Adam Jones Extension Reactions
The Orioles are nearing a six-year, $85MM contract extension with center fielder Adam Jones. The deal, which is the largest in Orioles franchise history, will cover his final arbitration season (2013) and five free agent years (2014-18). Here are some notes on and reactions to the deal:
- The deal's a win-win for Jones and the Orioles, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs writes. Cameron points out that we can expect more walks from Jones as he gains experience and notes that $75MM — the amount Baltimore committed to the center fielder's free agent years — doesn't always buy much on the open market.
- The Orioles could have acquired John Lannan, Drew Storen and Steve Lombardozzi from the Nationals for Jones over winter, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). Washington GM Mike Rizzo loves Jones, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).
- An NL executive says the Orioles did well to extend Jones instead of trading him last offseason, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli had been under the impression that the Orioles would have lost Jones to free agency after 2013 if they had waited until next offseason to discuss an extension (Twitter link).
Quick Hits: Guerrero, Nationals, Cubs
The Mets traded for Mike Piazza on this date in 1998. He would go on to hit .296/.373/.542 with 220 home runs in eight seasons with the Mets, establishing himself as one of the best offensive catchers ever. Here are today's links…
- Vladimir Guerrero says signing with the Blue Jays brings his career full circle, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca tweets. The former Montreal Expos star says he would like to hit 51 more home runs and reach 500 for his career.
- The Nationals are not actively pursuing a trade for catching depth, according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. They’d consider adding a veteran backup, but aren’t willing to part with anything significant in a deal. Jesus Flores is the Nationals' starting catcher following Wilson Ramos' ACL tear and Sandy Leon's high ankle sprain. Carlos Maldonado is on the MLB roster to back Flores up.
- The Cubs will face some difficult decisions this summer, when they must decide which players to keep and which players to trade, ESPN.com's Buster Olney notes. It seems likely that they'll trade Ryan Dempster, but deciding whether to trade Bryan LaHair and Matt Garza could be more difficult for GM Jed Hoyer.
Cafardo On Red Sox, D’Backs, Nats, Oswalt, Ichiro
The Red Sox and Phillies, two teams that played each other this weekend, took very opposite paths, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Phillies spent $50MM over four years for Jonathan Papelbon while the Red Sox went for the low-cost approach with arbitration-eligible Andrew Bailey. So far, things have worked out for both clubs, but in different ways. Papelbon has converted all of his save opportunities while Boston saved themselves a nice chunk of change while filling in for Bailey just fine with Alfredo Aceves. Here's more from Cafardo..
- The Diamondbacks are now among the teams that may have interest in Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis, as GM Kevin Towers is looking to upgrade offensively at the infield corners. The Reds and Giants are also in need of upgrades. Of course, the Sox would have to decide whether Will Middlebrooks can handle the position.
- The Red Sox called the Nationals after catcher Wilson Ramos went down, but they said they would stay in-house. Lately, the Nats have been scouting teams who have depth behind the dish, and Boston is one. Kelly Shoppach would be available, as the Sox could call up Ryan Lavarnway.
- The initial reports on Roy Oswalt’s sessions with Boston and Philadelphia were good, but not great. "Not in midseason form by any means," said one scout. “His fastball was off a tick, but he’ll get that up. He wasn’t throwing too much secondary stuff, but he looked fluid. It probably would take him a few weeks to get ready, but everybody’s going to need pitching a month from now, so it’s a good investment for down the road."
- Mariners rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki is in the final year of his contract and there’s some reason to believe retirement is a possibility. Those who know him don’t think that he wants to play for anyone but the M's.
Stark On Myers, Phillies, Wang, Giants, Appel
There will be interleague games throughout most of the season, starting next year, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. MLB will limit the number of interleague contests during the last five weeks of the season to ensure that most teams play within their own league down the stretch. Here are more of Stark’s rumors…
- Brett Myers told Stark he doesn’t want to be traded, but realizes it’s beyond his control. Though Myers doesn’t have a no-trade clause, he obtains a $500K bonus if dealt.
- The Phillies have “zero” interest in trading Cole Hamels or Shane Victorino, according to an executive who looked into the possibility of trading for the free agents to be. "They'd have to be really out of it to trade anybody,” the exec said.
- Some teams have expressed interest in rehabbing right-hander Chien-Ming Wang. The Nationals don’t seem interested in trading him, however.
