Miguel Gonzalez’s name was mentioned in trade rumors this summer (most notably as part of a possible Jon Lester package) and yet as MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko points out, Gonzalez’s recent success could be another example of “how sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make.” The Orioles right-hander has a 2.00 ERA over his last nine starts, including a complete game shutout of the Reds last Wednesday. Gonzalez has been a solid piece of the O’s rotation for the last three years and has a 3.38 ERA over 136 IP this season, which I suspect will earn him a nice salary bump this winter when he is arbitration-eligible for the first time.
Here’s some more from around the AL East…
- Also from Kubatko, the Orioles are “hesitant” about making a long-term commitment to Nelson Cruz. Though the O’s have recently had some light negotiations with Cruz’s representation about a new contract, it isn’t hard to see why the club would be wary of guaranteeing multiple years to a 34-year-old who is a defensive liability and has a PED history. Of course, Cruz’s bat looks as potent as ever, given his .862 OPS and a league-high 39 homers this season. As you would expect, a one-year “qualifying offer appeals to the Orioles,” Kubatko writes, though surely Cruz feels his production merits a longer deal.
- Melky Cabrera has been scouted by at least one NL team for the last three weeks, Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair reports. One of those scouts tells Blair that his team could be willing to offer Cabrera something in the neighborhood of a four-year, $53MM contract in free agency this winter, a deal akin to what Jhonny Peralta received from the Cardinals last offseason. Peralta’s deal was front-loaded, and Blair opines that a similarly-structured deal could await Cabrera given that both players have a PED suspension on their records.
- Blair also can’t figure out why the Blue Jays haven’t already re-signed Cabrera for 2015 and beyond, given how well the outfielder has hit this year. Cabrera, who is done for the season after fracturing his pinky finger on Friday night, has expressed an interest in staying in Toronto.
- It’s been a tiring season for David Ortiz, as the Red Sox slugger tells ESPN Boston’s Joe McDonald that “it wears you out more than when you know you’re going to the playoffs — believe it or not. It wears you out more than when you know you have more games to play.” Ortiz isn’t sure how much longer he’ll play beyond 2015 (the end of his current contract), though when he does he hang it up, he said he’ll do it in the offseason rather than announce his retirement a year in advance like Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera.
- Red Sox righty Joe Kelly and the Orioles’ Andrew Miller were two trade deadline acquisitions that have worked out very well for their teams, Peter Gammons writes in his latest piece for Gammons Daily. Boston hopes Kelly can be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter in their 2015 rotation while Miller has continued his superb season since joining Baltimore’s pen.
- Also from Gammons, if the Orioles don’t bring back Nick Markakis, one possible replacement could be prospect Mike Yastrzemski. A 14th-round draft pick in 2013, Yastrzemski (Carl’s grandson) hit .288/.346/.490 with 14 homers, 34 doubles and 16 triples in 594 PA over three minor league levels this season, though he has yet to reach Triple-A.
It would be terrible for the Orioles to let Markakis go. He’s been a stalwart contributor his whole career.
17 mill is too much, but I hope they work something out.
Adding Cabrera would be a great thing, however.
Yeah, and he’s only 30 years old (Feels like he’s been around forever…), worth 1.2 WAR this year and really while the $17MM option sounds steep, it’s for a guy who’s played 1351 games out of a possible 1458 in his career, He’s a workhorse, never gets hurt, clubhouse leader, and gives you good defense and gets on base at a nice clip. He’s no superstar, but the guy is pretty good. There’s no way they let him walk.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they let him walk frankly. If you are going with a $110MM payroll there is only so much you can do, and I would think he ends up closer to $10MM of that.
I agree. I think NOT picking up the option is a foregone conclusion.
I think they’d continue to negotiate, and like to resign him in earnest. But once free agents hit free agency, the Os track record has been to set a price on a player internally, and hold firm to that figure, even if it means letting productive players walk. Markakis is reliable, consistent, and a strong batting eye, but he’s not quite lived up to his original projections. If he did he’d be irreplaceable. Duquette has been good about not making decisions off emotion. This is one of those calls.
