Athletics Rumors

Odds & Ends: Mets, Blue Jays, Wood, Jenks

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 1, 2010 at 8:41pm CDT

Congratulations to the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants! Here are your links as the celebration begins…

The Mets have not set up interviews for their managerial opening, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the team is still gathering information about the four finalists for the job. Bobby Valentine appears to be the favorite and Ron Roenicke, Joey Cora and Bob Melvin are also candidates.
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Chris Toman of The Sports Network that he isn’t opposed to trading prospects for big leaguers.
Angels GM Tony Reagins told Dan Woike of the Orange County Register that he'll be as patient as possible with Brandon Wood, who has struggled to hit in the majors and is now out of options.
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says it would be "stunning" to see the White Sox offer Bobby Jenks $9MM through arbitration.

Odds & Ends: Long, Romanick, Falkenborg, Carlin

By Tim Dierkes | November 1, 2010 at 11:44am CDT

Links for Monday, as Cliff Lee looks to leave a strong last impression on his 2010 season against Tim Lincecum and the Giants…

The Yankees and hitting coach Kevin Long agreed to a three-year deal, reports George A. King III of the New York Post. He'll be getting a raise on his previous $400K salary.
The Athletics named Ron Romanick their new pitching coach, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
King's colleague Joel Sherman doesn't believe Brian Falkenborg will be the next Colby Lewis, as Falkenborg is likely to remain in Japan.
The Indians removed catcher Luke Carlin from the 40-man roster, according to the team's Twitter account. Carlin, 30 next month, hit .238/.332/.336 at Triple-A this year. The Indians' 40-man roster is at 38. Andy Marte is another candidate to find his way off the 40-man, in my opinion.
If Carl Crawford has similar offers elsewhere, he'd need to be convinced to join a former rival like the Yankees or Red Sox says ESPN's Buster Olney.
The Seibu Lions have again denied Hiroyuki Nakajima's appeal to be posted, according to a report passed along by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman on Twitter. The Japanese shortstop was said Saturday to be holding out hope.
Check out the voting for the 2010 Fielding Bible Awards.

Amateur Signing Bonuses: Athletics

By Mike Axisa | October 30, 2010 at 5:48pm CDT

Let's take a trip to the Bay Area and continue our amateur signing bonus series…

Michael Ynoa, $4.25MM (2008)
Mark Mulder, $3.2MM (1998)
Grant Green $2.75MM (2009)
Renato Nunez, $2.2MM (2010)
Michael Choice, $2MM (2010)

The Athletics are undeniably a small market team, but they spend like financial powerhouses when it comes to young talent. Ynoa, formerly known as Michel Inoa and arguably the most hyped Latin America pitching prospect of all-time, had a deal in place with the Yankees for $2.7MM before agent Adam Katz stepped in and raised the price. He ended up signing with Oakland for the largest bonus ever given to an international prospect, nearly doubling the previous record (Wily Mo Pena's $2.44MM). Ynoa missed a big chunk of the 2009 season with elbow soreness, then managed just nine innings (six hits, five runs, four walks, eleven strikeouts) this season behind needing Tommy John surgery that will cost him most of 2011.

Mulder was the second overall pick in 1998 reached the big leagues less than two years later. He pitched to a 5.44 ERA in 154 innings as a rookie in 2000, then finished second in the Cy Young voting thanks to a 3.45 ERA, 6.0 K/9, and 2.0 BB/9 in 229.1 innings the very next season. Mulder was a horse for the Athletics (3.92 ERA in 1003 innings from 2000-2004) before being dealt to the Cardinals for a package highlighted by a 24-year-old righty named Dan Haren.

Green (13th overall) and Choice (tenth) are Oakland's last two first round picks. Green hit .318/.363/.520 in his full season as a professional in 2010, Choice .266/.377/.587 in 130 plate appearances after signing. Nunez was the team's top international signing this summer, agreeing to his deal on July 2nd, the day the signing period began. He'll begin his career next season. The A's also signed another top Latin American prospect this year in 16-year-old catcher Argy Raga. His bonus is unknown, however.

Gabe Gross, Jeff Larish Declare Free Agency

By Mike Axisa | October 30, 2010 at 2:46pm CDT

Outfielder Gabe Gross and infielder Jeff Larish declared free agency after being outrighted off the Athletics' 40-man roster according to a team press release. Righthanders Jon Meloan and Justin Souza were also outrighted, but remain in the organization.

Gross, 31, hit just .239/.290/.311 in 243 plate appearances this year after signing a one-year, $750K deal last offseason. Despite the down year, Gross said he would return to the A's in 2011 "with bells on." Larish, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Tigers in August and hit .175/.277/.333 in 65 plate appearances with Oakland.

