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Chien-Ming Wang

Chien-Ming Wang Seeks Major League Deal

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It's been more than 17 months since Chien-Ming Wang pitched in a major league game, but that won't stop him from searching for a major league contract this winter. Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that Wang is seeking a big league deal; if he can't find one, the 30-year-old figures to accept a minor league offer from the Nationals.

The Nationals had hoped to work out an agreement with Wang before last week's non-tender deadline, but couldn't get anything done. Still, agent Alan Nero says the right-hander would like to return to Washington, who signed Wang to a one-year, $2MM deal last winter.

While it remains to be seen if any team will take a major league flier on Wang, the righty received some good reviews this fall following his recovery from shoulder surgery. One scout who watched the ex-Yankee pitch in instructional league action said he looked "filthy."

National League Non-Tenders

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This post will list all the National League players non-tendered today, but the best place to track all 200+ arbitration eligible players is our new non-tender tracker.

Rizzo On Willingham, Bench, Payroll

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Earlier this evening, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo updated MLBTR on some of his team's offseason plans:

  • Josh Willingham has said he's open to playing just about anywhere on the diamond, but Rizzo plans to keep him in the outfield. "We see him as our everyday left fielder, middle of the lineup hitter right now," Rizzo said.
  • Rizzo says the Nats are looking for a "makeup" type utility player who is versatile enough to play a number of positions, but there's no timeline for adding such a player.
  • MLB.com reported last week that the Nationals are interested in Willie Bloomquist, Aaron Miles and Miguel Cairo.
  • Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he can boost payroll in 2011 "if it makes sense for '11 and the long term" (Twitter link).
  • Agent Alan Nero told Kilgore that Chien-Ming Wang hopes to remain with the Nationals in 2011.

Nationals Face Decision On Chien-Ming Wang

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Chien-Ming Wang pitched again in the instructional league today, and Bob Klapisch tweets word from a scout that he looked "filthy."  Wang hit 89 mph and got four groundballs in 17 pitches, reports MASN's Ben Goessling.

If the Nationals want to retain Wang, they could simply tender him a contract for no less than $1.6MM, or work out a new agreement before the non-tender deadline. If the Nats non-tendered Wang and still wanted to bring him back, they'd have to either wait until May to sign him to a major league deal or sign him to a minor league contract and keep him in the minors until May 1st.

On October 6th, Goessling wrote that Nationals GM Mike Rizzo expects to work out a new deal with Wang before the December 2nd non-tender deadline; Wang's agent Alan Nero also told Goessling he expects to reach some kind of agreement with the team. The Nationals signed Wang in February to a $2MM deal with $3MM in performance bonuses, but his recovery from July '09 shoulder surgery became drawn out and prevented him from facing hitters until recently.

Odds & Ends: Kuroda, Dunn, Wang, Sabathia, Choo

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Links for Tuesday, exactly one year after the Rockies released Russ Ortiz. It was the third time a major league organization released Ortiz in 2009 and a preview of April 2010 when the Dodgers released him. Here are today's links…

  • Hiroki Kuroda denied to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he intends to play in Japan next season. "I really haven't decided anything," the right-hander said (Twitter links)
  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that there has been no progress on a contract extension for Adam Dunn. The first baseman told reporters recently that he "assumes" he will finish the year without a deal in place.
  • Within the same piece, Ladson mentions that Chien-Ming Wang will not pitch this year because of shoulder weakness. The Nationals signed Wang to a one year deal worth $2MM last winter and control him as an arbitration eligible player next year.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Jack Curry of the YES Network that C.C. Sabathia has done "exactly what they hoped for" when they signed him last offseason, and that includes his presence in the clubhouse (Twitter links).
  • Shin-Soo Choo will likely be able to avoid military service in South Korea if he helps his country win a gold medal in baseball at the Asian Games this November, as MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince explains.
  • Agent Scott Boras told Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that Choo may sign an extension with the Indians this offseason. "Things have a way of working out with the good players," Boras said.
  • Baseball America named Jeremy Hellickson its 2010 minor league player of the year.
  • It's looking like the Marlins will sign Ricky Nolasco to a one year deal through arbitration, instead of negotiating a long-term deal, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
  • Arizona president Derrick Hall likes former Padres GM Kevin Towers and interim D'Backs manager Kirk Gibson, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. The D'Backs haven't had a permanent GM or manager since firing Josh Byrnes and A.J. Hinch earlier in the summer.

Nationals Pitchers With Major Incentives

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The Nationals guaranteed over $22MM during the offseason to free agent pitchers, with the lion's share going to Jason Marquis.  But that total also includes three interesting signings, hurlers who scuffled in 2009 but had prior success.  Matt Capps, Chien-Ming Wang, and Scott Olsen were lured to Washington D.C. in part due to big-time incentive clauses.  Let's take a look.

