Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rolen, Sweeney, Twins
On this date in 1990, the Tigers signed free agent Cecil Fielder after he hit 38 homers as a member of the Hanshin Tigers the year before. Fielder went on to lead the league with 130 HR and 389 RBI over the next three years, landing a five-year, $36MM contract that made him the then-second-highest paid player in baseball history behind Barry Bonds. Believe it or not, Prince is already more than halfway to his father's career total of 319 homers despite having fewer than half as many plate appearances.
Let's see what's being written around the baseball blogosphere…
- The Phrontiersman goes back in time to see how things would have played out for the Phillies if Scott Rolen signed a contract extension and was never traded away.
- DRays Bay wonders if Matt Sweeney could take over first base for the Rays if Carlos Pena leaves as a free agent after 2010. Sweeney was acquired in the Scott Kazmir trade.
- Fack Youk compares Vladimir Guerrero to Hideki Matsui to Nick Johnson, the three biggest DH signings of the offseason.
- Lookout Landing says the Mariners did just fine to acquire Casey Kotchman, even though Adam LaRoche agreed to a relatively cheap deal yesterday.
- Meanwhile, Jorge Says No! thinks the Mets may have made a mistake by not signing LaRoche.
- Nick's Twins Blog wonders if Michael Cuddyer or Joe Nathan could be expendable as Minnesota's estimated payroll will approach nine-figures in 2011.
- AdamAdkins.net thinks the Tigers will regret signing Jose Valverde.
- Pinstripes Published takes a look at the market for Johnny Damon, or lack thereof.
- TurnTwo looks at all the movement going on with the Giants' defensive alignment.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Mariners Acquire Casey Kotchman
The Mariners officially acquired first baseman Casey Kotchman from the Red Sox for Bill Hall, a player to be named later, and cash. Jason A. Churchill of Prospect Insider says the PTBNL will be a minor league catcher. Churchill's colleague Chris Crawford first broke news of the Kotchman trade on Tuesday, with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeting the Hall element later.
WEEI's Alex Speier explained that this trade was closely linked to Boston's Adrian Beltre signing, and allowed the Red Sox to add Beltre without raising their luxury tax payroll much. The Mariners, meanwhile, have their regular first baseman and Russell Branyan replacement in Kotchman. In recent years Kotchman's defense has been strong, his offense subpar. He's arbitration-eligible this winter and figures to earn more than $3MM in 2010.
Odds & Ends: Tigers, Pineiro, Padres, Giambi
Here's a round-up of a few news items floating around the baseball world tonight….
- MLB.com's Jason Beck reports that Detroit might sit out the bidding for the few remaining closers on the market and instead hope that youngsters Ryan Perry, Daniel Schlereth or a healthy Joel Zumaya are able to pick up some saves.
- Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reports (via Twitter) that the Mets "have debated" the merits of offering Joel Pineiro a two-year contract, but Pineiro wants a deal akin to the three-year, $29.75MM contract that Randy Wolf signed with Milwaukee.
- Corey Brock of MLB.com reports that the Padres will sign an experienced backup catcher "within a few weeks."
- Dave Cameron of the U.S.S. Mariner blog isn't a big fan of Seattle's trade for Casey Kotchman.
- The apparent lack of interest in free agent Jason Giambi means that there's a greater chance he ends up back in Colorado, reports MLB.com's Thomas Harding.
- With Boston's signing of Adrian Beltre, Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas thinks that the Rangers might have leverage to get a more favorable trade for Mike Lowell, should Texas still be interested.
LaRoche Turns Down Giants’ Offer
ESPN's Buster Olney reports (via Twitter) that Adam LaRoche turned down a two-year, $17MM deal from San Francisco, and now the Giants may have pulled their offer back altogether. LaRoche has been mentioned as a possible target for the Giants this winter and would certainly fill their need for a left-handed hitter, but as Olney notes in a follow-up tweet, San Francisco is "discussing alternatives" to signing the first baseman.
