Relievers Notes: Wood, Madson, Papelbon
Jonathan Papelbon became the first major free agent to change teams yesterday, agreeing to a four-year contract worth $50MM with the Phillies. Reactions to the contract were generally mixed, though almost everyone agreed that the size of the deal was staggering. Let's round up the latest from the relief pitcher market…
- Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune reports that Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has had preliminary talks with Kerry Wood, who is expected to return next season. The 34-year-old righty pitched to a 3.35 ERA in 51 IP after returning to Chicago's north side on a below-market one-year, $1.5MM contract last winter.
- Despite reports of a four-year, $44MM offer, MASN's Jen Royle hears from a source that the Phillies only offered Ryan Madson a three-year contract. They were unwilling to give him the extra year he wanted (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox, meanwhile, were not willing to give Papelbon a guaranteed fourth year according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Peter Gammons reports (on Twitter) that the Red Sox offered Papelbon to the Braves in exchange for Javier Vazquez two offseasons ago. Atlanta rejected the offer, then traded Vazquez to the Yankees shortly thereafter.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports wrote about how the rest of the closers' market is shaping up and the impact of Papelbon's contract. Here is our look at the trade and free agent markets for right-handed relievers.
NL East Links: Sizemore, Vazquez, Nationals
Three years ago today, the Marlins claimed Dan Meyer off waivers from the Athletics. The left-hander went on to enjoy a strong season out of Florida's bullpen in 2009 (3.09 ERA with 8.6 K/9 in 58 1/3 innings) before struggling in 2010. Here's the lastest from the NL East…
- The Mets are unlikely to target Grady Sizemore as a center field solution according to Andy McCullough of The Star Ledger (on Twitter). He says it's not much of a surprise given Sizemore's injury problems over the last three seasons.
- It's "50-50" as to whether former Expos and Marlins hurler Javier Vazquez will play in 2012, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The right-hander strongly prefers the east coast, and his return would depend on the team and its competitive environment.
- Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post broke down the Nationals' current payroll commitments. Tim Dierkes did the same and more in his Offseason Outlook post.
Marlins Notes: Payroll, Oviedo, Vazquez
Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest spoke with reporters yesterday; here are the hot stove highlights.
- The Marlins will raise their payroll to at least $85MM in 2012, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. By my calculations they should have over $20MM to spend on '12 salaries, if Juan Carlos Oviedo does not remain with the team.
- Oviedo, the former Leo Nunez, is in the Dominican Republic working through identity-related legal issues. Beinfest hopes for clarity on the situation as soon as possible, but has "contingencies in place." Beinfest noted that there are dates that are sensitive to Oviedo's situation, namely the December 12th non-tender deadline.
- Beinfest told reporters the Marlins' top priority is to add rotation depth. In regard to Javier Vazquez, he said, "I haven't talked with Javy since the season ended. What a great job he did for us, and we will check in with him and his agent. We'll see where his head is, and where his thoughts are. That door was left open when the season ended to at least explore. Javy's mind is wherever Javy's mind is. He's a veteran guy. We'll at least explore and keep and touch, and we'll see."
- Beinfest seems more open to trading young players, saying, "I think we need to become a little more open, just in general. I think we've been very protective of our zero to three [years of experience] players because we've had to be, given our payroll challenges. I think we can open up a little more now."
- This is an important offseason for center fielder Chris Coghlan, says Beinfest, after two disappointing seasons.
- To read my offseason outlook for the new Miami Marlins, click here.
NL East Notes: Vazquez, Dobbs, Lopez, Nix
On this date in 1973, Tom Seaver of the Mets won the NL Cy Young award, becoming the first pitcher to take home the prize with fewer than 20 wins. We checked in on the Mets earlier tonight; here are some updates on their division rivals…
- Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post gets the sense that the Marlins could convince Javier Vazquez to return for another season if they offer him $10MM for 2012.