  • Capps was non-tendered by the Pirates and drew interest from a dozen clubs.  It came down to the Nationals and Cubs, and Capps ultimately took a one-year, $3.5MM guarantee from the Nats.  They have the added bonus of controlling him in 2011 as an arbitration-eligible player.  Capps' contract includes solid incentives for games finished – up to $425K.  He's already finished 16 games, tying Francisco Cordero for the MLB lead.  Capps should be able to max out his incentives this year and earn $3.925MM in total.
  • Wang signed for a $2MM base salary, and he's also arbitration-eligible after the season.  His incentives exceed his base, as he can tack on $3MM.  Wang is recovering from shoulder surgery and hasn't headed out on a rehab assignment quite yet, so it appears he won't max out his incentives.
  • If you blinked, you might've missed Scott Olsen's time as a free agent.  After earning $2.8MM in '09, Olsen was non-tendered on the December 10th deadline.  The Nats scooped him back up on the 13th with a $1MM base salary.  Olsen can earn $2.825MM in incentives based on starts, up to 33.  The 26-year-old southpaw is making over $85K extra per start.  He's already made five, and sports a 3.54 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and 2.9 BB/9.  Like the others, the Nationals control Olsen for 2011 as an arbitration-eligible player.  If he continues looking like the Olsen of '06, another non-tender is out of the question.

Nationals Notes: GM Mike Rizzo Speaks

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MLB.com's Bill Ladson caught up with Washington GM Mike Rizzo, and the results were quite interesting.

  • Rizzo says that while nothing is imminent, he's never finished improving his team, and talks to "ten general managers per day." In other words, the roster he starts the season with could include players not currently in camp.
  • Rizzo's biggest concern is his team's health, particularly Scott Olsen, Chien-Ming Wang and Cristian Guzman.
  • The plan is not to rush Stephen Strasburg, though it is worth noting that Rizzo didn't explicitly rule out Strasburg starting the year in Washington.
  • Rizzo said the Nationals have begun to "dabble" in contract extension talks with Adam Dunn.

Nationals Sign Chien-Ming Wang

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The Nationals officially signed Chien-Ming Wang to a one-year $2MM deal that includes up to $3MM in performance bonuses.

MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported the agreement and Ronald Blum of the AP added the terms of the deal. Last week Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe tweeted that Wang had picked the Nationals and Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweeted that Wang would earn $2MM with the chance to more than double that amount in incentives. Wang's agent insisted that no deal was in place after those initial reports emerged.

Shoulder and hip injuries limited Wang to 12 appearances last year, and the Yankees non-tendered him. Wang, 30 next month, could be a major contributor for the Nationals if he can return to form. The two-time 19 game winner  has a long way to go, as last year's 9.64 ERA indicates.

Once healthy, he will join new addition Jason Marquis in the team's rotation. Wang has less than five years' service time, so he won't be a free agent until after the 2011 season unless the Nationals non-tender him, too.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Lowell, Mauer, Adrian

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Links for Wednesday…

Odds & Ends: Lincecum, Cashman, Orioles, Wang

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Links for Tuesday…

  • Tim Lincecum passed his physical according to Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Presumably his two-year, $23MM deal is official now.
  • Yankees' GM Brian Cashman sat down for an interview with NoMaas.org. He discussed what went into some of their decision making this offseason, among other things.
  • Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun projected the Orioles' Opening Day roster. 
  • Chien-Ming Wang has already passed his physical with the Nationals, reports Chico Harlan of The Washington Post. Given the righty's recent shoulder surgery, it was far from a formality.  
  • Joe Torre tells Mike Francesa of WFAN that the Dodgers are on the lookout for a fifth starter (audio here). Torre says the Dodgers could find that starter within their organization. He also says he and the Doders are talking about adding a year onto his contract, which expires after this season.
  • Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Batter's Box that the Blue Jays will draft the best players available this June. Anthopoulos also said the Jays will be open to dealing from their pitching depth.
  • MLB.com's Doug Miller shows that baseball's executives are getting younger as owners take a business-first approach to winning.
  • Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says he'd be willing to guarantee Joe Mauer eight or ten years if that's what it takes to keep the catcher in Minnesota, despite the fact that Mauer would almost certainly be playing another position by the end of a contract that long. 
  • Padres GM Jed Hoyer tells MLB.com's Corey Brock that he's pleased with his first offseason as a GM and the process that the Padres used this winter.
  • Giants officials believe "the day is coming when legions of talented hitters will follow" Pablo Sandoval's path to the majors, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney says Felipe Lopez would be a "great, great fit" for the Mets. 
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