Uncategorized News & Rumors

We’re looking to add to the MLB Trade Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis.  Unlike some of our previous openings, this is specifically for the regular Saturday night shift, which runs from 5pm til 11pm or midnight central time every week.  The criteria:

• Exceptional knowledge of all 30 MLB teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of hot stove concepts such as arbitration and free agent compensation.
• Availability to regularly work Saturday nights from 5pm til 11pm or midnight central time.  This availability is required every week.
• Writing experience is necessary and online writing experience is preferred. 
• Journalistic experience writing and reporting is also a plus.
• Attention to detail and ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.  
• Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news concisely. 
• Ability to accept and learn from constructive criticism. In general, a team player.
• Ability to use Twitter and an RSS feed reader. You must be able to multi-task.
• If you're interested, email mlbtrhelp@gmail.com and explain how you stand out in a couple of short paragraphs. Hundreds may apply, so we will not be able to respond to most applications.

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

• Orioles: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Red Sox: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Yankees: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Rays: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Blue Jays: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

AL Central

• White Sox: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Indians: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Tigers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Royals: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Twins: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

AL West

• Angels: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Astros: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Athletics: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Mariners: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Rangers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

NL East

• Braves: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Marlins: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Mets: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Phillies: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Nationals: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

NL Central

• Cubs: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Reds: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Brewers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Pirates: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Cardinals: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

NL West

• Diamondbacks: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Rockies: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Dodgers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Padres: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
• Giants: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

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. MLBTR just introduced an Android app as well.
• 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. 
• Under the tools tab, you'll find a link to our Forums, a message board community of MLBTR readers with over 9,100 members.  You can discuss any baseball-related topic on the Forums, and start your own thread too.
• 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.
• 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.
• You can also follow Tim Dierkes on Twitter for more MLBTR content.
• On the far right of the Navigation bar, you'll see buttons for Twitter, Facebook, and RSS.  MLBTR has over 263,000 Twitter followers, over 70,000 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.  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. 
• There's also a contact form in case you need to reach MLBTR.

It's Waiver Wednesday at MLBTR! Ok, I might've just made that up. But the previous post I wrote about players who have been claimed off waivers multiple times in the past calendar year got me wondering which GMs have been the most active on the waiver wire in that same span. So, without further ado, here's the list, courtesy of MLBTR's Transaction Tracker (and I doubt you'll be surprised with who's at the top):

• Alex Anthopoulos, Blue Jays: 22 claims
• Brian Cashman, Yankees: 14 claims
• Jed Hoyer, Cubs: 10 claims
• Dan Duquette, Orioles: 8 claims
• Billy Beane, Athletics: 8 claims
• Chris Antonetti, Indians: 8 claims
• Jeff Luhnow, Astros: 7 claims
• Kevin Towers, Diamondbacks: 5 claims
• Dayton Moore, Royals: 5 claims
• Neal Huntington, Pirates: 5 claims
• Josh Byrnes, Padres: 5 claims
• Jon Daniels, Rangers: 5 claims
• Doug Melvin, Brewers: 4 claims
• Terry Ryan, Twins: 3 claims
• Brian Sabean, Giants: 3 claims
• Larry Beinfest, Marlins: 3 claims
• Frank Wren, Braves: 2 claims
• Ben Cherington, Red Sox: 2 claims
• Rick Hahn/Kenny Williams, White Sox: 2 claims
• Jerry Dipoto, Angels: 2 claims
• Sandy Alderson, Mets: 2 claims
• Ruben Amaro Jr., Phillies: 2 claims
• Andrew Friedman, Rays: 2 claims
• Dave Dombrowski, Tigers: 1 claim
• Jack Zduriencik, Mariners: 1 claim
• John Mozeliak, Cardinals: 1 claim
• Mike Rizzo, Nationals: 1 claim

Obviously, because multiple teams bid on many of these players, we have no way of knowing if Rizzo, Dombrowski, Freidman and other GMs at the bottom of the list unsuccessfuly attempted to claim more players. I would imagine that's the case, especially for a team like the Nationals who finished with baseball's best record.

The Rockies, Dodgers and Reds have all failed to make a waiver claim. It's not a total shock in the Reds' case, as they finished 2012 with one of the better records in the game and are low on the totem pole for any potential waiver claims due to their record. The Dodgers were an 86-win club last year, so they were a ways down the pecking order as well. Plus, their deep-pocketed ownership chose to address the team's needs via blockbuster acquisitions of names like Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez and Zack Greinke rather than on the waiver wire.

