Free Agent Stock Watch: June 2010 Edition
Players only have six months to establish their value on the free agent market, so every month counts. Let's take a look at some (not all, but some) of the upcoming free agents who have seen their stock rise or fall this June. First, a few players who have seen their free agent stock drop:
- Livan Hernandez – It wasn't an awful month for Hernandez, who posted a 5.12 ERA in June. But he had an improbably low 2.15 ERA entering the month and June showed that he won't be able to sustain that mark with peripherals like his (4.8 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 in June).
- David Eckstein – Eckstein didn't have a bad month, either. He batted .273/.308/.323 and the Padres stayed in the race, but it wasn't long ago that Eckstein appeared to be raising his free agent stock with a standout all-around season.
- Kevin Millwood – It was a rough month for Millwood, who had a sub-4.00 ERA at the end of May, even though he had yet to win at that point. In June, Millwood had an 8.78 ERA and opponents posted a 1.032 OPS against him.
- Ty Wigginton – There's no question that Wigginton, one of Baltimore's top trade chips, had a poor June. He didn't hit a home run and posted a .207/.298/.256 line. He broke out with two exceptional months in April and May, but his stock has since fallen considerably.
And some players who are in position to demand better deals thanks to a big month:
- Cliff Lee – Lee's strong play suggests his early-season abdominal injury is no longer an issue. He has a 1.76 ERA this month and has rattled off four complete game wins in his last five starts. Impressive. No one knows where Lee will be playing August 1st, but this much is certain: he helped his free agent stock this June.
- Ted Lilly – Lilly posted a 2.57 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 this month, solidifying his place among the top free agent starters this winter.
- Hiroki Kuroda – Back in May, Kuroda seemed poised to attract interest from many clubs after the season. He has posted 8.9 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 2.67 ERA this month against some stiff competition (the Braves, Cardinals, Reds, Yankees and Red Sox).
- Adrian Beltre - Beltre, who will presumably opt out of his contract and seek a multi-year deal this winter, has established himself as a legitimate MVP candidate. He has played strong defense and hit .378/.425/.684 in June.
- Manny Ramirez and Victor Martinez would have been candidates for this list were it not for their recent injuries.
All stats are as of the morning of June 30th. This list is not intended to include all 2011 free agents who have had noteworthy months. Feel free to add more players in the comments.
Latin Links: Guerrero, Livan, Scutaro, Velazquez
Links in Spanish from both sides of the Atlantic …
- At a time when some Spanish-speaking players are feeling threatened by the political climate stateside, Vladimir Guerrero told Impacto Deportivo's Franklin Mirabal that the international makeup of the Rangers' roster contributed to his intradivisional move. "In Anaheim they treated me well, but in Texas I've found a lot of friendships, a lot of Latin players, and that makes me happy here. Right now, I don't think about retiring," he said. Guerrero is off to a strong start after managing only 407 PAs last season, his fewest since 1997.
- Resurgent 35-year-old Livan Hernandez predicts to El Nuevo Herald's Luis Rangel that a rigorous offseason racquetball regimen could extend his career another five seasons and allow him to achieve his ultimate goal of breaking Luis Tiant's mark for most wins by a Cuban pitcher (he's 70 back at the moment). A little further in the future, Livan says he is seriously considering an attempt at cracking the PGA Senior Tour. He adds that he personally called the Marlins this offseason to offer his services, saying he "always wanted to return" to the site of his World Series MVP triumph, but he received no response from the team.
- Small world: Marco Scutaro tells Lider en Deportes' Octavio Hernandez Pernia that he was in the gym with fellow free agent shortstop (and Caracas Lions teammate in the Venezuelan League) Alex Gonzalez at the precise moment when Gonzalez received a call from the Blue Jays expressing their desire to sign him as a replacement for Scutaro. "I think that was when I knew I was out of there," Scutaro says. Nevertheless, Gonzalez adds that Scutaro's praise for the city of Toronto and manager Cito Gaston helped steer him toward accepting the Blue Jays' one-year, $3MM offer.
- Braves minor league affiliates are looking downright NBA-esque after the team signed a fifth European player from their team academy in the Spanish Canary Islands. The latest addition is catcher Victor Velazquez, who will join outfielder Deion Galvan, catcher Roberto Machado, infielder Alejandro Sanchez Martinez, and Dutch outfielder Ruben Rijkhof in the Braves system.
- The Yankees signed 19-year-old Dominican RHP Erik Olivo for $300K out of the Dominican Prospect League, according to the league's Web site. The DPL also announced last week that it would once again resume play on Thursday after having been banned from Major League-affiliated facilities for the time being over a feud with the MLB Dominican office and its overseer Sandy Alderson.
Odds & Ends: Lowell, Paulino, Cardinals, Nationals
Links for Sunday….
- Tony La Russa tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch that he's confident GM John Mozeliak will add pieces if the Cardinals have clear needs this summer.
