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Jhonny Peralta

Tigers Won’t Make Any Qualifying Offers, Don’t Expect To Re-Sign Peralta

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After introducing new manager Brad Ausmus to the press today, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski chatted with members of the media, including Chris Iott of MLive.com. Among the information he chose to reveal is that the club will not make any qualifying offers to players eligible for free agency, and does not expect to re-sign. (Twitter links.)

While none of the Detroit free agents were obvious QO candidates, there were arguments to be made for second baseman Omar Infante and perhaps shortstop Jhonny Peralta and closer Joaquin Benoit. With the news, those three (and the rest of the Tigers' free agent crop) can enter the market without being hindered by draft pick compensation.

As for Peralta, Dombrowski's apparent lack of interest in a reunion is not all that surprising, particularly given that the club dealt for his replacement (Jose Iglesias) immediately after Peralta's 50-game PED suspension. On the other hand, Peralta did return to the field for the club and has expressed interest in returning. Ultimately, it seems likely that he'd be more valuable anyway to team looking to fill a starting shortstop vacancy.

AL Notes: Napoli, Tigers, Orioles, Ryan

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Yesterday, the Associated Press reported MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred testified, during the Alex Rodriguez arbitration hearing, baseball did not concern itself if Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch distributed illegal substances to minors and was only interested in possible criminal activity involving players. Today, Manfred called the report "ridiculous" telling Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel his testimony was "totally out of context and mischaracterized" and accused the A-Rod camp of leaking the story. "The larger point is this: From our perspective, one of the reasons we pursue cases like the A-Rod case is we think players should be role models for kids," Manfred explained to Haudricourt. "It's almost comical that A-Rod, who already has admitted in the past he used steroids, would express an opinion on our stance on children and PEDs." The hearing will resume next month. In other news and notes from the American League:

  • Mike Napoli's strong postseason is further proof his avascular necrosis is not an issue as he enters free agency for the second time, reports MLB.com's Lindsay Berra. Napoli was frustrated by having to settle for a one-year, $5MM deal (incentives pushed the eventual value to $13MM) after a three-year, $39MM contract was scrapped because of the AVN diagnosis. "I waited seven years for free agency and then got an opportunity, and it got taken away because of something I didn't even know I had and had never had any pain from," said Napoli. "I'm a little more confident about negotiating a contract now that I've shown all year that my hips aren't an issue, but I'm sure I'm going to have to go through all the steps again, with all the MRIs and talking to doctors."
  • There are six questions the Tigers must answer this offseason, writes MLive.com's Chris Iott. Among the answers, Iott predicts Jim Leyland will return as manager, the Tigers will not re-sign Jhonny Peralta (despite his desire to remain in Detroit), but will re-sign Joaquin Benoit and Omar Infante. 
  • The Orioles don't have a lot of inventory to deal this winter after trading away six players in midseason acquisitions, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. Zach Britton, Brian Matusz, and Steve Johnson head the list of tradeable players, according to Dubroff.
  • Nolan Ryan left his imprint on the Rangers, especially the pitching staff, with his attitude and focus on conditioning, opines Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
  • Ryan received a $10MM buyout (his ownership stake plus incentives) when he announced his retirement from the Rangers, Grant reports in separate article. However, according to Forbes, Ryan wound up losing money on his ownership investment. Ryan's original equity interest was valued at $13MM (6% ownership); but, dwindled to $7MM (1% ownership) because he declined to participate in various cash calls to cover his share of the losses the franchise incurred.

Jhonny Peralta Wants To Stay With Tigers

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It has been a trying year for Jhonny Peralta as he missed 50 games due to his PED suspension before the club's playoff run, which ended at the hands of the Red Sox last night.  Peralta now faces an uncertain future as he is eligible for free agency, but the veteran says that he wants to stay with the Tigers, writes John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.  

The Tigers have their shortstop position spoken for with Jose Iglesias, but Peralta might be willing to continue at his new left field position to facilitate a new deal with Detroit.

"There's a chance for sure, yeah, because I like the organization here," Peralta said when asked about the possibility. "Do I want to be here? Yeah, I want to be here."

It's unclear how much interest there will be on the other side of the table.  The Tigers could turn to Nick Castellanos or Andy Dirks to man the position and might not want to spend the money to bring Peralta back.  Peralta, an SFX client, hit .303/.358/.457 in 448 plate appearances in 2013.

Central Notes: Peralta, Brewers, Yost

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After serving a 50-game suspension for his role in the Biogenesis scandal, Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta returned to his team Friday, now playing left field. Jose Iglesias has hit fairly well while living up to his defensive reputation since the Tigers acquired him in the three-team Jake Peavy trade at the July deadline, and so Peralta's team isn't the same as it was when he left it. Luckily for Peralta, Tigers left fielders, headed by Andy Dirks, haven't been spectacular, and there's still room for Peralta's potent bat in the Tigers' lineup and on their bench. He now appears set to make the Tigers' ALDS roster. Here are more notes from the Central divisions.