I'm a bit surprised that with all of the pitching depth on waivers, however, that the last-place Rockies weren't more active. Clearly, the waiver wire isn't stacked with marquee names, but the Rockies finished last season with a combined 5.22 ERA and had a high waiver priority all year due to their record. 

Onto teams that did make claims, it's not surprising to see Anthopoulos and the Blue Jays top the list. It seems that any time there's been a waiver claim over the past year, it's been someone being claimed from the Blue Jays, or the Blue Jays claiming someone from another team. Anthopoulos isn't afraid to shuffle the deck and is probably the game's most active GM.

It makes sense to see the Yankees this high as well, given their attempt to slash payroll and the number of injuries they've sustained. The waiver wire is a good outlet to fill holes and achieve short-term, cost-effective help (though none of the players they claimed wound up sticking on the 25-man roster).

In total, our Transation Tracker shows 133 waiver claims over the past calendar year — or roughly one every 2.75 days. Of those 133 claims, the Blue Jays have made a whopping 17 percent. Toronto has also lost 13 players they attempted to sneak through waivers, meaning they've been involved in an incredible 26.3 percent of the waiver claims we've reported here on MLBTR over the past calendar year.

Waiver claims often strike us as nondescript transactions. The names we see in them sometimes are often unknown, but a lot of the players in these deals have enough fringe talent to make them coveted by multiple teams. This is evidenced by the number of times some players have been claimed in the past year alone. Using MLBTR's Transaction Tracker, here's a look at players who are desirable enough to be claimed multiple times but have had a hard time sticking on their new 40-man rosters…

• Russ Canzler (4): The 27-year-old Canzler is one of three in the exclusive four-claim club over the past calendar year. He's been a beast in 274 Triple-A games, batting .291/.367/.513 with 43 homers. This offseason, he found himself claimed by the Blue Jays from the Indians, reclaimed by the Tribe, claimed by the Yankees and claimed by the Orioles all within a span of about six weeks. He's now with the O's Triple-A affiliate.
• Sandy Rosario (4): Rosario was claimed by the Red Sox, traded to the A's, claimed back by the Red Sox, claimed by the Cubs and finally claimed by the Giants in a two-month span this offseason. The 27-year-old has fanned 11 in 9 2/3 innings for Triple-A Fresno thus far.
• Chris Schwinden (4): Schwinden went full-circle in the summer of 2012. He was claimed by the Blue Jays from the Mets, then claimed by the Indians, claimed by the Yankees, and at last reclaimed by the Mets — all in a span of 34 days! He wasn't even with Toronto long enough to make a start, but he did post a 3.21 ERA in 126 Triple-A innings last season.
• Scott Maine (3): Claimed off waivers from the Cubs by the Blue Jays, Maine would go on to be claimed by the Indians and eventually the Marlins, where he's begun the season in Triple-A.
• Guillermo Moscoso (3): The Royals plucked Moscoso off waivers from the Rockies, and he made it all the way to Spring Training with the club before being claimed by the Blue Jays and the Cubs within a matter of 12 days. 
• Cody Ransom (3): Few players are more synonymous with waiver claims than Ransom, who has played for 10 different organizations over the course of his 16-year professional career. He was claimed by the Brewers from the D-backs last season only to be reclaimed by Arizona months later. After signing a minor league deal with the Padres in the winter, Ransom made it about two weeks into the 2013 season before being claimed by the Cubs.
• Mickey Storey (3): Storey was claimed by the Yankees from the Astros, reclaimed by Houston and then claimed by the Blue Jays in a month's time this offseason. He's with Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, currently.
• Eli Whiteside (3): Catching depth is always at a premium, which is part of the reason that Whiteside found himself going from the Giants to the Yankees to the Blue Jays to the Rangers in a five-week span this offseason. The veteran has settled in with Texas' Triple-A affiliate to open the season.

Meanwhile, Lars Anderson, Alex Burnett, Scott Cousins, Danny Farquhar, Thomas Field, John Gaub, Mark Hamburger, Willie Harris, David Herndon, Dan Otero, Steve Pearce, Todd Redmond and Josh Stinson were all claimed off waivers on two different occasions within the past year.

Some of these players, such as Burnett and Anderson, are young enough that they may well stick with their newest organizations. However, when it comes to some of the more veteran players, it's likely that these names will surface again. For guys like Ransom and Whiteside, waiver claims are just another part of the job.

