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2013 Contract Issues: Los Angeles Angels

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The Angels are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (6)

  • Torii Hunter - Hunter has said he would like to play for the Angels or another contending team once his contract expires. He'll be looking at a short-term deal and a major pay cut from his current $18MM salary. None of the Angels' free agents should expect qualifying offers after the season.
  • Hisanori Takahashi - The 37-year-old Takahashi has seen his stock drop since signing a two-year, $8MM contract with the Angels two offseasons ago.
  • Maicer Izturis - Mike Scioscia continues to find playing time for the versatile 31-year-old. It's not as though the team's offseason plans will hinge on Izturis, however.
  • LaTroy Hawkins - Hawkins has been on the disabled list for most of this month, but he was pitching reasonably well before getting hurt.
  • Jason Isringhausen – The 39-year-old seriously considered retirement this spring, so it won't be surprising if he retires this offseason.
  • Ryan Langerhans - Langerhans, now on the disabled list, could return, but it would presumably be on another minor league deal.

Contract Options (3)

  • Dan Haren: $15.5MM club option with a $3.5MM buyout. Despite his unsightly ERA and lopsided record, Haren's past successes are too compelling to ignore. I expect the Angels to exercise this option.
  • Ervin Santana: $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout. A net price of $12MM for the age-30 season of an established 200-inning pitcher seems reasonable, especially for a high-revenue team.
  • Chris Iannetta: $5MM club option with a $250K buyout. Player can void option. At his best, Iannetta's worth considerably more than $5MM per season, so he figures to void the option if he puts together a strong year. If he struggles to hit and/or stay healthy, the Angels might not value him at $5MM (he has been on the disabled list since May 9th because of a wrist injury). It would likely take a solid but unspectacular season for both sides to OK the option.

Arbitration Eligible (5)

Callaspo and Morales are off to slow starts at the plate and given that they'll both be in line for raises from the $3MM range this offseason, trades or non-tenders aren't out of the question. The three other arb-eligible players will remain affordable in 2013.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Angels have committed $92MM to next year's payroll, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. If Haren and Santana return, the team will already have $116MM in commitments for 2013. Yet owner Arte Moreno boosted payroll to $150MM for the 2012 season with a spending spree at last year's Winter Meetings, so generous payrolls are nothing new in Anaheim. GM Jerry Dipoto won't have too many positions to fill this coming winter, though the bullpen figures to be an area of concern.

2013 Contract Issues: Oakland Athletics

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The Athletics are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

  • Brandon McCarthy - McCarthy, now on the disabled list, figures to be in high demand this offseason. If the right-hander returns from the DL on schedule and the A's are out of contention by the end of July, he could be traded.
  • Brandon Inge - Scott Sizemore should return in 2013, eliminating the Athletics' need for a second everyday third baseman. Note that Inge signed a new one-year contract with the Athletics and that the 2013 option on his previous deal with the Tigers is no longer in play.
  • Bartolo Colon - In theory, Colon could also be available this summer. He has pitched well for the A's and they might have interest in re-signing him to a similar low-risk deal in 2013.
  • Jonny Gomes - Bob Melvin has maximized Gomes' exposure to left-handed pitching and the early results are excellent. Perhaps the Bay Area native will re-sign and complement the likes of Seth Smith for another year.
  • Manny Ramirez – Let's see what Ramirez does in 2012 before speculating about his role on the 2013 team.

Contract Options (2)

  • Grant Balfour: $4.5MM club option with a $350K buyout. It's been a rough ten-game stretch for Balfour, who could be a summer trade candidate if he recovers from his current slump.
  • Brian Fuentes: $6.5MM club option with a $500K option. Fuentes would be among the top left-handed relievers available this summer if the A's are willing to listen to trade offers for him. It would seem un-Athletics-like for the team to exercise this option and commit 10% of its payroll to a 37-year-old pitcher who won't pitch more than 5% of the team's innings. But if he puts together a strong season, the club could pick up the option and trade him.

Arbitration Eligible (7)

Injuries and poor performance have created considerable uncertainty for some of Oakland's arbitration eligible players. Devine could be non-tendered, depending on his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Barton, off to another slow start at the plate, could be cut loose as well. As long as Braden's recovery from shoulder surgery progresses well, he figures to be retained this December. If not, he'll be non-tendered, too.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The A's have committed nearly $29MM to next year's team, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. The franchise typically spends $50-65MM on its players, so GM Billy Beane should have some money at his disposal this offseason. However, the team's uncertain long-term future will presumably have some effect on Beane's ability to pursue free agents.

Twins Designate Jason Marquis For Assignment

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TUESDAY: The Twins announced that they designated Marquis for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Cole DeVries.

MONDAY: The Twins are set to designate pitcher Jason Marquis for assignment, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The 33-year-old has struggled so far in 2012, posting an ERA of 8.47 with 3.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in seven starts.

The right-hander inked a one-year, $3MM deal with the Twins in December after picking up interest from other clubs, including the Mets.  Morosi notes that despite his struggles in Minnesota this year, the hurler has a history of success in the National League.

Marquis made 23 starts for the Nats and D'Backs in 2011, finishing the year with a 4.43 ERA, 5.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 across 132 innings.

