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Quick Hits: Kazmir, McCann, Padres, Athletics

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Here are some notes from around the majors as we head into Friday evening…

  • ESPN's Jayson Stark looks back at the offseason, surveying 20 baseball personnel people about which teams made the best and worst moves of the winter.  A sample: the Phillies' deal with Jonathan Papelbon was judged to be the offseason's worst free agent signing.
  • About 10 scouts attended Scott Kazmir's workout session today, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links).  The southpaw threw between 86-89 mph, with his top pitch reportedly hitting 91 mph by one scout's measurements.  
  • The Mets aren't interested in Kazmir "at this time," a source tells Newsday's David Lennon.  According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Mets didn't send a scout to see Kazmir throw, though on Wednesday a "high ranking person" with the Mets said they would have someone in attendance (both Twitter links).
  • The Braves haven't begun extension talks with catcher Brian McCann, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  2012 is McCann's last season under contract, though Atlanta holds a $12MM option on him for 2013 that looks like a strong bet to be exercised.  O'Brien thinks the Braves could wait until next winter to begin negotiations. 
  • Padres owner Jeff Moorad and GM Josh Byrnes are both very pleased with the club's offseason, reports Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • The Athletics seem focused on acquiring young talent this offseason, but Casey Tefertiller of Baseball America notes that some of these prospects are being blocked by Oakland's veteran signings.

Rangers, Athletics Getting Closer To Uehara Deal

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4:05pm: A deal between the A's and Rangers is unlikely today, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link), since the Rangers are talking to another team.  More progress could be made over the weekend.

2:48pm: Several clubs, including the A's, are talking to the Rangers about Uehara, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.

12:57pm: The Rangers and Athletics are "getting close" to a trade involving reliever Koji Uehara, reports Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).  The A's are known to be looking for relief help, with Uehara and free agent Mike Gonzalez the two names most frequently connected to the club.  Texas has also been connected to Gonzalez and in fact have been trying to create payroll space for that signing by dealing Uehara.

Uehara has a partial no-trade clause in his contract and has already blocked one deal this winter that would've sent him to Toronto.  It's unknown if the A's are one of the other five teams on Uehara's no-trade list.

The two AL West rivals last completed a trade with each other in January 2011, a swap that sent Guillermo Moscoso to Oakland.  The Rangers were one of several teams who talked to the A's about Andrew Bailey before Bailey was eventually dealt to the Red Sox earlier this winter.

Rangers Notes: Uehara, Oswalt, Organization

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Here's the latest from the Lone Star State….

Quick Hits: Ordonez, Fukudome, Rizzo

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The latest links from around MLB…

Athletics Notes: Manny, Cespedes

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The A's made a splash Monday, signing Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36MM contract that allows him to reach free agency at its conclusion.  The latest on the club:

  • "The A's are likely to sign Manny Ramirez just before or soon after the start of spring training," writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Pitchers and catchers are due to report Saturday, while the full squad reports February 24th.  Manny, of course, has a reputation of arriving late to spring training.  Ramirez would serve as designated hitter for the A's, but he'd first need to serve a 50-game PED suspension.
  • Despite the Cespedes signing, Coco Crisp still feels he's Oakland's best center field option.  Crisp told Slusser, "Unless he's a demigod come down from the heavens, no one is going to outshine me in center field."  Crisp noted that a center field job was one of the reasons he chose the A's over the Rays, but concluded, "I'm excited to play alongside Cespedes – no matter what side that may be."
  • Cespedes' no-arbitration clause is precedent-setting, writes ESPN's Buster Olney, as in the past only Japanese players have managed to secure free agency without the typical requirement of six years of Major League service.
  • As I noted earlier today, the A's have four out of options players on the 40-man roster with fewer than five years of Major League service: Brandon Allen, Jerry Blevins, Joey Devine, and Kila Ka'aihue.

West Notes: Cruz, Cespedes, Dodgers, Padres

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Passing along a few stray items out of the West divisions …

  • Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz's two-year, $16MM contract is backloaded, according to the Associated Press (h/t Boston Herald). Cruz will earn $5MM in 2012, along with a $500K signing bonus, and will earn $10.5MM in 2013. The right-handed hitter can also earn up to an additional $500K based on plate appearances.
  • Yoenis Cespedes did not secure a no-trade clause in his contract with the Athletics, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, so the A's will have the option of trading off the outfielder if he becomes too expensive as he nears free agency after 2015.
  • The remaining bidders for the Dodgers will meet with MLB's ownership committee early next month, according to Ronald Blum of the Associated Press.
  • The Padres will receive a rights fee of $30MM in 2012 for their new TV deal with FOXSports, a source tells Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The source adds that the Friars could earn as much as $40MM this year depending on a signing bonus and other factors.