  • Brewers owner Mark Attanasio acknowledges that his team has had a "disappointing" season, Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel reports. But the team's struggles created opportunities for players like Scooter Gennett, Khris Davis and Tyler Thornburg, and those players took advantage. "It certainly is going to affect how we plan in the offseason," Attanasio says. "We did our full group staff meetings, and a lot of these guys are in the mix now, and I don’t know if you would have had any of them in the mix three to four months ago." Attanasio suggests that the Brewers will pursue pitching this offseason, even though there aren't "a lot of obvious candidates" on the free agent market.
  • The Royals and manager Ned Yost haven't yet begun talks on a new contract, but it's nearly certain he'll return, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes. "I’ve got too much invested here," says Yost. "These players are a joy to be around. They’re a fun, fun group." Royals GM Dayton Moore recently expressed interest in keeping Yost in the organization. The Royals are the midst of their first winning season since 2003.

Central Links: Peralta, Holland, Cubs, Pelfrey

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Yesterday it was reported that Jhonny Peralta has left ACES for SFX as he prepares to hit free agency this offseason. Regarding his departure, Sam and Seth Levinson of ACES offered the following statement (via MLB.com's Jason Beck):

"ACES takes great pride in standing by our players during difficult times in their lives. Thankfully, the darkest chapter in Jhonny’s professional career has concluded. We wish him the best in all that he does moving forward, and fully understand that Jhonny is more comfortable with a Latin agent.  ACES is proud to represent great players who are quality people for over three decades and we will continue to defend and assert our players’ rights under the rules of the game."

Here's more out of baseball's Central divisions…

Jhonny Peralta Leaves ACES For SFX

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Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta has become the latest player to leave Sam and Seth Levinson's ACES agency, reports MLB.com's Jason Beck. As he approaches free agency, Peralta will be represented by Diego Bentz of SFX.

Since being investigated by Major League Baseball in relation to the PED suspension of Melky Cabrera, ACES has seen several high-profile clients leave for other representation. It lost Nelson Cruz just before the Rangers outfielder — like Peralta — took a fifty-game suspension relating to the Biogenesis scandal. Other players, including Shane Victorino and Everth Cabrera (another Biogenesis suspension target), walked over the off-season.  

Peralta, 31, had been enjoying one of the best years of his career before his suspension, posting a .305/.361/.461 slash line in 436 plate appearances and making his second All-Star game. The Tigers are reportedly still debating whether to bring Peralta back as a reserve in the post-season, but have no plans to bench recent acquisition Jose Iglesias if they do. (As Beck noted earlier today, Peralta could even see time in left field.)

In either event, Detroit seems set to move on with Iglesias as the everyday shortstop next season, making it likely that Peralta will find a new employer after the season. His new agency, SFX, also represents Tigers star Miguel Cabrera, Diamondbacks first bagger Paul Goldschmidt, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, and a long list of other ballplayers. It will be tasked with convincing clubs that the suspension was a one-time mistake and focusing on Peralta's strong campaign prior to his time off. While Peralta's value has unquestionably taken a hit, some organization will surely see a lot of potential upside in a low-risk deal for the veteran.

AL Central Links: Santana, Peralta, Twins

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The latest out of the AL Central to kick off your Wednesday morning…

  • Right-hander Ervin Santana offered praise for the Royals organization, its training staff and his teammates when asked by Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star if he'd be open to returning to the team next season. Santana told Dutton that his main focus is finishing the season strong, however. General manager Dayton Moore said the Royals "certainly like" Santana and will make an effort to bring him back for 2014.
  • Jhonny Peralta has been told by Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski that he will not be the team's starting shortstop if he returns to the team for the postseason following his 50-game suspension, writes James Schmehl of MLive.com. If the Tigers don't bring Peralta back, they will have to make a move to remove him from the roster when his suspension is up, which likely would mean designating Peralta for assignment, Schmehl adds.
  • MLB.com's Jason Beck spoke with Tigers lefty Darin Downs, who told Beck that he was in "offseason mode" when he got a surprise call from the team and was called up to the Majors. Downs had already gone home to Florida for the winter to be with his family and hadn't thrown for a week. Beck details how rare a move like this is for the Tigers in his piece.
  • "I don't know that," Twins GM Terry Ryan told reporters, including Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, when asked who will replace Justin Morneau in 2014. "We're still looking at it, seeing how we're going to respond, seeing how our guys do." Walters adds that there's still a chance Morneau could re-sign in Minnesota.

Quick Hits: Qualifying Offers, Peralta, Harrison

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The list of pitchers likely to receive qualifying offers this year includes Hiroki Kuroda, Ervin Santana and A.J. Burnett, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs writes. But Cameron also looks into some less obvious candidates, like Tim Lincecum of the Giants and Josh Johnson of the Blue Jays. Three pitchers (Kuroda, Rafael Soriano, and Kyle Lohse) received qualifying offers last offseason; Cameron seems to think that number should be slightly higher this winter. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.

