East Notes: Red Sox, Ellsbury, Santana, Nationals
Here's a look at items out of the AL and NL East..
- Jacoby Ellsbury insists that the Red Sox aren't evaluating him differently because of his injury history, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. "They know how it happened," he said. "What I went through wasn't the result of me not being prepared or anything like that. Two contacts: One, I collided with a guy [Adrian Beltre]. The other I got cannonballed on [by Reid Brignac]."
- Just as the Mets did with Francisco Rodriguez in 2011, Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog believes the club will do whatever is necessary to keep Johan Santana from triggering his option. However, it seems unlikely that Santana will pitch the 215 innings necessary to guarantee a $25MM salary in 2014.
- If Ellsbury is concerned about his next contract as he heads into his walk year, he's not showing any signs of it, writes MLB.com's Ian Browne.
- In an Insider only piece for ESPN.com, Jim Bowden praises Nationals GM Mike Rizzo for his strong offseason. While the Nats didn't necessarily need another closer, they went out and got another one anyway in Rafael Soriano while the Tigers thought they could get by with rookie Bruce Rondon at closer. Bowden writes that it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which Soriano is the difference in a Detroit-Washington World Series.
Tigers Looking To Trade For Closer
The Tigers raised eyebrows across baseball this offseason with their decision to install rookie Bruce Rondon as their closer. Now, they are having second thoughts about that plan and pushing hard to find a closer via trade, major league sources tell Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
The Nationals could afford to part with a reliever, after the signing of Rafael Soriano bumped back Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, but so far they are telling teams that they have no interest in moving anyone in the pen. The Red Sox have an extra closer in Andrew Bailey but the Tigers have yet to contact Boston about him.
Detroit could use Rick Porcello to land a ninth-inning option, but they'll want a strong closer in return given his strong play in spring training. There are also two unsigned closers in Jose Valverde and Francisco Rodriguez, but they don't seem terribly interested in either one.
East Notes: Cashman, Ohman, Kendrick, Yanks
The Yankees announced today that general manager Brian Cashman broke his right fibula and dislocated his right ankle on the landing of a tandem skydive. Cashman was skydiving with the U.S. Army Golden Knights to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.
“I’m in great spirits, and it was an awesome experience," Cashman was quoted as saying in the press release. "The Golden Knights are first class. While I certainly didn’t intend to raise awareness in exactly this fashion, I’m extremely happy that the Wounded Warrior Project is getting the well-deserved additional attention.” He is scheduled for surgery today. Here's more out of baseball's Eastern divisions…
- Will Ohman does not have an out clause in his contract, but the Nationals would likely grant him his release if he asked for it, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Ohman signed a minor league deal with the reigning NL East champs last month.
- Phillies righty Kyle Kendrick was roughed up in his start Sunday, but he told David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he appreciates knowing the poor outing doesn't jeopardize his rotation spot. As Murphy notes, Kendrick hasn't experienced that type of security in recent years, as he's typically been on the fringe of Philadelphia's rotation.
- Peter Botte of the New York Daily News writes that Robinson Cano's father, Jose, hopes his son will sign an extension that will make him a Yankee for life. Jose will be a bench coach for the Dominican Republic's WBC team on which Robinson will play. The Bombers' second baseman didn't get into contract talks, but did admit how important his father's advice is to him.
- The Yankees are very likely to receive their worst offensive output from the catcher position since before Jorge Posada emerged in the late-90s, writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues. The Bombers decided against acquiring a standout backstop this offseason and will pull from a group consisting of Chris Stewart, Francisco Cervelli, and Austin Romine.
Nationals Sign Jason Michaels
We'll track the day's minor moves here…
- The Nationals signed Jason Michaels as a player/hitting coach for their minor league system, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Michaels, 36, played in 35 games for the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in 2012, posting a .202/.265/.288 batting line and playing both corner outfield positions. The 11-year MLB veteran has a career .263/.335/.407 line with the Phillies, Indians, Astros and Pirates. He last played in the big leagues with the 2011 Astros.
