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MLB Appoints Tom Schieffer As Dodgers Trustee

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Former Rangers president Tom Schieffer is expected to be appointed as MLB's Dodgers trustee today, reports Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  You can read Bud Selig's statement here.  Shaikin notes that the 63-year-old Schieffer served as Rangers president from 1991-99, during which time the club was owned by George W. Bush's ownership group for the most part.

After his time with the Rangers, Schieffer served as an ambassador to Australia and Japan under the Bush administration.  More recently, Schieffer ran for governor of Texas as a member of the Democratic party.

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

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If you prefer your MLBTR fix limited to only your favorite team, we've got you covered.  Below are links to our team Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds.

AL East

AL Central

AL West

NL East

NL Central

NL West

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

Last Players Under Contract

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When signing players to long-term deals, teams are forced to look many years into the future.  Let's take a look at which player is locked up the longest for each club (guaranteed salaries only).

The Rockies have the last player under contract at the moment, with Tulowitzki's deal running through the 2020 season (and there's a club option for 2021).  Meanwhile the future is wide open for the Pirates, who are committed to just $5MM in 2012 salaries and nothing beyond next year.

How To Use MLBTR

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An explanation of the many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors:

  • If the main site doesn't load perfectly on your cell phone, try the more mobile-friendly mlbtraderumors.mobi.  It's a simple page that shows you just the headlines and lets you click through to what you want to read.
  • If you're an iPhone user, be sure to pick up our app for the latest news and rumors.
  • If you want only the hard news in the form of transactions, our transactions page is the ticket.  You can also get only the transactions via Twitter or RSS. 
  • To return to the main page at any time, just click on the title or the Home button on the navigation bar below the title. 
  • The navigation bar will cover many of your needs.  Use the About dropdown to learn about this site or any of its writers. 
  • The Contact button takes you to a page where you can write an email message to the MLBTR writers.  If you have a link to a rumor we've missed, please send it in through the Contact page!  Also use the Contact page to inquire about advertising on MLBTR.
  • The Archives dropdown shows you 15 months worth.  If you need to go back further, click on Site Map at the very bottom of the page.  Site Map also lists out every MLBTR post category, including players, teams, and features.
  • The Tools dropdown takes you to a number of different places. The MLBTR Widget allows website owners to easily add a constantly updated box with all of MLBTR's headlines to their sites.
  • Also under the tools tab is our Transaction Tracker, which enables you to search about anything and everything to do with baseball trades, signings and extensions. 
  • Be sure to check out our Free Agent Tracker in case you're wondering about this year's remaining free agents. There aren't many free agents left, but we have all the information you need.
  • Our Arbitration Tracker is also under the Tools tab. It enables you to look back through all of the year's arbitration cases.
  • MLBTR's Agency Database lets you know which agencies represent which players. It's searchable by team, agency or player, so be sure to check it out.
  • The Forums button takes you here, to a message board community of MLBTR readers with over 8,200 members.  You can discuss any baseball-related topic on the Forums, and start your own thread too.
  • Feeds By Team is a very useful dropdown.  Hover over it to see all 30 teams.  Click on the team name to bring up a page of every post containing information about that team, with the latest on top.  These are the same pages you'll find if you go to the Rumors By Team section on the sidebar and select A's Rumors, Angels Rumors, etc.  Also under the Feeds By Team dropdown, you'll find RSS and Twitter buttons.  Those links allow you to follow a single team's rumors via RSS or Twitter.  Did you know we have a separate Twitter account for each of the 30 teams?  For example you can follow @mlbtrtigers, where you would get the latest Tigers updates.
  • On the far right of the Navigation bar, you'll see buttons for Twitter, Facebook, and RSS.  MLBTR has over 68,000 Twitter followers, over 32,000 Facebook fans, and over 53,000 RSS subscribers.  Sign up for these and you'll be the first to receive all of our posts.
  • Be sure to check out your favorite team's MLBTR page on Facebook so you can receive and comment on the latest rumors.
  • On to the sidebar.  It begins with a list of our Top Stories, which our writers update any time major hard news occurs.  Go here for a quick update on the most important stories.  Below that is the site's Search Box, where you can type in any player's name and get the latest on him. 
  • MLBTR Features has all kinds of goodies, including our free agent lists, 2011 draft order, list of Scott Boras clients, and GM-related stuff.  Many of the MLBTR Features are constantly updated by our writers, so be assured that our free agent lists are always fresh. 
  • Below Features you've got headlines for all the Recent Posts, in case you'd rather not scroll to see all the headlines.  Then there's a box for our Mailing List, where you can sign up to receive a daily email containing MLBTR's posts.  Use this option if you don't need the news as soon as possible.
  • Next we have Featured Posts, where you'll find original work from MLBTR writers we consider noteworthy.  For example, read about what matters in arbitration.

