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AL East Notes: Orioles, Rays, Red Sox, Greinke

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The Orioles are generally patient in the free agent market under GM Dan Duquette, writes Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore. Duquette’s biggest free agent signings came late in the 2013-2014 offseason when he inked Nelson Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez. Given that 20 players were extended qualifying offers, Baltimore could once again wait to see if any players fall through the cracks. In my opinion, there are some risks with this strategy. While buying low close to the season has its advantages, it can leave a player under-prepared. Additionally, several clubs appear well positioned to play the waiting game. Duquette could find an unusual amount of competition if he waits to do his shopping until late-January.

Here’s more from the AL East:

  • Former Orioles Chris Davis, Wei-Yin Chen, and Matt Wieters may take a patient approach to finding a new contract, writes Dubroff. All three Scott Boras clients received a qualifying offer. In the case of Davis, the Orioles would like to re-sign him and plan to make a competitive offer. However, Dubroff wonders how long Baltimore will allow Davis to shop for offers before they move onto alternatives. Meanwhile, the market for Wieters may not be particularly robust with the White Sox, Astros, and Dodgers as possible fits. Reliever Darren O’Day was not given a qualifying offer, and he could be in line for a four-year contract.
  • The Rays made an early splash on the trade market, and they’re obviously not done, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The club has narrowed its focus for the offseason but remains open to discussing any player. Topkin notes that free agent activity will wait until later in the offseason “when their currency of playing time can be worth more than money to players still on the market.” Trade talks figure to revolve around first baseman James Loney. He’s owed $8MM next season. Corner infield prospect Richie Shaffer appears ready for a high profile role if Loney is dealt elsewhere.
  • The Red Sox currently have the 12th pick in the 2016 amateur draft, and it may influence some of their free agent decisions, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Under the qualifying offer system, the earliest pick ever surrendered to sign a free agent is the 13th (Padres, James Shields). The club would probably be willing to cough up a pick for a top free agent like Zack Greinke, Davis, or Jordan Zimmermann. However, pitchers like Chen, Marco Estrada, and others might not offer enough upside to forego the early pick. Per President Dave Dombrowski, “I think it’s a case-by-case basis and you analyze that based upon the player you have a chance to sign.“
  • As a means of retaining their first pick, the Red Sox may attempt to trade for starting pitching, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. Trade candidates are harder to predict because it’s unclear which players are really on the table. McAdam believes that A’s starter Sonny Gray, Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco, and San Diego’s Tyson Ross are logical targets. The club could also chase a top reliever like Craig Kimbrel or Aroldis Chapman.
  • Greinke may not be a fit in Boston, opines Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com. Greinke actually hit similarly to Pablo Sandoval on a rate basis and reportedly enjoys batting regularly. There’s also the matter of home division. The NL West includes some of the most pitcher friendly parks in baseball. As such, the Dodgers and Giants are a good fit. Pitchers in the AL East have to survive Fenway and three homer-happy venues in Toronto, New York, and Baltimore. That could hold back the Red Sox in negotiations for other top pitchers like David Price too. Gammons does see a possible trade match with the White Sox for ace Chris Sale. Blake Swihart could potentially serve as a centerpiece.

Dodgers To Make Qualifying Offers To Anderson, Kendrick, Greinke

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The Dodgers will make the one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer to left-hander Brett Anderson, second baseman Howie Kendrick and right-hander Zack Greinke, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles (via Twitter).

Greinke was among the easiest calls for qualifying offers, as the potential NL Cy Young winner is likely to more than double the $71MM that remained on his contract at the time he opted out. Kendrick was a bit less likely, but considering the number of clubs that could look at him as a second base option this winter, a lucrative multi-year deal was likely enough to call the decision widely expected.

Anderson, though, was on the fringes of the potential QO market. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported last month that the plan was to extend him the QO despite his spotty track record of health, and he’ll now be faced with the tough decision of whether to try for the security of a multi-year deal on the open market or the immediate benefit of a $15.8MM salary.

Anderson has youth on his side but threw just over 200 innings combined in the four seasons prior to his most recent 180-inning campaign with the Dodgers. Formerly a top prospect and one of the most promising young arms in baseball, Anderson’s career has been throttled by injuries that have kept him from taking the mound with anything resembling regularity. That changed in 2015, and he led the Majors with a ground-ball rate north of 66 percent when he was finally healthy enough to stick on the field for a full year. He doesn’t miss many bats, but teams in smaller parks or teams that highly value ground-balls will be intrigued by the upside still present in Anderson’s 27-year-old arm.

