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Archives for December 2013

Phillies “Very Willing” To Move Jimmy Rollins

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Reports have already surfaced that the Phillies are aggressively shopping closer Jonathan Papelbon, and ESPN's Buster Olney now reports (via Twitter) that the club is "very willing" to move shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Olney notes that Rollins has a no-trade clause, however.

Rollins, 35, struggled at the plate in 2013, batting .252/.318/.348 with a career-low six home runs despite playing in 160 games. He did swipe 22 bases in 28 attempts, but his defense also slipped, based on his -2.7 UZR/150 and -15 Defensive Runs Saved (per The Fielding Bible).

Rollins is owed $11MM in 2014 — the final guaranteed season of a three-year, $33MM contract. That deal contains an easily attainable vesting option for a fourth year at $11MM, however, which will trigger if Rollins reaches 1100 plate appearances between 2013-14 and is not on the disabled list to close the 2014 season. Rollins tallied 666 PAs in 2013, meaning he will only need 434 trips to the plate in 2014 to secure an $11MM salary in 2015. Should the option not vest, the Phillies will then hold an $8MM club option on Rollins. In the event that the Phillies decline that option, Rollins would then have a $5MM player option.

Reports this summer indicated that Rollins was not willing to waive his full no-trade clause, so the fact that the Phillies are open to moving him at this time might be a non-issue. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. was asked in late August if he thought Rollins would benefit from a change of scenery, to which he replied, "You'd have to ask Jimmy," before going on to state: "Jimmy is our shortstop. We signed him for a reason."

Cubs Interested In Sanchez, Wada

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Though the Cubs have already inked Wesley Wright this offseason, they don't appear to be done looking for left-handed depth. Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Cubs are interested in Jonathan Sanchez as a reliever, and a Sponichi report (Japanese link) indicates that they've already made a minor league offer to fellow left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada.

If the Cubs were to sign Sanchez, it would surely be on a minor-league deal. The 31-year-old opened the 2013 with a miserable five games with the Pirates, ending up with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque. There, he pitched 66 2/3 innings, posting a 5.13 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9. He has not had much experience as a reliever, and might have some upside out of the bullpen. Sanchez has held lefties to a .218/.313/.363 batting line in his big league career and limited them to a .215/.276/.418 line in the minors this season.

According to the Sponichi report, many teams are interested in Wada, but the Cubs are "enthusiastically" pursuing him. Within the report, Cubs president Theo Epstein is quoted: "He had a great second half [in 2013]. We think he's a pitcher who can compete in the Majors."

Wada, 32, posted a 2.76 ERA with a 60-to-22 K/BB ratio over his final 78 1/3 innings for the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate in 2013 as he worked his way back from 2012 Tommy John surgery. Though he inked a two-year, $8.15MM contract with the O's prior to the 2012 campaign, Wada's injury prevented him from ever pitching in Baltimore. Epstein did not confirm to Sponichi that his team had made an offer.

Thanks to MLBTR's Aaron Steen for the Japanese translation. Charlie Wilmoth also contributed to this post.

Golden Eagles Trying To Convince Tanaka To Stay In Japan

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The Rakuten Golden Eagles will try to convince Masahiro Tanaka to stay in Japan for one more season, according to a Sponichi Report passed along by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman (Twitter link). Taking things a step further, a source indicated over the weekend to George A. King III of the New York Post that Tanaka won't be posted until after the 2014 season.

Of course, the Golden Eagles do not need Tanaka's consent to retain him for another season. However, denying their ace of his wish to come to the United States may not look good to the public and could damage the club's relationship with Tanaka and other players down the line. Last Sunday, Golden Eagles president Yozo Tachibana told reporters that he would likely post Tanaka is he wished to come to MLB.

Reports since then have indicated that the team would struggle with the decision of whether or not to allow Tanaka to come to the Major Leagues or hold him back due to displeasure with the new posting system. As of last Tuesday, Tachibana was planning to speak with Tanaka this week regarding the decision, and assistant GM Aki Sasaki went on record as saying: "I don't know if $20 million is fair value for this kind of trade" (per Yahoo's Jeff Passan).

If there is indeed an announcement that Tanaka will remain in Japan for another season, the starting pitching market should accelerate quickly, with names like Matt Garza, Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez seeing their stocks rise significantly.

