Odds & Ends: Bay, Guardado, Yankees, Marlins
Let's round up some lingering Tuesday links….
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox kept in touch with Jason Bay's representation right up until the outfielder agreed to terms with the Mets. Boston was a longshot destination for Bay though, with the Angels and Mariners also involved.
- Like Brian Bruney, Eddie Guardado hopes to close for the Nationals in 2010, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Doesn't seem too likely, with Bruney and Matt Capps on board, but Guardado could earn a setup role for the Nats.
- Dave Cameron of Fangraphs argues that even if they have the money to sign Matt Holliday, the Yankees don't need him. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer and Joseph Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues respond to Cameron's piece.
- The Florida Marlins haven't been aggressively signing their arbitration-eligible players so far this winter, but they should take care of it soon, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (via Twitter).
- Frisaro also tweets that the Marlins remain "firmly" entrenched in the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes.
Jason Bay Reactions
With an agreement in place between Jason Bay and the New York Mets, reactions to the deal are already starting to pour in….
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post feels that the Mets will regret signing Bay within a few years.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan feels that Bay's money would've been better spent on John Lackey.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law says that Bay's defense will dictate whether the contract is a good one or not, and argues that the Mets will need to make a few more moves to contend.
- It may have taken a while to get done, but "all's well that ends well," writes Rob Neyer of ESPN.com.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff is on board with the deal, and hopes the Mets continue to stay financially responsible for the rest of the winter. This means going "nowhere near" Joel Pineiro at his current asking price, and not guaranteeing Bengie Molina two years (Davidoff suggests that reports of an imminent two-year deal for Molina are inaccurate).
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal looks at what the move means for the Phillies, both as a division rival and as a club that will have their own free agent outfielder (Jayson Werth) next year.
- Articles from Ian Browne of MLB.com and Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune examine the signing from Boston's and Seattle's perspectives, respectively.
- R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs explains why, even if it's heavily backloaded, the Mets' offer was more financially appealing than one the Red Sox made earlier.
Yankees Considering Affordable Left Fielders
After talking to a Yankees official, Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News hammers home some points reported yesterday in our Yankees Search For Left Fielder post.
We're not going to get crazy and underline it, but here's McCarron quoting the official:
"No chance on Matt Holliday, no chance on Jason Bay. Zero. None. Underline it."
Also, McCarron talked to two Yankees officials who say they have no interest in Jermaine Dye. Various reports had previously suggested otherwise.
The Yankees have a couple million to play with, though they could free up a few more million by trading Chad Gaudin and/or Sergio Mitre. McCarron's official named Reed Johnson and Jerry Hairston Jr. as considerations for the left field vacancy.
Odds & Ends: Bay, Holliday, Bruney
Monday night linkage..
- Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal points out that Boston giving Jason Bay a backloaded contract would do nothing to keep them out of luxury tax territory. Payroll is calculated by totalling the average yearly earnings of a player, not a player's year-to-year salary. However, Barbarisi offers up a number of other ways the Red Sox could retain Bay without getting hammered by the luxury tax.
- Chuck Brownson of The Hardball Times writes that the Cardinals can afford to be patient with Matt Holliday as long as alternatives remain on the open market. Brownson feels that Mark DeRosa signing with the Giants put a little more pressure on St. Louis.
- Brian Bruney told Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he wants to close for the Nationals in 2010. Bruney will have to compete with newly acquired Matt Capps for the role.
Yankees Search For Left Fielder
The New York Yankees are interested in Mark DeRosa and will be disappointed if the versatile veteran agrees to terms with the Giants, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Here are a few other recent updates on the Yankees' hunt for a left fielder:
- The Yankees still appear serious about their payroll restrictions. GM Brian Cashman says Xavier Nady's price "is above the Yankees' current budget," according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
- Hoch adds that Cashman is "throwing ice water" on any ideas of signing a player like Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Hoch notes that the situation is reminiscent of 2005, when the Yankees insisted Bubba Crosby would start in center field, before they eventually signed Johnny Damon.
- The Yanks also don't appear to be a primary suitor for Jermaine Dye, tweets Heyman. Heyman lists a handful of teams more likely to sign Dye, including the Braves, Giants and Rangers.
Mets Notes: Holliday, Rotation
For weeks now, we've heard the rumors connecting the Mets and Jason Bay, leaving many to wonder why the Mets seem reluctant to make a more concerted effort to pursue Matt Holliday as well. Howard Goldin reports that general manager Omar Minaya answered that question himself when he was the guest speaker at the "21 Days of Clemente" benefit in New York:
"We are pursuing Matt Holliday. It seems to be easier to make a deal for Jason Bay."
That Bay seems an easier target is no surprise. Holliday is regarded by many as the top free agent on the market, and it should almost go without saying that Bay is easier to negotiate with simply because he is not represented by Scott Boras. Bay and his agent, Joe Urbon, would like the Mets to offer five years, while Minaya seems content with four. If talks of interest in Holliday continue, it would likely place some pressure on Bay, as he's not exactly being bombarded with other offers at the moment.
Minaya also comments on the club's 2010 rotation, stating that it will consist of Johan Santana, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez, and Jonathon Niese, though a free agent addition is a possibility. Joel Pineiro currently sits atop the Mets' wishlist of starters, though an upside signing like Ben Sheets or Erik Bedard would make more sense if you ask me.