- Barry Bonds still hasn't retired, notes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).
- Mike Lowell explained to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston that he would like to take a year or two off once he's done playing. Lowell would consider broadcasting, but doesn't think he wants to coach at this point.
- Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post credits Florida's front office with another steal for acquiring Ronny Paulino. The Marlins traded for Paulino a year ago in exchange for Hector Correa, who isn't close to the big leagues.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch takes a look at the Cardinals' present and future payroll situation.
- Yesterday we discussed the Nationals' need to make room on their 25-man roster for Livan Hernandez, who will start for Washington today. MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that the team has cleared a spot by optioning Garrett Mock to Triple A, deciding against sending down Jesse English.
- Despite not receiving much first base production so far, Jerry Manuel says the Mets have no plans to call up Ike Davis, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post.
- The New York Post's Joel Sherman explains why it's important for the New York franchises to develop pitching depth from within their organizations.
Nationals Need To Make Room For Livan Hernandez
The Nationals were able to play out the first week of the season with just four starters, but they're going to call up Livan Hernandez tomorrow to take over as the fifth member of the rotation. Hernandez signed a minor league deal this offseason, so the Nats kept him off the roster until they absolutely needed the extra starter.
The team will have to clear a spot on the 25-man roster to call Livan up, but they do have an open spot on the 40-man roster, so that's not that problem. However, as MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling notes, relievers Tyler Walker and Jason Bergmann could be candidates for demotion, and both are out of options. They would have to clear waivers to head to the minors.
Walker, 33, signed a one year deal worth $650K this offseason, but he's allowed three runs in 3.1 innings on the young season. The 28-year-old Bergmann has appeared in two games so far, allowing a pair of runs in one inning of work. If the team choose to ignore the obviously small sample sizes, they could option 25-year-old Jesse English to Triple-A, who has allowed two runs in 1.2 innings of work on the season. Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post adds Miguel Batista's name to the mix, who's given up six runs in 4.1 innings so far.
Odds & Ends: Thames, Manzella, Royals, Marlins
Links for Friday…
- Chad Jennings of The Journal News reports that Marcus Thames can opt out of his contract with the Yankees if he doesn't make the team out of Spring Training. Thames signed a minor league deal earlier this month that would pay him $900K in the big leagues.
- Alyson Footer, the Astros' Sr. Director of Social Media, tweets that the team has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with infielder Tommy Manzella worth $400K. He's expected to be the team's regular shortstop in 2010, and he has less than a month's worth of service time.
- Mike Aviles and Anthony Lerew agreed to terms with the Royals according to a team press release. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star tweets that both deals are expected to be worth less than $500K. Both players are not yet eligible for arbitration.
- Meanwhile, the Marlins also agreed to terms with six of their pre-arbitration eligible players, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports that Orioles' lefty Brian Matusz has changed agents, and is now represented by CAA Sports. He had a 4.63 ERA in 44.2 innings last year, and is widely considered to be one of the two or three best pitching prospects in the game.
- Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo spoke about the Livan Hernandez signing to MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling, and said that the righty isn't guaranteed a rotation spot.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports polled nearly 20 baseball people about Carl Crawford's next contract. Many of the agents and executives expect Crawford to command a five-year deal worth $12-16MM per season, but some think the left fielder could make as much as $18MM per year when he hits the open market, probably after 2010.
- Scott Rolen was happy to restructure his contract so the Reds could "free up some money to go out and be more competitive," according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Nationals pitcher Rafael Martin tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he agreed to his deal on February 8th (Twitter link).
- Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd told Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports that he wants his players to be driven by "more than money." O'Dowd also told Ringolsby that he did not shop Brad Hawpe this winter.
- The Mets are still looking at lefty and righty relievers, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff (via Twitter).
- Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt tells Scott Lauber of the News Journal that he expects Placido Polanco to make a smooth transition to third base.
- Marlon Byrd tells USA Today's Bob Nightengale that he's uncomfortable being compared to friend and former teammate Milton Bradley.
- Big market clubs sent $433MM to small market clubs last year, according to Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball.
- The Red Sox don't generally use insurance on their long-term deals. Principal owner John Henry tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that "it isn't always easy to get paid," even once players are injured.
- Jose Julio Ruiz may be close to signing, but it won't be with the Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- Astros owner Drayton McLane, who has "a huge amount of confidence" in GM Ed Wade, would consider selling his team for $600MM or more, according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.
Nationals Reach Agreement With Livan Hernandez
The Nationals agreed to terms with righty Livan Hernandez on a minor league deal, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the deal is worth "$900K plus many incentives." Hernandez signed with the Nats in August of last year after being released by the Mets; he previously pitched in the organization from 2003-06.
Hernandez, 35, posted a 5.44 ERA, 5.0 K/9, and 3.3 BB/9 in 183.6 innings last year. Fellow non-roster invitee Miguel Batista will also compete for a rotation spot.
