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Viciedo Time in ChiTown
2012-01-06 15:15:00
As Paul Swydan outlined earlier this month, the White Sox are stuck in the middle. The South Siders are in an unenviable kinda-sorta-maybe rebuilding mode, having traded away Sergio Santos and Carlos Quentin but also extending John Danks and being saddled with commitments to the likes of Adam Dunn and Alex Rios that make Disco ...
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Orioles, Cubs Discussed Alfonso Soriano
2012-01-06 15:11:00
The Orioles and Cubs have discussed a trade involving Alfonso Soriano, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday that a couple of teams have inquired about Soriano and at this point there's no indication that Baltimore GM Dan Duquette is close to adding Soriano to the left field/designated hitter mix. Soriano posted a .244/.289/.469 line with 26 home runs last season and is under contract through 2014. There?s $54MM remaining on the 35-year-old left fielder's contract and his no-trade clause allows him to block trades. The Cubs would presumably have to absorb upwards of $40MM to facilitate a deal. Earlier in the week, they sent Carlos Zambrano to the Marlins, absorbing $15.5MM of his $18MM salary in the process.

Baseball Prospectus: A's Top 11 Prospects Link
2012-01-06 14:51:00
Baseball Prospectus | Future Shock: Athletics Top 11 Prospects Finally the A's seem to be producing an All-Star caliber bat in Michael Choice. He needs to cut down on the strike outs, but could emerge as an middle of the order bat with plus plus power, plus speed and a good hit tool playing solid defense in the OF. Five-Star Prospects 1. Michael Choice, OF Four-Star Prospects 2. Jarrod Parker, RHP 3. A.J. Cole, RHP 4. Brad Peacock, RHP 5. Sonny Gray, RHP 6. Derek Norris, C 7. Grant Green, OF
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Colby Rasmus: Bust or Bounce Back Candidate?
2012-01-06 14:00:00
Coming off a 2010 season where he hit .276-.361-.498 with 23 HRs, 66 RBI and 85 runs scored, I was very high on Colby Rasmus heading into fantasy drafts last year. I expected him to show more growth at the plate in 2011, but instead he disappointed many fantasy owners in 2011. The Cardinals tired of him last year and traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays for Edwin Jackson, Corey Patterson and a few relievers, as the trade came as a shock to the fantasy landscape. Fantasy owners were left to wonder what we were missing? Why would the Cardinals deal an outfielder with upside for Edwin Jackson who was a few months from free agency, a washed up toolsy outfielder, and some relief help? Well, maybe because Rasmus might not be that great a hitter. He finished the 2011 season hitting .225-.298-.391 with 14 HRS, 53 RBIs and 75 runs scored. He lowered his strikeout rate in 2011 from 27.7% to 22.1%, but his walk rate also dropped from 11.8% to 9.5% in 2011. More on Rasmus after the jump: Rasmus...
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Sleeper Spotlight: Will Erick Aybar Hold Fantasy Appeal In 2012?
2012-01-06 13:47:00
When looking for a shortstop a lot of owners focus on speed, as it is one of the positions that there are ample options who could provide 30+ SB.  While names like Jose Reyes, Jimmy Rollins and even Dee Gordon … Continue reading →
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Dynasty rankings: Top 25 fantasy players, age 25 or younger, 2012
2012-01-06 10:17:00
Starting up a dynasty league? Have some keepers you want to gloat about? Want to argue about some rankings? Join the fun!Read more great baseball stuff at The Hardball Times.
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Moustakas Keeps Fine, Just Use Tin Foil
2012-01-06 09:15:00
For the first three months that Mike Moustakas was in the majors last year, he hit .232 with one home run through 250 ABs.  Major league pitching looked all Greek to Moustakas.  Hehe.  Speaking of which, “hehe” is giggling like a schoolgirl, so shouldn’t it be sheshe?  On a side side note, if I opened ...

Quick Hits: Manny, Braves, Oliver, Tejada
2012-01-06 06:37:00
Some links as Thursday turns into Friday... As part of his comeback attempt, Manny Ramirez will work out for teams later this month according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Manny was officially reinstated last month, and he indicated that the "doors are open" for a minor league contract. Braves GM Frank Wren told MLB.com's Mark Bowman that he feels both Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado will be with the team at the start of Spring Training. They still have interest in Adam Jones and could continue to pursue the outfielder if the Orioles lower their demands. The Yankees never inquired on lefty reliever Darren Oliver before he signed with the Blue Jays, reports MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith (on Twitter). New York has brought in southpaws Hideki Okajima and Mike O'Connor on minor league deals this offseason. Miguel Tejada is training in Miami as he looks to make a comeback, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The 37-year-old was designated for assignmen...