The Giants' stance could also be a negotiating tactic to get LaRoche to drop his asking price given that, as Olney pointed out, LaRoche seems to be down to just the Giants and Orioles as potential suitors. (The Mariners were scratched from the list given their acquisition of Casey Kotchman.)
Red Sox Will Tender Contract To Kotchman
On July 22nd, the Red Sox made a surprising acquisition in first baseman Adam LaRoche. Odder still, they shipped LaRoche to the Braves eleven days later for Casey Kotchman. Perhaps the Sox simply felt two potential seasons of Kotchman had more value than one potential supplemental pick gained if they offered arbitration to LaRoche and he signed elsewhere.
We learned today that the Red Sox will not cut the arbitration-eligible Kotchman loose on Saturday, as WEEI's Alex Speier says they fully intend to tender him a contract. Kotchman probably won't sign for much more than $3MM for 2010. The Sox seem intent on moving Mike Lowell, so Kotchman would be the default starter at first base (with Kevin Youkilis moving to third) unless Adrian Beltre or another corner infielder is acquired.
Speier relays a suggestion from Red Sox GM Theo Epstein that the Red Sox have one non-tender candidate for Saturday. Speier believes it to be outfielder Brian Anderson, who made our list. Other outfielders who, in our estimation, might be non-tendered tomorrow: Jack Cust, Jonny Gomes, Gabe Gross, Ryan Langerhans, Jeremy Reed, and Cory Sullivan.
Red Sox Winter Meetings Preview
Peter Abraham takes a look at the Red Sox checklist as they head into this year's Winter Meetings. Abraham is sure to note that his focus is on what Boston needs, not the fantasy trade scenarios that fans may want. Says Abraham, "The Sox needs refining, not rebuilding." That said, let's take a look:
- The easy solution in left field is to bring back Jason Bay. Abraham says though, that the acquisition of Jeremy Hermida presents Boston with the option of signing a right-handed hitter, such as Xavier Nady, to form a platoon. The Red Sox could also let Bay go in favor of pursuing Matt Holliday.
- While the rotation appears to be set for now with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, and Tim Wakefield, Abraham says the Sox could use a "No. 5.5 starter, a No. 6, and possibly a No. 7" for depth. He names the usual suspects, including Ben Sheets, Erik Bedard, and Rich Harden.
- Boston has requested medical reports on Mike Gonzalez, and will need to fill out the back of the bullpen for 2010. Abraham feels the Red Sox will invite about a dozen relievers to camp and see who performs well.
- Boston should look to add a veteran outfielder and infielder for bench depth. Abraham says Boston doesn't seem interested in keeping Rocco Baldelli around. He names Adam Everett, Craig Counsell, Reed Johnson, Marcus Thames, and Adam Kennedy as options.
- Abraham doesn't see Buchholz, Casey Kelly, or Ryan Westmoreland being dealt. He names Casey Kotchman, Josh Reddick, and Manny Delcarmen as trade chips.
- Abraham also speculates on the possibility of Jonathan Papelbon being traded. With Daniel Bard waiting in the wings, this isn't the first time someone has speculated on the possibility of Papelbon being shipped off.
Mariners Interested In Nick Johnson
The Mariners are interested in free agent first baseman Nick Johnson, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com. Johnson has also heard from the Giants, Mets, and Yankees.
Despite their interest in Johnson, the Mariners are still negotiating with Russell Branyan, and they've also discussed Lyle Overbay with the Blue Jays. Toronto appears willing to pay some of Overbay's $7MM salary according to the Fox scribes. Both Johnson and Branyan are reportedly seeking multi-year deals.
The team has also discussed moving Jose Lopez to first, but Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times thinks he'll be moved this offseason. Casey Kotchman could also be an option should the Red Sox non-tender him.
Cafardo On Pujols, Mauer, Holliday, Damon
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a new column up, and he addresses a few topics of interest from around the majors. Some highlights….
