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NL East Notes: Mets, Braves, Brown

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Links from the NL East…

  • There's little question within the Mets organization that Travis d'Arnaud will become the team's starting catcher at some point this year, Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. However, d'Arnaud will start the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, barring an injury. By keeping d'Arnaud in big league camp, the Mets are running the risk that he'll get injured and start picking up MLB service time while on the disabled list, Michael Baron of MetsBlog.com notes.
  • The Braves front office doesn't seem concerned about the possibility that their lineup will strike out often in 2013, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. Martino also discusses the re-branding of the Braves in the post-Chipper Jones and Bobby Cox era. “We like talent,” one Braves person said.
  • Don't be surprised if Mike Minor of the Braves and Domonic Brown of the Phillies are among the players who break out in 2013. ESPN.com's Keith Law includes these players on his list of former top prospects poised for big performances in the coming season.

East Notes: Red Sox, Orioles, Davis

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Some notes from baseball's East divisions…

  • This is a "unique year" for five Red Sox who may become free agents after the season, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  As Joel Hanrahan, Stephen Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Mike Napoli look ahead to the prospect of facing the open market, they are adhering to the mantra that, as Ellsbury put it, "nothing changes."  The Boston center-fielder explained: "Every year I've played for something.  I've never had a guarantee.  For me, it's the same as it has been the last three years, going through arbitration.  For me, it doesn't change my approach.  It doesn't change how I go about the game.  It doesn't change my work ethic."
  • Front office staff, like players, face immense pressure to perform.  As reported by Michael Anft of PressBoxOnline.com, Orioles GM Dan Duquette has seen his share of success and failure over the years, and last year began to find redemption in Baltimore.  "I learned a lot from the experience in Boston," said Duquette, including the need to be "more accessible" and to "have more fun with it."
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson told Mark Hale and Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post that he has interest in signing Ike Davis to an extension that would cover the first baseman's three arbitration seasons.  Alderson said that he would "keep an eye on" that possibility, though he noted that it "has to work for both sides."  Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com opines that Billy Butler's extension with the Royals could be a good comp.

National League Notes: Cedeno, Diamondbacks, Mets

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Three years ago this time a memorable rumor made its way onto the pages of MLBTR, as ESPN reported the possibility of a Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols swap. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. quickly dismissed the report that the Phillies had talked internally about the idea, saying "I don't know who you're talking to, but that's a lie." It’s rare for such an exciting rumor to circulate during Spring Training, so it generated lots of discussion. Ultimately the rumors quieted down and the deal never materialized. Here are some National League notes for Friday morning…

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.

Offseason In Review: New York Mets

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The Mets locked up their most famous player through 2020, boldly following that move by trading the NL Cy Young winner for prospects.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Extensions

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

In early December, the Mets locked up the face of their franchise by giving third baseman David Wright seven years and $122MM in new money.  Some will argue that the Mets "had" to retain Wright, unless they wanted to deal with a revolt from fans who haven't seen them finish better than fourth place since 2008.  The Madoff suit had been settled prior to the season, and Wright was coming off a vintage year.  This was more than just a contract extension; it was a grand gesture to fans.

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Signing Wright is certainly a decision that would require the involvement of ownership.  Still, back in 2010, GM Sandy Alderson had expressed a preference to avoid "second generation" contracts, and the Wright deal qualifies as such.  The extension covers his age 31-37 seasons, obviously not the ideal slice of any player's career.  In the Mets' defense, at an average annual value of under $17.5MM, Wright doesn't need to be a superstar for the team to recoup value.  Deferred money and a frontloaded structure are also points in the Mets' favor.

The positive P.R. from the Wright signing may have softened the blow for the team's half-hearted attempt to extend reigning Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey.  The knuckleballer was already under contract for a mere $5MM for 2013, after the team exercised its club option.  Dickey reportedly asked for two years and about $26MM for 2014-15, his age 39-40 seasons.  That request was more than reasonable even given Dickey's age, but the Mets reportedly stopped at two years and about $20MM.  The implication is that the team didn't really want to extend him, and Dickey was instead traded to Toronto.

For the Mets, the need to add a pair of blue-chip prospects outweighed the team's desire to field the best possible team in 2013.  The team's farm system was ranked 26th in baseball by Baseball America prior to the trade.  They added a consensus top 25 prospect in catcher D'Arnaud, plus a top 100 prospect in righty Syndergaard.  The deal pushed their system into the 18-20 range overall, according to BA's Jim Callis.  With Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Syndergaard, and Jon Niese, the Mets could have an intriguing, affordable rotation in place by 2015.

In the shorter-term, the Mets addressed the departures of Dickey and relievers Ramirez and Rauch by adding bargain free agents Marcum and Lyon and other potentially useful veterans on minor league deals.

Questions Remaining

When will the Alderson regime start spending significant money on new players?  The time to pounce could be the 2013-14 offseason, when players such as Johan Santana, Jason Bay, John Buck, and Frank Francisco come off the books.  The 2014 club has only Wright and Niese under contract, plus potentially decent arbitration contracts for Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, and Bobby Parnell.  It might be appropriate to bring in a few corner outfielders and late-inning relievers.

For 2013, the team's outfield could be quite bad.  The Mets could begin the season with players like Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, Collin Cowgill, and Marlon Byrd holding starting positions.  The silver lining is that the Mets can offer opportunity, and could find a diamond in the rough.

There's also the question of the team's bullpen, which looks mighty shaky after Parnell and Lyon.  Again, the one benefit of such a shaky group is uncovering a sleeper.

Deal of Note

Alderson snagged Marcum in January for just a $4MM guarantee, much less than I would have predicted at the outset of the offseason.  With one of the slowest right-handed fastballs you'll find in the Majors, Marcum came cheap after missing two months due to an elbow issue.  He posted a 3.59 ERA in 396 innings over 2010-11, so he's not far removed from solid mid-rotation innings eating.