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Mariners Agree To Sign Hisashi Iwakuma
2012-01-06 05:57:00
10:57pm: Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times reports (on Twitter) that the incentives kick in at 20 starts, at which point Iwakuma will be paid a $200K bonus. He will make $250K for 22 starts, $300K for 25 starts, and $400K for 30 starts. The innings bonuses kick in at 140 IP, and he can earn another $400K for 200 IP. Iwakuma spent four days in Seattle back in December according to Baker, during which time he met GM Jack Zduriencik and was shown around town. He didn't speak to Ichiro Suzuki before signing, says Baker (on Twitter). 7:35pm: The Mariners have agreed to sign right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma to a one-year contract worth $1.5MM, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (all Twitter links). The deal includes $3.4MM in incentives based on starts and innings pitched. We heard the two sides were closing in on a deal earlier this week. Iwakuma is a Sosnick-Cobbe client. The Rakuten Golden Eagles posted the 30-year-old righty a year ago and the A's won the rights to negotiate with him f...
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Mets, Ronny Cedeno Nearing Deal
2012-01-06 05:30:00
2:57pm: The Mets are close to a one-year deal with Cedeno that would be worth $1.1-1.2MM, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. 11:59am: The Mets and free agent shortstop Ronny Cedeno have reached a critical point in their negotiations, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. They haven't agreed to a deal yet, but there could be a verdict soon, Rubin reports. Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger tweets that the sides are nearing a deal and that Cedeno is still considering his options. The Mets seek shortstop depth behind Ruben Tejada and have been linked to free agents such as Cedeno, Jack Wilson and Ryan Theriot. The Pirates declined Cedeno's option earlier this offseason, after he posted a .249/.297/.339 line in 454 plate appearances. The 28-year-old posted a strong 6.8 UZR/150 at shortstop this past season, though his career mark of -1.6 UZR/150 is slightly below average. The Red Sox and Pirates were also linked to Cedeno earlier this offseason. Peter E. Greenberg & A...
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West Links: Dodgers, Rangers, A's, Mariners, Pujols
2012-01-06 05:16:00
Time for some links from baseball's two West divisions... "I think so," said Dodgers GM Ned Colletti when asked if he was done with his free agent shopping, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). They re-signed Mike MacDougal to a one-year deal today, the tenth free agent they've signed this winter. The Rangers continue to have dialogue about long-term contract extensions with core players like Ian Kinsler and Derek Holland, reports Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. "Our general feeling is to try not to negotiate during the year, but we've made exceptions," said GM Jon Daniels. Daniels also refused to comment about the Rangers' talks with Yu Darvish, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. "It's best for us to lay low," said the GM. "The less noise around that, the better." Athletics GM Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee that he has some interest in a few free agent outfielders, and he's also exploring trade possibilities (Twitter link). Bullpen he...
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Marlins Links: Guillen, Zambrano, Cespedes
2012-01-06 04:41:00
The Miami Marlins continued their busy offseason by officially trading Chris Volstad for Carlos Zambrano and $15.5MM of his $18MM salary today. Here's some more from baseball's first Florida team... President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said new manager Ozzie Guillen "was a major force" in the Zambrano trade, reports Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). Guillen and Zambrano are friends and countrymen.  ?We really liked him when we saw him at that workout [in November],? said Beinfest to Mike Bernardino of The Sun Sentinel, referring to Yoenis Cespedes. ?It?s something we?re continuing to monitor, and we?ll kind of leave it there. But we were very impressed. Obviously, as a Cuban we think it would be an interesting  fit in this market and on this ballclub. It?s something we continue to monitor and stay up on.? Bernardino says teams will submit a sealed bid for Cespedes to his agent Adam Katz through MLB, then have an opportunity to increase their offers....
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Luhnow On Rebuilding, Free Agents, Payroll, Norris
2012-01-06 04:01:00
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow made an appearance on Astroline Radio yesterday, discussing a variety of topics about the team. You can listen to the interview here, though Astros' senior director of social media Alyson Footer provided a partial transcript. Here are the highlights... "[Our] plan involves us building from within, developing a system that can be productive and allow us to compete year in and year out," said the GM. "How long it takes until we?re competing year in and year out, I don?t know at this point." Luhnow said they will "be a small market team for a few years" as they rebuild, meaning they will avoid big free agent contracts. The Houston market is big enough that the Astros can support a large payroll, but the team has "milestones along the way that [they're] going to need to hit" if they want to approach $100MM. The team plans to emphasize both scouting and statistical analysis to make the best decisions as they move forward. Luhnow does not plan to trade right...
