Coaching Notes: Joyner, Phillies, Tigers, Renteria
Wally Joyner has left his post as the Phillies' assistant hitting coach, CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury reports. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweets that Joyner will head to Detroit, where he'll serve as the Tigers' new hitting coach under manager Brad Ausmus. Joyner served under head hitting coach Steve Henderson in 2013. Salisbury writes that the Phillies will stick with two hitting coaches in 2014. One possibility might be former big-league infielder Mickey Morandini, who managed in the Phillies system at Class A Lakewood in 2013. Here are more notes on coaches and managers.
- Joyner isn't the only Phillies coach heading to the Tigers. Also bound for Detroit is former Phillies catching coach Mick Billmeyer, who will serve as the Tigers' bullpen coach, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter). The Phillies announced in October that Billmeyer's contract would not be renewed.
- New manager Rick Renteria did a five-plus-hour interview with the Cubs while wearing sweatpants, MLB.com's Corey Brock writes. With Renteria recovering from hip replacement surgery, the Cubs — along with the Mariners and Tigers, with whom he also interviewed — traveled to talk to him, rather than the other way around. "At that point, I'm just wearing loose sweats," says Renteria of his interview with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer. "They started asking me different questions: How do you deal with players? How I would handle different situations."
Quick Hits: Rangers, Phillies, Andrus, Ruiz
Here's a quick look around the majors..
- Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News surveys the Rangers' options when it comes to their crowded infield. Trading Elvis Andrus or Ian Kinsler would give Texas some financial flexibility. Andrus is due $6.75MM in 2014 and $120MM guaranteed from 2015 through 2022. Kinsler, meanwhile, is due $62MM over the next four seasons.
- The Phillies would like to retain free agent catcher Carlos Ruiz, but what happens if he signs elsewhere? Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com sizes up some of the possibie alternatives, including Dioner Navarro and Ryan Hanigan. The switch-hitting Navarro isn't in the same stratosphere as Brian McCann or in that second tier with Ruiz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and A.J. Pierzynski, but he resides all by himself in that third tier of available catchers this winter.
- In an interview with Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (Twitter link), Rangers manager Ron Washington confirmed that the club has been discussing all of the big name free agents including Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Cafardo On Bautista, Sandoval, Ellsbury, Wieters
The posting system standoff between MLB and Japan's NPB could temporarily benefit the Red Sox if Masahiro Tanaka is kept away from the Yankees, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The dispute over the posting system could drag on long enough for Tanaka to not make it over to the U.S. in 2014. The Bombers are going to improve one way or another and upgrade their rotation, but Tanaka is the one potential addition they consider to be an elite pitcher. Here's more from today's column..
- The Blue Jays need at least two starting pitchers and dealing Jose Bautista could land them one. “It’s a name we’re hearing through backchannels right now, but wouldn’t be surprised if he’s available,” said an NL general manager. Red Sox skipper John Farrell is a fan of Bautista from his days in Toronto, but it’s doubtful the Blue Jays would deal within the division, even though Boston has pitching to spare.
- Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval can be had in a deal, but his weight issues are of concern to clubs. The Giants have tried everything to get Sandoval to slim down and it's worked at some points, but not last season. Cafardo notes that Sandoval can also play first base and may have a market at either position.
- For Jacoby Ellsbury to re-sign with the Red Sox, he would have to be willing to accept a five-year deal that likely would not surpass $100MM. The Mariners, Rangers, Yankees, Tigers, Giants, and Phillies seem to have some level of interest, but whether they dive into the 6-8 year range at $20MM plus per year remains to be seen.
- The Orioles likely won’t deal Matt Wieters unless it’s in a blockbuster that would improve their pitching.
- Even though there’s been talk about an extension, there's growing sentiment that the Padres will trade Chase Headley this offseason to improve in a couple of different areas. New CEO Mike Dee says that he's willing to spend in order to strengthen the club long-term.
- Alfredo Aceves re-hired agent Tom O'Connell to represent him recently, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database. According to O'Connell, the pitcher called and apologized for firing him in the first place. There's now a "good possibility" that the pitcher will land with the Mets.
NL East Notes: Mets, Phillies, Howard, Maholm
Here's today's look at the National League East..
- Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson insisted in a pair of interviews that he fully intends on making a notable move this offseason and isn't just sticking his toe in the water, writes Marc Carig of Newsday. Alderson said next season will be "a new day" for the franchise, but questions persist about whether the Mets can afford meaningful upgrades, either through free agency or the trade market.
- Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the $125MM deal signed with Ryan Howard in 2010 is making the Phillies cautious this winter. GM Ruben Amaro has spent on a big-ticket item in each of the last three seasons but he does not sound like a man willing to splurge this winter. With that said, Gelb notes that Amaro's public face tends to differ from his true intentions.
- Jordan Hall of CSNPhilly.com sizes up Paul Maholm and Jason Vargas as possible targets for the Phillies.
Phillies Sign Clete Thomas, Cesar Jimenez
The Phillies announced that they have signed outfielders Clete Thomas and Leandro Castro and left-hander Cesar Jimenez to minor league deals with invitations to Spring Training. The team also confirmed its previously reported signing of right-hander Shawn Camp.
Thomas, 30, batted .214/.290/.307 with four homers in a career-high 322 plate appearances for the Twins last season. The former Tiger is a career .250/.326/.423 hitter in parts of six Triple-A seasons and can play a solid defensive center field, making him a nice depth pickup for the Phils.
Jimenez, who turned 29 on Tuesday, posted a 3.71 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 10 walks in 17 innings for Philadelphia in 2013 and has a 4.96 career ERA in 65 1/3 Major League innings. Opposing lefties have batted .250/.311/.361 against Jimenez in 120 plate appearances over his big league career.
Castro, 24, spent the 2013 season with Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley, batting .256/.280/.368 with eight homers and 20 stolen bases in 458 plate appearances.
Phillies Links: Mujica, Ruiz, Amaro, Byrd
Here are some notes out of Philadelphia…
- The Phillies are willing to give a setup man a three-year contract, Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). The club is looking hard for setup help and Edward Mujica is one of the Phillies' targets. Mujica worked in middle relief before stepping up as the Cardinals' closer for most of 2013. MLBTR's Steve Adams projected Mujica would find a three-year, $21MM deal in free agency but you'd think that number would be a bit less in this case since the Phils wouldn't be using him as a closer. Relievers Joaquin Benoit and Joe Smith have also been linked to the Phillies this winter.
- "A Phillies-[Carlos] Ruiz reunion still seems likely," MLB.com's Todd Zolecki writes. Zolecki wonders if it was the Phillies who made Ruiz the two-year, $20MM offer the catcher reportedly has on the table. The Phils are known to have put early offers out to several free agents already and GM Ruben Amaro recently made a point of saying that the team wouldn't wait long for Ruiz to decide.
- Amaro may be on the hot seat if the team disappoints again but Amaro tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he isn't putting a priority on short-term success to save his job at the expense of the team's future. "My job, our job, is to be contenders every year….That's why young players are important to us. That's why keeping that depth is important to us," Amaro said.
- Marlon Byrd jumped when the Phillies made him a two-year, $16MM offer, the outfielder told reporters (including CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury). “I didn’t want to wait around,” Byrd said. “The Phillies were aggressive with an amazing offer. I didn’t want to wait to see how much money I could get. I have friends on that team, my wife (Andrea) is from there. It’s definitely a blessing.”
Again, my job, our job, is to be contenders every year. That’s the process. that’s why young players are important to us. That's why keeping that depth is important to us.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies_zone/Can-Ruben-Amaro-Jr-balance-future-with-now.html#VjusSjWfxJ3vlZHL.99Again, my job, our job, is to be contenders every year. That’s the process. that’s why young players are important to us. That's why keeping that depth is important to us.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies_zone/Can-Ruben-Amaro-Jr-balance-future-with-now.html#VjusSjWfxJ3vlZHL.99 - Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer isn't a fan of the Byrd signing, believing that the Phillies made too big a commitment to a player with a PED suspension on his record and whose career seemed virtually over less than a year ago.
East Notes: Rays, Red Sox, Ellsbury, Phillies, Tanaka
Agent Scott Boras believes the Rays should relocate, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. When asked to describe the Rays' status, Boras replied, "I would say the Tale of Two Cities, the one they're in and the one they should be in.'' Boras says the Rays have built a team that fans should want to see, but so far, the Tampa area hasn't provided the team with attendance to match. "I don't know, maybe New Jersey would like that winning percentage," Boras says. Here are more notes from the East divisions.
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says teams have been calling about Boston's starting pitching, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets. The Red Sox have six solid starting pitching options in Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Jake Peavy, Ryan Dempster and Felix Doubront.