Zack Greinke Opts Out Of Contract

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Dodgers righty Zack Greinke has officially opted out of his contract with the Dodgers, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. The widely-expected move puts him onto the open market as one of the league’s most appealing free agents.

Greinke signed with Los Angeles as a free agent before the 2013 season, locking up a $147MM guarantee over six seasons. That was a nice enough payday as it was, but his representatives at Excel Sports Management were also wise to negotiate a provision allowing the veteran to opt out after the 2015 season. He’ll give up a guarantee of three years and $71MM, but Greinke figures to earn quite a bit more than that on the open market.

While Greinke is now 32 years of age, he’s also coming off of a sublime 2015 campaign. He led the league with a 1.66 ERA over 222 2/3 frames. Greinke retired 8.1 batters per nine via strikeout and induced a 48.0% groundball rate while permitting only 1.6 BB/9 and a league-low 0.844 WHIP.

There were some fortunate elements to Greinke’s campaign, to be sure. He allowed a .228 BABIP, 86.5% strand rate, and 7.3% HR/FB rate, all of which were on the beneficial side as against his career norms. Unsurprisingly, ERA estimators did not quite support the incredible run prevention that resulted.

That’s not to take away from Greinke’s accomplishment or his value. He’s long been one of the league’s better pitchers, and always seemed destined to opt out and cash in. But it’s fair to say, too, that he timed his career-best season perfectly.

Dodgers Notes: Friedman, Urias, De Leon, Holmes

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Dodgers president Andrew Friedman has made sweeping changes throughout the organization, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Now that former manager Don Mattingly has stepped down, Friedman will have the opportunity to remake the major league coaching staff too. Today’s managers must serve as a conduit between analytical front offices and the players. Friedman plans to make a hire by the Winter Meetings in two months. Presently, the top rumored candidates are Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez (a former Friedman employee), former Padres manager Bud Black, and Dodgers personnel Gabe Kapler, Tim Wallach, and Ron Roenicke. Of course, other candidates could enter the fray too.

Here’s more from the Dodgers:

  • Los Angeles has not developed a meaningful starting pitcher since Clayton Kershaw, writes Shaikin in a separate column. GM Farhan Zaidi claims the club will get younger, but the drafts since Kershaw have not been kind. They’ve made 12 first round picks since Kershaw was selected, and 10 of them have been pitchers. It’s telling that Corey Seager has produced more WAR than all of them in just one month of play. As the Mets demonstrate, a deep, young rotation can bring you a long way. With the Dodgers massive resources, the next step is to develop better pitching.
  • Pitching reinforcements won’t arrive by the start of 2016, per Shaikin. That will force the club to spend big to re-sign Zack Greinke or acquire another top arm. However, prospects Julio Urias, 19, Jose De Leon, 23, and Grant Holmes, 19, all show promise and could move quickly. Urias is the most recognizable of the trio. He has appeared numerous times here on MLBTR. De Leon also came up in deadline rumors, particularly for Cole Hamels. Holmes, the club’s first round pick in 2014, may be slightly less visible than the other two. However, prior to the season, FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel rated him as the fourth best prospect in the system – ahead of De Leon (seventh ranked).

Heyman’s Latest: Mattingly, Red Sox, Ozuna, Heyward, Giants, Storen

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The Marlins have interviewed at least five candidates for their managerial opening, but they put their search on hold to wait to see what the future held for Don Mattingly, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman also looks at the Dodgers’ upcoming managerial search, noting that former Padres manager Bud Black, current Dodgers third base coach/former Brewers skipper Ron Roenicke and current Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach could factor into L.A.’s search for a replacement in addition to early favorite Gabe Kapler. Here are some more highlights from the column…

