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Mike Jacobs

Jacobs To Royals Fell Through

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Change is brewing in the Marlins front office this offseason. Not only have they decided to increase payroll to $30-35MM but also they are actively shopping Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, and Kevin Gregg this offseason; so actively, that a deal with Kansas City fell apart last week according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The deal collapsed, according to Jackson, due to "a medical issue involving a minor-league pitcher" from Kansas City.

If, or when, Jacobs is dealt, the Marlins feel Gaby Sanchez can take over at first, and Olsen’s spot in the rotation is expected to be occupied by Andrew Miller.

According to Jackson, a number of clubs have inquired about Dan Uggla but Florida seems to be looking for a far greater return for their All Star second baseman. Other names that could wind up on the block are Jeremy Hermida and Josh Willingham who are both arbitration eligible; however, it doesn’t seem likely that the Marlins will move either guy.

Should be a fun ballclub to watch this offseason.

Marlins Will Discuss Jacobs, Olsen, Gregg

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From ESPN’s Buster Olney this morning:

Wrote here recently that the Marlins intend to keep the vast majority of their arbitration-eligible players, including Dan Uggla, unless they are completely overwhelmed by trade offers. Three of the Marlins’ arbitration-eligible players who they are more willing to discuss: first baseman Mike Jacobs, left-hander Scott Olsen and reliever Kevin Gregg.

Olsen looks like a sell-high candidate.  The 24 year-old posted a 4.20 ERA in 201.2 innings this year.  His strikeout rate has declined every year he’s been in the bigs, falling to 5.04 per nine innings this season.  He also benefitted from an abnormally low batting average on balls in play.  Lastly, his average fastball velocity dropped two miles per hour (now a touch below 88). 

Scout’s View Of Marlins Trade Targets

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Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel talked to a veteran scout this week about the Marlins’ possible trade chips.

The reviews were on the positive side for Scott Olsen, Mike Jacobs, Dan Uggla, and Alfredo Amezaga.  The scout apparently recommended against Jeremy Hermida, Kevin Gregg, and Josh Willingham.  Hermida’s report was particularly damning, with the scout claiming the right fielder has "no passion for the game."

For more on the Fish, check out our Offseason Outlook.

Perrotto’s Latest: La Russa, Offseason Moves

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John Perrotto at Baseball Prospectus has his Every Given Sunday column up. Here’s the highlights from the Rumors and Rumblings section (with some added speculation here and there from yours truly):

  • There’s a growing rumor that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa could step down after this season and pursue a job as a general manager. We all know Seattle’s looking…
  • The Diamondbacks love Adam Dunn’s production so much that they are considering re-signing him and possibly having him play first base. Dunn’s racked up a .474 OBP since coming to Arizona… what’s not to like about that?
  • The Padres seem willing to move Kevin Kouzmanoff once again. Perrotto doesn’t say, but it would make sense for young starting pitching to be the target for the Padres, and a move would allow Chase Headley to move back to his natural position, third base. The Giants are looking for help at third, but I doubt the Pads would trade him within the division. Minnesota, perhaps?
  • The Marlins are considering playing Jorge Cantu at first next season, using Dallas McPherson at third, and trading Mike Jacobs in the offseason.
  • The Royals will not re-sign Mark Grudzielanek this offseason, but will likely target both Rafael Furcal and Raul Ibanez. Given Mike Aviles’ emergence at the plate, shifting him to second base and putting Furcal at shortstop would make for a very good middle of the infield in Kansas City. The Royals will also explore options for trading Jose Guillen. I personally didn’t like the contract they gave him at the time, and I doubt many clubs like it now either. Moving him could be difficult.
  • The Rangers will try to trade Gerald Laird for pitching, given their surplus at catcher. The Yankees could use some help behind the plate if Jorge Posada is unable to catch…
  • Jeff Kent, Frank Thomas, and Kent Mercker are all mentioned as possibilites for retirement this offseason, with Jeff Kent being almost a certainty, regardless of how his knee reacts to surgery.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Hendry, Burnett, Laird

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Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has a new column up.

  • Rosenthal fills us in on Jim Hendry’s contract status: Hendry controls his own fate with an option for ’09.  If the new Cubs ownership doesn’t want to extend him beyond that, he could elect free agency this winter.  Click here to download a spreadsheet of Hendry’s trade history.
  • Teams with third basemen to trade this winter are at an advantage due to the weak free agent market.  Names like Garrett Atkins, Melvin Mora, and Hank Blalock could generate interest.  Blalock is a huge question mark though, and the Rangers still have to decide on his $6.2MM option.  Jorge Cantu, Adrian Beltre, and Kevin Kouzmanoff are other names to watch in my opinion.
  • Rosenthal talked to a rival executive who sees the Red Sox making a "major push" for A.J. Burnett if he opts out.  He can hindle the rigors of pitching in the AL East, and will also draw interest from the Yankees.
  • The Rangers may shop Gerald Laird this winter.  Laird, 29 in November, is under team control through 2010.  The Reds could be a nice match.
  • Marlins infielder Chris Coghlan can play second or third base, giving the Fish flexibility on whether they want to trade Cantu, Mike Jacobs, or Dan Uggla this winter.

