The Marlins agreed to sign Heath Bell last night and they may make more major free agent signings later this month. Here’s the latest from Jon Heyman of SI.com, starting with a note on the Marlins (Twitter links):
- The Braves want a young outfielder and shortstop plus other players for Jair Jurrjens.
- The Yankees have looked at free agent left-hander Mike Gonzalez.
- The Nationals will push for C.J. Wilson, according to Heyman. They want a left-handed starter and Wilson appears to be their top target.
- The Marlins are optimistic about signing Jose Reyes and they are considering upping their initial bid (it was in the $75-90MM range). The Mets and Marlins appear to be Reyes' two main suitors, but interested teams view the Tigers as a threat to sign the shortstop. “They are good poker players,” one exec said.
- The Astros are shopping Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Carlos Lee. I’d guess it’s unlikely they make a move before they hire a new GM.
- The Astros "will do whatever it takes'' to hire Rays executive Andrew Friedman, according to Heyman. Friedman is unsure if he wants to leave the Rays, however.
- The Padres and Brewers are showing interest in former Mets and Expos GM Omar Minaya and he may make a decision soon.
- Jorge Posada would like to play if he can find the right job and Heyman suggests the Marlins are a possible fit for the switch-hitter.
rizdak
Who’s next in line to pitch the 9th for the Pads? Luke Gregerson?
I wonder if the Padres could have done better than a 1st and 2nd round pick if they traded Bell last year. Maybe not.
Alex 18
Technically, it’s a first round and supplemental first round pick. And they got the ninth overall pick for losing Bell, which is probably better than what they would have gotten back in a trade.
ritz
I’m still a bit unsure of how things will fall under the new CBA, but are 1-15 picks still protected? If so the Padres shouldn’t get a first round pick.
I also read this morning that the Mets would still get the 2nd round pick (if 1-15 is still protected) if the Marlins signed Reyes because Bell’s status was modified. I’m really unsure of that, though. I’ll leave the figuring out to someone else. LOL
oz10 2
The Padres are actually in a very lucky spot with that pick.
Excerpt from a post several weeks ago, “Meanwhile, clubs won’t have to surrender a draft pick to sign one of the following six players: Heath Bell, Michael Cuddyer, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Madson, Josh Willingham and Francisco Rodriguez. Teams that lose these players after offering arbitration will obtain first round picks in the slot before the signing team plus a supplementary draft pick for a total of two selections.”
Lunchbox45
you wish, protected pick
Zuidvogels
Very true. This was one of the worst scenarios for the Pads as far as compensation picks goes for Bell.
oz10 2
you guys are good, see above. Bell’s FA status was changed. Pads will get the ninth overall pick and bump everybody else down. Old rules the best you could have gotten was the 9th pick in the second round.
Alex 18
Ah, ninth overall in the SECOND round. I misread the report.
Lunchbox45
it will probably be in the 40/50’s when the comp round is done.
terrible scenario for the pads..
and if the marlins sign a higher ranked FA (reyes) that could mean a 3rd round pick and comp pick for bell
ritz
And that’s only if they don’t sign any “real” type-As (guys that were type-As then modified). If they sign Reyes and no one else then the Mets will get their 2nd round pick.
Aaron Kayser
I haven’t been that excited about the thought of the Tigers signing Reyes this off season. His injury history scares me, and if you look at the play of Crawford last year (may be a fluke) and the rapid drop off in play of Chone Figgins in Seattle, you realize that when a player who relies on his legs starts getting old, his skills go away rather quickly. That being said, it isn’t my money, and for the first time, I got excited about the thought of signing Reyes, moving Jhonny to 3rd, and trading for or signing a high OBP guy for 2B. Just don’t go over 5 guaranteed.
DD, just follow your Magglio and Pudge contracts that had auto vesting options based on PAs to protect yourself.
