Odds & Ends: Pirates, Martinez, Blanton, Putz
A few links the night before all Hot Stove hell breaks loose…
- Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that team president Frank Coonelly said the Pirates have made less than $11MM profit over the last two years, and all of that was put back into the team.
- Agent Alan Nero says that opening talks about a long-term deal for Victor Martinez "should be on the to-do list in January," according to Daniel Barbarisi and Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says we can add Joe Blanton to the list of pitchers available via trade. He's arbitration eligible after making $5.475MM in 2009, and the Phillies can better use that money elsewhere.
- The Diamondbacks are one of the teams that watched J.J. Putz's recent throwing session, according to FoxSports.com.
- Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times takes a look at five issues facing the Dodgers heading into the Winter Meetings.
- The Mariners are among the teams looking to land a catcher this week, says Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com.
- Adam Rubin of The NY Daily News rounds up Omar Minaya's brief meeting with the press upon arriving in Indianapolis for the Winter Meetings.
- Carl Pavano's agent says his client is undecided about whether to accept arbitration, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe says the Red Sox, Angels, Mariners, and maybe the Mets represent the market for Jason Bay.
- MLB.com's Carrie Muskat spoke to a Rangers' official who said the team would be willing to bring Milton Bradley back, however they're not sure they want to deal with "that headache" again.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Angels will compete with the Mariners for John Lackey and Jason Bay, but they won't bid $100MM.
- Omar Minaya suggests that trades are more likely than free agent signings for the Mets, according to Ben Shpigel of The NY Times.
- Free agent Jamey Carroll says the "door hasn't been closed" on a return to Cleveland, according to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune says the Rays will be looking to make more under-the-radar moves this year.
- Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes about a perfect storm scenario that could send Roy Halladay to the Phillies.
- LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune hears that Joe Mauer's agent might not attend the Winter Meetings because of all the attention that will paid to his client's possible free agency.
- Tyler Hissey previewed the Orioles' offseason.
Mauer Responds To Deadline Rumor
THURSDAY, 2:41pm: La Velle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune tweets that no serious negotiations about a contract extension have begun, and that "absolutely no deadlines have been set."
TUESDAY, 4:10pm: Mauer has been texting his heart out…in a text to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune last night, he said the Passan report is "news to me." Still, it'd be more direct if Mauer came out and said, "My agent and I did not give the Twins any kind of deadline."
1:59pm: Mauer texted MLB.com's Kelly Thesier but didn't exactly deny setting a deadline, saying:
"I'm not going to react to every story/rumor that comes out or comment on any negotiations. As far as that report, I don't know where that came from."
MONDAY, 11:25pm: Joe Mauer will end contract negotiations if he doesn't have a deal with the Twins by Opening Day next year, according to a Jeff Passan source said to be close to the catcher. In his Yahoo column, Passan also notes that "formal negotiations between the sides have yet to begin" despite the Twins' desire to have a deal by Christmas.
This is no time for Twins fans to panic, however. Passan believes talks will begin soon, and the sides have a full four months even if Mauer is imposing that deadline. It's way too early to predict Mauer's future, and I have a feeling Ron Shapiro and the Twins will keep leaks to a minimum.
Rogers On Mauer, Pujols, Vizquel
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says the Twins are "getting serious" about a Joe Mauer extension. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported earlier in the week that the Twins hope to sign Mauer to an extension by Christmas. As Rogers points out, Mauer's agent, Ron Shapiro, represented Cal Ripken Jr. and Kirby Puckett, so there's hope for Twins fans who dread Mauer's impending free agency. Here are the rest of Rogers' rumors:
- Albert Pujols' representatives told the Cardinals not to worry about a potential extension until they take care of the team's other needs. Pujols is under control through 2011, a year longer than Mauer.
- The White Sox may ask Omar Vizquel to mentor 20-year-old shortstop Eduardo Escobar. Like Vizquel, Escobar is a Venezuelan switch-hitter with a good glove and little power. But White Sox farm director Buddy Bell cautions against making Vizquel comparisons just yet.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Revenue Sharing, Bullington, Halladay, Mauer
On this date 18 years ago, Eddie Murray signed a two-year, $7.5MM deal with the Mets, the third of six teams he would play for in 21 seasons. In those two years, he would hit 43 home runs and post seasons of 115 and 111 OPS+. A week into this year's free agency, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- The Biz of Baseball looks at revenue sharing in baseball and why baseball no longer releases revenue sharing figures.
- DC Sports Plus evaluates the list of minor league free agent pitchers and who might get shots to stick with a big league club in the Spring.
- Royals Authority looks at what the signing of Bryan Bullington could mean for the Royals and whether he can contribute as a big league relief pitcher.
- River Ave Blues speculates on what the Yankees and Red Sox would have to give up to land Roy Halladay.
- MLB Notebook examines why the Tigers are looking to trade Edwin Jackson.
- UmpBump breaks down the Padres off-season needs and what San Diego needs to bring back should Adrian Gonzalez be traded.
- Jorge Says No! speculates on an extension that could work for both the Twins and Joe Mauer.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.