  • The Braves will pursue bullpen upgrades this winter after their relief corps struggled tremendously in 2015. Presumably, the club could be in the mix for some short-term upgrades that could be flipped come the trade deadline, though I’ll point out that the Braves will probably be better off in 2016 with the returns of Shae Simmons, Chris Withrow and perhaps Daniel Winkler from Tommy John surgery.
  • While the Red Sox are more willing to trade prospects under president Dave Dombrowski than they were under former GM Ben Cherington, the club is said to consider infielder Yoan Moncada, outfielder Andrew Benintendi and right-hander Anderson Espinoza off-limits as it looks to upgrade its pitching staff on the trade market.
  • The White Sox are on the lookout for third base help and will also pursue upgrades behind the plate. Chicago wound up designating Conor Gillaspie, its primary third baseman from 2013 through the first half of 2015, for assignment this summer and trading him to the Angels. Tyler Flowers had a poor second half, although as MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes noted in his Offseason Outlook on the ChiSox, Flowers has worked hard to become an excellent pitch framer, so he does bring some value to the table in that increasingly important element of the game.
  • Some feel that the Reds are going to blow things up and go for a full-on rebuild this winter, though Heyman writes that Brandon Phillips is said to have negative trade value. Considering the fact that Phillips had a decent rebound season at the plate and is still a sound defender whose contract no longer is too burdensome, I wonder if that’s a universal sentiment. While he’s not a bargain, Phillips seems to be at least reasonably priced.
  • The Cardinals will try to re-sign Jason Heyward, but while they could go “a bit beyond” Matt Holliday’s franchise-record $120MM guarantee, Heyward’s camp will insist on topping Jacoby Ellsbury’s $153MM sum and inching as close to $200MM as they can get.
  • The Indians still have interest in Marcell Ozuna, as they reportedly did prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. I mentioned in my Offseason Outlook for Cleveland that a pursuit of Ozuna would make some sense and speculated on a potential match sending Trevor Bauer to Miami. Heyman notes that the Marlins are looking for a frontline pitcher to pair with Jose Fernandez, but history shows us they’re not likely to spend on a top-tier free agent.
  • The Astros, too, are looking for bullpen upgrades. Houston pursued top-end relief talent prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, with GM Jeff Luhnow candidly telling the Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich that he’d like to pursue a “flamethrower.”
  • The Twins are expected to pursue a reunion with A.J. Pierzynski, as many have speculated on recently (myself included). Heyman notes that the Braves will probably try to bring Pierzynski back as well. Minnesota also wants Torii Hunter back, but in a reduced role.
  • Starting pitching will be a focus for the Giants, who are interested in Zack Greinke and Mike Leake, Heyman writes. They will also exercise their $5.5MM club option on Nori Aoki, so long as he continues to progress from late-season head injuries that stemmed from being hit in the head by a pair of pitches. San Francisco will decline Marlon Byrd’s $8MM option.
  • The Nationals will try to trade both Drew Storen and Jonathan Papelbon this winter, though the latter, of course won’t have much of a market due to his personality issues. Storen’s an expensive but talented option, and Heyman opines that he “absolutely has to go.” While I wouldn’t go that far, I’ll admit that it does seem like a change of scenery would be best for all parties involved. I’d imagine a number of teams — the Tigers, Cubs, Astros, Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers, to name a few — would have interest in Storen. Papelbon’s $11MM salary strikes me as nearly impossible to move unless the Nats eat the majority of the deal or take on an even more undesirable contract.

Sherman’s Latest: Dodgers, Mattingly, Greinke, Puig

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The failure of the Dodgers $310MM roster leaves the club to deal with some tough decisions, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. President Andrew Friedman and GM Farhan Zaidi focused on improving clubhouse chemistry in their first season at the helm. The reports are largely positive with manager Don Mattingly and pitcher Zack Greinke both commenting on the improved chemistry. However, Friedman and Zaidi didn’t add much of value at the trade deadline. Their principle additions – Alex Wood, Mat Latos, Luis Avilan, and Jim Johnson contributed almost nothing to the postseason roster.

Here’s more from Sherman on the Dodgers offseason:

  • Mattingly has won three straight division titles, but he may be on the hot seat anyway. Friedman and Zaidi inherited Mattingly so their decision to stick with him could depend on their working relationship. By discarding Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, and Brian Wilson from the roster, the Dodgers were left with a more cohesive roster. Mattingly deserves credit for managing the complicated outfield platoon and transition from Jimmy Rollins to Corey Seager. The Dodgers problems – namely a thin rotation and thinner bullpen – were hardly Mattingly’s fault. The roster construction simply fell short. However, Mattingly could still wind up as the scapegoat, especially if the front office has a better candidate in mind.
  • As CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman first reported, Zack Greinke will opt out after the season. We’ve previously seen five years and $150MM as a high estimate for Greinke, but Sherman thinks the bidding could go beyond that threshold. However, Greinke isn’t the type to “chase the last dollar” if he doesn’t see a clubhouse fit. The Dodgers have plenty of questions in the rotation after Clayton Kershaw. It seems likely they’ll sign at least one of Greinke or fellow free agent ace David Price.
  • Outfielder Yasiel Puig is the lone leftover problem child from the previous administration. The club could trade him after a disappointing season, but they would be selling low. Teams would still be interested due to an affordable three years and $19.5MM remaining on his contract. Other franchises are worried about his reputation, injury history, and thickening body. As Sherman puts it, a thicker Puig may experience further injury and lose explosiveness at the plate.

