NL West Notes: Padres, Dodgers, Phelps
Three NL West teams — the Giants, Diamondbacks and Rockies — open their seasons today. Here are some links from the NL West…
- The Padres' 20-year TV deal with FOX Sports San Diego is "all but finalized" and should be announced within one or two days, Dan Hayes of the North County Times reports. The deal could be worth $1 billion or more. "Life is good and I'll leave it at that," Padres majority owner John Moores said.
- MLB officials are concerned that the winning bidders for the Dodgers have been slow to produce details about themselves and their bid, Tom Verducci of SI.com reports. Some owners are questioning why the group fronted by Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten hasn't filed a more detailed Purchase and Sale Agreement.
- Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports that the terms of the Dodgers’ sale are scheduled to be filed in court today.
- The Giants originally requested right-hander David Phelps from the Yankees for catcher Chris Stewart, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. The Yankees ultimately sent right-hander George Kontos to San Francisco.
Outrighted: Neal, Hamren, Eveland, Rodriguez
Teams are clearing 40-man roster space for non-roster invitees who’ve made Opening Day rosters, so we’ve had a flurry of outright assignments in recent days. Here are the details via MLB.com’s transactions page…
- Indians outfielder Thomas Neal, who was designated for assignment yesterday, has cleared waivers, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (Twitter link). The Indians outrighted him to Triple-A.
- The Padres announced that right-hander Erik Hamren cleared outright waivers. The Padres have assigned him to Double-A and now have an open spot on their 40-man roster.
- The Orioles announced that they outrighted left-hander Dana Eveland to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. They had designated him for assignment last week.
- The Mets outrighted Armando Rodriguez to Binghamton after he cleared outright waivers. The right-hander pitched at Class A in 2011, posting a 3.96 ERA in 16 starts.
- The Cubs outrighted Frankie De La Cruz to Triple-A Iowa. They had claimed the 28-year-old right-hander off of waivers from the Brewers less than a month ago. De La Cruz spent most of last year as a starter at Triple-A, where he had a 3.88 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 137 innings.
- The Indians outrighted Rick VandenHurk to Triple-A. They had designated him for assignment soon after claiming him on waivers.
Quick Hits: Lannan, Payrolls, Moyer, Eveland
Here are some links from around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday…
- John Lannan requested a trade earlier tonight, but MLB.com's Bill Ladson hears the Nationals aren't close to making a deal. They've talked to at least 20 teams about the southpaw, but his $5MM salary is a sticking point. Washington wants prospects or bench players in return.
- Unsurprisingly, the Yankees top baseball with a $197.9MM payroll according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter links). It's their lowest payroll since 2007. The Padres bring up the rear at $53.9MM.
- Nightengale reports (on Twitter) that Jamie Moyer will earn $1.1MM with the Rockies this season. The 49-year-old made the club after signing a minor league deal this winter.
- Orioles GM Dan Duquette said there is no update on Dana Eveland, according to Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com (on Twitter). The left-hander was designated for assignment last week and they are still going through the process.
- The Orioles are expected to acquire Chris Robinson, reports Melewski (on Twitter). The catcher hit .316/.345/.396 in 240 plate appearances while in the Cubs' farm system last year. He is now listed on the roster of Baltimore's Triple-A affilliate.
Quick Hits: Oswalt, Cain, Soria, Votto, McCourt
We're less than 24 hours away from the first official game at Marlins Park, as the Fish show off their new ballpark in their season opener against the World Series champion Cardinals. Here are some news bits to tide us over in the meantime…
- The Giants' extension with Matt Cain is "a sound deal," several non-San Francisco team executives tell ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
- Roy Oswalt will likely need around 60 days of preparation time to be ready to pitch, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). This fits with Oswalt's previous statement about looking at a midseason return.
- Royals closer Joakim Soria underwent Tommy John surgery today and the medical team "couldn't have been more pleased" with the procedure, a club source tells MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. Soria will miss the entire 2012 season recovering from the surgery.
