Quick Hits: Verlander, Wheeler, Gregg
Tigers manager Jim Leyland is excited about Justin Verlander's extension and the possibility it could keep Verlander in Detroit his entire career, MLB.com's Adam Berry reports. "I think it was obviously a great situation for him. I think it's a great situation for the organization. I think it's a great situation for the fans," says Leyland. "He's been with the Tigers for going on his eighth year, [and he could stay] conceivably 15 years or maybe 16. That's pretty much a whole career. I think that's got a nice ring to it."
- The Mets should consider promoting top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler, and should soon begin thinking about signing him to a long-term deal, David Lennon of Newsday.com argues. Promoting Wheeler to start the season, rather than delaying his service-time clock by starting him off in the minors, might show that the Mets are taking the 2013 season seriously, Lennon suggests. Once Wheeler is in the majors, Lennon argues that the landscape of the game (with teams signing their young stars left and right) suggests that the Mets will consider signing Wheeler long-term.
- Kevin Gregg of the Dodgers is still bothered that he didn't receive a major-league contract this offseason, ESPN Los Angeles' Mark Saxon reports. Gregg posted a 4.95 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 for the Orioles in 2012. "The way last year ended, the way the offseason unfolded, you're not a competitor if you don't have a little fire to show your abilities," says Gregg. Gregg has gotten good results this spring, but the Dodgers have a very crowded pitching staff, and might not have space for him.
Minor Moves: Paulino, Mets, Jeroloman
We’ll keep an eye on the minor moves today right here.
- The Mariners have released catcher Ronny Paulino, MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports (on Twitter). Paulino, who collected 63 at bats with the Orioles in 2012, was in Mariners camp on a minor-league deal. He has hit .272/.324/.376 in parts of eight seasons with the Pirates, Marlins, Mets and O’s.
- The Mets have released a host of minor leaguers, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The released players are: Brad Holt, Daniel Herrera, Craig Hansen, Mike Wilson, Corey Patterson, Pedro Zapata, and Brandon Brown. Herrera has a 3.72 ERA over 101 2/3 big league innings for his career, but has not pitched in the majors since 2011 and was working back from injury. Patterson, of course, has an extensive MLB track record but spent last year with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, posting a .251/.285/.410 line in 387 plate appearances. Hansen had not played at the major league level since 2009, and Wilson saw only very limited action with Seattle in 2011. None of the other players released have played above the minor league level.
- Catcher Brian Jeroloman has been traded from the Indians to the Pirates in exchange for cash, reports Quinn Roberts of MLB.com. Jeroloman, now 27, advanced to Triple-A as a 23-year-old but has yet to see big league action. He spent last season primarily in Double-A, where he hit .195/.308/.195 in 137 plate appearances. Jeroloman was destined for Double-A with Omir Santos in Triple-A, so the Indians instead shipped him to Pittsburgh where there was an opening at the higher level, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer.
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Latest On Johan Santana
Yesterday, the Mets disclosed that Johan Santana will likely miss the 2013 season as he works to come back from a tear in his pitching shoulder. The injury may mean that the left-hander has pitched his final game for the Mets and it could even mean the end of his career. Santana was expected to miss some time this year as he struggled through spring training, but the news that he'll be sidelined for the entire campaign comes as a surprise. Here's more on Santana.
- General Manager Sandy Alderson indicated that the Mets "probably" will not seek outside pitching help despite acknowledging that the club's reserve pitching is "not terribly deep," writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Santana is owed $31MM for the remainder of his contract and the Mets will have to foot the bill for all of it, as they do not have insurance on it, Rubin writes. Premiums have increased sharply over the years, and one source told Rubin that outside insurance has declined tremendously across baseball.
- Santana is leaning towards undergoing surgery and trying to resume his career, a source told Mike Puma of the New York Post (on Twitter).
