Uncategorized News & Rumors

Contract extensions are all about comparables, especially when it comes to arbitration eligible players. Coming up with the relevant position, salary and service time data would have been a serious obstacle for most observers until MLBTR introduced an Extension Tracker.

The tracker shows all contract extensions, whether they cover the player's arbitration years, free agent years, or both. All the extensions are listed by date, and our filter button allows you to change the date range. You can also filter by any combination of team, position, guaranteed years, amount in millions, number of options, service time, super two status, and agency. The service time filtering allows you to choose one or both boundaries of a range. Service time is denoted as years.days, so 4.148 means four years and 148 days. The player name is hyperlinked to MLBTR's post on the story of the extension.

For example, if you wanted to put Santiago Casilla's recent contract extension in context, it'd be possible to determine if there’s been another multiyear extension worth $10MM or more for a right-handed setup man with five or more years of service time since 2009. As the Tracker shows, Ryan Madson’s 2009 deal with the Phillies resembles the deal Casilla and the Giants just agreed to sign.

The extension tracker can be found under the Tools menu in the navigation bar up top, along with our 2013 Free Agent Tracker, Arbitration Tracker, Non-Tender Tracker, Agency Database and Transaction Tracker.

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

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MLBTR is now looking for additional moderators to read through comments and make sure that they're not in violation of our commenting policy. We're looking for people to contribute throughout the week, including on weekends.  

It's not a paid position, but it will keep you connected to the latest trade and free agent rumors. If you're a frequent MLBTR commenter who can help us keep the comment section clean, send a short e-mail to mlbtrmods@gmail.com with the following: your username, the email (or other) account you use to comment on MLBTR, your availability, and a short explanation as to why you'd be a good fit. If you're responsible, respectful and interested in contributing at MLBTR, we want to hear from you.

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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 join me 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 remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, Daniel Seco 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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We covered the National League earlier, now it’s time to go over the American League’s activity at the winter meetings..

Angels:

• The Angels are prepared to move on from Zack Greinke and have cast a wide net in their search for another starter.  Edwin Jackson and Anibal Sanchez were among some of the names connected to the Halos, who also saw Dan Haren sign elsewhere.
• The Angels agreed to terms with righty Joe Blanton on a two-year, $15MM deal.
• Lefty Sean Burnett signed a two-year, $8MM deal with an option for a third year.

Astros:

• The Astros landed starter Alex White and minor leaguer Alex Gillingham in exchange for Wilton Lopez.
• Teams called the Astros on Bud Norris.
• Houston has been in touch with Lance Berkman.
  

Athletics:

• The A’s had discussions about Yunel Escobar before he was traded to Tampa Bay.
• They’re considering two free agent shortstops in Stephen Drew and Hiroyuki Nakajima.

Blue Jays:

• Toronto is speaking with the Mets about R.A. Dickey.
• The club could make Emilio Bonifacio available.
• The Blue Jays claimed catcher Eli Whiteside off waivers from the Yankees.

Indians:

• The Indians discussed a multi-team trade that would send Justin Upton to the Rangers.
• Stephen Drew is a possibility if they deal Asdrubal Cabrera.  They want four prospects in exchange for the shortstop.
• The Tribe met with Mark Reynolds and are in pursuit of Kevin Youkilis.

Mariners:

• The M’s are making a serious run at Josh Hamilton and are discussing a three-year deal with an average annual value of $20-$25MM.
• Jason Bay agreed to a one-year, $1MM deal.  He can earn another $2MM in incentives.
• Seattle is very interested in Dee Gordon of the Dodgers.
• The Mariners were linked to a number of free agents including third baseman Kevin Youkilis and outfielder Raul Ibanez.
• An extension for Felix Hernandez is unlikely.

Orioles:

• The O’s found their leftfielder in Nate McLouth.  They offered Nate Schierholtz before inking McLouth to a one-year pact.
• Baltimore signed Adam Russell to a minor league deal.
• The O’s would like to retain Mark Reynolds but there’s tons of competition for him.

Rangers:

• The Rangers are pursuing Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton but they’re not going to sign both.  It would appear that Greinke is their priority at the moment.
• The Rangers signed Joakim Soria to be their set-up man behind Joe Nathan.  Soria gets a two-year, $8MM deal with a club option for 2015.
• The Phillies and Rangers are getting closer to a deal involving Michael Young and are waiting on Young to waive his no-trade clause.
• The Rangers worked hard on a multi-team deal that would have them landing Justin Upton, but it hasn’t gone down yet.
• Teams are contacting the Rangers about Derek Holland.
• Texas signed reliever Evan Meek, starter Randy Wells, first baseman Brandon Allen, and starter Jake Brigham to minor league deals.

