A’s Avoid Arbitration With Jaso, Smith
7:46pm: Jaso's deal is worth $1.8MM, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
6:24pm: The A’s announced that they have agreed to terms with catcher John Jaso and outfielder Seth Smith on one-year contracts for the 2013 season. Terms of the deals are not yet known. Jaso is a client of ACES while Smith is represented by Aegis Sports Management.
Oakland acquired Jaso just yesterday from the Mariners in the three-team deal that sent Mike Morse to Seattle. The 29-year-old, who is first-time arbitration eligible this winter, is under team control through the 2015 season. Jaso hit .276/.394/.456 in 108 games last season, his best offensive campaign to date.
Smith, 30, has a career .267/.345/.470 slash line across six big league seasons. The A's acquired Smith from the Rockies for Guillermo Moscoso and Josh Outman on Wednesday. Smith, who will hit the open market after the 2014 season, earned $2.4MM from Colorado last season.
As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the A's have two arbitration eligible players left in Jerry Blevins and Brandon Moss.
AL West Notes: Morse, Kubel, M’s, Angels, Young
Yesterday, Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik told reporters, including MLBTR's Mark Polishuk, that while he liked what John Jaso brought to the table for the team, it was worth parting with him in order to acquire an impact hitter like Michael Morse. Morse will now join Kendrys Morales, Jason Bay, and Raul Ibanez in the middle of Seattle's lineup for 2013 but Jack Z says that he isn't done yet. Seattle would still like to add veteran depth at catcher in support of Jesus Montero. Here's today's news out of the American League West..
- Before acquiring Morse and before Justin Upton vetoed the deal that never was, the Mariners had serious talks about getting Jason Kubel, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. The D'Backs are said to be seeking young pitching in return for the outfielder and recently had talks with the Orioles about him.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looked at the five outfielders most likely to be traded this season, including Chris Young and Coco Crisp of the A's and the Angels' Vernon Wells. If manager Bob Melvin is committed to Crisp, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Young is shipped to the first team that loses its starting center fielder to injury. And for his part, Crisp has said that he wouldn't mind a trade to a contender.
- In conversations with several agents and executives about young stars who might agree to contract extensions in the near future, the Angels' Mike Trout and the Mariners' Felix Hernandez came up fairly often, writes MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. "If I'm [the Angels]," said one exec of Trout, "I'm already talking about a crazy long deal. I don't think anybody knows what his ceiling is. You could be looking at the greatest modern player in the game."
Quick Hits: D’Backs, Wilson, Braves, Beane, Cubs
The Diamondbacks had insisted on receiving Major League-ready talent in any trade for Justin Upton, but were willing to accept prospects in last week's proposed deal with the Mariners that Upton blocked with his no-trade clause. D'Backs GM Kevin Towers tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the change in philosophy was due to the rising cost of free agents and the fact that the Snakes had added outfield depth in Cody Ross.
"It’s easier to do more of a prospect-driven deal than before. To me, it would have to be the right prospects," Towers said. "We’re targeting people’s best prospects and upper-level guys that we think are close — if not (major league-ready) this year, then next year.”
Some more news from around baseball…
- The Diamondbacks seem intent on trading Upton, leaving MLB.com's Matthew Leach puzzled at why the club would move a talented young player on a controllable contract.
- The Mets haven't given up on the possibility of offering Brian Wilson a Major League contract, reports Newsday's Marc Carig (Twitter link). We heard earlier today that the Mets were unimpressed when they watched Wilson throw over the weekend.
- The Braves have one of the least-profitable TV deals in baseball but team CEO Terry McGuirk says that low broadcasting revenues aren't hampering how the club does business, McGuirk tells David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Braves have 14 years left on their current TV deal, which McGuirk describes as “iron-clad."
- Athletics GM Billy Beane said it was difficult to move a highly-regarded pitching prospect like A.J. Cole, CSN Bay Area's Casey Pratt reports. However, the GM said it had to be done to help the A's contend in 2013. "We're shifting all of our focus on the Major League club and trying to take as much advantage as we can of the opportunity we have," Beane said.
