Odds & Ends: Hale, Pirates, O’s, Free Agents
With the free agency period officially upon us, many of today's links focus on either the top players available or which of those players particular teams will pursue. Let's round 'em up….
- DeMarlo Hale will interview for the Mets managerial opening, reports Maureen Mullen of Comcast SportsNet. Hale was a finalist for the Blue Jays' job before Toronto hired John Farrell.
- Jon Heyman hears that the Pirates are going after players aggressively in the early stages of free agency (Twitter link).
- The Orioles have hired Mark Connor as their pitching coach, according to the Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly. A former Twins' minor leaguer, Connor was Buck Showalter's pitching coach with the Yankees, D'Backs, and Rangers as well.
- Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe breaks down the top free agents by position and lists some possible destinations.
- In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Keith Law breaks down his top 50 free agents, with Cliff Lee topping the list. Meanwhile, there's no Insider account required for Newsday's Ken Davidoff's top 30 free agents and accompanying predictions.
- The baseball writers at FOX Sports predict the landing spots for some of the best available players, in slideshow form.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan names ten free agents he thinks the Rangers will consider signing.
- Mark Simon of ESPNNewYork proposes some realistic free agent targets for the Mets.
- In his Insider-only ESPN.com blog, Buster Olney identifies a few players who may be hurt by their Type A status this winter.
- There are a few "hot stove myths" to keep in mind as you follow rumors and signings this offseason, writes J.C. Bradbury at Sabernomics.
- Jorge de la Rosa's agent, Bobby Barad, tells Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he has already received multiple calls from teams expressing a "sincere interest" in his client.
- The Padres are rebuilding once again, writes Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Olney’s Latest: Gonzalez, Lee, Crawford, Jeter
Two days ago we learned that Padres GM Jed Hoyer is willing to listen to trade offers for Adrian Gonzalez (and Heath Bell), unsurprising since the first baseman is reportedly seeking close to $22MM annually when he becomes a free agent next offseason. In today's blog post (Insider req'd), ESPN's Buster Olney lists a few reasons why the Pads are more likely to wait until the trade deadline to move their franchise player…
- Ticket sales. After surprising success in 2010, the team doesn't want to lose the trust of the fans by dealing their best player before the season.
- The Padres have a chance to compete in 2011 with Gonzalez in the middle of their lineup, but without him it'll be close to impossible.
- Other clubs wanting to acquire Gonzalez might be more desperate during the summer, which could result in a better package for San Diego.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe points out that Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod worked for the Red Sox before joining the Padres, so they have strong first-hand knowledge of Boston's prospects.
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, and Jayson Werth will dominate the headlines when free agency begins at 12:01am ET Sunday morning, but Olney lists ten more interesting free agents, led by Joaquin Benoit, Pedro Feliciano, and Orlando Hudson.
- The Yankees could place their first bid on Lee very soon, perhaps within 72 hours. Anthony McCarron of The New York Daily News hears something similar.
- Crawford is in a unique situation because he's an elite player that could have six or more teams bidding for his services. Usually players of that caliber only have three or so teams after them.
- The Yankees operate with the knowledge that no matter how popular the individual player is, the team and its fan base will move on. This of course refers to Derek Jeter.
Odds & Ends: Mets, Webb, Galarraga, Ring, Rasner
Some links to check out on the 11th anniversary of the Indians signing Danys Baez to the largest amateur signing bonus in team history…
- Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that Terry Collins' name has popped up in connection with the Mets' managerial search. Collins spent the 2010 season as minor league field coordinator with the organization.
- The Rockies have not expressed interest in Brandon Webb, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- Armando Galarraga qualified as a Super Two, which puts him in a unique spot according to MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- Anthony McCarron of The New York Daily News reports that Royce Ring has elected free agency after being outrighted off the 40-man roster by the Yankees (Twitter link).
- Former Yankee right-hander Darrell Rasner has signed a one-year deal with an option for 2012 with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, reports Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. Rasner has played in Japan since 2008.