Nationals Talk: Guzman, Dye, Hernandez
MLB.com's Bill Ladson spilled some hot stove goodness in his latest mailbag, so let's round it up with some good old fashioned bullet points…
- Because he's owed $8MM in 2010, Ladson doesn't see Cristian Guzman getting traded before Opening Day. He'll get another chance to play shortstop because the team realizes his problems last year were due to injuries.
- Unless he comes in as a fourth outfielder, it's unlikely the Nats will pursue Jermaine Dye.
- The only way Ladson sees Livan Hernandez returning to the nation's capital is if they're unable to land a pitcher they really want first. If they do sign him, it would likely occur in Spring Training.
Odds & Ends: Prospects, Livan, Cardinals, Damon
Some links for Wednesday night…
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo released his list of the top 50 prospects in the game. Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg rank one-two.
- Livan Hernandez sent a contract proposal to Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo back in December, but he never received a response according to a tweet from MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak confirmed that any pickups from here on out would be on the offensive side of the roster.
- Scott Boras said that "The Yankees never even made an offer to me regarding Johnny Damon during the entire process," according to a tweet from Tyler Kepner of The New York Times. In a second tweet, Kepner says Boras indicated that the two-year, $14MM offer the team reportedly made was conditional on whether or not Nick Johnson would sign.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure reports that 17-year-old righty Rafael DePaula is back on the market after being suspended for a year by MLB after lying about his age. His agent hopes to have him signed within the next 15-20 days, and Arangure mentions that both the Yankees and Red Sox are interested.
- Pirate relievers Anthony Claggett and Steven Jackson both cleared waivers according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch, and have been outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis. Claggett was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Octavio Dotel, Jackson for Ryan Church.
- Astros' GM Ed Wade said that signing Wandy Rodriguez to a long-term deal would become a "front-burner discussion for us" if he repeats his 2009 success in 2010, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Wandy had a 3.02 ERA with an 8.4 K/9 in 205.2 innings last season.
- Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports.com says that the Braves have discussed Johnny Damon recently, but came up with three reasons why he wasn't a fit.
- David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News lays out the Phillies' payroll commitments for the next four years. As of right now, the team stands to shed almost $70MM off the books following the 2011 season.
Odds & Ends: Livan, Cameron, Matsui, Mulder
Time for another round of links…
- The Nats have "some" interest in Livan Hernandez, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Red Sox "appear interested" in Mike Cameron, according to Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal.
- We know the Dodgers want pitching for Juan Pierre. Ned Colletti told SIRIUS XM radio that he'd accept a back-of-the-rotation pitcher, according to Diamond Leung.
- Jon Greenberg of ESPN.com takes a look at the influence technology has on the Winter Meetings. Within the article, a Cubs exec calls Tim Dierkes his hero, so it's worth a read for that line alone.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman says the Curtis Granderson acquisition doesn't mean the Yankees can't bring back Hideki Matsui or Johnny Damon, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
- Mike Scioscia told Lyle Spencer of MLB.com that the Angels would "definitely consider" Hideki Matsui.
- Padres manager Bud Black expects Adrian Gonzalez to return to the Padres in 2010, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Brewers met with Mark Mulder's representation today. He's also drawing interest from the Royals, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that the Astros only offered LaTroy Hawkins a one-year deal, so he signed with the Brewers.
- The Orioles will meet with Aroldis Chapman's agents, though they remain "a longshot" to acquire the Cuban pitcher, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- MLB.com's Lyle Spencer confirms that the Angels still have interest in Chapman.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox have not spoken with Justin Duchscherer's agents since they met Sunday night. Apparently 11 teams are interested in Duchscherer.
- Keith Law of ESPN.com says it makes sense for the Yankees to keep bringing Andy Pettitte back on one-year deals. Law doesn't mind the Randy Wolf deal, either.
- There may come a time when the Cardinals have to force Matt Holliday's hand, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Odds & Ends: Indians, Takahashi, Hernandez
Some Sunday night links:
- In his latest mailbag, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the Indians are in the hunt for a first baseman that hits right-handed, in the event that Matt LaPorta isn't healthy by Opening Day.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along the news that the San Francisco Giants are "showing mild interest" in Hisanori Takahashi, via Twitter. Earlier this week, the 34-year-old reliever made it known that he wants to make the jump to MLB.
- Padres closer Heath Bell says that former GM Kevin Towers was never able to spend the way he wanted to and was "kind of a puppet", according to Kevin Tomase of the Boston Herald. Bell also said that he hopes new GM Jed Hoyer has full rein over the club's baseball decisions.
- According to a report from MLB.com's Bill Ladson, the odds of Livan Hernandez returning to the club are "less than 50-50." Over the last three years, the 34-year-old pitcher has recorded an ERA of 5.45 whilst eating 568 innings for five different clubs.