NL West Notes: Theriot, Padres, Diamondbacks
Jamie Moyer pitched four perfect innings against the Giants last night, and the 49-year-old's teammates were impressed with his approach, even if the opposition wasn't intimidated by his 80mph offerings. "To be able to move and get on the field, much less compete, is amazing,'' Michael Cuddyer told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Here are some more notes from the NL West…
- Ryan Theriot’s $1.25MM contract becomes guaranteed if the Giants don’t remove him from the roster by March 29th, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. If they cut the infielder within the week, they’ll only owe him $312.5K, but the decision’s about more than the bottom line. Freddy Sanchez may start the season on the disabled list, and the Giants may want to bench Brandon Crawford against tough lefties. In other words, having Theriot on the roster could prove useful.
- Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres offers a Q&A about the Padres' leadership in light of Jeff Moorad's decision to step down as the club's CEO. Krasovic hears that the Padres "are headed to another owner" than Moorad or current owner John Moores.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown makes the case that the next Dodgers owner would do well to keep manager Don Mattingly in place.
- Manager Kirk Gibson says the Diamondbacks are "underdogs" entering the season, Mike Bauman of MLB.com writes. "That's just the kind of attitude you've got to take. You can't anything for granted," Gibson said. The Diamondbacks won the NL West with 94 regular season wins in 2011 and seem poised for another strong season.
- Rockies third base prospect Nolan Arenado should be at the Major League level before long, even though he probably won't be on the Opening Day roster Heyman tweets.
Quick Hits: Padres, Nishioka, Giants, DeWitt
Here's a wrap-up of news from around baseball as we head into Tuesday….
- A number of teams have asked the Padres about their bench players, but the Friars are "inclined" to keep them, reports Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link). Everth Cabrera is one of the players who has been asked about, and Hayes presumes Jesus Guzman is another.
- Tsuyoshi Nishioka's demotion to Triple-A has Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities radio pointing the finger at both Nishioka and at Twins management for signing the Japanese shortstop and letting J.J. Hardy leave.
- The Giants' rise to prominence has been fueled by their homegrown stars, writes Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle, and the team could be a couple of years away from having almost an entire roster comprised of players drafted and developed internally.
- Gregor Blanco is a virtual "stone-cold lock" to make the Giants' Opening Day roster, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Signed to a minor league deal in November, Blanco has had a huge Spring Training and seemingly has a backup outfield spot sewn up.
- Cubs utilityman Blake DeWitt's name "has come up in recent trade rumors," according to Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago. DeWitt has played mostly second and third in his career, though he appeared in 23 games in left field for the Cubs last season. DeWitt could be a possibility for teams looing for infield depth like the Phillies, Athletics or Twins.
- With the Madoff trustee lawsuit now settled, Andrew Keh of the New York Times wonders if the Mets might now be able to explore keeping David Wright with the team long-term and notes that such a move would help sooth the team's disillusioned fanbase.
Latest On Matt Cain
The Giants and right-hander Matt Cain have mutual interest in working out a long-term agreement, but aren't particularly close to an extension at the moment. Here's the latest on the talks…
- Cain told Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com that he's 'torn' about whether to sign an extension in San Francisco. “I’m definitely going to enjoy this season,” Cain said. “But you also think about going to free agency, and you might not have that chance again. So you really are torn between the two sides. It’d be hard to say it’s one way or the other.”
- Agent Rick Landrum told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that Cain's side will "never give up hope" even though a soft deadline of Opening Day exists. Both sides want to have completed negotiations by the time Spring Training ends.
- Cain and fellow Giants starter Tim Lincecum have led the Giants' rotation for years, but they're getting expensive and there's no guarantee the Giants will be able to keep them, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick explains. If Cain's negotiations were a nine-inning game, talks would be in the fifth inning, Crasnick reports.
Quick Hits: Cain, Hamels, Aybar, K-Rod, Escobar
Happy birthday to Kevin Youkilis (33), Jon Jay (27) and Leo Nun…er, make that Juan Oviedo (30). This is the first time Oviedo has been able to publicly celebrate his actual birthday in several years, as he kept a listed birthday of August 14, 1983 while living under the Leo Nunez identity.
