International Moves: Dodgers, Liberato, Villatoro
We’ll keep track of the day’s international signings here…
- The Dodgers announced the signings of four 17-year-olds from the Dominican Republic (via Twitter): outfielders Deivy Castillo and Ariel Sandoval, shortstop Ravel Hernandez, and right-hander Miguel Urena. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweeted the age and positions of each player.
- The Mariners signed Luis Liberato, a 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Liberato obtains a $140K bonus. The 6'1" teenager has gap power with a solid swing and could stay in center field or move to right, according to Badler.
- The Blue Jays signed 18-year-old right-hander Denis Villatoro to a five-year contract, Saúl Carranza of the Honduran newspaper Diez reported over the weekend (translation via MLBTR's Nick Collias). It's a five-year deal, according to La Tribuna. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun notes that it's worth $20K (Twitter link). Villatoro, who worked out for the Blue Jays before signing, said he's "very happy" to have agreed to terms with Toronto, Carranza reports. His fastball reaches 93 mph, and he also drew interest from the Orioles, Yankees, Mets, Astros, Giants and Pirates.
Diamondbacks Unlikely To Land Porcello
6:16pm: The Diamondbacks are unlikely to acquire Porcello, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
10:53am: The Tigers would likely ask for a shortstop, a late-inning reliever or a right-handed hitting outfielder in a trade for Porcello, Morosi adds. Detroit doesn't appear to be a finalist for Scott Hairston, who could decide between the Yankees and Mets.
8:14am: The Diamondbacks have talked to the Tigers about trading for starter Rick Porcello, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Morosi confirms that the Mariners have also had talks with Detroit about Porcello. The Angels, Pirates, Padres, Orioles and Cubs have also been linked to Porcello this offseason.
The 24-year-old posted a 4.59 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 53.2% ground ball rate in 176 1/3 innings this past season. He earned $3.1MM in 2012 and has a projected salary of $4.7MM for 2013. He’s under team control through 2015.
Arizona has many internal starting pitching options, including Ian Kennedy, Brandon McCarthy, Trevor Cahill, Wade Miley, Tyler Skaggs, Josh Collmenter and Patrick Corbin. Plus, Daniel Hudson could return from Tommy John surgery midseason. However, GM Kevin Towers has shown this offseason that he’s willing to add to apparent areas of depth. Last month Towers signed Cody Ross even though the Diamondbacks' outfield seemed full to most outside observers.
Rockies Do Not Plan To Trade Michael Cuddyer
Earlier this offseason we heard the Rockies were open to trading position players for pitching help, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter) the team is not planning to move Michael Cuddyer. Morosi says the Mariners inquired about his availability at one point this winter.
Cuddyer, 33, hit .260/.317/.489 with 16 homers in 394 plate appearances for Colorado last season, the first on his three-year, $31.5MM contract. He missed nearly two months total with oblique problems and is owed $21M over the next two seasons. Cuddyer does offer some versatility because he can play the two corner outfield positions and first base, which surely appealed to Seattle.
Justin Upton Rumors: Friday
Justin Upton invoked his no-trade clause to reject a proposed deal to the Mariners, one of four teams on his no-trade list. The trade would have sent four players to Arizona: Nick Franklin, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor and Taijuan Walker. Instead, Upton remains on the Diamondbacks’ roster and the rumors continue. Here’s the latest on the 25-year-old, who can also block trades to the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Cubs…
- The Mets are again interested in trading for Upton, reports Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter). He says it's a longshot they'll surrender the prospects required to made a deal.
Earlier Updates:
- Unless Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers lowers the asking price for Upton, the Braves seem willing to proceed with players already in the organization, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. The Diamondbacks wanted a package centered around shortstop Andrelton Simmons earlier in the offseason, but the Braves won’t trade the defensive whiz and Arizona has since acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius from Cincinnati.
- Former MLB player Harold Reynolds said on MLB Network’s Hot Stove show that Upton repeatedly told the Diamondbacks he would not approve a deal to the Mariners (via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports on Twitter). Rosenthal notes that Reynolds is the younger brother of Larry Reynolds, Upton’s agent.
- Upton was never going to the Mariners, so talks were a “waste of time” in the view of USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link).
