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Stark On Rays, Giants, Phillies, Ethier, Nationals

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In today's column, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com put together his "All-Most-Immovable team" with help from front office executives from around the league.  Predictable names such as Carl Crawford, Alfonso Soriano, and Barry Zito are on the list, but Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder also made the cut.  Pujols wouldn't be a tough sell because of his slow start, according to one AL exec, but rather because of the money due to the slugger on the back end of the deal.  Here's more from Stark..

  • If the Rays and Giants shop for third basemen to replace Evan Longoria and Pablo Sandoval, they might not find many viable options. The only potentially available names Stark has heard are the Orioles' Mark Reynolds and the Twins' Danny Valencia.  One exec said that the Rays are more likely to go after someone with versatility that they can slide into a different spot upon Longoria's return.
  • The Phillies are also looking for a young third baseman and the club is working to put together a list of potential replacements for impending free agent Placido Polanco.
  • While some execs say that they would be wary of giving Andre Ethier a sizable deal for fear that he is in salary-drive mode, others think that the Dodgers have no other choice.  The cost of finding another right field, middle of the order bat will likely be just as high and alternatives such as Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher or Torii Hunter don't appear to be more trustworthy.
  • A number of clubs are bearing down on the Astros, but reviews are mixed on Wandy Rodriguez thanks in large part to his contract.  The pitcher will earn $10MM this year, $13MM in 2013, and can be bought out of his $13MM club option for 2014 with a $2.5MM payment.
  • If Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore continue to look sharp, the Nationals might not be in the market for a center fielder.
  • Stark asked a few executives if they'd roll the dice on Delmon Young as a relative free agent bargain next winter and the typical response was that they would not.  Young avoided arbitration with the Tigers this winter by agreeing to a one-year, $6.75MM deal.

Quick Hits: Weaver, Komatsu, Sandoval

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On this date last year, Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano no-hit the White Sox. Here are some links for Thursday afternoon, starting with a note on Jered Weaver, who no-hit Liriano's Twins last night…

  • Weaver pitched a no-hitter for his hometown team in front of his fans and family last night and as Scott Miller of CBSSports.com writes, it's for days like yesterday that the right-hander signed a long-term deal with the Angels. Weaver signed a five-year, $85MM contract last summer instead of testing the open market, where he likely would have obtained a larger guarantee. So far this deal seems to be working well for both sides.
  • Outfielder Erik Komatsu expects to learn if he has a new team by tomorrow, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The Cardinals designated the Rule 5 pick for assignment earlier in the week and other MLB teams now have the chance to claim him off of waivers.
  • Pablo Sandoval is expected to miss four to six weeks with a fractured hamate bone, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported (on Twitter). The Giants are calling up Conor Gillaspie for now, and it appears they'll rely on their internal options while Sandoval's out.

Sabean: Belt Staying Put

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At times it's not clear where Brandon Belt fits on the Giants' roster. The 24-year-old gets regular plate appearances, but he shares the first base job with Brett Pill, Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey. However, GM Brian Sabean says Belt’s not trade bait. 

"He's going nowhere," Sabean told Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle. "The kid's earned his way onto the team … and we all want him to take over as the first baseman, and help this lineup, and I think it'll turn out that way.”

Sabean cautioned that Belt will have to earn his playing time and noted that some of his at bats have been disappointing. Belt, a top prospect entering the 2011 season, has a .234/.317/.407 line in 259 plate appearances as a Major Leaguer. He appeared in left and right field last year, but has played exclusively at first so far in 2012.

NL West Notes: Ethier, Lincecum

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Dodgers left-hander Sandy Koufax struck out 18 Cubs on this date in 1962, tying Bob Feller for a share of what was then the single game strikeout record. Here are today's links from the NL West…

  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said he’s "always been inclined to keep" Andre Ethier, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports. Agent Nez Balelo has said his client is open to discussing a long-term contract during the season, assuming the incoming ownership group takes over the team at the end of the month. Colletti said yesterday that he has already talked to the team's new owners about an extension for Ethier.
  • Scouts wonder if Tim Lincecum’s right hip is bothering him, but the Giants right-hander told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that, “none of that is true.” Though Lincecum is off to a slow start, he prefers to focus on the positives. “We get caught up in negatives so much and so easily, especially with so many games,” he said. Lincecum is under contract through 2013, and remains a candidate for a longer-term deal.

Poll: Will The Giants Extend Tim Lincecum?

