Twins Acquire Oliveros To Complete Young Trade
The Twins acquired righty reliever Lester Oliveros from the Tigers to complete yesterday's Delmon Young trade, announced the team. The Twins had until October 15th to choose the player to be named later, but they needed less than 24 hours. They also received lefty Cole Nelson in the deal.
Oliveros, 23, dominated at Double-A this year, earning a promotion to Triple-A in May and to the bigs in July. He was sent back to Triple-A later that month, but was demoted back to Double-A on Saturday. Baseball America ranked Oliveros 17th among Tigers prospects prior to the season, noting that he profiles as a middle reliever.
Young got off to a fine start for the Tigers yesterday, homering in his first plate appearance.
Twins Notes: Thome, Kubel, Young
MLBTR congratulates Jim Thome, who hit career home runs number 599 and 600 in Detroit tonight. Here are some links on Thome’s big night…
- Tim Kurkjian of ESPN the Magazine looks back on Thome's run to 600 home runs.
- The Twins are not averse to a shakeup, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Jason Kubel isn't on waivers yet, though other teams covet him.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says former Twins outfielder Delmon Young, the Tigers' most recent acquisition, is probably better than Magglio Ordonez even if he doesn't live up to his potential as a former top draft pick. Young homered in his first at bat for the Tigers today.
Tigers Acquire Delmon Young
In a surprising intra-division deal, the Twins announced today that they've traded left fielder Delmon Young to the Tigers for minor league lefty Cole Nelson and a player to be named later. The press release notes that the PTBNL must be chosen on or before October 15th. The Tigers already had an open spot on the 40-man roster for Young. It's not yet clear whether Young cleared waivers, or just made it past the seven American League clubs that would have allowed the Tigers to win the claim. Young won't have to alter his plans, as the Twins were headed to Detroit tonight to begin a three-game set.
Young, 25, is hitting just .266/.305/.357 in 325 plate appearances in a season that has included separate DL stints for oblique and ankle strains. Though he's generally regarded as a subpar defender, his UZR is positive in this year's 642 inning sample. Young (pictured) is under team control through next year, but with a mild raise likely from this year's $5.375MM salary, the Twins weren't necessarily going to tender him a contract in December. By trading Young now, the Twins saved about $1.3MM in salary.
Drafted first overall by the Rays in 2003, Young was the key part of the '07 challenge trade that sent Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza to Tampa Bay. He hasn't lived up to his potential, posting solid batting averages but failing to draw walks or hit for power outside of his .493 slugging percentage last year. Still, a year ago it was hard to picture the Twins moving Young, especially to a division rival.
With the Tigers' Brennan Boesch expected to return from a strained thumb tonight and Young now in the mix, the job of right fielder Magglio Ordonez is in jeopardy.
Nelson, 22, has a 4.87 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and 0.5 HR/9 in 105 1/3 innings for the Tigers' High-A club this year. He's spent time in the rotation and bullpen. As our transaction tracker shows, this is the first trade between GMs Dave Dombrowski and Bill Smith.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Twins Rumors: Young, Slowey, Kubel, Cuddyer
The Twins are discussing a deal with the Nationals that would send Denard Span to Washington, possibly for Drew Storen. Here are some more updates on the Twins from Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:
- The Twins are open to trading Delmon Young and Kevin Slowey, but interest in Young has been “tepid.” Slowey has drawn interest from the Rockies and others.
- Meanwhile, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer, are drawing strong interest. The Twins are more likely to trade Kubel than Cuddyer, according to Morosi and Rosenthal.
- The Twins have also spoken to rival teams about upgrading their rotation.
- The Twins are six games back in the AL Central, trailing three other teams. One of FOX’s sources says they’re “in limbo.”
Olney On Pineda, Twins, Athletics
Mariners rookie Michael Pineda is a big reason that Seattle is in the middle of the AL West race, but ESPN.com's Buster Olney looks ahead to a dilemma the M's could face later in the summer. Here are the details and Olney's notes from around the Major Leagues…
- The 22-year-old Pineda has thrown 70 1/3 innings this year and has never thrown as many as 140 frames in any pro season. If Seattle limits Pineda's innings total this year, they'll either have to shut him down early or limit him to 25 innings or so per month from here on.