- The Giants are sending signals that they’re in the market for a corner outfield bat, Stark reports. The Giants, who are also monitoring the infield market, may not have much selection since few power bats seem to be available.
- Rival teams believe the Astros are leaning toward selecting Stanford right-hander Mark Appel with the first overall selection in this June’s amateur draft. One person said Astros GM Jeff Luhnow seems to want to select someone close to the Major Leagues.
- The loss of pitching coach Dave Duncan entered into the Cardinals' thinking when they extended Yadier Molina earlier in the year, GM John Mozeliak told Stark. "With the fact that Dunc was gone, it was a subtle way of still keeping that same presence on our staff,” he said.
2013 Contract Issues: Washington Nationals
The Nationals are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:
Eligible For Free Agency (6)
- Edwin Jackson - It would make sense for the Nationals to make Jackson a qualifying offer after the season, assuming his strong year continues. If he accepts, they have a capable starter in his prime on a reasonable one-year deal. If he declines, they obtain draft pick compensation.
- Chien-Ming Wang - It's hard to imagine more than an incentive-based short-term contract for Wang next winter, even if he pitches well after his minor league rehab assignment ends.
- Brad Lidge - Lidge last pitched on April 21st and remains on the disabled list as he recovers from hernia surgery.
- Rick Ankiel - There's an expectation that the Nationals will look for a long-term answer in center field after the season, when Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton hit free agency. Even so, the Nationals could have interest in bringing Ankiel back for another season.
- Chad Tracy - Tracy will probably be looking at minor league offers this coming offseason.
- Xavier Nady – Until the core of the Nationals' 2013 lineup has been established, it'll be hard to say whether Nady fits on the team's bench.
Contract Options (2)
- Adam LaRoche: $10MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout. LaRoche seems to have returned to form, so the Nationals could look to retain him in 2013. However, Michael Morse would presumably be bumped to first base if the Nationals sign a center fielder.
- Sean Burnett: $3.5MM mutual option with a $250K buyout. Burnett doesn't obtain buyout if he declines option. I can see the Nationals picking up their half of this mutual option.
Arbitration Eligible (10)
- First time: Ian Desmond, Drew Storen, Roger Bernadina, Ross Detwiler, Craig Stammen
- Second time: Jordan Zimmermann, Tyler Clippard
- Third time: John Lannan
- Fourth time: Tom Gorzelanny, Jesus Flores
Desmond, Storen and Detwiler lead a large class of first-time eligible players. Zimmermann, Clippard and Gorzelanny can also look forward to raises this coming offseason, but Lannan will surely be non-tendered if he's still on Washington's roster in December. The Nationals saved themselves millions by delaying Stephen Strasburg's MLB debut in 2010; he will miss the cutoff for super two eligibility by a couple of weeks.
2013 Payroll Obligation
The Nationals, who have a $92MM payroll this year, have committed $52MM to next year's team. That should leave GM Mike Rizzo with approximately $40MM to deal with the team's arbitration eligible players and sign free agents. The Nationals have steadily raised payroll under the ownership of Ted Lerner and it wouldn't be surprising to see payroll climb again in 2013.
NL East Notes: Wang, Nationals, Phillies, Mets
Some intra-divisional action in the National League East tonight as the Braves and Marlins are underway in Miami. More out of the division..
- Nationals hurler Chien-Ming Wang told reporters, including Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, that he'd be willing to move into the bullpen when he returns to the majors. However, Kilgore writes that the Nats are unlikely to ask him to do that. Washington currently has a surplus of starting pitching with Ross Detwiler in the fifth spot and John Lannan in Triple-A.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) writes that the Phillies should make trades to replenish their thin farm system. Acquisitions such as Cliff Lee and Hunter Pence have cost them youth but moving potential free agents Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino could change that if they decide against signing them. Bowden also opines that the Red Sox should explore the trade market.
- Mets owner Fred Wilpon may be iffy on David Wright as a superstar, but he would like him as a son-in-law, tweets David Lennon of Newsday. "If I had another daughter, I’d love if she married a David Wright," said Wilpon.
Catching Rumors: Shoppach, Nationals
MLB catchers have combined for a .244/.316/.388 line this year and they're preventing 30% of stolen base attempts. Here are some catching rumors from around baseball…
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggests Kelly Shoppach of the Red Sox is likely popular in trade talks right now (Twitter link). The Angels and Nationals are among the clubs with possible interest in catching depth and Jarrod Saltalamacchia's emergence may make Shoppach expendable. The Red Sox could call Ryan Lavarnway up if necessary.