Cafardo On Red Sox, Vazquez, Stanton, Cano
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that even though the 2013 Red Sox may not knock your socks off, they could still be extremely effective. In theory, Boston could have used their wiggle room on the likes of Josh Hamilton, Adam LaRoche, and Cody Ross. Instead, the club's shopping spree yielded Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes, David Ross, Stephen Drew, and Ryan Dempster. However, the BoSox have set themselves up for bigger things in the long run and they could still be competitive in '13. Here's more from Cafardo..
- The Red Sox, Nationals, Yankees, Orioles, and Brewers had major interest in free agent pitcher Javier Vazquez before knee surgery put his season in jeopardy. “Never say never,” said a major league source close to the hurler, “but we won’t see him in the immediate future.”
- One AL executive cautions not to rule out the Tigers as a major player for the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton when the time comes. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has strong ties to the Marlins from his time with them and may have the chips to get a deal done. Detroit could use third baseman/outfielder Nick Castellanos, outfielder Avisail Garcia, righty Rick Porcello, and others to entice Miami.
- One NL executive says that he is envious of the position that Robinson Cano finds himself in. “He’s going to have the Yankees and the Dodgers offering him a record amount of money,” said the exec. GM Brian Cashman says he has already offered a “significant” contract, but there's no reason for the Scott Boras client to take the deal when considering how much the Dodgers may be willing to bid.
- Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur had the worst WAR among everyday players last season, but at age 29, he feels that he is just entering his prime. It appears that the Royals would be willing to move him and his strong arm in the outfield could attract interest.
Quick Hits: Yankees, Cano, Lohse, Nationals
On the latest edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Mart.inez of MLB Depth Charts discussed Robinson Cano's contract status and the Padres' 2013 chances. Here are some links to close out this Friday evening..
- A more restrained approach to spending by the Yankees doesn't mean that they can't re-sign Cano to a hefty, long-term deal, writes MLB.com's Mike Bauman. From a competitive standpoint, the Yanks cannot afford to lose Cano considering their aging lineup and the loss of power elsewhere.
- The Kyle Lohse situation shows that not even Scott Boras can truly command the invisible hand of the market, Jack Moore of Fangraphs writes. However, Boras has found a way around this in the past with pillow contracts and Moore looks at examples including Edwin Jackson, Ryan Madson, and Adrian Beltre.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America takes a stab at predicting the 2016 World Series and has the Nationals topping the Rays. Callis sees the Nats' stable of first-rounders powering the club in the years to come and envisions Anthony Rendon and Lucas Giolito emerging by this time.
- The Marlins are giving non-roster invitee Michael Wuertz a chance at salvaging his career, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
Quick Hits: Cano, Cashman, Perez, Snyder, Mets
The Cardinals are better-positioned for success over the next five years than any other team in the majors, according to the latest edition of ESPN's Future Power Rankings (Insider subscription required). Jim Bowden, Keith Law and Buster Olney rank each club in five categories (Major League roster, minor league system, finances, management and mobility) and the Cards have the best overall grade, jumping to #1 after finishing third in the last edition of the rankings in August.
Here's the latest from around the league as we head into March…
- The Yankees usually don't offer to extend players before their contracts are up but GM Brian Cashman tells reporters (including Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News) that the club is flexible in this regard, such as when the Yankees tried to extend Russell Martin last season and their current talks with Robinson Cano. "Since we’re the team, we have the right to change our mind and adjust the policy whenever – especially ownership. It’s not like it’s a country club and here’s the code of conduct that we can’t deviate from," Cashman said.
- The Yankees may be reacting to criticism from fans that they're sacrificing short-term competitiveness in order to get under the luxury tax cap by 2014, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links). Sherman argues that if the team's management wasn't feeling this pressure, Cashman wouldn't have told the media about the team's "significant offer" to Cano.
- The Giants and Phillies were both interested in Indians closer Chris Perez this offseason, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The Dodgers were also linked to Perez this winter, as the Tribe was shopping Perez due to his large salary and his criticism of both the team's management and Cleveland's fanbase last season.
- Chris Snyder has an out clause in his minor league deal with the Nationals that will allow him to request his release if he isn't on the club's Major League roster by March 24, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports. It could be a tough fit for Snyder as Comak notes the Nats' 25-man roster is virtually set.