- The Rangers appear to be moving on from Upton.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Boras Talks Bourn, Soriano, Lohse
Though many have expressed doubts that Michael Bourn, Rafael Soriano and Kyle Lohse will find lucrative free agent contracts, their agent suggests all three players will be just fine. Scott Boras, who represents each of the top three remaining free agents, told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that Bourn, Soriano and Lohse will do well, even if they remain unsigned as Spring Training approaches.
“People call me all the time and say, 'Man, your players aren't signed yet,'” Boras said. “Well, it doesn't really matter what time dinner is when you're the steak.”
All three players are linked to draft pick compensation after turning down qualifying offers at the beginning of the offseason (they're actually the only three free agents still linked to draft pick compensation). The Rangers have done legwork on Bourn, according to Crasnick, who notes that the Braves haven’t ruled out a reunion with the center fielder. Bourn could appeal to the Mariners, and Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik told Crasnick that he continues seeking bats.
"We have had a lot of dialogue regarding offense, but we would be open to anything," Zduriencik said.
Boras denied reports that he circled back to ask the Yankees about their interest in a one-year deal with Soriano. The Tigers continue expressing confidence in internal relief options such as Bruce Rondon, though they’re viewed as a possible suitor for Soriano along with the Blue Jays. However, Toronto would likely be reluctant to surrender a draft pick to sign the closer.
As for Lohse, the Rockies and Mets want starters, but prefer affordable options. Some view the Angels and Rangers as potential suitors for the right-hander, though their interest level remains unclear. While the Brewers could use pitching, GM Doug Melvin said he’s decided “this is the year we're probably going to go with some of our younger guys."
Justin Upton Rejects Trade To Mariners
10:50pm: Taijuan Walker would have been the fourth player in the trade package to the D'Backs, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter). Walker, a 20-year-old right-hander, was ranked as the 20th-best prospect in the sport by Baseball America prior to the 2012 season, though he struggled pitching at the Double-A level last year.
7:40pm: The Mariners offered a four-player package to the D'Backs, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports. Arizona would have received Nick Franklin, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor and one of Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen or James Paxton.
6:06 pm: Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton invoked his limited no-trade clause to reject an agreed-upon deal between the D'Backs and Mariners that would have sent Upton to Seattle, reports Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The M's were prepared to give up "a package of young talent" in the trade, a return that Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has heard was "substantial" (Twitter link).
Though several teams have been linked to Upton over the last two seasons, the Mariners seem to be the first to propose a deal that has gotten the D'Backs to agree to move the 25-year-old outfielder. As Rosenthal/Morosi note, the trade rejection could be gamesmanship by either Upton or the D'Backs — Upton could be trying to control where he ends up, or the Snakes are sending the message that if Upton wants to leave Arizona, his only option is Seattle. The Mariners, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Cubs are the four teams on Upton's current no-trade list, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link).
The Braves and Rangers are still pursuing Upton, and we've heard in recent weeks that such teams as the Mets, Padres, and Orioles have also been in engaged with trade talks with the Diamondbacks.
NL West Links: Upton, Hall, Helton, Lee, Padres
The big news out of the NL West today is Justin Upton's rejection of a trade that would have sent him to the Mariners in exchange for four of Seattle's top young players. The deal would've been a big risk for both sides, though since the Diamondbacks have other outfield options to potentially replace Upton, the bulk of the risk would've fallen on Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik. As a source opines to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link), Upton may have "saved Jack Z's job" by rejecting the trade and keeping so much top-flight young talent in Seattle.
Here are some more items from around the NL West…
- The "strained relationship" between Upton and the Diamondbacks makes it seem that Upton will be playing elsewhere by Spring Training, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
- In a chat with fans at MLB.com that took place before the latest Upton news broke, Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall discussed all of the speculation about the outfielder. "All of the media speculation is unfortunate, but not unusual," Hall noted, saying that other teams had been telling the media about their interest in Upton.
- Todd Helton told reporters (including Troy Renck of the Denver Post) that he is recovering well from hip surgery and confirmed he will return for his 17th Major League season. Helton is entering the final year of his contract with the Rockies and said in September that he wanted to play in 2013 if his health permitted.
- Dodgers prospect Zach Lee has no regrets about choosing baseball over college football stardom, he tells MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Lee was the 28th overall pick of the 2010 draft and received a $5.25MM bonus to sign with the Dodgers instead of playing football at LSU.
- The millions earned by Major League stars obscures the fact that most minor leaguers earn very modest paychecks, as MLB.com's Corey Brock explores how several Padres prospects make ends meet during the offseason.
AL East Notes: Jeter, Morse, Red Sox, Duquette
The Yankees could have another tricky negotiation with Derek Jeter on the horizon, writes Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York. Jeter is entering the last guaranteed year of his current deal and he holds a 2014 player option worth $9.5MM ($8MM in base salary plus $1.5MM that Jeter has thus far earned in incentives). If Jeter comes back from offseason ankle surgery and continues to hit well, the Yankee icon will surely be looking for a longer commitment beyond 2014. Knowing the Yankees' stance on extensions, however, I'd expect the team to not discuss another deal with Jeter until after the 2014 season, when Jeter will be 40 years old and the Bombers will have a better idea if their captain is worth another multiyear contract.
Here are the latest items from around the AL East…
- The Yankees have "nothing alive" with the Nationals in regards to a deal for Michael Morse, reports Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees blog (Twitter link). New York was one of several teams interested in Morse, who has been on the trade block since the Nats re-signed Adam LaRoche.
- In an interview on WEEI radio's Hot Stove Show (partial transcription from WEEI.com's Kirk Minihane), Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said that there is no news about the team and Mike Napoli. The Sox are continuing to talk with Napoli while also exploring other options at first base.
- Speaking of those first base options, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox "have explored" signing Casey Kotchman and Nick Johnson and also checked in with the Mariners about a trade for Justin Smoak.
- The Orioles are looking for pitching depth as they head into Spring Training, executive VP Dan Duquette tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. Though the O's haven't made any major transactions this winter, Duquette believes his team has improved itself, though he did vaguely mention a few deals that didn't happen. "We looked around the industry for that middle-of-the-order bat," Duquette said. "There was one free agent that was a significant player. There have been some other players available in a trade that I'm not sure they were better than what we had, and the cost of the acquisition has been a little pricey for us."
GMs Must Adjust Midway Through Winter
It’s been a little more than two months since the postseason gave way to the offseason, and in that time baseball’s landscape has changed considerably. The plans that Major League executives initially formulated are, in many cases, completely obsolete. As a result, this time of year demands adaptability from all 30 general managers as they look to touch up — or, in some cases, revamp — their teams’ rosters.
When the GM Meetings took place at the beginning of the 2012-13 offseason, I had the chance to ask a number of GMs about the challenge of changing plans midway through the winter. I heard a variety of answers, but each GM agreed that even the best offseason strategies have expiry dates.
“You have to have a plan, an initial plan, and you have to adapt,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty told MLBTR. “We had several things planned last winter but you’ll have more than one plan — put it that way. You just have a basic plan and you work your way through it.”
Entering the offseason, the Reds appeared to need at least one outfielder, infield depth and pitching reinforcements. They’ve since achieved those goals, acquiring outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Shin-Soo Choo, infielder Jack Hannahan, and reliever Jonathan Broxton. But if the three-team agreement required to acquire Choo had fallen through, or if another club had outbid them for Ludwick, Jocketty would have had to move on to other options.
The Mariners were one of the teams that reportedly checked in on Ludwick (pictured) before he signed with Cincinnati. Though Seattle was linked to many prominent position players early in the offseason, it wasn’t until after the Winter Meetings took place that GM Jack Zduriencik struck, trading for Kendrys Morales and signing Raul Ibanez. Back in November Zduriencik knew he’d have to maintain flexibility and be prepared to change course.
“What you would like to do may not work out, may not be there for you,” he told MLBTR. “And there are a lot of factors to consider whenever you’re going to sign a free agent or make a trade. How does it fit your club? What are you bringing on? What are you moving to give up? What’s the competition? Does the player want to come to your area if he’s a free agent? There’s so many factors. So therefore if exactly what you want to do doesn’t work out then you’d better be able to go in another direction. Be ready to shift and just say ‘OK, this isn’t precisely what we want, but we think it helps our club.’”
