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NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Luhnow, Pirates, Poreda

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Wrapping up a few NL Central loose ends from the Winter Meetings:

  • GM John Mozeliak said Thursday that the Cardinals will "redeploy the resources" that had been allotted for Albert Pujols, writes MLB.com's Matthew Leach.
  • Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweets that the Cardinals figure to non-tender Ryan Theriot, and names the Mets, Braves, Astros, Reds, Blue Jays, and Royals as teams who may have interest in the infielder.
  • New Astros GM Jeff Luhnow was introduced today and said he's "very optimistic" about taking the club in the right direction, as MLB.com's Brian McTaggart writes.
  • The Pirates' deal with Erik Bedard includes $500K in potential innings bonuses, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
  • In the Triple-A portion of today's Rule 5 draft, the Pirates selected Aaron Poreda, tweets John Manuel of Baseball America. The former first-rounder was part of the trade that sent Jake Peavy from the Padres to the White Sox in 2009.

Quick Hits: Wilson, Jays, Rule 5, Pudge, Ekstrom

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Let's round up a few Winter Meetings leftovers…

Nightengale On Albert Pujols Negotiations

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Bob Nightengale has a fantastic story up at USA Today that provides a timeline of the negotiations involving Albert Pujols and a handful of clubs at the Winter Meetings. The must-read piece includes word that Pujols' contract could be worth as much as $280MM with incentives. Here are the other highlights:

  • When Dodgers manager Don Mattingly spoke to Pujols last weekend, he sensed Pujols wasn't entirely happy with the Cardinals: "You could just sense something was wrong. He was getting frustrated by it."
  • The Marlins were "relentless," increasing their offer to Pujols multiple times until it reached $275MM. They expected to leave Dallas having signed Pujols, but never offered the no-trade clause he wanted.
  • A mystery team (not the Angels) stepped in on Monday and offered Pujols ten years and $225MM. This mystery club "refuses to be publicly identified," writes Nightengale.
  • On Tuesday, the Cardinals offered a nine-year, $210MM deal with a tenth-year vesting option. At around this time, the Marlins were eliminated from the mix (whether by Pujols or the team), narrowing the decision to the Cards and the mystery team.
  • Late Tuesday, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto called agent Dan Lozano to talk Pujols. Early Wednesday morning, the Halos offered a ten-year deal worth about $250MM.
  • As of Wednesday night, Lozano expected Pujols to mull the decision for a few days, but the slugger called him early this morning to accept the Angels' offer.

Albert Pujols Signing Reactions

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Albert Pujols and the Angels agreed to a $254MM deal today that will keep the longtime Cardinal under contract until he's 41. As you can imagine, the signing has inspired some reactions across the league. Here are a few takes and additional details on the second-largest contract in baseball history:

Tim Dierkes' take: In hindsight, it was odd to be talking about offers in the $200MM range on the open market for Pujols, who still may be the best hitter in baseball.  It seems that ultimately the Cardinals were way behind in their offer, as both the Marlins and Angels offered over $40MM more.  Before the 2011 season, a contract for Pujols topping Alex Rodriguez's $275MM seemed possible in free agency, but a rough start to the season and the lowest walk rate of Pujols' career might have given a few teams pause.  Plus, the Yankees and Red Sox weren't involved.  

Almost all long-term contracts end badly.  Angels owner Arte Moreno knows that, and he's going for broke for the next three to four years.  I generally appreciate an owner who is willing to do that.  We see teams overpay for dozens of free agents every winter; Angels fans should be glad their owner did it for the best free agent in years.

I can't speak for Cardinals fans, but I don't see cause to be angry toward Pujols or the team.  The Cardinals made the best offer they could reasonably afford, and it was nowhere near the others.  They still have a strong team and the glow of two recent World Series wins.  As for Albert, if I was him I wouldn't have agreed to a contract that made me the fourth-best-paid first baseman in the game.

Additonal Pujols reactions:

  • The signing makes the Angels much better in the short term, but it's "almost unthinkable that this contract will look like a good one in 2021 when we look back on it after its conclusion," writes ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider required).
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs agrees with Law, saying the Angels will need a lot of breaks in order for the deal to work out long-term.
  • The Angels were the "unlikely beneficiary of the Cardinals' inactivity," says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Cardinals fans have the right to feel bitter, but comparing Pujols to LeBron James is misguided, since Pujols and the Cards won two championships, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • "I would like our fans to know that we tried our best to make Albert a lifetime Cardinal but unfortunately we were unable to make it happen," Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said as part of a statement, thanking Albert for his achievements and community contributions.
  • Two other FOX Sports scribes provided their takes on the deal as well.
  • At today's press conference, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto praised the athleticism of Mark Trumbo, now the Angels' former first baseman. Dipoto mentioned third base, designated hitter, and the outfield as possibilities for Trumbo, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • Appearing on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Dipoto said the Angels didn't get heavily involved with Pujols until the last 24 hours before they reached an agreement.
  • Jayson Stark of ESPN.com spoke to a few National League GMs who are happy to see Pujols switching leagues. "I'll miss seeing him," said Reds GM Walt Jocketty. "But I won't miss facing him."
  • Typically big spenders, the Yankees and Red Sox weren't in on the Pujols bidding. Yanks GM Brian Cashman "gave it a nice, respectful no" when Pujols' camp approached him, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Sox GM Ben Cherington said it would have taken "huge, fundamental changes" to the team's roster and payroll to sign Pujols, tweets Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
  • As we discussed earlier, the Angels' offer wasn't the largest one Pujols received — the Marlins' ten-year proposal topped it.

2011 Rule 5 Draft Results

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Rule 5 players must stay with their new big league club all year or be offered back to the old team. MLB.com has a full recap of both the Major League and minor league portions of the draft. The results of the Major League phase are listed below:

  1. Astros take Rhiner Cruz from Mets.
  2. Twins take Terry Doyle from White Sox.
  3. Mariners take Lucas Luetge from Brewers.
  4. Orioles take Ryan Flaherty from Cubs.
  5. Royals take Cesar Cabral from Red Sox; traded to Yankees for cash.
  6. Cubs take Lendy Castillo from Phillies.
  7. Padres
  8. Pirates take Gustavo Nunez from Tigers.
  9. Marlins
  10. Rockies
  11. Athletics
  12. Mets
  13. White Sox
  14. Reds
  15. Indians
  16. Nationals
  17. Blue Jays
  18. Dodgers
  19. Angels
  20. Giants
  21. Braves take Robert Fish from Angels.
  22. Cardinals take Erik Komatsu from Nationals.
  23. Red Sox take Marwin Gonzalez from Cubs, traded to Astros for Marco Duarte
  24. Rays
  25. Diamondbacks take Brett Lorin from Pirates.
  26. Tigers
  27. Brewers
  28. Rangers
  29. Yankees take Brad Meyers from Nationals.
  30. Phillies

Angels Want Pujols And Wilson

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We heard late last night that there is "no shot" Albert Pujols will make a decision before the Winter Meetings end. Still, here's the latest on the man who has $200MM+ offers from three teams including the Cardinals, Angels, and a mystery team who would reportedly need to trade an established first baseman to clear a path for the three-time MVP:

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

No Pujols Decision During Winter Meetings

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The Cardinals, Angels, and a third team are still involved in the bidding for Albert Pujols, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The third team is not the Marlins, who are out of the running for the slugger.

In today's round-up of Pujols rumors, we also learned that the Cardinals' offer may be for only nine years, rather than ten. It was also reported that Pujols still has three offers in excess of $200MM+ on the table, even with the Marlins out of the mix. It's unclear if the Angels have extended that significant an offer, but Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that the Halos are "in strong." Here's the latest on Pujols:

  • There's "no shot" Pujols is ready to sign before the meetings are over, or perhaps anytime soon, writes Stark. He also says that there is less and less skepticism that a third team really is in the bidding, and that the team is believed to be a club with an established first baseman it would need to trade to accommodate Pujols.
  • The Angels say they can afford to sign both Pujols and Wilson, tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale, noting that doing so would likely require $300MM.
  • A decision from Pujols isn't coming before the end of the Winter Meetings, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
  • The Angels' bid for Pujols is for ten years and at least $210MM, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
  • A "Pujols associate" tells Jon Heyman of MLB Network that it would probably take "$40MM more" from a team besides the Cardinals for Pujols to leave St. Louis (Twitter link).
  • C.J. Wilson is seriously considering signing with the Angels, in which case the Halos would almost certainly be out on Pujols, tweets Rosenthal.
  • Within a piece at FOX Sports, Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi write that the Angels had a "lengthy set of negotiations" with agent Dan Lozano today.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Boras On Fielder, Rays, Dodgers, Damon

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Agent Scott Boras held court in Dallas tonight, providing updates on his many free agent clients and entertaining reporters with quips along the way. Here are the details:

  • Boras made it clear that Prince Fielder has drawn lots of interest this offseason. The agent explained that Fielder compares favorably to all-time greats such as Jimmie Foxx and suggested teams will look to lock Fielder up for as long as possible if they recognize his potential as someone who can produce at the plate for the better part of a decade while boosting TV ratings and attendance (Boras' arguments, not mine). He played down concerns about Fielder's body, suggested he's just entering his prime and argued that comparable free agent power hitters won't be available any time soon.
  • Fielder doesn't have any geographical preference as to where he signs, tweets Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. Boras quipped that the distance from home plate to the outfield fence is the only geography concerning Fielder. For more on Fielder, click here.
  • Generally speaking, Boras explained that Seattle and Milwaukee are desirable places to play because they have the potential to draw substantial crowds. He also said "the city [of Los Angeles] is waiting for the return of the Dodgers" and praised the Dodgers as a storied franchise in American sports.
  • Johnny Damon played "very well" in 2011, according to Boras. He joked that 38-year-old is in line for a five-year deal, though a one-year contract is probable in reality. Boras half-jokingly suggested the Rays "have lots of money" despite their perennially low payrolls. 
  • Carlos Pena will likely have multiyear offers, Boras said.
  • Asked if Kyle Lohse could waive his no-trade clause, Boras replied that he thinks Lohse is happy in St. Louis, tweets B.J. Rains of Fox Sports Midwest.
  • The market for Ivan Rodriguez is narrowing, tweets Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. The Nationals aren't in on Pudge, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
  • The Nats have some interest in bringing back Rick Ankiel, tweets Comak.
  • Boras expects Daisuke Matsuzaka to be healthy and return "sometime this summer," tweets Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
  • J.D. Drew is undecided on whether he'll play in 2012. It would have to be the right situation.
  • Andruw Jones would've liked more playing time in 2011, but understands he won't be a full-time player, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. A deal with the Yankees is likely in the coming weeks, tweets Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
  • The Braves haven't progressed toward an extension for Michael Bourn, tweets Stephen Goff of Examiner.com.

MLBTR's Luke Adams co-wrote this post.

Tigers Close To Signing Octavio Dotel

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10:31pm: All that's left for Dotel and the Tigers to work out is the length of the contract, tweets Rosenthal. A one-year deal with a vesting option seems like the most likely outcome, Rosenthal adds.

8:37pm: The Tigers are close to a deal with Dotel, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.

6:22pm: The Cardinals are the other team Dotel is considering. Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that Detroit seems to have the edge, but Dotel remains "enamored" with the Cardinals.

5:35pm: The Tigers have made an "aggressive" offer for Dotel, tweets Morosi.

4:44pm: The Tigers are considered the favorite for Dotel, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, adding that the other finalist is a National League team.

4:20pm: Free agent reliever Octavio Dotel has narrowed his decision to two teams and expects to make a decision soon, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

Marlins Out Of Running For Albert Pujols

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The latest on free agent superstar Albert Pujols…

  • Marlins people are saying they withdrew their offer to Pujols, not the other way around, tweets ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Either way, the end result is the same: the Marlins are out.
  • Bob Nightengale of USA Today confirms (via Twitter) the Marlins are no longer involved, but says Pujols still has three offers in excess of $200MM. It's hard to imagine which teams besides the Cardinals would be offering that much.
  • Well, it looks like the Marlins won't sign every top free agent on the market. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick hears that Dan Lozano has told the Marlins they're out of the running for Pujols, though there are still clubs involved besides the Cardinals (Twitter links).
  • The Cardinals' offer currently on the table is for nine years, not ten, according to Buster Olney (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the Marlins aren't completely out on Pujols, but won't increase their offer, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
  • Pujols appears headed back to the Cardinals and the two sides are believed to be only a few million dollars apart on a ten-year deal, reports Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.
  • The Marlins are moving on emotionally from the Pujols talks, tweets Buster Olney, though they haven't necessarily pulled their offer.
  • Pujols' camp is attempted to extract every possible nickel in an offer from Miami so they can take that to the Cardinals, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
  • The Marlins are still in on Pujols, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  Angels GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters his focus has not been on Pujols.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick hears lots of buzz in Dallas that the Pujols decision is shifting in the Cardinals' direction.
  • Pujols is likely heading back to the Cardinals, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  He says the Marlins are shifting their attention to Prince Fielder, while several others say they'll turn to pitching targets.
  • A Cardinals source sees a good chance of a resolution one way or another today on Pujols, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.  Buster Olney says there's a growing sense among some officials involved in the Pujols talks that he's staying with the Cardinals.
  • The Cubs are still involved in the Pujols talks, tweets Ken Rosenthal, though the extent is unclear.
  • The Marlins say they've made their final offer to Pujols, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, though an additional meeting with agent Dan Lozano remains possible.
  • The Cardinals are meeting with Pujols' camp this morning, tweets MLB Network's Jon Heyman.  Heyman believes the Marlins' ten-year offer is in the $200-220MM range.
  • Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Cardinals' newest offer to Pujols is believed to approach $220MM over 10 years. The Cards didn't place a deadline on their offer, and general manager John Mozeliak said this wouldn't necessarily be the club's final offer. Strauss is unsure if all 10 years are guaranteed, or if the tenth year involves some kind of option.

Tim Dierkes and Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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