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Victor Martinez

Odds & Ends: Garrison, Red Sox, Werth, Cubs, Burnett

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Labor Day linkage..

  • Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter) thinks that the Padres would like to keep Steve Garrison, who they DFA'd earlier today.  The lefty was protected by the club last winter.
  • Having Lars Anderson and Anthony Rizzo waiting in the wings won't necessarily preclude Boston from retaining Adrian Beltre and/or Victor Martinez, says Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
  • Jerry Crasnick of ESPN tweets that he's hearing a lot of speculation about Jayson Werth taking Scott Boras on as his agent.  However, he also tweets that players tend to follow their teammates and he may be drawn to Arn Tellem as the agent secured Chase Utley's seven-year, $85MM deal with the Phillies.
  • It may be time for the Cardinals and manager Tony La Russa to part ways, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
  • A recent move by Cubs manager Mike Quade may have scored points with GM Jim Hendry, opines Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
  • Jayson Stark of ESPN (via Twitter) wonders aloud when A.J. Burnett will rank as a "full-fledged crisis" for the Yankees.  Burnett is set to earn $16.5MM each season until 2013.
  • It will be an active offseason for Boston, tweets Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.

Red Sox Rumors: Overbay, Victor Martinez

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The Red Sox are seven games out in the wild card, with a 6.3% chance at the playoffs according to Baseball Prospectus.  However, keep in mind that BP's report is not aware of the team's injuries.  Still, GM Theo Epstein told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, "It's not all about the math."  The Red Sox aren't quitting on the season, despite trading Manny Delcarmen yesterday. 

According to Cafardo, the Red Sox were close to a deal for Blue Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay.  Overbay cleared waivers several weeks ago, but is now dealing with post-concussion symptoms.

In offseason-related news, Cafardo says the Sox "have at least talked to Victor Martinez about a two-year offer."  Boston's catcher is hitting .309/.350/.505 since May 1st and has reportedly shown improved defense.  He's earning $7.7MM this year, and I doubt he'd forgo free agency without a raise.  He's probably looking for more than two years, too.

Cafardo On LaRoche, Johnson, V-Mart, Guthrie

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In his latest piece for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo speculates on possible frontrunners for all the managerial positions that could open up this offseason. Bobby Valentine, Fredi Gonzalez, Dave Martinez, Tim Wallach, and Brian Butterfield are among the options Cafardo suggests for various teams. Here are the rest of the highlights from Cafardo's column:

  • The Diamondbacks placed potential trade candidates Adam LaRoche and Kelly Johnson on waivers on Friday.
  • One National League GM on August trades: "You’re going to see a lot of deals in the third and final week. A lot of teams are still in the mode that they’re in the hunt and they don’t want to sell off. The races are tighter this year, so most of the activity will come later rather than sooner."
  • The Red Sox and Victor Martinez's representation have had "preliminary talks" regarding an extension. Cafardo feels that Martinez could land a contract worth approximately $60MM for four years, and he's not sure if the Sox would pay that much to keep V-Mart's bat around.
  • An American League GM tells Cafardo that he was on the fence about Jeremy Guthrie before the trade deadline and regrets not pursuing the O's right-hander more aggressively: "I think he’s a pitcher who could have helped a lot of teams if you’d taken that leap."
  • Cafardo hears from a Blue Jays source that the team has "about 200 people" on their list of managerial candidates. Whether or not that's an exaggeration, the Jays are clearly casting a very wide net in their search for Cito Gaston's replacement.

Potential Suitors For Victor Martinez

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Joe Mauer nearly became the prize of the 2010-11 offseason, but $184MM later, he’s a Twin for the foreseeable future and Victor Martinez is likely to be the most coveted free agent backstop of the winter. He’s hitting .281/.337/.461 with ten homers. Those are good numbers for a catcher, yet Martinez has averaged higher on base percentages and slugging averages in his nine-year career.

Some say Martinez is a first baseman masquerading as a catcher, but for the purposes of this piece, let’s assume that V-Mart’s representatives market him as a catcher. Admittedly, Martinez has thrown out just 19% of would-be base stealers this year (23% in his career), but he has been behind the plate for years, so teams can comfortably rely on him to catch, at least for a few seasons.

Here’s an early look at potential suitors for the four-time All-Star. Let’s keep in mind that one trade or injury could change this picture considerably:

  • Red Sox – The Red Sox have Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but they’ve seen what V-Mart can do and may offer him a long-term deal. Martinez told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that the Red Sox have yet to offer him an extension (Twitter link).
  • Tigers – The Tigers have money coming off the books and Gerald Laird is a free agent. Alex Avila could take on a larger role if the Tigers decide to spend their money on others.
  • White Sox – Tyler Flowers is the heir apparent to A.J. Pierzynski, right? The 24-year-old has a respectable .223/.332/.450 in Triple A, so he may be ready for the majors. The White Sox are not a likely destination for V-Mart, but I don’t want to be the one to rule them out.
  • Rangers – The luster has worn off Taylor Teagarden and Max Ramirez to an extent and Bengie Molina and Matt Treanor hit free agency after the season. The Rangers could turn things over to Teagarden and Ramirez for 2011, or perhaps the new ownership group will make V-Mart a competitive offer. 
  • Mariners – The M’s figure to give Adam Moore the chance to translate his minor league success into major league production, but Moore hasn’t fully adjusted to big league pitching yet.
  • Mets – The Mets, who have a habit of spending big on free agents, could pursue Martinez if they don’t completely believe in the combination of Omir Santos and Josh Thole.
  • Reds – Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan are hitting well, but the former hits free agency after the season and the latter has never been an MLB starter for a full season. The Reds may look to bring back Hernandez and spend on an impact outfielder or veteran starter instead.
  • Brewers – The Brewers figure to spend on pitching, not catching, especially since George Kottaras is hitting pretty well and Jonathan Lucroy should be a contributor.
  • Padres –  The Padres could ask Nick Hundley to play every day (Yorvit Torrealba has a $3.5MM mutual option), but San Diego does have financial flexibility for 2011. Will GM Jed Hoyer use it to acquire V-Mart? Probably not.
  • Dodgers – Russell Martin is an offseason trade candidate, so the Dodgers could be in the market for a catcher this winter.

One factor for all of those teams to consider: V-Mart currently projects as a Type A free agent, so he’ll cost a top draft pick if the Red Sox offer arbitration (as expected) and he turns it down.

The Yankees (Jorge Posada), Orioles (Matt Wieters), Blue Jays (J.P. Arencibia), Indians (Carlos Santana), Twins (Joe Mauer), Angels (Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis), A’s (Kurt Suzuki), Braves (Brian McCann), Phillies (Carlos Ruiz), Nationals (Ivan Rodriguez, Wilson Ramos), Cardinals (Yadier Molina), Astros (Jason Castro), Cubs (Geovany Soto), Pirates (Ryan Doumit, Chris Snyder), Giants (Buster Posey), Rockies (Chris Iannetta, Miguel Olivo) and Diamondbacks (Miguel Montero) all have legitimate big league catchers under team control for 2011.

The Rays, Royals, Marlins don’t figure to spend big on a catcher this winter, but V-Mart should still draw plenty of interest. The Red Sox, Tigers and Mets appear to be the most realistic potential suitors at this point.

Odds & Ends: White Sox, Olsen, Adam, V-Mart

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Another round of links for Wednesday, as Cliff Lee falls short of eight innings for the first time in two months…

  • The White Sox are cautiously optimistic about signing the team's top remaining unsigned picks, amateur scouting director Doug Laumann told MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
  • Scott Olsen made $250K in incentives for starting his 11th game of the season tonight, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
  • 2010 draftee Jason Adam is close to signing with the Royals, according to Daniel Paulling of the Kansas City Star. Adam, ranked by Baseball America as the 54th-best prospect in this year’s draft awaits approval from the commissioner’s office.
  • Victor Martinez told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that the Red Sox have not offered him an extension (Twitter link). The catcher hits free agency after the season.
  • The Yankees agreed to sign third-rounder Rob Segedin for a $377K bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. Segedin, a third baseman, receives about $100K more than MLB’s recommended bonus for his slot.
  • Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains why he believes the Rangers shouldn't try to sign Cliff Lee long-term just yet. It's probably a moot point, since Lee seems destined to reach the open market.
  • MLB owners and executives approved the sale of the Rangers to the group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The final vote occurs tomorrow.

Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Viciedo

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Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe breaks down the 2010 Red Sox and what members of the team may not be around for 2011. He says Jayson Werth will be a free agent target and wonders if they're willing to commit three or four years to Adrian Beltre, who is having a monster season. Jacoby Ellsbury and Daisuke Matsuzaka could be trade bait, and then there's the issue of David Ortiz's $12.5MM option.

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

  • There have been "minimal, if any" talks between the Sox and Victor Martinez about a new contract. 
  • Expect Boston to revamp their bullpen, which could mean replacing Hideki Okajima.
  • Carfado believes that the Rangers settled ownership situation will help the team down the stretch as the players don't have to deal with any speculation.
  • Rafael Soriano and Joaquin Benoit, a pair of offseason pickups that are the Rays' two best relievers, will need to have their workloads monitored down the stretch, particularly Benoit who is coming off major shoulder surgery.
  • The Angels have close to $110MM tied up in 2011 payroll counting arbitration raises, which could hinder their pursuit of free agents this winter.
  • Kenny Williams says that teams never asked for Dayan Viciedo in a trade because they knew he was unavailable. We heard that Williams was willing to trade him before the deadline.
  • A split between the Mariners and manager Don Wakamatsu seems likely this offseason.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Salty, Braves, Cards

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Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…

