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Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Benson, Giants, Mariners

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A quick rundown of some of the day's items…

  • In an appearance on WEEI's Dale & Holley Show, ESPN's Keith Law said that the Red Sox are the clear front-runners if and when Adrian Gonzalez hits the trade market.  "I really think that Boston could top anybody if Adrian Gonzalez becomes available, and he will," Law said.  The transcript of Law's appearance is available here.
  • It looks like Washington might still be the only team interested in Kris Benson.  Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that the Indians have no interest in the right-hander.
  • ESPN.com's Jayson Stark polled "20 baseball wise men" to get their take on the offseason moves.  The panel picked Seattle and Arizona as the most improved teams in their respective leagues, while Cleveland and the Dodgers were the least improved.  John Lackey was named the winter's best free agent signing, while Brandon Lyon's deal with Houston was considered the worst.
  • Giants infielder Freddy Sanchez underwent shoulder surgery on December 23, but the news of the procedure didn't come out until almost a month later.  Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News believes the club wanted to keep Sanchez's condition a secret in order to help them sign Juan Uribe to a more team-friendly contract.  Uribe signed a one-year, $3.25MM deal on January 5.
  • MLB.com's Jim Street answers some Mariner-related questions in a fan mailbag.  Some topics of note include the possibility that the M's could deal one of their surplus outfielders, and Chad Cordero could also be trade bait if he doesn't make the Seattle bullpen but otherwise appears recovered from shoulder surgery.
  • Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs thinks "Arizona overpaid a bit" in the arbitration settlement between the Diamondbacks and Edwin Jackson, but also notes that "there is reason to believe this deal is fair to both sides."
  • Miguel Olivo took less money to play in Colorado because he wanted to be on a contending team, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
  • "It's decision time" for teams to negotiate with players entering the last year of their contracts, says USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
  • Wandy Rodriguez and the Astros had their arbitration hearing today, and The Associated Press reports that a decision should be reached by tomorrow.  Rodriguez wants $7MM, while Houston has countered with an offer of $5MM.   
  • Jane Lee of MLB.com breaks down the dollars and reasoning behind Oakland's quick flip of Willy Taveras earlier this month.
  • There are no new developments between Jonny Gomes and the Reds, but John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the two sides are still talking.  GM Walt Jocketty is hopeful the team and player "can get something done this weekend."
  • Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at some of the issues facing the Pirates this spring, and notes that the club's young players could be helped without the pressure to win starting jobs.

Discussion: Pat Burrell

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Pat Burrell's move to the American League did not go as smoothly as he or the Rays hoped.  Burrell left the World Series-winning Phillies to sign a two-year, $16MM free agent contract with Tampa Bay last January, and then suffered through a season's worth of injuries and inconsistency to finish with a career-worst .682 OPS (.221/.315/.367) in 476 plate appearances.

With $9MM due to Burrell in 2010, the Rays have been openly shopping the slugger this winter.  Rumors of a deal of Burrell-for-Milton Bradley swirled for months before the Cubs dealt Bradley to Seattle last week.  With seemingly their best trade option gone, it appears as if Tampa Bay will go into next season with Burrell back in the DH spot — which, if 2009 was just an aberration, might not be a bad option given Burrell's 251 homers and .852 OPS over his first nine years in Philadelphia.

If the Rays still want to move Burrell and save some cash, however, here are a few of the clubs that are in need of a DH/LF type and might have the payroll flexibility to absorb some or all of Burrell's contract.

  • The Mets.  Should they give up on signing Jason Bay (or lose him to the Red Sox), New York would still have a hole to fill in left field.  The downside of Burrell going to a National League team, however, is his glove.  He played just two games in the outfield last season, and according to Fangraphs, his defense ranged from mediocre to terrible (a -25.2 UZR/150 in 2007) over his last four years in Philadelphia.
  • The Cardinals.  Just as Burrell is a backup plan for the Mets if they don't sign Bay, he can also be a backup plan for St. Louis if they don't sign Matt Holliday.
  • The Braves.  Atlanta's biggest offseason need was a right-handed power hitter.  While they are close to a deal with Troy Glaus, Glaus made just 32 plate appearances in 2009 after undergoing shoulder surgery last January.  Burrell is perhaps a more reliable option, and may regain his batting stroke back in the NL East.  
  • The White Sox.  Ozzie Guillen likes the idea of a rotating designated hitter, but GM Kenny Williams didn't close the door on the possibility of picking up an everyday DH if the right opportunity presented itself.
  • The Giants.  Mark DeRosa may be coming in as San Francisco's new left fielder, but Burrell could be an interesting alternative should DeRosa not accept the Giants' offer.  Or, the power-starved Giants could acquire Burrell to play in left, and then sign DeRosa to play third base, thus moving Pablo Sandoval over to first.  (Or, Sandoval plays 1B, DeRosa plays 2B and Freddy Sanchez moves over to 3B.)  If the Rays pay some of Burrell's contract, then he is a much cheaper option for San Francisco than Johnny Damon.

Giants Rumors: Posey, Molina, Uggla, Johnson

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Recently re-signed GM Brian Sabean has his work cut out for him this offseason.  Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle brings us the latest on the Giants offseason:

  • Giants brass are discussing whether or not they feel Buster Posey will be ready to play in the majors at the start of the 2010.  Even if they decide he's not, Bengie Molina isn't likely to be back in San Francisco.  As we've heard elsewhere, the Mets are interested in the 35-year-old catcher.
  • Sabean said that as of Thursday, the club wasn't close to a deal for Florida's Dan Uggla.  However, Schulman notes that Sabean pointed out Freddy Sanchez's ability to play third base, which leaves open the possibility of acquiring someone to play second base.
  • Sabean also said that he is looking at "second-tier" free agents who want to play at AT&T Park.  One player to keep an eye on is Nick Johnson, who is beloved by manager Bruce Bochy.  In 133 games with the Nationals and Marlins last season, the 30-year-old posted .291/.426/.405 with 8 HRs – his lowest total in any 100+ game season.

