Odds & Ends: Counsell, Ibanez, Johnson, Sheffield
Exactly one year ago, the Angels signed Hideki Matsui. Today, the slugger finalized his one-year agreement with the A's. Here are today's links…
- The Brewers are having ongoing discussions with the representatives for Craig Counsell, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
- If you've heard about agent Darek Braunecker, but don't know much about him, you're not alone. David Waldstein of the New York Times introduces us to Cliff Lee's agent.
- The Phillies do not intend to trade Raul Ibanez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Joe Blanton, on the other hand, is available.
- Rosenthal also notes that the Rangers and Rockies have not discussed Michael Young since the Winter Meetings (Twitter link).
- The Orioles are still talking to the representatives for Adam LaRoche, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
- Indians manager Manny Acta is watching Bartolo Colon's start in the Dominican Republic tonight, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes (on Twitter).
- Kerry Wood told Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of the Chicago Tribune that he could see himself playing for the Cubs, but probably not for the White Sox.
- In case you were wondering, the Marlins don't intend to trade Josh Johnson, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter).
- Gary Sheffield told Mike Ferrin and Tom Gordon of MLB Network Radio that he has discussed a potential deal with the Rays. However, manager Joe Maddon told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that the Rays have limited interest in Sheffield, though they wanted to get to know him better.
Rangers Inquired On Josh Johnson
While the Rangers and Marlins were working out the trade that sent Jorge Cantu to Texas, the Rangers also took a chance to "reach for the sky" and inquired on the availability of Josh Johnson. According to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, the Rangers were willing to offer their top three prospects, but were told the Marlins' ace is "unmovable."
Johnson, 26, signed a four-year extension worth $39MM with Florida in January, virtually eliminating him as a possible trade chip for the near future. Given his performance this year, which includes a 1.72 ERA over 141.1 IP, Johnson figures to be even more untouchable now than he was at the time of the extension.
Josh Johnson Signs Four-Year Extension
Josh Johnson officially signed a four-year contract extension with the Marlins. The move follows criticism of the Marlins by MLB and the MLBPA, and comes months after talks began between the club, Johnson, and agent Matt Sosnick.
The $39MM deal will pay the right-hander $3.75MM this year, $7.75MM next year, and $13.75MM in both 2012 and 2013. Johnson also earns $50K for making the All-Star team, $500K for winning the Cy Young Award and $1MM for winning World Series MVP. The contract does not include a no-trade clause.
The deal, which buys out two of Johnson's arbitration years and two of his free agent years, resembles the four-year, $38MM extension Zack Greinke signed prior to his Cy Young season. Johnson doesn't have any Cy Youngs on his mantle, but he's coming off an All-Star season in which he allowed fewer hits than innings pitched, struck out 8.2 batters per nine and limited his walk and homer rates. He finished 15-5 with a 3.23 ERA.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first reported the agreement. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, Sirius XM's Home Plate Channel and Crasnick all added details.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Schumaker, Chapman, Thome
Sunday linkage…
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reflects on Eric Byrnes' time with the D'Backs.
- Skip Schumaker tells MLB.com's Matthew Leach that he and the Cardinals are nearing an agreement on a 2010 contract.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that the Marlins were willing to offer $20MM to Aroldis Chapman.
- MLB.com's Scott Merkin writes that a handful of teams have contacted Jim Thome, including the Rays, though nothing is imminent.
- Owner Tom Ricketts defended general manager Jim Hendry this Saturday at the Cubs' annual convention, according to Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.
- Shi Davidi from the Canadian Press spoke with both Justin Morneau and Jeff Francis at Baseball Canada's Annual Awards Banquet Saturday. Morneau expects to begin full workouts in a couple of weeks as a season-ending stress fracture in his back appears to have healed without issue. Francis is recovering from shoulder surgery but expects to be ready for Spring Training.
- Bill Ladson tweets that Ryan Zimmerman thinks the Nationals are having their best offseason since he's been with the organization. Some of the larger moves we've seen the Nats make include signing Jason Marquis, Matt Capps, and Ivan Rodriguez, in addition to trading for Brian Bruney.
- Eric Chavez told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he is comfortable with shifting to a utility role after the addition of third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.
- Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) "overheard" that the Brewers will sign at least one more pitcher. Recently, Milwaukee outrighted pitcher Omar Aguilar to Triple-A, though assistant GM Gord Ash claimed it wasn't in anticipation of an acquisition.
- ESPN's Buster Olney writes that the Marlins didn't give Josh Johnson an extension just to appease the "Powers That Be". Those within the organization expected the deal to get done well before the joint press release from the commissioner's office and the players' union.
- Olney also writes that the Marlins are still looking for bullpen help and will sift through the remaining free agent relievers, including Kiko Calero. Florida declined to offer arbitration to Calero, to avoid giving him a raise on his $500K salary in 2009.
Marlins Rumors: Johnson, Nolasco, Pinto, Uggla
The Marlins spent big yesterday. Here are the details on their plans for the rest of the offseason:
- Josh Johnson tells MLB.com that he always wanted to stay with the Marlins long-term. Yesterday the right-hander agreed to an extension that buys two of his free agent years out.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that the Marlins didn't consider a long-term deal for another one of their young right-handers, Ricky Nolasco.
- The Marlins may trade Renyel Pinto before the season begins, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.
- Capozzi hears that the Marlins are talking regularly with Dan Uggla in hopes of agreeing on the infielder's 2010 salary without going to arbitration.
Odds & Ends: Standridge, Johnson, Davis, Crede
Links for Thursday…
- Josh Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick is now "cautiously optimistic" about a potential long-term deal with the Marlins for his client, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. However, the two sides still have differing thoughts on the proper comparables to use for Johnson's 2010 salary. I'd say Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano, and Zack Greinke might be used in that discussion, but given Johnson's $1.4MM salary in '09 he probably can't expect much more than $4.2MM.
- What do Tupac, Sandra Bullock, and MLBTR have in common? They're all favorites of Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal tweets that the Phillies signed righty Jason Standridge to a minor league deal. The former Rays first-rounder pitched only 12.6 innings for the Marlins' Triple A club this year.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports wrote last night that the Twins, Brewers, Mets, and Nationals have interest in free agent lefty Doug Davis. Davis suggested to MLB.com's Bill Ladson that the Nats are more focused on adding a second baseman.
- Roch Kubatko of MASN says Joe Crede "appears to top" the Orioles' free agent list.
- The Mets signed lefty Bobby Livingston to a minor league deal, tweets MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. The 27-year-old southpaw logged 156 innings of 4.15 ball at various minor league stops in 2009.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says players of Adam LaRoche's caliber should take note of his new deal, because "the offers aren't going to get any better."
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post runs through Yorvit Torrealba's suitors, while also noting that Miguel Olivo's $2.5MM option for 2011 can become a player option with 110 games in '10.
- Catcher Mike Rabelo is a new name among the Tigers' 17 minor league deals announced today, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.
Uggla, Johnson May Benefit From Marlins Payroll Edict
9:25pm: The Biz Of Baseball's Maury Brown looks at some of the big-picture reasons why MLB and the union may have made this announcement when they did.
7:07pm: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald broke the story of MLB and the MLBPA criticizing the Marlins for not spending enough of their revenue-sharing money on player payroll. In a follow-up blog post, Spencer said this "public flogging" may be an incentive for the team to spend on the two players who have carried the most buzz this winter — Dan Uggla and Josh Johnson.
Uggla has been at the center of several trade rumors (most notably with the Giants) as the Fish were looking to avoid paying their slugging second baseman a large arbitation raise for 2010. Recently, however, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that the Marlins haven't found a trade package to their liking and were looking at keeping Uggla for the start of the season. Uggla made $5.3MM in 2009 and, as Spencer notes, is likely to earn between $7-8MM next season after arbitration. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports calls the Uggla situation "a fascinating test case" for how Florida will adjust to the MLB/MLBPA scrutiny.
As for Johnson, the Marlins have been discussing a long-term deal with their ace right-hander but the sticking point seems to be Florida's unwillingness to give Johnson a guaranteed fourth year on the contract. We learned that negotiations between the club and pitcher were re-opening this week, and Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick may have a bit of extra leverage given that the eyes of both the league and the union are taking a close look at how the Fish do business. Johnson is under team control through 2011, but it certainly wouldn't look good if Florida again passed on giving one of their young stars a big contract.
