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2012 Vesting Options

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Vesting options are always worth keeping track of during the season, especially since they can often have consequences that are less than desirable. Last year Magglio Ordonez ($15MM), Kerry Wood ($11MM), and Brian Fuentes ($9MM) all had big money options that did not vest, though Darren Oliver ($3.25MM) and Trever Miller ($2MM) had some smaller ones that did. 

Here is a list of 2012 vesting options to keep an eye on this summer…

  • Bobby Abreu, Angels: $9MM option vests with 433 plate appearances. Abreu hasn't come to the plate fewer than 589 times in a season since 1997, his rookie year.
  • Adam Wainwright, Cardinals: His $9MM option for 2012 and $12MM option for 2013 will lock in as long as he does not finish 2011 on the disabled list. His second place finish in the 2010 Cy Young voting was step one of the vesting process.
  • Aramis Ramirez, Cubs: $16MM option vests if he is named MVP of either the regular season or League Championship Series, or if he is traded at some point in 2011.
  • Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Furcal has come to the plate 600+ times just once in the last three seasons (2009) due to injuries.
  • Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. Garland hasn't thrown fewer than 191 1/3 innings since becoming a full-time starter in 2002.
  • Francisco Rodriguez, Mets: $17.5MM option vests with 55 games finished and if doctors declare him healthy at the end of the season.
  • Koji Uehara, Orioles: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara hasn't reached either milestone in his first two big league seasons, though he came close in 2010: 43 appearances and 22 games finished.
  • Arthur Rhodes, Rangers: $4MM option vests with 62 appearances and if he's not on the disabled list at the end of the season.
  • Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances, which he's done in three of his four big league seasons. The chances of it coming into play are microscopic, but Soria has a $6.5MM option for 2012 that could vest with 334 1/3 innings pitched (400 IP in 2010 & 2011). That was obviously put into his contract in case the team ever moved him into the rotation.
  • Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games.  Wheeler reached 64 games in 2010, but had at least 69 in each of the previous five seasons.

Mark Buehrle is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season and although he doesn't have a traditional option in his contract, he gets an extra year at $15MM tacked onto his current deal if he's traded at some point this season. 

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.

Make Or Break Year: Aramis Ramirez

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484083020100846A_Pirates_at_Cubs Despite posting outstanding numbers at the hot corner for one of baseball's best-known franchises, Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez always seemed to fly a little bit under the radar. Indeed, in a six-year span from 2004-09, Ramirez posted a studly triple-slash line of .303/.368/.551, but he never finished inside the top 10 of NL MVP voting. Durability was a bit of a concern during that time, as he averaged 131 games per season, but his injuries were typically of the nagging variety rather than debilitating.

In 2009, though, Ramirez suffered a dislocated shoulder midseason, missing most of May and all of June that year, but he returned in the second half and posted his usually solid offensive numbers. It all pointed toward Ramirez being his usual self in 2010, but it didn't happen that way.

A-Ram got off to a positively miserable start in April and May 2010, posting a .162/.227/.269 through those two months, and though he rebounded from there — going white-hot during July, in particular — his numbers at season's end still weren't pretty at .241/.294/.452, let alone up to his usually excellent career averages of .282/.340/.499.

Was it age catching up to the 32-year-old slugger? Injuries? A combination?

On the plus side for A-Ram, he bounced back markedly from his horrid April and May in 2010. On the down side, though, he is another year older, and he doesn't necessarily look like the most limber of athletes.

How Ramirez will contine to age is anyone's guess, but 2011 could go a long way toward projecting how he'll finish out his career. It's the last year of a five-year extension he signed with the Cubs prior to 2007, and it includes a $16MM club option for 2012 with a $2MM buyout.

Ramirez probably doesn't have much room for decline this season with respect to the chances of the Cubs picking up that pricey option, as it'd be hard to justify paying a third baseman that much money after two down years as he heads into his age-34 campaign. On the flip side, if he returns to his old form in 2011, the option could very well be exercised, and he'll again be facing a Make or Break Year in 2012.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Cubs Outright, Re-Sign Angel Guzman

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The Cubs outrighted Angel Guzman and re-signed the pitcher after he cleared waivers, a major league source told ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine.  The two sides agreed to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

The oft-injured right-hander underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a career-threatening shoulder injury before the start of the season.  Guzman was expected to be the Cubs' right-handed setup man after his strong 2009 campaign.  The soon-to-be 29-year-old turned in a 2.95 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 55 games.

With Guzman back in the fold and Aramis Ramirez's 2011 option officially exercised, the club's 40-man roster stands at 37 players.