Reese Havens, Darin Gorski Clear Waivers
3:02pm: Both Havens and Gorski have cleared waivers, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
1:04pm: Havens has cleared waivers, according to Rubin (on Twitter). Gorski's status is unknown, however.
11:39am: The Mets want to clear a pair of 40-man roster spots and are expected to so by exposing infielder Reese Havens and left-hander Darin Gorski to waivers, sources tell Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
Havens, a first-round pick in 2008, has struggled through back injuries throughout his career. The 26-year-old spent last season with Double-A Binghamton and hit .215 .340 .351 in 94 games. Gorski, 25, made 24 starts and one relief appearance for Binghamton last season, posting a 4.00 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9.
Shedding Havens and Gorski will leave the Mets with 35 players on their 40-man roster.
Midseason Trade Candidates
The regular season is about to begin, and before you know it, fans of struggling clubs will be combing rosters for players their team can acquire from even worse clubs come July. With apologies for being a wet blanket, things look particularly dire this year for the Astros, Twins, Marlins, Mets, and Cubs. They comprise our very early list of potential midseason sellers, which will surely grow in the coming months. What can other teams scavenge from them?
Astros
The Astros are in complete teardown mode. Their highest-paid player is starter Bud Norris, at $3MM. He's under team control through 2015 and will appeal to anyone looking for more than a rental. He'll just have to show some consistency first. Lucas Harrell, meanwhile, is under team control through 2017, but I still think GM Jeff Luhnow will listen. Wesley Wright is a credible left-handed reliever. Otherwise, we're down to newly-signed veterans like Carlos Pena, Jose Veras, and Erik Bedard.
Twins
With first baseman Justin Morneau entering a contract year, he's a good candidate to be dealt this summer. The 2006 MVP is only 31 years old, and enters the season free of health concerns. Josh Willingham may be a popular target, though he's signed through next season and the Twins weren't willing to deal him last summer. Veterans such as Jamey Carroll and Ryan Doumit could draw some interest. I'm not sure the Twins would be willing to trade from their rotation, but Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey are not long-term pieces.
Marlins
Teams will be clamoring for Giancarlo Stanton, but he's the only reason to see the Marlins right now and he's under team control through 2016. Expect plenty of rumors. The Marlins will get more for starter Ricky Nolasco if they assume some of the $11.5MM owed to him, not that I expect that. Then we're mostly down to veteran pickups like Placido Polanco, Juan Pierre, Jeff Mathis, and Jon Rauch.
Mets
Johan Santana's shoulder will cause him to start the season on the DL. If he looks decent in May and June, and the Mets pick up most of his $31MM tab, and he waives his no-trade clause, maybe they can get a prospect back. Other players in the last year of contracts or on one-year deals such as John Buck, Frank Francisco, and Brandon Lyon should be available. Ike Davis and Jon Niese will draw interest, but seem like building blocks for the Mets.
Cubs
This might be the year the Cubs finally move Alfonso Soriano, who has two years and $36MM left on his deal, plus a full no-trade clause. The Vernon Wells trade has to give the Cubs hope toward the idea of picking up less than half the tab. Matt Garza is entering his contract year, and could be one of the better starters available if he's healthy and the Cubs prefer not to extend him. The Cubs also have starters Scott Feldman and Scott Baker on one-year deals. Closer Carlos Marmol, earning $9.8MM, will be difficult to unload given his control issues. David DeJesus, who has a club option for 2014, could be a useful piece for someone.
Best hitter available: Justin Morneau
Best starting pitcher available: Matt Garza
Best reliever available: Rafael Betancourt
East Notes: Happ, Romero, Mets, Nationals
The Yankees will finish in last place, predicts Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Predicting the AL East is no easy task, that's for sure. The latest from baseball's eastern division teams:
- The Yankees need another Aaron Small-type hidden gem this year, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The team is facing some derision for recent veteran pickups like Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay, but Sherman feels the front office has earned the benefit of the doubt given its success with these types of additions.