The 1991 Amateur Draft 20 Years Later

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Of the 1600 players selected in the 1991 draft, five are still on Major League rosters. Each one of the remaining players was chosen after Brien Taylor, the high school left-hander who went first overall to the Yankees and never appeared in a big league game. The Scott Boras client signed for $1.55MM and showed star promise through two minor league seasons, but he injured his shoulder and remains one of two first overall selections never to appear in the majors.

By the time Taylor tore up his shoulder in a December 1993 fight, others from the draft, including its top player, had made their MLB debuts. Manny Ramirez, the 13th overall selection, hit .170 with a pair of home runs in his 22-game cameo with the Indians in 1993. Over the course of the next 18 seasons, Ramirez added 553 home runs and hit .313/.412/.587 – Hall of Fame numbers that may never be enshrined in Cooperstown because of his two PED suspensions. 

Ramirez’s retirement means Trever Miller (41st overall, Tigers), LaTroy Hawkins (7th round, Twins), Derek Lowe (8th round, Mariners), Mike Cameron (18th round, White Sox) and Jason Isringhausen (44th round, Mets) are the only remaining big leaguers from the ’91 draft. Ron Mahay (18th round, Red Sox) is looking to join them in the majors, though he’ll have to crack the D’Backs’ roster first.

Recent retirees Mike Sweeney (10th round, Royals) and Mark Grudzielanek (11th round, Expos) played last year, so they qualify as near misses. Two other notable big leaguers were selected in '91, only to re-enter the draft and sign later. Instead of signing with the Blue Jays, Ryan Franklin (25th round) postponed his pro debut and didn’t sign until the Mariners selected him the following year. Like Franklin, Nomar Garciaparra (5th round, Brewers) did not sign until later, though he was selected in ’91.

Jon Lieber, Brad Radke, Jason Schmidt, Shawn Green, Cliff Floyd, Aaron Sele and Paul Byrd are among the other successful big leaguers to emerge from the ’91 draft. Last of all, the Astros selected high school right-hander Brian Hudson with the 1600th overall pick. Curiously enough, he finished with precisely the same number of big league appearances as top pick Brien Taylor: zero.

Largest Contracts By Service Time

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MLBTR's Mike Axisa looked at the largest contracts by service time a year ago; it's time for an update.

Less Than One Year
Position Player: Ryan Braun. Eight years, $45MM.
Pitcher: C.C. Sabathia. Four years, $9.5MM.

One To Two Years
Position Player: Chris Young. Five years, $28MM.
Pitcher: Fausto Carmona. Four years, $15MM.

Two To Three Years
Position Player: Carlos Gonzalez. Seven years, $80MM.
Pitcher: Trevor Cahill.  Five years, $30.5MM.

Three To Four Years
Position Player: Albert Pujols. Seven years, $100MM.
Pitcher: Scott Kazmir. Three years, $28.5MM.

Four To Five Years
Position Player: Troy Tulowitzki. Ten years, $157.75MM.
Pitcher: Justin Verlander. Five years, $80MM.

Five To Six Years
Position Player: Derek Jeter. Ten years, $189MM.
Pitcher: Roy Oswalt. Five years, $73MM.

Six-plus Years
Position Player: Alex Rodriguez. Ten years, $275MM.
Pitcher: C.C. Sabathia. Seven years, $161MM.

Commentary…

  • In the year since Mike's post, our Transaction Tracker shows 39 extensions for arbitration eligible players.  Three of those were record-breakers: Trevor Cahill jumped ahead of Yovani Gallardo and Ricky Romero, Carlos Gonzalez topped Hanley Ramirez, and Troy Tulowitzki replaced Miguel Cabrera.
  • No new zero-to-one players signed multiyear deals.  If players such as Starlin Castro or Carlos Santana were to sign right now it'd still be tough to top Braun. 
  • Brett Anderson and Wade Davis signed similar contracts in the one-to-two class, but neither beat Carmona.
  • Kazmir's contract seems like an anomaly leading the three-to-four pitchers, with several two-to-three pitchers getting larger guarantees.  Kazmir's record was threatened this winter by Johnny Cueto's $27MM deal, though the two contracts cover different slices of the pitchers' careers.  Perhaps three-to-four is a no man's land for multiyear pitcher deals, as the pitcher is at that point willing to see what he'll get his first time through the arbitration process. 
  • The free agent records set by Alex Rodriguez and C.C. Sabathia could be threatened this offseason by Albert Pujols and Sabathia again.

