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Archives for February 2011

Royals Notes: Moustakas, Hosmer, Ka’aihue, Young

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Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star answered a number of Royals-related questions during an online chat with fans today.  Here are a few of the more notable items…

  • The Royals' highly-touted farm system has more depth than ever, so Dutton explains that this wave of prospects will be different than past (failed) "youth movements" in Kansas City.  "Will some guys flop?  Absolutely," Dutton writes.  "But the depth is so good that not ALL of them will flop.  Some should be really good."
  • Dutton thinks Mike Moustakas will be in the majors by June, but Eric Hosmer may be a September call-up at best since K.C. wants to give Kila Ka'aihue "an extended look."
  • Speaking of Ka'aihue, Dutton notes that if Hosmer lives up to expectations, the question for Kansas City becomes whether Ka'aihue or Billy Butler is the better long-term DH.  You'd expect Butler would have the edge given his proven hitting abilty and recent contract extension, but that team-friendly deal (four years/$30MM, plus a 2015 team option) could make Butler very attractive on the trade market.
  • Moustakas' arrival could turn Wilson Betemit into "trade bait," but Dutton notes that Betemit could take over at second if Chris Getz can't handle the job.
  • The Royals have no interest in Michael Young.  He's both too costly and would block "high-quality alternatives" from the minors at various infield positions.
  • "The Royals appear committed to opening the season with Melky Cabrera in center," Dutton writes.  Kansas City signed Cabrera before they acquired Lorenzo Cain from Milwaukee, but Dutton notes that Cain could he called up from the minors should he play well.  Cabrera is only slated to earn $1.25MM in 2011, so the Royals wouldn't be sending a lot of money to the bench if Cain usurped the center field job.  Dutton mentions later in the chat that the Royals can be flexible with Cain since he has minor league options left.
  • Dutton thinks the Blue Jays and Braves will regret trading minor league left-hander Tim Collins.  The 21-year-old was sent to Atlanta in the Yunel Escobar deal last summer and then became a Royal at the trade deadline as part of the package that sent Kyle Farnsworth and Rick Ankiel to the Braves.
  • "It's a long shot" that the Royals would try to sign Zack Greinke after the right-hander's contract expires after 2012.

Buehrle Leaning Towards Playing After 2011 Season

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Mark Buehrle's contract with the White Sox is up after this season, and two years ago, the southpaw discussed the possibility of retiring once his obligations to the Sox were complete.  Now, however, Buehrle tells CSNChicago.com's Chuck Garfien that "the percentage is going down" that the left-hander will walk away from the game after 2011.

After a talk with his wife in the offseason, Buehrle said he intends to pursue another contract for 2012 and beyond.  He noted, however, that unless the situation is ideal for him, he actually will retire.

“If the White Sox don’t want to sign me back after this year and some team (wants me) that I’m not a fan of, or don’t want to play for, or it’s too far from home, I’m not going to go play just to make money," Buehrle said.  "It’s going to have to be the right spot, the right fit for my family.” 

Buehrle said he wants to play for a winning team and he already has in mind a few clubs that would play for and others that he "will not go to no matter how much money or what the situation is.”  The Cardinals are on the former list (Buehrle, a Missouri native, has spoken in the past about his dream to join the Cards) and he stops just short of saying that the Cubs are on his "no chance" list.

His first choice is to continue pitching for the White Sox, though Buehrle isn't sure if the feeling is mutual.  “I don’t know what the team has moneywise for the next couple years," Buehrle said.  "There’s a lot of factors. They might have someone else up and coming and they don’t even want me back. I’m open to whatever."

Since his initial mention of retirement two years ago, Buehrle has delivered a solid 4.06 ERA and 2.17 K/BB ratio in 66 starts, authored a perfect game against Tampa Bay in 2009 and won two Gold Gloves.  The left-hander is still young (he turns 32 next month) so if he does choose to keep pitching, there will no shortage of teams interested in his services.  Looking at the list of 2012 free agents, Buehrle would arguably be the top free agent pitcher on the market unless C.C. Sabathia opts out of his contract or St. Louis doesn't pick up Chris Carpenter's option.

NL Central Notes: La Russa, Pujols, Pence, Brewers

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Let's look at some notes from the NL Central as we remember the legendary Harry Caray, who passed away on this day in 1998.

