West Notes: Quentin, Robinson, Dodgers
A few items to pass along out of MLB's west divisions …
- The stalled sale of the Padres leaves the team's ownership situation a mess, writes Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, who adds that the prolonged uncertainty hampers the odds of signing outfielder Carlos Quentin to a long-term extension, which was the objective when he was acquired from the White Sox.
- Mariners outfielder Trayvon Robinson told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that he was confused and disappointed by last season's three-way trade that sent him from his hometown Dodgers to the Mariners via the Red Sox. Robinson said he was first told he was going to Boston while he was reading on Twitter that he was in fact going to Seattle.
- The Dodgers hosted Steve Cohen at their Spring Training complex on Saturday, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Cohen is considered by some to be the favorite to win the bidding for the franchise, according to Gurnick. Outgoing owner Frank McCourt was also in attendance.
- Yoenis Cespedes still remains something of a mystery to even the Athletics, the team that invested $36MM in the Cuban outfielder, explains Richard Justice of MLB.com. "We know less about this guy than anybody in camp," A's manager Bob Melvin said Saturday. "It's a huge question." Cespedes went 2-for-2 with a homer and two RBIs in his Spring Training debut on Saturday.
NL West Notes: Posey, Moores, Page
Don't expect any inter-sport recruiting from Todd Helton. The veteran first baseman says he isn't planning to try and sell his friend Peyton Manning about possibly coming to Denver, after reports surfaced that Manning was making a free agent visit to the NFL's Denver Broncos. The two were teammates on the University of Tennessee's football team, and Helton was briefly the Volunteers' starting quarterback before Manning took over.
Curiously enough, this isn't the only NFL-related item within this roundup of news from around the NL West…
- The Giants and Buster Posey agreed to terms on a one-year, $615K contract for 2012, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Posey will be eligible for arbitration for the first time next winter and Schulman reported last week that no extension talks were planned between Posey and the team before Opening Day. The Giants now have all 19 of their pre-arbitration players under contract for 2012 — most received salaries at or slightly above the Major League minimum of $480K except Posey and Madison Bumgarner ($575K).
- Padres majority owner John Moores talked to Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune about Jeffrey Moorad's decision to drop his attempt to buy a controlling interest of the team. "This was a done deal a long time ago," Moores said. "But it’s not the worst situation in the world to sit in the owner’s seat from time to time for another season — though I am conflicted about it, no question.” Moores praised Moorad for stepping back so the club could get its new TV contract approved before Opening Day.
- The Dodgers have signed former Minnesota Vikings safety Jarrad Page to a minor league contract, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick (via Twitter). Page has played in the NFL since 2006, but was not expected to be re-signed by the Vikings once the NFL's free agency period opens on Tuesday. A well-regarded high school baseball prospect, Page was drafted by the Brewers in 2002 before deciding to attend UCLA, and was also drafted by the Rockies in 2005 and the Angels in 2006. Page attended an open tryout with the Dodgers last week and has signed as an outfielder.
Chris Young Leaning Towards Re-Signing With Mets
Chris Young is closer to rejoining the Mets, with a source telling Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that an agreement between the two sides "will happen." Young has narrowed his choices down to the Mets and Padres (another of his former teams) but apparently favors a return to New York due to his good relationship with Mets GM Sandy Alderson. Martino adds in a follow-up tweet that there is "nothing imminent" between Young and the Mets.
Young, 32, signed a one-year, $1.1MM contract with the Mets last offseason and was on pace to be a nice bargain (a 1.88 ERA in four starts) before undergoing season-ending surgery for a torn anterior capsule in his throwing shoulder. It was the latest in a series of arm injuries for Young, who has made just 40 starts over the last four seasons. A return to the Padres could be complicated by the fact that the Friars don't offer incentive-laden contracts, which Young would obviously be interested in case he returns to form.
NL West Notes: Lincecum, Padres, Moores, Jimenez
Here's a look at some items out of the National League West..
- The Giants offered Tim Lincecum at least $100MM over five years a couple months back, but it now it appears that the two sides are at least $75MM apart, with the right-hander looking for a seven- or eight-year deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- Jeff Moorad has withdrawn his application to be the controlling partner of the Padres, meaning that John Moores will own the team for the foreseeable future, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
- Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres runs down the particulars of what this means for the future of the club. Moorad will remain the Vice Chairman and CEO of the Padres while Moores will remain the majority owner of the team as he has since 1994-95. Krasovic also writes that MLB is likely to approve the 20-year TV deal between the Padres and FOX.
- Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez don't exactly see eye-to-eye with former teammate Ubaldo Jimenez on his dissatisfaction with the Rockies, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. The pitcher said that he was upset with the club in part because Tulowitzski and Gonzalez received lucrative new deals following the 2010 season while he did not.
Minor Moves: Ruiz, Meloan, Hernandez
Here are the details on the latest minor moves. Unless otherwise noted, Matt Eddy of Baseball America first reported these transactions on Twitter…
- The Diamondbacks signed 34-year-old first baseman Randy Ruiz. He won the 2009 Pacific Coast League MVP and spent the past two seasons in Japan.
- The Rangers signed right-hander Jon Meloan, who has big league experience with the Dodgers, Indians and Athletics.
- The Padres signed right-hander Dennis Tankersley. Baseball America ranked Tankersley ahead of Jake Peavy in its 2002 handbook, but he hasn't pitched affiliated baseball since 2008.
- The Blue Jays signed right-hander Fernando Hernandez, who appeared briefly with the 2008 Athletics. The reliever has a 3.55 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in nine minor league seasons.
- The Cubs released right-hander Kyle Smit, who struggled at three levels in 2011.
- The Dodgers signed right-handed reliever Blake Johnson, their second round selection in the 2004 draft.
- The Mariners released former catching prospect Angel Salome, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.
2013 Vesting Options
Which players can lock in 2013 contract options based on their 2012 performance? Let's take a look.
- Jason Bartlett, Padres: $5.5MM option vests with 432 plate appearances.
- Alex Gonzalez, Brewers: $4MM option vests with 525 plate appearances.
- Chipper Jones, Braves: $9MM+ option vests with 123 games.
- Kevin Gregg, Orioles: $6MM option vests with 50 games finished.
- Brett Myers, Astros: $10MM option vests based on unknown starting or relieving milestones.
West Links: D’Backs, Cespedes, Maybin
Here's the latest from baseball's two West divisions as some late night baseball is being played in Florida…
- The Diamondbacks added to their depth this offseason by signing Jason Kubel, and if they do trade an outfielder it won't necessarily be Gerardo Parra according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. They could decide to trade Chris Young, or prospects Adam Eaton or A.J. Pollock instead.
- All indications point to Yoenis Cespedes being on the Athletics' Opening Day roster, writes Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. "Based on the contract, the sooner the better," said GM Billy Beane. "We're going to be open-minded."
- "It is an honor to learn from him, to watch him hit, to have him tell me these things," said Cespedes to reporters (including Bruce Jenkins of The San Francisco Chronicle) when asked about playing with Manny Ramirez. "That is very, very special." Manny intends to shadow the Cuban newcomer in Athletics camp.
- "For us dealing with free agency, we'd rather deal with it now rather than when a guy is a year away," said Padres GM Josh Byrnes to Jim Duquette and Kevin Kennedy of MLB Network Radio while talking about the Cameron Maybin extension. Byrnes said they also believe there is more offense on the way from their center fielder.
No Discount For Padres On Maybin’s Arbitration Years
There are two reasons to sign a player to a multiyear contract extension before he's arbitration eligible. One is to get a discount on the player's arbitration years as a tradeoff for guaranteeing them, and the other is to secure free agent seasons. The Padres accomplished only one of these in signing center fielder Cameron Maybin to a five-year, $25MM extension on Saturday.
Arbitration hearings lag well behind the times in terms of the statistics argued by teams and agencies. Arbitration panels consist of three base-level baseball people, and it's generally considered too risky to attempt to educate them about an advanced metric, prove its validity, and a present a strong case for the player within an hour. That's why it wasn't surprising when Matt Swartz's arbitration model for MLB Trade Rumors proved that playing time and power matter most in arbitration salaries for position players, and even batting average and steals "pale in importance to the almighty HR and RBI." Matt demonstrated that position doesn't affect salary much either.
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith zeroed in on this point in his January Maybin extension candidate article. Maybin was quite valuable in 2011, tallying 4.7 wins above replacement according to FanGraphs. However, he accumulated this value almost entirely through skills that are rarely recognized in arbitration salaries, such as defense, baserunning, and playing a difficult position. Assuming Maybin were to just keep repeating his 2011 season – a generous playing time assumption – Matt Swartz projects arbitration salaries of $2.4MM in 2013, $3.8MM in 2014, and $5.2MM in 2015, for a total of $11.4MM. As part of the new five-year deal, Maybin will receive $15MM for that stretch of his career.