Top Remaining 2014 Free Agents

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Now that the Winter Meetings are over, here are the top ten remaining free agents from Tim Dierkes' Top 50 list, with updates on each.

3. Shin-Soo Choo. The acquisitions of Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran by the Yankees, Curtis Granderson by the Mets and Corey Hart and Logan Morrison by the Mariners have helped define the market for Choo. One report recently indicated he Rangers had a seven-year offer on the table. Not everyone agreed, but in any case, the Rangers remain interested. The Astros, Diamondbacks and Reds do not appear to be in the mix. The Tigers could be another possibility, although ESPN's Jerry Crasnick recently wrote that their acquisition of Rajai Davis ruled them out.

5. Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka's status will likely become clearer once an agreement on the posting system is ratified tomorrow. If Rakuten decides to post Tanaka, the Diamondbacks could be serious suitors, as could the Cubs. Tanaka is also the Yankees' "top choice." The Dodgers might also be a possibility, but their interest doesn't appear to be as strong as expected.

6. Ervin Santana. The Tigers are reportedly interested in Santana, and the Diamondbacks have met with his agent. The Mets probably dropped out of the race when they agreed to terms with Bartolo Colon. The Yankees do not appear to be interested.

7. Matt Garza. Unlike Santana, Garza didn't receive a qualifying offer, which may improve his market, since teams won't have to worry about losing a draft pick. The Angels and Twins have been connected to Garza, although Angels GM Jerry Dipoto says his team doesn't have an offer out for Garza, and the Twins don't want to give Garza a four- or five-year deal. The Diamondbacks have repeatedly been connected to Garza, and Arizona could be a good landing spot, particularly if the D'Backs don't come up with Tanaka or Santana.

9. A.J. Burnett. The Pirates still believe Burnett is deciding between re-signing with them or retiring, although the Orioles have shown interest, and Burnett's offseason home is in Maryland. It's been almost two months since Burnett said he would take "a week or so" to decide whether to continue playing or retire.

11. Ubaldo Jimenez. The Indians want Jimenez to return, but it's unclear whether they'll make a big enough commitment to re-sign him. The Orioles might also be a possibility. Note that the last five names on this list are pitchers — with Tanaka unable to sign, Burnett a question mark, and David Price and Jeff Samardzija looming on the trade market, the free-agent market for pitching has been slow to develop.

14. Stephen Drew. Drew and Jhonny Peralta were the only big names on the shortstop market, and Peralta has already signed with the Cardinals, so Drew is a huge fish in a tiny pond. The Yankees need a second baseman after Robinson Cano and Omar Infante signed elsewhere, and a return to the Red Sox would still make sense, with Drew at shortstop and Xander Bogaerts at third. The Mets don't seem to be serious contenders.

17. Nelson Cruz. Cruz rejected a qualifying offer and is reportedly looking for a deal that pays $16MM or more a year, which may be a lot to player with limited defensive ability and scary offensive indicators. Cruz wants the Rangers to offer a three-year deal, but so far, they're only offering two. The Mariners continue to be connected to Cruz, even after adding Corey Hart and Logan Morrison.

23. Bronson Arroyo. Four teams have reportedly offered Arroyo two-year deals, but Arroyo, like Cruz, seems to be holding out for three. The Twins are still a possibility even after their signings of Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes and their re-signing of Mike Pelfrey. The Mets and Reds are contenders as well.

25. Grant Balfour. The Indians just agreed to terms with John Axford, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted (via Twitter) that one likely scenario for the rest of the bullpen market had Joaquin Benoit going to the Padres and Balfour heading to the Orioles. The Boston Herald's Jen Royle, meanwhile, reports that the Orioles have offered Balfour a three-year deal, but Balfour wants three years with a vesting option (Twitter links). In any case, the Orioles look like Balfour's most serious suitors by far right now, although Royle suggests the Mariners could also come into play.