  • The close relationship between Tony La Russa and Albert Pujols may be the Cardinals' "secret weapon" for keeping Pujols in St. Louis, writes SI.com's Jon Heyman.  Of course, La Russa's own contract is only guaranteed through this season, and he could very well decide his future with the club before Pujols has to this winter.  A St. Louis Post-Dispatch roundtable looks at how the futures of the Cardinals manager and slugger are intertwined.
  • The Cubs "should move heaven and earth" to acquire Pujols if he hits the free agent market, says ESPN's Michael Wilbon.  The potential pros of signing a franchise player outweigh, in Wilbon's opinion, the record-setting costs a Pujols contract could entail: "Please don't bother me with what might happen when Pujols reaches 40 or 41 years of age and whether he'll be overpaid by then….when the alternative is stealing away your hated rival's best-ever player and putting him into your lineup in the prime of his life."
  • Hunter Pence's arbitration case took place this morning, and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart talks to Astros GM Ed Wade about the process.  The arbitration panel is expected to have a decision ready by Saturday.  Pence is the last remaining arb-eligible player without a contract, as MLBTR's ArbTracker indicates. 
  • The Brewers have signed pre-arb players Zach Braddock, Chris Dickerson, Brandon Kintzler and Jonathan Lucroy to contracts, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  • Reds prospect Yonder Alonso is continuing his outfield training this spring, and talks to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon about how learning a different position is key to his future in Cincinnati.  Alonso's natural position, first base, is of course blocked by NL MVP Joey Votto.
  • "There is still a good chance" the Astros will trade Jeff Keppinger once the veteran infielder proves he's healthy after offseason foot surgery, says ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill.  Houston shopped Keppinger during the Winter Meetings, with the Yankees showing some interest, but negotiations didn't pan out.

Poll: Jose Bautista’s Extension

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Jose Bautista, an unlikely home run champion if there ever was one, signed a five-year, $64MM extension yesterday. The Blue Jays are hoping that the 30-year-old's breakout season (.260/.378/.617 line, 54 homers) is a sign that Bautista has transformed himself as a hitter. The skeptics, however, are not convinced that one year of elite production warrants a $64MM commitment.

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has earned the benefit of the doubt, if you ask ESPN.com's Buster Olney. But Olney says he probably would have traded Bautista if any team "dangled an acceptable package" and let another organization risk its money.

Dave Cameron of FanGraphs, who wasn't sure about the deal initially, says he likes the extension the more he considers it. Bautista has unusually good control of the strike zone and can still be one of baseball's most productive hitters if his power drops off, according to Cameron.

Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm that he believes in Bautista and is willing to take a calculated risk on him. Would you have done the same thing?

Quick Hits: Liriano, Guerrero, Fielder, D’Antona

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On this date in 2009, the Mariners welcomed Ken Griffey Jr. back to Seattle, signing him to a one-year deal. The Kid hit 19 homers in his age-39 season and re-signed with Seattle for one last season before the 2010 campaign. Last year went poorly for Junior, but he's back in Seattle as a consultant this year. Here are today's links…

  • Francisco Liriano told La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he doesn't think his representatives had serious discussions with the Twins about a long-term deal during the offseason. (Twitter link).
  • Vladimir Guerrero says he hasn't thought about retirement, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter). The Orioles finalized their deal with Vlad today.
  • Brewers manager Ron Roenicke told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he doesn't expect Prince Fielder's contract status to be "an issue" for the team this year (Twitter link). Prince hits free agency for the first time after the coming season.
  • The Marlins released Jamie D'Antona, according to MLB.com's transactions page. They signed the third baseman last month after he spent two seasons in Japan. The 2003 second rounder clubbed 36 homers for the Yakult Swallows last year.
  • Tim Dierkes ranks this year's crop of third basemen from a fantasy perspective at RotoAuthority.

Extensions That Didn’t Buy Out Free Agent Years

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When MLBTR's Tim Dierkes and I examined the reasons teams do and don't extend young starters last fall, it became apparent that obtaining control of free agent years was critical for teams considering extensions. By locking a player up for one or more of his free agent seasons, the team gets to keep the player for longer, without having to bid for him on the open market.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein weighed in on extensions for arbitration eligible players this morning and explained that he doesn't like the idea of extending players if they aren't willing to sign a deal that includes a free agent season.

"If we’re going to sign arbitration-eligible players long term, we have to get one free agent year and we have to get an option for the club," Epstein said on WEEI. "Because we’re giving the player certainty. We need to be able get some of those prime years back in exchange. That makes it a fair bargain."

Most of the 21 arbitration eligible players who signed extensions this offseason surrendered at least one year of free agency, but nine players signed multiyear deals that provided them with security without delaying their arrival on the free agent market.

There are potential benefits for the teams that signed extensions without gaining control of their players' free agent years. The clubs obtained cost certainty and may end up saving money through arbitration, so free agent years aren't the only variable in play. The arbitration eligible players below signed extensions that did not include free agent years this offseason (sorted by most guaranteed dollars):

These extensions are by no means a new trend. Last winter alone, Mark Reynolds, Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson, Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton and Matt Kemp signed extensions that didn't cover any free agent years.

Fukudome Wants To Play In MLB, With Cubs

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Kosuke Fukudome, whose contract expires after the coming season, told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that he wants to continue his MLB career after 2011 (Twitter link). The 33-year-old, who bought a house in Chicago, says he'd like to remain with the Cubs.

Fukudome earns $13.5MM this year in the final season of the four-year, $48MM deal he signed before the 2008 season. He hit .263/.371/.439 with 13 homers in 429 plate appearances last year. The left-handed hitter may not have lived up to expectations, but he does have a .368 OBP in his three years in the majors.

