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Archives for October 2012

West Coast Links: Rockies, Giants, Dodgers, Angels

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Earlier today we passed along some Dodgers-related rumors, but now let's round up some other West Coast links…

  • The Rockies have interviewed former Mets and White Sox manager Jerry Manuel and former Phillies bench coach Pete MacKanin for their managerial opening, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post (Twitter links).
  • "I don't see it as an arms race," said Giants president Larry Baer to Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times when asked about his team's rivalry with the Dodgers. "It's a judgment race. It's a brainiac race. What team can come up with the right judgments to put the right combination of players on the field?"
  • Bruce Jenkins of The San Francisco Chronicle says Giants GM Brian Sabean should do everything in his power to keep his team intact moving forward. In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes a team (in any sport) can make is think it has the "magic formula" and not make any meaningful changes.
  • Scout and minor league manager Tom Kotchman (Casey's father) resigned from his positions with the Angels, reports John Manuel and Conor Glassey of Baseball America. Kotchman had been with the team since 1984 and signed players like Howie Kendrick, Patrick Corbin, and Jeff Mathis as amateurs.
  • The Mariners have hired Tim Kissner as their new international scouting director, reports Baseball America's Ben Badler. Kissner spent the last two years in the Cubs' organization. Bob Engle, Seattle's long-time international scouting director, informed the organization that he would not be returning a few weeks ago.

Free Agent Faceoff: Ryan Madson vs. Joakim Soria

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MLBTradeRumors is introducing a new series in which two comparable free agents are analyzed side by side. Each post will conclude with a reader vote on the value of the two players.

Coming into the season, Ryan Madson and Joakim Soria were two of baseball’s truly elite relievers. They combined to throw zero meaningful pitches in 2012. Both right-handers missed the season with Tommy John surgery and will hit the open market as free agents this winter. They figure to be in high demand despite their injuries, but is one preferable to the other?

Madson, 32, has just one season as a closer to his credit (2011), but from 2009-2011 he was a high-strikeout (9.6 K/9) and low-walk (2.4 BB/9) late-inning reliever for the Phillies. His best pitch is a low-to-mid-80s changeup, a pitch that generally puts less stress on the elbow than sliders or curveballs. In addition to the elbow reconstruction, Madson has missed time with a hand contusion (2011), a toe fracture (2010), and a shoulder strain (2007) in recent years.

Soria, 28, is actually recovering from his second Tommy John procedure. He’s been closing games since the middle of 2007, and owns a 9.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 for his career. Soria is the rare four-pitch reliever, using two breaking balls (slider and curveball) in addition to his changeup and low-90s fastball. He missed time with a shoulder strain in 2009 and an oblique strain in 2011.

The Royals intend to buy out Soria’s club option for next year and negotiate a new deal, but either way he and Madson will have little trouble landing work this offseason given their pedigrees. Almost every team will have interest in signing one or both guys to one-year, low base salary, incentive-laden contracts in the coming weeks.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Tyson Brummett

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Let's keep track of the day's outright assignments right here…

  • The Blue Jays have outrighted Tyson Brummett to Triple-A according to the MLB.com transactions page. Toronto claimed the 28-year-old right-hander off waivers from the Phillies last week only to designate him for assignment a few days later. Brummett pitched to a 3.20 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 90 innings at various levels of Philadelphia's farm system this year.

Dodgers Notes: League, Fujikawa, Otani

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Yesterday, Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti ran down a number of topics during the club's formal introductory press conference for Carl Crawford.  During the presser, Colletti said that the Dodgers would target both starting and relief pitching this winter, plus outfield depth.  Here's more out of Los Angeles from Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times..

  • Colletti reiterated that Brandon League has interest in returning to the Dodgers and the club would like to keep him.  League's representatives told Hernandez that the two sides are currently discussing a three-year pact.  The 29-year-old is able to hit the open market for the first time after earning $5MM in his final season as an arbitration eligible player.
  • People familiar with the Dodgers' thinking say they are interested in Japanese free-agent reliever Kyuji Fujikawa.  The right-hander boasts a mid-90s fastball and has been considered the Japanese league's top closer in recent years.  Fujikawa is expected to pitch in the major leagues next season after recently completing his contract with the Hanshin Tigers.
  • The Dodgers are also known to be in on 18-year-old Shohei Otani along with the Red Sox and Rangers.  Hernandez notes that the Dodgers may have to approach the situation carefully as they have a longstanding relationship with Japanese baseball.  The Nippon Ham Fighters, who selected Otani first overall in the NPB draft, have until the end of March to negotiate with him.  Any team that signs him before then could hurt MLB's relationship with the top league in Japan.
  • The Dodgers are still looking for a hitting coach and Mickey Hatcher, who assisted Dave Hansen late this year, is not in the mix.

