Olney On Rays, Quentin, Polanco, Marlins, Darvish
After ranking MLB's best rotations, bullpens, infields, outfields, and lineups in December, ESPN.com's Buster Olney opened up 2012 with his overall power rankings. The Rays are ranked No. 1 thanks in large part to their outstanding rotation. This year, Matt Moore joins the mix and Olney writes that the left-hander has the numbers and the ability of Stephen Strasburg without the same level of hype behind him. Of course, the club still has some issues to address, such as the identity of their first baseman and designated hitter. However, Olney feels that their pitching makes them the top club in baseball at present. Here are some highlights from today's column..
- It's possible that the Padres could negotiate a very team-friendly two- or three-year deal with the Carlos Quentin before arbitration. However, it's hard to imagine the club investing heavily in the outfielder before gauging how much he can stay on the field and how his power translates to pitcher-friendly Petco Park.
- The Phillies would still like to find an alternative to the oft-injured Placido Polanco. In October, skipper Charlie Manuel said that he would be in favor of an upgrade at third base if possible. The club dangled Polanco in early December when it seemed as if they might lose Jimmy Rollins to free agency and look to sign Aramis Ramirez to play third.
- The Cubs are talking with a number of teams about Matt Garza, including the Marlins. A lot of baseball scouts are not wild about the quality and depth of the prospects in Miami's farm system.
- Yu Darvish is not yet signed with the Rangers, but rival executives don't believe he has much leverage and will eventually work out a deal.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Rodriguez, Rays
Here's a look at some items out of the American League East as the Yankees and Red Sox continue to scour the market for pitching..
- The Red Sox are budget-conscious as they look to add to their rotation and one agent told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he believes it will continue. “[GM Ben Cherington] is listening with free agents, but that’s it so far,’’ said the agent. "I don’t think it’s an act, either. They’re hoping somebody falls to them and that may be it."
- In a piece for the New York Times, Rob Neyer takes a look back at the ten-year, $275MM deal Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees in December of 2007. The Yankees have little reason to regret the signing so far but A-Rod remains under contract through 2017 when he'll turn 42.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday looks at six different approaches that the Yankees can take to solve their rotation issues. Davidoff doesn't like the odds of the club pulling an "old school" move and throwing money at the problem, which would likely mean giving Edwin Jackson a sizeable contract. Instead, it seems likely that the Bombers will look for another lottery ticket and hope they hit it big, much as they did with Bartolo Colon in 2011.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald suggests that the Rays pair up with the Angels to land either Mark Trumbo or Kendrys Morales. The Halos seem content to keep both sluggers in the mix for now but it seems likely that they'll move at least one of them before the start of the season. Tomase also credits recently-appointed Orioles GM Dan Duquette with prioritizing the rebuild of the front office over the on-field product in 2012.
Quick Hits: Theriot, Aoki, Nakajima, Orioles
Links for Saturday night..
- Congratulations to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith on being named among the 100 most influential Canadians in baseball by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Luke Adams and Mark Polishuk picked up honorable mentions.
- The Rays' interest in Ryan Theriot, presumably as a backup, has been preliminary to this point, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Mets and Braves are also said to be interested in the infielder's services.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker breaks down the pros and cons of Japanese import Norichika Aoki. Earlier this month, the Brewers won the negotiating rights to the speedy outfielder and have until mid-January to work out a deal. Milwaukee reportedly started negotiations with an offer in the $1-1.5MM range.
- Meanwhile, the Yankees and Hiroyuki Nakajima are said to remain far apart in their talks, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Bombers won the exclusive right to negotiate with the shortstop with a bid around $2MM earlier this month. The deadline to reach a deal is on Tuesday.
- Just as they were at the beginning of 2011, the Marlins will begin 2012 on the prowl for a starter, writes Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com wonders if a new year will mean a new DH for the Orioles. For the time being, it seems like the O's will look for an in-house solution to fill the gap.
AL East Notes: Jurrjens, Chen, Longoria, Yankees
Here's the latest from the AL East….