Neither Meloan nor Souza appeared in the big leagues this year. The former didn't pitch at all due to Tommy John surgery, the latter managed a 4.33 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 49 relief innings, mostly at the Double-A level level.

Non-Tender Candidate: Jack Cust

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 28, 2010 at 11:57am CDT

Jack Cust isn’t the home run threat he once was, so even in an offseason when the A's are prioritizing power, he doesn’t have any assurances that an offer of arbitration will come his way. The A’s non-tendered him last winter after a third consecutive season of 25-plus home runs. This year, his power dropped off, so there’s a real possibility that GM Billy Beane non-tenders Cust once again.

Cust, 32 in January, hit just 13 homers this year, but still managed to reach base. He posted a robust .395 on base average and batted .272. That figure is deceptive, though; Cust’s career-high average was inflated by his unsustainable .387 average on balls in play.

Cust is a power hitter who no longer hits for power and he doesn’t have much to fall back on other than his walks. He strikes out too much, doesn’t inspire confidence on defense (he played just 16 games in the outfield this year) and is working off of a $2.65MM base salary.

Offering Cust arbitration could cost $3-4MM, but it seems more likely that the A’s will non-tender him and try to renegotiate a contract worth less guaranteed money if they have interest in keeping him. The A’s would risk losing Cust to another team if they non-tender him, but they saved money when they took that chance a year ago.

Conor Jackson and Kevin Kouzmanoff are also among Oakland's non-tender candidates, but we've already voted on them. It's time to see what you think the A's will do with Cust. Click here to vote and here to view the results.

Odds & Ends: Ortiz, Girardi, Molina, Werth

By Mark Polishuk | October 26, 2010 at 9:06pm CDT

On the eve of the World Series, here are some news items to tide you over until the big Lee/Lincecum battle tomorrow night…

David Ortiz tells Mike Vega of the Boston Globe that he'll be back with Boston next season, reports the Globe's Peter Abraham. Ortiz said his representation and the Red Sox will talk next week about the club's $12.5MM option on the slugger for 2011. Boston has until three days after the end of the World Series to decide to pick up Ortiz's option.
Joe Girardi's expected new contract with the Yankees will probably be a three-year deal, writes George A. King III and Mark Hale of the New York Post. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reports the deal will be worth between a total of $9-$10MM. While no one doubts Girardi will be manning the Yankee bench next season, ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor thinks the Yankees should limit Girardi's extension to two years, citing lingering issues about how the manager deals with the New York pressure.
Bengie Molina is still planning to retire this winter, writes MLB.com's Lyle Spencer. "It's more 'yes' than 'no' right now," Molina said. "Something could get worked out this winter. As for now … yes."
If the Phillies don't re-sign Jayson Werth, Fangraphs' Dave Cameron points out that they'll be "running out a line-up with a large, exploitable flaw" — a lack of right-handed hitting.
Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle praises Ron Washington and wonders if Billy Beane should've hired Washington (a former Oakland coach) to manage the A's.
With Jorge de la Rosa possibly being too expensive for the Rockies to bring back, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets that the "most likely scenario" is that De La Rosa goes elsewhere and Colorado trades for a James Shields-caliber starter, if not necessarily Shields himself.

Olney On Offseason, Athletics, Red Sox

By Tim Dierkes | October 26, 2010 at 11:59am CDT

ESPN's Buster Olney dishes hot stove opinions and rumors…

In today's blog, Olney says some folks see the fairly expensive deals given to mid-level free agents Ted Lilly and Brandon Inge as a sign that teams will spend aggressively this offseason. Olney feels that this forecast might make certain club options, like those of David Ortiz and Mark Ellis, more palatable.
Final decisions aren't due yet, but Olney tweets that his sources expect the Athletics to pick up the 2011 options on Ellis ($5.5MM net) and Coco Crisp ($5.25MM net). Based on the free agent market for center fielders, the Crisp option is looking like a good deal.
Olney tweets that Boston's next pitching coach "may well be Curt Young, who turned down a two-year offer to stay with Oakland." Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote recently that the A's offered Young a one-year deal. Young interviewed with the Red Sox today, reports WEEI's Alex Speier, and was the most impressive external candidate so far.