2013 Contract Issues: Seattle Mariners

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The Mariners are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (5)

  • Ichiro Suzuki - Sentimentality only goes so far, as the Mariners know from Ken Griffey Jr.'s return to Seattle. Yet it's hard to imagine Ichiro in another team's uniform and he appears to prefer Seattle to other potential suitors. He won't be earning $17MM per season, no matter where he plays.
  • Brandon League - Nothing screams 'trade candidate' like established relievers nearing free agency on non-contenders. It won't be surprising if the Mariners trade League this summer. Hopefully for Seattle, potential suitors aren't put off by the right-hander's declining peripherals.
  • Hisashi Iwakuma - Manager Eric Wedge hasn't used Iwakuma much (four appearances in the team's first 43 games). That in itself could be an indication that he's not part of the Mariners' long-term plans.
  • George Sherrill - The left-hander will miss the remainder of the season to recover from Tommy John surgery.
  • Kevin Millwood - GM Jack Zduriencik did well to add Millwood to the rotation on a low-risk deal. The right-hander figures to sign another short-term, low-risk contract this coming offseason whether he's back in Seattle or pitching elsewhere.
  • Munenori Kawasaki - The infielder has the right to elect free agency for the purposes of going back to Japan but not to explore other opportunities in MLB.

Contract Options (1)

  • Miguel Olivo: $3MM club option. If at the end of the season the Mariners don't believe Jesus Montero is a future catcher, there could be a role for Olivo on next year's team. He has his shortcomings on offense and on defense, but he hits lefties, which makes him a suitable complement to the left-handed hitting John Jaso.

Arbitration Eligible (4)

This relatively small arbitration class doesn't figure to generate many headlines, but Vargas could be an exception. He's building a case for another substantial raise via arbitration and it's hard not to wonder if the Mariners might cash in on him soon, while his salary's just $4.85MM, and obtain a couple of controllable players in a trade. Contenders will be looking for pitching help before long and Vargas' durability should generate interest.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Mariners have committed $40MM to next year's team, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Ownership has been lowering payroll in recent years, and the 2012 team will cost approximately $85MM. GM Jack Zduriencik should have financial flexibility this coming offseason when he looks to round out his pitching staff and add some offense.

Minor Moves: Galarraga, Montanez, Barfield

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Tonight's minor moves..

Phillies In Contact With Cole Hamels’ Agent

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10:10pm: As of early this afternoon, there's no evidence of progress in the Phillies' talks with Cole Hamels, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

8:49pm: Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said he remains in contact with Hamels' agent, John Boggs, as free agency approaches, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).  While the two sides are keeping dialogue open, they have yet to set any deadlines or target dates in their discussions.

"It's been pretty open. We've kept it open. We haven't made any timelines. I haven't gotten any from them," said the GM.

Hamels is set to be one of the top talents on the open market this winter and at least one team inquired about the hurler early in the year as the Phillies struggled.  The Phillies currently sit at 21-21 and at the bottom of the National League East.

Rangers Will Consider Roy Oswalt

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Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said the club will consider signing pitcher Roy Oswalt in the wake of Neftali Feliz’s elbow injury, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  The Rangers watched the veteran throw on Friday.

Texas has long been linked to Oswalt but there was no room for the 34-year-old in the starting rotation.  Feliz's injury could create an opening for Oswalt as the club isn't ready to ready to promote Martin Perez or Neil Ramirez from Triple-A.  Scott Feldman is set to replace Feliz in the rotation and while Alexi Ogando is also a candidate he is not stretched out like Feldman.

Oswalt wouldn't be ready to step in to the rotation immediately for the Rangers but could provide depth in the event of another injury.

Rays Designate John Gaub For Assignment

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The Rays have designated left-hander John Gaub for assignment, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).  The move will allow the Rays to make room on the 40-man roster for the recently-acquired Drew Sutton.

Gaub, 27, appeared in four games for the Cubs last season and was picked up off of waivers by the Rays in early April.  The lefty owns a 3.81 ERA with 11.8 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 across parts of four Triple-A seasons. 

Quick Hits: Colon, Litsch, Rangers

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Cory Luebke will undergo reconstructive elbow surgery on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets. The Padres left-hander hasn’t pitched in the Major Leagues since April 27th and had been undecided as to his next step. Here are the rest of today’s links…

  • Jim Callis of Baseball America says Royals infield prospect Christian Colon will eventually move from shortstop to second base, where he can be a solid regular.
  • Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Litsch says he has a "career threatening" infection in his shoulder, Barry Davis of Sportsnet.ca tweets. Litsch, 27, has spent the entire season on Toronto's disabled list. He posted a 4.44 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 75 innings last year.
  • Former MLB outfielder Bobby Kielty told MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes that he signed with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. The 35-year-old has a career .296/.379/.503 batting line against left-handed pitching, but hasn't played in the Major Leagues since 2007.
  • There's still no resolution in the Jairo Beras–Rangers case, Ben Badler of Baseball America writes. Texas agreed to sign the prospect for $4.5MM, but MLB's questions about his age remain unanswered. International sources tell Badler MLB can't sign off on the deal if it wants to seem serious about rule enforcement in Latin America.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wonders if the Rangers could be a fit for Roy Oswalt now that starter Neftali Feliz is on the disabled list (Twitter link). Click here for the latest Oswalt rumors.

D’Backs Designate Cody Ransom For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks announced that they designated infielder Cody Ransom for assignment (Twitter link). The team will recall infielder Josh Bell from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. Arizona now has two open 40-man roster spots.

Ransom, 36, posted a .269/.345/.577 batting line in 58 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks this year. He played third base and shortstop, the same two positions he appeared at in 2011. Ransom has a .226/.310/.409 batting line in parts of ten seasons at the MLB level.

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