Dodgers Notes: Grandal, Kendrick, Peralta, Mattingly, Greinke

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The Dodgers figure to come up in the news quite a bit in the coming days as the team’s focus now shifts to the offseason after last night’s loss to the Mets in Game 5 of the NLDS. Earlier today, Jon Heyman already touched down on topics including Don Mattingly’s future, Zack Greinke’s opt-out and qualifying offers for Howie Kendrick and Brett Anderson.

Here’s  more on the Dodgers…

  • Yasmani Grandal will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder on Wednesday of next week, writes the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. The switch-hitting catcher termed the procedure “just a cleanup” but said he looks forward to no longer dealing with pain in the joint. As Plunkett notes, Grandal played through that discomfort for two months, which resulted in a woeful seven hits over his final 104 at-bats.
  • Also from Plunkett’s column, Kendrick says that he very much wants to return to the Dodgers in 2016, though he declined to get too far into specifics. The Dodgers are “on top of [Kendrick’s] list,” the second baseman said before neglecting to elaborate any further. Heyman reported this morning that Kendrick will receive a qualifying offer from L.A.
  • One last note from Plunkett’s piece — right-hander Joel Peralta will pitch again in 2016. The 39-year-old nearly underwent neck surgery that could have ended his career earlier in the season, but he returned for a strong final month of the season, prompting him to decide he’d like to pitch for at least another season. He’ll head to winter ball to make up for some of the innings he lost. Peralta logged a 4.34 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 33.7 percent ground-ball rate in just 29 innings this year, but he allowed just two runs with 11 strikeouts and no walks over his final nine innings of the season.
  • While Mattingly’s job security figures to be a topic of discussion after another NLDS exit, members of the clubhouse seem to be behind him, writes Zach Helfand of the L.A. Times. Hefland quotes Justin Turner, J.P. Howell and Enrique Hernandez each emphatically defending Mattingly, stating that the reason for the team’s early postseason exit stems from a lack of run-scoring, which shouldn’t be blamed on the manager. “I would play for Donnie any day of the week,” said Turner. “…I’m behind him 100 percent. I think he’s an unbelievable manager, did an unbelievable job handling everything that goes on both on and off the field with this club, and he’s got my support 100 percent.”
  • Buster Olney and Keith Law of ESPN discussed the Dodgers in today’s podcast (audio link, with Law appearing around the 27-minute mark), specifically last night’s game (including managerial decisions on both sides) and the future of Mattingly. Both Olney and Law feel that Mattingly will be dismissed. Law opines that while Mattingly isn’t one of the game’s better tactical managers, he’s not among the worst, and much of the team’s postseason struggles must be blamed on the front office and the roster construction. Olney discusses the fact that Andrew Friedman’s strategy of building platoons and part-time roles worked in Tampa Bay with less-established players, but it’s highly difficult to make that strategy work when dealing with veteran players on expensive contracts. Also discussed is how the Dodgers should be willing to overpay to retain Greinke, with Law projecting Greinke’s style of pitching to hold up well over the life of a theoretical free agent contract.

Heyman’s Latest: Greinke, Mattingly, QOs, Gordon, Anderson, Hunter

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Jon Heyman of CBS Sports kicks off Friday morning with a pair of columns — the first being a piece on Zack Greinke’s opt-out status and the second being his weekly Inside Baseball column. Heyman writes in the first piece that Greinke will indeed opt out of the remaining three years and $71MM on his Dodgers contract, as has been widely anticipated for the better part of a year. One general manager suggested to Heyman that Greinke will receive, “at minimum,” multiple offers of $125MM over the next five seasons. That GM wagered a guess at the winning bid: $150MM over five years. Heyman notes that while many teams — the Cubs, Giants, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, D-Backs and Rangers, among others — will be in the mix for Greinke this winter, the right-hander enjoyed 2015 with the Dodgers more than he enjoyed his first two seasons, and L.A. will attempt to bring him back. Per Heyman, Greinke didn’t mesh with Josh Beckett and Hanley Ramirez in previous years but had nothing but positive feelings about the 2015 campaign.