Based on market, if another team overpays for him, I’d say he’s gone. Depending on his showing in the playoffs, and even the offensive showing of the Orioles, his value might go up. If the Os offense continue as is, I can see a random team love to overpay for the leadoff piece of the Orioles attack. If that happens, Duquette surely won’t match it. He’d rather see it as another chance to find one his trademark “hidden value” pick ups. Next year’s Nate McLouth, Nelson Cruz, Chen, Reynolds, etc..
I really think they’ll work out a new multi-year deal to keep him around. He’s a fan favorite, hits ok, plays defense ok, and doesn’t spend much time on the DL ever. There’s also the fact that he’s one of the few Greek players out there and Angelos might want to keep him around.
How surreal would it be if Mike Yastrzemski makes the Orioles’ roster at some point and plays left field in a game at Fenway?
that would be so cool!
Sox should have drafted him. Mistake by them will be an asset for the O’s
It’s uncanny how baseball has a way of making weird story lines happen.
I think the O’s will work out a new deal with Markakis in the offseason. I can’t imagine he expects to get $17.5 million for next year, and he’s expressed interest in retiring in Baltimore (although a lot of people say that if they’ve been on a team for a long time). I dunno if they’re expecting Yaz to become an everyday player. I’m interested to see what he can do next year. He flew through the minors this year.
I will never believe that until I see them sign the contract, and frankly what do you expect them to say?
Melky can play right field for the Yanks.
Why would he want to go back there?
Why not? I don’t remember them having any real problem with him. I think he’s still friends with Arod, and you know money.
They traded him away for nothing, the Vazquez trade was done by Atlanta as a salary dump. Cabrera was nothing more than a 3rd/4th outfielder to New York.
Also, he’s got way more closer friends in Toronto than he does in New York.
Vasquez finished fourth in the CY young race, and the yankees traded a top 100 prospect for him, doesn’t sound anything close to a salary dump.
I hate when someone uses Cy Young or MVP voting in their favor to an argument. Look up who won the 2005 Cy Young and then you can argue to me why he got it over Johan Santana who finished 3rd in voting. 20+ Wins = Cy Young.
Arodys Vizcaino, who was 18 at the time, was A-Ball Prospect at the time of the trade. Getting a A-Ball prospects is the epitome of selling low as their future is nowhere close to being ready for the majors.
I hope Ortiz stays true to that. These retirement tours need to stop. Let us remember our Papi by his retired number hanging alongside other Red Sox greats and his Cooperstown plaque and not by a signed base given to him by the Royals.
The difference between Ortiz and those other players who had “retirement tours” is that they were not suspected PED users so your Papi would not be as well received in other ballparks as those other players (who played the game game the right way) were.
Really? If people cared about that old test, we’d know for sure that it wasn’t a laced Flinstones vitamin.
Are you suggesting Ortiz hasn’t played the game “the right way?” What does that even mean? Ortiz, Rivera, and Jeter are all future Hall of Famers. If Ortiz wants to retire with dignity good for him.
I never stated that he was a bonafide steroid user. I do remember a few years back when he tested positive for some type of banned substance and he himself stated that he would give full disclosure about that at season’s end. Well, that season and many more have passed and nothing more was ever mentioned about it.Guilt is always in the eyes of the beholder.
I would lie if I said that I was 100% sure ( in my own humble opinion) that he was truly clean at that point.
maybe because MLB never told him what it was nor do they probably know what it was. There were 2 tests PED and Drug he was most likely on the drug test not the PED so they don’t know what it was.
Just because you’re not 100% sure he’s clean doesn’t mean he wouldn’t get the same honors that Jeter and Rivera received by the rest of MLB. He just doesn’t want that. And after the past two seasons of non-stop honoring retiring players, I think we’re all grateful for that.
I’m decidedly neither a Red Sox fan nor a Papi fan, but I think you might be wrong. MLB is fully behind Ortiz, and I think he’s going to the HOF (although I would question the choice) and he’s going to get all the adulation he wants. We ought to let every fan base pick their heroes.
People don’t even seem to bring up the fact he’s a suspected PED user. It seems lost for whatever reason yet A-Rod had to relieve those same allegations for years when they failed the same test.
A big difference with Papi and his positive test in 2003, is that he’s the first HOF caliber player who has played for about a decade after the Steroid scandal era first broke, and still maintained that same consistently high level of play. It helps his case a great deal. Others in the argument back then have either tailed off or injuries diminished them. He hasn’t.
