Los Angeles Notes: Angels, Hunter, Ethier
Shawn Green of the Dodgers hit four home runs in one game on this date in 2002. Green picked up 19 total bases against the Brewers in Milwaukee, setting an MLB record. Here are the latest links from Los Angeles:
- Though the Angels have not been required to pay Torii Hunter during his absence, he is receiving his full salary, a person familiar with the situation told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Assuming Hunter returns for Monday night's game against the Yankees, he will have been away for two weeks which works out to $1.5MM for that span with his $18MM salary.
- Andre Ethier said he doesn’t plan to set a deadline for extension talks with the Dodgers, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times writes. Ethier, who is on track to hit free agency this coming offseason, said he doesn’t expect to put extension talks on hold at any point this season. "We'll take a look at whatever they bring to us," Ethier said. "I don't look at it any other way. I'm not going to sit here and play what-ifs and what-nots."
- Manager Mike Scioscia said Hunter will "likely" re-join the Angels early next week, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times tweets. The Angels placed Hunter on the restricted list due to personal reasons last week.
Colletti Expects To Have Flexibility At Deadline
The Dodgers have the best record in baseball at 25-13 and they currently lead the NL West by six games over the Giants. GM Ned Colletti told Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times that if he needs to make a move to improve his club at the trade deadline, he expects to have the financial flexibility to do so.
"If we have a chance to improve our club, [ownership is] open-minded to doing it and everything that it entails," said the GM.
Guggenheim Baseball Management's first major expenditure could involve retaining one of their own, however. Colletti acknowledged that he's spoken to the ownership about parameters for an Andre Ethier contract extension, and in fact the two sides have been talking since last month.
"I'm not going to get into where it is, but we've discussed it," he said.
Los Angeles has already picked up Bobby Abreu on the cheap, but Colletti could look for reinforcements at first base, third base, and as always, on the mound. Although the GM acknowledged that they will have to deal with Dee Gordon's growing pains – .207/.247/.264 this year – the club could potentially look for an upgrade at shortstop as well.
Dodgers Links: Ethier, Magic, Parking Lots
The Dodgers are off to a 20-11 start and lead the NL West by five games over the Giants. The new ownership group officially took control of the team earlier this month, so things are looking good in Chavez Ravine right now. Here's the latest from SoCal…
- The Dodgers are internally discussing how they'll try to keep Andre Ethier, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Ethier has indicating the willingness to remain with the team long-term following the ownership change.
- Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reports that Magic Johnson has the power to veto any developments proposed by Frank McCourt for the Dodger Stadium parking lots. The veto power is extended to "any other action that would have an adverse effect on the fan experience at Dodger Stadium or otherwise be inconsistent with the preferences of a Guggenheim Baseball Management member."
- MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith recently broke down the Dodgers' 2013 contract issues.
Rosenthal On Ethier, Santana, Blue Jays, D’Backs
Here's the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- Impending free agent Andre Ethier is "the first opportunity for the Dodgers’ new ownership to make a statement in the post-McCourt era," and while Ethier has let it be known that he's willing to negotiate a new deal during the season, Rosenthal thinks Stan Kasten would prefer to see Ethier perform well and stay healthy for the entire 2012 season before offering him a contract extension. Rosenthal predicts Ethier will look for a deal similar to Jayson Werth's seven-year, $126MM contract with the Nationals, and given the lack of proven power bats on the market, Ethier "probably can name his price" this winter if he keeps producing.
- Johan Santana's hefty contract and no-trade clause will make it hard for the Mets to move him without eating a lot of money in a deal. Rosenthal thinks it makes more sense for the Mets to just hang on to Santana, who can be a valuable mentor to the team's young pitchers.
- The Blue Jays are unlikely to trade either J.P. Arencibia or Travis d'Arnaud before the end of the season, as the Jays like Arencibia's game-calling and d'Arnaud's overall potential. Rosenthal cites the Diamondbacks as one of several teams interested in Toronto's catchers, which follows up on his report in March that the Snakes were looking at Arencibia. Arizona's interest would seem to indicate that the D'Backs are preparing a backup plan should they not be able to re-sign Miguel Montero.