- Some rival executives wonder when the 17-37 Twins will give up on the season and start considering trades. More aggressive general managers than Bill Smith (think Kenny Williams) might already have started making changes, but the Twins have typically been conservative at the trade deadline. Jason Kubel (who may be headed for the DL), Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young are among the players the Twins could consider moving.
- The A's have lost ten consecutive games against New York (dating back to 2010) and Olney says "Oakland's best young players have to get over the emotional hurdle of playing the Yankees."
Cafardo On Indians, Young, Guthrie, Reddick
In his column today for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo argues against potential rule changes, discusses injuries around the league, and looks back at the 2009 trade that sent Justin Masterson to Cleveland and Victor Martinez to the Red Sox. He also dedicates some space to sharing a few hot stove notes. Let's check out the highlights….
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro on whether his team could be buyers at the trade deadline: "It’s not a matter of money. It’s a matter of not giving away any of our prospects. We’re not going to do that."
- Although the Twins won't say as much, they could move Delmon Young before the trade deadline in the right deal, according to Cafardo. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently looked at other players who might be available if the last-place Twins become sellers.
- The Orioles say Jeremy Guthrie won't be moved, but as one NL scout asks, "If you put together a package they can’t say no to, will they still say no?"
- Josh Reddick, recently recalled by the Red Sox, is "on a few teams' wish lists." Cafardo previously reported that Reddick was generating chatter among scouts, and says today that scouts for two NL teams are looking forward to evaluating the outfielder in the bigs.
Twins, Delmon Young Avoid Arbitration
The Twins avoided arbitration with Delmon Young, agreeing to a one-year, $5.375MM year, according to the team. Young had filed for $6.25MM, while the Twins had countered with $4.65MM, as our Arb Tracker shows. The sides agreed to a deal just south of the $5.45MM midpoint.
Young, a former first overall pick, broke out in 2010. The 25-year-old hit .298/.333/.493 with 21 homers. He earned $2.6MM in 2010 and is eligible for free agency after 2012.
Jose Bautista, Rickie Weeks and Hunter Pence are now the only arbitration eligible players who aren't yet under contract for 2011. Bautista and Weeks are negotiating multiyear deals with their respective teams and could avoid their scheduled hearings.
La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune first reported the agreement (Twitter link).
The Connection Between Pence, Scott And Young
Hunter Pence and his representatives at Beverly Hills Sports Council likely took notice when Mike Napoli and the Rangers agreed to a $5.8MM salary for 2011. And Pence’s agency will probably be watching the cases for Luke Scott and Delmon Young just as carefully (keep track of all arbitration submissions with MLBTR's Arb Tracker).
Pence, a super two who is arbitration eligible for the second time, asked for more money than Scott, Napoli, or Young even though the Astros outfielder is a year further from free agency than the others. Pence can ask for $6.9MM through arbitration, since his career totals compare well with players like Scott and Young, who are on track to hit free agency after 2012.
Pence doesn’t have as much big league experience as Scott, Napoli or Young, but he has more career runs and stolen bases than any of them and comparable home run and RBI totals. Pence is also working from a relatively high base salary ($3.5MM) and is the only one of the players above to have made an All-Star team.
Length and consistency of career contribution matter in an arbitration hearing, which plays in Pence’s favor. He has appeared in 156 games or more in each of his three full seasons, hitting exactly 25 homers three times in a row. He has finished the past two campaigns with a .282 batting average, so it shouldn’t be hard for BHSC to show that Pence has been consistent and durable.
Pence is far from a perfect player; he has been successful just 61% of the time he has attempted to steal bases and doesn’t walk as much as Scott or Napoli. But it's his $6.9MM asking price that could become his biggest problem. Napoli, a comparable player in terms of career accomplishments, settled for $5.8MM. Carlos Quentin, another comparable player, already settled for $5.05MM, reducing the others’ leverage.
Young ($6.25MM) and Scott ($6.85MM) filed for less than Pence, but they could still help their fellow-outfielder by winning in arbitration. If they lose or settle, however, Pence will have a hard time explaining that he’s worth more than the $6.025MM midpoint (the Astros filed at $5.15MM) when comparable players are making $5-6MM.