Many Marlins Due Raises

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Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel discusses the Marlins’ difficult situation this winter, with as many as 18 players facing arbitration.  Berardino projects salaries for these players in this chart. 

As you may know, players typically reach arbitration the offseason after they cross the three-year service time mark.  The resulting raise can be as much as 1000%, with Ryan Howard’s case last year the most drastic example ($900K in ’07, $10MM in ’08).  The Marlins’ biggest jump figures to be second baseman Dan Uggla – $417K in 08, perhaps $5MM or more in ’09.  Most players face arbitration three times and then reach free agency.  The player almost always gets a raise each year, and typically his salary cannot be cut by more than 20%.  That’s why Berardino projects injured pitcher Sergio Mitre going from $1.2MM to $960K.

December 12th is the deadline for tendering contracts to arbitration-eligible players.  Teams can choose to let their arbitration-eligible players go, and then those players become free agents despite having less than six years of service time.  David Ortiz may be the most famous example.

The Marlins figure to be open for business this winter – Berardino names Kevin Gregg, Scott Olsen, and Mike Jacobs as top trade candidates.  Jorge Cantu is another possibility, and a blockbuster for Uggla can’t be ruled out.  The Marlins kept Miguel Cabrera until his second arbitration year, though. 

Marlins Could Be Set For Another Fire Sale

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Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the Marlins will be forced to trade away some of their arbitration-eligible players this offseason unless management is willing to double their payroll into the $50MM range.

Jackson takes a closer look at which players may be on the move…

  • Two scouts and a GM told Jackson that the Marlins will likely explore the market for Mike Jacobs, noting they have other options at first base.
  • Jackson feels the Marlins won’t want to give Dan Uggla a long-term deal and will look to trade him.
  • With Cameron Maybin ready to take over, Jackson sees one or two of the starting outfielders, Cody Ross, Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida, being traded.
  • Closer Kevin Gregg will be gone if Matt Lindstrom shows he can handle the job.
  • Of the pitchers in the rotation, Scott Olsen seems the most likely to be traded. One scout told Jackson the Marlins could "get a lot" for Olsen and they have Andrew Miller who could take his spot.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Giants Like Adrian Beltre

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According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle:

The Giants like Adrian Beltre, believing he would thrive in the more fastball-oriented National League, but a source said they have not exchanged names with the Mariners.

Schulman explains that Giants GM Brian Sabean is open to acquiring players who can help in 2009.  Hank Blalock was also on the radar, but now he’s back on the DL.  The Rangers told a white lie to the public regarding Blalock’s injury earlier this week.  The Rangers had their eye on Jonathan Sanchez, but I doubt the Giants would’ve entertained a one-for-one swap even for a healthy Blalock.

The Giants could also try the free agent market this winter.  Available third basemen include Casey Blake, Joe Crede, and Dallas McPherson.

The Marlins seemingly would swap first baseman Mike Jacobs for catcher Bengie Molina, but the Giants aren’t interested.  They’re also reluctant to trade lefty Jack Taschner, who is under team control through 2011.

Marlins Looking For Catcher, Reliever

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The NL East is a three-team race, with the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins all within a game of each other.  Who’d have thought the Marlins would be contending after trading Miguel Cabrera?

According to Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Marlins have intensified their search for a catcher.  The targets: Bengie Molina, Ramon Hernandez, Gerald Laird, and Ryan Doumit.  Molina and Hernandez are the pricey options.  Doumit would be especially tough to pry loose; he has a .937 OPS this year as a 27 year-old.

MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro wonders if Miguel Olivo, Gregg Zaun, and Paul Lo Duca could also enter the mix.  He says it could even be a three-way possibility where the Jays acquire Olivo and move him to Florida.

The Marlins are also hunting for a lefty reliever, with Arthur Rhodes, Jack Taschner, John Grabow, Eddie Guardado, George Sherrill, Will Ohman, and Alan Embree all considered candidates.  Dejan Kovacevic rattled off five suitors for Grabow this morning, the Marlins not among them.  Also, the Marlins’ interest in Guardado is light.  The Giants and Mariners both scouted the Marlins recently, and Berardino wonders if Mike Jacobs would interest them.

Berardino says acquiring a catcher and reliever in one trade would be ideal.  The one Marlins minor leaguer considered off-limits is Sean West.

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