Anibal Sanchez Wants Six-Year, $90MM Contract
Anibal Sanchez is looking for a six-year contract worth around $90MM, reports FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi. It's a large price tag but it's certainly a realistic one for the 28-year-old given the number of teams interested in his services this winter, especially since those suitors include big-market teams like the Tigers, Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays.
Morosi compares the $15MM average annual value of Sanchez's demand to that of C.J. Wilson, who signed a five-year, $77.5MM contract with the Angels last offseason. It's possible that a team could match Wilson's contract in guaranteed money for Sanchez over five years and then make that sixth year either a team option or a vesting option.
Then again, the presence of the free-spending Dodgers in the mix could be the X-factor. Sanchez and Hiroki Kuroda are the Dodgers' top pitching targets on the free agent market, reports CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. L.A. has shown no hesitation to make big salary commitments under their new ownership group, so it's very possible they could freeze out other teams by guaranteeing a sixth year to Sanchez.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Sanchez as the fourth-best overall free agent on the market this winter, and the second-best pitcher, behind No. 1 choice Zack Greinke.
Red Sox Interested In Anibal Sanchez, Hiroki Kuroda
2:57pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter) that the Red Sox have reached out to Hiroki Kuroda as well. The veteran right-hander is open to signing a one-year deal.
2:17pm: The Red Sox have interest in Anibal Sanchez, reports Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald. The team is also exploring trades for starting pitchers.
GM Ben Cherington was overseeing Boston's international scouting department when the team originally signed Sanchez out of Venezuela in 2001. The 28-year-old right-hander pitched to a 3.86 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.2 BB in 195 2/3 innings split between the Marlins and Tigers this year. Several other clubs have expressed interest in Sanchez as well, according to Silverman.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Sanchez as the second best free agent pitcher (behind Zack Greinke) and fourth best free agent overall in his Top 50 Free Agents list.
Dodgers Eyeing Anibal Sanchez
The Dodgers appear to be considering many of the top starting pitchers available in free agency. Not only are Zack Greinke and Hiroki Kuroda on their radar, they're also eyeing Anibal Sanchez, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter).
The Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang and Ted Lilly under contract for 2013. However, one of Beckett, Capuano, Harang and Lilly figures to be traded, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reported at the end of the regular season.
Sanchez, 28, ranked fourth on MLBTR's list of the offseason's top 50 free agents. Like Greinke he was traded midseason and was ineligible for a qualifying offer. This means teams won’t have to surrender a draft pick to sign Greinke or Sanchez.
Free Agent Faceoff: Anibal Sanchez vs. Kyle Lohse
MLBTradeRumors is introducing a new series in which two comparable free agents are analyzed side by side. Each post will conclude with a reader vote on the value of the two players.
Starting pitching is always at a premium and this offseason will be no different. Two of the very best starters on the free market are Anibal Sanchez and Kyle Lohse, who ranked fourth and tenth on Tim’s Top 50 Free Agents List, respectively. Both right-handers pitched for playoff teams this season and have shown durability in recent years, but is one more desirable than the other?
Sanchez, 28, pitched to a 3.86 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 this season, including a 3.74 ERA in 12 starts following his trade from the Marlins to the Tigers. He’s thrown at least 190 innings in each of the last three years following major shoulder surgery in 2008. Sanchez is a true four-pitch pitcher (fastball, curveball, slider, changeup) who gets a decent amount of ground balls (45.3% from 2010-2012) and has actually been better against lefties than righties these last three years (.667 vs. .739 OPS).
Lohse, 34, posted a 2.86 ERA in 211 innings this season, including a 6.1 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. He’s thrown at least 180 innings in the last two years and four times in the last six years. Lohse gives up a fair amount of fly balls (41.4% grounders the last three years) despite his lack of strikeouts. He’s primarily a sinker-slider-changuep pitcher who has been hit harder by lefties than righties these last three years (.737 vs. .688 OPS). That said, he’s been better than Sanchez these last two years — 3.11 ERA in 399 1/3 innings vs. 3.77 ERA in 392 innings.
Which pitcher would you prefer to sign this winter?
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Anibal Sanchez 69% (12,616)
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Kyle Lohse 31% (5,661)
Total votes: 18,277
Blue Jays Targeting Several Free Agent Pitchers
The Blue Jays are casting a wide net in their search for pitching, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. They have already shown interest in Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, and Ryan Dempster, among others.
Toronto is also one of several clubs to inquire about Scott Baker, joining the Red Sox, Cubs, and Rangers. The Twins recently declined the right-hander's option but hope to sign him to a new deal. The Blue Jays have made no secret of their goal to add pitching this offseason, either through trades or free agency. Free agents can begin signing with new teams tomorrow morning.
Tigers Won’t Pursue Young Or Valverde
It's been a busy morning for the Tigers, who announced today that they're bringing back Jhonny Peralta, Octavio Dotel and manager Jim Leyland. Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski recently addressed the media, discussing the 2012 team and the Tigers' offseason plans. George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press has the highlights from the briefing (all links go to Twitter):
- The Tigers won't bring back Delmon Young, since they expect Victor Martinez to DH in 2013. Jose Valverde won't return either, according to Dombrowski.
