Rosenthal On Lee, Konerko, Huff, Burrell, Hudson
The Yankees’ “lack of tact” in their negotiations with Derek Jeter isn’t helping them, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Here are Rosenthal's latest updates on the Yankees and other teams around the league:
- Even Cliff Lee’s representatives would be surprised if the left-hander received a seven-year offer like C.C. Sabathia did.
- The Rangers were in on Victor Martinez “big,” according to Rosenthal.
- The Rangers are talking to Vladimir Guerrero and showing interest in Paul Konerko. The White Sox offered the first baseman arbitration, so it will cost a top pick to sign him.
- The Dodgers showed serious interest in Aubrey Huff before he re-signed with the Giants, according to Rosenthal.
- The Phillies discussed the idea of bringing Pat Burrell back to Philadelphia, but decided against it.
- Type B free agent Orlando Hudson almost certainly agreed in advance to reject the Twins’ offer of arbitration, Rosenthal says. The Twins agreed not to offer the second baseman arbitration if he was a Type A free agent, so Hudson may have agreed not to accept if he ended up a Type B.
- The Marlins have between $3-8MM to spend, depending on which one of Rosenthal’s sources you ask.
- Eric Hinske is close to deciding between the Braves and Brewers, who have both offered him contracts.
American League Free Agent Arbitration Offers
10 American League teams have free agent arbitration offer decisions to make, and we'll group them in this post. For a fantastic customizable chart with all 65 Type A/B free agents and their decisions in real-time, click here.
- The Blue Jays offered arbitration to Scott Downs (A) Jason Frasor (A) Kevin Gregg (B) Miguel Olivo (B), according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisolm (on Twitter).
- The Twins offered arbitration to Carl Pavano (A), Jesse Crain (B) and Orlando Hudson (B) and declined to offer arbitration to Matt Guerrier (A), Brian Fuentes (B) and Jon Rauch (B), according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (on Twitter).
- The Rays offered arbitration to Grant Balfour (A), Carl Crawford (A), Rafael Soriano (A), Randy Choate (B), Brad Hawpe (B) and Chad Qualls (B), according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. They did not offer Dan Wheeler (A) or Carlos Pena (B) arbitration. It seems possible that Hawpe has agreed in advance to turn down arbitration.
- The Orioles won't offer arbitration to Koji Uehara (B) or Kevin Millwood (B), according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
- The Angels declined to offer Hideki Matsui (B) arbitration, the team announced.
- The Rangers offered arbitration to Cliff Lee (A) and Frank Francisco (A), but not to Vladimir Guerrero (A) and Bengie Molina (A), according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
- The Yankees will offer arbitration to Javier Vazquez (B), but not to any of their other free agents, according to Ken Davidoff of Newsday on Twitter. Andy Pettitte (A), Derek Jeter (A), Mariano Rivera (A), Lance Berkman (B) and Kerry Wood (B) were the team's other ranked free agents. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that the Yankees would offer Vazquez arbitration and noted that the right-hander has agreed to reject the offer, a common gentleman's agreement that can take place with Type B free agents. Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger first reported on Twitter that the Yankees would not offer Jeter arbitration.
- The Red Sox offered arbitration to Adrian Beltre (A), Victor Martinez (A) and Felipe Lopez (B), but not to Mike Lowell (B) or Jason Varitek (B), according to the team.
- The White Sox offered arbitration to Paul Konerko (A) and J.J. Putz (B), but not to A.J. Pierzynski (A) or Manny Ramirez (A) according to the team (on Twitter).
- As expected, the Tigers announced that they will not offer arbitration to any of their free agents, including Scott Boras clients Magglio Ordonez (A), Johnny Damon (B), and Gerald Laird (B).
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Greinke, Ordonez, Rays
Links for Friday, exactly one year after the Cubs signed John Grabow and traded Aaron Heilman to Arizona…
- Vladimir Guerrero is talking to the Rangers and three other AL teams, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- Heyman reports that Bengie Molina wants to play another year (Twitter link).
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. suggested that Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth are comparable hitters, according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. That's probably not the first comparison agent Scott Boras would make about Werth.
- An AL executive explained to Sherman that he believes the Royals will trade Zack Greinke sooner rather than later for two reasons: the demand for ace-level starters is high and the Royals don’t want to see a personal or physical issue reduce Greinke’s value.
- Boras tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Magglio Ordonez has finished rehabilitating his fractured right ankle and "returned to full workout routines"
- Rays president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman tells Cork Gaines of Rays Index that he's likely to hold onto his starting pitching because it's so hard to come by.
Odds & Ends: Jones, Mets, Yankees, Guerrero, Greinke
A few more links for Wednesday night…
- In addition to all the other trade targets and free agents they've been eyeing lately, the Rockies have inquired on Andruw Jones, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman.