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Last week the Giants announced a five-year extension for Madison Bumgarner that will keep the left-hander in the fold through 2017 and could keep him in place through 2019 with a pair of options.  The deal guarantees the hurler $35MM over five years and sets a record for pitchers with one-plus years of MLB service.  The 22-year-old is now locked up for years to come alongside Matt Cain, but there's still the matter of addressing Tim Lincecum's future.

The two-time Cy Young winner is under team control through 2013 and the two sides haven't made a great deal of progress towards a new deal in recent months.  Some see the long-term contracts for Bumgarner and Cain as preparation for Lincecum's eventual departure.  Others contend that while San Francisco has committed a great deal of money to the two pitchers, it has little bearing on whether the club will iron out a deal with The Freak.  As it stands today, do you see the Giants extending Lincecum?

Quick Hits: Glass, Bell, Bumgarner

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The 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner baseball card continues to be the hottest item in the memorabilia market, as one of the rare cards was sold today for $1.2MM in an online auction.  Here's some news from around the majors as we head into the weekend…

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Guzman, Giants, Hamels

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Happy birthday to Dodgers manager Don Mattingly (51) and Giants prospect Brandon Belt (24).  Here's the latest from the NL West…

  • Bud Selig says the league is still trying to learn some specifics about the sale of the Dodgers to Magic Johnson's ownership group, reports Mike James and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Dodgers minor leaguer Angel Guzman has been issued a 50-game suspension following a positive test for a drug of abuse, according to an MLB press release.  This is Guzman's second violation of the league's drug policy.  Guzman last pitched in the majors in 2009 as a member of the Cubs, and he signed a minor league deal with L.A. in December.
  • Despite Guzman's suspension, Don Mattingly still sounded positive about the right-hander's future with the club, reports MLB.com's Gene Duffy.
  • The Giants have no plans to make AT&T Park more hitter-friendly, reports Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle.  "It's an asymmetrical park with interesting dimensions, adding to the strategy and enjoyment of the game, and the overall opinion from fans has been positive," said Giants team president Larry Baer.  "It's kind of our signature. It's who we are."
  • Padres right-hander Dustin Moseley is getting a second opinion on his shoulder injury but told reporters (including Dan Hayes of the North County Times) that he expects to undergo season-ending surgery.
  • Cole Hamels criticized the Padres, his favorite team growing up, to local media (including Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune) for not doing more to field a consistent winner.  "It’s not the fans. They alienate their own fans by not keeping guys around, especially the guys they develop," Hamels said. "They won’t keep an Adrian Gonzalez or go get that big-name guy. That’s just hard on a fan.”
  • Hamels further expounded on the subject with Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres, praising Petco Park.  "To see the Padres with such an unbelievable stadium, and to have it downtown, and to see what it's done to the city, and for them to not really want to put out a team that has to compete against the Dodgers, and the Giants, and Arizona — that's tough," Hamels told Krasovic. "I think if the organization wanted to compete, people would be here in a heartbeat — fans and players."

West Notes: Hamilton, Athletics, Giants, Rockies

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The Athletics wrap up a four-game series with the Angels tonight and are looking to take a third straight game from the Halos.  Here’s more on Oakland and other items out of the Western divisions..

  • The Rangers are likely to insist on a clause in any contract with Josh Hamilton that would offer them at some protection against major injury, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig wouldn’t set a timetable for settling the territorial dispute between the A’s and the Giants but insisted that the A’s will need a new ballpark to compete, according to the Associated Press.  Selig added that the last time he attended a game in Oakland, the park reminded him of County Stadium and Shea Stadium, which is “not a compliment.”
  • A’s owner Lew Wolff reiterated that San Jose remains the club’s sole focus for ballpark relocation, tweets Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group.
  • Though A’s skipper Bob Melvin hoped to hang on to Brandon Allen, he’s happy to see the the first baseman find another opportunity with the Rays, writes MLB.com’s Jane Lee.  The 26-year-old has a .205/.291/.375 line in 274 career plate appearances with the Diamondbacks and Athletics.
  • The Rockies’ release of Albert Campos this week surprised Ben Badler of Baseball America as the right-hander was ranked as the club’s No. 13 prospect entering the 2011 season before dropping out of the top 30 this year.  Campos originally signed with the Rockies as a 16-year-old in July of 2007.  According to a source familiar with the pitcher, he was involved in a physical incident off the field.

Top First-Time Arbitration Eligible Catchers For 2013

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Carlos Santana and Jonathan Lucroy recently signed extensions, but some other catchers are on track for year to year raises through arbitration. Three of the game's top young backstops will be arbitration eligible for the first time following the 2012 season. Matt Wieters, Alex Avila, Buster Posey are well-positioned for 2013 salaries in excess of $2MM if they stay healthy this year.

