Jason Varitek is facing a very difficult decision, and the catcher has been considering the very difficult reality of retirement, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Varitek, who turns 40 in April, would seem to be a good fit in Minnesota. The Twins will likely carry three catchers as Joe Mauer will need time to DH and rest and Ryan Doumit will mostly DH while also backing up Mauer.
Varitek isn't the only veteran wondering about his baseball future. Ivan Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Magglio Ordonez, and Vladimir Guerrero also hope to continue playing in 2012. Here's more from Cafardo..
- There is a lot of speculation that the Nationals will deal John Lannan to the Angels for Peter Bourjos, with the Halos putting Mike Trout in center field. The Nats beat Lannan in arbitration last week and were said to be aggressively shopping the left-hander.
- Alternatively, the Nats could move Jayson Werth to center and sign a right fielder. Cafardo adds that it now appears that Yoenis Cespedes is not in their plans and they have cooled on B.J. Upton.
- Javier Vazquez is retired for now, but Cafardo wonders if a team could convince him to play. An AL GM remarked that Vazquez would be a perfect fourth or fifth starter on a contending team and believes that the pitcher looks as good as he's ever been.
- Scott Boras is no longer representing Manny Ramirez. Ramirez signed on with Boras in early 2008 and the agent negotiated the slugger's two-year, $45MM contract with the Dodgers the following year.
- Boras wound up receiving eight offers in total for Prince Fielder, including the winning bid from the Tigers.
- A couple of agents are frustrated after dealing with the Red Sox front office/ownership lately as compared to what they were used to in the past. However, there has been quite a bit of praise for GM Ben Cherington.
- Right-hander Brandon Webb hasn't given up on pitching and according to one American League executive, the plan is for the 32-year-old to throw for teams sometime in March.
- Mark Prior is also looking to attempt one more comeback. The right-hander, who spent some of last season with the Yankees, had surgery for a sports hernia and the problem isn't completely corrected. Like Webb, Prior could work out for teams as early as March.
- Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger was supposed to be in Red Sox minor league camp but instead ripped up his elbow long-tossing over the winter. The veteran will unfortunately miss the season.
- Cafardo feels that the Red Sox missed an opportunity to sign Edwin Jackson to a good value deal at one year, $10MM and shouldn’t let Roy Oswalt slip away now.
Lannan for Bourjos? You do know that Reagins is no longer the GM in LA right?
I won’t argue whether Lannan = Bourjos, simply because PB may have more star potential and reminds me of Gardner with more power but the Angels could use another lefty to go along with CJ and Lannan can be a good #5 for them. Maybe Lannan and a mid level prospect? But if you consider the value of a lefty that can give you 200 IP and has a GB rate above 50% and that’s a pretty good value, especially at 27 with 2 more years of control.
Correction: like gardner but w/ more power but less plate discipline.
The Angels have Scott Downs and Takahashi, they are both lefty.
and relievers….
Takahashi started for the Mets
And Downs started for the Cubs.
but are both relievers…
Both, especially Takahashi could be used for spot starts and long relief. When that guy is on hes awesome to watch. When he sucks… well… yeah..
Pretty sure Downs won’t be used as a starter…ever.
But not starters
Nobody knows how much Bourjous means to the Angels than Angel fans. His value is immense, and goes beyond what he does with his bat. First he makes our outfield defense of Bourjous/Trout/Wells or Hunter legendary. And he’s also our sparkplug, with his bat and his baserunning. Oh, and he’s also probably the fan favorite on the Angels. Don’t think Dipoto would be dumb enough to make that trade.
He is also a gamer who gives 110% each and every day.
jerry dipoto has some pretty boneheaded trades to his name as well (just not with the angels)
just curious, what trades do you mean? if you mean the dan haren one, it may look boneheaded to’ve gotten joe saunders, but tyler skaggs and patrick corbin may make the trade more than worth it. skaggs looks like a beast
Yeah, I mean Haren.
You can’t judge a trade on hindsight. Sure, Skaggs is an elite guy and Corbin’s pretty good NOW, but Skaggs was nowhere near an elite prospect when traded.
If you’re trading three years of an elite pitcher who’s not cheap, but still at far below market rates, taking back a guy with negative trade value (Saunders), you should get more than two non-elite prospects.
The DBacks had plenty of grounds to get at least one top/elite prospect or two more middling ones.
I’m pretty sure the best way to judge a trade is by hindsight…
And if DiPoto was able to see Skaggs and Corbin’s value then more power to him. That trade was a win-win as each team had a different need at the time. Also, not sure if Saunders had negative trade value. He was solid the last two years.
“I’m pretty sure the best way to judge a trade is by hindsight…”
if i pinch-hit ryan theriot for albert pujols and he gets a hit, was it a good decision?
bad decisions that work out are not the same as good decisions
since the angels more likely are leading the sox by 10 runs in the 8th inning, it is a heck of move by scoscia. especially if the halos have a game scheduled for the next day.