Odds & Ends: Dye, Pettitte, Bay, Yankees, Mauer
Some links to start the day…
- Yesterday we heard that Jermaine Dye was open to playing first base, and Jack Moore at FanGraphs determines that unless he takes a massive paycut, Dye's still not worth taking the spot of a prospect.
- Andy Pettitte isn't expected to make his decision about a 2010 return anytime soon, according to Mark Feinsand of The NY Daily News.
- FoxSports.com's Tracy Ringolsby runs down the ten biggest free agency blunders. I have to disagree that the Dodgers are better off with Juan Pierre in left instead of Manny Ramirez, what about you?
- Cathal Kelly of The Toronto Star says there is a "school of thought" that the Blue Jays could be a surprise suitor for Jason Bay, who is Canadian. The move could ease some fan anger should they trade Roy Halladay.
- After last year's spending spree, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said "We're not going to spend as much this year," according to The NY Post's Dan Martin. Maybe he means they can afford only one nine-figure contract instead of two this offseason.
- Charley Walters of The Pioneer Press notes that playing on the East Coast could result in enormous endorsement opportunities for Joe Mauer, something he'd have to consider before agreeing to an extension with the Twins.
- A's majority owner John Fisher and minority owner Lew Wolff reinforced their desire to build a new ballpark in downtown San Jose, reports Joe Stiglich of The Contra Costa Times.
- The Boston Herald provides a nice little primer for the AL East hot stove.
Twins Hope To Have Mauer Deal Done By Christmas
There are indications from the Twins that they hope to have a contract extension with AL MVP Joe Mauer done by Christmas, according to The Star Tribune's Joe Christensen. The team has met with Mauer's agent and realizes an extension needs to happen soon, but Mauer didn't seem too concerned about it during a teleconference yesterday, saying "it will take care of itself when it needs to."
Teammate Justin Morneau said he didn't think it was a question of money, but "whether or not he feels we can win every day with the talent we have." The Twins move into Target Field next season, and new ballparks have historically led to increased revenue, at least in the first few years.
Odds & Ends: Towers, Randy Johnson, Arroyo
Links for Monday…
- Former GM Kevin Towers will attend the Winter Meetings and meet with three or four teams about possible employment, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Towers prefers the American League.
- Randy Johnson is undecided about pitching in 2010, say Rosenthal and Morosi.
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman tells readers in his latest mailbag that he wouldn't be surprised to see the Braves trade Jordan Schafer.
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues speculates on what the Yankees would have to give up for Josh Johnson.
- ESPN's Buster Olney compares a potential Joe Mauer extension to Todd Helton's contract, in that it'd make up such a large percentage of the Twins' payroll.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel discovered that a handful of teams have avoided four-year commitments to pitchers in recent years.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos talked to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports about the team's strategy to beef up scouting.
- For someone who hasn't been paying attention to the hot stove, Bronson Arroyo has a reasonable take on the Reds' direction and recent Scott Rolen/Ramon Hernandez commitments (MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reporting).
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick discusses the role of advanced defensive metrics in player acquisitions.
- MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone notes that a very similar report surfaced in three different media outlets within a span of a few hours.
Joe Mauer Named AL MVP
Twins catcher Joe Mauer was named the American League MVP today, according to a team press release. Mauer was a near-unanimous pick for first place, with Miguel Cabrera getting one vote (from Keizo Konishi of Kyodo News). Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter placed second and third in the voting; Cabrera fourth. The AP's report notes that Mauer gets $100K for the win and Cabrera $200K for his fourth-place finish.
The BBWAA's site has the full voting. Hey, there's Placido Polanco!
Twins’ Extension Talks For Joe Mauer Have Not Begun
THURSDAY, 8:48am: Mauer told Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that contract talks "haven't really started."
WEDNESDAY, 2:00pm: The Twins have begun extension talks with Joe Mauer's agent Ron Shapiro, according to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. That hardly qualifies as news, but I'm guessing Twins fans on this site crave every detail.
Mauer, 27 in April, hit .365/.444/.587 in 606 plate appearances this year. He'll earn $12.5MM in 2010, the last year of an extension signed in February of '07.
Rogers On Yankees, Cubs, Mauer, Padilla
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune has written a pair of new articles. One focuses on the New York Yankees, while the other explores news from around the majors. Here are some of his points:
- Pitching depth is the Yankees' main priority this offseason. Having Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes all healthy and effective would be ideal, but Rogers doesn't think GM Brian Cashman will be able to resist looking hard at free agent veteran starting pitching.
- Rogers thinks the Cubs will attempt to bolster their bullpen through trades.
- He also mentions that the Cubs could be looking to fill a couple vacancies in their Opening Day rotation, with Rich Harden expected to leave and Ted Lilly's health in question.
- Rogers expects the Minnesota Twins to "get busy" working on an extension for Joe Mauer, and wonders what the starting point will be (his guess: five years and $95MM).
- The Los Angeles Dodgers would like to re-sign Vicente Padilla based on his on-field performance. However, his off-field actions, including last week's shooting in Nicaragua, make the decision more problematic.