  • Jhonny Peralta, who was suspended for his role in the Biogenesis scandal, will soon be eligible to begin a rehab assignment, but the Tigers aren't sure what they'll do with him, MLB.com's Jason Beck reports. The season has ended for all the Tigers' minor-league teams, which makes the Florida instructional league, which begins September 19, the most likely possibility. The Tigers must decide by September 26 whether to place Peralta back on the active roster. They don't appear to have made that decision yet. Peralta becomes a free agent at the end of the season.
  • Starter Matt Harrison had his third surgery of the season on Monday, but the Rangers have insurance on his contract, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports. Harrison is signed to a five-year, $55MM contract that begins this season. He's set to make $13MM annually in 2015 through 2017. The insurance on Harrison is fortunate for the Rangers, as is the fact that Harrison's latest surgery is on his non-throwing shoulder.

Central Notes: Peralta, McDonald, Sweeney

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In some non-traditional transactional news, some Tigers fans are mourning the apparent firing of one of Comerica Park's fixtures, opera-singing hot dog vendor Charley Marcuse. More from MLB's central divisions…

  • The Tigers have a decison looming with Jhonny Peralta, who will return from a 50-game suspension with three games remaining in the regular season, John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press notes. The club may not reinstate Peralta to avoid associated media scrutiny, as the infielder was suspended for his connection with the Biogenesis scandal. However, keeping him on could protect the Tigers in the case of an injury to his replacement at shortstop, Jose Iglesias, or second baseman Omar Infante.
  • Though righty James McDonald has finally recovered after hitting the DL with shoulder discomfort in early May, he didn't factor into the Pirates' plans moving forward, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports in a tweet. McDonald, 28, was designated for assignment earlier today. The former top prospect is only a year removed from a 4.21 ERA, 171-inning campaign and has just a year of arbitration under his belt, so he could draw interest if clubs believe he's healthy.
  • The Cubs' Ryan Sweeney figures to get playing time this month so that the club can evaluate him, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports. Sweeney will be a free agent after the season. "You give him 500, 700 plate appearances that he’s never gotten before, I think you could project that to be a pretty good year," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. The 28-year-old signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs in April but missed more than two months after fracturing a rib.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Central Links: Pinto, Mauer, Peralta, Baker, Bard

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As the Cubs and Brewers square off in the first of a four-game series that could have serious implications on the 2014 MLB draft (one game separates the two teams who stand to pick fourth and fifth, respectively), let's take a look at baseball's Central divisions…

  • The Twins don't feel that rookie Josmil Pinto is far from being a starting catcher at the Major League level, writes Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The 24-year-old Venezuelan hit .309/.400/.482 with 15 homers and an 83-to-66 K/BB ratio between Double-A and Triple-A this season and has seven hits in his first 10 big league at-bats. As Miller notes, Pinto's emergence makes Joe Mauer's future position "more unknown than ever." Twins GM Terry Ryan told Miller he "doesn't know exactly what [Mauer is] going to end up doing" in 2014. Minnesota also has 25-year-old Chris Herrmann and veteran Ryan Doumit on the roster. Herrmann and Doumit are both capable of playing the corner outfield positions.
  • Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski is currently in the process of deciding whether or not to bring Jhonny Peralta back to the club for a potential postseason run, writes James Schmehl of MLive.com. Dombrowski says Peralta was forthright and handled the situation as best he could. The Tigers, of course, acquired Jose Iglesias to man shortstop in Peralta's stead and in the long-term at the trade deadline. Bringing Peralta back would likely displace one of Don Kelly, Matt Tuiasosopo or Ramon Santiago from the roster.
  • Bruce Levine and Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com write that Scott Baker will make his season debut for the Cubs this Sunday — his first Major League start since Sept. 24, 2011. Baker underwent Tommy John surgery in Spring Training of 2012 with the Twins and signed a one-year, $5.5MM contract with the Cubs this offseason. Clearly, Chicago was hoping for an earlier return, but arm soreness in Spring Training of this season shut him down. Baker posted a 3.14 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 for Minnesota in 2011.
  • New Cubs reliever Daniel Bard told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that he was ready to hit free agency this offseason after being designated for assignment by the Red Sox and was pleasantly surprised to hear from Cubs president Theo Epstein when he was claimed. Bard doesn't feel that his struggles have resulted from switching from a relief role to a starting role, but rather from trying to change too much about his arsenal in the process: "I could’ve just taken the pitcher I was in the bullpen for four years and plopped that into a starting role and probably would’ve been fine," Bard told Muskat. Instead, he tried to increase his changeup usage, sink the ball more and change speeds on his fastball too often, and he feels that vast array of alterations was his downfall.
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