Cafardo’s Latest: Fielder, Pedro, Gagne, Santos
In his latest column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe ranks baseball's managers, from first (Bobby Cox) to 30th (rookie skipper Brad Mills). He also shares a few hot stove notes:
- Contracts like the eight-year pacts signed by Mark Teixeira and Joe Mauer may indicate what it'll take for the Brewers to lock up Prince Fielder long-term. Milwaukee "would like to seal the deal right now," avoiding the drama that will only increase as Fielder approaches free agency.
- Cafardo wonders if Pedro Martinez could end up pitching for the Dodgers at some point this season.
- Alex Gonzalez said "forget it" this winter when the Red Sox asked him to wait until they had dealt with Jason Bay. Gonzalez adds: "I was going to get a starting job, and in this market, I'm glad I didn't wait."
- Eric Gagne believes he can still succeed at the big league level, but he may have trouble catching on anywhere this late in the spring.
- Sergio Santos would have plenty of teams interested in him if he doesn't break camp with the White Sox. Santos, a former first-round pick as a shortstop, is out of options and competing for a spot in Chicago's bullpen.
Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Lowell, Mariners
Links for Saturday…
- Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe thinks the Red Sox made a big mistake by letting Alex Gonzalez go to Toronto. I can't say I'd be too upset if my team let a guy with a 78 career OPS+ go, no matter how good his defense was.
- ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes writes that even if the Red Sox eat a big chunk of Mike Lowell's contract, they'll still have trouble trading him because of all the third base options on the free agent market.
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times wrote about all of the flexibility Mariners' GM Jack Zduriencik has going into the winter meetings.
- Meanwhile, Larry Stone at The Seattle Times wouldn't be surprised to see Kevin Towers end up with the Mariners because of his relationship with Zduriencik.
- Lynn Henning of The Detroit News guesses that the Tigers will offer arbitration to Placido Polanco, Fernando Rodney, and Brandon Lyon before Tuesday's midnight deadline. Polanco is a Type-A free agent, Rodney and Lyon are both Type-B's.
- The sale is complete and the Ricketts family has assumed control of the Cubs, according to David Roeder of The Chicago Sun Times.
- The deadline for the sale of another team, the Rangers, passed more than a week ago, but owner Tom Hicks hasn't indicated what happened, or how many groups actually made a pitch, according to Barry Shlachter of The Star Telegram.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along the news that Jose Contreras has one less suitor in Japan. Meanwhile, Ryo Shinkawa writes that Hiroshima is looking into signing Giancarlo Alvarado, who pitched with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate last season, posting a 3.49 ERA.
- The best bet for the Red Sox to fill their need at shortstop might be to make a trade, says Tyler Hissey of MVN.com. Hissey suggests that Reid Brignac, Stephen Drew, and Yunel Escobar could be had via trade, but would cost the BoSox a pretty penny.
- Steve Melewski of MASN Sports says that the Orioles can find their next closer in-house. Recently, we learned that the O's are one of eight teams interested in free agent Billy Wagner.
Red Sox Destined To Sign Scutaro?
The BoSox have "virtually no choice" but to sign free agent Marco Scutaro, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Toronto's signing of Alex Gonzalez means that the 34-year-old is now, by default, their most attractive option. There aren't a ton of quality shortstops available via trade either. Unsurprisingly, we've already heard reports this week of strong interest from both parties.
Signing Scutaro would mean surrendering a high draft pick to Toronto as he is a Type A free agent. It could also mean giving the versatile veteran a three-year offer rather than the two-year pact that Boston would prefer.
Is inking MLBTR's eighth ranked free agent worth the price? Are there better – but perhaps less obvious – options out there for the Red Sox?
Blue Jays Rumors: Scutaro, Cabrera, Brignac
Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail has the latest on the Blue Jays in the aftermath of this morning's signing:
- The Blue Jays will offer Marco Scutaro salary arbitration. Blair hears indications that the shortstop may have a three-year deal coming his way.