Rays:

• The Rays got themselves a shortstop when they traded infield prospect Derek Dietrich to the Marlins for Yunel Escobar.
• The Rays signed first baseman James Loney to a one-year deal.
• They avoided arb with Sean Rodriguez.
• The Rays still have a surplus of starting pitching and a trade is increasingly likely.  The Nats are among the teams that like James Shields. 
• They discussed Danny Espinosa and Mike Morse with Washington as well, but those talks didn’t amount to a trade.
• Tampa Bay has interest in the Braves’ Juan Francisco.

Red Sox:

• Boston made the first big splash at the meetings when they inked Mike Napoli to a three-year, $39MM pact.
• Shane Victorino signed a three-year, $39MM deal with Boston.  Victorino had a .255/.321/.383 line for the Dodgers and Phillies last year.
• The Red Sox agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Koji Uehara.

Royals:

• The Royals want a frontline starter but are looking at Jair Jurrjens and other backup options if they miss out.  KC made a two-year, $26MM offer to Ryan Dempster but he turned them down.
• Kansas City is open to moving Billy Butler or Wil Myers for the right deal.

Tigers:

• The Tigers got catcher Ramon Cabrera from the Pirates for lefty Andrew Oliver.

Twins:

• Minnesota got quite a haul for Ben Revere: starter Vance Worley and prospect Trevor May.
• The Twins called the O’s about Justin Morneau.
• Jared Burton got a two-year, $5.5MM extension with a club option for 2015.

White Sox:

• The White Sox gave Jeff Keppinger a three-year, $12MM deal.
• Phil Humber was claimed by the Astros.
  

Yankees:

• Kevin Youkilis got a one-year, $12MM offer from the Bombers.
• The Yanks are listening to offers on Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes, and Ivan Nova.
• They’re insured for most of Alex Rodriguez‘s contract.

Here’s a look back at what went down during the Winter Meetings in the National League..

Braves:

• If the Braves add an outfielder and move Martin Prado to third base, they could trade Juan Francisco.
• The Braves have interest in Emilio Bonifacio and have learned that he could be available.
• The Braves signed Reed Johnson to a one-year deal.
• Atlanta exercised their option on manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Brewers:

• The Brewers have considered the idea of trading Corey Hart. 
• Milwaukee likes Ryan Dempster but won’t go to three years for him. 
• They’ve been in contact with the Rangers about Derek Holland.
• The Brewers were one of several teams to be in on Jason Grilli.

Cardinals:

• The Cards signed lefty reliever Randy Choate to a three-year, $7.5MM deal.
• St. Louis was rumored to be in on Marco Scutaro before he signed with the Giants but their interest may have been overstated.
• The Cardinals and infielder Skip Schumaker are open to a trade.
  

Cubs:

• Chicago entered the Jason Grilli sweepstakes and are interested in Mark Reynolds.
• The Cubs were in on Jeff Keppinger and Eric Chavez before they signed with the White Sox and Diamondbacks, respectively.
• A reunion with Ryan Dempster appears unlikely.
• On Wednesday, the Cubs agreed to a one-year deal with Nate Schierholtz.
• The Cubs re-signed Ian Stewart to a non-guaranteed deal.

Diamondbacks:

• The Diamondbacks’ are discussing blockbuster deals with several teams involving Justin Upton.  Several three- and four-team possibilities have been talked about with the Rangers, Indians, and Rays in the mix.
• The D’Backs are also talking about trading Jason Kubel.  The Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Rangers, Rays and Mariners could all be in on Kubel.
• Arizona checked in with the Mets on R.A. Dickey.
• Arizona inked Eric Chavez and catcher Wil Nieves.

Dodgers:

• The Dodgers were long considered the frontrunners for Zack Greinke but are considering pulling out and moving on to other pursuits.
• The Indians and Mariners like Dee Gordon.
• Ned Colletti & Co. are still working to hammer out a deal with Ryu Hyun-Jin.
• There were no takers for Juan Uribe.

Giants:

• Second baseman Marco Scutaro agreed to a three-year, $20MM deal.
• The Giants inked Angel Pagan to a four-year, $40MM contract.  The center fielder ranked 11th on MLBTR’s list of this winter’s top 50 free agents.
• The Giants exercised options on Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean.