Onto some highlights from his second column…

  • There’s no certainty on the job status of Don Mattingly right now despite three consecutive division titles, Heyman writes. Mattingly is well-liked by the new Dodgers front office on a personal level, and the team is pleased with how he handled Andre Ethier’s shift to a part-time role, A.J. Ellis’ shift to a backup role in favor of Yasmani Grandal, and the emergence of Corey Seager over Jimmy Rollins late in the year. Mattingly’s people-managing skills are valued by the Dodgers, even if his in-game tactics aren’t quite as strong. Heyman notes that with the Dodgers unconvinced of Mattingly as their long-term option, they may allow him to interview with other clubs, and both the Nationals and Marlins would show interest.
  • The Orioles are believed to be hesitant to make a qualifying offer to Matt Wieters and will only do so if they’re convinced that he won’t take it. (I can’t imagine a Scott Boras client that plays a premium position in the midst of his prime age doing so under any circumstances.) The White Sox will make a QO to Jeff Samardzija, who will not accept it, as has been suggested multiple times over the past couple of months.
  • Colby Rasmus, on the other hand, is not expected to receive a $15.8MM qualifying offer from the Astros despite 25 regular-season homers and a strong postseason showing. Heyman writes that Alex Gordon will be “a name to keep an eye on” in connection with the Astros this offseason, as the team may look to inject its lineup with more on-base percentage and batting average than the 2015 crop. They’ll also look for more steady production at first and third base this winter after a season of boom-or-bust results from Luis Valbuena and Chris Carter.
  • The Dodgers are set on making a qualifying offer to Howie Kendrick and are also planning on making a QO to Brett Anderson despite his injury history. The latter of the two drew some surprise when Heyman shared it with execs around the league, though as he points out, L.A. is in need of pitching. If Anderson accepts — again, a scenario I find unlikely given his age and strong 2015 results — he’d solidify a spot in the rotation behind Clayton Kershaw. And, I’ll point out, Anderson’s 2016 salary would then check in just $3.4MM north of the $12.4MM he earned in total after receiving a $10MM base salary and earning another $2.4MM worth of innings-based incentives this season.
  • The Twins are willing to pay a premium to bring Torii Hunter back to their clubhouse if he’s willing to take a reduced role. Hunter, though, has been resistant to that idea in the past. He’s not yet decided whether or not he’ll return to the Majors for his age-41 season or call it a career.
  • Other qualifying offer notes from Heyman throughout the column indicate that Padres people have suggested that they’ll make a QO to Ian Kennedy, though rival execs remain skeptical. Current expectation in the industry is that the Mets won’t make a qualifying offer to Daniel Murphy, and the same is true of the Nationals with regard to Denard Span, who suffered through an injury-shortened season. Kennedy and Murphy seem like easy calls to decline the qualifying offer to me, whereas Span is a tougher case due to his age and injuries, which included season-ending hip surgery. I can see a case for Span taking the $15.8MM payday — the initial contract extension he signed with the Twins, after all, was only for $16.5MM guaranteed, though that rose to $25MM after his 2016 option was exercised.
  • The Nationals have received permission from the Giants to interview bench coach Ron Wotus to fill their managerial vacancy. Wotus has coached on the Giants’ Major League staff for the past 17 seasons and is a two-time Minor League Manager of the Year.

Heyman’s Latest: Ng, Ziegler, Wieters, Arrieta, Angels, Kershaw, Gordon, Aoki

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Kim Ng, the senior vice president of baseball operations at MLB’s central offices, will interview for the Phillies’ GM vacancy, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports in his latest Inside Baseball column. Ng, who has previously interviewed with the Dodgers, Angels, Mariners and Padres, still hopes to become the first female general manager of a team. (She has previously worked in several front offices as well.) Her pursuit of the Phillies’ job brings up the issue of diversity among front office execs and managers, Heyman notes, and commissioner Rob Manfred discussed with Heyman some steps the league could take to increase the hiring of minority candidates for such roles. Manfred places a good deal of blame on his own office, telling Heyman, “I am concerned that we at Central Baseball have to do a better job.” Manfred emphasized a need to better prepare minority candidates and to encourage the hiring of such candidates for entry-level positions, so as to deepen the pool of minority candidates from which MLB clubs can select.

