Nationals Offered Dunn Three-Year Deal
The Nationals have had a three-year contract offer on the table to Adam Dunn for the last three months, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Now that the Nats' exclusivity window has closed, Dunn is free to negotiate with any club, but it doesn't appear that the Nats will add the fourth year that the slugger is seeking. A person "familiar with Dunn's thinking" tells Ladson that there's less than a 50/50 chance the first baseman returns to Washington.
Reports throughout the year have gone back and forth on the likelihood of Dunn playing for the Nats in 2011. In August, it appeared certain he was headed for the open market, while in September, Dunn seemed optimistic about working something out with the team. Now, it appears that the length of the deal is the primary sticking point.
Ladson says not to expect the Nationals to wait too long on Dunn now that they're allowed to negotiate with other free agents. There are other first base options that interest the club, including Carlos Pena, Aubrey Huff, and Adam LaRoche, so they won't want to miss out on the opportunity to pursue those players.
D’Backs Decline Option For Adam LaRoche
The D’Backs declined their half of the $7.5MM mutual option for Adam LaRoche, according to the team. Instead, they’ll pay the first baseman a $1.5MM buyout. LaRoche, who turns 31 this weekend, hit 25 homers in 2010 and reached the 100 RBI plateau for the first time in his career. He batted .261/.320/.468, posting an OPS under .800 for the first time since 2005.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see D'Backs GM Kevin Towers bring in a new first baseman in 2011. The team would like to cut down on strikeouts and appears to have interest in free agent first baseman Paul Konerko. If the D'Backs offer LaRoche arbitration and he turns it down to sign elsewhere, they'll get a sandwich round pick in next year's draft for losing a Type B free agent.
I suggested in September that LaRoche could eventually sign a similar deal to the one-year $6MM contract he signed last winter.
D’Backs Rumors: Konerko, LaRoche, Padres
As soon as he took over in Arizona, GM Kevin Towers said he intended to improve the team's bullpen and bench. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic hears that the D’Backs still plan to spend on those areas. Here are the details on the club's offseason plans:
- Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago reported over the weekend that the D’Backs will pursue Paul Konerko, but Piecoro suggests a deal with Konerko “probably won’t happen.” The first baseman is in position to demand a lot of money and D’Backs people aren’t sure he can provide enough defense at first base.
- Piecoro says it sounds like the D’Backs won’t pick up their part of the $7.5MM mutual option for Adam LaRoche this winter. That suggests that Towers is willing to pay a $1.5MM buyout instead.
- Expect the D’Backs to add Padres executive Bill Bryk, who worked with Towers in San Diego.
Olney On Crawford, Rangers, D’Backs
Home field advantage in the Division Series and League Championship Series hasn't given teams the advantage you might expect, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney shows. But the Rays, Yankees and Twins presumably want home field advantage anyways and there's no question that the teams' respective owners would like the extra revenue. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:
- Some MLB executives expect the Red Sox and Angels to get into a bidding war over Carl Crawford this offseason. He’d be a good fit on either team, though Mike Cameron would likely become a bench player if the Red Sox signed Crawford or Jayson Werth.
- High-ranking executives wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rangers’ payroll rise to $90-100MM. The team opened the 2010 season with a $65MM payroll, so that would be a substantial increase.
- There seems to be a very good chance that Adam LaRoche and Mark Reynolds, who have combined to strike out 375 times this season, will not be on the D’Backs in 2011. LaRoche will probably hit free agency this winter, but Reynolds has $13MM remaining on his contract and would have to be traded.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Adam LaRoche
Earlier in the summer, Adam LaRoche and the Diamondbacks had preliminary discussions about an extension, but that was before the D’Backs hired current GM Kevin Towers. It’s still possible that the D’Backs work out an extension with LaRoche under Towers, but it seems more likely that LaRoche will hit free agency (assuming both sides don’t exercise his $7.5MM mutual option for 2011). Here’s the outlook for LaRoche this offseason:
The Pros
- He’s a consistently productive hitter, and has now combined 20 or more homers with an OPS of at least .775 in all seven of the seasons he’s played since becoming a starter.
- LaRoche has generally stayed healthy, averaging 145 games per season in that seven-year stretch.
- As a likely Type B free agent, he won’t cost a draft pick.
- He doesn’t turn 31 until November, so his skills probably aren’t about to fade.
The Cons
- Though he has traditionally been a strong second half player, LaRoche is slumping badly and has just three extra base hits this month.
- He’ll join a group of free agent first basemen that includes Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko, Carlos Pena, Lance Berkman, Derrek Lee and Lyle Overbay. Teams looking for first basemen will have lots of selection this winter.
- LaRoche drew limited interest from other clubs when he cleared waivers this summer.