- Joey Votto's 10-year, $225MM extension with the Reds is "one of the crazier seeming contracts in baseball history," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman talks to several anonymous team executives about the contract, with theories ranging from the Reds being worried about the Dodgers' aggressive new ownership to the Reds being able to afford Votto thanks to several years of collecting luxury tax payments. Then again, one competing GM says simply, "The Reds look like they have no plan."
- Attorneys for Major League Baseball made a court filing arguing that the Dodgers shouldn't be allowed to emerge from bankruptcy until the team pays back $8.3MM worth of bills from the league, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
- Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at how some recent big contracts around baseball could impact the Cardinals. Miklasz thinks that Cain's deal will make Adam Wainwright's next contract even more expensive, but I don't agree, given that Wainwright is three years older and has a more checkered injury history.
- Several Padres players, as well as several players from the entire NL West and AL West, are discussed by opposing scouts in a chat with Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres.
Cafardo On Pelfrey, Thornton, Byrd, Gregg, Padres
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe ranks every manager in the majors, one through 30. Cafardo's top five skippers in the game for 2012 are Joe Maddon (Rays), Jim Leyland (Tigers), Mike Scioscia (Angels), Charlie Manuel (Phillies), and Joe Girardi (Yankees). Here's more from Cafardo..
- While the Mets were considering releasing right-hander Mike Pelfrey, they likely won’t do that because there should be a trade market for the veteran. The 28-year-old makes $5.6MM on a non-guaranteed deal and the Mets may be able to get something from a club looking for a back-end starter.
- White Sox left-hander Matt Thornton is a player who always draws interest, though other clubs wish he didn’t make $12MM over the next two years. With Hector Santiago and Will Ohman on the team, the closer could again be trade bait.
- The Cubs may eat some money to move outfielder Marlon Byrd, who is scheduled to earn $6.5MM this season. They may have suitors in the Braves, Phillies, and others. A National League scout indicated that Byrd’s name is being mentioned more and more as the end of spring training approaches.
- Orioles reliever Kevin Gregg is available as the O's try to rid themselves of extraneous players and save money. Gregg makes $5.6MM this year, and the Orioles don’t want his 2013 contract to kick in at $6MM if he finishes 50 games in 2012.
- Cafardo expects long-term extension talks between Cole Hamels and the Phillies to move slowly.
- One American League owner said of the Padres, "They’re probably a half-billion to $700MM purchase. And I don’t believe that many, or any, of the finalists for the Dodgers would be interested."
Quick Hits: Padres, Luebke, Red Sox, Dodgers, Brewers
Friday night linkage..
- Several scouts not affiliated with the Padres now regard Cory Luebke as the team's best starter, writes Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres. Luebke agreed to a sizable extension with the club earlier this evening.
- Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said today that GM Ben Cherington is "exploring" the team's options in regards to their compensation package for Theo Epstein, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. Boston would like to receive a different player from the Cubs after the injury suffered by Chris Carpenter.
- Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times writes that the public will ultimately pay for the Dodgers' massive sale price.
- Veteran infielder Cesar Izturis is relieved to have made the cut with the Brewers, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Padres Agree To Deal With Cory Luebke
The Padres today announced that they have agreed to terms with left-hander Cory Luebke on a contract through the 2015 season with club options for 2016 and 2017. The 27-year-old is represented by Meister Sports Management.
The deal will give Luebke a guaranteed $12MM, according to Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres (via Twitter). If both options are exercised, Luebke could earn up to $27.75MM, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.