Aramis Ramirez Exercises Player Option

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Aramis Ramirez informed the Cubs that he is exercising his player option instead of testing the free agent market, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Late in the season Ramirez declared his intention to remain in Chicago, so this announcement is just a formality.

Ramirez has a 2011 player option for $14.6MM and the Cubs will have to pay him $2MM more even if they buy him out in 2012. The 32-year-old struggled early in 2010, but hit better as the year progressed and finished with a .241/.294/.452 line and 25 home runs.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Halladay, Fielder, Mets

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On this date two years ago, the Cubs exercised Rich Harden's $9MM option for 2009 after tests showed that his throwing shoulder was healthy. Harden made 26 starts with a 4.09 ERA, 10.9 K/9, and 4.2 BB/9 in 141 innings that year before joining the Rangers in the offseason. The 28-year-old battled through another injury plagued year in 2010, throwing just 92 innings with a 5.58 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 6.3 BB/9 for Texas.

Harden might not be able to find a guaranteed Major League deal on the free agent market this winter, but I can guarantee that these links represent the best from around the blogosphere…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here

Cubs Rumors: Ramirez, Dunn, Payroll

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The Cubs are finishing up their first losing season since 2006; of course the focus is on next year.  The latest:

  • The Cubs "remain intent on taking a run at Joe Girardi," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
  • The Red Sox "have a lot of interest" in Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez, reported ESPN's Bruce Levine in a chat yesterday.  It is assumed Ramirez will exercise his $14.6MM player option for 2011, and the clubs would have to work around issues of a no-trade clause and an assignment bonus.  Plus, I imagine the Cubs would have to swing another trade to find someone to replace Ramirez at the hot corner.
  • Levine writes that "Adam Dunn is a top priority for the Cubs if they can afford him."  We learned last month that Dunn likes Wrigley Field and Jim Hendry, but the slugger made it clear yesterday he's tired of discussing his future.
  • Levine notes that Cubs ownership has indicated there will be a slight decrease in payroll for next year.  Hendry might have to move a current contract or two to create flexibility.
  • Cubs starter Ryan Dempster endorsed Mike Quade as manager, saying to CSNChicago's Patrick Mooney and others, "He’s done a great job and I hope that he’s here longer than just this year (and) managing for us next year because he deserves it."  Mooney also spoke to hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who's intent on honoring his three-year contract regardless of the team's manager changes.

Aramis Ramirez “Staying” In Chicago

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Aramis Ramirez will be back in Chicago next year. The third baseman had suggested he might not return, but he told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday that he’s not considering opting out of his contract.

''I'm staying here,'' he said. ''Put it that way.''

Ramirez has a 2011 player option for $14.6MM and the Cubs will have to pay him $2MM more even if they buy him out in 2012. That's a lot of money, likely more than Ramirez would be able to find as a free agent, but the Cubs are getting a player who has recovered from a slow start to hit well in the second half. Ramirez had a .550 OPS heading into July, but has since posted a .940 mark and now has 22 home runs in total.

Aramis Ramirez Undecided About 2011 Option

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Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is in the middle of his worst full season as a big leaguer, but that hasn't been enough to convince him to exercise his $14.6MM player option for 2011. Ramirez told Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune that he's still unsure if he will pick up the option and return to the Cubs or use this as an opportunity to become a free agent for the first time in his career. 

"That's going to be after the season," said Ramirez, referring to when he'll decide what to do with his option. "I don't know exactly when. I haven't talked to my agent about it. That's going to be in the offseason. They've got a lot of other things they have to address. I'm still under contract, so we'll see."

Ramirez said that the new manager, whoever that ends up being, will not be a factor in his decision. He also went out of his way to say that the team has more to worry about than his option, specifically mentioning first base, second base, and the pitching staff.

The 32-year-old has been one of the game's most prolific sluggers over the last half-decade, but he's bottomed out at .243/.297/.454 this year. It's worth noting that he's recovered from a brutally slow start to hit .316/.359/.632 since July 6th, so it's probably too early to write his career obituary just yet.

Ramirez is in the final season of a five-year, $75MM deal he signed after the 2006 season. If he picks up the option, the Cubs would then hold a $16MM option for his services in 2012. Even with his strong second half and track record, it's hard to imagine Ramirez getting $14.6MM for one season on the open market.

Odds & Ends: Aramis, Podsednik, Huff, Hawpe

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Links for Thursday, exactly two years after the Padres traded Greg Maddux to the Dodgers…

Odds & Ends: Aramis, Kemp, K-Rod

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August 17th was a busy transaction day one year ago, as the Tigers acquired Aubrey Huff and the Rangers and Red Sox released Vicente Padilla and John Smoltz, respectively.  Both pitchers performed well for their new teams; who will follow that script this year?  While you ponder the question, here are today's links…

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