Pence and the Astros are headed to arbitration soon and what happens with Scott and Young could have a major impact on how much the Astros are paying their right fielder for 2011 and beyond.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Arbitration Rumors: Marcum, Weeks, Liriano, Young
17 arbitration eligible players remain unsigned, according to MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker, and only four teams have more than one outstanding case. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and MLB.com's Kelly Thesier provide negotiation updates on two of those clubs with multiple cases, the Brewers and Twins….
- Brewers negotiator Teddy Werner is optimistic that the team will reach agreements with both Shaun Marcum and Rickie Weeks without going to a hearing.
- Both players are exclusively discussing one-year deals with the Brewers, though Werner conveyed the club's desire to work out a long-term extension with Weeks later this year.
- Like the Brewers, the Twins appear to be focusing on one-year deals, rather than multiyear extensions, with their arbitration eligible players, Francisco Liriano and Delmon Young. "Right now, we're focused on trying to get them signed for 2011, and we'll go from there," Minnesota GM Bill Smith told Thesier.
- Smith appears willing to go to a hearing with either player if they can't settle on a figure the Twins like: "We'll continue to work on these two guys, and if we can reach agreement, we will. If not, then there's an arbitration panel that will do it."
Ten Arbitration Cases To Watch
There aren't many unsigned arbitration eligible players remaining at this point in the winter, but many of the most high-profile cases remain unresolved. As MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows, 26 arbitration eligible players have yet to agree on their 2011 salaries. Some of them will sign extensions, some will go to hearings and others will avoid arbitration with one-year deals. Here's a primer on ten of the most interesting arbitration eligible players out there:
10. Mike Napoli, Blue Jays - In case arbitration cases weren't complicated enough, the Blue Jays have to defend the Angels' number ($5.3MM) if they go to an arbitration hearing with Napoli, who filed at $6.1MM. The numbers stand, even though the Blue Jays acquired the catcher/first baseman after the Angels exchanged arbitration submissions with him.
9. R.A. Dickey, Mets – Dickey has said he's open to a multiyear deal. We'll soon know whether Mets GM Sandy Alderson wants to extend the knuckleballer or settle on a contract in the $3.35-4.7MM range.
8. Delmon Young, Twins - There's a $1.6MM difference between Young's asking price ($6.25MM) and the Twins' suggested salary ($4.65MM).
7. Jeremy Guthrie, Orioles – As I explained yesterday, Guthrie's case could come down to his durability (175 innings in four consecutive seasons) vs. the fact that comparable starters (John Danks, Chad Billingsley, Matt Garza) have been harder to hit.
6. Rickie Weeks, Brewers – The Brewers are no longer discussing a multiyear deal with Weeks, who is asking for $7.2MM. The Brewers countered with $4.85MM.
5. Francisco Liriano, Twins - Liriano made $1.6MM last year and posted a 3.62 ERA with 9.4 K/9 in 191 2/3 innings. His representatives at Legacy Sports will argue that he has earned a raise to $5MM, while Bill Smith and the Twins say $3.6MM is more appropriate.
4. Wandy Rodriguez, Astros – Rodriguez's $10.25MM asking price seems high until you realize how few arbitration eligible pitchers have comparable big league experience (the Astros offered $8MM). Rodriguez is just 15 innings shy of 1,000 for his career and his ERA hasn't surpassed 3.60 in any of the past three seasons. The lefty's 985 innings are 246 more than Erik Bedard had after 2008, the season that set Bedard up for a $7.75MM payday. Few arbitration eligible pitchers earn eight-figure deals, but few have as much big league experience and success as Rodriguez.
3. Jered Weaver, Angels - Weaver requested $8.8MM, while the Angels countered with $7.465MM. Either way, the Scott Boras client will be earning substantially more than he did in 2010, when he made $4.625MM.
2. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays – I wrote last fall that Bautista's case comes down to his historic 2010 season vs. the forgettable campaigns he strung together before last year. Click here to read more.
1. Josh Hamilton, Rangers - The Rangers could bring up Hamilton’s injury history and past substance abuse, but they would have to do so subtly, says Michael Vlessides, a veteran arbitration consultant. “It’s the fine line between how much do you pick on the guy who’s the MVP. If you do it too much, you can lose a lot of credibility” Vlessides said. Beating MVPs in arbitration hearings isn’t easy, but the Pirates beat Barry Bonds after he won his first MVP in 1990 and again the following offseason.