- The Mets completed two of their four second-round managerial interviews today. Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork has extensive post-interview remarks from Bob Melvin and a briefer comment from Chip Hale, with Terry Collins and Wally Backman due up tomorrow. Rubin tweets that Sandy Alderson expects to announce the team's new skipper by next Tuesday.
- The Yankees hope to further their discussions with Derek Jeter and Cliff Lee this week, writes Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. Lee is "about ready to entertain offers," Nolan Ryan tells Heyman (Twitter link).
- Some opinions from past and present Red Sox players: David Ortiz guarantees Vladimir Guerrero will return to the Rangers, while Lou Merloni argues that the Sox need to trade Jonathan Papelbon. The Dallas Morning News and WEEI.com have the details.
- A baseball official tells Danny Knobler of CBS Sports that he could see the Rangers, Brewers, and Blue Jays becoming involved in trade talks for Zack Greinke.
- They've made plenty of moves already this offseason, but the Marlins may not be done yet. Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post passes along a quote (via Twitter) from Larry Beinfest that suggests the team will pursue a starting pitcher.
- MLive's Steve Kornacki thinks Joaquin Benoit is "absolutely" worth the $16.5MM the Tigers spent on him.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports considers Ken Williams' offseason plans – A through E.
Vlad Looking For Multi-Year Deal
Vladimir Guerrero was hoping to sign a two-year contract last winter, but after finding surprisingly limited interest, found himself settling for one year, $5.5MM plus incentives. As MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith noted last week, Guerrero made the Rangers look quite the clever shoppers, but the 35-year-old slugger told Hector Gomez at the Dominican paper Listin Diario (link in Spanish) yesterday that his resurgent year at the plate has once again raised his expectations for the offseason.
"I want a two-or three-year contract," Guerrero said, "but I'm not going to say the amount of money I want, just that I want a contract in line with the type of season I had." The first half of that season saw Guerrero looking like the beast of old, putting up a .319/.364/.554 line, and even after his .278/.322/.426 second half, he joins Jim Thome at the head of the free agent DH class this offseason. Guerrero told Gomez his primary remaining goal in baseball is to hit the 64 home runs he needs to reach 500, which would be feasible over a three-year deal. However, a glance at this year's free agents reveals all the same names that Guerrero was up against last winter, showing how rare multi-year deals have become at the position.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero made Jon Daniels and the Rangers look pretty smart this year, but he could make another organization look foolish in 2011. That's not to say Guerrero can't repeat his 2010 success, but here are some facts to consider about the likely Hall of Famer:
The Pros
- Guerrero hit .300/.345/.496 with 29 homers in 2010 and finished 9th in the league in homers and total bases.
- He struck out just 60 times in 643 regular season plate appearances.
- He will probably be available on a one-year deal.
- Guerrero is a Type A free agent, but the Rangers, who turned down his option last week, don’t figure to offer arbitration. As long as Texas doesn’t offer arbitration, Guerrero won’t cost a draft pick.
The Cons
- He turns 36 before the season begins.
- As anyone who watched the World Series knows, Guerrero is no longer a legitimate option in the outfield. He played just 18 regular season games in the field and is now a full-time DH.
- He started hot, but posted an OPS over .800 just once from July to October.
- Guerrero has always been a free swinger and he'll always be one. Last year was no exception; he swung at a higher percentage of pitches outside the zone than any qualified hitter in the game.
The Verdict
Guerrero will likely sign a one-year deal given his age and the market for DHs. Many DHs are available for a relatively small number of jobs, so it seems unlikely that any team would offer two years. The Rangers could bring him back and the Rays, Blue Jays, White Sox, Twins, Tigers, A's and Mariners could all be looking for DHs too, so Vlad should have a number of suitors after a successful 2010 campaign. A one-year deal worth $8MM or so seems likely for Guerrero.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Gonzalez, Pirates, Elias
On this date way back in 1976, the Mariners and Blue Jays each selected 30 players in the expansion draft. Seattle drafted outfielder Ruppert Jones from the Royals with the first pick, then Toronto grabbed the versatile Bob Bailor from the Orioles with the second pick. The full results of the expansion draft can be found here.
We had to do some expanding of our own this week – get ready for what I'm certain is the largest BBWI in MLBTR history…
- Baseball Time In Arlington thinks the Rangers need to wave goodbye to Vladimir Guerrero after declining his option.
- Royals Review asks what Kansas City should do, and will do with their arbitration eligible players.
- The Friarhood breaks down the trade market for Adrian Gonzalez.
- Pirates Propects examines what the impact would be if Andrew McCutchen qualified as a Super Two next year.
