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Archives for November 2010

Five Teams Interested In Wily Mo Pena

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It's been awhile since he's seen time in the big leagues, but after a strong finish to 2010 with San Diego's Triple-A affiliate in Portland, five teams have expressed interest in Wily Mo Pena, MLBTR has learned.

Pena, 29 in January, was once a top prospect with the Yankees and the Reds. In 2004, the right-handed slugger belted 24 home runs as a 22-year-old and notched an impressive .843 OPS. Injuries limited his playing time in 2005, but he still hit 19 homers in just 335 plate appearances.

In 2006, he was traded to Boston for Bronson Arroyo, where he hit .301/.349/.489 over 304 plate appearances. Wrist surgery and other injuries limited Pena's playing time again that year, and he started off slowly the following year in 2007. He was then traded to Washington for a player to be named later.

Pena's time with the Nats got off to a great start, as he hit .293/.352/.504 with eight home runs over 145 plate appearances to close out the 2007 season. He started off terribly in 2008, however, hitting just .205/.243/.267, and hasn't appeared in the Majors since.

Power is always a hot commodity, and Pena's most recent stint in the minors saw the thunder that once made him a coveted prospect return. He raked to the tune of a .324/.390/.556 line with nine home runs in 159 plate appearances and has caught the attention of teams in both leagues. Pena also saw time at first base in 2010, which could appeal to potential suitors.

Injuries and inconsistency have always plagued the slugger, but Pena's power provides a great deal of upside with minimal risk.

Sherman’s Latest: Rivera, Jeter, Mets

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Joel Sherman's latest column for the New York Post touches on some issues relevant to both New York teams. Let's take a look:

  • Sherman wonders why Derek Jeter's contract situation has garnered such overwhelming amounts of attention, while Mariano Rivera's has drawn significantly less. Sherman opines that Rivera may be the most irreplaceable pitcher in baseball over the past 15 years, and that his contract situation is equally important and deserving of attention.
  • The Mets know their flexibility is lacking this offseason, and may have as little as $3MM-$5MM to spend on free agency.
  • The Mets' managerial search will likely be over no later than Tuesday, according to Sherman.
  • Sherman expects the Mets to wait until later in the offseason (after January 1 perhaps) for free agent prices to drop. He says the Mets will try to sign a reliever, possibly two, and possibly an affordable second baseman and reclamation project starter.

Regular Season Award Winners Cashing In

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Players take a lot of pride in individual awards. While most will say that team success outweighs winning a Cy Young, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, or MVP, there's no question that these achievements still serve as highlights in any player's career. There's more to it than just that, though. Many players have clauses in their contracts which award them extra cash for taking home these individual marks of excellence. As we're in the midst of award season currently, let's take a look at who's cashed in so far:

  • Mark Buehrle: The Chicago lefty took home his second Gold Glove and was rewarded with an extra $25K on top of his $14MM salary.
  • Joe Mauer: Minnesota's catcher earned his third Gold Glove and his fourth All Star nod, each netting him another $25K on top of his $12.5MM salary.
  • Evan Longoria: Longo grabbed his second Gold Glove and his third All Star appearance, bringing in $25K and $50K, respectively, for an additional $75K on top of his ridiculously affordable $950K salary.
  • Franklin Gutierrez: Seattle's standout center fielder finally took home a Gold Glove after missing out last season despite a terrific performance, and he'll bring home $50K to go along with his $2MM salary.
  • Yadier Molina: Both Molina's second straight All Star selection and third straight Gold Glove will earn him $50K, for a total of $100K, pushing his 2010 earnings to $4.35MM.
  • Albert Pujols: The NL's best player took home $25K for his All Star selection, $50K for his second Gold Glove, and $50K for his sixth Silver Slugger. Depending on where he finishes in the MVP voting, he'll take home $50K (third), $100K (second), or $200K (first).
  • Brandon Phillips: His second Gold Glove earned him a whopping $250K, as it caused his 2011 salary to increase from $11MM to $11.25MM.
  • Scott Rolen: Gold Gloves are nothing new for Rolen. He earned his eighth this season, and took home an additional $50K as a result. He also earned $25K for his sixth career All Star selection, for a total of $75K on top of his $6.5MM payday.
  • Troy Tulowitzki: It was a big year for Tulo, who earned his first All Star selection ($25K), Gold Glove ($25K), and Silver Slugger ($50K) to go along with his $3.5MM salary.
  • Michael Bourn: Bourn's second Gold Glove was good for $25K on top of his $2.4MM salary.
  • Shane Victorino: The Flyin' Hawaiian's third consecutive Gold Glove gave him a $50K bonus on top of his $5MM salary.
  • Matt Holliday: His fifth NL Silver Slugger brought in $50K, as did his All Star Selection, netting him $100K in addition to the $17MM he had already earned.
  • Felix Hernandez: King Felix's 2010 Cy Young earned him a cool million dollars, as his 2011 salary will now increase from $10MM to $11MM.
  • David Price: The sensational lefty's second-place Cy Young finish earned him $80K on top of his $1MM salary.
  • Jered Weaver: The AL strikeout king's fifth place finish in the Cy Young voting earned him $50K.
  • Adam Wainwright: A second place finish in the 2010 Cy Young voting earned Wainwright an additional $100K on top of his meager $4.65MM salary.
  • Ubaldo Jimenez: His third-place finish in the Cy Young voting added $50K to his dirt cheap $1.25MM salary.

