It’s the most wonderful time of the year
Before you strike up the Christmas tunes as background music for this post, it’s not about the holiday season. It’s about the baseball off-season. For one week in December every year, the baseball owners and general managers meet with agents and players to knock out deals, contract extensions, and other business. The Baseball Winter Meetings this year are being held in Indianapolis. If you are a baseball nerd junkie like me, continue on. Otherwise, go back to searching for holiday music now that it’s in your head.
The biggest free agents on the market this year are Matt Holiday, Jason Bay, and John Lackey. They will be looking to cash in off the big market teams. All three have their set-backs to consider though.
Holiday went on a tear in the National League with the Cardinals after hitting behind Albert Pujols last year. Before the trade, he looked like any average outfielder playing with the Oakland A’s in the American League. Can he only produce in the NL? Can he only produce if he’s hitting behind the best player in the league?
Bay made Boston look like geniuses after taking off like a rocket following the Manny Ramirez trade the previous year. He’s done wonders at the dish but his defense leave much to be desired… MUCH. According to FanGraphs, he’s one of the five worst defensive players in all of baseball. Can he be trusted in a stadium with a big outfield making more than $15 million a year?
Lackey is the biggest free agent pitcher on the market, both physically and statistically. Will he be the next CC Sabathia, helping his new team to a World Series – or will he be the next Jason Schmidt, another hefty pitcher who signed a big contract a few years back and never came close to earning it?
Outside of these three free agents, there’s a pretty big drop off. This, as well as the financial situation of most teams, will lead to more trades than usual. The Winter Meetings are home to many deals and the biggest names on the block this year are Roy Halladay and Adrian Gonzalez.
Halladay was showcased to every team last year by the Blue Jays… and after all the hype, he was never dealt. Instead, he continued to pitch well for a team with no playoff hopes and the team’s general manager got the boot. This year, Halladay will almost certainly be dealt. New GM Alex Anthopoulos will be forever known by this trade so he’s got to get it right.
Gonzalez is the other big name that everyone is throwing around, only because it makes sense. He’s a superstar on a team that’s going nowhere soon. San Diego could make a killing by trading him and Gonzalez could benefit immensely by hitting in a lineup with better players.
These are just the big names that will likely be trading uniforms this off-season, and it all starts this week over a few cocktails at the Indiana Convention Center. I’ll keep up with other major dealings in the comments section, but please feel free to throw in your own opinions, trade ideas, free agent ideas, and more as the week goes on.
Another big story at the Winter Meetings is the potential trade of Milton Bradley from the Cubs to anyone that will take him. The leading trade targets as of now have been the Rangers, Rays, and Royals. I’m sure teams with names that don’t start with the letter R could make a deal, but these three are the ones mentioned thus far.
I’m interested to see what happens with Adrian Beltre from Seattle. They threw $65 million at him in 2005 after a huge season in which he hit .334 with 48 HRs, and he’s been anything but overwhelming since. Since Beltre went to SEA, he hasn’t hit over .300, had 100 RBI, or 30 HRs. Some team is going to get him on the cheap, and its not outside the realm of possibility that they catch lightning in a bottle.
Who do I want MY team to sign? Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban defector that DESTROYED batters as a 19 year old at the World Baseball Classic.
HOT STOVE BABY!
Update: There is huge interest in Curtis Granderson AND Edwin Jackson by the Yankees. One rumor said they’re even close to getting a deal done today. Also, the Cubs has said they’re interested in Granderson. A writer from the Chicago Sun-Times claims that the Cubs told the Tigers they’re “all in” if Detroit is serious about moving Curtis. Interesting…
Biggest story thus far: Tigers re-sign M.E.’s long lost brother Adam Everett!
With this signing and the pending trades of Granderson and Jackson, the Royals may finally manage their way out of the AL Central basement.
The Winter Meetings have come to an end, so here’s a compilation of what happened – thanks to my old friend Tim Dierkes at MLBTR.
Free Agent Signings
The Astros signed third baseman Pedro Feliz to a one-year, $4.5MM deal.
The Astros signed reliever Gary Majewski to a minor league deal worth $650K in the Majors.
The Mariners re-signed shortstop Josh Wilson to a minor league deal.
The Astros reached an agreement with reliever Brandon Lyon on a three-year, $15MM deal, netting the Tigers a supplemental draft pick.
Starter Rich Harden reached an agreement with the Rangers. Harden will get $6.5MM plus incentives in 2010, and has an $11MM mutual option for ‘11 with a $1MM buyout.
The Mariners signed outfielder Corey Patterson to a minor league deal.
The Brewers reached an agreement with reliever LaTroy Hawkins on a two-year, $7.5MM deal.
The Pirates signed shortstop Bobby Crosby to a one-year deal worth $1MM with $500K in incentives.
The Yankees re-signed starter Andy Pettitte to a one-year, $11.75MM deal.
The Brewers agreed to a three-year, $29.75MM deal with starter Randy Wolf that includes a fourth-year club option.
The Cardinals signed starter Brad Penny to a one-year deal worth $7.5MM, with another $1.5MM in incentives.
The Phillies reached an agreement with infielder Ross Gload on a two-year deal.
The Nationals signed outfielder Jerry Owens to a minor league deal.
The Tigers signed catcher Robinzon Diaz.
The Mets signed first baseman Mike Hessman to a minor league deal.
The Nationals signed catcher Ivan Rodriguez to a two-year, $6MM deal.
The Red Sox signed pitchers Fabio Castro and Kason Gabbard.
The Tigers re-signed shortstop Adam Everett to a one-year, $1.55MM deal.
The Red Sox signed reliever Scott Atchison out of Japan to a one-year deal worth $420K, with two club options.
The Pirates signed reliever Vinnie Chulk to a minor league deal.
Trades
Pitcher Boof Bonser was designated for assignment by the Twins on Tuesday and acquired by the Red Sox on Thursday for a player to be named later.
Reliever Rafael Soriano accepted arbitration Monday night, and the Braves later traded him to the Rays for reliever Jesse Chavez.
The Rangers traded starter Kevin Millwood and $3MM to the Orioles for reliever Chris Ray and Rule 5 pick Benjamin Snyder.
The Astros acquired reliever Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins for pitcher Robert Bono, shortstop Luis Bryan, and Rule 5 pick/third baseman Jorge Jimenez.
The Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson, the D’Backs acquired Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, and the Tigers acquired Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Phil Coke, and Austin Jackson in a three-team blockbuster.
The Nationals acquired reliever Brian Bruney from the Yankees for Rule 5 pick/outfielder Jamie Hoffmann.
The Rangers acquired lefty Clay Rapada from the Tigers for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
New Free Agents
The A’s released reliever Santiago Casilla.
First baseman/DH Mike Jacobs and lefty John Bale were released by the Royals.
The Padres released pitcher Eulogio De La Cruz.
The Nationals released reliever Saul Rivera.
Other Stuff
17 players were taken in the first round of the Rule 5 draft.
The Red Sox claimed pitcher Ramon Ramirez off waivers from the Rays.
Peter Gammons will leave ESPN to work for MLB.com, MLB Network, and NESN.
The Braves designated outfielder Ryan Church for assignment.
The White Sox agreed to a three-year deal with third baseman Mark Teahen, buying out two arbitration years and one free agent year for a total of $14MM.
Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Soriano, and Carl Pavano accepted arbitration offers, while everyone else declined.
The Rockies sold Matt Murton’s rights to the Hanshin Tigers.
The Brewers claimed infielder Luis Cruz off waivers from the Pirates.
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