- Heyman spoke to Adrian Gonzalez's agent, who mentioned Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, and Ryan Howard are contract comparables (Twitter link). It's pretty clear that they're seeking upwards of $22MM annually.
- Meanwhile, Padres GM Jed Hoyer has spoken to Jerry Hairston Jr.'s agent about bringing the utility player back to San Diego next season according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. Hairston has indicated that he'd like to return to the team.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets that a competing executive sees the Nationals signing Carlos Pena. The team is emphasizing defense, which Pena excels at, and GM Mike Rizzo has a strong relationship with his agent Scott Boras.
- Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post hears from a source close to the team that the Nats will in fact pursue Brandon Webb this offseason. We heard rumblings about potential mutual interest between the two sides last month.
- Boras indicated that he's received "a lot of early calls" about Magglio Ordonez according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. If the outfielder is going to return to Detroit, it won't happen quickly; he and Boras are going to see what the market has to offer.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Padres
Let's take our amateur signing bonus series to California's second largest city…
- Donavan Tate, $6.25MM (2009)
- Matt Bush, $3.15MM (2004)
- Mark Phillips, $2.2MM (2000)
- Sean Burroughs, $2.1MM (1998)
- Adys Portillo, $2MM (2008)
The Padres are certainly a small market team, but in recent years they've made an effort to go out and spend the money required to sign premium young talent. They were unable to get 2010 first round pick Karsten Whitson (ninth overall) under contract, but they'll have two top 25 picks next year as a result.
San Diego made a statement in 2009 by taking the supremely talented (and Scott Boras client) Tate with the third overall pick and signing him to what was then the largest bonus ever given to a player as part of a minor league contract. Tate's career has been marred by injuries so far, as he's dealt with a broken jaw (suffered in an ATV accident), a sports hernia, a shoulder sprain, and a concussion (suffered when he was hit in the head by a pitch). In 107 professional plate appearances, he's a .222/.336/.344 hitter.
I think we all know the Matt Bush story. The Padres took him first overall in 2004 because they didn't want to spend the money needed to sign Stephen Drew or Jered Weaver, the top consensus talents in the draft class. Bush signed less than two weeks after the draft, and about a week after signing he was arrested for his role in a fight outside an Arizona nightclub. He never really hit in the minors, putting together a .219/.294/.276 batting line in 812 plate appearances before the team shifted him to the mound in 2007. Bush had Tommy John surgery not long after the conversion, costing him the entire 2008 season, and the Padres eventually designated him for assignment in February 2009 after he was allegedly involved in an assault on a high school campus. Although he's still trying to make it work as a pitcher, Bush is one of just three first overall picks to not reach the big leagues (joining Steve Chilcott and Brien Taylor).
San Diego drafted Phillips with the ninth overall pick in 2000, but his career was over seemingly before it even started. He performed well through 2001, but career started to deteriorate in 2002, when he walked 94 in 148.1 innings. The Padres traded him and Bubba Trammell to the Yankees in March 2003 for Rondell White, and Phillips walked more batters than he struck out (50 K, 51 BB) in his only season in New York's minor league season. Aside from a brief comeback attempt with an independent league team in 2007, he's been out of baseball since 2004.
Burroughs, yet another ninth overall pick, was one of the game's very best prospects around the turn of the century thanks to his absurd hitting ability. He reached Triple-A at just 20 years old, and hit .332/.397/.459 in the minors before starting the 2002 season as the Padres' third baseman. Burroughs was just okay as a rookie (.271/.317/.323) but he improved the next year (.286/.352/.402). Ultimately it never worked out in San Diego, as Burroughs hit .282/.340/.360 in four years with the team before being dealt to Tampa Bay after the 2005 season for Dewon Brazelton, an exchange of high draft picks (Brazelton was selected third overall in 2001) in need of a change of scenery.
Portillo signed for what was then the largest bonus ever given to a Venezuelan born player, and he's currently working his way up the minor league ladder. In 116.2 innings, he's pitched to a 4.94 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9.