Royals Rumors: Guthrie, Soria, Paxton

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Earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney said we shouldn't be surprised if the Royals trade one of their core homegrown bats for starting pitching this offseason. Here's the latest on the club courtesy of The Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton…

  • “I think it’s pretty safe to say he’s going to explore free agency,” said GM Dayton Moore, acknowledging that they're unlikely to agree to a new contract with Jeremy Guthrie during the exclusive negotiating period. “We’ll continue to monitor how that goes. He’s going to explore his options, and it’s important that we do as well.”
  • Talks about a new contract with Joakim Soria are ongoing. The Royals are expected to buy the right-hander out of his $8MM option following his second Tommy John surgery. Moore described the discussions as "moving at (their) own pace."
  • Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times notes that the Royals have been heavily scouting Mariners left-handed pitching prospect James Paxton in the Arizona Fall League. Dutton wonders if the two teams could work out a trade involving one of Kansas City's bats given Seattle's need for offense.

Lance Berkman Will Listen To Offers This Offseason

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A few weeks ago we heard that Lance Berkman was leaning towards retiring after the season, but yesterday he told Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he is still "not real sure" about his future. He will file for free agency after the World Series just to keep his options open, however.

"I think it would behoove me to at least listen if there is an offer out there," said Berkman. "But honestly I don't know what is going to happen or what's going to be my thought process."

Berkman, 36, was limited to 97 plate appearances this season due to a pair of right knee surgeries, the fourth and fifth knee surgeries of his career. Just a year ago he hit .301/.412/.547 with 31 homers while starting over 120 games in the outfield with the Cardinals, good enough for a seventh place finish in the MVP voting.

There has been speculation that Berkman could return to the Astros as a DH next season since the club is shifting to the AL. He went to college in Houston and spent the first 12 years of his big league career with the 'Stros. Berkman recently said he won't come back unless his knee is 100% though, even if he is healthy enough to just DH.

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said "it's hard to imagine finding a fit" for Berkman with the club next year, and Berkman admits that he has a long way to go with his conditioning before getting into playing shape. "My plan right now is to treat the offseason as if I was going to play next season by continuing my knee rehab and getting my legs back under me," he said.

Olney’s Latest: Sanchez, Royals, Hosmer

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Here's the latest from ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider req'd)…

  • Some executives and agents predict that Anibal Sanchez could sign for anywhere from $30MM to $60MM as a free agent this offseason. I'd expect something closer to the high-end of that range.
  • The Royals desperately need at least two quality starting pitchers, though Gil Meche's shoulder problems could make GM Dayton Moore tentative on the free agent market. Otherwise players like Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, and Edwin Jackson would make sense.
  • Olney says no one should be surprised if the Royals deal one of their core hitters – Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler, Mike Moustakas, etc. – to acquire pitching this winter. Hosmer presumably has the most value of the group despite his down 2012 season.
  • The Rays could match-up for such a trade with the Royals since they have a wide array of starting pitching to offer. The Mariners, Diamondbacks, and Athletics could be matches as well.

Sherman’s Latest: Wright, Soriano, Tigers, LaRussa

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Here's the latest from Joel Sherman of The New York Post…

  • Sherman has spoken to more than ten executives outside the Mets organization who believe the team will re-sign David Wright and relatively soon. It's a public relations move as much as a baseball move, plus getting him signed quickly will allow them to fine tune their offseason plans.
  • Officials expect Wright to receive a seven-year, $127MM extension that, when combined with his $16MM club option for next year, would be worth a total of $143MM across eight years. It would make Wright the highest paid Met in history (ahead of Johan Santana) and the second high paid third baseman in history (behind Alex Rodriguez).
  • “Teams no longer like paying big money for closers, there is a lot of tread on his tires and he is not known as a great guy," said one NL executive about Rafael Soriano, who is expected to opt-out of his contract with the Yankees and become a free agent this offseason.
  • Sherman wonders if Jose Valverde's late-season collapse will help Soriano on the open market as the Tigers will likely look for a high-end closer. Tigers own Mike Ilitch has a strong working relationship with Soriano's agent Scott Boras.
  • Former manager Tony LaRussa recently said he would not have offered more than five or six years to Albert Pujols last winter or Josh Hamilton this winter, and Sherman says the players association was not pleased. LaRussa is currently an advisor to the Commissioner and anything resembling talk of collusion from baseball's higher-ups sets off an alarm.