Some highlights from Heyman’s weekly piece…

  • The Diamondbacks plan to exercise Brad Ziegler’s $5.5MM option — an expected outcome considering questions throughout the team’s bullpen and the strong numbers that the side-arming Ziegler posted this season. Arizona will focus on adding starting pitching this offseason, though young arms Robbie Ray and Rubby De La Rosa have positioned themselves well to join Patrick Corbin in the rotation.
  • The Braves will be eyeing pitching upgrades and catching help this winter, and re-signing A.J. Pierzynski will be one option. Heyman also lists a run at Georgia native Matt Wieters as a possibility. I’d expect Wieters to receive and reject a qualifying offer, though Heyman notes that no decision has been made on Wieters’ QO situation just yet.
  • The Cubs are expected to pursue top starting pitchers such as David Price and Jordan Zimmermann, but they’ll also attempt to work out a long-term deal with Jake Arrieta, whose dominant second half and Wild Card performance have thrust him into the national spotlight. As a Scott Boras client, however, it could be difficult for the two sides to come to any sort of agreement. Arrieta is controlled through 2017.
  • A big left-handed bat will be a priority for the Angels this winter, and they’ll be hoping to add at second base and third base, specifically. As for David Murphy’s $7MM club option, Heyman notes that the team might want to put those resources toward a more impactful bat.
  • Clayton Kershaw turned down a $300MM contract offer a few months before signing his seven-year, $215MM extension that featured an opt-out clause after the fifth season, per Heyman. While that’s a shocking number to reject, we also don’t know the length of said deal or the amount of deferred money it contained. Sticking with the Dodgers, the CBS scribe adds that Zack Greinke will exercise his own opt-out clause this winter. That was a foregone conclusion, though Heyman notes that Greinke is said to have enjoyed the L.A. clubhouse much more this season, so his chances of re-signing may be better than previously expected.
  • Once they hire a manager to replace Dan Jennings, the Marlins’ first order of business will be to pursue an extension with All-Star second baseman Dee Gordon. The 27-year-old led the Majors in hits and stolen bases in his first year with the Marlins. A client of the Beverly Hills Spots Council, Gordon is currently controlled through the 2018 season. He earned $2.5MM in 2015 after avoiding arbitration for the first time as a Super Two player last offseason.
  • The Giants are planning on picking up Nori Aoki’s $5.5MM club option. Considering the $700K buyout attached to the deal, it’s essentially a $4.8MM decision for the Giants, making it seem like a fairly easy call. San Francisco also plans to pursue top-of-the-market arms like Price and Greinke.

AL East Notes: Sabathia, Red Sox, Jepsen

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Though he gutted out a quality start after a tough first inning last night,Yankees southpaw  CC Sabathia is dealing with bone-on-bone arthritis in his right knee, the left-hander told MLB.com’s Barry Bloom last night. Sabathia told Bloom that he’ll eventually need knee replacement surgery, but “that’s the price you pay.” Sabathia has been wearing a brace on his injured knee which he says prevents the ligaments in the joint from rubbing together when he plants to throw a pitch. As such, he’s able to maintain his mechanics.

A few more notes from around the AL to kick off the week…

  • The Red Sox could use an “alpha dog” atop their rotation, writes Peter Gammons of the MLB Network and GammonsDaily.com. Gammons breaks down a number of options for the Sox, including Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda (whom, according to one scout that spoke to Gammons, is “too slight” to pitch every fifth day in the Majors). Gammons outlines the case for and against the Sox reeling in top free agents David Price and Zack Greinke within his column, and he also looks at Johnny Cueto’s struggles since over the past month with the Royals.
  • Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that while the trade of Kevin Jepsen from the Rays to the Twins doesn’t stand out as one of the more memorable deals from this past deadline, it had a significant impact on the Rays’ clubhouse. There was a feeling in the air that the team had given up by trading one of its top setup men to a team they were chasing in the Wild Card race, Topkin hears from people around the clubhouse, especially considering that the return was a pair of low-level minor leaguers who weren’t going to contribute in 2014.
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