Odds & Ends: Orioles, V-Mart, Buck, Nationals
We at MLBTR send our best wishes to Ernie Tyler, the Orioles' 86-year-old umpires attendant who has worked every Opening Day in Baltimore for the last 51 years. Tyler underwent brain surgery earlier this week to remove a benign tumor, and The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly reports that Tyler is progressing well in the early stages of his recovery. We look forward to seeing Tyler at Camden Yards in April to extend his streak to 52 years.
Let's check out some news items from around the majors…
- Speaking of Dan Connolly, he thinks Baltimore "will go hard after Victor Martinez and/or Derrek Lee," with Lee being the likelier candidate to sign with the Orioles.
- ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes thinks the possibility of Martinez re-signing with the Red Sox "looks iffy at best," though three other ESPNBoston contributors predict the free agent will return to the Sox.
- Edes also notes that another free agent catcher, John Buck, has a big supporter in Boston assistant GM Allard Baird.
- If the Nationals don't re-sign Adam Dunn, MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes that Carlos Pena "is at the top of their list" of potential replacements. Ladson also notes that Washington will "go after [James Loney] hard" if the Dodgers put him on the trade market, and that the Nats could also pursue an outfielder like Jayson Werth and fill their first-base opening from within with Josh Willingham.
- Arizona assistant general manager Peter Woodfork and the D'Backs have reached a "mutual decision" to part ways, tweets FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi. It's not an unexpected move since, as Morosi noted in a follow-up tweet, Woodfork has long-term ties to former Arizona GM Josh Byrnes and new D'Backs GM Kevin Towers probably wants to hire his own assistant.
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy has a recall-filled edition of the week's minor league transactions.
- With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia all anchoring the staffs of World Series contenders this postseason, Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times bemoans how the Dodgers missed out on acquiring any of the three "true aces" over the last two seasons.
- Anthony Witrado of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered a number of Brewers topics in a chat with readers.
Dodgers Notes: Kemp, Ethier, Loney, Free Agents
It's been an eventful week for the Dodgers, with news that Don Mattingly will replace Joe Torre as the team's manager. Let's check out a few more updates out of Los Angeles, as the club prepares for the offseason….
- GM Ned Colletti says he doesn't intend to drastically overhaul his roster this winter, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. "A year like this makes you look at every aspect of the team and makes you more apt to listen [to trade overtures]," Colletti said. "But it won't make me aggressively tear it up."
- Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times thinks that Colletti would be right not to move Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier, but argues that the club should look into dealing James Loney. He also suggests that signing a free agent outfielder should be the Dodgers' "only big winter expenditure."
- According to Gurnick, Colletti would like to add a productive left fielder to replace Manny Ramirez. It's unclear whether the Dodgers will have the resources to bid on players like Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.
- Catcher and third base also may be areas that need to be addressed, says Gurnick. Rod Barajas will be a free agent, Russell Martin will be recovering from a broken hip, and Casey Blake could be shifted into a utility role.
- The team is expected to try to retain free agents Ted Lilly, Jay Gibbons, and Barajas. They could also attempt to bring back Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla, depending on asking price and health.
- A few longtime Yankees weighed in on Torre's decision to step down, as Chad Jennings of the Journal News writes.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Francoeur, Lilly, Loney
On this date two years ago, instant replay was used for the first time in baseball history, resolving a fair or foul call on an Alex Rodriguez home run against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Third base umpire Brian Runge originally called the ball a homer, and that call stood upon further review. Numerous umpire gaffes have some clamoring for expanded use of instant replay, but so far Major League Baseball hasn't budged.
Here's a look at what's been written around the baseball blogosphere…
- Amazin' Avenue looks at the illogicality of the Jeff Francoeur trade.
- Meanwhile, Baseball Time In Arlington recaps the last trade of the season.
- North And South Of Royal Brougham suggests Ted Lilly for the 2011 Mariners.
- The Process Report explains how the Rays used Jose Lobaton to manipulate their potential playoff roster.
- Cubs Pack provides Jim Hendry with an offseason to-do list.
- True Blue LA wonders what the Dodgers should do with James Loney.
- Capitol Avenue Club hands out some Braves minor league awards.
- Disciples of Uecker compares Yovani Gallardo's contract to those of some other great young pitchers.
- Saber By The Bay has some good news for Tigers fans looking ahead to next season.
- Midwest Sports Fans builds a roster of players who played for the Indians and White Sox, a la Manny Ramirez.