Overview

The Mets have been a sleeping giant under the Alderson regime, parting ways with their best veterans other than Wright, avoiding free agency, and allowing their attendance to slip to 17th in MLB.  A decent rotation won't be enough to overcome the team's gaping holes in 2013, but perhaps the season will provide a sneak preview for the Mets' return to relevance in the coming years.

Brennan Boesch Rumors: Wednesday

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Seven teams have called agent Scott Boras about recently-released outfielder Brennan Boesch, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports (on Twitter). Here are the latest Boesch-related rumors…

  • The Mets' interest in Boesch is "marginal," Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier that the Mets appear to have some interest in Boesch (on Twitter). Anthony DiComo of MLB.com doesn't get the sense that GM Sandy Alderson will pursue Boesch (Twitterlinks). However, DiComo points out that it's too early to dismiss the possibility.
  • The Red Sox are talking internally about Boesch, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post has been told the Yankees will at least look into the possibility of signing Boesch (Twitter link). The depth of the New York outfield has been tested in the aftermath of Curtis Granderson's injury.
  • The Astros will take a look at Boesch, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports (on Twitter). Like the Mets, the Astros have a relatively young outfield.

NL East Notes: Santana, Marlins, Phillies

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The Nationals won the NL East in 2012, displacing the Phillies atop the division after Philadelphia's five-year run. As impressive as the Phillies' streak of consecutive division titles was, it doesn't compare to the Braves' record of 14 in a row. Here’s the latest from the NL East as the Nationals look to prolong their stay atop the division instead of becoming a one-and-done winner like the 2006 Mets…

  • The Mets' relationship with Johan Santana is deteriorating and some liken the situation to the relationship between the Mets and one of their former stars. “This is Carlos Beltran all over again,” one longtime Mets official told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
  • Jose Reyes said he has "unbelievable memories" from his one year in Miami, Newsday’s David Lennon reports (on Twitter). But the Blue Jays’ leadoff hitter and shortstop doesn’t seem to mind that he’s now playing elsewhere. "I know I don't want to play for the Marlins no more," he said.
  • GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that the bullpen could be a team strength for the Phillies after some offseason changes. "We've got to hope that we're better. We designed our bullpen to be better this year, and hopefully it will be," Amaro said. The Phillies signed Mike Adams to a two-year deal to improve their setup relief options.

Yankees Sign Ben Francisco

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The Yankees have signed outfielder Ben Francisco, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). The Indians released the John Boggs client earlier today, making him a free agent.

Francisco is on his way to Florida, where he'll join the Yankees and compete for an outfield job, Sherman reports. The 31-year-old played for the Blue Jays, Astros and Rays in 2012. He began the year in Toronto and joined the Astros in a July trade before being dealt to Tampa Bay in August. In total he posted a .240/.285/.385 batting line with four home runs in 207 total plate appearances, playing both corner outfield positions. Francisco, a right-handed hitter, has a career line of .252/.329/.414 against left-handed pitching.

The Mets had some preliminary interest in Francisco, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported today (Twitter link).

New York Notes: Rivera, Wheeler, Alderson

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Yesterday, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera officially announced that he will retire after the 2013 season. Rivera told reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger, that he is looking forward to moving on from the constant grind of baseball.  "Well, I’m telling you the tank is empty. I think that’s enough. It’s been a journey. One thing I will say that I will never stop missing the game or the action on the field. And my teammates. But after that, there’s nothing else. It’s just traveling and hotels and all that. There’s no more in me. I’ll do what I have to do next," said Rivera.  Here's more on the Yankees and Mets..

  • One major league executive estimated that the Super Two cutoff date may be around June 15th this year, meaning that the Mets may not promote Zack Wheeler until after that date, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • The clock is ticking on Sandy Alderson's honeymoon grace period with the Mets, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  It's possible that club ownership blocked Alderson from making bold moves along the way such as trading Jose Reyes and David Wright, but Sherman argues that Alderson was viewed as having the tools necessary to navigate his way around the top of the power structure.
  • In speaking with Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter) and other reporters, Alderson addressed his record in New York.  "It's a body of work that has to be judged, and not on a day to day basis. You have to step back periodically and say 'Where are we?'," said the GM.
  • Rivera was what set the Yankees apart from everyone else, writes Sherman.  Now, the question is whether the 43-year-old can be the difference maker for the Bombers in his farewell season.

New York Notes: Yankees, Mets, Wells, Rivera

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Earlier today, MLBTR readers were fairly split on what the Yankees should look to do next.  About 32% of you said that the Bombers should just work with what they have, nearly 28% want to see the Yanks to land an infielder and an outfielder, and 26% say that GM Brian Cashman should pursue either a first or third baseman.  Here's more on what the Yankees may (or may not) do before Opening Day and some items on the Mets..

  • The Mariners probably won't make someone truly intriguing such as Kyle Seager or Michael Saunders available for the Yankees, but Casper Wells could be in play, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The 28-year-old is out of options, might not have a roster spot and showed that he can hit well against lefties last season.
  • Over the past several months, the Mets have quietly made a series of promotions in the front office, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  Dick Scott, who worked with J.P. Ricciardi in Toronto, is now director of player development. Adam Fisher, who is a holdover from the Omar Minaya era was promoted from manager of baseball operations to director of baseball operations.  Former assistant director of minor league operations Jon Miller also earned a promotion, moving up to director of minor league operations.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) reflected on the career of Mariano Rivera and his importance to the Yankees franchise over the years.  The legendary closer has decided that he will call it a career after the 2013 season.
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