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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Broxton, Zambrano, Pujols

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On this date 15 years ago, the Yankees and Rockies became the first Wild Card teams in baseball history. Both were eliminated in the League Championship Series however, with the Mariners and Braves doing the honors. Nine Wild Card teams have reached the World Series since, with the Marlins (1997 & 2003), Angels (2002), and Red Sox (2004) taking home championships.

A few days before the 2010 postseason begins, let's look around the baseball blogosphere…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here

Dodgers Lock Up Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton

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FRIDAY, 1:38pm: We now have the details of Ethier's contract, courtesy of Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  The 27-year-old's deal includes incentives and escalator clauses that could boost the total value of the pact to $15.625MM. 

Ethier is guaranteed $6MM this year, including a $500K signing bonus.  The escalators are tied to plate appearances, with the benchmarks at 600, 650, and 675.  Last season, the outfielder made 685 plate appearances.

THURSDAY, 12:36pm: The Dodgers avoided arbitration with two of their core young players, officially signing outfielder Andre Ethier and closer Jonathan Broxton to two-year deals. Broxton will hit free agency once his $11MM deal expires at the end of the 2011 season. Ethier is under team control through 2012, so the Dodgers will be able to retain him after his $15.25MM deal expires. Ethier's deal pays him $6MM next season and $9.25MM in 2011, with more money attainable through incentives. Broxton gets $4MM in 2010 and $7MM in 2011, plus escalators.

In his first full season as closer, Broxton saved 36 games and stuck out a ridiculous 13.5 batters per nine innings. He earned $1.825MM in 2009, and was eligible for arbitration for the second time this offseason. Huston Street, who just signed a long-term deal of his own, will earn about $12MM for those two same seasons of his career, so his deal may have been a point of reference for Broxton's deal.

Ethier, a Super Two, earned $3.1MM last season. He hit .272/.361/.508 with a career high 31 homers last season, finishing sixth in the NL MVP voting. Los Angeles locked Matt Kemp up to a two-year deal just last week, so the Dodgers have established some security in their outfield for the next two seasons.

MLB.com's Ken Gurnick tweeted the news of Either's deal and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times followed up with the news of Broxton's agreement. Gurnick, Hernandez, Jon Heyman of SI.com and KCAL 9 added details, all via Twitter.

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Kemp Signs Two-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration

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MONDAY, 7:07pm: Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports that Kemp's contract could allow him to make up to $11.25MM in total. 

If Kemp makes 600 plate appearances this year, he would increase his 2011 salary by $50K.  If he makes 650 plate appearances, he'd earn an additional $100K, and 700 plate appearances would tack on another $150K.

Kemp made 667 plate appearances in 2009 and 657 the year prior.

FRIDAY, 7:40pm: The Dodgers avoided arbitration with Matt Kemp today and signed him to a two-year contract worth nearly $11MM. The deal, which the sides have been working on all week, is now official, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. Kemp was arbitration-eligible for the first time, so the Dodgers will have him under team control for another season after the deal expires. By that point, Kemp will be considerably richer, as he is set to earn $4MM this year and $6.95MM in 2011.

That's more than what two comparable players, Nick Markakis and Carlos Beltran, got for the same two years. Beltran earned $9.5MM for his first two arbitration years and Markakis will earn $9.75MM. Kemp, who is only 25, combined good center field defense with an .842 OPS for the Dodgers last year.

Jim Bowden first reported that the sides were close to a deal and MLB.com's Ken Gurnick said they had reached an agreement before Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times added the details.

Gurnick hears that the Dodgers are also talking two-year deals with Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton and James Loney. They agreed to terms with Chad Billingsley on a 2010 contract today.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Beltran, Guzman

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Some links on this Wednesday evening…

