Mets Decline Option On J.J. Putz
FRIDAY: The Mets officially declined Putz's option, according to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News. Rubin adds that the Mets exercised an option to pay Mike Pelfrey $500K in 2010, after which he'll be arbitration-eligible.
THURSDAY: According to Bart Hubbuch of The New York Post, the Mets have informed reliever J.J. Putz that they will not pick up his $9.1MM option for 2010, instead paying him a $1MM buyout. Hubbuch says the club cited health concerns when breaking the news to Putz.
The 32-year-old righthander appeared in just 29 games for the Mets before going down with an elbow injury that eventually required surgery. Putz's velocity was down all year, and his walk rate has jumped nearly four walks per nine innings pitched in the last two seasons.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dodgers, Red Sox, Iwamura, Matsui
On this date 33 years ago, Bill Campbell became one of the first players to sign a contract with a new team under baseball's new free agency system. After saving 20 games with the Twins in '76, Campbell signed a four-year, $1MM deal with the Red Sox. In his first season in Boston, he would save 31 games and make his only All-Star appearance. As we enter the 34th Hot Stove season, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- MLB Notebook suggests Ben Sheets or Erik Bedard for the Dodgers over Vicente Padilla.
- Around the Majors breaks down why Jeremy Hermida is a good pick-up for the Red Sox.
- Fire Brand of the American League explores what it will cost the Red Sox to sign Josh Beckett to an extension.
- Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke? likes what Akinori Iwamura brings to the Pirates both on the field and off.
- Raise the Jolly Roger wonders if Iwamura is worth the cost-controlled Jesse Chavez.
- Baseball Daily Digest says that the Iwamura acquisition is the Pirates latest move into the international market.
- Beyond the Boxscore feels the Pirates got a steal, noting that Iwamura is worth $7.5MM more than his $4.85MM salary
- Twins Geek laments the near-acquisition of Iwamura by the Twins.
- Mets Fans Forever hopes the Mets pass on Hideki Matsui.
- Crawfish Boxes takes a look back at every move the Astros made before and during the '09 season.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.
Odds & Ends: Holliday, Putz, Lopez, Teahen, Reds
It's been a busy first day on the hot stove, so here's another batch of links…
- Derrick Goold of The St. Lous Post Dispatch says there are eight teams "that have the need and the financial wherewithal" to sign Matt Holliday. It's the usual suspects (i.e. big market clubs), and Goold explains why each may be interested in Holliday.
- Craig Landis, agent for J.J. Putz, said that his client "hasn't ruled out returning to the Mets with a cheaper, incentive-laden deal," according to Bart Hubbuch of The NY Post. Earlier today we learned that the Mets informed Putz that they wouldn't be picking up his 2010 option.
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy says the Brewers are waiting to see whether Felipe Lopez qualifies as a Type-A or B free agent, and that will likely play a role in their decision whether or not to offer him arbitration. Eddie Bajek's work projects Lopez to be a Type-B, but he's right on the cutoff.
- ESPN's Keith Law loves the Mark Teahen trade for the Royals, noting that they traded one average player close to free agency for two average players with several years of team control left.
- John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Reds' relievers Nick Masset and Jared Burton are arbitration eligible as Super Two's, but Micah Owings is not.
- Meanwhile, the Reds are expected to decline Ramon Hernandez's $8.5MM option for 2010, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
- David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal Constitution has some quotes from Tim Hudson about his contract extension.
- Did you catch Mariano Rivera saying that he wants to play another five years during the Yankees' World Series celebration last night? It turns out he wasn't kidding. Chad Jennings of The Journal News quotes the Yanks' closer as saying “I’m serious. I hope the organization does whatever it takes to bring me back.”
Cafardo On Pujols, Mauer, Holliday, Damon
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a new column up, and he addresses a few topics of interest from around the majors. Some highlights….
- Cafardo examines the crossroads that superstars Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer will soon face with their current clubs. He passes on this quote from one baseball official: "I think Mauer has a better chance of staying in Minnesota than Pujols in St. Louis. Mauer is from Minnesota, while you have to give Pujols an A-Rod type contract and I’m not sure the Cardinals would do it."
- His source thinks that the best way for the Cardinals to keep Pujols in St. Louis is to continue showing him they're committed to going after championships by making moves like this year's Matt Holliday acquisition.
- Cafardo sees "no downside" to the idea of Holliday patrolling left field in Fenway next season. From an on-field standpoint, that statement could apply to virtually every team in the league, but the Red Sox are probably one of the few clubs that could absorb the financial blow.
- Johnny Damon could be a good fit in the south side of Chicago, according to Cafardo. The White Sox will be looking for a leadoff hitter, and it's still unclear whether or not Damon will be back in New York.
- Casey Kotchman may not fit into Boston's plans next year, but Cafardo thinks he could also be a solid addition to the White Sox — especially if Chicago doesn't retain Mark Kotsay.
- Cafardo wonders why a power-hitting right-hander, like the New York Mets covet, would want to play in Citi Field, which he calls a "death valley" for righties.
Olney On Potential Non-Tenders And Bradley
In today's blog post at ESPN.com, Buster Olney indicates that there is belief among general managers that the "financial restructuring that has been occurring across the landscape is about to hit the arbitration-level players like a tidal wave." He mentions underperforming, but well paid players like Garrett Atkins and Kelly Johnson are prime non-tender bait, especially since their clubs have replacements ready and it's unlikely they'll be able to trade them. Make sure you check out MLBTR's list of non-tender candidates.