Here's some news from around the major leagues as we head into Friday…
- Matt Cain's agent Rick Landrum tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that "we'll never give up hope" that Cain and the Giants can work out a contract extension before Opening Day. There hasn't been much progress in recent negotiations but the two sides "remain open for business," as Shea writes.
- In addition to Cain, there have been no new developments over the last week in Cole Hamels' extension talks with the Phillies, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Also from Olney (via Twitter), he hears from evaluators that there isn't much trade talk overall around the majors. Olney predicts things will probably pick up in 10 days or so, once teams start to sort out their needs for their Opening Day rosters.
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto has had at least two face-to-face meetings since Monday with Erick Aybar's representatives, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. Aybar is believed to be looking for an extension of at least five years. Dipoto recently said that he thought an extension with Aybar was possible, if not necessarily by Opening Day.
- The Padres were discussing a one-year, $9MM contract with Francisco Rodriguez over the winter before the club saw an opportunity to acquire Huston Street, reports Scott Miller of CBS Sports. San Diego also talked to free agent Frank Francisco and asked the Athletics about Andrew Bailey.
- The Royals' extension with Alcides Escobar is the team's latest step in locking up its young talent, reports MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. "[Owners] Dan and David Glass are determined to keep as many of these young players together as we can, knowing full well that it has to fit within our salary structure and our payroll going forward," Moore said. "It's going to get a little sticky for us, it's going to get a little hairy as we get into 2014-15-16." Moore declined to comment on the progress of contract talks with another of Kansas City's young stars, Alex Gordon.
- The well-traveled Octavio Dotel shares some of his road stories with ESPN's Jayson Stark. Dotel will set a new Major League record once he plays his first game for the Tigers this season by becoming the first player to suit up for 13 different teams.
- "I feel comfortable we finally got to a level [where we] can be competitive every single year," Tigers owner Mike Ilitch told media (including MLB.com's Jason Beck) during a visit to Spring Training today. "That's always been my goal. I feel good about that. It would be hard to screw that up once you get there. You tell yourself you want to stay there now."
- The Orioles could be looking for backup catching help if Taylor Teagarden's back injury lingers into the season, reports CSN Baltimore's Rich Dubroff. Veteran Ronny Paulino is Matt Wieters' backup for now, but Paulino only just arrived in camp due to a visa issue.
Offseason In Review: San Francisco Giants
The Giants traded for a pair of starting outfielders and spent their free agent money on left-handed relievers.
Major League Signings
- Javier Lopez, RP: two years, $8.5MM.
- Jeremy Affeldt, RP: one year, $5MM. Club option exercised.
- Ryan Theriot, IF: one year, $1.25MM.
- Guillermo Mota, RP: one year, $1MM.
- Clay Hensley, RP: one year, $750K.
- Eli Whiteside, C: one year, $600K.
- Total spend: $17.1MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Ramon Ortiz, Brian Burres, Shane Loux, Joaquin Arias, Gregor Blanco, Justin Christian, Boof Bonser, Travis Blackley
Extensions
- Ryan Vogelsong, SP: two years, $8.3MM. Includes $6.5MM club option for 2014 with a $300K buyout.
- Pablo Sandoval, 3B: three years, $17.15MM.
- Tim Lincecum, SP: two years, $40.5MM.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired LF Melky Cabrera from Royals for SP Jonathan Sanchez and SP Ryan Verdugo
- Acquired CF Angel Pagan from Mets for CF Andres Torres and RP Ramon Ramirez
Notable Losses
- Jonathan Sanchez, Ryan Verdugo, Carlos Beltran, Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Ramon Ramirez, Jeff Keppinger, Pat Burrell, Orlando Cabrera, Mark DeRosa, Darren Ford
The Giants' pitching staff held strong in 2011, but their offense plummeted to a National League-worst 3.52 runs scored per game. Brian Sabean, baseball's longest-tenured GM, attacked the problem by acquiring Cabrera and Pagan via trade.