  • Yorvit Torrealba could end up with the Giants, according to Chris Haft of MLB.com.  However, Torrealba may prefer to wait until after the weekend to sign with any club as his Venezuelan Winter League team is still active in the postseason.
  • Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweets that in addition to Matt Kemp, the Dodgers are talking about multiyear deals with Jonathan Broxton and Andre Ethier. 
  • Carlos Beltran will have to refrain from baseball activities for twelve weeks after having his knee scoped, according to a Mets press release passed along by MetsBlog.  The story was first reported by the New York Post's Joel Sherman (via Twitter).  If all goes well with his rehabilitation, the center fielder should only miss a small amount of games to start the year.
  • Free agent lefty Doug Davis is attracting interest from four teams, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The Twins, Brewers, Mets, and Nationals are all interested in the 34-year-old, who posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.7 K/9 over the last three years in Arizona.
  • Fernando Tatis' agent told Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the Rockies had preliminary discussions with his client earlier this week.  About a week ago, we heard that the Rockies were eyeing the 35-year-old for a bench role.  Also, two major league sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Mariners are interested as well.
  • Former Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow will audition for at least 16 teams on Friday in Phoenix, according to a report from ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.  The 31-year-old demanded his release from the Rangers back in May.
  • If the Nats are able to sign Orlando Hudson or Adam Kennedy to play second base, Cristian Guzman and his $8MM salary are unlikely to be moved elsewhere, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  Guzman would remain at shortstop, where his agent insists that he is still valuable despite shoulder surgery.
  • Pittsburgh's signing of Ryan Church could pay huge dividends for the club, says ESPN's Rob Neyer.  If Church is healthy and generates interest from other clubs, the Pirates will be able to move him for a more valuable commodity.

Odds & Ends: Chapman, Iglesias, Dodgers

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They're not quite as good as Saturday morning cartoons, but here's some Saturday morning links…

  • David Lennon of Newsday writes that the Mets are among a handful of teams that are exploring a deal for Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. We learned that Chapman was officially declared a free agent by MLB yesterday.
  • ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. sat down for a chat with Jose Iglesias, who the Red Sox signed for over $8MM this summer. When asked why he chose the Sox, Iglesias said they "were a team that needed a shortstop," and "they are my father's favorite team."
  • With Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin, George Sherrill, and Hong-Chih Kuo all eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times says that the Dodgers could be looking at raises totaling about $20MM.
  • Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune says that Royals "upper management still considers (Milton) Bradley a talented hitter who could thrive in a low-key environment such as the one in Kansas City." He also wonders if a Bradley for Aaron Rowand deal could work.

Dodgers Avoid Arb With Martin, Broxton

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12:40pm: MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger says the Dodgers also reached an agreement with Jonathan Broxton ($1.825MM plus $200K in incentives), leaving Andre Ethier as the team’s lone arbitration case.

11:50am: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers avoided arbitration with catcher Russell Martin by signing him for ’09 at $3.9MM.  It’s a record for a first-year arb catcher, though a smaller amount than I was anticipating.

Erik Bedard Rumors: Wednesday

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UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 1:10am: Geoff Baker believes the Mariners are still in on Bedard, and that no team has beaten their offer yet.  However, that offer still may not be enough for Andy MacPhail and Co.

UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 1:38pm: Jon Heyman says Bedard turned down a three-year extension offer from the Orioles.  He has some interesting thoughts; check it out.

Meanwhile there’s chatter of a 610 WIP report coming out of Philly about the team’s attempts to acquire Bedard.  Something like Kyle Kendrick, Shane Victorino, Carlos Carrasco, and others.  I don’t put much stock in this one as the Orioles could do much better.

FROM 12-5-07 at 1:59am:

Tuesday ended with 11 teams expressing interest in Erik Bedard.  Let’s start a new thread for today’s rumors.

Geoff Baker cautiously names the Mariners the frontrunners for Bedard, now that the Dodgers have vowed not to give up Jonathan Broxton.  He says the front office is salivating over Bedard and could offer up some combination of Adam Jones, Wladimir Balentien, Brandon Morrow, and George Sherrill.

