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Odds & Ends: Arbitration Filings, Brewers, Blue Jays

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Got some more links for you on a hectic Tuesday…

  • Ed Price of AOL FanHouse has a list of salary figures exchanged by players and their teams at today's arbitration filing deadline.
  • MLB.com's Adam McCalvy breaks down the exchanged figures and the situations of the Brewers' remaining arbitration-eligible players.
  • Jordan Bastian of MLB.com says the Blue Jays' payroll "will probably be in the $60-63MM range" next season, down from a previously reported figure of $80MM.  Toronto's payroll, however, is "really a fluid number" according to Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos.
  • Colorado may sign veteran catcher Paul Lo Duca to a minor-league deal, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
  • In a text message to Tyler Kepner of The New York Times (via Twitter), Johnny Damon said he's "sure things will work out somewhere." Damon added that he hasn't ruled out a return the Yankees either.
  • The Phillies are discussing a multi-year deal with arbitration eligible center fielder Shane Victorino, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
  • With Bengie Molina returning to San Francisco, the Mets primary catching target is now Yorvit Torrealba, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
  • Morosi tweets that Joe Blanton filed for $10.25MM in arbitration today, but the Phillies countered with $7.5MM.
  • Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (via Twitter) spoke to a scout who saw Ben Sheets' throwing session today. "He threw very well. He threw easy," said the scout, who guessed that Mets, Cubs, and Rangers were the leaders for his services.
  • Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald tweets that the Marlins and Cody Ross are going to an arbitration hearing over a $250K difference.
  • MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tweets that the Astros and Wandy Rodriguez are $2MM apart in their arbitration case.
  • The Rays and B.J. Upton did not reach a deal today, and his agent indicated that the two sides will head to an arbitration hearing according to Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times (via Twitter). He later tweets that they may be just $300K apart.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com reports that the Cubs, Cardinals, and Dodgers are monitoring free agent lefty Mark Mulder. Late last week we learned that the Brewers were going to wait before deciding whether or not to offer Mulder a deal.
  • The Blue Jays have signed outfielder Jeremy Reed and righty Steven Register to minor league deals with invitations to Spring Training according to a team press release.
  • MLB.com's Ken Gurnick tweets that the Dodgers have signed catcher J.D. Closser to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. The former top Rockies' prospect last appeared in the big leagues back in 2006.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick penned a must-read on how Jack Zduriencik has transformed the Mariners in his short time at the helm.
  • SI.com's Tom Verducci took a look at the most efficient teams of the last decade. The Marlins, Athletics, and Rays highlight the best, while the Mets were among the least efficient.

Marlins Notes: Kennedy, Reed, Cantu

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A couple of Fish-related tidbits from the land of Dwyane Wade and Dexter Morgan tonight….

  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Marlins have made finding relief pitching a priority over replacing Ross Gload.  Jackson mentioned Adam Kennedy and Jeremy Reed as left-handed hitters "mentioned in informal talks" that Florida might be interested in signing once they take care of their bullpen.
  • It looks as if Dan Uggla will still be a Marlin when the 2010 season starts, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  Rodriguez thinks that if the Fish can't find a trade partner for Uggla, they may shift gears and "start taking calls" about Jorge Cantu.  Cantu's ability to place both first and third base makes him an attractive option to teams looking for help at the corners.  Could Baltimore be interested?  We know they're still in the market for a corner infielder, and the Orioles and Marlins touched base with each other about an Uggla trade earlier this winter.

Non-Tendered Players

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The deadline for teams to offer contract to their players with less than six years of service time is midnight ET tonight, so let's keep track off all the non-tenders here in one post. Make sure you check back in, we'll be updating this post throughout the day.

Rosenthal On Sheets, Cruz, Cabrera, Reyes

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The latest from Ken Rosenthal…

  • Rosenthal recommends the Yankees sign Ben Sheets and Juan Cruz, partially because they’d pay less of a cost in draft picks than any other team.  One exec predicted Sheets would require a $6-8MM base with the potential to earn at least $14MM, and possibly a "lucrative club option."  Despite Rosenthal’s recommendation, the Yanks remain focused on Andy Pettitte (who is not weighing an offer from the Astros).
  • Industry sources tell Rosenthal that the Red Sox have kept their payroll flexible in case mid and low-revenue teams need to dump contracts.
  • The A’s probably cannot afford both Nick Johnson and Orlando Cabrera, so they’ll wait to see what happens with Cabrera before pursuing the trade with Washington.
  • Prince Fielder filed for $8MM against the Brewers’ $6MM; Rosenthal indicates the team feared he’d file higher.
  • One chatter mentioned yesterday that Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed are the exact same player; one GM said the same to Rosenthal.
  • Dennys Reyes has backed off his demand for Jeremy Affeldt money (two years, $8MM).  Affeldt seemed like a bargain at the time.
  • Expected to be in attendance at Kris Benson’s upcoming throwing session: the Dodgers, Rangers, Padres, Rockies, and D’Backs.  Looks like an NL West affair.