- It "does not appear out of the question" that the Rockies will make changes to the coaching staff given the team's pitching woes, defensive struggles and overall poor start.
- A scout tells Rosenthal that Andy Pettitte "does not look close to ready" and will need several more minor league starts before he's ready to return to the Yankees.
Extension Possible For Ethier, Dodgers
10:16pm: Ethier has let the new ownership group know that he's willing to discuss a contract extension during the season rather than wait until the winter, writes Heyman. Industry chatter says the outfielder could command a contract in the six-year, $90MM range.
3:01pm: The Dodgers’ new ownership group has been in place for a matter of hours, and they aren’t close to signing their right fielder to a long-term deal. But Andre Ethier could be in line for a contract extension before long.
The chances of a deal “improve drastically” with Guggenheim Baseball Management in place, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Bill Shaikin of the LA Times points out that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti met with Ethier’s agent Friday and suggests a contract could be the new owners’ first order of business (Twitter link).
Ethier, 30, is a client of Nez Balelo of CAA Sports. He earns $10.95MM in 2012 and is on track for free agency this offseason. In seven MLB seasons, he has a .291/.363/.481 batting line with 114 home runs. MLBTR's Dan Mennella examined Ethier's free agent stock last month.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Colletti In Touch With Andre Ethier’s Agents
Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti has kept in contact with Andre Ethier's agents at CAA through the team's ownership change in hopes of reaching agreement on an extension, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio (on Twitter). In a followup tweet, Bowden says that he expects an extension would cover four or five years and pay the slugging right fielder $14-$15MM annually.
Over the past week we've heard that Colletti has talked with the new ownership group about a new deal for Ethier and his intention has always been to keep Ethier wearing Dodger blue. The 30-year-old Ethier avoided arbitration this offseason, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $10.95MM. He's enjoying a strong start to the 2012 season, batting .284/.326/.568 entering play today.
NL West Notes: Ethier, Lincecum
Dodgers left-hander Sandy Koufax struck out 18 Cubs on this date in 1962, tying Bob Feller for a share of what was then the single game strikeout record. Here are today's links from the NL West…
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said he’s "always been inclined to keep" Andre Ethier, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports. Agent Nez Balelo has said his client is open to discussing a long-term contract during the season, assuming the incoming ownership group takes over the team at the end of the month. Colletti said yesterday that he has already talked to the team's new owners about an extension for Ethier.
- Scouts wonder if Tim Lincecum’s right hip is bothering him, but the Giants right-hander told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that, “none of that is true.” Though Lincecum is off to a slow start, he prefers to focus on the positives. “We get caught up in negatives so much and so easily, especially with so many games,” he said. Lincecum is under contract through 2013, and remains a candidate for a longer-term deal.
NL West Notes: Ethier, Colletti, Wandy, Padres
Tim Lincecum earned his first win of 2012 today in the Giants' 6-1 win over the Mets, but it was far from a vintage Lincecum outing. The right-hander threw 108 pitches and allowed four hits, five walks and one run through five innings, a line that could've been a lot worse were it not for a superb bases-loaded double play turned by the Giants in the fifth. Lincecum's ERA sits at 8.20 through his first four starts of the season.
Here's the latest from the NL West…
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden and Casey Stern of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that he has already talked to the team's new owners about a contract extension for Andre Ethier. The topic will be further explored once the Dodgers' sale is finalized. Ethier's contract is up after this season and MLBTR's Dan Mennella recently examined the outfielder's free agent stock.
- From that same appearance, Colletti said that he'd like to add another bat before the July 31st trade deadline, reports Bowden (via Twitter).
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post doubts the Rockies still have interest in Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez (Twitter link). The Rockies claimed the left-hander off of waivers last August, but were unable to complete a deal with former Houston GM Ed Wade.
- Padres GM Josh Byrnes has worked hard to sign his team's young stars to contract extensions, a practice he learned from working in the Indians' front office in the early 1990's, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock.
