Joe Saunders

National League Non-Tenders

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 13, 2011 at 12:44am CDT

Here are this year's National League non-tenders. You can also keep track of all teams with our non-tender tracker and check out our list of non-tender candidates:

The Braves non-tendered Peter Moylan, according to Ronald Blum of the AP. They also non-tendered Brooks Conrad, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter).
The Mets non-tendered Ronny Paulino and Mike Baxter, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
The Cardinals will non-tender Ryan Theriot, according to B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com (Twitter link).
The Giants will non-tender Jeff Keppinger and Eli Whiteside, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (on Twitter).
The Pirates announced that they're non-tendering infielder Pedro Ciriaco and catcher Jason Jaramillo.
The Padres announced that they non-tendered Jeremy Hermida.
The Marlins non-tendered Clay Hensley, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter).
The Dodgers announced that they non-tendered Hong-Chih Kuo (Twitter link).
The Rockies announced that they non-tendered outfielders Ryan Spilborghs and Cole Garner (Twitter link).
The Cubs non-tendered Koyie Hill, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (Twitter link).
The D'Backs will non-tender Joe Saunders and Micah Owings, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Arizona will try to re-sign both pitchers. The team has confirmed the moves.
The Nationals will non-tender left-hander Doug Slaten, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).

D’Backs May Trade Joe Saunders

By Dan Mennella | December 9, 2011 at 7:38pm CDT

7:38pm: A source tells Piecoro that the Red Sox are one of several teams interested in Saunders (Twitter link).

6:42pm: The Diamondbacks' acquisition of Trevor Cahill may lead them to trade lefty Joe Saunders, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

Saunders was considered a non-tender candidate earlier this offseason, but the D'Backs apparently offered him a two-year contract earlier this week. Saunders' camp countered Arizona's offer, but nothing yet has come of that, and during a conference call with reporters to discuss the Cahill trade, D'Backs GM Kevin Towers said there's a "significant gap" between the sides.

MLBTR's arbitration projection pegs Saunders for a salary of $8.7MM in 2012. He's logged no fewer than 186 innings in each of the past four seasons but was worth just 6.6 WAR in that span, according to Fangraphs.

NL West Notes: Sherrill, Saunders, Thayer, Moseley

By Luke Adams 2 | December 6, 2011 at 4:33pm CDT

Winter Meetings notes from the NL West:

The Rockies are eyeing left-handed relief help and George Sherrill is on their list of targets, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Mariners have also checked in on Sherrill, Morosi adds.
Joe Saunders' camp provided the Diamondbacks with a counter-offer to the contract the club proposed yesterday, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Scott Miller of CBS Sports discusses the decision Arizona is facing on Saunders.
The Padres signed Dale Thayer to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter).
Dustin Moseley, who had surgery on his non-throwing in August, is a non-tender candidate for the Padres, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

NL West Rumors: Saunders, Overbay, Headley

By Luke Adams 2 | December 5, 2011 at 6:18pm CDT

One round of NL West notes wasn't enough for today, so let's do it again:

The Diamondbacks have extended a contract offer to Joe Saunders, and it appears to be for two years, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. GM Kevin Towers says other teams have inquired about Saunders, and that the D'Backs intend to either trade him or sign him to a new deal, rather than go to arbitration (Twitter link).
Steve Gilbert of MLB.com says (on Twitter) the Diamondbacks expect to hear tonight whether Lyle Overbay will accept their one-year offer.
The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with Joe Martinez, who will be added to the 40-man roster, tweet Piecoro.
MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link) says the Padres are asking for "the moon" for Chase Headley. They could move him, but it will cost a lot if they do.
The Padres are looking at Andrew Bailey and several free agent arms to replace Heath Bell, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (via Twitter). Hayes adds that the team isn't willing to commit more than two years to any free agent arm (Twitter link).
The Rockies' waiver claim of Jamie Hoffmann increases the probability of Ryan Spilborghs being non-tendered, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