He meant that as a hypothetical decision made in a vacuum, basically ignoring the circumstances of the move.
Blowouts are never a likely outcome, even if its the worst team in baseball vs. the best team.
Blowouts are never a likely outcome, even if its the worst team in baseball vs. the best team.
the snakes couldn’t afford haren’s price tag at that particular time. it’s better to trade than cutting younger core.
I don’t know about the DBacks budget situation at the time, but it’s basically irrelevant. The trade is not just bad because the prospects they got back weren’t great, but also because once you trade Haren you also give up all the other potential trade packages you could have gotten for him.
The demand for a young, proven elite starting pitcher is huge on the trade market Haren should have commanded a stronger return and if the GM had negotiated better, waited longer, or engaged more clubs he probably could have gotten it. Then again maybe their scouting department saw something really special in Skaggs, but even then accepting Saunders seems unnecessary.
It was an elite player at the trade deadline. Half a year of only a slightly superior pitcher (Lee) had the Mariners picking between Smoak and Montero.
3.5 years of Haren should have easily commanded more.
Cutting payroll is fine, but get solid value in trades though.
It was an elite player at the trade deadline. Half a year of only a slightly superior pitcher (Lee) had the Mariners picking between Smoak and Montero.
3.5 years of Haren should have easily commanded more.
Cutting payroll is fine, but get solid value in trades though.
Skaggs was a top prospect prior to the trade. He was the best arm in the Angels farm system. He was a first round draft pick in the previous season. He wasn’t ranked by BA but that was more a function of being an 18 YO than what he brought to the table.
Corbin was taken in the 2nd round of 2009. Again, good upside with a limited track record.
As an Angels fan I love Haren but when the move was made I was praying for anyone but Skaggs. I still like the move overall but from a win/$ perspective, I bet the DBacks make out like bandits.
Hey, Wells can play center. How about Lannan for Wells?
Throw in Werth and…deal.
I doubt the deal is straight up, but the Angels have an opening in the rotation, and the Nationals have one if CF. And the Angels really have to do something about that DH/1B/OF logjam.
I don’t expct Lannan and, say, Rendon, but I doubt it is one for one
The best line of the entire article:
“Scott Boras has stopped representing Manny Ramirez.”
You KNOW it’s bad when even the rats are jumping ship….
Damon might have gotten a job with the O’s and shouldn’t act surprised. Why should The Duke have to make an offer to Boras, have to wait for a week or 2 for him to dicker around, then try to squeeze another dime out of him, then invent some mystery team involved when it was clear nobody wants him and he could have signed betimit right away with -0- problems?
Have said this many times.. People like Pena, Damon, Tek etc.. Should have dumped Boras long ago when the star faded from their careers.. He has done nothing but hurt them since that star has faded.
I don’t understand why fans hate Scott Boras, I’m not judging I’m just honestly wondering what he does that is so bad in your opinion. It seems like he just does what he’s hired to do and generally does it very well. When a player gets a large contract it’s not taking money out of the fans pockets to pay for it it’s coming from the even wealthier owners.
Boras can be an ACE when a player is at the top of their career and find top dollar when a team is desperate, but look over players like those I named.. They do no better, or end up wind the rind after everyone else signs many times from Boras playing musical chairs with teams and his clients left standing when all the chairs are filled.
beltre he can to excellent on for example when there were no 3b on the market last season, you give him a spot like that with no competition, or a top tier player and there is NOBODY else at negotiating better than him, but a flooded market, or someone not top tier, and he is a detriment more times than not as IMO his ego gets in the way still trying to use his old negotiating tactics of “we’ll get back to you later on” when his client may have been lucky to get an offer in the 1st place..
Declining arbitration for his players as a general rule, rather than even consider it.. Even tho it may cost his client money and he has done that several times… Tek as I have named several times 3 years ago when he was almost certainly guaranteed at LEAST 10m via arbitration, yet he declined after an awful season and tek ended up getting a gifthorse 2/5m and Boras had to almost BEG Epstein to offer that.
Damon by all rights should be locked up on a team like the Rays ATM on like a 1/3m deal, but Boras is going to piddle around, thinking there is some mega deal out there.. Damon, Pena, they all should be unloading this character.. Many have done so when they realized it.. Sheffield.. He even sued him as recall.
The best line of the entire article:
“Scott Boras has stopped representing Manny Ramirez.”
You KNOW it’s bad when even the rats are jumping ship….
Damon might have gotten a job with the O’s and shouldn’t act surprised.
Why should The Duke have to make an offer to Boras, have to wait for a
week or 2 for him to play around, then try to squeeze another dime out
of him, then invent some mystery team involved when it was clear nobody
wants him and he could have signed betimit right away with -0-
problems?
