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Archives for April 2012

Fontenot Deciding Between Phillies, Braves

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Mike Fontenot is deciding between two NL East rivals, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The free agent infielder has narrowed his choices to the Braves and Phillies.

Fontenot posted a .227/.304/.377 line in 252 plate appearances at second base, shortstop and third base last year, but the Giants released him toward the end of Spring Training. The Fielding Bible Volume III suggests Fontenot provides adequate defense around the infield. The Braves are relying on rookie Tyler Pastornicky at shortstop, while various Phillies infielders have dealt with injuries early on this year.

This post was first published on Friday, April 13th.

Pat Burrell Retires

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APRIL 12th: The Phillies have announced that Burrell will sign a one-day minor league contract and retire with the club that originally drafted him. The retirement ceremony will be held on May 19th.

JAN. 30th: Pat Burrell is retiring, MLBTR has learned.  We last heard from Pat the Bat in November, when the 35-year-old told the AP, "I have not decided yet, but I don't think I can play anymore [due to a chronic foot injury].  It hurts me to say that."

BurrellBurrell was drafted first overall by the Phillies in 1998 as a third baseman out of the University of Miami, but spent the bulk of his career as a left fielder.  In nine seasons with the Phillies, he hit .257/.367/.485 with 251 home runs.  His home run total ranks fourth all-time for the Phillies, behind only Del Ennis, Ryan Howard, and Mike Schmidt.  He finished fourth in the 2000 Rookie of the Year voting, and received MVP votes in '02 and '05.  Burrell had stints with the Rays and Giants to finish his career, during which he earned approximately $71MM in big league salary and scored a pair of World Series rings.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Olney On McCann, Hunter, Yankees

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ESPN.com’s Buster Olney discussed Brian McCann’s next contract, Torii Hunter’s next team and a possible trade for the Yankees in his latest Insider-only column. Here are the highlights…

  • There’s been little traction in extension talks between the Braves and McCann, according to Olney. However, the Braves control the catcher’s rights through 2013 with a $12MM club option. Olney suggests the 28-year-old could ask for more than Yadier Molina obtained from the Cardinals ($75MM for five years).
  • Olney expects many teams to have interest in Hunter when he hits free agency this offseason. The right fielder has said he’ll be looking to sign with a team that has a real shot at winning the World Series.
  • The Yankees would be open to dealing a starter, but haven't discussed any trades involving Freddy Garcia so far.

Reds Release Clay Zavada

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We’ll track the latest minor moves right here…

  • The Reds released left-handed reliever Clay Zavada earlier this week, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. The 27-year-old posted a 3.35 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 51 innings as a rookie with the 2009 Diamondbacks, but hasn't appeared in the Major Leagues since. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds over the winter after spending the 2011 season at Double-A and posting a 3.43 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 60 1/3 innings of relief.

Make Or Break Year: Delmon Young

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As last summer wore on, it became clear that Delmon Young didn’t figure in to the Twins’ long-term plans. He wasn’t hitting and he wasn’t getting any more affordable, so a non-tender seemed entirely possible. Instead, the Tigers acquired Young from their division rivals last August and he hit eight home runs in the season’s final six weeks before hitting five more homers in the postseason. The Tigers weren’t going to release Young after a performance like that, and he’s currently Detroit’s starting left fielder. Young will debut on the free agent market six months from now and in the meantime he faces a make-or-break year.

Delmon Young - Tigers (PW)

Let’s start with the positives. Young hits for a high average and offers some power. The right-handed hitter produces especially well against left-handers, as his career .305/.341/.475 split shows. He also has pedigree as the first overall selection of the 2003 draft. Plus, he won’t turn 27 until September, which makes him much younger than most free agents.

However, his defense in left field costs his team, according to The Fielding Bible Volume III and UZR. He strikes out often, rarely walks and offers ordinary offense against right-handed pitching.

It’s currently difficult to imagine the Tigers making Young a qualifying offer this coming offseason. Young doesn’t seem like a $12.5MM player and he’s never produced like one, according to FanGraphs’ version of the Wins Above Replacement metric. Young will hit the open market unfettered by draft pick compensation, barring the unexpected.

Young’s representatives at Wasserman Media Group will ask for a multiyear deal should he replicate his 2010 season or continue hitting the way he did upon arriving in Detroit. Josh Willingham, now 33, obtained a $21MM contract last offseason. Three days later, 29-year-old Jason Kubel signed a two-year deal worth $16MM. A similar market could emerge for Young’s services if he serves up an eye-catching combination of batting average, homers and RBI this year. Any team that signs Young to a multiyear deal will face its share of criticism from scouts and analysts alike, but back-of-the-baseball-card stats have some appeal to this day, so a multiyear deal with a generous annual salary remains possible.