MLBTR Originals

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A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR, as we went 24 hours during the Winter Meetings this past week:

  • Zach Links and Luke Adams anchored our around-the-clock coverage providing a daily recap (Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3) of the hard news and rumors with Tim Dierkes and Jeff Todd reporting live from Orlando. Steve Adams meanwhile covered the Rule 5 Draft.
  • In a preview of the Winter Meetings, Jeff predicted the wheeling and dealing could lead to some interesting and opportunistic maneuvers. 
  • Jeff attended the joint press conference with the GMs involved the three-team Mark Trumbo trade and posted their reactions to the deal.
  • Jeff asked MLBTR readers which team benefitted the most from the four trades engineered during the Winter Meetings. More than 32% of you who responded to the survey believe the Angels helped themselves the most with the aforementioned Trumbo deal. 
  • Tim was first with the details of Roberto Hernandez's contract with the Phillies: a one-year, $4.5MM guarantee with an additional $1.5MM in incentives based on innings pitched. Tim also heard the Cubs had been competitive on Hernandez.
  • MLBTR was the first to report 12 teams have expressed interest in right-hander Jason Hammel and all are exploring one-year deals.
  • Tim broke the news 10 teams are in pursuit of infielder Justin Turner and that Astros outfielder L.J. Hoes is now being represented by MVP Sports Group.
  • Tim heard the Cubs offered Edward Mujica a one-year contract to be their closer before he signed with the Red Sox and 8-10 teams have inquired about right-hander Jerome Williams. 
  • Marlins GM Michael Hill told Tim the decision to non-tender reliever Ryan Webb was simply a reallocation of the club's financial resources and the team's top priority is acquiring a third baseman.
  • Tigers President/CEO/GM Dave Dombrowski told reporters, including MLBTR's Steve Adams, the perception the franchise needs to slash payroll is not true and the signing of Joba Chamberlain is the last move he's looking to make.
  • Jeff opines the impetus for the Tigers' roster reshaping can be traced to the suspension of Jhonny Peralta.  
  • The Mets will receive value in excess of the $20MM they will pay Bartolo Colon over the next two years and were able to negotiate such a reasonable price because of his age and history, according to Tim.
  • Tim wonders if the Pirates still have payroll space for A.J. Burnett after signing Edinson Volquez.
  • Jeff examined the market for Kendrys Morales (#28 on MLBTR's 2014 Top 50 Free Agents list).
  • Jeff suggests the Nationals' trade for Doug Fister looks even better now than it did at first glance.
  • Mike Napoli told Zach there were a lot teams interested in his services, but it ultimately came down to his wanting to return to Boston.
  • Charlie Wilmoth listed the best remaining first base options available on the trade market and in free agency.
  • Former first round draft choice Brian Anderson, whose switch to pitching was derailed by injuries, told MLBTR, "I'd love to get back on the field again."
  • MLBTR was the first to learn infielder Adam Kennedy, who didn't play in 2013, is planning a comeback and will work out for teams during the second week of January.
  • Zach gathered the best the baseball corner of the web had to offer in Baseball Blogs Weigh In. 

Cafardo On Trumbo, Middlebrooks, Burnett, Morales

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The Winter Meetings featured the three-team trade that sent Mark Trumbo to the Diamondbacks, as well as a number of other moves, but Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe argues that this year's meetings featured plenty of press, but comparatively little meaningful activity. Cafardo wonders whether baseball should issue a moratorium on moves before the Winter Meetings, so that the meetings themselves feature more signal and less noise. Here's more from Cafardo:

  • For the Diamondbacks, the Trumbo acquisition was about adding power, which is in short supply these days. "Just looking at the West, and looking at the National League and looking at the free agent market going forward, I just don’t know where you’re going to find power," says GM Kevin Towers.
  • If the Red Sox re-sign Stephen Drew, that would bump Xander Bogaerts to third base and make Will Middlebrooks a trade candidate. The Marlins, who are looking for a third baseman, would likely be interested.
  • Even after a report that the Orioles had interest in A.J. Burnett and had been in touch with his agent, the Pirates feel Burnett doesn't want to play for any other team. "There’s no reason for [Burnett] not to be back," says a Pirates official.
  • Four teams have offered two-year deals to free agent Bronson Arroyo, but Arroyo is holding out for a three-year deal, or maybe a two-year deal with a vesting option.
  • There doesn't appear to be a particularly robust market for Kendrys Morales, with the Mariners adding Corey Hart and Logan Morrison and the Angels likely to sign Raul Ibanez. The Orioles might be one possibility, but not at Morales' price.

