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Archives for April 2011

Dodgers Takeover Links: Friday

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MLB took over the Dodgers' financial operations on Wednesday, and a trustee should be appointed any day now.  Yesterday owners of other teams such as Mark Attanasio, Lew Wolff, and Tom Werner denied interest in buying the Dodgers, though ESPN's Buster Olney passes along the opinion of a longtime executive who feels an interested team owner would keep such intentions secret until the last possible moment.  Today's links, with the latest to be added at the top:

  • "Business as usual" is the operative phrase being thrown around Dodger Stadium, writes SI.com's Tom Verducci. He looks at how the takeover could impact the team's on-field product with regards to the draft, midseason trades, contract extensions, and more. 
  • In a free article at Baseball Prospectus, Steve Goldman examines the first time MLB took over the Dodgers, back in 1929.
  • Lots of good reading on this topic from ESPN's Jayson Stark today.  He found one sports attorney who thinks McCourt at least has a shot in a lawsuit against MLB, since MLB does not appear to treat its troubled franchises the same.  Also, Stark feels the pressure will be on for the Dodgers' next owner to crank payroll up to the $150MM range.
  • The team's baseball operations department "will continue to work under the same guidelines and budget," Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times learned from GM Ned Colletti (Twitter link). 
  • Commissioner Bud Selig seized control of the Dodgers partly because the other owners "fear the devaluation of their own franchises" from Frank McCourt's actions, reports Yahoo's Tim Brown.  In particular, the other owners do not want to see McCourt undersell the Dodgers' valuable TV rights.  Brown's sources believe Selig felt secure in his legal standing before making the decision to take over the Dodgers.
  • Fox loaned McCourt $30MM to make April payroll partially because Time Warner was "ready and willing to assist him with his financial problems," reports Diane Pucin of the L.A. Times.  Fox, of course, has a tentative agreement worth $3 billion over 20 years for the team's TV rights, which has not been approved by Selig.

Stark On Mets, Fielder, Nationals

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The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…

  • People all over baseball predict that Commissioner Bud Selig will eventually have to act on the Mets' situation, perhaps engineering a "soft landing" that would allow Fred Wilpon a graceful exit.
  • A couple executives Stark spoke to don't feel that Adrian Gonzalez's seven-year, $154MM extension with the Red Sox will affect Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder.  I imagine there are some teams that will try to say Fielder doesn't deserve significantly more than Gonzalez, but Gonzalez's contract wasn't signed on the open market and he's not represented by Scott Boras.  Stark says the "early buzz" is that Boras seeks $200MM over eight years for Fielder.  Of course, the early buzz around Boras clients is often way above what the player actually signs for.  A few candidates to sign Fielder, in the eyes of SI's Jon Heyman: the Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, Orioles, and Dodgers.
  • Though the Nationals could probably afford Pujols or Fielder, one source who has talked with them extensively told Stark they're more likely to spread their money around.

Pirates Claim Brandon Wood

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The Pirates claimed shortstop Brandon Wood off waivers from the Angels, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Wood had been designated for assignment by the Halos late Tuesday, and the Pirates were first in line in the waiver order.

Wood

The former top prospect is now 26 years old, and in 494 big league plate appearances with the Angels he hasn't had success.  The Pirates present the perfect opportunity for redemption, as they're one of few teams that can give Wood regular at-bats at shortstop with some leeway for struggling.  The scouting report is three years old, but before the '08 season Baseball America said Wood had unexceptional range but could "handle shortstop just fine" defensively.  Though he's a shortstop by trade, Wood has played third base as well.  MLB.com's Lyle Spencer wrote recently, "It was fascinating to see how different he was when he was in the lineup at shortstop rather than at third."

The claim was a no-brainer for Pittsburgh, a team with few interesting players in the shortstop pipeline.  Ronny Cedeno is currently the starter, though the club sought upgrades all winter.  The Pirates were able to get Wood for nothing, after the Angels seemingly kept the asking price high on him for years.  The Pirates will have to open up a 40-man roster spot to accommodate Wood, and they've said they'll make the corresponding move this afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Who Might The Blue Jays Pursue In The Offseason?

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The Blue Jays continue to accumulate talent, and an extended period of contention could begin in 2012.  It doesn't hurt that an additional playoff team will be added to each league next year.  Let's speculate on who the Blue Jays might pursue during the 2011-12 offseason to help take their team to the next level.

I discussed Toronto's 2012 payroll issues on Tuesday.  I'll speculate that they exercise options on Jason Frasor and Jon Rauch and decline on Aaron Hill and Edwin Encarnacion, putting commitments in the ballpark of $54MM.