In regards to other low-spending teams, Spencer described Tuesday's announcement as "a signal" that unusually small payrolls would be under closer watch, citing the Pirates specifically. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Bucs aren't facing a similar probe and notes that Pittsburgh spent $64.4MM more on payroll than the Marlins did between 2006-2008.
Marlins To Discuss Extension With Josh Johnson
The Florida Marlins plan to talk to agent Matt Sosnick this week regarding a contract extension for Josh Johnson, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
Last month, we recapped the progress, or lack thereof, that the Marlins have made in their attempt to lock up their ace to a long-term deal. At that point, Sosnick was still optimistic about the chances of Johnson remaining in Florida for the foreseeable future. Frisaro notes that, as we previously heard, a key factor in the negotiations is whether or not Florida will guarantee Johnson a fourth year. Sosnick says that if the Marlins make that guarantee, then he will listen.
Frisaro writes that if the two sides don't work out a contract extension, Johnson might be in line to earn about $4.2MM in his second arbitration-eligible year. The right-hander earned $1.45MM in 2009. Frisaro's 2010 salary estimate seems light, as it puts Johnson in the Zach Duke class rather than in league with Felix Hernandez or Justin Verlander. Even Joe Blanton received $5.475MM in his second arbitration year.
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Cardinals, Delgado
Some more links for the evening…
- Chad Jennings of LoHud.com provides an extensive breakdown of the Yankees' potential outfield options.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says his team will decide in the near future "if we have a bullet to use what would we use it on," according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse tweets that the Pirates are the leaders for D.J. Carrasco, who is being pursued by three other teams. In a separate tweet, Price adds that the Mets plan to scout Carlos Delgado this weekend in Puerto Rico.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that Josh Johnson is definitely not switching agents any time soon. Matt Sosnick represents the big righty.
- Justin Sablich lists the best remaining free agents for the New York Times.
- Chien-Ming Wang is telling friends he's prepared to move on from the Yankees, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Abraham says Wang should be ready to join an MLB rotation in May.
- David Aardsma could come close to tripling his 2009 salary of $419K, according to MLB.com's Jim Street. The reliever is one of five arbitration-eligible Mariners
- MLB.com's Dick Kaegel tweets that Noel Arguelles passed his physical with the Royals, making official the five-year $7MM deal he agreed to earlier in the offseason.
- Larry Larue of the Tacoma News Tribune says Russell Branyan's likely not returning to Seattle now that the Mariners are poised to add Casey Kotchman.
- Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog hears from people connected to the Mets that they are interested in John Smoltz. The NL East is all over Smoltz – the Phils and Nats have interest, too.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Vazquez, Matthews
Some links for Friday…
- Jayson Stark and Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com expect the Cubs to go after free agent center fielders now that they've dealt Milton Bradley.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer doesn't expect the Reds to deal Aaron Harang in the near future.
- The Chiba Lotte Marines signed Bryan Corey, according to NPB Tracker.
- A source close to Javier Vazquez tells MLB.com's Mark Bowman that it's highly unlikely the pitcher would approve a trade to a west coast team like the Angels. The Braves are still interested in trading Derek Lowe.
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale says it would be an upset to see anyone but the Cardinals sign Matt Holliday.
- Now that the Dodgers have traded Juan Pierre, the Angels are optimistic about unloading Gary Matthews Jr. and his contract, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. The Angels will have to eat some of the $23MM owed to Matthews if they hope to deal him.
- O's reliever Jim Johnson tells Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he's glad to have new acquisition Mike Gonzalez around.
- Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News says the Yankees still need another arm. Brian Cashman says the Yankees aren't done.
- Tyler Kepner of the New York Times expects the Yanks to spend big on next year's free agent class.
- New Blue Jay Kyle Drabek tells the Toronto Sun that he doesn't plan on changing his approach, though he does feel some pressure as a major piece of the Roy Halladay trade.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates evaluate players and then stand by the figures they decide on almost all the time. This approach prevents the Pirates from over-spending and sometimes prevents them from signing their targets (like Miguel Angel Sano).
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Brewers expect Claudio Vargas to take his physical today and finalize his deal.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan examines Scott Boras' relationship with mystery teams.