Arbitration Eligibles: New York Yankees
A look at the Yankees players who will be arbitration-eligible after the season…
- First time: Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Dustin Moseley
- Second time: Boone Logan
- Third time: Sergio Mitre
- Fourth time: Chad Gaudin
Hughes and Chamberlain are the team's most interesting cases. Though Joba still has a respectable 3.79 career ERA, his recent work hasn't been great and the time spent in the bullpen has resulted in only 16 career wins. He won't get a massive salary. Hughes will be coming off a strong platform year, but his career numbers are similarly limited. He should fall short of $4MM.
Logan will probably be tendered a contract; it's not too risky and he showed promise against lefties when he was in the bigs. Gaudin, Mitre, and Moseley are the biggest non-tender candidates.
Odds & Ends: Barajas, Piniella, Nats, Ramirez, Jackson
From the South Bay to the Valley, from the West Side to the East Side, everybody is very happy because Vin Scully will return in 2011. Let's check out some links from around the web..
- A member of the Mets watching Rod Barajas say goodbye to his teammates quipped "Can I go with him?", tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- Ken Rosenthal pays tribute to Lou Piniella, and opines that Joe Girardi would be a perfect managerial replacement, though he has doubts that the Cubs could pry him away from New York.
- The Nationals have extended their affiliation with the Syracuse Chiefs for an additional two seasons, according to the team's official Twitter page.
- Josh Thole is excited about having the opportunity to start every day now that Rod Barajas has been claimed off waivers by the Dodgers, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The Rays might be willing to take a chance on Manny Ramirez, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
- With the way Austin Jackson is playing, it looks like the Tigers got the better end of the Curtis Granderson deal, writes Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.
- Pittsburgh's signing of Mexican hurler Luis Heredia was years in the making, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer writes that the Indians weren't afraid to spend on the draft this year. Cleveland's top ten picks all signed for more than their recommended slot.
- Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) jokes that Buck Showalter has done too well with the Orioles as the club might now lose out on the first overall pick in the draft. Baltimore is now 44-80 while the Pirates are 40-83.
The Yankees’ 2011 Rotation
Continuing MLBTR's look at next season's probable and possible starting rotations, today we look at a staff that will likely be one of, if not the most, expensive in baseball. The Yankees spent a little more than $63.5MM on their top five starters in 2010, and that total looks to go up next season.
Three spots in the rotation are secure. C.C. Sabathia's 2.34 K/BB ratio is on pace to be his lowest since 2004 and his 3.0 BB/9 is on pace to be his highest since that same '04 season, but while these peripherals are of a minor concern when you have $115MM committed to a pitcher through 2015, Sabathia is still one of the top pitchers in the American League.
A.J. Burnett has had his typical hot-and-cold season, posting a 6.7 K/9 ratio that would be his lowest since 2001. New York fans can expect to look forward to the Burnett rollercoaster of form for the next 3+ seasons.
Phil Hughes' first season as a regular starter got off to a tremendous start with a 2.70 ERA in April and May, though his June and July (5.34 ERA) were a different story. The Yankees are already being cautious about their young star's innings total and have put an unofficial "Hughes Rules" cap of 170 IP on the right-hander for the rest of the season. Hughes may be limited for the rest of 2010, but will be back in full force for next season. He will reach arbitration for the first time this winter, so it's possible the Yankees may explore a longer-term deal to cover his arb years.
The fourth spot in the rotation will depend on the feelings of Andy Pettitte. As he has for the last four winters, the veteran left-hander will decide on whether he wants to retire, or sign a one-year deal with the Yankees. Pettitte can certainly still pitch — he's enjoying one of his best seasons (a 2.88 ERA, 2.37 K/BB ratio in 18 starts) though he's currently sidelined with a groin injury. If Pettitte does return, he'll get a pay bump from the $11.75MM contract he signed last December, but the Yankees surely wouldn't mind giving a raise to a franchise stalwart that can still perform at a high level.
It's almost a certainty that Javier Vazquez won't be back with the Bronx Bombers next season. The only question now seems to be whether the Yankees will offer arbitration to the free agent right-hander, as Vazquez is still hanging onto a Type A free agent status.
Depending on what Pettitte does, at least one spot in the New York rotation is available for 2011. It's widely expected that the Yankees will make a hard push to fill that spot with Cliff Lee when he reaches free agency this winter. (They almost had him at the deadline had their trade with Seattle not fallen through at the eleventh hour.) The Rangers have expressed their interest in re-signing Lee now that their ownership transfer has been settled and certainly other teams will look into the left-hander, but given that Lee will command a contract worth more than $20MM per year, it gives the Yankees the obvious advantage if things turn into a bidding war.