- The Red Sox are not in on Jair Jurrjens, but the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rockies and Tigers remain in on the Braves right-hander, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Orioles are still interested in Chunichi Dragons left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, and the team has scouted Chen several times in Japan. The O's were linked to Chen earlier this offseason and we've also heard that the PIrates had an interest in the free agent southpaw. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted Chen could be signed for a contract in the neighborhood of four years and under $20MM.
- Rays third baseman Evan Longoria texted the St. Petersburg Times (reported by The Times' Marc Topkin) to deny recent internet rumors that he wanted to leave Tampa Bay. "I don't have any idea where that rumor came from! It's completely false,'' Longoria said. "I've said from the start I love Tampa, I love the direction we are heading as a franchise and there is no better place for me to continue to grow as a player and person.''
- The Yankees have been quiet this winter seemingly in an attempt to avoid a hefty luxury tax penalty next season, but one AL executive doesn't think this strategy will last. "I think they can sit back right now," the anonymous exec told The Star-Ledger's Jeff Bradley, "because on paper they have a very strong team. But do I think the Yankees won't spend aggressively if they start to dip in the win column? Not a chance. I think they'll do what they have to do to win."
- The Athletics wanted right-hander Noah Syndergaard from the Blue Jays as part of any trade for Gio Gonzalez, reported Jeff Blair on the Fan590's Prime Time Sports radio show (passed on by Andrew Stoeten of the Drunk Jays Fans blog.) Syndergaard was drafted 38th overall by Toronto in the 2010 draft and has posted impressive numbers in his first two years of pro ball.
- Earlier today, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith posted a collection of Red Sox notes.
Braves, Rays, Mets Interested In Ryan Theriot
The Braves, Rays, and Mets are among the teams looking at Ryan Theriot, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Reds and Rockies are also said to have interest in the infielder, who was non-tendered earlier this month.
Theriot, 32, hit .271/.321/.342 in 483 plate appearances for the World Champion Cardinals last season. He only stole four bases (in ten chances) though, ending his streak of three consecutive seasons with 20+ steals. Theriot had been in line for a $3.9MM salary his third time though arbitration according to our projections.
Extension Candidate: Matt Joyce
When it comes to signing young players to long-term contract extensions, no team has been as aggressive as the Rays in recent years. Left-hander Matt Moore became the latest to cash in when he signed a five-year, $14MM contract earlier this month despite having just 17 days of service time to his credit. Evan Longoria, James Shields, Ben Zobrist, and Wade Davis are also signed to similar contracts, and next in line could be outfielder Matt Joyce.
Joyce, 27, was acquired from the Tigers for Edwin Jackson three winters ago. The 2011 season was the first time he spent a full season in the Majors, and he rewarded the Rays by making the AL All-Star Team and hitting .277/.347/.478 with 19 homers and 13 steals. In 1,097 career plate appearances spread across 321 games (three games shy of two full seasons), Joyce is a .259/.345/.482 hitter with 64 doubles and 44 homers. The advanced metrics rate his corner outfield defense as a touch better than average.
Back in October, Tommy Rancel of ESPN Florida suggested that Zobrist's contract – four years, $18MM with two club options – could serve as a blueprint for a Joyce extension. Zobrist signed that deal one year before he was due to become arbitration-eligible, which is where Joyce is now. Zobrist was coming off an MVP caliber season (.297/.405/.543 with 27 homers) at the time though, and he offered much more defensive versatility. As a switch-hitter, he also didn't have the same platoon problem as Joyce, a left-handed bat with a .196/.280/.322 career line against southpaws. The blueprint could work, but the dollar figures will need some tweaking.