NL West Rumors: Ludwick, Gillick, Padres, Rockies

By Tim Dierkes | December 5, 2011 at 3:07pm CDT

The latest on various NL West clubs…

Heath Bell told MLB.com's Corey Brock he never heard from new Padres GM Josh Byrnes. Bell noted that he passed on offers of a little more money to take a three-year, $27MM deal from the Marlins.
The Padres' goal is to fix the eighth and ninth innings this offseason, manager Bud Black told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio.
The Dodgers are closing in on a minor league deal with reliever Alberto Castillo, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. The 36-year-old spent most of the year at Triple-A, posting a 1.91 ERA and 8.1 K/9 in 42 1/3 innings there.
The Giants are believed to have scheduled a meeting today with Ryan Ludwick's agent Dan Horwits, reports MLB.com's Chris Haft. Ludwick, 33, hit .237/.310/.363 with 13 home runs in 553 plate appearances for the Padres and Pirates this year.
Phillies senior advisor and former GM Pat Gillick would consider a position as the Dodgers' new president of baseball operations, he told Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.
The Padres are getting hits on Chase Headley, Jason Bartlett, and Orlando Hudson, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, who expects one of them to be dealt by spring training. Hudson, who is owed $7.5MM through 2012, would be a pure salary dump, tweets Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
The Rockies are lukewarm at best on Hudson, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, who wonders if the Giants' Jeff Keppinger could be a fit. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says the Giants are looking to get creative on the trade front for outfield and infield help.
Non-tender candidate Joe Saunders told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert he'd like to return to the Diamondbacks, but the decision is up to the team. About a week ago, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that Saunders has a very good chance of returning to the D'Backs on a two-year deal.

D’Backs Prioritizing Montero Extension At Meetings

By Steve Adams | December 5, 2011 at 7:53am CDT

The Diamondbacks are prioritizing an extension for Miguel Montero, writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports. Last month we heard that while there's mutual interest between the two sides, discussions were at an impasse. The 27-year-old backstop played in a career-high 140 games, batting .282/.351/.469 in 2011.

Within the same piece, Ringolsby says the Snakes must also decide whether or not to bring back lefty Joe Saunders. Saunders is in line for a big raise from his $5.5MM salary in 2011, and the D'Backs have the depth to non-tender him and fill the spot internally with names like Jarrod Parker, Tyler Skaggs, and Trevor Bauer.

NL West Notes: Saunders, Dodgers, Giants

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 30, 2011 at 8:31pm CDT

The Rockies have grabbed the headlines tonight, trading Chris Iannetta to the Angels for Tyler Chatwood and agreeing to terms with Ramon Hernandez on a two-year deal. However, there’s lots more going on in the NL West. Here are the details:

There’s a “very good” chance Joe Saunders signs a two-year deal with the Diamondbacks, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Saunders, a non-tender candidate, has a projected 2012 salary of $8.7MM.
The Dodgers are looking for starting pitching and remain in on Hiroki Kuroda, Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark (on Twitter). However, Kuroda may be too pricey for the Dodgers, who also like Jeff Francis.
The Dodgers will have a new owner before long, so Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times asks baseball people what qualities a good owner has. I recommend DiGiovanna’s piece, which suggests passion and money top the list of traits fans might want in an owner.
Incoming Giants CEO Larry Baer confirmed that the team will operate with a $130MM payroll in 2012, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The team followed up its 2010 World Championship season with a $118MM payroll in 2011.
For more news on the Rockies, click here.