Vote4DougWilson
I agree. Reyes worries me in the Guillen/Maggs sense of having broken down, expensive dead weight at the end of the contract. But I had to admit that having him at the top of the lineup with Boesch, Cabby, Victor, Avila, Peralta in the heart… much stronger lineup. Then they can bat Santiago 2 and Jackson 9 to take the pressure off (unless this Cespedes kid lands on the roster).
bj82
I wouldn’t touch Reyes.
DD
Marlins will get Reyes and move Hanley to third.
Sign Wilson or Buerhle (not both)
Sign Cespedes-CF to a stacked 5/45 year deal 5/7/9/11/13
Lock up Anibal Sanchez for 3/4 years
Non Tender Volstad
Move LoMo to 1st.
Bonifacio to LF.
Trade Sanchez/Dominguez for another SP
Bring back Greg Dobbs (1B/3B back up)
Chris Cogs as a back up OF (until back to form)
Pudge as pack up catcher (good for baseball in Miami)
Victor
DD, loving your post. very practical and realistic. Kudos.
DD
Thanks.
I think that is easily a wild card contender team if: Hanley’s shoulder is repaired and JJ’s shoulder is ok.
Payroll should be right at $100m this year with this scenario.
Lineup
Reyes
Bonifacio
Ramirez
Stanton
Lomo
Cespedes
Infante
Buck
Rotation
Johnson
Wilson/Buerhle
Sanchez
Nolasco
LeBlanc
BP
Hensley
Webb
Mujica
Dunn
Choate
Badenhop
Bell
Bench
Dobbs
Coghlan
Petersen
Irod
Guillen?
Joe Blanco
100 million dollar payroll for Loria?
DD
It’s been stated many times that payroll will bump to as high as 100m by some reports.
Patrick Relano Kim
Cespedes for 5/45??? He could be next Wily Mo Pena. Completely unproven and it’s not like he is the best hitter in Cuban league either.
DD
Cespedes put up a 333/.424/.667 batting line with 89 runs, 33 home runs and 99 RBI in 90 games in the 2010-2011 season.
Who is better than that in Cuba.
Patrick Relano Kim
You are talking about Cuba, which almost sounds identical to PCL to me. Have you checked their league average? almost anyone there is making 3-4-5 in that league. I have huge doubts how he would do against major league breaking pitches as his batting average is not much better than league average in Cuban league.
Miami is not Yankees, they should be careful on their limited resources. It’s not like they can handle 130+m payroll every season.
DD
You did not answer the question…
Who is better? You said he is not the best…
Patrick Relano Kim
Look up batting leaders for Cuban league. Google it.. He may be top 10~15 hitters in Cuban league as he never received MVP there. Some guys there record .390 .480 .760
DD
I’m not doing research to justify your argument…LMAO.
FAIL
lefty177
very realistic but are you proposing trading Gaby Sanchez for a SP? Just wondering so that I read it right
DD
Yes, Gaby and a combo of maybe Dominguez and or prospects for a decent #3/4 pitcher behind Anibal and before Nolasco. Nolasco to me is a HUGE gamble…all things equal, i’d take Vazquez back over Nolasco.
User 4245925809
IMO getting Anibel locked up to that 3-4 year L/T deal should be one of the 1st things they do this off season. They really need a stable force in the rotation and with JJ having issues remaining healthy, he is more and more being counted on.
#2-3 starters are becoming harder and harder to find and Sanchez is just that. get him signed LT now.
DD
I think Anibal is going to be a very strong #2/3 pitcher long term. Very durable with the potential to be an ace…his one no hitter and two one hitters recently should prove that. Very young, great mechanics. Very underrated if you ask me.
Phillies_Aces35
I thought Bueherle was their first target?
Zuidvogels
I can see Posada to Miami.
sid
I can see Jorge having a bounce back year, coming off the bench and starting a couple of times a week …… great clubhouse man also.
Ryan
Who needs Jorge Posada when you have Brian Schneider, sheesh…….
brett m.