The Verdict
LaRoche signed for $6MM last year after hitting .277/.355/.488 with 25 homers. He now has a .260/.321/.460 line with 23 homers and a career high 93 RBI. The numbers are similar this year and the market remains flush with first basemen, so a similar one-year $6MM deal seems likely for LaRoche.
Poll: Adam LaRoche’s Future
Adam LaRoche has cleared waivers and could still be traded in the next ten days, but he reportedly isn't drawing much interest. The lack of interest is a bit of a surprise, since LaRoche's numbers are in line with his career norms, and he's traditionally a very strong player after the All-Star break. For his career, his .910 second-half OPS dwarfs his .776 first-half figure.
With LaRoche seemingly unlikely to be moved, the Diamondbacks have had preliminary discussions about extending his contract. The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal with a $7.5MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout) for 2011. The two sides may just decide to exercise the option, but if LaRoche wants longer-term security, he could sign an extension with the D'Backs or turn down the option (forfeiting the buyout) in search of a multi-year deal elsewhere.
What does Adam LaRoche's future hold?
Adam LaRoche Not Drawing Much Interest
The Diamondbacks can trade Adam LaRoche to any team now that he has cleared waivers, but he isn't drawing much interest, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). That's a little surprising given the first baseman's 21 homers and .273/.340/.493 line, but it won't concern the D'Backs.
As Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com reported yesterday, the sides have had preliminary discussions about an extension. There's mutual interest in working out a deal, though talks have been general so far. Rosenthal adds that the D'Backs would prefer to sign LaRoche to a favorable extension and move prospect Brandon Allen to left field (Twitter link).
LaRoche makes about $1.1MM between now and the end of the season and there's a $1.5MM buyout on the team's 2011 option to take into consideration, too.
D’Backs, LaRoche Exploring Contract Extension
The Diamondbacks and first baseman Adam LaRoche are in "very preliminary" discussions about an extension that would keep LaRoche in the desert past his current deal's expiry date after the 2011 season, reports Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com.
LaRoche signed a one-year, $4.5MM contract with the Snakes in January that carries a mutual option worth $7.5MM for 2011. The buyout of that mutual option is worth $1.5MM, thus costing Arizona $6MM overall for a first baseman who has posted a solid .840 OPS in 464 plate appearances while battling some lingering quad and knee injuries.
The extension talk is a bit surprising given that LaRoche's name has popped up in trade rumors virtually all season long thanks to Arizona's quick plunge to the bottom of the NL West. LaRoche, who will turn 31 on November 6, cleared trade waivers yesterday and could be moved to any team, though a trade would increase the value of his mutual option to $9.5MM. Magruder notes, however, that since the D'Backs have already moved Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson and Chris Snyder, those deals freed up enough payroll for the club to try and keep LaRoche in the fold.
Adam LaRoche Clears Waivers
Adam LaRoche cleared waivers, so the D'Backs can now trade him to any team, according to John Gambadoro of KTAR.com (on Twitter). The 30-year-old, who was traded twice last year, has a .272/.339/.489 line with 20 homers this season. That line is virtually identical to LaRoche's career averages, so this level of production seems sustainable.
The D'Backs owe LaRoche $1.15MM between now and the end of the season, plus a $1.5MM buyout on a $7.5MM mutual option for 2011 (the option climbs in value to $9.5MM after a trade). LaRoche currently projects to be a Type B free agent after the season, though there's no guarantee that his team will offer arbitration.
The Red Sox had interest in left-handed first basemen early in the month and the Rays and White Sox could also have interest in LaRoche's bat. Here's MLBTR's complete list of players who have cleared waivers.
Cafardo On LaRoche, Johnson, V-Mart, Guthrie
In his latest piece for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo speculates on possible frontrunners for all the managerial positions that could open up this offseason. Bobby Valentine, Fredi Gonzalez, Dave Martinez, Tim Wallach, and Brian Butterfield are among the options Cafardo suggests for various teams. Here are the rest of the highlights from Cafardo's column:
- The Diamondbacks placed potential trade candidates Adam LaRoche and Kelly Johnson on waivers on Friday.
- One National League GM on August trades: "You’re going to see a lot of deals in the third and final week. A lot of teams are still in the mode that they’re in the hunt and they don’t want to sell off. The races are tighter this year, so most of the activity will come later rather than sooner."
- The Red Sox and Victor Martinez's representation have had "preliminary talks" regarding an extension. Cafardo feels that Martinez could land a contract worth approximately $60MM for four years, and he's not sure if the Sox would pay that much to keep V-Mart's bat around.
- An American League GM tells Cafardo that he was on the fence about Jeremy Guthrie before the trade deadline and regrets not pursuing the O's right-hander more aggressively: "I think he’s a pitcher who could have helped a lot of teams if you’d taken that leap."
- Cafardo hears from a Blue Jays source that the team has "about 200 people" on their list of managerial candidates. Whether or not that's an exaggeration, the Jays are clearly casting a very wide net in their search for Cito Gaston's replacement.