Jay Marshall Returned To Athletics; Released
Lefty reliever Jay Marshall was returned to the Athletics, reported Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News last night. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A's released Marshall once he was returned.
The Mets had claimed Marshall off waivers from the A's on January 8th, but Rubin says the claim was voided due to a shoulder injury Marshall had at the time of the claim. The A's had designated Marshall in December to make room for Justin Duchscherer. Marshall, 27, posted a 3.20 ERA, 5.3 K/9, and 2.7 BB/9 in 50.6 Triple A innings last year.
Odds & Ends: Fielder, Young, Pierzynski Dice-K
Links for Tuesday…
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin tells MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that there's "no sense of urgency" to the Prince Fielder extension talks, since Fielder's "not going anywhere" for now.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that Chris Young (the Padres' version) could be a trade candidate this year, but that the right-hander would be better served staying in the National League.
- Morosi also lays out the decision facing the White Sox as A.J. Pierzynski's contract approaches its end. We discussed the catcher's next contract here.
- Daisuke Matsuzaka wants to play in the majors for at least another decade, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford.
- SI's Tom Verducci explains a radical floating realignment concept that was discussed by Bud Selig's "special committee for on-field matters."
- Joe Posnanski describes Aroldis Chapman's spring debut in this SI column.
- Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog reports that the Mets re-signed pitcher Kyle Snyder to a minor league deal. Snyder posted a 4.23 ERA, 6.4 K/9, and 2.8 BB/9 in 104.3 Triple A innings last year.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explores the recent pattern of the Cardinals acquiring rejected Red Sox players.
- ESPN's Keith Law opines that "if the season started this week, [Kyle Farnsworth would] have to be a candidate for unconditional release."
- MLB.com's Jason Beck caught up with Blue Jays pitcher Casey Fien, who bounced around between three clubs in a short span this winter.
- Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald says the 2007 Marlins-Tigers Miguel Cabrera blockbuster hasn't panned out as planned so far.
2011 Vesting Options
Vesting options are always fun for hot stove junkies to follow during the season. Last year we had Kevin Millwood's $12 Million Out and the Tigers allowing Magglio Ordonez's pricey option to vest. 2011 vesting options to watch this year:
- Brian Fuentes, Angels: $9MM option vests with 55 games finished. Fuentes has finished 55+ three times in his career, last year included. Fernando Rodney will be lurking.
- Billy Wagner, Braves: $6.5MM option vests with 50 games finished.
- Trever Miller, Cardinals: $2MM option vests with 45 games, but reverts to a club option with a left arm or shoulder injury.
- Matt Cain, Giants: $6.25MM option vests with 182.3 innings or 27 starts. The Giants will exercise this even if it doesn't vest, as the alternative will be going to arbitration with Cain and potentially paying him more.
- Kerry Wood, Indians: $11MM option vests with 55 games finished. A trade into a non-closing job could affect Wood's bank account. That's three closers whose GF totals we'll be monitoring.
- Alex Cora, Mets: $2MM option vests with 80 starts.
- Darren Oliver, Rangers: $3.25MM option vests with 59 appearances.
- Ramon Hernandez, Reds: $3.25MM option vests with 120 games played.
- Magglio Ordonez, Tigers: $15MM option vests with 135 starts or 540 plate appearances.
- Note that a game finished is given to the last non-starting pitcher of record. Also, thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
Offseason In Review: New York Mets
Next in our Offseason In Review series, the Mets.
Major League Signings
- Jason Bay, LF: four years, $66MM. Includes $17MM club option for 2014 with a $3MM buyout. Can vest based on plate appearances.
- Ryota Igarashi, RP: two years, $3MM.
- Alex Cora, IF: one year, $2MM. Includes $2MM vesting option for 2011.
- Kelvim Escobar, RP: one year, $1.25MM.
- Fernando Tatis, 1B: one year, $800K (estimated).
- Henry Blanco, C: one year, $750K.
- Chris Coste, C: one year, $650K.
- Rod Barajas, C: one year, $500K.
- Clint Everts, P: one year, $400K.