If I’m the Nationals, I dont touch Wilson for the money he wants. However, it seems as if Beurhle’s market is way higher than anyone expected so CJ definitely has a higher upside.
comebackkid814
Two starters with the inverted W (the first being Strasburg) on one staff? Might as well be flushing that 100 Mil+ down the drain. Give me Buerhle, Oswalt, or hell, even Edwin Jackson on a two year deal…
Rangers4Life
Please CJ don’t go to Miami. We need dat 1st round draft pick.
Zuidvogels
I think the only team he has been linked to that doesn’t have a protected pick is LAA. So would you rather not get the 1st rounder or get it then watch him play for the biggest rival in the division?
Rangers4Life
Wish he signs with the Angels then pulls a Lackey.
Zuidvogels
Not possible, CJ breathes through his nose.
User 4245925809
Fish just unloaded John Baker for something worse than a bag of practice baseballs (Wade LeBlanc) and now they are contemplating bringing in Posada, who cannot catch and even with Baker-man coming back from TJ surgery is STILL bound to throw better than Posada on his best day.
Baker could hit.. That was the one thing he could do very well before the TJ surgery back in 2010. This makes -0- sense with Posada.. he adds absolutely nothing to this team, except a more expensive and inferior option as a backup catcher/PH.
DD
LeBlanc has a better career BA than Baker…lol…and throws better (sarcasm).
LeBlanc@ 550k > Volstad for $2M as a #5 starter
I say bring Pudge. Better nostalgia for Miami, and honestly, a much better player for a similar price and age.
User 4245925809
Baker a fan favorite during his short time. timely and clutch hitting when he was in there.
No argument with iRod over Posada, or just about anyone for thatmatter.. Kevin Cash even..He can play defense. Even Vritek who has 1 thing going for him..Ability to teach and knows how to catch, just throws as bad as Posada.
Point is.. Posada is a terrible match for anyone..tek also. why teams want these types????
DD
That’s why iRod is perfect for the Fish, he is the veteran presence the team needs and also providers that little bit of “Florida Marlins” nostalgia for the new team.
Also, his arm is still live and he is a wall behind the plate…he’d be a great late inning catcher in close games.
I think its a perfect match.
User 4245925809
Boston is still thanking the Rangers for the #19 last year which led to Matt Barnes somehow falling to them 🙂
Rabbitov
Would the Nationals really overpay for Werth AND CJ Wilson? Sigh.
Lefty
Do they have the money to overpay? If so they are not overpaying.
Zuidvogels
Nationals owner is the richest in the sport. They can afford it. They have to get stars there somehow.
Rabbitov
Wouldn’t classify Werth and CJ Wilson as stars, but your point is valid otherwise.
Lastings
“Nationals owner is the richest in the sport…”
Thought Toronto had that honor?
cookmeister
Nationals have the richest owner that is a person and not a company, i think?
KyleB
You can be rich and still overpay…that makes no sense.
BaseballLogic_Braves
I just don’t see C.J. Wilson as elite like everyone else does. Of course, I didn’t watch him start 30 or so games, but I just don’t get all the hype.
Dennis
For free agents who want big bucks, there should be a clause in any new contract that stipulates certain levels of performance. If they don’t meet those performance levels, i.e., wins/losses, BA, HR’s, RBI’s, etc–then the team should get a “bonus” in the form of salary give backs. This would cushion the salary blow to teams if a player’s past season(s) were just a mirage—or if he takes a “dive” because he’s got his $$$$$$$.
ColoradoBravesFan
There should be a clause that you give back like 50% of your salary this year? Cause with these comment stinks.
Andy
Omar Minaya to the Brewers? To do what, sweep the floor in the clubhouse? NO THANKS.
aisored
Why are you against it? I think he could be very valuable in an assistant role.
roberty
Sick screeching weasel avatar!
notsureifsrs
so you know friedman can dominate with a payroll around ~$50M-$60M. so take your projected upper limit payroll, deduct $70M, and make the difference his salary. plus any perk he wants
actually, just tell him that you’re willing to go that high. then appoint him to work out his own contract. maybe he’ll screw himself over, longoria-style. all problems solved
User 4245925809
Houston has opened up there own Goodwill store with what they have available for trade in Lee, Myers and Rodriquez, only at that store they have to pay the customer to take the merchandise on everything in stock….
