Week In Review

The first week of November brought us the early stages of the Hot Stove season.  Let's take a look at the week that was…

• Minnesota acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Brewers for center fielder Carlos Gomez.  There were other suitors for Hardy, including the Cincinnati Reds.
• The Rays traded second baseman Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates for reliever Jesse Chavez.  The 26-year-old Chavez is coming off of his rookie season in which his fastball had an average velocity of 94.5 MPH.  With this deal, Tampa Bay saved themselves some money and added a promising young arm.
• The Red Sox acquired Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins for two minor league left-handed pitchers.  To date, the production of the 25-year-old has been disappointing, considering that he was once Baseball America's fourth best prospect in baseball.  Theo Epstein says that he bought low on the young slugger.
• The Angels re-signed Bobby Abreu to a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $19MM.  There is a option in place for a third year that could vest depending on his number of plate appearances.  The man responsible for the move, GM Tony Reagins, received a new contract of his own.
• Talk of an American League team being interested in Manny Ramirez was shot down rather quickly.  Later on in the week, Ramirez exercised his $20MM option for 2010.
• The Royals shipped Mark Teahen and $1MM to the White Sox for Chris Getz and Josh Fields.  White Sox GM Ken Williams says that Teahen will play third base and Scott Podsednik is unlikely to return.
• Tim Hudson has yet to ink a highly discussed extension with the Braves.  Meanwhile, they signed Joe Torre's favorite reliever, Scott Proctor.  The soon-to-be 33-year-old is an insurance policy in the event that the club loses both Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano in free agency.
• Tim's Offseason Outlook series rolled on with glances at the Minnesota Twins and Florida Marlins.
• Ben Nicholson-Smith highlighted the A.J. Pierzynski deal as one of his Trades of the Decade.
• There are plenty more trades to come this winter and Ben will be keeping track of all of them in one handy post.

Baseball's hot stove season begins after the World Series, but we still had action during the last week of October.

• Manny Acta was hired to manage the Indians, which led to the Astros hiring Brad Mills.  Tony La Russa's extension with the Cardinals was announced; it's a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2011.  La Russa is bringing Mark McGwire with him as the Cards' new hitting coach.
• Jed Hoyer was announced as the Padres' new GM; he replaced Kevin Towers.  Hoyer signed a four-year contract with a club option for 2014.  Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy are close to three-year agreements.
• Catcher Kenji Johjima opted out of his Mariners contract on October 19th, leaving $16MM on the table.  On Tuesday he reached an agreement with the Hanshin Tigers for four years and around $21MM.
• The Rays re-signed outfielder Gabe Kapler to a one-year, $1.05MM deal, a slight raise on last year's salary.  The Astros re-upped infielder Geoff Blum for one year and $1.5MM, with a mutual option for 2011.  The biggest signing of the week goes to the Giants, who inked Freddy Sanchez to a two-year, $12MM extension.  Sanchez is off the market, but remaining free agent second basemen include Akinori Iwamura (club option), Mark DeRosa, Orlando Hudson, Adam Kennedy, Felipe Lopez, Ronnie Belliard, Placido Polanco, and Juan Uribe.
• Righty Tim Hudson was expected to sign a three-year extension worth around $27MM by the end of the week.  If an agreement was reached, the Braves are keeping it under wraps.  Perhaps they're still hammering out details.
• Several players became free agents, including Tyler Yates, Chris Coste, Noah Lowry, Edgar Gonzalez, and Jack Taschner.  View our full 2010 MLB free agents list here.
• Alex Anthopoulos' first move as Blue Jays' GM was a quiet one: he claimed pitcher Sean Henn off waivers from the Orioles.
• The Orioles declined two options: third baseman Melvin Mora for $8MM and catcher Chad Moeller for $850K.  Moeller is still expected to return.  The Astros declined their $2.85MM option on reliever Doug Brocail.
• Gary Matthews Jr. wants to be traded and does not realize how undesirable he is.  Speaking of bad contracts, we listed a slew of them here.
• We summed up the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes.  Chapman visited with the Red Sox and Orioles this week, while the Tigers and Mariners were added to the list of suitors.
• SI's Jon Heyman reported that Manny Ramirez is "planning to exercise" his $20MM player option for 2010.
• Albert Pujols told 101 ESPN in St. Louis that he wants to be a Cardinal for life.  Pujols is basically under contract through 2011 already.
• Free agent left fielder Jason Bay chatted with fans at WEEI.com, and said he wouldn't be limited by geography.
• We analyzed the trade market for all five infield positions: catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, and third base.
• We did Offseason Outlooks for the Braves, Tigers, and Mariners.
• Ben Nicholson-Smith's Trades of the Decade series included famous deals involving Bartolo Colon, Scott Kazmir, and Ken Griffey Jr.