Olney also talks about some bad contracts the Cubs could acquire in exchange for Milton Bradley, adding that this morning's Vernon Wells rumor "would be a stunner" if it happened. Some of the players he mentions as possible fits include Carlos Silva, Derek Lowe, Gary Matthews Jr. (who said he wants out of Anaheim), Barry Zito, Aaron Rowand, Oliver Perez, and Dontrelle Willis, among others. Any other ideas?
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Red Sox, Rays, Doumit, Gonzalez, Cubs
On this date two years ago, the Yankees signed Joe Girardi to a three-year deal worth $7.5MM. Two years later, Girardi has the Yankees in the World Series. With the offseason now just days away, many players will be looking for their own new deals. Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- The Bottom Line projects the Red Sox 2010 payroll and what they need to do to get back on top.
- Fire Brand of the American League looks at shortstop options for the Red Sox.
- Dodgers Rumors breaks down the Dodgers' 2010 roster and how they may approach free agency.
- Rays Index projects the Rays 25-man and 40-man rosters as well as the 2010 payroll.
- New Bucs says it is time for the Pirates to trade Ryan Doumit.
- Mets Fans Forever speculates on what it might take for the Mets to land Adrian Gonzalez.
- The Cub Reporter suggests some players for the Cubs to target this offseason, including Kelvim Escobar and Akinori Iwamura.
- World Series Dreaming doesn't see any major changes coming to the Cubs this off-season.
- Around the Majors breaks down the free agents at third base.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.
Odds & Ends: D’Backs, Iglesias, Moeller
Links for Friday…
- The Diamondbacks are looking to add a veteran setup man or two in free agency, explains MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
- The Boston Herald's Sean McAdam has an in-depth look at Red Sox shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias.
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post wonders if the Orioles will pursue Garrett Atkins in free agency, assuming he is released or non-tendered. Renck also notes that if the Mets are to sign Yorvit Torrealba this winter, they'll have to settle their 2007 grievance first.
- Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun finds it "fairly likely" that catcher Chad Moeller will re-sign with the Orioles on a minor league deal, despite the team declining his $850K option.
- Tommy Bennett of Beyond the Boxscore looks at the relationship between the average MLB salary and the GDP.
Odds & Ends: Lackey, Rangers, Mets
With about an hour to go before the start of Game Two, here are some items from around the majors….
- During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show today, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said his club will be focused on finding second base help and starting pitching in the offseason, though Colletti played dumb when asked about the possibility of the Dodgers making a play for free agent starter John Lackey.
- With the number of open managerial jobs quickly dwindling, some of the rumored candidates for the filled positions are looking at other options. Former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle (who was up for the Cleveland manager's job that went to Manny Acta) is one of four finalists to be the Rangers' next hitting coach, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
- Along those same lines, Bob Melvin may go from being a candidate to be the next Astros manager to being considered for the Mets bench coaching job, says Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News. Rubin also reports that the Mets will name Chip Hale as their new third base coach after the World Series is over.
- According to a team press release, the Pirates have claimed pitcher Justin Thomas off waivers from Seattle.
- In a chat with MASN's Byron Kerr, Adam Dunn said he feels Washington is an attractive destination for free agents in part because Nationals Park is "a really fair ballpark."
Heyman On Lee, Lackey, Mets, Nats
Cliff Lee out-pitched C.C. Sabathia last night, there's no question about that. Now, as Jon Heyman of SI.com points out, Lee's value is at an all-time high. The Phillies figure to try to lock Lee up this offseason, but he may cost $100MM or more. After two straight World Series appearances, however, Heyman says the Phillies have the "loot" to reach an agreement with their ace.
Agent Darek Braunecker, can make the argument that Lee has out-pitched Sabathia for the last two years, not just in Game 1. (FanGraphs happens to value Lee's 2008-09 performance a little higher than Sabathia's). But Lee is older than Sabathia and the Phillies have a $9MM option for Lee's services next year, so he doesn't have the negotiating power he would as a free agent.
When Heyman quizzed a couple of other agents about Lee's prospects, they predicted deals worth between $75-100MM. Here are some other rumors from around the league:
- Heyman says it's possible John Lackey will also command $100MM this winter.
- Mets ownership plans to hire another top executive, leading some team officials to suggest the higher-ups are preparing to oust GM Omar Minaya - or at least reduce his power.
- It's getting harder to imagine that the Nats' new manager will be anyone but Jim Riggleman, who took over after the team fired Manny Acta last summer.
Odds & Ends: Bay, Damon, Josh Johnson
More links for Thursday…
- Jon Heyman of SI.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Red Sox might be willing to offer Jason Bay $60MM over four years. Heyman can see the Giants and, possibly, the Mets bidding more than that for the Canadian left fielder.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law can imagine some team signing Johnny Damon to a three-year deal this offseason, but cautions that it's riskly to sign a player in decline to a long-term pact.
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald had an interesting line at the end of his article yesterday - the Marlins are "preparing a multi-year offer for Josh Johnson." Earlier in the month, Ken Rosenthal said signing Johnson was the team's top offseason priority.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro presents some of the options the Marlins are considering for their coaching vacancies. The team may hire longtime big leaguer Jamie Quirk.
- Tyler Hissey of Around the Majors is unimpressed with this year's class of free agent first basemen. Adam LaRoche should be productive next year and the Mariners will likely want to bring Russell Branyan back if he's not too pricey, but there's no Mark Teixeira around this year.
- Hissey responds to the Josh Johnson chatter, arguing that he's an elite pitcher worth investing in. He suggests a four-year $48MM deal would be fair for both sides. What kind of contract would you offer Johnson?