- The Blue Jays and starter J.A. Happ first discussed an extension in the offseason when they were doing his arbitration case, GM Alex Anthopoulos told Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. The agreement was reached before Happ found out he'd made the Opening Day rotation, said the pitcher. The Jays guaranteed Happ's final arbitration year in 2014 and also snagged a club option for '15.
- Happ beat out Ricky Romero for the Jays' fifth starter job, even though Romero is owed $7.5MM this year. Romero, who was optioned to High-A, told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca, "I don’t belong here to be honest with you. This is not for me."
- The Mets are not yet convinced Ruben Tejada is their shortstop of the future, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Gavin Cecchini is Baseball America's top-rated shortstop in the Mets' farm system, but he was drafted out of high school last summer.
- The Nationals are a scouting-first organization, but GM Mike Rizzo is open-minded to suggestions from their two top analytics people, Adam Cromie and Samuel Mondry-Cohen, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The team has its own formula to evaluate defense and its own version of wins above replacement.
Angels Acquire Elvin Ramirez From Mets
The Angels have acquired minor-league righty Elvin Ramirez from the Mets for cash consideration, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. Ramirez was one of the players mentioned yesterday by ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin as being shopped by the roster-spot-hungry Mets. Rubin notes on Twitter that this deal leaves 38 occupied spots on the team's 40-man roster.
For Los Angeles, they are acquiring a pitcher who has only thrown 21 1/3 big league innnings, over which he compiled a 5.48 ERA. In addition to that brief audition last year with the Mets, Ramirez logged a composite 2.13 ERA over 55 minor league innings in 2012, 42 of which were spent in Triple-A.
New York Notes: Mets, Havens, Marcum, Wells
Here are some notes from the big apple's two big league clubs:
- The Mets are "in desperate need of clearing several spots" on their 40-man roster, and have "put out word to other teams that they are interested in moving non-core prospects" who would have to pass through waivers to be retained, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. With the team likely in need of four roster vacancies to account for players who figure to be added to the 40-man before Opening Day, the Mets could look to move players such as Gonzalez Germen, Darin Gorski, Reese Havens, Juan Lagares, Cesar Puello, Elvin Ramirez, and Hansel Robles, according to Rubin.
- The Blue Jays could be interested in the aforementioned Havens, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Havens, a 25-year-old second baseman, has yet to see big league action and hit .215/.340/.351 over 390 Double-A plate appearances last year.
- After allowing him to reach free agency, the Brewers "didn't want to touch" Shaun Marcum this offseason due to injury concerns, tweets Martino. Marcum, now with the Mets, is looking unlikely to start the season in the rotation due to neck and shoulder issues, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com explains.
- The Yankees "will not receive credit on their 2014 luxury-tax payroll" for recently-acquired outfielder Vernon Wells, tweets FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Instead, "the charge for him will simply be zero." Rosenthal had previously discussed the complicated background of the Yankees' attempt to maximize their ability to get under the luxury tax threshold in structuring the Wells deal. Wells is still due $42MM over the next two seasons as he plays out the end of his 7-year, $126MM deal. As Rosenthal explains, the Yankees will pay him $13.9MM of the remaining obligation, with only $2.4MM of that allocated to 2014 for purposes of luxury tax avoidance.
- Rosenthal discussed the financial impact to the Yanks for acquiring Wells, questioning whether the club might have been better served by instead inking Russell Martin this off-season. In particular, Rosenthal explained that Martin told New York that he would agree to a one-year deal for around $9-10MM before he agreed to terms with the Pirates on a two-year, $17MM contract.
- Discussing his contract, which he originally signed with the Blue Jays before it was famously assumed by the Angels, Vernon Wells acknowledged that "no one's worth that kind of money," tweets Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger. Wells continued: "It’s what the market’s worth at that time … I caught the market at a good time."