- The Jays made a serious run at Orlando Cabrera, but decided against a deal since it would have taken a commitment of about $12MM and two years. The Jays like Cabrera, but have concerns about the former Gold Glover's range and arm.
- Cabrera's agent is telling teams that his client is ready to play second base. The Twins may have interest in re-signing Cabrera to play second.
- The Jays spoke to the Rays about Reid Brignac, but felt Tampa was asking for too much.
- Blair wonders if Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos will try to trade Gonzalez at next summer's trade deadline if the shortstop starts the year well.
Blue Jays Agree To Sign Alex Gonzalez
11:09am: The Red Sox were prepared to offer Gonzalez a one-year deal worth $3MM, according to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe, but the shortstop chose to accept the Jays' offer instead of waiting for the Red Sox to explore other options.
10:11am: The Jays will pay Gonzalez $2.75MM in 2010, according to Bastian. They also hold a $2.5MM option for his services in 2011.
10:07am: MLB.com's Jordan Bastian hears it's a one-year deal with a club option for 2011. We don't know the numbers yet, but Bastian says an announcement could come soon.
9:24am: The Blue Jays agreed to sign Alex Gonzalez to a one-year deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The combination of Gonzalez and John McDonald makes it hard to envision a deal with free agent Marco Scutaro, though the club may still offer arbitration to obtain draft picks for the Type A free agent. Gonzalez was not a ranked free agent, so the Jays don't have to forfeit picks and the Red Sox don't obtain any.
Gonzalez, 32, hit .238/.279/.355 for the Reds and Red Sox last year, but he played tremendous defense, as usual, according to UZR/150. Longtime Blue Jays fans will experience deja vu next year – the other Alex Gonzalez played short for the Jays from 1994-2001.
Red Sox Express Interest In Scutaro, Escobar, And More
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald says the Red Sox have kicked the tires on many free agents already, with Marco Scutaro and Kelvim Escobar the newest names. Others include Rafael Soriano, Matt Holliday, Rick Ankiel, Adrian Beltre, John Lackey, Aroldis Chapman, Billy Wagner, Mike Gonzalez, Alex Gonzalez, and, of course, Jason Bay. Silverman cautions that not all names connected to the Red Sox have "enduring news value."
Scutaro certainly makes sense for Boston; he's the best available shortstop, considering both the free agent and trade market. We ranked Scutaro the eighth-best free agent overall, perhaps a reflection of a weaker market this year. It'd be nice to see Scutaro sign with the Red Sox, as we'd get at least one of our 50 predictions right.
Aside from committing a multiyear contract to Scutaro, the Sox might have to surrender their #29 pick in the June 2010 draft to the Blue Jays. Looking at the Elias numbers, it is possible that the Jays get screwed out of a first-rounder again, as they did losing A.J. Burnett last year (of course, the Jays failed to sign James Paxton anyway). If the Red Sox sign Scutaro and any of Soriano, Gonzalez, Holliday, or Lackey, the Braves, Cardinals, or Angels would get Boston's #29 pick instead and the Jays would get their second-rounder (assuming arbitration is offered to those players).
As Silverman notes, Escobar would fit right in with the John Smoltz/Brad Penny signings of last year. Those two bombed, but here's the question – what kind of success rate should the Red Sox expect from these one-year pitcher gambles? It is OK if one out of five works out?
Gammons & Edes On Boston’s Offseason
In a piece for ESPN Boston, Peter Gammons and Gordon Edes answered five key questions about the Red Sox and the upcoming offseason. There's not many hard rumors in the piece, but there's plenty of discussion topics, so let us know what you think…
- Both Gammons and Edes believe the Sox will retain Jason Bay (Gammons guesses the contract will be in the four year, $64MM range), and neither is sure who will compete with them for his services.