Jonathan Sanchez was once considered an excellent trade chip, but after an injury and walk-filled 2011, Cabrera (pictured) was probably the best hitter Sabean could get for him. The Giants' rotation won't miss a beat with the loss. Sabean might have bought high on Cabrera, who hit .305/.339/.470 in 706 plate appearances for the Royals last year. But for an offense-starved team like the Giants, Cabrera might end up batting third. Melky doesn't have the speed to play an above-average center field. He'll be well-served by a move to left field — Giants vice president of baseball operations Bobby Evans told MLBTR he thinks Cabrera will be one of the league's best defenders at the position.
Sabean then traded for the Mets' Pagan, at the expense of Torres and Ramirez. Pagan and Torres were both valuable outfielders in 2010 who slipped offensively and defensively in '11. Did the Giants bet on the right horse, especially given that they had to throw in Ramirez to get Torres, lost a year of control with Pagan, and will pay Pagan $2.15MM more in 2012? Pagan is three and a half years younger and has a longer track record as an above-average hitter, so it seems the Giants made the right call. The market didn't offer Sabean much in the way of alternatives — Coco Crisp isn't notably better, and other trade targets seemed to have excessive prices.
The Giants had an excellent bullpen in 2011, and Sabean chose to keep it intact aside from trading Ramirez. Mota was a bargain to retain, but the Giants had to pay full sticker price to keep lefties Lopez and Affeldt. Lopez, 34, was lightly-regarded two years ago when the Pirates signed him for $775K. Since then he's gotten the job done with a 2.52 ERA and huge groundball rates over 110 2/3 innings. He's still best-employed as a lefty specialist, however, and giving him $4.25MM a year was uninspired. Around the same time the Giants faced a similar decision for Affeldt, whose option had a $4.5MM net price. Affeldt is similar to Lopez, and the Giants chose to pay full price for both. Evans told MLBTR it was a matter of depth, with the expectation of having to trade one reliever (ultimately Ramirez) and injury question marks for Brian Wilson and Dan Runzler.
Brandon Crawford will be the Giants' starting shortstop, with Ryan Theriot and perhaps Joaquin Arias pitching in. Jose Reyes, Jimmy Rollins, Clint Barmes, Rafael Furcal, and Jed Lowrie were available this winter, but the Giants chose not to upgrade. Evans told MLBTR the Giants explored the market but didn't get heavy, as they entered the offseason hoping Crawford would be their guy. Both middle infield spots may continue to be offensive black holes, if Freddy Sanchez misses significant time due to injury again.
Projected first baseman Aubrey Huff was an easy out in 2011, but the Giants have an intriguing backup plan in Brandon Belt. Manager Bruce Bochy's decision two years ago to bench Aaron Rowand in favor of Torres is evidence that contracts don't make out the lineup card, Evans told MLBTR. Overall it's difficult to picture the Giants having an above-average offense in 2012, but it'll be surprising if they can't manage more than 570 runs this time around.
Having been out of MLB for four years, Vogelsong must have been eager to take the Giants' guaranteed $8.3MM. The Giants seem to be banking that he can become a consistent 4.00 ERA type pitcher, in which case the price will be acceptable, if not a bargain. Lincecum's days as a bargain are ending as well, as his new deal has salaries of $18MM and $22MM. The Giants still saved a few million, while Lincecum retained control of his free agent years. Lincecum was reportedly seeking seven or eight years on a longer deal, and I don't blame the Giants for holding off. Lincecum became an ace so early in his career that by 2014 the Giants will have gotten the best of him.
Signing Matt Cain is a more pressing issue, since the 27-year-old is eligible for free agency after the season. Cain has been extremely durable over the last six seasons. His walk rate has improved in recent years and his ability to prevent hits is proven, if not fully understood. In '07, Cain chose guaranteed money over maximizing his arbitration earnings. Three years later he did it again, giving up one free agent year that time. A $100MM+ deal might give the Giants the security to allow Lincecum to leave after '13. As $100MM+ deals for pitchers go, Cain seems a relatively sound investment.
