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Vladimir Guerrero

Angels Focused Lackey & Figgins, Not Holliday

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Yesterday we heard that the Angels were interested in free agent outfielder Matt Holliday, but GM Tony Reagins spoke to Mike DiGiovanna of The LA Times and shot down that rumor.

"He's a talented player," Reagins said of Holliday, who hit .313 with 24 home runs and 109 runs batted in for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals in 2009 and could command a deal in excess of $100 million. "But our focus is not on him right now."

Instead, the team is focused on re-signing John Lackey and Chone Figgins, according to DiGiovanna. Reagins indicated that he knows "where both of them stand," though he acknowledged that they have earned the right to "see what their value is."

DiGiovanna adds that the team has had discussions with Darren Oliver and Vladimir Guerrero, and that he doesn't expect the team's payroll (about $114MM last year) to be reduced "significantly."

Rangers Interested In Guerrero

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The Texas Rangers' search for a right-handed bat has them looking at Vladimir Guerrero, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

A source "with knowledge of [Guerrero's] thinking" says that the two-year, $19MM contract that Bobby Abreu signed with the Angels might raise Guerrero's expectations for a deal this winter. The FOX report, however, speculates that Vladdy may ultimately just earn a one-year deal, perhaps for $3-5MM plus incentives, which Texas should be able to afford.

The 34-year-old and the Rangers appear to be a good match, considering Texas' need for right-handed power and Vlad's career numbers at Rangers Ballpark (.394/.471/.705). In our Rangers offseason outlook earlier today, Guerrero's name came up as a potential target for the team.

Heyman On Bradley, Gonzalez, Halladay

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Jon Heyman has the latest on Milton Bradley, Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, and plenty of other big names in his new column. Let's check out some of the highlights….

  • Although Texas and Tampa Bay seem like the most likely destinations for Bradley, one GM says the outfielder needs to play in a small market like Kansas City or San Diego.
  • If the Rangers were to acquire Bradley, they would probably want the Cubs to pick up about $16MM of the remaining $21MM on his contract.
  • People around baseball figure that Halladay is more likely than Gonzalez to be traded this winter. But a rival GM wouldn't be surprised to see both players get traded, since "sometimes new GMs like to put their stamp on a team."
  • If the Boston Red Sox are in the Halladay hunt again, don't expect them to give up as much as they would have this summer. One executive believes they offered too much.
  • Should the New York Yankees offer John Lackey a deal similar to the one they gave A.J. Burnett last winter, a competing GM thinks it would be enough to land Lackey, given teams' increasing reluctance to hand out long-term contracts.
  • The New York Mets are a little wary of Lackey's "alleged arm issues" but could be interested in second-tier free agent starters like Joel Pineiro and Randy Wolf.
  • Chone Figgins is a top priority for the Angels early in the offseason. They could attempt to re-sign Vladimir Guerrero later in the winter, but he's not a priority for now.
  • The Philadelphia Phillies would like to lock up Cliff Lee to a long-term extension that costs them less than $100MM.

2009 Elias Rankings Released

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The 2009 Elias Rankings have been released, and Ed Price of AOL FanHouse has a full list of the Type-A and B free agents.

Our 2010 MLB Free Agent list has been updated, and below is a summary of differences between the official rankings, and those projected by Eddie Bajek.

  • Chone Figgins qualifies as a Type-A, not a Type-B as projected.
  • Vladimir Guerrero qualifies as a Type-B, not a Type-A as projected.
  • Gregg Zaun goes from no compensation to Type-B.
  • Jerry Hairston Jr. goes from Type-B to no compensation.
  • Hideki Matsui goes from Type-B to no compensation.
  • Aubrey Huff goes from Type-B to no compensation.

If you're not sure how free agent compensation works, or if you just forgot, make sure you check out our primer.

Vlad’s Mom A Factor In Free Agency

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With the Angels eliminated from the playoffs, it was only fitting for Ben Bolch of the L.A. Times to ask impending free agent Vladimir Guerrero about the future.  Vlad's thoughts:

"I'm not thinking so much about the uncertainty, but I'm thinking about my mom and how comfortable she feels in Anaheim.  That's always one thing that I'm going to think about regarding free agency.  It would be very gratifying to continue to play with the guys I've known here and have gotten used to."

Guerrero also admitted the importance of showing he can play the outfield, since he spent the vast majority of this season at DH.  Vlad turns 35 in February, and he's expected to take a pay cut from this year's $15MM salary.  He projects as a Type A free agent, though an arbitration offer from the Angels seems unlikely.

Guerrero is one of seven Angels free agents.  Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register discusses Chone Figgins and the others in this article.