- Total spend: $75.35MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Kiko Calero, Hisanori Takahashi, Josh Fogg, Mike Jacobs, Frank Catalanotto, R.A. Dickey, Shawn Riggans, Russ Adams, Jolbert Cabrera, Luis Hernandez, Mike Hessman, Bobby Livingston, Elmer Dessens
Trades and Claims
- Sold Rule 5 pick P Carlos Monasterios to Dodgers
- Claimed RP Jay Marshall off waivers from Athletics
- Acquired CF Gary Matthews Jr. and $21.5MM from the Angels for RP Brian Stokes
- Claimed CF Jason Pridie off waivers from Twins
Notable Losses
- Gary Sheffield, Brian Schneider, Jeremy Reed, Cory Sullivan, Carlos Delgado, Wilson Valdez, Tim Redding, Brian Stokes, J.J. Putz, Ken Takahashi, Lance Broadway
Summary
The Mets came into the offseason with needs at left field, first base, catcher, the rotation, and the bullpen. GM Omar Minaya's approach: one big move and tons of little ones.
Bay was the major expenditure; his option has a decent shot of vesting and turning this into a five-year, $80MM deal. The Mets also surrendered the #57 overall draft pick. Should the Mets be praised for giving Bay three fewer years than Matt Holliday, at about $643K less per year? Or did both teams overcommit, given an apparent lack of comparable offers? Perhaps in both cases, the Mets and Cardinals feared that their targeted sluggers would could sign short-term deals elsewhere and they'd be left with nothing.
Though I initially liked the Escobar signing, it's already looking like a waste of $1.25MM. In hindsight, he deserved a minor league deal. I still like Minaya's approach to the bullpen with the low-risk signings of Igarashi, Calero, and others.
Minaya committed $1.9MM to catchers Barajas, Blanco, and Coste, which at least looks good compared to the $6MM deals given to Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Kendall. The Mets are probably lucky that Bengie Molina didn't take their one-year, $5.5MM proposal, but they deserve faint praise for not offering a second year.
It looks like Daniel Murphy (.274/.328/.429 projection) has the inside track on the Mets' first base job, with Jacobs in camp as a backup plan. Minaya never seemed too keen on tossing $2MM at flawed but more interesting bats like Troy Glaus and Russell Branyan, nor did he make a play in the $6MM range for Nick Johnson or Adam LaRoche.
With all the uncertainty in the Mets' rotation, I expected them to sign two starters to big league deals. Instead, they added a couple of fifth starter candidates on minor league pacts in Takahashi and Fogg. I don't blame the Mets for not topping Oakland's $10MM offer to Ben Sheets, but they could've been more aggressive on Joel Pineiro or Jon Garland. The Mets have a probable rotation of Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Jon Niese – and I have no idea how they'll perform or how many innings they'll provide.
The Mets are comparable to their division rival Marlins, aside from the $80MM payroll difference. The teams project to have similar offenses, granting full health for both clubs (though I downgraded Carlos Beltran's projection slightly for the month-plus of Angel Pagan we'll see). Both clubs also have unpredictable rotations. I won't rule out the Marlins and Mets as contenders, but the Braves and Phillies have fewer question marks.
Odds & Ends: Grudzielanek, Royals, Fielder, Calero
Links for Sunday….
- In his latest mailbag, MLB.com's Jim Street writes that he could see Chad Cordero hooking on with a major league club if he continues to stay healthy and perform well in Spring Training. Cordero is in camp with the Mariners and competing for a job, but is unlikely to make the team as the bullpen is already stocked with quality right-handers.
- Mark Grudzielanek is eager to hook on with the Indians, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. The 39-year-old second baseman, who was absent from the majors in 2009, says he has his eye on the starting job.
- MLB.com's Dick Kaegel reports that Royals shortstop prospect Jeff Bianchi will miss the 2010 season with elbow surgery. Danny Duffy, a left-handed pitcher and the organization's #8 prospect according to Baseball America, will be shut down as well for the time being due to elbow stiffness.
- Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel talks to Brewers GM Doug Melvin about Prince Fielder's future. Melvin reiterates that the team hopes to keep Fielder around for many years, and revisits an instance during his stint as the Rangers' GM when he had to trade a heavy hitter.
- Questions about Kiko Calero's health might have kept him on the market longer than expected this winter, but Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News says that the righty has been throwing off a mound and looks okay for now. "Conditioning-wise he's pretty good," pitching coach Dan Warthen said. "He just hasn't seen hitters."
- Newly-acquired Melvin Mora could end up playing nearly every position on the diamond for the Rockies this year, writes Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post.
- WEEI's Alex Speier reports that Brian Shouse's minor league contract will earn him $800K if he makes the Red Sox' major league roster.
Mets Never Made A Serious Offer To Marquis?
