Quick Hits: Herrera, Bautista, Blevins
Today the Brewers claimed Danny Herrera from Cincinnati, the Reds optioned Edinson Volquez to the minors and Josh Hamilton homered in his return from the disabled list. The connection? Back in December of 2007, the Rangers sent Herrera and Volquez to Cincinnati for Hamilton. Here are the latest links from around the league…
- The Brewers optioned Herrera to Triple-A Nashville and moved left-hander Manny Parra to the 60-day DL, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter).
- One Blue Jays person told Danny Knobler of CBSSports that Jose Bautista is “our Derek Jeter.” Bautista hit homer #19 today as the Blue Jays defeated Jeter’s Yankees.
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues points out that recently-designated southpaw Jerry Blevins could be an appealing option for the Yankees if they're looking for more upside than Randy Flores offers.
- Earlier today, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested that the Yankees are one of many contenders that could look for lefty relief.
Heyman On Sabathia, Swisher, Red Sox
C.C. Sabathia told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he hopes the Yankees will add guaranteed years to his contract after the season. The left-hander has an opt-out clause that enables him to walk away from the four years and $92MM remaining on his contract and become a free agent, so he has leverage. Here's the latest on Sabathia, the Yankees and the Red Sox:
- Executives around the league tell Heyman that they're sure Sabathia will use the opt out to leave or obtain an extension.
- However, people around the Yankees like what Sabathia delivers and say he is "pretty well entrenched" as a Yankee.
- Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter in the league, according to Sabathia, who gave Jose Bautista an honorable mention.
- It's possible that the Yankees will allow Nick Swisher to hit free agency instead of exercising his $10.25MM option after the season. Here's a list of all 2012 free agents.
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who has homered in three of his past four games, is rewarding the Red Sox people who believed in his ability.
- Carl Crawford has been a "real professional" despite his struggles, a Red Sox person told Heyman.
New York Notes: Montero, Colon, Alderson
Here are today's Yankees- and Mets-related links, as Ivan Nova and Mike Pelfrey prepare to square off in the rubber match of this weekend's Subway Series….
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff and Joel Sherman of the New York Post each examine the perception that the Yankees' offense, which leads the AL in runs (226) and OPS (.780), is underachieving. Both writers note that Jesus Montero's eventual arrival should provide a boost, while Sherman ponders the possiblity of acquiring a veteran bat like Carlos Beltran.
- Major League Baseball is looking into the doctor who performed Bartolo Colon's stem cell procedure, according to Christian Red of the New York Daily News. The doctor, Joseph Purita, has links to HGH, which raised a red flag for MLB. MLBTR's Nick Collias took a look at Colon's stem cell treatment earlier this month.
- Sandy Alderson's competitive nature means he's not eager to make any "so-called white-flag trades" and give up on the 2011 season, writes David Waldstein of the New York Times.
Cafardo On Reyes, Soriano, Braves, Myers
In his Baseball Notes column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo says baseball stadiums should dial back the between-innings entertainment, arguing that the on-field action is engaging enough. He also has a few hot stove notes to share:
- An American League scout says if the Mets hear an offer they like for Jose Reyes, they'll take it: "They can’t afford not to and let him leave as a free agent and not get value for him."
- Cafardo points out that Rafael Soriano seems unhappy in a setup role and does have an opt-out clause at season's end. However, as Cafardo suggests, it seems extremely unlikely the right-hander would leave $25MM on the table when no other team would match that.
- The Braves would like to add some offensive insurance in case Chipper Jones' knee doesn't hold up all season.
- Brett Myers "seems to have Yankees written all over him," Cafardo says. Once Jim Crane's ownership group officially takes over, the Astros' trade deadline intentions will become clearer. At this point though, it's hard to imagine the team, whose 16-30 record is the National League's worst, not being sellers.
Quick Hits: Branyan, Bedard, Vazquez, Turner
On this date in 1999, the Twins traded Scott Downs and Rick Aguilera to the Cubs for Kyle Lohse and Jason Ryan. Aguilera and Ryan ended their careers years ago, but Downs has a 0.84 ERA in 10 2/3 innings for the Angels this year while Lohse owns a 2.17 ERA in 66 1/3 innings for the Cardinals.
Here are Saturday's links, as Cliff Lee prepares to pitch against his former Rangers' teammates…
- Since joining the Red Sox, the club has learned that Adrian Gonzalez is a great mentor for their young Latin players, writes Peter Gammons of MLB.com.
- As Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter) points out, the Diamondbacks' release of Russell Branyan marks the end of his time with his tenth different club. He's had multiple stops in the same place as well as the Indians had and traded him four different times while the Brewers and the Mariners each had him twice.