Mets Acquire Putz In Three-Team Deal

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THURSDAY, 12:56am: Rosenthal raises the question of whether the Mets will exercise Putz’s 2010 option for $9.1MM now that he’s a setup man.  I think if he’s worth that amount pitching the ninth he’s worth it pitching the eighth.

Putz seems excited about the trade, even if his agent says otherwise.  Ben Shpigel explains how the deal came together while reporters were in an adjacent room.

WEDNESDAY, 11:02pm: Geoff Baker says the Mariners got three additional minor leaguers from the Mets: pitcher Maikel Cleto, outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, and pitcher Jason Vargas.

10:17pm: MLB.com’s Jim Street confirmed the deal.  The Mariners give up Putz, Green, and Reed and get Heilman, Chavez, Carp, and Gutierrez.  The Indians give up Gutierrez and get Valbuena and Smith.  The Mets give up Heilman, Chavez, Carp, and Smith to get Putz, Green, and Reed.

The Mets succeeded in overhauling their bullpen without giving up premium pieces.  Assuming Putz and K-Rod are healthy, they’ll be playing seven-inning games.

The Mariners can try Heilman the rotation, and add good outfield depth.  I’m kind of lukewarm on the Indians’ benefit.

10:02pm: Geoff Baker says a previous incarnation with the Rays instead of the Mets fell apart.  In that deal, the Tigers would’ve included Jeff Larish.

9:27pm: Rosenthal has an update:

Under terms of the deal, the Mets would get Putz, outfielder Jeremy Reed and reliever Sean Green. The Mariners would receive reliever Aaron Heilman, outfielder Endy Chavez and first baseman Mike Carp from the Mets. They’d also get Franklin Gutierrez from the Indians and minor leaguers. The Indians would get reliever Joe Smith from the Mets and infielder Luis Valbuena from Seattle.

David Lennon seems to agree.

9:06pm: Jon Heyman says the Mets would surrender six players in this blockbuster.

8:40pm: MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince says the three teams "appear to be on the verge" of a deal.  He says that if the deal goes through the Mariners would get Gutierrez and the Indians would get Joe Smith and Mariners prospect Luis Valbuena.  Heilman and Jeremy Reed would also be involved in some capacity.  Graziano suggests not all of the players in the trade have been decided upon.  Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik admitted a proposal is on the table.

8:06pm: Rosenthal softened the language of his post – he now says the Mets are trying/working to acquire Putz rather than close to a deal.  He also mentions that the deal would involve one or more prospects.

8:00pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mets are close to acquiring Mariners reliever J.J. Putz in a three-team trade.  Putz and K-Rod will be quite a late inning tandem.  The Indians are also involved in the trade.  Other players in the mix:  Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Mike Carp, and Franklin Gutierrez.  Rosenthal is not sure yet who’s heading where.

Dan Graziano has the story as well, but does not mention the Indians.

Pie-Greene Rumor Denied

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MAY 7th: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald discussed the Pie-Greene rumor with Cubs officials, and it was "emphatically shot down."

APRIL 30th: Yesterday Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote of Kevin Towers’ pursuit of a long-term center field option.  Jim Edmonds remains a question mark, and his contract is up after ’08 anyway.

Krasovic says the Cubs "have kept tabs" on shortstop Khalil Greene, while the Padres are still eyeing Felix Pie.  The Cubs’ win-now approach could lead to that move, as Reed Johnson is doing fine in center field so far.  Greene is signed through the ’09 season.  Trading Greene would leave a gaping hole at the position for the Padres though.  Another point is that the Cubs have gotten fine production at shortstop so far this year.

Krasovic notes past center field considerations for the Padres such as Jeremy Reed and Tony Gwynn Jr.  Reed doesn’t seem to have a future in Seattle.  As for Coco Crisp, Towers balked at Theo Epstein’s asking price of Chase Headley.

Padres, Rays Interested In Jeremy Reed

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According to John Hickey of the Seattle PI, the Padres and Rays are eyeing Mariners center fielder Jeremy Reed.  Hickey notes that the Padres have renewed interest and have liked him for quite a while.  And he wonders whether Rays would surrender a young pitcher.  Hickey believes Reed might still be on the Ms’ roster as a showcase.  The 26 year-old does have options left, though. 

The White Sox drafted Reed in the second round back in ’02.  He made it to Double A as a 22 year-old in ’03 and hit over .400 in a half season.

Reed injured his wrist playing for Team USA that November, but said it wasn’t the cause of his poor spring with the Sox in ’04.  Instead, a partial shoulder dislocation may have been to blame.  Reed wasn’t terribly impressive in his first stint at Triple A, but he was young for his level (and still made the Futures Game).

Days after that game Kenny Williams shipped Reed to Seattle as the centerpiece of the Freddy Garcia trade.  Reed hit better at Triple A as a member of Rainiers.  Then he posted a tiny-sample .397 average in a September cup of coffee.