  • The Red Sox scouted Jarrod Saltalamacchia hard before acquiring him this afternoon, and they feel that he is throwing better and will benefit from a change of scenery.  18 months ago the cost for Salty was Clay Buchholz, so they feel he's worth the gamble considering the uncertain futures of Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek.
  • The Braves didn't need either Kyle Farnsworth or Rick Ankiel, but picking up both improves their depth considerably. Ankiel will be the regular center fielder against righties, platooning with Melky Cabrera, while Farnsworth will help lessen the burden on Takashi Saito and Jonny Venters. The Braves are clearly going for it in Bobby Cox's final season.
  • It seems odd that the Cardinals would trade Ryan Ludwick given their offensive inconsistency this year, but the team likes what Jon Jay has done and they'll save big when Ludwick goes to arbitration for the final time next season.
  • Relative to its competition, no team did as poorly as the Mets at the deadline. They were outbid for Ramon Ramirez, and the Cubs wanted no part of a Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez for Carlos Zambrano swap. The Cubbies are hopeful that Big Z will come back and rebuild his value down the stretch.

Red Sox Have Not Talked Extension With V-Mart

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The Red Sox have not approached Victor Martinez about an extension, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The catcher, who is now on the disabled list with a broken left thumb, becomes a free agent after the season. It isn’t clear whether the Red Sox would want Martinez to catch, play first or DH, but it doesn’t matter to V-Mart.

“I let them know very early in the season I’d like to play here and come back here, but the future is in their hands,’’ he said.

Martinez has impressed the Red Sox with his efforts to improve as a defensive catcher, but he says he would play anywhere on the diamond. Martinez split time between first and catcher in Boston last year, but has been the team’s primary catcher in 2010, throwing out 19% of would-be base stealers.

The 31-year-old has more impressive offensive numbers. Martinez had a .289/.344/.480 line before his trip to the DL. Those numbers won’t be enough to match Joe Mauer’s $184MM deal, but V-Mart was never going to approach Mauer’s record-setting deal. Instead, he could aim to sign a four or five-year deal in the $50MM range, as Jorge Posada has done more than once.

Cafardo On Ortiz, Iannetta, Atkins, Lowell

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The key to the Rays' success so far has been their pitching staff, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, who praises Tampa Bay for playing so well despite a few slumping bats. Cafardo says that it may be hard for the club to add another piece or two before the trade deadline, since their budget is already maxed out. However, Cafardo acknowledges that with Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena facing free agency, the Rays may go all-out this year and stretch their budget a little in hopes of winning a championship. Here are some of Cafardo's other notes:

  • After this season, David Ortiz is probably "done in Boston unless he takes a massive pay cut." Ortiz might have trouble catching on anywhere next year, since there's virtually no market for one-dimensional players, and he may not be willing to accept a role similar to Jason Giambi's in Colorado.
  • If Ortiz and Victor Martinez continue to hit, the Red Sox are very unlikely to pursue Chris Iannetta.
  • One of the winter's most disappointing new additions has been Garrett Atkins, who is homerless and sports a .221/.261/.283 slash line in 119 plate appearances. The Orioles will have to consider releasing him if he doesn't turn things around.
  • The Rangers are looking for a starting pitcher and a productive right-handed bat. A Rangers official tells Cafardo that he'd still love to see Mike Lowell in Texas.
  • Cafardo thinks that if the Red Sox fall out of playoff contention and become sellers, they could replenish their farm system, acquiring multiple players for Martinez, Lowell, Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro, and Jeremy Hermida. I'm less optimistic than Cafardo about the caliber of talent the Sox could land for most of those guys.

Gammons On Martinez, Lowell, Iannetta

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Peter Gammons made one of his regular appearances on WEEI's The Big Show on Friday afternoon to chat about the Red Sox.  Matt West has the full transcript, but here are a few of the more pertinent notes….

  • David Ortiz's improved play led to a question about Boston's future plans at the DH spot.  Gammons thinks that it will depend on if Victor Martinez is willing to re-sign "at a DH price or at a catcher’s price.  If its a catcher’s price I don’t think Victor will come back; if its a DH price I think they’ll bring him back."
  • Along those same lines, Gammons notes that "a DH price" is lower since league-wide, designated hitters are producing fairly average numbers: "The DH has been devalued, there are a lot of 35-, 36-year-olds who used to have the juice of life that don’t have it anymore."
  • Mike Lowell's agents have told Gammons that eight to ten teams are interested in their client, though Gammons doesn't necessarily believe them.  He thinks Lowell will end up being dealt from Boston at some point, though Gammons notes that two possible contenders for his services (the Mets and Rangers) are out of the running given the production of Ike Davis and Vladimir Guerrero, respectively. 
  • Gammons cites Tampa Bay as a potential destination for Lowell if the Sox end up releasing him.  Lowell would split time in a platoon at DH with Hank Blalock.
  • In regards to the rumors about Chris Iannetta, Gammons says the Red Sox attempted to acquire the catcher two years ago and "do really love him."  A deal could still happen later in the year though Gammons doesn't know if Boston could meet Colorado's trade needs.
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