- Capitol Avenue Club looks at some options to address the Braves' need for a fourth outfielder.
- Amazin Avenue explains why they don't want the Mets to hire Wally Backman to serve as manager.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. wonders if the Pirates should start spending on free agents this winter.
- Meanwhile, Wahoo Blues believes the Indians are poised to make a free agent splash.
- Crashburn Alley says the Phillies need to give Domonic Brown 600 plate appearances in 2011.
- Disciples of Uecker explains why Justin James was an interesting waiver claim.
- Prospect Insider thinks that the Elias free agent ranking system needs to go.
- The Process Report tries to find a fit for Matt Garza with the Mets.
- Randall on Baseball reviews Jack Zduriencik's moves as the Mariners GM.
- SD Sports Net thinks the Padres should go out and acquire Dan Uggla.
- The Love Of The Game likes what the Yankees have in 2010 rookie Ivan Nova.
- Fan Speak tries to figure out what the Nationals should do with Josh Willingham (part one, part two).
- Cubs Billy Goat Blog (formerly Cubs Pack) asks what the Cubbies can learn from more successful teams.
- 1 Blue Jays Way re-lives Toronto's 2010 season, top ten style.
- River Ave. Blues comes up with a list of the players the Yankees shouldn't even think about acquiring this winter.
- MLB Depth Charts is putting together early looks at each team's 2011 roster.
- Baseball Prospectus' Analyze This reviews how the World Champion San Francisco Giants were built in a two part series (part one, part two). No subscription is required.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Rangers Decline Option For Guerrero
The Rangers declined their side of Vladimir Guerrero's $9MM option for 2011, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Instead, Texas will pay a $1MM buyout.
Guerrero, 35, hit .300/.345/.496 with 29 homers last season, his first in Texas. The Rangers would like to keep him, but he is a Type A free agent, so they will obtain a pair of top picks in next year's draft if he declines arbitration to sign elsewhere.
Rangers Notes: Cliff Lee, Vlad, Molina
It was a bittersweet ending for the Rangers last night, but they're still the AL champions. They're planning to raise payroll, and now it's time to focus on Cliff Lee. The Dallas Morning News has a bunch of quotes from the free agent market's top starter. This cover-your-bases excerpt implies he'll at least test the market:
This is the first time I've been a free agent and I'm going to see what that's all about. It's an earned right by a player once you get six-plus years, and I'm going to take advantage of that and see where it leads me. I know I've enjoyed it here and I'm never ruling out the possibility of coming back, but I've got to play things out and see how it goes. I know this was a great group of guys, a lot of fun, and I would love to be a part of it next year, but there's so many things that could happen, you never know. There's a lot of things I've got to weigh into that. There's a lot of variables, what's best for my family, that's going to be a huge part of it. I want to be on a winning team. Obviously, this is one of those. We'll see, there's no telling what's going to happen.
Regarding the Rangers' other free agents:
- Designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero has a $9MM mutual option for 2011. GM Jon Daniels told Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News, "We're not going to evaluate him on two weeks of games when he's had a career of excellent performance."
- Catcher Bengie Molina didn't rule out playing next year, talking to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Rangers' other free agents are Cristian Guzman, Jorge Cantu, Frank Francisco, and Matt Treanor. Their ten arbitration eligible players should eat up a chunk of the payroll increase: Nelson Cruz, David Murphy, Darren O'Day, Josh Hamilton, Mark Lowe, Dustin Nippert, Jeff Francoeur, C.J. Wilson, Brandon McCarthy, and Esteban German. Nippert, Francoeur, McCarthy, and German are non-tender candidates, in my estimation.
Rangers Rumors: Daniels, Lee, Guerrero
The Rangers are the center of attention as they prepare to play in their first World Series. Here's the latest on the American League champions (click here for the latest on the NL pennant winners):
- Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine and pitcher Eddie Guardado tell MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that GM Jon Daniels has a keen sense of humor. Chuck Greenberg, the team's CEO, confirmed to Sullivan that he'll work out an extension for Daniels after the season.
- As Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains, Daniels is all about scouting.
- Grant takes a detailed look at how the Rangers assembled this year's edition of the team and explains how Tim Lincecum was nearly a part of it.
- As Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains, Cliff Lee's arrival changed the Rangers' attitude.
- Dustin Pedroia said on WEEI that he hopes the Yankees don't sign Lee this offseason.
- Vladimir Guerrero told Carlos A. Nava of the Texas Spanish Language paper Al Dia that he signed with the Rangers for a number of reasons. “One of the principal reasons I signed with Texas is that I knew they had a team that was planning on going far," Guerrero said. “The other is that the heart and soul of this team is Latino, on and off the field.” (Translated by MLBTR's Nick Collias).