- The Tigers will tender Brennan Boesch a contract, but they're in the process of removing Don Kelly from the 40-man roster. Dombrowski wasn't prepared to discuss the future of non-tender candidate Ryan Raburn.
- The Tigers want to re-sign free agent right-hander Anibal Sanchez, Dombrowski said.
- Free agent catcher Gerald Laird could return, but that's not a sure thing.
- Hard throwing relief prospect Bruce Rondon draws lots of trade interest, according to Dombrowski. "You would not believe the number of clubs that call me about Rondon," the GM said.
- Earlier today John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press took a position by position look at the upcoming offseason for the Tigers.
Blue Jays Notes: Bullpen, Romero, Johnson, Villanueva
MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm provides a look at the Blue Jays upcoming offseason and tackles a host of free agent issues in the process:
- Of the team's four free agents — Kelly Johnson, Brandon Lyon, Jason Frasor and Carlos Villanueva — the most likely to return is Frasor or Lyon. The bullpen has become a position of depth, however, with the acquisitions of Steve Delabar and Brad Lincoln. Sergio Santos should return in 2013 as well. That could mean all four free agents will find new homes.
- The team has no interest in shopping Ricky Romero and selling on the left-hander when his value is at an all-time low.
- There doesn't appear to be much interest in retaining Johnson, according to Chisholm. The team once had eyes on bringing Marco Scutaro back to Toronto, but his torrid run with the Giants has likely made him too spendy. Instead, Adeiny Hechavarria or Mike Aviles could take the role.
- The Blue Jays aren't willing to give Villanueva a multi-year deal and an opportunity to pitch out of the rotation — two things that the free agent is seeking. He'll likely pitch elsewhere in 2013.
- Anibal Sanchez will probably get an "extended look," according to Chisholm, but it's more likely that GM Alex Anthopoulos will upgrade the rotation via trade.
Tigers Notes: Sanchez, Valverde, Leyland
The Tigers’ season ended in disappointment, but that shouldn’t overshadow a tremendous season in Detroit. This team had its share of memorable moments in 2012, even if the Giants captured the championship. Here are some Tigers-related links…
- Anibal Sanchez said he's open to signing anywhere as a free agent this coming offseason, Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press reports. GM Dave Dombrowski has said re-signing the right-hander is a priority for the Tigers this winter.
- Jose Valverde said he's not yet sure where he'll be pitching next year, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports. The free agent reliever said he'd like to re-sign in Detroit if possible. "I think everybody wants to play for the Tigers. Great teammates, great owner."
- There are indications that Tigers manager Jim Leyland will return for at least one more season, Chris Iott of MLive.com reports. "We're going to talk about some things in a day or so and I'm sure they'll have some type of an announcement," Leyland said, adding that the Tigers will be the final team he manages. Dombrowski has said Leyland would be welcome as the team's manager in 2013.
- However, Leyland spoke of his Tigers career as though it were already in the past, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com writes.
Olney’s Latest: Sanchez, Royals, Hosmer
Here's the latest from ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider req'd)…
- Some executives and agents predict that Anibal Sanchez could sign for anywhere from $30MM to $60MM as a free agent this offseason. I'd expect something closer to the high-end of that range.
- The Royals desperately need at least two quality starting pitchers, though Gil Meche's shoulder problems could make GM Dayton Moore tentative on the free agent market. Otherwise players like Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, and Edwin Jackson would make sense.
- Olney says no one should be surprised if the Royals deal one of their core hitters – Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler, Mike Moustakas, etc. – to acquire pitching this winter. Hosmer presumably has the most value of the group despite his down 2012 season.
- The Rays could match-up for such a trade with the Royals since they have a wide array of starting pitching to offer. The Mariners, Diamondbacks, and Athletics could be matches as well.
Tigers Notes: Verlander, Sanchez, Leyland
Right-hander Phil Hughes has one tough assignment tonight: defeat Justin Verlander and the Tigers in an immensely important game at a time that the Yankees' offense is scuffling. Here are some notes on the Tigers, who will look to take a 3-0 lead in the ALCS when they host the Yankees tonight…
- The Tigers can't be sure they'll get another equally good opportunity to win the World Series, so they must take advantage of their current position, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Though Verlander has said he loves playing in Detroit, the right-hander knows he's just two seasons away from free agency. The Tigers could look to extend Verlander this coming offseason, but they’d have to pay him a salary commensurate with his status as baseball’s best pitcher.
- Tigers executives believe there’s a good chance Anibal Sanchez will want to re-sign in Detroit if they make him a competitive offer when he hits free agency after the season, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports.
- The Red Sox would be crazy not to make a serious run at Tigers manager Jim Leyland if he becomes available, John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes. Leyland's contract expires at the end of the 2012 season at which point he could discuss a new deal with the Tigers.