- The Red Sox "can easily" keep shortstop Alex Gonzalez at a reduced rate even though they declined his option earlier this month. Gammons feels the team needs depth and mentions Marco Scutaro, while Edes doesn't think it would be wise to make a long-term commitment that would block prospect Jose Iglesias.
- When it comes to blockbuster trades, Gammons thinks the only way the team pulls one off is if they a) get frustrated during contract extension negotiations with Josh Beckett, or b) can get Adrian Gonzalez or Felix Hernandez.
- Edes says it wouldn't be a Red Sox offseason if they didn't explore a big trade, but he thinks it's a longshot that they'll acquire Gonzalez. He says another run at Roy Halladay is more likely.
- Gammons notes the Sox would like to add a righthanded batter than could play center and right, and they've long been intrigued by Cody Ross. He mentions that the Marlins tried to get Manny Delcarmen in July.
- Both writers believe they will make a run at Rich Harden, and Gammons thinks they'll go after Ben Sheets as well.
- And finally, Gammons says the team believes they will not be the high bidder for Aroldis Chapman, but they made a strong case for Boston as the place he'd want to be.
Francona Speaks About Red Sox Offseason Topics
Red Sox manager Terry Francona was on WEEI's Dale & Holley earlier today (audio here, transcript courtesy of Alex Speier here), and spoke about a variety of Red Sox offseason topics. Let's round it all up…
- The team is currently interviewing candidates for openings in their coaching staff. Bench coach Brad Mills has since moved on to take over as Astros' skipper.
- Francona hopes the team re-signs Jason Bay, but he acknowledges that he's going to have other options. "You know we’re going to be a major player. We always are."
- He also thinks Bay won't drag out his decision until mid January.
- Francona says he has gone on free agent recruiting trips before, most notably to speak to John Smoltz and Mark Teixeira.
- Whenever GM Theo Epstein talks to him, Francona always tells him to get a pitcher.
- The team has met with John Lackey's agent, and Francona considers him "one of the best." He also notes that you're talking about a lot of years when committing to a player like that.
- Francona acknowledged that Alex Gonzalez stabilized the shortstop position, but "you look at that .310 on-base percentage, for a full year, if that’s what you’re going to go with, you’ve got to recoup that somewhere else."
Francona also spoke about how they mix stats and scouting, and how they "try to look at both and make good decisions."
Nationals Looking At Defensive Shortstops
The Washington Nationals are interested in shortstops Alex Gonzalez and Adam Everett, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
With the Nationals tentatively planning to move Cristian Guzman from short to second base, a major league source tells Rosenthal and Morosi that the team is looking to add a strong defensive shortstop. Gonzalez posted a +10.5 UZR/150 in 2009, while Everett's UZR/150 was +13.6.
Gonzalez and Everett could each still re-sign with their respective teams, the Red Sox and Tigers, in which case the Nationals might look elsewhere for middle infield help. In a separate article by MLB.com's Bill Ladson, new manager Jim Riggleman suggests that he wouldn't mind starting 2010 with prospect Ian Desmond at shortstop.
Red Sox Rumors: Bay, Wagner, Beckett, V-Mart
Theo Epstein says talks between the Red Sox and Jason Bay are still in their early stages, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Here are the details and the rest of Silverman's rumors:
- Epstein expects Bay to explore free agency, but the Red Sox are willing to wait for the left fielder to do so, at least to an extent.
- The Red Sox may bring Alex Gonzalez back. They turned down his $6MM option earlier in the week, but the sides could agree on a deal that guarantees the 32-year-old less money.
- The Red Sox are open to signing Victor Martinez and Josh Beckett to long-term deals, but any such extensions aren't likely to be finalized until much later in the offseason.
- Epstein expects Billy Wagner to look for a closer's job. He'll have to find a team willing to give up a draft pick if the Red Sox offer him arbitration, since he's a Type A free agent.
- The Red Sox may bring Rocco Baldelli back.