- Beane said he prepared to go with a platoon of Derek Norris and George Kottaras behind the plate, MLB.com's Jane Lee reports (Twitter links). "Only if it was John Jaso" would he have made a move to improve Oakland's catching. Beane said he had been trying to acquire Jaso from the Mariners over the last couple of months.
- Buster Posey tops the list of baseball's best 25-year-old players, according to ESPN's Keith Law (ESPN Insider subscription req'd).
- Cubs president Theo Epstein told reporters (including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune) that Edwin Jackson's age and track record made the team comfortable enough to sign him to a big free agent contract.
- In another item from Sullivan, Epstein said that he expects the Cubs to contend in 2013 despite the fact that they're still ostensibly rebuilding. "Otherwise, there’s no reason to show up or build a team,” Epstein said. “It’s postseason or bust every year. That’s what our goal is."
Zduriencik Happy To Add “Big-Time Power” To M’s
It's no secret that the Mariners have been desperate for solutions to their league-worst hitting in recent years. From moving in the fences at Safeco Field to aggressively pursuing top free agent batters, the M's have been determined to add pop and M's general manager Jack Zduriencik feels the team's latest addition of Michael Morse has helped solidify the lineup, amongst other offseason moves. Zduriencik told reporters during a conference call today that Morse's big bat was worth giving up a solid catcher like John Jaso.
"[Jaso] added a lot to our club last year but I think when you are in the position to acquire an everyday guy who has a chance to hit the ball hard and hit the ball far, I think it does change your game," Zduriencik said. "One of the things we have seen since I have been here is our lack of raw power; in Michael we have got a guy who has got big-time power.
"We've added to what we think could be a pretty good middle of the lineup there with Michael, Kendrys Morales, and Raul [Ibanez] and Jason Bay."
Between Morse and the other additions, the Mariners suddenly have several options at DH, first base and the corner outfield spots, as young incumbents like Justin Smoak, Michael Saunders and Jesus Montero still need to find at-bats. In Montero's case, he will be expected to become the team's everyday catcher, though Zduriencik said he is looking for some veteran depth at the position.
"We're going to be shopping, there's no doubt," Zduriencik said. "We've already talked to some people and had some discussions with people….We like our catching in the organization and we've got some pretty good kids right on the horizon."
The foundation of the trade was developed when Zduriencik touched base with Nationals GM Mike Rizzo after the season and told him that he was interested in some of Washington's hitters. The two general managers reconvened recently since the Nats now had some hitting to spare with Adam LaRoche re-signed, and the A's were brought into the mix since Oakland GM Billy Beane had recently spoken to Zduriencik about Jaso's availability.
"It just became a three-team conversation," Zduriencik said. "So at the end we were able to satisfy what we wanted and I think Oakland was able to satisfy what they wanted and [Rizzo] got back prospects that he was seeking."
Morse, for his part, said he was very excited about returning to Seattle, where he spent the first four years of his Major League career before being dealt to the Nats before the 2009 season. With just a year left on his current contract, Morse just said "that's why I've got those agents" in regards to the possibility of talking about an extension, but he was clearly happy that the Mariners were the trade suitor that emerged to make the deal.
"I knew there were teams involved, I knew Seattle was one of them. That was one of the teams I was hoping for," Morse said. "I love it out there and I always felt…I had unfinished business in Seattle. I never got to prove myself as the player I could be or who I am. This is another opportunity for me to show Jack and help his ballclub be the World Series champion ballclub that it should be."
Morse said he was fully recovered from the back injury that forced him to spend the first two months of the 2012 season on the DL, even joking that he was feeling good enough to play shortstop for the first time since 2007. It was reported earlier this month that Morse wasn't keen on being a designated hitter but said that he was willing to play whenever the M's wanted him to play.