Top Starters Unwilling To Go Year-To-Year

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Baseball players, starting pitchers in particular, are a risk-averse bunch.  Given the choice between multiyear security and maximized earnings, they almost always choose the former.  You can't blame starting pitchers for wanting to lock in an eight-figure payday well before free agency, given the risk of a career-altering injury.  Still, I'm surprised that no ace starter has been willing to roll the dice and go year-to-year before hitting free agency in recent memory.

Here's the list of active starters who received Cy Young votes since 2007 and were willing to delay their own free agency with a multiyear contract:

Some were locked up well before free agency, while others signed extensions with just one year to go.  And the above list doesn't include guys like Ricky Romero, Gavin Floyd, Wandy Rodriguez, Johnny Cueto, Scott Baker, James Shields, Ricky Nolasco, and Yovani Gallardo.

Most top starters who didn't sign extensions and reached free agency as early as possible did so because of injuries, Erik Bedard for example.  Zambrano came very close, going to arbitration all three times and signing his five-year extension a few months before free agency.

A few frontline starters remain on the year-to-year path, such as David Price, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Jered Weaver, and Francisco Liriano.  Weaver, a Scott Boras client, seems most likely to be doing so to maximize his earnings.  Nothing wrong with that, and we don't know what the Angels offered, if anything.  Weaver could be a 30-year-old free agent after the 2012 season, with over $20MM in arbitration earnings in his pocket.  John Danks, Matt Garza, Shaun Marcum, C.J. Wilson, and Jeremy Guthrie are also on the year-to-year track currently.

Though they signed multiyear deals, Tim Lincecum and Cole Hamels each left at least one arbitration year uncovered, as well as all free agent years.  They've got the best of both worlds, locking in over $20MM without delaying free agency.  Edwin Jackson isn't at their level, but he's another starter who snagged an eight-figure contract and remained on track for free agency as early as possible.

Free Agent Contracts Gone Sour

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Tons of research goes into any free agent signing, given the amount of money at stake.  Still, one year later many have already gone sour.  A look at some of the regrettable $10MM+ contracts from the 2009-10 offseason…

  • It feels too early to throw John Lackey into this discussion, as he ended up giving the Red Sox 215 decent innings last year.  But he does have a 4.83 ERA over the life of the contract.  The deal was frontloaded, so Lackey will be paid $61MM over 2011-14.
  • If new Mets GM Sandy Alderson could reverse Omar Minaya's Jason Bay contract, I'm sure he would.  Bay is owed $48MM over the 2011-13 seasons, with the possibility of a $17MM club option vesting for 2014.  A concussion ended his '10 season on July 25th, and he began the '11 season on the DL for a strained ribcage.  Bay's Mets line still stands at .259/.347/.402.
  • Chone Figgins' four-year, $36MM deal with the Mariners looked like a mild bargain at the time.  2010 was ugly, marked by an ill-advised position switch, a Don Wakamatsu altercation, and a batting average dip.  Only nine games in this year, Figgins has time to turn the contract around.
  • Randy Wolf provided the Brewers with 215 2/3 innings of 4.17 ball last year, but as with Lackey more was expected.  Wolf's 5.9 K/9 was his worst since '04.  The Brewers are probably glad to have the rotation depth at this point, so maybe the $20.5MM owed to Wolf over 2011-12 doesn't bother them.
  • At $7.25MM this year, Mike Cameron is an expensive fourth outfielder for the Red Sox.  They've got the payroll to tolerate the contract, and Cameron might be used more than most fourth outfielders.
  • Fernando Rodney's two-year, $11MM pact with the Angels was panned at the time.  You can't blame Rodney for this one turning ugly; his 2010 numbers were pretty similar to his '09 contract year.
  • The contracts for Jason Marquis, Mark DeRosa, and Mike Gonzalez also went sour in year one due to injuries.

Regular MLBTR Features

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If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:

  • MLBTR Chats – Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the major leagues.
  • Baseball Blogs Weigh In – Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
  • Week In Review – It's amazing how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
  • MLBTR Originals – We gather all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.

Near Misses For Super Two Status

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Last offseason, two years and 122 days of service time was enough for super two status. It looks like players will need about three weeks more service time to qualify as super twos after the coming season, which means many players who won't qualify this year would have qualified last year. Keeping in mind that this list is subject to change until the season ends, here's a look at the players who may just miss super two status this offseason (Opening Day service time noted):

Three players, Chris Davis and Derek Holland of the Rangers and, Tommy Hanson of the Braves entered the season with one year and 120 days of service.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the service time info.

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