Obviously, this isn't a complete list, as not all players' award clauses are available to the public. Still, that's a total of over $2MM in award bonuses, with the MVPs still to come this week.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Grant Balfour

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One member of the Rays' 2010 bullpen has already inked a lucrative three-year deal, but Joaquin Benoit won't be the only Tampa Bay reliever to draw interest this winter. Let's examine the stock of Grant Balfour, another of the team's free agent right-handers.

The Good

  • Balfour posted a 2.98 ERA in three seasons for Tampa Bay, including a 2.28 mark in 2010. In his 181 innings over the last three years, he's struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings, and even closed occasionally, recording eight saves.
  • He has enjoyed that success while playing in the tough AL East, so there shouldn't be any doubt about his ability to play for any team in either league.
  • When MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked the top 50 free agents, he placed Balfour just a few spots behind Benoit. Considering Benoit earned a $16.5MM deal, Balfour's odds of signing for multiple years look good.

The Bad

  • Balfour is a Type A free agent, meaning it'll cost a high draft pick to sign him if he declines arbitration. For teams with protected first round picks or teams who sign two or three Type A players, this won't be as significant an issue, but it could limit his market to some extent.
  • Though the 33-year-old doesn't have a history of health problems, he did spend a month on the disabled list in 2010 with a rib injury.
  • Balfour has only thrown more than 60 innings once in his career, in 2009. It was the worst of his seasons with the Rays (4.81 ERA, 4.4 BB/9).

The Verdict

We haven't heard much yet about the market for Balfour this offseason, but he's coming off an impressive 2010 campaign and should be one of the more appealing non-closers available. MLBTR's writers were split on where the righty will land, with the Diamondbacks, Yankees, and Dodgers receiving votes. I'd imagine the Mets, Angels, Red Sox, and a handful of other teams would have some interest as well.

The Levinson Brothers, who negotiated Benoit's contract, also represent Balfour, and will likely be hunting for a similar offer. While I don't think they'll match the three years and $16.5MM that Benoit received from the Tigers, I expect Balfour to land a two-year, eight-figure deal.

New York Notes: Jeter, Rivera, Mets Manager

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Here are the latest rumblings out of New York, with an emphasis on Derek Jeter's contract discussions and the Mets' managerial opening….

  • Jeter's agent, Casey Close is baffled by the Yankees' negotiating tactics, writes Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News. "There's a reason the Yankees themselves have stated Derek Jeter is their modern-day Babe Ruth," Close said. "Derek's significance to the team is much more than just stats."
  • Jeter "has every right to battle the Yankees," says Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
  • Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork discusses the future of the Yankee captain with Jeter's trainer, Jason Riley, who thinks the 36-year-old could have another seven good years left in him. I can't say I share Riley's optimism, though a bounceback 2011 season from Jeter wouldn't surprise me.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com reported on Friday that Mariano Rivera has told friends he'd like a two-year deal with the Yanks. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch doesn't expect that to be a problem for the team.
  • Former Mets skipper Davey Johnson tells Mike Puma of the New York Post that, as much as he likes Wally Backman, Terry Collins should be the club's next manager.
  • According to major league executives that spoke to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Mets are placing a high value on past major league managerial experience, making either Collins and Bob Melvin the likely choice.

Cafardo On Crawford, Lee, Upton, Dodgers

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This week's Sunday Baseball Notes piece from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is packed with juicy hot stove tidbits. According to one of Cafardo's major league sources, the Angels have had "serious talks" with Carl Crawford. The team's front office has been mum on the subject, but they've long been viewed as a strong potential suitor for the speedy outfielder. When five MLBTR writers predicted free agent destinations, all five guessed Crawford would sign with the Halos. Here are some of the other highlights from Cafardo's column:

  • "Word is" that the Yankees are currently willing to offer Cliff Lee about $115MM over five years. Cafardo says the Rangers are aiming to match whatever the bidding gets up to, while the Nationals are also still in the hunt. Earlier in the week, Nolan Ryan said he didn't expect Texas to be able to outbid the Yanks for Lee.
  • One National League scout said if he had limited trade chips to put toward a big bat, he'd acquire Adrian Gonzalez over Justin Upton. Gonzo is, as the scout notes, currently a "much better hitter," though he's also five years older than Upton and only under contract through 2011.
  • While Cafardo adds Kansas City to the list of teams who have "considerable interest" in Upton, we learned Friday that the 23-year-old can block a trade to the Royals.
  • The Dodgers would like to add a veteran "who can step up and be vocal when times are tough." Cafardo speculates that A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Uribe, or Johnny Damon could be a good fit.
  • The Dodgers are also considering signing a low-cost starter, and haven't ruled out bringing back Vicente Padilla.
  • "More and more teams" in need of middle infield help are eyeing Uribe.
  • The Nationals and Giants, in addition to the Orioles, have some interest in trading for Jason Bartlett. The Rays are looking for young bullpen help in return.
  • Mark Prior, attempting to make it back to the bigs, has three teams waiting on his decision, according to his agent, John Boggs.
  • Not all of the clubs who are showing interest in acquiring Marco Scutaro would necessarily use him at shortstop. The Dodgers could have interest in Scutaro as a second baseman, Cafardo says.