Reed displaced Randy Winn as the Mariners’ starting center fielder to begin the ’05 season.  He hit poorly in all months outside of May, however.  He had two injuries on the year – a concussion in July and a season-ending torn left wrist ligament in September.

Reed was a hot commodity in the 2005-06 offseason, with the Red Sox offering Matt Clement or Bronson Arroyo. The Ms added Matt Lawton in December but Reed stayed put.

In Spring Training of ’06, Reed injured his right wrist.  It was originally diagnosed as broken but turned out to be a 12-18 year-old fracture.  He was ready for Opening Day, but hit his way out of the lineup by May.  Reed then broke his thumb in July, a season-ending injury.  Reed was healthy by spring ’07 but didn’t make the team.  He posted an .806 OPS at Triple A and earned a September call-up.  In 22 ABs this spring, Reed’s hit .318/.407/.364.   

Reed looks like a decent buy-low pickup, but his star has faded from all the injuries.  His destiny may be as a fourth outfielder.  He’s got two years of service time, so he could be arbitration-eligible after this season.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Reed, Aardsma, Cueto

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Rumor king Ken Rosenthal has the latest at FOXSports.com.

  • Looks like the Padres will give near-regular playing time to Jody Gerut, at least until Jim Edmonds returns.  If Gerut performs, Kevin Towers may be able to stop his outfielder search.  Still, Rosenthal notes the Padres’ interest in Seattle’s Jeremy Reed.  Reed has two options left, by the way.
  • Rosenthal names three Boston players who are out of options and probably available for little: David Aardsma, Bryan Corey, and Kyle Snyder.  The O’s are known to be eyeing Corey.  You can check out our running out of options list here.
  • The A’s wanted spring sensation/top pitching prospect Johnny Cueto from the Reds for Joe Blanton – no deal.

Ms Could Trade Reed, Broussard

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The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s John Hickey reports that fringe players Jeremy Reed and Ben Broussard stand a decent chance of being dealt this spring.  With Ichiro in center and Vidro at DH, one or both may be expendable.

Reed remains a valuable commodity, a perfect guy for a team like the Marlins to acquire at fifty cents on the dollar.  He enters his age 26 season having survived a trade from the White Sox, a partially torn wrist ligament, Red Sox trade rumors, a serious wrist sprain, and a broken thumb.  The Fielding Bible called him "an up-and-coming elite center fielder" a year ago, but he’s without a starting gig now. 

Can Reed bounce back from an awful .217/.260/.377 line?  Baseball Prospectus has him at .267/.333/.399 for ’07; ZiPS calls for .262/.335/.393.  We have a consensus.  The average AL CF hit .275/.334/.437 last year; it was .264/.335/.418 in the NL.  There’s reason to believe Reed could provide league average offense and excellent defense for a good price for some team in ’07. 

Broussard is a 30 year-old 1B/DH.  He’s been used as a platoon guy, but doesn’t really have the splits to back that up.  As a $3.55MM bench player, he doesn’t have much use for the Mariners. On the plus side, he is a talented beat-boxer.

Cubs/Red Sox/Mariners Trade Possible

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A reliable source told me today about a three-way deal that is "imminent."  It’s always risky to throw around "imminent," but I’m just quoting him here.

Here’s the scenario:

BOS gives: Bronson Arroyo, Tony Graffanino, PTBNL

BOS gets: Jeremy Reed, Will Ohman

CHC gives: Corey Patterson, Ohman

CHC gets: Raul Ibanez, Graffanino, cash

SEA gives: Reed, Ibanez, cash

SEA gets: Arroyo, Patterson, PTBNL

Let’s evaluate.  There’s no doubt the Cubs would be making out like bandits in this trade.  Corey Patterson is useless to them, even as a fourth outfielder.  28 year-old lefty Ohman tossed a solid 43 innings this year, and seems recovered from his January 2002 Tommy John surgery.

But Chicago’s bounty seems to outweigh the former phenom and useful southpaw.  Ibanez is on the hook for just $4.25MM in 2006, and the 33 year-old is probably good for a .290/.350/.460 line in 2006.  He played 55 games in left field for the Mariners in 2005.  I’ve projected him at .288 with 21 HR, 84 RBI, 89 runs, and 8 steals for 2006.  Graffanino could probably chip in with some decent on-base skills from 2B or a utility role.

My Arroyo projection has him leading the Red Sox in wins with 16.  Arroyo does a good job limiting his baserunners and should have an ERA under 4.  I don’t think Safeco would have a major effect on his numbers.  Reed should continue to improve all facets of his game in ’06, and would be a nice pickup for the Red Sox.

There may be a holdup in the deal because the Red Sox want to trade before Graffanino and Arroyo hit arbitration, and the Cubs want to wait.  The word is that Mariners GM Bill Bavasi is strangely infatuated with Corey Patterson. If that’s the case, Hendry should strike while the iron is hot.  I don’t have any information on where Matt Murton would find himself if the proposed trade takes place, but he wouldn’t have a starting gig for the Cubs.

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