- While commentators and fans seem skeptical of the Yankees' prospects for 2013, as well as their recent roster moves, GM Brian Cashman is resolute, writes McCullough (hat tip to River Ave. Blues). Cashman says that any notion of rebuilding is "just not part of our DNA," and rejects the notion that the team has been holding back on spending, though he acknowledges that he intends to "tread water until the guys come back." In terms of philosophy on long-term commitments, Cashman says he will not be "gun-shy," but nevertheless will be "more choosy" going forward.
- Cashman also discussed the decision not to beat the Mets' offer for then-Twins hurler Johan Santana. Unlike current Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia, Cashman noted, Santana profiled as a "high-risk player going forward, health-wise."
Article XX(B) Free Agents Update: Tuesday
Major League Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement contains a provision that allows certain free agents who are signed to minor league contracts to receive a $100K retention bonus if they are not on the team's 25-man roster or the Major League disabled list five days prior to the season.
Free agents who qualify for this distinction are those who have at least six years of Major League service time and had a Major League contract expire at the end of the previous season, but signed a minor league deal ten or more days prior to Opening Day.
MLBTR has confirmed with MLB that the deadline for teams to decide on these players is today at 11am central time. By the deadline, teams with these players in camp need to decide whether to:
- Add the player to their 25-man roster or Major League disabled list (or agree to do so in writing).
- Grant the player his outright release from the minor league contract so that he may pursue opportunities with other teams.
- Pay the player a $100K retention bonus to keep him in the organization beyond the deadline and send him to the minors.
Here's the latest news from around the league on Article XX(B) signees and their roster statuses with their respective teams (newest updates on top).
- Miguel Olivo has been offered the $100k retention bonus and is still deciding whether to accept it, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Austin Kearns and Casey Kotchman made the Marlins' 25-man roster, according to the team.
- Mets reliever Tim Byrdak will report to the minors and take the $100K retention bonus, MLBTR has learned. Byrdak is returning from August shoulder surgery.
- The Rangers told Derek Lowe that he has made the team as a reliever, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- Chad Gaudin's contract was purchased and added to the Giants' roster, tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com.
- Chad Qualls made the Marlins' bullpen, MLBTR has learned.
- With Brandon Gomes being optioned to Triple-A, it looks like reliever Jamey Wright has made the Rays, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune. The Rays have told both Wright and Juan Carlos Oviedo they will be added to the roster, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Oviedo had Tommy John surgery in September, so I imagine he'll land on the 60-day disabled list.
- The Pirates have committed to keeping Brandon Inge on the roster, tweets Sanserino, though he may start the season on the DL after being hit by a pitch.
- Reliever Pedro Feliciano accepted a minor league assignment from the Mets, tweets Marc Carig of Newsday, so he'll snag the $100K retention bonus.
- Jonathan Sanchez made the Pirates' rotation, tweets Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 30-year-old posted a 4.73 ERA with a 1.11 K/BB ratio in 13 1/3 innings this spring, but the Pirates saw something they liked.
- Lyle Overbay and Aaron Cook were released by their respective teams today.
Latest On Chris Young
33-year-old righty Chris Young is officially a free agent, having been granted his release by the Nationals today. He should sign within a day or two, hears Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, but MLB.com's Bill Ladson says Young is not close to signing with any team. The latest:
- The Mets are in talks with Young, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN, though Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says the Mets "don't appear to be thinking about" a reunion. Earlier today, we heard that the Mets have "legitimate concerns" about pitcher Shaun Marcum's availability for the season due to a neck issue, based on comments pitching coach Dan Warthen made to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Rubin said the Mets were internally discussing bringing Young back, "but a team insider portrayed it as not the most likely of scenarios," partially because the pitcher's future would be uncertain once all the Mets' starters are healthy.
- The Rangers are not interested in a reunion with Young, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Young has not ruled out a return to the Nationals, tweets Ladson.
- The Blue Jays, Orioles, Twins, Indians, Cubs, Cardinals, Red Sox, Mets, and Brewers had scouts in attendance for Young's start yesterday, tweeted Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, though those scouts were not necessarily there for him.