Back in January, Blue Jays president Paul Beeston said, "We should be a city that can have $140 million, $150 million in the way of salaries. We could support that, and that's the direction that we're headed."  GM Alex Anthopoulos talked about a "very fluid" budget, which "has the ability to rise with the right opportunity."

Should we expect the Blue Jays to immediately add $85MM in 2012 salaries during the offseason?  Of course not.  Anthopoulos said he's not going to "spend for the sake of spending."  However, it is fair to say that there is no free agent the Blue Jays can't afford if they deem him a worthwhile investment.  There's a lot of baseball to be played in 2011, but here are my guesses at the spots Anthopoulos could try to upgrade during the offseason:

  • Second base: Hill has five months to prove his options are worth exercising.  If he fails, the free agent market offers little beyond Kelly Johnson.  I don't see anything in the way of exciting trade candidates.
  • First base: Adam Lind is the man right now and could be in 2012 as well if he resumes hitting.  He's also a candidate to be used at DH.  I still believe the Blue Jays could be legitimate suitors for the two big-name first basemen: Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols.  Fielder is more likely to make it to the free agent market.  The question is whether Anthopoulos will view a seven or eight-year, $125MM+ investment in Fielder as a sound one.
  • Designated hitter: There are plenty of options at DH each year on the free agent market.  Even if they sign a first baseman, the Jays could add a DH as well if they're unhappy with Lind.  The biggest name out there could be David Ortiz, but it's a flexible position and about a dozen free agents could be slotted in.
  • Left field: A major acquisition here seems unlikely, with Travis Snider holding the spot and prospect Eric Thames behind him.  Still, the Jays could consider a veteran on a one-year deal depending on where Snider and Thames stand.
  • Bullpen: Depending on whether they exercise their relievers' options, the Blue Jays could have a decent pen in place for 2012. I wouldn't anticipate a big free agent contract from Toronto for the likes of Jonathan Papelbon or someone like that.
  • Rotation: The Jays have some question marks beyond Ricky Romero.  They've certainly got plenty of talent beyond the lefty, though, and it makes sense to wait to see how everyone comes along in 2011.  The free agent market is weak after C.C. Sabathia, so maybe Anthopoulos will lean toward a trade here if he does anything.

Brandon Wood Rumors: Pirates, Blue Jays

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26-year-old infielder Brandon Wood was designated for assignment late Tuesday by the Angels, and there is "zero chance of him clearing waivers," tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale.  He'd be a fit for many clubs at shortstop or third base, as I outlined here, but he's more likely to land with a club that can give him some leeway to struggle in the Majors.  Claims are due in by noon eastern time today, reports Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The latest:

  • The Blue Jays "expressed interest in trading for Wood as recently as this offseason," according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, so they could be interested now.
  • The Pirates will "almost surely" place a claim, tweets Dunlap.  They have first dibs, as 2010 records are used within the first 30 days of this season to determine waiver order.  The team's 40-man roster is currently full, so they'll either have to designate someone for assignment or put someone on the 60-day DL if they win a claim on Wood.  Keep in mind that claims might not come into play if a team simply trades for Wood.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (Twitter link) that his team discussed going after Wood, but demurred since Milwaukee has no spot for him.  I named the Brewers as one potential candidate for Wood yesterday.

2012 Contract Issues: Seattle Mariners

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The Mariners are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series.  Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:

Eligible For Free Agency (7)

  • Relievers Chris Ray and Jamey Wright will be eligible for free agency after the season, though at the rate he's been going Ray might not get to six years service time.  Wright has been effective as a setup man in a very small sample this year, and if his success continues perhaps the team will re-sign him affordably.
  • Well-paid veterans Milton Bradley and Jack Wilson don't figure to be back in 2012.  They also seem like long shots to accumulate trade value.
  • Erik Bedard is at least healthy and striking people out at the moment, but he's been knocked around badly.  If he shows signs of his former self and remains healthy into July, he'll probably be traded.
  • Adam Kennedy and Ryan Langerhans will also be eligible for free agency.

Contract Options: None

Arbitration Eligible (7)

Standard disclaimer: not all of these players will rack up the necessary service time or make it to the point of being tendered contracts.  Vargas and League could jump past $4MM, while Aardsma should pass $6MM.  Cust seems in line for his annual non-tender.  The pitchers in this group would make for decent trade bait, but if the Mariners have an eye on contending in 2012 they might prefer to keep a few around.  Assuming the key arbitration eligibles stay I'll peg the group for around $15MM.