Jim McGrath
As a Red Sox fan who would like to part company with Beckett–I’ve thought he might be a nice attraction for the Astros or Rangers. We could use Wandy and Carlos( as a DH/OF). Not sure if the salaries are comparable…
User 4245925809
Not sure where Lee would play honestly even if Ortiz left. The plan was to rotate Youk and Lavarnway in and out of the DH slot was thinking (guess) and Lee is an Adam Dunn/Jose Canseco type in the outfield. It would require CC moving to RF probably to be able to “hide” him as much as possible in LF.
DH would probably be the only fit for him at all, though do see how a few years back he could have been a fearsome RH power hitter at Fenway, just not sure how much he could help now by forcing Youk to play more at 3B and keeping him on the field which think is what they are trying to avoid.
Rodriquez I also would not mind seeing as a 5th starter *if* the cost is almost nothing in terms of prospects and Houston pays most of his salary.. Have doubts he will be effective at all in the AL East is reasoning behind giving up anything much for him, or paying much of his salary.. he has all the signs of a NL pitcher.
commenter3346
Beckett is a lot better pitcher than Rodriquez & you could get a lot more for Beckett than Carlos Lee & him, especially since the Red Sox don’t need Lee.
Paul Shailor
Tigers, please do not sign Reyes. He is always injured and is very selfish. Yes he is a dynamic player and when healthy arguably the best ss in the game but please please do not sign him.
matt1101
If he had a full season of health I’d see the tigers as contenders for the world series. They need someone in front of miggy that can get on base. I’d see Miggy having an insane season with reyes in the number 1 or 2 spot. It’d make them extremely hard to play against.
bjsguess
It would be salt in the wounds for Angel fans (like myself) if Friedman eventually moved over to the Astros.
Patrick Relano Kim
With two knee injuries while playing left field, plus surgery he would have, it surely looks like LoMo is just destined to go to 1B. He does not have speed for outfielder and playing there would only make his career worse and worse, injury prone player and could even affect his batting as well.
The_BiRDS
Hey Posada you can back up Molina in St. Louis if you like.
User 4245925809
Would Duncan want to take on a Catcher or pitcher and have to actually admit he had failed with them?
There is almost no chance Posada will ever be able to throw virtually anyone out ever again, nor be able to move much at all behind the plate and he was not known as a game caller in the 1st place.
User 4245925809
Was wondering who would be linked to Shaky Gonzalez 1st. He was wicked with the Braves and hope the Yanks are not his destination.
Imagine some NYY fans are kind of hoping he can be had on one of those performance based contracts. any power lefty with his pre 2010 performance would be highly desirable.
nictonjr
Basically, Heyman is saying the Braves have no intention of trading Jurrjens…
TheHotCorner 2
A young outfielder, shortstop and others for JJ. Wow. Doesn’t sound like JJ is going anywhere. He is a nice pitcher but in my opinion I don’t see worth a Greinke type package.
NYPOTENCE
“….Marlins are a possible fit for the switch-hitter”
You can cut that down to him being only a left-handed hitter. He was flat-out pathetic against lefties and at times looked as if he didn’t even know what he was doing.
comebackkid814
I don’t know who to trust with this crap. First, the Nats first choice was Oswalt, then Buerhle, and now Wilson? If Rizzo gives Wilson more than 4 yrs and 18-20 Mil/Yr, I might have to gouge someone’s eyes out. I’m barely kidding…
LUWahooNatFan
First CJ Wilson was the top pitching target, then Buehrle, now back to Wilson.. Make up your mind and sign one or the other, Rizzo
chee1rs
not even close