The contract can potentially cover Luebke's arbitration eligible years and his first year of free agency. The lefty appeared in 46 games for the Padres last season, posting a 3.29 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
Quick Hits: Rangers, Dodgers, Rowand
On this date three years ago, the Padres returned Rule 5 selection Ivan Nova to the Yankees. The right-hander broke out with a 3.70 ERA in 165 1/3 innings last year, his first full season in the Major Leagues. Here are today's links…
- The Rangers are looking to tinker, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. They’re looking to move Koji Uehara and/or Mark Lowe and aim to acquire a utility infielder and/or right-handed bat who can handle left field and first base. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported yesterday that other teams are calling about the Rangers’ relievers.
- Magic Johnson, whose group won the bidding for the Dodgers, promises to invest in the team, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports (via the Baltimore Sun). "Teams are investing," the former NBA star said. "That's what you do when you put a winning team on the field. We're not going to be any different from those teams."
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports argues that it would be good for baseball if more of the sport's stars remained involved in high-profile roles after their playing careers end. "Two trends — increasing player compensation and larger ownership groups — have combined to create more opportunities for players to become owners," Astros CEO George Postolos told Morosi.
- Teams with catching depth such as the Yankees, Padres, and Blue Jays aren’t inclined to make deals at this point, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.
- Aaron Rowand, who was released earlier today, says he'll "probably" retire if no team needs an outfielder, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (Twitter link).
NL West Notes: Giants, Cain, Dodgers, Padres
Items out of the NL West and surprise surprise, many of them come back to the Dodgers..
- The Giants and Matt Cain, perhaps newly motivated by the Dodgers’ $2.15 billion sale, have picked up extension talks again, writes Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. The negotiations are being watched carefully by the Players’ Association as the pitcher signed what was viewed as a pair of club-friendly extensions earlier in his career.
- The Giants won't be the biggest spender in the division for long, writes Baggarly. Giants CEO Larry Baer told Baggarly that while the club will look to "compete their brains out" against the Dodgers, they are glad to see the team in good hands and in a position to prosper.
- Steve Garvey's group didn't wind up getting the Dodgers but the former first baseman told XX1090 Sports Radio (via Twitter) that his group is interested in buying the Padres.
- Steve Gilbert of MLB.com writes that the Diamondbacks face a tough decision when it comes to out-of-options reliever Mike Zagurski. There doesn't appear to be room for him on the roster but getting a solid left-handed reliever through waivers won't be easy.
Offseason In Review: San Diego Padres
New Padres GM Josh Byrnes transformed the team with a series of bold trades.
Major League Signings
- Mark Kotsay, OF/1B: one year, $1.25MM.
- Micah Owings, P: one year, $1MM. Arbitration eligible for 2013.
- Total spend: $2.25MM.
Draft Picks Received: #33 and #70 for modified Type A free agent Heath Bell, #44 for Type B Aaron Harang
International Signings
- OF Franmil Reyes ($700K)
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
- Cameron Maybin, CF: five years, $25MM. Includes $9MM club option for 2017 with a $1MM buyout.
- Nick Hundley, C: three years, $9MM. Includes $5MM club option for 2015.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired C John Baker from Marlins for SP Wade LeBlanc.
- Acquired RP Huston Street from Rockies for SP Nick Schmidt and $1MM.
- Acquired RP Cory Burns from Indians for OF Aaron Cunningham.
- Acquired 1B Yonder Alonso, C Yasmani Grandal, RP Brad Boxberger, and SP Edinson Volquez from Reds for SP Mat Latos.
- Acquired RP Ryan Kelly from Rangers for C Luis Martinez.
- Acquired OF Carlos Quentin from White Sox for SP Simon Castro and SP Pedro Hernandez.
- Acquired P Andrew Cashner and OF Kyung-Min Na from Cubs for 1B Anthony Rizzo and SP Zach Cates.