- The Nats Blog thinks it's time for Nyjer Morgan to go.
- MLB Depth Charts created the Tommy John Surgery Tracker in the wake of Stephen Strasburg's injury.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Odds & Ends: Dunn, Dodgers, Lee, Tigers
Links for Saturday night, after Roy Halladay and Travis Wood traded zeros for nine innings….
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com writes that Mike Rizzo isn't looking to deal Adam Dunn. Rizzo repeated what's becoming a favorite phrase lately, telling Washington broadcaster Bob Carpenter that it'd be "very painful" to move Dunn, both for the Nationals and for the team acquiring him.
- The Dodgers were involved in talks with the Mariners for Cliff Lee, but wouldn't part with Chad Billingsley or James Loney, according to MLB.com's Evan Drellich.
- Jamey Newberg provides his detailed take on the Rangers' acquisition at The Newberg Report.
- In light of the Lee trade, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times takes a look at how some past blockbuster deals between division rivals worked out.
- Jim Leyland reiterates to MLB.com's Jason Beck that the Tigers could use some bullpen help.
- Ricky Nolasco knows that he might be on the trade block this month, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Joe Frisaro of MLB.com wonders (via Twitter) if the Yankees' scout in Arizona yesterday had an eye on Nolasco, noting that Joe Girardi managed the right-hander in 2006.
- River Ave. Blues passes along a story from El Universal (Spanish link) in which Ernesto Armenteros reports that the Yankees signed 18-year-old Colombian catcher Alfredo Castellon Jr.
Rosenthal On Twins, Lee, Dodgers, Nats
Let's dive into the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- A major league GM told Rosenthal that he expects the Twins to be the most active team at the deadline. While many in the industry expect the club to be players for Cliff Lee, their officials are telling teams that they have other priorities. Their greater need is at third base while they may also shop for bullpen help. However, the Twins are in a very strong financial position as they had insurance on Joe Nathan's contract. If they can recover half of that deal, they'll take in $5.6MM. On top of that, the box office numbers in their new home, Target Field, are very solid.
- Speaking of Lee, Seattle is telling clubs that they want young hitters in return for the ace. It's a desire that could be a hurdle for several interested clubs. The Mets, for example, wouldn't part with Ike Davis in order to land the hurler on a rental. Meanwhile, the Dodgers wouldn't want to give up Matt Kemp or James Loney.
- Rosenthal adds that the Dodgers may have a hard time landing the elite starter that they seek. The Astros are looking for financial relief and top prospects in return for Roy Oswalt. Pulling off a deal for Dan Haren of the Diamondbacks could prove to be difficult as Arizona likely doesn't want to trade him within the division.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo told Rosenthal that the team could be both buyers and sellers at the trade deadline. Rizzo says he's under no orders to trim payroll and could take on salary if it meant taking on a long-term asset. Right now, the Nats have five starters on the disabled list, including Jordan Zimmermann. Once he comes back, the club will have two young power pitchers and more depth to work with.
- If the Rockies make a move to fill the void at shortstop after losing Troy Tulowitzki to injury, they might only sign someone like Adam Everett to serve as insurance in Triple A.
Players To Avoid Arbitration: Tuesday
Noon ET today was the deadline for both the team and player to submit their salary figures for arbitration, however the two sides can come to an agreement at any point before the actual hearing. The hearings are scheduled for the first week of February.
We'll keep track of the players who avoid arbitration today by agreeing to deals here. Make sure you check back in for updates, and be sure to click the "Continue Reading" link to see today's full list of settlements. Yesterday's list can be found here.
- Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Angels avoided arbitration with Mike Napoli and Reggie Willits by signing the duo to one-year deals. Napoli will earn $3.6MM in 2010 with a $100K bonus if he makes 120 starts. Willits' contract is worth $625K.
- Zach Duke's one-year contract with Pittsburgh is worth $4.3MM with no performance bonuses, tweets Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- The Padres and reliever Mike Adams have agreed to a contract, reports MLB.com's Corey Brock (via Twitter). Brock's follow-up tweet says Adams' deal is worth $1MM, virtually splitting the difference between San Diego's $875K offer and Adams' $1.2MM demands.
- Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets that the Twins have agreements in place with all eight of their arbitration eligible players. In a follow-up tweet, Christensen reports that Francisco Liriano agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.6MM and Jesse Crain agreed to a one-year contract worth $2MM.
