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Archives for September 2010

Jayson Werth Now Represented By Scott Boras

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Soon-to-be free agent outfielder Jayson Werth is now represented by Scott Boras, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). Werth split with the Beverly Hills Sports Council earlier this month and was said to be looking for an agent that charged less than the usual 5% commission. 

Along with Carl Crawford, the 31-year-old Werth figures to be the most highly sought-after free agent outfielder this winter. His 3-for-5 day today included a walk-off homer, pushing his season line to .292/.381/.521 with 24 homers and a career best .902 OPS. 

Speculation earlier this season had Werth getting something similar to the four-year, $66MM contract that Jason Bay received last winter, but never underestimate Scott Boras. Both players hit the market at age 31 and put up very similar triple-slash lines in their walk years (Bay had a .921 OPS in 2009), but Werth is superior defensively and has World Series experience to his credit. 

Click here to see our full list of Boras clients.

MLBTR Originals: 9/12/10 – 9/19/10

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Here at MLBTR we're all about up-to-the-second hot stove news, but we also provide plenty of original content as well. Let's look back at the week that was in the exclusive-to-MLBTR department…

Manager Notes: Baker, Gibson, Torre

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A couple of interesting managerial notes for your Sunday reading pleasure:

  • Dusty Baker continues to mull over the contract extension offered by the Reds, writes the Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay. It's believed that the offer was for multiple years, but Baker won't confirm that. He says that he's focused on winning a division title, not his own future.
  • In a piece for MLB.com, George Von Benko writes that Kirk Gibson says he'd like to continue managing the Diamondbacks, but regardless of who's in charge, the organization will be headed in a different direction in 2011.
  • Joe Torre called rumors connecting him to the Mets "irresponsible," writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. According to Torre, he's had no conversations with anyone regarding his future.

Week In Review: 9/12/10 – 9/18/10

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Sundays might mean hours upon hours of football for most sports fans, but around here it means it's time to look back at the past seven days on MLBTR. Here we go:

Free Agent Stock Watch: Hideki Matsui

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After seven seasons in pinstripes, Hideki Matsui imitated his former teammate Bobby Abreu and headed west on a one-year deal with the Angels. At one year and $6MM, the Angels figured to be getting a solid designated hitter to complement Abreu, Torii Hunter, and Kendry Morales as the big bats in the middle of the order.

Matsui trudged through a slow first half though, slugging under .400 and posting just a .732 OPS. Since the All-Star break, however, Godzilla has roared back to life. Hitting .306/.405/.567, Matsui has raised his stock for this offseason considerably. He's matched his first-half home run total of 10 in just 185 plate appearances (as opposed to 335 in the first half) while lowering his K% and increasing his BB%.

Still, Matsui's value in the coming offseason will suffer as a result of his inability to play defense. Plagued by knee injuries, he's been reduced to nearly full-time DHing. He's seen just 122 innings in left field this season, and while that's too small of a sample size to judge from, Matsui has never posted a positive UZR over the course of his eight major league seasons.

Matsui's numbers against left-handed pitching have taken a hit this season as well. While he holds a career OPS of .809 versus southpaws, his .679 mark this season isn't going to appeal to many teams.

There aren't many DHs already under contract for 2011, though the Red Sox and Twins hold options for David Ortiz and Jason Kubel. Vladimir Guerrero has a mutual option in Texas and Travis Hafner is set in Cleveland, but there could be a number of open destinations for Matsui. He'll join the likes of Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome, and his bat could be one of the more attractive DH options on the market thanks to his second-half surge.

At age 36 and unable to be counted on for defense, it's hard to see Matsui commanding multiple years on the free agent market. If a team believes his struggles against left-handed pitching are a fluke, his scorching second half could be enough to earn him a contract similar to the one he signed this past offseason.

MacPhail: O’s Will Look To Upgrade Offense

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The Orioles' bats haven't dazzled this season, ranking 27th in runs scored and 22nd in team OPS at .705. Peter Schmuck from the Baltimore Sun relays some information from Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, saying that the O's will look to upgrade those marks via free agency this offseason.

Sitting in the MASN broadcast booth during the Orioles game, MacPhail said they'd be looking at players who had a chance to improve their performance in 2011. Schmuck, like many Orioles fans, shudders at the thought of a repeat of this past offseason's Garrett Atkins signing, but that does seem to be what MacPhail was hinting at.

A couple of potential free agents who fit that mold could be (my own speculation) Jhonny Peralta (if his club option is declined) or Jorge Cantu. Several new candidates will likely arise in the form of non-tendered players, like Atkins a year prior. The O's won't be looking to break the bank on free agents though; MacPhail conceded that they're more than a player or two away from contention, but also said he isn't going to sit idly and wait.

Baltimore has a few players entrenched in their current positions — Matt Wieters, Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis. Luke Scott can play first base or the outfield, but has served as mostly a designated hitter. Overall though, they have the flexibility to look for veteran plug-ins for several spots on the diamond, and the money coming off the books to make it happen. Between Kevin Millwood, Cesar Izturis, Koji Uehara, and Ty Wigginton, the O's have over $20MM freeing up this winter.