The Reds and Mariners had payrolls between $80-90MM in 2012, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. As mid-market teams, they can afford to selectively engage top free agents in November and December. For example, the Mariners appeared to have some interest in Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher and other high-priced free agents.
That’s not a luxury every team can afford. Yet the whims of elite free agents affect the entire market, meaning many small-market teams must adapt their plans midway through the offseason. Neither the Rays nor the Padres has had a payroll as high as $75MM in any one season since 2000, according to Cot’s. Top free agents are essentially off-limits for these low-payroll teams, which often means waiting until bargains emerge in the new year.
So far Josh Byrnes of the Padres has been more restrained than most GMs; Jason Marquis, the recipient of a one-year, $3MM deal, has been the Padres’ biggest signing of the winter. Byrnes, a former Indians, Rockies and Red Sox executive who spent five years as Arizona’s GM, has seen patience lead to bargains in a number of front offices. That said, there’s also value in striking unexpectedly. When Byrnes was with the Red Sox, the team completed one of the most successful free agent deals of the last decade, signing David Ortiz. If it hadn’t been for the club’s willingness to adapt its plans, the Red Sox might not have landed Ortiz.
“You never know when there’s going to be value to be had,” Byrnes said. “Going back to my first year in Boston, we signed David Ortiz. He was there, he was available at a price, let’s get him — even though we had Shea Hillenbrand. Sometimes it’s important to have the discipline because the values might be there. And it might be in-season.”
While the Padres showed restraint to start their offseason, there wasn’t any waiting around in Tampa Bay. The Rays signed Joel Peralta in November before adding James Loney and Roberto Hernandez in December. They also extended Evan Longoria with the largest guarantee in franchise history, traded for Yunel Escobar and sent James Shields and Wade Davis to Kansas City. Before any of those moves were completed, executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stressed the importance of adapting along with the market.
“We go into the offseason every year with a plan,” Friedman told me at the GM Meetings. “The question is just how early in the offseason you have to rip it up and scramble. It’s important to be adaptive and have guys that think creatively, which we do. So there are so many different ways that the offseason can play out that being prepared on many different fronts is key.”
No team can fully anticipate its own moves months ahead of time, let alone the moves of the 29 other clubs. The challenge for baseball’s general managers isn’t forecasting the future. Rather, it’s adapting midway through the winter after plans have gone awry and expectations have been adjusted and re-adjusted. When so much can change so quickly, rigidity is not even an option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Quick Hits: Mariners, Lohse, Soriano, Gerut
Kyle Lohse placed tenth on MLBTR's list of the offseason's top free agents, a reflection of the fact that Tim Dierkes expects the right-hander to help his next team. But unless something has changed in the last three days, Lohse hasn't received a single contract offer this winter. He’s tied to draft pick compensation after turning down a qualifying offer, and that has no doubt limited his leverage. Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs argues that the hate has gone too far, showing convincingly that Lohse adds value at the plate, on the field and, of course, as a pitcher. Here are more links from around MLB…
- The Mariners would like to add a lefty to the rotation to replace Jason Vargas, but don't expect it to be Joe Saunders or Erik Bedard, writes MLB.com's Greg Johns in a Mariners Inbox piece. If a lefty joins the rotation, it's more likely to be one of Seattle's top prospects like James Paxton or Danny Hultzen.
- It’s still early to be assessing the way the new collective bargaining agreement shapes the market for free agents such as Lohse, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. While the market for certain players linked to draft pick compensation does seem slow, Davidoff points out that every one of these players declined a $13.3MM qualifying offer.
- Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record hears that agent Scott Boras asked the Yankees last month if they'd consider re-signing free agent closer Rafael Soriano to a one-year contract (Twitter link). The Yankees flatly denied the request, Klapisch writes. ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Yankees prefer the value of the draft pick and accompanying spending limit increase to the on-field value of Soriano (Twitter link).
- Former MLB player Jody Gerut is working to reduce athlete bankruptcy in his new role as an agent with Wasserman Media Group, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports. Gerut's focusing on educating athletes, particularly Latin Americans, about how to manage their finances.