Giants Re-Sign Freddy Sanchez

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5:31pm: Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the contract is worth $6MM a year, so $12MM total. Sanchez takes a $2.1MM pay cut in 2010, but ends up with more guaranteed money in the long run.

5:17pm: The Giants have re-signed second baseman Freddy Sanchez to a two-year deal, according to CSNBayArea.com. The terms of the contract have not been released.

The 31-year-old Sanchez hit .284/.295/.324 in just 107 plate appearances for the Giants after coming over from the Pirates at the trade deadline, missing time with a strained shoulder and a torn meniscus in his left knee. His $8.1MM option for 2010 did not vest, and the team decided that instead of picking it up or buying Sanchez out for $600K, they're better off renegotiating a new deal.

Giants Rumors: Lincecum, Sanchez, Penny

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Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has the goods on the Giants, after speaking with GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy.

  • Technically, Sabean and Bochy's contracts are up at the end of the month.  They don't have commitments for 2010 in hand, yet the expectation is that both will be back.
  • In discussing Tim Lincecum's upcoming arbitration case, Sabean referenced Ryan Howard's record first-time award ($10MM) from February of '08.  Of course, with Howard, the Phillies screwed up by submitting only $7MM.  Sabean wants to file his salary request for Lincecum before discussing a long-term deal, so as to not show his hand early.
  • Closer Brian Wilson is another first-time arbitration-eligible player, and you have to think he'll jump up to $5MM+.
  • The Giants would like to restructure Freddy Sanchez's $8.1MM option into a two-year deal, but seem confident in his return.  Baggarly says they even consider the option as a fallback if the restructuring fails.  I can't see Sanchez getting $8.1MM on the open market.
  • A Brad Penny return appears unlikely.  If he sticks to the NL and the West Coast he'll be down to the Padres pretty much.  It'd also be surprising to see the Giants re-sign catcher Bengie Molina, who wants a two-year deal worth more than $6MM annually.
  • Sabean wouldn't rule out trading a pitcher for a bat, but said he'd agonize over such a decision.
  • Brandon Medders, Justin Miller, and Ryan Garko are non-tender candidates.  The Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner call-ups locked up two 40-man roster spots.
  • Quoting Baggarly: Sabean justified the $18.5 million contract he gave [Edgar Renteria] last winter by saying they needed a veteran shortstop."

Juan Uribe Lobbying To Stay With Giants

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Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Juan Uribe, who has pieced together a strong year for the Giants, wants to stay on board in 2010.  The 30-year-old's numbers have exploded in the last month as he has been brought into the everyday lineup, hitting his way to an OPS of 1.091.

Uribe proved to be a great value as he inked a $1MM minor league deal with the Giants in late January.  Fangraphs estimates his worth in 2009 to be $12.8MM.  The Dominican Republic native has recorded his best slash line since his rookie year, posting .298/.336/.507 in 116 games.  Brian Sabean believes that Uribe can produce at a similar level with a more regular workload. 

With the Giants holding an $8MM option on 31-year-old second baseman Freddy Sanchez, they could conceivably let Sanchez walk and put Uribe in his place.  In 110 games this year at the position, Sanchez posted a UZR/150 of 5.8 compared to Uribe's 11.1 over 38 games.  Offensively, Sanchez has posted an OPS to top Uribe's 2009 mark just once.

As the Giants, would you extend a multi-year offer to Uribe, or would you let another team allow him to cash in?

The Giants And Freddy Sanchez

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SATURDAY: Baggarly got the chance to interview Sanchez on Saturday afternoon about his injury, free agency, and many other topics.  He suspects the Giants will attempt to re-sign the second baseman to a two-year contract this winter.

THURSDAY: The Giants expected more from Freddy Sanchez when they dealt highly-regarded pitching prospect Tim Alderson to the Pirates for him in July. Regardless, they will likely try to bring Sanchez back after the season, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. The decision to turn down the second baseman's $8.1MM option will be "almost automatic" for the Giants, but there's still an "excellent" chance that the club will bring Sanchez back on a multi-year deal.

Sanchez started the season well and even represented the Pirates at the All-Star game, but since arriving in San Francisco, knee troubles have limited him to just 25 games and an OPS of .619. It looked like he would pick up the 600 plate appearances it would have taken for his $8.1MM option vest, but a torn meniscus sidelined him. Sanchez will have offseason surgery on his left knee, but the Giants should still have interest in him.

Vesting Options To Watch

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A few vesting options to watch in September…

  • Josh Beckett needs two more starts for his $12.1MM option to vest for 2010.  It's not much of a story since the Red Sox would exercise that option anyway.
  • The Rangers lose the ability to void Kevin Millwood's $12MM option for 2010 if he pitches 13 more innings this year.  Back in March Rangers owner Tom Hicks said he wanted Millwood's option to vest, so he must be pleased with the pitcher's 3.61 ERA.
  • Since he made the All-Star team, Freddy Sanchez's 2010 option for $8MM vests if he makes 159 additional plate appearances.  That won't happen in one month.  Sanchez's shoulder strain couldn't have come at a worse time.
  • Magglio Ordonez's $18MM option for 2010 vests with 42 more plate appearances.  He had 80 PAs in August with a .961 OPS, so Scott Boras will take issue with excessive benching.

Odds & Ends: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox

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Thursday linkage…

Odds & Ends: Rangers, Yankees, Braves

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Did anyone expect the deadline to be this active? What a week. Some more tidbits:

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