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Epstein On Zambrano, Volstad, Soriano
2012-01-06 03:30:00
The Cubs officially traded Carlos Zambrano to the Marlins for Chris Volstad today, paying all but $2.5MM of the $18MM owed to him next year. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein spoke to reporters after the trade was announced, so let's recap... "Best case scenario is that if it did work, [Zambrano would] be leaving as a free agent at the end of the year," said Epstein to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "Or, if we had to spend that money anyways as a sunk cost, would we rather spend it on a 25-year-old who we can put in our rotation and control for three seasons? That made a lot more sense." "At some point in the future, if there's a transaction that makes sense with any of our players that puts the Cubs in a better position moving forward, we are going to pursue it," said Epstein to ESPN's Chicago's Bruce Levine. "But in respect to [Alfonso Soriano], he has power and is an offensive contributor. We can work with him to get the best out of him and see where that takes ...

Dave Duncan Taking Leave Of Absence
2012-01-06 02:59:00
Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan is taking a leave of absence due to family matters, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Duncan's wife has been battling cancer and had surgery to remove a brain tumor in August. Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the team will issue an announcement tomorrow (Twitter links). ?As far as how long he?ll be gone, no one knows,? said GM John Mozeliak to Rosenthal. Duncan, 66, has been the team's pitching coach since 1995, and he is widely considered to be one of the very best in the game. He was in the second year of a two-year deal signed last offseason. Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist has filled in for Duncan in the past, though it's unclear if he will do so again.
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Rangers Remain Interested In Mike Gonzalez
2012-01-06 02:00:00
The Rangers are still looking for bullpen help, specifically left-handed, and the club remains interested in Mike Gonzalez according to Rich Durrett of ESPN Dallas. Texas met with the lefty's agent, Scott Boras, at the winter meetings. Gonzalez, 33, appeared in seven games with the Rangers last year after being acquired from the Orioles at the end of August. He's pitched to a 4.27 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 78 innings over the last two seasons, his only two in the American League. Gonzalez has held left-handed batters to a .213/.281/.335 batting line during his nine-year career. Texas lost Darren Oliver to the Blue Jays, but a full season of Gonzalez will help mitigate the loss.
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Rockies, Rangers Swap Greg Reynolds For Chad Tracy
2012-01-06 01:13:00
The Rockies have acquired utility man Chad Tracy from the Rangers for right-hander Greg Reynolds according to the team's Twitter feed. Tracy is the son of Rockies manager Jim Tracy. Reynolds, 26, was the second overall pick in the 2006 draft and has pitched to a 7.47 ERA in 94 big league innings from 2008-2011. He missed most of 2009 and part of 2010 with shoulder problems. Tracy, 26, has never appeared in the big leagues. He's a .269/.340/.466 career hitter in the minors, spending the last two seasons at Triple-A (.260/.342/.485 hitter at the level). Tracy has played first base, left field, and catcher in his career.

Dodgers Yet To Talk Extension With Kershaw, Ethier
2012-01-06 00:50:00
The Dodgers locked up MVP candidate Matt Kemp to an eight-year, $160MM contract earlier this offseason, but they aren't close to signing any more of their core players. Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times reports (on Twitter) that the team has yet to discuss long-term contract extensions with Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw. Ethier, 29, is projected to earn $10.7MM in 2012, his final trip through arbitration before becoming a free agent after next season. The two-time All-Star slumped in the power department in 2011, hitting just 11 homers while battling knee and elbow problems. He's a .291/.364/.479 career hitter, though he has struggled against left-handers (.242/.302/.359) and the advanced metrics don't love his defense. The 23-year-old Kershaw can't become a free agent until after 2015, but signing him might be the more pressing issue for the Dodgers. Our model projects him to earn $8.4MM in 2012 thanks to his Cy Young Award, even though it will be just his first ...
