The latest from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports…
- The Dodgers' payroll will be well under $100MM in 2012, sources tell the FOX writers. If James Loney and Hiroki Kuroda return, there will be little left to spend. On the plus side, the Dodgers were able to reduce Matt Kemp's '12 salary to slightly more than $10MM as part of his new multiyear deal, in a year where as much as $16MM seemed possible through arbitration. Rosenthal and Morosi say the Dodgers would want to buy out at least two free agent years in a long-term deal for Clayton Kershaw, who may take home the NL Cy Young award tomorrow. With Kershaw under team control for three more years, the Dodgers don't have the same urgency to lock him up as they did Kemp. In MLBTR's exclusive arbitration salary projections, Kershaw was pegged at $8.4MM, easily a first-time record for a pitcher.
- The Astros "probably will acquire a shortstop and add low-cost relief pitching" this offseason, write Rosenthal and Morosi. GM Ed Wade told the FOX writers he plans to stick with Mark Melancon at closer. The GM explained his team's corner outfield situation: "From the standpoint of corner outfield, there are going to be guys out there, looking for opportunities. We’re pretty much the land of opportunity right now."
- Chipper Jones still enjoys playing, says Braves GM Frank Wren. The 39-year-old third baseman is signed through 2012 with a '13 vesting option. Rosenthal and Morosi say Martin Prado is available in the right deal, but the Braves value his versatility, including his ability to back up Jones.
- Yoenis Cespesdes could petition baseball to declare him a free agent fairly quickly, after he establishes temporary residence in the Dominican Republic. The residency part is expected to happen within 10 to 14 days.
- The Blue Jays have expressed interest in trading for Rockies reliever Huston Street. Street has one year and $8MM remaining on his contract. Rosenthal and Morosi say the Rockies remain interested in a deal for Prado, which would require Seth Smith and another piece.
Even though I’m a Mets fan Chipper Jones is one of my idols. I play in summer leagues now that Im post grad and I hope that when Im 40 and then 50 and god-willing even 60 that i can still play the game and have as much passion and fun as Chipper does day in and day out. This game is truly a wonderful sport.
I started watching the Braves back in 1990 before Chipper was even on the team . And they were fun to watch starting in ’91 when they went from worst to first with the Twins . But when Chipper took over in ’95 , we all knew we had something special . He came in second in the ROY , which he probably should have won . But I can remember me and my brother who was playing little league at the time trying our best to mimic his batting stance while we were out back playing around with a bat and a tennis ball . He along with several other now well known Braves players kept us in the playoffs throughout the ’90s into the mid 2000’s .
He is now one of the greatest switch hitters to ever play the game and should be a first ballot HOF . It’s amazing that even with all his injuries that have came in the last few years that his lowest posted OPS was still pretty good his rookie season at .803 .
I personally , hope he decides to stay within the organization after he does decide to hang the cleats up . I really think he would make a GREAT hitting coach (especially if Walker doesn’t work out) and be a coach in waiting .
Why can’t the Red Sox try to get Huston Street?
Evidently my Astros received their MLB credit card for moving to the American League in 2013.
I’m excited to see this new CBA. Houston needs to concentrate on drafting the BPA at number 1 overall and since Type B free agents are being extracted, draft the BPA in the 2nd round to boost this system. How many players are of Type A status?
Haven’t personally read the new proposal, just heard random mentions, but is MLB making draft-slotting mandatory? If so, this could be a very good thing for Houston.
2012 is going to be a very interesting year as Houston transitions to new ownership, a new CBA and possible philosophical moves going forward.
Why didn’t they just move the Rockies? Aren’t they more like an AL team? Two Texas AL teams in the same division doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
This might alienate some people here, but there are teams located extremely close to each other.. Say 2 teams in Chicago.. The Giants and A’s close.. Why not just dump one of the teams to equal out??No moving required.. Oakland cannot support themselves anyway.. Move one of the Chicago teams… Easily done…
Yea but Oakland is possibly moving to San Jose which could create new revenue streams
They aren’t in the same division though… moving Houston into the AL West makes two Texas teams in the same division.