Royals Claim Lance Zawadzki
The Royals claimed infielder Lance Zawadzki off of waivers from the Padres, according to a team press release. Kansas City outrighted Jai Miller to Triple-A and the outfielder will become a free agent tomorrow afternoon. It's the second consecutive day the Royals have made a waiver claim; GM Dayton Moore claimed Joaquin Arias from the Mets yesterday.
Zawadzki, 25, appeared in 20 games for the Padres in May and June. He spent most of the season in the upper minors, where he played second, third and short and batted .225/.291/.316. Miller, 25, batted .236/.300/.345 in 60 big league plate appearances this year. He has a .239/.322/.401 line in eight minor league seasons.
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.
Hoyer Willing To Listen To Offers For Gonzalez, Bell
Padres GM Jed Hoyer said in an interview on XX1090 Sports Radio that the club will listen to offers for Adrian Gonzalez though he expects to start the season with him, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The GM even said that the club has yet to make the star slugger an offer as they are far apart on compensation and he will likely go elsewhere, tweets Marty Caswell of XX1090 Sports Radio. Hoyer added that it is a near-certainty that Gonzalez will explore the open market after 2011, says Hayes (via Twitter).
While the Padres have yet to submit an offer to Gonzalez's agent, the two sides reportedly made plans to meet this week. However, a long-term deal seems unlikely in the wake of CEO Jeff Moorad's comments last month and Hoyer's remarks this evening.
Hoyer will also listen to offers on Heath Bell as he believes that the club has two closer candidates in Mike Adams and Luke Gregerson, Hayes tweets. Bell earned $4MM in 2010 and is due a raise in arbitration.
The Padres GM also confirmed that Mets GM Sandy Alderson has asked for permission to speak with Paul DePodesta but hopes that he will stay with San Diego, tweets Caswell.
Pierzynski Yet To Hear An Offer From White Sox
In an interview with Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio today, A.J. Pierzynski said that the White Sox have not made him an offer to return to the club in 2011. (Twitter link) Pierzynski doesn't specify if the club has made any contact with him at all, and it's worth noting that Chicago still has three days left of exclusive negotiating time for pending free agents. Given that Pierzynski said he would like to keep playing in Chicago "but they are going to have to want him first," however, it seems unlikely that the Sox have opened negotiations.
Pierzynski went into detail about his criteria for a new team (another Twitter link): in order, his new club must be a contender, be willing to give him a starting job, be located close to his home in Florida and along those same lines must also have their spring training camp in Florida and be a "quick flight home." He says the Marlins, Padres, Rangers, Rays and Red Sox "would all be good fits." All of these teams except the Rays were mentioned by MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith in his look at potential suitors for Pierzynski. All make some sense on Pierzynski's checklist, though the Rangers and Padres are in Arizona for spring training and San Diego is a cross-country flight away from his home.
Padres Decline 2011 Option For Chris Young
The Padres declined Chris Young's 2011 option, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). We heard last month that the Padres would not pick up his $8.5MM option, so it is no surprise to see the tall right-hander hit free agency officially.
Young experienced shoulder problems all year and appeared in just four games. He logged 20 innings and allowed only two earned runs, but he walked 11. Young has always been hard to hit, but walks have been a problem for him throughout his seven-year career.
Padres Rumors: Gonzalez, Torrealba, Eckstein
The Padres exercised their 2011 option for Adrian Gonzalez today and saw Yorvit Torrealba and Jon Garland turn down their sides of their respective mutual options. Here's the latest on those three players, plus other updates on the Padres' offseason plans:
- The Padres will meet with the agent for Gonzalez, John Boggs, this week, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (on Twitter). Presumably the meeting will help the sides determine whether a long-term deal is possible. It certainly doesn't seem likely.
- Torrealba told Hayes that he'd love to return to San Diego, but is seeking a two-year deal (Twitter links). The catcher is a Type B free agent, so the Padres could get a draft pick if they offer arbitration and Torrealba turns it down to sign elsewhere.
- David Eckstein, a free agent, probably won't return to the Padres in 2011, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.
- Brock points out that Jon Garland will likely make more on the open market than he would have with the Padres (Twitter link).