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Athletics Sign Coco Crisp
2012-01-06 00:25:00
The Athletics have officially signed Coco Crisp to a two-year, $14MM deal that includes a club option for 2014, the team announced. News of the agreement ended 24 hours of rumors and speculation about Crisp's destination. He decided to return to Oakland despite interest from the Orioles, Cubs, Cardinals and many other teams. The deal will pay Crisp $6MM in 2012 and $7MM in 2013. The A's can exercise a $7.5MM option for 2014 or pay the center fielder a $1MM buyout. If the A's trade the Steve Comte client, he gets a one-time bonus of $250K. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Crisp 21st among MLB free agents at the beginning of the offseason. The switch-hitter led the American League with 49 stolen bases in 2011, hitting .264/.314/.379 with 27 doubles as Oakland's center fielder. The California native seemed to prefer West Coast teams, but explained in September that he was also looking to play on a winner and find a good "financial situation" for himself. Crisp joins Michael Taylo...
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Landon Powell Clears Waivers
2012-01-05 23:53:00
Athletics catcher Landon Powell has cleared waivers, reports Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle (all Twitter links). She notes that Powell can refuse the outright assignment to the minors, but he's unlikely to do so because he'd forfeit his $620K contract for 2012. That contract is not guaranteed, however. Jane Lee of MLB.com says (on Twitter) he has eight days to make the decision. Powell, 29, was designated for assignment following the Gio Gonzalez trade late last month as Oakland needed to clear 40-man roster space. He told Slusser back then that he hoped to get picked up by another club or traded. Powell is a .207/.284/.328 career hitter in 406 big league plate appearances, and he's thrown out 29 of 73 attempted basestealers during his career, a stellar 39.7%.

Players To Watch: Kansas City Royals
2010-10-28 06:41:00
Let's see what the Royals have to offer mixed leagues in 2011... Billy Butler, 1B. Took a mild step back in power in his age 24 season. I don't see why Butler can't provide a .300-20-100 season next year, and...
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Dollar Value Tool - Mays Copeland
2010-10-28 02:42:00
I'm currently working through player profiles for Rotoman's annual magazine, so posts will be light in the near future. The tentative plan is to post the recap of my winning effort in CBS soon.In the meantime, here is a link to Mays Copeland's player evaluation tool. There is some variation from my unofficial version of the Patton and Company prices, which I will be posting when I start doing positional rundowns in November, but I always like looking at other sources to see where they stand on pricing.
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Phillies Notes: Werth & Manuel
2010-10-27 23:43:00
David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News recently caught up with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who provided a little bit of a look into the team's offseason plans. Let's round it up... "I think we definitely have some money to spend," said Manuel when asked about the possibility of retaining Jayson Werth. "But at the same time, the problem is, length-wise of a contract, and also what direction we want to go in." Manuel said he believes they can develop a top-notch hitter, presumably referring to top prospect Domonic Brown, allowing them to target high-end pitchers during the offseason. Reporters floated the idea of a rightfield platoon if Werth departs, and Manuel acknowledged that possibility. Murphy says not to be surprised if they target a lesser righthanded bat like Jeff Francoeur or Matt Diaz to pair up with Brown or Ross Gload. Ben Francisco could also be an internal option in this scenario. "I think [GM Ruben Amaro Jr.]'s got a lot on his plate as far as which way h...
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Elias Ranking AL Catchers Breakdown
2010-10-27 23:00:00
Word is that the official 2009-10 Elias Ranking s are out, so we will try to get a hold of those soon. We've got Eddie Bajek's reverse-engineered rankings available here in the meantime. For those interested in seeing how the sausage is made, Eddie has provided a look into the American League catchers group. As explained here, the stats used for catchers are plate appearances, batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, runs batted in, fielding percentage, and assists. An adjustment is made for days spent on the disabled list. The catcher breakdown can be seen here or directly below.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Frank Francisco
2010-10-27 22:59:00
Neftali Feliz is ready to close games in the World Series and is a strong candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year Award, but it's easy to forget that he didn't even start the season as the Rangers' closer. That job belonged to Frank Francisco, who saved 25 games in 29 chances last season. He blew the save in his first two opportunities of the season and sported a double digit ERA in late-April, putting the ninth inning in Feliz's hands. Francisco is set to hit the free agent market for the first time in his career in a few weeks, so let's break down his stock... The Good After the rough start, Francisco was exceptionally strong as Feliz's setup man the rest of the way. After April 20th, he pitched to a 2.83 ERA with 56 strikeouts and just 13 unintentional walks in 47.2 innings. He's dominant, striking out 200 batters over the last three seasons (10.9 K/9) walking just 54 unintentionally (2.94 BB/9). As stated before, he has experience closing games, not mention familiarity w...