Have said this many times.. People like Pena, Damon, Tek etc.. Should have dumped Boras long ago when the star faded from their careers.. He has done nothing but hurt them since that star has faded.
Bourjos: 4.3 fWAR
Lannan: 1.3 fWAR
riiiiight.
and thats not even counting cost control/age. Zimmermann for Bourjos sounds more likely imo
That sounds as unlikely as Lannan for Bourjos.
Bourjos and Callaspo or Itzturis for Zimmeran might be more fair…3B is the only key need the Angels have except maybe the bullpen.
Lannan WHIP is like 1.4 + over his career, gimme a break!
FWIW, Lannan’s actual WAR is likely a bit higher than 1.3. He has consistently had an ERA lower than his FIP (which is used to calculate WAR). He’s probably closer to a 2-2.5 WAR player in reality; not Bourjos, but a very good back of the rotation starter.
dunno about that. his rWAR (based on RA) is lower than his fWAR the past couple years
Lannan for Wells, maybe.
Wells might have a nice season this year with Pujols in the lineup
He might not tho.
there is higher chance he will.
Oh.
oh?
Well I didn’t know that there was a higher chance until he told me.
and there is a higher chance I pick up Jessica Alba if I use Johnny Depp as my wing man.
think about that
That is an awesome statement. Bravo
That is an awesome statement. Bravo
Shes married, Id say your chances are quite slim with or without Captain Sparrow.
yes because her relationship status was the true hurdle in me landing her
What’s sadder that he didn’t know that she’s married or that you did?
Lannan for Bourjos no friggin way Bourjos has more value than that. Angels won’t make that move.
Agreed. Bourjos is ANCHORED in centerfield for a long time in Anaheim, with Trout taking his own place in right field next year when Torii becomes our new batting coach. Our line up is set for runs at the World Series for several years. Yes, we need more help in the bullpen, but trading a lung to get a pinkie finger is no deal.
bourjos is more likely a heart considering how hard it has to work pumping blood into the limbs.
Bucs have a glut of good centerfielders under McCutchen …Gorkys Hernandez is up and coming…maybe even Presley or Tabata?
and the pirates wouldn’t trade mccutchen when the angels needed a corner. with reagins as a g.m. at that time you guys could have received a few prospects and even some in the majors.
It sounds from the comments that Angels don’t need any more pitching and have just the right amount of outfielders. It also sounds like WAR is a static number year to year and never changes…The real world is much more complex…
in the real world anyone with decent eye sight and a brain knows just by looking at them play the game.
p.s. if you know what war is you wouldn’t have made that statement. click on any highlighted names of players it will let you know you are wrong.
False….many aboriginal tribes have never seen baseball. They have decent eye sight and brains, yet they would probably be scared at the sight of a game and have no idea of the difference postulated above.
smart. really smart.
I don’t see how the Twins have room for Varitek. Yes, Mauer is coming off an injury-plagued season, but most of those were illnesses and complications from last year’s knee surgery. I think him and Doumit should be just fine, and even if they fail, the Twins like Drew Butera more than they should. Oh, and a lot of Twins fans seem to think that J.R. Towles will compete with Butera for that 3rd catcher spot.
Come on Vazquez, dont retire, come to Boston so I dont have to have Aceves start, unless Oswalt signs, which in that case…go ahead and retire.
Vernon wells deal… duh
HAHA yes, right before tony had his skin augmentation procedure and legally changed his name right?
unlike yourself who hasn’t surrounded himself with a lot of protection(money-lots of them, bodyguards and fame) to even have a chance at that beautiful married woman, wells is surrounded by lots of protection. with newly acquired juggernaut and a recovering masher one has to use only o little bit of logic to come to that conclusion.
i don’t know what you used to make that statement.
Or Wells could continue to suck and teams can pitch around Pujols. Don’t see how Pujols is going to magically make Wells not suck.
have you heard of kendrys morales or mike trumbo? if you have you wouldn’t have made that statement.
p.s. i have seen how wells has been working out his core since fairly early in the off-season. he looks strong and agile.
I hear Mike Trumbo is in the best shape of his life as well!
abs=HRs?
Ah so the key to Wells not stinking up the join is exercise.
Who is Mike Trumbo?
what pitcher would care if vernon wells has protection? you couldn’t walk him if you tried. he had 20 walks total in 530 PA last year
he will be mashing to the tune of 35 home runs.
I’d love to know why you’re so optimistic about wells
i give you an answer right below.
Lannan+prospects for Bourjos would make me a happy Nats fan, depending on the prospects dealt. Correct me, but isn’t Rendon untradeable until next year?
You have to wait 12 months after being drafted to be traded. He could be a PTBNL tho
Gotcha. Still don’t see it happening though, despite my wishing it would 🙂
What happens to Peter Bourjos Bobblehead Night if he’s traded? (He won’t be traded.)