This final month will also help him edge towards an eventual 500 HR club argument too.
I don’t see any chance Ortiz makes it. DH “punishment” (note that it’s in quotes and I think you know what I mean by that) and PED suspicion will leave him out.
If Bonds and the others don’t get in because of PED suspicion/failed tests, then why should Ortiz?
I do agree about the retirement tours needing to stop, though put that blame on the league & teams, not the players. Maybe the players, specifically Jeter/Rivera/Chipper, get tired of asking how much longer they wanted to play day in and day out.
Ortiz’ postseason heroics and longevity of dominance will be a huge factor. After last October, I don’t think there’s any doubt he gets in.
The Ortiz PED suspicion argument just doesn’t matter enough. People forget how little anyone cared, or still cares, about it when it happened. MLB never tried to get to the bottom of it, likely for good reason. He certainly doesn’t belong in the same sentence as Bonds (who should be in by now).
I know it’s all a marketing ploy. I don’t blame Jeter, but it’s annoying and even though I generally enjoy going to Yankee games, the constant Jeter love has gotten beyond tiresome.
Yes it will be a huge factor. But so will the fact that he’s a DH and has PED’S linked to him. I just don’t see how he will get 75%. Don’t forget Piazza and Bagwell aren’t in yet either. And the only explination is PED suspicion.
Fair points. Consider the idea that in 7-8 years, if power trends continue to skew downwards, Ortiz’ power will become a bigger factor among voters.
Maybe in Boston and on the MLB network people don’t care, but the rest of the nation still remembers.
Joe Kelly number 2 or 3 starter? LOL
Probably would be saying more about their rotation than anything.
Why would the O’s give Cruz a long term deal?
He has pretty much played to how you would reasonably expect him to play. He is the same player he was last winter. If they want him back all they need to do is give out a QO. Either you get him back or you get the draft pick. Not even to mention that you got the best year out of him, and as it is a long term deal is the best the first few years. Just cut bait, no need to jump at a 34 year old free agent that played exactly how you expected him to play.
They expected him to hit a career high 40+ homers, and most importantly stay healthy for the first time in his career? Cruz is one of the most attractive hitters in a weak year of free agents in the off-season. A team will get desperate and throw $15-18M at him.
A qualifying offer would be throwing $15M at him.
Yes, you don’t think he won’t get a multi-year deal after leading the league in homers? Granderson got a multi-year deal after having an abysmal 2013 campaign because of his 40 homer potential.
The argument last year was that Cruz’s home splits proved he could only hit in Texas, this year he’s actually a much better hitter outside of Camden Yards if you can believe it and in a weak year of Free Agency, some team is bound to give him a legitimate offer.
This just goes to show how Gammons doesn’t always know what he’s talking about. Mike Yastrzemski is at least a full season away from being a contributor in Baltimore since he hasn’t played a full season above high-A ball yet and there are other OF prospects ahead of Yaz in the Orioles system — Alvarez, Urrutia and Peguero come immediately to mind. I like what I see so far in Yaz, but let’s be a little more patient.
Yes and Prospects never jump from AA to the Majors nor do they jump over other prospects. Yaz is better then all 3 of the players you mentioned. Alvarez is his closest competition and he doesn’t have the speed of Yaz.
Mark my words, the Cubs are going to sign Melky Cabrera.
Melky is resigning in Toronto
With what money?
the money that he had this year plus like Happ’s money maybe someone else’s money too. Melky said himself that he wants to return to Toronto
Yes I agree with David Ortiz. These year-long “farewell tours” are embarrassing….and annoying
I still think that regardless of what AA says publicly, they’ve clearly got money problems. Melky, Rasmus, and Janssen are the only players with any significant salary falling off the books, and that’s only $19MM. There’s a couple guys with arb raises due and a few needs to address, which doesn’t leave a ton of room for Melky unless they can maintain the current payroll indefinitely without a clear sign of success. It would not entirely surprise me to see Melky and Rasmus both leave, and Bautista/Gose/Pillar cover the OF. It’d be a shame, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
Unfortunately they’re paying $50MM next year for Buehrle, Reyes, and Ricky Romero alone.