So if Lee (or another free agent starter) replaces Vazquez and Pettitte returns, New York is set. If Pettitte retires, then he will likely let the Yankees know early in the offseason so the club can plan accordingly. With the Bombers' big payroll, there's really no shortage of options for what they could do to fill that fifth spot in the rotation. Free agents with AL East experience like Bronson Arroyo or Ted Lilly could be of interest, or perhaps the Yankees could go after a veteran with something to prove coming off an injury (i.e. Brandon Webb or Aaron Harang) who could be had at a small discount.
With Alex Rodriguez going on the DL today, 23-year-old Ivan Nova has been called up and will be inserted into the rotation for at least one start. Nova has had an impressive year at Triple-A Scranton, posting a 2.86 ERA and 2.4 K/BB ratio in 23 starts. If Nova does well in his late-season audition he could get a chance at more work in September should Hughes get shut down or have a turn skipped. It's hard to see Nova or any other young starter, however, be given a clear shot at a rotation spot next year since the Yankees don't really have any starting prospects who aren't at least a year away from serious consideration.
Sergio Mitre and Dustin Moseley have made spot starts for New York this season and could be re-signed to provide rotation depth for 2011. Both men are definitely backup options and could also be replaced by similar low-cost veteran pitchers that can alternate between the rotation and the bullpen as the situation warrants.
Odds & Ends: Mets, Reds, Helton, Darvish, Harper
Friday Night Links..
- Despite a published report to the contrary, Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever is not headed to the Mets, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon spoke to a few members of the Reds who would like to see Dusty Baker sign an extension with the club.
- Brandon Inge and Johnny Damon are both okay with having been put on waivers, writes Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.
- Reds manager Dusty Baker dismissed questions about him possibly becoming the Dodgers manager if Joe Torre retires, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Mark Kizla of The Denver Post urges Todd Helton to call it quits.
- The Padres don't have much interest in outfielder Cody Ross, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.
- The Pirates will send Luis Heredia to their affiliate in Bradenton not to pitch, but to familiarize himself with the program, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter) passes along a report from Japanese outlet Sponichi that the Yankees sent Damon Oppenheimer and scout Billy Eppler to watch Yu Darvish.
- Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (via Twitter) wonders aloud if the Brewers might make a deal in order to free a roster spot for the returning Carlos Gomez.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo says that Bryce Harper won't be playing in any games for their Gulf Coast League affiliate this season, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.
Indians Acquire Zach McAllister To Complete Trade
The Indians have acquired pitcher Zach McAllister from the Yankees to complete the Austin Kearns deal, according to a team press release. The trade called for Cleveland to receive a player to be named later or cash.
McAllister, a native Midwesterner, has a 5.09 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate this season. He enjoyed a strong 2009 in Double-A Trenton, however, posting a 2.23 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
Heading into the season, Baseball America ranked the 6'5" righthander as the fifth-best prospect in the organization and the second-best pitcher behind the now-departed Arodys Vizcaino. According to their 2010 Prospect Handbook, he had the best control of any pitcher in the Yankees system but his slider is his only plus pitch.
Odds & Ends: Torre, Royals, Colome, Hawpe
Links for Wednesday, a year to the day after the Rangers acquired Ivan Rodriguez…
- Check back in at 2pm CDT and join our weekly chat.
- After speaking to Dodgers manager Joe Torre about his future, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports is starting to believe the skipper will retire after the season.
- The Royals spent slightly under $6.7MM on this year’s draft, according to Daniel Paulling of the Kansas City Star.
- The Rangers signed Jesus Colome, who has already been released by the Mariners and Dodgers this year. The transactions page for the Pacific Coast League says Texas assigned the righty to Triple A.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Marc Carig of the Star Ledger that he doesn't expect to make any trades this month.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post fully expects the Rockies to have parted ways with Brad Hawpe by the weekend (Twitter link).
- Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic likes what he sees from D'Backs interim GM Jerry Dipoto and interim manager Kirk Gibson.
- The Pirates spent a franchise-record $11.9MM on this year’s draft, according to data obtained by Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Count Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos among those who wouldn't mind moving the deadline to sign draft picks earlier in the summer. He told the FAN 590 that he would also prefer to see the deadline in the evening, rather than late at night.
Odds & Ends: Owings, Yankees, Counsell, Livingston
Some more links for Tuesday as two of the game's best second basemen – Chase Utley and Dustin Pedroia – return to action…
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Barry Bloom that Micah Owings requested that the Reds try to trade him to another MLB organization. The Reds, who designated Owings for assignment today, will try to trade Owings.
- Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal projects Boston’s 2014 roster.
- The Yankees agreed to sign Dominican shortstop Christopher Tamarez for $650K, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. BA has video of the wiry 16-year-old.
- Craig Counsell told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he would not object to being traded to a contender. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes analyzed the market for Counsell, who cleared waivers yesterday.
- The Rays signed former big league pitcher Bobby Livingston, according to the International League's transactions page. The Dodgers recently released the left-hander.
- Teams are calling the Cubs about Derrek Lee and others, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Lee, who can veto any deal, turned down a trade to the Angels last month.
Pirates Remain Favorites To Sign Heredia
The Pirates are the “strong favorite” to sign Mexican pitching prospect Luis Heredia, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Pirates have been scouting the 16-year-old right-hander more aggressively than any other MLB club and have close ties to Veracruz, Heredia’s team. Not only do the Pirates have connections to Veracruz, which controls Heredia’s rights, Pittsburgh’s Mexican scouting suprevisor, Jesus Valdez, has known Heredia since the pitcher was five.
Veracruz cannot entertain formal offers until Thursday, but many teams other than the Pirates appear to have interest. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, A’s, Giants and Braves all scouted Heredia in Mexico last week, according to Kovacevic.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Harper, Canseco, Figgins
Saturday afternoon linkage..
- Boston sent catcher Michael Thomas to Texas to complete the trade for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.
- Dusty Baker has no interest in becoming a general manager, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
- A former teammate of Bryce Harper's doesn't see the first overall pick going back to school, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- The Laredo Broncos, an independent minor league team, say they have signed Jose Canseco to a short-term contract, according to the Associated Press. Canseco will serve as a bench coach and designated hitter during two Laredo homestands.
- Chuck Finder of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pirates GM Neal Huntington and scouting director Greg Smith are expected to sit down with agents Randy and Alan Hendricks in Houston this weekend to discuss a contract for second overall pick Jameson Taillon. MLB's slot recommendation for that pick is $3.25MM, though Taillon is expected to receive more than that.
- We know the Braves have not asked the Mariners about the availability of Chone Figgins in the wake of Chipper Jones' injury, but ESPN's Buster Olney says a deal is unlikely anyway. It would be pretty tough for GM Jack Zduriencik to tell ownership they have to eat tens of millions of dollars to move a player they just signed this past offseason.
- Ken Fidlin of The Toronto Sun says that Blue Jays' second round pick Griffin Murphy and his father were on the field at Angels Stadium talking with club officials, "a surefire sign that a deal is done." MLB's slot recommendation for the 61st overall pick is just short of $600K.
- The Yankees have come to terms on well-overslot bonuses with a pair of draft picks. Baseball America's Jim Callis reports that they signed ninth rounder Taylor Morton for $450K while Kendall Rogers of Yahoo! Sports reports an agreement with tenth rounder Ben Gamel (Mat's brother) for $500K. Both deals are more than three times over MLB's recommendation, and Gamel's is the largest given to a player selected in a double digit round so far.
Draft Notes: Solis, Klein, Jenkins, Gumbs
The deadline for signing draft picks is just days away. Teams have until August 16th (next Monday) at 11 CST to sign their picks, and the agreements are starting to trickle in. Here are the details:
- Talks between the Nationals and second-round pick Sammy Solis are "amicable," and MLB.com's Bill Ladson hears from a source that a deal is close to being worked out.
- Baltimore has agreed to terms with third-rounder Dan Klein, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis. Klein's bonus is worth just under $500K, or as Callis describes it, "second-round money."
- The Cardinals officially announced their contract with Tyrell Jenkins, writes Matthew Leach of MLB.com. It was reported earlier this week that Jenkins and the Cards had agreed to terms that included an above-slot bonus price for the 50th overall pick.
- The Yankees signed second-rounder Angelo Gumbs for $750K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The outfielder gets the largest bonus for any player drafted after the supplemental first round this year.
- Here's another above-slot deal for an outfielder: the Padres signed eighth-rounder Jose Dore for $450K, according to Callis.
- Not surprisingly, the Red Sox haven't had substantial talks with Scott Boras about signing Anthony Ranaudo, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Ranaudo pitched well in the Cape Cod League this summer and maintains that he's ready to return to LSU.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo gives the latest updates on unsigned first round picks. Mayo reports indications that the D'Backs have continued talking to Barret Loux, who failed his physical.
- Here's our list of top picks to sign.