- The Red Sox are preparing for what might happen if they can't re-sign outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, MLB.com's Paul Hagen reports. "Whether it's Ellsbury or any of our free agents, I don't think you find a carbon copy where you're exactly replacing the skills," Cherington says. "The challenge then is to try to make the team just as good in other ways." Boras, Ellsbury's agent, often is in no hurry for his clients to sign, so it makes sense that the Red Sox would be formulating backup plans, even if they aren't ruling out the possibility that Ellsbury will return.
- The Phillies might be willing to trade outfielder Domonic Brown, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Such a move would create an opportunity for them to add another free agent outfielder to pair with Marlon Byrd. Rosenthal cites Brown's poor defense as one reason the Phillies might want to deal him. Some of the available free agents, like Nelson Cruz and Carlos Beltran, aren't much better defensively, but at least dealing Brown might help the Phillies upgrade at other positions. The Phillies deny that they are interested in dealing Brown, Rosenthal notes.
- One reason the Yankees are so interested in starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is that his posting fee would not count account their luxury-tax threshold, Rosenthal writes. Tanaka therefore is more appealing to teams like the Yankees and Dodgers who have luxury-tax issues.
NL East Rumors: Brown, Mets, Aceves, Phillies, Price
The latest from the NL East..
- The Phillies are willing to listen on Domonic Brown, but a rumored Brown-for-Jose Bautista swap isn't happening, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
- Jeff Wilpon said the Mets are close to making some sort of transaction earlier today, but GM Sandy Alderson seemed genuinely surprised when that was relayed to him by reporters, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post.
- The Mets are among the clubs with interest in former Red Sox hurler Alfredo Aceves, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro isn't eager to move young talent, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Everybody is looking for the same thing, and that's young controllable players. There is no reason for us to be moving any of them," the GM said.
- A trade to land Rays ace David Price would probably call for the Nationals to part with Anthony Rendon, Lucas Giolito, and another prospect or two from the club's top-tier, writes Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider. Because of the steep price, it's probably not worthwhile.
Phillies Sign Shawn Camp
The Phillies signed reliever Shawn Camp to a minor league deal, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Agent Dave Meier represents the righty.
Camp, 38 next week, posted a 7.04 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 2.74 HR/9, and 48.8% groundball rate in 23 innings for the Cubs this year before getting released in July. He then signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks and posted a 2.42 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, and 0.81 HR/9 in 22 1/3 Triple-A frames. In 2012 with the Cubs, Camp tied for the MLB lead with 80 appearances. He was useful that year, compiling a 3.59 ERA. Camp's usage may have taken a toll, as his average fastball velocity dropped from 87.6 miles per hour in 2012 to 86.3 in 2013.
Phillies Sign Marlon Byrd
The Phillies have signed free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year, $16MM deal, according to a team release. The deal includes an $8MM option for 2016 that vests if Byrd gets 600 plate appearances in 2015 or 550 plate appearances in 2015 and a total of 1100 plate appearances in 2014 and 2015. If the option does not vest, it becomes a team option.
The deal will bring Byrd back to the team that he started his major league career with in 2002. The 36-year-old is coming off of a season in which he posted a career-best .294/.336/.511 slash line and 24 homers for the Mets and PIrates. It was a well-timed strong campaign for Byrd and it helped his stock tremendously after he was slapped with a 50-game suspension for PED use in 2012.
Byrd crushed lefties in 2013 slashing .344/.376/.583 with eight homers in 178 plate appearances, but he showed that he can handle right-handed pitchers as well. Byrd batted .268/.318/.480 against right-handers in 2013, giving him a 129 OPS+ against righties and a 157 mark against lefties.
The Phillies have been linked to Byrd this offseason as they were in search of a right-handed hitting outfielder. They weren't the only ones, however, as the Mets, Pirates, and Mariners all had varying degrees of interest this winter.
General Manager Ruben Amaro & Co. certainly hope that they'll be getting the 2013 version of Byrd and not the '12 incarnation. Byrd had just 153 plate appearances in 2012 thanks to his suspension and slashed just .210/.243/.245 for the Cubs and Red Sox.
The outfielder is represented by Seth and Sam Levinson of ACES, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database. Earlier this month, our own Steve Adams predicted a two-year, $16MM deal for Byrd.
Michael Barkann of WIP reported that Byrd and the Phillies had agreed to terms. Adam Rubin of ESPN New York tweeted that Byrd would get two years and $16MM. ESPN's Jayson Stark tweeted details of Byrd's 2016 option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.