The Mets reportedly came into the offseason focused on five starting pitchers, one of whom was Jason Marquis. The Staten Island native reciprocated that interest, however as Adam Rubin of The New York Daily News tweets, Marquis doesn't know what the Mets offered him exactly because he told his agent to only share "serious" offers with him.
The 31-year-old Marquis opted to a sign a two-year, $15MM deal with the Nationals in December, while the only starters the Mets imported this offseason were Josh Fogg, R.A. Dickey, and Hisanori Takahashi on minor league deals.
Odds & Ends: AL East, Mauer, D’Backs, Sheets
Some links to read with Opening Day just a month away…
- MLB.com's Peter Gammons says one suggested way to improve competitive balance is by breaking up the Yankees and Red Sox. In the scenario he presents, the Yanks and Mets would be put in one division, the Sox and Rays in another.
- Tom Tango of ESPN's The Max Info blog built a 25-man roster out of players that signed just a one-year deals this offseason, and all for under $100MM (Insider req'd).
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports thinks that agent Ron Shapiro's extended stay in Twins camp means the club is making progress on extension talks with Joe Mauer.
- The D'Backs don't appear likely to pursue Braden Looper or Jarrod Washburn, even if Brandon Webb starts the season on the DL, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Ben Sheets told reporters there is "zero bad blood" between him and the Brewers, his former team, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Teams are still interested in Jarrod Washburn, though he's not close to a deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports explains the story behind the reunion of A's GM Billy Beane and his adviser, Grady Fuson.
- The Red Sox obtained 15 of the 39 players on their 40-man roster through the draft, notes Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball in this look at the Boston club.
- Prince Fielder tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he isn't going to stress about his future, but he hopes to be part of the Brewers organization for 30 years.
- Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports thinks the floor for a Fielder extension might be $95MM over five years.
- Former Met and Marlin Henry Owens is auditioning for the Mets, according to Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.
- Top Marlins prospect and MLBTR reader Logan Morrison is on Twitter.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that the Reds are unlikely to make a trade unless one of their players gets hurt (Twitter link).
- Matt Youmans of the Las Vegas Review-Journal profiles Bryce Harper, the 17-year-old phenom who is expected to be a top pick in this year's draft.
- Fielder, also a Scott Boras client, could be up for an extension. ESPN.com's Buster Olney says many GMs emerge from initial contract negotiations with Boras thinking there's "no (expletive) way" they reach an agreement.
- Gordon Beckham tells MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he tries to ignore the trade rumors he appears in. The infielder says he wants to play for the White Sox for years.
- Bengie Molina tells Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News that he would have signed with the Mets if they had offered two years. Their one-year $5.5MM offer didn't sway him.
Beimel Still Has Offer From Mets
Reds Interested In Gary Matthews Jr.?
7:53pm: John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer spoke to a Reds' source who said the team has zero interest in Matthews (link goes to Twitter). The source went so far as to name five outfielders the team has in camp that they'd take over the former Angel.
6:54pm: The Reds are interested in acquiring Gary Matthews Jr. if he can't win the Mets' centerfield job, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Sarge Jr. is currently battling Angel Pagan to replace Carlos Beltran as he recovers from knee surgery, though Olney mentions that Pagan is expected to win the job.
Cincinnati has been seeking outfield help seemingly all winter, though they did just re-sign Jonny Gomes about two weeks ago. They have five other outfielders on their 40-man roster at the moment, though Chris Heisey and Drew Stubbs have yet to experience a full season in the big leagues
The Mets acquired Matthews from the Angels back in January, and the Halos are on the hook for all but $2MM of the $23.5MM left on his deal. Even though Matthews has hit just .245/.326/.358 in 837 plate appearances over the last two seasons, $2MM for two years of a fourth or fifth outfielder isn't awful.
Mets Sign Kiko Calero
The Mets signed Kiko Calero to a minor league deal worth up to $1.5MM. He earns $850K if he makes the team, with another $650K available in incentives. There is no opt-out if the Mets send him to the minors.
Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News tweeted news of the deal, which was announced on SNY's broadcast of this afternoon's Mets game. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted the details.
Calero had been looking for a major league deal, so the Mets deserve credit for adding him on a minor league contract, especially since there's a good chance Kelvim Escobar will start the season injured.
The 35-year-old pitched 60 innings of 1.95 ERA ball last year for the Marlins, with 10.4 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9. But the Marlins had concerns about his health and they weren't the only ones. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe heard from two executives who said Calero's medicals didn't look good (Twitter link). That didn't prevent eight teams from offering the righty minor league deals, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter).