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Quick Hits: Kershaw, Moreno, Cespedes, Joyce

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Here are a few items from around the Majors as we head into Sunday…

  • The first priority for the new Dodgers owner should be to sign Clayton Kershaw to a long-term extension, says ESPN's Buster Olney in a video blog.  Kershaw's recent two-year contract only covers his first two arbitration years, putting him on track for free agency (at age 26) after the 2014 season.  "The entire landscape of baseball would be all over Kershaw as a free agent," says Olney, who believes the Dodgers should offer Kershaw something akin to a five-year, $100-120MM deal to lock him up.
  • Arte Moreno expects the Angels to be "a highly competitive team" and discussed several other topics about the upcoming season with MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.
  • As part of a piece about the risks of signing Yoenis Cespedes, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald explores how other heavily-hyped Cuban stars have been the victim of high expectations in the Major Leagues.
  • Rays outfielder Matt Joyce has changed agents and is now represented by the ACES firm, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Joyce, a possible extension candidate, will be arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter and is under team control through 2015.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera's arbitration-avoiding deal with the Indians prompted Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer to examine the possibility of signing Cabrera to a multiyear deal.  Last month, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at what a Cabrera extension could cost the Tribe.
  • From that same piece, Hoynes says that the Indians' lack of guaranteed contracts past 2012 is probably not a sign that the Dolan family is "streamlining the franchise" as a prelude to a possible sale of the club.
  • Four of top seven prospects in the Athletics' system came via the Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez trades, writes MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.

Friedman On Catching, Offseason, Maddon Extension

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Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was interviewed on 620-WDAE radio on Thursday, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times has a few of the interview's highlights…

  • The team is "a little uncomfortable" in pairing an inexperienced catcher like Jose Lobaton or Robinson Chirinos alongside veteran Jose Molina, but Friedman thinks the Rays' catching situation has been upgraded from 2011.  The Rays looked at a few different catchers this winter but, aside from Molina, weren't able to work out a deal with any of them.  The 36-year-old Molina has spent much of his 12-year career as a backup, reaching the 245-plate appearance plateau just twice in his career.
  • Friedman was very pleased with the fact that the Rays were able to add hitting and bullpen depth without giving up a starting pitcher or making a move that would hurt the team's defense.  "If you had told me then where we stand now with upgrading where we did and also maintaining our depth in the meantime, I would have said that that was a dream scenario,'' Friedman said.  "We still have a lot of work to do in terms of this division and this league, but as far within the scope of what we can do, this off-season worked out very well in our estimation.’’ 
  • Friedman expects Joe Maddon to remain in Tampa Bay for years to come.  Topkin reported two weeks ago that Maddon and the Rays are expected to announce a three-year contract extension for the manager before the start of Spring Training.

Cafardo On Lannan, Bourjos, Cespedes, Vazquez

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Jason Varitek is facing a very difficult decision, and the catcher has been considering the very difficult reality of retirement, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Varitek, who turns 40 in April, would seem to be a good fit in Minnesota.  The Twins will likely carry three catchers as Joe Mauer will need time to DH and rest and Ryan Doumit will mostly DH while also backing up Mauer.

Varitek isn't the only veteran wondering about his baseball future.  Ivan Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Magglio Ordonez, and Vladimir Guerrero also hope to continue playing in 2012.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • There is a lot of speculation that the Nationals will deal John Lannan to the Angels for Peter Bourjos, with the Halos putting Mike Trout in center field.  The Nats beat Lannan in arbitration last week and were said to be aggressively shopping the left-hander.  
  • Alternatively, the Nats could move Jayson Werth to center and sign a right fielder.  Cafardo adds that it now appears that Yoenis Cespedes is not in their plans and they have cooled on B.J. Upton.
  • Javier Vazquez is retired for now, but Cafardo wonders if a team could convince him to play.  An AL GM remarked that Vazquez would be a perfect fourth or fifth starter on a contending team and believes that the pitcher looks as good as he's ever been.
  • Scott Boras is no longer representing Manny Ramirez.  Ramirez signed on with Boras in early 2008 and the agent negotiated the slugger's two-year, $45MM contract with the Dodgers the following year.
  • Boras wound up receiving eight offers in total for Prince Fielder, including the winning bid from the Tigers.
  • A couple of agents are frustrated after dealing with the Red Sox front office/ownership lately as compared to what they were used to in the past.  However, there has been quite a bit of praise for GM Ben Cherington.
  • Right-hander Brandon Webb hasn't given up on pitching and according to one American League executive, the plan is for the 32-year-old to throw for teams sometime in March.
  • Mark Prior is also looking to attempt one more comeback.  The right-hander, who spent some of last season with the Yankees, had surgery for a sports hernia and the problem isn't completely corrected.  Like Webb, Prior could work out for teams as early as March.
  • Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger was supposed to be in Red Sox minor league camp but instead ripped up his elbow long-tossing over the winter.  The veteran will unfortunately miss the season.
  • Cafardo feels that the Red Sox missed an opportunity to sign Edwin Jackson to a good value deal at one year, $10MM and shouldn’t let Roy Oswalt slip away now.

Indians Acquire Russ Canzler

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SATURDAY: The Rays received $100K from the Indians to complete the trade, reports MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (on Twitter).

