Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for September 2011

Jocketty Says Phillips Will Be Back

By | at

Reds GM Walt Jocketty said second baseman Brandon Phillips will be back next year, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Fay takes that to mean the Reds will pick up Phillips' $12MM option in the least.  The two sides have had preliminary talks on an extension, so it may not come to that.

Phillips is opposed to the idea of the Reds picking up the option.  He told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon earlier this month, "If they just pick my option up and don't extend me, I feel like that's a slap in my face.  If the team wants you, they will make room. They will show you they want you here, period. They did it for some of the other guys.  If they're going to have me for just one year, I feel like they don't see me in the future."

The Reds probably would prefer some kind of backloaded extension, because simply exercising the option would give them limited payroll space for 2012.  Phillips, 30, is hitting .294/.346/.452 with 18 home runs in 648 plate appearances this year with above-average defense at second base.

Arbitration Eligibles: Florida Marlins

By | at

The Marlins are next in our arbitration eligibles series.

Volstad is probably interesting enough where the Marlins won't want to cut him loose.  His projected $2.6MM salary shouldn't scare anyone off, but perhaps the Fish will trade him if they don't envision him in next year's rotation.  Even with a $600K projection, I think Murphy will be non-tendered.  Sanches is looking at about $1MM, and there's a chance the team lets him go.  Baker had Tommy John surgery a year ago, and the Marlins must decide whether he can catch next year and is worth $800K.  The Hensley starting experiment failed, but at $1.8MM I think he still has value as a reliever.

Everyone else seems on firmer ground to be tendered contracts: Bonifacio ($1.9MM), Mujica ($1.6MM), Badenhop ($1.1MM), Sanchez ($5.9MM), and Nunez ($5.8MM).  Sanchez could be an extension candidate.  We heard in July that Nunez would be retained for 2012; I don't know if his shaky August changed that.  He has performance bonuses for games finished, which could push next year's salary past $6MM.

We've heard quite a bit about the Marlins' willingness to spend money this offseason, but these arbitration decisions are not as much about whether the team can afford the players but rather whether the players are worth their projected salaries.  I think we're looking at $12.3MM if only Bonifacio, Hensley, Mujica, Badenhop, and Sanchez stay and the others are traded or non-tendered.  That'd push the team's commitments to about $58MM before accounting for arbitration eligible players, but you can add as much as $9MM more if you see Nunez and Volstad on next year's team.  

MLB.com's Joe Frisaro has estimated a significant bump to an $80MM payroll, which in my estimation means anywhere from $13-22MM to spend depending on Nunez and Volstad.  Say it's $22MM.  The team has potential needs at center field, third base, second base, the bullpen, and especially the rotation, so if the Marlins sign just one player with an eight-figure salary they'd have to skimp on other needs.  Someone like C.J. Wilson makes more sense to me if the team is willing to jump to a $90MM payroll as they head into their new stadium.

Matt Swartz contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Aramis, Manny, Royals, Blue Jays

By | at

Albert Pujols has a .304/.373/.551 line after tonight's four-hit performance, but the Cardinals' win didn't bring them any closer to the Braves, who still hold a 2.5 game advantage in the Wild Card standings. Here are tonight's links…

  • Aramis Ramirez told Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald that he has "probably" played his last game as a Cub at Wrigley Field (Twitter links). As Ramirez points out, he can't negotiate a new deal with the Cubs at the moment since they don't currently have a permanent GM. I took a look at possible suitors for the third baseman last week.
  • Manny Ramirez intends to play in the Dominican winter league for the Cibao Eagles, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN). 
  • The Royals are promoting Kelvin Herrera, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). They will need to create 40-man roster space to promote the right-hander, as their roster is at its full complement. The Royals don't have any players on the 15-day DL, so there's no way of transferring a player to the 60-day DL for an easy fix.
  • Shawn Camp and Edwin Encarnacion told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca that they'd like to return to Toronto in 2012. Camp hits free agency after the season, while the Blue Jays control Encarnacion's rights for '12 with an option that I discussed earlier in the month.

Marlins Notes: Infante, Vazquez, Hensley

By | at

The last-place Marlins won't taste the playoffs in 2012, but they're moving into a new ballpark next year and could spend big this offseason, so things might be different in Miami a year from now. Here's the latest on the Marlins…

  • Omar Infante told Christina De Nicola of MLB.com that he and the Marlins are going to postpone all contract talks until the season ends next week. The sides have discussed a multiyear deal this month.
  • Javier Vazquez has given every indication that this will be his final season, though he hasn't officially said he's going to retire, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. The Marlins haven't discussed next season with Vazquez, who has had a resurgent second half, as I explained last week.
  • Clay Hensley, a non-tender candidate this offseason, told Spencer that he would love to return to Miami in 2012. The right-hander earned $1.4MM in 2011 and will be arbitration eligible for the second time this offseason. He has pitched well recently, though he had two stints on the disabled list and struggled as a starter.

Pirates Acquire Eliecer Cardenas

By | at

The Pirates announced that they have acquired right-hander Eliecer Cardenas from the Braves to complete the deal that sent Matt Diaz back to Atlanta last month. The Braves acquired Diaz from Pittsburgh for a player to be named on August 31st, the last day for teams to add players who are eligible for the postseason.

Cardenas, 23, reached Double-A this year, though he spent most of his season at Class A. The Dominican pitched 59 2/3 total innings, all in relief, and posted a 2.11 ERA with 11.5 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 (his ERA with Class A Lynchburg was 0.79). The Braves selected Cardenas from the Twins in the minor league phase of last winter's Rule 5 draft.

