Odds & Ends: Tigers, Branyan, Indians, Beckett
Links for Friday…
- The Tigers have offered longtime slugger Andres Galarraga the chance to come to camp as an instructor and mentor, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- The Rays pushed hard for Russell Branyan, but didn't have the at bats he was looking for, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro tells Rosenthal that he has "a lot to learn" about the business side of running a team. Shapiro will become team president after the season.
- Former Indian Juan Gonzalez is playing right field in the Puerto Rican Baseball Federation, according to Alex Figueroa Cancel of Primera Hora. Thanks to Nick Collias for the translation.
- Alex Figueroa Cancel reports that Jose Vidro signed a similar deal to play in the same league.
- Jon Lester tells Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com that the Red Sox will miss Josh Beckett if he signs elsewhere as a free agent. Beckett will hit the open market after this season if the Red Sox don't extend him first.
- And ESPN.com's Keith Law offers a preliminary look at the top 50 prospects in this year's draft. Bryce Harper leads the way.
Rays Links: Soriano, Crawford, Pena, Branyan
Rays links are plentiful this afternoon…
- Rays owner Stuart Sternberg talked to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times about impending free agent Carl Crawford: "We're going to do everything we can to make sure he stays here longer."
- Sternberg told MLB.com's Bill Chastain that the Rays wouldn't normally spend $7.25MM on a reliever, so they plan on having "a little fun" with Rafael Soriano this season.
- Topkin says the Rays also hope to retain Carlos Pena, though Dave Cameron of FanGraphs feels that a Russell Branyan signing could set the stage for a midseason Pena trade. Cameron wonders if it might be too risky for the Rays to offer Pena arbitration even if he has a solid 2010, given the 2011 salary he could receive. For what it's worth, Pena just made Type A status for the 2008-09 seasons at 73.750 points.
- ESPN's Jayson Stark writes about the Rays' two biggest additions: closer Rafael Soriano, and potentially a full season of Wade Davis.
- Check out our Rays Offseason In Review from Wednesday.
Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Burnett, Chapman, Reyes
Links for Thursday…
- GM John Mozeliak and manager Tony LaRussa both mentioned to MLB.com's Matthew Leach that the Cardinals are not in a rush to add an infielder despite Brendan Ryan's recent wrist surgery.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels knows that it's far from a foregone conclusion that his team will win 87 games again, according to ESPNDallas.com reporter Richard Durrett.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that Aroldis Chapman has looked "very impressive" so far.
- Jose Reyes tells Kevin Kernan of the New York Post that he wants to finish his career with the Mets. Reyes says he's not thinking about the $11MM option the Mets have for his services in 2011.
- The Nats outrighted Doug Slaten to Triple A, according to the team's Twitter. They designated him for assignment two days ago.
- The Rockies and Mariners offered Mark McGwire hitting coach positions, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Mariners made their offer in 2003; the Rockies made theirs a few years ago.
- Victor Martinez tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he'd "obviously" like to stay in Boston. The catcher says the negotiations are now under the team's control.
- Carlos Zambrano tells Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald that he would have vetoed a trade had the Cubs approached him about one this offseason.
- Andrew Friedman says he and his front office have assembled "the most talented team in Rays history," according to the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
- USA Today's Peter Barzilai looks back at some historically good free agent signings.
- Greg Burke cleared waivers, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The club placed Burke on unconditional waivers ten days ago.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the club find its fifth starter outside of the organization. "We'd love to have a bona fide No. 5 starter," Colletti said.
- Mariano Rivera tells MLB.com's Brian Hoch that he doesn't know how long he's going to continue playing (Twitter link).
- Rockies manager Jim Tracy told Denver Post readers that he helps Dan O'Dowd make personnel decisions when the GM is looking for input.
- In anticipation of the club's scheduled arbitration hearing with Ryan Theriot, Cubs GM Jim Hendry tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the arbitration process is sometimes unavoidable.
- The Braves signed 17-year-old infield prospect Alejandro Sanchez Martinez to a seven-year contract out of Spain earlier in the winter, according to David Menayo of Marca.com. Thanks to Nick Collias for the translation.
Discussion: Carlos Pena
As the 2009-2010 offseason draws to a close, Hot Stove junkies are already looking ahead to next offseason's free agent market. One of the biggest names slated to hit the market is Carl Crawford of Tampa Bay, but he's not the only big name Ray scheduled to become a free agent. Carlos Pena, the team's first baseman since signing a minor league deal back in 2007, will also hit the open market.
The 31-year-old Pena will earn $10.125MM in 2010 as part of the three-year deal he signed back in 2008, making him the highest paid player on the team. Tampa's payroll is slated to drop below the $60MM mark in 2011, which makes it unlikely that Pena will be back in a Rays' uniform next season. The team that loses out on a potential Adrian Gonzalez bidding war could turn to Pena, who provides similar qualities as a patient (.382 OBP over the last three years), power bat (.553 SLG) from the left side with solid defense (+1.3 UZR) at first.
What do MLBTR's readers think is in store for Pena this season? Will Tampa Bay make him available if they fall out of the race? Or perhaps trade him even if they are in it just to get something in return as opposed to letting him walk as a free agent? What kind of contract could he be looking at after the season?
Russell Branyan Rumors: Thursday
2:10pm: The Rays are in the running for Branyan, but not for Chan Ho Park, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
8:13am: Russell Branyan has a major league offer from the Indians, but the Rays are seriously fighting the Indians for the first baseman's services, according to Peter Gammons (via Twitter). It isn't clear which club the 34-year-old slugger will choose, but he does appear to be down to the Indians and Rays.
