Ethier’s Agent Issues Statement
WEDNESDAY, 1:22pm: Ethier's agent Nez Balelo issued a statement, acknowledging extension talks with the Dodgers but adding that an offer was never made. He says Ethier is open to staying with the Dodgers for the rest of his career. Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times has the full statement.
TUESDAY, 9:25pm: Andre Ethier told Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles that he won't be surprised if the Dodgers trade or non-tender him after the season. The outfielder will earn $9.25MM this year and remains under team control through 2012 as an arbitration eligible player, though he knows that doesn't guarantee him a roster spot.
"If I don't play well, we have seen [the Dodgers] non-tender guys here," Ethier said. "If you do play well, sometimes they don't offer those guys arbitration because their salaries are too high."
Ethier won't be cheap in 2012, assuming typical production in '11, but he would figure to have value on the trade market even if the Dodgers decide his salary is rising to unacceptable levels. Ethier will play the 2012 season as a 30-year-old and he has never posted an OPS below .800 in five MLB seasons. He hit .292/.364/.493 with 23 homers last year, so teams may not flinch at a salary of $13MM or so (Ethier could surpass the $12.5MM salary Mark Teixeira earned in his final year as an arbitration eligible player).
Ethier's agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, briefly discussed an extension with the Dodgers this spring, but talks did not develop and Ethier was not aware that they had occurred.
Dodgers Notes: Kemp, Ethier, Loney, Free Agents
It's been an eventful week for the Dodgers, with news that Don Mattingly will replace Joe Torre as the team's manager. Let's check out a few more updates out of Los Angeles, as the club prepares for the offseason….
- GM Ned Colletti says he doesn't intend to drastically overhaul his roster this winter, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. "A year like this makes you look at every aspect of the team and makes you more apt to listen [to trade overtures]," Colletti said. "But it won't make me aggressively tear it up."
- Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times thinks that Colletti would be right not to move Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier, but argues that the club should look into dealing James Loney. He also suggests that signing a free agent outfielder should be the Dodgers' "only big winter expenditure."
- According to Gurnick, Colletti would like to add a productive left fielder to replace Manny Ramirez. It's unclear whether the Dodgers will have the resources to bid on players like Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.
- Catcher and third base also may be areas that need to be addressed, says Gurnick. Rod Barajas will be a free agent, Russell Martin will be recovering from a broken hip, and Casey Blake could be shifted into a utility role.
- The team is expected to try to retain free agents Ted Lilly, Jay Gibbons, and Barajas. They could also attempt to bring back Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla, depending on asking price and health.
- A few longtime Yankees weighed in on Torre's decision to step down, as Chad Jennings of the Journal News writes.
Odds & Ends: Young, Torre, Williams, Bass, Ethier
Links for Thursday, after lots of chatter about Derek Jeter's acting ability…
- The Padres will wait until Saturday to activate Chris Young from the disabled list, at which point they'll need to remove someone from the 40-man roster according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link).
- Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times tweets that Joe Torre has informed his wife and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti about what he plans to do next season, but he will not make his decision public just yet.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams chatted with Joe Posnanski about football and the challenges of being in second place. Check it out at SI.com.
- Brian Bass cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple A, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The Pirates designated Bass for assignment earlier in the week.
- Andre Ethier told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that it doesn't even make sense to comment on the rumor that he'd like to play in Boston.
- Joe Pawlikowski of FanGraphs argues that the Royals should offer Wilson Betemit a contract this offseason, since he can be something of a "bridge between the present and the future."
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he and assistant GM Chris Antonetti met with friend and former colleague Josh Byrnes. The former D'Backs GM "would make anybody better," including the Indians, Shapiro said.
Dodgers Notes: Ethier, Kemp, Barajas, Gibbons
With the Padres, Giants and Rockies all battling for the playoffs and the Diamondbacks knee-deep in a GM search, don't forget about that fifth team in the NL West. Here are some news items from Dodger Stadium…
- GM Ned Colletti tells Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com that the Dodgers will be more active this winter than they were during their relatively quiet 2009-10 offseason.
- According to CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam (Twitter link), Andre Ethier "has told some [he] would love to come to Boston." McAdam doesn't elaborate on whether or not Ethier really wants out of L.A. or that the Dodgers would consider moving him, but in another tweet McAdam writes that he has "a feeling, that given the mess the franchise is in, nothing [is] off table."
- Since the Dodgers are in the market for a third outfielder next season, Jon Weisman of ESPNLosAngeles.com suggests they could acquire a center fielder and move Matt Kemp to right. Kemp has delivered a -17.7 UZR/150 in center this season after being an above-average fielder in 2009.
- Weisman also writes that Rod Barajas and Jay Gibbons have performed well enough to be brought back by the club in 2011. Gibbons, for his part, is on board with that idea. He tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) that playing for the Dodgers is a "dream job."
- Hernandez also tweets that Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson will interview for the vacant Arizona general manager's job tomorrow, while Logan White interviewed for the job today.
- Jim Peltz of the L.A. Times has the story of the Dodgers' John Lindsey, who is finally a major leaguer after spending 16 years in the minors.
