Uncategorized News & Rumors

If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, Week In Review posts and 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 - Join Tim Dierkes every Tuesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the Major Leagues.
• Baseball Blogs Weigh In - Every Friday, I feature some of the best writing from 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 submit a post of yours, you can reach me at zachbbwi@gmail.com.
• Week In Review - It's remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, MLBTR summarizes the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
• MLBTR Originals - Edward Creech gathers all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.

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Are you looking to advertise to 18 to 34-year-old males?  MLB Trade Rumors reaches tons of them this time of year (no disrespect to our many readers falling outside that demographic).  Last year, MLBTR had 5,956,590 pageviews and 895,264 unique visitors over the final two days of July, and should be in the same range in 2013. 

Our advertising packages include banner ads, sponsored Tweets, and sponsored posts, and begin at $250.  Email Tim Dierkes at mlbtradvertising@gmail.com if you're interested in learning more!

Players can be traded while on the disabled list, but it rarely happens.  Teams rarely want to acquire an injured player, especially if they're just renting a veteran.  Here are some injured players to watch this month and in August:

• Tommy Hanson, Angels: Hanson should be activated tomorrow after a right forearm strain.  He'd a non-tender candidate in the offseason.
• Ryan Madson, Angels: Madson still hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2011, after complications following Tommy John surgery.  Still, if he looks like the Madson of old on a rehab assignment, he could be a stealthy pickup for a contender next month.
• Jason Vargas, Angels: He had surgery to remove a blood clot and may be back in August.  He could certainly be moved then.
• Aramis Ramirez, Brewers: His knee injury is likely to keep him out until August, but his salary should allow him to clear waivers.
• David DeJesus, Cubs: DeJesus should return this week from a shoulder strain.  He could be moved, but the Cubs do have a club option for 2014.
• Ryan Sweeney, Cubs: Recovering from a rib fracture, Sweeney can't come off the 60-day DL until late August.  The Cubs may prefer to try to re-sign him.
• Franklin Gutierrez, Mariners: The oft-injured center fielder is currently on a rehab assignment, trying to shake a hamstring injury.  The team may not intend to exercise his 2014 club option.
• Mike Morse, Mariners: He may begin a minor league rehab assignment this week as he comes back from a quad strain.  He'd probably be claimed on waivers in August, but could still be dealt.
• Frank Francisco, Mets: Remember him?  Francisco's last minor league rehab appearance came a week ago.  If he gets his elbow right, the Mets could move him in August.
• Jason Marquis, Padres: With a recent right elbow strain, Marquis is an August trade candidate if anything.
• Roy Halladay, Phillies: Halladay, recovering from shoulder surgery, threw a bullpen session recently.  He'd clear waivers in August if the Phillies want to move him, but he'd have to show big league readiness first.  
• Josh Willingham, Twins: Willingham should return next month from a knee injury.  His offensive production has been way down this year, but he is cheap enough to be claimed on waivers in August.
• Jesse Crain, White Sox: He could be back this month from a shoulder strain, and the impending free agent will be well-scouted if so.
• Tim Byrdak, Mets: He's made a dozen minor league appearances on a rehab assignment following September shoulder surgery.  

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The booming business of baseball has led to some agents becoming household names on a par with the players that they represent.  While the larger agencies unquestionably have their advantages and operate on a large scale for a reason, many players opt to sign with agents that have a smaller stable of clients.  Burton Rocks, an accomplished author turned agent, knows what it's like to be represented by a big agency and aims to give his clients many of the same benefits with a more personal feel.

"I had the big agency experience in a different field and I convey to my players that the most important part of it all is understanding a client's real desires.  In the end, the players who are stable and want a long career, they really want stability in temperament, in the way you behave, and the way that you interact with people," Rocks explained.  "I've built a Rolodex of contacts with Major League executives and it has worked to my advantage in benefit of the doubt situations."

Understanding a player's goals comes in part from a personal relationship between the player and the agent.  In conversations with multiple agents with smaller offices, the case often was made that it is easier to build that type of rapport with a client when there's more time and attention that can be spent on each individual.  Jim Munsey of Munsey Sports Management, who represents Sean Burnett, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and others, understands that concept may be cliche, but he says that he finds it to be very true from his own personal experience.  