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post
Free Agent Stock Watch: Andre Ethier
Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier can hit. That much cannot be disputed; the sweet-swinging left-handed hitter owns a career line of .291/.365/.481. However, his troubles with the injury bug raise some interesting questions as the 30-year-old commences his walk year before a potential foray into free agency.
After debuting in Los Angeles in 2006, Ethier improved steadily over each of the next two seasons before breaking out as a premier slugger in 2009, when he ripped 31 homers to go with a .272/.361/.508 line. If Ethier had followed up that campaign with a couple more like it in 2010 and 2011, he'd be in line for a monster contract right about now. Instead, though, he spent time on the DL both years, and though his production was competent when he was on the field, it wasn't on par with his breakout '09.
Rumors about a potential extension for Ethier have kicked around for awhile, but it doesn't appear talks have gotten too serious, and with the Dodgers' ownership situation still being sorted out, it could take some time before the team has its finances in order to the extent that it could consider a long-term extension for one of its cornerstone players.
In the meanwhile, Ethier's off to a fast start this season, and he's made it a point to say he's focused on remaining healthy and productive. The latter isn't an issue, but the former might be, and it could very well determine just how big of a payday he's in store for this offseason (or before then, if he signs an extension).
Another year derailed by injuries, and Ethier could have to settle for a short-term deal in order to reestablish his stock, but if he can recapture his health and performance of three years ago, he could be looking at a windfall. I wouldn't go so far as to say he'll secure anything near the seven years and $126MM the Nationals lavished on Jayson Werth two offseasons ago, but one never knows; it only takes one team.
Among the high-end talents in the upcoming crop of free-agent right fielders, Ethier will be joined by Nick Swisher of the Yankees, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners, and Torii Hunter of the Angels, all useful players in their own ways but none without question marks — not unlike Ethier himself. Ethier, though, is probably the best bet of that lot to land a big contract based on his age and productivity. Advanced defensive metrics don't especially like Ethier's defense, and his durability woes are well documented, but a big walk year has a funny way of obscuring past sins — think of Jose Reyes after last season.
Quick Hits: Hunter, Garza, Padres, Betemit
The Twins pounded out 20 hits en route to a 10-9 victory over the Angels today at Target Field. Josh Willingham hit his third homer in as many games for Minnesota, and Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau also went yard — the first time the duo have homered in the same game since July 6, 2010.
Here are some notes from around the majors…
- Torii Hunter hasn't had any discussion with the Angels about a contract extension but understands why, he tells Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. "I don't want to bother those guys," Hunter said. "They've had so much going on. I definitely feel no rush. It'd be nice (to get an extension offer) but if not, I understand….They have other guys like (Erick) Aybar they need to lock up. Plus they've got (Mike) Trout lying in the weeds." Hunter is a free agent after this season and will be 37 on Opening Day 2013. He said he wants to return the Angels, but if not, he wants to play for another contending team.
- Nez Balelo, Matt Garza's agent, is scheduled to be in Chicago during the Cubs' homestand, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said that a potential long-term deal with Garza is the sort of "big-picture issue" that can't be measured by how Garza performs early this season or even throughout 2012.
- Separate ownership groups led by agents Dennis Gilbert and Arn Tellem could be interested in buying the Padres, reports Dan Hayes of the North County Times. A source tells Hayes that any potential buyer could bring a Padres legend like Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield or Steve Garvey to serve as the public face of the ownership group. Garvey is known to already be fronting a group that is interested in the Padres after falling short in a bid to buy the Dodgers.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams discusses new manager Robin Ventura, several players and his expectations for the team as a whole for 2012 in a Q&A with the team's TV crew (transcribed on MLB.com).
- The well-traveled Wilson Betemit is playing for his seventh team in 10 years but is only focused on helping the Orioles, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
- Andre Ethier is very focused on playing well in 2012 and putting himself in line for a big contract either with the Dodgers or with another club when he hits free agency this winter, sources tell ESPN Los Angeles' Tony Jackson.