- As we wait to find out if Joe Torre will leave the Dodgers after this season, the L.A. Times' Steve Dilbeck simply asks, "why would Joe Torre stay?"
Odds & Ends: Grandal, Red Sox, Salazar, Rockies
A few links to check out while we wait to see if the Rays can avoid falling out of first place for the first time in nearly two months…
- The Reds have made initial contact with the representatives for Yasmani Grandal according to John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer. GM Walt Jocketty said they will continue talks this week with 2010's 12th overall draft pick.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier mentions that when Felix Doubront started for the Red Sox last night, he became the first Latin American player signed and developed by the Theo Epstein regime to reach the big league. ESPN's Jorge Arangure mentions (via Twitter) the Boston hasn't had a homegrown Latin American position player since the early 1990's.
- Meanwhile, MLB.com's Peter Gammons says (via Twitter) that only two teams were willing to take Manny Ramirez off Boston's hands two years ago even if they footed the bill: the Marlins and Dodgers. The Red Sox's requests for Mike Stanton and Andre Ethier were met with "no thank yous."
- MLB.com's Corey Brock, Brittany Ghiroli, and Gina Mizeli spoke to Oscar Salazar, who reflected on the trade that send him from the Orioles to the Padres last year.
- The Rockies will look at the middle infield market, but ESPN's Buster Olney tweets they're likely to just ride out Troy Tulowitzki's absence with what they have in house. He does however mention that Dan Uggla is one name to watch.
- Both Jhonny Peralta and Kerry Wood offered up the stock "it's out of my control" response when asked about the possibility of being traded, according to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
- Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post says the idea of the Rockies' acquiring Cliff Lee is wishful thinking. The team would have to get back in the playoff race and show it can compete without Troy Tulowitzki before ownership would consider adding Lee's salary to the payroll.
- The Cardinals had interest in signing Ben Sheets this winter according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but the righthander's price was too high. “If he wants to prove his value here, we’d have interest,” said manager Tony La Russa. “It turns out he had value that wasn’t going to work.”
GM Initiation: Ned Colletti
Ned Colletti was hired as general manager of the Dodgers on November 16th, 2005. His first deal, struck about a month later with the Athletics' Billy Beane, was a huge success. Colletti shipped Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez to Oakland for young outfielder Andre Ethier, who had just been named MVP of the Double A Texas League.
Colletti kindly answered a few questions for MLBTR about his first trade.
MLB Trade Rumors: It was rumored that the Cubs, Yankees, and Blue Jays were also in on Bradley, with the Cubs even sending Dusty Baker to the player's home. Were any of the other possible trades close, or was Oakland always the frontrunner?
Ned Colletti: There were a couple of teams who showed a passing interest. But the calls lacked substance. Oakland had a sincere interest. The calls were of a far more serious nature.
MLBTR: At the time of the deal you called the situation with Bradley and the Dodgers "irreconcilable." Why did you feel that way?
Colletti: I had watched from a distance what had occurred so I had some read on the situation. When I went to the Dodgers I asked a few people who were in the midst of the situation. I asked them for facts and not opinions. I also talked to players, some who were friends with Milton. Finally, at the winter meetings in Dallas I met with one of his agents. He confirmed that giving Milton a fresh start would be best for everyone.
MLBTR: Before the '06 season Baseball America suggested Ethier might not have enough power to be a corner outfield regular. What did you see that made you feel differently?
Colletti: From the outset his swing path was excellent. A young player can develop power later. Once he started to pull the ball more and learned his body and his swing, we felt the home runs would follow. I watched much the same occur earlier in my career, most notably with Ryne Sandberg and the Cubs when then-manager Jim Frey encouraged Sandberg to use his power to pull. Ryno went from hitting 9-12 home runs to hitting 25-40 home runs shortly thereafter.
MLBTR: When your front office puts together a trade, about how many people are involved?
Colletti: It depends on the trade. Anyone who has knowledge of the players involved – both coming and going – are asked to voice their option. It can be amateur scouts, the scouting director, major league staff and an occasional major league player, player development staff and leaders and of course our professional scouts. No one makes these decisions solo or in a vacuum. The more information you can gather from the truest evaluators the better chance you have of making the right decision.
Thanks to Ned Colletti for contributing. Neal Huntington, Jon Daniels, and Josh Byrnes have also participated in the GM Initiation series.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mauer, McCutchen, Guzman
On this date back in 1974, the Red Sox released Orlando Cepeda and Luis Aparicio, both future Hall of Famers. Cepeda, then 36, signed with Kansas City and retired after the season as a .297/.350/.499 career hitter with 379 home runs. Aparicio, 39 at the time, never played again following his release, and finished his career as a .262/.311/.343 hitter and with a reputation as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history.
Here are some links from around the baseball blogosphere…
- Josh's Thoughts acknowledges the possibility that it may not have been the best move for the Twins to sign Joe Mauer to such a huge deal since it will eat up a large chunk of their payroll.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. compares a theoretical Andrew McCutchen extension to Justin Upton's deal.
- The Daily Something calls Cristian Guzman and Adam Kennedy the two most redundant players in baseball.