2012 Payroll Obligation

The Mariners' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $59.513MM.  If the major arbitration eligibles are retained the team could be around $75MM, roughly $20MM short of their '11 payroll.  The club's payroll situation is tough to project, though, because we don't know who will be traded or whether they're planning a serious contention push for '12.

Who Could Get The Next Mega-Extension?

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In extending Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki through the year 2020, the Brewers and Rockies made bold commitments to their young stars by adding multiyear extensions on top of pre-existing contracts that already covered both men through 2015 and 2014, respectively. 

Are these deals risky?  Absolutely, but the contracts represent the latest step in how clubs attempt to lock up their young stars.  It isn't enough to just gain cost-certainty on a player through his arbitration and first few free agent years.  If a team feels they have a true franchise player, it won't hesitate to sign that player to what essentially could be a lifetime contract in order to (hopefully) avoid spending even more money to re-sign that player or a comparable star as a free agent.

Should other clubs look to explore this tactic of extending an extension, here are some of the possible candidates to join Braun and Tulowitzki in the "2020" club.

  • Evan Longoria.  We start off with the man with arguably the most team-friendly extension in baseball history.  Longoria's six-year, $17.5MM contract signed in April 2008 contains three team option years (worth $7.5MM, $11MM and $11.5MM, respectively) that could keep him in Tampa Bay through 2016, his age-29 season.  As MLBTR's Mike Axisa pointed out over the winter, however, the Rays' uncertain financial situation makes it unlikely that they would make an even longer commitment to Longoria than they already have. 
  • Robinson Cano.  Cano signed a four-year, $30MM extension before the 2008 season that also includes team option years for 2012 ($14MM) and 2013 ($15MM).  New York will obviously keep Cano in the fold through his age-30 season by picking up those two options, unless those years get replaced by a longer-term contract.  Cano hired Scott Boras as his agent in February and while Cano said he isn't planning to ask for an extension before his current deal expires, the second baseman is clearly already thinking ahead.
  • Justin Upton.  The first overall pick of the already-legendary 2005 draft is signed through 2015 on a six-year, $51.25MM extension that will run out when he's 28 years old and right in the middle of his prime years.  The Diamondbacks explored a few deals for Upton over the winter and set off a flurry of speculation, but it appears as if GM Kevin Towers was simply doing his due diligence to see if another team would go overboard with a trade offer.  Upton had a slightly disappointing (.799 OPS) 2010 season, so Arizona might wait for at least one more superstar campaign from their young star to make sure he's worth the risk of another multiyear extension.
  • Hanley Ramirez.  It seems odd to think of the Marlins doling out any major extensions, let alone two to the same player.  With the team moving into its new Miami ballpark next year, though, the extra revenue could make another multiyear deal for Ramirez into a reality — not to mention generating some goodwill amongst Marlins fans to get them to spring for season tickets. Ramirez is under contract through 2014 on a six-year, $70MM deal and 2015 will be his age-31 season.  If Florida did explore an extension for Ramirez, they would surely have to factor in a move away from shortstop, since his defensive woes (a career -9.4 UZR/150) are likely to worsen as he ages.
  • Ryan Zimmerman.  MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith recently outlined how the Nationals' previous extension with Zimmerman — a five-year, $45MM pact that runs through 2013 — was a terrific bargain for the club.  Given Zimmerman's production, age (he'll be 29 when his deal runs out) and Washington's willingness to spend, Zimmerman is probably the most likely player on this list to receive a Braun/Tulowitzki-esque deal.
  • Joey Votto.  The Reds took the first step towards locking up the reigning NL MVP when they signed Votto to a three-year, $38MM pact that covered the first baseman's arbitration years.  Votto is still on pace to hit free agency as a 30-year-old in his prime, and as one agent put it, "the Reds took on all the risk" with this initial deal.  Cincinnati has put itself in position to contend over the next few seasons, so that will theoretically take care of the Great American Ballpark's attendance problems and make it possible for the team to get Votto signed to an even longer-term contract.
  • Miguel Cabrera.  Cabrera signed an eight-year, $152.3MM extension with the Tigers before the 2008 season.  He'll turn 33 in 2016, and that advanced age plus his off-the-field issues make him an unlikely extension candidate.  Detroit has the money and Cabrera has put up Cooperstown-worthy numbers throughout his career, but there just may be too much risk involved for the Tigers to commit more money to the slugger.

Quick Hits: Braun, Lohse, Franklin, Wood

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Some news items as Matt Kemp is once again a walkoff hero for the Dodgers…

Offseason In Review: San Francisco Giants

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The World Champion Giants conclude our Offseason In Review series.