Cafardo On Red Sox, Hudson, Garland
In his latest column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe speculates about where "old hands" such as Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz could land. Here are some of Cafardo's other notes:
- The Red Sox "are debating whether they’ll go for it and pay luxury tax money," as their payroll approaches the $170MM mark.
- If the Sox wanted to sign Jason Bay, they could offer a low, one-year base salary with three heavily backloaded option years. With as much as $48MM coming off their books next winter, they would be better equipped to pay Bay after 2010.
- Baseball executives think that plenty of good values will be available by mid-January, with some established major league players having to sign minor league contracts. One NL GM says "the Pirates will load up" on this type of player.
- The Mets are still the team most interested in Orlando Hudson, but would have to find a way to move Luis Castillo.
- A market is starting to form for Jon Garland, and the Rangers seem to be the early frontrunner.
- Other Rangers notes: The team might prefer Jermaine Dye to Vladimir Guerrero, since Dye can still play the outfield (albeit not particularly well, according to UZR/150). Texas and Minnesota could also be good fits for Miguel Tejada.
- The Indians aren't saying Fausto Carmona is available, but baseball execs feel that the club would have to listen on any offers.
Olney on Bay, Beltre, Holliday
ESPN.com's Buster Olney believes the Yankees and Red Sox when they say that they have budget lines that they are not currently willing to cross. When the trade deadline rolls around, however, it will likely be a different story. Olney brings us his take on the teams who are still willing to spend this winter…
- Since Jason Bay continues to sit on their offer, the Mets may soon give up on him and move on to less expensive free agents. Olney suggests that they ignore fans who are focused on big names and instead spend their money on players who can be had for short-term deals, such as Randy Winn and Orlando Hudson. The Mets "seem to have" something in the range of $15MM to $22MM in payroll flexibility.
- The Mets are shopping for a catcher, left fielder, and starting pitcher. Joel Pineiro tops their list of desired starters.
- Olney characterized the A's consideration of Adrian Beltre as "serious."
- As the Cardinals continue to wait on Matt Holliday's answer, Olney wonders out loud if the club might look into signing Bay as a backup plan.
- Rival executives sense that the M's have some money left to spend, but not a great deal. Seattle needs either a first baseman or second baseman plus help for the back end of their rotation.
- Because of the mass of arbitration-eligible players on their roster, the Angels have limited payroll flexibility. This means that they could pursue Pineiro if they chose to, but are unlikely to factor into the bidding for Bay or Holliday.
Discussion: Johnny Damon and Jason Bay
While its difficult to criticize negotations from the outside, two major free agents appear to have negotiated their way out of ideal situations this year.
In 2009, Johnny Damon closed out his four-year, $52MM contract in style, hitting .282/.365/.489 with 24 HRs. This offseason it was clear that Damon wanted to re-up with the Yankees, but of course, at the right price. Early in the offseason, reports suggested that Boras was seeking a three-year contract at roughly the same rate ($13MM/year) as his last deal.
After the Bombers signed Nick Johnson to take his place, word got out that Damon would have settled for $20MM over two years. While the Yanks' proposal of $14MM still wasn't quite close enough, it is possible that the two sides could have reached an accord. The Giants could be a suitor, as they were in on the Johnson chase, but it's doubtful that they would want to put him in the outfield.
Meanwhile, after rejecting a four-year, $60MM offer from Boston in July, Jason Bay appears to be having some trouble finding a new home.
The signing of Mike Cameron likely means that the Red Sox will be moving on, leaving the Mets as the top suitor. While some suggest that Omar Minaya & Co. will be willing to fork over the five-year pact that agent Joe Urbon has been asking for, it has been said that he does not want to play in Queens.
Regardless of what kind of contract each player fetches, it is difficult to imagine either player getting the money they wanted from their respective teams.
Gammons On Bay, Holliday, Gonzalez, Cabrera
Yesterday, Peter Gammons appeared in-studio on WEEI with Dale & Holley to talk about the state of the offseason in Boston. Here are some notes from his hour-long chat…
- It's unlikely that the BoSox will be able to bring back Jason Bay, as they already made him the best offer that he has received.
- Gammons quips that Bay would "rather play in Beirut than Queens" and adds that he should have taken Boston's offer of $60MM over four years back in July.
- As for the Mets, if they are unable to land Bay, Gammons doesn't see them adding anybody else of a similar caliber. With their unwillingness to go over the luxury tax threshold, they are more likely to pocket the money to make a mid-season deal.
- Gammons calls Scott Boras "brilliant," but questions his wisdom in turning down the five-year $82.5MM offer the Red Sox made Matt Holliday. That could be the best offer he has seen so far.
- While we have heard rumors of an Adrian Gonzalez-to-Boston swap for months, the two sides have yet to exchange names. Gammons says it would be virtually impossible for the Padres to deal him before July.
- Miguel Cabrera could become available if the Tigers stumble out of the gate. If he is available, Boston would be interested, despite concerns about him off-the-field.
- Gammons expects Josh Beckett to be the second most-coveted free agent on the market next winter, behind Cliff Lee. Naturally, a healthy season would go a long way towards boosting his value.
- After reading the post here on MLBTradeRumors about Frank Wren saying that the Braves were going to get a major bat, he was surprised to later find out that the slugger was Troy Glaus. Trading Javier Vazquez and Rafael Soriano was about saving $16MM, not about the players they received.