- Cafardo examines the crossroads that superstars Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer will soon face with their current clubs. He passes on this quote from one baseball official: "I think Mauer has a better chance of staying in Minnesota than Pujols in St. Louis. Mauer is from Minnesota, while you have to give Pujols an A-Rod type contract and I’m not sure the Cardinals would do it."
- His source thinks that the best way for the Cardinals to keep Pujols in St. Louis is to continue showing him they're committed to going after championships by making moves like this year's Matt Holliday acquisition.
- Cafardo sees "no downside" to the idea of Holliday patrolling left field in Fenway next season. From an on-field standpoint, that statement could apply to virtually every team in the league, but the Red Sox are probably one of the few clubs that could absorb the financial blow.
- Johnny Damon could be a good fit in the south side of Chicago, according to Cafardo. The White Sox will be looking for a leadoff hitter, and it's still unclear whether or not Damon will be back in New York.
- Casey Kotchman may not fit into Boston's plans next year, but Cafardo thinks he could also be a solid addition to the White Sox — especially if Chicago doesn't retain Mark Kotsay.
- Cafardo wonders why a power-hitting right-hander, like the New York Mets covet, would want to play in Citi Field, which he calls a "death valley" for righties.
Discussion: Mike Lowell
Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal broke down the options for the Red Sox in regards to veteran Mike Lowell headed into the 2010 season. Lowell posted a .290/.337/.474 line in 484 plate appearances with Boston last season and stayed off of the disabled list following hip surgery last fall.
Lowell has one year left on his Boston deal that will pay him $12MM in 2010, a price tag high enough to scare off any potential trade suitors unless the Sox were willing to cover some of the cost. There's also the added complication of Lowell's no-trade clause in his contract. Barbarisi suggests that Lowell might agree to be dealt to a National League team where he could play every day, but given Lowell's health history, it might be hard to find a club willing to take a 36-year-old with a lengthy injury history as an everyday third baseman without the safety net of the DH position. Lowell himself admitted to Barbarisi that he tired from playing almost every day in the first half of the season, but then also said that he wished he could have played more in August and September when Kevin Youkilis took a big chunk of the playing time at third base.
One intriguing possible trade partner could be St. Louis. Midseason pickup Mark DeRosa is a free agent and will soon be undergoing wrist surgery, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. This leaves the Cardinals with a hole at third base should top prospect David Freese (a .931 OPS in Triple-A, Double-A and Rookie League ball last season and an .837 OPS in 34 plate appearances with St. Louis) not be ready to take over the everyday role next season. Lowell could keep the seat warm for Freese if Boston pays part of Lowell's contract, a condition that the Cards would likely insist upon given that they will explore re-signing Matt Holliday and signing Albert Pujols to an extension this off-season.
What do you think? Should the Red Sox think about moving the 2007 World Series MVP, or should they keep Lowell around to provide depth to the Victor Martinez–Casey Kotchman-Youkilis triad that mans the catcher, first base and third base spots?
Odds & Ends: Reynolds, Gammons, Orioles
Some late night links after Jake Peavy allowed three runs in five innings in his first start for the White Sox…
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic notes that Mark Reynolds is likely to fall short of qualifying as a Super Two, meaning he'll have to wait until after 2010 to become arbitration eligible. He also says that it "does not appear there have been any discussions about a long-term deal with Reynolds, but the club does not seem averse to the idea of an extension."
- ESPN's Peter Gammons writes about how great Victor Martinez has been for the Red Sox since being acquired at the trade deadline. He also praises Casey Kotchman, but I think I'd rather have Adam LaRoche, who has a 1.053 OPS since the trade.
- Orioles Manager Dave Trembley indicated that the team needs someone to hit behind Nick Markakis until some younger players like Matt Wieters and Adam Jones are ready to do it, according to MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko.
- If you aren't already, make sure you follow MLBTR on Twitter.