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Odds & Ends: Daniels, Takahashi, Byrnes, Lee, Gray
2010-10-27 21:47:00
Links for Wednesday, as Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum duel in Game One of the World Series... Jon Daniels called a report indicating that he asked the Mets (through back channels) to hold off on their GM announcement until after the World Series "complete bull," according to CBSSports.com's Scott Miller. Daniels can opt out of his contract after the season since the Rangers were sold this year. Hisanori Takahashi switched agents from Peter Greenberg to Arn Tellem, tweets Newday's David Lennon. We learned that Takashi and the Mets were discussing an extension just a few days ago, but it appears that the lefty is positioning himself to test the free agent waters. Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the "belief in the sport" is that Josh Byrnes will join the Padres' front office after losing out on the Mets GM gig. Byrnes has strong ties to San Diego's front office, most notably owner Jeff Moorad. Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe wonders if the Tigers and Red Sox are getting read...

Amateur Signing Bonuses: Dodgers
2010-10-27 20:47:00
Time to head to Hollywood for our amateur signing bonus series. Here come the Dodgers ... Zach Lee, $5.25MM (2010) Clayton Kershaw, $2.3MM (2006) Joel Guzman, $2.255MM (2001) Ben Diggins, $2.2MM (2000) Ethan Martin, $1.7325MM (2008) With the McCourt's divorce still ongoing and the team facing an uncertain financial situation, many assumed that the Dodgers were punting the 28th overall pick in this year's draft by selecting Lee. The talented righthander was considered extremely tough to sign, using a scholarship to LSU as one of the nation's best quarterbacks recruits as leverage. The Dodgers could have claimed to have made Lee a fair offer, then taken the 29th overall pick in the 2011 draft as compensation if they didn't sign him. Except they did sign him, so give them credit. Lee didn't pitch after signing and will start his career next season. Kershaw was the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft, the first high school player selected in a class dominated by college arms (a...

Rangers Rumors: Daniels, Lee, Guerrero
2010-10-27 18:47:00
The Rangers are the center of attention as they prepare to play in their first World Series. Here's the latest on the American League champions (click here for the latest on the NL pennant winners): Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine and pitcher Eddie Guardado tell MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that GM Jon Daniels has a keen sense of humor. Chuck Greenberg, the team's CEO, confirmed to Sullivan that he'll work out an extension for Daniels after the season. As Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains, Daniels is all about scouting. Grant takes a detailed look at how the Rangers assembled this year's edition of the team and explains how Tim Lincecum was nearly a part of it. As Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains, Cliff Lee's arrival changed the Rangers' attitude. Dustin Pedroia said on WEEI that he hopes the Yankees don't sign Lee this offseason. Vladimir Guerrero told Carlos A. Nava of the Texas Spanish Language paper Al Dia that he signed with the Rangers for a number of reasons. ?...
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Blue Jays Exercise Jose Molina's 2011 Option
2010-10-27 18:13:00
The Blue Jays exercised Jose Molina's 2011 option, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The club chose to retain the 35-year-old instead of buying him out for $200K. Molina hit .246/.304/.377 last year with six homers after signing with the Jays in February. Alex Anthopoulos' low-risk investments in Molina and John Buck paid off this season, but the GM now has a decision to make. J.P. Arencibia appears ready to catch in the big leagues and Buck has expressed interest in returning. It seems unlikely that both Arencibia and Buck will have spots on the team's opening day roster, but Anthopoulos called Buck to tell him the club still has interest in working out a deal (Twitter link).
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Fantasy Baseball: Looking Back At My Pre-Season 3B Rankings
2010-10-27 18:00:00
More photos » Charles Rex Arbogast - AP 29 days ago: Boston Red Sox's Adrian Beltre his a sacrifice fly off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Edwin Jackson, scoring Victor Martinez, during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Browse more photos » This article is the third in a series of articles where I am looking back at my pre-season rankings. Today, I look back at my third base rankings. Gotta tell you, this is a learning experience, as ranking hitters is not easy. I ranked Alex Rodriguez as the top third baseman and he certainly was not the same hitter he was in the past as he "only" went 30-125-74-.270-.341-.506. The RBIs were nice, but many fantasy owners expected more than 30 HRs in 2010. Another third baseman I was wrong about was Mark Reynolds. I bought into his huge 2009 season where he went 44-102-98-24-.260-.349-.543. He responded by hitting 32 HRs, not bad right? He drove in 85...
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