Because MLB secretly wants Houston to be the new Chicago Cubs, because the Cub fans have suffered far too long. Kidding of course.
go a dodgers/rockies game in denver. it’s probably 40% Dodgers fans. Same thing in AZ. That’s why those teams are staying in the NL West.
Now that makes more sense.
The Braves are not trading one of their best right handed hitters for a left handed platoon outfielder like Seth Smith. The Braves are only trading him if they get a very, very good return. To my knowledge the Rockies don’t have a top rated right handed OF prospect. Unless they are willing to give up Dexter Fowler I don’t see a match with the Rockies.
ONE OF THE BEST HITTERS ON THE BRAVES IS NOT ONE OF THE BEST HITTERS ANYWHERE ELSE.
His 2010 stats would argue that .
His 2011 stats wouldn’t.
But his career stats would argue different . TOUCHE’
What about if the Rockies can get Thames or Snider in the Street deal?
I would pass on a Street for Snider deal if I were the Jays.
Street is a borderline Type A. His trade value probably won’t be determined until CBA is finalized.
I am interested to see how AA views Snider. In my opinion, if Snider was on another team, AA would be working to get him at a bargain price.
i agree with you on that but the way I see it is that all of the guys that AA has tried and taken from other teams all had some success in the big leagues, snider really has yet to do anything and also remember near the end of last year thames passed snider on the depth charts when snider got sent down instead of him.
what about mcdade? wouldn’t he be a pretty good replacement for helton when he’s ready to hang em up
First on McDade, at age 21, the switch hitting 1B had a solid season in AA. Switch hitting power in the heart of the order will be attractive to any team including Toronto.
On Snider relative to Thames, I see your point and would have to “qualify” it with additional information to agree with you. Snider being one year younger than Thames is my qualification.
With that, one must decide how much more patience should be given to Snider. The answer depends on the strength of your MLB roster and prospect funnel. In my opinion, Snider becomes a project if he has a weak spring training. Blue Jays lose patience with him when he is overtaken by Gose and McDade. This season, Gose and McDade will be age 22 compared to Snider’s age 24.
i personally like mcdade but the reason i suggested him is because AA has said that those dh 1b type of players are always around whether by trade or as a free agent.
i disagree with you about snider though i think he is already a project. everyone argues that there are a lot of flaws in his swing and him and mottola didn’t end up doing much while he was with the 51s besides become buddies. he might have all the right tools but he has to fix his swing. who knows maybe this will be the year he figures it out and for his and our sake i hope he does because he could end up being a pretty damn good ball player.
You can argue either way on whether Snider is now a project. But, I will soon join your side of the argument if Snider struggles in spring training. I am ok with him not making it because the prospect funnel is now overflowing to the point where younger guys will overtake Snider if he doesn’t pick up his game.
I would assume there would need to be other pieces, but Street is an established Closer with solid Type A status. Snider is coming off of a .616 OPS and is out of options on a team that needs a closer more than it needs another hitter with questionable defensive value.
He did say that he was one of the best hitters on the Braves . He never said that Prado was one the best hitters in the Universe .
meant to be a reply to zzzzzzippp
“WE LIKED THAT PROSPECT, BUT IN THE END FELT WE HAD TO GO WITH THE BEST THEY HAD TO OFFER: ‘THE BEST LEFT-HANDED OUTFIELDER IN THEIR SYSTEM NOT NAMED JEFFREY, ALSO NOT FROM WYOMING (THEY HAVE SEVERAL WONDERFUL PROSPECTS FROM WYOMING)’.”
HUH?
seems reporters are all over the map as to what the dodgers can and can’t do
No kidding — which I take to mean that they don’t really have a clue. Not that we should be worrying too much about the team’s payroll at the beginning of the season. By that time McCourt should be gone and the team budget will be up to the new owners.
Sounds like some payroll adjustments are being contemplated. Braves might not want to keep Prado if he is the 6th or 7th highest paid player on their team. Rockies might have similar thinking about Street being 3rd highest paid player on their team.