Matt Wieters - Orioles (PW)

Deals from long ago, players from different service classes and long-term extensions won't generally have sway in the arbitration cases for players such as Wieters, Avila and Posey who determine salaries year to year. Catchers are typically self-contained in arbitration, meaning players at other positions don't figure into the discussion most of the time. For comps to have pull with agents (and the MLBPA) and teams (and the Labor Relations Department), they have to be recent and relevant.

What's relevant? First-time eligible catchers who agreed to one-year deals via the arbitration system provide the framework within which the salaries for Wieters, Avila and Posey will be determined. Reaching back more than five years would be pushing it, which further limits the selection of comparables. Many top catchers (Brian McCann, Yadier Molina) signed long-term deals and other potentially comparable catchers like A.J. Pierzynski went to arbitration long ago (post-2003). These cases aren't centrally important to Wieters, Avila and Posey.

We're left with the Arb-1 salaries for Russell Martin ($3.9MM), Geovany Soto ($3MM), Nick Hundley ($2MM), Miguel Montero ($2MM) and Mike Napoli ($2MM). Each of those settlements came within the last five years and could help determine the earnings for this offseason's first-time eligible backstops. Before signing his first extension, Joe Mauer and the Twins exchanged arbitration submissions and arrived at a $3.9MM midpoint ($4.5MM vs. $3.3MM). Those six-year-old filing numbers could also figure in to next winter's cases.

Posey didn't play after a gruesome home-plate collision ended his season last May, so there's no way he'll measure up to players such as Avila, Wieters, Soto and Martin in terms of bulk stats like games, plate appearances and RBI. Posey resembles Soto, another NL Rookie of the Year winner, on a per-game basis, but he probably won't catch up to the Cubs backstop in terms of counting stats.

With a full season, Posey should have better bulk numbers than Hundley, Napoli and Montero did as first-time eligible catchers. Each member of that trio obtained $2MM their first time through the arbitration process, so a salary in the $2-3MM range is within reach for Posey.

If Avila plays in 104 games, makes 470 plate appearances, hits 23 homers and drives in 69 this season, he’ll have matched the career stats Soto had as a first-time eligible player. Avila could match Martin in homers, and a better platform year is within reach. But in terms of most significant counting stats, Avila won't measure up to Wieters and Martin, the record holder for first-time eligible catchers. Still, Avila's similarity to Soto should set him up for a comparable payday in the $3MM range.

Wieters will have distinguished himself from $2MM catchers such as Hundley, Montero, Napoli and John Buck by the time the season ends. In fact, it's not hard to argue that he has already done so. The switch hitter currently compares well with Soto's post-2010 career numbers despite his relative inexperience. He'll match Soto's career numbers with eight more homers and 21 RBI, but the Cubs backstop had a better career batting line. Even so, $3MM seems quite attainable for Wieters.

With a healthy season, Wieters would surpass some of the numbers Martin had as a first-time eligible player. The Orioles catcher is on track to have more games, plate appearances and RBI than Martin did when he set his record after the 2008 season. And Wieters' bulk numbers are already superior to those Mauer had as a first-time eligible player. However, Wieters doesn't offer Martin's speed or the batting average and on-base percentage that Martin and Mauer both had. Wieters' 2013 salary could be closer to $4MM than it is to $3MM, but it's unreasonable to expect him to break any records just yet.

These informal projections could change quickly. As Posey knows all too well, injuries can interrupt seasons and limit bargaining power. Playing time is one of the most important determinants of a hitter's salary, so these three catchers must stay healthy to remain on track. If all goes well, their salaries will climb above $2MM following the 2012 season.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Quick Hits: Marlins, Jeter, Lincecum, Chisenhall

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In a piece inspired by early-season injuries to key relievers Tom Verducci of SI.com points out that closers tend to be inefficient investments. "No one wants to admit it," he writes, "but the modern bullpen is a failure." Here are the rest of today's links…

  • Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he likes what he has seen from manager Ozzie Guillen despite last week's controversial remarks. “He’s very good for here," Loria said. "Excellent. Not only for here, for any team."
  • When the Yankees signed Derek Jeter to a three-year, $51MM contract two offseasons ago, they felt it was an overpay, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. But the shortstop played tremendously down the stretch in 2011 and has started the 2012 season well.
  • ESPN.com’s Buster Olney suggests the Giants will likely want to see Tim Lincecum rebound from his early-season struggles before offering him an extension at market value.
  • Indians manager Manny Acta told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio that top prospect Lonnie Chisenhall remains Cleveland's future third baseman and won’t become trade bait this summer (Twitter link, audio here).
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