Even though we're still in the postseason, the hot stove is already heating up.  Here's a look back at the week that was:

• The Padres hired BoSox assistant General Manager Jed Hoyer as their GM.  In an effort to fill the void left by Hoyer's departure, Boston has extended offers to former Padres GM Kevin Towers and ex-Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi.  Earlier this month Towers said that he wasn't sure if he'd want to be an office where he wasn't the GM.
• Multiple teams are in pursuit of troubled Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley.  The 31-year-old is owed $21MM over the final two years of his contract.
• After months of speculation, 18-year-old lefty Yusei Kikuchi announced that he would sign with a team in Japan's Nippon Baseball League rather than make the jump to the United States.  Eight MLB teams met with the highly-regarded prospect but ultimately the youngster felt that he was better off staying at home.
• Ben Sheets plans to pitch in 2010 and could end up returning to the Brewers.  Based on GM Theo Epstein's comments, it appears that the Red Sox will also have interest in the 31-year-old.
• Having missed most of 2009 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Tim Hudson's 2010 was in limbo as the Braves held a $12MM option on his contract.  Rather than pick up the option, the Braves may ink Hudson to a multi-year extension as they have begun talks with the pitcher and his agent.
• Ben Nicholson-Smith kicked off the "Trades of the Decade" series by taking a look at the swaps that landed Dan Haren in Oakland and Erik Bedard in Seattle.  There are more to come but you won't see these deals featured as they just missed the cut.  With deals of that magnitude on the cutting room floor, this is going to be an exciting series.
• Tim Dierkes brings us a look ahead at the Tampa Bay Rays offseason.

Lots of talk about extensions and looking ahead to 2010 this week as the playoffs continue. Let's take a look:

• We learned that John Smoltz is contemplating a return for 2010 and would like to return to the Cardinals if he pitches. The other question raised for the Cardinals, though, is whether or not Tony La Russa and/or Dave Duncan will return. And what's going to happen with Albert Pujols? He's not ready to begin talking about an extension just yet.
• The Angels made an effort to keep Bobby Abreu in LA, but he rejected their offer of roughly $16MM over two years. Seemed like a reasonable offer to me, but Abreu apparently is convinced he can do better. Will he have to settle for a smaller deal as he did last winter?
• An extension for Brandon Webb doesn't seem to be in the works — for now. Webb has said that he's open to remaining with the D'Backs beyond 2010, but points out that it'd be difficult to make a deal work for both sides right now. He is open to midseason negotiations.
• Onto another injured big-name starter, Tim Hudson has said he'd like to remain in Atlanta. Originally, it was reported that he would test the free agent market, but Hudson would like to work out a multi-year deal to remain with the Braves. Hudson has a $12MM mutual option for 2010. What's the best move for both sides?
• Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean both signed on for another two years with the Giants. Can Bochy and Sabean get them over the top and into the postseason in the coming years?
• The Brewers sent cash to the Reds to complete the David Weathers trade. The Brewers were probably hoping for more than the 4.88 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and .283 opponent batting average that Weathers posted in 24 innings with Milwaukee.
• Speaking of right-handed relievers, if you're wondering who's going to be on the market this offseason, we've got you covered.
• Tim covered the A's, Jays, and Reds this week in the Offseason Outlook series.

The season ended for most of the teams in the league one week ago today, and since then two more clubs have been eliminated in the Division Series. By this time next week, just four teams will be left standing. Here's what happened over the last couple of days…