Notable Losses
- Mat Latos, Heath Bell, Anthony Rizzo, Aaron Harang, Chad Qualls, Wade LeBlanc, Nick Schmidt, Aaron Cunningham, Luis Martinez, Simon Castro, Pedro Hernandez, Zach Cates, Alberto Gonzalez, Brad Hawpe, Rob Johnson
In two years' time as Padres GM, Jed Hoyer built one of baseball's best farm systems. But back in '09, Josh Byrnes would have been owner-in-progress Jeff Moorad's first choice for GM, had Byrnes not been under an eight-year contract issued by Moorad when both were with the Diamondbacks. Byrnes was fired as D'Backs GM in July 2010, and when Moorad brought him and former manager A.J. Hinch to the Padres' front office a few months later, Hoyer must have felt concern about his job security. New Cubs president Theo Epstein came calling about Byrnes this offseason, but eventually found Moorad willing to let Hoyer leave. Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod went to Chicago, and Byrnes took over as Padres GM and promoted Hinch.
Moorad considered the front office changes a net win, but now Byrnes may lose his biggest supporter. This month, Moorad resigned as CEO, withdrawing his application for complete control of the Padres. Moorad lacked full support from MLB owners, partly due to years spent as an agent. There's an expectation that John Moores will go back to the drawing board to try to sell the team. If new ownership comes aboard, Byrnes' tenure as Padres GM might be short.
Even if Byrnes only had one offseason, he made his mark on the franchise through trades and extensions. 24-year-old starter Mat Latos was the Padres' greatest asset, under team control through 2015. Teams often build around players like Latos, but Byrnes shipped him to Cincinnati in a four-for-one blockbuster trade. The Reds were one of few teams with the talent and willingness to pull off a deal of this magnitude. The Padres may have received their first baseman of the future (Alonso), catcher of the future (Grandal), closer of the future (Boxberger), and two years of an intriguing starter with upside (Volquez). The Padres took a short-term hit with this trade, but it's an easy long-term win and diversifies their assets.
The Padres already had a first baseman of the future in Rizzo, and sure enough, Hoyer and Theo Epstein came calling for their former Red Sox draft pick. I agree with the idea of the Padres converting one of the first basemen into a top starting pitching prospect, though I'm not sure Cashner was the right choice. The 25-year-old began the 2011 season in the Cubs' rotation but missed most of the year with a shoulder injury. The hard-throwing righty will be used as a reliever in 2012. Should Cashner remain in that role, anything short of a dominant closer will be a light return if Rizzo lives up to his billing. Certainly, though, the Padres did their due diligence in determining Cashner has a long-term future as a starter.
Byrnes mostly avoided the free agent market, instead finding a few short-term fixes via trade. Street was a salary dump for the Rockies, and the trade is similar to Byrnes signing the closer to a one-year, $7MM free agent contract. Perhaps Byrnes wanted some name value to replace the departed Heath Bell, but Bell himself was once a no-name reliever who blossomed at Petco Park. Spending $7MM on any closer is an unnecessary luxury for the 2012 Padres.
The Quentin acquisition was confusing as well. In the Padres' favor, the prospect price for a year of Quentin wasn't ridiculous, and it's easier for them to trade for offense than to find willing free agents on one-year deals. Still, Byrnes did give up useful prospects for Quentin. Much like Cashner, Castro had a lost 2011 but still retains plenty of upside. Pedro Hernandez seems to have a big league future as well. Perhaps Castro wasn't particularly high on the Padres' stacked prospect depth chart, and they wanted to make some short-term efforts.
Byrnes also authored extensions for Maybin and Hundley. The Maybin extension cost more than I thought it would, especially for the arbitration years. There's still value for the Padres in the chance that Maybin breaks out and especially in what would have been the center fielder's first two free agent years. Still, Maybin's agent Brian Goldberg drove a hard bargain for a player whose best season to date included a .264 batting average, nine home runs, and 40 RBI. Snagging Hundley's three arbitration years for $9MM, plus a club option, is more of a clear win for the team.
This much is clear about Byrnes: he's not a timid GM. He evaluated key players in the Padres organization and made significant bets on some and against others, in an offseason that should affect the team long after Byrnes is gone.