Arbitration Eligibles: St. Louis Cardinals

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The Cardinals are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series.  Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.

With Motte, Mujica, Boggs, Rzepczynski, and McClellan, the majority of the Cardinals' arbitration cases are relievers.  In his first full year as the Cardinals' closer, Motte racked up an impressive 42 saves with strong peripheral numbers.  The 30-year-old is under team control through 2014, and the Cardinals could reduce the cost and add a free agent year or two with an extension.  The three-year, $20MM extension signed by Carlos Marmol after the 2010 season could be a model.

Mujica came to the Cardinals at the trade deadline and allowed just three runs in 26 1/3 regular season innings.  With 30 holds this year, he's in line for a handsome raise.  Boggs posted 34 holds, and will top $1MM as a first-timer.  Rzepczynski slipped this year, but figures to be retained affordably.  McClellan spent most of the year on the disabled list, requiring shoulder surgery in July.  Earlier this month, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch wrote that McClellan will throw for the entire month of November, which will give the Cardinals a chance to evaluate him before deciding whether to tender a contract.  Langosch expects McClellan to be non-tendered, but with the door open for a new contract.

Freese, 29, made the All-Star team this year and ultimately posted career highs in games played (144 in the regular season) and thus all relevant counting stats.  Last year's postseason heroics won't hurt at the arbitration table, either.  Is it too early to consider extending Freese, a Wildwood, Missouri native?  Freese's injuries this year were numerous but minor, though you hate to see any kind of ankle concerns still cropping up.  I think the Cards would be best-served to let 2013 play out before seriously talking extension.

Assuming everyone is tendered a contract aside from McClellan, the Cardinals are looking at a projected $12.7MM for five arbitration eligible players.

Matt Swartz's arbitration projections are available exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors.  To read more about his projection model, check out this series of posts.

Quick Hits: Marlins, Brewers, Maddux, Iwakuma

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News from around the majors as we head into the very last weekend of the 2012 season…

  • Former Diamondbacks star Luis Gonzalez is believed to be on the Marlins' short list of managerial candidates, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  Gonzalez is currently a special assistant with the D'Backs and he spent his final season with Miami in 2008.
  • Candidates for the Marlins job are being interviewed separately by front office personnel and by owner Jeffrey Loria, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Loria and his staff will convene after the World Series and then make a decision.
  • Brewers owner Mark Attanasio tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his team will be focused on upgrading the bullpen and adding an experienced starter this winter, though the latter won't be at a large price.  “We’re just not adding any veteran. It has to be the right move for us. I know Doug [Melvin] and his staff would like to add another veteran starter. I don’t know how or where that’s going to come from," said Attanasio.  “We’ve got a lot of good young pitchers coming up from the minor leagues, so we may find our answers there.”
  • Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux hasn't yet been contacted about any managerial openings, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  Maddux was interviewed for the Cubs job last winter turned down an interview with the Red Sox.  
  • The Mariners "will make a strong push" to re-sign Hisashi Iwakuma, writes MLB.com's Greg Johns, who also notes that Iwakuma expressed in returning to Seattle earlier this year.  Iwakuma signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the M's last winter and performed well in his first season in North America, posting a 3.16 ERA and a 7.3 K/9 rate in 30 games (16 of them starts).  Those numbers included significant home-road splits, so it's no surprise that Iwakuma would want to continue pitching at Safeco Field. 
  • Tim Bogar turned down an offer to be the Astros' bench coach due to a contract clause that would've prohibited Bogar from interviewing for managerial jobs, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Bogar has been connected to manager jobs over the last few years, including the Astros job itself that eventually went to Bo Porter.  Bogar served as the Red Sox bench coach last season, though he won't be returning to Boston, as Torey Lovullo will serve as bench coach under new manager John Farrell.

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