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Quick Hits: Kershaw, Moreno, Cespedes, Joyce

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Here are a few items from around the Majors as we head into Sunday…

  • The first priority for the new Dodgers owner should be to sign Clayton Kershaw to a long-term extension, says ESPN's Buster Olney in a video blog.  Kershaw's recent two-year contract only covers his first two arbitration years, putting him on track for free agency (at age 26) after the 2014 season.  "The entire landscape of baseball would be all over Kershaw as a free agent," says Olney, who believes the Dodgers should offer Kershaw something akin to a five-year, $100-120MM deal to lock him up.
  • Arte Moreno expects the Angels to be "a highly competitive team" and discussed several other topics about the upcoming season with MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.
  • As part of a piece about the risks of signing Yoenis Cespedes, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald explores how other heavily-hyped Cuban stars have been the victim of high expectations in the Major Leagues.
  • Rays outfielder Matt Joyce has changed agents and is now represented by the ACES firm, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Joyce, a possible extension candidate, will be arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter and is under team control through 2015.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera's arbitration-avoiding deal with the Indians prompted Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer to examine the possibility of signing Cabrera to a multiyear deal.  Last month, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at what a Cabrera extension could cost the Tribe.
  • From that same piece, Hoynes says that the Indians' lack of guaranteed contracts past 2012 is probably not a sign that the Dolan family is "streamlining the franchise" as a prelude to a possible sale of the club.
  • Four of top seven prospects in the Athletics' system came via the Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez trades, writes MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.

A’s Notes: Ramirez, Ordonez, Matsui, Uehara

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The A's agreed to extend GM Billy Beane through 2019 this week, but the offseason hasn't quite ended, so it's time to look ahead to Beane's next move. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and others have the details on the team's plans…

  • Beane said he's looking to sign a DH for the middle of the lineup, Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group tweets. The GM added that it's not easy to find a cleanup hitter right now.
  • A's scouts saw Ramirez work out recently and they're interested, ESPN.com's Buster Olney confirms (Twitter link). A final decision on whether to try to sign him is expected within the next week.
  • The A's continue pursuing Manny Ramirez and they're much more interested in him than Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez's health is more of a concern, Slusser writes. Signing Ramirez would be the last thing the A's do before starting Spring Training, and a deal could be reached after camp opens. 
  • People in the A's organization are intrigued by Kila Ka'aihue's power and if the A's sign Ramirez, Ka'aihue would likely get the chance to DH while Ramirez sits out his 50-game suspension. 
  • The A's have some interest in free agent DH Hideki Matsui, but he's a "real long-shot," Slusser reports. They've had some talks about Johnny Damon, who might be out of the team's price range. 
  • The A's are considering Koji Uehara, Slusser confirms. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney says “nothing is close” regarding Uehara and that the Rangers are looking to obtain a good return in talks with Baltimore (Twitter link). Ken Rosenthal reported Oakland's interest over the weekend.

AL West Links: Beane, Athletics, Andrus

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Four years ago today, the Mariners acquired Erik Bedard from the Orioles in exchange for five players: Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kameron Mickolio, and Tony Butler. The deal was one of our Trades of the Decade. Here's the latest from the AL West…

  • Athletics GM Billy Beane recently signed a lengthy contract extension, though ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider req'd) opines that losing may wear on him if the team doesn't get back into contention. He wonders if a potential new Dodgers owners could come calling in the near future.
  • If the Athletics do move to San Jose, owner Lew Wolff says they would be labeled the San Jose A's, reports Joe Stiglich of The Bay Area News (on Twitter).
  • The Rangers bought out Elvis Andrus' three arbitration years, but assistant GM Thad Levine told Richard Durrett of ESPN Texas that the club does want to keep him beyond that.

Athletics Extend Beane Through 2019

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WEDNESDAY: The extensions will have option years, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

TUESDAY: Not much is certain when it comes to the future of the Athletics, but their leadership team will remain in place long-term. Owner Lew Wolff said today that GM Billy Beane and president Michael Crowley have agreed to extensions through the 2019 season, Jon Erlichman and Rob Gloster of Bloomberg News report. Beane told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com that reports of a deal are a bit premature (Twitter link), but Wolff expects Beane and Crowley to sign within 30 days.

Beane became the team's GM after the 1997 season and Crowley became team president one year later. They face a problematic stadium situation in Oakland and the club may move to San Jose in the relatively near future. Both Beane and Crowley have ownership stakes in the Athletics and Wolff is the club's managing partner.