Major League Signings

International Signings

  • Simon Mercedes, Adalberto Mejia

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Trades and Claims: None

Notable Losses

Summary

Brian Sabean, the longest-tenured GM in the game, bought himself some offseason leeway by winning the World Series.  It's harder to question the guy who put together the team that won it all, but I'll give it a shot.

Huff

In Sabean's defense, the Dodgers seemingly offered Huff something close to the two-year, $22MM deal he ultimately signed.  That doesn't make it a good signing though.  This was a risky move, with concerns about Huff's defense and uncertainty trying to project his next two seasons.  There's also the presence of top prospect Brandon Belt, who might be able to approximate Huff's offensive production at four percent of his salary.  The Braves took a different approach, installing Freddie Freeman at first base and ignoring the free agent market.

The Dodgers did steal away Uribe, though I don't blame Sabean for not offering that magnitude of a contract.  Sabean had to put someone at shortstop, though, so he signed Tejada for $6.5MM.  I would have estimated a contract about half that size for Tejada.  Pursuing J.J. Hardy would have been preferable, but failing that I can understand adding a stopgap -  just not a $6.5MM one.  Hopefully the Giants will be in the mix for Jose Reyes this summer, as he'd represent a significant upgrade.

It's hard not to like the Burrell signing, as the veteran signed for a million bucks despite being the only free agent left fielder to hit 20 home runs.  This was similar to the Kerry Wood deal, where a player dictated his team by taking a pay cut.  The Sanchez extension, on the other hand, was acceptable but didn't represent a bargain.

Sabean's offseason was very quiet otherwise; I think he was the only GM not to make a trade or claim.  The Giants did have quite a few arbitration cases, and I can't fault them for tendering contracts to everyone but Ray.  Cody Ross was a borderline case, but the decision had to be made before Burrell was signed or Mark DeRosa's health was fully assessed.  If DeRosa bounces back to his 2007-08 levels for a few months, Sabean might be able to shed his salary midseason and gain extra payroll flexibility.

The Giants' offense should be a little better this year, and they've got the same excellent rotation.  That doesn't necessarily put them in the playoffs again, so hopefully Sabean will be active this summer in seeking an upgrade at shortstop.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Dodgers Takeover Links: Thursday

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Yesterday MLB made a move to wrest ownership of the Dodgers from Frank McCourt, taking over financial operations for the club.  Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles wrote, "Never in the modern history of professional sports has there been such a hostile takeover."  The decision was an accumulation of all of McCourt's missteps, writes Yahoo's Tim Brown.  The takeover is a hot topic today, so we'll be adding the latest links in the top bullets.

  • Bud Selig said the Dodgers' ownership problems are "not similar" to the Mets' financial situation, reports John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times.  Selig made a slight comparison between Major League Baseball's takeover of the Dodgers and when the league stepped in to handle the Rangers' sale last year. 
  • History isn't on McCourt's side, as the courts have traditionally upheld the commissioner's jurisdiction over the sport, reports Victoria Kim, Chris Goffard and Dan Weikel for the L.A. Times.
  • Brewers owner Mark Attanasio "dismissed…completely" any interest in buying the Dodgers, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  • Athletics owner Lew Wolff is also not interested in the Dodgers, reports Shaikin.
  • A rival executive doubts McCourt will sue, talking to ESPN's Buster Olney.  The owner seems to have little chance at winning and is already short on cash.
  • This link is from yesterday, but Jonah Keri's article for FanGraphs on what it was like when MLB owned the Expos is a good read.  Meanwhile, Keri's colleague Dave Cameron notes that the Dodgers were already notorious for making payroll-neutral deals, so GM Ned Colletti can probably keep doing that this summer.
  • Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times says Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and White Sox executive Dennis Gilbert are "the two parties most often mentioned as interested buyers," assuming MLB tries to force a sale.  Tom Werner, part of Boston's ownership group, is not interested, learned Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Shaikin notes that Selig "has anticipated the possibility of a legal challenge by McCourt, which could delay any ownership change."
  • MLB "will now have approval rights over every significant expenditure by the team, including a trade or contract extension," write David Wharton and Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  Former Braves and Nationals executive Stan Kasten is a candidate to be Selig's point man in charge of the Dodgers, according to ESPN Los Angeles.  John McHale Jr. and Corey Busch are other possibilities.
  • Dodgers outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier reiterated to Dylan Hernandez that they want to remain with the team.  Both players are looking at eight-figure arbitration rewards for 2012, after which they can become free agents.

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