In the case of Alex Esteban, who represents Yuniesky Betancourt and others at Miami Sports Management, he believes the cozier nature of his firm allows for him to be highly detail-oriented in a way the bigger fish might not be.  Betancourt is one of his primary clients and he joined up with MSM after several stops around the big leagues, including his most recent tour of Kansas City where there was a public rift between him and manager Ned Yost.  Esteban says his client was portrayed as a clubhouse disruption, an image that couldn't be further from the truth for a guy he believes is a tremendously positive influence in the locker room.  To avoid a repeat when the infielder signed with Milwaukee, Esteban hatched a plan to help endear him to fans that he says most agencies out there wouldn't consider.

"We wanted to find the perfect walk-up music for Yuni.  Basically we did a market study of Milwaukee and their fan demographic and from there, we looked at what types of music that demographic would respond to.  We basically had a list of songs together and according to that we wanted to focus on a song that would kind of create a positive fan response.  We wound up with "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark [and the Funky Bunch]…Soon after there was an article when Yuni was playing well and the whole thing was about the 'good vibrations' he was bringing to the team."

"I think the misconception about larger agencies is that they're a one-stop shop and I think a lot of smaller agencies, people say, don't have that capability.  But I would argue differently. because we can focus on something as small as a player's walk-up music," Esteban said.

Signing with a power agency often means there are people in-house to handle taxes, make investments, book vacations, and hunt down lucrative endorsement deals.  That level of convenience is a massive draw, but smaller agencies can often find ways to make those connections happen.  Rocks draws off of a deep Rolodex of people with whom he has networked over the years from his time in baseball and in the literary world.  Munsey has a similar list of trusted people who specialize in those areas and argues that a player is better off working with someone whose specific expertise lies in, say, accounting or the stock market, while he and his colleagues zero in exclusively on baseball matters.

Munsey has built a strong list of clients over the years with that pitch, along with his vast knowledge of the business of baseball and friendly demeanor.  He signed Saltalamacchia and Burnett as 17-year-olds getting prepared for the MLB Draft and both players eventually blossomed into MLB notables.  The pitch of a small agency will work in some situations but fall flat in others.  Munsey recounted his attempt years ago to represent fellow New Hampshirite Jeff Locke, only to see him sign with ACES.  While Munsey made a strong impression on the the left-hander and his family, ACES was able to boast a lengthy client list full of All-Stars, and that ultimately made the difference in a close call.

While there is a shared loyalty between Munsey and his players, he says it hasn't stopped larger agencies from going after his clients in the past.  To help tackle the problem head on, he's now a part of an oversight committee that features fellow agents Alan Nero and Casey Close.  In Munsey's estimation, the problem of player poaching has improved in recent years and that's something he attributes to the new MLBPA regime led by Michael Weiner.

"The old administration didn't seem to care.  [Weiner], who I can't give enough credit to, he is one of the smartest guys I ever met, he got it," Munsey said.  "If a guy has been in the big leagues for a year, another agent can come along and tell him that he can get a guaranteed $20MM when you and I know that if he goes year-to-year, he'll be getting $25-40MM…The problem is, that hurts the market tremendously and hurts the greater good and Weiner was the only guy to understand that."

One could make the case that a player's choice between small agencies and large ones comes down to a matter of comfort and not dollars and cents.  Jim McDowell, who represents big leaguers such as Casey Janssen and Travis Ishikawa, believes the playing field is more or less level in 2013.  

"From a contract negotiation standpoint, a couple factors serving as 'equalizers' these days are the incredible amount of readily accessible information available for all agents (for which MLBTradeRumors should be among those taking a bow), as well as the Players Association's involvement in most significant contract scenarios," McDowell wrote in an email. "Any agent that denies the significance of the Players Association's contribution to this business is full of it."

Just like there are small and big market teams in the game of baseball itself, there will always be agencies with more money and resources at their disposal than others.  And those smaller agencies will always have a market, as some players will prefer what they feel is a more personalized experience.

TUESDAY: While speaking with reporters (including Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times) earlier today, Weiner said that the MLBPA is actively pursuing contingency plans for when he is no longer able to work. While Weiner declined to list specific candidates to be his successor, he did say that he doesn't expect Fehr to return.

FRIDAY: With executive director Michael Weiner's health in question, the MLB Players Association is contemplating the return of Weiner's predecessor, Donald Fehr, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Weiner, 51, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in August 2012.