Nationals Could Make Offer To Vazquez Next Week

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The Nationals have expressed interest in free agent righty Javier Vazquez according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (via Twitter), and it's possible that the club could make him a contract offer as soon as next week. Vazquez expressed an interest in pitching for the team at the end of last month.

The Nats have let if be known that they are ready to spend to upgrade their rotation, showing interest in everyone from Cliff Lee to Carl Pavano and now Vazquez. They'll have competition from another NL East club though, Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez met with Javy in Puerto Rico earlier today. The 34-year-old righty had a 5.32 ERA in 157 1/3 innings for the Yankees in 2010, but he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2009 and was good for 200 or so innings with lots of strikeouts on an annual basis for the decade before that. 

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Royals, Sizemore, Matsui

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Links for Saturday…

Non-Tender Candidate: Joel Zumaya

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The deadline for teams to offer contracts to players with fewer than six years of service time is less than two weeks away. An entirely new batch of free agents will hit the market as clubs non-tender guys they a) don't want, b) can't afford, or c) usually a combination of both. One player that's on the bubble was one of the game's most electrifying rookies just a few years ago, Joel Zumaya of the Tigers.

Zumaya burst onto the scene as a 21-year-old in 2006 with a season that was straight out of a video game. He threw 83 1/3 innings of relief, striking out 97 batters and allowing just 18 earned runs to score (1.94 ERA) before chipping in another six innings of relief work during Detroit's march to the World Series. His fastball routinely exceeded 100 mph and batters mustered just a .187/.287/.270 batting line against. Zumaya did, however, miss some time in October after suffering tendinitis in his wrist while playing Guitar Hero, and it was pretty much all downhill from there.

The 2007 season featured a lengthy (107 days) stint on the disabled list because of a ruptured tendon in his finger, and when Zumaya was on the mound he pitched to a 4.28 ERA in 33 2/3 innings. The righty then separated the AC joint in his throwing shoulder after the season while helping his father move boxes as wildfires approached the family home in San Diego. Zumaya started the 2008 season on the DL but made it back in June, pitching to a 3.47 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. He ended the year like he started it, on the DL with a shoulder injury. This time it was a stress fracture.

Zumaya started the 2009 campaign on the DL but was activated in late April. He threw 31 innings through mid-July (4.94 ERA), but his season ended there because of another stress fracture in his shoulder. This one required surgery. Zumaya was healthy enough to start the 2010 season with the Tigers, and he boasted an impressive 2.58 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 38 1/3 innings through June. His fastball was again humming in the triple digits and Detroit had one of the game's best setup men in their bullpen. But again, it did not last. Zumaya's season ended on June 28th in Minnesota, when he fractured the olecranon in his elbow throwing a pitch, an injury that was particularly horrifying to watch live.

Since that stellar rookie campaign, Zumaya has been able to make more than 30 appearances in a season just once (31 in 2010), and he spent more days on the disabled list (450) than on the active roster (278). All the while his salary climbed from $327K in 2006 to $915K in 2010, and he's about to enter his final season of arbitration eligibility. 

GM Dave Dombrowski recently told MLive.com's James Schmehl that Zumaya would be ready for Spring Training, which seems to indicate that the now 26-year-old's rehab is going well. We also know that the Tigers are looking to add pieces to their bullpen, evidenced by the contract they just gave Joaquin Benoit. Normally you'd expect a pitcher as unreliable as Zumaya (because of the injuries, not his actual performance) to get non-tendered, but his salary is reasonably low (even with a slight raise) and Detroit did shed approximately $70MM off of 2010's payroll thanks to expiring contracts.

Tell us what you think; will the Tigers non-tender Zumaya in 12 days, or will they keep him? Click here to vote, and here to view the results. 

Poll: Scott Downs’ Next Contract

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Earlier this evening I took a look at the free agent stock of reliever Scott Downs, arguably the best non-closer still available on the open market. Joaquin Benoit broke the ice this past week when he accepted the Tigers' contract offer of three years and $16.5MM, presumably giving Downs and his camp a comparable they can use as a basis for their demands.

There are obvious differences between the two relievers, of course. Downs is just about a year older than Benoit but his health history is considerably better. He also has a much longer track record when it comes to being a top shelf reliever, and being left-handed certainly doesn't hurt. It's reasonable to think that Downs could command a larger contract than Benoit, but it's been quite some time since a reliever landed a deal that big. Time for the poll…

Will Downs land a contract larger than Benoit's?

Click here to vote and here to see the results. Thanks in advance.

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