Five More Years For Mariano Rivera?
Mariano Rivera told today's crowd he wants to play for five more years, according to the New York Times' Jack Curry. Rivera explained:
"I'm serious. I hope the organization does whatever it takes to bring me back. I know I have another year under my contract, and then whatever happens happens."
Of course, as Curry notes, "A few months before the 2000 season, Rivera shocked the Yankees by saying he wanted to pitch four more years, then retire to become an evangelical minister."
Rivera, 40 later this month, added to his legend in 2009 with 44 regular season and five postseason saves. It's difficult to justify $15MM a year for a reliever, but if anyone's worth it, it's Rivera.
Odds & Ends: Matsui, Belcher, Cuddyer, Griffey
Links for Friday…
- Lefty reliever Darren Oliver "will play in 2010 and perhaps beyond," according to his agent Mike McCann (MLB.com's Lyle Spencer reporting).
- Free agent Hideki Matsui ruled out the possibility of returning to Japan, says NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman (via Twitter).
- The Indians have hired their new pitching coach: Tim Belcher.
- The decision on Michael Cuddyer's $10.5MM option for 2011 is due by Monday, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Cuddyer would like to finish his career in Minnesota.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel considers Jeremy Hermida among the all-time exasperating Marlins.
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News has comments from Andy Pettitte about the future.
- Ken Griffey Jr.'s agent Brian Goldberg told C. Trent Rosecrans of CNATI.com that Junior's future will be decided soon.
Odds & Ends: Crosby, Gonzalez, Mariners
More items from a busy opening day of baseball's hot stove season…
- Consider it a formality, but John Lackey, Matt Holliday, and Jason Bay were among the 79 players filing for free agency today according to MLB.com's Tom Singer.
- Free agent Bobby Crosby told MLB.com's Mychael Urban that he doesn't expect to be back in Oakland next season.
- Alex Gonzalez has yet to hear from the Red Sox in regards to whether or not they will exercise his $6MM option for next season, says The Boston Herald's Michael Silverman.
- Jim Street of MLB.com breaks down Seattle's free agents, noting that Russell Branyan and Ken Griffey Jr. "are the most likely to return," and that if Griffey comes back, it would likely mean that the Mariners wouldn't re-sign veteran Mike Sweeney. Street also reported that right-hander Miguel Batista feels he won't be back in Seattle next season, with Batista going so far as to say there is a "99.9 percent chance" he will be in another team's uniform in 2010.
- Texas introduced former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle as their new hitting coach on Thursday.
- John Harper of the New York Daily News feels that Hideki Matsui's World Series MVP award made the Yankees' decision whether or not to re-sign the free agent slugger much more difficult. Even before Matsui's huge Game Six performance, MLBTR's Luke Adams outlined the factors behind any decision to put Matsui back in pinstripes in 2010.
- Randy St. Claire has been hired as the Marlins' new pitching coach, reports Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
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.”
Olney On What’s Facing The Yankees And Phillies
We haven't had a World Series rematch since the Yankees and Dodgers squared off in 1977 and then again in 1978, but that doesn't stop ESPN's Buster Olney from looking at what stands in the way of another Yanks-Phils Fall Classic in 2010.
Let's round up some hot stove talk…
- Olney guesses that the Yankees won't tender Chien-Ming Wang a contract, but they may decide to pursue another starter through trade or free agency.
- Given Brad Lidge's awful year, Olney thinks the Phillies "will be diligent in internally identifying a solid Plan B." He notes that there are plenty of pitchers available this offseason with experience closing games.
- The Phillies hold a $5MM option for third baseman Pedro Feliz ($500K buyout), so the team must decide what to do there. He mentions that free agent Adrian Beltre "would be a spectacular fit" for Philadelphia.
- Olney believes it's a lock that the Yankees will offer Andy Pettitte arbitration. Pettitte had just a $5.5MM base salary in 2009, but he brought home over $10MM thanks to incentives. An arbitration case would be based on the actual money earned, so Pettitte could be in line for $12-14MM if he accepts.
Heyman On Damon, Scutaro, Red Sox
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- The Yankees are interested in re-signing Johnny Damon, and may be willing to offer two years and $16MM. Heyman believes the White Sox and Giants will be among the other suitors.
- Heyman says the Reds "could do worse" than Marco Scutaro at shortstop. The Reds first-round pick (#12 overall would be protected), but they probably don't have the payroll space to add Scutaro unless they subtract a big salary.
- The Red Sox could look to trade Mike Lowell or David Ortiz, if they acquire two hitters this winter.
Discussion: Hideki Matsui
Despite belting a crucial home run in Game 2 of the World Series, Hideki Matsui will not start tonight in Philadelphia. The 35-year-old DH's knee issues have been much-discussed this season, as he has yet to play a single inning in the field. Tonight's Yankees lineup, which has the ice-cold Nick Swisher starting in right field, once again raises questions about Matsui's future.
When we last looked at Matsui's offseason prospects, his situation was a little different. It still looked obvious that the Yankees would retain Johnny Damon and cut ties with Matsui, given Damon's strong campaign and the health problems that prevented Matsui from playing in the outfield.
The Yankees' decision is a bit more complicated now though. Damon has struggled down the stretch, posting a .631 OPS in September and hitting just .220/.250/.360 in the playoffs so far. Matsui, meanwhile, posted a .900+ OPS in each of the last three months and has hit .278/.422/.472 in the postseason. Throw in the fact that Damon is a year older than Matsui, and not a strong defender (he recorded a -11.9 UZR/150 in left field this season), and the gap between the two players isn't nearly as wide as it looked earlier in 2009.