Maybin's 140 pro games in 2011 marked a career-best; he's always battled injuries. Playing time is a significant factor in arbitration salaries. Not only did the Padres lose the chance to pay Maybin less during his arbitration years if he misses significant time due to injury, but they overpaid him by an estimated $3.6MM even if good health is assumed. Perhaps Maybin's contract was modeled off Franklin Gutierrez's January 2010 deal with the Mariners, itself a clear overpay at the time for the same reasons. One key difference is that the 24-year-old Maybin has plenty of offensive upside remaining, and if the former first-rounder realizes what was once considered "wicked raw power" by Baseball America, he could justify arbitration earnings in excess of $15MM.
As I mentioned, Padres GM Josh Byrnes received another benefit by locking up Maybin: the center fielder's first free agent year at $8MM and a club option for another at $9MM. Even if Maybin does not take another leap forward with the bat, those 2016 and '17 salaries will still be considered good value relative to free agent prices. With today's savvy front offices, free agency will likely continue to appreciate defense and position scarcity more and more. As of right now, though, Maybin's agent Brian Goldberg is the winner, having secured $25MM for a player coming off a 137-game season in which he batted .264 with nine home runs and 40 RBI.
NL West Links: Maybin, Moorad, D’Backs, Dodgers
Here's the latest from the NL West…
- The Padres' contract extension with Cameron Maybin is a good deal for both parties, writes Fangraphs' Mike Axisa.
- Jeff Moorad's purchase of the Padres could be finalized on March 12 when MLB's ownership committee and executive council hold meetings, reports Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sullivan hears "the Padres have completed the process of responding to baseball’s questions" following a January owners' meeting when Moorad's latest attempt to complete his purchase wasn't addressed due to what Bud Selig referred to as "economic concerns."
- The Diamondbacks renewed the contracts of Josh Collmenter, David Hernandez, Ian Kennedy and Gerardo Parra for 2012, the team announced Saturday. Between these renewals and agreeing to terms with 15 other players, Arizona now has its entire 40-man roster under contract for the coming season.
- The Dodgers also announced the signings of all their players with less than three years of Major League experience, with Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times specifying that A.J. Ellis will earn $490K in 2012 and Javy Guerra will earn $488K.
- CBS and MSG are each considering investing in one of the groups bidding to buy the Dodgers as a path to obtaining the team's broadcast rights, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Both networks would use the Dodgers as the foundation for a regional sports network. With CBS, MSG, Time Warner and current rights-holders FOX all interested in Dodgers programming, the club looks well-positioned for a multi-billion dollar TV contract, perhaps even topping the Angels' recent 20-year, $3 billion deal with FOX.
Padres Agree To Extend Cameron Maybin
2:32pm: Maybin will earn $500K in 2012 with the money escalating each year, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com. The 24-year-old will earn $3MM, $5MM, $7MM, $8MM, and $9MM in years to follow. The final year of the deal, 2017, comes with a $1MM buyout.
11:11am: The Padres and Cameron Maybin have agreed to a five-year contract extension with an option for a sixth year, reports Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. Dan Hayes of The North County Times first reported that an extension was imminent earlier this morning. The Brian Goldberg client will get $25MM guaranteed, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com. The option is worth $7-8MM. The team has announced the deal.
The five-year contract extension covers Maybin's final pre-arbitration season, all three seasons of arbitration-eligibility, and one free agent year with an option for second. Maybin did ask for a no-trade clause according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter), but the team has a policy against them.
Maybin, 24, enjoyed a breakout season in San Diego last summer after being acquired from the Marlins for Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica. He hit .264/.323/.393 with nine homers and 40 steals overall, but like most players he was much more productive away from Petco Park: .294/.349/.457 with seven homers. Maybin is also considered a strong defensive center fielder, ranking third at the position with a +9.5 UZR in 2011.
The contract is similar to the one signed by Chris Young with the Diamondbacks back in 2008, a five-year deal worth $25.5MM that was brokered by current Padres GM Josh Byrnes. He had less than two years of service time at the time, however. Curtis Granderson ($30.25MM) also signed a five-year deal at a similar point in his career. Both Young and Granderson had a substantial advantage over Maybin in power numbers though, so it appears as though Goldberg got a nice deal for his defense-first outfielder.
As our Extension Tracker shows, the Padres have not signed a player to an extension longer than three years since Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young in April 2007. Jake Peavy signed a three-year, $52MM extension in December 2007 and Jason Bartlett signed a two-year, $11MM deal last January. The two sides had been talking about a long-term extension most of the offseason, though talks stalled early last month when Maybin changed agents. Ben Nicholson-Smith suggested that the five-year contract worth $21-22MM could work for both parties back in January.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.