Heyman On Yankees, Park, Lincecum
Jon Heyman of SI.com expects the Yankees to reach resolution with Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter without much fanfare after the season. Heyman imagines a three or four year deal for Jeter at $20-25MM per season. Here are the rest of his rumors:
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman says he's confident in Curtis Granderson's defense. "We still have him as a plus defender," Cashman said.
- The Yankees could add Chan Ho Park, who the Cubs and Rays are eyeing, too.
- If the Rays add Park, they would likely be done and Russell Branyan could be out of luck. A Rays person tells Heyman the club has enough money for one signing only.
- The Giants never offered Tim Lincecum anything more than a three-year deal. Heyman hears that the club offered Lincecum $36MM, not $37MM, as we heard earlier.
Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- Gabe Kapler, OF: one year, $1.05MM.
- Dan Johnson, 1B: one year, $500K.
- Total spend: $1.55MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Joaquin Benoit, Ryan Shealy, Winston Abreu, Jeff Bennett, Heath Phillips, R.J. Swindle, Alvin Colina, Angel Chavez, Joe Dillon, J.J. Furmaniak, Chris Richard, Carlos Hernandez, Matt Bush, Stepan Havlicek
Trades and Claims
- Acquired RP Jesse Chavez from Pirates for 2B Akinori Iwamura
- Acquired C Kelly Shoppach and cash from Indians for P Mitch Talbot
- Traded Rule 5 pick P Armando Zerpa to Dodgers for cash
- Acquired RP Rafael Soriano from Braves for RP Jesse Chavez
- Claimed RP Mike Ekstrom off waivers from Padres
Extensions
- Kelly Shoppach, C: two years, $5.55MM. Includes $3.2MM club option for '12 with a $300K buyout.
Notable Losses
- Jesse Chavez, Akinori Iwamura, Mitch Talbot, Armando Zerpa, Ramon A. Ramirez, Gabe Gross, Michel Hernandez, Gregg Zaun, Shawn Riggans, Joe Nelson, Brian Shouse, Russ Springer, Troy Percival, Chad Bradford, Jason Isringhausen
The Rays did very little in free agency, taking flyers on guys like Johnson and Benoit. Instead, executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman upgraded his catcher and closer situations by importing Shoppach and Soriano via trade. Shoppach will be paired with Dioner Navarro behind the plate, who the Rays were able to retain without giving a raise. The Soriano acquisition was surprising, as he'll be paid $7.25MM in 2010.
As is, the Rays have a lineup that could reasonably top 800 runs again. Right field and DH remain two potential areas to upgrade. Top prospect Desmond Jennings could provide a midseason outfield boost, while Friedman has made efforts this winter to improve upon Burrell. The Rays could still bench Burrell and sign Russell Branyan or Jermaine Dye, a change that could add a crucial win or two.
Despite trading Edwin Jackson, Jason Hammel, and Scott Kazmir in the last year or so, the Rays maintain excellent rotation depth. Projection systems probably sell their #3-5 starters short, as Jeff Niemann, David Price, and Wade Davis have the stuff to beat CHONE's 4.60ish ERA predictions.
With payroll headed back down in 2011, this is an important year for the Rays to strike. They've got the talent to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox, and will hopefully stretch even further if midseason additions can help them eke out a few extra wins.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Lowell, Mauer, Adrian
Links for Wednesday…
- I recently did an Orioles-centric phone interview with Tom Sedlacek of the Bowie Baysox website.
- The Cubs signed 18-year-old Korean righty Kim Jin-yeong for $1.2MM, reports Matt DeWoskin of True Stories Of Korean Baseball. I have heard that this is not official yet, however.
- Ted Lilly would like to remain with the Cubs beyond 2010, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, but the lefty doesn't want to be a distraction.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford chatted with Mike Lowell about his near-trade to the Rangers and his future with the Red Sox.
- Bob Nightengale of USA Today examines the Joe Mauer extension situation, drawing a parallel to Cal Ripken in 1992.
- This time, Padres CEO Jeff Moorad talked about hope and optimism regarding an extension for Adrian Gonzalez (Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune reporting).
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Nationals, Reds, and Indians made big league offers to Chien-Ming Wang, while the Dodgers and Rays showed interest but did not make offers.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if the Tigers traded Curtis Granderson because they soured on him as a player.
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball has the numbers on the five remaining arbitration cases.
Russell Branyan Down To Indians, Rays
Free agent slugger Russell Branyan is down to the Indians and Rays, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The FOX writer says the Red Sox are "no longer a factor."
Yesterday, Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi made the Boston connection. The Rays' interest was characterized as "mild," with the Tribe considered the frontrunner. ESPN's Buster Olney tweets agreement that the Indians are the favorite. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince said the Indians made a Major League offer.
Branyan Has Offer From Indians
2:53pm: Castrovince hears (via Twitter) that the Indians offered Branyan a major league deal.
10:19am: The Indians have an offer out to Branyan, though it's not clear whether it is for a major league deal, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. The club could platoon Branyan with Matt LaPorta, who has been cleared to resume baseball activities after undergoing surgeries on his left hip and left big toe.
7:59am: The Rays and Red Sox are in the mix for Russell Branyan, but neither one of those clubs has progressed as far as the Indians, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Rays have "mild interest" in the 30-homer man and the Red Sox are keeping tabs on him even though they don't appear to have room for the slugger unless they trade Mike Lowell.