- In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney says that any team interested in trading for Erik Bedard would have to convince themselves that he could find the same comfort zone on their team that he has with the Mariners.
- Seattle is "almost certainly in position to ask for a top prospect" for Bedard according to Olney, who has a 3.94 ERA in eight starts this year but remains an injury risk given all his shoulder trouble.
- Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez indicated that Javier Vazquez is not pitching for his job today, writes Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. Vazquez has a 7.55 ERA with more walks (24) than strikeouts (20) in 39 1/3 innings across eight starts this year, in part because his fastball velocity has disappeared.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post points out that the Yankees once drafted Mets' infielder Justin Turner, but he turned down a $200K offer as 29th round pick in 2005 and returned to school for his senior season. Turner signed with the Reds for $50K as a seventh round pick in 2006, then was traded to the Orioles in the Ryan Freel–Ramon Hernandez swap and was later claimed off waivers by the Mets. He went 3-for-4 with an RBI against the Yanks last night.
Stark On Posada, Cubs, Madson
The nuances of this year’s interleague schedule could impact the playoff picture, as ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark explains. In the AL West, for example, the Rangers play the Astros (owners of the worst record in baseball) six times, while the A’s play the first-place Giants six times. Stark also delivers a number of rumblings from around the league. Here they are:
- There are no signs that the Yankees have really considered releasing Jorge Posada, but at least one scout thinks the switch-hitter could easily find another job if the Yankees cut him loose.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry says he hasn’t discussed next year’s spending plans with owner Tom Ricketts, since he’s focused on turning the 2011 team around.
- Don’t count on seeing Aramis Ramirez’s name on MLBTR much this summer. Not only can the third baseman veto any trade, a deal would guarantee him $16MM in 2012 (though he could still opt out).
- Ryan Madson seems ready to test the open market after the season. Since taking over for Jose Contreras and Brad Lidge, Madson seems like a possible long-term closer, but he figures to generate interest as a free agent after the season.
AL East Notes: Orioles, Martinez, Lowe, Posada
Hector Noesi got his first MLB win in unconventional fashion yesterday, pitching in and out of trouble through four innings of scoreless relief against the Orioles. Here’s the latest on the Yankees, the O’s and their division rivals after a bizarre game in Baltimore…
- Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter are likely weighing a variety of options after the extra-inning game and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun explains them.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald argues that letting Victor Martinez leave as a free agent last season was the right decision for Boston. Though the Red Sox will likely miss the backstop this year, they’ll also miss his decline years.
- The Red Sox are in ‘hang-in’ mode with Tim Wakefield and Alfredo Aceves starting and John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the disabled list, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Red Sox have inquired on Kevin Millwood and Cafardo suggests we should keep an eye on Derek Lowe, though he appears unavailable.
- Though Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter helped the Yankees win five championships, keeping the veterans in pinstripes when they’re no longer elite players has its consequences, in the opinion of Les Carpenter of Yahoo Sports. “The price of relative stability, of naming cornerstones and leaving them in place,” Carpenter writes, “is the inability to get rid of them.”
Gammons On Millwood, Catchers, Posada
MLB Network's Peter Gammons appeared on WEEI's Mut & Merloni show today, and Jerry Spar has the transcript. A few highlights:
- The Red Sox called on Kevin Millwood to see if he will go to Triple-A Pawtucket and pitch, according to Gammons (on Twitter). With John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the DL, the Red Sox are short on starting pitching.
- Gammons does not consider Pedro Martinez a likely option. In a May interview, Pedro seemed to be leaning toward retirement. There's not much else on the free agent market – Jeremy Bonderman and Jarrod Washburn are unsigned, but it's not clear if they're looking to get back into the game or would consider the East Coast.
- "Raise your son to be a catcher," advises Gammons, as many teams around baseball in addition to the Red Sox are getting no production at the position. The average American League catcher is hitting .224/.294/.361 this year, a similar line to the one Ivan Rodriguez had in 2010.
- If Jorge Posada doesn't start hitting, Gammons can see the Yankees releasing him and calling up Jesus Montero, who is hitting .331/.363/.433 at Triple-A. In that case Gammons believes Posada would remain in the AL East, signing with the Orioles. Buck Showalter's final season managing the Yankees coincided with Posada's rookie year.
- Speaking of the Orioles, Mark Teixeira spoke to the Baltimore Sun's Luke Broadwater about the team's interest back in '08: "Of the five offers I received, the Orioles were by far the lowest offer and I don't know if they were ever that serious about signing me. We had one meeting and that was it. I'm not sure if they were ever very interested." Digging through the MLBTR archives, I think the Orioles topped out at seven years, $140MM. Teixeira added that he expects to finish his career as a Yankee.