TUESDAY: The Indians announced that they acquired Russ Canzler from the Rays for cash considerations. The Rays had designated the 25-year-old for assignment on Friday.

Canzler made his MLB debut in 2011, appearing in three games with the Rays as a September callup. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .314/.401/.530 line with 18 home runs and 40 doubles in 549 plate appearances, and won the International League MVP. 

Canzler appeared at all four corner positions in 2011. The right-handed hitter figures to add balance to an Indians lineup that features more than its share of left-handed hitters at third base and in the corner outfield spots. It's unclear whether the addition of Canzler will affect the Indians' interest level in free agent first baseman Casey Kotchman.

The Cubs selected Canzler in the 30th round of the 2004 draft. He has options remaining, so the Indians aren't obliged to keep him in the Major Leagues, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets.

Rays Beat Jeff Niemann In Arbitration

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The Rays beat Jeff Niemann in yesterday's arbitration hearing, so the right-hander will earn a salary of $2.75MM in 2012, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Niemann and his agents at Hendricks Sports had filed for $3.2MM, while the Rays had countered with $2.75MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows.

All of the Rays' arbitration eligible players now have 2012 contracts. The team is now 6-0 in arbitration and has a 5-0 mark under executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. Arbitrators James Oldham, Howard Edelman and Mark Irvings heard Niemann's case yesterday. The Nationals beat John Lannan earlier in the week, so teams are 2-0 so far this offseason.

I wouldn't be surprised if Clayton Richard, Matt Harrison and Rick Porcello were some of the comparable pitchers who came up in Niemann's case.

Jeff Niemann Had Arbitration Hearing

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Rays right-hander Jeff Niemann had his arbitration hearing today, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported. Niemann and his agents at Hendricks Sports asked for $3.2MM, while the Rays countered with $2.75MM. Arbitrators James Oldham, Howard Edelman and Mark Irvings heard the case today and a decision is expected tomorrow morning, the Associated Press reports (via ESPN).

The Rays are 5-0 in arbitration and have a 4-0 mark under executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. Niemann is the team's lone unsigned arbitration eligible player, as our Arbitration Tracker shows. The Nationals beat John Lannan in yesterday's hearing, which makes teams 1-0 so far this year.

AL East Notes: Ortiz, Kim, Longoria

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A few notes to share coming out of the American League East …

  • An arbitration hearing appears likely for the Red Sox and David Ortiz, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. When the sides exchanged salary proposals earlier this month, the Red Sox offered $12.65MM, while Ortiz and his representatives at SFX request $16.5MM, so a pretty sizable gap exists. The 36-year-old DH posted a sharp .309/.398/.554 line and slugged 29 homers in 2011.
  • The Korean Baseball Organization is displeased by the Orioles' signing of 17-year-old lefty Seong-Min Kim to a minor league deal because of his age and is threatening to petition Major League Baseball, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Orioles GM Dan Duquette said he doesn't understand the complaint, as Kim and his family were both in favor of the move, and he is closer to 18 than to 17. 
  • Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said during an appearance on MLB Network's Intentional Talk that he has no regrets about the club-friendly extension he signed in April 2008, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. "I can honestly say that I’ve never regretted doing it. I can look at myself in the mirror and say that I made the right decision. You never know, who knows, one or two years in I might’ve hurt myself and not been the player that I am today." The six-year deal includes three club options for what would have been free-agent years for Longoria. It could be worth as much as $45MM and will expire after Longo's age-29 season. 

Justin Ruggiano To Elect Free Agency

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Outfielder Justin Ruggiano will decline his outright assignment and become a free agent, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on Twitter. The Rays had designated him for assignment last week.

"It was a tough decision but in the end I had to do what was best for my career," Ruggiano said, according to Topkin.

Ruggiano appeared in 46 games for the Rays last year, playing all three outfield positions. The 29-year-old posted a .248/.273/.400 line in 111 plate appearances. Ruggiano, who also played for the Rays in 2007-08, is not yet arbitration eligible.

Rays Notes: Davis, Niemann, Maddon, Pena

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A few items on the Rays courtesy of Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times..

  • A few months ago it would have seemed unlikely that the Rays would have been able to fill their primary holes without dealing Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann, but the club has done just that.  They say they are willing to go into the season with an extra starter, but team president Matt Silverman says that the club continues to look for a deal.
  • Topkin suggests that the club could deal Niemann in order to land an experienced catcher.  Geovany Soto, Kurt Suzuki, and Nick Hundley are possibilities on the trade market while Ivan Rodriguez and Bengie Molina remain free agents.
  • The Rays and manager Joe Maddon are expected to announce a three-year contract extension before the February 20th opening of Spring Training.
  • There's an interesting theory floating about that suggests that the Rays raising their offer to $7.25MM to sign Carlos Peña helped lead the Tigers to spend $214MM on Prince Fielder.

Rays Designate Russ Canzler For Assignment

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The Rays designated Russ Canzler for assignment, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The move creates 40-man roster space for Jeff Keppinger, whose deal with the Rays became official today.

Canzler, 25, made his MLB debut in 2011, appearing in three games with the Rays as a September callup. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .314/.401/.530 line with 18 home runs and 40 doubles in 549 plate appearances. The Cubs selected Canzler in the 30th round of the 2004 draft.

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