When calculating the amount of the Qualifying Offer, MLB and the players' union find the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players.  For each player on a 40-man roster or the 60-day DL on August 31st, they total his base salary, pro-rated signing bonus, pro-rated buyout on the first club or mutual option year, and earned bonuses at year's end.  The calculations are more complicated in some cases, but just by following the basics of that method I thought it'd be interesting to list each team's highest-paid player in 2013.

• Angels: Josh Hamilton, $17MM.
• Astros: Bud Norris, $3MM.
• Athletics: Chris Young, $9MM.
• Blue Jays: Jose Bautista, $14.2MM.
• Braves: Dan Uggla, $13.2MM.
• Brewers: Rickie Weeks: $11MM.
• Cardinals: Matt Holliday: $17.1MM (does not account for deferred money).
• Cubs: Alfonso Soriano: $19MM.
• Diamondbacks: Miguel Montero, $10MM.
• Dodgers: Adrian Gonzalez, $21.9MM.  Carl Crawford, $20.9MM.  Matt Kemp, $20.25MM.  The Dodgers are receiving $3.9MM this year from the Red Sox, so if you attribute some of that toward Gonzalez and Crawford, perhaps Kemp is their highest-paid player this year.
• Giants: Tim Lincecum, $22.125MM.
• Indians: Nick Swisher, $11MM.
• Mariners: Felix Hernandez, $19.9MM.
• Marlins: Ricky Nolasco, $11.5MM.
• Mets: Johan Santana: $26.4MM.
• Nationals: Jayson Werth, $16.6MM.
• Orioles: Nick Markakis, $15.7MM.
• Padres: Carlos Quentin, $10.5MM.
• Phillies: Cliff Lee, $27.5MM.
• Pirates: A.J. Burnett, $16.5MM.  Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez are tied as the team's highest-paid player at $8MM, if you account for money received from their old teams.
• Rangers: Adrian Beltre, $16MM.
• Rays: David Price, $10.1MM.
• Red Sox: John Lackey, $16.0MM.
• Reds: Joey Votto, $19MM.
• Rockies: Jorge De La Rosa and Michael Cuddyer, $10.5MM.
• Royals: Ervin Santana, $12.75MM.  He's still their highest-paid player if you subtract money received from the Angels.
• Tigers: Prince Fielder, $23MM.
• Twins: Joe Mauer, $23MM.
• White Sox: John Danks, $15.75MM.
• Yankees: Alex Rodriguez, $29MM.

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 Wednesday 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.

Blue Jays righty Josh Johnson, ranked as our top free agent starter after this season, had the shortest start of his career today in Detroit.  Johnson recorded only four outs, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks.  With struggling starters Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum and the injured Matt Garza also on that list, the 2013-14 free agent market could be light on starting pitching.  Only three contract year hurlers have thrown well in each of their first two starts: Andy Pettitte, Paul Maholm, and A.J. Burnett.  On to today's links:

• "If I go out and do my job and do what I'm supposed to do, things will take care of themselves. That's all I can worry about," Johnson told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick regarding his upcoming free agency.
• American League teams have an advantage in signing free agent sluggers because of the designated hitter, Brewers GM Doug Melvin told ESPN's Jayson Stark.  Melvin thinks the NL will eventually adopt the DH, but before that can happen, at least six NL owners will need to be on board and there would have to be an agreement with the players' union.  One of Stark's sources suggests this change will not happen until after Commissioner Bud Selig retires.
• One more from ESPN: Jim Bowden named the ten players he finds most likely to be dealt by the deadline, beginning with the Padres' Chase Headley.  Check out MLBTR's midseason trade candidates post here.
• International bonus pool money can be traded this summer!  Ben Badler of Baseball America explains the rules.

MLBPA Executive Director Michael Weiner says the union will consider whether Jay-Z was selling his interest in the Brooklyn Nets, among other things, in deciding whether to grant him permanent certification to represent MLB players in contract talks with clubs, writes Liz Mullen of Sports Business Daily.

Jay-Z and two other employees of his Roc Nation Sports company have applied to become MLBPA-certified agents.  The rapper has secured temporary limited certification to serve as a baseball agent but is currently partnered with CAA Sports and agent Brodie Van Wagenen.

“We look forward to getting the application from all the Roc Nation individuals. We will examine if there are conflict or ownership issues that need to be addressed, including whether Mr. Carter is going to divest an interest in the Nets," Weiner said. 

Jay-Z made waves last week when he and CAA managed to pull Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano away from Scott Boras.  Many believe that the move will lead Cano to working out a contract extension with the Yankees, but Van Wagenen says that is not a given.