Yoenis Cespedes Signing Reactions

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The Athletics made an unexpected move today, agreeing to terms with Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes on a four-year, $36MM contract. The agreement allows him to hit free agency after the 2015 season and leaves suitors such as the Marlins and Cubs empty-handed. Here are some reactions to the deal…

  • Cespedes told Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com that he's "super happy" and that his first goal is to make the team and stay healthy all season long.
  • Agent Adam Katz told Kevin Kennedy and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio that four to seven teams were seriously interested.
  • A's director of player personnel Billy Owens told Jim Bowden and Casey Stern on MLB Network Radio that Oakland's scouts have watched Cespedes play for four or five years and consider him a center fielder.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law can imagine Cespedes hitting 30 home runs in the Major Leagues, but suggests he'll first need to spend some time in the upper minors.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports weighs in on the deal and explains why Cespedes remains an unknown, even though we've seen his skills on YouTube.
  • One A's person told Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com that the club is "not trying to finish in last place" and explained that free agents are reluctant to take Oakland's money.
  • Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus hears that Katz sought either an eight-to-ten-year deal or a four-year deal and suggests Cespedes' tools are as impressive as any player's.
  • Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains why the Cespedes deal makes more sense for the A's than it would have for the Rangers or Yankees.
  • The Red Sox never made Cespedes a formal offer, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports. Boston kept in touch with the outfielder over the course of the offseason, but the club wasn't prepared to match the $9MM annual salary he obtained from the A's.
  • The Tigers were interested in Cespedes, but not at $36MM, GM Dave Dombrowski said, according to James Schmehl of MLive.com.

Athletics To Sign Yoenis Cespedes

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The Athletics continued their offseason stockpiling of young talent with the ultimate free agent addition, signing 26-year-old Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36MM contract that allows him to reach free agency at its conclusion.  Yahoo's Tim Brown first reported the agreement, while Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle added financial details and the yearly breakdown.  Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group represents Cespedes.

The A's have been aggressive on international talent in past years, though CBS Sports' Danny Knobler suggests they were a late entrant on Cespedes.  The A's made a big bid for lefty Aroldis Chapman two years ago, and have now topped Chapman's record contract for a Cuban player.  More significantly, the A's gave Cespedes $36MM over four years, as opposed to the six-year term preferred by the Marlins and other suitors.  He'll reach the open market once again as a 30-year-old.  Cespedes may benefit from some minor league seasoning, but ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that he'll get a shot right away to become Oakland's everyday right fielder.    

Given his age, perhaps Cespedes should not be compared to top MLB prospects.  Still, Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein would rank him 20th in baseball and Baseball America's Jim Callis would put him in the 7-15 range.  Cespedes is a premium athlete with huge raw power, plenty of speed, and a strong arm.  His hit tool and defensive value are more of a question. 

The A's added top prospects such as Jarrod Parker, A.J. Cole, Derek Norris, and Brad Peacock this winter by trading Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill, while Andrew Bailey brought the A's Josh Reddick and others.  With his entire outfield up for free agency, A's GM Billy Beane allowed David DeJesus and Josh Willingham to leave, re-signed Coco Crisp, signed Cespedes and Jonny Gomes, and acquired Reddick, Collin Cowgill, and Seth Smith.  Despite his lack of MLB and minor league experience, Cespedes is Oakland's highest-paid player, topping Crisp in 2012 by $500K.  The window to add premium young international talent by spending eight digits on a player is closing quickly, as the new collective bargaining agreement calls for a $2.9MM per team cap beginning with the July 2012 signing period.

Though MLB executives have been following Cespedes' play for the Cuban national team for years, the general public was introduced to him with a Star Wars-like scroll and the Christopher Cross light rock tune "Sailing," which appear within the first three minutes of this ridiculous promotional video.  Cespedes defected from the Cuban team in July of last year, establishing residency in the Dominican Republic and then becoming an MLB free agent.  He was recently unblocked by The Office of Foreign Asset Control according to Brown (on Twitter).  Goldstein tweets Cespedes is expected to arrive in Phoenix for a physical in one to two weeks, and he's already cleared his age and identity investigation and has been drug tested.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

Athletics In On Uehara, Mike Gonzalez, Manny

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The Athletics are continuing to talk to the Rangers about reliever Koji Uehara, and they are also in talks with free agent lefty Mike Gonzalez, tweeted ESPN's Buster Olney this morning.  Though Olney's tweet came prior to the Yoenis Cespedes bombshell, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports later tweeted that the A's still seek a reliever and Gonzalez is a possibility.  And according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's are still likely to sign designated hitter Manny Ramirez, although they're out on Cuban free agent Jorge Soler in the wake of the Cespedes signing.

The A's and Rangers have spoken about a few relievers this offseason, most notably Andrew Bailey before he was traded to the Red Sox. Uehara recently invoked his no-trade clause to block a deal to the Blue Jays, and is said to prefer a return to the Orioles. Texas is reportedly looking to move the righty to free up room for Gonzalez, who finished last season with them.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes took a look at some other potential suitors for Gonzalez this morning.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

Athletics Still In On Manny, Jays Out

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The Athletics appear to be the only team still 100 percent in the mix for Manny Ramirez, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but they'd like to add a reliever before making Manny their priority. According to Rosenthal, the Blue Jays were in on Manny at one point, but talks failed to progress. Orioles GM Dan Duquette, meanwhile, said that he doesn't see a fit for Ramirez in Baltimore last week.

As Rosenthal explains, Ramirez will be eligible to play in Spring Training games in spite of his 50-game suspension. He's also eligible to play in extended Spring Training, and can begin a 10-game minor league rehab assignment prior to the completion of his suspension to allow him to get some reps in before seeing Major Leaue action. Ramirez can work out with a Major League or minor league team prior to that, provided that he departs before the gates open that day.

Rosenthal writes that it's unclear whether other clubs are in the mix for the career .312/.411/.585 hitter. With the Blue Jays and Orioles seemingly out of the mix, it could be down to a one-team market for the oft-troubled slugger.

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