• Milwaukee kicked off the week with a few relatively unsurprising moves. First, they announced that manager Ken Macha will be returning in 2010. Next, they re-signed closer Trevor Hoffman to a one-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2011. Hoffman will earn $8MM next season.
• Some clubs have already filled us in on what issues they'd like to address this offseason. The Phillies would like to upgrade their backup infielder, while Nationals GM Mike Rizzo wants to add an assistant GM and a farm director before anything else. The Mets said they will be players for top free agents, and the Brewers, plagued by a NL worst 5.37 starter's ERA in 2009, hope to add two arms to their rotation, possibly using prospect Mat Gamel as trade bait. The Rays, on the other hand, are unlikely to bring in a closer this winter, instead opting for several relievers that can handle high-leverage spots.
• A few players had their options for 2010 exercised. Brian Moehler and the Astros each picked up their part of the righty's mutual option, while the White Sox picked up the options on reliever Matt Thornton and starter Freddy Garcia.
• Plenty of other players also became free agents this week. The Marlins released Scott Proctor and Dave Davidson, the Padres released Cliff Floyd, Shawn Hill, and Cha Seung Baek, and DeWayne Wise declared free agency,  
• The Mets and Red Sox officially completed the Billy Wagner deal, with the Amazin's receiving prospects Chris Carter and Eddie Lora in return. The Jon Garland trade was completed this week as well, with the Diamondbacks getting infielder Tony Abreu from the Dodgers. One trade that was not completed this week was a potential Milton Bradley deal, although the Cubs were pushing Tampa Bay to get one done quickly. Chicago might not even trade him anyway.
• Bobby Abreu said that he wants to remain with the Angels next year, ditto Orlando Cabrera and the Twins. We also learned that Rick Porcello dropped agent Scott Boras in favor of Alan Hendricks.
• Here are the latest projected Elias rankings, courtesy of Eddie Bajek. You can also check out MLBTR's list of non-tender candidates.

One week to go in the regular season, and it looks like we're in for an exciting one as the AL Central and NL Wild Card are coming down to the wire. Who said there'd be no good races? Here's your look back at the last week:

• Aroldis Chapman, the fireballing young lefty from Cuba, finally established residency this week – in Andorra of all places. He's been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, so let the bidding war begin. We know the Yankees, Orioles, and Angels all have interest, and we heard the Red Sox will be in on him too, but who else? The list of suitors should be plenty long. Unless, of course, there's no interest in a 21-year-old lefty who can throw over 100mph.
• Another international player making headlines this week was Wagner Mateo, who saw his $3.1MM contract voided by the Cardinals after it was revealed that his vision in his right eye was not as clear as they thought. Mateo's representatives say the eye is the same as it was at the time of the signing, but general manager John Mozeliak says he has no plans to renegotiate at this time.
• The Cubs have suspended problematic outfielder Milton Bradley for the rest of the season due to his interactions with the Chicago media. Bradley signed a three-year, $30MM contract this offseason, and while he's managed a solid OBP, the rest of his numbers have been largely disappointing. Even more disappointing have been the antics which have sadly become routine for the talented outfielder. The Cubs could look to move him this offseason, and the Padres may have some facet of interest. You'd have to imagine the Cubs would eat the majority of Bradley's salary in any trade.
• One of the most successful managers of the past generation has signed on for one more year, but only one more. Bobby Cox will take the helm for the Braves one more time in 2010, before hanging up the manager's hat. He'll remain with the Braves in a consulting role through 2015, however. Win or lose Bobby, congrats on one heck of a career.
• We've heard talk that the D'Backs might not pick up Brandon Webb's $8.5MM option for 2010, and that decision just got even more complicated, as Webb says he is not open to a restructured deal. Having seen the contracts signed by starters coming off injuries last season like John Smoltz, Webb is not interested in taking a paycut for Arizona. Is it really worth $6MM to risk losing out on a healthy Webb? I think the D'Backs have to go for it.
• Curious who's available this offseason? Tim's got the free agent market covered for DHs and starting pitchers. And if you're even more forward-looking than that, check out the 2011 free agent market.
• For other offseason storylines, here's a rundown of all the biggest potential stories to look out for.

We're about two weeks from the playoffs; funny how even a 162 game season can fly by. Let's take a look back at the last seven days:

• Just like last week, we start off with a September blockbuster: The Nationals acquired Jamie Burke for cash. The Nats will be Burke's fifth franchise.
• Did they or didn't they? Earlier in the week we heard a report that the Jays rejected an offer of Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, Daniel Bard, Nick Hagadone, Michael Bowden, and Felix Doubrount for ace Roy Halladay. Later, it was reported that the offer was actually Buchholz, Masterson, Hagadone, Bowden, and Josh Reddick. Could J.P. Ricciardi have passed up on that haul? I find it hard to believe, personally, but what do I know? That's a lot of talent to turn away, if it's true.
• Speaking of aces, could the Diamondbacks really reject Brandon Webb's $8.5MM option for 2010 and buy him out for $2MM? The current word is that they'll "take their time" on the decision. Webb missed nearly all of 2009, so he's no sure thing, but when the decision is over $6.5MM, it seems like a pretty logical risk, wouldn't you think? It's not like we're talking about Magglio Ordonez's $18MM option for 2010, which vested this week, by the way.
• It's been a rough year for Chipper Jones offensively (by his standards), and he's apparently not pleased with himself. Chipper says that if his 2010 production looks like this season's, he may hang it up before his current contract is up. When an .823 OPS is a down year that has you considering retirement, I think that's a sign you've had a pretty great career.
• Have the Cubs had enough with Carlos Zambrano? Reports this week stated that they'd look to shop Zambrano in the offseason if they could find a taker. Finding someone to pay Zambrano $18MM per season and put up with his attitude will be a pretty difficult task though. For now, Zambrano is stating that he won't waive his no-trade clause anyway, so it may be a moot point.
• Anyone in need of an injury prone former Cy Young winner? Bartolo Colon was released by the White Sox this week. He'll be available on a minor league deal next season most likely.
• Tanner Scheppers and Aaron Crow have a lot in common. Both pitchers failed to sign after being drafted in 2008, and both signed this week. Ok, maybe that's not that much. At any rate, Scheppers signed with the Rangers for $1.25MM, and Crow signed with the Royals for $3MM. Remember, neither was held to the signing deadline because they were both drafted from an independent league team.
• Curious to see who's on the free agent market this winter? Tim's got the scoop on the market for center fielders, left fielders, and third basemen this week.
• Updates in the Offseason Outlook series include the Indians and Mets. 