Latest Erik Bedard Rumors: Tuesday

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UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:36pm: Geoff Baker says that a Bedard trade with the Mariners would likely involve Wladimir Balentien, Adam Jones, and Brandon Morrow.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:06pm: The Dodgers met with the Orioles to talk Bedard today.  Ned Colletti has pretty much deemed Broxton untouchable, and no deal is close.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 10:19pm: John Fay says the Reds are seriously pursuing Bedard.  Wayne Krivsky won’t reveal much, but Fay thinks Bailey, Votto, and another prospect might interest the Orioles.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 10:16pm: The Mets again offered Heilman, Gomez, and Humber for Bedard, perhaps thinking that offering it twice would be helpful.  MLB.com’s Marty Noble says the Mets may reconfigure their offer, replacing Humber with Pelfrey or Mulvey.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 4:10pm: Joel Sherman confirms the Cubs’ interest, so that’s officially 11 teams in on Bedard.  Sherman says the Yankees and Mets are unlikely to snag the southpaw ace, and names the Dodgers as the frontrunner.  Peter Angelos is letting Andy MacPhail run the show but doesn’t want Bedard traded within the division.  Sorry Yankees and Blue Jays.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 3:10pm: Nick Cafardo notes that Cubs GM Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail had lunch today, which leads him to believe they may have discussed Bedard.  A bit of a stretch since Hendry and MacPhail used to work together.  Then again the Cubs did pursue in a Mark Prior/Miguel Tejada deal a few years back.  The Cubs would represent the 11th team in on Bedard.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 3:01pm: Buster Olney says the Jays continue to talk with the Orioles about Bedard, noting that the Jays have the young pitching.  Bedard would certainly represent the Canadian draw they’ve been looking for.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 2:16pm: There is growing buzz that the Dodgers may get Bedard.  ESPN’s Amy Nelson has a source saying a deal may be close.  Matt Kemp and Jonathan Broxton would be the main pieces of a trade.  Readers are reporting in that WFAN is saying the same.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 9:32am: The Mets are still hawking Gomez, trying to get Bedard.  Joel Sherman adds the Tigers to the list of teams after Bedard, bringing the total to ten.  He says the Tigers and Phils are getting creative trying to get Bedard.  The Tigers don’t need to get that creative – they can offer Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller.

FROM 12-4-07 at 8:45am:

How many teams are after Erik Bedard?  The tally yesterday included the Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, Dodgers, and D’Backs – that’s eight.  The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly check in with the latest on the Orioles’ ace.

  • There’s been a ton of trade interest in Bedard (as you might expect).  Andy MacPhail is still talking about signing him to an extension, but no one really buys it.  The package he’ll get in trade should rival what the Twins get for Johan.
  • The Dodgers, Mariners, and Mets have been pursuing Bedard the most aggressively.  More meetings with the Mets should occur today.  The Mariners could make an intriguing offer built around Adam Jones and Brandon Morrow.
  • A new team is added to bring the tally to nine: the Reds are interested.  However, Jay Bruce is off the table.

Erik Bedard Rumors

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The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec has the latest regarding ace Erik Bedard.  Some rank Bedard as the best available starter, all-in-all – he’s under team control for longer than Johan Santana, doesn’t have no-trade rights, and has better stuff than Dan Haren.

  • The Orioles and Bedard’s agent never actually exchanged salary figures, and now contract extension talks have come to a stop.  Andy MacPhail isn’t concerned but no one seems to expect the O’s to pony up the money needed to retain their ace beyond 2009. Johan Santana should set the bar; Bedard may become a $20MM pitcher.
  • Zrebiec lists the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, and Dodgers as teams that have inquired on Bedard.  It’s surprising to see the Red Sox omitted from that list.
  • The Mets made an offer: Carlos Gomez, Aaron Heilman, and perhaps Phil Humber.  That’s an OK starting point but the O’s could do better.
  • The Dodgers have also had talks with the O’s, with Matt Kemp, Jonathan Broxton, and Clayton Kershaw coming up.  That’s certainly worth mulling over.

Orioles To Attempt To Extend Bedard

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It looks like Erik Bedard is Andy MacPhail’s top priority right now.  He’s already gauged the trade interest for his ace, and is now exploring the idea of a contract extension.

Jeff Zrebiec says the Mets, Yankees, Angels, and Dodgers expressed interest in the southpaw starter.  Interesting to see the Halos in the mix.  The Dodgers are pushing the hardest for him.  Two years of Bedard is expected to cost a team three MLB-ready players.  The names mentioned for the Dodgers are Jonathan Broxton, Matt Kemp, and Clayton Kershaw.  While Kershaw’s not MLB-ready, I doubt the Orioles would mind.  Zrebiec says the problem with the Dodgers is that Kemp and Kershaw would be part of a Miguel Cabrera package.

What would a contract extension cost?  I’m thinking it would require something like four years, $65MM to cover the two team-controlled years and two years of free agency.

Zrebiec also mentions that the Mets inquired on Ramon Hernandez, but found the price of a high-end prospect prohibitive.

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