Matsui said recently that he's comfortable with the Yankees, despite being unsure if they'll want him back. He has also insisted he's healthy enough to play in the outfield, or even to try first base, opening up the door for a National League team to take a chance on him this winter. It's still hard, however, to envision a team like the New York Mets committing millions of dollars to Matsui when he has yet to be given the chance to play defense.
If you were the GM of your favorite National League team, would you be confident enough in Matsui's knees to offer him a deal, or is Matsui staying in the American League in 2010? If so, will he be in New York or with another AL team? And what about you, Yankees fans: Do you still prefer Damon to Matsui, heading into next season?
Heyman On Pedro, Bay, Matsui
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- The only teams interested in Pedro Martinez this summer were the Rangers, Rays, Cubs, and Phillies (the Brewers bowed out when Pedro was late to a throwing session). Heyman believes interest will pick up this time around, but Martinez may retire if the Phillies win the World Series.
- Heyman believes the Red Sox are willing to offer Jason Bay four years and $60MM; the SI writer finds that "a bit short." We know that geography won't be a factor for Bay, he'd prefer to sign early, and the Red Sox will have a contingency plan in case they can't sign him. Click here to read Bay's comments from yesterday's WEEI chat.
- Hideki Matsui admitted he's comfortable with the Yankees, but said, "I have no idea" when asked if he expects to be back next year. The 35-year-old Matsui hit .274/.367/.509 in 526 plate appearances this year, but did not play in the field. A few weeks ago, Newsday's David Lennon suggested Matsui was eager to get back to left field and would even consider trying first base next year.
Aroldis Chapman Review
With all the information swirling around about free agent lefty Aroldis Chapman, I thought a summary would be helpful. Chapman has been declared a free agent and can sign at any time, though a deal is unlikely before the conclusion of the World Series. One GM told Yahoo's Tim Brown in July, "I'm sure all 30 teams will be interested to some degree." Nonetheless, let's look at specific suitors.
- Red Sox: They've been a top suitor from the start. Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus says Chapman was scheduled to throw a bullpen at Fenway today but it was cancelled due to inclement weather. ESPN's Peter Gammons believes Boston's signing of former Chapman teammate Jose Iglesias may impact the pitcher's decision.
- Yankees: They've also been a top suitor from the start. ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. said Chapman met with GM Brian Cashman and other Yanks officials at the October 25th playoff game and "had good conversations." Several reporters see Chapman as another Yankees-Red Sox battle.
- Mariners: Add them to the list – our source says they'd like to meet with Chapman in the next week.
- Cardinals: A scheduled October 26th meeting was cancelled due to the Tony La Russa announcement. The meeting is expected to be rescheduled.
- Orioles: They've maintained interest and are pushing for a meeting soon. In September, president Andy MacPhail admitted interest to MASN's Roch Kubatko, but added, "If some of the big boys are going to go after him, like the Red Sox did with Dice-K, that's not a risk that I would be willing to take."
- Mets: They met with Chapman on October 23rd. The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch said the Mets were out after being told Chapman wants up to $60MM to sign. I'm not so sure the Mets and Chapman actually discussed dollar figures.
- Tigers: They've confirmed interest.
- Angels: Scouting director Eddie Bane admitted interest in July, but noted that Chapman's breaking pitches are not yet effective in talking to Mark Saxon of the OC Register. Bane more recently told Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times that he'd need to see Chapman throw against live hitters before investing. Chapman has mentioned L.A. as a place he'd like to visit.
- White Sox: Our source said they've expressed interest.
- Cubs: Our source said they've expressed interest.
- Athletics: Named by Arangure Jr. as one of the teams "paying varying degrees of attention to Chapman." Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle confirmed Oakland's interest but says they haven't met with him.
- Giants: Named by Arangure Jr. as one of the teams "paying varying degrees of attention to Chapman."
- Dodgers: They aren't likely to be serious suitors, according to one of Arangure Jr.'s sources.
- Blue Jays: We named the Jays as an interested club, but GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that signing Chapman is "not realistic."
- Astros: Owner Drayton McLane seemingly considers Chapman too pricey, based on his comments to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.
Tigers Join Aroldis Chapman Chase
9:42pm: MLB.com's Jason Beck reports that the Tigers have confirmed interest in Chapman.
Tom Moore, Detroit's Director of International Scouting, said to Beck: "We're basically just at the interest level. Because of the nature, I think it's a situation where they're going to take the time to allow clubs to spend some time with the player and see who he is."
8:18pm: Add the Detroit Tigers to the list of teams in pursuit of Aroldis Chapman, according to a report by Melissa Segura in SI.com.
Segura writes that "several industry sources expect Chapman will command more than the $32 million the Yankees paid Cuban right-hander Jose Contreras in 2002."
Speaking of the Yankees, Chapman was a guest of the team for Game 6 of the ALCS, writes Jon Heyman.
And the Blue Jays new GM, Alex Anthopoulos, has concluded that it is "not realistic" to sign Chapman, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
"We don't have enough background and scouting looks to make a proper offer," Anthopoulos wrote in an e-mail. "Going forward, these will be the types of things we will be more proactive with. I think the way the Red Sox pursued [Daisuke Matsuzaka] is a great model. They were doing homework on him for years."