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Archives for January 2011

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Wells, Butler, Weeks, Cubs

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The Brewers signed Jim Edmonds to a minor-league contract one year ago today, even though the outfielder did not play at all during the 2009 season. He hit a more than respectable .286/.350/.493 with eight homers in 240 plate appearances before being traded to the Reds for Chris Dickerson. All told, the 40-year-old Edmonds hit .276/.342/.504 last season, though he battled oblique and achilles strains.

Here is this week's collection of links…

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Heyman On Pettitte, Millwood, Molina, Wandy

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Yankees people seem a bit more optimistic about the potential return of Andy Pettitte, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. They’ll consider alternatives such as Kevin Millwood, but only after hearing from Pettitte. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:

  • The Indians and Royals remain possibilities for Millwood.
  • One rival executive doesn’t think the Bartolo Colon signing means much for the Yankees. "There is no real risk. But there is no real reward, either," the executive said.
  • Bengie Molina might consider returning for “special opportunities,” Heyman writes.
  • The Rangers and GM Jon Daniels have started discussing a contract extension and Rangers people expect a new deal for Daniels, whose current contract expires after the 2011 season.
  • One competing executive believes the Astros overpaid for Wandy Rodriguez. I don’t mind this deal for the Astros, since solid left-handed starters aren’t cheap or easy to find and Rodriguez was about to hit free agency.

Rockies, Ian Stewart Avoid Arbitration

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FRIDAY: Stewart will earn $2.22875MM, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). That's below the $2.375MM midpoint, closer to the Rockies' submission. MLBTR has learned that if Stewart stays healthy and reaches his incentives next season he will earn $2.35MM. 

THURSDAY: The Rockies have avoided arbitration with third baseman Ian Stewart, MLBTR has learned.  With salary submissions of $2.6MM and $2.15MM, the sides had been $450K apart on the Super Two player's first arbitration year.  Stewart's settlement amount is not yet known, but his agreement means the Rockies have taken care of all their arbitration eligible players according to our Arb Tracker.

Stewart, 26 in April, hit .256/.338/.443 in 441 plate appearances in 2010.  He projects as the Rockies' starting third baseman once again, though they've got backup options in Jose Lopez, Ty Wigginton, and Joe Crede.

Blue Jays Look Forward To Eventual Payroll Boost

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When you think of deep-pocketed AL East teams, you think of the Yankees and Red Sox. But the Blue Jays once had one of the biggest payrolls in the game and their president says it can happen again.

"With this city, with this country, with our market, we should be a city that can have $140 or $150MM in the way of salaries," team president Paul Beeston said at the State of the Franchise even in Toronto last night. "We should be able to support that and that's the direction that we're headed to."

The Blue Jays' payroll will likely sit in the $65-70MM range this year, though the precise figure will depend on how arbitration cases with Jose Bautista, Frank Francisco and Jason Frasor turn out and whether GM Alex Anthopoulos acquires more players.

As aggressive as Anthopoulos was on the trade market, the Blue Jays have been relatively quiet in free agency this offseason. They're one of eight teams that didn't sign a free agent to a multiyear deal, but that could change in a few years, as the club becomes more aggressive in free agency. And whether it's trades, free agency or the draft, the Blue Jays say that they make their moves with one primary goal in mind.

“We’re not here to be a competitive baseball team," Beeston said. "We’re here to win the World Series on a sustainable basis.”

 

Front-Office Notes: Mets, Indians, Jays, Padres

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While arbitration cases continue to be settled and the final handful of straggling free agents negotiate with potential suitors, here's some notes from a few front offices around the Majors on Thursday …

  • Mets owner Fred Wilpon said that he'd like to see former GM Omar Minaya return to the team in an advisory role, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Minaya, of course, was replaced by Sandy Alderson following the 2010 season but remains under contract with the Mets and is owed approximately $1.1MM annually through 2012. Wilpon said Minaya is a good person and would be a welcome re-addition to the organization, but he understands that Minaya has needed time to evaluate his options. Begley speculates that Minaya could return in a talent-evaluation capacity, perhaps internationally.
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti said that he expects to land another player or two this offseason, tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Bastian notes that the Tribe could still use a third baseman and starting pitcher, in particular. Antonetti is in his first year as Indians GM.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said that Toronto is likely done making any major moves this offseason, but minor ones remain possible, according to Shi Davidi of the Candian Press (twitter links). Of course, Anthopoulos added the caveat that this could change with one phone call.
  • Padres GM Jed Hoyer, similar to Anthopoulos, said he has a pretty good idea of what his club is going to look like this season, barring any unforeseen injuries, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com. Hoyer is happy with the Padres' offseason in the wake of the momentous Adrian Gonzalez swap, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and said that the organization targeted free agents who were coming off down seasons in 2010 in the hopes that they might rebound with the Friars in 2011.