Unlike his teammates, Joyce could offer the club a true hometown discount since he grew up in the Tampa area. He also didn't receive a huge signing bonus as a 12th round pick in 2005, so getting some financial security at age 27 could be more appealing to him than most. The Rays love club options, so expect any deal with Joyce to contain a few of them, perhaps even as many as three. The Rays lost Carl Crawford to free agency last offseason and could lose B.J. Upton next offseason, but Joyce and fellow extension candidate Desmond Jennings form a solid outfield core going forward. One way or the other, Tampa controls the duo's contractual rights through 2015.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
AL East Notes: Rays, Yankees, Danks, Red Sox
Here's a look at some items out of the only division to produce three 90-win teams in 2011…
- As they have done in years past, the Rays' plan is to wait for the bigger names on the open market to find homes before they pounce, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. If the club lands a "big-bucks" DH, Topkin suggests that they could look to fill their first base vacancy with a young, inexpensive option such as the Padres' Anthony Rizzo or the Angels' Mark Trumbo.
- The Yankees had John Danks high on their wishlist before the left-hander inked a five-year, $65MM extension with the White Sox, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Although starters like Edwin Jackson and Hiroki Kuroda remain on the open market, it seems like GM Brian Cashman look to bring in a "few warm bodies" like he did with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia.
- In an interview on WEEI, Red Sox pitching coach Bob McClure stated that the transitions of Daniel Bard and Alfredo Aceves to the rotation could help the bullpen more than anything, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The Red Sox remain in the market for a starter and are said to still be in on Kuroda.
Morosi On Blue Jays, First Base, Starters, Cespedes
The baseball world figures to remain relatively quietly until after the New Year, but as Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes, there is still a lot of work to be done before the season begins. Let's round up Morosi's rumors…
- The Blue Jays are saying they will not give a hitter a contract of more than five guaranteed years, though they'll likely have to violate that policy if they want to sign Prince Fielder.
- The Brewers, Cubs, Nationals, Indians, Mariners, Orioles, Rangers, Rays, and Pirates are all considering non-Fielder upgrades at first base. Carlos Pena, Casey Kotchman, and Derrek Lee remain unsigned, among others.
- Some within the game believe that Joakim Soria and Carlos Marmol could be had at the right price. The Cubbies are said to be planning a "complete and total rebuild."
- Both Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook remain available, and the Rangers may be willing to trade Matt Harrison for a more established starter.
- Most believe Yoenis Cespedes will sign for more than the $30.25MM Aroldis Chapman received because as a position player, he carried less risk. A larger number of interested teams and the new collective bargaining agreement will also help his cause.
Cafardo’s Latest: Madson, Kuroda, Cespedes, Zumaya
Even on Christmas, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe delivers his usual Sunday Baseball Notes column. This week, he runs down the best available players remaining on the free agent and trade markets at each position. Here are a few highlights from those lists and the rest of Cafardo's piece:
- The Red Sox and Angels are "keeping the dialogue open" with Ryan Madson.
- While many reports have indicated Hiroki Kuroda's willingness to play on the East Coast, the right-hander still has some desire to stay out west.
- The Marlins are being aggressive on Yoenis Cespedes, with the Nationals right behind them. Earlier this weekend, we heard there's some divide within the Marlins' front office on Cespedes.
- An AL GM on Joel Zumaya: "Our doctors don't think he would pass the physical based on what they see."
- The Rays are among the clubs that have talked to Francisco Cordero.
- Cafardo gets the feeling Matt Garza will be dealt, and warns not to rule out the Tigers.
Jorge Posada Drawing Interest
3:34pm: The Rays' interest in Posada isn't strong, says Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. According to Topkin, Posada figures to be, at best, among the club's fallback options if other moves don't go as planned.
11:38am: Recently, we learned that Jorge Posada would like to continue playing in 2012 if he can find the right situation. There appears to be interest in the veteran as the Rays, Orioles, and Phillies have inquired on Posada, the catcher's father told Javier Maymi of ESPNDeportes.com (Spanish link).
Sources told Maymi that the Rays are interested in exploring the possibility of signing Posada as a reserve first baseman, designated hitter, and backup to Jose Molina. The Rays already have Jose Lobaton and Robinson Chirinos to support Molina and even though both catchers suffered injuries over the winter, they are expected to be fine heading into Spring Training.
The Phillies would also be a curious fit for Posada with Jim Thome already providing a power bat against right-handed pitching. As for the Orioles, they reportedly didn't have much interest in Posada a month ago as they were seeking someone who could catch every day if necessary.