- Marc Carig of the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that the Mets avoided arbitration with reliever Sean Green (via Twitter). The one-year deal was worth $975K, according to the New York Daily News' Anthony McCarron.
- The Tigers avoided arb with Gerald Laird and Zach Miner as well according to James Jahnke of The Detroit Free Press. MLB.com's Jason Beck tweets the details on the one-year contracts: Laird will earn $3.95MM, Miner will earn $950K.
- Christensen tweets that the Twins avoided arb with Brendan Harris, signing him to a two year deal worth $3.2MM with another $650K in possible incentives.
- The Tigers and Bobby Seay avoided arbitration according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter), agreeing to a one year deal worth $2.475MM.
- Thesier tweets that Matt Guerrier agreed to a one year deal worth $3.15MM with the Twins, avoiding arb.
- Amalie Benjamin of The Boston Globe tweets that the Red Sox have avoided arbitration with Ramon Ramirez and Manny Delcarmen, with Delcarmen getting $905K plus incentives according to Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal. Boston avoided arb with Jonathan Papelbon as well.
Kemp Signs Two-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration
MONDAY, 7:07pm: Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports that Kemp's contract could allow him to make up to $11.25MM in total.
If Kemp makes 600 plate appearances this year, he would increase his 2011 salary by $50K. If he makes 650 plate appearances, he'd earn an additional $100K, and 700 plate appearances would tack on another $150K.
Kemp made 667 plate appearances in 2009 and 657 the year prior.
FRIDAY, 7:40pm: The Dodgers avoided arbitration with Matt Kemp today and signed him to a two-year contract worth nearly $11MM. The deal, which the sides have been working on all week, is now official, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. Kemp was arbitration-eligible for the first time, so the Dodgers will have him under team control for another season after the deal expires. By that point, Kemp will be considerably richer, as he is set to earn $4MM this year and $6.95MM in 2011.
That's more than what two comparable players, Nick Markakis and Carlos Beltran, got for the same two years. Beltran earned $9.5MM for his first two arbitration years and Markakis will earn $9.75MM. Kemp, who is only 25, combined good center field defense with an .842 OPS for the Dodgers last year.
Jim Bowden first reported that the sides were close to a deal and MLB.com's Ken Gurnick said they had reached an agreement before Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times added the details.
Gurnick hears that the Dodgers are also talking two-year deals with Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton and James Loney. They agreed to terms with Chad Billingsley on a 2010 contract today.
Dodgers, Matt Kemp Talk Multi-Year Deal
The Dodgers have begun discussing a multi-year contract with Matt Kemp, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. However, his agent Dave Stewart says that Kemp might prefer to go year-to-year via arbitration.
Kemp is one of nine Dodgers eligible for arbitration this winter and one of five eligible for the first time in their careers. Gurnick writes that signing position players like Kemp, James Loney, and Andre Ethier to long-term deals would provide the club with a degree of cost certainty. GM Ned Colletti approached Russell Martin two years ago about a multiyear agreement but was rebuffed.
The 25-year-old Kemp hit .297/.352/.490 with 26 HRs in 2009 while playing an above average center field.
Heyman On Dodgers, Valentine
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Heyman, like many writers, believes the Dodgers need a #1 starter. He says Dodgers people "aren't overly optimistic" about snagging Roy Halladay or John Lackey, however.
- Heyman believes the Dodgers should consider trading one or all of James Loney, Russell Martin, and Chad Billingsley. Billingsley was ineffective in July and September, but the 25-year-old is under team control for three more years. Interest would be very strong.
- Heyman guesses the Indians might be willing to go to $2.5MM for Bobby Valentine, while GM Mark Shapiro doesn't expect money to be a factor.
Dodgers “Never Close” To Loney Deal
Dodger GM Ned Colletti talked to Sirius XM's Mad Dog Radio host Larry Krueger last night, says Diamond Leung, and said that James Loney was "never close" to being traded. He also has some stern words for the media and bloggers:
"What aggravates me is that people, with the way the media works today or blogs work today or whatever, people can say whatever they want with no credence, no history, no reason to do it, just except to start something up and to act like they know what they’re talking about."
Loney had been frequently linked by to a deal that fell through before the deadline that would've sent him in a massive five-player package to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell, first reported by Jon Heyman at SI. Danny Knobler at CBS Sports later reported that the deal had been agreed to, but the Dodgers backed out at the last minute.