- The Marlins have some interest in re-signing Greg Dobbs, but not in bringing Jose Lopez back, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
- There's "nothing substantial" developing between the Nationals and free agent outfielder Laynce Nix, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The sides have discussed a deal for 2012 and Nix has interest in returning to D.C. for another season.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution doubts that the Braves would dangle Jair Jurrjens in trade talks because his knee injury reduces his trade value (Twitter link). Jurrjens spent much of August on the disabled list with a right knee strain and didn't pitch in September.
Quick Hits: Quade, Vazquez, Royals, Hafner
As if the Rays didn't already have the focus of the baseball world, Joe Maddon announced that Matt Moore will start Game One of the ALDS tomorrow against the Rangers. Moore (the 22-year-old consensus top pitching prospect in baseball) has all of 9 1/3 Major League innings to his credit, with a 2.89 ERA and 15 strikeouts against just three walks in his short career. As Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe put it, "the Rays are taking their house money and doubling down with it."
Some news from around the league as we prepare for the start of the postseason…
- Mike Quade believes he will manage the Cubs next season, though he understands if the incoming Cubs GM wants to make changes, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago.
- Several players have told Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald that Javier Vazquez is "without a doubt…hanging up his spikes" and retiring. Vazquez said earlier this week that he would make his final decision in a few months' time.
- GM Dayton Moore more or less confirmed speculation that the Royals will look to deal some of their wealth of prospects for a proven starter, reports Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. "There’s always a few players in your organization that you view, (where) you gotta be extremely blown away to move them," Moore said. "And I won’t get in to who those pitchers are or players. And then everybody else, you look to make deals with." As we heard last week, several of K.C.'s top prospects are untouchable.
- Royals pitching coach Bob McClure and bench coach John Gibbons won't be back next season, reports Dick Kaegel of MLB.com.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America has this week's rundown of minor league transactions.
- Travis Hafner will be back with the Indians next season, GM Chris Antonetti confirmed to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hafner is under contract for $13MM next season and Pluto reports that "for a while, there has been a feeling among the Indians string-pullers that if Hafner's production ever dropped low enough, ownership might be willing to eat a part of the contract."
Marlins Notes: Guillen, Ramirez, Vazquez, Nunez
Ozzie Guillen will be the Marlins’ manager in 2012, when they break in their new stadium. Here’s some news on the Marlins with a focus on next year’s team…
- One GM told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that there's no way Guillen can co-exist with owner Jeffrey Loria, but Olney suggests the unpredictable Guillen will get along just fine with his new boss. Olney hears from one person who says Guillen adds value because he makes the Marlins interesting.
- Aramis Ramirez told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the Marlins are more attractive to him now that Guillen is there (Twitter link). "I wouldn't mind going there and playing," Ramirez said.
- Javier Vazquez pitched a complete game tonight, allowing two runs and five hits and striking out nine without allowing a walk. Teams would be interested in signing the surging Vazquez this offseason, but there's no guarantee the right-hander will pitch in 2012. Vazquez told Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post that he'll decide on his future plans by December (Twitter link).
- Leo Nunez or, as he is now known, Juan Carlos Oviedo, won't face charges in the Dominican Republic for assuming a false identity, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Marlins Notes: Espada, Vazquez, Nunez
Jack McKeon won't manage the Marlins in 2012 and the club is already looking to replace the 80-year-old skipper. They interviewed former third base coach Bo Porter for the job and it won't be surprising if Ozzie Guillen becomes available as well. Here are more updates on the Marlins, starting with an item on a possible successor to McKeon:
- Joe Espada, the Marlins' current third base coach, interviewed for the team's managerial opening, according to Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald. Espada says the Marlins have a "strong foundation" and that his conversation with owner Jeffrey Loria and others went well.
- Javier Vazquez maintains that he's likely to retire after the season, but he told Navarro that he's not ruling out a return. The durable Puerto Rico native says he hates to determine his future during the season and will have an easier time deciding two or three months from now.
- He has a case for a one-year deal worth $7MM or more if he decides to play.
- Leo Nunez, whose real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo, called teammate Edward Mujica to say that he intends to apologize to his teammates for using an assumed name, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Nunez, 29, hopes to return to the Major Leagues using his real name.
