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Archives for September 2010

Heyman On Crawford, Soriano, Werth, Mets

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Teams are locking young stars up to long-term deals, so this year's free agent market looks less impressive than it could have. The result, according to one AL executive who spoke to Jon Heyman of SI.com, is a “thin class” behind Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, Adrian Beltre and Adam Dunn. Heyman polled two agents and an executive on the earning potential of a number of free agents. Here are some results, plus other noteworthy rumors.

  • The executive and one agent predicted Carl Crawford will sign for $120MM over seven years.
  • One agent predicted that Derrek Lee would sign for $24MM over two years. The others predicted a one-year deal worth $4-6MM. Lee’s recent struggles and history as a middle-of-the-order hitter make him hard to project.
  • Agent Scott Boras called Rafael Soriano, who is not his client, “one of the top closers in the game.”
  • Boras continued to link Jayson Werth to Matt Holliday, who signed for $120MM, rather than Jason Bay, who signed for $66MM. "Why not compare [Werth] to Holliday? He's had a platform year like Holliday, and he's a better defender than Holliday,'' Boras said.
  • The Mets won't reach out to Pat Gillick if and when they look to replace GM Omar Minaya. Gillick once said he wouldn’t work for chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, who has a reputation as a difficult boss.

Rockies Won’t Acquire Starter

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The Rockies won't acquire a starter for the stretch run, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Jason Hammel is dealing with an extreme case of dead arm, but Colorado can rely on 25-year-old swingman Esmil Rogers to start. Rogers is striking out nearly a batter per inning and has walked just 3.0 batters per nine innings, though he has a 5.29 ERA.

After yesterday's loss, the Rockies are 2.5 games out of a playoff berth. They considered trading for a starter to reinforce the staff, even though no acquisition would have been eligible for the postseason. Colorado hosts the NL West-leading Giants for three games this weekend.

Marlins Rumors: Uggla, Catchers, Managers

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The Marlins don’t have a permanent manager and Dan Uggla is nearing free agency so Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and GM Michael Hill have some franchise-defining decisions to make this offseason. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has the details:

  • Dan Uggla’s representation has asked for a deal worth about five years and $58MM, but the Marlins are offering fewer years and less money. They’d prefer to work out a three-year deal and are offering just over $8MM per season. Uggla, who will be eligible for free agency after 2011, makes nearly that much this year and he’ll earn a raise through arbitration next year, so the Marlins don’t appear to be offering much of a deal.
  • The Marlins say they would like to add a top catcher and they’ll consider alternatives to John Baker, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Yorvit Torrealba, Bengie Molina, John Buck and Miguel Olivo will be considerations for Florida if they hit the open market, but Victor Martinez probably won’t be a fit. The Marlins could also have interest in Jason Varitek and Rod Barajas as part-time options.
  • Rafael Soriano’s expected salary demands have priced him out of the Marlins’ plans.
  • The Marlins will consider Yankees bench coach Tony Pena, Padres first base coach Rick Renteria and Padres bench coach Ted Simmons as they search for their next manager. Interim manager Edwin Rodriguez could keep his job and it doesn’t seem likely that the team will resume talks with Bobby Valentine, who was once considered the frontrunner for the gig.
  • The Marlins would have interest in Ozzie Guillen if he were available, but the White Sox skipper is under contract in Chicago next year. However, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that Guillen wants assurances that the White Sox want him to be their long-term manager. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf would prefer to keep Guillen around than search for a new manager, so Guillen could get the security he’s looking for.

Non-Tender Candidate: Scott Hairston

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As we discussed on the weekend, the four-player January trade between the Athletics and Padres included at least one 2010 non-tender candidate, in Kevin Kouzmanoff. For their part though, the A's gave up a player who appears even likelier to be non-tendered this offseason: Scott Hairston.

When the Padres re-acquired Hairston last winter, he was coming off one of his finest seasons in the bigs. Splitting time between San Diego and Oakland, who traded for him last July, Hairston hit .265/.307/.456 overall, with the better half of his season coming in San Diego (.299/.358/.533). Unfortunately for Hairston and the Padres, his second stint with the club hasn't been as successful. The 30-year-old battled a hamstring injury earlier in the season, and has hit just .215/.298/.353 in 329 plate appearances. Hairston's struggles can't be blamed on his pitcher-friendly home park either; he has an ugly .193/.283/.320 slash line on the road.

Hairston is earning $2.45MM this year and has seen the Padres' outfield get a little more crowded with the acquisition of Ryan Ludwick. Both players will enter their final season of arbitration eligibility in 2011, and Hairston's chances of being tendered a contract might depend in part on what the Padres do with Ludwick. Given Ludwick's larger 2010 salary ($5.45MM) and the fact that his production for the Padres (.239/.330/.368) hasn't been much better than Hairston's, it's conceivable that the team could decide to part ways with the former Cardinal.