D’Backs Rumors: Saunders, Kuroda, Buehrle

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 14, 2011 at 11:13am CDT

The Diamondbacks continued their aggressive offseason approach over the weekend, agreeing to terms with Aaron Hill on a two-year deal. The club will now search for pitching; here are the details:

You can add Roy Oswalt to the list of veteran starters that the Diamondbacks have at least some level of interest in, Piecoro tweets.
Joe Saunders, a non-tender candidate with a projected 2012 salary of $8.7MM, told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he hopes to return next year. Saunders, who prides himself on his ability to log innings and pitch deep into games, has averaged 200 innings per season since 2008.
The D'Backs appear to have interest in free agents Hiroki Kuroda and Mark Buehrle, according to Piecoro (on Twitter). Kuroda's name has come up as a possible fit for Arizona, but this is the first time we've seen the D'Backs connected to Buehrle
The D'Backs announced earlier today that they sold Kameron Mickolio to the Hiroshima Carp.

Non-Tender Candidate: Joe Saunders

By Tim Dierkes | October 19, 2011 at 8:46am CDT

Diamondbacks lefty Joe Saunders is a non-tender candidate, based on comments GM Kevin Towers made to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Towers explained his thought process toward the 30-year-old:

"He certainly logs innings, which is good. A veteran with experience. A good guy. Fits in well with our club. We like him. A deciding factor will be how much confidence do we have with the younger players in our system."

Every rotation needs innings guys, and this year Saunders tallied 215 including a playoff start. Throw in a 3.69 ERA and how could the D'Backs be thinking about cutting Saunders for no return?

First there's the price tag, which we project at a hefty $8.7MM. That'd represent a $3.2MM raise as Saunders enters his last season before free agency. Then there's that ERA, which doesn't seem representative of Saunders' skills. His SIERAs have consistently been in the 4.70 range. Saunders is a hittable, low-strikeout pitcher who can be prone to the longball. Finally there's Arizona's depth; they might have young starters who can provide similar performance for the league minimum, if not the innings.

Trading or non-tendering Saunders would greatly add to the D'Backs' payroll flexibility, though they don't have huge needs. Would at least one team feel that Saunders is worth $8-9MM on a one-year deal, and also give up a minor leaguer for him? I find it unlikely. Saunders is similar to a healthy Jon Garland, and the open market repeatedly valued Garland close to $5MM. Only four free agents reached 200 innings this year, and C.C. Sabathia, C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, and Hiroki Kuroda will either be expensive or picky about where they sign. However, innings alone don't get a free agent an $8MM+ payday, as we saw with Garland and Rodrigo Lopez last year. Let's hear your thoughts on Saunders in the poll below.

Towers On Hill, Bloomquist, Blanco, Saunders, Parra

By Tim Dierkes | October 11, 2011 at 10:30am CDT

Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers spoke to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic yesterday. Highlights:

Towers would like to bring back second baseman Aaron Hill, but not at his option prices of $8MM for each of the 2012 and '13 seasons. The 29-year-old hit .315/.386/.492 in 142 plate appearances for Arizona, his first stint in the National League. He's represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council, as our Agency Database shows.
Towers is "leaning toward" exercising Willie Bloomquist's $1.1MM mutual option and will "probably" pick up a $1.15MM mutual option on catcher Henry Blanco. Piecoro expects both players back, so these might be rare cases where both sides exercise their end of mutual options.
The GM is undecided on whether to tender a contract to lefty Joe Saunders, depending on whether he thinks the team's young starters are ready. Saunders is due a raise on this year's $5.5MM salary, which we'll dig into later this week here at MLBTR. Towers believes the team has the payroll space for both Hill and Saunders, if that's the route he chooses. I think Saunders will be tendered a contract, since he'd have some trade value.
Left fielder Gerardo Parra's possible Super Two status is "too close to call right now," said Towers. As of August 23rd, a source told me the cutoff appeared to be two years and 145 days of service, which is the exact amount Parra has.
Towers seeks a bat to complement first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and Piecoro thinks that might mean re-signing Lyle Overbay.
Towers feels that the Diamondbacks' pitching staff is in "pretty good shape." The GM doesn't see "big, big" offseason needs, though he won't rule out a run at the "right kind of marquee guy."

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