Quick Hits: Law’s Top 100, Mahar, Sisk

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While the Angels have picked up a reputation for adding pricey outfielders in recent years, they have a highly touted, cheap one on the farm in Mike Trout. Here's more on him and some other items of note …

  • Trout is ranked No. 1 on ESPN analyst Keith Law's list of Top 100 prospects of 2011, released Thursday. Leading the charge with regard to top-25 prospects are the Royals and Rays, with three apiece. Be sure to keep the names on this list in mind, as some of them will surely come up in trade talks this season and into next offseason. In fact, two of the top 25 have already been dealt: The Blue Jays' Kyle Drabek (formerly of the Phillies) and the Padres' Casey Kelly (formerly of the Red Sox).
  • The Orioles are one team that has shown interest in minor league free agent Kevin Mahar pending the resolution of the Vladimir Guerrero situation, MLBTR has learned.  Teams are considering Mahar as an outfielder/first baseman at the Triple-A level, after the 29-year-old hit .261/.342/.423 for the Phillies' Double-A affiliate.
  • The Orioles will be in attendance when free-agent pitcher Justin Duchscherer throws a bullpen session in Arizona on Friday, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. However, that is not to overstate Baltimore's interest, Kubatko notes, because scouting a pitcher's bullpen session is fairly common, and teams can only glean so much from it.
  • The Royals announced left-hander Brandon Sisk as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, and the Brewers did the same of infielder Erick Almonte, according to press releases from each club.
  • Angels owner Arte Moreno said that the addition of Vernon Wells' salary will not preclude the team from engaging in contract-extension talks with young stars Jered Weaver and Kendry Morales, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. The Halos have already begun those talks with Weaver.

Mariners Retaining Milton Bradley

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The Mariners plan to keep Milton Bradley and have him compete for a starting job in Spring Training, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.

Bradley was arrested earlier this month after allegedly threatening a woman in southern California — the latest in a long line of off-field troubles — leading some to wonder whether the M's would cut bait with the embattled outfielder/DH.

Bradley is entering the final year of a three-year contract he originally signed with the Cubs prior to the 2009 season. He was dealt to Seattle before last season.

As for whether the outcome of Bradley's court date could change the Mariners' decision to keep him, GM Jack Zduriencik declined comment, Stone writes.

Bradley, 33, played in just 73 games in 2010.

Orioles Sign Nick Bierbrodt

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The Orioles have signed left-handed pitcher Nick Bierbrodt to a minor-league deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Bierbrodt, a former first-round pick, is something of a blast from the past, at least on the Major League scene. He spent all of 2010 in the Rockies' organization, according to Rosenthal, and last appeared in the bigs with the Rangers in 2004.

For his career, Bierbrodt has a 6.66 ERA in 144 2/3 innings, with 7.0 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9.

There is a connection here, as Rosenthal notes, as O's skipper Buck Showalter is familiar with Bierbrodt from his days as Arizona's manager. The Diamondbacks drafted Bierbrodt in 1996.

Spanish Links: Garcia, Belaguer, Rangers

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Links in Spanish as the 2011 Caribbean Series inches closer…

  • The White Sox may be considering Freddy Garcia, but Garcia had a different team in his sights when he spoke yesterday with Israel Pacheco Velásquez from the Venezuelan paper Meridiano. "My preference is to be with the New York Yankees, and it's not unreasonable to have that in mind, because I've demonstrated that I can be useful," Garcia said. "A team like New York would be ideal for my age, [as would ] playing in a successful, media-heavy, demanding division. Without doubt it would be an inspiration." Garcia's only previous sojourn to New York came in January 2009, when he signed with the Mets, only to be released in April after a disastrous spring. Garcia insists the team simply never gave him a chance, but his successful 2010 campaign should guarantee a longer leash. Garcia said he plans to sign soon, no matter the team.
  • The Marlins have had discussions internally about signing Cuban outfielder Yasiel Balaguer, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The 18-year-old has worked out for the Cubs and had a recent tryout for the Mariners rained out, reported Michael Miller at the Miami New Times yesterday. However, lest we get ahead of ourselves, Balaguer's agent Carlos Perez at Miami Sports Consulting informed El Nuevo Herald's Jorge Ebro that Balaguer has yet to be unblocked by the State Department after defecting in November.
  • The high percentage of Latino players on the Rangers' roster helps the team to maximize on the potential of its prosects, general manager Jon Daniels told Julio E. Castro at the Dominican paper El Caribe. "[Latino players] are the ones that are in charge of advising our prospects, especially those from the Dominican Republic," Daniels said. "Thanks to them, we were able to advance to the World Series last season, and this year, they're key to our goals once again." The Rangers' current 40-man roster includes eight Latino players, down from 12 on last season's roster. Vladimir Guerrero noted last year that the Latino "heart and soul" of the team and its Spanish-friendly clubhouse were key attractions to him as a free agent.

Cubs Agree To Deals With Pair Of Cuban Players

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The Cubs have reached agreements to sign a pair of Cuban players, MLBTR's Nick Collias has learned.  They'll be signing outfielder Ruby Silva for $1.2MM as well as catcher Yaniel Cabezas for $500K.

Silva, 21, is a versatile left-handed hitter who played center field for the champion Havana Vaqueros in the 48th Cuban National series.  He can play all three outfield positions and perhaps even the middle infield.  He's a good athlete who draws praise as a plus runner with a plus arm.  He could begin his pro career in low A ball with the Peoria Chiefs.

Cabezas is a catch-and-throw backstop who reminds some of a young Yadier Molina, though his bat has improved in the last year.

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