Not the busiest week we've ever had here on MLBTR, but we heard a lot about some things to be watching for in the offseason. Let's take a look back:

• Let's start with the big trade this week: In a September blockbuster, the Orioles acquired Sean Henn from the Twins for cash. Yeah, it's been a slow week for transactions.
• Chone Figgins has been a popular topic this week. The versatile speedster will be highly coveted this winter, and while he may fit in with a number of teams (really, who couldn't use a .303/.401/.395 line and 40+ SBs?), don't rule out a return to Los Angeles. Figgins certainly hasn't. Ken Rosenthal sat down with Figgins recently, if you'd like more on the situation.
• Another big name on the free agent market will be Jose Valverde. Valverde will test the free agent market this year, though reports that he's actually 15 months older than previously thought might be detrimental to the length of his contract. Lots of teams will be in the market for a closer; however old he really is, Valverde should see a multi-year deal.
• Teams not wishing to pony up for Valverde may find Billy Wagner to be a cheaper (though also riskier) option. Wagner expects to turn down arbitration so he can find a team in need of a closer.
• We heard this week that the Nationals are looking to improve… well, everything. They're looking to add two veteran arms to the rotation, improve the bullpen, and get stronger up the middle. They've asked Cristian Guzman to move to second base in an attempt to help on the last one. Mike Rizzo has his work cut out for him to say the least.
• Josh Beckett's 2010 option vested this week, so he'll be back for at least one more year with the BoSox.
• Meanwhile, another AL East pitcher may find himself looking for a new team this offseason. The Yankees could choose to nontender Chien-Ming Wang as a result of his injury problems. If they do, they could bring him back on a minor league deal to keep him off the 40-man roster while he rehabs. This will be an interesting situation to watch.
• We've heard that the Cards want to re-sign Matt Holliday, but we also heard this week that they'll discuss an extension with free-agent-to-be Mark DeRosa. Is this too risky of a move given his eventual need for wrist surgery? Should they be focused only on Holliday?
• It may just be talk, but Kevin Towers expects the Padres to surprise some people next year. Does the team's crop of young players such as Kyle Blanks, Mat Latos, and Everth Cabrera have some hope for 2010?
• The Pads won't spend much on free agents, but remember that not all successful signings require millions of dollars. Here's a look at some of the best minor league deals from last offseason.
• If you're wondering who's available this offseason, Tim covered the free agent markets for first basemen, second basemen, and shortstops this week. We've also got an update on the Elias Rankings, as well as a look at some borderline Type A/B free agents.
• Tim's Offseason Outlook series this week include the Orioles and Pirates.

Lots of interesting stuff around the league today, including a triple play and Ichiro's 2,000th hit. Here's your look back at the past seven days!