The Athletics have made five playoff appearances under Beane, who has been with the team longer than any other American League GM. Beane was recently portrayed on the big screen by Brad Pitt in Moneyball. He last constructed a playoff team in 2006, when Oakland made it to the ALCS.

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Cubs Claim Adrian Cardenas

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The Cubs claimed Adrian Cardenas off of waivers from the Athletics, the A's announced. Oakland had designated the infielder for assignment on January 26th.

Cardenas, 24, spent the 2011 season with Oakland's Triple-A affiliate, where he posted a .314/.374/.418 line in 545 plate appearances and played left field, shortstop, second and third. In six minor league seasons, the 2006 first rounder has a .303/.368/.413 batting line. However, he is a sub-par defender, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets. The A's acquired Cardenas from the Phillies in the 2008 trade that sent Joe Blanton to Philadelphia.

Athletics Pursuing Koji Uehara

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The Athletics are among the teams pursuing the Rangers' Koji Uehara, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Orioles also remain interested in the right-handed reliever.

Last week, Rosenthal wrote that Texas might be looking to move the 36-year-old to sign a lefty reliever like Mike Gonzalez.  Uehara recently used his limited no-trade clause to block a trade that would have sent him to the Blue Jays and is said to be seeking a return to Baltimore.

 among teams pursuing ' Uehara.

Athletics Evaluating Magglio Ordonez

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In addition to Manny Ramirez, the A's are also evaluating Magglio Ordonez for a spring tryout, according to Peter Gammons of MLB.com (via Twitter).  The slugger is recovering from surgery after re-fracturing his right ankle during the ALCS in 2011.

Roughly two weeks ago, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported that Ordonez could be medically cleared by this point which would in turn spark interest in him.  Ordonez, who turned 38 last Saturday, hit just .255/.303/.331 in 92 games with the Tigers last season.

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Manny Ramirez?

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Manny Ramirez’s comeback attempt isn’t your typical feel good comeback story. He abruptly retired last April following a second failed PED test, and several of his former employers had grown tired of his Manny Being Manny act. His offensive production started to wane with age, and he never had much defensive value during his career.

Ramirez, 40 in May, is one of the best hitters of his generation however, a .312/.411/.585 career hitter with 547 doubles and 555 homers. He reached base just once (a single) in 17 plate appearances with the Rays last year before calling it quits, but his comeback attempt is sincere. He’s open to a minor league contract and was scheduled to work out for teams last month. Given his career earnings — nearly $207MM according to Baseball-Reference — it’s hard to believe Ramirez is trying to get back in the game for money.

Manny is reportedly deciding between three teams at the moment: the Athletics, Blue Jays, and Orioles. All three clubs need a DH-type bat, but he would have to serve a 50-game suspension before playing. The suspension will begin once he signs a contract. The Yankees, Rangers, and Mariners could all conceivably add a DH as well, but none of those clubs have been connected to Ramirez this offseason.

Manny Ramirez Deciding Between A’s, Orioles, Jays

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FRIDAY: Ramirez is deciding between the Orioles, A's and Blue Jays, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reports (link in Spanish). Once he decides on a club, his agents will negotiate a possible deal.

THURSDAY: The Athletics and Orioles are the teams who are "most interested" in signing Manny Ramirez, tweets FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.  The extent of either team's interest is unknown, as Rosenthal notes it's "unclear" if either team has made Ramirez a contract offer.  In a follow-up tweet, Rosenthal says it's possible other teams could also be pursuing Ramirez.

The A's have been linked to Ramirez on a few occasions since the slugger announced he was returning to the Major Leagues.  Both managing partner Lew Wolff and assistant GM David Forst have said the team is open to signing the embattled Ramirez, who will face a 50-game suspension for violating the MLB drug policy should he sign a new contract.  Rosenthal notes that the A's are also still looking for relief help. 

Oakland already has Chris Carter, Jonny Gomes, Seth Smith, Collin Cowgill and others in the mix for DH at-bats, so they could use Spring Training and the 50-game suspended period to evaluate what Ramirez has left in the tank.  The O's, likewise, have Wilson Betemit, Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds as DH candidates, so Ramirez wouldn't be a pressing need for them either.  Baltimore (and Toronto) sent scouts to see Ramirez hit in a batting cage last month. 

One advantage in Ramirez's favor is that his asking price would be little more than $1MM, whereas other DH-types like Johnny Damon and Vladimir Guerrero are said to be looking for $5MM contracts.

Contract Details: Red Sox, Indians, Reds

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MLB.com’s beat reporters have passed along lots of contract details today. Here they are:

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