"I feel very comfortable at first base or in the outfield and it doesn't hurt to get a breather sometimes at DH," Morse said. "My main goal is to play every single game. I'm so excited, words can't describe what me and my family are going through right now."
A’s Designate George Kottaras For Assignment
The Athletics have designated catcher George Kottaras for assignment, according to a team press release. The move was made to free up 40-man roster space for the newly-acquired John Jaso, who will take Kottaras' spot as Oakland's primary left-handed hitting catching option.
Kottaras was acquired in July from the Brewers and hit .212/.280/.471 in 93 PAs as an Athletic, giving him a total slash line of .211/.351/.415 in 209 plate appearances for the 2012 season. Kottaras recently avoided arbitration by agreeing with the A's on a $1MM contract for 2013.
Mariners Acquire Morse In Three-Team Deal With Nationals, A’s
The Mariners, Nationals and Athletics have combined on a three-team trade that will send Michael Morse to the Mariners, John Jaso to the A's and a three-player package to the Nationals that includes minor league right-handers A.J. Cole, Blake Treinen and a player to be named from the Athletics.
The Mariners have been searching for hitters all winter long and now add Morse, who has hit 64 homers over the last three seasons and posted a .291/.321/.470 line in 430 PAs for Washington in 2012. It's a bit of a homecoming for Morse, who spent the first four years of his career in Seattle before being swapped to the Nats for Ryan Langerhans. The right-handed hitter could see time in either corner outfield spot or at first base, possibly sharing time with Justin Smoak and other newly-acquired veteran bats as Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay. Jaso's departure also clears the way for Jesus Montero to catch everyday, and the M's also have top prospect Mike Zunino waiting in the wings.
Morse has been a strong trade commodity ever since the Nationals re-signed Adam LaRoche. At least five or six teams had shown interest in Morse, with the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox among those linked to the first baseman/outfielder. Morse turns 31 in March and is scheduled to hit free agency next winter.
Cole is on his way back to the Nationals organization after being dealt to the A's last winter as part of the trade package for Gio Gonzalez. Cole, 21, was drafted by the Nats in the fourth round of the 2010 draft and was rated as the 57th-best prospect in the game by Baseball America prior to the season. In 27 starts for two of Oakland's A-ball affiliates, Cole posted a 3.70 ERA, 133 strikeouts and 29 walks over 133 2/3 innings, though the major bulk of that success took place at low A-ball.
Treinen, 24, was the Athletics' seventh-round pick in the 2011 draft. The righty has a 4.13 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and 10.1 H/9 in 133 innings over two pro seasons and made 15 starts last year.
The left-handed hitting Jaso enjoyed a breakout season in 2012, hitting .276/.394/.456 in 361 PAs, the large majority of which came against right-handed pitching. He will likely step right in as Oakland's regular catcher against righties, with the right-handed hitting Derek Norris in line for at-bats against southpaws. Jaso, 29, is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and is under Oakland's control through the 2015 season.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post first reported the trade and the major teams and players involved. Earlier this evening, Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the M's were close to acquiring Morse. Morosi, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times and the Nationals' Twitter feed also added more details about the package going back to Washington.
A’s, George Kottaras Avoid Arbitration
TUESDAY: Kottaras will earn $1MM in 2013, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
MONDAY: The Athletics announced that they avoided arbitration with catcher George Kottaras. The Lapa/Leventhal client agreed to a one-year deal for the 2013 season.
Kottaras had a projected salary of $1.1MM following a season in which he hit nine home runs and posted a .211/.351/.415 batting line in 209 plate appearances. Oakland acquired Kottaras from the Brewers for Fautino De Los Santos in July.
The A's have three remaining arbitration eligible players, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows: Jerry Blevins, Brandon Moss and Seth Smith.
Extension Candidates: Milone & Parker
The Oakland Athletics have made a habit of extending pre-arbitration eligible starting pitching in the last decade or so. General manager Billy Beane has negotiated multiyear deals with many players, from Tim Hudson and Barry Zito ten-plus years ago, to Rich Harden and Dan Haren midway through the last decade, to current A's starter Brett Anderson.