An AL GM remarked that Vazquez would be a perfect fourth or fifth starter on a contending team and believes that the pitcher looks as good as he’s ever been.========================
Cashman you sly devil.
Would take a lot more than Lannan to land Bourjos, and I don’t think the Nats would be dumb enough to totally pick the farm system dry in one offseason.
Noo Noo Noo..Pure rumors here between Angels and Nats..No way in the world does this happen..
1)Angels don’t need Lannan..They have Richards,Shoemaker,Williams..One of those guys is good enough for 5th.. 2)Mike Trout could use one more year to get his skills better..3)PBJ is the only speed away from Aybar that Angels have..would destroy the running game for Halos..4)Who is going to take over RF next year? A combo of Trout and PBJ next year will make that OF a heck a lot stronger than what it is now..5) If they would trade PBJ it would be for a 3B not for a starter were the Angels are pretty much stacked on already
I’m curious to know where all this “speculation” is coming from, because that’s about the most ludicrous trade rumor I’ve heard this offseason.
I completely agree..and if this is true and it happens..JeDi would destroy my heart
i have warned you all many times about the dangers of reading cafardo
It amazes me how frequently MLBTR crosses the line from acceptable rephrasing to clear plagiarism. Do the journalists or websites being quoted never complain? I’d have thought they would want to protect their copyrights. And, as a college professor, it saddens me to see.
A sample:
original: “It now appears that Yoenis Cespedes is not in their plans and they have cooled on B.J. Upton.”
above: “Cafardo adds that it now appears that Yoenis Cespedes is not in their plans and they have cooled on B.J. Upton.”
original: “Brandon Webb, RHP, free agent – He hasn’t given up on pitching again. According to one American League executive, the plan is for Webb to throw for teams sometime in March.”
above: “Brandon Webb hasn’t given up on pitching and according to one American League executive, the plan is for the 32-year-old to throw for teams sometime in March.”
There are others.
the hell would they complain about? mlbtr brings them traffic. those little blue words? they’re links to the original sources
professor of pedantry am i right
community college perhaps
How would it be plagiarism if the sentence starts by giving credit to the original author?
lol
What in the world are you talking about?
He gives Cafardo credit and a link to his story in the first sentence, as well as right before the bullet points.
He gives Cafardo credit and a link to his story in the first sentence, as well as right before the bullet points.
I didn’t know Jason Varitek’s name was still being tossed around. But, when you gun down 12 of 85 potential base stealers, you’re gonna get offers (huh?)
if the nats threw in zimmerman and storen id consider it
As a Nats fan I think a Lannon for Bourjos trade would be a really good idea.
As an Angel fan, try Bourjos for Zimmerman
Here’s a wild idea for ya. Angels send Vernon Wells, Erick Aybar, Peter Bourjos for Jayson Werth, Ian Desmond, John Lannan.
Nats lineup
CF) Bourjos
SS) Aybar
3b) Zimmerman
LF)Morse (move to 1b midseason for Harper call-up)
1B) LaRoche (trade at the deadline to make room for Harper call-up perhaps)
RF) Wells/Harper (shift Wells to LF, call-up Harper at midseason)
2b) Espinosa
C) Ramos
P)
Nats finally get a 1-2 punch they’d want at the top of the order. If anyone can afford Wells’ albatross contract for the next 3 seasons, it is Lerner and the Nats. Most of the Nats “core” players are cost-controlled for the next 2-3 seasons anyway. (Strasburg, Zimmerman, Gio, Morse, Espinosa, Harper, Ramos, Storen) and Bourjos would be as well. This frees up money for them down the road to retain core players, money that would have otherwise been tied up to Werth.
On the other hand, the Angels are in full out win-now mode and Werth could definitely help them win right now more-so than Wells. They could bat him fifth, like he did in Philly. Aybar and Desmond are likely a wash, with Desmond offering a little more power and Aybar a little more speed. After Hunter’s contract expires , they could shift Werth back to RF and Trumbo to LF in 2013.
2b) Kendrick
CF) Trout
RF) Hunter
1B) Pujols
LF) Werth
DH) Morales
3b) Trumbo/Callaspo
C) Iannetta
SS) Desmond
Not an Angels fan eh?
Not sure what you are implying. obviously, financially this makes more sense for the Nats long-term. However, its a fair argument that Werth would be a better fit for the Angels than Wells for the next 3 seasons, where they are ALL-IN. Werth has more speed, better defense and has better OBP skills than Wells and similar power. Desmond is cost-controlled for the next 4 seasons unlike Aybar who is a free agent after this season. With the Pujols contract, the Angels arguably need to win it in the next 3-4 seasons. IMO its more likely that Werth will be far more productive than Wells over those 3 seasons.