If Young puts together a disappointing season and solidifies the impression that he’s simply a lefty masher who doesn’t play defense, he’ll be limited to modest one-year offers. He may still be 26, but his skillset sometimes resembles that of a much older player. And as Andruw Jones (one-year, $2MM) and Jonny Gomes (one-year, $1MM) can confirm, the market for part-time righty bats isn’t lucrative.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Quick Hits: Hamilton, Baker, Phillips, Martinez

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Angels right-hander Michael Kohn will have Tommy John surgery tomorrow and will miss the season according to Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Here are some assorted links for Wednesday…

  • The Rangers recently met with Mike Moye, agent for Josh Hamilton, but the two sides didn't get too deep into contract extension talks according to Jeff Wilson of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • The Twins hope to replace Scott Baker internally, but there's a chance he might not pitch for them again according to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger (Twitter links). Baker will miss the year with elbow surgery and the team holds a $9MM option for next season.
  • Talks between the Reds and Brandon Phillips about a contract extension started last March according to ESPN's Jim Bowden. Phillips' agreed to a new deal this week.
  • The Tigers have some hope that Victor Martinez will return late this season, according to Tom Gage of the Detroit News (Twitter links). The switch-hitting DH didn't need ACL reconstruction on his injured knee, and may return before the season's up. The Tigers won't know whether Martinez can play until they get MRI results in July.
  • Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres reports that Padres owner John Moores initially sought $600MM for the team in 2008 and explains why it may sell for more this time around. The Padres are up for sale again, Moores announced yesterday.
  • Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the year-by-year breakdown for Ian Kinsler’s recent contract extension (Twitter link). The Rangers have a $10MM option for 2018 with a $5MM buyout.
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America reports that most teams believe Georgia high school outfielder Byron Buxton is the best prospect available in this year's amateur draft. There's a growing sense the Astros don't want to make a risky pick, yet there's no obvious second choice behind Buxton.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Poll: The Phillies And Cole Hamels

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The Phillies and Cole Hamels haven’t made any progress in contract extension talks for more than a month now, leaving roughly eight months for the two sides to work out a potential deal. Hamels will be the best free agent starter on the market next winter now that Matt Cain has re-signed, and there will be plenty of suitors for the left-handed, in his prime ace.

A problem on the team’s end could be the other pitchers on the payroll. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee will make $40MM+ combined for the next few years, and there simply might not be room for another $20MM-a-year hurler in the budget. Shane Victorino will be a free agent after the season as well, plus Jonathan Papelbon, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard will remain on the books. It’s not a question of if the Phillies want the Hamels back, but whether or not they can make it happen.

No Movement In Cole Hamels Talks

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There has been no movement on the Phillies' part to restart contract extension talks with Cole Hamels, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). It's unclear if they're loading up to make a big offer or have been spooked by his asking price.

Last week we heard that the two sides hadn't had talks in 30 days. The Phillies offered their 28-year-old left-hander Jered Weaver money (five years, $85MM), but Matt Cain's extension with the Giants (five years, $112.5MM) raised the bar. With Cain locked up, Hamels will be the premier free agent pitcher if the hits the open market after the season.

Orioles Sign Joel Pineiro

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The Orioles have signed right-hander Joel Pineiro to a minor league deal, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (Twitter links). They Orioles will assign the Wasserman Media Group client to Triple-A for now, but they've signed him with the intention of using him as a long-reliever in the Major Leagues.

Pineiro signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in January and would have earned $1.5MM on the MLB roster, but they released him before Opening Day. Pineiro started 24 games for the 2011 Angels, posting a 5.13 ERA with 3.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 145 2/3 innings.

Scott Baker To Undergo Season-Ending Operation

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The Twins have announced that right-hander Scott Baker will miss the 2012 season to undergo and recover from elbow surgery, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports (Twitter links). The operation will repair Baker's flexor pronator tendon and rehab will take six months. Fortunately for Baker, his ulnar collateral ligament is fine.

Baker, 30, also dealt with elbow problems in 2010-11. The Twins shut him down during Spring Training and he left a minor league game after feeling discomfort last week, according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Baker pitched 134 2/3 innings last year, posting a 3.14 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. The Twins have a $9.25MM club option for his services in 2013 under an extension signed before the 2009 season. They may face a difficult decision this fall, when they have to exercise the option or let Baker walk.

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