariano Rivera – is sure to be his team's closer next year. 

Yahoo's Jeff Passan argues that GMs "make the same silly mistake year after year" when they sign relievers to multiyear deals. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs recently explained convincingly that other than Rivera, relievers on multiyear deals have simply not produced.

But if a GM refuses to offer multiyear deals, the best free agents will sign elsewhere. Teams with money can often afford to gamble on relievers, even though their performance is volatile.

Look at the GMs who have signed relievers to multiyear deals: Ned Colletti and Tony Reagins have led their clubs to the League Championship Series in recent years. And every other GM who has signed a reliever to a multiyear deal this winter has led a team to the World Series. It would be overly simplistic to say these executives don't know what they're doing, but we can still ask the question…

Poll: Top Remaining Free Agent

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The top free agents – Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth – have signed their nine-figure deals, but many players are still available. The question is, which of the remaining unsigned players is the top free agent available? (Players listed alphabetically).

Poll: Who Will Sign Magglio Ordonez?

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Magglio Ordonez’s season came to an abrupt end on July 24th, when he fractured his ankle sliding across home plate. He had been hitting .303/.378/.474 in 365 plate appearances up to that point, and appeared to be on his way to having his $15MM option for 2011 vest. The injury changed everything and Magglio is a free agent for just the second time in his career.

Agent Scott Boras said that Ordonez has completed the rehab required for his ankle and has “returned to full workout routines.” He also held a private work out for the Tigers last week. The Rangers have interest in Magglio and the Red Sox did as well, at least until they traded for Adrian Gonzalez and signed Carl Crawford. Tim Dierkes examined Ordonez’s free agent stock last month, speculating that the Rays, Blue Jays, and Athletics could have some interest in a DH role. 

With the big free agent outfielders off the board, the market for Magglio should heat up very soon. Where do you think he’ll land?

Poll: Will The Rays Trade Matt Garza This Offseason?

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The trade talk surrounding Rays right-hander Matt Garza began to heat up this week as teams looked to fortify their pitching.  The Brewers and Rangers have talked to Tampa Bay about a possible swap but the Cubs were said to have the strongest bid. 

Texas is one club that is eyeing Garza as a Plan B if they are unable to land Zack Greinke in a trade.  The asking price for the 2009 AL Cy Young award winner is said to be sky-high and Garza could obviously be had for less.  Meanwhile, the Rays are flush with pitching and have holes to patch up elsewhere.

When considering Tampa Bay's needs and Garza's rising value, it seems like Garza is a strong trade candidate this offseason.  However, prior to the winter meetings, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times opined that the Rays will hang on to their pitchers until this summer unless the offers are exceptionally strong.

Poll: Where Will Rafael Soriano Sign?

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The Rays acquired Rafael Soriano from the Braves exactly one year ago today, but right now it’s a little unclear where he’ll be playing in 2011. The Angels were widely considered a natural fit, but GM Tony Reagins told Dan Woike of The Orange County Register (Twitter link) that he’s satisfied with his bullpen following the Scott Downs signing.

While all 30 teams can use a pitcher of Soriano’s caliber, only a few can realistically afford him financially and give him their closer’s job. Remember, saves equal dollars both now and down the road, so Soriano will likely have to be blown away to join a team as a setup man. As if things aren’t complicated enough, a team would need to surrender a high draft pick to land the soon-to-be 31-year-old, which some clubs simply aren’t willing to do. Time to vote…

Poll: Do The Yankees Need Cliff Lee

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If the Yankees don't sign Cliff Lee, their rotation will seem shallow, especially if Andy Pettitte retires. C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett are viable starters, but it's hard to see the Bronx Bombers opening the season with Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre in the rotation. You can make the argument that the Yankees need Lee, especially since the next-best free agent starter, Carl Pavano, is not the solution to the Yankees' problems after what happened in his first stint in pinstripes.

Zack Greinke may or may not be a fit for the Yankees, but other elite arms are potentially available in trades. The Yankees inquired on Francisco Liriano and Ricky Nolasco is known to be available. If the Yankees were to pair one of those starters up with Pettitte, their rotation would look strong and they could spend the money they would have committed to Lee on other needs.

Poll: Which Team Will Cliff Lee Choose

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After one month on the free agent market, Cliff Lee may be ready to decide on an offer. The Yankees have made him at least one proposal, the Rangers visited him in Arkansas again and it's too early to rule out interested teams such as the Nationals and Angels. These things are never easy to predict, but at some point the rumors will stop and the decision will be made.

Poll: Most Surprising Winter Meetings Deal

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Who thought Jayson Werth would sign for $126MM? Did anyone expect the Red Sox to acquire Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez? And who had Shaun Marcum going to the Brewers? We've seen our share of surprising transactions in the past week or so, so let's vote on which one was the least expected move of all.

Which of the many recent deals surprised you the most?

Poll: Will Russell Martin Be Traded Today?

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The Red Sox have long admired Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, notes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  With tonight's non-tender deadline less than eleven hours away, there appear to be three possibilities for Martin:

  • The Dodgers could re-sign him at a minimum of $4.04MM.
  • The Dodgers could trade him.
  • The Dodgers could non-tender him and get no return.

Technically the Dodgers could tender Martin a contract and trade him later, but they might seek a quicker resolution and more certainty.  Sometimes the non-tender threat can kill a player's trade market, but in other cases it compels a suitor to make a move before the player hits the open market.  If the Red Sox would be willing to meet Martin's salary demands and the Dodgers aren't, a deal would be mutually beneficial.  Other clubs may have interest too.  What's your take?

 

Discussion: George Sherrill

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Dodgers reliever George Sherrill, who earned $4.5MM in 2010, might not be offered arbitration this winter.  In other news, I might not receive consideration for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize.

With all due respect to Sherrill and his past accomplishments, which include a fantastic second half of 2009 in Los Angeles, his 2010 numbers indicate that he's not worth another year at a similar rate.  However, Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times offered up a defense of the left-hander earlier this week in which he pointed out that Joe Torre often used him in the wrong situations.  Sherrill, who shines against lefties, faced 85 left-handed batters and 95 right-handed batters.  His stat line for the year was a 6.69 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 5.9 BB/9, though lefties batted just .192/.286/.288 against him.

Sherrill won't be offered arbitration but he could certainly be a solid value for the Dodgers or another club looking to take a small gamble on a strong left-handed specialist.  Dilbeck predicts a "serious pay cut" and perhaps even a minor league deal in the 33-year-old's near future.  When utilized properly, however, one has to think that Sherrill can deliver results worthy of a guaranteed deal.  The only question is, will the market force a team to offer one?

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