Odds & Ends: Alderson, Marte, Jeter, Mets, Werth

By Steve Adams | October 24, 2010 at 7:42pm CDT

Some links to check out as San Francisco recovers from celebrating Brian Wilson's strikeout of Ryan Howard, which sent the Giants to the World Series…

Over at RotoAuthority, Tim Dierkes lists some Baltimore Orioles to watch for your fantasy team next season.
ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin re-posted a selection of questions from a 2008 interview conducted with current Mets' GM candidate Sandy Alderson. Very interesting read.
Damaso Marte underwent shoulder surgery this weekend and won't begin throwing until after the 2011 All-Star Break, writes MLB.com's Dan Mennella. If the Yankees want to look for some low-budget options, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at some bargain southpaws last week.
Joel Sherman looks at the delicate situation that is Derek Jeter's free agency. Sherman concludes that Jeter is more valuable to the Yankees than to other teams, and that the 37-year-old will have to accept that it's not a "divine right" that he hit at the top of the order and play 150 games per season if his production doesn't improve. According to Sherman, Jeter's numbers may only warrant a one-year, $7MM deal or so on the open market, but the Yankees will bid higher. He offers up a speculative three-year, $45MM deal.
ESPN's Adam Rubin says the Diamondbacks will be pulling for Josh Byrnes to win the Mets' GM opening, as any money the Mets pay him will be deducted from what Byrnes is still owed from his five-year contract with Arizona. Potentially saving $1MM or so annually on their GM may be a factor if the two candidates end up being neck-and-neck, according to Rubin.
Jayson Werth's teammates don't see him returning to the Phillies next season, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
Curt Young has declined the Athletics' offer to return as the club's pitching coach and will pursue another opportunity, according to a team press release. The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser speculates that he might be joining former Oakland colleague Terry Francona in Boston. That would make sense, given Toronto's decision to hire John Farrell. Slusser says the A's offered Young a raise of nearly 40% on a one-year deal.
The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo, however, tweets that Young is likely on his way to the Diamondbacks' organization.
For A's fans thinking this could mean a reunion with Rick Peterson, Slusser also tweets a reminder that Peterson has one more year on his contract with Milwaukee.

Odds & Ends: Duchscherer, Bruce, Nolasco, Votto

By Zachary Links | October 22, 2010 at 9:26pm CDT

Some links as the Rangers look to close out the Yankees at home..

MLB.com's Jane Lee doesn't expect to see Justin Duchscherer back with the A's in 2011.
In a piece for RotoAuthority, Tim Dierkes takes a look at the fantasy potential of Jay Bruce.
Former Mariners skipper Don Wakamatsu is a potential candidate for Buck Showalter's coaching staff in Baltimore, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. Wakamatsu says that he's still talking to the club about coaching and managerial jobs but declined to name specific teams.
If the Marlins and Ricky Nolasco can't come to terms on a deal of at least three years, there is a strong chance the Fish will sign him to separate contracts for 2011 and 2012, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Yesterday, Nolasco's agent said that the two sides are off about 20% on salary.
Two sources told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer that Joey Votto can expect to earn close to $7MM in 2011. Our own Ben Nicholson-Smith arrived at a similar conclusion two months ago.
Jon Heyman of SI tweets that Josh Byrnes would cost the Mets less than Sandy Alderson as Arizona is already paying him through 2015.
Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com compiled some background info on Byrnes and Alderson.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Wood, D’Backs, A’s

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 20, 2010 at 9:18pm CDT

Links for Wednesday, as the Yankees try to prolong their season…

Baseball sources tell Ken Gurnick of MLB.com that the Dodgers are likely to bring Trey Hillman aboard as their bench coach.
Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald wonders if Kerry Wood could have made a difference for the BoSox.
Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are expected to name Ray Montgomery their new scouting director. Montgomery has spent the last eight years in the Brewers organization.
Bryce Harper will bat seventh in his Arizona Fall League debut tonight, according to the Nationals Baseball Media Relations department (via Twitter).
The A's have announced several staff changes via press release. Gerald Perry has been welcomed back as hitting coach in place of Jim Skaalen. Joel Skinner, a longtime member of the Indians coaching staff, will take over as bench coach. Former bench coach Tye Waller will be reassigned as the first base coach. Waller replaces Todd Steverson who has been offered a position in the A's farm system.
Mark McGwire is on the fence about returning as the Cards hitting coach, Tony La Russa told Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch.
Former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane will join the Tigers scouting department, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter).
MLB.com's Jason Beck introduces us to Tigers assistant GM Al Avila, the longtime Detroit exec who remains a GM candidate. The Tigers recently declined to let the Mets interview Avila.
If you play fantasy baseball, head over to RotoAuthority, where Tim Dierkes examines the impact of Ted Lilly's new deal on the lefty's fantasy value.
It doesn't look like Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima will become available to MLB teams this year, according to reports passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (Twitter link).
Cubs GM Jim Hendry told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that he will "absolutely" welcome Ryne Sandberg back to Chicago's minor league system if the Hall of Famer wants to continue working his way to the major leagues. Sandberg, a finalist for the Cubs major league job, was disappointed when the team hired Mike Quade.
Brewers managerial candidate Pat Listach was pleased with his interview, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.

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