• About an hour after losing to the Twins on Monday, White Sox GM Kenny Williams had traded Jim Thome to the Dodgers and Jose Contreras to the Rockies. Thome will provide some big-time thunder off the LA bench, and while I questioned the Rockies' acquisition, Contreras held the Diamondbacks in check just fine in his Colorado debut. Here's some additional reactions to the Thome trade.
• The Dodgers weren't done there though. They solidified their rotation this week when they added Jon Garland, and also acquired Ronnie Belliard. Have the depth moves from the Dodgers strengthened them enough to be postseason favorites in the NL, or does that honor go to the Phillies or Cardinals? We've got additional thoughts on the Garland and Contreras trades as well.
• The other question on everyone's mind was, "Where is Brad Penny going to end up?" Penny signed on with the Giants and absolutely blanked the Phillies in his first appearance. If you're a struggling AL East starter… the NL will apparently cure what ails you.
• If you're a Royals fan, something else may be ailing you. The Royals extended general manager Dayton Moore's contract through 2014 this week. Moore has drawn heavy criticism for excessive spending on marginal free agents, and putting together a team that's mustered just a .311 OBP this season. Can he right the ship over the duration of this next contract?
• Speaking of OBP and the AL Central, this week we heard that the Twins will have enough money to re-sign Joe Mauer if the megastar hits free agency. Mauer's posting a completely ridiculous line of .367/.435/.607 so far this year. Many consider him to be a lock for MVP even though the Twins' playoff hopes are diminishing. However, signing a catcher to the type of long-term deal Mauer will be receiving is a risky play. Is this just talk from the Twins front office, or can you see them ponying up and competing with the big spenders in this case?
• The Cardinals extended both Ryan Franklin and Trever Miller this week, with Franklin getting two years and $6.5MM and Miller getting $2MM in 2010 plus a vesting option for 2011. My initial thought is that it's a lot of money for two aging relievers, but then again both have been brilliant thus far. Since signing his extension however, Franklin's nearly doubled his earned run total on the season. Probably not much to worry about… it's jumped from 6 to 10. Yeah, he's been that good.
• The Rays acquired Sean Rodriguez as the player to be named later in the Scott Kazmir trade this week. That completes quite a nice haul for Kazmir, especially given his struggles this year. It's easy to forget though, that Kazmir is just 25. He's still young, tremendously talented, and moving out of the AL East certainly can't hurt.
• Curious to see who the top free agents will be after the season? Check out the list of probable Type A free agents.
• Tim's back with his Offseason Outlook series, and the first installments feature the Royals and Nationals.
• Want to see what the glamorous life of an MLBTR writer is like? We're on the lookout for new writers again. If you've got evening availabilty and are interested, here's the details.

On the day that Eric Bruntlett turned the 15th unassisted triple play in MLB history (second to end a game), here's your look back at the past week here on MLBTR:

• The deadline to sign draft picks was this past Monday, and as expected, several negotiations went down to the wire. Stephen Strasburg signed a record-setting deal just seconds before the deadline; he'll receive up to $15.67MM, with $15.1MM guaranteed. Here's the list of the rest of the first-round picks and their dollar amounts.
• It may be getting into late August, but we've still got trades going through; the Rangers acquired Ivan Rodriguez from Houston for prospects Jose Vallejo, Matt Nevarez, and possibly a third player, depending on whether or not the Rangers make the playoffs. It seems a steep price for Pudge and his .662 OPS, but Pudge will benefit the Rangers' young catchers, boost attendance, and hey – he went 3-4 in his first game back in Arlington. Pudge will serve as the backup to Taylor Teagarden.
• After being released by the Red Sox, John Smoltz cleared waivers and agreed to a deal with the Cardinals. Smoltz will serve as the fifth starter for now for the Cards, and it's hard to argue with the early results: Smoltz threw five scoreless, three-hit innings today and notched nine strikeouts, including seven in a row at one point.
• A few more veteran faces changed teams this week, as the Mariners acquired Bill Hall from the Brewers for minor leaguer Ruben Flores, and the Dodgers signed Vicente Padilla to fill out the back end of their rotation, following his release from the Rangers. Expensive subtractions for both Milwaukee and Texas; Hall is owed $8.4MM next year, while the Rangers are still on the hook for Padilla's $12MM salary this season.
• Just days after hearing that the Nationals were set to fire Mike Rizzo and name Jerry DiPoto their new general manager, we learned that the opposite was true. The Nats named Rizzo their new general manager, much to the delight of many Washington fans. Rizzo's done a nice job changing the culture in Washington, and the club has showed improvement since he took over. Does Rizzo have what it takes to save this team?
• The Red Sox made a gamble, placing a waiver claim on recently-returned Billy Wagner. It's been said that the Sox would like to trade for Wagner, who is still owed $3.5MM this year and holds an $8MM option for 2010. Not everyone in the Boston bullpen is happy about the situation, as Jonathan Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen have likened the potential deal to the Eric Gagne acquisition of 2007. Is this a good move by Boston, or an unnecessary risk?
• A few weeks ago, we heard that David Eckstein turned down a chance to play for the Twins in order to remain with the Padres. It was reported that Eckstein liked serving the mentor role, and that general manager Kevin Towers was hopeful Eckstein would remain in San Diego beyond 2009. Towers and Eckstein got their wish; the two sides agreed on a one-year, $1MM extension for 2010.