AL West Notes: Angels, C.J. Wilson
A couple of notes out of the American League West as the Rangers ready for Game 3 of the World Series …
- The Angels will interview Omar Minaya for their general manager vacancy, according to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times. Minaya previously served as Mets GM from 2005-10 and as Expos GM from 2002-04. We learned Thursday that Rays executive Andrew Friedman has met with the Halos regarding the opening and tops the team's wish list, but he's seen as a long shot to take the job. Yesterday, White Sox executives Dan Evans and Rick Hahn joined the list of candidates.
- Minaya is still under contract with the Mets but was not an active member of the organization in 2011, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, who also reports that Minaya has a "standing offer" from Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers to work in the Arizona organization.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels was asked about impending free agent starter C.J. Wilson on Saturday and said, "We'd love to have him back," according to Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Still, the early rumors regarding Texas' chances of (or interest in) re-signing the left-hander are pretty mixed.
- For more on what the Angels, Athletics, and Mariners face this winter, be sure to check out their respective installments in MLBTR's Offseason Outlook series.
Yu Darvish Links: Yankees, Jays, Rangers, Mariners
Here's the latest on the Yu Darvish sweepstakes…
- Talking to MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (Twitter link), an unnamed agent believes Darvish's posting fee will reach $50MM, and the right-hander will then sign a five-year, $75MM contract with the winning team.
- Brian Cashman told Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York that the Yankees scouted Darvish last season in Japan, but unsurprisingly didn't comment about whether or not the team would be interested in bidding for the right-hander.
- Yankee management is unlikely to pay an expensive posting fee for Darvish given the club's spotty history with Japanese pitchers, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). For what's it worth, the "Yankees' scouts love Darvish."
- In another tweet, Sherman lists the Rangers, Blue Jays, Nationals, Mariners and Royals as the favorites to land Darvish this winter, in that order.
- The Mariners have scouted Darvish but, in the opinion of Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, the M's shouldn't make a bid since the team has so much young pitching coming up from the minors. Stone also points out that "the Mariners have not become the haven for Japanese players that was predicted by some" when Hiroshi Yamauchi became the club's principal owner.
Quick Hits: McCourt, Maholm, Mariners, Axford
Another night, another pair of exciting LCS games. The Tigers succeeded in stretching the ALCS to a sixth game while the Brewers evened the NLCS at 2-2 with the Cardinals.
Here's the latest from around the majors….
- Frank McCourt's decision to take the Dodgers into bankruptcy means he could become the rare pro sports owner to sell his team and have no profits to show for it, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
- The Pirates haven't yet declined Paul Maholm's $9.75MM option for 2012 yet, and MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch explains that the Bucs are trying to find a trade partner who "A) thinks $9.75 million is a fair cost for Maholm and B) doesn’t want to take the risk of letting Maholm go into the free agent market."
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times examines the Mariners' franchise value and how it may impact the club's payroll in the coming seasons.
- The Mariners erred not once, not twice, but thrice in not keeping Ramon Santiago, writes Larry Larue of the Tacoma News Tribune.
- John Axford was released without fanfare by the Yankees after the 2007 season, long before Axford rose to prominence as the Brewers' closer. Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal looks back at the circumstances behind Axford's release.
- The Giants won't be able to afford the likes of Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes or C.C. Sabathia this winter, but MLB.com's Chris Haft believes the club "will make a genuine offer to re-sign Carlos Beltran." Beltran, for his part, said last month that he was open to returning to San Francisco if the team added more offense to the lineup.
- The week's minor league transactions are compiled by Baseball America's Matt Eddy.
- Diamondbacks CEO and president Derrick Hall predicts a "relatively quiet offseason" for his team since most of the major pieces are already in place. Hall also discusses Aaron Hill, Willie Bloomquist and several other topics in his monthly chat with fans on MLB.com.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis profiles Sean Buckley, the Reds' sixth-round pick in the June amateur draft and the son of Chris Buckley, Cincinnati's senior director of amateur scouting.
- A multiyear extension for Jacoby Ellsbury, moving Daniel Bard to the starting rotation and a possible run at Jose Reyes are a few of the suggestions made by Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston that would help the Red Sox put their catastrophic month behind them and focus on returning to the playoffs next year.
- Writing for Baseball Prospectus, Rany Jazayerli breaks down how just a year of age difference between teenage prospects reveals huge differences in projected production. "At least when it comes to high school hitters, young draft picks are a MASSIVE market inefficiency," Jazayerli writes.
Keith Law On Epstein, Sizemore, Votto, Ricciardi
ESPN's Keith Law gave his thoughts on a number of prospects during a chat with readers today, and also expounded on a few Major League items. The highlights…
- Cubs fans should be excited about Theo Epstein's "ability to turn the Cubs' baseball ops department into a process-oriented, professionally run organization. You can't run a baseball team the way they were run 20 or 30 years ago. It's a business now, one where smart decisions based on sound processes are necessary and innovation is increasingly critical."
- Law describes Brett Jackson (taken 31st overall by the Cubs in the 2009 amateur draft) as a "non-star prospect" and thinks he would be fair compensation for Epstein.
- Law doesn't think Grady Sizemore can remain healthy as an everyday center fielder. The Indians have a $9MM club option on Sizemore next season but will take their time in deciding on it, given that Sizemore just underwent knee surgery.
- Between Joey Votto and Yonder Alonso, Law would deal Alonso and "look to win" in the remaining two years that Votto is under Reds' control. Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty recently shot down rumors that the Reds were listening to offers for the reigning NL MVP.
- Law hears from his sources that J.P. Ricciardi isn't currently on the Orioles' short list of general manager candidates, as was reported on Tuesday by Law's ESPN colleague Buster Olney. Law worked for the Blue Jays' front office from 2002-06 when Ricciardi was the team's general manager.
- The Mariners "might have the best rotation in baseball by 2013 or so."
- If given a choice of signing either Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols to a seven-year contract worth the same money, Law says he would choose the younger Fielder. "Pujols is the better player right now, but even at his listed age I worry about his durability and potential decline," Law says.
- Despite Alex Avila's breakout 2011 season, Law said he still prefers Matt Wieters as the better long-term player.
AL West Notes: Darvish, Larson, Mathis, A’s
C.J. Wilson and Derek Holland will start the first two games of the ALCS for the Rangers, with Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison slated for Games 3 and 4 at Comerica Park. Here's the latest from not only the Rangers, but the entire AL West….
- Opposing scouts predict the Rangers will win the bidding for Yu Darvish, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Several teams, including some of the biggest markets in the game, have been rumored to be pursuing Darvish this winter. Nightengale's scout sources, for the record, unanimously predict "stardom" for Darvish if he jumps to the majors.
- Mariners minority owner Chris Larson has seen his personal fortune "largely depleted" by the recession and a divorce from his wife, reports Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Larson is the Mariners' largest minority owner, with a stake of 30.63% of the club, and Baker wonders if Larson's financial troubles will affect the team's payroll or force him to sell part of his ownership share.
- The criticism from Angels fans about Jeff Mathis' poor hitting "has become an emotional drain" for Mathis, opines MLB.com's Lyle Spencer, who thinks the catcher would "settle in and be a fine total player" elsewhere. Also as part of this mailbag piece, Spencer speculates about two outside-the-box candidates (Bud Black and Joe Maddon) with Angels ties as LAA's next general manager.
- The Athletics are expected to pursue Mike Aldrete as the club's new hitting coach, reports MLB.com's Jane Lee. The A's can't officially talk to Aldrete, the Cardinals' assistant hitting coach, until St. Louis has been eliminated from postseason play.
Offseason Outlook: Seattle Mariners
Jack Zduriencik is back and he’ll have to improve Seattle’s tepid offense for the Mariners to be relevant all season long in 2012.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Felix Hernandez, SP: $58MM through 2014
- Chone Figgins, IF: $17MM through 2013
- Ichiro Suzuki, OF: $17MM through 2012
- Franklin Gutierrez, OF: $13MM through 2013
- Miguel Olivo, C: $4.25MM through 2012
- Brendan Ryan, IF: $1.75MM through 2012
Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)
- Shawn Kelley, RP: $700K
- Jason Vargas, SP: $4.3MM
- David Aardsma, RP: $4.5MM (non-tender candidate)
- Luis Rodriguez, UT IF: $700K (non-tender candidate)
- Brandon League, RP: $4.3MM
Free Agents
- Josh Bard (unranked C), Wily Mo Pena (unranked DH), Adam Kennedy (unranked 2B), Jamey Wright (unranked RP)
The Mariners successfully prevented runs in 2011, but they sure couldn't score them. Seattle finished last in the American League in runs scored for the second consecutive season, plating just 556 runners. There's no point in dwelling on the Mariners' inability to score, but it's worth mentioning that none of their regulars had 20 homers, 30 doubles, a .280 average, a .350 on-base-average or a .470 slugging percentage. Around the Majors, 17 players met each of those benchmarks, yet not a single Mariners hitter could meet even one of them.
GM Jack Zduriencik is the one tasked with improving the Mariners' offense. When the longtime executive signed a multiyear extension in August, team president Chuck Armstrong praised him for accumulating talent through scouting and player development. But Zduriencik, who drafted Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun with the Brewers, hasn't been able to infuse similar might into the Mariners' batting order since becoming their GM in 2008.
For each of the past five seasons, the Mariners had a payroll of more than $90MM and they should have money to spend this offseason, with Milton Bradley’s contract no longer on the books. If the Mariners retain Kelley, Vargas and League through arbitration, that would put them in the $69MM range, before accounting for minimum salary players. They have cash but with holes at DH, left field, third base and shortstop, the question is where they’ll spend the money and how much they’re willing to spend.
Before Zduriencik and manager Eric Wedge scour free agency, they will likely look internally. For example, in left field, Casper Wells, Trayvon Robinson, Michael Saunders, Mike Carp, Carlos Peguero and Greg Halman will all compete for playing time. The 25-year-old Carp, who posted a .791 OPS in half a season, can also DH. At third base, Wedge can compare Chone Figgins, Kyle Seager and Alex Liddi against one another to determine a fit.
Despite the abundance of internal candidates in left and at DH, that’s a logical corner of the free agent market for the Mariners to explore. David Ortiz (who signed with the Mariners as an amateur in 1992), Jason Kubel, Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham, and Michael Cuddyer are among the free agent designated hitters and corner outfielders whose names the Mariners front office could consider and there will be options on the trade market, too.
Minor leaguer Nick Franklin, a possible long-term solution at short, wasn't quite as impressive in 2011 as he was in 2010, his first full season. Perhaps the Mariners will look for an upgrade from the punchless Brendan Ryan by making a play for a second-tier free agent shortstop like Clint Barmes, Jamey Carroll, Alex Gonzalez or Marco Scutaro. It wouldn't hurt to ask about Jed Lowrie, who could be squeezed out in Boston if the Red Sox exercise Scutaro's option.
The Mariners could improve their offense on the trade market, but more than anything else, their established players must rebound. Seattle is hoping Ichiro doesn’t decline in 2012 as much as he did last season. The 37-year-old right fielder fell short of the 200-hit plateau (184) for the first time in 11 Major League seasons and posted career lows in batting average (.272), on-base percentage (.310) and slugging percentage (.335). Franklin Gutierrez, who missed half of the season with stomach and oblique issues, needs to rebound and Justin Smoak needs to replicate his early-season success for a full season.
After trading Doug Fister and Erik Bedard midseason, the Mariners learned the hard way that they'll need more starting pitching depth in 2012 (they endured seven regrettable starts from left-hander Anthony Vasquez). Zduriencik has said he'll have some interest in adding veteran pitching to a rotation that includes Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda, Jason Vargas. Meanwhile, prospects like Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker will develop in the minor leagues.
It wouldn't be a Mariners offseason without a good number of trade rumors surrounding Hernandez. Zduriencik has steadfastly held onto King Felix despite inquiries from around the league. Three years from now, however, the right-hander becomes a free agent. The Mariners face mounting pressure to win before their ace hits the open market, though it's doubtful that Seattle will part with Hernandez this offseason.
The Mariners could non-tender Aardsma (he underwent Tommy John surgery in July) and trade League, but that would leave the 'pen barren and force Zduriencik to acquire extra arms. While Seattle's bullpen had a solid 3.61 ERA last year, only Twins relievers struck out fewer batters per nine than the Mariners (6.3), so they should look to add relief options even if League is back and they retain Aardsma.
It makes sense for the Mariners to add rotation depth, proactively seek bullpen depth and look to upgrade over Ryan at short. As for left field, third base and DH, their internal options are interesting enough to warrant a look even if quality trumps quantity when it comes to Major League position players. The Mariners don't have to spend extravagantly on a star like Fielder to become relevant again, but they will need restored health and further development from budding stars like Ackley, Pineda and Smoak.