Cafardo on Gonzalez, Martinez, Webb, Lackey

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In his column today, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo brings us a great deal of tidbits from around the majors:

  • Former Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi and ex-Padres GM Kevin Towers will "likely surface somewhere soon."
  • Cafardo wonders aloud if new Padres GM Jed Hoyer could work out a deal with his former club and send Adrian Gonzalez to Boston.  One AL GM identified Gonzalez and Heath Bell as major chips that could be moved as part of a rebuilding effort.  Hoyer is obviously familiar with Boston's assets, but Theo Epstein might be reluctant to part with Casey Kelly, Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard.
  • Boston must act on Victor Martinez's $7.1MM option within five days of the World Series ending, but Cafardo wonders if they would prefer to sign him to a long-term deal in advance of Joe Mauer's talks with the Twins.  Martinez's rep says that he and his client are "up for either scenario."
  • If the Red Sox choose to part ways with Jason Varitek ($5MM club option or $3MM player option for '10), there are a number of options available to the BoSox to replace him.  One player mentioned is Rays catcher Gregg Zaun, whose $2MM option may not be picked up.  Zaun has already said that he wants to return to Tampa Bay in 2010.
  • The "latest thinking" indicates that Arizona will pick up Brandon Webb's $8.5MM option as his rehab from shoulder surgery is reportedly going well.
  • John Lackey is in line for a big contract this winter, but it doesn't appear that he'll get it from the Angels.  The Angels could instead use that money on an upgrade over Brian Fuentes.  Cafardo says to look for the Rangers and Mets to show interest.
  • More on the Angels as Vladimir Guerrero could stay on with the club if he is willing to take a reasonably priced one-year deal.  Guerrero has already publicly stated his desire to remain with the Halos.
  • It will be difficult for the Phillies to find the cash necessary to retain Pedro Martinez.
  • Dan Duquette was considered for the Blue Jays CEO/President position but doesn't appear to be atop current CEO Paul Beeston's list.

Olney On Type A Free Agents

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney looks back to last winter when players like Juan Cruz saw their value tumble because the Elias rankings classified them as Type A free agents. Some players are good enough to qualify, but not tantalizing enough for teams to give up the high draft pick that Type A free agents cost if their teams offer arbitration. Olney quizzed a group of executives about this year's likely Type A free agents; here are the details you need to know:

  • Vladimir Guerrero makes $15MM this year, so Olney's execs doubt the Angels will offer arbitration.
  • The executives polled said the Braves seem likely to offer Mike Gonzalez arbitration. It may make sense for Gonzalez to accept, since teams may be reluctant to give up millions of dollars and picks when there are other good relievers available. It doesn't appear that the Braves will offer Rafael Soriano arbitration.
  • Four of the six execs Olney asked say the Cubs won't offer Rich Harden arbitration. He'd be in a position to command $10MM on a one-year deal. Is that such a huge risk for a big-market club like the Cubs to take? Harden has started 51 games since 2008 and could yield a top draft pick.
  • None of Olney's respondents expect the Astros to offer Miguel Tejada arbitration.
  • The execs are split on the Dodgers' plans for Orlando Hudson. The club is cost-conscious, but Hudson is still a talented player who could net the team a draft pick if he signs elsewhere.

Got it? You can find explanations of arbitration, free agent compensation and related terms in our hot stove glossary if it's still a little hazy.

Previewing The Vladimir Guerrero Market

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Vladimir Guerrero earned over $80MM over the course of his last contract. He won't sign for nearly as much when he hits free agency again this winter, but he could appeal to clubs looking for a veteran bat. After all, Vladdy hasn't posted an OPS below .800 since 1996. This year, he's hitting .298/.338/.467, but his strikeout rate has risen and his walk rate has fallen. Guerrero remains the free-swinger he's always been; in fact, he swings at a higher percentage of pitches than any major leaguer with at least 250 plate appearances. 

He's 34 years old, but his legs are already starting to fail him. The one-time 40-steal man hasn't swiped more than five bags since 2006. His defense is fading, too, according to UZR/150. He's only played in the outfield twice this year, and for good reason. 

Now that he's essentially a DH, he'll be competing for jobs with Jim Thome, Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield and others. The Angels, Mariners, White Sox, Tigers and Blue Jays could all be among the teams with some interest in the former MVP this offseason. We won't likely know Vladdy's fate before then, since the Angels will wait until after the season before negotiating with any of their free agents-to-be.

For more on the situation, check out Bill Shaikin's article at the L.A. Times.  Shaikin explores whether Vlad would wear an Angels cap in the Hall of Fame, and how that might factor into the team's decision this winter.  He says it's "absolutely clear" Guerrero wants to stay.

Angels Rumors: Abreu, Reagins, Free Agency

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Some Angels rumors, from around the league:

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, who says the Angels are the Yankees' biggest threat, spoke with Bobby Abreu and heard that he wants to return to LA next year. 
  • Yahoo's Jeff Passan shows that the Angels, unlike most of their rivals, have managed to hold onto most of the players from their 2006 team.
  • It's not a coincidence. GM Tony Reagins says the Angels hold onto the talent they acquire and try to avoid making drastic moves.
  • The Angels will see Abreu, Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey, Chone Figgins and others hit free agency after the season, so they have a franchise-defining winter coming up.

Angels Waiting To Talk With Their Free Agents

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The Angels are going to hold off on negotiating with their seven potential free agents until after the season, according to Bill Shaikin of The LA Times. The Angels will have a 15 day window to talk exclusively with their players after the World Series, but after that all teams can bid for their services.

"It's unlikely we'd do anything during this time period," General Manager Tony Reagins said Friday. "We don't want it to be a distraction. We want to focus on trying to win."

The team had discussed an extension with ace John Lackey earlier this season, but no agreement was reached. Third baseman Chone Figgins and outfielders Vladimir Guerrero and Bobby Abreu highlight the rest of the Angels' potential free agent class, which includes utility man Robb Quinlan and pitchers Kelvim Escobar and Darren Oliver.  

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