Since stepping down as the MLBPA's executive director in 2009, Fehr has been voted the director of the National Hockey League Players Association. Passan reports that it's not clear if Fehr would return to the MLBPA in a senior management or adviser role.

Passan adds that Fehr has shown no inclination to leave the NHLPA and that the MLBPA is considering a number of names as it prepares contingency plans. Weiner is also heavily involved in the current Biogenesis scandal, as the MLBPA works to ensure that each player in the scandal is given a fair appeal. Weiner has issued a pair of statements on the Biogenesis situation, condemning the early leaks of names in the clinic's logs as well as voicing a desire to defend the players and uphold the integrity of the Joint Drug Agreement. Weiner is on his fourth round of cancer treatments, according to Passan's report.

Beverly Hills Sports Council is seeking $40MM in damages from former partner Dan Lozano, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (subscription required).  Lozano left BHSC in 2010 to form MVP Sports Group, taking many prominent players with him including Albert Pujols, Joey Votto, Jimmy Rollins, Michael Young, and Brian Wilson.  Mullen notes that MLBPA rules say agents must resolve disputes under a confidential arbitration process, and this case will be heard starting October 28th.  Lozano filed counterclaims against BHSC partners Jeff Borris, Dan Horwits, and Rick Thurman.

Mullen's sources say BHSC claims Lozano violated a partnership agreement upon leaving.  As Mullen notes, Lozano has done huge contracts for Pujols and Votto since his departure.

July is typically known for the flurry of trades that will happen in the final days of the month and, to a lesser extent, the barrage of international signings that will take place after the July 2 international signing period begins. However, some teams do make sure to focus on retaining their existing talent this time of year. With an assist from MLBTR's Extension Tracker, here's a look at the July extensions from the past few years…

2012

• Cole Hamels — The Phillies silenced months of speculation regarding the size of a potential free agent deal for Hamels and weeks of trade speculation by locking him up to a six-year deal worth a guaranteed $144MM. It was the second-largest deal ever for a pitcher at the time. Hamels has seen a surprising decline in 2013, but his velocity remains the same, and FIP, xFIP and SIERA indicate that he's been better than his 4.58 ERA.
• Edwin Encarnacion — The Blue Jays locked up Encarnacion to a three-year, $29MM contract in the midst of his breakout season, and a year later it looks like a bargain. Over the past 365 days, Encarnacion has hit .269/.371/.537 with 43 home runs in 156 games.
• Carlos Quentin — The Padres faced a decision with Quentin, whom they acquired in the 2011-12 offseason. Quentin was hitting .273/.389/.525 with nine homers in 40 games after returning from the disabled list, leading to trade speculation. The Friars elected to lock up the San Diego native, however, inking him for three years and $27MM.
• Huston Street — The Padres could have used Quentin and Street as prime trade chips, but they locked Street up for another two years and $14MM. Street had allowed just three runs in 29 2/3 innings to that point, but the Pads might prefer a mulligan on his deal. He's been injured again in 2013 and has just a 4.61 ERA with a career-worst 4.9 K/9 rate.

2011

• Jaime Garcia — The Cardinals locked up some more of their young pitching by giving Garcia a four-year, $27.5MM contract. He's been effective while on the field since that time, but the left-hander has battled significant injury problems and will miss the remainder of 2013 following shoulder surgery.
• J.J. Hardy — After pilfering Hardy from the Twins, the Orioles received a career-year from the 28-year-old. He was hitting .278/.335/.490 with 13 homers in 65 games when news of his three-year, $22.5MM extension broke and finished with 30 bombs. Hardy had a rough year at the plate in 2012, but his defense remained strong. He averaged 3.5 fWAR from 2011-12 with the O's.

2010

• Kurt Suzuki — Suzuki signed a four-year, $16.25MM contract with the Athletics and eventually found himself traded to the Nationals in 2012. He was never able to rediscover the three-fWAR form he showed from 2008-09 with the A's, though he was solid in 2010 and 2011, and the modest price tag made it a worthwhile risk.
• David Ross — Ross signed a small two-year, $3.25MM extension with the Braves to continue backing up Brian McCann, and he was terrific from 2011-12. Ross hit .259/.327/.439 with 15 homers in 367 plate appearances in those two seasons before signing with Boston this past winter.

July extensions certainly aren't plentiful, but there have been at least a couple in each of the past three years, so history suggests that a few trade candidates or impending free agents may find themselves signing long-term rather than seeking out a new uniform.