Jorge Posada’s Future With The Yankees
The Yankees currently plan to keep Jorge Posada on the roster and have had "zero discussion" about releasing the switch-hitter, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. However, the Yankees are “extremely mad” at Posada for removing himself from the lineup over the weekend and will consider taking action if Posada’s numbers don’t improve by the All-Star break.
Posada, who is hitless in 24 at bats against right-handed pitching this year, is out of the lineup tonight. It’s the third consecutive time manager Joe Girardi has held him out of the lineup against southpaws and a strong indication that Posada has become a part-time DH.
According to Marchand, the Yankees want Posada on the team when Derek Jeter reaches 3,000 hits, a milestone the shortstop is 34 hits away from. Earlier today, Peter Gammons of MLB Network said he can see the Yankees releasing Posada, eating his $13MM salary and calling up top prospect Jesus Montero.
2012 Contract Issues: New York Yankees
The Yankees are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series. Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:
Eligible For Free Agency (6)
- In one of the year's biggest surprises, Bartolo Colon's name is all over the leaderboard for free agent starters. An offseason stem cell treatment was a factor, a procedure that was unknown to GM Brian Cashman at the time of the signing and is being investigated by MLB. If Colon is not linked to HGH and his stellar pitching continues for the remaining three quarters of the season, he has to be looking at at least a nice one-year deal north of $5MM.
- Jorge Posada has been a source of drama but not offensive production this season. I'm guessing the Yankees move on from Posada, who has hit 267 home runs for them to date.
- Former stars Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez are bench players on one-year deals; Chavez was hitting well when he hit the DL for a foot injury.
- Freddy Garcia has a 3.22 ERA on the season, hanging in there in most of his six starts. Will he do enough to warrant a big league deal after the season?
- Luis Ayala will also be eligible for free agency.
Contract Options (5)
- Robinson Cano: $14MM club option with a $2MM buyout. This should be an easy decision to exercise for the Yankees.
- Nick Swisher: $10.25MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Swisher's option seemed like an easy choice to exercise, but his bat has yet to come alive in 160 plate appearances this year. He's got time to bounce back, but the option is not a lock.
- Damaso Marte: $4MM club option with a $250K buyout. Marte is likely out for the season with October labrum surgery, in which case the Yankees will have gotten 31 innings for their $12MM.
- C.C. Sabathia: Can opt out of remaining four years, $92MM. Most expect Sabathia to opt out, though he certainly could re-sign with the Yankees. GM Brian Cashman told ESPN's Buster Olney he'll stick with his policy of avoiding in-season negotiations, but "we fully expect him to be here." Sabathia's overall numbers look solid, though he's scuffled in May. If Sabathia does reach the open market, he'll probably be the best available free agent starter, as he was in the 2008-09 offseason when he received the biggest contract ever for a pitcher.
- Rafael Soriano: Can opt out of remaining two years, $25MM. Even without knowledge of Soriano's current elbow concerns, I wrote two months ago that Soriano is unlikely to opt out of his contract after the season. This offseason when he does choose to stick with the contract, don't blame the opt-out clause. Without it, all the money still would have been guaranteed to him.
Arbitration Eligible (8)
- First time: Brett Gardner, David Robertson, Chris Dickerson
- Second time: Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Buddy Carlyle
- Third time: Boone Logan
- Fourth time: Russell Martin
From the Yankees' standpoint, none of these cases should be daunting. This is only Gardner's second full season, and he doesn't have power, so his arbitration reward will probably be $3MM or less. Hughes' issues will limit his raise to perhaps a million dollars at most. Raises for relievers Robertson, Chamberlain, and Logan won't be crazy either. Martin's hot hitting has tailed off this month. He could still get a bump to $6MM+, depending on how the rest of his season goes. I'll use a rough estimate of $17MM to retain the team's arbitration eligibles.
2012 Payroll Obligation
The Yankees' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $140.875MM if options for Swisher and Marte are declined, Cano's option is exercised, Sabathia opts out, and Soriano does not. That goes up to around $158MM with the arbitration eligibles, about $49MM short of this year's payroll before accounting for minimum salary players. If Sabathia is re-signed at a $25MM salary for 2012, that still leaves $24MM in '12 salaries to work with before raising payroll. That'd be enough for Swisher or a replacement, as well as some kind of starting pitching signing to go with Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Ivan Nova. Cashman could find $6MM more with a bump to the 2010 payroll of $213MM.
The Yankees should be able to address their issues without taking payroll much higher. If Sabathia leaves, it could be another situation where they struggle to find a good way to spend the excess cash.