- The Nationals don’t sound overly interested in trading for a catcher, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Sandy Leon and Wilson Ramos are on the disabled list, so the Nats are relying on Jesus Flores and Carlos Maldonado for now.
Quick Hits: Quentin, Nationals, Hamilton, Phillies
This morning, the Nationals learned that catcher Wilson Ramos will miss most, if not all, of the 2012 season. It was an unfortunate piece of news for the club, but it did create an opportunity for 23-year-old catcher Sandy Leon, who was promoted to support Jesus Flores behind the plate. When Leon found out, he called his parents to let them know that he was Washington-bound, tweets Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The catcher, who was previously with the club's Double-A affiliate, said it was the best Mother's Day gift that he could possibly give to his mom. Here are some links from around baseball..
- The San Diego Union-Tribune's Sharon Annie Heilbrunn conducted a Q&A with Carlos Quentin. The new Padres outfielder discussed what it was like to be traded to his hometown team and how he's grown through the trades he's been a part of.
- As of right now, there is no talk of the Nationals bringing Ivan Rodriguez in as the backup catcher, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter). The 40-year-old announced his retirement from baseball last month.
- Some believe that the Rangers' knowledge about Hamilton's history would make them less likely to sign him than other clubs, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes that it makes them more likely to sign him. The Rangers know the ins-and-outs of the outfielder's past and have an idea of how to best support him.
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer wants to see Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro channel Pat Gillick in order to turn things around.
- Steven Cohen, hedge-fund billionaire and runner-up in the bidding for the Dodgers, is thought to be one of at least five potential buyers scoping out the Padres' financial data, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The O'Malley family is also interested in buying the club.
Cafardo On Red Sox, Youkilis, Beckett, Nationals
In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders what is at the root of the Red Sox‘s pitching woes. Some around baseball feel that the club’s hurlers are missing catcher Jason Varitek. “He did a lot for that team in terms of getting the staff ready for each team,’’ said an American League GM. “They depended on him like no team depended on a catcher anywhere in baseball, with the possible exception of St. Louis, where Yadier Molina seems to have that effect.’’ Here’s more from Cafardo..
- An AL GM told Cafardo that there could be a market for embattled Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, but the club would have to be willing to eat more than half of his contract. Beckett will earn $15.75MM each year through 2014.
- If Red Sox Kevin Youkilis can show he’s healthy, there’s a strong third base market out there for Boston. A National League special assignment scout told Cafardo that the Giants and Phillies are looking while the Rays could factor in, even though they say they aren’t in search of an answer at third base.
- The Nationals would like to deal left-hander John Lannan but teams appear more interested in Chien Ming-Wang. The Nationals also have a good thing going and have created competition on their staff, as Wang and Lannan could push the other five.
- One American League GM doesn’t see the Phillies parting with Cole Hamels via trade. “The [Blue] Jays are looking to do something big,” said an American League GM. “I just don’t see the Phillies bailing out on Hamels. They can still win it.“
- The Rangers probably won’t let Josh Hamilton leave in free agency, but if he does look elsewhere, the Dodgers could be a fit for him with their new-found dollars. Signing Hamilton would also allow the club to let Andre Ethier head into the market.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Hamels, Jones, Bourjos, Padres
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…
- Rosenthal says it's interesting that Phillies GM Ruben Amaro declined comment after Nationals GM Mike Rizzo criticized Cole Hamels for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper. It may be an indication that the relationship between the club and the free agent-to-be left-hander is touchier than it has been in the past.
- Hot starts by the Orioles and Adam Jones should reduce the chances that the center fielder is traded this summer and could create momentum for a long-term deal. Jones has emerged as a leader in the clubhouse and is a piece they could build around going forward, along with prospects Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado.
- The Nationals have been trying to acquire Peter Bourjos since last offseason, but the Angels view the center fielder as a long-term asset and possible replacement for Torii Hunter. Hunter will become a free agent after the season, but that does not mean Bourjos is untouchable.
- The Padres have Huston Street, Carlos Quentin, and four starting pitchers on the disabled list, and Rosenthal says they could infuse some young talent into the roster by trading some of their back-end starters. They need Tim Stauffer (elbow) to get healthy and for Clayton Richard (5.32) to pitch better first.