The Giants did an arbitration years-only extension with Sandoval this offseason, which I found unnecessary. If you're not getting free agent years, where are the savings? Using the optimistic assumption that Sandoval gets 600 plate appearances and hits .305 with 25 home runs, 90 runs batted in, and 75 runs in 600 plate appearances in each of the 2013 and '14 seasons, Matt Swartz estimates arbitration earnings of $18.3MM for 2012-14 if he'd gone year-to-year. In this performance scenario, the Giants saved only $1.15MM by guaranteeing Sandoval's three arbitration years. To make the extension worthwhile financially, the Giants are counting on Sandoval to be elite for two full seasons. This type of contract is a hedge on the potential of a player's performance, Evans explained to MLBTR, and sometimes it's easier to find common ground on multiyear deals than one-year contracts. He noted that an extension like this also rewards a player for his performance and helps him focus on his game.
Posey's recovery from a grisly May leg injury will provide a boost to the Giants, while the additions of Cabrera and Pagan should make the offense less awful. Still, it's likely Sabean will again be actively seeking run support for his top-notch pitching staff come the July trade deadline.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
No Progress In Talks Between Giants, Matt Cain
The Giants and representatives for Matt Cain failed to make progress towards a contract extension during talks today according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. No further discussions are planned, and although Cain has not set a deadline for a new deal, neither he nor the team wants to be distracted by talks during the regular season.
The 27-year-old right-hander is seeking a contract that reflects his standing as one the best pitchers in baeball, but the Giants are hesitant to pay Cain free agent money a full year before he's scheduled to hit the open market. Rosenthal opines that he could receive a six-year contract worth $20MM annually as a free agent, which would make him the seventh pitcher in baseball history to secure a nine-figure deal.
Earlier this month we heard that the two sides had positive momentum towards a new pact. Cain, a CAA Sports client, has signed extensions twice before, with the second contract buying out one free agent year and giving him a $15MM salary in 2012. He's pitched to a 3.35 ERA in his seven big league seasons, topping the 200 IP plateau in each of the last five years.
Quick Hits: Red Sox, Weeks, Tigers, Cain
The latest links from around MLB, as Albert Pujols flashes some power in Arizona…
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told reporters, including Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the club continues monitoring the market for starting pitching. "We’re not doing our job if we’re not looking, whether that’s trade or free agent opportunities," Cherington said.
- Excel Sports management represents Athletics second baseman Jemile Weeks, the agency confirmed to MLBTR. Check out our Agency Database for the details on who represents MLB players.
- There’s no indication that extension talks between the Giants and Matt Cain are stalling, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). There’s lots of time remaining before the soft deadline of Opening Day, and it doesn’t appear that the sides are particularly close to a deal.
- It seems unlikely that the Tigers would give up a major package for a fifth starter, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. Manager Jim Leyland says he’s pleased with his internal options for the final rotation spot and the bullpen, MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets.
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.
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.
Latest On Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner
It appeared earlier this week that the Giants and Matt Cain had built momentum toward an extension. One person in the know even said there's no chance the 2013 free agent signs for less than $100MM. Here are today's updates on talks between Cain, the Giants and teammate Madison Bumgarner:
- The Giants agreed to a one-year deal with Bumgarner, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The pre-arbitration eligible starter will earn $575K or so in 2012.
- There's no hard deadline for talks with Cain, Schulman adds. Cain would like negotiations to be done with by Opening Day.
- Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com suggests the Giants could work out extensions for Cain and Bumgarner within the week. The sides have been working late and the Giants like package announcements, Baggarly tweets. MLBTR has previewed possible extensions for Cain and Bumgarner this past offseason.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that Kevin Brown, the only right-handed pitcher in history to obtain a $100MM deal, signed his contract 13 years ago and suggests the market is ready for a correction by a present-day right-hander such as Cain. The Giants are privately optimistic that they'll lock Cain up, Rosenthal writes.