- Camden Crazies wonders if Chin-Lung Hu makes sense for the Orioles.
- Gear Up For Sports asks if you could only keep one, who would it be: Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp?
- Mets Paradise tries to figure out the Mets' Opening Day roster.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Dodgers Lock Up Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton
FRIDAY, 1:38pm: We now have the details of Ethier's contract, courtesy of Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. The 27-year-old's deal includes incentives and escalator clauses that could boost the total value of the pact to $15.625MM.
Ethier is guaranteed $6MM this year, including a $500K signing bonus. The escalators are tied to plate appearances, with the benchmarks at 600, 650, and 675. Last season, the outfielder made 685 plate appearances.
THURSDAY, 12:36pm: The Dodgers avoided arbitration with two of their core young players, officially signing outfielder Andre Ethier and closer Jonathan Broxton to two-year deals. Broxton will hit free agency once his $11MM deal expires at the end of the 2011 season. Ethier is under team control through 2012, so the Dodgers will be able to retain him after his $15.25MM deal expires. Ethier's deal pays him $6MM next season and $9.25MM in 2011, with more money attainable through incentives. Broxton gets $4MM in 2010 and $7MM in 2011, plus escalators.
In his first full season as closer, Broxton saved 36 games and stuck out a ridiculous 13.5 batters per nine innings. He earned $1.825MM in 2009, and was eligible for arbitration for the second time this offseason. Huston Street, who just signed a long-term deal of his own, will earn about $12MM for those two same seasons of his career, so his deal may have been a point of reference for Broxton's deal.
Ethier, a Super Two, earned $3.1MM last season. He hit .272/.361/.508 with a career high 31 homers last season, finishing sixth in the NL MVP voting. Los Angeles locked Matt Kemp up to a two-year deal just last week, so the Dodgers have established some security in their outfield for the next two seasons.
MLB.com's Ken Gurnick tweeted the news of Either's deal and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times followed up with the news of Broxton's agreement. Gurnick, Hernandez, Jon Heyman of SI.com and KCAL 9 added details, all via Twitter.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Kemp Signs Two-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration
MONDAY, 7:07pm: Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports that Kemp's contract could allow him to make up to $11.25MM in total.
If Kemp makes 600 plate appearances this year, he would increase his 2011 salary by $50K. If he makes 650 plate appearances, he'd earn an additional $100K, and 700 plate appearances would tack on another $150K.
Kemp made 667 plate appearances in 2009 and 657 the year prior.
FRIDAY, 7:40pm: The Dodgers avoided arbitration with Matt Kemp today and signed him to a two-year contract worth nearly $11MM. The deal, which the sides have been working on all week, is now official, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. Kemp was arbitration-eligible for the first time, so the Dodgers will have him under team control for another season after the deal expires. By that point, Kemp will be considerably richer, as he is set to earn $4MM this year and $6.95MM in 2011.
That's more than what two comparable players, Nick Markakis and Carlos Beltran, got for the same two years. Beltran earned $9.5MM for his first two arbitration years and Markakis will earn $9.75MM. Kemp, who is only 25, combined good center field defense with an .842 OPS for the Dodgers last year.
Jim Bowden first reported that the sides were close to a deal and MLB.com's Ken Gurnick said they had reached an agreement before Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times added the details.
Gurnick hears that the Dodgers are also talking two-year deals with Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton and James Loney. They agreed to terms with Chad Billingsley on a 2010 contract today.
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Beltran, Guzman
Some links on this Wednesday evening…
- Yorvit Torrealba could end up with the Giants, according to Chris Haft of MLB.com. However, Torrealba may prefer to wait until after the weekend to sign with any club as his Venezuelan Winter League team is still active in the postseason.
- Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweets that in addition to Matt Kemp, the Dodgers are talking about multiyear deals with Jonathan Broxton and Andre Ethier.
- Carlos Beltran will have to refrain from baseball activities for twelve weeks after having his knee scoped, according to a Mets press release passed along by MetsBlog. The story was first reported by the New York Post's Joel Sherman (via Twitter). If all goes well with his rehabilitation, the center fielder should only miss a small amount of games to start the year.
- Free agent lefty Doug Davis is attracting interest from four teams, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Twins, Brewers, Mets, and Nationals are all interested in the 34-year-old, who posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.7 K/9 over the last three years in Arizona.
- Fernando Tatis' agent told Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the Rockies had preliminary discussions with his client earlier this week. About a week ago, we heard that the Rockies were eyeing the 35-year-old for a bench role. Also, two major league sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Mariners are interested as well.
- Former Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow will audition for at least 16 teams on Friday in Phoenix, according to a report from ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. The 31-year-old demanded his release from the Rangers back in May.
- If the Nats are able to sign Orlando Hudson or Adam Kennedy to play second base, Cristian Guzman and his $8MM salary are unlikely to be moved elsewhere, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Guzman would remain at shortstop, where his agent insists that he is still valuable despite shoulder surgery.
- Pittsburgh's signing of Ryan Church could pay huge dividends for the club, says ESPN's Rob Neyer. If Church is healthy and generates interest from other clubs, the Pirates will be able to move him for a more valuable commodity.