Indians Strongly Interested In John Axford

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The Indians are "focused" on signing John Axford, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweets. Axford would presumably fill the Indians' vacancy at closer. Earlier today, Indians team president Mark Shapiro said that the Indians would soon acquire a reliever with closing experience. Axford, who served as the Brewers' closer for much of 2010 through 2012, would fit the bill.

The Brewers traded Axford to the Cardinals in August for Michael Blazek, and the Cardinals non-tendered Axford even though he pitched well for them both down the stretch and in the playoffs. He finished the season with a 4.02 ERA in 65 innings, with 9.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. Axford has been connected with the Mets and Orioles, in addition to the Indians. MLBTR previously suggested that Axford might get a two-year deal as a free agent, despite being non-tendered.

Week In Review: 12/8/13 – 12/14/13

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Here's a look back at transactions culled from the 280-plus posts this week at MLBTR.

AL Notes: Rays, Garza, Ibanez, Astros

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On this date in 1980, the Yankees made Dave Winfield the highest-paid athlete in all of sports with a ten-year, $16MM contract. In the intervening four decades, a ten-year MLB contract is now worth something in the neighborhood of $240MM (Robinson Cano and Albert Pujols) to $275MM (Alex Rodriguez). Meanwhile, $16MM will only buy you one year of Hiroki Kuroda or two years of Marlon Byrd this offseason, per MLBTR's Transaction Tracker. As you rush out and buy your child a bat, a glove, and every baseball instructional video ever made, here's today's American League news and notes:

  • The Rays feel justified in giving James Loney the most lucrative free agent contract during Andrew Friedman's tenure, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays value Loney's defense, quality at-bats, clubhouse presence, and his left-handed bat which balances a predominantly right-handed lineup.
  • Also from Topkin's article, the Rays will now turn their attention to adding bench and bullpen pieces with catcher Jose Lobaton and outfielder Matt Joyce as possible trade chips.
  • The market for Matt Garza is strong because of his 2013 season, AL East pedigree, and not being attached to draft pick compensation, tweets CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.
  • The Angels believe they can sign both Garza and Raul Ibanez and still fall below the $189MM luxury tax threshold, writes FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal notes the Angels' interest in Ibanez stems from his career slash line of .349/.407/.522 in 327 plate appearances at Angel Stadium.
  • Also from Rosenthal, the Astros are still in the market for a first baseman and could turn to the Nationals' Tyler Moore.
  • Despite the signing of Joba Chamberlain, the Tigers' preference is to have Bruce Rondon set up closer Joe Nathan, according to John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
  • The Royals are to be commended not just for signing Omar Infante away from the Yankees, but also strengthening their ballclub immediately at a reasonable cost, opines Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan.

Yankees “Absolutely No Intention” Of Trading Gardner

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The Yankees have "absolutely no intention" of trading Brett Gardner to clear room in their crowded outfield or to fill a need elsewhere, according to team president Randy Levine. Levine made the comments this morning on ESPN Radio's The Ian O'Connor Show (partial transcript courtesy of ESPNNewYork.com).

"We think he's going to be on the roster," Levine said. "One of the reasons the baseball people signed Jacoby Ellsbury is the two of them together present a tremendous dynamic one-two or nine-one, whatever Joe Girardi decides to write in at the top of the lineup. One will play left, one will play center, and it's a tremendous defensive situation. So, no, there's absolutely no intention to move Brett Gardner."

Gardner has been a popular name on MLBTR this winter with reports linking him to the Tigers, Reds, Indians, and Giants. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $4MM arbitration salary for the 30-year-old after he slashed .273/.344/.416 in 609 plate appearances with 24 steals and an AL-leading 10 triples in 2013. Gardner will be eligible for free agency next offseason.

Levine also addressed the Alex Rodriguez situation and its implications on the team's desire to remain underneath the $189MM luxury tax ceiling. With a decision from the arbitrator expected next month on A-Rod's 211-game suspension, Levine claims the third baseman is in the team's 2014 plans.

"From our planning purposes, we have Alex Rodriguez in our budget as is if he will be playing," Levine said. "And that's the way it will be until there's a change of circumstance. His money is in the budget. But as we stand now, we have a shot to get to 189. I think it's a fair shot. It all depends on what type of players become available to us, and what choices we have to make."

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