Even with Ludwick out of the picture, however, Hairston would be lucky to be tendered a contract. The Padres may prefer to turn to a cheaper outfield option rather than spending $2.5MM+ to retain Hairston for another year. Click here to vote on the Padres' decision, and click here to view the results.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Towers, Phillies, Torre, Lee

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Tuesday night links, as Scott Baker makes his first start for the Twins in nearly three weeks….

  • Jim Hendry will officially interview Ryne Sandberg for the Cubs' manager job, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago. According to Levine's sources, the club also plans to talk to Pat Listach, Bob Melvin, and Bob Brenly.
  • A "reliable source" told Jim Bowden (Twitter link) that the D'Backs are set to offer Kevin Towers their GM job. Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona says no job offer has been made yet, though the team met with Towers again today (Twitter link).
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly reports (via Twitter) that the Phillies have signed Franklyn Zavala, a 16-year-old Dominican pitcher, for a $330K bonus.
  • Understandably, Joe Torre's comments about the possibility of managing the Mets didn't sit well with current manager Jerry Manuel, as Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger writes. Torre apologized for his comments, telling Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he's "closing the door on managing the Mets – and probably everybody else" (Twitter links).
  • Astros manager Brad Mills avoided the question of whether Carlos Lee would play more first base in 2011, says MLB.com's Pete Kerzel. Alyson Footer, the team's director of social media, notes in a pair of tweets that first base is Lee's strongest position and she'd like to see him there next year.
  • Pat Gillick won't rule out taking another general manager job if the right situation arises, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • Craig Counsell tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) that he'll be back in 2011, either for the Brewers or another club.

Cubs Designate Mitch Atkins For Assignment

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The Cubs have designated Mitch Atkins for assignment, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (via Twitter). The DFA was part of a series of moves in Chicago, as the team also placed Tyler Colvin and Geovany Soto on the disabled list.

Atkins, who turns 25 next Friday, appeared in five games for the Cubs this year. The right-hander struck out a batter per inning, but recorded a 6.30 ERA and allowed 18 baserunners in just ten innings pitched. Atkins had more success for Triple-A Iowa, with a 3.63 ERA over 106.2 IP.

Postseason Success Won’t Affect Rays’ 2011 Payroll

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Stuart Sternberg, the Rays' principal owner, announced before the season began that the team's payroll may end up below $60MM in 2011. Seven months later, nothing has changed. Sternberg tells Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that even if the Rays make a deep run in the postseason, the club's payroll will be significantly reduced next season.

"No question. Nothing can change that,'' Sternberg said. "Unfortunately there's nothing that can happen between now and April that can change that unless Joe Maddon hits the lottery and wants to donate it, or I hit the lottery."

If the Rays were to play in two or three playoff series, the handful of extra home games would earn the team some additional revenue. According to Sternberg though, the Rays still "can't come close" to turning a profit for 2010. With key contributors like Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, and Carlos Pena facing free agency, Tampa Bay's roster will likely look very different by Opening Day 2011.

Padres Hire A.J. Hinch

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Just two and a half months after being fired by the Diamondbacks, former manager A.J. Hinch has landed a position with one of Arizona's division rivals. According to Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter), the Padres have hired Hinch to be their vice president of professional scouting.

Hinch, a former catcher for the Athletics, Royals, Tigers, and Phillies, took over as the Diamondbacks' skipper in May 2009, replacing Bob Melvin. He led the club to an 89-123 record before being fired, along with GM Josh Byrnes, on July 1st of this year. Prior to becoming their manager, Hinch was employed in Arizona's front office as the director of player development.

Cardinals Release Felipe Lopez

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The Cardinals released Felipe Lopez, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. When GM John Mozeliak signed the infielder to a one-year $1MM deal late last offseason, it appeared that he had found a bargain. Instead, Lopez was a disappointment, batting .231/.310/.340 as a utility player for the Cards.

The 30-year-old played all four infield positions for the Cardinals and, in one wild game that took place long before his team's playoff hopes had disappeared, Lopez actually pitched a scoreless inning. The Cardinals decided to release Lopez because he was late again yesterday, according to FOX Sports Midwest (on Twitter).

Odds & Ends: Jeter, Torre, Towers, Bautista

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Links for Tuesday, before Roy Halladay attempts to win 20 games for the third time in his career…

  • Back in the spring, Derek Jeter told Jack Curry of the YES Network that we won't find him "hanging on" after his ability fades. Jeter is hitting a little better lately, though his numbers have fallen off overall.
  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe explains that re-signing Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez would help the Red Sox against the American League's best left-handers.
  • Not surprisingly, the Brewers will not pursue Joe Torre to be their next manager, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • GM candidate Kevin Towers is back in Arizona for a second interview, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The D'Backs have discussed baseball with Towers, but not money.
  • If you’re wondering why the Blue Jays would consider locking up Jose Bautista, BattersBox’s Dave Rutt can explain. He says the Blue Jays need to build around superstar caliber players to win in the AL East.

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