Jack Of All Trades: My Birthday Edition

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As someone who shares a birthday with Michael Jordan, Lou Diamond Phillips and Paris Hilton, the talents I bring to the table should be obvious. Yet I look to those baseball players born on my birthday constantly for affirmation and for ammunition in my ongoing effort to convince my wife that my birthday team will beat her birthday team, a battle she consistently meets with what I can only assume is an affect of indifference.

I turned 31 on Thursday, February 17, and thought it would be a good time to once again check out my zodiac compatriots. Alas, no one new has emerged since Brian Bruney, who stumbled through the 2010 season. But it also led me to wonder – are teams better off trading for players born on my birthday, or trading them away?

As mentioned before, Bruney doesn't present a strong case. Dealt by the Yankees to the Nationals for Jamie Hoffmann in the winter of 2009, Bruney pitched to a 7.64 ERA over 17.2 innings in 2010 before getting uncermoniously dumped in May. Hoffman, whom the Nationals had acquired in the Rule 5 draft from the Dodgers, was eventually returned by the Yankees to the Dodgers, where he still threatens to break through as a fifth outfielder. In other words, strike one.

Josh Willingham, born exactly one year before me, makes a better case for my people. Acquired by Washington with Scott Olsen from Florida for Jake Smolinski, P.J. Dean and Emilio Bonifacio, Willingham gave the Nats a pair of solid offensive seasons, with a 127 OPS+ in 2009, a 129 OPS+ in 2010. The Athletics traded for him this winter, giving up Corey Brown and promising young pitcher Henry Rodriguez of the close rivals, the Fightin' February Twenty-Fifths. The jury's still out on this one.

Going further back in time, the February 17th connection had a feel-good story in Roger Craig, born on that date in 1930. After a pair of seasons with the Mets in 1962 and 1963, campaigns in which Craig pitched reasonably well, but piled up a combined 46 losses, the Cardinals acquired him for pitcher Bill Wakefield and outfielder George Altman.

While Wakefield was mediocre and Altman was well below that, Craig had a magnificent season in St. Louis, pitching to a 118 ERA+ and even striking out nine over five scoreless innings in the World Series. He is a monument to the best a February 17 trade can work out. His transaction a year later, along with Charlie James to Cincinnati for Bob Purkey, ended with little value on either side. Purkey was born in, of all months, July.

As for the most famous February 17 baseball baby: that would be Wally Pipp back in 1893, who was never traded, only sold. One can imagine the Yankees were able to drive up his price only so far following the 1925 season in which Lou Gehrig established himself, making idle threats about keeping Pipp for another 48 years, then installing him at Designated Hitter. We learn little from Pipp's example in terms of trade value, but it reminds me of an important lesson: never take Tim up on an offer to take the day off. We February 17ths are easily replaced.

Details On Albert Pujols’ Negotiations With St. Louis

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The Cardinals did not extend Albert Pujols by Wednesday's deadline, but it wasn't for a lack of creativity. The team was open to outside-the-box deals with the slugger, though talks have now been tabled until after the season. Here are the details on some of the deals the team proposed:

  • Pujols will likely sign a deal worth at least $25MM per season, as Tom Verducci of SI.com points out. A source close to Pujols tells Verducci that the first baseman isn't about the money. "He has enough and his charitable work is amazing. He has flown doctors and dentists to the Dominican to give kids there access to health care. But he is someone with intense pride. He has worked hard to turn himself into the best hitter in baseball and he's earned the right to be treated that way in negotiations. It's not about greed with Albert. I think it's pride."
  • The Cards offered a deal that was "slightly better" than Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180MM contract, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (on Twitter).
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com reported yesterday that the Cardinals offered Pujols a nine-year extension worth more than $200MM and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported Wednesday that they offered Pujols a deal worth roughly $19-21MM per season.
  • Pujols was interested in owning part of the Cardinals and the team explored the possibility, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Players cannot "directly or indirectly, own stock or have any financial interest in the ownership or earnings of any Major League Club," unless the Commissioner approves the agreement, but Bud Selig could be open to allowing such an arrangement between Pujols and the Cardinals.
  • Goold lists some players, including former Cardinals great Rogers Hornsby and current Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, who have gone on to own teams.

Rays Sign Joe Inglett

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The Rays signed Joe Inglett to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training, the team announced. The 32-year-old, who was non-tendered by Milwaukee in December, will provide the Rays with depth on the infield and in the outfield.

Inglett appeared in 102 games for the Brewers last year, hitting .254/.331/.401 and playing second base, left field and right field. He has also played shortstop, third base and center field over the course of his five-year MLB career. The left-handed hitter has a .286/.345/.397 line in the majors, so he's a potential source of OBP off of manager Joe Maddon's bench.

Elliot Johnson, Felipe Lopez and Casey Kotchman will also be battling for spots on the Rays' bench. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times first reported the Inglett signing.

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