Here’s the template Beane has used most often: offer a promising, young starter a four-year contract covering his remaining pre-arbitration years and some arbitration years. The deals, typically valued in the $9-13MM range, tend to include club options for future arbitration and/or free agent seasons. The A’s take on the risk that the starters won’t be able to replicate their early-career successes in exchange for potentially discounted arbitration seasons and extended control of the players. Meanwhile, the players get substantial security in exchange for capping their earning potential for a period of four-plus seasons.
Should the A’s look to replicate past deals again this winter, the agents for Tommy Milone (pictured) and Jarrod Parker could soon be getting calls from Beane. Both starters were acquired in trades last offseason and both spent a full season at the MLB level for the first time in 2012, succeeding in prominent roles for the eventual AL West winners.
Milone, a Praver/Shapiro client, pitched to a 3.74 ERA in 190 innings with Oakland in 2012. The 25-year-old left-hander struck out 6.5 batters per nine innings while walking 1.7 per nine and posting a 38.1% ground ball rate.
Parker, a 24-year-old Reynolds Sports Management client, posted a 3.47 ERA in 181 1/3 innings. A much harder thrower than Milone, Parker generated a few more strikeouts (6.9 K/9) and many more ground balls (44.3% ground ball rate) while allowing more walks (3.1 BB/9).
Opposing hitters would tell you that the right-handed Parker is a different type of pitcher than Milone, and the two took markedly different paths on their way to the Oakland’s rotation. Still, they’re on track to be comparables in arbitration given their service time and basic statistics. In the context of extension talks that matters a great deal. Both pitchers are on track for arbitration eligibility after the 2014 season and free agency after the 2017 season.
As MLBTR's Extension Tracker shows, there's considerable precedent for contract extensions of four years or more for starting pitchers with between one and two years of MLB service. Anderson, Cory Luebke and Wade Davis all obtained $12-12.6MM for four-year deals that included multiple club options. Both A’s starters have more innings pitched than Luebke did at the time of his deal and better ERAs than Davis did at the time of his deal. Furthermore, both Milone and Parker have more innings and a better ERA than Anderson did at the time of his deal. It appears that Milone and Parker could obtain four-year deals worth more than $12.6MM, especially when taking inflation into account. In my view $14MM would be a more reasonable target for four guaranteed years.
To this point in the offseason, there haven’t been any rumors about the pair of A’s starters. But January, February and March tend to be active months for contract extensions, and Beane has shown repeated interest in extending successful young starters on multiyear deals. It won’t be surprising if the club discusses similar contracts with Milone and/or Parker in the coming months.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Athletics Extend Bob Melvin
The Athletics have signed manager Bob Melvin to a two-year contract extension, the team announced. The deal will keep the reigning AL Manager of the Year in Oakland through 2016.
Melvin, 51, replaced Bob Geren as manager back in June 2011. The club has gone 141-120 under his watch, including a surprising 94-68 finish this past season. The rookie-laden Athletics won the AL West, overtaking the Rangers on the final day of the season.
Melvin previously managed the Mariners (2003-04) and Diamondbacks (2005-09), winning the NL Manager of the Year award back in 2007. His lifetime record as a big league skipper is 634-628.
A’s Avoid Arbitration With Chris Resop
The A’s have avoided arbitration with Chris Resop by agreeing to a one-year, $1.35MM deal, according to MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (on Twitter). The right-hander is represented by Jet Sports Management.
The $1.35MM is pretty much in line with his projected figure of $1.3MM from Matt Swartz. This was Resop’s second time being arbitration-eligible and he’ll see a significant increase over his $850K salary last year.
Oakland acquired Resop from the Pirates in exchange for Zach Thornton earlier this offseason. The 30-year-old pitched to a 3.91 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 73 2/3 innings for the Pirates in 2012. Resop will be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.