As a member of baseball's only four-team division, the Mariners have better odds than most. Could they replicate Arizona's worst-to-first turnaround and threaten for the playoffs in 2012? It seems unlikely, since Seattle will need more breaks than most teams, but they could be a .500 team next year.
AL West Notes: Angels, DiSarcina, Mariners
Earlier today, we learned that the Angels dismissed assistant GM Ken Forsch and special assistant Gary Sutherland. This comes after the Halos parted ways with GM Tony Reagins on Friday. Here are some notes on their GM search and other items out of the American League West..
- Today's dismissals make the possibility seem unlikely, but if the Angels decide to fill their GM vacancy from within, two candidates stand out above all the rest, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Gary DiSarcina, the former shortstop who is a special assistant to the GM, and Tory Hernandez, the team's manager of baseball operations, would have the best crack at the job. Meanwhile, Oakland assistant GM David Forst and Chicago White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn are believed to be very interested in the position.
- The Halos are fighting perception that team is run in total by manager Mike Scioscia, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. A competing GM remarked to Heyman that "[Scioscia is] the GM" of the club.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) echoed similar sentiments, wondering aloud if the Angels will hire an actual GM or another figurehead for the position.
- The Mariners used this past season as a developmental year for their young players, but GM Jack Zduriencik is open to bringing in key veterans to bolster that group next season, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com. Of course, Zduriencik expects a major boost from within with a healthy return of Franklin Gutierrez and a stronger year from Justin Smoak.
Central Notes: Fister, Pence, Cubs
A few items of note regarding teams from MLB's Central divisions, as the Cards fall behind the Phils in Game 1 of the NLDS.
- The Tigers preferred Doug Fister to Ubaldo Jimenez when they were shopping for a pitcher before the trade deadline, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Whether that's true, we'll probably never know, but Fister certainly pitched better for Detroit than Jimenez did for Cleveland after the deadline. The Mariners were originally hesitant to move Fister, according to Knobler, but Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was persistent in pursuing the right-hander.
- The Reds tried to acquire Hunter Pence from the Astros, according to Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News, and GM Walt Jocketty has said he thought he made a better offer to Houston than the one it eventually accepted from the Phillies. McCoy reports that the Astros wanted Devin Mesoraco and adds that lefty Aroldis Chapman was not available.
- The Cubs remain in limbo while waiting to hire a new general manager, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, who notes that the fates of manager Mike Quade, his coaches, and several players are up in the air until someone takes the helm. The Cubs are unlikely to spend lavishly this offseason, according to Sullivan.
West Notes: Dodgers, Mariners, Padres
Clayton Kershaw will win the triple crown for NL pitchers and Matt Kemp homered and drove in three tonight in his quest for the batting triple crown. Here are some updates on MLB's West Coast teams…
- Dodgers owner Frank McCourt could look to attack the credibility of commissioner Bud Selig by claiming that the Marlins and owner Jeffrey Loria have had preferred treatment from MLB, according Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times shows that the Mariners' owners, many of whom are based out of Japan, are rarely heard from. Team president Chuck Armstrong is accountable for baseball moves, while financial decisions generally occur out of sight.
- The Mariners may have money to play with this offseason, according to Baker. Depending on the timetable and direction of their rebuilding program, they could spend to varying degrees this winter, so Baker runs through some possibilities.
- The Padres announced that they extended the contracts of Chris Gwynn, their director of player personnel, and Jaron Madison, their scouting director, through 2013.
Mariners Notes: Thieben, Montero, Adams
The Mariners endured their 13th walk-off loss of the season at the hands of the Twins yesterday, setting a franchise record. Seattle which is tied with the Angels for the most walk-off losses in baseball this season, visits the Rangers tonight…
- The Mariners are expected to sign Daniel Thieben, an 18-year-old right-hander who's the youngest member of Germany's World Cup roster, according to John Manuel of Baseball America. The deal will likely become official in early November, when international scouting director Bob Engle visits Germany. Thieben's best pitch is a curveball and his fastball sits in the mid or upper-80s.
- Brian Cashman's comments about Carl Crawford made headlines today and his candor extended to the near-trade that would have sent Jesus Montero and others to the Mariners for Cliff Lee last summer. The GM told Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com that Montero "would've been by far the best player moved" in any of the three deals involving Lee.
- Cashman told Larry Stone of the Seattle Times that he had Lee until the Mariners decided they didn't like the medicals on second baseman David Adams and moved on to the Rangers, who were offering Justin Smoak.