- The Marlins may consider trading Ricky Nolasco this offseason and earlier today MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained what that could mean for the team.
Marlins Notes: Infante, Vazquez, Hensley
The last-place Marlins won't taste the playoffs in 2012, but they're moving into a new ballpark next year and could spend big this offseason, so things might be different in Miami a year from now. Here's the latest on the Marlins…
- Omar Infante told Christina De Nicola of MLB.com that he and the Marlins are going to postpone all contract talks until the season ends next week. The sides have discussed a multiyear deal this month.
- Javier Vazquez has given every indication that this will be his final season, though he hasn't officially said he's going to retire, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. The Marlins haven't discussed next season with Vazquez, who has had a resurgent second half, as I explained last week.
- Clay Hensley, a non-tender candidate this offseason, told Spencer that he would love to return to Miami in 2012. The right-hander earned $1.4MM in 2011 and will be arbitration eligible for the second time this offseason. He has pitched well recently, though he had two stints on the disabled list and struggled as a starter.
Marlins Notes: Vazquez, Wilson, Payroll
Josh Johnson will most likely be a Marlin in 2012 (hopefully, in good health). Here are a couple of notes on a pair of hurlers who may or may not don the teal and black of the newly renamed Miami Marlins next season:
- Javier Vazquez's second-half resurgence, recently detailed by MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith, won't have any bearing on whether he decides to retire after the season, writes Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Vazquez's latest masterpiece was a shutout of the Nats on Friday, after which one of his teammates, Gaby Sanchez, offered these telling words: “He’s accomplished so much. It’s time to just walk away on a high note and be with his family."
- The Marlins may end up being the highest bidders for the services of impending free-agent starter C.J. Wilson of the Rangers, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com, who adds that he has no inkling as to whether Wilson would want to play for the Fish.
- The Marlins plan to boost their payroll "significantly" as they head into a new ballpark next season, adds Olney (Twitter).
- For all things Marlins, be sure to check out their MLBTR Facebook page, Twitter and RSS feeds.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Javier Vazquez
Javier Vazquez’s season ERA is an unremarkable 4.13. But consider that it was over 7.00 midway through June and the ERA seems outstanding.
It took a dominant second half for Vazquez to recover from his early-season struggles. Since the beginning of July he has a 2.45 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 84 1/3 innings. In other words, he has resembled the pitcher who finished fourth in the Cy Young voting two years ago, not the one who posted a 5.32 ERA in a disappointing return to the Bronx in 2010.
Vazquez’s season numbers are better than they were a year ago. He has pitched 167 2/3 innings with encouraging peripherals: 7.5 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 4.00 xFIP and an average fastball velocity of 90.3 mph, up from 88.7 mph a year ago.
Durability hasn’t been an issue for Vazquez, who has started at least 25 games and logged at least 150 innings every season since 1997. He’s the active leader in strikeouts with 2,514 and remains a viable option for teams looking to add depth to their rotations.
Not every team is a fit for Vazquez, though. He has preferred East Coast teams for their relative proximity to his native Puerto Rico, so clubs like the Padres and Dodgers are at a significant disadvantage. Vazquez appears to be considering retirement seriously, so it’s hard to imagine him returning for a 15th season unless it’s the right fit.
At this point in his career, Vazquez is an extreme fly ball pitcher – only four pitchers with 100 innings pitched or more have a lower ground ball rate than Vazquez’s 33.1%. He has always been homer-prone, so the jump in fly balls suggests teams with cozy stadiums should steer clear of Vazquez despite his recent dominance.
The Mets and Marlins, two East Coast clubs, play in parks that suppress home runs (according to ESPN’s park factors), but the Marlins move into a new stadium next year and it’s unclear how pitcher-friendly their new home will be. The Florida front office could offer Vazquez arbitration after the season, but draft pick compensation won’t be a factor, since the 35-year-old doesn’t project as a ranked free agent.
Given Vazquez’s age and interest in retirement, another one-year deal seems likely for the ACES client. His summer surge has seemingly eliminated the possibility that he’ll have to settle for a minor league deal and it may have set him up for another contract in the $7MM range.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.