Free Agent Stock Watch: John Buck

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Jose Bautista's incredible season has been the big story for the Blue Jays this year, and for good reason. After blasting his 49th long ball last night, Bautista is just two away from matching Davey Johnson's 1973 record for biggest home run jump in a single season. However, Bautista isn't the only Blue Jay veteran who's having an unexpected career year. Quietly, John Buck has hit .274/.303/.485 in 369 plate appearances and matched his career high in homers (18), while handling a young Toronto starting rotation. Let's break down his stock heading into free agency:

The Pros

  • Buck's offensive performance appears mostly sustainable. He slugged .484 in limited playing time in 2009, and has always had the ability to hit the ball out of the park. Plus, his OBP is right in line with his career rate.
  • His numbers haven't been inflated by playing in a homer-friendly park; he's actually hit better on the road (.841 OPS, 11 HR).
  • The free agent class of catchers doesn't look as impressive as it might have a few months ago. Veterans like Bengie Molina and A.J. Pierzynski have underperformed, and teams may not be entirely confident in Victor Martinez's ability behind the plate. Buck appears to be one of the more appealing options available.
  • At 30 years old, Buck should be able to withstand the wear-and-tear of catching for at least a few more seasons.
  • He'll likely remain a Type B free agent, meaning he won't cost a draft pick to sign.

The Cons

  • Buck's .274 batting average isn't a mark he's likely to repeat. He's a career .241 hitter and he has an unusually high BABIP this year.
  • His BB/K ratio is a career-worst 12/103.
  • The 30-year-old figures to be looking for a contract larger in both years and money than the one-year, $2MM deal he signed with the Jays. He was only a .235/.298/.407 career hitter prior to this season, so suitors may be reluctant to invest millions in him.

The Verdict

Even if the Blue Jays decide to roll the dice with J.P. Arencibia as their primary backstop next season, they should offer Buck arbitration. In the unlikely scenario that he accepts, they'll have him back at an affordable price. If he declines, Buck will probably be looking to land a multi-year deal elsewhere. Last winter, the 35-year-old Bengie Molina was coming off a season similar to Buck's and signed a one-year contract worth $4.5MM. I wouldn't be surprised to see Buck ink a two- or three-year deal for about the same yearly salary that Molina received.

Odds & Ends: Ellsbury, Pirates, Soto, Drew

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Links for Sunday, as the Padres, Giants, and Rockies find themselves separated by a single game in the NL West standings….

Dodgers Notes: Kemp, Ethier, Loney, Free Agents

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It's been an eventful week for the Dodgers, with news that Don Mattingly will replace Joe Torre as the team's manager. Let's check out a few more updates out of Los Angeles, as the club prepares for the offseason….

  • GM Ned Colletti says he doesn't intend to drastically overhaul his roster this winter, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. "A year like this makes you look at every aspect of the team and makes you more apt to listen [to trade overtures]," Colletti said. "But it won't make me aggressively tear it up."
  • Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times thinks that Colletti would be right not to move Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier, but argues that the club should look into dealing James Loney. He also suggests that signing a free agent outfielder should be the Dodgers' "only big winter expenditure."
  • According to Gurnick, Colletti would like to add a productive left fielder to replace Manny Ramirez. It's unclear whether the Dodgers will have the resources to bid on players like Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.
  • Catcher and third base also may be areas that need to be addressed, says Gurnick. Rod Barajas will be a free agent, Russell Martin will be recovering from a broken hip, and Casey Blake could be shifted into a utility role.
  • The team is expected to try to retain free agents Ted Lilly, Jay Gibbons, and Barajas. They could also attempt to bring back Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla, depending on asking price and health.
  • A few longtime Yankees weighed in on Torre's decision to step down, as Chad Jennings of the Journal News writes.

Davidoff On Beltran, Greinke, Takahashi, Kemp

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The Mets are sending "strong signals" that they'd like to trade Carlos Beltran this winter, an AL official tells Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Davidoff acknowledges that the Mets often seem to want to unload big contracts, but rarely follow through. However, Beltran, as opposed to Luis Castillo or Oliver Perez, is a player that other teams would have interest in. Here are Davidoff's other hot stove notes:

  • The Royals have Zack Greinke signed through 2012, but aren't sure whether they'll be competitive by then, so they'd be willing to listen to offers on their ace. Davidoff lists the Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, and Nationals as teams who might be interested.
  • Hisanori Takahashi is eligible for free agency this winter and would like to be a starting pitcher. One AL scout is skeptical: "Who’s going to sign him to start? Maybe a bad team, at the back end of their rotation. He’d be better off staying in the bullpen. He’s really good there."
  • Davidoff wonders if new Dodgers manager Don Mattingly will be more willing to deal with Matt Kemp than Joe Torre was. A scout compares Kemp to Alfonso Soriano, suggesting that both players lack baseball instincts and struggle to improve their games.

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