Marlins:

• Yunel Escobar was shipped to the Rays for middle infield prospect Derek Dietrich.
• The Marlins are interested in the Braves’ Francisco.
• The Marlins told teams that Ricky Nolasco is staying put.
• Miami is one of five clubs with genuine interest in Jack Hannahan.

Mets:

• The Mets finalized their extension with third baseman David Wright, their only major action of the week.  The deal gives him seven years and $122MM in new money, which can be considered an eight-year, $138MM deal if the value of Wright’s previously-exercised 2013 club option is included.
• The Mets are trying to hammer out a contract extension with R.A. Dickey while also listening to offers from interested clubs.  The sticking point appears to be dollars rather than years between the two sides.  
• Miguel Olivo will be at the top of their list if they pursue a catcher.
• The Mets and Scott Hairston are optimistic that a deal can be worked out.

Nationals:

• Dan Haren agreed to a one-year, $13MM deal.  The signing likely took them out of the mix for  Greinke.
• The Nats remain confident on Adam LaRoche.  The club is pushing for a two-year deal while LaRoche wants three.
• Mike Morse could be moved if they re-sign LaRoche.
• The Nats were in contact with the Rays about their starters prior to signing Haren.
• On Monday they re-signed Zach Duke and signed Bill Bray.
  

Phillies:

• The Phillies acquired outfielder Ben Revere from the Twins in exchange for starting pitcher Vance Worley and pitching prospect Trevor May.  Revere, 24, hit .294/.333/.342 in 553 plate appearances for the Twins this year.
• The Phillies are also working on a deal for the Rangers‘ Michael Young.  Young has a no-trade clause and is currently weighing his options.
• The Phillies are interested in Raul Ibanez along with two other teams and are still in the mix for Scott Hairston.

Pirates:

• The Pirates acquired lefty Andrew Oliver from the Tigers for catcher Ramon Cabrera.
  

Reds:

• The Reds have a two-year offer out to Ryan Ludwick and are waiting on an answer.
• The Reds have spoken with Homer Bailey about a contract extension, and they plan to do the same with Mat Latos.

Rockies:

• Colorado agreed to a one-year deal with Jeff Francis.
• The Rockies acquired Wilton Lopez and a player to be named later or cash from the Astros for starter Alex White and minor leaguer Alex Gillingham.
• The Rockies are likely to get additional pitching via trade.
  

Padres:

• The Pads aren’t likely to work out an extension with Chase Headley.
• Jason Marquis agreed to a one-year, $3MM deal.
• The Padres called the Indians regarding both Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez.
  

Here at MLB Trade Rumors, we've designed a tracker for just about everything.  Here are some key links you may want to utilize during the Winter Meetings madness.

• 2013 MLB Free Agent Tracker.  This is the go-to when you want to see which free agents are available at each position, or which have signed already and for how much.
• Agency Database.  If you're wondering who represents a specific player, this is the place.  Or, you can see lists of players by agency.
• Arbitration Tracker.  Which players are eligible for arbitration, and which have signed already?  This tracker also lets you filter by team, service time, and Super Two status.
• Transaction Tracker.  Want to see everything the Cubs have done since October 1st?  All the deals made between Doug Melvin and Brian Cashman?  All the trades made during last year's Winter Meetings?  This tracker has endless possibilities.
• Extension Tracker.  Want to see recent extensions given to catchers with between three and four years of Major League service?  All the extensions done by ACES?  All starting pitchers locked up by the Rays?  The extension tracker lets you dig in.  
• iPhone/iPad and Android apps.  Both apps allow you to receive custom notifications for any combination of players and teams.  You can also read all MLBTR posts in a mobile-friendly, ad-free format.
• Top Stories.  Just looking to catch up on the latest major transactions?  Check out the Top Stories section on the righthand sidebar, below the Facebook Like box.

On Friday I had the privilege of speaking via phone with legendary baseball journalist Peter Gammons.  Peter will be part of MLB Network's more than 25 hours of live on-site Winter Meetings coverage from Nashville starting Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.  Hot Stove, Intentional Talk and MLB Tonight will air live on-site starting at 9 a.m. ET and local channel listings can be found here.

Click below to read Gammons' thoughts regarding Twitter, Rafael Soriano, Zack Greinke, the Dodgers, and much more.

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