A’s, Bob Melvin Agree To Three-Year Extension

By | at

The A's have agreed to terms with manager Bob Melvin on a three-year deal that will make him their permanent manager, according to Janie McCauley of the AP (via the Miami Herald). Melvin took over the A's on an interim basis midseason, after the club dismissed Bob Geren.

The A's, who played to a 27-36 record before letting Geren go, have a 42-48 record since Melvin took over. Melvin, 49, managed the Mariners (2003-04) and D'Backs (2005-09) before joining the A's. He had been working as a special advisor in Arizona's front office earleir this year. The 2007 NL Manager of the Year now has a 535-556 record in eight seasons as a skipper.

When Billy Beane replaced Geren with Melvin, the GM expressed confidence in his new hire's ability to handle the role and it became clear later in the summer that Geren was likely to return in 2012.

NL Central Notes: Snyder, Cardinals, Cubs, Astros

By | at

The Cardinals are optimistic that Matt Holliday will return from a finger injury before the season ends, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Getting the star left fielder would be a major boost for the Cardinals, who are chasing the Braves in the National League Wild Card race. Here's the latest on the NL Central…

  • Chris Snyder told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he'd like the Pirates to pick up his $6.75MM option for 2012 (Twitter link). It seems more likely that they'll pay a $750K buyout for the catcher, who has a .772 OPS in 119 plate appearances this year.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says talks between Rafael Furcal and the Cardinals are progressing slowly, according to Nate Latsch and Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The Cardinals aren't gaining momentum on an extension for Lance Berkman, either.
  • Gary Hughes, who was named one of the top ten scouts of the century by Baseball America, told the Cubs that he will not return in 2012, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Hughes, a 45-year veteran of pro baseball had been a special assistant under former GM Jim Hendry
  • Astros executives met with manager Brad Mills and his coaching staff yesterday to discuss the past year and look ahead to the 2012 roster, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. The executives and field staff exchanged ideas about players, particularly free agents and those who will be out of options next Spring Training.
  • The Astros are inviting all of their coaches back for 2012, according to senior director of social media Alyson Footer (on Twitter). GM Ed Wade told McTaggart that pitching coach Doug Brocail has yet to commit to returning in 2012 (Twitter link).
  • First overall pick Gerrit Cole is likely to pitch in the Arizona Fall League this year, Jenifer Langosch writes at MLB.com. The Pirates haven't made an official announcement regarding the right-hander's participation at this point.

O’Dowd: Tracy Will Return For 2012, Possibly More

By | at

Jim Tracy’s Rockies have disappointed in 2011, but the manager will be around next year to attempt a turnaround and could be a fixture in Denver for considerably longer. Colorado GM Dan O’Dowd told Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he hopes to retain his manager after 2012, when his current contract expires.

"We'd love to have him be manager here for much longer than that. But I have gone into the last year of my contract here more than you could imagine," he said.

Tracy signed a three-year deal with the Rockies after a memorable 2009 season. The Rockies were 18-28 when they dismissed Clint Hurdle and went 74-42 under Tracy to reach the postseason for the third time in franchise history. Tracy says he’s not concerned about entering 2012 without a long-term deal in place.

For the first time since O’Dowd took over the Rockies, the GM is asking his manager to make any necessary changes to the coaching staff instead of making those adjustments himself.

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

By | at

If you prefer your MLBTR fix limited to only your favorite team, we've got you covered.  Below are links to our team Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds.

AL East

AL Central

AL West

NL East

NL Central

NL West

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

Free Agent Stock Watch: Jonathan Broxton

By | at

Jonathan Broxton made a name for himself as someone who could overpower just about any hitter with his upper-90s fastball. He has been sidelined with right arm problems since May 3rd and when he returns there’s a good chance we’ll see a different kind of pitcher.

"The days of Jonathan Broxton throwing 99 and 100 [mph] might be over," agent B.B. Abbott told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times last week. "But I think he can reinvent himself. He's still going to be 93-97.”

Broxton, who has struck out 11.5 batters per nine innings in his career, will have to get healthy before he transitions into a different style of pitching. The 27-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow yesterday to remove a bone spur and loose bodies

It’s been a while since Broxton seemed like himself. He started the 2010 season in fine form and had a 0.83 ERA until June 27th, when he made 48 pitches and allowed four runs against the Yankees. Regardless of the impact that outing had on Broxton's health (Abbott told Hernandez that he doesn't blame the Dodgers), there's no debating what happened next. Broxton posted a 7.58 ERA in 29 2/3 more innings that year with nearly as many walks (23) as strikeouts (25). Then, Broxton’s 2011 season ended after just 12 2/3 innings with a 5.68 ERA and, once again, nearly as many walks (9) as strikeouts (10).

Next up for Broxton: injury rehab (he’s expected to start a throwing program in six to eight weeks) and his first career appearance on the free agent market. Broxton’s stock has dropped significantly in the last year-plus, so teams won’t look at him as a sure-thing closer when he tests the free agent market this offseason. He’ll look for the opportunity to compete for a closing job, though there are no guarantees.

"I think Jonathan is prepared to sign a one-year deal and reestablish his value," Abbott told Hernandez.

Could it be with the Dodgers, the organization that drafted him in 2002 and has employed him ever since? Abbott says it’s possible and that his client would enjoy pitching under manager Don Mattingly again in 2012. However, Mattingly told Hernandez that he doesn’t know whether Broxton would be a fit since it’s been so long since he appeared in a game.

"I don't even know how to answer that, really" the manager said.

That’s probably how lots of front offices feel about Broxton, a formerly dominant reliever who’s still young and powerful enough to reinvent himself successfully. It’s hard to imagine a multiyear deal for the two-time All-Star, though that seemed all but inevitable 15 months ago. Instead, a one-year, incentive-based deal seems likely for Broxton, as long as he recovers from yesterday’s operation and assures teams that his health has improved.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top