- Omar Quintanilla was re-signed by the Mets since the team wanted infield depth if Ruben Tejada was dealt for Justin Upton, a Mets source tells John Harper of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). We heard earlier this week that the Mets explored a trade that would've brought Upton to Citi Field in exchange for pitching prospects and one of Tejada or Daniel Murphy.
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy recaps the week's minor league transactions.
Nationals To Sign Chris Young
TUESDAY: Young's deal would pay him a base salary of $2MM if he makes the MLB roster, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). The deal, which allows Young to opt out on March 24th, could pay Young as much as $3.8MM in incentives if he makes 30 starts and pitches 180 innings.
THURSDAY: The Nationals announced that they have agreed to terms with right-handed starter Chris Young on a minor league deal (Twitter link). Williams & Connolly represents Young.
Young, 33, pitched for the Mets last year. The 6'10" right-hander missed much of the 2010 and 2011 seasons, but returned from a shoulder capsule injury to put together a strong season in 2012. He started 20 games, posting a 4.15 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 115 innings.
The Nationals have a talented rotation led by Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Dan Haren and Ross Detwiler. Young provides depth along with a number of other pitchers, including Ross Ohlendorf, also a former Princeton student.
NL East Notes: Rodriguez, Young, Stanton
MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner told reporters yesterday that he wants to see the Mets follow through on their stated intention of spending more aggressively. "I think everybody would like to see the Mets as a competitive team, and it's going to require a higher payroll,” Weiner said. Here are more NL East-related notes…
- It doesn't appear likely that the Mets will consider Francisco Rodriguez, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). They had some interest in a reunion with the free agent right-hander earlier in the winter.
- GM Mike Rizzo implied that right-hander Chris Young has an out-clause in his minor league deal with the Nationals, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). It appears that the Nationals need Young’s permission to assign him to Triple-A. Ross Ohlendorf doesn’t have an opt-out, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports (on Twitter).
- Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton told Yahoo's Jeff Passan that he tries not to concern himself with his team's recent change in direction. "What are you gonna do?" Stanton said. "Honestly, what? There's nothing you can do. You express your feelings, and that's about it."
- Another Marlins outfielder, Juan Pierre, told MLBTR correspondent B.J. Rains that he’s pleased to be returning to the Marlins, even as fans express frustration over the team’s offseason moves.
Nationals Notes: Lerner, Suzuki, Young
The Nationals are keeping their focus on their short-term chances of contending, owner Mark Lerner said during a chat with reporters (including The Washington Times' Amanda Comak) at the team's Spring Training camp. The club's payroll is now over $100MM and while they don't want to go overboard with spending, “this is a special year," Lerner said. "We have obviously incredible talent and there was a couple parts that [general manager Mike Rizzo] wanted and we said, ‘Do what you need to do,’ and that’s basically how it happened." Lerner said the Nats are concerning themselves with the next three seasons and aren't yet concerned about keeping Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in Washington over the long term. The two young stars are team-controlled through the 2016 and 2018 seasons, respectively.
Here are some more items from the Nats' camp…
- Also from Lerner, he said that he and Rizzo would "talk when the time is right" about a contract extension. "I think this is the place where he wants to make his home and we certainly want him to be here, so I’m sure we’ll come to some understanding at some point in time," Lerner said. Rizzo's contract is only guaranteed through this season but the Nationals hold options on the general manager for 2014 and 2015.
- Kurt Suzuki hasn't talked to management about a contract extension but says he'd love to remain with the Nats beyond this season, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports. Washington holds an $8.5MM team option on Suzuki for 2014 that right now seems unlikely to be exercised since Wilson Ramos is waiting in the wings at catcher. It's possible the Nationals could decline the option and still re-sign Suzuki at a lower price.
- Also from Ladson (Twitter link), the Nationals had interest in Chris Young during the 2010-11 offseason but didn't sign him after seeing the MRI results of Young's throwing shoulder. Young had another injury-plagued season with the Mets in 2011 but rebounded to make 20 starts in 2012. The Nats signed Young to a minor league deal today.