The Rays will wait until tomorrow to make their option decision on reliever Joel Peralta, the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin tweets. They’ll also soon be making other 40-man decisions, since they need to reinstate Matt Moore and Jerry Sands from the 60-day disabled list, and their roster is currently full. Peralta’s option comes at $2.5MM, and if the Rays exercise it, they’ll have options at the same price for 2016 and 2017 as well. Peralta is 38 and is coming off a season in which he posted a 4.41 ERA, and the Rays could decide to let him go to save a bit of money and clear a roster spot for a younger player. In general, though, $2.5MM would seem to be a reasonable price for a reliever who had 10.5 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 last season. Here’s more from the American League.
- Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen is excited for free agency, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star writes. After a poor second half (perhaps due in part to coming down with food poisoning at the All-Star Break), Janssen isn’t sure how he’ll be valued, but he points to the Royals’ excellent bullpen and the Tigers’ playoff struggles as evidence that good relievers are valuable. “It just shortens the game when you can confidently hand the keys to the ’pen in the sixth or seventh inning,” he says.
- Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Athletics do not plan to extend a qualifying offer to Jed Lowrie, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Lowrie has said that he’s unlikely to give the A’s a significant hometown discount to return, and the team isn’t likely to want to make a longer commitment. They also don’t have an obvious internal replacement (particularly after sending Addison Russell to the Cubs), so they could be on the hunt for a shortstop this offseason. Slusser notes that someone like Stephen Drew, who they might be able to sign to a shorter deal, might be a candidate. The A’s could also trade to acquire a shortstop from a team like the Cubs or Diamondbacks. Slusser writes that the Athletics will likely lose their other six free agents as well — Jon Lester, Jason Hammel, Luke Gregerson, Jonny Gomes, Alberto Callaspo and Geovany Soto.
That’s a neat deal the Rays have with Peralta, with the team options kicking in this year. They need to exercise that option and trade him if that have to. A decent reliever with high K’s at $2.5m per for three years is a nice deal for someone with a higher payroll.
Unfortunately looks like rebuild time for Oakland. As primarily a NL fan, Oakland has been one of the more interesting AL teams to follow over the last few years. Would have been nice if they could have gotten a World Series appearance out of that run.
They need to find some creative ways to add offense, but I think they still have the pitching to keep them in the hunt for a wild card spot. Unless they decide to shop Samardzija and/or Donaldson before the season, I think there’s some hope.
I have to agree with you, I think they have one good season left. After that, it’s rebuild time. Look for the A’s to sell off some of their pieces (like Samardzija,etc) at the trade deadline if they’re out of contention.
Put the tombstone on hold until July before writing the A’s death announcement. They have enough to compete next year and Beane is good at finding diamonds in the rough. They still have one the of the best 1 2 3 starting staffs in baseball and most of the bullpen in tact. Just need to replace Lowrie and sign 1 power hitting outfielder and they will contend.
Buy low on didi gregorious?
Gotta think Oakland should kick the tires on Jimmy Rollins. He’d probably waive his NTC to go home and the Phils might eat some salary if they get back a decent prospect (Olson, Ynoa, etc.) Might see someone like Sogard or Parrino sent back as well to give the Phillies someone to play short until Crawford is ready.
I can’t see this happening.
Olson would be a over pay on Rollins. Rollins high cost makes him a low buy candidate and batting .243.
Drew can not hit at all. Ask John Farrell, ask Joe Girardi. Sure he is a good defensive shortstop but so is Reuben Tejada. Teams are looking at adding Drew as their everyday shortstop and the mets are looking for other options to upgrade over Tejada because he is not viewed as a starting shortstop. Please, make up your mind people. Is all D no hit a starter or not in today’s mlb?
Drew has posted an OPS+ of 110 or over 4 times in his career, including a season where he put up an OPS of .777 for a Red Sox team that won John Farrell a WS ring. He had a horrendous year last year, probably because of the contract situation/layoff which was a horrible idea. Before last year he was an above average offensive SS by almost any standard.
Do you realize that he couldn’t hit for Oakland and each year in Arizona he became more and more pathetic coming to the point where he hit .193 before being dealt to Oakland. He has only had two above average statistical seasons and I hate to break it to you but he is a much worse hitter than his stats suggest.
I hate to break it to you but an OPS+ over 110 for a SS is above average and he’s done that four times. So that’s 4 above average seasons, not two. The year you mentioned was coming off a severe injury which sidelined him for almost an entire year. And stats don’t “suggest” they actually define how a player is judged by everybody except for you apparently.
When you say average, do you mean an average major league shortstop or average major league starting shortstop?
I don’t buy the A’s not pursuing Lowrie. It makes no sense that they wouldn’t attempt to resign a guy that was productive in their park for the last 2 years (at a position they have no internal options to fill), especially considering he might be had on a 3 year deal. The A’s are a low payroll team, but they aren’t that broke
Why wouldn’t they extend him a QO at least?
Out of the fear he might accept?
Beane is probably seeing that .676 OPS and negative defensive WAR and thinking “there’s no way that justifies a $15m contract”, and he’d be spot on, too.
At his $5.25m salary of 2014, thats ok, at triple that if he accepts?
Madness.
Yeah, there’s no way he should get the QO from Oakland. He’s got his flaws that make him way less valuable than that. But it’s because of those flaws that the A’s have a chance at signing him to a more reasonable deal.
I’m not saying they will sign him, but they should make a run at him either way.
Lowrie says he is unlikely to give Oakland much of a hometown discount.
Strange, such he’s such a horrible defensive SS. Market is depleted, franchise doesn’t have internal options. Nick Punto my eye.
Lowrie not having a QO makes him even more appealing to me as a 3B option for the Red Sox.
Lowrie has one of the worst SS arms I’ve seen. I can’t imagine him making the throws from 3b
I didn’t realize his throwing arm was so bad I just know he used to play 3B and I thought range was the problem. Fangraphs has him at 6.8 UZR/150 in his career at 3B.
It honestly looked like he couldn’t throw on a line from ss to 1b. He had to put something under all his throws, if that makes sense.